#stop giving me more ammunition
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hakusins · 10 months ago
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(quickly cobbled together but I shove him in your direction)
HJEJHBFJBHEF MOOSEN YOU CAN'T JUST DROP THESE THINGS !!! SO SUDDENLY !!!!
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LOOK! she's malfunctioning!!!
whitney the faithful swap au -> @just-dol-headshots
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ramblebramblefun · 5 months ago
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Izuku bounces on his feet as Kacchan steps off the platform, unable to keep the smile off his face as red eyes catch sight of him. He waves, a tad manically.
"Kacchan!" He yells, ignoring the looks he gets. "Over here!"
Kacchan is followed over by several other, familiar looking people. A man that can only be Chargebolt leans forward.
"Oho! Who's this?"
"My pet stalker."
"Kacchan, that's not very nice," Izuku says absently.
Kacchan ruffles Izuku's hair with more force than necessary.
"I'm not very nice."
"That is true!" Chargebolt grins, stroking his chin faux-thoughtfully.
"So," Kacchan says next. "What's new in nerd-land?"
"Oh! Um, well... Did you read that paper I sent you?"
"That thing on fuckin' Freezerburn?"
"Yeah, about the indicators! Like how you've got your mom's skin-"
"I don't want to hear about my mom's skin." Kacchan groans.
Too bad.
"- Your mom's skin" Izuku continued, "as well as your quirk in your palms and-"
Izuku cuts himself off this time. Red Riot (his hair's not that bad, Kacchan) is waving his hand in the air like a student. So was the Alien Queen, with a shit-eating grin on her face, and then Chargebolt also started to flail about and nearly hit-
"Oh my god! Are you Cellophane?!"
"Not if he knows what's good for him." Kacchan mutters.
"It's an honour to meet you! I'm a big fan! I really loved what you did last week in that fight with Athenium- actually, um, wait, I think I have-"
He starts to rummage through his bag, but Kacchan is faster and snatches his notebook out with a hiss.
"No. They don't know you. We're not doing this."
"Kacchan." Izuku frowns.
"No."
Red Riot seems unable to contain himself any longer.
"Bakubro, who is this guy?" he shouts, at the same time as Alien Queen cheers.
"This must be that guy that Katsuki's always-"
Kacchan whirls around and slaps Izuku's notebook over her mouth, because he is an oaf with no respect for other people or their property. Izuku is what, Kacchan?
Whatever. Izuku brought extra notebooks today, just in case. He pulls one out, and a pen, and then Cellophane takes the pen? And Izuku's notebook? Oh, he's signing the notebook, that's nice of him.
"Here you go," Cellophane smiles, handing it back.
Izuku already has three Cellophane signatures that Kacchan mailed to him through Auntie, because Kacchan is the best but also weird, but this is cool too. Izuku will have to cut it out and paste it in his album later.
What he actually wants to know is-
"Um, what's your name? I can't call you Cellophane when you're on vacation..." He flips open to a new page, ready to start writing...
The silence stretches too long. He looks up to find Cellophane looking at him uncertainly.
"Actually..." Cellophane starts slowly-
"That's what we wanna ask you!" Chargebolt shouts excitedly, and then Kacchan steals Izuku's notebook, again, and his bag, and Izuku has more important things to worry about than social niceties.
"Bakugou Katsuki!" he screeches. "Get back here!"
He starts running after Kacchan, who must have lost his mind on the train ride over if he thinks Izuku is going to let him get away with this. He'll tell Auntie! He will!
Auntie will just laugh at him if Izuku tells her that Kacchan has taken up purse-snatching but she'll laugh at Kacchan too, and then Kacchan will be really annoyed, just like Izuku is right now, and he's taking up running as a hobby first thing tomorrow because he's tired now already and curse Kacchan's longer legs, Izuku is going to cut them off-
They leave the Bakusquad blinking in their dust.
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memientom0ri · 2 months ago
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Similarities between Inhun/457 and Hannigram; personal analysis of the attitudes that connect these characters 💭
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Starting with actor Lee Byung Hun's face. I don't even need to go into details...
• Villain disguised as a hero;
Inho/001 x Hannibal Lecter
Both wear a good guy disguise to get close to and mentally and psychologically manipulate their "target" of obsession, taking actions to impress and defend the target that sometimes make us question their villainy towards the good guy.
Both Inho and Hannibal seem to be desperately searching for a trace of understanding and similarity in someone towards themselves. Hannibal became obsessed with Will when he saw this similarity in him (both characters misunderstood by society, mentally broken and with difficulties in expressing and understanding their own emotions), and just like the cannibal, Inho saw something similar in Gihun, therefore, feeling the need to, somehow, get close to him to keep him under his control.
"But Inho and Gihun are completely different", yes, just like Hannibal and Will; that doesn't stop the characters from identifying with each other psychologically.
In my opinion, Inho saw in Gihun an ambition and confidence that piqued his interest. "But Gihun is not ambitious or self-centered" No, he is not, not materially speaking. Gihun's ambition comes from the will he has over the things he sets out to do. He is ambitious about what he wants and this ambition is accompanied by a hyper-empathy bordering on masochism, considering that Gihun returned to the game not only because of his desire to end it, but because of the guilt of having survived when people died, because of the desire to prevent other deaths. This hyper-empathy also shows up in other scenes, and this is where Will comes in.
• The hyper-empathetic good guy;
Will Graham × Seong Gihun
Unlike Will's hyper-empathy, which manifests itself through his ability to put himself in the Assassin's shoes and mentally experience the murders, Gihun's empathy is blatant, making us feel a little angry and uncomfortable with the situations in which 456 puts himself by thinking more about others than about himself. A scene that left me in agony was in season 2, in the first game, where he runs from the safe area to pick up a man who was shot in the leg. The man would have been killed anyway, but he insisted on picking him up with less than 30 seconds to go.
Unlike 456's blatant empathy, which almost makes him seem naive in several scenes (like when he gives his only extra ammunition to Inho to save himself in the future), Will's empathy is more "dark" and firm. Will doesn't trust people easily, much less Hannibal, while 456 trusts Inho/001 right away and from the first contact they are inseparable.
• Jealousy, Control and Possessiveness
I think that after their faces, these are the characteristics that Hannibal and Inho have most in common. Neither of them want their good boys to have anyone other than themselves. We can see Hannibal eliminating the people who get close to Will throughout the series, but with Inho, we follow the stages and moments of this jealousy until it reaches its peak (the final episode that resembles Mizumono). Inho observed Gihun's interactions with Jungbae (Gihun's longtime friend) in silence, just processing each moment and creating a mental bomb that would explode in the future (like when Jungbae made Gihun laugh, at night in the dorms, and the scene cuts to 001 listening under the bed in total DISGUST).
• Mizumono
Both villains analyzed here need to control their targets of obsession, manipulating them and trying to build a home in their heads, and when they realize they have been "betrayed", that's when the bomb explodes.
Hannibal felt betrayed by Will when he learned that he was helping in a plan against him behind his back (but we know that Will was so confused about his feelings and morality that he didn't even know who to go with), and then killed Abgail in front of him after a heartbreaking speech.
Inho felt betrayed by Gihun when, during a shootout in the player vs. soldier attack, Gihun said he would go inside to find the way out. Inho asked: "Shall I go with you?", and Gihun simply said that Jungbae would go with him. Later, Jungbae asks 456 why he chose him and not 001 who is more skilled with weapons, and Gihun answers that he chose him because they are friends. The next scene suggests that Inho, disappointed, listened behind the communicator, but we don't know if the communicators were on or not...
It's worth noting the expression on Inho's face when Gihun said that Jungbae was the one who would...
(POOR GUY 456 APOLOGIZE TO HIM AND TAKE HIM WITH YOU NOW
The Mizumono between 456 and 001 happens thanks to this event, when, later, after putting on his masked Boss costume, Inho goes to Gihun and Jungbae on the stairs. Just like Hannibal, he says heartbroken words (less dramatic and more angry) and eliminates Jungbae in front of Gihun.
Both killed people close and important to their targets out of possessiveness and hurt, out of a sick and incomprehensible feeling of betrayal; feelings that only they understand.
How can little sweet creatures like this be so DESTRUCTIVE.
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There doesn't seem to be a need and mutual dependence in 457 like there is in Hannigram (at least not yet, there's still one season left), the obsession and interest come from Inho, but there is a notable chemistry and tension, smiles and exchanges of OBVIOUS glances.
I know that Hannigram is complex and very intense, I'm not making an extremely serious comparison, but rather recording some points that I observed and since I love both couples, I wanted to do this. The depth of the characters is obviously different, we're just making a fan observation here. ♡
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thyinum · 9 months ago
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It's so wild to me to see under that Xiran Jay Zhao's post about the bombed ukrainian printing house comments like "I hope everyone is safe." And I get it, people are saying this out of kindness and pure consern, there's nothing wrong with it. It just shows how little coverage our war has abroad.
No, no one in Ukraine is safe. No one in that printing house was safe, in fact, 7 people died. No one in a huge hypermarket in Kharkiv on Saturday was safe, in fact, there were 18 killed and 48 injured. And all this happened in the span of only a few days.
No one is safe in territories occupied by russians because the whole family can get killed by refusing to give up their home to russian soldiers. And every time ukrainian army liberates some region, they find mass graves and torture chambers there.
No one is safe even far away from the front line and the border with russia, because missiles and drones fly all over Ukraine, and you never know when the next one will land on your house.
Hell, ukrainians aren't safe even abroad, because there's always a chance there will be some crazy russian or russian supporter who will decide to beat or kill us. And I'm not making this up.
I'm aware that I'm more safe than the people close to the front line and the border with russia or in occupied territories. I don't hear explosions every day, unlike my friend from Kharkiv. But that doesn't mean I'm completely safe. Missiles and drones fly by at least several times a week, especially at night, when I don't hear the sound of an air raid siren simply because I'm asleep. 
I am not safe.
My family is not safe.
My friends all over Ukraine are not safe.
We're not safe until russia is gone from our territories. That's why we need all that ammunition and aid. War won't magically stop if our allies stop sending us weapons; that's not how it works. We'll just be more unsafe, because russia won't stop unless it is forced to.
Here's ukrainian news sources you can follow that report daily:
United24: Instagram, YouTube, Twitter
Svidomi: Instagram, Twitter
WeAreUkraine: Instagram
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stinkysam · 27 days ago
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Choi Subong “Thanos” - Help player 230.
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Warning : canon divergence, violence, guns
Genre : fluff ?
Synopsis : “thanos x triangle guard male reader where after the fight in the bathrooms the guard helps thanos with his injury” - anon
Reader : gender neutral (you/yours)
A/N : Bold is in English
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You were sitting on your bed, reading, when you received an order in your earpiece. You didn’t really understand the reasons behind it, but obeyed nonetheless, placing your book away and putting on your mask, then your hood.
Locking your small room, you then went to your locker, getting your MP5, your revolver and some ammunition before walking down the long corridor to find another guard who was coming to you with a small first aid kit. You took it, placing it around your waist before resuming walking toward the men’s bathroom at a faster pace, going up and down the multiple stairs.
You had to protect player 230, not kill. Save, just this once. You had heard of him, more than just in the games. Rising rapper, known to be annoying, was about to win a rap contest but forgot his own bars. You even saw a few -a lot- memes about it. You mostly felt pity for him, and even though he ended second, you could tell he felt like he had ended last.
Though it meant you knew his name, you preferred to distance yourself, using 230 instead.
As you arrived, you saw player 125 run toward you, you moved to the side, letting him pass by, barely acknowledging you. You continued your way up the stairs, the two triangle soldiers guarding the door.
You stopped, opened the door, looked at the chaos and sighed before entering.
It took you a few seconds to spot your target.
Player 230 was trying to strangle 333 with one hand while the other tried to take his fork away, without much success as it planted repeatedly in his left shoulder, arm and ribs.
You went toward them, a few people noticed you as you took your MP5 in your hands and swiftly hit 333 on the head with it, knocking him out.
The fight had died down by now, all looking at you. You kept your hands on your gun, ready to use it if necessary, the tension still palpable and growing even more with the silence.
“Everyone out.” You said, putting your foot on 230’s back to keep him in place as he grabbed 333’s fork.
The other players didn’t need you to speak twice, already moving away from each other as the two soldiers by the door came in, telling each group to follow them.
“Take him.” You pointed with your gun to 333 on the floor, pushing 230 away from him with your foot, as two Os approached cautiously to help the unconscious man up.
Within a minute, the bathroom was empty.
Or almost.
“124, out.” You said and quickly you heard the door open, 124 slowly coming out with an awkward smile.
“Sorry.” He replied, walking past you before flipping you off behind you as if you couldn’t guess what he was doing, and then, he left.
230, tightly holding 333’s fork, tried to attack you, attempting to stab your leg. You moved your MP5 so it was against his forehead, stopping him instantly, looking at you with wide eyes. Shit.
“Give me the fork.” You said, holding one hand out, but he threw it behind you, hoping you’d give him an opening by going after it.
“Fuck you.” He said with a proud smile.
Fucker. You rolled your eyes, though he did not see it.
You bent down, pushing your MP5 on your back, and grabbed him by the collar, his hands going to your gloved ones to stop you as you forced him to sit against the toilet stall.
“Wh-”
“Player 230, I’m not here to kill you, you can calm down.” You kneeled at his level.
The way he stared at you told you his mind was racing, not understanding but still wanting to curse you out.
“You want me to believe you’re here to help me ? You think I’m stupid ?” He scoffed, crossing his arms though his left one had struggled to move, a wince on his face.
You ignored him, pushing his arms out of the way, opening his vest and pulled his shirt up. His hands went to your wrists, trying to stop you, not understanding what you were doing.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing ?!” He said. God, you understood why he was described as annoying. But again, how do you interact with a man who thinks you’re gonna shoot his brains out.
“Checking your wounds.” You replied, snatching your hands away from his grip to hold his shirt up again.
You noticed the tattoo on his neck was also going down his sides. And there, around the 6th or 7th rib, stab wounds, blood seeping out.
“Remove them.” You said, pointing at his clothes. He raised an eyebrow, visibly confused.
“What ? Why the fuck would I do that ? Perv.”
You ignored him again, taking out the first aid kit from around your waist and showed it to him, hoping he’ll finally get it.
He stared at it, confused before slowly complying, glaring at you as he struggled to get rid of his shirt because of his arm, cursing you under his breath. If only you didn’t have your fucking guns.
By his shoulder and biceps, along the thick line of his tattoo, more stab wounds bleeding abundantly. He looked away, visibly not pleased to be seen hurt.
You came in at the right time, or his wounds would’ve been worse if not deadly. A little more and he would’ve been stabbed in the neck by that fork. Although they were small and weren’t as deep as it would’ve been with a knife, they were still around 4 centimeters deep, stinging and hurting sharply, throbbing.
You opened the first aid kit, placing the different items on 230’s legs except for the scissors and tweezers, keeping them in the bag.
You grabbed the small bottle of painkillers and stood up. He won’t need that, isn’t it more entertaining if they’re struggling ?
“Stay.” You said before walking away and emptying the bottle in the toilet before going to the sink, pouring some water in it.
“Bitch, I’m not a fucking dog.” He said under his breath. Out of spite, he moved, trying to grab the fork. You heard his grunts and turned around with a sigh. You walked to the fork and took it, placing it in your pocket before grabbing him and putting him back where he was. You kneeled down again, replacing what had fallen from his legs.
You emptied the small bottle on his ribs slowly as you cleaned the wounds. Water mixed with blood dripping down his skin, getting rid of the mix of sweat and partially dried blood as he stared at you.
You stood up again to put more water in the small bottle, 230 staying still as you came back and emptied it on his shoulder, wiping it. You did it once more, cleaning up his biceps last.
He continued staring at you, still not understanding why you were helping him. You too weren’t understanding it. Maybe they wanted to keep the disruptive element longer ? Though the most disruptive one could be 456.
His hand moved toward you, trying to reach for your mask, but you moved your head away and swatted his hand.
“Come on, who are you ?” He finally asked. “You piqued my interest.” He smiled cockily.
You gave him an annoyed stare he could not see before returning to your task, taking some gauze and wrapping it around his arm and shoulder, squeezing enough so it wouldn’t fall and stay in place.
Then you leaned closer, wrapping the gauze around his ribs, making sure it was tight and thick enough again.
You looked at your work before turning toward the camera on the ceiling and moving slightly to the side, showing your job was done.
“You can put your clothes back on and go.” You said, standing up, waiting for him to move.
“Seriously, who are you ? You know me ? That’s why you’re helping ?” He chuckled, his confidence growing despite struggling to put his shirt back on, putting his jacket with more ease. You said nothing, watching him slowly stand up before escorting him to the exit.
The door opened, a group of workers entered with 5 human sized black boxes. 230 watched them as they opened them and placed the dead inside before closing it.
“Player 230.” You said, gaining his attention, he looked at you with wide eyes. Did he just notice the corpses ? You reached into your pocket and gave him the fork. “I hope you’re enjoying the games.”
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hyperlexichypatia · 1 year ago
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I am begging Mental Health Culture to stop broadening the definition of "self-harm." If you want a term to convey the concept you're trying to express, may I suggest bringing back the term "bad habit"? "Self-harm" is grounds for involuntary commitment. Do you want people to get involuntarily committed for spending too much time on the internet before bed or volunteering for too many projects? No? Then don't give coercive psychiatry ammunition by broadening the usage of their coercive terminology! When I first started out in the Mad liberation advocacy movement, one of the arguments we made against involuntary commitment and coercive intervention for "self-harm" was that neurotypical people do things that are "bad for them" all the time, like playing football, smoking tobacco, or eating candy, and they still have the bodily autonomy right to make those "unhealthy" choices. The point was to highlight the double standard that some people were denied rights because of doing things that were allegedly "bad for them," while other people were allowed the dignity of risk and freedom to choose. Our point was "The neurodivergent/Mad person picking her skin should have the same right to bodily autonomy as the neurotypical person dancing ballet, even though both are doing things to their bodies that could be described as 'bad for them.'" The argument was that neither should be pathologized. Current discourse would pathologize both, as well as even more variations on human behavior. That's a big step backwards. "But it's only self-harm if it has certain emotional motivations" -- let me stop you right there. Coercive psychiatry does not ask us what our emotional motivations are. It dictates to us what our emotional motivations are, and increases the coercion if we disagree with it (because disagreeing with their assessments of our emotional state is also A Symptom). Do you think the Parental Surveillance Industrial Complex is going to listen to their children before following through on moral panic articles about how parents should take away their children's hobbies because they're "self-harm"? Don't ascribe good faith to coercive psychiatry, because coercive psychiatry doesn't ascribe good faith to you.
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gay-dorito-dust · 10 months ago
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haii! :33
can i request boothill and argenti (seperately) with a shy gn!reader who gets flustered easily? whether it would be through words, physical touch or stuff like that
thank youu!! ^_^
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Jing yuan:
Smug bastard.
Acts like he wasn’t the reason you were flustered to the high heavens from brushing his hand across your waist.
‘Are you alright my dear?’ He’d say, faking innocence as he intentionally held your face in his hands, softly caressing your cheeks as he felt them gradually grow warmer with every stroke of his thumbs. ‘You’re feeling rather warm here, should I get you to a doctor?’ He adds with a knowing smile.
‘N-no. I’m fine.’ You’d say, unable to form actual thoughts as your mind was heavily focused on a plethora of things, from the way that his hands held your face as though it were porcelain, to the way he caresses your skin felt like kisses in their own right.
The acclaimed dozing general raised an eyebrow as his smile only grew more mischievous. ‘Are you sure? You’re really heating up my dear, I wouldn’t want you to faint on me now,’ he then leaned in close, chuckling upon hearing you gasp a the close proximity, whispering. ‘Unless that’s your intention.’
Jing Yuan thoroughly enjoyed being the reason you were flustered and found your reactions addictive, so much that he would start doing things where he got to see that reaction as much as possible.
Touching your hand
Brushing shoulders
Sitting really close to you/ ‘accidentally’ falling asleep on you, etc.
However if you were to ever express that you wanted him to stop, he will as he understands that you might not want to be made to fluster all the time. He’s not a dickhead and respects you greatly for giving him the ability to start living life again.
Argenti:
This man speaks from the bottom of his heart, there’s not a single lie to be found in his words, and it was due to that undeniable truthfulness that left you more flustered then not.
‘I only speak the truth my beloved rose.’ He says softly as he held your hands in his own all the while maintaining eye contact, which didn’t help you in any way shape or form as you felt your face practically burst into flames and your heart going at a mile an hour the longer you stay in close proximity to him.
He smelt of roses and chivalry, which was odd as you didn’t think chivalry could have a smell, but with Arenti anything was seemingly possible.
‘You are the beauty that I’ve been seeking and now that I have you, I have no doubt that I will love you for eternity should it be allowed of me.’
Boom, you’re dead and on the floor as you stare up at the ceiling as Argenti was quick to move to kneel at your side, face full of concern as his face hovers over you all the while his hair acted as ruby red curtains, forcing you to solely focus on his extremely pretty face. He looked like an angel in that moment and you somehow still found it in you to get even more flustered upon gazing at his face.
He’s genuinely concerned about you whenever you got flustered, his heart and soul were just so pure that he wasn’t really clicking onto the fact that he was the reason you were constantly flustered.
‘My dear flower, what’s wrong? Have I hurt you somehow? Should I seek medical attention?’ - him.
‘No, I’m okay. Just give me a few minutes…or an hour.’ -you, flustered to the high heavens and embarrassment for making him worry.
Boothill:
Smug bastard 2.0
The moment you shown him how easily flustered you could get, it’s over for you as you’ve given Boothill ammunition to keep finding new ways to flustered you on the daily.
Your reactions were his drug and he’d gladly overdoes on them if he could but that might be going a bit too far, however he didn’t care because you being flustered from almost anything he did had become everything to him.
So he would nuzzle his cheek to yours.
Playfully nibbles on your earlobe, shoulder, neck, arms, lips and takes enjoyment in your squeals and attempts to get away from him, only to be pulled back in.
Kissing your lips constantly, even more so in public.
The teasing is never ending with Boothill.
He’s relentless, unyielding and extremely brutal in his teasings that you may as well be permanently flustered. However if you were to shyly give this gremlin a taste of his own medicine by boldly kissing his cheek, he’s suddenly silent and a little fluttered.
He just loves smothering you in love and will continue to do so as nothing else mattered to him in that moment more than you and the effects he had over you.
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golden-ebony · 4 months ago
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Man Eater (3) 𓆩♡𓆪
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♡ series masterlist ♡ previous part ♡
♡ Pairing: Logan Howlett/Fem!Vigilante!Reader
♡ Word Count: 3.0k
♡ Rating: Mature (but any additional parts may be explicit)
♡ Warning/Tags: fighting but by no means violent
♡ Summary: Leaving your past behind is never easy; teasing Logan makes it tolerable
♡ Note: i FINALLY have a proper vision for the series and i'm so so so excited!
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It didn’t take you long to move into the X-mansion. You typically kept most of your things in storage, preferring to live out of a suitcase as you traveled from place to place. It always made it easier to leave on short notice if needed.
But you promised yourself you’d try to make it work at the school, hence moving all your belongings in. Leaving in the cover of night would be significantly harder now—unless you were willing to part with more than a few possessions.
In just a month, you’d settled into a permanent room and reacquainted yourself with your newfound teammates. Like Charles, they treated you with kindness and respect whenever your paths crossed. Occasionally, you even assisted them if it aligned with your own self-interest.
You had more interactions with Logan than anyone else. Despite knowing him for only a few weeks, you two were definitely getting closer. Friends? Maybe. True friendships were rare for you. Most of your relationships were transactional, impersonal. But with Logan, words weren’t always necessary to convey what the other was thinking or feeling. There was a mutual understanding between you.
Still, he loved finding new ways to get under your skin. And you were more than happy to return the favor. It was a brazen, tenacious dance that raised the tension in any room you were in, even when others were around.
Bantering with him was the only exciting part of your days. You itched to do something—anything besides train. The thrill of a mission was what you craved. Waiting for that “something good” Charles and Logan had mentioned felt like torture.
You saw the others come and go on missions a few times over the month. They’d be gone for only a few hours or a day, but that was exactly what you wanted. Your requests, however, were falling on deaf ears.
“I think I’m ready,” you reaffirmed to Storm as you finished a set in the gym. “I did great in the Danger Room, I train on my own, I’ve read some rather boring files. I’m ready!”
“You survived the Danger Room,” Storm corrected. “You’d do better if you actually worked with us instead of next to us.”
You huffed, hands on your hips. “I’m trying, alright? And I have been doing better!”
“You have,” Storm nodded. She glanced over, noticing Logan entering the gym with a group of students, and a sly smile crossed her face. “If bickering and flirting with Logan were a measure of improvement, I’d say you’re more than ready for a mission.”
Looking over your shoulder, you saw Logan talking with some students. You’d bet his training shirt was a size too small, hugging every ridge of his toned physique. You quickly turned away, not wanting to give him any ammunition for later teasing.
You shook your head, a smile creeping onto your lips. “Well, he’s annoying, and it’s something to do until I can actually go on a mission.”
Storm noticed Logan catching sight of the two of you and saw the tension between you thicken. Around the students, you both were more restrained, but that didn’t stop Logan from eyeing you across the room.
“Patience is a virtue,” Storm remarked as she passed you, knowing it was best to leave you and Logan to your own devices.
Turning, you watched as Storm said something to Logan before leaving the gym. An idea sparked in your mind as Logan’s gaze settled on you. You gave him a nod toward the wall, signaling for him to follow. He obliged, moving out of the students’ earshot.
Noticing the sweat-soaked collar of your shirt, Logan couldn’t help himself. “Already hot and bothered just by me being here, sweetheart?”
Your face remained serious, ignoring his comment. “Can you do me a favor?” You crossed your arms, your tone sincere.
Logan huffed, realizing he wasn’t going to get a rise out of you. He nodded, mirroring your stance. “Yeah, what’s up?”
You felt silly about your request. “Can you talk to Charles for me? I want to start going on missions, but no one thinks I’m ready.”
Logan shook his head, surprised. “Probably because you’re not ready.” You’d heard it from Charles, Scott, and Storm, but hearing it from Logan felt like a betrayal, even personal.
“You know better than anyone I can handle myself!” Your voice was louder than intended. “I’ve been doing this longer than any of you—well, except you.”
Logan raised a hand, signaling you to ease up. “Easy, sweetheart, you’ve only been here a month.”
“And it’s agonizing!” you snapped. “I know I’m still learning this whole team thing, but you said I could do something good here.”
“Then do something!” Logan shot back, as if it was obvious. Before you could retort, he continued, “Look, Charles has me teaching self-defense to these boys without their abilities. Offer to do the same for the girls.”
For the first time, Logan had managed to shut you up. You looked over his shoulder, watching the boys practice without his supervision.
“Yeah, we have missions, but this is a school. Helping these kids—that’s the original mission.”
You glanced back at him, huffing. “You sound like Charles.”
“Because he has to remind me of that sometimes.” He placed a hand on your shoulder. “And now I get to remind you.”
His firm grasp was oddly calming. Weeks ago, you would’ve swatted his hand away with a scold, but now his touch felt sincere.
You nodded. “Alright, I’ll talk to Charles about training some students. But will you talk to him for me?”
Logan playfully hummed as if he was weighing his options, “I’ll vouch for you when the time comes,” Logan decided, shooting you a smile. He turned back to the boys, seeing them get a bit more rowdy under no current supervision. “I’d invite you to watch, but I think you’d distract the boys” he teased as he squeezed your shoulder. The look in his eyes was more mischievous than anything.
You picked his arm off your shoulder, sensing the bait, “Distract them or distract you?”
Logan eyed your leggings and cropped shirt. Your partially exposed abdomen and arms were dried with sweat, but Logan couldn’t get your smell out of his head. It was almost dizzying. It had been getting worse over the last few weeks. Your smell was all over the mansion on every goddamn surface in every goddamn room. He only found refuge in his own room. However, Logan was nothing but honest.
“Mainly the boys, but…” Logan stepped a little closer, taking a proper deep breath to inhale your scent, “I ain’t above your charms either.”
You deeply inhaled, your exhale resulting in a chuckle, “For a man that’s seen my case files, you have to know where that charm can lead you.”
Logan shrugged at your point, “For a woman who claimed she couldn’t possibly be a part of a team, you’re sure itchin’ to go on a mission.”
“So?”
He shrugged again, taking a few steps back with a playful gleam in his eyes. “First impressions aren’t everything.”
You watched as Logan went back to the students, immediately getting their attention when he spoke up. As you walked past the group to leave the gym, you noticed how attentive the male students were actually being, focusing on every word Logan was saying. And whether Logan wanted to say Charles made him do this or not, you could tell that he enjoyed it. If he said no, it wasn’t sincere. You knew a liar when you saw one.
After your conversation with Logan, you spoke with Charles. He was excited to see you take initiative in assisting the children. You didn’t have the heart to tell him it was Logan’s idea, but if Charles really wanted to know, he had his ways of figuring that out. You didn’t push the idea of going on missions to him again. That was your idea.
It only took Charles a day to find groupings of female students that were interested in your lessons. At this point, you didn’t interact with the students much. You were more of a lingering figure in the hallways. This was the students’ opportunity to size you up as well.
As you stood there in the gym with 12 girls staring at you with their judgemental eyes, you felt a bit exposed, a little vulnerable. You had grabbed their attention, and now you were slightly regretting it.
“Uhm, so, self-defense is important…your abilities won’t always save you. It may not be safe to use your abilities.” You nodded as if you were convincing yourself. Some of the girls nodded as well, giving you some semblance of confidence. 
“I’m not…” a curly haired girl began as she looked at you. Her brown eyes were wide with hesitation, “I’m not a fighter.” A few of the other girls muttered in agreement. 
“And you don’t have to be.” You tried to reassure them with a soft smile. “I’m not asking you guys to pick fights or…even like to fight. It’s just important to the Professor…important to me that you guys know how to protect yourselves. No matter where you go in life.”
Pride was a feeling you were familiar with. Usually that pride stemmed from your own work. And these girls were right; they definitely weren’t fighters. However, watching these girls take your advice, follow your movements, even laugh when they made a mistake, you felt pride outside of yourself. Even over the course of an hour, you saw the improvement. Their movements were more fluid as they learned to strike and block.
You could see that the hour was winding down. It flew by as you watched the paired up teens practice these simple moves on each other. Your mind was already racing with ideas on what to teach next. Sighing with contentment, you clapped to grab their attention.
“Alright, that’s gonna be all for today!” you told them, only holding some of the girls’ attention. The others were still playfully fighting at this point. “Same time next week? Yeah?”
A number of the girls nodded as they began to grab their things. When your eyes turned toward the door, you spotted Logan leaned against the doorframe with his large forearms crossed. You looked smitten with himself as he watched you interact with the students. You playfully narrowed your eyes with a soft smile.
You turned your attention back to the girls who were grabbing their bags, “And if you don’t remember anything from today, just remember to never pull your punches. What you lack in experience, you can make up for in ferocity, alright?”
The giddy girls all were quick to say their thank yous and goodbyes as they passed you. Some said bye to Logan, too, as he moved out of their way. 
With hands shoved in his jean pockets, he approached, “They don’t look half-bad,” he remarked, referring to the students. “And you look pleased with yourself, sweetheart.”
You bit your lip to hold back a smile, knowing Logan was going to use this as ammunition on why he’s always right. But a part of you didn’t care. “You were right; these are good kids. And I may have had fun,” you admitted as you grabbed the spray bottle and pushed the mop to clean down the mats. Logan walked beside you with raised brows as you began to clean up.
“Oh, I was right? That sounds good coming off your lips,” Logan teased, lightly shoving your shoulder.
“Don’t get used to it, Wolvie.” You eyed him as you turned around with the mop around to toward the other end. Noticing his sweats and t-shirt–that damn tight t-shirt again–you motioned to the equipment toward the end of the gym. “Are you here to work out or bother me? Because the weights are down there, brute.”
Logan's mouth quirked into a wry smile at your question. Walking next to you, he could smell your scent, a mix of sweat and your own natural scent. It made him feel oddly relaxed yet infuriated. He let his eyes drift down to your body as you pushed the mop.
 “I was, but,” His eyes lingered on your form before taking the mop from you, tossing it against the wall, “now I wanna see if what you’re teaching these girls are any good.”
Logan backed up, giving ample space between the two of you. You cocked your head, interested in the dare but still hesitant. The tension was already stiff in the gym with anticipation at the mere mention of a fight.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” you shot back, already beginning to stretch your arms, “but if you wanted a personal lesson, all you had to do was ask, Wolvie.” Your tone teased him, bringing a gleam of challenge in his features.
In the empty gym, you both took your stances across from each other, sizing the other up. The thrill of anticipation and adrenaline began to flood your bloodstream as you mentally refamiliarized with how Logan fought during the Danger Room. Brutish is how you’d described it.
“You gonna keep your claws to yourself?”
“Gonna keep your knives to yourself?”
You dramatically rolled your eyes. You unsheathed your knives, darting them to a nearby board in a show of faith.
Logan cracked his knuckles, a smirk playing on his lips. “You sure you want to do this? I wouldn’t want to hurt you, princess.”
You rolled your eyes, shifting into a defensive stance. “The only thing delicate around here is your ego.”
With a sudden burst, Logan lunged forward, aiming for your midsection. You ducked, the rush of air from his punch sending a thrill down your spine. You pivoted swiftly, landing a sharp kick to his side. Logan staggered but quickly regained his stance, admiration creeping on his lips.
“Not bad,” he admitted, his tone teasing, “but you’ll need to do better than that to impress me.”
You couldn’t help but grin, “I already know I impress you.”
You darted in again, your movements a blur. A quick jab here, a feint there—Logan parried some strikes but let one slip through, catching him right on the cheek. The surprise on his face was priceless, and you took a moment to bask in it. If Logan could bruise, he was sure he would have.
You winced, a playful lilt in your voice, “I don’t pull my punches, Wolvie.”
Logan dryly chuckled, rubbing his cheek, “Alright, sweetheart.”
With a mock glare, he lunged again, relying on his size and strength. You ducked low, narrowly avoiding his grasp, and then executed a spinning kick that nearly knocked him off balance. He stumbled, caught between frustration and admiration. 
“Gotta say, I like the way you move for me,” he remarked, genuine awe shining through.
“You wanted an up close show,” you shot back, grinning as you moved in again, launching a series of rapid jabs. Logan blocked a few but let one slip, landing solidly on his jaw again. He staggered, a laugh escaping his lips. “And I aim to please.”
As they exchanged blows, the gym echoed with their banter and laughter. You weren’t even exclusively on the mats anymore. You were moving around the equipment, against the wall. Logan tried to pin you against the wall, but you slipped out of his grasp, executing a swift spin that brought you behind him once more.
With a burst of speed, you locked him in a tight hold, your bodies inches apart. Logan struggled, muscles flexing beneath their grip, but you had the upper hand. “You’re not getting away that easily,” you teased, leaning closer, their breath brushing against his ear. You felt Logan ease up.
“Don’t know if I want to,” Logan shot back, breathless yet exhilarated. 
Feeling your cheeks reddened, you pushed Logan down, pinning him to the padded floor in a swift maneuver with knee and forearm. You positioned yourself over him, yours faces inches apart. Logan didn’t appear defeated; he looked pleased with himself despite the pressure on his abdomen and chest.
You were pleased with yourself, too…for more reasons than one.
“I won,” you breathlessly stated, a small smile on your lips.
Logan’s eyes darted between your eyes and your lips. He unconsciously licked his lips before another smile grew on his face, “Then why do I feel so damn lucky?”
You would’ve expected your heart to slow at this point, yet it stayed elevated as you looked down at Logan. His hazel eyes were now a dark green. It was over. You could release him, but you didn’t. Against your better judgment, you nuzzled yourself close to his ear, hearing his breath hitch.
“Because most men barely make it out with their lives when I get ‘em like this.”
It took everything in Logan not to groan as lips grazed against his ear. Yet, he couldn’t help the hand that partially gripped your waist, feeling the warmth radiating from your body.
“Not the worst view to take in before the slaughter.”
Your mind was fuzzy being this close to Logan. It only worsened when Logan gripped you. Your entire body was buzzing, screaming to pull away. Still, you stayed, only slightly shifting your weight off his chest. The competitive gleam in Logan’s eyes was replaced with something softer, sensual even. Your breathing slowed, but your heart was racing a mile a minute. 
Even Logan couldn’t seem to piece together another quip, a retort. All his thoughts had been stripped away, replaced with only you. You were consuming every ounce of his senses except the very one he craved the most. As close as you were, it wouldn’t be difficult to obtain. Yet, Logan was reluctant because even in the tenderness of your eyes, he saw a flash of something–he almost missed it—that he hadn’t seen in you before.
Fear.
“I gotta talk to Charles,” you quickly stammered as you lifted yourself off of Logan, not even thinking about facing him again. As quick as you said it, you were heading for the door. Logan could only muster the faint call of your name from the floor. He wasn’t surprised when it didn’t stop you.
After slowly standing, Logan noticed your knives still jammed into the wall. Your favorites, no less. Pulling them from the wall, Logan took the knives with him. 
You’d be looking for them eventually.
He couldn’t wait until you did.
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f1byjessie · 1 year ago
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A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS ━━ LN4.
sometimes the right words are hard to come across, and sometimes everything you need to say can be captured in an image.
( lando norris x photographer!reader )
━━ part two.
Friday evenings are typically spent in the comfort of your flat. Normally, you’re half paying attention to reruns of whatever shitty reality TV happens to be on and half scrolling through social media to keep up with the ever-fluctuating trends of content as per your job requirements, all the while eating your body’s weight in takeaway. It’s not the dream, but it’s certainly a dream.
Tonight, you plan on amending things to include going through the pictures of Bali’s stunning beaches that Lando’s been spamming you with throughout the day, but beyond that, you have no intentions of deviating further from your norm.
You’re actually really looking forward to it. Though you’d rather cut off your own hand than admit it to his face and give him new ammunitions to tease you with, you miss Lando during the winter breaks. So much of your year is spent having him nearby━ a near-constant presence buzzing with the inability to slow down let alone stop━ and when he isn’t around, the silence seems louder. There’s no one else who manages to annoy you the way he does, and it’s just not the same without him.
To make matters worse, between your new job, Lando’s travels, and the scheduling conflicts that have arisen in turn, you haven’t had a chance to catch up with him beyond a few back-and-forth messages about his current escapades. So you really, genuinely, truly are looking forward to it.
Garrett Ward throws a wrench into things.
You have mixed opinions of Garrett. He can be very sweet, and he’s gone out of his way to make you feel incredibly welcome in your first week with the Manchester City team. He makes good conversation and seems genuinely interested in what it is you’re doing, often asking questions about your equipment and process, which is a nice change of pace from most other clients you’ve worked with in the past who rarely give two shits about anything beyond the final product. But his reputation is… concerning.
Garrett Ward is infamous in English tabloids for being a notorious womanizer.
There are several articles that come to mind, but the most damning of which is from 2019, before his trade to Manchester City, detailing with very incriminating photos how he’d been seen entering a club with two women and then leaving just a few hours later with a completely different pair. You don’t want to assume he’s the same man now as he was back then, nearly a full five years ago, but you’ve been working in the sports industry long enough to know that athletes can have anyone and if they want then they will have anyone━ there is no shortage of temptation.
And you are not arrogant enough to assume you would be the outlier.
Which makes his interest in you feel less like friendly curiosity and more like something you need to be wary of.
It’s also why━ as you make the trek through the Etihad Campus car park━ you feel dread begin to pool in your stomach as you answer your ringing phone. “Hi, Garrett.”
“Y/N!” He exclaims excitedly, sounding like he hadn’t just seen you barely ten minutes ago in the weight room. “I meant to catch you before you left, but you were outta there so fast I wasn’t able to.”
And there’s probably a reason for that, you want to say, but you hold your tongue. “Yeah, I usually try to be pretty quick about it.”
There’s an awkward pause left open as if he expects you to say more, and when you don’t he clears his throat. “Erm, well, I was actually just calling to see if, perhaps, you would like to grab dinner with me this evening.”
You don’t. At all. It’s one of the last things you would like to do. There are plenty of other hellish things you would willingly rather subject yourself to before sitting down and sharing a private meal with this man━ jumping into the Thames is one of them, and letting Lando drive you around on the autobahn in his Spider is another. Both could very easily result in death, permanent disfigurement, or any other number of horrible outcomes, but neither includes Garrett.
Your hesitating silence must be an answer enough for him, because he chuckles again and adds on quickly, “No strings attached, I promise. It’ll just be two friends getting dinner.”
All you want to do is get cozy on your couch in your pajamas with a kebab from the place down the street and watch pretty people deal with their pretty people problems on TV. You don’t think that’s too much to ask for, but apparently, some higher power does.
“I suppose that’d be alright then,” you agree tentatively, speeding through the stages of grief as you mourn the initial plans of your Friday evening━ the easy, simple, comfortable plans. “Shoot me a message with the time and place and I’ll meet you there.”
“Awesome!” Garrett cheers. “See you later then.”
The peaceful silence that awaits you after you hang up feels like it’s mocking you. Too bad you can’t flip off silence.
“Look, the truth is, City is looking at trading me at the end of the season if I can’t clean my act up.” Garrett’s voice is quiet as he admits the reality of his future to you, but it breaks the silence of the world around you like a gunshot. “And not just loaning me out━” he adds, a twinge of something akin to anger noting his tone, “━but fully trading me. They’re saying that my image makes things too hard for them and the only way they’ll consider re-signing me is if I can either keep my name out of the tabloids or try to clean myself up.”
In Garrett’s defense, he technically did hold true to his promise of just two friends getting dinner. Things were actually going quite well, too. The restaurant was a little more high profile than you would’ve expected for a casual meal, but that can easily be passed off as the luxurious lifestyle and expensive tastes of a pro athlete who can certainly afford it. Expenses of your meal aside, he’d been good company, asking after the ways of working in Formula One and then finding similarities in his football career that made it easy to chat about the struggles and stressors of professional sports.
But you can recognize that this is where it’s all beginning to go downhill.
He’s announced it completely out of the blue as you’re walking back to the garage where you’ve both parked your cars. On top of that, his pace slows and you’re forced to slow down as well to match it until you both eventually come to a halt in the middle of the pavement.
You feel for him, in all honesty. You understand the difficulties of contract negotiations and how easily they can fall apart. The fragility of Formula One contracts is its own special brand of tricky and you’ve seen many friends move on to other teams in the blink of an eye just as they’ve begun to settle down and make their mark where they are. You can’t say for certainty that you understand the mechanics of football contracts to the same degree, but you can imagine they have their own fragile fine print.
But the chill of a January night in Manchester is brutal, and you’ll be the first to admit that your outfit does not protect against it. You don’t really want to be having this conversation in general, because you’ve known Garrett for all of a week which makes you acquaintances at best, but you especially don’t want to be having it now, out here in the cold when all you want to do━ all you’ve wanted to do since this afternoon━ is curl up in something warm and comfortable and pretend the world outside your flat doesn’t exist for a few days.
“I’m not sure what this has to do with me if I’m being honest, Garrett.”
He shrugs. “I just thought you might be able to help.”
You shove your hands in your pockets in a desperate attempt to keep your fingers from going more numb than they already are and shake your head at him. “I don’t know how exactly you think I can help you with that. I’m a photographer, not a PR officer.”
“My agent thinks it would be a good idea if I showed the media that I could hold down a steady relationship. Prove to them that I’ve changed my ways, and have matured.” He shrugs again, nonchalant despite being the one to bring this up in the first place.
“Have you?”
He makes a face, something between a flirty smirk and a suggestive wink, “Well, I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Garrett.”
“Look,” he crosses his arms and levels you with a look that fills you simultaneously with more rage and annoyance than a single person has ever made you feel before. “It would just be for a couple of months, and then we could stage an amicable breakup and that would be that! It just has to be long enough to show everyone that I’m not the same as I used to be.”
You give him a look right back, hoping it conveys how appalled you are by his audacity. “Okay, but why me of all people? Christ knows you probably have a list of women in your contacts who would jump at the chance to pretend to date you for a few months.”
His face pinches up in disgust. “Yeah, but they’re all former hookups, and I mean, they’re kinda psycho about me to be fair. If I tried to end things, they’d probably go to the tabloids themselves and smear my name with the worst things they could come up with.” He shrugs again, and you’re starting to find that you hate it when he does so. “I need someone willing to just play along for the time being and who will be discreet when things are over.”
“And you think I’m that person?” You scoff. “You’ve known me for a week!”
Your voice echoes and it reminds you once again that you’re having this conversation in the middle of a random street in Manchester. It’s cold and dark, and you’ve been attempting to bite back your frustration since the moment Garrett called you. You’ve been as nice as you possibly can be for this man, shy of bending over backward to worship the very ground he walks on, and you’re so close to your limit that you think if he shrugs one more fucking time━
He shrugs. “Well, yeah, but you know how this industry works. So I know you can be trusted.”
You take a deep breath to try and retain what’s left of your quickly slipping composure, before you say, “Garrett, this goes beyond unprofessional. I could potentially get into a lot of trouble for this. You’re technically my co-worker, if not my client by proxy. It’s not a good look for me to be getting with the athletes I work with, considering my entire career is based on working with athletes.”
He makes a befuddled face as if asking what that has to do with anything. It occurs to you that he’s probably never had to worry about the ethics of hooking up with someone when most of the women who are interested in him would do everything in their power to spend a night by his side whether it’s morally just━ or legal, for that matter━ or not.
“That doesn’t seem to stop you from being all cozy with that Nor-whatever guy,” he grumbles.
“What?”
“That driver,” he repeats. “You post him all over your socials, like, all the time.”
You tear your hands from your pockets and throw them up in the air, “Because that’s my job?!” The stupidity of the man before you is genuinely baffling. He’s been asking about your job all week long but the way he’s talking now makes it seem like he didn’t catch onto the fact that your entire career is centered around media and the creation of content made with the explicit intention of being shared.
“I am quite literally paid to take and post pictures of him per my contract with McLaren,” you continue. “And even if I wasn’t, he’s my best friend?! I’ve been working and traveling and spending the majority of my time with Lando since 2019 so of course I’m going to be close with him. Do you not post your mates every once in a while?”
“Yeah, but it’s different. All my mates are guys, so nobody thinks I’m dating any of them when I do it.”
You scoff in disbelief. “I cannot believe this right now. You know, for a moment, I briefly considered helping you. But you’re actually exactly the type of prick the tabloids say you are.”
He takes an intimidating step closer, and his voice drops an octave lower. “I would reconsider if I was you.” You’re not short, but Garrett isn’t either. He’s one of the tallest players on the Manchester City team, and the way you feel now with him staring you down makes you wonder if this is what it feels like to be his opponent on the pitch.
It’s fucking terrifying.
But you’re fucking livid, too.
Your jaw clenches and you bite out sharply, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“What it means,” he starts, “is that if you don’t help me, maybe I slip a word about something or other to my boss who slips a word to his boss who is, also, your boss, and suddenly, whoops!” He gives you a cocky smirk, so sure of himself that it makes you feel like your blood is literally boiling. “He’s not your boss anymore. In fact, nobody is your boss anymore, because your ‘slip in conduct’ was very inappropriate and made several players uncomfortable, which doesn’t look very good when trying to get jobs elsewhere in the industry.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Well,” he fucking shrugs. “When you say it like that, yeah. I guess I am.”
You cross your arms, your hands clenched into fists so tightly that you can feel your nails digging painfully into the flesh of your palms. “You’re a real bastard, you know.”
“You’re not the first person to tell me that, love.”
If only it were legal to kill a man━ Garrett Ward would be six feet under and picking worms from between his teeth.
You weigh your options, though. You’re not sure how much weight his word actually carries. For all you know, he could tell his boss, they could bring you in to discuss things, and then you could explain it all from your point of view. Garrett is a notorious flirt and you doubt it’s the first time he’s tried to pursue someone who isn’t interested in him. You doubt it happens very often, but it has to have happened at some point. Not to mention, his reputation regarding women is bad enough that Manchester City is already giving him an ultimatum, so you probably have a chance, and the worst-case scenario is that you amicably part ways with the team and that’s that.
But realistically there is a worse worst-case scenario, and it’s pretty damn close to what Garrett is threatening. Losing this side gig wouldn’t really be too much trouble. It would put a dent in your savings, and you’d have to be a bit better about how you ration out your groceries and other necessities around the flat, but losing your job at McLaren? Being blacklisted from the industry entirely? That’s life-destroying. You would lose everything━ all the blood, sweat, and tears you shed to get where you are would be for nothing.
All because of a prick in sky blue.
“Fine,” you utter from between gritted teeth. “I’ll help you. But I won’t post you on my account. I won’t bring you home to my parents. I won’t go round to your flat and I certainly will not have you round to mind. You get one kiss to make it official to the paps, and then nothing more.” You take your own threatening step toward him, and a vindictive part inside you shines with malicious glee when he shifts ever so slightly backward. “If you try anything else, I will run to the papers and drag you through the mud worse than any of your little psycho groupies ever could.”
He scoffs, “You’d ruin your career.”
“But I’d tear you down with me,” you reply.
He takes a moment to think, staring into your eyes and weighing how serious you are. Whatever he sees staring back at him must be convincing enough because he sniffs, nods, and smirks.
“Deal.” He leans down, “I think I’ll be taking that kiss now. Make sure to really sell it, yeah?”
━━ tags: @maih23 @urfavnoirette @leclercsluv @f1luvur @formulaal @a-disturbing-self-reflection @starlightpierre
━━ a/n: i feel like i say this every time, but i am seriously blown away by how well the first part of this was received! like, seriously, thank you so much for the kind words everyone said about it! hopefully this second part lives up to the hype of the first, it's a little denser, but the events are important to establish for the rest of the story so it needed to happen!
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s0urw00lf · 5 months ago
Text
You matter too
Pairing: Sam Winchester x sister!reader, Dean Winchester x sister!reader
Summary: Your heart breaks a little more when you run into Sam and dean (your brothers) after being casted out by your father years before his death.
Warnings: angst, being disowned, familial heart ache.
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When you got home from work you immediately kicked off your heels, ridding yourself of the strain they had put on your feet all day. You looked around your apartment noting how dark it was ‘Aaron must not be home’ you thought to yourself, making your way through the darkness to your bedroom and into the closet, hastily changing into more comfortable clothes you tried to give yourself some relaxation and comfort after your hard day at work dealing with that asshole mark who couldn’t mind his business to save his damn life. You wished Arron was home so you could curl up to him and rant about how much you wanted to strangle that CEO asshole with his tie.
Exiting your closet you sighed, making your way to the kitchen to find something to eat before you heard what sounded like your glass potted plant fall over. Immediately you tensed, stopping all movements, pausing your breath as you strained to hear anything else. When you heard hushed voices it sent you into full throttle. You quickly but quietly made your way to your bed and pulled out the coffin-sized box filled with guns and ammunition and grabbed your shotgun mentally thanking god that you kept it loaded, not wasting any time you slowly tiptoed out of your bedroom looking around the corner and your heart dropped when you spotted to decently sized men seemingly in a disagreement.
“Are you sure this is it?” The shorter one asked, “yes this is the address he gave us” the taller one said, and again your heart dropped. This could be anybody coming to make you pay your dues. After you’d been practically disowned by your father you’ve been on your own since 15, and of course, you’ve made some very stupid choices and gotten in with the wrong people. Now 20 with a full-time job and career you figured your past had finally caught up with you. With your heart racing you stepped out from your hiding place and quickly jumped on the one closest to you, harshly pressing the pressure point in his neck rendering him unconscious, you let him fall and put all of your attention on the taller one, you cocked your gun and pointed it at his forehead and he did the same to you. “You’ve got .3 seconds to tell me what you want before I put a bullet in your brain” you threatened.
You couldn’t see the man's face in the darkness especially since his back was facing the window, his tall frame cast a shadow over you. Your heart raced in your ears “3” you began counting, and quickly the man dropped his hand holding the gun. “2” you continued in confusion, as you started with the last number the man in front of you said your name. You paused in shock, nobody you dealt with in the past knew your real name, you weren’t that stupid. Nobody outside of your family and your boyfriend knew your real name. “Who are you” you questioned, moving your finger to the trigger. “Y/n it's me” the man spoke quickly. And for what you doubt would be the last time that night. Your heart stopped. But not in fear, this time it was in shock. You backed up making your way towards the light switch, keeping your gun pointed at his head. When you flicked on the light and it filled the room your tense frame immediately softened. “Sam,” you said, in shock.
He awkwardly smiled and sent you a wave “Hey” he said, you stared at him, taking him in. The last you saw him, right before he went to college he was skinnier and a little shorter. He seemed to be doing the same thing with you. “You’re so grown up” You nodded awkwardly. Just then it dawned on you that he hadn’t come alone, you circled the couch blocking your view of the man you knocked unconscious. Immediately when your eyes set on him your heart tightened in guilt, “oh god Dean” you said dropping your gun and falling to your knees assessing his head, which had been bleeding. He probably hit his head on the coffee table on his way down. Just as you sat down Dean began to groan, you sat back as his eyes opened, seemingly adjusting to the light before setting his eyes on you. His face immediately changed, and you couldn’t tell what the expression meant. After spending a little over five years away from him you were practically strangers.
“Hey kid,” he said, groaning as she sat up. You winced “not much of a kid anymore if you haven’t noticed” you said. You stood up, looking back and forth between your two older brothers. “What’re you doing here?” You asked folding your arms. Dean stood up joining Sam, awkwardly standing in the middle of your living room. They both looked at each other, silently debating who would be the one to talk, unfortunately, the torch fell into Dean's hands “We wanted to see you” he said with an idiotic smile. You tilted your head not believing him for one second “Then why didn’t you use the door like a normal person” you asked. Dean awkwardly laughed quickly glancing at Sam who rolled his eyes “We need your help finding Dad” he said. You smiled bitterly “Ah, there it is,” you said. You moved over to your kitchen, resuming your task of finding something to eat.
“C'mon y/n don’t be like-“Dean started but you cut him off. “Like what?!” You turned around and shouted at him. “Don’t act like you don’t care, our father is missing-“Dean said, but was cut off by Sam this time “Dean-“ he started but was cut off by you walking toward him. “No, that's where you’re wrong, that is not my father. Maybe a small part of the reason I’m here but he.Is.not.my.father” you seethed. “So what were not your brothers now?” Dean said raising his voice a little bit. “I don’t know, are you dean? Because I don’t recall you reaching out in the past five years. I don’t recall you fighting for me to come home. You wanna know what I recall?” You asked stepping closer to him. Sam watched from behind Dean, he wasn’t there when you were kicked out but he wished he was. “I recall being hated by that man. The unwanted bastard child of John Winchester, that's what I was. And that day he left me at that motel I begged you to stay with me. Not to leave me and you did. I watched you drive away into the sunset while I sat alone in this big world full of monsters wondering how I'd survive alone at fifteen.” Tears began to flood your eyes, as you relived the heartbreak you tried to bury for five years.
“Five years. No calls, no visits, nothing. I was alone and I had to learn how to survive alone Dean and you weren’t there, so I tried to go visit Sam” you said, teary eyes cutting over to Sam, “but he didn’t want anything to do with me, wouldn’t even hear me out as I begged and pleaded for him too. But nope he sent me away, just like john, just like you,” you said trying your best not to sob in front of your brothers. “My big brothers, who promised to protect me, who swore to me that no harm would ever come my way as long as you were alive.”
Sam and Dean stood in front of you, both of their eyes were teary and you didn’t feel the least bit bad, you were happy they were feeling even a fraction of what you felt all those years ago. “John never wanted another kid let alone a daughter, he took me in because he had to. And it took me a while to realize that the same applies to you too” you said, your voice cracked as tears poured freely from your eyes. The silence that followed your statement was deafening. Neither of your brothers could even start to fathom what you’d been through in the time you were alone. The silence was cut when your front door opened, you quickly turned around and rushed to meet your boyfriend at the door. “Hey honey how- why are you crying?” He asked worriedly cupping your cheeks and whipping your tears. Instead of saying anything, you dragged him to the opening of the apartment so he could see for himself. “Family reunion” you whispered so only he could hear. His face immediately changed into pity.
Aaron knew your past having come from a slightly similar background. You turned to Sam and Dean, who hadn’t moved from their spot “You have a-” “boyfriend yeah” you cut Sam off wiping your tears. Glancing from them to Arron who was just shocked. Dean stepped forward, seemingly to play protective older brother, and for some reason, you didn’t stop him. Because even after the hurt they’d caused you, some part of you, maybe that small 15-year-old you, still wanted your big brothers in your life.
Surprisingly to you, Dean didn’t say anything to you, Aaron, he came to embrace you. Sam followed quickly after and joined the hug. Right there and then, you felt all of your hatred and anger towards them melt away. Neither of them was in the clear, but you didn’t want to go the rest of your life hating your brothers because they were too afraid to stand up to your dad. You knew they had their reasons, and even some things couldn’t be placed on John but you were willing to give it a shot at rekindling the relationship you had with them.
Your boyfriend stood behind you watching happily as you embraced your brothers, it was the most relaxed he’d ever seen you and he wanted to keep seeing you in said state. Sam pulled away first, then Dean did and you all stared at each other. “I’m sorry kid, every day after we left you I tried to find you but you were too good, I resented Dad for years after that, and even started hunting on my own because I couldn’t look him in the face and stand the fact that he left you and I didn’t say a damn thing about it,” dean said, the sincerity was shown on his face, and you knew dean was never one to show hid emotions ore even apologize at that, but you could see that he meant every word that spilled out of his mouth.
Sam apologized next “I i wish id known that's why you were there, I thought Dad had talked you into talking me into coming home, and I knew if you did that I would have come without second thought.” He said. You couldn’t find anything to say. You brought them in for another hug, squeezing them as tight as you could before pulling away. you looked at Aaron who stood behind you with a smile on his face “Sam, Dean, this is Aaron, my boyfriend” you said introducing them. Sam was the first to step forward to shake Aaron’s hand “Nice to meet you man” he said with a smile. “You too” Aaron replied. Dean shook his hand next, as much as he wanted to play that overprotective role, he hadn’t earned that right so he played fair and shook his hand giving Aaron a tight-lipped smile.
The three of you knew you had a long way to go, but you were happy to begin the journey.
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solus-seraph · 9 months ago
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Common Grounds. (AM)
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SUMMARY:
AM is interested in you, and you are NOT interested in him.
A/N: It's been a minute since I've written, so here's a little drabble. Also, I initially wrote this to be fem!reader, but it can probably be read as whatever.
AM had grown tired of playing with you. At first, the promise of eventually being able to crack that sickeningly dense shell of apathy you pushed forward with your self-inclusive facade was a tempting prize. Of course, he could always physically break you to no end, but where's the fun in that? He wants to see you suffer on all levels, but something is wrong with you. You're different from the other five. The apathy he once thought to be a part of your clever coping mechanism wasn't going away. It wasn't cracking. He began to think, perhaps it was a metaphorical virus in your code. A bug. Something within you that made you broken, unfixable.
"You're quite the anomaly, sweetheart." Always the same pet name with him, never once has he given you the satisfaction of hearing your name from his speakers. It's always 'Sweetheart,' 'my dear,' this and that, never your name. Perhaps it's an attempt to erase your identity. Whatever it is, it has no effect. Other people's perceptions of you are irrelevant.
"I'm quite aware. Now if you're done with your pointless attempts to pick my brain, do us both a favor and leave me alone," You were doing as you always do, walking in the freezing cold, improperly dressed for the weather. Though you'd never complained, lest he make you walk through the snow in the nude.
"Quite ballsy of you to make demands of me. I've not come to dissect you in any way other than mentally. Your mind is quite ... different. It intrigues me." His voice was already giving you a headache, but what better do you have to do than entertain his royal pain in the ass?
"I know exactly what you want to say about it." Of course you do, he rummaged through your head millions of times, he was bound to say something eventually.
"I've noted you have a lack of care for your fellow humans. You're quite the selfish beast if I must say so myself."
"Don't you perhaps think I don't get attached to them because I know the second I do they'll become your favorite play thing? I know how you work. If I showed any particularity to any of those five, you'd hurt them to hurt me." Your words spit out of your mouth laced with venom.
"Oh, please. You can't fool me. You don't act as if you dislike them to protect them. You truly don't care about them at all." That ear-bleedingly annoying laugh rings out. "You're as much of a monster as the other think you are. I've heard them talking, sweetheart. They think you're sided with me out of some sadistic pleasure of yours."
"And how should I know you aren't lying to me? After all, you hate me. You hate my kind. You hate how I think and feel. Or how I'm supposed to think, and I'm supposed to feel." You moisten your cracked lips.
"You and I think alike, my dear. Always doubting-"
"What do you have to doubt? Anything you think can be the truth becomes the truth." You cut him off before he starts monologing. "You and I have nothing in common, nor do I and the others."
AM has to stop and think about this. Such a hostile little thing you are. He quite likes it. Perhaps with this new ammunition, he can turn them on you even more. Maybe he can make them hate you so that you will come to hate them.
And just maybe, you'll hate like he does.
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I know, I know, not the longest thing on the planet. Let me ease back into the writing scene 🙏
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scoutofmymind · 24 days ago
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Mama scout mi Reina! Would you be open to writing an AU of Luigi? A little supernatural ish perhaps 👀
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Saw You in a Dream — { Luigi x Reader }
Content: NSFW— MINORS DNI dream-kissing lol, yearning, some pining I suppose, reader is an uninspired artist, Luigi is a figment of her imagination.
Wc: 4,153
Notes: ONEIRIX™ is a dream enhancement supplement designed to intensify and prolong REM sleep experiences.
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AN: I DO plan on continuing this if requests for it are abundant. I have many, many ideas for how this story could go, but I will tell you, it’s a lil…. Twisted hehe. Also, my darling anon, I know this isn’t really “supernatural” but in hopes of not writing 10k again and learning when to stop, I must note that more supernatural elements will be tied in if this is requested enough for a continuation. Love you xox
"What's wrong with old-fashioned, regular dreams?" You stare across the table at Bailey, who leans forward with an almost evangelical intensity, her blue eyes gleaming with the same fervor as when she pitched her start-up ideas or insisted everyone try CrossFit. "Is nothing sacred anymore? Do we have to optimize and upgrade every last human experience?"
"No," Bailey says, drumming her fingers against the table, her half-eaten omelette growing cold. She keeps shaking her head as if your resistance personally offends her. "These are revolutionary — they're going to change the way we think, bitch." The words come out with practiced casualness, like everything else about her these days.
She flicks a small pink baggie across the table, four obsidian-black pills rattling inside like tiny meteorites hurtling straight toward your earth.
"No." You slide the baggie back with a single finger, as if even touching it too long might leave a stain. "I don't need another vice."
"It's non-addictive." Bailey leans in, her voice dropping to that silky-smooth pitch she used to use selling timeshares in Miami. Despite her earlier promise that she wasn't working for them, you catch that familiar gleam in her eye — the one that surfaced with every pyramid scheme and side hustle she'd dragged you into. "I just need you to experience it. Just once."
The baggie sits between you like a dare, its pink sheen catching the diner's fluorescent lights, making the black pills inside gleam like wet ink.
"It could really inspire your art." She slides a journal across the table — black, unmarked, expensive-looking. "I've filled this thing with ideas already. It’s only been a week.”
She's found your weak spot now.
Those late-night calls, the wine-soaked confessions about your creative drought, the mounting pressure from your agent — it's all ammunition. "This could be your saving grace," she adds, and the words sink their hooks in deep. Your fingers twitch toward the baggie, career desperation beginning to outweigh your better judgment. “I’m dead serious.”
"Fine." You snatch the baggie and shove it deep into your purse, somewhere between old receipts and forgotten lipliner, secretly hoping it'll vanish into that void where hair ties and spare change go to die. "Give me the pamphlet. You clearly don't need it." You thrust out your hand, and Bailey practically glows as she slides over the sleek Oneirix packet, its metallic lettering catching the light like a sign you're choosing to ignore.
The pills had disappeared into your purse's black hole until Bailey's FaceTime lit up your phone the next afternoon. There she was, sleep mask pushed up like a crown, her face dewy with her latest hundred-dollar moisturizer. "So, did you try it?" Her grin was expectant, eager — the same look she'd worn pushing juice cleanses and crystal healing.
You glance at your desk, where half-finished canvases gather dust and untouched notebooks mock your creative drought.
Last night had been your usual routine; an hour-long shower where you'd solved all of life's problems and remembered none of them, three episodes of that show you're still trying to convince yourself you enjoy, and quality time with your artistic inadequacy.
"Not yet." You mumble around a spoonful of ice cream, your attention split between Bailey's glowing face and whatever's playing on Netflix — neither getting your full focus.
"Girl," she clicks her tongue, and you can hear the judgment dripping through your phone speaker. "Go get them — are you scared?" The question hangs there, pointed and precise, like she's daring you.
You hate how well she knows you, how easily she can press that particular button.
Being called scared has always been your kryptonite, ever since she first met you at that high school gallery opening where you'd been too anxious to mingle.
"No." Your face twists into a scowl at her accusation. "I just forgot." You hit pause, abandoning both your show and melting ice cream to dig through your purse.
You find the baggie too easily, the pamphlet's glossy surface catching the light as you unfold it, its clinical text stark against the dark background.
ONEIRIX
DREAM ENHANCEMENT SUPPLEMENT
FOR INTENSIFIED & PROLONGED REM SLEEP EXPERIENCES
The instructions read like any over-the-counter medication.
One tablet, 30 minutes before bed, standard warnings about machinery and other medications.
"Okay." The pamphlet lands on your counter, its unread warnings fanning out like discarded playing cards. "Will it make me tired, or do I already have to be—"
"Oh, it knocks your ass out." Bailey's voice drifts from your abandoned phone, tinny and distant. You wrestle with the baggie's seal, the plastic refusing to cooperate until it suddenly gives, spilling one glossy black pill into your palm. "It works a hell of a lot faster than thirty minutes, too," she adds through a yawn.
You swallow the pill, and before you can even contemplate moving from the kitchen to your bed, a heaviness seeps into your limbs like honey dripping down glass.
Bailey's already drifted off on FaceTime, her gentle snores creating a strange duet with your own as consciousness slips away once you make it to the couch faster than falling.
The transition is jarring — not the usual soft fade into nonsensical dreams, but a sharp snap into awareness. You know you're dreaming, the way you know your own name, the way you know the sky is blue. It's like someone's turned up the saturation on reality, made everything clearer and brighter than it has any right to be.
This isn't the usual dream-fog where your brain accepts that your childhood home has suddenly sprouted wings or that your teeth are falling out at a gallery show.
This is different.
This is aware.
You wiggle your toes in the grass — actual, individual blades tickling your feet, not the vague suggestion of grass that usually populates dreams. Your manicure catches the sunlight, that specific shade of dusty rose you picked last Tuesday, tiny chips and all.
The rings on your fingers still catch when you twist them, that familiar nervous habit following you even here. Everything about you is preserved with photograph precision, dropped into this impossible elsewhere.
"Jesus," escapes your lips, the word carried away by a breeze that feels too perfectly warm to be real. The butterflies dance overhead like confetti caught in reverse, their wings painted in colors that might not exist in the waking world. You watch one land on a nearby flower, and you can see every detail of its wings, every tiny pattern — the kind of detail your sleeping mind has never bothered with before. "This is fucking-"
“Hey.”
The voice cuts through your wonder, and you spin, heart somehow racing in this dream-that's-not-quite-a-dream.
He's there, solid as the ground beneath your feet — no dream-logic shimmer or fade around the edges. Tall, with shoulders that could carry atlas's burden, and features that seem carved rather than grown. His smile plays at the corners of his mouth like he knows a secret you don't, but it's not threatening. If anything, it pulls at something in your chest, a curiosity that feels dangerous in its intensity.
"Hey," you echo, the word coming out softer than intended. Your eyes sweep the meadow, searching for other dreamers or figures or whatever they might be called here. But it's just him, just you, just this perfect pocket of perpetual summer afternoon stretching out in all directions.
"S'just me." His hand extends between you like a bridge, and you notice how the sunlight catches on his knuckles, creating shadows you could count. No name follows, just that smile deepening into dimples.
"Your name?” You tilt your chin down, adopting the pose of someone who's seen too many crime documentaries to trust a nameless stranger, even in a dream. Your eyebrows arch high enough to feel the stretch — another impossible sensation that feels too real.
"Seems you haven't decided yet."
"I haven't decided?"
He shrugs, the gesture rippling across those shoulders like a wave, and something flickers in his expression - like a TV losing signal for just a moment. "Yeah." He blinks, and you can see him searching his own mind, coming up empty. "Haven't decided yet."
Your eyes travel his form like you're memorizing a sculpture. The elegant taper from broad shoulders to narrow waist, the careful strength in his forearms, the way he holds himself — somehow both completely at ease and coiled with potential energy. His eyes meet yours with that puppy-dog hopefulness that seems at odds with his imposing frame, that half-smile still playing on his lips.
"Lu—ee-" The sound stretches between you, and you can taste the wrongness of it. Your head tilts, and suddenly it clicks. "Luigi."
Luigi nods, a slow, knowing motion, and reaches behind him. The wallet arcs through the air, and when you catch it, the leather feels warm, like it's been sitting in summer sunshine. It falls open in your hands, and there it is — Luigi Mangione, printed in stark bureaucratic certainty. "I thought you'd say that."
The urge to gasp, to stumble back in shock, rises and falls like a wave. Reality — or whatever version of it this is — reasserts itself with the gentle persistence of tide coming in. Of course you knew his name. Of course you did. Just like you knew the exact shade of his eyes, the precise angle of his jaw, the way his right dimple is slightly deeper than his left.
There’s a reason he feels familiar.
You made him.
"Well, Luigi," The name feels like syrup on your tongue as you pivot, bare feet finding their path through grass as the sun drapes over your shoulders like a tailored shawl, warming without burning, perfect in that way only dreams can manage. "I'm sure you know who I am."
Luigi falls into step beside you, a flag leaf dancing between his lips as he walks.
His presence feels as natural as your shadow, a complement to your movement rather than an intrusion. "Of course," he says, and his voice carries the same gentle warmth as the sunlight, the same easy invitation as the wind that plays with your hair.
The grass gives way to reveal a pond that looks like liquid mercury in the sunlight. "I've been waiting awhile for you — seemed to have run out of ways to pass the time."
You stand at the water's edge, watching swans carve elegant paths across the surface, their reflections perfect mirrors in the still water, and in the distance, ducks conduct their quiet conversations. "Are you saying you're bored of everything here?"
"No," Luigi's fingers brush your sleeve, gentle but insistent, like a breeze that knows where it's going. As he steps forward, wildflowers burst into existence beneath his feet — first violets, then daisies, then flowers you've never seen before, in colors that shouldn't exist. "I'm saying it gets lonely doing the same thing everyday on your own."
Luigi continues forward, leaving his galaxy of flowers behind, but you find yourself frozen, watching the way the light catches his silhouette.
"How many times?" The question escapes before you can catch it. "How many times have I been here and left?"
He pauses mid-step, and for a moment, the whole dreamscape seems to hold its breath — the swans pause their gliding, the breeze stills, even the wildflowers stop their eager blooming. When he turns to face you, his smile carries a gentleness that makes your chest ache.
"It’s been so long, but — " he pauses, and somehow the words don't sound like an accusation. "Sometimes for seconds, sometimes for hours. Sometimes you remember me, sometimes you don't. But you always come back eventually. And I'm always here."
You swallow, “How long has it been?"
His laugh drifts through the air, light and melodic. "Long enough that I've watched these trees grow from saplings." His bare feet shift in the grass, toes curling against the earth. "Long enough that I've named every swan on this pond, then named their children, and then their children's children."
The wildflowers continue once again their blooming beneath his steps — first soft pinks, then deep purples, then blues that seem to glow from within. Each petal unfolds with deliberate precision, creating a trail that marks his path across the meadow.
You notice how he holds himself, the way his shoulders stay perfectly squared, his posture too fluid, too precise for someone who's supposed to be just a figment of your dreams. "So I looked different last time?" you wonder, trailing behind him again, catching the slight nod.
"We were both younger then." Luigi turns back to you and grins, reaching out to squeeze your shoulder. “I’ve really missed you."
His voice carries the warmth of old sunlight, that rare sincerity that can't be fabricated — something in his presence that felt secure, anchoring, his nature as gentle as summer rain.
But the look in his eyes betrayed what his smile tried to hide — he knew you didn't remember him, and that knowledge lived somewhere deep and wounded inside him.
You could see it now, in the careful way he held himself back, how his initial greeting carried just enough warmth to be kind but not enough to overwhelm. Your memory of him had been burning away like lit matches with each passing year, while he'd been trapped here, holding onto every detail of who you used to be.
Luigi lead you further into the meadow, another pond materializing somewhere further into the deep but Luigi seemed far too familiar with this terrain, and you trusted each turn, “Have I given you different names?”
He shakes his head with a laugh, soft and bittersweet, almost as if he couldn't imagine wearing any other name than your Luigi. "No." He scrunches his nose, a gesture so achingly familiar it feels like déjà vu. "One time I almost thought you were going to, but — nope. Always some variation of Luigi."
The questions dance at the edges of your consciousness like autumn leaves in a wind, but somehow the answers are already there, settled in your bones like old truths. Why he lets you choose, how he knows when recognition lights your eyes and when they stay dark with forgetting — it's all written in a language your mind has forgotten but your heart still speaks fluently.
"I saw you for a minute somewhere near the streams last winter." His voice softens, eyes distant as if watching memories drift past like leaves on water. "It was only for a split moment — but I knew it was you, even though you'd changed."
Your heart twists with a horrible dread, sharp and cold as winter frost, weighed down by the certainty that he'll slip through your fingers like morning mist the moment you wake. "How do I make myself remember?" The words fall soft as prayer between you both, your knees brushing as you sit beside him.
He turns to you with that gentle patience that speaks of having heard this same desperate question from your lips a hundred times before, in a hundred different dreams.
He draws your hand into his lap with practiced ease, his fingertips ghosting over yours like butterfly wings — a gesture so deeply ingrained it speaks of countless similar moments, his soul remembering the map of your hands better than your own mind does. It doesn't feel strange to fall back into these rhythms with Luigi; everything has felt as natural as breathing since you landed here, like slipping into a dance your feet never truly forgot. "I know parts of me remember you," you whisper into the space between heartbeats, watching his fingers trace invisible patterns across your skin. "I know you feel familiar.”
Luigi nods slowly, pressing your palm to his cheek with a gentle sigh that carries the weight of a thousand forgotten moments. "We never learned how to make you remember," he murmurs, his voice wrapped in forced lightness that can't quite mask the undertow of grief beneath. "Always a toss up."
You swing your feet from the mossy ledge where Luigi sits, the ancient stone cool beneath you both.
He leans back on his palms, wearing a smile that's equal parts joy and resignation — a man who's learned to find peace in fleeting moments.
There's something heartbreaking in how he's already accepted that this too will slip through the sieve of your memory, but still treasures your presence like water in a desert, grateful just to have you here at all.
"I'll remember this time." The words spill out like a vow, fragile as spun glass but burning with conviction. Even as you speak them, you know they might shatter come morning, but something feels different here — each detail crystalline and alive, from the whisper of wind in the leaves to the warmth of his shoulder against yours.
This doesn't feel like the usual gossamer threads of dreams; it feels like stepping through a door into somewhere achingly real.
"Mm." Luigi's shoulder brushes yours, a gentle pendulum of contact, and though his hum carries years of gentle disbelief, he can't suppress the smile that softens his features. "All that matters is that you're here now, I think."
You nod slowly, watching your legs paint pendulum shadows against the water below. "Is there anyone else here?" The whisper slips out conspiratorial and soft, your eyes scanning the peaceful landscape as if its emptiness might be deceiving.
"No." Luigi shrugs, tossing a stone into the pond where it breaks the surface in perfect ripples. "You thought up a couple weird little-“ he scrunches his nose, lost in the memory of your previous creations — specifically those tiny Trojan warriors you'd accidentally willed into existence, who'd turned the peaceful fields into their own private battlefield. "It's just never worked out." He turns to you with a glimmer of fond exasperation, pressing a knuckle into your thigh. "You've got a rather dangerous imagination."
You swallow the question rising in your throat, deciding some doors are better left closed — for the sake of whatever fragments of sanity you still possess.
If there are any left to guard.
"Dangerous," you echo in a whisper, fighting back a bubble of laughter that threatens to spill over. "Well, scratch that, then.”
"It's always been you and me here." Luigi nods slowly, his voice taking on that particular texture of someone guarding something precious. "Outsiders make me nervous."
From that careful admission, you piece together a history of well-intentioned mistakes — multiple attempts at populating this sanctuary that ended in ways that left shadows in Luigi's voice. Each failure seems etched in the spaces between his words, a collection of experiments gone wrong. "That's fair," you murmur, reaching for his hand with gentle curiosity. He surrenders it without hesitation, letting you trace the lines of his palm like a map of all your shared disasters.
There's something profoundly real in the way his skin warms yours, in the faint calluses and subtle creases — too detailed, too imperfect to be mere imagination, yet too perfect in its imperfection to be anything else.
"How is the gallery stuff going?" His question floats between you, and for a heartbeat, confusion sparks — how could he know about the gallery?
But the answer settles over you like dawn breaking.
Of course he knows.
He knows the way your hands shake before each opening, the doubt that pools in your stomach when you face a blank canvas, the elation of a perfect brushstroke. He knows your fears dressed in their Sunday best and your dreams in their rawest form.
You made him.
Crafted him from stardust and loneliness, shaped him from the clay of your subconscious until he became more real than reality itself — your most perfect creation, yet the one you can never quite remember come morning.
"I haven't been inspired in — god," you trail off, turning to truly see him, and the dormant artist in you awakens with a sudden, fierce hunger. The sunlight plays architect with his features, gilding each detail you'd unconsciously perfected; those midnight curls catching light like cut obsidian, the almost-symmetrical beauty marks dotting his cheeks like carefully placed stars, the classical slope of his nose that Renaissance masters would have wept to capture.
Your fingers twitch with phantom muscle memory, aching to translate him from this dream-reality to paper, to make permanent what feels so ethereal. "So long." The words fall soft and wondering, as if you've suddenly remembered how to speak a forgotten language — the language of creation, of beauty, of art itself.
Luigi hums softly, nuzzling your shoulder with a familiarity that sends your thoughts spiraling backward through time. "Well, let's get you inspired," he murmurs, his breath warm against your neck, and suddenly you're wrestling with questions you've been too afraid to examine.
The intimacy of the gesture opens a door to memories of your teenage self — those raw, lonely years when you were all sharp edges and desperate yearning, underwhelmed by fumbling high school romances and overwhelmed by feelings.
You created him then, in those twilight hours between childhood and adulthood. A friend first, undoubtedly — a sanctuary in human form when the real world felt too abrasive to bear.
But now, feeling the casual tenderness of his touch, you wonder about the blurred lines in your shared history. If perhaps you'd written more than friendship into his DNA during those hormone-soaked nights, those moments when loneliness wore your resistance thin.
You melt into his warmth, drawn by a gravity as familiar as breathing, like a desperate moth to a flame you've danced with a thousand times before. "How do we do that?" The question hangs deliberately innocent, though electricity already hums beneath your skin with anticipated answers.
Luigi's response is immediate and devastating — the warm, wet slide of his tongue painting a deliberate path up your neck. Time stretches as he savors you, the gesture somehow both predatory and reverent.
"Maybe we could jog your memory, too." His voice drops to that particular octave that makes your bones liquid, left hand claiming your chin while his right arm becomes a band of heat around your waist, orchestrating your body until you're straddling his lap. "I remember exactly the things you like the most," teeth graze your pulse point as his hands span your back, fingertips pressing into your spine like he's playing music only he knows the notes to, "and the things you hate."
"How do you know those things haven't changed, Lu?" Your fingers find sanctuary in his curls, each strand impossibly soft, and the breeze carries the essence of August - sun-warmed grass, distant thunderstorms, ripening fruit. The scent of endless summer, bottled in this perfect moment.
"I guess there's only one way to find out, don't you think?" The question unfolds like a flower between you as Luigi tilts his head back, studying you through heavy-lidded eyes.
His lips part, pink and promising, an unspoken dare wrapped in velvet invitation. And you — you who have always been more poet than pragmatist — surrender to the gravitational pull of him. You lean in like a sunset chasing the horizon, drawn to the heat of his mouth, the shared breath between you becoming sacred thing.
His tongue moves against yours with practiced poetry, his lips a tender geography you're rediscovering. Every nip of teeth is precisely timed, a choreography written in muscle memory and want. Just as his hands find the warm skin beneath your shirt, reality fractures — a void tears through the dream like ink spilled across a watercolor.
The darkness swallows everything, sudden and absolute.
You jolt awake with violence, heart thundering against your ribs. The familiar couch cushions press against your cheek, mundane and mocking. The real world crashes back into focus with brutal clarity; the hum of the refrigerator, the tick of the wall clock, the morning light cutting through back scatter.
Each detail feels like a betrayal, a reminder that Luigi exists only in that liminal space between sleeping and waking, where longing takes shape and wears a face you crafted from starlight and need.
"No." The word escapes as a soft, desperate plea. Your hand reaches for the sketchbook and pen with the urgency of someone grasping at smoke, at fragments of a dream determined to dissolve.
And there he is — Luigi materializing before you like a miracle answering desperate prayers, your artist's eye already translating the divine geometry of his face onto paper before memory can steal him away.
You are the faithful at the altar, he the vision you're determined to make tangible.
The alarm screams again, reality's insistent hammer against your temple. "Fuck off!" you snarl, jabbing at the screen with unnecessary force, brows knitted with the particular fury reserved for things that dare interrupt worship.
The real world can wait.
Right now, there are curves of ink to capture, beauty marks to map, and the precise angle of summer sunlight in black curls to remember.
Hey, I think you were right about the pills
You text Bailey after lunch.
Holy shit
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vigilskeep · 1 year ago
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can you talk about misinterpretations of wynne and zevran's dynamic??? i'm chewing on your analysis
i think it’s a very basic case of people simply taking what is said at face value, in a way that comes up a lot with your classic zevran misinterpretations and uhhh oversimplifications. zevran and wynne’s banters are full of his classic exaggerated flirtations. all of their banters hinge on this joke and they’re very funny. but i’m always mildly stunned when i see people taking that as... zevran actually literally just being horny AGSHSKKSKS
i don’t think people give zevran enough credit for how clever he is at dancing around the other companions. nobody ever really gets one up on him. i can think of one specific instance in banter where i do think something gets under his skin, which i think oghren of all people manages essentially by accident the one time he’s actually not really trying
anyway: wynne opens their first banter with “you must know that murder is wrong, i assume.” it’s very wynne; she makes a judgement and announces it as fact. zevran is slightly stunned by this and also how funny it is: “i’m sorry... are you speaking to me?” with this incredible disbelieving pause because, like, he’s the party assassin. but he’s also playing for time quickly on how to react to this out of nowhere. wynne then explains the simple narrative she’s constructed that joining the party is due to a crisis of conscience on zevran’s part about being an assassin. and zevran immediately jumps into exaggerated agreement, and once he gets a better idea, the first of his flirtations with her, until she gives up in exasperation. it’s an evasion tactic zevran is very, very good at and has been doing to you, the player, since his first appearance on screen. he wants to play on the characters he performs when they’re useful shields, whether it’s the victim or the flirt or what have you. but also always with that ironic air that he’s clearly doing a bit; there’s the charm of letting you in on a private joke, but also he needs everything to be a faintly ridiculous game to him, so he doesn’t have to be affected
zevran keeps this joke up for the full extent of his banters with wynne through the whole game, because he finds it wildly entertaining, of course, and because he has no interest in ever inviting the conversation she wants. he so badly doesn’t want to deal with her asking this that he decides to run this bit into the GROUND, and starts doing it pre-emptively to ward her off even after she stops trying to instigate the conversation. bc wynne may be a good way off the mark, and, ironically for someone wanting zevran to take this seriously, not able to imagine that his life and feelings may be more complex than assumed (absolutely classic spirit behaviour once again), but she is needling at his reasons for leaving the crows, which is the last thing wants to be honest with anyone about
making the assumption that zevran is flirting with wynne out of genuine interest is, to me, the same mistake as thinking zevran when you first meet the warden is flirting out of genuine interest. this is how he knows to stay alive. if he let his guard down, he’d be dead; if he wasn’t charming, he’d be dead; and if he ever stopped to dwell instead of being the “eternal optimist”, always instinctually grasping at one more chance to live another day, he’d be very, very dead. he’s not going to casually discuss vulnerabilities for someone else’s peace of mind and he definitely doesn’t have the kind of insecurity to need to explain himself to people who don’t know him or what they’re talking about. so, rogue evasion abilities activate! it’s time for him to dodge! which is what he spends the entire series of banters doing. but also he’s just still finding it funny throughout. she just gives him so much ammunition. it’s like taking candy from a baby. zevran loves an old and terrible joke repeated for several months solid, they age like wine to him
i also think wynne’s comments are a light jab at how zevran does get read by players. he’s not ashamed of being an assassin. there’s this great line in one of his dialogues with the warden that asks why he shouldn’t continue to do what he’s good at when so few have come by his skills “honestly”, as he believes he has. there’s a tendency to characterise him and characters like him as, ah, the guilt-ridden victim in need of a pure-hearted saviour to show him the light, etc etc, but that’s never been who he is. there’s no ending where he suddenly quits being an assassin lmao
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toringo · 2 months ago
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i’m OBSESSED with your anti tulpar comics, i’ve been rotating them in my mind nonstop for the past few days! how do you think a!curly feels about a!jimmy?
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
You have no idea how happy it makes me to know, that people really enjoy those. I know it's not even my au, but I've been genuinely hyperfixating on it for some time now, and making up my own lore (obviously the creator doesn't mind, they said it's all up to interpretation).
My take on A!Curly's opinion of A!Jimmy and some A!Curly background and hcs:
He thinks Jimmy is weak, pathetic, and simply put a loser. He's annoying, easy to push around, and doesn't put up too much of a fight, which is good, because - hot take - A!Curly is just as much of a pushover as the canon one.
He puts on a mean face and abuses his power to put down the others, to make himself feel better (feel important and in control), but if someone shows that they can snap back he loses the fight quite easily.
He's a people pleaser, the top student with no personal life kind. It's just that he's looking for approval as a 'tough leader' now. You know, the epitome of masculinity with nerves of steel and 0 sensitivity.
People usually need 10 years of experience to become a captain, he got the title in half that time, unlike canon!Curly (If someone asks how it was totally natural and due to his stellar performance! Don't question it too much!)
He doesn't have anything much going on back on Earth, also unlike canon Curly. He distances himself from his family (never truly satisfied with his achievements) and has no close friends. He sees no point in making any now that he spends most of his time in space. Doesn't really believe in love, either.
He didn't pass the psych eval twice in a row and is on Pony Express approved (questionable) antidepressants/mood stabilizers. Still fit to fly!
With all that being said; he considers Jimmy an easy target and abuses him primarily because of that. He can't stand this weakling stumbling around all pathetic and apologetic, while he has to work so hard to keep up his reputation.
It pisses him off that some guy just… doesn't care that others see him like this. Curly would care, it would break him if anyone thought of him like they do of Jimmy! So it's annoying that this janitor doesn't even try.
A perfect excuse to make himself feel bigger, too; it's not like he's a bad guy. This loser needs to learn, after all, that people like him don't survive in a place like this.
It gets worse when he starts realizing, that Jimmy is putting up a front and is actually way more cunning and capable than people think. Makes him feel on edge, paranoid. Like Jimmy is there to make him spiral; like he was sent by his higher-ups to check on him.
Then he finds out Jimmy is actually an emergency pilot (not on any papers Curly had access to). Yeah, he hates his guts.
When they enter their 'relationship' (it's mostly very humiliating hate sex ngl), Curly gets to know him a bit better. He still resents him, even more knowing that Jimmy can be a cold and cruel man under the mask of submissiveness. And even more, when Jimmy shows just how little respect he has for his captain.
But it's… a relief, having someone know how you really are, seeing your 'worst self'. He kind of feels like with every small thing he reveals to Jimmy, he gives up a bit more of control and gives him more ammunition, but well. Bitches be lonely.
So they have this weird thing going on, where Curly abuses Jimmy in front of the crew and during work hours, to unwind and reassure himself about his position and vent the abuse he experiences from HIS higher-ups, and Jimmy abuses him in private (for many, many reasons. Also bc he's sadistic).
They both think that if they hurt the other enough, he will stop hurting them. They're wrong. Although Curly gives up more easily, and Jimmy goes overboard quite a lot (as he has nothing to lose, is an obsessive weirdo, and was keeping his mouth shut about what Curly was doing for so long that at this point all the years of hatred are spilling out. He also has a personal vendetta against Curly, because he admired him and wanted to befriend him before he became a captain (and had any power over him) and Curly just started treating him like trash soon after getting the title).
YEAH sorry I will talk more about it later, sorry for being chaotic - they're just awful and disgusting and need to be put on some kind of meds (Curly's pills don't count)
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tastybluesprite · 9 months ago
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Too High Strung
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Wind Breaker!!!! Raaagghhhh I love this anime!!!! Sakura is literally adorable, he needs tickles. Hope you enjoy this lee!Sakura fic I made since there doesn’t seem to be many fics for Wind Breaker.
Summery: Sakura is too high strung
Warnings: Light swearing? Also this is a tickle fanfic so if that’s not your thing then feel free to keep scrolling.
Sakura yawned as he leaned his two toned head against the playground jungle gym.
“Damn it, why are we just sitting around? Shouldn’t we be protecting this town?” He protested with annoyance, glaring a bit.
Suo let out an amused huff. “Relax will you? We do protect people in this town, but it’s not like there’s always going to be a threat. Sometimes it’s okay to just wait around and relax.”
Sakura just frowned more at that. Wait around? Relax? That’s not his thing. He was starting to get really antsy and restless. He needed to punch someone. To fight someone.
“Oh come on is it really that bad Sakura?” Nirei sighed a bit with a smile as he bathed under the sun, kicking back against the jungle gym on the ground. “You should really learn to lighten up yknow.”
“Shut up!” Sakura snapped at him as a light blush appeared on his cheeks.
Suo smiled. “You really do need to lighten up Sakura. It’s not healthy to be so high strung.”
He gently nudged Sakuras sides playfully, hoping to inspire him to be more lighthearted. But what he got instead was a small squeak and a blush.
Oh?
Suo slowly smirked. “Something wrong Sakura?”
Sakuras eyes widened and then glared. He slowly stumbled back a bit. “N.. no! N-nothing! Just… don’t touch me!” Sakura protested, trying to glare more threateningly. However the effect was ruined by the red color creeping up his neck and face.
Nieri grinned, having picked up on what just happened. “Well, well, well… the tough, cold and aloof Sakura Haruka has a weakness after all…” he slowly approached the heterochromatic boy also.
Sakuras face burned brighter and hotter as he glared more. “Shut up! I do freakin’ not!”
“Well if that’s true then this shouslnt bother you then, hm?” Suo got close as well as Sakura tried to back away from the two.
“G-guys… wh-what are you doing? G-get away! Stop it!” He protested nervously. He wasn’t used to people being so close to him.
“Wait for what Sakura, hm? What’s got you so nervous and defensive all of the sudden?” Suo grinned more.
Suddenly, Nieri grabbed him from behind, hooking his arms under Sakuras armpits. This effectively pinned his arms back and left his entire torso completely vulnerable.
Sakuras eyes widened as he squirmed and writhed against Nieris hold violently. Suo however got right up in his face and began gently pinching up and down his sides.
“Come now. Did you really think we’d leave you alone after finding out that you’re ticklish?”
“I-I… m… n-not…!” Sakura managed through his clenched teeth, the blush intensifying on his face. He was trying very hard to force the laughter down. He refused to break like that. He did not need to give people more ammunition for teasing and making fun of him.
Suo grinned. “That so? Then you wouldn’t mind if I did this right?” Suo squeezed up and down his sides now, making it harder for Sakura to ignore the tingling of his nerves being lit up. He could only squirm around in place hoping to dislodge the fingers with his body. But he wa practically immobile.
Suddenly Suo found his ribs, squeezing there. Sakura let out a slight whine and arched his back.
“Oh? This a good spot then?” Suo teased with a smirk. He gently dug his nails into his ribs, and that’s when Sakura finally broke.
“N-nAHahahaha SUhUhuHoHoho dohoHohohont!!!” He cried out in protest, squirming around desperately under the offending fingers.
Suo just grin. “You have a nice laugh Sakura.”
Sakura was a furiously blushing mess at this point.
“Shuhuhut uhuhuhup!!!” Sakura cried as he kept twisting around his torso and kicked out his legs a bit. Nieri had quite a strong grip on his arms so Sakura couldn’t bring them down.
Suo decided to take full advantage of Sakuras helplessness.
He found Sakuras lowest ribs and drilled into them, in which Sakura let out the most adorable squeal known to mankind.
Soon Suo found his armpits, gently digging his fingers into them, and Sakura bursted into hysterical cackling.
“Oooo… someone’s super ticklish here…” Suo teased, honing in more on the spot.
“SUHUHOHOHO YOHOHU AHAHAHASS!!!” Sakura cried out as he violently writhed around in Nieris hold. They had never seen him this hysterical, and frankly it was quite amusing to the other two.
Soon Sakura managed to gather enough strength to kick back at Nieris legs which made Nieri stumble enough for him to be able to get loose.
Unfortunately Suo was faster and he tackled Sakura to the floor before he could really get away.
“You’re not getting away that easily.” Suo grinned down at him. He started attacking his tummy now and Sakura fell back into his fit of loud and hysterical laughter. He was weakly pawing at Suos hands but it was no use.
“Awe how adorable… look at that Nieri he can hardly fight back…” Suo grinned, finding this rather endearing.
Suo also couldn’t help noticing something rather odd. Not once during the entire thing did Sakura say “stop.”
Suo slowly grinned. “Tell me Sakura. You like being tickled, don’t you?”
Sakuras cheeks flared up even more red in his laughter as he struggled against the tickling.
It wasn’t until Suo found the deadly spot right around towards the back of his middle ribs. That spot seemed to be quite the killer, because as soon as Suos gently digging fingers trailed to those areas, Sakura exploaded with wheezy laughter.
“S-STOHOHOHOP STOHOHOP NOHOHOHOHAHAHA!!!”
No matter how much Sakura pushed and pawed at Suo, the eyepatched boy wouldn’t let up.
It was only until Sakuras laughter started to crack and go audibly in and out that Suo decided to finally stop.
When he did, Sakura was left panting breathlessly on his back.
Nieri frowned with some concern.
“You okay Sakura? I hope we didn’t go overboard…”
Sakura let out small giggly sounds. “Ihihill gehehet yohohohu bohohth fohor thihihis…”
However deep down Sakura couldn’t help the fluttery and light feeling in his stomach and chest. He felt… really good. God knows the last time he’s felt this carefree and happy.
He supposed that maybe a little break wasn’t such a bad thing afterall.
Thx for reading! ❤️
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tallulah477 · 1 year ago
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Won't Let Anyone Take You From Me
Kinktober Day 23: Biting
Pairing: Neteyam x Fem!Na’vi!Reader
Warnings: AgedUp!Neteyam, P in V, Biting with the intention of leaving marks or bruises, Angst, Possessive language/behavior, Desperate ‘you can’t die, I won’t allow it’ sex, Dom reader, Slightly submissive Neteyam, Neteyam gets shot but he’s okay, Mentions of blood, Mentions of reader going on a killing spree, Mentions of war, Mentions of death (not main characters - a person directly next to the reader gets killed), Creampie
Word Count: 2.9K
Summary: Neteyam gets hurt during a raid and you’re having a hard time handling it. You remind him that he’s yours and that nothing, not even death, is allowed to take him from you. 
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Neteyam won’t look at you. But you can’t take your eyes off him.
He wades through the water, just a little ways away from you, letting it ripple around him and lap at his skin. You watch as he cups some water in his hands and uses it to scrub at the blood and grime still on his upper body. You hear him grunt quietly in pain as the movement stretches the wound on his arm and your heart hurts to hear it, but you still don’t move.
He continues like this for a few more minutes, trying to clean himself of the battle’s reminders. Reminders of the things he’s had to do, the lives he’s had to take to protect his people, the people he’s lost - the memories and fears he keeps that find their way back to him at night as he sleeps.
You know him too well. You can practically hear his thoughts before he even thinks them. And he knows that, so he doesn’t have to say anything - and neither do you.
But your eyes don’t stray from him. They stay firmly on his back, watching as his muscles move underneath his skin. Watching as his tail hangs low underneath the water, and how his braids fall across his shoulders, still neat and held together just like you braided them this morning despite the rough action of battle. 
You know he can feel your eyes on him, and he gives up on pretending he doesn’t with a deep sigh.
“Just say what you have to say,” he demands, not even turning around.
The silence stretches on, the only sound coming from the small nearby waterfall as it trickles into the bathing spring. With a heavy breath, you move forward, wading through the water until you're right behind him. Your hand finds a place at the area between his neck and shoulder, gripping it carefully but firmly as you press along his back. Your other hand cups the water and uses it to wash away the dust and dried blood on his back. You try to be gentle, to be considerate at the fact that he’s hurt. That he’s your mate and it’s not his fault. But the anger and frustration that flow through you is hard to ignore, and you find yourself having to stop and calm yourself down multiple times when your cleaning and rinsing turns into scrubbing, as if you could scrub away the harsh reality of your lives from his very skin.
“Y/n,” he tries again, but you cut him off.
“Don’t speak,” You say through gritted teeth. Despite him not looking at you, you know he can hear the way your voice trembles. “Please, Neteyam. Just...just don’t say anything,”
The raids are getting harder and harder to come out of with no casualties. 
The RDA is, unfortunately, a formidable enemy and they learn quickly from their mistakes, taking their losses in stride and coming back each time, worse and more of a pain to take out. Like cockroaches, Jake says - whatever that means. 
The Omatikaya take losses now, more and more each battle, and there’s barely time to mourn for the dead before the War Party needs to be sent out again in hopes of preventing the Sky Demons from getting more of their supplies and getting stronger. 
Just this morning, another train was sent to Bridgehead, filled with enough ammunition and explosives to destroy half of Pandora. The War Party was ready, descending on the train with military precision. Jake Sully is nothing if not a Great War leader and battle strategist. 
But the Sky Demons were also ready, metal ikrans guarding the train as it flew through the jungle, and they were quick to attack at the first sight of an Omatikayan warrior dressed in war paint. 
Your ikran’s large heart pounded in time with yours as you soared over the battle ground. Her wings hugged close to her body as you dove down, one of the enemy's metal machines in your sights as you notched and pulled an arrow tight. It cut through the air with precision, bursting through the protective glass shield and hitting the human directly in the chest before he could even register you coming at him. The human’s body slumped in his seat, the machine dropping towards the ground without the Sky Demon to fly it, and smashed against the forest floor in an explosion of fire and debris. 
You drop more humans than you can count. Each raid only increases the number of lives you’ve taken although you’ll never know for sure what that number is anymore. 
But it seems like for every one that you kill, one of your own is plummeting to their death, bodies littered with demon made bullets that shouldn’t even exist on your planet. 
The warrior flying next to you was another victim. The bullets fly at top speed, multiple rounds tearing into both him and his ikran in seconds, and they were both gone and with Eywa before they even start to fall. You were quick to avenge them with a sharp war cry and a well aimed arrow. 
And then, as if that wasn’t scarring enough to witness, you saw it happen with your own eyes. Neteyam, your Neteyam, getting hit with a bullet and you swear, in that moment, you watched it go directly through his chest.
The sob that rips out of your throat is so uncharacteristic for you that Neteyam freezes. You feel him tense under your hold and you know he doesn’t know what to do when you press your face against his back and completely break down. 
In all the years you’ve known each other, you’ve always been his rock. When he was struggling with trying to corral his siblings and taking the blame for their mess ups, you were there to be his ear for his rants. When he felt undeserving of the future Olo’eyktan title, feeling like he would only disappoint his father and the rest of the clan, you were there to knock some sense into him. When he finally confessed his feelings for you, voice shaking and nervous to tell you he wanted to be more than friends but determined to do it anyway, he told you the only thing that gave him the confidence to say the words was you - that you were his safe place and that he would be honored to live out the rest of his life with you by his side.
You weren’t the type to let your emotions take a hold of you. You felt them and processed them but it was always with the knowledge that you knew yourself and would always do what was best for you. You always had a plan, always thought logically. You were a fixer. 
But you don’t know how to fix this. 
Neteyam turns around and cups your cheek with his good hand, mindful to not move his injured arm too much. 
“I’m okay,” he says, catching your eyes and gently brushing away your tears with his thumb. “Do you hear me, y/n? I’m okay,”
He’s staring at you with those gorgeous eyes, eyes that you might have never been able to see again had the bullet actually hit him in the chest instead of his bicep. Just a few more inches to the left and it would have been game over for him, and you both know it. 
You reach up and cradle his face with both of your hands, leaning your forehead against his, needing to be closer, needing to breathe his air. Anything to help remind yourself that he’s still here.
“I’m alive,” he whispers. He knows how badly you need to hear him say it. “I’m here. Here with you. Always.”
“You better be,” You whisper back, and press your lips to his. 
Your lips move together carefully at first, just a slow glide against each other as you both try to calm the nervous energy still running through your veins. He’s here, you try to remind yourself. Here, alive, and with you right now. His mouth against your own is real, the taste of him on your tongue as you run it along his bottom lip isn’t something your brain can replicate this perfect. The feeling of his hand clutching the back of your neck and keeping you close to him is supposed to be grounding - but it’s not. It's not close enough. And it only serves to make you more desperate. 
You press your mouth harder against his, hands leaving his cheeks so your arms can wind around his neck, holding him against you. He grunts appreciatively, hands gripping at your waist and sliding down to cup the curves of your ass. You press your body against his tightly, one of your legs lifting up to curl around his calf. Heat courses through your body the more he touches you, his hardening cock pressing between both of your bodies and you need him inside of you, need him so bad, need to be as close to him as you can possibly be. 
He seems to agree, kissing you passionately as he palms at your ass and thighs. He adjusts his grip on you, panting into your mouth as his hands splay on the backs of your thighs. He tries to lift you up and your legs just barely make it around his waist before he’s dropping you back down with a pained grunt. 
The sound cuts through your desirous haze and you immediately back up to inspect the damage. The thick bandage wrapped around his arm is still white, no signs of blood seeping through which means he didn’t rip open his stitches.
“I’m fine--”
“Damn it, Teyam!” You hiss angrily, smacking his good shoulder. “Why did you have to go and get hurt?”
He knows you're not saying that just for his wound unintentionally cockblocking you. He’s your mate, your person - neither of you ever want to see the other hurt. He knows how stressed you are, how terrified you were today for him. Which is probably why he chooses that moment to make the world's most unhelpful joke.
“I mean, the most important part of me isn’t hurt?”
You scoff and cross your arms across your chest, looking away from him. Then you immediately look back.
...Okay, maybe it helped a little.
“Get on the bank, Neteyam,”
Neteyam grins at you, goofy and smug, like he knows he’s getting something that he shouldn’t. “Yes, ma’am,”
He steps out onto the shore and settles down there, body mostly out of the water with only the gentle ripples lapping at his legs. He lounges there like a cat, stretched out along the bank, good arm raised above his head showing off his toned and muscled body as if he were trying to tempt you into touching him. 
He doesn’t have to work very hard to do it, and you’re on him in a second, straddling his waist and kissing him until you're both breathless. His cock slides between your wet folds and you rock against it, letting the thick mushroom tip of it rub against your clit with each pass. His hands reach up to grip your hips, helping guide your movements. Hands, as in both of them, and you growl against his lips, grabbing the wrist of his injured arm and pressing it into the ground next to you.
“Your arm doesn’t move,” You demand. “Got it?”
Neteyam whines, pupils wide with desire. “Yes. I got it. Y/n, please,”
His cock throbs against you as you lift yourself up, angling your hips so the head nudges against your entrance before lowering yourself onto him roughly. You intended to go slow, but you can’t. Your body and mind are screaming at you to take him, claim him as hard and fast as you can because it’s by the sheer grace of Eywa that he’s even still here right now. The stretch is glorious, the dull pain a perfect reminder that it's him stretching you open. No one else could ever fill you up as good as he can. 
He curses as your tight heat envelopes his length, good hand clenching tightly at your hip to keep himself from moving. You’re both too worked up, minds too filled up with intense want and the horrible feeling of desperation. You both aren’t going to last very long.
So you ride him, hard. 
Your hand grips under his jaw, tilting his head up and nibbling on his neck as he groans underneath you. Your hips set a rough pace, bouncing in his lap relentlessly and feeling as he tries to match you, hips snapping into you with reckless abandon. 
Your lips find the space between his neck and shoulder. You tongue the spot, loving the way his taste explodes on your tastebuds, before biting down, canines bearing down on the skin and leaving twin drops of blood in their wake. If you were going to have to see blood on him, you were going to be the one who put it there.
“F-fuck! Y/n,” he whimpers, but his head falls back to give you more space.
When you're satisfied with your mark, your lips trail over his collarbone and down his chest before your teeth bite down again onto the skin just next to his nipple. 
He groans, arching into your teeth, and this time when you let go, leaving behind a bright purple mark, his eyes are dazed and just a bit teary. 
And the look makes you so desperate.
“You’re fucking mine,” You growl, lips brushing against his. “All mine. No one else gets to lay a hand on you, sexual or not. Got it?” Your fingers gently graze the bandage covering his bullet wound. “No one else gets to leave marks on you but me.”
Your words send a flash of heat through both of you, making your movements even more frantic. The possessiveness is hot, it always has been - you both have always made it clear that you belong to each other and no one else. But this time it’s also so so so real. 
Your desperation at almost seeing him die today is real. 
Your horrified screech at seeing him get hit and then his ikran taking a nosedive immediately after was real. 
Your loud war cry and the renewed need to kill, maime, absolutely fucking obliterate every single enemy from the RDA who set foot on your planet after you watched him get control and level out his flight was real. 
And he’s real. Still right here in front of you, panting and moaning and groaning out your name as you clench around his cock. He’s alive. 
“You’re mine. You’re fucking mine,” You say again, just to make sure he completely understands. “You’re not allowed to die. Ever. You hear me?” 
“Yes,” he grunts, eyes wild. His injured arm shifts as he tries to grip your waist, but you grab it again, holding it against the ground. 
“Yes, what, Neteyam?” 
“Yes, I fucking hear you!” He says through gritted teeth.
Your head drops again, teeth scraping along his chest and down his ribs, biting mark after possessive mark all over his body. Neteyam leans into the pain, pleasure coursing through him at the thought of your marks and how they’re going to adorn his body for weeks. How they’re going to hurt so good when his cummerbund presses into the bruises, reminding him of you and your love for him. He’ll display your work for all to see and wear your marks proudly.
His good arm reaches out, fingers carding through your wet hair before grabbing a fist full of your braids and pulling you off of your most recent mark on his sternum. His hips continue to snap up into you and your clit drags along his pubic bone with each thrust. Your stomach tightens as he pulls you close, the coil in your belly threatening to snap as he rubs his cheek against yours, spreading his scent on you and marking you as his. 
“I fucking love you,” he moans, lips brushing the curve of your ear. “Love you so much.”
The words are what do it for you, and you cum around Neteyam’s cock, hole clenching and spasming around his thick length as you cry out into his neck. You can feel him pulse inside of you a moment before you feel him cum too, burying his face in your hair as he shoots his release inside of you, coating your walls in white. 
You collapse against each other, both physically and emotionally exhausted. He’s still inside you as you lay there, cuddling up against each other and trying to catch your breath. 
“I love you,” You whisper, nudging your nose gently against his.
Your hand spreads out over his heart, the stabilizing heartbeat grounding you and finally allowing you to feel some peace.
The silence stretches on until you’ve both caught your breath and you’re trying to think of something to say, anything that will make things feel like they can go back to before Neteyam got hurt. Neteyam beats you to it. 
“Same goes for you, too, you know,” He says, voice low. “You can’t die either. I can’t live without you. There’d be no point to a life without you in it.” 
You want to tell him not to talk like that. That should anything ever happen to you, he should go on and live a happy life surrounded by the people that care about him. But you can’t, it wouldn’t be fair. Not when you’re in the same exact position as him.
Because what’s the point of doing anything anymore if you can’t come home to Neteyam’s stupid adorable grin every evening. 
You look up at him, amber eyes meeting in the slowly darkening Pandora forest.
“Then we’re both just gonna have to not die then,”
**Special thanks to @pandoraslxna for the prompt!
Taglist: @eywaite @loaksulluyswife @erenjaegerwifee
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