#doing a re-read ... on chapter 7 right now <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[cadeaton]

so excited for this blog !

[sweetflanfiction]

Asymetrical Symphony - Part 24

Universe: Arcane (LOL)

Pairing: Viktor x reader

Summary: You had been on the rooftop with Jayce and the Herald and somehow you were sent to a place where things can be different with your help

Disclaimers and Warnings: If you want me to tag you on the chapters let me know! Also leave a comment with your thoughts :D Not finished, not proofread. English isn't my 1st language. All I know about LOL is from google and all I know about Arcane is taken from the show, so inacuracies will be plenty. I have a sort of idea on how to I'm gonna go with magic and runes, so bear with me. The reader will be written as GN (going by they/them) to get everyone involved, but if you see any discrepancies let me know

A.N: I feel like I should apologize...sorry...not sorry...I'm still cooking people...

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 • Part 8 • Part 9 • Part 10 • Part 11 • Part 12 • Part 13 • Part 14 • Part 15 • Part 16 • Part 17 • Part 18 • Part 19 • Part 20 • Part 21 • Part 22 • Part 23

• ··········· • ············ •

As you were about to move in to capture his lips, a voice from behind you two shouted, making you both jump. Viktor unwittingly grabbed your elbows and quickly let go.

You looked over your shoulder to see a worker stomping towards the both of you. An enforcer rounded the corner close behind him. He was calling out to the both of you, and you turned to see Viktor's golden orbs staring at the two men, squinting in thought.

“Remember when I said we might have to commit crimes?” Viktor whispered, without taking his eyes off the other men.

“I also remember you distinctively saying there were other ways to escape than to just run.”

“Heeeh… We might want to start a brisk walk just in case.”

You looked at him with a blank, annoyed face, and he shrugged, giving you a look of, ‘I don’t really know what I’m doing right now; I’m just doing it confidently.’.

The people behind were closing in, and you both started to walk briskly, as fast as Viktor could without breaking into a run.

“I can run if we need to.” Viktor looked over his shoulder at the quickly approaching guards. “But I have to take off my brace.”

“Let’s avoid that.” You kept looking around, hoping somewhere in the back of your mind was stored a memory that could give an idea of where to hide.

“I know where we can hide!” Viktor, seemingly reading your thoughts, went to grab your wrist but ended up grabbing the edge of your scarf, pulling gently.

A sharp turn, and Viktor stopped abruptly, checking to see if the men were anywhere in sight. With a satisfied nod, he pointed to a metal door. A sign with “Machine Room” written on it.

Viktor tapped the handle to the door, and you nodded, understanding what he meant with a look. Quickly you took the glove off and unlocked it.

Before getting in the room, you saw a couple of spare pipes leaning on the wall further ahead, and with another flick of your wrist, a swoosh of air made them fall with several clinks and clunks. 

As you closed and re-locked the door, you heard the enforcer and the worker shout and run in front of the door towards the pipes and then continue on. You sighed in relief and looked around.

The room was loud, the whirring of the machines and pumps causing it to be almost unbearable. A few fluorescent lights hung from the tall ceiling, making the ceiling a void above you. You groaned, your face twisting in disapproval.

Viktor limped towards a metal staircase leading to a lower floor. He sat on the first step with a grunt, took off his bag, his hands moved to the brace on his leg, and he started to unbuckle it.

“Viktor?” You sat down next to him, trying not to shout at him.

“I was expecting this.” He told you loudly but calmly, hands making quick work of the buckles under his knee. “The night shift probably just ended; the morning shift is starting to arrive. I was hoping we could have walked a little further, but nonetheless…this is…mmmm…workable.”

“Alright. And how do we work with it?”

Viktor grunted, pulling his brace from his leg, bending it, and testing it on the ground. He held a hand up for you to help him stand, and you did so, already versed on the best way to do it. He made a ‘whoop’ sound when he stood, which made you chuckle. It was followed with one of his own.

For a few seconds, you both stood there. You with hands hovering near his shoulders, ready to grab him if he toppled, and him swaying side to side, looking at his feet, finding his own balance. When he straightened out, he made a grimace but then sighed, becoming once more accustomed to the added discomfort.

"A little further down, there is an arch that has a way to go down to the bedrock below. And then it’s a little walk until we can climb up the rock to Zaun.”

“Way to go down? Climb?” You raised an eyebrow, and he patted his hextech, now braceless.

“Climb.” He saw your blank face. “It’s not going to be comfortable or painless, but it’ll be alright. I can take it.”

“I…mmmm…" You locked your jaw and sniffled disapprovingly but held your hands up. "Alright. I’m not going to argue. Nope. I’ll judge silently.”

Viktor’s face turned triumphant as he walked by you. When he reached the door, he placed his ear to it. He nodded, looking at you, signaling there was no one he could hear. You unlocked the door, and he carefully and silently popped his head out and then waved at you to come.

It must have been a sight to see the two of you comically sneaking around the mostly empty corridors. You were carrying his brace under your arm while he was doing his best not to hit the crutch on the walls while hunching down to try and become smaller.

Thankfully, the only ones watching would have been the Gods, since nobody passed by you two.

You hoped they were having a good laugh.

“There.” He pointed to an unassuming archway.

When you reached in, you looked down. It wasn’t as high as you expected. If you had to guess, it was probably 7 or 8 feet. You looked around. To one side the ground went deeper down, on the other a solid wall of rock went steeply upwards. 

You turned your gaze to Viktor, who was also appraising the wall of creamy rock. He looked back at you, and you raised an eyebrow, your gaze shifting between him and the rock and back to him.

“It will be fine.” He concluded with finality, and you pulled an unimpressed and obviously belligerent expression.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Your silent judgment is very loud.” Viktor raised an eyebrow at you.

You gave him a one-shoulder shrug and tilted your chin towards the wall to the side of the archway. Several metal tubes were carved into it, forming a ladder down. 

“Ahah!” He inspected them closely. Grabbing one and pulling it with some force to see if it would hold. It creaked but didn't fall off.

“Alright.” You grabbed his crutch from his hands, quickly making it cane size, and secured it between the straps of your backpack.

“I can take the brace.” He asked for it, and you gave it to him. He secured two of its leather straps to the strap of his shoulder bag and pulled it a bit to see if it was safe. 

He started for the ladder, and you stopped him, hand on his forearm.

“Let me go first. It’ll be easier to help you from down there.” You moved past him as he nodded.

You saw his hand move towards your own arm but stop and just hover there, waiting in case it was necessary for him to actually grab you. His eyes were fixed on the steps and on your movement, making sure you were secure in your descent. It was a caring gesture; it made you give him a goofy smile, and he reciprocated.

“Go on.” He mentioned it with his head, and you started going down.

The steps were flimsy but seemed sturdy enough for you to climb down, the metal groaning in some places, but it didn’t show signs of breaking.

“Please do not break anything.” He quickly shouted at you. “Unless you want to try your mending on a real bone.”

“A little eager for disaster, aren’t we?” You jumped the 3 steps needed to reach the ground with a little oomph. “Your turn.”

You saw him grab the steps and test one. It groaned with the weight of his hex leg but nothing else. He slowly made his way down as you followed his movements attentively. As soon as he got within helping distance, you hovered, your hands up, ready to steady him. You noticed his grimace with every step, but there was no other complaint.

When his boots touched the ground, you held on to his shoulders as he took some deep breaths and balanced himself. His face was a mix of discomfort and pain.

“Are you alright?” Concern was written on your features when his own didn’t change. “Vik?”

“Give me a minute…” You gently led him to the rock wall, and he leaned on it. “I might have underestimated the physicality of this part of our endeavor.”

Viktor groaned when he tried to put weight on his leg, quickly grabbing his thigh.

“Alright. We rest.” You ordered rather than asked.

Unlatching his brace from the of his bag strap, you helped him put it on.

“I’ll need it off when we go up.” He whined, placing a hand on your shoulder as you slid his brace up.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” You strapped the thing in on his lower leg but let him do the straps on his thigh while you pulled the crutch to his preferred height.

He tested the leg again and nodded, still grimacing. You grabbed a bottle of water from your backpack and handed it to him after taking a swig yourself. He took it gratefully, sighing after closing the lid.

You sat on the ground in front of him, legs outstretched, leaning into your hands, and looked at the man in front of you. He seemed somewhat defeated, fiddling with the buckles of his belt, leaning against the rock wall.

“Hey!” You called him, and he looked up to you, his face blank but waiting. “I’m glad you're here.”

“Eh…” he sighed heavily. “I was hoping our exploration would go smoother than this. I didn’t remember those steps being so hard to go down.”

“When was the last time you got down here?”

“A couple of years...” you raised an eyebrow. “Since the start of hextech…”

You rolled your eyes but smiled gently at him, trying not to sound condescending.

“Ten years is not a couple. There were no back screws then, no hex leg, no crutch...”

“How did—? Esther?” You nodded and shrugged. Not good at lying...pfft.

“Either way. If we do this the scientific way, now we know this path is not viable. We’ll find another one.” You winked at him, and he frowned.

“This would be a good time to gloat and tell me how right you were.”

“About?”

“Not wanting me to come along.”

“But I do, though.” You leaned forward, crossing your legs like a kid and leaning forward, picking at the dirt on the ground. “I always did. I just don’t want you to get hurt. Not because you are incapable of taking care of yourself, but because Zaun is dangerous for you and for me.”

“That is why I also want to come with you.” He slid down the rocky wall and sat down as well, looking at you. “The thought of you going alone to Zaun was…not welcomed.”

You gave him a grin, shook your head, got up, and walked to him. When you were at arm's length from him, you squatted in front of him. He followed your movements with curiosity, his golden orbs bright and attentive. 

After a few seconds of silence, your hand came up to touch his face, but a thought on the back of your mind stopped you. It was hardly fair that he couldn't touch you without the chance of triggering a panic attack, and yet you felt no qualms in doing it to him.

As if reading your thoughts, he moved his face to nuzzle your hand, a smile on his lips and a glint in his eyes. You saw his hand come up to your hand face but only hovered there, close enough for you to feel the coolness coming off his fingers but not touching.

“We should go.” He whispered, his face still leaning into your palm. “Otherwise I fear I might lose my resolve.”

“To go to Zaun?” You asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No.” 

“Oh.” His eyes shifted to your lips. “Oh…”

With a groan you got up, grabbed his crutch, and held it so he could get up. As soon as you could, you grabbed his elbow and helped him up.

“You are quite the expert at lifting me to my feet.” He was adjusting his crutch as you kept your hands near his shoulders just in case.

“Making up for the first time we met.” You grinned, and he looked at you snorting.

Viktor nodded when he was ready to keep walking. You grabbed at the strap of his leather bag and gently pulled it. He lowered his head and allowed you to take it.

You secured it around your torso, grabbed the backpack you had discarded on the floor, and flung it on your back. You felt him rearrange a strap that was twisted and then patting it. 

“The place I used to go up is not far.” He motioned with his head.

“We’ll go slow. No crimes being committed here.” You joked, and he nodded.

You walked a few feet in comfortable silence. The sun was still low on the horizon, and you could hear sounds of people going about their lives on the sides of the dried riverbed. It was peaceful.

At points you’d stop so Viktor could rest, but you never fussed over it. He’d lean on the wall, and you’d wait for him to restart walking.

When he stopped and tapped your shoulder, you realized he was looking at the wall. Following his eyes, you saw several formations in the rock that looked like steps. You sighed. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it’s better than you expected.

The height between steps was not much, nor was their depth. There were just... a lot of them. And they weren’t natural to the rock; someone had carved them, and with their use, it seemed like their angle became sharper. One slip-up and it would be quite the tumble.

“Alright…this is doable. I don’t think you need to take the brace off.” You encouraged Viktor, and he nodded, not very convinced. “We go nice and easy, and we rest when we need to.”

And that's what you did. Nice, slow walk up some steep stairs. Midway Viktor took off his brace but kept his crutch close to him.

Slowly but surely you trekked up the steps, and when you arrived at the Undercity’s promenade, you were both out of breath.

You both sat on the last step, Viktor tapping your knee and pointing to his bag. Unceremoniously you gave it to him, your mind still trying to figure out how to breathe in and out. No coherent thoughts, just bringing air in and out.

The sound of something shaking caught your attention, and you looked at Viktor as he placed an inhaler between his lips and breathed in. 

“Why... why do you need… that?” You said between breaths.

“Keep…the lungs…from remembering they are not mine…” he said, storing the medicine inside the bag and lightly touching his chest. “They get fussy…with big...activities...””

Nothing he said would be considered coherent to anyone else. Lungs with memory? But to you, that was music to your ears. It brought a smile to your face.

“Well…hopefully…there will be no more extraneous activities from now on.” You leaned your elbows on your knees, and Viktor laughed, coughed, and laughed again.

“You are in Zaun, Piltie. This is where the word ‘extraneous’ was invented.”

He winked at you with a grin, and you found yourself admitting that you cared for him more than just him being the simulacrum of the Viktor you once loved and cared for. 

You were falling for a completely new person.

• ··········· • ············ •

@marshy-moo @victormydarling @blueesmiski @th3stup1dcat @22carolina08 @httpstes @that-one-shitty-blog @disa-pointment @sseleniaa @kitewa @moons-lighttrail @aysluxe @fae-doodle @local-mr-frog @bakusquadobsessed @cherry-cola-100 @optimistic-but-very-realistic @seeksrsnn @thecordelialetters @notsaelty @lansy-4 @ayupfrogg @sammypotato @wnbrw @lucycarlisleswife @noxturnalmoth @ren-ren23 @furblrwurblr @kapitankarate @mynicknameisgasoline @octo-octopie @birbwithhat @kneelarmhstrung @dedicated2viktor @elvishstudies @iamfandomnerd @jazzypop-op @jojo-at-heart

[heroesrest64]

Haunting Heroes

Other parts: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Story summary: You find a great house at an absolute steal of a price. The only problem? Your house is probably most definitely haunted.

Chapter 1: Moving In

Chapter summary: either your family is going out of their way to prank you, or you have a ghost problem.

You can read the chapter here on ao3

Chapter under the cut :)

A list of temporary nicknames for the boys (why do I do this to myself TT)

Hyrule Warriors Link/ Warriors: Vanity

Alttp Link/ Legend: Whisper

BotW Link/ Wild: Spice

You really should’ve asked more about the history of this place before moving in.

It’s not your fault, really! The place was at a price you couldn’t beat, came with all of the bells and whistles, in a safe neighborhood not too far from your boring office job. Really, it was like all of the stars aligned.

You should’ve known it wouldn’t be so simple. A house doesn’t come so cheap for no reason. Usually, it means something is seriously wrong with it and it’s going to fall down in a couple months, or it’s haunted.

It turns out your situation is the latter.

In your defence, it wasn’t obvious for about a week. Just little things- puddles in the bathroom you didn’t remember making, spices moved to unusual places, clocks not set to the correct times. All easily explainable- you aren’t the most organized person, so any number of things could be explained away by your own forgetfulness.

You should’ve seen the writing on the wall.

Literally, you should’ve seen the writing on the wall. Or, the bathroom mirror, you suppose.

“Welcome.” You read aloud, squinting at the message written in big, loopy letters on your fogged up mirror. That’s not ominous at all.

Now, you could read into this two ways. One- you’re being pranked, which is impossible because you’re severely lacking in the friend department and your family lives way too far away to come out for a simple prank visit. Or two- a ghost wrote on your mirror and is probably gonna jump scare you right now.

What are you supposed to do in this sort of situation? Call a priest? Ignore it? Cry??

You choose the second option because ignoring your problems has never gotten you in any sort of trouble and always works.

You go about your days, ignoring the animals in your backyard staring you down with too-intelligent eyes, the flickering lights, the chills that sometimes follow you from room to room.

It’s like you’re living in a low-stakes horror movie. Nothing ever really happens, whatever’s haunting you doesn’t seem keen to interact with you directly, other than occasionally changing up your spice selection or writing short notes on your mirrors.

It’s all becomes so mundane, in fact, that you kind of start to… enjoy the company?

Look. You don’t have a lot of friends, and your family doesn’t live close enough for you to visit or vice versa. It may sound a little sad, but can anyone really blame you for wanting to befriend your roommates, no matter how questionable their very existence is?

So you may or may not begin trying option four- interacting with the ghost in your house. You vocally thank no one in particular when a spice is positioned for you to use, you start reading off what’s on your phone when that cold chill looms over your shoulder, you call out for the voices to go to bed when they start whispering around 3 in the morning.

At a certain point, you realize you have more than one housemate. You’re pretty sure there’s at least three, but there might be more.

You’ve started calling them by nicknames, too, just to differentiate them. Whisper is the ghost that speaks at night. They’re not very chatty, and immediately shut up when they realize you’re not sleeping. You don’t think they’re shy though, as they respond in a snarky rendition of your sisters voice when they do talk back to you.

Next is Spice. They’re the ghost who seems tied down to your kitchen, and might be responsible for all of the stuff that moves around in there. You think they might be the one resetting your clocks and rattling your pipes, but you aren’t sure.

There’s also Vanity, they’re the one who talks to you through fogged up mirrors. They’re pretty huffy at you, probably realizing you ignored their welcome, but they’re also the most chatty, and you guys spend a couple minutes after your showers just trying to talk, although you don’t tend to get very far before the fog fades away.

So, there’s at least three specters, but that still leaves a few unexplained phenomena. The cold chills following you around, the flickering lights, the weird dreams that sometimes wake you up kicking and screaming. You don’t know if any of the ghosts you know exist are capable of doing those things, so you plan to ask.

“Hey Vanity? How many of you guys are there?” You ask, rubbing your hair dry with a towel. The ghost is pretty funny in your opinion- they don’t talk to you in the mirror unless you’re completely dressed.

‘9’ the loopy writing of the mirror ghost appears. You almost pissed yourself the first time it happened, but you’re pretty used to it now.

“Wait, really? I thought there were only three of you.” You admit. The ghost doesn’t respond for a second before, very slowly, an arrow takes form. It points down, at the sink in front of you that suddenly begins dripping water.

You’re a big enough person to admit you screamed. What were you supposed to do, just stare at the faucet (which hadn’t even turned on- water just decided to start coming out of it) and decide that it was a completely normal thing to see?

“What the fuck!” You shout, raising your hands defensively. The water stops, and you stare your sink down suspiciously like it might start spraying water again.

‘Stop. Follow him.’ The note on your mirror appears in the fading steam, and you can’t even begin to puzzle out the meaning before the sound of dripping water begins, and you look at where it’s coming from to find a small puddle on the floor.

A few seconds later, another puddle forms, then another, and another, slowly creating a path outside of your bathroom and down the hall.

“Oh my gosh, I’m about to go on a ghost hunt.” You whisper to yourself, slowly following the footprints further into your house.

[anki-of-beleriand]

A heart Made of Glass ch.12

Summary: Ten years ago you left Wanda and the Avengers to heal your broken heart. You never stopped being a hero, just as you never stopped being in love with her. But life had to go on.

Now, after all that time, she is back and with her is a young woman needing help and an enemy that may not be as afraid as Wanda to lay a claim on you.

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff x Powered!F!Reader - Scarlet Witch x PoweredF!Reader - Past Wanda Maximoff x Vision

Warnings: Angst, drama, mentions of cheating, fluff, violence, smut, Switch!Reader, internalize homophobia, hurt, comfort, Wanda being a complete mess, anger management issues, jealousy, Requited/Unrequited love, idiots in love, swearing, mentions of alcohol. More tags as the story progess.

Author's Note: This story is a continuation of Dirty Little Secret I was really surprised at the response I got for the story, I did all the tags you guys ask for but if I forgot someone please do not hesitate to tell me. Thank you for the support.

Okay, this chapter had some tricks in it that are surronding Reader and Wanda, this is their story and this time around Reader would need to make the right decision if she wants to get what she wants and what she needs.

Please, do remember English is no my mother tongue so forgive my grammar, spelling and funny mistakes.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Epilogue

Chapter 12

In a different world

The universe started with a spark of bright golden light.

Loki Odinson had seen it several times, he had witnessed the birth and death of multiple universes and timelines that were destined to perish in a myriad of colours that would soon be forgotten. He had sat on the throne, and while he was not a King himself, he could recall the faces of all of those poor souls that disappeared into the nothingness, just as he could remember the beauty behind the first spark of life.

However, what he was experimenting right now was nothing like it.

Whatever, or whoever had decided to intervene had messed up with his own spell and everything had exploded into nothingness. A single spark of red, green and golden then, nothingness. Black spaces that disappeared without any traces left behind.

Loki started at the empty space that was Wanda and Y/N’s basement before he sighed. He sat down shaking his head, a headache approaching just as he thought on the oncoming conversation he would need to sustain with the Avengers.

“Fuck.” The word rolled out of his lips in such a natural way, he could do nothing but leaned back against the wall.

What the hell just happened?

What did he do?

What did Wanda and Y/N do to get this reaction?

The silence soon became deafening, Loki located the book Strange had died trying to recover. He frowned while leaning over to pick it up, the spell was done correctly with all the right wording as well as the right drawings on the ground. So, why did it go wrong? His eyes scanned the pages, re-reading the passages over and over until his heart dropped at one particular line, something he had overlooked the very first time he read that passage.

“…this, however, may be counterproductive if there is a magical or multiversal energy interference, the amount of energy converging at one point may created an unexpected result and…”

Loki knew the rest by heart, he knew there could be troubles but…well, how many energies were involved in the spell? He had counted on those signatures coming from Wanda and Y/N, he had even counted on his but…was there anybody else out there? Was there anybody else at the other side of the multiverse?

“Shit.” Loki stood up fixing up his clothes before flickering his hand to open a portal. He needed to face the consequences of his acts, and the first stop would be the Avengers Tower and Steve Roger’s office.

The former Captain America was going to enjoy telling Loki ‘I told you so’, just before hitting him in the face.

With one last glance to the basement, Loki turned around and left the place.

He never worried to test the energy fields around, or to tap into the timelines flickering in front of his eyes. It never occurred to him that, as soon as the explosion happened, a new singular timeline appeared right before his eyes just to blend itself with the other timelines flickering in front of Loki.

No one but the Watcher could see it, The Watcher stood in the sidelines furrowing his brows and waiting.

The world would either collapse in itself, or it would fix the anomalies by itself.

Either way, he was watching history, and the future of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

_________________________________________

Darkness had always been your friend.

You were born in it, and it had been your weapon and your refugee in the hardest of times. That was the main reason you didn’t panic at first, everything around you was filled with the purest form of darkness with a single touch of coldness that sneaked inside your clothes. The hairs on your arms stood up, a shiver went right through your muscles making you groan as you finally experience the pain in your body.

Your mouth opened inhaling deeply filling your lungs with gusts of cold air, your chest contracting itself just before you started coughing. It was then you opened your eyes, and the darkness that you had experienced moments ago was nothing but you woke up from unconsciousness.

The first thing you noticed were different white dots in the sky winking back at you. You tried to grasp a single thought, seeking around your mind for a coherent idea but it was almost impossible to do so when the rest of your body was finally receiving different stimulus in the way of pain and coldness.

“Y/N!” A familiar voice called to your left, you tried to sit up but a single hand placed itself on your shoulder pressing you to the ground.

“Ease there, pal, you were really hurt back there.”

Even if you didn’t get a chance to sit up, your world started spinning around. The voice was so familiar, yet so different to what you were used to; with some reluctance you turned your face to the right and soon you found yourself looking at yourself.

The other woman offered a tentative smile, though the way she was squinting her eyes and the pursed of her lips told you she was just as confused as you were at the moment. Soft footsteps approached you, America Chavez was wearing a single cut on her cheek and a bruised eye, this time around you didn’t let you counterpart to stop you, you sat up to check over the teen kneeling beside you.

“America, are you alright?” Your eyes rolled back for a moment, your knees fell harshly on the ground while you held yourself with a single hand placed on your leg.

“Y/N, please…” America winced lightly glancing at you then at your counterpart. “I think you were the one that suffered the most…”

“It was my fault, actually. So, sorry?”

You blinked a couple of times, shaking your head made the headache worse and the dizziness settled on your lower abdomen. You lifted your face blinking a couple of times before checking America over, the young woman softened her features with her cheeks colouring pink while her lips tried to offer a single smile. You tried to ignore the other Y/N for as long as you could before turning around to settle your eyes on her.

Just like America, she was wearing a single cut on her forehead with her clothes dishevelled but otherwise nothing else. With some reluctance you lifted your eyes looking deep into those eyes that you knew so well.

“This is the weirdest shit I have ever had to live to date.” You finally said shaking your head, “I hope it is the last weird shit ever.”

“Agreed.” Y/N tilted her head furrowing her brows while giving you a quick glance. “Before this happened, I’m afraid I was in your body fighting with someone that got lucky…so…”

“So, that’s why I feel like this?” You cracked smile, your counterpart nodded mirroring the smile on your face. “Okay, got it, so…what the hell is going on?”

America and Y/N glanced at one another then at you, it wasn’t until then that you decided to take a good look at the surrounding area. The place in itself was nothing strange, yet you got a feeling that this was not your universe or even that of your counterpart.

The sky was completely dark filled stars but as you got to observe them above your head you realized there were not your stars. The constellations you had come to know thanks to Natasha and Carol had been changed and were replaced by different forms you did not recognize. With a single frown you lowered your eyes to find yourself in a plain of land filled with dried grass that extended beyond what the eyes could see. It was an empty land, with nothing beyond the darkness of the night without any moon it was hard to actually see something that could give you an idea of your location.

The sound of whistling called your attention, and soon you found yourself being wrapped tightly by two pair of arms. Before you could protest or ask what they were doing, you experience the sharp bite of wind, A cold, merciless breeze that soon turned into a whirlwind that left as suddenly as it had come.

“Wh-what the hell?” Your eyes opened wide, your teeth chattering while America and Y/N leaned back wincing.

“We need to move.”

You furrowed your brows shaking your head, “move where? I can barely see you two, how are we going to see the path or…where the hell are we?”

America sighed standing up, she stretched her hand to you offering a tender smile.

“You haven’t figured it out?”

You stood on weakened legs, your mouth opened ready to protest until you finally realised it. While it was true there was nothing much to see beyond the darkness and the starry night, you could see America and your counterpart just fine. It took you but a few minutes until, you lifted your hand and the shadows followed you giving you a good glance of what was around you.

“We can manipulate shadows, the night in itself is darkness and filled with the main source of our power.” Y/N stated matter-of-factly while standing before you, you nodded curtly feeling foolish for not even thinking about it.

“Are you guys going to tell me what’s going on?”

America grabbed your hand, then turning to Y/N she shrugged also grabbing her hand as well.

“We may as well update her while we continue walking.”

“We saw lights coming from what we think was a village a few kilometres away, were trying to get there until these weird whirlwinds came in and we couldn’t carry you anymore.” Y/N explained shrugging. “We’re guessing once we get to some sort of place filled with civilization we will know more…”

“Why didn’t you try to travel through the shadows?” You asked ready to do so when the warning tone from your own voice stopped you.

“I couldn’t do it without leaving America here, and I have a bad feeling as soon as I tried it…so…” Y/N shrugged looking ahead of her, “I always follow my instincts, they have never failed me.”

The comment sent a sharp pain straight to your heart.

Your instincts had never failed you either.

Nothing else was said after this, the three of you were following the direction America had pointed out but you were just lost not really knowing if this was the right path or just a wild guess. The temperature was dropping even more, soon your teeth were chattering alongside those of America and the other you. You felt a sharp pain through your head, whatever had happened before you woke up had left your body quite bruised and right now all you wanted was to find a bed, an analgesic and something to eat. For a brief moment, an intrusive thought came forward in the form of Wanda, panic rose through your chest and filled your mind but before you could ask anything about her your counterpart spoke.

“I still don’t understand how everything came to be,” she spoke with a tone of voice you were familiar with, you let your eyes wandered around the landscape holding onto every word resounding into the darkness of the night.”

“I remembered when Wanda and I saved America the first time, and then trying to safe her from these creatures chasing her down.” Y/N trailed off with her memories making her falter, with a single shake of her head she continued, “I know I was out for a while, so you can guess how surprised I was to wake up in the arms of someone that wasn’t my wife…”

“Not really.” Your reply was filled with coldness, tension building up in your body, “I have always had the luxury of waking up alone in my bed.”

America winced lifting her head to glance at you, her dark eyes begging you to listen before jumping in whatever discussion you wanted to start.

“Agatha Harkness.” The name reached the inside of your mind with the memory of the file you read on her, not only that, but also the different videos you saw surrounding her story inside of Wanda’s world.

“That was the woman you woke up to every day, Y/N.” America chimed in shyly, she lowered her gaze squeezing your hand tenderly. “She had been dragging Scarlet and Wanda around, draining them of their powers and leaving them defenceless for quite some time, and since…well, since Y/N was under her spell…”

You opened your mouth to speak, you wanted to say something but finding your counterpart’s eyes on you whatever argument you had built inside your mind came crumbling down and soon you were given their side of their story.  Little by little the story started making sense, the building of a different world and the intrusive dreams you were having in the last couple of weeks, the purple and red magic surrounding you on that day as well as the mixed-up realities that ended up with you thrown into another’s body. You had always known that Wanda was special, and powerful, you never imagined just how much.

America had been a part of the plan, of course. Her powers would be very beneficial to someone like Agatha, and your powers would make sure no one would ever find her. Everything was about the most basic reason of all: Power. You pursed your lips disgusted; you were dragged into a confrontation with Wanda because there was a woman chasing after power. You had been running from Wanda for more than ten years, and all it took was this woman to ruin everything.

And now, now you were walking down the darkness of the night with a girl that could travel through different universes and your counterpart, a woman that got the life you had dreamt of a long time ago.

“Life is not fair.” Y/N stated glancing at you out of the corner of her eyes, “but it is what we have, and we must…”

“…deal with it, take what it is being offered and try to be happy with it.” You finished shaking your head.

“Ah, so not everything is lost, I see.” Y/N allowed a single smile to break on her face, you pursed your lips snorting.

“You don’t know the story.”

“But she does, that’s why she told you those very same words, didn’t she?” Your counterpart stopped all of a sudden, you let out a heavy sigh before turning to face her.

America was standing in between the both of you, her brows knitted together with her gaze travelling around the terrain before settling on the both of you.

“Look, I know that you and Wanda had a different experience than mine, I’m glad you did because…” You trailed off holding onto your emotions, “I don’t wish on you the pain I went through…”

For the very first time ever you saw your own face breaking into a broken-hearted smile, with those eyes losing all light and those lips curving into a crooked smile. It was you looking back, and you understood right there and then that you weren’t the only one.

“You forgive her?” You asked with a hint of hope in your voice, you hated how the question left your lips and how your counterpart understood what you meant.

“How could I not if my heart beats for her?” She replied clenching her eyes closed, her hands rested upon your shoulders before you found yourself looking into your eyes. “There is a difference, though, isn’t it?”

“You guys were not together…” You started but she merely tilted her head.

“You know it wouldn’t matter if we were a couple or not, she chose someone else when we have always chosen her.” Y/N squeezed your shoulders lightly. “The difference is that I gave her a chance because I want to do so, you didn’t because…”

“I don’t believe in second chances! If I have done so she would have broken my heart all over again when she went into her imaginary world with Vision!” You exclaimed enraged, surprising Y/N and America.

The other woman furrowed her brows, she was ready to argue back with you and asked questions about the imaginary world. It was quite evident a lot of things had happened in this strange world and Y/N could only imagine the pain and rage engulfing your heart at the moment.

America could see darkness surrounding the three of you her eyes opening wide almost losing into the shadows until her eyes caught glimpses of red and purple right ahead.

“Guys?” America stuttered lifting her hand and pointing to the distance.

You two stopped your discussion turning around to see the same sparkles of red and purple. It was a formation of dusty colouring breaking into the darkness of the night sky, you turned to the left to see Y/N frowning with determination and America shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

“It’s not that far away, I mean it could be at least one kilometre?” Y/N faced you holding onto the previous tension of your conversation with her, you clenched your fist shrugging.

“Looks that way.”

“Are we…” America started but you lifted a hand to silence her.

“Before we jump in to do something I think we need more information, we don’t even know what we are going to find over there.” You looked out of the corner of your eyes; the lights were still gleaming pretty much intensely but you could tell your two companions didn’t want to stay still and do any planning.

“What do you propose?” Y/N asked lifting her chin, “you know pretty well those sparks of crimson are Wanda’s, and we know this woman, this Agatha has been using purple magic. Are you really suggesting we stand here or keep walking in circles?”

“No! All I am asking is to first think about what we are going to do! We’re not even sure where we are much less what we are going to find there.” You asked back lifting your hands in the air and stepping back, the pain you had forgotten in favour of the discussion came back making you winced.

“Look I know you guys think the world of Wanda, and that’s cool, I guess your Wanda,” this time around you pointed to your counterpart trying to remain calm, “she is all love and kindness and that’s fine. The Wanda in world had a total breakdown that enslaved a bunch of people in a reality she created for herself and that microwave she called husband, so forgive me if I’m not going to jump in without any additional information.”

Your tirade echoed through the night, your voice carried by the wind with a dropped in the temperature. The moon that had been travelling with the three of you flickered all of a sudden, and the darkness grew around the three of you. America didn’t miss the flickering lights of crimson and purple, but she couldn’t stop herself from grabbing your hand in hers, the warm she shared with you made you shivered and with some reluctance you lower you stare to her. Even in such a darkness you could see her brown eyes gleaming with emotions.

“You still love her.” America mumbled squeezing your hand tenderly.

You clenched your jaw tilting your head to the side, America bit her lower lip glancing from you to Y/N.

“I don’t know why this has to be so complicated, but she needs you.” America took a deep breath stepping closer to you. “Wanda is sad, and I know she messed up and that forgiveness should not be given just because you feel that way. But she really needs you, she and Scarlet.”

“Look, I don’t know what happened between the both of you.” Y/N stepped in making sure you could not look away from your own eyes. “But the woman I love is out there, being it in this dimension or another Wanda Maximoff would always be MY Wanda and I won’t leave her out there to get hurt. If not for you, then at least do it for me.”

It was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by darkness and coldness that your heart finally gave in. With a nod, your dropped your shoulders in defeat missing the smile coming from America but never missing the satisfied glance coming from your counterpart. The three of you finally turned to the source of the magic, and without a simple plan you three started making your way to the source.

You were not prepared for what was waiting for you over there.

Agatha Harkness smirked at the woman kneeling before her.

In less than a year she had made it possible to crumble away the legend of the Scarlet Witch while placing herself as the most powerful witch in the multiverse. Her smile never faltered, not even when the world spined around changing into a familiar setting; a place and time Agatha had suffered before but that now she could alter with a single flicker of her hand.

The place was filled with passersby ignoring the presence of the two women; nobody seemed to care that one of them was on her knees with a single neck shackle made of light red and blue tied to a crimson necklace Agatha wore on her chest.

“What do you think about this arrangement, dear?” The dark-haired woman asked, her eyes dropping to the kneeling Wanda who was shooting her a stare filled with anger. “Personally, I think this could be more lively, but don't worry soon enough we will have a show to die for.”

Her laughter was accompanied by a flash of violet, and soon the scene changed and they were transferred to a great marketplace located at the centre of the village. Everyone had reunited around four pillared pyres that were guarded by at least ten knights all dressed in black.

Wanda lifted her face, her ears twitched hearing the sound of angry screams cursing someone she couldn't make out yet. Agatha stirred in excitement; her smile grew until it was a crooked grin with just a hint of madness behind it.

“Here they come…”

The crowd spread around just as four figures came in walking on naked feet wearing red robes and bruised faces. The hatred and fear coming from the crowd was quite evident as the torches and the pitchforks drew wild patterns above the townspeople’s heads. The light of the torches ignited the night, Wanda tensed under the grip of the woman standing beside her, the hairs on her arms raising up while her eyes narrowed to follow the events unfolding in front of her.

The four women were pushed forward, each one of them had a single knight standing behind them with heavy hands they were dragged to the four pillars tied to them facing the crowd. It didn’t take her too long to guess what was about to happen, and what exactly were those pillars; the pyres had been set up to ensure everyone could see the women died. The crowd cheered cruelly, laughing and cursing while the four women glared at the people with more bravery than they actually felt. 

“This was my coven.” Agatha spat out, her hands sparkling with a mixture of red and purple, “they saw my power, they read my intentions and instead of supporting me they dared to try and stop me…”

“I wonder why.” Wanda couldn’t hold the sarcasm behind her voice, Agatha pulled harshly on the ropes holding her neck making Wanda fall on her back.

“You really are more daring than your counterparts, dear. I would be careful, if I were to be honest I don’t need you alive.” 

Agatha caressed the necklace smirking at Wanda, the woman couldn’t hide her anger and the magic that was pulsating inside her was not enough to protect her from Agatha’s anger. Soon Wanda let out a scream of pain, her body twitching painfully until he couldn’t keep her eyes open and all she could think about was the searing pain on her limbs.

“It has been so long since I was just a lowly witch like them, afraid of fire and the angry crowd. I grew to be magnificent, to have power beyond anyone’s imagination…” Agatha continued with his rambling observing with gleaming eyes as the Major of the town stood forward proclaiming the sins of the four women.

“I just had to find you, Wanda, you and that so-called Scarlet Witch.” Wanda took a deep breath, half hearing the woman while watching with horror as the night above her head flickered from one setting to another.

“It was not easy, you know?”

Agatha flickered her hand to the right and soon Wanda was on her knees watching as the world around her changed. It was like watching a movie in a dome. The world changed to day and night flickering images of Agatha dragging her burnt body through the ground whispering spells that only she could hear. The image soon changed showing the passing of time, Agatha looking around the world and stealing the magic of others while seeking something out of desperation.

She finally found it after more than a century.

Wanda opened her eyes at the familiar setting, Kamar Taj stood under stormy winds and heavy snow. Agatha sneaked around, distracting the inhabitants of the temple by provoking landslides that would certainly have killed innocent people if it hadn’t been by the protectors of the temple. She had enough time to steal a single book.

“Y-you…you stole the..th-e…the Drakhold.” Wanda leaned forward resting her hands on the ground, she was shocked to find the snow under her hands was real and that everything she was seeing was not an illusion but a real event.

Her mind was trying to comprehend what was really happening. Her knowledge of the Darkhold had not been as broad as it had been for Strange and even Loki. But she did know one thing or two about the origins of her powers, Chaos Magic had been called and it gave her the power to bend reality and life in ways not many could access to. The darkness inside her had been contained by her family and her loved ones, but the same could not be said by others, apparently.

“I did.” Agatha finally answered tilting her head, soon the scene changed and they were taken to a place Wanda was familiar with.

Westview.

“Yet, I was still not strong enough, or the only one with powers beyond our imaginations.” Agatha made a face, stepping forward strolling down the streets with Wanda following her. “When the Avengers showed up it was quite evident that people with powers could no longer be hidden. It was my time to shine until you, my dear Wanda, showed up.”

Wanda saw herself in a building in Sokovia, it was a place she was familiar with yet the story that was unfolding in front of her had nothing to do with what she had lived once. Her other self struggled to control her powers, to live her life, to be who she was supposed to be but failed every single time. Agatha had never been too far from those events, and whenever Wanda failed, Agatha would clutch the young woman closer to her. The red and purple magic intertwined without anyone noticing.

“What did you do?” Wanda asked, finding herself in the middle of the square in Westview. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining right above their heads and not a single cloud in sight. 

Agatha smirked, her eyes changing colours to one of deep crimson, “I finally became who I am supposed to be, and soon my dear I will have all the power to bend the universes at my will. And now, I will finish what I started all those months ago with your pathetic counterpart and you will help me out with this.”

The world suddenly exploded around them, Wanda clenched her jaw closed, lifting her eyes to the sky to see the runes above her head.

“You…” She gritted her teeth, her eyes closing right away trying to gather her thoughts and power to stop the woman standing beside her.

Agatha chuckled darkly, her gripped on Wanda tightened allowing the influx of memories to invade the mind of the redhead. It was a life she was no familiar with, a suffering she had not experiment in the same way but that generate in her an understanding of the mess this world was in. She could see the moment Agatha entered the story, the failures and the almost victories until finally she got what she wanted.

A weakened Wanda Maximoff without anyone in the world to stand by her side.

Power.

And a way to get away with her plan.

“You…you won’t win.” Wanda finally got out; her eyes gleaming dangerously at the other woman who made a face rolling her eyes.

“I already did, dear. You just haven’t realized it yet.” Agatha let go of Wanda stepping away.

The brunette straightened up lifting her arms in front of her, her hands creating a purple mist while the necklace she wore zealously around her neck gleamed with intensity. Those eyes that moment’s ago had been brown, were now a deep black and the world around Wanda trembled under the electric shift of power the witch was gathering around her.

“Now, I have all the pieces in place, in my world…under my rules.” Agatha stated tilting her head to the side, “I will bend everyone to my will…and you, Wanda, will be nothing but a bad memory.”

The sky above their heads changed into darkness, the temperature dropped and Wanda felt the heavy weight of the atmosphere overwhelming her. She could sense her counterpart weakening inside the prison Agatha had chosen for her, her thoughts were still a mixture of memories she couldn’t quite place while the heavy emotions running through her soul threaten to overwhelm. Wanda could read the intentions behind the woman standing before her, she could read the hatred and violence behind those dark eyes. Lifting her chin to the sky, and her eyes showing off her own magic she decided if this was going to be her end, she would face it with defiance.

The ball of energy flickered in Agatha’s hand, the world stood still and the with smirked ready to give the final blow.

Agatha was so concentrated in her final goal, she never noticed she was no longer alone and what she though was illusions of her own invention were actually three people she didn’t think would be a problem until one of them stood right in front of her shielding Wanda from an imminent dead.

You had crossed the protective barrier around the strange town with a single thought in mind. Your intention was to get this over with and go back to your life on Norway, your heart beating fast while your mind protest for the easiness in which you were trying to go back to a life in which you were ignoring the woman that had never left your heart. It looked easy, just do your thing and then fixed whatever mess you were in and then…go back.

But the universe and the Powers That Be decided that it wouldn’t be just as easy as a flickered of your hand.

As soon as the three of you crossed the barrier you were face to face with flashes of memories that presented you with a film of the lives of Wanda and Agatha. The stories of the coven and the search for power, as well as the fall of Sokovia and Wanda’s struggles with her powers and her life.

“This is so wrong.” Y/N stated clenching her fist while stepping forward until she was finally standing beside you, the both of you stood on an empty street hearing the sounds of muffled conversation.

“Any plan?” You finally stated ignoring the piercing pain in your heart, your counterpart shrugged nodding to the darkened street that was flashing a mixture of red and purple.

“I think the best approach is a straightforward one.”

“Humph, so go there and just start fighting?” You replied with your lips breaking into a single smirk.

“Yep, pretty much.”

“That doesn’t sound like a solid plan.” America mumbled unsure, she furrowed her brows turning to you and then to your counterpart.

You turned to America placing a hand on her shoulder, “but it is what we have. You are going to stay here and wait.”

“But…I can fight! I can help!” America stepped back frowning, “I won’t be left behind…”

“I know you can fight, kiddo.” You replied tilting your head, “and that’s why you are staying behind.”

America opened her mouth to protest but Y/N came forth shaking her head.

“You are our backup, America. If anything were to happen to us and Wanda…” Y/N stated dropping her gaze for a moment, she turned to you until finally she locked eyes with America. “You need to do anything you can to ensure Agatha won’t scape, you understand?”

America pursed her lips, a part of her understood the mission but another part wanted to go straight ahead and face the woman that had been chasing her through the multiverse. America clenched her fists before nodding curtly and stepping back. You offered a single smile, your hand squeezing comfortingly the shoulder of the teen.

“There would be time, America, for now just watch our backs.”

“I will.”

“Good then, let’s go.”

You nodded curtly allowing your powers to spread in front of you, there was resistance when trying to reach the shadows and for the very first time you understood what your counterpart meant about your instinct. Everything in your body was screaming danger as soon as you came into contact with the shadows, your body shivered under the piercing weight of a million needles. You clenched your jaw closed stepping into the shadows with a single thought in mind.

Wanda.

Without any hesitation and moving through the invisible obstacles in that universe you appeared right before Wanda and Agatha just in time. Your eyes went black with your right arm lifting in front of you and creating a protective barrier just as Agatha’s hand came into contact with your shadows.

There was a flickering of power, the older woman snarled a curse lifting her left arm in the same fashion and launching a second attack. Your eyes opened slightly only for your shadows to slithered away grabbing the woman’s midsection to pull her away.

The world crumbled for an instant; Agatha was completely shocked to see not only you but your counterpart standing right in front of her. The woman straightened up, sweat rolling down her forehead while her right hand closed around her necklace and her other hand summoned the Darkhold.

“You really are a pain in my behind, but at least I won’t have to go around looking for you.” Agatha stated tilting her head to the side, her annoyance giving way to a confident smile. “Now, how about the two of you are good girls and give up, I would hate to spend my time submitting you to get what I want.”

You spread your feet positioning yourself in a fighting pose, your eyes narrowing slightly while the woman in front of you got her magic ready. But before Agatha could do anything at all, another set of shadows grabbed her arms putting them back making her woman lose her grip on the necklace and the Darkhold, your body tensed when Wanda stood up behind you, her voice quivering slightly as she pronounced your name with reverence and love.

“Hey, I hope you didn’t forget about me, Agatha dear.” Your counterpart said winking at Wanda while flickering her hands away, Agatha grunted freeing herself with a blast of energy and stepping a few feet away.

“Hn, I didn’t expect this.” She stated summoning the Darkhold, the world around the four of you changed, shaping itself in a familiar setting you had come to hate in your mind.

Westview.

Agatha never wavered in her confidence, if anything it seemed to grow the same way her magic was doing at the moment. You took a fighting stance, your shadows flickering around waiting for your command. You glanced out of the corner of your eye, Wanda had been trying to stand up but her knees and feet seemed uncooperative. Before you could offer any help, your counterpart came in wrapping her arms around Wanda while placing her forehead against Wanda’s one.

“Hey, love.”

“Hi.” Wanda replied with easiness, Y/N sighed in relief before placing a single kiss on her wife’s cheek.

“I miss you.” Y/N said softly, your heart shrank with emotion when your mind caught up with what was really happening.

You furrowed your brows, sweeping around the place until your darkened eyes fell on Agatha who was smiling playfully at you, her right hand playing absentmindedly with the necklace.

“Where is…Wanda?” The question left your lips before you could stop it, Wanda and Y/N both glanced at one another before they set their eyes on you.

A sinking feeling settled on your lower stomach, you were afraid of the answer when you realized this Wanda was trying to look everywhere but you. Tilting your head, you finally got a good look at your surroundings where the suburban houses filled out the imaginary world; the Wanda you had come to know from another universe held onto your counterpart tightly though right now her green eyes had been focusing straight ahead of you.

“Where is she? Wanda?” You asked again, this time around there was a demanding undertone that the other woman couldn’t ignore.

“Agatha has them under her control, she is using a powerful and dangerous book, Y/N.” Wanda could tell her answer was not of your liking, she stepped forward ready to join you and her wife in the fight glancing at you out of the corner of her eyes.

“You don’t know where she has Wanda?” You asked again never taking your eyes off of the older woman standing before you.

“I have my suspicions but I’m not sure how to interfere with that.” Wanda winced trying to ease out the pain on her neck, you frowned pursing your lips while taking a closer look at Agatha before your eyes found the same house you had come to know as Wanda’s place.

“Well, then let’s get this over with and get Wanda back.” Your arms stretched to the sides, the silent command spurred into action the shadows around you flying straight ahead to try and get Agatha.

Before your counterpart and the other Wanda could help you out, the creatures summoned by Agatha launched their first attack. A great explosion was heard while you evaded the flashing balls of power sent over by the witch.

The fight soon broke over, you didn’t notice it but the dome surrounding this part of the universe tremble sending waves of energy all through the world until they came into contact with the timeline and America. The young woman lifted her head, her eyes gleaming brightly as she tapped into her powers; bouncing on the balls of her feet she waited. America could hear the sound of explosions and the muffled sound of conversations and screams, she glanced at her hands thinking about the lessons she had been learning in the last couple of months. She closed her fists, opening them again before lifting her face. This people had been putting their lives on the line for her, they had been trying to protect her without expecting anything in exchanged. It was about time she helped them.

With a glance to the sky, America took a deep breath closing her eyes for a brief moment. As soon as she opened them, her lips curled into a single smile.

Time for payback.

The street had been completely destroyed during the fight.

There were no more homes standing up, or nice cosy gardens decorating the suburban setting. The world soon became a mixture of nothingness with the flickering holograms of reality that you could not touch. Agatha had learnt a thing or two since fighting with Wanda, you could see her ability to hold onto her powers while also making use of those she had stolen from your Wanda.

You shook your head hating the thoughts running around in your head, the overwhelming emotions that seemed to try and govern your decisions. You tried to focus your energy on what was right in front of you, the problem you were facing went beyond your own emotions. There would be a time for you to deal with them.

Agatha lifted her left hand above her head before letting it fall fast to her side, the sharp pain of your skin being pierce made you grunted. You could feel the wounds on your arms, your eyes igniting in a deep black that soon went right ahead to engulf the witch in front of you.

At some point, Agatha had become faster than your attacks, she stepped aside flickering her hands and soon two more creatures appeared out of nowhere.

“Is that all you got?” You asked almost losing your concentration when you heard the voice of your counterpart in the back.

“Get away from my wife!”

Agatha smirked grabbing her necklace, tilting her head she settled her eyes on you.

“Oh, dear, you would be surprised with the number of tricks I can bring on you.” Agatha stepped forward, her feet never touching the ground. “I could make your dreams come true; I can be what Wanda never was for you.”

You pressed your lips together taking into a fighting stance.

“You know nothing about my dreams, and I am certainly not looking for a replacement.”

Agatha snorted her hand gripping tightly on the necklace, soon a red mist grew from the space between her neck and chest and the world around her turned crimson. Agatha stretched out her arms and the whole world vibrate around you changing in the blink of an eye.

“Are you sure? I can tell by the pathetic way you are always looking at her, but the way you talk about her that there is nothing else you want more than her…” Agatha’s voice rose above the new scene, your eyes flickered around while your stomach dropped when you realized where she had taken you to.

For a brief moment you could make out the screams and grunts of the fight going on right outside this small world. You took a deep breath trying to get a hold of your powers ignoring the runes glowed above your head a clear sign that this was still being controlled by Agatha. You creased your brows knowing that your options were limited if the other woman decided to use her magic at its full potential. She was playing with you, leading you on and one until it was quite clear she was mocking you by placing you right in front of a memory that had broken your heart at some point.

It was playing in slow motion, the video and the room with everyone just as shocked as you were to see Wanda in the arm’s of another. The passing of time, every single moment that you had suffered the betrayal while facing your sadness alone in a world of pure darkness. Your fit closed, the shadows on your feet stirred violently sensing your anger when you heard Agatha laughing. Mocking you.

“How did it make you feel knowing she was happier with a man?” Agatha purred making sure to be as far away from you as she could. “How did it feel knowing you were never going to be chosen in this world? In this universe? I bet it pierce your soul knowing you were the one destined to be alone.”

“Shut up.”

“I can make it go away, I can help you out…say the words, and I will make sure you get what you want.”

Your knees gave under your weight, furrowing your brows you tried to close yourself to the mocking film playing around you trying to focus on the fight. Agatha chuckled tilting her head, this time around the runes above her head pulsated and the two creatures grew before your eyes attacking viciously at your counterpart and Wanda making sure that your conversation and fight with Agatha wouldn’t be interrupted. Agatha centred her eyes on you, her hand grabbing the necklace while the same video seemed to be on replay.

“She won’t be a problem for you anymore, and after I’m done with you…you won’t have to worry about the pain of your broken heart, dear.” The laughter sent shivers down your back, but it was everything you were waiting for.

Your lips curled into a smile, your right hand twirled clockwise and the shadows broke into waves catching up with the witch. Just as you had located her, ready to give her a lesson, the woman was ready to use the magic Wanda and Scarlet were giving to her to make sure the next stage of her plan could be completed.

It never happened, though.

Your attack never stopped reaching out to your objective, while Agatha tried to return the hit she was surprised by a sudden punch to her face. The punch glow white, and her body bounced back and forth until she lost the hold on the necklace, America Chavez didn’t stop there and your shadows went straight to hold onto the witch to bring her down.

Everything happened so fast, your eyes went from America to Agatha and finally to the object on the ground. The necklace bounced on the ground, and without thinking too much you went right ahead to grab it. The object was warm to the touch, you could tell by the vibrations that magic had been contained between the object and this magic could only belong to one person. You closed your hand around it, you could sense Scarlet deep inside your mind. It didn’t take you too long to recognize the woman that had been haunting your dreams as of late, right with her you could also sense Wanda trying to hide, trying to survive.

“NO!”

The scream coming from Agatha was everything you needed to drop the necklace and stomp on the piece of jewellery creating an explosion that blew you and everyone around you away.

“Humph…” Your mouth opened letting out a shaky breath, your body hurt all over while your eyes got use to the sparkling lights that appeared before them when your head hit the ground.

“Y/N!!” You tried to sit up, a pair of arms held onto you for a brief moment until you were capable of making out the figure sitting beside you.

America had her brows creased; her eyes shone with worry while she tried to hold you up. The fighting was still ringing inside your ears, your counterpart was finishing the last of the dimensional creatures while you could spot her Wanda holding back against Agatha. For a brief moment, panic rose inside you the sudden need to throw up became almost to much just as you leaned forward trying to stand up your eyes looking frantically for the women that had been haunting your dreams and reality as of late.

“They are unconscious…” America started but she could not finish her sentence as you stood up without any warning.

“Wanda…” Her name escaped your lips without meaning to, at that moment with your body exhausted and your mind already carrying the weight of so many memories and thoughts all you could do was staggered forward until you reached both women.

You stood on shaky legs glancing from Wanda to Scarlet, both of them unconscious wearing the same bags under their eyes and the bruises all over their faces and arms. You hesitated not really knowing where you should focus your attention until, as an afterthought you went to Wanda. Turning her to the side you ensure she was comfortable, her lip had a deep cut and her forehead had traces of a scratch that left her with blood and dirt. She looked thinner than you remember, with her face wearing still the same defeated expression she wore to your home all those months ago.

“Wanda.” You said her name again, this time around firmer and demanding, your hand trying to help her out until you heard her exclamation of pain. “Wanda, are you alright?”

The young woman stirred in your arms, her eyes flickering slightly until she opened her lips and let out an exclamation of pain. You put her back on the ground, turning around you could see Scarlet was stirring awake as well while the fight seemed to have no end.

“Y/N…” You turned to see Wanda’s eyes fluttering open, her green orbs looking back at you with sadness and tenderness that had your heart beating a tad bit faster.

“Hey, are you alright?” You leaned in but Wanda looked away helping herself up, you tired to assist her but your body froze for a moment unsure on how to proceed with the woman sitting before you.

“I…I am a little sore.” She replied, her eyes never leaving the form of Scarlet, Wanda furrowed her brows glancing at her hands then back at the other woman. “She…she is…Scarlet Witch.”

Her words trembled as she pronounced them, her face lowered thinking to herself knowing full well your attention was on her. She remembered the moment she had separated herself from the legend, the words of Agatha had haunted her at that moment when she realized there was something inside her giving her powers a deeper meaning. She had hated that idea, and the world that had been created out of it.

When Wanda finally dared to look up she found herself looking into your eyes. Her heart stirred with emotion, the words that wanted to pour out of her mouth entangled around her throat for she knew it was not the time for a heart-to-heart conversation. She wished everything had turned out different, but after her confrontation with Agatha and everything she had discovered whiled trapped in that reality she knew what she needed to do.

“Can you…help me up?” She asked shyly, you nodded curtly stretching your hands for her to take them.

She was cold under your touch, and a little sweaty.

Her cheeks coloured pink, and her eyes glanced everywhere but at you. You felt a piercing pain going through your chest, but you ignored it while helping the other woman up. For a brief moment, you thought she could walk on her on until Wanda’s legs trembled and almost gave up on her. You caught her just on time, her body pressing against yours making your traitorous heart stopped for a brief moment.

“How convenient, Wanda.” Scarlet was on her knees; she had sweat falling down her face breathing hard and glaring at the two of you though her eyes were completely focused on Wanda. “You…you don’t do nothing, yet you get to be with her.”

Wanda tensed in your arms, she took a deep breath while pushing you away taking one step at a time until she was standing before Scarlet. You lifted your eyes to see America just as focused on the two women as you were, the sound of the fighting was till rumbling in your ears but it was almost impossible to pay attention to something else that wasn’t the scene playing out in front of you.

Wanda held herself up, conscious of the hatred inside the eyes of Scarlet.

Inside her own eyes.

“We don’t get to be with her.” Wanda mumbled dropping her shoulders, tears gathering in her eyes as she spoke. “I’ve been trying to make amends but I just…”

“You always failed, and you make it worse.” Scarlet spat out lifting her chin in defiance, her position on the ground was not an inconvenience. If anything, it gave her the power that Wanda couldn’t show at the moment.

“I tried to reach out to her, to make her world and mine…to…”

“I know.” Wanda offered a weakened smile, looking out of the corner of her eyes she could see you had your attention on the both of them. “I tried to do the same. I just…I can’t do it alone, and I’m tired of failing every time. I don’t…”

Wanda swallowed down her tears, she leaned in lifting her left hand until she was cupping Scarlet’s cheek. Red mist appeared in Wanda’s hand, and soon her eyes as much as those of Scarlet were shining brightly.

“It hurts so much.” Scarlet said letting the tears rolled down her cheeks. “I just…

“I don’t want to be alone, and I don’t want to be without her.” Wanda finally said her own tears falling down her face.

You clenched your jaw, looking away for a moment while your chest felt a myriad of butterflies fluttering inside.

“But I can’t keep fighting alone, or divided.” Wanda stated, she wiped away Scarlet’s tears before adding. “I think we need to be one, you saw just how powerful we are together and…”

“You need to fix this, or we would never…”

“I know, but this may not end the way you want it.”

Scarlet drifted her attention to you, her eyes found those of yours and in there you could read everything you had been so afraid to interpret the first time. There was pain and sadness, emotions that broke into her heart in ways you could only imagine, and then there was love. You looked away stepping back under the intensity of such a stare, you missed the broken smile on Scarlet’s face and the defeat she wore while facing Wanda again.

“I know, I think we will cope when the time for that comes.” Wanda nodded in understanding; her hands gleamed brighter than ever while Scarlet placed her hand on top of hers.

“I promised you I won’t give up.”

“Good, then let’s do this.”

The crimson mist grew around them glowing with a bright, red light making you trembled under the intensity of the magic. You could see America kneeling down, her eyes going wide open as they stare the scene unfolding before her eyes.

Wanda and Scarlet were no longer two different entities.

Standing before you was a single woman, her head was adorned with a red crown that made match with the bodice and the black leggings. Wanda stood there with magic coming from her hands, her eyes a deep shade of red that gathered the power you had always known she had in her. The woman stood still for a moment, she glanced at her body and her hands before her face lifted to stare at you.

You tried to hide your expression, your lips parting to speak but not words came out. Wanda hesitated before nodding her feet moving slowly until she turned around making her way to the fight.

“Is she gonna be okay?” America stood right beside you, squirting at the woman now using her magic to help her counterpart in the fight against Agatha.

“I think so…” You trailed off finally realizing that even though the both of them had finally become one, Wanda was still wearing the bruises and the exhaustion on her face.

“Are you okay?” America asked quite concern, you turned to her offering a half smile.

“I will be.” You sighed scratching the back of your neck. “Stay here and be careful.”

“What are you gonna do?” The teen asked slightly scare, you offered her a half smile turning towards the fight that was a tied between the Wandas and Agatha.

“What we came to do, just stay out of trouble and be ready to help us go back home, okay kiddo?”

America doubt there was anything she could do, but she didn’t contradict you. With a single nodded of her head she watched as you ran towards the fight, your shadows already creating a protective barrier around you and Wanda. Something, America though, you probably were not aware of.

_____________________________________________________________

Loki rolled his eyes once more, he was tired of hearing the fight going on in the meeting room while he stood by the window waiting for the right moment to intervene.

The world outside was highly active, Monday had always been one of the busiest days in the calendar and that day was not the exception. The young god leaned forward, his fingertips touching the window while his eyes observed the golden and green lights of the timelines. His eyes soon fell upon the one he did not recognise, a red line that he could not tamper with but that he was certain contained the answers to the questions everyone in the room were posing.

Loki turned around his eyes finding those of Billy who had not leave his side ever since Pietro brought him into the Avenger’s Tower. The young boy had his eyes narrowed, his hands playing with invisible threats only he could see.

For a brief moment, Loki stood there observing the child with growing curiosity. Billy was tapping the air with his fingertips, concentrated in something only visible to him. Loki frowned with his mind already forming an idea of what exactly was happening.

“Billy, what are you doing?” The question was low enough for the child to hear it but not for the rest of the room to notice it.

Billy lifted his face this time around his eyes went wide opened showing off the innocence of his age, but also the brightness he had inherited from both his mothers.

“Mommy always says to follow my instincts.” There was conviction in his tone, his hands tapping still as if waiting for something.

“And, what are they telling you?” Loki knelt to be on the same height of the child, Billy tilted his head creasing his brows before answering.

“Uncle Loki, momma and mommy need my help…look!”

Loki looked in the direction Billy was pointing to, he gasped with his eyes wide open and a smile forming on his lips.

“Billy you are a genius.” Billy offered a timid smile glancing at Loki shyly.

“Really?”

“Yes, and I think thanks to you we are going to be able to help Wanda and Y/N.” Loki could see the excitement in the little boy, he couldn’t help but smile back.

Without giving to much attention to the room, Loki sat right beside Billy closing his eyes before letting his magic to spread around. Billy was slightly confused at first, he had continued working on invisible threads trying to get into contact with them. Now there was something different, with his uncle sitting beside him Billy could sense the magic. He pressed his lips together before sitting down and, imitating Loki, he closed his eyes and just went with his instincts.

_____________________________________________________________

Whatever power she had tried to drain from Wanda and even Scarlet was no longer active to give her the stamina or even the strength to keep up with the fight. She was not even up to sustain the world she had created by tampering on the Chaos magic she could barely tolerate.

Wanda Maximoff gathered her power while circling the woman in front of her, she could feel the hurt she had created for her counterpart had reached out beyond the boundaries of the multiverse and it was something she would not tolerate. Beside her she could sense Y/N, a close shadow that was ready to jump in when necessary to offer protection and support; Wanda couldn’t help but smile.

“You won’t win.” Agatha tried to put up with a fight, she tried to hold onto the last threads of power inside her to get into the fight but she could no longer hold onto her powers for far too long.

You came from behind her your hands wrapping around her wrists while your shadows covered her feet spreading through her legs and body. Agatha was struggling, her eyes going wide open just as she started chanting in a language you did not recognize. Wanda opened her eyes wide, she stepped closer spreading her arms and chanting just the same, the runes trembling right above your head just before a myriad of images surrounded you breaking the darkness before going completely white.

“NO!” Agatha let out a guttural exclamation, her elbow hitting you square in the face but whatever strength she had in her to fight was haltered by your counterpart finishing what you started.

Wanda knew at that moment why she had been feared by Agatha, the power that was held inside her sent electric waves through her body. The power concentrated on her hand, and soon a single jewel showed on her palm while her counterpart continued with the ritual. The runes appeared right above her head, and without any indications, she started chanting as well.

You stepped back falling on your ass, blood rolling down your nose just as you saw the black figured being swallowed by the jewel. There was a moment of flickering lights and then, it stopped. Both Wanda’s stood right in front of the other, the jewel resting comfortably on the hand of Y/N’s wife.

The jewel took into a purplish colour, falling to the ground with a single thump.

The world went silent.

The darkness around you grew, with the stars twinkling right above your head.

Everything was still, with only your hard breathing breaking the tension around your ears. Your body was aching, your mind filled with memories of the past and the present all of them pilling up to overwhelmed you line of thoughts. You closed your eyes trying to forget and wait for everything to be back the way it was in the last year.

But you knew it was just an illusion.

Your world had been shaken up the moment Wanda and America showed up at your doorstep. The fight with Agatha brought back the memories you had tried to forget, it brought with it the truths you were not ready to face. You had always thought that you could outrun your motions, but the world has always taught you this was not possible. Not for someone like you, and certainly not for someone like Wanda.

When you opened your eyes you saw Wanda, your Wanda staring at you, but before anything could be done or said her eyes rolled back passing out of exhaustion. You caught up to her on time, her body falling on yours your face a mask of pure concern just as you ensure she rested comfortably on the ground.

You knew everyone was looking at you, but you decided to ignore them while checking Wanda over to make sure nothing else happened to her.

“Are you alright?” The other Wanda came to you, her voice sent shivers down your back, you didn’t dare to lift your eyes for fear of revealing far too much.

Instead, you nodded taking deep breaths while feeling the ground under your knees, without thinking too much about it, your hand brushed Wanda’s hair tenderly. The attention you were giving to her was something you never thought you would do again. The woman standing beside you shifted her weight and soon she was sitting right beside you; this time around you did turn around only to see her staring at you with big, curious eyes.

“She is still unconscious, but I believe she is no longer two halves of the same person.” Wanda lifted her face to the sky, her lips parting slightly. “Her magic is still erratic, but I believe she would be okay.”

“What about Agatha?” Your question entangled in your throat, scrunching up your nose you decided to conceal your emotions not ready to face the conversation or to address the white elephant hanging around you two.

“She will be trapped in this jewel until you and her decided what should be done with her.” Wanda handed over the jewel, you pursed your lips in disgust before grabbing the artifact.

“The book she had with her, it is the Darkhold, isn’t it?”

“It is.” You nodded this time around locking your eyes with hers.

“Are you taking it with you?”

Wanda broke into an easy smile shaking her head, “it’s not mine but yours. It would be better off in your world, where it belongs.”

“It should be destroyed.” You leaned back resting your hands on the ground.

“It should, but that would be your prerogative not ours.”

Your eyes drifted around the place before they settled on America and Y/N, both of them were engaged in a heavy discussion and you could teel this was the moment America had been waiting for a very long time. The feelings of guiltiness and sadness had been quite evident in her when you two met, right now this was the chance the young woman was waiting for to make amends. To reach for forgiveness.

“So, any idea how we are going to leave this place?”

Wanda nodded leaning back until she pointed to America and your counterpart.

“She is ready to use her powers, I believe she is the only one that can help us right now.”

Not sooner had Wanda said this the world started to tremble, the light of the stars flickered until they disappeared one by one. You straightened up with Wanda standing up as soon as she noticed this.

“I guess…we should try it right now.” You stood up turning to glance at the darkened world, everything was coming in and out of reality with the ground shaking for small periods of time.

“It was a matter of time.” Wanda placed a hand on your forearm, you couldn’t help the tension on your muscles the other woman softened her features stepping closer. “You will be back, and she will need help to recover from this.”

“I know.”

“Are you ready for that?” The question caught you off guard, you knew what was expected of you and what you could do with the woman that had broken your heart at some point.

You could hide behind that excuse until the end of time, but it would run out of any validity at some point. Sooner or later, you knew you would have to face Wanda and decisions must be made. The Wanda standing before you softened her features, her words would made your mind pound with the imminent decisions you would need to make.

“How deep is your anger, and how deep goes your love for you to not face what your heart already knows?” Wanda leaned in and you found yourself in a embrace you didn’t know you miss. Her voice was just a whisper, but it was everything you needed at the moment. “I won’t tell you what to do, but I will tell you my love to follow your instincts. They had never failed you.”

America glanced around the group with a nervous smile.

She glanced at her hands then back at you and Y/N, the words of encouragement were ringing inside her head while she tried to gather the courage to move onto the next step.

“Just think about it, kiddo.” Y/N stated grabbing the hand of her wife, America almost winced at those words because her mind had been a myriad of thoughts since they delegate the task of going back home on her.

You fixed the unconscious woman in your arms, putting her closer to you while looking over at America. The young woman closed her eyes, ready to open the portal when Wanda stopped her.

“Wait, America.” The redhead stepped closer placing her hand on America’s shoulder. “Remember, it is more than opening a portal, is about opening the right one.”

“I know, I know…it’s just…easier said than done.” America pursed her lips, she took a deep breath closing her eyes.

“Then, let yourself be guided by your emotions and what you remember of the place you want to go to.” Wanda squeezed the shoulder of the teen tenderly, and for that brief moment America felt it.

It was vague but it was there.

The same kind of energy she had felt on Wanda and Y/N, it was familiar yet different. She had felt it when she first fell upon that universe, the twins had carried with them a strange kind of energy that seemed to engulf the best of Wanda and Y/N.

America closed her eyes and, without thinking to much, she followed the familiarity of that energy. Her mind bringing over the memories of her time in that land, finally easing out her fears and trusting in the women she had surrounding her.

The young woman clenched her fist, and with a single punch she opened the star-shaped portal.

All of them were ready to go home.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[starkeygirlposts]

Goosebumps in my Sleeve V

This chapter has been a labor of love. I feel so lacking in creativity, but yet writing is all I can think about! Once I sit down to write, my mind goes blank. Anyway, this chapter is a little all over the place but I wanted to delve into some other topics/scenes from the timeline. I hope you enjoy this one! Please beware that this is NOT proof read and most likely contains several errors. I will eventually get around to proof reading it. Summary: You've been dating Rafe Cameron for 3 years, and one day Ward and your mom tell you they're getting married.

Pairings: Rafe Cameron x fem!reader Trigger warnings: angst, stepcest, drugs, swearing, pregnancy, smut(a whole drawer of warnings), discussion of suicide, swearing, domestic violence, mama and daddy kink, breeding kink, mention of abortion, talk of death and killing, idk what else lol 18+ mdni

SERIES MASTERLIST

THEN

To say that Rafe got possessive once you found out you were pregnant would be an understatement. Nothing you did was okay with him if he didn’t know about it first. No schedule change or unpredictable plans were allowed to be made without an argument ensuing and a slew of angry texts and missed calls.

You’d try telling him that you needed to keep everything normal and the same as it was before so to not draw any unnecessary attention to the two of you and your situation. But he’d tell you he "didn’t give a fuck”, and “that’s my kid you’ve got in there so you tell me this kind of shit.”

More times than not you’d wonder if you’d only become an incubator for his precious cargo. Whether or not he cared solely about the baby under your heart or also about its mother. So when you go grab tacos with two of your closest friends, you finally lose it when Rafe blows up your phone wondering where you are and why you didn’t tell him you wouldn’t be home. You’d left the house at 6:30, not knowing where Rafe was or when he would be home. Maybe it’s the sinking feeling in his gut when he silently opens your door to find your bedroom empty, his mind racing to the worse case scenario, or maybe it’s the demon buried deep inside of him needing to control your every move.

Your sat at the table at your favorite Mexican restaurant not even five minutes from tanneyhill, chip half dipped into the bowl of guacamole when your phone chimes. The conversation between the three of you halts, and you wave your hand, telling them to continue as you flip your phone over, already knowing who the alert was from. You try to keep a straight face as you read the message.

7:02PM Rafe: Where are you?

You look it over, re reading it three times before debating sending a simple reply, instead deciding to push the power button and set it back down on the table, flipping the silent switch before you do so.

You don’t exactly know why you don’t want to answer, as if the reply takes too much energy. But the two things that come to your mind first is that you not only feel suffocated, but you want to forget for just a moment.

Then at 7:08 he calls you. You obviously don’t answer.

7:08PM Rafe: This again?

2 more missed calls.

7:12PM Rafe: Am I really that shitty of a boyfriend that you don't even want to answer me?

7:15PM Rafe: You’re testing me aren’t you? Why?

7:19PM Rafe: You know I can see where you are right? You’re sharing your location with me.

You stopped sharing your location with Rafe.

7:21PM Rafe: Are you fucking kidding me? I swear to god I will show up there in 5 minutes and drag your ass out of there. Turn your location back on. I’m putting my shoes on right now.

You started sharing your location with Rafe.

7:22PM Rafe: So you can read all my messages and turn your location off and on but you can’t reply?

7:23PM You: I’m with my friends. Girl friends. I’ll text you when I’m leaving.

7:24PM Rafe: Yeah but that doesn’t work for me. I want you here now so wrap it up. If you need me to get you let me know.

You can’t help but scoff, raising your eyebrows which elicits a question from one of your friends asking you who’s texting you. You put your phone in your purse and try to forget about Rafe’s overbearing for an hour with your friends. Casually, you tell her it’s your mom going off about you not telling her you wouldn’t be home for dinner like you’re 14 years old. But when not even fifteen minutes go by and your friends are sat across from you looking over your head at what’s behind you, you ball your fists and finish the last sip of your drink before relaxing in your seat. You almost wish you would’ve just told them the truth. You can see the confusion on their faces as they blink from above you to eye level with you.

You can feel him next to you, but you pretend you don’t. Your friends mutter a confused “Hey Rafe…” before he’s bending down to your level to look at you. Reluctantly, you turn your head to look back at him and his brows shoot up. He silently places a $100 bill on the table and calmly tells you “Let’s go, we’re leaving."

You make the mistake of rolling your eyes, looking back to your friends.

“My friends said hello, Rafe. Why don’t you say hi?” You briefly look to both of your friends, hoping your gaze offers a silent apology.

He straightens back up, pulling your chair out for you. You finally look up at him, his eyes still locked on you as you now meet them with yours. “We haven’t even ordered dinner. I’ll be home in an hour.” You try to tell him, but he’s got your bag in his hand and his hand wraps around your upper arm, pulling you to your feet. His lips are next to your ear, hot breath casting a wind across your neck.

“Do not make a scene here. We’re leaving. Say goodbye.” He tells you, and you look back at him once more before looking down at your friends and telling them that your mom made your favorite and you’d rather avoid a blowout. The girls nod skeptically, looking at you and then at each other and then back to you.

“I’m really sorry, I’ll text you.” You tell them simply, before Rafe is tugging you to walk in front of him. His hand finds your lower back to guide you out of the restaurant and your phone vibrates in your hand. You glance down at it to see the name of you and your friends group chat pop up in your notifications. It reads a simple question.

“Are you okay?”

You take a deep breath, as deep as you can as you walk to Rafe’s truck before you type out a quick reply.

“Totally fine, so sorry. My mom’s been a maniac she Rafe’s just trying to avoid another explosion. I’m actually grateful lol"

Both girls love the message, and you quickly slip it into the pocket of your jeans as his arm leaves your back to open the door of the truck for you. You look back at him and he raises his brows, thrusting his hand forward for you to get in. You huff and relent, grabbing the inside handle and climb in.

You scoff and shake your head, pissed and upset as he climbs into the drivers side. He starts the engine and pulls into the street, not saying a word to you so you take the silence as an opportunity.

You don’t think before you speak, and you regret it instantly.

“Maybe I should’ve had an abortion."

The words fly out faster than you mean for them to, your tone dripping venom as you look ahead at the lit up road, totally vacant. He doesn’t respond, and you look next to you to him, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles are white. His brows are furrowed and his lip is curled in disgust. You know he heard you when he cocks his head and swerves the truck violently into the shoulder.

“What the fuck did you just say?” His tone drips with hatred, his head cocked but keeps his gaze straight ahead. You’re watching him, turning your body fully in your seat. You wonder for a brief moment if you should grovel, mumble out a quick “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.” But for the briefest moment you wonder if you actually did…

“No…no, no. Say that again. Say it, I dare you.” He says darkly, finally turning his head to look at you. Your eyes connect and he’s staring at you so deeply you wonder if he can see the turning of your insides.

You’re silent, and his eyes squint like he’s trying to see better.

“Come on baby say it. Say it again. I want to hear you say that shit to me again.” You flinch when his hand jets out to grip the back of your neck harshly, and you cry out in surprise, muttering a “Rafe, stop.” before he’s dragging you closer to him, your belly jutting into the console. His nose presses against yours and he shakes your head as if to wake you up.

“Did you actually fucking say that? About my baby? Wish you would’ve done it, huh? You hate me that much?” He’s seething, seeing nothing but red, glitter sparkling his vision as he tries to focus on you. You try your best to pull your head back, but it’s no use as his grip is strong on your neck keeping you pressed to him. The bow breaks and you can’t help but shout;

“I don’t know, do you hate me that much?! It’s so fucking hard to tell!” Before you continue, his head cocks, his cheek meeting you nose as he takes a deep breath and laughs humorlessly.

“What the fuck? What are you talking about? Are you okay? I mean shit I know hor-"

You cut him off, pushing him back with your hands on his chest to be able to look at him.

“No Rafe! I’m not fucking okay! Thank you for finally asking! Why did you have to ruin tonight for me? Why wasn’t I allowed to get dinner with my friends? Five fucking minutes away from our house? Did you see any guys there? Any drugs on the table? Any alcohol? I didn’t even get to eat dinner! But because I’m having your baby it doesn’t matter right?"

He scoffs and furrows his brows in confusion, trying to get a word in but you slap him instead. His cheek burns, his lips parted in shock as he looks at you and rubs the mark. He shuts his eyes for a moment before opening them and looking at you with intent. Your chest heaves and your hand goes to cover his on his cheek and you can’t help but mumble a “sorry…I -"

He cuts you off, hand leaving his face to grip yours.

“I am fucking terrified, okay? Aren’t you? You’re not — you don't get it! Baby you don’t fucking get it. Listen to me…no, listen to me!” You try to wrangle your head out of his grip, but both hands reach over to grab both of your cheeks between his hands, forcing you to look at him. His pupils are blown wide, his chest rising and his nostrils flared.

“Look at me, you remember that night don’t you? I know you do. Look at me and tell me. Do you mean it? You wish you aborted the baby?” He asks you this rhetorically, but maybe you really do wish you’d just done what Ward told you to. You take a deep breath and fight the tears that threaten to spill over, and they do when you clench your lids closed in regret. Your hand subconsciously drifts to your middle and you shake your head in Rafe’s hands.

“Say it, I need to hear you say it.” His voice is soft now, coaxing you to open your eyes and when you do, he’s ducked his head to look as close at you as he can and you quietly say “No.” He silently nods his head once, and you can’t help the tears that fall down your cheeks and over his fingers.

You’re still shaking your head and you tell him again. “No, no I shouldn’t have…I didn’t mean it. I want her.” You tell him honestly and you see him smile for the first time in so long and he leans down to kiss you, pecking your lips deeply. Your body is rigid against his, sobs shaking your form as you say again “I didn’t mean it.”

“I know, I know you didn’t baby, it’s okay, I know.” He tells you like he’s comforting a child. “I need you to hear me right now, okay?” He asks, serious, pulling away from you to bring your head up to meet his gaze.

“I paid people so you’d get to keep the baby. My father will pay people so that we can’t. Whether that’s right back where we were, or ripping her from your arms. Tell me you understand that. You are not safe. We are not safe.” He says, shaking his head.

You look at him, silent for a moment, and your mind betrays you. You allow yourself to imagine the moment your baby comes out of you and instead of Rafe there, it’s Ward. And instead of your slimy baby being placed on your bare chest, they’re whisked away from you without any words exchanged.

Your hands absentmindedly find Rafe’s forearms that are still holding your face in his hands and you mutter a small “I understand."

“Yeah?” He asks you, and you nod and tell him again that you understand.

“Don’t bring me back there tonight, I - I can’t go back there right now.” You softly say, your mind mushy and your emotions ruined.

You see him nodding, and he calls Topper, asking him if you can use his pool house.

Next thing you know you’re pulling into Top’s driveway, his parents away on vacation and it’s probably the only reason Rafe came here rather than paying for a hotel room.

When you get inside, and the blinds are drawn, you settle on the edge of the made bed having kicked off your shoes and unhooked your bra. You’re watching him pace around to make sure the windows are locked and covered well enough, and when you assume he’s satisfied with the barricade, he finally looks at you. You and all your messy glory. But you’ve shed your pullover and now you’re just in a thin tank top, your bra removed and he looks down to your bump. It’s more prominent, unable to be hidden in regular clothes, and he laughs when he sees the makeshift hair tie closure on your jeans.

You can’t remember the last time you heard him actually laugh. Not laugh without humor, not scoff, but actually laugh with genuine joy. You can’t help but smile with him as he closes the space between you, brushing your hair back from your face and tipping it back so you can meet his eyes.

“Getting bigger, huh?” He asks, still smiling and you nod, hand resting on the biggest part of your belly. At 14 weeks, you were unable to wear most of your clothes, save for 2 pairs of jeans that still closed with a makeshift tie, and some oversized tops and sweaters. You were afraid that you were approaching the point where wearing sweaters in the heat of summer would raise suspicions. You mumble a quiet “mhm”. Your other hand drifts down to said makeshift tie to undo it, freeing your lower belly from the restriction. You shift so you can wiggle them down and over your hips, Rafe watching your movements. You move to stand in front of him and tug the denim all the way down to your knees, allowing them to slide the rest of the way off and kick them off with your feet. His hands drift down your neck, over your arms, to your hands and he grips them, bringing each up to his mouth to kiss each palm while watching you.

You’re watching him back, eyes glued to his as he presses slow, open mouthes kisses up your arm until he drops them and palms your lower back with one hand while the other cups your neck to tilt your head up so that he can crane his neck and press his lips to yours. It feels like too long since you’ve been kissed like this by him, your shoulders slumping in relief as his tongue slips past your lips to flick against yours.

You’re putty in his hands, kissing him back as eagerly as you can while your hormones rage and your emotions are tangled. Your hands rub up his back and around to his biceps, falling down to his elbows where your hands cup, trying to pull him closer to you.

As he takes a breath, you pull your head back to speak.

“You’re gonna love her more than me, aren’t you?” You ask shyly, unable to look at him when you ask, your hands falling away from his body to find the edge of the mattress, lowering your body down to sit.

You don’t see the furrow in his brow as he looks at you confused, his fingers reaching out to tuck your hair behind your ear as he cradles your chin in his palm. He moves to his knees before you, and you allow yourself to look at him as he does, looking at you with worry.

“Why would you say that? Gonna love ‘em just as much as I love you.” He tells you, trying to say the right thing. Truth be told, he did love the baby inside of you more deeply than he understood. But wasn’t that normal? Wasn’t he supposed to? Did he love the baby more than he loved you? How was that even possible?

“There wouldn’t be any baby in there if I didn’t love you as much as I do.” He tells you softly, and you nod in acceptance.

“Not just a way for you to continue your legacy?” You ask quietly and now he’s truly confused. He tells you to look at him, and you do.

“I’m gonna tell you this because I don’t want to hear any stupid shit like this again. M’kay?” He asks you, and you nod.

“If we didn’t make her, I don’t think I’d still be here right now.” Now its your brow furrowing, and your hands move to grip his, cautiously asking him what he means. He takes a deep breath and flutters his eyes closed like he’s ashamed.

“You know what I mean, baby. Don’t make me say it. Can’t live without you...you know that.” He tells you honestly and the tear that falls from his eye as he looks at you through saggy lids tell you everything you need to know.

You gasp without meaning to, and you can’t help the guilt brewing in your gut. The idea of a world without Rafe in it makes you want to throw up, your hands gripping his like a vice, and you beg him to never say that again.

“I can’t…I couldn’t do this without you.” You tell him, tears threatening to fall and he pulls you to him to cradle your head under his.

“You don’t have to. I’m here.” He says simply, pulling back just enough to lower his head and kiss you again, his lips soft and hesitant against yours like he’s asking permission, and you lean back on the bed in approval, relenting and his hands snake up to your bottom, fingers squeezing to drag you further up the bed, settling on his knees in between yours.

Your lips find a pace against his, allowing him to find clarity in your movements. Your hips mindlessly buck up against his and he breaks away from your lips to run a hand down the valley of your breasts down below your belly to the hem of your tank, pulling it up and over your head to leave you bare except for your panties that remain the only barrier he can’t see past.

Your chest is heaving, watching him hover above you, and your hands find their way to the hem of his own shirt, tugging on it trying to lift it but needing his help and he chuckles, pulling the shirt off from behind his head, throwing it to the growing pile of your clothing on the floor.

He watches your face as he drags his fingers past the top of your panties to use the tip of his pointer finger to brush down the middle of your panties, the pressure against your clit making you arch up off the bed to gain friction. You moan his name and look down at him. He’s leaning back on his calves, shirtless and watching you squirm in need of more.

“What is it baby?” He teases, cocking his head while he watches you in fascination, his fingers ghosting over your clothed slit, and you nearly cry in frustration. “Please don’t tease me, Rafe.” You groan, using your feet to try to tug him closer to you. But he tuts and tells you to “Relax”.

“Mama’s needy huh?” He croons, watching your expressions with lust, finally using his fingers to tug the crotch of your panties to the side so he can rub your cunt properly.

You throw your head back with a “yes!” falling from your lips. He uses his pointer finger to push inside of your gummy walls, his thumb coming to rub firm circles on your clit, the pressure tightening the knot inside of your gut. He adds his middle finger inside of you, curling his fingers upward to push at the spongey spot inside of you, knowing your body so well.

His other hand comes up to rest on the swell of your belly, your hand instinctively covering his and lacing your fingers through his. His fingers thrust in and out of you at a rapid speed, your hips bucking up off the bed when you’re about to snap. “Gonna make me cum Rafe!” You squeal, pushing out to feel yourself gush around his fingers, pushing up on your elbows to watch him. He’s watching his fingers fuck in and out of you, the wet squelch of you taking him in over and over. You collapse back against the soft mattress again after your chest stops heaving.

Rafe’s fingers leave your core and you can’t help the frustrated grunt that leaves your lips without intent. He climbs off the bed to unbuckle his jeans and push them down his hips to the floor, his boxers going with them. You lean up on your elbows again, watching him with hooded lids, heavy with bliss as he climbs back between your legs, using his palms to trail up your calves and behind your knees to press them into your chest, leaning down to brush his lips against your forehead.

“Such a pretty mama, doing so good for me baby. You ready for my cock?” He asks sweetly, trailing kisses down your cheek to your jaw and finally locks his lips with yours and pulls back to look at you. You nod at him meekly, looking up into his eyes and he tell you to “Use your words, pretty girl."

“Yes, yes please, need your cock. Please fuck me Rafe.” You ask with confidence, chasing his lips with your own, craving the contact. His hands tighten on the backs of your knees, almost folding you too tight. He’s careful not to rest himself on your belly, though. He locks his lips on yours as he lines himself up with your cunt, but collects your wetness on his mushroom tip as he lets go of one knee to guide himself up and down your slit before guiding himself inside you in one smooth thrust. He stills when he’s buried all the way inside and your mouth falls open in a sharp cry.

“Oh, fuck…so fucking deep. Oh my godddd”. You whine, craning your neck up to press your forehead to his, his bangs hanging in your eyes. He pulls back to rest on the backs of his calves, using both hands to once again press your knees beside you in a mating press and tells you to look down at yourself.

“Look how good your pretty pussy swallows me baby. She takes me so well. Shiitttt” You whine in defeat, trying to drift your eyes downward, but at this angle flat on your back, you realize your belly is too large to see past. You huff in defeat and tell him “can’t see, rafe…tummy's too big.”

Something snaps inside of him and he hastily brings a hand behind your neck to grab a fistful of hair from the back of your neck to crane your neck up at an uncomfy angle, and you try thrusting your head back, but he stuffs a pillow behind you instead, tugging your head up farther. “Look down baby. Look at yourself dirty girl. Watch daddy fuck you.” You whine a moan at the name he gives himself and you look down again with the pillow behind you, watching as his cock drags slowly out of you, shiny with your slick before disappearing again. It’s painfully slow and you groan out.

“Fuck, Rafe…so deep, hurts so goooood.” You whine out, hands finding his forearms to steady yourself. The pressure he’s building inside of you is becoming too much and you can’t help but clench around him. He feels it and chuckles, leaning down to breathe against your lips. “Noooooo baby, don’t do that. You can take it, you’re doing so good baby girl don’t push me out.” He’s speaking to you in a higher pitch like he’s coaching you through it, continuing "Just…fucking…take it” punctuating with each thrust his long cock makes inside you, bruising your cervix over and over. You whimper at his words, your nails digging half moons into his skin and you can’t help the mewls and whines that pour out of your mouth.

He starts to fuck into you at a brutal pace, his hips snapping against yours with lewd wet sounds, white cream forming around the base of his shaft as his sock leaks seed into you. “Fuck baby, m’gonna cum…need you to cum too. Can you cum for me?” He asks, lightly tapping your cheek with his hand, too fucked out to hold his stare. You look back down to where he’s disappearing inside your body, his thumb now rubbing your pearl and you clench around him before letting go, pushing out again and gushing around him. He groans and paints the inside of you with his seed, mouth agape with curses and moans pouring out like music to your ears. Hearing Rafe cum was one of your favorite moments together. Getting to hear how blissed out he was to be with you. How you were the one who made him fall over the edge.

He’s breathing heavily, hot breath fanning over your face as he all but collapses on top of you, pressing sloppy kisses to your neck and up to your ear lobe where he nibbles and whispers; “I love you so god damn much baby. Don’t ever wanna hear you question it again, kay?” His voice is lazy and groggy, but you nod eagerly and crane your neck so he’ll look at you.

You’re searching his eyes, finally telling him that “I love you…and I love her too.”

----

NOW

Rafe’s hand on your belly moves to leave your skin but the hand resting atop his keeps it where it is. You break your stare with Sarah to look over to him, his eyes trained on the road but you see the clench in his jaw and cringe on his face, his nose scrunched in revolt at having to listen to you describe that night to his sister.

Your other hand snakes around the back of his neck to cradle the cheek that faces the truck window and you lean into him, resting your head on his shoulder to press a gentle kiss his neck. You know how hard it is for him to relive one of the worst nights of his life, knowing that somewhere inside of him almost believes that it was real.

“I’m sorry.” You mouth against his neck and bring your cheek back down to rest on his shoulder.

Your eyes flutter closed before quietly saying “I think I’ve shared enough.” Before opening your eyes again and locking them with Sarah’s, her head nodding briefly and you can see the tears brimming her bottom lids.

It’s a sick thing to talk about, you know you’ve overshared, but it’s reality for you, Rafe and the little girl underneath your hands. It was the only way to really allow her to understand any of this. It’s hard to still give a shit about other people, but you think salvaging an aunt for your daughter isn’t beyond reach. So you’re trying. Whether that’s okay with Rafe or not.

His voice jolts you suddenly. annoyed and tired. “How much longer am I driving here, Sarah?” He asks while keeping his gaze ahead. She nervously fumbles her phone, stuttering with nerves, you watch her hands tremble as she turns her phone upside down and tap it back open. “U-Uhhh, it’s just straight ahead for another mile and then you’re turning left.”

He doesn’t acknowledge her answer, instead following John B’s tail closer, clearly antsy. He huffs out a breath, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.

“Y/N and I are going to the Bahamas after your friends load the cross into that piece of shit. I need you to keep dad occupied until tomorrow.” He’s curt and to the point, looking over at her briefly, Sarah nodding once and saying “Yeah, yeah, okay. I can do that.”

You wonder if you’ve traumatized her, dragged her into your fucked up reality. How could you not have? It was not an easy pill to swallow knowing her father truly was a monster. You think that up until now she thought that family was above all else to him and that he’d prioritize herself and her siblings above all else. You’re a little bit sorry you had to be the one to crush that idealization.

Sarah’s telling him to turn left and as he does, suddenly questioning “Hey Sarah?” almost innocently. You look up at him in wonder. You couldn’t have guessed what came from him next.

Sarah hums as he asks almost petulantly; “You think dad would ever make you kill your kid?” He turns his head to look at her and she looks back at him sharply, sucking a breath between her teeth, taken aback. Your own head flies to look at him and you can’t help but rush his name out of your lips in a scold, and you tense, stomach clenching in unease, shocked tears forming in her eyes and she finally shakes her head. It’s a trap question - that you’re smart enough to know and you know she is too. He doesn’t expect an answer. Because he knows that she knows the answer and that he knows it all the same.

No. Ward would never. And that’s why he wrapped his hands around her neck that night and shoved her underwater. Ward seemingly took away his little girl, so he’d take his away, too.

You wince and it hits you hard that your daughter will not be having a relationship with her aunt. Not if her dad can help it. The hatred he feels for his own sister stems so deep inside of him that allowing the idea of his child to grow to love someone he so deeply hates makes him sick. He will not allow his own flesh and blood the chance to be rejected by her like he had been his entire life.

It was his way of telling you without telling you that no - Sarah would not remain in your life and more importantly, your daughters.

For the first time, you have no rebuttal. Because you finally understand how deep the betrayal and loyalties lie, and there was no way to explain it away or reason differently. And for the first time, you're okay with the outcome.

Please leave a comment, and reblog! I’d love to hear from you guys what you’d like to see in this story via ask box/requests. I will answer any and all submissions! NOTE that I will NOT add you to the tag list if you are only commenting to add to the list.

See y’all soon!

[fallingrealms16]

CAITVI FIC REC LIST PART 1 (???) <3333

Now tell me why I’ve never actually read wlw fics before???? Because now I’m insanely obsessing over Caitvi (arcane) (also their name should be Violyn FIGHT ME)

SO WITHOUT FURTHER A DUE: here is my first compiled list of VIOLYN fics that I have read so far! (Word count ordered: ascending) There will absolutely definitely 1000% be another one of these so if you like it pls pretty pls note it, comment, re tumble it!

Reminder‼️ pretty please read all the tags on each fic before reading as I am not responsible for any emotional trauma you may experience ^3^ (more notes at the bottom ty, ily <3)

Where All the Secrets are Spilled by ConnieLingus, L_Kayze @connielingus423

10K Words // 1 Chapter // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

The reunited Hellfire squad drinks together in the Kiramman Family Library before Noxus invades Piltover. Caitlyn and Vi reckon with their mistakes. It gets angry, it gets raw, and then it gets away from them.

An imagining of what happens post Act 2 and pre Act 3

Bound and Determined by Pandoras_Hope

27K Words // 10 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

When Vi finally gets released from Stillwater prison, she is determined to get back to her old life as quickly as possible. But a chance encounter with her new next-door neighbor pulls her into an unexpected tangle of sex, violence, and a plot to take control of the undercity.

Vicious Dogs Fight Dirty by paleserendipity

33K Words // 3 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

If anything, she should be at home, resting the countless cuts and bruises lining her skin. Though, really, if she had a choice in it, she’d probably still choose to come here. Easier to fight than curl up in a makeshift bed as nightmares of your situation-ship girlfriend plague you, right?

Burn by ThisOrThatFan @thisorthatfan-ao3

44K Words // 6 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

A modern AU of Piltover's Finest - a story of two firefighters battling flames not only on the job, but also against the internal fire burning within their hearts.

Late Fine by ConnieLingus

52K Words // 7 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

Vi’s one night stand is working the Returns counter at the Zaunite Branch of the Connected Cities County Public Library and Vi has to return her sister’s overdue items. What could go wrong?

Make Out Lessons With A Boxer by poetess

72K Words // 8 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

The friends with benefits college AU where oblivious mutually pining idiots pine mutually, jinx is an exhausted zoomer, and bisexuals rule the world.

I wanna point out that I use Ao3. At one point this year the normal Ao3 server was down and I wasn’t able to load any fics I was reading but I found that Ao3 has a secondary website completely the same: archiveofourown.gay

So naturally being the queer diva I am, I completely switched to .gay because it’s iconic <3

Also I am an adult so these fics usually are explicit or teen and up just because I like the explicit themes.

May vary from smexual content or just mature themes (violence ect…)

These fics are just what caught my eye first and just so happen to all be labelled explicit!

BUTTTTT if you want any fic recs such as “teen and up” or “all audiences” let me know as I’m open to anything!

My question box is also open so if you’re looking for fics with certain tags I’m happy to search and recommend! The fandoms I follow are:

Supernatural (destiel ship mainly)

DC universe (superbat mainly!)

Marvel (fluff for Spider-Man and tony stark - FATHER/SON, Bucky x Reader, stucky, x-men universe)

Teen Wolf!!! (Started off my account as this - specifically sterek but I do read Stydia sometimes too)

Arcane (Violyn mostly known as Caitvi😪)

I take recommendations too so if you find something you think I should read I’m all eyes and ears HAHA

I read all the fics I recommend too to know exactly what I am recommending!!! If you have made it this far reading Thankyou and I appreciate you ⭐️

[akailycoris]

Thoughts on chapter 214

Ok, so, I've read chapter 214 and I do want to share a few thoughts on it before moving to 215:

1) Yo, Sebastian is PISSED!😂😂 They got no idea what they're getting themselves into, insulting this vain demon, now do they?? Cuz, sure, Sebastian moves by Ciel's orders, cuz that's their whole deal, but I do believe he anticipates Ciel's needs and orders too and does prepare in advance; he starts the day earlier than anyone else at the Phantomhive mansion, cuz he needs no sleep, after all.

2) I wonder if Sieglinde had anything to do with the implementation of elevators in London; 🤔

3) You can see the appraising and judgement in this guy's eyes, for how Ciel is dressed both expensively, elegantly and in new wardrobe pieces (that's what the shimmer near the shoes and cane is meant to signify, right? Something brand new, spotlessly clean and shinny).

I wonder what conclusion he's drawing, though: is he wondering where Ciel got the money for it, considering he's been on the run and in hiding? Or is he more worried about making a good impression in order to get a good tip? Or does he hate his ass, thinking he's a child born in the lap of luxury, who can afford everything he wants, while he has to bend over backwards for people who will never appreciate it, while always smiling, all while knowing he'll never reach the same level of wealth as someone born in nobility, no matter if he works his entire life?

You know, the usual.

I really wish I could tell what he's thinking here:

4) Don't tell me that if any of you were there, you wouldn't go "HURRAY FOR MODERN, INDOOR PLUMBING!!!"

5) I wonder if this is already hinting at an attempt to separate Ciel and Sebastian? 🤔

6) I wonder how this place is gonna fit into the story; have to say that it reminds me of the Circus arc though, with it being a marine amusement park and us seeing the tickets for it, like we saw the Noah's Ark Circus tickets, way back then... I'm thinking, is this attraction where they find and/ take the people they want to collect blood from? By this point in the story, I don't think I'm reading too much into it; could we possibly end up meeting more of the former Circus staff there? Like, we know besides Doll and Joker, they all died at the Phantomhive manor, but what happened to their bodies after? We don't know that, right? Who's to say, they weren't handed over to the Undertaker, as he was still Ciel's contact in the field, at the time.

7) I'm curious to know if this guy has a real life counter or if he was inspired or based, in any measure, on any famous people from the era, like the Rockefellers or the Vanderbilts; Yana-sensei does a lot of research for the manga, after all. Maybe I'll look that up later.

Either way, you know he's good at what he does (aka making money), since he even managed to be awarded a peerage for all his... "contributions"

8) And finally, we arrive at the greatest question of them all, the one that we have all been asking since finishing the chapter, causing the fandom to errupt into theories and speculations, just like in the good ol' days, as we re-read the story, scour over previous chapters for any hint of recognition and over fellow fan's posts as well, as we wait with baited breath for the next chapter and the answers it may bring to us:

WHO THE HELL IS THIS???

BTW, at a first glance, I would say Beast, cuz I'm thinking of someone who may have reason to call Sebastian a demon, while not necessarily knowing he IS, IN FACT, A DEMON, someone whose entire life was derailed because of (getting entangled with) the demon (and Ciel) and would have reason to deteste, despise and loathe him, but, at the same time, someone whom Sebastian would not spare a second thought for.

And I immediately thought of Beast.

Can you tell that I have a thing for the Circus arc yet or do you need more clues?

At the same time though, the pattern on his cloack and the cross from the IV stand, do remind me of this part of Weston's architecture, from the Public School arc:

I wonder, what could it all mean? If it even means ANYTHING.

I know some people are thinking that this is one of Sebastian's prior contractors, but I'm not inclined to believe that just yet, though I'm not totally dismissing the idea either. Still, I do feel like this is someone we've met before. Must be. I just feel like that is something the author would do, laying it right in front of us, the truth hiding in plain sight, right beneath our noses.

Or maybe we're all wrong and this really is someone neither Sebastian nor Ciel ever met before, but someone "hired" to drive a wedge between them, by making Ciel question Sebastian, his past and intentions?

[bitbybitwrites]

20 Fanfic Author Questions

Haven't done one of these in a while, so let's give it a go. 😊

Many thanks to the following folks who tagged me 💖💖💖💖: @porcelainmortal , @alasse9 , @theprinceandagcd

Answers under the cut . . .

How many works on AO3?

38

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

281,632

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos

i hate waiting (RWRB/FirstPrince) If I can Make Your Heart My Home (Glee/Klaine) Falling for You (Glee/Klaine) hold me close (RWRB/FirstPrince) smutsgiving 2023: RWRB/FirstPrince

4. What fandoms do you write for?

Glee/Klaine RWRB/FirstPrince

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to . . but to be honest Ive gotten a bit overwhelmed with my inbox right now, so Ive stopped at the moment. I do read every one and love that people take the time out to write anything at all. One day I'll finally catch up and answer everything. *sigh*

6. Angstiest Ending?

Most of my stuff usually ends up happy at the end . . . with a lot of angst in the middle. So not sure if you'd qualify this as angsty but its certainly not a happy ending. . . Come Into My Parlor (Glee/klaine)

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending?

Like mentioned before i think most of my fics have happy endings . . .so I'll pick this one - because it is a pretty wholesome feel-good ending: Falling for You (Glee/Klaine)

8. Do you get hate?

No. I've gotten some very passionate comments, mostly about what characters are doing in certain stories, but nothing that I'd take as a personal attack against me or my writing in general.

9. Do you write smut?

I do but its a constant struggle because it doesn’t come easy for me. Most of the time it slows me down writing because i agonize over those parts so much!

10. Do you write crossovers?

I have done a few and would do it again. . but mostly I do stick to original AUs when I write. Dancing In The Moonlight - Glee/Klaine and The Adams Family Advanced Potions - Hogwarts!AU - Glee/Klaine and Harry Potter study date - klaine hogwarts!au - Glee/Klaine and Harry Potter

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. But if anyone hears anything, let me know!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No.

14. All time favourite ship?

I love Klaine and FirstPrince equally. Those boys make me so happy.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I intend to finish everything . . .eventually - the problem with me is WHEN I'll get to do that! An ongoing list of my WIP can be found here.

16. Writing strengths?

Dialogue, I guess . . humor . . angst? . . Maybe I should ask any readers about this. What do you all think I do well?😂

17. Writing Weaknesses?

Smut . . . its so challenging. And just finding time to write in general.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue? 

I don't mind it. . . As a reader, I like the extra depth it brings to a charater. As long as there's a translation for me to read. I enjoy it. As a writer, it can be a bit nerve wracking because I think and write in English and then try to translate it over, which sometimes doesn't always work. I am lucky bc one of my betas speaks Spanish so I often bounce ideas off of her when I need that for characters. But for a recent ongoing WIP, I decided (because I'm insane) to include A LOT of French in my dialogue. I had used an online translator, but thankfully one of my readers jumped in to offer to help with corrections and any French translations going forward!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Officially - like posted stuff, would be Glee/Klaine . Though I've been making up fandom AUs/ bits of stories in my head for years before I knew what fanfiction was! i just never shared it with anyone! 😂

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

I love all of my fics! It's hard to say which is my all time favorite . . but I will say that ( though it's almost finished - 1 more chapter left) If I Can Make Your Heart My Home (Glee/Klaine) will always hold a special place in my heart . . its been a true joy writing it and seeing how others have reacted to it. It's also my longest piece to date - a little over the length of a novel (127,206 words) - and has taken me a LONG time to write . . ( its been a year and 10 months) The whole writing process for this has been very challenging and very fulfilling to do. I have very much fallen in love with the AU and will be happy to revisit it after the fic is complete.

Well this was fun . . I'm going to tag some lovely writers to take part (no pressure - only if you want to!) and leave a big OPEN TAG for anyone who sees this and wants to jump in . .

 @iboatedhere , @forabeatofadrum,  , @firstprincehornyramblings , 

@sophie1973 , @onthewaytosomewhere  @heartsmadeofbooks

 @getmehighonmagic, @caterpills, @blueeyedgrlwrites, , @annepi-blog,

@myheartalivewrites , @14carrotghoul, @kirakiwiwrites, @emeryhall

@wowbright @coffeegleek, @cha-melodius

@gleefulpoppet , @special-bc-ur-part-of-it   @daisyishedwig @sarkyblueeyes , @hkvoyage

@tinyarmedtrex, @1908jmd , @sparklepocalypse @spaceorphan18, @firstprincehornyramblings

@kirakiwiwrites , @cha-melodius @yadivagirl, @lady-divine-writes, @cryscendo 

@rockitmans, @madas-ahatters-world , @little-escapist  @thesleepyskipper  @caterpills

@nocoastposts, , @thinkof-england , @shame-is-a-wasted-emotion, @blurglesmurfklaine 

[duchessonfire]

Savior Carl!AU re-read Part 3 Chapter 1

Follow-up of my re-read of Part 2 Chapter 7. If you're not interested and don't want to have your dashboard spammed, you can block the tags Duchess reads and Savior Carl AU reread.

Commentary for Part 3, Ch 1 below the cut (spoilers for part 3 ahead):

Here we are. Part 3 at last.

I'm hoping by the time I'm done with this re-read I'm ready to pick the Savior AU back up. I'm currently brainstorming part 4 but it might take a while to get there.

Now on to the re-read:

Like in part 2, the chapter starts with a flashback of when Shane was still alive. The group has just escaped Terminus and is hiding in a school. In the series, this scene happened in the church but this was not possible for me since Gabriel was never a part of Shane's group (more on this later). So instead, I put the group in the school where, if I remember correctly, the Cannibals have Bob in canon.

“I get it if you want to stay back with Lori,” Shane says, pulling Carl’s focus back to him. “What we’re about to do… It’s going to be ugly. It won’t be like anything you’ve ever done before.” Carl frowns. He remembers the junkie outside the prison. Remembers the sick smell of him and the way his body rippled like rings in the water when he shot him in the head. He remembers shooting at the Cannibals as they escaped Terminus, remembers counting three bodies going down. “I’ve done it before.” Shane shakes his head. “It’s not the same thing. We can’t use guns for this, we barely have any ammo left and we need to save the bullets. Shooting someone, that’s one thing. Anyone can do it. You just squeeze the trigger and the gun takes care of it for you. But to take down someone with a blade, up close, watching as the life drains from their eyes slowly, feeling the blood on your hands… That’s not for everyone. Tyreese is right, you need to stay behind. You’re not ready for this.” “I can do it,” Carl says before he thinks better of it. He’s not used to Shane putting limitations on him, not after pushing Carl’s boundaries for so long, taking him further and further down the rabbit hole of violence. It feels wrong, somehow, to be treated like he’s helpless after all the time Shane spent training him. His stepfather pretends that he didn’t hear him. “You’ll stay behind. You’ll protect your sister.” “I can do it,” he insists. “I want to do it. They hurt Bob. They tried to kill Lori. They deserve to die. I want to do it,” he repeats and he wasn’t sure about it before but he certainly means it now.

This scene is full-on reverse psychology and gaslighting from Shane. Carl is desperate for approval and validation, so of course when Shane suddenly says Carl will stay inside and hide rather than fight with the other, Carl immediately refuses. He doesn't want to kill anyone but he wants Shane's love and respect, and he thinks he can only get it by going out to kill the Cannibals. I'm frankly not entirely sure whether Shane is even aware of how much he's manipulating Carl. Maybe he really wanted Carl to stay behind. Maybe he was planning for Carl to beg him to go. The outcome is the same anyway.

Shane inspects him critically for long seconds and Carl holds his gaze, fists clenched at his sides, spine straight, chin jutting out. Eventually, Shane sighs, his lips quirking up in a proud smile. He grabs Carl by the back of the neck and brings their foreheads together, an unexpectedly tender gesture that isn’t condescending, or paternalistic. Instead, it feels like a sign of mutual respect, soldier to soldier. Shane whispers fondly, “You’re a goddamn trooper, you know that?”

Carl is not only starved for attention, he's also starved for touch, for physical contact. Shane is not tactile (certainly nowhere near as much as Negan) so the rare moments when he touches Carl are significant. And for Carl, every single one of those moments cement his loyalty to Shane. He's like a puppy just gazing up adorable at its owner, silently begging for pets because he's been told off too many times for being needy.

“Abraham, say something,” Rosita hisses. “He’s a kid. This is insane.” Abraham’s blue eyes examine Carl, swinging to Shane briefly before settling back on him again. Carl knows what he’s about to say, not because Abraham trusts him in any way but because he needs Shane to help take Eugene to Washington. Abraham might like Glenn and Maggie better, but when it comes down to fighting, he will side with Shane. Everyone always does. “If the little man says he’s ready, then he’s ready.”

This is something that has always been extremely important to me in the Savior AU: the fact that everyone enables Shane's abuse. It's not just Shane being a villain on his own and everyone else being oblivious. It's about the communal silence on what everyone can at least suspect is Carl's mistreatment. Everyone in the group at least has an inkling that Shane's relationship to Carl is not normal, that Shane is basically turning Carl into a mindless weapon at a very young age. But no one dares say anything, both because they're scared of Shane and because they need him. Shane is a ruthless fighter and hardened survivor, and people will sacrifice Carl's innocence to benefit from Shane's protection. Everyone is guilty of this, including the OG group.

Alexandria looks exactly the same, save for the yellowed lawns and withered hedgerows where Carl remembered vivid flowerbeds and lush greenery. Even with those signs that the community has not escaped the heatwave, it is still a shock to be faced with those tranquil suburban streets, lines after lines of big houses, white paint and clean windows sparkling under the sun. After months spent in the lugubrious shadow of Sanctuary, this slice of paradise looks as foreign to Carl as it did when he first entered those gates, carrying his baby sister in his arms while Shane stalked forward, prowling the streets like a wild animal ready to pounce, his eyes flicking left and right, ready to go in for the kill at the smallest sign of an ambush. He spots more familiar faces waiting for them by the entrance: Francine and Bruce and Tobin, all watching with guarded faces. Further up the street, Carl can see other people going on with their day, the Saviors’ arrival seemingly so common that they don’t even stop to watch anymore. Some of them are tending to the plots that Maggie planted all those months ago, right next to the stream that crisscrosses the town. Its level is lower than Carl remembers but it is still there, a gurgling flow of water that glitters like a river of diamonds in the blinding sunlight.

So, the visit to Alexandria.

I really wanted to highlight how what used to be Carl's home is now completely foreign to him. Carl has spent months at the Sanctuary, in a factory with hundreds of people all under Negan's command, a brutal world organized in an even more brutal hierarchy. When he goes back to Alexandria, it's a shock to see the quaint suburb and it's an even bigger shock to remember all the luxury people enjoyed there: individual houses while workers at Sanctuary are packed in the open floor and even Saviors only have a small room to claim as their own; a river and nice greenery, while the Sanctuary only has a tiny garden patch in the middle of an ocean of concrete and steel; everyone dressed nicely and going on about their lives while in Sanctuary everyone is always on high alert for an unexpected bout of violence, either of Negan on the Saviors or the Saviors on the workers.

Before, Carl exclusively saw the Sanctuary and the Saviors as bullies, mindless leeches sucking off the resources of hard-working communities. But now that Carl is a Savior, he realizes the luxury that Alexandria lives in, how they only need to give a minimal amount of resources once a week (an event so inconsequential that most Alexandrians don't even acknowledge the Saviors anymore) when Negan could just as well take down the walls, kill everyone here and take the community for himself.

Of course, it is worth saying that not all communities are treated equally. Alexandria and the Kingdom are protected for various reasons (Alexandria because it's Carl's hometown and Negan is showing favoritism in exchange for Eugene and Sasha running the bullet outpost; the Kingdom because they have enough soldiers to cause real troubles if the status quo breaks). Things at Hilltop are not so easy and are probably even harder now that Simon is in charge of the satellite outpost. We know from a brief glimpse in canon that the library community was deserted and/or eradicated, much like Oceanside when they were under Negan's thumb. But Carl doesn't know any of that yet.

Spencer immediately goes on, “I think you’ll be really happy with what we have this week. We found a hardware store and brought back some solar powered batteries. I remembered Negan liked our solar panels the last time he was here so I thought you guys might want them.” Goddamn suck-up, Shane used to mutter whenever Spencer pulled his preppy college boy act, like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. Carl didn’t understand the contempt that Spencer inspired in his stepfather back then, but now, seeing him in charge and peacocking after everything that happened, Carl suddenly gets it. While he was getting his eye shot out by Rosita and his heart trampled by Shane and his mind twisted by Negan, Spencer got everything he ever dreamed of: no one in their old group left to tell him how to run things, no one in Alexandria strong enough to challenge his position as leader, and a powerful group of armed soldiers ready to keep him in power as long as delivers on his weekly payment. The arrival of the Saviors sure has been good on the last of the Monroes.

I do enjoy making Spencer as slimy as possible. He's basically a young Gregory, spineless and egotistical. And, like Gregory, Negan is the only reason he's in power. Because Spencer cooperates with the Saviors.

He springs out from the car like a jack-in-the-box and makes a bee line for Aaron, ignoring Spencer completely. “Where’s Lori?” he asks but then startles when his friend almost trips over the crates in his haste to step back, like Carl is a walker ready to bite. Aaron looks at him with saucer-wide eyes, his face suddenly pale as a sheet, mouth agape. Shit. The eye. Of course, Alexandria and its inhabitants might be unchanged after the past six months, but Carl isn’t. He has gotten so used to having his scar on full display, he didn’t even think about how his former people might react. This isn’t the Sanctuary, where ironed faces and gaping wounds creep along shadowy hallways. In Alexandria, they hide the ugly parts of themselves under flowerbeds and small talks and pristine button up shirts. Carl’s teeth grind down and he lowers his head, the few strands of sweaty hair that escaped from his ponytail falling in front of his mangled eye. He hasn’t been embarrassed about it in a long time, but now, he finds his cheeks warming from shame rather than the persistent heat.

I really wanted to depict the shock of people's in Alexandria when they see Carl's scars because of course it's horrifying, but Sanctuary and Negan have normalized it. Negan appreciates scars because they show that someone fought to survive. In Alexandria, things are very much about preserving appearance and pretending that the world world still stands. The community's needs (not having to look at an open wound) surpass the individual's needs.

Alexandria might not have the open violence of Sanctuary but it doesn't mean it is without violence. Pete beat his wives and we learn that people in town were aware of it and did nothing, because once again, the needs of the community (preserving a semblance of normalcy, having a pediatrician) surpassed the needs of the individual. No community is perfect and it can be argued that Negan's world is more honest. There's no pretense there, no insidious violence. Everything is out in the open.

Still sitting on the carpeted floor of her bedroom, Carl looks up at Aaron, dumbfounded. “Does she do that often? Throw things?” He can’t believe he even has to ask. When he left her, Lori could barely string two sentences together before she had to stop, retreating into her quiet, observant self for hours at a time. She had been non-verbal for a long time when they were on the road and it had taken her weeks to start talking again, so timid that she only spoke to her father and brother, and clung wordlessly to the legs of the people she knew best, Glenn and Maggie and Sasha. Carl has never even heard her raise her voice at anyone, let alone throw things at them. In front of him, Aaron rubs the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable. “She’s been struggling a lot since you and Shane left. It became worse when Shane…” Aaron swallows, averting his eyes for a moment. “When Shane stopped coming.” Something hard and cold falls into Carl’s stomach, weighing it down. He never thought of that. He never thought how important it had been for Lori, to see her father once a week during the drops. He never even questioned what it might have done to her, to suddenly have this final link to her family severed, to be left alone without all of her usual anchors to ground her. Why the fuck did he not think about that?

The meeting with Lori was hard to write because I'm frankly bad at writing children, especially very small ones like her (she's about 4 or 5 in this story). But I also I didn't want it to go smoothly. Lori is basically the only baby in Alexandria which would automatically grant her a very spoiled status, one made even worse by the fact that she's now an orphan with no blood relative living with her.

It was honestly something that bothered me in canon, that Judith was so perfect and so well-adjusted. Yes, she was born in the apocalypse, but her world still gets turned upside down several times and she deserves to throw a tantrum about it once in a while. Carl did, and as annoying as it might be to watch, it is realistic.

“Does she—” his breath falters. “Does she know?” Aaron seems to catch his meaning. “We’ve told her that Shane is gone. We’ve explained what we could, but she’s still very young. We said her dad is with her uncles Glenn and Abraham. It helped a bit, I think. She was really worried about him being alone. She kept asking if you were with him too.” Carl has been shot twice before but nothing hurts as much as Aaron’s kind and compassionate words do, each image tearing through Carl more surely than a bullet.

Not gonna lie, this part made me tear up a little when I re-read it. The one thing Lori and Carl are most afraid of is being alone and abandoned.

“Carl," Aaron starts again, "is Negan hurting you?” Open your eyes, baby. Lookin’s the best part.

I do love this contrast. Everyone probably thought that Carl was being tortured when really he's been getting laid.

A knock on his door shakes him from his downward spiral of self-hatred. He expects Ahmed or Tony, here to get a cold drink from the fridge to fight off the hot spell of the afternoon sun, but instead he finds himself face to face with Negan, leaned leisurely against the doorframe, Lucille on his shoulder. It’s the first time they have seen each other since that night. Since Carl straddled his lap and came with Negan’s hand wrapped around his throat. Since the man kissed him senseless and then sent him back to his room, head reeling and body thrumming for more. Negan looks him up and down, the pink tip of his tongue caught between his teeth. His gray eyes are dark and wanting, hotter than the canicular temperature outside, but Carl is too cold inside to feel anything as Negan leers at him.

So funny thing. I wrote this scene from Negan's pov already (no idea when I'll share it) and Negan was actually on his way to tell Carl they shouldn't have sex anymore and that last night was just a one-off. But then, Negan sees Carl dripping wet from the shower and looking teary and vulnerable and it makes him so horny he immediately forgets what he was about to say. The whole "combing Carl's hair" moment is really just a way for him to buy himself time and find a way to convince Carl to have sex again.

There is a warm exhale of breath ghosting over his cheek, sending goosebumps crawling along his wet skin, and he realizes Negan is much closer than he thought, bending down over him, his lips right next to Carl’s right ear, always sneaking up on his blind side. “Ya know, if you want to see her again, we can negotiate. For that and other stuff, too. I’ve got more to give. A whole lot more.” Carl swallows but his throat is dry, desiccated from Negan’s dark siren song, from the endless lures he keeps dangling in front of Carl. His heart is thumping so loudly in his chest, he thinks the man can probably hear it echo inside his room like a drum, the unmistakable beat of Carl’s depraved obsession. “Like what?” he croaks out, embarrassingly unsteady. On his lap, his palms are clammy but he doesn’t dare move to rub them against the fabric of his jeans.   “Anything you want, sky’s the limit. All you have to do is ask. I know what I want, and if I get something, you’ll get something too,” Negan murmurs, voice soft like velvet, and that’s another sign right there. Carl knows he is being baited, the trap obvious like the flash of the butcher’s knife before the lamb’s throat gets slit.

And here it is. Tbh, I think if Carl had said no, Negan would have back off this time, but he would have tried again later. He had a first and very short taste of Carl sexually, and now he's addicted. One way or another, he'd have found a way to get Carl back in bed. He'd have found something that Carl wants, really wants, and would have negotiated it to get Carl again. Of course, the funny (or sad) thing is, Negan doesn't realize how absolutely starved for touch and affection Carl is. Negan doesn't *need* to negotiate. If he just kissed Carl, he could probably fuck him right here and now. But at this point of the story, Negan absolutely can't imagine any sexual intercourse that isn't bought and traded. He needs that emotional distance to be sexually intimate. Anything else would feel too dangerous and vulnerable.

Conclusion; tldr: Shane is a gaslighting bastard waging psychological war on Carl, Lori is throwing a well-deserved tantrum, Negan is horny and Carl is one bad day away from throwing himself off the roof.

You can find the re-read of Part 3 chapter 2 here.

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

Thank you so much for sending me this!

I am proud of so many of my fics and I'm not even fully sure how to go about this, so... I guess I will just make one rec from each of the fandoms I have written for?

(Warning for some blood in gifs below - but generally there is blood and violence in this fics anyway, so...)

From DC Titans:

No Place Like Home on AO3 - Gar Logan x Fem!Powered!Disabled!Reader x Jason Todd. Friends to Lovers. (Poly Soulmates). Smut, Angst, Hurt and Comfort with a Happy Ending. 90k across 7 chapters. When Jason leaves the Titans broken and battered, he gets set on a dangerous path. It's up to you and Gar, the two people who care about him the most, to bring him home.

Oh, another day on the assembly line, everybody better march in time,

Cause the factory don't care why, you been sayin' coulda, shoulda, woulda.

(There's no place like home. There's no place like home.)

If I could recommend one singular fic and say 'this fic encapsulates my style and summarises everything I am proud of when it comes to writing fanfiction' - this would be it.

I have so much to say about this fic and a lot of it I probably have already said it - but basically, this fic is the reason I started writing. I started writing long before I actually wrote this fic, but everything I have ever sought in terms of creative satisfaction came from this fic. This feels like my orgasmic climax in terms of creating things.

And if this fic is something I could be buried with, I would be proud. If this fic is something that people remember me for, I would be so fucking proud. (Which is not likely, because it's from a very small fandom and I know people are gonna remember me for fics from bigger fandoms that are way more popular, and I wish I could shove this fic in the faces of people who read my other popular fics and make them read it lmao.)

If for some reason I had to quit writing right now - I would be most proud of this singular piece. Especially because so much of this fic, the characters, and the dynamics has been inspired by my real life relationship with my lovers, and the reader character was inspired by my struggle with disability and coping with the loss of control as I became more disabled over time - but having my lovers there for me made that loss of control easier to swallow. It's about how trauma can ruin you and letting someone love you when you are broken is one of the hardest things you can do, but one of the most radical and most rewarding. If you ever liked my writing and my style, even if you don't like Titans - please go and read this.

From The Walking Dead:

(I know this gif is sad but it fits the fic so well.)

Hold Me Tight Or Don't on AO3 - Glenn Rhee x Fem!Reader x Maggie Greene. Established Poly Relationship. Smut and Heavy Angst (No Happy Ending). Set during Season 3, Episode 4. 7k (Oneshot). You are bitten by a Walker while trying to help get Glenn and Maggie to safety, and you are facing your last hours of life. And in those last hours, you only have one wish - to have sex with your partners one last time. Luckily for you, they would do anything for you, and they can’t help but to oblige.

Oh no this isn't how our story ends,

So hold me tight, hold me tight. (Or don't.)

This fic has had some more attention lately, since I have been wanting to write for The Walking Dead again, and I just really want to re-state - I fucking love this fic. This idea came to me so randomly and struck me like lighting and I am so happy that this fic came to fruition. This fic represents so many things that I am excited about writing - poly relationships, relating the themes of sex and death, sad endings (I weirdly prefer writing sad or melancholic endings instead of traditional happy ones).

I am really proud of this fic. If you can handle angst, you should go read it.

From Criminal Minds:

From Your Lips on Tumblr - Jennifer Jareau x GN!Reader. Established Relationship. Smut, Hurt and Comfort. Set during Season 2, Episode 15. 3k (Oneshot). After JJ is attacked by dogs on the Hankel farm, you take the time to check on her and distract her flustered mind with a loving touch.

So, most of my Criminal Minds fics have done really well and don't need to be recommended just because it's a really popular fandom, but JJ fics don't really do well? Idk why she's not a popular character?

But I love this fic. I had so much fun working on this fic, and working in the religious references and imagery from the show - this fic was just so much fun for me. And I think it needs more love.

From The Last of Us:

IFHY (I Fucking Hate You) on AO3 - Abby Anderson x Fem!Reader. Enemies with Benefits. Smut and Angst. Set during the main events of Part II. 8k (Oneshot). You and Abby truly hate each other. So when you find Abby handcuffed inside an elevator, instead of being kind and just letting her out, you make her pay a certain price for the key.

I fucking hate you - but I love you.

I'm bad at keeping my emotions bubbled.

You're good at being perfect, we're good at being troubled.

There are so many fics from TLOU that I loved writing and that I'm really proud of, but this one really caught my eye on the list. I love writing about conflict, and I really love writing reader characters who are so bitchy and just cause conflict. (Maybe it's because I'm so nice irl and I never cause conflict, I get out all my internal chaos in writing characters who shit disturb and cause chaos all the time.)

I loved writing this because it's so non-traditional. It's not sappy, it's not romantic - again, it has a really melancholic ending. The characters are so toxic for each other (which is also something I love writing - because it's horrible for relationships irl, but for fiction it's so interesting to explore and observe).

I think this is one of my best, most interesting fics and I really loved doing it.

From Harry Potter:

King For A Day on Tumblr - Poly!Golden Trio x Fem!Reader. (Fem!Reader x Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger). FWB to Poly Lovers. Smut (with slight Angst). Set during Deathly Hallows. 22k (Oneshot). While Horcrux Hunting with your closest friends, the dangerous influence of Slytherin’s Locket causes Ron to snap. And it turns out - he brings on something that everyone in the tent really needed.

You told me think about it - well I did.

Now I don't wanna feel a thing anymore.

I'm tired of beggin' for the things that I want.

I'm over sleepin' like a dog on the floor.

Imagine living like a King someday - a single night without a ghost in the walls.

I have spoken about this fic at length, and how this was a spirtual awaken for me - if No Place Like Home was a culmination of everything I am as an artist, then this fic is an echo of those things. Again, I fucking love writing about poly relationships - and I think this fic has one thing that was missing from No Place Like Home. And that is exploring each individual thread of a poly relationship and how someone interacts with each person in the relationship outside of the poly group functioning as a whole. That is definitely a strong suit of this fic.

Also it's amazing filthy nasty smut, which is something I love writing, and something I am really talented at.

From Stranger Things:

I'm Still Standing on AO3 - Nancy Wheeler x Fem Disabled/Chronically Ill Reader. Best Friends to Lovers. Angst, Smut, (slight Fluff). Hurt and Comfort. Happy Ending. Set during Season 4. 37k across 3 chapters. You start having horrible waking nightmares, but you don’t want to worry your best friend Nancy by telling her. She’s already occupied trying to chase down a trans-dimensional killer wizard, and you are convinced that the two problems aren’t possibly related.

There's a cold and lonely light that shines from you,

And you wind up like the wreck you hide, behind that mask you use.

This fic is so interesting.

I wrote this fic shortly after Season 4 came out - and even though I had a few fics for Stranger Things that were pretty popular, everyone just collectively ignored this one? And I know for a fact that it is because Nancy is the love interest. I know that if I had picked Steve or Eddie as the love interest for this fic, then this fic would be just as popular as my other ST fics - but because the subject matter is so deeply personal, I connected with the scenes of Nancy kicking ass at the hospital and worked from there.

(And tbh, if I had to choose a male love interest for this concept, I probably would have chosen Billy, because I relate to him on so many deep personal levels.)

Literally everything in this fic is very personal to me - this is all about my own raw traumas. From the abusive father to the extreme medical trauma to the strained caretaker mother, to the older sister who distances herself from it all - even though this is set in the universe of Stranger Things - this is the story of my life. And idk if I would have wanted it to be a more popular fic, because it is so personal? But I am upset that I worked so hard on it and so many parts of it are so raw, and nobody really saw it. I am upset that I had the bravery to post something so personal and it was just - crickets.

There are so many parts of this fic that I am so insanely proud of. The horror sequences are something that I worked so hard on - not just with the emotion of translating my own trauma, but I wanted to make something honestly scary and I wanted to pay tribute to the tension and emotion and visuals of all my favourite horror media - including Stranger Things and the beautifully tense horror aspects of Season 4. And this is another fic that I feel truly, absolutely represents me as a person to my core. And I feel like it's worth reading if you wanna know more about me and who I am.

(And lastly)

From misc. horror fandoms:

No Brainer on AO3 - Derek Cho (Steven Yeun) x Fem!Reader x Melanie Cross (Samara Weaving). Co-Workers to Lovers. Smut. Based on the film Mayhem from 2017. 7k (Oneshot). When you are the last person alive with an elevator key that Derek and Melanie desperately need, you agree to make a trade. Turns out, when what you're asking for is a threesome - you don't drive too hard of a bargain.

This is one of my favourite fics of all time. This is proof that I do not write for popularity - this fic is written for a fandom on AO3 with a total of five fics FIVE (including mine) and 2 of them are about characters from other media experiencing the plot of this movie as an AU, and mine is the only fic that is x reader. So I didn't just fill a niche - I looked where there was no niche and I dug a hole.

But like - Steven Yeun. Yes, I fell in love with Glenn from TWD, but this is a movie where he is also covered in blood, and rather than being Glenn's meek, reserved self (which I love) - he is outraged and swearing and killing and it makes me foam at the mouth. And I am already in love with Samara Weaving from The Babysitter - so this is literally a killer combination.

My bisexual ass did not even finish the film before I was typing out this fic on my phone.

And I am so happy that I wrote it - because sometimes you just need a self indulgent, blood covered smut.

And you guys can read it too if you want <3

[secret-third-thing]

17! tell me everything 👀

God fears me for my process is fucking biblical.

Also link to post if people want to play <3

Please note this is for fanfic. My original fiction process has EVEN MORE STEPS AHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA.

Step 1: Be absolutely overwhelmed with an idea. I know an idea is worth writing when it pesters me enough that it intrudes when I'm doing other things or writing other stories. If it doesn't, I send it to the plot bunny graveyard. Get fucked.

Step 2: Let it cook. That's right. Every idea has to cook a little bit. It decides when it's time for plotting. Sometimes it's an immediate plotting situation, sometimes it cooks for a year or two.

Step 3: Write down some key points. What do I wanna have happen? This is to help me figure out scope. I am much better at looking at an idea and sussing out how long it's gonna be. I categorize it into one of the following categories

Baby (under 3k)

Big Baby (3-5k)

Solid Oneshot (5-10k)

We're pretending this is a one shot (10-17k)

Normal Mult-chap (17k-50k)

Danger zone (50-80k)

Chonky Monster (80k+)

Absolute Unit (150k+)*

Someone help me I've fallen (200+)*

*my pet peeve is fics that go on forever when they should have just ended. YOU NEED TO PLOT BETTER. jk it's fanfic do whatever you want.

This step is done partially for fun and partially because it helps me figure out how many beats and scenes I need.

Step 4: I decide on a target word count (I'm good at guessing. I'm usually within 15% of my est wc when I finish) and then I fill out my math sheet that I made while I was bored and unemployed last year. It basically estimates how many scenes I need assuming scenes average at 1200-1500. And then it divides those scenes into acts and then it tells me how many scenes per point in the save the cat outline. 😂 If people want it they have to slide into my dms and ask me nicely + compliment eris and/or beron. Ideally both.

Step 5: Time to fill out the main beats of the outline! Yay! This takes X days, which is to say it takes the time it needs.

Step 5b: If I have multi povs, I do this process for every pov

Step 5c: Then I weave the povs together - which beats can be shared? etc

Step 6: Write out every scene I plan on writing 🫡 I know exactly what's happening and the intended outcome. Yay!

Step 7: Work on something else. This story needs to cook a bit.

Step 8: Come back and see how I feel about the story. Then I do this scene analysis thing where I ensure that my scenes are covering different elements of craft so we are as efficient as possible. If a scene does not accomplish a goal, I yeet it. This is KEY. I'm not gonna type it all out here partially because it's long/complicated and partially cause the mentor who taught me it, asked me to keep it vague since she's worked hard to cultivate her mentorship guidance and process.

Step 9: I make scene tweaks. If my outline has gaps, I cry about it and then radically accept it'll come to me later.

Step 9b: Sometimes I shop the outline around and make revisions based on feedback.

Step 10: Draft. But only when I want to. I don't brute force shit anymore. (I've been writing the full fic first before posting this time around) But yes. Write the full damn first draft. This takes however long it takes.

Step 11: Set it aside and do anything else, ideally not writing related. Watch movies, play games, go to an art museum.

Step 12: Revision time!!! YAY! Read through the entire fic. Write down allllll my horrible little thoughts about it. teehee.

Step 13: Re-outline. Really see what the story actually is. Decide if I need to rewrite anything.

Step 13b: do any necessary rewrites. cry about it1!!

Step 14: Revise POV/ Voice

Step 15: Revise Character

Step 16: Revise Plot again if needed

Step 17: Scene level edits (world building, descriptions, dialogue, details whatever)

Step 18: Now it's time for beta!!! Please cry clap. Depending on the posting situation (event week vs whenever) I may just do one chapter instead of the full fic.

Step 19: NOW do the edits! Again!

Step 19b: Send to betas again for feedback. Edit again. Repeat indefinitely.

Step 20: Grammar pass!!!

Step 21: Beta pass 2 (usually just a sign off that im not insane)

Step 22: Dark Night of the Soul. I grieve. I wonder if this is any good. And then by the end of brooding, I'm feeling a little evil.

Step 23: Post and give very little shits about kudos etc because they mean nothing and I know I'm fucking awesome. (you are too btw.)

Step 24: Kill God.*

Step 25: Become God.*

*Sorry these last two steps are for me only.

Hope this helps!

[replicabetweenblogs]

FIRST POST-HIATUS WRITING UPDATE WOOHOOO. ALSO I NEED Y'ALLS HELP.

30.12.2024 // this is not a chapter update yet! As promised before, an update to reveal what I have been up to regarding RBU.

;-; catching up on age old asks that got thrown into my inbox while I was away on hiatus and. Yes- always made me smile reading those, but also made me quite sad for leaving the story at such a cliffhanger.

All the people hoping for a happy ending with the ROs do make me giggle- all those people pointing out all the angst make me feel quite evil for the stuff I have written down in chapter 9 already. ANYWAY!! the update!

A few lill snippets because why not.

over the past years of total and utter silence with this project gone through a never-ending hiatus, I have gotten alotta more confident(yay) yet no-where to put these skills of mine into, as my struggle in real life right now is the fact that I can’t find a proper game design job where I can flourish - I decided to try and keep said skills sharp and fresh by writing stories. so here we are again. I have been quite busy rewriting and re-defining the overarching story, and I cannot wait to have everyone see the eventual endings.

Kept it all hush hush not wanting to come back with nothing- hence the ask compilation above c:<

the chapter is going to be a BIG one. I am at 91k words, fully written out and basically done aside from one (1) path remaining. WOOHOOOO NEARLY THERE :D running towards the finish line, hence the teaser. Anyway --

FEEDBACK FORM, TEASER, REQUEST FOR EDITOR UNDER CUT!

***Feedback form! Help me reach the finish line!!***

I need your help c: for anyone who still has their saves or new players who have reached the end of chapter 8, I like to know what your stats are! I require this for proper balancing in chapter 9 as this is the chapter where the story gets split into many paths depending on some of those questions. Thank you in advance!!

what can you expect from the next update, coming up SOON?

91k wordcount so far (total, all branches, excluding code)

19k words for one single run

Romance lock-ins with Ash and Ha

consequences of your past major decisions/Character personality traits starting to finally catch up by taking the players onto whole different branches and locations altogether.

trigger warnings: implied mental and physical torture, determined character deaths

Some additional flashback sequences across chapters 6, 7 and 8 to some see things from companions' povs

The story of RBU is dark. this game has a dozen "bad" endings planned, only having one "good" ending for each individual Character/MC and main story in general. It's not for just the sake of drama and shock value, as I want this game to reach a very specific "lesson" which effect will be taken away if everything ended in a too-good-to-be-true way. Just a gentle warning!

main story lock-in!! Coded out some branches already for the next chapters. Chapter 10 will be the end of part 2, and part 3 will be more of a 2-chapter endgame with a chapter dedicated to an epilogue afterward. So we are really getting close to the end if I keep this up, and will stop updating the public link once reaching part 3. Will be making an announcement for private betas by then probably, but that'd be like... when I am on my deathbed at the age of 92, most likely.

I really hope you guys will be enjoying the absurdly long chapter. Did a few bold moves regarding the direction the story is going towards which I had been planning and iterating for since the very start of RBU regarding final revelations, hoping some puzzle pieces will be satisfyingly falling into place.

RBU is really about regret and acceptance regarding our decisions and mistakes, and how different types of people deal with it (badly).. so there are no "good" or "bad" endings or choices, really. BUT there is always a "worse" and "worst" so uh. Beware :')

Looking for a paid/voluntary editor!!

To help with the reconstruction of weird sentences, taking out grammar mistakes, eliminating the bad spelling, and bonking teenage-firefly on the head for her bad storytelling. plus points if you could help with the phasing even, perhaps like some kind of a beta reader- yet not too focused on it right now, as I'm just wanting to make the old chapters flow nicer.

shoot me a message if you are wanting to help out! Either on the forums, over here, or shoot me a DM! as I am @fireflyy on the official COG discord server.

For the sake of consistency, I am hoping to get help from one available editor for now. so please do let me know of your experiences if you are wanting to help out!!

You shall be credited within RBU's main screen

See you all soon <3 and a happy new year!!

[psink]

Translation of the interview with Kamiya Hiroshi (Kusuo's VA) and Nojima Kenji (Kuusuke's VA)

The TV anime "The Disastrous Life of Saiki K: The Final Chapter" will air as a year-end special program on the TV Tokyo network on (friday) December 28th from 7:35 to 8:30.

The January issue of PASH!, which is now on sale, features an interview with Kamiya Hiroshi-san, the voice actor of Saiki Kusuo, and Nojima Kenji-san, the voice actor of Kuusuke Saiki. We’re releasing a preview ahead of tomorrow’s broadcast. 

Amidst the busy end-of-year, good grief, a world-involving sibling fight…? We spoke to Nojima Kenji-san, who plays the older brother Kuusuke, and Kamiya Hiroshi-san, who plays the younger brother Kusuo, after they had just finished recording about the truth of the matter!

―― Please tell us how you felt when the decision to make the Final Chapter was made. Kamiya: I was very happy. Even if you want to adapt every episode from the original work, it’s not always possible to do so. But with this series, everything fell into place. I think the biggest reason we were able to adapt it all the way to the Final Chapter was because of the fans’ wishes, and for that, I’m incredibly grateful.

Nojima: I had heard that the Final Chapter would be made, but I was wondering about what form it would take, and it turned out to be a two-part year-end special. Could people really sit through an hour of this work?! What kind of focus would they need to watch it? I was a bit worried about that (laughs). But I’m sure that “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K” will deliver dense content that makes you lose track of time again, in the way only it can. 

―― Compared to other anime series, “Saiki” has about 2 or 3 times more dialogue per episode, right?

Kamiya: I had vaguely noticed that, but… Nojima: You didn’t want to know, did you? (laughs)

Kamiya: Certainly, for a 30-minute anime, it takes a lot of time to go over the script. Even when watching the DVD to check it, I thought “Hm? Is something wrong with the machine?”, because it felt like it was playing fast-forward (laughs).

Nojima:  I’ll be honest now, but on the day I first participated in the recording, I actually went into the recording without finishing all the checks.I checked the script at home and then immediately went to the studio. I was calculating in my mind the timing to start reading the script to record whilst still keeping my role preparation fresh. 

But, the amount of lines was beyond my imagination, so I couldn't finish the preparation… This was something that shouldn’t have happened, but honestly, I got through the latter half [of the recording] just with concentration (laughs). But, since I was able to maintain the momentum from the first half, I’m glad I was able to bring out a good sense of raw feelings. Kamiya-san, how was your first recording?

Kamiya: I already can’t remember, but when I re-watch Episode 1 now, I think the pace is still slow. It’s gotten gradually faster since entering season 2. In season 2, Director Sakurai was probably broken as the pacemaker (laughs). Nojima: Ahaha, I see. It's like a live band where the rhythm gradually speeds up, and you keep going without knowing the original pace.

Kamiya: Exactly. 

Nojima: Since you can’t keep up by just listening to the lines as words, you have to listen to the partner’s tone and match it. It might be similar to a music session.

―― In the Final Chapter, the relationship between Kusuo and Kuusuke seems to be a highlight. What do you both think about these brothers?

Nojima: The reason they can fight so much, do terrible things, and act recklessly is probably because, ultimately, they’re brothers. In a different case, it would have ended in a complete fallout, wouldn’t it?

Kamiya: That’s true. After all, what Kuusuke is doing is almost criminal. Nojima: Ahahahaha.

Kamiya: What I found especially dangerous about what Kuusuke did was the story of making the elderly villagers wear powered suits. The way he disguised it as caregiving while completely using them as his own puppets was seriously dangerous. Nojima: It’s surely his own sense of justice. I wonder if it’s an antithesis to how we should handle the aging society going forward (laughs).

―― Kuusuke’s obsession with Kusuo is also quite dangerous, isn’t it?

Nojima: Kuusuke has a very strong desire for approval, wanting to be recognized by Kusuo above all else. Challenging him to fights is, I think, a distorted expression of that. But I believe it is also an expression of his love and his desire to be loved back.

Kamiya: Kusuo probably thinks Kuusuke is a troublesome person, but Kusuo is also at fault. Although Kuusuke is a genius, he worked hard to create the control device for Kusuo to help him control his superpowers, didn’t he? Kusuo should be grateful, but he doesn’t express it. “Thanks, big brother. I can’t live without this” - it would’ve been nice if he could’ve said that, but Kusuo doesn’t understand the feelings of those without [superpowers], so that didn’t happen. There was also the sense of taking it for granted because they're family, but thinking how this resulted in that difficult brotherly relationship is quite sad.

―― That’s deep.

Kamiya: Although Kusuke knows he’ll lose, he keeps challenging Kusuo to fights and enjoys the process, which shows his malicious side. He’s also quite twisted. So they’re both equally to blame. From an outsider’s perspective, their relationship can be summed up with one phrase "they’re just just not honest with each other”.

Nojima: Despite that, there are also times when they rely on each other.

Kamiya: It’s complicated. That’s why even in the Final Chapter their relationship will likely be depicted. 

―― Finally, could you give a message to the readers who are waiting for the broadcast? Nojima: I was worried about how much Kuusuke would appear, but he ended up having a lot more screentime than I had expected, so I was satisfied. I have no doubts that the viewers will enjoy it as well!  Since the story’s pace is fast, please acquire the ability to not blink while watching (laughs), and surely, you will be moved to tears in the end. There are emotional parts, but more than anything, I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for cherishing and enjoying this series for so long!

Kamiya: The TV anime is finally reaching its conclusion. For those who are watching for the first time, it might be difficult, as the story keeps quickly progressing whilst you’re wondering “what is this?”. But there is a scene at the beginning that reviews past episodes and introduces the characters, so I think you’ll understand what this series is about. That said, since it’s a gag anime, I hope you can enjoy it without thinking too much.

As for the highlights for the Final Chapter, Kusuo finally moves [his mouth] and speaks for the first time. You might be wondering “What is this person saying?”, but it’s exactly as it sounds (laughs). Please watch the main story to uncover the truth behind it. I’m sure you’ll be surprised.

[dollfaced-erin]

𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕟'𝕤 ℂ𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕝𝕖 (Blade x F!Reader x Jing Yuan)

PART 8

PART 1 , PART 2 , PART 3 , PART 4 , PART 5 , PART 6 , PART 7

A/n before we start ! :

I'm trying to make things a little better on my page , so currently the entire blog is under construction until the next few chapters ! I know I'm a little late to start this since I've already been running this page for quite a while now. but it doesnt hurt trying to change in the middle. we all learn from somewhere, right ? What do you guys think if i were to make shorter chapters ?

Taglist ! : -

@rebeccawinters , @nayukiyukihira , @pix-stuff , @fluffy-koalala , @swivy123 , @starxao , @kaoyamamegami , @kimura-uzuri , @rsvye , @seikouryuu , @just-here-reading , @matsulovesyou, @sincerely-aaronette , @prettyliliy , @chibiduck , @hermosacolibri , @la-diablas-thingz , @farelady-fate

"How did you sleep last night, (Y/n) ?" Jing Yuan asked as the two sipped tea at the breakfast table.

After Jing Yuan had brought (Y/n) to his room, he had let in the large feline in to keep (Y/n) company. (Y/n) was unsure at first, but gave in to the relaxing touch of the feline. And Mimi sure seemed to really like (Y/n).

And soon enough, that proved to be a trick. (Y/n) had fallen asleep after being comforted with her soft purrs, the vibrations that the feline emitted comforting the young dragon lady from all her fears. The horrendous past that came to her so suddenly had really thrown her off that night.

It was a relief that she was still able to fall asleep. Jing Yuan wanted to know more about what she had dreamt of, what she had seen. But after he saw how shaken up she was, he dared not ask her.

But now she seemed to be quite happy and slept soundly through the night. She didn't wake up through the entire night, even after Jing Yuan carried her off the floor and placed her on the bed.

And now here they were, sharing breakfast together in the dining hall. After waking up, Jing Yuan had sent some of his servants to help (Y/n) clean herself up as some were left to help him dress for another day of work. Thank the Aeons that the feeling of bathing wasn't too foreign to her.

Currently they were sipping some hot tea at the moment, admiring the scenery the scenery of the beautiful and lush garden from the open window in the grand dining room. They were told that Yanqing would join them soon, Jing Yuan decided to have a little chat with (Y/n) in the meantime.

"I slept pretty peacefully. Quite surprising after the gruesome recurring I had so suddenly last night." (Y/n) said, surprisingly calmly as she lifted the porcelain in her dainty fingers, bringing the cup to her lips, sipping the warm brown liquid.

Though she was pretty calm, that was not something she wanted to see ever again. All she remembered were snippets, pictures, images and the horrible feeling of pain that etched deep into her. But it was what she wished for. To see her past. To know who she was.

Be careful for what you wish for, they say.

"This smells nice, and tastes quite unique too. What is it ?" (Y/n) asked, looking at Jing Yuan who smiled warmly at her. She felt a little fluttering sensation inside and averted her gaze from the lion-like man, directing her eyes to the warm tea in her hands.

Jing Yuan seemed to notice the slight blush that appeared on (Y/n)'s face, who had refused to acknowledge but shutting her eyes with furrowed eyebrows and a soft frown as she sipped her tea.

"It's a jasmine-infused peach tea, (Y/n). It's not new creation, to be honest with you." Jing Yuan said gently, happy that (Y/n) loved the fruity taste in her warm tea, where the fruits didn't taste as sweet and have a slightly bitter aftertaste.

"I suppose I've been asleep for far too long, then. I don't recall having such a tea. But I guess there's good in it. I get to re-explore everything again." (Y/n) said with a slightly enthusiastic voice, albeit still being a little reserved in tone.

(Y/n) then gazed out the window, admiring the trimmed hedges and the sound of running water in the manmade stream in the garden. "I wonder why that dream was triggered so suddenly..." she whispered, her sweet melodious voice barely escaping her lips.

"And that man...that white-haired man..." (Y/n) said again. "Why does he call himself the way he does now...? What happened to him, that caused him to bleed endlessly in my memories..."

"Do you mean...Blade, (Y/n) ?" Jing Yuan carefully inquired. And the dragon lady nodded, her hair coming down from behind her ear to her face.

"That man...who Dan Jia held dear in the part, has now been stricken with Mara. He has only what little sanity left in him, memories being overridden by the curse. And dedicated the body and mind to a weapon that cuts and destroys, but never mends..." Jing Yuan tried to reason with (Y/n), tenderly pushing a lock of (h/c) hair behind her pointed ear.

"It seems that you've managed to piece quite a lot from a scattered and fleeting dream..." Jing Yuan said, feeling a little sorry that she had to experience what another person she didn't associate with. She had to see through her eyes, feel with her heart the same things to lost had to.

Though they were different people now...they were still one of the same...

Just like...her brother...

But of course. if she didn't desire to be associated with the person that body once hosted, so be it. They had their differences too...

"Blade...is the name he goes by now. the name we used to call him, is but a taboo to be even thought of." Jing Yuan said, shaking his head slightly. "That man...has been cursed with the gift of the Plagues Author...mad with Mara, but with an immortal body, there's only so much before he breaks down." Jing Yuan said, picking up his own cup in his fingers.

"Was he...Dan Jia...." "Yes, (Y/n). He was Dan Jia's betrothed. Once, in the distance past. Though...it wasn't sure if he still remembers you, with what capacity his Mara-riddled heart can store."

'But he does...' (Y/n) said, recalling their encounter in the alley just the night before. She raised a hand to her forehead, where she felt the kiss still burning into her skin in a loving and tender way, unlike his pierce and cold gaze.

'He still does...'

"Sorry I'm late !" a young voice chirped as the sound of door sliding open was heard.

"Y-Yanqing...? What happened ?" (Y/n) asked as the blonde boy entered the room and sat across from the two older figures. The boy was scratched up, with a few cuts on his face and hands.

"Just got a little rough with someone during training yesterday. She said she wanted a little competition with me. I have never seen someone with that skill." Yanqing said, shaking his head, but his eyes glowed in admiration. "I want to know how she did those moves too !"

Yanqing's head snapped to face Jing Yuan. "General ! Can you spar with me today ?! I need to show you my new technique !" he asked excitedly, hands on the table as he looked at Jing Yuan expectantly.

Jing Yuan smiled a little at the boy before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Yanqing. But the Stellaron really needs my attention right now." he said with a sorry smile.

"I can go with you, Yanqing." (Y/n) said, putting down her cup. Yanqing turned to look at her, feeling somewhat...hesitant.

"(Y/n) here...was an adept user of close combat. In the past, well...perhaps you should see it yourself ?" Jing Yuan suggested with a smile.

And there the two were, in the open and more secured grounds of Stargazer Navalia. (Y/n) was given a crystal fan by Jing Yuan earlier, different than the one she had received yesterday. This one...was more sturdy, with beautiful art painted on the blades and looked...a little used, judging by the small scratches.

"Yesterday's fan was a decoration. A fan used for the purpose of shows and theatres. A prop, you may call it. But this one...is a fan used for battle. Why don't you try it out and have a feel ?" she recalled the voice of Jing Yuan when they had stopped at the place (Y/n) once rested in.

The Hall of Karma. A place where the souls of the undead or the dead are judged. But for (Y/n)'s case, she had been deemed to rest there, for she was declared neither dead nor alive, and was kept in a separate room in her honor of being sacrificed wrongly and declared innocent.

Yanqing stood a few feet away from her, his sword in his hand. (Y/n) readied the fan, unfolding it in her dainty fingers, revealing a design of the gales and streams. She took a stance, fan close to her chest, her left foot behind her to form a stance.

With the sound of a single flute blowing, (Y/n) felt a sudden gush of wind brush past. On instinct, (Y/n) closed her fan and swung it to the side of her neck, in time to block a sword from colliding with her neck, serious or not.

"You're....fast...." Yanqing said, eyes wide as he held the hilt of the sword. And he slowly dropped the sword to his side and stepped back from her, giving space between them. "I wasn't serious about attacking you, I just wanted to test your reflexes. And it seems you're no ordinary person, Lady (Y/n)."

"Now I'll be able to really put my skills to the test !" Yanqing said with a bright grin, showing off his pearly whites as he smiled in excitement. The air began to get chilly as Yanqing started to make ice swords out of his power, all floating in a stance around him.

"Let's put my own knowledge to test, shall we ? But Yanqing, don't go too rough on me, okay ?" (Y/n) said with a chuckle, for she too couldn't estimate her own strength and capabilities, mainly relying on instinct and muscle memory.

From her dream last night...she was quite adept with using the fan as her weapon, drawing the power of ice as she mercilessly froze and crushed her enemies, without an ounce of mercy. Perhaps she could redraw that power deep within her...?

The swordsman and the dancer clashed their weapons. The sound of metal against hardened glass struck their ears, ringing loudly as sparks flew. Ice shards littered the floor as the two of shredded of pieces of ice from their own respective powers.

(Y/n)'s friendly demeanor from before had completely vanished, being replaced by a cold and merciless gaze of ice. Yanqing too had taken notice of the drastic change of personality like the drain of warmth from their fight. But he found this enjoyable, a fight to help him test his skills.

Yanqing let out a battle cry as he struck his sword straight towards (Y/n)'s chest. (Y/n) swung her fan towards the young male, letting out gales of temporal blizzards his way.

"Too slow !" (Y/n) exclaimed fiercely. Her free hand went to her lips forming a circle using her index finger and her thumb, as she blew cold air through the shape. Shards of ice went in Yanqing's way to blur his sight, but Yanqing was not one to be underestimated.

As (Y/n) lunged towards the male, unfolding her fan once again as she swung the accessory, cutting through the cold air. Yanqing had foreseen the attack as he raised his sword to deflect the sudden offensive attacks from (Y/n). He was fast, but (Y/n) was faster.

Being a former dancer in the distant past, (Y/n) moves were swift and on point. Her feet never slipped their move, and her hand never stopped from lunging merciless and swift and elegant attacks. Yanqing never thought he would ever encounter such deadly moves to be laced with such beauty in them.

But what scared him was the intense glow of those (e/c) eyes. As if they were hiding immense pain and revenge behind them.

Eyes were the window to the soul, as they said.

Yanqing immediately stepped back, forming multiple ice swords, a move he had used on a woman who had taught him a lot yesterday. The woman that had beaten him in a bet. The woman that had taught him a specialty move.

As (Y/n) was busy deflecting the endless blades that Yanqing had directed to her, the young boy took this as an opportunity to use his specialty move. A move, the Transcendent One had enlightened him with.

A large ice sword appeared in the sky, descending quickly onto (Y/n)'s fighting form. Her eyes widened and a gasp left her lips, but not in shock. More of remembrance and nostalgia. A single tear fell down her eye subconsciously, as she swung her fan from bottom to top.

A lotus flower formed from ice emerged from the ground, its petals encasing the young dragon lady inside it, protecting her from harm. Although the attack was strong, it did not falter to (Y/n)'s shield that she had brought up.

She...remembers.

That sword...the famous formation from a woman who could cut through time itself. So graceful and mysterious like the moon that sits high in the sky. The woman who taught her the art of ice, who introduced her to the friends in her dreams.

She remembers those beautiful red eyes and silver hair. She can hear the sternness in her voice as she instructs her student. She can hear the light chuckle of pride in the air. (Y/n) felt as if her memories were slowly starting to clear up by the little reminders left in the world.

Of course, she couldn't forget how deadly that woman was.

As the sword disintegrated to nothingness, the barrier fell and (Y/n) looked at Yanqing.

"Where...did you find that move from...?" (Y/n) asked shakily as she stared at the young boy in slight horror.

"Someone...taught it to me yesterday. When I was tracking down Blade, I met this woman named Jingliu--" "You went WHERE ?!"

Yanqing froze. He had never seen (Y/n) so angry. (Y/n)'s eyes were wide with fury and with anger, for she had remembered the strength of that woman. The woman that made into a legend due to her time-travelling speed.

"Jingliu...that woman..." (Y/n) said, looking at Yanqing. No wonder that boy was so bruised and scratched up !

"Being able to escape her sword...is a feat you should treasure all your life." (Y/n) said, shaking her head with a shaky laugh. It seems that Yanqing knew not of Jingliu, which means...the vast majority has forgotten about her. But maybe...her title still remains...

"That woman...if you ever see her again...immediately leave, okay ?" (Y/n) said, putting her hands on Yanqing's shoulder.

The blonde boy looked at her in shock, but then his golden eyes immediately gleamed with pride and admiration. "Okay, but only if you teach me how to do that lotus thing !"

(Y/n) then relaxed, her eyes softening. "I suppose I can do that..." she said with a soft chuckle.

And for the rest of the afternoon, Yanqing and (Y/n) spent their time training new combat techniques, defensive wise. (Y/n) wasn't as fast nor as knowledgeable as Jing Yuan, but she was still pretty smart, Yanqing took note.

Just...who really was she in the past ? Other than being the star-crossed Saltator Lunae, the fallen Dragon's Cradle...? There surely must be more to her than meets the eye.

As the two were ready to leave Stargazer Navalia, they were suddenly met with another Starskiff arriving, and coming out of it was the Master Diviner herself, Fu Xuan, followed by a number of guards behind her. Yanqing scoffed and (Y/n) nudged him for being rude, even if they were parts away from the group.

"There must be something here if the Master Diviner has personally come herself." (Y/n) said, as the group walked by, not noticing the two pairs of eyes that were observing them from afar. "Perhaps she had foreseen an event ?"

"Who cares, Lady (Y/n) ? She's still a short-fused lady that wants power and position to herself !" Yanqing said as they headed to the docks, where a Starskiff Yanqing had called arrived.

"Sounds like a certain someone who wants to just keep on fighting to prove himself worthy for the Sword Championships." (Y/n) teased with a small, uncharacteristic smile playing on her lips.

Yanqing blushed and huffed, crossing over his arms. "I'm different, Lady (Y/n) !" he exclaimed in denial, like a little child refusing that he cried in front of his mother.

(Y/n) chuckled softly as the two entered the Starskiff, making their way to the Exalting Sanctum to roam about again to familiarize herself with the place.

As soon as they arrived, Yanqing had received a message on his phone (which (Y/n) just found out the name of), that Jing Yuan requested his presence in the Seat of Divine Foresight. So Yanqing brought (Y/n) to the Realm-Keeping Commission to look at some documents of her past self.

Hours had passed as she read through the submissions regarding the feats of Dan Jia. And from what she could gather, was that she was one of the best healers (so she read through quite a bit of medical reports), a well-renowned dancer on very special occasions regarding the clan, and a master of controlling ice, in contrast to her brother who could command the seas.

This was all...very new to her, as she read through the sad wive tales of the Vidyadharas and the historical entries of the Saltator Lunae. But there wasn't much about how she had...seen in her dream, or the people that she had seen. Had something terrible happened to all of them ? So bad that even their names hadn't been saved in the archives of the commission...?

"Lady (Y/n), perhaps you should take a break from reading too much. You should go out to have something to eat first. Cloud Knight Lieutenant Yanqing came by earlier and dropped off a bag of strale for you." Jingyan said, popping her head from behind the heavy doors that sealed the archives.

"Yanqing was here ?" (Y/n) said with a bright smile, finding love and adoration for that little boy in her thawing heart.

"He didn't want to disturb you and seemed to be in a hurry, so he only stopped by a moment." Guangda said, as he came over to the lady who was surrounded by scrolls and books of centuries worth of entries. Of course, (Y/n) had taken it upon herself to neatly stack up the ones she had read through, but it was still messy, nonetheless.

"You've been studying a lot, haven't you, Lady (Y/n) ?" the man asked the former high elder. (Y/n) merely wryly smiled with a nod and a small chuckle.

But as soon as she walked out, she saw a crowd gathering in the middle of the plaza, where a few cloud knights were laid down on stretchers, and a woman in a green uniform was watching over him. She also saw the familiar unique clothing style of the Astral Expressers, probably curious to the scene.

She came closer, curious as well to the crowd gathering, and right before her eyes...one of the cloud knights became deformed and rose. The armor stuck itself into the knight and hands turned into blades. (Y/n)'s eyes widened in horror as she witnessed the grotesque change in an individual with the scream of pain resounding in her ears.

The same scream she heard pierce Dan Jia's beloved friend.

So she ran towards the scene, with her fan in hand.

"Get back ! All of you !"

[sinner-sunflower]

P.2 HH Lucifer-centric AU 16/?

STORY 1, PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 14.5, PART 15, PART 17, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22, PART 23, PART 24, PART 25, PART 26

It's time we get back to the angel duo.

To those re-reading the fic on ao3, you'll notice some dialogues or descriptions have either been added or changed so it's not an exact replica of the chapters here. It's like little easter eggs of what I didn't get to put back then.

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Gabriel: How dare you, Michael!

In an obscure corner of Heaven, sat the six remaining Archangels, engaged in a heated debate over what had just transpired between Michael and Lucifer and the Fates. The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. It's as awkward as you think being Emily and Sir Pentious in the room who seemed to fade into the background amidst the chaos.

The moment the others arrived, any semblance of order was thrown out the metaphorical window as questions upon questions were asked all at once. Sir Pentious stood rigidly at attention, though his efforts went unnoticed by the bickering Archangels. He's stiffer than Emily and she...

Emily has never been in a situation as tense like this before; even counting the disastrous court hearing with Charlie.

Since her creation, she had always been told that these are the most fearsome angels in Heaven; that they are both merciful and merciless, especially when it comes to protecting Heaven.

Sera: We strive to be like them, Emily. Our actions must all lead to one goal: safeguarding Heaven.

Emily: But Lucifer was their brother!

Sera: Those in power are always faced with harsh choices. And they stay in power because they can make those choices.

Emily: I still don't understand.

Sera: As Head Seraphim, I am also faced with constant challenges. But I do it all to protect our home. But you, you are still learning. And for now.. this shall be my burden to carry.

Emily: But.... What if I mess up?

Sera: That is why I will teach you, Emily. You still have so-

Emily: No! I mean.. The stories said that Lucifer was their most precious brother but he was still cast down. So what I mess up, Sera?

Sera: What?

Emily: Will you cast me down too?

Sera never did give her answer.

Uriel: How could you keep this from us, Michael? Do we not deserve to know such vital information? Especially when it's about our dear Samael?

Michael: I understand you're all angry. But I only found out mere days ago. I kept coming back just to check if my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. I wanted to be sure-

A resounding bang echoed through the room as the Archangel of Healing forcefully slammed his palms onto the table, causing a collective flinch amongst everyone.

Rapahel: Bullshit! You were going to keep this all to yourself again; just like everything concerning Samael!

Jophiel, who is next to him, is rubbing circles in her brother's back in an attempt to calm Raphael down.

Jophiel: Given your track record concerning our little brother, we have every right to doubt you right now.

Camael: I think what they're trying to say is that you should've told us the second you found out. It doesn't matter if you're not sure, we can be there to help you figure it out. Something as concerning as Samael's death... that is not something you keep for as long as you should have.

Sir Pentious: Lucifer.

A sudden quiet fell over the assembled angels as their attention shifted towards the unexpected source of the interruption.

Emily stares at Sir Pentious is slight horror because her new friend just interrupted the Archangels' conversation.

Camael: I'm sorry?

Emily: Sir Pentious! You can't speak to them like-

But the snake only repeats himself.

Sir Pentious: Hisssssss Majesty's name isssss Lucifer.

For an agonizing minute, no one spoke. Whether it's because of Sir Pentious' correction or their presence, Emily isn't sure.

It was Michael who broke free from the collective stupor. With a weary sigh, he ran a hand through his disheveled hair, the weight of responsibility present upon his face. Emily braced herself, anticipating a reprimand for their intrusion, but to her surprise, the Sword of Heaven merely nodded in acknowledgment.

Michael: He's right. We can't keep disrespecting Sa- Lucifer's wishes even if he isn't here with us.

That broke whatever freezing spell the others had, confusion now paints their features.

Gabriel: I'm sorry who are these people?

While that question was directed at Michael, the Archangel of Wisdom directed theirs on the two of them.

Uriel: Who are you?

Emily: I'm uhm Emily, Your Heavenly Grace. I'm the Seraphim in training under Sera.. and this is Sir P-Pentious. Our uh newly redeemed soul from Hell.

She said the last part almost in a whisper but it seems like they all heard it nonetheless because they are now looking at them with pure disbelief.

Camael: Redeemed?!

Jophiel: From Hell?!

Raphael: Are you saying that this was once a sinner soul?!

Sir Pentious took a bit of an offense to that.

Sir Pentious: This has a name. I am the great Sir Pentiousssss, inventor and former resssssident of the hellish realm!

Uriel: H-How is that possible? Were you planning on keeping this from us too, Michael?

Michael and Emily both stood up so fast at that accusation.

Michael: No! I only knew of this today!

Emily: He didn't know!

The Messenger of God only raised an eyebrow at this and crossed his arms, a silent gesture to explain further.

Michael falls to his chair looking more tired than ever before.

Michael: Apparently, this soul arrived here months ago but the Head Seraphim chose not to mention anything to me or any of you.

Emily: Sera just wanted to know how it happened before telling anyone but with what happened that last... extermination, I think she was afraid.

Gabriel: She had the right to. What was she thinking?! First approving of this yearly genocide behind our backs and now this redeemed soul?! Tell me, young Seraph, are there any other secrets you're keeping from us?

Emily: I-

As multiple eyes manifested across the Archangel's form, a tangible sense of unease swept through the room. Michael then made a decisive move, positioning himself firmly between his brother and Emily, a silent but unmistakable gesture of protection.

Michael: There's no more, Gabe. Aside from this soul's-

Sir Pentious: ehem

Michael: -sorry, Sir Pentious' current redeemed status, Sera knows as much as us. Isn't that correct, young Emily?

Emily: Uh- Yes! We have no idea how, he just showed up in a beam of light suddenly. Please believe us.

As Uriel also positioned himself in front of Gabriel, his gaze a silent warning, Gabriel relented, reverting to his usual form and taking a seat, the tension visibly vanishing from his posture.

Michael gives him a silent thank you and controls himself.

Michael: Young Seraph, as much as we are delighted to know that redemption is possible, with the threat of a war hanging upon us, it is too dangerous right now to grant new souls in. We cannot do anything about the current human souls that is entering our gates but we can control those coming from Hell. So we can't let it be known for now- in Heaven or in Hell.

Emily understands but she still felt anger bubbling inside her. This is supposed to be good news! They finally told the top angels and they still need to keep it a secret? Charlie would be so hurt not knowing that her dream is becoming a reality.

Raphael: Damn the war, Michael! Our baby brother is going to die! I am not gonna make the same mistake twice by choosing Heaven over my own sibling. Never again.

Gabriel: What he said.

Emily can't count anymore how many times the Head Archangel had sighed throughout their encounter.

Michael: I know. I would like nothing more that to prevent that. But.. this is the Fates.

Uriel: ...He's right. We all know that even Father can't change what has already been woven.

Jophiel: So what? We just sit here and let Lucifer die?

Michael: Lucifer does not want our help. And we cannot stop Fate. This war will happen and Lucifer will perish in it.

Camael: Then what can we do?

.

.

.

Michael: We delay it.

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Forgive me if it's a bit messy.

If you can't tell this is kind of in Emily's POV.

I love Sera okay but if I kept a secret as messed up as a genocide, I would probably refrain from telling my bosses that we there was probably no need for it anyway after finding out that redemption is real.

I'd also like to think that the Archangels are just as emotion-driven as Lucifer but only in front of their family. Anyone outside of them sees them as stoic and cold (that's why that is how Emily sees them).

[not-poignant]

ajdbskdj I know Efnisien and Gary needed the possessiveness and clinginess in the last chapter but honestly i did TOO it was very healing for me. just Efnisien hiding away in Gary’s chest and Gary letting no one close to hurt him - yes. good soup. thank you for providing that much needed comfort i LOVED it. Efnisien may have been receiving the cuddles but i felt them in my soul.

quick question: ik your tumblr asks are always quite busy but you also dislike ao3’s new comment system (which, same lol), so i was just wondering if you preferred people reacting to new chapters through tumblr or ao3 comments. i always want to squeal about the new content (see above lmao) but i want to do it in a way that’s easiest for you to see/reply!

thanks so much you’re the BEST pia!

Hi anon,

I don't know what's changed on AO3 actually, but it's gotten a lot better over the past few weeks re: replying to comments. I'm replying close to my original speeds and no longer getting 'retry later' after every 3-5 comments.

As far as I know, AO3 hasn't made an announcement about this, but I do wonder if they've changed the code to exclude authors or done something else because I'm back to being able to mooostly batch respond to comments again which makes me a lot happier. :D

It might not last! And I'm still cautiously not responding to emoji-only responses (only because my responses are SO fast I think I trigger the 'this is a bot not a person' thing), but for the most part things have been good! I wish I knew why! I wish AO3 believed in talking with its userbase more! But something good as happened so who knows :D

I have always preferred comments most because I reread my stories on AO3, which means I can reread my comments on AO3. Conversely, asks often get lost over time. It's very easy for me to find how much people a moment in Game Theory right now. It's not easy for me to find nice asks about Game Theory on Tumblr from 7 / 8 / 9 years ago.

So while I want folks to do what's most comfortable for them, this is not a place I go to look at how much people have loved things in the past. The other thing I like about AO3 comments is that often readers now can go and see everyone's responses (and my replies) if they want to, on the story itself. A surprising amount of readers (including myself!) read comment sections to see what readers and authors are saying, and this is something that pretty much doesn't happen at all on Tumblr. As in, people can come and see what's happening now, but people aren't really going to go back to the excited, love-filled asks etc. from half a decade ago. Tumblr is harder to navigate. (But, on the other hand, this is the best place for all my worldbuilding info! Because I can collect it all under distinct tags :D )

Anyway, the TL;DR is I never stopped reading or replying to or loving comments, especially since readers weren't restricted AT ALL from leaving comments (unless they were doing 10 in a row very quickly), just got a bit frustrated with the way AO3 was treating its userbase.

Also yesssss, Gary clinging to Efnisien, and Efnisien clinging to Gary, especially after they both had moments of silliness thinking they were better off without the other is like SEE YOU BELONG TOGETHER YOU FOOLS dslkfjas and that's the truth :D