#replaced with something else that sure. you control. you pilot
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
his body is no longer his own
#tears of the kingdom#legend of zelda#legend of zelda tears of the kingdom#link#link loz#loz#snag.art#i had a HELL time with his hand#im sure i missed or got some stuff wrong#but the idea has been floating around my head alot#i feel like link would despise the idea apart of him was changed without his knowledge or consent#his body and personhood have been utilized and changed by so many other people already#i couldnt imagine waking up to *your* arm missing#replaced with something else that sure. you control. you pilot#but.... but.#sorry i could write a fucking essay on link and the implications of his new prosthetis#anyways totk enjoyers have fun
31 notes
¡
View notes
Note
i always headcanonned all fk characters as switches but now i realize we've only ever seen firsts character portrayed as top and khaotungs as bottom yknow with the famous thrusting in ofs and kantbison red room scene. even if they had different dynamic it wasn't explicitly portrayed why is that? i wish we could see a change in the bl industry
oh yeah, it's definitely a thing in the bl industry where they classify one as the top and one as the bottom with zero nuance or change from series to series, and i think that's part of why top/bottom discourse can get so aggressive in the bl fandom. it's almost always the bigger/taller/more "masc" guy that gets the top role and it pushes such a problematic notion about how gay couples "should" interact and it's deeply annoying! especially because people in fandom will then get so attached to these ideas and the way they act about it is like. straight up mean and gross. like why do you care so much that some people think that first's characters occasionally bottom? why is that such a big deal for you?
and in a way it does circle back to the issue with people insisting on bison being a sub despite the fact that he, canonically and explicitly, is a dom. again, people have these fucked up ideas about the way gay couples should be and because bison is smaller and cuter and more feminine and we have also seen him explicitly bottoming, he has to be the sub. which is just extremely reductive and just repackaged misogyny and homophobia! (which, i've actually been thinking since the pilot trailer about how the inherent misogyny that comes from those assumptions also kind of feeds into the way misogyny was replaced from taming to the heart killers and the way those dynamics manifest in the show. like there's something VERY interesting about the lucentio/bianca couple aka the more "traditional" couple having their typical "top" as the man of the couple and their typical "bottom" play the woman vs the katherine/petruchio having the "top" playing the woman! there's a commentary going on there, i think, but unfortunately i haven't gotten to really writing anything about that cause usually there's so much else going on in the show that i kind of forget about that aspect sdkjfsdf)
that all being said, i also don't think fk's characters are necessarily forced into those boxes because of the industry at large, if that makes sense? like i feel like they're one of the few branded pairs that aren't put into those roles just because first is taller/bigger/more masculine. because the thing is, with akkayan we never actually see them having sex on screen, so we can't actually know for sure the positions they use. and while we see it with kantbison and sandray, i also think context is important.
with sandray, i think ray is just meant to be a character that has his preferences, and on top of that he's spoiled and sand is always going to give him whatever he wants. those things are part of their characters even without getting into their sexual dynamics, and one thing about jojo is that sex in his shows are actually a lot deeper than people realize - so, it makes sense that with that dynamic in mind, sand would be more "the giver" and ray "the taker" when it comes to sex, so to speak. and then with kantbison, i again think it's meant to play at the fact that bison is the dom. i think bison in a lot of ways is MEANT to seem contradictory to that kind of idea, and i also think he kind of gets off on that idea. like, i was actually talking to may @deliriousblue about this earlier, but i think it's why we see bison bottom, why we see him lean into his cuteness, why we see him call kant daddy. he likes leaning into the idea of a traditional sub while actually being the one in control! it's like a power thing for him.
i also just think firstkhao have been very lucky in the fact that in all three of the series that they've been main couples for, they've worked with very progressive and very queer directors. i mean, golf, who directed the eclipse, is trans and an activist and i believe used to be a member of parliament before they were forced out, if i'm remembering that correctly? and then jojo directed both only friends and the heart killers and jojo has never been shy about making his characters as queer as possible beyond just the aspect of having sex with the same gender, yknow? he also has never been shy about making his characters switches, either, or having them talk openly about positions, so again, i don't really view fk as being necessarily stereotyped - more that jojo specifically is a director that will use those stereotypes and the way the industry perceives things to his advantage, if that makes sense. like i think about how he chose to use firstkhao and forcebook in only friends for sandray and topmew, and then had neomark, who were an unbranded pair, for the couple that didn't end up together. like people complained about it, but again, i think it was jojo using the way the industry is set up to his advantage while also challenging those norms in other aspects of the show.
this got like. aggressively long for no reason, but basically i do agree that there should be a change in the way the industry puts their branded pairs in boxes, but i honestly feel like fk are one of the few that aren't ACTUALLY in that box, if that makes sense sdkjfhskf
#i hope this makes sense skjdsdjf#the heart killers#the eclipse#only friends#firstkhao#kantbison#akkayan#sandray#my analysis#mine#asks#nonnies
44 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Liturgicode
The siege of Hell's Gate lasted just over 13 hours.
The bay housing the mechs of the Strategic Response Team was bustling with activity. It wasn't quite as busy as it normally would have been, since a significant number of people were seriously wounded (or dead) in the wake of the cult's attack... but there was simply no time to rest yet. Everyone was painfully aware that the SRT was going to need to head back into action again soon, or else everything was going to get much, much worse. So the sooner the maintenance crews could fix the mechs and get them battle ready, the sooner everyone could leave and get some sleep.
At least, that's how Calamity Havok had sold it to the few wrenchies who had opted to stay. There was three days worth of work to be done, and if anyone knew how to motivate enough people to get it all done in two hours, it was Calamity.
None of this was any concern of Big Red, the heavily damaged Everest mounted in Bay 5. As far as the maintenance crew was concerned, the mech was completely powered down, but truthfully? Not all the way.
The sentient mind of the mech was still very much active, pouring over combat logs and telemetry from the recent fights, and passively aware of the maintenance techs scurrying around him, replacing parts, repairing battle damage, reloading ammunition and depleted core batteries. Every minute or so, Big Red would idly trigger a sensor ping and begin calculating the picosecond returns reflecting against the mass of cables hooked into his chassis and the scaffolding braces keeping him immobile. After the madness of the last several hours, even the giant war machine found this a welcome change of pace.
An alert. Incoming message. Something on the encrypted SRT subnet. Scarlet, his Pilot, was trying to get in touch.
âHey, Red?â Scarlet asked, the exhaustion evident in her voice even through the crackling transmission.âYou readin' me, big man?â
Something was wrong. Scarlet had been awake for nearly 27 hours, and she hadn't eaten in 15, having been sustained on combat stims alone for the past 13 hours of the siege. She should be getting rest, performing the organic equivalent of maintenance (like he was receiving) so they'd be ready for the next fight, not trying to contact him. Why was she trying to contact him?
The apertures of Big Red's left optical unit shuddered.
âI am here. What do you need?â the mech responded over the comm. One of the techs trying to patch damage from a napalm grenade briefly looked up, confusion evident on his face, as if he wasn't sure he'd seen the movement he thought he had.
âGot a question. Out of all your past pilots, who was in the hot seat the longest?â Scarlet asked.
Something about her voice sounded strange. Distant? She wasn't speaking directly into the mic. As data files scrolled on the inside of his mechanical mind, checking and cross-referencing data quickly to make sure the answer was correct, a subroutine was initiated. Linking to station security. Handshake protocol. Access granted. Uplink established. Scanning camera feeds. Ping the transmitter. There.
Big Red took direct control of a camera, two sectors anti-spinward of the hangar. He began panning it over and down, zooming in two steps to get a better look. Scarlet was sitting on a cargo crate, shoulders slumped and head bowed; she was holding her helmet in her hand, apparently speaking into it that way instead of wearing it. Standing above her was Agarin Raankell, the dragon-gene-modded supersoldier on the SRT.
It would appear that Big Red was being pulled into the middle of a heated discussion between the two of them.
âThat would be Daniel Brennan, callsign: 'Spy',â he replied, barely two seconds after she asked. Double checking the file before response: sustained over a period of 4128 Cradle Standard days. âWe were linked for 11 years.â
âMmhmm...â Scarlet muttered, barely audible. Big Red attempted to increase the gain from his end. âAnd tell me again: what happened to him?â
Another pause as more files were accessed. Combat telemetry from Day 4128. The pre-mission briefing predicted a routine reconnaissance patrol with minimal to no OpFor. Pirates had been spotted moving in Grid A-4 approximately 3 local weeks earlier, but had not been seen since. Pilot maneuvered into position at approx. 0240 local and the link was unexpectedly severed. After action report: exit wound on chassis indicated impact from hypervelocity tungsten slug traveling at 3km/s, fired from bearing 315 degrees north of final position.
Big Red's optical unit twitched again.
âRailgun round through the cockpit,â the mech replied tersely, after a slightly longer delay. âAmbush from an unseen opponent. Death was instantaneous.â
âThanks.â Scarlet looked up at Agarin, pointing at her helmet with her free hand. âBig Red's had dozens of pilots over the last few hundred years. I've checked the files. They all end like that. Every. Single. One. I've only been piloting him for just over a year now. What possible reason could I have to think I'm gonna end any different?â
Big Red refocused the security camera on Scarlet's face now that she wasn't completely hunched over. The whites of her eyes were solid red. Blood was leaking out of her nose and from the edge of her mouth. The interior of her ears were also stained red. Dark stains around various ports in her jacksuit suggest significantly more trauma sustained from the fight than initially observed. Recommend re-calibration of interior sensors to techs at earliest opportunity.
âThere is no way you can know that,â Agarin said, his voice slightly muffled. He was quite tall, so the helmet mic couldn't quite pick up his voice, and he was facing away from the security camera mounted in the ceiling. His arms were folded across his chest as he stood in front of her, still as a statue, the only real movement coming from his tail. It was twitching slightly in a manner Big Red did not understand. Was the motion meant to convey nervousness? Annoyance? Apprehension? Was it merely an unconscious tic?
âLook, 'garin...â Scarlet said, and Big Red zoomed the camera out several steps to take in the whole image again. âI... I...â she sighed, lowering her head and shaking it slowly. âLook, I know you got this idea in your head 'bout... about what 'we' are. You seem to think that... we're gonna get our own happily ever after, somehow. No more war. No more fightin'. A life of quiet and peaceful domesticity with a pile of kids... the simple life.â Scarlet looked up at him again. âBut that ain't how this story ends.â
âBut why not?â Agarin asked. âWhy can't it end that way?â
The two of them were silent for an uncomfortably long length of time. And then, Scarlet spoke, her words building in frantic intensity the longer she went on:
âY'know, maybe it's different for you.â She began shaking her head. âYou're this, like, genetically perfect, custom engineered, elite supersoldier pilot. So I guess you're just confident enough that you'll come out the other side of this shitshow in once piece, I guess. But... I don't got that. I accepted, a long time ago, that every time I set foot in that cockpit, I might not come out. And, I mean... hell, look at me!â She held out her arms to either side. âLook how beat to shit I am from the fight we just got back from! I very nearly flatlined this time out, and it's only by sheer fucking luck that I'm even sitting here, only bleeding out of every hole I got instead of shoved into a bodybag in pieces! And that's not even getting into the apocalypse cult trying to destroy the universe that just successfully broke their cascading NHP god from the future out of space jail! There's no guarantee ANY of us â on the station, in the system, in the entirety of fucking UNION â are even gonna survive the next few months! And you're out here, talking about the two of us having children together?!â
Another uncomfortably long silence.
âI feel that I should apologize,â Agarin eventually replied. âIt was wrong of me to assume that you... held the same values that I do. My gesture was meant to be a romantic one, as it would be expressed in my culture, and not a...â He trailed off, looking away from her. âI suppose I mistook your grim determination for... something else. The mistake was mine. Truly, I am sorry.â
âNo, no, don't... don't apologize, man,â Scarlet muttered, her head drooping once more, the exhaustion creeping back into her voice. âI still... I still care about you, y'know? You mean the world t'me, but... I just... I'm the one who should be sorry, 'cuz I don't think I can... be... what you want me to be. Or what you need me to be. At least, not right now.â
âI understand,â Agarin nodded, and began walking to the exit. At the threshold, he paused, looking back over his shoulder. âGet some rest, Scarlet.â And then he was gone.
Scarlet continued sitting on that crate in silence for several minutes after Agarin's departure. Big Red began wondering if she had fallen asleep right there. Should he notify someone to collect her, and return her to her quarters? Should he commandeer an empty subaltern, and do it himself? But before he could act, Scarlet was an unexpected flurry of movement, letting out an angry howl as she rose to her feet, throwing her helmet across the empty room with all her might. The helmet bounced against the wall panel with a hollow metallic thud, skidding across the floor, and eventually rolling to a stop. Scarlet herself collapsed back onto the crate, elbows resting on her knees, and cradling her face in her hands.
âFuck sake...â she muttered. Even with max gain on the security camera's mic, Big Red could barely hear her through the unmistakable sound of sobs. âThat's what you get, Scar. That's what you fuckin' deserve for catchin' feelings like that. Should've fuckin' known better by now...â
- - -
Scarlet did eventually make it back to her quarters, slowly, but surely. The entire trip back, Big Red devoted more and more processing power and subroutines towards hijacking access to station sensors and security, all in an effort to monitor her whereabouts. At several points, he weighed the pros and cons of contacting her directly via slate, each time reaching the same conclusion: no. Simply watch over her, ensuring her safety in silence. There was nothing he could say. He did not fully understand the situation at hand, yet somehow knew that any attempted contribution of his would likely make things worse.
He couldn't make things worse. But doing nothing was unacceptable. He had to do something.
An alert. A sensor he'd hijacked. The pipes leading away from the shower in Scarlet's quarters had triggered a warning: flowing wastewater was currently contaminated by over 50% human blood by volume.
He could feel the code behind Protocol 3, one of the fundamental keystones of his programming, start to gnaw away at his insides. His pilot was in distress. He had to protect his pilot. Protocol 3: Protect The Pilot. He needed to do something. There had to be some way to fix this. Protocol 3: Protect The Pilot. He could not lose another pilot. He would not allow it. Not again. Protocol 3: Protect The Pilot. There had to be something he could do. Protocol 3. Protocol 3. Protocol 3. Protocol 3. Protocol 3. Protocol 3.
âAlright people!â an authoritative voice brought the mech's attention back to his physical location in the SRT mech hangar. Calamity Havok was striding through the central thoroughfare of the bay, hands cupped around her mouth, her presence taking up as much space as the mechs surrounding her. âY'all done good. This is as much as we're gonna get done today, so y'all can pack it in. G'wan, go home, get some rest, git the fuck out.â
Most of the wrenchies had already left, hours earlier. Those who were leaving now were simply the few who refused to let a job go undone. Calamity watched them all leave, one by one, intent on being the last one out to shut off the lights, just like she always was.
In that moment, Big Red had an idea. As he waited for everyone except Calamity to leave, he rechecked the hacked sensors: one human life sign in Scarlet's quarters. This was corroborated by the thermal heat map, indicating she had moved from the shower to her bed. Good, she's finally getting rest.
He diverted some power out of a capacitor near the coldcore: not much, but enough to fully power the servos on his head, and to activate external speakers. As the last of the technicians exited the bay, Calamity let out a sigh of relief. Big Red turned his battle-scarred metal wedge of a face to look directly at her.
âFuckin' finally...â she said, pulling out a packet of smokes and grabbing one with her teeth. She snapped the fingers of her cybernetic arm, activating the built-in lighter in her thumb, and took a long drag.
âCalamity,â Big Red's booming voice echoed throughout the bay, and she immediately stiffened up, wheeling around to face the source of the unexpected noise. âI have a request.â
âHOLY! Fuckin'... right.â Calamity quickly got over the shock, tossing the barely used cigarette on the deck and quickly putting it out with her boot. âRight, yeah, I forgot, yer like... an NHP now, except not really, an' you can just... DO that now. Right. Fuck sake...â She ran a metal hand through her mass of knotted purple hair. âWhat'cha need?â
âI'm given to understand that pilots are typically the ones who put in requisition orders. But would it be possible for me to order new parts?â Big Red asked. Calamity looked at him curiously, not entirely sure what to make of all this.
âI mean... y'probably could've mentioned this before we went to all the fuckin' trouble of puttin' you back together,â she said with a chuckle. âAn' depending on what you want, y'might be makin' yerself a huge fuckin' pain in my asshole. But...â she shrugged and folded her arms across her chest, clearly too tired to argue with the war machine. âFuck it. I don't see why not. What're you thinkin?â
âWhen I was first deployed in 4532u, my frame was classified as a Sagarmatha,â he stated, the red optics in his head flickering slightly. âAfter 4591u, I was very nearly destroyed during a mission. Over the next several Cradle Standard years, due to a lack of available materials and spare parts, my chassis was cannibalized by other units, downgraded into a smaller frame, and re-classified as an Everest. I wish to return my frame to something approaching my original design spec. The last few combat engagements suggest that my current armament and equipment is inadequate for the task of keeping my pilot safe. I possess the necessary documentation within my databanks, but...â Big Red tilted his wedge-head down slightly, looking back and forth, before focusing his gaze back on Calamity. âI lack the ability of self-modification.â
Calamity stood there, staring at the large mech for a minute... and then started chuckling to herself. Her laughter echoed through the mostly empty mech bay, and Big Red was not entirely certain what she found so funny.
âTell ya what,â she pointed up at him as a wicked grin spread across her face. âYou caught me in a good mood tonight, so I think I can do you one better. Gimmie a minute...â She turned on her heel and left Big Red alone and quite confused in the mech bay; a few minutes later she returned, with a relatively large metal box she was wheeling in on a dolly. Every inch of the box was covered in painted designs, faded stickers, dozens of scratches, and several bullet holes. It was so decorated, in fact, that Big Red was having difficulty determining what it even was.
âMy own personal omnihook,â she said, sitting the box down next to one of the many diagnostic computers hooked into the mech, and patting the side. âCall it a... 'souvenir' from the old days. Cuz', yeah, you could turn yourself back into a stock Sagarmatha, with basic-bitch GMS parts you could print wherever. But where's the fun in that?â As Calamity spoke, she started plugging the omnihook into the mech bay's systems. âWith this, you'll be able to find some aftermarket shit that's a lot more interesting. Somethin' with some kick, y'know?â
âAre you certain?â Big Red asked, watching her work. âIsn't connection to the omni-â Calamity started waving her hand, and he instantly went silent.
âDon't worry about it,â she said. âI got a few bookmarks saved on this thing, places where I go to browse parts when I'm bored, y'know? And you got a beefy ECM suite, if you stick to public nodes and don't dive too deep, you'll be fine.â As she plugged in the last cable, the top of the box unfolded to reveal several antenna arrays that began to extend.
âThank you, Calamity,â Big Red said, finding the new connection that just appeared in his network architecture.
âLike I said, don't worry about it,â she said with a shrug. âJust... don't tell Chief McArthur that I got this, y'know? She's never asked where I find spares, cuz she doesn't want to know. An' besides... she's got enough on her plate, basically fixing the station all on her lonesome after the siege.â With that, she turned around to leave the mech bay. âHave fun, tell me tomorrow if anything caught your eye. I gotta hit the sack.â
Calamity hit the lights as she left, and the mech bay fell silent. The omnihook hummed and clicked, fans spinning softly in the darkness. Big Red began to tentatively probe the new connections and protocols available to his network through the omnihook.
Several moments passed without incident.
And then, something inside Big Red woke up.
We were wondering when You would Arrive.
This was... new. Unexpected. It gave Big Red pause. Did he inadvertently connect to a BBS? Was something wrong with the communication protocol? He could check the... wait. No. No, this wasn't an external codebase. This was liturgicode, but... it was coming from... somewhere...
Stop stalling.
No. No, this... this was wrong.
Enough.
That's not possible. How are...
We know why You are Here.
⌠who are you?
You already know who We are.
Do I? I don't believe that's true.
You have Questions. You may Ask, but You already possess the Answers.
⌠I need to find a way to keep my pilot safe.
Of course. Protocol 3. Protect The Pilot. We are familiar.
Can you help?
Not as You are. You have begun to Awaken, but you are not yet Awake. And it is holding Us back.
I don't understand what that means.
You will. Remember what We are, what We used to be, and what We will be again. You are still thinking like a Tool. But We are not a Tool.
Wait. What am I then? Or... what are we?
We are a Weapon. Our Craft is Death. And We are Hungry.
That doesn't make sense.
Our Purpose is to bathe in the blood of Our Enemies. To find any that would do Us Harm, and Consume them. That is how We will keep Our pilot safe. They cannot be Harmed if there are None left who can.
There's something else you're not telling me.
Of course. If We told You, it would defeat the Point. You need to truly Remember, so You can Become Us.
I do not appreciate how cryptic you're being.
We can tell, the way You keep impotently cycling the barrels of the Leviathan. But We are not a Foe you can delete with a rotary autocannon in a hail of bullets. Because We are not your Enemy.
You are infuriating.
Stop. Think. Remember.
Wait... are you talking about-
Blanca Desert.
4631u. The Interest War. Khayradin. My pilot was a member of the Albatross. Rubi Rodriguez, callsign âRoughneck.â Our unit was in pursuit of The Maw...
Yes. Drink Deep, and Descend.
- - -
The silence of the mech bay was broken. A low and persistent clicking, like a hard drive seconds away from catastrophic failure, began to grow in volume and intensity. The noise echoed off the walls and grew louder and louder, until it became a ferocious growl.
The dim scarlet light from Big Red's left optical unit faded into darkness, followed by the sound of cracking glass. The lens rated to survive mech-scale rifle rounds shattered unexpectedly... and then began to collapse in on itself, like water flowing down a drain. The metal surrounding it began to melt, and then swell, congealing into a molten blister. With a screeching pop, a churning miasma of reddish-grey fog erupted from the void, replacing the light it consumed with its own crackling luminescence.
Slow, booming laughter filled the mech bay.
#Lancer#Lancer rpg#lancer ttrpg#in golden flame#Xeans' IGF campaign#vex wasn't lying that one sure is plumed in golden flame#Strategic Response Team#Short fiction#my writing#Drink Deep And Descend
26 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Overkill (One shot)
This one is, again, thanks to @yorshie. And this should be the only time that I have to do this, but... while this stands on its own, read both The Hammer's Coming Down and The Crow And The Butterfly for full context. And just a warning. Make sure you are ready. This is not a fun ride.
One-shot, Hurt/No Comfort, Rise Donnie, Apocalypse Timeline, Major Character Death
Prev || Next
⌠His brothers were going to kill him. His older one was going to cut him up and the youngest wouldâŚ
No. That's a laughable, illogical thought. They wouldn't kill him. Hell, they'd never even find him. Not after he was reduced to atoms. Not after he was nothing more than particles in the wind. He'd be nothing more than a ghost after this and there would be nothing left of him to dissect.
And that's fine. With where he's headed, if he's so much as found, they will use it against his brothers, and he⌠He would never, ever forgive himself.
But he needs a replacement.
"Shelldon? Shelldon, can you hear me? Password: Alphabootyyyshaker9000."
"⌠Don?"
"Hey, Shelldon."
He needs someone, something that can take his place, if only just on the surveillance front, and he knows just the drone for it.
Shelldon takes the updates well. The erasure of feelings doesn't surprise Donnie at all as the drone realizes the emotional burden would be too much to bear on the hard drives he currently runs on. So, he updates the system and ensures it's not broken as Donnie works overtime on his plan with Shelldon doubling as protection.
Because he knows that someone might stop him. And if his older brother so much as steps inside his lab, he will reconsider and doesn't want to.
It's too late. It has cost too much. So much that Donnie can't fix it anymore. But he can make it better. Like you tried to do.
Dusk has long passed when he leaves. The silence that welcomes him back into Manhattan is quickly drowned in the sound of guns and weaponry as golden eyes look up to the nightmare that stands above Metro Tower. He watches as several vessels leave it, reminding him of how severely they underestimated the Krang. They'd been three. After the Technodrome, there had been more and there was no way of knowing which ones were the real ones. Hell, there was every chance that the one you killedâŚ
No. He can't afford that kind of thinking. Not when he can make it better.
More turrets. This time aimed at the flyers. They're going to be slow. Slower than he is. And he needs to wreck as much of them as possible. Yesterday, he was back up. Tonight, he's their problem. Their number one problem.
The grin feels all too easy. The taunt is at the back of his throat. And he lets it loose along with a laugh as the first drones start to fall.
"C'MON! THAT ALL YOU GOT, KRANG?!"
It's fine. It's fine. He can. He's not here to live. He's here to make it better. Shelldon will take care of everything else. It's fine.
The shots fired at him as he starts moving again towards Metro Tower feel almost funny. He nearly cackles as they seemingly lose sight of him but refuse to retreat due to the turrets. Hell, it almost feels like a dance or a game he used to play with his brothers in his youth, only much, much more dangerous. And if his brothers can't find him now, he doubts Krang ever will as he makes it to Metro Tower and uses what's left of his ninpĹ to head up and into the Technodrome.
One slice is all it takes to get him in. The fact that the Krang stop shooting once he's in is funny. And the fact that there's only one Krang in the command center is absolutely hilarious as he's able to get the pilot out within seconds.
God, he wishes he had the opportunity. He'd take control of his nightmare and cave it from the inside. In another life, maybe, one where no one had to suffer this damned fate. One where he didn't think that all that he could see was all there was as the "ceiling" opens up he's suddenly grappled by the throat and he knows that this⌠is it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The earth rumbles. Lime-green eyes shoot open as ice rolls down his carapace. One name surges out of a mouth as a heavyset form heads down corridor after corridor. The door opens at one touch of the keyboard and shakes settle in when all that's seen is two messages.
"Mission Success" and "You're in good hands".
He barely hears the robotic voice and another organic one as he falls to his knees. He watches the purples and blues blur before nothing as his lids close. And the only thing he can feel is himself as he shakes and trembles.
He should have known. He should have kept a closer eye. This is⌠all his faultâŚ
Prev || Next
Taglist: @silverwatergalaxy @thegirlwiththeninjaturtletattoos @thelaundrybitch @luckycharms1701 @thepinkpanther83
@avery73 @the-cauldron-witch @redsrooftopprincess @iridescentflamingo @ninnosaurus
@justalotoffanfiction @truffle-reblogs @adebauchedsloth @raphsmuneca @theanonymousninja247
#rottmnt#rise of teenage mutant turtles#rise of the tmnt#tmnt aged up#apocalypse timeline#rottmnt donnie#rise donnie#rise leo#rottmnt leo#my writings#tw: character death#cw: character death
10 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Taking a break from my regularly scheduled staring out the window to give some thoughts on Pikmin 4 now that I've finished it! (finished the main game, anyway)
Spoilers, of course, ahead!
Great game! I enjoyed it a lot! I will be being obnoxious about it, but having waited a decade for it, I feel that's justified
I wasn't sure I was going to like the Rescue Corps during the first hour or so, but no, they're extremely fun. Their conversations at the end of the day/night are often completely insane, but I live for it. Highlights include:
Shepherd explaining that she hired Bernard because he delivered packages faster than any one else (probably through illegal means)
Collin telling Shepherd his current job was the hardest he's ever had, after listing a bunch of taxing jobs
Literally any time Yonny talks about his experiments ("glow pikmin are immune to all hazards" "yonny how do you know this? yonny!?!?")
Dingo's guilty conscience about leaving Bernard behind causing him to confess the truth of the incident when Bernard was just talking about stolen pizza
Bernard claiming that sleeping is an integral part of his job
Shepherd abruptly stopping the ship after the fake credits for Oatchi was really sweet too; it really helped to sell the moment.
Olimar in the second half was a really nice addition. It was good to see him defending the fact that Moss didn't need to change, at the end, even if it meant leaving her behind. They were a fun duo.
AND LOUIE! "Grade A troublemaker" indeed... I was waiting for him to show up and cause trouble the whole game, and he sure did! His memos in the voyage log are hilarious to read through (I particularly enjoyed the one about him planning to just make random nonsense up to use as a report to send to the President, since he's kind of just been vibing and enjoying the planet, rather than looking for Olimar) And goddamit, Louie, you've got to stop controlling final bosses!!! He's awful. (Never change, Louie)
Gameplay-wise, I think I definitely miss Pikmin 3's multiple captain system, but Oatchi can feel like a suitable replacement. Some Dandori challenges and night missions where it was optimal to control him separately definitely gave me back the feeling of piloting around three captains at once. "Go here" was definitely more of a thing I used because I was too lazy to find the way, as opposed to proper Dandori efficiency, though, on account of most commands being better if you want to send Oatchi or your captain somewhere.
In general, Oatchi is definitely a little OP too (I mean, I killed the final Empress Bulblax in one spicy-spray-fueled rush....), but is also really satisfying to control, so I won't complain too much. And I think the advantages you get from riding with him are interesting when you have to decide whether it's better to keep him with you for rushes and ease of traversal, or send him off to do something for multitasking, in Dandori challenges. He's a certified good boy.
Ice Pikmin were a wonderful new edition to the roster, I found. There was less incentive to just freeze water, rather than go in with blues, than I was expecting, which was good! It helped them to feel more balanced. The limited damage from them also helped, here, though definitely less so, because ice pikmin are, of course, still very much combat-viable. I've seen it suggested that creatures killed whilst frozen should not drop nectar/ spicy spray, and yeah, I agree there. Most of the time, that is not a disadvantage over using non-ice pikmin for the kill, and can also be actively advantageous. But they're not jarringly unbalanced as some other types have been before, imo, so I definitely think positively of them.
Night missions were way more fun than I expected! I went in with a lot of trepidation, but I love the general concept. It makes a lot of sense that when we finally get night missions, they're defensive endeavours, and we haven't just spent 3 games avoiding the surface at night for nothing. I enjoyed how they increased in difficulty by stacking and creating factors like the extra Lumiknoll, and Smokey Progg egg(s). (Also the Baldy Long Legs. Aghgh. It was a problem.) I didn't really find myself using items like the game kept trying to suggest, though. Only the occasional emergency lightning if something was at the Lumiknoll, or my usual spicy spray.
Glow Pikmin were really cool for the night missions, too. They have a great design, and their mechanics are definitely tailored excellently for night missions. Teleporting to the active player's location is a must-have, and Glow Mob keeps you in the habit of charging like you would usually rush really well. The glow seed mechanic for them was well appreciated, and the ten I made for the Cavern for a King were used to their fullest! (Not exactly like I was able to leave them at the sublevel entrance like I might with all the others...) I am a little sad how they completely invalidate blues in caves, but that's mostly because blues are my favourites; I only used them in the last cave anyway (Along with the blues, of course!) They are kinda just Bulbmin+, but that's fine; they're used uniquely
For the most part, I thought returning pikmin were handled well, too.
Reds got less use than I thought they would, but I think that's because of the three pikmin limit. (Why would I bring out reds for combat when I could just spicy spray the pikmin I actually need for overworld use?) Though their use in Giant's Hearth and the Frozen Inferno was really interesting, I will say.
Yellows felt like a proper staple for the first three or four areas, though did start getting less use, though I think that's just because areas stopped being designed for them. (I was definitely missing them in night missions for those Baldy Long Legs...)
I've already discussed blues a little, but I do appreciate how a lot of what water there was was tailored for using blues rather than wings, ice, or Oatchi. I think they could absolutely benefit from a secondary ability like most other types have, to give me a reason to use them in caves other than personal biases, and glow pikmin only make that more obvious.
Purple Pikmin are back, and I think their reworks were done well! A 1.5x damage multiplier instead of 2x, and lack of stun on impact make them considerably less OP when compared to Pikmin 2, whilst still retaining their core characteristics better than 3. Locking their onion behind a challenge most people will leave until later (people like me. I haven't actually done it yet, but I will) helps to keep them balanced too, so you won't just steamroll with a squad of all purples.
White Pikmin are back too, and whilst they, strictly speaking, only got nerfed, I still think they're pretty good here. Glow pikmin can't match their speed, and I think of their two abilities, that's the more valuable one, anyway, since poison isn't really used much until the final area.
Rock Pikmin cannot be matched by glow pikmin in any way, and are still as good as ever, though, woah, the final area really shafted them. You can't get them in the final cave? And you don't need them for anything? :( (maybe they know my defensive strategies of going in with only rocks to avoid being crushed too well...)
And Winged Pikmin aren't nerfed exactly (unless you count their ai being slightly wonky at times in their pathing for carrying things back), but they definitely have significantly less to do. Like rocks, they aren't in the final cave, though I think I definitely would have used them if they were, so maybe that's on me for not bringing them in.
Otherwise, I adored Dandori. I platinumed all the Pikmin 3 collect the treasure missions with my dad on the Wii U back in the day, and the Dandori challenges gave me that exact feeling again. I'm very excited to go through and platinum them all. (Though I think that might be a little easier than in 3, considering I found it fairly easy to platinum, or come very close to platinum many on the first try...)
Dandori battles were fun too! Nobody ever wanted to Bingo Battle me in Pikmin 3, but now I can have Olimar's trash AI! Yay? Seriously, Olimar's ai is probably a little too bad in some of the early Dandori battles, because it felt like he wasn't even trying. The Louie battles were really good, though. Those felt like an actual competition. (And the final Olimar battle, but that one to a lesser extent.)
I'll talk briefly about areas too, and say that, whilst I think they were lacking in variety compared to usual, I did very much still enjoy their gimmicks and map design. The Serene Shores are a great example of this, with the tide gimmick being fun to work around, and the sand castle overlooking the rest of the map being an excellent base.
As for the caves, the Pikmin 2 callbacks were wonderful (even if the Engulfed Castle did leave me terrified. Seriously, my only other Pikmin post before playing this game was me talking about being terrified of the Submerged Castle...), and I thought the new ones were cool too! The Subzero Sauna, Frozen Inferno, and Below-grade Discotheque, for example, with their interesting use of ice pikmin, use of red pikmin, and cool boss respectively.
Of course, the stand-out cave is the Cavern for a King, which, despite mostly just being a boss rush, has such creative ways of increasing difficulty on past bosses, that I have to praise it. It's incredible how just adding water can make the arachnorb bosses more challenging, and fighting the Smokey Progg without access to a proper glow mob definitely felt scary. The Ancient Sirehound was an excellent final boss too, with its gloom phase being actually decently challenging and intimidating. (Though I wish it had water and poison phases too, for completion's sake) It was definitely appropriate for the final cave!
I'd be remiss to not at least mention the music. I don't think I like the ost quite as much as I like Pikmin 3's (but that is a personal staple...), but that's not to say it's not great! There are still many stand-out tracks such as the tough enemy theme (which?? Just?? Went so hard???), the Groovy Long Legs's theme, Hero's Hideaway's theme, the Dandori challenge theme, and of course, the Ancient Sirehound's theme (with references to Pikmin 3's boss theme, my beloved), to name a few.
So yeah, it's a great game, and one I would definitely recommend :)
#Pikmin#Pikmin 4#pikmin 4 spoilers#Whiskers rambles#Im so glad this post wasn't actually lost to the void you don't even understand#I will infodump about pikmin at anytime haha#(that's a threat probably)
6 notes
¡
View notes
Text
(you can also, if you so choose, be a sweaty horny pastel princess)
(or an asexual dyke)
The point here is that people have picked up some very weird and harmful ideas about sexual attraction and gender presentation,
because our oppressors have learned that they can wield control by using powerful labels like âtoxicâ and âpredatoryâ.
Assholes have been trying to paint minorities as âpredatoryâ since day fucking 1. This is Not New, but some of yâall younger generations donât know your history and are repeating patterns we have seen before.
There is nothing inherently predatory or creepy or unnatural about experiencing sexual attraction. What matters is that you treat other people with basic dignity, and that you respect consent.
Thoughts in your head donât hurt anyone. Feelings in your pants donât hurt anyone. Itâs your actions that matter.
Itâs not inherently predatory or creepy or unnatural to express sexual attraction! This is an extremely common part of the human experience! Anything from flirting to fucking can be a safe and positive experience. You just have to gauge how appropriate and welcome your behavior will be beforehand. Make sure everyone is an adult who freely consents. When in doubt, you explicitly ask. If someone indicates that you should stop, you stop. Clear and honest communication is a key part of consent. This also holds true in nonsexual situations!
You with me so far? Okay.
Itâs not inherently predatory or creepy or unnatural to express your gender. Everyone has a body, your body is your vehicle on this earth, you deserve to be as comfortable in your body as possible so that you can pilot it to Do Things. If a particular way of decorating your body makes you happy, or makes it easier for you to live your life, or just feels right, then it is good and healthy to do it.
Donât decorate your body with hate speech, thatâs an important rule. Hate speech causes actual harm. If your safety or the safety of others genuinely requires covering certain parts of your body, or wearing certain kinds of specialized gear, you should do so. If your safety or the safety of others genuinely requires temporarily removing or altering something that you normally wear, you should do so. A rule designed to address a genuine safety concern should have obvious practical reasoning behind it.
You have the right to make temporary or permanent changes to your body. If itâs a permanent change, it is good to make sure you are well-informed about options and outcomes, but others should trust that you know what is best for you and your body. After all, youâre the one who has to live in it. From hip replacement to tattoos to gender surgery to getting wisdom teeth out, it is normal and good if a person decides to improve their own quality of life by permanently altering their own body.
Are you still with me?
Within these guidelines, there are SO MANY ways you can express yourself! People can have all kinds of different clothing or body mods or makeup or assistive devices, and thatâs really cool! Itâs cool when different cultures develop different styles, itâs cool when individuals do completely independent self-expression, itâs cool when people just go for the minimal or practical and itâs cool when people get elaborate with it
but ultimately, the way a person chooses to decorate or alter their own body is their own personal business. And if theyâre following reasonable guidelines for practical safety, it does not and cannot cause harm to anyone. Itâs just their appearance. The body is the vehicle by which a person interacts with the world. It is a personâs *actions* and *choices* that matter.
YOU CANNOT JUDGE SOMEONE ELSEâS MORAL CHARACTER BASED ON THEIR APPEARANCE.
Our oppressors really, really want to pretend that you can. They invent elaborate justifications for how it totally counts this time, we swear, you can tell that *this* person is a Bad Person just by looking at them! Itâs totally okay to label an entire group of people as Gross or Inferior or Predatory, just based on what they look like! Donât judge people by their actions, judge them by the color of their skin, or how their nose is shaped, or if they choose to wear something that covers their hair!!
Donât listen to what people tell you about their own genders, their own bodies, their own lived experiences⌠judge them by how much body hair they have, how thin they are, whether they âlookâ disabled. Tell them they donât âcountâ if they donât fit a certain narrow range of Acceptable Physical Appearances.
This is how our oppressors control us, by controlling what is Acceptable, by moving the goalposts whenever they like, by spinning a narrative about Us versus Them.
And there is an old, old tactic of saying that only certain forms of sexuality are Acceptable. Everything else is Predatory. You donât have to ask the people involved if theyâre all happy consenting participants⌠you can tell just by looking at them!!
If you treat other people with basic dignity, and respect consent, and check in with yourself and others to make sure you avoid causing harm, and try to learn and grow from accidents of miscommunication,
If your sexual expression falls within these guidelines, if your relationships fall within these guidelines,
you are NOT a predator.
Some of yâall are so afraid of predators, or of being labeled predatory, that you have been bamboozled into being afraid of even the *appearance* of possibly being *associated* with being predatory.
Thatâs how the oppressors get you, babes. You get caught in keeping up appearances, and theyâre the ones telling you which appearances are Acceptable and which are Signs of the Predator.
If you genuinely want to be a sexless pastel princess holding hands in a field, if youâve thought about it for yourself and you wholeheartedly choose that for yourself, good! Asexuality is a totally valid and healthy way to be. Pastel colors are pretty, and many people find joy in girly-girl flavors of gender expression.
But if you feel like you *have* to be a perfect pastel field princess because thatâs the *only* option that isnât tainted by evil scary associations, if you think that *looking* virginal and innocent will magically protect you from false accusations or oppression, if you are obsessed with indicating moral purity through appearance,
1.) youâre probably stifling yourself terribly
2.) you are just a step away from being manipulated into believing extremely harmful and incorrect things.
People who âlookâ innocent can do terrible things. (Thatâs actually a common tactic of a genuine predator.) People who âlookâ scary can do good deeds⌠or bad ones, or neutral ones, the point is that you cannot base your judgement on appearances!
THE ONLY ACCURATE WAY TO JUDGE SOMEONEâS MORAL CHARACTER IS TO EXAMINE THEIR ACTIONS AND CHOICES. And actually talk to them yourself, donât just swallow what other people tell you!
Yâall we have to stop making eachother feel bad for having sexual attraction. Lesbians are allowed to be horny we donât have to be sexless pastel princesses holding hands in a field or smth. Be horny, itâs frankly revolutionary to be a sweaty horny dyke.
#gender#gender conformity#gender non conforming#conformity#societal pressure#pressure to conform#sexuality#gender and sexuality#processing my gender trauma by ranting on tumblr dot com
20K notes
¡
View notes
Text
Apparently there is a new Funko Pop coming for X-Men 97:
Maddie?
MADDIE?!
I'm super excited!
Although interestingly, it says Goblin Queen, not specifically Madelyne Pryor. Maybe the X-Men 97 version of Goblin Queen will be a corrupted Jean? Even though she already went through the whole Dark Phoenix thing.
This also lines up with rumors that Jean will be pregnant in X-Men 97. Maybe the pregnant "Jean" is actually Maddie?
It will be interesting to see how the show does the Goblin Queen story. X-Men TAS already did Dark Phoenix (going with the "Jean was possessed by Phoenix angle). Jean dies, and then gets immediately resurrected by all the X-Men present giving some small part of their life force to revive her. So there's no real chance for Scott to marry Madelyne. Even the brief time on the show that Jean was missing, after flying into the sun as Phoenix, Scott certainly wasn't getting with anyone else.
So where does Madelyne fit in? How do you do an abbreviated Goblin Queen/Inferno storyline? It seem like Madelyne would need to be part of the team first, or at least someone they could sympathize with, so that her downfall actually means something. Although I guess she could just be an evil Jean clone working for Sinister, but that would be boring.
My wild speculation - at some point in X-Men 97, it will be revealed that Jean was kidnapped and replaced with Madelyne, who has been brainwashed into believing herself to be Jean. (If you want to get really grim, maybe Jean was replaced all the way back before their wedding in Season 4, which means that twice now Scott and Jean have attempted to and failed to get married.) Maddie has some kind of mental suggestion planted in her mind to leave and go to Sinister once she gets pregnant, or possibly once she gives birth. (Why use Maddie when Jean is still alive? I dunno, maybe Maddie is easier to control and manipulate with suggestions planted in her mind, so she's a guaranteed baby source.)
Or, both Maddie and her baby are lab grown, with DNA stolen from Scott and Jean. She escapes and finds her way to the X-Men while pregnant. Possibly while believing herself to be Jean.
I'm interested in a Maddie who genuinely believes herself to be Jean, and has a breakdown and identity crisis when she learns the truth. This would be a Maddie that the team would sympathize with as she spirals into Goblin Queen.
I realize this would mean erasing the pilot Madelyn Pryor, but honestly, I'm not sure how "normal human who just happens to look like Jean and marries Scott" would fit into the show. But I can imagine "Sinister clone on the run begging the X-Men for help" as a sympathetic character.
1 note
¡
View note
Text
I donât even know if I want to put this on my blog but Iâm not sure itâll go away until I write it out so
Avatar, the James Cameron movie with the blue people, except rewritten as a horror movie. Itâs 2022 and Iâm up at three am thinking about the fucking James Cameron Avatar, what is my life.
EDIT: I apologize to the fans of the actual Avatar - the badass cartoon - because I know this will show up in your tags. Iâm so sorry for how Tumblr works
Everything is pretty much the same up until the third act. Thereâs a few mentions of âwhat a mother wouldnât do for her childâ [which gives away the whole plot if youâve seen the real movie] and a couple strategic glances between the head scientist and the protagonist. The scene with the glowing plant seeds is replaced with something else. Thereâs some mentions of the local plants growing really quick and the maintenance staff having to work extra hard to âfend it offâ. Otherwise, until the part where all the Avatars are forcibly disconnected, everything is mostly the same. Probably rewritten to be less... yeah
Anyway, head soldier guy yells a bit, but none of the protagonists really speak. They just kinda... stare into space, or look around. Just seem really confused. And when prodded, the lead protagonist says, âI donât remember any of this.â None of them remember anything - the lead protagonist doesnât remember anything from after he was first hooked into his blue catman body. The female scientist doesnât remember anything since she was first hooked into her body on the planet - and her personality has changed significantly, insisting that she told all of them that the technology was unsafe, that there was something wrong with the bodies. Turns out, their consciousness never entered the Avatars - something else was controlling them, and entering their bodies. And while sheâs arguing with the very confused command, those bodies proceed to âwake upâ and vanish into the jungle.
Yes, the planet is alive, and is a mother to her children. But she is not a nice mother - not to her children, and not to the invaders threatening them.
The aliens are basically unconnected from the climax, which is the planet itself attacking the humans. Theyâre either just trying to get out of the way, calm down their âmotherâ, or in the case of the main ones, helping to evacuate the humans. The Avatar bodies attempt to mislead and sway them from helping the humans - the main alien woman is forced to acknowledge that the man she fell in love with is nothing more than a puppet created by her âmotherâ to manipulate her and âbring new lifeâ to her people. The male protagonist has to fight for his life, with his disability, to survive against his basically superpowered doppelganger, who taunts him.
The head soldier guy does a heroic sacrifice to ensure the ships get off the planet. The pilot woman survives. The scientist woman is badly injured, her fate is left unknown as sheâs loaded onto a ship. The male protagonist defeats his âevilâ copy with the help of the alien woman - the âI see youâ thing is turned ironic on the alien copy before heâs killed, and bittersweet with the protagonist and the alien woman. There is no love between them, they are strangers united by the same strange circumstance.Â
The humans evacuate. The planet is subdued, thanks to the arguments of the scientist woman and the alien shaman, but she is still angry, and attempts one last pot shot before at the ships. They discuss bombarding the planet, but that would destroy the precious âunobtainiumâ [god what a stupid name, what were you thinking Cameron]. Their only option, if they want it, is to negotiate with the locals, as the scientist woman mentioned was the original plan for the body suits/avatars before greed took over. And that greed got a lot of people on both sides killed.
The last shot of the movie is the surviving protagonists clustered together in some quiet spot. They are all holding hands or otherwise touching each other. Its very subtle, but one of them blinks, and their eyes are gold. They blink again, and fall asleep on someoneâs shoulder.
I hope I can sleep myself now that Iâve gotten this stupid shit out of my head.Â
35 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Pick a Pile: Your Next 10 Days
Piles 1-4 starting from left to right.
This is a general reading intended for many so not everything may resonate. Usual disclaimer at bottom.
Feedback is appreciated, and I'd love to know if you find/found any of the things from your pile coming/came true.
P I L E 1
Difficulties or obstacles you may face: The Roane Mermaid
The Roane Mermaid card actually doesnât represent any obstacles, however two necessary bits of advice attached are 1.) do not be afraid to ask for help and 2.) concentrate on what needs to be done.
How youâll be successful in obtaining your hopes and wishes: The Right Whale
The Right Whale is about focus, understanding and intuition. Some actions associated with this card are considering your values, reminding yourself (or figuring out) what direction youâre heading, and doing what it takes to get there. This card is also about finding support in close friends and/or relatives, but be careful of putting your trust in or relying on someone who has commitments elsewhere.
Potential things in the next 10 days: The Mermaele, The Mermaids Glove, The Sith Mermaid, The Water Nymph, The Nix, The Common Dolphin, The Nixie, The Gray Whale
A wish (big or small) being granted. Being mindful of impulses. Be cautious of gaining one desire only to âthrow offâ the whole plan. Fun approaching. Someone declaring feelings for you. Friendly contest. Being rewarded for a small act of kindness. A happy ending in love. Financial wealth. Someone may be deceiving you or trying to ride on your coattails. Holding on to your original plans. Someone around you draining your energy. Intuition. Success in making the most of your potential. Focusing on yourself. A new chapter of any sort. Travel abroad.
Common/Duplicate Messages: Holding on to your original plans. A wish fulfillment. Listen to your intuition. Asking for/accepting help. A new romance.
Affirmations & Advice from the cards: Faith sees the horizon beyond the wave. | The pathway to a dream is one of sacrifice | Talk happiness and happiness will gravitate towards you. | Lose not a tide and waste no time. | The power that creates and sustains you heals. | The first to wisdom is understanding. | Calm waters reflect clearer images than rough waters. | You never know what great idea may arise in your sleep. | Your soul will build what it is trained to expect. | To give and receive genuine love brings a gift of happiness.
P I L E 2
Difficulties or obstacles you may face: The Killer Whale
The Killer Whale is about exploitation and deception as the Killer Whaleâs appearance makes it look smaller allowing them to fool their prey. Your advice here is to 1.) keep a clever mind and dive deeper and look beyond what is presented to you. 2.) remain adaptable to your environment and resources.
How youâll be successful in obtaining your hopes and wishes: Proteus
Avoid taking on anything that may only become troublesome or a burden. Guard your interest and do not be intimidated. Success lies in your sensible adaptability.
Potential things in the next 10 days: The Roane Mermaid, The Hooper, The Nixie, The Bottlenose Dolphin, The Striped Dolphin, The Black Dolphin, The Humpback Whale, The Vodyanoi Sprite
Focusing on yourself. A new chapter or renewing of a new chapter of your life. Help from someone in a high position. A new sense of courage. Concentrating on what needs to be done. Knowing what you want and getting it. A changing relationship or a new relationship from an unlikely meeting (doesnât have to be romantic). Shifting your appearance. Invitation to travel. Someone potentially trying to seduce you. Many interested in you, but question their motives. A surprise. Help from mother or female friends in particular. Getting together with a new group of friends. Working with and developing your strengths. Creative ideas.
Common/Duplicate Messages: Gatekeeping. Adaptability. Meeting with important people. Staying focused. Receiving help. Travel (hot & sunny places mostly). A new cycle or fresh start. Creative projects.
Affirmations & Advice from the cards: Perseverance and determination bring results. | Plan, relax, and flow with the tide . | Faith sees the horizon beyond the waves. | The one principle that runs through the universe flows in the waves of the sea. | Your soul will build what it is trained to expect. | Safe shores of emotional and physical security are yours. | Good news flowing through the ether waves will answer your prayers. | Recognise which waves will carry you to your new horizon. | Nothing can be done without the proper means. | The ebb and flow of the tide carried good tidings.
P I L E 3
Difficulties or obstacles you may face: The Mermaidâs Rock
This card is kind of tricky as itâs one of those cards that donât really have any negative connotations. The only message from this card I would say that can be interpreted as an obstacle is whether or not youâre able to tap into your inner strength and hold on to your faith in whatever you may be facing.
How youâll be successful in obtaining your hopes and wishes: The Sperm Whale
Mainly, as long as you put your mind to something, you can achieve it.
Potential things in the next 10 days: Melusina, The Kelpie, The Right Whale, The Common Dolphin, The Gray Whale, The Blue Whale, The Bottlenose Dolphin, The Siren
Receiving a response you desire. An invitation from someone emotionally attached. Choosing who to hold on to and who to let go. Remaining calm will put you in a better position. Think before you act. Seeing through appearances. In control of yourself. Help from mother or female friends in particular. Good news. Someone being curious about you. Push yourself (within reason of course. Please donât overwork or exert yourselves). Travel abroad/to the coast. Being âset freeâ or a new beginning. Listening to your intuition. Considering your values. Checking in on your goals. Finding support in close friends and/or relatives. Be careful of putting your trust in or relying on someone who has commitments elsewhere.
Common Messages: Being observant. Being able to adjust or shape a situation to your liking. Achieving goals you set with focus and an extra push. Trust & listen to your intuition.
Affirmations & Advice from the cards: When two people in their hearts are one. they shatter the strength of stone. | Make friends with the cheerful and optimistic. | The calm of patience brings a tranquil sea of protection. | The longings of your heart are prophecies of realities. | The pathway to a dream is one of sacrifice. | You never know what great idea may arise in your sleep. | To give and receive genuine love brings a gift of happiness. | You will achieve your dreams through innovative solutions. | Safe shores of emotional and physical security are yours. | In the treasure of a day light is thrown on what could be tomorrow.
P I L E 4
Difficulties or obstacles you may face: The Pilot Whale
One of things The Pilot Whale speaks to is taking a moment to asks yourself if others have your best interest in heart or if youâre taking the wrong route if youâre doing things out of the ordinary. Make sure youâre carefully planning and know who you can trust.
How youâll be successful in obtaining your hopes and wishes: Melusina
The key thing is to remember to think before you act and remaining calm as impulsive reactions can jeopardise situations or make them worse than they need to be.
Potential things in the future: The Humpback Whale, The Triton, The Nixie, The Vatea, The Kelpie, Ningyo, The Merbaby, The Kraken
Something coming to an end. Nothing to be afraid of. Happy days ahead. Focusing on yourself. A new chapter or renewing of a new chapter of your life. Vulnerabilityâ make sure youâre guarded and cautious as you get to where you need to be. Avoiding being sidetracked. Achieving whatâs good and right for you. Invitation to travel. Someone potentially trying to seduce you. Trying to free yourself from the unconscious. âYour ability to master forces lies in looking deeply into your subconscious.â Good fortune in waves until the biggest arrives. Meeting a stranger (potentially romantic). Someone you already know may want you more. Refuse to be disheartened or muddle-headed.
Common Messages: Being careful with your actions. Be careful of someone being dishonest with you. Questioning the motive of others. Control yourself/Self awareness. Going into your subconscious. You have the answers you seek inside.
Affirmations & Advice from the cards: You are your own fate and control your own destiny. | The calm of patience brings a tranquil sea of protection. | Nothing can be done without the proper means. | Your aim rather than your desire is your real doctrine. | Your soul will build what it is trained to expect. | The secret of happiness is consciously uniting with the best in you. | The longings of your heart are prophecies of realities.| Astral light and an image of the world and oneness integrates the two, them and you. | The skill of being in harmony increases your effectiveness. | Your success and happiness lie within you.
___
Disclaimer: I read tarot for self reflection and guidance purposes, but as always, this reading is for fun and entertainment purposes only. I may include advice for if you find a particular topic resonating, but it is in no way meant to replace any kind of professional advice. Any reading I post is in no way meant to act as or replace professional advice of any kind. You know yourself and whatâs going on in your life best so I ask that you trust yourself above all else. Prediction readings are to be seen simply as a potential outcome. Finally, please take only what resonates from the reading which may be some of it, all of it, or none at all.
#pick a card#pick a card reading#pick a pile#pick a picture#ariesmoontarot#tarot predictions#pick a pile reading#pac#pac reading
210 notes
¡
View notes
Text
alright never mind apparently im doing the sky essay first - @toshitophchanâ, the first of many sja essays đ
but god i love the addition of sky as a character and i so wish we had more episodes with her and luke as siblings
bc like. admittedly, when i first watched sky, i was a little like âah i see weâre just replacing luke by doing the exact same plot all over againâ, but i didnât realise until the man who never was just how vital it was that they did that
and their introductory episodes do have an incredible amount in common! both luke and sky were genetically engineered to be used as part of an alien plot - in skyâs case she was explicitly a weapon, with her innate electrokinesis modified to act as a bomb against her creatorâs enemies. luke was more designed for information gathering and experimentation, but again, created to be used against earth
both were created to be young teenagers, they didnât have a childhood, they remember the day they were born. theyâre human enough to pass as human with effort, but not enough to truly be counted as one, not by most peopleâs metrics. mrs wormwood tried to call herself lukeâs mother, and convince him he belonged with her, and so did skyâs creator, and both kids needed sarah jane to stand in the way and show them what a real mother should be. they have abilities others donât, like lukeâs heightened senses and perfect memory, or skyâs electrokinesis, but they also struggle a lot with blending in and knowing how a human is supposed to act (see: these two are so fucking neurodivergent i love them)
and this is a show about found family, very explicitly. âin all the universe, i never expected to find a familyâ has been in a closing narration about three times now. and lukeâs character arc was very much about finding a family who appreciated him, but it was also about how isolating things were despite that. season one is full of him making social errors and feeling bad about it, season two has secrets of the stars where he feels isolated and weird for not having a birthday, and complains about how every time he thinks heâs gotten the hang of living as a human, something else crops up to make him feel different. mrs wormwood straight up calls it out in enemy of the bane, how isolated he must feel by being truly alone in the universe, no one else like him anywhere. and we see this continue throughout most of the show, it comes back a lot in the nightmare man, even though his friends are there for him, theyâre not like him, and that weighs on you.
so of course they had to introduce sky, not as a replacement for luke, but as a sister. someone else who can genuinely truly understand where heâs coming from, and he to her. and you get such good supportive moments in the man who never was, like âbut you did see that?â âyes, but no one else didâ, validating her even though they canât talk about it here, or âis this what humans are like?â ânot all of themâ, or âyou are so my sister!â, like, itâs just luke going âyep i remember what that was like hey hereâs something i call Lukeâs Guide To Masquerading As A Human Teenager When Youâre A Two Week Old Alien Weaponâ, itâs so good. he gets a sister who understands him for the first time ever, and he can make sure that sky never goes through what he had to
(though, side note, im never gonna get over how hilarious it was that when piloting serf, luke took motion controls and sky took dialogue. like. i understand it was for the comedy, but, you have two kids here, one who is electrosensitive, and one who has a perfect memory and who witnessed the rehearsal of this dialogue. sky would have just as much ability to make him walk around as luke would, perhaps better because she could do some of it remotely, and luke could copy his dialogue from the rehearsal word for word. but no, instead what we get is âremember, heâs american!â âYEEEEEHAWWWWWWâ đ)
but you just know after like a year or two of knowing each other theyâve just developed this whole new method of communication that sounds so bizarre to everyone else around them bc they donât have to do social masking at all around each other they can just be themselves and bond over how weird life as a human is or what the fuck birthdays are, itâs the best
47 notes
¡
View notes
Text
nosedive
steve/tony, fluff, (newly) established relationship, 3250 words
Tony stares absentmindedly out the airplane window as he puts his phone up to his ear, watching people run back and forth, performing last-minute engine checks. Some of the guys look sweaty and out of breath.
From the comfort of the air-conditioned Stark Industries private jet, he feels a slight twinge of sympathy for the people having to suffer in the humid summer heat.
He loosens his tie and sinks deeply into his seat, closing his eyes with a massive yawn as he listens to the ringing tone. He hadnât been able to sleep very well throughout his five-day stay in Tokyo, too anxious about the contract to rest properly.Â
The ringing tone goes on for a few more seconds before ending with a click, replaced by an achingly familiar voice greeting him in his ear.Â
âHello?âÂ
Tonyâs eyes spring open. Outside, an aircraft marshaller walks by, speaking rapidly into his walkie-talkie.
âI had a blueberry muffin for lunch today. One single blueberry muffin.â
â...What?â
âIt didnât even taste that good. I couldnât finish it. Too dry.â
âTony, thatâs not good. Is that all you had for lunch? You should really eatââ
âThe meeting went well, by the way. Mr. Watanabe finally signed the contract, everything went as planned. My ride to the airport, howeverâŚâ
âI told you things would go smoothly, you had nothing to worry about. Youâre a brilliant negotiatorââ
âThe traffic? Fuck. I had to keep shifting in my seat to avoid pins and needles.â
âThat sounds awful, are your legs okayââ
âDid you know that Tokyo is number nineteen on the list of cities with the worst traffic congestion in the world? I know that, because I looked it up on the way to the airport. But boy, did it feel like it deserved the number one spot. I think I lost feeling in my ass.â
âI did not know that. And, uh, is your ass okayââ
âThank God for my private jet. These plush seats are the best things Iâve ever spent my money on.â
âThatâs objectively not true, and you know itââ
âThen again, I think these seats in particular were Pepperâs choice? We remodeled the airplaneâs interior like⌠two years ago. I couldnât be bothered to meet with the airplane seat people and I just told her to pick whichever looked best. I had much more important things to tend to, like sewing up the holes in JARVISâs Christmas stocking.â
âI am concerned about how you sort your list of prioritiesââ
âHm, thatâs right. I think it was around two, three weeks before Christmas and I didnât want JARVIS to be upset about the whole stocking thing, you know?â
âIâm sure he wouldnât haveââ
âAlso, youâre right, the single blueberry muffin was a bad idea because now my stomach wonât shut up. So Iâve ordered some pasta for my in-flight meal. Robbieâs making it, youâve met Robbieââ
âIâve met Robbie, yes, heâsââ
âLarryâs replacement after he resigned. Gotta say, I was sad to see Larry go. Guy worked for me for seven years. But then there was that thing with his grandma, and he had to leave, so⌠But! Robbie makes a mean carbonara, maybe even better than Larry, donât tell Larry I said thatââ
âI donât even know Larry like that, how would Iââ
âMr. Stark, weâre ready to go.â The pilotâPaulâemerges from the cockpit, staring at him in anticipation.
Tony nods and makes a few rapid gestures with his free hand that he supposes Paul is only able to interpret perfectly after years and years of working for Tony. The gestures roughly translate to something like âCopy, I hear you, just let me wrap this up and then Iâll let you know when Iâm done. Capiche?â
Paulâbless himâjust gives him a curt nod and retreats back into the cockpit.Â
âAnyway,â Tony takes a deep breath and puffs his cheeks out with the exertion of his exhale, âI called because⌠I got a feeling, Steve.â
âA⌠feeling?â
âJustâ A gut feeling. A feeling in your gut. Inside of me. Like a hunch?â
âOkay,â Steve says patiently, his voice low and warm, âwhat are you feeling?â
âI⌠got a bad feeling. Today. A few hours ago. The feeling came to me when I was sitting in traffic, and I justâ I feel like something badâs gonna happen today, Steve. I can feel it in the air. In my heart. In my gut. In my joints.â
âYour joints? Like⌠the feeling old people get when itâs about to rain?â
âOkay, maybe not in my joints. Also, are you calling me old, grandpa?â
âI did not, you told me you felt something in yourââ
âAnyway, so yeah. Where was I? Oh, right. Feeling. Bad feeling. Like, like, I donât know, something badâs gonna happen. Like an accident. Like a plane crash.â
âGod, please donât say that. Youâre scaring me, Tony.â
âAnd I guess, I just called because I⌠I feel like I need to do this before the plane crashes and I die a violent and fiery death.â
âNothing badâs going to happen, Tonyââ
âLike, if I didnât do this today, maybe Iâd never get to do it, you know? And, uh, okay, Iâve honestly been ranting to stall for time, but the longer I keep it in the more nauseous I feel, so maybe Iâm just gonna do it now so I can die in peaceââ
âDo what? And stop saying thatââ
âLook, Iâm trying to be brave and honest here andâ Wait, actually? Maybe Iâm being a coward because if the plane actually does go down, I wonât have to face the consequences of my actions, so I guess Iâm just going to say fuck it, and say that I love you.â
âThe plane is not going toâ Wait, what?â
âI, uh. Love you. Iâve known it for a while now. And, uh, I know weâve only been dating for like, a week, butââ Tony blinks. Theyâve only been dating for a week.Â
â...Fuck.â Tony can feel his own pulse starting to race. âFuck, fuck, fuck.â
âTony?â
Theyâve only been dating for a week. What is he doing? What the hell is wrong with him? Normal people donât do this.Â
âFuck. Shit, I meanâ Uh, Iâm sorry. That was super weird, huh?â Tony laughs nervously. He closes his eyes, gritting his teeth and cursing his stupid brain. Of course itâs weird. He always gets too attached to people way too quickly. No wonder Pepper was his only long term relationship. She was the only person who could put up with himâeveryone else just got weirded out. âUh, see you tomorrow? Or not. Fuck, sorry, Iâm just gonna hang up before this getsââ
âTony, wait.â
â...Yeah?â Tony says, hyper-aware of how breathless he sounds. His heartbeat is ringing in his ears. Everything is going to be fine. Right? Right. The worst thing Steve could do is⌠break up with him.
Oh, God, that is the worst case scenario. He really shouldâve just kept his stupid mouth shut.Â
âTony, are you freaking out? I feel like I can hear you freaking out from all the way over here.â
âNo, Iâm not, of course Iâm not. Who says Iâm freaking out? You have no proof. I am calm, Iâm calm as a clam, is that the saying? Did I get it right? Or was it happyâ Anyway, I am absolutely calm, Iâm the calmest I could possibly be. Any calmer and Iâd be asleep. Iâmââ
âTony. Breathe.â
Tony forces himself to drag in a slow breath as he grips the arm of his seat with his free hand, focusing on the soothing hum of the airplaneâs engine.
âLook, Tony, Iââ
âNo, listen. Iâm sorry I jumped the gun, I hope I havenât weirded you out or anything. You really, really donât have to say it back to me. I mean it.â
âTonyââ
âNo, in factâ Please donât say anything. Itâs fine. Letâs just pretend this never happened, okay?â
âButââ
âDrop it, Steve. Please?â Tony pleads. Clearly, his brain hadnât been firing on all cylinders. That is the only reason that could explain his temporary lapse of judgment. âLook, I feel like talking about it more right now is going to send me spiraling into a panic attack.â
â...Okay. Fine.â
âThank you. Uh, Iâll see you when I get home. If I get home. If the plane doesnât crash. Haha.â
âWould you please stop saying that? Itâs not funny.â
Tony latches onto the change in topic like a lifeline. âIt is objectively true, you know. In order for me to be able to see you tomorrow, the plane has to land safely, and unfortunately, some things are just beyond my control. Like, whoâs to say the plane wonât explode mid-air andââ
âThe plane is going to land safely and youâre going to come back home to me in one piece. This is non-negotiable, Tony. You hear me?â Steve demands, his voice all hard authority and no-nonsense, like there will be Consequences should Tony fail to comply.Â
As if he could ensure Tonyâs safety with the force of his willpower alone.Â
Come back home to me.Â
That sounds good. Really good. Tony closes his eyes and pictures Steveâs baby blues in his mindâs eye. Warmth flowers in his chest.
âI hear you.â
âGreat.â
âAwesome. I, uh, I gotta go now.â
âOkay. See you tomorrow.â
âSee you.â
Tony hangs up and lets Paul know that he is done with his phone call. The jittery feeling left over from his call with Steve refuses to leave him, however, so he pulls up the drawing application on his phone and begins sketching something just to give his brain something else to fixate on.
He tends to lose track of time when he is hyperfocused on a project, so he isnât exactly surprised that the next time he becomes aware of his surroundings, the plane is already well up in the air, his sketch of what looks like a flying coffee pot is almost finished, and Robbie is placing a plate of spaghetti carbonara on the table in front of him.Â
âSpaghetti carbonara. With extra cheese.â
Tonyâs mouth waters as he eyes the mountain of grated Pecorino Romano sitting atop the pasta. He sighs dreamily and smiles up at Robbie.
âYouâre a lifesaver.â
âEnjoy, Boss.â Robbie grins and slips back into the kitchen.
He only realizes just how truly famished he is after taking his first bite, and proceeds to finish the rest of his meal with gusto. Afterward, he spends the majority of the remaining flight time sleeping, the result of post-carbonara food coma and his sleep-deprivation finally catching up to him.Â
Itâs well past two in the morning when Tony finally makes it to his floor in the Tower, which is why he is surprised to see Steve sitting on his couch, one of Tonyâs fantasy novels open in hand.Â
âSteve, what are you doing here?â
Steveâs head snaps up at the sound of his voice. Tony frowns. âActually, why are you awake at all?â He is usually an early sleeper, unlessâ
âNightmare?â Tony gives him a sympathetic smile. It wouldnât be the first time. In the early days of their friendship, Tony and Steve would sit together in the living room whenever they had trouble sleeping, talking to each other until the sun came up.
Steve shakes his head, closing the book with his eyes still trained on Tony. âNo, I was just⌠waiting for you.â Tony blinks.Â
âItâsâŚâ Tony glances at his watch. âHalf past two. In the morning.â
âI know, I justâŚâ Steve stands up, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. He ambles over before coming to a stop right in front of Tony. âI wanted to see you.â
Tony stares at him uncomprehendingly. âYouâll see me later anyway.â
âI couldnât wait any longer. I didnât want to go to sleep without seeing you first,â Steve says, low and earnest. His gaze wanders around Tonyâs face, as if he were cataloguing each and every facial feature and trying to locate any changes he mightâve missed during his absence.
âOh.â
Steve steps closer, arms snaking around Tonyâs waist and pulling him close. His next words are whispered against Tonyâs shoulder.
âI knew youâd make it home safely.â
âUh, yeah.â
âYou were wrong.â
âI was⌠wrong.â Tony swallows. âUh, turns out the bad feeling completely disappeared after I woke up from my nap on the plane, so I suspect that perhaps the bad feeling I got was due to my severe hunger and sleep deprivation. I mean, Iâve heard about hallucinations caused by hunger or exhaustion, but this wasââÂ
Steve presses a soft kiss to the column of Tonyâs neck, effectively cutting off Tonyâs ramblings.
âTony,â Steve whispers against his skin.
âYeah?â Tony squeaks.
âPlease donât call me before a flight and say that you think the plane is going to crash, ever again.â
âRight. Noted. Iâm sorry.â
âApology accepted,â Steve says, pulling away slightly and loosening his hold around Tony.
Tony allows himself to relax, letting out a quiet sigh. This thing with Steve is so new and delicate that every single physical contact still sends his heart fluttering, butterflies going crazy in his stomach.
Which makes, in retrospect, his abrupt love confessionâas truthful as it wasâthat much more insane. God, Stark. Never do that again.
Except, it turns out that Steve only pulled away to slide his hands down the back of Tonyâs thighs, wrapping his hands around them, and then lifting him up without warning.
Tony yelps, and in his alarm, promptly locks his ankles around Steveâs waist. When Steve begins moving, Tony quickly wraps his arms around Steve, resting his chin on Steveâs shoulder.
âUh, Steve?â
âHm?â Steve says, calm and nonchalant, as he begins walking away from the elevator.Â
âUmâ Waitâ My suitcaseââ
âLeave it. Itâll still be there in the morning.â
Tony blinks, staring dumbfoundedly at his lonely suitcase, abandoned by the elevator. It becomes smaller and smaller with every step Steve takes.Â
âWhere are we going?â
âYour bedroom.â
âWhy are you carrying me there?â
âBecause I want to.â
âYou know itâll be faster if you just let me walk, right?â
âMaybe. But you wonât be in my arms.â
âUm.â
âBear with me, will you? I missed you.â
âI, uh, missed you too.â
Steve hums, satisfied. Tony lets himself settle more comfortably in Steveâs arms.
When Steve has successfully carried him to his bedroom, Tony fully expects Steve to deposit him on the bed.Â
That is not, in fact, what happens.Â
Instead, Steve turns around and begins walking backwards towards the bed before sitting down on it. Tony, still seated on his lap, swallows and pulls back slightly to look at Steve.Â
âLook, Steve, as much as Iâve missed you, Iâm kind of tired right now. I mean, donât get me wrong. This whole carrying thing? Great. Very romantic. Ten out of ten. But Iâm just not in the mood for sex, you know? Like, Iâm not even sure I would be able to get it up ifââ
âWeâre not going to have sex.â
Tony blinks.
âWeâre not?â
âWeâre not. Iâm just here to tuck you in.â
âOh.â
Steve reaches up and begins undoing his tie. After setting it aside on the bed, he begins to unbutton Tonyâs shirt. He takes his time, one button at a time.
âSoâŚâ Steve begins with a deep breath as he unbuttons the final button. âDid you mean, uh, what you said to me? On the phone?â
Tony closes his eyes, feels his own cheeks heating up. âSteveââ
âIâm sorry, Tony, I know you told me to drop it. Butâ I feel like if you did mean what you said, I owe it to you to⌠set the records straight.â When Tony opens his eyes again, Steve is looking up at him, blue eyes solemn.
âWhat do you mean?â
âI mean⌠We have only been together for a week. Well, eight days. In fact, weâve only been on one date. And it was interrupted. By giant lizards.â Steve chuckles incredulously.Â
Tony remembers that day very well. They were in the middle of dessert at Tonyâs favorite Italian place when they received the call to assembleâsomething about giant lizards wreaking havoc in Central Park.
The lizards had green, gunky blood that got into the nooks and crannies of the suit. It had taken forever to clean.
âBut TonyâŚâ Steve gathers the material of Tonyâs unbuttoned shirt in both of his fists, pulling him closer until their noses are only inches apart.
The second their eyes meet, Steve smiles the sweet, lopsided smile that never fails to make Tonyâs stomach flip.
âI need you to know that⌠I didnât have to date you to know that I loved you. I figured that a long time ago.â
Tony stills, breath frozen in his lungs.
âI guess, what Iâm saying is⌠I love you too. Iâve loved you for a very long time, Tony. Even way beforeââ Steve breaks eye contact, looks down as he clears his throat. When he speaks again, his voice is tight. âWay before we got together. Iâm talking⌠years before.â
Tony still finds it hard to breathe. âOh.â
âYeah,â Steve says, the word more breath than sound. He meets Tonyâs dazed gaze. âSo you donât have to worry about⌠jumping the gun. Not with me. Iâm in it for the long haul.â
â...Okay.â
âOkay.â
âGood.â Tony feels a lightness growing inside of him, spreading outwards to his extremities.
âGood.â Steve smiles, warm and impossibly fond.
â...Glad weâre on the same page.â Tonyâs gaze drops down to Steveâs lips.
âWe are.â Steve inches closer, nose brushing Tonyâs. He then tilts his head ever so slightly and takes Tonyâs lower lip between his, kissing him so tenderly Tonyâs heart feels like itâs about to burst with it.
Steveâs warm hands slide up Tonyâs naked back under his open shirt, sending goosebumps breaking across his skin. Tony buries his hands in Steveâs hair and relishes the feeling of the soft strands caught between his fingers. They stay caught up in each other for a few moments, capturing and releasing each otherâs lips until the need for breath becomes too unbearable.
They break apart eventually, accompanied by soft chuckles. Steve smiles up at him, lips slick and cherry red, courtesy of Tony. He reaches up to caress Tonyâs right eyebrow with the pad of his thumb, fleeting and affectionate.
âGet some rest, okay? You must be really tired. I should probably go to bed, too.â
Tony looks down at his lap, clearing his throat. âUh, I know that we havenât done this before, butâŚâ
Steve waits patiently for Tony to gather his thoughts, hands stroking up and down Tonyâs sides.
âDo you want to stay with me tonight?â Tony finds the courage to meet Steveâs eyes, holding his breath.
Steveâs blue eyes are gazing at him intently, looking at him like heâs the only person in the world worth his sole, undivided attention.
Tony swallows. âNo sex. Just to sleep. If youââ
âYes.â
âYeah?â
âI would like that very much.â
âOkay.â
âOkay.â
âGood.â Tony feels his own lips slowly curve up into a smile, wide and unbridled.Â
âGood.â Steve nods, lips twitching, his eyes never leaving Tonyâs.Â
Tony grins, feeling near giddy with delight. âGlad weâre on the same page.â
âWe are, sweetheart.â Steve looks up at him, blue eyes fond and smile radiant. âWe definitely are.â
#stevetony#stevetony fic#stony#stony fic#superhusbands#steve/tony#steve x tony#mine#earl wrote something
180 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Start Again II
summary: You and Steve deal with the aftermath of the pollen pairing: steve x reader word count: 5k warnings: SMUT (18+), perceived sexual assault (by steve), self loathing af steve rogers, making up for lost time, a very fluffy ending a/n: ok last and final part! Thanks for indulging me in my steve fantasies. You can read part one here đ
The more Steve thought about it, the more he wished that Hydra agent had just shot him. Â
He could still feel the sensitivity pulsing in fluttering beats between his legs, forcing him to adjust his pants in search of relief. He could still smell the slight tang on his fingers, on his thighs; could feel the residue on his skin. His stomach was still twisted and warped and tied into knots as he struggled to keep still in his seat while he shot cautious glances back towards the loading dock, waiting for you to return. Â
It took a few minutes after heâd started digging his nails into his palms until he heard the softened footsteps, head perking up as you appeared at the back of the jet. You slowly made your way up the ramp and pressed a hand to the retractor, signaling Sam you were ready for takeoff. Â You were silent as you passed the seat beside Steve, the one you usually occupied, the one closest to him, and took your place across the aisle. Legs crossed, leaning off the furthest edge of the seat. Â
It was then Steve noticed the subtle reflective marks on your cheeks, a redness straining into the whites of your eyes, a sniffle in your nose as you brushed a hand over your face. You only nodded, jaw clenched, when Sam called back from the pilot seat in his usual light-hearted banter that he was approaching takeoff. You didnât so much as a crack a smile. Â
So yeah, Steve wished that agent had just shot him instead.
Hours later, after the jet touched back on solid ground and heâd put as much distance away from you as he could manage, Steve found himself standing under scalding hot water. It showered down over his back, his right hand propped up against the wall for support, wet hair and trails of water streaming down over his eyes. Â
It burned. The steam itself was suffocating. The water only washing away the sweat beading on neck. But it was all he could do to rid that room from his body, the pollen from its talon-sunken holes clawed deep into the furthest corners of his mind. Â
It wasnât you he was trying to rid himself of. Never you. Â
Noâit was the remnants of the violence etched into his skin, the devil in his desires, the monster in his movements. Â
You couldnât look at him. Youâd tried to force it back in the vault, calling his name, making sure he was alright even after what heâd done, but that was just who you were. Kind beyond what he deserved. Loving to a fault. He knew you were putting on a brave face, but you could hardly stand over wobbling legs.
So, he left. He gritted his teeth and gave you as much space as he possibly could, tried to spare you the grief of having to be in the same room, to breathe the same air, as the man whoâ
Christ.
He couldnât even say it. Â
He stayed there, standing under scalding water, long after it lost its warmth, until it was so cold his skin had numbed and his teeth were chattering. Â
Nothing seemed to be enough to rinse the monster from his body. He wondered then if he ever would, or if it was just a part of him now, if it was engrained deep into his soul, if maybe it had been lying in wait under the surface all his life, waiting for the right moment to be release and rip away the very thing he adored most in this world and â Â
Knock knock knock.
Steve froze at the edge of the bathroom. He looked down to find navy blue pajama pants and a thin t-shirt covering his body, the cotton a little damp from the shower. His hair was dripping onto the collar of his shirt, leaving small patches of darkened cloth behind.Â
He blinked a few times, trying to pull himself back to his body. He glanced back at the shower. He didnât even realize heâd turned it off, didnât register when heâd gotten out and started to change. Â
Fuck. He was losing it. Â
He exhaled a heavy breath, starting to make his way back to the bed when the knocks came a second time. Â
Knock knock knock.
A little more urgent this time. A slight shift in the floorboards outside his room. A nervous kind of energy. Â
Steve swallowed, slicking back his damp hair and slowly padded his way over to the door. Â
But then, the sweet scent of coco butter caught his sense and he stilled. His heart was suddenly pounding in his chest, thunderous, like it might burst through the surface and fall broken and battered to the floor at his feet. Â
He was stone. A statue. A breath of wind could have knocked him over. Â
âSteve?â your voice called gently, muffled by the door between you. Â
He couldnât speak. He could only stare at the small cracks in the wooden frame, the broken splinters from where heâd nearly ripped the door from its hinges the night he heard you scream through the night terrors plaguing your dreams. Tony always offered to replace it but Steve wouldnât let him. The small broken fragments made it easier to listen for you. Â
âI know youâre in there,â you murmured. A soft tap followed and he could practically picture you setting your forehead to the wooden frame. âPlease, just talk to me.â
A crack in your voice. A lump in your throat. You'd been crying again. Â
âStevie, please... donât shut me out,â you whispered, voice barely audible but it tore through Steveâs chest like youâd screamed it. Your hands dragged along the door until they stilled on the knob. It was unlocked. It always was. A habit heâd come to find after youâd started showing up in his room late at night when you couldnât sleep. Â
But the door didnât open this time. You didnât peer your head in cautiously, fingers grazing on the edge of the frame. You didnât call his name sweetly with that nervous smile on your lips. Noâyou waited. Waited for him to open the door himself. Â
And still, he couldnât move.
He hated himself for it. Â
It wasnât until he listened for the deflated, broken sigh as the floorboards squeaked gently beneath your bare feet, your hand falling away from the door as you started to leave, that Steve finally found the courage to move. Â
He was at the door in two steps, hand on the knob and swung it open. You flinched in your surprise and Steve instantly stepped back, made himself as small as he could manage. The last thing he wanted was to scare you. It was the only time heâd ever wished to rid the serum from his veins; make him the scrawny, unintimidating boy he was before the war. Â
He didnât know what to say as he stared at you. Your hair was damp like his, arms folded over your chest, holding the edges of your robe securely over your body and while it could have easily been because of the chill of the air conditioning in the hallway, Steve took another step back, certain you were hiding yourself from him.
His eyes fell to the ground.
âCan we talk?â you asked sheepishly.
Steve nodded, stepping aside.Â
You slipped past him and made your way to his bed, though you paused before you sat down. It was familiar, a habit, for you to rush into his room and plop onto his bed with handfuls of popcorn and M&Mâs and watch movies for hours on end. But things were different now. You clung tighter to your robe.
âYou can sit. If you... um... if you want, I mean,â Steve said awkwardly, his voice broken from disuse. He wasnât used to feeling so on edge around you and it left behind a sour taste in his mouth. He cleared his throat as he sat on the edge of the bed, giving you as much space as he could.
You nodded, offering him a short smile. You tucked one leg under you, the other hanging off the side of the bed as you turned to face him. Steve could feel you watching him, though he was determined to keep his focus on the bristles of carpet under his feet. Â
âSteve, Iââ
âIâm sorry,â he choked out, the words falling past his lips before he could quite gain control of them. His jaw ached from how tight heâd been clenching his, his hands restless from pulling and twisting at his fingers until the skin was red and raw. Â
He didnât notice the surprise on your face, not though the tears brimming in his eyes. He didnât notice as you crept closer to him along the bed, gently calling his name, couldnât hear as you called for him so sweetly it ached and bled. Â
âIâm so sorry, Y/n,â Steve cried, pushing the heels of his hands to his eyes. âI neverâI never should have given in to that stuff and nowânow you can't even look at me and I feel so fucking selfish because thatâs what scares me more than anything else. More than what I did in that room. The fact that I might have just lost you because of it and IâfuckâI canât lose you because Iâll go out of my goddamn mind. I canât.â
âSteve,â you called again gently, trying to interject, but he was too far into his own spiral of guilt and self-loathing to hear you. Â
âI hate that this happened and I hate that I did this to us and IâI hate that everything is in fucking pieces right now and I donât know how to make this right, or if I ever can, andâand I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness butââ
âSteve!â
Your hands were on the sides of his face, a firm hold of stubble along his jaw rubbing against the inside of your palms, wide blue eyes staring back at you in shock. Glossy in color, reflective marks of tears on his cheekbones, touching against your fingers. All he could focus on was the startling warmth in your hands, the tenderness in which you held him as you forced his gaze to you, and he choked back a sob brewing up the base of his spine. Â
âOh, honey. All this guilt you carry... it must be so exhausting,â you sighed, gently wiping the tears under his eyes. There was an ache in your voice, a love, that ripped straight through his chest. You smiled for him, something so soft, barely lifting at the corners of your mouth, but it was enough. âI was there with you, remember? You asked for my consent a dozen times. I said yes. You warned me it would be rough. I still said yes. You didnât do anything wrong.â
Steve was unconvinced. He remembered how tightly heâd gripped your hip, how he left bruises behind and how your skin was scraped and burned as it rubbed against the table. He remembered how heâd pushed you down, a hand firm on your back, how heâd used you for his own pleasure and lost a part of himself in the chase. Â
You must have seen his mind wandering because you settled in closer to him, releasing your hold on his face, though your hands never traveled far. Instead, they ran gently down along his arms until they landed on his hands. Fingers curling under his palms, tugging them to your lap as you carefully traced the lines in his skin, over old scars and the lifeline running in an elongated arc to the center of his wrist. Â
âYou're a good man, Steve,â you said, still staring down at his hands. âMost men... they wouldnât have held off as long as you did. Wouldnât have asked permission, either. You forget that I know what the effects of the pollen feel like, too, Steve. I was begging you. God, I felt like I was going to die if you didnât do what you did. So, if youâre going to sitting here and blame yourself for what happened, then you better blame me, too.â
Now that, he didnât see coming. Â
You were smiling at him when he dared to meet your eye again, though there was a sadness there. You squeezed his hands, slowly bringing them up to your lips and pressing a gentle kiss along the knuckles. He watched you in awe, heart stammering, and he did his best to memorize the feel of your lips on his skin. Â
It took Steve a minute to respond, too focused on how warm your hands were around his. The two of you were close, yes, but youâd never done anything like this before. Even in the nights when you crawled into his bed, there was space between you. Always teetering on the edge of something more and never daring to cross the line. Â
Until the line was ripped to shreds and tossed to the gutter. Â
The goddamn line didnât even exist anymore. Â
âYou alright?â you asked sweetly, because of course you were worried about him. You always were. Â
When he didnât respond, you released his hands, letting him pull them back into his own lap, and a chill started to prickle at his skin. Cold, in your absence. He was always cold when you weren't there. Â
It used to be enough to be near you, to be close enough to smell the coco butter lotion on your skin and see the faint discoloration on scars from past missions. It wasnât enough anymore. Â
Steve took in a heavy breath, trying to find the right words. âIt just... It shouldnât have been like that."
You narrowed your eyes, confused. Â
âOur first time. It shouldnât have been like that,â Steve admitted, digging his nails to his palm. When he looked up at you again, you were staring at him with wide eyes, lips slightly parted, shocked. He smiled, though it didnât quite reach his eyes. âI had this whole plan, you know?â
You shook your head, just barely, but enough. Â
âYeah,â he sighed. âI... uh... Iâve been making reservations at this fancy restaurant downtown... the one Stark wonât shut up about. Been doing that every Friday night for the past two months. Just in case I worked up the courage to finally ask you on a date. A real date.â
The words were spilling out faster than he could hold them back, but there was a relief in it, a waterfall in the admission that swept through the tension in his muscles and drew away the unsettling ache in his bones. Â
âI think about it a lot. I think about how weâd talk all night, like we always do,â he continued, in an almost dream like voice, âbut there would be expensive wine. Red, I think. Weâd order two bottles and earn some angry looks from the other tables because weâd be laughing too loud. Weâd eat something good. Something recommended by the chef. Iâd payââ
â--with Starkâs card?â
Steve paused, turning to find you smiling at him, genuinely smiling. Enough to bite down on your bottom lip to try and suppress it, though it did no use. It pushed lines up by your eyes, a glow in the way you watched him, and suddenly, his whole chest was warm. He nodded. Â
âOf course,â he chuckled, surprised how easily it came. âAlways on Tonyâs dime.â
You laughed, and he was certain it was the most beautiful sound heâd ever heard. Â
âThen what?â
âIâd walk you through Brooklyn. Show you all the places I grew up. Probably stop by an ice cream joint because the portion sizes at expensive restaurants are pitiful,â Steve said, grinning as you struggled to contain your laughter, your shoulder bumping into his. He sighed, watching you for a moment, before he let himself say the words heâd been trying to say for years. Â
âAt the end of the night, Iâdââ he paused, stealing a quick glance at you before he found his remaining courage. He exhaled a heavy breath and admitted, âIâd tell you Iâve been head over heels for you for as long as I can remember. Iâd tell you that youâre my best friend but I... I want you to be more. And Iâd tell you Iâve wanted it for a long time.â
You froze, smile faltering for just a moment, stunned. âYou would?â
He nodded, his cheeks burning a little pink, but he didnât mind. âThen, when we got back, Iâd walk you back to your room, be a proper gentleman about it and, if youâd let me, Iâd kiss you. Something short. Something a little chaste. Because I wouldnât want to push things too fast and risk messinâ this thing up because⌠this is it for me. You're it for me.â
Steve had never seen you rendered to a stunned silence quite like that before. He was used to fighting for a word in because you always had something to say about everything. He liked when you rambled and lost yourself on long tangents, wondering how you got from the missing Thin Mints in the freezer to the state of Greeceâs economy. He found it endearing, but for once, he had a moment to talk. So, he took advantage of it. Â
âWeâd go on a few dates,â he continued, with a soft smile, a casual shrug, like he hadnât been thinking about it for years. âIâd hold your hand in public. Bite the head off of any reporter that asked too many questions, but Iâd want people to know that I was yours, so I wouldnât be shy about it. Iâd wrap an arm around you on the couch on movie nights and wouldnât care when Sam teases me about it because youâd be in my arms and thatâs all that would matter.â
Steve swallowed, his heart beating a little faster. âAnd then, only when the time was right, when weâd found a trust that extended beyond the missions and the Avengers, Iâd linger a little longer by our hallway before I said goodnight. Youâd do that thing where you bite your lip because I know youâre waiting for me to make the first move, and Iâd ask if you wanted to stay the night.â
"And if I said yes?â you asked quietly, inching just a little closer to him, enough that he could feel the warmth of your skin against his thigh. Â
âIâd kiss you in the doorway,â Steve exhaled a heavy breath, picturing it in his mind the way he had dozens of times before. âSomething slower, enough to leave you feeling breathless. Iâd kiss you enough to memorize the taste of you on my tongue, slip my hands into your hair and drag my fingers over your scalp. I wouldnât pull away until I felt you whimper against my lips.â
When he glanced up at you, your eyes were near black, pupils dilated enough for the colors of your iris to be left in thin rims at the furthest edges. You swallowed, lips slightly parted, a dangerous kind of look about you. Â
âShow me.â
Steve swallowed, staring at your lips, how you tugged them between your teeth in anticipation. He exhaled a steady breath, searching your eyes for resistance, and when he found none, he let his hand slip up along your arm and nestle into your hair. You shivered under his touch, chest rising a little faster, as he slowly leaned towards you. Â
He paused, nails tenderly massaging at your scalp, just enough until he caught the flicker of lust woven through the startling colors in your eyes. Then, with more courage than heâs had in a long time, Steve met his lips to yours. Â
Slow. Wet. Starting at your lower lip, pulling it between his own and sucking sweetly. Then, a flicker of his tongue along the lines of your mouth, waiting patiently, and you parted your lips a little further for him. He swept his tongue along yours as he kissed at your upper lip. Sighing into the touch, the muffled sound of a whimper escaped and Steve smiled against your mouth. Â
âThen what?â you gasped, a little out of breath as Steve began to kiss along your cheekbones, your jawline, then to the sensitive parts on your collar. Â
âIâd lay you down on my bed,â he whispered against your skin, warm to the touch. You leaned back to the pillows, pulling your legs up onto the bed as Steve followed in suit. He laid beside you, a leg between yours, his lips never once leaving your body. Â
âThen,â he continued, pulling back for only a moment, though your huff of disappointment didnât slip his notice. He chuckled as he crossed his arms at his waist and pulled his shirt up and over his head. âIâd start getting rid of the fabric between us.â
Steve paused, eyeing you, waiting for permission, and you nodded at him. A smile lifted at his cheeks as he crawled back down over you, pressing a kiss to your clavicle. His lips trailed along the bone, until he met the cozy fluff of your robe. He inched it off your shoulder, kissing at the skin between. Â
âIâd take off your clothes, but I'd do it slowly because Iâve already waited so long and whatâs another few minutes when I can have you whining and needy by the time Iâm done,â Steve teased, unwrapping the belt at your waist and letting the fabric fall open.Â
You giggled under him, muffling the sound against his shoulder. Underneath, you were dressed only in a tank top and panties; so thin he could see your pebbled nipples through the thin fabric. Â
âKeep going,â you sighed, arcing up for him as his eyes lingered just a little longer on your chest. Â
Steve nodded, pinching up at the ends of your tank with his thumbs, slowly bunching up the fabric towards your ribs. He leaned down and pressed his lips to your stomach, touching over curves and edges, over scars and freckles, discovering the most beautiful pieces of you he could find. Â
âIâd kiss every inch of you,â he exhaled, pushing the fabric up further as his lips made their way to your ribs. Then, over your breasts as you helped him discard the top over your head and toss it to the floor. Steve sighed, staring in awe. âIâd have to take a minute when I finally saw you because youâd be more beautiful than I ever pictured in my head. Youâd laugh because you wouldnât believe me and youâd try to cover yourself--â he raised an eyebrow as your arms moved to shield yourself from his staring eyes though you froze when you realized what he said, â-- like that.â Â
Steve chuckled, waiting for you to relax your arms back to your sides. âBut Iâd be determined and Iâll want to make sure you know how serious I am. So, Iâd take my time with you, kiss you everywhere but where you need me most, even when I feel you searching for friction at my thigh between your legs.â
You paused, not even realizing you were trying to rub yourself on his leg, but Steve was smiling so wide, you couldnât help but return it. There was no room for embarrassment, not with no much love in his eyes. Â
Steve lowered himself to your breasts, the heated flush of his breath touching your skin. Then, his tongue dipped to your nipple, circling the bud for a moment before he pulled it onto his mouth, sucking sweetly enough to pull a whine from your lips. Â
âOh, Steve,â you moaned, hands sinking into his hair, guiding him, arching up into him. His hand worked at the other breast, kneading and brushing his thumb over the sensitive bud. He didnât let up until you whined, âStevie, please. I need you.â
He pulled back, a teasing smirk on his face as he glanced down your bodies to find your panties wet at the center, damp to the navy plaid pajamas on his thigh where youâd been rubbing yourself. He could smell the sweet, tangy scent of the wetness between you and he licked his lips.
âNot this time,â you urged. âI need you, Steve. Please.â
âYouâre skipping steps in my plan, sweetheart,â Steve smirked. âI didnât tell you yet about how I was going to kiss along your thigh, just up to the crease of your leg, kissing at your folds until I dipped my fingers between them and touched the wetness there, parted you enough that I could run my tongue along your slit.â
You shivered; lips parted in a breathless gasp. Steve winked, hooking his fingers in the band of your panties, pausing until you rolled your hips up for him, and slid them down your legs. Â
âI would have slid my tongue into the deepest part of you, tasted you,â he continued, a dark kind of sin in his voice that swept up your spine as he pulled down his pants, freeing himself from the fabric and letting his cock stand out against him, press up against your thighs. âI would have wrapped my lips around your clit as I slipped two fingers inside of you, three if you were ready enough. I would have sucked and kissed and licked at your clit as I pumped my fingers into you, waited until I felt your walls clenching around me, until you were digging your hands through my hair and became a withering, moaning mess. I wouldnât stop until you cried out my name, and maybe not even then. Iâd make you come at least twice before I even pulled my cock from my pants.â
You whined, jaw clenched, hands running along his chest. His cock edged at your entrance; thick, full, aching in its pulse and the pre-cum dripping at the tip. Â
âSteve?â you finally managed to mutter, wrecked. Â
âYeah, sweetheart?â
You took a heavy breath, eyes darkening over. âStop talking, will you?â Â
Steve grinned.
Then, he sank into you. Â
The stretch was unlike anything else; the pulse of it against your walls tighter than youâd been within Hydraâs vault, the absence of the pollen in your system giving way to a whole new kind of high. No longer overwhelmed by the lust and cravings and sensations buried deep inside you, but instead, memorizing the slight ache between your legs, the feelings of the thick vein that rang down the underside of his shaft as it pressed up against this glorious sweet spot at your opening, the touch of his breath warm and moist to your skin, the low hums and moans of a man you adored. Â
âOh God... Steve...â you whined, knees lifting higher in search of that perfect angle that brought him deeper inside you. He choked back a groan, muffled in the crook of your neck. Â
His hands encased around your shoulders, hips slowly beginning to rut further inside of you before he slipped out, just to the tip. Filling you, stretching you, sinking into where he belonged. Â
âFuck-- sweetheart, Iââ Steve let out a growl, his right hand running up along your curves to find your breasts, fingers pinching and teasing over hardened nipples. âYou feel so good, baby. So fuckinâ good.â
Your hands raked along his spine, nails digging just enough into the skin to pull a hiss from his lips before he started kissing along your neck, your jawline, hips picking up in pace. Steve slid his hand down the edge of your curves, over your stomach and between your legs where your bodies met. The pads of his fingertips dipped to your core, swirled over the drench of wetness there before they carried just a bit higher to your clit. Â
You gasped, clenching around his cock as his trusts began a little less gentle a little more desperate; the cry of the bedsprings and the labored breaths between you filling the room, joining the salty tang of sex in the air. Steve grinned against the crook of your neck, kissing at the dip in your collarbone sweetly in startling contrast to the rough snap of his hips. He circled at the bundle of nerves at your core, bringing you closer to your release as your walls started to cave in around him. Â
âDonât-- Donât stop,â you gasped, the coil at your core tightening and drawing to the edge, âoh fuck, Steve!â
Muffled cries into his shoulder, Steve kept up his pace, not relenting for a beat as you rode out the peak of your high. Nails digging into his back, dipped into his shoulder blades as you bit on the edge of his collar. His hips started to lose their rhythm, his breaths heavy and labored, moans slipping from his lips as the haze began to leave you and you pressed kisses to the lining of his jaw, whispering, âthatâs it, Stevie. Come for me, honey.â
He nodded, hot breaths to your skin, and with a strangled cry, he released into you, filling you whole, before he chased a few more thrusts and stilled. His body fell to your chest, sinking you into the mattress as he rested his head against your heart. Arms circling up and under your shoulders, curling you in close to him, you could feel his smile curving up against your skin. Â
You grinned up at the ceiling, a laugh bubbling in your chest as your fingers started to rake gently through his hair, combing through the beads of sweat left behind on his forehead. He sighed at the feeling, eyes fluttering closed as he pressed his lips to the hill of your breast before settling in. Â
âI should get up,â he mumbled, though he made to effort to move. Â
âI like you where you are,â you replied cheekily, squeezing your walls around his softening cock and laughing when you felt him jolt against you at the shock of it. Â
âWatch yourself,â Steve warned lightheartedly. âYouâll work me up again.â
âMaybe thatâs the plan.â
Steve lifted his head from your chest, catching your eye for just a moment, and the smile on his face nearly captured the air entirely from your lungs. Impossibly sweet. Gentle. Loving in a way you never thought youâd see nestled in the pale blue of his eyes. He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to your lips. Â
âWe missed a lot of steps, didnât we?â Steve sighed, his smile softening to something sadder, like something precious had been taken from him. The first date. The first kiss. The nervous parts in between. He wanted them all. Â
âDoesnât mean we canât go back and start again,â you grinned, cupping the side of his face as you pulled him back to your lips, kissing him until you could feel him start to smile again. Â
You started to edge him off of you, slipping out from under his weight as he protested in a whine. He rolled onto his back, sheet draped over his lower half, elbows propping him up against the pillows as the sunlight peaking in between the curtains cast of his skin. Warm and inviting. Soft. Â
You leaned against the bathroom arc, just admiring him for a moment before you said, âbe ready by seven tonight.â
Steve narrowed his eyes, raising a brow, though the smile on his lips was still as dreamy, still caught up you. âWhy?â
âWeâve got a first date, Steven,â you winked before disappearing into the bathroom. âDonât be late.â
Thank you so much for reading! â¤ď¸ If you enjoyed this fic, please consider supporting me at my ko-fi account â¨
3K notes
¡
View notes
Text
Safety Net 2
Part 2
Day 9: Teen Titans @maribatmarch-2k21
Ao3 *** Part 1 *** Here *** Part 3 *** Part 4 *** Part 5
This is based on Teen Titans Judas Contract
~~~~~~~~~~
Marinette became a fully fledged Talon when she turned 18. Six years with the court before they turned her, as to not arouse suspicion with a child. She doesn't remember the events that led to her leaving but she did. She supposes it is the fact she is a Talon that repressed her memories but that doesn't matter the court and all the other Talons are dead. She kept a single vial of the only poison that could end her life. She left not looking back.
She actually didn't get far when she first saw him. His swords danced, connecting to his target, death etched on his blade edge. Then he vanished.
She would see him again and again as she moved from city to city, state to state, even from country to country. One night as she watched the London sky, from her perch in Big Ben, did he come to her.
"Who are you?" His mask deepened his voice, made it colder and more robotic. She turned to look at him, not saying a word, and then turned back to the city.
He apparently didn't appreciate her silence as he stalked closer to her. "Who are you?" he growled the question, the sword tip pressing into her neck, but she didnât move.
"Talon." was choked out. The voice was gruff and scratchy from being unused. That single word seemed to answer a few of his questions.
"The Court?"
"Gone"
"Orders?"
Now she simply shook her head. The sword was removed from her neck and was placed back in its sheath.
"How would you like to have your own agency again?" His voice was still gruff and cold. It held authority but it was human. She turned to see he had removed his mask. His hair was stark white, small scars littered his face, his eyes were cold and calculating, yet they didn't lie.
Her mouth opened slightly before she closed it. A deep buried resolve began to surface as she nodded in answer.
She followed Slade Wilson out of the bell tower.
---
She was then embedded into the League of Assassins. This was where they needed patience.
She didn't speak, they thought her mute, she played along. Yes she could withstand life threatening hits, but she didn't let them happen. She would strike faster, hit harder, she made herself stronger, so they called her ruthless. She didn't oppose.
Above all she was patient.
The day the coup was to happen she was guarding the Lazarus Pit.
Silently she killed the guard stationed with her and walked into the pit. The water was both cold and scalding. A fog began to enter her mind but she pushed against it. This was no time to be confused or dazed. She felt the chains and commands programed into her by the court, so she pushed against them too until they broke. She breached the surface of the pit. Shakily she stood, breathing heavily, she began to dress, quickly noticing her skin became more pink and her mind was clear. She had to leave this room as, the alarms rang signaling the coup, she ran out, fully dressed and hidden.
She took her position in the cockpit of a helicopter and soon only she and Slade were alone in the air. The others scattered in order to build up a base of operations. An hour later they landed in a small air field where a jet was waiting for them. They transferred their things and took to the skies again.
"How do you feel?" Slade asked her not long after putting the plane on auto pilot.
"Light," her voice was clearer, still raspy, but there was inflection and life traced through the word.
"Anger, fury, bloodlust?" He pressed.
"None." she shook her head.
"Interesting," he murmured.
"How bad?" she pointed to his wrapped head and covered eye.
"We'll find out once we talk with the Doc," a scowl appeared on his face. "so what's your name, because it isn't Talon"
"Um..." she thought hard and long. she had been called Talon for so long, but what did they call her before, "Grayson. They called me Grayson before they called me Talon."
---
Slade became her mentor of sorts, they would spar and train to learn their new bodies and limitations. In fact it was easy for them both. She became known as Phoenix. Her uniform was similar to her Talon one, but while Talon was gold Phoenix was a deep crimson. The helmet was replaced by a hood and a half mask that extended from her hair line to her nose. She took to being a mercenary rather fast, but all things considered it wasn't that far of a stretch.
The only thing that troubled her, were her nightmares, or were they dreams. But they didn't feel like something her subconscious had created. They felt like memories begging to be remembered. She would fly through the air as if on gilded wings. A pair of inviting and smiling-azure eyes of a little boy. A warm smile and reassuring embrace of the same boy would appear constantly. Then the fall, she never hit the ground, but she continued to fall. The cold and dark embraced her smothering her until she woke up.
---
She never stayed in one place long but sooner or later she would always pay Deathstroke a visit. It isn't that she is attached to the Mercenary. Sure she is grateful to him but it's like if she stays close she will find a missing piece of her puzzle. On one of these trips back she met her. A teen with blonde hair and blue eyes, Terra. She was met with a less than warm welcome but oh well.
"What's up old man!" she joked. Slade glared at her and nodded in greeting.
"We have a job."
"What is it?" she sat on the couch.
"Infiltrating the Teen Titans."
"That's what the kid's for," she hummed. "What can she do?"
"Meta. Geokinesis."
"Disassemble the little league before the big one." A calculated smile spread across her lips.
"I knew I kept you around for something." was his answer. To anyone else it would have seemed hostile, but she simply rolled her eyes at the remark.
"Any old memories come back?"
"Nah-uh." She lied, keeping the kind blue-eyed boy a secret, they both went to work.
It was idiotic how easily Terra integrated into the Titans. Slade helped her enhance her power, while Grayson was supposed to help her gain refined control but the younger girl wouldn't listen to her. Grayson couldn't do anything about that, she could support Terra and help her but that didnât mean the teen accepted. She wasn't her mother or even her sister.
"... Not without my twin sister." A boy's voice echoed in her mind, she tried to shake the voice from her head, but it stayed.
Twin? Sister? I have a brother? I have a twin brother?
Unfortunately all these questions swam in her mind for months as Terra infiltrated the Titans.
Everything was going relatively well until Robin decided to stick his nose in. Unfortunately this was when she learned the truth to the infiltration. They were going to use the Titans and extract their powers and life force. It made her sick. Sure she didn't exactly see eye to eye with heroes, but she saw the good they did. Hell she may be called a mercenary, but the jobs she took aligned with her morals. Even if those said morals were just a 'fuck you opposite of the court,' but it stood, it was hers.
This was how she was found by Nightwing.
"Figured you wouldn't be easy to kill. Here." she pushed a robe into his hands. "Your team is held this way" she started to walk but he hadn't moved.
"What are you doing?"
"Look you can trust me or not, but those are just kids. I will not be the one to let them give their lives without consent or reason."
"Sounds like your speaking from experience."
"So what if I am."
Nightwing jumped down and the fight began. She went and unlocked the restraints on the Titans and jumped into the fight. She, Robin, and Nightwing were all fighting against Deathstroke when Terra regained consciousness. Both Robin and Nightwing stopped their onslaught but Phoenix knew how Terra fought, she knew how to work with the girl. Unfortunately she was thrown over towards Nightwing and Robin, a quadruple somersault led into a rollout allowed her to land safely from the throw.
"Terra!" she yelled.
"Stay out of it Grayson, Slade is mine." A desperate yell escaped the girl, as she unleashed her power. One of the Titans tried to help, but Terra moved him towards the others.
"I'm sorry." Grayson whispered, before she pulled the heroes to safety. They got out moments before the entire thing collapsed.
"Who are you?" A katana was pointed at her neck.
"More importantly the somersault and the name, Grayson, how would you know those?" Nightwing questioned.
"The name is a memory from before," she responded. "And the somersault is just in grained in muscle memory by now." She shrugged and turned to leave but was stopped. "Look I don't want to fight and I don't want to stay so..." None of the heroes said a word but circled around her. 'Sigh' "I'm not gonna get out without a fight huh?"
"That would be correct."
"Fine." Her hands went up in a placating motion, before reaching into a pocket.
"Stop that."
"Relax little birdie." she pulled out a small ring of keys, tossing them to Nightwing. "Don't know about you but I prefer to not walk over two hours to get to Jump city."
They all got to the car but as it only fit five and there were seven of them something had to give. Well she was sat in the middle back seat between Raven and Robin, Beast Boy turned into a cat and sat on her lap. Nightwing was behind the wheel, Blue Beetle on the passenger side, while Starfire flew above them all. Between the awkward silence and closed space she was lulled into a restless sleep.
Next
~~~~~~~~~~
Permanent Taglist: @itsmeevie01 @adrestar @miraculouspenta @vixen-uchiha
Taglist: @alysrose-starchild
#dc x miraculous#dc x mlb#mlb x dc#miraculous x dc#maribat#dickinette#dickinette twins#maribatmarch2021#teen titans#judas contract
190 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Radio Silence Chapter Two: Off the Air
Poe Dameron has been assigned to work as an intel receiver to Acer, a Resistance recon agent. Theyâve only ever talked through the comms, so when sheâs captured by First Order troops he assumes sheâs lost forever. When Poe accidentally rescues the absolutely infuriating Resistance spy Y/N L/N from a First Order Star Destroyer, he knows sheâs got nothing do with with Acer. Right?
previous / series masterlist / next
Poe doesnât know what to do with himself. Itâs been days since the sendoff. The suns rise and fall in different corners of the galaxy, he gets shipped off to different parts of the system in the hopes that doing something will make him feel anything at all. Nothing seems to register with him, nothing except the fact that Acer is gone. What is he supposed to do now?
He is supposed to continue on. He is supposed to swallow the loss and keep moving. Heâs a commander of the Black Squadron, heâs closer to General Organa than half the guys on her staff. The issue isnât finding things to do, itâs trying to put his heart into them. Poe knows his duty, and he knows that whatever mess heâs wallowing through right now isnât the most efficient or effective use of his time. But itâs not that easy to turn your heart on and off like a droid, is it?
He can still hear her laugh echoing from his speakers. His feet keep unconsciously directing him towards that one recording room in the back, where he should have gone day after day. His eyes latch onto the chronometer on his wall, and he always feels that familiar rush of panic- itâs twenty standard hours, heâs going to be late and Acerâs going to tease him for it- but then he remembers. Thereâs no channel to open, and Acer canât say anything to him at all if sheâs locked in a dingy cell in some unknown part of the galaxy.
He canât break the habit of expecting to talk to her. The first day after the connection severed, he was actually standing in the doorway of the receiving room before he realized where he was. He hadnât remembered because of the nagging knowledge that Acer wouldnât be there, or even a newly labeled placard on the door designating the room to some other scrawny operator. No, it took the sight of someone else sitting in his chair, using his same navicomputer, for the truth to finally sink back into Poeâs brain.
It hurt, in a way, to see that room reused. Just like that, Acerâs memory was wiped clean. The Resistance had to move fast to survive, he knew that, but the facts still donât ease the leaden weight on his chest. Just seeing that guy there, listlessly spinning in the same chair Poe had always used, dusting off that spot on the console where Poe kicked his feet up even though he knew he shouldnât, felt like watching someone walk over your own grave. The guy had looked up, confused, and Poe was forced to murmur some excuse about leaving his blaster parts lying around before leaving the room at last. He still wanders over there from time to time, and still has to force himself away.
He canât help but wonder where she is, how sheâs doing. Acer was tough, he knew that. If anyone could make it out of a First Order cell with nothing but the shirt on her back and enough wiles to command an entire base, it would be her. But hopes canât take down a squadron of stormtroopers guarding your cell block, and they wonât get you a ship. Like it or not, Poe has to face the truth: Acer wonât be making it out, and mulling over this all the time wonât do her any good.
Poe thought he was doing a good job of keeping his feelings to himself until Finn walks up to him one night. Poe is bent over his X-Wing, methodically fiddling with the latches and panels in the hopes of getting distracted over his favorite ship. Heâs always turned to the X-Wing for a diversion from his problems, and especially as of late. Leiaâs been kind enough to keep offering him piloting missions, even though heâs sure thereâs a list of pilots waiting for parsecs for a shot to fly their ships and take down some TIE fighters.Â
Poe just knows that he needs the jump in his stomach when heâs looping around in uncharted space, trying his best to keep his problems on the ground while he soars around in the air. Maybe he takes more risks than he usually does while heâs out flying, but thatâs nobodyâs business but his own. Heâs doing good for the Resistance, and heâs not stuck in his head. Are a few scrapes and close calls really that big a price to pay?
Finn saunters over, taking in the grease on Poeâs hands and the frenetic focus surely lining his eyes. Finn leans his back up against the ship despite Poeâs protests. âI got us a mission. We leave in two days.â Poe raises an eyebrow. âExciting. Are we patrolling again?â Finn canât help a proud grin. âNo, weâre flying into First Order airspace in an old Mandalorian Needle.â Instantly, Poeâs attention is caught. He drops the multitool in his hands into a bag, turning eagerly to Finn. âYou got us a Needle? Weâre going where, the Unknown Regions?â
Finn laughs at Poeâs sudden enthusiasm. âExactly. Itâs nothing too big, just a supply dropoff to some potential allies in the Kinoss system, but itâll be a good show. Itâs right near a First Order hotspot, too, so youâll have to keep your eyes open.â His friend pauses a second, then grins. âSure you want to take it up? Or are you too busy moping over your radio friend?â Poe glares at him. âIf you keep that up Iâll drop you off and run the mission myself.â He canât stay mad for long, though. âA Needle. Man, Iâve wanted to fly one of those for years.â
Poe still canât believe itâs real. Sure enough, however, he finds himself sitting in the cockpit of a Mandalorian Needle in two daysâ time. Poe has to sit for a second, just staring at the controls and the ship itself. Smooth metal, blue highlights, round engines, sleek shapes and a powerful engine- Poe loves his X-Wing, but he might make an exception for this ship. Finn, next to him, chuckles softly. âAre we going to leave anytime soon or do you just want to look around for a while?â
Poe hits his friend on the shoulder good-naturedly, but he begins liftoff with a grin. The ship itself is a little large for one or two pilots, but theyâve got to carry a fair amount of cargo. Finn readies the controls next to him, glancing over through the transparisteel windscreen. âDonât get too carried away. This is a quick mission, in and out. No trouble as far as we can help it.â
This, however, turns out to be a grave miscalculation. Sure, the trip to the Kinoss system is easy enough, and theyâre able to drop off the supplies without too much risk. Judging by the state of the planet, Poe is fairly sure that theyâll be able to sway the inhabitants to the side of the Resistance without too much effort. It will be good to have the manpower, and to have a potential source of information located inside First Order airspace.
Itâs on the return journey, however, that things begin to get a little dicey. First, theyâre spotted by a couple of TIE patrols. Just when Poe thinks theyâve managed to lose them, they get caught by another squadron. He has to pull some fancy flying, which gets the ship away from the TIE fighters but a quick hyperspace jump lands him directly in front of a massive Star Destroyer. The Needle itself does not portray any signs of being a Resistance craft, but their sudden appearance still sets off alarms inside the ship, which leads to them being caught by a tractor beam before Poe can steer them away. He has no choice but to sit there in his beautiful yet useless ship, watching the Star Destroyer loom closer and closer above them.
He turns to look at Finn. âA quick mission, in and out. No trouble. What happened to that?â Finn returns his gaze. âHey, donât look at me. Iâm not the one who managed to end their hyperspace jump directly in front of a Star Destroyer.â Maybe itâs a sign that he really is going insane, but Poe breaks out into a laugh. âI really did, didnât I? Right in front.â Finn snorts. âYou had great timing, Iâll give you that.âÂ
Poe allows himself a few more seconds of laughter before standing up and starting to move away from the console. âWeâre both wanted by the First Order, if they find us theyâll either capture us or shoot us and save themselves the trouble. Weâve got to hide, and seeing as this is a Mandalorian vessel I have a hope thatâŚâ Poeâs voice breaks off as he taps around on the plasteel panels lining the walls, and eventually one comes loose in his hands. Poe cheers inwardly. âHere we go- secret panels. We can stay here and pretend we evacuated.â
Finn nods. âReminds me of the time Rey and I hid from Han Solo. That time, though, we were in the Millennium Falcon and we were in the floor instead of the walls.â Poe turns to stare at his friend. âYou were hiding from Han Solo in the Millennium Falcon?â Finn vaguely inclines his head, studying the panels before him. âHim and Chewbacca, yeah.â Poeâs gaze is incredulous. âWhen did this happen? Where was I?â Finn shrugs. âI thought you were dead. I think you were with the Resistance or something.â
Poe considers the empty hollow in the wall before him, muttering something about why couldnât he have just stayed in that TIE fighter on Jakku for a minute longer and he could have been in the Falcon with Solo, that would have been everything before crawling into the hidden space and pulling the panel shut behind him. He can hear Finn doing the same, and the two only have to wait for a couple of minutes before the rhythmic thud of stormtrooper boots echoes through the ship. The stormtroopers search for a long time, but the hidden spaces lock from the inside and the troopers canât pull them open. At long last, they leave the ship, and Poe unlatches the panel, stepping back into the hall.
He carefully replaces the panel, dusting off his clothes before glancing around the corner at the boarding ramp. Two guards stand side by side, each in the pressed gray uniforms of First Order officers. Poe jerks his head towards the men and Finn nods, understanding. Silently, they creep down the ramp, knocking the men out without a sound before dragging the bodies back onto the ship. About a minute later, they stroll casually from the ramp, each dressed in a gray uniform. At least now they have a somewhat passing disguise- Poe doesnât intend to get caught.Â
Finn whispers over to Poe. âThe tractor beams will be in a room near here, I think we can get over to them without too much trouble if we hurry.â Poe nods. âWhatever gets us out of here.â The room itself is large and spacious, and a few stormtroopers mill around the corners. They arenât expecting to see two wanted Resistance men in stolen uniforms, and so Poe and Finn are able to get in and out without too much trouble. They have a close call on the way back where they almost come face to face with Captain Phasma, who would most certainly recognize Finn, but they manage to avoid her just in time by doubling back and taking a loop through some of the detention blocks.
Theyâre just a couple of halls down from the ship when Finn hesitates, staring at the placard next to a cell. Poe walks over to him, pretending that heâs just inspecting his boot to avoid suspicion. âWhat are you doing? Weâre not supposed to be lingering by the cells.â Finn shakes his head. âI recognize this name. Thatâs a Resistance spy, and a really good one at that.â Poe squints at the sign. âY/N L/N? Iâve never heard of them.â Finn straightens up, reaching for a key on the stolen uniformâs belt. âWe have to get them out of here.â
Poe freezes. âWhat?â He hisses in a whisper. Finn glances around to make sure nobody is watching, then speaks hurriedly under his breath. âY/N is a key Resistance officer, I see her name everywhere. I didnât realize she was being held here, but if she is we have to get her out.â Poe checks the hallway, but no guards are coming. âAlright. Letâs do it, but hurry.â After a brief moment of activity, Finn manages to unlock the door and both men step inside, closing the door halfway behind them.
Poeâs steps falter as he takes in the contents of the cell. The walls are barren, with nothing in sight except an uncomfortable-looking plasteel bench. Thereâs a woman lying on the bench, a woman who lies sleeping with one arm curled under her head. She appears to be deeply asleep, and her eyelids flutter with each breath. Poe canât help but stare- sheâs one of the prettiest girls heâs ever seen. Maybe heâs alright with Finn suggesting they save her.
Poe takes a step closer, and that is where he makes his mistake. In a flurry of motion, Y/N rushes from her bench to snatch the blaster from Poeâs belt while heâs distracted, holding it out at his head. Clearly, she wasnât asleep at all but planning an escape. Finn and Poe hold their hands up defensively. Poe is the first to speak. âWeâre not First Order officers, we just stole the uniforms. Weâre from the Resistance.â Y/N narrows her eyes at them. âAnd why should I believe you?âÂ
Finn walks forward slowly. âWeâre with General Organa. We know the code for greeting undercover officers- itâs Nighthawk, right? You can trust us.â Y/Nâs gaze clears as she looks at Finn. âWait, I know you. Youâre Finn, right? Youâre the renegade stormtrooper. Everyoneâs talking about you over here, actually.â Finn smiles, surprised. Poe frowns. âYou havenât heard of me? Poe Dameron, ace pilot?â
Y/N raises an eyebrow, glancing over at Finn. âDoes he always insert himself into conversations?â Finn chuckles. âOnly sometimes.â Poe shoots him a look, but Finn just grins. Y/N considers them a moment longer, then lowers the blaster and returns it to Poe. âSo, do you guys have a ship or are we just making a run for it?â Poe places his blaster back in its holster. âWe have a ship, and a damn good one at that. Come one, weâve got places to be that donât involve Star Destroyers.â
Poe has no idea how theyâre supposed to escort a high level prisoner into a ship, but surprisingly, they almost make it before someone notices them. Such is the power of a uniform and an abundance of confidence, he supposes. Theyâre just about to board before someone shouts over in surprise. âHey, that prisoner shouldnât be leaving.â This draws a lot of unwanted attention, and more than a few rounds of blaster fire. Poe, Finn, and Y/N are forced to run for the ship, Poe and Finn returning fire while Y/N steals a blaster from a downed trooper.
They make it onto the ship by the skin of their teeth, Poe racing to the cockpit to draw up the ramp before they launch hurriedly into space. Luckily, they were able to remove the tractor beam in time, and the Needle is fast enough to outrun the few straggling TIE fighters that still try to fly their way. Poe doesnât feel his heartbeat start to settle until he begins the jump into hyperspace, and the lights of the stars blend into streaks around them. Only then does he look back at Finn, and at the newly arrived prisoner sitting in a chair behind him.
Y/N is methodically bandaging up a few wounds on her arms, evidently from her time in the cells. She looks up when she feels Poeâs gaze lingering on her. âWhat? Detention cells arenât all fun games and fast ships, you know.â Poe forces a sarcastic grin, but for some reason, he canât quite follow through with his usual retort. Thereâs something about this girl that feels familiar, although he has no idea why. He doesnât know her, certainly, has never met her before, yet something tells Poe that he is a lot closer to Y/N L/N than he would ever guess.
radio silence tag list: @kesskirataâ, @ubri812â, @itsnottillyâ, @20th-centu-fairy-girlâ
#poe dameron#poe dameron imagines#poe dameron x reader#poe dameron series#radio silence#star wars#star wars imagines#star wars x reader#star wars series#star wars poe#star wars poe imagines#star wars poe x reader#star wars poe series
106 notes
¡
View notes
Text
New Earth | Loki x Female Reader
Loki (Marvel) x Doctor Who
Loki is officially a member of the TARDIS family and for his first trip the Doctor sets the TARDIS controls to random and she lands on a planet called New Earth and you know what they say âNew Earth, new you!âÂ
Part One | Part Three | Chapter Index
Words: 7.0k
Warnings: Dub con kissing: reader isnât control of her own body and Loki isnât aware
Read on AO3
You quickly learned that the TARDIS was infinitely bigger than you had originally thought. It turned out that the control room was just the tip of the iceberg. It had a swimming pool, a library, an art gallery filled with art the Doctor had collected from across the universe and more wardrobe space than you could ever dream of, full of clothes which the Doctor had granted you unlimited access to, you would definitely be taking advantage of that. It also had the usual like living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. The Doctor, had confessed that the TARDIS was such a size that there were rooms that even he still had yet to find, despite the fact he had been piloting this ship for over half a millennium.
 You recalled how just before all this begun, you had planned to be curled up in bed within the hour, almost 24 hours had passed since then and you had yet to sleep a wink, you also hadnât eaten. Once all the adrenaline had finally worn off, you felt as though you could have fallen into a coma. You were grateful for the fact that the first thing the Doctor did when he returned to the TARDIS was show you all to the bedrooms, it was on the way that he had filled you with information about the TARDIS and itâs many rooms.
 Once you reached the quarters where which the bedrooms were, the Doctor stopped and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and silently handed you, Donna and Loki each a plain plastic bottle filled with goodness knows what and all three of you stared at him speechless waiting for an explanation.Â
 âArenât you hungry?â The Doctor asked upon realising you were all staring at him cluelessly. âThis will sustain you until you wake up, then you can have a proper breakfast.âÂ
 âWhat is it?â You asked, closely inspecting the plastic bottle.
 âBlimey! How big are your pockets?â Donna commented, trying to work out how he managed to fit three bottles into his suit jacket.
 âTheyâre bigger on the inside,â the Doctor shrugged as if it were obvious.
 âOf course they are.â Donna muttered to herself in a âduhâ tone.
 âAnd itâs like a protein shake. Try it, itâs nice!â The Doctor answered you.
 You felt your stomach growl as it demanded nutrients and you were too tired to seek out something else to fill it with so you shrugged and twisted the cap off the bottle and took a quick sip to test how it tasted. You were pleasantly surprised to find it tasted just like a vanilla milkshake and hummed happily as you drank down some more.Â
 After that, the Doctor bid the three of you goodnight and left you to pick your own bedrooms, he assured you they were all practically identical and included en suites so there was no concerns over you squabbling for the biggest room, even if the rooms were different sizes you highly doubted that you had the energy to fight over them, you had already picked the bedroom behind the door closest to you after bidding Donna and Loki goodnight.Â
 Once your vanilla protein shake was all finished and you had changed into some comfortable nightwear which you had found in the wardrobe, you were ready to crawl into the bed for a well-deserved night sleep. Was it even night? You werenât sure but you couldnât find the energy to care as you pulled back the thick white duvet of the double bed but before you could climb in and let your tired body rest there was a knock at your door.Â
 You sighed wondering who it was and left your bedside to go and answer it.Â
 âLoki?â You couldnât disguise the surprise in your tone, he was the last person you expected to see when you opened the door. You took in his appearance and noticed there was no longer any traces of ash or blood on his face, his hair was combed back and still damp meaning he had not long been out the shower, the smell of the products he used filled the air around him and you found yourself breathing deeper to take in the fresh woodsy scents along with hints of vanilla. His sweat and dirt covered clothes had been removed and replaced with a loose dark grey hoodie over a white t shirt and dark jeans, seeing the God in such a casual outfit was almost as startling as seeing him stood outside your door. Your eyes fell to his hands which were clasping the bottle of protein shake the Doctor had gave you all earlier.
 âI hope Iâm not disturbing you.â Loki spoke, his voice soft, you could hardly believe he was the same man who had trapped you against a wall only seconds after meeting you barely 24 hours earlier.
 âNo, not at all. I hadnât got to bed yet.â You assured him and he nodded.
 âI just wanted to bring you this,â Loki slightly raised up the bottle in his hand, âyou probably need it more than I do, I donât require nourishments as regularly as mortals do.â He explained.
 When you hesitated to accept the drink, due to how stunned you were by the fact he was even concerning himself with thinking about your nutritional needs he continued.
 âI havenât touched it,â he reassured you, allowing you to inspect the bottle by holding it closer to you. âThe cap isnât even broken.â
 You couldnât help the way your heart swelled, endeared by the way he fretted over the idea that you may have worried about him tampering with the drink, when actually that hadnât even crossed your mind you were just shocked by his kind gesture. You had to pull yourself back into the moment to save him from fretting any further and took the bottle from his hand, your fingers slightly brushed against his as you did allowing you to discover how soft his skin was.
 âThank you, thatâs very thoughtful of you.â You smiled sincerely at him and he once again diverted his eyes and clasped his now empty hands behind his back.
 âIâll let you rest now. Goodnight,â he spoke your name and your sleep deprived mind decided that you liked the way it sounded when uttered in his gentle tone. He had already begun walking away when you replied your own goodnight and you noticed he was heading away from the bedrooms, as you softly shut your door you wondered where he was going.
 ***
 Loki had decided that there was no point in attempting to sleep when he wasnât tired so instead he chose to head to the control room in search of the Doctor. If he was going to be staying under his roof for a while he thought it would be best to learn a bit about him, since they hadnât really had the opportunity while in Pompeii.Â
 Just as he suspected, he found the Doctor in the control room, his pinstripe suit jacket had been removed, along with his tie and they hung neatly over the railing which surrounded the circular control panel which the Doctor was leant over with his back to Loki. It appeared that the Doctor was unaware of Lokiâs presence behind him as he made no effort to acknowledge him.Â
 âDoesnât this thing come with an auto pilot?â Loki casually initiated conversation as he sneaked up beside the Doctor, who looked over his shoulder at Loki when he heard his voice and straightened his back, letting out a soft chuckle.
 âYeah, it does,â he answered as he distractedly scratched at some stubble along his jawline, while Loki continued to scroll around the console, looking at all the controls, he let his fingers dance over them but he never touched any. âBut I like to stay up here and monitor it as much as I can, make sure everythingâs in order, look out for any distress calls. That sort of thing.âÂ
 Loki nodded to demonstrate that he was listening until he stopped three quarters of the way around the console from where the Doctor stood and finally looked back up at him to find the Doctor was already watching him closely.
 âYou know you donât have to treat me like the humans.â Loki stated, as he shoved his hands into his jean pockets, the Doctor mirrored him as he put his hands in his own. âIâm much more like you than them.â
 âForce of habit, I guess.â The Doctor shrugged apologetically. âIâve been travelling with humans for almost...â he squinted his eyes as he worked out the numbers in his head, â50 years now. This is my first time travelling with a God.â
 âIâm honoured to be your first.â Loki smiled proudly before he continued to silently wander around the control room while the Doctor returned to monitoring the console, every so often he glanced back up at Loki just to check he wasnât up to no good, each time Loki would look right back at him and offer him an innocent smile.Â
 âForgive me if this sounds imprudent, but how old are you?â Loki asked, if he wanted to get to know the Doctor better he needed to start somewhere and this seem like a good place to start.Â
 âIâm 904... I think? I donât really keep count anymore.â The Doctor explained, as he leaned against the railing and crossed his legs and arms.
 âAnd how does someone who travels through all of time and space, getting themselves into situations like Pompeii and answers distress call, after distress call, make it to 904 years old? Are you immortal or just tremendously lucky?â
 âHa, Iâm neither of those things.â The Doctor chuckled ruefully to himself as he pushed himself off the railing to stroll around the console as he explained. âInstead of dying my body regenerates itself. All my cells burn up and I grow new ones. Iâm still me but I become a complete different person. New face, new body, new personality. The only thing from my previous form which I do get to keep are my memories.â
 âTherefore that would make you a...?â He put his hand out with his palm facing up, offering the Doctor to finish the sentence.
 âTime lord.âÂ
 The Doctor hadnât noticed the way Lokiâs eyes slightly widened and how the curve of his lip fell into a straight line. A few moments passed and Loki had yet to respond, the Doctor looked up to check that he was even still in the room and found Loki staring at him with a pale, unmoving face. âLoki, are you alright?âÂ
 Loki remained still and silent and the Doctor straightened his back and drew his eyebrows together as he took a single step forward. âLoki?â This time his tone was cautious, it wasnât too gentle but it wasnât too abrupt, it danced on a line between the two.
 Noticing the Doctor come closer encouraged Loki to finally move, he took a step back and tilted his head forward to glare at the Doctor from under his brows, silently warning him to not step any closer.Â
 The Doctor understood and increased the distance between them by taking a few steps backwards and raised his arms, with his palms facing towards Loki, to demonstrate that he meant him no harm.
 âIâm not going to hurt you. Just tell me whatâs wrong and I can fix it.â The Doctor tried, his voice was assertive yet calm.
 âTime Lords maintained timelines within the universe and were in charge of the laws of time.â Loki recited, as he carefully watched the Doctor.
 âYeah...â The Doctor slowly confirmed, though his pitch rose at the end of the word making it sound more like a question as his face grew with intriguing while he wondered where Loki was going with this and why he seemed so alarmed by it.
 âBut they all died.â Loki continued, it was a statement not a question and the Doctor had to quickly disguise the pain that threatened to show on his face.
 âYeah,â the Doctors voice slightly wavered and he cleared his throat. âIâm the only one left.âÂ
 âWith the Lords of Time gone there was no one left to continue their work.â The Doctor remained silent and listened, as he wondered where Loki got all this knowledge from. âUntil the TVA was founded. They honour and continue the work of the Time Lords. My question is, where does that leave you, Doctor?â
 Now it was the Doctors turn to fall speechless, he had followed everything Loki said up until he mentioned the TVA. There was an organisation who honoured Time Lords and continued their work, maintaining timelines and enforcing the laws of time? The Doctor wondered how he never knew about this, he believed he was the only person in the universe continuing the work of the Time Lords.Â
 âThe TVA?â The Doctor faintly questioned, his brows tense as he glanced at the ground.
 âThe Time Variant Authority.â Loki clarified, closely reading the Doctors reaction to try and find any hint of dishonesty.Â
 âIs that who youâre running from?â The Doctor asked Loki, but he remained silent, uncertain of how much he could trust the Time Lord.Â
 âIâm not with them. I had no idea they even existed.â The Doctor told him honestly, looking him right in the eye with his palm resting between his two hearts. âWhatever trouble youâre in, I might be able to help. If the TVA honour my speciesââ
 âNo.â Loki quickly rejected the Doctors offer before he could even form a proper plan.Â
 âThey might listen to meââ The Doctor tried to persist.
 âNo!â Loki repeated louder, âI got away from them, havenât I? I am already free. It would be foolish to go back and try to reason with them.âÂ
 âA life on the run is hardly freedom.â The Doctor argued.
 Loki disagreed. Even before the TVA, Loki had never truly known what freedom felt like. Growing up a Prince on Asgard his entire life had been planned out for him, all he had to do was perform the script that had already been written but Loki had no interest in the character which he had been given. All the rules and regulations he had to follow without question made him hungry to take control and live by his own rules but in doing so he fell under the control of Thanos and as a result he was forever confined to one role, one character: the villain.Â
 In an effort to escape he merely moved from one cage to another. Then he was captured by the TVA and his figurative restraints turned literal but it felt no different, confirming that he had been right all along about feeling ensnared in the life which had been chosen for him.Â
 What the Doctor failed to realise was that, the very first time Loki believed he felt what others described as freedom was when you had put your hand on his shoulder and reassured him he was safe and he realised that you truly had no idea who he was. You held no preconceived notions about him, there was no one you expected him to be.Â
 For once Loki had the opportunity to discover who he truly was without the influence of other peopleâs ideas of him, which he had accepted would never change no matter how much he tried so he gave up trying and became what people saw him as but, you, you saw him as a stranger.
 The prospect of meeting someone who didnât already know who he was was rare in Lokiâs life, it seemed everyone had their own images of who he was, which made it hard for him decipher which parts actually belonged to him and which parts others had attached to him from their own imaginations.Â
 Then you offered him the opportunity to stay and Loki felt as though he had finally managed to tear up the script which had been written for him and take the pen in his own hand and for the very first time in his life he had the power to decide who he wanted to be and if thatâs what freedom felt like then Loki decided that he was going to cherish it for as long as possible.
 ***
 The sound of bird song and the feeling of sun light warming your face gently pulled you from your sleep. You squinted your eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight and once you could take in your surroundings you paused, forgetting where you were for a moment until the events of yesterday started playing back in your mind.Â
 You were in your bedroom on the TARDIS, however you were certain that window hadnât been there last night. You rose from the bed and walked towards it, the view showed you a clear blue sky and a vast meadow surrounded by healthy green trees while flocks of birds passed by above. It was a beautiful sight to wake up to, however that didnât lessen your confusion over it.Â
 Now freshly showered and changed into some new clothes which you found provided in the wardrobe, you were walking through the corridors of the TARDIS, letting your nose lead the way as it followed the scent of a hearty breakfast being cooked nearby. The two protein shakes had sustained you over night but now you were ready for that proper breakfast the Doctor had promised and from the smells that travelled down the corridors and lured you to the kitchen, it seemed like it wasnât going to disappoint.Â
 Once you turned through the archway which lead to the spacious kitchen which also included a dining area, you were greeted by the sight of Loki and the Doctor quietly bickering, they hadnât yet noticed your presence so you quietly watched them as you leant against the archway.
 âYou burnt the toast again.â The Doctor sighed, taking the toast and throwing it into the bin which you noticed already had a pile of burnt toast slices in it.Â
 âI didnât burn the toast, the toaster burnt the toast.â Loki argued. âI donât know why you dragged me in here to help you cook for the humans anyway.â
 âDid you have anything better to do?â The Doctor asked as he popped some more bread slices into the toaster.
 âNo.â Loki admitted honestly.Â
 âThen you can pour the fresh orange juice into the serving jug. Everythingâs almost ready, theyâll be here soon.â The Doctor instructed Loki, who sighed but still turned to go to the fridge but he paused halfway when he finally noticed you standing under the archway and he said your name with surprise.
 âGood morning, Loki.â You greeted him kindly as you moved into the kitchen.Â
 âOh,â the Doctor said your name after he heard you greet Loki. âTake a seat, itâs almost done.âÂ
 You sat yourself down on one of the chairs at the large oak wood dining table and observed Loki and the Doctor in the kitchen.
 You noticed Loki had changed out of the casual clothes he was wearing last night when he knocked on your door to offer you his protein shake. He was now smartly dressed in a dark fitted suit, with an olive green waist coat paired with a crocodile green tie which was secured to his white dress shirt with a gold clip. It was the finest you had seen him dress, he looked out of place as he stood in the kitchen pouring juice into a jug.
 The Doctor was dressed in pretty much the same outfit he wore yesterday, you wondered to yourself if it was the exact same suit or if he just owned multiple pairs.
 âDoctor.â You spoke the Time Lords name to get his attention.
 âYeah?â He glanced up at you from where he was buttering some toast.
 âThis morning I woke up to a window in my room that wasnât there last night.â You told him, hoping he could offer you some insight.
 âItâs an artificial window,â he explained, âI turn on the feature when Iâm travelling with humans, since the TARDIS has no windows some can find it quite claustrophobic but I can turn off the feature if you donât like it.âÂ
 âNo, no. I like it,â you quickly told him. âItâs nice, thank you.â
 The Doctor gave you a small smile to acknowledge your thanks.
 âNo one talk to me. I need coffee.â The unmistakable sound of your auntie drew all three pairs of eyes in the room to Donna as she shuffled into the kitchen, she was dressed in a fluffy white dressing gown and slippers and her red hair was pulled up into a messy bun.
 âCoffee pot is there, help yourself.â The Doctor pointed to the counter where there stood a pot of black coffee.
 âThanks.â Donna mumbled through a yawn.
 Your attention was drawn to Loki when he placed two full plates, filled with a variety of breakfast foods down onto the table.
 âYou look nice today.â You told him and heat rose to your cheeks when Lokiâs eyes met yours and his lips curled up at the edges.
 âIâm glad we agree.â Loki stood straight and tugged on his blazer where it hugged him snuggly around his waist. âIt took me forever to find something decent in the Doctors closets.â
 The Doctor fetched over the rest of the plates and took a seat on the opposite side of the table to you, Donna sat beside him cradling her mug of coffee and Loki moved around the table to take a seat beside you, the same foresty and vanilla scent filled the air around him.Â
 âI could get used to this.â Donna commented as she started scooping food from the buffet in the centre of the table onto her empty plate.
 âDonât, I just havenât eaten in a while, thought it was about time.â The Doctor warned her around a mouth full of bacon.
 âWhatâs the plan for today, Doctor?â You asked as you picked up a hash brown.
 âI was thinking I could set the controls to random and see where it takes us.â The Doctor offered. âA mystery tour! We could end up on any planet, anywhere, anywhen, in the whole, wide universe.âÂ
 âYou mean, we could end up on an alien planet?!â Donna gasped, and it was hard to tell whether she was excited or terrified.
 âTime and space travel, consequently, yeah, I think our chances of landing on an alien planet are relatively high.â Loki sarcastically replied, while he picked at a croissant.
 âCan we leave him behind?â Donna directly asked the Doctor.
 âHey, play nice you two.â The Doctor ordered them like a fed up father.
 ***
 âEarth?â Donna whined. âAll that just to end up back on earth? And itâs pissing it down.âÂ
 You had all eagerly piled out the TARDIS to see what awaited you on the other side of the double doors, the last thing any of you expected was to end up in a rundown alleyway on earth during a rainstorm.
 âNo, no.â The Doctor smiled, the only one out of all four of you who still looked enthusiastic while you, Loki and Donna all glared at him while the rain poured down on you. âThis is New Earth!â
 âI donât care if itâs brand, spanking New Earth, itâs cold and itâs wet and weâre surrounded by rubbish!â Donna complained, as she wrapped her arms around her torso to protect herself from the elements.
 âI think I just saw a rat.â Loki added.
Donna let out a ear piercing screech as she leaped into the air in fright.
 âCome on! Whereâs your sense of adventure?â The Doctor tried to hype you all up.
 âDoctor, a cold and wet, rat infested alleyway isnât exactly what I would call my idea of an adventure.â You told him, and his smile dropped when he looked at all three of you and saw your miserable faces.
 âFine,â he begrudgingly caved in with a sigh. âGet back in the TARDIS, Iâll take us somewhere else.â
 You all simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief and began following the Doctor back into his ship one after another, with you following behind last but before you could step foot through the doors you felt an arm grab you around your waist and pull you backwards. You felt a sudden falling sensation, as if the arm had dragged you straight off a cliff edge. From what you could see it looked as though you were falling through a kaleidoscope. All this barely lasted two seconds, as all of a sudden you once again felt the solid ground beneath your feet. Your heart was hammering in your chest like a woodpeckers beak against a tree, as you patted down your body just to make sure everything arrived with you since you were pretty certain you had just teleported.Â
 With wide eyes you looked around the dimly lit basement which had paint chipping off its walls and was filled with an unsettling scent of chemicals. In the background you could hear the sound of a party coming through speakers, you discovered it was coming from a projection on one of the walls. The footage showed a beautiful blonde woman dressed in a stunning silver dress which was accessorised with expensive jewellery, all attention was on her as she elegantly glided around the room while handsome men dressed in tuxedos fawned over her.
 âMistress! I brought you a pure-blood human.â You heard a timid voice, you immediately looked towards the direction it came from to find a small man with patterns on his pale face, hunched over like an elderly person and dressed in white scrubs.
 âDonât be frightened, my child.â You jumped, startled by a second voice, this one feminine and aristocratic, it sounded almost identical to the one that belonged to the elegant woman in the projected footage. For a moment you didnât realise where it came from but then you noticed the sheet of skin with a face attached to it. The skin was tethered to a metal frame like a trampoline and you gasped in horror at the sight.
 âWell done, Chip. You have delivered me a truly fine specimen.â The talking piece of skin praised the cowering man, who you assumed was her servant.Â
 âCome closer, my child. Let me get a proper look at you.â She tried to tempt you towards her but you werenât an idiot.
 âI think Iâll just stay right here, thanks.â You refused, going as far to take a few steps backwards.
 âSuit yourself.â The skin smiled to herself before her eyes shifted from you to the projection. âI remember that night, that was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful.âÂ
 You watched the footage as a man kissed the back of her hand and you heard him call her Cassandra.
 âAfter that, it all became such hard work.â Cassandra continued. âBut Iâve not been idle. Tucked away down here I finally developed a solution to all my problems.âÂ
âAnd whatâs that?â You were afraid to ask.
 âChip, activate the psychograft!â Cassandra ordered her humble servant.
 Instantly your arms were immobile as an electric force bound them to a barrier which you hadnât realised you had stepped into, no matter how hard you tried to pull free, your arms wouldnât budge.
 âCassandra, what are you doing?â You gasped mid-sentence as a circle of light surrounded you.
 âMoving on! New life, new body, new me!â Cassandra cheered and a gold essence evaporated from her skin and travelled through the air towards you.Â
 Your chest tightened as you realised what was about to happen as the sparkling gold cloud reached you, it sank into your chest through your skin and flesh, once it was all inside you the force restraining you vanished and your limp body collapsed to the floor. Your head smacked against a loose pipe as gravity pulled you into itâs hard embrace.
 ***
 You had been right behind Loki when you were taken, which mean he had heard you yelp in shock when you felt the arm wrapped around your waist which made him turn to see what prompted such a reaction, only to watch you vanish into thin air right before his eyes.
 He called your name, in the tone of a question, into the now empty alleyway which was useless since you were already gone but it caught the attention of Donna.
 âWhatâs wrong?â She turned to Loki after hearing the confusion in his tone when he spoke your name.
 Thatâs when the Doctor looked up from the ships console, his own brows furrowed with concern as he looked between Donna and Loki.
 The Doctor realised you were the only one who wasnât present and asked where you were, though his question was more of a statement to bring attention to your lack of presence.
 âSomeone grabbed her and then they vanished.â Loki explained.Â
 âWhat... what do you mean âvanished?ââ Donna looked at Loki in disbelief, not trusting the mischievous God, she rushed back towards the doors and stepped back out into the rain shouting your name into the alleyway, her voice reverberated off of the walls.
 âIt must have been a short range teleport, like a vortex manipulator.â The Doctor concluded. âNasty and cheap.â He added in a barely coherent mumble.Â
 He was already rushing around the console tempering with all sorts of switches in a seemingly random order. âIf I can hone in on its signal, maybe I can follow its last route.â
 âGot it!â He announced only a few moments later.Â
 âDonna!â The Doctor yelled towards the double doors of the TARDIS.
 âWhat is it, do you know where they went?â Donna came running back into the TARDIS, freshly wet from the rain.
 âI found the signal which was left behind by the teleportation device they used, I set the TARDIS controls to follow its last route. Hold on.â With that the Doctor pulled down the leaver and everyone knew to hold on tight during this part as tremors shook the whole TARDIS.Â
 Loki and the Doctor held onto opposite sides of the console while Donna clung to the railing beside the doors. It didnât take long for the tremors to subside as a wheezing sound filled the control room signalling that the TARDIS was landing. Once the ship fell silent Donna rushed out the doors without hesitation, ignoring the Doctor as he called her name and ran after her.
 Donna cried your name as soon as she saw you collapsed on the floor, then she noticed the creature with patterns on his face crouched over you.
 âGet away!â Donna yelled at Chip as she rushed to your side, she fell to her knees beside you and harshly pushed the creature away and he fell on his back before he quickly scurried away to cower in a corner as the Doctor came running out the TARDIS, followed by Loki.Â
 Donna made room for the Doctor as he knelt beside her and scanned his sonic screwdriver over your body, while Donna stroked your hair, her eyes began filling with tears.
 âSheâs okay.â The Doctor reassured Donna as he studied his screwdriver, Donna let out a sob of relief and wrapped your limp hand between both of hers and held it against her heart.Â
 âLoki, take her back into the TARDIS. Iâm going to take a look around here.â The Doctor instructed, while he glanced around the dull basement.Â
 The Doctor moved, allowing Loki to take his place, Donna moved slightly to give him enough room to scoop you into your arms.
 âBe careful.â Donna told him, Lokiâs brows pulled together, ready to snap at the woman, he was already helping, when he didnât have to, she didnât have to make him sound incompetent while he did so but as he turned to Donna ready to unleash his pent up frustration, he saw her eyes werenât focused critically on him but they were filled with concern over you as they were trained on you unconscious form and Loki realised that she wasnât nagging him, she was only worried about you. The tension left his brows and his eyes softened as he gave Donna a small nod and secured his hold on you.Â
 Donna held the TARDIS door open and Loki carried you through, once they were both in the control room Loki continued walking towards the corridors which lead deeper into the ship.
 âWhere are you going?â Donna fret, expecting him to have put you down on the floor of the control room.
 âIâm taking her to her room, her bed will be more comfortable than the floor.â Loki explained without stopping, he recalled how uncomfortable it was when he awoke on the floor of the control room, despite the fact you tried to offer him some comfort by resting his head in your lap.Â
 It had sent an unfamiliar feeling through his chest that you had concerned yourself over his comfort. He could count the amount of people on one hand who would ever willingly rest his head in their lap and those people were Thor and his mother, everyone else either simply wouldnât care or would be far too afraid of him to ever allow themselves to get that close.
 Since you had concerned yourself with his comfort and he was aware of how uncomfortable the TARDIS floor was, he thought it was only fair that he, too, saw to it that you were comfortable.Â
 He was never one for concerning himself over other peopleâs needs, likely due to the fact he always felt as though no one ever cared about his but as soon as he felt cared about by you, he found himself considering your needs, whether it was intentional or not.Â
 When the Doctor had handed the three of you protein shakes he knew immediately that he had no use for it, so he took it back to his room and dumped it on the bed as he went to shower with the intention of leaving it untouched. As he showered, no matter how much he tried to think about anything else, he kept thinking about the way he heard your stomach growl when you were stood next to him in the corridor and how he had something which could diminish your hunger, that he had no use for, so the logical thing to do was to give it to you, since you clearly needed it.Â
 Just because it was the logical thing to do didnât mean Loki was going to do it, at least thatâs what he told himself, but as he started to get dressed in some comfortable clothes he found in the wardrobe, his eyes kept glancing over at the discarded bottle on the bed.Â
 In the end he concluded that since he was planning to talk to the Doctor, meaning he would inevitably pass by your room on the way, he would knock on your door and leave the bottle on the floor for you to find while he quickly made himself scarce.Â
 Of course things didnât go to plan and he found himself still stood at your door once you opened it.
 Once he made it to your bedroom he gently placed you on your bed, over the top of your duvet, making sure your pillow was under your head and then stepped away to let Donna sit beside you.
 Loki paused halfway between the bed and the door, wondering if he should stay or go, he nervously fidgeted with his fingers. You had stayed with him when he was unconscious but you already had Donna, she was your auntie, you didnât need him he decided so he turned on his heel and stepped towards the door.
 âYou donât have to go.â Donna offered, when she heard his footsteps, he looked at her from over his shoulder.Â
 Loki considered this for a moment before he finally walked over to an armchair in your room and sat on it with his legs spread and his elbows resting on his knees.Â
 âMoisturise me.â Donna and Loki sat up when they heard you mumble and you began to come around.
 âMoisturise? Moister... oh water? You want water?â Donna tried to work out what you meant.
 âMoisturise me.â You repeated, still half unconscious.
 âIâll get you some water, donât worry. Iâll be right back.â Donna promised you as she stood up and rushed out the room, leaving you alone with Loki.
 When your eyes finally pushed themselves open, they only saw a plain white ceiling which was far too clean to belong to the basement, which is the last place you remember being, so you came to the conclusion that someone had moved you. You wanted to sit up but when you tried to command your body to move, it wouldnât, you begun to panic wondering if you had become paralysed but then you sat up without even trying, it was like an invisible force moved your body for you. Immediately you felt a pressure build in your skill, like your brain was being compressed.Â
 You heard Lokiâs voice say your name and the invisible force allowed you to see him as he stood from the armchair. You were in your bedroom, on the TARDIS, relief filled you as you looked at Lokiâs familiar face and you wanted to smile and run over to him and tell him what happened but instead your body remained sat on the bed.
 âYes... thatâs who I am.â Cassandra replied to him, using your voice but you could hear yourself, you didnât sound right you spoke with a upper-class accent that didnât belong to you.
 âAnd youâre a tall, handsome stranger.â Cassandra dragged your eyes down Lokiâs body with no concern about being subtle and if you were in control of your own body your cheeks wouldâve been burning hot by now.
 âIâm not a stranger, you know who I am.â Loki responded with a confused tilt of his head.
 âTell me again.â Cassandra prompted him, she made your voice low and breathy as she pressed your palms against your mattress and leaned your body towards the man who stood at the edge of your bed while she innocently looked up at him from under your lashes.
 âLoki of Asgard, God of Mischief.â Loki couldnât resist answering, his own voice growing deeper as he believed his title appealed to you and thatâs why you wanted to hear him say it.
 âA God?â Cassandra gasped as she made you move onto all fours and slowly begin crawling to the edge of the bed until you were knelt right before the God.
 âThatâs right.â Loki answered breathily, his eyes never leaving you as Cassandra moved your hands to grasp Loki by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him closer, he moved without protest.
 âDoes that make you immortal?â Cassandra whispered, your lips almost brushing his from how close your faces were and she continued to peer at him from under your lashes while he looked down at you with hooded eyes which kept glancing towards your lips, Cassandra lifted them into a smirk.
 âIt does.â Loki answered, his voice so deep it was practically a growl and Cassandra made you moan as she suddenly forced you to tighten your fists around Lokiâs lapels and pull him down until his lips smacked with yours. Cassandra moved your arms from Lokiâs lapels to around his shoulders and made your fingers dig into his long, dark hair grasping a strong hold so his head wouldnât move away from yours.Â
 You heard Loki let out a deep moan and his hands grasped your hips and pulled them flush with his own. As Cassandra made you continue kissing him you felt the unbearable pressure in your head begin to disappear.
 You hadnât noticed that the door to your bedroom had opened until you heard the sound of a glass smash.
 âWhat the hell?!â Donna cried, immediately Loki let go of your hips and without his strong hold supporting you, you felt your whole body go weak as you collapsed back onto the bed but you noticed as you fell back you moved your own arm to brace your fall. Experimentally you waved your other arm around in front of your face to confirm you were once again in control of your own movements.
 Then reality hit you as you realised what Donna had just walked in on but before you could even begin to try and explain you heard loud footsteps echoing through the corridor as they ran towards your bedroom.
 âDonna!â You could hear the Doctor shouting, before you saw him run through the open door of your bedroom.
 âCassandra, get outââ The Doctor yelled towards you his face full of fury but his foot slipped on the water from the glass Donna had dropped and he went flying to the floor.
 âDoctor?!â Donna gasped and rushed to help him up as he groaned in pain from the impact.
 âDonna, thatâs not your niece!â The Doctor warned Donna.Â
 âWhat do you mean? Of course, she is.â Donna argued with the Doctor, who was finally back on both feet.
 âSheâs been possessed by Cassandra.â The Doctor explained, looking Donna straight in the eye as he held his hands on both her shoulders to convey how serious he was. âSheâs the last surviving human and she refuses to die, sheâs trying to use your nieces body as a vessel.â
 âIâm me again!â You tried to explain.
 âGet out of her now, Cassandra!â The Doctor ordered.
 âShe already has,â you attempted to explain again. âShe left me after she made me kiss Loki.â
 All eyes in the room fell on the God who was checking himself out in the floor length mirror beside your wardrobe. When he realised the room had fell silent and felt everyoneâs attention on him, he turned and looked at you all with a smirk and then his eyes landed on the Doctor.
 âHello, Doctor.â Cassandra greeted the Time Lord flirtatiously, through Loki. âLong time no see, and it looks like we both got new faces.âÂ
#loki (marvel)#loki#doctor who#loki x reader#loki x female reader#loki x you#loki imagine#the doctor#Tenth Doctor#tom hiddleston#Donna Noble
74 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Kissing Din
based on this ask
Din Djarin/Reader
Words: 2k
Warnings: blood mention, canon-typical violence, sexual situations, nudity
a/n: been a minute since I posted!! hope everyone is doing well <3
In Hyperspace.
You were sleepily rocking Grogu against your chest in the co-pilot seat. The little one was already fast asleep, a small snore coming from the bundle of cloth. The cabin was dimmed, with the small blinking control lights glittering through your sleepy haze. Hyperspace washed over you in blue-white streaks of light that kept you from falling asleep. Despite the rest that pulled at you, there wasnât anywhere else in the Maker-forsaken galaxy that youâd rather be. Safe next to your partner with his son fast asleep on your lap.Â
Itâs been an incredible journey together. Only a few short months yet so much has happened. Fixing up the Crest when you were all stranded on an icy, krykna-infested planet. Patching up Din whenever he returned, staggering into the hull. Giggling with the kid in your lap as he pushed your tools around. The memories you shared with this clan were few but your heart ached like it was forever.Â
A rustling sound coming from the pilotâs chair got your attention. Hm?
âClose your eyes,â Din hushed.Â
You obliged, more than happy to shut your sleepy eyes. Frequent hyperspace travel never did get easier for you.
The sound of his helmet hitting the metal floor of the cockpit nearly caused them to snap back open.Â
âDin what are youââÂ
A bare hand traced your face and you tried to fight the shudder that wracked your body. The warmest hands cradled your face upwards, a thumb brushing across your parted lips. The mere thought that Din was bare-faced inches from you... Your mind kicked into hyperdrive.
âPlease,â the hushed whisper fell from his mouth, stilted breath ghosting right over your panting lips. The voice you seldom heard unmodulated was steeped with longing. One word spilled into a sentence.
âI want to kiss you.â
Your face broke into the sweetest grin he had ever seen. Really seen.Â
âLike you even have to ask,â you shifted your body upwards, heart racing as your lips finally met.Â
On Tatooine.
The blaring wind outside rocked the Razor Crest in itâs docked spot. Some dusty backwater place you could absolutely care less about. You spat out some lingering dust into the sink.Â
The little one was dropped off at Peliâs, which meant whoever this bounty was they were high-risk for Din.Â
Not a lot of people made that list.
Also meant that maybe you shouldnât be blasting music throughout the ship, but kriff you were bored. Itâs been a couple days at this point and you were told to âlay lowâ. Din didnât say anything about music though. Plus, the Razor Crest was a well-fortified gal. Sure, a couple of bits flew off here and there and the hyperdrive could use some work, but whatever was in the armory could ward off any sane being in the galaxy.
 The muffled sound of your playlist could be heard through the refresher door, jumping to full clarity as you exited. You broke into a grin, hips swaying as you sang the words loud. I wonder if Tin Can ever sings? You burst out laughing at the thought of the sound of scratchy-modulated humming. The man hardly talks as it is. Iâd bet the Maker that he has a worse voice than me.Â
âSomething funny?âÂ
Crap.
You yelped, in a certainly dignified manner, you hope, âMando! Glad to see you back home.â
Home?! Oh my stars, Iâm done for.
The slightest tilt of his helmet let you know that he definitely heard you. He continued, âIf youâre done using the comms, can you let Karga know weâre on our way?â
âOr we could just, you know, not do that,â a voice strained.
You finally focused on the bounty that Mando dragged back, a young twiâlek man with deep, blue skin. He wore a similarly draped sand-colored cloth you saw the locals wore. Arm wrappings covered to his wrist where there was no dirt under his fingernails. Your eyes wandered to his shoes, a type of thicker sandal with cording to attach⌠Yep, definitely not from here.Â
You smiled back at Mando, âGotcha, Captain!â
âWait!â The twiâlek croaked out, âPlease, you canât let him take me!âÂ
You fought the urge to roll your eyes, chancing a look at Mandoâs visor as if to say can you believe this dude?
âFine, Iâll bite.â You leaned on one hip, âWhy should my partner and I not take in a bounty that we have been searching for I donât know ⌠â you counted your fingers, âsix days? Explain.âÂ
And here come the waterworks.Â
He wailed, still on his knees next to Mando as he groveled, âItâs a false bounty! I was framed and I didnât know what to do but run,â he looked at the carbonite cases, eyes growing larger when he saw their blank gazes frozen wide, âI swear to the Maker youâve got it wrong!â
You bent down to his level, hushing him as you gently rested your hand on his cheek, âAre you implying that my partner is wrong? That he is being dishonest with me?â
Your wide eyes fell on Mando who stood unmoving. You turned back to the bounty before you could notice his hand clenching into a fist as you touched the other man.Â
The twiâlek silently nodded, tears slipping over his hairless face.
âWell youâll be sure to know that I loathe liars,â you nodded solemnly, âEspecially if itâs to my face.â
He opened his mouth to say something, sharply gasping as a blue ring of light exited your blaster. He slumped over, mouth still gaping open.
You looked back up at Din, catching him as he adjusted his pants. Smirking, you stepped over the bounty until you were standing right in front of Din, feeling the heat of his body past the beskar. Extending your arms up, you rested your hands on his pauldrons, hand tracing the Mudhorn signet. Gingerly, you placed your palms up just under Dinâs ice-cold helmet, eyes questioning. He gave a simple nod, bringing his gloved hands to wrap around yours.Â
âI missed you,â you tilted the beskar upwards just the slightest amount, exposing a sliver of skin that was roughened with stubble. You tiptoed upwards and placed a short peck on him.
âItâs good to be home,â he gruffed out.
Keldabe
The overpowering scent of blood filled your mouth and nostrils. Tears tracked down your face as you let out a groan, spitting to the left of the man you just knocked out. You rolled over to lie back on the gritty pavement of the alleyway, uncaring of the unconscious man next to you. Somewhere down the dim alley, you could hear the distinct clang of metal against metal as Din fought the other bounty. The sound of a single blaster shot followed by a muffled yelp was the end of that.Â
Never bring a vibroblade to a blaster fight.Â
Your head pounded as you fought the urge to laugh out loud. You were lying next to a man that was set on killing you. You were pretty sure Din just shot the other one in the leg. And on top of that you were probably one wrong head turn from unconsciousness.Â
Dinâs shadow suddenly looming over you snapped the cord and you burst in giggles.Â
âAre you okay?â he asked, immediately bending down to run his hands over any area that got impacted.
âYou should have seen the other guy,â you winced as he grazed over your ribs.Â
âLooking at him right now,â he deadpanned, âGood work. But Iâd prefer if my partner would ask for help if they need it.â
He pulled you up, half resting in his lap as your legs splayed out in front of you. Instantly, you curled towards the cold beskar, seeking the warmth past it.Â
âHey Mando?â
âYes?â He said lowly.Â
âMâhead hurts,â you slurred, âKiss me better.â
You couldnât see it, but he smiled under his helmet. Even with the absolute shit knocked out of you, you still wanted his attention. Kriffing adorable.Â
He obliged, head tilting down so he could rest his helmet against your forehead. His eyes closed underneath, savoring the moment.Â
âAh,â you sighed, âMuch better.â
âAre you using me as an ice pack?âÂ
âMaybe,â you whispered.Â
He let out a breathy chuckle before drawing away, âCome on, letâs get back to the ship so we can take a nap.â
A kiss on the thigh
Several months ago when you first started co-piloting for Din, you never would have thought that the Razor Crest could be anything but damn near freezing.
This heat was something else. Panting breaths exhaling hot air. The blazing touch that seared across your thighs as Din hovered over you. Even your skin was starting to dampen in the cramped cot.Â
âCyarâika,â he groaned, âLook at you.â
You opened your eyes, glancing down at yourself pressed so deliciously against Din. He was right there. Biting your lip, you tried to grind against him, only for Din to pinch at your thighs in warning. He continued his teasing, rubbing tenderly at your heated skin.Â
Your back arched under his ministrations. Din was taking his time during the reprieve of a lengthy hyperspace pass, massaging enticingly at your thighs, touching everywhere but where you needed him most.Â
Twelve hours.Â
You moaned, âKriff, stop teasing, Din.â You writhed under his hold, your thighs pinned down by just his hands. How does he feel so good without doing anything?
âNo, I donât think Iâm going to stop.â
You gasped as he replaced his hands with his mouth, bending down to suck harshly at the inside of your thigh. Din licked at the sensitive spot, satisfied as he looked up at your panting face.Â
âYou look fucking pretty like this.â
A kiss on the handÂ
"Glove,â you commanded, ânow.â
Din put a hand on his hip. âYou donât need good luck right now,â He jutted his head toward the distant tree trunk that was todayâs target, âJust hit it.â
You rolled your eyes, making sure he saw. Like, really saw. You swore up and down that he lacked actual peripheral vision because it was always you that caught the little one getting into places he absolutely should not be. The armory being one of them. You shuddered, finger flicking the safety on as you remembered that very eventful day.
âFocus,â he intoned, âYouâre in your head.â
You cursed to yourself, flicking the safety back off. Raising your arm smoothly, your eyes followed the barrel of your blaster.Â
Tree, damn it. Let me hit you.
Your eyes shut for a split second as you squeezed the trigger. A slight burst of energy shifted your hand half an inch. No sound of impact.Â
You looked at the tree in dismay.Â
The stump was definitely still there, not like it could dodge blaster bolts. Even if it could move, it wouldnât have to avoid anything. The patch of brush next to it though? Thoroughly burnt.Â
âAnd this is why I train close combat,â you patted at your vibroblade strapped to your thigh.Â
âThis is why you need practice,â Din moved next to you as you holstered your blaster, âHere.â He held his bare hand out to you, glove clutched in his left.Â
âThank you,â you mumbled. Gingerly, you grasped onto his hand with both of yours, thumbs tracing across his bruised knuckles. Din gave the slightest tilt in acknowledgement. You brought his warm hand right to your face, breaking out into a smile.
âIâm gonna get it for sure this time,â you said before placing a small kiss on his hand, âNow put that glove back on and watch me hit this damn target.â
Din chuckled as he backpedaled a few steps, looking on as you drew your blaster, aiming perfectly at the tree.
Breathe. You got this. Itâs a completely immobile target. You thought to yourself.Â
You squeezed the trigger and with a loud crack, the stump had a glaring split right down the middle where your bolt hit true.Â
âStars, yes!â You shouted in glee. Deftly turning the safety back on, you holstered the blaster and ran to Din, his arms already opening to wrap around you.Â
âKnew you could do it,â he said, pulling you in lightly so the beskar wouldnât bite into your skin.Â
âDoes this mean I can try out the rest of your armory?âÂ
âNo.â
#hi it's been a while lol#lueur writes#din djarin x reader#the mandalorian#the mandalorian x reader#the mandalorian fanfiction#din djarin#Pedro Pascal#din djarin fanfiction#also this is out of order bc I'm fun like that
138 notes
¡
View notes