#//i wasn't sure what order we were going in so i left it vague

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

hooo boy, i watched miraculous when five or six episodes of first season aired (i was aware of it when it was only two)! it was really cool to see magical girl superhero in Paris, who has a (semi-related) crush to his classmate, who's also a superhero and partner to her superhero persona - who said crush HAS A CRUSH ON SUPERHERO SELF! i remember when theories flew on identity of Hawkmoth and who could possibly be (wiki was also ambiguous on that, based on the factor of the same va, which - i mean, one va can do multiple voices, that was earlier practise for budgeting reasons)! it was nice to see heroes thru everyday lives (well, how much normal is up to debate), everyday strugles, akuma of the episodes, ways how the main heroine solves it, and (some debatable) lessons of the day - girl magical show, y'all! (even tho it was called Tales of Miraculous Ladybug and Chat Noir)

and then the lore at the end got complicated at the end of seasons! and we got a little more of lore building, and different vibes and dynamics according to that! we got more lore on some episodes, but still not rocking the main status quo story of the season!

and then S4 and S5 happened.

to me, the problem was there undefined, until, in your previous posts, you put the name on it: the writers are incapable of juggling and merging stand-alone episodes and overarching story. they started with stand-alones, but saw that the continuous plot had more success with older audiences (c'mon, scrambled episodes were partialy their tactic, whether the actual s1 scrambling was their intention or truly an accident of tv broadcasts).

and since most of the audience are online, they think that providing additional and vague explanations and lore can - let's be frank, cover their asses. (which, hello, one show with overarching plot did almost the same with their actual lore, and only the hardcores picked up on it - bad idea if you want to make deeper sense to the story)

they tried marrying the storytelling formulas (stand-alones and overarched) in S2 and S3, but it wasn't noticeable, remarkable, and didn't raise the fandom's ire too much - still not rocking the actual important boat, which is offline view on the actual show (kids stand-alone, just turn your brain off and enjoy!) (which, in fairness, Thomas worked on Totally Spies, and that show had some success). it was egregious when it became obvious and contradicting (bc tying all the episodes's lore details is REALLY the true detective work), WHILE STILL WORKING WITH STAND-ALONE FORMULA! (some speculation on my part: some leaks didn't help with the writing process; different writers for different episodes (good idea for brainstorming, bad idea for the core characterisation and story); and... well, they certainly aren't good, or at all, detectives, or long-time planners - i mean, you plan several seasons, but not the finer details? the devils are in them, not in investors whims and wishes in order to get money).

but the desperate hope, masochistic curiosity and the endless possibilities of lore and story are already deep in our brains and hearts that we have to see thru the actual chaotic dumpster mess of the show and how it ends - some love it, some hate the ride, some cope with fanfics, some with rants, and some left the train and are somewhere else. the rest who remain... well hello there! make sure you get enough rests, snacks, beverages of your choice and some meditations (any kind) to witness all!

anyway, that's my pov.

The writers apparently always wanted to tell a more complex story, they just couldn't early on because they'd sold the show as not having one:

So Sebastien sold the Miraculous series to broadcasters as a formula show. A person gets angry, is akumatized, then marinette transforms into Ladybug then frees the person from the akumatization and… The End. It's also for this reason that Marinette tries to confess her love for Adrien in every episode, but is unable to do so. But he tried to go against what he had planned with TF1, by slipping little extra stories into certain episodes. Audiences were receptive to these slightly hidden stories. The TV channel even asked Sébastien if there really were hidden things in the series, but he denied everything. Thanks to the positive reception from the public, TF1 agreed to develop the characters of Marinette and Adrien and flesh out the universe a little more.

My tin foil hat theory is that this conflict is at the heart of Miraculous' problems. The writers keep trying to make the show they want to make instead of the show they can make within the limits set by the higher ups and so you end up with the worst of both worlds. A show that's too serious to just turn off your brain and have fun with, but a show that's also too underdeveloped to tell a serialized story well. (Supporting evidence for this theory: the script for Chat Blanc getting rejected for being "too dark" leading it to be in season three instead of season two.)

I get the frustration of being held back from telling the story you want to tell, I really do, but I'm of the opinion that you should tell the best story you can within the limits you set instead of trying and failing to tell the darker grittier story that you really want to tell, but can't because no one will pay for it.

Context for that last bit;

So Sébastien started working with Thomas Astruc (the man who wrote and created the "Ladybug" project). At first, he didn't want to work on this project because he found it complicated. Thomas wanted to make a series for adults, but at the time, it was very complicated to make a cartoon for adults. What's more, they didn't have enough money to take on such a project. Sébastien finally agreed, but there were some changes to be made, which Thomas accepted.

(Note this is from the same interview linked above.)

[stevieschrodinger]

Part One

Baker Steve and Rock Star Eddie wrong number AU

Part two

"Steve! You have no idea!" Eddie's laughing, and that always makes Steve laugh, too. He's clearly a little tipsy. "Everyone went mad for the cake! It's was just, gone! Here, I'll send you some pictures!"

"I know what it looked like Eds," but Steve's grinning, knowing he's talking to empty air, can hear Eddie very vaguely mumbling to himself as he looks through his camera roll. Next to Steve' ear, his phone vibrates several times.

"Anyway, Stevie, I was thinking," Eddie's back now, still clearly tipsy but sounding uncharacteristically sheepish, "it's Christmas kind of soon right? Going to need a cake or two there. New year. Easter. Birthdays and bar mitzvahs and...and... independence day...so I was thinking I should get my orders in now, you know? Avoid disappointment."

"Eddie," Steve starts, finds himself turning shy himself, "you don't have to have a cake on order just to talk to me."

"I, ah, don't?"

"No, I mean, pretty sure we're friends, right?"

"Friends," Eddie starts slowly, "there's, like, lots of different kinds of friends."

"Sure, sure," Steve agrees easily, butterflies running rampant in his stomach, "there's even, kind of, more than friends, really."

"That sounds really really great-"

"Eddie!" There's a cacophony in the background, people shouting, "man, you're missing your own party-"

The line goes dead, and Steve's left standing in the dim light of the evening, just staring at tomorrow's cake order where it's cooling on the racks. A minute later, his phone buzzes in his hand, "so sorry baby, talk tomorrow."

Steve smiles at his phone. He had gone a little quiet after finding out who Eddie really is. It had kind of surprised him. But then Eddie had text him, "did I do something? 😞" and Steve realised Eddie's entitled to his privacy, the same as anyone.

"Hey Stevie, how's your day?"

Steve has Eddie on speaker phone as he mixes batter, "pretty good so far, you? You hungover?"

"No, no, didn't get that wasted, too old for that nonsense now, you know?"

Steve laughs, "aren't you like, 25?"

"I mean, maybe. Definitely old enough to, like, think about settling down, you know?"

Steve's breath catches in his throat, excitement and nerves after their interrupted conversation last night, "yeah, you, thinking about that? With, uhm, someone?"

"Yeah, I am, it's just..." Steve's heart sinks in his chest," my job, you know, I travel a lot, and that would be a sacrifice for anyone, and I couldn't ask someone to live with that, you know?"

"Well...what if it wasn't? What if they just...went with you?"

"What if...this person...had a job they loved? Their own business they worked hard for?"

"Yeah," Steve agrees slowly, "but what if...well, take me for example. I love to bake, but I don't love my business. That's just a means to an end, you know? I don't always love the orders, I'd choose to make something else if I was doing it for fun. So if it were me, i'd give it up in a heartbeat as long as I can keep baking."

"Yeah? You mean it?"

"Yeah. Yeah Eddie, I mean it."

"I, I mean, sure. Good. Thanks. I mean, not thanks, I mean, good, that's great."

Steve grins at Eddie's ramblings.

"I'll be away though, soon, for a couple of months, like four months, so, maybe, we could keep talking and when, I mean, if you want, what I get back..."

"I'd like that." Steve fist pumps, silently celebrating. "You never actually told me what you do for work?". Steve's teasing him, but Eddie doesn't know that Steve knows so, Steve grins to himself and keeps his voice even.

"I ah, music?"

"Yeah, you have mentioned that before, but what about it?" Steve knows he's being a dick, he just can't help it though.

"I ah, travel, with the band," Eddie starts slowly, and that is technically not a lie, Steve thinks, "and I kind of, look after some of the instruments and...have a lot to do with the sound checks? Like I'm definitely always there, for every sound check, like, I have to be."

All of that is probably true, Steve thinks, and god bless Eddie for not wanting to actually lie to Steve.

"Oh right, and what's the band called?"

"Oh, they're like, heavy metal, you've definitely never heard of them."

After they get off the call, Steve laughs all afternoon.

[roosterforme]

Aim for the Sky Part 29 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley returns home to good news and an exhausted wife. Making plans for the future is something he lives for now, but thoughts from his week in Fort Worth seem to linger.

Warnings: Angst, adult language, body image, DILF Roo, masturbation, oral sex, smut, pregnancy topics, lactation kink

Length: 3100 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

Aim for the Sky masterlist. This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order.

"Sweetheart," Bradley sighed. His heart rate finally calmed down after trying several times to reach you by phone. "How are you? How's the Nugget?"

You were quiet for a beat before saying, "We're okay." You did not sound happy, and it was probably because he'd missed several of your calls over the past few days. It wasn't like he meant to, there was just a lot of work and other distractions for him here. 

"Yeah? Not amazing?" He couldn't tell if your laugh was one of annoyance, so he plowed on as he stood from the steps outside the barracks, still sweaty from his run. "I'll be home the day after tomorrow, and then I'll take care of Rosie and everything at the house."

You sighed. "First thing we need to do when you get home is talk."

Bradley froze, brow creased in concern as his hand froze on the door handle. "About what?"

Another soft beat of silence. "We'll figure it out when you get back."

"Figure what out?" He didn't know if you were intentionally being vague, but it was irritating him a bit. "Can't we just talk about it now?"

"Shit." He could hear Rose starting to wail in the background, and it sounded like you dropped your phone. "Roo, I need to go. She had another blowout. I love you."

"I love you, too, Baby Girl."

The call ended before he got to tell you about his week. He was hoping you'd ask him about work, but you didn't even check to see if his first few days fully engrossed in his new role were going well.

You were either stressed close to your breaking point, or something else was bothering you. He went back inside to hit the shower, but his thoughts lingered even when the hot water streamed along his skin. Like there was something he was supposed to remember. He couldn't focus on any one thing, which was irritating in itself. He was ready to head home and get back to work in North Island, but he also wanted to make sure he left Texas with everything in order. He and the admirals needed to make their final selections tomorrow, and then he would know who would be joining him in San Diego in a few weeks.

In his opinion, there were ten exceptional pilots here that would be a good fit at Top Gun. Indigo and Rex were at the top of the list with very promising careers ahead of them, and Bradley was looking forward to eventually joining them in the air.

He really wanted to get home to you and Rose, but he had to get through a dinner in his dress blues first. The young pilots would probably be surprised when he finally joined them for a drink.

When he eventually got into bed, he looked through all of the pictures of his daughter on his phone. There were hundreds of them, which seemed impressive for someone just a few months old. Then he scrolled through wedding photos. And then honeymoon photos, not all of which were rated PG.

"Oh, I remember that night," he murmured to himself when he got to a beautiful collection of pictures of you with your ass in the air, looking back at him over your shoulder. "I remember it very well."

Jesus. You looked so good in these photos, it was absolutely insane. Even the PG ones were hotter than hell. But when you wore that red bikini? Perfection. And now he was hard and already searching for the video you and he made together many, many months ago.

He jerked off in the extra long twin bed, getting harder as he watched the recording of him spanking you and calling you his filthy slut. Then he came all over his abs, thinking about how many times he took you rough in his barracks room in San Diego early on in your relationship. When he thought about the Craftsman house he bought for you more than for himself, he couldn't stop smiling. You made it the first home he had since his mom died. And now he had a daughter.

Counting his blessings was pointless when he knew they all came from you. One more long day and he'd be home with his family. He couldn't stop yawning as he cleaned himself up, and he passed out for the night as soon as he was under the covers.

The next day was a flutter of activity. There was a classroom session in the morning that Bradley had to lead. He wasn't used to talking so much and actually found it exhausting. And everywhere he looked around the room, he could feel indigo eyes on him.

Then the afternoon was filled with flight analysis which solidified in his mind the pilots he wanted to select. After a quick conversation with the admirals when everyone else was dismissed, they were all in agreement.

Later that night at dinner, Bradley got to announce to everyone who had been chosen. There were definitely some unhappy expressions, but he was met with Indigo's smile as she shook his hand after the champagne had been served.

"Congratulations," he told her, juggling his champagne flute to his other hand. 

"Lieutenant Commander," she replied. "You'll have to let me in on the secret of the best bar in Coronado so I know where to hang out in a few weeks. You found the best one here on your own, after all."

He had to chuckle. He hadn't been back to that bar since his first night in Texas, despite the best efforts of some of the officers. "I have no doubt you'll find it without my help."

She released his hand, eyes roaming his face before settling on his mustache. "I'm sure I will. Are you sticking around for another drink?" she asked hopefully when he set his empty glass on a passing tray.

"Early flight tomorrow morning," he shrugged. "And I'm still not used to this time zone, so I shouldn't. I don't want to miss it."

She nodded once as he turned to leave, and her parting words stuck in his mind. "I can't wait to see you at Top Gun, Lieutenant Commander."

Bradley was going to have to keep an eye on her. He didn't want her trying to gain any sort of advantage over the others. Her gaze was warm on his back as he headed to the silent barracks alone.

--------------------------

The flight to San Diego was turbulent. You would have hated it, but Bradley slept the whole time like a pro. He should have spent the time reading his notes for work on Monday, but he decided it was more important to get a nap in so he could let you rest for the weekend. He had everything planned out on his mind, including making dinner tonight and taking Rose and Tramp for a beach walk tomorrow. That would give you sufficient time to rest.

He was expecting you to look worn out, but when he rushed through baggage claim to find you, he was still surprised by what he found. Rose was crying in your arms, and you looked on the verge of tears yourself. You were wearing one of his ratty shirts he reserved for days he was doing yardwork, and you had on his sweatpants which were rolled up and tied at your waist.

"Baby Girl," he called out, drawing your gaze to his. There was spit up on the burp cloth draped over your shoulder, and Rose seemed to cry louder the closer he got. "Are you okay?"

When you started nodding, it quickly turned into you shaking your head as he got close enough to wrap his arms around both of you. Bradley was immediately lost in the sweet smell of his daughter as he buried his nose against her fuzzy hair and inhaled. He let his lips trail soft kisses along her forehead before taking her from your arms.

"Tell me what's wrong," he whispered, kissing your lips. "Tell me so I can fix it."

He hushed Rose and kept his face close to yours as you cried softly. "Nothing's wrong. Or maybe... I don't know, Roo. I'm fucking pregnant," you sobbed.

Surely he'd misheard. "What did you say?" he gasped, arm wrapping around your waist, pulling you in tighter as you cried and nodded. "You're seriously pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Holy shit." A dizzying smile curled along his lips. "Hell yes!" This was incredible news as far as he was concerned, but you were still crying as your face came to rest against his chest. Then his stomach lurched, because he'd missed several of your calls this week. You must have known for days as you'd been trying to reach him.

He bounced Rose gently in the crook of his arm, listening to her cries soften until she settled against him as well. "Sweetheart. You're not happy about this?"

Your tear streaked cheeks drew his lips as you looked up at him. "I don't know, Bradley," you whispered, voice harsh. "I just don't know what to think at all. I'm sure it happened in La Jolla, when I was supposed to be on the pill."

When your voice broke on a fresh sob, Bradley led you toward his duffle bag which had appeared on the baggage carousel, and he scooped it up seamlessly. Somehow he kept both of his girls close all the way to your red Bronco, his heart hammering the whole time. He was obsessed with his role as a father, and to him this was a best case scenario. He just needed you to understand how he felt about this.

After buckling Rose into her car seat, she was immediately asleep. Then he laced his fingers with yours, leading you around to the passenger side door, kissing your forehead.

"I love you, Sweetheart," he promised, tipping your face up to meet his eyes. "And I'd love another baby. Is this what we needed to talk about?"

"Yeah," you whispered. "This week was so long, and Rose has been miserable. And I could barely reach you on the phone, and-"

"I'm home now. Let me take care of my family." He let his hand trail down to your belly as he kissed you hard.

Once you were buckled in as well, you were sound asleep before Bradley had the Bronco out of the airport loop. By the end of the weekend, he would have your doubts about baby number two erased, replaced with the joy he felt over growing his family. 

-----------------------------

You weren't sure how he managed to get both you and Rose inside the house without you waking up, but he did it. Hours later, you rolled over in bed, eyes cracking open when you heard Bradley playing with the baby in the living room. Your whole body ached from exhaustion, but it was your tender breasts that sent you to find them so you could get some relief.

The fact that you still didn't know how you felt about the positive pregnancy test now that Bradley knew about it as well just added to your fatigue. It was almost too much to consider at the moment. Another baby. Another smaller baby crying at night. A chorus of cries, and two babies spitting up.

When you found your shirtless husband laying on the floor with Rose giggling as she balanced on his chest while Tramp licked his face, you couldn't help but smile. He was singing a ridiculous song and tickling her sides. You felt guilty for being so scared about having a second child when you let your fingers rest on your tummy and watched him. He was a natural. Sometimes you felt like you were struggling through parenting, but Bradley made it seem so easy.

"I know it's a lot of responsibility for someone so small, but you're already getting your first rank promotion," he murmured, leaning up to kiss her cheek. "Big sister Bradshaw, you need to report for duty next year."

When you found yourself laughing, Bradley met your eyes and smiled. "How was your nap, Mommy?"

"I feel a lot better," you replied, yanking your shirt over your head, drawing your husband's gaze to your chest as you unhooked your bra. "How did you get her to calm down?"

Bradley looked a bit dazed as he stared at your bare chest. "The Nugget just missed me," he murmured, breathing a little heavy. His cheeks were tinged with pink as you reached for Rose to feed her. "Holy fucking shit, Sweetheart. We're having another baby." You nodded a bit helplessly, feeling so overwhelmed as your daughter latched on to eat as soon as you were sitting on the couch. "Two Nuggets," he said, petting Tramp as he stood. "And another year or more of my wife lactating."

You were dreading the weight gain and nausea and lack of sleep, but when he looked at you like this, it was hard to feel unappealing. Bradley's eyes were absolutely fixed on the beads of milk rolling down to your belly as Rose eventually switched sides.

"Can I have a turn when she naps?" he rasped, adjusting his gym shorts, absolutely unashamed. "It's been a week. I need it."

Soon enough, you had him in bed, practically curled up on your lap with his lips all over your breasts. "We're supposed to be talking about plans for another baby," you whispered, loving the scrape of his mustache against your skin. "I have a lot of concerns."

Bradley moaned, releasing you with a soft pop. "We can talk while I enjoy you," he promised. "What are you concerned about?"

He ran his nose along your taut nipple, and you moaned his name. "Bradley. One baby is expensive. How are we going to manage two? And we'll need to get another crib. And I have to make an appointment with Dr. Morris. And I can't believe you got me pregnant again while Rose is still a baby."

His lips grazed along your sensitive skin, and you were helpless to do anything but let your fingers thread through his hair. "What's so hard to believe?" he whispered. "We worked at it for months to have Rose, so this seems fair. And it's not like I can keep my dick out of your pussy. It was bound to happen whether you missed a pill or not." His tongue was warm as he lapped at you, his big hand splayed low on your belly. "I couldn't be fucking happier."

"Bradley," you gasped, back arching at his touch.

"We'll figure it out. I promise," he crooned. "Two babies. I'm so in love, Baby Girl. And you'll be nice and round again soon. Holy hell."

You didn't want to point out that your belly was still chubby and your hips were still round. Not when he was praising everything about you and the situation the two of you were caught up in. Two babies. Two. He was whining your name and rubbing himself against you, and next thing you knew, he had you on your back, legs flung over his shoulders. 

He ate your pussy, taking his sweet time about it while his thumb traced your tattoo. He drew out your orgasm slowly. His lips were latched onto your clit as his big hands kept you spread wide. "Missed you. Love you," he hummed, kissing his way along your slick. "Making me a Daddy all over again, Sweetheart."

"Roo," you whispered, keeping him where you needed him with your hands in his hair. "Daddy."

You came on his face, pussy needy and clenching at nothing before he shoved his cock inside you. The feral sound you made as your orgasm intensified, gripping him as he groaned and grunted in your ear, was loud enough to wake Rose from her nap. But you couldn't stop when he made you feel so good you nearly blacked out.

"I love you. And Rose. And our perfect baby we haven't met quite yet."

--------------------------

By the end of the weekend, you were smiling more. The naps you were afforded by having Bradley back home definitely helped, he could tell. But you seemed more at ease with the idea of two children close in age the more you and he talked about it.

"We have some options," he whispered, kissing you as you snuggled up with him on the couch on Sunday night. The episode of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was playing in the background, but he'd lost interest in it before it even started. "We can move Rose to the bedroom by the stairs, or we can turn that into nursery number two."

You crinkled your nose. "That's so far away from our bedroom."

"But we can't move Rose upstairs yet."

"No way," you agreed. "Maybe they can share a room?"

"Hmm. That would make it easier for Tramp to nap with both of them at the same time."

Your laughter made him feel so much better as he snuggled you closer. He could happily fall asleep like this until it was time to go to work tomorrow.

"Oh," you murmured, "I didn't even ask about your time in Texas."

Bradley immediately pictured startlingly blue eyes as you laced your fingers with his. "Was good," he replied, realizing just how much busier his life was about to become. A new role at work and a new baby. Students to teach and two kids at home.

"Tell me all about it," you murmured, stifling a yawn.

He found there wasn't much to talk about other than Indigo and Rex, and he didn't want to bore you. "Maybe I was a bit stingy, but I only invited ten pilots to come to Top Gun. Two will more than likely make it through the program. The rest... we'll see."

"Who are the two that will make it through?" 

Your yawns grew in intensity as you closed your eyes, and he knew you needed to get plenty of sleep. Bradley kissed the tip of your nose, figuring you would be asleep before he finished his sentence. "Rex and Indigo, but Indigo is the best."

---------------------------

Baby number two! The Nuggets are multiplying! Roo needs to keep his head in the game if he wants a happy wife. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 30

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[redflagshipwriter]

Mamabat 10 part 2/2

masterpost

Sam craned to listen to secondhand sounds of combat. It was all filtered through Val’s headset, so it was vaguely electronic.

“Up!” Said a female voice. Was that Robin? Sam tried to piece it together. The little one had been Robin, she'd thought. Could have been a boy or a girl. Robin looked around Dani's size. 

Ah, hell. She pushed down the recurring dread that thoughts of Dani brought up. 

Dani was probably fine. She just wasn't answering them because she was fabulously busy in Malaysia or Guam or somewhere else gorgeous and fascinating. She wasn't in one of those labs. They hadn't left her in a lab for a month. Sam’s hands were shaking. She squeezed them hard, angry with herself. Good thing she wasn’t in that fight, she’d be useless like this. Useless!

The percussive sounds of fast, expert violence came through Val's sound system. “Damn,” Val said. “Nice swing.” 

The answer was a feminine laugh. Man, who was that? “Not half bad yourself,” said the unknown girl.

Sam untensed, a little. They didn’t sound stressed. It was probably going fine.

There was a groan. “Spoiler, please,” said Red Robin, in a tone he probably thought was too soft to be overheard. Ha. Val was using Vlad's creepertech, and Vlad was one of the best creeps out there. Sam felt weirdly proud of him for a moment. It bordered patriotism. Their freak was the best freak in the business. Eat your heart out, Batjerk.

“Like you're the only one who can pick up girls on the job?” The girl who had to be Spoiler said. 

Sam snorted. Good luck with that one! Val was spectacularly unavailable. She should know, she had tried. 

“Spoiler, Red Robin, and Robin.” Sam listed aloud for Tucker. “What do we know?” 

“All known associates of Batman, Gotham operatives, estimated active dates are at least a couple years each. Robin is clearly an inherited role, but this current one… been in for two years, I think.” Tucker listed off. “I think Spoiler and Red Robin were both former Robins, that's not too subtle.” 

Sam snorted. Her breath fanned out as visible moisture in the cold night air. 

“Likely older teens or early twenties, both of them. Robin is obviously pre puberty. 13 at the oldest.” 

Val made a subvocal grunt that meant she agreed with Tucker's assessment 

That fit. And she really didn't like it. Sam felt her hackles rise up. What was wrong with Gotham? Her group was all child vigilantes, sure, but they'd had no adult help. They'd also all been 14 or older when they got involved. Except for Dani. God, Dani, please don't be in that building. Sam had to relax her grip on the bazooka handle because she squeezed it so hard that the metal creaked. 

Danny was older now. But she didn't like that this was who he'd ended up with. Sam gritted her jaw hard and tried to keep her temper on a low simmer. She didn't have enough facts to think Batman would put Danny in danger. 

“Clear.” 

“Clear.”

The operation inside seemed to continue smoothly. 

“That should be all the staff members on the premises,” Red Robin said. “First lab, coming up.”

“Behind me.” Batman practically growled the order.

A door opened. Sam held her breath. 

“...Are those samples?” 

Val grunted slightly. Why? What was going on? “Cores,” Val said. “Basically, people who have been injured into a coma. Left like that, they're gonna die slowly. Starvation.” 

“What do we do?” Spoiler cut in. “I mean- what can we do?” 

“Is there a way to transport them?” Val dodged the question. “I don't- yeah, that's good.” 

“Can you provide treatment?” Batman pushed. “Where will you take them?”

Val let out a long, annoyed sigh. “I don't trust you enough to go into the details.”

“Why should we trust you, vixen?” Spat a very young voice.

“Vixen?” Spoiler repeated quietly, incredulously. 

“Robin, you can't say things like that!” Red Robin hissed. “Ow- little asshole.” 

“Enough. Thank you.” Batman cut off the chatter. “Let's clear the facility.” 

They found more cores in the labs. Sam felt her stomach condense tighter and tighter into a knot as they came across research areas time and time again. 

They hadn't taken the GIW seriously enough. They'd thought they were incompetent and funny. How long had scientists been experimenting on captured ghosts here? How many of them had totally withered away? 

“Fuck,” Sam said quietly, and wiped her eyes off with her arm. 

They were clearly finished. No Dani, not unless she was one of the cores rolling around on GIW shelves like she wasn't a person.

Batman and crew came out. She could hear Batman clearly making some kind of call to…. To a Green Lantern, she thought, to pick up the GIW agents. 

Oh. That…

“Probably legit,” Tucker said on the line. He let out a big sigh and his chair clicked when he leaned back, no doubt crossing his arms behind his head. “I guess we should talk to ‘em. Should I come out there?” 

“Yeah, do it,” Sam said. “You want a pick up?” She moved the bazooka from a ready position to rest across her back instead.

Tucker hummed. “That would probably be a little cooler than using my bike.” 

Val snorted, but didn't chime in. Sam dipped back to town and let Tucker climb on behind her. He crouched to hold onto the board with both hands, because he was a sweaty nerd with no balance. 

“The bike might have been cooler,” Sam teased, and then she accelerated hard. She met them back in the field where Batman had landed his plane. As soon as she veered into sight, all of the bats looked at her, clearly ready for a fight.

“Calm down,” Val ordered. “You're all so jumpy.” 

Sam snorted and came to a sharp stop. She braced against Tucker's weight (she knew he'd be jostled.) She aimed her hardest glare at Batman. Fuck everyone else. “Danny said you wanna talk.” 

Behind them, unseen, Val double-checked the straps of a new black bag. Sam had no doubt it was full of helpless cores. 

Batman frowned at her slightly. “...Samantha Manson.” He looked behind her. “And Tucker Foley.” He didn't seem surprised, exactly,  but he didn't seem happy to see them either.

“Old man,” she shot back. “You've got half an hour. But first off, what the hell kinda game are you playing with Danny? Because this-” she waved a hand at his child soldier platoon. “is some bullshit, okay. What's going on?” 

Val shot vertically up with a whoosh of air that blew Spoiler’s hair out. All four bats whirled in time to see her blast off into the distance. 

“Focus!” Sam snapped her fingers. “Why are you here?” 

A muscle twitched in Batman's jaw. “My only intention with Danny is to ensure his safety. I have some concerns about the GIW and about his home situation that I want to look into.” 

Sam scoffed. “Bit late.” She wound some hair around her finger. “They're gone. All of them. You saw what's left of the GIW. The Fentons disappeared the day after the GIW did.” 

She heard the first hint of urgency and upset in his voice when he pressed, “Jasmine Fenton?” 

“Gone.” 

[justallihere]

Okay, I did some laundry, I've had lunch, I've breathed fresh air and taken some deep breaths (did not touch any grass because it's covered in snow), and we're back. My wrap up thoughts of Onyx Storm are below! Be warned it's chock full of spoilers, and these are all my honest opinions. I haven't even given this a rating yet because I don't really know what I want to rate it! Nothing's really in order so sorry about that. But I look forward to hearing everyone else's thoughts!

I loved that the importance of the bond between dragon and human was emphasized so heavily in this book. That Asher called Aimsir Lilith's first love, Violet telling Tairn he's the gift of her life, that even Halden knew that the true barrier to her would be the dragon bond - and especially that when Xaden channeled again, in a way that he knew would irreversibly damn him, he did it for Sgaeyl. To keep her safe, because she chose him before and above everyone else.

I adored the Riorgail of it all. They were open and honest with each other, saying I love you practically every other breath, declaring their loyalty and devotion to each other in front of anyone who would listen. I loved that we got them as a team, facing stuff together and trusting that what they couldn't the other could handle it.

On the other hand, it may just be me but they didn't quite feel like themselves. Maybe because it was the first time we've truly seen them be public about their feelings, but they didn't feel like the same Xaden and Violet from the previous two books. Xaden felt so intense that everything he said gave me anxiety, devoted to the point of obsession. I would actually call Violet morally gray here, but it came out of nowhere; there wasn't a great transition into that change in her character, none of the hesitation or guilt I'd expect.

In short, they kind of felt like my Xaden and Violet and not canon? I loved them, but I'm not sure it matches what we know of them from FW and IF and the change in character didn't feel entirely smooth.

But Xaden IS her sword!!!!

The worldbuilding was ridiculous. Violet was dropping facts left right and center like the details of the aristocracy and politics at play were common knowledge - and maybe they are in world, but if they're that obvious then I feel like those details should've been worked into earlier books. I felt like I was floundering trying to keep up with all the new names and titles and roles.

In the same vein, the lore about magic made no sense. So only the Continent has magic but why? Was it drained from other places? Does it only occur naturally in certain areas? Dragons don't have magic that exists within them - they also draw from the source which? Hello hypocrites much? That was another thing that was said so casually, but that should've been one of those things we learned in Fourth Wing, at Threshing or right after.

There was too much happening with the plot to the point that I lost it completely. The trips to the isles were overwhelming. I know the venin and the irids were tied together, but those two things competed so much that I kept forgetting about whichever one we weren't talking about. Literally just. . . forgot about the venin there for a bit in the middle. We were looking for a cure but we were looking for Andarna's kind but we were trying to stop the venin and we were also gathering allies and making trade deals and none of those points were fleshed out completely.

The ending was vague and confusing in a way that made me frustrated instead of interested or anticipatory. I read the last two chapters three times and I still don't know what the fuck was going on there. So the Sage is. . . Fen? Is Garrick the one who also turned? Bodhi? Brennan? Ridoc? Fuck if I know. I understand the point of the marriage, to give Violet control over Tyrrendor legally, but I'm also pissed at the way it happened.

I know we don't want anyone to actually die, but I literally didn't even flinch when Mira's throat got cut open because I figured she'd be fine. There were no important deaths. Trager and Quinn didn't hit that hard. Not putting any of the main characters in significant danger makes the stakes feel lower than they should.

The fan service made me roll my eyes. I get it to a certain extent, but there were several times when I legitimately kind of felt like RY had been in fandom spaces or someone on her team was just feeding her popular theories to include.

The marked ones having second signets was. . . not my favorite choice, because logistically it doesn't make much sense. We should statistically see at least one of them go mad from the power instead of developing a second signet. And I actually think if that had been included it would have been more interesting! I'd like to see the reality of the risks that were taken to make the rebellion happen, but instead they just got really really lucky a bunch of times?

The use of the word Riorgail in print sent me to the fucking moon. No.

Violet's second signet. . . I don't want to talk about it.

Actually no I do. Since when are signets based on situational need and not who a person is at their core? Was that not what we were told previously? Am I tripping? I don't mind the power itself but I am confused.

Professor Riorson had me on the ground laughing. What the hell was that. There are enough barriers to their relationship, and that one felt too forced (but great fodder for smutty fic).

The characters and their relationships are the standout of the book and the series. I already said I loved Xaden and Violet here, but I also loved their friendships and how real especially the relationship with Brennan and Mira and Violet felt. The humor and the quips and the squad's constant support of each other was wonderful.

I'm holding onto those Sloane and Dain crumbs like a teddy bear you all have no idea. I love them.

Aaric being the one with precognition I didn't see coming, but I surprisingly liked it! I loved him stepping more into his role as prince and seeing how cunning and smart he really is.

Halden was unnecessary but I live for possessive and jealous Xaden.

Overall I think the pacing was crammed and the worldbuilding left me with more questions than answers, but did I still like it? Yes! I don't think it's my favorite in the series but it still was an enjoyable read. I'll want to read it again at some point I think, but not immediately!

[dinogoofymutated]

NSFW! Cable/AFAB!Reader

Alright! Last time this one will be posted lol. Thanks everyone for being patient with me, I know Cable isn't exactly a fan favorite compared to the other characters I write for on this blog, so I appreciate everyone being cool while I've been finishing this :) If you'd rather read the SFW version, You can find it here :) also, This fic has come callbacks to the previous cable fics I've written, So I'd recommend you read/Reread that one first! TWS: MDNI!!! Jealousy, creepy men, we choose the bear and the bear is Cable. Slight miscommunication, but healthy talks happen. PNV sex, fingering, dirty talk. Usage of pet name "pretty girl". Raw sex, wrap it bf u tap it guys.

    The bar is busier tonight than you’ve ever seen it. It’s humid, stuffy, and overly loud with all the warm bodies packed into the small space. You’ve never been one for crowds, but you know for a fact that Cable is certainly not a people person.

    The two of you had been crammed into a corner booth for about an hour and a half, originally having come to the bar to meet a contact that never ended up showing. Normally, the two of you would have gone home by now. It was your idea to stay and get something to eat, wanting to at least make some good with the newfound downtime. 

    You were comforted by the feeling of Cable’s keen gaze keeping an eye on you as you wove through the crowd, finding your way to the bar. You hold back a smile as you sit down, ordering some drinks for the two of you as you wait on the food. Eventually, you glance back at Cable and find him still staring at you, making eye contact as you send him a smile. You’re not surprised, but you raise a playful eyebrow at him. Cable, ever the protective grump, rolls his eyes at you in response, but you still spot the small smile he gives you when you send him a wink.

    “That beer for me, Beautiful?” The voice of a stranger cuts through your thoughts, and to be honest, you don’t even think he’s talking to you until you realize how close to you he is. He’s sat on the barstool next to you, leaning towards you like he can’t quite catch his balance. You make a face at him, nonchalantly moving Cable’s beer closer.

    “Last time I checked it wasn’t.” You say curtly. The man has a smile hiding behind his pout as he leans a little closer to you, oblivious to the way you casually recoil from him.

    “Oh c'mon, don’t play hard to get. I’m chill!” You can tell this guy is most definitely drunk, and you find yourself trying not to roll your eyes at him. If only he knew what kind of trouble he was in.

    “Sure you are. But believe me, my Husband is not.” You tell him. You're not married, but to be honest, you knew this guy wasn't going to leave you be if you left him with some vague label. Didn't matter anyway, however, the stranger laughs in your face, and his breath smells like alcohol and cheap cigarettes, a nasty combo that repulses you. You point back at the corner booth where the cable was sitting just a few minutes before, hoping that he’d at least back off at the sight of the six-foot hunk of muscle you call a lover. Unfortunately, He doesn't. 

    “What Husband?” The man says mockingly, and when you look at the booth you find yourself pointing at an empty seat. The sight lights a small flicker of anxiety in you, and your face falls as the man sets a hand on your shoulder and squeezes. It’s not there for long before the weight suddenly disappears. You snap your head around, feeling relief when you see the man’s wrist caught in Cable’s literal iron-clad grip. 

    “This Husband.” Cable grunts. 

    All of the blood drains from the stranger’s face in an instant, but it doesn’t take long for the attitude to come back. He tries to yank his arm out of Cable’s grip, but Cable’s arm doesn’t move an inch. To be honest, the sight kinda made you blush a little. Sure, you had seen Cable’s strength many times, but this… well. This was different. The guy starts to yank a little more aggressively, and all Cable has to do is clench his hand for the asshole to yelp and give up. You set a placating hand on his shoulder, and Cable glances back at you. His gaze softens, and he sighs before letting the guy go.

    “What’s your problem, man?” The stranger spits as he holds his bruised wrist. You had already gathered your things and was getting ready to get the hell outta dodge, giving Cable’s shoulder a hard pat as you desperately try to keep him from getting in a barfight. Cable is ignoring the guy, walking close behind you as you start to walk away.

    “ -s’ an ugly bitch, anyway.” The stranger mumbles under his breath, but not nearly as quiet as he should’ve. Cable stops in his tracks, wheels around, and slugs the guy with his left arm. There's a sickening crunch and the bar goes silent as the drunken stranger is violently knocked from his seat. Your first instinct is to scold Cable, but the guy had it coming anyway. You look around, and with every eye in the bar squarely on you and Cable, you decide you’ve definitely stayed past your welcome.

    “Ohhkay. Yeah, let’s go.” You tug on Cable's arm, practically dragging him away at first. You weren’t worried about the drunk, that guy sure as hell wasn’t getting up any time soon. To be honest, you were more concerned with the fact that you could never meet someone in this bar discreetly ever again. Yay. 

    The drive back to today’s apartment is silent, and you’re thinking too much about Cable, honestly. He’s not necessarily talkative himself, arms crossed in the passenger seat as he looks out the window. You send a nervous glance his way. You had called him your husband, and although it felt right in the moment as you tried to get another man off your back, you didn’t think that Cable would actually hear you. And boy, did he hear you. Sure, he responded… like he did. The memory of it almost makes your stomach flutter. Part of you wants to be absolutely delusional and just revel in the fact that he inadvertently called himself your husband, but what if he felt forced into it? What if he only said that so that you wouldn’t be caught in a lie? When you think about it, that had to be it. I mean, he was being overprotective in the first place, but he was just trying to defend you from unwanted attention. God- you just wish you could pull your thoughts together. Pick up the confusion and chuck it out the door.

    You drive on autopilot, and before you know it, you’re already “home”. Nathan splits off from you, going to change probably. The fact that he hasn’t really looked at you yet makes you even more anxious, but to be honest, you probably wouldn’t have noticed if he had. He wasn’t usually affectionate when he was high-strung, and you knew that, but still. You can't seem to let it go.  You’re curled up on the couch when Nathan joins you, fresh out of the shower and already in casual clothes. He gives you a little space as he sits, like he doesn’t want to startle you. He’s still as stoic as ever, but at least he doesn’t look angry. You’re itching to say something, to speak, and he can tell. 

    Nathan could feel your anxiety since the car, and no matter how badly he wanted to know why, he could tell that you needed a moment to get it out. He crosses his arms with a sigh. He didn’t consider himself a jealous man, but when that idiot at the bar started talking to you he just couldn’t stand it. He knows he blew your cover big time with that punch, but there would always be another crusty bar to go to. In all honesty, he was more concerned with your change in attitude. You receded into yourself in-between the bar and the car, and he didn’t want to know if he was the reason why. He wonders if he overstepped.

    “Sorry, by the way.” You finally manage to say. Nathan cocks an eyebrow at you.

    “For what?” He asks. You look away nervously, fiddling with your fingers.

    “For when I called you my husband back there. I know we’re certainty not… well, I was just scrambling and needed something concrete- and calling you my boyfriend felt weird so-” 

    “Take a breath.” You’re surprised as he cuts you off, feeling a little stupid as you try to collect yourself. There was so much you had been through, so much that you had learned how to handle, but this?? Why was it so hard to communicate feelings like this when you normally can communicate with him so easily on the battlefield? He was probably tired of your rambling.

    “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I get it. We wouldn’t have even had a problem if the guy had taken a hint.” Nathan says, pissed off at the thought of the guy putting his hands on you still. You glance at him, a confused look on your face as you lean back on the couch.

    “So…?”

    “So, don’t apologize. It’s not like I actually…” Nathan stops for a moment, and your heart skips a beat. “I didn’t mind it” He finishes.

    “Oh?... Oh.” You say, slightly taken aback. Nathan is flushed red, staring straight ahead as he avoids looking at you.

    “So we’re okay, right?” You ask.

    “Of course we are,” Nate responds immediately, without even thinking. He looks over at you finally, still blushing a little. You relax at that, having a bit of deja vu. You realize that one of you had moved closer during the conversation, and your sides were pressing together. Nathan’s hair is messy, the gell having washed out during his shower. You always liked how fluffy it was like this, and to be honest, you can't help but reach up and run a hand through his hair. He huffs at the action, a ghost of a smile on his face as he rolls his eyes at you, but he doesn’t stop you from doing it. He’s a bit too tall for you to comfortably reach, even sitting down. Your arm is getting a bit tired, but you don’t want to ruin a sweet moment like this one. After a minute of you debating what to do, Nathan sighs and pulls you into his lap. 

    “You think too much.” He says, closing his eyes. He brings one of your hands back up to his hair, encouraging you to keep going. You hadn’t expected the action, almost startled by it. Sure, it wasn't like you had never touched him before, but the two of you… you were still getting the hang of things. New changes, familiar feelings. It felt good to be this close to him, and for once you know that you don’t have to worry about your time together being cut short.

    “Does it bother you?” You ask quietly. “When I think too much?” Nathan hums, hands resting on your waist.

    “...No. You think more than anyone I’ve ever met. Your mind is always running about something or other. Really, I’d be more concerned if you weren’t thinking.” You notice a slight change in his demeanor during his last sentence, but you don’t comment on it. Instead, you find yourself admiring his face. Your hands shift down from his hair, rubbing your thumbs under his eyes, across his cheekbones. Your eyes drift down to his lips, and you can’t help but lean in and kiss him. He’s surprised for a moment, eyes flickering open and then shut as he cups the nape of your neck and kisses you back. You sigh into him, moving to straddle his legs as his left arm tugs you closer to him by your waist. The cold metal chills you through the fabric of your shirt, his thumb idly rubbing against you. 

    Both of you are out of breath when you separate, caught up in the unbreakable connection between the two of you. You look into his pretty brown eyes, and you want to say it. You want to say those little words so badly. But you know you shouldn’t. There was something about saying it that made everything a little too real, that made everything seem a bit too different. You want to say it, but you don't. You know he knows. You know- you hope he feels the same. It’s all you could ever hope.

    “Of course I do,” Nathan whispers, a look so similar to heartbreak on his face. Your eyes widen, once again not realizing his intrusion into your thoughts. Then again, maybe you were just so used to him lingering in the back of your mind that you didn’t notice anymore. You kiss him again. This one is slower, more intimate, more sensual, and he returns it in the same manner. You’re feeling a little sappy, but content just the same. Nathan finds himself in a similar well of emotions, hoping that next time he won't have to remind you for you to know it’s true. 

    Nathan kisses you again, and again. He drags his teeth across your lower lip before smoothing the skin with his tongue. You eagerly open your mouth, goosebumps forming on your skin as he takes the invitation. Both of his hands have moved down to your waist, squeezing the plush skin as the kiss begins to morph into something a little more intense than it originally was. You feel cold fingers start to drift under the fabric of your shirt for a split second before he shifts you to the side.

    Nathan begins to crawl over you, pressing your back onto the couch cushions as he keeps kissing you. He holds himself up with his left arm as the other one begins to slide further underneath your shirt. He’s completely caught up in you and the feeling of you against him. His kisses begin to trail down the side of your neck, and it’s like he knows every sensitive spot by heart. You tangle a hand in his hair again in an entirely different manner than you had done the last time. He shifts his weight so that his other arm has more room to work with. 

    The mood dies a little when your hair gets pinched by something. You let out a yelp of pain, and Nathan immediately recedes from you. You flinch at another tug, realizing that your hair has gotten caught in his metal arm. Nathan is wide-eyed as he leans up, untangling himself from you so that he can carefully tug your hair free. You sit up as he does, rubbing your sore scalp. He raises a hand like he wants to do the same but doesn’t. He makes a sour look at himself and his arm before he begins to lean away from you completely.

    “Sorry, I’ve overstepped,” Nathan says. Your stomach drops to your feet as you scramble to grab a hold of his shirt, keeping him close to you in a bit of an awkward position.

    “No!” You say, a little louder than you intended to. Nathan looks a you, more confused than surprised, like he couldn’t fathom why you were holding onto him, why you wanted him to continue.

     “I… I’m fine with… just-” You’re struggling to say it, flushed beet red at just the thought of what you’re trying to say. Eventually, you huff and give up, fingers playing with the fabric of his shirt. You tug on it a little, but Nathan doesn’t move.

    “Don’t make me ask, Nate.” You say. His breath hitches. You bite your lip and his eyes catch on the sight. He catches himself before he gets a little too distracted, and glances away for a moment before making a decision.

    “Okay. But we're not doing this on the couch.” Nathan grumbles. He stands, pulling you up with him as he does so, and you can’t stop yourself from tugging him down for yet another kiss. He has to bend down to meet you, a little too tall to kiss you comfortably. It’s not much of a problem though, especially when the man you're kissing is strong enough to lift you into his arms like you're weightless. The kiss only breaks for a second as he lifts you up, encouraging you to wrap your legs around him as he walks to the bedroom. You realize just how much warmth had begun to pool at the change of position, feeling a wetness between your legs that you wonder if he can feel. 

    You don’t want to distract him as he carries you, but every time you pull away from his kisses he drags you back to him, biting and sucking on your lips in faux annoyance.  It’s like he already has the apartment mapped out in his mind, barely needing to look to navigate through it all. He doesn’t bother closing the bedroom door when he gets there, plopping you down on the bed before he’s crawling over you again, kissing your neck and collarbones as his hands drift underneath your shirt. His hand is rough and calloused compared to the plush skin he finds there, the metal of his other one cold and smooth. You swear it leaves a trail of goosebumps in its wake. 

    You clench your thighs together as he touches you, not quite used to the feeling. It’s been a while since anyone has touched you like this, and you find yourself completely overtaken by Nathan. He nips at the skin of your neck, and you gasp at the feeling. He continues to suck and lick at the spot, and when he’s done, he starts another one. You wonder if the man at the bar would have still approached you if you had been marked up like this before, wearing a purple, tender kind of jewelry that you’d only let Nathan give to you. You try to project the thought on purpose, hoping that he’ll pick it up. You think about everywhere else he could mark you, and Nathan curses as he sees the images in his mind as clearly as they appear in yours, a hand thumbing at your bra before it slides under you to unclip it.

    Nathan leans back as he takes your shirt off, the bra coming with it. You try not to shy up as he openly admires your breasts, watching as your nipple pebbles when he brings his cool left hand up to caress the skin. His eyes catch your own as he leans down to your chest, kissing a trail from your collarbones to the peak of your left breast. He sucks and nips at the soft, squishy skin, taking the nipple into his mouth after he had his fill. You let out a small noise of pleasure, gasping at the feeling of his tongue against the sensitive nub as his other hand lovingly caresses the other.

    Your hands wander up and down the expanse of his back, sliding under his pajama shirt. Nathan shudders as you gingerly slide your fingers over his scars, and the torn skin that marks the difference between man and machine. Your fingers follow the seam of scarring delicately, caressing the skin. You feel how his skin prickles, and wonder about the extent of his sensitivities before he nips a little harshly at your nipple to catch your attention. You wince at the feeling before he smoothes it over with his tongue. He kisses your breast one last time before he moves back to your lips. 

   You lean into the kiss with a hum, inviting him inside of your mouth as his hands trail down to your waistband. His thumbs hook underneath the fabric before he starts to pull it off of you, underwear included. He breaks from the kiss, wiping the trail of spit that connects your mouths. He leans back onto his knees, kissing down your stomach as he slides your pants off completely. His shirt is next to go, revealing the strong muscles that lie underneath. Your eyes trail down to the bulge in his pants, a certain kind of warmth forming in your chest as you realize that every part of him is intimidating. You feel yourself clench at the thought, spreading your legs shyly, inviting him to touch you where you want him the most.

    It’s like something in Nathan's snaps as he takes in the sight of you. Your flushed face, heaving chest. The marks he’s left across your upper body.

    “Fuck.” He practically growls as he grabs ahold of your thighs, dragging your core flush to his hips and grinding into you smoothly. You can’t help but moan in both pleasure and surprise at the sensation of his soft pajama pants pressing into your bare lips. He feels good against you, his hardness hot and aching to be inside of your warmth.

    “Please,” You gasp. “Please, Nate. I need you.” He curses again at the sound of your voice, his hips jerking into your own. 

    “Not yet. Beautiful.” He rumbles, Struggling to pull himself away from the steady grind. “-Can’t yet. Don’t want to hurt you.” You whine when he stops moving, and he leans forward to kiss you. You twitch at the feeling of his thick fingers sliding through your folds, collecting the wetness he finds there. Nathan groans, knowing just how much you want him from that simple action. He teases you, sliding the pads of his fingers down from your clit to the slit below it, circling your entrance before doing it all over again. You don’t have to say a word for Nathan to know you’re complaining. He chuckles at you, before slipping a finger inside.

    It’s thick. You knew it would be, but feeling it was entirely different. You break from the kiss with a moan as he curls the finger and catches that spongey spot inside of you. He moves his kisses to your cheek, and the spot below your ear as he has one arm keep your hips from jerking. He’s slow and thorough as he prepares you, a second finger sliding in with ease when he deems you ready for it. You knew he was good with his hands, but this was giving you a whole new definition of the phrase. The wet noises coming from you are almost embarrassing as he fingers you, hand absolutely soaked from your wetness already. He uses his other hand to start rubbing your clit, and the pleasure almost becomes too much.

    “Nathan.” You whimper his name, pleading with him. You needed him, badly. You didn’t want to cum yet, not without him inside of you, not without hearing his low groans and moans as you take him exactly like you were meant to. You clench around his fingers at the thought, and he hums as he pulls them away. 

    He pulls you up, switching the position so that you’re on top of him. You don’t hide the fact that you’re watching him as he finally takes off his pants, his cock slapping against his lower abdomen as it slips out of the waistband. You wait till he’s fully kicked them off before you begin to stroke him, twisting your hand at the head of his cock. He groans out your name, and another plume of fire lights inside of you as he does so. You really liked how that sounded, falling from his lips. 

    He’s just as thick as you thought he would be. Your hand can't wrap fully around him, red and straining. His cock twitches as you run your thumb across the slit, collecting the precum that was beading there. You're addicted to the noises falling from his mouth, giving him a slight squeeze to hear him moan again. 

    Nathan grabs your wrist gently when he's had enough, face flushed and breathing heavily. He helps you angle your hips over him, lining himself up with your slit. The head of his cock notches against you, and both of you want so desperately for him to be inside. There's a quiet - schlick- as he slides through that first ring of muscle, both of you moaning at the feeling.

    You take it slow while you're taking him in, circling your hips as You lower yourself down slowly. Fuck- this feels so much better than his fingers. You rest your head against his chest as you struggle to take him, even as wet as you are.

    His hands comfortingly slide up and down your thighs when he bottoms out. You take a moment to collect yourself, feeling a slight pinch with how deeply he fit inside of you. Nathan gives you time, pulling you into another breath taking kiss as you adjust.

    When you're comfortable, you begin gently rocking your hips against his own, feeling Nathan sigh against you. You're grinding your clit against his pelvis each time you rock, enjoying the added pressure against your sweet spot. You begin to work yourself into a pace, reveling in Nathan's groans as you bounce on top of him. 

    His cock is hitting all the right spots inside of you, his hands now gripping the flesh of your ass as he thrusts up into you with each stroke of your hips. He feels so unbelievably good, hot and heavy inside of you. 

    You desperately try to keep up as his thrusts pick up the pace, wanting all of him and more. But your thighs were staring to get sore, and your knees aching from the position. You tuck your head into the crook of Nathan’s neck, balancing yourself on him as a means to catch up, but you just can't. You slow your hips, catching your breath as Nathan continues to trust his hips. He's trying his best to slow down for you, absolutely lost in the feeling of your soft skin and wet cunt.

  “Come on, pretty girl. You can do better than that.” Nate says, making you moan in surprise as he gives you a particularly sharp thrust. You shake your head, pleading with him to just roll you over, take you at whatever speed he would like. He's hesitant at first but you're kissing his neck, nipping and sucking at a spot he doesn't remember being so sensitive.

    “Please, Nate.” You whisper into his ear, and he shivers, body stiffening under you. “Please,” 

    In less than a second, you're under him, legs on top of his shoulders as he thrusts into you wildly. His eyes are hooded, gazing at you lustfully as your breasts bounce with every movement. The sound of skin slapping on skin is loud and pornographic as his balls slap against you with his thrusts, the grunts and moans coming from the both of you not much better.

    Nathan brings a hand down to rub at your clit as his hips begin to stutter, closing in on his pleasure. Your hips jerk as he does so, quickly reaching that peak of white-hot pleasure yourself. He moans your name as your inner walls clench, back arching as you get closer- closer- so close-

    You call out for him when you cum, his hands holding you still by your hips as he ruthlessly fights to reach that peak of pleasure. You're clenching around him as you ride out your orgasm, and it's almost too much.

    Nathan pulls out of you when he cums, sticky streams of white splattering on your stomach. He grinds himself against you a few more times, coming down from the pleasure. Your legs have gone limp against him, boneless as you pant and tremble beneath him. Nathan kisses the inside of your ankles before he eases them down. 

    He leans above you, kissing you tenderly as he cleans you up with his shirt, having dragged the clothing into his hands with his telekinesis. When he's done thoroughly wiping you down, he falls beside you. He rolls you onto his side as he holds you tightly. He's pleasantly exhausted, looking at you in a way that you've never seen before. 

    His large hand comes up to rest against your neck, thumb running over the tender spots on your skin. You make a bit of a face at the soreness.

    “Those are definitely gonna bruise, aren't they?” You ask, somewhat weary of the marks now that the sexy excitement has worn off. Nate huffs a laugh.

    “Yeah.” He affirms. You pout at him as he brushes the hair out of your face, sighing in exasperation. To be honest, you didn’t mind it too much. Certainly not enough to be mad at him for it. 

    “Did you mean what you said earlier?” You ask, closing your eyes as you snuggle into him. Nathan’s hand rubs your back soothingly as you start to drift off.

    “Hm?”

    “Did you mean it. When you said you didn’t mind me calling you my husband.” Nathan is silent for a moment. You don’t quite have the energy to read into it like you would have before, but you're relieved when he speaks up.

    “...yeah” You smile at his answer, pressing a chaste kiss to his chest as you begin to fall asleep, content and wrapped in his arms.

[skyward-floored]

Whumptober Day 28 - No-holds-barred beatdown, exposure, used as bait

CONTINUATION TO DAY 13 go read that one if you haven’t (or if you need a refresher it’s been so long lol)

Hi I'm still kicking <3 only three left after this, I WILL be finishing these, NO MATTER WHAT RAAAAAH. my goal is to be done before the 15th but we'll see how that goes. I'm going to try 😓

The prompts used aren’t the best, but they were the only ones that even vaguely fit lol. The third one doesn’t even come into effect until the very end. Also this was only going to be one more part. but. they kept talking.

Warnings: violence, injury, a handful of previous warnings from day 13

Day 13

ao3 link

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Sky and Warriors woke up at the same time.

Twilight stirred from his spot on the ground, having let his mind wander as he’d waited. His body still ached a bit, and it wasn't helped by his stint on the cold floor, but he sat up anyway as Warriors’ eyelids fluttered, and a squeaky moan came from Time’s back, Sky’s tail flicking. Twilight looked between the two, then went to Sky first, since strangely enough it seemed like he was waking up faster.

Legend sat next to Warriors, saying something to him as he woke, and Time watched the two with slightly narrowed eyes. He looked at Twilight as he walked up, flicking an ear as Warriors let out a disbelieving noise and Legend squawked angrily.

“Here,” Time said, carefully leaning over and sliding Sky off his back. “I’m going to go make sure Legend doesn’t bite him. And that the captain doesn’t stomp our veteran by accident. Or on purpose.”

Twilight nodded, and sat down next to Sky as his blue eyes flickered open.

“Easy Sky,” Twilight woofed as he moved a little, and Sky twitched his nose.

“Ow...” he groaned, and Twilight gave his ear a gentle lick. “...Oh, hey rancher... why’re you so big?” he asked blearily, squinting as he tried to sit up. His paws slipped out from under him though, and Sky stared at them in bewilderment, the expression honestly adorable on his furry face. He wiggled a few toes, and stared at the fur and claws, blinking in shock.

“Rancher?” Sky repeated in more of an alarmed voice. “What’s going on?”

“Short version? We all got turned into animals,” Twilight admitted, giving Sky a little push with his snout in order to help him sit up when he tried again. “We fell down here and all transformed somehow. You’re one of those cat things on your island, a... was it a remake?”

“A remlit,” Sky corrected, sounding a little calmer, but still disturbed. He studied his paws, and tilted his head back, trying to look at his ears and tail. “Huh. Just like Legend that one time. Those... women did this to us?”

“Yep, the creepy voice ones. Or something down here did, we’re not exactly sure. But it’s their fault somehow,” Twilight confirmed, and watched intently as Sky shakily stood up, paws trembling. “You feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I’m— yeah. This is just... weird,” he admitted. “I... this was dark magic, wasn’t it?”

“We think so, yeah.”

Sky frowned and looked around the dark cave, large ears swiveling, and both he and Twilight jumped as they heard a distressed whinny. Twilight whirled around, and saw Warriors attempting to get to his hooves, his legs wobbling underneath him.

“Easy Captain, don’t move too quickly,” Time warned, and Warriors snorted, tossing his head.

“Don’t ‘easy’ me, I’m not staying like this a moment longer than I have to!” Warriors said, nearly falling over. “Horses are fine, I like horses, but I don’t want to be one!”

“Actually you’re a unicorn,” Legend said helpfully, and Warriors huffed angrily as Time moved to his side, helping to steady him.

“Right. I’m a horse with a big pointy stick on my head. Wonderful.”

“At least you can stab things,” Legend continued, nose twitching in amusement. “You didn’t have a weapon before, and now you do. Besides, I think the horn really compliments your flowing locks.”

“I could almost say the same,” Warriors snorted. “Flowing locks indeed. Finally the mystery of the pink hair is solved. I wouldn’t have guessed a bunny rabbit would be the cause but you—”

“Now see here—”

“All right, that’s enough,” Time said with a sharp look at the both of them. “Captain, are you feeling all right? We all saw how rough that transformation was.”

“I’m fine,” Warriors mumbled, pawing at the floor.

Twilight glanced back at Sky, who was sniffing at the scratches on his side with a wince on his face. He’d managed to stand by himself though, and so Twilight moved over to Warriors, the captain’s legs still wobbling.

“Relax Captain, we’re going to fix this,” Twilight reassured, and Warriors made another annoyed sound, his tail swishing.

“So long as we don’t need opposable thumbs,” he said. Twilight sighed.

“We’ll manage, Captain. I know this isn’t ideal, but we’ll figure it out.”

“Easy for you to say, you’re used to having four legs,” Warriors said in a sharp voice, and Twilight flattened his ears in annoyance.

“I’m stuck like this too, Captain. Just because I’m more used to four legs doesn’t mean I don’t want my regular ones back,” Twilight snapped, his worry and fear at the whole situation abruptly bursting out. “Now if you’re done arguing with Legend we still don’t know where half our group is, so if you’re able to walk without falling over let’s get going.”

Warriors blinked, obviously taken aback, and Twilight turned away from Time’s frown and stuck his nose up in the air to sniff for any more familiar scents.

The faintest hint of one that wasn’t rock or cave smell wafted by his nose, and Twilight turned in a slow circle, trying to pinpoint it. He caught a bigger whiff, and gestured with his head.

“I think I found someone else,” he said, and Time hummed in a growly way.

“Are you guys ready to move?” Legend asked, looking askance at both Sky and Warriors. Sky hesitated, his legs still wobbly, but when he walked around in a small circle he was able to keep his footing. Warriors gave a curt nod, his legs looking steadier, and he didn’t look over at Twilight.

Twilight felt a little sting of shame, but he swallowed it back. He could apologize later.

“This way,” he said, turning into the darkness, and the others followed along behind him, Warriors’ hooves clicking against the stone floor.

They kept the pace slow, in respect for both small and unsteady legs. Twilight felt impatience simmer under his fur, but he knew he couldn’t just run ahead. He was currently one of their few lines of defense, and who knew how many monsters might be around down here?

Sky and Legend walked together beside him, Sky asking questions about being an animal, Legend answering as well as he could. Warriors was obviously listening in as well, and Twilight even noticed Time’s ear swivel back when Legend started in on ways he dealt with fights.

Twilight... probably ought to be giving tips as well, he certainly had plenty of knowledge to draw on. But he was intent on following the scent, keeping a nose out for any others, watching for monsters, and also looking for a way out. Legend could handle the crash course in being an animal.

What a disaster.

Twilight sighed and kept sniffling, trying to identify exactly who’s scent it was he was following. He stepped past a couple large rocks that glowed faintly green, and as the scent grew steadily stronger, Twilight suddenly paused, his stomach sinking. Even with the strange overtone to it, he suddenly knew exactly who’s scent he was following.

He bolted, leaving the others behind, knowing the source of the scent was close. Twilight turned a corner, intently sniffing, and sure enough a few moments later his paw bumped into a small, grey-blue creature.

Twilight froze, and lowered himself to the floor, almost not believing what he was seeing.

“Oh boy... champion?” he asked, nuzzling gently at him. Wild don’t move, unconscious, and Twilight gave his head a small lick. “Hey, wake up for me?”

A chirrupy groan came from Wild’s still form, and his eyelids flickered, blues resting hazily on Twilight’s face.

“Mm... Twi?” he mumbled, ears twitching. “Where... ow... why does my whole body hurt?”

Twilight winced. “Well, it ah... might have to do with the fact that you’re a squirrel.”

Wild blinked slowly, his gaze still bleary. He flicked his ears again, twitched his tail once, then jerked to his feet with a completely flabbergasted expression.

“A WHAT?!” he yelped right as the others all rounded the corner and caught sight of him. Legend took one look at Wild’s bushy tail before his face cracked into a huge grin.

“Champion you’re— you’re a squirrel!” Legend spluttered, then burst into uproarious laughter, looking at Wild with pure glee on his face. “That’s the best thing I’ve seen all day!”

“IT’S NOT FUNNY!” Wild screeched, his fluffy tail sticking straight up. He looked a solid mixture of offended and freaked out. “WHAT’S FUNNY ABOUT TURNING INTO A SQUIRREL?!”

“It’s hilarious, actually,” Legend cackled, wheezing as he fell backwards, nearly tripping Sky. “A squirrel! No wonder you’re such a hoarder!”

Legend burst into another peal of laughter, and Wild stumbled backwards, every bit of him tense. Twilight moved towards him, and Wild let out a panicked little chirp.

“Wild, it’s okay,” Sky said, and Wild twitched his nose as Twilight gently nuzzled his head. He could hear Wild’s tiny heart beating like a drum.

“Are you hurt at all?” Time asked, and Wild shook his head, his tail lowering a little.

“No, I’m fine. I just... no. Don’t like this.”

Wild swiped a paw over his face as his nose twitched again, and Twilight very firmly held back the urge to laugh. Now was not the time, even if Wild being a squirrel was admittedly... rather hilarious. At least on par with Legend being a rabbit.

Maybe Farore has a sense of humor.

“Hey, you’ve just gotta adjust,” Legend said as he gave himself a shake, finally getting ahold of himself. “Just think how it could be worse. You could be a bug or something.”

“But I’m a squirrel!” Wild chittered frantically, his tail whirling all over the place. “I’m tiny! I’m defenseless! I can’t even hold a weapon like this!”

“Wow. What a hardship,” Legend said in a deadpan. “Being a small mostly-defenseless woodland creature.”

Wild opened his mouth to retort, then slowly closed it again, staring at Legend like he hadn’t truly looked at him until now.

“Oh. Uh... you’re... a pink blupee thing?”

“A rabbit. We all got transformed, Wild, calm down. I’m sure we'll be able to fix it,” Twilight reassured, and Wild groaned, pulling his tail over his face.

“I hate this. No thank you. Nope.”

“Join the club,” Warriors sighed, and Twilight sat down beside the little ball that was currently Wild, giving him another lick. Wild uncurled a little, looking at Twilight with thinly-hidden panic in his eyes, and Twilight’s chest tightened. Wild rarely looked so rattled.

“You’re sure you’re not hurt?” he asked quietly, and Wild nodded.

“Just sore,” he said quietly. “That transformation was awful. Is... everyone else okay?”

“We don’t know. We haven’t found everyone yet,” Twilight explained with a sigh. “No sign of Hyrule, Wind, or Four.”

“But I’m sure we’ll find them,” Sky said hopefully, his large ears spread wide. “If nothing else I’ll be able to hear them with these big old things.”

Time chuckled, and Wild’s tail flicked around, the champion obviously still distressed. But he took a deep breath and sat up, determination in his eyes. Sky watched Wild’s tail swish around as he studied everybody’s animal forms, Sky’s pupils going wide, and suddenly shot out a paw to bap at it.

Wild jumped, and Sky immediately drew back, spouting apologies.

“Sorry! Sorry It caught my attention and I was just going to watch it but then I... I don’t know why I did that,” he finished in bewilderment.

Time let out a huff from nearby. “Instincts. Never know when they’re going to kick in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve eaten rocks without thinking.”

Twilight wasn’t the only one who gave him a strange look at that.

Unfortunately none of them got to press the question, since right as Twilight opened his mouth to ask, a loud rumbling sound came from somewhere in the cave, the ground shaking under their feet.

Warriors stumbled, and Sky and Wild both fell over, the cave shaking so violently Twilight wondered if it was about to fall on their heads. He quickly positioned himself over the smallest members of the group, but the shaking abruptly stilled, and the cave went deathly quiet.

Then Twilight growled as a familiar voice suddenly spoke.

“You have all faced the magic and come out unbroken. You have passed the first stage,” the croaking voice echoed through the cave. “The second stage still remains. Survive and we will collect the chosen downstream at the crystal waters.”

“Good luck! I can’t wait for you to finish,” the other voice said excitedly, and Twilight saw Warriors flinch.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Legend growled, and Twilight saw Sky’s claws slide out.

“Return us to our normal bodies!” Warriors shouted, the whinny echoing off the walls.

“I don’t think she can understand you,” Wild pointed out, then raised himself to his hind legs, showing off the sword-shaped patch of white on his belly. “Here— RETURN US TO OUR NORMAL BODIES YOU CULTY FREAKS!”

There was no reply.

“I doubt she liked being called a freak,” Time said dryly.

“Yeah, probably not. But still. Rude,” Legend sniffed. “Guess we’ll just survive phase two then.”

“We need to find the others,” Twilight spoke up, unable to keep the worry from his voice. “Now.“

“She said we all survived the magic though, doesn’t that mean they’re all okay?” Wild spoke up, and Sky’s tail flicked worriedly.

“She didn’t say anything about other dangers, though.”

As if summoned, a monster’s howl rang through the tunnels, and everyone stiffened, heads turning toward the sound.

“Wild, Legend, on Twilight’s back, Sky, you sit on Time, we’ll save the most time,” Warriors said quickly, and Legend helped Wild scramble up onto Twilight’s back, Sky carefully moving to sit on Time’s. “I’d... take one of you, but I don’t know how steady I can keep myself.”

“I’ve got them,” Twilight reassured, noticing the frustration on Warriors’ face. Warriors met his gaze, and Twilight lowered his head, ears flicking down. An apology for earlier.

Warriors looked at him a moment, then nodded back, apologizing as well.

Twilight breathed out, a little of the nauseating emotions rolling around in him easing a bit. He may be tired, cold, hungry, in pain and worried, but that was no excuse to take it out on Warriors.

They needed to work together to get out of this mess.

They all rushed off, Warriors having trouble going at a pace much faster than a walk, but pushing himself anyway. That had been a victorious sort of monster cry, and they didn’t have time to waste. Even if Warriors kept tripping on his hooves and barely catching himself.

“So,” Wild said after a minute, and Twilight flicked an ear to show he was listening. “How come you and the old man are wolves while the rest of us are... everything else?”

“I was wondering that too,” Legend spoke up. “...I still think it’s beyond unfair.”

“I don’t know why,” Twilight admitted. “Your form says something about your person, they reflect your spirit... or it does in my case. Even though the circumstances are weird, I’m guessing it’s the same for the rest of you. I guess mine and Time’s just happen to be similar.”

“And I’m a squirrel,” Wild grumbled, and Twilight sighed.

“Yeah. Squirrels aren’t so bad though. They’re hardy, smart, good at climbing, jumping... besides, we can’t all be unicorns,” Twilight pointed out as he hopped over a rock, and Wild and Legend both let out small huffs of laughter.

“I guess not. Still pretty strange there’s so much variety,” Wild hummed. “I would’ve guessed we’d all be wolves.”

He was quiet for several seconds, and Twilight turned his attention back to navigating through the dark cave.

“...Wait a second, if our animal forms reflect us, and Legend is a bunny—”

“Don’t you dare finish that thought.”

Wild chittered out a laugh.

His amusement faded when another snarl echoed through the caves though, and Twilight exchanged a glance with Time, trotting even faster. If anyone was hurt because they couldn’t get to them in time, Twilight didn’t know what he would do.

The green rocks increased in frequency around them, the darkness of cave a bit less intense. Twilight could hear water now, and regular grumbles and snorts that sounded like monsters. Time caught Warriors when he tripped again, and they all ran down the sloping passageway.

They turned a corner, and Twilight’s eyes went wide.

An underground stream flowed in front of them, wide, but fast, water a crystalline blue so bright it looked unnatural. More of those green rocks were scattered in and around the water, and though Twilight couldn’t see colors the best as a wolf, he could tell the mix of them was rather pretty.

But more important than the water or rocks was the group of moblins on the other side, one dragging a motionless deer behind it, another trying to bat away something running around by its feet.

“Hey!” Wild shouted, and leapt off of Twilight’s back, rushing over to the stream and attempting to hop across the rocks. His paws skidded on the slippery stone, but he managed to hang on and keep going. Twilight barked for Legend to hold on, and jumped into the water, quickly swimming across.

The water was achingly cold, but Twilight ignored it and Legend’s small squeak of dismay, paddling as fast as he could. The current wasn’t too fast for him, and Twilight leapt onto the shore right as a moblin kicked the small figure at its feet, making it squeal in pain.

Whoever it was went flying, and Twilight lunged for the moblin, teeth bared. Legend clung to his fur as he bowled the moblin over, and Twilight heard Time snarl as well, a different monster screeching in pain.

The disgusting tang of monster blood got in his mouth as he snapped at the moblin, but Twilight didn't let go until it let out a dying gurgle and went limp. He raised his head, watching Time struggle with his own moblin, Sky trying to help where he could, and also saw Warriors hurriedly trying to cross the water beside Wild.

Nobody had reached the moblin dragging the deer by the leg though, and Twilight whirled towards it, leaping at the beast with his fangs bared.

It saw him coming, and dodged his lunge to its neck, Twilight’s teeth closing around its arm instead. It snarled in anger as it dropped the deer, then raised a large club above its head, eyes glinting maliciously. Twilight knew he wouldn’t be able to move in time to avoid it, but then Legend leapt off his back, attaching himself to the moblin’s face and scratching and kicking at it furiously.

It screeched, and Twilight bit it on the wrist, making it drop its weapon. The moblin gave its head a violent shake and Legend went flying, but the opening was what Twilight needed to leap forward and finally bury his teeth in its neck.

He heard a splash behind him, fear ratcheting into his throat, but he couldn’t let go until the moblin fell still and it was stubbornly refusing to do so.

Come on, die already! Twilight thought with a snarl, abruptly twisting his head to the side.

A sickening crack rang out, and the moblin finally fell still, its tongue lolling. Twilight felt a lurch in his stomach at the more violent instinct he’d given into, but he swallowed it back and spat blood from his mouth.

He turned back to the water, and felt a quick flicker of relief as he saw Time standing over Legend's limp form, viciously attacking anything that came nearby. There were only three moblins left now, and Warriors was attempting to handle the other two, Wild goading them on and distracting them while Warriors attacked with his hooves and horn.

Which just left the question of where Sky and the other animal had gone.

Twilight whined anxiously, looking around the bloody shore for any sign of them. There was a lot going on, but he was sure that he would’ve noticed one or the both of them being hurt.

Twilight suddenly saw splashing, and he hurried over to the water, ears pricking as he saw a lithe shape struggling towards the shore, Sky’s large ears visible beside it. Twilight leaned way out, prepared to jump in if necessary, and when both heads dipped below the water, Twilight quickly splashed in and gently snatched them both by the scruff.

He dragged them to shore and set them down, then frantically sniffed the both of them, Sky's scratches reopened, the other animal's tail bleeding.

“Are you two okay?” Twilight barked urgently, and the lithe, creamy colored animal nodded shakily as he scooted closer to Sky.

“I’m good,” Wind’s voice chirped tiredly from it, turning his head so that Twilight got a good look at the swirl of blue on his head and back. “Or good enough. This... is so weird.”

“Yeah,” Twilight agreed, then turned his attention to Sky, the poor remlit panting with exhaustion in a soggy heap on the ground. “You good buddy?”

“Give... me... a sec...” Sky coughed, a shiver running through him.

Twilight nodded, and glanced back at the battle just in time to see a moblin charging for them, eyes crazed.

Wind squealed in alarm and Twilight leapt to intercept the monster, snapping at its neck. Somehow it managed to dodge the attack, and abruptly slammed its club into his side, making Twilight yelp in pain.

He was knocked to the ground, but despite the pain he got back up almost instantly. The moblin was running for Sky, and a feral snarl escaped Twilight as he leapt back at the moblin again. This time he managed to knock it off-balance, and Twilight and the moblin went sprawling to the ground, snarls and the snapping of teeth ringing through the cave as they struggled.

Twilight ignored the sharp ache ringing up his side and focused only on taking down the moblin that had been charging for Wind and Sky. It gave as good as it got, and Twilight was already scratched and kicked and sorely aching when the moblin suddenly raked its claws into his muzzle.

A sharp sting ripped across his face, and Twilight yelped in pain as he reeled back, tears welling in his eyes.

“Twilight!”

Something snapped in Twilight, and despite the sharp pain, he lunged back in again, snapping ferociously at the moblin’s neck. He clawed and tore and shook the monster under him, and it wasn’t until something pressed against his side and shouted his name that Twilight realized the moblin had gone still, and it was silent in the cave once more.

Twilight stumbled back, panting as blood dripped from his face and mouth, staring at the ripped-up moblin below him. It was barely recognizable, and bile rose in his throat, shame and disgust slamming into him. Something suddenly butted gently against his side, and Twilight wearily raised his head, seeing Time looking at him with alarm in his eye.

The older hero was gently supporting him, and Twilight wondered why before he suddenly realized his legs were trembling.

“I’m okay,” Twilight said finally, sitting down with a whine at the pain in his side and face. At Time’s incredulous look, Twilight huffed. “Seriously, I am. Nothing’s broken, just bruised, I can tell.”

“Bruised ribs are no joke,” Warriors said as he walked by, but he didn’t stop to bother Twilight about it further. He was making his way over to the deer, who was still lying ominously still on the ground. Legend at least had stirred nearby, but he looked a little dazed, a paw held close to his chest.

Fear lurched through him and Twilight struggled back to his feet, Time still supporting his side, and he walked slowly over to Legend and the deer.

Time didn’t further question his injuries, but Twilight could feel his gaze on him as they made a brief detour for Twilight to wash some of the blood from his mouth.

I get it old man, you’re worried.

Twilight swallowed, the taste of blood still in his mouth.

I am too.

They made it to where Warriors had gone, and Twilight sat down with a huff, the others all gathered around in a loose circle. Twilight looked around at them all, bloody, disturbed, weary and damp, and lowered his head down to rest on his paws.

Are we anywhere close to getting out of here?

Twilight breathed out slowly, and tilted his head to look at the deer, a light brown and with a few speckles of pale green scattered around on his back and face. Warriors knelt beside him, and gave the deer and Legend both as much of a look-over as he could.

Wind scampered past, his feet making little paps on the floor, and he sniffed at the deer, then looked fearfully at Warriors.

“Is Hyrule okay?” he asked, fur still a little damp.

“Yes, Hyrule is okay,” a voice groaned, and Twilight turned to see the deer raise its head, blinking dizzily. “Ow.”

"Traveler!" Legend and Wind said at the same time, both looking relieved.

“Careful,” Warriors warned, but Hyrule shifted around anyway, moving like he was going to stand up.

He immediately toppled over when he tried, his hooves going everywhere, and Wind let out a sympathetic little noise. Hyrule blinked, attempting to correct himself, and when he failed, stared up at the near zoo standing around him.

“Um. So why do I have four feet and feel like I got doused in dark magic?” Hyrule asked, sounding surprisingly unconcerned. “Also... why’s there a unicorn just standing there?”

“That’s me,” Warriors said grumpily, and Hyrule blinked.

“Oh. Okay.”

“Weird cult ladies, we were dumped in a cave, dark magic stuff,” Legend summarized from where he'd moved to sit beside Sky, and Hyrule nodded, accidentally hitting his antlers on a rock.

“Ow. Yeah... I remember now. I thought I heard Wind when we fell, and I got up to go find him, but then I felt all that dark magic and blacked out,” he reported with a scrunch if his nose. “And now I’m a... deer?"

“Looks like it,” Warriors said, and Twilight heard the grim smile in his voice. “Welcome to the hoof club.” Hyrule looked around, then blinked, staring at the eclectic pile of animals gathered near Sky. "...Is that rabbit wearing a vest?"

Warriors snorted out a laugh, and then attempted to give Hyrule a crash course in who was who, and also how to walk with hooves. While they stumbled around, Twilight took the opportunity to look around at everyone else, making sure they were all still accounted for. Time was beside him still, a few scratches on his leg, some blood staining his muzzle. Legend and Wild were huddled beside Sky, trying to warm him up while Legend nursed his injured paw, and Wind and Warriors were cheering Hyrule on as he tried to raise himself up on wobbly legs.

That meant the only one missing now was Four.

Twilight looked at the stream, remembering the croaky voice’s mention of water. The exit must be somewhere near here if they were going to be... collected, but they couldn’t leave without Four.

Where could he be?

“...okay, so I know Twilight and Time are the wolves,” Wind said, and Twilight looked back to see him moving to sit next to Sky as well. “Wild’s... a thing? Furry thing?”

“A squirrel,” Wild sighed. “And Warriors is the unicorn, Sky is the cat thing I forget the name of, Legend is the rabbit,” he said with a snicker, and Legend glared at him. “And you're a... I actually have no idea what you are.”

“He's an otter,” Legend said grumpily, attempting to tie his vest into a sling with one arm. “They swim around and eat clams.”

“What’s a clam?” Wind asked.

“Shellfish.”

“That’s not very nice of him,” Hyrule said as he wobbled over, and Wild and Wind joined in on his laughter while several of the others rolled their eyes.

“Enough goofing off, we still need to find Four,” Twilight spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him. "And any ideas on how we're going to deal with these witches or whatever they are?"

"We head downstream and see what happens I suppose," Time sighed. "Our smithy must have heard that message too, he’ll know where to go."

"He could be hurt though," Wind chirped worriedly, rubbing a paw over his whiskery cheek.

"And what if he was unconscious somewhere and we missed him?" Legend added.

"Twilight or the old man would've smelled him though, wouldn't they?" Warriors pointed out. "Twilight's been looking for scents this whole time, surely he would've gotten some sign of him."

"Wait, what if he got turned into a fish or something?" Wind suddenly gasped, looking at the water. "What if he's down there and—"

"Quiet!" Sky suddenly shouted in a croaky voice, his wide ears held out.

All of them went silent, and Sky swiveled his ears around, looking ruffled, but a little less like a drowned rat as he carefully sat up. Twilight pricked his ears too, and for a moment, all anyone heard was the noise of the stream rushing by, and blood and water dripping softly from wounds.

Then Twilight heard a pained cry so soft he could barely make it out.

"That was Four," Sky gasped, obviously able to make it out better than him. "He... wait."

He pricked his ears, and then his eyes went wide.

"I can hear those women, they have Four!"

Twilight jumped to his feet, biting back a whine of pain as his side sparked angrily. "Then we need to go help him, come on!"

“We can’t just rush in there without a plan,” Warriors whinnied, stomping a hoof. “Rancher you’re injured, Hyrule can barely walk, Sky practically drowned, we need a plan if we’re going to be able to—”

“Then I’m going by myself!” Twilight snarled, and whirled around and took off, ignoring the others’ shouts and cries to come back.

Twilight’s paws pounded against the stone as the others’ voices faded behind him, every step sending a jolt up along his injured side. Blood was drying on his face, sticky and uncomfortable, but Twilight only ran faster, listening for any more signs of Four.

He knew he would need the others’ help. He knew he wouldn’t be able to take them on by himself, and Twilight especially knew he was being incredibly stupid by running off alone.

But he didn’t care.

Every moment could matter for Four.

[tremendouscreationperson]

Pre-war Cooper Howard x Reader

I made a post not too long ago asking someone to write this and was like fine I'll do it then 🤣 hope it isn't god awful

You guys are conducting an affair and one day on set Cooper notices some bruises on you.

Warnings - your husband isn't a nice man, nothing crazy but there's the aforementioned bruises

Cooper tried to keep his mind wandering back to you. He really did. But after yesterday's haphazard filming with new scripts he was worried. Were you ill? Were you being written out of the show? No. You were a fan favourite of course not.

He'd spent the whole of yesterday ‘fighting’ the cobra tail bandits. The episode was meant to feature you and the script was charming. Your character - ‘Elizabeth’ - and his - ‘Clint’ - would've finally admitted their feelings for eachother. The no-nonsense doctor forcing herself onto his horse and insisting she could help.

It wouldn't have won any awards but he thought it was a good plotline.

Instead he was told that you were ‘beat up’ by the bandits and he would be wreaking havoc. Which again wasn't awful but he found that he liked your company.

You'd been hired completely because you were a woman. It shut down the angry mail and your natural charisma and ad-lib one liners caused hoards of fan letters. You were immediately accepted as the ‘woman doctor who takes no bullshit and proves herself’. Elizabeth was a triumph.

“What’re we shooting now?” Cooper asked the director.

Oswald answered, wafting the cloud of smoke that forever surrounded him. “We’re gonna run through you finding (Y/N). You speak to Donnie and then he points her out and you run over there.” Oswald pointed with his cigar hand over to Donnie who was being placed on the ‘saloon’ steps. Donnie's face had been made up with bruises and dried blood. Oswald then gestured across the sandy set to where your mark was. Cooper could see the back of you, talking with your make-up crew and he let out a sigh of relief.

“So no cameras on this one then?”

“No, run through the full scen-” Os cut himself off with a chesty cough. “You know what to do.”

Cooper hoisted himself upon Sugarfoot as he watched everyone slowly get into position and as your face came into view he gasped. He had known you'd be in the same makeup that Donnie had but he hadn't realised the anger it would cause him. He hated to see your delicate features marred and sore. Hated the messy hair and torn shirt.

Cooper took a steadying breath and mentally told himself to use these emotions. He was a professional and yeah, sure, he and you may have been conducting an affair. However neither of your marriages were happy. He had to get his affairs in order before divorcing Barb and you had never loved your husband. Your father had married you off to further your career and it did work but at what cost?

“Alright are we all ready?” Gwen's voice cut through the chatter. “Three… Two.. One.”

‘Clint’ jumped off of Sugarfoot and ran to ‘George’.

“Hell, man, what happened to ya?” Cooper's hands shook Donnies shoulder. “George?!”

The man underneath let out a rattly cough. “Sheriff?”

“George.” Cooper pulled the man so he was upright. “It's gonna be okay.”

“Wai-” He coughed again. “They've doomed us. They go- they got Miss Liza.”

Cooper let his eyes widen and his face drop. “Wha’d’ya mean?”

“Ove- over there.” Donnie lifted his arm vaguely in your direction before it fell back on his thigh.

Cooper let his eyes follow Donnie's hand and he let a shuddering breath out at the crumpled body. “Liza!” Cooper abandoned Donnie to sprint over to you. It wasn't a long set so he was there quickly (the team would make it look longer) skidding to a halt at your side. Sand flew as he landed by your left.

Cooper’s hands hovered over your body, ‘Clint' didn't know where to touch. He settled one hand on your chest to try to feel for her heartbeat and the other on your shoulder. Cooper couldn't feel your heart so he lent his head over your, his ear by your mouth and smiled. His head was already by yours and it took almost nothing to rest his forehead upon your own.

“Liza?” The hand on your chest found your cheek. You let out a low moan, indicating that you were alive.

Cooper was swift with his movements, scooping you up as he rose to full height. “Don't you worry Liza, you're gon’ be fine.”

And that was the scene.

Gwen let out a round of applause and Oswald nodded. “Yes, just like that, Coop.”

“Let's reset and film George and Clint.” Gwen called out.

You were still in his arms as he looked down at you with a grin. “You know, that makeup sure is good.”

“Oh, thank you.” Your cheeks heated. “I'll let Sarah know.”

“Yeah it's much better than Donnie's.” He craned his neck to get a closer look.

A laugh escaped you as you shoved him. “You can put me down now.”

Cooper raised a brow. “Now, when have you ever had a problem with me carrying you?”

You just laughed at him again. Despite his question he did place you delicately on the sand.

“Where were you yesterday?” He straightened your ripped shirt.

You looked up at him through heavy lashes. “Did you miss me?”

“Course I did, sweetheart.” Your lips pulled into a coy smirk and he was called to shoot with ‘George’.

The scene with Donnie didn't last long but there was the shot on George, the shot on Clint, the wide shot and all the reshoots. So it did take longer than expected. Cooper felt antsy, he wanted to shoot with you. God, this was bad. He knew he liked you but he should be professional enough to get through this.

“Right, that's about all of Cooper running I can handle.” Oswald stopped Gwen trying to get another take of ‘Clint’ sprinting to ‘Liza’. Cooper was thankful as he tried to calm his breathing.

Skidding to your side and repeating his actions from before he and you took direction tirelessly. Most of yours was to ‘look deader.’

“Now, Coop you'd be angrier. The Cobra Tails have beat and possibly defiled your woman.” Os had tried to coach Cooper into playing it more angry but Cooper disagreed.

“I get what you're saying but the anger comes later. Clint is relieved that Elizabeth is alive. Clint doesn't care for anything else at the moment.” Cooper argued. “He just wants her safe, he couldn't live with himself if she wasn't.”

The statement was pleasant enough in itself but paired with his gentle hand stroking your swollen cheek… you'd fallen head over heels for this man and your husband wouldn't stay in the dark too much longer. In fact you're fairly certain that Tuesday night was because of your handsome co-star. You didn't care. Cooper was worth a shove here and a slap there. Did that make you mad? Probably.

Cooper had you in his arms and was filmed running towards ‘Liza’s surgery. Her sister was hiding upstairs and came down at the sheriff’s yells.

‘Prim’ promised to keep ‘Liza’ stable.

“Swear it.” ‘Clint’s voice boomed.

‘Prim’ was washing away the blood with a damp cloth. “I swear!”

“Primrose,” He grabbed her arm. “I ain't joking.”

Her eyes bore into his, both equally angry. “Me neither.”

And that was it with this part. You were expected to change for the reunion as Cooper and Darlene did a few more takes. They had another scene when he returns and asks about ‘Liza’. It's a cute scene showing a familial bond between the two characters. ‘Prim’ confides that she was so scared her sister would've died and ‘Clint’ agrees. There's more dialogue and knowing Cooper adlibs but the overall scene really highlights their individual relationships to ‘Liza’ and how, despite them always being at odds, similar the two are.

Cooper was taking a sip of water when you were brought back in. You were wearing a loose white gown, with your hair unpinned. The bruising on your face was less than before.

They laid you on the bed and fanned your hair out. This was a big thing apparently, so Gwen stated. “Her hair is always up in the braid. It's a sign of her professionalism. The only time it's sorta down it's when Clint dances with her at Rhonda’s wedding. But it was still half braided, it shows that she is mentally - and obviously physically - letting her hair down around him.”

Usually Cooper would let the woman talk his ear off yet something nagged at him. “So isn't it wrong that the first time Clint sees her with her hair down is because she almost died?”

“No, it shows that this is the final straw. She won't pull back next episode. She's decided that life is too short and she likes you. Well him.”

Cooper just hummed and readied himself again.

Gwen counted them all in and Cooper sheepishly opened the door to ‘Liza's bedroom. You were breathtaking. It was actually becoming somewhat of a hazard to him, your beauty causing his brain to flatline, forgetting lines and marks and everything that wasn't you.

“Elizabeth?” He whispered gently, completely missing where he was meant to hover and delicately sitting at your side. “Liza?”

Your brows furrowed and you slowly blinked your eyes open. He'd had the privilege of seeing that. You and him lying in an expensive bed, half dozing knowing you both need to leave but loathe to. It didn't matter for Cooper really, he was a man, he was allowed to stay out late but he knew you'd be ridiculed by the press so he forced himself to sit up and forced you to copy his movements.

“Clint?”

Cooper was back in the shot, his eyes roaming your bruised face. Maybe this affair affected you in more ways than he thought. Your bruises weren't fake, he could tell. There was only so much the makeup department could do. No, these were real. Wh-Was this why you were off yesterday? Did the crew know? Everyone was particularly secretive with why you weren't in.

“Clint?” You spoke again. “You okay?”

Cooper Howard was never really one to stick to the script. He pulled you in for a bone crushing hug. “Liza.” You patted his back to the best of your ability and Cooper pulled away just enough to look you in the eye. “I thought I lost you.”

“‘n here I thought you'd be jumping for joy.” You spoke the dialogue that was meant to have been said as he hovered by the door.

“Never. I-” He cut himself off going completely off script, unsure if it was Clint or Cooper speaking. “You're not allowed to get hurt. Not on my account. I can't have you- you can’t-”

“Shhh.” You smoothed his hair. “I'm fine.”

He shook his head and pulled you in for a kiss. The characters were meant to share a kiss but it was a peck on your forehead not the steamy, tongue tangling snog he planted on you. You both broke apart for air and there was something behind Cooper's eyes.

“‘cause I love you.”

You were in shock when Oswald let out a whoop, “Cut! Now that is television!” Neither you nor Cooper had spoken that forbidden word and yeah technically it was part of the script, you were both playing characters, but it felt real. It felt true. You knew it to be true.

Gwen rounded everyone up to reset and your makeup team was there to touch your face as the hair stylist replaced your locks. Cooper was given the same treatment after they practically dragged his ass back out the door.

The scene ran again and again and again but the last four words didn't feel any different. Your heart fluttered every time the words were uttered, each time more convincing than the last.

It was late when Oswald declared ‘hometime’ and you were allowed to leave.

Cooper snagged your wrist and loudly asked to run lines, the age old excuse to be alone in his trailer. You agreed and after a quick change found yourself on the steps of the trailer. You'd been in here more than you'd been in your own. It was almost a waste of money to have one but you had to keep up appearances.

Cooper opened the door before you could knock and let you in, he'd barely shut the door before the words tumbled out of his mouth. “Divorce him.”

“Wh-” Where did this come from? Both of you knew the deal of your affair was that his wifes company funded his movies and your husband funded yours. The fact that the two of you were on this show was a mere coincidence, one that the director did not mind in the slightest. His little project had the largest budget to play with in television history and you're sure most went in his pocket.

“I know this isn't makeup.” Cooper's hand barely touched your cheek. “You're hurt and I know it was him.”

“I can't leave him.” Your hand wrapped around his wrist.

“You could.” His eyes grew hopeful. “You know I want to leave Barb, if we were both divorced-”

“That's a nice idea.” Cutting him off, you stepped back, arms hugging your middle. “But we can't Coop. You know we can't. Deals were made.”

“I'll buy a farm, we could leave this industry.” Cooper could see the conflict waging beneath you, your flickering eyes glossy. He knew you wanted nothing more than to be with him but understood it was hard for a woman to restart her life. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” You nodded in agreement, a fat tear cascading down your cheek. “But this isn't- we aren't-”

Cooper didn't let you finish, he pulled you in for a hug, fingers creating patterns on your back in an attempt to soothe your worried mind. “Just let me say it. I. Love. You.”

[dyns33]

Down the Pit

I think I'll do a little Bane x reader series, because Bane is doing things to my brain lately.

Y/N is female, orphan, and from Gotham, because even if I'm not sure to put Batman in the story, I need some references.

Y/N regretted going to India.

The few people she had told about her trip had warned her. It wasn't always a good idea to go alone. But she was young, she had just finished high school, and she had always been alone since her parents died.

The first days went very well, and then it was hell.

Y/N didn't really understand how things had happened, but she had been wrongly accused of a crime, a serious crime, after having all of her things stolen.

Without her papers or her phone, not knowing who to call, she had not been able to ask for help, she had not been able to defend herself, and once she had been found guilty, she had been sent to a prison. But not an ordinary prison.

The Pit seemed bottomless when they took her away. The moon barely shone, not allowing her to see where exactly she was. It was difficult to catch the rope.

She cried and begged, but the guards didn't care, ordering her to be quiet.

Luckily for her, Y/N obeyed, going downstairs in silence. The other inmates were sleeping, not seeing her arrive, the night hiding her arrival.

A man who introduced himself as a doctor greeted her. He seemed surprised and sad to see a woman here, taking her hand to quickly lead her to a cell.

“We have to hide this.” He said giving her some loose clothing, his eyes fixed on her chest, before giving her an old knife while looking at her hair. “And we have to cut it.”

"You don't understand… I have nothing to do here, I'm innocent…"

"Cut. Cut, now, if you don't want them to take you."

There were no other women in the Pit. Obviously it was rare that they were sent there, and they did not survive long. Y/N's main crime was being a foreigner, young and stupid, whose fate didn't matter to anyone.

The doctor was kind enough to let her hide in his cell, but it was not a viable solution. The other prisoners were curious, and there was the problem of food. The old man wasn't strong enough to go to the middle of the prison and fight for some water and something to eat.

He could have swapped Y/N, but there was still some humanity left at the bottom of the Pit. The doctor spoke with another prisoner. A big guy who occupied the next cell. He had tied up some ratty sheets so no one could observe him and he only went out when necessary.

Speaking in a language she didn't understand, the doctor pointed at her. The tall prisoner observed Y/N. His eyes were the only thing she could see, the rest of his face covered by some sort of turban. He nodded slowly.

"Bane agrees to take you."

"What do you mean ?" panicked the young woman as she moved away from them, cowering in a corner of the cell.

"He will protect you. He tried to protect the last one, and he is the guardian of her child. Go with him."

Not really having a choice, Y/N followed Bane, completely frightened by this silent stranger.

There was indeed a child, sitting on the bed, playing with carved pieces of wood. Unlike her, the child was not afraid when he saw her, visibly delighted that a new person was visiting them.

This isolation had an explanation. The Pit was dangerous for a child, but it turned out that Bane had a secret. Talia.

Very protective, he took a while to let Y/N near the child, while the girl demanded that he play with her, tell stories from the outside world and hold her in his arms The little girl had lost her mother a few years before, only vaguely remembering the woman who gave birth to her.

“Tell me again about the snow ! And the wind ! And the ocean !”

"Yes, yes, calm down Talia. It's late, don't you want to sleep instead ?"

“Tell.” ordered Bane, who refused little to the child.

He tried not to show it, but the man loved those stories too. He listened, holding Talia against his chest until she fell asleep, his gaze only turning away from Y/N if there was a suspicious noise outside the cell.

There was only one bed and it was for the child. At first, Y/N was allowed to sit against a wall with a sheet. It wasn't comfortable, the ratty blanket was useless and she often woke up shivering.

Still speaking little, Bane ended up lifting her one evening to stick her to him, right at the foot of the bed. He was huge, warm, but soft. Several times she had seen him fight with the other inmates, but he had never been violent towards the child or her.

After several months, they began to feel like a little family. Bane provided their protection, Y/N taught them many things, and Talia was their light in this darkness.

Just as he sometimes didn't know what to do when the little girl was sulking, he didn't know how to react when the woman cried on his shoulder, thinking about her past life and realizing that she would never get out of this place. His hands gently massaged her back, but he said nothing. There was nothing to say.

The other inmates had noticed Y/N, and even while mistaking her for a man, some were envious. Another subject of fighting, for Bane's 'wife'.

“I am not your wife.” she muttered when he came back covered in blood.

"They'd be more aggressive if they thought you weren't mine."

“I am not something to own.”

"No, here you are less than an object. You are nothing. Others would ask you for favors just so that you can breathe."

"It is not fair."

"I know, Habibi."

He didn't add that she might be grateful that he took such good care of her, but the message was clear. And he wasn't wrong.

In the Pit, there were no rules. There was no kindness. Bane's behavior was special. Unlike the doctor, he had been thrown here when he was very young, practically born in this place and yet he was calmer than the others, more patient, more polite.

He didn’t ask anything from Y/N in return for his protection, other than taking care of Talia. He could have done her a lot of harm if he wanted.

Even though she didn't fully accept her situation, Y/N tried to survive by holding on to what she had. What she had was this little girl who had never seen the sky, and this taciturn giant.

One evening, after several months had passed, while everyone was asleep, she passed her hand over Bane's face, removing his shawl. He was young, younger than she had imagined. Quite handsome. Her dark eyes watched her as she touched his cheek, his nose, then his lips.

He trembled slightly when she kissed him. He didn't know anything about kissing. About love. Those kinds of things weren't useful here. He who was so tender did not know tenderness. Like beauty and joy, like women and children, all this would quickly die in the Pit.

Talia was eight years old when the other prisoners discovered that she was not a boy. They wondered about Y/N. The cell's small lock wouldn't protect them for long, and Bane couldn't do anything against the entire prison.

The doctor had told them about the escape attempts, and all the failures. The falls. There was no time to think about that. The fate that awaited them was worse than a fall.

Using his fists and all his fury, Bane blasted a path towards the climbing wall, shouting at them to run and not look back.

To make sure she wouldn't fall or get caught, Y/N had the child go first, following her while doing her best not to think about what would happen if they didn't arrive all the way to the top.

Maybe fate had mercy, maybe their determination was stronger than everything, but when the sun touched her skin, Y/N let out a scream, mixed with happiness and despair, as she took Talia in her arms.

This immense ball of fire fascinated the kid for a few moments, then she turned towards the Pit. From the top, we couldn't see anything. It was impossible to see Bane.

At the child's insistence, they stayed two days, hoping that he would join them. Then, the heat, hunger and thirst forced them to move.

“We have to find my father !” Talia declared. "Mom told me about him. He was supposed to come get us, he's very powerful. He can help Bane."

It was impossible to explain to her that finding someone with just their name wasn't that simple. The world was much bigger than the Pit. Although Ra's al Ghul wasn't a very common name.

However, it was enough to say it in the first city they found for men in black to start following them, before asking them why they were looking for Ra's al Ghul.

Obviously he was the leader of a gang of ninjas or something like that. He did not know that his wife had taken his place in prison. He didn't know he had a daughter. The news seemed to please him.

At least, that was what Y/N thought she understood, since she didn’t meet him. He had no interest in meeting her. As soon as he had his daughter back, he ordered the young woman to be sent home.

He could have abandoned her in the middle of nowhere or had her killed, but maybe he suspected that Talia wouldn't be happy if she found out what had happened.

After more than three years of absence, Y/N found herself back home in Gotham. It was complicated to explain to the authorities that she was alive, that she had nothing left, that there was a horrible prison in India. There were a lot of questions, checks, endless procedures, just to get her identity back.

Some associations helped her find money and accommodation, but there was nothing regarding the Pit. It wasn't the Gotham Police Department's problem. They were not interested in what was happening in another country.

Y/N found a small job in a cafe, and after several months an apartment. Life was returning to normal. Except her life would never be normal again.

Every night she thought of Talia and Bane. She wondered if the child was okay. She wondered if the man was alive. She often cried, singing the lullabies she whispered to the little girl, remembering the powerful arms that surrounded her.

It seemed pointless and dangerous to return to India, but Y/N kept telling herself that she would see them again one day. After everything they had been through, she had to see them again. One day.

[ukininayu]

LOOKING OUT FOR YOU. —NAOYA ZEN'IN.

SYNOPSIS."when will you start looking out for me too, instead of leaving me staring at my shoes?" CW. Imaginary layout of the zen'in place. you were a very concious toddler w/ a sheldon-level memory. WC. 2125.

A/N. This is just filler, a backstory. Im not sure if I want to continue so I'm stopping here! Just showcasing! I think I had a female in mind?? My mind has the whole story planned OUT. I only gotta write it, but I'm lazy and this might flop n I'm just checking b4 taking this srsly

I think the pov switches every sentence I think

The Zen'in clan was a strict clan.

a cruel clan.

⏤͟͟͞͞ ✯

your mother was a dedicated servant to the zen'ins. dedicated to the point other servants thought she was in a relationship with a zen'in member, even.

not long after the servants suspicions, a few were brave enough to talk to the highest ranking member of the clan about it— well, they had only spoken to the assistant in charge of being the great Naobito Zen'ins messenger bird.

as expected, the assistant only came back explaining the leader of the clan did not care enough to look into it, or to order somebody else to in the most respectful way possible.

after that, everything went back to normal.

unfortunately for her, the other servants secretly kept their suspicions in their minds, going as far as to calling her names behind her back.

"prostitute.." others would murmur, "whore…" others would whisper, some even calling her a concubine!

of course, nobody knew your mother had a family she would go home to whenever she took her leave on the late afternoons.

a husband, and after a shocking discovery, an unborn child.

she and your father were ecstatic when they noticed a lump forming on her stomach after a few months flew by.

while the suspicions of the servants heavily grew when they noticed, too.

after five months was the bump in her tummy actually recognizable.

that was when the servants decided to strike once more. now determined to convince the higher ups.

three servants, the people who had gained the suspicions first, along with the first complainants, went with a plan, instead of going straight to Naobito Zen'in, as if they did, they would only be called liars and jealous servants.

so the trio went to a lower ranking male zen'in to complain.

"sir, we are only concerned over what she has been doing."

"for the last months, she's been acting as if she was hiding a secret affair with... a Zen'in member."

"though her dedication for this clan and higher-ups like you is… inspiring, we fear there is more to that then simply… 'dedication'."

to their surprise, the zen'in had listened, telling them that he would inform the other zen'ins.

your mother was completely unaware about the scandal concerning her.

time quickly passed by, and the latest complaint had finally traveled to Naobito.

What was to be a normal day for your mother had changed drastically when she was called in to have a "talk".

Sitting on the ground and looking down at the shining floorboards as Naobitos messenger bird explained what he had collected was the last thing she could remember. Everything else after was a blur. Vague.

But she knew what she was forced into.

"A slut you are, huh? I would kill you, but you are a woman who can do her duty. Could, I should say, since you decided to follow a path of a whore instead, no? You're left with a choice to make."

"You can offer your unborn child to the clan and run away from this estate, or I can kill you right here. Make a choice now."

" you're in no position about asking about the whys. but it wont hurt much if i told you. To pass out an offer to get another servant, perhaps guard, that can replace you would be a shame. Only a fool would. Who wouldn't want an obedient dog? hah!"

A difficult decision to make, a decision that needed quite the time to think about before answering, but that wasn't her case. She was instead pressured with time. A meek minute to think about.

Who could even think about this so quickly? More so, your mother was still in the process of consuming the untold "story" about what she had "done", and unfortunately, she was smart enough to know that she couldn't make them believe the truth, if she ever tried to tell them, as they, everybody, jumped into the rabbit hole of her "story". Screaming about a random story that goes against the false one would only cause trouble. She had no way out.

If she chose the first option, she would live, and her unborn child, you, would to. She could be with you for at least half your childhood before she had to vanish from your life completely, and so would your father.

Worse of all, she would have to leave you in the clans care. A harsh environment, and you had to serve them the rest of your life. But you would live. And would have a place to be.

If she chose the second option, both of you would die. She didn't mind sacrificing herself, but two things kept her from doing so. She had to leave her husband behind without any clue of what was happening, and, she couldn't even sacrifice herself as doing so will kill you to.

Both choices were horrible, but with the limited time she had to think about it, it was obvious which the better one was.

"The first choice... I.. Choose the first choice. Please. I don't want my child to be dead. Don't hurt them."

"That's settled. Until your child is at lest six years old, you will take care of them and work here."

Your mother did just that.

The day after that and so on your mother was working.

But it was worse.

Now she could recognize the stares, the laughs, the glances, the humiliation that everyone else gave to her. She didn't miss the fact that her duties were changed and she had the worse ones that would take away all her energy. At times, she would think that she wouldn't even be strong enough to give birth or something would happen while she was at the estate that would cause her a Miscarriage.

But she stood strong, encouraged by your father, who after learning about what was happening, tried his best to help her out in any way until you were finally born.

⏤͟͟͞͞ 𖤐

Soon enough, you were nearing your second birthday. Such a happy child you were. The day you started to walk, your mother often took you to a large fancy ol' place with a lot of fancy houses, cool shrines, big land, and fancier people, who you recognized wore clothing similar to clothes you had seen in your little picture books.

You had one rule to follow. Simply stay right beside your mother and not talk when someone who looks "expensive" is near. So you did.

You don't get why your mother was always running around. Never stopping. You know that it isn't good for her to keep "tiring" herself out, since you heard your papa say it to her. In more than one occasion definitely.

So when she woke you up so early the sun wasn't even up, you already knew where she was taking you to, so with the most Exaggerated jump out of the bed, you got yourself (with the large help of your parents) ready and off to go.

Once you had stepped in the estate did you realize you shouldn't have made a tantrum about not wearing a sweater in the autumn. Maybe you could blame the walk you and your mother did to get here. But you couldn't tell this to your mother. Psh. Of course not. Might as well adapt.

Though it was nothing new when going with your mom, cleaning sure was fun! Definitely the highlight of your day if you do say so yourself!

Well... Watching her clean was! You even helped by cleaning the floor! (You pushed a full bucket of water so it could clean the floor. It went all over! Smart you! It's alright though! You scrubbed it all so perfectly every floor was evenly scrubbed!)

After much of going with your mother in this estate, she trusted you enough to wander around. As long as it was on her sight. Of course with the same rules you still had to follow.

So after the little cleaning up you helped with, she gave you the best prize and awarded you to go wander around! (She wanted you to stop distracting and stepping on the clean floor with your dirty boots. You don't know that.)

So you did! Just to her side, you ran to a cherry blossom tree that caught your eye, running circles around it and inspecting it. Analyzing it. Thinking why it caught your interest.

But it didn't. You find that out when another takes your interest, now a sound. Crackling of leaves to be exact. But it came from the other side of the estate, and if you were to go and pass the corner turn, you would definitely be out of your mother's sight.

But who are you to think about that? You're three. You do what you want.

So you do and tip toe to the turn, immediately a bigger tree with pink leaves takes your attention, it doesn't look like a cherry blossom, and it's closer to the estate wall than the heart of the place.

Squinting your eyes to see more detail, you see strands of dark green—...almost black hair behind the tree. They looked like they were sitting. More importantly, they looked your age! And to think you were all alone! there was another kid, maybe it was a kid of your mom's companions! Lucky you.

You excitedly rush to the tree, stopping at a small bush near you to take a flower to give to the hopefully future friend of yours.

you take your steps slowly and as silently as you can once you reach to the other side of the tree trunk. oh! he's a boy. your future friend, your first ever friend, is a boy! you could see him focusing intently on two beetles fighting. huh.

not much seconds later, the boy looks up behind him, only to see you behind the tree, head peeking around.

he quickly jumped up, hand pointed at you. " maids r' s'pposed to work, what'r you doing here!" the exact thought he had. after all, it was what he saw the other Zen'in members were doing. whats stopping him from copying?

You completely ignored his weird tone, a tone you've never heard before, making sure you would finish your plan of getting a friend.

You look down at your hand, before giving the flower you plucked to him, your finger presses on something prickly on the green stem, giving a little cut on the pad of it.

The boy watches your face, your eyebrows furrowing as you look down at something. He looks at your hand, then a rose. Then your cut.

You would usually cry in times like these where you'd get injured, but you had your priorities, and you still wanted your priorities to be right.

You extend your arm, your hand offering the pretty red flower to him. "T's p.. Prickly. be car'ful. Here!"

He takes the flower hesitantly and thanks you, taking your warning and reaching for the stem with the same place your fingers were placed on carefully.

"Friends?" He looks at you and sees your big smile, he thinks it's targeted to him since you were happily looking back at him. it was so long since he saw someone his age.

"Fine." He's never talked to another kid. He questions the way you talk. Do you even know how to? Is this how every kid talks? They always told him he was superior, maybe you weren't taught like he was, duh.

"Yay! What's y'ur name!" You immediately ask, babbling your own name as an introduction. "..uh, Naoya.." He was all too confused about this sudden interaction with someone new to remember the things they taught him about not taking "disrespect" such as these. How did someone in this big place not know his name?

Naoya. Such a nice name your friend has! You tell him just and thank him for being your friend. Naoya nods, and that's enough to keep you smiling.

Tired of standing, he turns and goes back to sitting under the tree, back against the stump. "Sit." He commands, but you hear it as a request. When he scooted and gave space for you to sit, you obliged and sat beside him.

You and him spend the whole day under the pretty tree, watching little bugs fight, Naoya going in the estate and back to the tree every once in a while when somebody looks for him, the boy of you talking about everything, him bringing the nice snacks his servants kept giving him when he went in the estate for the both of you to munch on.

Just a fun time. With a cool friend.

🂡〡🀆〡🂡

That's it for now I think idk, thanks for reading! ♡

[cinnamontoastcrunch-15]

Today's @wolfstarmicrofic is second chances xoxo

(760 words.)

"I just- I don't know what to do anymore," Remus says hopelessly, as Lily reaches out to pat his hand reassuringly.

"It's tricky. Dumbledore's put you in an awful position."

Realistically, he knows that she's right. He knows that he'd probably be beside himself if Sirius was going out on dangerous missions that he wasn't allowed to talk about, but it isn't like he's actively seeking out danger, keeping secrets for fun! There's literally nobody else for the job, and he can't help that! He hates keeping things from Sirius just as much as Sirius hates not knowing, but who is he to question Dumbledore's orders? He wants to say it all to Lily, but he can feel the lump in his throat, threatening him with tears. Instead, he just shrugs, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"We've got an owl from Moody," James voice interjects. He steps into the living room, eyes scanning over a small piece of parchment. "There's been an attack in Hogsmeade, we've got to get to an emergency meeting."

Just like that, Remus freezes, ears starting to ring as he's brought back to the argument that drove him to the Potters.

"Merlin, you know I-! Sirius, where are you going?" Remus asked exasperatedly, at the sight of Sirius turning and walking to the front door.

"Hog's Head," Sirius answered gruffly, clipped. "I'll be back when I'm back."

Just like that, he was gone.

Remus' breathing shallows, panic gripping at him. Sirius was there. He was there, and now he might be-"

"Remus? Remus, hey, breathe." Lily's hands reach out and grab his shoulders, eyes bearing into his. "What's going on?"

"Uh, Or- Order members," He starts, trying to think through a sudden, panic induced incoherence. "Were there any there? Any caught in the- in the attack?"

"I don't know, it doesn't say," James answers, perplexed. It's all Lily needs for her eyes to widen, for the realisation to dawn on her.

"Right, let's go, yeah? Remus, listen, he's probably at the house. We don't know anything for sure, so try not to panic." He nods vaguely, wishing with each passing second that he could believe her.

Still, he dutifully lets Lily grab his arm, apparating the two of them to the familiar Order house.

He wastes no time in bursting through the door, straight into the packed lounge. Chaos is everywhere, injured members being treated while Moody grills them, presumably getting a timeline of events. Somewhere that feels all too distant to Remus, he's asked a security question. He must answer it, because he's left well enough alone. It doesn't matter to him, though. He's scanning every inch of the small house, searching for-

Sirius.

He's sitting on a small sofa, with Marlene crouched in front of him, wand aloft, healing what she can. He looks a right mess; he's covered in dirt, bleeding, his hair tangled from whatever explosion he had been caught up in.

He's beautiful.

Sirius is quietly answering questions, eyes lifting from the floor and drifting detachedly around across the room. They glide past Remus, before practically doing a double take, his eyes snapping into focus. In seconds, he's up. Ignoring apparent protests from Marlene, he moves past her as Remus manages to find his footing. There isn't a moment's hesitation when they meet, pulling one another into a hug. It's bone crushing, Remus clinging to Sirius like he'll vanish again if he doesn't. Desperation seeps into his every move, burying his face into Sirius' hair and oh, Remus Lupin is a selfish, selfish man. He'll tell Sirius every secret, deny every instruction that he is ever given, just as long as it means that he can hold onto the safety and security that is Sirius Black.

"I thought- I thought you were-"

"I know. Christ, for a second I thought I was..." Sirius' voice breaks and he trails off, holding Remus just a little tighter.

"I'm so sorry. Merlin, Sirius, I'm so fucking sorry."

"No, don't be. Please, don't be. You don't have to- I'm the one who should be-"

"I love you," Remus whispers, finally breaking out of the hug and meeting Sirius' eyes. "I love you so much, okay?"

"I love you," Sirius says back, eyes tearing up and a watery smile appearing on his face. Remus reaches out and cups Sirius' face with both hands, not wasting anymore time as he pulls Sirius to him and connects their lips.

This. This right here. This moment, this man.

He'll do anything for him. Anything for their second chance.

[melishade]

Attack on Prime Future Anthology: Strongarm and Sideswipe II

Main Story

Halloween

Dia de los Muertos

StrongArm and Sideswipe I

"Strongarm, we have to get out of here!" Sideswipe whispered to her.

Strongarm deadpanned. "No."

"But-!"

"I'm not listening to you!" Strongarm seethed in a hushed tone, "This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I am not passing it up because you're scared!"

"So you're fine with the big bad just walking around like nothing's wrong!" Sideswipe pointed to Megatron, and the former warlord was holding up a wall to a building with ease while the humans continued to hammer away at it.

"...okay that is a little concerning," Strongarm agreed, "But I'm not leaving! I trust Bumblebee-!"

"And now we're stranded on another planet with those weird things!" Sideswipe squirmed at the sight of the humans. They looked equally apprehensive at the sight of him as well.

"Just!...don't run off!" Strongarm ordered as she stormed off.

"I can very easily do that!" Sideswipe shouted at her.

"You won't get far." Sideswipe looked downward to see a human with dark hair and bandaged servos holding some metal pipes over her shoulder.

"I'm fast." Sideswipe crossed his arms, "I can get far."

"Without Megatron going after you?" she challenged, "He doesn't kill anymore, but he'll still inflict fear."

Sideswipe stared in confusion. "Megatron doesn't kill?"

She nodded her head in response.

"I don't believe you," Sideswipe declared, "That guy's in our archives. Bots and Cons alike hate him. There's no way he just changed his mind."

"It took time," she vaguely replied as she walked forward, "If you want to know, you can just ask."

Sideswipe narrowed his optics as he followed her. "What's the catch? I have to do work and you tell me?"

"There's not really a place you can go without help from the Autobots." she set the metal pipes down before pointing behind Sideswipe, "If you go that way, you'll just be met with the destruction the Rumbling left behind." She pointed behind her. "Sure, there's civilization that way, but you'll just be met with fear and anger because you're a titan. The world is still afraid of the power of the titans, and titans like you already make them feel uncomfortable."

Sideswipe crossed his arms in response. His options were already limited. "I'll help, but I don't want anyone touching me."

"Fair enough. By the way, my name is Mikasa Ackerman," she introduced herself.

"That's a weird name," Sideswipe commented.

===

Strongarm was doing her best to help out in any way that she could, but even she was getting overwhelmed by the demands everyone was making. Some of them wanted her somewhere over here, or helping out with repairs, or stopping some humans from stealing supplies. This work was demanding, but it was still great experience.

But...she didn't like the stares and judgmental glances coming her way. The other Autobots have gotten used to it, but she wasn't. And she didn't do anything wrong. She was aware it was because of this world's history, but it still didn't sting any less. They didn't even know her at all.

"You doing okay?" Strongarm flinched and looked down to see a few of those humans that were friends with Optimus look up at her. They were Sasha, Armin, and Jean.

"I'm fine," Strongarm collected herself, "A little overwhelmed."

"At least you're not in the thick of it," Jean proclaimed, itching his leg. Strongarm noticed that the human had a prosthetic and was a little confused. It was a replacement, but one that didn't match his actual armor.

"What do you mean by that?" Strongarm figured it would have been rude to ask about his leg.

"The Bots came in when the Rumbling was happening," Sasha explained, "Optimus and Megatron came in when the titan shifters were attacking."

"I'm still trying to learn these terms," Strongarm said.

"Don't worry, you'll have time." Sasha waved off.

"It's still weird, seeing Optimus Prime alive," Strongarm proclaimed. Her attention fell to the Prime as he was talking to other humans.

"I'm curious. How does Cybertron see Optimus?" Armin asked, "Especially for someone like you."

"Yeah, now that I think about it, you're technically younger than us!" Sasha pointed at Strongarm.

"I'm a fully grown Cybertronian!" Strongarm retorted.

"Didn't you start existing like four years ago?!" Jean exclaimed, "Yeah, you are younger than us! You're four! Do you know what a four year old looks like?!" Jean pointed to a few children that were getting some candy from Levi. The captain was passing it from a box sitting on his lap.

"I didn't think you could get smaller," Strongarm remarked, "So small and so hateful."

"It's not you," Armin reassured, "People's minds aren't going to change over time. And they're just fearing what they don't understand."

"So the best course of action is to make them understand," Strongarm decided.

"Exactly." Armin nodded with a smile.

Strongarm felt motivated. "Alright, what are some of the rules we can use?"

"Rules are a little more fluid!" Strongarm yelped when Hanji jumped atop of their helm and bent down to look them in the optic. "There might be a few fights that break out, construction that goes wrong, demands!"

"Obviously, we still need to be respectful to these people," Jean reminded, "They've lost their homes and loved ones."

"Of course," Strongarm agreed.

"But you can always come up to us, or Optimus for help," Armin insisted.

Strongarm couldn't help but awkwardly stare at Optimus as he was talking to Bulkhead regarding a reconstruction project. "That's...so weird. Seeing him alive."

"In what context?" Hanji asked with curiosity as they jumped onto Strongarm's shoulder.

"Optimus is a hero. The one who revived Cybertron by becoming one with Primus," Strongarm explained, "He's a legend. Confident, powerful, the strongest leader out there. and now he's here."

Jean and Sasha snickered a little while Hanji started cackling.

"Hey!" Strongarm exclaimed, "You shouldn't be laughing!"

"Listen, Optimus is a mess!" Hanji declared, "Yes, he's reliable and loyal and faithful, but oh my god, he cannot take a hint. Total disaster!"

"What?!" Strongarm yelled.

"But if you want, you can ask him for help yourself!" Hanji grinned, "Hey, Optimus!"

"Wait, don't!" Strongarm pleaded as Optimus walked over to them.

"Is everything alright?" Optimus asked. Strongarm could feel her face heat up as she sagged her shoulders and stepped back.

"Strongarm here wanted to ask a few questions!" Hanji patted the cop's shoulder.

"If it's allowed!" Strongarm insisted.

"Of course," Optimus reassured, "What would you like to ask?"

==

"So...Megatron...respects you?!" Sideswipe asked Mikasa.

Mikasa hummed and nodded.

"And he apologized to you?!" Sideswipe screeched.

"Multiple times," Mikasa answered.

Sideswipe groaned in defeat. This is getting ridiculous. He looked for Strongarm, but couldn't help but sneer at the sight of her pestering Optimus Prime with questions as they all continued their cleanup. He looked down at Mikasa once again to see her doing some heavy lifting, carrying some crates in her hands. She was strong...for a fleshy thing. Sideswipe saw Mikasa set the crates down before she started scratching at some of the bandages wrapped around her arms. Sideswipe raised an brow in confusion. What was that for?

"Mikasa, take a break." Sideswipe froze when Megatron walked up to the two of them.

"I'm fine," Mikasa insisted.

"You're exacerbating your injuries," Megatron told her, "Take a break."

Mikasa sighed in defeat. "Fine."

Sideswipe gawked at the fact Mikasa had actually listened to Megatron and stopped her work and walked away. No ruthlessness. No anger. No fuss. There seemed to be mutual understanding between them.

"She...she listened to you," Sideswipe finally spoke up.

"Something you have trouble doing," Megatron jabbed, causing Sideswipe to recoil a little.

"Well!...I'm not exactly a fan of the rules and laws set in place," Sideswipe huffed as he crossed his arms.

"By Primus, you really are just that stupid," Megatron groaned.

"Hey, frag you!" Sideswipe quickly covered his mouth as he realized that he just cursed out the Decepticon warlord. The former warlord was stunned at his words, but that stunned expression turned into one of annoyance.

"Stupid and foolish," Megatron sighed in defeat, "I know many who would kill to be in a position like yours, and you're just squandering it because you feel slighted or rebellious."

"Pretty bold of you to lecture me considering what you've done," Sideswipe shot back.

"Which makes you even more of the fool," Megatron declared, "You are fully aware of my mistakes, yet you seem to be on track to repeating a good portion of them."

Sideswipe grew tense when Megatron approached him. Sideswipe shut his optics, worried that Megatron was going to hit him or something. But it never came.

"I'm going to show you something," Megatron stated, "Follow."

Sideswipe was smart enough to recognize that he didn't have an option when Megatron walked past him and headed north. Sideswipe didn't want to move, but...he forced himself to walk and follow the former warlord.

==

"Seems all of Strongarm's attention continues to be on Optimus," Erwin remarked as he saw Strongarm asking Optimus questions as they continued to assist with reconstruction.

"And I wanted to ask her questions," Hanji sighed in defeat.

"Maybe next time," Armin reassured, "It's probably better leave it alone and let Strongarm get accommodated."

"It does seem like she and Sideswipe are going to be staying for a while," Hanji mused, "I wonder what other kinds of trouble a four year old Cybertronian can get into!"

"We're older than some Cybertronians! That's hilarious!" Sasha cackled.

The conversation was halted when the spacebridge opened up, and Bumblebee and Ratchet walked through it. Ratchet was holding a datapad in his servo while Bumblebee was holding some small electronic devices. The two of them looked rather stoic, but even Strongarm could tell in Bumblebee's optics that he looked rather somber.

"What's going on?" Strongarm asked, but Optimus was clearly distracted as he approached the other two Autobots. Ratchet turned to his datapad, and Strongarm heard the medic listing off unfamiliar names. Names of some of the humans that lived here. Humans that looked at her in awe or disgust, were now looking to the others with concern and dread. Strongarm then saw Ratchet listing off other names that were on the datapad. When he did, the humans that had gathered around the Autobots broke down into tears one by one. They shrieked and wailed in despair and clung to each other for comfort. Bumblebee was the one who kneeled down and showed them the devices. He pressed a button, and holographic pictures of other humans appeared on display. The Lieutenant started passing them around to their respective loved ones.

"What's happening?" Strongarm repeated her question again.

"These humans lost loved ones during the Rumbling," Armin explained, "Ratchet and Bumblebee have been...examining their corpses and getting their DNA to identify who these people were."

"That's....horrible," Strongarm spoke in horror, "Those were so many names. Who....why would someone kill all of those people?"

Strongarm noticed the sorrow and anger in the eyes of the humans.

"Maybe if you decide to continue to help, we'll tell you about it," Hanji decided.

"But why can't you tell me-!"

"Just drop it," Sasha coldly snapped at her, causing Strongarm to stare in surprise.

"Sasha," Jean warned her. Sasha rubbed her eyes and sighed.

"I'm going to get something to eat," Sasha declared before walking off with Jean following close behind.

"Um...," Strongarm trailed off.

"It's not you," Erwin reassured, "But there was a lot of loss on all sides regarding this matter. And it's better to ease you into it."

"...I understand," Strongarm relented.

===

Sideswipe stared in horror at the sight of the massive footprints that had imprinted themselves into the ground. Sideswipe could see dried stains of blood and birds picking at the ground, trying to find any morsels of flesh to consume.

"This...this is what happened?" Sideswipe addressed Megatron as the former warlord stood in the crater made by the footprint.

"This." Megatron gestured to the desolation before him, "Was the result of someone's own reckless decision."

"All of this because of one person?!" Sideswipe exclaimed.

"The story is much more complicated," Megatron added, "Just know that. But...he once had a noble dream. A naive one, but when the world got more complicated, more cruel, it was something he could not handle or accept. So he made the whole world his enemy in response."

"That doesn't mean that I'm going to turn out like that!" Sideswipe shouted, "I do!...harmless pranks! Go against the establishment! That kind of thing!"

"And when those actions are left unchecked, when you don't experience a proper consequence, you will get more bold," Megatron declared, "More sparkless, less empathetic."

"That's still not a guarantee!" Sideswipe yelled.

"Perhaps not," Megatron agree as he stepped out of the crater, "But it is still a possibility. Is that a possibility you wish to take?"

Sideswipe nervously looked away from the desolation, but Megatron grabbed his face and forced him to look at the barren wasteland.

"See it." Megatron ordered, "Sit in the silence, and then come when you've cleaned up your act."

Megatron realized Sideswipe before walking back to the town, leaving Sideswip alone.

==

Evening

"Well...today was..." Strongarm tried to find the words, "Productive."

"Strongarm, it is alright to admit that you were overwhelmed by today," Optimus reassured as he placed a servo on her shoulder.

"It...it was overwhelming." Strongarm was ashamed to admit it.

"Do you want to go back to Cybertron to readjust before coming back?" Bumblebee asked as he walked up to his cadet, "There's no shame in wanting to absorb and understand what happened."

"Thank you, sir," Strongarm said, "But...maybe....maybe this would be a good opportunity for me to stay and continue to help."

"You sure?" Bumblebee asked.

"Yes," Strongarm answered.

"Well, I'm proud of you for stepping up," Bumblebee smiled, "Now where is-!" Bumblebee saw Sideswipe dragging himself towards them all, looking shaken to his core.

"Sideswipe, are you okay?" Bumblebee asked, causing Sideswipe to snap out of his shock.

"Y-yeah, I!...um...saw!" Sideswipe pointed towards the edge of the Rumbling.

"What?" Strongarm asked in confusion.

"I made him see the damage the Rumbling caused," Megatron informed as he walked past, causing Sideswipe to flinch.

"Megatron, what the frag?! They're not ready for that!" Bumblebee exclaimed.

"He needed a dose of reality. That his actions can very well have consequences on the ones around him," Megatron declared, "I just showed it to him. I did nothing else."

"I can attest to that." Strongarm snapped her helm to the ground to see Mikasa with a hand raised, "I decided to go check on them both when I noticed them wandering off."

"Thank you, Mikasa," Megatron said, causing Strongarm to gawk in surprise.

"Well," Bumblebee sighed before walking up to Sideswipe, "You're going to be here for a while. And I'm not sending you back home until you've learned something truly valuable."

"...yeah," Sideswipe gulped, "I got it."

"We'll get the two of you some accommodations for your stay," Bumblebee addressed Strongarm and Sideswipe, "Get comfy. Recovery's going to be a while."

Strongarm and Sideswipe looked at each other, feeling a little apprehensive. This...was going to be interesting.

(So I'm going to deviate from Strongarm and Sideswipe for right now and pivot to other topics for the Future Anthology, but we will circle back to them later.)

[bexdrey]

Have something slice of lifey! Take a break from the angst!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of the tide rolling in and out helped to qualm the tides in Shego's mind, however not by much. Her gaze was fixated upon the horizon, the moon shining brightly in the sky. The reflection was certainly beautiful.

Yet Shego couldn't help but feel… oddly lonely. She wasn't quite sure what was causing this sudden wave of profound loneliness, but it wasn't pleasant. Not even Drakken's ramblings seemed to aid in her distress. Normally it was a strangely welcome distraction to anything that plagued her thoughts.

She let out a soft exhale and let one leg straight in front of her as she leaned her arm against the other, her other arm fell behind her slightly and her fingers hit the sand.

She was tired and unable to sleep as of late and when she did, she always woke up gripping tightly to an old plushie she'd recently dug out of the closet on one of her nostalgia trips.

Shego's dreams were vague but often involved Drakken, though that was as far as she could remember when she woke up.

Why was she feeling like this? Why now? It'd been like this for the past two weeks and was only, seemingly, getting worse. She'd even considered going out with Junior to get some drinks and find some faceless bodies to dance with but not even that appealed to her lately.

She found herself more cooped up and hanging around Drakken more than she'd like to admit.

What is wrong with me?

Shego hadn't even realized that tears had welled within her eyes. She only noticed when the sound of footsteps broke her from her thoughts. She quickly wiped them away and pulled her gaze from the horizon to the sand below.

"Ah Shego, there you are! Evil Eye for the Bad Guy is on, you won't believe the guest." The familiar voice of Drakken then sounded and she pulled her gaze towards where he stood a few feet behind her.

"Let me guess, you?" She forced the quick response and a smirk.

Drakken grumbled something, rolled his eyes and moved towards her only to sit beside her. The briefly annoyed look was replaced by a smirk. "Oh I wish, I'd kill to get on Evil Eye for the Bad Guy!" He let out a bit of a chuckle as he got comfortable. "No, they got Kim Possible's baffoony sidekick.. uh.. I wanna say Ryan Strangle? I dunno, the name escapes me." He shrugged.

Shego let out a forced snicker and rolled her eyes. "You haven't seen that one? It was when the doofus started outshining you in evil. You know you really gotta get out of the lab more often." She teased with the raise of a brow.

There was a beat of silence before a smirk appeared on Drakken's face. "Oh really? Don't think I haven't noticed you hanging around in there more than usual lately." There was a teasing tone to his voice. "You've even woken me up a good few times just this past week to, and I quote, 'Get up and eat so we can get an early start on evil today.'"

Shego felt her heart against her chest and her face flush in embarrassment. The smirk she held had faltered into a look of surprise. Her brows then furrowed and she looked away. "Yeah well, I haven't been sleeping well and I was bored." She responded with more aggressiveness then she had intended.

Her hands now nervously stroked her long black hair as she struggled to get her thoughts in order. She could hear Drakken shift slightly and she couldn't help but glance over, the nervous petting of her own hair slowed.

He looked as if he was trying to figure out a response, his gaze fixated on the horizon and his brow was furrowed. She could practically see the gears spinning for something to say.

She clenched her teeth and also looked towards the horizon. There was another long moment of silence before she exhaled and furrowed her own brows, her gaze falling towards her knees as she brought them close to her chest.

"Dr. D? Do you ever get.. lonely?" She internally cringed as the words left her mouth, almost immediately regretting asking.

Whatever it was Drakken had been thinking about prior seemed to halt as she asked this. There was a pause before he spoke. "Well… Sometimes. Why? Are you..?"

Shego exhaled and let her knees fall again. "Uh.. No reason. Just curious." She quickly decided to end this before it became far too uncomfortable. At least the company of Drakken was beginning to distract her thoughts from the dampened state they were in prior to his arrival. "You said Evil Eye for the Bad Guy was on? I think they air new episodes after a re-run."

She stood herself, brushing the sand off her pants and hands. She turned to face Drakken, thankful now that his company was aiding in getting a hold on her thoughts.

Drakken looked to her quizzically. A brow raised in confusion, most likely at the sudden shift in energy. However he seemed to either accept it and the confused look was replaced by a grin. "And I still have yet to see the one that's on."

It was Drakken's turn to stand and the two began to head towards the lair. "Oh you'll like this one. He totally loses it!" Shego laughed.

There was a moment of silence as the two headed back in, she heard footsteps slow to a stop and she looked behind her to see Drakken had halted. His brow was furrowed with a look of mild concern. Shego raised her own brow in confusion.

"Shego… You're okay, right? Like… mnnh.. You know I do worry sometimes." He seemed unsure of himself and was unable to make any form of eye contact.

The sudden questioning caught Shego off guard and she could feel her heart skip a beat. He was worried? She wasn't sure whether to be angry or comforted by the idea. It wasn't like she was some damsel in distress needing to be saved from her own thoughts. She settled on snarky.

"Yes, Dr. Dorky. I'm fine. Come on. I'll get the popcorn, you get the blankets. I'm feelin' a movie after Evil Eye." She rolled her eyes and headed inside. She didn't even wait for his response, she'd walked off before he could question it any further.

Besides, she was feeling better now. Drakken's company helped ease the dreaded loneliness she'd been feeling the past couple of weeks. And this was the first time in a long while that he seemed interested in relaxing.

Hm.. I guess it was kind of sweet that he was worried about me. I mean, he knows I can handle myself..

But that did beg the question; what else did he notice that she was unaware of? The thought made her stomach twist as she mindlessly grabbed popcorn out of the cupboard.

He is right though… I have been hanging around the lair a lot lately.. Christ, what's gotten into me?

As the popcorn now sat in the microwave whilst it heated up, she let her mind wander as to what was getting into her as of late. She was always around Drakken, hovering more than usual and was unusually lonely while Drakken was busy tinkering away at the latest doomsday device he'd been so eagerly focused on these past two weeks.

And she was noticing more and more that his ramblings and ideas were less annoying than they had been before. The more she thought about it, the more she was beginning to realize just how tolerant she'd become to… a lot of his quirks. Quirks that used to bug the crap out of her.

Then it clicked right as the microwave beeped.

Oh no. No there is no way I'm falling for that big blue idiot.

And yet…

"Shego? I can't find the lounge blankets. Where'd you put them?" The sudden sound of Drakken's voice caused Shego to jump slightly. She spun around to face him.

"Jesus, a little warning on your arrival would be nice." She tried to sound more annoyed, but her tone came across as more amused than anything. "They're in the wash, just grab one from my room."

She turned back to the popcorn and poured the bag into a bowl as she heard Drakken's steps receding from the kitchen. She hadn't even noticed she'd said her room instead of his until…

"You said… your room, right?"

She turned to face where Drakken peaked out from behind the doorway, a quizzical look on his face. Her face felt hot, realizing her mistake. Of course she'd never admit to her slip in wording. "Yea, or yours, doesn't really matter to me. It's not like you've never been in there before." She turned with a shrug.

The footsteps receded once more and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She grabbed the bowl of popcorn and headed towards the living room. She plopped down and threw her feet on the coffee table.

It was only a moment until Drakken returned with the blanket in hand. Her gaze fell onto the blanket. It was hers. The fact he'd chosen to grab hers rather than his own made her heart skip a few beats.

So he chose mine… wait. He only grabbed one.

The revelation made her mind swim. Why was she suddenly over analyzing every action like a love-struck teenager?

Well you certainly feel like one…

Shego internally facepalmed at her own thoughts.

Maybe his is dirty. Maybe yours is all there is for blankets right now.

She rationalized her own thoughts and gave a slight nod of approval to herself as Drakken sat himself down and flicked the blanket up and over them. It was like he was completely oblivious to the implications of this. He did this so casually. He got himself cozy and grabbed the remote, flipping the channel to Evil Eye before tossing it onto the coffee table and reaching over to grab a handful of popcorn. Popcorn Shego hadn't realized she was basically holding the bowl hostage.

Upon this realization she put the bowl between them. She then began to wonder when this shift had occurred. When had she began to hover? Take interest? Find him overall less annoying?

Nothing about it made any sense and yet, it made perfect sense. Drakken, even in the beginning, had never really been afraid of Shego. He only ever seemed scared when she got all blasty or when she had been under the influence of the Moodulator. He may be forgetful at times but when boundaries were clearly spoken, they were listened to without further question.

He seemed to genuinely value her opinion on certain things and since day one had never made her feel unwelcome in the lair. Even going so far as to give her, her own room, her own space. No one she'd ever worked with before Drakken had been so considerate. Not to mention it saved money on motels.

Shego's thoughts were interrupted however. "Shego? Is there something on my face? You've been staring quite intently for a few minutes now." He noted, matter of factly.

She'd been staring. This caused her to look away with haste towards the TV. "Nothing, it's nothing." She stated quickly, cursing herself internally for being so careless.

There was a sigh followed by the TV volume lowering. "Okay, you've been especially weird tonight." He suddenly grimaced. "You're not under the influence of that Moodulator again, are you?" He gulped.

"What? No! Drakken. No." Though I wish that was the case right now…

At least then she could chalk up the weirdness around Drakken to that.

"Then what's going on with you? You're never like this and it's… kind of freaking me out. Did I do something to upset you?" His face held worry. "Cause if I did I-"

Before either of them could truly realize what was happening, Shego's lips met his. Her hand gripped his t-shirt while the other gripped the arm of the couch. And before Drakken could even have a chance to return the kiss, Shego had already pulled herself away, only to pause and hover above him, her emerald eyes staring right into Drakken's.

His eyes held shock, confusion and something else she couldn't read. His face was as red as a cherry. Even Shego herself held a similar expression. "I… " She then shut her eyes, furrowed her brows and pulled herself off of Drakken before clearing her throat. "You didn't do anything. Okay? Just.. let's just watch a movie."

Though as Shego went to stand, she'd noticed Drakken had grabbed her hand and was staring right at her, trying to analyze her no doubt. However the same unreadable expression was still within his eyes.

Her mind was completely void of thought as the only thing that held her focus was Drakken's unreadable face. But when he cleared his throat and removed his hand, all thoughts came rushing back to her. "So.. we're not going to talk about how you just kissed me?" It was Drakken's turn to avoid her gaze.

Shego's brows furrowed and she looked away for a moment before she flopped back in the couch, gripped her head and let out an annoyed yell. "I don't know, alright! I don't know what's wrong with me! You didn't do anything. Yenno it's not always about you! It's not always something 'you did'!"

She shot her gaze towards Drakken, who tensed at the sudden glare. Though her anger wasn't directed towards him. It was more towards herself. "I'm so.. confused and angry at myself." She was heaving and hunched slightly now. "Uhg!" She grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be a pillow, and hurled it across the room before exhaling and letting her head fall into her hands.

There was a good moment of silence before she felt his arm wrap around her waist and pull her slightly. She tensed and was about to slap him away but instead she felt herself collapse into his chest and his other arm wrap gently around her.

Her hands fell from her head and she shifted to grip Drakken's shirt instead. Her face buried as she began to sob, unable to control the sudden wave of emotions that seemed to hit her all at once at the sudden and oddly brave gesture from Drakken.

This only caused his grip to tighten some and pull her closer. She couldn't even fully understand why she was suddenly overwhelmed with such strong feelings. It was a mix of so many things that just seemed to hit her all at once. It caused her to break.

It was like everything she'd held in over the years had finally caught up and Drakken had just been caught in the middle of it. She let herself cry for a while in the comfort of his arms. The rhythmic rising and falling of his chest as he breathed helped calm her.

After a few more moments, she pulled her face from his chest and sniffled, wiping her eyes with a hand. "Better..?"

"Yeah… thanks." She exhaled before offering a small hint of a smile towards Drakken who then smirked playfully.

"You sure there's no Moodulator hidden somewhere?" He lightly teased, an attempt to lighten the mood. If this had been a couple years ago, she would've decked him with a plasma blast, but instead she just rolled her eyes and turned over and rested her head against his chest, rather than getting up, she found herself getting comfortable in his embrace.

The look Drakken gave her was now of confusion, though he didn't make any attempts to move Shego. She smirked now slightly. "I threw my pillow across the room. I needed a replacement." She mused, letting the mood settle finally. He opened his mouth to retort something but she turned quickly and placed a finger against his lips. "Pillows don't talk." Her eyes held amusement in them.

Once Shego got comfortable again, Drakken let off a bit of a chuckle and reached to grab the remote, thankfully it was within his arms reach. He flipped the TV to a movie they would most likely fall asleep to. Shego reached to grab the popcorn and placed the bowl on her lap, within both of their reach.

A few minutes into the movie, Shego spoke. "We never speak of this again."

"I won't if you don't." Was Drakken's only response.

It didn't take them long to fall asleep in each others comfort.

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WHOOF okay I wasn't expecting to make this so long lmfao. I kept trying to find a way to end it earlier but any idea I had just didn't work. Anywhoo, have a really long fluff one shot :) Kinda flows with some of my other artworks. Namely the nostalgia comic and follows the same world that my angst one is in.

This takes place just before graduation and my angst fics of which i need to make part 3 for.

ANYHOO ENJOY!

[goodluckclove]

Movie Night With Your Eccentric Older Brother Simulator (Free Weird Movies Recs)

So I've always had a vague awareness of the archetype surrounding an Alt Older Brother who introduces you to weird media. I have no real-life frame of reference for this person. While I was close to my actual older brother for a long time, I don't think he introduced me to much.

But after finding that list of free movies and realizing the link to Evil Dead II was a podcast video about the movie as opposed to the actual movie, I decided to put together my own list of cult/weird movies. Nothing too intense. It's got some horror, but it's not all horror. Consider this a way to LARP a kind of skeevy older brother with a strange inner world who you idolize despite him clearly not doing super great right now. He loves you in a weird, scruffy way that he doesn't like to talk about in precise language.

(EDIT: Also I did go out of my way to pick kind of shitty VHS rips for some of these. I do consider them the ideal way to view them. For immersion's sake.)

Uh, hey man. So Mom and Dad left for some fuckin' - I don't know, I still had half my headphones on so I wasn't really paying attention. But they're gone for the night and I guess I'm in charge or whatever. They said I could use their card to order pizza which is pretty sick. I'll order one for each of us, and then I'll just hole up in the basement to listen to The Flower Kings and -

What? You wanna hang out?

No, that's - yeah, I guess I did make a face. My bad. Um, sure I can hang. I know you've been kind of bummed lately. I guess we could watch a movie if you want. No, dude, step the fuck away from the DVD shelf. If I have to watch Click one more goddamned time I'm gonna' blow my brains out.

I'm kidding. That was a joke. Don't tell Mom I said that. Also, scroll through this. These are all the deep cuts my friends at community college have been collecting while we stay out late and smoke - meats. Yeah - my bros Skeet and Blazer? They're big...big barbecue fans. Yeah.

Stop looking at me, dude, just pick a movie.

Pink Floyd's The Wall (1982)

Oh fuck yeah. Uh, no it's not the album. I mean, it's technically the album - but remember how I told you that The Wall is a Rock Opera? This is the visual adaptation of that Rock Opera. It's got the whole album - complete with a short song from The Final Cut which is another Pink Floyd that came out after The Wall but has a lot of the same themes. This thing has some fuckin' killer animations by Gerald Scarfe. It's a pretty intense take on modern masculinity and fame in post-war Britain from someone with direct experience in all of that.

Evil Dead II (1987) and Armies of Darkness (1992)

What? It's Sam Rami, dude, of course there's gore. It's a Sam Rami movie that isn't Spiderman, so there's a ton of gore and jump scares. No but like - they aren't good jump scares and the gore is absolutely nonsense. It's a horror comedy but it's pretty heavy on the comedy, you know? In Evil Dead II (No, you don't need to start with the first one. The first act of Evil Dead II is a remake of The Evil Dead.) the main guy Ash has his hand turn evil, so he cuts it off and replaces it with a chainsaw.

Shut the fuck up, man, it's not spoilers. It's barely top five in crazy shit that happens in this movie. It's awesome though Bruce Campbell is like horror Mister Bean. He's also hot as fuck. Nevermind. Forget I said that.

Hellraiser (1987)

Seriously, if you pick this you can't tell Mom and Dad I let you watch it. Well, I don't think it's scary, but the practical effects are pretty hardcore for its time and I remember you were pretty upset when you came in and hid in my room while Skeet and I were watching The Thing.

It's pretty gory. It's a body horror film. But aside from some retro-horror staples it's definitely not - like - realistic gore. It's like a guy will die because he gets exploded by chains from goth BDSM demons. Then he's resurrected but he's got no skin and he's kind of bitchy about it for a while. It's pretty cool. Pretty - um - it's got pronouns, you know? It's - I can't call it gay, right? No, it's literally gay. Clive Barker is a gay man. This is a pretty queer horror series.

Shock Treatment (1981)

So Jim Sherman and Richard O'Brien made Rocky Horror Picture Show. They then made an AU of their own movie musical - which is this movie, Shock Treatment. Call me a contrarian, but I like this one a bit better. RHPS is great, but it's so overwhelmingly Tim Curry that it does drown out everything else. This seems like a bit more of an ensemble cast where you can really enjoy the whole movie. Plus their song "Bitchin' in the Kitchen" is like one of my favorite musical songs.

Paprika (2006)

Satoshi Kon is easily one of the best animators of all time. He's the same guy that did Perfect Blue, but that's a little bit more of an intense watch (Although is you do decide to do it do not watch the dubbed version. I'm not being a 'subs not dubs' weeb again the ending was so subtle that the dub fucked it up). Paprika is fantastic It's a beautifully animated science-fiction adventure akin to Inception if Inception was led by a cool lady. It's gorgeous.

Synechdoche, New York (2008)

Charlie Kaufman is one of those directors who people think encourage Angsty Indie White Guys, even though all of his movies specifically focus on how pathetic Angsty Indie White Guys are. This is a big one, but it's beautiful and I've seen it five times. Every time it leaves me quiet and thoughtful. If we watch this and I cry you aren't allowed to say shit about it.

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

This is a surrealist, sci-fi black comedy by writer/director, rapper, and communist activist Boots Riley. it's pretty crazy right off the get go. It's cool to see a blatantly anti-capitalist speculative fiction story that isn't - like - blatantly ideological. It definitely has the ideology, but not at the sacrifice of great writing and directing and a really fun story.

How's that film major I'm dating? Kai is fine. Kai's cool. Kai's...enough about Kai.

Brazil (1985)

This is like 1984 but in the hands of the most creative Monty Python guys. It is crazy how creative this movie is. Like early Tim Burton. Just chaotic and hilarious and horrifying. It's awesome.

But I'm getting sick of talking. Would you pick something already?

You picked: Dancer in the Dark (2000)

The...the fucking Lars Von Trier musical starring Bjork? The that starts with Bjork playing a poor immigrant mother who's slowly going blind and struggling to make ends meet and only gets far sadder from there?

You're getting into Bjork? Now? In 2024 you're just now deciding to get into - ?

Nope. That's fine. I said you can pick, so you can pick. I'll warn you though. this thing's like two and a half hours long and I'm going to spend most of it weeping. If I see you even quiver a laugh I will doxx you online I swear to god.

[mysticwolfshadows]

Taken - Zutara - Part 12

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True to his word, Katara wakes just before dawn to find the Fire Nation ship buzzing with activity, already pulling out of the make shift dock. She sees Zuko standing near the bow, watching her as she races out onto the snow.

Inhaling, she calls out, hoping the ship isn't so far out that the icy wind snatches her voice away.

"Come back soon!" She shouts, waving her arm, just in case they can't hear her. "Be safe! I'll be waiting!"

On the ship, Zuko seems to stiffen, though it's hard to know for sure with how far the ship is quickly getting. Behind him, soldiers call back, a cacophony of sound, a few waving their own arms. Katara smiles, watching as Zuko turns, seeming to snap orders at them. He always had difficulty controlling his temper. It seemed the position of authority on a ship had done little to temper it.

For a while, Katara watched as the ship disappeared into the distance. Then, she watched the smoke trail slowly dissipate, waiting until there was no sign left of them.

She was determined to make Zuko know he was welcome in the South. Even if the village as a whole would always be wary, she would welcome him. He would have a home in the South, if he ever decided he couldn't return to the Fire Nation.

It was only three months before Zuko returned. The black snow was still fresh in the tribes mind from his last visit, and many looked to Katara as she beamed. There was no panic, only caution, as the ramp came down and Zuko led the way down.

Katara ran out to meet him, giving him a tight hug, noticing how the soldiers behind them were nudging and elbowing each other. They stopped as soon as she stepped back, acting as if it had never happened. She would have pointed it out, only...

Zuko had an odd look on his face. It was a bit red, and a bit pinched. For a moment, she wondered if something was wrong, but then her father and Bato were coming forward, distracting the prince. Iroh came forward to join them, and Katara tried to follow, only for the hopeless medic to come begging for help. Apparently there were a few injures that the man just didn't know what to do with.

She spent a good portion of time sitting in her hut, absently healing minor injures and peering out into the village. A few boxes and barrels were taken off and put in the tribes storehouse. In turn, a few barrels and sacks were taken out and moved to the ship. She asked one soldier about it, but all she got was a shrug and a vague answer about some kind of deal having been made between her father and Zuko.

When the soldiers are patched up, and Zuko is done with whatever secrets he and her father were sharing, she trudges through snow to find her wayward firebender.

"What were you talking about?" Katara demanded, as Zuko was left standing in the snow by the village gate. "And what was with all the boxes?"

Zuko wasn't a very figity sort, but he looked close to starting. "We have a trade agreement. Apparently, before... the raids made it difficult to, Earth Kingdom merchants would travel down to trade. Apparently most of the parts from things like octopus whale and whale walrus are very valuable in the Earth Kingdom. So he sends me with a bit of their excess, like the extra lamp oil and bones, and then I take it to Earth Kingdom and trade it for things your father says the tribe needs. Food, equipment..."

The odd look was back, and she wondered if there was something more. For now, not sure how long she would have, Katara was fine with letting it go. There would be time for more later.

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[crystal-va]

Pyro's story

"In an AU full of violence and hatred... Sadness and despiration... Many have tried to... 'fix' these issues, but all have ended in failure."

The undergrounds Royal Scientist, Dr. Gaster, left many unfinished experiments and blueprints behind after disappearing. The new Royal Scientist, Dr. Alphys, was ordered to finish the experiments that were left behind. But, there was a massive issue... she couldn't read it. All the papers were written in a language that it seemed no one could understand. Some had a vague sense of familiarity, but still couldn't understand it.

After many of the assistants and researchers were executed for being unable to decipher the text, Sans, the Royal Judge, stepped forward with a simple offer, "I can decipher it, if ya pay me." Sans, was paid handsomely, and he deciphered the papers perfectly. From that day on he often worked with Alphys on Gaster's old experiments.

One day, Sans was called from his sentry station in Hotland to the lab. When he arrived he was met with Asgore and Alphys beckoning him to follow them. Sans followed and found himself in the secret lab where Gaster's old papers had been found. He hesitantly followed Asgore to an old testing chamber that looked like it had recently been on fire. It was completely covered in ash.

"I-I'm sorry, Sans..." Alphys mumbled as Sans was knocked out cold by Asgore. Sans woke up only a few moments later. He was tied down today a table, he quickly realized what was going on when he saw Alphys holding a syringe filled with a mixture of royal fire magic and stabilized DT he had helped her create a few days ago, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?" Sans exclaimed as the needle was lowered towards his left eye, "We're making you stronger," Asgore coldly responded.

Sans awoke the next day behind Asgore's throne. "What the fuck..." Sans sighed as he looked at his hands, his bones were gray, as if charred, and it hurt. As Sans became more and more conscious, that pain got worse, almost completely unbearable after only a few minutes. "Ah, Your awake... good," Sans looked up to see Asgore looming over him.

Sans was forced to move into a home in Hotland near the lab. For many years Sans was held on a tight leash and personally trained by Asgore daily. He wasn't able to spend much time with Papyrus, growing more distant than ever. The only positive for him was the special clothes he got to channel his mass amounts of fire magic so he wouldn't burn himself to ash. But it would be great if he didn't need them at all...

Sans took up a side-job with Mettaton as a pyrotechnician, working backstage during Mettaton's shows to give it a bit of a... spark. He actually kinda enjoyed that job, but... it wasn't good enough to make up for all the shit he had to deal with outside of it. Sans swore that he would break himself free and punish Asgore for not only what he did to him, but for absolutely everything Asgore had fucked up in the underground. Sans would do what many other rebel groups had tried, but he'd make sure to finish it.

One day, about 4 years after the injection thing, Sans was writing down his plan on how to kill Asgore.

"Quite ambitious, aren't we?" An unfamiliar voice said from behind.

"Who are you?" Sans said without turning around.

"Heh, someone willing to help ya... How about that?" The unknown person said with sincerity.

Sans finally turned around to see who the hell broke into his house. His eyes were met with an incredibly tall skeleton monster with odd multicolored eye lights and an uncanny resemblance to him. "The fuck...?" Sans quietly questioned.

After some questioning from Sans, and some... dodgy answers from the unknown skeleton, the two discussed Asgore's assassination in great detail.

"Training with him almost every day will make this fairly easy, heh." The unknown skeleton remarked.

"Yeah, you'd think, but he's just too strong, I gotta go for something more traditional. If I try to get him during the training, I'll just end up dead instead." Sans said, disappointed at the fact.

"Of course! That's why I'm here... I can make you so much stronger than you could ever imagine!" The unknown skeleton said with conviction.

"How the hell do ya plan to do that?" Sans questioned.

"Simple, you just take my hand, give me your soul, and I guarantee you power!" The unknown skeleton chuckled.

"My soul? The hell are you talking about?" Sans just kept questioning.

"It's true! Your soul in exchange for the power to give freedom to everyone else in the underground! Or... are you too selfish? Too cowardly?" The unknown skeleton said grimly, piercing Sans's mind with thoughts of failure. Why have such simple insults dug so deep at his soul? Why did these words... convince him? Why did he want to listen?

Despite his better judgement, Sans shook the unknown skeleton's hand. Purple fog enshrouded the two as the unknown skeleton began laughing manically. Sans felt a sense of raw power and an unstoppable sense of destruction flowing through his body.

"Now... go." The skeleton commanded as his eyes began quickly swirling and cycling through the red, purple, and yellow of his eyes.

Sans was given a new name before going to Asgore's castle, Pyro.

Pyro could've never imagined he'd end up like this, he knew he was impulsive and idiotic at times, but this... deal, seemed excessive...

The battle between Pyro and Asgore was... underwhelming. Asgore was completely outmatched with Pyro's new power.

Freedom was truly given to everyone in the underground with Asgore now dead at Pyro's hands. Everyone except for Pyro himself... He was now owned by the unknown skeleton, now known to be named 'Dealmaker', an extremely straightforward name...

Pyro wasn't alone though, he had a fellow Sans to relate too under Deal, his name was Disturbed. They get along mildly well, not always seeing eye to eye on everything, but always being good friends.

~END~

It's got issues, it's simple, but I like it, kinda...

I might turn this into a slightly more fleshed out comic sometime in the future, maybe.

Hope ya enjoyed Pyro's updated story!