#trust I told her off but my comment will not show up because she screens them

[youwillfindilluminating]

Wow, I left a comment a while back on someone’s fic saying that it made me want to write something of my own (about that specific kink, which is fairly rare but not super rare) and she responded with an annoying “gentle reminder” that she’s not comfortable with people continuing her fics or writing fics “in that ‘verse.”

Bitch, what verse? The one you wrote with bad characterizations that’s not realistic at all? That’s not what I meant in the first place, and I can write this kink better than you, thanks.

Some people are cunts, guys!

[hyunjinners]

✧:･ﾟHeartache → Stray Kids x reader ˚₊· ꒰🍃꒱

꒰ 命 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 ꒱┊ during an argument, they raise their voice at you, uttering hurtful words.

꒰ 命 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ꒱┊ maknae line! x fem! reader 

꒰ 命 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 ꒱┊ discussion, angst, established relationship.

꒰ 命 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ꒱┊ shouting, insults, fights, anxiety, insecurities (on both sides). Any scenarios, names and groups mentioned are pure fiction! Similarities to real events are purely coincidental. × In some scenarios not everyone is an idol. ×

꒰ 命 𝐖.𝐂 ꒱┊ 2,4k

꒰ 命 𝐀/𝐍 ꒱┊ I finally got the inspiration to release the second part of Runaway! If you haven't read the first part, I suggest you go there first :) English is not my first language! I apologize in advance for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes. Let me know if you would like to be added to the taglist. Enjoy reading! ^-^

⊹₊˚ʚ❛masterlist❜ɞ

𝐉𝐈𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆¡!

Jisung has always been in love with you. You’ve known each other since high school and have always had a strong friendship, never caring about unpleasant comments questioning the possibility of a friendship between a man and a woman. Consequently, over time, he fell in love with you more and more each day he spent by your side, but he never confessed, and you never showed that you felt the same because you wanted to hide it at all costs. Jisung was always very popular because of his talents, so you never thought you deserved to date someone as amazing as him.

Time passed, you were both adults, and Jisung ended up debuting as an idol. Even after so many years, he never had the courage to tell you how he felt, so he just suppressed his feelings. After a long time, he got involved with an idol he met during his trainee days. You didn’t know this, as he couldn’t reveal it to the media, but even when he had the opportunity to tell you, he couldn’t muster the courage. Perhaps his deepest feelings held him back.

You were at Jisung's dorm for a movie marathon, taking advantage of his day off. He got up to go to the bathroom, leaving you to choose what you were going to watch. Jisung's phone, which was beside you on the couch, was vibrating desperately. You were never intrusive, but Jisung had never stopped you from touching his things. Thinking it might be one of the boys or even Jisung's staff wanting to warn him about something, you picked up his phone and checked his notifications.

The contact of a woman, with a heart emoji next to her name, lit up the phone screen, with several messages saying she missed him and that she would visit Jisung in his dorm later. You knew you had no right to meddle in Jisung's life, but the fact that he had hidden this from you, even though you were supposedly someone he trusted, hurt you deeply. When he returned, he was confused by the sad expression on your face. “What happened, little one? Are you okay?” He was utterly confused until he noticed his phone in your hands. His expression shifted from concern to irritation in a matter of seconds. “What were you doing?”

“When were you going to tell me, Jisung? Why... I don’t understand. Are you with someone? Why didn’t you tell me? Since when have you become so cowardly as to forget your trust in me?” At this point, you were both standing, staring at each other, your upset expressions obvious. “And since when do I have to give you any explanations, huh?” He didn’t know why he was so angry, but his confused feelings were preventing him from being clear at this moment. “WE’RE FRIENDS, JISUNG! I’m not just anyone you can simply ignore. I care about you too, you idiot.” Despite your raised tone fueled by anger, you tried to explain your feelings, but Jisung just couldn’t hear you at that moment.

“MAYBE IF YOU WEREN’T ACTING LIKE A FANATIC, I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU!” He exploded, gesturing wildly in complete desperation.

Silence. Those three seconds of silence felt like three hours. This chilling silence was broken by your faint sniffles. You raised your hands to hide your tears. Turning away from him, Jisung could tell he felt shattered inside at that moment. Your tears brought him back to his cruel current reality. “Fanatic? I... I’m not a fan of yours, Jisung. To be honest, now I’m just an idiot who trusted you.”

You didn’t bother to grab your jacket; you just ran to the door. As you opened it, you bumped into Jisung's girlfriend. He tried to run after you, but it was already too late. Now, all he could do was cry—not just because of the argument but because the arms that comforted him weren’t the ones he wanted.

𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗¡!

You had been in a relationship for a little over three years. After Felix proposed to you, you both moved to Busan so you could settle into a calm life before getting married. He was a kindergarten teacher, and you opened a small café near the house you were finishing paying off together. You were the typical cute couple, never having serious fights and always being very happy with each other. Even though the life you both dreamed of was almost finally stable and fulfilled, Felix's family didn’t accept the life he was living. Felix was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so his family expected him to live like an heir prince; however, he chose to live a quiet life with you, which was clearly reason enough for his family to dislike you.

With only a few months left until the wedding, Felix’s father was making his life a living hell, doing everything he could to make Felix give up on you. For this reason, Felix had been depressed for several days. You didn’t know what was going on, and he didn’t want to tell you so you wouldn’t get upset, which left you increasingly worried about his condition. He wasn’t eating properly, woke up many times in the middle of the night, and always got startled when the phone or the doorbell rang.

During a walk you took on weekends, throughout the entire route, you noticed he was hyperventilating, and every time you asked him about it, he would just force a smile and say it was nothing. When you were on the corner heading back home, you finally mustered the courage to question him. “Felix… please, don’t lie to me.” You grabbed his arm, making him stop. He looked back at you, his expression completely exhausted. “Lie about what? I already told you it’s nothing. Please, leave me alone.”

His tone wasn’t angry—it was more tired. He didn’t want to be so rude, but the pressure his father was putting on him had really messed with his mental health. He freed himself from your weak grip, quickly walking home.

After you entered your small and cozy living room, while Felix was taking off his jacket, you stopped in front of him in another attempt to make him talk.

“Don’t you trust me? Felix, I’m not here to judge you. I’m really, sincerely worried about you.”

He just ignored your desperation, going upstairs to the bathroom. You followed him without a second thought, determined to make him speak. “Love, you can count on me! I—”

“COULD YOU PLEASE STOP?! Please, I’m begging you, let me breathe! Just for a moment.”

He stopped at the top of the stairs, making you stop halfway up. You were startled by the look Felix gave you. He had never, ever, yelled at you. You weren’t angry with him, but it did affect you in some way. Before you could say anything else, you just apologized, walking past him and locking yourself in the bedroom.

He immediately rushed to the bedroom door as soon as you entered, his hand hovering over it, wondering if he should knock or not. He rested his forehead right there, finally allowing himself to cry after holding back for days. He really needed this relationship to work.

He couldn’t live without you.

𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐌𝐈𝐍¡!

Seungmin was the ideal partner from your point of view. He was a surgeon and heir to a hospital franchise, and you were a dermatologist from a family of politicians. People always had high expectations of your relationship: from your family and friends to the media, which saw you as a reference. Seungmin wasn’t exactly the temperamental type of man; to be honest, he always preferred to withdraw from problems until things calmed down so he could resolve the situation clearly and organized. However, the course of the days was draining all his patience and usual calm. The hospital was chaotic, and Seungmin’s father was dumping all his frustrations on his son, leaving him stressed.

Your father met with you earlier during a lunch that was apparently a family gathering but turned out to be another ploy for his threats. There were some problems happening in politics, so he needed some distraction for his troubles, and obviously, your marriage would be the perfect target. He wanted you to announce a pregnancy as soon as possible so that the media could focus on you, giving him time to sweep everything under the rug. You didn’t give your father an answer, saying you would think about it. Seungmin was clearly irritated with him but said nothing.

At this moment, you were lying on your bed, finishing reading your book while waiting for Seungmin to finish changing after taking a long hot shower in an attempt to calm himself down… which didn’t exactly work. He sits next to you, so you close your book, looking into his tired and irritated eyes. “babe…”

“Are you really going to keep going with this?” Seungmin interrupts you, his expression neutral. However, behind his eyes, there’s a clear flame of disappointment and a bit of anger. Not at you, but at this moment, he didn’t care to distinguish where it came from. “What do you mean?” you ask, confused. “You no longer live for yourself. Are you really going to keep doing your father’s will?”

“Seungmin, he just wants what’s best for both of us-”

“HE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT YOU! He never cared and won’t in the future. You’re just a means for him to get rid of the media. Are you really that naïve?”

You look at him dumbfounded, feeling not just sadness but pure shock. Deep down, you knew he was right, but his bluntness truly shook you. You don’t hide your tears but say nothing. You just get up, leaving to God knows where, leaving him behind with a heavy heart. “I’m sorry…”

𝐉𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍¡!

You and Jeongin had been trainees for just over a year. You both started around the same time, so you were relatively close… or almost that. For some unknown reason, Jeongin decided that he would hate you to death. From the first time you performed together, he would look you up and down as if he didn’t want you to breathe in the same space as him. What you didn’t know was that Jeongin was hopelessly in love with you, but since this relationship would never be possible if it depended on the company, he masked his feelings with anger, so you wouldn’t get close to him in any way and make the situation worse for him.

JYP prepared a project, a program aimed at presenting the two groups that would debut: the boy group Stray Kids and the girl group M4ya, the group you were part of. During one of the stages, the proposal was to unite the units of each group, with the objective of exploring their talents. As the main vocal of M4ya, you ended up getting the project alongside Seungmin and Jeongin. In the beginning, you were mostly nervous because you never understood his behavior and were afraid you would end up fighting. You trained together for hours, adjusting your vocals while giving and receiving tips from each other.

It was a very important project, since it would be the first time you were doing something independently, without the help of vocal teachers, just relying on your learned abilities. Seungmin was being a great help to you, since, as you were nervous, your voice wasn’t coming out the way you wanted. Maybe a little insecurity was also clouding your mind, so Seungmin offered to help. At the end of the recordings, you politely bowed, thanking him for his help and effort. When Seungmin left, leaving just you and Jeongin, he rolled his eyes at you while speaking calmly, “It doesn’t surprise me that your voice was failing so much. You look like a chicken in the butcher shop before being sold, you’re shaking so much.” You stared at him, this time tired of his teasing.

“You know, I’ve really been ignoring your behavior the whole time I’ve known you, but I would like to know why you’re like this. I never did anything to you!”

“So you think you’re a saint?” He let out a small, disdainful laugh. “No wonder you’re so snobby.”

“Then tell me, Jeongin! WHY? Why do I deserve so much criticism?” He massaged his temples, his voice was irritated at that moment. “WHY CAN’T YOU STOP BEING SO INSECURE?! So, you need that much validation, huh? Spare me.” He laughed, turning his back while fixing his bag, ready to go to the dorm. However, not long after, he stood frozen in place upon hearing your sniffles. You ran your hand over your face, hiding it from Jeongin. You didn’t want to cry in front of him, but you were too sensitive at that moment.

“You know, Jeongin, I shouldn’t justify myself to you, but I’ve always tried my best to get here, and all I hear in return for my effort is criticism after criticism. So, yes, maybe I am a little insecure girl who doesn’t know where to go without validation, just like you said. Just don’t come any closer, please. Leave me alone.” He was shocked, not having processed the situation. He never thought it could come to this point, and now he was agonizing with hatred, surprisingly, for himself. “I messed up so much now.” He crouched on the floor, running his hand through his hair in a desperate attempt to contain his tears of pure frustration.

ε ї з — like × reblog! by: @hyunjinners ❜ɞ

ε ї з — taglist: @oc3anfloor @apple-kiwi

[lornaka]

My five cents on Tech’s fate in TBB

It’s been over three weeks since the show ended and I’ve been writing this in my head ever since, mostly to have it summed up in one post for posterity lol. I considered letting it go at this point but I know it’ll drive me crazy if I don’t get it out of my system so might as well.

So here we go, some of my rambly post-finale thoughts on Tech’s death (and a few other issues) under the cut!

Disclaimer: while this post is in critical spirit (because that’s how my brain works), I want to make clear that I have nothing but respect and gratitude towards everyone who’s worked on the show. My criticisms are of the final story as a whole as I interpret it (art is art, everything is subjective, you know the drill), but one never knows what goes into the process of making it behind the scenes, so I’m not holding anything against the creative team. I love this show dearly and am in awe of how good it is at its best, despite certain things I wish they did differently.

To begin, if I had to sum up the biggest problem that TBB writing suffers from, it would be lack of closure, and too many red herrings. Not just for Tech, but many things. Major plot threads as well as little character moments are cultivated or thrown in just to never culminate in anything or to be immediately discarded after serving the plot, some of them incredibly misleading. Some of the top examples:

- Crosshair’s chip. We never get an exploration of how the trauma of his chip activating and being left behind not only affected his motivation and choice to stay with the Empire, but his relationship with his brothers. While it was made fairly obvious, if subtly, that Crosshair became free of the chip’s influence after getting hit by the ion engine on Bracca, the narrative treated this change as if it didn’t matter at that point, while it obviously mattered a lot within the context of Crosshair’s character. Add to that all these little details with him clutching his head in s1 finale, Omega expressing her disappointment in him, and Tech’s comment on how “it is just his nature” (as if it matters!!! See what I mean about the narrative treating Cross’s chip as if it didn’t play the key part in his trajectory? They throw in this line, like we are supposed to take away that it’s simply Crosshair being Crosshair and not like, the results of brainwashing and abandonment), Wrecker blaming Crosshair for not going back to them, all while we as the audience have been shown and told repeatedly how these chips work (and so were the Batch), we ended up with an incredibly confusing situation with lots of mixed signals from the writers. And once Crosshair makes his choice to stay with the Empire in s1 finale, his chip and the confusion it brought to his relationship with his brothers is never brought up again, because the plot simply moves on.

- Cid’s betrayal. After her being a major character for two seasons with a continuous relationship build-up with Omega in particular, she is discarded as soon as her betrayal serves the plot, with all that character development getting thrown out of the window. You can be mad at Cid all you want, but to me it’s incredibly weird and wasteful to end two seasons worth of build up on that note without it having any closure for the characters, especially Omega whose whole theme is trusting people and bringing out the best in them. It’s fine if they decided to make Cid exactly what she appeared on the surface (untrustworthy and self-serving) after playing around with her potentially growing through her fondness of Omega, but then at the very least the betrayal should’ve had an impact on the characters, Omega most of all. Even just one casual line from Omega in s3 about how Cid’s betrayal impacted her emotionally, however minimally, would have solved that problem. And no, CX-2 mentioning how he extracted info on Phee from her off screen absolutely doesn’t count as closure, because I’m talking about emotional closure for the main pov characters as well as the audience. Cid had a presence for two seasons, then as soon as she executed her role as a traitor to further the plot, she was discarded like she was a random extra.

- Emerie’s relationship with Hemlock. We are led to believe that he basically raised her, instilling in her the idea that she had no chance without him and owed her purpose and “safety” to him. You can’t tell me that this didn’t deeply affect her struggle and eventual decision to break away from all that and choose to help the kids, basically betraying Hemlock. I get that the show only had so much screen time and Emerie is a supporting character in season 3 at best, but common, she has more tension with Dr. Scalder than Hemlock while the potential for this rich deep conflict between them is right there.

I can probably list more smaller examples but this is getting long and I don’t want to go on any more tangents, so, finally, the biggest example of lack of closure and tendency of TBB writing to display foreshadowing that leads nowhere:

Tech’s death.

First of all, I’ll die on the hill that it wasn’t denial or delusion that led to such a big portion of the audience to believe that Tech didn’t really die in s2. If we look at the facts:

- there was no body

- it’s the finale of season 2 out of 3, pretty early for one of the main titular characters to get killed off

- the only/last character to allegedly see Tech after his fall is a villainous scientist who is known to experiment on clones specifically

- not a fact but: the whole scene with Hemlock presenting Tech’s goggles to Hunter was incredibly suspicious. In hindsight, I think the whole purpose of it was so that the Batch got Tech’s goggles back in their possession as a memento (and to show how evil Hemlock is to rub it into Hunter’s face like that) but it was executed in a way that read as something much more. It read as if Hemlock was going out of his way to convince us/Hunter of Tech’s death, but with us knowing who Hemlock is, his background in experimenting on clones, everything screams at us to not trust a word he says. Is it really so surprising that so many of the viewers immediately jumped at the conclusion that something more was going on there?

- Hunter’s (lack of) reaction/immediate narrative fall-out. More on that later as I address lack of emotional impact of Tech’s death in s3.

- it’s Star Wars. And there was no body.

So yeah, to me, it is completely justified that so many people read that whole thing as open to speculation at the very least, foreshadowing Tech’s survival at most.

Personally, I was 70% sure Tech was truly dead prior to s3, but not because the text told me so, but because at that point I was used to the show’s writing regularly sending out mixed signals, and a part of me was resigned to Tech’s death becoming another example of the writer’s intent clashing with their accidental empty foreshadowing.

As season 3 aired and the whole CX-2 plot was unfolding alongside continued lack of closure for Tech’s fate, my hope for Tech Lives reveal grew and grew, but in the end my initial doubt was proven right, unfortunately.

Oh, CX-2.. what a mess. You can’t tell me the creators went over all of these scenes, all of these lines, looked at the whole picture and *didn’t* see how it was incredibly easy to interpret CX-2 as potentially being Tech with all these little potential parallels. “Domicile” alone.

If they didn’t want us to entertain the idea that it could be Tech, they could’ve done it differently, but for some reason, they chose to leave that space for speculation. My question is, why?

If they truly wanted us to believe Plan 99 was it, Tech’s Noble End that we were supposed to take as this dramatic super emotional ultimate sacrifice and all that, then why would they not make it clear that CX-2 couldn’t be Tech? Why breed confusion? And breed confusion they did. It’s hard for me to believe they didn’t foresee the “ohh is it Tech?” speculation.

When so many members of the audience immediately and individually jump at a theory or have the same take away from the story they are being told, yet the authors say it wasn’t meant to be taken that way, something went seriously wrong with the writing.

I don’t like to speculate on such things because we will probably never know for certain, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had at some point considered CX-2 being Tech or at least something more for the whole CX plot thread, but changed and reshuffled things at the last minute for whatever reasons.

Which is fine and understandable. But it brings me to the heart of my biggest issue with how Tech’s fate was handled:

lack of impact and closure.

Let’s disregard all the Tech Lives theories for a moment and focus on what we did get: Tech, one of the main characters, getting killed off at the end of s2 out of 3, for stakes and consequences and NOTHING else. When I say nothing, I mean nothing.

Imagine, for a moment, he survived and stayed with the Batch. Nothing would have changed, in the grand scheme of things. Nothing. We wouldn’t have had a few obligatory “Tech mention, everyone feel sad now” throwaway lines/goggle shots and whatnot, sure, but that’s it.

Tech dying didn’t change the trajectory of the plot in any way, nor did it affect any of the other characters in a way that changed their trajectory. And anything less is simply not enough to justify killing one of your main characters. Stakes and consequences ain’t it.

Consider Mayday, for example: a supporting character, but his death in s2 affected Crosshair in such a way it completely redirected his journey, AND in s3 we got an episode that cemented the impact Mayday had on Crosshair and provided emotional closure for them. That’s a narratively meaningful death.

Tech’s death was not meaningful to the narrative beyond removing him from it. That’s why so many Tech fans insist he deserved better treatment: not only was he not present in one third of the show physically, but he lacked any sort of presence even in death. His absence was never processed or grieved by any of the main characters and so by extension by the audience.

And before anyone starts with the whole ‘they are soldiers/they had no time to grieve/etc’ arguments, it is the responsibility of the writers to provide the space for all of that emotional impact. It they don’t, there is no impact.

A few reactions here and there, moments of missing Tech as a person and a brother, not an asset, anything would have made this whole thing easier to accept.

The lines that we did get, from Omega mentioning the stuff Tech taught her to Echo commenting on how decryption would be easier if Tech was with them to “Clone Force 99 died with Tech” from Crosshair - each and every single one of those lines linked to Tech’s functions as part of the squad, his usefulness, but we didn’t get a single line in remembrance of him as a person of his own, no one missed or remembered him for himself or his personal impact on them.

Just one line from Omega about how he taught her about change being a constant part of life or whatever, or Wrecker making a comment on how Tech used to info dump about stuff, anything would have instantly provided that much needed sense of “he was here, he was a person and is still a part of us”. Instead, Tech was killed off to show that messing with the Empire is dangerous and risks are real, I guess, and immediately lost any and all presence within the story.

We never even got to see Crosshair’s or Phee’s reactions to losing him.

Speaking of Crosshair, that’s a whole other example of complete lack of closure: they never closed the loop on the family being reunited again after initially leaving Crosshair behind, and with Tech dead, it’ll forever stay broken.

They could’ve given this a bittersweet yet meaningful spin if they developed the angle of Tech dying on a mission to bring Crosshair home, making a sacrifice so Crosshair had a chance.

Instead, the moment Tech dies, we get Hunter (and through him, the narrative) immediately abandon the idea/plot thread of going to rescue Cross all while saying “let’s not waste Tech’s sacrifice”. Sacrifice for what? Clearly Hunter doesn’t see it as a sacrifice for Crosshair’s sake, so, what, to make sure the rest of them makes it from the mission? The mission to save Crosshair. That mission. Right.

I see people talking about Tech’s noble sacrifice that ensured his family got to live and eventually have their happy ending, but all I can think about is how the creators chose to have him die on a mission that was immediately abandoned and the only take away from that whole sub plot was Tech’s own demise.

And after Crosshair is back with the Batch, his reaction to Tech’s death is never explored at all.

So yes, to me Tech deserved so much better. If you are going to kill off a major character, it must be necessary to be compelling. The way I see it, Tech’s death was not necessary at all because it didn’t change anything. And if it was meant to, the creators failed to communicate that by choosing not to explore the emotional impact of it and not structuring certain story beats in a more precise manner.

To wrap this up, if the way Tech’s death was handled was satisfying for you, that’s valid and I’m glad for you. For me, unfortunately, it’s completely the opposite and will forever remain the biggest and most unfortunate low point in the story.

And while I welcome anyone to share their own perspective if they wish, please don’t take this post as an invitation for debate, since there is no one right or wrong way to interpret or be affected by art.

[bitethehnd]

omg i’ve had the biggest brainrot over ur naomi & taylor!reader & rewatching the eras tour i have 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️ thoughts

i can imagine reader! having a chat w naomi when they’re ready to make it official and actually tell everyone they’re together (god knows everyone’s figured it out but shh let them have their moment) & reader! asks if they can make it official during the show but doesn’t tell Naomi how,, they’re just like trust me it’ll be good and naomi is like ok !! anything for u !! & during karma reader! sings “karma is my baby on the screen, coming straight home to me!” & they somehow get naomi’s live reaction on the big screen megatron thing of reader fully making it official to everyone mid show and they’re just in AWE

& in the same show when reader! sings “you’re in love” they do a lil speech about how this song was written for someone else completely and after everything that went down, they hated this songs because it brought back so many bad memories (or something) but now they have someone who makes them feel like this song is the reason for existence again and it just cuts to lil naomi sobbing aAAA i truly love that fic so much i still have so many thoughts about it thank u thank u thank u

⊹ ‧₊˚ ౨ৎ you are in love

pairing : naomi mcpherson x popstar!reader

a/n : ANON I LOVE YOUR BRAIN KISS KISS

at this point during your eras tour, the two of you are already together. you think you’re all sneaky but literally everyone knows… naomi looks at you like you gave them the moon so it’s quite obvious, but everyone lets you two have your fun!

the first people you told were obviously katie and jo. they both had fake surprised looks on their faces but said the two of you deserved to be happy. then ensue the countless jokes and comments from jo.

the boys were thrilled too! since phoebe had also opened for you, she had taken a guess that you two had a thing for each other and then her suspicions were confirmed. julien fist pumped naomi and lucy gave you a big hug!! you guys are adorable fr.

next came telling the world about the relationship. you two held off for a few months, wanting privacy, but it seemed twitter was already aware of it. everyone had their theories and some were so outrageous that you just wanted to tell everyone yourself.

you told naomi your feelings on the matter and they immediately agreed, no questions asked. they were ready to show you off and not have to hide. you suggested doing it during your next show, and like anon said, naomi is just like “whatever my princess wants, she gets!!! anything for her!!”

you quickly put your plan into motion. you decided your surprise song for the next show would be “you are in love” from 1989. it perfectly described how you felt about naomi. you came up with some ideas for the speech you would give before hand and it went something like this…

“the next song that i’m going to play is one that i haven’t performed in so long. i wrote it about someone who i thought was going to be my forever, but it just didn’t end up that way and it left me with some sad memories. i have never felt the need to play this song since then, but now everything has changed. even if i originally wrote this about someone else, my partner renewed it into something so pure and now has a reason to exist again. i love you.”

the camera doesn’t pan to naomi just yet, since you wanted to build suspense. for dramatic effect, of course. but jo and katie make sure to get their reaction on video. it’s just naomi basically happy crying and laughing with tears under their eyes. even when you guys are a whole stadium apart, the invisible string between you is there.

when it was finally time for the last era of songs, from midnights, you were planning to do a lyric swap in “karma.” the actual lyric was “karma is my girlfriend,” but obviously naomi was not a girl and the song originally wasn’t written about them, you planned to change it to something that made you happier. when the time came to sing “karma,” you looked right into the vip section where naomi was and sang “karma is my baby on the screen, coming straight home to me!” cut to the camera panning to naomi and they’re just giddy, laughing and crying all at the same time. when you told them you were going to make it official, this is definitely not how they imagined it, but they weren’t complaining.

you just wanted to show the world your love for them and honestly didn’t give a shit what anyone thought. the two of you just existed in your own little bubble, feeling like you were just singing to them.

after the show was over and naomi practically sprinted backstage, their beaming smile lit up the room as they saw you. they pulled you in for a fierce hug and pressed gentle kisses to your forehead.

“that was the sweetest thing in the entire world, baby. i love you so much.”

“so you liked it? it wasn’t too much?”

“never. that was, like, magical. can’t believe you did all that for me.”

“i’d do anything for you, nom.”

© bitethehnd

[hazshit-hotel-hater]

The way substance abuse has been handled on the show thus far genuinely upsets me and reeks of writers who either 1.) don't understand the subject matter they're presenting and haven't done even the bare minimum to research it or, worse, 2.) simply don't care.

Apologies for the slight rant incoming, your comment about how it has been mostly "handled" off-screen got me going because that's 100% true and in that truth is such a missed opportunity for the show. The way it has been handled winds up feeling incredibly shallow and juvenile at the end of the day, especially for a piece of media that is attempting to present itself as "adult" and navigate multiple incredibly sensitive topics. I'll try not to get into my own personal experiences and will speak broadly, but the show uses substance abuse more as a cheap character flaw to poke fun at or something to magically handwave away when it is inconvenient, rather than the life-altering, debilitating illness that it is.

Nothing about Angel's use is ever meaningfully explored. It's so (apparently) unimportant to his arc and development that one rude comment from Husk (a character who ALSO has a problem with gambling and alcohol that is never addressed) is all it takes for him to suddenly "resist temptation" and be shown as "recovered" (unless I'm misremembering). Or was he suddenly going to counseling off-screen too and its just another thing that will be told to us rather than shown? And how does Charlie even handle that at the Hotel (I'd be really interested in this as a moment for her character to have to grow/change too)? Does she even understand substance abuse and the many unaddressed systemic factors that can influence it? Or is the entire recovery process just shame based (because that works so well /s) combined with some more corny trust exercises? Why is this incredibly serious topic relegated to the background as if it's unimportant?

Recovery is hard. It is emotional and exhausting. Withdrawal (depending on what you're coming off of) can sometimes mean excruciating, unimaginable pain and in some cases people literally die. It is not a funny "ha-ha I take drugs because I'm chaotic and wild" quirk to be adored or glorified and it definitely should not be presented as something that can be wrapped up in a month or two off-screen without any development whatsoever. That's just insulting.

When you approach a topic like substance abuse and recovery, I personally feel you need to take in all sides of it. All the missteps that come with it (two steps forward one step back - mistakes are expected and okay), the self-loathing, the guilt and shame, the joy, the sense of freedom, the loss, and the best part of all: the incredibly difficult but liberating journey that is rebuilding your life and learning to love yourself and your body again, once you've chosen to be free and to live life.

Mad props to anyone who has ever battled this disease. You are strong, you are worth it and you are valued. Lol I am so sorry for going off here but I so appreciate you calling out the lack of exploration on this topic in the show. I guess I didn't even realize how annoyed and upset it was making me feel (praying this is coherent...).

This was absolutely coherent don’t worry!! Im really glad to see other people talking about this. I myself have not struggled with drug addiction but I have struggled with other kinds and as someone that studies a bunch of medical junk, I’d say I’m decently knowledgeable.

I’m mainly going to focus on Angel for this since he’s the main character I write for, but I assure you other characters addictions are also handled in my rewrite.

During the actual canon show, we don’t see Angel actually abusing substances that often; there’s a few times, most notably in episode 4, but from the rest of the show onward we hardly see anything. Yes in episode 6 they mentioned relapsing, which, mind you, was done horribly, but I digress. They touch on relapsing; Angel relapses, and then… what..??? What happened from that? I don’t feel upset or second hand guilt of any kind from this scene because we haven’t seen Angel’s attempts to stay sobre and off drugs.

His name is fucking Angel Dust. You don’t, I dunno, think that’d entail a higher dependency on drugs? Why do you think he named himself that?

About his name before anything else, the show has so much potential later on to talk about Angel picking out his drag name and why he chose that specifically. So much potential to explore how he views drugs and himself. He sees them as an escape and something “fun” to take his mind off of his actual life. When you die in a fucking coma and wake up in hell as a spider you’re going to want an escape. You will want to ignore reality. I am fully convinced Angel picked his name once he started performing because thats what he needed at the time. He needs to be like that to survive in hell. Angel is an incredibly mentally ill, troubled, traumatised, and unstable person, and being surrounded by so much intense negative influence only amplifies his current problems. I don’t mean to drag Vox in here but in my last redesign post I mentioned how very mildly bad people can become even worse people in hell because of the environment and this is no different for Angel. He’s been surrounded by crime and drugs his entire life and unable to live comfortably because of his sexuality. He has very likely been struggling with substances since he was a teen. Possibly even younger. He is not going to suddenly get over his addiction because of something like this. It could pave the way to him looking into dealing with it, but things like this can take years. I don’t remember when my addiction started; I’ve been clean for 2 1/2 years now I think, but the amount of relapsing and anguish I experienced while working towards that isn’t something that can be done in a few days or months. I still struggle with feeling like I deserve to say I’m recovering.

I’m hoping they tactfully handle this as they should, but my hopes are low. It’s okay to show a character relapsing. It’s okay to show a character feeling guilty. What matters is that the struggle is there to signify they’re trying. For a character with a song called “Addict” you really don’t see much of it. Drug and alcohol addiction is not a silly thing to just twiddle your fingers with and be like “well I guess thats over!” It’s incredibly insensitive to do so.

Whenever I write about Angel’s struggles with addictions, I focus on how small they can feel until you realise what’s actually happening. Just me talking about my rewrite again, but to get my ideas out here: Angel smokes often. He smokes at the studio when he’s stressed, he smokes at the hotel when he’s stressed, he smokes at in alleyways when he’s bored, there’s almost no location he won’t, but sometimes he tries to smoke less. His lungs aren’t the same as humans and technically he has 2 pairs of lungs, but smoking causes him to cough. This is painful in general and especially painful for Angel since he has barbs going down the back of his throat. Imagine choking on sandpaper, kind of like that. It’s painful, he doesn’t like the sound, Fat Nuggets REALLY doesn’t like the sound, and it’s an overall inconvenience, so he tries to stop smoking as much. Periods like this usually go fine for him until the stress returns or he starts to feel the withdrawal. Withdrawal from any sort of addiction is terrible, and in Angel’s case, just from not smoking it worsens his mental state further. He becomes irritable and stressed and that stress leads to wanting to smoke again to calm down. He may resist a few times and those times should be praised, but he gives in eventually. One cigarette to calm down becomes two, then three, and before he can process himself getting carried away, the entire pack is gone. It’s things like this that make addiction horrible. It’s something that deeply scared me when I was struggling. When I was struggling I was still in the mindset of “I can stop when I want to” and then being so suddenly hit in the face with the realisation that I’m not longer in control of this is terrifying. I could not stop when I wanted to. There were even points where I didn’t want to stop. Even just getting the smallest glimpse of this in an incredibly serious manner with Angel Dust would surprise me. To think the bar is this low on a show that seemingly prides itself on tackling such sensitive topics like you said is appalling. Your show shouldn’t have to be told how to write itself.

[felice-jaganshi]

His Pet

Alastor X OC

Chapter 9

They started to walk home, her hand in the crook of his arm, looking like a proper old timey couple. Zariah started zoning out again though, having too many thoughts running through her head from all the sights and sounds and everything that just happened. So many new story ideas! New dark romances she could write!

Alastor noticed her eyes glaze over and chuckled, “ah darling~ you're lucky I have a hold on you. Who knows where you'd wander without my arm to guide you home.”

They passed by the Vee's tower, and Vox rushed out, blocking their path. “Alastor! Out and about after such a humiliating defeat to Adam?! And with a little paid whore on your arm too?! Hah! I would have thought you were above something like that, but I guess not.” He was grinning like mad, excited to slander Alastor publicly at every turn.

Zariah spoke up for him next, “Hey, Alastor is a true gentleman and doesn't need to pay anyone to want to be around him!” She smirked, “Even you ran to come see him, didn't you?”  Vox cracked with electric fury, and Alastor patted her head,

Alastor laughed as well, however, “Ahahaha.. Voxy boy, you should know by now that I do not go out with just anyone. They must be quite special for me to show interest, and my dear pet here definitely fits the bill.” 

“Now dear, let me handle this. Box is just jealous that I'd rather spend time with you than him.”

Suddenly a blast of electricity shot towards Zariah's face, only to be blocked by Alastor's cane. “We'll see if you still want her on your arm after I rip her stupid tails off!” She squeaked and moved to stand behind Alastor, freeing his arm to do as he needed to fight vox.

(I can't actually write fight scenes to save my life~~ so we'll skip that~~)

Vox's screen was cracked and he took several steps back towards his tower. “Fortunately for you, I have an important meeting, so I'll have to kick your ass another day!” He turned into electricity and jumped into a security camera. Alastor chuckled softly and turned to Zariah, offering her his arm again. She gladly accepted, and though he didn't look injured at all, she used some subtle healing magic on him just in case. 

“It seems our little Voxie can only handle so much before he has to bow down and retreat. You did quite well today my dear. I'm proud of you.” 

She purred at his words, “really? I'm glad!” 

He smiled fondly at her, “Remember when I said I'd take our bond seriously? Well, I realize I haven't been keeping good on that promise lately. I've been questioning your intentions and brought shame upon myself. I am… not the best at trusting others. But I will make more of an effort with you. Because you've earned it.”

She blushed and looked at him, her heart fluttering and butterflies in her gut. This was the most romantic thing he'd ever said!

Alastor felt a little weird about the way she looked at him, but decided not to comment on it as they made their way back to the hotel. They entered and Angel Dust was immediately pulling her off of Alastor's arm.

“Z! Hey, you okay?!” He held her shoulders and looked her over. Charlie had told him about Alastor yelling at her when he got back from work.

“Yeah, I'm fine Dusty. Why wouldn't I be? Oh, did you hear about the Vox fight already?” She asked with a head tilt, that was fast if so…

“What? No, I heard about…” He looked over at Alastor, then threw an arm casually around her shoulders and acted casual, “Listen, tomorrow night I'm going out clubbing with some friends, I want ya to come with me okay? I just know you're gonna love it!” He was trying to play it cool. If her situation was like his and Valentino's… he wanted to help you, but knew he'd have to be careful about it or he might make it worse…

She smiled and hugged Angel, “Sure! I've never been to a club!” She turned to Alastor, “Al, I'm gonna go out with Dusty tomorrow, okay?” She wasn't asking permission, just stating a fact.

His eyes half closed, considering telling her no… then thought better of it, “hm, alright. But I'm sending Husker with you.” He then left them alone.

Angel's face lit up, and he called out to Husker, “alright! Yo Whiskers! You're getting tomorrow off!”

Zariah smiled, “oh, you had work today right? Want me to massage out any sore spots while ya bitch about it?” 

Angel sighed and leaned his weight into her, “yes, puh-lease! Your hands are magic! Literally!” He laughed at his own joke.

Lucifer watched them from a doorway, speaking to Charlie in the other room. “She seems alright… you said she sometimes goes hazy eyed and spaces out? That I think might just be trauma from getting kicked out of heaven… that kinda thing really messes you up. I would know.”

Charlie sighed, “she also locks herself in her room for hours on end some days and won't tell any of us what she's doing in there. I'm trying to respect her right to privacy and hoping she'll tell me when she's ready, but I'm still worried.”

He nodded, “hm, I think I can get in. If we can get her to open up to everyone, rather than shutting herself away, we'll be able to see easier if he does try anything with her.”

“You're right… but, maybe she'll unlock his softer side. If she can touch his heart, she may be the key to his redemption.”

“Heh, you're an even bigger dreamer than me. I don't know if I can be that optimistic.” 

Content warning: there be Valentino shenanigans from next chapter onwards. It will all be less than what's in episode 4. But, proceed with caution anyways if you are sensitive like me.

[darklydeliciousdesires]

The Dream - Chapter Twenty Five.

Double update time today, besties! I kind of want to get the posting of this done with so I can have a break, also from noticing interest beginning to wane slightly. I totally get it, people are busy (I bloody know I am right now!) and we all have lives to lead outside of the fandom. But yeah, I guess that’s my fault in that it makes my insecurity rear its ugly head, making me question myself when I notice people quietening. I’m not seeking any empathy or anything like that, I’m just speaking from a place of honesty.

I know I need to improve, and I will. I’ll be taking a break from longer stories after this one to go away and do just that. @withmyteeth​ gave me some truly superb advice on where I needed to improve, so I’ve been taking that on board with writing. I’m feeling positive I’ll be able to come back better. 

Thanks to those of you who continue to engage, though. You’re very sweet and I appreciate you. You’re the ones I want to do better for, not just for myself! 

Previous chapters - Prologue  One  Two  Three  Four  Five  Six  Seven  Eight  Nine  Ten  Eleven  Twelve  Thirteen  Fourteen  Fifteen  Sixteen  Seventeen  Eighteen  Nineteen  Twenty Twenty One  Twenty Two  Twenty Three  Twenty Four

Tag list - In the comments, please DM to be added/removed (note: those not engaging will be automatically removed from the tag list, FYI)

Words - 2,380

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, minors DNI!

“What?”  

She truly hadn’t expected the decibels of his reply, especially not since he’d done so well in her being away for three months, but Keri’s revelation that she would only be home for eleven days before jetting off to Ireland for Luke’s sister’s wedding, well, it didn’t go down well with Angel. “You’ve only just got home!”

“Baby, I know, but it won’t be for long. Five days includes travel time,” she began, leaning back against the units in the kitchen. “I leave on Wednesday, Saoirse's wedding is on the Saturday, and I’ll be home the following Monday. It really isn’t a big thing.”

“But you only just arrived back, and now you want to go away again?”  

Oh, god. “I thought we’d dealt with this, Angel.” Her attempt to placate him was met with hostility, Angel throwing himself out of the chair at the kitchen table, stomping towards the door. “Come on, you’re being silly now. You always knew I’d travel with my work.”

“You’ll be with him again.”

Her brows furrowed. “Him?”  

“Yeah!” he yelled, pulling his phone out as he stuffed his feet into his boots. “This asshole!” Turning the screen of his phone, he showed her a picture she’d uploaded to her Instagram, a selfie she’d taken with Dolores, Roisin and Luke, three members of the band, Roisin and Luke kissing a cheek each, Dolores crouched beneath her chin, winking while bobbing her tongue out at the camera.

Keri couldn’t believe her ears. “You seriously have an issue with Luke? Roisin is kissing me, too, but you’re strangely quiet about her being an asshole! Then again, she doesn’t have a dick, does she?”

He was quiet then, reloading his retort, but Keri gave him no chance. His girlfriend was a mild-mannered sweetheart, but boy, if somebody put a match near her gas tank... Boom. Especially if they were casting aspersions. “Do you really think you have anything to worry about? Angel, we’re been together for eight months now, you know who I am. Do you really have me pegged as a cheater, or are you looking for an excuse to blow up just because you don’t want me going away again so soon?”

“I trust you, not him.”  

This wasn’t anything to do with Luke, and she knew it. This was his abandonment issue, rearing its ugly head, Keri realised, reaching for him. He pulled from her, though. “I gotta get to the yard.”

She shook her head in confusion. “You told me you had the day off?”

“Yeah? And you told me I mattered. Not enough for you to stick around long.” The slam of the door behind him vibrated the frame, Keri sighing, considering going after him. He likely needed to cool off, so she left it. In leaving it, though, she felt the agitation pouring through her veins, deciding to do something about it. Angel wasn’t a messy guy, but still, his house got the once over, everywhere smelling of polish, cleaning spray and fabric freshener once she was done, looking over at her suitcase.  

Clean clothes were a must.  

The laundromat was two blocks away from the weed shop, so with all of her dirty clothing items set on a hot wash, Keri trudged down in search of a friendly face, taking coffee and some doughnuts with her, too. She was greeted by all the warmth she needed, Sharise shrieking in surprise, rushing out behind the counter. She only just about had chance to place the items she carried down before receiving her beautiful friend in her arms, the girls embracing tightly.  

“I missed you so much!” she cried, holding Keri’s face in her hands, kissing her cheek.  

“I missed you too, lady,” she replied with warmth, rocking her in her arms, kissing her head as she pointed to the coffee and doughnuts. “Break time?”

“Let me just get these guys sorted and I’ll be right with you.” A half ounce of blueberry kush and an eighth of AK-47 later, and Sharise was free to join Keri in the back room, seating themselves in the former’s small office.  

“So, how is it being back?”  

Keri finished her mouthful of doughnut before replying. “I’m currently fighting the jetlag, still being on Australian time means my body thinks it should be asleep right now, but I’m doing what everyone says is best and just trying to keep busy, power through it. And it was going really well, until this morning when I revealed to Angel that I’m going over to Ireland again in eleven days' time to photograph a wedding. He blew up at me massively. I thought we’d gotten past that, with how well he’d handled it while I was away in Australia.”

She went on to detail the ins and outs of their argument, Sharise listening intently before weighing in. She knew she had to walk a fine line, what with Angel being her family but Keri also becoming a close friend. A little confliction rooted within her, but sipping her coffee, she chose honesty in the end. “Listen, he did handle it well, I was proud of him, but his sheen wasn’t quite as bright without you here. He missed you, he’s so in love with you and all he could do was count down the days until you came back to him.  

“However, that doesn’t mean he was right to explode at you, or accuse that Luke guy of anything nefarious, but like you say, he only likely did it to try and legitimise his abandonment issues, and not want to bring it back to those again. I think you did the right thing in letting him go cool off, because he’ll know he’s been an ass, but he won’t want to immediately admit to that. You’re right, too. You can’t put your life on hold for his comfort levels, so he’s gotta deal with it.”

Keri nodded, slumping in her seat a little. “I thought he already had, and that’s what kicks me in the guts most about it. He doesn’t need to feel so threatened by me not being around. I wish he’d settle and realise that just because there’ll be times when I’m physically far, my heart is always with him.”

“See, that’s the thing with Angel. He isn’t used to having a girlfriend with that kind of lifestyle. I mean, if he and Lucy had gone the distance, it would have been the same. She’ll likely have to do book tours once her cookbook comes out, she’s very ambitious just like you are, but for Angel, he almost can’t separate that. I think it’s because his own life has been so firmly rooted in Santo Padre. He likes the idea of having someone who’s always there for him, and the idea of them not being so frightens him, brings up everything about his mom’s death,” she explained, Keri nodding deeply.

“I know, and I do feel bad now for yelling at him. Underneath the veneer of big, bad outlaw wolf, he’s a little wounded cub, and I want to make that better for him, but he has to help himself, too. He can’t just explode and think I’ll change my mind because he’s being difficult. I won’t. I love him, he’s the absolute love of my life, but I won’t put that life on hold just to make him feel more secure.”  

It was a tough situation to be in and Sharise sympathised, advising that she should at least try and talk to him again once he returned home later, but that ultimately, she was right. It was Angel’s issue to deal with, not hers. After Keri left to go and pile her laundry into the dryer, Sharise quietly thought to herself that her brother-in-law truly did need to sort out his mess there, because Keri wasn’t the kind of girl who would placate him forever if he continually threw distrust at her, no matter how much she loved him.  

While Keri was sitting at the laundromat awaiting her clothes to dry, she sat and contemplated much the same, a realisation hitting her. This truly was the obelisk, but god, how she hoped it wouldn’t be a fatal disagreement. The saddest part was, though, that she realised only too clearly if Angel couldn’t get his head straight with the idea of her being away from him, it likely would be. She couldn’t handle it, him berating her because of his own insecurity, especially if he was only prepared to overcome it for short periods, before reverting once more to entertaining what her being away stirred within him.

It filled her with nothing but dread, knowing that if this continued, she would have no choice but to walk away from him. It was a bitter pill to swallow, for she loved him with her entire heart, but she saw no choice if he didn’t want to get better, or let in room for healthy growth where his insecurities were concerned.  

Tears prickled her eyes, Keri wiping them quickly, not wanting to draw attention to herself at the instant heartbreak that trying to imagine a life without Angel in it had stirred, reaching for her phone, seriously contemplating for a few moments whether she should contact Luke and tell him she couldn’t make it. She stopped, though, realising that if she did, Angel would know that an outburst would be all it took in the future in order for her to toe the line for the sake of his comfort.  

No matter how much she loved him and wanted to ease his insecurity, she couldn’t do that.  

She wouldn’t do that.  

He was a grown man of thirty-six, her a young woman of twenty-three. He needed to be the one who did better, without her placating him. After her clothes were dry, she loaded up the huge IKEA bag she’d bundled them into, heading home and ironing everything, placing them away in the wardrobe and drawers before fixing herself a late lunch. As much as she tried to stay awake, putting on a Netflix documentary she’d been waiting to have the time to sit down and enjoy in full, she ended up asleep on the sofa, not waking until 9pm.  

Angel still wasn’t home.  

Calling him, the phone rang out, so she sent him a message, asking when he’d be home. By eleven thirty, she could see he’d read it, but hadn’t replied. She tried calling again, the call being cut dead this time after three rings. So, he knew very well she wanted to talk to him, but this was how he was going to deal with it.  

‘Angel, please come home, or call me. We need to talk about this. Love you xx’ The message was read within minutes, but by 1am, he still had neither returned to her or replied.

“Well, this is on you if you’re choosing to behave this way.” The next thing she did was to call up her browser and book a ticket to Utah for the following day. If he wasn’t going to even try with her, then she’d just leave him to it for a while, go and spend some time with the people who she’d missed just as much as she had him, give him time to figure it all out. She didn’t want to spend any further time away, but the fact that she lay alone in bed all night without him returning didn’t give her a lot of options.  

It was 6am when he finally returned, looking worse for wear, his eyes violet with tiredness, his face sour. Especially when he saw her suitcase packed again by the front door. Hurt flashed his eyes as he turned to view her sitting on the couch while he pointed at the luggage. “Where you going?”

“Home,” she replied simply. “If your idea of us fixing this issue is to ignore me and stay out all night, then I’m not gonna stick around to be treated like that. You obviously want some time away from me, Angel, so I’m going to give you that. I don’t want to, I’ve missed you so much and all I want is for us to talk about this, but I think you’ve made your feelings clear there.”

His face darkened, sliding his kutte off and hanging it up, shrugging. “Fine.” The word slipped from his mouth like a biting frost, glaring at her before he walked to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. She could have cried, but she didn’t, following him into the bedroom to retrieve her bag and cell. “Keri just fucking leave me alone.”

“So that’s it, huh? From your perspective, this is how you want to leave things between us?”

He turned to her, his glare fixed in place. “You’re the one doing the leaving.”  

She was staunch in her reply, sighing, closing her eyes tightly for a moment in an attempt to gather herself. “And you’re the one giving me no choice by refusing to talk about it. Angel, I love you so much, but I’m not going to put my life on hold just to make you feel comfortable. You’re a grown man. You really, really need to resolve this within yourself. Me leaving you isn’t me abandoning you. I’m always coming back, because you’re worth coming back to. Because I want to come back to you. If you can’t figure that out or accept it, then I don’t know where we go from here.”

“Apparently you go home.”

“Yeah,” she scoffed bitterly. “Apparently I do.”  

Picking up her bag and cell, she left, her flight not due to depart for three hours, feeling like she had no choice but to leave early. She didn’t want to, every fibre and bone of her being wanted to go and cuddle up to him for an hour before she had to leave, but she couldn’t. He didn’t want her to, much preferring to stew in his own ridiculous handling of the situation.  

The tears she’d successfully managed to hold onto in the house came as soon as she pulled off and drove down the street, wondering truly if that was it for them.  

She hoped to god that it wasn’t.

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 28: The Kitsune’s Deception

''When all alone in my chair, I just go about wishing. Wanna be strong, really wanna be trusted, ahh. When all alone in my bed, I just go about yearning. Wanna be cool, I also wanna be like him. But that's not something I can do so easily. This is not simply my way, my own style. Gotta get a hold of my life! I wanna fly high, so I can reach the highest of all the heavens! Somebody will be waiting for me so I've got to fly higher!''

– Believe In Myself by Sonic Adventure 2

xXxXxXx

Tails hummed as he finished working on his newest disk-like device, smiling in satisfaction as he got off his swivel chair and placed it on the ground, pressing the button on it, with a strange wave pulsing from it consistently. He placed his hands on his hips, ''Looks like the anti-gravity disk works just as intended.''

''Wait a moment before you make any judgement. Last time we tested it, it nearly blasted off the door,'' Warren replied, holding up a scewdriver and Touka's hoverboard. She had asked him a day ago to add an accelerator similar to the one Lucas had, since she too was the partner of a speedster and wanted for her hoverboard to be a little faster. Tails grabbed a wrench and threw it at the anti-gravity field, with the wrench hovering above the disk.

''I think it works just fine,'' Tails responded, picking up the disk and turning it off, ears twitching as he and Warren listened to the news, which they turned on as background noise.

''…reporting live from the Kita Inari Shrine.'' Midorikawa and Kero were on the screen, standing on a path towards an old shrine with a red torii gate structure in front of it and fox statues next to the altar. Tails stepped in front of the screen, watching the news report curiously. ''Currently, a video one of the visitors of the shrine had taken is circulating social media, showing a haunting image of some kind of strange creature or spirit wandering these grounds.''

''Huh? What's going on there?'' Warren joined Tails as they watched the video footage of a bunch of teenagers and ARNavs visiting the shrine during nighttime, only for the group to freak out when they saw dark creature or a spirit approaching them, wailing and crying, only to quickly run away. Once the footage ended, the screen turned back to Midorikawa and Kero, the latter shivering.

''Now, that's quite bone-chilling,'' Kero commented. Tails just frowned, with Warren noting his change of expression.

''What's the matter, Tails?'' he asked. The fox's tails flicked as he turned to Warren.

''I don't think that the shrine is actually haunted,'' Tails replied, crossing his arms on his chest. ''Someone is just playing a mean prank.''

''How would you know that?'' Warren asked. Tails fell silent for a moment, before turning to Warren.

''That's because I used to hang out there before I met you,'' he explained.

''Really?'' Warren was genuinely surprised. Admittedly, aside from what Tails told him about why he kept coming back to the workshop, he didn't really know much about the fox's past. Tails rubbed the back of his head, his tails flicking. It was clear that he was remembering something rather unpleasant.

''Yeah. Remember how I told you about those bully kitsune ARNavs I used to tag along with? They had been tasked to guard the Kita Inari Shrine and guide people who visit it. While they would usually behave nicely whenever in human presence, they're not above playing pranks on people with their strong illusion powers,'' Tails explained.

''I see,'' Warren muttered. ''So, you think it's just them playing pranks on innocent people?''

''Yeah, I do,'' Tails responded in a firm tone.

Warren was silent for a moment as he thought about it, then asked, ''Do you want to go and visit it?''

''Huh?'' Tails was caught off-guard by his question. ''Visit the shrine? Why?''

''You sound really upset by what had happened, so I had figured that you'd want to investigate what is going on. Maybe we could even call Lucas and Sonic to join us,'' Warren suggested. Tails hummed as he thought about Warren's suggestion.

''I'm not sure…'' Tails glanced at the screen. He wasn't too thrilled to revisit a place which gave him a lot of bad memories, but he was interested in investigating what had happened. After all, Sonic would do that. Sonic would tell him to not dwell in the past an encourage him to go on his own adventure, and Tails had to admit, he had to agree with him. He turned to Warren, grinning. ''Okay, but I want it to be just the two of us going on our own adventure.''

''If that's what you want, I'm all for it. I done with Touka's hoverboard anyways, so we can drop it off at her place and go to Kita,'' Warren replied.

''Then I'll prepare everything for the trip,'' Tails responded, his twin-tails spinning as he flew off to where his orange backpack was and started packing. While he wasn't too keen on the idea of confronting his bullies, he felt confident that things would be fine with Warren by his side.

xXx

''So, how much further are we from the Kita Inari Shrine?'' Warren asked, holding his hoverboard under his arm. After dropping off Touka's hoverboard at the Kageura residence, he and Tails went to Kita, arriving at the wooded area before the shrine and deciding to go there on foot. While Warren was several times in the northern part of Neos City, he never went to this area.

''I'd say we have around 5 more minutes,'' Tails responded, walking next to Warren and adjusting his backpack. The path they were on was surrounded by trees and going slightly uphill, and even though it was easy to talk on it, he felt a churning sensation in his stomach. He had to admit that, while he was determined to figure out what was going on, he was still nervous about this whole thing.

''You don't belong here, you freak!''

Tails winced at the memory, shaking his head as his mind was filled with dread. He hated being called a freak just because he was different from the other kitsune, and he did his best to gain their approval by using his intelligence and creating all kinds of devices, but it never worked. That was why he left his place to find a better home. Fortunately, he found one and he was quite happy with Warren, so why again did he agreed to visit this place?

''Tails?'' The twin-tailed fox looked up to see the look of concern on Warren's expression. ''Are you okay?''

''Yeah, I'm just not looking forwards to meeting the other kitsune again. Last time we saw each other, they broke one of my inventions and called me a freak just because I was different from them,'' Tails replied, his ears drooping and his tails flicked anxiously. ''Only because I had two tails and couldn't create any illusions like them…''

''Maybe you're not like them, but that doesn't matter. You're unique, you're my friend and you have people who care about you because of who you are,'' Warren responded. Tails smiled in response, cheering up a little, only for his ears to twitch when they finally arrived at the Kita Inari Shrine. Surprisingly, the area around the shrine was empty, which made Tails immediately suspicious. Warren, however, walked up to the shrine, admiring the fox statues. ''You did say that the kitsune are here to watch over the shrine, right?''

''Yeah…'' Tails murmured, only for the whole area to suddenly light up in blueish-green flames, the fire completely encircling them. Warren gasped, quickly backing away, but Tails walked up to it, his eyes narrowing.

''Tails, what are you doing?'' Warren asked worriedly as Tails put his hand into the fire, but didn't get burned by it.

''As I suspected… This is foxfire – an illusion created by a kitsune ARNav,'' Tails explained, pulling his gloved hand back and then looking up at the top of the shrine. A blue kitsune ARNav with a white tuft of fur on his chest and white gloves that had red markings on them, as well as red shoes that had paw-like toes, was standing on the top of it. ''So, this was your doing, Ao.''

The nine-tailed kitsune ARNav leap from the roof, doing a frontflip and landing in front of the two, with the foxfire illusion suddenly vanishing. ''I thought we chased out of this place.'' He smirked, arms folded across his chest as he observed Tails. ''I see you're still a two-tailed freak. Bet you can't even do any illusions either.''

Tails felt a sting in his chest as he heard his old bully telling him this. He wasn't here even for a minute and the latter immediately started to insult him. Tails took a step back, but then gathered the courage to talk back. ''I see you're still the same bully as you were before.''

''It's not my fault that you cannot handle the truth,'' Ao responded, then glanced at Warren. ''Is this your friend?''

''Yes. His name is Warren,'' Tails responded, glaring at Ao.

Ao then turned to Warren, saying, ''I have a piece of advice for you – don't be friends with weirdos.''

''I also have a piece of advice for you – stop being so rude,'' Warren responded in a deadpan tone.

Ao's eyes narrowed as he stared at Warren for a moment, then turned back to Tails. ''Why have you returned?''

''I heard on the news report that people are seeing monsters at this place, and I assumed that this might be your doing. You and the other kitsune are the only ones able to do something like this,'' Tails responded.

''Tch, so what? It was just a little prank,'' Ao responded in a mocking tone. ''What are you going to do about it, Freak? Snitch on us? It certainly wouldn't be anything groundbreaking.''

Tails glared at Ao for a tense moment, then lowered his head, turning on his heel and walking away. ''Let's go back.''

Warren gave Tails a confused look, wondering what had changed the fox's mind, and followed him down the path. Ao stared at the two as they vanished from his sight, only for his ear to twitch when he heard someone walking up behind him. It was a white kitsune ARNav with a grey tuft of fur on her chest, red-tipped ears and tails, barefoot and wearing a white kimono with red spider lily markings on it, with a red flower tsumami kanzashi adorning her head fur. She held herself in a quite regal and graceful manner.

''Now, now, Ao. That is not how we treat our guests,'' Shiro, the white kitsune ARNav, said. Ao huffed.

''I'm just doing what you had told me to do,'' he responded. ''You said it yourself that you wanted to present yourself only if there is one person there.''

''True…'' Shiro agreed. ''However, I do not believe that this young fox will trouble me. While he certainly has the potential to stand up to people, I do not believe he has the courage to follow through with it.''

''I suppose you want me to fetch them for you,'' Ao said in a snarky tone. Shiro shot him a glare.

''What are you waiting for then?'' she asked, with the blue kitsune groaning and going after Tails and Warren. Shiro observed him as he left, then licked her lips, her purple eyes glinting. A sense of hunger was creeping up again and she needed to satiate it.

xXx

''I feel like coming back to this place was a mistake,'' Tails grumbled as he and Warren walked down the path. ''I thought that Ao may have changed over time, but he's still the same bully he always used to be. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I'm just glad he didn't call any of the other kitsune to support him. They can all be really vicious when they want to be.''

''I'm so sorry you had to go through all that,'' Warren said, feeling sympathy for Tails. ''I suppose that some people don't want to change because they couldn't be bothered with actually reflecting on their behavior.''

''I guess you're right,'' Tails sighed. ''Some people just don't realize how much words can hurt.''

Warren was silent for a moment, then put up a smile, ''You know, their words shouldn't matter. Only you know your own worth, and let me tell you something, you are way better than any of them.''

''Well, if you put it like that…'' Tails said bashfully, rubbing the back of his head, with Warren continuing to hype him up.

''Oh, com'n, you're a genius who can easily build a bunch of amazing gadgets. You are a brave hero who had the courage to stand up to opponents like Dr. Eggman and his army of Badniks. You are my closest friend, partner and confidant, someone who has pulled me up when I was at my lowest, when I believed that I couldn't live up to…'' Warren trailed off for a moment, shaking his head. ''Well, you know what I mean. I know that some people operate by the saying about how a stick standing out from the crowd will be struck but lightning, but in this case, you should be true to yourself.''

Tails grinned widely, and his twin-tails flicked, with him taking off and hovering next to Warren. ''You're right, I should be true to myself, and you know what else – I don't really stand out that much when I'm with my friends,'' he said proudly. ''Just look at Sonic – he has super speed and he lives his life just the way he wants. Or Knuckles! He's very good at combat and doesn't let anyone boss him around. Or Amy, who is very kind and very scary with her hammer. Or Silver, who has psychic powers and comes form the future and wants to protect it even if he's stuck in a time he's unfamiliar with. Or Shadow, who is really powerful and aloof and distant, but is a good friend once you get to know him better. All of them are so different, yet we're all good friends – a team!''

''Exactly, but you forgot one person,'' Warren told him, with Tails giving him a confused look.

''Who?''

''Yourself, of course! I don't believe that we would be able to achieve half of anything we've done without your help,'' Warren replied. Tails grinned pridefully, even chuckling.

''Thank you so much for the encouragement. I can't believe that it took me for so long to realize that. It feels like a switch had flipped,'' Tails replied.

''Considering how long you had been bullied, I'm not surprised. It takes a lot of time and support to heal, and some mental scars never fade,'' Warren responded.

''You're right. All I can do is keep on moving,'' Tails said, fist-pumping. Warren smirked, folding his arms across his chest.

''I bet you got that one from Sonic,'' he said. Tails just chuckled in response.

''Yeah, I sort of did. I really look up to him a lot,'' he replied, remembering fondly Sonic's amazed look when Tails had showed him his inventions.

''I think we're close to it…''

''What do you think we'll find?''

Tails and Warren suddenly stopped, hearing familiar voices and then spotting two figures coming up the path. To their surprise, it were Minami and Amy.

''Hey, guys!'' Tails greeted him, drawing their attention.

''Tails, Warren, hey! What are you doing here?'' Amy asked, looking happy to see them, with Tails landing in front of her.

''We could ask you two the same question,'' Warren replied.

''Oh, you know me – if there is some kind of mystery and/or conspiracy, I'll investigate it,'' Minami replied.

''As well as drag me along,'' Amy quipped, giving Minami a knowing look, who just smiled back sheepishly in response.

''In any case, we've heard about the rumors of there being monsters around the Kita Inari Shrine, so we decided to check it out,'' Minami explained. ''I guess you two were here for the same reason.''

''Yeah, and we can confirm that those monsters are an illusion created by the kitsune who are supposed to guard the shrine as a prank,'' Tails explained.

''Huh, I guess at least one part of the mystery was solved,'' Amy said, turning to Minami, who nodded in response.

''Wait, do you want to say that there's more to it?'' Warren asked.

''Well, it depends… Amy and I did some research and we learned that people who had suffered from an Irregular attack were found in this area,'' Minami explained.

''Really?'' Tails asked, surprised.

''They were found comatose with their BioEnergy drained. That's a textbook Irregular attack,'' Amy replied. ''They're lucky they had been found. It doesn't look like a lot of people pass through this area.''

''I see,'' Tails replied, frowning. He was a little worried that Ao and the other kitsune had something to do with the attacks, even though none of them were Irregulars. ''Maybe we should go back to the shrine and ask Ao and the others about that.''

''Good idea. Maybe they know something about the Irregular attacks,'' Warren agreed.

''Tails, are you familiar with this place?'' Amy asked.

''Yeah, I sort of used to live here, but left,'' Tails replied, flying up. ''Follow me!''

Warren, Minami and Amy immediately went after Tails. Unknown to either of them, there were observed by someone else; a certain blue hedgehog hiding in the bushes.

''I wonder what's going on,'' Sonic muttered under his breath as he observed them leaving. He was on one of his usual runs through the neighborhood when he saw Tails and Warren leaving the Kageura home (he still had to get used to the fact that he and Shadow were living in the same neighborhood), so he decided to just follow them around for a bit. He also overheard Tails' conversation with Ao, and was debating whether he should show himself when Amy and Minami appeared. ''I could go help them out, but maybe I should leave this one to Tails. He knows more than I do and I can easily keep an eye on them. This should be his adventure.''

Having made his decision, Sonic then fist-pumped and quickly rushed towards the shrine.

xXx

Arriving at the Kita Inari Shrine, Tails, Warren, Amy and Minami started looking around for Ao or any of the other kitsune. ''Ao? Aka? Momo? Haiiro? Kuro? Anyone here? We need to talk to you!'' Tails called out the names of the other kitsune, but no one responded. ''Hello? Guys?'' He was confused when no one responded. ''I don't get it. Usually, someone would appear by now…''

''Why are you back?'' Ao suddenly appeared on the top of the shrine, his nine tails flicking and swishing as he glared down at them, specificially at Tails.

''My friends want to talk to you and the rest of the kitsune,'' Tails explained as Ao leapt down in front of him, pointing at Amy and Minami.

''The name is Minami and this is Amy,'' Minami introduced them to Ao, who gave the two a scrutinizing look.

''So, you're the losers who are hanging out with the weirdo?'' Ao asked, pointing at Tails. Minami and Amy glared at the kitsune, with Amy stepping up angrily.

''What's up with the sudden name calling? Why are you being so rude?'' she asked. Ao just rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.

''Let's get to the point. What do you want to know?'' he asked, clearly annoyed.

''We have heard that people have been found comatose and drained of their BioEnergy in this area. Have you seen any Irregulars here?'' Minami asked, direct as usual. Ao's eyes widened in shock, a reaction all four of them have noticed. Minami clicked her tongue. ''Aha, so you do know something!''

''Y-You're wrong,'' Ao grumbled, his bravado quickly fading. ''I-I don't know anything about any Irregulars…''

''You are so bad at being a kitsune, Ao.'' Everyone looked towards the shrine, with Shiro walking around it and revealing herself to everyone. ''A kitsune should be deceptive, cunning, always keeping their opponents in the dark in regards to their true nature. You have failed at being who you are supposed to be. Such a disgrace.''

''Who are you? I haven't seen you here before,'' Tails asked the white and red kitsune, feeling tense.

''Oh, where are my manners…'' Shiro suddenly snapped her fingers, with rings of blue fire appearing around Tails, Warren, Amy and Minami, restraining them. ''My name is Shiro the Kyuubi no Kitsune.'' She started to walk towards Tails, who shot her a glare. She started circling around him, in a dance-like fashion, as if she was performing a nihon-buyō, elegant, precise and ethereal. ''I have heard about you from the former Kita Inari Shrine guardians, young Miles Prower, but I never had the delight to meet you in person. All I know is that you have a genius intellect, but you lack the powers of a true kitsune, and that was one of the many reasons why you had abandoned this place.''

''You're right, but that still doesn't explain… Wait, former?'' Tails rose an eyebrow, staring at Shiro in confusion, who smiled in response. He then turned to Ao for an explanation, but the blue kitsune just looked away, unable to look him in the eyes.

''Indeed,'' Shiro rose her hand, hiding her smile with the sleeve of her kimono. ''No matter their number or their strength, they were no match for me. It is quite tragic to see such raw passion be extinguished, but it had to be done. They were in my way, and Ao was the only one to recognize that he was no match for my power, so he surrendered. Smart move.''

Tails' eyes widened and he stared at Ao in shock. ''S-So, everyone is…''

''Dead. Deleted.'' Shiro's purple eyes glowed as she was reminded of her victory. ''They were no match for my skills. However, I had decided to be merciful and spare Ao as he begged for his life. I had assumed that I might need a servant in the future, and Ao has been fulfilling his role as expected.''

''So, you're the Irregular that had been draining people of their BioEnergy!'' Minami accused her. Shiro just exhaled, as if irked by Minami's loudness, giving the teenager a bored look.

''You are correct in your assumption. Ao had been using his illusion powers to separate my victims by creating monsters from the depths of their nightmares, giving me the opportunity to feed on them one by one. Of course, I could not show myself when there were multiple people, as they might have been able to deduce that I am not a regular ARNav, so I stayed in the shadows,'' Shiro responded.

''Okay, so what has changed? Why have you shown yourself to us?'' Warren asked.

''Is it not obvious?'' Shiro smirked. ''I will not let any of you leave alive.''

Warren, Minami  and Amy exchanged looks of concern, while Tails was glaring daggers at Ao. ''How could you?! You put people in danger because you were too much of a coward to fight back!''

''I was trying to survive!'' Ao screamed back, his eyes wide as he was shaking viciously. ''Lady Shiro had annihilated everyone, a-and I had no choice- I had to do this! I couldn't-''

''All that time, I was thinking about what you had told me, Ao. You and the others called me a freak, destroyed my inventions, and eventually forced me to leave because you claimed that I didn't belong here,… and now I understand that I really don't belong with you, with any of you,'' Tails said, using his twin-tails to reach for his backpack and grab his boomerang, using it to cut through the blue flame-like restraint, much to Ao and Shiro's surprise. ''Because unlike you, I'm not a coward who runs away from battles!''

He threw his boomerang, which homed right into Warren, Amy and Minami, cutting through their restrains as well, freeing them. Tails, who was still glaring daggers at Ao, caught it without looking and pointed it at him and Shiro. ''I don't care if you managed to defeat the other kitsune, you will never beat me!''

''Tch, so you decided to fight back?'' Shiro's eyes narrowed, before turning to a stunned Ao. ''What are you waiting for? This is your moment to redeem yourself!''

''Ah, right…'' Ao nodded. Tails glanced towards Amy as she summoned her hammer.

''Amy, you and Minami go after Shiro, since you were after the Irregular in the first place,'' he said, turning his gaze towards Ao. ''I have unfinished business with Ao.''

''Got it!'' Amy nodded and charged right towards Shiro. Meanwhile, Tails turned to Ao, who summoned a wall of foxfire flames, sending them towards the twin-tailed fox.

''That won't work!'' Tails threw the boomerang at the flames, slashing through them and flew towards Ao while grabbing his laser gun from his backpack. ''I know all of your tricks, but you don't know any of mine!''

He fired at Ao, who rolled to the side, shocked to see a small crater in the dirt where the laser blast hit it. His pupils shrunk as he looked up, seeing a livid Tails hovering above him, catching the boomerang and pointing his laser gun at him. Ao's eyes glowed and suddenly, a monstrous black and red fox-like beast appeared, pouncing at Tails and opening its jaws, saliva dripping from its sharp teeth. Tails wasn't afraid of the beast, simply pointing his gun at the beast and blasting its head off, the illusion breaking apart. He then threw the boomerang again, hitting Ao in the head and knocking him over. Ao only had the time to recover from the pain in his head before being confronted with a laser gun to his face and a furious Tails.

''You are no match for me, so stay out of this fight,'' Tails told him angrily, with Ao just staring at him in shock. He never knew that his victim was even able to fight like this. He certainly never did when he and the other kitsune confronted him.

''Tails!'' The twin-tailed fox looked towards Amy, who was blocking a crescent blue flame with her hammer, Shiro standing further away from her, laughing under the fan she had summoned. She then turned towards Tails, chuckling as she rose her fan.

''Dance of the Foxflame!'' She waved her fan down, sending more of fiery crescents towards Tails, who quickly flew to the side, watching in shock as the crescent blades tore through the branches, leaving quite a damage.

''That is not regular foxfire,'' Tails muttered to himself, sweatdropping and gritting his teeth as he turned to Shiro. Amy was charging towards the kyubi no kitsune, holding up her hammer high and bringing it down towards Shiro. However, the nine-tailed fox vanished, revealing herself to be an illusion, with the real deal appearing right behind her. Before Amy could even react, Shiro sent more of the crescent blades towards Amy, tearing into her back and sending her flying face-first into a tree.

''Amy!''

Minami screamed, running up to her partner, who was lying down on the ground, motionless. Amy cried out in pain as Minami cradled her, while Shiro, looking quite satisfied, turned her attention towards Tails. ''I suppose this is a better match up. However, to make sure that nobody interferes…'' Shiro's purple eyes started to glow, a pair of demonic fox spirits, even more ferocious than the ones Ao had summoned, appeared. One turned towards Minami and Amy, while the other focused on Warren. ''While I have serious doubts in regards to your precious technology holding up against my illusions, I am still looking forward to seeing you in action.''

Tails turned to Warren, noting the desperate look on his expression. According to their earlier conversation, it was clear that Shiro had been empowered by the BioEnergy she had absorbed and that they would need Chaos Surge if they wanted to match her power. So, Tails flew towards Warren, much to Shiro's chagrin.

''Stay and face me!'' she shouted, sending another barrage of fiery crescent blades towards Tails, cutting off his path and forcing him to fly up. Tails threw his boomerang at her, with Shiro easily swatting it away with her fan. Tails pointed his laser gun at her, firing several times, but Shiro was much faster than anticipated, dodging every of his attacks.

Due to Tails being kept busy by Shiro, Warren knew that it was up to him to get to his partner, but his path was blocked by the fox demon that Shiro had summoned. Warren had to leap to the side to avoid the demon clawing at him, and as he looked up, his eyes widened in realization when the fox demon was about to bite off his head. He closed his eyes, aware than he couldn't dodge this one, only to suddenly hear a thunk and a whine, and when he looked up again, the fox demon was nowhere to be seen.

Unknown to Warren, Sonic had actually spin dashed into the fox demon, dragging it into the nearby bushes with a rather angry look on his expression as he faced it. ''I did tell myself to leave this to Tails, but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to defend my friends.''

Meanwhile, Minami managed to help Amy up, the latter still being shaky on her legs. ''Are you okay?''

''I-I just got caught off guard,'' Amy responded, her back aching. She grabbed her hammer, facing the fox demon in front of them. She and Minami exchanged glances, then nodded wordlessly.

''Chaos Surge!''

With Amy recovering from her injuries and Minami gaining an energy hammer in return, both faced the fox demon as it charged towards them, opening his jaws. Both sides clashed, but Minami and Amy managed to overpower the fox demon, sending it flying into a tree. However, it recovered moments later, turning towards them again.

As for Tails, he was weaving between the crescent blades, trying to figure out a plan in order to counter Shiro. He spotted Warren running towards him, then smirked as he reached for his backpack, grabbing the anti-gravity disk, turning it on and throwing it at Shiro. The kyubi no kitsune stared at it for a split second, only for her to be launched into the air screaming.

''Nice!'' Warren almost laughed when he saw Shiro flailing her arms as she was kept floating in the air. She looked all but graceful as she tried to break out of the anti-gravity field, only to fall hard on the ground once it vanished. Tails chuckled as he saw this, while Shiro tried to get up, furious.

''You- You will pay for this!'' she screamed, looking disheveled. In response, Tails and Warren just reached out for each other.

''Chaos Surge!''

Empowered by Warren's BioEnergy, Tails held up his hand, releasing a blue EMP field that covered all of his surroundings. To everyone's surprise, the fox demon beasts whimpered and suddenly disappeared, as if the EMP field had somehow affected them despite being illusions. Furious, Shiro waved with her fan and sent another barrage of fiery crescent blades, only for Tails to quickly fly around them and releasing another wave of EMP which cancelled them out. He smiled, looking amazed by what he had just done. ''Fascinating!''

Shiro trembled, realizing that she was at a disadvantage. She had no clue what was going on or how Tails was even countering her powers, and given how Warren, Amy and Minami approached her, as well as Ao being completely useless, she knew that the only thing that was left was for her to retreat.

''This is not the last time you've seen me!''

Shiro created a wave of blue flames, which turned into a vortex, and then disappeared. Tails and Amy de-powered, not too happy about Shiro just vanishing, but they were still glad that she was gone.

''I think we should call the Hunters to search around the area. I doubt they'll find her, but at least an official report will keep people alerted,'' Amy said, turning to Minami, who nodded in response.

''At least one mystery was solved,'' Minami said, agreeing with her.

Meanwhile, Tails approached Ao, who was shocked by what had just happened. ''H-How did you- I thought…''

''I may not have illusion powers, but that doesn't mean that I'm powerless,'' Tails replied. Ao still just stared at him. ''It all can be explained by science.''

''Oh, right…'' Ao muttered.

''So, what are you going to do now?'' Tails asked him. Ao was silent, not answering. Tails shook her head, his eyes narrowing. ''Why haven't you told anyone about Shiro? I'm sure the Irregular Hunters could've handled her.''

''Stop acting like you know better!'' Ao snarled at Tails. ''You are still just a little freak and I want nothing to do with you!''

Tails winced, stepping back as he saw Ao completely breaking down. He was approached by Amy, who placed her hand on his shoulder. ''Are you okay?''

''I am,'' Tails replied in a quiet tone. He wasn't sure how to feel about Ao's breakdown over what had happened, and he knew that he couldn't help the kitsune anymore. He had no idea what might happen to him when the Hunters learn what had had done, but despite this being someone who bullied him for a long time, he still felt pity for him. He and Amy walked away, joining Warren and Minami.

''You were awesome out there,'' Warren said. Tails smiled in response.

''Thanks! I can't wait to tell Sonic about this,'' he said excitedly, his eyes lighting up. His gaze then lowered for a moment. ''Although, I wonder where Shiro went. What if she hurts more people?''

''Then we'll find her and stop her!'' Minami said in a determined tone. ''I don't think she'll be returning to the Kita Inari Shrine so soon.''

''I hope you're right,'' Tails said, smiling back. Unknown to the group, Sonic was sitting on a branch in a tree high above them, gazing happily Tails.

''I'm really proud of you, little bro.''

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[marvelmadam08]

The Stark and The Fury-ous

Part of 100 Days of Marvel

Prompt 13: One more slick comment out of you and I swear... 

Synopsis: Years after Goose coughed up the tesseract, Jennifer Fury has become an agent at S.H.I.E.L.D (despite her uncle's wishes) and catches Tony's attention.

A/N: I’ve been sitting on this one for a while, mainly because I didn’t think it was good enough. I wrote this a little after Endgame came out, but it’s set between Ironman 2 and Avengers. Should Jennifer Fury get her own set of drabbles?

~~~~~

“Have you lost your God given mind?” Fury marched into his niece’s room

“Have you learned that you need to update your security codes? Honestly hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D intel is getting boring these days.” Jennifer rested her feet on the wall next to her bed, her laptop sitting on her stomach, now trying to get through another firewall “I didn’t read anything, just skimming."

“Do you remember that peaceful three months when before I was the director and you were on your best behavior?”

“Because you were trying to kiss The Council’s ass for the Director position and needed to look good?"

“One more slick comment out of you and I swear I’ll put you in jail next time you feel bored.” Fury moved closer towards Jennifer “What are you doing?”

“In a nutshell? Playing tag with another hacker. And right now I'm winning."

Fury watched Jennifer's fingers type furiously over the keyboard, still confused about how she kept up with the rapidly changing screen and codes. She's been like this ever since she was young, her mind moving faster than other people could process. She just always got into trouble with her mother, teachers, and law enforcement. Then after she witnessed Goose throw up the tesseract, she was tossed right in the middle of everything S.H.I.E.L.D, which Fury didn't find pleasing at all.

"Why don't you go outside, find some friends?"

"You're my friend Uncle Nick. Damn it!" She sat up, the screen on her laptop wiped off all information "Don't believe this, everything is gone!"

"What do you mean?"

"My files, my research, even my damn music. Do you know how hard it is to find Beyonce's full albums?"

"Well I don't wanna say I told you so."

"You love saying that. Damn it, Stark!"

"Stark? You were trying to hack into Stark Industries? Jennifer, you've done a lot of stupid stuff but this-"

"Is impressive." Jennifer and Fury turned to the door. Tony was leaning against the door frame, showing his phone screen with all of Jennifer's information on it. "So in order to gain my trust, S.H.I.E.L.D gets someone to hack into my system?" He asked

"Stark, this was not permitted by S.H.I.E.L.D this was-"

"Me, trying to keep you out of S.H.I.E.L.D database Mr. Stark." Jennifer stood to her feet "Maybe you'd like to explain why I found traces of your codes trying to override S.H.I.E.L.D's?"

Fury raised an eyebrow at Stark. Tony smirked.

"I like knowing who I'm potentially working for." He looked to Fury "The firewall is weak, you should really update it Fury."

"I'm working on it." Jennifer replied, eyeing her uncle "Would help if I wasn't being reprimanded all the time."

"You stick your nose in places it's not supposed to be and you'll end up finding something you don't like." Fury shot back

"I'm sorry- didn't I just keep S.H.I.E.L.D intel private? You're welcome, Director."

Tony looked back and forth between Jennifer and Fury, jumping to the first conclusion he came to.

"Did I just walk into a father-daughter thing?"

"He's not my father." Jennifer corrected "Now give me my stuff back."

"You know, not many people could get that far pass my security codes. How'd you manage it?" Tony stepped up to Jennifer

"You're not the only genius in the world Stark."

Tony turned to Fury. "She joining the team too?"

"Absolutely not. She's a desk agent, a hacker, not active duty." Fury shook his head, if he couldn't keep Jennifer out of S.H.I.E.L.D, he could damn we'll make sure she stayed out The Avengers

Jennifer rolled her eyes at her overprotective and dramatic uncle. She hadn't really thought about joining The Avengers, but she was interested in how her uncle was going to pull it off.

"Well, we could always use another genius on the team, just my opinion." Tony shrugs

"You tried to get access to S.H.I.E.L.D files and now you have an opinion?"

"I do it all the time, in fact I have several suggestions for your little project." Jennifer stated proudly "Yours too Stark. That arc reactor is amazing tech and the suit, don't get me started."

"I like her." Tony extended his hand to her "Call me Tony."

"Jennifer or Jenn, never Jenny." She shook his hand “I look forward to working with you. Despite what Director Fury over here thinks, I’m very professional.”

“Does he give you and extra juice box before naptime whenever you are?” Tony chuckles “Come by my office later this week, we’ll talk.” he went to pull away when Jennifer yanked him back into place

“Fix my laptop first.” 

“Just turn it off and turn it back on. It’ll reboot, I’m not a monster.” he rolls his eyes before finally taking his leave

“What are you up to?” Fury watches his niece mess with her laptop again

“Making friends.” Jennifer smirks at him once more “And if I spend time with him, I could keep him away from finding out about your plans for the tesseract.”

Fury opened his mouth to object to Jennifer’s accusations but she turned the screen around, showing the early stage plans for ‘Phase Two’.

“You don’t know what’s out there in the universe.” he told her

“I might not, but I do know that if Stark, the former weapons manufacturer turned Earth’s defender, sees this; you run the risk of a mutiny Captain.”

Fury scratched his chin. “Can you keep it buried?”

“I can do my best, but I’m going to need full control of creating the new security system. Afterwards you won’t hear a peep out of me over the next two months.”

“Not a peep?”

“I mean except for our lunch dates.”

“Sounds like a deal.” he extended his hand out 

[ecsundance]

#4 The Last Two Days of Sundance

My last days of sundance have been a great culmination of my time in Park City. At the very beginning of the course when we were all still in St Petersburg Florida a comment about the festival stuck with me. The comment was that there are many films that are at Sundance and there a lot of them are probably not good and should not be seen. I was worried that one of the films I picked would be that, a film that is unfortunately just not good. Thankfully the films I picked to screen were good and I enjoyed the majority of them. The only film that I was not a huge fan of was Being (a Digital Grito). The experience felt very targeted and I was not the one they were trying to target. The pacing of the experience felt jumbled and off. I think I would have felt differently toward the expressive poem portion if they had switched the discussion and background of the AI part to the beginning and then the AI could have done the poem wrapping up the experience. Despite some aspects of the experience, I think it is an interesting experimental/interactive film. 

After seeing Being in the morning I saw the documentary on Frida Kalo. It was an extremely visually appealing showing. They had taken writings from her diaries and animated them into text and had a voice-over reading them. This documentary brought to light so many aspects of her life that I had never known about. Watching the film, it opened my eyes to a newer and deeper understanding of her paintings. She pushed through the struggles and heartaches in her life and channeled it into her artwork. I enjoyed this style of documentary, I feel like it fits the creative style of Frida Kalo.

After I saw Frida I saw another documentary film later that night. This documentary was more like mainstream documentaries. This film was named God Save Texas: HomeTown Prison, it is an episodic meaning that it is one film in a series. This series in particular consisted of three episodes about different societal issues in different parts of Texas. The episode that I saw was the first in the series and focused on the prison system in the director's hometown, it specifically talked about the death penalty and how it has affected the members of the town and those who work in the prison system. Even though I am not from Texas I did grow up down the road from a prison. I found the documentary informative in telling the wilder audience the real effect that the death penalty has on a community. 

On the last day I had films I started with Never Look Away, a documentary on the life of the photojournalist Margaret Moth. This was such an inspirational story of her life and a beautiful tale of perseverance and stubborn strength. I had never heard of Margaret before and did not know how incredible she was as a camerawoman. Her story definitely needed to be told and this was a beautifully raw look into her character told by the people closest to her, she was simply unapologetic, and because of that the world was able to see the devastations of war and its effects on the innocent. On the other side of a beautiful story showing the strength and vulnerability of two people, is Skywalkers: A Love Story. This was not just a visually stunning documentary about two people with a passion for scaling tall buildings, it is also a story of a young woman learning to trust and learning to fall in love. The film follows Angela Nikolau and Vanya Kuznetsov through their journey separate and together in their career of skywalking. We watch as they gear up to scale the world's tallest and last skyscraper. It is so easy to become invested in both of their incredible stories that in one inspirational moment of triumph the entire theater applauded for Angela and Vanya. I was in awe of the unconventional beauty displayed within these two films, they were both so inspiring.

-Molly Raymo

[sweetmusingss]

Don watched you curiously when hearing what you said, finding it very interesting. "Huh," he said, not realizing that he had said it out loud. He smirked to himself as he watched you trying to focus on cleaning even though the machine looked clean enough to him. "I get why I am so protective since she's my sister-in-law and is like a little sister to me. But it sounds like you're willing to stand up for her too and I am just wondering why that is. That's not really like you," he said. Of course Don knew you were a good guy and you'd always do the right thing but you usually didn't get so involved with people and caring about their romantic history.

Seb looked up when Don said 'huh', furrowing his brow. "What? Don't start assuming stuff... she's a nice girl and she has a little son for christ sake. She doesn't need anyone causing her problems and this awful ex husband is being disgusting... you know how I feel about that sort of stuff." Seb was clearly in his feelings about the entire situation but he didn't think he was, thinking he was coming off all cool and nonchalant when in reality, it was the total opposite vibe he was giving off. "She's nice. She doesn't belong here in Stars Hollow with all these deadbeat people... she's just different and I don't think she deserves the nonsense that is happening to her... that's all. Nothing more, nothing else. Don't start getting any ideas, man."

__

Frank furrowed his brows slightly when seeing your lock screen photo, not saying much about it. He just found it interesting because he clearly had such a good thing going on with you but yet the other woman in the photo hated him and he couldn't figure out why. He chuckled softly to himself from your comment, putting his number in and showing you he had put his contact name in as 'Only Sugar Daddy😈' before he handed your phone back to you. "And what am I supposed to put you in my phone as? Tiffany doesn't seem right to me.. You don't even have to tell me your last name and I won't call you your name here where anyone could hear.. But I really want to feel like I know you a little better. You call me 'Frankie' and you're the only person that calls me that. You have a nickname for me and I don't even know your name, love," he says, squeezing your thigh gently. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable but I just want to know you a little better," he smiled softly at you, hoping that you knew that you could trust him. "I love the idea of a sign, though. However, I might just get it tattooed that I'm your property," he teased even though he knew he would be very capable of getting a tattoo for you.

I can’t help but giggle as I see the contact name, deciding to keep it like that. It was silly and Frank put it there and it felt special somehow. I couldn’t help but think about how in the future his contact name might change to something more romantic. I press the call button so Frank would have my number, biting my lip as I watch him open the contact app so he could add me. I never told anyone my real name anymore, hating being known like that besides for Emma and my friends outside the club. “Renee. My name is Renee.” I tuck some hair behind my ear shyly, feeling good that I finally told him my name. “I’d want you to get ‘Renee’s Property’ right across your lower back, a sexy little tramp stamp.”

[anthonysstupiddailyblog]

Anthony’s Stupid Daily Blog (374): Sun 26th Mar 2023

Two more fucking shifts to go then three days off and then off to LA for WrestleMania and the LA Lakers! The fucking taxi turned up 12 minutes late this morning even though I’d booked it at 6 this morning. Jesus Christ I reluctantly decided to start paying extortionate prices to get to work while the bike is incapacitated because I couldn’t trust the buses to be on time but now it appears that I can’t trust the taxis either! The cunt showed up at 7:42, 18 minutes before I was due to start work. Then he pissed me off even more because he just proceeded as if he had been on time, no apology, no explanation and even tried to exchange pleasantries with me. He asked me what time I was into and I just barked “HALF SIX” at him. A little further down the road he commented on the potholes in the slip road I have to take to get to work saying the council should’ve tarmacked over them by now and literally milliseconds before he’d finished saying “by now” I responded with an aggressive “Mmm”. I think this time he got the message that I was annoyed and so he just stayed quiet for the remainder of the journey. Annoyingly he didn’t ask me what time I started because I was ready to bark back at him “EIGHT. That’s why I booked this taxi for half seven!”. This cunt almost made me late for the first time ever and left me out of pocket but I have just slagged him off…in a blog…so in many ways I’ve more than gotten my revenge. 

The stuff they gave us to stow this morning was fucking shit! It was all big stuff and all the pods we were being sent were for small things. At the start of the shift I noticed that one of the trolleys was filled with big heavy shit that has clearly been put there because it was too heavy and needed to be assessed by the problem solvers so I moved it near the window for them to look at when they got here. The lass who was supposed to be bringing me stuff from the conveyor belt to stow fetched the one with the heavy shit that I had put next to the window. I motioned to tell her that it was heavy shit for the problem solvers but she just walked away. Thankfully I was only in stow for the first stretch before I got told to go down to outbound shipping and I’ve never been more tempted to kiss a computer screen in my life because I didn’t want to be on this all day. In my lunch break I asked in the app about the contracts being extended 

but I haven’t heard anything. And to cap off a day that it feels like was specifically crafted to annoy me the Lakers lost to the fucking Bulls tonight. This should have been a battering. The Bulls should have had their bloodied, exhausted corpses swept off the court by the cleaning staff at the end of this full on melee at the hands of the Lakers but somehow they not only won but they slaughtered the Lakers for most of the game. I can’t fucking believe this. The Lakers WERE in eighth place and all they had to do was destroy the Bulls twice in successive games and they’d have been a lock for the playoffs but they couldn’t even get that right! At the moment I think that the Lakers’ only chance of making the playoffs is if the opposing teams book a taxi to get to the arenas and they happen to be driven by the cunt driver I got this morning and they end up forfeiting for being 2 hours late! 

[barnesafterglow]

she lives in daydreams with me

summary: your best friends thinks she has a solution to your problem

pairing: wanda maximoff x fem!reader

word count: 1.4k

warnings: college au, reader is bisexual, another cameo bc apparently that's my niche, phone/facetime sex, f masturbation (duh), soft dom!wanda, mommy kink question mark, praise, this is not based off real life unless it is ykwim

a/n: hi this is my first time writing wlw smut so please go easy on me. i'm almost done with my kinktober prompts! i hope you all have enjoyed them, and reblog and comments are very appreciated!

you can follow @theafterglowlibrary to stay updated on when i post 🤍

kinktober masterlist ─ main masterlist

“I think you just need to get laid, you know?”

You rolled your eyes, entirely unamused with her suggestion. Of course you needed to get laid, but she didn’t have to say it out loud. She saw the eye roll clearly through the computer screen, which sent her into a fit of laughter.

“Yeah, yeah, thanks for that,” was your response. “Any suggestions for that? Because the entire population of New York City seems to think I’m a leper who can’t be touched.”

“Have you even tried?”

“I downloaded Tinder.”

“Did you make a profile?”

“Well, no.”

“Okay then.”

The two of you had this conversation every handful of months, after you had broken things off with another “friends with benefits” situation and were sick of not getting off whenever you wanted.

“I’m just saying, babe,” she started off gently, which you knew was a load of bullshit, “you always know where you can go for help.”

“I’m not hooking up with Barnes again.” She was forever trying to get you to go out with your neighbor - who you had already spent the night with on more than one occasion. “We’re better off as friends.”

“You can’t be just friends with a man like that. I mean from what you told me about his -”

“Okay!” you said, cutting her off. “We were talking about your terrible suggestion and how there’s no solution?”

“I just think you need someone who knows. Someone you know would be good to you.”

“Yeah? Like who?”

“Like me.”

You had been taking a sip of the water, and it took every ounce of self control you had to keep from spewing it all over your laptop.

It’s not that it had never crossed your mind. Wanda was beautiful and was definitely good in bed - you had shared an apartment with her long enough, before she decided to study abroad, to know that she kept her girlfriends satisfied. She had also been your best friend since you were in diapers and you’d never wanted to jeopardize that.

But the way she was looking at you now, you could see the darkness in her green eyes even through the screen, and suddenly you had never wanted anyone more.

“I - really?” You expected her to laugh and say just kidding! and you would move on like nothing happened, but instead she just bit her lip and nodded.

Well fuck.

“You’re halfway across the world, Wan.” She was in Vienna at the moment, studying art culture or whatever it is that went on in her brain. “I can’t wait until you get back.”

“Who says you have to wait?” And oh wasn’t that something. “Do you trust me?”

Your answer was immediate. “Of course.”

“Then why don’t you take your clothes off and go sit on your bed?”

It felt like your heart was pounding out of your chest. You couldn’t believe this was your Wanda. Your Wanda. Maybe she would be after tonight.

You turned your head back towards your bed; the way your laptop was placed on your desk, there would be a perfect view of you from the camera. Like you were putting on a show.

For a moment, you hesitated. Were you really going to cross this line? Was it worth the risk?

And, yeah, Wanda was worth anything.

So you stood up, slowly pushing your desk chair in and setting gingerly on the end of your bed. You took your shorts off first, exposing the pink panties with a little bow on the front. Call it fate, but Wanda had always said they made your ass look fantastic.

You spread your legs just a little, enough to be seductive but not enough to show anything - yet.

Then you played with the hem of your shirt, teasing it up to show the skin of your stomach before dropping the material. Just as you were about the material over your head, her voice came through the speakers.

“Don’t tease, baby. Let me see you.”

Your core was molten lava. She had called you a lot of nicknames over the years, some affectionate, some funny, and some that were so off the wall you would never know where they came from. But baby was new. Baby had you squeezing your thighs together. Baby would be the only thing you ever responded to for the rest of your life.

The shirt came off, flying to some corner of your room, and your chest was bare to her. Her intake of breath served to make you self conscious and confident at the same time. It wasn’t the first time she had seen you naked - and you were sure it wouldn’t be the last - but those times had always been a platonic sense, at least mostly. 

But now she was staring at you like she wanted to eat you alive, and you had never wanted her to be home more than you did in that moment.

You slipped your hands under the waistband of your underwear, ready to expose yourself in an entirely new way, when you looked up to see her completely stripped down. You could feel the puddle forming in your panties immediately.

“You didn’t think I was going to let you have all the fun, did you?” She had a cheshire smile on her face, laced with lust and love and wonder, and suddenly you weren’t nervous anymore. 

Your panties came off and the two of you took a moment just to soak in the sight of the other.

Wanda was beautiful - perfect tits topped with rosy pink nipples, smooth skin all the way down to her core, and the prettiest pussy you had ever seen.

Her hands wandered and your eyes followed, dumbstruck, as they settled on her inner thighs. Your gaze flicked up to her face, where she seemed to be waiting patiently.

It was like you had forgotten you even had a body, you were so mesmerized by her that even the thought of anything else was a far off dreamland.

But you knew what she wanted, so you slipped your underwear and spread your legs wide, mirroring her movements.

“Now let me see you open yourself for me. Start with one finger, let me see how tight you are.”

Following her words were like second nature, and you leaned back on one elbow on your bed, the other hand circling your clit, before sinking one finger into yourself, starting to move slowly. When you looked up, you saw Wanda was doing the same.

It ripped a moan from your body, a noise you had never made before, and she smiled wickedly.

“Yeah, baby, you like that? You’re doing such a good job. Why don’t you add another finger for me?”

You did as she asked, letting another finger join the first while you pumped in and out of yourself. When she asked you for another, you quickly obliged, then doing the same when she told you to lay back and use the other hand to play with your clit.

And every move you made, you moaned at the sight of Wanda doing the same, until the only noises were breathy moans and the wetness of your bodies. 

It was almost instinct to ask for permission once you felt the coil in your stomach on the verge of snapping.

“Mo- Wanda, please, let me come.”

She wasn’t in the mood to tease you, it seemed, because she gasped a yes and followed you over the edge.

Once you came down, you sat up, taking in her flushed face and the redness that spread all the way down to her chest, then looked her right in the eyes and sucked your own juices from your fingers.

She smiled, pleased, and you again mirrored her. There was no awkwardness, you didn’t think there ever could be with her, and you searched for your t-shirt, slipping it on as you sat down in your desk chair.

Lucky for you, she didn’t follow suit, and you were allowed a closer look at her perky tits.

“Wan, I need you to come home ASAP.”

“Don’t worry baby, I already bought a plane ticket.”

kinktober taglist *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

@treatbuckywkisses @sgt-barnesveins @bucky-barmes @opheliastark @sweetascanbee @writing-for-marvel @christywantspizza @hi-sarahh @highlyintelligentblonde @jjbunny14 @buckysfavoritereader

[ladyelissarose]

‘A Heart With Wings’

Warnings: mentions of angst, slight arguing, Hangman being a mean bully, one s*xist comment, that’s pretty much it.. enjoy !

Chapter 5

 The night of October 5

Roosters POV

 Rooster drove in his Bronco behind Hangman as he followed him to base, he called Maverick telling him simply that things had gone a little sideways but he was going to take care of it, 

  “So Hangman was in a disastrous situation?”

  “Clearly Mav.. he doesn’t look good. And he even involved Oceans, but I told him clearly that she had nothing to do with it.. But I’ll take care of him. Make sure Oceans is ok, I kinda raised my voice at her, which was only because she wanted to help me fix things, but Hangs was too pissed off to listen to her. So please?”

  “Of course Rooster, get back safely, I’ll see you both in the morning for debriefs.”

  “Yes sir, Goodnight Mav.”

  “Goodnight Rooster.”

 Rooster hung up and turned into the road that led them to base, up Agra’s was check point to be led in, but that’s when he got a call from Phoenix,

 ‘Phoenix? What’s up with my girl?’

  “Nix?”

 “Rooster! Listen I’ve been looking for Oceans for a while now and she isn’t here. Mav said you’re out with Hangman?”

  Roosters heart dropped at hearing that Oceans disappeared, but he answered Phoenix coherently either way,

  “Yeah, that’s a story I’ll tell you tomorrow hon, you sure Oceans isn’t there?”

 Phoenix sighed worriedly as she said,

  “I’m sure Roos, I looked everywhere- wait wait, what’d you say Fanboy? Oh!”

 Rooster could hear Phoenix talk with who was Fanboy, sounding like she was getting information from him, she then called out to him,

  “Bradshaw?”

 “I’m still here Phoenix, what’s wrong?”

 “Oceans left a note under her beer, saying she was going to run a errand? At this time-“

  “No she’s not, don’t worry about her, I got it. Head back to base already hon, it’s late, let Bob drive you guys back, he’s the most sober one.”

 Phoenix replied soundly,

  “Alright, please let me know when you guys are there, We’re heading there already.”

  “I just arrived at the check-point.”

 “Perfect, please get Oceans on base.”

  “I will, see you soon Nix.”

  “Likewise Roos.”

 Hanging up with Phoenix, Rooster didn’t wasted time to dial Oceans number,

  ‘Please don’t be with Jeffries, please don’t be with Jeffries... pick up pick up-‘

 Oceans POV

Oceans was close to where she knew Jeffries lived, and was planning to show up and settle things with her and find out what she had done with Hangman, but while she was only 5 minutes away, her phone began to ring and Roosters name flashed on the screen,

  ‘No no no Rooster not now.. ugh.. I can’t lie to him though he’s my best friend.. and he trusts me.. fine. Please don’t be mad.’

  “Bradley?”

 Hearing Oceans voice made Rooster relieved immediately but was still upset that she left,

 “Constantine, where are you?”

 Rooster only called Oceans by her first name when he was upset or serious with her, so Oceans chose to be honest and blunt, instead of covering up her plan,

  “Listen Bradley, I have nothing to do with Jeffries-“

  “Then why are you on your way to her place?”

 Oceans stayed quiet and cursed herself for being so vengeful and stupid, she was also surprised to know that Rooster knew where she was going, but if she wanted justice for her mistreatment she should fight for it the right way, and listening to Rooster was the right choice. Rooster’s voice came through the phone again in a calmer but still stern tone as he said,

  “I just past the check-point on base Oceans.. I want to see you here in 15 minutes, meaning that you turn back around right now and come back, understood?”

 Oceans nodded her head though he couldn’t see her, but she cooperated,

  “Ok, I’m turning around now, I’m sorry Rooster-“

  “There’s no need to be sorry, you haven’t done anything yet.”

  Ocean sighed,

  “Well thank you for not letting me get there.”

She could hear the calm to his voice filled with appreciation as he replied,

  “That’s what I’m here for, we’re all here for you and you know, make things better, I know how you feel, like loss.”

  Oceans throat went dry as she answered,

  “I know I’m sorry for your loss.. Goose was a good man, I mean, look what he brought out of you... including Maverick..”

  Rooster heard her take a pause, but didn’t say anything because he knew she’d add more,

  “my brother.. he was a good person, had the craziest humor.. but the sweetest heart, when my dad died he technically took his place and became the male role model I needed, and well, because of him I made it through college and the Navy.. he fought all my battles and stood by me through everything.. and now, I got to do it myself-“

  “No, Oceans you don’t.. I’m here for you, I’ll never fill that space or place you had for your brother, but I’ll do my best to meet your expectations. Fighting Jeffries over a misunderstanding or rumor she has laid out, is not for you to fight on your own, Maverick and everyone else in our squad has got your back, hence why you were transferred. We’re not going to let anyone unnecessarily hurt you again, we can’t protect you from everything, but we can try, I will try.”

  Oceans was comforted at Roosters words, he was genuinely a great person, and friend. And she only wanted to see the same with Hangman, though now that would take time.

  “Hey Roos.. do you think Hangman is going to be ok?”

  Rooster could feel and hear her concern, so he replied honestly,

  “I sure he will, he’s never one to stay down when knocked down, he actually gets up more stronger mentally and physically.. and as far as things between you and him, you’ll will be ok, you’ll just have to prove that you’re not the person Jeffries says you were. Which I’m sure you will, you’re not a bad kid Oceans.”

  Oceans had reached the check-point on base by the time Rooster said his last word, she wiped her eyes clean from shedding tears at his sincere and honest words, before she presented her card to the security that let her pass after scanning her card. Oceans let in a deep breath of fresh air and let it out slowly,

  “Thank you Rooster.. for everything, I don’t know what I could’ve done without you guys, I’m on base now.”

  “Thank you.. I’ll be in the bunkers with the guys, go deck with the ladies, Phoenix is here, I just saw her arrive.”

  “Ok, goodnight Roos, I’ll see you tomorrow, though I’ll be in a different debriefing room. But in the lobby I’ll see you.”

  “Alright, get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a safe, fresh start for you.”

  “Indeed it is.. Dueces.”

  “Deuces kiddo.”

 Hangman’s POV

  When Hangman had arrived in his truck on base and got off, Maverick and his team was there to greet him and comfort him. Before Hangman wasn’t one to receive affection or even make an appearance of being weak or hurt, but this time he let his ego and pride down, and returned every good embrace he got from his fellow aviators, they welcomed him back with open arms filled with understanding and compassion. They all knew Hangman and could tell he was wrecked, so they kept it simple and let out a couple of, ‘we got your backs.’ and ‘We missed yous.’ He only let out a small smile to his lips showing he appreciated them, and soon Rooster guided Hangman back to the decks with Bob, Coyote, Payback, and Fanboy. Hangman finally was in his bunk after showering off the day and eating a good peanut butter sandwich that Fanboy and Bob put together for him.  

  Now while laying there on his back he could only remember the smile that was on Oceans face, it was real. He saw how she was friendly with the people around her, and noticed how she even reached out to who she thought was a total stranger until which was Hangman, and still was the same person when she saw his face. Making him think that maybe she wasn’t the bad guy after all, but who was to say, a lot of people had a lot of bad stuff to say about her, but at the end of the day, those people were Jeffries friends.

  ‘I wonder if she’s the total opposite of what was said about her.. I wonder who she really is.. why can’t I stop thinking about Constantine anyways? Was it cause she actually treated me like a normal person? Or just trying to play nice then be an asshole when it was the right time? Ughh.. I wish I knew.. at least I won’t be seeing her any time soon.. she’s shipping off with Jeffries anyways..’

  And those were the last thoughts of the day when Hangman was finally lulled to sleep by Roosters soft snores that weren’t loud and ridiculous like Coyotes. It felt good to be back where he knew he belonged and could be himself freely, it felt like home. But he just only hoped he could move on and forget, but a piece of the chaos that had happened was now on the same base as him, and in 4 months she was going to be on the same ship as him too.

 October 6

 Oceans POV

   Last night Oceans had a peaceful sleep, knowing that no one was going to jump her in her sleep was enough to sleep calmly. Phoenix slept under her on the bunk they shared, and Phoenix made sure Oceans was ok and asleep first before she went to sleep. Both woke up fresh in the morning and got dressed into their required uniform. Phoenix was in her green flight suit, and Oceans got in her uniform which was her Mechanical jumpsuit, which was a Navy Blue. It was 8am when all sailors were called to the cafeteria, upon walking in Oceans could see all the happy sailors that wore their uniforms and badges proudly. The room was filled with chatter and and a few shouts of laughter here and there. It was cool inside the building, as the heat outside was still a little high. Oceans could smell the fresh eggs that were cooked along with the bacon and sausage as she stood in line to grab her tray.

  ‘Damn I forgot how good their food smell and tasted.. oh look! there’s the guys! I should tell Phoenix- whoa girl.. are you eye fucking Rooster?!’

  “Hey Nixy, we should go sit with them.”

 Oceans nudged Phoenix on the ribs playfully as she distracted her from eyeballing Rooster in his flightsuit. Phoenix’s cheeks went to a slight pink as she was caught,

  “Hey you can’t deny he looks hot, it complements his eyes and toned body-“

  “Ok ok, I get it.. don’t need the details.”

 Phoenix snickered and poked Oceans side almost making her tip her tray, which earned Phoenix a playful scowl. But soon their trays were safely placed on the table as they joined Bob and Rooster on the four seated table. But as she sat down Oceans realized she had forgotten to get her utensils, 

  “Hey I’ll be right back, I need my utensils-“

  “Do you think you can get me a spoon for my yogurt, please?”

  Bobs pleading eyes were enough for Oceans to say yes, plus he was always so polite. Oceans got up quickly with a cheerful response,

  “Consider it done, Bob, just a spoon?”

 “Yes!”

 “Great!- Oh my God!”

 When she turned around to leave, Oceans was a little too quick, and with the momentum she had to walk off quickly and with the pace Hangman had when he was going to sit down, they both crashed harshly into each other, sending Hangman’s tray into Oceans chest. 

  Hangman’s POV

  Along with everything he had on his tray, Hangman’s hot coffee spilled onto her which made her jump and gasp at the burn. But Hangman overlooked that as he thought it was careless of her to not watch where she was going. Hangman didn’t know it was Oceans yet, because she was too busy looking down at her uniform, but he did recognize the orange-reddish hair,

  ‘You’ve got to be kidding me? What’s with all the red heads? The all seem to have issues.. You didn’t see this wall of muscle coming towards you? At least it got on your uniform and not mine. If not I’d be more pissed kid.’

  In the midst of it he scolded her,

  “Could you watch where you’re going? You blind or something?”

  Oceans didn’t lift her head as Rooster gave her some napkins to clean her hands off as Phoenix took care of Oceans boots, and Bob handed her his cold yogurt to cool her hands, and Hangman never moved to help her, he wanted an explanation. Oceans finally raised her face to look him in the eye and that’s when Hangman’s jaw dropped, 

  ‘Constantine Oceans! For fuckin Texas’ sake.’

  “Wha- What the.. no way. Why are you here? Thought you were going with Jeffries?”

 Rooster could see Oceans fists clench in growing anger, and also caught Hangman’s green orbs darken quickly, so he replied for Oceans as he said slowly,

  “Maverick transferred her here Hangs.. don’t worry about that, and it wasn’t her fault man she didn’t see you-“

 With a huff of hidden laughter and annoyance Hangman raised his brow at Rooster,

  “Are you defending her carelessness?-“

 Hangman had interrupted Rooster but so did Oceans when she said sternly,

  “Hey! You bumped into me the day we met at the bar, and it was because you weren’t watching when’re you were going. And I didn’t even make such a deal out of it-“

  “Oceans please.”

 Rooster cut Oceans off with a stern plead for her not to exceed the argument, but Hangman scoffed as he tried to look her down, but unfortunately she almost stood to his height, making them come close eye to eye, 

  “That you remember? And what else is there huh, Oceans? What else do you remember or know about me?”

  Hangman up until this point still believed Oceans was one of Jeffries mean buddies, and thought she was going to spew some venom about that night he left Jeffries, but he was shocked when he heard her true thoughts on him, when she replied with sincerity in her voice, and her fists still clenched tightly,

  “Well, I’ve heard you’re a good guy.. have cheesy pickup lines but cool.. why don’t you let me go get you another tray, please.”

  Roosters POV

 ‘Damn Oceans.. thank you for being civil about this.’

  Rooster was grateful Oceans didn’t pursue Hangman’s thrive to argue, and even more happy when, (even though done in a way that was very cocky and arrogant) Hangman responded with a deep sigh leaving his nose,

  “Sure, but listen, I hope you remembered everything I had on my tray, Oceans. If not I’ll send you back until you get it right. Do you understand?”

 Oceans nodded her head,

  “Yes-“

 “Lieutenant.”

 “Yes, Lieutenant.”

 Hangman stepped out of Oceans way as he tilted his chin towards the cafeteria bar,

  “Go.”

 Hangman looked at Oceans leave and scoffed with an annoyed look as he turned to look at his Wingman and sat on Oceans seat next to Phoenix’s. He then questioned,

  “When did she transfer?”

 Bob sat up as he opened his now warm yogurt and replied,

  “Maverick did, yesterday. He got permission from her Admiral and requested to have her here-“

  “Yeah but why?”

 Phoenix scooted closer to Hangman and replied in a tone that was barely audible because she didn’t want anyone to hear her but those at their table,

  “It’s not my place to give details, but do you remember how you saw her at Hard Deck the first time?”

  Hangman looked at his hands pretending to think hard about it, but he responded simply,

  “Yeah, she looked like a beat rag doll.”

 Phoenix turned around to see where Oceans was at, and saw her staring at the fruit bar, then picking out grapes from the fruit salad and putting them into a small bowl. She still had some time to share,

 “Well, that’s what her last team did to her, and worse before.”

  With a deep chuckle of no compassion, Hangman concluded,

  “She maybe deserved it.”

  ‘No she didn’t Hangs... she didn’t...’

 Rooster scowled at his Wingman, but to a certain extent understood Hangman’s thoughts on Oceans, because of Jeffries toxicity, but he just wished it wasn’t like this.

  Oceans POV

Oceans could see them talking in the distance as she tried to get Hangman’s coffee right, 

  ‘I wonder what they’re on about? But damn I’d hate to admit it, but Hangman is pretty.. I like his eyes- Oceans What the fuck?! What is up with me- no, no.. we do not get to complement Hangman. No-‘

  “Officer Oceans, it’s good to have you here with us. Though I see you’ve gotten yourself comfortable with the cafeteria.”

  Being caught off-guard almost made her have another coffee spill, Oceans internally scolded herself for being up in her head and not paying attention to those approaching her, but turning her head to the unfamiliar deep voice, she was met with shiny, dark eyes looking down at her, it was Warlock. She glanced at her stained suit but ignored it as she replied to him,

  “Sir-“

  “Call me Warlock, please. I heard Maverick requested you. You must be good at your job.”

  With a small appreciative smile Oceans nodded, she was glad he decided to ignore her suit too, he must’ve seen how it happened. While helping him serve his coffee and passing it to him, he gave a silent ‘thank you’ as Oceans then added,

  “Yes, Warlock, he did. He figured I’d do better here. I can work on anything you have here. Fix it, and build too.”

  Warlock sent her a nod of impressment,

  “Not bad. I think your last name also fits for the Navy, Oceans.”

  Letting out a small chuckle Oceans agreed,

  “It certainly does, Warlock.. is Warlock your callsign?”

  “Yes ma’am. Later I’ll tell you how I got it, so go finish your breakfast, your debriefing is soon. I’ll be giving that by the way. And please, go change your uniform before you enter, please.”

  “Yes sir, I will.”

 He gave her his hand and they both shook firmly,

 “I’m expecting the best from you Oceans.”

  “And that you’ll get Warlock, pleasure.”

  “Pleasure.”

 He then took his coffee and walked away, Oceans poured the creamer into Hangman’s coffee and walked back to the table thinking.

  ‘Well at least he’s nice.. where’s Maverick by the way? I wonder where he is?’

 Hangman’s POV

  Bob and Phoenix got quiet as Oceans returned to the table and stood next to Hangman, he looked at the tray she held and was surprised to see she had gotten it all right, seeing she only had a few seconds of seeing it before it rammed into her chest. He took it carefully to avoid spilling it, and said simply 

  “Now, there’s a seat over there next to Fanboy, Coyote, and Payback.. here’s your tray, and utensils.”

  Oceans took it with a small frown, she had hoped he’d at least say ‘thank you’, but she walked to the other table without another word, and her smile lifted warmly when the other aviators welcomed her happily, already cracking jokes and teasing her about being the only ‘Cookie’ on board, (they called her cookie because she was freckled.) Hangman looked back at the aviators at his table and saw that they were looking at Oceans, 

  ‘Ugh come on guys she’s not the victim here.. she’s a grown woman.’

  So he then broke the ice,

  “Guys, she’ll be fine... the guys happen to like her company either way.”

  Rooster agreed but none the less said,

  “I know, but you’ll at some point got to accept her-“

  “I don’t Rooster, all that is required of me is to treat her like a co-worker and that’s it. She doesn’t need more or less. Plus, she’s just a mechanic, she’s not even one of us.”

  Phoenix’s eyes went wide at his comment but composed herself quickly when Bob tapped her leg for reassurance that it was ok. Rooster though didn’t let it escape,

  “She is Hangman, she’s Navy just like us, we literally serve in the same branch for the same country. But, I get you.”

  Sending smirk Rooster way Hangman nodded,

  “Of course you do Roos, now lets finish this up, I have a feeling we have a big day ahead of us.”

  Rooster scratched his mustache then hair,

  “Yup, Maverick is not even here, meaning he must have a big assignment he’s been preparing for us.”

 Phoenix finished up her eggs and said after she swallowed,

  “Probably another mission, they’ve been preparing the Abraham Lincoln for us.”

 RIIIING RIIING RIIIING... ‘Attention Sailors, you have 5 minutes to pick up and be in your designated places. Last call.’

  All Sailors began to rise in sync and cleaned up after themselves, Hangman waited for Oceans to pass by him as the door was right where he was, he was intending to poke at her about her flight suit, not ever giving up the habit of being a cocky asshole sometimes, but Oceans beat him to his play when she saluted him respectfully,

  “Safe flights , Lieutenant.”

He stuttered out what ended to be nothing, looking at her hips sway as she walked away confidently to the left side of the building. The sun that beamed through the windows fell on her form making her look like main character, with a stained uniform, but it was like she didn’t care, it seemed like she was more focused to getting her job done more than anything, which irritated Hangman, he wanted to argue with her, but her strong self control never let him go that far with her, and what didn’t help, was that his Wingman helped her control that anger too, it was like Rooster held a certain authority over her, but a respected one. And she knew how far to push until he stopped her, maybe he stopped her because he knew Oceans could go deeper than necessary. 

  Oceans POV

  Later that evening, Oceans got off her shift more tired than ever, for being her first day, she was given a long list of machines and motors to fix. Plus, she carried half the equipment back and forth as she did one then the other, and they were nothing but heavy of course. But, she was more than happy to have gone it all done that day, because she was given orders and the liberty to fly them the next. Some of the sailors had left off base to see their families that happened to be near by, while others went out to Hard Deck or other fast food places. They all had a curfew though, they all had to be back on base by 10:00pm no later.  But Oceans decided to stay on base and go look at the jets she was assigned to fly, so she walked out of the building and felt a rush of refreshment she felt the cool breeze hit against her hot face and cooled the sweat that was covering her hairline. Oceans first checked out the F-18s that weren’t hers, they were for the TopGun crew, they had their names printed neatly and perfectly on the right side of the jet. She stopped in front of Mavericks, admiring how far he had come regardless of the life it led for him, he was more courageous than ever and had a heart for leading, serving, and giving high expectations no matter what others said. 

  ‘He’s definitely a role model... so brave and.. damn I wish I could be like him.. he went back to the skies even after his wingman died. Must’ve been hard, but he persisted.. why was it so easy for him, why can’t I do that..-‘

  “Can you even fly these?”

 Jump scared as always, Oceans swallowed the yelp that tried to escape her mouth, she turned her head and held a hand over her heart symboling that someone had particularly almost scared the life out of her, to only see that it was the one and only Hangman, her somewhat enemy at the moment. He too looked surprised to see that he had called out to the last person he liked, Oceans, his smug smile had even dropped and it became a frown. But Oceans ignored his facial expression that internally hurt her heart, though she covered it with a small smile that was almost not visble as she replied simply and honestly,

  “Yes, I have a license to test the jets I have worked on, or any aircraft that needs test flying.”

  Hangman looked at her with the same face, not impressed at all, and continued to interrogate her with questions,

  “How many Gs have you pulled?”

 Oceans raised a brow of confusion at his question,

 ‘Maybe he wants to know more about me? Ok.. let’s do this.’

  Squaring her shoulders Oceans slightly leaned on jet while holding eye contact, not knowing that that shook Hangman a little, no woman in his life beside his mother could hold long term eye contact with him, they’d blush and look away, but Oceans never did.

  “I’ve pulled up to 10 Gs before.”

 “Why?”

 “My job is to see if the jet is capable of pulling such, I test it to its limits.”

  “How many different aircrafts have you flown?”

  “Up to 11, I want to hit 12 though.”

 “Is it true that Maverick transferred you?”

 “Yes, he put in orders for my transfer.”

  “Why?”

Now that question, Oceans wasn’t ready to answer honestly, first because it was personal and not her favorite topic, so she skipped it,

  “Not going to answer that one yet-“

  Hangman crossed his arms as he bullied without a care,

  “Why not? Bet your got here on your knees than by your feet-“

  Oceans felt a jab to her heart and respected ego, all her life she kept her life clean and her positions well earned, not in the way Hangman thought she did. Which it did hurt her to be considered that way,

  ‘Was that a sexist comment?.. that’s not cool at all you demeaning son of a bitch.’

Hangman’s POV

 Hangman watched how Oceans eyes gave an expression of pure hurt and shame, he basically insulted her, which wasn’t cool at all, but he couldn’t help himself when he was not happy about a particular person and on a roll for pushing peoples buttons, and what confirmed the hurt look on Oceans face, was when he heard her say,

  “That was a low blow Lieutenant.. God knows how many times I had to run on my feet to not be on my knees.”

  Hangman looked down at his feet for a second as he thought,

  ‘Ok that was a low blow on my part, my mom would’ve smacked my head had she heard me... but I don’t need to apologize.. let her take a hit. Like I did.’

  Hangman sent her a shrug as he replied,

  “Fine... change of subject- What’s the highest Mach you’ve reached?”

  He was a little calm when he saw her face lit up slightly, as she now answered with pride in her tone,

  “Up to Mach 9.”

  ‘Mach 9? That’s pretty fast... I’ve only hit 8..-‘

  “What’s your highest Hangman-“

 Oceans calling Hangman his callsign made him suck in a harsh breath of sudden fury, he didn’t think she deserved the liberty to call him by his callsign, people that were his friends and close most trusted acquaintances got to do that, she was no where near that, so he sternly told her what he thought before she could proceed in her question,

  “You don’t get to call me Hangman, it’s Lieutenant Seresin for you. You’re not a Naval Pilot, or in TopGun, or not my wingman. And besides that, you’re not my friend. Remember your place, you’re an Officer and a mechanic, you and I don’t measure out to be the same.”

 Hangman snapping at Oceans without hesitation, made Oceans gulp with guilt and regret for even talking to him in the first place. Oceans apologized formally but somewhat sarcastically,

  “My apologies Lieutenant Seresin, all though no matter our positions, we do serve the same Country in the same branch, so to a certain extent, we do measure equally, just fine.”

  Hangman scoffed,

 ‘Really? Huh.’

 “You think so?”

 “Yes, Lieutenant. I indeed think so, both our jobs require a different kind of sacrifice, but it’s for the same purpose.”

  Hangman’s face went from a stern frown to a slight shocked face as the wrinkles in his forehead softened,

  ‘I mean.. she has a point.. damn you Oceans.’

  Hangman looked at Oceans and couldn’t see any doubt in her speech, she was confident and stood by her word, and it made him uneasy and not happy, usually any other girl or someone in command surrendered to him and agreed. But he could also see that she wanted to say something more, she had a yearning in her hazel eyes, that held a hint of innocence, but before Hangman could try and read more off of her, Oceans bid him goodbye,

  “Have a great night, Lieutenant.”

 Oceans walked passed by him to walk away, and he turned around to watched her go, but he saw how she suddenly stopped when she was at least 10 feet away from him, and she said in a loud tone so he could hear her,

 “And I’m sorry for any misunderstanding we have between one another, but I promise you I have nothing to do with it. None of it. I’d never do that.”

  Hangman’s thoughts raced at her sudden words,

  ‘Where did that come from?’

  “Never do what, Officer?”

 He wanted for her to turn around and answer him, but she began to walk away,

 making him call out to her in a louder tone that she had used at first,

  “Officer Oceans! I asked you a question!”

 Oceans turned around and huffed loudly as she stomped towards him frustratingly, and began to put forth,

  “I would never hurt and humiliate someone I don’t know or just not anyone, I have more dignity and compassion than that. You may not like me because of rumors or lies you heard about me. But just know, that for the rest of my life I’ll prove to you that I’m not who you think I am. I’m not your enemy Lieutenant Seresin.”

  By this point she was now only 2 feet away from him, with hurt painted in her eyes, Hangman could read them and see how honest she was, but he still held a small doubt, because he really didn’t know her, and she was right, she was going to have to prove herself to him, and prove Jeffries lies wrong. Hangman sighed while pinching his nose, he looked back at her and said calmly,

  “I guess you’ll have to... prove yourself to me. But until then, you stay away from me. I’ll see if your worthy of my trust. Understood, Officer Oceans?”

  Oceans nodded with a tight lip,

 “Yes, Lieutenant.”

  Hangman then dismissed her and watched her walk away completely this time, he couldn’t help but stare at her form walk away, she walked like if she was gliding or floating, her perfect movements almost made Hangman want to hate her more, but it was the fact that he couldn’t stand how good she was. 

   ‘What is it about you that I can’t stand Oceans... why can’t I see you like they do?’

Chapter 6

[itsallyscorner]

“Move the plans”

Pairing: Florence Pugh x actress!reader (platonic)

Summary: Florence tells you to cancel your plans when she ends up in New York.

Warnings: Nothing really bad. Mentions lactose intolerance? Idk if that’s sensitive to people. Probably some spelling errors.

A/n: Hello darlings! I’m back from my unannounced break. I decided to write a platonic Florence fic because she’s a sweetheart and I loved her as Yelena! Also for those who follow me, don’t worry, I will be working on a sequel to my Tom Holland “Sour” fic!! But for now, please enjoy this fic!😚💕

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

(Loml)

✧───── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *. ☽.* :★. ─────✧

You stood backstage in front of a mirror, looking at your appearance and making sure there were no wrinkles on the dress you wore. Your hairstylist was behind you, fluffing your hair and managing the stray baby hairs on your head. You were currently at NBC Studios in New York City, about to do an interview with the infamous, Jimmy Fallon. Tingles buzzed through your skin as you heard the cheers and music from the stage. Jimmy’s voice can be heard faintly backstage, only adding to your growing excitement.

The sound of heels clicking approached you, it took less than a second for you to feel the warm presence of Florence behind you. The both of you were starring in the upcoming Black Widow movie alongside Scarlett Johansson; after months of working together and spending days hanging out, you and Florence had become very close friends. She was, without a doubt, your favorite person in the world. Since the moment you met her, she had always been the most sweetest and caring person you’ve ever met—and you were proud to say you had her in your corner.

You met Flo’s eyes in the mirror and bright smiles were instantly on your faces. Turning around, you open your arms wide, and wrap them around her. Bear hugs were a must in your friendship with Flo, you both just loved receiving hugs from each other.

“Ahhh! I told you that dress would be perfect for tonight, you look stunning!” She squealed, tightening her arms around you. A day before Jimmy Fallon, you and Flo had been at your place with your stylist, picking out which dress you should wear for the interview. The dress was casual, but the color was so ever vibrant that it made the dress pop.

You pulled out the hug and looked at what she was wearing. Her gorgeous blonde hair was curled into loose locks and her dress was just as vibrant as yours. The pink of her dress and the orange (yellowish?) of yours complimented each other. Which coincidentally enough, was a parallel of your lovely friendship with Florence.

“Me? Flo, you look gorgeous! I’m so obsessed with this look!” You help her twirl, hyping her up as she showed off her outfit. After sneaking in a little mirror selfie and posting it onto Instagram, the two of you were given a five minute warning from one of the crew members. You and Flo were moved to stand behind the curtain, waiting for your cues to walk onto the stage.

While the two of you were getting mic’d up, Florence leaned closer to you.

“Can I be completely honest with you?” She mumbled, her stare remaining on the curtain before her. Your brow raises in curiosity as your head slightly turns to look at her.

“Of course, hun. What’s up?” You ask, your attention on her. She sighs and leans even closer so only you can hear her.

“I feel like I’m about to shit my pants.” She admits, swallowing nervously. Your mouth gapes, “Did you have iced coffee too?”

Flo’s face scrunches up in confusion, “N-no! That was me telling you I was nervous! Did you have iced coffee?” She fully turns to look at you and judging by the look of guilt plastered across your face, you did in fact have iced coffee.

“Maybe?” You answer, though it came out more like a question. Florence rolls her eyes at you.

“(Y/n), how many times do you have to be reminded that you’re lactose intolerant?” She scolded you.

You scoff, holding a hand up at her, “Trust me, I’m reminded every time I sit on a toilet.” You shake your head, trying to refocus the conversation.

“This isn’t about my poor digestive system—why are you nervous?”

She sighs, “I don’t know why I’m so nervous, I’m used to doing interviews and stuff. But I haven’t been on Jimmy Fallon, and there’s an audience out there and I don’t want to mess up or accidentally spoil the movie.”

You place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “You may be British, but you’re not Tom Holland. You won’t spoil anything.” You start. She quickly shoots you a look that screams, “you’re not helping”. You make a gesture physically telling her that you’re getting to the point.

“You’re going to be fine! I mean you did Jimmy Kimmel right? This shouldn’t be that different, it’s the same thing—just different studios, in different states, and different Jimmy’s.” You point out. She nods along as you continue, “Plus, I’m gonna be up there with you. You won’t be alone.”

With the help of your reassurance and witty little comments, Florence felt her anxiousness simmer down. They weren’t completely gone but the fact that you were gonna be up there together made her relax more. Being part of Marvel had its pros and cons. Sure, the movies are spectacular and the actors are outstanding. Though when it comes to doing promo for said movies, it can be quite stressful. It’s a known fact that Marvel and it’s executives can be quite strict when it comes to interviews with anyone involved in the making of their films—their strictness made sense, although for first time MCU members, it took some getting used to.

Florence smiles at you, “Thank you.”

You playfully nudge her shoulder with yours, “Don’t worry about it.” You say with a kind smile.

The wholesome moment was interrupted by one of the stagehands telling you and Florence that the two of you were on in 15 seconds.

“Our guests tonight are making their big MCU debut in the new Black Widow film, please welcome (Y/n) (L/n) and Florence Pugh!”

⚘

“So in the movie, there’s three of you guys—where’s the other one?” Jimmy asked, motioning his hand to the small space between you and Flo.

“She’s at home I believe.” Florence answered, glancing at you. “She’s busy doing stuff, you know—adult things.” She added.

You took the opportunity to make a joke and said, “Yet here we are promoting her movie.” You roll your eyes playfully. The crowd bursts out laughing, along with Jimmy, who smacked his desk.

“You know, we deserve a raise for this.” Flo considers, going along with your joke. She slightly snorts and nudges your arm with her elbow. “We could take Scarlett’s check and just split it in half for ourselves.”

“Problem solved.” You shrugged, high fiving her.

Another round of laughs fill the room as Jimmy says, “So you’re both taking Scarlett’s money?”

Jokingly, you nod in approval, “By the end of this interview? Definitely.”

Dropping the bit, you shake your head with a grin on your face. “I’m kidding! I’m only joking, I wouldn’t do that to her, even if I were forced to.”

Jimmy moves on as a picture of you, Florence, and Scarlett pops up on the screen. The picture had been posted on your Instagram and was taken while the three of you were filming in between takes. You were taking the selfie while Scarlett and Florence were poking their heads out from behind you making funny faces.

“I can’t imagine how exciting it is to be on a Marvel set, and to even work with one of the first ever heroes in the MCU—that must be insane!” Jimmy exclaims, motioning to another picture of the three of you.

“It’s unbelievable. To work alongside Scarlett and to follow this kind of path that she’s paved in the MCU is an honor. She really was like our older sister behind the scenes, because she was always guiding us and taking care of everyone. She’s the best.” Florence responded while you nodded in agreement.

“I watched the movie last night and one of the things I enjoyed the most was the dynamic the three of you had. You guys were like actual siblings.” Jimmy mentioned, motioning between you and Flo.

Florence giggled before squeezing you into a tight hug, “Yeah, she’s my big sister.” You smiled beamingly, patting her cheek before she let go.

“No, really! She’s like my actual younger sister.” You tell the audience, who “awed” at the hug you both shared. “We spent months on this movie and we spent every single day with each other. By the middle of production, we were basically roommates.”

“Roommates?” Jimmy questioned, leaning his elbows on his desk.

“Because I was always at her house.” Florence answered in a ‘duh’ tone. “I’ve actually grown an attachment to (Y/n), she’s like my comfort blanket. So I need to have her with me at all times. If she’s not with me, I just won’t leave the house.”

“Speaking of your attachment to (Y/n), there’s this video of you that you apparently sent her?” Jimmy gestured at you, “And you posted it on your Instagram and now the whole internet is obsessed with it.”

“Yup, that’s the one.” You confirmed.

“I know there’s probably some people who haven’t seen it, so here’s the video.” The video of Florence popped up on the screen and began to play.

(This fic was based on this TikTok😭)

Jimmy looked at you and Florence in amusement, “Can we get some context?”

Florence waved her hand at the screen and said, “As you can all see, I’m very persistent.”

“This wasn’t your first time sending her these kinds of videos?” Jimmy asked. You shook your head, a feign look of annoyance on your face.

“No, she does this all the time.”

“In my defense, I was unexpectedly flying out to New York for a project. I knew I was gonna be in the city for a few days, so I decided to call (Y/n) and make the most of my trip.” Flo defended herself, slightly pouting.

You leaned your head on her shoulder, “To be fair, it was also our first time seeing each other since we wrapped Black Widow, and we really missed each other.”

“(Y/n), did you have to move any plans?” Jimmy turns to you. Florence does the same.

“You know what, you never told me if you had plans or not.” She squints her eyes at you. Your arms crossed while your body slowly sunk into the couch.

You pretend to fix your lipstick, quickly muttering, “I might’ve moved some plans around.”

Florence’s mouth gapes in shock, her entire body freezing. She grips onto your shoulder, “Wait, you actually moved plans for me?”

“I might’ve rescheduled a lunch with someone, but that doesn’t really matter.” You replied, trying to move on from the topic. Jimmy pointed at you, a giant grin on his face, “You actually moved plans for Florence!”

Florence’s mouth was still wide in shock, “I can’t believe you actually moved plans for me—(Y/n)!” She whined.

“I missed seeing you, so of course I had to move them.” You bashfully explained, the corners of your lips turning upwards. Florence pulled you into a hug.

“Gosh, you really do love me!” She exclaimed.

“I really do!” You said, your arms wrapping around her as well.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

🏷 Tags:

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[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Looking for a Place to Happen

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape (series), age gap, general stupidity.

This is dark!biker!Sam Wilson x reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Series Synopsis: There’s lots happening in Birch and you find it all too amusing.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown, When the Weight Comes Down, Little Bones, and Fully Completely

Note: We’re starting Sam’s installment but this weekend I’ll probably only be catching up on my headcanons and drabbles because I’ve been a lazy bitch and I’m sorry to those who have been waiting.

Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Chapter 1: I've got a job, I explore

💀💀💀

The sleepy town of Birch was awake. 

In those last weeks, the arrival of outsiders had roused the attention of many once passive residents of the timeless territory. Those brick buildings unchanged by the tick of the clock inlaid into the old tower above the library that chimed every hour on the hour. They still stood with only chips in the mortar but the air tasted different. The frost was more bitter and the sky more grim. An omen of something no one could predict.

It was the perfect setting for a screenplay. The isolated town with its unsavoury secrets and the visitors who threatened to bring them to the surface. It was inspiring to you, to imagine what was hidden behind the stern wrinkled faces of the town elders and under the jackets of those men who wore the cut of the local club. The bikers ruled the town covertly but everyone knew that Bucky Barnes’ palm was lined with the map of Birch.

As a bystander, an unnoticed observer, just another ant in the hill, you watched from the side and amused yourself with the drama of others. It was like a soap opera or another HBO hype machine. Those things you aspired to when you could be free of this ho-hum town.

The snows added to the natural gloom of the place. The deep heaps smothered the noise and harkened back to those days of colonial settlement. Forgotten, desolate, fearful. 

You ventured down in your heavy boots that stretched to your knees and pushed your chin down into your scarf. As a child, you ran and jumped in those piles, now you were out of breath just trying to walk past them.

You stopped in the bakery that doubled as the only café, a place where the owner, Babs, tried to to intimidate the last caffeinated trends. She was always a few seasons behind but you didn’t mind so much. 

You ordered the salted caramel mocha and waited patiently as the quiet woman fought with the steaming machines. She was older than you but you’d work with her for one summer during high school, only five years ago. She had the eyes of a child still, but there was something worn in her. As if she’d been exposed to far too much in her three or so decades in that place. She was a harbinger of what you didn’t want to become.

You thanked her for your drink and set out once more into the billowing winds. Birch winters were never kind but this one was crueler than most. Your teeth chattered as you blew the steam away from the lid and hugged it with your mittened hands.

You stopped short as you heard the familiar ding of the diner door across the street. You recognised the mechanic who kept to herself and once growled at you in the grocery store. She stormed across the street, followed closely and quickly by a black-haired man you’d only seen once before. He was one of those outsiders who came to deal with the club men.

You sped up as you sensed chaos brewing and pulled out your phone as you balanced your paper cup in your other hand. You flicked your camera on just as you got to the front of the shop and the man grabbed the mechanic. You let out an ‘oop’ as she turned on him and you aimed the lens at the couple as they fell into the snow, the man’s shoes giving little traction to his steps. 

You moved closer, stunned by the scene, and kept your cell phone rolling as you found a better angle around the snowy walks. As she choked him on the ground he elbowed her and she coughed as she rolled away. She snarled as he clamoured to his feet, slipping and sliding as he marched away.

You killed the recording and watched the man cross the street again, nearly wiping out as he did and when you looked back to the mechanic, she was gone behind the clattering door. You chuckled to yourself and tucked away your cell. It was prime footage for TikTok; with a bit of editing, it would be comedy gold.

💀

You stomped up the steps of your grandmother’s house, this time through the front door as you heard her chair rocking in the front room. You usually took the stairs in the back as you paid her to live on the upper floor of the duplex. You checked in with her daily, she didn’t get out much more than the occasional trip to the grocery store when you couldn’t or you dragged her out to join you for a tea at Babs’.

“You’re late,” she grumbled as you set your cup down and unzipped your coat.

“For what?” you scoffed.

“It’s after noon and you don’t even come down to say hello? A ‘good morning, nan’,” she harrumphed.

You chuckled and hung your coat before shoving your boots over on the mat. You grabbed your mocha and leaned on the doorway as you watched her crocheting in her chair, reruns of some court show playing from the boxy television.

“I was working,” you said, “sent in some stuff for review. Hopefully not much work to be done.”

“I don’t know how you make money on that interweb,” she bemoaned, “I don’t trust it.”

“Maybe you’d trust it more if you used the Netflix subscription I got you,” you crossed your arms, “then you wouldn’t have to watch trash daytime TV.”

She shrugged and muttered under her breath. She could be crotchety but you liked her sense of humour. Your aunts and uncles never came around because they just took it as spite. You were the only one who knew how to handle the jaded old lady.

“Maybe you coulda looked out the window,” you snickered, “quite a show going on in town.”

“Hmm, what’s that?” she stilled her needles and reached for her tea stained cup.

“Just a fight. You wouldn’t believe it, that lady mechanic beat the shit--”

“Language,” she huffed.

“Anyway, she had this guy in a chokehold. It was awesome.”

“What guy?” she squinted at you over her glasses.

“I dunno. Some out of towner. Remember I told you about that burly dude hanging around the library?”

“There’s more?” she sucked on her teeth, “those bikers have never been good news and now they’re bringing in more.”

“Yeah, well, what’re you gonna do?” you sniffed as you took out your phone and rewatched the scuffle with the volume down. You shook your head and opened up your TikTok. 

“I don’t understand why you’re always on your dang phone,” your grandmother pestered.

“I’m not always on my phone,” you smiled at her smugly, “there are those time when I’m listening to you prattle on or you know, making you tea, oh, and cooking you dinner. What was it I did last week? Oh that’s right, I got Pippin out of the crawlspace.”

“I’m too old to be chasin’ that cat all around,” she huffed, “where is he anyway?”

“He’s your cat, I don’t know? Last time I saw him, I sent him back out the window for shredding my charger.”

“He knows you need to give it a rest,” she laughed to herself, “got your nose to that screen too much.”

“And what do you do, old lady? Crocheting doilies to put where exactly?”

She gave you that dry smile, the one that said watch it but carried a hint of humour still. You hit post and put your phone away as you waved off her irritation.

“Well, you know what, I sit all day at my computer, doing who knows what and you know what it got me?” you taunted, “a large mocha!” you sipped as you sat on the sofa and grabbed the remote, “and it’s paying my rent and putting bullet points on my resume.”

“Mhmm,” she scowled, “just remember, real life ain’t online. Those videos you’re always laughing at like hyena, that’s not reality. You forget it and it’ll come back and bit you. ‘Specially with those bikers.”

“Oh, nan, you know too well, don’t you? Didn’t you have a fling with one back in your hippie phase?”

“Two, actually,” she raised her brows, “I was young and stupid. Not like you, but still.”

“I love you too,” you chirped and sipped from your cup, flicking the station to Jerry Springer, “that’s more like it.”

💀

Your usual TikToks were sarcastic and dull complaints about your small town life. The response was less than pleasing but it gave you an outlet to vent. You liked to goof around and document the very specific type of weirdos that resided in Birch. But the video of the fight in the snow blew up your phone and made it difficult to ignore the buzzing as you went back up to your room to eke out the last of your captions for the ad agency.

When at last you could call your day hard-earned, you logged off and sent in your hours to the agency. Social media promotion was easy enough but the working gigs for a thousand different companies was tedious. You hoped you could build your portfolio enough to manage a single corporate page as you continued to chip away at your creative outlets.

You picked up your phone as you waited for Netflix to load on your tiny smart tv and flopped onto your bed, not two feet from your desk. You hit the icon in the upper panel of your phone and scrolled through the notifications, pausing to turn on another episode of the cable sitcom from ten years before. You snorted as you read each comment but the number under the video made your eyes round. The thing was bound to go viral.

As usual, you went down to help with supper. Pippin, the orange tabby, returned to cry at his dish and you fed him too. Your nan peered through her glasses at a crossword as she tasted the tangy pasta sauce. 

“More basil,” she snipped.

“Well, I asked if you wanted to help,” you muttered, “I think it’s good.”

“Hmmp, I need milk,” she jutted her chin out, “for my after-dinner tea.”

“You couldn’t say something like three hours ago?” you blinked.

“I could have but I didn’t,” she snickered. You rolled your eyes and she took another forkful of penne and filled in another line on her puzzle, “ah, no hurry, girlie, you know I’m patient.”

“Patient? You?” you chuckled as you took your plate and shoved it in the microwave to keep it warm. The ancient thing had a dial and the door stuck, “I’ll just go get it over with.”

“Don’t forget your mitts,” she called after you as you tramped into the front room, “it’s cold.”

You pulled on your knitted cap and matching mitts. You zipped up your parka and shoved your feet into the deep boots. You grabbed your wallet and buried it in the spacious pocket. You bounced out the front door and down the steps as the sky sent down another coat of powder for the night.

You went up White Forge Street and through the short path behind the diner that led to the main road. You glanced over at The Asp, the beacon of the dull town, and turned towards the grocer. Like anywhere in Birch, the store was outdated and stuffy. It felt like stepping into another time with the paper bags and chunky tills.

You went down the center aisle and stopped at the fridge to search through the frosted glass. Your nan only drank whole milk and the last time you carelessly grabbed skim, she whined that even Pippin wouldn’t drink it. She was particular but that was just her nature. You couldn’t say you were any less fussy in some instances.

You grabbed a jug and the door slapped closed against the worn rubber seal. You headed up the candy aisle and brushed your woolly thumb over your chin as you considered gummy bears or Reeses’ Pieces.

“Hard choice?” The deep voice jolted you.

You snatched the box of chocolate and looked over at the man in leather, his chin tucked down behind the collar as snow dusted his shoulders.

“Sure,” you said as you brushed past him.

The cut of the leather told you he was better not entertained. While you thought the men amusing, you weren’t stupid enough to engage with them. You rarely listened to your grandmother but she was wise in her own way. 

You knew a girl in highschool, she was fucking around with one of the club men in her junior year, she ended up with a baby and no support. You didn’t think he was into you that way but he could hardly have innocent intentions.

“How’s the old lady?” Clayton asked as he rung in your order at the end of the belt, you moved along with the groceries and pulled out your wallet.

“The usual, you know? She’s tryna quit again. Don’t know how long it’ll last.”

“Oh yeah? I’ll keep a carton aside for her,” he kidded as you felt your phone vibing in your back pocket.

“Don’t encourage her,” you swiped your card and punched in your pin, “although I don’t know what’s worse; the smoke or her sucking on those mints all the time.”

“Oh, it’s not the bitchin’?” he laughed.

“That, too,” you scooped up the paper bag and put your wallet away, “have a good one.”

As you came to the end of the first counter, you were nearly cut off by the club member as he swept around from till two. His own purchase of a car magazine and jerky was tucked under his arm.

“Ah, sorry,” he smiled, a sparkling smile, almost charming.

“No worries,” you continued on and he followed close behind.

“Those mitts look real warm. ‘Specially in this weather,” he said as you pushed open the door.

“Uh huh,” you kept on as your boots crunched out into the snow.

“You know where I can get a pair. Leather isn’t exactly thermal, you know?”

“These? My nan made ‘em. I’m sure Clayton got some hung up back there,” you looked across the street as you stepped up onto the ledge of snow between the sidewalk and the road.

“Am I bothering you?” he asked.

You looked at him dumbly and almost laughed in his face. You glanced back across the street then down towards The Asp.

“Sorta,” you answered.

“Make you a deal. Leave ya alone for your name.”

You eyed him. He was older than you like many of the Commandos. At least a decade, likely more than that. You chewed on your hesitation and cradled the bag more firmly against your side. His eyes strayed as he tried to see through the thick layer of your coat.

“Nah, I’m not s’posed to talk to strangers,” you said and hopped off onto the road.

You heard him behind you as he struggled to follow and as you came up to the other side, he came parallel with you and kept stride with you easily.

“I know you’re young but you’re not a kid,” he intoned, “what’s the harm in a name?”

“It’s a small town,” you stopped short of the end of White Forge, “I think I know enough about you to avoid you.”

“Oh ho, is that it? Well, I’m Sam, I’m not a stranger now, am I?”

“Not interested, Sam. Sure there’s women your own age over at the bar,” you nodded behind him.

“You wanna come see? Maybe have a drink?” he gave a crooked grin.

“You don’t give up, do you?” you shook your head, put off by his forwardness.

“Well?”

“Not tonight, Sam,” you turned around and headed down White Forge.

“Then what night?” he asked but you didn’t answer and he didn’t follow.

You turned down onto your street and refused to look back in case. It would be best not to mention the run-in to your nan, she was paranoid enough as it was. Besides, you’d forget about it by the end of next week.