#look a nerd with a missing arm is a lot easier to adapt into things than a hacker watermelon demigoddess

[duckapus]

Figured out how to implement Tari in my cinematic au.

Basically she's one of the Mario Bros' oldest friends back in Brooklyn and has been trying to figure out what happened to them (since they did in fact vanish off the face of the earth). During the adaptation of Super Mario Bros 3, SMG3 Chooses Chaos and not-so-subtly lures her into a warp pipe that dumps her into the Darklands, where she endures a near one-for-one recreation of Movie Luigi's arrival in the Darklands, except one of the Dry Bones eats her prosthetic arm (so she can get her Meta Runner arm later), the Snifits and Shy Guys who capture her actually have dialogue, and one of them -named Gerald- is very clearly Toast Guy and implied to be Like That because he used to be deployed in Dinosaur Land's Fuzzy Woods (if you know anything about Yoshi's Island you know which level I'm referencing).

Bowser has heard the Bros talk about her before and decides to use that connection to his advantage (I'll figure out how later), and in the meantime has her act as Professor E. Gadd's assistant. E. Gadd's been stuck as Bowser's prisoner/involuntary head of Research and Development for a few years, and he's the one who builds Tari's new arm. She continues to be his assistant after they're free, mostly because she doesn't really have anything else to do now that she's stranded in the Mushroom Kingdom.

...Also Tari and Saiko develop small crushes on each-other because I think the ship is cute.

Now, to figure out how the hell to make Melony...

[tuuliivanovas]

I have a giant list of reylo headcanons (Tros spoilers)

This really got out of hand: it turned into 6 pages. oh dear.

Hope some people like this because it was very helpful for me and dealing with my grief. 

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Ben does not like Tatooine. Like at all. He stays there with her because Rey seems to like it. He wants to leave but is a little afraid to bring it up.

Rey is comfortable on desert planets. She adapts very easily to Tatooine. She doesn��t know why she stays there is nothing truly keeping on the planet. She has a family, Ben is her family the past has been laid to rest, but she is afraid to leave the familiar. She likes the stars, maybe that's why she stays.

Leaving is a topic they avoid like the plague. There is a slight passive-aggressiveness about it because angst, but they get sad and get over it quickly.

Ben freezes most nights, he's big and generates a lot of heat. Rey legitimately does not understand it. He jokes about giving all of his warmth to her.

(more under the cut, they may turn into short story idea)

They like to cuddle a lot. Both of them are touch starved babies.

Ben is a city boy. 

Rey is not a city girl. 

Rey gets claustrophobic in large groups of people.

Ben tries to make jokes to make Rey feel comfortable. Rey thinks they’re stupid but laughs anyway. 

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Ben wants to start cooking again like he did when he was a kid.

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Rey likes watching him do things. She likes watching his hands work.

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Rey lets her hair grow and Ben braids it. This one was a shock to Rey. Ben tells stories about his mother getting ready for parties and how he helped put braids in her hair.

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Ben wants to explore his Alderaanian heritage. When he and Rey travel he looks for anything he can. 

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Both of them realize that even though they are a dyad and have known each other for quite some time and have seen each other's memories. They don't really know each other. They haven’t talked about their pasts, like the little things. They haven't talked about what they like and dislike. Things that don't seem to matter, but do when you think about it. So they sometimes stay up late and just talk.

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Both of them remember being dead. The nightmares aren’t fun. 

Ben cries a lot. There are a lot of unresolved issues in his head.

Ben suffers from chronic pain after his fall.

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Luke tried to visit once, but that didn’t go over well. Ben didn’t come back for a few hours and Rey wants to help but doesn’t know how. She knew the family drama goes deep, Ben has talked about it. She has just never seen it. With Leia, it's a little easier, but still very stiff and awkward. 

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Ben has some severe abandonment issues. They have one nasty fight about Exogol. Talking about that place takes time and Rey tells him about all the Jedi coming to help her. Ben is jealous and angry. He was tossed into a pit, had several broken bones and he climbed out of there with the only determination of getting back to Rey. When she said Anakin spoke to her jealousy turned to rage. He is upset that the Jedi had more faith in a Palpatine than the last Skywalker. Rey is heartbroken her, own struggle with her lineage is a sore subject. They don’t speak to each other for days until Leia helps them heal the rift. Ben is so incredibly sorry by the end of it. He opens up about how he only had a memory of his father to help him turn. Nothing real, just something in his head. He tells her that she is the hero of this story.

Rey says fuck the Jedi at this point. 

They really don’t fight after that.

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Ben, even with all of his Jedi teachings, has to relearn how to use the force. He asks Rey to be his teacher. He is so used to his anger and passion being his source of power, but after his nap in purgatory, something changed. (pretty much zuko needing a new source for his firebending lol)

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He loves Rey’s lightsaber. It's just so her. The yellow is perfect for her, bright and warm. He is very proud. 

Rey asks him if he would ever build a new lightsaber. He doesn’t know if he could. He eventually builds one and the blade comes out a dark purple. 

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They go on adventures and find information in old ruins. Rey gets interested in the old republic. Ben is a nerd so research a lot for her. They learn about two very curious characters named Bastila and Revan (Because I love them)

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Rey misses her friends a lot. Ben encourages her to go visit them. Rey asks if he will come and he gently says “No. They don't want to see me.” Rey doesn't want to leave him alone. He reminds her that he is always here. Rey goes and visits her friends and start coming up with a plan to introduce Ben.

The ship lands at the base the resistance is located Rey starts walking out Ben following but he stops. Rey concerned reads him tells him to wait on the ship. She leaves and comes back with Chewie. Ben is petrified as the Wookie approaches him. Ben is a big guy, but Chewie is taller. Ben looks up at him. Chewie still views him as the boy he carried around on his shoulders a long time ago. Two furry arms wrap around Ben and he feels like a child again and breaks down. Rey has tears in her eyes at the display and quietly departs to prepare her friends for what will likely be a very long day.

Rose reaches out first. Makes him work the first moment he gets there. Her reason is that he is tall and can reach things she can’t. It's a little awkward at first but once Ben learns that Rose bit Hux he falls in love. 

Rose’s heart warms when she hears Ben talk about Rey. She has heard stories about Kylo Ren and the boy in front of her aint him.

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{This section has stuff dealing with pregnancy, if that topic triggers you please skip this section}

.

.

.

Rey confesses that she wants a family. Ben knows that. She explains that she means children. Rey also goes on to explain her fears of being a mother. Ben understands her fears. He really never thought that he would ever be a father so the idea of having his own kids is terrifying and exciting. He won't make the same mistakes...he hopes. Ben asks her if they should start really trying, Rey says no and if it happens it happens.

Six months after their conversation Rey gets pregnant. They are overjoyed. 

They started thinking that they should settle somewhere permanently and stop moving around the galaxy so much. They often live in isolation.

The choice was made for them when Rey got sick about 2 months in. Ben made the executive decision to have her around her friends. The former resistance had better medical facilities than the sparsely populated planet they were living on.

Rey has a rough pregnancy and is in and out of the care of doctors.

Ben is a nervous wreck and this is truly when Finn and Poe lighten up on him. 

Even though Rey has gotten healthier, being able to eat properly over the time she has been with the resistance and Ben, the damage to her body from years of starvation and dehydration has already been done. She is thoroughly humbled and hit with the reality that she is human. 

Ben feels helpless and useless, but Rey tells him that he is exactly where he needs to be. With her making sure is happy comfortable and loved. 

The birth was just as hard as everything else. During the labor, it was not funny, but after the fact, Ben joked about how she caused a small earthquake.

They have twins named Jaina and Jacen. 

Ben cries as soon as holds his children. He is so proud of Rey. 

He is crying. Rey is crying. Everybody is crying.

The entire gang loves the babies.

.

.

.

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More Domestic/ Headcanons

Ben has a sweet tooth. Its something he has passed to Rey. When ever they are in a marketplace he picks up something for them to share.

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Ben sees Rey’s drawings and loves them. He wants to learn from her. He’s not very good at drawing but likes spending time with her and watching. Ben shows Rey calligraphy and she wants to learn from him too.

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Lounging in a bath has become a guilty pleasure for Rey. Freshers were a huge luxury for Rey when she left Jakku and baths in large tubs, taking up huge amounts of water will always make her feel a little guilty but it doesn't last long when Ben starts pampering her. 

Ben likes to wash her hair. It's a long and very loving process and Rey teases him and returns the favor and takes care of him.

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They eventually make their home on Naboo at Varykino after they have their babies. The estate was gifted to them by the Naberrie Family. Ben was uncomfortable and tried to not accept it. His cousins were adamant and said it was his inheritance from his grandmother and a gift to the last Jedi in honor of the Jedi that was happiest here. 

The estate was so big. The twins would love it. A home that would last forever.

Rey wants to share what she has learned of the force, the dark and the light. Ben agrees, there are lonely kids out there that need to know that their feelings aren’t bad and that they have a hand to hold when they need it. Rey wants her children to be surrounded by friends as they grow. They start their school knowing things will be different.

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They love to spar, its the only they have any real challenge. Ben is not as rigid as Kylo Ren. Rey notices that his moves are free and flow like a dance. Rey gives him a good challenge with her saberstaff. Ben admits its taking time getting used to not having the crossguard. Rey modified her staff to be detachable and likes to practice dual-wielding with her sabers. Their children and students love to watch them. They draw a crowd every time with a clash of purple and gold.

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When their school is fully operational and their children just getting into their teens Ben asks her if they should get married. Rey says that they technically are. They made a promise and sealed it with a kiss and they have kids so every box has been checked. Ben knows that but he says that maybe the should make it official with a ceremony with their friends and family with them. Rey says yes.

Jaina helps her mom pick her dress. The dress is not white, but layers and layers of sheer panels of gold and light green elegantly draped on her like the sculptures at Varykino. Ben wears a soft black tunic with matching pants and an elaborately embroidered blue cloak. (He lives to push the boundaries of fashion and it wouldn't be reylo without them looking like Hades and Persephone).

The ceremony was full of love, happiness, and hope. I like the idea of them dancing. Then Ben dancing with Jaina and Rey dancing with Jacen. It's cute and just a perfect happily ever after.

[Quick note I am not good with describing clothes so for visual reference for those that want it, look up the costumes for Magnificent Century for the aesthetic and the level extra that is Ben’s cloak and the whimsy that is Rey's dress.] 

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And that's all the post-tros headcanons that I can think of at the moment. It kind of turned into a bulleted list of a fix-it fic with my dream happy ending. I'm playing around with my reylo baby headcanons and what will happen to them because...drama. I also am thinking of writing Dark Rey and Jedi Ben solo Au headcanons as well as Dark reylo headcanons if school grants me the time 😌

[sairenharia]

Queen of Secrets pt. 3

Part 2

AO3

Nino would admit he's not the most observant of people. He missed Marinette's crush. He missed Alya was Rena Rouge. He often misses announcements for homework and tests. He could admit that he needed to work on that.

But he wasn't blind.

Especially when it came to Adrien. The dude had a horrible tendency to bottle things up, keep them to himself without asking. So he notices when things...shift between him and Chloe.

The thing was, Nino knows Chloe. He's been in school with her for years and ended up in her class more than once. She's always been a self entitled brat. Bragging about this expensive thing, threatening that with her dad's power, insulting and bringing people down. He had honestly been surprised at just how nice Adrien was despite being friends with her since childhood. He had figured out that he wasn't a bully like Chloe fairly quickly, just maybe afraid to be alone. He didn't expect the kind of guy who was genuinely optimistic, believing in people and always eager to help and give and not in the seeking approval way Sabrina did. He couldn't understand how someone like that would still be friends with Chloe even after he had won over their classmates.

Adrien said that Chloe wasn't always like that, she could be cool sometimes. Nino had thought maybe that was just him being too nice for his own good.

Until Adrien got pulled out of school for losing that book. He knows Chloe's crocodile tears. Everyone knows Chloe's crocodile tears except Kim. Even the teachers know and only 'fall' for it because if they don't, it moves to threats.

Those hadn't been crocodile tears. After meeting Gabriel Agreste, Nino could see why Adrien held such loyalty for her. She was a horrible bully, a complete brat, but at least she was willing to show she actually cared about him. Even if she bragged about knowing him, flirted with him even though he didn't seem interested, she would at least be upset for his misfortune. So much so when she asked him to DJ her party in her efforts to be 'nice,' he agreed. If she was trying for Adrien, he could at least do what he loved for her benefit.

Not that it lasted, though she DID cause less Akumas, so there's that. And then....

Then it gets a little weird.

Because the thing was, Nino saw Chloe in a way no one else besides Alya could. How she was as Queen Bee, up close and personal. He's been in school with her for years, but he's never seen her lift a finger for a school project, never offer a helping hand, never put in a bit of effort for anyone else besides herself unless she could turn the effort into a way for why she should be loved. And sure, she bragged about being Queen Bee, of course she did, but he also fought WITH her.

She had been good. Confident and bold which was more of a comfort while fighting bad guys then the annoyance of school life. She had been quick to act, pick up slack and save people, and when Rena had been hit, she had watched their back until her parents showed up, but to be fair, they were gunning for her hard. Nino knows what it's like to be a superhero. The more he did it, the more he recognized it was scary, it was hard. The rush of superpowers helped face it, but there was a very real risk. It was why Alya and him were practicing parkour, to get better when they were recruited. And the times Chloe was Queen Bee was when things were hardest, the scariest. Her own father, Heroes Day, Miraculer and Mayura. The time where things were the most dangerous and she still wanted to be a hero and she put in the actual effort.

He's not sure what to make of her honestly, because she is absolutely still a horrible brat even if she's gone down from an eleven to more a seven. He thinks whatever Adrien saw in her might actually be there, just buried real, real, reaaaaaaal deep.

And now there was this shift.

For as long as Adrien's been in school, most conversations between him and Chloe had mostly been Chloe bragging about something or flirting up a storm with Adrien. Or it's when Adrien is trying to get Chloe to lay off in his very gentle way of his. It was rare he ever see them just talk like the friends they both claimed they were. Adrien often treated her with the same distance he did with most of their classmates, something he's learned to recognize as uncertainty on how much he could let go of 'the perfect golden boy of Gabriel Agreste' persona. Adrien had slowly dropped it as they bonded, opened up about things piece by piece and Nino can see the stark difference when they hang out with people, and when it's just them. He's starting to relax around Alya and Marinette, thankfully, but it's a slow thing.

Then one day, Chloe had sat on the edge of his desk and showed him her phone, talking about a show she thinks he should watch. Never mentioned the name, Nino only learned it was a magical girl anime when he leaned over to look at the picture and Chloe gave him a pretty nasty glare in turn.

And he learned that one, Chloe was apparently a complete weeb which does explain the Ladybug cosplay, and two, the 'do not talk about weebitude' rule also applies to her. And three, he is trusted enough to keep silent on it? Well, he IS, he hasn't outed Adrien yet. Or the fact he was a complete nerd in a lot of ways.

It continued on like this, Chloe talking to Adrien about things other than riches and bragging, normal, everyday things, usually in terms where it's vague unless someone is paying attention and she doesn't feel the need to exclude him. Or didn't care he knew? She barely acknowledged him, he wasn't sure what it meant. But he does know Adrien was starting to relax more and more around her at school.

He asked Adrien about it once. Who had just shrugged and said they had gotten stuck together during that Akuma that had been after him shortly before the Shift and reconnected. When he asked further, Adrien shook his head and said that it was private and Nino let it go. If Adrien wants to talk about it, he will when he's ready. He knows he's here if he ever needs to.

And Nino was willing to just leave it at that. Adrien seemed happier, Chloe had less time to be rude to people, it was a win all around.

Then when he was meeting Adrien at a bookstore, a surprise hang out session, he showed up with Chloe.

"Uh, dude, why is she here?" Nino asked.

Chloe gave him a withering look. "I'm Adrien's friend. Why wouldn't I be here?" She asked.

"It was her idea," Adrien said, as Chloe made an offended noise and smacked his arm, causing him to laugh. "She knows father has to be in a really good mood to 'approve' of us hanging out. But he'll approve me hanging out with her, and if you just happen to be there..." He shrugged.

Chloe scowled, crossing her arms. "You always let me lead our hang outs. I already do that with Sabrina, I wanted a break. I thought at least he might have a suggestion," she said, earning another laugh from Adrien. "After we check out the new manga releases. There's a PreCure manga adaption out," she said, heading into the store.

"PreCure?" Nino asked as he followed after them.

"Pretty Cure. It's a magical girl series," Adrien said.

"The best magical girl series! So many fall into just the feelings and beam magic, Cure girls get real physical! They have a lot of good tips for a superheroine who relies more on martial arts," Chloe said, an excited smile on her face.

Nino honestly worried about her level of denial about no longer being Queen Bee.

"It does have pretty good fight scenes," Adrien said and nudged Nino's side. "You might like it."

"You can decide where we go next, though we've only got Adrikins for an hour and a half," Chloe said with a dismissive wave before turning into the graphic novel section.

Without the rest of their classmates, Adrien and Chloe are far more willing to show their excitement, talking about the new volume, and even trying to explain it to Nino. Well, Adrien started, then Chloe had to show how Adrien had it wrong and it was the most surreal experience in Nino's life because Chloe was actually kind of pleasant to be around? It was hard to not be pulled into their excitement even if he was incredibly confused.

They stopped in an overly fancy cafe for snacks, after a brief argument where Chloe refused to go into a normal convenience store. They compromised with Chloe and Adrien buying for Nino. He could afford normal snacks, not fifteen euros for a chocolate bar!

Then they ended up at a music store, with Nino showing Adrien samples of more underground music, and Chloe keeping mostly quiet. Only speaking up when she found piano sheet music of more modern music. But really, the fact she didn't complain about his taste in music was just another thing to add to the list of her being weird. And nearly giving him a heart attack when she asked to hear the improved mix from her party.

But eventually Adrien's schedule reared it's head and he had to go, with Chloe and Nino waving him off and he just...he had to ask.

"Dude, what has been with you?" Nino asked, fully expecting some kind of defensive snap.

"Oh shut up, I wanted to talk to you anyway and you wouldn't agree to meet me alone." Is what he gets instead.

"What?" Nino said in confusion.

She looked around, almost bored, and pulling out her phone and gestured for him to walk with her. He followed, feeling his annoyance mounting. She wanted to talk, but then went on her phone? What the heck?

"We're going to have more outings like this," Chloe said, eyes not straying up from the phone. "It is true. It's a lot easier for Adrien to get approval if he's supposedly hanging out with me. As long as I'm there, the Gorilla is technically bringing him where he's supposed to be, and if there's others, he's willing to let it slide if Adrien's having fun. As long as he's doing his job, whatever extras there are don't matter."

"And you're sure about that?" Nino asked.

Chloe scoffed. "I've spent over ten years learning the loopholes of the Agreste Overprotection Tendencies. Of course I'm sure," she said, shifting her phone and it's then Nino realized she wasn't reading anything. Her camera was on, and it was looking at the street behind them. What...? "Don't ask about it," she said, voice lowered.

"...why are you doing this now? Wait, is this why you showed up to those group gatherings near the beginning of the year?" Nino asked, still curious about what she was doing with her phone, but not asking. For now, at least.

"No, that was me wanting to spend time with Adrikins and making sure he was okay," she said. "And I'm doing this now because I love him and I want him to have a better quality of life."

Nino glared at her. "....are you doing this to try and get him to date you?" He asked, feeling a flare of anger. If Chloe was actually trying to trick Adrien-

She looked up with a nasty glare. "Romantic love and friend love are not mutually exclusive things, Lahiffe. Adrien and I just schooled you in magical girl tropes, you should understand that," she snarled.

"I don't know. You've been weird all day, it'd make sense if you were trying to trick him," Nino shot back, unwilling to be easily cowed when it was his best friend on the line.

"The only reason you met him is because of my love for him," Chloe hissed.

"What?" Nino said, taken aback.

"His father didn't approve of him going to school. How do you think he registered?" Chloe asked, raising an eyebrow.

It takes a moment. Because that's a good point. How did Adrien get in if his father didn't approve? People can't just join a class without paperwork. So how...

"Dude. Did Adrien ask...?" Nino asked, suddenly worried he read Adrien all wrong.

"Of course not. I just told him he was registered and he didn't ask how I did it," she said with a dismissive wave, looking down at her phone, moving the camera to look up near the rooftops behind them.

....okay, that made more sense. Adrien did have a tendency to just not ask if he knew he wasn't going to like the answer. "Why? You've never made it a secret you don't like anything about our school," Nino said.

"Because of people like you," Chloe said.

"....you keep losing me, dudette," Nino said.

Chloe sighed, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, you're so...you've MET his father. And Nathalie. His bodyguard. The help? He doesn't interact. They're hired to be discrete and professional. They don't talk unless spoken to. The only ones Adrien has a personal relationship are those who are directly responsible for him instead of the house," she said.

Nino frowned at that. Yeah, he knew it was pretty lonely. Cold. Adrien didn't talk about it a lot, but what little he's said combined with what Nino has seen, he knows it's not an ideal way to live. Especially with someone as lonely as Adrien had seemed to be.

"And as amazing as I am, I'm not...the best when it comes to emotions," Chloe said and Nino repressed a snort. That was one way to put it. Chloe wasn't good with most emotions or empathy in general. Nino though, he was a bit better and after the momentary moment of humor, he could see the look on her face. It was too blank, too carefully made to look unaffected. "Adrien didn't have a lot of people in his life. Nathalie and the Gorilla who barely count. His parents. And me. Then he lost his mother, his father lost whatever warmth he'd usually show, and the help was to be even more strict. I was the only emotional support Adrien had," she said, voice calm, and even.

And it clicked in Nino's head just how rough his bro must have had it before he showed up in school. It's hard to imagine the dork he met his first day was really stuck with that mourning and only having CHLOE to help. Suddenly his running off at Christmas made a lot more sense. Just going out for air his foot.

"And it became obvious that I wasn't enough. But Adrien has always wanted to go to school, wanted to be around other kids. I figured that at worst, it was a distraction. At best..." She looked his face, gaze more impartial then anything. Familiar.

The moment she handed over the Miraculous before she got arrogant and declared she'd be Queen Bee again.

"At best, he'd find people like you."

She exited out of the camera, turning off the screen before pocketing it. "I know Adrien doesn't love me romantically. I'm not an idiot. But we do love each other, and if I had to, if I thought it'd help, I'd burn the world for that boy. Those feelings aren't going to change. And if that means encouraging his relationships with people I don't like, spending time around them, and being....nice." Only Chloe Bourgeois could say that word like it was the worst thing in the world. "Then that's what I'll do. And I think he's suffering more than he let's on and that's the only way I can see helping him right now."

"Wait, what? What do you mean suffering more?" Nino said. He's not sure how to take the rest of all that, the proof that Chloe Bourgeois can indeed care very deeply about another person, but the thought of his bro suffering? That was easy to react too.

"I have reason to believe he's more stressed out than he let's on. There's no way of convincing him to cut back on all the things he has to do, so it's important to make sure he's actually unwinding in what time he has off. So if you have something he seems like he'd want to go to, contact me. Lord knows he won't ask me for a favor on his own, I think being nice is the first real favor he's asked of me in years. So you do it and I'll do what I can to make it happen," she said and held out a hand to him. "And we'll tolerate each other to make sure he's happy. Agreed?"

Nino paused, trying to think if there was any way this was some kind of trick or ploy. But as he looked at Chloe, he didn't see Chloe the bully. There wasn't any nastiness or smugness to her expression, none of the arrogance. She looked far more like Queen Bee, confident and sure she'd do a good job.

He huffed and adjusted his cap. "Well, if it's for my bro, I can't really say no," he said, taking her hand and shaking it.

"Excellent," she said, pulling her hand away and pulling out a handkerchief to wipe her hand, earning an unimpressed look from Nino. "You have my number still?" When he nodded, and turned and started walking, towards a car at the corner. "Then talk to you later, Lahiffe."

"Yeah, later dude," Nino said, shaking his head. Of all the things he thought to come out of magic and monsters being real, he never thought Chloe showing she had a heart would be one of them.

[anon-and-gone]

Project Death

Part 1 (prologue)

After being held captive in a HYDRA facility for years, (Y/N) has all but forgotten everything about herself; knowing only that which is necessary for her own survival. After being rescued by the Avengers, she struggles to adapt to a (mostly) regular life once again, and realises there may have been more to life she was missing out on than previously thought.

Fandom: Avengers (post-IW and EG but with a happy ending where no one dies)

Pairings: (eventual) Bucky x fem!reader, (eventual) platonic!avengers x fem!reader

Warnings: violence, blood, pain, mentions of torture, implications of self harm, imprisonment, panic attacks, strong language, basically every bad thing, eventual NSFW, slow burn, ANGST, bad writing, probably fluff later, literally everything idk

WC: 1,375

A/N: first chapter!! thank you guys so much for all the support you’ve already given me, I can't tell you just how much it means to me! a reminder that this is literally the first fic I've ever written so don’t expect it to be fantastic or anything, any feedback or constructive criticism is very much appreciated! Shoot me a message if you wanted to be added to (or removed from) the tag list and I'll add you for the next part :)

Thank you for reading!  Iz xx

Footsteps.

 You could hear footsteps.

 You knew they were yours. You knew you were walking, because you could hear your own footsteps. You knew where you were - the metallic stench of the facility stung your nose, working it’s way into your head and making your eyes water. You blinked away the fog which disappeared as suddenly as it had come on, snapping yourself back to the present. Zoning out wasn't a rarity with you - living in your own head made it all a hell of a lot easier. In doing so you also blinked away the droplets which formed in the corner of your eyes, barely noticing the mild discomfort - it was just a small nagging in the back of your head, one you couldn’t bring yourself to mind.

There wasn’t much more that you knew, and so you tried to keep a mental note of what you did know. One of those things was you knew that the list was getting smaller. You also knew that you didn’t know the time, whether it was day or night, didn’t know the date, or the year, or the name of the guard walking directly behind you (you could tell he was there because there was another set of footsteps not quite matching yours), or if you’ll be able to eat in the foreseeable future. ‘Foreseeable’ being irony.

The rhythmic clank, clank, clank of the chain on your legs kept you focused as you walked. You did know it would be a while before you could walk again, and you revelled in the delicious ache deep in the muscles as you stretched each leg as far as it would willingly go. The pain from this was a comfortable, familiar pain. The burning at your joints became a constant - the only one you could depend on. It kept you grounded - whatever was happening, you knew the burning would still be there.

A sudden jerk to the chain on your arm and you were halted abruptly, your weight on one foot as the other hovered mid-step. Another, and you were turning to your right; a large metal door now looming above you. You knew that this was your Room.

The keypad next to the door lit up when you were stood opposite it, the individual keys glowing with a florescent blue light so harsh that you had to force yourself not to look away or blink.

You couldn’t show weakness.

It wasn’t as if you could tear your gaze away, though - the colour always filled you with an alien emotion, one you couldn’t place if you tried (and you had, for hours, with nothing else to do after being left in the Room). It was almost a memory from another time, another life… which was ridiculous, right? 

The guard punched a combination in - different to the last time - and the mocking blue turned to a cruel green. He reached around you to twist the doorknob which had appeared after the light changed, his arm brushing your side for a split second too long. He was new. With a creak, the door swung open and you were shoved inside, stumbling unceremoniously before managing to righten yourself. A faint click echoed around the room and blood rushed back into your hands, tingling, as the chains fell at your feet. You turned now to face the man, eyes angled downwards, taking two measured steps backwards until your spine hit the wall. You held your hands out to either side, not even bothering to raise your head to see the power-hungry smirk the guard would have on his face now. Cold rushed through your stomach as you felt the harsh metal encase your fist again, this time holding it against the wall. You were used to this - didn’t know anything else - yet a small part of you, hidden in the far recesses of your mind, remained terrified, and it threatened to grow each time you heard the metal snap. You were reminded of this as your other hand faced the same doom, and you were left to swallow the feeling before it could establish itself into something more.

 You. couldn’t. show. weakness. 

Your ankles were given the same treatment, and it wasn’t long before the man reached to push your shirt up, the concrete wall behind you grazing scarred skin as your only layer of protection was withdrawn. The friendly burn from your limbs was now drowned out by the harsher, newer burn enveloping your torso -  the cool metal casing pressing you further into the wall, your own personal, hidden coffin. Your shirt was yanked messily back down over the top, hiding the miniature prison from view, and you had to choke back a whimper when you remembered what would be coming next. The fear always became almost impossible to ignore by this point. The guard noticed your gulp, and the way your eyes screwed shut, and he tilted his thin mouth into an evil grin once again as he drew himself to his full height (which, you noted, was not very high).  He opened his mouth to speak, a foul stench reaching your senses nearly making you gag, but was interrupted by an echoing yell and a crash from somewhere in the facility. You could feel old scars on your back reopen as your subsequent flinch made you press yourself into the wall far as possible (not very far). He closed his mouth (to your nose’s relief) and turned his head with a roll of his eyes to glance out the open door behind him, muttering under his breath something about needing a better defence system. You, however, were not paying attention to anything he said and were too busy trying to frantically figure out the source of the noise, your heartbeat rising unsteadily as your mind raced at increasing speeds, each rise and fall of your chest bringing a fresh rush of pain as more skin was pressed against the metal corset. You had barely noticed when the guard turned back around, pushing greasy hair back from his face, and was now reaching for the Mask.

 You didn’t - couldn’t - react as he placed it over your head, the metal stinging where it rested on the crown of your head and bruised cheek bones, and instead focused on pacing your breaths. Your vision was now obscured by small meal bars running over your eyes, and you bared your teeth as you made out the guard reaching up to pat the side of your cheek, not being able to feel it due to the thick leather. Another crash echoed through the halls - closer this time than the last, and a mix of fear and fury finally rushed through your veins. Upon hearing it, the guard’s gaze hardened, and he placed his face directly opposite yours, barking commands and reiterating orders of what to do in an emergency, lest you had forgotten. You, however, were still not listening - couldn’t even hear him over the rushing sound in your ears - and instead focused on bringing your head, heavy mask and all, down onto his with as much strength you could muster. He hadn’t put your neck harness on yet, and now he was unconscious on the floor.

Fear flooded through your system, unchallenged by the retreating rage. Oh god, what had you done? You now noticed, though your vision was still severely limited, that the alarms had sounded and every room was swallowed in a pulsating red, one which invaded your mind and chased out any emotion - any thought - other than pure terror. The door to The Room still was wide open, and the guard you had dropped lay in full view of the corridor, just waiting for someone to discover. This time you allowed the whimper to escape your throat as you desperately wished that the punishment this time would be death… you just couldn’t face the testing any longer. A second muffled cry joined the first as you allowed yourself to dwell on the possibility that no one would find out - no one would pass you and see that you were still trapped in the room, starving and rotting away into nothing but the shell that your mind had already become.

Oooooh I wonder who’s about to show up? ;) I promise things will actually start happening in the next part sksksk I’m yelling it’s so dark, I’m so sorry! well there you have it folks, part one! I've no idea when part 2 will be up I'm afraid, it shouldn't be long though. I’m not 100% happy with this but I think the more I look over it the more annoyed I'll be with it, so may as well just post it and get it out of the way! Once again thank you so much for the support and any constructive criticism / feedback is always welcome! I hope you enjoyed :)

p.s. sorry if your tag didn't work! I'm working to fix it :)

Tag list: @slender--spirit / @nerd-without-a-cause / @emilymarie0422 / @dontstopfreddienow / @strangersstranger / @thegraceofme / @uuuuuuuuggggghhh / @bloodywitches / @romimiux / @hailqueenconquer / @sinviix / @moonlitlakes-andfairycakes