#she was sooooo determined to try and make herself seem better than the rest of us but dude everything is inspired by something

[slumbering-shadows]

shoutout to the time one of my "friends" told me that having an oc or a story inspired by a song means you are unoriginal and can't come up with your own ideas and are therefore stupid and then I found a song that was, absolutely, beat for beat exactly about their current most precious OC like its not even funny. So I sent it to them. And they said it "doesn't count" because they'd never heard it before. but you guys will never guess who's yt playlist titled "writing" I found that fucking song on in the first place. bitch ass

[lady-byleth]

Sooooo, Shepard had a clone right? Knowing how much Cerberus likes to go above and beyond, there's a high chance that there's more than one. And the one we meet was comatose until needed, which she never was...so what if there's a whole bunch of clones in various stages of growth that just got frozen after Shepard went rogue

And after the war Miranda decides to see if she can find the rest and uncovers a whole storage of clones. Most of them are dead, either due to complications during development or because of cryo getting interrupted during the war

But one is still alive and asleep, so Miranda tells Shepard, who has only recently been released from the hospital, and takes her there so she can decide what to do with the clone herself.

Of course Garrus is there too cuz he's not letting Shepard out of sight until he's 100% sure she's not gonna get herself blown up again

Tali, Liara, Joker and EDI obviously can't be dissuade from joining either - EDI makes a compelling argument about having to test her new body that is actually complete bullshit, she's just curious - and James and Cortez just tag along because everyone else is going and it's about clones and the have Experience.

Javik comes too, cuz he's bored and Liara made vague comments about there maybe being Cerberus agents to fight, and Kaidan has a Bad Feeling about all these knuckleheads being in one room together so he comes along to keep the peace. That's a lie actually, he's just happy to be here.

Samara somehow shows up too, though no one actually contacted her cuz no one knew how. She just heard "Shepard" and "Cerberus" and decided "that could be trouble" and here she is

Grunt would have loved to go but Wrex tells him if he can't go then Grunt can't either cuz that would be unfair.

Jack has the kids to take care of and Jacob has his kid to take care of, so they're not able to come but promise help should there be some Cerberus agents that need blowing up.

Zaeed just sends a photo of himself at the pool titled "I'm fucking retired".

So Miranda ends up having to fly a huge group of people to that lab she found, which she grumbles about but she's not fooling anyone anymore.

As it turns out the facility is completely abandoned and powered down, except for the emergency power in the lab that's supposed to keep the clones alive. They check the whole place before they descend into the basement, looking for the one pod still active that Miranda found

They move past a bunch of pods with clones ranging from young girls to women the same age as Shepard and it's both fascinating and horrifying at the same time.

Shepard for her part seems to take it pretty well though she does stick close to Garrus who slings an arm around her shoulders to steady her. Tali links arms with her and Shepard gives her a small smile.

The active pod is in the far back and, at first glance, looks empty. Liara immediately grabs the data pad sitting beside it and flips through the many charts and notes on it, frowning in thought.

She mumbles something about "no growth hormones administered", gasps a small "oh" and holds the pad out a little so Miranda can read along with her as EDI starts typing on the console attached to the pod itself

"Oh!" she says after a moment, as if to echo Liara. Joker steps up next to her, trying to make sense of what she's looking at.

"What? How evil is it gonna be?"

EDI doesn't answer but turns to Shepard, a strange sparkle in her eyes that wasn't there when she first got a body. She looks both delighted and amazed. "Shall I open it?"

Shepard looks at the pod, worries her lower lip for a moment. Garrus squeezes her gently, Tali hugs her arm closer. The rest of their group closes rank around her, steadying her with their presence.

They're all here for her, no matter what. So she nods.

"Do it."

There's a low hissing sound and a blast of cold air, fog rolls out of the pod as the lid slides open slowly. For some reason Miranda and Liara look almost giddy, though Liara has to keep pushing Javik's hand down because he keeps trying to aim his gun.

James is standing on his tip toes to see into the pod before its even fully open and almost falls over when a very unexpected sound suddenly echoes through the room.

It's a crying voice. A baby's crying voice.

Samara immediately bolts forward, the instincts of a mother taking over, and she bends down into the pod and emerges with what's indeed a baby.

"Holy shit!" James looks flabbergasted.

"Holy shit..." Cortez doesn't look any better.

"Holy shit, indeed!" Somehow Kasumi is here too.

Samara rocks the little girl in her arms, scrutinizes her closely and smiles.

"Yes, I feel a strong resemblance to you," she says, gracefully moving to a completely stunned Shepard.

If you've never seen a galactic hero speechless, suddenly confront them with a baby clone of themself and that should do the trick.

The baby of course doesn't know that, she's just screaming, probably cold and scared and disoriented. She's squirming in Samara's arms, oblivious to Liara, Miranda, Tali, Kaidan and - surprisingly - EDI who are crowding around Samara to catch a glimpse, cooing already

Samara doesn't even try calming the little girl down, she has other ideas. Before Shepard can refuse Samara deposits the baby into her arms, adjusts her grip and then steps back, an almost mischievous tilt to her serene smile.

The baby calms immediately, big eyes the same color as Shepard's blinking up at a face that will he hers one day.

Shepard is motionless, looking like someone just slapped her with a frying pan...until the baby suddenly starts squealing in delight.

The unease melts from Shepard's face, a slightly confused but warm smile replacing it, and she gently shifts the baby closer to her chest, speaking to her quietly.

Little feet kick with delight, small hands reach out to grab at her face, and careful, scarred fingers brush plump baby cheeks and Samara watches with obvious satisfaction as her friends crowd around Shepard to continue cooing at the little girl now laughing happily

Shepard doesn't see it, focused on the baby as she is, but James just bursts into tears at the adorable picture while Cortez tries to console him without looking away. .

Joker is sniffing a little bit too but instead of staying in the background he loudly says "brittle bones coming through" and pushes to the front of the group. The baby immediately steals his cap. He is delighted. EDI is delighted that he is delighted.

Javik pretends very hard not to be mesmerized by the first human baby he's ever seen. He's failing miserably, much to Kaidan's amusement.

Garrus sticks to the sidelines, arms crossed over his chest, a thoughtful expression on his face. He remembers London, the half joking half serious conversation about adopting kids after the war is finished.

He'd shelved the thought in favor of focusing on recuperating, fixing what the war had destroyed, and building up Shepard who had to wrestle with severe injuries, PTSD and survivor's guilt without the distraction of a galactic war to keep her from realizing how much she was suffering.

But...it had been months, life was slowly returning to some semblance of normalcy - as much as was possible after the heavy losses - and Shepard was getting better. Therapy was going well. She would never be fully free of what she'd been through, but she was determined to get better and Hackett had arranged for the best help in the galaxy.

She was getting better. And restless. She had started spending more time with the orphans, playing with them, teaching them.

She'd always loved children. And Garrus had been very serious about starting a family with her, not so much about the cross species babies that biologically wouldn't happen.

But here was a baby that Shepard already had a connection with, a baby that she obviously already adored. He hadn't seen her smile like that in a long time. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Yes. This could be good.

He feels Samara sidle up beside him, smiling knowingly. "You should suggest it," she says.

Garrus nods, shoots her a smile. "Yeah, I think I will."

[sailors-diary-for-elise]

Reaching Out

SEE! SOMETHING OTHER THAN SMUT. Also this one is old and a bit dusty, sooooo warnings are gonna be to the best of my ability. ALSO. THIS IS ANGST AND HAS TRIGGERING THEMES. PLEASE SCROLL PAST IF THE WARNINGS ARE DISTRESSING TO YOU. I wrote this during a really difficult day and was just word vomiting tbh. I am also gonna state that this is a work of fiction and I am in no way a therapist or anything, so if something here bothers you I’m sorry this is just something I wrote mostly for myself.

Warnings: god this is painful but here we go. Reader is depressed and has anxiety, mentions of self-inflicted injuries (she punches a mirror...repeatedly-), blood, panic attacks, it takes a few of the members to restrain the reader so if you’re uncomfortable with that please don’t read this, this is honestly just a hard read imo so please read with care. Also, the reader hates herself and just doesn’t really think highly of herself at all sooooo yeah-

It was the fourth time this month. The fourth argument that could’ve and should’ve ended differently.

You’d come out of your room to find San off at practice or on some work related schedule, spend the entire day outside trying to break a horrible cycle in your mind, just to disappear again once he returned home. It was frustrating you both and causing a serious strain in your relationship.

On San’s side, he couldn’t understand why it was that you would fight against him trying to get you to come out of your room when you spent the entire day alone. Then there was his frustration when you would complain about never seeing him and yet would disappear and avoid him when he was available. To San, it didn’t make any sense. All he wanted to do was spend time with you and support you, but it seemed as though you were determined to shut him out. He watches you storm off to your bedroom, running a hand through his hair as he tries to recall the last time he’d come back from a schedule and had a nice quiet evening that didn’t end in you both screaming at each other. When he can’t, San grabs his jacket and walks out of the apartment with his phone and keys, planning on spending the night at the dorms so that you can have some space to cool off. Once he gets in his car, he quickly dials Hongjoong’s number, pulling out of the parking garage of your complex and letting out all of his frustrations and concerns. 

As he drove, San had no way of knowing how much you hated yourself for what was happening between you both.

What San didn’t know was that your depression and anxiety had been spiraling lately due to the pressure that had been placed on your shoulders from not only your work but from being the girlfriend of an idol that had become so famous. He didn’t know that every day you were terrified that, now that his future was so bright and secure, he’d no longer want you. That he’d leave you just like so many before had done, and that he’d realize you were no longer something of use to him. And finally, how you criticize every minute of your life, finding ways that you are failing even when you’ve done nothing but your best. It came to the point that waking up from dreams was physically painful, because you could control a dream and guarantee the people you love never turned their backs on you. San didn’t, or rather, couldn’t know this. Because to know this would mean you would have to tell him. And no one should have to bear this burden but you, and there was always that small part of you that was terrified of having your feelings invalidated. 

Your whole life people have toyed with you, accepting your depression only when it was convenient to them and berating you once the curtains fall. Some even went as far as to weaponize your emotions, tearing you down in an argument with something that was the equivalent to the beating heart in your chest. Yes they would apologize and you would eventually forgive them because people make mistakes. But the thing about words is that once they leave someone’s mouth, the damage is already done and there’s no amount of remorse or forgiveness that can repair it. That’s where you are now.

You slam the door shut, leaving all the lights in your room turned off, your head pounding after the screaming match you and San had just finished (rather, you ran out on and barricaded the door so he wouldn’t see you cry) and your face stained with tears. Not a sound left you as you curled up on the bed, biting your fist as a punishment for your body's betrayal of emotions. All it would take was one minute of silence and the entire apartment would be able to hear how you were feeling. In all honesty, you didn’t want San to see you cry. Because in your mind, you didn’t deserve to cry. You were the one who picked a fight. You're the one who made unfair accusations, using his career and passions as weapons against him. You were the one that hurt him in the same ways that had been done to you, falsely claiming that it was to “beat him to it and strike first.” 

The front door slams shut, and you work quickly. You unbarricade the door and peek out, making sure no one is there. Dashing across the living space, you reach the spare bedroom and lock the door, not seeing the need for such extreme measures as earlier. You then sit with your back to the door, listening for the sign of San’s safe return from the store. Your butt has just about gone numb when this occurs, the front door shutting softly alerting you instantly. You rise from your position, albeit a little slowly due to your cramped muscles, and shuffle to the bed. A knock sounds, and a decision has to be made.

“Y/N? I know you’re awake. Can you come to bed? You and I both know that neither of us can sleep alone anymore.” San mumbles through the door. You hear shuffling, and you hold your breath thinking he might unlock the door. You’re not sure though, whether you’re holding your breath in hope or fear. But all you hear is a thud, indicating San sitting down. “Look, we don’t have to talk. You don’t even need to look at me, it just feels better for both of us if I’m holding you through the night, because at the end of the day, we still love each other, right?” 

San’s cheeks are marked with tear streaks, eyes red and puffy as he waits for any sign of confirmation from you. He loves you more than anything else, so much so that he’d give up everything for you, and needed to hear that you still loved him as well. He holds his breath, hands covering his face while he waits for you to show him a sign that you’re even listening. That you’re even there. 

You tip-toe over to the door, gently crouching down in front of it and rest your fingertips lightly on the wood, near where his shoulder is supposed to be. It’s cold and unyielding, but this is the bravest you’ll ever be. You hear a sigh on the other side, almost as if he can sense your presence.

“You know, you don’t have to keep it all in. From the first moment I saw you, I knew that there was so much going on in your life that it’d take time to get you to trust me. And I still want that. I want to know what’s going on in your life again. I want to hold you as you're crying again. And I want to repay you for all the times you’ve helped me.” San whispers, his voice showing how much of a toll this has taken on him. “I know a lot has changed, I travel a lot, and it’s harder for us to go anywhere without me being recognized. But I promise you that my feelings for you, the amount of love I feel for you, it’s all still there. If anything, I love you even more now than before. I don’t want to lose you Y/N. I want to keep fighting for us and I just need you to reach out to me, show me you want this too. Open the door, even if it’s just a crack, and let me help heal those open wounds. Yes there will be scars and yes it will take time, but I’m willing to wait.”

At this point you have tears streaming down your face as you withdraw your hand. You don’t move though, despite your broken mind willing you to do so, you stay rooted in your spot. Sniffles break through the other side, showing how much San is hurting. You feel as though there’s a war going on inside of you, your heart begging you to open the door and stop this madness, but your mind resolute on keeping this wall up. 

“I. Can’t.” you croak out, bringing your trembling hand to your lips and nibbling your thumbnail as you rise slowly. “They were right, I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you.”

“What? Who told you that?” San questions, confusion swirling in his head as he struggles to better understand where this was coming from. Standing, San presses his hands to the door, trying to open it only to find it locked. “Love, talk to me.”

“All I’ve been doing is hurting you, and I’m sorry. ” You whimper, your mind screaming at you to shut-up and not give away anything while your heart, your very being, is begging to be set free and allow him back in. “I, I love you, San.” And with that you rise, walking towards the bathroom attached to the room. You close the door, locking it and turning to the mirror to see your disheveled state. Tears stain your cheeks, your eyes have bags under them, and your hair is greasy and a mess from the lack of effort on your part to take care of yourself. 

Thoughts swirl and distort your reflection, harsh words clouding your mind. Some of the words surface from your past, some are from deep within you stemming from your lack of forgiveness for yourself. You don’t deserve forgiveness or a second chance. You don’t deserve him caring for you. You’re toxic. You do nothing but hurt him. Toxic. Toxic. 

You start screaming, starting in your gut and ripping out through your mouth, scaring the shit out of San who begins pounding on the door. You hear him calling out to you, but it’s muffled in your head as you continue to sob and scream at your reflection, running your hands through your hair before tugging on it out of frustration. The longer you look at yourself, the worse the feeling in your gut gets as the harsh words continue to tear you apart, worsening with each passing moment. With one last scream you pull your arm back and punch the mirror, desperate to feel something other than the all consuming self-hatred. And it works.

There’s a crack on the mirror with droplets of blood in the center. You bring your trembling hand into view, noticing your knuckles slightly bloodied and cut. The pain replaces all of the noise in your head, if only for a moment, and you become entranced by it. Raising your fist again, you punch the mirror once, twice, three more times before stopping to look at your handy work. The crack has grown and your hand is bleeding steadily, a couple of pieces of glass stuck in your knuckles. You’re ashamed of what and who you’ve become and raise your fist again when the door breaks down.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!” San shouts, restraining your flailing and screaming form as tears stream down your face. Four pairs of hands are pulling you out of the bathroom, with San’s arms wrapped tightly around your waist as he pulls you on the bed. He immediately starts shushing you, whispering into your hair as he wraps his legs around you as well, restricting you so the others can clean you up and call an ambulance if need be. At this point though, he doesn’t need to as you’ve gone completely limp, sobbing into his neck loudly as the emotions you’ve kept hidden flood out in a wave that swallows you whole. “Shh baby, it’s okay. We’re here now and we’re not leaving you. I’ve got you, we’ve got you. It’s okay, it’s okay.” His voice is trembling, absolutely terrified by what he’s just experienced. It’s lucky that Hongjoong, Yunho, and Seonghwa arrived when they did or he might have been too late, having planned on coming to help San piece back together your relationship. It took Yunho and Seonghwa to break down the doors, and all four of them carried you out of the bathroom so you wouldn’t hurt yourself or them.

Soon, you run out of energy and are left whimpering and quivering in San’s hold, slowly coming to your senses as you hear running water, hushed murmurs, and the cabinet mirror (or what’s left of it) being opened in search of something. When the realization sets in that San, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Yunho have seen you at your worst, your chest tightens and your breathing becomes irregular which are the first signs of a panic attack. Something San was familiar with but hadn’t seen happen in some time.

“No no no no.” San repeats, noticing the changes in your behavior and looking towards the bathroom. “Hongjoong! It’s getting worse!”

Immediately, footsteps can be heard heading in your direction, and a gentle face appears in the corner of your eye. Hongjoong slowly reaches forward, grasping the hand that had begun curling in on itself to the point of almost drawing blood and pulling it away from your chest.

“Sweetie, grab my hand and squeeze that instead. You won’t hurt me, I swear.” Hongjoong whispers, slowly working his nimble fingers between your clenched ones. It comes as a surprise to him when, instead of resisting, your hand flies open into a rigid position. “Shh… it’s okay sweet-heart. How about this. Follow this.”

Your hand is placed on a firm and warm chest, a slight bump hitting your palm and drawing your attention to the pattern. It’s his heartbeat. Hongjoong’s pulse creates a rhythm in your head, distracting you from your fears and disdain towards yourself momentarily while Seonghwa and Yunho both return to the room, one holding medical supplies and the other holding a bowl with warm water and a towel. Crouching in front of you, Seonghwa notices the hand on Hongjoong’s chest is the one that’s injured, glancing at San who is fighting back tears as he strokes your hair.

“Y/n-ah. We have to clean your hand. Put your hand on San’s chest, follow his heartbeat.” Seonghwa says in a firm yet kind tone. At this point, you’ve lost almost all self-awareness, too exhausted to fight anyone as you nod partially, removing your hand from Hongjoong’s chest to place on San’s. “No sweetie. The other hand.” Seonghwa instructs, a heartbroken smile crossing his face at the sight of you behaving like a toddler who skipped their nap. You look confused, bringing your hand to your face to inspect it, finding the streaks of blood and bits of glass as a few tears trickle down your face. 

You’re not sure how long it takes for Seonghwa to properly clean your hands, or when you got changed into one of San’s shirts that fits like a dress, but as you’re lied down on the bed with San, who’s watching you intently to make sure any slight changes on your face are caught immediately, you find yourself in an almost numbed mind-frame. Too exhausted and confused to comprehend anything around you. 

Your eyes slowly close, the occasional tear slipping out only to be swiped gently away by San. San, the last thing you see before you fall into a dreamless sleep. And you are blissfully unaware of what’s to come in the morning.

As you snore softly in San’s grasp, your chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, Yunho leaves the room to clean up the mess that has been left behind with Seonghwa following closely behind, most likely to comfort the younger boy. Hongjoong reaches forward to brush hair out your eyes and slowly strokes your cheek. Who knew such a small body could take this much pain? he wonders to himself, not even beginning to understand what caused you to struggle so much and break down so devastatingly. And that’s the only way to describe your attack. Devastating.

Like a tsunami, you receded from social outings and even your true love San, and once they realized what was happening and why you’d “changed” the wave had already hit. But his main question was voiced by San.

“Hyung.” San rasps out, looking up at Hongjoong with tears streaming down his face. “Why-or how did this happen? What caused this? What are we-what am I supposed to do?” 

San’s breathing becomes labored, almost as if the weight of the situation has sat fully on his chest. He chokes on a sob, looking at you in your angelic state while pressing a gentle and wet kiss to the top of your head while crying. He clutches you to his chest, rocking slightly and burying his face in your head. Hongjoong panics, thinking he’ll wake you but settles once realizing how exhausted you must be. “Why would she keep this from me?”

“San-ah, I honestly don’t have the answer to that.” Hongjoong mumbles, holding his own tears back with a few deep breaths before looking at the pair of you. He honestly considered Ateez his family, and you became his little sister that he felt he needed to protect from the world. If only he’d realized sooner how much damage the world had already done to you. “But I do know one thing. Now more than ever, she needs us.”

San looks at his hyung and leader, absolutely wrecked from the storm of emotions that flowed between you two. “How?” he croaks out.

“I’m not sure. But what I do know is that the storm hasn’t gone and that this is only the beginning of our journey.” Hongjoong places a hand on your cheek and his other on San’s hand, squeezing slightly in hopes of reassuring the younger boy. “I see how much you need her San. And how much she needs you. She’s scared San. More so than any of us right now. Which is why we have to stay with her no matter what. No matter what she might say or do to scare us off, we have to fight through it all and show her we are here for her. Because if we don’t.” Hongjoong’s voice cracks, revealing his true emotions and the toll this whole ordeal has taken on him. “We might lose her forever.”

San sits quietly, shaking slightly from the silent tears that are being shed and pulling you closer to his chest if that was even possible, crying himself into a slumber much like you did moments prior. Hongjoong rises, tucking both of you in like he would an upset child, and walking into the bathroom. The scene that awaits him is what finally breaks his own dam of tears, collapsing next to Seonghwa and Yunho who are both crouched down. They’ve hunched over, scrubbing the white tiles of your blood and throwing glass shards away in a paper bag. Upon noticing Hongjoong, Yunho drops what’s in his hands, embracing his leader and best friend. His tears fall as well, the sight of someone as strong as Hongjoong breaking down terrifying him. 

Seonghwa wipes the few stray tears before rising, quickly finishing the task of cleaning before ushering the two broken boys out of the room. He sits Hongjoon and Yunho down, pulling out a paper and pen and titling it “Y/n’s Healing.”

“We’ll make a plan, and take this journey one step at a time. Until Y/n’s finally healed.” Seonghwa states, immediately writing steps and plans he’s already come up with in his head. And so the journey begins.

[aceofspadegrass]

niragi bullying kids but i think the kids should start bullying back

Bully The Angry Licorice They Said. It’ll Be Fine They Said

Characters: Last Boss, Niragi Suguru, Cabot

Genre: Just some funky bullying. And a little murder. 

1.7k words

Niragi really do be bullying children. Even if the children are kind of dickheads in return.

As you see, I am bad at bullying. What I am good at is just calling the other person very dramatic names.

Also Last Boss is just watching the entire thing.

Sorry it's a little bad.

—————————————————————————————————

If there was anything Last Boss preferred to do other than follow Niragi around, it was just sit in his room alone with Cabot, but sadly that wasn’t an option. Niragi didn’t let him sit in his room, poking him awake with his own cat and then dragging him outside for reasons the other hasn’t even told him yet.

Cabot meows quietly in his ear, paws resting on his shoulder as she perched there, watching the world pass by her. Last Boss feels her nuzzle the side of his head, tickling his ear, Last Boss gently reaching up and scratching her where she liked it. She purrs happily, and Last Boss goes back to focusing his attention on Niragi, who saunters down the halls, gun at his side as always. He doesn’t bother to ask Niragi where they were even going, or why exactly he needed him there. Niragi was weird and usually had his own plans that he acts out of a simple impulsive whim, and sometimes Last Boss was simply dragged into it. Maybe because Niragi kind of thought his presence was intimidating and cool.

Or maybe he was just lonely and Last Boss was the only person willing to be in the same room and not judge him for trying to peel a banana with a coin.

They both end up outside, Last Boss slowly blinking as Niragi walks to one of the cars, glancing back at Last Boss and jerking his head towards it, that cocky smile on his face. “ Well? Come on, we don’t have all day.” Niragi called out to Last Boss, who shuffles over. “ Technically, we do…..” He says, low and quiet enough that Niragi would’ve never heard him as he makes it to the car, opening the passenger door. Niragi was already inside and turning it on, Last Boss slipping inside and shutting the door. He snaps on the seatbelt, Cabot comfortably tucked inside Last Boss’ hood and kneading close to the nape of his neck, where the fabric was.

Niragi drives off, not even wearing his own belt, and Last Boss braces his feet against the bottom part of the car as Niragi races down the empty streets with reckless abandon, the vehicle swerving this way and that. Last Boss had to keep his head down to even process it, the outside making him a little dizzy from how violently Niragi was going. Cabot was at least keeping him stable, her constant kneading against his neck familiar and slow.

He doesn’t know where they where even going until Niragi shuts off the car, Last Boss finally looking up and around him. It seemed to be a simple shopping district, Niragi already walking away without him. Last Boss stays put and watches Niragi, silently testing how far he’d go before realizing (or simply just remembering) that he was there too.

Cabot meows, wriggling herself out and landing on his lap, Last Boss looking down at her. She stretches, and proceeds to also make biscuits on his leg before staring up directly at him.

“…. He’ll come back sooner or later, so ….” He tells Cabot, and as if even mentioning his existence summons the demon himself, there was a loud knock at the window, Cabot scrambling off into the back of the car. Last Boss looks up, staring directly at Niragi in silence, face blank. He didn’t appreciate him scaring Cabot, Niragi just staring back. 

“ Come on! I didn’t kidnap you to be lazy and sit there! Come on! I want to walk around!” Niragi knocks on the window again, and Last Boss opens the door, if only to stop him from pounding so impatiently. Niragi backs away to let Last Boss exit, the taller of the two waiting until Cabot hops out and rubs against the duo’s legs in content. Last Boss bends down and pets her, Niragi just staying where he was for a few seconds. He leaves when Cabot focused her primary attention on her owner, strolling off. Last Boss follows him silently, Cabot keeping pace with him. 

Niragi wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to walk around, quite literally going inside buildings and straight back out, looking at random trinkets that each shop housed. Last Boss stayed outside most of the time, only coming in when Niragi calls him in to show him something that caught his attention, only to leave it there and wander off somewhere else. Nothing went into Niragi’s possession as far as Last Boss was aware, always set down where it was originally. At one point it almost looked like Niragi would take an old handheld console, but all he did was suddenly ramble on about how long it took for him to beat Sonic before putting it down and walking away.

He looks down at Cabot, who was pawing at a stray dust ball. “ He’s happy about things other than violence. He has a brain, isn’t that nice.” He mumbles, out of Niragi’s hearing range, Cabot batting the dust ball away and chasing after it. 

There was a shout deeper in the store, and Last Boss goes to investigate, although at his own pace. Niragi could handle himself, he was sure, so he didn’t feel the need to hurry.

“ What the fuck!? Who the fuck are you!” It was a younger voice, Last Boss slowly blinking as he makes it to where the shout came from. Niragi was standing there, door open, Last Boss peeking in. There, all in the corner surrounded by blankets, pillows, and old thrown away cans, were a bunch of kids, perhaps no older than 14 at best. One of them was aiming a baseball bat in their direction, Niragi scoffing and leaning his weight to the left. “ I should be asking you that question. What are you all doing back here, eh? This place is shit.” Niragi smirks, Last Boss watching the interaction in the background.

“ So? Not like what you had is much better, old man!” “ Wh- Old man?! I’ll have you know that I’m fucking youthful as hell! You look like fucking babies!” Niragi growls, the lead kid smirking and turning the bat in their hand, the light in the room illuminating the dark splotches upon the wood. “ At least we’re decades more spry than you! You may look good, but I bet that your old man bones are gonna fail you!” “ I take care of myself, excuse you! I’ll fucking shoot you right here, don’t think I won’t!” Niragi points his gun at the children with a snarl, a few of the children hiding behind whatever they could. Last Boss didn’t know what to make of any of this, but the determination and bravery on the baseball bat wielding kid was impressive, the kid laughing in the face of death.

“ Oh, too much of a pussy to take a few words? You look like you buy your clothes off the bargain rack! No, even better! You stole them from the thrift store!” Niragi only got more angry it seemed, and as a warning shot a few bullets into the ground, a few yelps coming through from the other end. Last Boss blinks, and looks to Niragi for a second. He seemed infuriated by the kid, and likely wasn’t about to take any of it sitting down.

“ You think you’re so tough, but I’ll show you! I’ll show all of you! You’re just kids, and I’m an adult with a gun!” The other kid snorts. “ Yeah, surrrreeeee…… Bet you think you’re tough too! You look like you try too hard.I mean, look at that face! Piercings all on one side? You look like you have silver moles! They look stupid on you!” The kid retorts with a smug grin, and Niragi huffs.

“ And you look like a generic background character that doesn’t even get a name! Who the fuck made that face? Oh man, your mom probably looked like a hag!” Niragi cackles at his own statement, Last Boss slowly blinking as Niragi looks back at him with a satisfied smirk. “ At least I have a mom! You look like yours went and taught you how to be a badly printed pool!” Niragi rolls his eyes at the kid. “ At least it didn’t print little volcanos on my face! Unlike someone.” The leader glaring at him.

“ That’s just how I look! I’ll get super sexy and all the girls and boys will adore me! You’ll look like a wrinkled pocket receipt , ready to decompose and die Niragi rolls his eyes, and he shoots again, closer. “ You say one more thing and I’ll blow you like a piñata.” The kid grins, and his stupid mouth begins to open,” So in other words, you would blow me? Ewwwww! The weird bag of Adderall and crack is gonna get us! I’m sooooo scared~” He smugly and sarcastically replies, a few other kids joining in a little in laughing.

“ He looks like a discarded charcoal grill!” “ Probably smells like overflowing garbage-“ “ Hey! Do you think he even has a brain in there? Probably filled with tapioca pudding! Ooh, or just black beans!” There was a faint click, and Last Boss doesn’t even have time to react properly then Niragi let bullets fly from his beloved gun.

He sighs once the other end were nothing more than flesh, and turns to Last Boss, grinning. “ I’m gonna head to the other store.” He rolls his eyes, resting his gun back on his shoulder as he leaves. “ They really think they could get away with calling me names?” Niragi grumbles on his way out, and Last Boss merely blinks, not even looking back. Cabot comes around on his way out, demanding pats. Last Boss kneels down and runs his hand from back all the way to her tail, Cabot purring. “ He smells more like a sad sandcastle, actually.” Last Boss mutters, and Cabot meows in agreement, the cat climbing him like a short child using a countertop to reach her favourite cereal on the shelf. He stands up and shuffles his way back near Niragi’s side, not at all ready to deal with his angry grumbling for the next half hour.

[slashingdisneypasta]

Hello! Can I request a headcanon where the queen of hearts (1951), Maleficent, Cruella, Shang yu and Yzma (separated) take care of a lost (orphaned) little girl (like 5-6) and adopted her as their own. Thank!

These were sooooo fun to think of, omg XD I feel all warm inside, thanks for the request! I hope you like it as much as I do ^^

~~~

Cruella DeVille (You can imagine either animated, OUAT or live action Cruella, but I liked this gif ^^):

·         Cruella, is more of a… fun, rich aunt. You know, when you can post the child back to its parents any time you like with a sugar high and new Xbox?

·         But, as the capable entrepreneur and businesswoman that she is, she rises to the challenge of ‘parenting’, when the stinky orphaned girl living on the streets (You, obviously) show potential in the fashion industry.

·         She takes you right to the adoption agency, picks you up and plops you on the counter like a pair of shoes and asks how much you cost. You just smile sweetly, like the most adorable munchkin ever despite the off way your new caregiver handles you, and the agent has some reservations, of course, but Cruella’s able to speed up the adoption process with her connections and her money.

·         Your relationship at first is similar to Oswald Cobblepot and Martin’s. And if you haven’t watched Gotham, I’ll explain; Sort of distant, but the adult is trying at least. They’re just not used to having a pre-teen around. And, somehow, they’re making the child feel more understood and taken care of then anyone else ever has, despite both parties’ reservations.

·         Slowly you bond (Over fashion, obviously) and Cruella turns into, honestly, a pretty good mum (For a villain who wants to kidnap puppies from her friend and make a coat for herself out of them, anyway). She learns to not gag when your shows are on the telly, she takes more time off work to take care of you and turn up to your school things (Like parent-teacher interviews, concerts, art exhibitions, and assemblies if you’re going to get an award- she even makes artful collages out of your work on the fridge), and you two even learn how to cook some easy dinners together.

·         (Cruella can cook, I think, but I can imagine they’re more fancy stuff that a kid really isn’t interested in)

·         You’re a two-person team kind of family.

·         She doesn’t like you to be around Jasper and Horace because their stupidity and lack of fashion sense could be contagious.

·         For the longest time, you just call her Cruella… until one day she says she loves you (Which is visibly difficult for her. Not because the words aren’t true, but because she’s not sentimental) and you finally call her ‘Mum’.

Maleficent:

·         You start following her around, lost and having decide the scary green lady with a cute bird pet is the one to go to for help. She tries to scare you off, but of course you’re already scared anyway! But not of her- of being left alone.

·         So you keep following her through the forest, until you reach her castle and Diablo has become attached to you and is sitting on your shoulder instead of hers, nuzzling your little face.

·         She leaves out some food for you for dinner and lays a clean blanket down on an abandoned bed in a random room down a dark hallway. It’s a spooky night, in that creepy castle… but the blanket smells like grass and you find that if you close your eyes and smoosh your face into it, you don’t think about the things that could be hidden in the dark. Also, Diablo comes in and keeps you company.

·         Mal is sure that you’ll be gone the next day. That’s why she was so kind. She was sure you were just a determined straggler and if she offered you a home for a night, then you would be the fickle little child that you are leave without so much as a thank you the next day.

·         But you don’t leave.

·         And you do say thank you, and even make her a mud pie outside the castle.

·         She gives you a bit of a smile (Not soft, because Mal is still an evil fairy, but it’s a refreshing look on a face that had been pinched the whole time), resigning to you. You’re all alone like her. Maybe it won’t hurt so much to let you stay.

·         Okay, as a parent, Mal isn’t so bad. She settles into the pace easier than Cruella or Yzma, at least, and her lifestyle allows for a far stabler childhood for you then Shan Yu’s. Plus, she’s outwardly very calm, which is a huge improvement from if you were living under the Red Queens roof.

·         Distracts you with magic when she’s busy or just when she wants to watch the awe in your face as you watch sparkles dance around the room like real life stars.

·         Keeps you away from all her villainy- you don’t need to be messed up in all that. Basically no one except her crow knows you exist and she’d like to keep it that way.

Shan Yu:

·         Shan Yu finds you after he pillages your village (And you’re the only survivor) and you followed along behind his men for a while until they noticed you. Which didn’t take long, of course, they’re a group of highly skilled Huns in the ways of hunting and warfare.

·         He uses his noggin (A very good noggin. Much cleverness) and identifies the favourable factors to having a little girl with them. You’re unassuming, for one, and can be trained (And moulded) to be used as a diversion for them in the kind of situations in which brute force do not apply and wouldn’t be helpful.

·         He also acknowledges the need to train the next generation into their image to continue the Huns control over China even after he passes away. So, off on the quest to take over China you go, with them.

·         He is so big, that you can perch on his wide shoulder and he’ll be fine still marching along.

·         He gets a bit soft when interacting with you. At least, he certainly doesn’t treat you like an adult because you of course aren’t one. He encourages your childish wonder and your playing around. He’ll even play eye spy with you as you travel, or play a little tug of war if you get a piece of fabric or rope (Yes, like a puppy) and he’s just sitting down chilling somewhere on a rest break or at camp, pretending that the game is actually a contest until he smirks and tugs just a tiny bit harder and you fall forward onto your face XD (He only uses one hand the entire time)

·         He’s a really chill dad, really, despite the whole… killing everyone in your village… First impressions, amiright? XD

·         The rest of his men either hate you with every fibre of their huge beings or love you even more, and that’s the tea. One of them once rolled you up in a blanket and strapped you to a horse so you would stop annoying them by running around in front of the mules. You decide whether this was one who hated you or loved you. (Another came along and put a roll of bread in your mouth so you could eat, but didn’t release you)

·         You’ve also been tied (Safely and comfortably, yes but still tied with your feet off the ground) to a tree as a time out and dropped in lakes (Once they knew you could swim) to calm your shit when you got hyper.

·         You sleep in Shan Yu’s tent until you’re like 14 and declares that you’re able to defend yourself and can kill a man, so he can keep you safe.

Queen of Hearts:

·         Goodness, who let this woman adopt? (Well, I mean, no-one could stop her) Even Hades would be better, and he tried to have a baby assassinated.

·         This woman would be unintentionally manipulative towards this child (Like Norma and Norman Bates. Jesus christ). Whenever the kid doesn’t do anything that she wants them to, she’ll get p i s s e d, and that might legitimately mess with the kids psyche. She won’t behead the lil girl, of course, which I guess is bit of a saving grace (she isn’t that cruel) here? But it’s definitely a good thing the gentle King of Hearts is around, to settle the flames and calm down his wife and new daughter when games go awry.

·         (And ya’ll play lots of games. Some of the time, living with her and her husband as your parental figures is a dream for a little girl like you)

·         She does try her very hardest to be kind and not to lose her temper, and it is made so much easier by the fact that you’re an innocent little girl (Younger than Alice was), and she’s very fond of you. So, in a way, adopting you is helping her with her issues, and by extension, helping the rest of Wonderland.

·         You get a big fancy throne-like highchair at the royal dinner table.

·         Your little family is a bit or very messy, but you are never not loved. You always know that you’re loved.

Yzma:

·         When Yzma takes you in, its because Kronk discovered your little form sleeping in an alleyway and ran with you in his hands back to her, and BEGGED her. This sweetheart (Kronk, not Yzma) could not handle the knowledge that a little baby girl was abandoned and all alone on the streets. And Yzma’s the most well-off, influential person he knows! Of course he’s going to go to her for help.

·         When she finally gives in, its because you called her pretty. She’s just like… pause… “Seems like an intelligent enough… eugh… child... Kronk come! We have to disinfect it.”

·         Kronk rushes after Yzma, still holding you and clarifies for you: “She means a bath.”

·         So, now, you have your protective, psycho, affection-challenged mother and your sweet, dumb, beloved… uncle. Yeah, uncle. We’ll go with uncle.

·         Yzma takes a while to get used to you, and she’s very defiant against getting called ‘Mum’ or ‘Mother’ (Mama or Mummy have a more youthful feel, according to Yzma.), but she’s pretty immature due to her psychosis so she tends to blend well with your child personality.

·         You laugh so much, with her. Most of the things she says are hilarious, especially when she’s exasperated and mutters about Kronk.

·         She doesn’t want you to grow up without a brain like him (Or to mix with other children- she will not be dealing with chicken pox or nits. If you did get either of those things, she would be living in a full-on hazmat suit and spray everything you touch, and you. Kronk would end up getting the sickness because he gives you lots of hugs and takes care of you while you’re sick or you have the nits) so she gets you a home school teacher.

·         On your birthday (They do the day Kronk found you if you don’t know it), Kronk wakes Yzma up at the buttcrack of dawn drags her along to set up the day for you. Including a treasure hunt, where its clear that Yzma wrote the clues because its very translucent through the sentences she wrote that she didn’t have coffee before writing them. Very bitter.

·         She does want to make you happy though and buys you literally the best present for a child of that time. I don’t know what it is, but it’s the equivalent for them of a little car or coloured TV (Like the Barbie or Hot Wheel ones) for us. She’s so smug about it, too, like ‘Shove that up your 4 layer cake with different flavours, Kronk.’.

[tomsrebeleyebrow]

No Judgement | peter parker x chubby!fem!reader

@juliebean247​ asked: Hii! I’m pretty new to tumblr but I’ve read most of your work and I’m in love with it all!! I dunno if you do peter x reader (if you don’t that’s ok, just ignore lmao) but maybe where we have chubby!reader who jokingly puts herself down all the time and peter just kinda snaps at her for doing it because he can’t stand the comments she makes- because he’s crushing on her...? Again- you don’t have to do this one or you can change it up!

requests are now closed

Summary: You are you, and damn you love it. Everyone knows it too, and they love you. Joking about yourself is common. But as soon as you feel down, you can’t stop but put yourself down. Sometimes harshly. And Peter can’t take it anymore.

Pairing: Peter Parker x Chubby!Fem!Reader

Warnings: angsty (mention of fat shaming, insecurities), a tiny bit of language (nothing too bad) but fluff at then end 

Word Count: 1945

A/N: first time (really) writing about our Spidey boy! 🎉🕷 also I kinda take my time with writing so sorry it took me a bit 😅 but I only feel accomplished when Like what I write sooooo bare with me please? 🙄🙊 anyway! thank you for your request sweetheart, I hope you will all like this little angsty fluffy as much as I do~ 💞 AND LOVE YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU’RE ALL BEAUTIFUL!!! 💖💜💖💜

masterlist

To hell with all beauty standards and perfection stereotypes!

You love your body as it is, from the smallest imperfection on your face to your curves and extra skin. And needless to say you are proud to show it. But sometimes other people’s look can be harsh on you, full of judgements as they don’t even know you but any opportunity is an open door to criticism.

So you got use to it like you didn’t care, and even made fun of it. More like made fun of yourself, actually.

“Man, her legs put together are the size of one thigh of mine!” you chuckle as you eat in the cafeteria next to MJ, Peter and Ned. All the table look at who you are talking about.

MJ playfully elbows you in the waist as she drinks her glass of water. “Shush (Y/N), everyone compares Bethany as a walking chopstick anyway.”

“I knoooow” you reply with a playful tone, munching on your pasta.

“You also look like chopsticks MJ, like from head to toes. Damn girl, you could just fly away with the wind!” you giggle while trying to steal in MJ’s plate. “And I will just stick to the ground like a pole!”

Even if you are laughing at yourself, you are actually the only one. You don’t catch MJ rolling her eyes with an exasperated sigh, Ned being kind of confused and Peter... well, clearly being annoyed.

“Alriiiiiight you little brat, stop talking crap ‘cause you still have to explain the last lesson to me before next class starts” grumbles MJ as she stands, her now empty tray in hand before taking it away.

“Yup girl, coming!” you announce, wiping your mouth with a paper napkin.

Peter follows each of your moves. All done eating you too stand, put your bag on your back and take your tray ready to follow MJ, who is already waiting for you near the exit of the cafeteria.

“Alright guys, see you in chemistry!” you happily sing while showing your biggest smile to the boys before leaving the table to join MJ.

The constant chattering of the students in the background hides the silent at the table. Ned finishes his yogurt before talking to Peter, but he stops himself when he notices his friend’s face. Tensed. Annoyed. And sad maybe? Ned has actually an idea of what is bothering his friend so much but knowing Peter’s personality, it would be a waste of time. Better to skirt the issue.

“(Y/N) is acting a bit weird recently, don’t you think?”

Peter only hums, more focus on mixing what is left of his yogurt than anything else right now. Head low and furrowed eyebrows, he keeps staring at actually nothing, just being lost in his thought and thinking. 

Thinking a lot, yes. About you. About how much you put yourself down way too much recently.

He can’t laugh at your cheeky comments anymore. He just can’t.

* * * *

Chemistry is your last class of the day, thanks the lords. You are finally reunited with all your three best friends so, hopefully the hours will pass by faster.

MJ writes (more like scribbles) lazily the answers for the report your duo has to give back at the end of the lesson, while you are the one having fun mixing whatever there is in the test tubes. Then you take an empty one and look through it.

“MJ, look” you whisper to your friend, trying to catch her attention. At first she doesn’t even care to turn her head towards you, until you insist by calling-whispering her name until she finally deigns to glance at you. Not really understanding what you want to show her, MJ brings her lab stool closer to you and frowns as she looks through your test tube. You brings the tube closer to both your faces.

“Look, Lara’s ass is as big as mine now” you kind of try to whisper, as well as not laughing out loud to not get reprimanded by the teacher.

In fact the glass tube deforms everything you look at when watching through it. And in that case, it is changing the shapes of your comrade’s bottom. MJ seems unimpressed and with her well-known bitch resting face, the girl simply goes back to her writings but not without sending you “are you serious?” glances.

Little did you know Peter could hear all your conversation, even three desks behind. The displeased look on his face is immediately showing and he almost breaks the pen he is using to write on the due paper. The slight crack of the plastic draws Ned’s attention.

“Dude, that’s my favourite pen!”

“Sorry, mate” grumbles Peter, putting the pen down and he sighs, leaning his elbows on the lab desk. He exhales loudly while ruffling at his hair. 

“You should talk to (Y/N), don’t you think so?” declares Ned as he takes two test tubes in his hands to deal with their contents. “You know, just to tell her how you feel and stuff like that.”

“I don’t know, man” retorts Peter with a low voice, his head now hidden in his arms. “I just- I can’t just say “hey (Y/N), stop running yourself down all the time because you are gorgeous in every way and I had a crush on you since high school and-”

“Peter stop, you’re mumbling like a freak” exclaims Ned, hoping to end his friend’s suffering. “Seriously, I noticed the face you do when she jokes about herself. I mean, maybe she’s not feeling great so you talking to her might sort things out somehow?”

Peter processes Ned’s words as his eyes follows you when you go ask something to the teacher. There is something about the kindness that emanates from your pretty eyes, the pink outline of your lips, the unique way your hair curves perfectly around your round face, but mostly your hourglass figure. Sometimes the boy finds hard to keep his eyes up. But you look so beautiful to him. That is mainly the reason why Peter can’t accept hearing you badmouthing about your appearance anymore.  

* * * *

The ringing bell announces the end of today’s lessons. Students are now filling every corridors, some going to their locker and other already leaving the building.

“I need to take some books in my locker, you coming with me MJ?” you ask your friend.

“Sorry, my mum’s picking me up ‘cause we’re going to my grandma this evening so I have to hurry” explains MJ, not too excited about the thought of it.

“I need to go to my locker too” Peter jumps into the conversation. He directly stares at you, a determined look on his face.

“Oh, uhm- alright then!” you cheer blushing a bit, still taken aback by Peter’s serious tone.

You wave goodbye at MJ and Ned as you start walking to your locker, Peter following close to you and receiving two discrete thumbs up from Ned. 

The main school corridor is now more empty, the steps of the last students resonating and almost fading little by little. You and Peter stop in front of your lockers, them being next to each other and just do your own things by taking and putting down what you need or not. Peter is more like fiddling with stuff, pretending to do something while his goal was obviously talking to you.

When he ears you zipper your backpack shut and close your locker, he violently - but not intentionally - slams his close a bit too harsh, making the loud metallic slap resonate in the empty corridor. You jump at that too and Peter just wants to facepalm himself at his own stupidity. 

“Err (Y/N), can- can we talk?” the boy mutters, now shy because of his sudden loose of confidence.

“Sure Pete, about what?”

Peter gulps as you stare at him, waiting for what he has to say. He is nervous now. How will you react? Good or bad? Will you ignore him after that talk because he offended you or misunderstood the situation? Will you-

“Peter? You’re alright?”

Your soft and worried voice suddenly takes him out of his mixed up thoughts.

“You’re gorgeous (Y/N).”

That is indeed straight to the point. Totally. First you blink a few times, not sure if you heard it right but seeing Peter’s serious face says it all. Your whole face is now blushing at his sudden compliment.

“P-PETER WHY DO YOU-”

“(Y/N), you are the most beautiful girl I know. Like in every way possible. You’re kind, smart, funny, a bit nerdy, outgoing, sometimes eccentric too but it’s part of your personality. But you’re also gorgeous in the way you dress because it shows your beautiful shapes off. You have nothing to be ashamed of in comparison to any other girl. You’re unique and I love everything about you, starting with your cheeks because they’re so round and full, but also your waist because its highlights your defined hips and I could go on and on for hours. It’s everything a boring, shy, awful and introvert guy like me loves. So please, stop putting yourself down all the time. You don’t deserve it and never you will. I don’t like that and I just want you to know that I loved you since high school and that I-”

You cut Peter off in his mumbling by putting both your hands on his mouth. When he finally stops - also remembering to breath again -, he finally notices how much your face and ears are red. You avoid looking at him, still not fully processing all the compliments and obvious declaration of love. Your heartbeats could almost break through your ribcage and your mind is a mess.

Seeing you conflicting with yourself, Peter takes your hands off his mouth and gently keep them in his. His look tries to search for yours.

“(Y/N), I’m serious about what I said. You know I’m awful with words but... Trust me when I say I love everything about you, a lot, so please love yourself as much as I do.”

After calming down a bit, you dare to look at Peter again, his eyes soft and reassuring. You are still at a loose of words because nobody said any of the beautiful things Peter just did to you. Nobody. And it warms your heart knowing that someone loves you how you are. You love it even more because you know it is Peter.

Peter squeezes your hands and with a impulse out of nowhere, he lightly pecks the corner of your mouth. He then moves his face back, smiling warmly at you.

“When you’re with me, there is no judgement (Y/N).”

“J-Jeez, Peter...” you stutter, you face still red of shyness.

“I’m walking you back home, come on” Peter mans himself up, noticing the school is completely empty with not a sound around. Detaching his hands from you, he picks your backpack up to give it to you. You take it with wobbling  hands, muttering a shy “thanks” before putting it on your back. Now ready to go, Peter extends one hand for you to take and this time, you don't have to be told twice. 

Hand in hands, fingers intertwine, you both walk through the long corridor, only you two remaining here. Peter’s warm hand reassures you in a strange way. But you like it. 

And you can’t stop the content smile growing on your face as you sneak a look at the boy who just proved you are worth it. Inside out. From head to toes.

And boy do you love this feeling.

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[one-girl-once-upon-a-dream]

Lucifer’s Challenge Ch. 5

Chapter Four here!

Read on AO3!

Description: Levi has been even more reclusive than usual after Mammon went and bragged about his time with MC. So she is there with presents and a determination to prove to him that she wants to spend time with him.

Pairing: Levi/MC

Warnings: Some suggestiveness but nothing explicit 

Title: I Want to Spend Time with Otak-You!

It wasn’t unusual for Levi to not be seen around the house much but he hadn’t even answered MC’s texts with stickers. She was starting to grow worried about him and went to Lucifer about what she should do. It was through him that she found out that Mammon had been less than quiet about the time they had spent together. That wasn’t unusual either but he had apparently taken it too far when he told Levi that he would never have something like that with her during a heated round of a game. Unfortunately Levi fell for the taunt, not believing that anyone would want to be such an icky otaku. Mammon tried to take it back but the damage was done.

Lucifer was trying his best to mend the situation on his own, which mostly consisted of lots of threats to Mammon, and hadn’t wanted to upset her but conceded that maybe she could better handle the situation. He sent her off with a kiss and a quiet plead, their foreheads pressed together, to help his brother. MC nodded but reminded him that she wasn’t just doing this because he asked, she was doing it because she loved Levi. Lucifer backed away, giving a firm nod, but she could swear that she heard him mutter something about that was why he loved her.

That was how she ended up at Levi’s door, a wrapped present in hand and a bag of extra goodies dangling in the crook of her arm. She knocked on the door, putting on her most cheerful voice as she called out his name. When she got no answer her smile faded slightly and she knocked harder. She heard the sound of his favorite fighting game get louder and she frowned fully. He was trying to drown her out but she wasn’t here to give up. Her knocking turned into pounding, throwing her body into it as she shouted at him that she knew he was in there.

She nearly fell on her face when the door suddenly opened, the only thing stopping her was crashing into a firm chest instead. MC blinked slowly, looking up to see a blushing Levi whose lips were quivering as he tried to keep an angry face. “You can’t keep making all this normie noise and then try to distract me by pulling an anime troupe! Y-you didn’t even do it right! You’re supposed to run into me in the school hallway or when you’re running away from danger. What do you even want?” he asked, hands hovering over her shoulders like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to push her away or pull her closer.

MC knew that she could easily fall into an argument with him here, she could demand to know why he had been avoiding her and wouldn’t let her in, but knew that would get them nowhere. Fighting now would just confirm to him that she didn’t actually want to be there, that she would be having a better time with his brothers, and she wasn’t about to let him retreat into those thoughts. Instead MC pushed the bubbling anger down and found her smile again, something Levi hadn’t been expecting given his nervous gulp.

“I missed you Leviachan, isn’t that reason enough to want to come see you?” she said, juggling the gifts so that she could hug him tightly. She could feel him tensing and heard a distressed noise in the back of his throat but she wasn’t letting up. They stayed like that for several minutes before he finally gave in, still not saying anything but at least returning the hug. MC took this as a good sign and pushed herself onto her tip toes so she could kiss his cheek, giggling when she saw his whole face go red and felt the shaking in his legs.

“I knew you had to miss me too,” she said with a couple more kisses for good measure before she pulled away from him. She kicked the door closed without looking, giving him no time to argue as she presented the presents to him. “I was thinking of you while I was up in the human world too. Here, to prove it,” she said handing them over and pushing past him to make herself comfortable in his room.

He didn’t seem to know what to do with this quick turn of events, he held the presents away from himself and nearly tripped as he spun around to watch her. He opened his mouth, choking on whatever argument rose there which just made him turn even more interesting colors. She could see that he was on the verge of getting overwhelmed from all the different things he must be thinking so MC tried to focus his thoughts. “You’re supposed to open them,” she prodded gently, hands clasped behind her back and nodding encouragingly. 

It seemed to work, though it didn’t stop Levi from muttering a note to his phone about posting something about normies being pushy to his blog later. He looked into the bag first, rummaging in and pulling out the assortment of candy that was in there. His mood instantly changed, eyes lighting up and unable to contain an exclamation of excitement. “These are from an exclusive snack subscription box promoting the Ruri-Chan movie! I couldn’t get them shipped through Akuzon so it wouldn’t deliver to the Devildom. How did you get your hands on it, I thought they had sold out?!” he said, eyes already darting to his shelves trying to figure out exactly how he could display them. Probably how to keep them away from Beel’s bloodhound nose too.

“I have a friend who was a monthly subscriber but didn’t know much about the series so they let me have it. I would have done anything to get it for you though, I know how much it meant to you,” she said, smiling brightly that he enjoyed it as much as she hoped he would. “That was just for you, the second one is something we can do together!” she said, now bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation.

Any anger was now replaced with a child like eagerness to rip open the wrapping paper. She loved seeing that passion in him and was glad she could play a part in sparking it. “Wooooooaaaah! A Switch?! An actual non demon knockoff Switch. Its not cursed or anything!” he said holding it up to show off to Henry 2.0 who glubbed in what she assumed was unparalleled joy. “I have a game list a mile long of what I want to play and you told me you have one too, right? That means we can play together!” he said, eyes closed as he smiled and swayed happily.

“Mhm thats why I told you I got it for you. I can kick your butt at Mario Kart whenever I want and you can come see my Animal Crossing island! You would be proud of how many hours I’ve put into it, the dark bags under my eyes from no sleep and days in my room are really a testament to how far I’ve come from being a normie,” MC said, giving a sage nod before erupting into a fit of giggles. Levi had rushed over to her, capturing her in a hug. It was slightly awkward, he didn’t seem to have much practice with what to do with his lanky limbs or where he was supposed to put his head but she didn’t mind. She didn’t have any problem with helping him practice this or any other way he wanted to get close to her.

“Mammon is going to be sooooo jealous~ he’s been talking about how much he could sell yours for if he ever found it. Oops I don’t think that I was supposed to tell you that. Oh well, guess you’ll just have to be mad at him now and not spend any more time with him lol” he said, a vicious glint in his eyes. Ah, there was that envy of his. She knew that she probably shouldn’t condone it but she couldn’t deny that there was something that stirred in her stomach at seeing that anger, that near possessiveness, that she liked.

“I’m so happy that you like it,” she said, sitting down on the second gaming chair he had gotten for her during her last stay in the Devildom. She gave a quick spin, sighing happily seeing him clear space hastily for his gifts. She looked around the room contently, giving him the time that he needed to set everything up but frowned, noticing something missing. Or rather a new something that was supposed to be there.

“Levi,” she said, slamming her foot down to stop her rotation. She tried to keep her voice even but Lucifer must have been rubbing off on her because even she was shocked by the sternness in it “wasn’t there something that you were supposed to get while I was away at school? A gift for me so that I wouldn’t have to try to cram myself into a bathtub with you if I spent the night in your room?”

He froze, his hands shaking over his line of Ruri-chan branded food collection, his shoulders hunched up nearly to his ears. She could practically see a dark cloud forming over him as he remembered the promise he had made and had neglected to keep. She tapped her foot impatiently, not angry exactly but disappointed that she had put all this work in and he hadn’t even done the one thing she had asked of him. She knew that he was easily distracted but did he really not give her much thought at all when she wasn’t around? It actually stung a little but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Uhhhh well um the thing is that …” he started, fumbling for words and bringing his hands close to his chest to start wringing them. “I did start looking for a bed but they all looked so boring! I couldn’t concentrate so I figured I would put on some anime as background noise to help but it turned out to be a really good new one. It can’t be helped! It wasn’t my fault! Blame That Time I Thought I was Playing a Mobile Game but It Turns Out it was Evil!” he cried, throwing himself down onto his knees and crawling to MC. He hugged her legs, resting his head on her lap and giving another round of wails “My horrible, stupid otaku brain is a sabotage, I’m useless and its no wonder that you don’t want to spend any time with me!”

MC pinched the bridge of her nose, it was taking one step forward and two steps back with him. She went over her options of how to deal with this, she didn’t want to let him off the hook but didn’t think that berating him would get the reaction that she wanted from him. She had to find an even ground, use a bit of tough love and hopefully get to reward him later. “You’re not useless but you should have tried harder. Or at least told me so I could have helped,” she told him, patting his head before pushing him off. He fell onto his butt, lip quivering while he looked up at her.

“It is going to get done now. We’ll go shopping together, in a real store not just online because you will just get distracted again. You need a bed, I can’t sleep in a bathtub with you Leviathan,” she said sternly, marching back to the door and swinging it open “I am going to be in the entry hall and you better be there in five minutes, do I make myself clear?” He didn’t say anything, he just sat on the floor staring at her with his mouth open and she was afraid she was being too harsh. Sure, it was nothing like how Lucifer dealt with these things but compared to her normal tone she was sure it was jarring. She almost apologized until she saw the blush on his cheeks and a bulging outline in his sweatpants.

It took all of her willpower not to call him on it then and there. Apparently he liked this bossy side of her, she wasn’t really surprised when she thought about it but it was nice information to store away for the very near future. So for now she just gave a cock of her head, as if daring him to disobey, then left without looking back. Sure enough at almost five minutes on the dot Levi was there, flushed but dressed for their impromptu day out.

“If we shop for a bed together aren’t people going to think that we are like a normie couple?!” he grimaced when they walked down the row of shops “I told everyone online that I was dating someone as cool as Henry. If someone sees me my online life will be ruined!”He ran his hands down his face, only stopping when MC clicked her tongue at him and grabbed one of his hands.

“We are a couple and we are doing a normal thing but it doesn’t make you a normie. Even just saying that word and being concerned about that makes you very much not a normie,” she laughed with a roll of her eyes. “Not to mention a normie couple doesn’t involve eight people. I think you are safe and if not I’ll fight all of those mean old trolls for you,” she cooed and pinched his cheek with her free hand. It brought more pouting but it didn’t stop him from rubbing his head against her hand when she let her fingers linger after the pinch.

The argument seemingly over now MC rewarded Levi with a kiss to his knuckles before dragging him into what she was sure was his own fresh level of hell: a furniture store. She had to admit that it wasn’t her favorite either, if she thought that human salesmen were bad it was nothing compared to demons. Apparently since summoning crossroad deals had gone out of style those demons had gone into commissioned sales work and they were doing a hell of a job. It was Levi who had to keep reminding her that they weren’t there to furnish a whole house as she kept getting pulled into the, what could have been a very literal, spell of the place.

It all seemed to get better when Levi snapped, showing his demon form and dropping Lucifer’s name as well as his own Lord of the Devildom status. It was scary and a bit of a turn on, which about summed up most of her experiences with all of the brothers anyway. It seemed to do the trick, they were left alone to browse at their own pace. “Ugh I can’t believe that actually worked,” Levi groaned, tail twitching and only stopping when it wrapped around her leg possessively. MC didn’t mind having to walk close to him and grinned when it seemed that he didn’t even seem to know what he was doing. “I have seen Mammon try it a few times at places that didn’t know him yet. It's horrible but I just couldn’t take it anymore. So hurry and find something you like please.”

MC nodded, she didn’t want to spend any more time there than needed after all, but she also was liking spending this time with him. She loved the nights spent staying up until the early morning hours watching or playing things with him but it felt nice to have him away from all those distractions. It felt like there was more time to actually be with him and she liked seeing this side of him, only in part because it made her the center of his attention.

She pulled him along to a section that had a few styles of bedroom sets she actually liked, having to pull him away from the water beds that he was eyeing. There were too many claws in the house to even humor the novelty. She gravitated towards the one she thought he might like the most, a headboard with lots of shelving and lights. She pulled him down on the bed with her, sending them both bouncing. “Look at this, lots of places to put new figurines and box sets. And possibly the best part,” she said humming a fake drum roll “it has charger outlets built in! You won’t even have to leave the bed to charge any of your devices”

He seemed to perk up at this news, eyes going wider as he seemed to consider the possibilities but there was still a reluctance there. But there was hope in the fact that he wasn’t trying to argue so MC pushed a little more. “There’s lots of room for us too,” she said, sliding back to the middle of the bed and dragging him with her. She eased them down so they were lying down, she nestled herself in the crook of his arm and rested a hand on his thigh. “A lot more room than a bathtub or my small bed. You could still be playing something while I …” she trailed off, her hand creeping up and none so gently rubbing at his crotch.

He shot straight up, nostrils flaring and eyes shut tight. “I think this bed is fine,” she said, voice cracking “they have same day delivery. Is that ok MC?” He turned to her, searching for any sign of approval. She of course wanted to give it to him right away but she made him wait for it. She pretended to mull it over, mumbling about how this really should have been done already before finally giving him a nod. It was all he needed before rushing off to take care of all the paperwork. She watched him go biting on her lip, wondering if it was wrong that she liked having this sort of power over him.

MC knew that this was perhaps going to be the most torturous part so she left to go find something that would be some light at the end of the tunnel for him. Or at least something to tide him over until she was able to make good on her promise from inside. When Levi finally escaped, looking like he just sat through a live action Netflix special of his favorite show, MC was holding two Devilgram worthy crepes. He eyed them wearily “You didn’t have to wait for me if you were hungry enough for two,” he sighed.

“I did if one of them was for you,” she said, handing over the purple themed one before squeezing in for a selfie with him. She took it while he was still frazzled by the whole thing and quickly read out what she was typing underneath the caption “the only thing I love more than sweet treats is spending time with Leviachan~” She added several emojis, hashtags and tagged him for good measure. She giggled and held up her crepe in a cheers motion before finally digging in.

“.... did you mean what you posted? Or do you just do that thing Asmo does where he posts anything just to get attention?” Levi asked as they started the walk back to the house, kicking an empty bottle they passed into the street. He was still staring down at his food like it was a trap, barely touched even though she was currently finishing off the last of hers.

“Mhm, every word buuuut I did do it for a bit of attention too. I wanted everyone to see that I got to spend the day with such an amazing guy and maybe make a few people jealous too,” she said with a wink, skipping ahead a few paces just so she could turn around to face him. He stopped, looking down at her with dewy eyes that she quickly tried to shoo away. “I like spending time with you Levi, I hope we can do it more. Its one of the reason I wanted to get the bed you know? So I can spend as much time with you as possible, as close as possible” she said, batting her eyelashes up at him. She stepped in closer, standing on tip toes and craning her neck as much as she could hoping he would take her invitation.

“MC, y-you got whipped cream on your lips,” he stuttered, raising an unsure hand to wipe away the smudge and his face getting closer “let me make sure there’s nothing else I missed …” Then with a deep breath he finally kissed her. Or at least he pressed his lips against hers but she wasn’t above getting an inch and taking a mile. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer. He squeaked but didn’t protest, one arm holding onto her waist protectively as she deepened the kiss. 

They finally parted, him gasping for breath which made her giggle. “Y-yep I think you’re all clean!” he said, face red and looking away from her.

“Mmm you might have spoken too soon … oh Levi you didn’t even get to eat any,” MC said with a frown looking down at the cream filled pastry they had squished between them in the heat of the moment.

“Its ok, I’m getting to spend the whole day with you so as long as you aren’t angry about your shirt then uh it was worth it I think,” he blushed, trying to wipe away as much of the mess from her as he could.

She grinned at him, grabbing his wrist so that his hands were forced to rest against her chest. “I don’t mind, I have something I think you’ll like seeing me even better. So lets go wait for that bed hm~”

[packsbeforesnacks]

Harmony Hall || Mercy & Winn

TIMING: Thursday, July 9th, 2020, Evening LOCATION: The Western Archives (Mercy’s Loft) PARTIES: @cryxmercy & @packsbeforesnacks SUMMARY: Mercy offers an explanation. Winn faces the truth about his lost years. WARNINGS: None

The lighthouse was intimidating, Winn thought, but no more intimidating than meeting someone for the first time… again, apparently. ‘Cause apparently this ‘Mercy’ woman knew him, said he’d lived in White Crest before he remembered livin’ in White Crest. The possibility had never crossed his mind, that there would be — could be — someone with the answers to the riddle of the years that had been taken from him. Winn would need to buy Rio something nice, if this panned out. Boy deserved, like, a fruit basket, bare minimum. Winn made his way up the staircase, twisted up in the lighthouse like a coiled spring, ready to pop out at any time and remind him why he was actually here.

An explanation. Mercy had promised one and Winn wasn’t about to let his only real chance at fixing all of this slip through his fingers. No one — Rio, Darwin, his dad — had been able to turn up any real leads, and there wasn’t a magic Facebook, where Winn could just post until someone said they’d fix his memories. He’d gotten lucky. He knew it. The chance of him findin’ another person with access to mental magic was too big of an ask. Luckily for him, White Crest kept an eye on wishes.

One of the many problems that came with living as long as Mercy had was that inevitably the past would circle back around at some point, either to bite you in the ass, or simply make life more complicated. She wasn’t quite sure which category the current bit of her past fell into. Winn was a good guy — it was why she’d helped him in the first place all those years back -— so perhaps it fell into neither. Perhaps it was simply the right thing to do. Because Mercy had seen first hand what missing memories could do to a person. How confused and lost they could become. Wondering what had happened to them in a span of time they couldn’t remember. It could drive a person mad.

So Mercy didn’t blame Rio for sending Winn her way. Even if she wasn’t sure what she could tell him, other than what the young wolf had asked of her all those years back, and the events that had followed. Perhaps that would be enough. Even if it didn’t bring the memories back. Because Mercy didn’t know how to do that. So she’d made sure the tower would let Winn pass through, that the roses that grew in the field outside wouldn’t harass him. And when she heard footsteps on the spiral stairs, Mercy looked towards the open door of the small flat at the top of the tower. Her tone was warm and easy as she spoke. “You can come in. I don’t bite.”

Winn passed through the open door with more confidence than he felt. He racked his memory, trying to figure out if he’d known her, some time ago, but there wasn’t even the faintest pulse of recollection. He took a seat, movements a bit stiff, as he considered the woman. There wasn’t much he could tell from just her posture and voice; if he had to pick an age— Well, ‘sides bein’ rude, he couldn’t really do that anymore. Living in a lighthouse wasn’t the most unusual thing about this situation, but it was as good a place as any to break the ice. “Sooooo,” he drawled, “you lived in White Crest long?” He wasn’t sure how to broach the subject of her knowin’ him. “This lighthouse looks old. Beautiful, though, the roses are lovely.”

A compliment, a well-placed smile. She knew Winn. But that didn’t mean she had liked him, in whatever history they shared together. He scanned the room, looking for another point of conversational topic, but his eyes drifted back to the woman’s. It occurred to him that, well, she might know him by his old name. He should clear up any confusion, introduce himself again. “Um, sorry, right. I’m Winn. Winn Woods. Winner Lycus Woods. Said that on the phone.” He gave a small wave, feeling incredibly awkward. What was it about this woman that put him on-edge? Or was it just that she knew more about him, perhaps, than he did? There were no easy answers, and so, he admitted what she’d probably already guessed: “Do I… know you?”

“About six years,” Mercy said, watching Winn as he took a seat. “Going on seven.” He was wondering about her, she knew. Who she was. Probably even what she was. Mercy hadn’t told him much over the phone. But that was deliberate. This was a conversation that needed to happen face to face. “Thank you. I… acquired it some years back.” She smiled at him, small and knowing. “The roses are just a bonus.” And a damn fine security measure. In case anyone who was unwelcome thought they could just waltz up to her tower.

Mercy’s eyes didn’t leave his face as he looked around. The room was small, but cozy. Full of shelves and books and benign things of interest that she’d brought up from down in the archives. There was evidence of Arthur here and there as well. A chess set she’d dug out of one of the rooms for him. New journals and fountain pens stacked neatly on a nearby table, along with a stack of scrolls and manuscripts still covered in dust. There was also a small bed in one corner, a tiny kitchenette, a small bathroom behind a closed door, and a woodburning stove. It was very liveable, even if Mercy usually stayed elsewhere. Winn’s gaze came back to her eventually, and Mercy waited a moment as he introduced himself.

“You did. Once. My name’s Mercy.” She watched him for a short but weighted moment. “I’m the one that took your memories.”  

Well, huh.

Winn wouldn’t pretend there wasn’t a part of him that had been… hoping for this. When Darwin had told him that they weren’t buried, but missing, he had been ready to abandon this entire ‘quest.’ Rio’s message, askin’ to give Winn’s information to one of his allies, had been a Hail Mary, as far as Winn had been concerned. But then, Rio had messaged him back, gave him a number to call. Winn had leapt at the chance.

Once. Maybe… Maybe, even if Winn couldn’t get back his memories, she could tell him about himself. It was another confirmation. When something went missing, there had to be a force behind it. Darwin had given him the information, Mercy had revealed herself as the thief herself. He took a deep breath, in, out, almost like he was preparin’ for Darwin to take another look around his mind. But, really, Winn knew that, if he let himself make assumptions, Winn would be transformed in the middle of this flat. That wouldn’t help anyone, least of all him. So, before he’d climbed the tower, he’d ran through scenarios in his head.

And… Well, this hadn’t been the worst. Could be bleedin’ out. Winn locked eyes with Mercy, and said, strong and far more confident than he felt: “Why?”

Mercy often wondered if her long life — or perhaps her nature — had made her some sort of… beacon… for lost and wayward souls. She seemed to cross paths with them more often than not. If that was the case, it was ironic really, since she had no power whatsoever over the souls of mankind. Unlike the Valkyries of her homelands legends.

What she did have was knowledge. Centuries upon centuries of it. But with great knowledge came great power, as they say. And what good was knowledge if it wasn’t shared? At least when it was for the better. So while Mercy had also prepared for the worst, she didn’t pull any punches in answering Winn’s questions. She wasn’t afraid of the young wolf. Never had been. That said, she was very aware of the damage one could do. To her, and to their surroundings. And Mercy was in no mood to deal with an angry shifter tonight. Or at any point in the near future.

Mercy waited on Winn to process what she’d said. She watched for any signs he was going to lash out or react badly. Any tells that his emotions were going to get the better of him, and the wolf would take over to protect him. Or to get revenge for a perceived wrong. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. And Mercy let out her own internal sigh of relief.

Her tone was soft and even as she didn’t hesitate to answer his follow up question. “Because you asked me to.” There was more, obviously, but Mercy wanted to give him time to process the main parts before overloading him with the rest of the details. Of which there were many.

Winn felt like he’d been smacked with a sledgehammer, like the ‘brain freeze’ he’d felt at Darwin’s probing had been only an appetizer for this main course. The memories weren’t stolen. The memories were given. And his mind scrolled and scrolled through scenarios, trying to figure out what could have happened — what he could have done — that would make him do this.

He put his head in his hands, trying to stave off yet another anxiety attack. Winn had been preparing for an answer, even this one, for nearly a month — two, if he counted that first inkling that there was something inside of him. Finally, scrubbing the fresh tears away from his eyes, he met Mercy’s gaze with tired determination. He had to know.

“Tell me more. Please. I can… I can handle it.” Winn tried to give a weak smile, ended up somewhere in grimace, and settled back down into a flat line.

Mercy watched as Winn started to absorb what she was saying. It wasn’t easy to be told things about your past that you couldn’t remember. This wasn’t the first time Mercy had been in such a situation. She had learned, however, that giving too much all at once could send some people over the edge. Others did better receiving things in one big lump. Mercy wasn’t sure which category Winn fell into just yet. He’d survived the giving away of the memories. But that didn’t mean the opposite would be true. When he got himself together and looked up, tears staining his face, Mercy felt her heart ache for him. He was a good kid. It’s why she’d helped him in the first place.

“We met a few years back when you signed up for my self-defense classes. Didn’t take me long to realize you weren’t human. Took you a bit longer to realize the same was true for me.” Mercy explained how they’d come to be friends, and later, how Mercy had come to be a confidant of sorts for Winn. And how eventually Winn came to confide his personal traumas to Mercy. Who had already encouraged him to stand up to what frightened him. To take back control of his life, by not letting the past control his present, or his future. That effort — thanks to Mercy’s Fury nature — doubled when she found out what the hunters had done to him.

“One day you came to me and asked if I knew how to get rid of unwanted memories.” Mercy sat a book — bound in worn leather wrappings — and an ornately carved wooden box on the table between them. She opened the lid of the box, revealing a pair of ravens — carved from obsidian — nestled inside. Each was small enough to hold in one’s hand, and covered in delicately crafted patterns and runes. “This is the how.” She indicated the book and the stone ravens before looking at him evenly. “Are you absolutely certain you wish to know what memories you wanted gone? And why?”

There was a part of Winn that wanted to laugh at Mercy, to tell her that there was no way that she was right. It was a stubborn, temperamental part of himself that he hardly recognized. But, as she spoke, he realized that… well, that what she was sayin’ made sense. Winn had been in a bad way, after he left the pack. That… That was where the memories got fuzzy, where the train stopped because the track had been cut off. He’d always thought the wolf had finally gotten fed up with him, ran on a Full Moon and stayed transformed that way until Winn could get his shit together.

But none of that was true.

“I… kind of hate that you know more about me than I do,” Winn admitted, honestly. “So, I came to you to erase two whole years? That seems,” Winn grabbed one of the stone ravens to inspect it, “excessive.” His head pulsed, his vision blurred. Shit got weird. And painful.

“I’m used to it,” Mercy said of being hated, her voice holding a hint of something that might’ve been weariness. Or perhaps regret. Maybe both. But her expression turned to a true frown as he told her that— “Wait—” Mercy held up a hand, her tone one of shock. “You’re missing two years? Two entire years?” But Winn never got the chance to answer.

He reached for the raven… and collapsed to the floor.

Mercy was instantly on her feet, both out of concern for Winn, and to be ready in case she ended up with a fully shifted, angry werewolf in her flat.  

“Please…” Winn heard himself begging Mercy and a robed figure behind her. The room was barely lit, but Winn could make out himself, younger, and speaking in broken sobs. It looked like the loft, but… different, in the pieces he could see. “Mercy, I did something I can’t take back. Ever. I want… I want a second chance. I’m not… I don’t want to be this person. I— I wanted my life back, but not like this. I didn’t— He didn’t—” There was a crackle in the air as he looked up, meeting the eyes of the fury. “I want this. No going back.”

The scene cut out, Winn heard three words in a language he didn’t recognize. Then, there was darkness.

In Winn’s memory, Mercy looked on in sympathy at the young wolf’s pain. The air hummed with static. “If this is your wish, if you believe with all your heart, that this is what’s right for you… that your life can only be better for forgetting, then so be it.”

When the spell had been cast, Mercy had merely been an observer, until the caster had come to the final seals. How fortuitous it was that she was there, and capable of speaking the three runes that activated the spell and set it in motion.

When Winn came back to himself, in the present, he was on the floor of the loft, holding his head in pain, tears streaming down his face, claws and fangs extended and digging tiny cuts into his skull and lip. Fuck. Fuck. His ears rang, his heart was racing.

“... What did I do?” Winn asked, finally, when he had just enough energy to pull himself off the floor. He couldn’t look at Mercy, not now. Not until he knew.

In the present, Mercy had moved to place herself between Winn and the door to the stairs, just in case. She knew he was in pain. She could see the partial shift his body had gone through in response to such huge amounts of stress. Mercy waited, relaxing slightly as moving towards him as he came back to himself. And asked the million dollar question.

Mercy sighed, wondering where the hell to start. Perhaps the cut and dry version would be best.

“You started this… one-man ‘protect the wolves’ mission… tracking down and killing the hunters, and others, that were hurting them… You were ruthless. Vicious even. You grew numb to it. Or so you said. Until one day… you killed a hunter in front of his children.” Mercy squatted down so she could be level with the wolf. “That was when you realized all those people, those hunters, were people too. With families. Children. People who loved them.” Mercy knew all hunters weren’t created the same. But that didn’t mean she thought Winn had been in the wrong for what he’d done. How many lives had he saved by taking the ones he had? Though it wasn’t what Mercy thought that mattered, was it? This was about Winn. “It set something off inside you… and you couldn’t live with what you’d done. You wanted it gone.”

She watched him for a long moment. “You’re not a bad person, Winn. I know bad people. You’re a good person that bad things have happened to.”

“Okay,” Winn said finally, curling in on himself on the floor, taking it all in. Numb, Mercy had said. Well, Winn didn’t feel very numb right now. He felt… he felt awful. And part of it was recovering from the stress of touching the raven, but… It was true. There was no denying it. Mercy had no reason to lie to him, and, fuck, was that what Winn had seen at the carnival? Killing a hunter, apparently the last in a string of killings. Winn had found his answer. Or, part of it. And that answer was awful, ripping into him and carving at his heart. He could hear his heart hammering in his chest. Winn sat there, just… thinking.

Until: “Wait, then… Why? Why two years?” Winn said, finally looking up and into Mercy’s eyes. “It doesn’t— Tell me I wasn’t… killing people for two years.” Not that it mattered, he supposed, in the grand scheme of things. Just more bodies to the count. Fuck. Fuck.

Mercy waited patiently while Winn processed everything. She was used to this too, after all. It was the story of her life. Waiting and watching… sometimes for months, even years at a time. But when he asked his next question, the only answer Mercy had was, “I don’t know why the spell took two years away. But no. You weren’t. It was… a few months. Maybe.”

“I’m a coward.” Winn sighed, looking up at the ceiling and away from Mercy’s gaze. He’d run away again. He couldn’t stop running away. “And I’m… I don’t know if I’m a bad person, Mercy, but I… I don’t think I can be a good person, if I did that, if I hurt all of those people — and you said, you said others? So, not all of them were hunters? I mean, that… that makes it worse, right?” Would it be better, if it had only been hunters? No. No, Winn didn’t think so. Even without his memories, without his apparent realization, he knew so many hunters now and he knew they were just… people. Fallible and too, too human.

Mercy’s jaw clenched as he called himself a coward. She remembered a moment very like this one, where she’d told him he should take control of his fears, his doubts, his demons… face them and conquer them. She couldn’t help it as the air in the flat started to hum with static. “A coward wouldn’t be sitting here in my tower, asking to remember things he once thought so terrible that he begged to have them removed from his mind forever.”

“The fact that you feel remorse for any of it…” Mercy shook her head, her expression softening slightly. “Bad people don’t feel remorse, Winn.” What did that say about Mercy, and all the people she’d killed over the centuries that she hadn’t thought twice about? The thought was fleeting, and thankfully didn’t settle in Mercy’s head. So she pressed on. “We can’t judge ourselves for the way we deal with trauma. That’s why it’s called trauma. Because it’s a deeply disturbing experience. Something we can rarely control. The only thing we can do… is learn from it. And try to be better in the end.”

Mercy’s words were as much for herself as for Winn, even if she didn’t realize it. But even then, there was nothing more she could say that hadn’t already been said. So again, she waited. Where they went from here was up to Winn.

And try to be better in the end.

Winn pulled himself off of the floor of the flat, scrubbed at his eyes, and looked at Mercy. She was right, even if he couldn’t believe it right now. Had Winn learned from it? When Winn got the memories back, would time have helped? Or would he just be back to that broken man, cryin’ at his friend to take it all away?

No. No, he refused.

Winn had barely finished saying, “I want them back,” though, when he collapsed, again, to the floor, unconscious and still.

[writingpaperghost]

I Would Offer It Happy With a Smile on My Face (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3: Even When We’re Fallen or When We’re Hurt

Asahi's starting to get the hang of this Earth. Starting.

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24860734/chapters/60289978

“Okay!” The sound shattered the peaceful silence in KPaRS’ main headquarters room. Gathered in it were the members of the main crew. The one who spoke was a their captain, Matsuoka. He was the oldest member of the crew and had been there the longest, though he’d deny his age whenever asked. All in good fun, everyone knew. The first thing one might notice if he weren’t in his uniform might be his light brown hair, but as it were now, his uniform is the first thing one would notice. It appeared a bit different than the normal uniform, it didn’t have a high collar, the stripes there went down the front and met the ones at the bottom and sides. It lacked the pockets that a normal uniform on the sides, and on his arm was a sort of band, yellow, red, and blue. He had his hands clasp together in front of him, a smile as he continued. “Now that we’re all here, we can begin our meeting.”

To one side were the two engineers, who’s appearance stood out the most compared to everyone else in the room. The first one, a woman named Chikako, had brown hair, pulled back into low twin pony tails, and she had bright blue eyes, covered by a pair of protective glasses.She wore tan overalls, with a tool belt around her waist, underneath green tank. She wore dark green finger less gloves that came up to about halfway to her elbow. Over her overalls was her uniform vest, which was much light the jacket that others wore, but with only one pocket over her chest.

The other engineer stood beside her, a man named Katsuhito, who looked far more casual in his demeanor. Light brown hair kept back in a low and short ponytail, he wore a uniform much like Chikako’s, though unlike her, he wore only the standard mechanics uniform for KPaRS. Tan overalls and dark shirt underneath with the uniform vest, the only part out of place was the top of his overalls, where the straps hung at his sides.

“Wouldn’t it have made more sense to have this meeting when the monsters started acting strange?” Katsuhito asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of her overalls.

Matsuoka smiled, “This meeting is partly about the Kaiju’s strange behavior, or at least what we can do about it, we’re still waiting on research from the conservation.” He looks over the group for a moment, “But let’s worry about that part for now.”

To the other side were the pilots and the singular member of Ground Support. There was Jun and besides Jun was Rin. Rin had reddish brown hair, shorter than Katsuhito’s but still a little long. Much like Jun, they wore KPaRS’ uniform, though they lacked the goggles, which were instead replaced with a green scarf that was loosely wrapped around their neck.

On the other side of Rin was Fuyuko, the single member of Ground Support, who’s duty was to ensure that citizens evacuated when a Kaiju came into the city. Fuyuko had black hair held up in a ponytail and dark skin, upon which one might notice a few scars that came mainly from debris. Her job was something of a dangerous one that put her near buildings that could be damaged or destroyed, after all. The most remarkable part of her uniform was her gloves and the utility belt around her waist, which held first aid materials and the like.

Rin spoke, “Do we have any idea why all the monsters suddenly started attacking like this?”

“Unfortunately,” Matsuoka sighed, slightly, “The researchers at the conservation have yet to be able to determine what has been agitating the Kaiju...”

“Well, we can’t just continue trying to deal with them as we have.” Fuyuko grumbles, “As it’s been, we can barely do anything!”

“Of course, Fuyuko, That brings me to my next point.” Matsuoka paused for a moment, then looks over to Katsuhito and Chikako, “The higher ups have asked that we begin to develop more... effective methods for chasing Kaiju out of the city.”

“More effective?” Chikako asked, barely hiding her skepticism, “We barely know why their doing these things! How are we supposed to make something that works better?! Just make some really strong guns!?”

Matsuoka’s often neutral face faltered, showing a slight degree of what might have been discomfort. He sighs slightly, but a proper response wasn’t necessary. It was easy to tell what he would say, they all had known that it would be a possibility since it became clear that the monster attack weren’t just a string of odd coincidences.

Katsuhito sighed, resignation clear on his face, “We’ll come up with something, won’t we, Chikako?”

“Don’t really have much of a choice, now do we?” She huffed, crossing her arms, her voice dripping in annoyance.

“It’s not ideal,” Matsuoka finally said, “But as far as they are concerned, if we can’t stop these attacks than they’ll just find someone who will. At least if we are the ones designing and using the methods we can at least try to lessen how much harm comes to the Kaijus.”

“Guess so,” Katsuhito sighed once again, rubbing his temple with one of his hands, the other slipping into his overall pockets once more.

“Great!” Their captain brought a smile to his face, though it appeared rather forced, “Now on to our next topic...”

“Which is?” Rin asked.

“The curious giant that has began to appear, so the so called ‘Ultrawoman Grigio’.”

An unusual commotion followed, a reaction that was odd for the group. But this was one of the few cases where people had different opinions. They all agreed that Kaijus shouldn’t just be killed, even if they were rampaging. They all couldn’t agree about what to think of Ultrawoman Grigio.

“I think it’s pretty clear that she’s got something to do with the monsters.” Jun growled, “Obviously, she has to behind them.”

Beside her, Rin looked less sure. “Well, I don’t know about that,” They muttered, “But she does help deal with the Kaiju, and with less violence. It makes our lives a lot easier.”

“Hah!” Katsuhito laughed, “Okay, but Jun’s gotta be right. She’s clearly behind the monsters!”

Chikako shrugs, “I don’t care what’s she’s up to, I’m more curious as to where she came from. She just sort of showed up, after all.”

Fuyuko seemed to hold more of an opinion than Chikako, “In the two attacks since Grigio appeared, there was way less damage and civilian injuries.” She’d know, after all. She was the one of them that was on the ground in the thick of those sort of things.

Then there’s Matsuoka, who watches passively. He doesn’t seemed horribly bugged by the conversation, though he seems to have a smile upon his face. He crosses his arms and continues to watch, ready to intervene in case the discussion escalated into an argument.

Regardless, that Grigio was certainly interesting...

---

Asahi really never knew what to do with herself. Sometimes, when Tomomi needed help, she took photos for him. But outside of that and dealing with Kaijus - and a Kaiju hasn’t shown up since Gomess and that was about a week before - she didn’t exactly have a lot to do. She’d read some of the books that Tomomi had lying around his apartment, but that was honestly starting to get old.

She explored the city more for a few days, but at this point, she’d explored about as much as she could. A good part of one of the days was spent with Tomomi looking for clothes so she actually had something to wear other than what she arrived in. But she still didn’t know what to do with the rest of her excessive free time.

She couldn’t really try to find a job, since she didn’t actually exist in this universe. So she’s left with little to do throughout the day. If Tomomi was there, she’d be able to talk to him, though there was only so much to talk about. But right now, she was alone in the apartment, with one of Tomomi’s books laying by her side.

She was sooooo bored.

This Earth wasn’t that different from her own, but she was already finding differences. She wasn’t seen a sign of Aizen Tech, which was pretty weird to her, but fine since she seemed to remember that Makoto Aizen was a bit of a kook who caused her brothers a lot of trouble.

But then this Earth had it’s own really important events! She was going through a few a Tomomi’s non fiction books and multiple times she found reference to things called “The Awakening” and “The Terrible Fights” or other similar titles. While she was able to learn from one of the books that The Awakening was a time period where a bunch of slumbering Kaiju awoke, resulting in the world they were in now, where Kaijus were essentially giant animals. She’d have to ask Tomomi about The Terrible Fights, because that sounded very bad.

But none of this solved her current boredom.

She could go to the park! That’s a great idea, Asahi decided. There was a park that wasn’t very far from where Tomomi’s apartment, she’d found it when she exploring a few days before. Yeah, that’s a great idea.

So a few minutes later, Asahi walked around the park, taking in her surroundings. There wasn’t much special about the park, but it was nice and rather peaceful. Or as peaceful as a public park in the middle of the day could be. But someone catches her eye, though she isn’t sure why. There was a man on a bench, his head tilted backwards. His eyes appeared to be closed, though Asahi doubted that he was actually asleep.

Asahi moves over and sits on the other half of the bench. Being closer allowed her to see the vest that he wore, which seemed vaguely familiar. It was like the jacket of the KPaRS pilot, Jun, but as a sort of vest. He must work for KPaRS too, though maybe not in the same way as Jun did.

When she sits down, he opens an eye and looks over at her, an eyebrow arched curiously. “Are you okay?” She asked.

The man moved his head forward, turning it to look at her. He seemed a bit surprised, though he might have been hiding it. “Why do you care?”

Asahi digs her hand into her cardigan pocket, grabbing one of her candies. Those, thankfully, were something that didn’t change between her Earth and this one. She pulls her hand out and opens it, presenting the candy. “Candy?” She offers, “They’re really happy!”

The man looks hesitant, eyeing the candy and then her with suspicion. He raised his hand, slowly and hesitantly, then carefully takes the candy from her hand. He examines the wrapper, sniffs it as if to determine the flavor, than slowly unwraps the candy. She plops it in his mouth.

“Thank you,” He says, careful to make sure his words are understandable.

“You’re welcome!” She beams, “You seemed really preoccupied, so I thought that maybe something was on your mind?”

The man sucked on the candy for a moment, eyeing her. Then he says, “As you can probably tell, I work for KPaRS. Given the past week or so, being a bit stressed is a given.”

“Oh...” Asahi thinks for a moment, “What do you do?”

The man smiles, “I’m an engineer,” He explained, “And given the fact that Kaijius have been rampaging for almost no reason, so I kinda am one of the ones that need to figure out what to use to stop them.”

 “Ah, like better nets or something?”

He scoffs, “Better nets. I wish.” He grumbles, “But the higher ups have decided that no. Having better pacification and containment measures isn’t enough, we need to use actual freaking weapons.”

He waves his hands about his head, eyes closed as he continues to gripe, “I mean, shit! Let’s not care that these Kaijus are sentient and have feelings and such like humans do!” He adjusts his vest, “Or that it’s our job to try to protect the Kaijus as much as people! That doesn’t matter the second that it starts being an inconvenience to everyone else!”

Asahi winced.

“Oh,” The man saw, “I’m sorry, I get a bit...”

“Passionate?”

He laughs, “Yeah,”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Asahi said, looking towards the sky, “I mean, there’s got to be a way that you could create something more effective than what you’ve been working with, but not super lethal...”

She waves her hands, a clear enthusiasm in her movements, “Because killing Kaijus is a really unhappy thing to do.” She thinks for a moment, returning her gaze to the man, “Maybe something like a stun gun? I dunno...”

The man looks at her and doesn’t respond immediately, then he sighs, “Maybe...” Then he thinks some more. “You might be on to something...”

“Oh...” Asahi hadn’t actually expected that. “Er, well, I don’t know about that...”

“No really! I’ll have to think about it and talk to me coworker... but it could work.” He actually looks pretty excited, all things considered. “Ah, I’m Katsuhito Yoshioka.”

“Nice to meet you!” She smiles in response, “I’m Asahi Minato.”

Katsuhito checked his watch, then stood up quickly. “Shit! I have to go!” He starts to leave, then quickly turns around and adds, “It was great talking to you!”

Well, that was an interesting conversation.

---

Asahi was back at Tomomi’s apartment talking with Tomomi. Or it was more like Tomomi was talking about his day, because Asahi hadn’t had much happen, other than her conversation with Katsuhito. It was during this talking that the TV, which had been set to the news with the volume low, caught her attention.

There was a Kaiju attack, the screen showing footage. The Kaiju had two large horns, which curled into hooks at the ends and it’s mouth was beak-like. It’s arms and legs appeared to be layered in a manner similar to a pine cone, it’s hands were sort of pincer like. Asahi thought it looked kinda silly.

“Oh, great,” She said, “A Kaiju.”

“An Eletrikzaurus,” Tomomi informs her, “True to it’s name, it can send an electrical current through it’s body, shocking anyone who touches it.”

“That’s fine, I don’t need to touch it to fight it,”

“It’s horns can fire a beam and it’s hands might be able to detach. Not sure on that one though.”

“...” Asahi was silent for a moment, “That’s a little harder to deal with, but I’ll manage.”

She heads towards the door, waving to Tomomi, “Okay, gonna go fight this Kaiju, bye!”

“Good luck!” He calls back. Asahi runs through the hallways, trying to get out of the complex as quick as possible. She needed to get outside to transform, first. When she reaches the street, she pulls out her Gyro.

“Color me with your power, Grigio!”

Like with Gomess, Eletrikzaurus quickly brought it’s attention to her, instead of continuing to focus on the building he was swatting at. Grigio began to review what she knew. Okay, be careful if she touches it, it could shock her. But it could also definitely shoot her with a beam, and maybe detach it’s hands. She could probably dodge the beam, so it would probably be best to keep a distance.

She summons her bow and starts to fire arrows at the monster. Really, that seemed to work pretty well, so she figured she would keep up with that tactic.

---

Katsuhito watched the screens as they showed Grigio fighting the Kaiju. She was staying far away, shooting it with her arrow. Somehow, she knew enough about the Kaiju to avoid risking to get shocked. Either someone told her... or maybe she knew since she was the one causing them to attack? Somehow, despite his earlier thoughts, right now, watching Grigio, Katsuhito doubted that.

Well, that doesn’t matter right now, he was instead finishing his design. Like the girl, Asahi, had suggested before, it was essentially a taser. It would be able to shoot a power electrical shot. Jun and Rin would have to be careful not to miss, or at least not to hit anything with people or electrical devices in it.

“Oooh,” Chikako coos from over his shoulder, “That looks cool! You think the higher ups will be okay with it?”

“I hope so,”

---

The fight was going fine, at least for a while. But now! Now Eletrikzaurus has started dodging her arrows, even her Grigio Scatter Shots! Fine! She’d have to change her tactics, though she was still trying to figure out the best way. She might need to get close though, since she only had a few more ways to attack the monster. She’d need to weaken it like she did with Gomess, then she could tie it up.

Wait, what is it doing? Up at it’s horns, something was forming... Where did Tomomi say it could fire beams from? Didn’t he say the...

Crap... Eletrikzaurus prepared to fire a beam from it’s curved horns. Grigio could try to stop it with a barrier or she could try to dodge it instead. But if she did that, the building behind her would get hit! But she couldn’t tank the hit either, so that seemed to leave only one option.

“Grigio Barrier!” She managed to bring up a barrier just in time to stop the beam. Right, now she had an opening, or at least she hoped she did. She runs forward and tried to punch the monster.

Technically, she did succeed in punching it, really, it did little to try to stop her. What it did do, was electrocute her when she hit it. Grigio stumbles back, clutching her hand, but still tingling a bit all around. Shit.She didn’t expect it to be able to electrocute her so quickly.

Maybe she’d done enough damage to use Grigio Shot? Though she wasn’t frankly all that sure... Even though she’d put distance between her and Eletrikzaurus, she saw something coming towards her. She raises her arms to cover her head, and then the monsters hands hit her. But the monster itself was still a ways away. Well, that answered the question of whether it could detach it’s hands or not.

She swats the hands - if they could really be called that - away, sort of punching them while they were in the air. They flew back to the monster, reattaching in it’s wrists. Right. That’s a thing it does.

Alright, maybe she could just finish this fight? Her color timer began to flash and beep, so that seemed to answer her question. She positioned her arms and aimed and Eletrikzaurus. “Grigio Shot!”

The monster stumbles back, then she uses her Grigio Bind, tying it up. She waits a moment to make sure that it didn’t break free. Once she was sure, she smiles to herself and leaves, happy to let KPaRS to handle it from there.

---

“Okay! Where could that portal possibly lead to?” Katsumi, as the oldest of the Minato siblings, had long since learned how to be calm under pressure. Or at least as calm as he possibly could.

Isami was doing a considerably worse job at appearing calm. Which is to say, he did not appear calm at all. Instead, he paced around the Minato’s living room. “I don’t know. We’ve searched everywhere we could think of... and she’d be able to come home herself! Unless something happened...”

“We’re... we’re not getting anywhere with this, are we?”

Their mom walked in, standing with her arms crossed, “You’re really not.”

“Mom!” Isami yelped, “Have you found anything?”

“Nothing for sure, but I’m sure we’ll find her. And I’m sure she’s fine. She is an Ultra like the two of you.”

“Yeah,” Katsumi notes, “But she’s not as good at fighting. If something happens...”

“We’ll just have to trust she’ll be fine,” Their mother moved over to them, rubbing their backs. “We’ll find her. I’m sure where ever she is, she’s safe.”

---

“So it turns out Eletrikzaurus can totally detach it’s hands.” Asahi says to Tomomi when she returns to the apartment.

“So it turns out.”Asahi's starting to get the hang of this Earth. Starting.

[unadulteratedfandomtrash]

Loki Laufeyson x Reader ~ Rest Assured [Pt.7]

[My Marvel Masterlist]   [Previous Part]

A/N: Just another friendly reminder that I’m not following the canon timeline for the sake of having more characters to work with for this series!

Word Count: 1995

By the barrier in question, muttering maledictions in a language unknown to anyone present, Loki’s eyes squeeze shut in concentration as he struggles against his wife’s magic. The mere fact that he is struggling to fight the very magical spells the God of Mischief himself uses and taught to (Y/n) is a testament to his teachings, as well as her skills as a sorceress. The sound of three distinct footsteps, one being as loud as a thunderstorm, shatter’s Loki’s concentration. He looks up in annoyance, ready to berate his brother for being a nuisance, only to be met with an unfamiliar face walking alongside his brother and Natasha.

For a brief second, Loki scoffs at the newcomer’s outfit. Everything from the large yellow gloves to the elaborate cape that seems to have a mind of its own irritates the black-haired god.

“And who might you be?”

“My name’s Doctor Stephen Strange, and according to these two, you are in need of my services.”

“I remember no such thing.”

“Heimdall saw portions of the sorcerer’s residential inscription, and after Natasha did some quick research, we were able to track down the one you seek. Brother, he will help you open the doors.”

Drawing conclusions quickly never ends well, so the God of Mischief makes it a point to show his skepticism. He returns his attention to the doors, waving his fingers and wrist to channel his magic into the warded layers of the barrier. With his closed in concentration, Loki fails to notice the raised brows on Stephen’s face. Instead, one of the Avengers on shift, Tony, catches the surprised expression and articulates his thoughts without a second of hesitation.

“You good there, Doc? What’s with the weird look?”

“I’ve only witnessed one person who uses that exact kind of magic…but she disappeared after her training with me at the New York Sanctum.”

At the end of his statement, Loki looks up from his work once more to stare at the doctor, only this time it is not out of disinterest. It is, in fact, the exact opposite of such.

“You know Asgardian party tricks?” Tony interrupts the god with his snide remark, earning a puzzled look from Bruce, who questions his companion’s frivolous phrasing. 

“No,” Stephen answers without a hint of amusement towards the wealthy hero’s words, “As I said before, I have only ever witnessed someone use Asgardian magic. She explained it to me briefly, but refused to give any details. I believe it was in her interest to keep that information under wraps, and I didn’t blame her. You never know when any people with ill intentions are lurking around.”

”Well, my wife is currently locked in her own room and I have no way of breaking her spells on my own. If you claim to be the man who can help, then you better start helping.”

“How long has she been in there?” Stephen’s medical training kicks into gear. Numerous questions regarding (Y/n)’s health and well-being flood into the doctor’s mind. He knew immediately upon touching the door that he will be helping the immortal beings in saving their princess-- his former student. 

“Far too long to be healthy,” Frigga comments solemnly. “We tried to open the doors many times, but each attempt was unsuccessful. Her spells are simply too powerful for us to decipher, and we were unaware that foreign magic was involved in the incantations.”

“Yes, (Y/n) proved to be quite the challenge for me and my colleagues. She is much smarter than she let on to be. We had to scramble for more information to teach her since our usual lesson plan was finished within a few weeks.”

Civil conversation ensued between the two spellcasters as they work diligently with one another, never once arguing, with the exception of a few moments spent disagreeing over the proper incantation for a given spell.

Off to the side, Tony continues to make unnecessary comments as Peter, who is shadowing the group in order to learn from his mentor, stares off into one end of the hall, feeling lost and unsure of what to do. Scott stands a couple feet away from them, giving Bruce a detailed description on how he would attempt to bypass the tower’s security system; Bruce has been meaning to talk with Tony about updating Jarvis’ programming, so he asked Scott, who has a Masters Degree in electrical engineering and a history of breaking into buildings, for some insight and advice on specific points to focus on.

“What do you mean it’s easy,” Bruce cries out in horror when Scott claims that a physical break-in would be fairly easy in his opinion.

“Yeah, man. Based on everything you’ve told me, plus my experiences being in the tower, I can tell that Tony has barely any security measures in place within the ventilation shafts since Clint is always crawling around inside them. Sooooo, that being said, all I would have to do is enter from the outside via the vents and voila, I’m inside the Avengers’ headquarters!”

Whimpers of fear leave the scientist’s quivering lips. Both hands fly up into his hair, grasping the curled locks and tugging on them as the man breathes in quick repetitions.

“I gotta let Tony know! If someone like you can figure that out, then what happens if some super-secret, evil, organized-crime villain and his henchmen learn about the tower’s weakness too? Then we’re all doomed!”

In the midst of Bruce’s spiraling, panicked thoughts and Scott’s scoff in offense, a loud crackling sound echoes throughout the halls, startling everyone by the doors, especially an already-anxious Bruce Banner.

“Finally…” Loki lets out a breath of air he never realized that he has been holding in. He brings up a hand to push open the door on his side, but is surprised to see it trembling like a leaf in a storm. “What is the matter with me,” the black-haired god whispers demeaningly to himself.

“Nothing at all.” Warm hands cup Loki’s colder one, prompting the god to look up and find his mother’s comforting gaze. She gently rubs her son’s fingers to soothe his nerves. “What is making you so anxious? The last time you were like this was the day you got married.”

“She’ll be angry with me, Mother. I left her alone with no hints regarding my well-being. She’s always more concerned about me than herself. I worry she will never forgive me.”

“What makes you say that, Loki? Ever since the day you two met, (Y/n) has been nothing but loyal to you. Even at your worst, she was by your side, tending to you. She is always bringing out the best in you and making sure you’re well. There is no doubt in my mind, my son, that she will welcome you back with open arms. Now, don’t keep your wife waiting.”

With a gentle shove, Frigga pushes Loki closer to the large wooden barrier that stands between him and (Y/n). His mother’s supportive words gives the black-haired god enough courage to set aside his worries and push open the doors that have been closed for too long, but the sight he is greeted by hurls Loki back into his worried state.

“Oh, darling…” The God of Mischief inhales sharply, rushing over to the bedside hastily. His hands clasp her right hand tightly, squeezing it tightly. (Y/n)’s extremely low body temperature scares Loki. Even though his wife’s Asgardian heritage hinders her body from falling ill as easily as mortal beings, he worries that her current condition is linger closer to death.

Stephen quickly steps in to diagnose his former student. Though she is not human and he has never treated any being other than a human, the doctor is determined to try his best to help. His yellow gloves are thrown off in a corner without care, fingers pressing at (Y/n)’s neck beneath her left ear.

“She’s got a pulse, but it’s barely there.”

Suddenly realizing that he can help, Loki wiggles his fingers to conjure some of his magic. A soft green glow radiates from the God of Mischief’s hands, flowing around in the air before seeping into her skin. Despite the poor lighting in the room, both Loki and Stephen can tell that (Y/n)’s complexion is taking on a healthier hue than the pale, grey-ish tone it was before the healing spell; the rise and fall of her chest becomes more clear. A sigh of relief is audibly heard from the two spellcasters.

Looking over his shoulder to where his mother and the six avengers Loki gestures for the group to move as he gingerly slips his arms beneath (Y/n)’s knees and back. Once a clear path is made, the god lifts his wife off the bed, cradling her dangerously light body to his chest. 

Not a word is spoken during the walk to the healing chambers, where one of the attendants is quick to lead Loki over to a bed secluded from the many others that are scattered around the large room. She drags a curtain across the length of the cot before politely asking all the people in the room to leave as she calls for the primary healer in charge of caring for members of the royal family, but Loki refuses to budge. 

For a moment, Thor stops to wonder if the attendant and healers are sworn to secrecy like some of the other staff. The AllFather never mentioned anything about it. 

“Mother,” the God of Thunder speaks up while keeping his eyes on the healing chamber attendant, “did Father order the healers to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to our arrival?”

“Of course,” Frigga assures. “I made sure your father did not miss any important details. I had no doubt in my mind that your brother would be able to open those doors to reach (Y/n). If any prying individuals manage to discover the events taking place, Heimdall will know and immediately report his findings. There is no need to worry.”

Satisfied, Thor users his Avengers friends out to allow the healers perform their job. Tony proves to the most stubborn, second to Loki, of course. He fights against the blond god with the argument of wanting to observe the methods Asgard utilizes to treat wounds and illnesses, but Thor rebutts, stating that even he is unfamiliar with the powers of a healer.

“You will learn nothing from simply observing, Stark. All you would see is golden wisps of magic floating above the healing bed. Being in that room would only hinder their ability to work efficiently.”

“Oh? Then why is Reindeer Games in there with them?” Tony is determined to catch a glimpse of the healers in action, which unfortunately brings out unpleasant characteristics of his personality. Back at home in the tower, hearing his quips and arrogant responses to something he dislikes usually does not result in any severe consequences, however, they are no longer at the tower. They are temporarily staying in Asgard’s palace, where the royal figures reside in alongside them. Inappropriate, unprofessional behavior has no place here.

“Tony, please shut up,” Bruce pleads. “This is not your home. We’re on Asgardian turf. You can’t just say whatever you want!”

“Mr. Stark,” Peter adds,”I really think you should listen to Dr. Banner. It’s unprofessional to act so care-free in someone else’s home, especially when that home belongs to the rulers of another realm.”

The sharp click of the door opening does not give Tony an opportunity to speak. Everybody turns to find Loki closing the door behind him, ignoring the curious stares and striding right past them. His calm expression hints to the others that (Y/n) is no longer in critical condition, so they are confused with his determination to leave her side so soon.

“Where ‘ya goin’,” Scott inquires.

“To see Odin.”

[Next Part]

Tag List

@wecantgiggleitsafandom  @tarynkauai  @drstrangefictions  @laxarnas​

[thingsenjoyed]

Final Developments

So. Here it is. The super long plance fic I got carried away with. :)

(this is really scary)

Here it is on AO3.

I was inspired by all the theories about how Lance and Pidge gotta complete their character arcs together, I mean like thats adorable, so I had to write it.

Also. Keep in mind I haven’t written in FOREVER, plus I was writing this until 2 in the morning sooooo. This could be very bad.

But.

I SERIOUSLY HOPE YOU ENJOY.

     Flashes of red fill her vision, black to red, then black again. Even with her eyes closed she can still see the lights, like when you close your eyes and face the sun and it suddenly isn't dark anymore.

     Pidge opens her eyes for the first time in what feels like days - although it couldn't have been more than one at most. She squints at the beams of light blinking on and off in her hospital room. The alarm doesn't do her any better, and she can already feel a headache coming on at the sound. Ignoring the wave of dizziness that washes over her body at the sudden movement, she lifts herself up, scanning the room around her.

    The once bustling area is now unoccupied, save for the groaning girl swinging her legs out of bed and treading towards the closed door. Her feet are bare, and the cold tile floor sends shivers up her spine at each step, but, again, the feeling is pushed aside as more important thoughts invade her mind.

    It had only been a couple of days since the paladins were admitted into the Garrison's hospital. They were under strict orders to stay in bed, and although Pidge had been itching to get her hands on something to do, a part of her was grateful for the rest (after she'd already been caught trying to sneak out and threatened to be tied down by her mother, of course). But now, standing in the door way to her room, she knew she had bigger things to worry about than getting a scolding from her mom.

    A man clothed in the familiar grey suit of the Garrison nearly runs her over before she can take two steps into the hallway, screaming into his headset about a Galra cruiser spotted heading towards Earth.

    As if everyone hadn't gone through enough this past week.

    "Paladins! We need you in your lions, hurry!" Is all that comes over the intercom, gone by too fast to determine who it was who'd spoken.

    Pidge doesn't think twice before sprinting down the hall as fast as her recovering body would take her. She passes door after door, the hallway growing empty as every Garrison personnel has retreated to their workstations. Her lion feels miles away and her pace just doesn't seem fast enough as her legs grow weaker each step. It's too late to stop when a figure darts out from an open doorway, colliding with her and knocking her onto the floor. She struggles to breathe for a moment, angry when she begins to cough, as it prevents her from telling off the culprit.

    "Pidge?"

    She can only groan in response.

    Lance lifts himself off of her and onto his feet, holding out a hand for her to take. Pidge takes it, blushing at the feeling of his warm hand encompassing her own. He doesn't let go right away - something she would never admit to be happy about - looking down at her with worry in his eyes and the edges of his lips tilted downwards.

    "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you? Are you okay?" He asks, tilting her head from side to side, looking for any signs of bruising.

    She shakes her head, pulling away before her face can get any redder. "It's fine. I'm fine. We need to go."

    Lance nods, releasing her hand, and Pidge is left wondering when she'd get to hold it again. They run side by side to where their lions are stored.

    "What's going on?" He questions.

    "Galra. What else?" She almost smirks at the joke.

    Lance, on the other hand, doesn't hold back a smile, "You're right, what was I thinking?"

    They chuckle at that, rounding the corner to see Keith, Hunk, and Allura already there and putting on their armor. Lance and Pidge follow suit, throwing on their armor as quickly as possible. Shiro, Matt, and Sam enter soon after.

    "A Galra cruiser has been spotted near Earth, but it's much bigger than we've ever seen before. The MFE fighters are already in their planes, ready to launch when necessary." Sam pauses, his eyebrows lowering even further, "I know you're all still recovering from the last battle, do you think you're ready to pilot the lions again in such short time?"

    The paladins each share a look before returning their gaze to the three men before them, nodding.

    "Earth needs us. We must keep fighting until we can be sure everyone is safe," Allura assures.

    "Unfortunately, we don't know when that is, are you sure you guys are ready for this?" Shiro rests his new hand on Keith's shoulder, his eyes scanning over the group of teens.

    "It doesn't matter. You said this ship was unlike anything we've seen before. We don't know what it can do, or what the Galra have planned next," Keith argues.

    "And after the last robeast we faced, Voltron is needed more than ever," Pidge adds, crossing her arms.

    "Okay, but, we could barely beat the last robeast. We almost died." Hunk's expression is full of worry and doubt as he says this, "Plus it was being controlled by an Altean. What if this new ship is being run by thousands of angry Alteans just waiting to rip us apart?"

    Hunks words did nothing to ease the group, though Pidge figured he had a point. Nobody had any idea what they were up against. They could be throwing themselves into a fight they could never win.

    Keith takes a deep breath, "You're right, Hunk. We have plenty of reasons to be afraid, but our fear is what drives us to make it through. If we give up now, everything we've worked for would be for nothing. The only thing we can do now is try." His eyes survey each of his teammates, almost as if pleading with them.

    "Lets do this." Lance says, eyes flashing with determination. Everyone agrees, slipping on their helmets and departing for their lions.

    After a series of shoulder squeezes and reluctant smiles from her team (no hugs, as hugs meant goodbye), Pidge pauses outside Green's open jaws, watching Lance's departing figure and silently praying that this won't be the last time she sees him in person.

    "Good luck out there, Katie." She turns her head, finding Matt and her dad standing side by side, arms outstretched. Tears she'd been holding in for too long finally fall from her eyes, leaving behind tracks she can't wipe away without removing her helmet. Pidge throws her arms around their shoulders, pulling them close.

    "Stay safe, Pidge," Matt whispers. She returns the order with a sniff and pulls away before she changes her mind and never lets go. How many more times do they have to put themselves in danger before she can go to sleep at night without wondering if the next day would allow her to live or die? She tries not to think about it.

    She settles in her lion, preparing for takeoff when Shiro's face appears on the screen in front of her.

    "The MFE fighters, and the rebels will be right behind you, let us know if you need anything, okay?" A chorus of agreements sound through her headset, and in the echoes lies a silent promise to make it out alive.

    An empty promise, but a promise.

    She pulls out of Atlas, hovering just over the Garrison with the rest of her team. The Galra haven't arrived just yet, so Pidge allows herself time to think.

    And the first person to appear in her mind, is Lance.

    It'd been a couple days since she'd seen him or any of the others, and it was safe to say she missed them. Missed him. Pidge hated when they were separated, especially after a battle. She disliked not knowing if her friends were okay, often trying to think of the last thing she'd said to them and hoping it wasn't something she'd come to regret.

    Her mind returns to the image of Lance and Allura, something that's been bothering her ever since it happened. Allura, it seems, has come to return Lance's feelings, and just the thought of it brings angry tears to Pidge's eyes. The slight tickle of the tears trickling down her cheeks only serve to make her angrier, digging her nails into her palms and biting her lip until it hurts.

    She hated Allura for changing her mind. For recognizing how amazing Lance is after getting screwed over by Lotor. She hated how easy it was for Lance to fall for Allura. She hated how effortlessly perfect she was in every way.

    And most of all, she hated herself for hating Allura. Because Allura didn't do anything wrong. Neither did Lance and -

    "Incoming!"

    An explosion hits the particle barrier surrounding the Garrison. Luckily, they'd repaired it since the last fight.

    Pidge flies her lion towards the small hole in the barrier, soon finding herself out in the open.

    She dodges a blast from an oncoming fighter jet, quickly shooting it down, only for more to appear. A shot just barely grazes her lion, and in return she hurtles towards the group. The fighters veer left, but Pidge had snatched on to the wing of one before it could escape. She spins around and flings the fighter towards the rest, taking out two in the process. Pidge smirks, happy for the distraction.

    Well, as happy as she could be fighting the Galra.

    "Paladins, try to focus on the main ship, it doesn't seem to be stopping. I think it's trying to land!" Shiro calls out over the comms. Pidge takes out a couple more fighters before heading towards the ship. She and Allura fly side by side.

    "Pidge! Cover me while I freeze over their ion cannons!" Allura yells.

    "You got it!"

    Already, a fighter hooks onto Blue, which Pidge takes out with a shot from Green's tail.

    Pidge grunts as she is flung forward onto the dashboard. She doesn't take time to recover from the blow before retaliating. Vines shoot out from the interior of the fighter and it goes down, plummeting towards the ground like a meteor. She checks back on Allura, who had just finished freezing over the ship's ion cannons.

    "Good work, Allura!" Keith praises, "Now lets -" His sentence is cut off with a scream coming from Lance's end.

    "A little help over here!" He grunts, taking down another fighter.

    "I got you, Buddy!" Hunk rams through the group of fighters on Lance's tail as Pidge shoots one down with her vines.

    "That seems to be the last of the fighters... Does anyone else think that was a little too easy?" Hunk's suspicious tone is lost when Keith flies in between them.

    "We can't worry about that now, lets just take out the main ship and get it done."

    Pidge drives her lion into formation, opening her mind to her team and allowing herself to become the left arm of Voltron. She can feel Green's energy radiating through her body, mixing in with her own, and their minds becoming one. When she reopens her eyes, she is no longer in a single lion, but a single body.

    She can feel Hunk's fear driven strength, Allura's pure willpower, Keith's anger, and Lance's courage, all meshing with her own to create one movement, one swipe of the arm. They form their sword, cutting through the side of the ship with little effort, slicing through their defenses and earning no retaliation. It was as if...

    "Guys, we need to stop!"

    But it was too late, the ship was going down. The thrusters were no longer operating and the cruiser landed on the ground with a loud bang.

    And it was silent, like it was over.

    Pidge had a bad feeling this battle had only just begun.

    "Pidge? Is something wrong?" Lance's face appeared on her screen.

    It was too easy. The Galra wouldn't just come back with a big-ass ship that didn't work and a couple of fighters, no way.

    "We didn't win," She mumbles, mostly to herself. They Galra stole their idea, and they'd taken the bait.

    This time Hunk appears next to Lance's, "What are you talking about, we took down the whole thing!" He cheers, "Man, am I ready for a nap."

    "Hunk, you said it yourself, it was too easy."

    "Uh, yeah, but I never said it was a bad thing."

    "What do you think we should do, Pidge?" Lance asks.

    "We should -"

    "Move!" Allura screams.

    Pidge clears her screen just in time to see an enormous, purple laser heading towards them from the destroyed ship. Before Voltron can move, it strikes them right in the torso, where the heart would be.

    The shock spreads throughout each of the limbs, and Pidge can feel herself being ripped apart from her friends, their minds being forcefully separated. She screams, and so does the others, the pain from the lions being transferred partially to them. Green's power plummets, falling to the ground, and, suddenly, Pidge can't feel her in her mind.

    The shock disconnected them completely from their lions.

    Pidge opens her eyes, her body pulsing from the impact. Her heartbeat echoes through her brain.

    She reaches towards her head, touching only hair and realizing she'd lost her helmet in the crash. Her ears ring, but the longer she concentrates she begins to hear more.

    Screams. Rage.

    Blasts.

    Death.

    She had to get out there.

    Her head pounds with dizziness for the second time today as she lifts herself off the floor of her lion. Closing her eyes, she places a palm on her forehead at an attempt to stop her mind from spinning.

    The feeling reminds her of a carousel she rode when she was younger, spinning and spinning, buildings passing by. She missed that carousel... She'd have to go with Lance one day...

    Pidge gasps.

    Lance.

    Keith, Allura, Hunk.

    She opens her eyes, searching frantically now for her helmet.

    When she finds it, she shoves it on and turns on the comms.

    "- hundreds. No, thousands."

    "They must've known we're less equipped to fight on ground than in the sky!"

    "Get the rebels out here, now!"

    "We're on our way!"

    Pidge summons her bayard and crawls out of Green's slightly open jaw. The scene around her is chaos, hundreds of sentries and thousands more Galra go hand to hand with the rebels and whatever coalition members decided to stay on Earth. The MFE fighters shoot down from above, but are limited as to avoid shooting someone on their side.

    Shiro was right. They were more prepared to fight in the sky rather than on foot, and unless they got Atlas back up and working again, their chances of winning grew smaller by the second.

    A shot whizzes past her head, followed by the fist of an approaching sentry. Pidge ducks, only narrowly missing the blow, before shoving her foot into the machine's chest, slicing off it's head with her bayard. She continues with this method, making her way through the endless mob of Galra to search for her friends.

    She comes across a fallen fighter jet, climbing onto the wing for a better vantage point. She spots Hunk, then Allura, then Keith... But no Lance. Where is Lance?

    She feels a hand wrap around her ankle. She aims at the arm with her bayard, but the Galra tugs. She loses her footing, hitting her back against the metal wing. Pidge uses her other foot and kicks her heel into the Galra's eye. He looses his grip, but the action only served to him angrier. He pulls her off the wing, wrapping a hand around her neck and slamming her against the side.

    Her vision begins to fade when the hand around her throat releases her and she falls to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.

    "Come on, we need to find a better spot!"

    Lance.

    Thank God.

    She takes his hand and they run. He shoots down sentry after sentry with his rifle, but for every one he takes down it's like another five appear in its place. It doesn't take long for them to find themselves surrounded, fighting non-stop, taking down Galra after Galra. Pidge's energy quickly deteriorates, and she knows she's running on pure fear and adrenaline at this point. Who knows how much more she can take?

    "Ugh! This isn't working!" Lance exclaims from over the noise around them. They're back to back at this point, protecting not only themselves, but each other.

    "Don't you have like, a super handy Altean sword that'd be super helpful right now?" Pidge remarks, her usual sass leaking into her tone.

    "I haven't gotten it to work again! I don't know how!"

    "What do you mean you don't know how?"

    "I mean, it just happened! I didn't make it do anything!"

    Pidge wraps her tether around a sentry, swinging it into another, "Are you kidding me? You're saying not even being in the midst of a war can bring out the fucking sword?" She was getting angry now, she didn't understand what exactly the problem was, and she hated not knowing how to solve it.

    "I'm as upset as you are, Pidge, but there's not much I can do about it right now!" His tone was angry as well, and now they were having an argument in the middle of a fight. She would laugh at the stupidity later.

    "Just try, Lance!"

    "I can't!"

    "Lance!" She elbows another sentry in the head, shooting another with her bayard over it's shoulder.

    "I said, I can't! I'm not good enough!"

    "What?" She screams, disbelief in her voice.

    "I'm not good enough! I'm not good enough for Red, and I'm not good enough for the sword, okay?"

    "Lance -"

    "I don't belong here, Pidge! I'm just a dumb kid who failed most of his classes, gets rejected by every girl, and can't keep up with his lion's needs because I'm. Not. Good. Enough! I can't do this..." His voice trails off as he shoots down another Galra. The circle has definitely closed in on them, and they don't have as much room to maneuver as they did before. Pidge should be focusing on the fight, but she makes the split second decision to focus on something else.

    The guy she loved.

    "Shut up, Lance."

    "What?"

    "Just shut up and listen to me!" She takes a deep breath. Her movements are automated, and she tries not to think too hard about his back against hers. "Lance, you're not the same guy I met at the Garrison. You're not the dumb, flirty, egotistical asshole who only ever wanted to have fun."

    "Hey!"

    "Lance. I know I've never said this before, or even really showed it. I've never been good at that. But, I admire you a lot. You're strong, and brave, and you put everyone else before yourself and as stupid as I think that is, I also think it makes you the most selfless person I've ever met. And the truth is? You're actually really smart, just in your own way. And I'm sorry for making fun of you all the time, and I'm sorry for making you feel like less than you actually are. Because you're amazing, Lance. And I know you can do this because you can do things nobody else can. You just have to believe that!"

    And in that moment, she'd let her guard down, just for the moment, but it meant everything.

    She'd messed up her shot, aiming a little too high, just barely missing the sentry's head. It raised it's gun, pointed it right at her,

    and shot.

    It feels like everything that comes next happens in slow motion.

    He hears her scream first, then watches her fall from the corner of his eye. He hadn't even been able to process Pidge's words after they'd been said, but Lance knows three things.

    He trusts her.

    He loves her.

    And she is dying.

    His hand tingles, but he never stops moving, not when a flash of white surrounds his being, and not when his weapon stops firing off lasers and instead slices through his enemies almost effortlessly. He kicks and he punches and he swings, reaching his limit and going further still. He receives cuts and bruises of his own, but they don't matter.

    Only one thing matters.

    And he fights for her.

    Eventually, by some miracle, the Galra stop coming, even if just for a couple minutes. Not much time, but enough.

    She lies on her back, her breathing shallow, but she's alive, if barely. She doesn't have much time.

    He dismisses his bayard and rushes to her side, sliding one arm under her legs and the other around the back of her neck. He lifts her, gently, so gently, but that doesn't stop her from crying out at the sudden movement.

    "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm gonna run now. It's gonna hurt, but I have to get you somewhere safe." He tells her.

    He runs as fast as he can, trying his hardest not to jostle her, but to no avail. He dodges so many Galra, keeping her still is impossible, and he the whimpers that escape her lips feel like knives in his heart. Every time he looks up, the edge of the particle barrier seems no closer than before, and Lance is beginning to lose hope.

    The girl in his arms is growing paler by the second, she doesn't have much time.

    "No, no, no."

    "Lance!"

    He turns toward the voice, smiling at the sight.

    His sister Veronica barrels towards him in one of the Garrison vehicles, driving over piles of bodies without complication. Allura sits in the passenger seat, and he can see Keith and Hunk through the window. A wave of relief washes over him knowing his friends were okay.

    Veronica pulls up next to him, "Get in, we're evacuating! We're gonna try and get Atlas up and running again, but until then then, the MFE's are gonna try and take care of them from above." She explains the current plan while Lance climbs in the vehicle, Hunk and Keith assisting with Pidge. They lay her across the back seat and Lance takes a seat on the ground, holding one of her hands with his.

    It takes about five minutes getting through the particle barrier and to the front doors of the Garrison, and the paladins waste no time in getting their friend help.

    "Get a gurney and a med-team down here, now!" Veronica begins yelling out orders before she even gets out of the vehicle, Keith gets out first, taking Pidge from Lance's arms so he can get out next, Hunk and Allura follow suit. The others are each sporting injuries of their own, but they pay them no attention, their eyes never leaving Pidge.

    All at once, the adrenaline wears off and Lance's injuries make themselves known. He becomes fully aware of the bleeding shot in his thigh, an injury he didn't even realize he'd gotten, and his head begins to spin. He can't tell how many figures are running down the hall at this point.

    He begins to lose his footing, leaning a hand on Hunk's shoulder to steady himself.

    "Hey, Buddy. You okay?"

    Lance moans in response, focusing - or trying to focus - on the red figure placing the green on one of the gurneys.

    It's okay...

    He sways.

    She's safe now...

    He falls.

    This time, when Pidge opens her eyes, there are no red lights to blind her, only the light coming from her window.

    This pleases her. She feels sleep pulling her back in until a slight pain in her abdomen sends recent memories flooding into her mind.

    She groans, sitting in an upward position, only to be nudged back down.

    "I don't think so. You were shot with a laser, not given a paper cut. You need to rest."

    "How long has it been?"

    "Mm... About a day. You woke up earlier than expected though, probably something to do with Allura's magic hands. Mom and Dad are taking care of some stuff, but they're excited to see you."

    "Matt?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Where's Lance?"

    Matt's expression softens, a teasing smile making its way onto his face, "He's gonna be okay. He won't stop asking for you and hobbling around on his injured leg trying to come see you, but they won't let him until you're awake."

    Pidge giggles at that, rubbing her tired eyes with her hand, "I'm awake now."

    Matt laughs, "Yeah, yeah, I'll let them know. Don't get up, though," He orders, heading towards the door.

    "I won't. And, Matt?"

    He pauses halfway through the doorway to look back at her, "Yeah?"

    "I love you."

    "I love you too, Katie."

    Silent minutes pass after Matt leaves, letting Pidge be alone with her thoughts. For once, she doesn't think about anything in particular. She thinks about how heavy her eyelids feel as she watches the soft movement of the curtains. She thinks about her breathing, listening to the gentle hum of the air conditioner.

    For the first time, Pidge feels completely peacef -

    A loud thump sounds from the hall, followed by the jiggling of the doorknob and the click of the door, startling her.

    "Heh, I'm okay, don't worry about me." Lance assures, slipping inside her room before closing the door on an angry looking nurse. He turns around, leaning against the door with a dramatic sigh, "Gosh, all these ladies won't leave me alone. I know I'm famous now but a guy needs his space."

    Pidge scoffs, "They're only hanging around you because they have to."

    Lance smirks, placing a hand over his heart, "Ouch. What happened to nice Pidge?"

    She rolls her eyes, "She was shot, so she's not being nice anymore."

    Lance's smile disappears when he sits in the chair next to her bed, "Did you really mean all those things you said back there?"

    "Of course I did. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

    Lance's smile returns, making her heart melt. He grabs her hand, entwining his fingers with hers, "Thank you. I really needed to hear that. From you."

    Pidge frowns, "Why me?"

    He squeezes her hand, "Because you're insanely smart, and brutally honest. You're always right." He looks her right in the eye, "And I trust you, everything you say."

    He climbs up next to her on the bed, still holding her hand, "And I need you, Pidge, because you make me a better person, you're everything that I'm not and I love that about you." He leans down, his forehead touching hers, "I love you, Pidge."

    The room is silent as she takes in his words. He seems almost as surprised as her when he says it, as if he'd been relying on pure...

    Instinct.

    She'd waited so long to hear him say those words to her, even wondering if they'd ever be directed towards her at all, a thought that never failed to break her heart. But here it was, happening in her Garrison hospital room, wearing the same orange and white outfit as him, and feeling so completely... Happy.

    "Hm, took you long enough," Pidge teases. A smirk present on her face.

    "Are you kidding me?" Lance leans back.

    The nurse opens the door, "Times up, you two."

    "Alright, alright." Lance slides out of bed, limping towards the open door.

    "Hey, Lance?"

    He turns, "Yeah?"

    "I love you too."

[slyreaderslibrary]

Ch. 2 To Catch a Minako

Chapter two is up on A03: here

and FF: here

Summary: Keeping a secret identity secret is normally hard enough but when you're as beautiful as Minako Aino you're bound to have all kinds of creeps and weirdo stalking your every move. Now there's a cop hot on her trail and she'll have to be quick on her feet if she's to keep her identity on the DL. Just what is a gorgeous super-heroine to do?

Minako had gotten several blocks away when she paused and pulled out the small moon shaped compact from her Sailor V days. Pursing her lips, she pretended to check her makeup while really appraising the commotion she’d left behind. The jerk cop was still there, glaring at innocent civilians, and hadn’t noticed her disappearance yet. Good. It served him right for screwing up her game. Too bad he was so hot, it was such a waste of good looks to be stuck with such a nasty personality. She shrugged to herself and then, seeing no signs of the devil hunk heading her way, winked at her reflection before stashing the compact away.

“I saw that,” Artemis frowned, choosing that moment to make his appearance along a brick wall, and glanced in the cop’s direction while Minako merely rolled her eyes.

“It was nothing I couldn’t handle.”

He hopped onto her shoulder and wrapped his tail around her neck.

“I still think you should be careful. What if he discovered your identity? As leader of the Senshi it is paramount that—”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Minako interrupted, giving him a quick scratch under his chin. Artemis could go on for ages if allowed. “He probably just wanted an autograph.”

“If you say so,” Artemis grumbled.

“I do! Now, where was I going?” she tapped her lips twice and pouted, “Oh right. School.”

“Now, Minako…”

“I knoooow…”

They continued bickering down the street and Minako soon turned her mind to other things, not giving the officer another thought. Why would she? It wasn’t like she’d ever see him again.  

o0o

Keisuke Koizumi stared at his computer screen, looking over the search results with a growing weariness. She had no current home address and no permanent work location. Although the latter was not unusual for someone in her line of work, he had assumed she was signed to an agency. It seemed, however, that whoever managed her schedule was privately outsourced leaving him to depend on the only address he could find, the university she attended. Except there was no way to guarantee she would be there given her work schedule.

Keisuke sighed and leaned back in his chair. How was it possible for one girl to be so hard to track down?

“Koizumi!”

Keisuke’s boss, Commissioner Goto, a large booming type of man with a square jaw and a thick neck, leaned on the pillar adjacent to Keisuke’s desk and gave him a hard nod and an even gruffer “morning,” waiting for Keisuke to answer in kind before raising an eyebrow expectantly once superficial pleasantries were out of the way.

“As you know,” Keisuke began, rising to stand out of habit, while opening the two inch thick file on his desk, “footage of youma attacks are nonexistent. The cameras always encounter some sort of interference, most likely some form of radiation from the youma, starting slightly before and only ending after an attack. However,” he pulled out a small pile of images, “after reviewing hours of footage I noticed this woman in the immediate vicinity on several occasions, acting suspiciously. I have reason to believe she may be the cause of the recent youma epidemic.”

Commissioner Goto examined the pictures with a critical eye, thumbing through a few of the better quality ones.  

“Does your mystery woman have a name?”

“Aino Minako.”

“Aino Mi—” Goto’s eyes widened and narrowed just as quickly, “Hold on. You’re trying to tell me you think Japan’s rising star is the cause of the recent youma epidemic.”

Keisuke nodded, “that’s right.”

“She couldn’t have been more than a child when the last wave hit. What makes you think she’s responsible now?”

“Merely that out of over nine million people living in Tokyo, she’s the only one that appears so frequently at the site of youma attacks.”

“Oh is that right?” Goto growled, arms over chest. “You and I both know that the attacks tend to be centralized in the Minato ward. It’s not unusual then, that someone of her background can be found nearby after an attack.”

“Perhaps but I’d like your permission to carry out surveillance on Aino-san nonetheless.”

“Denied,” Goto tossed the pictures on top of the file. “And I don’t want to hear of this nonsense again. Find me some real evidence to go off of.”

Keisuke watched his boss stalk off with a neutral face, refusing to show a hint of his growing frustration, before turning back to the case file on his desk with determination. Despite what the Commissioner thought, Aino-san was a priority suspect in his book and he wasn’t about to let her get away. He traded his suit jacket for his leather one and strolled out the door. It seemed he’d be getting acquainted with the university for the next few days.

o0o

Minako quickly typed the homework assignment into her phone’s planner, with a reminder to do the reading while on set Friday, before turning to Hiro and returning his notes that he’d let her copy.

“Thanks Hiro!” She grinned, placing a hand on his arm affectionately and causing him to blush. “You’re a real lifesaver!”

“I-It’s no trouble.” Hiro stammered, “You’re so busy after all, it’s a miracle you still manage to attend class.”

“Oh well, parents, am I right?” Or in her case, Artemis. “Always nagging you to get an education!”

“R-right!” he swallowed and then rubbed the back of his neck roughly, “Hey, Aino-sa—”

“Oh my GOD!”

Minako and Hiro spun around, the former into a defensive pose, only to find their classmates all clamoring around the windows and making a giant fuss over something—or more accurately, someone—down below.  

“He’s sooooo dreamy!” sighed Sakura.

“Don’t you mean gorgeous?” said Miki as she fanned herself off.

Narumi nudged Sakura.

“I bet he works out six hours a day!”

Takashi, the leader of the classroom’s boys, just tsked.

“He’s not that great. I could take him easy.”

“Oh whaaatever, Takashi.”

“You know I could!”

Minako relaxed her stance as she watched her classmates squabble, relieved they were just worked up over a hot guy instead of another one of the increasingly frequent youma attacks. Two in one day would have been too much. She giggled at her overreaction and moved to turn back toward Hiro.  

Wait.

She paused mid-turn and twirled back towards the commotion.

Hot guy?

She hopped over a desk and then stood on another so she could see over the crowd, eyes zeroing in on the tall, dark figure by the school gate only to freeze when she recognized the familiar face. It was that wretched cop!

The bell chose that moment to ring and all the girls began rushing to gather their things so they could be the first to talk to the hottie below. Minako, however, could see that the officer had heard the bell as well and watched him walk sedately across the courtyard to the lone oak tree where he could remain somewhat out of sight.

“So he thinks he can get the jump on me, eh?”

“Aino-san?”

Minako jumped, having forgotten about Hiro, and twirled around, sliding gracefully off the desk as she did so. “Sorry Hiro! I just remembered I have a photoshoot in an hour!” She grabbed her things in a single scoop and ran for the door. “Gotta go, bye!”

She made a quick pit stop at her locker to switch out the things she needed and then booked it for the back entrance of the private campus where she knew the cop wouldn’t think to look because the gates were usually locked. Sure enough, when she turned the corner, she could see the old chains looped twice around the iron bars indicating it was securely locked, normally a cause for concern, but that had never been her goal. Instead she bypassed it and ran to where the south wall met the east, jumping back and forth between the two and easily reaching the top of the stone wall, before somersaulting the rest of the way and making a perfect landing on the ground. Her hair was only slightly mussed.

Minako took a moment to smooth back her hair and adjusted the strap of her designer purse before strolling away.