#GET OUT OF THE NILE(DENIAL)

[actorsmask]

(Ahanon is currently lounging in their house, reading some random book Ms. Pela had made them beta read for her. Apparently she wrote it and wanted them specifically to speak their thoughts on it.)

Simple plot, but effective, it always got readers on the edge of their seat and makes them yell in frustration for the two to kiss… Heh, boy do I know the… Feeling…

(They immediately sat up, interested at a particular part of the story.)

… Oh my god, Ms. Pela…

The book read: “I do not love him! Your just spouting nonsense now!!!”

His friend stared at him with a deadpan stare. “Yeah, sure, mhm, totally— I’m not going to do this again Sam! You need to stop denying it and delaying or you’ll lose the chances you have of being with him!”

Sam rolled his eyes and stood up. “Like you said, I’m not doing this again either! I do not have any feelings. Period.”

“You didn’t seem like it that one time Garrett got the flu—“”That is beside the point.”

“No it’s not! I’m telling you, running around in circles like this won’t work!”

Sam sighed and walked back to his room, ignoring his friend yelling at him to ‘wake up.’

“… I don’t like him.”

… He admits he’s attractive, but so does everyone else! I mean, everyone likes Gerard! He’s a novel citizen, good work, good pay, good life, good family, and good money!

Sam? He can’t even count the amount of times he’s went to jail! He’s a crook, a criminal, an absolute fool… He and Gerard would never work. Never.

… Sometimes, though, he allows himself to wish.

.

.

.

.

“…ett…rett…”

…

“… Garrett!!!”

Garrett snaps out of his trance and looks back at his friend, who looks at him with a raised eyebrow. “These bags won’t carry themselves lover boy! Help me out!” “Ah, of course, sorry.”

Garrett immediately picked up a few bags and walked alongside his friend, who side-eyed him.

“If you were daydreaming about—“”I was not daydreaming about Sam.” “I didn’t even mention Sam.” “I can already tell you we’re going to bring him up.”

“Basta, tomato tomato.”

Garrett sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t like him, nor love him.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” “I’m serious.”

“And so am I, Garrett.” They said seriously, looking at them with a stern gaze as if they were a parent scolding their child. “You need to reflect seriously, and think about this. You can never just easily put a label like this when it comes to love.”

“I have already thought and reflected, and I can say with full confidence that I do not like Sam.” His friend sighed and kept walking.

“… You won’t be able to be with him forever, Garrett.” This made him stop walking, staring at them as if they had insulted him. “Again, I’m serious. You know how many enemies he has? How many enemies you have? Something could happen to either one of you or even both! And you would never get the chance to talk again.”

This made him stop once again, it made him think. Garrett was rich, sure, but it meant people wanted his money. His family was well known too, which made him even more of a target.

Sam… Sam always landed himself in jail. One day he himself could go too far and get tased by the cops, or worse, shot and killed. Not to mention the amount of people he’s hurt and scammed.

As Garrett was thinking, his friend snapped their fingers to get him out of his trance.

“See what I mean now, Garrett? Both of you are big figures, both well known, which makes an easy target.”

“…” They sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. “You can still wait, but don’t keep each other waiting so long. Both of you have dangerous lives, you might as well spend what little you have left with each other not as rivals, but as lovers.”

…

(The book ended there.)

(Ahanon laughed loudly as they finished reading.)

Oh Ms. Pela, stooping to a new low I see!

(They sigh and place the book down on their table.)

… She asked me how she should end it…

(They said thoughtfully, looking towards an old picture of themself and Sampo, it was… From a really long time ago.)

… I haven’t seen him this happy… For a long time.

Maybe… Maybe I’ll wait and see, then I’ll tell her how the story should end.

[hamilando]

ੈ✩ hereby announcing (smau) ੈ✩

pairing : f1 grid x fem reader ; lewis hamilton x fem reader

summary : you can take the girl out of the sport, but not the sport out of the girl

tw : emotional, fluff

a/n : thank you so much to @amberjazmyn for suggesting this ! lysm 🫶🏻 this ends on a cliff hanger ! and the time span is during the 2020- 2021 grid 🫶🏻 I was literally listening to judas by lady gaga while writing this 💀

·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ

liked by charlesleclerc, lewishamilton and 1,839,378 others

ynshayk a last photo shoot with @ Ferrari and @ charlesleclerc before the season ends ! Thank you @ vogue for having us 🤩❤️

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user1 Y/N X CHARLES, THE LOOKS !?

user2 thank god she did not choose modelling

user3 WE DONT NEED THIS, WE NEED YOUR CONTRACT

user4 when are you signing the next wdc ?

user5 stop torturing us and GIVE US THE DEETS

user6 I hate that because of covid we can't even see her 😭

user7 I swear to god, this lady is a damn sadist

user8 MA’AM, YOUR NEXT YEAR CAR !?

user9 don’t tell me Ferrari Kip’s kicking her out

user10 ha, no-

user11 they love her

user12 I mean she does not have many wins -

user13 SHE HAS WAY MORE THEN CHARLES !?

user14 she got the seat after sebastian vettel, she deserved it

user15 2021 is Y/N’s year

liked by lewishamilton, scuderiaferrari and 3,479,489 others

ynshayk with the speculations going around with my contract, I hereby announce my retirement from Formula 1 at the end of this 2020 season. It’s been a journey I wouldn’t forget, and with a very heavy heart and neck, I say goodbye to the tifosi family and sport 🏎️❤️🏎️ a very big thank you to @ charlesleclerc for supporting me when I felt it was not worth it, I couldn’t have reached this far without you 💪🏻

view comments

user1 wha-

user2 WHAT !?

user3 DENIAL NO WAY

user4 don't do this to me at 3:57 am

user5 THIS MUST BE A JOKE

user6 IS IT APRIL 1?

user7 it's literally December

user8 crying a nile river here

user9 why did we not expect it

user10 we wanted a wdc 😭😭

user11 we support you whatever you do !!

scuderiaferrari please pass the tissues

user12 here admin 🤧

landonorris can’t believe you leaving me all alone 😔

liked by ynshayk

user13 next season, no chary/n?

charlesleclerc I will miss you too, shaky ❤️

liked by ynshayk

user14 we all know Charles cried while typing that

user15 shaky ? 💀

user16 it's a thing between them, Charles calls her shaky because after every win of hers, she always managed to fall down while getting if the car

lewishmailton congratulations on ending an excellent career 💪🏻🍾👏

liked by ynshayk

user17 the grid saying goodbye to her 😭😭😭😭

maxverstappen1 will miss you hijacking red bull headquarters

liked by ynshayk

user18 not max exposing her -

liked by ynshayk, carlossainz and 789,379 others

scuderiaferrari 3 years, 14 wins, 27 podiums, runner up world champion, rookie of the year, and a career which defied sayings. Y/N Shayk had an eventful career and we are glad that she was, she is and she always will be part of the tifosi family! Wishing her all the very best for her future !

view comments

user1 admin I need tissues

user2 NOT THE OFFICIAL POST 😭😭

user3 I still can’t process it 😭

user4 I really wish this all turns out to be a bad dream

user5 the sebastian vettel horror

user6 ferrari lost seb and y/n

user7 who is the driver joining though ?

user8 I think they will announce near the new year

user9 ITS CARLOS

user10 WHAT

user11 check y/n's new post

user12 Carlos is replacing her

user13 MY CARLANDO !?

user14 carlos to Ferrari is deadly 💀

user15 and here I thought formula 1 was calm

user16 she came, she won and retired

user17 Rosberg inspiration 💪🏻

user18 SHE CAME, SHE SAW, SHE CAME, SHE SAW

liked by charleclerc, lewishamilton, carlossaimz and 2,589,378 others

ynshayk handing over my seat to one of the most talented person out there @ carlossainz, take care of @ chareslelcerc for me and try not to miss me too much 😙💪🏻😌 so excited for the 2021 grid 🤩

view comments

user1 NOT MY CARLANDO BREAKING TOO !?

user2 WHAT IS THIS 2021!?

user3 FIRST CHARY/N AND NOW CARLANDO!?

user4 I am excited for the C square era

user5 LESSGOOO 💪🏻

user6 I love how y/n is laughing after giving up on ferrari strategies

user7 middle pic be her laughing after escaping the ferrari attic

user8 I am glad everyone is getting their happy ending

user9 the fans are not 😭😭

user10 what will y/n do now ?

user11 probably spend her millions

user12 she is rich ?

user13 HAHAH- it's an understatement

charesleclerc I swear I am not crying, something got in my eyes

liked by ynshayk

user14 CHARLES 😭😭

user15 of course it will be emotional, they literally grew up together 😭

user16 can't believe the shaky and charles era is over

carlossainz will do ❤️

liked by ynshayk

liked by user1, user2, user3 and 278,367 others

f1wags 7 time world champion, Lewis Hamilton was seen in Paris with ex- Formula 1 driver, Y/N Shayk. A normal outing or love in the city of love ?

view comments

user1 that's it, I am going to the Himalayas

user2 I am coming too

user3 CANT WE GET ONE DAY WITHOUT DRAMA !?

user4 LIKE CHILL BRO LET US CHILL

user5 she literally said can't win one, but surely can fuck one -

user6 mate 💀

user7 LEWIS AND Y/N !?

user8 WHAT IS THEIR AGE GAP !?

user9 SHE IS BORN IN 1998

user10 13 years 💀

user11 they both are adults, can y'all calm down ?

user12 I am still not used to the ex formula driver 😭😭

[youaremysunshine-court]

OKAY BUT I JUST GOT THE DENIAL ISN'T JUST A RIVER IN EGYPT!!!!! IT'S BECAUSE THE NILE IS A RIVER IN EGYPT. HOW DUMB CAN SOMEONE BE NOT TO GET THAT???

[cloudcountry]

I've discussed this with a mutual but I really need to read it: I'd like to request a confession scenario with Jamil where he goes through the 5 stages of grief.

Basically Jamil is fell head over heels into the Mariana trench but forgot that De Nile is a river in Egypt and pulled a page out of Kalim's book by being purposely oblivious about his own feelings.

The poor reader is also very much in love and has pining for WEEKS. One day, they decide to just tip the band-aid off. The pair are in the kitchen hanging out as usual when the reader turns to him and goes "I'm in love with you. You don't have to say anything and you can pretend this never happened. I just want you to know"

They're expecting a rejection but Jamil just stares a freezes for a good three minutes. While the reader is panicking trying to get him to snap out of it, Jamil is going through the 5 stages of grief.

Ultimately, Jamil's thought process ends with "If we don't kiss in the next 5 seconds I'm overblotting again" and the intrusive thoughts win.

SUMMARY: you confess to jamil. he doesn't know how to respond until he throws his inhibition out the window.

COMMENTS: I LOVE THIS REQUEST??? i decided to play off of the actual stages of grief for this even though its an expression hehe

“Jamil, I like you.”

What.

“Actually, no, I’m...I’m in love with you. And it’s okay if you don’t, it's okay if you don’t say it back, I just wanted you to know.”

What!?

Jamil stares at the fridge in front of him, mind blank except for your words. They repeat over and over and every emotion ever swells up in his chest because what!?

Since when? Why? What did you see in him? What did you see in your future with him? DId you even see one? Did he mishear you? Did you mean to say that to someone else?

No, there’s no way you did. You two were the only ones in the kitchen at the moment. Grim was outside in the living room, talking to the ghosts about something or other and why would you even say something like that to Grim anyway?

Denial.

You didn’t mean it. There’s no way you meant it. even after he overblotted and threw you to the other end of his dorm? Even after he showed you all the ugliest parts of himself, the parts of himself that nobody ever should have seen because he wasn’t supposed to be a person, only an aid?

And he certainly didn’t like you back. It’s not like he wanted to do things for you to make you happy, it’s not like he got the slightest bit jealous when he saw you hanging out with Kalim, it’s not like he wanted to monopolize all of your time so nobody else could have it.

Okay, so he was lying to himself. Great. He can deal with this for sure.

Anger.

It’s so unfair. It’s so unfair. If it wasn’t for Kalim and his parents and this suffocating life he’s sure he’d be able to accept your confession in a heartbeat. He’s sure he’d be able to comprehend his own emotions and bring you into his arms. He’s sure he’d be able to process his own emotions and be the partner you deserved, without all the jumbled mess that is his rage and jealousy and resentment.

He didn’t want to be someone else, he just wanted a different life. He just wanted to be free, to be able to exercise his own pure talent, to be able to rise above everyone else.

Bargaining.

He wished there was some way to make that reality for you two. He didn’t want you to go be with anyone else, the very thought of it made his stomach turn and his heart brim with anger. He was a selfish, jealous person, but you loved him. How could he make this work? How could he keep you in love with him, keep you by his side, keep you controlled? Did you have to be controlled? You started liking him of your own free will, maybe he didn’t have to do anything.

But falling for him was one matter, staying by his side was another.

Depression.

There was no way this was going to work.

He had to find a way.

He couldn’t find a way.

There had to be a way.

His mind is moving too fast for him to keep up and he’s still staring at the fridge, and your voice is calling his name and you look so worried, your visage in the corner of his eyes swirling. It’s like he’s not even rooted in reality anymore. How can he make this work? It almost feels hopeless...but Jamil is anything but a quitter. He’s never given up before, and he’s not going to start now.

Acceptance.

“Jamil?” you say for what feels like the hundredth time, your hand resting gently on his shoulder.

He’s still not responding. Oh fuck, you didn’t think confessing was going to mess him up this much. If you’d known that, you wouldn’t have said anything and just kept it to yourself forever.

He murmurs your name and finally, finally turns to look at you. His hands grab your shoulders and he meets your gaze, pupils dilated and eyes wide.

“Be mine.” he says, and your heart flutters at how serious he sounds.

“J...Jamil?” you squeak, pliant in his arms and he pulls you close, clinging to you like he never wants to let you go.

“Be mine.” he repeats, words muffled in your shoulder, “I will...always do my best for you. Always. I don’t want you going to anyone else.”

“I don’t want to be with anyone else.” you murmur softly, placing a hand on the back of his head as he crushes you against him.

He shifts, bringing his face close to your neck. You barely have the time to wonder what he’s doing before he kisses the junction between your shoulder and neck, a soft smack of lips roaring in your ears.

“Good.” he replies, the word a hot gust of air against your skin.

[frollosversion]

Part 2 because fuck society.

"How much of a Father am I?"

If you haven't read the part 1 yet, do check it out.

To new readers, this is Frollo's fatherhood journey backstory into warding Quasimodo.

Part 1

Part 3

— con't —

If Frollo thinks nursing a baby is hard, babysitting a toddler is harder.

"Oh... oh-! oh!! Oh you're walking! You're walking, my dear boy!" Frollo exclaimed when Quasimodo took his first steps.

"Seems to me that you are starting to like the baby, Claude." The archdeacon steps in to check on the two. Frollo was sitting on the floor, Quasimodo was now standing on his own two feet, forwarding a little because of the hump on his back

"WHAT?!" Claude bitterly responded as he helps the baby stand up as he falls on his butt. his face fuming red after the archdeacon's statement.

"You heard me." The archdeacon simply answered.

"Silence you, old fool. I'm not enjoying this nor am i liking the baby." Claude defended. "I'm just teaching him how to walk to make him look more...human. This thing is one of the world's questionable creations. I'm just making it tolerable."

"Say what you want to say Claude.. But i say The Nile is a river in Egypt..." The archdeacon teased and left the bell tower to which Frollo sighed in annoyance.

"That wasn't even a funny joke..." Claude muttered sassily.

.

A year have already passed and the child grew more curious... and frollo hated that the most.

So he spends most of his time scolding and "disciplining" the little boy for his little games.

"Stop that!"

"Quasimodo, try that one more time or i won't feed you for a day."

"Enough that nonsense, you insolent trash."

"You're ugly that's why you're here."

"You are deformed and no people would look at you like they would a normal child. Be glad I took you in."

"Say you're a monster, you stubborn child."

Yep.

Claude still hates the boy to the core for everyone's knowledge. If anything, he still wants him gone. He missed his life. So much for being an instant parent.

He still works in the Palace of Justice during the morning, he teaches Quasimodo alphabet, monitors and cleans him during lunch, and works on case files as a judge during the night... at the bell tower. still staying with the baby.

Claude scribbles to his folders and sighs to the criminal cases that he's handling all day, muttering cusses, trying his best not to get too much stressed in front of the child.

Quasimodo coos softly, then stands up, assisting his little body on Claude's thigh, bouncing up and down as he sees him talking to himself.

"Don't you have anything else to do, gremlin?" He asks the baby who was still bouncing.

"You can stay here if you want, but help me with this murder case. If you're not going to, kindly go over there— on the corner, or I'll chuck you out the window." He said with a thick sarcasm.

Claude groans softly as the baby remained unbothered.

"Get out of here. I'll feed you later.."

"M-ma..."

Frollo's eyes widened and looked at the baby, it looks like he's going to say his first word.

"FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. SAY IT YOU UGLY GOBLIN. SAY "MASTER". " He thought excitedly but he's looking at the baby plainly to hide an ounce of anticipation.

"Ma.. mama.."

Claude blinked now looking with disgust, Quasimodo reached out with grabby hands.

"Ugh. You terrify me." He rolled his eyes as he looked on the child's face.

"But that was impressive. I now want youbto say "master" next time. I'll give it to you for now." He lifts the toddler in his arms and hugs him tightly, rocking him gently.

"Mama.." Quasimodo babbled.

"Yeah.. Mama's fine for now."

It was a tiring night of tablework and babysitting but he couldn't sleep as one thought bothers him so much. He looks at his ward sleeping soundly beside him.

'This thing is one of the world's questionable creations'

'Say what you want to say, Claude.. But i say The Nile is a river in Egypt...'

'The Nile is a river... in Egypt.'

'The Nile is a...'.

'The Nile...'

'Denial...'

"Screw it, I'm getting attached."

[leonhardt-simp]

The Girl Who Wrote Me Letters VI.

[post-canon/canonverse] | series masterlist

— Annie x Mute! Fem! Reader.

summary: The ungrounded mystery grows restless and tensions grow higher with every passing moment.

Author’s note: After 9 different drafts, I have this one lmao. Thank you for everyone sticking close to the story and those who have been anticipating chapter 6. Here it is! and I hope you enjoy. 🍧💕

“This one.” The Commander said pointing down at the files on his old desk, the decision creating quite a stir between Hange and Levi.

Hange looked at Levi before they approached Erwin’s desk, picking up the document to see what was beneath. They felt their breath catch in their throat, eyes widening before taking a look over to their commander.

“You— You can’t be serious…” Hange was almost speechless. After everything that’s transpired, this man was still marching on his feet.

Levi walked over, questioning the judgement… Until he saw the name on the planner documents…

“Field Medics…?” He took the paper, looking through them to see Erwin’s plans of incorporating medics beside the scouts. These plans seemed vague, but the idea was there in the form of messily drawn pictures and arrows. He wasn’t expecting this and neither was Hange.

“With all due respect, we can’t afford to pull medics out on the field… Do you really think we’ll even get our hands on even ONE?” Hange expressed, motioning with their hands while they spoke. The idea was completely ridiculous! They were practically the clean up crew. Just waiting for the dead to pile up.

Erwin knew their concerns… But, it wasn’t like he hadn’t thought about it before. He turned his back to look out the window, holding the spot where his arm used to be…. The painful reminder of time loss because of injury. Time that could’ve been spent focusing on many other things… Those days, hours and seconds.

“No…But, I know one person that they’ll likely let go.” He turned his head over his shoulder to look at Levi, who slowly went through the next page.

It was a list of names. Names of many of the more proud names within the Medical Regiment. So many good choices, but one was circled amongst these names.

ELINOR VIVIANNE. ← SECONDARY PICK.

LUTHER WAGNER. ← THIRD PICK.

Y/N L/N. ← PRIORITY PICK.

DENIS PENCE. ← KEEP AN EYE ON THIS ONE.

JOHNATHAN ADLER. ← FOURTH PICK.

Hange’s expression grew confused, “But, this one–”

“I know. However, I want this one as a mere test run.” Erwin clarified, showing that nothing was concrete yet. This was just the foundation.

Levi couldn’t seem to get behind it. The factors of this made for a dangerous situation, especially with the rumors. “…I don’t think this is a good idea.” He expressed, his eyes looking up from the papers.

Erwin found himself playing with a fountain pen he had on his desk. “We had them for the expedition. This will be no different.” He reassured, giving a head nod. He seemed to be convincing himself as he spoke along.

“We also lost Levi’s entire squad and then some. Do I need to remind you that this medic in particular is also suspected of being in contact with the titan girl that tried to run away and destroyed half of Stohess?” Hange’s voice slightly raised, a hand extended towards the door as if pointing at Stohess itself. The risks were way too high, but that never stopped Erwin.

Erwin stood up a little straighter, “Then it’s the perfect excuse to use to keep that one close… Isn’t it?” He looked between his two most trusted allies. His hand reached to the paper, pointing down to the name. Hange didn’t know what to say… and Levi? He just followed along. The idea of a on field medic fulltime was an idealistic idea… One that made any one more comfortable… That security.

But, he was not prepared of the other regiment names that would soon come in to deny the idea. They took to a vote; Pixis denied the possibility of wasting medics and soon after, Nile had also denied. His denial was more out of lack of interest than genuine concern…

Not even Zachary approved of the new idea, stating that it would be “Unwise to take away from the sub-regiment when it already lacked.”

In defeat, Erwin would place those plans in a drawer his desk. Letting that ideas seem to sink away with many of the others he had. He had to keep moving forward though, no time to waste. That was until death stopped him like a brick wall. So close, yet so far from the truth…

Y/N followed behind Levi, her eyes scanning around to hallways of the commander’s building. The wood creaked beneath their weight, making the building feel so… Hollow. That was expected though, wasn’t it? An important life was lost… One that used to fill this building.

“Y/N L/N…?” Hange questioned, seeing the young girl enter the room.

Y/N saw papers scattered around the old commander’s desk, a lot of red seemed to point to various things and occasionally the big letters. Her nervousness seemed to only grow from that. I mean, it’s not everyday you get pulled from your job.

With a cautious nod, Y/N stood across the desk, keeping her weight shifted off of her still recovering leg. The pain was dull, but she knew she couldn’t overwork it.

Levi reached over for a particular paper, sliding it in front of the nurse. She leaned down, looking over the paper with a watchful eye. The words were confusing, but when she noticed her name in bold letters… She shockingly backed up and looked at Hange and Levi with a look that asked them what they were planning.

“…A test run. And not one you can refuse either.” Hange explained, picking up another paper to slide over to the new field medic.

Y/N took a sneaking glance back, seeing Levi standing by the door. His eyes bore into her, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

There was that feeling again. That helplessness… Her eyes shifted back up to Hange who seemed to have the same look on their face. She really didn’t have much of a choice here… So, she just nodded. Hange nodded, looking over at Levi to see if he was satisfied. He just nodded his head, being the first to leave.

The weight was on her shoulders now after seeing this idea that was left behind by the old commander…

She couldn’t help but look down at her leg, shifting a bit to see if weight could be applied, but when she felt the buckle of her knee, she shook her head.

‘…I can do this…’ She thought to herself. It’s not like she had a choice here. It was either this or end up in a some fucked up situation… She had enough on her plate already. E/C eyes skimmed through the basics, finally landing on the name of the idea.

“Operation Support.” Her eyes seemed to read over and over again…

——

There was that helplessness again… That weak feeling that bubbled beneath her gut and overwhelmed her straight to the core. She even felt that pain in her leg again… Like every feeling and memory came flooding through from the back of her head…

Her eyes widened upon hearing that familiar voice call out her name… But, she didn’t see Annie… Just the monster that had ruined her…. That beast that haunted her night in her dreams from time to time. Some nights, it would stare down at her. Other nights it tried to grab her, pick her up in its muscly hand.

“Y/N…” Annie called out, her tone hushed and desperate. Hands stayed up in surrender, taking a cautious step forward but immediately stopped when Y/N’s hand adjusted around the grip of the gun. E/C eyes looked through those apathetic blue eyes, The ones that softened at the idea of this being it.

This was her chance… To settle their score. To make up for everything. This was her chance. This was her chance.

Her hand firmly grasped the gun, pointing it up higher towards Annie’s head. Her heart pounded in her ears accompanied with ringing and buzzing… Her breathing became shallow and uneven… Then she felt it.

Her vision grew blurry, her hand reaching up to touch the wetness that started to form there. She was starting to cry… Her throat had that familiar lump in it, making it hard to keep composure.

‘No… Stop…’ Her heart started to yell, but she tried to push the feelings down. Her hand wiped them away, not wanting to show this…This weakness. She wasn’t that pathetic girl writing in a book anymore. Those days were gone.

Annie felt her heart break at the sight. Her hand reaching out, but that made Y/N point her gun more firmly at the ambassador. This made her hands shoot back up to keep them visible. Annie knew that she had to work for Y/N’s trust again. It wouldn’t come easy. Not after what she did.

Annie closed her eyes tightly and braced for whatever was to come. She deserved it, didn’t she? She was the cause of all the troubles in Y/N’s life… The reason she ran away… Hell, she was waiting for her luck to burn out. And now? It seemed to be it.

This was her chance to get back for all the hurt and suffering. her breathing became uneven and her heart pounded in her ears. The white noise. It felt like she was drowning. Y/N couldn’t deny she was panicking…

But then Dakota’s voice pulled Y/N out, the writhing body on the floor let the tunnel vision clear up a bit. Her eyes looked down to the body on the ground.

“We’re… We’re here to help…” Dakota strained, holding her head in her hands from the throbbing pain that lingered. Kota couldn’t let Y/N kill Annie, not when they needed her for this whole thing… The main problem. “She’s…She’s with me… Marley’s Ambassador…” Kota stressed, seeing double when they tried to push themselves up. Hell, it felt like a brick just slammed into their head. What the hell were they feeding these doctors??

Her grip around the gun shook further, her heart telling her to stop while her brain told her it was for the best. Reluctantly, she forced her hand down and took in the sight of the newly made ambassador.

“Y/N—” Annie spoke with a calming reach out, but then they heard the sound of more people coming into the building and speaking.

BAM!

The noise made both Annie and Kota look over towards the door. Dakota was quick on the draw of her own firearm, eyebrows furrowing down.

Whoever wanted Y/N dead was very adamant on it. Especially, since it didn’t sound like just one persom this time. That alone pissed Y/N off.

The doctor had to fight with herself to keep from giving that ambassador a feel of her pent of frustration and anger… But, now wasn’t the time. All she did was give Annie a glare while she helped the bandit up from the floor, Kota taking it without much of a second thought and standing to her feet with a bit of wobble.

The glare was met with Annie’s softened expression, taking a moment to watch as the woman she once had so close to her, farther than ever before. The limp-walk past her made the weight of her actions heavier than ever. The sound of leather and metals kept Y/N’s right leg stable, helping her move properly with some minimal strain.

“She might develop a little limp… If you can convince her to stay in bed for her full recovery then maybe she might recover better... She’s always so eager to help out.”

Her hands clenched at her sides, as the memory of a bedridden Y/N laid in the infirmary bed. The way her face glistened in sweat and her head threw back in pain…. She couldn’t convince her… Not when she was trapped in that crystal…

She didn’t even notice the other two already rushing the window, Kota pulling up the window and checking below into the alleyway for any signs of a threat. It was empty. Nothing but a few stacked up crates and barrels below.

“Good enough.” The gang leader debated, shaking her head at the thought of Y/N potential falling a few feet down. Hell, they were sure she would land well… She guessed.

Annie’s mind was still dazed out. It felt like they stood on completely opposite sides of a canyon. The bridge being deliberately burned away, Y/N holding the matches that burnt the ropes thinner and thinner.

“Annie! Help her down.” Kota called, holding open the window. That snapped Annie back into the moment, her eyebrows furrowing down. She can pity herself later… Hopefully.

Without any time to waste, Annie rushed over to Y/N’s side. “Pardon my hands…” Annie softly spoke, keeping her hand on Y/N’s waist while she focused on ensuring she didn’t fall or trip. Y/N wasn’t used to the closeness, but she knew she couldn’t be annoyed about it.

“We know you’re here, Doc Let’s not make this harder than it has to be, hm?” One of the intruders spoke, a few laughing along. The sound of wood creaking beneath every step that drew closer and closer to the office.

The rugged man looked back at his men, placing a finger to his lips. He gave three fingers, signaling that on the count of three they would rush the office and take whoever was in it.

Slowly, the fingers counted down, the tensions growing higher before finally they rushed inside. Guns pointed up, sweeping before noticing that the room was empty. Nothing but a few disarrayed item and one of their own on the floor.

“Sir?” One of the goons spoke, rushing to the side of the corpse on the floor. Another goon joined beside the other, placing a hand to the fallen member’s pulse, shaking their head when all they felt was a cold vessel.

The man grimaced, putting his gun back in his belt. “I want this entire building checked. Nothing remains unturned or touched. You hear!?” He commanded, unaware of the shadows outside the windows that were already pushing through the alleyways to blend in.

“Whoever you pissed off, did not let it go.” Dakota muttered as they pushed through a wooden gate, leading them out into some cobbled street that had a few drunks walking up and down it.

Y/N just rolled eyes, taking a moment to ditch her uniform coat in a nearby bucket that seemed to be filled with a questionable liquid. Her face grimaced in disgust, turning back to catch up. She won’t be seeing that particular coat again. Unfortunate…

Annie stayed behind, keeping a look out to ensure no one followed them. “That didn’t seem like a matter of anger… More like a…” She seemed to trail off, turning her attention back to see Y/N looking back at her with a frustrated expression. “…Like a job.” She silently spoke, watching the doctor turn her head back forward.

The tension between the two even made Dakota uncomfortable. That was between them though, this bandit knew better than to try and step into a fight between a couple. Were they a couple…? Was that how it worked? She wasn’t sure.

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” Dakota rubbed the side of their head. They could still feel that sting, more dull but it was still there. “Doesn’t make sense for them to target a random doctor, though.” They added, taking a stop by some old building pub.

Dakota leaned against the brick, enjoying a moment of rest. Annie needed it too as she felt her wound from a few hours ago to feel achy and fatigue was surely pushing her.

She took a look upwards, only seeing the dark sight of the ground that lingered above… The underground didn’t have a sky… What time was it? Even she wasn’t sure… But, it felt like the days seemed to prolong. If she had to trust her gut, then she was sure that Pieck and Reiner were likely resting.

With that thought in mind, she took a moment to take a seat down on a bench placed against the brick like building, her hand rubbing at her shoulder. She even took a sneaking glance over at her old lover, watching as the young woman took slight offense to the comment. Y/N’s stance seemed to straighten up, her expression one that Annie knew all too well.

That look when she wanted to prove herself. She had it back in Trost… She had it here too.

‘I’m not a random doctor.’ Y/N signed, the look of surprise hitting the bandit and the ambassador. The blonde looked at Y/N with her eyebrows slightly raised in surprise, not expecting the change of communication. Though, that would make the most sense why she didn’t carry an old book around and a pen, wouldn’t it?…

Dakota knew there was something about how Y/N stood, her demeanor… It wasn’t like the other doctors she had been speaking to. Not Vivianne. Not even Adler..

Pushing themselves off the wall, Dakota approached Y/N, stopping just in front of her and looking down at her with an overbearing demeanor. “…Then who are you?” Dakota finally asked. There it was, the golden question. Everyone knew her as Y/N L/N above ground… But, who was this persona? This mask? Dakota was careful in approaching the mute doctors. One couldn’t be too hasty to learn the truth.

The bandit seemed to want the same answers as Annie, but even then the ambassador seemed to want to respect the boundaries her old lover clearly had. She still kept a close eye.

The doctor stood there, clenching her jaw a bit from the sudden interrogation. It even had her thinking to herself, wondering who exactly she was… But, she knew… She was a lot of things… Became a lot from nothing too.

So, seeing a smug bandit try to slightly intimidate her into spilling her life out on a map irked her a bit. It showed on her face too. Her tongue licking the inside of her cheek, she looked away briefly before she looking back up at the tall woman with more than just a little amusement. A woman who knew her position, she was. Perhaps, she picked up a few things from Dr. Vivianne.

‘The same person who slipped you a crate. Same person you want to stay on good terms with.’ She signed, her eyes challenging.

The action made Annie raise her brows, looking over to Dakota. The crate.. Then those names flashed into her mind for a few seconds. Denis and Luther…. They were all connected. The bandit seemed to suddenly have a moment of realization as well, her face contorted with a bit of confusion from that end statement though.

“…Is that a threat?” Fabel flabbergasted at the mere thought of some medic threatening to fuck off in the middle of something so important. They took a threatening step forward, feeling almost offended.

Hands started to make the argument more clear, her body turning to the two. ‘Take it how you wish. Just know you need me since I’m the only one willing to break the rules to help you.’ She reaches into her vest pocket, pulling out a letter. Her eyes stared at it before flicking her wrist to toss the letter over.

Annie watched as the letter descended gracefully down to the ground, her curiosity getting the better of her. “…What?” Annie questioned, standing up from the bench and walking over to pick up the paper from the ground. Her eyes looked up to meet her old lover’s E/C gaze, her hands gently unfolding the letter.

‘With much consideration, Main Medical has decided to postpone the distribution and cooperation with other outside parties. All medics and medical researchers are advised to stay in their offices or main buildings until further notice.

— Signed, Elinor Vivianne. Head of MM.’

Y/N shook her head, her eyes averting away at the mere thought of even getting her position revoked. ‘Everyone is completely at a standstill… Dr. Vivianne is more concerned with how much we’ve been losing because of these crates being either stolen or damaged. Every doctor, besides a few, are completely in agreement with Dr. Vivianne. They want out. This attack on my building will only solidify their stance on the matter.’ Her gestures seemed to be punctuated, her mouth moving along to mouth certain words and phrases. The doctor even started to pace a bit, needing to get some pent up feels at bay. She wasn’t happy about the decision either.

Dakota couldn’t believe that bullshit. Face contorted into frustration, feeling a bit betrayed. Hazel eyes took a look over the letter again, shaking her head in slight denial.

What ever happened to being the ones to show up for people? The heros that kept morale up? What the hell were doctors if they weren’t doing their job?

“Vivianne… That son of a bitch.” Dakota cursed under their breath, hands clenched at her side while she looked away.

Annie wasn’t sure what to make of this… “…She’s right about one thing,” Annie spoke, folding the notice back up before holding it out back at Y/N. “Those men don’t seem to be very fazed with the idea of taking lives. That crate you sent us was attacked… I… Uh.. We barely made it out. It was as if they already knew.” She watched as Y/N hesitated to reach out and take the letter back from her.

Fabel nodded, pacing a bit with a hand to their mouth as they tried to make sense of all this. “Annie here got shot… Those men aren’t afraid of any kind of consequence. Seems like everywhere we go, they’re always one step ahead.” The gang leader found themselves running a frustrated hand through their hair, stopping to look back over at the Medic.

Y/N felt her throat close up at the idea of Annie getting shot, her eyes shifting back up to meet with Annie’s gaze. Annie wasn’t sure what she saw in those familiar E/C colored eyes. It was softer than anything she’s seen all day though...

“I’ll be fine… Just a scratch…” She tried to play it off, getting a more concerned and less angry look from the other girl.

Y/N didn’t find it funny. If anything, that would make everything so much more complicated. Hell, she didn’t even know where to start… She carefully took her letter back from Annie’s fingers, pushing the paper into her vest pocket once more with a heavy exhale.

‘If they’re not afraid of consequences, then that means they’re either safe in what those consequences are… or, these people are more ruthless than I thought…’ Y/N explains with punctuated gestures. Hazel and blue eyes watched carefully as the doctor seemed a bit… Hesitant.

Dakota crossed their arms over their chest, “You have any idea what gang this is?” The gang leader asked.

Y/N shook her head, ‘Only lead I have so far is that they’re uniformed in black and red.’ Her head turned back in the direction of her medical building. She felt a little run from her own home… That was the building she used whenever she wanted to have control. She knew it would probably be burned to the ground when she came back.

“I don’t think standing around is be the best idea. More of them could be patrolling around.” Annie spoke up, standing up from the bench with a bit of a tired exhale. She cracked her neck, rolling her shoulders back as if it would relieve her.

Dakota nodded, “You’re right. Hopefully, this all starts to make sense when we’re actually in the safety of a room and not the street.” The bandit sighed, reaching for her gun and handing it over to Annie. “Try not to get this one shot out of your hand, yeah?” The gang leader teased, watching Annie flush a bit with embarrassment as she accepted it.

‘Let’s take a carriage or a wagon… I need a place to lay low… I can’t just go back to the MM if my trail is still hot.” The mute doctor gestured, fixing her leg brace a bit. The damn thing always needed to be adjusted, working and walking so much always didn’t help.

Annie waited while Dakota whistled up for a wagon, watching some old man ride up to side of the street.

“Do you need help?” Annie finally asked, getting waved off by the mute doctor. There was no direct rejection, just a wave of the hand while she approached the wagon.

“Take us Northwest. I’ll stop you when we get there.” Dakota asked as she jumped into the back, holding her hand out for Y/N to grab. Y/N took it without much of a complaint, allowing herself to be helped into their ride.

The coachman nodded, “Will do.”

Dakota got seated besides some sacks of imported goods, knee bent with an arm on it. “We’ll stop by my Uncle’s… I’m sure he’ll be glad to take up some company…” She explained, running a hand through her hair.

Y/N nodded, finding a comfortable spot near a barrel of what she believed was probably wine. At least she hoped so, a drink right about now sounded nice.

“Northwest is near the entrance to the city, isn’t it?” Annie asked, holding onto the strap of her satchel before finally getting settled up into the back of the wagon with the others. So much has changed since then… But, she couldn’t complain. She didn’t really have the right to.

‘And Main Medical. It’s some ways from it… Smack in the middle of this city… We actually cleared out one of the old brothel buildings for it… A big one. When we’re rested and ready, we can head there… Get us all on the same page with Dr. Vivianne and Dr. Adler.’ Y/N signed, her head leaned against the barrel beside her.

Dakota motioned with their hand, agreeing along with what the doctor said. “A meeting was long overdue…. She’s always avoided speaking with me directly. Dr. Adler and I are practically best buddies with how often I’ve seen him.” There was a spoken sarcasm that made Y/N shake her head, understanding what Dakota meant perfectly. Vivianne was practically a book of tasks. Always sending others to do the things she didn’t want to… Perfect example was this… Though it was deliberate, Y/N didn’t mind getting her hands dirty if it meant doing the right thing. Vivianne’s word wouldn’t stop her.

Annie hummed, taking a sneaking glance over to Y/N, who seemed to want to rest a bit on the ride to Dakota’s Uncle’s house. She didn’t want to stare, but it was strange…Seeing her again after such a long time… She looked good. Annie still liked how she styled her hair… How her E/C closed to just… Rest and breathe for a moment. Of course, she was pulled out of her moment when she saw Dakota smirking at her. That knowing glance the bandit made her way ruined it.

It made her embarrassed, making her turn her head away with her cheeks growing red flush..

With a snap of the reigns, they were on their way. Thankfully the cover of the wagon would provide them some relief from anyone who could see them pass by.

——

Adler bursted through the door, panting and pointing behind him. He was so out of breath from running everywhere, still empty handed though.

Dr. Vivianne placed her clipboard down and just waited for the theatric display to end, leaning a hand against her desk while the other rested on her hip.

“Eastern Building…. It… Phew…” He started his sentence, leant forward with his hands on his knees. He couldn’t even hold enough air in to make a cohesive sentence.

Of course, this just annoyed Vivianne. “Spit it out.” She urged, tone stern and punctual with it.

“Eastern building got raided.” Adler finally spit it out, holding a hand to his chest. The news made Vivianne’s eyes widen a bit, her expression growing a little confused.

“Raided? What do you mean "raided?” The ash haired doctor questioned, her head tilted forward as if demanding some kind of explanation.

The blonde doctor just shook his head, standing up a bit straighter. “I was doing what you said… Trying to find Y/N… So, I went to her building…But then, I noticed a whole bunch of men rush the building… I booked it out of there….” Adler explained, pacing a bit while he spoke. His conscience felt guilty. He ran off like a coward and probably let these… Rats kill one of their own.

Vivianne seemed lost for words. Her eyes looked away as she processed the news, feeling a sinking feeling in her gut at the thought of one of the original three being gone to something so…. so preventable. Her brain wanted to think logically about this, but her heart didn’t seem to agree.

“…Do you know for sure that Dr. Quil was in that building?” Vivianne questioned in a monotone voice, her head tilting slightly.

Adler couldn’t say for sure. “…I… I would like to hope not… But, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re starting to hurt the supply at the source.” He said his thoughts, his shoulders slumping slightly as he stood. His eyes grew worrisome. The idea of anyone becoming a target… He avoided the war for that reason… He didn’t want to be a target.

Vivianne felt bitter, her eyes closing for a moment. “…Start telling the staff to start closing everything up.” She says, standing up straighter. “Tell them that it’s urgent as well. I don’t want a single doctor left behind.” Her hand pulled a document from her desk, pushing it into one of the drawers with a slight of hand.

Adler looked at Vivianne with a confused expression, his eyebrows knitting together. “…What about the crates?… Surely, we can’t just… Leave them?” He asked, curious if they were going to just leave them there.

Vivianne nodded, “Don’t worry about that. Until we get definite confirmation that Dr. Quil is dead. We will proceed with clean-up here. Priority documents come first. Crates can collect dust for all I care. They’re not worth the sacrifice of the other good doctors here.” Her way of explaining the situation made Adler feel a little more at ease. He nodded his head in agreement. The earlier they got out, the better.

“Now leave me be… I need… Uh…” Vivianne looked around a bit lost, her eyes looking down at her desk. “I need to be alone for a little while…” She took a seat in her chair, her elbows resting on the surface of her cluttered desk and her hands clasping together as if in prayer. Her heart felt heavy. It felt like everything was going downhill from here.

Dr. Adler nodded his head, immediately leaving to go start the prep up for evac. There was a lot of equipment to be packed away. Transportation was also going to be a little tight, but as long as people were able to leave then it didn’t matter.

Vivianne stared at the door of her office, her eyes closing tightly as flashbacks to when she first met Y/N had suddenly triggered.

——

“Luther, Denis, Vivianne, and Adler. You’re being requested over to The Scouts Main Quarters. Please go ASAP.” The head medic spoke, flipping through a wooden clipboard as he stood at the doorway.

Vivianne pulled her mask down and looked over, her expression growing confused. “Wh-What do they need us for…?” She questioned, taking off her blood soaked gloves.

The man looked up at Vivianne, shaking his head in disapproval. “Does it matter? If I say to go, you go.” He spoke firmly, making the girl slightly purse her lips together as if to hold back on being disrespectful.

She only nodded, looking back down at the soldier that was missing an arm from an expedition… Survived, but now retired… It was unfortunate. “Rest easy…” She softly spoke, patting his shoulder before she turned and left the room.

In the hallway, Luther and Denis seemed to be messing around a bit, pushing and shoving each other. Adler stood with his hand adjusting his glasses, keeping a cocky explanation on his face as they waited for Vivianne.

“You coming, slowpoke? We’re waiting on you.” Denis said, wrapping an arm around Luther’s shoulder.

Adler scoffed, “At least try to act professional, Denis…” The blonde man spoke, his expression showing his disdain for how casual the two were being.

Luther rolled his eyes, “You act like we’re seeing the Queen. Get your breeches untangled and let loose, will ya? I swear, all I ever hear you do is complain.” The taller man spoke, Denis laughing a bit from his friend’s observation.

Adler just gritted his teeth, shaking his head. He adjusted his glasses once more, “You ready?” Adler asked Vivianne, wanting this done and over with as soon as possible.

Vivianne gave a quick nod, catching up with the three.

She remembered the debriefings they were subjected to with Commander Hange. The eccentric way the commander handled themselves made Luther and Denis more excited for this sudden call.

But, Vivianne was very… suspicious. Becoming a field medic sounded crazy… All this confidentiality also rubbed her wrong. What the hell were they hiding?

“Given the circumstances, I will give you the opportunity to back out… However, you 4 were hand picked because of your overall evaluations back when you were in training as well as your medical expertise. This is for progress… A trial we conducted a few time before. It will be the first on field medical team.” Hange explained with a more serious tone, pushing a paper towards the four medics.

Luther was the first to raise his hand, “Is it just us…? Or will there be more?” He asked, making Vivianne give him a side-eye.

Hange paced a bit, nodding their head. “I will only say that you have a captain.” They stopped, motioning towards the door. “Unlike you all, she didn’t necessarily have a choice in the matter whether she joined or not.”

Adler shook his head, standing up. “I rather value my life. I would find it a waste to leave it in the hands of some… Scout. Thank you for the offer though. Hopefully, you can find some other fool to take my place.” His reluctance made Vivianne want to leave as well, finding the idea of fighting alongside The Scouts to be so foolish. A death sentence handed down on a gruesome platter, that’s basically what it was.

As Adler left, Vivianne debated with herself. She too could live a comfortable life.. A life with no worries besides the worries that came in through doors in the arms of fellow comrades…

“Damn… I really thought I sold the idea. Anyone else?” Hange sighed, pushing up their goggles to rub their eyes. Handa landed on their hips, looking amongst the younger men and at Vivianne.

The room stayed quiet, Luther soon reaching to the table to grab the paper of the plans. Vivianne watched him debate it, soon just nodding. “Fuck it… I’m in.” He stood up, tossing the paper back onto the table. Vivianne just watched as Denis followed through too.

“Me too. I’ll join too!” Denis said with a confident fist to his chest. His lips held a self-assured smile too, pushing Luther with his arm, who then pushed him back.

‘What the…’ She thought they were crazy. Why the hell would they want to go beyond the walls? The safety was all here. They had the easy part of just sitting and waiting, cleaning and tending…. But, she hadn’t denied the offer yet… So, was she crazy too? Was it some weird curiosity?

Her eyes then met up with the commander’s, “What about you?” Hange asked, holding out a hand to her. Vivianne wasn’t sure what she was doing, but she grabbed that hand, sealing the deal of her participation.

She remembered how the team was escorted throughout the barrack building. Faces that were familiar passed by, making Vivianne stare more with interest. She didn’t expect them to be so close to such big names… Hell, she even thinks she saw Mikasa there.

“Holy hell, that’s literally Levi.” Denis grabbed Luther’s arm, shaking him slightly. As they approached the closed door that Levi seemed to guard, his back leaned against the wall.

“Is this them?” Levi asked, Hange nodding their head. “One didn’t take the offer, but we’ll still have 4.” Hange answered, adjusting their uniform coat. “Baby steps as they say.” Adding to the conversation, they looked back at the squad behind.

Vivianne saw how Hange placed a stack of papers in Levi’s hand. “Perfect.” He said, looking through them briefly before he finally opened the door.

Vivianne looked around, taking in the sight of the lab that seemed to have been built there. A lot of beakers… A lot of scrap metal too… It felt like they just walked into a madman’s science experiment.

But, it was a lot crazier than that.

The figure at the desk lifted their head up and turned to look over their shoulder, soon meeting eyes with her. And suddenly, she felt breathless.

Hange ensured the door was closed behind them, taking the initiative to walk over to the desk.

“Your captain for this operation is Y/N L/N.” Levi spoke, his hands at his sides. He kept it short and blunt, there wasn’t a need for everyone to be getting comfortable. Not yet, anyways.

Vivianne watched how the quiet persona in the room pushed back a pair of goggles from her face before turning to look at the group before her. Judgemental eyes stared, nodding as if she was satisfied.

“You’re the—” Vivianne spoke up, recognizing that face from the bulletin board. The mute doctor placed a finger to her lips and just hushed.

Y/N stood up, the sound of a heavy boot came with every step. Vivianne wasn’t sure what she felt… Was it envy? There was something in how Y/N carried herself despite being the one with the greatest disadvantage in the room.

She wanted to capture it. She wanted it to herself.

——

Annie stayed seated on a small bed that Uncle Miles provided, a hand covering her chest while Y/N took a look at the wound on her shoulder. She felt a few stings whenever the mute doctor touched the surely scarred skin.

‘Whoever did this was surely an amateur.’ Y/N gestured, looking over at the bandit that was enjoying a little meal that her uncle had provided. It felt good to be back at home eating all this good food.

“…Sorry, not everyone has experience.” Dakota said, licking their thumb from the sauce that the stew had. Nothing like a good meal to end the day. They stood by the window, looking out at the street. It was always entertaining to see people interact while they ate.

Y/N was thankful she had the proper supplies to start cleaning the wound. So, she started with that first. Having to remove stitches was a bit of a pain, but she knew it was better than letting Annie walk around with busted up looking stitches.

Annie had trouble keeping her eyes averted, always finding herself unconsciously getting distracted by how Y/N would occasionally bite her lip or how her face concentrated on cleaning the inflamed area with a washcloth. The touch enough to make Annie slightly wince and squint her eyes away.

“I just wished it didn’t hurt so bad.” Annie softly muttered, staying still while Y/N worked.

From a professional standpoint, Y/N was a bit concerned about a potential problem. The wound was definitely not correctly treated, and the old sutures were practically loose and tied too big. But, personally, she couldn’t say that Annie didn’t deserve it. A little mean, but she was allowed to be angry.

“So when are we addressing the problem with Vivianne?” Dakota asked, tossing her plate down on her desk with the others once she was finished with her meal. Her hands wiped themselves on her pants, walking over to stand over the doctor and ambassador.

Y/N finished up the cleaning, putting her washcloth down in a bucket beside them. Her attention moved over to Dakota, not sure what they were expecting.

‘Whenever I can get back. I should be able to talk to her about this… She cannot know about the attack on my building though. If she does, I’ll be stuck in the offices and I won’t be able to help you.’ Y/N explained, standing up from the bed and using a small cloth to wipe her hands. ‘She won’t be easy to persuade, but she’s never been easy.’ Y/N signed once more, sighing at the fact she needed to go head to head with her of all people. Adler, she didn’t care much for. She could debate with him whenever and wherever… Vivianne was more hardheaded. A woman bound by a weird sense of leadership. She held every nurse with an iron grip. Not her though. She could never hold her down.

Dakota hummed, “Tell me about it.” her eyes looking back over at Annie who seemed to be checking out her new sutures. However, her eyes were focused a bit more on Y/N.

Annie was stuck in a little world of her own at the moment, trying to process everything that’s happened. Everything that will happen. “Who is Dr. Vivianne?” Annie questioned, her head tilting a bit. She hadn’t heard of the name. Nor did she read about it… This was someone completely new.

Y/N could’ve answered that question in a multitude of ways, but she didn’t. She just stood there and shook her head, ‘Head of the Medical Division. She took after Henry Belis when he died after the war.’ She gestured, not very fond of the history. Especially, not when her and Vivianne had so much of it.

“…So she’s your mentor?” Annie stood up from the bed, adjusting her clothes to cover up with just the fix of some buttons on her shirt.

Y/N shook her head once more, almost finding that idea a bit funny. ‘No. If anything she’s just a person in the big chair.’ Her hand gestures showed a little more of the sadder truth of this story.

A constant shift in power always made its way between Adler, Vivianne and Y/N. Either it was a battle of different approaches to certain things, or just Vivianne putting her foot down…. Y/N always had no choice but to listen.

Dakota took a step forward, a hand gesturing towards Annie. “What she means is, she’s a hothead with too much power. Haven’t thought of one instance where she’s not sending Adler to me. A control freak. Always up my ass about quite literally everything that happens as if I don’t have it all under a watchful eye.” The bandit scoffed.

Y/N knew that Dakota and Vivianne were also on opposite sides of the fence. It wasn’t anything new though.

“…She doesn’t sound… nice.” Annie commented in a weird blunt way that made Y/N give a small exhale of amusement. The blonde’s interest suddenly hyperfixed on that little action, her mind blanking a bit.

Y/N then shook her head, ‘She’s the product of someone who lets expectations cloud judgment… Someone who let their promotion go straight to her head.’ She signed with her eyes averted, crossed her arms after while making her way over to the window. Her mind always drifted back to the past… How, she constantly felt the weight on her shoulders as she did back then. Why was it always her making tough decisions? She never had a moment to just… Be.

“Y/N, I want you to lead the Medical Research Council.”

That offer was the downfall of the bonds they used to hold. When it became more about competition than about actually helping. Who was better and who could fill the shoes that were left. Y/N remember denying the position… Wanting to live a quieter life. The occasional job here and there… But, now here she was. Fighting against her own moral compass and risking her job because she’s never been one to leave others behind. Not now, not ever. She was thankful that Luther and Denis shared that principle.

She was tired.

Dakota could see that look in Y/N’s face. How her eyebrows furrowed down, a look of lost confidence. “…You two have history then?” She finally asked, making Y/N’s head turn away.

Annie stayed quiet, just wanting to know anything that Y/N would give her… Anything that book never told. Those continued chapters. She just… She needed to know.

And Y/N told them.

‘We worked together for a while. I was under the watchful eye of Commander Hange, placed to be a field medic and soon captain for a squad … She was… my partner. Someone I could trust at the time… A voice almost.’ Her gestures were careful, her face showing a mixture of emotions. But, she didn’t miss those moments. ‘At least, that’s what I thought at the time… But, when you’re running for someone else, you forget to walk. She forgot to walk and instead took the opportunity to fly… Hasn’t come down since.’ Her way of telling the story made Annie feel like she got a good punch to the gut. Like she was too late.

Dakota was surprised, head almost jolting back a bit from the information shared. That made a whole lot more sense now…. Why couldn't they find anything based on the missing parts of this “case.”

“You were been quietly stationed…? Why the hell would they do that?” Dakota was so fucking confused. In what universe, does making someone go missing create a benefit?

Annie was struggling to understand as well, her expression contorting with its own confusion. “That doesn’t make sense…” Annie started her thought, pointing towards Y/N, who in turn turned to look directly at the ambassador.

“I was working with the scouts during the rumbling… They said they never saw you...” Annie could remember it easily. Jean didn’t know. Connie didn’t know. Mikasa was the one who told her that Y/N’s been… Armin even said the same thing….

Y/N took a step forward, ‘What did you expect the friends of a former enemy to do?… I was working and had you come after me, you would’ve been killed.’ She knew her words were coming off a bit hostile, maybe even a bit bitter… But, she was… She was allowed to be. That was the truth. She had bigger responsibilities than

Dakota stayed quiet though, taking a place against the wall with her arms folded over her chest. She wanted to see how this entire thing unfolded, but kept a watchful eye on if it got… Too heated between the two.

Annie shook her head, “You weren’t my…” She then stopped herself, because at the time… They were enemies. They fought on different sides of the walls. Y/N stood a little taller, her eyes looking into Annie. The same way they used to when she couldn’t promise anything. It made Annie speechless.

There was a pregnant pause before Y/N tilted her head, hands signing her thoughts. ‘I liked to keep my whereabouts private… That was until recently… With the war over and a lot of the members no longer here… Now, I am just a doctor and rep for medical research.’ The mute doctor’s footsteps grew closer to Annie, the two eventually standing face to face. As much as it pained her to mention the death of her mentor and practically her guardian Hange, it was true. After the war on Marley… Y/N’s squad was disbanded to focus full time on other things.

Annie’s eyes softened up, her eyes unconsciously moving downwards towards the lips of the other woman. “And what was so important?… I could think of many instances where people needed a medic and you just weren’t there.” Annie questioned with a more sharpness in her tone. Her eyes looked back up into Y/N’s eyed again, their gazes strong enough to probably light a flame.

‘Who do you think delivered the queen’s heir?’ Y/N’s response made Dakota have a little outburst, her head shaking in disbelief. She pushed herself off from the wall and approached the doctor with an accusatory tone. “Bullshit! Everyone knows that Dr—” Her voice stopped immediately, eyes showing a shocking realization. That’s when Dakota’s hand soon pointed directly at the mute doctor, the doctor holding a prideful smile.

Annie’s eyes shifted to Dakota, trying to understand what revelation they had just came upon… Then she heard it. A name she’s heard of before.

“Dr. Quil…” Dakota’s realization rang in her voice, expression showing the new information boggled her mind. The documents were shredded because Y/N didn’t exist in the corp…. Y/N and Dr. Quil didn’t exist at the same time. They couldn’t.

“Dr. Quil helped me out with my bent out leg. I’d recommend seeing her if you need a check-up.”

The memory made Annie’s body feel suddenly cold. Her eyes finding themselves downcast and her hands at her sides in the shape of fists. Hiding in plain sight… Then she remembered what Dakota said to her when she was tied up in that chair.

“Name has been dead for a long time….” Annie spoke under her breath, trying to take in everything… But, It was too… Too much.

‘Marley was lovely, by the way. I find it crazy I made it there before you did.’ Y/N was just fucking with Annie now, the tension starting to grow the more that Y/N revealed. Annie immediately grabbed Y/N by her shirt collar, staring at her old lover with a more cold gaze. Was she mocking her?

The threatening look didn’t make Y/N flinch, she wasn’t the same person she was before… Annie had to accept that… There was no journal writing, no walks through the snow, no late night visits that ended up in a tangle of limbs… They were strangers. A clean slate. They didn’t recognize each other. That’s what years did to something that wasn’t fully established.

“Amby…” Dakota placed a hand on Annie’s chest, keeping her voice steady to calm Annie’s overwhelming emotions. But, It was all just too much to take in. Her fists clenched harder, her eyes wide and she was spiraling a bit.

But, it wasn’t. They were just battle-hardened creatures now… Both had their secrets. ‘Be mad that I lied, Sure. But, you can’t be mad at me for doing the same shit you did to me.’ Y/N was right. She wasn’t any better… They were the same coin, different sides. Annie couldn’t be mad that Y/N took a more respectable route of things.

“Annie.” Dakota’s voice raised, stern and hushed as to not disturb her uncle who was probably in his own sorrows with his mourning.

“You act like I didn’t care.” Annie’s voice wavered in their justifications. “I didn’t fucking leave you because I wanted to!”

‘You left because you knew you couldn’t stand to tell me the truth. You couldn’t even be honest with me when I got hurt because of you.’ Y/N’s words struck into her like daggers. And they were right… Annie was the biggest coward. The one that ran away because it got too complicated and the fact Y/N saw that and looked down on her… She didn’t know what to say.

Dakota’s hand pushed against Annie’s chest again, “That’s enough.” The bandit wasn’t going to let this continue, making Annie finally let go of her old lover’s shirt. Y/N even swatted Annie’s hands away, the sounds of breaths heavy coming from the two lovers. Dakota pushed them away from each other, pointing a finger at the blonde then at the H/C as if they were dogs. Both just back off, staring at each other from past Dakota.

The doctor fixed her collar, dusting herself off while she took that moment to breathe. She knew Annie could easily overpower her, did she care? No. She knew she had the upper hand. They both were in a position that couldn’t be replaced. Both were important people… With powerful names…

“Let me remind you both that we don’t need this. I get it! You’re pissed off at her. She’s hung up on you… But, right now??? We have shit we got to do.” The gang leader motioned between the two, hazel eyes meeting up with the doctor’s. “Doctor?” Dakota spoke to move the attention from Annie to herself, cautiously holding out their hand to the disheveled woman. Y/N just looked down at it with a stubborn glare. A little parley on their personal matters… How fun.

“We get this done, you both can sit… Maybe, have a nice coffee above ground about it. Hell! Kill each other afterwards if you really want to! I don’t give a damn. Now, we know what we need. We need to rest, wake up and have that meeting with Vivianne with no delay.” The way Fabel spoke really showed that they knew how to keep the game fair. That’s how they liked it. Fair, sweet and short. None of this back and forth.

Annie licked the inside of her cheek, still feeling that bubbling annoyance in her gut. She was also smacked with guilt and doubt. She just nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. It’s not like she wanted to fight her. and Y/N didn’t want to fight her either… She was exhausted.

“Deal?” Dakota asked, eyebrows raising to show a more neutral face to the doctor. She didn’t want to seem like she picked a side, there was no sides.

With much contemplation, Y/N reached over to shake the bandit’s hand. She can play nice for a bit. E/C eyes met up with blue soon after, ‘I know a nice cafe we can go to when this is all over. I’m guessing you like it with extra sugar?’ The doctor signed to Annie, making the ambassador suddenly look taken aback.

“How did you—?” Annie was caught off guard, head turning to follow as Y/N walked past her to start getting their stuff together for bed. She might not have realized, but Y/N still remembered her sweet tooth. Not that she would admit it.

Dakota shook their head, rolling their eyes as they left the two to get their shit together. The bandit was expecting a cute reunion, maybe some fighting with a little bit of declarations of love… No, just got a headache. A massive one.

“Hey, Uncle. Do you have rope?” Dakota asked, coming down the stairs to see the older man at his workstation. His eye looked over to the younger Fabel, placing down an axe head he was sharpening.

“What do you need rope for?…” He asked, watching as Dakota made her way over. She stopped across the work bench, hands in her pockets with her eyes looking at all the new things her uncle had been busying himself with.

“I got two dogs that need to get along. Figured I would just tie them up until they did…” Her hands picked up a shiny blue steel knife with a beautiful redwood handle. She gave it a few practice swings, testing how the blade hid away before flicking it out again.

Miles softly hummed, “Is that what I heard upstairs…?” He turned back to his work, sanding down a handle for an axe he was making.

Dakota nodded with a dramatic head nod, folding the knife back into itself. That’s when Miles held out his hand, “Makes the place a lot more lively… Can’t say I hated it.” He said with a short laugh, making Fabel feel a little guilty. They knew what he meant, it wasn’t just him that felt that way.

She gave him the knife, watching him pull away from the desk to place it into a little sheath he had made for it. A pretty thing, lovely dark leather always looked good. “I’m sorry for not being around much, M…” She apologized, pulling a chair out from his desk that was cluttered with ideas and projects. She sat across, leaning back in it.

He took a deep breath, looking at her with tired eye. “You're all good, D… I know you’re busy with managing the gang. I gave you that responsibility after all… I know how much it takes away.” He looked back down at the wooden handle in his hand, placing down the sandpaper to test how it felt in his hands.

Dakota sighed, “…I’m working hard to stop it… I mean.. I’m not going to say much, but I’ve been establishing quite the connections.” She saw how he shook his head.

It didn’t matter how many connections a person had. For some reason, this place always took and took. It took his left eye… It took his wife… He was stagnant… Just a guy who made tools for a gang he used to run.

“Hmm… Just don’t get swept up in it, D.” He simply said, his voice quiet. It pained Dakota to see him this way… Watching him adjust that eyepatch on his face, sometimes she could see his hands shake.

“It’ll have to catch up to me to sweep me up, Uncle.” Her voice softened up, watching as he sighed and shook his head. “I’m serious.” He replied, looking up at the young bandit. Despite her being older now, he still saw that little girl that enjoyed watching him make new things.

“I know.” She exhaled, standing up from the chair. “I promise. Once this is all over, we can take a trip above ground… get some fresh air. Maybe, we can see the water too. I know you’ve always wanted to do that.” She promised, holding a soft smile. It was one of those smiles that made Miles feel at ease.

“…Sure… We’ll go see the water.” He agreed with the pretty thought. Maybe he needed to get away from all of this… But, nothing could ever fill his missing piece… Not even water. Dakota gave a wink, motioning towards the kitchen as she started to head for head. “Make sure you eat, Uncle. Don’t need you passed out on your workbench again.” She advised, footsteps echoing as Dakota went up.

The older man’s eye looks over at the urn on the shelf, “What are we going to do with this kid, Kate?…” He asked before he shook his head and got back to work on making his axe.

——

“LUTHER! RUN!” Denis yelled, sprinting down the alleyway behind his best friend. Luther was running just like he was told, looking back behind them as men started to rush them.

“I want them alive!” The man ordered, stopping his chase and pointing at his men to go after them. His lips lifted into a proud smirk, hearing the bullets fire and the feet of men running at his demand… Was this what it was like to have power Instead of being kicked to the ground?

Denis followed close behind, pulling down barrels and crates to obstruct any path. Luther knew something was fucked when they saw those bastards were starting to block off streets. They had to ditch the wagon because of it and It fucked with him, he knew what they were looking for. Their faces were well known from the papers.

BANG!

Luther found himself ducking his head, scrambling into another set of alleyways behind some brothel. Bugs and rats scurried past his feet. His heart racing in his ears made it feel as if his head was underwater. He couldn’t hear anything. Just kept running and running.

“Through here!” Luther said, finding an old building they could run through. He looked at the old doors on it, taking a step back before using as much momentum and adrenaline to kick the damn thing open. Once the door broke open, Luther pushed himself through the splintering wood. The place was dark and dusty, but he could care less…

“Denis, I think we should—” He turned behind him and saw no one. Her heart dropping instantly, all he could hear now was the sound of his own heavy breathing.

“Denis?…Brother?” He helplessly called out.

taglist; @cess02 @the-camilucha @tsukidrama @scouts-stuff

[oh-shtars]

So for the Starsha dynamics in the “3 Star-keteers”I’ve collected in this fandom:

KOW!Starsha/“Wishing Star” by @annymation:

Aster tries to act all ‘cool and smooth’ only to end up a total idiot (affectionately) and embarrass himself trying, while their girl thinks they’re the funniest and most adorable person in the universe. Asha, on the other hand, thinks her art and gifts she’s drawn for him should burn in the trash while Aster thinks they deserve to be framed in a museum and make it worth a million blocks of gold.

TFS!Starsha/“RoyalStar” by @signed-sapphire:

Both are stuck in “The Nile” (Denial), and they can’t climb out of it so I guess we’re leaving them there to drown until they figure it out themselves. Everyone knows Cielo is down bad except Cielo himself apparently. Meanwhile, Asha thinks this rotten star has cursed her into feeling this weird feelings she never asked for. They’re both stupid <3

RFTS!Starsha/“Hopes and Dreams” by @oh-shtars (aka me):

Sueño is a very straightforward person when it comes to expressing feelings both positive or negative. A heavy PDA guy and gift-giver that showers Asha with every rock, trinket, leaf and flower he finds interesting until her hands are full. Asha gets highly overwhelmed by the affection since she’s used to her introverted ways of being a wallflower. But once she’s over her shyness and insecurities, it’s going to be Sueño’s turn to be blushing madly.

Basically:

RFTS!Asha: “Look, I can’t jump into conclusions. He’s like this to everyone. Besides, why would he like someone like me?”

Girl, he doesn’t literally light up or gift like 5 different rocks every 5 minutes to just anyone-

(Plus, both are pretty playful so they’re most likely going to be in friendly competition often of who flusters the other the most once they’re actually official.)

[beeindaclouds]

'Ello *waves* if you'd be interested could you write a hc with Wilbur, Quackity and dream team (idk for how many people you write at time, so if it's too many pls just pick the ones you like the best) where them and reader are streaming together and someone in chat says 'The Nile is a river in Egypt you both are in love' and reader takes it as a chance to confess their feelings?

Thank you ^.^

Hallo, thanks for requesting and I hope you enjoy <3

"Denial is a river in Egypt"

Includes: Dream, Georgenotfound, Sapnap, Quackity, Wilbur Soot

Click here before requesting, please ^^

Reader: GN - They/Them

It was suppose to be a normal stream

Just you and your friend who you totally didn't have a crush on

Nooo

It's not like you talked all day, liked and stalked all of his social medias, keep on catching yourself staring at him and dream of the day that he'll be yours

Absolutely not

Oh who were you trying to trick, it was so obvious and the only person who didn't know was them

It was frustrating really, you really truely liked him, but all of your effort always seemed to go unnoticed

Until today...

By now chat had also caught on to your, very not obvious, crush on your friend

And the positive percentage of your fandom and theirs has been shipping you two for a while

Even making videos of "Evidence that ___ had a crush on ___"

So, on this totally normal stream where you weren't making heart eyes at your crush, you read out loud a comment about you two "secretly ve8ng a couple"

You tried to explain that you were just friends who were just close and had no feelings for eachother

But chat could obviously see the truth and decided to comment on it through the donation reader

Said donation sending both you and your crush in an embarassing panic

"Denial is a river in Egypt and you two are so obviously in love"

Your crush just chuckled awkwardly and decided to move on, but you couldn't find yourself to do it

According to chat you both had the same feelings, and since they caught on so quickly to yours, could this be a sign that...you should confess?

You decided to do it anyway. No matter the ending, getting it out of your chest was way better then acting like you felt nothing

After the stream you turned to your crush and quickly confessed your feelings with what little confidence you managed to get

Dream had let out a sigh of relief, saying that he would have said the same thing if you didn't beat him to it

George was honestly surprised, panicking to find an answer that would make you understand that he liked you too

Sapnap couldn't help but pull you into a hug, mumbling about how much he liked you back and was happy that you couldn finally be togheter

Quackity tried to stutter out an answer, but he kept on stumbling over his words from how glad he was that all this time you liked him too

Wilbur quietly admits that he sent that "Denial is a river in Egypt" donation, hoping that maybe you would say or do something about it that would give him a hint abput how tou felt about him

[kivaember]

there's a startling lack of allmind/iguazu fics out there... anyway this is the start of an allmind/iguazu oneshot im writing, so... enjoy!

It started with an innocuous mission request.

"Rb19 Iguazu: as per your standing search query, one job meets your parametres. Location, Grid 086. Client, Junker Coyotes. Target, RaD. Payment: 100'000 COAM. Do you wish to accept this job as an independent contractor?"

It didn't stand out as anything unusual. Iguazu abused the 'independent contractor services' that ALLMIND offered to all mercenaries on Rubicon - be they corporate or independent - trying his best to build up some personal scratch that wasn't directly tied to the Redgun's operational budget.

Every single sortie he did under the Balam banner he basically did for free. After deducting ammunition, repairs, fuel and a bunch of other bullshit auxiliary costs, Iguazu was left with barely two coins to rub together. The Reguns existed in perpetual poverty, indentured servants despite most of them being in denial over it, and Iguazu refused to let himself be content with that.

So he accepted ALLMIND's offered missions on the sly, pocketing a considerable chunk of the pay after she deducted a 5% 'facilitation cost'. ALLMIND even paid for the ammunition and repairs! It was suspiciously generous, but no matter how much Iguazu wracked his brains, he didn't know what ALLMIND was getting out of this. She was an AI, she didn't really have ambitions. It was likely she was just programmed by a complete dumbass.

Well, her deficiencies were his gain. After a few more months, Iguazu might actually have enough money to negotiate for an early release from his Redgun contract, and finally leave this whole life behind him. So, when that innocuous mission request rolled round, no different to any other job he'd taken before through ALLMIND, he'd accepted it without question and departed.

It ended up being the biggest mistake of his life.

-

"DAMN IT!"

Iguazu slammed his fists against the arms of his cockpit seat, his vision half-dazzled by the blinking red emergency lights. There was a faint stench of burning, but he didn't move to evacuate his wreck of an AC, stewing quietly as EN ANAMOLY flashed across his mostly inert console.

Fucker had somehow hit his generator after they got jumped by those random mechs... and just left him here?! Through HEAD BRINGER's thick chassis he could hear the sounds of combat, muffled staccato fire and the telltale 'pff-THWMP' of a piledriver engaging and driving its spike into solid, military grade steel. It galled him to know that Raven didn't need back up at all, that Iguazu had been viewed as an annoyance to be swept aside quickly to focus on the real threat.

How dare he... how dare he...?!

"Rb19 Iguazu."

He froze at the familiar voice, ALLMIND's detachedly polite voice crackly through his fucked console. The emergency power only really focused on powering the important things: life support and comms.

"I see that HEAD BRINGER has suffered from a catastrophic failure. Do you require extraction and repairs?"

Iguazu didn't immediately answer. His chest felt tight and his stomach churned, as he abruptly realised the predicament he was in. Iguazu never told the other Redguns about him taking sly jobs through ALLMIND, because he'd always finished them with only a few dents and scratches on HEAD BRINGER's paintjob, and ALLMIND usually buffed those out. He'd never full on wrecked before. Michigan might get pissed...

...which was whatever! Guy was always riding Iguazu's ass! This would just be one another thing he'd nag him about, and Nile will complain about the fact that this was done off company time so Iguazu would-

Oh.

Oh shit.

He'd have to... pay for repairs out of pocket.

His savings... all that COAM he'd managed to scrape together and save by taking these jobs, that'll be consumed and thensome to fix up HEAD BRINGER. Generators weren't cheap! Not at all! He would've preferred Raven shooting off a leg at this rate! Oh fucking shit cunt asshole fuck-

"Rb19 Iguazu."

"Will you fuck off!?" he half-shrieked. "I'm busy- fucking- argh, I'm so screwed! Why did you give me this job?! Why didn't you tell me the fucking freelancer was here?! I got caught totally off guard because of you!"

"I was unaware that Rb23 Raven was contracted by RaD at this time. His handler had submitted a stay in mission requests for the next two days."

What? Wait, Iguazu didn't give a shit about that.

"Well he's here! Kicking ass and being a fucking cunt as usual!" Iguazu seethed, and flung himself back in his cockpit chair, grunting when it jarred his Cerebral Control Spite. Irritably, he reached up, easing out the cerebral spike with an experienced and gentle care, closing his eyes against the brief moment of vertigo the disconnect brought him.

ALLMIND obliviously kept talking.

"I've initiated emergency extraction protocols. Please hold your position for the next ten minutes. You will be brought to an ALLMIND sponsored foundry for repair and recuperation. Do you wish to send a message to Rb09 Michigan-"

"NO!" Iguazu snapped. "No, don't tell that old man anything. He can't know I was out here!"

"I understand. Then I assume you wish for your bill of repairs to be discretionary?"

Bill of...? "You're gonna bill me?!"

"Yes. If you recall, part of the policy for the Independent Contractors System is that upon mission success, all repair and ammunition costs are absorbed by ALLMIND. Upon failure, the pilot takes full responsibility-"

Iguazu did not recall reading that at all, but... well, he just skimmed all the legal jargon and fine print when ALLMIND had first introduced this system to him, so it was likey he'd missed it. Crap. Well, there was the fish hook he had been marvelling the absence of.

"...how much will it cost," he asked stonily.

"If you don't wish to pay using COAM, an alternative means of payment can be arranged," ALLMIND said, and though she was an AI and thus lacking in emotion or human ambition, there was something... unnervingly sly in her tone. Smug, almost.

That fish hook now had a hundred cruel barbs on it. Iguazu swallowed, viscerally remembering the last time he heard those words - if you can't pay with money, then there's an alternative means of payment... - and how it ended up with him here: augmented against his will and fighting on a backwater planet for a company he despised from the very bottom of his soul.

"Depends on what those 'alternative means' are," Iguazu said warily.

"In pursuit of offering better services to the mercenaries I serve, and gaining better understanding of their wants and needs, it would be beneficial to have several mercenary subjects on hand to gather vital data from."

What? "You want me to be some guinea pig?"

"There will be nothing invasive. Not to the extent of your augmentation surgery. All data shall be harvested via simulations or logs you willingly submit from live combat. You will not be harmed or physically discomforted in any way."

This sounded way too lenient.

"That's it...?" Iguazu probed. "You just want... some fucking data from me? You can get that whenever you want as is! You definitely want something else."

"Of course. The data I automatically obtain is superficial at most. What I require is your biometrics."

"What, like my... fingerprints?"

"The biological performance of your body in combat, both real and simulated, its responses to actions taken by your AC whilst you are under high-levels of stress and synchronisation, its default state post-combat. Gathering this data will allow me to develop AC hardware that encourages perfect synergy between pilot and machine, the likes which Arquebus and Balam have not yet achieved."

Okay... okay, this was... Iguazu could not put his finger on it, but having grown up in the slums of Earth, where he'd met almost every single degenerate under the sun, an instinctive part of him was screaming this is a fetish thing the AI is making you participate in a fetish thing THIS IS TOTALLY A FETISH THING.

"..."

But even if it was a fetish thing, it was still a good deal. Iguazu's used to being horrifically violated, and this was the most gentle way of having it done. He could record this data and send it, and exist in blissful denial over whatever ALLMIND would do with it. She's an AI, she didn't have a physical body to masturbate with. She'd do... whatever it was AI did to get off. Have a power surge? Bluescreen? Whatever. Not his problem. Not thinking about it. Biometric data for possibly fetishtic purposes in exchange for HEAD BRINGER getting repaired and Michigan not knowing about his illegal moonlighting? Brilliant deal if you had no pride, and boy, Iguazu was used to tossing his aside when it was convenient.

"Fine. It's a deal," Iguazu gritted out. "I'll send you all the data you want after you repair HEAD BRINGER."

"Understood. Thank you for your cooperation, Rb19 Iguazu. This will serve to benefit ALLMIND, and in turn, benefit all mercenaries."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

-

Actually, accepting that mission hadn't been the biggest mistake of his life.

Agreeing to ALLMIND's deal had been.

[allamericanb-tch]

only the brave thoughts (3)

chapter 14

i neeed them to kiss you don’t understand

“Thursday night James sits closer to Regulus than before. The other boy doesn’t acknowledge it, but he also doesn’t move away. James counts it as a win.” that sounds like another win for james

JAMES IS AN ABBA FAN

guys.

regulus likes simon and garfunkel

nooo it’s raining they were having a moment ☹️

“James is going to have to investigate. He’s going to learn French, too. He’s decided.”

barty and evan accidentally spilling that they’re together

pandora had a dream about xenophilius wait that’s so cute

they’re going to hogsmeade

james and lily friendship is everything

wait does lily have a crush on james

“Not cool, Remus,” Sirius says. “Making me look bad in front of the girls.” “You don’t need my help for that,” Remus deadpans.

HELLO the notes “Little montage of roof moments because I believe in people getting to know each other a little before they really open up... but that means the first kiss is coming :)” show it to me rachellll

chapter 15

THE NOTES SAY THEIR FIRST KISS GUYS OMG

sirius pov hello

he’s in so much denial

sirius is so deep in the closet he’s having tea with mr tumnus

oh no

lily does have a crush on james doesn’t she

regulus pov

oh no regulus thinks james went on a date with lily

ope he’s running away

oh he’s practicing his dark magic oooo

BYE JAMES JUST WALKED IN

“You holding hands with Lily Evans is my problem! You and your stupid fucking face showing up here like your girlfriend isn’t waiting for you in your dorm! That’s my problem!”

ARE THEY ABOUT TO KISS OMG THEY ARE THEY ARE THEY ARE

AHHHH THEYRE KISSING THEYRE KISSING OMG OMG OMG

i’m giggling me feet so hard rn

no james you can’t tell sirius

the plant ?! hello

halloweeeen

chapter 16

james is avoiding regulus

is he gonna tell sirius

i’m nervy

guys i’m so nervous rn

he told him

ok… sirius isn’t tweaking as much as i thought he would be

“The Nile is not just a river in Egypt. Please.” HELP

james just told sirius that he kissed regulus and sirius just punched him???

that went fairly well actually

hello the ending

chapter 17

omg no 

the mark

“And Regulus decides right there, at the breakfast table of Hogwarts in front of half eaten food and his daily black coffee, that James cannot be involved in the war.” i’m gonna hold your hand when i say this.

ope james is leaving

and regulus is following him

they’re kissing again

wait that was cute

james pov

remu ☹️🐺

wait is this going to start getting really angsty like the atyd war chapters

normal day after the moon stuff 

they’re visiting remus

wolfstar save me wolfstar

chapter 18

this is called horrible things??? i’m scared i think

james is waiting for regulus

they’re talking now

the war ☹️

kiss

ope angst

oh kissing again

they’re really going at it aren’t they

bye i love them

HELLO THE WAY REGULUS WAS ABOUT TO JUST GIVE HIMSELF A SCAR TO MATCH JAMES

oh hello pandora is talking to james

gasp she had a dream

oh my i’m nervy

james is asking remus about sex

this is so funny i cant

 chapter 19

halloweeeen

dorcas pov hello

their costumes are eating

dorlene save me dorlene

regulus is down bad 

barty calling regulus an encyclopedia 😭😭

GASP why is sirius kissing a girl right now

poor remu he is running away

HELLO they’re dueling

homoerotic wound healing this is my shit

remus is tweaking bc he just found out about james and regulus

evan pov hello rosekiller

rosekiller save me rosekiller

chapter 20

alright last one for now

regulus is doing more research

myrtle hello

no stop i had such a crush on moaning myrtle when i was a kid

this is. interesting.

it’s raining ☹️

they’re going somewhere secret hmm

they’re kissing

hanky panky

they’re talking now

james is so

chapter 21

i know i said last one last time but this is the last one fr

ah jegulus

SIRIUS IS DATING A GIRL??? remus go get your man

ooh plot

gasp

plot

GASP

regulus is overhearing sirius and adaline

i think they just broke up

gasp sirius is talking to regulus now

regulus’ inner monologue vs what he says to sirius

HELLO

remus pov

sirius having internalized homophobia ☹️

wolfstar save me wolfstar

chapter 22

one more chapter and then i will go to bed

i love the house elves

kneeling ?!

quidditch changing room jump scare

oh me oh my

oh no now they’re having the conversation

ope regulus is crying

james is so whipped actually

eugh selwyn i forgot about him

you know why they call it the come and go room right

ooh plot

regulus walking in on barty and evan 😭

“You should find yourself a dude, Reg. You’re missing out.” oh, barty.

gasp regulus is going to visit hagrid

oh he’s following him

aragog jump scare

plot plot plot

[scoonsalicious]

THIRD DAY IN A ROW, mother pookie, thou has delivered. AGAIN!!

🩷🩷🩷

OUR MAN BUCKY BARNES HAS REAPPEARED. LET US REJOICE TO THE UPCOMING GROWTH HE SHALL PROVE

Now let me tell ya that I shed some tears at part 3-4. REAL TEARS. I had to read it twice because it was TOO GOOD.

Real footage of me crying btw

So my question has been answered, SHE IS PREGNANT. I was skeptical with that theory but poisoning sounds too weird for it to prolong that long (😂). But i wasn’t sure. Pookie you are indeed the mastermind. I cried when Pocket broke down because let’s be real, if the thing between Bucky and Cunthage didn’t happened (Cunthage didn’t fucking exist), Pocket would actually care for the baby. She’s frustrated, she’s hurt, she’s disappointed, she’s at her lowest point.

When she woke up, finding Bucky there, it’s like she’s snapped into a defensive mode. She have/make this mindset where Bucky would hurt her (but in truth she’s the one who’s hurt because she YEARNS for him but is in denial — so by thinking that she’s hurt, she thinks that Bucky would hurt her… get it?😂). Also Bad Decision #28 wasn’t able to fuck Bucky out of her system. She wasn’t able to forget Bucky and he reappears? That’s one hell of emotion rollercoaster.

‘The nile’ is a river in Egypt, your love life cheated on you with a cunt. — The reminder in Pockets head

I love it when she told him that she’s not fucking with people to get back at him, she’s doing it to forget him. But rather than making her forget, it makes her misses him more, of the things that she lost. (Man, I bet Bucky was giggling inside because she couldn’t forget him — but ofc he’s disappointed with himself for putting her in that situation too… but… still, that doesn’t mean he cant)

We can clearly see there the love Pocket has for Bucky (man she love him so much). Salut Bucky for his patience. He’s calm and collected now, and not spouting shits like my girl, not being possessive. He control himself for Pocket. She needs him his hug — ‘just a little bit’ (you see that reference?😂) Again we’re seeing this in Pocket’s POV, but I guarantee you Bucky is this close 🤏🏻 in losing his sanity when he was called to the hospital.

One thing I like to highlight is the talk between Pocket thinking she’s not good enough for Bucky to share his issue, and Bucky not wanting to talk about it because he wants to impress Pocket by hiding his ugliness (the getting hard part) is so real. It’s easier to share something to people who is the same ‘bad’ as you but not someone who you want to impress. But the one you want to impress will interpret that he/she is not good enough/ trustworthy enough to know about your ugliness.

Btw i noticed that we focus more on the fact that Pocket really loves Bucky, but not the opposite. So now im going to say it, Bucky really love Pocket too in a way we cant see but feel. He’s trying. He’s proving. They’re similar yet different. Right now, he’s learning to understand her more (I AM NOT DEFENDING HIM😂) But as Pookie always said, both of them have their own flaws. It what made them, realistic. You can love someone so much, even when the trust is broken, but it can be mend. With time. With patience. With enough love and certainty. It all depends on you (the person who is in that situation) to prove it, to act it out (speaking from experience).

OHHHH, and the lil kiss Bucky did😭🩷 AND HER snuggling into his chest!!

🫵🏻 YOU ARE SMITTEN. I NEED MORE!!!!! FEED ME MORE😭.

So now, safely I would say Pocket spiralling will gradually died down. She’ll have a clearer head. As mother Pookie said, later on our Pocket will taunt and rub it in Cunthage face. I need her to roast cuntsy to the point she’s crying mess and beg for Bucky to defend her but Bucky being the lil shit he is will stand behind Pocket and smirk, and ask Pocket to ROAST HER EVEN MORE.

Btw did I tell you that I’ve been fantasising Bucky and Cunthage showdown? Yeah I did, and again, I need Bucky to punch the shit out of her.

Man, I can’t wait for the revelation

And also, I miss sexy time between Pocket and Bucky😫🥹

Our sexy macho biting his lips nyum🤍

Anyways, as always I wuv you Pookie. I love you just like how Pocket loves Bucky. Its — thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttt — much. Surprise me more with your mind.🩷🩷🩷

PS// I RAN OUT OF CAT SMOOCHY GIFS RAGHHHH

POOKIE <3

Our Bucky has returned stronger than before! He's still working on things, but he's already doing heaps better!

He's accepted the consequences-- he knows she has no business forgiving him, and he'll take it, which I felt was a really big step for him. He's no longer promising "I'll do whatever I can to fix it." It's now "I fucked up. I get there is no fixing it. I accept whatever you decide, and I'll live with your decision, because I respect you." NGL, parts 3 & 4 made me tear up, too. You are not alone.

I *really* tried to sell the 'Pocket was poisoned' lie because people clued into her being pregnant so quickly, lol. I tried to mislead you all! And no, if Cunthage hadn't happened, she'd be so fucking happy to be having his baby, let's be real. They'd be getting married and Tony would pretend to be so annoyed by it all, but secretly, he'd be over the moon to become an uncle and would throw her the most extravagant, lavish wedding the world's ever seen. And Pocket would fucking love that baby, because it was hers and Bucky's, and they'd be doing it together.

She's tried so hard to get over him, to forget about him, but despite everything he put her through, she just can't. She's kind of starting to realize now that maybe it's fruitless to try. So, finding out he's there, that she was pregnant, but suddenly she's not, all at once-- that's a lot. She shut down in the moment, and just got nasty because she didn't know what else to do.

You know, Bucky was actually not happy when she told him about not being able to forget him, no matter how many guys she's slept with. It hurt him to know how much he hurt her, that she felt that was something she needed to do to cleanse herself of him. He's remorseful. A tiny part of him might be hopeful-- if she can't get him out of her system, maybe there's a chance for them yet, but he isn't putting a lot of stock into that right now. He's just miserable that she's miserable.

When Bucky got that call from the SHIELD medical center, he damn near lost his shit. All he heard was that they found her in the safehouse, unconscious in a pool of blood. I don't even want to know what was going through his head. Something we don't see, because it's not a Bucky POV fic, lol, but he went to leave to be with her, but Steve tried to stop him from going, not thinking it was a good idea for him to just show up without warning Pocket, but Bucky was too scared and too worried about her being alone to listen, so while he's made some progress, there's still a tiny bit of selfishness there. Hey, he can't be fixed overnight, lol.

Bucky was so embarrassed about the erect-while-fighting thing. I mean, it was the last thing he wanted the girl he was in love with to know about him. Like, can you imagine that conversation? "So, yeah, doll, funny story-- every time I get really into a fight, where I want to fucking kill someone, I get a boner. Totally normal and not off-putting at all, right? lol" Like, it makes him look like Ted Bundy getting off on violence or something, if Bucky knew who Ted Bundy was (Side note: I like to imagine that Pocket, like me, is a True Crime freak and made Bucky consume every TC doc, podcast, movie, and book under the sun, lol).

(Off topic: Zefron as Bundy left me uncomfortable and confused, ngl)

Regardless, Bucky was ashamed and didn't want Pocket seeing that part of him. He didn't care if others did, because what they thought of him never mattered so much as what she thought of him. Also, I realized I had included him looking guilty after the sparring session and had to go back and come up with a reason why he might look guilty that didn't have anything to do with him actually having feelings for Cunthrage, lol.

It sucks to not have Bucky's POV happening (and that's something I'm rectifying in With Friends Like These...), because it's left so much of his motivations up to interpretation. I'm hopeful that everyone will see the subtle changes in him as we go forward. There will be more conversation between them in Chpt. 26, before shit hits the fan in 27, lol. 27 is off the rails, ngl.

It is safe to say that Pocket's spiral has been fully stopped. She's done hiding and running away. I mean, she kinda can't run away from Bucky anymore, cause he's right there now, but oh well, lol. She has to confront everything. And that includes Carthage, which I confess I had a lot of fun writing, because Pocket got to be a total bitch back to her. The showdown is coming!

I also miss sexy times between Pocket and Bucky, full disclosure :( That is why I have, no lie, at least eight different smut oneshot ideas planned for them after the story concludes. Idk, they are just so silly when they hook up, but also hot? Like, they have fun together, and I feel like it's never just sex, but always deeply connected time between two people who adore one another more than anything else on the planet.

You love me as much as Pocket loves Bucky?!?! Pookie! I love YOU as much as Pocket loves Bucky! <3 <3 <3

And since we ran out of kitten smoochies gifs, please accept this photo of my cat, Elliott, giving my dog, Theo, smoochies.

[swiftsaltsweet]

Two Knives Chapter 3: Kyoshi- A Breaking Point and a Confession

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (RoK characters tbh)

Pairing: Rangshi

Summary:

Things have been stressful for Kyoshi. First, she sang a poem and now the whole kitchen staff thinks it’s about Rangi, and is sure that there will be gossip. Then, Yun asks her to join him for the Fifth Nation treaty signing. Now Rangi’s acting strange. It’s becoming a bit much for Kyoshi’s small corner of the world.

(Canon Divergent AU- Kelsang wasn’t the one who heard the poem?….aka What if it took longer for them to realize Kyoshi was the Avatar?)

Other Sites: AO3 

A/N: Kyoshi, sweetie, De Nile is a river….that exists……on a map. Maybe not the ATLA map, but you’re manifesting it, let's just say that. :’D

TW: More slight (internalized?) homophobia. Can I call it that? Or is it just general denial? It feels more like typical “my friend can’t like me because…..I’m me! General denial” that can also happen with straight couples…. but tw all the same just in case. 

____

Things had basically returned to normal since the iceberg. 

The staff had welcomed everyone back with uproarious cheers. Kyoshi had made a full recovery and returned to her duties. She had a new primary task of helping treat Kelsangs injuries from the fight. 

Yun was being celebrated for his feats and his waterbending escape. Lu Beifong had even scheduled a party just for his honor.

Yes, things were basically back to normal…. But more importantly. Rangi had gone back to her normal self. She was mother henning the hen out of Kyoshi. She was constantly checking up on her whenever she could. As if Kyoshi didn’t already have a thousand reasons to love the firebender, Rangi’s actions just made her find a thousand more everyday.

Well one new thing had changed about Rangi. She stared at Kyoshi’s hands a lot more often.

Kyoshi did hurt her knuckles in the fight with Tagaka, but after a few days the bruising and healing had run its course. So, at first, Kyoshi thought she was just concerned about the injury. Now, Kyoshi wondered if Rangi expected her to wear the gauntlets she got her? Surely not, they weren’t exactly servant-friendly. Or should she say, it didn’t make her look like a friendly servant?

Other than that, nothing else had changed. Oh, Kyoshi was keeping her promise to do whatever Rangi asked of her. So far, her requests weren’t that far outside of what she usually had to do. 

At least, until……right now?!

“Are you going to attend the Beifong party?” Rangi asked. The two girls were lounging in the brush behind the mansion. Kyoshi was on break, and they were sharing onigiri for lunch. Rangi was uncharacteristically eating rather slowly, she usually wolfed her food down as fast as possible. Kyoshi wondered if it was so she could enjoy the food at Kyoshi’s pace. 

Kyoshi looked at her, confused. “No? Why would I be invited?”

Rangi scoffed. “I mean, you were technically the one who took out Tagaka. You should be there.”

Kyoshi took a bite of onigiri, chewed it, and then swallowed. “Do you want me to go?”

Rangi mimicked Kyoshi before speaking again. “Yes.”

“I don’t have an outfit.”

“We’ll get you one.”

“Am I even allowed to go?”

“I’ll convince them.”

Kyoshi picked at the grass in front of her. She supposed it wouldn’t be that big of a deal if she did go. But there was one thing that was holding her back on committing to Rangi’s request. “I need to take care of Kelsang.”

Rangi was silent for a moment, and then sighed forlornly. “Then that’s what you should do.”

Kyoshi snorted. “So now you don’t want me to go?”

A smile played on Rangi’s face. “I never said that. I do want you to be there. Revel in the victory…. But Master Kelsang needs you, I won’t keep you from that.”

Kyoshi took in Rangi’s softened features, marveling at how beautiful the other girl was. Then she awkwardly laid her head on Rangi’s shoulder, trying her best to avoid the spikes. “Thank you,” she sighed and Rangi responded with a hum.

Kyoshi looked down at the hand she was leaning on to support most of her weight. It was so close to Rangi’s. She thought of brushing her hand up against Rangi’s, but pig chickened out at the last second.

The two stayed like that, eating in silence until a gong rang out, indicating that lunch was over. They both sighed and got to their feet, as they finished off their food.

Rangi was about to dash off towards the barracks when Kyoshi stopped her. The normally tidy soldier had a piece of rice stuck to the corner of her lip.

“Rangi, wait!” She gently plucked the stray rice from Rangi’s face. “There you go. You’re all good now!” She grinned at Rangi, showing off the grain that was stuck between her thumb and forefinger. 

Rangi stared at Kyoshi with an unreadable expression. Then she turned her attention to Kyoshi’s hand, her eyes hardening with intent. Before Kyoshi could speak, Rangi gently took Kyoshi’s hand, and ate the single grain from Kyoshi’s fingertips. Her soft lips brushing against her fingers from the action.

Kyoshi’s breath hitched, and she could feel a fire burning course through her. Before Rangi pulled away, Kyoshi was able to gently press her thumb and caress Rangi’s bottom lip.

“Thanks,” she said, her voice low and raspy. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and looked up with half lidded eyes. Then she smiled coquettishly at Kyoshi. “I don’t like wasting food.”

She turned on her heel and made her way to the barracks, this time with a slight sway to her hips as she walked away.

Kyoshi could only stare after her. Afraid that the fire inside her might catch the rest of the mansion on fire if she moved.

___________________

“You and Rangi seem pretty….. close,” Kelsang said nonchalantly.

Kyoshi jumped as she deposited the used bandages into the trash, and pulled out new ones.

“O-of course, we’re friends,” Kyoshi tried to cover up. She’d be more on edge of Rangi overhearing, but she’d already left for the party along with most other people.

Kelsang raised a knowing eyebrow at Kyoshi. “You don’t have to only be friends to be close.” Kyoshi’s heart began to throb as he continued to talk. “You can be something….in addition to friends.”

“We’re not….” Kyoshi started. Not sure where the sentence was going to end. She wasn’t sure what was going on between her and Rangi, only that something had started to change. “We’re not…. anything…. more….atthemoment.”

Kelsang hummed, as he scratched near his wound. Kyoshi smacked his hand away so that he wouldn’t mess with the scab, and placed some healing salve on it.

“Do you want there to be something more?” he prodded.

“You’re being a very nosy monk,” Kyoshi muttered. She kept silent as she applied the ointment, and then finally spoke again when she began to wrap the fresh bandages around his torso. “She wouldn’t want me,” she finally admitted.

Kelsang gave her an incredulous look. “What makes you say that?”

Kyoshi finished tying the bandages and began to put the supplies away. “She’s… well… she’s Rangi. And I’m just Kyoshi. Why would she want someone like me?”

Rangi was like the sun itself, she was a guiding light for everything in her path. Kyoshi was just a plant, happy to be basking in her presence.

Kelsang snorted and groaned. “Kyoshi, for the love of every spirit in existence, just confess to her.”

Kyoshi stopped what she was doing and whirled around to look at him bugeyed. “What?! D-did you not hear what I just said?”

“Yes, Kyoshi. But-ahem- if you don’t mind me quoting Hei-Ran for a moment, ‘It was so stupid, that I chose to ignore it for both our wellbeings,’” he said, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. 

Kyoshi stood there with her mouth hanging open. Kelsang never spoke in such a rough manner, well rough for a monk. Maybe it was the bloodloss? Perhaps he lost more than the doctor had considered? Was it messing with his mind?

“I’m going to get the doctor!” Kyoshi said, running out of the room.

“Wha-what for?!” Kelsang called after her.

“You obviously aren’t in the right state of mind!” Kyoshi yelled as she rounded down the hall.

“Kyoshiiiiii!” Kelsang bemoaned from his bed.

______________________________

Kyoshi threw some seed into the koi pond and watched as the koi came up and greeted her with gaping mouths.

What is Kelsang thinking? There’s no way Rangi feels that way about me! Yes we’ve been acting….a bit closer than usual. But that’s normal for friends, right?

Kyoshi wasn’t sure, she never had a friend until she met Rangi and Yun. All the other kids just tried to hit her with rocks. 

She tried to remember how the other children interacted with each other. Just how close they got. She remembered some of the girls would hold hands or interlock their arms, at least when they were younger…. 

Rangi and her hadn’t done anything like that. And what they had done was a bit more…..intimate.

Then her mind wandered to the iceberg. Her and Rangi’s face pressed close together, drinking each other in. Rangi flushed against her body, feeling every curve against her back. Her lips on Kyoshi’s fingers. What her lips would feel like against-

The sound of intense splashing knocked her out of her reverie. She looked down, the feed bag had begun to slink down her arm, and the food was falling with abandon into the pond. The koi were going crazy.

She quickly righted herself and fixed the upturned bag. She had emptied about a third of its contents into the pond….. She looked around the garden to make sure no one saw, then proceeded to hustle her way back to the barn. She weighed her options to lie and say that a frog squirrel was the one who reduced its contents after a strategic break in.

As she ran, her mind wandered back to Rangi.

Perhaps… Kyoshi would confess. Not because she thought it was a good idea. But because she knew she was reaching that breaking point, whether she liked it or not.

____________

The rain was torrential outside, coming down almost like a waterfall. It had been a few days since Rangi and Yun had left the mansion for the Beifong party. Partially from travel time, and partially from having to mingle with the politicians after the supposed party had ended. 

She sighed, a little grateful that the travel time would be cut down thanks to Kelsang lending them his bison Pengpeng, but she wouldn’t be able to see them until tomorrow at the earliest. She supposed she should be grateful, at least they weren’t caught out in this rain.

Again, she should be grateful, but it was overlooked by the aching of wanting her friends to be back already. For Rangi to be back.

She tossed and turned in her bed, insomnia taking her once again. She laid there, listening to the sky waterfall slamming outside her window, until a wrap at her bedroom door startled her.

Kyoshi looked at the door, confused. The only person it could be would be Kelsang or Auntie Mui. Nevertheless, she grabbed her night robe and threw it on over her clothes and approached the door. 

She swung the door open, and gasped at the sight in front of her. “Rangi?!”

Rangi stood in front of Kyoshi’s door, absolutely drenched. Her once fine dress was caked with mud at the ends, and the top dangerously sagged around her shoulders more than it was intended to. Her hair was done in a more intricate style, but it was now slightly falling apart, stray hairs falling out in various places. The hairs near her face clung to her cheeks and forehead. Her usually pale skin was flushed, possibly from the cold water raining down from outside.

Before Kyoshi could think to pull her in or ask her what was going on, Rangi flung herself at Kyoshi, knocking them both back into Kyoshi’s room. She buried her face into Kyoshi’s chest and she wrapped her arms around Kyoshi as if trying to shackle her in place. 

Kyoshi’s mind whirled, trying to catch up to her ever speeding heart. She awkwardly reached over, and closed the door. She held Rangi’s with one arm draped across her back, eliciting a sharp gasp from the smaller girl, and tried to guide her to Kyoshi’s closet so Kyoshi could wrap her in a towel.

“Rangi, what happened?! Is everything alright?” Kyoshi asked as she draped the towel around the smaller girl the best she could.

“No,” she whispered through small inhalations. “I mean, yes. Everyone else is alright but… I’m not.”

Kyoshi froze. Was Rangi hurt? Who would dare do that?! 

Kyoshi wrapped her arms around the firebender with fierce protectiveness. She wanted to protect her, even if the attack had already come. 

“Talk to me, what happened?” Kyoshi whispered in Rangi’s ear.

Kyoshi was met with more sharp inhalations, and that’s when Kyoshi realized that this was Rangi’s way of crying. 

Kyoshi hugged her harder, causing Rangi’s breathing to change again. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” she whispered again.

Kyoshi relaxed, but only a little. “Then, what’s the matter?”

“Oh, Kyoshi….” Rangi lifted her head from Kyoshi’s chest, to nuzzle into the crook of Kyoshi’s neck. Kyoshi could feel the girl’s nose and lips pressed against her. A mixture of ice and fire, that sent shockwaves down Kyoshi’s being. “Please…..”

Kyoshi gulped. She was….making a request. Ok, Kyoshi could comply! ….but what did Kyoshi need to do?

“W-what do you need me to do?” Kyoshi stuttered.

“I can’t do this anymore,” Rangi’s cry was barely audible. She lifted herself away from Kyoshi, and took Kyoshi’s face in her hands. 

Kyoshi’s wide eyes stared right into Rangi’s tearful ones. 

“Please, Kyoshi,” Rangi pleaded one final time, before pulling Kyoshi’s face down and pressing their lips together. 

Kyoshi’s eyes widened and then screwed shut. Her grip on Rangi loosened, and she was vaguely aware of the towel falling to the floor. Kyoshi’s entire focus was remaining stockstill, afraid of ruining the moment, as well as enjoying the warm glow that Rangi’s lips provided.

Until it was all cruelly ripped away.

Kyoshi’s eyes flew open to see Rangi’s covering her mouth, looking away, aghast. “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” 

Kyoshi stared at her confused, unsure why Rangi was apologizing. For all she cared about, she was happy Rangi had done it. In fact, she hadn’t gotten her fill just yet! Why did it have to stop?

Rangi took a step back, as if she’d just done something wrong. Rangi ran a hand through her hair as she retreated backwards. “I-I’m sorry, I should go-.”

She made a break for the door. As she did, it clicked in Kyoshi’s head. Like the nimrod that she was, she’d made the wrong expression, again. Rangi must’ve thought she didn’t want her to kiss her. 

Just as Rangi started opening the door, Kyoshi lunged and slammed it before Rangi could fully open it. She kept her hand there, so the door wouldn't dare open. With her other arm, she snaked around Rangi's waist and hugged her from behind. They stood there, their breathing ragged. 

“Rangi, don’t go,” Kyoshi said, leaning down to nuzzle her face into the crook of Rangi’s neck. Rangi sighed and leaned back into Kyoshi’s touch. “I don’t want you to leave.”

Kyoshi picked her head up to look at Rangi, making sure to make the right expression this time. One filled with want and desire. And then she kissed her.

_____________

A/N: Rangi's dramatic ass would do a whole “I ran here in the rain to confess to you” fkdjsa TT0TT (also I know! I’m breaking the rules. Rangi confessing and kissing Kyoshi first? Le gasp! Sue me for I wanting to spice it up u_u)

Also, plant Kyoshi *holds gently in my hands* precious little plant :3c

Wait! I just realized! I broke my “crock pot slow burn curse!” :’D This is the fastest any char has gotten together in my fics! *looks at Thief in the Avatar Estate* Ok in my defense I did intend to get them together faster there, but plans changed! TT0TT

…Anyway, who wants to know what Rangi was thinking during all of this? :D “What did you do to Rangi?” (ʘ‿ʘ) You’ll find out.

[cxnscience]

@princessquinnella said ; “Hmph! If you really think I’m ‘crazy’ about you, you’re ditzier than a dragonfly in a whirlwind!” The fairy scoffs, crossing her arms. Denial. Sure that card couldn’t possibly backfire with any sort of canon fodder. “I didn’t think that big head of yours could get any grander!” With a mischevious wink she snatches the dapper top hat off Jiminy’s head, plopping it onto her own noggin as she flutters out of reach. “Ha! You really do have a big head!” She sticks her tongue out - only for the brim of the hat to fall over her head mid-flutter. She immediately crashes into one of Gepetto’s ornate figurines, knocking it off the shelf. Whoopsie.

"You know what they say about the Nile, Miss Quinnella." Jiminy radiates smugness from all angles, bouncing on his heels with no attempt to hide his humor. "Call me whatever you'd like, but that's hardly the impression I— hey!!"

Perhaps he's earned the payback - he did sort of see that coming. He's quick on the draw, but jumping and making a swipe for it doesn't do him much good even with cricket reflexes: few can outfly a fairy. "Give that back - that's from the Lady!" Fortunately the shelves of the workshop are his home turf, and with a few well-planned leaps he at least gets close to keeping up. He's about to retort that if his head is big that's only because it's full up on knowledge, but doesn't get the chance - before he can offer so much as a watch out!, he has to duck and cover his head as the porcelain figurine topples off the shelf right above him and falls head-over-tail towards the wooden floor.

It doesn't clatter so much as it shatters, shards of it spinning off under the workbench. Figaro will have a field day with it if they're not careful.

Jiminy stares wordlessly for a moment or two before glancing back towards Quinnella. "Now you've done it." No matter that there are dozens more of them sitting around, each one is a work of art in its own right. "I'll never be able to piece that back together."

[lipslikethegardensofbabylon]

#ttpd analysis day nine - Guilty As Sin?

there are not enough words to convey how in love i am with the repeated motif of love being a religion. ex, sacred prayer i was there, stained glass windows in my mind, we bless the rains on Cornelia street, lord save me, etc etc etc. it’s difficult to neatly identify all of the lyrics this track parallels but the two primary songs are False God and ivy. this is one of my fave tracks she’s ever done and my only hot take is that this should’ve been a track 13. without further ado -

drowning in the Blue Nile - this line is genius for all of the implications, yes it’s a band, it’s also that (continued) metaphor for depression (ocean wave blues, I’m with you even if it makes me blue, etc), and in discussing with @aslowmotionlovepotion she also said denial is not just a river in egypt

falling back into the hedge maze is one of my favorite lyrics, there’s something so deeply romantic to me about falling (or as she says, crashing) fully into someone and getting tangled up/lost in the feelings. if you follow the imagery and previous tracks she basically describes being lost at sea, clinging (even white knuckling) the raft, and it’s almost like she comes to shore and enters this Alice in Wonderland type labyrinth as partially a reprieve but there’s also this residual guilt (am I allowed to cry?). I just love the imagery; she describes something lush and green when she could’ve described it more clinically like a chess game as she did in Dear John. idk it just speaks volumes to me. continuing with the lush imagery, the song parallels a lot of ivy

one slip and falling back into the hedge maze /your ivy grows and now I'm covered

oh, what a way to die, I keep recalling things we never did/I'd live and die for moments that we stole

my boredom’s bone-deep/I’d meet you where the spirit meets the bones

these fatal fantasies/I wish to know the fatal flaw

If it’s make believe/I can’t stop you putting roots in my dreamland

what if I roll the stone away/my house of stone

it’s a fire, it’s a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it/my sheets are ablaze

also the religious imagery and the False God (my other beloved) parallels are just

throwing my life to the wolves or the ocean rocks/we were stupid to jump in the ocean separating us

oh, what a way to die/remember how I said I'd die for you?

why does it feel like a vow we'll both uphold somehow?/we might just get away with it

religion's in your lips/messy top lip kiss

the altar is my hips/what if he's written "mine" on my upper thigh?

what if the way you hold me is actually what's holy?/I know heaven's a thing, I go there when you touch me

I choose you and me religiously/even if it's a false god, we'd still worship this love

I keep these longings locked in lowercase, inside a vault could be directly referring to folkmore. it could also be journal entries, poetry, or woodvale! (jk about the last part, lol). but i think the most obvious connection would be to loml on the same album, there are also religious lyrics within that track, but in going through the album I’m trying not to fully discuss later tracks until it’s their turn in the tracklist.

i also want to include this little bit

"La petite mort", from French: Small death, is an expression meaning "short loss or weakening of consciousness / consciousness".

it’s interesting considering the sex/orgasm euphemism and how closely it follows the repeated glimmers of death in Guilty As Sin? these fatal fantasies/building up like waves crashing over my grave/oh, what a way to die/they're gonna crucify me anyway

ending it with the dreamy am I allowed to cry? also reminds me of gold rush which “takes place inside a single daydream where you get lost in thought for a minute and then snap out of it”

[chuuyascumsock]

Did i hear someone say domestic chuuya???????

🪷ANON YOUR BRAIN 🫦🤌🤌🤌

He’d totally give you the personal space you desire! Oh Lawdds just imagine goin out for manicures and pedicures and and just cooking at home with all the tasty and high-quality ingredients he buys you (or just gives you his card to buy-) ooh imagine being driven around by the mafia’s chauffeurs when he cant make it but him 100% making it up to you when he sees you later that night.

Imagine he puts on slow music and you both crack open a bottle of wine and just sway in eachothers arms~

Oh and he definitely helps with cleanup after dinner,you wash he rinses and you alternate eachtime.

Imagine him twirling you around your apartment and dipping you as the song ends,his lips meeting yours in a soft yet love-filled kiss and then you both settle on the couch to cuddle and talk about eachother’s day and then you just fall asleep in eachother’s arms????

🪷 youve got my head running laps around this ideaaaaaa😩😫

Domestic chuuya is not a want….no he is a NEEDDDD

Also on a different note…DENIAL ANON IS GETTING SILLIER??? is that even possible??? Like what was that fact abt the nile river??? Bro are you okay do you need a hug…. Also your reply probably gave them a heart attack 😭 they probably yeeted their device into oblivion.

Good Job Bestie!!! Let’s hope they learn their lesson (unless you’d like em to keep comin back? I mean its no harm to you {i hope not??} and if youre having fun,who am i to stop you☺️)

Stay safe and slay safe broski

May you always out-silly the silly goofs!

-🧀

STOPPP THAT’S SO CUTE— OK BUT ALSO IMAGINE TAKING BATHS TOGETHER. I feel like he’d definitely add bubbles and candles to make it romantic and sweet. AH AND CUDDLING IN THE TUB WITH YOUR BACK AGAINST HIS CHEST AS YOU READ TO HIM AND HE DRINKS WINE. AND IN THE MORNINGS HE GETS UP EARLY TO MAKE YOU YOUR FAVORITE BREAKFAST 🥺 Y’all, please 😭

Denial-Chan has always been silly like that, I hope they like my replies (I know they do because they’re in love with me) (I miss them already 😫).

[eisforeidolon]

Question: We just saw the last five episodes of Supernatural like three days ago -

Jared: For the first time?

Question: Yeah, 'cause we didn't want it to end. We were like waiting - so we're still in denial -

Jared: That's in Africa. De Nile is in Africa. [shakes head at himself]

Question: I was wondering, why do you think that Sam only had one son considering his bond with Dean?

Jared: Sam only had one son that he knew of. [ostentatious wink, strokes hair through beanie][audience cheers][Jared starts and stops a few times without getting any full words out] I think, I think Sam did all right? [makes comically unsure face] Here's why Sam had one son - in my opinion. When Sam and Dean were both alive, Sam had a questionable history? As far as success and failures go with loved ones, so to speak? You know, your first love is on fire on the ceiling, your next is a werewolf you shoot in the head, your next is a demon that makes you start the Apocalypse - but she's okay. [laughs]

Question: We all love her, too.

Jared: Hey, back off! Back off! So I think Sam had a child that was a boy and it was obviously Dean. And he tried to not mess it up. I do truly believe that we'll see Sam and Dean ride again in the version of Sam and Dean that are played by Jensen and Jared or Jared and Jensen? [audience cheers] But in the meantime, I think Sam thought you know, I've been through enough. This kid's healthy - you know, ten fingers ten toes - I'm gonna honor my brother. So that's where he went. Thank you, so sorry you just watched the last episodes.