#when i tell you that this scene kicked me in the face and i crumbled like a paper bag

[tonydaddingham]

Underappreciated S2 scene: "Going Up."

[meiluu]

Fight Our Battles

Peter Parker/ Female!Reader cw: Violence, reader gets hurt, hurt/comfort, a bit of angst, fluff. lower-case intended, not edited can be viewed as any spider-man, but i personally imagined ps4/ps5 peter

what had started out as a regular saturday, with you and peter swinging through new york like any typical patrol around the city turned into something much more than either of you were ready for.

green goblin had escaped from the raft and was causing mayhem within the city, fires and ominous clouds of smoke and ash begin to engulf the city. and here you and peter are trying to get people to safety as well as deal with the goblin.

"Go after him! I've got the civilians!" peter whips his head to your direction, about to argue and say that you both need to stick together. shaking your head "I've got this go! I trust you spider-man!" your tone is final and peter reluctantly leaves you to pursue the goblin.

watching his retreating figure you focus your mind onto what's in front of you. webbing up unstable buildings, pulling people from fiery cars and rubble. stopping for moment to catch your breath you realize that this area is finally okay enough for you to leave it as first responders finally make it to the scene. using your in-suit tracker you quickly find peters location and hastily begin swinging your way there.

getting to peter your eyes immediately catch onto his much more battered form, there are cuts across his chest and through his emblem. but he seems to have the upper hand- having cornered goblin into a abandoned area of construction. quickly shooting a web you swing in, landing a harsh kick to the goblins face.

an enraged roar leaves him as his mask is flung off-wobbling on his glider. Then you see two webs sticking to either side of the goblin, and just as you see those webs you see peter slingshotting himself feet first into the goblins chest. the concrete behind him cracks and the goblin tumbles to the ground, his glider crumbling along with him.

with the goblins figure staying slumped upon the ground both your and peters shoulders slump in relief and exhaustion. then the sound of police sirens filter into the air as dozens of cop cars pull up, ready to detain the menace. "I have some of the anti-serum for him, its not permanent but maybe it'll help with keeping him in custody." peter voice is tired, as he makes his way over to you as you both scan each other for any lethal injuries. nodding you head you watch as peter begins to head towards a vial that was resting upon the ground. you suspected it had gotten flung out of his hand while he fought with the goblin.

then your senses begin screaming at you, BEHIND YOU!

you barely make out peters terrified scream of your name before the disgusting crazed green eyes of the goblin look up at you from the ground with one of his miniature bombs in his hand. then its dark.

~

the familiar sound of air whooshing past your ears along with searing hot pain across your abdomen is what wakes you from your sleep. "pete?" your words are moaned out in pain and confusion. "yeah its me- just hang on we are almost to the hospital. just stay awake for me please." your heart clenches at how desperate peter's voice is, you can do nothing but nod and bury your head further into his chest- hoping that the pain would go away if you did.

peters feet thump heavily into the ground when he finally lands in front of one of the hospitals in new york that was getting not as flooded with survivors from the attacks. and your heart clenches again at peter voice shouting out for help, "i need a doctor, please!"

there voices start to fade out, you catch how peter voice is a near roar as someone tries pulling off your mask. and it sounds like that person is then shoved away by what you assumed was dozens of nurses, he tells them to leave on your mask- but it sounded more like a command. the softness of a bed greets your back, peter having set you onto a gurney. nurses are putting an iv as the quickly roll you further into the hospital- eyes lids growing heavy you succumb to the sleep, hoping that when you awake the pain will be gone.

~

peter's pov.

if not for the mask every one within the waiting room would see my tears flowing feely down my face.

god how did i not realize the goblin wasn't knocked out, why didn't i web him up- how could i be so careless!?

and now you were in the operating room, were i hoped with all of being that you would be saved. looking down to my hands that lay limp to my sides i see- your blood smeared into the red of my suit. biting my lip to snuff out the sob that threatens to escape me. why wasn't it him who got hurt? why was it always someone else taking the blows for him?

i don't know how long i just stood there staring down the hallway that lead towards the operating room with you in it. but eventually the doctor how had pushed away that asshole who tried taking off your mask earlier- and had quickly let me know that he would be operating on you- made his way towards me.

quickly walking towards him, his face isn't sad or drafted instead a hopefully expression takes up his face. "she's ok, no major internal injuries surprisingly, but she has a bunch of stitches and will need to stay here for-" i don't let him finish before i'm tugging him into hug, "thank you, i don't- i, just thank you so much."

a soft laugh leaves the doctor, "with what you two do for this city everyday, there's no need for thanks. i should be thank you both for all the good you've done for this city and its people." stepping back from the hug a chuckle leaves me, "i guess we're at an impasse doc... but um- where is she?" he quickly gives me her room number, then i'm running there.

getting to your room, i see you. sleeping peacefully with your mask still covering your face, walking closer towards the bed i sit down in one of the spare chairs within the room. grasping your hand into mine my body finally begins to lighten as all of the accumulated stress begins to pour off of me. and with the comforting sound of your steady breathing i let myself drift off.

~

reader pov.

its been a few weeks since the goblins attack upon new york, his final one- with him succumbing to his wounds after setting off that miniature bomb. most of my stitches have been taken out and there only remains a very small scar from that day. and with the city repairing itself me and pete have taken a bit of a break from spider-maning... mainly because i needed to recover and peter hasn't want to leave my side. which i'm not complaining about but i can see how much that day hurt peter, though with each day that passes i see that darkness lighten.

and today i continue with that goal of lessening that darkness, having slept in with peter cuddled in your shared bed. gently i brush my fingers through his soft brown locks, "good morning pete." he buries his head deeper into my chest, you can feel him smile against your skin. "i think we are well past morning." an ouch leaves him with my pinch against the skin of his shoulder. "so technical." my tone teasing, a soft kiss is place against the side of my neck as peter raises his head to meet my gaze. beautiful hazel eyes that hold nothing but adoration within them. "good morning." sleep still hold onto his voice making it a bit huskier than normal, his plush lips are planting a sweet kiss against mine.

eyes instinctively shutting at the all to familiar sensation of butterflies within my stomach as my heart relishes in our shared affection. pulling away i bring my hand to his face, caressing his skin.

"i love you, so much peter." a radiant smile blooms across his face, "I love you too." looking into his gaze i'm pleased to find that some of that darkness has nearly disappeared. "you doin' okay pete?" he raises his eyebrow at my question, then lowers when he realizes what i'm asking about. "yeah.. i just- i nearly lost you. and i don't know what i would do if i lost you."

"i know i cant promise you but i will try with everything i have to never let that happen again." peters warm and muscled arms wrap around my torso pulling us chest to chest, with no space between us. "and i'll do the same for you, i never want you to feel what i felt that day."

and with those words peter buries himself further into our embrace, where we both lay relishing in each others presence. warmed by our bodies and the rays of the sun shining through our bedroom curtains, as we stay encased in our plush comforter.

a breath of relief leaves me, brain becoming flooded with peters comforting scent as my heavy heart lightens at our declarations to one another. together we would fight to make sure that both of us came home, make sure that we would have the rest of our live together and not apart.

(omg i just went into a crazed writing spree for like 2 hours, i wrote this at 4am-5am so sorry if there are parts that don't make sense. Hope you enjoyed this :D )

[archangeldyke-all]

i want to see jealous sevikaaaa

combining this ask with two more i got right after this one!

Sevika sees you in the last drop dancing in your own little world and men try to get you to dance with them and she is having none of it. Stalks up behind you her metal arm wraps around your waist. She pulls you back and growls out the word mine. The men disappear so fast. You still want to dance and a new track comes on the jukebox 'Slumber Party' by Rain Paris. So she dances with you and makes everyone understand that you are hers.

and

HARD SEX

enjoy bbs!

men and minors dni

"you're really not gonna dance with me?" you ask, pouting up at your girlfriend. she smiles down at you. the bass thumps throughout the club and your hips sway unconsciously to the beat.

"you know i don't like dancing." she grunts.

"yeah, and you know tequila makes me dancy! and yet! you kept getting me margaritas!" you say, pointing accusingly up at her. she smiles.

"tequila also makes you slutty." sevika says with a saucy smile. you laugh.

"oh i see." you laugh and roll your eyes, then chug down the few sips of margarita you have left. you press the glass into sevika's hands. "fine. stay here and be boring. i'm going to dance." you turn to strut away, giggling as she whistles at your retreating figure. you pause, turning around to jog back up to her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "have another whiskey. loosen up a bit. then come find me when you feel like finding out what i'm wearing under these shorts." you whisper in her ear. she grins, and this time when you turn to leave, she smacks your ass. you giggle and shimmy over to the dance floor.

you're drunk enough to have no inhibitions-- you feel like you're the sexiest thing on the floor but you could just as easily be clumsily stumbling along. you have no gauge of good or bad dancing anymore, you just move.

you must be moving somewhat sensually, because a couple guys try getting handsy with you. you manage to smack them away prettily easily, and when you can't you lean in and tell them who you're at the club with. they all stumble away when sevika's name leaves your lips.

the record switches, a slower song with a groovy baseline filling the club, and your hips start swinging to the beat. across the club, you catch sevika's eye. she's leaning against the bar, sipping on her whiskey, her eyes locked on you. she grins when you catch her staring.

suddenly it's like you and sevika are the only people in the room. you draw small circles with your waist, your hips and ass swaying, and you grin as sevika bites her lip. you tug on your shirt, slowly inching it up your abdomen, watching as sevika eagerly down the rest of her whiskey. just before you flash her, you drop the hem, covering your abdomen from her view. she pouts. you grin, twirling around to give her a nice view of your ass swaying side to side. you can feel her gaze on you, the hungry way she's licking her lips. even with your eyes closed and your back turned you can feel her watching you.

an arm wraps around your waist. you grin. "took you long enough." you say to sevika.

"well sorry, darlin' if i had known you were waitin' for me i woulda come over her much sooner." an unfimilar scratchy voice grunts out. you freeze, a wave a disgust rolling down your spine, before you turn in the grip the stranger has on your hips.

"get off me." you say to the man grinning down at you, pushing at his shoulders. he doesn't let go of you. you spit in his face, and he simply licks his lips. a couple of the men you'd rejected tonight are witness to the scene, laughing as you struggle in his hold. over his shoulder, you catch sight of a flash of glowing purple. you grin.

"there you go baby, you don't have to fight me." the man mumbles down at you as you relax in his grip. you scoff.

suddenly, the man crumbles, sevika's mechanical arm smacking his head. he groans on the ground-- still conscious-- so sevika kicks his head with her boot. he passes out... or dies.

you giggle. the men around you scatter, and sevika looks up at you.

"you okay?" she asks. you smile and nod.

"my hero." you tease her as you fall into her arms. she grins. "you gonna dance with me now? keep me safe?" you ask, pouting up at her. the slow song changes, a grungy electric guitar riff filling the club. sevika's grip on your hips tighten.

"turn around." she grunts. you grin, pressing a kiss to her lips before spinning in her hold.

you start grinding against her crotch in small rough circles. she groans in your ear.

"you're fuckin' mine." she growls against you. you grin. a jealous, possessive sevika is always a horny sevika. especially when you're both drunk. sevika starts trailing kisses down your throat, nipping and biting the skin, humping into your ass as you grind against her.

her hands claw at the fishnets you're wearing, causing runs to form up your thighs. you elbow her and she giggles, kissing your cheek in apology. her hands don't stop though, one coming up to grope your tits, the other playing with the button of your shorts.

a few people gawk at the two of you, that is, until sevika notices and scowls at them until they turn away. you laugh every time, pressing a kiss to her head.

when she snakes a hand down your fishnets and shorts to reveal her surprise, she gasps at the feeling of your cunt. you giggle.

"what'd you think your surprise was?" you ask. she grunts.

"one of those thongs i bought you. fuck, this is so much better." she whispers as her fingers start drawing circles on your clit. you gasp.

a man across from the two of you is staring. you nudge sevika, pointing him out with your chin. she growls at him while simultaneously sinking two fingers into your sopping cunt. you gasp and writhe against her--and the man gasps and turns, before turning back for one more look, then sprinting away when sevika catches him. you would laugh if you weren't busy being fucked by your girlfriend's thick fingers.

you tug on her wrist, bringing it out from your waist bands. you turn in her arms, grinning as she sucks her fingers into her mouth. when she removes them with a pop, you surge up to kiss her, chasing your taste on her lips.

"you remember last month? when we split that bottle and you were wearin' your new strap?" you ask against sevika's ear. she grins, and nods. "you think anyone's in our spot?" you ask. sevika giggles, giddy, before dragging you out into the alley behind the last drop, ducking behind the dumpsters.

last month, you'd both been to eager to wait to get home to try her new cock, so you'd found a hidden little nook in the alley to fuck in. today, three people sharing a cigarette loiter in your spot. sevika growls at them and they scatter, then she shoves you against the wall, pushing your shorts down your hips. she rips your shirt off, grinning as your tits are revealed to her, swooping down to bite and suck on them.

"fuck." you moan. "fuck me sev." you whine. she groans against your tits, pulling away with a pop before swiftly backhanding your left breast. you jump and whine, shuddering when she massages your breast in apology. "come on!" you whine. she grins down at you.

"slutty." she admonishes with a smile. you roll your eyes. she smacks your left tit, twirling you around in her grip before you can react. she pushes you against the wall, smashing your face and tits against the cold stone. you shiver. behind you, she rips your tights at the crotch, freeing your pussy and ass. you whimper.

without warning, sevika sinks two fingers inside your cunt. you moan, scrabbling at the wall in front of you for something to hold onto. she starts massaging at your g spot, targeting it expertly, making you scream.

"sev! sev! sev!" you chant out as she fucks you. she slides a third finger into your cunt and you moan. her free hand comes down to smack your ass, hard. you clench on her fingers, and hear her chuckle darkly behind you.

"you're dripping around my fingers, love." she grunts. you whine. "such a good cunt. so warm. so fuckin' soft. so wet for me." she drunkenly rambles. you nod against the wall. "all mine, isn't that right?" she asks.

"all fuckin' yours, honey." you say. she smacks your ass again, and you squeak.

"cum for me, and i'll take you home and make you clean up the mess in my pants." she grunts. you gasp. "got me so worked up, honey, dancing on me like that, fuck." she groans, groping your ass as she pounds her fingers into you. you gasp. "that's it. cum for me. right fuckin' now." sevika demands, smacking your ass again. you cum, clenching around her fingers and screaming. she chuckles happily behind you. "that's it." she whispers. "there you go."

sevika has to give you a piggyback ride home afterwards-- you're too shaky to walk. but she does make good on her promise to make you clean her up. afterwards, as you both catch your breath in bed together and she blindly fumbles for her strap on in the bedside drawer beside her, you decide to buy a handle of tequila for the apartment.

taglist

@lesbeaniegreenie @fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

Peter comforting Tony's daughter at the funerals please I need this

my taglists are here + you can send requests here at any time

—

No one who was present will ever forget the horrific scream that came from you when Pepper told you the tragic news: your father, Tony Stark, was dead.

You hadn’t been able to say goodbye to him. He had already taken his last breath when you arrived on the scene. All you were able to do was crumble by his side and cry all the tears in your body until someone forcefully took you away.

A few sleepless nights later, you stood by Pepper and Morgan on the wooden deck, watching the wreath floating adrift on the water. Proof that Tony Stark has a heart, it reads.

Beside you, Morgan didn't seem to understand what was going on, why everyone was dressed in black and watching an arrangement of flowers float away. Mostly, she didn’t understand why her dad was not there. It was sad to see.

Happy was right behind you, followed by Rhodey and Steve, then May and Peter. Peter. He was holding his tears, pained from losing his mentor.

When the wreath was no longer in sight, people slowly dissipated, heading back inside the Stark residence. You stayed, unable to move your feet, your eyes were glued on the water before you. Why did you leave me? Why did you sacrifice yourself?

You didn’t hear the footsteps behind you as Peter approached. You and him hadn’t spoken since the last battle.

He cleared his throat. ‘’Hi. I know you’re probably tired of hearing this, but I’m sorry for your loss, Y/N.’’ You didn’t turn around, but Peter knew you were listening. ‘’Your dad was an admirable person. I’m not talking about his sacrifice. He was— He’s been an excellent mentor to me. And, in a way, a great father figure in my life.’’ Peter breathed in. He was about to tell you something he hadn’t told anyone. Not even his best friend Ned, who he always tells everything to. ‘’I was with him when he died. He told me—'' Peter stopped himself, feeling choked by the emotions in his throat.

When you arrived on the scene, you didn’t acknowledge Peter or anyone else around. Your eyes were focused on your father laying on the ground, unalive.

''Want to know what he told me?’’ Peter continued, not waiting for your answer. ‘’He…he said to go to you and feel the feelings he once forbid us to have.''

After a lot of deep thinking, Tony had come to the realization that forbidding your relationship had been wrong of him. He didn’t like it, but Peter was a good guy. He was kind, caring, honorable and very protective of the ones he loved. If there was anyone Tony could trust to take good care of his daughter, it was Peter.

Slowly, your eyes traveled to Peter. They welled with tears again, but this time Peter was there to wrap his arms around you, pull you against him and provide you comfort. You buried your face in his chest, staining — and ruining — his shirt with your mascara-tears, but it was the last of his worries.

Your slim fingers grabbed his white button up, clutching at it as you cried.

Your father’s words meant so much to you — you and Peter. You remembered the look of rage on his face when he caught you kissing in the lobby. It had just been a simple kiss goodbye, but Tony reacted like he had caught you doing something compromising in bed. He had yelled at Peter and banned him from the tower for weeks with a threat of kicking him out of the Avengers if he were to kiss you again.

Like any angsty teenager, you told him you hated him and blasted Taylor Swift’s Love Story in your bedroom.

You never thought he would change his mind about Peter, but Tony Stark was a surprising man.

Peter kissed the top of your head, holding you tight. 

—

Marvel taglist: @xenasolos @chrizzierbsstuff @ayamenimthiriel @alina02 @turtleshavesoulmates @staygoldsquatchling02 @daemonslittlebitch  @wetwilliam02 @haileyismoo @manofworm @rhydianissuperior @supersanelyromantic @nicangel13 @mxxny-lupin  @sweeterheartxamerica @viridwityy @izzy-laufeyson @kenzi-woycehoski @arunaposeidondottie @liidiaaag @katsukis1wife  @amithesimpoffandoms  @acornacreacure @chaotic-fangirl-blog  @hawkegfs @mommyruuetrue @youdontneedtoknowthisinformation�� @aabananaa @starrrslove  @angeliod @nmedina8611 @1stevelacyfan  @yourfavdummy @laylasbunbunny

All and more taglist: @spiokybirdstarfish @kenqki @liidiaaag @hawkegfs  @gillybear17  @areaderinlove @acornacreacure @black-rose-29 @fudge13 @cece05 @rosie-cameron @Caxddce @laylasbunbunny 

[daughterofcain-67]

𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 (pt. 8)

(Beau Arlen x Female Reader)

(masterlist)

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: After Beau and the other officers found nothing, they look for any other way to find you and they block the roads to make sure no one gets out of Helena. Beau is determined to find you before it's too late. He just has to hope that 'too late' never comes.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: shooting (during a chase scene), mention of Y/N's r@pe, stabbing, nothing graphic. I think that should be everything.

Previously

When Beau finally found the entrance to the basement he couldn’t help but feel at least a little relieved. He busted the door down but what he saw was not what he was hoping for.

“No…”

You were nowhere to be found! The handcuffs were lying on the floor, the chains that kept you there were empty.

“Beau, no one is here.” Jenny said when she found him.

Then it was like the walls around Beau were crumbling down. He didn’t know what else he was supposed to do so Beau ended up punching the wall in front of him. He punched it so hard he was positive he might’ve busted the skin on his knuckles.

“Damn it!”

Now

This couldn't be happening...

Beau had to be dreaming. They were so damned close to finding you and just when everything was in place, you were just.. gone? His officer's were quick to get to this blasted place, how did Andre's men move so fast?

Beau's head was spinning as he walked out of the basement empty handed. When he made it outside, he told one of the officer's to take Andre down to the station so they could get him booked. They had more than enough to hold him and he was sure Agent Sampson had more evidence to solidify his arrest.

When he ran his fingers through his hair, Beau felt a hand on his shoulder. When he looked and saw who it was, he tried not to be so tense when he realized that it was just Jenny with one of those empathetic looks on her face.

"We'll find her, Beau. We've got Andre and maybe we'll get some answers from him." She tried to reassure but Beau knew it wouldn't be easy. Then Agent Sampson came up.

"Speaking of holding Andre... Beau, I think it would be wise if you didn't interview him when we get to the station." He said, and Beau glanced over it him with his brows narrowing slightly.

"Why the Hell wouldn't I interview him? I'm the Sheriff of this town, remember?" He asked.

"Yeah, and I'm the FBI Agent handling this case and I have jurisdiction on this one. You're lucky I even let you get as involved as you are, despite your interest in this case. Or did you forget about that?" Sampson reminded.

At this, Beau went quiet. He knew Sampson was right and he may have blown things by getting angry. But when Andre admitted to him what he did, and so haughtily too, Beau couldn't help losing his cool.

"Arlen, as much as I like you, I really don't think he'd give you any answers you want after your, um... confrontation. Something tells me it was a little more than evading arrest or self defense. Do you really think he would willingly cooperate with a guy that just kicked his ass and got him arrested in the first place?"

"I get it, okay? I messed up. But at least we've got him and we're taking him down to the station." Beau said as he started taking off the bulletproof vest and he tossed it inside of his car.

"Beau, what did Andre admit to you? Maybe we can add that additional charge to everything if we have the right evidence." Jenny said, trying to uplift things a little before the sheriff got too discouraged.

"Trust me, we don't have the right evidence yet." He said.

"What makes you say that?" The agent questioned, then Beau explained what exactly Andre said that made Beau lose it for a moment.

"Andre... he admitted to assaulting Y/N. We don't have any evidence yet because we still haven't found her yet, and it's not like I got a recording of his confession. So I'm not sure effective that'll be while we hold him."

"Holy cow..." She breathed out, "I can't imagine going through something like that..."

"But it is an additional charge. Once we find Y/N, we'll do a rape kit and use those results as evidence against him." Agent Sampson agreed.

"Let's get to the station and see if we can get some answers. Maybe we can still get surveillance on other vehicles. I told officers to keep an eye on any other cars that were at this location for the past few days so maybe we'll be able to find out who left this place and-"

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Beau asked, "Have you heard anything back? Has anyone called anything in?"

"Not yet, which is all the more reason t get out of here." Sampson continued.

So that was exactly what everyone did.

Beau got into his truck and started driving down to the station to get some kind of info an any of the other people that happened to be there. Maybe they would still have some time to get some roads blocked off before you'd be gone for good. They were running out of time and Beau wanted to make sure they were doing everything in their power to get you back.

Once they made it back to the station, Beau went to Poppernack's desk and saw him there already typing away at any surveillance footage they could get.

"What do you have for me, Poppernack." Beau said.

The deputy looked a little shocked that Beau was using his real name this time around, but he also knew now wasn't the time to linger on his surprise as he focused on the screen in front of him, "Naturally we've got Andre's truck whenever he left to go see you, Boss. But I'm assuming right after Andre's chat with you he must've made the call to the people on the inside."

Beau took a look on the screen and sure enough, another vehicle came by. It was a large, black van and Beau could see two men carrying you by your arms. You were fighting as best as you could but you ended up in the back of that van and the doors slammed shut.

The two men got into the van and then a woman stepped out, she was on the phone looking like she was making some kind of arrangements while she started heading to some kind of silver hybrid.

"How long ago did they leave?" Beau asked.

"About ten minutes before we all arrived." Poppernack answered.

"Ten minute head start... That doesn't give them a whole lot of time so maybe we can get to them. Zoom in on both their plates and track them down. Start looking for where both the cars went and send people to block the roads leaving town." The Sheriff said as he straightened up.

"On it Boss."

With that, Beau walked towards the interrogation room. He may not be able to interview Andre, but he could at least watch and see what would come of all of this. He wanted to know what kind of progress they would be able to make and see how cooperative Andre would actually be with this.

"Sheriff, I don't think you're supposed to be here." One of the officers said and Beau looked over.

"I'm not interviewing the guy, I'm simply an observer. This is still my department." He reminded, even if the position is supposedly temporary.

When he looked through the window, he saw Andre sitting there with the most arrogant posture. It was as if he really thought they couldn't get anything on him, and that drove Beau crazy.

"Look, we just want to know where Y/N is. And after your little confession to the sheriff, we know you know where she is." Agent Sampson spoke and Andre cocked a brow.

"I knew where she was back where she was still held in the basement. I wouldn't know where she's headed now." Andre said as he leaned back into the chair.

"But we know you can find out. Better yet, you can give us the names of the people that have taken Y/N." The agent continued and he leaned over and he placed a file on the table top. He slid three pictures in front of Andre.

"These people, your family members, I know you're involved with them. We know you go by the King, your sister is the Queen, a little cousin of yours, Matvey, is Ace. Then you've got another man coming in as the Jack." He began, "We also know that you've kept your hands clean up to this point and you've let people like Ace take the fall. Are you really willing to screw all of that up?"

"From the way I see it, and from the way your Sheriff friend was so determined to get me here, I'd say it's already my time to go to jail, yes? So why would I help you?"

"Come on, Andre. You act like FBI haven't made deals before."

"If you wanna cut a deal, talk to my lawyer."

Beau's jaw clenched at the mere idea of striking a deal with a scumbag like Andre. He was trying his best to bite his tongue for this. He crossed his arms over his chest and listened.

You stared down at your wrists. They were bound yet again, just after you thought you were free from the handcuffs, they put you in zip ties. It didn't feel that great against the wounds you had on your wrists after getting out of those cuffs. Now these zip ties gave you no wiggle room to try and get out of them.

You leaned your back against the wall of the van since the seats were taken out of this thing. So many thoughts were swirling in your mind.

How would Beau find you now? How would he be able to track you down now? What if they didn't know the plates of these vehicles? What if they would be too late again? What if you would never see Beau or Cadence again?

What if you really would be sent out of the country and end up with a lifetime of torture with whatever trafficking circle you'd be sold to?

What if there wasn't any hope left after all?

You lifted your bound hands and put them to your face, palms pressing against your eyes as if you were trying to wake yourself up from this nightmare. Where did it all go wrong?

You wished you hadn't gone on that date with Andre, especially if you would have known his involvement with this group. You wished you would have been smarter about everything.

The one thing you could say you did somewhat right, was get Jenny to do some kind of background check on Andre. And even then, who knew if Andre would get out of this with his reputation unscathed? The chances of him having to deal with any consequences was highly unlikely, much to your dismay.

"I can't believe we're in this fucking mess because of this chick." Jack said, causing you to lift your face from the palms of your hands and you notice his gaze on you was dark, unforgiving. You didn't think he would be the type to kill you though - it seemed more Ace's speed.

"You just had to go and scream out on King's phone call. What a bitch." He glared at you.

"Yeah, yeah. She's the source of today's problems. But you know King. He can't resist the ladies. If they resist him then... well there's one more sold off." Ace said, never taking his eyes off the road since he was the one driving the car.

Wait, Andre's done this to multiple girls? How many times has he done this and not gotten caught? How many girls were suffering because of him? Would they ever get any justice?

"Son of a bitch..." Ace grumbled and started to put on the brakes, "Gag her and put her away. We can't have her loud mouth alerting anyone."

"Ace? What's happening? What's going on?" Jack asked.

"Traffic on this highway's turning around. This road's blocked so we need to find another way out. Gag her incase they're doing a search and put the blankets on her or something."

The next thing you knew, Jack put some duct tape over your mouth and he pushed you down, pulling a knife out and pointed it at you.

"If you get up, make a sound, or do anything that will get us caught, I will slice your throat." Jack told you, and seeing as you didn't want to piss him off you simply complied.

All you could think of that you could do was just close your eyes. When they closed, you focused on the blackness surrounding you and you just tried to get lost in different thoughts, anything to distract you from the current situation.

But nothing positive came to mind. All you could think of were all of the 'what ifs' that repeated in your mind like a broken record.

"Hello, Officers. How can we help you?" You could hear Ace ask.

"The roads are closed off and we're looking for a girl. We're going to have to search your vehicle before we allow you to turn around." An officer said.

That sounded so hopeful! If they were searching the cars, then the officers would find you and then you would be free from all of this! You could go home!

You stayed still because you didn't know if Jack was still next to you ready to strangle you if you made any movement, but you could hear the doors of the van open. The next few sounds horrified you...

Gunshots rang out from inside the van and you could only imagine from beneath the blanket covering you, that Jack was the one pulling the trigger. While this was going on, you felt yourself being tossed around the back of the van and you could hear the screech of burning rubber, knowing Ace must be making some kind of U-turn to get out of there.

The blanket fell and you could see Jack getting up to shut the back of the van before the cops could shoot the inside. You carefully sat up and you wondered if the cops would be able to catch this van, if Beau had other officers on the watch for you.

You lifted your hands and took off the tape since its not like they remembered to have your hands behind you. You winced a little since it stung when the tape was ripped off your skin, almost like a band-aid. When you leaned forward to try and look out through the windshield, you saw your surroundings and knew they were headed to some back roads.

But if they're going through the back roads, that means there are no security cameras. And if there are no cameras, how would Beau be able to track the vehicle?

Soon enough the car came to a stop.

"Ace? What the Hell are you doing? This wasn't a part of the plan." Jack said with a slightly panicky tone.

"Well the roads shutting down wasn't exactly in the plan either, now was it? Get her out." Ace said as he got out of the driver's seat.

They were ditching the vehicle. Right here and now?

Jack pulled you by your arm and dragged you out of the back of the van and you could feel the rocks and twigs against your bare feet.

"We're going on foot from here since the roads are blocked. Send a message to Queen." Ace said.

"I don't think there's any cell reception from here but I'll give it a shot." Jack said and pulled his phone from his pocket with his free hand.

As Jack was distracted, you bit your lip as an idea formulated in your mind. It was a long shot and you didn't know if you had the physical strength to do this, but you had to try something.

So with all of your might, you elbowed Jack in the side which caused him to drop his device. When you moved to try and make an escape, Ace grabbed one of your arms. You took your hands and formed them into fists so you ended up punching him with both fists and you watched Ace cover his nose.

"Ah, you bitch!" Ace snarled, although it came out muffled.

You looked and Jack was running towards you, and you ran back to the van looking for anything you could use to help with your self defense and that was when you saw the blade that Jack must've dropped earlier when Ace made that turn-around.

You picked it up and you aimed it at Jack.

"Now you don't actually know how to use that thing, sweetheart. How 'bout you give it here before you do something stupid, huh?" Jack said and you clenched your jaw.

"You stay away from me before you get yourself hurt." You said back.

"Why you little-"

When Jack lunged forward, you had an overwhelming dose of adrenaline rush through you and you ended up stabbing him somewhere in the abdomen. You hoped that you didn't kill him, since you didn't want murder on your conscience, but it was clearly enough to get Jack to back off.

You could hear his scream from the pain he was feeling and he grabbed his side and leaned against the van. You kept the knife in your hands that were still tied and you hopped out of the car. But you still had Ace to deal with.

Ace came at you and tackled you to the ground and you landed on your back and it knocked the wind out of you for a moment. But when you realized that Ace was on top of you, it took all of the strength you had to use your legs and you kicked him in the groin. It was one way to get him off you.

He rolled over in pain and you turned around, scrambling to get up again. Then you took the gun that was in Ace's belt, you used the butt end of it and knocked Ace out.

While you were finally catching your breath, you looked over and saw that Jack was still in the van, losing a lot of blood. You walked over to the van, picked up the blanket and tossed it as best as you could to Jack so he could try and get his own bleeding to stop.

Then you hopped out of the van once more, picked up the knife since you knew you would need it to unzip your wrists. Then you bent down to pick up Jack's phone that was still miraculously unlocked through this whole endeavor.

You quickly dialed up Beau's number since he told you to memorize it just incase. You held the phone up to your ear as best as you could as you rushed off into the woods before Ace would wake up and before Jack could regain any strength.

"Sheriff Arlen. Who's this?"

God you couldn't have been more relieved to hear the sound of his voice.

You just hoped that the reception wouldn’t be too bad where you were and that he would be able to hear you as you went deeper into the woods.

"Beau? It's Y/N..."

Thank you guys so much for reading!

Tag List:

@deans-spinster-witch @roseblue373 @chriszgirl92 @nancymcl @fanfic-n-tabulous @globetrotter28

[traumei]

Irene x Male Reader

genre: Fluff

Irene was already mid-ramble when she glanced across the room, noticing the gentle, attentive expression on the man's face as he sat on the edge of their bed. The soft evening light filtered through the curtains, casting a serene glow over the bedroom that had become their shared sanctuary. Her words tumbled out in a steady stream, detailing the grueling dance practices and the relentless pace of her schedule.

“It was just one thing after another, you know? And then the stylist had to redo my hair three times because it just wouldn’t sit right," Irene explained, her voice a mix of frustration and exhaustion as she kicked off her shoes and sank beside him on the bed.

She paused, suddenly conscious of how much she'd been talking, her eyes flickering with a trace of worry. “. . . sorry, I talked too much,” she muttered, looking away slightly.

He turned towards her, his hand finding hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “No, no, no, not at all. Keep talking. I like hearing about your day, no matter how tough it gets,” he encouraged warmly, drawing a relieved laugh from her.

Encouraged, she scooted closer, resting her head against his shoulder. “And then, during the live performance, my mic almost slipped off. I had to catch it mid-song without anyone noticing. It was like a stealth mission in one of those spy movies you love,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He chuckled, imagining the scene. “You’re my superhero, you know that? Always saving the day, even on stage.” His words were light, but the admiration in his eyes was earnest, making her smile soften.

Comfortable in the familiarity of their room and the quiet understanding between them, Irene felt the weight of the day lift slightly. She continued to share, her voice steadier now, recounting both the trials and the trivial moments that peppered her day. As she spoke, it wasn’t just about unloading her burdens anymore; it was about sharing her world with him, knowing he cherished these insights into her life as much as she valued his presence.

“Sometimes, I just wonder if I’m doing everything right. It’s all so overwhelming at times,” she confessed quietly, her voice nearly a whisper as she leaned into him more.

“And every time, you’ll find you’re doing better than ‘right’, you’re doing amazingly. But remember, you don’t have to carry it all alone,” he murmured back, his voice a soothing balm to her frayed nerves. He then stand up and close the curtain.

The night get dimmer, the room was soft with shadows as he returned from the window, a blanket in hand which he gently wrapped around them both. Irene nestled closer to him, her eyes reflecting a mix of weariness and relief.

“Sometimes, it feels like I’m just going through the motions, you know? Like I’m on stage but not really present,” Irene confessed, her voice a whisper as she found comfort in his closeness.

He nodded, understanding her struggle. “I can only imagine how tough that must be. But here, you don’t have to perform or pretend. Just be Joohyun, the one I love, not the idol everyone else sees.”

She smiled at his words, feeling the tension ease from her shoulders. “I love that I can just be me with you. No cameras, no expectations. Just us.”

“Exactly, just us,” he echoed, his thumb gently tracing circles on her hand. “Tell me more about what’s on your mind. Whatever you need to share, I’m here.”

Irene took a deep breath, comforted by his invitation to open up further. “During Yesterday practice, I kept messing up the steps. Everyone thinks I handle pressure well, but today, I felt like I was crumbling under it. It’s so frustrating.”

He squeezed her hand gently. “You’re human, Joohyun-nah. It’s okay to have off days. They don’t define you or your incredible talent.”

Hearing his reassuring words, Irene felt a surge of gratitude. “Thank you for reminding me of that. It’s easy to forget when you feel like you’re under a microscope.”

“That’s what I’m here for—to remind you that you’re amazing, just the way you are,” he said with a warm smile.

They fell into a comfortable silence, the kind filled with mutual understanding and affection. Irene then broke the silence, her voice soft but filled with sincerity. “Do you know how much these nights mean to me? How they help me recharge and face another day?”

“I hope they mean as much to you as they do to me,” he replied, his voice just as soft.

“They do. More than you can imagine,” Irene assured him, leaning in to kiss his cheek gently. “Being here with you, it’s my favorite part of the day.”

As they settled deeper into the night, their conversation flowed naturally, each moment building the foundation of their bond. It wasn’t just about sharing the highlights and low points of her day, but about sharing life itself—raw, unedited, and real. With each word, each shared laughter and consoling whisper, Irene felt her spirits lift, fortified by the love and understanding that filled their small, sacred space.

[yujeong]

I saw ur post about wanting writing prompts so I thought why not lol. (This is my first time doing this 😅) but I have a few of AUs on my art blog that I would love to see expanded on like my Tall Pete/Short Vegas au, A band au with Vegas being a lead singer and Pete falling in love at first sight, or Pete being Vegas’ personal bodyguard instead of Tankhun’s. So yea if u find any of these interesting I’d love to see ur spin on it

OMG hi! Thank you so much for sending me this, I'm so flattered you thought of asking me to write sth surrounding your AUs ❤️ It kind of feels like the secret Santa event all over again, I love it haha. The timing is actually a little too perfect, because a few weeks ago, I randomly stumbled upon a YouTube short about the side couple in Laws of Attraction and I proceeded to 1. lose my shit, so much so that I decided to start watching the show and 2. write a whole page full of notes about an AU in which Pete is Vegas' bodyguard, based on the pool scene of said short. So, to give a little context: In this alternative universe, Vegas and Gun visit the main family compound for a meeting. At some point, Korn wants to talk to Gun alone, so Vegas goes to the pool area to find Porsche, along with Pete who follows him. Vegas proceeds to flirt with Porsche, as Vegas does, up until Gun suddenly appears and starts yelling at him for unclear reasons. He escalates it when Vegas asks, baffled, why he's being yelled at, by slapping him and putting his head into the pool. Pete normally doesn't intervene when Gun gets violent with Vegas, but his protective instincts here kick in and he stops Gun from literally attempting to kill his own son. As a result, Gun's anger gets redirected at Pete, who gets beaten up in Vegas' stead. The snippet I wrote for you is the aftermath of everything I described above. I hope you like it ❤️ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silence, occasionally broken by a faint sound that resembled sniffing. Pete couldn’t tell what it was, but in his state he couldn’t really tell where he was either, so he stopped worrying about it. He tried, instead, to remember what had happened that brought him here, wherever “here” was. The last thing he recalled was the feeling of Khun Gun’s shoes digging into his forearms, which he used in his attempt to protect his head from his boss’ repeated, brutal kicks. Khun Gun wasn’t the strongest man Pete had ever met, but there were reasons he always tried to stay on his good side, and his cruelty was one of them. The cruelty that had so many times been directed at his own son. The kind he was eerily familiar with.

Khun Vegas’ face materialized in Pete’s mind. Droplets of water running down his nose, his sharp cheekbones, reaching his neck. His hair wet and disheveled, his chest heaving from the difficulty to breathe after having had his head shoved into the pool. His expression crumbling with worry, something Pete had no logical way of explaining. Fuck, where was he? Pete could only hope Porsche had protected him from his father’s fury afterwards. Khun Gun was unpredictable; he couldn't be trusted to only be satisfied by lashing out at Pete. Pete needed to go find him as soon as possible. Opening his eyes proved to be a challenge. A heavy fog was clouding his vision, and the pain that was engulfing his whole body was preventing him from doing the simplest of movements. He groaned as he shifted his torso in a futile attempt to get up, resulting in a gasp that startled him into opening his eyes to check where it came from. His mouth was hanging open as he took in the image of Khun Vegas staring at him, fidgeting nervously in the chair he was sitting on. His eyes were red around the corners and he looked ghostly pale. Pete’s breath hitched. “Pete… ?” he said, dropping his gaze to the floor. He always did that when he was feeling guilty about something. “Are you... ?” “I’m fine, Khun Vegas,” Pete replied, despite the numbness in his limbs and the headache that was starting to form. “What about you? Are you hurt? Should I take you to the doct-” “We’re at the infirmary, you idiot,” Vegas shouted, interrupting him, but his voice lacked the usual heat. “Stop acting like my bodyguard right now, it pisses me off.” That’s all I know how to be, Pete wanted to tell him, but remained silent. That’s all I’m allowed. He didn’t really mind Khun Vegas’ words. He’d heard worse things over the years, things that should have probably hurt him. Somehow, Pete had the ability to forgive him anything. The atmosphere grew tense between them. Pete had grown used to that, too, but he had never seen Khun Vegas be so self conscious before. He wondered why the sudden change. “I’m not thanking you,” Pete heard him murmur after a few seconds; he uttered the words under his breath, while staring at his feet. If Pete had a better view of his face, he’d argue Khun Vegas was pouting. Pete could only reassure him. “You don’t have to, Khun Vegas. I was simply doing my job.” It had the opposite effect. The creases between his eyebrows deepened as he lifted his head and stared at Pete. Astonished as his mouth was open agape, likely for a retort that never came. Alternatively, he turned his attention to the small table next to Pete’s bed. He stood up and approached it hastily, grabbing something that was resting on top of it, before Pete could take a closer look. “The nurse said you have to take this,” he said and extended his arm at Pete, revealing a small pill. It was probably a standard type of painkiller. Bodyguards never got any special medical treatment, especially those working for the minor family. It wasn’t worth the trouble. Pete tried to lift his hand to take it, but he bitterly realized it was impossible. He winced as he took a look at both of his arms and found them bandaged, smears of purple popping at places his skin was uncovered. He cursed under his breath. “Ah, I’m sorry, Khun Vegas, I’ll just call the-” Cold fingertips pressed on Pete’s chin. They felt even colder on his lips, the pressure just enough to make him open his mouth. The pill slipped between his teeth easily, with the help of a wet tongue he'd never thought he'd get to taste. Hot air hit Pete’s cheeks. His heart was beating rapidly. For a moment, he forgot how to breathe. Water traveled down his throat, taking the pill with it. Pete blinked. His head felt light, his body even lighter. He didn’t know how to describe the feeling, but he didn’t think it was bad. He focused, instead, on Vegas, who was standing above him with an unusual sense of confidence.  “Get well soon. That’s an order.” It was enough to ground Pete back into reality. He was thankful for it.

“Yes, Khun Vegas.” It was only then that Pete noticed how the color returned on Vegas’ face and how his slight trembling seized. “Has Pete woken up yet?” Both of them jumped at the sound of Porsche’s voice. He poked his head into the room, completely oblivious to what had transpired before he showed up. “Oh, he has. How are you feeling?” “Good,” he replied sincerely. The pain didn’t bother him anymore.  A smile spread on his lips as he added, “Khun Vegas just gave me my medicine.” Porsche returned it, though his was more mischievous than playful. “Pete, you should have seen Vegas while he waited for you to wake up. I’ve never seen him crying so hard-” Vegas punched Porsche hard on the shoulder to stop him from talking, which made loud laughter escape Pete’s mouth. It earned him a glare, one of Vegas' serious ones. It'd bring him hell later, but Pete realized he was fine with that.

[wrengrif]

It is time for my favorite game...

Good Omens, What If.

Now yesterday, I read an amazing post by @ishomieokay, who postulated a very convincing theory that Aziraphale was going to end up being the Big Bad, because Supreme Archangel power was going to corrupt him.

Naturally this made me sad -- until I really started to think about it.

What If - Aziraphale did become power-mad?

What if he did become 'You Bullied Me And Now I'm Your Boss, Bitch' Supreme Archangel. Like it would be so FUCKING BAMF. Utterly horrifying, but utterly BAMF. He walks through the elevator, one of the archangels says something snide (my money is on Sandalphon, asshole), and Aziraphale just Supreme Archangel kicks him through the Heavenly Moon Door and makes him Fall. And while the other archangels are standing there, gaping, he straightens his collar and says, "I think you'll all find I have very little use for abusive language. Do keep that in mind. Where is my office?"

After that it's like as it's Lucifer 2 - The Principality Strikes Back. Aziraphale censuring angels left and right. Uriel doesn't get kicked - Uriel gets beaten for what they said about Crowley and then thrown out for a million mile dive. He makes Michael re-do the entire Second Coming. He's punching and kicking a hole in the archangel system that should be filled by someone who is willing to pull on the brakes. But no one does! Everyone is Too Fucking Scared.

The Metatron realizes that he hasn't trapped Aziraphale up there with them, they are all trapped here by A z i r a p h a l e. Aziraphale who is going to burn everything down because none of it is worthy (Aziraphale isn't worthy) of God's Love and they are just going to tear Heaven and Hell down to the nubs in the floor, and maybe Earth too because you know what, none of it is worthy of God (Crowley). Finally, Saraquel has had enough. She slaps the Down Button to Earth. Rolls herself into whatever dive bar that Crowley is in, and tells him point blank that if he doesn't help stop Aziraphale, it's going to be worse than Armageddon. Everything is going to be destroyed down to atoms, even wine.

Crowley gets to do two things that he's probably always wanted to do. One, he gets to be James Bond. Breaking into the Heaven (the Bond villain lair), knocking out some angel guards, maybe even punching Metatron in the face for getting them all into this situation in the first place. Second, he gets to kick open the doors to the Supreme Archangel's office, stare Aziraphale down from where he's seated behind his invisible glass desk (I imagine him petting a white duck. Why? I don't know.), looking forbidding and dressed in a silver white that matches his hair and his beard. Stereo-typical God, y'know.

And they stare at each other, for a long moment, glowering with all the hurt, and pain, and still - still - love that they have both known for six thousand years. Finally, Aziraphale speaks, his purple eyes flickering, "So what exactly are you supposed to be?" Crowley smiles That Sharp Smile, that one that Aziraphale adores. The one he actually fears. Crowley reaches behind his coat, and says, "Me? Crowley. Anthony J. Crowley. And I'm now the world's greatest magician, because I'm about to make you disappear." Aziraphale tenses in his throne, filled with that same sense of dread and can it be, hope? that Crowley is here to end him. Crowley doesn't look away as he growls, "Hocus Pocus, Supreme Arsehole." He pulls in front of him .... a bird cage. With a nightingale in it. Who immediately begins to sing. Crowley takes off his glasses, looks Aziraphale dead in the eye, and speaks in a rough voice. "I forgive you."

And just like that ... the Supreme Archangel crumbles down into dust, leaving behind a weeping Aziraphale.

End scene.

... I'd probably add some explosions in there. Just for fun. Oooooh and when Crowley is kicking ass through Heaven the song that plays is 'Don't Stop Me Now'.

[blackstarchanx3new]

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you dislike the canon manga Red?

This turned into a rant lmfao.

Gotta make Red simps hate me more than they already do X'D

Like a 5 at least.

The problem mainly boils down to how I perceive him due to MY OWN PERSONAL READING OF THE TEXT.

So, the start: I'm not a fan of those types of "i'm so cute teehee" characters to begin with but for Red specifically...I just hate how inconsistent and poorly utilized he is.

He just morphs to be whatever the narrative needs him to be instead of having a real character.

He's a plot device more than a character tbh and it's why I struggled SO MUCH with figuring out a direction for him in FSR.

because...all the plot is character driven.

And I literally had no USE for a character who's soul purpose was filling in gaps when there weren't any with this cast.

His behavior isn't ever fully dived into like the other three.

I've mentioned this before: I think they cut a stand alone Red Chapter somewhere in development because the way his scene ends to where we see him later after they split up is SO WEIRD.

Funnily enough I find Dark Link and Red very similar. (Which is a huge problem but I'll get into that some other time)

Except Dark Link's inconsistencies and overall character loops back to his creation and he himself being a conflict of interest in Vaati's mind when he created Dark. he WANTED HIS Link back the only person he felt a connection to who he last had on good terms with, paired with wanting to HURT and destroy the current incarnation of Link.

making a twisted as hell individual who simultaneously embodies Link and is Link's twisted mirror image.

Naive uncertain and full of inner turmoil due to his purpose.

But when Dark REALIZES what he is to the truest extent he has to justify or crumble under the weight of his reality. There's a reason i described early Dark link as "Delusional" because he was.

Red just...doesn't have any of that kind of retrospection or intrigue in cannon.

Dark's innocence comes from his naivete but where the fuck does it come from with Red? (and it's proven to be fake anyway because he's the first one to stab someone who they think is their knight friends buuuuuut-)

Red's just canonically a contradiction with no real point and it's never pointed out in the narrative so like...it's just weird and kinda unnerving.

Like I pointed out, he literally acts like Lil Gideon before the reveal he's a crazy maniac.

Except we never GET the reveal for Red.

Red doesn't have any flaws that aren't him playing up his baby persona and fucking shit up for the others. He's just stupid af sometimes and helpful others without much rhyme or reason.

...Again I've said this before but if he was smart in areas Vio was dumb in (liKE IF THE DIRECTIONS THING WAS MORE OBVIOUSLY A CANNON THING IDK IF VIO BEING DICK WITH DIRECTIONS WAS JUST SMTH THEY ACCIDENTILY REPEATED A FEW TIMES OR A REAL INTENTIONAL TRAIT OF HIS) it could have been a fun dynamic but Vio and Red barely interact.

Honestly most of the dynamics I find myself WANTING with Red revolve around Vio...

And, imo his persona is blatantly fake from how often he just...drops it when the plot requires him to or when...idk it's just not NEEDED?

Him not shedding a TEAR when Shadow dies continues to creep me out.

because everything we know about Red tells us he should at least LOOK sat but he just...isn't.

And you can't be like "Oh but Shadow was their enemy"

bLUE GOT HIS ASS KICKED BY THIS ASSHOLE SO MANY TIMES AND HE LOOKS SAD. WHY DOESN'T RED WHO CRIES OVER KILLING ROCK MONSTERS IT'S CREEPYYYYYY.

Like no, I didn't want Red to dramatically burst into tears and ruin the moment, but dude didn't even look SAD.

Didn't look sad a dude with his face DIED.

Burned Blue's ass after JUST CRYING about him being DEAD and just WALKED AWAY.

Like if he had any depth to him this shit would be dived into but he's as shallow as a puddle and I dislike it strongly.

Like if ANY of this shit was even addressed in the manga I'd like him WAY MORE.

but it feels UNINENTIONAL which is the issue I have with Red as a character.

Long as hell walk to say:

I don't wanna spoil stuff but I do think you could have fresh ideas with Red being VERY DIFFRENT from link but my main issue with him in the actual cannon manga is:

He doesn't feel realistically like a part of Link due to my interpretation of the text and it's storytelling, and the WAY the text WANTS portrays him doesn't line up with his actions, and I don't like it.

[2nd-mushroom-circle]

lines that made me cry in my 3rd relisten to the chaos protocol ep 32 (MAJOR SPOILERS):

- “brother heed me, as you ought.” something about the way connie says brother this time… i will never be ok about sing and seir

- i mean i could say the entire rest of the opening monologue. but the little hesitance on “lover, hold me”? OW.

- THE WAY VAL’S VOICE SOUNDS ON THEIR FIRST LINE. illegal.

- similarly, the sobbing after “it is lost. forever.” always catches me off guard and RIGHT IN THE HEART

- the way connie just moves on to lumiéra after val says “something snaps”. cause there’s nothing more to say. nothing that can fix it.

- “a door that had been so carefully pried open slamming shut, and… he doesn’t feel.”

- “and he just… looks at where he should have been a shield.” have i ever mentioned that cai is a masterful storyteller? cause cai is a masterful storyteller and god. i’ll never stop feeling things about xainan esch

- this whole scene with xainan crumbling into dust destroys me.

- “you have always been half dead, xainan esch”

- connie calling oblivion the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen as xainan is drifting away from his own life sure is something, huh.

- “i think im just exhausted with being a coward” no cause i have so many feelings about lumiéra waiting, waiting, always a little too hesitant and afraid to tell sing how she really felt, even though sing felt the same, because it’s too scary because it’s too complicated because lumiéra is literally just fucking HUMAN and it takes so much to make that step - only for her to finally do it and it’s just. a moment. too. late.

- the moment when we move from lumiéra’s flashback to the present. the imagery of happy, triumphant, hopeful lumi giving way to lumi crouched over sing’s body, tear tracks staining her face.

- and the imagery of seir holding up lumiéra with his sister. fuck me i guess.

- THE FUCKING PERSPECTIVE SHIFT

- ok being fully fr seir’s monologue here is when i actually started crying in earnest this time. what the fuck val. not one line. all of them

- “the knife that is xainan” always hits me a little bit

- “whelming it’s pitiable vessel” is just such a good phrase. didn’t make me cry but i love it

- the music cue when artemis appears did make me cry though

- “eyes that immediately fall upon sing’s body” if i think too hard about artemis’s relationship with sing (artemis singing the twins to sleep, artemis signing her transfer request because artemis can see right through her, artemis giving them all the warning she can, artemis knowing when they die and appearing right away but unsurprised, with grief that has always been there, artemis making a choice) i will break. and start making some not-yet-canon assumptions about artemis’s own emotional state. so we are not thinking about that!

- “a lance in her chest” “bleeding.” ow ow ow the multiple possible readings of this line. connie and sea kicking off their insane narration chemistry with a lance to my chest. ow

- “those warm, gentle hands, that do not touch, that are so careful with their love” ok so when i said we weren’t feeling things about artemis? i lied

- “and when her hands pass through your flaming horns, snuffing them out like a candle at the end of its wick, it is not violent. it is not to put a cap on your grief, not to quiet you, not to for you into a box or a body that cannot contain you -“ “it is a mercy.” “it is the sweet mercy of rest when you have no tears left to cry.” the actual reason i’m relistening to this episode is to memorize all the words. so i can hold them like precious things in a box inside me. btw

- and artemis sings you and your sister to rest one final time.

ok. *wipes away tears.* anyways.

- artemis wiping a tear from lumiéra’s eye and calling her the bravest girl in the room .

- we interrupt your regularly scheduled tears to bring you: i’m gonna pull an øka* and punch fate in the fucking face. “this pain has a design”. yeah it’s called fate’s a BITCH and a BAD PARENT. and you can quote me on this

*i have not yet watched the second stranger only seen the clip of øka punching fate. so many times. i replayed that clip quite a bit after this episode.

- “and you cannot hold on to your life much longer. you are a dead man walking and you can go no farther than this.” ok back to crying! this is the sequence i was originally most abnormal about. and you know what? it still hits. so much. xainan my beloved

- sea and connie narrative trading my beloved.

- “do you want to live?” “i don’t know.” “then why don’t you come with me, and you can tell me your answer later.” god what a line. what a perfect response. there are no words that can fix this, but maybe with time and love and care someday you will want to live again. why don’t you come with me.

- “and she carries you home.”

- i don’t think i fully internalized the imagery of sing’s sword being driven into the earth by the roots of the world tree and the roots growing up around it before, but this time i imagined wildsailors hundreds of years from now coming upon this site and approaching it with reverence and love, knowing that it was here that something bigger than their world changed forever, holding sing’s eulogy in the very heartwood of the wildsea—yeah.

- “i love my dad, ok?” thanks abasi already sobbing.

- “it is effortless, the care that they hold for you. it is a reality unto itself.” just. cause. this is what i was hoping the whole time in the lead up to this episode. i know it would be awful and crushing and it would break them, and i was so worried that they would have to just. find a way to push on somehow. make plot happen anyways. but this, nova being cared for and held and protected in their grief? someone carrying them home when they can’t do it themselves anymore? this was just what they needed. and what i needed. i cannot wait for arc 2.

[swampstew]

What's the Magic Word?

Chapter 8: The Island of Thorns

It was an exceptionally overcast day as the Victoria Punk sailed towards an isolated island. Large grey shelf clouds covering the sky and blocking out the sun, the ocean water choppy. Killer stood at the helm watching his Captain through the open doorway, Kid stood at the railing inside of the dragon mouth inspecting the island with a pair of steampunk binoculars. He saw a large cliffside on the west side of the land, miles of beach shoreline and what looked like the worn remains of a ship dock. The vegetation was overgrown, blocking view of anything else.

“When we dock, I want a team to take the dinghy and sail around the area, check to see if there’s any settlements or anything of interest. Keep a small group behind and divided between inspecting the beach and guarding the ship; you, me and the rest will follow Rowena to wherever her coven used to be.” Kid handed off the binoculars, switching roles with Killer.

They sailed in silence, getting closer to their destination when Killer made a choking noise, “You’re going to want to see this.”

Taking the binoculars back, he focused on the direction Killer pointed at. He felt a catch in his throat. There was a patch in the vegetation where he could see the remains of pyres, blackened and broken down. He counted at least seven from the clearing alone.

Kid was a brutal and bloodthirsty pirate; his reputation was that of a man with the largest civilian casualty count and he was proud of that. He simply did not give a fuck for anyone who stood in his way or mocked him, and he didn’t care how many people were hurt or killed in the process. However, the scene and the history of what they were coming upon made him scowl, lowering his binoculars. When they finally reached the dock, Kid went inside to retrieve the Witch.

Knocking on the door he could hear shuffling and stepped back as the door opened. Rowena greeted him, looking morose. She had donned on a black dress that reached her ankles with large slits that exposed her thighs and legs, the heart shape neckline connected to lace floral sleeves that covered her arms and shoulders. Motioning his head upwards, Rowena followed him off ship. Their group walked in silence as they trudged up the beach, Rowena and Kid leading the crew; she had donned on a black wide brim hat, sand getting kicked up from her combat boots.

He knew they had reached the place when Rowena’s steps began to falter, as if she was trying to literally drag her feet. Kid stepped behind her placing a hand on her shoulder, his large frame and equally large coat shielded her from the others.

“If you need a moment, tell me.”

She shook her head, muttering a harsh “let’s just get this over with.”

So they continued walking, reaching an opening at the end of the forest trail. Kid was sure the scene would haunt him for the rest of his life.

As the crew and Witch entered the clearing, they were greeted with a staggering number of pyres, one next to the other with little space between them, scattered around the settlement. All of them were blackened and crumbling; it was a mystery that they hadn’t blown away entirely from the elements. Kid couldn’t explain it but there was a heavy, weighted feeling in the air. Like there was a presence around them but also not at all.

It made him feel like he was being stalked, hunted even. He could hear the crew muttering, nerves clearly on edge. Rowena kept walking, not looking anywhere but straight ahead and he quickened his pace to catch up to her.

Rowena continued until she reached the destroyed foundation of what he assumed was her home as she tripped over herself, bending slightly and he could see her shoulders heave. It was a small dwelling, holding probably only two bedrooms and one main area. Rowena stepped over the rubble and walked into one of the bedrooms, tears streaming down her face, and she stopped over what Kid could see were the remains of a stone bed. The room was littered with burnt cloth and wood.

“This was the room where my mother and I slept.”

Walking into the next room she trailed her fingers on the broken walls. “This was our ritual room; it had a roof that we could open so we could see the moon and stars as we did our practices. I used to love dancing in here under the stars,” she sniffled.

Walking back out to the main room, she lowered her body to the ground sitting on her heels to keep her upright, head bowed. After a moment, she pulled a vial from her waist bag and with scooped up dirt and ash from the ground, pouring it in the vial.

“Hundreds of years ago in our prime, our coven had nearly 400 witches. There were maybe 90 of us left by the time I was born and we all lived here. Prejudices and fear kept us isolated, and if any Witch dared to emigrate elsewhere, they usually came back driven out by the locals, or they died out there by them. This island was our only safe space. I don’t know who betrayed our secret but if I could, I would send them to hell myself.”

Turning to face Kid, “What now?”

“I guess we should start wherever you kept any books or places of learning. You said your coven had a Supreme Witch; we should check her dwelling too. Is there anything here you can salvage?”

Rowena walked around a few times, poking around the debris. She picked up something from her former bedroom, wiping it clean with the bottom of her dress. It was a small black ring, with a magnificent stone in the center, albeit dirty. At first glance it looked deep green.

“It was my mother’s. I remember she never was without it. I can’t believe it was back here.”

“You said when the incident happened you were with your Supreme. What was that about?”

“We were having a private conversation.” Kid gave her a look. She let out a pained sigh.

“I was born under a blood moon. It’s a lunar eclipse event typically interpreted as an omen of death, or the usurping of kings. Additionally, my birth element is water, one of the harder elements to master. Birth elements mean that you can use that element without needing to borrow a source, like I would with say Earth or Fire. I can pull water from the moisture in the air if I so wish, but I can't manipulate Earth unless I'm holding a piece of Earth. If they’re ranked: fire is the strongest element, then water, earth, and finally air. I-uh…also have a degree of power over life and death,” she said rather flippantly.

Kid blinked. “Did you just say you have power over life and death?”

“Yes. Haven’t you noticed how my plants have grown and matured repeatedly on your ship despite me only being onboard for like a month?”

“N-No!”

“I can force most plants to speed through their natural life cycle if I concentrate hard enough. I can also recover from grievous injury by applying my magic to myself. That’s how I survived the pyre. My body was destroyed and I just sorta regrew everything. I don’t even have to think about it, it’s like an automatic response. I’m not sure I can do this to the same degree to another person or animal.”

Kid looked at her incredulously. “Would you be considered a highly gifted Witch or were you par for average?”

Rowena furrowed her eyes in confusion. “How does one even measure gifted qualities? I can’t say for sure, I know I’m not anywhere near powerful as my Supreme was or many of my sisters.”

“Are you sure? Cause you’ve done some pretty powerful things by my standards and if that’s not you at your full potential then I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of training you would need or that I could provide.”

“Then checking the Supreme’s abode will be the best place to start, although if it looks like this then there isn’t much hope.”

“You didn’t finish telling me why you were meeting with your Supreme.”

“Oh, right. We were discussing my next set of tribulations. I was being tested since I was learning more advanced forms of witchcraft. But more importantly, she confessed to me that she had been feeling rather weak lately, she said her power was leaving her body gradually. That’s the sign that means a new Supreme is budding. There can only be one Supreme Witch at a time: she who is so powerful she has mastery of every element without needing to borrow from a tangible source. Not only can she use them at will but she can also manipulate them to into new forms. She can call forth ice by manipulating water and air; lightning by manipulating fire and air. The Supreme Witch can use every form of magic in our recorded history and is also responsible for keeping the records safe. She confessed to me that she saw me in her visions as the new Supreme on the day of my birth and that she was taking me under her wing to learn from her personally. I was so happy, Kid. Can you imagine, being destined to be that powerful?” she was smiling through her tears, then it faded.

“She started clutching her head, the excitement on her face was replaced with one of sorrow. Then she looked at me and told me our secret, our hidden island location, was out and that we were under attack. We’ve never been assaulted on our land but if there was ever a threat, we had a plan to keep ships from docking on the beach. But these Marines had gotten the jump on us, they were already at the shoreline. They rounded us up like we were wild animals and I saw my sisters fight back but there was one Marine, he overpowered everyone. And you know how the rest happened.” Rowena lowered her head, tears overflowing anew.

Kid lifted her chin and wiped her tears away but that only seemed to make her cry harder. Frowning, he pulled her into his chest and held her as she sobbed. He could feel the wetness on his body but he stood perfectly still, arms around her shoulders keeping her close. Feeling her trembling and not knowing what else to do, he leaned down and awkwardly whispered into the shell of her ear, “I got you, Ro--wena.” Cringing at himself for the attempt at shortening her name during a vulnerable moment.

She let out a gasp and wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing him with surprising force. He rubbed her back slowly as she let herself cry; for the loss of her family and for the years of pain and suffering that lead up to her emancipation thanks to Luffy. After a few moments, she had her breathing under control. She wiped her face clean with her hands before extricating herself from the Supernova who used his coat to wipe his chest.

“Are you ready to move on?” He asked quietly.

Rowena nodded. He led her out of the ruins holding her hand; it was small against his but he held a firm grasp on it.

“If you want to cry again just squeeze my hand. I’ll let you hide under my coat if you don’t want the others to see you.”

She bit her lip as another fat tear fell from her eye, she nodded vigorously and he once again wiped it for her, the action quickly becoming second nature for him. She led him to the Supreme’s dwelling and like the others it had been destroyed. Rowena pilfered through the remaining debris but found nothing that she could see. Kid frowned, calling out to Killer for a report.

“The scouting team reported nothing except a sea wall, they docked and are scouting the forest and land on the east side; the beach team is scouting the west side finding nothing on the beach itself. We’ve searched the buildings but it’s all just ash and broken bits.”

Kid tsked, he wasn’t giving up that easily. He dropped Rowena’s hand and walked out to where larger foundations laid. Raising his hand, he partially closed his eyes deep in concentration.

“Uh what are you doing?” Killer tilted his head.

“Investigating,” he said through gritted teeth.

Rowena stepped out and started collecting more dirt in a larger vial. How deep is that waist bag of hers? he mused. Kid walked around the settlement and after making the same circuit three times, he came to a stop.

“There is a large mass of metal somewhere in the Supreme’s dwelling, it must be underground. Too much Earth keeping it in place for me to just lift it out.”

Rowena walked back inside and asked Kid to clarify where the metal was. Re-entering the room, Kid walked over to the northern most wall and pointed to the ground. Nodding, she told him to back up to the other side as she took a few steps back herself.

She dug both hands into the dirt, dragging her nails into the Earth building up debris under her nails, letting her hands get stained and dusted. Rowena straightened her back and took a wide stance. She began making fluid motions with her hands and feet, dragging her right foot from outside her left one, and dragging it to the outwards to lift and stomp her boot into the ground. A large square outline appeared in the ground as the dirt crumbled and lifted away, small mounds creating a lip around the hole.

She nodded to Kid who walked over, toeing the edge. He raised his hand and used his power, they could hear a grating sliding noise and after a minute, a very worn and rusted metal container was lifted out, spilling dirt everywhere. Rowena’s eyes bugged, waiting for Kid to open the safe. As soon as he did, she pilfered through the contents and started making hyperventilating noises.

“Everything ok Ro’?” he peered over her shoulder. She whipped her head back, arms loaded with thick textbooks.

“Kid, this is my Supreme’s Grimoire, her Book of Shadows, scrolls and other sacred texts. These are the only written records of witchcraft dating back 800 years,” her face a mixture of happiness and melancholy.

“I’m sorry I doubted you. This priceless knowledge would have been lost forever,” she put everything down and wrapped her arms around him as she cried again.

Kid froze, turning deep red as she held on to him, his crew averted their gazes. Suddenly a voice could be heard over Killer’s transponder snail.

“Hey Killer, this is the dinghy team, we found remains of an old settlement but it’s been abandoned for a very long time s’far as we can tell. Also, I’m not sure if it’s just us but this place is creepy. The men keep reporting whispers in the fields or feelings of being watched.”

“Hey Captain, this is the beach team scouting the west side, we concur with the creepy vibes. There isn’t anything out on this side either but I’m not liking the feeling like I’m being stalked through the trees.”

Everyone turned to Rowena who pulled back from Kid, wiping her face.

“The island is likely haunted. The immeasurable pain and agony from the victims who died here cannot be erased. This land is tainted and stained, the ghosts of my sisters are here, crying in despair, furious at the injustice. And with so much pain and anger, it invites…other things...this place is no longer safe, we should leave as soon as possible. I don’t think we should be here when night falls.”

Kid pulled out his pocket watch, it was about five o’clock. Grabbing the transponder snail from Killer, “all teams head back to the dock and prepare to sail.” Looking to the present crew, “gather everything out of this safe and drag it back to the ship.”

The crew hauled ass, piling the texts and items into a four-wheeled cart. Rowena walked around the perimeter, collecting things she found on the ground. As the crew carted the relics back towards the forest trail path, a sudden strong gust of wind shook through the trees, branches all swayed forward and the leaves bristled creating a loud, ominous sound around them. Everyone froze.

“We should go, we should go right now,” Rowena’s voice was alerted and Kid barked at the men to go.

The sound of whispering was much louder and clearer now. Invisible voices were crying out for help but amongst them were other voices too, not crying for help but something much more odious. The hairs on the back of Kid’s neck began to stand up and he started speed walking, which prompted everyone else to run.

As they rushed down the path of trees, it felt like they were no closer to reaching the beach than they had when they had entered the trail. In fact, the longer Kid stared at the exit the further away it seemed to get. Breaking through the whispers, the crew could hear shouts of fear around them.

Rowena stopped running and unsheathed her blades. Pulling out a vial from her bag, she quickly doused her swords.

“I’ll double back to make sure the rest of the crew make it to the beach; you go on ahead,” she shouted over her shoulder as she turned back the way they came.

“No, stay with us. I believe in my men and if they don’t make it, they didn’t have what it takes to sail with us anyways.” Kid snapped.

Rowena eyed him; he couldn’t read the emotion on her face but he wasn’t sure he liked it. Not caring, he grabbed on to her arm and yanked her with him, running towards the exit. Again, the exit seemed to just be out of their reach and he roared in frustration. The rustling in the trees ramped up and the whispers sounded so close to them now.

“What do we do?” Kid looked at her.

Handing him her blades, she dug in her bag rummaging through her items. After a moment, she pulled out small cones that she quickly lit aflame with a gold lighter. They let off a woodsy scent and as they began to burn and the smoke furled out, he could feel a woosh in the air and suddenly the whispers didn’t feel right in his ear. The Witch began tossing several lit cones in either direction, the smoke plumes rising in the air as they burned.

Holding one in her hand, she called over her shoulder, “Let’s move!” In just minutes they reached the beach and Kid almost threw himself to the ground to kiss the sandy shore.

The pirates raced down the beach, out of the corner of his eye he could see the other teams emerging from the woods, some of them looked rough as if they had been fighting only who knows what. They all ran towards the ship. A loud, terrifying roar began emitting from the forest. Rowena pulled back, waiting for everyone to get ahead of her as she held the rear, swords raised.

“WITCH! MOVE YOUR ASS OR I’LL MOVE IT FOR YOU” Kid screamed at her as he stood by the boarding plank while the crew boarded.

She ignored him, holding out her hands and yelling at the last of the men to hurry. Letting out a frustrated yell, Kid ran up the beach to retrieve her. As he neared her, a wave of birds flew up from the tree line, screeching.

A massive shelf cloud was completely covering the island and there was a deep rumbling noise, but whether it was coming from the sky, the sea or the land, Kid couldn’t be sure. One more man broke from the tree line, running towards the boat. Just as he reached Rowena, Kid saw blackness shoot out and grab at the man. He was a newer member named Cut. Cut was pulled down and being dragged backwards, screaming for help.

Rowena sprinted to him, swords swinging at the black mass. It let out a vile hiss as her swords made contact, and the tendrils whipped back into the shadows of the trees. The man got up and left only a trail of dust and sand as his legs carried him to the ship. Rowena started walking backwards, swords up in defense as she eyed the trees.

Kid grabbed her arm and started to pull her again when another set of tentacles came shooting out, this time aimed directly at him; she blocked them before it could touch either of them, the same hissing noise came from them as her blades sliced against them. Kid could see a black ooze drip down into the sand, a vile smell in the air.

The tentacles retreated again – Rowena turned to him, “Now you can move my ass.”

With an annoyed growl, Kid picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, sprinting down the beach.

“More are coming,” she warned and he willed his legs to run faster.

He kicked up a flurry of sand as he sprinted towards the dock, using his devil fruit power to pull the anchor up. He yelled at Killer to get moving as the men withdrew the plank from the dock completely.

Putting Rowena down, “What now?”

“We’re safe here. We’re on the water and they cannot touch the salt from the sea, it burns them.”

“What the fuck was all that?!” he barked.

“Demons.”

Everyone’s eyes bugged as they all looked between the Witch and the island of hell they just barely made it off.

“Evil spirits and monstrous demons are attracted to strong, negative emotions. Any emotions will due honestly but when it’s pain and anger, it’s like a feeding frenzy for them. After what happened here, it must have been a feast for them, there’s a legion deep in there.”

“You can see them?”

“I can hear them, each voice speaking out to us. Every dying wish, plea for help, lust for blood,” she was shivering.

A low groaning came from the island as darkness overtook the land, tendrils trying to reach them as they raced down the shoreline. They stopped just short of the shore, tendrils testing the wet sand and immediately pulling back. Kid felt himself shudder.

“The land is haunted both by the vengeful spirits of my coven and the greedy mouths of those demon shits. This was once a powerful land teeming with magic and now its poisoned,” she slammed a fist on the railing.

“Is there anything you can do?” Kid asked, standing next to her.

“I don’t know, the sheer number of them is already overwhelming. I don’t think I can just cleanse the land by flooding it with the sea. It might take something much greater.”

“Like what?”

She frantically waved her hands in the air, “I just don’t know. Where are the books, maybe I can find something,” she walked to the cart and started digging through the materials. Finding the Grimoire she sat on the deck and ran through the pages, the ship sailed a mile off the coast for safety.

After several minutes, Rowena hopped up and showed Kid the page she was reading. He looked skeptical, “You can do that?”

“I can try, we’re a good distance away but we should put some more between us while I prepare. Is there a space where I can be alone while I get ready for this?”

He quickly instructed Killer to sail further away from the land as he led Rowena through the helms room that sat inside the dinosaur skull’s mouth. Through the second door in the room, they walked out to an open space still covered by the massive skull, looking out to the ocean.

“The aftereffects will make the sea a bit choppy.”

Facing the island, she bowed her head and began to mutter a chant quietly, holding her wand as she started making sharp hand motions. Kid crept up slowly so he could see her better – she was still chanting but ceased her hand motions. Two fingers pointed upwards on each hand as they clasped together, her wand sandwiched between them.

He felt his hair tugging upwards on his scalp and skin. He saw that Rowena’s hair had also been pulled up, it was standing straight up in the air and he hadn’t really appreciated how long it was before. It reached the roof of the dinosaur’s mouth, clumps of hair stuck out like spikes in his, only black in color.

She whispered to herself, as if forgetting Kid was behind her. “I miss you all so much. I will carry the weight of your pain and thirst for vengeance.”

Opening her eyes and speaking louder in a deep voice, she rumbled out, “Cataclysm.” A single tear fell from her eye, hands broke apart and she raised one up; clenching it into a fist, she dropped to the floor and punched it with all her might.

Hearing a thunderous cracking from the sky, Kid watched as the sky opened in the shelf cloud, and he could see black plumes and fiery embers falling through to the island. The thunderous roar became louder, as if the planet was being screamed at by an unseen Titan. The ocean began rolling, waves became choppy and the ship was rocked sharply.

Large objects were raining from the sky itself, exploding on impact as they fell to the land. Giant clouds of smoke and dust blew out from all sides of the island, the cliffside broke and crumbled into the sea. They could feel the land shaking as it became pummeled with more mass objects and Kid watched as the beach and land became ruptured; cracks breaking through the shoreline, water engulfing the sand as it rushed to flood the ruined land. It took 15 minutes for the island to sink entirely.

Breathless and in awe, he reached out to Rowena, “What was that power?”

She turned to him, a dead look in her eyes, “Solar magic. I pulled meteors down and destroyed the Island of Thorns. In doing so and burying it at the bottom of the East Blue, I’ve purified my home. I only hope that by doing this, my coven is free to move on from this purgatory.” She stumbled, depleted of energy.

Kid caught her, holding her against his chiseled body, both hearts beating rapidly. They stayed like that as the ocean calmed itself, the ship no longer rocking violently. He found that he didn’t really want to let go of her, but he knew they had to get a move on.

“Can you make it back to your room?” she nodded weakly. Not liking that, he bent forward intending to scoop her up in his arms but she protested.

“Before we go, I need to do something,” she pulled back and sat down on the wooden floor.

Kid kneeled next to her. From her bag she pulled out several pieces of colored yarn, feathers, raw cut gems, shells, and other items. She began stringing it all together.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making a Witch’s Ladder.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a useful tool for scrying, meditation, and can be used in my rituals too. My mother and I made my first one together, it was bounded with bay leaves, rose quartz gems and seashells. Haven’t had one in years.”

She gingerly stood up; a bit unsteady on her feet. Kid straightened up and stood directly behind her acting like a wall for the Witch to lean on, which she did to his delight. Facing the direction of her former home, Rowena let out a small, sad sigh. Wand anchoring her string, she began to recite words while tying knots into the string, eyes partially shut.

By knot of one, the spell's begun. By knot of two, the magic comes true. By knot of three, so it shall be.

Her voice faltered and cracked at first, but it became more confident as she spoke her chant.

By knot of four, this power is stored. By knot of five, my will shall drive. By knot of six, the spell I fix.

She shut her eyes and spoke more fiercely.

By knot of seven, the future I leaven. By knot of eight, my will be fate. By knot of nine, what is done is mine.

Rowena opened her eyes, chanting the final line with clear determination; the knotted string dangled from her wand. She pulled it off, wrapping it around her wrist twice. She turned to Kid and asked him to tie a slipped buntline hitch to keep it from falling. As he tied it up, he saw the heavy bags under her eyes. She tried to walk back to the door but her energy was fading fast. Her knees buckled and Kid grabbed her. Scooping her up he swiftly carried her to her cabin.

Laying her down in bed, “You did good today; I know it wasn’t easy and you really saved our asses. I’ll give you some time to recover, don’t worry about training for the next two weeks, just rest up and read your books, I’ll have Killer bring them down in a bit.”

The Captain walked back to the deck and began addressing the crew; instructing the wounded to visit UK and the rest were dismissed to their daily duties. He had Gig take control of the helm and chart a course back to Sabaody so they could finally get back on course to the New World.

With Killer, the two men brought down Rowena’s books to her room. They knocked but there was no answer. Entering cautiously, they realized she was out. They quietly placed her items on the small table and exited.

Kid stood at the threshold, giving her one last look and walked back inside to remove her boots from her feet and drape the blanket over her. He hesitated for a moment before leaning down and kissing the top of her head. Finally satisfied, he walked out to let his Witch get the rest she deserved.

Read on AO3

[insomniac-jay]

Jobless Monday [Heavy Metalikka]

Being kicked out of a band means falling on hard times.

@floof-ghostie @calciumcryptid

"Here."

Roxy placed a check in Irina's hands, careful not to crumble it up. "Buy you and Lisa something nice."

"Roxy, you know you don't have to pay me or Lisa rent to live here, right?" Irina placed the check in her pocket for now. She still stood in the doorway of Roxy's room, not wanting to come in since she had to go somewhere and Roxy was doing some much needed primping.

"Still. It's not fair to you that I don't have a place to live." Roxy dabbed some moisturizer on her face. "Even if we are best friends."

"Roxy, Lisa and I let you live here because we wanted you to. You're not leeching off of us at all."

Roxy stopped to face Irina. They were so much more than just best friends; they were practically sisters. What sister wouldn't open her home to another in a time of need? But even then, guilt still ate at Roxy the more she thought about her current situation. She felt like she had to repay Irina in some way to ease the burden of her inability to be self sufficient at her age.

"That's...that's good to know."

Irina moved to reach out to her sister when Lisa's agitated footsteps rang through the halls.

"Rina! Alvin's in the basement again!"

"Again? This is the third time this month!"

With Irina gone to deal with the basement dweller, Roxy was once again left alone with her thoughts when she didn't want to be. In the time since successfully getting revenge against her former Black Friday bandmates, everything became null.

Did she regret what she'd done? No. She managed to give the Flash of all people a concussion. Was this remorse? Why should she feel remorse for a bunch of ungrateful Hollywood hopefuls who were on the verge of breaking up before she stepped onto the scene?

So what was this emptiness swelling inside her? Surely it wasn't longing. It's not like she needed those traitors anyway--Roxy had plenty of star power on her own. But maybe it wasn't longing for her old band, but for something else. Something to fill the void.

"Roxy, we're leaving!"

Lisa's sudden voice broke the musician out of her thoughts. "If one of the guys comes over, just tell them we're out!"

"Alright!"

As soon as the front door closed, Roxy's previous thoughts returned with a vengeance. What was there to do now that she no longer had a goal? Being Heavy Metalikka gave her a thrill unlike any other. There was joy to be found in seeing herself as a wanted person and raising hell for the authorities.

Her life as Roxanne Lee was calling back to her as well. It insisted that Heavy Metalikka was just a phase. Roxy had enough fans to create a plentiful solo career.

Nothing wrong with going indie, Roxy thought to herself, searching around her room for a distraction. Her eyes landed on the newest Rebecca Silver book. She was just getting to the good part when she stopped reading. Maybe a book would take her mind off things. Mama did say that a good book is the cure to boredom.

[sam-glade]

The Truth Teller - snippet III

I haven't yet shared a snippet resulting from this Make Me Write Poll so here it goes:

Context: This scene follows Sieran's character study. Sieran's suspected of being a spy.

Characters: Sieran, Lirivan

WC: 600 (60 sentences)

CW: swearing, murder mention

The Truth Teller taglist (please message me to +/-): @cee-grice @faelanvance @mrbexwrites @tisiphonewolfe

A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He glanced at the wide-open door, but didn’t see anyone passing by. Shadows seemed to play tricks on him recently.

Lirivan leant in on his elbows.

“You miss her too, don’t you?” he asked softly.

Her. Only one person came to mind.

“Yes,” Sieran said, before he realised what it sounded like. “I mean, not like that, I just—”

“I know.” Lirivan smiled knowingly. A faint alarm bell began ringing at the back of Sieran’s head, soon drowned by the sobbing at the back of his head. “I think I’ve heard someone mention that she’ll be back within a week. And in the meantime, we can keep each other company, what do you say?”

Sieran clamped his jaw, to stop himself from stammering incomprehensibly. Lirivan’s expression fell.

“Sorry, am I coming on too strong?” he asked quickly. Sieran nodded in a reflex. “I only meant that I’d like to see you more often. Get to know you better.”

Well, that was a crude way of going about it. Surely Lady Night had better trained folks who would be much more subtle when probing about his loyalty. Who could smoothly gain his trust and wait for him to slip…

“I’m not—” Lirivan seemed flustered. “Look, I’ve come here about a fortnight ago. I don’t know anyone around here, and I thought you looked… nice,” he finished much quieter as dark splotches of red began to appear on his face. He’d probably realised how awful the lie was.

“I’m not lying! Why are you…”

Oh, fuck.

“You can read my mind,” Sieran stated in a flat voice, while every muscle in his body went taut. He had a clear path to the exit, he could easily outrun Lirivan, but what then, he couldn’t get out of the enclave, not without a locking bracelet, if he didn’t want to be captured within minutes, and then—

“No, of course I can’t, that’s impossible,” Lirivan protested, and his confusion made it sound believable enough. And there was another explanation, just as terrifying.

“Then you’re a Teller.” Sieran barely heard his own voice over the wailing in his head.

“I’m not!” His voice sounded distant, as if it was falling away, together with the room that was crumbling around them.

“You can tell what I feel,” he rephrased. It made no difference.

Sieran gripped the edge of the table with all his strength, before even that vanished into the abyss.

Lirivan braced his hands on the table and pushed himself up, kicking the chair backwards. His face and most of the room was obscured by dark blotches that floated in Sieran’s vision. The high-pitched crying was maddening.

“I’m not a fucking Teller,” Lirivan’s raised voice barely reached him.

Deep breath. It usually worked, and he had to make it work this time. He’d wasted his chance with Lirivan, but that didn’t mean he had to do something rash. Something that would constitute a threat. That would be considered an attack. That would earn him a bullet to the back of his head. He had to calm down.

He closed his eyes, listening to Lirivan’s steps matched with the sound of crutches thumping on the floor. And stopping. He didn’t leave the room. Yet.

“I’m sorry,” Sieran said quickly, even before turning to him. It was such a meaningless phrase. It had never saved him from the consequences of his shortcomings. It was the only thing he could think of.

Holding his breath, he turned in his seat. Lirivan was facing him now, leaning on the crutches. He didn’t look happy, but at least he didn’t leave.

[shade-pup-cub]

Ugh... the things I do to these poor boys, but still one of my fave scenes!

Wild's reunion after TOTK, Chapter 11 "A Deity's Son"

Content warning: magic possession, seizure, blood, someones are is missing... this was writen before the game came out.

"Dametrius?" He looked over to see Time, awake and confused.

"When did all of you get here?"

"No idea. Must have switched in our sleep. We were in Skyloft last night."

"No point in asking if you have seen my wildling then."

The others were waking up to their voices. "Mornin' y'all." Twilight called out as everyone tried to wake up.

"Morning Pup. Look where we are."

"Wild?" The wolf hero jumped to his feet, grabbing his head immediately after looking up to the balcony.

"Not here and I'm just as clueless as the rest of you."

Legend shivered and rubbed his arms. "Can we start the fire? It's freezing!"

"Sure." Demetrius then scoffed, "Wouldn't be so cold if you wore some fucking pants." He wasn't really trying to hide it.

"Heard that, you shirtless asshole!"

Dametrius shrugged with a laugh, raising his arm up and aimed for the fireplace. "Watch yourself." He gave just enough time for Legend to move before fire scaled down his arm and bust from his palm to the fireplace. He laughed as he turned to his closet to put on his long sleeve, high neck, black tunic and black pants. He pushed up his sleeves before running his fingers through his hair to pull it back into a higher ponytail. He splashed water onto his face to fully wake. He slid brown boots on, overlapping his legging style pants.

Everything seemed peaceful at the moment as he heard the light banter between Legend and Warriors, Time and Twilight sharing a laugh, Sky yawning as he tried to stay awake. Four was looking at his own shadow that the god thought would joi- oh wait, there's Shadow. Wind just pounced onto Warriors back, both falling to the ground. Hyrule slapped Legend for laughing at the two.

Dametrius was smiling, thinking of how it would be if his Link had siblings to cause havoc with.

Peace never lasted around this group though.

Twilight had gotten up from his spot to go outside, but stopped when he opened the front door. "Cub?" Everyone was silent. Waiting. "Cub!!" It wasn't a holler of excitement or of missing someone. It was the kind that was filled with worry, fear and pain. "DAMETRIUS!"

He jumped over the balcony to the first floor as the door was kicked back open by Twilight with Wild clinging to him, cloak wrapped around him and hiding his face.

"What happened?" He asked as he knelt down and helped support the young man who looked to be a few inches taller than last time.

"G-ganon… we won, but it hurt." Wild was trembling and flinched at every sound around him.

"Cub?" Twilight was moving his bangs from the too still hero.

Like a switch turned on, Link crumbled to the ground, half in his father's arms. "Make it stop, Dad, please make it stop! It hurts and I don't… I don't want this!!"

"Wild, what hurts? I need you to tell me so I can help." From under the hood, a flash of glowing green was visible. "Wild, take off the hood."

"I can't… please."

"Link, let me see you." He was not prepared for what he saw.

Wild's hair was down to his mid back, much like it was when he was a child. It was no longer the beautiful blond, but a dark red that matched the Barbarian Headset he owned. His skin was tanner than it had ever been too. He still had his eyes closed tightly.

"Can you open your eyes for me?"

Wild let out a pained whine, but did look at his father slowly. His eyes… his cobalt blue eyes like his mother's were now a bright, light green with a sheen over them that had to be for when he was outside at night.

There were gasps and startled noises followed by shifting. "How?" Dametrius asked as he cupped his son's cheek.

"We found Ganon, just like in my visions. The seal was so weak and it fully broke when we got there. We were standing nowhere close to the edge, but the ground under Zelda gave way and she fell. I went to save her, but something grabbed me. It was an arm, The Zonai Sage's arm that held the seal. It fused with mine and the magic is trying to take over… It already has this much." Wild unclasped his cloak with his left hand, allowing the material to fall from his shoulders and the others to see him fully. His arm was a dark decayed color, adorned with metal that wrapped around it and his fingers like rings.

Wild let out a bellow as his body quivered. The arm became a light green color, glowing and the metal was a golden color. His eyes flashed open and they too were glowing.

Dametrius recognized what was going on. “The magic is too powerful for your body. At this rate it will kill you.”

“How long do we have?” Twilight asked.

“When did this start?”

Wild gritted his teeth, clenching his father’s tunic in his hands. “Two hours ago. The second I killed Ganon.”

Demetrius rubbed a hand over his mouth in a stressful manner. “Maybe thirty minutes and that is being generous.”

Another wave of magic went through the boy. The black rectangles on his skin got darker and more started to form. “Cut it off! Please!!”

What?

Wild’s eyes rolled back and his body twitched. Dametrius laid him down onto his side and made sure his airways stayed clear.

“What is happening?” Wind was half tucked behind Wars, blue scarf in his fist.

Dametrius kept his voice calm. “He is having a seizure. Zonai magic is meant for the Zonai, not Hylians. It's trying to use his body as a vessel, but it is overpowering his system. Even him being a demi-god isn’t enough.”

Time came to their sides. “What do we need to do?”

There was no other option for the time remaining. “Cut it off.” The expressions he received were no different than what he was feeling inside. “If we had more time, we could try to find a better solution, but we don’t have that luxury right now.”

Wild, uncharacteristically for a seizure and could only be explained by the magic, sprang to his feet. He did a hand gesture and the Master Sword appeared, except it wasn’t the same anymore. It had its original hilt and first quarter the same, but the rest looked to be made of some kind of magic. The colors matched Wild’s arm and eyes. The concern in the father’s chest grew. He was happy to see that Fi was watching out for the others still. She burned Wild’s hand, making him drop the blade.

Weapons were drawn by most in the room as Wild took a defensive stance. “He is hallucinating.”

The red haired Link charged on the other heroes, starting with Legend. He had just enough time to move, but was grabbed by his forearm and swung around, thrown into the nearest wall, head crashing backwards with an audible crack. Hyrule was by his side in an instant, casting his life spell.

Almost no one stood a chance against Wild's speed as he zig zagged between bodies, not killing, just disorienting them. Wild, even like this, refused to kill anyone outside of the Yiga or Ganon. The closest one to take him down was Shadow as he shadow-jumped, latching onto Wild’s leg and torso. He could only hang on so long before the elemental demi-god pulled flames from the fireplace into his hands to get rid of his own shadow, therefore banishing Shadow from him.

Dametrius watched Twilight sneak towards his cub and went to grab him. The other turned and dodged at the last moment. Shit! Dametrius, just as fast as his son, lurched forward before the sword Wild pulled from Warriors back could reach skin and wrapped his arms around the young man, the other hand gripping around his wrist holding the blade.

As time went back to normal, they rolled across the floor before slamming into the wall holding shields. "Link! Listen to me!"

"Get off!!”

He pulled the boy's back to his chest to secure him. "You are stronger than this and you know it. Son, this isn't you. Fight this!"

The boy under his bruising grip stilled his thrashing. "Dad?" he half choked out the word.

"Hey kiddo. I’m here"

" 'm sorry." Wild convulsed. "Hurry! I can't hold it back too much longer."

Dametrius basically ripped his son's shirt off the one shoulder it hung on. He could feel the magic pulsing, but fading. He looked around the room scanning for things he was going to need, while keeping a tight grip on his son.

"Clear off the table! Four, I need the sharpest blade you have, preferably some kind of ax. Heat it up to sanitize it. Hyrule, you are going to be needed for healing. Legend, gonna need that Ice Rod of yours. Twilight, you're the strongest, need you to hold his right arm out for me. Time, hold down his torso. The rest of you, try to keep his legs still." Everyone jumped to their proper places.

He picked up Wild and placed him on the table to where his right arm was flat on it. Twilight gripped it firmly as Time placed most of his body weight onto the small torso. Warriors had a hold of one leg as Wind and Sky had the other. Four surprisingly had the ax blade already ready and went to Wind's side after handing it over.

"D-dad?" His breathing quickened with his panic. He clearly could see the blade near him. It raced faster as his father tied a tourniquet around his upper arm.

Dametrius placed his forehead to his son's, upside down. "Freya, give me strength and forgive me for what I'm about to do to our boy." He kissed the deep red locks of hair that still had the single lock of pure white in the bangs.

The magic began to rise once again. They were running out of time.

"Dad, please!!" Wild thrashed again, but was held firmly in place.

"Wild, Cub! Look at me." Time cupped the unscarred cheek and turned his head away from what was happening. "It's okay. It'll be okay. Just… just look at me." Dametrius was beyond thankful for the bond his son had grown with his ancestor and for the resemblance Time and he shared. He knew it eased some of the anxiety Wild had as he went to other eras, to be able to see someone that looked like his father.

The god put a strip of leather between his son's teeth so he wouldn't hurt himself. He took a deep breath, "Everyone ready?" Nods were given and he raised the ax high into the air. He could hear everyone's heartbeat before he brought the ax down.

The screams Wild let out with tears rushing from his eyes broke Dametrius’s heart.

Time gripped the boy's face with both hands to keep his head towards him. Tears of his own slipped down his cheeks. "Cub, it's almost over, I promise. Just a little longer." He placed his forehead to the other’s to block out everything except himself. Wild was sobbing around the leather strip, staring into Time’s eyes, both eyes. He was gripping onto the back of Time's tunic, nearly ripping it and probably was leaving welts underneath.

Dametrius summoned the smallest amount of fire he could in his palm and placed it on the new, extensive wound to cauterize it. New screams filled the house and Wild violently moved around to get away. He took the Ice Rod from Legend and chilled the wound, though there was no covering up the coppery smell and burning flesh.

He had forgotten about Twilight for a moment, but when he heard the sharp breaths being taken in next to him, he turned towards the source. He was shaking with blood splatter on his clothes and face. Twi looked at his cub, to the detached arm, then up to Dametrius’s white eyes. Dametrius took the arm, blood running down it and threw it into the flames.

Turning back to the now crimson colored table, he saw Hyrule already using his magic to heal what he could, anguish across his face and he looked a bit green.

He walked towards Twilight, spun him away from the sight and pulled him close. The other didn't hesitate to put his arms around him, death grip on his black shirt. He ran his fingers through the dirty blond hair, kissing the top before looking at Time. He signed to him, 'Switch'.

Time walked over after pressing his lips to the scarred cheek and coaxed Twilight to sit with him against the wall.

With shaking hands, Dametrius gingerly picked up his unconscious son from the table and sat next to Time and Twi with Wild in his lap, pressed to his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He pressed soothing kisses to the feverish skin of the young hero. "I'm so sorry for everything."

The flames in the fireplace roared as the last bit of the arm disintegrated into ash. A teal flame appeared, expanding into a person. Dametrius recognized the man, Link of the Zonai tribe. They bowed to each other before the flames went out.

Sky walked over with bloodshot eyes and collapsed in front of them. He looked regretful of what he was about to ask or say. “Dametrius… Where is Zelda?”

[painfulrant]

This is a scenario based on the book Wild Cowboy Wolf by Kait Ballenger and how I could see one of the scenes or arguments going in the book! This is a mixture between the book and OuterBanks, the characters being Y/n and JJ representing Dakota and Blaze. IF you happen to notice any grammatical errors, I’m sorry! This is a rough draft but I’m not able to work on it long because I gotta start dinner soon! Thank you all for reading if you’ve gotten this far. Love y’all!

Y/n looked up to the man that was too close for comfort, the warmth from his bare chest creating a barrier around them but the coldness in his eyes creating walls just as strong that kept them separated.

Why couldn’t he see? She didn’t like pushing him away anymore then he did. Of course, she probably shouldn’t have kissed him first but he made it abundantly clear that he didn't reciprocate her feelings, at least not at the time. Now he stood in front of her, rolling a strand of her hair between his fingers and staring at her with a coldness that she’s only ever seen given to others.

“You get mad at me for stopping that night and now… now you’re getting upset because I’m trying to prove there's nothing to be scared of? Why can’t you understand that I’m trying to make you see?” His voice was deep and grovel with clipped edgings. To anyone it would have seemed as though he were as calm as a sleeping infant. She knew him better though. He was holding back everything; his anger, his hurt, his confusion, and most of all he was holding out on her.

“See what, JJ? Every decision you’ve made has made it very obvious that there can’t be anything between us. I’m surprised you haven’t caught onto it!” She would not allow him to see her break so when the tremblings started just below her lip and the shaking formed in her already clenched hands, she turned away, going to grab her clothes that lay in a crumbled pile on the floor.

“To see that it’s always been you! Women, how many times do I have to show and tell you that you’re all I’ve wanted for years! Anyone with two eyes, hell even one eye, could and have seen it.” That’s just it though, that was before they had to worry about their years of friendship going down the drain. Scoffing, she wrapped her arms around herself to stop the cold that was seeping from her chest all throughout her body, causing her to tremble from every emotion that swam through her.

“Don’t do that, Angel.” His gruff voice grew softer and she hated it. He shouldn’t be pitying her right now. For years, she’s shown that she was anything but weak. Even so, the mask she wore was near crumbling and not only did she know it but he did too.

Without a second to think, she turned and marched towards him. The mask was still up, hiding all her emotions from prying eyes, his eyes. Her freezing hands met both sides of his face before she attempted to drag him down to feel him against her, just to test if what he was saying has any ounce of truth to it.

“If you can’t do it with feeling – don’t.” JJ's gruff voice mumbled as he pulled his head back, the walls between them only growing higher by the second. Speaking of second, this would be the second time that he’s rejected her. It wasn’t like everything in her body was screaming at her to just do it anyways or to break his walls down… Instead, she dropped her hands and head, staring at her boot and she kicked dust on the ground. Of course it would be no different this time. It was all a game to him.

“Okay.” She whispered, wincing when the crack in her voice betrayed her emotions.

“Angel.” Her body was moving away from him before her mind could register it. All the walls that he had tore down and all the emotions she was rolling over in her head, all while she replayed every second of the last few minutes.

“Don’t.” It was more of a plea than a warning but either way, he didn’t take the hint and she soon found his hands reaching towards her.

“You don’t have to explain. I’ve pissed you off. I’ve broken our friendship. I’ve pushed you away…” She announced, still not daring to look up in case she found any evidence of hurt or anger.

“I’ll just take my leave.�� With that, she turned and began to walk with quick strides to get out of the room as soon as she could, choosing to leave her clothes with hopes they would still be there later. She didn’t get far before a rough pull on her shoulder stopped her and the warm feeling of lips, his lips, were against her own. The warmth from earlier wrapped around her, warming her freezing body which slowly eased her body into relaxation in his hold.

“A man is about as big as the things that make him angry.” JJ whispered right next to her ear and all she could hear was the cockiness and smug smile that she was sure was resting on his face. Before she knew it, her feet were off the ground and the feeling of gravity pulling against her caused her to squeal. She didn’t fall though, her body fitting perfectly against his as he held her, one hand on her bum and the other under her thigh.

“We have a shower to get to. Gotta get the sewer water and sh*t off you.” He all but chuckled and gave the same smug smirk as always. The thought of urine, sh*t, and anything in between matted in her hair and covering her body brought a choking feeling to her chest, causing her to gag in disgust.

“If you can’t do it with feeling – don’t.” - Patsy Cline.

“A man is about as big as the things that make him angry.” - Winston Churchill.

[rubistella]

Betrayal? The spawn's face fell like the hanging gardens of babylon had crumbled, confidence melting away into disbelief at his master's words. @fallesto had a way to pin the blame on Astarion even when the spawn tried to be as loyal as he could, going so far as to even betray the others in his master's favour.

"Excuse me?" Unable to bay impulse, the spawn retorted. Indignant. "They're the ones scheming against you behind the scenes, and suddenly I'm the turncoat?"

However, his master's word was gospel. His wishes? Astarion's commands.

"You don't plan on turning the little rascal into a vampire as well, do you?" As if keeping a vampling kicking up a fuss in the attic wasn't bad enough already. One who bore a striking resemblance to Cazador on top of all that. Astarion himself almost got his throat torn off once by the damned creature when he tried to see what all that racket upstairs was about. "Childhood, my lord, was hardly meant to be eternalised."

But I don't have to tell you that now, do I?