#stomped by hippocampus

[grumpling]

hades 2 is really really good

[vera-keyes]

pinched by a crab strangled by an octopus bitten by a shark and stung by a jellyfish poked by an urchin stabbed by a marlin sawed by a sawfish and crushed by charybdis and slapped by a bass sliced by a sturgeon clobbered by a charp and stomped by hippocampus and smacked by a knucklehead and poisoned by a scuffer and burned by a slavug and swallowed by a WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAALE

[ryukatters]

def gojo, but also toji and maybe y’all are like competing assassins who run into eachother sometimes

⟡ word count: ~700

⟡ a/n: your brain is so big

⟡ Based on this ask

Your target is right ahead of you.

Just a few more feet, the two of you will be away from any wandering eyes and security cameras— and you’ll be in the clear to take him out with a single blow.

It’s an older gentleman— a local politician, you’ve been told, with connections to the black market. Made a few people working underground unhappy with some new laws passed. So you’ve been ordered to execute him.

You get jobs like this all the time. You don’t necessarily like what you do, but you don’t necessarily hate it either. It’s something that brings food to the table, allows you a roof over your head. Despite your unconventional career, it’s actually pretty stable, given your high success rate and gracious recommendations from satisfied clients.

Stable, as long as you’re the one actually doing the killing.

You blink once and suddenly your politician has a bullet going straight through his skull.

“You’ve gotta be faster than that, sweetheart.”

The politician’s body hits the floor with a dull thud. You hardly pay attention because all you hear is the rush of blood in your eardrums and all you can see is that annoying smirk on that stupid face of his.

Damn him.

You stomp towards Toji angrily, pointing an accusing finger into his (well-built) chest, “That was my target, you freak!”

“Was it? Well that’s too bad. Looks like you’ll have to pick up another job elsewhere,” he sneers. “Think you could make a pretty penny with those tits of yours.” He stares down at them pointedly. You feel your cheeks burn from humiliation.

“Oh fuck off, Fushiguro.”

“I’d much rather fuck you.”

Toji Fushiguro: a quick, money hungry, infamous assassin. Or, as you often call him— a pain in the ass. Your ass specifically, since he seems to have a tendency to sabotage all of your missions.

He’d argue that he simply has a penchant for pretty things, and you’re a high he has yet to come down from.

“You’re deplorable,” you spit, arms crossing over your chest. “A waste of space. Are you really so broke that you feel the need to steal someone else’s kill? Maybe you’re the one that needs to pick up a gig at the local strip club.”

Your words do nothing— they bounce off him as if he were a wall of solid steel. He might as well be. Nothing could ever penetrate Toji, physically and emotionally.

“So everyone can see the scratches you leave on my back?” He sneers, taking a step closer. He smells like sweat and cheap cologne. It’s intoxicating. “Dunno why you’re pretendin’ to hate me s’much with the way you’re creamin’ on my cock all the time.”

“Maybe because that’s the only redeeming quality you have,” you bite back. Toji merely chuckles, as if the venom spewing from your lips lacks virulence. And maybe it does.

“You’re pretty spunky today, baby. You know how much it turns me on when you put up a fight.”

You let out a growl, swinging your arm to punch him, but he’s gone from your sight before you even get the chance to land a blow. That’s the second time you’ve missed tonight.

He appears behind you before you can react.

Toji presses a kiss to the nape of your neck, relishing in the way you suppress a shiver as he leans down to his whisper in your ear, “Gotta be faster than that, sweetheart.”

You hate him. You remind yourself that every single time you see him.

“Bring that attitude with you tonight and see where that gets you,” he murmurs, allowing himself a rough nip at your jugular— a little taste of the inevitable. “You know where to find me.”

The words ring in your mind, each syllable being burned into your hippocampus with every passing second. You make quick work of delivering the corpse to your handler before you’re off to find a certain assassin.

Toji Fushiguro would ruin your life. Yet for some reason, you can’t find it in you to push him away when he calls.

[paperbackribs]

A Tarnished Copper Boy (34) | A03 Fic tags: time travel, friends to lovers, slow burn

“That’s all well and good,” Wayne interrupts gravely, “But how do we get Steve back?”

Eddie’s heart sinks at Owens’ sigh, “And that is a great question that I’m not even sure of how to start answering. Like I said, the scans we made of the gates that Henry made are no different than the ones created by the Lab.”

He nods at Eddie, “I’ve inspected both Mr Munsons since you had the most interaction with Mr Harrington as he ‘blipped’ through time and neither of you have anything unusual in your results either. Although Eddie, you do have a slightly overactive hippocampus, which is only of note because it’s where we consolidate short-term memories into long-term memories.”

“And what does that tell us,” Nancy asks pointedly.

Eddie frowns at Owens as he ruefully shrugs his shoulders, vehemently disliking such a vague answer from a scientist who has spent years studying the Upside Down. Anger starts to lick at him as the pleasantly nonchalant expression on his face doesn’t alter at their questions. “That time travel has never been studied—at least, to my knowledge—and we are in an unknown territory.”

Robin meets Eddie’s eyes from across the room and he nods in agreement as she rolls her eyes, injustice stirring the beast inside. “So, we wait?” Eddie harshly demands, irritated that the only solution offered is the same one that he’d thought of months ago, ignorant of the science and magic of this world yet still no better than the experts.

“I don’t want to wait,” he bristles, anger rising at Owen’s sympathetic grimace.

“I’ve been fucking waiting for nearly two years to see whether Steve would come out on the other side of this, and we’ve finally passed the juncture that he went back. We’ve finally reached the point where I can tell all of you people.” He gestures furiously at those gathered in the trailer, “You’re the clever ones, you’re the geniuses in Steve’s back pocket, why don’t you have something more than wait and see.”

He glares at the shocked faces of the kids and at the concerned look that Hop and Wayne share. The frustration of it all boils over and he decides he needs to get out of the enclosed space before he says something he regrets. He pushes past Mike, Jonathon and the other guy who he hadn’t caught the name of yet and stomps out towards the line where the trailer park marks the woods...

Chapter34

Tag list:

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[stupidpop]

pinched by a crab strangled by an octopus bitten by a shark and stung by a jellyfish poked by an urchin stabbed by a marlin sawed by a sawfish and crushed by charybdis and slapped by a bass sliced by a sturgeon clobbered by a charp and stomped by hippocampus and smacked by a knucklehead and poisoned by a scuffer and burned by a slavug and SWALLOWED BY A WHAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLEEEEEEE

[brownheadedcowbird]

Spotify has released a feature that creates a playlist that is a blend of two people’s favorite music. Now, you can bond while listening to old favorites and expanding your horizons. It is based on both individuals’ most-played songs and the songs they have in common. In other news, unrelated, my brother has learned that I listen to Tell Me Baby by the Red Hot Chili Peppers once a week because i think it’s funny.

[emmanelson]

Chapter 2: Nose Rings and Nightcaps

you guys asked for a follow up chapter so here you go

takes place during 2x04: ...Had an Indian Frenemy

Devi tried not to let Aneesa get under her skin. And for most of the day, she was good at faking a smile or a laugh when she needed to. 

“We still on for tutoring this week?” Paxton had caught up to her in the hallway and Devi attempted to send him a smile.

“Yeah. But let’s go to your house. I think my grandmother has a crush on you.”

Paxton was glancing over at Aneesa and Devi saw red. 

“Saw you talking to Neese. She’s dope. You guys friends?” Not you too, Devi thought to herself in horror. Would Paxton call her Devi 2.0 as well?

“Yeah, pretty dope.” Devi muttered under her breath before turning on her heel and walking away with an eye roll. 

Not wanting things to end on such a bad note, Devi slowly walked back up to Paxton and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Do you want a quickie in the janitor’s closet?”

His pulse sped up as he blinked, staring at her in disbelief. “Aren’t you worried about being late to class?” People had begun to disperse, the hallways emptying as students ran in different direction and they were the only ones left that Devi could see. 

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’ll see you later then.” Just as she was able to make a dramatic exit and turn back to give him a flirty smile, he had secured her wrist and pulled her back towards him. 

“Five minutes enough time?” 

‘If you can last that long.” The two stared at each other, equally cocky expressions forming as they practically ran towards the vacant closet trying not to laugh. 

“So what subject should we start with?” Paxton inquired as soon as Devi situated herself at his kitchen table. 

“Biology?”

“But with History, all you have to do is rap and suddenly it makes sense. Can you do something like that for me with Bio?”

“Look at biology in terms of swimming.” The look Paxton gave her was one of confusion and incredulous. 

“The last thing I want to think about is swimming while I still have this damn cast.”

Devi’s mouth opened only to close a few seconds later as she tried to change the subject, he made a valid point. 

Devi leaned up to an upper level in the pantry and Paxton was pretty sure he stopped breathing for a good minute or two when he saw her bare skin.  

“Are you good having a snack break? Our brains need food as well.”

He felt like shoving her against the door of the pantry and fuck her until her entire body was shaking, but his mouth felt like cotton so he found himself nodding. 

Devi moved further into the kitchen and made her way towards the fridge. She got out the filtered water, placing it on the counter and filled up two glasses before setting it back where it was prior. When she shut the door, her body jolted in response as two strong arms wrapped around her waist and turned her so she was now facing him.

Within the time that Devi had gotten the Britta back in the fridge, Paxton pressed his body against hers so she was placed between the firmness of his body and the sturdy metal of the fridge door. 

“Shouldn’t this wait until after we get through your assignment?” Devi murmured against his lips, exhaling a shallow breath as she fought to curve into his body and let school be damned. 

“Sex is basic biology isn’t it?” His breath was hot against her ear and her knees threatened to buckle out from under her. “A primal instinct. An animalistic urge.” He nipped at her collarbone, teeth and tongue switching off as his hands went underneath her shirt to cup her breasts. 

“Pheromones are detected through the hippocampus.” She shuddered against him as she spoke, the words coming out slowly as she struggled to level her breathing. 

“How do you make biology sound so sexy?” Her lips parted as he let out a low chuckle. She only buried her face against the fabric of his flannel, trying to hide the blush that now painted her cheeks. With his only good arm he lifted up her body and pushed her against the cool metal, an involuntary squeal slipping past her lips as her legs wrapped around his waist. 

“Say something else.”

“Hormones are produced and secreted by the endocrine glands.”

“Why is this turning me on?” Paxton grunted, his throbbing lower region rubbing against her core, only fueling her desires. 

“What can I say? I know what I’m talking about.” She never thought that being smart would lead to this kind of situation. 

“I need to learn how to apply this stuff right?” His voice dropped to a husky tone as Devi once again gulped, her brain turning to mush as her legs began to shake. 

“Where’s Rebecca? Your mom?”

“Work, and my mom is tending to her garden out back. She usually plays 60’s music or listens to Christian audiobooks.”

“So she won’t be able to hear us?” Her fingers toyed with the zipper on his jeans, his hard-on poking through the fabric. 

“Not if you’re quiet enough.” Her eyes widened at the tone his voice now took, it was almost demanding and harsh against her skin, the intensity of his gaze never wavering. 

Paxton almost scoffed at her doe-eyed gaze but then kissed her so he wouldn’t keep feeling like a dick. With that, his jeans dropped and he was pulling her shorts down, her underwear following soon after, the wetness seeping from it was felt on her ankles. 

Soon he was inside her and each time she lifted her hips to meet his, her shirt rode up and the cold hit her back, causing goosebumps to raise on her arms. She didn’t mind this kind of tutoring.

The following Friday, Devi and Paxton were texting back and forth while she sat with Aneesa and Eleanor in her bedroom. 

And they still texted as Devi got to know Aneesa and decided that she wasn’t all that bad after-all. Ben had stomped away from her after she had gotten her nose pierced, Eleanor and Aneesa were probably blocks ahead of her by now and all she wanted to do was sit down on the bench and listen to her dad’s voicemail until the sun came up. She didn’t want to go home, but she knew she couldn’t stay in an abandoned parking lot so she walked until her feet had carried her straight to Paxton’s house.

She had walked, rode by on her bike, and memorized every turn her mom took in the car for so long now that it was basically muscle memory. 

She hesitantly knocked on the door to his garage, and his face came into view as he rubbed his eyes. 

“Were you sleeping? Do you fall asleep in the garage a lot?” She furrowed her eyebrows as she took in his disheveled form. He still looked hot even in a T-shirt and sweats. 

“Nah, I was up playing Fortnite.” The glow from the TV hit Devi’s eyes as soon as she stepped in and he shut the door behind them. “Is that a nose ring?” He took a step closer to her and leaned in, inspecting the new piece of jewelry she was sporting. 

“It looks nice.” Devi was glad it was pitch black outside because she was surely turning beet red. It looked badass actually, but Paxton wasn’t about to be singing her praises just yet. He still felt like he was getting a bucket of ice poured on his chest whenever she came into view. 

“Did you come here for a nightcap or something?” He teased, eyes momentarily leaving hers as he scanned his phone to check the time. It wasn’t too often that she was even out this late, let alone showing up to his place in the middle of the night. 

She slowly leaned up and brushed her lips against his. She kissed him slowly, her lips moving against him as if she was burning and he provided the only source of water available. She wanted to savor it, but at the same time knew she had to stick to their arrangement. 

“Maybe more of a late night booty call?” She cringed at her own use of the word, but it brought a smile out onto Paxton’s face, and she would gladly take the embarrassment if he kept looking at her with that smile, with those eyes. 

“Do you always look this good?” He asked, upon seeing the outline of her skirt, how it was torn at the ends and how he wanted to rip whatever remained so it was off her body. 

“If you’re quiet enough, we won’t wake your parents or sister.” She repeated his words from earlier, a finger coming up to hover over his lips. He was about to ask about school, mention that they usually only fooled around when it had something to do with his grades, but he decided against it. She was here, wanting him, offering up her body to him. In the back of his mind, he briefly wondered if she was having a similar type of arrangement with Ben, but from the cold reception and snarky comments the younger guy was throwing her way, he figured he had gotten the better end of the deal. 

His eyes looking at her up and down, fingers playing with the zipper of her skirt as she pushed his shirt up and over his head. She lightly tugged on his hands, steering him towards the couch and climbing on top of him when they finally landed.  

Paxton was tracing the outline of her jean skirt with his fingers, dipping in and out of her inner thighs and her breath hitched. “Do you this could count as my PE credit?” 

“It does burn a shit ton of calories.” Paxton smirked in reply, moving a piece of hair behind her ear as he kissed any exposed skin he could find and peeled off her tank top. “I’ll write you a note.” Was the only response that he was able to form before flipping them over so she was wiggling underneath him. 

Her name vibrated against her own ear as he came, sweat sticking to their bodies as he slumped against her. He moaned her name in a way that felt like the first time anyone had ever uttered it. She had never heard it sound so beautiful. The tension and anxiety she had been feeling earlier in the evening was gone, replaced with a warmth that spread all throughout her body. 

“I should probably go.” She had checked her phone to see it had blown up with text messages and calls from Eleanor and Aneesa, asking where she was and telling her she needed to come back before her mother woke up. She slid her clothes back on with ease, unlocking her phone to see the full extent of the damage. Paxton only nodded in response as he slipped his boxers back on and stood up. 

“This is what you look like in the morning, after sex might I add?” She gawked, eyes hungrily scanning over his shirtless form. 

“Guess so.” He grinned, he couldn’t help his looks anymore than Devi could help the fact that she was naturally good at embarrassing herself at parties. 

“Not fair.”

“It looks pretty badass by the way.” Paxton complimented, biting his lip as he walked them towards the door. “The nose ring.”

“Thanks.”

“And thank you for the study help today. Or is it yesterday since it’s technically now tomorrow?” A look of confusion set in as Devi let a soft laugh bubble. 

“Thanks for the orgasms.” And before Paxton could search his brain for a reply, Devi had hurried out the door and didn’t even look back to see if he was staring at her retreating form.  

He totally was. 

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Non-Sequential [Ch. 16]

Pairing: Pre-Serum Steve Rogers/Steve Rogers x Reader

One night, Steve Rogers met a beautiful dame named Y/N. He hadn’t intended on letting her get away. But fate had other ideas. Y/N appeared and disappeared in his life so hauntingly that Steve started to wonder if she was an angel meant to watch over him.

Word Count: 3,100

Chapter 15

Bucky squinted as the sun beamed down on him.

It had become a routine of sorts. Y/N, not knowing anyone in Wakanda nor willing to make new friends in her current state, would usually find her way down to Bucky’s farm eventually. Some days she couldn’t bring herself to leave her room. But it felt like those were becoming less and less of a thing.

She’d ask Bucky if she could help with anything. He refused to give her any actual job. He pretty much just asked her to feed the animals, or convinced her they needed to be talked to or they’d get irritated.

Mostly Y/N just sat on a bail of hay or a blanket he’d throw on the ground for her and read while Bucky worked around the farm.

She almost never talked to him.

Bucky wished she would, but being able to keep an eye on her was good enough for him…for now.

“You ever take a break from reading?” He called out in exasperation after he threw another bail of hay off the large wagon.

She eyed him, “To do what exactly?”

Bucky’s smile faltered a little bit, knowing he was nearing dangerous territory. “Ever considered writing something of your own?”

Y/N glared at him, “You mean like a diary?”

He shrugged. “Diary, journal, notebook – whatever you want to call it, yeah.”

“No, thanks.” She shot back instantly and then somehow picked up her book again with an attitude and put an end to her portion of the discussion.

Bucky took a few steps closer to her and then put his hands on his hips. “You know, it might help a bit.”

“Sure,” she snapped back without taking her eyes off of her book.

“You’re not talking to me, kid. You’re not talking to anyone. At least talk to yourself. Get those thoughts out of your head and on paper. Maybe it’ll help you make sense of them.”

Now Y/N was fully glaring at him. “Yeah?” She mocked. “Is that what you do?”

Bucky took the challenge. “Yes, actually. It is.”

“I’m not trying to piece together my memories, Bucky. I know what happened to me. I’m not trying to remember. I’m trying to forget it.” Her voice was cold as ice when she said it.

“I’m only trying to help, Y/N.” He told her softly.

But she wasn’t finished with her anger yet. She stood up and took a few combative steps toward him until she was just a foot away from him.

“What do you want me to write? That the curse I was given almost got me killed once again? That I was tortured?” She was screaming now. “That I live every day fucking terrified of when I get thrown somewhere in time again? That – after everything that’s happened – my boyfriend left me in a foreign country to deal with it all alone?”

He was quiet.

“Is that what you want me to write, Bucky? Yes or no?” She bellowed.

“You’re not alone,” he muttered.

Her face dropped. “What?”

He looked her dead in the eyes. “I said you’re not alone.”

“Whatever,” Y/N rejected before stomping away.

But Bucky couldn’t let her leave in such a condition. She may have yelled it all at him, but it was the first time she had even somewhat opened up. It was the first time she even told anyone that she had been tortured. Obviously it was what every had already assumed. But he took it as a giant step forward, having her finally just admit it.

In a panic, he turned and gently grabbed her forearm.

Y/N ripped it away like he’d burned her and whirled around. “Don’t fucking touch me!” But her eyes weren’t wide with anger. They were wide with pure and acute fear.

Bucky quickly stepped back and raised his hands. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. That was stupid.”

Her fear was quickly replaced with embarrassment. She escaped even quicker now.

This time, Bucky had no choice but to let her.

He rubbed his face and then nearly pulled out his hair.

“Goddammit!” He hissed to himself. 


 What the hell had he been thinking, grabbing her like that?

No one understood what she was going through more than him. When he first got out of cryo and was on the run, the idea of ever letting someone touch him again made him sick to his stomach. No matter how kind someone’s face or intentions were, he no longer trusted that anyone’s touch would do anything other than harm him.

Bucky stomped into his hut and started going through his things.

“Damnit, where’d I put that thing?” He muttered to himself.

Eventually he found it in a drawer: a phone, the burner phone that Steve had given him. It was for emergencies. Through Wakandan tech, Steve would call every once in awhile. But sometimes he was in places where that wasn’t possible. But the burner phone was the exception.

Bucky flipped it open and dialed the only number in the address book.

It only rang twice before he picked up.

“Buck? Is everything OK?” His voice was instantly panicked.

“It’s not me,” Bucky said slow and quiet.

The other end went quiet.

“She’s not OK, Steve. She needs you. You hear me? So, get your ass back here and be there for her. I’m not going to tell you again.”

Then he hung up before Steve could answer.

—————

Despite her anger at Bucky, Y/N still didn’t want to be alone.

Shuri had told Y/N, with utter sincerity, that she always welcome in her lab.

So Y/N found herself making her way there, almost like a zombie of sorts.

Two of the Dora Milaje nodded at her politely as she walked through the doors. It only took a few days for all of the guards to put together that Y/N held almost 0 threat to the royal family or the general public. Soon they grew protective of her, losing all sense of suspicion and mistrust.

Shuri spotted Y/N’s entrance immediately and jumped in excitement. “Oh, great! Your timing could not be better!”

Y/N blinked in surprise and confusion.

“I’ve done quite a few tests with your blood work. However, I’ll learn a lot more once I get the readings from before and after your time-travel. But that will come eventually.”

Y/N shivered at the idea of traveling again. 

She hadn’t since returning to the present after being tortured and held captive by Hydra. The thought of ending up somewhere dangerous again was the reason she couldn’t sleep and her mind was filled with horrors.

Shuri pointed to one of her lab chairs and grabbed another for herself, silently telling Y/N to take a seat.

“We’ve clarified two things,” Shuri started in a serious and authoritative voice, “You only travel to two types of places in the past and future: places of your own life and places of Steve’s life.”

Y/N winced a bit. “Well…that’s not entirely true.”

Shuri tilted her head to the side.

“I went back in time to Bucky – I guess it was twice, depending on how you look at it.”

“Go on,” Shuri encouraged.

“I went back to WWII. Steve was technically there. But he was on a scouting mission. The date was more significant for Bucky than it was for Steve. It was Bucky that found me, not Steve. And then the other time…” Y/N suddenly realized that she would have to talk about Hydra to explain the second time she’d been brought to Bucky.

“When you last traveled,” Shuri finished for her. “You do not have to talk about it if you are not ready.” The princess offered with a kind and gentle smile.

Y/N swallowed awkwardly and realized how dry her mouth and throat had suddenly become. But she just nodded.

“While I have yet to fully analyze and diagnose your abilities, I am starting to understand what motivates where they take you.” Shuri began to explain and pulled up a hologram of a brain. But not just any brain, it was Y/N’s brain. “There are two things I believe are controlling the destinations of your travels: memory and love.”

Shuri pointed to the lit up areas of the brain. “The parts of your brain that control memory are your amygdala, hippocampus, cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. Emotions like fear and love are controlled by the limbic system, which is located in the temporal lobe. The amygdala is also part of the limbic system, which – as I just mentioned – also controls memory.”

Y/N slowly stood up from here seat and got closer to stare at the scan. “So, basically, my amygdala is the things that most controls of my ability?”

Shuri nodded, “That is the simplest way I can put it.”

Y/N crossed her arms and still stared at the scan. “I travel to Steve because I love him so much.” Her voice was barely a whisper, but Shuri was able to make out the words still.

“When it comes to your memories, you cannot think of them as linear. Your powers take memories from your past and future to effect your present. Your memories have no beginning and no end. Your powers are all-knowing. I believe, perhaps, you are in a Predestination Paradox.”

“What does that mean?” Y/N quickly interrupted.

“Well, you are unable to change the past, which would be what the time travel theorists call a Grandfather Paradox. You are simply a witness through both the past and the future, unable to change anything. Therefore, your visits have already been set in time.”

Y/N nodded, somehow following Shuri’s explanation and theories.

“The reason you started traveling to Steve, before you even met him in your present, is because your consciousness already existed in the future. And your love for each other created a chemical effect that influenced your time-traveling destinations…forever.”

The last part was the least surprising of the news. Over the years, Y/N and Steve had put together that their bond in the future had brought them together in both of their pasts. But the way Shuri explained it all made it all seem so much more formidable.

“And what if we stopped?” Y/N’s voice shook as she asked.

Shuri squinted. It was the first time she seemed confused in the conversation. “Stopped what?”

“Stopped loving one another.”

Shuri’s first reaction was to say that she couldn’t imagine a world where Steve and her didn’t love each other. But it was not her place to say such things. Y/N was looking for a scientific hypothesis, not a friend to talk her down.

“I…I do not know, Y/N.” Shuri admitted.

“Can you make it stop?” Y/N shot back. “Can you back the time traveling stop?”

Shuri bowed her head. “I am not sure yet. There is still far too much to learn before I can give you an honest answer, Y/N.”

Meanwhile, Y/N looked more disappointed than anything. But she bowed her head slightly in acceptance before fleeing the lab in a brisk walk.

—————————————

Y/N had made her way to the lake. It was the middle of the night. It would have been a little more dangerous had a guard not been assigned to her. The only time they left her alone was when she was with Bucky. Y/N had found that odd, but didn’t dare think on it too long.

She hugged one knee to her chest, as her other leg dangled over the dock and her foot drew circles in the cold water.

Then she heard footsteps coming up behind her.

They were loud in a way that made her realize the person made sure she heard them, so they wouldn’t scare her.

Bucky.

Only Bucky would do something like that.

Y/N didn’t turn around or acknowledge him. But she felt him sit down beside her. It was a little difficult for him to do, with having one arm and all. He made sure to put a few feet between them. 

“I went to the palace to talk to you. When you weren’t in your room, I thought I might find you here.”

She didn’t say anything in return.

“Y/N, I’m sorry for grabbing you the other day. I should’ve known better. I just panicked when I saw how upset I’d made you and immediately wanted to fix it.”

She stayed silent.

“You won’t talk about it. But I know what happened to you,” Bucky finally confessed. “I know because I remember. When Shuri finally got rid of my brainwashing, memories just started flooding back. And when I saw you for the first time here, it triggered everything. I saw your injuries and – I was there.”

Y/N’s eyes finally snapped to him. His ice-blue eyes were already waiting to meet her gaze. 

Her breathing became heavier.

“I’m not telling you this so I can pretend to know what you’re going through.” His look stayed so gentle and sincere. “I’m telling you because I want you to know that even if you never want to talk about what happened, you don’t have to do this by yourself. You don’t have to have to keep it a secret because you’re scared of how people will react.”

Y/N’s eyes swelled with tears that she managed to blink away.

A silence settled between them. All they could hear were the crickets and other nocturnal creatures. The waves of the lake would make a heavier sound against the pebbly beach every so often.

Finally, Y/N took in a shaky breath. Her gaze looked over the water now. “When I first saw you here–” She shook her head. “I can’t explain it, but I instantly got this odd sense of comfort. It made me realize that I wasn’t alone in what I went through. Because, even if it wasn’t really you, you were there with me.”

She looked at him. “Do you remember what you did?”

Bucky swallowed. He couldn’t find the words.

“You tried to help me,” Y/N muttered. “You protected me.”

He shook his head. “And look what a shit job I did at it.”

“That’s not true,” Y/N urged.

“If I had been stronger, I could’ve stopped it all. I could’ve kept you safe.”

“Bucky, you were brainwashed. The fact that you were even able to break through it at all and do what you had is remarkable.”

He was starting to get worked up now. “If Steve knew I was there and did nothing…”

“But you did do something!” Y/N argued.

Suddenly they were interrupted by Y/N’s guard walking to them. “I have a message from His Majesty.” Then the guard tapped the Kimoyo Beads around his wrist and a hologram of T’Challa appeared.

“Sergeant Barnes, Y/N,” he greeted politely, as if it wasn’t the middle of the night. “I must request that you both come back to the palace immediately.”

“Is something wrong?” Y/N asked quickly.

“No, but your presence is required.” Then he hung up, leaving no room for more questions or refusals.

Y/N shared a worried look with Bucky. But he didn’t seem to feel the same concern.

“Come on,” Bucky said as he carefully maneuvered himself back onto his feet. It should’ve been more awkward without a second limb. But even with one arm, Bucky was disturbingly graceful.

He held out his hand, offering to help Y/N up.

She took it without really thinking, trying to figure out what could possibly be waiting for them at the royal palace.

The walk was filled with silence.

Little did Y/N know that Bucky was pretty sure what – or rather, who – would be waiting for them with King T’Challa.

The guard led them to the landing dock without forewarning them. They just followed mindlessly.

Someone with dirty blonde and shaggy hair was talking to T’Challa, with his back to them.

Y/N squinted.

T’Challa meeting her gaze made the stranger’s back tense and stop talking.

He turned around and Y/N stopped in her tracks.

Steve looked like a different person. For the first time since Y/N knew him, he had a beard. His hair was longer than she’d ever seen it. Somehow he looked bigger, but she doubted that was a actual possibility.

While Y/N’s eyes widened in shock and – was it fear? – Steve looked like his heart was about to burst out of his chest. 

Then his eyes shifted between her and Bucky. He hadn’t expected his best friend to be at Y/N’s side when he saw her again.

Without even realizing what she was doing, Y/N took a quick and big step backward. It caused her to run into Bucky’s chest.

“It’s OK, kid.” Bucky whispered to her reassuringly.

The interaction didn’t go amiss by Steve.

Y/N was breathing heavily, convinced she was about to have a panic attack at any moment. The shock of it all was doing nothing for her sleep deprivation. Her emotions were all over the place. She was in no state to be able to handle this.

“Figured you’d be sleeping by the time I got here,” Steve finally broke the silence.

Of all the first things to say to Y/N, Steve knew that shouldn’t been it. But he lost all composure.

Y/N stared at him for a moment, still trying to process if she was starting to imagine things. It wasn’t uncommon for people with insomnia.

But then something snapped within her.

“So you were planning on leaving before I could see you,” she accused.

Steve blinked, surprised by the animosity of both her words and tone.

But before anyone else could say anything, Y/N turned on her heels and fled.

“Y/N, wait!” Bucky called after her, taking a step in her direction.

But he had learned his lesson and let her run.

T’Chall cleared his throat. “I will…let you speak amongst yourselves.” Then he looked at Steve. “I have prepared a room for you, Captain. The guard will show you to it when you are ready. Goodnight.”

Steve gave a nod in thanks, and he and Bucky watched the King leave them.

“She hates me,” Steve whispered the moment they were alone.

----------------------------

Chapter 17

So, I’ve had a shit couple of days. I also haven’t been inspired or motivated to write. I’m honestly shocked I was even able to write this chapter in a somewhat timely matter. It would make me very happy if you guys commented or just shared your thoughts and reactions. :) Thanks

[justcrafting]

Kelpsea (Kelp/Kelpie + Sea): The Water Horse Pokemon (Water) Kelpsea are known to be very curious creatures, straying from their pods' sides to follow swimmers and surfers as they traverse through Alora's seas and bays. On quiet mornings and evenings, Kelpsea can be seen frolicking through the surf on the shore, kicking up sand and spray as they chase each other through the shallow waters. Move-sets: -Tackle -Leer -Stomp -Splash -Bubble Beam -Mud Sport -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equrrent (Equine + Current): The Water Horse Pokemon (Water) Kelpsea's curiosity evolves into mischief as it evolves into Equrrent. Now they like to push surfers off their boards while they ride and will surface beneath swimmers to take on unwanted rides through the water. They enjoy splashing water onto sunbathers and stealing bait from fishermen. They do know if a joke has gone too far, however, and have been seen bringing gifts of shells and other items to those they have pranked as an apology. Move-sets: -Water Gun -Water Pulse -Rain Dance -Mud Slap -Mud Bomb -Dive -Aqua Tail -Pound -Baby Doll Eyes -Take Down 

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Oceampus (Ocean + Hippocampus): The Water Guardian Pokemon (Water) Equrrent's mischievousness mellows out once it evolves into Oceampus. This Pokemon still enjoys the occasional prank, but has dedicated the majority of its time to protecting the creatures in its territory. Oceampus protects humans from Pokemon like Sharpedo and Hatterene, fellow marine life from poachers, and its own pod from attackers. Oceampus are common partners to local life guards and rangers. Move-Sets: -Hydro Pump -Protect -Aurora Beam -Aqua Tail -Water Pulse -Whirlpool -Aqua Ring -Strength

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Kelpsea (meet at LVL 5) --> Evolves into Equrrent at LVL 15 --> Evolves into Oceampus at LVL 35

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Originally posted on my dA but I decided to put them here too! The water starters for my Fakemon Region Fakedex!

[spiderman-homecomeme]

Day One - When in Vegas

Prompt: future!au

It’s cutting it close, but here is my first contribution to @spideychellemonth! I’m gonna try my darndest to keep up, but I’m so excited for this guys!! 

This is potentially going to be multi-chapter, mostly because it was getting too long and I was having just TOO MANY IDEAS lmao Let me know what y’all think!��This is also based off of an idea an anon sent me a week or so ago about a marriage pact!AU that i just LOVED the idea for 

Basically, the 1.7k Waking Up Married in Vegas!AU nobody asked for pls enjoy! <3

.

.

Fuck.

It’s the first semi-coherent thought that pops into MJ’s head as she’s dragged into a sluggish state that can barely be described as consciousness. Her eyes, feeling as if they might fall right out of her skull, squeeze shut in an effort to stop the sun’s merciless assault. The groan that leaves her mouth as she turns away from the window is almost inhuman, her tongue heavy and dry, throat feeling as if she’d just swallowed barbed wire. If she moves too much, she’s sure whatever concoction of last night’s activities currently residing in her stomach are going to end up on the floor. 

Three gin and tonics, two vanilla screwdrivers, and a few too many—who was counting, really?—shots of tequila seemed like an okay idea last night, at least past-MJ thought. 

That was a problem for future-MJ.

Future-MJ hates past-MJ.

It was true, it was all true, she reflects as her stomach gurgles violently, lurching into the back of her throat. 

It’s a simple explanation, really.

Over time, the enzymes required to metabolize all that booze have started to weaken, no longer breaking down toxins with the same vigor, leaving the elusive acetaldehyde to roam free. 

In other words, she’s thirty.

Gone were the glory days where she could drink the night away and wake up with just a mild headache. The days where she could have as many different cocktails as her heart desired and not wake up feeling like death itself. The days where she could drink just one glass of pinot noir and not feel like an angry bull is stomping on his hippocampus.

But it had been Ned’s 30th, one of her best friends since high school, a real cause for celebration. They were in Vegas, for crying out loud. Sin City. What was she supposed to do?

Not drink?

(Well, yeah. That would have been ideal.)

But where was the fun in that?

Her hand brushes across her bare stomach, and she realizes with a small start that she’s naked. 

She’s not sure if she’s ever been more confused.

Come to think of it, she’s not sure she even knows what happened last night. There’s flashes, very brief flashes of club music, Grey Goose, way too much glitter, and a lot of highly questionable, dumbass financial decisions involving slot machines and poker games.

She’s pretty sure she’s still alive, about 62%, but she’s also fairly certain that her brain has been replaced with cotton and sewing needles. An ache that starts right around her knees shoots up her spine, radiating throughout her body as she pulls the blanket tighter around her and buries her puffy face into the pillow.

When she realizes that any chance of sleep is gone for good, and that she can’t just will this splitting headache away with her own mind, she cracks an eye open. She immediately regrets that decision as soon as the harsh sunlight hits, shaking her head, throwing her arm out in some kind of half-assed effort to fight it off. 

Her heart nearly stops when her hand hits something soft and warm next to her. She yanks her hand back, eyes shooting open to see someone—a man—face down in the mattress, head of chocolate brown waves turned away from her. A rather uncalled for heat swarms her body as her gaze drifts to his exposed back and lingers on the taut muscles there, drifting lower, the thin stop-sheet just barely covering the curve of his—

What the hell happened last night?

But dread starts to mix with the nausea gripping at her stomach as she realizes something about the naked mystery man in her bed.

She knows that curly mop of brown hair.

Immediately, she shoots up from the bed, gripping the sheet against her chest. 

A big mistake.

The nausea finally wins the battle, and she runs to the bathroom, not bothering to cover up as she empties the toxic contents of her stomach into the toilet. 

It’s a wonder Peter doesn’t wake up from her violent retching. 

She forces out a harsh exhale as she flushes down the remnants of her night out, hand reaching out to grip the bathroom counter as she rises on shaky legs. She grabs the complimentary bathrobe—how fancy—and shrugs it on before turning to the sink to splash ice cold water onto her face. 

And that’s when she sees it. 

The gaudy, cheap, obviously fake rock sitting smugly on her left ring finger, staring right back at her slack-jawed expression. 

What the fuck?!

It all comes back to her. 

They’d been so, so incredibly dumb. 

Both of them.

Peter looks stupid good.

He always has, of course, she wasn’t blind. 

But his late-twenties seemed to have been incredibly kind to him. He still had that boyish charm she’d always secretly liked, but now… now there was just something about him, standing under these neon casino lights, wearing a plain black suit with a white tee underneath, that brought back years and years of repressed high school feelings. 

Mutual feelings that neither of them ever acted on. Only joked about.

They would never have worked as a couple, they’d always say.

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

So they both moved on. It was high school. They still had the rest of their lives ahead of them. 

Plus, the risk of ruining their solid friendship was just too great. 

So why, after nearly twelve years, is she having to actively fight back the stupid fluttering of butterflies when he so much as glanced in her general direction? 

It makes no sense. 

It isn’t like they haven’t seen each other since high school. Yeah, it’s been a few months since they last caught up, both of them being too busy with work and the like, but...

They were still friends—best friends, even.

She blames it on the second gin and tonic.

Yes, it’s the warm buzz of the alcohol running through her body that’s making her feel like she’s pretty damn close to walking on air. 

And she chases that feeling, returning again and again to the bar—sometimes with Peter, himself—giving up on actually counting her drinks after the first shot of tequila. 

Tequila was clearly not her friend in this case.

It could also have been the fact that she’s freshly single and she’s had to witness Ned and, now fiancèe Betty, making googly eyes at each other one too many times, and it’s entirely possible that she’s just feeling that creeping loneliness she’d tried so hard to stamp down.

She doesn’t know how they get here, maybe it’s somewhere between her second shot and her first screwdriver, but they’re alone in a booth in the corner. For the first time in a while, her liquid courage doesn’t help stave off the pressure of trying to come up with something cool to say, and she feels, once again, like she’s back in high school. 

It’s an incredibly frustrating feeling.

Peter ducks as he sees Ned looking for him, MJ snickering as she watches the whole ordeal. Ned’s drunkenly leading this poor, unassuming casino patron around, glancing around frantically as he wanders from room to room.

Odds are it’s just another person to try and hook Peter up with. 

Ned means well, he truly does, but frankly, Peter’s a little tired of the constant matchmaking. Yes, he’s been the perpetually single friend for a number of years now, but he seemed to be pretty content on his own.

And plus, he and MJ are having a pretty good time by themselves.

He doesn’t need anyone else.

“But, Pete,” MJ starts, words slurring ever-so-slightly, tone laced with sarcasm. “Everyone knows that being single in your thirties is one of the most shameful things in existence. It’s barbaric. You need to settle down, before it’s too late.”

He throws his head back, letting out an exaggerated laugh. “You’re right. My good years are gone.” 

She tsks, shaking her head. “Past your prime.”

“I’ve truly peaked.” He tips his glass to her, before taking a drink.

A smirk tugs at her lips. “What will you do now?”

“Well...” He laughs lightly, casually stirring the glass in his hand. He looks up at her, eyes glazed over, tilting his head as he fixes her with a fond, teasing smile. “We still have that pact.”

Ah, yes. 

The pact. 

The pact that they’d made—as a joke—when they were sixteen. 

It was simple.

If they were both single at thirty, they’d get married. 

That was the deal.

They even shook on it. 

But, official as that simple handshake was at the time for two hormonal teenagers, it wasn’t something that was ever in any universe supposed to be taken seriously.

Maybe it was just a ring, though. Maybe they didn’t get actually, legitimately, legally get married. They couldn’t have been that dumb. 

Or maybe this was some sick hangover hallucination her brain made up as punishment for drinking too much. 

The rest of the night is a blur, brief glimpses of drunken giggles, his hand in hers flashing through her mind. She vaguely remembers going somewhere outside the casino with him, stumbling through the streets as they pull each other along, bright lights dancing above them. 

Balloons everywhere. 

A corny chapel. 

A Tony Stark impersonator. 

Her expression is oddly calm, a contrast to the utter horror she feels in her gut as she stares at the sparkling ring on her finger. 

This isn’t that bad, she thinks. This can all be over in a matter of hours. 

An annulment was easy, right?

Right?

It’s not like they had sex or anything—

Wait, no, fuck, they did. 

Did they…?

Again, the later part of the night is fuzzy.

Another wave of nausea crashes into her before she has a chance to be confused, and in an instant, she’s hunched over the toilet again. 

And it’s while she’s puking her guts out, while she’s praying that the naked guy in her bed stays asleep where he’s supposed to be, does a boxer-clad-Peter step into the bathroom. He looks almost as wrecked as she is, his hair in wild disarray, bags under his eyes giving Gollum a run for his money. 

He hesitates, knocking gently on the doorframe. “MJ—?” At first, he looks as though he’s about to ask her why she’s in his hotel room, but his expression crumples into one of worry when he sees how sick she is. “Are you okay?”

She scoffs and gives him a weak glance over her shoulder, ready to throw a biting, sarcastic remark back at him, when she sees the way the color drains from his face.

He’s frozen in place, eyes wide, and she hesitantly follows his gaze, right onto that big, fake diamond on her finger. 

Fuck.

[cross-roads-blues]

Deep Inside Your Mind / ch.2

[chapter 1] [chapter 3]  [chapter 4]

Notes: Here is a second chapter! Dean wakes up in this one. Finally some answers are discovered and Sam gets a target to aim at. Also, feel free to send me an ask, if you want to be tagged in next chapters.

Warnings: Descriptions of Amnesia and General Hospital Descriptions

Summary:  While on a usual hunt, Dean Winchester is hit by something. While Dean recovers, he can’t remember neither Castiel, who’s been harboring feelings for Dean for over 5 years, nor Sam Winchester, his brother, who is 💔 by such turn of events. Can Cas and Sam reverse the damage, while battling their inner demons?

Chapter: 2/?

Word Count: 3568/?

Chapter Title: Holding On To You

“Complications. What did she mean by complications? How do complications even happen? How does that even happen, Cas?” muttered Sam, sitting on the bench outside of Dean’s hospital room. Castiel shook his head, signaling that he didn’t know. The nurse who called him wouldn’t tell him the nature of complications, only asked him to get down to the hospital as soon as possible. The nurses didn’t yet allow them in, so Sam and Cas had nothing to do but kill time. After Castiel received the news, he was forced to wake up Sam and relieve the effects of his alcohol abuse, who took the news of Dean’s complications in the most severe way - he trashed the pile of books, breaking a mirror. Finally a doctor exited Dean’s room. She smelled like chlorine and on her face there was a stern look that made Sam’s heart contract and skip a beat. It was bad, he could tell. Castiel kept his usual neutral facial expression, but his jaw was tight, and there was a menacing light in his eyes, light that meant that whatever did this to Dean would be dead and would be dead soon.

Sam and Castiel both jumped up from the bench, rushing to the doctor. “Doctor, talk to us, how is he?” on one breath blurted out Sam, still visibly shaking.

The doctor offered a smile, but not the one that signaled that everything was okay, but the one that showed pity. “Mr. Bohnam, you have to understand that your brother suffered extensive traumatic brain injury, and while we were able to wake him up… he suffered an extensive memory loss.”

Sam felt the world collapse around him, twirling almost like the opening of Lucifer Cage, and the air became a sticky heavy substance that for some reason must have been unbreathable, because Sam couldn’t feel his lungs contract. The world came crashing down, and the time took its turn again, as Sam finally processed what the doctor said to him.

”How- how extensive?” he whispered in a dry voice, with a traitorous crack.

“It’s called retrograde amnesia and it is fairly common after-”

“How extensive?” repeated Sam in a raised, harsher voice.

The doctor hesitated. “There’s still more tests to be done, but I…” She stopped, not wanting to continue. Then she inhaled and finally said, “I think he doesn’t remember you.”

Sam felt his legs swaying, so he sat back down on the bench. “That is not possible. We’ve spent our entire lives together.”

“Sir, after such extensive damage to hippocampus, it’s a miracle that he woke up at all. Plus, the memory has a property of being able to recover spontaneously, so the memories may come back,” tried to comfort him doctor.

“Can I see him, please?” almost pleaded Sam.

“Yes. His semantic memory, memory which is responsible for storing facts and his implicit memory, which stores knowledge of skills are undamaged, but his autobiographical memory is very damaged. Don’t try to make him remember any traumatic events, it may worsen his condition.”

Sam nodded, and slowly approached Dean’s room, from which two nurses exited. He hesitantly knocked on the door and entered the room. They removed the breathing mask from Dean’s face and replaced it with a nasal cannula. Dean was half-lying, supported by two pillows and was looking at Sam. Sam expected Dean to say “Hiya, Sammy!” or to say “The nurses in this hospital aren’t even hot, why am I here?” or to say “That was a close one!” Instead Dean said, “Hi. Have we met?”

Sam felt like he was about to throw up. “Yeah… long story. What’s your name?”

Dean blinked and continued to stare at Sam. “They tell me it’s Mick Bohnam. I don’t remember, being honest.”

Sam felt a lump in his throat. “It’s not. It’s a fake name. You remember what a fake name is?”

Dean looked thoughtful for a second. “I remember using one. Don’t remember why. Anyway, what’s my real name?”

“Dean.” Sam forced out a smile. “You’re Dean Winchester.”

“Winchester… Like the rifle?”

“You remember the rifle’s name?” said Sam, surprised.

Dean nodded. “I can’t remember who I am or where I came from, but I remember all sorts of useless information, like members of Led Zeppelin or lyrics to Highway to Hell. Anyway, who are you?”

“Truth?” asked Sam, not sure what to do, whether to tell Dean the truth, or play it off.

Dean thought for a second. “Yeah, truth. Kinda sucks not being able to remember anything, so please talk to me.”

“I’m Sam. Sam Winchester. Your brother,” blurted out Sam.

Dean didn’t move for a second. “Awesome,” he finally said, not really putting any emotion in the word. “I’m sorry man, I really don’t remember shit, but we’re on good terms, right?”

Sam approached the bed and nodded with a ‘not bad’ face. “Yeah, pretty much. We, uh, live together in Kansas.”

“Kansas? Cool. We have any other family?”

Sam shook his head. “Not blood family anyway. There’s this dude Castiel and he’s a really close friend.”

“Castiel?” Dean furrowed his brows. “Is that French?”

Sam laughed, this time for real. “No. I think it’s Enochian, but I’m not sure.”

“Enochian?”

“It’s a dead language.”

Awkward silence filled the room. Sam stepped from one foot to another, not sure what to say. Dean gazed at the ceiling,

“So, uh, I guess, I’m gonna go, Dean,” said Sam and stepped back, but bumped into someone warm. He turned around to see Castiel standing in the doorway.

“Cas!” Sam turned back to Dean. “This is Castiel, the one I told you about.”

“Dean.” Castiel’s hoarse voice filled the room. “How are you feeling?” Castiel approached the bed.

“I’m… fine, I guess. Sort of. Sam tells me you are a close friend of ours,” said Dean, examining the angel from head to toes.

“Yes,” replied Castiel, and Sam could swear that that ‘yes’ wasn’t said without a hint of bitterness.

Castiel gazed at his human and with a touch of his fingers put him to sleep.

“Cas, what are you doing?” asked Sam, stomping towards Cas.

“I don’t think he remembers that I am an angel, and dropping that on him right now will be unfair to him. I need to look into his head to see the state of the warding, whether some of it had faded and whether I am able to restore his memories.”

“Just don’t mingle in his head, okay?” Sam tucked Dean in and glanced back at the door to make sure no nurses were coming in.

Castiel gave Sam an offended look that said ‘Really, Sam, you don’t trust me now?’ but didn’t say anything out loud, just set his hand on Dean’s forehead and closed his eyes.

This time, the angel felt his grace penetrate the barrier that stopped him in the first place. He commanded his grace to flow to Dean’s memory, checking what was causing amnesia. He found that most of the memory was intact, like words, facts, general knowledge, skills, but one section wasn’t letting his grace through. Cas ordered his grace to inspect the section and hit the same wall that stopped him in the first place. But this time he managed to get his grace close enough to the warding to inspect it. Strange, thought the angel. He felt his grace touch ancient magic, magic that he thought he would never see again. Finally, and with a bit of sadness, he removed his hand from Dean’s forehead and turned to face Sam.

“He didn’t lose his memory, it was taken from him. I’m guessing that was the point of the attack and brain damage and subsequent coma are side-effects. The warding that prevented me from waking him up has faded, but there is a strong ward on his autobiographic memory,” he hurriedly explained to Sam, trying to burn the abstract symbols that caused the warding into his memory, “I think its in Etchemin, a dead language. It was spoken by people on the coast of Maine at least until 17th century. Went extinct some time after that.”

“What’s so special about this Etchemin?” asked Sam, processing the info dump.

Castiel started pacing around the room. “Because only two beings know spells in Etchemin! The language allows spells of intense power to be cast, power way too dangerous to exist on this planet, so I, on Heaven’s orders killed both of them!”

“What were they? Witches?” asked Sam.

Castiel shook his head. “Of kind, but much more powerful. Wabanaki tribes used to call them Skudakumooch, which is loosely translated to ghost witch. Now legends go that they are evil shamans, who turn undead after they die and rise up and eat people. They got it wrong.”

Castiel stopped and leaned on the wall and continued to talk, “There were only two Skudakumooches, two shaman brothers in 15th century, who employed some heavy black magic, using angelic grace and blood of one hundred of angels’ vessels to reincarnate themselves. They became immortal and all the legends were spawned by reincarnations of these two. Legends go you can kill them by fire, but it’s wrong, all you can do by fire is to force the Skudakumooch to reincarnate somewhere else. And they don’t just kill people, they can cast all sorts of spells, spells so powerful that Heaven deemed them unsafe to have on Earth, since their power reached level of power of angels. So they sent me to kill them. I stabbed them in a heart with an angel blade, they were dead. They were the only ones who could cast spells in Etchemin, so I have no idea what possibly could’ve done that to Dean.”

“We should swing by Maine, ask for local legends. Maybe in some of them those Skudakumooches are mentioned,” said Sam, rubbing his temples and squinting from exhaustion.

Castiel looked up at Sam. “But I killed them!”

Sam shook his head and headed out of the room. “Maybe you didn’t kill them hard enough.”

[chapter 3] [chapter 4]

[sombreset]

I miss the phoenix. But sometimes I wonder if we ever met. Memories and dreams, they’re both just stomped out carpets that I sleep on for comfort and to cry on. Remember when I pulled you from the cold? I thawed you by fire. I wonder if Atem knows.

I wish he loved me as much as the hippocampus. But I’m human, and my skin will decay before I can be loved.

New chapter of Obsidian! Full of happy times, sad times, and weird lore. The usual stuff.

[dumbledearme]

chapter fourteen—not just anybody

read Child of Land and Sea here

Act II — Heart Of The Ocean

Part VI — Help! I need somebody! Not just anybody! You know I need someone!

In the meadow, at the base of the ravine, several dozen huge sheep were milling around. Just past them was a path that led up into the hills. At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was a massive oak tree with something gold glittering in its branches.

A deer emerged and trotted into the meadow. It happened so fast Andy thought she had imagined. The deer was lost in a sea of sheep. A second later, the sheep moved away and where the deer had been was a pile of clean white bones.

Andy and Anthony exchanged a glance. With no way to pass the sheep, they went to the edge of the rocks and made their way up the cliff. Climbing seemed possible and they decided it was the best idea. They started off slowly. Anthony went first because he was better at it. When they reached the top, their muscles were shaking from exhaustion and they collapsed on the floor.

“You’re a feisty one,” a deep voice bellowed from bellow them.

“Challenge me!” Clarisse’s voice was clear. “Give me back my sword and I’ll fight you!”

The monsters roared with laughter. Anthony and Andy exchanged another look and crept to the edge of the cliff. They were right above the entrance of the Cyclops cave. Below them stood Polyphemus and Grover wearing a wedding dress, gods knew why. Clarisse was tied up, hanging upside down over a pot of boiling water.

Polyphemus pondered, “Eat loudmouth girl now or wait for wedding feast? What does my bride think?” He turned to Grover.

Andy almost choked at that.

“I’m not hungry right now, dear,” Grover told him.

“Oh, please!” mocked Clarisse. “He’s a satyr!”

Grover yelped. “The poor thing’s brain is boiling from that hot water. Pull her down, dear.”

“What satyr?” Polyphemus narrowed his eye. “Satyrs are good eating. You bring me a satyr?”

“You already have one, you idiot!” Clarisse said. “The one in the wedding dress.”

Anthony cursed and put his Yankees cap on, disappearing. Polyphemus turned and inspected Grover. “I don’t see very well,” he said. “Not since many years ago when the other hero stabbed me in the eye. But YOU’RE NO LADY CYCLOPS!” Grover yelped and ducked as the monster swiped over his head.

“Stop!” he pleaded. “Don’t eat me raw. I-I have a good recipe!”

Polyphemus hesitated. “Recipe?”

“Oh, y-yes! You don’t want to eat me raw. You’ll get botulism and all sorts of horrible diseases. I’ll taste much better grilled over a slow fire. With mango chutney! You can go get mangoes, I’ll wait right here.”

The monster pondered, “Grilled satyr with mango chutney.” He looked back at Clarisse. “You a satyr, too?”

“No, you overgrown pile of shit!” she yelled. “I’m the daughter of Ares! Now untie me so I can rip your arms off!”

“Rip my arms off,” he repeated.

“And stuff them down your throat!”

“You got spunk.”

“LET ME DOWN!”

Polyphemus snatched up Grover as if he were a wayward puppy. “Have to graze sheep now. Wedding postponed until tonight. Then we’ll eat satyr for the main course.”

“You’re still getting married?” asked Grover, a little offended. “To whom?”

Polyphemus looked toward the boiling pot. Clarisse made a strangled sound. “Oh, no! No, no, no! Don’t even think about it, nerd!”

Polyphemus plucked her off the rope and tossed her and Grover inside the cave. “Make yourself comfortable! I come back at sundown for big event.”

“Better not come back at all,” Clarisse’s voice came from within the cave. “Or I’ll rip your-” The Cyclops whistled and a flock of goats and sheep flooded out of the cave. He was about to roll a boulder to seal the cave when Anthony yelled from somewhere, “Hey, ugly.”

Polyphemus stiffened. “Who said that?”

“Nobody,” Anthony answered. Polyphemus’s reaction was priceless. His face turned red with rage.

“Nobody!” The Cyclops yelled. “I remember you!”

“You’re too stupid to remember anybody,” Anthony taunted, “much less Nobody.”

Polyphemus roared and started throwing rocks at where he thought Anthony was. Andy held her breath hoping he was very wrong.

Anthony laughed, “You haven’t learned to thrown any better, either!”

Polyphemus howled. “Come here, let me kill you, Nobody!”

“You can’t kill Nobody, you stupid oaf!”

Polyphemus barreled down the hill toward his voice. Andy hoped he’d be okay. She went down the hill as fast as she could without dying and pushed through the crowd of sheep toward the back of the cave. Grover was huddled in the corner, trying to cut Clarisse’s bonds with a pair of safety scissors.

“It’s no good,” she said. “This rope is like iron.” Then she saw Andy. “YOU! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BLOWN UP!”

“Good to see you, too.”

“Andy!” Grover bleated her name and tackled her with a goat-hug. “You heard me! You came!”

“Of course I came!”

“Where’s Anthony?”

“Outside,” Andy said. “No time. Clarisse, hold still.” Andy uncapped Riptide and sliced off the ropes. Clarisse stood stiffly, rubbing her wrists. She glared at Andy and mumbled, “Thanks, Jackson.”

“You’re welcome, La Rue. Did anyone else survived the Birmingham?”

Clarisse shook her head. “Just me. I didn’t even know you guys had made it out.”

Then an explosion echoed through the cave, followed by a Anthony’s shout – “ANDY!”

“I got Nobody!” Polyphemus gloated. He shook his first and a baseball cap fluttered to the ground revealing Anthony hanging upside down by her leg. Anthony struggled, but he looked dazed. There was a nasty cut on his forehead that was dripping blood on the ground.

Clarisse armed herself with a ram’s horn spear from the Cyclops’ cave. Grover had a sheep’s thigh bone. “Let’s get him together,” Clarisse said. “Attack plan Macedonia.” Andy had had the same training as Clarisse and immediately understood what she meant. She hefted Riptide and shouted, “Yo, ugly!”

The giant whirled toward her. “Another one? Who are you?”

“Put Wonder Boy down,” said Andy. “I’m the one who insulted you, really.”

“You are Nobody?”

“That’s right, you smelly ugly monster! I’m Nobody and I’m proud of it! Now, put him down and get over here. I’ll stab your eye again. Only this time, I’ll make sure you’ll never see the sky again.”

“RAAAR!” He bellowed. Polyphemus dropped Anthony and Andy realized the mistake she had made. Anthony felt head first onto the rocks and didn’t move again. Then Polyphemus barreled toward Andy.

Clarisse ran in from the left and set her spear against the ground just in time for the Cyclops to step on it. He wailed in pain, and Clarisse dove out of the way to avoid getting trampled. But the Cyclops kept advancing. He made a grab for Andy who rolled aside and stabbed him in the thigh.

Grover rushed to Anthony’s side. Clarisse charged the Cyclops again and again. He pounded the ground, stomped at her, grabbed at her, but she was too quick. Andy followed her attacks, stabbing the monsters wherever she could. Grover was dragging Anthony across a rope bridge to the man-eating sheep side of the island. Clarisse and Andy followed, Polyphemus right behind them.

“A thousand curses on Nobody!” The Cyclops promised.

They tore down the hill. Grover made it to the other side. “Cut it down!” Andy shouted at Grover. He took Anthony’s knife and started cutting. Polyphemus bounded after them, making the bridge sway wildly. Clarisse and Andy dove for solid ground. Then Andy stood and with a wild slash with her sword she cut the remaining ropes.

The bridge fell into the chasm and the Cyclops howled with delight because he was standing right beside them. “Failed!” He yelled. “Nobody failed!” Clarisse and Grover tried to charge him, but he swatted them aside like flies.

That’s when Andy snapped. Her friends were hurt. Tyson was dead. Chiron had been banished. Thalia’s pine tree had been poisoned. It just wasn’t fair. They had come this far and, gods be her witness, she was going to beat this beast. Strength coursed through her body. She raised her sword and attacked. She smashed and kicked and bashed until Polyphemus was sprawled on his back, dazed and groaning. Andy stood above him, her sword hovering over his eye.

“Uhhhhhh,” the Cyclops moaned.

“Andy!” Grover gasped. “How did you-”

“Please, no!” Polyphemus cried. His nose was bleeding. He started to sob. “M-m-my sheep need me!”

“Kill him!” Clarisse urged. “What are you waiting for, Jackson?”

But the Cyclops sounded so heartbroken. He sounded like… Tyson.

“He’s a Cyclops!” Grover warned. “Do not trust him, Andy!”

Andy knew Grover was right. She knew Anthony would’ve said the same. But Tyson had been a Cyclops too and he’d died trying to save them. She’d have trusted him with her life. And Polyphemus was, after all, a son of Poseidon too. Like Tyson. Like Andy. How could she kill him? She felt her own eyes filling with tears for the brother she’d lost. There hadn’t been time to miss him just yet. But here it was, taking her breath away, making her sword hand tremble.

“We just want the Fleece,” she told him. “Let us take it. And I’ll let you live.”

“No!” shouted Clarisse. “Kill him right now, Andy Jackson!”

The monster sniffed. “My beautiful Fleece. Prize of my collection. Take it, cruel human. Take it and go in peace.” With her hands shaking, Andy stepped back and as fast as a snake, Polyphemus smacked her down to the edge of the cliff. “Foolish mortal! Take my Fleece? I eat you first!”

He opened his enormous mouth but something went whoosh over Andy’s head and sailed into Polyphemus’s throat. The Cyclops choked, trying to swallow. He staggered backward, but there was no place to stagger. His heel slipped and the great Polyphemus tumbled into the chasm.

Andy turned. Halfway down the path to the beach, standing completely unharmed in the midst of a flock of killer sheep was Tyson.

He gave them the short version of the whole thing: a hippocampus, who had been following them, found Tyson sinking beneath the wreckage of the CSS Birmingham and pulled him to safety. He and Tyson had been searching the Sea of Monsters ever since, trying to find Andy and Anthony.

Andy hugged him tightly. “Oh, Tyson, thank the gods!” Then she remembered. “Anthony is hurt.”

“You thank the gods he is hurt?”

“No, you silly Cyclops!” Andy rushed to where Anthony was lying. The gash on his forehead was really bad and was bleeding a lot. His skin was pale and clammy. Andy fought back the tears. “Tyson, go get the Fleece,” she asked.

“Which one?” Tyson asked watching the sheep.

“The golden one. In the tree. Bring it to me!” Tyson did as he was told. The thing weighted a ton, but Andy had no choice. She spread it over Anthony, covering everything but his handsome face. Then she closed her sea-green eyes and prayed to whoever was listening. When Andy opened her eyes the color had returned to his face. His cut began to close. Andy gasped and let the tears stream. Anthony’s eyelids fluttered open.

“Grover’s not m-married?” he asked.

Grover grinned. “My friends talked me out of it.”

Anthony tried to sit up and Andy, unable to contain herself, crushed him in a embrace that made him moan, “Ouch!”

“Oh. I’m sorry!”

Clarisse approached and dropped next to Anthony and felt his chest. “Rips broken, but healing,” she declared. “Come on. I’ll help you, you geek, or Jackson might brake something else.” And she helped Anthony to his feet.

The five of them headed to the beach to where the Queen Anne’s Revengewas. And they almost made it too. But then Polyphemus was roaring, splashing toward them with a giant boulder in his hand.

They entered the water and swam. Anthony was in pain and the Fleece was weighting him down. But Polyphemus’s attention was on Tyson.

“You,” he called. “Traitor to our kind!”

Tyson froze.

“Don’t listen to him,” Andy said. “Just keep swimming!”

But Tyson turned around. “I am no traitor.”

“You serve mortals!” Polyphemus mocked. “Thieving humans!”

“You are not my kind,” Tyson told him.

“Jackson!” Clarisse called. Andy looked; they had reached the ship.

“Go,” Tyson told her. “I’ll distract the monster.”

“No,” Andy refused. “We’ll do it together.”

Tyson hesitated for a moment. “Together,” he then agreed.

Polyphemus threw some boulders that Tyson deflected. Andy willed the sea to rise. She rode a wave toward the Cyclops and kicked him in the eye. “Die!” Polyphemus shouted. “Fleece stealer!”

“You’re the one who stole it! The Fleece should be used to heal! It belongs to the children of the gods!”

“I am a child of the gods!” Polyphemus said, as if just remembering that fact. “Father Poseidon, curse this thief!” He was blinking hard now, like he could barely see.

“Poseidon won’t curse me,” Andy told him. “I am his child, too.”

Polyphemus roared. “Young one! Where are you? Help me! You weren’t raised right. Poor orphaned brother! Help me!”

No one moved. Then Tyson stepped forward, raising his hands defensively. “Don’t fight, Cyclops brother. Put down the-”

Polyphemus spun toward his voice and threw the rock that hit Tyson with such force he flew backward. Polyphemus charged after him, but Andy lunged between them and stabbed the monster on the leg. Polyphemus bleated and hit Andy with his giant hand.

She was bleeding and bruised and exhausted. And now she was also mad as hell. Polyphemus grabbed a tree and swung at her. She grabbed a branch as it passed, ignoring the pain in her hands as she jerked skyward, and let the Cyclops lift her into the air. At the top of the arc, she let go and fell straight against the giant’s face – landing with her sword right into his eye.

The monster yowled in pain. Tyson tackled him, pulling him down. Andy landed next to them. They glanced at each other, realizing they couldn’t do it. It just wasn’t right. “Let him go,” she told Tyson over the Cyclops screams. Tyson agreed and, together, they headed to the ship. Polyphemus got up and trashed everything around him, stumbling blindly, yelling curses.

Andy and Tyson were very close to the ship when Clarisse decided to shout, “In your face, Cyclops.” That was all he needed. Polyphemus grabbed another boulder and threw it at them. He missed. “You throw like a wimp!” Clarisse taunted. “Teach you to try marrying me, you idiot!”

Polyphemus tried again and this time he hit the spot. The boulder crashed through the hull of the Queen Anne’s Revenge and the ship sank faster than you could say ‘shut the hell up, Clarisse.’

Everyone was having trouble swimming. The ship was pulling them down like a sinkhole. Andy swam toward them, and made a grab for Anthony who was sinking faster than the others because of the weight of the Fleece.

Tyson started calling for help. A bunch of dolphins appeared to save them. They broke the surface of the water and raced away from that horrible place. Behind them, they could hear the Cyclops go, “I did it! I finally sank Nobody!”

Andy asked the gods that he never find out he was wrong.

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Operation: Rescue Playmate (Part 2/2)

(Another special thanks to @summerpipedream, who beta read this fic. You’re fantastic!)

Tony had JARVIS comb through every bit of data he could to find info on the group who had taken and captured his playmate. The group went by many names publically, but in reality was one organization by the name of Hydra. Hydra had people employed in businesses and politics around the world. The amount of influence the organization had caused worry to gnaw at Tony’s gut.

Seeing how involved Hydra was in politics, he researched what he could about the various world governments, but even for a quick and critical reader, Tony struggled to absorb every fine detail. That being said, he knew enough to know that a group like Hydra should not be allowed to have so much influence, especially when so much of their rhetoric was about creating superior human beings and how humans as they are were not evolved or inferior to the super humans Hydra wanted to create.

Super humans like James Buchanan Barnes.

One of the first things he’d had JARVIS pull up after the video feed was information on his playmate. At first there was no name for his playmate. There was a moniker and a number. The Winter Soldier was what he was called, but the title was shared with others who were in the same program as he was. It wasn’t until Tony reached files on his playmate from the 1940s that he found the name James Buchanan Barnes.

As Tony read in detail the experiments, brainwashing, and training James Buchanan Barnes had gone through, Tony became more determined to save this human.

James Buchanan Barnes had not volunteered to become a superhuman; he had been man injured and captured serving his country in a war decades ago. He didn’t deserve to be made a weapon by Hydra.

Tony locked himself away in his ship for weeks. Rescuing James Buchanan Barnes wasn’t a simple matter of taking him away from Hydra. After what James Buchanan Barnes had undergone, he would have no memories of his time before being turned into a living weapon (or very few). He would most likely not know how to function in society.

Tony could not return James Buchanan Barnes’ memories to him, nor would he be much help in teaching James Buchanan Barnes the ways of human society (assuming James would even want his help).

Nonetheless, Tony could return to James Buchanan Barnes his freedom of mind.

It took weeks to develop a serum that was safe for humans that would also work in conjunction with nanobots to heal the damage done to James Buchanan Barnes. Once Tony had it, he returned to his usual stomping grounds in hopes that James Buchanan Barnes would appear as he always had in the past.

A week went by and James Buchanan Barnes did not show.

Tony worried for James Buchanan Barnes and began contemplating how to go about breaking into the Hydra facility. He still ventured out into the city as he plotted, and just as he was certain he would have to sneak into Hydra, James Buchanan Barnes appeared.

Tony had been minding his own business, squatting on top of a dumpster and drinking a chocolate milkshake, when he was attacked via a pair of thick thighs wrapping around his neck.

(Mobile Users: Read More Line)

He shrieked and rammed his back into the wall. The thighs around his neck loosened and a device was shoved into his neck.

Volts of electricity raced through Tony.

Tony howled. With his tail, he plucked James Buchanan Barnes off him and flung James Buchanan Barnes into the opposite wall of the alleyway.

“That is no way to treat someone who wants to help you!” Tony shouted as he rubbed at his abused neck.

James Buchanan Barnes stumbled as he pushed himself off the ground and aimed a gun at Tony.

Tony cocked his head to the side and waited for James Buchanan Barnes to shoot.

The man didn’t.

Either the man had learned that his bullets were just a hassle to Tony, or he had a plan that didn’t involved shooting Tony unless necessary.

James Buchanan Barnes adjusted his footing and tensed his muscles.

Tony didn’t know what James Buchanan Barnes had planned, but he wasn’t going to wait to find out.

Time to test out the new feature he’d added to Dummy.

Tony raised his wrist and aimed Dummy at James Buchanan Barnes.

James Buchanan Barnes fired his gun.

Tony cringed as the bullet staggered him and cut deep into his shoulder.

“Dummy: Pop Princess.”

Dummy beeped. It launched a pink and gooey net that engulfed James Buchanan Barnes.

James Buchanan Barnes let out a series of phrase and words that Tony did not need a translator to understand. Partially because he had taken to learning a number of Earth languages, but also because there’s just a certain tone all humans used when they are swearing pain and humiliation upon whoever had angered them.

James Buchanan Barnes wasn’t simply caught in a net that looked as if it were made out of bubble gum. The net pinned James Buchanan Barnes’ limbs to his sides, and every time he struggled, the net’s pressure increased until he could no longer move.

Tony scanned James Buchanan Barnes for tracking devices, and had Dummy disable all that were found.

“I will capture you,” James Buchanan Barnes promised.  

Tony frowned. He then aimed Dummy at James’ Buchanan Barnes’ mouth. “Sorry. Can’t have you shouting for help.” Tony fired a blast of pink goo at James Buchanan Barnes’ mouth, effectively silencing the man.

Tony then picked up James Buchanan Barnes, and slug him over his shoulder. Tony used his tail to keep himself and James Buchanan Barnes balanced as he climbed to the roof of the nearest building then jumped from roof to roof until he found a motel a great distance away from where he had taken James Buchanan Barnes.  

He picked an empty room then locked James Buchanan Barnes in the closet until he could secure a key from the front desk and ensure that no one would enter the room uninvited. Once he had done that, Tony returned to the room and laid James Buchanan Barnes on the bed. He then turned off invisibility mode on Dummy, then removed James’ Buchanan Barnes’ goggles.

The man burned Tony with the rage in his gaze.

Was he doing the right thing? Tony wondered. He wanted to save James Buchanan Barnes, but everything he was about to do he was doing without James Buchanan Barnes’ consent.

“I’m sorry,” Tony said to James. “I hope I am doing the right thing for you, but I understand if you never forgive me.”

James Buchanan Barnes’ thrashed as best he could, but the netting had him entombed like a fly wrapped up by a spider.

Tony adjusted his settings on Dummy until a thin needle poked out from the device.

He searched for a vein in James Buchanan Barnes’ neck and jabbed him with the needle. James fought against his muzzle, but any sound he managed to make was muffled.

Tony removed the needle. He went to the bathroom for a tissue and dabbed at James Buchanan Barnes’ neck where there was a drop of blood. “In a few minutes you’ll fall asleep as the serum, the nanobots, and your body work to repair any damage that has been done to your brain over the last several decades. Some of the areas they will be targeting will be by your frontal lobe as well as the hippocampus and the amygdala. I can’t promise that you’ll retrieve any memories of your life before Hydra, but…” Tony trailed off. “..sorry.”

Tony watched over James Buchanan Barnes and waited for the man to fall asleep. Once the man was unconscious, Tony removed the net covering James Buchanan Barnes’ mouth, then removed the net binding him.

Tony’s tail swished anxiously.

He fiddled with Dummy. He could go a few days without recharging Dummy. By then James Buchanan Barnes should be awake.  

Doubt plagued Tony. He’d done his research. He’d taken the information he could find on the human body and compared it to several species across the galaxy. Based off those comparisons, he had designed his serum. Any side effects should be minimal.

Nonetheless, there was always room for error.

To silence his thoughts, Tony picked up the remote of the motel room’s TV and turned it on.  

An image of humans mating appeared on the screen accompanied by a song Tony had yet to hear. Tony cocked his head, studied the image, then changed the channel. Tony flipped through the channels until he found one featuring a dessert cooking contest.

Tony sat on the foot of the bed and watched the TV for hours.

Time passed slowly. For the first few hours, Tony felt comfortable leaving James Buchanan Barnes alone to fetch some much needed food and bottles of water for himself and for when the human would awaken. After those hours had passed though, Tony was less confident in leaving James Buchanan Barnes alone.

The human should remain asleep for quite some time, but there was always the chance that Tony’s calculations could be off. Also, even though Tony had put up the Do Not Disturb sign on the door, he worried that housekeeping or some other human might venture in the room and do something that would cause James Buchanan Barnes to be taken away while Tony was gone.

So for the bulk of two days, Tony stayed by James Buchanan Barnes’ side and entertained himself with human TV. He grew fond of the cooking channel and a channel called Hallmark.

He was just in the middle of watching a pragmatic and sassy witch detective solve a murder mystery, when suddenly the bed shifted and a lamp was slammed onto Tony’s head.

Tony hit the ground and rolled onto his back. His tail lashed out and wrapped around the ankle of his assailant: James Buchanan Barnes.

“What the fuck are you!” James Buchanan Barnes ignored the fact that Tony currently had his ankle in his grasp and stretched to grab the lamp on the other nightstand.

Tony yanked James Buchanan Barnes down to the foot of bed, where he’d be unable to reach the lamp.

James Buchanan Barnes cried out in shock and horror.

Tony rubbed the top of his head where James Buchanan Barnes had viciously attacked him. “Ow! I know I look strange to you humans, but could you at least attempt civil conversation before you attack anything that doesn’t look like you?”

James Buchanan Barnes’ eyes widened. His grip on the bedspread whitened. “It talks.”

“‘He talks’, or ‘Tony talks.’”

“Tony,” James Buchanan Barnes said in disbelief.

“It was one of the names closest to my original,” Tony explained. Tony clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “James Buchanan Barnes, do you have any memory of who you are or how you came to be here?”

James Buchanan Barnes blinked. “James. It’s just James. I…” James complexion whitened and he swayed. “Holy! I don’t—fuck! How did I…?” James pierced Tony with a look of terror, what did you do to me?”

“Before I can explain that, I need to talk about a group known as Hydra and what they-”

James launched off of the bed and headed for the bathroom, or he would have, if not for Tony’s hold on his ankle. James smashed into the floor and groaned. He clawed his way onto his hands and knees. “Gonna-” James shut his mouth. His stomach and throat undulated as he fought valiantly to keep the contents of his stomach in his stomach.

Tony grabbed the wastebasket nearby and shoved it under James’ head.

James vomited.

The foul smell of James’ contents attacked Tony, and Tony covered his nose with his tail. He clicked his teeth nervously as his mind calculated the odds that James’ reaction was a side effect of the serum.

James’ hands shook as he took a shuddery breath.

James’ vomited again. Barely anything came out of him but the sounds he made told Tony that James’ body was using every muscle to push the insides of James’ stomach out.

James coughed and covered his mouth. He shoved the wastebasket away and tried to stand, but faltered.

Tony rushed to help James. At first James tried to shake Tony off, but he didn’t have strength.

That scared Tony more than anything.

James was the strongest human Tony knew, and he was acting weaker than the average human.

Tony rushed James to the bathroom. Once inside, James shoved himself off Tony and braced himself against the sink. With fumbling fingers he turned the sink’s knob.

Water spewed from the faucet and James wasted no time thrusting his mouth under the water flow. He swallowed gulp after gulp until he was satisfied. With a gasp he pulled away from the water and turned it off.

James looked at himself in the mirror and trembled. His flesh hand reached up and touched his metal shoulder. “What happened?”

“It’s a long story,” Tony said.

James whirled. A scowl in place. “Well, someone needs to-” James knees buckled and quaked. He just managed to grab the sink in time to keep himself from collapsing. “Fuck. So, so-” James’ teeth chattered.

“Cold,” Tony stated. He rushed to the shower and cranked the knob as far to the hot side as he dared. He then hurried back to James and wrapped his arms around James’ waist. “C’mon.”

“No.” James shuddered. “Clothes.”

Tony nodded. “Okay. Strip. I’ll help.”

James didn’t hesitate. He cursed as he tried to figure out how to take off his clothes. It didn’t help that his shivers forced him to cling to Tony or the shower door. Eventually though, Tony got James’ clothes off and James into the shower.

“Hotter,” James demanded from the shower floor where he was curled into a ball. He feebly reached for the knob.

Tony batted James’ hand away and raised the temperature.

James breathed deep to warm himself and rubbed his arms and legs. His teeth didn’t chatter and he no longer shivered, but his actions indicated he was still cold.

“Would it help if I joined you?” Tony asked.

James croaked. “God, please don’t let that be the kind of offer my gutter brain thinks it is.”

“Intercourse?” Tony cocked his head. He considered the option. “If we must, but I really don’t think that would be best for you right now.”

James chuckled dryly. “‘Right now,’ he says.” James brow furrowed with concentration. He looked at Tony. His eyes darted up and down Tony’s body. He frowned. “I…”

“What?” Tony asked.

“I think… I feel like? … you’re not human, and so…” James scowled. “Everything seems wrong. Like you shouldn’t be here. But I don’t remember. I don’t remember it. I don’t remember how things are supposed to be. It’s just… instinct.”

Tony nodded. “You were captured by a group called Hydra. They performed experiments on you that blocked your memories. I gave you something that would help with any damage that had been done to you in that process. For some species that have used a similar serum that mine is based off of, it also has the added benefit of distancing one from the trauma caused by such incidents. However, it doesn’t-”

“Trauma?” James sat up straighter.

Tony nodded.

James groaned and clutched his head. He screwed his eyes shut. “I’m crazy. I’m crazy.”

“Technically, not crazy, but not necessarily mentally fit either. You’ve been through a lot.”

James snorted. He swayed as his eyelids fluttered.

“James?” Tony leaned into the shower.

James fell to the side and Tony caught him in his arms.

Tony touched James’ head as he had seen in human movies and TV shows. He wasn’t sure what qualified as a hot forehead for a human, but Tony’s gut told him that James’ forehead was not supposed to be burning.

Tony shut off the water, then toweled James off. He carried James to the bed and lay James on top of it. He scanned James with Dummy to check the human’s body temperature.

James had a fever, but he wasn’t in the danger zone in which Tony would have to take him to a hospital. Tony looked up what to do when humans have a fever then tucked James snuggly into bed.

Tony ransacked his collection of food until he found a cup of instant noodles. He was tempted to leave James and get better food and medicine, but without knowing when James would wake up, Tony dare not risk it. In James’ state, he might sneak out and get himself recaptured by Hydra or end up dead in a gutter.

When James woke an hour later, Tony hurried to make him the cup of noodles.

James coughed after eating his first spoonful, but he valiantly ate the whole thing.

“Why is my head hurting nooow?” James groaned then hissed in pain. He rubbed his head.

“If you promise to stay here, I can get you medicine. I don’t want you wandering around in this condition.”

“Anything,” James pleaded. He snatched a pillow and covered his face with it.

Tony nodded and did as promised. The first place Tony went in search of medicine was the motel’s front desk. While the receptionist was distracted, he sneaked a peek at the motel’s first aid kit.

He couldn’t believe his luck.

There was an entire box of pain relievers that doubled as fever reducers. Tony stole the whole box and returned to James, who inhaled three pills immediately.

As another day passed, Tony became anxious about Dummy. Dummy’s power was dangerously low, and Tony needed to ensure that he had enough power to get himself back to the ship undetected. He had grown so reliant on Dummy though, he was scared to power Dummy off.

As James’ fever threatened to bleed into another day, Tony finally turned off Dummy.

His tongue felt heavy in his mouth when he spoke to James the first few times after he had turned off Dummy. He’d listened to English and had practiced speaking it, but he had always had Dummy ready to translate in case he forgot a word or phrase.

If James noticed that Tony spoke with less speed and more caution, he didn’t point it out.

By the third day, James’ fever broke. He walked around with ease, but there was a tension to him. Despite Tony’s constant care for him, James’ was cautious.

Knowing what James had been through and how much of struggle everything must be for the human now didn’t change the fact that Tony was hurt when James asked, “So am I your prisoner or can I walk out that door?”

Tony wanted to shriek his displeasure, but he conveyed it through a tail thump instead. “You were never my prisoner. You can leave whenever you want; however,” Tony bowed his head, “I don’t think it is safe for you out there on your own.”

James snorted and glanced at the TV, which was playing the food channel. “No. Someone might throw a spatula at my head.”

Tony knew James was being sarcastic, but nonetheless, he was tempted to point out that someone very well could throw a spatula at James’ head. “I understand if you do not trust me and want to leave. You have no reason to believe me, and any evidence I can give you could be a fabrication.”

“Yeah.” James crossed his arms over his chest. His flesh fingers tapped his metal arm. He considered Tony. “The only reason I have to trust you is that you took care of me while I was sick, but you may have caused me to be sick in the first place.”

Tony was not going to tell James how true that statement was.

James sighed and plopped onto the foot of the bed. He grunted. “There’s also the weird dreams too.”

Tony’s spine shot up. “Dreams? What dreams?”

“I’ll share the details when I trust you.” James raised his head to the ceiling and shook it. “I’m an idiot or crazy, but so far, I don’t have a solid reason to trust or distrust you.” James uncrossed his arms. “So I guess that means, until you give me a reason to distrust you, I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

Hope filled Tony. “Really?”

“Don’t get too excited.”

“I can’t help it. You were my first playmate on Earth, and now we are bonding.”

James wrinkled his nose. “Playmate? That sounds so wrong, and kind of perverted.”

“James,” Tony took on a serious tone, “are most adult humans fascinated with sex?”

James’ ear tips turned red. “I… I feel like it is normal. I don’t really know.”  

Tony nodded. “Is it normal for adult humans to call the people who make them think about sex perverts?”

“What? Why would you ask that?”

Tony tilted his head. “I’m not the one who keeps thinking about sex, but you think I am a pervert.” Tony hissed in amusement.

James startled at the sound, then turned a deeper red. He covered his mouth with his hand and mumbled to himself. “Am I the pervert then?”

Tony hissed in amusement again. “It is okay, James. I don’t mind if you are a pervert.”

James snatched a pillow and chucked it at Tony. “Shut up, and tell me more about Hydra.”

Tony sobered up. It was nice to share enjoyment with James—to finally talk to his playmate—but if James was ready to hear about Hydra, then it was time for Tony to share the details of the bitter truth.

“All right.” Tony made himself comfortable on the bed, next to James. “Let’s start with a brief history lesson and talk about World War II.”

[achromic-red-dreams-doze-angrily]

Percy, about his crab: This is Sebastian, his moves are Slash, Harden, Bubble, and Sing. He's on loan from my friend Ariel.

Percy, about the Ophiotaurus: This is Bessie. He only has two moves, Splash and Self-Destruct, so I don't really use him in battle but he's still nice to have around.

Percy, about his Hippocampus: This is Rainbow, he can use Dive, Water Gun, Lick, and Hydro Pump. He's actually my brother Tyson's, but I'm taking care of him for a while.

Percy, about his Pegasus: This is Blackjack. He's not a water type, but he's still my favorite. His moves are Fly, Stomp, Silver Wind, and Aerial Ace.

Percy, about his Ditto: This is Frank. He's my friend.

you know where some campers can talk to animals you’d think they’d develop more human relationships with the animals like… im so surprised percy doesnt have a friend group thats just a circle of crabs. why doesnt he have an underwater friend group. i love crabs and im pissed. blackjack is great and all but just give me some fuckin crabs some fuckin crustaceans

[watchamacallitlovecadburry-blog]

Two years and I can’t imagine we’ll be able to come to this day and celebrate this day together. You know how much I adore you and I love you. I adore how you’re super humble and low maintenance even though you belong to first class people. I adore how you love cats, dogs or basically any pet that’s cute. I adore how you jump so high whenever you see cockroaches or even lizards. I would always laugh my heart out when I’m with you and I wouldn’t want to experience it with anybody else. I adore you cutie nose and how soft it could be. I adore how it’s so cute when you stomp or move your feet just to make me notice you. I adore your forehead and how my whole hand can fit into it (hehehe ILOVEYOU). I adore your big belly and how it will soon be daddy belly. I adore how you can be so generous to people and give a hand even though you know that you won’t benefit from it or nothing will come back to you. I adore how you spoil and love me and how one person can give his self willingly to me and sacrifice selflessly. 

All the memories together is etched into my hippocampus and forever treasured in my heart. 

ILOVEYOU PATRICK ROLAND SORIANO LEYBLE and cheers to more years together.