#they probably think he’s better as a lone wolf out for himself rather than the same as the terrible hypocritical greens

[alicentflorent]

I’m almost certain the portrayal of Aemond trying to murder his own brother and almost letting Rhaenys and her dragon get away because he’s busy targeting his brother (and king) is a result of his previous popularity among both sides of the fandom. I remember seeing posts after he was aged up in season one from fans hoping he’d switch sides and support Rhaenyra / team black instead and by weakening the greens from the inside that’s exactly what he’s done. Helped team black by destroying the greens, one of their dragons and their king.

[piratefishmama]

Fake it 'till you make it | Prompt

When Steve Harrington came out to his parents, he expected a few things to happen. Jumping back a little, he hadn’t even meant to come out. His parents meant well, they did. He couldn’t deny that they meant well.

They knew he was lonely when they were gone, they knew he was the type of person who kind of… needed someone around. He wasn’t a lone wolf, he wasn’t someone who could just go it alone, while they were away for months, and while Robin was lovely, Robin was also a lesbian.

So Robin was out of the question.

So it fell to the women they knew. Through their connections. And unfortunately those women tended to be, for lack of a better phrase, ‘Daddies money is how I intend to live for the rest of my life’, and completely comfortable in switching out who Daddy was.

Steve… didn’t have a daddy kink, thanks.

Okay maybe he did a little but not in the call him daddy kind of way. More the other way around.

After the fifth attempt to throw some business partners daughter at him, a woman who’d actually kind of impressively deep throated a hot dog at the office barbeque while looking directly at him before he’d even gotten her name. Impressive, kind of terrifying.

An image of his life consisting of an unhappy marriage where his wife used sex as some kind of transaction rather than the big family full of love that he wanted flashed before his eyes.

He'd had enough. So when the sixth one came up, Vivian, he hadn’t even been able to wait for them to explain who she was, which business associate she was related too, it just. Came out.

Or rather he came out. Spectacularly.

“I’M GAY!” Okay less spectacular initially, more manic desperation. He expected a few things to happen after he realised what he’d blurted out.

He expected anger, he expected disappointment, he half expected disownment, not fully expected, his mother would probably be on his side. He expected violence, judgement, demands of him to tell them it wasn’t true, or demands that he hide it, keep pretending for appearances sake. He’d heard the coming out horror stories.

He did not expect—

“Oh oh! What about Jonathan!! From Tennis club, honey you remember Jonathan right? Peter’s son?” His mother turning to look at his father, who’d turned a little pale. That was it, his father would be the one to blow up, his mother was in his corner that was sort of expected but his fa—

“Lynda he is not dating someone with the same name as me, that—no. No, I don’t think I’d recover if those thin walls at the chalet struck again.” Goddammit. “What about Timothy, Dorothy’s nephew? Didn’t she say she’d caught him with some punk boy on that family holiday to London?”

“Yes but she was trying to get points around the water cooler for being hip and homophobic, did you not hear what she called the poor boy? I’m not associating with Dorothy, good heavens.”

“I hadn’t heard, why have I not heard? Lynda we’re trying to create an inclusive work environment, I can’t have homophobic people working in HR!” And John was up, newspaper down, and off to his study to deal with Dorothy muttering about how he was sure the monthly office newsletter, which included the updated company values, would have weeded the bigots out by now.

“…Did my coming out just get someone fired?” Steve finally broke his shocked silence, his mothers attention turning back to him, her eyes wide, mouth puckered in a little, silent, oh.

“……Maybe.” His shoulders slumped, expression dropping to deadpan, she moved quick to reassure him “Don’t worry about it, Steven, she really wasn’t well liked.” It didn’t make him feel better… okay maybe it did, one less homophobe in the workplace. “Oooh, what about—”

It didn’t stop the matchmaking. The potential suitor pool just got bigger. Especially when he quietly, defeatedly corrected himself, revealing it was bisexual, not just gay, accepting his fate.

So it was no longer Vivian, Jessica, Bethany, Barbara, Carol, etc.

It was Vivian, Thomas, Jessica, Peter, Bethany, Robert blah blah blah

“Okay but you know some people would kill for that kind of support right?” Robin spoke the truth while rewinding the latest batch of returns. And maybe he was whining, maybe he was being overdramatic, his parents were supportive and were trying to make sure he’d be happy while they were gone on their long business trips.

Honestly they could have probably just let him get a dog. It’d have been easier. Less expensive than any of the people they were suggesting.

“I know… it’s just… they could at least try and find out what my type is. Instead it’s like they’re trying to throw a whole Indy gay bar at me in hopes that one person just kinda sticks. And now I’ve got a whole week with them coming up in some remote chalet, what if they bring someone, Robs? What if they bring someone and try an set us up an—”

“Can your parents just… adopt me?” She wasn’t listening “I’d kill to have the dating thing simplified for me, I can’t even talk to girls, you’ve got your mother doing all the work for you. I’d appreciate them, tell them I’d appreciate them.”

The door chimed, neither of them looked up, too engrossed in what they were doing. If a customer needed their help, they’d make it known.

They’d just adjust language used to not out themselves to strangers.

“You tell them! Pretty sure they’d find you someone.” Apparently his parents would be thrilled to help. He wanted to be happy about that, he really did, it was just exhausting having to fend off people who were interested in him but only for the last name, the business connection, the money. He wanted someone who wanted him for him, and none of those ‘potential suitors’ fit that bill. “Robbie I’m serious here, what if— what if they try when I can’t escape. I can’t spend a whole week in the woods with some stranger they’ve thrown at me, I think I might actually perish.”

“Then take a date.” Both young adults turned to look at the culprit behind the door chime.

“Henderson!” Steve’s favourite of the brat pack. Having met him while ferrying the kids home when Jonathan couldn’t pick Will up from Mike’s on a night when Steve had been hanging out with his at the time girlfriend Nancy. The kid was hilarious, a little bit of a know it all, but when you actually know it all, you’ve kind of earned the right to be obnoxious about it. “What did you hear?”

“That someone’s setting you up with people? Which is that a bad thing?” He directed the second question to Robin who shrugged and rolled her eyes.

“Not in my book lil man, not in my book.”

“Okay It’s not the attempt that’s the problem, it’s the quantity of attempts, and the quality of people they’re throwing at me! Quantity and quality are the issues here, people, it’s not that they’re doing it,”

“It’s that they’re doing it badly.” Dustin finished, Steve pointing at him with clicked finger guns.

“Exactly… and I don’t want my parents at my future wedding claiming they were responsible for getting us together cause that’d be weird! And pathetic. I want a fun first date story, a meet cute, or a ridiculous ‘yeah we were trapped in an elevator for like, three hours and bonded’ kind of story, I want an ‘I met them on a train’ or ‘they hit on me at the bar, and it just worked’ not an ‘my parents set us up in a remote cabin in the woods’, do you get me?”

“I can see your dilemma, but remote cabins in the woods can be really roman—"

“Nobody wants to hear about you and Suzie again! We get it, she’s your soulmate and future nerd wife you lucky little shithead.” Long distance and tricky as it may be, they were kind of perfect for each other. “Now what were you saying about taking a date?”

“Exactly that, take a date with you. Tell them you’re bringing someone and just… bring someone.” Dustin let his eyes flick to robin purposefully, quirking his head a little to subtly nod at her “you could take Robin” as if to say now’s your chance, dickhead, take it.

“Somehow I doubt Robin would be able to convince them that we were dating.”

“Cause we’re not.”

“And will not be.”

“At all.”

“Eh—"

“—ver”

“You guys make no sense.”

“We make perfect sense, my strange little child friend. You just don’t have all the information to make it make sense.” Robin wiggled her fingers at him as if it was some kind of mystery, it was to Dustin but that wasn’t important. “He does have a point though, you could take a date, there’s plenty of people in Hawkins who’d kill for a rich person get away, just gotta let them know that it’s a pretend date situation. Or… actually find a date. If you can.”

The "you suck" board flashed into his mind momentarily. He couldn’t. Not within the time frame he had. He was so far off his game his parents were matchmaking for him.

Dustin’s voice broke through his thoughts once more, offering salvation. “I know someone you could hire for that…” hallelujah, Dustin Henderson everybody.

Part 2

[welcometocaritas-creations]

so i wrote the draft for a Diego/Lila s4 au fic last year

It's about 150-200k in length and it's going to be a while before I can get it post worthy (soooo much editing to do) and I still have my wolfwren fic to finish first. BUT in light of the horror show that was s4, I thought I'd give you guys a sneak peek to cleanse the palette

When I do post, it will be on my AO3 account here . So if you want you can subscribe to me and then when I post it, you'll know :) It's sort of a Lila-centric fic that deals with her trauma and how impending motherhood impacts that and is impacted by it - but obviously Diego/Lila is a huge part of the fic.

So without further ado. . .

. . .

“Gracie. If it’s a girl.”

Diego’s brow furrows. “Wait, really?”

Lila shrugs. “Sure. Why not?”

In truth, she’s a little intimidated by Grace Hargreeves, though they’ve never met. Or at least, she’s never met the version of her that Diego holds up on a pedestal. Half robot or not, Lila knows she was a better mum than she can ever hope to be. That she was soft where Lila is hard, quiet where she’s loud, sensitive where she’s callous. Lila will never be even half as good as her at this mothering bullshit.

But she wants to be.

The name can be a reminder. And, though logically she knows there can be no better reminder than her own flesh and blood child standing in front of her, the deck is stacked against her. So she’s willing to pull out all the stops. Rational or not.

Besides. . . she was Diego’s mum. Gave him a soft place to land growing up. Gave him love when there was none to find.

When they were in the asylum, Diego never had a nice word to say about anyone.

Except for her.

Lila thinks that’s something that deserves to be honored. Celebrated, even. The fact that one of them had a mum growing up that wasn’t complete shit. Even if she was prevented by her own programming from actually protecting her children.

(this, at least, is one thing Lila thinks she can do better. Protecting her child. She’s not a robot designed by her kids’ abuser, after all. She’s also more skilled in a fight than her birth parents. A winning combination, really.

She may not turn out to be a good mum in any sense of the definition but she’ll be damned if she can’t keep them safe.

And who will keep them safe from you?)

Lila’s skin feels hot. And sweaty. Like she’s skipped breakfast. And lunch. And three nights' worth of dinners. “Diego. . . what if we screw this up?”

“Then we’ll do our best to unscrew it.”

She snorts. Laughs.

Appreciates the words more than if he offered an infuriatingly optimistic denial. The reassurance that: of course they won’t screw up their kid, how silly of her to even entertain the thought.

“Unscrew our kid?”

Diego smiles - probably at her laugh - and shifts until he’s seated beside her on the bed, rather than behind her. So she has no choice but to see the earnestness in his eyes. And there is so much bleeding earnestness. She’s not sure how this man ever convinced himself he was a lone wolf. This is a pack animal through and through. “Yeah, listen, Lila. . . we’re sort of stumbling around in the dark here. You’re not the only one who feels that. Who’s scared shitless.” This too is a comfort. “But that’s how I felt with Stan and things didn’t turn out too bad.”

“He was Kugelblitzed.”

“Well, that’s hardly going to happen again.“

She smacks him on the shoulder. “Oh God, now you’ve jinxed it and it’s definitely going to happen again. Are you crazy?”

She could kill him.

Diego grins through a wince, refusing to grasp the grievous error he’s just made. “The point is we’re going to make mistakes. Big mistakes. Small mistakes. Lots of mistakes.”

“Is this supposed to be comforting?”

(Lila knows he’s only slightly less emotionally congested than her but, still, she expected better)

He leans closer, into her space - a dirty move that makes her breath catch. “Your mother and my father made mistakes too. The difference is they never saw them that way. Never tried to fix them. Never learned from them. . . They never tried to do better. To fix what they’d broken. They didn’t want to. . . That’s not us. That will never be us. Because, yeah, Lila we’re going to make a mess of things. A big huge stinking mess. But we’ll clean it up afterwards. And the next mess will be a little less messy.”

“I hate cleaning.”

His eye twitches. “Can you just- I’m trying to do a whole speech here.”

“I know and it’s a surprisingly good one.” Diego’s brow knits together like he’s not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. “Maybe instead of trying to save a president by cutting off some bloke’s trigger finger you should just run for office. I think you’d be brilliant.”

“I would suck as president. I’d stab someone within the first hour.”

“Like I said,” Lila wraps her arms around his neck with a grin, “Brilliant.”

(she’d vote to see that)

Diego rolls his eyes at this but rewards her masterful plan with a kiss. “You would make a pretty badass First Lady.”

. . .

[this is just a short excerpt from like the seventh chapter but I figured it would be a nice read after, well. . . everything]

Also here have some Lila and Diego fanart:

[proxylynn]

Lynn, what do you know about Tate Frost? I only know that he does not like liars, cats. He loves gambling.

{I'll be using quotation marks when using Mortis and Bile's lore. Seriously, they are amazing people. I can't thank them enough for making weird and messed-up characters that are also loveable. Lore and art provided below is by the wonderful creators mortisfox & bileshroom.}

[This is a bit of a hard one as Tate is in two projects. He was first introduced in Mortisfox's first game Purple and Frost Bite is set before the events of Purple. WARNING/TRIGGER WARNING (certain themes) Massive TATE FROST LORE drop!!]

"Frost Bite is set in 1995 and PURPLE in 1996. In Frost Bite, Tate is a butcher. In Purple, Tate chops wood and works on cars for a living. Tate is 6'1, his b-day is April 28th, he's 33 years old in Frost Bite and 34 in Purple. He's bisexual."

Why does Tate dislike cats? "he's just one of those cis guys who has never been around cats before and thinks they're weak and stupid. if Tate got a cat, he would hate it at first until it slept on his chest then he would take it with him everywhere and kill anyone who touched it. Tate just honestly needs to have a cat for a while. he'd still be a dog guy though."

"Tate LOVES to grill, but he's not like...the best at it. He sure knows how to heat the meat up enough for him to eat it but just barely, the bloodier the better! Tate would probably love someone who could cook for him though, anything to be lazier and still have food in him. But he's not very picky! He's usually a bit buzzed so pretty much anything you feed him he'll think is really good."

"so Tate would probably enjoy a feisty and rougher MC, especially if they're harder to kill cause he really likes the challenge."

Has Tate ever tried to track down or find out who his father was? "Tate's mom had a lot of partners before he was born, so she's not even sure who he is either. One of those random bar hookups ya know growing up, Tate wondered about it for a while but he lost interest. when he got older and has no desire to figure out who it is, at this point he's happier being independent with no familial ties, that way he can move around the country and not worry about connections. he likes to call himself a 'lone wolf' cause he's a dork."

Since Tate likes drinking, what kind of person is he when drunk? "OH lord he's usually really good at not seeming drunk when he is, but if you get him past that he gets REALLY handsy, very touchy, but after about an hour of that he becomes extremely sad and depressed, he has a hard time hiding that part of himself when he's shitfaced, but it does take a LOT to get him there and more than likely hed just pass out before that. He's not a violent or angry drunk at all though, if anything he gets more silly and nice."

Is Tate just, not interested in a real relationship like at all/ever, or is he open to it but it's just never really happened that he actually wants to stick around? "Tates has been very unlucky in love. he tends to get with people who arent really great people (not that he's any better), and he also struggles with feelings of caring or empathy for other people. I think in the EXTREMELY rare off chance he meets someone that's perfect for him that he doesn't just want to kill, the relationship most likely wouldn't last long cause he'd be the one to fuck it up. Tate's current mindset is that relationships are more trouble than they're worth and he'd rather just fuck around with people, but I wouldn't say him getting in a relationship would be impossible."

Who or what was Tate's first kill? "Tate's first murder (he was 18) was an old girlfriend (whom he lived in a trailer with at the time) who he caught cheating on him, they did not have a good relationship- often having screaming matches that lasted hours, so no one thought much of the screaming while he hacked her up with an axe."

"another bit of Tate's baggage He's always at least 25% drunk, but he gets these very depressing episodes and becomes very suicidal, these don't last too long, maybe a few days to a week, but they're very bad for him."

"anyway lore drop Tate has a younger half-brother (on their dad's side) Dean or 'Coyote' as everyone calls him, they'd never actually meet in canon but Tate would hate his guts lol"

Does Tate eat meat raw? Or does he prefer them cooked? Is he messy when he cuts meat up? "Tate loves meat that's been cooked for all of 15 seconds, the bloodier the better!! he also loves to just eat with his hands anytime he can, he doesn't care what other people think of him so he just does that in public."

Is Tate a cannibal? "yep, and there will be a lot of those themes in the game! we'll be putting a content warning when the game is released, but just in case that's not something you're into heres your heads up."

Is Tate good at aftercare? What does he do for it and how would he react to a mc that cries after sex from all of the brain chemicals and such? "Tate, being the man he is, doesn't think of aftercare all that much mainly because he doesn't have sex in a lot of places that allow it- usually in his truck or a closet or backroom of some sort, BUT on the occasion he does end up in his trailer or your place he'd very much be the "no talking I'm holding you" type of aftercare, if you can really call it that lmao. BUT if the mc was a crier after sex, he might be a bit more gentle, more back rubbing and if you're real lucky some forehead kisses that he won't talk about the next morning. (though he does enjoy the sound of pleasured crying so it might just turn him on again)"

Does Tate enjoy warm cuddles all night long or is he more of the 'needs his space' type in bed with only some cuddles? "Tate is very much a 'grabs onto you and doesn't let go until he is awake' type, even worse is he a very naturally hot person so I hope you can stand sweating buckets all night."

What is Tate's ideal type of partner? "Tate is one of those people that gets very easily bored with any one type of person, he's very selfish and doesn't care much about anyone else's feelings. Like there are certain things that draw him to someone: -shorter -shy timid people -people he reads as prey -small soft hands but he doesn't stick around any one place for too long and he has trouble forming real relationships (not that it's impossible, it would just be difficult lmao he is VERY stubborn)"

"Tates favorite animal is wolves obviously, but he likes rabbits and pigs and LOVES to play with people who have aspects or identifies with those the best."

"If Tate decides he likes you, really likes you, he's going to become extremely territorial, making sure everyone knows you belong to someone, to /HIM/, by leaving any marks he can on you. Tate does not like to share, he'd barely tolerate you even talking to anyone else if he decided you belonged to him."

Why did Tate become Slasher? "this isn't going to be touched on in the game, so ill answer it since it's not a spoiler! Tate doesn't really have any specific trauma or mental illnesses or any real reason to be like he is, he just does what he wants. He sees himself as an animalistic predator that wants to hunt and he gets excited when he kills people. he hunted a lot when he was younger and grew up doing that and it just escalated into adulthood and it went from hunting animals to hunting people because they're smarter and have a high capacity for fear, which he enjoys seeing. he thinks of himself as a wolf. but this isn't to say he's just a wild animal, he's actually very charming and can convince people to trust him easily. The game takes place around 1994-1995 too so it was a little easier for him to get away with things and he moves around a LOT from state to state. I imagine the state that Frost Bite takes place in is the new england area, but he's originally from Louisiana and he's actually in another game that takes place about a year later and he's living in California in it (Purple) -fox"

[Lastly...We now have pics of not just Tate or that one of his mom, but of his dad and half-bro! Also if you think Tate is huge, think again, because his old man is giant!]

(Lore and art provided by the wonderful creators mortisfox & bileshroom.)

[lemontongues]

yknow ive been thinking again lately about how i would like to see more realism in batman content, both canon and fandom, but not the Dark And Gritty kind. the kind thats like.

yes actually he is highly emotionally intelligent and does understand himself quite well and has just accepted that he is A Freak and decided to roll with it rather than being so horrifically emotionally repressed that he can barely even acknowledge that what hes doing is based in trauma. hes been in therapy since he was like 9 years old. he studies human psychology extensively both for himself and so he has better odds of predicting whats gonna go wrong and how when hes up against a rogue or negotiating a hostage situation or whatever. he meditates for two hours a day and is fully capable of keeping a healthy handle on his anger 98% of the time. he's nice to people and fun to be around and sincerely caring. if he were just Always Right but super isolated and reactive and cruel and controlling everyone would fucking hate him and no it wouldnt be enough to sustain his crimefighting activities, thats a stupid lone wolf fuckboy fantasy

he has a strict 9pm bedtime that he only breaks for mandatory WE/brucie activities or emergencies. if theres a gala where he needs to rub shoulders with ppl to gather intel or keep his company running he'll do it but hes Not Happy about being out until midnight and cuts out early as often as possible, and when hes chasing the joker around until 3am hes lamenting his poor sweet circadian rhythm that did nothing wrong ever in its life the whole time. when hes batmanning hes expending a fuckton of energy and he needs to make it up and have a well-established routine to counteract the punishment hes putting his body through. on a similar note, this man is building braces and compression into his suit and doing extensive physical therapy exercises every day of his life bc he wants to have helpful little things like "knees" and "shoulders" by the time hes 40, and hes probably eating a small farms worth of assorted leafy greens and several chickens per day

he is simply Never drunk and he doesnt actually have that much sex. hes really really good at faking a) being drunk and b) getting a high priority phone call from lucius the minute someone hes making out with starts trying to get his shirt off. he also does a lot of "hey look i gotta get out of here with my reputation intact, can we help each other out and pretend we're gonna go fuck?" kind of negotiating with ppl (see: his 9pm bedtime, plus sometimes hes gotta slip away from an event to be sneaky), which is how a lot of the more wild stories about him start circulating lol. this is a man who's regularly getting gassed/injected/etc with highly experimental substances created by maniacs trying to torment or kill him, he does NOT want substances like drugs or alcohol in his body that could potentially interact with them, and the last thing he needs is to be dealing with a pregnancy or sti scare. plus if he can play it safe with someone and have them think of him as a nice and trustworthy dude who just has a bonkers reputation, all the better for his batman activities!

idk i just feel like theres unexplored potential in a lot of that stuff bc so much of recent batman mythos is like HES SO HARDCORE AND CAN DO ANYTHING AND HES ALWAYS RIGHT CAUSE HES SO PARANOID AND DISRESPECTFUL OF PPL AND THEIR BOUNDARIES BUT ITS OKAY BC ITS IN THE NAME OF BEING RIGHT and im like. okay. gotta admit that i dont rly find that believable or in line with my values. can we talk about WE's sweet sweet employee benefits package and bruce designing his suit to take most of the impact off his knees when he jumps off a roof. members of the jl discovering that he gives shockingly balanced and insightful advice about their mundane personal problems. bruce printing his own batsymbol envelopes to leave people cash after he misaims his grappling hook and breaks their window. things of that nature.

[i-willstealyourtoes]

HI happy valentines can i get angst 👌

The og four and how they feel about Bain post canon 🥰 heheh grief

It's technically not Valentine's anymore, but thank you hehe- NOW IT'S TIME FOR ANGST 💀 Hoxton and Dallas' might be longer bc I know them better, my apologies

OG gang post(normal)-ending

Dallas

- So many heists, so many years, so many successes, just for this?

- He's speechless

- He usually would be the one to cheer up other heisters after something sad, but for once, he has nothing to say

- He can barely look at the others without feeling so disappointed in himself

- He wants to be there for the others, but he can't process any of the past couple days

- Setting up the funeral was just about as much as he could take

- During that time, he helped others out with handling their feelings, whilst pushing his own down

- By the end of the event, he's pushed his grief so far down he can't even begin to unpack everything

- It's like he's numb, the feeling of grief is hidden somewhere he can't uncover

- For a while, he just throws himself into work, mindlessly pushing on to provide for the rest of the gang

- By this point, the gang was more like a family/group of close friends, and he wanted them to be alright

- Some people left the gang, yes, but the people who stayed still needed his help (at least, they did in his eyes)

- No one really comments on his concerning demeanour except Hoxton, who doesn't really know how to approach this but tries

- "Hey. Listen, whatever's fucking with you, you don't have to... lone wolf it, or some shite like that. I.. we've got your back, like we always do.. So, just... tell us what to do to help?"

- That definitely gets Dallas to spill to his friend about everything

- I think even talking about it helped him a little

- Bain was just a boss to some of the newer heisters, but to Dallas he was a friend, someone he could always rely on in a dangerous world

- And now he's dead, which is only really settling in when Dallas mentions it

- I think he eventually finds a way to pull himself out of his slump, and dedicates every heist he does/plans to his old friend

Hoxton

- As expected, he's mad

- Although not at the start

- In the beginning, he's also rather speechless

- He knew Bain was just another human being, but there was just something about him that made it seem like he was untouchable

- Now he's dead, Hoxton can barely speak without just feeling at a loss

- He was a good boss, but also a good friend too

- Hoxton doesn't give out his trust that easily, so the loss meant so much more since he trusted Bain, deeply

- At the funeral, he can't really think of anything witty/comedic to say

- In fact, he can't say much at all

- But a couple days later, he finally expresses something; rage

- He's mad

- He's really mad

- At the bastards who killed him, and the bastards who're glad he's gone

- His anger fuels him to keep going for a while, but at one point he burns out

- "I'm fucking exhausted. And, fuck, Bain was... a friend. And I couldn't even save him."

- He has this talk with one of the OGs, who know him well and would never judge him

- I think he has a drink with the OGs about it, just talking about Bain in general

- The heists they went through, the scoldings he would give as if he really was some sort of grandfather to them

- And yes, Hoxton leaves a drink for Bain

- "Cheers to you, mate. Wherever the fuck you are, hope it's good."

- I think after that, he joins Dallas, in the way he keeps going for a little while longer, fueled by the loss

Chains

- Chains too, was shocked

- Although I feel as though he tried to deal with the loss, rather than push it away

- The funeral felt surreal

- Someone who he had never actually met was being buried in front of him

- Of course, he was still close with Bain, but it just felt... off.

- He was probably one of the first to outwardly talk about it to the others

- "Hey. Can we... talk, about all the shit that's just happened?"

- He would still try to joke a little, but it's clear that Bain was his friend too, and the loss means something

- "I mean, shit, I knew Bain wasn't some type of god or anything, but... it's like that whole funeral didn't make any sense, you know?"

- He would also be one of the first to try make light of everything, although deep down the gang knew he was hurt too

- I think from his point of view, Bain wouldn't have wanted them to be all sad anyway

- "I think Bain'd rather see us in action again, you know? Robbing corrupt motherfuckers and shit, shit that'd make him proud."

- Hoxton agrees with this too, and eventually others did as well

- Definitely joins Hoxton (as well as some others) in trying to get others to keep going too

- When they do another heist, even if it's something simple, he's definitely encouraging those who went

- "See? We still got it."

- After that, a few others join him in pushing past the grief and working on more heists

Wolf

- As expected, he's mad

- If anyone was going to be angry about all of this, it's Wolf

- And his rage is almost immediate, as well as all consuming

- How could it go like this?

- All this effort, all the blood and sweat and tears poured into one continuous effort

- Just for them to fall at the last hurdle?

- That's unfair, and he doesn't want to accept it

- The rest of the gang can see how angry he is after the funeral

- Although no one wants to comment on it, as they're either busy dealing with their own grief, or they're scared of what he'll say/do

- It's common to find him in his own corner of the safehouse, silently working on different ideas

- During this time, he's rather dismissive and stand-offish

- He can feel his blood boil everytime someone even so much as tries to ask him how he's doing

- After this period, he would just leave the safehouse sometimes

- None of the gang really know what happens when he leaves, but some smaller news stations started to report a robber that would leave shops and small banks highly damaged and that civilians who encountered them were terrified

- I think one of the OGs would stop him from doing this again, since police might connect it to the Payday gang

- "I get that you're mad, shit, I am too, but you're bringing too much attention to us. Save that for the real heists, okay? That'd make him proud, I think." (Chains)

- After a while of arguing, I think Wolf would agree to hold back on the outbursts for now, but for a while he's just constantly a little angry

[find-the-path]

OC Questions Tag Game

Thanks for the tag @a-lonely-dunedain! Here I will answer three OC questions from her post, and then tag a couple people to answer the questions I'll come up with (if they want to). These are for Amathan and Aderthor, as they're the OCs clearest in my head and also the ones who've been banging down the door for the last monthish.

1. What is a trait your OC can't stand in other people vs. a trait that they find themself drawn to

Amathan - he tends to be pretty short-tempered and low-filter around people who tick him off, and he doesn't have a short list of these. A specific trait (rather than general immorality) would probably be laziness, especially where it matters. Didn't set up that barricade right? Thought you'd just keep up that meaningless conversation rather than pay attention to what you're doing with a blade in a crowded workspace? You've got another think coming. On the flip side, professionalism (when warranted, and the genuine kind instead of posturing) does a great job of convincing him you actually know what you're doing. He's not himself a leader, but does not accept leadership from someone who even he can see is doing it wrong.

Aderthor - as a generally easy-going guy, it takes more seriously terrible traits to get to "can't stand" territory. Cruelty of any kind gets him angry, but what gets him furious is cruelty without a point. Doing that didn't even get you anything. You just ripped hurt into existence and your gain was itself. You did that for fun. The additional confusion that it adds to the equation makes it even worse. He can't understand it and he can't understand the people who do it and that drives him crazy in addition to angry. As for what he is drawn to, generally the opposite: people he can understand and who want to be understood, even unconsciously. People who feel their own kinship with every other person around them and share in it. (This is a reason he gets attached to Corunir so quickly.)

2. What animal would you associate with your OC? can be for in-character reasons (I.E their favorite animal) or a more symbolic reason

Amathan - A chihuahua. I've never actually thought of animals in relation to most of my characters, so all I've got on the top of my head are dumb jokes. Let me google some stuff think real quick. A WOLF. He's often perceived as a 'lone wolf' by those around him, especially those who met him recently, but in reality he's much more of a pack animal, and is fiercely protective of his family and friends. He's intelligent, but has a penchant for diving over his head and wildly overestimating his own martial ability on his own. He works far better in a team. Lastadron absolutely stayed with him partly out of a conviction that this guy is alive purely because of duct tape and spite.

I really want to equate Lehtion with a horse for humor and also symbolism, but horse symbolism and Lehtion's Lehtionness isn't cooperating. (Most of his character development ends up circled around Rohan, despite me not actually planning it that way.)

3. What is their biggest regret? was it truly their fault or some unavoidable tragedy? (and can they tell the difference)

I'm going to take this question as it pertains to backstory, as it occurs to me my characters have way more regrets post-Epic, most of them every other player character is going to share.

Amathan - his biggest regret is probably not taking off after Aderthor immediately after they realized something had gone wrong (or better yet, going with him). Yes, he actually found him alive even after ten years out of contact, but in Amathan's view he could have also done that perfectly well without the ten years of thinking his brother was dead. The question of whether that would have worked (a lot of factors contributed to the overthrow of the False-king in Angmar, not just Amathan and Lastadron showing up, and the Ram Duath really was impassible for a good long while there) is not one he has considered in depth. He also hasn't considered how twenty-year-old-Amathan might have reacted to being thrown into the Epic. So, while deciding not to go after Aderthor immediately could be his fault (which is NOT the right word), Angmar not getting overthrown ten years earlier absolutely was not.

Aderthor - WE COULD'VE AT LEAST TOLD SOMEONE WHERE WE WERE GOING DANG IT. The whole situation around trapped-in-Angmar-for-ten-years is one big regret for Aderthor. Whenever he gets stuck in a circle around thinking it (especially before Amathan and Lastadron show up) he mostly loops THIS WAS PREVENTABLE!!!!! around every tragedy and every death. Whether anything that was within his power at the time (telling Halbarad, staying with Corunir, and... nothing else really) would've helped anything is not clear, and most of the time he can see that. The pointlessness (from his view) of it all is what really galls him, even if he can't actually think of One Thing that anyone could've done to prevent it.

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

Now for my own questions! Hmm, let me think...

What is your OC's family relationships like? Is he/she close with his/her birth family? Any siblings? Living parents? Extended relatives? How does he/she think of any found family--- in those terms, or more shy about it?

Does your OC more easily connect with people inside of a context--- a task, a specific conversation topic, a common goal--- or during downtime when they can do whatever they want?

How good are most good-intentioned people at reading your OC, or how correct are their general assumptions about him/her? Does your OC present him/herself as open to other people or closed-off?

Sorry for any vagueness in the questions, feel free to interpret them however you want! Tagging @o-lei-o-lai-o-lord, @sailforvalinor, and @mozart-the-meerkitten if they want to join! :D

[vhivime]

Headcanon Saturday:🐺🌔

I thought it would be fun to make a fun weekly headcanon dump of different cookie run characters. For the first week of Headcanon Saturday, we start with our favourite lonely Wolfman.

a list of TW just in case

body horror, mentions of hallucinations, dissociation, suicidal ideations as well as attempts, survivor's guilt

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆☆ ★ ✮ ★

Werewolf lived as a wanderer after leaving his home village not staying in one place too long due to fears of another figuring out what he is

he has a problem with dissociating and memory loss due to his isolation as well as having periods where he doesn't recall anything for days at a time, similar to when he transforms. While it did get better over time (when he adopted Sorbet Shark) he still struggles with the side effects.

He struggles with survivor's guilt. After accidentally killing his only friend Sugar Cube Cookie. his home village tried to burn him alive thinking it would make their home pure once more. Werewolf survives but only after getting severe burn marks on the right side of his body. he feels guilt not only for killing his only friend who was a brother to him but also wishes he was burned alive for his crimes and didn't escape.

Werewolf when first meeting others is agile and aggressive. while his aggression isn't that bad. he can get defensive and rather rude when talking to others (but that only happens if anyone did interact with him)

He is an expert in herbs and plants, being able to differ what plants are edible or not as well as which one is good for medicine

he's shockingly good with kids at least with kids like Sorbet Shark :)

when he is in his wolf form, his body makes light cracking noises when moving due to his bones changing length, shape etc.

His wolf form has traits that are more similar to the werewolf tropes of 1920s films meaning it is more of a rage monster than anything while it still can recognise some of Werewolf's loved ones, its main objective is to fulfil its animalistic desires. its hunger is never-ending meaning it will attack if it sees fit

before Werewolf's transformation he gets hallucinations of Sugar Cube. constantly reminding him that he should have been burned alive as well as giving ideas on how he can "off himself". ( guess which monster film I got that idea from )however, the hallucination is just a jumbled mess of Werewolf survivor's guilt and the idea he planted in his head of what Sugar Cube would have thought about him If he survived.

He loves any candy or snack that's salty including salted liquorice.

He tends to be cold when first meeting him (an add-on to bullet point 4)

now these headcanons are after he married Almond and stayed in Parfeadia ( when bro wasn't a homeless single father anymore)

He hates coffee with a burning passion and thinks its gross ( to Almond's dismay since he's a coffee addict)

He plays bass really well and did some gigs when he lived in Parfaedia

He's that kind of father figure who looks scary but is a massive sweetheart who genuinely cares. also, the guy to give you a nice cup of tea when needing to vent and gives the best advice.

massive hoarding issues even before he got married.

his love language is quality time, he loves going to bookstores and hearing Almond infodump about a new sci-fi book he wants him to read knowing he will probably never do it.

Makes the best tea no matter his mood.

Works as a bartender at Sparklings bar part-time

After a certain point in their relationship, Werewolf starts to recognise Almond while in his wolf form and seems to be calmer around him and not like the rage monster it was before but Werewolf can't pinpoint why it happened

That's all see you guys next week I am going to make Almond Cookie next

[tiredassmage]

heehoohee, my time iS COME, @eorzeashan​ tagged me for FFXIV ocs but in SWTOR (no apology needed, I do love me some tags, lol) and... conveniently, I have a head start, of sorts, on this because I have already transplanted several of my XIV ocs into SWTOR, lol.

Also the amount of times I’ve threatened to government assign my friends WoLs a SWTOR class bc I’m nothing if glutton about this silly space dress up simulator, I mean rpg is... Well, it’s worked on one of them as far as actually bringing them over, hehehe.

Long post with pictures incoming because I LOVE showing off my pixel idiots.

Astor is my XIV main, on Sage since Endwalker dropped and I fell in loovvveeee, and previously a White Mage and then Astrologian from ARR-SHB and SHB-EW, respectively. Also I made him look way more fierce than average in this screen akdfnalkdsfs (I’ve been major slacking on XIV), don’t let that determined slanted eyebrow fool you, he’s a fucking softie who lets his unicorn eat his flowerbeds with no more repercussions than the 500th disappointed father sigh she’s heard in the last week.

And I take him everywhere. Astor isn’t exclusively a XIV character, but rather an OC that’s stuck with me out of high school for something like... six years, I think? Going on seven? Astor’s always been a mage and, particularly, a healer of notable prowess; he adapted rather readily to being a Jedi Consular. I’d love to say badumtsss, he’s a Jedi Sage, but I did try it originally and just couldn’t jive with it, so “Astserses” (his SWTOR counterpart) is a Shadow/Sentinel. Because I’m a little a lot into the saberstaff that can be swapped for dual wielding sabers aesthetic and also trying to beat the Gemini Captain and that hell room of droids on Iokath was a BITCH when I was a baby Shadow who probably didn’t understand half of what would have helped me along.

Also because I’m a big scaredy cat for some reason about doing group content on SWTOR when I have done on-level extremes for XIV with no problem I don’t know, okay? I’m here for the silly space opera adventures, not to overly invest in learning job mechanics again, I think.

Next be Shay! Who’s a DRK/DRG/RPR in XIV and my original Sith Inquisitor in XIV! Shay’s entire arc as a character revolves around coming from a family that never really gave him the time of day; he spends a lot of his time avoiding relationships with others because of a series of heartbreaks and betrayals that mold him into a snappy, lone-wolf kind of bastard. The one thing he prided himself on was combat prowess. Even accompanying Airi (@fatewalker-phoenix fame) in their adventures as the Warriors of Light, Shay never really applies the title to himself; he’s the help. The get your hands bloody muscle, so she didn’t have to. I’ve toyed also with the idea of doing a Sith Warrior run for him bc the whole light/dark destiny dynamic is also incredibly his alley, but the raw power and rags to riches run of Inquisitor better suits his story. IIRC I just mirrored his Marauder into Sentinel.

He’s kind of overdramatic about being an angry bastard nobody should trust, tbh, so like... the drama of Inquisitor. I might yet have to revisit the Warrior thoughts though. He’d be interesting to pair with Vette.

Theo is my Rogue/Machinist I really need to get the hell out of HW afterstory already, but HW is SO LONG for me, anYWAY. The most recent of my transitions, Theo StarWar edition is a Smuggler currently on Mercenary because I really wanted 2 guns, but didn’t care for gunslinger and I seriously Cannot keep playing Operatives/Scoundrels, I just. I so would. I absolutely would. But stars, I need to do this variety thing.

Theo is the kind of character that lives rent-free in my walls. He’s chaotic. He’s “back at it again at the Krispy Kreme” energy. Smuggler is literally perfect. Deceptively, Theo was also rather smart. He spent several years studying various magical techniques after an injury blinded him in his left eye. One of his favorite ways to be a Nuisance is to switch fluently and without batting an eye between Lominsan Rogue’s Guild-speak to discussing aetheric relations in nearly perfect scholarly lingo. He’s just as likely to talk circles around his enemies as knife them.

Kres as his SWTOR counterpart is maybe a bit more blunt and slightly more impatient about the whole ordeal, but he would, in fact, still claim he could charm the horns off a Krayt Dragon. And I’d about believe him.

Which just leaves my bunboy Bas of my semi-main XIV characters that I haven’t actually taken over to SWTOR, but I also haven’t done a lot with XIV Bas to begin with. He’s primarily a SAM/RPR, but I think I picked up BRD on him, too bc I prefer ranged DPS in XIV. (Ironically I tend to prefer melee in SWTOR, it seems.) His story, in brief, is a former Dalmascan who was conscripted into the Imperial forces and eventually staged a bloody escape and prison break of several other prisoners he’d been held with before he made his way to Eorzea with somewhat disgraced and lost Garlean soldier Peregrine (again @fatewalker-phoenix​ fame) in-tow whom he’d eventually form an unexpected and odd, hard to describe friendship, almost mentor-ish relationship with.

Both of them suffer from identity crises, tbh. My strongest arguments would probably be Guardian Jedi Knight or an Operative Bounty Hunter. (I need a full on blade wielding tech class, SWTOR. Gimme.) Probably stronger favoring for Jedi Knight because of the whole crisis of place and purpose and destiny thing, but Bas did fashion himself as something of a Bounty Hunter between the prison break and falling in as an adventurer in Eorzea, so. It’d fit maybe aesthetics-wise, but less certain about the story part.

[a-tale-of-legends]

Was thinking about the idea of Guzma sending Poppy to Kukui ( not specifically to him, but somewhere away from the skull base) and thought "okay I think Guzma is a bit too prideful to actually do that" so instead I think I'll have Plumeria be the one to pester Guzma about it. While the team skull base is definitely more of a safe haven in my au, it's still pretty bad, no electricity, no proper maintenance,all of which is terrible for a child like poppy, especially one who came out of a wormhole and has no recollection of himself. Plumeria was always the more sensible of the two. While Guzma wants the kid to stay to better protect him, Plumeria knows that it's not as safe. Gladion is too much of a lone wolf to look after Poppy too and the only person that could possibly help Poppy is Kukui and Burnet. Does Guzma hate that option? Yes, of course, but of everyone else in the world, she's the one that he'll listen too ( unless he gets too bullheaded).

The question now is who takes him there. Again Gladion would rather focus on training than play babysitter. Guzma is FAR too prideful to do that. Plumeria maybe but she's probably known as a Team Skull admin, so her going is risky. So that leaves the two grunts we meet at the beginning of the game ( which I think I redesigned so that'll work).

Hmmm yeah I think this'll work. Poppy/Pua/whatever his name is gonna be arrives in Alola via wormhole, is founded by Guzma, plumeria convinces Guzma to send him to Melemele island for his safety and two skull grunts take him there, which coincidentally were the Skull grunts that Ames get in trouble with. It's all coming together!

[subdued-moderation]

🎻 VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced/virtuoso/etc)? 🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE — does your oc have any physical and/or mental disabilities? 🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc's neutral/questionable traits?

OC Details / Accepting

🎻 VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level

Temperance mostly prefers singing to playing instruments, but as his predecessors were very musically inclined, he has at a minor familiarity with a range of instruments, mostly and particularly stringed instruments.

Ones he's personally practiced with to bring him up to a more advanced level are lutes, lyres, and harps. He hasn't touched more modern instruments as of yet but he'd probably learn them pretty quick.

🩹 ADHESIVE BANDAGE — does your oc have any physical and/or mental disabilities?

Well, mental disabilities is hard to say. Severe trauma is a for sure. Some form of social anxiety maybe? His mannerisms could also be taken as autism, perhaps?

I'd rather not make claims I can't confidently back up though, even if I myself have those last two.

Physical though! There are a few oddities to his body as a result of the "evolutions" his incarnations have been going through. Nothing obvious externally. Internally, whatever counts as his organs are misplaced in some regards.

For instance, his heart, or whatever counts as it, is literally in the wrong place. It's not on the left side of his chest. A fact that constantly throws people off who go for his vitals, and why he has such a massive cluster of scars in that area but is still kicking.

🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc's neutral/questionable traits?

First! His honesty. Yes, most consider such a thing a good thing. Whatever he tells you, especially anything good, you can know for a fact he means it, 100%. He doesn't give empty flattery.

However the flipside to it, when he doesn't have something good to say, is why he grates on his siblings. He will berate you for your excess. Lecture you when your behavior is doing more harm than good. He will point out your failings and will not sugar coat it.

The only thing that brings it back up is that it's not coming from a place of malice, most of the time.

If you're sensitive to that though, best you can hope is that he decides keeping it to himself is more beneficial to the situation. Which, to the relief of some, is something that happens more often these days.

Second! His cautiousness and, by extension, restraint. Temperance is a careful planner, he will not rush into situations heedlessly or without some consideration. He also can hold back to quite an extent. Words. Actions. Attacks. It's all carefully measured all the way to execution. If he doesn't want you dead, he will not kill you.

However, this can cause situations where things get worse because of a lack of decisiveness and impulse. Sometimes it is better to bust right in the front door ASAP, rather than take time scouting. And his restraint can sometimes be a mistake. Sometimes you have to speak your mind when you think you shouldn't. Sometimes sparing someone causes more problems than it solves.

Third! His self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Temperance has spent centuries training himself to be this way, able to handle any situation on his own. You can be assured that if you leave him to handle foes alone that he can handle himself.

However...This lone wolf attitude causes him to place little consideration in help from others, total strangers or not. He treats others as mere associates whose goals merely align at the moment, or expects that any help he receives is merely a bargaining chip for a favor to be returned.

He very, very rarely asks for help, even when he absolutely needs it.

While this caution does make him correctly take information and help with a grain of salt, there ARE people in this world who have ulterior motives after all, this arm's length treatment of others makes him very, very few real friends.

[pipelinelaserraygun]

Pastor John Ruttkay has repeatedly reminded me: TOO many Christians are on a 🚢🛳️ pleasure cruise, whereas MORE ought to be on active-duty, aboard a battleship 🪖🪖.

It was at John's Wednesday gathering where I was introduced to Torben. I met this gentle servant in San Diego. What he's going through is unlawful. ✝️🛐 Father God, ADD this part of his Life to create an even MORE powerful testimony.

Savior and Messiah, please continue setting the captives free. 🙏

Written by Wolfgang Simson, arguably 🐺⬇️ the World's GREATEST living Theologian:

An open letter to Torben Søndergaard – currently in jail

(For those who don’t know: Torben is a Danish Evangelist, founder of the “The Last Reformation” initiative who has applied in 2019 to the US for religious asylum and is currently held in a US jail for more than 100 days. More info:

Dear Torben –

THIS IS MY ATTEMPT TO GET YOU OUT OF JAIL.

So first, I pray for peace, joy and an open ear to hear something that may go completely against what most others say – or maybe even against what you think about your current situation. But remember the “Tenth Man Principle” the Israelis have come up with, a few decades ago: If nine people in a group of ten all agreed on any topic, it was the job of the tenth man to take the opposing view and present a completely different scenario, a different diagnostics, and come up with a different solution.

Thousands of people are praying for you. But God, who loves to answer all prayers that are prayed in the name and spirit of Jesus, has chosen not to release you from jail just yet. When the church prayed, God released Peter in Acts 12, or Brother Yun of China, miraculously. There are reasons, I believe, why God seems to allow your ordeal. Maybe he has even orchestrated it for a special purpose. I believe that once you see and even accept these reasons, this purpose, you will be free to go as God gives you the Green light. In other words: WHAT IF GOD NOW WAITS FOR YOU – RATHER THAN WE ALL WAIT FOR GOD?

Torben, we all know you are not a weapons smuggler and you have felt you are in jail for all the wrong reasons, in the hands of a justice system that is simply not just. Yet, you know you are ultimately in the hands of God, and he, yes, is just. That means that God can and sometimes will allow us to suffer for a specific purpose, as even Jesus himself learnt obedience through his suffering, as Hebrews 5:8 says. The goal is a Kingdom upgrade, our increased holiness and alignment to his ways, the process and protocols of the Kingdom. Sometimes God puts us into a tight spot, he seemingly makes us weak, to convey a strong message or even lesson to us.

Torben, you are a good and passionate evangelist, called, anointed and equipped by God to do great exploits for him. He gifted you as a healer and mobilizer of others- a kickstarter! Together with many others I celebrate and welcome that – we need you, and many thousands like you, to finish the grand apostolic tasks ahead. We need, for example, to see at least 400 million Kingdom communities globally started to come anywhere near close to the 50:50 situation (“one I will take, one I will leave…” – that’s 50%!) Jesus prophesied about in Matthew 24:37-41.

Yet, something about your current situation is not quite right. As I have been praying for you, I believe I sense that God is trying to tell you something that you might have been a bit reluctant to hear and accept. Let me be plain: I believe the main reason you are currently in jail is that God is trying to teach you – and those that keenly observe your story - a vital lesson that you would otherwise probably not hear or learn. I am not above this, and I have been in a very similar situation for years trying to learn the very same lessons that God has been teaching me – and many others. Let me say this therefore with empathy and my love both for you and the Kingdom:

- FROM IQ TO WeQ: I is good, we is better. None of us is called to be a lone wolf, who single-handedly wins God’s wars, no matter how gifted and intelligent we are. We all know in part. We have the mind of Christ, says the Apostle Paul, and we all are supposed to be a part of a much larger Kingdom-puzzle. We all need a community of peers, a flat-structured God-team that is not hierarchical with just one man on top, but with King Jesus on top. Sadly, the Body of Christ has sometimes a wordly tendency to surround our most gifted ones with an aura of stardom, like a spiritual VIP. And many are quick to be their fans, admirers or even just yes-sayers. This creates unhelpful role models, something God is changing in our days. God wants us all to be role models of a divine WE, or we will actually divide the Body into modern versions of the factions we read in 1 Cor 1:12.

- EMBRACE 5-FOLD SYNERGY. You are not just called and designed to be an independent evangelist, but someone utterly dependent on God and other servants of his, a five-fold ministry team (Eph 4,11-13) where apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors function together in godly synergy, each needing the others to function in maturity ourselves. God is not waiting for one more apostolic, prophetic or evangelistic superstar. In order to properly represent him to the world, we need to learn to walk in oneness, desperately depending on God and each other.

- DON’T BE AN “EVOSTEL” - the artificial mix of an Evangelist with an Apostle. God in his amazing genius has designed all of us as specialists, highly gifted and anointed in one area – and highly incapable in all other areas, so that we are humbly in need of The Body, being supplemented by others. Since the global rediscovery of the apostolic in the late 80s and 90s, many servants of God have simply added the role or even the title “Apostle” to their portfolio, even if they are a perfectly fine Pastor or an Evangelist and not an Apostle at all. The result of this is confusion, the emergence of spiritual super-heroes that are multi-tasking geniuses or even super-apostles as Paul calls it. Where we are awarding ourselves with titles or roles that simply go beyond the calling and gifting God has given us, we might even be in danger of stepping or trespassing into other peoples ministry, as Peter writes in 1 Pet 4:15. Torben, you are a brilliant Evangelist, not an Apostle. Please don’t be more than you are, and be joyfully content how God made you.

- TOWARDS HOLY SPIRIT SUSTAINABILITY. You are a great fire starter, a sort of Holy Spirit arsonist, and we all need that. However, Jesus is interested not in kickstarting short burst of spiritual flames that soon die down, but in seeing momentum, long lasting fruit that remains, as he said in John 15:16. The Kingdom standard would be the ongoing multiplication of multiplication, until the earth is filled with God’s glory, something we see emerge in Acts 16:5: The churches multiplied daily. Many revivals and even evangelistic initiatives have left behind a sort of spiritually Burnt Earth, where people say: I saw a short flash, and God was in it, but I saw no long-lasting fruit. This has left many discouraged and even frustrated. After many spiritual “explosions”, not many are ready to deal with the spiritual “implosions” that set in when the events, conferences and outreach times are over and everything calms down to the substandard of CAWKI, church-as-we-know-it. This needs to change. Jesus wants a fire that burns until the whole earth is spiritually aflame (Lk 12:49) and the knowledge of his glory fills the earth like water covers the sea. For this, we all need to build together an apostolic architecture, a viral, multipliable in which the Holy Spirit does not only come for brief visits, but feels at home for the long run.- THE LASTING REFORMATION.

Every new spiritual initiative brings a certain amount of creativity and innovation, but often also just freshness to age-old truths that are being revisited. Driving out demons, healing the sick or raising the dead in the streets - even the rediscovery of house churches - is nothing new. It is something that needs to be re-discovered in every generation that realizes that this is the Kingdom standard Jesus commanded already 2,000 years ago in Mt 10. TLR brings a welcome freshness to this, but I doubt a bit that the term “last” Reformation is very helpful in the long run. Some might even simply turn TLR into their new spiritual brand, a sort of denominationalism that they genuinely despise in others. Many new movements on the earth need to eventually deal in maturity with the youthful element of excitement, maybe even with a little bit of the pride that “church history starts with us.” Wherever people believed they are “God’s final word,” his “Silver Bullet” that will accomplish what all others failed to do, things did not end well. This view is too short-sighted and does not respect what God is doing through others, even through those who never heard of TLR. We live in the age of a global and massive Kingdom Reformation, where millions and soon billions are discovering: Jesus preached the Kingdom, what came was man-made Christendom. This ReforNation, as I call it, re-inventing “life as it should be” on the basis of God’s Nation, goes far beyond Matthew 10 or even house churches. It involves all of us moving into Kingdom Economics, Kingdom Legality, into true Oneness, becoming vessels of God’s glory, and beginning to live in Kingdom Arks, Kingdom communities, Kingdom Colonies - all prophetic forerunners of the final emergence of the City of God.

For this to happen, we all need what I call a Kingdom Upgrade. In other words: The best is yet to come, and we need you, Torben, to be a part of this global Kingdom cause of God which is bigger than all of us and all our brands and labels put together. I pray that you would receive this as an encouragement to not just wait to get out of jail and dive straight back into what you have been doing, with a vengeance. God can afford to have all of us – me included – to be locked away for a while. He is calling all of us to a higher Kingdom standard, a standard of we-ness, Kingdom companionship, where team-minded co-laborers function together in synergy in this final harvest. Wherever needed, please reflect on this, bring this before God and maybe retrace your steps a bit. Again, I suspect we do not actually need to wait for God to do something in your case, but God is actually waiting for you to respond to the lessons he is trying to teach you in these jail days. As you move, God will move. I expect you soon to be freed by a perplexed justice system that never knew what happened. God is able to override all human plots in an instant as we align our hearts with him and his plans.

A word to all those that love you and pray for you as well: This is not meant as a criticism at all, but proposing a solution. If you can, please allow these thoughts to help you as well to recalibrate and realign yourself with the standards of the Kingdom – God’s Kingdom Upgrade. He wants all of us to move from man-made religion to life under his Kingship. And we all need to be prepared for a very exciting and rewarding global harvest ahead of us that brings long-lasting fruit that remains, and brings glory to one name alone – King Jesus.

Torben, I hope to welcome you out of prison anytime soon – blessings, Wolfgang.

I hadn't seen my good friend Mike, who served THIS 🇺🇸 Country as a Marine for more than 20 years, in over a year.

We had agreed to meet at THIS restaurant chain, but at an entirely different location.

He took down the WRONG address, which looking back now seems to me as if this get-together was a scripted 🕎 adventure.

Sea of tranquility, 🌊 or ANYTHING but calm?

MUST 🙈 READ ‼️

"Right person. Right place. Right time." --UNCLEAR, yet.

It remains to be seen...

I don't think the forecast calls for ALL of America, to die. Midterm election 🗳️🇺🇸 outcomes, however, surely spell doom for babylonians.

[harryspet]

his to claim | bucky barnes

[Warnings] dark!alpha!bucky barnes x omega!reader, a/b/o dynamics, werewolf au, fury!reader, monica is a fury too, sam wilson x monica, virgin!innocent!reader, hint of ddlg dynamic, noncon sex, noncon marking, soulmates au, oral sex (female recieving), kidnapping

A/N: enjoy this long (long for me at least) one-shot! 

In which you befriend a lonely Alpha.

taglist: @cherienymphe @lovelynerdytraveler @buckysbunny @hollandsdream @micki-smiles @buckybarnesplumwhore @arts-ismything​ @saharzek @what-is-your-wish @brattypeony @hermayone @buckysugar @mischiefmanaged011​ @visintaes​  @watercoolerpaint​ @disaster-rose​ @slutforsebstan

main masterlist

word count: 5.8k 

Sam knew Bucky was in one of his moods. One of his moods where he’d disappear for five days, not give a clue to where he was going, and return covered in blood. Although Bucky’s closest friend and Beta to his pack, Sam, was getting married this week, Bucky was stuck in his ways. Bucky knew that a wedding meant that another pack would be invading his land, filling the pack house with strangers, and two packs meant there would be two Alphas. Although he respected Alpha Fury, Bucky wasn’t the type to get along nicely with others, especially other Alphas. 

It was one in the morning when the white wolf passed through the tree line, the packhouse coming into view. The three-story cabin fit many of the high-ranking families and was the center of most pack activities. Meetings, gatherings, and celebrations for the Winter’s Shield pack were all held here. 

Bucky shifted, each one of his bones cracking roughly back into place as if they’d forgotten they were half-human. As he expected, there was a pair of shorts waiting for him on the porch. Nat always hated when he’d show up naked in the middle of the night. This is my house, he’d say. Save it for your mate, she’d say back. Bucky would always scoff at that. Not many Alphas make it to their thirties without a mate and Bucky was quite willing to keep his single streak going. 

The house was heated, comforting him after losing the warmth of his coat. Still, he was covered in elk blood and could use a shower along with a twelve-hour nap. He walked towards the winding stairs, only to hear rumbling in the kitchen, and deciding to investigate. He was the only night owl around here, or at least that’s what he thought. 

He could already smell that there were foreigners around and prayed this week would go by fast. Flicking on the kitchen light, he found you sitting on the island counter. You looked up from your carton of chocolate ice cream with wide eyes. He expected you to freak out at the sight of him but it seemed you were more embarrassed on your behalf rather than frightened. 

“Sorry … I was just gonna have one bowl and then that turned into two. And then  …” You emphasized the spoon that was sitting in the mostly eaten carton. Omega, his wolf said. There was a strange omega sitting on his kitchen counter in oversized pajamas and hair rollers. His eyes fell to something sitting behind her which she instantly pushed further behind her back in panic, “There’s a little left if you want some.”

“Who are you?” Bucky asked, a little more harshly than he intended. 

“Y/N,” You answered, a bit flustered, “I’m Monica’s sister … also her maid of honor. I know there isn’t usually a maid of honor in our wedding ceremonies but there’s always a maid of honor in the movies. I’m gonna throw her such a cool bachelorette party, Natasha said we could have it in the living room-”

Bucky felt suffocated by your excitement. Feeling overwhelmed by the bright lights and whatever his wolf was feeling for you, he said, “Stop,” He raised a hand, confused by your comfortableness with the situation. You talked to him, an Alpha, so casually and you didn’t seem at all frightened by his bloody appearance,  “Do you know who I am?”’

“Alpha Barnes,” You hopped down from the counter, making sure to keep whatever you were hiding behind your back, “Sam said you’d be back at some point. They made a bet on whether or not you’d get back before or after my dad left. Everyone said you’d skip the wedding.” 

Alpha Fury’s second daughter. An Omega. An annoying, little, ice-cream stealing Omega. 

“Well here I am,” Bucky stepped closer to you and was surprised when you didn’t even blink at that. An omega raised by an Alpha, you were something Bucky had never encountered, “Why are you raiding my kitchen so late at night, Omega.”

There was a flash of sadness in your eyes, “I had a nightmare … ice cream always makes me feel better. You ever get nightmares, Alpha Barnes?” Bucky’s brows furrowed. 

“No,” Bucky spoke coldy, confused about what was pulling him closer to you. 

“Nuh-uh, no way,” Bucky thought you were challenging him but there was an innocent smile on your face, “My Dad said you’ve fought in lots of battles, challenged a lot of other Alphas, you must see a lot of terrible stuff. You never even get a little bit scared?”

Bucky ignored your pressing question, the look on his face frustrated, “What’s behind your back?”

“Uhm … what’s behind yours?” You tried distracting him but Bucky knew there was nothing behind him. 

“Show me,” He commanded, knowing that Omega inside of you wouldn’t want to disobey him. 

You huffed. 

Stupid alphas, Bucky heard your voice but your lips didn’t move. 

You pulled an old, stuffed bear from behind your back, “It’s Mr. Cuddlebear …. he also helps with the nightmares,” In his eyes, you were definitely too old to have a stuffed animal but his wolf found it endearing. He hated that, “You never got scared even when you were a little? No monsters under the bed? Boogeyman in the closet?”

“It’s late,” Bucky changed the subject, “I’m sure we have a long week ahead of us. I’d take … that-”

“Mr. Cuddlebear,” You interrupted, reminding him of your teddy bear’s name. 

“Go to bed, little wolf.”

Stupid Alpha voice. 

You rolled your eyes as your feet began to move before your brain began to register, “Goodnight, Alpha Barnes,” You left the kitchen, carrying the teddy bear with you, “Sleep tight, don’t let the vampires bite.” He heard your little giggle as you climbed up the stairs. 

Bucky placed his hands on the counter, staring at the ice cream. Did he ever have nightmares? No one had ever asked him that before. 

Bucky cleaned up nice, you thought as you looked at him across the room. No one expected him to even come, let alone put on a nice suit jacket. The rehearsal dinner was loud with both Winter’s Shield and the Daystar pack mingling together for the first time. Sam seemed to be having the time of his life, your father was being much lighter than usual, and Monica was …. well, Monica. 

You were talking with a bunch of people, giving out the sugar cookies you’d made when you made eye contact with him. He drank from his glass of wine and you noticed he was standing with Sam and Monica. She was in the prettiest yellow dress and you could tell Sam was happy to find a mate so beautiful. 

You’d looked away, focusing on meeting everyone when Monica started to walk towards you. 

“Stay away from him, please,” She stepped in front of you.

“Stay away from who?”

“Alpha Barnes,” She spoke lowly. 

“He’ll be your Alpha soon, you know.”

“You don’t think I know that?”

“I already met him, Monica,” You smiled, “He was nice to me in like a weird, cold way.”

She shook her head, your words seeming to worry her more, “That’s what I’m worried about,” She grabbed your hand, leading you away to one of the tables in the corner. You had a plate of sugar cookies in your hands, some you’d made especially for the party to give out, “You have a tendency to make people like you but you don’t want him to like you, trust me. All that stuff Daddy taught us still stands, it doesn’t matter that we know him now. So just sit here, and do nothing, please.”

“But what about my cookies? I have to give them out!” You whined as she fenced you in, forcing you to sit down.

“I’ll do it,” She smiled, taking the plate from your hands, “You’ve socialized enough I think so just … relax.”

“But-” She was already walking away. You loved your sister, she was your best friend, but she was still a Beta. She had no idea what it was like to be you, surrounded by jerks who thought they were better than you. Maybe that’s why you liked talking with people so much, to prove that maybe you were more fragile than them but you weren’t invisible. Right now, you felt invisible. 

You could only watch everyone have fun without you for so long and you got out of the seat about ten minutes later. You left the large white tent, where it was much cooler, and you didn’t mind being alone as much. 

You told yourself to cheer up, trying not to frown. A week from now, you’ll be home, you’ll be on house arrest again but without Monica. You were going to savor this small vacation no matter the obstacles. 

Bucky found you outside sitting in the grass as you stared up at the moon. He got that feeling again, his wolf wanting to be closer to yours, and wished he felt differently. You looked back at him as you felt him approaching, and you heard Monica’s voice in your head telling you to stay away. 

“Did you try my cookies?” Your lips pulled into a smile that, like everything about you, confused him. 

“I didn’t … I watched Sam eat six of them though,” The tall Alpha responded, sticking his hands into his pants pocket. 

“Watching your perfect, Alpha-physique?”

Bucky actually felt the need to smile though he kept himself controlled, “Something of that nature, yes.”

“Awe, a few cookies won’t hurt,” You stood up from the ground, dusting off your dress. Bucky noticed your mary jane’s and the little butterfly clips in your curls, “Let me guess, you only prey on innocent animals.”

The Alpha smirked, “I’ll make sure to try your cookies next time, little wolf.”

“Sadly, there won’t be a next time,” You stepped past him and he followed after you, as you walked towards the tree line, “My father will probably find me a mate that lives across the country so he doesn’t have to deal with me.”

“Ah, that’s right,” Both Monica and Fury wanted to make it clear to him that you were practically claimed. You didn’t know yet but Peter Parker of the Stark pack was waiting for you. Fury was planning a quick, summer wedding, “I can’t imagine the poor fool who will have to deal with your kitchen raids and Mr. Cuddlebear.”

You grinned, “You remembered his name?” Bucky remembered and he’d been watching you ever since that late night, “I thought you might laugh at me, Monica does.”

Bucky was quiet for a long moment and, as you looked at him, it seemed that his mind was racing with thoughts, “I’ve had nightmares before,” He stated and you waited for him to elaborate. 

“What happened in them?” You prodded softly. 

Another long pause, “When was the last time you shifted?”

You figured that’s all you were going to get out of him. You thought for a moment, “I can’t even remember. Not since the winter solstice at least.”

“Let’s go on a run,” Bucky said, not waiting for you to agree. He picked up his pace, walking past the tree line and expecting you to follow. You hurried after him, your heart suddenly beginning to pound in your chest. 

“Alpha Bucky, Monica will kill me. Literally. She threw a hairdryer at me once,” You said, sounding panicked, though you got deeper and deeper into the woods, “And what about my dress?”

He turned around suddenly and you almost ran into his broad chest, “Take it off,” He ordered. Your hand instinctively reached up to the strap and you panicked, “Go behind a tree, I mean.”

“But Monica-”

“You’re an adult, right?”

You shrugged, “I try to be-”

“Then you can decide. Besides that, I’ll be Monica’s Alpha soon enough.”

You imagined her throwing a fit but you still conceded, walking to find a tree to hide behind, “It might take me a second, I think I’m a shy shifter.”

“Take your time, little wolf,” His words were more comforting than you expected. 

You stripped from your clothes behind the tree, trying not to imagine what Monica would think of you. An unmated female getting naked in the forest with an unmated male in the middle of the forest? There were all types of moral codes you had to be breaking. 

Standing in the cold, you shut your eyes tightly. Monica taught you the counting method when you were younger. You tried to tune out the rest of your thoughts, focusing on the nature around you, as you counted down from ten over and over again. It was instinct after that, the Moon Goddess taking over and unleashing your inner wolf. You didn’t feel the pain as your bones molded into their new positions and you became the second version of yourself. 

When you stepped from behind the tree, the white wolf was towering over your small, grey figure. 

His head tilted down towards you and you could already tell his wolf wanted to be more friendly with you than his human self. He smelled you, biting at your neck but you were even more playful in wolf form. You walked between his legs, confusing him, until you ran in the opposite direction. He chased after you and you didn’t expect to outrun him but you planned to give him a run for his money. 

He couldn’t sleep with you so close by. He tried going on another run to clear his head but his mind was full with you. He’d lived a long life yet this feeling in his soul was brand new. Never had Bucky desired anyone to be anything but a casual fling. His wolf wanted more than to just conquer you which was territory Bucky found hard to navigate. What would it say for his legacy if he took an Omega as his mate? How empty would he feel if he let you go tomorrow? What relationships would he throw away in order to claim you as his?

Covered in sweat, he pulled the sheets from his body, sitting up in his bed. 

Nightmare, his wolf echoed in his mind. Bucky rubbed his temples. That wasn’t a nightmare to him, he was just an overthinking mess. He was going to ignore that feeling until he sensed something was truly wrong. 

She dreams of pain and suffering.  

Go to her. 

Bucky stood up from his bed, filing out of his room, and down the long hallways of the packhouse. He pressed his ear to your door, his hand lightly touching the doorknob. He heard soft whimpers from the inside and, for a moment, he resisted you. He would turn around and try to go back to sleep. Instead, his wolf took control. 

Bucky opened the door, your whimpering continuing and you stirred although it wasn’t because of him. He closed the door gently, moving towards your bed, crossing a boundary that he was sure would be frowned upon. Your cheeks were stained with tears and you seemed to be grabbing Mr. Cuddlebear for dear life. 

He sat carefully at the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch you, “Y/N,” He whispered, trying to suppress the anger that he felt over the pain you were in. 

“No, no,” You whispered over and over again. 

“Little wolf,” He whispered again, his hand on your arm. The Alpha’s touch startled you out of your sleep and your eyes were wide with fear as you came back to consciousness. You weren’t sure why he was in your room or why your nightmares were getting so bad, “It’s just a bad dream-”

You sat up from your position and wrapped your arms around the Alpha. He seemed to freeze at your touch but you hugged him tighter for comfort. He wrapped his arms around you, his hand tentatively rubbing at your back and you heavily breathed against his chest. 

“I’m sorry, I just … you were crying.”

“I-I woke you up?”

“No,” Bucky lied, “I was just walking by and I heard you.”

“Alpha Bucky?”

“Yes?”

“Everything’s going to change tomorrow. My wolf, she senses something bad coming, and she’s scared.”

Bucky stiffened again, his wolf beginning to worry.  “Something bad? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know but the dreams are getting worse.”

“What do you see in your dreams?”

“I’m … I’m walking in his field, there’s so much sunshine and flowers a-and I’m walking towards the sun. I’m walking and walking and I’m happy and then I just start to sink into the ground. And I’m drowning and it feels like someone is holding me, pulling down further and further. I can’t breathe and there’s just this darkness a-and I-I-”

“Hey, hey,” He shushed you, sensing you were about to hyperventilate,  “It’s okay. Nothing is going to take you away. No one, do you understand?”

He felt you nodding and he grabbed you tighter, deciding he was going to hold you for as long as you needed him to. 

“I didn’t tell you because of this reason-”

The pen in Bucky’s hand snapped in half and his fists balled up tightly, “Sam, today is your wedding, I understand that but this is my territory. I decide who comes in and out of it. That’s final.”

“They’re already here-”

“Then send them away. Fury is trying to push me and this is the final straw.”

“He’s already married the first daughter off, he’s just trying to do the same with Y/N. And he knows that this is a chance for three alphas to sit down and discuss what we’re going to do about the rogue situation.”

Feeling that he was drawing blood from clenching his fist so hard, he moved them under his desk.  “I can handle problems that concern my own pack. Tony is even more arrogant than Fury, we’ll never agree.”

“You have to at least try, Alpha,” Sam sighed, “You haven’t found one woman you’d consider having little Buckys with. Maybe Stark will bring someone that will pique your interest?”

Bucky ignored him, “When Stark arrives-” Sam let out a triumphant cheer, “-Bring him and Fury to my office. I won’t need you here, I’m sure you’ll have much to prepare for this evening.”

“You won't regret this.”

Bucky followed Peter’s line of sight. There you were, standing in a beautiful periwinkle dress, waiting for your sister to walk down the aisle and join an anxious Sam. The birds were singing, a violin was being played, and everyone was collectively ready to celebrate the joyous moment. Everyone except Bucky.

Of course, Peter wanted to look at you, a beautiful creature, an unmated female, he'd be lucky to call you his mate. He was young like you, he'd be able to get all your references, keep up with your energetic ramblings, you'd get to go far away from your father and you'd be so happy. You'd forget all about Monica. You’d forget all about the week you spend in Winter’s Shield. 

The wedding went off without a hitch and Bucky watched you have the time of your life. Peter targeted you, of course, that was the entire reason was her, to woo you and it was working. You were dancing together, laughing when Peter made a silly misstep.

Bucky shooed away every Stark girl who tried to approach him, even denying a Beta, until he was standing alone in the corner. 

The festivities calmed down late into the night, you had to say goodbye to Peter, Monica was whisked away to a “private cabin” and everyone else returned to their rooms. Your father reminded you to pack your things as you’d be leaving early in the morning. 

Looking at Mr. Cuddlebear sitting on your bed, you were reminded of the events of last night. You didn’t expect so much kindness from the cold Alpha but, as Monica warned you, he seemed to like you. You still thought she was being dramatic with her warning and that she would grow to like her new Alpha. 

You never did really get to thank him and he also never tried your cookies. You had an amazing idea and late-night baking always led to amazing things. 

Bucky was pacing the length of his room when there was a knock at his door. His wolf knew instantly that it was with you like the Moon Goddess had answered his prayers. He was fighting every natural urge in his body and he planned to hide away until everyone was gone tomorrow. Now, he had no idea what he was going to do. 

When Bucky opened the door, you were standing with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, and a kind smile on your face, “A thank you for last night,” You offered, “I figured you’d like a plain chocolate chip cookie. I’m not sure though-”

“Come in,” Bucky said quickly, closing the door behind you. You noted that he was still wearing his dress pants though he was only wearing a sleeveless undershirt at his top. Though you’d seen him shirtless before, this time felt more intimate. 

“Try one,” You insisted, “Please.”

Bucky was hesitant, his diet not usually including such human pleasures, but he was quite surprised with the first bite. You seemed nervous, expecting a good reaction which Bucky found adorable, “They’re good,” Bucky nodded, “I mean, they’re great. Here, come sit down.”

As you took a seat on the edge of the giant bed, Bucky grabbed the glass and plate from your hands, moving to set it on the nightstand, “Your room is … big.”

You grew a bit nervous as the bed dipped beside you and Bucky took a seat. You always felt his strong energy, even last night, but now it was a bit overpowering. You blamed it on the approaching full moon and tried to ignore it, “You don’t like it?”

“No, no, I like it. It’s … simple,” Bucky tried his best to register your mood. Were you nervous? That was the last feeling he expected to feel from you. You were always rambling or talking about something you were annoyingly passionate about. 

“What’s wrong?” Bucky asked, his head turned to you. 

You didn’t answer him, “What do you know about the Stark pack?”

Bucky’s hands folded together and his jaw clenched as reality set in, “I sense you know of your father’s plans.”

“I had a suspicion,” You sighed.

“And … you’re unhappy with his decision?” 

You were quiet for a moment, “What if it isn’t a good idea?”

“I’m sure … I’m sure your father wouldn’t lead you astray. The man infuriates me but he’s usually quite wise …”

“You’re right …” You said, staring back at the Alpha who seemed to be experiencing a whirlwind of emotions behind his eyes, “My nightmares, they just make me nervous for the future-”

“You could stay,” Bucky stated quickly, sure of himself. His hand touched your thigh and your eyes began to widen, “With me, I mean. And, of course, Monica would be here too.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat, “You don’t mean … I’m an Omega, Alpha Bucky.”

A thin smile pulled at his lips, “I’ve noticed that, yes. Believe me, my offer does not come from a place of ignorance. I’ve been thinking about this, I promise, and it could be good for both of us. You could stay near your sister and I could …”

It took everything in you to push away from that bed, “My Dad would be livid. Beyond livid, actually. And Peter. The treaty. It would throw everything off balance, Alpha Bucky.” He stood, his shadow draping over you as you took a hesitant step back. 

“Who needs balance if there is a connection here. My wolf feels yours, they’re drawn to each other, I know you can sense that.”

“Bucky-”

“Listen, little wolf, please,” He insisted, stepping closer, “I’ve never been sure before, not in my entire life. This, I am sure about.”

You shook your head, “Well, I am not,” Bucky’s eyes seemed to darken, “I like you and there’s a connection, yes, but as my father’s daughter, I have responsibilities. I respect him too much to go behind his back. You have to understand that.” 

“You came here tonight. That night in the forest. You didn’t know it but you called me to your room last night. What am I supposed to make of your advances-”

“Advances? I thought you were a friend-”

“Stop,” He commanded, leaving your body frigid from the power of his voice, “Don’t move.”

He took your face into his hands and you whimpered, “Bucky, I gave you the wrong impression.”

“No, you may not know it yet but this is what your wolf wants. We’re animals, underneath it all, and there’s only so much we can control our own desires,” You pushed against his chest when he smashed his lips on yours. You bit down on your bottom lip, wishing your feet would push you further away from him. When he pulled away, he was grinning, blood on his lips, “Biting, huh? I’m happy to play along with your game.”

You opened your mouth but he was too quick, “Don’t scream, little wolf. The screaming is the next part.”

His hands move to your waist, pulling you into his muscular body. He kissed you again, kissing the sides of your mouth and chin.  Your hands pulled into small fists as he held you, his touch sending foreign feelings through your body. You felt an overwhelming warmth, more than his body heat, but the warmth of the bond his own wolf felt for yours. His mouth met with your neck and that's when your lips parted and moans escaped your lips. 

“Please,” Was all you could manage. “Please stop.”

Your mouth was saying one thing but it was clear to him that you enjoyed his touch, “Don’t think of me like the bad guy, Omega. When I’m your Alpha, I won’t be like Fury. I’ll let you be who you are, you won’t be just an object to pawn off for power. You’ll be my Omega but you’ll stand beside me, not behind. You’ll be happy with me. I can take the nightmares aways, remember?”

“No, no,” You resisted, knowing deep down that he was that darkness in your dream. You were right to be scared but you hadn’t suspected that you should be scared of me, “M-My father will challenge you a-and you’ll lose any respect you once had.”

He grabbed you roughly by your chin, his forehead pressed against yours as he held your body, “I’ve never cared much for puritanical pack society … why should I care now, Omega?”

You sniffled, “Because you care about me?”

“You’re young, little wolf. I don’t expect you to fully understand but it's because I care that I have to do this. It will only hurt for a little while, okay?” He wasn’t asking for permission and as he pulled his face from yours, his eyes went black, and you were already screaming as his sharp canines protruded from his mouth. 

He pulled your head to the side, sinking his teeth into your shoulder. As you collapsed, he kept you in his arms, and you both went down to your knees. It was an indescribable pain, paralyzing, until it wasn’t. Your vision blurred as it felt like the strongest drug rushed through your body. It was not the way you imagined you’d be marked, you surely weren’t in love, and the man who’d claimed you was unhinged. 

As you slipped into the darkness, you heard someone screaming your name. You felt a little hope that you’d be saved but you couldn’t hold on longer. 

You grabbed your shoulder instantly as your eyes shot open, roughly pulling yourself from slumber. You winced, your hand running over the bandaged skin, as you realized the magnitude of the situation. Taking a moment to look around your surroundings, you found that you were somewhere that you didn’t recognize. 

It was a small, one-room cabin, the living room, kitchen and the bed you were on were all in the same room. A tear slipped down your face as you threw your legs over the side of the bed. Your legs were bare, your bridesmaid dress gone, and a large t-shirt was the only thing that you were wearing. He’d undressed you all the way and had no problem with it, probably due to the fact that he’d bonded you together for life. 

He’d even made sure to bring Mr. Cuddlebear along though you weren’t sure anything could calm you now. 

As you were about to push yourself off the bed, the cabin door opened, and a shirtless, freshly-shifted Bucky appeared. He took one look at you and his jaw clenched. 

“W-Where are we?”

“Couple miles off of my territory,” He stated, shutting the door and walking to the kitchen. As he turned his back, you got up from the bed, moving cautiously towards the fireplace which was closer to the door, “So no one can bother us.”

“My Father, where is he? How did you … without him knowing …” 

He reached into the cabinet, grabbing a glass to fill with tap water. You were eyeing the door, wondering if he was just pretending to be distracted by his task, “Oh, he knew,” Bucky chuckled, “He was livid, like you said, but he couldn’t do anything. He can’t touch you anymore now that you’re bitten. No one can.”

Your face fell, “But-” Bucky turned around and it hit you. The bite reshaped your chemistry and now any Alpha wouldn’t be able to get near you until you were fully mated. Alpha Fury wasn’t coming for you. 

But Monica-

“Monica isn’t coming either, little wolf. Remember, I’m her Alpha now too,” Bucky moved forward, the glass in hand, “You should drink, you lost a good amount of blood.”

You stepped to the side, moving away as he approached, “You knew you’d only hurt me, even when I thought you were my friend.”

His lips pressed into a thin line as he moved closer, “I know that’s how you feel now-” You climbed onto the couch and over it as he moved closer, “Y/N, come here. Now.” You eyed the door, now closer to it than he was. 

“You’re a monster.”

“Little mate, if you continue to not listen to me, I’m going to come over there, throw you over my shoulder, and tie you down to that bed for the next few days because that's just the type of mood I’m in right now.”

“I’ll never. Be. Your mate-”

 The sound of breaking glass made you jump and you watched the cup crumble in his grasp. Almost falling, you made a sprint for the door. As soon as you’d gotten it open, a hand was above you, slamming it closed. He grabbed you by the waist, pulling you back towards the bed. 

He pushed you down onto it, making sure not to put any pressure on your bite, before climbing on top of you. He pinned down your kicking legs, saying, “You’ll hurt yourself, little mate,” He tried to console you, shushing you as you began to whimper, “Please don’t fight it anymore…” But you panicked even more as he lifted your shirt. 

He gripped your thighs tightly, pulling your exposed sex to his mouth. One hand you could barely move because of the bite, the other gripped the comforter tightly, as he kissed between your thighs. Of course you’d never been touched so Bucky would be as gentle as he could manage. He also knew that your new bite would heighten every feeling he gave you and it wasn’t long before you’d be a mewling mess. 

You thought that maybe you’d gone into heat, that’s why his touch felt so good, but you were very wrong. You could only imagine what it would feel like when your body craved to be pregnant. He cooled your fire, and within thirty seconds you were already having your first orgasm. He kept his mouth on you as you rode out the pleasure, not letting you take any breaks as he began to kiss up your body, moving the shirt further and further up your body. 

He kissed over your mark which sent waves of pleasure through you, making him growl, “You’re mine, little mate,” Then he kissed your lips as you moaned against them. As he positioned himself between your legs, you knew what was coming. 

“Bucky, please. I-I’m scared.”

“It’ll hurt just for a little while,” He assured you, reaching above you to grab Mr. Cuddlebear, “Hold on to your bear, little wolf.”

You held the stuffed bear tightly against your chest as he positioned himself at your entrance. You could feel how big he was even as you tried to avoid eye contact with him. Looking away didn’t last long as he grabbed your chin, making sure he could see your face as he slid each inch inside of you. He stretched you open, taking the air from your lungs, as you tried to adjust to the feeling. 

“That’s it, I’ve got you,” He grunted, leaning down to kiss your chin. He’d slowly pull in and out of you, letting you get used to him. He kissed over your mark again, easing the pain, and turning your whimpers into moans, “Good girl, my good girl.”

“Please,” You started to wish for him to push you over the edge, to give you another orgasm, not for him to let you go. He kissed you, using his hand to rub your sensitive bulb as he pushed in and out of you, “Please, please - ah!”

Your back arched and your senses were delighted as an orgasm ripped through you. He didn’t slow, speeding up his pace, as he went back to kissing over your bite. He reached below you, pulling you further down onto his member. He was animalistic, every natural instinct in his body telling him to pleasure you until you couldn’t walk anymore and to round your belly. 

You came again, this time at the same time as him, your bodies melting together as he released within you. As he laid against you, catching his breath, you could see the setting sun shining through the window. He wasn’t anything like you feared and maybe that's why you trusted him so easily.

“You’ll be happy with me one day, I promise,” He kissed your wet cheeks. 

Part of you hoped you could trust him again because, after all, that mark was forever.

[purgetrooperfox]

blog guide + masterlist

divorcing star wars is an ongoing process

afflicted with gamer disease (cyberpunk, elden ring, fighting games, rdr, CoD, disco elysium, etc etc)

with comorbid podcast disease (malevolent, tma, wolf 359)

dm for my discord (18+ only please)

other places to find me:

18+ sideblog @foxafterdark

twitch

ko-fi

bluesky + cohost <- inactive for now but feel free to add me

playlists:

yeehaw

fox

roach

private eyes coming soon

tags to watch for:

writing is tagged #leo.writes

art is tagged #leo.draws

oc content is tagged #leocs

adult content is tagged #nsft

ask and I'll tag content warnings

fics and WIPs under the cut. content warnings are tagged on AO3, be mindful of them

(updated 06/13/2024)

* marks unfinished fics

Star Wars

one-shots:

it is the exact opposite of alone (tumblr link) — [G] Bastra and the ghost that haunts him.

life would be easier if I was easier (tumblr link) — [G] Fox at his limit, Quinlan making it worse and better.

I miss doing nothing with you (tumblr link) — [G] Western AU; reunion for Saleese and Nocte

* inevitability (tumblr link) — [T] On choosing something fleeting because it's worth it, even if the end is inevitable.

fare thee well, my honey (tumblr link) — [T] A breaking point for Kit and Nocte.

growing pains (tumblr link) — [T] Physical therapy frays Echo’s nerves and tests Nocte's patience, but mutual understanding is key.

in amber (tumblr link) — [T] Fox hits the streets by himself. Thorn goes down after him.

oceans, then and now (tumblr link) — [T] It's a rare occurrence for Nocte to get sent off of Coruscant, especially as the lone trooper assigned to escort a Jedi to the Outer Rim. But then, Dara has a way of defying norms and expectations rather spectacularly.

on the importance of context — [T] "I think we should talk", and other alarming phrases.

down and disarmed — [T] Waking up on the floor of a jail cell is not, in fact, Uj's preferred way to start a day.

pillow talk — [M] For all that fucking the bratty attitude out of Quinlan is a great way to blow off steam, and a cathartic one at that, it occurs to Uj that it’s probably not the best idea.

ins and outs of recall — [T] The backlash of Nocte's research on the Guard's neurological troubles.

while the currents rage below — [M] After an explosive fight and harsh words that can't be taken back, Fox and Kyr are left in different kinds of shambles. Nocte tries to pick up the pieces.

extensive and astute observation — [T] Saleese jabs a sharp elbow into Nocte's side, right where plastoid would usually make her immediately regret it. Dress greys provide no such protection. But tonight, not even bruised ribs can kill his mood. Tonight, he has a shot at identifying her mystery Jedi.

leave the heels on — [E] After a drag show, Lane keeps Uj company in his dressing room.

with and without — [T] Another farse of a vote, and the repercussions for those affected. (Nocte has a dissociative episode, Saleese tries to help him out of it.) + a lovely podfic by @/godoflaundrybaskets

nightmares — [T] Sleep brings the promise of reliving the worst moments of Nocte's life, like his own personal trauma reel. Maybe it's better to stay awake.

blank — [T] All anyone knows is that the Chancellor claims that Fox made an attempt on his life. Now Fox is en route to Kamino.

peace — [G] Months after Order 66, Rex gets a visit.

h(a)unted — [T] Echo wrestles with trauma and memories of captivity in the wake of realizing why the Kaminoans are sending hunters after Omega.

Wandering — [T] After Order 66, after the crash of the Tribunal, after his Commander– after Ahsoka told him it would be best to part ways, Rex wandered. He wandered because he couldn’t stay still. If he was still, if he stopped for longer than it took to eat and sleep, then he would think.

guess it just wants to die — [T] CC-1010 lays down. Fox wakes up.

Little Orphan Ani — [T] Anakin's men were wrong. Cody and Obi-Wan weren't father figures to him. So what if Cody's disappointment felt like a physical weight on his shoulders and he spent undue time and energy trying to make Obi-Wan proud? They weren't his parents. Not that they would be bad dads. To someone else. Not him, because he didn't see them that way, but someone else who needed unconditional support and care. (in which Cody and Obi-Wan dad at Anakin and Anakin is oblivious, right up until he isn't)

Truly, Deeply — [T] Of course Obi-Wan was not blind to the emotional, hormonal storm around his Padawan. One would have to be blind to both the Force and the physical world to miss it. And really, Anakin must have forgotten that his Master was not only Force-sensitive, but also connected to his mind through their training bond. (in which Obi-Wan is painfully aware of Anakin's feelings for Padmé and also forever wondering where he went wrong in trying to teach his Padawan subtlety)

Commander Fox Week 2021:

exhaustion (tumblr link) — [T] Fox has been running on fumes for days, counting down the time until he can drop onto the nearest surface and finally sleep.

hope — [T] Enough is enough. The Republic was doomed to fail, that much is clear. The Empire may have been inevitable as well. All Fox knows is that he’s finished, he can’t pretend anymore. He can’t fall in line like his mind has been wiped blank. So he decides to do something drastic.

family — [T] The fear-mongering rumors on Kamino about Fox being some kind of abusive, tyrannical prick have reached a point where they can’t go unaddressed. His shinies are clearly afraid and miserable with their assignment to the Guard, which Fox understands, but he can try to help them feel more at home. He can dispel some of the rumors.

laughter — [G] Existential debate rages in Fox’s office.

vode an — [M] Order 66 wiped away the clones’ autonomy, but mindless drones don’t have the wherewithal to feel guilt for their actions. The Rebellion is trying to get clones out of the purge trooper program, but freedom comes at a cost.

brothers — [T] Senator Amidala returns from Scipio with the 501st. This is the aftermath.

multi-chapter:

five times Nocte took care of the Corries, and one time they returned the favor (under construction) — [M] what it says on the tin

* red hands and black deeds — [M] Fox gets assigned to the Coruscant Guard after his bravery and sacrifices for the Republic during the First Battle of Geonosis. This job is a long shot from the one he spent his entire life preparing for; it's a war on a different front and it's on him to get his men out alive. Whether he'll get himself out with his sanity intact is up for debate.

* talk is overrated, let's just fight — [E] The Guard didn't have a designated Jedi, but they had the absolute nuisance that was Quinlan Vos. He was already more than Fox could handle. The man was at least halfway banthashit insane and seemed to derive some sadistic pleasure from derailing Fox's entire day. For all that Rex and Cody complained about their admittedly crazy Generals, Fox struggled to believe that they could possibly be worse than Vos.

* a cry at the final breath — [M] CC-2224 was a good soldier, had been decanted, raised, and trained to be a good solider. Good soldiers follow orders, so that's what he did. At times, in the deep recesses of in mind, he might questions his orders, but he always followed them. Cody has to re-learn how to do more than follow orders, to live and fight of his own accord. He's been a soldier all his life, fighting in wars that aren't his. What is freedom to a man who has only ever known captivity?

unposted WIPs I'll gladly yammer about:

currents — [M] instead of joining TBB, Echo requests a transfer to the Guard, hoping to find answers about Fives' death on Coruscant

the holding of hands, the breaking of glass — [M] follows Nocte's journey through part of the war, semi-centered around his situationship with Kit Fisto

after dark — [T/M] an AU where Quinlan Vos leaves the Jedi Order and winds up with a sect of Mandalorians; after the war, Fox is sent to Mandalore with a squad to "negotiate" (read: jumpstart an Imperial occupation) and their paths cross again

head forward // heart back — [M] follows Uj from the beginning of the war, through his assignment to the Shadows and (maybe) into his reassignment to the Guard. largely focused on his evolving relationship with Quinlan Vos

remember to breathe — [T/M] filling in the gap between Cmdr Maze and Arligan Zey's flight from Coruscant and their arrival on Mandalore. the one where I'll try to carry a whole ship on my poor aching back

The Great SWxMK Crossover Episode — in which @/kiwikipedia and I grab MK characters by the scruff and dump them into the GFFA, and vice versa

Call of Duty

unposted WIPs, in progress

burn and rage (at close of day) — [M] ghostroach timeloop set during mw2 (2009), from Roach's perspective

under the gun — [T/E] AU where Roach survives mw2 (2009) and ends up in the reboot universe, with a debt to the Shadows and a grudge against the 141

Mortal Kombat

SubScorp Week 2022 (WIP, off schedule)

impossible — [T] Years ago, Kuai Liang watched Hanzo Hasashi die. Grief is a complicated thing, but seeing the man he loved up and walking again seems a step beyond its traditional stages.

* a cautionary tale re: betting against Johnny Cage — [M] clothes swap, upcoming

* frigid — [T] childhood, upcoming

* a mirror, inverted — [T/M] trapped, upcoming

* in winter's embrace — [T/M] touch-starved, upcoming

* unspoken (yet heard) — [T] secret, upcoming

* cozy koozie — [T] crochet, upcoming

one-shots:

death-adjacent (under construction) — [M] Kuai knew, when a phantom from the past appeared in the Fire Gardens. He knew before Scorpion – not yet Grandmaster Hasashi, not yet Hanzo – spoke a single word.

[vickyvicarious]

I was thinking about the whole "how do people not know that Eliot Spencer worked with Damien Moreau" thing again today, and... I think that actually, it makes perfect sense that they don't.

It all comes down to the type of person Damien Moreau is, and the type of organization he runs.

(under a cut for length. the very last paragraph has mild Redemption spoilers but nowhere else does.)

Think about it. What do we know about Moreau?

He runs a very tight ship. He has very clear procedures in place to leave no evidence or witnesses behind. He is always the one in control and it's an absolute dictatorship where he is always the most important person in the room. Everyone else is either an asset or a liability; they are literally defined by how they relate to Moreau.

If you are an enemy of Moreau and he sends people to kill you, those people aren't getting individual backstories. It doesn't matter who they are, all that matters is that they work for Moreau. They are representatives of him and you know they will do whatever he says. There's no individual appeal to be made here. As far as you're concerned you're dealing with Moreau.

Letting Eliot Spencer's name spread around isn't actually that helpful to Moreau, because it diverts the attention from him. Even in the sense of "holy shit, he's got the Eliot Spencer obeying his every order" it still diverts attention. It's impressive yeah, but it's not a unified front. He wants it to be a homogenous mass where anyone or anything could turn against you. If you displease Moreau, you don't know who is coming after you, but you know someone is, and you know you can't get away.

And all that is assuming you know Moreau's name in the first place. He's so particular about his layers of privacy and deniability. He is so careful who he works with. He deals with only the more important people, but he does that himself. So either you don't know who Moreau is at all, or you know he's the only one from his organization who really matters.

(Also, think about Eliot leaving. If he's widely known, this is a clue to other people that Eliot Spencer working on his own means something has changed. Moreau let someone go? Is there a weakness to exploit there? People would wonder. However, if he's not widely known there is no danger as long as Eliot doesn't reveal his past relationship with Moreau. It makes complete sense with his "I never told anyone about you" line, because people wouldn't know unless Eliot told them. It would have to be a deliberate act of betrayal, versus him staying quiet and respecting Moreau's generosity in letting him leave by keeping that unusual behavior a secret.)

I'm not saying there's no one who recognizes Eliot. But his name is not really widely known the way we see in canon. At best he might be known as the one guy who hunts down the hardest prey, the reason you really can never get away. But there's also evidence to be had that Eliot served a role like Chapman (I mean, he's basically labelled Eliot's replacement). Chapman doesn't seem to be someone the rest of the team knew. He's not identified as a threat or a possible in or anything; the only person they ever talk about is Moreau himself, and maybe a few major subordinates of his who run entire sub-organizations. Chapman, from the outside, is just yet another killer working for Moreau, alongside a whole bunch of others.

Now. Internally, it's a different matter.

Inside the organization, there are obviously grudges. There's a clear hierarchy and Eliot's name very clearly holds weight. I think this fits perfectly with how tight a ship Moreau runs and how careful he is about who he works with. From the outside, all people see is Moreau and his vast army or whatever, but on the inside there are absolutely rising stars, commanders, people who are closer to Moreau and thus more respected, etc.

Chapman seems to serve as a combo of commander to all the rest of the goons, Moreau's personal head of security/assassination, but also someone who still goes and gets his hands dirty for the important jobs. He spends a good bit of time around Moreau, but to an outsider who sees him standing there during a meeting he's just another suit who could kill them. Security. Internally, he's clearly someone who fought his way up to this position; probably wanted it for a long time but couldn't get it because that was Eliot's spot.

Inside the organization, Eliot Spencer's name is an Moreau-access pass, even years after he's successfully left. Highest clearance, he's a big deal. They don't know his face but they all know his name. I think this fits perfectly with the kind of pitting people against one another games Moreau plays. There are intense rivalries and those who get close to the boss are respected and feared. There's the 'Moreau's dog' angle absolutely there, but it's just kept to an internal level. It's much more useful for keeping other subordinates in line to know that Eliot Spencer will come after you if you displease Moreau, because by virtue of working for him the usual approach of a vast invisible army already wouldn't work. They know who works for Moreau, it's not going to be a surprise. It's much better for them to have a living boogeyman, someone they all know is much better than they are, to fear.

And again, in the higher levels, other people like Chapman get to focus all their irritation on Eliot rather than on Moreau himself. He's trusted more, he gets all the best jobs, I could do it if he weren't in the way... Moreau's like an abusive parent pitting his children against one another so they can't see their real enemy is the father. He probably encouraged a certain amount of infighting, and doled out his favor juuuust enough to everyone to keep them wanting his approval enough to work together, even as they hated one another. In that sense, even letting Eliot leave unmolested is a bonus for Moreau; all the people left behind can still see him as this unattainable goal of being close to Moreau, this gold standard of someone trusted enough to get unusual leeway. And look at what he did, he threw that trust away and now Moreau doesn't trust us as much anymore - the blame still gets thrown on Eliot even after he's gone.

.

So really, I think Eliot Spencer is known in the criminal world first and foremost as a retrieval specialist. He made his name after leaving Moreau.

He was well known in certain circles before then, of course, but those were generally military or spies. Government. They still did awful stuff but it was on the legal side of things, or at least supposed to be. The vast majority of criminals aren't going to know individual soldiers by name no matter how good they are, unless they hold a more public authority/rank.

And when he was with Moreau, he was just another faceless thug. More deadly than the rest, sure, but they were all still deadly enough to get the job done, so if you're dead either way the word about this one guy isn't gonna spread. Internally, his notoriety was tremendous, but Moreau would not want that to get out, so it wouldn't.

Eliot Spencer first starts to become really famous as a lone wolf retrieval expert. He is known by that, first and foremost. Maybe everyone knows basic facts, like that he was in the military or he worked as an assassin before moving into retrieval, but no real details. Certain groups know him as a highly-trained soldier (but if they can still get him to work for them on occasion, as we know they do, publicizing how large of a role he held/holds there is a link they don't want. plausible deniability is key) or as Moreau's dog (but advertising that outside the closest circles of the organization is actively discouraged) but the word doesn't really spread about those.

Then Eliot is linked to Leverage. And maybe after they take Moreau down and his empire collapses, more rumors spread that he used to work for Moreau, he turned against him and actually took him down. And when Eliot finally cuts ties with the military and no longer accepts odd jobs from them, maybe it's a little easier for those rumors to spread too, although I imagine they still wouldn't want details getting out so it'd be less likely.

.

By the time we get to Redemption, Eliot's reputation is almost entirely linked to his work with Leverage. Once he reaches this level of fame, then of course more people are going to dig into his background before this. But at this point he's become much more of a ghost; you can't find information on him anywhere online, but he regularly shows up and is a threat to a lot of people especially in security. It makes sense that they pay more attention to him now. There's no one in the government trying to protect him enough to keep him operational anymore, since he doesn't work with them, so all levels of law enforcement can freely go after him. He's not just doing jobs for whoever hires him, he's going off on his own and attacking criminals left and right, so the underworld is less likely to ignore him. And he specifically is an ongoing threat/embarrassment to a lot of security teams, so the business/security world wants to know him too. RIZ knows that given the kind of people they protect, there's a good chance this monster is gonna show up and kick their ass, so they make it a point to try and know who he is.

[luimagines]

Waking Up Next to Him

Masterlist

Set platonically and within the adventure. It’s long so it goes under the cut!

Time

The bright sunlight winked just beyond your eyelids at an blinding angle. Your back was against warm though and was surprisingly comfortable despite the growing ache in your neck. There’s a weight over your shoulder, pinning you in place but doesn’t dig in. A thrown blanket is covering your body and the secret weight, even if half of it has ended up on the forest floor. You’re too tired to think of what the weight can be. All you know is that it’s comfortable and you don’t feel like moving. A heartbeat passes and the solid form on which you lay shifts. 

A groan.

More shifting.

Heat flushes your face slightly as you resign to get up, trying to play the whole cool, once you realize what, or rather who you passed out against.

“Mornin’ Time.”

Your pillow takes a minute to assess the situation.

It’s early, none of the others are up yet. Too tired from the journey the day prior, but the resident chef wakes up the earliest to cook breakfast on time. He’s asleep now but won’t be for long. You thank the stars and your luck that you woke up before him. No pictures for him to take this time.

Time grins, seemingly unbothered by the events and sighs good naturedly. “Good morning.”

Twilight

It was a cold night. They told you it would be. Both your traveling companions and the breeze as you settled with the day’s end.

But you couldn’t have guessed how cold it turned out to be.

Sleep didn’t come easy. Discomfort and shivers kept you awake. Your blankets were warm but not warm enough. At some point, in the middle of the night, you gain the warmth your tired brain was waiting for before drifting off to sleep. 

When you wake, you can’t breath.

Hairs tickle your mouth and nose and there’s a large and heavy being on top of you. At first you think it’s Wind because the shape is much to large to be four but smaller than some of your other companions.

Further analysis and you realize that it’s not hair but fur, that’s threating to enter your lungs and the color of the material seems awfully familiar.

“...Wolfie, I love you but you’re killing me. Get off.” You weakly push the beast away, not coherent enough to move your limbs and piece together how to be a functioning human yet.

The creatures blinks up at you, having just woken up as well and notices your open eyes. A yawn and crushed ribbed where he stepped to get off later and your freedom has been duel earned.

You take a breath of relief and grin, only now noticing the cold with the rising sun to be a little more barrable than the previous night.

“Thanks buddy, you’re a walking heater. I probably would have been a popsicle if it hadn’t been for you.” He nods in acknowledgment and swiftly turns away before you can reach behind his ears to thank him properly.

You look up and see Wild and Time already awake, not talking. Warrior looks to just have woken like you today. Not unusual but welcoming nonetheless. Wind and Sky probably won’t wake up for another hour or two and Hyrule and Four always wake up a little after them. No one knows for sure when Legend will get up because its never consistent and Twilight seems to be missing as well.

The ranch hand emerges from the tree line seconds after you realize he was gone to begin with. He smiles at you and waves in greeting.

You wave back and try to dust the wolf hairs off of your clothes.

You missed Twilight’s subtle smirk.

Warrior

It was a hard fight and not a safe place to stay put but the dungeon left you with little option. Separated from the group and low on provisions and healing items, you and Warrior realize that your both running low on fumes. Taking refuge in a secluded corner, hopefully far away from any potential monsters and threats, you rest.

Waking up is hell.

Sleeping back to back was probably not the best idea but neither of you wanted to risk an ambush. Shifts were supposed to be taken but given that you both fell asleep says something about your energy levels and the previous fights.

Your neck hurts, your legs are sore, your butt and hips are not thanking you for the treatment and everything ache will familiar but expected battle wounds. None major but each one takes its toll.

“You up?” Warrior stands up as if he wasn’t bleeding from the shoulder yesterday and he also didn’t sleep sitting for who knows how many hours.

“I am clearly sitting Captain.” You mutter. “I am not up. I refuse to be up.”

“You know as well as I do that we have to get to the others. What if they need help?”

“I’d argue we need the help. Everything hurts. We have no fairies and there’s more dungeon ahead of us with obviously more enemies and traps and puzzles...” The puzzles... were the worst. “Just five more minutes....Please?”

Warrior says your name in a way a tired mother tries to get her stubborn child to listen to reason. His face twists at the idea and when he attempts to look over his shoulder to check your surroundings, it instead contorts in a pained grimace.

So his shoulder pain was still there after all.

“Fine. Five minutes.”

Sky

As expected, Sky goes down for the count within the first few minutes of the mandated lunch break. Unfortunately after a rumble or two and strange smoke coming from the distance that decidedly wasn’t there when you first arrived, the group decided to investigate.

Legend goes to shake Sky’s shoulder in an attempt to wake him but it’s all in vain.

Sticks are drawn after a long and loud argument about what to do and yours in the shortest.

Everyone else goes to check out the commotion and you are stuck with babysitting duty. It’s not bad all things considered- he’s asleep- no actual babysitting happening. But part of you can help but grumble about missing the action so you sit non too gently next to him and decidedly not pout.

Your stomach is full and the sun light begins to feel heavy and warm and nice.

Your eyes close before you can fight it.

Some time later, you’re shaken awake. Adrenaline fills your system instantly but upon seeing the laughing face of Sky himself, you remember yourself and only marginally resist the urge punch him.

“Feel better?” You ask instead.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He chuckles and points to his chin.

You wipe across the area and your hands comes back wet, cold and covered in drool. 

“You saw nothing.”

“Oh sure, but Wind did.”

Great.

Now it’s on his pictobox. That’s blackmail material in his favor, you suppose and refuse to acknowledge it further.

Wild

When you wake up, it’s still dark. Not even close to sunrise.

The fire burns bright and warm throughout the area but it’s not the fire that’s keeping you warm.

You also find out you can’t move.

You crane your head slightly to find long hair draped over your shoulder and a familiar scarred ear belonging to the resident champion.

He wrapped around you completely, hugging you tightly and pining you down with a leg to boot. 

You attempt to shimmy out but his grip tightens instead.

You sighed and watch as Twilight comes into view. He crouches closer and squats on Wild’s side, whispering to you. “Do you need help getting out? I can wake him to take over Hyrule’s shift for the night.”

You take a minute to rethink about your position. It’s not painful. The opposite actually. It feel nice. You’ve seen Wild cling to who ever he can get his hands on when he sleeps so you’re not surprise. 

You don’t need to pee or leave anytime soon anyway.

“No, I think I’m good actually.” You reply, whispering as well. “Let him sleep, it’s been a day for everyone.”

Twilight nods and leaves, but not without looking back once or twice in case you changed your mind.

You shimmy back in place and allow yourself to be held by your friend. 

Sleep comes easier this time.

Hyrule

Gentle fingers card through your hair. Warmth, magic and the unusual feeling of safety plague your mind. Confusion hits you but the alarm that typically follows never comes.

“Oh thank goodness, you’re awake.” A voice fills your ears. It’s muffled and must have been quiet to begin with because you can’t make out who said it yet. 

Organizing your thoughts feels like traveling through knee high mud.

Your eyes blink open and the light comes through.

The Traveler is leaning over you, thankfully blocking out most of the sun from immediately assaulting you. 

“Hyrule?”

“You had us worried for a minute.” He visually sags with relief, a tired smile on his face and leans back. “You took quite a hit.”

Your head feels swollen but as Hyrule continues to push your hair back it dissipates as time passes. Your thoughts clear and with his help, you sit up.

A hand places itself by your temple. It takes a half second before you realize it’s yours.

It comes back covered in dried blood.

Sky runs over after tending to Four with what looks like a bloodied wet cloth. He sits down slowly and begins to clean your head in a familiar fashion.

“Thank you. Both of you.” You tired voice comes through and a worn out smile follows soon after.

“Anytime.”

Wind

It’s nice day. 

According to some people.

Dark clouds cover the sky, the sun nowhere to be seen. It pours cats and dogs and the only cover for miles is a lone cave where your group currently takes up residence. Everyone’s wet and your clothes feel heavy and cold. No one is happy. 

Wild, Twilight and Legend dive deeper, intending to check out if any monsters reside in the cave.

Hyrule insisted on traveling with them but Warrior’s concussion and Time’s bleeding leg call for further attention and Legend claims to have more magic restorative potions than healing potions.

He stays behind.

Four and Sky take over the food while he’s distracted, trying to make a half decent meal before he intervenes.

Wind is groaning, sore and bored but otherwise unharmed.

You don’t make any comments at your own pain, biting your tongue and taking a deep breath. As you lean against the stone wall, Wind stomps up next to you and sits down with purpose.

“I could’ve gone with them.” He slams his fist into his cheek with his elbow on his knee.

“But you didn’t. It’s not so bad.” You said.

“They didn’t want me to go.”

“You’ll live.”

“I’m just as good as them you know.”

“I know and you make a better pillow.” You says, throwing yourself sideways with your head landing on his lap. He squawks indignantly and attempts to push you off but you hold on. “Sorry, you make the best pillow.”

“NOOOO!”

“YEEEESSS!”

“Nooooo.” Wind keeps his hands on your back but you’ve misjudged your exhaustion. You’re out in seconds.

A moment passes.

“Hey, hey, hey.... wake up. You have to eat.” A small hand shakes your shoulder.

“Hm?” You blinked tiredly. There’s a bowl if front of your face and you don’t hesitate to grab it. “Thanks.”

“You’re heavy.” A voice calls from behind. The owner lets you take the bowl and begins to gently push you off into a sitting position. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“It was supposed to be a joke but thanks for letting me sleep.” You admit and smile at the pirate. 

“You trapped me.” He pokes your side, trying to look annoyed but falling flat. There’s a joke in there somewhere. You’re missing something.

The others have come back while you were out of it, all either have hidden smiles or failing to hide their shaking shoulders and snickers.

Curious and a little self conscious you looks into the provided meal, your reflection greeting you as always.

A lightbulb goes off over your head.

“DID YOU DRAW ON MY FACE?!”

Four

There’s a force dragging you down but there’s two arms under you.

It’s very concerning for a moment but then....the size of them catches up to you.

Your head snaps up and comes face to face with a very surprised Four.

“Hello.”

“...Hi.”

“Lovely weather we’re having, don’t you think?””

“You’re leading with that?” Four snorts and continues walking, unbothered by your weight in his arms.

“How...?” You trail off trying to find the right words to explain what happening to you. You don’t feel any pain and nothing feels injured....but the lack of memories is a little concerning.

“How am I holding you?” Four smirks as he guesses incorrectly. “I’m stronger than I look.”

“I was going to ask how did I fall unconscious. I don’t remember anything. I’m more surprised by that than the fact that you’re holding me despite being half my size.” You blinked and try to keeping searching through your memory.

Nothing comes up.

“Wizrobe.” Four answers causally with a shrug. “It caused some chaos, fought another wizrobe and you got caught in the cross fire between the two of them before we could intervene. Their attacks canceled each other out well enough that you weren’t actually injured but uhh..... Well I suppose you’ll figure it out sooner or later.”

“Four.” You glare in warning.

“Maybe don’t look at your reflection for a while. Legend, Twilight and Hyrule all agree that it’ll fade with time but...”

“What are you talking about? What happened to me?” You sit up a little in his grip, Your arm reach over his shoulders and something wrong catches your eyes.

Your skin is green.

Your shocked silence stills your entire body. Four winces once he follows your eye line and stops to place you on your own feet.

“It could be worse?”

You stare a little while longer and look back to Four with hopeful eyes. “Think you can knock me out again?

He’s not amused.

Legend

You blissfully wake up for the first time in a week. 

It’s been an easy week in terms of travel and attacks so the boys take it upon themselves to cause trouble and it hasn’t been merciful to your sleep schedule.

They are the very incarnation of that thing your hometown friend used to say. How did it go again? If there’s no trouble then I’ll create it? Something along those lines.

But this is different and you don’t plan on wasting it.

You close your eyes and attempt to go back to sleep while you can but hushed voices reached your ears, keeping you awake before you can tune them out.

“Should we wake them?”

“You know how Legend is. He can be as bad as Sky and he had a rough night to boot.”

“But he’s right on top of them and they promised to show me how to fight in hand to hand combat.”

“You have all day for that and they didn’t say it was going to be today.”

“But I‘m excited! I want to start as soon as possible.”

“Will you idiots keep it down?” A voice by your shoulder speaks up. It lacks the usual snark it posses but the intention for venom is there. “Some people took double shifts last night. Shut up.”

You breath a small sigh of relief as the voices abruptly cut off and don’t return for a long minute.

The body next to you stills.

Three heartbeats pass and the unnoticed weight gets off of you.

You pretend to be asleep still, not wanting him to push you away so early in your relationship. He’s just started to get used to you.

You’re determined to be his friend before everything ends.

He’s determined to avoid that.

It’s been a battle of wills.

An unstoppable force meets an unmovable object.

But this could tip the scales in his favor if you fail to play it off correctly.

“No one say anything.” Legend hisses. “Not. One. Word.”

You make the mistake of stretching. 

“You’re up! You’re up! You’re up!” Wind practically pounces on you, knocking his name sake out of your lungs and demolishing any chances for a peaceful morning. “We can start now!”

“Can I eat first at least?” You groan out, not bothering to fight him off.

“Wind. Off.” Time calls out and the boy follows the command without question. He quickly kneels by your side though, practically vibrating on the spot.

You sit up and look around.

Looks like you were the last one up.

“Morning everybody.” You smile. You glance at Legend who unluckily has the tips of his ears tinted red. His arms are crossed and he’s avoiding looking at you, even greeting you as the rest of the group return your call.

You smirk. “Good morning Legend. Did you sleep well?”

He huffs and turns away completely, taking a few steps to leave.

You get to your feet, shadowed by Wind and head to take your share of the food from Wild.

A beat passes without any words exchanged and you tilted your head innocently at the Veteran. You refuse to let it be awkward between you so you pretend you know nothing.

The blush travels down his ears to his face and neck. “I did. Thanks for asking.”