#where i bonded with a stranger over having no power at home + suspecting the store's bakery was taunting us with its lights

[bvd11975]

Lofty... in a good or bad way? Where she was from, it was common for strangers to make use of last names until they became more familiar with one another. It didn't matter how he viewed it, truth was they were still unknown to one another. Which meant she'd do all she could to sidestep his interest in referring to one another as married as much as possible. Just... considering it made her skin crawl. No offense to him even! It was entirely on her end (even if he did creep her out a decent bit).

"O-Oh... maybe it works differently here?" Or maybe he just worked differently. But Nestor wasn't about to accuse him of anything of the sort. Not when his power could potentially prevent her from getting home. "Bonded means... it's a lot more than that, where I'm from." Oh no. No, no, no. She did not want to have to explain the emotional and physical applications that came with an intimate bond. "I don't recall giving you my heart...? I apologize if you thought otherwise? I-I... um, marriage comes after befriending or courting another. When both parties are comfortable and know one another well - and share a mutual attraction and all that. Y-You know? Is it different on your world?" Or was he just different?

Nervously the agent wrung her hands together as she grew more anxious. He knew what marriage was, then. He just basically hit fast forward with lightning speed. She was... vaguely flattered, in some fucked up way. But it certainly didn't mean she wanted to marry him. Especially not like this. She didn't know one thing about him beyond being a sharp dresser and having a very potent power.

One that she now knew he wasn't using alongside witches, per-say, but on their behalf. Witches were-- they were dead here? No. No! That was her clear ticket to reconnecting swiftly with her home for an extraction! Her fingers clutched one another at the realization she would be stuck with him longer than she really felt comfortable. There was only navigating this Regulus Corneas, she suspected.

"I never thought I'd live to see a world without a single witch..." It was terrible. All her life, witches from near and afar plagued her - with good intentions, even if it didn't always appear that way. Her mentor's closest friend was a witch, one that looked out for Nestor to this day. She only hoped she could find her all the way out here. It was unknown to Nestor just what witches may be like on this particular planet, considering they came so varied based on the state of things. She just hoped his effort to return witches would be a success-- they brought a necessary balance that only they could achieve.

...And the agent suspected Regulus Corneas could use a bit of a check in. Having this much power, both in abilities and position, may just be influencing him in what he believed was his to take. Which would explain how he eyed her initially like a slab of meat.

Her attention directed upwards to see for the first time a dragon in the flesh. Huge and-- and pretty. Amber eyes sparkled silently in awe to see such a wonder, almost too captivated to focus on the fact the two were bickering. Only to be pulled from her daze when he scooped her back up into his arm, a small yelp escaping her lips in the process.

But this dragon, she spoke of a wedding. So he truly did this more than once? How many times? How many weddings? This was less flattering by the second, actually. A thing that hardly mattered when he issued his order. "W-What you're going to des-- wait, the town hasn't done anything! I doubt they even knew we were here!" Minus right now, giant dragon and all that. "Please don't hurt them!" The small agent peered over into the direction of the town - full of people, of little stories and lives that had no idea they may just all end. Her gaze shifted back to Regulus then, pleading louder than her words did.

It was likely she just showed her hand then. How easily she was swayed to protect others, regardless if she even knew who or what they were. Even this dragon and this Greed fellow she'd protect unless it was necessary not to. "Isn't it more of a waste to use all that power on such fragile beings?" Wouldn't the witches prefer it if he stomped out challengers? That town was hardly a challenge. Hardly anything at all.

— what a woman!

Truly his greedy nature has not allowed him to make a mistake this time in his life, this was truly a delightful little treasure he has found and it was one that he held no intentions of letting go off, not when he was about ready to destroy this town they were within and overturn the land and settle it back to merely remove it, and make it as if the people here, the homes, the lives, everything. It did not matter to someone like him, because nothing did, when he found something he wanted. Something he truly wanted.

Who was going to stop him.

“Sir Corneas? That is quite the lofty title?”

As he would swirl his hand through the air for the moment and think about it, that was – he was not a knight, he stomped on knights that came for him and killed them, ending them there and then and showing them all that there lives with the blade, all those years and all the hardships they had to go through to become as strong and as talented as they are, it was all pointless within the end, was it not, because how on earth could they even get close to him, when all he had to do was look at them and there lives would end, making it all rather pointless even more so for all of the time and effort they had out into their cause.

Worthless.

Humans truly are worthless little creatures. 

“We have bonded, have we not? We exchanged names, titles and hearts with one another, we are together now?” They are one now, she was connected to him and when he found a new wife, he layered the protections onto them and ensured their heart was safe and secure within himself, meaning that as she has seen.

— she cannot die.

Her time was frozen, it would not move, it would not shift, it would remain like that until he managed to find another wife for himself, but that would be a few more months away, he had a nice number as it was, his power only increased with each heart he takes and now his time had truly extended into the unlimited area that he could truly do anything and everything he wished, his greed. He only truly needed two wives and himself, but how was that ever going to be more than enough for someone such as himself, how was that ever truly going to be enough for him now that he was within the hundreds now and with this latest one, he was truly being a greedy little sinner.

“Working alongside witches, you are a humorous little one, very humorous, they are dead, I serve them in their place now, to try and usher one to return, the world, alas, is so broken and lost without them.” As he sniffed the air for the moment and would narrow his eyes. “You speak the truth.” Her scent, he could catch it and if he could catch it and be drawn to it, there was others out there that would quickly bring some issues here and now.

“We can get to know one another on our lift back to my kingdom –”

And with that the skies would darken for the moment, the dragon would be seen as it just freely landed right down before them, crushing buildings and humans alike as he looked up and would slap his face.

“Capella!!!!” A harsh scream from him to the creature, that was large, impossibly so, that seemed to stretch for a mile at least, as he gritted his teeth. “What, you asked for a lift, so here I am!” It spoke back, blowing out smoke that separated before coming anywhere near him and his new wife, blowing around them and destroying everything that was not them.

“I said dragon, a dragon, not you, just one of your servants.” This was awful. “You never invite me to your weddings! So this is my ticket into one!” He grunted for a moment as he quickly picked the women up and jumped to land on the snout of the beast, kicking his heels back and forth to clean them off Capella snout before he jumped up onto her head and walked down onto her back.

“Fine, fine, whatever, just destroy this place and get me back to my kingdom as quickly as possible, I cannot have any time being wasted.”

[starshipsofstarlord]

A Stark Contrast | Bucky Barnes

Summary; living in the shadow of Tony, your brother, always was the way, and you accepted it. That was until he expected you to sign the accords, that was one thing that you couldn’t do.

Warnings; Angst, mentions of death, mentions of being controlled, funeral, mourning, anger

The form, bound in a weighty book laid on the table, making the room fill with utmost tension. Tony was hellbent on signing the thing, and handing away any freedom that all of you had.

No matter how long you had supported him, this was not one subject that you could agree with him on. Whilst you understood his perspective, it would only end up with you in a hamster wheel, running around and following the orders of executives.

They wanted less destruction. To put boundaries around their country’s heroes, and limit them to the lengths they could go to in order to save lives.

That was also wrong, the entire ordeal had you bent backwards with a conflict of interests. On one hand, it would be ordinary to sign for such a cause, whether you trusted their backgrounds or not, simply because your elder sibling had.

There was nobody that you trusted more than Tony, he had half raised you after your parents were killed, you felt indebted to him. But being an avenger, on a team where your personal opinion had been valued, it opened your eyes to a whole range of possibilities.

Whilst you were loyal to Tony, you had also became in tune with your own gut. It grumbled at the prospect of giving in to a contract, which decided what you were permitted to do. It was like a child’s parent permission slip, but on a much grander scale.

“People died!” He reminded the lot of you again, which inclined you to look down. There was blood on all of your hands, and he was making it as red as it could possibly be seen. “At least y/n agrees with me.” He reprimanded Steve, whom was still far on the fence regarding the entire ordeal.

Once he said that, all eyes had shifted towards you. Nat had already basically given in to your brother’s convictions, and Steve suspected that you would do the same. You were always one step behind Tony, you were far too loyal to your sibling for your own good.

“I have yet to make up my mind.” You spoke, standing, no longer wishing to be in the room where there was far too much tension. How you wished Banner and Thor were here, they would make an equal divide. The God of Thunder would not scribble his signature upon the paper, you thought to yourself, if he knew their reasons and affects.

However, your words were taken as an assumption that you would join your sibling in providing a peaceful surrender. It is what he and the public would assume of you, and to be truthful, you were tired of sticking to the stereotypes that were made of you.

“I’m surprised that you came.” Steve spoke, as you opened the boot of your car, and revealed the shield that he was so often adorned with, as well as Sam’s wings. He, like most others, had suspected that you would join your brother in his guilt ridden cause, however, thinking for yourself gave you a sense of freedom.

“Don’t be so quick to prevail into what everyone else thinks of me.” You smirked at the captain, your eyes drifting over to the other super soldier, whom had temporarily been imprisoned by the government.

But he had escaped, and if luck was not often a Stark trait, Tony would have died. You had watched from the cameras, but you could boil no bad blood in between the pair of you, Barnes was not in his right mind. He was controlled, and put into a incomprehensible mode of himself. That was, unless, he had managed to kill Tony.

Then you would have changed your own deciding mind, and stuck to what the eldest Stark believed in. “I won’t, ever again.” Sam smiled, picking up redwing from the composed pile, and kissing the machine.

“Bucky.” You reiterated his name, the one that he had chosen to correct the unknown and deceiving man on. The nod you earnt was brief, but it gave you a sense of hope that whirled in your middle. 

It was clear that he was an attractive man, and alike his righteous friend, he was frozen through time to be in this current moment. As Sam and Steve began to get their things together, you walked over to the historical stranger, a smile upon your face. “I’m y/n Stark, I don’t believe we have had the fortune of meeting before.”

“You sure do speak like a Stark.” He softly spoke, a matching smile on his brawn face. “And you seem to have other things in common, like that necklace.” At his words, you looked down at it, a hint of anguish within your gaze.

“It belonged to my mother.” It was nice to reminisce about her for a moment, you knew that she would have made her own decisions too. In some retrospect, you were following in her footsteps.

A feeling grew in the back of Bucky’s throat, but he said nothing. If he were to spill, or reveal his dark secret, it would mean nothing more than the loss of a powerful asset, they could not afford that right now.

“Do you ever think about what would have happened if you got to return home?” It had been a stressful day, fighting your friends, and your last living family member. Bucky turned at your words, you had saved him from being killed, he felt indebted.

“Probably do what every other soldier did; find a woman to marry and have kids. But that’s far out of the picture in this modern age.” Steve was flying the aircraft as you and Bucky spoke in the back. It gave the two of you a moment alone, and you were truly knowing as though you knew the soldier.

He was a good man, misinterpreted by the deeds that he was controlled to do. No one chose to have pity on Barnes, they instead viewed him as a country danger, and wanted to lock him up in a cage, which was how he had come so far in the first place.

“I wouldn’t say that.” For a moment, you looked into his deep blue eyes, feeling as though he were freezing you with them. He didn’t want to look away, but you were inclined to, for you could feel the contrasts of hot and cold heat working its way up your neck, and onto your face. “There’s definitely a woman that would want all that and more with you.”

If things were simpler, you would be convinced that you could share such an intimate bond with him, but alas, everything had to be complicated. And if things could work out, they surely couldn’t last.

“We’re here.” Steve informed the both of you, as he slid out of his front seat, and you prepared to finish this for once and for all.

“How could you?!” You couldn’t defend him as Tony blasted him away, Bucky had played you, and done so well. He and Steve knew of the blood on his hands, and yet they hadn’t thought once to inform you of the one true treachery regrading you.

Bucky had killed your mother, from the intake of information alone, you felt sick. Physically sick. But you choked it down, and as Steve unsurely came towards you, you ran at him, angered by his lies.

From the start, the patriot of America, someone you had considered a friend had deceived you. You had helped him, stood with him, fought your friends for him, and not to mention Tony, and he had known all along.

“Y/n-”

“Save your apologies Rogers.” You stared him down, as he had Bucky held up by one arm, seeing as Barnes had lost one of his own again. “And you, you’re right, there’s no perfect picture, you’re nothing but a monster.”

“Listen.” Steve commanded, but you couldn’t. He was no longer considered your captain, he was a sick liar who had helped to break you. This was the last time that you made your own decisions. Tony was always right.

“You don’t deserve that shield, my father made that. It’s government property-” swiftly he dropped said item, an exhausted and tiresome expression upon Steve’s helmet wearing face.

As soon as they trudged by, you instantly went to Tony, checking his wounds. “You were right brother, I should have listened to you.”

“Your dad loved cheeseburgers too.” You laughed lightly to Morgan, blinking back the tears. It was Tony’s funeral, there were so many people here, even Fury, but there was someone else, who was walking towards you. “Why don’t you go and ask Happy, I have some business that I have to tend to quickly.”

“Okay auntie y/n.” She ran off. She was so innocent, she didn’t deserve to be going to her father’s funeral at five years old, it was truly cruel. But that was just the way the world worked, and Tony was a hero.

“Hi.” Bucky spoke, adorned in all black, same as you. It had been a long time since you had seen him, not since he was being carried away by Steve. You hadn’t fought in Wakanda, instead you had ended up on Titan with your brother, and you would have surely died without him.

“Hey Barnes.” You greeted him with a forced smile, but nevertheless allowed him to step closer.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” He said, the guilt still burning behind his eyes. It seemed that his time in Wakanda had changed him, for the better.

“Which one?” You quipped back, instantaneously. 

“All of them.” He gulped, he was going to give you one truth before you found out after. It was his attempt at redemption, and a sorrowful one at that. “Steve’s returning the stones later.”

“I know.” You responded, the captain had already informed you about that part of his plan.

“And he’s not coming back.”

“Anthony Howard and Steven Nathan Barnes, the two of you better get back here this instant!” Your voice hollered through the house, as well as the duo’s endless giggles.

The front door opened, no other than Bucky walking through. He was quick to recognise the flash of motherly anger upon your face, and quickly dropped his serene smile.

“What have they done?” Bucky asked, watching as you crossed your arms in an unimpressed manner.

“Why don’t you ask your sons?” Your husband sighed, but despite that, he was a happy man. He had returned from a war, and found a lovely wife, of which he had two troublesome boys with. For the first time in a long time, y/n Stark and Bucky Barnes were happy.

[jackdaw-kraai]

Hello! I’ve been following this series for a while (and let me just say, I ADORE it) and I wanted to ask a few question.

Does Vader not investigate Luke at all? More, did he not recognize the Lars family from Tatooine? Is that just a really common name?

Also, does Vader know Luke is force sensitive, having felt him at intimately? Luke’s sensitivity is pretty intense, so I’d imagine he would pick up on it.

Finally, does Palpatine know who he is/what his significance is? Is he plotting behind the scenes to ensnare the latest Skywalker?

Thank you for indulging me; I’m such a big fan.

Hmrh. It’s looking more and more like I’m going to need a FAQ, hm? Well, let me try to answer all these as best I can.

Vader does recognize the Lars, but doesn’t care or connect Luke in the slightest back to him for a couple of reasons. The first being that in this verse Shmi never married Clieg since that marriage just set off... all kinds of red flags in me. Instead, she escaped to Freedom later on, taking a young Beru with her and eventually adopting Owen regardless, rendering Vader without any kind of ties to the Lars. Something he was not eager to rectify at the moment he went to pick up Luke. 

The second being that adoption is ludicrously common on Tatooine, and family bonds are rarely decided through blood. Luke calling his Aunt and Uncle “Aunt and Uncle” is basically the signal that Vader correctly reads as the Tatooine way of saying “hey, I live with them and love them, but they don’t see me as a Son and I don’t see them as my Parents.” His assumption is basically that Luke was taken in by the Lars after an unspecified thing happened to his parents, and assumption that’s shared by Luke, by the way, and also entirely correct in the Guides. 

And also, what is there to investigate? Why would he? As far as both he and Luke are concerned, there is absolutely no need to, as Luke’s story completely checks out with what they both know Tatooine to be. Luke is, as far as they are aware, an orphan taken in by two kindly farmers as their Nephew after his father passed away far from home due to unspecified reasons. That’s it. That’s all they believe there is to Luke’s past. Why would you investigate that? Then there is the fact that both of them still have the instinct ingrained in them to not pry into other people’s secrets when clearly stated as such, and they just don’t see the need to.

Vader doesn’t know Luke is Force-sensitive anywhere but the slightest bit above average. Not enough to be considered Force-sensitive by any Force sect’s standards, not even the Inquisitors, but enough to render him just that bit brighter. As far as he is aware, Luke doesn’t have enough of a grip on the Force to ever even lift a feather. Luke is also not “intensely bright” in the Guides, if you’ll read his descriptions, for reasons I won’t reveal just yet. 

Palpatine knows nothing about Luke’s identity. No one does, aside from Obi-Wan, Bail, Breha, R2-D2, and C-3PO. There’s a reason Luke was able to grow up relatively safe and secure, and that’s because the secret of his past was nearly completely burried in just a handful of people. No one suspects either, as to believe that a dead baby burried and entombed over eighteen years ago with its mother could possibly be this random eighteen-year-old from a planet in the middle of nowhere is... well, frankly, it’s insanity. It’s the kind of conspiracy drivel that would make people ask where your tinfoil hat is, and the fact that it’s true doesn’t keep it from sounding like complete nonsense to anyone not in the know. That’s what protects Luke so effectively. The fact that no one with half a mind would expect reality to be stranger than fiction  Certainly not Palpatine. No, if he’s plotting against Luke at all—which he most likely is—it’s because of the instance where Luke stopped Vader from choking someone in the middle of an Imperial ball and he correctly sees that instance as a symptom of a threat to his power, not because of some kind of knowledge on Luke’s true identity. 

Does this answer your questions?

[arianajbb]

FIC RECS - 2

💕 stay by @you-are-my-sanctuary

A road trip to Arizona goes wrong when you catch the attention of a familiar looking dark haired man with steely blue eyes.

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💕 Tell Him, Not Me by @zsiopao

here y/n l/n lands a role in a new television series that will put her relationship to the test.

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💕Stalker by @you-are-my-sanctuary

In which Bucky has a crush on the new PR manager and is being an adorable stalker.

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💕 What Could’ve Been by @you-are-my-sanctuary

Steve stays in the past when returning the stones, leaving you behind and erasing everything you two were to each other. Decades pass and he wonders if he made the right decision. Especially since the memories of you still lingers in his mind years after.

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💕  Let Your Spirit Fly by @starlightcrystalline

At the end of a long week, all you want is to get home. Fate has other ideas.

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💕 painted with bruises by @harryspet

In which Bucky kidnaps you in order to get close to his enemy, Steve, but realizes that Steve isn’t the hero he used to be.

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💕 Wolf, Partner, Gloves... by @revengingbarnes

HYDRA’s words make Bucky go into Winter Soldier mode. Then he meets you, and you make for him words that will bring him back to normal.

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💕 Sleeping With A Friend by @wkemeup

You wake up in Bucky’s bed after a night you’re certain will only break your heart.

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💕 An Unpredictable Reunion by @head-always-up-in-a-dreamworld

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💕 American Boy by @quarantined-with-bucky

Request: So basically buckyxreader where she is a super successful businesswomen and awfully confident but when she’s with bucky she feels insecure as many women want him and she’s insecure of nat. Based on “American Boy” by little mix where bucky is her american boy and the other girl in the song is nat. So like angst with a happy ending (maybe smut if you’re comfortable idk idk).

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💕 Uptown Girl by @brooklyns-boys

You’re a spoiled, shallow party girl who enjoys pushing any button you can find. When your parents put their foot down, giving you the choice between marrying a suitor of their choosing, or being cut off from your money, you’ll have to decide between luxury and the only person who’s ever given a damn about you.

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💕 pictures of girls by @subtlebucky

you’re prepared for a fun-filled weekend with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. instead, you get a weekend with the guy who sort of rejected you and a camera. what could go wrong?

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💕 don’t forget to sing by @sunmoonandbucky

You meet someone new in the most unlikely of ways during the quarantine in New York City.  An alley is six feet apart, right?

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💕 bloody by @buckycuddlebuddy

he looked feral; his eyes black, face contorted in something devilish, lips blood red and shiny and the smirk on his face was promising more than he already had given.

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💕 Home by @softlybarnes

Bucky comes home from his second tour overseas, after a long time away from the reader.

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💕 Kiss Me Better by @blissfullylostinarabbithole

Bucky has your heart, but he seems to despise you. Loki comes up with a plan to make him realize just what he’s missing.

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💕 x by @blissfullylostinarabbithole

Bucky receiving his first piece of fan-mail.

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💕 My Roommate’s Boyfriend by @angstysebfan

Your roommate’s boyfriend and you do not get along. You don’t even know why anymore. When your roommate has to move unexpectedly across the country, you both begrudgingly drive her car to her new home. Adventure, angst, and secrets come alive.

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💕 life with tiny and beefy by @wiensrsoldier

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💕 Safe Place To Land by @sunlightdances

You and Bucky are both standing up for Steve and Peggy’s wedding. Checking in at the hotel for the weekend, you’re horrified to realize there’s been a problem. A big problem.

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💕 A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes by @green-eyeddragonfanfiction

Female!Reader is an Omega. Alphas and Omegas are rare, and Reader’s been able to avoid alphas through sheer force of will and luck in equal parts.

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💕 we’re up all night to get lucky by  @nsfwsebbie

Your soldier comes home after his prevailing victory.

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💕 Jealousy Looks Good On You by @tinymalscoffee

You go to your favorite coffee shop after your date from the morning before never shows up.

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💕 x by @sinner-as-saint

uni!seb having a thing for boobies.

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💕 Everything by @mariessecretfantasies

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💕 Stardust And Starfish by @i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend

“Hey we kissed once in kindergarten but I haven’t seen you since and I couldn’t remember why you were so familiar.”

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💕 The Flaw Of Belief by @winterdaybreak

Y/N and Bucky fight over who can be more spiteful, who hates who more. Neither really mean it, but Bucky might just win.

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💕 dear... whoever by @whistlingwillows

a mandated series of long and short diary entries from the new head of R&D for Stark Industries.

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💕 starring role by @baezen

in which Hollywood’s former hottest movie star faces his biggest challenge yet – proving that he’s still worth the starring role

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💕 Mr. and Mrs. Barnes by @cherrypickertheory

You and your husband, Bucky, live a normal life in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Or you did, that is, until you both realize that the other is a spy.

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💕 kitten by @buckycuddlebuddy

“you know,” bucky started, voice low and raspy. “i think i have spoiled you too much lately.”

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💕 Summer Days by @sleepypanda27

You meet a handsome stranger at the beach.

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💕 Power Over Me by @sinner-as-saint

CEO James Buchanan Barnes is a dominant. And he’s spent the last 5 years searching for his perfect submissive. Then one night, he finds you. He thinks everything will fall perfectly into place now; but he thought wrong. Turns out your unfortunate past which still haunts you to this day, and some of his enemies are, well, connected. Things go wrong. And your bond with your dom is tested in many ways…

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💕 Bucky & the Beast by @thejamesoldier

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💕 House Pride by @delusionalwriterr

After encountering Bucky during a Quidditch game, both of you grow attached to each other. But is the attraction enough to overcome the disapproval of your brother, Tony, and the messy past between your families?

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💕 Meet Me In The Hallway by @yikeswtfmate

Y/N and Bucky have hated each other since they were children and now they’re forced to live together, whether they like it or not.

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💕 Postcards by @sebbytrash

Takes place after Civil War. Bucky is your best friend but of course you’re in love with him. He goes off to travel the world and rediscover himself, sending you Postcards along the way, whilst you struggle with your feelings.

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💕 x by @moteldwelling

(this isn’t a fic but it’s amazing omg)

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💕 Helpless by @prongsies

Sirius loved you. Loved you enough to let you go. Loved you enough to selflessly step back, allowing you to love someone he knows could give you the love you deserved - even if it hurts.

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💕 What Is, And What Should Never Be by @whoisbxcky

You wake up one morning to find yourself in an alternate reality, in which the Avengers never came to be, and your friends are living perfect civilian lives. However, things are not all they appear to be, and you find yourself facing the worst fear you never knew you had.

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💕 Impaled by @revengingbarnes

You’ve been pining after Bucky for months. A compromising situation during a mission brings you a lot closer to him than you expected.

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💕 Helpless For You by @sgtjbuccky

A blind date has lead you and Bucky to the fourth date. Each one proving that you’ve got it bad more than prior and it doesn’t quite matter what will happen - you will keep on falling for that handsome devil and you don’t even mind.

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💕 Flowers by @bucky-the-thigh-slayer

Love can take a while, but the right love is always worth time, and some old fashioned gestures.

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💕 The (not naked) pin-up calendar by @bitsandbobsandstuff

When you ask for a favor, Bucky (very) grudgingly agrees. What can you do to thank him? Return the favor, of course.

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💕 Rogue Angel by @harryspet

Bucky tasks himself with deprogramming you, a former hydra soldier. Will he be able to show he cares for you as his Daddy or will your training stop you from seeing the truth.

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💕 Saving The Day by @jbbmoved

On your way back home, you are being followed by a couple of creeps. When your eyes fall on the most impressive and handsome Avengers, you don’t think twice and find yourself a fake boyfriend and savior.

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💕 Hidden Lagoons and Seashells by @after-avenging-hours

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💕 my heart, my angel by @paintedface

valentine’s day candy grams basically show how popular you are in the school, so you expect to get none, however, one, extremely sweet one, turns up on your desk. except you have no clue who it’s from.

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💕 Like Silver Glass by @thejamesoldier

Out of all the things you have seen so far in your life – a colorful plethora of alien species, artificial intelligence, an imaginative array of mutants and their abilities, cyborgs, superhumans, assassins, geniuses, etc. – merpeople fell actually pretty low on your ‘Shocking Things That Exist’ list.

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💕 Holiday Heist by @avengerofyourheart

When the art gallery you manage is robbed on Christmas Eve, you suspect the handsome stranger who flirted with you earlier in the day, but instead of involving the authorities, you take matters into your own hands with surprising consequences.

[not-a-space-alien]

[Best attempt at] A summary of The Magnus Archives. Contains major spoilers up through the most recent episode (168: Roots).

A kind soul wrote this out for me and put it in my submissions box to help me understand the Magnus Archives.  THANK YOU SO MUCH and SORRY it took me so long to publish this Dx 

Major spoilers ahead for anyone else who wants to read!!  But this helped me a lot and I feel like I could keep listening now!  Thanks again!!!

Basic worldbuilding details: There are 14 extra-dimensional Entities that feed on fear (Eye, Web, Corruption, Stranger, Spiral, Hunt, Slaughter, End, Vast, Buried, Desolation, Lonely, Dark, Flesh). Various people serve them, and are trying to bring about apocalypses by bringing them into our dimension.

A Victorian guy named Jonah Magnus thought serving the Eye and bringing about its apocalypse would make him immortal. Through trial and error he learned that an Entity cannot be brought through alone, and he needs to bring through all 14 at once. To accomplish this, he needs to take someone (The Archivist) and have them experience EVERY entity - "experience" in this case means "be afraid it's about to kill them."

Until he manages that, he's been possessing various people over the years by means of sticking his own eyeballs in their heads. When the show starts he's possessing Elias Bouchard, Head of the Magnus Institute.

SEASON ONE: Jonathan Sims becomes the Head Archivist after Gertrude Robinson dies. He's set out to make audio copies of all the statements in the Archives, and he uses a tape recorder for the ones we hear because they won't record digitally. He has three assistants, Tim, Sasha, and Martin. He trusts Tim and Sasha but thinks Martin is incompetent.

Martin gets attacked by Jane Prentiss, who is infested by parasitic worms. Jon lets him live in the Archives because it's safer than going home. The worms start showing up around the Institute, but don't attack anyone (yet).

Sasha meets a man(?) named Michael and learns that the worms can be killed with CO2 gas. They start stocking up on fire extinguishers.

Two deliverymen named Breekon and Hope deliver a spooky table and a cigarette lighter with a spiderweb design on it to the Archives.

Jon smashes a hole in the wall of his office trying to kill a spider, and finds a network of tunnels under the Institute. The tunnels are filled with worms, which attack. Over the course of the attack, Jon and Martin bond a bit, Jon and Tim get partially eaten by worms (mark 1: Corruption), Martin finds Gertrude Robinson's corpse in the tunnels (she was murdered), Sasha gets killed and replaced by a monster that was bound to the spooky table (Not!Sasha), and Elias triggers the Institute's CO2 fire represent system, killing Prentiss. Jon swears to find out who murdered Gertrude if it kills him.

SEASON TWO: Paranoia time. The whole season is basically one long "who killed Gertrude" murder mystery, in which Jon suspects literally all of his coworkers. He works with Basira and Daisy, the two police officers assigned to solve the case, and starts to realize that Gertrude was deeply embedded in the supernatural world (and had access to explosives).

Major events include: Jon investigates the tunnels and doesn't find much. Martin frets a LOT, Jon thinks it's suspicious, but it's pretty clear that he just cares about Jon. It's also revealed that he lied on his CV, and isn't actually qualified for this job, hence his incompetence. Tim becomes very bitter about Jon suspecting him of murder and basically stalking him. Michael shows up again, traps a woman named Helen in a maze of unending corridors, and stabs Jon (mark 2: Spiral). Basira quits the police near the end of the season.

In the season finale, Jon realizes Sasha has been replaced and smashes the spooky table with an axe. This does not kill the monster, instead setting it free to try and kill HIM (mark 3: Stranger). Michael appears and offers him a door into his corridor maze to escape the Not!Sasha, and drops him in the tunnels to fend for himself. Martin and Tim try to find out what Jon's doing, and end up trapped in Michael's corridors themselves.

Jon is saved from the Not!Sasha by a man named Jurgen Leitner, who has a book that can move the walls of the tunnels around (he basically traps it in a wall Cask of Amontillado style). Leitner collected tons of these supernatural books, which are now called Leitners, and has been living in the tunnels for decades. Jon is convinced he's evil, but he reveals that he was working with Gertrude before she died and that Elias killed her. He begins to explain about the Entities, and the fact that Jon works for one (mark 4: Eye), but Jon leaves the room because he needs a cigarette. Elias appears and murders Leitner. Jon returns, finds the body, and flees.

Tim and Martin find their way out of the corridors, find the body, and call the police.

SEASON THREE: Jon is on the run from the police because they think he killed Leitner. He gives a statement about why he always hated Leitner. When he was a child, he found one of Leitner's books, which nearly got him eaten by a giant spider (mark 5: Web). His childhood bully got eaten in his place. Jon is living with his ex-girlfriend, Georgie, while he's in hiding.

Back at the Archives, Daisy (police detective) is convinced Jon is guilty of killing Leitner and Sasha. She's not looking for evidence, she just wants to catch him. Tim is also pretty sure he did it. Martin thinks he's innocent. Elias shows his first hint of supernatural powers by giving a statement about Daisy's first murder, which he just knows without her telling him.

Melanie takes a job at the Archives. She previously appeared to give a few statements. She's the former star of a ghost hunting YouTube show, and now has lost everything due to the circumstances of a few genuine encounters. She recently came back from a trip to India, where (as is revealed later) she was shot by a ghost soldier. She is friends with Georgie.

Basira visits the Archives to try to find Daisy, and runs off again looking for her when she realizes Daisy wants to kill Jon. Martin starts recording statements to "pick up the slack" while Jon's away.

Elias sends Jon statements while he's staying with Georgie, and in a bid to learn more about the supernatural he seeks out various servants of the Entities. Jude Perry nearly burns his hand off (mark 6: Desolation), Mike Crew nearly suffocates him by simulating the feeling of falling off a building (mark 7: Vast), and then Daisy catches him. Daisy kills Crew, and threatens to kill Jon (mark 8: Hunt), but Basira shows up and stops her. They drag Jon back to the Archives.

Everyone confronts Elias. We get confirmation that Jon can "compel" people (force them to answer his questions) but it doesn't work on Elias. Elias confesses to killing both Gertrude and Leitner. Everyone finds out Sasha was replaced during the Prentiss attack. Elias blackmails Basira into joining the Archives under threat of getting Daisy arrested; then turns around and blackmails Daisy into doing his dirty work in exchange for Basira's safety. He reveals that if he dies, or if the Archives are destroyed, anyone who works for the Institute dies too. Elias tells Jon he needs to stop the "Unknowing," which is a ritual the Stranger's servants are trying to complete to bring about the apocalypse.

Jon goes back to Georgie's; we find out she had an encounter with the supernatural when she was in university and now she literally cannot feel fear. Jon is confronted by Orsinov, a living mannequin that works for the Stranger. Orsinov tells him to find a taxidermied gorilla skin she needs for the Unknowing otherwise she'll kill him. He decides to go back to the Archives to get help, but on the way is kidnapped by Orsinov's goons. Orsinov says she's decided to use HIS skin in place of the gorilla one.

He's trapped for a month, and is eventually rescued by Michael, who reveals that he was one of Gertrudes's assistants before she sacrificed him to stop the Spiral's ritual. He wants to kill Jon, but as they are going into his corridors he is replaced by Helen (the woman he trapped in season two) who decides to drop Jon at the Archives instead.

Jon decides to follow in Gertrudes's footsteps to try and find the gorilla skin (to destroy it). He visits an Archive in China, and several locations in America. He is kidnapped by Julia and Trevor (Hunters) and gets on their good side. They let him talk to Gerry Keay (goth ghost that the fandom goes wild over). Gerry gives Jon the rundown on all of the fears, and explains a bit more about Gertrude. Jon agrees to release him from this world by burning a page of the book he's trapped in (this angers Julia and Trevor, which is important later). Jon goes back to England.

They find the gorilla skin in Gertrudes's old storage unit (and explosives), but it has been destroyed. Orsinov exhumes the bodies of Gertrude and Leitner to use their skin instead. There's a stretch of waiting where not much happens.

Jon, Tim, Basira, and Daisy go to a wax museum with Gertrudes's explosives to blow it up in the middle of the Unknowing. Martin and Melanie stay in the Archives to steal the tape with Elias's confession on it and get him arrested for murder.

At the Unknowing, Basira makes it out alive. Daisy kills Hope (one of the deliverymen from season one) but Breekon traps her in The Coffin (this has shown up in several statements before; it's an artifact of the Buried and traps people underground forever). Tim sets off the explosives and dies, while Jon ALMOST does in the same explosion. He ends up in a coma instead.

At the Institute, Martin distracts Elias while Melanie steals the tape. Elias taunts him about his feelings for Jon, then forces knowledge on him about how much his mother hates him (his mother's in a nursing home: caring for her is why he couldn't go to university and had to lie on his CV). Melanie succeeds in stealing the tapes and Martin barely restrains her from killing Elias.

Elias reveals that Jon is trapped in a nightmare realm where he constantly relives the statements of the people who have told them to him directly (not the ones that are written down). He is arrested, and Peter Lukas (servant of the Lonely) becomes the Interim Head of the Institute.

SEASON BREAK: Six months pass. Three major events occur: Martin's mother dies, Jared Hopworth (servant of the Flesh) attacks the Institute and is trapped in Helen's (Micheal's replacement) corridors, and Peter tells Martin that he'll protect the Institute from further threats if Martin works for him and isolates himself from everyone else. Martin, more than a little suicidal due to his mother's death and the man he loves being in a coma, agrees.

SEASON FOUR: Martin's plotline is revealed in drips and drabs throughout the season, and is easier to tell all at once. Basically, Peter convinces him that there's a 15th Entity, Extinction, that is about to emerge into the world and kill everything. This is based on research done by Adelard Dekker, one of Gertrudes's allies. Peter says that Martin is the only one who can stop it, because he has been marked by the Beholding and he is getting closer and closer to the Lonely as he isolates himself. This is enough of a threat that Martin sticks with his plan despite several opportunities to leave.

Jon's plot starts with Oliver Banks giving a statement in his hospital room and telling him he's too human to live, too much of a monster to die (mark 9: End). If Jon decides to stay human he will die; if he gives into the Beholding he will live. Oliver leaves; Jon wakes up. Georgie is disappointed that he gave into the Beholding, and walks away. Basira is cold and practical, following in Gertrudes's 'ends justify the means' logic. She is watching Jon closely, and prepared to kill him if he becomes dangerous. Melanie is boiling with anger and tries to attack Jon whenever they're in a room together.

Jon reads a Slaughter statement and knows (by supernatural means) that Melanie is becoming a servant of the Slaughter because the bullet that the ghost shot her with is still in her leg. He and Basira perform amateur surgery to get it out. Melanie stabs him in the shoulder (mark 10: Slaughter). She is, understandably, furious, but she becomes calmer as she heals and she starts going to therapy.

Breekon (the surviving deliveryman) drops off the coffin. Jon displays a new power by extracting a statement from him. He learns that Daisy is still alive, but trapped in the coffin. Basira leaves the Archives based on information from a "source" (Elias, though Jon does not know this yet). Jon learns that he can go into the coffin and get out again if he has an anchor to the real world. He tries to cut off his own finger, fails, and under Melanie's advisement finds Jared Hopworth (Flesh servant who attacked when he was in a coma) in Helen's corridors. Jared removes two of Jon's ribs (one to keep and one for Jon) and gives a statement (mark 11: Flesh).

Jon goes into the coffin (mark 12: Buried) and finds Daisy. She is much more clear-headed than before, because she has been separated from the Hunt for so long. Jon cannot feel his anchor (rib) at first, but the signal is amplified when Martin places a bunch of tape recorders on top of the coffin. Jon leads Daisy out, and both are extremely confused by all the tape recorders.

Jon and Basira find out that the servants of the Dark might be trying a ritual in Norway, and head off to stop them. On the way, Jon forces a sailor on the boat they're on to give a statement. Basira is disturbed, but doesn't try to stop him. (Back in the Archives, Martin hears from another person who Jon took a statement from, and is rightfully horrified.) In Norway, Jon and Basira learn that the Dark's ritual failed the same week Gertrude died, though there's still an artifact - the Dark Star - left from it. Jon destroys the Dark Star by literally just looking at it, though it nearly kills him (mark 13: Dark). Helen gives them a shortcut home through her corridors.

Martin leaves a tape of his conversation with the person Jon took a statement from on Basira's desk. Jon confesses that he's done this to five people. He promises not to do it again (from this point on, both he and Daisy grow weaker as they try to resist the Beholding and Hunt, respectively).

Jon, Basira, Daisy, and Melanie visit Hill Top Road (I cannot even begin to explain Hill Top Road, there's so much going on and there's no answers yet. Best I can say is it's been strongly affected by both the Web and the Desolation, and there seems to be some warping of reality in the basement.) They find a statement from Annabelle Cain (main servant of the Web) that's basically one long taunt to Jon about how the Web may or may not be orchestrating everything. Main takeaway from this is that once he starts reading a statement, he cannot stop.

Jon finds out how to quit the Institute, via an old tape from Gertrude. Her assistant, Eric Delano (Gerry Keay's father) escaped the Institute by gouging out his own eyes. Jon runs to Martin with this information and begs him to run away together, but Martin refuses. Jon tells Melanie, Daisy, and Basira. Melanie decides to act on this information, and puts her eyes out with an awl. She goes to live with Georgie, who she is dating by this point. Daisy and Basira stay in the Archives.

Season finale, Peter launches his plan. He and Martin head into the tunnels under the Institute. While down there, Peter frees the Not!Sasha and sends it to attack the Institute. He brings Martin to the Panopticon of Milbank Prison, and explains that Jonah Magnus's original body is still in the center of the Panopticon watching EVERYTHING. Elias shows up (he escaped from jail) and reveals that he IS Jonah Magnus. Peter says that Martin needs to kill Jonah's original body and take his place. From the Panopticon, he will be able to learn how to stop the Extinction (it will also trap him there forever). Martin realizes he's been manipulated and refuses, because even though the Extinction is a threat he doesn't want to sacrifice himself just so Peter can win against Elias. It is revealed that Peter and Elias formed a bet: if Peter could get one of the Institute staff to willingly join the Lonely, he would be allowed to kill Elias and take over the Institute forever. Since he failed (Martin is close to the Lonely but doesn't entirely serve it) he instead traps Martin in the Lonely, and then goes in himself.

Meanwhile, Jon finds out that the Extinction isn't as immediate a threat as he thought, and that Martin has gone with Peter to complete his plan. Jon tries to get help from Georgie, Melanie, and Helen, but all refuse. Basira and Daisy inform him that Elias escaped from prison, and they find a tape revealing that he is Jonah Magnus. All hell breaks loose at this point. Julia and Trevor (the Hunters from season three who he stole Gerry's page from) show up to try to kill Jon, and they run into Not!Sasha, which has escaped from the tunnels. Basira and Daisy tell Jon to run and help Martin. He does. Daisy makes the decision to lean into the Hunt again, and makes Basira promise to find her and kill her once it's all over. Basira agrees (unwillingly) and runs. Daisy attacks the Hunters and Not!Sasha.

Jon finds Elias at the Panopticon. Elias explains where Martin has gone, and Jon dives into the Lonely after him (mark 14: Lonely). Jon meets Peter in the Lonely, takes his statement, and kills him. He finds Martin and manages to save him.

Jon and Martin flee to one of Daisy's old safehouses in Scotland. Twenty-two days after they arrive, they receive a package that they think is from Basira containing a bunch of statements and tapes for Jon. Martin leaves to take a walk, and Jon reads a statement. It turns out to be from Elias (Jonah) explaining his whole plan with marking Jon with the Entities and various ways he manipulated events so that that would happen. Jon is unable to stop reading, and at the end of the statement is an invocation that brings all fourteen Entities through into the world. Martin makes it back to the safehouse, and they watch the world end together.

SEASON FIVE: Jon and Martin are still in the safehouse. Martin wants to leave and kill Elias, Jon wants to stay at least a bit longer to grieve the world. They could stay forever: they no longer need food, water, or sleep to survive. Jon's been constantly relistening to the tapes from the package that was delivered, and there's some backstory revealed in them: Gertrude had planned on Sasha being her replacement once she died, and had made a tape with all the information she would have needed to stay alive. She suspected that if the Entities came through into the world, they would be here to stay, and that things like space, time, and the laws of physics would stop working. There's also some nostalgic stuff with Tim and Sasha.

Jon gets hit with the knowledge that the safehouse is not actually safe, and is feeding on Jon and Martin's fear of losing each other. He and Martin agree to leave, setting out on a quest to kill Elias and try to save the world.

The structure of this new world is revealed: each fear has taken up a domain in which it is the primary source of fear for the people trapped in it, and Jon and Martin need to pass through all of them before they can get to the Panopticon and Elias. So far they've been through the Slaughter, the Corruption, the Stranger, the Buried, and the End. People are only dying in the End; in the others, there is no escape from the horror. Any time Jon gets too close to one of these domains he is overwhelmed by the fear and needs to give a statement about it. The first time, Martin just stuck his fingers in his ears, but since then he's been going on walks so he doesn't have to hear.

Annabelle Cain (Web) tries to call Martin via a payphone; he doesn't pick up.

Jon realizes he can know basically anything he wants to, and Martin asks him a series of questions, learning that: Daisy is Hunting between the domains; Basira is chasing her, planning to kill her but starting to doubt that; Melanie and Georgie are in London but he can't see them clearly; Elias is in the Panopticon; Jon and Martin are safe, traveling like they are; Jon can't see Annabelle AT ALL; and the world can be turned back if the fears are removed, but the fears can't be destroyed as long as there are people left to fear them.

Helen shows up to "check up on the happy couple" and try to make friends. Martin asks if her corridors can give them a shortcut to London, but Jon's powerful enough that he would hurt her if he tried to do that. She leaves.

They run into the Not!Sasha in the Stranger's domain. It threatens them, but cannot actually hurt them. It taunts them about Sasha, and Jon kills it. Martin is very impressed.

Helen shows up again, and explains that there are two roles people can take in this new world: afraid or feared. Jon has the ability to make something that is feared afraid, and doing so destroys the feared things utterly (this is how he killed Not!Sasha). Martin wants to go on a murder spree killing any monsters they come across; Jon does not. Helen leaves again.

While Jon is giving a statement Annabelle calls Martin on a cellphone. He answers, and she offers him help. He refuses and hangs up.

Jon reads Martin's mind and learns about the conversation with Annabelle. Martin is annoyed, and Jon promises not to do it again. They stop for a rest. Martin starts wondering about Gertrudes's past, and Jon launches into a statement about it: one of her assistants fell to the Web and killed a bunch of her other assistants, and Gertrude never trusted anyone after that. It is also revealed that if an Archivist dies, their assistants are free to leave the Institute without gouging out their eyes.

Jon and Martin are both disturbed by the statement and by the fact that neither of them could stop it. Jon explains that Gertrude would have lost purpose in the apocalypse without anyone to trust, and that Martin is giving HIM purpose. He also explains that all servants of the Entities have a domain in this new world. His is the Panopticon, and Martin DOES NOT want to know what his own is.

The most recent episode was the End's domain, run by Oliver Banks (the guy who woke Jon from his coma). This statement explained that the End is still killing people permanently, and there is no new life coming into this world; therefore, the End will eventually start stealing victims from other fears. This will ultimately deplete all human and animal life which will kill the Entities themselves and leave an empty universe.

UNADDRESSED TOPICS:

What do the Spiders want? It's surprisingly easy to leave out any traces of the Web's influence from this summary, but Jon is still carrying the cigarette lighter with the web design from season one and he doesn't seem to notice it, several important tapes he's found have been covered in cobwebs, and Annabelle is clearly targeting Martin.

Random plots that have less impact on the main story! This completely skips over characters like Mikale Salesa and Maxwell Rayner, and other oft-appearing but easily missed background people. If there are any in particular you're curious about let me know, but I don't THINK any of them are going to show up again.

Random plots that I don't know if they're going to have an impact on the main story! Agnes Montague, Gertrudes's assistants, everything with Hill Top Road - I have no idea what about their stories is going to be important from this point forward. Maybe everything, maybe nothing.

My askbox is always open if you've got any questions (@cirrus-grey). This is a broad summary that misses out a LOT of details!

[usuccc]

Please talk more about that au, villain Alfred is a guilty pleasure 🙏🏻

*sweats* You and me both! Oh man, where to begin. First of all, thanks for the interest! It means a lot. I can’t be concise, so I’m gonna put this under a huge ‘Keep Reading’ for whoever is interested. Like for real there is a whole ass essay below that cut. I left some stuff out cause it’s already a ridiculous length, but I got the gist of it.

Leave it to me to take a silly gag au and go completely off the rails with it. It’s honestly hilarious gg me.

This au takes place in some fake big city with dark synthwave-y aesthetics where the skies are constantly gray in the daytime from smog and pollution. Over the last ~20-30 years, Jones Enterprises has risen up as the most influential and powerful company in the United States, with their headquarters in (fake big city’s name). They have hands in many industries, spanning the manufacturing, retail, and technology spheres. Over the past 5 years, especially, they’ve seen massive, nearly unbelievable growth, and unfortunate events or sell-outs have conveniently fallen upon their competitors, allowing them to create monopolies in several industries. They also have the government in an iron grip and no one is willing to stand up to them for fear of the consequences. Most people mysteriously feel compelled not to confront them anyway, especially those who live closest to their headquarters.

Francis was an employee for Jones Enterprises’ main headquarters. He saw how overworked and underpaid his colleagues were. Bogged down by overwork in his first year, he eventually tried to get away with slacking as much as he could. After witnessing one of his close coworkers have a heart attack and almost die from the stress of working there, he changed gears and started speaking out on behalf of his colleagues. Some of his motivation came from feeling partially responsible for what happened, and he wanted to evoke positive change across the company instead. He tried time and time again to organize strikes after his attempts to organize a union were completely shattered. The turnout was very little in the beginning, and soon fizzled out to just him. He stubbornly pressed forward on his own anyway and was fired for it. Finding other work turned out to be impossible, his firing acting as an unemployment death sentence. It was not uncommon for employees fired from Jones Enterprises to be shunned from ever finding a decent job again, and Francis’s situation was even worse given the bad publicity he received from his strike attempts.

Ready to resort to desperate measures, Francis started seriously considering moving back in with his parents in France and figuring out a new plan. Jones Enterprises had gained significant influence in Europe too, so there wasn’t a guarantee he wouldn’t experience similar problems there.

Before he could buy a plane ticket, he was visited by Kiku Honda, a stranger with an unassuming appearance. Long story short, Kiku had come to the US with the alias as a simple tourist. His family was presently responsible for safekeeping a secret and powerful magical artifact with mysterious origins. 

The artifact was one of two powerful stones, both of which were in existence since the beginning of mankind. These stones were antitheses of each other, representing and contributing to major moral conflicts throughout history. They were both drawn to chosen human hosts who were destined to face each other. The pink stone, which Kiku was in possession of, gained and gave magical power through love, equality, and hope/healing. It formed a positive, nurturing, non-invasive connection with its host, and gave them the power to protect and inspire hope in others. The other (purple) stone gained and gave magical power through greed, subjugation, and fear. It gave great wrath and influence to its host, whose powers would grow exponentially over time as the two stayed connected. This stone would physically embed itself in its host’s heart, eating away at their mind slowly to bring out the absolute worst in them and shave away at their morals and inhibitions, until they were nothing but a heartless monster. Tendrils would spread out from the stone throughout the host’s body, growing in size and number the longer they were connected.

Kiku had long suspected that the unnatural growth of Jones Enterprises was connected to the purple stone. He had gradually implanted connections in Jones Enterprises and had been monitoring the situation for clues of a potential host. The senior leadership of the company was very hard to crack, however, and the CEO had significantly limited his public appearances in recent years, but Kiku would not let it rest. Any of the higher ups in the company could be a candidate for suspicion. While investigating, he heard of and even saw some of Francis’s brazen attempts to challenge the seemingly invincible company. He was impressed with Francis’s ability to stand up to an insurmountable foe, especially given the influence of the mysterious compelling force that kept most others in the city silent. He wanted to get information from Francis about his experience at Jones Enterprises and to offer him an opportunity to rebuild his life for his bravery. The stone, which Kiku always kept on his person, ended up choosing and bonding with Francis to both of their surprise, and boom Magical Strike was born.

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Now onto Alfred and Arthur. Alfred is the son of the founder and CEO of Jones Enterprises and his ex-wife. His parents divorced when he was still a baby, and his father did not remarry. Alfred’s mom remarried right away and had another son, Matthew. 

In his home life, Alfred often felt neglected and overlooked compared to Matthew, whom his mom and stepdad preferred and doted on. His birth father ignored him in favor of growing his company as well. This caused Alfred to act out at school and extracurricular activities, always overshadowing Matthew whenever possible and rubbing it in his face. He often got in trouble at home later for it. When Alfred got a little older, he frequently snuck out after these fights and went somewhere to be alone. One night, he walked down to the neighborhood park and saw another boy alone by the swings where he usually liked to go to mope. This boy was a few years older than him and muttering angrily to himself. Feeling a sort of weird camaraderie for this other pissed off dude, coupled with the fact he’d never seen him before and was curious, Alfred took the plunge and went over to talk to him. Alfred and Arthur’s first meeting was a little rocky, but the two quickly found themselves warming up to each other. Many coincidences found them meeting in the same park after a bad day, and the two eventually bonded and made a thing of it. Alfred found that with Arthur he could open up and be more authentic than he let himself be with his other friends.

By the time he hit high school, Alfred emotionally detached himself from his mom/stepdad, and tried to be a little nicer to Matthew, although their relationship was never close. He and Arthur still met often outside of school, and Alfred tried to reach out to him at school too, but Arthur limited those interactions due to his unfavorable status as an irritable loner. Alfred continued to seek out other people’s attention, forming a ton of superficial friendships with his classmates. He became obsessed with being number one at everything he did and getting everyone to like him to patch up his residual feelings of loneliness and inadequacy, and also to hopefully impress Arthur, whom he secretly had a crush on. Excelling in his sports clubs, and even skipping a grade in his academics, Alfred felt like things would be okay if they kept going the way they were.

Then Arthur abruptly confided halfway into Alfred’s freshman year that he was moving back to England that year after he graduated for family reasons. Alfred didn’t take the news well, and when the time came for Arthur to leave, it hit Alfred hard. They promised they’d keep in touch via phone and online, but that did little to comfort him and his other shallow friendships often made him feel worse. The feelings of loneliness and inadequacy returned tenfold. It was around this time that Alfred was contacted for the first time by his birth father in years, asking to meet and catch up. Alfred readily accepted, not taking a moment to think it through in his low emotional state.

Alfred’s dad was getting into some weird shit since the divorce. He’d been putting obsessive efforts into expanding his company, making strategic partnerships, attending all kinds of rich, bougie events for networking purposes, and exploiting his workers to maximize profits. Despite his efforts, his returns were decreasing and the existence of some key new competitors put him in a tough spot for future growth. When conventional methods didn’t appear to be making any progress, Alfred’s father started hanging around some wealthy, sketchy social circles. It’s through a series of events with these groups that he learned of and obtained the purple stone. After seeing it reject and devour an unfit host before his eyes, he decided he was in desperate need of its supposed power, but he couldn’t risk using it on himself in the case he was judged to be unfit. He had to use it on someone inconsequential if things went wrong, but at the same time malleable, so he could ensure they used the power to further his goals. 

Alfred’s dad put on an act when Alfred arrived, making it seem like he wanted to bring Alfred back into his life, raise him up like he should have been doing all those years. Alfred soaked it up like a sponge, and his dad appeared to follow through on his promises, engaging with him and frequently making secret visits so they could spend quality time together. After a whole year of building Alfred’s trust, his dad was able to convince him to put the stone to his heart, assuring him that only he could do it and he trusted Alfred to make their company and the lives of so many people who depended on it great. The stone embedded itself in Alfred’s chest, causing him to pass out from the pain. When he woke up, still in one piece, his dad was able to calm him down and convince him to keep it a secret, even from the people he was closest to.

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Some other tidbits of info:

Arthur and Alfred did keep up communication after he left for England, and he considers Alfred his closest friend. Life got in the way plenty of times, though, and they couldn’t always keep up the most consistent communication. Still, they did what they could and were able to meet in person a few times even. Arthur obtained a degree in England and worked his first job there. But after that, he moved back to the states and got a job at Jones Enterprises, thrilled to surprise Alfred about it. They have a heartwarming reunion. Alfred, himself, graduated high school early, got accepted into an Ivy League college on a scholarship, received his degree in finance and business management due to his piece of shit dad’s wishes, and was being directed by his dad to start using his powers of influence on their competitors. At first, he justified to himself that the outcome would be good and that the competitors he was going after were bad people—which some of them definitely were—but over time, he found himself doing things he never would have before (to unhappy employees for example), caring less and less about the people that were impacted.

-----

So yeah, the main events take place about 10 years after Alfred becomes the host for the purple stone, having plenty of time to grow his power and lose himself to the stone’s influence in secret. When Francis makes his debut as Magical Strike, Alfred starts infusing some of Jones Enterprise’s key weapons tech with his magic and sending people after Francis, who is still learning his abilities. Then, in the latter half of this arc, Arthur becomes the main antagonist against Francis, having just scratched the surface of what’s really going on with Alfred and thinking (in denial) this will somehow help him. At the beginning of the second arc, there would be growing tension between Alfred and Arthur when Arthur can’t explain or keep excusing Alfred’s actions anymore. Alfred would lose control and almost hurt Arthur, whom he had taken the most care to hide his darker side from, which would cause Arthur to join forces with Francis, desperate to find a way to get the purple stone out of Alfred and save him somehow. Alfred mcfuckin loses it when he finds out.

[timetoresurface]

Turn / LTY

vampire!au Taeyong x Y/N 6k vampire thingy where weird stuff just seems to happen, but you don’t care as long as you were close to Taeyong // no warnings

Honestly, you don’t know a lot about your town’s history. Still, you did know that vampires and humans lived in harmony together. You remember something about a truce many moons ago where vampires vowed not to bite a human in exchange for a peaceful life. Even though you have never really heard of anyone being randomly bitten for the past fifty years, humans were still wary of the vampires. 

One side of your town was bright and filled with people living their carefree lives, and the other was more dark and forbidden territory to humans. Vampires actually didn’t care if you would go over to their side. However, the elderly people in your town still remember the times when simply walking through their neighbourhood meant being bitten, or worse being turned into one of them.

There was only one case five years ago where a female vampire had turned your neighbour into a vampire, but this was only because they were in love. You always thought it was kind of strange, as she was probably over a hundred years old and your neighbour was only twenty at the time. What could they have possibly talked about? You still remember everyone being upset by the news, and local stores closed for a whole week because everyone thought the vampires went loose again. They didn’t, of course. After a week or so, everything had gone back to normal, and people seemed to have forgotten about your neighbour. As if he had never existed in the first place. 

You loved walking through the vampire part of town, as it was more deserted and gave you some time to think. You also needed to go through the quiet streets to get to your classes. You never really liked taking the bus as it was too crowded, and you definitely didn’t want to take the long route. Your only option was to go through the peaceful streets filled with weird antique shops and high-tech stores. You had entered one of their shops once, and it was as close to normal as could be. You couldn’t tell if the lady behind the register was a vampire, but in the end, it didn’t matter. They were simply living their life in the same peaceful manner as a human would do. You didn’t understand the fuss about them being mean and secretive. Vampires used to be human too, and the vampires in your town wanted to live an ordinary life. 

You didn’t know many vampires. You only knew of the lady in the shop who could or could possibly not be a vampire. But there was one person you suspected of being a real vampire, and his name was Taeyong. He lived a bit outside town, like you, where there was no strict vampire or human territory. He had moved a little over a year ago to go to your local college together with some friends. He was the brooding and mysterious character who had fascinated you since day one.

At first, you didn’t consider him being a vampire, but there were some giveaways if you paid close attention. He was pale, and this might not a big surprise as everyone in your town was remotely pale due to the lack of sun your city saw, but he was exceptionally pale. As if he was sick, but other days he had a healthy glow and noticeably more energy. He was also too smart to go to your small local college, and this you knew because you shared a lot of the same classes. You only talked to him once, and it wasn’t a success, to say the least.

It was one of your first day of college, and you had never seen Taeyong or any of his friends. Classes were over for the day, and you took your usual route through scary vampire territory. You had bumped into each other, and it was not the romantic kind of walking into each other. He had been running, his eyes crazy, and it scared you. It was never a good sign when someone was running through this part of town.

“Watch where you’re going.” He hissed at you, making you feel small and insecure. As if you were an animal stuck in his trap.

“I’m sorry.” Was the only thing you could say while you were avoiding his intense stare. You had always heard people talk about a vampire’s stare being mesmerizing. Still, you never realized how consuming their eyes were. It seemed to be the only thing you could focus on. It was hard to not look into his eyes, but you fought the urge.

“You should go home. Don’t talk to strangers.” He finally ordered you with concern laced in his tone. You looked up with confusion in your eyes, but that’s where you made a mistake. His eyes were dark brown, almost black-like, and it somehow didn’t scare you.

“My mom told me I shouldn’t talk to strangers, and you’re definitely strange.” You told him, and you cringed at your awkward statement. Were you trying to prove to him that you were not scared because you were, but not of him. He simply laughed at your comment before running off to wherever he was going, leaving you alone and confused. That’s when the small obsession with Taeyong began. You wanted to figure out if he really was a vampire or not, because how else you could explain your speeding heart and moist palms whenever he was near?

You had worked on a project with some of his friends, and you  still couldn’t tell if they were vampires or not. His friends ate the healthy amount of food a human boy in their twenty’s would, and they were actually approachable. You could talk to them, and you could find them at parties chatting someone’s ear off. You actually befriended one of his friends, Mark. He was the kind of person everyone got along with, including you. Taeyong was also present at these parties, but he was always standing somewhere alone in the corner. He preferred to be alone, but girls periodically tried to make a move on him, and he never seemed pleased by their presence. It was quite a hilarious scene to uphold. How the girls attempted to show their cleavage while acting tipsy to get his attention. He never looked at them, disgust expressed in his orbs while he sipped from his drink. 

You and Mark had gotten pretty close since your school project. He would take you out for lunch or would invite you to hang with some of his other friends. It was clear to anyone that you and Mark had this special bond, and both your friend groups accepted the other. He even threw you a little surprise birthday party at your favourite coffee shop. He had invited some of his friends and your friends, and it was one of the most enjoyable afternoon’s you had ever had. 

Mark had given you a birthday card where he mentioned he would always protect you, and he would even hide a body for you if necessary. He was a good friend, and you were glad he was in your life. You never knew a day would come where you would actually take him up on his offer. 

“Hi Y/N!” Mark immediately said when he picked up his phone. He seemed happy and carefree, and you hated to be the person to ruin his mood. Every time something remotely unfortunate happened to you, Mark would try everything in his power to make you feel better. You kind of felt regretful about depending on him so much. You wished you could be the same to Mark, but he never gave you a chance to worry about him.

“Mark, I…” you started, but you were in a state of shock and immediately started crying. Mark noticed your distressed behaviour, and you could hear him saying something in the background. 

“Where are you? What happened? Y/N?” Mark asked you, and you could hear him getting ready to come and pick you up. He was the only person you could depend on. You trusted him 100 per cent. 

“Second Street, corner shop.” Was the only thing you could say through your tears, but Mark knew enough. You heard a door slam, some keys jingling and a motor being being brought to life.

“Give me five minutes.” He said before hanging up, and you quietly waited for him to come and get you. You didn’t want to hang up, but you also weren’t in a state to have small talk. You simply stood there with your bike in hand. 

“Y/N!” Mark yelled through the open window of his car, but he wasn’t driving. You couldn’t see who was driving the vehicle, but you were glad he had finally arrived. It felt like you had waited hours for him to get here, but in reality, it had taken him only three minutes. 

“I think I killed it.” You whispered monotonously, and Mark looked worried by your lack of emotions. You pointed toward the small cat that was still stuck under the wheel of your bike. It didn’t really look alive, and you couldn’t remove your bike out of shock. You had stood frozen in your spot for the last half hour, chances were getting slimmer for the cat to be alive.

“You know, I was joking on that birthday card when I said I’d help you hide a body.” Mark tried to lighten the mood, but you simply presented him with your deadly glare. He seemed relieved by your typical behaviour before taking your hands off the bike to remove the murder machine.

“What happened?” A voice behind you asked, and you immediately turned around in shock. It was Taeyong, and he had probably driven Mark to the murder scene. It was the first time you had heard him speak in close proximity, and it gave you chills all over your body. This was not the time to be aroused by someone’s voice. You were currently the lead suspect of a murder case.

“She hit a cat with her bike.” Mark sighed, and relief flashed over Taeyong’s face. Why did he look so relieved? Had he been worrying about you too? 

“Are you alright?” Taeyong asked you while he moved closer to you. Mark was now examining the cat, and you were glad Taeyong was distracting you from the bloodless scene. His eyes were deep brown and merely mesmerizing, you almost forgot about the situation. Almost.

“No.” You simply said, making Taeyong chuckle lowly. You never really liked to play the damsel in distress, but you couldn’t hide your feelings. You needed their help, and you didn’t care how pathetic it made you look. You had never even killed a fly, and now you had accidentally murdered a cat.

“Do you want to bury the body?” He asked you, and all you could do was nod your head. Mark looked questionably at Taeyong but seemed to make peace with the situation. He simply shrugged his shoulders, trying to think of a solution.

“Okay,” Taeyong said before he went back to his car to grab a towel out of his gym bag. Mark stood by your side to shield you from the scene while Taeyong wrapped the lifeless body in his blue towel. 

“There isn’t a place to bury it here, though.” Mark thought out loud to Taeyong. They were looking at each other as if they were speaking through their minds. 

“We can do it in our garden, I suppose.” Taeyong finally stated. The boys turned toward you expectantly. 

“Do you want to be there?” Mark asked you softly before wrapping his arm over your shoulder. You shuddered at the contact, realizing how cold it had gotten outside. Taeyong had seemed to decipher your reaction and quickly grabbed an extra sweater out of his bag. 

“Yes.” You finally said when Taeyong had given you his sweater. You gladly accepted and put on the extra layer of warmth before following them toward the black car. The piece of clothing smelled freshly washed, and you couldn’t help but relax in the backseat while a dead animal was in the trunk. How did you always get yourself in these weird situations?

You had never gone to Mark’s house, so you did feel a bit awkward because of the situation. The only thing you knew was that he had three housemates, one of them being Taeyong. The others you had briefly met, and you do remember one of them being at your surprise birthday party. You think their names were Jungwoo and Doyoung. 

The moment the car parked in its rightful place, two guys stormed outside with worried expressions. When Taeyong opened your door, and when you made your way out, everyone seemed relieved. Again, why was everyone so concerned about you? You barely knew these people.

“What happened?”

“How’s Y/N?”

“Everything alright?”

Were a few of the questions they immediately fired toward the three of you. Taeyong looked at Mark as if to say he should handle the nosy boys, while he opened the trunk of his car. He carefully grabbed the cat wrapped up in a towel before walking out to their backyard. Everyone silently followed him, not knowing what was in the towel or what the plan was. 

Taeyong instructed his roommates to dig a hole at the edge of the garden while Mark kept you company. No one questioned Taeyong but simply followed his order. You were mesmerized by his powerful vibe, and you couldn’t help but follow his every action. How he carefully placed the dead cat on the grass to adjust the towel. How he sometimes secretly glanced toward you and Mark to check if you were still doing okay. 

When the other two boys were done digging a hole in the ground, they awkwardly awaited further instructions. Taeyong simply looked at you to see if you were ready. He probably expected a simple nod so he could place the cat in the hole, but you wanted to say a few words.

“We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of a suicidal cat.” You started, and you could hear Mark hold back his laughter, his body vibrating next to you. The other two boys simply stared at you. Taeyong had to suppress a smile, and you wished you had seen him smile earlier. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

“I don’t know if he or she is a loner, or if they belong to anyone. I’m extremely remorseful of my actions, and I hope that if there is a God that he or she can forgive me. It was unintentional. May you rest in peace.” You finished your speech. Taeyong noticed and carefully placed the cat in its rightful place in their garden. The other boys skillfully closed up the hole while you softly let tears fall from your eyes. Mark noticed and gave you a tissue he kept in his jacket. He had gotten used to you crying over silly little things, so he always carried an extra tissue just in case. 

You gladly accepted the tissue before wiping your eyes. You realized you had put on make-up this morning, and you probably looked like a raccoon. You looked at Mark, and he simply nodded his head as if he just read your thoughts. 

“Shit.” You muttered under your breath, making Mark laugh. Blame it on the aftermath of shock, but you started laughing along with him. Taeyong and the other roommates looked at you with hundredth questions in their eyes, but you and Mark simply kept laughing like mad people. 

“Is she okay?” Someone asked Taeyong softly, but he simply smiled at you when he thought you weren’t looking. 

“We should get her inside before anyone sees her.” The one named Jungwoo suddenly said firmly. Taeyong simply nodded his head before he took your arm and rushed you inside. You didn’t understand what the issue was of you being seen in their garden, but you didn’t question them. They had helped you without asking you, so you returned the favour. 

“You can stay here tonight. You can sleep in my bed while I sleep on the couch.” Mark told you while he grabbed some water for you to drink. Jungwoo was ordering some pizza while Doyoung and Taeyong were softly talking in the living room. It was weird to hang out in their house when they clearly never invited anyone before. 

“Where is the bathroom?” You asked Mark after drinking the glass of water he had given you. Mark pointed toward the direction of the bathroom, and you followed his instructions. 

You were surprised by your appearance in the mirror, and not in a good way. Your face was swollen from crying, and your skin was pale from the shock. Your mascara was everywhere except on your eyelashes. To summarize, you looked like a walking mess, and you finally realized why everyone kept asking if you were okay. You undoubtedly didn’t look okay. You wiped the remaining make-up off your face and splashed your face with water, hoping to make yourself look more alive. When you were done, you made your way back toward the kitchen, but an argument was going on in the kitchen. It was about you.

“Why did you bring her here? It’s dangerous for humans to be seen around here.” Jungwoo stated firmly, and you could feel the tension rising. 

“She was alone and helpless. We couldn’t just leave her.” Mark defended himself. You hated the fact you had put him in trouble again. He was always helping you while you kept putting him in awkward situations.

“You could have driven her home.” Doyoung piped in.

“I expected this behaviour of Mark, but I didn’t think Taeyong would be so stupid,” Jungwoo said irritated. Him dropping Taeyong’s name made your heart race, and you couldn’t understand why your heart was acting this way. 

“I think she’s back,” Taeyong stated, and you had a weird feeling that he knew you were eavesdropping as if he sensed you being near. 

“Y/N I hope you like Hawaiian pizza,” Jungwoo said when you entered the kitchen, acting as if you didn’t hear the strange conversation. You simply nodded your head when you stood next to Mark. You didn’t know how to work around them, and it showed.

“I’ll bring you some clothes to get changed into,” Taeyong announced before leaving the room to get you a change of clothes. You thanked him, but he was already out of earshot. After you got changed into some sweats and another sweater of Taeyong, you guys shared pizza and watched a movie. There was a weird atmosphere that no one knew how to break, so you quickly made your way toward Mark’s room to go to sleep. 

It was strange sleeping in Mark’s bed in a house filled with boys. It was weird knowing there was a corpse of a cat buried in their garden that you had accidentally killed. However, you did sleep the full ten hours. It was Mark who had woken you up to check up on you.

“Y/N,” Mark whispered while he gently touched your forehead. You opened your eyes and were met with Mark looking worriedly at you. You noticed you were covered in sweat.

“Hi.” You croaked out, noticing your dry throat. 

“Here is some water.” Mark offered you, and you gladly accepted. “You had a bad dream. Do you remember anything?” He asked you after you drowned the whole glass. You shook your head. This wasn’t the first time you were covered in sweat when you woke up. 

“It happens from time to time. I never remember the bad dream, though.” You explained to him, but he kept looking at you as if you were a porcelain doll. “You don’t need to worry. I’m a big girl.” You joked while you showed him your imaginary muscles. This got a little chuckle out of him, but not his full contagious laugh that you loved so much.

“I have to go to school now, so I can’t drive you. Taeyong told me he has the same class as you at ten, so he will be driving you, okay?” Mark explained to you, and you could only nod your head in agreement. He quickly enveloped you in a big bro hug before leaving you in his room. 

You were going to be alone with Taeyong. You would enter your class with Taeyong by your side. All the girls will be jealous, and your friends are definitely going to want to know the story behind your entrance. You couldn’t tell them you killed a cat by accident, and called Mark while having a panic attack. Perhaps you should just tell them it was all coincidental. 

“We leave in ten minutes,” Taeyong said while knocking on Mark’s door. You realized you had stayed frozen on Mark’s bed for over an hour, and you didn’t even start to get ready.

“Let’s make it twenty.” You shouted before rushing to the bathroom to take a quick shower. You heard Taeyong laugh, and you hated the fact that you always missed it when he was laughing. For someone you’ve had spied for over a year, you had never seen him smile. Now, in the span of barely twelve hours, you had heard him laugh and seen him smile. It gave you a rush of adrenaline and a certain kind of proudness that you were able to evoke these emotions out of Taeyong. Is this how people get addicted? Is this the reason why girls keep throwing themselves at him?

You didn’t have any spare clothes, so you kept wearing Taeyong’s black hoodie and your black leggings from the day before. It wasn’t your best outfit, but it wasn’t that different than other days. When you walked out to Taeyong’s car, you did feel a little bit insecure. 

“You look great.” He softly complimented you while you seated yourself next to him. A soft blush found its way on your face, and you tried to hide it while covering your face.

“You’re only saying that because I’m wearing your hoodie.” You teased him, stunned by your own sudden confidence boost. He looked just as stunned as you at your remark, but he quickly recovered, showing off his tiny gummy smile.

“You got me. You look amazing in my clothes. You should keep the hoodie.” He told you while staring the car. You stared at his hands while he drove onto the street. Your heart started beating faster, and your palms began to sweat. 

“Thank you! I think I will.” You finally muttered when you had recovered just a little bit. If he noticed your awkward behaviour, he didn’t comment on it. But you had a feeling he knew he could make your heart lose its healthy beat. 

The moment the two of you entered your local college together, everyone stopped talking so they could look at the strange combination. Taeyong was never seen with anyone except for his three friends who were coincidentally his roommates. You understood their reaction because you would act the same if he walked with any other girl into class. You thought he would sit in his usual lonely seat at the back, but he followed you toward your fixed spot at the front. You liked to sit at the front with two of your friends. You looked questionably at Taeyong, but he simply shrugged his shoulders.

“I just want to make sure you’re okay.” He softly whispered as if understanding the question in your head, moving a bit closer to you than was sociably acceptable. His closeness made you shiver, but you tried to cover it by pretending to be cold.

“I am.” You confidently stated while you tried to ignore the rush in your body by Taeyong’s closeness. 

“You’re still pale.” He remarked, again with the same worry in his eyes as the day before. You didn’t know the guy, why the heck was he so interested in you? Maybe it was because you were close to Mark, but it still confused you. You hadn’t really spoken to Taeyong before yesterday, and now he was sitting next to you in class?

“I’m always pale.” You deadpanned while taking your seat. Taeyong quickly followed and occupied the chair next to you. He softly opened up his backpack to get his notebook and pencil while you eyed him suspiciously. 

“I really don’t like this class.” He whispered, and you could feel the stare of your friends on your back. Why was the Taeyong whispering something in your ear? You ignored him for the remainder of the lesson, as his presence was already distracting enough. 

After class your parted ways, you had an economics class, while he had to do something else you didn’t ask about. Your friends fired question after question the moment Taeyong was out of earshot, but you had a feeling he could hear everything they said by the small smile on his face. You tried to answer as honestly as possible, but you mainly kept up the facade of it being an accident. That both of you run into each other on accident. They seemed to believe you, and you continued your day as if nothing had ever happened. 

You walked your usual route back home while it was already getting dark out. You had stayed longer at the library than planned, but it didn’t matter that much to you. You liked the colours of the sky when the sun was setting, reminding you of carefree times you spent your holidays on your grand parent’s farm. 

You hadn’t noticed a figure following you, and you also hadn’t felt the air getting colder and colder the more you got in the vampire district. You hugged yourself trying to get a bit warmer, but the cold was creeping in your bones. You looked at your phone, but there were no new messages, making you feel alone. 

“Why is a beautiful girl like yourself walking all alone at night?” Someone commented, and you quickly turned around toward the source of the voice. It was a handsome young man you had never seen before. Your town really was filled with beautiful young men with mesmerizing eyes. You noticed their eyes to be a reddish colour, and it did scare you, but not enough.

“It’s barely night time. The sun is still in the sky.” You corrected the stranger as if you were old friends. He seemed surprised by your answer as if he hadn’t expected a bratty response.

“I see why they like you.” He simply stated, making you look at him with confusion. Who was he talking about? He started laughing, and his laugh was low and a bit scary. You know this cliché villain laughs, well he had one like that. 

“I” m Jaehyun.” He introduced himself, walking closer to you. You took a few steps back, but he simply smirked at your actions.

“Okay.” You answered him while your back was against the corner of the street. There was no one to see you. You were alone with this stranger, who you felt had bad intentions. 

“What’s your name?” He asked you softly, still making his way closer to you. He was only an arm’s length away from you, and you didn’t know how to get out of this situation. 

“I don’t see why that’s important.” You told him, but this must have been the wrong answer. His smile disappeared, and annoyance transformed his face into something grim. Something you didn’t want to witness. He moved closer until he was right in front of you, and you could smell his evil intentions. You had never seen this man before, and it scared you. His hand softly touched your face while he sniffed the side of your neck. His lips barely touching your sensitive skin. You stood there frozen, not knowing how to handle the situation, while you felt his teeth scraping at your skin. 

You thought this was going to be the end. You knew the guy must be a vampire, so you didn’t try to run as it was useless. They were faster and all-round better at anything than humans. You were scared, and you expected his bite any second when he was forcefully removed from you. You didn’t dare to open your eyes, but you heard someone crying in pain. 

The moment you opened your eyes, you couldn’t understand what was going on before you. Taeyong was moving incredibly fast; you could barely follow him with your eyes, but he seemed to be the one with the upper hand. The Jaehyun guy tried to fight back, but Taeyong was filled with rage the other guy barely didn’t have a chance. 

“Taeyong!” You yelled, trying to stop him from killing the other. He held Jaehyun in his arms, ready to snap his neck, but he stopped when he heard the desperation in his voice.

“Do you have to kill him?” You asked him softly, looking into his eyes. He looked puzzled by your question.

“He’s been biting humans around here even though he knows there is a truce.” He told you a matter of factly, but you weren’t satisfied with his answer.

“Are you alone, Jaehyun?” You asked the guy Taeyong was holding firmly in his deadly grip. You didn’t know why you were trying to save the scary vampire’s life, but you already killed a cat this week. You couldn’t handle any more blood on your hands. 

“Why does it matter? You want to adopt me?” He spat back at you, and you almost wanted to turn around and let Taeyong do whatever he was planning to do. 

“Isn’t that better than dying?” You asked him softly. You touched his face, mimicking the action he had done to you earlier. His were still franticly searching for a way out, and you could feel he was a lost cause. But you didn’t want to give up on him so easily. There was a glimmer of desperation in his eyes as if he wanted to be killed. As if he knew someone was out there protecting you. 

“I’ve been dead for over twenty years now.” nHe simply stated, his body relaxing a bit as if he was showing his true colours. 

“You’re relatively young.” You remarked. Your eyes locked with Taeyong’s and he seemed to understand your plan. Somehow he had a perfect instinct on how you felt. It comforted you to know he actually listened to you and respected your opinion even though he didn’t really seem to agree.

“Don’t tell me you plan to take him home?” He asked you in disbelief, but he already knew the answer.

“Not my home.” You shrugged, looking over at his car that was still parked in the middle of the empty road. 

“Get in the car.” He commanded, and you followed his order as if your life depended on it. Taeyong locked the unknown vampire in his trunk as if he was used to tying up depressed vampires. The ride back to his home was quiet and filled with a thick tension you didn’t want to break. He looked deep in thought, and you couldn’t take your eyes off of him. 

“I remember a year ago where I told you not to talk to strangers.” He finally spoke while he parked his car in front of his house. You didn’t know how to answer him, so you just got out of the vehicle.

“Aren’t you scared?” He asked you forcefully. He was annoyed by your behaviour, but you weren’t scared. You had never been scared of vampires, and you could never be frightened of Taeyong. 

“Should I be scared?” You asked him softly while you looked into his eyes. He seemed to soften a little, but he still looked pissed at your behaviour.

“Yes! He tried to kill you.” He stated, and you simply shrugged your shoulders at his comment.

“I don’t think he actually tried to kill me. He was waiting for you to tear him away from me.” You explained to Taeyong while Mark went outside to inspect the noise you two were making.

“Y/N? What happened? What are you doing here?” Mark asked you immediately when he saw you. He inspected you from head to toe to see if anything was off, but you looked perfectly fine.

“Your friend has adopted a vampire.” Taeyong simply explained to mark while his eyes bore into yours. 

“What?” Mark questioned him again as if he hadn’t heard him correctly.

“You heard me. We’ll set him up in the basement. Tell the others.” Taeyong commanded Mark while he grabbed your arm and pushed you inside the house. “And you, you stay in the kitchen.” He told you when you were safely inside the house. Mark went back inside, yelling for the others to come down, while Taeyong grabbed Jaehyun from his trunk. 

You listened to Taeyong and waited in the kitchen. You had no clue what the others were doing in the basement, but you didn’t hear any noises to make you feel worried. Mark was the first to come up, but he seemed as cheerful as ever. 

“Taeyong is going to drive you home. I’m staying with Jaehyun.” Mark told you while you were scrolling through your phone. You were glad to spend some more time with Taeyong, but at the same time, it made you feel worried. Was he going to scold you?

“He’s not pissed. Don’t worry.” Mark explained when he saw your worried expression. You relaxed a little bit but still acted stiff. The past 24 hours had been tiring, to say the least.

“I’ve brought enough trouble into this house.” You confessed while you looked down at your hands. Mark quickly came over to your side to wrap you into a big bro hug.

“You’re a troublemaker, I’m not going to deny that.” He whispered with a teasing smile which you gladly returned.

“Are you trying to make me feel better?” You asked him with a raised eyebrow, earning a wholesome laugh out of him.

“I don’t know how to handle this situation.” He confessed finally.

“I’m not scared of you, and I would like to keep my best friend.” You told him earnestly. He looked relieved by your answer.

“You’re never going to lose me.” He told you. His arm was still around you when Taeyong returned to the kitchen. He had his car keys in hand, signalling you to move. You said your goodbye to Mark and followed Taeyong outside. 

The moment you stepped into his car, a strange awkwardness filled the small space. Your heart was racing, and not because you were scared, but because Taeyong was near.

“Why aren’t you scared? You should be scared of me. I could tear you apart in a second.” He finally broke the silence when you were almost at your house.

“Do you want me to be scared of you?” You asked him while fidgeting with your hands. You seemed to do that a lot around him.

“I’m no good.” He confessed softly. You looked over at him, and he looked like a broken man. He probably had never chosen this life, and it made you think that Jaehyun and Mark also seemed like they didn’t want to be like this. It made you feel sad, and you tried to comfort him, but you didn’t know how to. He pulled over in front of your parent’s house, but you didn’t want to get out just yet. You finally had him close to you, and you weren’t letting him go that easily.

“My parents warned me about drugs and freaks in the streets, but never the ones with the hazel eyes and the missing heartbeats.” As you looked into his eyes, you could feel him searching deep into your soul. “I’m not scared, because you have never given me a reason to. You were there when I needed you most.” You explained to him while he kept his eyes fixed on you. His brown eyes showed you the admiration he had for you, it made you feel dizzy and bold. You cupped his face into your hands. He let it happen as if he had anticipated your behaviour.

“You’re a special one, aren’t you?” He said while his hand found their way to your face. He gently stroked your cheek, as if he was afraid to scare you away. He looked at you as if you were a porcelain doll, and you didn’t mind. He had never looked at any of the other girls in your town. He had never even given them a second glance, and here he was comfortably stroking your face in his car. Here you were with a Taeyong who looked at you as if you were extraordinary beautiful. Like you were important.

“Only for you.” You whispered, but your speeding heart gave you away. He must have heard the change of pace because he suddenly broke out into an adorable smile.

“What are you doing Friday?” He asked you, and you couldn’t hide your excitement.

“I’m free.” You told him eagerly. “I have absolutely no plans.” You continued, which made Taeyong laugh that soft giggle of his. You had a feeling you were the only human who had ever heard him laugh like this.

“Do you maybe want to go to a movie or something?” He stuttered softly. If he weren’t a vampire, he probably would’ve been blushing. You tried to calm yourself down, but with butterflies in your stomach and a head buzzing with possibilities, there was no way you could control your speeding heart.

“Are you asking me out on a date?” You asked him teasingly, masking the sound of your heart leaping out of your chest.

“If that’s okay with you.” He asked for your permission, which almost made your heart combust into a million pieces. Could your heart survive a date with Taeyong? You weren’t so sure.

“Absolutely.” You told him. You quickly gave him a kiss on his cheek before running inside. Your action might have been bold, but you regretted your straightforwardness. It was clear Taeyong had never asked anyone out on a date, and maybe you shouldn’t have tried to push his buttons. You sneaked a glance outside, and Taeyong was still parked in front of your house. You saw him touching his cheek with a soft smile, before driving off. You were almost sure you wouldn’t survive a date with Taeyong.

[hanawrites404]

Wynne's Diary - Bonds with Asra

@sweetalnazar

This place was fucking sickening, first of all. The small wooden cabin was dimly lit with yellow and vermilion lamps, tinting the room with similar colour as the fizzy nauseous drink settled in front of me. The prickling stench of strong alcohol and hot sweat was evident in the air, with deafening shanties and cheers of both sober and drunk customers buzzing through the whole compartment, leaving a whole aroma of disdain and queasiness.

I told them numerous times it was a bad idea, FOR A TOTAL OF THIRTY TWO TIMES TO BE PRECISE. But NOOOO they HAD TO ignore my reasoning and arrive but also haul me to this fucking cursed place for some sweet fucking lady company and to drink the fucks out of their fucking useless brains. JUST FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC I SAY. THIS HAD TO BE THE BEST DAY EVER!!!!

But even after all this, here I was, a bit tipsy myself from my lemon alcohol as my spouse and his ginger friend was gutting down their sixth shot of salty bitters. I had never liked that drink since it gave off a taste like sweat on the tongue, but as I had no choice to go home without getting even a bit drunk at the raven, so I had chosen the right and just amount of my beverage unlike two hooligans I am sadly aware of.

Yare yare, boys will always be boys. Though both of them were very much older than me. Fucking man-children, I swear.

"Let's see if you can chuck this one out, Asra!" The child nudged the other child's arm with a glass of the horrible liquid in his gloved hand. His pale cheeks were on fire, and so was the case with the other guy. Both were drowning in the booze, while I just calmly yet internally irritatingly watched both of them as I sipped my glass more civilly, trying my best to not pay any mind to them and pretend that I was an unfortunate stranger.

"Oh you are challenging me, Ilya" Asra taunted, shifting closer to the ginger and holding the surface of the goblet and the material of the other man's gloves with his fingers.

"Oh, am I?" The doctor's smirk got bigger as he stroked the other person's nails. Both of them gazed into each other's eyes, to find out who would lose the contact. I just sighed and yawned a bit. Though the shanties were ear-piercing, they bored me and certainly weren't feeding my interest. It's not that I didn't like the style of it, but more like it was lacking the feel of home I usually feel when I listen to music.

To me, music was a way to express, to reach out to the world and its natural treasures and wonders, to love and appreciate the miracle known as life. It was like an own language in itself. It was happy, it was melancholic, it was lustful. But it was never expressionless or unpleasant. That would be noise, not music. A violation of our poor fragile eardrums, that would be. But that's a rant for later.

Now, what was this feeling of home you ask? The explanation was very simple. I draw.......similarities of my life from music. I make relations with them, like a bond of my life energy and the power, music holds. I am an expressive person, believe me, or not. I keep my feelings hidden, but that doesn't mean my true passion is never seen under the light. It is seen, but only during the right times when I feel no one would question me for my openness. Now that's the feeling of home, where I can do whatever I want, however, I want to, yet I don't feel like an outcast or a stranger dancing in nowhere. Now that's home for me.

And this fucking shanty wasn't entertaining me at all. I'm sorry.

But I still appreciate the hard work the musicians were doing to entertain others here at the raven. I can at least give them tips for that. Lots of tips so they could know someone deeply pities them. However, I would never dare to order them to stop the music and go home. It's almost equal to burying someone alive, and I am not a bad person. I'm just mean. There is a difference, ok? Good? Good.

"There ya go, that's my brave magician" Julian patted Asra's back who was now chugging down what I suspected as, the tenth shot. He was breathless when he slammed down the glass on the table, his hair in front of his face and a bit of cough escaping from his lips.

"There there, you made it Asra. You made it. I lost the bet. You happy now?" Ilya lightly punched his back as Asra tried to cough the burn on his throat and attempted to breathe in and out. Now what kind of bet were they talking about and why I wasn't aware of it, I wondered. Was I...... becoming an outcast among them??

I rested my head on my palm, my eyes staring at Ilya, then at Asra. They were having drinking competitions together all the time and goofing around like good friends while here I was, zoning in and out, ranting about shanties and counting the bubbles in my leftover drink. Why was I here at all? Shouldn't I just leave and let them have their hangouts and hangovers? Shouldn't I just have a good night sleep and let my husband and his friend return home drunk and messed up and find them in the morning collapsed near the door naked??? I didn't know.

But...I guess both the options sounded equally right at that time.

As I saw Julian leading Asra to the front stage near the musicians, and pushing him on his feet for a boost. Looks like he was urging Asra to sing as the members readied their instruments.

I.....had never heard Asra sing before. And I wondered why he suddenly decided to sing now, in front of so many unknown people. Was it the liquor taking over him?? Or was it because I never asked him to sing, he didn't do for me. But he was doing for Ilya because he asked him so?

And again...I thought both the options sounded equally right.

I began to leave, I didn't want any more disappointment to mist over me now, also I was feeling quite tired. I was done for tonight, my hand reaching out to grab my cloak and pull it over myself and exit through the door, already preparing my mind to forget them till the next morning arrives.

But I stopped, as soon as I heard something calling me.

Home.......

"Wynne...I know you want to leave. But please listen to this before you go and have a good sleep, okay?" I heard the shameless moron speak. Now, what was he trying to pull from his trickery sleeves??? Another shanty?? Please don't.

But......what I next heard from him genuinely formed goosebumps on my skin........

He was singing a song...... but not an ordinary song.......

It was our song......It was Home!

I turned to him, my hair gently swaying with the cool breeze that entered the raven from the alleys. Asra had his eyes closed, and he was in blissful peace. His hands were on his chest, where his heart was, and his voice cooed like the hymn of angels.

He was singing our song, the song we both made, the song we both created.

The song which tells the story of our unbreakable bond.

Through ups and downs, through crests and troughs, through mountains and seas. Our love was like a river, it flowed evergreen. We fought, we loved, we hurt, we healed. That was our journey and it all started with a melody.

We had nothing to lose, and we had a lot to share. We had nothing in our minds but affection and care. It may sound ridiculous, it may sound weird, but who was to know how much we have endeared.

This is a bad poem, I think so too. But a tale shared by a couple of two. I glanced at him and he glanced at me, and I saw our hearts set free.

Leaning near the walls I smiled and looked nowhere, but he sang his heart out everywhere.

But he was a voyager, he was meant to roam.

And he being a madman, spoke of our home.........

[tarithenurse]

Nightingale - 14

Pairing: Hatake Kakashi &/x Fem!OC Contents: References to fighting, killing, non-con, and general trauma. Nothing graphic. A/N: Well...it’s gonna get dark for a while but at least it’s a longer than usual chapter. As usual, ASK or REBLOG for tag!

Ch. 14

For once, Kakashi is at a loss on how to explain all of this to the Hokage but for the moment, the elderly man merely nods to Anko who leaves again and then he goes to sit down, facing the bound woman. He may look old with wrinkled skin and liver spots, white hair, and a gait that only hints as the strength he still possesses...but the eyes are clear and observant as they study Mei.

"You must truly be dangerous, miss," he concludes, "if Kakashi has decided to incapacitate you like this."

There's a question hidden in there, Kakashi knows, and he recognizes the slight tug of a smile on the girl's lips that proves she hears it too. "It was not my idea, to be honest." Now the questions aren't even given sound. "This is -... Certain -..." pausing again, he feels the pressure to formulate a coherent sentence. "The proper explanation is a bit convoluted but the gist of it is that M-this woman only is willing to reveal her identity under these conditions. I do not, at the present, have any reasons to suspect that she is or has been intending any harm."

Somewhere under the wide rim of the hat, the Hokage lifts an eyebrow in surprise. "You know each other?"

"...partially..."

More brows arch at the unsatisfying answer, forcing Kakashi to begin his version of the events preceding this odd presentation. He has to start over early on to accommodate the arrival of the two elders, Anko, and a few other jōnins (including some of his former ANBU colleagues) but at least no one interrupts or asks questions until he has finished and even then it's clear they are deferring to the Hokage to take the lead.

"Your name is Mei?"

"No, Hokage-sama." Knew it. "My name's Minami Uguisu...although, I've not been allowed to use my family's name for many years."

The sadness the white-haired jōnin has noticed before is present again even if she bows her head to hide most behind a waterfall of blue hair. He hates it. Hates that he's standing with a rope tied around her neck while she's passively kneeling. He has to suppress the urge to crouch next to the mysterious woman and protect her from whatever is haunting her...but he has already broken protocol by refraining from reporting it the moment he first realized something was going on.

"Not permitted...by whom?"

There's a breathless moment of anticipation in the room before she returns the Hokage's gaze calmly. "Orochimaru."

Yeah, I'm in trouble. Around them, people have drawn weapons and switched into battle stances as if the bound woman suddenly could break free of the bonds – the way she’s tied, she can’t use her hands to sign nor does she have wriggle room to get to her feet – but every ninja await the orders of the Hokage who hasn’t moved at all.

“You haven’t come here on his orders...?” the old man wonders rhetorically. “Perhaps this will all make more sense if you start at the beginning, Minami Uguisu.”

Any shinobi in the village is willing to lay down their lives if the Hokage sees it necessary to protect their home and the civilian citizens. This time, they only slowly disarm and sit in a circle around the stranger, and Kakashi who still is holding on to the noose.

“Mei...Uguisu...?” He knew she was hiding something but nothing has prepared him for this.

She doesn’t turn her face to look at him. “I grew up in a tiny village...a cluster of homes, really, at the end of a valley to the north somewhere. A handful or two of smaller families who would help each other out to the point where we were more or less self-providing. Some of the men worked further up the valley at the quarry, but in our end...it was quiet. I knew nothing but peace until I was...12...I think.” Uguisu’s voice is steady, void of intonations just like her body is unnaturally still. “I remember waking up in the night and the light coming from outside was red from fire -” she swallows -“the smoke itched my nose. The screams...the screams cutting off quicker than they were supposed to, and I rushed to find my parents and my mother...she grabbed me, dragged me to the kitchen where she shoved me into a cabinet and told me to stay hidden no matter what.”

Kakashi can feel his breath shortening at the anticipation of the horrors to come because what else could possibly await? He hates himself for holding the rope tied around this blue-haired girl’s throat even if he now understands why she had insisted he would find them necessary once she explained. Orochimaru...she joined him?

“I tried to block out the sound of my father yelling and my mother’s cry. Hands covering my ears, head between my knees. I had just started over again, whispering the lullaby my mother always sang, when I was found.” A shudder ripples through ex-Mei. “He was...kind. Caring. The man with the pale face explained...he and his people had chased away the bad guys and I was safe again. He’d take care of me.” Bitterness laces each word, encouraging Kakashi to cling to the hope that maybe his gut feeling hasn’t failed him. “Orochimaru. He took me away, promising that someone stayed behind to tend to the injured and bury the dead...and I believed him. All he wanted at first was for me to sing sometimes. We rarely stayed at the same place to begin with,” a dry laugh escapes her, “well, he would often not even be there at all...however when he was, he would spend time training me. Orochimaru Sensei...he even helped me develop my jutsu – a task that grew easier when we eventually settled down and the ranks of followers started to grow.”

Looking to the Hokage, there’s nothing Kakashi can see that betrays the leader’s thoughts. Does he already know? For his own sake, though, the jōnin needs a bit more information that just that.

“How old were you then?” he demands.

“I’m not certain but around 16.”

Maybe ten years ago. Relapsing into silence, the room awaits the continuation of the story.

“Eventually, my protector and teacher didn’t leave the new home as often. He would spar with me or have me train with other talented ninjas. Mostly, though...he kept me somewhat isolated. Not as if I was a prisoner, but rather...a prized possession. Someone or something important. Orochimaru had explained long ago that there was a hidden war brewing – one of the pieces of evidence was the attack on my childhood home – and so I was not surprised that he wanted to keep me safe from both physical danger as well as the tactical meetings. Still...sometimes he needed my kekkei genkai to get the truth from prisoners of war or to ensure the full co-operation of someone.”

“He was not capable of that himself?” the Hokage interrupts for the first time.

The slightest of shrugs unsettles the waterfall of hair. “Not the way I could. Any prisoner would wish to obey my demands as soon as I spoke to them.”

The noose! The rope prickles under Kakashi’s fingertips. If at any point she tries to do that... All it would take would be a sharp tug and no air would escape her lungs. Uguisu has, the jōnin realizes, truly given herself over to the mercy of Konohagakure by preparing the exploitation of her weaknesses. Glancing to his friends, he can see they have reached the same conclusion although he has no doubt they are considering it a bluff meant to lower their guards. This kekkei...is she using it? Unsure how it would work, Kakashi considers repelling it but sees others are already trying with no other result than confused glances towards the bound woman.

“One day, I overheard a conversation not meant for my ears...” Uguisu pauses to release the clench of her jaw. “Some of the men who had been with Orochi’ since before he found me were drinking and talking, boasting of past victories, bragging about people they had killed. In summary...that included the people in my home village. All of them.” This time, the careful inhalations and exhalations aren’t enough to stop the bound woman from clenching every muscle. “There had only been one force...Orochimaru had come, ordered the slaughter, and only demanded for me to survive. I didn’t want to believe what I heard...I tried to push it away even if later events suddenly made sense and that evening, at dinner, he must have sensed I was upset so he asked what bothered me...”

“You told him,” Anko guesses. Her eyes are big, betraying the ghosts haunting her own past.

“Yes. And he didn’t deny it.” For a moment, the girl leans her head back as if a weight has fallen from her and she finally can stretch. “Even told me it was because he’d heard of me and my skill...you don’t get to be the one negotiating at the bigger town’s market at a young age without rumours spreading.” Uguisu laughs dryly at the memory.

Sighing deeply, the Hokage asks that water is brought to the prisoner before returning his attention to her. “Intending to use you jutsu to establish his power and force his will upon anyone refusing to accept him as their leader.” He receives a nod. “If he had treated you as the prisoner you were, then he might not have ensured your co-operation...however, if he could form a bond with you, you would feel indebted to help him...and maybe even be his most devoted follower.”

“It might have worked if he had gotten to me at a younger age,” she agrees, “if I couldn’t remember much of my past. Instead, everything he had build crumbled at the revelation and I tried to leave.”

Anko growls. “You can’t make me believe he let you.”

“Of course not. I tried to fight my way out, unsuccessfully, while he idly toyed with me. Amused by my tries because I still had much to learn. He stopped playing when I tried to use my kekkei genkai...”

Years have passed since, but Kakashi can see the effect it has on Uguisu still: head low, body tensed in a futile attempt to become smaller than she is. The ropes strain around her limbs and prevent her from curling up with the knees to the chest, and he knows it must be painful but releasing her at this point in time is not an option. Instead, he has to watch in silence while she regains control of her breathing.

“He...he always experimented,” she resumes, “he had found a way to resist my voice so I couldn’t stop him when rage overtook him and he attacked. He...” her voice croaks, but she pushes on, “he sou-ought to break me. To -...he was vicious! Wanted -... Relentless, try-trying to destroy my...my...everything. Soul. M-mind. Body. And he bit me...”

The chill rolling down Kakashi’s spine settles in his guts as a roiling urge to vomit. A flashing memory of this girl sitting on his bed, hugging his pillow, smiling...until he joked that he wouldn’t bite. That’s why you ran. Glancing at Anko, he sees a similar, pained realization: Orochimaru’s bite leaves a Curse Mark.

“His...taint...” Uguisu’s voice is a broken whisper, “everywhere. He -...it -...what he did...” she has to pause to let out a quaking whimper, “the pain was o-one thing but he...” Everyone can hear the gulp of the dry swallow. “It took weeks to recover. Often he’d...refresh the wounds. But he was pleased because I did not fight anymore. He’d make me use my skill on larger groups of people and it would trigger...it’s like he’d be in my mind and body all over and it would burn.”

The silence is deafening. Listening to the foreigner’s tale, no one doubts a word she’s saying and many have lost the stoic faces of elite ninjas. Even the Hokage is averting his gaze, face hidden in the shadow of the hat.

“Hrm...” the old man clears his throat. “Perhaps we should continue this at a la-”

“No.” Finally lifting her face, Uguisu stares at him. “There’s not much left, Hokage-sama, allow me to finish.”

He nods slowly. However, as he returns to the passive position of someone who listens, he catches Kakashi’s eyes and within the gaze lies an unspoken message for the jōnin to decipher. One of pity for the girl, of a demand matching the instinctive urge the man who brought the stranger to this room already feels. I understand, the answering nod promises, her scars are deeper than even the Mark. Bile threatens to rise in his throat. Before him, kneeling on the floor, is a woman who has decided to trust in him and Konohagakure despite betrayal, violence, mind games, and rape.

“I began to test my limits despite the circumstances. I waited...played the role of the defeated.” The smile on Uguisu’s lips doesn’t reach her eyes. “Then finally he left on some mission and I grabbed my chance. I managed to get away and although I ran blindly at first, something eventually carried me to a valley I recognized and the ruins of my old home. No one had been buried...l-later, as I knelt by their graves, I swore an oath to oppose Orochimaru with all that I am. I remembered hearing the name of this place as the subject of his hate and my goal became clear.”

The white-haired jōnin is impressed by the woman’s tenacity to reach the end of the tale in her current condition: shaking, ropes digging into her flesh, tears dripping onto the floor and her lap. Somehow, though, she still manages to make her raw voice heard in the entire room.

[shimmershae]

Doing the nostalgia thing again.  Go figure, lol.  Anyway.  Today I’m lamenting the early departure of some shows that I watched once upon a time and there are so many.  Too many that (were) ended either right as they were getting good or just weren’t given a proper chance.  Oh what could have been.  Here are some of them, off the top of my head.  This is by no means a complete list because there have been just too many for me to remember.  Feel free to add your own.

I either follow actors/actresses that I have enjoyed in previous shows or get drawn in by the drama or fantasy or utter sci-fi-ness (lol) of it all.  

Bunheads

"Bunheads" tells the fish-out-of-water story of Michelle Simms, a once-promising classically trained professional dancer who was drawn to the lights of Las Vegas, where she became a showgirl. After she impulsively marries her persistent suitor, she moves to his sleepy California coastal town, where he lives with his mother, Fanny, herself a former dancer. Fanny now runs a local dance studio. Michelle ends up bonding with some of Fanny's students after meeting them. Among the students are sweet Boo, who struggles with her body type; rebellious Sasha, who has the talent to be a ballet dancer but doesn't have her heart in it because of family issues; shapely Ginny, who's not comfortable in her own skin; and fun-loving Melanie, ready for whatever life throws at her. The students benefit from Michelle's knowledge, but she also benefits from them as they help her adapt to small-town life.

Off the Map

Idealistic, young Dr. Lily Brenner lands at an understaffed medical clinic in a tiny town in the South American jungle. She is joined by other young doctors, all of whom are running away from personal demons. The clinic was founded by enigmatic Ben Keeton, who was formerly the youngest chief of surgery at UCLA. Keeton will teach the newcomers how to save lives in the most-challenging environment they have ever faced.

Defying Gravity

An international crew of eight astronauts -- four men and four women -- sets off on a mysterious, six-year mission covering billions of miles aboard a ship called the Antares. Inspired by the fictional docudrama "Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets," the show tells the story of both the astronauts as they explore Venus and the other planets in the solar system, and their supportive and dedicated ground crew. Episodes alternate between the present, on the current mission, and flashbacks to earlier years when the final eight were still in the grueling selection and training process.

Flashforward

Residents of Los Angeles go about their day unaware that a mysterious event is about to change their lives. FBI agents Mark Benford and Demetri Noh are in a car chase; Benford's physician wife is in the middle of surgery; and Benford's friend Aaron Stark works on power lines high above the ground. Suddenly, something causes everyone in the world to black out for just over two minutes. During that time, each person sees a series of events in his or her own future -- some good, some bad, some apparently nonexistent. As people begin to piece together their visions on a worldwide website, Mark and Demetri use the information to try to pinpoint the cause of the blackout, and people are still trying to determine whether destiny can be changed, and what effect those changes may have on others.

Invasion

What if natural disasters were alien smokescreens designed to mask something far more ominous? When a hurricane threatens a small town in Florida, park ranger Russell Poole's young daughter is the only one to see small lights floating towards the water, seemingly unaffected by the vicious winds. At the time, he thinks nothing of her claim, but begins to suspect something may be amiss when his missing ex-wife is found, with no memory of what happened during the storm. In the aftermath of the storm, water-based creatures infiltrate the town and take over the bodies of the town's residents through a cloning process.

V (2009)

Earth has its first encounter with an extraterrestrial race. Calling themselves the Visitors and promoting peace, they seem to be friendly, but their congeniality may be a cover for a malevolent agenda. Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell), an FBI agent, discovers a secret about the aliens that threatens the lives of Earthlings, including her teenage son, who sees them as a sign of hope. Meanwhile, Father Jack (Joel Gretsch), already questioning his faith when the Visitors arrive, seeks answers outside his church and finds other dissidents who believe the Vs are not what they claim to be. The ABC series is billed as a reimagining of a 1980s miniseries by the same name.

Hannibal

Gifted criminal profiler Will Graham has a unique way of thinking that allows him to empathize with anyone, including psychopaths. But while helping the FBI pursue a particularly complicated serial killer, he decides he could use some help and enlists the brilliant psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. The two form a partnership and it seems that there is no villain they can't catch together, but Lecter harbors a dark secret. His own brilliant mind has gone to the dark side and he has more in common with the criminals they hunt than Will could possibly imagine.

Anne with an E

This reimagining of the classic book and film is a coming-of-age story about a young orphan who is seeking love, acceptance and her place in the world. Amybeth McNulty stars as Anne, a 13-year-old who has endured an abusive childhood in orphanages and the homes of strangers. In the late 1890s, Anne is mistakenly sent to live with aging siblings, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, who live on Prince Edward Island. Anne, who proves to be uniquely spirited, imaginative and smart, transforms the lives of Marilla, Matthew and everyone else in their small town.

Pitch

Talented baseball pitcher Ginny Baker immediately rises to fame when she is called up by the San Diego Padres and becomes the first woman in Major League Baseball. She immediately sets in on the task of proving herself to her teammates, starting with team captain and catcher Mike Lawson. The two share an immediate chemistry, putting Mike in the middle of tensions between the beautiful new player and certain teammates who don't appreciate a woman out on the mound. Not all of her fellow Padres are so averse to change, with center fielder Blip Sanders providing support through her journey.

Colony

In the not-too-distant future, Los Angeles has been invaded and occupied by outside forces, causing a rift between the city's residents; some have collaborated with the occupation, while others are rebelling and suffering the consequences that come with that choice. Former FBI agent Will Bowman and his wife, Katie, must consider their familial obligations when making their decision because they were separated from their son, Bram, during the invasion. Proxy Snyder, a cunning and powerful leader within the occupational government, offers Will the opportunity to get Bram back if he works with the invading faction. Will's decision doesn't sit well with Katie, but the couple risk their lives -- and their relationship -- to protect their family.

Life Unexpected 

After 15 years of being with different families in Oregon's foster-care system, Lux decides to try her luck as an emancipated minor. As she navigates the legal system in pursuit of that goal, she encounters her birth father, bar owner Nate "Baze" Bazile, living like an aging frat boy with two slacker roommates. He is stunned to learn that he has a teenage daughter and introduces Lux to her mother, radio personality Cate Cassidy, who is sad to learn her daughter has grown up in foster care but thrilled to meet and get to know the girl. She has plenty of opportunity to get acquainted when the judge decides Lux isn't ready to be emancipated and grants temporary custody to her birth parents.

Crisis

A vengeful mastermind ambushes a schoolbus carrying the children of Washington, D.C.'s, elite, abducting the children and their chaperons, and creating a national crisis. The powerful parents -- including the president himself -- find themselves at the mercy of the abductor with nowhere to turn, creating an unthinkable situation that puts the entire nation at risk. As the authorities work to rescue the children, the parents discover how far they are willing to go to protect the people they love.

Emerald City

When a tornado transports Dorothy Gale from Lucas, Kansas, to the faraway land of Oz, her arrival sets in motion a prophecy about a disastrous event known as The Beast Forever and strikes fear into the land's almighty ruler, the Wizard. On her quest to meet the Wizard in Emerald City, Dorothy encounters witches, an amnesiac soldier, a sheltered little boy and many more mysterious beings who will ultimately shape the future of Oz and Dorothy's place in it.

[secret-engima]

*tiptoes in* . . . Nox Verse, Wings AU? or a different verse, if you like, but Wings AU plz?

Ohhhhhh.

Ohhhhhhhhh okay I have.

Little to no experience with Wings AUs or what tropes people usually put in them but I do love the concept of Humans With Wings so okay-

Same rules as Nox!Taur verse, Nox came from a canon timeline where wings were not a thing, he and Ardyn got flung into an alternate timeline where wings were a Thing, proceeded to freak out over WINGS ON THEIR BACKS WHAT IN THE WORLD.

Also gonna make Ardyn a Fem!Ardyn in this AU just like Taur verse because that amuses me.

Everyone has bird-like/feathered wings of some kind and what animal they most resemble is often considered a hint to personality but that’s just- stereotyping nonsense really. Anyway, species of wing varies even in families, but tend to run along similar lines. Birds of Prey will often have Birds of Prey kids, but if the parent is an eagle, the kid can just as easily be an owl or a falcon as they might be an eagle etc etc. Wing culture is ... a Thing. Like not touching wings without permission, grooming being a Major Family or Romantic Bonding experience and flying is also totally a Thing.

Ardyn and Nox, understandably, give more than a few people heart attacks over how poorly they care for their wings and Cid takes it into his head to FIX that asap after meeting first Nox and then Ardyn. He is ... more than a little flabbergasted when both are just like “show us how it’s done” because that means- touching their wings. They trust him like that? They ... no. No they probably are idiots and don’t get the significance so he will TEACH them that but also Cid is an Emotion when they still let him touch their wings after his explanation on Wing Things.

Ardyn and Nox are just super grateful to have someone who will explain his stuff because Galahd wing culture is a little different so Axis is not much help and Dave never thought he had to say anything.

The royal line are almost exclusively birds of prey but there are some exceptions. Usually the big ones like eagles and stuff but sometimes hawks or even vultures (Mors was a vulture btw). Regis is a golden eagle. Clarus is also a golden eagle while Gladio is a bald eagle and Iris is an outlier as a red-tailed hawk. Cid is a house sparrow, Cindy is a pretty warbler of some kind. Weskham was a Canadian goose. Ignis is a chickadee because they’re pretty and Prompto is a fluffy burrowing owl.

Cor is the world’s most aggressive and Fite Me™ barn swallow.

Mock his wings and you will be Stabbed™. He is faster and more maneuverable than anyone here barring the incredibly rare hummingbird.

Then you have. Nox. And Ardyn.

Ardyn and Nox are both owls.

This is ... extremely unusual, as no Lucis Caelum in this AU has ever been an Owl. Not in recorded history at least. Eagles, Falcons, Kites, Hawks, even Vultures, but never Owls. Considering the night’s association with daemons, owls are even looked at with some suspicion in certain places, considering owls are also nocturnal creatures.

Ardyn laughs quietly as she tends her tawny, red, white, and black speckled plumage of a barn owl. She finds it funny. Nox’s wings are especially amusing to her.

Nox is a snowy owl. Silky white feathers with black specks in them, the one owl that is known to go about in the day, yet is still associated with the night because of all its night-flying kin. She suspects that their wings are a subtle message, especially after learning that young Prince Noctis of this world is not an owl, but a speedy and pretty merlin (I think they’re called pigeon hawk in North America?).

Stuff goes down ... kinda like canon Nox verse? But during the marilith raid Nox actually doesn’t warp Noctis away, instead getting there early enough to save Noctis’s wings and back and picking a fight with the Marilith, so Regis shows up, freaking out from the attack AND Cid’s phone call moments earlier to see the Marilith getting torn apart by an absolutely FURIOUS stranger. A teenager with massive, bristling wings of a snowy owl and glitter eerie white-orange colors in the firelight only to turn eerie blue-white as they reflect the light of-.

An armiger.

A powerful, complete, deadly armiger that is NOT Regis’s and cannot be Noctis’s because his son is huddled there in the arms of his wide-eyed nanny, watching the teenager stranger tear the daemon apart with magic that feels thick as a tidal wave and all but screams fury-fury-don’t-touch-MINE-DON’T-TOUCH-.

The marilith dies and teen stands there breathing hard, wings mantled and fluffed, armiger spinning around him in deadly circles.

Then Regis reaches out and touches his magic to the stranger’s in awe-shock-disbelief-hope-confusion and-

The teen looks at him with blue-blue eyes and Regis has just enough time to see his own features in a younger face, to see that face crumple with something like fear and hurt and longing denied while the heavy magic tangling with Regis’s SCREAMS a mix of love and fear and loss and hurt and longing-

The teen disappears and snap-crack of a warp.

Anyway Regis investigates because of course he does and he drops in to visit Cid without calling ahead because of Cid’s earlier phone call and finds one fluffy and worried Ardyn Izunia pacing in the kitchen of Cid’s home.

Much shouting happens.

The shouting wakes up Nox, who manages to drag himself out of bed long enough to bowl Regis and Co over with angry magic before passing out on the floor, which leads to an EVEN MORE UPSET Ardyn.

And then everything kinda goes to Nox verse canon with Nox waking up in the Citadel and Ardyn being there and Noctis being adorable as he talks them into staying.

Some other thoughts on a wing-fic AU:

Nyx is a lesser striped swallow.

Btw human wings are not nearly as confined in color/plumage as the birds they take after, with human boys and girls often getting the colorful plumage where the Actual Birds are much more rigid in who gets the pretty feathers or not. No one knows why. The only people who care are the taxonomists.

Lib is a blue heron.

Tredd is a northern cardinal (and proud of it, most Furia’s aren’t northern cardinals but rather other small birds but oh boy does Tredd love having red wings to go with his red hair. Luche is a Sigh). Luche is a woodpecker of some kind. Axis is a falconet.

Pelna is a grouse of some kind.

Titus is a harpy eagle.

Crowe is not a crow, Crowe is a magpie. Anyone who cracks a joke about that will get their nose broken.

Emperor Aldercapt is a cassowary. Because I Said So.

Oracles are like- Owls almost exclusively. No one knows why. It is thought that the first Oracle Aera was actually a swan, but 99% of Oracles are owls (am I totally making a hint that the original Ardyn of this dimension had a kid with Aera who went on to be the founder of the Oracle line after Aera was murdered and the wings were the Astrals tweaking things to be a permanent, silent reminder of Somnus’s sin in killing the first Oracle? Yes. Yes I am). Of course there are OTHER people out there with owl wings, but Oracles are the ones who just- keep having owl wings, no matter who marries into their line.

Luna is the first tawny colored Eastern Barn Owl in the line in a long time as most Oracles are True Owls (so like- Screech Owls, Great Grey Owls, Horned Owls, etc etc).

Ravus is a Great Grey Owl.

Hope that satisfies your ask anon!

[afewmarvelousthoughts]

Only For A Moment Epilogue

Master List: @afewmarvelousthoughtsadmin​

Pairing: Bucky X Reader

Summary: On a peaceful afternoon you reflect on the past couple of years while Bucky naps in your lap. 

Warnings: None

A/N: Wow. Weird. Somehow more weird than posting the last chapter... Endings are strange things y’all. Only For A Moment is over, like really really over. 

These two had an intense journey together throughout “Part One” and I’m really glad so many of you went on that ride with me. Now before we head into a new side of this story (and likely a new title) I thought it would be good to kind of post a little wrap up and something that can live with Part Two for those who maybe don’t want to read all of Part One and the drabbles.

As always, you’re all wonderful. 

(P.S. If you’re seeing this and want to read Only For A Moment, the Master lives both on my profile and linked in the admin profile above.)

TAGS ARE OPEN 

“Even broken in spirit as he is, no one can feel more deeply than he does the beauties of nature.”

The line from Frankenstein makes a lump rise in your throat. It feels like a lifetime ago that Mr. Goldstein quoted it to you in his cozy little bookshop in Bucharest. At the time it made you think of Bucky, the man whose depths you’d only skimmed. Now, a continent and a few years separated you both from the people you’d been as you stood in that shop. 

You hadn’t read Frankenstein since your time in Romania but when you saw a copy in a bookshop in Wakanda you knew you had to have it. As you devoured the words you could almost smell the shop, hear the gentle cadence of Mr. Goldstein’s voice, feel the soft fur of the shop cat Victor. 

It seemed wrong to feel homesick for Romania. Bucharest was supposed to be a stopgap, a place to lay low while you attempted to figure out what it meant to keep living your life after what Hydra had done.

There had been times there where you’d considered ending it, so tired of fighting and so unsure of what it was you were even fighting for. Your family - small and chosen and so precious to you - had been erased, any semblance of home destroyed. They’d even made you feel like a stranger in your own body, this body they honed to be their weapon. Hell, you could disassociate for days, just a ghost trapped in a shell she didn’t understand and didn’t want. It wasn’t like you were living so why go on? 

But you did. Some part of you unwilling to let them win, hearing your brother Nix’s voice in your head reminding you that giving up meant letting the bastards win. 

Then Bucky happened. A smile tugs at the edges of your mouth as you look away from the book pages to the lake sparkling in the later afternoon sun, remembering those early days. 

He’d recognized you from your time in Hydra, though he hadn’t remembered the details until you talked about your first encounter - he’d tried to save you, and he did get you out of the facility, though you’d been caught days later. When he sought you out you hadn’t trusted him but it took mear hours for you to see your own reflection in him. 

You were both broken, but in a way that only the other could truly understand. Bucky saw you, all sharp edges and shattered pieces, and didn’t flinch once.

It had been rough at times, each of you so terrified of what may come, of who may come, even of the people in the mirror. Still - despite nights punctuated with night terrors, days peppered with flashbacks, and moments of deep dissociation - you held tight to one another, weathering the storms as they came. It made you both stronger, together. 

So, without meaning to you built something of a life in Bucharest. Days spent training for unknown battles to come or helping in the bookshop nights together watching old movies and learning bit by bit how to be human beings again. 

For a time it had felt like enough. 

Losing Mr. Goldstein had been the beginning of the end of your time there though. You’d both been in one place for too long and without the old man’s grounding warmth… well, there was nothing left to tie you down. Together you laid out a plan to start again in Vienna, fresh identities, a clean slate, still on the run but this time together. You never got there though - Helmut Zemo made sure of that. 

A chill passes up your spine as you remember seeing Bucky’s face on the staticky TV at the laundromat, the terror that grabbed you as you watched SWAT descent on the home you’d shared. It had felt like the sky was falling.   

Even now you struggled to comprehend how everything that followed had only taken a little more than a week. You’d chased them across Europe to get to Bucky only to watch in horror as his worse nightmare came true - being brought back under someone’s control, being The Soldier again - and been unable to stop it. From there you’d fought the goddamn Avengers, had your chest clawed open by someone who was now your friend, been arrested, tortured, rescued. It was one hell of a week. 

The months that followed had hurt almost as much. You didn’t know where Bucky was, if he was truly safe, or what he was going to put himself through to make sure he wasn’t a threat to your safety ever again. Sometimes you thought you wanted to throttle him for leaving and others you knew you’d forgive him anything as long as you had him back. 

There had been a few silver linings to your time apart because, well, nothing made close friends like being international fugitives. 

After Steve, Natasha, and Hill sprung those who were interested from The Raft, yourself included, you’d laid low with what was left of The Avengers. They became your friends and, in Steve’s case, family. You trusted each of them, even Nick Fury, with your life and knew you’d give anything to protect them. 

Leaving them behind had been hard. Even though it meant being with Bucky, even though it meant safety, the temptation to say no to T’Challa’s offer to shelter in Wakanda was stronger than you’d ever admit to anyone other than Steve. 

At least Steve was able to visit here and there bringing updates and even letters from your wayward friends. 

Sam bitched about Steve’s antics, how he had to cook everything with you gone, and always asked after your wellbeing. Natasha entertained you with explicit tales of her international exploits, proving that few could say no to her - in another life you certainly wouldn’t have been able to. Wanda’s letters were filled with questions you knew she didn’t ask anyone else - about love and loss and being different from those around you, sometimes it was easy to forget she was still so young. 

A soft snore brings you back to the present. Bucky’s head rests on your thigh, sound asleep. The soft lapping of the lake, the humming of cicadas, the goats romping about - one munching on the remnants of your picnic - it was all so peaceful, this life you were building here. Gratitude didn’t even begin to cover how you felt. 

You missed Sam, Wanda, Nat, Steve, even Hill, and Fury deeply but you’d forged strong bonds here in Wakanda too. 

When you decided to stay you couldn’t have foreseen the sisterhood you shared with all of the Dora Milaje but especially Okoye. Without hesitation, she’d brought you into the fold, unfazed and, honestly, unimpressed with your ability. She trained you just as hard, if not harder than the rest of her soldiers - you had catching up to do after all - and made sure your training was varied so you were honing your power and your body at the same time. You’d come to not only respect her as a leader but to trust her deeply as a friend. 

Much to Bucky’s chagrin you and T’Challa loved to poke fun at the fact that you’d basically all tried to kill one another when you first met. He found it far less amusing than the two of you did, but if you didn’t laugh about it what else could you do. T’Challa was a strong king, though you’d argue he was an even better man. You were often in awe at his level of compassion and wisdom. 

Shuri, was honestly the most amazing human you’d ever encountered. You had to often remind yourself she was half your age, which wasn’t too hard when she brought up some new trend or artist you were completely unaware of - maybe you were getting old. Even if she tried to write it off, she’d given you Bucky back by doing what seemed impossible in removing the effects of decades of torture and conditioning. Then she went even further to help you understand your own inner workings in regards to your telekinetic abilities and the enhancements Hydra had forced on you. 

There were so many others too. Nakia, though often out in the field, had become a fast friend. T’Challa and Shuri’s mother Ramonda, with her gentle welcoming spirit - she and Bucky had actually formed quite a bond. Even, M’Baku most days, was someone you’d welcome to your dinner table - only when it was a meatless night that was. 

A grin makes your cheeks ache. 

You’d been trying to convince T’Challa to allow Steve and the others to visit for the last few weeks. Just imagining Okoye, Natasha, and Nakia together was enough to make you giddy with excitement. And while the world may not survive it, the thought of Sam and M’Baku bantering was enough to make a little laugh bubble from your chest. 

Bucky shifts in your lap a bit at the noise. Tenderly you pull a lock of this thick dark hair away from his face. Suddenly you’re overwhelmed by just how much you love this man with his gentle heart and easy smile. 

You’d endured a fraction of what he had and it was almost enough to destroy you. But James Barnes was made of far stronger stuff than most. Nothing they did had truly broken him, you suspected there was nothing in this world that could. 

Tears sting your eyes. 

“Doll?” Bucky’s soft voice almost startles you. Looking down into his grey-blue eyes, you force yourself to swallow more tears. “Sweetheart, what is it?” His fingers, calloused but so very gentle, wipe a tear from your cheek. 

“Just happy,” you say with a shaky voice. 

It was more than that. This was the happiest you had ever been in your life. For the first time, you looked toward the future with hope and excitement without the looming shadows of fear and uncertainty threatening. 

Maybe you’d grow old on this little farm, Bucky caring for the goats and helping out others in the area, you working with the Dora Milaje maybe finding some new passion to pursue. Or maybe you’d move into the city, convince Bucky to take classes, maybe in literature or creative writing. Maybe a little of both. 

Maybe you could figure out a way for Steve and the others to be granted refuge in Wakanda as well. The idea makes you dream of Friendsgiving meals, potluck Sundays, and movie nights. 

“I’m glad, baby,” he says with a sweet smile. 

[fandom-queenliness]

In the Miracle Box

Plagg and Tikki make an enterance, and neither are very happy. 

Also, Happy Fanfiction Writer’s Appreciation day everybody!!!

@nottesilhouette thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for encouraging me to actually write this, and also to sleep. This chapter would not have happened without you.

Again, crying over the line break.

@Tumblrstaff where is my line break??? where is it!!!! I need it!!!!!

Being dormant, being in the miracle box, is normally warm; a sweet, safe feeling. It feels like home.

Tikki, though she misses her dear little Marinette, enjoys resting after all the time she spent being run ragged. After the horror of Hawkmoth, being surrounded by her family is peaceful, even as she eagerly waits for the day when Emma and Hugo are old enough for her to return.

She would be the first to admit, it hurt her heart when she realised that when Emma started speaking, it was no longer safe for her and Plagg to stay active. Emma had been tittering carelessly in that childish way to a stranger about the “flying bug and cat mama and papa love so much, mama calls them kwamas”. Marinette had barely managed to avoid an identity reveal. After much discussion, the four of them decided that the two would join the other kwamis for a time, and Tikki was willing to wait.

After all, Tikki saw them on special occasions, such as birthdays and holidays and any excuse Marinette could justify.  She had been there, waiting patiently to see Hugo for the first time. She and Plagg had cried and then cried again when they had to go dormant again a week later.

There was nothing left to do but wait, so she basked in the warmth of safety, day after day until time began to fade, happy and carefree, with Plagg by her side, as it was meant to be. There was peace.

Until she felt a chill.

She had been dozing, dreaming of the days when Marinette was younger, of the better times, before boys and babies and businesses. She had been happy, until a feeling of cold wakes her up, shocking her awake. It settles over her, freezing and cutting through her physical form.

In the heart of the miracle box, she is chilled to the core. It feels like the precursor to something, a warning of sorts.

It gets worse, creeping closer and closer to painful, until it disappears altogether, and another sensation overtakes her.

Tikki gasps, pressing a hand to her chest. There is a ghost of a feeling—as if something is breaking.

Something like a heart.

“What?” she murmurs, and Fluff looks up from beside her, eyes wide in realisation.

“Today, today, today,” Fluff says. “Hearts and crackers and punches. Today, today, today.”

In all their existence, Fluff’s knowledge of the future has rarely scared Tikki. But now, when she feels a glimmer of Marinette amidst the pain, fear takes hold.

Fluff keeps muttering. “Cats in the cradle, cradles from the closet—new old new old new old, Lady Luck loves unluckily.” Fluff fixed Tikki with a wide eyes stare. “Black bad cats, their time ran out, yesterday comes today, time, time, time, time…” Fluff looked off somewhere to the distance, voice low and rapid.

Concerned, Tikki starts, “Fluff, what are you—”

She’s cut off when she feels a stab of pain through her bond with Marinette, cutting off her voice. It burned, like the fire that could never harm her, like the freezer burn she could never have.

 It hurt, and it came from Marinette.

Cautiously, Tikki opened the bond, worry driving her to just take a peek, to just calm her mind—

Within a second, she sees a thousand images: A TV screen, Adrien in front of a crowd of microphones. Little Emma, sitting amongst pillows, confused. Hugo, crawling across a bed, expression upset. A pale hand throwing a wedding ring, then scrambling to pick it up.

Then less recent images, across months and years that she had missed. Of weeks ticked off on a calendar, to a distant day when Adrien would return home. Of a clock face late at night when he slips in. Of his eyes, passing over her at a party. Of a thousand warning signs, that she had missed, that they had missed.

The wholes tory comes out, in brutally efficient flashes, giving her all the information she needed.

‘He has betrayed me.’ Marinette’s thoughts pass through the bond and then sink into Tikki like weights.  

At last, Marinette’s pain passes from Tikki, and her own emotions are left, clear and concise and ancient.

For the first time in years, Tikki feels rage, and the aching, horrible pain of knowing her chosen has been betrayed. Worse than Lila’s reign, worse than a childhood betrayal. This was criminal.

She screams, and it shakes the miracle box, drawing eyes to her, but she can’t find it in herself to care.

Marinette was hurting, and Tikki wasn’t there to help her. She was trapped, far away from her chosen and the one who betrayed her.  

“Time to go,” Fluff whispers, then flies off, where Sass is watching warily.

Plagg zips over to her, concern in his eyes. The others float closer nervously. Fluff stays back, muttering and fidgeting.

“Sugar cube?” Plagg says, acid eyes taking her in warily. “What happened?”

Ignorance, Tikki thinks, he allowed this.

“What happened?” She hisses, glaring with all her anger. “What happened is that Marinette has been betrayed.”

There are gasps from the assembled kwamis. Lady Luck? Who would dare harm the Ladybug?

“Who?” Plagg asks, but there is a weariness in him that tells her he must suspect.

She grounds out his name, spitting it at Plagg. “Adrien.”

Plagg presses a paw to his chest, and his face twists. She knows that he is reaching through the bond, seeking out what Adrien has done.

He gasps, and tears well up in his eyes. Her other half looks betrayed, hurt, enraged and broken all at once.

“How could he—I knew he was careless but this—" Plagg closed his eyes firmly. “I should have known.”

“Yes,” she snaps. “You should have. He was your chosen, your responsibility, and now—” she sobs, voice breaking.

“Tikki,” Wayzz tries, but she can’t hear over her pain.

“Marinette is broken,” she cries, crying it out for all to hear. “She is broken, and it is his fault, he has hurt her. Betrayed by her husband, but herpartner.”

“The Black Cat, the Cat destroyed the Ladybug, ding ring wedding bells, kittens and bugs and lies and hugs,” Fluff recites, confirming Tikki’s words.

The other kwamis murmur, and then Wayzz starts herding them away from her and Plagg, and they float to some distant part of the miracle box.

She didn’t care, she didn’t care, not when her little bug was in pain.

She turns to shove Plagg. “This is your fault!”

He curls in on himself. “I—I didn’t—”

“You let him get away with everything! He made so many mistakes, but you never said anything, and I—I allowed it.” Tikki screws her eyes up, all the noise in her head, all the pain from Marinette was so loud. She couldn’t think clearly through all the red. “Every time he made a mistake, you did nothing, and now he has hurt Marinette. Marinette, who has been with him through everything. He BETRAYED HER.”

“I’M SORRY,” Plagg yells, tears falling, his voice hoarse. “I’M SORRY I HURT MARINETTE, I’M SORRY I LET HIM BECOME THIS, AND I’M SORRY I—” he chokes up.

He hangs his head, voice small.

“I’m sorry I destroy everything.”

Abruptly, she remembers, without thought or warning, all the times he cried after one of his chosens were killed.

She remembers the aftermath of all the times he was taken like Nooroo and used for evil.

She remembers when he came to her, crying, seeing the death and destruction he had caused, his powers, his fault.

She remembers all the chosens he lost, all the ones corrupted, all the ones who turned bitter and evil and cruel.

She remembers a night, a million or so years ago, when he told her just how much he despised himself, how he broke everything he loved and touched.

She also remembers the pride in his voice when he spoke of Adrien, but also the way his face crumbled when the boy was particularly oblivious. She remembers how he loved his chosen and realises that maybe Plagg loved Adrien enough to let himself be blinded.

Her anger cools, and she feels guilt. Plagg was hurting too. Adrien was his kit, Plagg saw him grow and change, and to see one you loved to hurt another so dear—Tikki knew first hand that it hurt. Her past Ladybugs had not been immune to mistakes, and Tikki—she needed to remember Plagg wasn’t the one at fault.

Adrien was. Plagg and Tikki and Fu may not have taught him to behave like a proper superhero, but he had the others to look for as examples, and he should have known not to cheat.

He did know, and he did it anyway.

Plagg and Marinette were both hurting, betrayed and lied to and blinded by one the loved. And yes, Plagg had a hand in the blame, but no more than Nino and Chloe and all the others. They all had a hand in it, after seeing his faults and brushing over them, and they all had to realise that as much as they were guilty of ignorance, Adrien was the real villain in all of this.

“This… this is my fault too,” she admits, and Plagg looks up at her through teary eyes. “I encouraged Marinette to pursue him, even though I knew the more—questionable things he did. I’m as much at fault as you are.”

“He—” Plagg chokes up, eyes big and wide. “He seemed so kind. Where did I—what did I do?”

“Oh, Plagg,” she says softly, “you didn’t go wrong. He did.”

She hugs him, wrapping every part of her energy around his body, doing her best to say without saying she didn’t blame him, she didn’t hate him. He melts into her, and she feels his ache like a physical thing.

As she holds her other half, Marinette’s thoughts well up, and Tikki allows them in, shutting her eyes tight as she accepts that her chosen and her partner were in pain.

“Sixteen months… an affair…but I thought he—he said he loved me! Oh god oh god… the children… he said in loved me, how could he do this?!

I thought he loved me.”

Marinette’s thoughts are heartbroken, helpless.

Plagg’s are no easier, wild and twisting and pained.

“I will never forgive him,” Tikki vows quietly, just loud enough for Plagg to hear.

“I know,” he replies, twisting his eyes away from her.

I won’t either, though it hurts, hangs unsaid between them.

[aion-rsa]

Top New Horror Books in April 2021

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Where horror meets speculative fiction you’ll find inventive fears and chilling uncertainty. Here are some of the horror books we’re most excited about and/or are currently consuming…

Top New Horror Books in April 2021

Whisper Down the Lane by Clay Chapman

Type: Novel Publisher: Quirk Books Release date: April 6

Den of Geek says: A quasi-historical novel dissects memory and moral panic. What could be a flat story about mistrust has set itself apart with positive reviews praising both the fun and the terror.

Publisher’s summary: Inspired by the McMartin preschool trials and the Satanic Panic of the ‘80s, the critically acclaimed author of The Remaking delivers another pulse pounding, true-crime-based horror novel.

Richard doesn’t have a past. For him, there is only the present: a new marriage to Tamara, a first chance at fatherhood to her son Elijah, and a quiet but pleasant life as an art teacher at Elijah’s elementary school in Danvers, Virginia. Then the body of a rabbit, ritualistically murdered, appears on the school grounds with a birthday card for Richard tucked beneath it. Richard doesn’t have a birthday—but Sean does . . .

Sean is a five-year-old boy who has just moved to Greenfield, Virginia, with his mother. Like most mothers of the 1980s, she’s worried about bills, childcare, putting food on the table . . . and an encroaching threat to American life that can take the face of anyone: a politician, a friendly neighbor, or even a teacher. When Sean’s school sends a letter to the parents revealing that Sean’s favorite teacher is under investigation, a white lie from Sean lights a fire that engulfs the entire nation—and Sean and his mother are left holding the match.

Now, thirty years later, someone is here to remind Richard that they remember what Sean did. And though Sean doesn’t exist anymore, someone needs to pay the price for his lies.

Buy Whisper Down the Lane by Clay Chapman.

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

Type: Novel Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press  Release date: April 6

Den of Geek says: You won’t want to go near a body of water for a while. Highly-praised author McMahon looks into the deep as an author one critic called a fitting heir to Shirley Jackson.

Publisher’s summary: When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

A haunting, twisty, and compulsively readable thrill ride from the author who Chris Bohjalian has dubbed the “literary descendant of Shirley Jackson,” The Drowning Kind is a modern-day ghost story that illuminates how the past, though sometimes forgotten, is never really far behind us.

Buy The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon.

Near the Bone by Christina Henry

Type: Novel Publisher: Berkley Release date: April 13

Den of Geek says: Isolation often makes for some good, character-focused horror (maybe this year in particular). A mix of human and monstrous violence haunts this mountain.

Publisher’s summary: Mattie can’t remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they’re not alone after all. 

There’s something in the woods that wasn’t there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws. 

When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for the creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry.

Buy Near the Bone by Christina Henry.

Top New Horror Books in March 2021

Later by Stephen King

Type: Novel Publisher: Hard Case Crime Release date: March 2 Den of Geek says: Stephen King, author of The Stand, The Shining, and many more, needs no introduction. The top name in horror is sure to be the one everyone is talking about.

Publisher’s summary: The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine – as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave. 

LATER is Stephen King at his finest, a terrifying and touching story of innocence lost and the trials that test our sense of right and wrong. With echoes of King’s classic novel It, LATER is a powerful, haunting, unforgettable exploration of what it takes to stand up to evil in all the faces it wears.

Buy Later by Stephen King.

The Second Bell by Gabriela Houston

Type: Novel Publisher: Angry Robot Release date: March 9 Den of Geek says: Horror meets legend in a different take on the werewolf. Author Gabriela Houston has been praised for her character work and mixture of grounded realism and chilling fantasy.

Publisher’s summary: To the world you are an abomination; a monster with unholy abilities. You’re shunned and left to fend for yourself. Your only chance of survival is to tap into that dark potential – would you do it?

In an isolated mountain community, sometimes a child is born with two hearts. Such a child – a striga – is considered a dangerous demon, which must be abandoned on the edge of the forest to protect the community. The only choice the child’s mother can make is whether to leave her home with her infant, or stay behind and try to forget.

Miriat made her choice. She and her nineteen-year-old striga daughter, Salka, now live a life of deprivation and hardship in a remote village, where to follow the impulses of the other heart is forbidden.

But Salka is headstrong and young, and when threatened with losing everything, she is forced to explore the depths of her true nature, testing the bonds between mother and child.

The Second Bell by Gabriela Houston.

Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall

Type: Novel Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers Release date: March 16

Den of Geek says: This YA pick reminds us pleasantly of Twin Peaks or Alan Wake. A spooky setting and a protagonist with a strong hook to its location promises a tightly constructed story.

Publisher’s summary: In 1973, the thirty-one residents of Bitter Rock disappeared. In 2003, so did my mother. Now, I’ve come to Bitter Rock to find out what happened to her–and to me. Because Bitter Rock has many ghosts. And I might be one of them.

Sophia’s earliest memory is of drowning. She remembers the darkness of the water and the briny taste as it filled her throat, the sensation of going under. She remembers hands pulling her back to safety, but that memory is impossible–she’s never been to the ocean. 

But then Sophia gets a mysterious call about an island names Bitter Rock, and learns that she and her mother were there fifteen years ago–and her mother never returned. The hunt for answers lures her to Bitter Rock, but the more she uncovers, the clearer it is that her mother is just one in a chain of disappearances. 

People have been vanishing from Bitter Rock for decades, leaving only their ghostly echoes behind. Sophia is the only one who can break the cycle–or risk becoming nothing more than another echo haunting the island.

Buy Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall.

Top New Horror Books in February 2021

The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

Type: Novel Publisher: Ballantine Books Release date: Feb. 9 Den of Geek says: A spooky thriller set in a small village promises ghostly visitations and weird happenings that a single mother and her daughter need to investigate. Evil lurking in churches and exorcisms are a horror staple, but the historical grounding here gives it a unique texture. Publisher’s summary: A dark history lingers in Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, Protestant martyrs were betrayed—then burned. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And a few weeks ago, the vicar of the local parish hanged himself in the nave of the church.

Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fourteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village hoping for a fresh start. Instead, Jack finds a town rife with conspiracies and secrets, and is greeted with a strange welcome package: an exorcism kit and a note that warns, “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.”

The more Jack and daughter, Flo, explore the town and get to know its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into the age-old rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. And when Flo begins to see specters of girls ablaze, it becomes apparent there are ghosts here that refuse to be laid to rest.

Uncovering the truth can be deadly in a village with a bloody past, where everyone has something to hide and no one trusts an outsider.

Buy The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor.

What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo

Type: Novel Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux Release date: Feb. 2 Den of Geek says: Fans of the human side of werewolves or the everyday life of the Addams Family may like this story of a student returning home to a strange place after a taste of the outside world. Written for a YA market, but the inventive concept means it has crossover appeal. Publisher’s summary: Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds.

Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together―in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her.

Buy What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo.

Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap

Type: Short story collection Publisher: Small Beer Press Release date: Feb. 23 Den of Geek says: At Den of Geek we’re always looking for horror that mixes with science fiction and fantasy. Isabel Yap does exactly that. A well-established writer with short stories in genre pillars like Tor.com, Lightspeed, and Strange Horizons, her stories are vivid and unsettling. She’s garnered praise from authors including Tamsyn Muir. Publisher’s summary: “Am I dead?” Mebuyen sighs. She was hoping the girl would not ask. Spells and stories, urban legends and immigrant tales: the magic in Isabel Yap’s debut collection jumps right off the page, from the joy in her new novella, “A Spell for Foolish Hearts” to the terrifying tension of the urban legend “Have You Heard the One About Anamaria Marquez.”

Buy Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap.

Top New Horror Books in January 2021

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In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

Type: Novel Publisher: Berkley Release date: Jan. 19

Den of Geek says: This novel for fans of the line where true crime meets horror follows Belle Gunness, a real life serial killer. This looks like a darkly fascinating portrait of a wicked and deadly woman, showing how the “Widow of La Porte” clawed her way through history, leaving victims in her wake. Publisher’s summary: They whisper about her in Chicago. Men come to her with their hopes, their dreams–their fortunes. But no one sees them leave. No one sees them at all after they come to call on the Widow of La Porte.

The good people of Indiana may have their suspicions, but if those fools knew what she’d given up, what was taken from her, how she’d suffered, surely they’d understand. Belle Gunness learned a long time ago that a woman has to make her own way in this world. That’s all it is. A bloody means to an end. A glorious enterprise meant to raise her from the bleak, colorless drudgery of her childhood to the life she deserves. After all, vermin always survive.

Buy In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce.

In Darkness, Shadows Breathe by Catherine Cavendish

Type: Novel Publisher: Flame Tree Press Release date: Jan. 19

Den of Geek says: Intentionally disorienting fiction can be hit or miss, but in this case it sounds like the non-linear storytelling adds to the intended feeling of a nightmare. Old-fashioned Gothic horror fans with a taste for dark fantasy might enjoy this one. Publisher’s summary: In a luxury apartment and in the walls of a modern hospital, the evil that was done continues to thrive. They are in the hands of an entity that knows no boundaries and crosses dimensions – bending and twisting time itself – and where danger waits in every shadow. The battle is on for their bodies and souls and the line between reality and nightmare is hard to define. Through it all, the words of Lydia Warren Carmody haunt them. But who was she? And why have Carol and Nessa been chosen?

The answer lies deep in the darkness… 

Buy In Darkness, Shadows Breathe by Catherine Cavendish.

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

Type: Novel Publisher: Nyx Publishing Release date: Jan. 31

Den of Geek says: Dracula retellings are common, as are takes on the famous vampire’s wives. This one sets itself apart by focusing on a relationship between the wives themselves, coloring in the classic story with what the author calls “sapphic yearning at the opera.” Publisher’s summary: Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things. Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband’s dark secrets.

With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.

Buy A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson.

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The post Top New Horror Books in April 2021 appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3p4oSXG

[pinkvhs]

this has been a long time coming

ive detached from jack / dont watch jack anymore. i’ve poured so much into this story that involved the egos that i just....can’t let it go. so, im making ocs for the story instead. 

inspired by @lilakennedy . . . here is some info about my boys

Marvin the Magnificent➜ Marvin Lir MacKenna 

age: 27- from the 1920s

Brown wavy hair that goes to past his ears a bit

Blue eyes

Height: 5′7″

irish & welsh ( mother from wales father from ireland ) 

an illusionist / performer 

 Stage performance & regular attitude are a complete 180. Very bold on stage and confident but once he is off he is more reserved and calm

Best friends with Daniel

Knew Daniel for years, since they were around 10 years old. Extremely close bond.

Doesn’t believe in spirits but is very cautious / superstitious 

Gets powers whenever he and Daniel accidentally summon Phonus at Daniel’s Birthday/Halloween party. When it was just the two of them alone. 

He tries to attack Phonus since the monster killed Daniel 

but once he made contact with the demon, he was immediately teleported into our timeline. He took some of Phonus’s powers as a result 

He ends up getting burn marks on his arms/hands and face due to trying to physically fight Phonus when he was furious 

He has powers now, some he doesn’t know he can do yet. But his powers are: ✪= Not used often. ✦= strongest. ✧=weakest

✦ Empathic Element Manipulation ✦✪Fire Manipulation, ✦✪Necromancy, ✦Telekinesis,✦Kinetic Charging

✧✪Electricity Manipulation, ✦Magical Wall Generation, ✦Teleportation, ✧Intangibility, ✧Healing Hands, ✦✪Naturakinetic Combat

Riley finds him and helps him on his feet to find a place to stay

The two of them become close friends eventually, it takes a long time for Marv to warm up to people in this strange new environment- still tortured by that night. 

He blames himself for Daniels death every day. 

With his new unknown powers, he tries to go back in time to stop all this from happening. 

He opens up about his powers to Riley and the truth. 

Riley is beyond amazed that powers and magic exist, he tries to help Marv with his powers. 

He ends up needing to find a sort of job to stay at his home, so he tries the one thing he loved- entertaining people. With his magic, he dumbfounds audiences. 

However, once things were just looking up, his fire magic (the strongest) goes wrong.

He ends up catching a stage set on fire, causing injuries to hundreds. 

He panics. Riley tries to calm him down. But he can’t take it, he is convinced that he is destined to cause harm with these powers. 

He vanishes to a place by the sea and isolates himself, causing people to believe he died in the fire accident. 

He spends his time trying to prefect time travel and is consumed by isolation. though, he does attract wild life to him. they are very at ease with him

Refuses to use his fire magic 

One day, he comes across Viktor’s body on the shore. He takes him in quickly to his small home that he protected in case Phonus ever finds him.

He revives Viktor to come to. The stranger is a total mess and he tries to heal the man, but Viktor grabs him on reflex. So the man patches himself up

The two live together for a few months as the injuries heal up

Viktor convinces him to visit Riley again, so he does.

He teleports there and leaves a note stating that he is alive. He can’t bring himself to see Riley face to face

In the end, he tries to fight off Phonus. He fails miserably

He returns to his home, having Riley there with him. He gives Riley his powers because he doesn’t want to die and these powers go back to Phonus.

He trusts Riley with his life

Once Riley is given the powers, he passes away.

When his body is all alone peacefully at rest in the home, without any magic to protect it, Phonus finds the body

But no magic

The demon still takes the body. Using it to wake him up again and look into his mind to find out where the powers have gone

He remains a soul bounded victim to Phonus and reunites with Daniel

Both under Phonus’s control

Chase Brody➜ Noah Oliver Dodge

age: 29 - from our timeline

messy brown hair thats dyed blonde at the tips of it

brown eyes

Height: 5′9″

American

Dropped out of university and works part time at a local electronics store

loves to break things and try to fix them up again and make it totally new! 

has a passion for computers and likes to make his own computer 

he also loves film and had dreams of making a film 

a disaster cook but god help him he tries 

Father of 2 girls 

childish and fun loving 

reckless at times 

loves nature and going on walks / hikes 

met his wife in high school (been together since they were 16) 

they go to the same university, his wife studying to be a nurse 

at 18 he accidentally gets her pregnant and her parents arent the happiest about it

they get married at 19 

he becomes a stay at home dad and drops out to take care of their baby till she finishes nursing

they end up having another child once they get a small apartment together 

his daughter is friends with Viktors daughter and thats how the two families meet 

His wife actually works with Viktor and didn’t know at the time

his wife divorces him because, even though she does love him, she can’t keep working like this just to get by. she needs security and they dont have it. 

he is allowed to see his kids still but at the time it was very painful for him

he lives alone in that apartment, often calling Viktor to talk and invite him over so he doesn’t do shit he regrets 

he talks about how Viktor is so lucky to have such a wonderful life and wishes he could have that (since he doesn’t know the truth)

Viktor and Noah become very close and often have their kids over at each others houses

he hears news that Viktor is missing and becomes a mess. he is alone and doesnt know what to do. 

he tries to make it known that he is missing online, making posts and videos as much as he can to get peoples attention 

he visits the Valentin house hold and offers his wife any help thats needed, despite knowing all the turmoil they went though. he cares about the kids and doesn’t want them to worry. 

Henrik Von Schneeplestein➜ Viktor Alexis Valentin

age: 32 -from our timeline 

short grey hair

extremely pale blue eyes

pale, almost sickly skin 

Height: 6′2″

German

Doctor that specializes in internal medicine (meaning he focuses on helping adults) but also is a surgeon

Father of 3 girls

loves to bake! 

a hopeless romantic actually

he is very cold and standoff ish but once he loves you, he LOVES you

blunt to a fault still though

cares about people. more so than his own well being

extremely loyal

met his wife in university. he took an anatomy art class 

his wife helped him improve his drawing skills and the two became close

he fell for her very hard 

they get married and live in a house that they saved up for (with extra help from both of their parents)

once settled, they have their children 

his wife is a biology teacher with a minor in art teaching! 

he takes family trips whenever he can to the beach! his kids love the ocean!

he comes home one day to find his wife cheated on him- he suspected this for a while now. he found a shirt underneath the bed, thinking it was just a gift for later down the road for christmas or something. he went to fix it when a piece of paper fell out of the pocket. her phone number

he never gets mad at her. he blames himself

he thinks he isnt perfect enough

he becomes extremely distant and cold, more than before. never knowing when to bring it up

the two of them grow apart but still live together

they make sure not to worry their children though, they dont want them to think its their fault. 

he never brings up this information to Noah because he doesn’t want him to worry. 

very envious of Noah though and wish he would smack him. Noah has a wife that loves him and he wishes that Noah could wake up and see that and fix his actions. 

he does break down one night and tell Noah everything that happened

one day at the office, a man came in with a horrible neck injury. 

he typically sees people who just need some medication or the worst injury being a bite from a dog, but even that wasn’t bad. 

he rushes to take care of the stranger. once they were alone for a brief second, he gets trapped inside. 

Phonus used Daniels body in order to get to the Doctor. He attacks and possesses Viktor. 

Once Phonus is done using Viktor, he takes him to a cliff near the sea

He is snaps his neck and lets the body fall into the ocean. 

Eventually, he washes up to shore where Marvin is

he stays with marvin for months while he heals up himself, he refuses to get any magic help

once he decides to leave marvin has a hard time letting go, he is worried viktor will fall victim to phonus again 

he leaves to go home but once he reaches the steps, phonus finds him again. 

Jackieboy Man➜ Riley Lee Young

age: 23 - from our timeline 

very curly blonde hair

green eyes

skin that tans pretty easily 

the most muscular out of the lads but isnt extremely buff 

Height: 5′6″

American

Lives alone in a small apartment 

a college student, unsure what to major in but possibly wants to be a vet

LOVES animals! 

a vegetarian ! 

a pretty good cook actually! 

has a heart of gold and sees the best in most people, though he isn’t stupid. he knows there are terrible people in the world that can’t change and deserve punches to the face

he watches pets and volunteers at animal shelters!

he also babysits Viktors kids to get some money

was kicked out of his home. Viktor found out about it and bought him a small apartment to live in. (he would of offered Riley to stay but he has issues at home that he doesn’t want to subject Riley to on the daily)

he is the girls big brother figure and he loves to pay pretend with them ! 

He meets Marvin and they eventually become friends

he helps Marvin gain back confidence, giving him a place to stay, and helps him actually feel . . at home in this timeline 

when he finds out the truth that marvin is from the 1920s and has powers he cannot get over how cool it is! calling him a super hero and showing him comics that he has. he helps marvin try to get a better hold on the powers

he was around whenever the fire accident with marvins powers happen, he tries to calm marvin down but ends up alone. left to wonder what happened to his friend. 

When he has to start university up again he has to let the Valentin family know that he can’t be around as much as before but will try to help out if needed 

Viktor’s wife ends up calling Riley one day and begs him to come to the house as soon as he can for Viktor has been missing for days now

Riley puts up posters and gets the news out that Viktor is missing as much as he can around the city. 

He still goes to university but spends a lot of time in the Valentin household. Visiting on holidays and the girls birthdays. Having no news of Viktor. 

he later on gains marvins powers, his mainly being electricity and strength. 

he is set on finding phonus and fixing things for marvins sake 

Jameson Jackson➜ Daniel Edmund Thomas

age: 27 - from the 1920s

slicked short black hair

brown eyes

Height: 5′7″

British

a charming, bold, charismatic man 

an actor and musician, exceptionally good on piano

very witty and clever

lives a rather extravagant life 

very close friends with Marvin, trusts him with his life

on his 27th birthday on Halloween, he throws a party

he loves to mess around with guests and asks Marvin if they can have a a seance

they try it to entertain the guests, but nothing happens (to marvins relief) 

the party continues on till its just marvin and him by the end of the night

they try again to contact from the beyond

they succeed 

he comes face to face with the demon. an invisible hand causing him to kill himself. making Marvin watch 

he becomes Antiphonus’s personal toy 

his mind becomes warped and he loses all sense of who he used to be

he tries to fight back, but once he does, his tongue is cut out of his mouth. never to be able to voice for help again 

his body now bound to Phonus becomes a personal pin cushion. being cut open and inspected to see how far humans have come with healing themselves. to see how far a human body can handle things

being trapped with phonus he starts to believe that Marvin caused his death. he believes everything phonus tells him and is set on killing marvin 

he becomes very aware of realities all thanks to Phonus. 

Antisepticeye➜ Antiphonus

age: unknown. 

an immortal being / demon

seems to have been around for centuries 

first appears invisible, then a shadow figure, to a pitch black faceless figure that takes on more of a human shape - till finally, he appears to look like Daniel 

he is fascinated with humans, very curious and destructive 

he takes Daniel in as a host. he rests inside of Daniel’s body till he is strong enough to mimic the physical outer appearance of him

when he possesses people becomes stronger. he doesnt have full control right away, it takes him a bit of time to warm up once again to how powerful he used to be. 

he can see into his victims mind when possessing them, he knows all what Daniel knows / remembers. Daniels fame, fears, friendship. family, love- he knows it all. 

He uses this to his advantage to keep Daniel around without fighting him back- using Marvin against him

he is after the powers that he accidentally gave to Marvin on impact

he travels to the dimensions he has access to and time lines in hopes to find Marvin, taking Daniel along with no choice

he lands in our dimension and timeline to sense that his powers are close by

He ends up sabotaging Marvin’s performance with fire magic in order to kill him or capture him but it fails- he looses sight of him

While he is searching through the streets, he over hears talk about the human body. He comes across Viktors practice building and opens the door a crack. He can sense so many souls and blood in that building and gets vastly curious. He notices people injured and ill, waiting for care. He hatches an idea. 

 He returns to Daniel and possesses his body. He takes Daniel to an alley way close to the building, away from the eyes of others. He grabs the sharpest thing he can find and plunges it deep into the side of his neck and carves it out slowly and rips it out. 

He quickly makes Daniel reach the building and barges in, causing everyone to look on in horror. The nurses there rush to his aid as Phonus makes Daniel gasp and hold his neck to try to stop the bleeding. Nurses page for Viktor asap as they get Daniel to a stretcher and room fast.  Viktor arrives shortly after and is fast to help Daniel. Daniel just looks at Viktor and tries to nod. 

Once the nurses leave for a brief moment and its just him and Viktor, Phonus makes the door lock them inside.

Viktor goes to inject him with medication but Daniel reaches out and grabs Viktors arm. He say to Daniel that he knows needles are scary but you need this now, let go please. Daniel sits up and twists Viktors arm, causing Viktor to wince in pain while looking shocked. 

He grabs Daniels hand with his free one and tries to pry it away, but can't. Daniel kicks him away, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. He gets up from the bed. The lights inside the room begin to flicker faster and faster. Electronics in the room flickering on and off, radios and tv consumed with fast stations, fluctuating volumes, and static. Viktor gets to his feet and hears all this noise and sees this horror in front of him. 

Phonus leaves Daniels body, causing Daniel's wound to disappear. Phonus stands in front of him.

He gets inside of Viktors mind to find all that he can about the human body and the amount of pain that it can handle. 

He sees in Viktors mind a young man with curly blonde hair. And for a brief moment inside of Viktors mind, he sees Marvin 

in the end he ends up taking Marvin captive but finds that the powers are gone. 

he keeps marvin around because he sees too, that he gave that blonde boy his powers

so he is on the hunt for Riley 

[erchommai-a]

main timeline.

1989

●     Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern is born on the second year of the Uprising.

1991

●     Jocelyn’s betrayal.

●     Jonathan is presumed dead along side with Valentine on the 3rd of February.

●     23rd of August Clary is born.

1992

●     On his 3rd birthday, Valentine gives him his first sword.

●     His training begins.

1994

●     It was on the eve of 21st of January that he learned about the existence of the other boy.

●     On his 4th birthday, he learned about demons and met, face to face, with his first one.

●     He wasn’t allowed to fight it.

1995

●     On his 5th birthday, Valentine taught him to hunt.

●     He was also 5 when he first tried to kill Valentine.

●     When he fails, he hears Lilith for the first time and thinks it’s a dream.

●     He learns to take care of himself out of necessity ─ Valentine’s absence is frequent and unpredictable.

 1996

●     A week before his birthday, he manages to break into Valentine’s laboratory and burn half of his books.

●     He is 6 years old when he first learns of the whip.

●     He is also 6 years old when Valentine explains to him the nature of his birth when he realizes the scars don’t heal.

1997

●     On his 7th birthday, Valentine gives him a Falcon.

●     He named it Munin to match Valentine’s Hugin.

●     He doesn’t ask anything when he’s ordered to kill it.

●     He asked Valentine if he learned that from her instead.

●     He shot down everything that dared to fly over the cabin in Valentine’s absence for a month.

1998

●     He makes his first attempt to find out where Valentine keeps the other boy so he could kill him.

●     Valentine finds out. As compensation, he lets him kill his first wolf.

●     On his birthday, he gets a bow and a spear and the whole day with his Father.

●     Jonathan asks him about Jocelyn for the first time.

●     He breaks both of his new gifts a month from overuse.

●     Valentine introduces him to other weapons to pass the time until his next lesson.

1999

●     On his 9th birthday, Valentine gave him the challenge to kill his first demon after teaching him the exact place in a man’s back where you can pierce his heart and sever his spine all at once  .

●     He thinks he hears a voice inside of his head but it never answers back.

2000

●     Valentine starts with his formal education. Having instilled enough of what could be considered discipline in the boy.

●     He introduced him to languages, history, and the art.

●     He introduced him to all the necessary education that comes with the life of a Shadowhunter.

●     He learned to play the piano and the violin but his interest was still pulled more closely to things he could do with his hands.

●     He enjoyed whittling and woodworking with his Father.

●     And consuming books in his absence.

2001

●     On his 11th birthday, Valentine informs him of his plan to give up Jace as his present.

●     His unquestionable loyalty to his Father is sealed then and there.

●     His lessons begin to focus on adapting more human traits, spycraft and learning quick magical spells to help in fights and healing.

●     Valentine also starts rigorous experiments performed on him to study the full effects of the demon blood on his constitution.

●     Physical and Mental experiments alike.

2007

●     It’s the first time he’s seen his mother since she had put him to bed that night before Valentine fled.

●     It’s the first time Valentine brings him to the apartment and he only sees his mother in passing before he is sent on his first mission.

●     He dreams of Clary.

●     He spends the next six months stalking and studying Sebastian Verlac.

●     He explores Paris with him.

●     He learns everything about him.

2008

●     He only kills Sebastian when his Father calls him back.

●     He introduces himself as Sebastian.

●     He finally meets Jace and Clary face to face.

●     He dies by the foot of a river before Valentine’s plans come into fruition.

2009

●     Presumed dead. ( Again. )

●     For six months, he is enveloped in darkness ─ practically dead except in thought ─ forced into silence and face the absolute madness of solitude and only Lilith’s voice in his ear.

●     Lilith brings him back through the twinning ritual binding his life source to Jace.

●     He is incapacitated for at least a month ─ borrowing strength from Jace to build his body and his strength back.

●     Jace and Jon shenanigans.

●     Team Evil shenanigans.

●     Clary ruins said shenanigans and breaks the bond between Jace and Jon.

●     He flees to Valentine’s backup apartment in St. Petersburg.

●     He recuperates only for a month but not before leaving dead angel’s wings ( which he actually just stole from Valentine who stole from Ithuriel ) in front of the New York Institute’s doors with “Erchomai” drawn out on the asphalt in red blood like the dramatic bitch that he is.

●     Starts the Dark War while also starting an “affair” with the Seelie Queen.

●     Kills more wolves than people tbh. ( Sorry Praetor Lupus peeps. )

●     Mostly turned a lot of Shadowhunters into Endarkened.

●     Drags Dark War into Edom.

●     Makes himself God. Traps the heroes.

●     Dies.

●     Like an idiot.

●     “ I’ve never felt so light. “

●     TO CLARIFY:HE DOESN’T DIE  because he doesn’t have humanity left because THAT IS ABSOLUTELY BULLSHIT and I don’t sign up for that. HE DIES BECAUSE CLARY STABBED HIM IN THE HEART which is a lot more poetic and also appropriate so fuck that CASSANDRA.

●     RIP.

 2009 / Alternative Post COHF .

●     On the off chance he does survive ─ through some miracle or another ─ but also you know you can’t tell me that Clary couldn’t have just you know thought very hard and tried to save him. LIke I get why she didn’t cause he sucks ass but I’m just saying.

●     Okay for my preferred canon ─ I prefer Jocelyn being the one to go through great lengths to keep him alive.

●     His body is carried in her arms from Edom back to Earth. From there, he is submitted to the Silent brothers for funeral preparations but he isn’t fully gone. 

●     The fire is low but it’s still burning through his system. 

●     Tying his soul to his body.  

●     And one of the effects of the Heavenly Fire is kind of a test of wills. A challenge of how much of that little ounce of humanity in him can survive before the fire burns out. And the answer is six months in a comatose state ─ under 24 hour supervision from the Clave and the Silent Brothers where his survival and existence is kept in close wraps and is unknown beyond those within powerful influences.

●     A fake funeral is done in the interim ─ there is no grave. The Shadowhunter World’s biggest threat defeated. 

●     When he wakes up, he is immediately put in a cell without Jocelyn’s knowledge. The deliberation on his sentence takes months.  

●     Eventually his existence is exposed before the clave could come to a decision ─ the calm and peace that came with his death disappears overnight. Demands on his death are made. Attempts on his life follow not long after. The deliberation worsens.

●     Jocelyn is the only one arguing for his humanity. 

●     He hasn’t spoken to a single soul in months because no one is allowed to speak to him. His cell is warded off. 

●     He makes three attempts to kill himself. None ever quite work.

●     On the eve of his sentencing ─ he thinks it Jocelyn when its Clary who breaks him out.

●     “ Mercy, “ she said.

●     He remembers the word and he says no more before he flees.

2012 .

●     He hides in plain sight in Bucharest for a few years.

●     His skin no longer pale. His hair is sometimes a golden sheen under sunlight.

●     His eyes are a bright green.

●     He still has his Father’s resources.

●     He still has his skills.

●     He still has his weapons.

●     Sometimes he still hears Lilith even though he knows it can’t be.

2014 .

●     Moving to Munich, he fell in love with the Architecture of the city.

●     He was almost mauled by a werewolf, suspecting it first as an old demon coming to collect a debt he had owed or Valentine had.

●     He only lasts a few months before rumors start spreading that the Clave might be circling him.

●     He drops everything and changes his Alias for the 3rd time.

●     It’s snowing when he makes it to Amsterdam.

●     He falls easy prey to the many offers of the city ─ mundane and supernatural alike.

●     Find favor in a local warlock, he seduces him for information and protection.

●     Keeping himself safe for another few years.

2017 .

●     Leaving on somewhat good terms, he re-settles in Bolungarvík, finding it much easier to assimilate in a small town.

●      Building a life as a complete stranger and carving the smallest footprint available as his own home.

●      He picks out land on the outskirt of the town, much closer to the mountains where it reminded him of home than to the sea.

●      He gets back into Woodwork.

●      Eventually, sparking up a relationship with the local fishermen he gets the occasional job when he needs it.

2019 .

●     He gets a dog.

●     For the first time, it’s not named Jace.

●     He names him Wednesday.