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codenamehazard · 2 years ago

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.:Breaking the Shackles:.

.:InFAMOUS: No Man's Land Chapter 1:.

Hey guys! This is the first time I've posted a proper story onto here, so I am both nervous and excited to share it with you!

Since we probably will never get an InFAMOUS game that takes place after the evil ending of InFAMOUS 2, I figured why not throw my hat into the ring and have some fun with it?

Huge thanks to @rogueshadeaux for helping me out. She's a super talented writer and has her own InFAMOUS story, InFAMOUS: Erosion. Check her out, she's awesome and I have been learning a lot from her guidance.

I don't know if this is needed, but I'm putting it here anyways. MAJOR SOILER WARNING!

The story is from Cole's point of view, so be aware of that.

Buckle up and enjoy the read!

The night sky was clear, save for the odd cloud that passed overhead. The wind lazily blew as the fire before me crackled and popped. I warmed my calloused hands and closed my eyes, letting out a sigh. It had been a couple of weeks since I splintered off from the army I once begrudgingly led. A couple of blissful and quiet weeks of pure freedom.

It is in these times of quiet that I am able to think clearly, able to work out and make sense of all that happened over the past god knows how long. It’s hard to keep track of time when the only thing you can look at is the rising and the falling of the sun. I tossed a piece of splintered wood onto the fire as I began to think back. Think back to where it all began.

To when the shackles of the Messiah were forced upon my neck, arms and legs.

—-

I remember the day I became the Beast. After all that happened, all the pain, John just… Gave up and thrust his powers onto me. It was overwhelming, every nerve-fiber alight. The sensation was… Indescribable. It was heaven and hell all at once. It was… Incredible.

It’s a real shame that this buzz had one hell of a hang-over, the responsibility that John now shirked onto me. The task of raising up the next generation of Conduits. A burden I was now forced to bear, an expectation of greatness. Gee, doesn’t that sound fucking familiar?

In the beginning, everything was… Okay, I guess. I didn’t want to lead, never did and never wanted to, but who else would these people turn to? To them, I was their savior. I cured them of the plague that was ravaging their bodies and gave them powers, of course they were gonna look up to me. As much as I didn’t want to, I had to. I had to be provider, protector, teacher, mediator and all the lovely bullshit that comes from being a glorified baby-sitter of grown ass adults. I never sugar-coated anything; if they couldn’t follow me as I am, they won’t follow me at all.

God, and I thought dealing with Kuo and Nix butting heads with each-other was a real headache…

The only thing that made this hell tolerable was the fact that Kuo wasn’t riding my ass all the time, most likely thinking I’ve “turned a new leaf” and I'd suddenly become a changed man. I couldn’t help but scoff at the stupidity of it all, but who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth?

It wasn’t as bad in the beginning, the small group of fledgling Conduits all indebted to me was easy enough to manage. I could stay on top of everything and make sure they didn’t kill each-other while still having a tiny sliver of time to care for my own needs. Over time, as the numbers grew, so did the headache. It seemed like there was always something that needed my attention and if I ignored it to let them sort it out like adults, Kuo would be oh so helpful and “remind me” to go take care of it. I couldn’t get a moment’s peace, more and more I found myself unable to care for my own needs.

It. Was. Hell.

The responsibility of a savior, the nagging of Kuo, the neglecting of my own needs- God it felt like college all over again. My parents bore down on me when all I wanted was the freedom to do as I wished. A hunger started to grow inside, a need that I sated greatly when I had taken over Empire City and made it my own. A hunger for destruction, a need to take what I wanted. This hunger only grew the more I suppressed it. Every now and again, I would try and sate my hunger: toying with enemies, letting loose with my powers, instilling fear into those who followed me, but every time I tried, that icy bitch would get on my ass. If anything, she seems to be much worse than she was before.

It’s easy for her to say. Easy for her to bark at me from her pedestal and scold me, she’s not the one sacrificing anything and she thinks she has the right to judge me? HA! She abandoned her morality when faced with her own mortality, what high ground does she even have? She doesn’t have a fucking leg to stand on.

While infuriating as it was, as much as I wanted to leave, I felt like I couldn’t. I hated this role I was forced to play. Again and again, I was found in the role of the errand boy. Even with my choice, my choice to go against the “destiny” that Kessler groomed me to have, the greatest act of defiance I have ever committed to finally, finally free myself from this vicious cycle. All I seemed to do was to swap one set of chains for another. The breaker had been tripped and I was done! I wanted to be free!

Yet, I couldn’t be free, as without me… All of my hard work would go to waste. I was the only one who could awaken these dormants, the only hope that some people come out of this alive. Without me, these people would die. It was a burden I didn’t want, but it was one that must be shouldered, one I was forced to bear. These shackles I must wear until the end. This was fact, whether I liked it or not.

That is… Until one day.

The small army of fledgeling and newly fledged Conduits and I had gone through Lawton, Oklahoma. I had leveled the city down to the ground and awakened the Conduits within, but I had noticed that there were… Less Conduits than I thought would in a population of around 90k or so. This had spooked Kuo a bit, making her frantic. She believed that the reason for the lower numbers was due to the Ray Field Plague picking up steam and starting to kill faster. A reasonable train of thought. I would have believed it to be the why had there not been something else that I had noticed before Lawton. Something that had been starting to gnaw at the back of my head.

While Kuo was too busy harping on about me not keeping every Tom, Dick and Harry in line because… Oh I don’t know, I’m only one person. I had been paying attention to what was around me and I had started to pick up on some interesting… Discrepancies, if you will. The kind of disturbances that only Conduits could make: scorch marks with no true source to be seen, areas that looked damaged by various elements with no cause, a slight echo of energy in certain spots. These oddities reminded me of the damage I caused back in the beginning, those two weeks in Empire when I was trying to figure out my powers on my own. It made me start to wonder. Was there something else going on? It couldn’t be another Beast or someone running around with a third Ray Sphere… Could it?

The thoughts only continued to grow as I traveled westward. More signs of Conduit activity, but no Conduits in sight or any signs of an activation method. I started to ponder heavily, was it possible for a Conduit to activate themselves?

I got my answer as I traveled deeper through the Great Plains.

It was there I saw them, the “missing Conduits.” I stood in shock as I watched as two small gangs of super-powered humans clashed. Powers of all kinds and creeds striking and igniting the area with colors and damage. If that wasn’t enough, these Conduits weren’t rookies either, the way they used their powers reminded me a bit of the gangs back in Empire City. They had experience.

They had been awakened long before I came. Now the pieces were falling into place as I gawked at these… Free-Ranged Conduits as they fought. For what, I didn’t know, but all I knew was it looked like one hell of a party and I wanted in. That feeling, that urge, my hunger, it now burned hotter than before. I was about to rush down before I felt a cold hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

I turned my head and let out a low growl when I saw it was Kuo, stopping me. “Leave them be, Cole. It’s a good thing we figured out the mystery, but we still have a job to do. There are still people who need you.”

We? HAH!! There is no we. The only time she ever lifted a finger was either to bitch at me or when I had to twist her arm to actually get her to be useful and actually help for once. I pull my shoulder away from her touch. “Don’t touch me, Kuo.” I had hissed out at her before continuing onto the next city.

That day, that moment… It never left me.

I continued to see these Wild Conduits as I traveled on. Seeing how free they were. Able to live their lives however they saw fit as they roamed in roving gangs, taking what they wanted, doing as they pleased. Having the freedom that for years I have been starved of. How they turned the Great Plains into a post-apocalyptic playground. Absolutely lawless. Seeing them made my blood boil. They got to be free while I was stuck in a cage. Such thoughts made me grow bitter and even more resentful than I already was. Even nature was reflecting the mounting rage. The clouds darkening and rumbling with thunder as the storm in my heart builds.

I slipped into my old Empire City habits, no mercy, no care. Why should I? It’s not like the world ever gave a damn about me, the only people who ever did are dead. Kuo only cared when I was doing the things she wanted me to do and the people I commanded didn't give a shit either. The hatred burning and gnawing away at my chest like a rabid animal, demanding I do something, anything, to let it free. To sate my long suppressed needs, to take care of myself for once, just as I had done before. I started to do just that, little by little. My attacks on cities became more brutal, my training and sparring more harsh and unforgiving, my temper growing shorter. The relief I felt was welcomed, but short-lived as soon afterwards; the screeching icy harpy would be at it again. Bitching at me, screaming at me, interrogating me, undoing all of the progress I made. One step forward and ten steps back. It doesn’t take a genius to see the obvious, I was a ticking time-bomb. All Kuo was doing was adding more gunpowder to the mix and shortening the fuse.

It was only a matter of time before I blew a gasket, and that day came sooner than anyone thought.

It was only two short weeks after that moment, I remember it well. A pained scream rang out as I had thrown a pair of Fledged Conduits onto the ground, having beaten them senseless. They were getting into an argument about something; what it was, I didn’t give a shit. If they wanted to fight so much, I'd give it to ‘em. Now the two lay in the dirt, battered, bruised and pleading for mercy. I was about to knock them out when I heard the ear-piercing screech of that ice bitch. I felt the temp drop as she teleported over.

“What in the HELL do you think you’re doing??” She screamed indignantly at me. I turn my head to look at her, my eyes glowing with fury.

“What does it look like I’m doing? Dweedle Dee and Dweedle Dumbass wanted to have a scrap, I just gave them what they wanted. Is that a problem, Kuo?” My voice dripped with venom as I said her last name.

“What in God’s name has gotten into you? I shouldn’t have to tell you not to take your anger out on these people!” Her voice was like a fork on glass, piercing and painful. “You're a leader to these people! You can't just beat the shit out of them just because they piss you off!”

My face curled into a snarl as I walked up to her, I could feel the electricity in my arms building up as I got closer to her. “I can’t fucking win with you, can I?” I growl at her as I loom over her. “If I do something, you’re bitching and if I don't do something, you’re bitching! So which is it, huh? Do you want me to do something when these idiots act up or do you want me to let them sort out their shit on their own?”

“What I want you to do is to be responsible for once in your life!” Kuo screeches out. “These people rely on you, Cole! You can't just do whatever you want! You saved them, you must protect them! It's your duty!” Those words. Those fucking words. It felt like my blood was replaced with hot plasma hearing the pure and utter audacity she has. She was a hypocrite.

A crash of red lightning overhead as I finally snapped. That’s. It.

Before she could speak another word, I raised my hand and unleashed a torrent of electricity dead center in her head. The force of the shock sent her flying backwards as the crimson glow of the bolts changed to a color I haven’t seen, a hue I had missed.

Black and red.

I walked over to Kuo as she laid on the ground, her eyes looking up at me dumbly. I could see it in her face, she was gobsmacked. She tried to get up to shout at me again, her hands forming the tell-tale mist that she was going to fire back a volley of her own ice, but I shocked her again before she got the chance. She writhed in pain on the ground as I stared at her, electricity arcing off of my arms and thundering rumbling above us. She slowly tries to get to her feet as she gets control of her body.

“Cole! Have you lost your mind??” Her voice screams out, full of fear and indignation.I couldn’t help but to scoff.

“Lost it? No Kuo, if anything. I have found it.” I growl out with a sneer. “I’ve put up with your bitching and hypocrisy for far too long and I’m done.”

Kuo looks at me with that stupid shocked look, like she hadn’t known this had been a long time coming. “Are you giving up?” She gasps. “Wake up, Cole! This isn’t something you can-” I zap her again before she can utter another word.

“No! You’re the one who needs to wake up, Kuo! It must be real easy barking demands and telling people what to do while you get to sit on your ass. Not even lifting a finger to help unless I force you to help me.” My voice dripped in malice and hatred as I got into her face. “It’s so easy to yap and bitch while not having to do any of the hard work or make any sacrifices.” I can tell she wanted to say something, but she seems to have enough sense to shut up, especially since the Beast is staring her down.

“What? No retort? No backtalk? Good!” I snap. “It’s high time you shut up and truly listen to me for once in your damn life.” I could feel eyes around me as I could feel the others coming around and spectating in fear. “They way you talk and act; you think being a leader, being a messiah, is a walk in the fucking park. You’re not the one sacrificing. You’re not the one bearing the weight of everything on your shoulders, having to neglect your own needs and go against your very nature because there’s always somebody who needs your help.” I could feel the static building on my skin as my mind rushed with thoughts of the past. Of all the moments I had been denied the ability to choose my path. “ You never had to deal with the pain of being forced into a role you never wanted, the feelings of being an animal trapped in a cage.”

“But, Cole…” I hear the harpy’s voice speak up, much meeker than before. “John gave you those powers for a reason, you have a duty to fulfill, a moral obliga-” I hold my hand up and she shuts up again.

“Oh no, don’t you even think about going there with that “moral obligation” bullshit. You don’t have a leg to stand on!” I hiss out, teeth bared. “You’ve always been like this, Kuo. You act all high and mighty but when it came down to the wire, you sold your soul to the devil. You’re no better than me, but at least I’m not a hypocrite like you.” I spat out those words as if they were acid in my mouth. “I know I’m no saint, I never have been and you’re a fucking idiot for even entertaining the thought that I had become a changed man after John shrugged off his responsibility onto me.”

“Look! I get it!” Kuo squeaks out. “You were hesitant to take on this responsibility, but I was trying to help you! Regardless of whether you wanted to be a leader or not, you are now! You have to step up to the plate and be better!”

Was she serious? Was she that dense? Did she not hear anything I said?? “Oh, you don’t like how I do things??” I snarl as I grab her shirt. “You think I’m such a terrible leader! You think being a messiah is so easy, Why don’t you try it!?” Venom dripped off of my words as I growled. “You think you know how to be a better leader, be my fucking guest!” I pushed her back, knocking her onto the ground. “I’ve had it with you, I’ve had it with all of this. I’m done.”

I turned around and began to leave, leaving Kuo in the dirt as terrified onlookers watched me. Hearing Kuo stand up and reach to grab my shoulder, I turned around and unloaded several thousand volts of “fuck you” into her. It wasn’t enough to kill her, but it was enough to hurt like hell. I wanted to make sure my message to her was loud and clear, I was done playing nice.

I stand up on a rock to address the crowd of onlookers. “I’m taking my leave of this hellhole.” I stated, my voice firm and matter-of-fact. I wasn’t going to pussyfoot anymore. “If you want to continue to follow me, I won’t stop you. That’s your choice to make. Just know that if you do, I’m not gonna hold your hand anymore. You sink or swim and you take care of your own shit like adults.” With that, I step down and I walk out into the open plains.

I walked, then I ran, then I sprinted. I could hear Kuo’s voice calling out for me, but I didn’t pay it any mind. My body was filled with adrenaline as I made my mad-dash towards the very thing I have been denied time and time again, like a wild animal broken out of its cage. Freedom.

I ran out into the wildlands and I never looked back.

—-

The fire was starting to dim as I slowly came out of my moment of reminiscing. I had been on my own for a couple of weeks and it was goddamn heaven. I was now doing what I should have been doing from the very beginning; whatever the fuck I wanted. The shackles of the messiah were finally broken and I revel in every second of pure freedom I have. For once in my entire life, I was now truly a free man. I answered to nobody but myself.

I tossed a piece of wood onto the fire to give it a little bit more fuel before I looked out onto the horizon. My lips curled into a genuine smile, the first time in forever. Endless possibilities now at my feet. My eyes catch sight of a small band of roving Wild Conduits and my smile turns to a grin. What lay before me was a lawless world, full of people just as lawless as I.The world before me was a chaotic Eden. Ripe for the picking and now it was time for the Beast to come and play.

I just hope, for their sake, that they’re ready for the storm that is now coming. After all, it wouldn’t be much fun if I broke my new playmates, now would it?

#infamous 2 #infamous #cole macgrath #Xeno Writes #fanfiction #Evil Ending #SPOILERS #tw spoilers #Evil Karma #Lucy Kuo #Also #just a heads up #My dislike for Kuo shows heavily here #So my deepest apologies to any Lucy Kuo fans out there!#Evil Cole #Evil Cole MacGrath #demon of empire city

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whiskeyswifty · 1 year ago

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People compare rep and lover a lot. To me lover is the superior album. I feel like lover has a lot of ups and downs (maybe even more ups than downs) but rep has only 2 ups (delicate and getaway car) and 13 absolute horrible songs lmao

i'm definitely aligned with this! tbf, i think rep and lover lend themselves to being compared more so than most of her works. the light v. dark, the exploration of falling in love v. after falling in love, the fact that they also are sequential lol. and i think you can draw a lot of parallels between songs across those two and how over time her perspectives and priorities have shifted, due to circumstances but also how aging from your 20s into your 30s really rewires your brain without realizing it (which is lost on a lot of younger fans, but that's fine! don't rush it! you'll get there!). they're fascinating texts to lay out side by side and see how they're in conversation.

and i think they're both equally conceptually messy, sonically messy too, in what you could call her murky middle period as of right now. trying out lots of different sounds and personas, however ill fitting, and helming her albums as the EP for the first time and growing into herself. they're also albums made during periods of severe personal distress unlike anything she'd experienced before; being the kanye induced snake-gate and her mother's cancer diagnosis and subsequent battle. you can see the darkness of those experiences seep through as she's trying to navigate a life she now views as precarious where she maybe once was reckless with it. i think i even said at the time that lover was the first time she ever acknowledged she had to work on herself as person and how she had played an active part in her own unhappiness in the past (see the archer). those incredibly painful growing periods in someone's life sometimes make for great art, but other times can make for artistic work that is as full of confusion and lack of clarity as those real life periods of metamorphosis can be. that's where they both fall for me anyway, but when the bright spots shine, you can see glimpses of Her in there! halfway formed and wobbling on new legs, but ambling shakily towards that more solid and fully formed version of herself.

I also pretty much agree with you on lover being superior, and your reasons are completely aligned with what I feel and often say as well. lover is definitely full of very high highs and very low lows, but the highs are sooooooo much higher than anything on reputation. and getaway car is the runaway favorite peak for sure, insaaanely high ranked in her song sorter for me given that the rest of reputation is notably absent from the top half. and i really love delicate, but i think i'm more amenable to more rep songs than you. however even the ones i like, gorgeous, don't blame me, dress, dwoht, and lwymmd (if only for how it played when you're trashed in the gay clubs at the time and how i love the video lol) i only like, but don't love. and the lows on reputation are so low, there are a few songs i couldn't tell you all the lyrics because i listened to them once. sooooooo adkljfadlkfj. even my most hated lover songs i can tolerate, unwillingly but i'll soldier through it if it comes on shuffle and i'm too lazy to skip.

#i would clarify this period is one of immense PERSONAL distress that was unique to her alone and isolating for her #whereas the pandemic was something everyone experienced and while we were PHYSICALLY isolated from each other #we were suffering from the same thing all together and her pain was not unique to her in a way that was emotionally isolating #and folklore is a product of that very different set of distressing circumstances #you can see that in epiphany where she explores that trauma as collective and something she experienced with the world

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mechanical-creature · 7 months ago

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On the design of the Tomy MicroPets, 2002 I've edited together some messages I sent last year.

I have a Banjo, 2003. There are manuals, and some videos of disassembly online, and that's about all there is. It is an electronic pet type of thing. It can move around using concealed wheels, and it takes voice commands. Deceptively simple. Inside it is quite interesting. I always thought it used off-the-shelf mini brushed DC motors. It does not. It's more like a solenoid.

The movement of each leg is powered by a coil of magnet wire (copper colored enamel, but probably not copper.) This incredibly thin wire runs up into the head with just barely enough slack to allow you to remove the mechanism. In a central column are two permanent magnets in opposing orientations. When current passes through the coil one way, it is attracted to the top magnet and repels the bottom, and vice versa. I managed to get a video of this movement. The plastic post on the coil arm engages with a cavity in the outer leg to move it. The coil arm pivots around a central metal axle. To move the dog, there are two rubber-rimmed wheels with inwards-facing ratchet teeth which also sit on this central axle. A small plastic piece sits inside the wheel, free to slide up and down on the axle, so that its single tooth may slide over those of the wheel. (No springs are used; the toothed piece engages with the wheel under gravity alone.) It engages with bar-shaped projections on the coil arm to transfer the rotation. There is also a plastic bar (not apparent from the bottom) that gets pushed upwards by the coil arm to move the ears in the head.

Apologies for the blurry video. The sleight of hand required for it to run disassembled was kinda painful lol.

Notes for disassembly and reassembly:

Be careful not to break the wire. Good luck soldering it if you do.

The mechanisms are mirror images of each other, so be sure to match the correct wheel and tooth to the correct side, else the dog will travel backwards.

The screws to open the head cannot be reached without disengaging the legs from the posts.

Inside the head we can see the board and the ear-pushing bars.

And that's not all here. These toys respond to a set of voice commands with their name (in this case "Banjo") as a wake word. And this is the smallest speech-controlled thing I have ever seen. The only word I see on this PCB is the "CollieR4" above the button; I was unable to find any documentation for this design, and the blob chip isn't giving up its secrets easily. But I can make some guesses. It is known that they look for syllables, not words. It will tolerate its commands being spoken incorrectly, as long as the number of noise spikes is correct. I didn't spot any transistors on the board, so I'm guessing the chip also includes H-bridge drivers for the magnets or something, since they must switch polarity. It's probably an existing microcontroller die from somewhere, with the magnet drivers taking 2 to 4 I/O pins, the button taking 1, the eyes taking 2, the speaker taking 1, and the mic taking 1, for a total of 7 to 9 pins on the chip itself. The mic input may very well be 1-bit and made logic-level using some components on the board. I might try later to map out the PCB and investigate further, but that's all I got for now.

Neat to see how compact and optimized these guys are.

#micropets #creatura posts

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masschase · 8 months ago

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14, 16, 17 for casey for the ask meme

Edgy/Misc OC ask meme (still accepting, will spread throughout the weekend)

Obviously this was asked before I answered 14 here but I've got plenty to say for the other 2! 😅

16. What is your OC's pain tolerance like?

Casey's pain tolerance is one of the things I've not talked about much but she's a very physically resilient character and she has really good pain tolerance. I think pain tolerance is really subjective of course, but I'd say there are two components to it.

Like in terms of what she actually feels, her tolerance is maybe just above average. She's admittedly less sensitive in some areas that have been scarred (leaning a little on SR's ridiculously good plastic surgery a little lets be honest). As for the areas that were the worst burnt, on her left side(Left from her perspective, right if looking at her) mostly, it's variable. A lot of it's less sensitive, a few parts are more, and it's all quite sensitive to the sun.

But the second side of pain tolerance to me is more about someone's endurance of it? That's something Casey's really good at, breathing through the pain and not showing it. When I write her experiencing pain, I use something akin to hypnobirthing breathing techniques, but in Casey's case it's something she's figured out herself. It is a conscious effort not to show weakness. So when you combine the two she appears to have incredible pain tolerance.

17. What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?

Again, it's probably the horror RP/AU(The Cult of Celebrity). I mean if the worst that happens to her in-game is her friends dying, this really takes it up to 11. 7 of her friends are killed(as well as one ally to the Saints, Johnny Tag and Noleg, and two adversaries). She's put through psychological torture including re-living the boat explosion, her sr1 fight with Zoo and previous deaths of friends, being isolated and left to freeze to death, being left to believe Matt is dead, more isolation, being forced both to confess her feelings(that's torture to her ok) and to try and choose who should die out of Zoo and Matt, being made to believe by Noah that this is all her fault, witnessing a child having lost her parent due to all of this.

On the physical side of things, Mel is forced into attacking her and breaking her right wrist, and as she doesn't receive medical attention for several hours her dominant gun arm is irreparably damaged. Zoo also has to shoot her in the leg to stop her self-sacrificing at one point.

This is the only universe where I have Casey actually quit as the leader of the Saints. Yeah she retires in her 60s/70s main universe but like quitting in her early 30s here when she's very much in her prime. I've always said that one of the reasons I find it so hard to find a place for her as lieutenant is that leading, taking charge, is so ingrained into her character to me that I often have her lead another group or just not be involved with the Saints at all. So having her decide to quit is testament to how broken she is. I didn't realise how hard that moment was going to hit me personally until I wrote it.

Let's hope she can find some peace in Santo Ileso 🥲

#saints row #saints row boss #sr boss: casey clark #asks #thanks for the ask!

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the-final-knight · 1 year ago

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Knight Log, volume 2:

It has been a few days since I last wrote in this book, I have been very busy.

There is a plot to assassinate me, Drewp, and The Queen and I am trying to stop them. I think that ive come up with a unique and cunning plan though that may give me the advantage. I shant disclose it here as I fear I am being watched.

The assassin is very clever but some sort of moral code has kept them from killing me thus far. They left me quite wounded from our last battle but I did the same to them. Hopefully it shall be a little bit until our next battle.

The Queen has asked me to accompany her and Drewp to the capital city of Yevrin, which I find very exciting. We are, however, riding in a Zeppelin which I find a little daunting. It's been ages since I've been up that high and I am admittedly slightly afraid of doing again. The Queen has assured me it's safe though and I trust her.

On the subject of The Queen I must say I am quite fond of her. She is definitely the nicest ruler I have served under and she tolerates my slip ups. She's been incredibly kind to me and even went searching in the forest for me after a nasty battle with that assassin. My leg still hurts from that, and I have a limp from it, but luckily no one has caught onto that. A knight must be strong through their pain in order to succeed, that is the lesson I have always known to be true.

I have sparring with people and am beginning to learn ways of how to counter magic uses, these are the most important things I've learned thus far:

Never let them have use of their hands or mouth

Resist mind control

Analyze their movements to prepare for any spell they may cast

Thankfully I have yet to face a magic user who actually has intent to harm me, that's lucky, but luck always runs out.

And now for what is by far the most interesting thing to happen in my life.

Someone is... Trying to romance me. I know, it sounds just as crazy to me as it must to you, imaginary reader. They have been keeping their identity a secret so far but have given me the name Augustus to call them by. Now, this is between you, the book, and me, but this is truly the scariest thing to ever happen to me. Never has someone called me the things they call me. Never has anyone gone out of their way and given me something such as what they have.

They gifted me a golden Zweihander. Can you believe that? Neither can I. I don't even know what to say to such a lavish gift. Thankyou is certainly not enough I know that, but I also have hardly anything myself. Before I came to this island I had only the clothes on my back and a few silver pieces. Now everything has changed for me and people actually seem to care about me.

Needless to say it's overwhelming. But also intoxicating. The Queen said that their pattern of gift giving and masquerading follows that of an old Yervin play. And on the fourth day they will reveal themself. If that's the case I don't have much time to think of something to do for them in return. I don't have much to offer someone like that I think, I have no money or promise. I hope they'll forgive me for that, if not I suppose I can give them their sword back.

Alright I think that's a nice wrap up of the past few days, I'm obviously leaving stuff out because of how much has happened but yeah. Have a good day book, farewell.

Ps: I hope the Augustus will forgive me for threatening to slice their throat.

#knightposting #knights log #wizard posting #dungeons and dragons #i like making these :3

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dinoracha · 2 years ago

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November 27th, 2022 Stream [Valkie 64, Zelda 2 (Advanced Edition), Hardspace: Shipbreaker

Archive link: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1665027053

Started the night off with Valkie 64 which wears its inspiration on its sleeve, pants leg and a temporary tattoo on the forehead. It has '64' in the title, for goodness' sake. Low budget aside, it's a different kind of throwback game I've been looking forward to, since the number of retro-style FPS' is getting a bit much. Having an adventure game to stomp through is a nice change of pace, although this isn't the kind of game I can see myself returning to frequently. Repetitive music, limited enemy variety and an incredibly flaccid combat system make this seem like the developer's first game, but honestly? It's striking that 'itch' for games like Ocarina of Time and Mystical Ninja (N64) that I can overlook and enjoy the game. It's affordable as all get out, so grinding my critiquing eye into it doesn't feel needed.

After the first break was Zelda 2 - But the Advanced Edition by Hoverbat. Take a shot every time I mentioned their name during this part of the stream. I wouldn't say I have a love-hate relationship with Zelda 2; it's more of a want to tolerate-hate relationship. While Hoverbat's work has made the game feel better to play and have quality-of-life features, I can't help but feel like they built this version of the game geared toward veteran players of the original game. Maybe my memory is hazy, but the temples feel longer and more painful than usual, and that's not counting some of the optional side content. Having platforming challenges that punish you by starting the loop all over again isn't a lesson to make you play better, it's a way to have you waste time. Still, for Zelda 2 of all games to get a glow up like this is bonkers and commendable.

And lastly, after the second break was Hardspace: Shipbreaker. I'm getting worried that the game's story will start overstaying its welcome before it even begins. Don't get me wrong, corporations suck in all kinds of ways, but I'm not looking forward to another rendition of Phantom Pain where the story happens AROUND your player character, and despite being in the middle of it, they have no input/influence on what happens. Past that - I loves me breakin' some ships, I do. Such a niche concept; tearing apart ships for recycling and reselling their components. Part of me hopes that I'll get access to even bigger and more ludicrously more complicated ships, but on the other I'm not because I'll probably cause a fire, electrical and meltdown accident all at the same time, somehow.

#valkie 64 #hardpsace shipbreaker #zelda 2 #streaming #archive

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lcvernat · 3 years ago

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That Stupid Red String | Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Part 2 | Part 3

Summary: In a world where you can feel your soulmates pain, being Natasha Romanoff's soulmate can simultaneously be the best and worst thing to ever happen to you. The only way to stop feeling your soulmates pain was to meet said soulmate, which seemed impossible to you, but fate works in mysterious ways.

Word Count: 5.9k

Content Warnings: soulmate au, strong language, fluff/lighthearted cause angst sucks, injuries/knife wound, reader is a doctor, natasha with children is adorable, brief mention of being drunk/high, mention of painkillers, original female characters

A/N: oh my god okay, so i kind of got a bit carried away with this? just a bit? this is incredibly long and i'm sorry, but there's also sort of potential for a part 2. maybe? i guess just lmk if you would want that? also disclaimer, i am not a doctor and know literally nothing about knife wounds so if something is wrong or unrealistic or whatever, either just point it out and i'll fix it or ignore it and i will too LMAO. oh and all my fics are gn!reader unless specified. final thing, i suck at fic titles and summaries i'm sorry. <3

Every teenager longed for the day they turned 18, so they could gain that special connection with their soulmate by feeling each other's pain. They claimed that being able to share each other's physical pain brought you closer together and built a stronger connection between the both of you before you met.

Personally, you had always thought being able to feel someone else's pain would be slightly inconvenient. What if they had a migraine the day you had a life-changing job interview? That's not to mention the fact that you had to deal with your own pain, because feeling someone else's pain does not make you immune to suffering from your own headaches. Unfortunately.

Still, you couldn't deny that part of you was excited. Until the day you turned 18. You had woken up with agonising pain along your ribs, it felt as if someone had shattered them into a million pieces overnight. You had originally brushed it off as your soulmate having a terrible day. Then it happened again, and again, and again. Nearly every single day since the age of 18, you were in some form of pain because of your soulmate. Most people only experienced the occasional soulmate headache, or their soulmate stubbing their toe or accidentally bumping their hip against a table. Normal things that would cause people pain. You, on the other hand, had grown accustomed to bruised ribs, broken bones, knife wounds, bullet wounds, bruised knuckles and the like.

It had sucked massively at the beginning, but when you had to come to the devastating conclusion that your soulmate definitely has a death wish, you just had to learn to live with it. You've certainly built up a pain tolerance over the years, though you still can't help but resent your soulmate. You know you shouldn't - they're your soulmate after all - but anyone who had to learn to live with constant, agonising pain would feel the same, right?

The common knowledge that the only way to relieve yourself of the constant discomfort was to touch your soulmate brought little to no comfort to you. That occurrence was rare, and many people went their entire life without ever meeting their soulmate. Some people just simply didn't have the effort to search, so they married someone else. The lucky ones that did find their soulmate claimed that you feel a 'secret pull' towards them, but you're pretty sure that's a lie considering the only pull you've ever felt was to the fridge at 3am.

Although, you were determined to find your soulmate. Simply just so you could scream at them for hours and ask them what the fuck they were thinking, getting themselves into all sorts of dangerous situations. Though, since you're well past the age of 18, you've started to lose hope that you'll ever find them.

"So, what's on the menu today? Knife wound? Broken rib? What about a broken leg?" Your best friend, Kya, teased you as soon as you had set foot into the hospital breakroom. You had thought that becoming a doctor would make it easier to meet your soulmate, considering you had to make physical contact with a lot of patients every day. That was, unfortunately, not the case. Although, Kya was one of the lucky ones who had found their soulmate, and she made it her job to tease you every waking second about your constant struggle.

"Nothing, actually, must be a rest day for them." It was true, whoever your soulmate was was certainly not in the mood to put themselves into a life-threatening situation today. You savored these rare days of painless bliss.

"Okay, in all seriousness though, I had a thought last night. At about 2am, because I couldn't sleep." You sit down beside Kya on the couch as she puts her steaming mug of coffee down onto the table and turns to face you.

You raise an eyebrow at her, indicating with your hand for her to continue.

"What if, your soulmate is an Avenger?-" you interrupted her by snorting in disbelief, which she reprimanded you for, "No, wait, listen. It makes sense. The bullet wounds, the knife wounds, the bruised knuckles. Your soulmate is either a highly dangerous criminal, or an Avenger. And I'd certainly prefer it to be an Avenger."

"Or," you enunciated, "they're a boxer or something a lot more realistic than a 'highly dangerous criminal' or 'an Avenger'."

"A boxer would not have knife or bullet wounds."

"Maybe they're just a really bad boxer?" You attempted, though you knew that point was stupid and your effort was futile as Kya had clearly spent all of last night convincing herself that her point was right.

"No. It's true: Y/N Y/L/N's soulmate is an Avenger. It's going to make headlines, and my best friend is going to be famous." Kya made a show of looking whimsically off into the distance, and you slapped her playfully on the arm.

"Yeah, no, shut up."

She rolls her eyes at you before glancing down at her watch and letting out a groan, "Crap, my break's over. Got to go." She downs the last of her coffee faster than humanly possible before giving you a final goodbye and walking out of the breakroom.

You ponder over Kya's words for a few more minutes after she left. Maybe? Could your soulmate really be an Avenger? You snort, shaking your head in disbelief. Definitely not, even thinking the words sounds stupid. You push the thought out of your mind, making your way over to the coffee machine to quickly make yourself a cup before your break ended.

"Trust me, this is going to be so fun." Kya tries to convince you as she tightly grabs your hand, pulling you with her against your will. It was a couple of weeks after Kya had brought up the Avenger-soulmate idea, and you both had got a well needed day off. Being doctors, this was an incredibly rare occurrence and you took as much advantage of it as you could. Even though it was slightly ruined by your aching muscles, that you knew were not caused by any exercise you had done, considering you didn't do any exercise yesterday, which meant it was the cause of your lovely soulmate. It was also Kya's nieces birthday today, and both of her parents were busy so Kya had took it upon herself to bring her and you to something you thought was highly ironic: an Avenger's event and meet and greet.

"You're definitely still pushing this Avenger-soulmate agenda, aren't you?" You had asked her when she brought up the idea, she had vehemently denied that fact but you still spotted the mischievous twinkle in her eye. Unfortunately, for the life of you, you could not think of a good enough excuse that she would buy to get out of it. So that's why you found yourself in the middle of Times Square, being dragged to meet the Avengers.

"This is meant to be for kids," you pointed out, gesturing all around you to the little kids dressed in Avengers costumes and merchandise.

"Okay? And? We have a kid right here." Kya could only gesture with a tip of her head towards Lillian, as the little girl was gripping onto Kya's hand whilst Kya's other hand was gripping onto yours. The little girl in question was dressed up in a Black Widow costume, complete with a ginger wig and you had to admit that it was really adorable.

"When are they even meant to come out?" You asked, looking around you at the obvious lack of the actual Avengers.

"Uh, pretty sure the advertisement said 1pm? Can you check the time? Both of my hands are occupied." Kya replied.

"You know you can just let go of my hand?" You said even as you took your phone out of your pocket to check the time, "It's 12:45."

"Yes, but I'm afraid you might run away. We have 15 minutes to waste though, so where do you want to go?" She directed the question towards Lillian, who immediately started dragging you both in the direction of the Black Widow merch stand.

Once Lillian had successfully tricked Kya into buying her practically one of everything from the merch stand, you both made your way over to the makeshift stage, where the Avengers would come out. There was already a tightly packed crowd surrounding it, but since it was Lillian's birthday, Kya and you were determined to get her up to the front, so you did what any adult would do: pushed your way to the front. Was it the most morally right thing to do, especially at an Avengers event? No, it was not. You still done it anyway, and soon were at the front, in full view of the stage.

Lillian pulled on your shirt again, "Put me on your shoulders, Y/N, please!" She looked up at you with pleading puppy dog eyes.

"We are literally right in front of the stage." You pointed out.

"My legs hurt!" She whined, and you sighed.

"Yeah? Well so do mine, and my arms, and my entire body. I pray you aren't soulmates with someone who has absolutely no pain tolerance." Even though your arms were screaming in protest, you still lifted the young girl up and sat her on your shoulders, holding onto her legs so she doesn't fall.

Kya opened her mouth, but whatever words were about to come spewing out were quickly drowned out by the screams and cheers of the crowd as the Avenger's finally walked out. Each of them smiled and waved, but your eyes were somehow automatically drawn to Black Widow. She had a huge, genuine smile on her face as she waved to the fans, and you couldn't help but be captivated by her smile. She was absolutely breathtaking, you couldn't deny that. Still, even from here she seemed incredibly intimidating and you really would not want her as an enemy.

Her eyes moved throughout the crowd, and locked on yours. Her gaze straying up to Lillian on your shoulder who started yelling and screaming, "BLACK WIDOW! BLACK WIDOW!" The woman in question smiled at her and Lillian was in hysterics. Her gaze went back to you, and she smirked. You looked away quickly, wondering why a simple smirk had made your face heat up. Did it just get really hot all of a sudden?

"You're blushing," Kya pointed out the obvious.

You scoffed, "I am not. It's just very warm."

"It's like 60 degrees."

"The weather app is wrong."

Kya hummed, clearly not convinced but deciding not to comment further on it as Captain America started speaking. He explained that they were going to do a Q&A first, and then after they would be roaming around the event and would be free for any pictures or autographs. It was about halfway through the Q&A, Lillian had seemingly got bored with sitting on your shoulders and had moved to Kya's shoulders instead, when a teenage girl raised her hand and asked, "Natasha and Steve, what's going on between the two of you? There's clearly a lot of chemistry."

The crowd was a mixture of 'oooos' and annoyed murmurs from some. You noticed Natasha's jaw clench slightly before she brought her microphone up to answer, "Trust me, there isn't anything going on. Me and Steve are just great friends."

"But there has to be something! It's so obvious! You have to be soulmates!" The girl insisted.

"Steve is like a brother to me, we're incredibly close and I love him, but there's nothing more to it. We aren't soulmates. Plus, he isn't even my type." Steve whacked her left arm in faux offence. Suddenly, there was a stinging pain on your left arm and you rubbed it gingerly, "Ow." Kya's head snapped towards you, saw you rubbing your left arm, and snapped back towards Natasha's so quickly that it's a miracle she didn't get whiplash.

You looked at her shocked expression in confusion, murmuring a "What?" which she brushed off, only mouthing a 'Talk later' to you, which left you confused but you turned your attention back to the stage.

The teenage girl was still persisting, and you had to say you were honestly impressed she had the balls to bicker with the Natasha Romanoff. That is, until Natasha quickly shut her up, "Listen, Steve is not my soulmate, I still haven't found mine. Okay? Next question."

The Q&A ended quickly after that, with awkward tension still hanging in the air after the girl's question, and the crowd quickly dispersed in an effort to be the first ones to spot their favorite Avenger. Kya pulled you along, Lillian still on her shoulders, but she had a faraway expression on her face, as if she was concentrating on something else.

It took you three quite a while to spot Natasha in the crowd. You supposed if a spy didn't want to be found, they wouldn't be. She was loitering by one of the game stalls, looking at something on her phone, no one went near her and you assumed it was because they didn't want to risk being caught in her wrath - she still seemed pretty pissed off by that question. Still, nothing would stop Lillian as she begged and begged Kya to bring her over.

Kya turned to look at you, "You coming?"

You shook your head, "I'm starving, so how about I go get us some food while you and Little Black Widow here go meet actual Black Widow?"

"Actually, I really think you should go, I can get the food."

You raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Um, no. She's your niece, plus your choice in food is horrible, sorry not sorry. I'm getting the food." You walked away in the direction of one of the food stands before she could protest.

You came back around 10 minutes later with three corndogs in your hands, the line had been thankfully very short. Lillian was talking animatedly to Natasha, the woman bent down to Lillian's height. Kya turned around and spotted you, "There you are! Lillian wants a photo of me, Natasha and her. Would you be able to take it?"

You look down at the corndogs in your hands, "What do you think, Sherlock?"

"Oh crap, yeah, um," Kya grabbed two of the corndogs, turning to give one to Lillian, "can you take the photo one handed?"

Before you could respond Natasha spoke, "Hey, it's alright. I can take it."

Kya turned around, clearly shocked, "Are you sure? I feel like there's something a bit wrong asking the Black Widow to hold a corndog for you."

Natasha looked at Kya in exasperation, "Oh please, hand it over." Before Kya could protest any further, Natasha had already grabbed the corndog out of Kya's hand, and you handed the one you were still holding to Kya.

You took out your phone and swiped to the camera, "Alright, everyone say corndogs!" You laughed as all three of them said corndogs before snapping the photo. You looked at it, "That's adorable, you happy with it?" You showed it to Lillian who squealed in happiness and nodded eagerly.

"Hey, do you not want a photo?" Kya asked you while taking the corndog out of Natasha's hand and handing it back to you.

You shook your head, "It's alright. It was for Lillian, really, so it doesn't matter."

"No, I really think you should take a photo with Natasha."

You took a bite of your corndog and swallowed before replying, "I said it was fine. You're acting really weird."

Before Kya could protest, Captain America called for Natasha and she turned to you three, "That's me, I'm sorry. It was lovely meeting you all, especially you, Lillian," she bent down and gave the girl a final hug before heading off in the direction of Steve's shout.

Kya looked about ready to scream, for a reason you couldn't for the life of you figure out. You took another bite of your corndog as she glared at you.

It was a couple of weeks after the Avenger's meet and greet, and Kya had been acting weird around you ever since. Natasha Romanoff had somehow made her way up to the number one topic of conversation between the two of you, and you really couldn't understand where Kya's new obsession for her had come from.

So, when you had arrived home at 4am one night after another grueling hospital shift, your head feeling as if it was splitting in two, and your phone had lit up with an incoming call from your best friend, you had originally expected it to be another new revelation she had found out about Natasha. Thankfully, it was not.

"Bestie, are you up?" Her voice sounded through the phone speakers.

"Just literally got home from my shift, so you have 5 minutes before I hang up and go straight to bed. What's up?" You sat your keys down on the kitchen counter and take your shoes off whilst you speak, wincing as a sharp stab of pain went through your head.

"I literally do not care. You need to get on your laptop right now and open up the Stark Industries website."

"Why would I do that?" You ask, even though you were already heading towards your bedroom to grab your laptop.

"Because," she made a show of dragging the word out, "they literally just posted an advertisement for new doctors and nurses in the MedBay at the Avenger's Tower. You need to apply."

"Okay, one: why do I need to apply? And two, why was it posted on the Stark Industries website if it's about the Avenger's?"

"Answering question two first: I don't know but I don't care. One: you need to apply because I'm still wholeheartedly convinced your soulmate is an Avenger, and I've narrowed it down to approximately one person, so you need to get that job and prove me right. If you don't apply yourself I will literally apply for you, do not test me."

You roll your eyes at your best friend's words before turning on your laptop, "And who are you so convinced my soulmate is?"

"Natasha."

You fully snorted at that, your voice disbelieving as you say, "Are you drunk? Or high?"

"No," she sounds annoyed, and you can picture her rolling her eyes at you, "I'm just a mastermind. So you better apply right now. Goodnight."

She hung up before you could respond, and even though you knew she was likely being stupid, you trusted your best friend to stay true to her word and apply for you if you didn't, so you went onto the website, clicked on the application and applied. It was 5am by the time you were finished, you were so tired and your headache had gotten a million times worse, so you ended up just falling asleep in your work uniform, laptop still open on the bed beside you.

It had been 2 weeks since you applied, so at this point you weren’t expecting to get a call or even an email back. You were proved wrong though, when one day your phone started ringing in the break room, it was an unknown number.

“That better be what I think it is,” Kya said, noticing the unknown number.

You picked it up, “Hello?”

A feminine voice reached your ears, “Hello, is this Y/N Y/L/N?”

“It is,” you said as Kya looks at you, excitement twinkling in her eyes.

“Hi, yes, this is Connie speaking. I’m the receptionist at the Avenger’s Tower. We are really pleased with your application and are wondering if you would still be interested in an in-person interview? This would really just to be to know you personally, to see if you’re a good fit for the job.”

You couldn’t help it when a huge smile blossomed on your face, as Kya repeatedly whacked your arm in excitement, “Thank you, yes I’d still be interested in doing an interview.”

“Perfect. How does next Monday at 1:00pm sound?”

Fortunately, you were off on the Monday. “That’s perfect, thank you.” You said a final goodbye to the receptionist before hanging up, instantly being engulfed in a hug by a squealing Kya.

“HA! I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU’D GET THE JOB! FUCK YEAH!”

You laughed before pushing her off you, “Okay. Calm down, I still need to do the actual interview. Plus, I’m still highly doubtful that Natasha Romanoff is my soulmate.”

Kya merely nodded at you, obviously not believing a word you were saying but choosing to ignore it.

You woke up on that Monday and instantly groaned when you felt your muscles ache. Curse your soulmate who seemed to favor working out at ungodly hours of the morning. You had half a mind to start working out as payback, but that idea quickly died when you realized that your soulmate likely wouldn't be fazed by aching muscles, since they appeared to have grown so accustomed to pain.

Still, you managed to drag yourself out of bed and get ready for the day. Kya had texted you a spam of encouraging texts, with the occasional 'if natasha rlly is your soulmate i deserve money' in between. You had to admit, you were slightly nervous about the interview. Yes, you had been a doctor for years, and you knew that you knew your stuff - you didn't go through years of torture in Med School not to know it - but this was about being a doctor for Earth's Mightest Heroes, which kind of meant a lot of pressure.

Your nerves didn't ease in the slightest as you arrived at the Avenger's Tower, the giant building looming over you, blocking out any sunshine like an ill omen. You steeled yourself, taking a deep breath before entering the building. The receptionist seemed pretty occupied, only offering you a split second glance before her eyes went back to her work. You walked up to her, clearing your throat nervously.

"Yes?" She asked, still not looking at you.

"Hi, I'm Y/N Y/L/N. I'm here for an interview?"

"Oh yes, just head up to the meeting room. The elevator is just ahead."

You were about to ask what floor the meeting room was on, but then the phone started ringing and the woman didn't even bother sparing you another glance as she picked it up. Guess you'll just have to find it yourself. You stopped the elevator on the first floor, hopefully assuming this is the floor the meeting room was on. Unfortunately, as you walked down the hallway, there was no door or sign indicating where this 'meeting room' was - you were starting to think it didn't even exist, until you rounded the corner and walked straight into someone.

"Oh!" Came the surprised shout before you profusely started apologizing, "It's fine, really," the woman stopped your rambling, then she tilted her head as she stared at you, "are you new here? I don't recognize you."

You recognized her all right, it was Wanda Maximoff. You had just walked straight into Wanda Maximoff and you really wanted the ground to open up and swallow you whole. "Uh, yeah, sorry," you began awkwardly, rubbing the back of your neck, "I'm here for an interview. The receptionist was busy and told me to go to the meeting room, but I don't actually know where that is."

Wanda's face lit up in recognition, "Oh! Are you Y/N? No worries, I can show you where it is. " She spun around on her heel and you followed her, curious how she knew your name. She stopped outside of a door, "Here it is! Good luck, but I'm positive you'll get the job. Hopefully I'll see you around." You waved goodbye to Wanda before walking inside.

You were greeted by the sight of Steve Rogers and none other than Natasha Romanoff. "Ah, Y/N," Steve stood up, walking over to you and shaking your hand, "take a seat." He gestured to a seat facing him and Natasha, and you sat down. "Now, this may seem daunting, but don't worry. You've basically already got the job, we just want to know a little bit about you. Also, if Natasha looks like she's staring into your soul, don't worry. She's just doing her job, making sure you aren't secretly a spy undercover or anything like that." You nodded, daring a glance at Natasha who was indeed staring into your soul, as if she was analyzing every single thing about you. You couldn't help but squirm under her gaze.

The interview went smoother than you had expected it to, and soon the three of you were standing up, getting ready to leave. "Well, Y/N, you definitely do have the job. Don't worry, we had already contacted your work when we first read your application to let them know you'd be moving to work here, so they've already known weeks in advance and you don't need to worry." Steve smiled at you, and you thanked him before leaving.

You called Kya later that night, and you're pretty sure you're now deaf in one ear as she screamed down the phone at you.

You had been working in the MedBay for well over 2 months now, and you couldn't be happier. All the Avenger's were lovely, and still managed to crack jokes even as they came in limping, blood dripping down their leg from a bullet wound or knife wound after a mission. Surprisingly, it was a lot more chill than a normal hospital job. You only had to look after the Avenger's, and it was only ever really injuries from missions and nothing more extreme. Though you do recall that one time Tony came in because he had spilled boiling water over himself.

Though, much to Kya's dismay, you had little to no interaction with Natasha. She was rarely ever a visitor to the MedBay, whether that was because she was simply too stubborn to go or because she just never got hurt on missions, you weren't sure. You saw her in the halls sometimes when you were on your lunch break, but all you both done was give each other a small smile as you walk by.

Kya still wouldn't let the 'Natasha is your soulmate' agenda go, though. You were currently on your lunch break, and since Kya had the day off and you rarely ever got time to see each other anymore since you moved jobs, you decided to meet up at a café for lunch.

"Right, list all the Avengers you have and have not made physical contact with then." Kya asked you over a cup of coffee. You rolled your eyes but still done as she said. Though, once you had got to the 'Avengers you haven't touched' list, there was only one name.

"And? Avengers you haven't touched?" Kya persisted.

"Natasha." You mumbled.

"See!" Kya yelled triumphantly, drawing the attention of an elderly couple a few tables away, "The only Avenger you have not touched is Natasha, and as far as I'm aware, you're still suffering from some lovely soulmate pain. So, I will stay on the Y/N and Natasha ship until you either confirm or deny that she is or isn't your soulmate."

You were seconds away from throwing Kya out of a window.

It had been a normal day in the MedBay, the Avengers were away on a mission so you and the few other doctors had been preparing just in case any injures occurred.

"Y/N?" One of the nurses called. You turned around to answer when you felt an agonizing pain in your stomach that made you clutch your stomach and bend over in pain. "Y/N? Are you okay?" You heard someone ask, but for the life of you, you could do nothing except clutch your stomach and bite your lip until it started bleeding. You couldn't focus on anything except the complete and utter agony rippling throughout your body right now. It had never been this bad before, something must have gone terribly wrong on your soulmate's side.

The AI's voice was the only thing able to make you come back to reality a bit, "Captain Rogers has asked me to send a message along to the MedBay: They will be arriving in 5 minutes, and Agent Romanoff requires immediate assistance. She is in critical condition and has been stabbed in the abdomen."

That got your attention. You blinked once, processing Jarvis's words, before you looked down at your own stomach and then up at the nurse sanding in front of you, who seemed to have got the same idea. No. It can't be. Kya was going to love this.

You straightened up once you heard hectic voices in the hallway. The Avengers rushed in, Natasha being supported between Steve and Tony. The sight of Natasha Romanoff almost limp, blood completely soaked through the front of her suit, and her skin as white as a sheet was incredibly jarring. Two of the nurses ran forward to support her and place her gently on a bed. You ran over, and took a deep breath - this was the moment of truth. You placed your hand on her arm, and the air was nearly took out of your lungs when the agonizing pain your were in seconds ago completely disappeared. Oh my God, Natasha Romanoff was your soulmate. Your mind was reeling, but you pushed the thoughts aside to focus on the actual matter at hand: saving your soulmate before she died.

The nurses shooed the rest of the Avengers out, despite their protests, and you got to work.

You were stood outside of medical hours later talking to Steve, Natasha currently asleep inside, "Luckily, it didn't hit any vital organs. She did lose quite a bit of blood though, so we'll keep her in MedBay for a week just to monitor her vitals and make sure everything's okay. No strenuous activity and especially no missions for at least a month, we want to make sure she's completely healed before she puts her body through any rigorous activity. I know it's Natasha and she will not like to hear that, but it is what it is I guess." You explained to Steve, who nodded along.

"Yeah, she is definitely not going to want to hear that. Can I go see her?"

"She's currently asleep, so no can do, sorry Captain. I'll make sure to tell Jarvis to tell you when she wakes up, though." Steve nodded once more before turning around and walking away.

You took a deep breath, the events of the day finally catching up with you as you sat on the ground, your legs barely able to hold your weight any longer. You were exhausted, but your mind was reeling too much and you wanted to make sure Natasha was okay. You were not sure how to break the news to Natasha that you were her soulmate. You didn't even know when, or how to, or if she'd be pleased to hear it. You hadn't told Kya either, because you really weren't in the mood to deal with her 'I told you so' attitude.

You'd need to tell her when she woke up, just get it over with, it'd be better to tell her sooner than keeping it a secret. You doubted she would like that. "Stupid red string of fate." You grumbled angrily.

Natasha slept the entire night, unlike you, who was currently surviving on 5 cups of coffee and an energy bar even though it was only 7am. Despite the Avenger's telling you to go home and get some sleep, you couldn't. You couldn't just leave her. You had to be sure she was okay. It didn't matter that another doctor could easily take over watching her if you had asked, you wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully without knowing whether she was okay or not.

You were busy sorting out the supply cabinet, trying desperately to keep yourself occupied as the sunrise started to shine through the windows, illuminating the MedBay in an early morning glow. Then the sound of rustling could be heard, followed by a hoarse voice, "Y/N?"

You pivoted around as Natasha called your name, making your way over to her, "Yes? Is everything okay? Do you need anything?"

"Maybe a glass of water and some painkillers?" She asked and you nodded before going to get them. You came back minutes later and set them on the drawer beside the bed.

She tried to sit up, wincing in pain, before you darted forward to assist her, "Careful. You don't want to rip your stitches." She nodded as you handed her the glass and pills, which she gratefully accepted.

"I hate being treated as a wounded puppy." She murmured after she had swallowed the painkillers.

"You literally got stabbed in the stomach and I am a doctor. It is technically my job to treat you with the utmost care. It's not that you're weak or fragile, because you certainly aren't, I just don't want to hurt you further."

You took a deep breath, now was as best a time as any to break the news, and if it didn't go well, you could always just run away, "Also, there's something else that happened yesterday."

Natasha raises an eyebrow at you before you continued, "Um. So. I'm your soulmate? Surprise?" Her eyes widened a fraction, mouth parting in shock slightly.

"What?" Was all she said.

"Sorry, okay, I really don't know how to do this. But, yeah? I'm your soulmate? I kind of figured it out when it felt like I had got stabbed in the stomach, and then I touched you and it went away. Because you know, that's how it works. I'm sorry I'm rambling, but I just thought you should know?" You were about to die from embarrassment, and it certainly didn't help as the minutes went by and Natasha didn't speak. She didn't even move. You weren't sure she was even breathing.

You sighed, "I'm sorry, I'll just go. Just um, say if you need anything." You turned around to leave.

"No. Wait. Stay."

You turned around again to face her as she ran a hand through her hair, "I'm sorry. I should've said something sooner. I'm not mad at you or anything, It's just. I didn't think I'd actually have a soulmate?" She said, her voice uncertain, "I don't think I even deserve one. So, this is just- hard for me I guess. It's not you, don't worry. I'm just not really good with feelings, or the whole love thing. Can we maybe.. take it slow? Start off as friends first?" Her gaze was uncertain and scared as she stared at you.

You nodded, and her face instantly morphed into relief, "Yeah, we can take it slow. I'd like that."

Not many people found their soulmate, but you were one of the lucky ones who did, and you couldn't be happier.

#natasha romanoff x reader #black widow x reader #natasha romanoff imagine #black widow imagine #black widow x y/n #black widow x you #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff #black widow #natasha romanoff fluff #natalia romanova #natasha romanov #natalia romanova x reader #natasha romanoff x y/n #natasha x reader

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ashleygetsblacked · 2 years ago

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Coupe 2 (part 2 of 3)

He slid back up my body and he began kissing me as he adjusted his body weight on top of mine. His lips were so soft. I could taste myself on his tongue as he began to French kiss me. He adjusted his weight again and I felt the tip of his dick brush my pussy lips. He kept kissing me as he used one hand to rub his dick up and down my slit, teasing my pussy, barely beginning to enter, then rubbing the head back up and down instead. I was so wet by then and I really, really wanted him to fuck me. He finally began to enter me. His dick was wider than I’d ever had before, and it was stretching me out so much. It was uncomfortable more than painful, but it was tolerable too. He kept working it in, slowly gaining an inch, then backing out a little and sliding it in and out gently, then pushing forward to gain an inch again. I found myself catching my breath a lot. He finally worked it in as far as I could handle and I pushed against his stomach to indicate that he should stop. It wasn’t all the way in, but was all I could take. He held still for a moment with his shaft buried inside me, then he slid out half way, pulled his body up so most of his weight was supported by his elbows and forearms, then he started to use his hips to thrust, fucking me slow and deep, but not going any further than he had been able to enter before. I gripped his biceps and rubbed my hands along his broad shoulders as be thrusted. The feeling of fullness in my pussy was so intense, and the uncomfortable feeling began to subside a little bit. It was beginning to become warm and pleasurable, and I loved feeling the weight of him on top of me. He pulled out and moved to switch positions just as I was starting to get into it, pulling me up by my arms and having me bend over on my knees on the mattress. As I got into that position I could see my gf positioned between F2’s legs now, working on her pussy with tongue and two fingers. It was really sexy to watch and I was getting hornier. M2 was standing behind me then, and he began to slide his dick in. It was somewhat easier for him to enter this time and I felt my pussy stretching back out, but the uncomfortableness was somehow more pronounced for some reason. He moved his hands onto my hips and I tried to position the angle of my pelvis to better take him, but then he hit my cervix. This wasn’t working at all so I reached back to push him off. I turned and pulled him onto the bed, indicating he should lie down instead. I straddled him and slowly worked my pussy down his shaft. I leaned forward and kissed him as I repositioned my legs, then came back up into riding position. I could feel him getting harder inside as I wiggled to adjust the placement, and I started to work slowly up and down his shaft. I still couldn’t fit all of him inside me, but I could fit almost all of it, somewhere around 7” I’d say, and I could control how deep his dick went as I worked it. I placed his hands on my boobs and I started working his dick faster, placing my own hands on his broad chest for support. The feeling of fullness was incredible. F2 orgasmed next to me just then so I slowed down and I leaned all the way forward to make out with M2 with his dick deep inside me, slowly rolling my hips so my pussy glided up and down his dick as our tongues danced and his gf moaned. He was so into it. I stopped moving my hips then and he grabbed my hips and started fucking me in that position, penetrating me from underneath. I wiggled to adjust the angle and he started fucking me faster, building to a really nice rhythm. His deep thrusting hit the right spots deep inside again and again, and I came. It was intense and I creamed all over his dick! He hesitated only a moment while I climaxed, then he kept fucking me through the orgasm, keeping it going. I collapsed on his chest when it was all over and moved to slide off of him. Continued: Couple 2 (Part 3 of 3)

#ashley life

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yourlocalshittywriter · 3 years ago

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The Duty of a Hero

Author’s Note: Howdy folks! I’m here with my first proper fic and I really hope that y’all like it! This will be exploring what could’ve happened if the Dabi that Aizawa fought wasn’t one of Twice’s clones. Since this is a fight, I advise the folks that are sensitive to things like that to click off and read another fic. Also, since this story does change scenery and moods a bit, I included some songs that change along with the the stories mood! This is mainly just because I like showing off my music taste and shit. Here’s Part 2!

Songs to Go Along: The Fighter by In This Moment, Acid Bubble by Alice In Chains, The Great Gig In The Sky by Pink Floyd

I felt extremely at peace for once in life. I felt the normal crackling of my joints silence into a warm nothingness. My aching muscles that had been torn to shreds time and time again, the ones that had been strained and stretched beyond the limits of the human body seemed to reform perfectly as they melted into the rest of my numb form. My skin, a forest of calluses, scars, stitches, and open wounds felt as if it was no longer there. I was no longer confined to the space of my body, and instead moved around as freely as water or air. I was a sort of goo, unmoving, stationary, simple, yet free.

With a quirk as self-destructive as mine, becoming a hero was a sort of death wish. My quirk was known as “pain transfer.” Anytime I made eye contact with a person, I could activate my quirk and subject myself to pain only to have them suffer the pain of the injury for as long as I was looking at them. I could also transfer existing pain to my target. Although I may have had a wicked high pain tolerance and quick recovery period, my humanity was bound to catch up to me eventually. Quirks like mine, “villainous quirks” according to most people, should be kept hidden and the people born with them should go on to live normal lives as ordinary civilians. My parents were among these people. When I told them that I was enrolling in the hero course at UA, I was given the choice to either become a hero and be disowned, or ditch my pipe dream and stay their beloved child. I packed my things that night.

It was a miracle that I passed the entrance exam the next day. I was running on little sleep, the loss of my financial support, and the trauma that came with the realization that your parents didn’t love you anymore because you didn’t live in a way that they approved of. I had trained since my will to become a hero first arrived, a sort of passionate drive that crashed into my life so unexpectedly that the impact nearly gave me whiplash.

I supposed that that inferno of, what? Spite? No, not spite, something deeper, hotter, and more righteous than spite. Let’s say ardor. This ardor was what drove me to take out as many robots as I could, despite the fact that my quirk was utterly useless in this situation. I took out a decent amount of robots, at least, decent enough to get into the hero course. A lady by the name of Recovery Girl healed me before I went on my way. I thought that I just had a few scrapes and bruises, but apparently I had a broken wrist. Surprisingly, I wasn’t the worst-off there, some poor kid broke both of his arms and one of his legs.

The time between this moment and when I got into UA seems to have flown by. I came into UA, a semi-blank canvas, and now here I was, bleeding out on the campsite that I planned to spend my summer at with my classmates. Dying feels far less painful than one would assume; you really don’t even realize that you’re dying at first. It’s sort of like that feeling you get after eating a warm meal after starving for so long, sickening at first, but comforting after you grow used to it. It’s like taking a hot bath after spending a day in the snow; it burns at first, but the burning subsides into a comforting numbness. Your senses slowly dull into nothingness but your brain is left to conjure whatever image it pleases. I could have seen dead relatives, met idols, or even pictured an alternate life where my parents still loved me, but I didn’t.

I didn’t want it. Fame, fortune, admiration, acceptance, rebirth, none of it. I wanted none of it. I wanted to live. I wanted to do what I swore to do as soon as I got into UA. I wanted what I signed up for when I packed my bags and left my parents’ house at age fourteen. I wanted what I fought tooth and nail for. I wanted my ambitions and goals fulfilled.

Of course I wanted what I had worked for, that was beyond obvious, however, I also wanted the small things in life. I wanted my afternoon tea with Yaoyorozu, Sato, and Todoroki. I wanted my fashion shows with Aoyama, Ashido, and Hagakure. I wanted my midnight conversations with Shinsou and Tokoyami. I wanted my video game sessions with Kaminari and Sero. I wanted my morning meditation meetings with Shoji, Ojiro, and Koda. I wanted to watch pro-wrestling with Bakugou and Kirishima. I wanted to train with Iida, Uraraka, and Midoriya. I wanted to swim with Asui. I wanted to listen to music with Jiro and Mr. Present Mic. I wanted inappropriate jokes with Ms. Midnight. I wanted to make Mr. Aizawa proud; I wanted to make myself proud. So, with so many incredible things to live for, I opened my eyes, and attempted to move.

Much to my distaste, it turns out that my relief from pain, as well as the disassociation from my body was nothing more than a thin veil that was easily permeated as I rose from near death. The forest was nothing more than a verdant blur, one that was far from easy to navigate. However, all things end eventually, so I decided to run from death and wherever I ended up would be the least of my worries. I sprinted through the disorder and dysfunction, and wound up walking in on my teacher fighting the son of a bitch who had left me to die a lonely death with only the company of insects and whatever plants were to take over my wilting corpse.

As Mr. Aizawa tackled the cremation villain, I rose from the forest, stared at the man in restraints, and activated my quirk. As the pain transferred from me to him, I felt the veil of insensibility slip over me once more. The villain howled out in agony, the very agony that he had inflicted on me only minutes before.

“Whatever you do, don’t break your gaze Eraserhead!” I chimed as I finally straightened my form, not wanting the hero to see me in such a state, “You’ll just have to trust me on this one!” Mr. Aizawa nodded, keeping a steady gaze on his target.

“Tried to kill me off?” I snarled as I made my way towards the sadistic bastard and beloved teacher holding him in place.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” the captive growled through gritted teeth, still under an amount of pain that would knock-out any average human. He looked beyond pissed that I survived, as if he took offense to the fact that I didn’t appreciate his work. I waltzed over to him, just far enough from Mr. Aizawa, but just close enough to the charred villain.

“Surprise, I remain,” I cooed, low enough for only the villain to hear. He bared his teeth at me, looking at me as if he were some sort of rabid animal. I wanted to taunt him. I wanted to make fun of the fact that he had been taken down by a high schooler and their teacher, but I knew that it was never good to brag, because Karma would usually come to bite you in the ass for it.

I stared at the man covered in staples, every blink I took releasing him from the effects of my quirk. Every blink motivated me to continue staring at him, to immobilize him so Mr. Aizawa could use his eye drops or blink, to buy him some time. However, I knew that this game of “pass the villain” could only go on for so long. Something had to be done. Eventually, the patchwork villain would catch both of us off guard and use his quirk, or one of his buddies would come and back him up. Mr. Aizawa and I were miles away from my peers or the rest of the pro-heroes. It was just the two of us up against this villain, and we were growing tired.

Only minutes after the realization had struck me, the villain escaped from Mr. Aizawa’s scarf when the two of us accidentally blinked at the same time. The human crematorium stood before us, and before I could use my quirk to disable him, he shot out a flurry of blue flames my way.

I dodged this attack as Mr. Aizawa ran towards the villain, yelling out the name “Dabi.” Before Mr. Aizawa was able to restrain him, Dabi grabbed the erasure hero and threw him headfirst into a brick wall, effectively knocking him out. I desperately wanted to check on my partner in battle, but I knew that I couldn’t let my guard down, because now Dabi was staring me directly in the eye.

I could attempt to charge at him, but I would be charred to bits, and even if I somehow managed to avoid his flames, I would meet the same fate as Eraserhead, knocked out and at Dabi’s mercy. I was screwed, I had no back up, my teacher was unconscious, and I was face to face with one of Japan’s most notorious criminals. I was dead meat.

That was until I devised a plan, one that would take out the cremation villain for good. One that would end his reign of terror once and for all. However, there was only one downside to this plan, and that was the fact that this plan would result in two casualties, Dabi and me. However, if I went with any other plan, Mr. Aizawa and I were to become the victims while Dabi walked off scot free.

I was destined to become a martyr.

With that realization, I turned to my teacher who was slowly coming to his senses and gave him a gentle smile,

“Eraserhead, it has truly been a pleasure,” I announced as Dabi’s arrogant gaze turned to one of confusion. As Mr. Aizawa slowly faded back into his previously comatose state before he had time to be confused, I focused my gaze back on the blue-flamed bastard. It was time to end it, to end his rule once and for all.

I reached into my pocket, grabbed a tiny weapon that fit perfectly in my hand, locked eyes with the villain, smirked, and painlessly slit my neck. As Dabi grasped his neck and choked on his unseen blood, which was truly my blood, he fell to his knees.

As I took what I knew were my last steps, I came face to face with the first half to my murder-suicide. He glared at me, an amalgam of agony that felt nothing at all, and snarled.

“I’ll see you in hell, you cunt.”

I laughed, of all the things he could’ve chosen to be his final words, he chose to give into the childish desire to have the last word with me. As his oddly-familiar eyes drained of life, I felt the pain I had so carelessly inflicted upon myself finally hit me like a freight train.

I began to choke as I fell to my knees, similarly to how Dabi had fallen only seconds before. I knew that my time was up soon, I would succumb to my injuries and lose the thing I had fought tooth and nail for only moments before. I looked to the horizon to find the sun casting his loving gaze upon my battered body. It was as if Apollo himself was granting me a warrior’s death, like he knew I had made some kind of a righteous sacrifice that warranted a soothing transition from death to afterlife.

The sunrise was something like I had never seen before. The blues burned brighter than the flames I had defeated minutes before, the yellow pooled around my weary being like an evening gown to a death dance, and the red painted a comforting scene in the clouds, as if to distract me from my own red that painted my body and the ground around me. I smiled my final smile as I walked into the loving embrace of the sun.

My duty as a hero had been fulfilled.

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dennymilkus · 3 years ago

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pt.3 things the boys do for a fem teammate

PART THREE YALL!!! thank u for all the love on this series, it means so much!!! i’m not sure which team to do next so feel free to send in a request for the next one! i’ve got plenty of these in my head so here it is yall

pt. 1, pt. 2

contains: karasuno team, vine references.

When there aren’t enough chairs, Sugawara and will offer for you to sit on his lap. it’s not in a weird or romantic way, it just saves space and he’s very cozy

on the other hand, Suga also asks to sit on YOUR lap when you already have a seat and his ass is so mf bony you have red marks on your thighs afterwards. this catches on and Hinata does it too but they all have such bony legs it’s just painful at this point

if you’re on the forgetful side (like me) Ennoshita will grab your water bottle every time you forget it and just like,,, carry it until you notice and he’s just like 😐🖐’here’

this is your typical 'asahi knows how to braid hair hc' but let me finish!!! One time you let Nishinoya try to braid your hair before practice and he didn't understand that you use a hair tie at the end so he just ties a knot with two strands. you had to cut the knot out of your hair bc he pulled so tight and you couldn't brush through it.

Tanaka, however, is an expert hair stylist since he asked Saeko how to do hair once you joined the team (and for Kiyoko's luscious hair) and has even offered to cut your hair once. you politely decline.

At a team sleepover, you do a clothing swap with Kageyama on a dare. He was wearing just your basic plaid pajama pants and t-shirt, and you were wearing a crop top, hoodie, and some shorts. After wearing your crop top, he realizes he likes the style and mobility so he asks you to help him buy more or cut his shirts with him. Everyone agrees that he pulls them off better than you do :/

you let suga use your chapstick once and now suga is a chapstick menace who can’t be stopped. his favorite is your coconut and cherry flavored lip balm.

One day, Tanaka brings a speaker to practice to help hype you guys up and starts playing one of your playlists. unfortunately, kiss me more-SZA + DojaCat started playing and Coach Ukai skipped the song after that line. think of that vine where the mom is trying to turn off Nicki Minaj and just screaming " no. no. NO!"

However! Ukai can tolerate a lot of other music and will even hum to himself while watching you and the boys. One time, you and Nishinoya caught him dancing in the supply closet and he made you run so many laps the next day 😍😍😍

Tanaka also exposed himself as an Arianator to you, which is a secret only you, Noya, and Suga are trusted to keep.

During scrimiges, Asahi gets really nervous standing behind you because he doesn't want you to feel uncomfortable, or that he's staring at you ass. So whenever you rotate and he goes to the back row he always shuffles away from you and makes sure not to stare.

Speaking of rotations, ya know that tik tok trend "RIP that___ AYY" you do it once after a service ace and now (almost) all the first years do it after an ace.

The boys all started playing that game where you dead leg someone during practice and it was all fun and games until you were talking to Daichi one day and Tanaka came up behind you and dead legged you... but you feel forward and practically headbutted his stomach/crotch... let's say Tanaka wasn't physically able to play the day after that😀

another team game that was started was “catch”, where you run up to someone and yell catch, and they have catch you. nishinoya started it with you, but the everyone just loves carrying you around when you jump up

Yamaguchi becomes one of your confidants because of his incredible ability to keep secrets. You two absolutely LOVE little gossip during breaks or after practice. Not necessarily bad gossip, mostly just little jabs at friends or eachother. But you both know its all jokes

speaking of gossipers, ennoshita is probably the worst out of all of them. he always knows what is going on socially, even if he prefers to just keep to his small group

#haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu tanaka #nishinoya fluff #yū nishinoya #tsukishima kei #daichi scenario #sugawara koshi imagine #sugawara drabble #hq headcanons #hq fluff #haikyu hcs #haikyuu!!#hq crack #hq imagines #dennydrabbless

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bakubub · 3 years ago

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Best friend rigs the Secret Santa for Bakugo and yourself to get one another...

A/N: Hi everyone!! Here is an earlier than expected part 3 of this random Pinterest prompt (find part 1 HERE and part 2 HERE). Ended differently than I expected, and even includes a snippet of Mina's POV. Enjoy <33

Warnings: Some low level swearing, SFW, very miniscule amount of reader flinching from Bakugo's overall aggressiveness, and accidental pain infliction from Bakugo onto reader.

Word Count: 2.7k (I really do not know so don't ask how)

Stupidity isn't typically one of my traits.

In fact, when watching sappy romance films with my friends, I'm often the first to call out the evident stupidity of the main character for not being able to tell that the love interest CLEARLY likes them back. Now, staring at the ceiling of my dorm, I wonder if I am that main character, or if I'm just an incredibly self-centered person for even thinking this could be a possibility.

Bakugo... Liking me back?!

It genuinely seems way too good to be true.

But why else would he be looking at me like that?

I sigh as I unlock my phone yet again and psycho analyse the photo Mina took earlier this evening. Eyes flickering to the screen, I realise that it was taken 7 hours ago, and yet I am still here, lying on my bed, thinking about all the possible reasons why he could have been looking at me in the exact way I've caught myself looking at him.

Maybe he saw the reflection of someone else, whom he actually likes, in my eyes?

Is that even possible?

Mina, Kaminari, Kirishima, Hagakure, Shoji were all there too...

Getting up from my bed and chucking on a long hoodie over my pyjamas, I stuff my feet into slides I use for around the dorms and make my way downstairs.

Maybe he likes Mina, and gets all weird around me because in one way or another I'm always next to her.

Or maybe he likes Kirishima. Isn't he like the only person in our class he kind of tolerates? Now that I think about it, they would make an awfully cute couple, what with the whole friends to lovers trope-

"Move it, dumbass," Bakugo's rough voice jolts me out of my thoughts. Quickly registering that I almost bumped into him, I mutter a quick apology and flush red before walking around him and to go dig through the kitchen cupboards for some sort of comfort snack.

What are the chances that on the one night I can't bear to see him, he comes out of nowhere? And I'm in my embarrassing pajamas- the long straight leg pants with little fairies and unicorns all over them! Shouldn't he be asleep anyway?! It's nearing 2 in the morning...

"Why the hell are you awake?" His voice causes me to jump, once again jolting out of my thoughts.

"Why are you awake? Don't you go to bed at like 8?" I ask, refusing to take my head out of the cupboard to look at him.

"Couldn't sleep," he mutters, his voice seeming to have come closer.

I peek out of the cupboard, only to see him staring at the floor with a blush on his face.

Why, why, WHY is he blushing again?!

I calm my breathing in a feeble attempt to slow the erratic beating of my heart as I open another cupboard, standing up on my tiptoes to see. Zoning in on a box of crackers on the very highest shelf. I begin to climb in order to reach it, before seeing a hand reach over my head to grab them.

I lower my knee off the bottom shelf as I register Bakugo's body and the heat he radiates as he stands right behind me, his exposed muscles flexing right next to my face as he reaches for the box. The familiar scent of burnt sugar fills my senses as he looks down at me for the second time tonight, before proceeding to step away, taking his delicious scent and my delicious snack with him.

"I- Hey! Those are mine!" I say, watching him open the packet and chuck one of them in his mouth.

Without even looking at me, he walks out of the kitchen, going to sit in the common room.

Huffing, I follow him, planning to snatch the box out of his hands and make a run for it. As I near him, he abruptly turns around, his energy immediately changing from easygoing to agitated, grabbing my wrist and coming incredibly close to my face.

"What are you doing?" I ask, slightly breathless, looking anywhere other than his lips.

"If you want the crackers, then fight me for them," he demands, voice low and laced with venom. My eyes flicker to look at his, and the sheer desperation I see throws me off a little. "Fight me, and then we'll both know that I'm stronger," he says, his hand holding my wrist tighter.

"Right now? Everyone is sleeping. What brought this on, anyway? We already know that currently, you're physically stronger," I state, narrowing my eyes at him. His physical test scores were higher than mine, though the same cannot be said for the written exam scores.

"I know that, dumbass! But somehow, every time I'm around you, I feel weak. My heart rate speeds up as if I've run one too many laps, my hands sweat more than usual, my breathing becomes uneven, hell, I feel like this even when you're not around! What is this, some sort of weird side effect from your quirk? It gets stronger and stronger, day by day, and it won't stop! I'm not strong enough to make it stop, to get my body to stop reacting the way it does. So, right here, right now, I challenge you to one final fight. I win, and you stop doing whatever this is!" Panting, Bakugo looks at me with desperation and anger, his voice rising higher and higher as his grip on my wrist becomes tighter and tighter.

Blinking at him, I feel my face go hot, my ears burning as I feel as though my heart was going to beat itself out of my chest to smack some sense into him.

"ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!" He screams, causing me to flinch at the sudden sound.

I shake my head slowly, beginning to speak, "Bakugo, I... My quirk doesn't have that kind of side effect," I say, watching his reaction carefully.

"What do you mean it doesn't have that kind of side effect? HOW THE HELL DO YOU DESCRIBE THIS THEN, HUH?!" He yells again, gesturing aggressively at his chest with the box of crackers clutched tightly in his other hand.

"Bakugo, let- let go of my wrist." I say, the pain of his tight grip having escalated.

Silent for once, he lets go, backing away to sit on the couch we had fallen asleep on last time we were here together.

"Bakugo, I'm not saying you do, but you're- you're describing-" I gulp. How the hell am I supposed to tell him that he's describing exactly how I feel when I'm around him? Feeling hot tears collect in my eyes from the complete and utter frustration I feel, I blink them away, refusing to cry in front of someone who values strength above all else.

"I...Um," My voice shakes as I look down, rubbing my hands over my face, "I don't know. Maybe you're just overworking yourself..?" I suggest weakly, looking at him cautiously.

Staring intently at the floor, Bakugo silently stands up, leaving without a word.

Releasing a shuddering breath I didn't know I was holding, collapsed onto the couch he just vacated, finally letting the tears fall.

He likes me back, but he won't even acknowledge it.

---

"Next period Midnight will go over this in more detail..." Aizawa continues, his voice lulling me to sleep, my head nestled on the nest my folded arms create on my desk. Nodding off into dreamland, I'm jolted awake when something hits my back.

Turning around with half lidded eyes, I look to see Kirishima pointing to the floor, where a scrunched paper lay.

I pick it up, opening it under the table inconspicuously, and read his message,

What happened to you and Bakubro? You both look dead

I raised my eyebrows at his perceptiveness, glancing toward Bakugo, who looked like he was struggling to stay awake, with dark circles and bags under his eyes. I quickly look back down at my table when I see his eyes flicker towards me.

That was close.

I sigh, writing that I had no idea why Bakugo was tired but that I couldn't get much sleep last night, and threw it back to Kirishima when Aizawa turned around.

Sighing once more, I pick up my pen and lazily flick it again and again, watching the hypnotising way it circled around my thumb and came back to rest between my fingers.

Maybe I should tell Kirishima about what happened, if only so he can break it to Bakugo that he apparently has a crush on me, but it seems a little... Intrusive and rude to just tell someone else about his personal problems.

Then again, I don't know how else to help him... Unless I tell him myself. Mina is a massive advocate for this option, but I just can't tell him face to face.

Maybe I should message him about it?

Wanting to scream on the top of my lungs out of frustration, I gather my things after Aizawa finally dismisses us and go out for lunch with Mina. Having already filled her in first thing this morning, she just patted my back and entwined her arm with mine as we walked towards the cafeteria.

"So, hate to ask this question when you're in such a shitty mood, but have you decided what to get him yet?" Mina asks, looking at me sympathetically.

"Nope. I haven't even thought about it since you last asked." Grabbing our food and sitting down, we continued chatting about what she was getting Kirishima.

"I'm thinking of getting him a headband to wear while working out to mop up his sweat and stuff but I'm still not sure," she answers, lowering her voice as the boys approach.

"Hey girls," Kaminari says, sitting right next to me.

"Hi boys," Mina answers, swiping a chip from Kirishima's tray.

I look up to see Bakugo looking conflicted about sitting down, and look away, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable because of me.

"Whatcha doin' Kacchan of the Bakugos? Sit down!" Kaminari calls out, patting the seat in between us.

"Yeah Bakubro, what are you waiting for?" Kirishima adds.

Sighing heavily, he reluctantly sits, facing away from me.

Hyper focusing on my food, and zoned out of the conversation, I eat about half of it before my eyelids get heavy once more. Leaning slightly on Mina, I fall asleep, hoping to catch a quick power nap.

---

Mina's POV

I look down at my best friend, eyebrows scrunched and her eyelids fluttering slightly as she falls asleep. The eyebags under her eyes are bigger than usual, and her dark circles are only getting worse as the day goes on. Looking over at Bakugo, I catch him glancing at her, a, dare I say, worried expression on his face, and I get a wicked idea.

Mina Ashido, you absolute legend.

I gently lifted her off me, and rested her against Bakugo, who turned back towards Kaminari for some absurd reason.

I watch him stiffen as he feels her weight on his arm, and then literally witness him adjust her so she's comfortable.

MY HEART-

I quickly take out my phone when he turns back around, acting annoyed to the boys but when he looks at her, the soft look that shines through his eyes is unmistakable.

Snapping a few photos of them, this time my phone on mute, I can't stop smiling as he checks on her every few minutes to make sure she's still comfortable.

This blind, blind boy.

I'm so excited to see what he's going to get her for Secret Santa.

It better be worth my efforts to rig that stupid name drawing.

---

Christmas morning, back to your POV

Fidgeting with the red bow of the present I diligently wrapped, a smile comes onto my face as Mina nears me in her red Christmas get-up.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS BESTIEEEE!!!" She screeches, running towards me with her arms held out. I laugh as I get up, running to meet her half way.

This was the 5th time today that we wished one another a merry Christmas. Now, at the Christmas party we all arranged, it only makes sense to say it again.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO, MINA!" I squeal, hugging her tight.

"Is that the gift~" She asks suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows. I nod in response. Since the freak sleeping incident (what is it with me and sleeping incidents?!) in the cafeteria, I made a conscious effort to avoid Bakugo for the rest of the week, which wasn't difficult since it seemed he was doing the same.

Mina made it clear that she didn't approve, but it was just too awkward.

Especially when sitting with the whole group at lunch, I couldn't just pretend he hadn't confessed his attraction to me, however oblivious he may be.

And now, today, I had to give him his gift.

That damned gift.

"C'mon!" She exclaims, before rushing to wish our other classmates a merry Christmas. Smiling slightly, I do the same, hugging everybody and eventually all gathering to exchange gifts.

I take a deep breath, as I approach Bakugo, who has no Christmas apparel on whatsoever, and hold out the wrapped gift to him. He looks at me with a stubbornly expressionless face, before handing me the present he held in his own hand.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I take it, astonished that we had somehow gotten each other. I turn my head to see Mina staring at us with the most giddy expression, watch her wink at me and immediately know exactly what happened.

She rigged the Secret Santa and didn't tell me.

Glancing at the blond boy in front of me from the corner of my eye, I see him tear open the packaging to reveal my gift. I see a flicker of confusion in his features as he realises what I got him.

I got him two books. One was a recipe book for the spiciest dishes around the world, and the other was 'Having a Crush for Dummies'.

Putting my hand over my mouth to hide my laughter, I watch his eyes widen as he looks around to make sure no one saw, stuffing the second book back into its packaging, and proceeded to look like a confused puppy. In the midst of his confusion, Mina takes advantage and plops a red Santa hat on his head with a little red explosion instead of a white fluff on the end.

He looks up at me through his hair which was now hanging low over his face because of the Santa hat, and stares at me in complete and utter shock.

How cute.

Without thinking, I take out my phone and snap a photo of him, which seems to jolt him out of his state.

Laughing, and definitely not ready to face him after two consecutive incredibly bold moves, I literally run away, losing him in the midst of all of our gift exchanging classmates.

Out of breath and panting, I sit down to finally open my gift, to find a new novelty Christmas mug packed snugly inside the box.

It was the bottom half of a green elf, with feet underneath that the mug stands on, encased in red Christmas shoes with pointed up toes and a little bell on each foot. The actual mug is striped white and green with 3 gold bells lined at the front, and a small red collar painted on the rim.

Unable to keep my grin off my face, I look up to see Bakugo watching my reaction to his gift.

Hesitating for a second, I damn it all to hell and get up, wrapping my arms around his neck. I feel him immediately stiffen but lean into the hug a little, though still not lifting his arms to hug me back.

"Thank you for the gift. I love it," I say, backing away and giving him back his personal space.

Flushing tomato red, he scratches the back of his neck, "tch, of course you do. I picked it," he states, before turning around and walking towards our friends.

I smile behind him, sporting a little bit of a blush of my own.

"Oi, dumbass, are you just going to stand there all night?" He yells, turning his head slightly to look back at me.

Laughing, I jog to catch up, and we make our way over to Kirishima and Mina, whom were also exchanging gifts.

At least he knows that he likes me now.

---

A/N: Thank you so much for reading!!

Notes, interactions and reblogs are highly appreciated <3

Taglist: @tspice283 @iiclal @3daa

#bakugou fluff #bakugou x reader #katuski bakugou #bnha bakugou #mhaxf!reader #mhaxreader #mhachristmas #mina mha #bakugo #bakugo fluff #bakugo x reader fluff #katsuki #bnha #mha #bakusquad

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