#what do characters do out of their anxieties for the future? do they confront the unknown? embrace it? fight it? freeze and let whatever-

[leapdayowo]

Finally came up with a design for Taqqiq (the cat alien in upper right box) that I’m happy with so now I can post this :3 The image I used for Yildiz (lower right box) is a doodle that I think really captures the essence of them and the vibes I’m going for with her character (it’s hard to explain, but she’s supposed to draw power from the Unknown, which has warped her body to change depending on who is perceiving her)

Pronouns for the four:

Ishara (top left)- he/they/(she? Maybe she)

Taqqiq(top right)- he/it

Saanvi(bottom left)- she/they

Yildiz(bottom right)- any pronouns (for now? Pronoun preference may become part of their character growth by choosing an identity rather than let others make assumptions and choose for them. Yildiz has a lot of identity issues your Honor)

[anneapocalypse]

Demands of the Qun, or How the Inquisitor's Choice Answers the Iron Bull's Most Important Question

I was having a chat about the Iron Bull and his personal quest with some friends and one person said in response to something I said that I should make it a Post, so here it is! And a usual disclaimer: this is not about which in-game decision is "correct"--it's an RPG, there's no wrong way to play the game. I just want to talk about the meaning of this decision for Bull's character and for his future.

Dragon Age: Inquisition’s “Demands of the Qun” is, for me, one of those quests where the RPG format of “player character makes major decision for companion character” really works. I do not see this as an example of game mechanics taking away agency from an NPC. I think Bull has agency in this situation.

The Chargers are not Inquisition soldiers. They are mercenaries, and Bull is their commander. If the Inquisitor makes a call he doesn't like, he is free to say "Screw you" and take his people and leave, because they are not soldiers, they're independent contractors, so leaving isn't desertion, it's just quitting. If he were already certain he wanted to leave the Qun, he could simply call the retreat himself, take the Chargers and leave. Similarly if he were certain of his loyalties and willing to sacrifice the Chargers for that purpose, he could do that, regardless of what the Inquisitor says.

He lets the Inquisitor make this choice.

The Iron Bull has had one foot out the door of the Qun for a long time now. But he's gone back and gone back, submitted himself for re-education and done his best to keep serving the Qun, because he believes he needs the Qun. To him, becoming Tal-Vashoth means losing himself, his identity, his purpose, his very sanity, and as the Fade tells us in "Here Lies the Abyss," this is quite literally his greatest fear. Bull could never bring himself to leave the Qun with nowhere to go instead, nothing to give his life purpose and meaning—and no one to entrust himself to should he doubt his own sanity.

But in his work in the south, the Iron Bull has found community and identity and purpose outside the Qun. The very name he has given himself speaks to that, as does his close relationship to the Chargers.

Right from the beginning, there is tension in "Demands of the Qun." Bull remarks that he's gotten used to the Qunari being "over there" during his life in the south. I think Bull has a very potent anxiety when he meets Gatt again on the Storm Coast, and introduces him to the Inquisitor and their party. To me, it very much has the vibes of introducing two friend groups, where you're not only pretty sure they won't get along, but you're also very aware that they know very different sides of you—and neither of them are going to like seeing the other side. Bull's discomfort is visible both when Gatt speaks freely about Bull's work in the Ben-Hassrath, and when the Inquisitor's other companions make disparaging remarks about the Qun. His two worlds have collided, calling into conflict two sides of his sense of self that he has thus far managed to avoid confronting.

And this is likely part of the point. The Qun does not truly respect alliances with any outside the Qun. I wouldn't say for sure that the Qunari set up this whole situation just to test Bull—it's possible they knew exactly how many Venatori would show up, but they couldn't have known precisely how the Inquisition would respond. That, and their desire to root out the Venatori is no doubt sincere. But I do think they are watching Bull's actions very closely throughout this proposed alliance, gauging his loyalty. Gatt tells him outright that many already believe he has betrayed the Qun.

Bull's internal conflict quickly becomes an external one when the Venatori reinforcements show up, and Bull is faced with the decision of whether to withdraw the Chargers or defend the dreadnought at the cost of their lives.

The thing is, Bull is not neutral on this. He tells the Inquisitor what he wants. He wants to save the Chargers. If the Inquisitor says that the Chargers still have time to retreat, Bull agrees. When Gatt tells him they need to hold position, he says in a low, intense tone, "They're my men."

And then, when Gatt tells him in no uncertain terms that calling the retreat will make him Tal-Vashoth, the Iron Bull looks to the Inquisitor.

Again, he is not neutral. He knows what he wants. He is standing there basically begging the Inquisitor with his eyes to save his boys.

So why doesn't he just make the call himself?

Because just as this whole situation is in part a test of Bull's loyalty, this is also a test of the Inquisitor.

What Bull needs to leave the Qun is not simply for someone else to make the choice for him, but to believe that there is a future for him outside the Qun. That he will still be himself, that he will have purpose, and meaning, and that someone else is worth trusting. Bull cannot bring himself to leave the Qun if it means he will be left utterly alone with nothing but his own mind and his deepest fears. And if that's what leaving the Qun means… then in his mind, it would be better to stay.

The Inquisitor's choice will answer that question.

To sacrifice the Chargers leaves Bull with nothing outside of the Qun. He has just watched his closest friends die, and he cannot trust the Inquisitor. With Krem and Rocky and Skinner and Stitches and Dalish and Grim, the new sense of self that the Iron Bull has found in the south also dies.

Of course he turns back to the Qun. He has nothing else left.

But if it's the Inquisitor who makes the call to save the Chargers… Bull can leave. He has friends who care about him. He has purpose. He has someone whose command he can trust. He has hope. None of this makes the choice easy for him. It is quite clearly very painful and difficult, and I don't think there's any way it could be otherwise. But he has a way forward nonetheless. The choice makes leaving possible.

The Inquisitor doesn't force the Iron Bull to become Tal-Vashoth. Instead, Bull implicitly asks a question, and the Inquisitor by their choice gives him an answer.

[mononijikayu]

that's all.

GENRE: alternate universe - reincarnation

WARNING/S: romance, domesticity, fluff, family, break up, comfort/no comfort, angst, trauma, implied death, hurt/comfort, character death, depiction of death, depictions of loss and depression, depiction of graphic content,depiction of emotional breakdown, depiction of anxiety, mention of death, mention of grief;

WORD COUNT: 5.9k

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Gojo Satoru thinks that it was hard to understand why it keeps repeating over and over again, like it was a rewind on those VHS tapes. But he wonders why it always stops at some point. He feels like he's going crazy. His cerulean blue eyes flickered into the frigid, cool morning air.

When he woke up, it was like a loop. All the memories of the past rolling in over and over again. The day he met you on his twentieth birthday, seeing how brightly your eyes beamed at him to greet him.

Your first date on Christmas day, your laugh when the chocolate milkshake's foam stuck to his lips. He thinks he knew you were the one then, and he didn't waste time—when you got married only two months later. Together for nearly twenty years of happiness, nearly twenty years of nothing but love.

He wanted to continue seeing that loop over, he was sure. It wasn't just that you were happy. He was afraid of what comes next. He was afraid of seeing the damage he had caused such a beautiful life.

There was a comfort in the routine of the memories, a solace in the certainty of the past. But beneath the surface, a current of dread pulled at him, reminding him of the choices he couldn't undo. He could see it all in perfect clarity—the laughter, the whispered promises, the gentle touch of your hand in his. Yet, the loop would inevitably lead him to the moment where everything started to fray.

He was terrified of confronting the truth, the truth that lay beyond the boundaries of those cherished memories. The truth that he had failed you, failed to nurture the love that had been his greatest treasure. He feared the emptiness that loomed ahead, the vast, uncharted future without you by his side.

When that part played, he couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand how much of a fool he was, how he had hurt you. He had a hard time, trying to relive this moment again. Because, if there was any regret in that first life, it was making you the saddest creature in existence.

You stood in the dimly lit living room, tears streaming down your face, your voice trembling as you asked, "Is this it? Is this over?" Your eyes searched his, desperate for an answer, for anything that would make sense of the unraveling before you.

He sat on the edge of the couch, his hands clasped together, his gaze fixed on the floor. Words lodged in his throat, heavy and unspoken, as he struggled to find the courage to speak. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out—only silence, the kind that echoed with unspoken regrets and lingering doubts.

"After everything we've been through," you continued, your voice breaking, "how can you just sit there and say nothing? Do I mean so little to you now?"

His heart ached at your words, each one a sharp reminder of the hurt he had caused. He knew you deserved so much more than his silence, but the fear of admitting his failings kept him mute. He wanted to tell you that it wasn't you, that it was never you. That he had let the weight of his own insecurities and fears cloud the love he felt.

Finally, he managed to whisper, "I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know how to fix this."

The weight of his mistakes bore down on him like a heavy fog, clouding his vision and suffocating his spirit. He felt that for the rest of his life after your divorce. He longed for the life that had slipped through his fingers, the life that had been filled with the sound of children’s laughter and the warmth of a loving home.

He often wondered what might have been if he had chosen differently, if he had nurtured the love they had instead of letting it wither. He pictured the family they might have had, the milestones they would have celebrated together, the legacy they could have built. It was a bittersweet dream, a haunting reminder of all he had forsaken.

He closes his eyes again. He takes a deep breath. He was hoping that this time he'd find his way toward you. He longed for the chance to prove himself worthy of the love you had so freely given. He knew it would take more than words and promises; it would take action, change, and an unwavering commitment to healing the wounds he had caused.

As he stood there, the morning light filtering through his eyelids, he could only sigh. You probably don't remember him in this life. That he was certain. He didn't know where to start either. But he knew that he'll find you.

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Gojo Satoru hadn’t expected to see you again, especially not after so many years. Entering medical school was a new chapter for him, one he had hoped to share with you, but you had vanished from his life without a trace.

He had searched for you, hoping for a chance encounter or a familiar face in the crowd, but you were nowhere to be found. Eventually, he resigned himself to the idea that life would go on, even if it meant moving forward without you.

He sat at the bus stop, the evening chill settling in as he waited for the last bus home. The streetlights flickered above, casting a warm glow on the pavement as people hurried past.

The sound of footsteps approached, and he looked up to see you standing there, a familiar sight that sent a jolt through his heart. You wore a checkered pastel sweater, the same one you had loved so much back then.

Your voice was soft, almost tentative, as you spoke. "I think I remember you from somewhere." you whispered, the words muffled by the tight echo of your sweater.

Satoru’s heart skipped a beat. He could only manage a sly smile, though a pang of sadness twisted within him. It was both a joy and a heartbreak to see you again. He remembered everything about you—how warm your hands were, how kind they felt against his skin. Yet here you were, uncertain, unable to place him in your memory.

"Do you?" he asked, his voice tinged with a blend of hope and nostalgia.

You studied his face, searching for something familiar, something that would unlock the memories buried deep within. "We met before, didn't we?" you said, a hint of recognition dawning in your eyes.

He nodded, the smile on his face softening. He was sad for sure. But it was what it was. You were here, alive. That's all that matters. And he was alive. You guys were here, together. "Yeah, we did. It’s been a while."

There was a pause, a moment where the world seemed to stand still, as if granting you both a brief reprieve to reconnect. The noise of the city faded into the background, leaving only the two of you in the quiet space. He could see it, the way you were trying so hard to concentrate. To not disappoint. You still had the same

"We....attended the same school, remember?" He tries to clear up. He doesn't want to make it awkward for you.

"I'm sorry." you said, your voice apologetic, "I wish I could remember more."

Satoru shook his head, his smile reassuring. "It’s okay," he replied.

The bus arrived, its doors sliding open with a hiss, but neither of you moved to get on. Instead, you stood there. Satoru glanced at the arriving bus, then back at you. You both were from a different area of town, he thinks. The next one coming is his. He has got to shoot his shot now. A determined grin spreading across his face. He felt a familiar warmth in your presence, even if your memories were still catching up to his.

"So," he said, trying to muster his trademark confidence but ending up sounding more awkward than suave, "since we're both here and all, maybe we should, you know, hang out sometime? I like you. But I just....you get what I mean? Like a…date? If you’re into that kind of thing, I mean."

You raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you watched him fumble for words. You must think he's such a loser. He could feel his ears turn red. You grinned at him, walking to him. You must think he's a weirdo now. He readies himself for a rejection, maybe even a slap.

"Are you asking me out like that?" you teased, enjoying the sight of the usually composed Satoru looking a bit flustered.

"Uh, yeah," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I mean, it’s not like we have to, but it could be fun. We could catch up, and I promise not to bore you with medical jargon or anything. I swear too, I'm not a creep."

"That feels like something a creep would say."

"I promise you, I swear! I'm a really good boy. I'll send you references that can vouch for me."

"And you sure they won't lie to me about you?"

"I promise, they'll be brutally honest!" He crosses his heart, raising his hand like a pledge. "Ieiri Shoko, Geto Suguru, Nanami Kento-"

"Oh, wait, you're the annoying shitty glasses Nanami talks about?" You point at him, causing him to be taken aback, his mouth opening. "He rants about you when we're doing calculations at Aerodynamics! He says you're the worst person in his life!"

He could feel his face turn redder than ever. "Fuck, that's how you know me? Not the handsome, flamboyant boy in our high school?"

"Sorry." You shake your head, covering your mouth as you laughed.

"It's.....fine. I guess its better than you not remembering me."

Your laughter rang out, bright and cheerful, as you nodded. "Okay, okay," you said, still giggling. "I’d like that. Let’s make some new memories, hm? Better ones than this."

Satoru’s heart leaped at your response, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at himself. "Great! So, maybe dinner and a movie? Or do people still do that? Maybe there's a more trendy thing now. Oh, I know! We could go to that new cat cafe—"

You cut him off with another laugh. "Dinner and a movie sounds perfect," you said, smiling warmly at him. "But maybe we can save the cat cafe for another day."

"Deal." Satoru replied, grinning from ear to ear. "I promise it'll be the best date you've had in years…or, you know, at least not the worst."

The bus finally departed without either of you, leaving you standing together under the streetlights, your shared laughter and the promise of a new beginning filling the air. As you exchanged phone numbers, Satoru couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe this was fate’s way of giving him another chance, and he was determined not to let it slip away.

"See you soon, then," you said, waving as you turned to leave, your smile still lingering.

Satoru watched you go, his heart light with the prospect of rekindling what was lost. "Yeah," he called after you, "see you soon!"

As you disappeared into the night, Gojo Satoru chuckled to himself, shaking his head at how he had managed to bungle the smooth-talking act. But he didn’t mind. You had said yes, and that was all that mattered.

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You and Satoru quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm, and he was happy—truly happy. The universe had given him a second chance in this life with you, and he was determined to cherish every moment.

He found immense joy in getting to know this version of you, marveling at how similar you were to the one he had loved in his other life. You were still kind, so beautiful, and the same wonderful person he had fallen in love with.

Life together felt natural, as if no time had passed. After a whirlwind romance, you decided to move in together again, finding a cozy apartment filled with light and laughter.

It wasn't long before you stumbled upon a scruffy little dog on the street, its big eyes pleading for help. Without a second thought, you both decided to adopt it, giving it a warm home and a loving family.

The dog quickly became part of your lives, bringing chaos and joy in equal measure. It was a small thing, but it solidified your bond and brought endless moments of happiness. Satoru loved watching you interact with the dog, your shared laughter echoing through the apartment.

Every day felt like a new adventure, and Satoru couldn’t believe how content he was. Whether it was cooking dinner together, taking long walks in the park, or simply sitting on the couch with the dog nestled between you, he treasured it all. He often found himself watching you with a fond smile, amazed at how lucky he was to have this second chance.

"You know," he would say, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you both watched the sunset from your balcony, "I think this is the happiest I’ve ever been."

You would smile back at him, your eyes shining with warmth and affection. "Me too, you know?" you’d reply, resting your head against his shoulder. "I’m glad we found each other, Satoru."

And in those moments, with you by his side and the dog curled up at your feet, Satoru knew he was exactly where he was meant to be. He had been given a precious gift—a chance to love you all over again—and he was determined to make the most of it.

You lay down beside him on the soft grass in your backyard, gazing up at the night sky. The stars twinkled above, casting a serene glow over the world. Satoru turned his head from the stars to look at you, feeling a sense of contentment he hadn't known in a long time.

You shifted slightly, your voice soft and reflective. “You know, I used to make paper cranes and think that they could reach the sky.”

Satoru raised an eyebrow, curious. “Why did you think that?”

You smiled, your gaze still fixed on the stars. “Because aren’t paper cranes the ones that carry the wishes of humans to the gods?”

He chuckled softly, the sound warm and genuine. “I suppose that makes sense. They are meant to be symbols of hope and wishes.”

You nodded, a playful glint in your eye. “I used to imagine that each crane I folded was sending my wishes up to the stars, hoping that they would reach some divine place and be granted.”

Satoru smiled, his heart swelling with affection. “And what did you wish for back then?”

You turned to look at him, your eyes shining with a mix of nostalgia and warmth. “I wished for a life filled with love and happiness."

He took your hand, squeezing it gently. “Did you get your wish?"

"Yes." You whispered back at him, squeezing back. "I did."

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Gojo Satoru entered the floor once again for his residency shift, ready to tackle another busy day. The halls buzzed with the usual activity, doctors and nurses moving with purpose as they attended to patients. As he made his way to the locker room, he spotted Ieiri Shoko, his longtime friend, his fellow doctor in training, heading straight for him.

"Satoru," Shoko called, her expression serious, "Can I....Can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure, Sho. What's up?" he replied, following her down the corridor.

She led him to a quiet room and closed the door, her demeanor uncharacteristically somber. "There’s something you need to know," she said, her voice low. "Someone came in today."

Satoru's first thought was that it might be you, stopping by for a surprise visit. "Was it my love, hm? Did they come to see me?"

Shoko hesitated before shaking her head. "Not exactly. I want to show you something first."

She handed him a folder containing medical records from earlier that day. As Satoru scanned the documents, his eyes widened in disbelief. His heart sank as he read through the notes, his mind racing to make sense of what he was seeing.

"Is this real?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Are these records really about them?"

Shoko nodded, her eyes filled with empathy. "I’m afraid so. I thought you should know."

Satoru’s mind reeled with the information, his thoughts a jumble of worry and confusion. He didn’t remember how long he stayed like that, frozen in time. The last time it was him, and he had hurt you. But this time…this time…

His hand shook as it clenched into a fist. You were already happy together. Why does this have to happen now?

This was a lethal one. He couldn't believe it, how your brain was killing you. No wonder when you first met…he shouldn’t have known. He should have. He pressed his lips into a flat line as his mind tried to dig through memory after memory of you. He was—he was about to be a doctor. How could he have not noticed?

The thought gnawed at him, a relentless accusation that echoed in his mind. The medical records had laid bare the harsh reality: the diagnosis, the prognosis, the path ahead. It was as if the ground beneath him had shifted, leaving him unsteady and disoriented.

After a few moments, he managed to thank Shoko, his voice distant and detached, before leaving the hospital. His heart was heavy with the knowledge he now carried, a weight that seemed too much to bear.

He walked to the parking lot and sat inside his car, closing the door and sealing himself in a cocoon of silence. He stayed there, unmoving, for god knows how long. The world outside blurred into a haze, unnoticed and unimportant.

Then, the dam inside him broke. He sobbed, his body wracked with the force of his grief. He cried for you, for the life you had built together, for the future he feared might slip away. He cried for the guilt that clawed at him, a relentless whisper that insisted this was somehow his fault.

Had he been better to you, had he been good to the world—maybe this wouldn’t be happening to you. Maybe you wouldn’t be facing this battle. He had always thought of himself as strong, capable of handling whatever life threw his way. But this? This was different.

He felt powerless, a sensation he was unaccustomed to, and it terrified him. All the training, all the knowledge he had gained in medical school seemed meaningless now. He was supposed to be the one who fixed things, who healed. And yet, he couldn’t fix this. He couldn’t make this go away.

The realization crashed over him, wave after wave, until he was left feeling hollow and spent. The tears slowed, leaving a profound emptiness in their wake. Satoru sat in the quiet of his car, the echo of his sobs lingering in the air.

Finally, he took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to gather the fragments of his resolve. He knew he had to be strong for you, to support you through whatever came next. You deserved that, at the very least.

With trembling hands, he started the car, knowing he had to return home to you. He needed to see you, to hold you.

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When Satoru arrived home, he found you sitting at the dining table, your hands deftly folding paper into intricate shapes. The sight was both familiar and comforting, and he paused in the doorway, watching you as though he were trying to burn the image into his memory.

Your dog greets him, running up to him. He tries to be cheerful in front of your dog. He presses a kiss on his head and pats his fur tenderly. He stands up immediately, walking towards you. How peaceful you look, how beautiful you look. Everything about this moment, it hurts him. It calms him. It makes him fall in love over and over again.

You looked up and smiled, your face lighting up at the sight of him. "Hey, welcome back!" you greeted, gesturing to the colorful array of origami cranes spread out before you. "I’m making one thousand cranes, you know, for the wish."

He approached and sat beside you, his emotions a tumultuous mix of love and fear. "What’s the wish for?" he asked, his voice trembling despite his efforts to stay calm.

Your smile was soft, full of warmth and certainty. "To be with you forever." you replied, your eyes meeting his with unwavering affection. "Like we always wanted."

The words hit Gojo Satoru with the force of a tidal wave, and he felt his composure crumble. Tears welled in his eyes, and he began to sob, unable to hold back the torrent of emotions that had been building inside him.

You watched him with concern, reaching out to wrap your arms around him, pulling him close. "Hey, are you going to be alright?" you asked gently, your voice soothing and tender.

He buried his face in your shoulder, his tears soaking into your shirt as he clung to you. "I just—" he choked out, "I can’t lose you."

You held him tighter, your embrace a balm to his aching heart. "You won’t," you whispered, your voice steady and reassuring. "I’ll always be here with you, Satoru. Always."

In that moment, wrapped in your arms, Satoru felt the weight of his fears begin to lift.

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As days turned into weeks, your condition deteriorated at an alarming rate. The tumor in your brain had progressed to a stage where surgery was no longer an option. The diagnosis was a harsh reality that Gojo Satoru couldn’t escape, no matter how much he wished it were otherwise.

He found himself questioning everything. He had become a doctor to heal, to save lives, yet here he was, unable to save the one person who meant the world to him. The thought gnawed at him, a relentless reminder of his perceived failure. If he couldn’t save you, how could he ever be expected to save anyone else?

Each day, as he walked into the hospital, his heart felt heavy with the weight of his own inadequacy. He passed by patients he could help, doctors who looked to him for guidance, all while wrestling with the crushing realization that he was powerless in the face of your illness.

But he refused to let you see this side of him. You had always been his strength, and he didn’t want to burden you with his self-loathing. He masked his inner turmoil with a practiced smile, determined to show you a facade of optimism and support, even as his heart ached with the pain of watching you suffer.

When he was with you, he tried his hardest to remain upbeat. He would talk to you about trivial things, tell you funny stories from his day at the hospital, and offer encouragement with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. The effort was exhausting, but he was driven by a singular purpose—to make your days brighter, to give you moments of happiness despite the grim reality.

“You’re so strong, baby.” he would say, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. “I’m proud of you, you know that? We’ll get through this. We’ll find a way to make the best of it.”

Inside, however, he was a storm of self-doubt and anger. How could he reconcile the fact that he was trained to save lives, yet unable to save yours? The bitterness of his own inadequacy was a harsh contrast to the warmth he projected for your sake.

The nights were the hardest. When he was alone, he would let his guard down, allowing the tears to fall as he grappled with the overwhelming weight of his emotions. He would sit in the quiet of his room, staring at the ceiling, wrestling with the guilt and self-reproach that seemed to consume him.

Yet, each morning, he would pull himself together, don his mask of cheerfulness, and return to you with the same unwavering determination. For you, he would continue to smile, to hope, and to cherish every moment of time he had left with you.

His love for you was the only thing that kept him going, the only light in the darkness that threatened to swallow him whole. Despite his own pain, he would remain by your side, offering whatever comfort and support he could.

Satoru sat beside you in the dimly lit room, the soft whir of hospital equipment filling the quiet space. His attempts to maintain a cheerful demeanor had become increasingly strained, but you saw through his facade.

“Hey, 'toru.” you said softly, noticing how he seemed more withdrawn than usual. “You’ve been so quiet lately. Is something wrong?”

Satoru looked at you, his heart aching at the concern in your eyes. He forced a smile, but it faltered. “It’s nothing,” he said, his voice betraying the weight he carried. “Just feeling a bit overwhelmed.”

You reached out, gently touching his hand. “You don’t have to hide anything from me. I want to know what’s going on.”

Satoru took a deep breath, struggling to keep his emotions in check. “It’s just... seeing you like this, knowing there’s nothing more I can do. I became a doctor to help people, to make a difference. But right now, I can’t save you.”

You squeezed his hand, your gaze softening. “Satoru, you’ve done everything you can. It’s not your fault. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things don’t turn out the way we hope.”

He shook his head, tears welling up. “I keep thinking, if I had been more observant, if I had noticed the signs earlier, maybe—maybe I could have done something.”

You took a deep breath, looking at the pile of paper cranes you were meticulously folding. “Do you remember why I’m making these?”

Satoru glanced at the cranes scattered across the table. “For your wish?”

“Yes.” you said, nodding. “I’m making one thousand cranes. It’s a tradition that if you complete them, your wish will be granted.”

He watched as you carefully folded another crane, your hands moving with practiced precision. “Is your wish the same?” he asked, trying to hold back his tears. "To be together forever?"

You smiled gently, your eyes meeting his. “What else is there to wish for, Satoru? You were always my dream come true.”

Satoru’s composure broke, and he began to sob, his body shaking with the force of his grief. “I love you so much, baby.” he choked out. “And I don’t want to lose you.”

You reached out, embracing him tightly. “I love you too, Satoru. And I’m here with you, every step of the way. We’ll face this together.”

Satoru buried his face in your shoulder, allowing himself to release the pent-up emotions he had been hiding. The warmth of your embrace was a stark contrast to the cold reality of the situation.

“I just wish I could make you better. It’s tearing me apart to see you suffer.”

You stroked his hair, your heart breaking for him. “You’ve already given me so much. Your love, your support—it means everything to me. And that’s more than enough.”

He looked up at you, tears still glistening in his eyes. “I feel like I’ve failed. I should be able to fix this, to save you.”

“You haven’t failed, my love.” you said softly, holding his gaze. “Sometimes, we can’t control everything. But we have each other, and that’s what matters most.”

As the tears subsided, Satoru took a shaky breath. He watched as you continued folding the cranes, each one a symbol of hope and love. Despite his efforts to hold back his tears, he felt a new wave of emotion rising within him.

You had said you wanted to finish the cranes as much as possible before you died, so that your wish could come true—that you would be together forever. The thought of not achieving that dream, of not having you in his life, was almost too much to bear.

Satoru wiped his wet eyes, his voice trembling with a mix of hope and sorrow. “Can I help you with the cranes?” he asked, his heart aching. “I want to make sure the gods know I have the same dreams.”

You looked up at him, your eyes sparkling with a mixture of sadness and gratitude. Your smile was soft, but it held a depth of love that made Satoru’s heart ache in the best way possible.

“Of course, my love.” you said gently, reaching out to him. “I’d love that.”

He moved closer, taking a seat beside you at the table. He picked up a piece of paper, his hands trembling slightly as he tried to mimic the folds you had shown him. Each crease was an act of defiance against the fate that loomed over you both, a testament to the love and hope that bound you together.

As he worked alongside you, he stole glances at you, admiring the way your hands moved. Your hands were beautiful. You always have had the most beautiful existence. Of course, you would make something so beautiful too.

As the cranes began to accumulate, they became more than just paper and folds. So did the hopes, so did the wonders, so did the expectations. Gojo Satoru thinks that he was lucky. He always has been. Bcause you were with him. Because you were always what made life feel so lucky, feel so whole.

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Gojo Satoru sat alone in the quiet room, the faint echoes of hospital activity the only sounds breaking the oppressive silence. The weight of your absence felt almost unbearable.

He always told you that if you were to grow old together, that he would think it'd be best that you died together. But ideally, he would want to die first. He can't bear the thought of losing you again.

Even if it is to death. But death wasn't one to grant wishes fast. Death doesn't discriminate. It just takes and takes.

You had left as quickly as you had come into his life. The last memory he had of you was sending him off to find some of those bread rolls you liked—an ordinary task that now felt laden with an almost premonitory sadness.

He wondered if you had known, deep down, that your time was running out. Perhaps you had felt it coming and wanted to spare him the agony of watching you leave. The thought of you making that decision, of choosing to shield him from the worst of the pain, only deepened his sorrow.

Satoru’s mind replayed the moments of your final days together. He remembered laying by your side, feeling the weight of your past life’s final farewell.

It hadn’t been fair. In his past life, he had been given the chance to say goodbye to you on his deathbed. This time, you had taken that moment away from him, leaving him to face an unbearable reality alone.

He glanced at your lifeless body, the grief almost too heavy to bear. He didn't want to leave you alone, even for a moment. But Shoko’s voice cut through his despair, gentle yet firm.

“The morgue will take care of everything,” Shoko said, her tone reassuring. “You need to rest, Satoru. Take a shower, clear your head. You’ll need to face the world and everything that comes next.”

Satoru looked at her, his eyes red-rimmed and weary. “But I... I don’t want to leave them alone.”

Shoko placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I understand, but you have to take care of yourself too. You need to be strong, for both of you. Rest now, and we’ll handle the arrangements.”

He nodded slowly, his heart heavy with the burden of his grief. He took one last look at you, trying to imprint the image of you in his memory, before he reluctantly made his way to the hospital’s shower facilities.

As the water cascaded over him, he tried to wash away the physical and emotional exhaustion that clung to him. But no amount of water could cleanse the sorrow or erase the memory of losing you. He closed his eyes, letting the steam envelop him, and took a deep breath.

The world outside seemed distant and blurred, a reminder of the life he now had to face without you. As he emerged from the shower, he wonders how he can move on.

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Satoru thinks that the house is eerily quiet. The dog, like usual, woke him up with his tail wagging and eyes bright with excitement. It was a comforting routine that had always brought him joy, but tonight, it felt like an unbearable reminder of what he had lost.

The dog leaped up to greet him, paws against his legs, and Satoru knelt down, trying to muster a smile. But as he looked into the dog's trusting eyes, the reality of the situation hit him with full force.

Satoru’s composure crumbled. He wrapped his arms around the dog, pulling him close as the tears he had been holding back surged forth. The dog nuzzled against him, sensing his distress, and Satoru’s sobs became more pronounced.

Through his tears, he choked out, “You know, buddy... they're not coming home anymore. They...... they're gone.”

The dog looked up at him, head tilting slightly as if trying to understand. Satoru could hardly bring himself to continue, the weight of the words feeling almost too heavy to bear.

“I don’t know how to explain it to you, but... they won’t be here to make you those treats they used to bake. They won’t be here to cuddle with us on the couch.”

He petted the dog’s head, his hands trembling. “They loved you so much. And I promised them that I’d take care of you... but I don’t know how to do that without them.”

Satoru’s voice cracked, the depth of his sorrow palpable. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not fair to you, either. You’re going to miss them just like I do. But I’ll try my best to make sure you’re okay.”

The dog licked his face gently, as if trying to comfort him in return. Satoru held onto him tightly, feeling the warmth. It was a small, yet poignant reminder of the life he had to keep going for, even amidst his grief.

As he sat there on the floor, the dog resting its head on his lap, Satoru’s tears began to subside. He took deep, shuddering breaths, drawing solace from this moment.

He gently stroked the dog’s fur. “We’re going to get through this, hm?” he said quietly.

As the evening wore on, Satoru and the dog remained there, the quiet company offering a small reprieve from the overwhelming grief. In the solitude of the house that now felt emptier than ever. He finds the paper cranes. You finished most of it in the hospital. But you were sure that you made more than a thousand. Tears fall from his eyes.

"Please." He whispered to the gods above. "If there something more than this one. Please tell me that'll continue to be together. Please."

[topgun-imagines]

Happy anniversary!!! Really looking forward to your future writing! :)

🍓 + Jake

Thank you Lovely!! :)

Never Forgive You Jake Seresin x Female!Reader | Your trust and love for Jake is not enough sometimes. warnings: cheating, angst, fighting, pregnancy, heartbreak. @topguncortez

The Final Sunset Jake Seresin x Wife!Reader | Jake takes you to feel the sun on your skin one last time. warnings: death, sadness, cancer, grief. @topguncortez

Squirt Jake Seresin x Female!Reader | Jake is determined to make you feel things like you've never felt before. warnings: unprotected sex, daddy kink. @topguncortez

In The Night Jake Seresin x Wife!Reader | Jake helps you live out one of your sexual fantasies. warnings: CNC, usage of sleeping pills (melatonin), talks of safe words, vaginal fingering, oral sex (F) receiving. @topguncortez

Floydsin As Dad's Jake Seresin x Bob Floyd | warnings: pregnancy, mentions of needles, mentions of vomiting, mentions of failed adoptions, labor. @topguncortez

Undiagnosed Katie Blair grew up trying to be the perfect daughter. She always struggled to be the prim and proper little girl her parents wanted. Big personality as a kid, but now at 25, she's the shy admiral's daughter who just keeps her head down and tries to get through law school. So what happens when she's had enough and with help from a certain Lieutenant, she gets out. General Warnings: Angst, smut, asshole parents, trauma response, Jake is a jerk at first. @callsign-magnolia

You Might Want To Step Aside two times your boyfriend and twin brother had to stand up for you, and the one time you shocked them by doing it yourself. warnings: anxiety, shy reader, protective Hangman, protective Bob, insecure reader, self doubt. @awaywith-thefaeries

Roughing It Jake Seresin begged you, his best friend to go camping with him and Bradley Bradshaw—but not for the innocent reasons you might think. A simple camping trip turns into something much more unholy. Callsign— Giggles Warnings: Jake Seresin x F!Reader. Bradley Bradshaw x F!Reader. Unprotected sex. Male receiving oral. Choking. MxMxF Threesome. Creampie. Obvious power dynamics. @ohtobeleah

Always A Bridesmaid Bradley tells all the guys at his wedding that his little sister is off limits… But when has Jake ever listened to Rooster? Warnings: a teeny bit of angst, mentions of alcohol, drinking, smut, oral (m + f receiving), unprotected pinv, slight overstimulation, age gap (not really specified but reader is around 23-24 yrs old, jake is in his early 30s), jake being too damn charming for his own good, rooster being a very overprotective big brother, jake being a menace, and natasha being the best sister-in-law, for the sake of this story we’re gonna pretend that Goose died a few years later than what is canon to explain how Bradley has a sister that’s 10+ years younger than him lol @sugarcoated-lame

Middle Of A Memory Jake Seresin was an asshole, everyone knew it. He flew with confidence and held a cocky smirk. Behind every cocky smirk and snark remark was you, built into his memories, memories he always lived in. Warnings: 18+,mentions of alcohol, mentions of flying accidents, mentions of death, swearing, angst and of course fluff. @sunnysidevans

Who Did This To You? In your most vulnerable hour, Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin is the one to find you, and the one to ask you the ultimate question. “Who did this to you?” Warnings: Mentions of Abuse and DV (NOT committed by Jake), nongraphic description of resulting injuries, a very one-sided bar fight, mention that a character is going to therapy, insults and confrontation by a past abuser. (This story is a who did this to you trope. While it is only dealing with the 'who did this to you’ aftermath of what was done, please keep that in mind.) @justfandomwritings

Join In!

[army93bangya]

The Moon Goddess's Chosen | Chapter 4| MYG [M]

*Chapter 4

*Summary: Y/N wakes up disoriented in unfamiliar surroundings, what is going to happen to her now that she has been taken from her father? What will Alpha Min do to her now that she is in his grasp?

*Genre/Rating: Mature, 18+, Werewolf/Fated mates, eventual smut? 🤔🤷🏻‍♀️

*Warnings/Potential Triggers: Talks Child of Abuse, Abuse, Non-con Touching, Non-con Confinement, Angst, Mistreatment, Being Detained, Anxiety, Nervousness, Mention of Murder, Mention of plotting Murder, Reader is going thru it, Confrontation, Slight mention of Rape, Poisoning, Possible future Smut,….more to be added in future chapters.

*Disclaimer: This work was written and owned by Army93bangya and there is no consent for anyone else to post it as theirs, this story is intended for entertainment purposes only, this story is a work of fantasy, seems a bit ridiculous to say but I do not own or have rights to BTS or the members and the characters in this story are a fictional interpretation of members. Wolfsbane is an actual poison and there truly is no cure. DO NOT EVER INGEST WOLFBANE!

*Words: 5060

*Notes: Well...here we are.. I don't even know what to say. Currently this story is slow burn, but I am just kind of going with the flow when writing it so that could change. Jimin is an absolute sweetheart! Don't come for Y/N her trust issues are real with good reason. I did a tiny amount of research on herbs and wanted something somewhat realistic in the story for a medicine to help with her poisoning. Khella is a real herb that is native to certain parts of the Mediterranean and Asia and can be used medicinally for heart ailments. I will leave a link with an article I read for the purpose of this story. As always thank you so much for reading and please leave me a comment telling me what you think so far! :)

7 Health Benefits of Khella - Healthy Focus

Previous Chapter ------ Next Chapter

You're comfortable. That's the first thing you register when you start to regain consciousness. Maddie must have found more padding and blankets for your bed, she is such an amazing friend. UGH your body and head both ache with the aftermath of the wolfsbane, feels like you drank a ton of wine and are now hungover, only worse. Did you faint? Did Darius carry you to your be- Wait! As your mind starts to catch up you remember the gathering, Maddie mated and led away, your own mate connection made to Alpha Min, the words spoken, Alpha Mins words in particular being a great concern, Darius’s futile attack, the beta that had you and…and…he lifted you into his arms. Your father was bested. No no no no! This can not be happening! 

Your eyes are heavy but you manage to open them and take in your surroundings. Letting out a breath of relief to find that you are currently alone, But it is overly obvious that this isn't your bedroom, or your tent at camp. You're snuggled into a massive pile of blankets and furs on a platform of some kind about a foot off the ground. The bed you are in is situated at the far left corner of this huge tent with a chair positioned right next to it. In front of you to the left of the entrance is a couple decent size baskets and a big chest. A modest fire pit is set up at the center of the tent with its embers currently banked, two stoops stand upright for sitting outside of a stone barrier that circles the pit. The front right corner is blocked off by a couple partitions and in the back right corner of the tent is a large long table with benches set up on both sides that look like they could fit four people on each bench, a chair sits at the head of the table facing the entire tent. A tent this size with such furniture inside for a temporary encampment can only mean one thing. This is the alphas tent, You’re in Alpha Mins tent…in his bed.

Don't Panic! You can't freak out right now, need to think. You don't know how long you will be alone in this tent so it's best to use what time you have to reflect on everything that has happened, and come up with the best course of action. What do you do? With everything you have heard about this pack and your fated mate, it would be unwise to think you will be treated with any type of kindness, you're not that dense. Alpha Min could come through that entrance at any second, he is unpredictable and almost completely unreadable. He might come in and hurt you or force himself on you. No you can't stay, so that leaves you with two options. Either you stick around and try to placate Alpha Min into believing you want to be his mate, maybe he won't hurt you if you are compliant. You would just have to wait and hope that your father can successfully retrieve you. It is not the best option, and you REALLY don't want to go back to your father and Darius either, but it is the better option as it is more likely to be a successful outcome. 

The alternative would be to find Maddie and attempt an escape. You can not run and leave Maddie to this fate, no you would have to find her in this camp first. But where would you even go? Two she wolves on the run are a massive target to both rogues and packs. And it would be foolish to try to seek refuge with any pack. There would be too many questions that would need to be answered before a pack would take you in. Not to mention packs that provide sanctuary to outsiders are the first places your father and Alpha Min would look. No you would have to go rogue and find unclaimed territory to hide in, somewhere far away. That is if you could even succeed in the impossible feat of escaping. 

You would need to inspect the complete layout of the Bangtan camp, find the best spot to sneak out of here while observing for the best possible moment as well. Locating Maddie is a top priority and you are hopeful that you would be allowed to speak to her alone. It is most likely that Alpha Min will keep you under guard, so being able to get away from your keeper is something you have to take into account too. But perhaps the biggest difficulty with this plan is Alpha Min himself. Taking everything he disclosed at the gathering and assessing it you know he will be your largest obstacle. For reasons unknown to you, he wants you, and you don't take him for a wolf that rolls over and accepts defeat. With his heightened senses it will be near impossible to get away from him undetected. And with him being your mate he will be able to pick up your scent easily. So if you are successful in fleeing undetected the next challenge would be being able to evade him till you get a far enough distance. With so many unknown variables it would be next to impossible to escape. Basically both options are awful, uncertain, and unfavorable. 

You're doomed. And you really need to relieve yourself. You glance at the entrance and instantly anxiety saturates you completely. You can do this, laying here is not going to accomplish anything, you have to do this. Besides, if you urinate in Alpha Min's bed that probably won't endear you to him at all, and the thought of being in his bed when he comes back is an immediate motivator to find your courage. Slowly you lift up into a sitting position, the dress that you wore to the gathering is still on your body so that somewhat soothes you. You find your shoes positioned neatly by the bed, removing the blankets from your body and sliding your legs off the bed you grab the sandals and strap them to your feet. You yearn to be able to just shift to wolf form and go relieve yourself easily, maybe explore without having to speak to anyone. But your father only let you shift when necessary, when the itch to do so became too much. He did not like you being in wolf form so you're not about to do so here without approval first. You need to be compliant, obedient so that with luck your time here will be as painless as possible. 

You let out a groan as you stand, your body feels stiff and everything aches. Surprisingly though you don't feel quite as sore as you usually do coming off of wolfsbane and that gives you pause. You get a flicker of a foggy memory, being held up in a sitting position and having liquid coaxed down your throat. Huh. They weren't lying about the healer it seems. You are used to the wolfsbane running its course through your system and it is usually about a week before you are feeling back to normal. They must have given you Khella tea. While there is no cure for wolfsbane, Khella is known to aid in ridding the body of the toxin quicker thus speeding up recovery time. Judging on how you currently feel and if they give you more Khella tea, you will probably be fully recovered in about three to four days instead of your regular seven to eight days. But until then you will bear the discomfort as you always have and face the outside of this tent. 

It is bright when you first step outside, you squint your eyes and give them a moment to adjust before taking in your surroundings. Alpha Min's tent seems to be at the back of the camp as there is a big open area in front of you with a communal fire in the center for cooking and heating water. There are several tents on both sides of the area left open for the pack to congregate. “LUNA!” your eyes shoot towards the loud exclaim to take in a man briskly approaching you. On instinct you take a step back closer to the tent you just came out of and he instantly stops a few feet from you. Oh. You recognize him. It's the beta that came to you after Darius released you, the one who still seems to be calling you Luna. Funny he looks about as nervous as you feel. “Luna, you should not be out of bed in your condition. I was just coming to check on you. I am so happy you are awake but we should really get you back into bed to rest.” Before you can be concerned by his words, he gives you a boyish smile and visibly softens his entire demeanor completely contradictory to everything you have heard so far about the wolves in this pack.

Even though he seems genuine with his caring demeanor and sweet smile you know better than to be led into a false sense of security and let your guard down. No matter how endearing he looks right now. But for your own well being you will play along to this facade you seem to have walked into. You try to appear more at ease before answering him. “I'm sorry, I didn't know I was not supposed to leave the bed, but I really have an urgent matter to attend to.” You give him a pointed look and his eyes widen and he starts garbling words before being able to actually respond. “Ofcourse Luna! let me guide you to an area to take care of that!” He turns to look at the two other men he seemed to be talking to before identifying your presence and bolting to you. “Can you guys go find Alpha and let him know that his mate is awake?” They both incline their heads and walk away to perform the task given to them. You hope it takes them a very long time to find him.

The beta promptly turns back to you, gives you a sheepish look, and raises his arm to show you what direction to take. You start slowly walking and he instantly falls into step with you hovering an arm behind you like he wants to wrap it around you or is worried you will fall. “How do you feel?” You had been trying to analyze the area and layout of the camp as much as possible when his soft question came out. “Better with some sleep. Thank you.” There, polite and short. He shoots you a concerned look and continues to inspect you like he is worried you are going to keel over and die on him right here and now. Regardless if he is putting on a show for you or not, his jumpy fretting exterior is humorous to you. It is like he is scared of YOU. The thought is amusing and you can not help the slight upturn of your mouth, the subtle softening of your features. 

The change in your gaze seems to be the balm he needs, because he immediately becomes more at ease and begins to cheerfully engage you in conversation. “It is such a relief to know you are feeling better! We were all extremely worried about you, Yoongi was very distressed with your condition. It is not often any of us see him in such an agitated state anymore, he is an expert at masking his emotions. Oh! My name is Jimin by the way, I apologize for not introducing myself sooner but it definitely didn't seem like the right time.” Jimin lets out a nervous laugh. You think back to your first contact with him, how gentle he was with you, how he tried to soothe you. Dammit! He seems so kind and endearing you have to remind yourself letting your guard down would be detrimental to you. Dread passes through you when his words about Alpha Min being agitated registers. Does this alpha get violent when upset? You will have to be extremely observant around him, cooperate entirely so that hopefully his anger will not be directed towards you.

You are almost to a secluded wooded area that Jimin is leading you towards. You decide then that he seems safe enough to talk with, while discreetly attempting to gather some information from. Also it would only be polite if you provide him with your name as well, and it would be a plus if he stopped calling you by the title of an alphas mate. “My name is Y/N. I wanted to thank you for helping me at the gathering. If you don't mind me asking, where is Alpha Min now?” He studies you for a second, but not in a bad way. Instead it is like he is checking to see if you are upset about the alphas absence before responding. “Your mate has been by your side as much as he can, but as the alpha he knows it is also his job to keep his pack safe. He left earlier to run our camp's perimeter and personally receive updates from all the wolves acting as sentries to the borders he has set. Don’t worry Luna, I'm sure as soon as he hears you are awake he will finish quickly and return to you.”

Just as he finishes speaking you reach the outline of trees, saved from having to respond to everything that is expelled out of Jimin's mouth. You’re gonna need some time to mull over his words and all of the implications before coming up with another question that doesn't sound too intrusive. Jimin follows you into the woods, he makes an excuse that you are still recovering and he needs to make sure you are safe, but it just confirms that you were right in your assumption earlier. It looks like you will indeed be kept under constant watch. He does however move a few paces away before giving you his back. So Alpha Min has put precautions in place and is monitoring the area his pack has made camp. Even in neutral territory where there is supposed to be no attacks or acts of violence outside of simple mate disputes, he is taking strategic defensive steps in case your father decides to try something. It is a wise decision, you wouldn't put it past your father to have already met with his betas and concocted a plan. 

Doing your business quickly you make your way back to Jimin and stop by his side. He starts to analyze you from head to toe as soon as his body is turned towards you. “Let's get you back to camp and back in bed so that Yoongi doesn't have my head. Okay Luna?” You freeze staring at him but he has a slightly playful look on his face that says he is joking and you turn to start walking, before he can comment on your panicked flash change in body language. Still so weak from the wolfbane, and the exhaustion of all the emotional turmoil you have been put through so recently, this simple walk has you feeling completely drained and pushing yourself to make it back to where you apparently were supposed to stay. Breath coming out labored you are almost out of the trees and back to the clearing of the camp when you sway and your body starts to give out. Stumbling you hear Jimin curse through the slight ringing in your ears, he catches you before you completely lose balance and once again you are hoisted into the betas arms. Jimin is now carrying you and walking at a fast pace towards the camp. The thought of being carried by the beta into camp leaves you feeling both ashamed and weak for all the eyes of this pack to see. “I can walk on my own, I just need to catch my breath for a second.”

Jimin stops walking and angles his head to look you in the eye. “Please let me do this for you Luna. You still have wolfsbane in your system, I can not imagine the kind of pain you are in or how exhausted you must feel. Your mate has asked me to watch over you, to protect you while he is not here. I will do anything and everything to make sure that you are taken care of until he returns.” You lower your gaze to your hands that are resting in your lap out of learned behavior. He must take your silence as acceptance because he starts his fast walk back to camp. “Why do you call me that?” he doesn't falter in steps but he does shoot his head down to look at you in confusion. “What?” “Luna. Why do you call me Luna?” Jimin looks away but you can see him smiling. “Because that's what you are. Even without my Alphas mark, you are his mate and Bangtans Luna. But we also know you are so much more than that arent you?” 

He is gazing at you again with such a warm bright look that you have to turn your head away to escape it. Instead you look to see that you are almost back to the Bangtan camp and begin to feel the anxiety creep in. “Please put me down before we make it back to the camp.” Jimin is silent for a few seconds, seeming to be mulling over your request. Then he is looking at you again and listening to your breathing which has settled back down. “If you let me continue to offer you support and help you back to your tent I will let you back on your feet.” Did he really just give you a compromise for walking on your own two feet or being carried?! You let out a slight snort of exasperation before nodding your head in agreement. He grins and shoots you a look raising his eyebrows that says he also finds you somewhat exasperating as well. His playfulness puts a simple quick smile on your face before you are gazing towards your destination again. 

Jimin puts you down when you are but a few paces from the closest tent and puts his arm around your waist to take some of your weight while you walk back to camp. His hold is firm but extremely gentle compared to Darius’s painful grip that you're sure left a bruise you haven't been able to examine yet. You give him a look that says this is unnecessary, but he just gives you a somewhat stern one back and you decide not to argue. Making your way back to Alpha Min’s tent there are more people out and moving about the camp than before. People are looking at you and staring with looks that can only be recognized as admiration. Some even go so far as to bow their heads to you and Jimin as you walk past. It makes you extremely uncomfortable and confused, you do not meet anyone's gaze after that. You begin to contemplate what this pack thinks it is you can do for them that has them so thrilled to see you. That overwhelming dread is back, what will Alpha Min and this pack do to you when they find out you do not have complete control over your gifts and try not to use them when you are able and not fighting wolfsbane poisoning.

You make it back to the open area between tents with the fire and an older woman with the marks of a healer makes a beeline for you. "There you are! Jimin! Why did you take her out of bed? I wasn't gone that long but imagine my panic when I came back to find her missing! almost sounded an alarm!" You watch with wide eyes as the irked woman rants at Jimin and smacks him on the arm not wrapped around you. "Kit she had to relieve herself! What was I supposed ---" The betas words become background as a knowing sense shoots down your spine and you turn your head feeling the drawing of the mate connection right when Alpha Min and 2 of his other betas come into view between tents making their way into the open area. He stops walking when his eyes immediately snap to yours most likely feeling the pull as well. Alpha Min looks directly into your eyes for only a few seconds before taking in your position leaning heavily on his beta, his face tightens and you see his jaw clench. You start to panic when he starts advancing straight towards you with a pissed off look on his face. In flight mode you begin attempting to get out of Jimin's grasp so you can try to escape the alphas sudden wrath but freeze when Alpha Min lets out an impressive growl before he is suddenly upon you scooping you into his arms. Startled, your arms act on their own and fling themselves over both of the alphas shoulders so that you can grip him for purchase. He doesn't even halt his movements when he lifts you, continuing straight to his tent. 

Once back where you started the alpha goes straight to his bed placing you upon it. He places a knee on the bed and begins to reach his hand toward you. On instinct you start attempting to backpedal away from him. Alpha Min puts his hand down and straightens his body. Maybe he wasn't as stoic as you believed because he is giving you a bewildered look, almost stunned even, like he can't believe you are frightened of him. “You do not need to be fearful of me. I will never purposefully hurt you. No one in this entire pack is going to hurt you. You are safe here, with me.” Eyes wide you just stare at him, unable to process thoughts enough to respond. What would you even say? That you don't believe him at all? Shit your plan was to be compliant and you are already fucking it up! He places his bent leg back on the ground before crouching down so it is not to seem like he is towering over you. The alpha just stares at you with a blank look. Not in a bad way but like he is patiently giving you time to calm down and talk to him. 

Your terror and panic greatly decreases seeing him with a calmer exterior, and you are saved from having to collect yourself and come up with an amicable reply when the healer's voice breaks through the stare off you both seem to be having. “Alpha may we enter?” Alpha Min turns his head to the entrance before straightening back to his full height and turning to face the entrance. “Yes.” Although his back is now to you he does not move from the bedside. If you were naive and mate-struck then his placement in front of you would seem more of a protective stance. Heck maybe it is in a possessive way. The healer, Jimin, and the two betas that were just at their alphas side all enter the tent. Both the betas, unknown to you, perch on stumps near the fire facing their alpha while the healer starts to make her way to you completely disregarding Alpha Min as she passes him. Jimin stands a few feet in front of his leader looking very twitchy. Focused on the alpha and his endearing beta you startle when you feel a hand placed on your shoulder, sucking in a quick inhale of breath and causing all eyes in the room to snap to you. Alpha Min is facing you again, eyes flitting between your face and the hand on your shoulder. 

“I'm sorry Luna, I didn't mean to startle you. My name is Kit, I am one of Bangtans healers. I would like to take a look at you and ask some questions if that is okay?” Your eyes flit between the alpha and his once again blank expression to the healer before giving her a nod of affirmation before looking down at your hands held together in your lap. You feel Kit reach for your neck gently to feel your pulse before hearing someone clear their throat prompting you to look back up at the alpha and his betas. “Luna woke up and had to relieve herself. We had just made it back to camp.” You feel embarrassment at Jimin discussing your need to piss with multiple ears in the room. Alpha Min sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Jimin, you could have gotten a bucket for her so that she did not have to strain herself walking into the woods. She still has wolfsbane in her system and needs rest, not to mention I don’t like the idea of you two on the outskirts of camp while I am still trying to determine the threat level we could possibly be facing.” Jimin lowers his head to stare at his feet in submission. “I’m sorry alpha, I will not fuck up again.”

You want to say something to defend Jimin, he did nothing wrong and has been nothing but kind towards you….so far. Curse your soft heart. “Luna, your pulse is elevated and your fever is spiking again. I’m going to make you some more Khella tea. How much pain are you experiencing?” Welp all eyes are back on you again and you almost want to die at having your anxiety ridden heart rate being announced in front of these wolves. Alpha Mins eyes are back on you, his form is tense, fist clenched. You don't want to say the wrong thing and make him even more angry so you settle with a quiet ‘I’m fine’. Kit huffs at you seemingly exasperated. “Luna please don't put on a brave face and be dishonest with me. I know a extensive amount about wolfsbane poisoning and how much pain it causes to radiate throughout the body.” You don't know what to do or how to respond, on one hand you are afraid to say the wrong thing and make this alpha mad, but looking at this healer you know she isn't gonna let you get by with short feeble answers.”The pain is there but bearable, the Khella tea is helping and should shorten the recovery time. I usually just have to sleep it off and that typically takes seven to eight days.”

Kits face has taken on shock and the entire tent is eerily quiet before Alpha Min breaks the silence. “What do you mean you usually have to sleep it off?” His voice comes out in an almost growl and you visibly flinch. The alpha takes a small step back and the look on his face can not be mistaken. He is upset and you are wondering what you said wrong. “I’m sorry Alpha Min I should have explained better. When I have wolfsbane in my system it typically takes me seven to eight days to recover with rest. I have built up a slight tolerance to the poison though and this was a smaller dose so I may recover quicker. Well I will recover faster with the Khella tea regardless.” The alpha takes on a stoic expression and slowly approaches you. You stay still this time when he crouches next to the bed, his eyes stay on your face as he slowly raises his hand to rest on yours in your lap. The current of the mate bond flows through the both of you. His touch proves to be the remedy your heart needs to slow and your entire body to calm. “How many times have you been poisoned with wolfsbane?” His voice is soft when he asks and he maintains a calm exterior, like he is cautious not to frighten you. You don't know what to make of his eyes though. They look pained. Like he is the one hurting from poison and not you. It leaves you feeling flustered and so unsure that you stutter your response. “ I-I’m not sure. I never really thought to count.” You drop your eyes back to your lap. Looking at his hand gently resting on top of yours, he gives a tiny squeeze prompting you to meet his eyes again.

Jimin takes a step forward breaking the trance you two seemed to be in when you glance at him. He looks tormented. Like it was his fault you were poisoned. It is all too much, you feel stripped and vulnerable all of a sudden. Not to mention extremely confused and conflicted with the way they are acting towards you. Kit seems to pick up on this placing a calming hand on your upper back. “Alpha, a hot bath would help alleviate some of the pain in your mate's body as well as her fever.” Alpha Min looks at her and then back at you before nodding, removing his hand from yours, and standing to address his betas. “Kook. Jimin. come with me to have water heated and walk the camp, Hoseok will you stay here?” The muscled up beta simply stands and starts walking to the entrance while the other gives a bright grin before nodding. Jimin shoots you a small smile and follows muscle-beta out of the tent. The healer huffs and mumbles something about ‘overprotective’ but that's all you get from your spot next to her. The Alpha moves to the right corner moving the partitions aside to reveal a tub before turning to look at you one last time and waltzing out of the tent. You clench your hands together feeling bereft with the alphas exit, his warm hand no longer holding yours. That frustrates you even more because it feels like your body is betraying you. He is dangerous and unknown, and when he is near his scent and presence intoxicates you to the point you want to rub yourself all over him until you're drenched in his scent and warmth. Yep. You're screwed.

[silverthehedgehogharacteristics]

Silver Characteristics Part 1

Justice -  Driven by a strong Sense of Justice. Very confrontational because of this, will take on anyone to right wrongs or help his friends. Has zero tolerance for injustices and things like breaking promises. Seeks to settle scores(Sonic Forces) and get back for those that have been wronged(or himself if you mess with him). Sometimes grapples with doing the right thing. His wish is to maintain peace, not to eradicate evil(Sonic & Silver).

Hope & Optimism/Positivity - Embodies hope and does not give into despair no matter the circumstances(fought through the Iblis future in the hopes of seeing a blue sky). Believes “There’s always hope as long as you don’t give up”(JP Sonic Forces quote). Inspires hope in others in the darkest moments(Sonic 06 last episode, Forces, helping Elise through her anxiety in Otherworld Comedy). Has an “Honest, unpretentious and kind demeanor”(Sonic Channel Staff Column Wallpaper) and an Enchanting Smile(His smile fills Elise with trust and joy during their performance in Otherworld Comedy and a recipient he serves apple slices to can’t say no to his smile even though they're full already in Wallpaper Comedy 2022). “His way of life inspires people and makes them want to watch over him and cheer him on forever”(Sonic & Silver).

Kind - Is an Altruist with a strong desire to help others. His kindness is the only thing that can make him drop his mission as he can’t say no to a sad face and will stop to help those in need(Amy in 06, Soleanna Post Office in Sonic Pict). Actively goes out and does things like serve apple slices, deliver Christmas presents, play holiday mascots and engage in Cheerful Activities(Sonic & Silver). Wants to become a hero because it means being someone that can ‘protect smiles’, wants to “protect smiles” and make people happy because he grew up in a world where everyone lived in despair(Sonic & Silver).

Peace - Fights for World Peace. Empathetic to the world around him so his feelings reflect the state of the environment. Destroyed environments sadden and upset him while Beautiful Scenery and places with people prospering/living happily leave him breathless(in contrast to the apocalyptic suffering, darkness and devastation he’s experienced). Blue Skies make him feel at peace and people’s Smiles make him smile. These things are very important to him and he is vicious to anything that threatens them. Hs head quills are in the shape of a Japanese Red Maple Leaf which represents peace and prosperity.

Determination - Determined to protect peace. Arguably the most determined character. Doesn’t give up easily(got exact hedgehog apple slices after 40 tries) no matter how badly he’s hurt or how hopeless the situation. Has no regard for pain/massive pain tolerance(Kept fighting after being kicked in the head by Shadow and skipped across the street like a rock by Sonic in Generations, endures "pain beyond description” caused by his powers in Sonic & Silver).

Forthright - Straightforward and Honest to a fault, he cannot tell a lie(though he can change the subject). Is direct, blunt and wears his heart on his sleeve. Like his namesake he is said to have purity(Sonic & Silver).

Brash - Described as “Young and Immature” by his creator Shun Nakamura. So straightforward and honest that he’s Rude and Blunt. He has no filter and will call you an idiot to your face if he thinks you’re an idiot. So direct that he often ignores manners and social customs(even Sonic says that he has an attitude in Rivals). Abrasive and quick to insult enemies and competition. Prone to sarcastic remarks(“What am I doing?” when traveling with Amy in 06, "They think THAT is what the future is like? Please." in Colors DS). Headstrong(Doesn’t take kindly to being treated like an amateur in Otherworld Comedy Act 8). Has a Mischievous Side(Commemorative Illustration Series). In Japanese he uses informal/rude impressions “Ore”(I) and “Anta”(You)(instead of the polite “Anata”), points directly at people as he talks to them(confrontational rude gesture) and crosses his legs while sitting(roughly the Japanese equivalent to putting your feet on a table). Has a Henery Hawk-like personality, especially in the Rivals games(He has almost everything in common with that character) Informal overall in contrast to the polite mannered Future Trunks.

Naive - Has a Black and White mindset/Innocent in his ideals. Expects people to believe him when he says he’s from the future or explains outlandish situations just because he knows them to be true. Can be unfamiliar with things in the past. Can sometimes take things literally(has an angry “What’s so funny?” attitude when he doesn’t understand things).

Sentimental - Appreciates little things and finds great beauty in nature and simple parts of the world that most people take for granted(Comments on the beauty of a beach in TSR). This side of him ties into his peace themes due to his ability to appreciate beauty and serenity(also what a maple leaf represents) in various forms. Enjoys sightseeing and going on journeys(Colors DS, Olympic Games, Sonic Pict) because of this. Can be Introspective/contemplative(sits paused on his mission to destroy the Iblis Trigger in 06, thinks heavily about his worries about Dodon Pa in TSR). Says his favorite moment in racing is “seeing everyone come together and giving their all for a single objective”(Team Vector Interview).

Emotional - High-Spirited and Hot-blooded. Emotionally immature and unregulated. Feels joy and rage loudly but sadness and contemplation quietly(can get loud and carried away when riled up). Puts his all into what he gets invested in(I’m giving this everything I’ve got!). Easily angered/has a temper like Blaze(he’ll twist you if you mess with him). Needs to be calmed down/held back at times(Olympic Games). Dead quiet when contemplating his dilemma and the loss of Blaze in 06 or thinking about his anxious feelings in TSR. Can deal with things too head-on or take on everything himself because of the strength of his feelings(Sonic & Silver) which can make him Impulsive and Reckless. Is passionate and controlled by his emotions while Sonic and Shadow are calm and cool.

[ahamkara-apologist]

it's also wild because like. Mara Sov is outright manipulative. she outright says she has plans to kill you if you go astray. she has plans to kill everyone, actually. she gets information she has no business having just to do that even iirc. meanwhile Osiris is a stressed out gay old man who is trying to save everyone except himself.

Okay I WILL defend Mara here and say that while she is a manipulative bitch, yes, that's actually a good thing to have handy. The Young Wolf is fucking dangerous and so are many in the cast of Destiny, so having contingency plans to kill people as needed is kinda necessary (just look at Eris in the dark future). But Mara is out here playing games of 4D chess with the Witness and the likes of Savathun- she needs to play god like that because it's basically her job. The major issue with her is the fact that she doesn't know how to NOT play puppetmaster, and takes it into her personal life- what she did to Uldren was a prime example of that, and while I have many thoughts on why that is, the fact of the matter is that Mara is a person who does what she needs to do with the coldness and cruelty of a deity because that is the niche she's carved out for herself and what she needs to be to ensure the survival of humanity.

Osiris, on the other hand, is NOT playing 4D chess with the Witness- he's a soldier, a defender, a blade. And not only that, he acts the way he does because he's driven by anxiety, paranoia (well-placed paranoia too!), and the fact that for the longest time, he's been alone. He was outright exiled from the Last City! He was alone in the Infinite Forest with nobody other than Sagira and his own mind! That's a lot of centuries to be by yourself, and don't forget that those centuries were preluded by social isolation from his peers and betrayal beforehand. Osiris operated the way he did because his OCD had him constantly running on the assumption that the worst-case scenario was going to happen, and he had the experience from his time as Vanguard and his subsequent exile to show that not only did nobody believe him, they also didn't take it seriously (or took it too seriously) and wouldn't help him with it. Like, no fucking wonder he's always running around acting like he's the only person who's taking things seriously and throwing his all into solving the problem. His mind is hardwired to assume the worst and he has proof that people will not help him with it (though LF has him confronting that)

Like, I myself have OCD, and those repetitive thought spirals are no joke. Imagine that you're confronted with a problem, and your brain automatically jumps to the worst-case scenario for that problem. If you've gotten cognitive therapy for that, you know this isn't the case, but knowing doesn't change the fact that your mind is CONVINCED that the worst case scenario WILL happen, and it will get lodged to the forefront of your mind with all of its gory details while you try your best to ensure that it won't occur. Doesn't matter if you have to shift to doing something else- that fear, that worry, that will always be right in front of you. Meds and cognitive therapy have worked for me on that, but Osiris doesn't have those, and on top of it- he's got prophetic visions! I can't IMAGINE how awful that would be to deal with!!

That's also why his character development after Sagira's death is so big imo- as tragic as it was, Sagira dying for him forced him to really slow down and realize that rushing into things without thinking about his own safety harmed others, not just himself, and his subsequent reminder of his own mortality forced him to be reliant on others instead of refusing to let them help him. Part of why he was so impatient and brusque in Lightfall was because he had to rely on the Young Wolf and Nimbus to deal with an issue that he considered his own, and while it didn't go exactly as planned, I think that's also why he's softened up significantly since then. That, and him being unable to rush headlong into things and to just sit and enjoy his time with Saint (which he never allowed himself to do before because if he had the Light, what was his excuse for not fighting the Darkness) helped him tremendously. It forced him to face his flaws, learn that he could rely on others, and to slow down in life, and he's been doing much better as a result of it.

Osiris has only ever harmed others by completely disregarding the harm that he did to himself, and recent events in the story have forced him to reflect on that and change it. And maybe by being a bit of a blunt, extremely-honest ass that nettles sometimes. That's pretty much the extent of his flaws imo

[whinlatter]

What about the dynamic between Ron and Ginny? I don’t see too many people talk about them other than the one time he tried to sl*t shame her.

this is a lovely one, thank you so much anon. the two baby weasleys. two beloved bruisers who will squabble til the cows come home but who would absolutely take bullets for each other in a heart beat... it's the loves of my life, ron and ginny weasley.

the dynamic between ron and ginny is, as you say, deeply misunderstood, deeply underrated and, ultimately, deeply loving. the ron haters will say ron's a misogynistic slut shamer towards his sister: the ginny haters (these are, i fear, much more numerous...) will say that ginny is a nasty bully towards her big brother, the family/molly's favourite who basks in greater limelight and parental love than poor tormented ronnie. i think that says more about fandom's inability to a) remember we are talking about children/teenagers, b) remember that tripping your brother to humble him when he's being openly horny about his future in sister in law is praxis, and c) grasp that conflict between characters does not preclude the presence of real love, care and mutual respect in their relationship. ron and ginny's dynamic is interesting because it brings out each characters' insecurities and flaws (for ron, his anxieties about his reputation among his own peers and his position within his own family, his worry about his family's wider reputation and wellbeing, his particular overbearing concern about ginny's safety post CoS; for ginny, her resentment of being overprotected, her inability to stomach hypocrisy and tendency to fly off the handle when confronted with it, her righteous temper in general...) but i think if the characters were, er, real, and you were able to show them the fandom takes/discourse around their relationship they'd be like, er, what? obviously we love each other to death. we're very very close. we're mates who enjoy each other's company and increasingly hang out a ton and treasure each other as dearly beloved family, what are you on about? like, yes, of course they bicker. of course they fight. but those two, in their core, are good. i think as adults they'd be closer still.

(there's been a horrid fanon tendency in the last few years to make a lot of hay out of the idea that molly desperately wanted a daughter and mistreated ron, her sixth son, as a result. this is an allegation that seems to have its sole canon basis in what the horcrux screams at ron ('least loved, always, by the mother who craved a daughter'). looking past the fact that the horcrux is, er, expressing ron's fears not reality (in its next breath claims hermione is .... in love with harry lads! tiktok fandom discourse do not like to remember this!), i think it's very important that even if this is ron's fear - that his mum loves him less than his siblings and only had him because she was trying to have a girl - it doesn't actually ever inform any resentment or jealousy towards ginny by ron. ron and ginny fight, of course, they do, but ron never makes this apparent anxiety ginny's problem. ginny could be someone ron bitterly resents, someone his mother and, by 1997, his best friend prefers. but he doesn't ever do that. ron just really loves his sister and wants her to be safe, and yeah, sometimes that pisses her off, but it doesn't come from a place of envy or resentment, which, given ron has oodles of that in other relationships, is saying something.)

my favourite ron and ginny moments:

in CoS when ron's desperate to see ginny get sorted and then gutted that he missed it :(

in CoS when ron teases ginny sweetly about her crush on harry but as soon as malfoy does it is ready to commit bodily harm

in PoA when ginny's suffering with the dementors and she goes looking for ron (even though the last thing he told her was to go away, lmao. just sibling things. fuck off and die! but also i would give you both my kidneys)

in GoF where ginny really is trying not to laugh at ron for asking out fleur when that is plainly fucking funny

in OotP when ron gets one singular look at michael corner and decides he is NOT good enough for his sister and also probably a traitor

in HBP when ron and ginny are at war with each other but ginny names her pygmy puff after him and as soon as ron is poisoned ginny is the first person on the scene (with hermione) and does up poirot with harry trying to solve the mystery of her beloved brother's assassination attempt. he will be avenged!

in DH when the catalyst for the ron/harry fight escalating and ron leaving is the moment ron accuses harry of not caring enough about ginny........ king shit sorry!

bonus in DH when ron's like yeah ofc i didn't go home are you mad. fred and george would have been fuming. and ginny, my moral weather vane, would have run me through with the rustiest of pikes

thank you for humouring me with this ask game anon!

[yurizzsblog]

Facing Fears:

Conquering a Phobia:

Character A: "I've never told anyone this, but I'm terrified of heights. Just the thought of looking down makes me dizzy."

Character B: "We’re going to that rooftop party tonight. Maybe facing your fear head-on will help?"

Confessing a Deep Fear:

Character A: "Every night I worry that I’ll never be good enough. That fear keeps me up, you know?"

Character B: "I had no idea you felt that way. What can I do to help you see your worth?"

Preparing for a Major Challenge:

Character A: "I'm so scared to give this presentation. What if I mess up in front of everyone?"

Character B: "You’ve prepared so well for this. Let’s go over it one more time together, okay?"

Overcoming Past Trauma:

Character A: "I haven't been able to step foot in a car since the accident. The fear is paralyzing."

Character B: "What if we start small? Maybe just sitting in the car with me for a few minutes?"

Facing a Medical Procedure:

Character A: "The surgery is tomorrow, and I can't shake off this fear. What if something goes wrong?"

Character B: "I’ll be there the whole time. We’ll get through this together."

Confronting a Fear of Failure:

Character A: "What if I fail and let everyone down? The fear of not succeeding is overwhelming."

Character B: "Failure is just a stepping stone to success. You’ll learn and grow from it no matter what happens."

Dealing with Social Anxiety:

Character A: "The thought of going to that party fills me with dread. I can't handle crowds."

Character B: "We can go together and leave if it gets too much. I’ll be by your side the entire time."

Facing an Intimidating Person:

Character A: "I have to talk to my boss about the unfair workload, but I'm so scared of confrontation."

Character B: "You deserve to be heard. Let’s practice what you want to say. You’ve got this."

Admitting Feelings:

Character A: "I’m afraid to tell them how I really feel. What if they don’t feel the same way?"

Character B: "Living with unspoken feelings is its own kind of fear. You owe it to yourself to be honest."

Taking a Big Leap:

Character A: "Quitting my job to start my own business terrifies me. What if it doesn’t work out?"

Character B: "You’ve got the talent and the drive. Sometimes the biggest risks lead to the biggest rewards."

Embracing Change:

Character A: "Moving to a new city means leaving everything familiar behind. It scares me to my core."

Character B: "Think of it as a new adventure. You’re braver than you think."

Confronting Insecurity:

Character A: "I’m so afraid people will see me as a fraud. I feel like I’m just pretending to know what I’m doing."

Character B: "Impostor syndrome is real, but remember how much you’ve accomplished. You’ve earned your place."

Overcoming a Fear of Rejection:

Character A: "I want to apply for that dream job, but the fear of rejection is holding me back."

Character B: "Every ‘no’ brings you closer to a ‘yes’. You miss all the shots you don’t take."

Facing a Fear of the Unknown:

Character A: "The uncertainty of the future scares me. What if everything goes wrong?"

Character B: "No one knows what the future holds, but you have the strength to handle whatever comes your way."

Dealing with Public Speaking:

Character A: "Speaking in front of a crowd terrifies me. My hands start shaking just thinking about it."

Character B: "Let’s go through it step by step. Imagine everyone in the audience is rooting for you."

[punchdrunkdoc]

Part 3, Chapter 23

Summary: After the events of S3, Matt Murdock is trying to once again balance life as a lawyer and a vigilante. But he’s been scarred by loss and betrayal - will a mysterious new neighbour help him heal? Or will her secrets drag him back into the darkness? Notes: This is a slow burn romance with an original female character, told in 4 parts. There is mystery, intrigue, action/violence and angst - all the good stuff!

Also available on AO3 and Wattpad

Masterlist

Reference pics

Okay, this is an extra looooong chapter. But we're finally at the end of Part 3! And the last line in this chapter was written when I first started plotting this fic, over 18 months and 230 000 words ago...so I'm a little excited for you guys to finally read it!

————–

PART 3

Chapter 23

The hostess led Cross and Ranieri through the busy restaurant, and Matt tracked their movements as they weaved between tables, the scent of their mingled colognes getting stronger as they came closer to his and Calina’s corner. He had a brief moment of concern that Cross was headed straight for them - that somehow Cross had discovered that Matt was looking into him, and had come here to confront him-

But then Cross paused at the table behind Matt to greet the couple seated there. Cross obviously knew them well, launching into a recap of his golf game from that morning and laughing with the couple about the new wait staff at the country club. Cross was in his slightly smarmy, exuberant, rich-guy mode - a persona that Matt had started calling his ‘politician guise’. It was a far cry from the real Cross - the cold sociopathic monster who enjoyed torturing people - and the falsity of it grated on Matt.

After a few moments of inane chatter, Cross and Ranieri moved on, heading for the back of the restaurant where the VIP section resided, separated from the rest of the public by a locked door.

“Will you be able to hear what’s going on in there?” Calina asked quietly.

Matt shook his head. “I doubt it. There’s soundproofing in the walls.”

“Soundproofing? In an already private room? That just screams shady, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. I’m going to have to get closer - I can only pick up indistinct murmurs from here.”

“While you do that, I’ll contact Anya.”

“Anya? Why?”

“Because I think Ranieri’s presence here ties everything together.”

———

After the initial shock of seeing Ranieri had worn off, Calina realised that it shouldn’t have been a shock at all. It made complete sense. “We always suspected that the man behind the fear pheromone was the one who activated me to kill Governor Benson.”

Matt nodded. “In order to guarantee the supply of Arsonium for the pheromone.”

“Right. Aminev was the Red Room employee who dosed me for that assassination attempt, and Anya mentioned that she’d found his name in Ranieri’s laptop - Ranieri was looking for him after he defected from Volkov’s group. I’m guessing he found him - either he sent Aminev to Cross, knowing that he’d pay through the nose for a Black Widow to control, or Aminev told Ranieri about Cross.”

“Either way, Ranieri’s obviously decided to get into bed with another sociopath looking for power.”

“We need to find out what he’s telling Cross about the Widows and Volkov’s work.”

Matt nodded again, looking grim. “Agreed.” He gave Calina a quick kiss on the cheek and set off to do just that.

Calina watched Matt head for the restroom two doors down from the private VIP room, and hoped he’d be able to hear what Cross and Ranieri were up to from there.

Because this whole thing was giving her a really bad feeling.

The moment she’d set eyes on Ranieri, a pit of anxiety had opened up in her gut. It was the collision of her two worlds - her present with Matt, and her past with the Widows - and she knew it could only portend disaster for the future. Cross was powerful enough as it was, with all his wealth and influence and the fear pheromone he was using to blackmail key figures in the city. Add in mind-control serum or another Black Widow assassin to that mix and he could very possibly take over the world.

Calina grabbed her phone from her purse and sent off a message to Anya, updating her about Cross’ involvement in the serum, and the unexpected appearance of Ranieri. She’d call the other Widow later and give her more details, but she knew Anya would be intrigued enough by her quick missive to start digging and confirm Calina’s theory.

Meanwhile…she’d wait.

She was used to it. So many of her past missions were exercises in patience. In biding her time watching her marks, and waiting for the right moment to strike. But back then there were no idle thoughts to distract her, and definitely no fears or worries for her partner on the job.

This felt different. Her head was spinning with worry for what this new complication meant. And worry for Matt, who was becoming obsessed with taking down Cross.

Luckily, she didn’t have to wait - and worry - for long. Ten minutes later, Matt emerged from his stake-out in the restroom and made his way back to her.

She smiled at him - an almost involuntary reflex now whenever she saw him. She’d asked him once, if he could sense that. They’d been lying in bed, her head on his chest, his fingers trailing up and down her bare back as they filled each other in on their day. “I caught my reflection in the window today when you walked in,” she’d told him, recounting the moment he’d met her at the coffee shop around the corner from his office. “I was smiling like an idiot, for all the world to see.”

“Is that a bad thing?” he’d replied.

“No, just strange. Considering the way I was raised.”

“Well I like that you smile like an idiot when you see me.”

She laughed. Then tilted her head up to look at him. “But can you tell? When you walk into a room, can you sense that I’m smiling at you?”

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then brushed his thumb over her lips. “I don’t need to sense these move to know you’re happy to see me. I know in other ways.”

She’d spent the rest of the night trying to elicit what those ‘other ways’ were, using all her feminine tricks and wiles to cajole the secret from him, but he didn’t budge.

At this moment though, if he sensed she was happy to see him, he didn’t let on. There was no smile on his face as he approached their table. In fact, there was a stiffness to his gait that wasn’t there before, and his stubbled jaw was clenched.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I need to go. They’re leaving through a back entrance, and I don’t want to lose this chance to find out what they’re up to.”

“Okay. I’ll see you at home later. Be careful.”

She went to put her hand on his, where it rested on his cane, but he pulled away from her touch. “I need to go,” he repeated, and strode for the door.

The bad feeling in Calina’s gut grew stronger.

And it didn’t let up over the next several hours, as Matt followed Cross and Ranieri all over the city, and she was left to pace his living room floor alone.

He eventually returned as dawn was starting to break across the sky. Calina was napping on the couch, exhaustion and worry leading to a fretful, interrupted sleep. As his key turned in the door, she sat upright and called out. “Matt, are you okay?”

He didn’t look okay. He trudged into the living room, footfalls heavy and slow, and collapsed on to the chair opposite her. His 5 o’clock shadow had darkened into scruff and the suit he’d worn to dinner last night was rumpled and creased. He rubbed his hands over his face then massaged his temples, as if fighting off a headache.

“Matt,” she said again, softer this time. “What happened?”

“Nothing. Hours and hours of fucking nothing.”

“What do you mean?”

Matt sighed and let his head fall back against the chair. “I caught up with Cross and Ranieri after they left the restaurant, and tailed them to a club on the upper east side - an exclusive members-only club that was harder for me to get into than fucking Fort Knox.”

“But you managed right? I mean, you’re Daredevil, a few locked doors are nothing to you,” she tried to make her comment light, to help counteract the air of anger and frustration that seemed to simmer beneath Matt’s weary state.

It didn’t work. Matt just continued to recap his night in the same flat, bitter tone. “I eventually managed to find a way on to the roof that wasn’t guarded by a camera or security guard, but I couldn’t hear anything of use - it was too loud and packed with other people to make out Cross and Ranieri’s conversation. They left the club after a couple of hours, and split up. I followed Ranieri to the Waldorf, but he went straight to his room. He didn’t meet up with anyone else.”

Calina did the math in her head, and realised that several hours were still unaccounted for in Matt’s story. He never came home for his Daredevil suit to go out patrolling…so what did he do instead?

“Then what?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been gone practically all night, Matt.”

Matt sat forward, dangled his hands between his legs and stared at the floor. “I needed to think.”

Calina swallowed, suddenly more worried than she’d been all night. Matt’s voice as he said those words…his whole demeanour…

Something was really wrong.

“What did you need to think about?”

Matt clasped his hands together and squeezed until his flesh went white. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if hesitating to answer.

“Matt, what’s going on?”

He took a deep breath and lifted his head in her direction. “Does the name ‘Eliise’ mean anything to you?”

Calina frowned, thrown by the unexpected question. Then the blood drained from her face as she realised how he would have heard that name. “It was my alias in Italy, when I was going after Ranieri. He recognised me in the restaurant, didn’t he?”

“Oh, yeah. Turns out you were really fucking memorable. I mean, he was a little disappointed you’d changed your hair and weren’t showing as much leg as before, but he took great delight in describing his night with you to Cross.”

Calina exhaled in relief, glad her real identity as a Widow hadn’t been blown. “So he was bragging to look like a big shot in front of his new associate, so what?”

“It wasn’t baseless bragging. He was regaling Cross in lurid detail about all the ways he'd fucked you. And he wasn’t lying. I could practically feel his heartbeat through that bathroom wall, and he believed every single word of what he said.”

“Wait…are you saying you think I slept with him? That I had sex with him in Italy behind your back?”

“He wasn’t lying, Calina,” Matt repeated, through clenched teeth.

“Neither was I! I told you exactly what happened during that mission!”

“Like you told me exactly what happened to the man you killed across the hall?”

Calina reeled back, as if the words were a physical blow. “So I’m always going to be a liar in your eyes, is that it? Despite the fact that I’ve been honest and open with you every single day since then? Despite the fact that you claim to love me? Doesn’t that afford me the benefit of the doubt at the very least!?”

Matt jumped to his feet. “Yes! Of course it does! That’s why I’ve been wrestling with this all night! I couldn’t reconcile what you told me with-”

“With what Ranieri said? You believed a complete stranger over me?”

“No, not blindly. But you’re asking me to ignore everything my senses are telling me-”

“Yes! Because your senses aren’t infallible, Matt. All of your goddam trust issues stem from the fact that you’ve been lied to again and again by the people you're close to, which means you can’t always tell when someone’s being honest!”

“So now you’re throwing my past back at me? I just want the truth, Calina! What happened in Italy?”

Calina didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed her cell from the coffee table and dialled a number.

“What are you doing?” Matt asked, as the sound of the phone ringing filled the air between them.

“Well, you obviously won’t believe anything I tell you, so I’m getting someone impartial to give you the truth.”

At that moment, Anya picked up the phone, sounding wide awake despite the hour. “Calina? I’ve been looking into this Cross and Ranieri thing, and I may have found something. They-”

“Not now, Anya,” Calina interrupted. “I need you to speak to Matt.”

“Okay…about what?"

“Tell him about Italy. About the serum I injected Ranieri with - and what it does.”

“Um, it’s a modified sedative. Designed to render a mark unconscious while also allowing for hypnotic suggestions to be implanted.”

“And what suggestions did you implant while Ranieri was unconscious?” Calina asked.

“That, um, you had sex with him.”

“Did I actually have sex with him?”

“No! Of course not. Calina, what’s this about? What’s-”

“I’ll tell you later.” Calina hung up the phone and looked at Matt. He stood with his hands on his hips, head bowed. “Satisfied?”

At Calina’s question, he lifted his head. Shook it once. “Calina, I’m sorry-”

“I don’t give a shit.” She shoved her phone in her pocket, grabbed her purse and stalked towards the door.

Matt caught her hand before she could yank it open. “Wait, don’t leave. We need to talk about this. I’m so sorry for-”

“For what? For doubting me? Not trusting me? Or for thinking I'm the kind of person who would cheat on you, and lie to your face about it?”

“Callie-”

“No. I can’t deal with this right now. I need to go.”

“Go? Go where? Please don’t disappear on me again.”

“Right now, I’m going to my apartment across the hall to get some sleep. Don’t follow me. Don’t call me.”

Matt squeezed her hand. Brought it to his lips and pressed a desperate kiss to the back of it. “Please, sweetheart-”

“No. I need some space, Matt. Just let me go.”

“I don’t think I can ever let you go, sweetheart,” Matt whispered against her skin. “But I’ll give you some space.” He dropped her hand and stepped to the side.

Calina walked through the door and didn’t look back.

———

Matt hit the punching bag with all his strength, the smack of flesh meeting leather creating a satisfying sound that rang out in the empty gym.

The pain that came a moment later was satisfying in a different way.

Matt had foregone the hand wraps and gloves for a reason. He’d come straight to Fogwell’s after the fight with Calina, wanting to take out all his anger and frustration on the training equipment…and wanting to punish himself in the process.

He couldn’t believe how thoroughly he’d fucked things up tonight.

No, that was wrong. He could believe it. It was one of his core personality traits, after all: the ability to sabotage every good thing in his life.

Like his relationship with Karen. He’d fucked that up because he couldn’t stay away from the toxic pull of Elektra. He’d fucked up his career and his friendship with Foggy because he couldn’t find the right balance between Matt Murdock and Daredevil.

He really thought he’d turned a corner this year. He’d mended the rift with Foggy, found friendship again with Karen, and had rebuilt the law firm with their help…but now he’d gone and fucked everything up with Calina. Because he couldn’t trust her.

No, that was wrong too. He couldn’t trust his trust in her.

Because he knew that she hadn’t lied to him about Italy. He knew she wasn’t the type of person who could be unfaithful. He knew there must be some explanation for why Ranieri believed the things that he did.

As soon as he’d heard the smarmy Italian telling Cross about ‘Eliise’, Matt had shook his head in disbelief. He knew it must be Calina he was referring to - the timing and location of the encounter fit with the Widow’s mission, and he seemed so sure he recognised Calina, despite the change in her appearance - but Matt couldn’t believe the story he was spinning about them sleeping together. He didn’t believe it. He knew that it had to be a lie, despite what his senses were telling him.

But as the night wore on, and he had little to do but sit on a cold, concrete rooftop as Cross and Ranieri’s conversation was lost to the din of the nightclub below, insidious thoughts started to creep into Matt’s mind.

What if…?

What if Calina had lied to him? She’d done it before, after all. She’d kept the secret of her identity for months. She’d killed people, and kept that from him.

What if sleeping with Ranieri was vital to her mission to take down Volkov? He knew how strong and overwhelming the Widows’ drive for freedom had been. They would have stopped at nothing to get out from under Volkov’s thumb. Would Calina have stopped at sleeping with a mark? She’d done that before in the past, as well…

Matt had hated the thoughts as they’d formed in his head. He’d screwed his eyes shut and pulled at the strands of his hair, as if he could physically banish them. He didn’t like that even a tiny part of him could think so ill of the woman he loved.

But he couldn’t seem to shake those thoughts. They took root over the course of the night, and he spent hours walking the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, wrestling with them. Trying to conquer them with the truths that he was sure of: Calina was a good person. She’d vowed to be honest with him. She loved him, and wouldn’t betray him.

But those wretched, malignant doubts just wouldn’t go away.

And look where they’d gotten him - pummelling his fists bloody and raw because he’d hurt Calina. Because he’d ruined things between them.

Why couldn’t he have trusted his initial instinct that Ranieri was lying?

Why couldn’t he have trusted his belief in Calina?

Matt yelled in frustration as he hit the bag so hard it swung away from him, a wordless shout of anger and pain that echoed off the crumbling walls of the gym. He caught the bag as it came back, and rested his forehead against the leather, panting with exertion. Warm blood trickled from the split skin over his knuckles, and he could feel the burn of inflammation in his shoulder where he must have pulled a muscle.

But the pain didn’t help. The self-flagellation wasn’t lessening any of his guilt.

And he was at real risk of doing damage to himself that wouldn’t heal with an icepack and a few bandages. He scoffed at the irony as he cleaned off the blood from his hands and the sweat from his brow. He never used to worry about himself in that way. Not before Calina. Not before he started to see a future for himself, with her.

He just didn’t know if that future existed now.

———

Calina couldn’t sleep.

She wasn’t surprised. Sleep had never come easily to her in this new post-Widow’s life. Not unless she was next to Matt…

Matt.

She sighed and rolled on to her back, staring vacantly at the ceiling over her bed. She wished she could cry or yell or hit something to get rid of this…numbness…that she felt. She’d left his apartment in a hurry, feeling like she was on the verge of breaking down, but when she reached her own bedroom just moments later, a wave of numbness had descended, until she was left like this - feeling empty, detached from her own emotions.

As if they were too big, too devastating to bear, and her mind was protecting her from them.

Or maybe it just meant that she was done. That she knew it was over between her and Matt, and her pragmatic side had decided that there was no point in wallowing in grief and pain over the loss.

No. The thought of it really and truly being over between her and Matt caused a sharp stab of pain through her heart.

A response at last. 

Because she loved him. 

Which was its own curse. Because it meant that she knew him. She knew his past and the way it had shaped who he was today. She knew why he’d reacted the way he had tonight…and a small part of her even sympathised with his struggle to believe her.

Hence, the curse. She should be allowed to be angry. To feel betrayed by his doubts. To hate him as much as she loved him.

But instead she was...numb.

So numb, the sound of a knock at the door barely elicited a reaction, even though it was probably Matt ignoring her wishes. “I said I needed space, Matt,” she called out as she dragged herself out of bed.

“We’re not Matt, so open up,” was the response.

Frowning, Calina opened the door to find Anya and Katya standing in the hall - along with a very unexpected addition. “What are you doing here so early?”

Anya pushed passed her into the living room. “After that weird phone call, we had to come and see what was happening.”

Katya rolled her eyes. “Tactful, Anya. We’re not just here out of curiosity. We came to see how you were. We figured you and Matt had an argument.”

“Is that why you brought a dog?” Calina asked, pointing to the puppy in Katya’s arms. “For comfort?"

"Comfort?"

"Yeah. I read that petting a dog lowers cortisol levels, and can boost dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters in the brain.”

Katya looked down at the squirming mass of fur in her arms. “That would have been a good idea, actually. But, no, we’re dog-sitting Nika and didn’t want to leave her in the house while everyone else is too pre-occupied with what’s happening over Wakanda to watch her.”

“Wait, whose dog is she? And what’s happening in Wakanda?” Calina sat on the edge of the sofa and looked up at the Widows, glad there were a couple of mysteries to uncover that would take her mind off Matt.

Katya let the puppy down to explore and joined Calina on the couch. “She belongs to Yelena. She picked her up from the pound last week.”

Calina smiled. “That’s great. She said she always wanted a dog - I just thought she was planning to wait until all the Widows’ stuff was sorted.”

“Nope. She just decided that she’ll still do all the ‘Widows’ stuff’ and leave us to look after the dog while she’s gone.”

“Where is she now?”

“In Helsinki with Sonya. They’re freeing Ana - do you remember her?”

Calina had the vague recollection of an older, blonde girl who was a couple of cohorts ahead of her in the Red Room. “Not really.”

“Well, we found her in a mansion in the Finnish countryside, so Yelena flew out there last night.”

“That’s good that you guys found someone else.”

“Speaking of finding something,” Anya said. “I was looking into Cross and Ranieri like you asked-”

“That can wait until later,” Katya interrupted. “Tell us what happened with Matt.”

Calina groaned and sank back into the couch. The puppy took it as her cue to jump up on her lap. She managed the leap with no problem, and Calina could tell she was going to be big once she reached her true size. She looked like a cross between a husky and a German shepherd, and her fur was thick and soft when Calina sank her fingers into it. She continued to pet the dog as she explained the events of last night.

“So, thank you, Anya,” she said at the end of the tale. “For being so thorough in your description of my fake sexcapade with Ranieri that he’s never forgotten that night.”

Anya winced. “Sorry.”

Calina shook her head. “No, it’s not your fault. This was probably always destined to happen - Matt finds it hard to trust people, and I have a history of lying to him. What’s that phrase? ’Irreconcilable differences’?”

“I don’t believe that,” Katya said. “You’re not irreconcilable. You’ll get past this, just like your other..hurdles.”

Calina laughed at the word 'hurdle', which felt like a massive understatement. “I’m not so sure this time.” Her voice broke, and she could feel the barrier around her emotions start to break down, the numbness start to wear off, so she quickly changed the subject before the tears followed. “But enough about that. Tell me what you found, Anya.”

Anya didn’t have to be asked twice. She launched into a detailed explanation of how she searched Ranieri’s emails and his entire internet footprint via a software program she'd designed which utilised AI…until Katya had to beg her to get to the point. “Please, just give us the bullet point summary!”

“Okay, fine. It turns out Ranieri and Cross were boarded together at the same school in Switzerland for a brief period - before Ranieri was expelled for drug use, and Cross’ family emigrated to New York.”

“So they’ve known each other all this time?” Calina asked.

Anya shrugged. “It’s unclear how friendly they were for most of it, but their communications  definitely increased over the past couple of years. It looks like Ranieri was hustling on the side with Cross. He liked being in league with Volkov, but he had no loyalty, and he wasn’t as fanatical about the mission as Volkov was. He was in it for the money and power, and he saw no problem with stealing from Volkov to help him get in with another powerful man.”

“So he was the one that sent Aminev to Cross. He basically gave his old school friend a Black Widow assassin,” Katya added.

“That was the plan,” Anya clarified. “But Aminev got greedy. He was supposed to just hand over the tech to Cross, but he set himself up as the middle-man instead, getting paid to control Calina on behalf of Cross. But he fucked that up and got himself killed instead.”

“It’s a wonder Cross trusted Ranieri after that,” Calina mused. Cross didn’t seem the type to suffer incompetence in his associates.

“It didn’t matter. Ranieri had already done enough to secure his place in Cross’ inner circle.”

“How?” Calina asked.

“By giving him an old Red Room formulation. It had been superseded by the mind control serum, so Ranieri figured Volkov wouldn’t notice when the last remaining vials went missing.”

“What was the formulation?” Katya asked.

Calina had a sinking feeling she knew exactly what it was. “It was the fear pheromone, wasn’t it?”

Anya nodded. “A rudimentary version compared to what’s on the streets now. But yes.”

“So it all started with Ranieri,” Katya said, shaking her head in disbelief. “He gave Cross the idea of the fear pheromone, the basic formula to improve upon, and he even tried to guarantee his supply of the main ingredient - Arsonium Bromide - by giving him a Black Widow. That slimy, inbred piece of Italian trash started this whole thing.”

“Well, technically, the Red Room started it all,” Anya countered. “They came up with the fear pheromone in the first place.”

Calina let out a bitter laugh. “Of course it all started with them. All the pain that Cross caused with his experiments to perfect the pheromone, all the lives he ruined and the people he killed…it all stems back to the Red Room. To us. This is our legacy.”

Katya scowled at her. “What are you talking about? This isn’t on us. This is on Dreykov, and Volkov and all those other assholes in the Red Room. Our legacy will be stopping Cross - we're going to help you and Matt take him down.”

Calina nodded. She knew Katya was right. She and the other Widows were as much victims as those Cross had experimented on. They weren’t culpable. She was just feeling extra resentful and scathing about her past and her association with the Red Room this morning.

For obvious reasons.

And she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to work with Matt again on this, or anything else, but she appreciated her sisters' support. “Thanks, guys. For finding all this out, and for coming to check on me this morning. And for letting me pet the dog - I think it helped.” She smoothed her hand over one floppy ear and scratched behind it. The puppy immediately rolled over and offered her stomach for extra pets. Calina laughed and complied. 

“Speaking of the dog, why don’t you come with us while we take her for a walk. Clear your head a bit.”

Calina nodded. “Sounds good.”

Some fresh air and a playful puppy sounded infinitely better than wallowing in her bed alone for the rest of the day. 

———

As Matt left the gym, the sun was high in the sky and the working day was starting for his fellow New Yorkers. The traffic on the streets was growing, and the sound of shutters being raised on storefronts drowned out the chorus of birdsong.

Matt checked the time on his watch. He could head to the office...but he wasn't sure he was in the right head space for work this morning. And he didn't feel like going back to his apartment - not when Calina's absence would be palpable. Not when the air would still hold her scent - that would be more of a torment than a comfort right now.

So he walked. For hours. Aimlessly. Down tree-lined streets and across concrete avenues shaded by high rise buildings. He walked, concentrating on the feel of the ground beneath his feet and the steady beat of his heart, trying not to think about the fight with Calina. About how he could gain her forgiveness. About the possibility that he might never do so.

He walked…and eventually found himself outside Clinton church. For the second time in just over 24 hours.

God, had it only been a day?

Everything felt so different now. Not just in terms of the shock invasion from above, but the tumult in his own life. Yesterday he was planning to introduce his mother to the love of his life. Yesterday he felt such a sense of hope and optimism.

But now…

It was all gone.

“Matthew?” 

Speaking of his mother…

“Maggie,” he replied.

Something in his voice must have worried her. Or maybe she caught sight of the blood staining the bandages over his hands. Either way, she came rushing over. “What’s wrong. What happened?” She took hold of his arm and guided him down the steps to the rectory attached to the church. He took a seat at the small kitchen table while she fussed over him, removing his bandages and cleaning his damaged skin with warm water.

It was strange. This church, the people in it - Maggie, Father Lantom - were the source of so much of the betrayal that had shaped him. And yet he still returned to it. Again and again. 

Was it a form of masochism?

Or was he subconsciously searching for answers? For an explanation.

“Why did you do it?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Maggie paused in the act of washing his wounds. “What?”

“Why did you let me believe I was all alone in the world?”

“Oh, Matthew.” Maggie dropped the cloth she’d been using and took the seat next to him. “I- I was so young when I had you. And I was so confused. I thought I was betraying God-”

“I’m not talking about that,” he bit out. “I know you were young. I know about the post partum depression. I don’t blame you for any of that. I want to know about later. When my Dad died, afterwards, my whole life…you let me believe I was alone. You lied to me. Father Lantom lied to me. I- I just need to know why.”

“Why are you asking this now? I thought you’d found it in your heart to forgive us.”

Matt laughed. “So did I. And maybe I have forgiven you. But the damage was done regardless.”

“What damage? You said everything you’ve been through led you to becoming Daredevil, and that you were content with that.”

“With that part of my life, yes. But the rest of my life? No so much.”

“What are you talking about. Tell me what happened.”

Matt sprang up from the chair and poked a finger in his chest. “I happened! I fucked it all up with Calina, because I couldn’t trust her. Because I couldn’t banish these thoughts that she was lying to me. Betraying me. Because that’s what I’m used to. That’s what I expect from the people who claim to care about me, and its ruining my fucking life!”

Matt turned away and gripped the edges of the sink, head bowed, as he tried to get hold of his rage. He could feel Maggie approach, then tentatively lay a hand on his shoulder. He fought the urge to shrug off her comfort, but a part of him didn’t want to undo all the progress they’d made together.

He didn’t want to do or say something in anger that would ruin this relationship too. But he was just so goddam frustrated! He could feel years of resentment bubbling up to the surface.

Maggie must have sensed it, because she finally gave him the answers he craved. “When your father was alive,” she said, in a faltering voice, “I convinced myself that coming to you, and telling you the truth would just hurt you. Confuse you too much. Then, after he died, I convinced my self that it would do more harm than good. Eventually…I realised the truth.”

“Which was?”

“I’m a coward, Matthew. I was too scared to face you, and own up to the biggest mistake of my life. To save myself from that, I hurt you instead. And I’m so, so sorry for that.” She pressed on his arm, getting him to turn and face her. When he did, she reached up to take his face in her hands. “But you, Matthew Murdock, are not a coward. You are the bravest man I’ve ever known. And the strongest. It takes both to be able to love someone - it isn’t something that weak people do.”

“I do love Calina. So much. But I just don't know how to give her that last little piece of my trust.”

“My dear boy, that’s where the courage comes into play. It’s a leap of faith to give over your heart and your trust to someone else, never knowing for sure if they’ll keep them safe. You just have to be brave and jump. I have a feeling that Calina won’t squander those gifts.”

“But will she trust me with her heart now? After the things I accused her of…”

“Only she can decide that. But you need to go and find out. Fight for her. Don’t just hole yourself up hitting bags of sand - figure out a way to win her back instead.”

Matt nodded. And then, because he was feeling so drained and emotional, and because she was standing so close, he gave in to the impulse to drop his head down to her shoulder. Maggie froze for a fraction of a second before wrapping her arms around him. He hooked one arm around her waist…and they were hugging.

His first ever hug from his mother.

He could feel in the slight tremble in her frame how much it meant to her. It meant just as much to him.

And he knew he needed to let it go. All of the resentment. All of the anger at her betrayal. Father Lantom’s lies. Even Elektra and Stick's offences against him. Everything.

He needed to truly forgive and move on - for his sake, for Maggie’s, and for Calina most of all.

Because he wanted to be a better man for her.

After a few long moments, he stepped away from the embrace. “Thanks Maggie. I, um, should get going, I guess.”

“To Calina?” she asked, in a slightly bossy tone.

“Yes,” he laughed. “To Calina.”

“Good.”

Matt stepped back out into the bright spring morning, feeling a renewed sense of hope. He wouldn’t let things end with Calina this way. He wouldn’t let things end at all. He loved her. And he knew she loved him. He just had to convince her to give him another chance.

And he was a lawyer - convincing people was one of the things he did best.

He set off back in the direction of this apartment, already mentally composing his speech to Calina. His grovelling, heartfelt and earnest declaration that would hopefully persuade her to take him back. In fact, he was concentrating so hard on what he would say to her, that he missed the first warning signs that something was wrong in the city.

Very, very wrong.

But then he heard the first scream. His head jerked up at the sound trying to pinpoint the location. That’s when another scream rang out, from a different direction. Then the sounds of multiple cars crashing all over the city. A plane going down in the distance...

And beneath all that noise, and chaos…a terrible, eerie silence was growing in the world. As if thousands of heartbeats and breaths and voices were just…disappearing. Being snuffed out at once.

That horrible absence grew and grew, and with it, Matt’s fear. He started running, that same urge from yesterday overtaking him - the desperate need to get to Calina. He barrelled past other pedestrians on the street, those who were rooted in place, looking around in terror. He felt himself run through flakes of…something. Too warm to be snow. Too insubstantial to be leaves or bits of paper floating in the air. He didn’t stop to figure it out, he just kept running.

Until suddenly, he started to feel...strange.

As if the ground was no longer beneath his feet. As if the air was no longer brushing against his skin. As if all his senses were dulled. He staggered to a halt, and grasped his chest, as if to reassure himself he was still…him. But his hand vanished before it could make contact.

There was no pain. No sensation to it at all. He    w a      s                   

j               u                       s                           t

                                    

 c             o                          

                                                         m

                                                                                    i

                                                                                           n

                                                             g              

 

 a       

                  p

                                                        a

                                                                                                      r

                                                                                                                                          

t…

————–

END OF PART 3

————–

Well, for those of you who aren't familiar with Avenger's Infinity War...the BLIP just happened! And I don't actually know for sure if Matt was blipped in canon or not, but in my story he was.

Poor guy!

Find out how he deals with it here...

Part 4, chapter 1

Tag list: @hollandorks @stilldreaming666 @sio-ina-bottle @tearoseart-blog @acharliecoxedfan @freckledbabyyy @chezagnes

If you’d like to be added - let me know!

[hobiebrownismygod]

So on one of my recent posts about Hobie, I got this comment from @unnecessary-account and I thought it was really interesting.

Miles has a connection with the Prowler

That's already been established (Prowler Miles)

We know that Uncle Aaron was the Prowler and he was a 'bad guy' and all that. We know that the Prowler in ITSV was supposed to be a bad guy, with his scary theme, the fact that he worked for Kingpin, and the fact that he was trying to kill Miles until he found out who was under the mask.

But the Hobie Brown Prowler is different.

Hobie Brown was a really smart kid who grew up in a really crappy family. His father left when he was a baby and his mom was an alcoholic. He had 9 siblings and all of them were basically forced to raise themselves.

In order to support himself, he became a window-cleaner who used his intellect to build gadgets to make his job easier. When he was eventually fired, he turned to a life of crime, where he would steal money from the Daily Bugle.

But after a confrontation with Spider-man, he realizes this life of crime sucks and he actually becomes an anti-hero. Spider-man even comes to him for help every once in a while and Hobie joins the Silver Sable group, a group of anti-hero mercenaries that includes Sandman.

"The Prowler gives me control over my own life-- and power. Power I can use to protect the helpless."

The Prowler Issue #1

The Prowler gives Hobie power over himself and his identity

It gives him control over his own life and his own future

Now lets connect this to Spiderman Hobie

Hobie advocates for freedom and free speech. He would want people to have control over themselves and their future. He actively fights against a fascist dictatorship in order to provide human rights for all the citizens of London

Being Spider-man means having the freedom to do these things

Having that mask on means being the voice of the people

That's what being Spider-man is to Spiderman Hobie

Now lets connect this to Miles

The first thought Miles has when he sees Hobie is "Damn. He's way cooler than me."

He's jealous of Hobie, not just cuz he's close with Gwen, but because he's an older boy who knows what he wants, does what he wants, and doesn't have to worry about other people's perceptions of him.

He's the definition of cool

Miles in the meanwhile is struggling to balance his classes, struggling to keep his identity a secret and feeling completely alone in his world

He's struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, maybe even a little bit of depression from what we saw in The Spider Within

He's struggling with the meaning of Spider-man

He's working so hard to protect his city, help the helpless, to fill those shoes that the original Peter Parker left behind. Hobie Brown's Prowler does the same thing, where he takes inspiration from Spider-man to fuel himself and his goals

Miles doesn't have control over his own life. At the end of ATSV, he doesn't even have control over his own future or his own fate.

Hobie Brown wanted control and power. Hobie Brown became the Prowler to have control and power.

Miles Morales wants control and power. Miles is fighting against his canon event because he needs that control over his future and he needs that power in his life.

Because both Spider-man and the Prowler are good people that have been put in tough situations.

And both of them want control over their own lives

Miles and the Hobie Brown Prowler share that connection. Spider-man in general shares that connection with the Prowler. I think that's pretty cool.

This analysis was kinda all over the place, mb 😭

if something doesn't make sense I'm happy to explain it though

Sources under the cut:

[kalevalakryze]

Okey Dokey

Pairing: Rose MacLean/Lee Moldaver, Lee Moldaver & Lucy MacLean Characters: Lee Moldaver, Rose MacLean, Lucy MacLean Tags: Soft, Fluff, Domestic Bliss, Shady Sands, Okey Dokey

The sound of small children shouting was enough to urge Rose and Lee to separate in a flash. “What are they doing down there?” Rose croaked, rubbing at the dark smudge of lipstick that stained the side of her throat, gently nudging on Lee’s shoulder until the older woman was pushing herself up on the faded couch cushions, fighting to get her feet on solid ground once Rose unhooked her ankle from around her legs. 

“You just pushed a future U.S Army Soldier!” A young voice screeched, shrill and echoing from the courtyard where the Shady Sands school let out into. 

“I’ll handle this-” Her back popped in protest as she shifted out of Rose’s grasp, pressing her lips into the crown of her head as she reached to grab her jacket from the back of the couch. 

There was a circle of kids gathered in the courtyard, though it was the four-year-old with tears in her eyes in the center that had Moldaver parting the crowd with haste. Big brown eyes turned to her as fat tears ran down her pale face, hands reaching up for her almost immediately once she noticed that support had come quickly. The soft skin of her palms was torn up, blood welling up in the tiny scrapes that the pavement had left. 

“They forgot the golden rule!” Lucy shouted, pointing accusatorily to the older kid who must have pushed her. 

Inhaling slowly through her nose, Lee doubled over to take Lucy in her arms. “Okey Dokey,” She settled the girl on her hip, gently taking her scratched-up hands to bring them closer to her face to examine them. “You’re okay, bottlecap,”

Despite the scratches on her palms, Lucy’s small fingers wrapped around a strip of cloth close to her shoulder, tethering herself to the woman who was quickly replacing any memory of some guy named ‘Hank’ in her small mind. She giggled, a warm, wet thing as she wiped a snotty nose and salty tears against Lee’s jacket. “Oki-doki.” She echoed, lips upturning as her ailments were forgotten by the way the words sounded rolling off her tongue. 

Even as Lee offered an impromptu lecture on this ‘Golden Rule’ that Rose had taught to Lucy, the girl seemed more entranced in whispering the phrase to herself quietly, giggling as she tried it in the many different intonations. “You okay, bottlecap?” Tangled hair was brushed back as the weight on her hip was resettled - Lucy hadn’t even realized that Moldaver had started walking her back to their Vault, high windows and planter boxes that hung from windows, twisted and barren flowers trying desperately to grow from the irradiated soil. 

“Mhmm!” She’d agreed readily, tears dried and the confrontation long forgotten. “ ‘m ‘oki-doki!’” The girl exclaimed, beaming at Moldaver, even as a warm chuckle rumbled through her chest as they pushed through the front door. 

“Our girl here got into a bit of a scuffle, I’m gonna go clean her up for dinner,” Her words were called in passing as she carried Lucy through the small home, Rose’s reply just barely reaching their ears as she slipped into the cozy bathroom to settle Lucy on the edge of the small changing table they’d crammed inside for Norm. 

“Now, I have to clean your hands, alright? Be brave for me?” Lee moved swiftly about the bathroom, grabbing a mild antiseptic from the mirror, as well as clean yellow bandaids, the small cartoony designs preserved from a better time. They wouldn’t stick against her palms for long, especially not when Lucy was always more interested in getting her hands dirty, but it would hold up long enough for the skin to close around the deeper cuts. 

“Okey-Dokey,” Lee hummed, smiling warmly to ward off any of the prickling anxiety that had Lucy twitching on the table. “It’s going to sting, deep breath in for me,” Lucy followed the instruction perfectly, even when the sting of disinfectant burned against her palms. 

“So brave,” Lee praised not unkindly as bandages were peeled open and gently secured in place. Her lips were feather-light as she brushed them across the girls palms. “All better, but, I think a nice warm meal might help you feel even better,” Warm brown eyes flickered from the girl just in time for Rose to peer into the doorway, an infectious smile on her lips as her shoulder bumped into the frame. 

“Well then I have perfect timing. Come on, my brave girls. Lets get you two some dinner,” 

“Oki-Doki!”

[galax-dragon]

Decided to make a collection of Coroika headcanons because why not!! Requests are open!

The headcanon list I put first is Goggles, gonna put it here too (and any other headcanon lists I do in the future)

Transmasc genderfluid, uses he/it/xe most of the time

Gay, demisexual+romantic, polyamorous

(why does this idiot have so many labels lmao)

Doesn’t get much gender dysphoria at all, usually doesn’t bind because his oversized jacket hides his chest pretty well

Half shark half inkling, has really sharp teeth, a shark tail+fin, and dark blue scales on his face like freckles

In my headcanon au universe thing he grows out of pantsing people by splat 3 lol

Started dating Rider first sometime after OE, then Hachi was added to the polycule, then Gloves

BITES HIS PARTNERS AS A LOVE LANGUAGE (this is important to me)

When he first got a crush on Rider it was his first crush so he thought he was dying lmao

AUTISM AND ADHD HOW COULD I FORGET THAT

Would both kill and die for his friends and partners tbh

Actually feels pretty insecure about his reputation as an idiot, but he’s internalized that that’s all he is to them, and that’s all he’ll ever be.

Feels pressure to keep up this reputation of being the idiot who somehow wins all the time, so he doesn’t exactly put up a facade, but sometimes he’ll exaggerate his idiocy?? Not sure how it works I’m not sure how to put it into words, he treats himself as a joke basically?

Anyway and he feels immense pressure because he feels like he has to win all the time, so he feels like an absolute failure if he loses even once. (Totally not projecting here what are you talking about)

Has anxiety and probably a bit of depression tbh idk

Also has more than a bit of main character syndrome, might have npd tbh but I really don’t want to misrepresent it aaaa

Literally the song the main character by Will wood if it was also about being the punchline of the joke lmao

In my interpretation of things, the shadows are not only the opposite of the original’s personality, but are also representations of what they try to hide about themselves. So basically during shadow arc Goggles had to confront his mental issues anskdbskdbsjsnns

(GIVING GOGGLES DEPTH JUMPSCARE⁉️)

(This is starting to turn into a character analysis help. Anyway)

Ate a bee when he was a little kid, still probably occasionally eats bugs tbh

Does not understand turf war comps and strategies for the LIFE of him, he’s just here to have fun (just like me fr!!!)

(The strategies are Specs’ job anyway)

Has an uncanny ability to mimic any voice he knows, especially his friends (he scares them sometimes it’s that good)

uhhh I think that’s all aaaaa

[ne0nwithazero]

obligatory apology for how many of these i’m going to send HAHA 🏳️‍🌈 👻 🫂 🪢 🖕 😬 for klieg?

Yay headcanons game! And by headcanons I mean it's all canon because they're my OCs :3

🏳️‍🌈 A sexuality headcanon

Klieg is aromantic and gay :) Though I have imagined that he spent many years identifying as AroAce because his interest in romance and relationships was so non-existent it just never even occurred to him.

I feel he always knew he wasn't into women, and that paired with his general anxiety around sexual situations just lead him to take quite a while to connect the dots :)

He's aroallo but shy about it LMAO

👻 A headcanon about what scares them

He is scared of a lot of things, but I feel like one of the things that worries him the most is his whole impostor syndrome and the idea of losing everything he's worked so hard to get. :')

What good is he if he can't do the one thing he's good at?

🫂 A friendship headcanon

Klieg has a hard time figuring out when he is or isn't friends with people. And since he assumes that everyone hates or dislikes him by default, he does tend to be closed and hostile if he sees someone approach with dubious intentions.

His closest friendship is with Mittens as he has spent just enough time with her to be comfortable with her regarding her as Safe. He hasn't really told her this directly, but she can figure out quite easily that he trusts her the most and she wants to make sure he feels comfortable.

He's not very good at showing his appreciation for others, but he'll still try, usually in the form of favours. Like Mitts will happen to need help with something in the cooking channels and Klieg just immediately makes himself available to help her ;;

They're very good friends and I care them so much. 

🪢 A headcanon about their family

Unless in cases like Button and Match, or Tenna, I don't tend to give my darkner characters family members or relatives ^^ They just exist on their own.

I can give headcanons about Klieg's future family though!

I imagine he would be really into making home films with Rouxls and Lancer, and eventually Lava as well!

Someone does have to take the camera from him because he starts treating the films like he's directing a serious movie and that is only cute for so long x)

🖕 A headcanon relating to anger

He's actually not as prone to anger as I've drawn him! He will get exalted and loud when working, but it's usually more out of a "These people only follow my instructions when I'm yelling them".

He is very passionate about his work and interests, and he will express himself in over-the-top ways, but it rarely comes out of a place of anger, only enthusiasm.

If you want to get him mad, you ask about his opinions on movies he hates, or you make him walk into a cinema where people have spilt popcorn on the floor and it's all sticky and gross :) That should get him worked up!

😬 A headcanon about the worst thing they’ve done

Countless dadaist cocomelon-esque movies at Tenna's request have been Klieg's worst cinematic crimes and he'd gladly exile himself if it means he must be confronted about it.

[theflyindutchwoman]

The UC storyline is something that has been looming over Tim & Lucy for a while now. So it's passed time that we deal with this conflict. And with Tim being confronted by both his past (with Isabel) and his present/future (with Lucy confiding about her fears for him), we are finally getting to the elephant in the room. Because Tim can no longer stay in denial about this. And because Lucy is getting at a crossroad where she has to make a decision regarding her future in UC. And this is what I want to discuss about… to try to see things from her perspective.

Because that's the thing : she loves going undercover. We might not understand why, but she does. And this - finding a career that she loves - is something she has been struggling for years. She said so herself, she has tried many things before. She loves being a cop, particularly going undercover and now that she knows that, it's understandable that she is going to want to hold on to it. And not only does she love it… She's also really good at it! To the point that she is getting noticed. UC is the first (and only) division that went to actively seek her out and try to recruit her. Add to that layer her relationship with her parents, who have been trying to discourage her in the past, and it's not that hard to understand how good it must feel for her to finally find something she loves and to be encouraged to pursue. And that's where she keeps receiving mixed messages.

Because yes, she saw how UC could go wrong and destroy lives. Isabel, Nyla, Mack… She saw and heard the tales. And yet, her mentor is Nyla. Who always kept it real but has never tried to deter her either, whose very first advice was to simply be better than her. And Angela. We may not have seen it directly, but it is implied that she is encouraging her choice by helping her become a detective, despite seeing what happened with Isabel. And let's not forget Tim here. Who's probably her biggest supporter right now despite his own baggage. Who pushed her to go to UC school when she had reservations. Who told her they were worth the risk, knowing she was very well on her way of becoming an undercover agent. Even Tamara looked thrilled for her when she came back from Sacramento. So if all of these people, with all their bad experiences, keep believing in her and pushing her towards UC, why should she drop it?

But most importantly : she never dismissed these cautionary tales. At no point did she ever tried to imply she was better than them. She is simply trying to learn from them. Which incidentally, was the topic of Nyla's class, the one that Lucy was trying to listen discreetly. Let's take a look at her recent behaviour : according to Noah, she could have done more UC ops. Yet she hasn't. The second she had the chance to talk to Isabel alone, she immediately asked her about her own experience. These are the actions of someone who is being cautious and taking it all in before making a decision. She even acknowledged that she never experienced long missions which shows she has at least some self-awareness. She understands that she still doesn't fully know what this life would entail. It's one thing to hear it, it's another to live it. She's still at the beginning of her career, where everything is a bit rosy. She just needs to find her own way. I'm not really comfortable with the idea that she needs to be punished for her choice by getting hurt or getting someone seriously hurt. It's too close to the idea that women need to be punished or humbled for being ambitious and that's a big no from me. Besides, she has been hurt in the job before and she's still doing it. She simply needs to experience a longer mission, with its ups and downs, to see if she really likes it, if that can be compatible with what she wants in life. And not just experiencing the part of playing a different character this time. But also the separation, the anxiety, the lies and deception, leaving the people you love behind (from her real life… but also the ones she will get attached to from her UC life). This is after all how she found out her previous jobs/studies were not for her : by trying. The catch is she can only experience this by being a full-time undercover agent.

Which is why she opened the door for a conversation with Tim, by letting herself be vulnerable and sharing her fear with him : that her going undercover on long missions might be too much for him. There was no judgement on her part. She was merely trying to be honest and broaching the topic they've been avoiding so far. Because she knows that her actions will impact him. Unfortunately, he wasn't ready to open up just yet and shut that line of thought immediately. But she looked torn on that last scene... she knows he wasn't being honest with her.

And maybe Lucy is lying to herself... Maybe she only thinks she loves undercover because her missions so far have been "easy", with no consequences when her cover got burned. Maybe she feels obligated to follow through because the department believed in her and she doesn't want to let them down. Maybe she hasn't fully consider how it would impact her as well. Maybe. But if that's the case, it's even more imperative that she can talk about it with Tim. Lucy needs to talk things out to process things. And right now that line of communication is not open. Not completely at least. And while Nyla could be a good option, this is still something that she needs to solve with Tim. Especially if they want to build a life together. She needs to hear his feelings, just like he needs to hear hers. I understand that he is in a difficult position : the last thing he wants is to hold her back. But she still deserves to have all the facts. The onus on this does not rest solely on her shoulders.

And this is why I think it was important that they first solidified their relationship before facing their first hurdle. So that they can confront it together.

[army93bangya]

The Moon Goddess’s Chosen | Chapter 3 | MYG [M]

*Chapter 3

*Summary: A mate connection has been made between Y/N and Alpha Min. What will Y/N's Father and Darius do now? How will Yoongi and Y/N react?

*Genre/Rating: Mature, 18+, Werewolf/Fated mates, eventual smut? 🤔🤷🏻‍♀️

*Warnings/Potential Triggers: Talks of Child Abuse, Abuse, Non-con Touching, Mistreatment, Non-con Confinement, Angst, Anxiety, Nervousness, Character Poisoning, Explicit Language, Mention of plotting Murder, Mention of Murder/Massacre, Reader is going thru it, Confrontation, Violence, Choking, Panic Attack, Possible future Smut,….more to be added in future chapters

*Disclaimer: This work was written and owned by Army93bangya and there is no consent for anyone else to post it as theirs, this story is intended for entertainment purposes only, this is a work of fantasy, seems a bit ridiculous to say but I do not own or have rights to BTS or the members and the characters in this story are a fictional interpretation of members.

*Words: 3780

*Notes: This chapter was harder to type out than the previous ones. I knew how I wanted this to go in my head but getting it out and written took me awhile. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with how it turned out and I hope you the readers can pick up on the words and emotions that are unspoken here. I have a feeling the next chapter might take me longer to get out but please be patient with me. 😊 I would love to hear thoughts after reading, it makes me very happy! As always thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Previous Chapter ------- Next Chapter

Fuck her. When you come back to yourself that's the first thought you have, being faced with the situation before you. Alpha Min is your fated mate. The alpha that massacred not one, not two, but three packs. The alpha that enlisted rogues, criminals, to aid him in his atrocious endeavors. She supposedly blessed him, giving him strength more immense than any other living alpha. Then she gave him her mage wolf, you, as his fated mate. She champions this alpha that murders, who seems to have no benevolence for innocent life among the bad. What is her vision? Whatever it is you want no part of it anymore, and yet she has once again chosen your path in life for you, she compelled you to make eye contact, commanded you to make the connection to this alpha with a force so powerful you had no choice but to oblige.

Alpha Min is standing about ten feet from you, who is just about being fully held up by Darius’s grip at this point. You loathe to admit that to you, he is the most attractive man you have ever laid eyes upon. With pale skin, eyes that seem to be able to glimpse into a person's soul, hair so dark it is almost black, and long enough to reach the nap of his neck while also framing his face. And what an exquisite face it is. What is surprising is that for a wolf who is said to be some high-powered alpha, his stature does not match up to his speculated reputation. You now understand Darius’s outburst earlier a little more now, but you of all people know that looks can be deceiving. If you yourself were to stand right in front of Alpha Min, the top of your head would probably reach slightly above his shoulders. You're supposed to be powerful as well, but you are short for a wolf and at the moment you just look and feel pitiful.

He does not acknowledge the person that greeted him. No, instead he is staring you down with an expression so blank you wonder if he has any emotions at all. What is he going to do? He knows you’re his mate now. Holy shit your father! Your father and Darius are right here too! Throwing a quick glance towards the man, your fathers body language speaks of his frustration and rage at the situation before him. His fists clenched and the look behind his eyes burning with intent to kill, although you know he won’t pull anything with so many people around to witness. You internally start to be filled with even more panic. What is your father going to do now that you have made the connection to your mate? Darius and him have both told you if you bonded, they would kill your mate. But this alpha is formidable, you can feel the power radiating off of him while you are left feeling faint from all the stress you have gone through today, the wolfsbane, the mate connection being made, it is all too much.

“You're Unwell.” Eyes growing wider you stare at his now back to normal dark brown ones as those are the first two words he utters and they’re directed at you. You can't even process what he means by his words to think of a response before Darius is answering for you. “She is fine, Alpha Min, just tired. The day has been long already and we were just about to retire back to our camp.” Fuck! Darius' arm that's almost fully holding you up looks possessive, his scent is still all over you, and now he is speaking for you. To any wolf that sees the two of you it's blatantly obvious that he is laying claim to you. At this point though you pray that this alpha does not dispute or is hopefully disgusted by this display and walks away, walks away from his fated mate, from you. You who has obviously been chosen by another, even without being marked, and you never thought you would see the day when you would be okay with Darius’s disgusting possessive nature of you. But the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know, and right now Alpha Min is definitely not someone you want to get to know. His entire aura feels threatening. The concerning part though is how Alpha Min is reacting, even with you in Darius’s arms, and his words.

Like before Alpha Min does not physically respond to Darius’s words either, which you just know is infuriating the bonehead to no end, being so disregarded has got to bruise that over-inflated ego. He just continues to gaze upon you, but there is a flicker of expression on his face, you try to decipher the best you can, but are left confused when the only thing you can come up with for that fleeting change was apprehension? Concern? You're not sure but don't have time to consider anymore, because Alpha Min, for the first time since you made eye contact with him, and a mate connection, looks away from you.

He looks away from you, then directly at Darius in a way that seems to say he has less worth than a bug underneath the alphas boot, before finally settling on your father, who has been quietly observing and assessing the situation so far. Probably trying to come up with a new plan, because there is no way in hell they thought an alpha this powerful would be your mate, even with all the stories of a mage wolf's mate being born strong enough to protect the goddesses chosen. Oh. Well now that makes sense, why the moon goddess would bless this alpha. The fact that you had yet to put together this corresponding correlation makes you feel incredibly dumb. Alpha Min's posture is relaxed and you can't help but think that it is done in an arrogant, mocking manner. To appear so unbothered being surrounded by so many who might wish you harm shows an extreme level of either confidence or ignorance, and you just know it's the former. 

“Rumors almost always have a measure of truth to them. Shall I enlighten you on some of those truths?” Holy Shit! How? How could he have known that's what was being discussed by these three, they were speaking low enough, and he had to be far enough away that even wolf hearing should not have been able to pick up on it! Darius' mouth falls open in shock surprise, Alpha Sharp takes a quick inhale of breath, and your father impressively appears undisturbed, which does not bode well. Gone is the subtle rage you were able to discern from being ‘raised’ by the man, when he presents such a passive exterior, you know that he is conspiring. Suddenly three of your fathers betas appear and position themselves around your group, ready to defend or attack at command. Alpha Min does not respond to the betas whatsoever, doesn't move or withdraw even a inch. Your father studies the younger alpha before responding. “If you wish to regale us with the truths of mindless gossip, Alpha Sharp and I shall oblige you. Darius, why don't you take Y/N back to camp now to rest?”

Darius starts to turn with you when Alpha Min's eyes transfer to him with such a sinister look you can't help the shiver that runs through your body, reminding you of your pain all over again. “Move one step and both your arms will be removed from your body before your pack betas can even think to intervene.” Five men appear and stand behind Alpha Min forming a half circle, faces serious and ready for trouble. His betas. You freeze, Darius freezes. Before anyone else can respond Alpha Min shoots a quick glance at the arm wrapped around you and then looks away from the two of you, focusing back on your father like he didn’t just issue a threat. 

“The ‘mindless’ gossip questions if I have been blessed by the goddess and born stronger than that of a normal wolf. But if the goddess truly was to bless me upon my birth would she just give me enhanced strength? Or enhanced senses as well. For example, hearing amplified enough that it is effortless for me to hear conversations and gossip better done in private.” You're stunned. In fact you think everybody on your side of this confrontation is mutely astounded. He smirks. “Or maybe even my sense of smell so heightened I could smell my mate from a half a mile away, even with her completely enveloped in your mutts scent.” He looks back at you, smirk gone, and you can definitely see the scarce worry in his eyes now. It leaves you feeling bewildered and uncomfortable. 

“While Alpha Sharp was relaying you with all the humorous stories that are being told about myself and my pack, I couldn't help but inspect my mate's appearance. What's concerning is how unwell she appears to be while you three chatter on around her outwardly unaware of her distress.” His expression turns tense while still somehow appearing calm. “I was puzzled as to why none of you seemed to notice or care about her noticeable discomfort. So I decided to come over to check on her myself.” His eyes have now turned frigid, the murderous aura radiating off him enough to have just about any wolf running for it with their tail between their legs. “Imagine my surprise when I got closer only to notice another scent coming from her. A normal wolf would not be able to pick up the scent with such a miniscule amount.” He turns his full body to your father, giving him a look promising hell on earth and retribution. “Wolfsbane. This she-wolf has wolfsbane in her system, and judging by the fact that you two seem untroubled this entire time, I can only conclude that you are both aware of the poison coursing through her.”

Silence. Utter silence with what must be shock before Alpha Sharp seems to recover and respond. “That is a serious accusation Alpha Min, One that only you can seemingly prove if you can smell the wolfsbane on her like you say you can.” Your Father immediately cuts in. “It's insulting and incredulous is what it is! Why on earth would you think that I, her father, or my successor, who is to be her chosen mate, would poison her!?” He's quite the actor, he seems considerably offended. Studying the man you can see his body is radiating stress, this day has not gone the way he was hoping and now he has to come up with a different plan immediately. The tension is permeating the area surrounding you and starting to draw attention from onlookers. 

Alpha Min turns his head back towards you and inspects your person with an intense expression. You refuse to look at him instead choosing to stare at the ground before your feet. You didn’t need to see this alpha viewing you with such pity and aversion, Or worse would be  him inspecting you like you are his property. That is about all you feel like anymore, seen as nothing but property. He must notice the attention that has been brought to this conflict, because his next words are much lower to only be heard by the wolves in his vicinity. “Some of the Min packs history is known by all. But as the last Alpha of that pack's son, I was raised learning so much history of not just the Min pack, but the Kim pack as well. History that other packs were not privy too. I know what the gifts that were given to me by the moon goddess means, know what purpose they are meant to serve.” He focuses back on your father with an amused look, like catching a petulant child in a poorly made scheme. 

“Did you honestly think her mate wouldn’t be able to tell who she is? Even without my knowledge of what she is I could tell as soon as the connection was made. You’ve been hiding her from the world Alpha Y/L/N. Which explains the wolfsbane and her current state, i'm guessing you poisoned her to keep her weak and compliant, your lackey scenting her enough to mask her scent, It's quite a clever plan but in the end proved futile.” Your mate is quite perceptive and you can't help but think that doesn’t bode well for you either. This entire situation is fucked. You look up and survey Alpha Sharp. At Alpha Min's words, he is looking at your father with confusion. As his ally and close friend, maybe he is hoping the man will enlighten him as to what the hell the younger alpha is going on about. Despite your jest about his intelligence earlier, you know that Alpha Sharp is very clever and it will not take him long for the puzzle to be put together.

“What do you want? You can not have my daughter, she has been promised to Darius and even if she wasn’t I will not allow her to leave my pack. So we will have to come to some other arrangement.” Astonished. You are utterly astonished that your father has now sunk to bargaining with this alpha. Your mind racing, you begin to ponder what could possibly be going through his head right now. He must be desperate in his desire to keep your abilities to himself. After analyzing your father for a long moment, Alpha Min finally opens his mouth to respond. “Other than my mate you have nothing that I could possibly want. And you are going to give her to me, Otherwise it would be quite unfortunate for you to have your secret come out here. With so many packs gathered I can not begin to imagine how they would take hearing such deception all together, what actions would arise from such treachery. My only internal conflict is would I stand by and watch the brutal justice that would most likely ensue, or partake in the execution that I am sure would be quite creative. As for your lapdog, I find that he is too ignorant and would be an inadequate mate for someone such as her. A very poor choice on your part.”

The scene that unfolds before you has you on the verge of passing out, whether it be from terror or your current condition finally taking its toll is undetermined. Darius for the first time since you got to this clearing releases you from his hold causing you to drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes, and begins to charge at Alpha Min. The betas all move to respond, but it is the Bangtan pack betas that advance quicker. Three of the unknown men have your fathers betas on the ground pinned at the same moment like it was some synchronized dance they practiced for months. Another of your fated mates betas has made the decision to progress to you. Kneeling himself behind you, he then gently lifts you into a sitting position, taking your weight and cradling you in a protective way. Utterly alarmed you begin to attempt to move away but he shushes you in a comforting manner before whispering in your ear. “It is okay Luna, we will get you out of here and seen by a healer soon. Just rest.” What the hell did he just call you!?! Hearing that title directed at you from this betas lips has left you completely dumbstruck causing you to cease any half-assed attempt to flee.

A hair-raising growl rings out, drawing your attention away from the beta that is basically back hugging you, to the scene developing a few paces in front of you. Alpha Min has Darius lifted in the air with a hand around his throat, his last remaining beta positioned in a defensive stance between his leader and the two remaining alphas. But both Alpha Sharp and your father are motionless as if they have been paralyzed. It is an inconceivable thing to behold that would make you wonder if you’ve finally lost your mind, if not for the shock that has seemed to grip everyone. Alpha Min, who is perhaps four inches shorter and weighing maybe thirty-five to forty pounds less than Darius, has his arm locked and raised completely above his head with your fathers chosen heir in his grasp. His wolf side has come forth through his eyes again and a fierce look on his face promising suffering to the man he is depriving of oxygen. 

Darius has both hands at work between gripping the hand attached to his neck trying to pry it off and slapping at the alphas arm attempting to break the hold. He has panic in his eyes and you wonder if this alpha, your fated mate, is about to kill him in front of all these packs. But Darius changes his efforts realizing due to the height difference just how close he is to the alphas body that has him hoisted in the air. He draws his right leg back with the intent to drive it into Alpha Min’s body, hopefully landing a blow that will cause the alpha to release him. But the now proven blessed alpha is quicker, right when Darius’s leg is drawn back as far as it can go and before he can propel it forward, Alpha Min swings his body and the arm that he is using to restrain Darius and launches him toward your father. 

Darius lands right at your fathers' feet and begins coughing with quick attempted inhales while clutching his neck. The man that has done his part in tormenting you for the last few years is curled on the ground looking as pitiful as he always tried to make you feel. Your father is glaring at Alpha Min with a look full of hatred. The younger alpha composes himself and looks to you in the arms of his beta before examining the rest of the situation at hand. At his nod the three betas that have been subduing your fathers' wolves release them and immediately two of them come over to guard you while the third joins the beta at his alphas side and resumes a defensive position. Alpha Sharp has disappeared from the area, probably to find his betas. You didn't think he would be one to abandon his closest ally and friend, but then again if he has figured out the implications of Alpha Min's words you do not know how he will take your fathers deception.

Your father has been bested and he knows it. If he tries to object to your mate taking you he will be outed and most likely killed with his head spiked onto a piece of wood from one of the many piles in the clearing. If he engages in a fight with the Bangtan pack there is no guarantee that he would come out victorious, in-fact with the display the younger alpha and three of his betas just demonstrated you father has no chance if he attacks head on. Not to mention in the midst of a mate gathering, spilling blood or killing will get your pack banned from future gatherings which would be detrimental to the pack. As it is right now, this skirmish can be concealed as two wolves disputing over a mate, which is not uncommon at gatherings and a believable excuse.  You see the moment your fathers expression changes to a beaten frustration, resigning himself to the inevitable outcome.  

You know that this isn't the end of it, your father will not go quietly and accept defeat so easily. He is probably currently fuming with rage over everything that has occurred this day. Your mate finding you and it being none other than the blessed Alpha Min Yoongi. Not being able to manipulate the situation and turn it in his favor, which he is an expert at. The embarrassment he is probably feeling over Darius’s failed attack and that he was defeated so easily. No, your father is going to yield and comply today so that he can regroup, come up with a sinister plan he can execute in the shadows, and be able to get away with. All of this deductive reasoning brings you to a horrifying realization, your father is going to let Alpha Min take you. He is going to take you and there is nothing that you can do to stop it, too weak to fight back and you hardly think he is the type to listen to you if you verbally refuse. 

The new wave of panic you feel is too much, you're breathing harder now. Ears ringing and your vision going in and out of focus, you know you are very close to passing out. It is all too much, you can't hold on for much longer. You feel arms tighten on you a fraction before you are being lifted with an arm around your back and another under your knees. You hear the beta carrying you, the one that named you his luna, call out to his alpha. Alpha Min has been staring down your father looking for the cue that there will be no further intervention from him or his pathetic protege, who is just now sitting up from the fetal position he was in. Upon hearing his beta, he glances to see you in the man's arms struggling to remain conscious.

“I’ve got her Jimin, we need to get her back to camp quickly and have the healer take a look at her.” Those are the words that you hear but it all sounds hazy, like you are underwater and there is a loud boom coming from above. You feel slightly jostled as you are being transferred from one pair of arms into another. Oh. These arms smell nice. In your unaware state, you find yourself shifting your head to bury your face where the scent is strongest. Nose pressed directly against skin, you inhale and begin to feel your entire body relax as it sinks further into the depths of a comatose like state. It smells like comfort, like settling into a warm comfy bed after a long day. It is utter relief. The last thing your senses pick up on before you are plunged completely under is a rumbling coming from the soothing scent, and you think it means contentment.