#still. somehow feel worried/guilty/like I did something wrong. but if I went by that I'd never do anything so nevermind moving on

[classasurreptitiouslurker]

Ooo, great stuff here, bouncing a quick (edit: okay, this was not quick) response back:

Cat and mouse feels an incredibly apt turn of phrase actually - although for me it's less the expressions that do it than precisely that friendly and unassuming wording. By being so deliberate about hesitating and then making a conscious, carefully considered selection - and letting Aziraphale see that - he's setting up the word(s) after the pause to be heavily emphasised and implication laden, so I've always read him then going for the most innocuous possible phrasing as a pretty clear, purposeful statement to Aziraphale that he knows all the most sordid and most secret details of what he's been up to and, even more concerningly, how he feels - which, even if it was never outright implied (what a phrase...) Aziraphale can certainly extrapolate into Metatron having the knowledge to use those feelings against him if he ever so chooses. What you said about spy villains revealing that they've been watching someone and know their pressure points.

but - to clarify - i don't think the metatron realises that aziraphale has seen it as a threat. Ohhhh maybe that's it! I've been wondering why he'd drop such an obviously sinister statement in the middle of his affable old man act. While I found the act rather unsuccessful, all things considered, that still seemed far too blatant to have been a mistake - but this sort of casual I'm-so-much-smarter-than-you condescension would feel very on brand for him. Huh, okay, idea - or maybe he's setting himself up for using a 'this is all your fault and you've brought this onto yourself. I wanted to play nice' approach later on if it does become necessary to resort to threats. He wants nothing more than to be that kind affable old man, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't have the resources to put the pressure on and he hates that it's come to this, but really, he has no other choice and he deeply regrets that Aziraphale is making him do this. Almost edging towards turning around and pulling the this is for your own good card if you know what I mean?

Oh, yeah, I think him not making any direct or even indirect threats and only mentioning that by the way, he knows, is probably way worse actually. He'll never be able to come up with anything half as bad as Aziraphale's imagination can and will in filling in the blanks he leaves.

Wholeheartedly agree with everything you're saying about the Metatron thinking he's got Aziraphale tricked but Aziraphale being smarter than that, seeing through it and trying to cobble together a counter-plan. In my mind, it's like, he doesn't want to do this, and he's agreeing under duress, but that doesn't mean that there's not, if he plays his cards right and doesn't get caught, a massive opportunity here and Crowley not getting that or not being willing to do it doesn't mean he isn't going to do his best to wrest a happy ending out of Heaven's hands under Metatron's nose, even if it might now only be one for the humans, and not for them as well.

I mean, you're right with what you're saying about Metatron's bribe vs. blackmail functionality calculation. (Although I wonder whether Aziraphale really thinks he's giving Crowley what he's always wanted... I'm more of the mind that he anticipates, though underestimates the extent of and reasons for, Crowley's rejection of the idea, but still thinks this'll be a net good for both them and the planet, and is disappointed that Crowley is seemingly unable or unwilling to look past his... pride?... for the sake of, if not fighting for their future, at least fighting for the humans' future.) What I actually meant though was that a bribe is far more concerning from Aziraphale's viewpoint given his position - sorry 😂. See for me, thing is, Aziraphale's a disgraced, effectively exiled traitor. Threatening him into compliance would be pretty par for the course, almost to be expected. Offering him - and, by extension, a demon - something though, and such a monumental and personalised something at that, that shows a worrying level of specific, targeted interest in him. The bribe is personal in a way blackmail would not have been. So it's better to play along and accept a) in order to find out why this interest in him/both of them and avert the dangers most likely coming along with it - keep your enemies closer and all that - and b) because the Metatron's rather tipped his hand here by coming in with such a high bid. He wants this. He's not going to accept a no; if Aziraphale tries to refuse him and his patience runs out, he'll just come back with less friendly methods the next time. Aziraphale'll end up having to do it one way or another, and like this, if he accepts right away so the Metatron thinks he's succesfully fooled/bought him, he'll at least gain a certain degree of trust and leeway that he would never get if Metatron had had to resort to threats because then he'd be kept on the tightest leash possible.

Weeeellll, if the Metatron's been watching, then he may also have an idea of current-day Crowley, which, in combination with knowing the circumstances of his Fall, maybe he's then confident enough to say he won't accept? But even then it just seems incredibly risky to stake the entire plan on Crowley - whose whole thing is being contrary 😂 - doing what he's meant to do for the first and only time in his existence. So no, I agree, there must have been a contingency for if he accepted, in which case something that's at least restoration-adjacent does have to be a thing that exists, and that would, or could be made to, work towards the Metatron's advantage. I have to say, I really like the file analogy, works great with all the memory stuff that's apparently been going down in Heaven. (Speaking of analogies, I love the idea of framing it as defection.)

Just whacking this out there, but I mean, much as I do think the "past exploits" comment serves as a warning about Heaven's rules/standards, and reach, and the fact that they've exposed Aziraphale's 'crimes' - sort of a 'you know what we expect from your conduct, and you've been continually stepping way out of line, and we're choosing to overlook it for now, but know that we know, and that we will know about future missteps as well, that we don't approve and could still intervene' flung out there for no immediate particular purpose, just to serve as a reminder - by and large, I find the whole restoration offer thing much more bribe than threat, and, well, frankly, personally, I'd consider a bribe of such proportions more concerning than any threat could have been, no?

hello lovely!!!💕 i think ive shared my thoughts on this in dribs and drabs over multiple posts but no harm in going over it again, fuck it-

essentially, i completely agree with you. splitting those two parts of the conversation into two, i definitely see the first part as a warning, and simultaneously an unspoken threat:

what particularly speaks to me is how the metatron hesitates over both 'previous exploits' and 'partnership', as if he's specifically searching for the right turns of phrase. trying to make light of it, keep it friendly and unassuming. but the small, smirky, private smiles, compared to aziraphale's reaction of flitting eyes and tight lips - it feels like metatron is playing a cat-and-mouse game... the guise of it being that it's all a great opportunity, but truthfully they both recognise the unspoken threat is there

(but - to clarify - i don't think the metatron realises that aziraphale has seen it as a threat. ie the metatron thinks he's being slicker than he actually is, when aziraphale is very much able to read between the lines).

i remember making the comparison in a meta somewhere but it just simply strikes me that - if we're continuing with the 'sleeper/secret agent in the height of the cold war' allegory - the metatron is playing the part of the seedy villain that is doing the 'i've been watching you all along, i know precisely what your pressure point is and why' bit that we all know and love from any kind of dramatised espionage story.

essentially, as you said, "we could still intervene" - ie. 'dont think that i haven't seen every single thing, because i have. i know how deep this 'partnership' runs'. there doesn't even need to be an allusion to what metatron could do with this breadth of knowledge - just simply that he has the knowledge is enough, and aziraphale can draw his own horrific conclusions quite easily, even if they never come to fruition.

(on an intertextual level, metatron kinda reminds me of how i'd imagine karla to be - from the john le carré novels... a little bit, idk.)

now as for the second part; the restoration thing:

i completely agree - this absolutely feels like a bribe. 'i know crowley is your pressure point, and you'll fight tooth and nail coming back without him in tow, so im going to offer it to you - this amazing opportunity that you can graciously bestow upon him! "go tell your friend the good news!"'

the metatron may well be disguising a threat in the exchange, but i do think that he believes aziraphale to have taken the offer to return to heaven at face value, in earnest, and therefore he believes that he has aziraphale squarely under his thumb (and none the wiser for it). however, i personally think aziraphale may be constructing his own hasty game - ie. using the offer as an opportunity to "make a difference" as he and crowley would see fit... but the spanner in the works was that crowley refuses to come with him to play on 'their side' in this little counter-game he's trying to devise.

in terms of functionality of bribe vs. threat - absolutely, a bribe promises a greater yield. threats only work so long as it's a) inescapable enough, b) serious enough, and c) the threatened person is sufficiently scared enough that they won't toe out of line. which may well be effective in getting someone to comply, but the problem with making people scared of you or hate you, is that then they all secretly want to see you ruined or destroyed.

bribe someone, however... give them something that they might have always wanted (or, as i think is the case for aziraphale - gives them the opportunity to give another what they've always wanted), and you have a greater chance of having an ally in them forever, someone forever indebted to you.

i definitely think this is where the metatron's reasoning lies. instead of threatening crowley's life, so to speak, he's offering him the chance essentially to defect - and that's way more appealing to aziraphale and likely to get him to fall in line.

for me though, it's all a gross underestimation of aziraphale on the metatron's part. i will die on the hill where aziraphale sees through what the metatron is saying - has indeed read between the lines where he doesn't have a choice one way or another - but chooses to play the part that the metatron expected him to play (of marginalised-angel who is actually the-very-kind-of-angel-heaven-needs, and therefore very-grateful-to-given-the-top-job-thank-you) so that the metatron will keep underestimating him. bribe or not, aziraphale did not want to go back to heaven... but if he doesn't have much of a choice regardless, he's going to make it work for him.

now this ask has led me to another thought: i do wonder if the restoration is actually a thing? ie. the metatron wasn't bluffing, it's actually possible.

the metatron is putting an awful lot of bank on crowley saying no, when by all accounts - even if the metatron was directly involved in crowley's fall - the metatron doesn't actually know him... right? he likely knows that crowley is resentful and angry still at having fallen, and the unfairness of the whole shebang, but does that guarantee that crowley wouldn't want to take the restoration offer? id hazard no - so the metatron has to have a failsafe for either eventuality.

either crowley says no, and aziraphale is left broken-hearted/rejected, and that suits metatron fine because then he has aziraphale ridden of crowley's influence. alternatively, crowley returns, and is restored!

...but is restored to the same position as he was when he fell - essentially like restoring a backed-up file where the last save point was ~millions of~ years ago... and that would suit metatron fine also, because then crowley is simply not crowley anymore. plausible deniability on the metatron's part too, for the latter option - 'restoration has never happened before, didn't know what to expect, but you've gotten what i promised you!' idk, interesting thought

[randomnameless]

I recently saw some nice Cyril discussion/posts on the dash and I remember why, despite liking his Ashe support, it still rubbed me in a wrong way -

Sure it's a nice support where he ultimately finds a friend, but...

Ashe of all people?

Ashe's who's all "I want to be a model knight like Lord Lonato", the very same Lonato who tried to kill the person Cyril loves the most and came to see as a surrogate mother?

In the same vein, Cyril is the ward/son of the woman who gave the order to kill Lonato, and killed Christophe, Lonato's son and Ashe's beloved brother.

Considering Ashe might not be the kind of person who would blame Cyril for what Rhea did (even if CF!Ashe... well), would Cyril accept to be helped and ultimately become friends with him without having to tackle this issue?

Cyril "her enemies are my enemies" would be mature enough to engage in a conversation and friendship with the son of someone who wanted to kill Rhea?

Also, thinking about Ashe... Lonato became chummy with the Western Church after Christophe's death, and we know the Western Church hates the Central Church because they're not xenophobic enough.

So, Ashe's dad joins a xenophobic group, but the guy still strikes conversation with an Almyran (and a Duscurian)? Or he admires Lonato but dismisses his association with the xeno group as, idk, "ramblings" or not being something serious and doesn't follow/listens to him when he goes on Western Church rants about how Almyrans and Duscurians shouldn't be in Fodlan (or at least in Garreg Mach?) but then what is he admiring in the man?

Like, can we imagine Ashe writing a letter to his dad and gushing about Dedue and mentionning how he made an Almyran friend... or Ashe would know better than to write those things to Lonato since Lonato turned xenophobic after associating with the Western Church?

Likewise, if Cyril told Rhea he became friends with Ashe, would she be worried about it, because as Lonato's kid, he might want to target her through Cyril to get revenge for his brother and father?

I don't remember the "nickel meme" that well rn because it's late lol, but it's still weird how 2 of Cyril's support completely elude what I'd call "character essential writing" to give instead a generic support - Hilda learns how to not be racist anymore without adressing her House's issue with "captured Almyran children who are fed once in a blue moon but still have to work themselves to the bone to be able to eat", and Cyril learns what friendship is, without adressing the small issue of "the man you admire tried to kill the person I care about the most and is part of a group who hates people like me because I'm a foreigner".

Masterful character writing everyone.

i swear it's not like I have this scene in some AU plotbunny where cyril and ashe disagree about lonato in the lonato mission, and cyril believes that he has to be "there" for ashe because of this friendship thing and he wants to help/apologise after calling Lonato trash since he's somehow like "Ashe's Lady Rhea" so he joins the group during the Lonato mission

but like, in this AU Rhea herself went to confront Lonato because this nonsense has been going on for too long and it must stop before too many people die, of course Cyril is caught by Lonato's forces who try to pull the "a son for a son" nonsense (+ calling cyril with a racist slur), Rhea having none of his bullshit (tfw people pulled the same shit using Willy back in the days!) and ultimately crushing him to rescue Cyril because you.never.ever.threaten.her.family. (especially not her children! She couldn't save Lycaon so this time she'll protect (lel) everyone). More Rhea BaD shenanigans, Cyril and Ashe's friendship deteriorates (Ashe'd feel xtra guilty since he told Lonato in his latest letter that the CoS doesn't preach the same things as the Western Church does since his Almyran friend is close to the Archbishop herself!) even more, Dimi's ideal that peaceful/bloodless resolution of conflicts is in shambles but maybe a convo with Rhea that this ideal is something that should always be sought, and yet rulers should use force/authority when needed and it's up to him to learn when force is necessary.

[mlobsters]

supernatural s9e12 sharp teeth (w. adam glass)

not sure i'm in a good mindset for this. their little reunion at the hospital is making me overly upset.

dean gives him a chance to bail (or a hint to leave?) and sam ignores it and asks more about garth while making this face. he doesn't use this expression all that often. it's not something i associate with him being mad, just more stressed-concerned?

and dean's eyes too green, scruff too long. is it like, guilt-beard? (okay coming back to this, mark of cain urge to kill beard?)

(that phrasing? from this kids book called once i ate a pie, took me a solid day to remember what i was thinking of. a poem called puppy. "the world is big / trees too tall / sky too high. all i could remember was the cadence i use when reading it to the kids so it took a hot minute to drag up enough words to figure it out)

sharp left to practically slapstick with sam smacking garth to wake him up. here's me perpetually forgetting that garth completely flaked out on kevin, not that him being around would have made a difference to how it played out.

okay, refreshing my memory to where they left things between them. i was remembering the whole "i'm poison" thing with dean being like boohoo somehow you made yourself the victim when sam's mad that you didn't trust him and took his agency away. so i went to look up the rest of the conversation and:

from s9e10

SAM So what? I was willing to die. And now... Kevin... DEAN No. That is not on you. Kevin's blood is on my hands, and that ain't ever getting clean. I'll burn for that. I will. But I'll find Gadreel. And I will end that son of a bitch. But I'll do it alone. SAM What's that supposed to mean? DEAN Come on, man. Can't you see? I'm... I'm poison, Sam. People get close to me, they get killed...or worse. You know, I tell myself that I-I – I help more people than I hurt. And I tell myself that I'm – I'm doing it all for the right reasons, and I – I believe that. But I can't – I won't... Drag anybody through the muck with me. Not anymore.

dean got distracted with feeling guilty and ignores the actual problem of what he did to sam

SAM Go. I'm not gonna stop you. SAM But don't go thinking that's the problem, 'cause it's not. DEAN What's that supposed to mean? SAM Just go.

i was with dean here and not understanding what he was saying, but i see now. sam saying that it wasn't about who's responsible for kevin, or if he does get everyone around him killed - that it's not this dean self-flagellation/penance; go because of the not trusting and the lying and the taking away agency. i understood that's why sam sent him away, but i didn't understand the conversation specifics.

anyWAY. what i was trying to remember was where sam was emotionally because i was expecting him to be more... visibly mad at dean still. memory refreshed, still surprised he's acting so.. not mad.

unless we're doing the "just keep it professional" which i'd expect to be more strained if sam's doing it. remember last time they had a falling out and reunited on a case? in that weird affirmation restaurant place? was that after stabbing jewel staite? yes, yes it was (s7e7 the mentalists). i believe i deleted from my original post about it but i definitely recall typing up something about being envious of dean being able to act like everything's fine and be casual and comfortable meanwhile (then-sam and) i will sit there seething acting like assholes because can't ignore the feelings

DEAN Anything on Gadreel? SAM Actually, uh, yeah. Turns out he, uh, he left some Grace in me before he bolted. DEAN You know how wrong that sounds, right? SAM Wouldn't worry about it. Cas took care of it. DEAN [Chuckles] Hmm. SAM What? DEAN Nothing. I'm gone for two weeks, and you're like an episode of "Teen Mom."

again with not understanding, i went through sam's face journey but took 10 minutes instead of 2 seconds. so i get the jizz/grace part of the teen mom joke. but if we're going with that analogy, he got an abortion and teen mom would be.. not that? it doesn't matter.

DEAN Crowley and I found him, and he gave me this so that I could eighty-six Abaddon once and for all. SAM You worked a job with Crowley? DEAN The devil you know...

i get that this conveniently is derailed by garth bolting but can you imagine the level of freaking out and demanding of information sam would actually do at dean's casually dropping this mark of cain thing out of nowhere

that's some kind of golden hour kissing his hair situation. so pretty

that's..... a choice.

DEAN I told you we can't hunt together. It's for your own good. SAM I hear you. And after we find Garth and get to the bottom of this, I'm gone. But until then, no more games.

very, "i hear your bullshit story, that's not the point but okay."

this is so not getting finished tonight. tbc

GARTH All right. We've all gotten off on the wrong foot here. So let's do things right. Boys...this is Bess...my beloved. And, Bess, that's Dean. Now, he could start a fight in an empty house, but deep down inside, he's just a big ol' Teddy bear. [DEAN looks annoyed and SAM chuckles] And Sam here -- Sam can be a bit insecure at times, [SAM glares] but for good reason. Bless his heart. DEAN That's sweet. Werewolf?

this episode is a very fucking weird tonal mix. big feelings, dumb jokes.

SAM Right. Uh, minus the part where your wife attacked me. GARTH Yeah, because you two came busting in here like a house on fire. Guns waving, the jawlines and the hair -- it's very intimidating!

okay that made me laugh. easy target

take 3.

long time no see, tom butler. he was back in s1e11 (the orchard episode), did a little hey i know you amended post on him there, he was in the xfiles and the killing so the hiky was for txf originally.

the xfiles s2e16 the colony / the killing s1e4 a soundless echo / spn s1e11 scarecrow

REVEREND JIM My daughter, Bess, was born a lycanthrope. It was one of the proudest days of my life. Which soon turned tragic... when a hunter killed my wife. Believe me when I tell you, I wanted to make someone pay. Then I looked at Bess, and I realized the road to revenge is a dark and lonely one, which you never get off. And that hole in the pit of your stomach, you never fill it -- ever.

-_- veggie vampires, veggie werewolves. lesson of the day for dean about chasing revenge. very cult vibes

every time i see the episode title sharp teeth it makes a song lyric fragment float up even though it doesn't have sharp in it, green light by lorde

Those great whites, they have big teeth Hope they bite you

is the mark making him grumpier? i don't know how it works without the blade. even when he's dubious he's not usually quite this rude, is he?

SAM Okay, Dean, they gave you lunch, they gave you pie. Why are we still here? DEAN Uh, yeah, you're right. Yeah, Garth's good. You want to hit the road, it's square by me. SAM Look, I'm just saying, this wouldn't be the first time we came across a friendly monster. Or a-a family of friendly monsters -- whatever this is.

remember the veggie vampires, dean?? anyway dean again hinting and sam plowing right past it

always enjoy a little nonverbal communication*

ragnarok. ok

did cain tell him what the mark would do? can't remember.

snorted at the book thing dean found with the convenient paw print on the cover. could there be wolfie secrets inside?

untitled 1 and 2 make their triumphant return!!! with quite the desktop background update. that made me really pleased, thank you people doing the onscreen computer stuff

will sam in peril be enough for dean to realize he needs to be there to protect him? ah, the convincing himself via speech to garth about holding on to the good things and family.

DEAN Uh, listen, that night that, uh... You know, we went our -- our separate ways -- SAM You mean the night you split? DEAN Fair enough. I was messed up, man. Kevin was dead, and I...I don't know what I was. SAM Okay. DEAN Hell, maybe I still don't. But, uh... I know I took a piece of you in the process, and for that... Somebody changed the playbook, man, you know? It's like what -- what -- what's right is wrong and what's wrong is more wrong, and... I just know that when... When we rode together... SAM We split the crappiness.

well, good job sort of apologizing and saying you want to be back together. now we can get to the actual issue with sam

SAM But something's broken here, Dean. DEAN I'm not saying that it's not. I... I just think maybe we need to put a couple W's on the board and we get past all this. SAM I don't think so. No, I-I wish, but... We don't...see things the same way anymore -- our roles in this whole thing. Back in that church, talking me out of boarding up hell? Or -- or tricking me into letting Gadreel possess me? I can't trust you -- not the way I thought I could, not the way I should be able to.

does sam regret not finishing the trials/choosing dean now?

DEAN Okay, look. Whatever happened... We are family, okay? SAM You say that like it's some sort of cure-all, like it can change the fact that everything that has ever gone wrong between us has been because we're family.

thank you for that cure-all line, because yes i could scream that

DEAN So, what -- we're not family now? SAM I'm saying, you want to work? Let's work. If you want to be brothers.... Those are my terms.

well 💔 but they'll eventually get their shit straightened out when they're together.

what a strange episode.

*fun little detail in the expanse / leviathan wakes scifi series is the people that live out in space, that work in space and spacesuits, have gestures/sign language used for nonverbal communication while in the suits

interesting little interview with the language creator for the belter creole used in the show that also talks about the gestures briefly (but what's extra funny to me, i learned the tapping your elbow thing from a cuban when i lived in miami, codo [elbow in spanish] for cheap)

and lastly someone made a google doc with a list of gestures/meaning

waffling over tagging this with the expanse, since it's wholly unrelated, but i think about the tags on these moreso as organization on my stuff, but realizing duh it also shows up in the main tag too for those shows. cluttering shit up perpetually.

sorry about being an asshole

[patchworkpuzzle]

Hii! Are your requests open? If so I'd love to request more ghost Tamaki content... that one fic you did is one of my favorites, I'm such a sucker for ghost romance 😫 Maybe a happier ending or an alternate scenario with a reader who didn't end up utterly terrified of him, even if they started that way? More subtle ghost affection... him clicking off appliances reader forgot to... or I'm imagining how Tamaki would react if somebody breaks into his and the reader's home... I have many thoughts you can take or leave any of them LOL I will love whatever you feel like writing, it's good stuff!! Thank you! 🤗 Good luck with school!

ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITES??? REALLY?? Oh Anon that is so sweet for you to say! It was my first ghost story kinda deal and I was worried it wouldn’t be that good, but if you like it then I did something right!

As for a happier ending... I suppose I can make something like that! Somehow... I guess it’ll still follow the same story up until things got all dark and stuff! So, I hope you like it, and you for everyone else, you can check out the fic in question here!

wc: ~1200

You noticed his absence.

It was hard not to. You noticed the way the air seemed less cold around you, that there was no breeze or gusts of wind to surround you as you lived your life and did your daily tasks, or the strange stories that filled your dreams as you went to bed; as if they were being whispered to you.

It made you feel a little guilty, you couldn’t lie. You didn’t mean to scream out to 

whatever was watching over you, whatever entity you had summoned by accident when you first moved here, that you hated them; it was just frustration talking over you.

In all honesty, you thought said presence was sweet; albeit a little possessive. You liked their company, it was the only constant in your life. And you liked how it was always given, never before in your life could you remember anyone wanting to be around you, and enjoying it, as much as this cold wind did to you.

It took awhile, but they finally came to you. It was that night that you realized it was a man, the voice that would murmur to you as you slept and filled your dreams with memories of a life you had not lived or remembered, for his voice was more clear then you have ever heard it before. Like he was standing before you, and whispering in your ear.

He had one simple question, a request from you -  “Tell me something only the real you would know.”

You could feel your sleeping body twitch, an automatic response to being disturbed while in such deep slumber, and yet your mind seemed as alert as if you were awake. It made you panic, what if you got it wrong? What would he do to you if you did? Would he leave you forever? 

It made your heart ache when you thought of that. You didn’t want the cold air, the cold wind, to just disappear from you forever. You would rather have the cold than nothing. You barely noticed the sigh that left your parted lips, or heard the mumble of words that tumbled out, almost as if someone was speaking for you.

“You love butterflies.” 

You suppose that what you said was right, that it was what he wanted to hear. Because before you knew it, you felt his cold breath whisper in your ear once more, telling you that “You are her.” Before a pair of cold lips pressed against yours.

It almost shattered your mind at how real they felt, but your mind was more occupied at the fact it was a tender and soft kiss; one that you had not felt be given to you in years. You couldn’t help the sigh that escaped your lips once more, or the tugging of a smile on your lips.

Especially not after he said “I love you.” 

You wanted to say it back, you really did. But you suppose your heart and mind weren’t in the same place; and instead you fell back into a deep and dark slumber.

Though you suppose that spirit didn’t hold it against you. As when you awoke that next morning his cold presence was there; almost clinging to your side as it used to. Hovering next to you as you sat, whether to eat, to work, or to watch a show, as if to not disturb you too much.

And you would find things have been moved. Not hidden away, but rather out for you to see. Sometimes it would be an item you had lost or misplaced, and after searching the home frantically trying to find it, you would see it sitting atop your kitchen table. Sometimes it wasn’t even a lost item. Some mornings you would just wake up and find some pretty trinket or flower sitting in that same spot on the kitchen table waiting for you. 

It would always fill you with relief or make you smile whenever you saw an item sitting there. So much so that after a while, you pulled out the chair from that spot at the table; wanting your new friend to have a place to sit.

It wasn’t lost on him either. As every morning since you had done that little gesture you could feel the cold air sitting across from you as you ate; almost like he was enjoying his meal or cup of coffee with you.

It was after that, that you finally decided to look up the old house you called your home. To try and find the history and any information of previous owners, to try and find the man - the spirit - that filled the air around you with cold wind.

All the documentation and reports took you back decades, back years and years and years, to all the claims of supernatural activity and the horrors witnessed to those that lived in your home. And finally it led you to the person who had built it. 

Tamaki Amajiki.

He built this place for his beloved wife so they could start a family. But before they could, he died suddenly and tragically. He was the man that was giving you gifts, clinging to you as you slept, and whispering stories in your ear; for when you saw his face, in a portrait the website had, it was the same one in your dreams.

You confronted him that night, after getting all warm and settled in your bed, you waited for his cold touch to grace just as the hold of slumber took you. When it finally did, you mustered all the strength you had to try and talk to him, to let him know how you felt.

“I know you…” Was what you muttered, though you wished you could say more; say everything that was racing in your mind.

It took awhile, but you finally heard his soft voice “You do…?”

“Yes.”

You could feel the cold embrace he had on you grow tighter, or what seemed like it; as close to being held tighter by someone who wasn’t actually there. You heard him whimper, like he was afraid of what you learned; what you thought of him now that you knew of him and what he had done.

“Please don’t hate me” He whispered, his voice so broken it cause your own heart to follow suit.

“I don’t…. I love you.” You mumbled out, finally admitting to yourself how you felt of your once unwelcome guest

You felt his inhale, the shocked gasp at your words. You also felt his hold seem to stiffen, as if he heard you wrong and was afraid to ask for confirmation. But he didn’t need to, you had made up your mind to be with him; it felt right to be with him - like you were always meant to be by his side.

“Take me away…” You asked, and though your words were genuine you couldn’t help the tears that started to form and fall from your eyes. You would miss this world and those that you loved within it.

“Shhh, it’s alright angel” He cooed, brushing the hair out of your face like he always did, and wiping the tears from your cheeks. “No need to cry, for we will finally be spending eternity together”

You finally felt warmth from him for the first time when he pressed his lips to yours. A warmth that filled your heart with joy, as you finally were able to reach out and hold him in your arms.

hopefully this was the softer ending you were hoping for!

[bill-y]

𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐑𝐄

Peeta Mellark x male reader

We all know who Katniss Everdeen is, but what if Primrose hadn’t been chosen but another boy from another unfortunate family? YOUR family.

Info: This is basically a reader insert and I’ve changed a few rules, not ground breaking though. The reader is a bit bland for now but I plan for his actions to be different. Because he has different moral grounds from Katniss and such. Would appreciate feedback! FEEL FREE TO POINT OUT TYPOS. GRAMMARLY SOMETIMES DOESN’T DO MY DYSLEXIC ASS JUSTICE

Part two: Click here, bomburino tortilla pony horse.

Part three: You're here, my guy.

Part four: Click here, amigo

Wattpad acc: L0calxDumbass

It didn't take long before I came home, my mother and brother was already dressed, and I was right, Kunal has been crying.

He immediately lightened up when he saw the bread, pushing the sleeves of my first reaping outfit (which was now his) back in order to munch on it.

"Don't worry, you only have your name once in the pile, you're safe," I reassured him, as I've done many times before.

I smiled, patting his head. My mother glanced at me, but I pretended to not notice. It's been long since we've talked, the last time was a disagreement, a petty one at that. About two years or so?

I honestly surpised myself, how can I go without talking to her for so long. . .?

Another trait my father passed on to me was a short temper, though I never lose my head and scream, but something about her words made me yell. Her face was full of shock when I did that, almost as if I've betrayed her.

"Don't be stupid like your father!" She told me.

My father isn't a stupid man, he was smart. Lady luck just wasn't on his side that day.

I took a bath, scrubbing the dirt and soot off myself. When I saw my clothing my heart stopped. It was my Father's.

It was simple, just as he liked. A white button up tunic, the hems made of elegant gold lace. The pants were loose, with garters securing on the hip and the hems, he never liked tight clothing, just like me.

My eyes went towards my mother, who simply nodded, "After you get dressed, sit down, won't you? Let me fix your hair," she said.

My mouth opened to protest, only to shut itself when she whispered a small, "please," My eyes softened, her voice sounded so guilty, she regretted her words, just as I did. She knew I could get chosen.

But I'm a coward, I don't like apologizing, something I inherited from her.

I nodded, and got dressed before I sat down, just as she told me. She began to braid tiny sections of my hair. I've never been good at it, really, It would always look messy when I did it. So I just looked messy everyday.

But her hands can do magic, it was like she was weaving silk, her hands full of grace and utmost care as she intertwined every strand of hair. I could feel her hand shake a little, as if scared with one wrong touch, I'd shatter like glass.

She used to sew clothing, make various artworks with whatever was in the house. Her hand was naturally delicate, soft to anything she makes contact with.

I bit my lip, none of us wanted to say it. We we're both thinking the same thing, though.

I never really liked cutting my hair, always kept it atleast neck length at best. I don't think short hair suits me at all, though it does get in the way while hunting from time to time.

Once she finished, without a word she pressed her chapped lips onto my forehead, she then walked away, leaving me with a pit of guilt in my stomach.

Such simple words, why can't I just say it?

I sighed, fixing my tunic and tucking it in, the garter snapping back, making me wince a little. It was stupid of me to let go.

I took a deep breath in, mustering all the courage I had to walk towards my brother, who has devoured the entire loaf. "Good?" I asked.

He nodded, a smile on his face, the crumbs falling down. I chuckled, wiping his mouth with my hand.

"You're like a bird, aren't you, little mocking jay?" I said, patting his head again.

He hummed, nodding aggressively, his hair bouncing up and down. I snickered, holding his head still with both my hands. I squished his cheeks together, making his lips form into a duck beak-shape. "Hey, Y/n,"

I rose my brows, humming. "I won't get chosen, won't I?" he asked. I sniffed, shaking my head as I linked our foreheads. "No, no you wont, Nal," I said. "If they call you, I won't let you go, alright?"

"You promise?"

"Of course,"

Soon it hit one in the afternoon, it was mandatory to attend this "festival", unless you're at death's door, that is. I found myself beside Gale, who patted my shoulder for reassurance.

Maybe it was obvious I'm stressed, tense. I'm not worried about myself, I'm more worried of them, especially Kunal. He's only twelve, yet he can still get chosen.

Some kind of festival this is.

I clenched my fists tighter, palms started to go white as I also clenched my jaw.

On the temporary stage stationed in front of the justice building was a podium, three chairs and two large bowls. The district is divided into two sections, jumbled across those two glass bowls, waiting to be picked up.

Twenty of them contained 'Y/n Greyback', one of them contained 'Kunal Greyback'.

There were also bright banners hung up, though I'm sure it was just there to taunt us, it sure worked for me. Everytime I look at it I start feel sick, hatred bubbling in my stomach.

The feeling of claustrophobia began to settle in as people piled into the square, the late comers having to just watch from a monitor instead.

"You alright?" Gale asked, nudging me. I gulped, sighing, "Course, I just —" I turned back, looking at my brother. "Worry of him,"

He gave me a sympathetic look, "He only has one entry, I'm sure he won't be picked," He said. Something I've been saying for such a long time, it didn't help settle my nerves.

"I know," I answered plainly.

We looked towards Katniss' place, beside her was Mardge, who gave me a curt smile and a wave. Out of politeness, I simply nodded back before turning back to the stage.

My hands grew colder each second, by two, when the mayor finally reached the stage, my hands were as cold as a corpse's.

Beside the mayor was Effie Trinket, District 12’s escort, fresh from the Capitol with her scary white grin, pinkish hair, and spring green suit. It looked quite ghastly.

Everyone murmured in worry, for whom was the empty third seat for?

The mayor stepped in front of the podium, beginning to tell the tale of Panem, how the twelve districts lost in the rebellion and now have to face punishment.

The Hunger games.

It was simple, each district would pick two "tributes" to this little game, and then they either kill like a hungry wolf or die like lost cattle.

I gulped, sweat forming on my forehead as I instinctively reached for the end of Gale's shirt. He held my hand, patting it a few times to let me know it would be alright.

He then began to read the victors in every hunger games. In the past seventy-four years, we have had exactly two.

Only one is still alive. Haymitch Abernathy, a paunchy, middle-aged man, who at this moment appears hollering something unintelligible, staggers onto the stage, and falls into the third chair.

To say he's drunk would be an understatement.

The crowd responds with its token applause, but he’s confused and tries to give Effie Trinket a big hug, which she barely manages to fend off.

The mayor looks distressed. Since all of this is being televised, right now District 12 is the laughingstock of Panem, and he knows it. He quickly tries to pull the attention back to the reaping by introducing Effie Trinket.

Bright and bubbly as ever, she began to talk. I could feel my blood boiling upon hearing her obnoxious, Capitol accent. I tuned her out, gulping as my hands somehow grew even colder.

Please don't let it be my brother, anyone but him.

"Let's have the first pick, shall we?" She said, her voice at the end of the sentence practically sky rocketing up. She pulled a piece of paper from one of the Glass bowls.

My heart pounded, as if trying to escape my chest. I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths in.

"Kunal Greyback,"

My heart stopped. Why couldn't it have been me? I had twenty, TWENTY entries.

I watched as my brother walked past me, his lip quivering, eyes glossy. Oh sweet, sweet Kunal, as delicate as a Lotus.

Kunal, the boy who gathers flowers every morning just for me.

Kunal, the boy who loves pulling on my braids.

Kunal, my dear innocent brother. Afraid of his own shadow.

I felt my own body move, launching myself forward. Gale called for my name, but I didn't care, no. I needed to get to my brother, I made a promise.

"NAL! NAL! NO!" I yelled, desperation evident in my voice as I pushed through the other people. "Y/n!" He screamed back.

Most of then gave me and my brother looks of sympathy, some gossiped. "Greyback," they'd whisper. "Another one bites the dust," they'd continue.

The peace keepers pushed me back, preventing me from reaching my brother.

No, not like this. He's still so young, he still wants to gather lilys by the front of our house, he still wants to create flower crowns for me to wear.

He still wants to breath, to live.

The mayor looked at me, recignizing me almost immediately. He didn't know me, no. Rather, he knew my father, the man he put under the execution block.

Oh mother, I'm sorry it had to be this way. It seems another one of your family members will die at the hands of the Capitol.

"I volunteer!" I gasped, gulping down nothing. My mouth was dry.

"I volunteer as a tribute!"

Word count: 1.6k

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[boop-le-snoot]

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previously on...

We meet Lucy, we meet Samantha and her twins & Mother Nature gets a little bit mad. But on the upside - she loves Tony :)

Kind reminder that this story will have horror/thriller elements & graphic descriptions of blood, gore and all the nasty stuff associated with superhero battles described in some detail. This chapter contains some of that.

Honestly, this story is getting- uhh- 8-12 notes on Tumblr. It's got a decent following on AO3 which brings me joy because I truly do enjoy the worldbuilding to a, perhaps, guilty amount. So if you like it too - please reblog :)

The fabric of my skirt was suddenly yanked and I jumped, dropping my phone and startling out of my daze. Two big, blue eyes stared up at me, curiousity mixed with impatience in them. I crouched down to pick up my device, coming face to face with a tiny blonde girl about nine or ten years of age.

"Lucy, hi!" I squeezed out a smile at the child. She looked pale, as if she'd never seen the slightest bit of sunlight, chubby cheeks contrasted by an overall spindliness of her body. Her dress was a puffy, long-sleeved, red and white polka dotted monstrosity with at least two petticoats that made her seem bigger than she actually was. "Sorry, didn't see you there. Long day at work," despite there being a worm of anxiety crawling deeply in my chest, I heeded the warnings on the list of rules and swallowed any unease I had.

Which was a hard feat. The stairs had gotten confused and I lost ten minutes of time going back, over and over, after encountering floors "5", "8" and "19" instead of my third floor, in a five story building. The building providing extra floors shouldn't have surprised me that much but the worst was fighting with the desire to explore them, my rational brain unhelpfully supplying that if this building was truly dangerous, nobody would be living in it.

The pull was almost unnatural in its strength yet my protection charms remained unaffected. Too tired from returning to work, I decided to distract myself with my phone - and nearly ran poor little Lucy off her feet.

"You are new," she signed to me slowly, carefully observing my reaction to her using ASL.

I had been truly unsettled by the rule list, perhaps more than I wanted to admit to myself, so I spent a night wide awake brushing up my meager sign language skills. "Yes, my name is Star," I replied, not quite sure if I wanted to shake her hand or simply make myself scarce as soon as possible.

Lucy gave me a closed-lipped grin, swooshing her puffy skirts in what I perceived to be a calculated amount of shyness. "Can I play with you, please?" Her hands moved a little more rapidly as she side-eyed my apartment door.

I briefly ran a mental checklist of the contents of my fridge. "Sure," I figured that two leftover steaks in it would be more than enough for the little girl. I'd splurged and gotten four prime pieces of meat to treat myself after a hectic moving process, cooking only half of them on the first day. "Come on it. You hungry?"

The door swung open as I led Lucy in, her bright dress and pale skin standing out in the twilight of my apartment. She nodded her head seriously, looking at me from head to toe as shivers ran up and down my spine. My bag was unceremoniously dumped on the couch, my socked feet shuffling into the kitchen and beelining for the fridge.

Lucy followed me quietly, taking a seat at the dinner table and folding her thin arms atop it, expectant blue eyes following my every move. As I plated the meat and reached for the roll of paper towels, I felt like I was being examined under a microscope. Somewhere in the distance, a quiet hissing noise was beginning to rise.

Lucy politely declined the fork and knife I attempted to give her so I just set down the plate in front of her, leaving the kitchen to change out of my dusty, sweaty clothes, too tired to really worry about the loud, sloppy and wet chewing noises and low growling coming from the dining area. I decided as long as she wasn't attempting to have me for dinner, I was going to be just fine.

I found Lucy on the carpet of my living room, flipping through a fashion magazine she'd found somewhere after I was done with scavenging some sweatpants from my mostly-unpacked closet. Her blonde curls bounced as she looked up at me with another tight smile, this time looking calmer, friendlier somehow. "I like those dresses," she signed, pointing at a few pictures with models wearing ballroom gowns in all kinds of colours. "And these..." She pointed out a tiara, probably not knowing how to sign the words.

"This is a tiara," I spoke slowly, signing the last word with my hands carefully as she observed. And then a few more times, until she repeated her last sentence perfectly. "Good job, Lucy," I praised her as she beamed at me. The river of quiet, scratchy giggles never stopped as she pointed out various things and I tried to sign them to the best of my ability, Lucy not showing any signs of upset whatsoever if I couldn't get the name for something right.

After some time, it was beginning to get very dark outside and a couple of pointed glances at the clock was all it took for her to stand up and carefully dust off her skirts. "Thank you for playing with me, Star," Lucy signed excitedly. "I like you. Do you want to know a secret?" She leaned in conspirationally, bursting into my space bubble with a lack of care only a child could posess.

I nodded, not trusting my mouth whatsoever. The closer she leaned in, the more overwhelming her smell became. Her pretty dress reeked of mildew and stale water, her breath - of dried blood and something earthen, like moist soil and cold cobblestone.

Lucy's eyes widened dramatically. "If you need answers, go on to the seventh floor. Bring some warm milk and cookies, they won't bother you too much, but be careful and don't stay for too long. You look tasty," I struggled to keep up with her rapid signing, my eyes firmly trained on her. Lucy's hand carefully patted my cheek and in my frozen state, I could only wave back as she skipped to the door and unlocked it, giving me one of her closed-lipped smiles before disappearing behind it without a noise.

The lock slid shut on it's own after the girl's departure. My heart briefly jumped up into my throat, trapping my jerky inhale in-between my throat and my esophagus. Coughing, I went on to double check the door lock before scrambling for the TV remote to add some background noise to the suddenly eerily quiet apartment.

The sit-com that popped up wasn't any of the ones I knew so I sat helplessly watching unfamiliar people get themselves into more and more absurd situations as the grating noise of pre-recorded audience laughter mocked the characters actions. A sudden shriek pierced the late night stillness, followed by a sound of breaking dishes and a woman's voice tiredly chastising the miscreants.

Samantha.

I'd seen her a few times as she smoked her strong cigarettes in front of the entrance, her twins running in circles around the large pothole in the middle of the driveway. She'd been friendly enough, the dark circles under her eyes and the unkempt state of her clothes telling me more than her words, "I love them, I really do. But I just want some sleep," she rasped as she sighed and attempted to gather her two kids.

I didn't examine them too closely but on first moment's notice their eyes and teeth appeared... Wrong. Samantha had taken them inside after that, clutching a coffee thermos of a size truly impressive, and I went on my merry way, trying not to think too much of the poor, single mother and her two mutant kids. I felt a little proud, even, as she didn't just abandon them like many other people did after discovering their children had an active X-gene.

It didn't take me long to cave in and offer my help with watching the twins, Anya and Arman; one noisy weekend bled into the next and I began to genuinely feel bad for the overtired woman. Inviting the two terrors into my apartment was a choice I had made mindfully: having asked Odette about advice on hyperactive children, she had proposed a puzzle or two.

The thrifted, wooden items weren't able to hold the twins' attention for long, and Anya was the first one to begin gnawing at the hard blocks, covering the area around her in splinters. Arman was a quiet boy compared to his sister: he'd stare at the TV or at the walls, avoiding eye contact and conversation at great lengths.

My couch was jumped on, my dishes were taken out and my houseplants rearranged chaotically; it was almost as if they purposefully tried to get a rise out of me without doing any actual damage. I spent the remaining few hours of my Sunday putting things back in their places - all that pent up frustration had done wonders for the state of my apartment; it sparkled, looking cleaner than the day I moved in.

The babysitting became a somewhat regular occurrence, more often than not with me popping in for a couple of hours so Samantha could run some errands and the odd weekend when the twins came over to me so Sam could get some much-needed sleep.

She was a kind, gentle if chronically overworked woman. We clicked pretty quickly over our shared desire for comfortable stability and some fucking peace; neither I nor she had it in sights for the foreseeable future. Sam's reaction to me being a witch was a shrug and a top up to her wine glass as she pointedly looked at her daughter who was busy chewing on a door handle, leaving small, jagged marks all over the dull metal.

I just had gotten sorted with a bunch of complicated orders when the radio interrupted Eric Clapton with an emergency message and instructions to steer clear of the next few blocks over. Something had hit NYC again and Avengers had been called but nobody knew exactly what it was or when it was going to be dealt with.

As soon as I shot a text to Sam, explaining the situation, I immediately retreated to the back rooms, setting up my healing station over the noise of Odette preparing her office for visitors. For some time, I waited with baited breath, jumping at every little noise coming from the outside. The people tickled in slowly, mostly one by one and all were covered in foul-smelling sludge that evaporated with a loud hiss when the concentrated light of the UV lamp in my office touched it.

"Some kind of aliens, I think," a man with a face somewhere between a human and a hedgehog told me, wincing as he retracted his spikes back into his skin. "There's a hole- a portal, right on a crossroads and there's these things coming out. They kinda look like dragons, or flying snakes maybe," the more light breached the surface of his skin, the more relaxed he became. "The Sorcerer and the Witch are trying to close the portal, unsuccessfully might I add, and the muscle is just," he paused, scratching his chin. "Just killin' 'em, I guess."

I nodded enthusiastically, prompting him to continue to rely the state of the affairs as I applied the thick, viscous ointment on a gash on his leg. "It's hammer and Frisbee time," I mumbled to myself sarcastically.

"Yep," the man popped the 'p'. "Most of us are trying to keep the creatures contained to that one block. I saw Iron Man blasting off some of the creatures off of some of my friends," the last sentence contained a great deal of puzzlement. "Though you won't be seeing much of us this time. These things... They're vicious. They've got claws the size of my foot. A lot of us are going to die where they gut us," the sentence was spoken so matter-of-factly, my hands paused on the man's leg, bringing my eyes to his unblinking dots of black.

"What do you mean?" I swallowed in an attempt to chase away the dry, rough feeling in my throat.

"Those beasts... They're smart. One of my friends - she's a... Telepath of sorts... Says they're an intelligent hivemind," the man's broad, warm palm closed over mine. "The beasts leave only the ones that won't get help in time. They can smell death from a mile away. That's how they hunt," his voice was gentle, soothing over the sudden ringing of my ears.

"I..." My mind stuttered, a sticky ball of anxiety, fear and sorrow gathering up in my chest. "I'm so sorry. I..."

"We know what we're doing, out there, we know the risks," his smile was tight and full of grief. "You're doing your part here, makin' sure our babies have parents. We're out there makin' sure our streets are safe. Such is life," the grin acceptance in his pitch-black, small eyes set fire to the tension in my chest.

I exploded, inside out. The sudden burst of decisive, clear-headed energy made the objects around me vibrate, metal resonated my sorrow and my determination, the wood heated up with the force of Mother Nature itself responding to an act of cruelty bestowed upon her creations.

As soon as the man's bandage was finished and he headed out, I grabbed my old, ratty backpack, hastily shoving things into it in a semi-organized fashion. Clean linen strips, bandages, some premade elixirs and draughts, a few jars of salves, carefully tucked in-between the cloth. As I knocked on the door of Odette's office to retrieve the last few items I would need for my reckless journey, the door handle turned on its own, letting me observe her tending a woman who's skin was peeled off most of her back.

"Can't you see I'm..." Odette exclaimed, throwing her free hand towards the door, which did not budge. She turned on her heel, eyes widening when she observed my wide, solid stance in the doorway, lips immediately curling into a small grin. "I understand. Take what you need. It's not wise to resist Her call," the words were spoken carefully, as if not to spook me, before Odette resumed her delicate work of putting the injured woman back together.

Without a word, I finished packing and left through the front door, not needing more than my scarf and my light sweater to keep me from the freezing gusts of wind. My very core was the centrefold of an active volcano, bursting with white-hot bursts of energy as I approached the injured people on my way towards the terrible screeching noise.

This far out, most of the injured were able to make it to Odette's or to the other healer, who's name I had found out only then, but they were thankful for the water I offered them. Not once did they question me: my star-patterned scarf, out of all things, had become somewhat of a symbol for me among the different folk. Mutants approached me fearlessly, giving generous updates on the direction of the battle and the hotspots I probably should have avoided.

The louder the screeching noises grew, the more people needed my help. The stops took longer, my painkillers were becoming a short supply, the main relief provided by a couple of mid-range, mid-strength energy manipulating mutants that began to tail me after I offered to patch them up in exchange for help with the injured.

It was as if I instinctually knew where I was most needed, my decisions were seldom my own. Me and the two mutants bid a haste goodbye after loading up their truck with the injured, although deep inside, I knew that the amount of corpses, bloody and messy, littering the streets had begun to get to them. In a normal state of mind, I would not have been able to look at them either: then, each mangled, broken body only added fuel to the fire within me.

As I stepped foot in an intersection where someone had piled up bent and broken cars, the shadow flying over my head shrieked, taking a fluid nose dive towards another, smaller flying figure. I dropped flat on the ground, the contents of my backpack clattering, watching the small figure in the sky blast the beast with an off-blue ray of concentrated energy. As soon as the creature began it's graceless drop, Tony turned around and flew off, looking none worse for wear.

At the very centre of my chest, a faint feeling of fondness and hope blossomed into tiny little flowers that soothed the aching sorrow for the dead. Each warcry of the beasts from another world fed the anger, the anguish Gaia seemed to exhibit at their intrusion; the revolt I felt upon laying my eyes on one of them made me sweat, hands clenching into fists until my skin crawled under my nails.

The last part of me that wanted to pretend I was in control was gone; my soft, untrained body a mere vessel for a force stronger than me, stronger than anything. Noise around me grew in pitch, some of the creatures circling around my hiding spot cluelessly, aimlessly, as if they could not find what they were looking for.

I moved spots in a daring series of runs, bringing me almost to the portal itself, and the hellish lizards dived into my previous sanctuary, shattering the concrete and the wood of the house under the amused black stares of glassless windows.

The realization set it - they could not see me. Or perceive me properly, I deduced, inspecting the creatures for any sort of orifice except for their mouths and finding them to lack eyes and ears.

My own stare fell onto Sorcerer Supreme, floating amongst a variety of moving golden circles; I was close enough to hear him talking in a language I did not know. Wanda was hovering nearby, holding up a wall of red energy, protecting the chanting sorcerer.

A united screech invoked a shiver from every living being within it's reach, the creatures circling the portal for the last time before flying off in haphazard directions as the portal slowly began to close. I was prepared to cheer, yet, something stopped me; not a second later, the circles surrounding Stephen dimmed as the man himself jumped up onto his feet in alarm, screaming something unintelligible at the Scarlet Witch.

The overturned food cart I was hiding behind slowly began to creep towards the portal. A couple of rats, a pigeon - the animals flew in front of my eyes, rapidly, as they struggled against the unseen force. My hands grasped the handlebars of the cart in vain, I struggled against the force, seeing a moment of confusion on Wanda's face as I floated- no, rocketed past her as Stephen's golden magic forcefully pushed her out of the portal's reach.

It's size no bigger than a doorway, the vile thing blew cold, dry air under my sweater, muffling Stephen's cursing as we briefly collided during our violent expulsion into another world.

And then, there was darkness.

Taglist! @couldntbedamned @mikariell95 @letsby @sleep-i-ness @toomanyrobins2 @mostly-marvel-musings @persephonehemingway @schemefrenzy @lillsxd @bluecrazedandbeautiful @slothspaghettiwrites @xoxabs88xox

[odissey061]

Motonari's route

Chapter(s) already posted:

1. This freak won't have me

Chapter 2: Kick him in the teeth

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I and Hideyoshi walk side by side in Azuchi's chaotic streets. It's the first time I have the chance to visit this city, so my eyes try to notice as much as they can about the Sengoku life: I'm going go stay here for three mounths, so I need to adapt quickly. The street are really crowded, is almost impossibile walk without  bumping in someone and around me I hear a lot of voices: some people is complaining about the high prices and the merchants negotiate. But what catches my attention are the different form my time: in this period the air is more clean, without smog and pollution; when I breath I can smell the flavours of this place, but most importantly people watch aroud them, they look interested in what are gazing at. And I see two children smile at me when we pass close to them. And I start to wonder how many episodes like these I had missed looking at my phone and I start to feel inexplicably guilty.

"y/n" Hideyoshi recalls my attention, "I apologize from the bottom of my heart for the cold treatment I gave you in this week: I suspected you were a spy, came here to watch us, but now I understand how I was wrong". His apologize is really unaspected and it takes me by surprise, but I'm glad he doesn't think me ad a Please, forgive me" and he deeply bows. His bows is really unaspected and it takes me by surprise, but now I see how much he's sorry and I'm glad he doesn't think me ad a threat as I accept his apologise.

"Thanks very much for your apology, I gladly accept but you didn't need to bow. I mean, I can understand why you thought I was a spy. I hope we can be friends from now on" I smile at him and he does the same. Hideyoshi shows to me all the concern he usually deserve to the others:"Is everything okay in the castle? I hope you are fine and you aren't overwork yourself: is bad for your health. If Masamune tries do to funny things to you or Mitsuhide gives you trouble, come to me immediatly: I'll manage their misbehave". His worries leaves me a little bit puzzled:"I'm okay Hideyoshi. Thanks for your care, but you don't need to be so concerned about me, after all I just arrived" I reassure him. When I talk he glares at me as I just offended Nobunaga in front of him:"Don't say such a silly things! As long you are in the castle I worry about you as much I do with the others".

I always thought Nobunaga was the master of the castle, the one who commands the others but now I remind some days ago he took Nobunaga's favourite candies and the pouty look he gave to Hideyoshi. Just now it looks to me like Hideyoshi is the mother of all of us, whose cares are above Nobunaga himself.  For a second in my mind flashes the imagine of a hen Hideyoshi walks followed by a bunch of chicks warlords behind him and I start to laugh.

"Did I say something funny?" he asks perplexed and I shake my head in denial: Hideyoshi could never understand the fun thought of a girl from the meme era. We pass in front of a fabric shop and my eyes sparkle with joy. "Hideyoshi, is a problem if I enter in this shop?" I demand exited like a child in a candy shop and he respondes:"No, it's fine. I had no idea you were a girl who love fancy dresses".

"In fact I'm not. The truth is I love make dresses and before I came here, I was going to become a kind of sewer" I correct him and he wonders:"Why do you like so much sew?". "The first time I sewed was for a friend: a long time has passed, but I still remember her joy when I gave her the dress. Since then I sewed to see other's smiles when they wear my clothes. This makes me happy" I explain and he pats my head:"You really have a kind heart y/n". He continues with a kind smile:"If you want you can be a sewer in the castle, you know?", I exclame overjoyed:"Is that really possible? Thanks Hideyoshi!". His face turns serious:"Yes, but at two conditions: the first, you mustn't overwork yourself too much, otherwise sew will be forbidden", and his eyes soften a bit, "and the second is that I'd like your first work is for me". I agree at all the condition as we enter in the shop.

I'm so overjoyed that mayby I buy too much fabric and when we go out I start to feel guilty: after all Hideyoshi bought all with his money. We walk for some minutes, talking about the commission he gave me but then a man approach us and asks to speak alone with Hideyoshi.

He sends me an apologetically look and I smile:"Don't worry Hideyoshi, is fine. I'll go to watch some stalls over there to match with a kimono of mine" and I leave.

My gaze is cought by a jewelry seller's stall a few meter away: on the ground there's a white sheet full of shining jewels.

They are really beautiful and, even if I'm not a craftsman, I can see their valuable workmanship: they are simply perflect.

I gaze at a gem: it's a brilliant blue, probably is a sapphire. It is flawless and shining,  around the jewel there's a gold frame. Is really beautiful, but surely the price is out of my economical possibilities.

A familiar voice says:"You can touch of ya want, princess" and I stare at him: he is the white aired man I saw the night I arrived in Sengoku period. His relaxed back leans on the wooden wall, a leg lays straight on the ground and an arm is on the other knee.

"You are the man from that night" I reconize him, "So we meet again, Princess. I'm glad you remind me" says the man. "So you are a merchant, uh?" is the only thing that pops in my mind after some second of silence and I regret it as soon as I talk. "Nice to meet you, m'lady. I'm Motonari Mori, a humble merchant who travels around the world. And what about you?" he introduces himself. "I'm the Oda Princess, y/n. I'm a distant relative of Nobunaga. My family sent me here to find a husband. I'm glad to meet you" and I do the same, hoping he doesn't ask more about me.

As soon as I say I'm a Nobunaga's relative, it look to me to see a flash of interest in his eyes, but it vanishes too soon and I'm not sure about it. "I know very well the Oda family, but I didn't know Nobunaga had a princess" he says serious and a shiver runs down my back.

Did he notice I was lying? How? I'm sure I acted the most credible as possible.

I'm a bit nervous and I feel my hands sweating under his gaze, but I manage to look relaxed:"I always lived in a isolated country but, as I have alredy told you, I left my family to find a husband". And when I speak, his smile returns to be slightly ironic like before and he chuckles:"I was joking: I trust your words, Princess. But let me advice you since you'll stay with him for a while: Nobunaga may be really different from what you think. You should keep hight your guard around him".

I'm going to ask him what he's talking about, but he glares over my shoulder and says:"Don't worry if ya haven't the money right now: ya can keep the jewel and pay me in other ways. I have to with a colligue of mine". Puzzled I take the sapphire and I leave the stall. A man talks very close to him. I don't know what are they talking about, but they act like they share a dangerous secret. At some point Motonari looks at me with a spooky smile, but I don't see it because I turn to search Hideyoshi. When I find him, he tells me straight:"We have to return at the castle immediatly: a daimyo started a revolt against Lord Nobunaga"

Although all my protests and my escape attempts (failed for Mitsuhide's fault) two days later I'm on a war field with some Oda force members. Nobunaga, judging the rebellion small, sent Masamune, Mitsunari and Ieyasu to take care of the ribellion and he requested my presence as lucky charm. His words were:"You are a lucky charm: you will go with my vassals to bring them luck". And I wanted kick him in the teeth.

I'm in the backways to heal the wounded, but the grief rises in my chest: if the revolt is small, why it still going on?

While the time passes always more injured men come to be healed.

My fingers shake as I'm overhelmed by the fear of not be able to save them all: I know the basics of medicine but if they increase more I won't be able to do anything.

A man walks in the tend and speaks to me:"Lord Ieyasu says you must go to Nobunaga and ask for other troups" and I blink twice to be sure I heard correctly: I have to do what?

"We discovered that the situation is different from what we expected: this is a war not a revolt. He says you are the only one who can go to Azuchi" he continues seeing my puzzled look. I understand why I'm the only one: nobody would send a woman on a battlefield, so if the enemy' d catch me, they'd let me go; but this is still sheer madness. But as I watch around me I understand if I won't go all the wounded men will dies, so I declare with conviction:"Give me a horse!"

When we went on the battlefield, I rode with Ieyasu and I asked him how to ride and he explained it to me, obviously not without his salty tone and sarcastic words. So somehow I arrive safely an unharmed to Azuchi castle. Nobunaga listens my request and immediatly later we ride back to the field followed by twenty five troops.

Nobunaga leads the horse in the middle of the field (with me on) and takes side by side to Ieyasu and he comments:"I suppose the girl is more strong and brave then I thought". Should I take this as a compliment or as insult?

"My lucky charm did an excellent work, Ieyasu. Where's Masamune right now?" Nobunaga says proudly. I try to find Masamune in the turmoil of war, but all I see is death and devastation around us. I hear the artillery's shoots, men shouting orders to the soldier and the screams of dying man. I don't want be here!

I close my eyes and cover the ear to don't assist to this cruel and horrible show. But Nobunaga whispers in my hear:"y/n, open your eyes and uncover your ear: now we are going in the middle of the battle and you need to hold thight on the reins if you don't want fall" and I do what he suggests, even if the tentation to close the eyes is really strong. Nobunaga leads the army and in a blink of eyes I'm in the middle of the chaos. Some warrior become pale as they see Nobunaga, but the most of them start an assault. "He brought a woman on the field. Let's aim at her: she's is weak point!" screams a man, "You'd like it" I wishper and I kick him on the chin, making him fall by the horse. I can't lean on Nobunaga's protection in this moment, so I must count only to myself. An enemy soldier draws his sword at me, but Nobunaga cuts his hand:"This is my lucky charm and I don't allow someone to hurt her" and he starts a ferocious duel with his opponents. The time looks to quicken, due to adrenaline, as I see a lot of men get killed and I feel their blood on my face, but in some hours we win the war.

Once at Azuchi castle I lock myself in my room to coming to terms with the fact that I went to war and saw people die. The next day I go in Azuchi city, hoping that a bit of shopping will help me. I sit in a restourant and I eat a fish when a cat steals it from my plate. I follow the cat until he enters in a deserted and darker street. My female intuition suggests me to go back, but I'm too hungry to listen it. And I regret it when someone grabs my arms in a strong grip. I understand I'm in big trouble and I start to feel panicated when my mounth and my nose are covered by a tissue. I stop to breath to don't inhale chloroform and I squirm violently as much as I can. "Keep quiet if you don't want be hurted, little girl" says a male voice close my hear. I give him a head butt on his chin to free myself, but the grip on my fists os more thight and painful:"Unlike my captain I'm not a very patient man: if you keep on with your vain and useless resistence I won't so kind like now". I scream, but from the mouth exits only a low, muffled breath. "I told you to behave, little girl" growls the man and my head is crushed violently against the wall until I loose conciousness.

Posted on 8/11/'19

[originaldanganronpascenarios]

Amacha oneshot!

I can't put it under read rn but when I will be able to I'll do it! I was super excited to write it and I'm so happy I finally finished it!

Alsooo it's my first time writing something like this so... Sorry!

Wattpad:

Idea was given by @yawnmeno!

AU: Non-despair

Pairings: Himiko x Kokichi, Rantaro x Tenko

Triggers: none

Apologies for: Often POV changes bad English and slight ooc.

Himiko POV

I was quite excited! Why? Becouse Kokichi planned our first official date! We were going out right after school (Okay maybe not RIGHT after since we have to change our uniforms). But I got quite cute outfit ready so it whouldn't take long and we could go for it right away! Now it's time for school though... What a pain... I really wish I could just go with Kokichi but Tenko and Angie whould worry if I skipped day. Even if we are attending hope's peek and attending class is optional I kinda like to spend time with my classmates even though they are often a pain to deal with. I hate the fact that we have to wake up so early too...

Walking towards the classroom Tenko suddenly approached me and her loud voice almost scared me "Hey Himiko!" she was smiling as always. I was still a bit tired but I managed to respond "Hello Tenko" I yawned.

There was a small silence as we moved towards the classroom until she spoke up "Are you free today? I thought about meeting up with Angie and doing something together" she pulled out her phone in attempt to find something to do.

But I decided to stop it before she got excited "I do have plans today sorry". She seems a bit surprised "What are you doing?" she asked. Before I could say anything she started guessing "Do you have magic show prepared for today? Or did you overuse your mana again and need to regenerate or-"

"I'm going on a date with Kokichi" she was even more surprised than she was earlier but it's better that I didn't lie.

However I regret that I didn't say that it's something she shouldn't care about... "Really you are going to be alone with Kokichi!?" I noded she still wasn't used to us dating... It's annoying. Then Tenko proceeded to lecture me on why it's a bad idea and why I shouldn't trust Kokichi. As soon as I got inside the classroom I sat down and tried not to fall asleep while Tenko kept rambling.

When she was (finally) finished I looked at her with annoyed expression "Don't get me wrong Tenko but Kokichi is my boyfriend so I don't see why I shouldn't go"

"Still I don't trust him. I don't want anything bad happening to you! How about I tag along but just to be there in case something happens?" she kept insisting... This is bad... I need to tell Kokichi about it "I need to go back to my dorm I think I forgot something" I looked at Tenko and she believed me "Do you need my help?" she asked and I shook my head.

I decided to not waste more time and find him.

=> Time skip

I looked around the halls for him and there is no sign of Kokichi anywhere...

Just when I was about to give up someone hugged me from behind "I heard that someone was looking for me" I immediately looked towards source of the voice and it was Kokichi smiling. I was surprised that I didn't notice him sooner.

He saw my expression and his smile disappeared "Did something happen?" he asked while still hugging me. I sighed "It's just Tenko... She whouldn't stop talking on how she doesn't trust you" he quickly catched up "She wants to tag along on our date?" I nodded.

He thought for a moment his face lit up so he probably has an idea "Let her join us". I looked at him "What?" he then pat my head "Don't worry your pretty head about it. Just tell her to come I have an idea. Trust me she won't be bothering us" I have a bad feeling about this... But I agreed. Now I need to get back and tell Tenko about it.

Kokichi POV

I followed Himiko and we both entered the classroom. She went towards Tenko while I went to Rantaro.

"Heeey Rantaro can you do a favor for me?" I asked catching his attention "What do you need?" Rantaro a bit hesitantly asked. Since both Tenko and Himiko were in the room I couldn't risk them overhearing my plan. Even though it's nothing big I want it to be a surprise. So I signaled that I rather talk about it outside.

Not thinking twice he followed "So are you going to tell me what you need from me?"

"Can you join me and Himiko today" I said casually. Rantaro however seems to be a bit surprised "Wasn't that supposed to be a date?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Yup! But there is a third wheel that tries to prevent the date from happening soooo I'll need you to distract her" I ansvered like it was obvious.

"It's about Tenko isn't it?" I gave him a look of affirmation "I know that you like her" I said with teasing tone. Rantaro sighed "Whether I do or not it's none of your concern Kokichi"

"But you are my best friend how can I not care about your feelings?"

"Alright I'll do it" he put his hands up in defeat. I knew he'd agree to it sooner or later.

=> Time skip- 10 minutes before the date

Himiko POV

I managed to get ready early and so me and Tenko went to where we were supposed to meet wich was in front of school gates.  I wonder what Kokichi came up with in the end... I'm a bit afraid to ask but well I'll have to see for myself...

"Himiko are you... Mad at me?" I turned around towards Tenko. Before I got to say anything Kokichi arrived but he wasn't alone...

"Hey there" Rantaro calmly greeted us. I looked at Tenko and she didn't seem so happy "What is he doing here?" she crossed her arms "I could say the same about you Tenko" Kokichi copied her movement.

Well this is akward... "So..." Rantaro spoke up "Where are we going?"

"Well me and Himiko wanted to go to the amusement park" Kokichi ansvered.

So we all followed Kokichi since he knew where to go. It was all pretty silent. I kinda feel bad for Rantaro now that I think about it... Kokichi probably somehow forced him to go... Still I don't know why Kokichi thought bringing Rantaro whould anyhow help...

My thoughts were stopped when Kokichi grabbed my hand "Come on Himiko we are supposed to have fun! We won't do much if we just stand and watch others have fun!" he dragged me towards random attraction.

Rantaro POV

After Tenko saw Kokichi run away with Himiko from her field of sight she grabbed my hand and went same direction trying to find them "I can't believe I let my guard down! He is definitely plotting something"

"Or maybe he just wants to spend some time with his girlfriend alone" I sighed. Tenko stopped running and turned towards me she looked like she wanted to say something but she didn't and continued walking still holding onto my hand.

She probably didn't notice that since when we finally found the couple she looked flustered once she looked at her hand holding mine... She quickly snatched it and moved away from me like I did something to her.

It continued like this over and over again. Kokichi grabbing Himiko and going somewhere else then Tenko tries to make me follow her after them and I am trying to reason with her. I don't even know why she wants me to follow when she just can do it on her own. Still I told Kokichi I'd distract her... But it just seems impossible. She's super stubborn and caring person I know she means no harm but it needs to stop.

Just when I thought about a way to reason with her Kokichi didn't seem to run away this time "Maaan I got quite tired after so much fun! How about we take a break and grab something to eat?" he suggested as Himiko nodded.

So we all moved and Himiko spoke up "Tenko could you and Rantaro find someplace to sit? Me and Kokichi will get the food" not thinking twice Tenko agreed and both of us told them what we wanted.

And so the two of us managed to find a seat. Tenko was less bothered than before so I decided to talk to her "Is everything alright Tenko?"

"Don't play this game with me. Whatever you want from me you won't get it"

"Well all I wanted was an answer so if you don't want to I'm fine with it" as I shrugged Tenko looked like she was lost.

After few seconds she made up her mind "Fine! I'll tell you. But just because I need to get it off my chest and not becouse I consider you a friend or anything like it" she said with quite threatening tone. However this didn't stop me from wanting to listen "I'm all ears"

"Do you think Himiko hates me?" she asked as she started playing with her hair.

"Honestly I don't" I looked at Himiko and Kokichi waiting in line he seems to be teasing her again "But what I do think is that you should just leave her and Kokichi alone. I know it might be hard for you since well Kokichi isn't too trustworthy but he is someone she loves and they seem pretty happy together... Why stand in their way?"

As Tenko looked at them they were laughing together while still waiting in line. She looked like she felt guilty for her behavior "Even though you are a male I must admit... I agree with you. They do seem happy..." she looked quite sad "I think it's better if I will just go" she stood up and tried to walk away... But my body moved on its own and I didn't let her. When she turned around she blushed slightly "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I chuckled "I can't let you leave feeling down" then she hit my head "I told you not to play these games with me" she had expression of disgust mixed with annoyance.

"Just tried to be nice but if you really want to leave I can't really stop you"

She was probably lost in thought since she just stood there and looked at me. The longer she was staring the more her expression changed.

"Alright... I'll stay with you. But you better not be plotting anything" she said as she sat down next to me still keeping distance.

That's when Himiko and Kokichi came back with the food "Nyeh this line was so long my legs are tired from standing" Himiko complained as she sat down.

We had a small chat as we ate and Tenko didn't seem to be as bothered as she was before.

When we were finished Kokichi yet again grabbed Himiko and ran off. But this time Tenko didn't chase them. She turned towards me "Alright. Let's go" maybe it was the lights but her cheeks were slightly pink.

Then me and Tenko proceed to actually have fun. Her honest smile was just the best...

She was looking at one of the prizes wich was a cat toy. So not thinking twice I tried winning it and I managed to do so "Here" I smiled as I handed her the cat "Thanks but you know I could get it myself right?" she said as she pouted while I chuckled "I know. I just wanted to impress you I think" I laughed awkwardly as Tenko rolled her eyes yet again accusing me of 'playing this kind of games' with her.

It was slowly getting late and the lights made everything even more magical. So why not see everything from better view?

"Hey Tenko... Do you want to go on ferris wheel?"

"Sure!" she said as I was pretty surprised that she agreed.

So we two got there and waited in line. It seems like Kokichi and Himiko were going there too since they were ahead of us in line. Luckily it was short so we didn't had to wait long.

When the ride started she was a bit shaking "Tenko is everything alright?"

"NO! Uh- I mean yes everything is fine" she laughed awkwardly.

I raised my eyebrow and Tenko tried to change the topic "Look how pretty it looks from up here!" I chuckled as I admired the view... It was beautiful but not as beautiful as her smi- wait what am I thinking.

Rest of the ride was silent as we looked at the lights.

When we got down I still tried to figure out why she acted like that...

"Hello earth to Rantaro are you there?" Tenko waved her hand in front of me.

"Oh sorry Tenko what were you saying?"

"N-Nevermind what I said let's just go the park is soon closing" she crossed her arms as we headed to the front gate of the park where we met up with Kokichi and Himiko.

Both of them had a lot of prizes with them while Tenko was still holding onto one I won for her.

All of us headed back together but when Kokichi walked Himiko to her dorm I was alone with Tenko yet again.

She was hiding her (blushing) face behind the cat plushie and said "T-Thank you for today. For a male... You are pretty cool" she said as she gave me a quick hug and walked to her dorm.

~Mod Chiaki