#I’m way too intense about it please just burn the goat please please

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

I cannot put into mortal words how fucking badly I want that swedish goat to burn. We live in a modern surveillance hellscape and not only is big brother watching you but he’s monitoring your purchase habits so he can sell you a smart refrigerator that will spy on you for the cia. the full weight of modern technology can be rallied to protect that straw monument to human hubris and I want us to burn it anyway. I want the might of modern society to crumple in the face of a drunk swede with a zippo lighter. we can do it just take my hand

[hamliet]

The Crows Summon the Sun

Or, Hamliet’s review of Shadow & Bone, which gets a 4.5/5 for enjoyment and a 3.5/5 in terms of writing.

The true heroes of this story and the saviors of the show are the Crows. However, the problem is that the show then has an uneven feel, because the strength of the Crows plotline highlights the weaknesses of the trilogy storyline. But imo, overall, the strengths overshadow (#punintended) the weaknesses. 

I’ll divide the review into the narrative and the technical (show stuff, social commentary), starting with narrative.

Narrative: The Good 

It’s What The Crows Deserve

I went into the show watching it for the Crows; however, knowing that their storyline was intended to be a prequel, I wasn’t terribly optimistic. And while it is a prequel, the characters have complete and full arcs that perfectly set them up for the further development they will have in the books (which I think should be the next season?). Instead of retreading the arcs they’d have in the books, which is how prequels usually go, they had perfect set up for these arcs. It’s really excellent. 

Jesper, Inej, and Kaz are all allowed to be flawed, to have serious conflicts with one another, and yet to love each other. They feel like a found family in the best of ways. Kaz is the perfect selfish rogue; he’s a much more successfully executed Byronic hero than the Darkling, actually. Inej is heroic and her faith is not mocked, yet she too is flawed and her choices are not always entirely justified, but instead left to the audience to ponder (like killing the girl), which is a more mature writing choice that I appreciated. 

Jesper is charming, has a heart of gold despite being a murderer and on the surface fairly greedy, and MILO THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT GOAT WAS THE BEST THING EVER. I also liked Jesper’s fling with Dima but I felt it could be better used rather than merely establishing his sexuality, like if Jesper and Dima had seen each other one more time or something had come of their tryst for the plot/themes/development of Jesper. 

Nina and Matthias’s backstory being in the first season, instead of in flashbacks, really works because it automatically erases any discomfort of the implications of Nina having falsely accused Matthias that the books start with. We know Nina, we know Matthias, we know their motivations, backgrounds, and why they feel the way we do. It’ll be easy for the audience to root for them without a lot of unnecessary hate springing from misunderstanding Nina (since she’s my favorite). Matthias’s arc was also really strongly executed and satisfyingly tragic. Their plotline was a bit unfortunately disconnected from the rest of the story, but Danielle Gallagan and Callahan Skogman have absolutely sizzling chemistry so I found myself looking forward to their scenes instead of feeling distracted. Also? It’s nice seeing a woman with Nina’s body type as a romantic and powerful character. 

Hamliet Likes Malina Now

Insofar as the trilogy storyline goes, the best change the show made was Mal. He still is the same character from the books, but much more likable. The pining was... a lot (too much in episode 4, I felt) but Malina is a ship I actually enjoyed in the show while I NOTP’d it in the books. Mal has complexity and layers to his motivations (somewhat) and a likable if awkward charm. Archie Renaux was fantastic. 

Ben Barnes is the perfect Aleksandr Kirigan, and 15 year old me, who had the biggest of big crushes on Ben Barnes (first celebrity crush over a decade ago lol), was pretty damn happy lol. He’s magnificantly acted--sympathetic and terrifying, sincerely caring and yet villainous in moments. Story-wise, I think it was smart to reveal his name earlier on than in the books, because it helps with the humanization especially in a visual medium like film. Luda was a fitting (if heartbreaking) backstory, but it is also hard for me to stomach knowing what the endgame of his character is. Like... I get the X-men fallacy thing, but I hope the show gives more kindness to his character than the books did, yet I’m afraid to hold my breath. Just saying that if you employ save the cat, if you directly say you added this part (Luda) to make the character more likable (as the director did) please do not punish the audience for feeling what you intended. 

I also liked the change that made Alina half-Shu. It adds well to her arc and fits with her character, actually giving her motivations (she kinda just wants to be ordinary in a lot of ways) a much more interesting foundation than in the books. Also it’s nice not to have another knock-off Daenerys (looking to you Celaena and book!Alina). Jessie Mei Li does a good job playing Alina’s insecurities and emotions, but... 

Narrative: The Ehhhhhhh

Alina the Lamp

Sigh. Here we go. Alina has little consistent characterization. She’s almost always passive when we see her, yet she apparently punches an officer for calling her a name and this seems to be normal for her, but it doesn’t fit at all with what we know about her thus far. Contradictions are a part of humanity, but it’s never given any focus, so it comes across as inconsistent instead of a flaw or repression. 

I have no idea what Alina wants, beside that she wants to be with Mal, which is fine except I have no idea what the basis of their bond is. Even with like, other childhood friends to lovers like Ren/Nora in RWBY or Eren/Mikasa in SnK, there’s an inciting moment, a reason, that we learn very early on in their story to show us what draws them together. Alina and Mal just don’t have that. There’s the meadow/running away thing, but they were already so close, and why?  Why, exactly? What brought them together? The term “bullies” is thrown around but it isn’t ever explored and it needed to be this season. If I have to deal with intense pining for so many episodes at least give me a foundation for their devotion. You need to put this in the beginning, in the first season. You just do.

A “lamp” character is a common metaphor to describe a bad character: essentially, you could replace the character with a lamp and nothing changes. Considering Alina’s gift is light, it’s a funnily apt metaphor, but it really does apply. Her choices just don’t... matter. She could be a special lamp everyone is fighting over and almost nothing would change. The ironic thing is that everyone treating her like a fancy lamp is exactly the conflict, but it’s never delved into. We’re never shown that Alina is more than a lamp. She never has to struggle because her choices are made for her and information is gifted to her when she needs it. Not making choices protects Alina from consequences and the story gives her little incentive to change that; in fact, things tend to turn out better when she doesn’t make choices (magic stags will arrive). 

Like... let’s look at a few occasions when Alina almost or does make choices. For example, she chooses to (it seems) sleep with Kirigan, but then there’s a convenient knock at the door and Bhagra arrives with key information that changes Alina’s mind instantly despite the fact that Bhagra’s been pretty terrible to her. If you want to write a woman realizing she’s been duped by a cruel man, show her discovering it instead of having the man’s abusive mother tell her when she had absolutely no such suspicions beforehand. There’s no emotional weight there because Alina doesn’t struggle. 

When she is actually allowed to carry out a bad choice, the consequences are handwaved away instead of built into a challenge for her. Like... Alina got her friends killed. More than once. I’m not saying she’s entirely to blame for these but could we show her reacting to it? Feeling any sort of grief? She never mentions Raisa or Alexei after they’re gone, just Mal, and I’m... okay. They were there because of you. Aren’t you feeling anything? Aren’t you sad? The only time Alina brings up her friends’ deaths is to tell Kirigan he killed her friends when they were only there because she burned the maps. She yells at Kirigan for “never” giving her a choice, but she almost never makes any, so why would he? Alina has the gall to lecture Genya about choices, but she herself almost never has to make any. 

Which brings me to another complaint in general: Alina’s lack of care for everyone around her when they’re not Mal, even if they care for her. Marie dies because of her (absolutely not her fault of course) but as far as we know she never even learns about Marie. She certainly doesn’t ever ask about her or Nadia. Alina seems apathetic at best to people, certainly not compassionate or kind. 

The frustrating thing is that there is potential here. Like, it actually makes a lot of psychological sense for an orphan who has grown up losing to be reluctant to care for people outside of her orbit and that she would struggle to believe she can have any say in her destiny (ie make choices). It’s also interesting that a girl who feels like an outsider views others outside her. But the show never offers examines Alina’s psychology with any depth; it simply tells us she’s compassionate when she is demonstrably not, it tells us she makes decisions when it takes magical intervention to do so. It’s a missed opportunity. This does not change between episodes 1 and 8, despite the episodes’ parallel structures and scenes, which unintentionally reinforces that Alina had little real development. 

Inej and ironically Jesper and Kaz embody the concept of “mercy” far better and with far more complexity than Alina does. The Crows have reactions to the loss of people who even betray them (Arken, etc), learn, and course-correct (or don’t) when they are even loosely involved in having strangers die. They’re good characters because they change and learn and have their choices matter. When they kill we see them wrestle with it and what this means even if they are accustomed to doing so. Jesper can’t kill in front of a child. Kaz wonders what his killings do to Inej’s idea of him.

Narrative: The Mixed Bag

Tropes, Themes, Telling vs. Showing

So the show’s themes in the Alina storyline are a mess, as they are in the trilogy too. Tropes are a very valuable way to show your audience what you’re trying to say. They’re utilized worldwide because they resonate with people and we know what to expect from them. The Crows' storyline shows us what it wants us to learn.

Preaching tells, and unfortunately, the trilogy relies on telling/preaching against fornicationBad Boys. It’s your right to write any trope or trample any trope you want--your story--but you should at least understand what/why you are doing so. The author clearly knows enough about Jungian shadows and dark/light yin/yang symbolism to use it in the story, but then just handwaves it away as “I don’t like this” but never does so in a narratively effective way: addressing the appeal in the first place. If you really wanna deconstruct a trope, you gotta empathize with the core of the reason these tropes appeal to people (it allays deep fears that we are ourselves unlovable, through loving another person despite how beastly they can be), and address this instead of ignoring it. Show us a better way through the Fold of your story. Don’t just go around it and ignore the issue.

The trilogy offers highly simplistic themes at best--bad boy bad and good boy good, which is fine-ish for kid lit but less fine for adult complexity, which the show (more so than the books) seems to try to push despite not actually having much of it.

Alina and Mal are intended to be good, we’re told they are, but I’m not sure why beyond just that we’re told so. Alina claims the stag chose her, but in the show it’s never explained why at all. Unlike with Kaz, Inej, Jesper, and hell even Matthias and Nina, we don’t see Alina or Mal’s complex choices and internal wrestling. 

Like, Inej’s half-episode where she almost killed the guy they needed was far more character exploration than Alina has the entire show, to say nothing of Inej’s later killing which not only makes her leaps and bounds more interesting, but ironically cements her as a far more compelling and yes, likable, heroine than Alina. We see Inej’s emotional and moral conflict. We can relate to her. We see Kaz struggling with his selfishness and regrets, with his understanding of himself through his interactions with and observations of Inej, Alina, the Darkling, Arken, and Jesper.

We don’t explore what makes Mal or Alina good and what makes them bad. We don’t know what Alina discovers about herself, what her power means for her. We are told they are good, we are told she knows her power is hers, but never shown what this means or what this costs them/her. Their opportunities to be good are handed to them (the stag, Bhagra) instead of given to them as a challenge in which they risk things, in which doing good or making a merciful choice costs them. Alina gets to preach about choices without ever making any; Inej risks going back to the Menagerie to trust Kaz. Her choices risk. They cost. They matter and direct her storyline and her arc, and those of the people around her.

Production Stuff:

The Good: 

The production overall is quite excellent. The costumes, pacing, acting, and cinematography (for example, one of the earliest scenes between the Darkling and Alina has Alina with her back to the light, face covered in his shadow, while the Darkling’s face is light up by her light even if he stands in the shadows) are top-notch. The soundtrack as well is incredible and emphasizes the scenes playing. The actors have great chemistry together, friend chemistry and romantic when necessary (Mal and Alina, the Darkling and Alina, Kaz and Inej, Nina and Matthias, David and Genya, etc.) All are perfectly cast. 

The Uncomfortable Technicalities Hamliet Wants to Bitch About:

The only characters from fantasy!Europe having any trace of an accent reminiscent of said fantasy country's real-world equivalent are antagonists like Druskelle (Scandinavia) and Pekka (Ireland). When the heroes mostly have British accents despite being from fantasy Russia and Holland, it is certainly A Choice to have the Irish accent emphasized. The actor is British by the way, so I presume he purposely put on an Irish accent. I'm sure no one even considered the potential implications of this but it is A Look nonetheless.

The Anachronisms Hamliet Has a Pet Peeve About: 

The worldbuilding is compelling, but the only blight on the worldbuilding within the story itself (ignoring context) was that there are some anachronisms that took me out of the story, particularly in the first episode where “would you like to share with the class” and “saved by the horn” are both used. Both are modern-day idioms in English that just don’t fit, especially the latter. The last episode uses “the friends we made along the way.” There are other modern idioms as well.

IT’S STARKOVA and Other Pet Peeves Around the Russian Portrayal 

Russian names are not hard, and Russian naming systems are very, very easy to learn. I could have waved “Starkov” not being “Starkova,” “Nazyalensky” not being “Nazyalenskaya,”  and “Safin” not being “Safina” as an American interpretation (since in America, the names do not femininize). However, “Mozorova” as a man is unfathomable and suggests to me the author just doesn’t understand how names work, which is a bit... uh okay considering a simple google search gets you to understand Russian names. They aren’t hard. I cannot understand why the show did not fix this. It is so simple to fix and would be a major way to help the story’s overall... caricature of Russia. 

Speaking of that... Ravka is supposedly Russian-based, but it is more accurately based on the stereotypes of what Americans think of Russia. Amerussia? Russica? Not great. 

The royals are exactly what Americans think of the Romanovs, right down to the “greasy” “spiritual advisor” who is clearly Rasputin and which ignores the Romanov history, very real tragedy, and the reason Rasputin was present in the court. The religion with all its saints is a vapid reflection of Russian Orthodoxy. The military portrayal with its lotteries and brutality and war is how the US views the Russian military. The emphasis on orphans, constant starvation, classification, and children being ripped from their homes to serve the government is a classic US understanding of USSR communism right down to the USSR having weapons of destruction the rest of the world fears (Grisha). Not trying to defend the Soviet Union here at all, but it is simplistic and reductive and probably done unconsciously but still ehhhh. 

However, I’m not Russian. I just studied Russian literature. I’ve seen very little by way of discussion of this topic online, but what I do see from Russian people has been mixed--some mind, some don’t. The reality is that I actually don’t really mind this because it’s fantasy, though I see why some do. I'm not like CANCEL THIS. So why am I talking about this beyond just having a pet peeve?

Well, because it is a valid critique, and because it doesn’t occur in a vacuum. The Grishaverse is heralded as an almost paragon for woke Young Adult literature, which underlines itself what so frustrates me about how literary circles discuss issues of diversity and culture. Such praise, while ignoring its quasi-caricature of Russia, reflects a very ethnocentric (specifically American) understanding of culture, appropriation, and representation. All stories are products of their culture to various extents, but it bothers me on principle what the lit community reacts (and overreacts sometimes?) to and what people give a pass to. The answer to what the community reacts to and what it gives a pass always pivots on how palatable the appropriation is to American understandings and sensibilities. There’s nuance here as well, though. 

I'm not cancelling the story or thinking it should be harshly attacked for this, but it is something that can be discussed and imo should be far more often--but with the nuance it begs, instead of black/white. But that’s a tall ask. 

[julieloveupstead]

"-Are you jealous?

- Me, not at all." - Jay Undercover part 3, Upstead 8x15

Description: How will Hailey react to the fact that Jay will have to go subbing at the club? Hailey is not one for jealous women, but is she really?

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- Do you really have to go there? - I tried to sound natural and understand Voight's decision to divide the task during today's action even though it didn't seem dangerous or very complicated, but I still don't like it. Aside from the fact that Darrell son of Deputy Superintendent Samatha Miller appears out of nowhere with information about one of the dealers and is now our CI, which messes up his paperwork, it's Jay who's doing the black work as usual.

- To this club? - Jay sat down on my desk as usual, I leaned against the chair I was sitting on to see him more clearly and nodded. We were alone in the room, as Kim was probably in the locker room, Adam and Kevin downstairs with our newly CI, and Voight disappeared somewhere right after we discussed the details, so we were free to chat. - Well, you know, there's no compulsion, but you know, with Miller on the case, I don't think it's right to say no, and besides, it's going to be quick, and then we can go somewhere to eat. - He smiled as he usually does and that made my knees soften, like probably all women. And it's this thought that I can't get over, because after all Jay Halstead will be alone in this club with no cover except for Adam and Kevin who will be sitting in the van but that doesn't change anything because still Jay will be alone with so many women who I'm sure will be very scantily dressed. Damn.

- Yeah you're right - I said and got up. I went to the breakroom to make myself a coffee or whatever to make these stupid visions popping up in my head disappear. To be honest, I've never felt as piritic as I do now.

- Hailey, are you okay? - Jay stood behind me as I started making coffee for both of us.

- Yes - I replied without even looking at him. It's not that I'm angry or anything I just feel too many emotions at once and as usual I prefer to stay in my bubble alone and besides it's ridiculous that I feel jealous, I've never been jealous of any of my former boyfriends and then Jay Alexander Halstead appears and everything in her life changes by 180%. Feelings awaken in her which she didn't even know existed or which I feel more intensely than before I met this detective.

- Honey, I can see - he touched my shoulder gently, at which I closed my eyes. It still surprises me how my body reacts to even the slightest touch from him, this is another thing that hasn't happened before.

- Nothing, just," I sighed. I didn't know how to put into words what was swirling around in my head. After all, if Jay finds out that I'm jealous, he won't leave me alone and he'll remind me of it at every opportunity, and besides, my pride doesn't allow me to say it out loud.

- Hailey, I don't want to pressure you and if you don't want to tell me now okey, but I want you to know that I will always be there to listen to you even if it's bullshit to you because it won't be that way to me. - he said in a calm, tender voice. He put his arms around my back so that I could rest my back against his chest.

- I don't want you to go there, I know I am selfish, but I don't give a damn. - I said all in one breath and bit my lip nervously waiting for my boyfriend's reaction.

- Why? - he asked, and in his voice I didn't find any mocking, ridicule, just pure curiosity.

- First of all - I turned around and moved a little bit to look at him better. - This whole affair stinks to me from a distance, secondly, you are still doing the black job for everybody, I know that you are the highest rank (except for me, of course) - at the last comment we both laughed - and don't you think that going to a night club is not a little demanding for such a good policeman - I said in a relatively neutral voice. I saw Jay biting his lip and trying to remain serious, but there were funny flares sparking in his eyes. I knew he wouldn't take me seriously. I shouldn't say anything.

- Hey wait, give me a chance to say something, please - seeing my hand and wanting to leave he grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers together. - First of all you are right, there is something wrong in this case, but it is worth checking, especially that it is about Miller's son, and secondly as for me doing the black job, well no one solves cases as well and reliably as I do the wonderful, excellent, handsome and eloquent detective - he winked at me at the last comment, which made me laugh. And the fact, nobody is as good as him, you have to admit he is right about that. - And thirdly, can you imagine Adam walking into that club? Because I don't - right I can already see Adam burning his cover because some girl has recognised him, or something will upset him quickly or he's had too much to drink. That's how Adam totally fits in. - And Kevin is already upset that we have to use badges to help his son higher up anyway. You know how touchy Kev is about this - that's right too. I understand Kev and I respect him a lot for his views and he is one of my best friends apart from Jay of course, Kev is the closest to me out of the whole team and I hope there is a promotion for him in the near future because he deserves it very much. - And fourthly I know you too well Honey to guess that's not the main reason, am I right? - Jay raised one eyebrow and tilted his head with a small smile, knowing he was right. Damn, he saw through me, on the other hand it doesn't surprise me too much. He knows me too well, he can read me like an open book. Sometimes just one look and he knows what ails me, what's wrong with me and vice versa. We know each other like horses and maybe that is why we are such good partners at work and in private life. Neither of us has to make an effort to understand the other, which for me is a great help, because sometimes I find it very difficult to find the words and courage to confess something to him.

- Well," I began, releasing my hand and immediately felt a chill, but I ran it over my face to gather the right words. - What I mean is ... - I started talking nervously. I don't know why I'm nervous to tell Jay that I'm jealous, after all it is Jay. He won't laugh at me or say anything negative, so why can't I tell the truth? Well yes because your pride won't allow it I thought. And that you think it's childish, that you're jealous and the past has shown that nothing good comes out of jealousy.

- Hey, honey, what's going on? It's me after all - he put his hands on my shoulders and sent me a reassuring smile.

- Okay - I took a deep breath. Once a goat's death. - When I think that in this club there will be so many half-naked women who will devour you with their eyes it makes me squirm. I'm sorry, I know it's childish of me and that I shouldn't feel jealous and - Jay's lips sawed into mine interrupting my speech.

- Honey, don't cry - he put his hands on my cheeks and wiped away the tears with his fingers. I didn't even know I was crying and I didn't know why. - First of all it's not childish of you and you have all the right to be jealous because it's an emotion and like any other emotion it's necessary and completely normal. It took me a long time to get to this point, but now I know that the emotions we feel should never be apologised for, ok. - He kissed me on the cheek to cheer me up a bit. - Hailey - he lifted my hand and placed it over his heart - For the four years since you walked into this bank, this has belonged to you and no one else, Angel, and no matter how hard any woman tries or how good she looks she can't match you and how I feel about you. - He squeezed my hand and pulled me to him. It was hard for me to hold back the tears that started running down my cheeks. I don't think I'll ever get used to Jay's words. I still can't believe that he a handsome, wonderful man with such a huge and pure heart chose me a girl with problems who messed up a lot of things, with a lot of demons that she is afraid to fish out and let's not hide with average looks. Jay could have anyone so why me? It's a question that's been swirling around in my head all the time, but I've never dared to ask him and I doubt I ever will. - I love you so much. Hailey you are the best thing that ever happened to me - he pulled away from me so he could look at me. He wiped away my tears again - You are the only person I think about when I get up and when I go to bed and even in my sleep. - He kissed me on the forehead and I cuddled into him. How this man can make me fall in love with him all over again and when I think that it is impossible to love someone more, it turns out that it is possible.

- Okay you can go to that club - I said which made Jay laugh. and also me. - Just be careful, because when you get home there will be a surprise waiting for you - I said pulling away from Jay with a sly smile that foreshadowed the coming night, or day in fact. Jay bent down to kiss me on the lips and looked at me. I could see in his eyes that he was looking forward to the end of today's affair as much as I was.

- Every day when I wake up and look at you I can't believe that life has given me such an unusual and lovely surprise - he whispered against my lips and kissed me again. - Angel how much I love the prospect of kissing you and holding you in my arms unfortunately we have to stop this because it is time for me - he said pulling his lips away from mine.

- I know - I didn't mean to, but I pulled away from my boyfriend. Jay kissed the top of my head one last time and walked towards the door, at which he still stood and turned towards me with a big smile, which I immediately reciprocated.

- By the way, it's sweet that you're jealous.

- I knew you would reproach me for it - I tried to be serious, but the giggle that escaped my lips betrayed me.

- I know you love me anyway - he said also laughing. I shook my head at the idiot who disappeared a moment later. He's right I love him no matter what.

As I watched Jay leave the room I was reminded of a quote I once read:

"Love. Two people meet by chance, and it turns out they've been waiting for each other their whole lives."

I didn't know I would ever say that quote applied to my real life until I met Jay

[athina-blaine]

MoMM Chapter 4 - The Storm, Part 1 (Preview #1)

(Note: this is not the finalized draft; anything featured is subject to edits or deletion!)

Chapter 3: The Empty Corridors

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure I deserve that. Your friendship. After everything I’ve done since…”

“Of course you do. Listen to yourself; it’s not like you wanted to frighten me.” An inch of space sat between their hands. “Is this …? Um. Is this okay …?”

The winds continued to howl, and Martin's hand lay limp on the bed sheets. His face grew hot, and he started pulling back. Stupid idea. But then Jon slid his hand closer until their fingers brushed. Emboldened, Martin wrapped his hand around Jon's, his burn scar grazing the soft skin of Martin's palm.

He squeezed gently.

“No one deserves to be lonely, Jon.”

Jon had no response, staring out to the storm that continued knocking on their windows. He stared, and he let Martin hold his hand.

Chapter 4 - The Storm, Part 1

Martin was an optimist. He had to be. Anything else would have been utterly unbearable.

That being said, he was… relatively confident things would get better. Jon had confided in him the terrible secret of Magnus Manor and the truth of this hellish storm. The Lonely. And understanding a problem meant you were one step closer to solving it, right? It meant one step closer to getting out of the cursed estate you’d found yourself trapped in.

Most importantly, though, the two of them were talking again. Above all else, that gave him hope.

 Jon was waiting for him in the foyer the next morning. His nose was buried in a book, but when Martin approached, he looked up, and Martin liked to think he looked pleased.

“Good morning,” Martin said, hoping he didn’t sound too flustered.

“You as well. Would ... would you be amenable to sharing some morning tea? If ... if you're still offering ...”

“Y-yes, of course.” So yesterday hadn’t been a fluke; Jon wasn’t going to leave him alone again. “That sounds great. Um. English Breakfast, then?”

Jon smiled, nodded, and fetched them both a pot and one cup apiece. The porcelain warmed Martin’s aching fingers, a refreshing respite from the chill that crept so subtly through the halls.

They drank, and they talked about very little. Martin’s tongue burned with questions (–what’s it like living with these entities? How do they manifest? Will we get out of here soon?–), but he restrained himself; the age lining Jon’s face had soothed as he sipped his tea,  and when he asked Martin how he’d slept, there was a shy twist to his mouth.

Right now, Martin wanted to enjoy himself. Enjoy Jon and a warm cup of morning tea. There would be plenty of time to agonise later.

In the meantime, he’d just need to keep busy. Now was as good a time as any to give cleaning the manor another chance. Masochistic, maybe. Impossible, certainly. But at least this time he didn’t have to worry about being reprimanded. Probably.

One of the many study rooms that littered the estate would be a good place to start. Small as it was, its sooty fireplace and dusty couch was enough of a time sink for his purposes.

He was in the middle of battling a particularly stubborn stain when the door opened and Jon peered inside. Despite everything, Martin couldn’t help his trill of anxiety, made all the worse when Jon kissed his teeth.

“Must I iterate that it’s not necessary for you to – ”

“I want to.” It was still such a shock to just see Jon, to have them talking, that the words came out in a breathless, jumbled mess. “I promise. I-I like cleaning, honest. It keeps my mind off … you know, things.”

Jon paused mid-stride. For a moment, Martin thought he was going to be chased off anyway, and then he’d have to actually beg to clean, because the thought of spending another minute with nothing to do but contemplate their situation– 

“I–” Sighing, Jon brought a hand to the bridge of his nose. “Fine. Yes, fine, if you insist. So long as you understand that it is absolutely not an expectation of you.”

Martin’s shoulders sagged with relief. Another hurdle crossed.

He’d just convinced himself to relax and finally let his mind wander, soothed by the familiar, tediousness of cleaning a fireplace, when Jon unclasped his cloak, lying it over the sofa. 

“What are you doing?”

“Assisting you, obviously. Having you clean it in my stead when I’m the one responsible for it falling into disrepair doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Doesn’t bear thinking about. What didn’t bear thinking about was a man of Jon’s stature doing menial work like this in the first place. But Martin was hardly about to refuse his help … or his company, so freely given. “Um. Thank you. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself, though. There’s literally no way you could have kept this place clean all by yourself.”

“I appreciate the reassurance, but the point is moot.”

Well, if Jon wanted to roll up his sleeves and work at a grimy fireplace, Martin wasn’t about to stop him. When Jon literally rolled up his sleeves, he bit back a smile. The skin of his forearms was paler than that of his hands and face, smooth and free of blemishes. When was the last time he’d enjoyed a bit of sunshine without his shirt buttoned up to the chin?

Not that Martin had any business considering a thing like that in the first place. God, his face was burning again.

“I hate cleaning,” Jon murmured as he dunked the spare cloth in the water bucket. “Nothing ever stays clean.”

“Yeah. Gotta do it, though. Oh, you should keep your elbow up. You won’t tire out your arm as quickly.”

“Oh. Yes, I see.” Jon sighed. “Perhaps the fault lies with me. I’ve never been particularly good at domesticity, after all. The rare times my grandmother was home, the only thing we talked about was how untidy my room was.”

Martin’s ears perked. The opportunity to learn more about Jon and his past? It was too enticing to resist. “Your gram wasn’t home much, then?”

“Not often. She was the matriarch of our family, so important business kept her in the capital most days.”

Oh. How … odd. Martin didn’t know anything about how noble families handled representing themselves, but … “I figured your mom or dad would take care of that sort of thing after a while. Did your gram just enjoy the work?”

“Both of my parents passed when I was a child.”

Martin’s stomach plunged to his feet. What a stupid blunder to make. “I’m … I’m so sorry.” 

“It was a long time ago,” Jon said, waving him away. “I was barely more than a baby at the time. I simply don’t remember enough of them to mourn their loss.”

Martin wasn’t sure if that made it worse. For all that Martin mourned the absence of his father, at least he had fleeting memories of warm hands and a deep voice to prove he’d existed at all. That he’d had a father once. “Still, that must have been … a bit lonely.” 

“Not at all. I always had my governess’ supervision. She provided the structure and discipline I required.” Jon laughed, a wistful, breathy thing, and lowered his head. “I was … a rather troublesome child.”

That did even less to make Martin feel better, because he suddenly had this image, unbidden, of a little boy with big eyes and gangly knees, head hanging as his grandmother told him off in clipped tones, before leaving once again to the bustling capital. No hugs, or gentle forehead kisses. Just a scolding about his messy bedroom.

I’m sure you were wonderful, he wanted to say. I’m sure you deserved better than that. 

But he was probably just projecting again.

“I’ve always liked cleaning,” Martin said, instead. “Makes me feel useful. My mum, she’s … she’s been sick most of my life. Nothing too serious,” Martin added quickly as Jon turned his head. “She just gets tired a lot. You know, hard to stay upright most of the time. There wasn’t a lot I could do to make her feel better, but keeping things clean helped.”

“I … I’m sorry to hear your mother is ill.”

“We were really lucky, actually. We lived in the same town as a really good doctor. He was really generous with us, but eventually … I-I couldn’t keep up with the bills running the farm all by myself, especially after our last goat died. We had to sell a few years ago, and I had to find work in the city.” Even after all this time, his throat tangled at the memory of leaving his childhood home. “Managed to land a really good job at the lord’s castle, so I always had money to send home. Every month. Haven’t been late once, yet. Until …”

“… Until now.”

Martin opened his mouth, because, well, he wasn’t late yet. There was still time for Martin to send his letter: about a week or so. That was plenty of time. But he refrained, because saying as much to Jon felt … dangerous. Like he was tempting fate. 

Things were going to work out. They had to. The storm was going to clear, they were going to get out of here, and then … 

“Your devotion to your mother is admirable,” said Jon.

Warmth ballooned in Martin’s stomach, spreading to the tips of his ears. It was an absurd thing to receive praise for (oh, you love your mother, really going above and beyond), but … well, it was still nice to hear, every once in a while. Or at all. “Thank you.”

It took most of the morning, but, with their combined efforts, they managed to restore the fireplace to an off-colour white. Martin stepped back, basking in the glow of a job well done. Jon, however, didn’t appear quite as chuffed as Martin felt. Rolling out his wrists, the man collapsed onto the couch, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process and triggering an intense coughing fit.

“Break time?” Martin asked, taking a much more gentle seat. His only answer was more coughing. Poor thing looked utterly done with the whole enterprise, if the curl of his nose was any indication. “So, what do you do for fun around here?”

“Fun?”

“Yeah. Unless you really intend to help me clean this room all day?”

Jon laughed, turning away sheepishly.  “I … yes, um … Well, this and that, I suppose. Reading, mostly. I’ve always had a penchant for it, and I’ve yet to make my way through the library. Um. Music, although it’s been quite some time since the gramophone worked. I took to baking for a time. I like to think I’d gotten rather good at it.”

“Wait, so you did bake that bread? When I first got here?” Martin thought back on it, how crispy the crust was, the soft and tasty inner dough, how fresh it had been. Martin couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten fresh bread. “That’s seriously amazing.”

“It’s hardly a complex task. But … yes, thank you.” Martin wasn’t sure if it was the haze of the dust, but Jon’s face looked a bit darker, a bit flushed. But then, the good humor in Jon’s eyes fell away. “And then there was the garden, of course. It was … well. A disaster, to put it mildly.”

“What happened?”

“Well, I killed everything, didn’t I?” Jon’s eyes dropped to his lap, shoulders sinking. “Not a single bulb flourished under my care. I … I eventually figured it was more merciful to give up than keep trying.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Would be better to start with anything but roses, he wanted to suggest. You’re just setting yourself up to fail. But that would certainly come across as annoyingly patronising. “Maybe I can lend a hand?”

“Pardon?”

Wait. No. What business did Martin have making an offer like that? It wasn’t as if he knew any better about keeping things alive. But something about the resigned nature of Jon’s tone tore at him; his mouth had fallen open of its own accord. 

“I-I mean … Well, it might be fun, yeah?” Martin tried. “Personally, I’ve always wanted to learn how to garden.” 

“Is that so?”

Martin nodded, intending on leaving it there, but Jon was watching him, waiting. Oh.

“W-Well, uh, when I was a kid,” Martin said, face warming, “I’d always dreamed of having a, um, like a little cottage? That I owned? With a great big plot of land in the middle of a forest somewhere. Would get married, settle down, grow flowers and all kinds of food together. It’s … it’s a bit silly.”

“Not at all,” Jon said, eyes softening, and Martin’s heart fluttered something fierce. “I think that’s lovely.”

He smiled, hoping it didn’t come out as a grimace, because it had been a long, long time since he’d indulged in that particular fantasy. It just wasn’t feasible, these days, having a little cottage of his own or … or finding someone who’d want to marry him when he’s never even had a serious relationship before.

“Thank you, though, for your offer,” Jon said, cutting through Martin’s thoughts. “I’ll … be sure to consider it.”

The tight knot in Martin’s stomach unwound just a bit. “‘Course.”

By that point, the dust had become utterly unbearable, and they were forced to evacuate.

.

The brass of the door handle glimmered under the lamplight, rusted with age and disuse. How long had Martin been standing here, knees locked and shivering beneath the thick chill? Ages, by now. Griffiths was going to have his skin peeled for shirking his responsibilities like this, and the head butler would be perfectly within his rights.

But every time Martin tried to remind himself, that he still had so much work to do –

“… Hello?”

That voice. Still out there, somewhere behind the old door. Distant, but not beyond Martin’s reach. If Martin had already been here for ages, then that voice …

Wasn’t anyone coming for them?

If he opened the door, he could just take a quick look. Call out, see who needed help –

“And what do you think you’re doing, young man?”

Martin yanked his hand back, hand burnt on the molten brass.

“M-Mum?”

“I always knew you’d leave for good someday. I could see it in your eyes, you know. You couldn’t bear to take care of your poor, sick mother, and now you’re off to traipse about the countryside with some invert.”

“I didn’t leave.” Tight pressure strangled Martin’s throat, the back of his eyes burning. “I’d never do that. Where are you? I’m coming, I-I’ll find you–”

“And what, pray tell, would be the point of that?”

“Mum, please, just tell me where you are, I’m coming–”

“You’ve always been a wretched liar.”

.

Martin lurched upright, sucking painful gasps through his aching teeth, his sleep shirt sticking to his sweaty skin. No light permeated the windows— he may as well have been in a tomb, for all that he could see.

Jon was out there somewhere. Alone. As was his mother.

I’m coming back to you. I’ll find a way out of here. I’m doing everything I can– 

Liar.

Martin curled up onto his side, wrapping trembling arms around himself. Even though there was no one else to hear him, no one to stifle himself for, he drove his teeth into his lip until his mouth filled with the dull taste of copper.

Check out the Monster of Magnus Manor here!

[itgetsdarksometimes35]

For Freedom

Warnings: This chapter: none; the series: non-con, dub-con, depression, forced marriage, angst, forced pregnancy, 18+

Word count: 4,237

Pairings: Dark!Bucky Barnes / Reader

Summary: Reader is the youngest girl in her family. After being sold to Bucky Barnes, and forced to have his child, she and her sisters look for a way to escape.

~ indicates time change

- indicates a POV change

A/N: Hey you guys! I know I planned on this being the ending, but I thin this will be a small series. The next part will be the ending for sure, though. Hope you enjoy, next thing out will be Love In True Form, and then I’ll get to work on challenges. Then after that, I may have a new series for you all...

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It took months to save up enough money. You only needed enough to get two one-way tickets to Germany, but you were scared to take out too much in fears of James finding out. In that time, your oldest sister, Lucille, had twin boys. She had 5 sons altogether now, and you couldn’t wait to see her again. You hadn’t spoken to her since she was married and taken away years ago; Anne seemed to be the person who was doing all the communicating for you all. The second oldest, Vienna, had 3 daughters before she finally had her son. Her husband refused to give up until he had an “heir.” Anne had only 3 children, two boys and a girl. All the names to your nieces and nephews were a mystery, along with their faces and ages. You could guess Lucille’s twins’ ages were less than a year, but you could never be sure. Anne knew you had your son, but she didn’t know his name. She never asked, and she told you not to tell her. You weren’t sure if your other sisters knew, but it would only be a matter of time before they did. 

Bucky had turned 1 years old a month prior to you both leaving. James threw a small party at a local amusement park that he had rented out for the entire day. His friends and family were the only in attendance, as usual, and the older kids enjoyed the rides while Bucky smiled at all his guests and messed his face with icing from his safari cake. James had been so happy to plan the party; balloon animals, a small petting zoo, and face painting areas all decorated the park. You couldn’t deny the way he beamed at Bucky as he screamed in affection at the baby goat drinking from the bottle or the way he giggled at the stuffed rabbit James’ friend, Natasha, had gifted him. James wasn’t loving with you, but you were thankful it didn’t carry over to Bucky. You wished yours and James’ situation was different. Maybe you’d love him in different lights. 

When James thought you were buying groceries one day, you went out to get you and Bucky’s passport and buy your tickets. The passports would be ready and shipped to your house in 5 weeks, you paid an extra fee to get the expedition processing, and our flight would be the following week.

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“See ya tonight, bud.” James caressed Bucky’s head while speaking to the pouting toddler. Bucky was always upset to see his daddy leave for work, and overjoyed when he came back. Your heart clenched. Were you doing the right thing? Then James turned to you and you shook the thought away. Of course you were. 

“Have a good day, dear. We’ll miss you,” You chirped as you kissed James on the cheek. He turned his mouth up in a small smile before kissing you on the lips. 

“Can’t wait to get back.” He winked at you and your stomach turned at his crud intentions. You were nothing but a walking toy for him, something to cook him food and bear his children. You faked a smile before dipping into the house while James drove off. 

You shut the door and quickly walked upstairs, your cab would be here in an hour. Plenty of time to pack. You set Bucky in his playpen and he looked at you as you frantically moved around yours and James’ shared room trying to throw useful items into the suitcase you brought to the house the day you moved in. 

“Da-da,” Bucky cooed from the pen as he picked up a block to start stacking. 

“Da-da went to work, baby. Now you and mommy are going to go on a trip,” You turned to your son and smiled at him, “Are you excited?” You talked in your baby voice and your son smiled back at you. His 3 teeth on full display for you. 

Your suitcase was filled with as many clothes as you saw fit. Everyone had specific items to bring, and your job was the clothes. Anne and Lucille would bring baby supplies, diapers, sippy cups, toys, etc; Vienna shared your job. The plan was to pack light, anything other than what you absolutely needed had to be left--including photos, and then drain your husband’s bank account for money. Finding out James’ banking information was the hardest thing for you to do, he kept it all locked in a safe in a room that was always locked. After snooping on him one night after he thought you were asleep, you were surprised to see the combination was the day of your marriage. 

As you were leaving the bedroom, you saw Bucky’s baby book. It wasn’t big, and you could fit it in your purse. There were millions of photos on the walls, but none of them were personal to you. They were high tech and flashy photos James had spent too much money on. None of them looked natural. Then again, you had never felt natural with him. But that book held photos you had captured with an old polaroid you found in the basement.  The film was just as old, but there was enough to last you years. You grabbed it and stuffed it into your purse as the Taxi started honking. You picked Bucky up from his playpen and left. You would just have to deal with Anne’s complaining when you got to Germany. 

The taxi dropped you off at the airport 45 minutes before you were supposed to board. You rolled your suitcase over to the bank that was next door, and entered with Bucky on your hip. James listed you as an account holder in the case of an emergency. You were positive he hadn’t seen anything wrong with this, you’d still need to know his information, and he probably thought he had broken you beyond the point of willing yourself to run. Little did he know. 

“Good morning, I’d like to withdraw some funds from my husband’s account,” You said to the older woman with a blonde bob and bright red lipstick. She smiled and set the glasses hanging around her neck on her nose before turning to the screen ahead of her. 

“Alright, name please.” You told her and she typed a few times. “And his?” She looked at you, and you noticed a bit of lipstick in her teeth. 

“James Buchanan Barnes.” The woman nodded and typed away.

“Da-da,” Bucky yelled and you looked down at him with a smile. 

“That’s right, honey, that’s daddy’s name.” Bucky smiled up at you before grabbing at your hair to play with. 

“Oh, he’s a cutie,” The older woman exclaimed, “Can he have a lollipop?” She reached into a brown bowel on the counter separating the two of you before pulling out a blue sucker. 

“I don’t see why not. Thank you.” You took the blue lollipop before turning to Bucky who was eyeing the candy with intensity. “What do you say?” 

“Tank to!” You unwrapped the lollipop before handing it to Bucky. He grabbed it with his chunky hand before greedily sucking on it, already getting a blue sticky streak on his mouth.

You turned your attention back to the blonde, and she asked you for your name and bank information. You gave it to her as she continued to type away at her computer. “Alright, can you tell me the amount you’d like to withdraw today?” 

You cleared your throat before answering, “All of it.”

The woman’s eyes got big. “Ma’am, there’s 2 million dollars in here. Can you give a reason?”

“Yes ma’am.” You adjusted Bucky on your hip as you tried to remember your lie. “My husband, James, was recently in a horrible accident at his job. I understand the hospital can take the money from the account, but they’ve given me the option to give it to them in person as well. I was on my way to catch a flight to him, and decided this was a route I’d like to take. Our insurance wouldn’t inflate because they wouldn’t have to pay anything, too, and now that we have this little one,” You lifted your hip that carried Bucky a bit higher, “I want our insurance as good as possible. We never know, you know?”

The blonde looked as if she were about to cry. “Oh, you poor thing! Yes, of course I understand completely. I have 2 daughters, and when their father got sick our insurance and healthcare went completely down the drain. I wish I could’ve had the money you have, I know it can be terrifying to have bad policies when raising children. Especially young ones.” You were nodding your head, trying to look pitiful. You felt bad for lying, especially to this woman. She looked so bad for you and was able to relate to your fake story. Your stomach flipped, and you felt like you were going to be sick.

“Thank you, I’m sorry about your husband. It’s a horrible situation that some of us are put in.”

The woman agreed and typed on the computer again. A register was opened and she counted out taped together stacks of money. She put them in a cream colored bag along with a receipt and handed it to you. 

“I hope everything goes okay for you and your little one. Us moms have to stay strong and do what’s best.” 

You held back tears at the woman’s words. “That we do.”

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You made your way back to the airport as Bucky babbled a song from a show you both watch together. The bank teller, who’s name you learned to be Camille, informed you that your husband would be emailed by the bank about the deposit due to legal protocol. You knew James checks his email religiously and that he got notifications on his phone. You knew that he was probably on a phone call with the bank right now, screaming into the phone. But you didn’t care.

By the time he figured out you’d left, you’d be in Germany. Or close to it. You planned on destroying your trail once you got there. Anne had planned it all out. She deleted her history and told you to destroy all your letters by burning them. She led her husband to believe you all had traveled to Greece with undeleted searches. It would throw all of them off for a bit, but eventually you knew they’d figure out you went to Germany. You all knew that you couldn’t stay together after a while, it’d be too risky. You knew at some point one of you might get caught, and the rest would have to save themselves. You were fugitives, trapped in your own homes, with men that were supposed to provide security as the guards. But, until then, you’d stick together as long as possible. You were stronger as a team during the weaker parts of the beginning. 

As you boarded the plane you felt a wave of nausea hit you. You rushed to the plane bathroom with Bucky still in your arms. You threw the door open, and emptied your stomach into the toilet bowl. 

“Uh oh,” Bucky said, making you laugh at his purity. 

“It’s okay, honey, mommy’s just a little nervous,” You reassured your son. You flushed and washed your hands before stepping out of the cramped room to find your seat. The plane took off soon after that. 

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You were jerked awake as a flight attendant tapped your shoulder, her brown hair pulled tight into a low bun. 

“Sorry to wake you, ma’am,” She had a smooth voice that you felt could put you right back to sleep, “But you’ve arrived at your destination.”

“Okay, thank you.” She smiled at you before standing up straight to move to the back of the plane to wake up other passengers. Bucky was asleep in your arms, and you planned to keep him that way. He had been good throughout the entire flight, but you weren’t surprised. He was such an easy baby, you couldn’t have been blessed with a better one. Especially not in your circumstances. 

You got off the plane and went in search of your suitcase in the bag return. You quickly found it before you headed out of the crowded airport. Bucky was quick to wake up after hearing the commotion of the early Wednesday morning traffic. Taxi drivers were yelling in German and English to the people exiting the airport, offering them a ride for a “price they couldn’t get elsewhere.” You would’ve taken the offer, but knew that you had to wait for the bus. Anne had said it’d be easier to hide that way. The taxi driver would ask for a direct address while the bus would drop you off at another station. Miles from your true destination. Plus the bus driver was less likely to remember you. 

Your stomach growled as Bucky bounced in your lap. You had eaten on the plane, but had vomited nearly everything up. Your stomach wasn’t agreeing with anything today, but you knew it was just the guilt and nerves you felt. Everything would go back to normal once you were with your sisters, and plus they would have something good for you to have at the house. 

The bus smelled and was cramped with loud people on their way to work. They spoke words you couldn’t comprehend loudly in your ear, and Bucky sat amazed at them. When your stop came, you eagerly grabbed your suitcase, bag, and son and all but jumped off the bus, glad to be rid of it for now. You followed a path Anne described in great detail until you came to houses with numbers. You dragged your tired body along them until you found the number that had played in your head for the past few days. Number 39. Your new home

You climbed the three steps up to the brown, wooden door, and grasped the iron knuckle. You pulled it up and down several times emitting loud thuds to echo in the small community of homes. Bucky grasped the front of your chest and stuck his face into it to represent his hunger. 

“I know, baby, mommy will feed you soon.” 

Your heart beat loudly in your chest as you waited for an answer. You counted 23 seconds before you considered your possible mistake. Did you go down the wrong street? Was 39 the house number or was it the bus number you were supposed to take? Was there any way to contact your sisters? Could you somehow convince James that you had been kidnapped in hopes he’d believe you? Just then the door creaked open. Your worries came to a halt as you saw Vienna standing in the doorway. She had, of course, aged a bit since the last time you saw her. Her hair was shorter and a little bit dull in color and she was skinnier than the chubby teenager you were used to, but there was no denying that was her. 

“Oh my God, Vienna?” Her droopy tired eyes held tears as she took you in. Her lip trembled and she whispered your name. She opened the door wider as she held out her arms to you. “It’s been so long!” 

You held her tighter to you with the arm that didn’t hold Bucky. She pulled away from you as tears escaped from her eyes. Your own were starting to conjugate in yours. Vienna stepped aside so you could step into the small house. She took a peek outside before shutting and locking the door behind you. 

“Where’s everyone else,” You asked, setting your bags down at last. 

Vienna didn’t have to answer as you heard your name being called behind you. You turned and adjusted Bucky into your other arm as you see Lucille stepping out of a room. Her back is a bit hunched over and one of her eyes seemed to lazily shut now. Gray hair was sprinkled across her scalp, and wrinkles were setting under her eyes. She was only 36. 

“Look at you, you’ve grown so much,” She exclaimed, stepping closer to you. You were only 1 when she was married off at 16. She was the youngest one wed, but she was also the prettiest. Your father had no problem finding a man to sell her to. She was the only one auctioned off before 18. Vienna left at 19 and Anne left at 22. None of you were as strong as Anne, she had held on the longest. You had left at 18, too. 

You hugged her tightly. You never got to know her, but you still loved her deeply. You hated the cards you all had been dealt for keeping you apart for so long. You let go as Vienna stepped closer to you both. She rubber Bucky’s small back. 

“And who is this little guy?” She smiled down at him as he gave a 3 tooth grin back. 

You sniffed before handing Bucky to your sister. “This is Bucky. My one and only.” Vienna mimicked the name before bouncing him on her hip a bit. 

“Well, Bucky, I think it’s time for you to meet your aunts and cousins.” 

Lucille took your hand as Vienna carried Bucky into a room filled with kids and a crib with two babies sleeping. They all were watching a TV, but turned to you as you walked in. 

“Kids, come meet your 4th aunt,” Vienna said as she cooed at Bucky. 3 girls and a boy walked over to you and Lucille. “That’s Jade,” Vienna pointed to the girl with dutch braids, “Josephine,” The one with big curls and floral dress, “June,” The one with a ponytail and a sports jersey, “and Jared,” The only boy. They all waved to you, all looking a bit uncomfortable. You didn’t blame them, they had traveled from God knows where to a weird house, and now they were meeting people they had never met before. Probably never even heard of. “And this is your other cousin, Bucky.” Josephine, she looked to be the oldest-- probably 13, smiled at the child. 

“Oh, he’s so cute! Can I hold him?” She looked to her mom for confirmation before looking at you. Her big eyes soft, just like her mother’s.

“Yeah, of course. He’s hungry, do you want to feed him?” Her eyes lit up. 

“Yes!” You chuckled at her enthusiasm, and she gave a shy smile once realizing how excited she sounded. 

“He can eat crushed up fruit, do you guys have any?” Your eyes searched Vienna and Lucille. 

“In the kitchen. I can go do it for you,” The girl replied, scooping up your son before moving through a door that led into, what you assumed to be, a kitchen. 

“We left just in time,” Vienna said, “Her father had already found a man to marry her. She’s sweet, and I know she’d make a great mom one day, but she’s also so smart. She has a life to live before she should even think about a baby,” She sighed, “But of course, women in our situation don’t hold any other value.” 

Vienna’s children had gone back to watching the TV, and Lucille called her children up. 

“Boys, come here please.” 3 boys walked over to you. “This is my oldest, Tennessee,” The boy with dusty hair nodded to you, he looked about 16, “Then Anthony,” the one with curly hair and glasses, “And Kyle,” He had freckles and a dimple on his chin. Lucille pointed to the crib. “Over there are Michael and Ian, they’re 3 months old. Didn’t think I had it in me, but I guess it’s not over until the big change, huh?” You smiled at her as she squeezed your hand. 

“It’s nice to meet everyone,” You say and they nod at you, taking their seat on the floor and couch yet again. There were still 3 kids that were taking steady glances at you, and you were about to ask about them when you heard your name yet again. You turn to the left to see Anne walking down the stairs. 

“Anne!” You ran over to embrace your sister. You and her had by far had the strongest relationship, being closer in age and spending the most time together. You felt yourself crying once again. Anne broke the hug and held you at arms length, looking you over. 

“Wow,” She breathed out as tears flowed freely. She looked exactly the same as she did 7 years prior. You giggled at her and she joined you. A little girl, no older than two, ran to hug her legs. “This little stinker,” Anne said lifting the girl up, “Is my youngest Brooke.” She kissed the girl’s cheek before waving the last 2 boys over. “That’s George,” The oldest one with shoulder length hair, “And Evan.” He looked exactly like your father. Had the same lifted left eyebrow and everything. Anne looked like the man she hated the most, and you knew she’d never be rid of the man who she blamed all her sorrows on. Especially not now that her son looked like him, but you knew she’d never neglect her child. 

Josephine was walking out of the kitchen while wiping Bucky’s hands. You grabbed your sister’s hand and led her over to your son. 

“And this is Bucky.”

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After the tear filled reunion, you found yourself at a small dinner table with your sisters. They were all huddled around it as your nieces and nephews sat in front of the tv and had dinner. They giggled at the silent screen that flashed cartoons at them. Bucky lay asleep in Anne’s arms as she bounced him. 

“Alright,” Anne whispered loud enough for just you all to hear, “So, does everyone know the plan?” You all nodded. Anne had planned this all out. Every time something was needed outside of the house, somebody different each time would leave to retrieve it. It would go in rotation from oldest to youngest. You would carry a burner phone with you and would only use it if there was an emergency. The phone would have one number on it, the house phone, that another sister would be right by until the other one returned back safely. 

After dinner, you helped Vienna clean up. You both had insisted Anne and Lucille get some rest, saying they had gotten there the earliest and were tired. Anne took Bucky to the room you, her, Bucky, Brooke, and June would sleep in. The house only had 3 bedrooms, and 5 people would have to bunk in the small bedrooms with only one king size bed together. It would be a squeeze, but it was all definitely better than the Hell you all had escaped. 

While cleaning, you found yourself not being able to focus on the story Vienna was telling you. Your stomach was turning, fighting the peas and chicken you had just ate, and your head was suddenly hurting. You were sweating too. Were you having a panic attack? 

“You okay, sis?” Before you could answer, you were vomiting up your dinner into the sink. Vienna soothingly rubbed your back as you finished off the remnants. You turned on the faucet to wash away the mush. 

“I’m s-sorry. I guess I’m a little scared still?” Vienna looked at you and gave a knowing smile before resting her hand on your shoulder. 

“How far along are you?”

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The day had been a shitty one. James was in the middle of an important business pitch with Sam Wilson, a promising company from Louisiana that he wanted to partner with, when his assistant rushed in. He tried to order her out, but when he heard “money” and “gone” he had to apologize and excuse himself. After seeing the bank’s email, and hearing the voicemail they left his assistant after she called them, he rescheduled his meeting with Sam, explaining vaguely what was happening. 

James believed someone had stolen your information in order to rob him blind. He didn’t think you would do that, what reason would you have? Name anything on this Earth and James would have it in your hands the very next day. He was clutching the steering wheel with a vice-like grip that was turning his knuckles white. When James got home, he looked on terrified at how it was left. He called your name out while he ran around looking for you and Bucky. Once he found it empty, he started dialing 911. You both were missing.

James was tapping his foot waiting for the operator when he saw it. The picture album that you begged him for when you first found out you were pregnant. It was gone. 

The metal hand clutching the phone crushed right as he heard the female voice on the other side greet James. You and Bucky weren’t kidnapped, you had run away. 

James went downstairs to call his friends, Steve and Natasha. He was going to need their help tracking down his bratty wife. She was smart, he’d give her that, but she’d have to try a lot harder if she wanted to get away from an ex super soldier. 

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@jtargaryen18​ @coconutqueen21​ @collette04​ @stayhazey​ @nsfwsebbie​ @official-and-unstable-satan​

[xxbyimm]

Lovers - Fíli x reader

Check out my Masterlist!

HAPPY BELATED FÍLI FRIDAY MY LOVES!! I’ve been walking around with this smutty idea for months... I do hope y’all enjoy. xoxo

Lovers - Fíli x reader

Summary: Fíli makes love to you. 

Warnings: SMUT, 18+ fic. If you are not 18, I prefer you not read this. Be warned.

Taglist: @soradragon​ @pistachiozombie​ @legolaslovely​ @tomisbaeholland​ @saviorsong​ @swoopswishsward​ @fizzyxcustard​ @deepestfirefun​ @ruthoakenshield​ @mariannetora​ Furthermore: @sage-willow-raven​ and @daydreamer-in-training​ were ready for some naughty Fíli, so I’m giving you lovelies a tag! If you don’t wish to be tagged anymore, please let me know! Or if you’re not on the list and want to be tagged: check out my lists and I’d like to hear which list you want in on!

The small garret was covered in darkness. The last candles already burned out hours ago, leaving the vague trace of burned wax hanging in the air. Outside the silence reigned, though if you listened closely you could hear distant moans coming from the guestrooms on the floor below. The icy frost had crept through the cracks of the window frame into the small space of the attic, but below the coverlet it was pleasingly warm.

Something smooth moved against his groin, stirring the golden lion in his sleep. He heaved a drowsy sigh, his peaceful dreams turning into something more wicked. Scenes of a young prince playing with his peers gradually morphed into a matured version of him, this time fooling around with you. His body tingled as it remembered the events that had taken place last night.

Especially the way you had felt fucking fantastic around him.

Fíli, the prince of Durin’s folk, awoke. Though he couldn’t have slept more than a few hours, he felt well rested. He groaned softly when you moved in your sleep, pressing your perfectly round bum against him once more. Mahal! He now was definitely awake. You on the other hand, were clearly not aware of your own actions. Your breathing still sounded heavy and your thoughts seemed far, far away.

It didn’t matter though. Dawn must be nearing and he reckoned it wouldn’t take long for the sun to creep into the room to wake you and your pretty physique up from your slumber. And if it didn’t, he’d find a way. By now he knew your curves like the back of his own hand and there were plenty of pleasant options that would have you wake up in an instant.

Fíli smirked, his thoughts shifting to last night. It had begun as it usually did. He had entered the tavern and retreated to his usual spot in the back. From there, he had admired the excellent view as he watched you work. Because your father always kept a watchful eye you didn’t dare to give your favorite patron more attention than the other customers, but when the old goat wasn’t looking lustful glances were thrown across the place. On some occasions you even dared to stop for some polite, small talk when you served the golden prince his ale.

Over the past few months, the more Fíli had watched you and your father interact the lesser he thought of the man. While you were as sweet and innocent as an angel, your father was the complete opposite. He was a harsh guy, a cunning and vile kind who cared more for coin than his own flesh and blood. Once, the prince had heard him complain about how his wife had left him with a worthless daughter who no one wanted, instead of a real heir. The guy didn’t deserve you or the hard work you put yourself through every day, but you wouldn’t hear of it.

So because Fíli couldn’t steal you away from this awful place, he tried to settle with the pleasant knowledge that the bastard was oblivious of the fact that the two of you were far much more acquainted than you were letting on.

For the last few months, Fíli had developed the habit of climbing to the roof after the tavern had closed for the night and slipping through your slightly opened window. You were always there waiting, welcoming the prince in your bed. He had lost count of the times he had made love to you on that old mattress that creaked with every move the two of you made, but he had not forgotten that one moment when you had told him you loved him. At the time he was so taken aback by the sincerity of it that he had murmured something incomprehensive in return, but he had wrecked his brain to find a way to make it up to you ever since.

Truth was, he loved you as much as you loved him, maybe even more. He adored your pretty features, the way you laughed. Though others underestimated you because of your sweet demeanor and small height, Fíli knew that you could be quick as a whip and as sharp as one of his favorite knives. You had a beautiful, bright mind and he could listen for hours to you voicing your thoughts out loud. You were everything he had ever wanted in a woman, but the one chance he had of telling you that, he ruined beyond measure.

‘Fíli…’ you mumbled in your sleep. The prince smiled softly and placed a kiss behind your ear. ‘I’m sorry.’ He confided in you. ‘I don’t mean to be such a… jerk. You just took me by surprise, that’s all…’ You muttered something under your breath, but it was far too soft for Fíli to understand. Nonetheless, the prince perched himself up on his elbow to have better look. Your H/C locks were draped over the pillow, tickling the prince’s arm. Your lips were slightly pouted and the expression on your face was one of utter bliss. The prince could watch you for hours… Had he ever seen someone this beautiful?

Fíli could not resist it. He slowly slid down below the covers, placing delicate kisses down your spine as he went. You sighed, but did not move and the prince smiled against your S/C toned skin. He then continued on his journey south, caressing your lovely ass before he gently nudged you on your back. Your legs parted on their own and the golden lion settled in between them, momentarily admiring his excellent view. His eyes traveled over your core towards your abdomen, the swelling of your breasts and finally your face. You were everything all at once: innocent and endearing, but also a bit wicked and intoxicating as fuck. And you were all his…

The prince bowed down, barely pausing before he lazily dragged his tongue over you. ‘Oh!’ you breathed and Fíli grinned. Then, you quickly succumbed to your silent slumber again. No matter, he hadn’t expected you to wake up just like that, nor did he want you to. There was still plenty of time…

A soft kiss landed on your inner thigh and another one followed closer to your center. With his thumbs, the prince caressed the smooth skin of your thighs before pushing them further apart. You murmured something incomprehensible in return and Fíli glanced up at your sweet face.

Still asleep.

His breath fanned over your core and the golden lion licked his lips. Then he moved down, pressing a light kiss on your core before flicking his tongue over your clitoris with light, teasing strokes.

You reacted with a louder moan now. Fíli groaned against your core and shuffled between your legs to make room for his growing desire. He then moved slightly down, kissing your folds and drawing his mustache braids over you on purpose. It earned him a sharp hiss.

You probably would be embarrassed if he’d ever tell, but your scent was so… You were intoxicating till the point Fíli didn’t know if he could contain himself. If it was his choice to make, the prince would stay between your thighs forever.

Gently, Fíli parted your folds. His tongue dragged all over you in long, slow laps before he stopped at your sensitive nub and sucked on it. With a loud cry, you shot up.

The prince looked up, his blue eyes roaming freely over your body. A sharp jolt went through his abdomen as he watched you in all of your delicious glory. Your voluptuous breasts were begging to be touched, just like the already hardened nipples needed to be enclosed by the warmth of his mouth and the delicate curves of your neck deserved his undivided attention.

Though your body seemed ready for another round of sweet lovemaking, your mind was a bit hazy. Your breath was coming short pants and your eyes still seemed a little far away. ‘Fíli?’ you panted, your fingers reaching out to caress his long, golden manes. ‘What are you…’ ‘Y/N.’ he replied huskily and he couldn’t help grinning foolishly when he saw a blush creeping up your cheeks. ‘Oh, Fíli!’ you stuttered, throwing your head backwards as he still continued teasing you. Your fingers raked through his hair. ‘OH!’

The prince growled against you in return. His tongue stroked your clit in short, intense laps now. Your body started to arch up against him, silently begging for more. His fingers delved into the delicious curves of your thighs. ‘I- I- Ah!’ you breathed. ‘Fíli…’

He knew what you wanted and you wouldn’t have to ask twice. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t antagonize you just a bit more, though. So with the tip of his tongue, he continued dancing around your sensitive nub. It had you writhing above him. ‘Are you sure, love?’ he then purred. ‘Y-Yes.’ You gulped. ‘Please.’

Fíli kissed you one last time before trailing his way upwards. You eased yourself on the creaking mattress again and watched your lover through your lashes. The prince took his sweet time, leaving fond kisses on your stomach and giving both of your nipples a long, hard suck before claiming your mouth.

His lips were hungrily taking in all of you, your passionate moans and sighs spurring him further on. Your hands traveled over the prince’s flat abdomen, following the dark line of hairs towards his groin. Your fingers closed around his shaft and you started pumping up and down his length, earning a strangled groan.

But you were an impatient lass and Fíli chuckled darkly when you moved your hips against him before guiding him towards your entrance. How could he not oblige to your demands? He sank down into you with ease, watching you biting your bottom lip. A rosy color rose on your cheeks. ‘Fí-Fíli…’ you mumbled feverishly, your legs wrapping around him. ‘Love.’ He breathed. ‘I-’

Whatever he had wanted to say got lost as you surged forward and captured him a demanding kiss. The prince started to grind his hips against yours. The bed creaked loudly in rhythm with your joined moves, but neither of you seemed to notice, nor to care. ‘Oh, fuck.’ You moaned, your hips rising to meet his with every thrust. ‘Yes!’

Fíli picked up the pace, pounding harder into you. You were moaning out loud now, fingernails clinging into his back and your legs holding him like a vice. ‘Ah!’ he cried out when he felt your teeth sinking in the skin of his neck. ‘You little vixen!’ A giggle escaped you. ‘Doesn’t that please you, my prince?’ He growled. ‘Very.’ ‘Good.’ You purred, your eyes burning with pure want. ‘I want them to know you’re mine.’ Fíli rose from your embrace and guided your legs over his shoulder. He placed a kiss on your ankle and you mewled.

The two of you were so caught up into each other, that you didn’t notice someone bustling about on the floor below yours. ‘Y/N?!’ your father suddenly called up the stairs. ‘Is that you?’

‘Fuck!’ You hissed. Your eyes widened and you shoved your lover aside before jumping from the bed. A little fazed from the sudden interruption, Fíli sat unmoved. He watched you scrambling your clothes together and hastily putting them on. ‘Quick!’ you urged your prince when you saw he was merely gazing at you. ‘Get your clothes!’

‘Y/N?’ your father asked, a little louder now. The stairs creaked as the man ascended the steps towards the attic.

Fíli jumped up and caught his tunic that you threw his way, followed by his breeches. The prince shoved his feet in his boots and grabbed his coat. He was just about to steal a goodbye kiss, when the door opened.

‘Father!’ you cried out, blushing heavily. ‘This isn’t what it looks like, I-’ The old man’s face was riddled with anger and he eyed the dwarven prince with malice. ‘I knew something was going on, you filthy wench!’ He boomed and you quickly lowered your head. ‘At least you have the audacity to feel ashamed.’

His fist landed on your cheek. The impact of the force so heavy that you lost your balance and jerked backwards, but luckily Fíli reacted just in time to catch you. The prince pushed you behind him before giving your father a terrifying glare. ‘Stand behind me.’ He growled. ‘I will not let this coward manhandle you another time!’ ‘But I-’ you protested, tears streaming down your face. ‘Please don’t hurt him, I-’

Both males ignored your pleas. ‘So you’re the one who is defiling my daughter, dwarf.’ The old goat spat. ‘How long will it take before her belly is heavy from your filthy spawn?’

Your hand sought Fíli’s, but the prince pushed it away and clenched his hands into fists. Though your dad was a tall, broad guy, the golden lion didn’t feel threatened. Years of training by uncle Thorin and Dwalin had taught him well. He could take him.

Fíli’s chest was heaving mechanically as he kept his eyes on the prize. His body tensed, ready to act when called for. Blood roared in his ears.

‘Well?’ your father demanded. ‘Dad, I am-’ you began, but you swallowed the rest of your sentence when your father sent you a deadly glare. ‘If you turn out to be pregnant, I will kill the filthy half breed with my bare hands.’ He vowed, spitting on the ground.

That was it. Fíli surged forward. The first blow landed on the innkeeper’s temple, the second one on his jaw. Your father howled and stumbled backwards. Next, Fíli’s fist punched into his opponent’s chest and belly. After receiving another blow to the chest, your father fell on the floor. Anger pulsed through his blood and the prince moved forward to-

‘Fíli!’ you screeched, gripping the prince by his shoulder. ‘Please, stop!’ He clenched his jaw. Though there this was not nearly enough hurt for all the bad things your father had put you through, the prince knew it was not worth it. Thus, he took a step back. ‘Y/N.’ he rasped. ‘Let’s go.’ You shook your head violently and rushed to your father’s side. ‘I can’t. Father, are you okay?’ Your father watched you with an expression of pure hatred displayed on his face. ‘You are no daughter of mine.’ He hissed as he slapped your hands away. ‘But…’ you began. ‘OUT!’ The innkeeper screamed at you. ‘GET OUT AND NEVER COME BACK!’

After rushing down the flights of stairs, through the empty tavern and into the streets of the town, you both ran until you were out of breath. Fíli then grabbed your hand and pulled you into a small alley.

‘Y/N…’ he grinned. ‘What?!’ you huffed, looking absolutely ridiculous with one boot still in your hand and your dress hanging around your shoulders. ‘Y/N.’ he repeated, taking your in his arms and pressing you against the wall. ‘Tell me you’ll marry me.’ Your breath hitched. ‘Fíli?’ ‘How about it?’ ‘You can’t be serious.’ You murmured, avoiding his gaze. ‘Look at the state that I’m in!’ ‘I’m as sure as the ground I’m standing on, lass.’ He assured you, an huge smile adorning his face. ‘Please be my wife.’ ‘Fíli!’ you cried out. ‘Don’t mess with me! I’m in huge trouble, my father-’

His mouth covered yours, kissing you desperately. Your protests slowly changed into throaty moans and a soft thud informed the prince that your boot had escaped your grip. ‘You’re not going to return to that piece of filth.’ he growled against your lips. ‘He doesn’t deserve a soul as pure as yours.’ ‘He’s my dad!’ you managed to protest. ‘What is he going to do without me?!’ ‘I bet he soon will find out.’ The prince chuckled darkly. ‘He never has appreciated you like he should have.’ ‘But the tavern… The patrons… How can I abandon them? What will become of me?’

He had argued with you many times about this, your answer had always been the same. And now even the fact that your dad had sent you away, wasn’t enough to make you realize you were better off without him. It drove Fíli mad.

‘What do I need to do to knock some sense into you?’ the golden lion exasperated, his hands clawing into the seams of your dress. ‘Fuck your brains out? Will that bring you to reason?’ He was met with silence as you merely bit your lip and lowered your head to avoid his penetrating gaze.

The move was enough to snap the golden lion out of his anger. Mahal, losing his temper against the woman he loved, no- wanted to spend his life with, was unacceptable. Fíli wasn’t your dad and he had no intention of becoming anything like that. Disgusted with himself, he let go of your dress and stepped back.

‘I’m sorry.’ He said quietly. ‘I don’t mean to be the second male to disrespect you like that tonight. You don’t deserve that.’ ‘Fíli…’ ‘I know how much you love the tavern and it’s my fault you lost it tonight.’ The prince went on. ‘I will try to reason with that idio- I mean, your father.’ ‘That won’t be necessary.’ You replied, making Fíli look up. There was a mingling of emotions in your eyes, but a firm determination was the dominant one. ‘I am not going back.’ You told him. ‘Y/N.’ he rasped. ‘Are you serious?’ ‘If you promise to fuck me senseless whenever I do change my mind.’

He blinked and stared at you, completely dumbfounded. You smirked and the prince grinned. ‘I promise.’ He purred. ‘Shall we start already? Just to be sure?’

A small nod was enough. His blue eyes burned through yours as he pinned you against the wall and gripped your dress once more before rucking it up to your thighs. ‘People might…’ you began, but you faltered as his fingers delved in your delicate folds. Your eyes fell shut as he rubbed two fingers around your still very sensitive nub. ‘See us?’ He rasped, his hot breath fanning your face. ‘Love, I don’t care. Let them.’ ‘Fíli-’ you whined, eyes falling shut. ‘Yes…’

His hands fumbled with the laces of his trousers before he slid into you again. As he quickened his pace, his fingers grazed over your core and stroked you in all the right places. A sultry moan escaped your lips and Fíli purred in return.

You were a sight to behold. Messy hair, the quickly clad on dress hanging loosely around your shoulders and showing the swelling of your breasts. Your head was resting against the wall behind you, eyes fallen shut and your mouth slightly opened.

It was all too much. Your earlier lovemaking combined with the adrenaline of confronting your father had worked the prince up and he felt himself losing his steady rhythm. Your walls were clenching around him and Fíli growled desperately. His fingers dragged over your clit again and again, making you cry out in agony. ‘Y/N.’ the prince murmured over and over again, sounding much like a litany.

Time slowed. You shattered before him, dragging your lover with you over the edge. The world around you dissolved as Fíli’s pleasure cracked. With a strangled moan, he spilled himself deep inside of you.

You slumped against the wall and the prince nuzzled his face in your neck, softly caressing the sensitive skin. ‘I should have said this sooner.’ He whispered against you. ‘Y/N. I love you.’ You froze. ‘What did you say?’ The golden lion looked up at your gorgeous face and smiled. ‘You heard me. I said that I love you.’ ‘I thought that you…’ you murmured faintly. ‘That I was just a…’ ‘I was a coward.’ Fíli told you. ‘And your honesty took me by surprise.’ ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘No.’ he growled, tearing away from your embrace just to cup your cheeks with his hands. ‘It is me who should apologize, as I did not give you the love you deserve. I am sorry, Y/N.’ You lowered your gaze and blushed. ‘You’re forgiven.’ Fíli grinned. ‘That is….’ You continued, with a mischievous twinkle in your eyes. ‘If you can promise you’ll be on your best behavior as my husband.’ A chuckle escaped him and he moved forward. Lips brushed over one another. ‘That, I can promise…’

Thank you so much for reading my humble story. Feedback is always welcome.  Did you like my work? Spread the love and reblog! :) And here’s my Masterlist.

[xxanimecoolgirlxx]

@threateningkahootmusic Prejudice and Fame belongs to them.

Vickie sat at the bar, mindlessly looking at her drink. Another long day at work as a news reporter/ investigative journalist, this time something about a corrupt company. Now normally this wouldn’t be an issue.

Except for the fact that she wished she could legally punch in a couple of individuals teeth without immediately facing assault charges.

Among other things, the company was facing allegations of workplace harassment, discrimination, unequal pay of workers based of sex, and an hostile work environment. And from her experience for working undercover there, it was, indeed, true. In fact, she’d say that the allegations weren’t telling enough! The amount of sexist and racist remarks made at her by staff and management alike would be enough to ensure that no new hires would be daring enough to go there. Even Vickie was surprised at herself for getting this far without snapping at someone. Not that it would’ve made a difference if she did.

All of this evidence through recordings and screenshots would make this seem like an open and shut case, right? Not quite. Even with the damning audio recordings, the camera feed, the multitude of paper documents and such, she knew it wouldn’t be enough for anything to really change. She needed something bigger. She knew that as it stood right now, at the very worse the company would blame a few lowly managers as scapegoats, fire them, and then say that they will do better in the future while knowing good and well that they had no plans on doing anything. Hell, even if they did get any legal repercussions, they could just settle out of court and be done with it. No, Vickie would need something bigger.

Right now she would be doing more research into the company had her work friend not dragged her to this self proclaimed “high end club”. Apparently her friend had been assigned to do an interview to this celebrity, Fame, at least that’s what she hoped his stage name was. She didn’t see a point in drawing needless attention to herself to she opted to stay at the bar and subtly watch from afar. Not like she was dressed to be here anyways, her black knee length form fitting dress was too professional to be in a function like this, her black hair wasn’t styled up to anything fancy and her dark skin wasn’t adorned with any makeup too flashy. It looked like she was at a job interview more than a nightclub. She was more worried about her case than anything else.

“Come on now, I know your defining character quality is being a square, but lighten up a bit, let yourself have some fun.”

Vickie’s eyes wondered over to the ghost that seemingly followed her everywhere, Helena. Seeing that Helena was invincible to everyone but her most of the time, she couldn’t outright face her or talk to her in public without looking odd to say the very least. She raised an eyebrow at the ghost. Like hell she was going to let herself get sloppy drunk and make a complete fool of herself. Maybe that was some other’s tastes to get so blasted that the next morning they don’t know where they were, but it wasn’t Vickie’s taste.

Helena could see the look in Vickie’s eyes

“I know what your thinking. I’m not asking you to behave like an absolute moron. But just chill it. You’re not on the clock right now, you’ll always have time to do this tomorrow. But for the love of god stop worrying yourself.” Helena then crossed her arms

“I promise you if you burn yourself out and pass out from pulling an all nighter again, let me you tell, you will not hear the end of my lectures in the morning.”

Vickie sighed. Although she didn’t say anything, she did make it a point to relax her shoulders and let herself slightly slouch a bit. She finished her drink before ordering a new one when commotion could be heard from the other side of the club behind her. Even with the loud music, Vickie could tell something was going on. Helena looked over and moved closer to see what was going on.

“Oh goddamnit, Prejudice, this is the 5th time this month you’ve crashed the party!” Fame grumbled as Prejudice smirked, snatching a drink out of the hand of Vickie’s coworker.

“Yeah, and I’ll do it again. Besides, I like how you get all p!ssy about it.” Prejudice said as he took a drink from his stolen beverage.

Helena moved back over to Vickie

“Don’t look now, but I think that’s the CEO of that company you’re looking into.” Helena whispered despite knowing she couldn’t be heard by anyone else. Vickie stole a glance to confirm what Helena was saying before looking away just as quickly as to not accidentally get unwanted attention.

“The hell’s he doing here? Shouldn’t he be more worried about saving his company’s face by discrediting the allegations?” She muttered quietly to herself as she took a sip from her Bloody Mary. Helena glanced over

“It looks like him and that other fellow know each other.” Helena said. “I’ll keep watch.” Helena said as she floated over to the crowd. Vickie’s grip on her glass tightened. Maybe this could be the chance she’d been looking for to get solid concrete against the company. Since her coworker, besides from an obvious camera crew, had a recording pen on her, maybe the pen might catch something incriminating, maybe embezzlement, tax fraud, something that really couldn’t be ignored, something that could ruin this business and its corrupt ways.

As she took another swing of her drink, she started noticing the feeling of eyes burning into the back of her head, like someone was staring at her. At first she thought it was Helena, until the ghost floated back over and the feeling didn’t go away.

“Did you catch anything?” Vickie whispered subtly.

“No, but he’s been staring at you. I think? He may be looking at your general area but he’s definitely been looking intensely at the bar area.” Helena said.

Vickie wanted to test that theory. She got up from her chair and walked around, acting as though she was merely stretching. The feeling of being watched didn’t fade no matter where she went. Even well after she sat back down in her chair. Ok, he definitely was staring at her. Did this guy somehow know who she really was, what her goals were? She didn’t think so, she’d done a good job hiding it.

By this point, the amount of people in the club dwindled down a bit, at least in the area she was in. Fame had moved to a different spot of the club and so did a large group of the crowd there. Everyone else around her were either drunk or leaving. Vickie was mid drinking her beverage when she felt someone approaching. Great, just great. She didn’t look over as she just wanted to be left alone. But alas, her luck for the night turned to be Jack sh!t as Prejudice sat down in a chair next to hers at the bar.

Vickie didn’t look over, just remained silent and indifferent as Prejudice pretty much ordered the bartender for some hard liquor. Helena looked like she wanted to intervene but Vickie signaled her not to with some cleverly hidden hand signals the two hand memorized over the course of their friendship/ her being tethered to Vickie. It was quiet for a moment, before Prejudice slammed his shot glass. He glanced over at the bartender.

“I’d suggest you take your fat ginger freak a$$ out of here before you also get a taste of what this little dumb bimbo is going to get.” Prejudice said, in this almost joking way, though she could tell by his voice that He at the same time sounded serious. Either way, it was enough to get the bartender out of there.

Vickie didn’t even have time to get up herself when she felt a hand grab her by the hair and slam her face down onto the counter. She felt her arm being twisted behind her back, the grip getting tighter when she struggled. Helena tried to help, to pull the man off of her but she was swatted away like a fly, which set off all alarms bells in Vickie’s brain. This man clearly wasn’t human.

“Now what do we have here? You know, looking at you, I’d think you’re just another dime a dozen mortal sl/t with less brains than a mutt, it took me a bit to discover what you were actually trying to do.” Prejudice said in casual voice that somehow sounded threatening at the same time. Even then, it was how he said theses things that started grinding Vickie’s gears. He said these things like he was entitled to say them, like it was owed to him.

“You may have fooled my dipsh!t employees, you dumb b!tch, but I’m not exactly as easy to convince. I know you plan on finding whatever evidence you can to ‘ruin’ me or whatever you want to call it. What, you plan on cancelling me? You seem like the type to type essays on Twitter on inequalities or whatever nonsense about equality like anyone will give a damn. At least nobody important will care.” He grinned.

“Oh go f*ck yourself you pompous little sh!t!” Vickie growled. She let out a loud hiss of pain as he twisted her arm more as a result.

“Oh, a little feisty? Good, I’ve been wanting something more entertaining than some obedient little pets. So please, go on. I’m going to break that jaw of yours either way but still, I want to hear more.” Prejudice goated on. She felt his hand slowly leave her hair and travel down to her waist.

“You know, if you really wanted to make yourself useful, doll, than you should stop worrying about whatever job you work in and start worrying about wearing something nice. You dress like a sl/t that acts like they’re someone of any respect. Really you’re not fooling anyone ” Prejudice said, the cockiness in his voice was what sent Vickie off to a boiling peak.

Using the mobility gained by his hand not being holding her head down, she stomped on his foot with her heel, as hard as possible, the man let out a curse but before he could really do much she took a shot glass from the table, spun around and smashed it right in his eye. Sure, this did result in her held arm getting twisted even more and probably dislocated, it gave her the opportunity to get free from his grasp as he stumbled back.

She then took this opportunity to start beating him with pretty much everything and anything in sight, fists, heels, a wine bottle she smashed over his head, chairs, anything in sight. All whilst calling him every name in the book, every swear and curse she could think of, hell, she was pretty sure she set a record. But even all of that didn’t really do much, not when immediately after she was backhanded to the ground when he finally got his footing. She didn’t even have time to recover as he grabbed her by her throat and slammed up against a wall, several times. By the time he stopped her head was spinning and blood was dripping from the back of her head. He then held her up off her feet, hand still firmly on her neck and then he squeezed down, hard.

She desperately scratched at his hand, tried to take gasps of air. But his tight grasp cut off her airways, leaving her attempts useless. Even worse, there didn’t even look like she laid a scratch on him, as any and all injuries or bruises inflicted on him had somehow already healed.

Prejudice’s smirk became wider as he squeezed tighter, his free hand yanking out any remaining glass from his eye.

“God, aren’t you just a fidgety little spazz? Hmm? Did you really think you could fight off a god? Though you’ve been great entertainment so far, it’s been a while since someone’s actually tried to fight me. Good to know not every mortal nowadays are p/ssies.” He spoke.

Vickie could see her world starting to turn dark as Prejudice kept talking

“Let’s just get this part over with. You WILL delete whatever ‘evidence’ you have against my company, and you’ll drop this case. If you don’t, we’ll, I’m sure you don’t have many options here, unless you wanna have a meeting with Death.” He said.

“Then, I want you to meet me in my office as soon as you enter the building. Don’t try quitting now that you won’t be able to do that little expose thing. I can ruin you in so many ways I’m sure your pretty little brain won’t comprehend. It’s alright. You don’t have to think, just do as I say and I won’t have to hurt you.. too much, sweetheart.” That ‘sweetheart’ was said in the most patronizing tone that it would’ve made Vickie said had she not been on the brink of passing out from lack of oxygen.

That was when Prejudice finally dropped Vickie, leaving her on the floor taking greedy gasps for air, her lungs burning from the lack of it. Prejudice just smirked at her once more before checking his watch. He took him longer than he thought. No worries, he didn’t have too much planned for today’s anyways.

Vickie laid there weakly on the floor as Prejudice just walked away, as if he didn’t just do what he just did. Helena by this point finally came too and quickly picked up Vickie, getting her out of the club and into her car.

“Vickie, Vickie. Don’t pass out on me, Vickie just try and stay awake! I’ll get help!” Helena said as she dashed over somewhere as Vickie fought to keep her eyes open before exhaustion finally hit and she felt her eyes close, her body forcing her to rest for the sake of recovery.

[wlwreader]

Devil’s Adovcate

A/N: Alright I finally got this done whoo!!! (at 7am rip) I’m actually kind of proud of this one, mainly because this was a very self-indulgent fic and I also think the dialogue is slightly better than my other fic or at least imo but the ending is a bit rushed and abrupt. Still, I hope you guys like it as much as I do <3

Summary: A summoning incantation goes wrong (or does it?)

Warning: magic!cock, degradation, bondage, Mistress kink (I’m not sure I’d say it’s a master/slave dynamic so yah mistress kink?), anal, breeding, choking and I think that’s all?

WC: 3.3k+

Pairing: Succubus!Natasha Romanoff x Reader

You read over the words printed on the page in front of you once again, making sure everything was as it was supposed to be. You had found the book hidden in a far off section in a small quaint library. The store had appeared practically out of thin air and it immediately grabbed your attention with its high arches and tall windows. The cover of the book was plain. In fact the whole outside was empty, devoid of any text or title, just a brown leather-bound book. The teller had given you a secretive smile when you walked up to the counter with the book in hand and a wink as you left. The race home seemed to take forever due to your growing excitement to continue your exploration of the mysterious book.

That was a few days ago, now you stood in front of a crudely drawn pentagram and surrounded by candles on the verge of summoning (or trying to) a demon. The book you discovered contained spells, rituals, and incantations of all kinds and your curiosity couldn't be contained any longer. You had to find out if any of them worked. Reading over the words on the page again, you start to chant lowly. The flames on the candles start to flicker as you repeat the conjuration over and over before they’re blown out all together on the last iteration. You hold your breath and eagerly wait in silence. Nothing. 

With a sigh of disappointment, you flick the light on in your bedroom while muttering to yourself, “I can’t believe I even thought that would work.”

“Oh, it worked alright doll.” You jump in shock at the sound of another voice in your room before quickly spinning to face whoever spoke to you and you lose your breath at the sight. A beautiful creature stood in the middle of the drawn pentagram. Hair as fiery as the depths of hell and eyes just as red. Horns as black as obsidian curved back away from her face and draw your eyes to her pointed ears. Your cheeks heat up when you notice the skimpy clothing barely covering her body.

“What? Cat got your tongue, darling?” The grin she sends you is predatory and a shiver runs down your spine when you spot her fanged teeth.

“A-are you a—“

“A demon? Yes.” She slowly makes her way across the room towards you and you backpedal till she’s pressing you against the wall with her own body, “Though, I’m not your standard demon.” 

She crowds around you, hands flat against the wall on either side of your head and a thigh wedged between your own. A strange crawling sensation rises along one of your calfs and you stare in shock as a sleek, red tail wraps itself along your leg. Panic fills your chest as you realize that your trapped and utterly at this demon’s mercy. 

You hesitantly meet her steady gaze when she speaks up again, “I’m a succubus.” Your blush deepens and your eyes widen when you catch on to why she’s here. The spell was supposed to summon a demon who could grant you your deepest and darkest desires, you just never even considered the possibility that your sexual fantasies could factor in at all. Air fans across your face when she laughs.

“That’s right, sweetheart. I’m here to make all your dreams come true.” The muscles in her thigh tighten, giving you a sturdy surface to aid your subconsciously grinding hips and she chuckles lowly at the smear of slick left. “We haven’t even started yet and you’re already so wet.” 

Her nose runs along the curve of your neck, inhaling the scent of your arousal, before her lips brush along your ear. “Tell me darling. Is it the fact that you’re about to get the best fuck of your life that has you soaked,” A clawed hand snakes around your throat restricting your airflow and causing you to choke on a gasp. “Or do you enjoy the thrill of being in danger.” 

The predatory grin the paints itself across her lips leaves her fangs glinting in the low light of the room and your cunt clenches at the sight. Her grip tightens and you grip at her hand as hazy blackness slowly starts to creep into the edges of your vision.

 “Or maybe it’s both.”

Finally, her hand leaves your neck and you rub at the bruises already forming on your tender skin as you take in gulps of air, your lungs burning.

“On the bed. Now.” The tone of her voice leaves no room for arguing, not that you’d want to argue with a demon, and you scramble hurriedly onto your mattress. You sit waiting for her on your knees and take the chance to really look at her while she watches you. She’s gorgeous. Unnaturally so. Soft, pale, flawless skin only hidden by the strappy ensemble she calls an outfit. Her horns were much like a goat’s. Curved away from her face with rigids running along the length of them. You could see her silky tail swaying behind her, vaguely reminiscent of a cat’s tail in its movements. 

Her body shifting pulls you out of your admiring as she deliberately stalks towards you. Her gleaming red eyes seem to bore through you and you suddenly feel like a fly caught in a spider’s web. The bed creaks as she climbs atop it and she presses on your shoulder, leading you on your back. You feel the heat radiating from her pussy on your skin as she straddles your hips and you realize with shock that you’re naked, clothes nowhere to be seen on your body or in your room. As if they had just vanished into thin air. 

“What is your name?” you ask it quietly, fearful of her reaction.

Her hands trail up your abdomen and your stomach clenches at the unexpected heat that radiates from her touch. “Natalia.” She caresses your breasts, pebbled nipples scraping against the palms of her hands. You arch into the touch with a sigh. “Though, you’ll only be calling me Mistress from now on.” You watch in awe as she bows her head closer to your chest, her tongue slithering around one of your breast while the tip licks at your sensitive bud and you feel your clit throb as you imagine her fucking you with the long, serpent-like tongue.

Natalia’s fingers pinch and roll your other nipple as she takes the other one into her hot mouth, her pointed teeth teasing your areola as she lathers your breasts with attention. Your back arches off the bed while you moan, your hands reaching to tangle in her soft hair before her tail is wrapping around your wrists and pinning them above your head.

“No touching unless I say so. Understand?”

“Yes.” She grips your cheeks in one hand, her nails digging into your skin as she glares at you and you whimper.

“Yes what, slut?”

“Yes, Mistress.” 

Natalia hums in satisfaction while she releases your face. You watch as she sits up, one hand held out in front of her palm up and your mouth drops open in wonder as two clamps materialize in the once empty space. The throbbing in your clit intensifies as she attaches them to your pebbled nipples, a moan falling from your parted lips as she tugs on the chain connecting them. Her tail unravels itself from your wrists, but you’re only free for a few seconds before you’re face down on the bed.

“Arms behind your back.” soft rope is tied along your forearms, binding them together from your wrists to your elbows and straining your shoulders. She sits you up on your knees, the display of her strength while she manhandles you into position has a small stain forming on the sheets beneath you. More red rope appears in her hands, more slick gathering between your legs as she works. The rope criss-crosses along your chest in an intricate pattern, framing your breasts. 

“Now,” she tugs on the chain and you groan, thighs clenching together, “the real fun can begin.” She grins devilishly, fangs on display as she pushes you onto your back again. Clawed fingers scratch down your stomach, leaving reddish raised lines in their wake and pulling a shiver from you. Natalia rests between your parted legs, hands braced on the insides of your thighs while her warm breath ghosts over your slit for a few teasing moments. You whine, hips arching up towards her mouth, desperate to feel her touch. Her grip tightens on your thighs hard enough to leave bruises and she growls.

“Stop fucking moving, whore.”

You immediately still and she rewards you with a swipe of her tongue through your folds. The heat from her mouth is intense, mewls and whimpers slipping past your lips when she teases your opening.

“Please…” 

Her gaze meets your own as her tongue sinks into your cunt, pulling an appreciative moan out of you. Natalia’s fangs graze the sensitive skin of your labia, her nose pressed to your clit as her tongue reaches depths no finger, tongue, or dick has ever reached before. Your back arches as you cry out, shoulders starting to burn from the awkward position they’re tied in. She eats you out diligently, tongue flexing and curling sinfully while her eyes hungrily rake over your quivering, moaning form. 

One of her hands release your thigh and move to grip onto the chains of your nipple clamps before giving them a harsh tug that leaves tears gathering in the corners of your eyes. Natalia shakes her head side to side, her nose rubbing across your clit in just the right way that it has you cumming without warning. Your climax rushes through you quickly and unexpectedly, body trembling as you cry out. Panting softly as you come down, you shrink into yourself under her intense glare.

“I didn’t say you could cum.” She grips the ropes that adorn your chest and yanks you so that you lay face down across her lap. “Too busy moaning like a wanton whore to beg like a good little slut should.”

You whine pathetically as you squirm in her lap, “I’m sorry, Mistress.”

“Count.” Her dark tone sends a shiver down your spine.

“Wha—“ You cut yourself off with a yelp when she swiftly swats one of your ass cheeks.

“I said count, bitch. And don’t forget to thank me for each one.”

Another smack is delivered to your other cheek, harsher than the first and you grimace at the sting it leaves behind.

“One. Thank you, Mistress.” Natalia alternates between each cheek, every slap delivered only getting more painful.

“Eight. Thank you, Mistress.” Tears trickle down your face, a mix of your slick and cum coating the insides of your thighs. 

“Thirteen. Thank you, Mistress.”  You can’t help but moan each time her hand meets your ass, the skin painted red.

“Twenty. Thank you, Mistress.” By the time she’s finished, marks vaguely resembling the shape of her hand decorate your bottom. She gropes and caresses the tender skin, the heat radiating from her hands doing nothing to soothe the stinging sensation.

“I think you enjoyed your punishment a little too much.” Her thumb pushes through your folds (her long claw-like nails now gone), gathering the abundant wetness that’s pooled there. “You’re dripping all over my thighs you filthy girl.” 

Her thumb traces your puckered hole and you push back into the sensation with a pathetic whine. She spreads your cheeks before spit lands on the newly exposed skin. Natalia teases her thumb against the tight ring again, her spit acting as lube so that she can slowly sink her finger into you and you can’t help but whine. “Please, Mistress. Please fuck me.”

“Look at you. You’re so pathetic, begging me to use you as my personal fuck toy.” The words send a jolt of pleasure straight to your clit and you press your thighs together, desperate for any kind of stimulation. Natalia seems to take notice of the slight movement and soon her thumb is replaced with two slender fingers. 

“Oh fuck.” You moan, forehead pressed into the sheets on your bed.

“Aww, does the little whore want me to fuck her ass?” You nod vigorously while moaning after trying and failing to speak when her fingers scissor inside of you. She grabs the ropes that encase your torso, moving you till you’re face down on the bed. Her hips press flush against your ass, her hands groping your tender cheeks roughly, and you feel a foreign bulge that wasn’t there before.

“I wanna hear you beg for it, bitch.” Her voice is low, the slow grind of her cock through your folds making it near impossible to form a sentence but you still manage. “Pleeease, fuck me Mistress. Please fuck my ass, I’m just your fuck toy to be used and played with.”

“Mmm, that's what I like to hear. What a good little slut.” Her fingers gather your slick from your dripping cunt before stroking over her dick, wetting it. Natalia holds the base, the head of her member pressing against your tight ring and she watches intently as it slowly disappears inside you. Your groan turns into a full on moan when she bottoms out, one hand gripping your hip while the other grabs on tightly to the ropes trailing across your back. Her cock was big, larger than any toy or person you’ve ever fucked. You couldn’t see it, but you could guess from the way she was stretching you that she had to be at least around seven or eight inches.

Her pace is slow and gentle, letting you get used to the foreign feeling and you hum in appreciation. Though it doesn’t last for long. Soon you start pushing back into her, silently begging for more and she starts fucking you in earnest. Each stroke fills you entirely, her grip on the rope lifting your upper body off the mattress to pull you back into every thrust of her hips. Her tail snakes between both of your legs and wraps around the chain connecting your nipple clamps. Her movements jostle you forward and the resulting yank on your sensitive nipples has you crying out in a mix of pain and pleasure.

You can hear the soft moans of Natalia behind you under all the sounds of skin meeting skin and your own moans. Her pace quickens, your eyes rolling back into your head as her hand gripping your hip moves to rub tight circles around your neglected clit.

“Oh God.” 

She laughs loudly at that. “There is no God here, you silly whore.” Her fingers press harder into your clit and you wail, your body trembling from the plethora of pleasure. She pulls you up till you’re kneeling, the warm skin of her front pressed against your bound arms and your upper back. Her now free hand wraps around your throat and you subconsciously clench as her grip tightens. The resulting moan in your ear leaves you whimpering and her breath ghosts against your skin as she chuckles.

“Mistress, p-please.”

“Oh, does the little slut want to cum?” She coos and you choke out a ‘yes’ when her hand constricts around your neck. “Go ahead. Cum for your Mistress.”

With her tail tugging on your nipple clamps, her hard thrusts pounding up into you, and her fingers playing with your clit you see stars as you orgasm. Your mouth drops open in a silent scream, any possible noise stopped by the hand around your throat.

Before you’re even finished cumming, Natalia is maneuvering you onto your back with your legs propped on her shoulders and her cock disappears into your dripping cunt. There’s no waiting this time, immediately she’s pounding into, each thrust deep and purposeful. Her warm breath fans across your face as she leans in and your lips connect in your first kiss. It’s sloppy and doesn’t last long due to the moans falling out of your mouth, but the feeling of soft lips against your own lingers.

The obscene squelching noises as her dick plows into you repeatedly fill the room and your eyes squeeze shut when her member brushes against your g-spot. She dips down to kiss and suck along the curve of your neck when your head tips back as another orgasm rapidly approaches. The fluttering of your walls has Natalia pulling back, hushed moans spilling from plush lips. 

Your voice is shaky and hoarse when you speak, “Can I cum, Mistress? I’m sooo close.” Her pace slows considerably, making you whine pathetically while you squirm under her.

“You can cum when I do. Am I understood, slut?” Her eyes bore into your own and you stop moving instantly under the intensity of her stare. “Yes, Mistress.”

“Good girl.” She sits up on her knees and grips your thighs, your legs still balanced on her shoulders as she fucks you slowly. Her gaze sweeps over you hungrily, taking in your disheveled hair, flushed face, and heaving chest. “You almost look like a proper whore, all you're missing is my cum filling up this pretty pussy of yours.” 

“Fuck…” Her tempo picks back up, her thumb rubbing at your clit as she fucks you. Your toes curl as your orgasm starts climbing once again. “Oh, please, please, pleaasseee cum Mistress. I need you to breed me, need you to fill me with your cum.”

“Only since you asked so nicely.”

She leans down, your legs pressed back near your head as she brings you into a heated kiss. The new angle has you sobbing into her mouth, each thrust nudging against your g-spot. Her strokes get rougher and sloppier as she nears climax. Natalia pulls back from the messy kiss, forehead resting against yours while moaning lowly and you feel her cock twitching before you feel the warmth of her seed spilling inside your cunt. You follow right after, crying out as you cum. The intensity of your orgasm leaves your body shaking, the slow drag of her dick as she pulls out only prolonging it. You slowly come back down, small tremors still running through you as her warm hands caress your thighs.

“Holy fuck…” You laugh breathlessly, your now free hand coming up to run through your tousled hair after noticing that the ropes and clamps have disappeared. Your eyes finally open and you bolt straight up when you don’t see Natalia anywhere in sight. In fact, all the items for the incantation were gone, even the book and the pentagram drawn on your floor. Like it never even happened. But the marks that cover your body and the warm cum leaking out of your used cunt lets you know that it did. You flop back onto your mattress with a sigh before turning to look at the clock on your bedside table. 

There sits a foreign black box you’ve never seen and you hesitantly sit up to grab it. It wasn’t very large, nor was it small. There weren’t any discernible symbols or lettering of any kind marking the box and you shake it softly next to your ear, hoping it isn’t anything dangerous. After a silent moment of contemplating on whether or not you should open it, you do. A black leather collar sits inside and you eagerly pull it out to admire. Your fingers run over the soft padding along the inside before tracing the red stitching and stroking over the black lace that lines both sides. A ‘D’ ring sits at the front of the collar and with it, a large tear drop shaped tag that read ‘Mistress’s Slut’. You set it off to the side and peer back into the box. At the bottom sits a small note card with neat, curving handwriting.

“If you ever wish to see me again, just don this collar and I shall be there. Though consequences are to be had if you ever choose to wear it. For if you do, you will forever be my personal fuck toy to do with as I please. 

Hope to see you soon,

N.R.”

[zrtranscripts]

Season 9, Mission 10: On The Run

Out of the Frying Pan...

~

[crowd chatters, guards blow whistles]

GUARD 1: Stop them!

GUARD 2: Don't let them get away!

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Sam, the city guards are catching up.

GUARD 2: Over there!

SAM YAO: Keep running. We wrecked a tea tent, let a zombie loose in the souk, destroyed a hard drive, and stole a briefcase! The city guards are only doing their job. But if they catch us - [shouts]

MARYAM ABANI: What is it?

SAM YAO: A stabbing pain in my head. Maybe - [high-pitched voice] Too hot, too hot.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Sam?

SAM YAO: I didn't mean to say that. It's the tea! It didn't just cause amnesia, it's making me lose control!

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Maryam's a doctor, she'll take a look at you once we're safe. In the meantime, what about Janine, Peter, and Mo? We have to find them if we're going to piece together what happened last night and get Veronica back.

SAM YAO: We don't even know if they made it over the border. Either way, we're no use to them with the guards on our tail.

MARYAM ABANI: Look, the main square. A huge crowd’s gathered. We-we could lose the guards there. Come on!

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Everyone's staring up at something. Oh, the biggest dome in the square's on fire. Someone's standing next to it. They don't look too steady on their feet. [gasps] It's Janine!

SAM YAO: What's she doing up there?

[gunshots]

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Someone just shot at her! Oh, they missed. She's running away!

SAM YAO: We've got to catch up with her before they try again.

MARYAM ABANI: This way, through the crowd. Run!

~

[crowd chatters]

SAM YAO: Okay, this is the building with the burning dome. Yeah, looks like there's an alley down the side.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Janine!

MARYAM ABANI: Shh! Frances, people are looking for her! And us.

JANINE DE LUCA: Miss Dempsey, is that you?

SAM YAO: Janine, we're coming!

JANINE DE LUCA: Mr. Yao, Runner Five, Dr....

MARYAM ABANI: Abani, but call me Maryam.

JANINE DE LUCA: Thank you, Dr. Abani. I'm relieved to see you all.

SAM YAO: Janine, what were you doing on that roof? Why was the dome on fire?

JANINE DE LUCA: I think I meant to create a distraction, but I can't remember what for.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: We've all got gaps in our memories.

SAM YAO: And uh... we've lost Veronica.

JANINE DE LUCA: What? Oh, this is my fault. I should never have drunk anything without fully understanding its properties!

MARYAM ABANI: Oh, no no no, it-it's my fault for offering it to you. I'm so sorry, I thought it was mint.

JANINE DE LUCA: The situation is unfortunate, but we must focus on resolving it, not apportioning blame, Dr. Abani.

SAM YAO: Anything you remember could help us do that, Janine.

JANINE DE LUCA: I crossed the border alone, leaving Miss McShell with Mr. Lynne and Mr. Boujettif. I remember buying an approved headset inside the city and running through the streets.

[flashback]

PETER LYNNE: Okay. God, okay. This must be – yes. Is – uh, hello, is this the right button? Janine, do you copy? Over.

JANINE DE LUCA: I read you, Mr. Yao.

PETER LYNNE: Well actually, we discussed this, Janine. You see, it's Peter here. You see, Sam is... Sam is busy. What is your - where are you?

JANINE DE LUCA: I'm running on polished flagstones surrounded by tiled archways and mechanized carts.

MOHAMMED BOUJETTIF: You're in the central square. When the guard changes watch, set off the alarm at the guard post to the south. This will attract many guards to where you are.

PETER LYNNE: Giving us the window we need here at the border.

JANINE DE LUCA: What do you need a window for again?

MOHAMMED BOUJETTIF: We went over this. We need to get Veronica -

PETER LYNNE: Mo, no. Trust me, don't confuse her. Janine, um, just have to get to the guard post, okay? Run!

~

JANINE DE LUCA: I'm in position, Mr. Yao.

PETER LYNNE: It's Peter, your... okay, doesn't matter. Um, can you see the guard post?

JANINE DE LUCA: Yes. I must say, that formulation is very shoddy. Multiple gaps in their line of sight, patrol patterns all over the place.

PETER LYNNE: Okay, good. That should make it easier for you to trip the alarm without being seen.

JANINE DE LUCA: Yes, but what then? These guards are clearly ill-disciplined. If I set the alarm off, the guard station at the border might not even respond.

MOHAMMED BOUJETTIF: Please just stick to the plan.

JANINE DE LUCA: Mr. Boujettif, your last plan resulted in us losing contact with Miss Dempsey and Dr. Abani. I have decades of military experience and I'm going to find a better distraction.

PETER LYNNE: Janine, listen to me. Stop, okay? Mo knows the city.

JANINE DE LUCA: And I know subterfuge.

PETER LYNNE: Please, just at least tell us where you're going. And-and be quick, the battery on this headset is running out.

JANINE DE LUCA: I'm running through formal gardens. That's a rather ostentatious fountain.

MOHAMMED BOUJETTIF: What does it look like?

JANINE DE LUCA: Hm? Oh, it's round and marble, mirrored tiles around the edge and a changing LCD light display beneath it. Complete waste of water and energy.

MOHAMMED BOUJETTIF: Stop! If you don't turn back immediately -

JANINE DE LUCA: Come in, Mr. Boujettif, Mr. Yao? I need a better vantage point. I'm going to climb up that trellis onto the roof. Over!

~

[foliage rustles]

JANINE DE LUCA: Mr. Yao, I've climbed the trellis. I'm now on the roof. There are electrical cables over my head and a dome in front of me. It's 30 feet high, made of wood and plated with gold. What a waste. This could go towards thousands of electrical circuits. That gives me an idea, Mr. Yao. Mr. Yao, I'm going to start an electrical fire. It'll attract the guards away from the border far more effectively than an alarm. [flames crackle] Mr. Yao, I've set the dome alight.

MOHAMMED BOUJETTIF: Janine, what have you done? That dome belongs to Skull-Kicker!

JANINE DE LUCA: Mr. Boujettif! Did it work? [yawns] Do you read me? I'm going to take a... tactical... nap.

[present time]

JANINE DE LUCA: - and that's all I remember.

SAM YAO: If Peter was operating comms for you, he can't have been that badly affected by the tea.

JANINE DE LUCA: His condition accelerates his metabolism.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: So maybe he has Veronica. Maybe Janine's distraction worked. Did he say where he'd be?

JANINE DE LUCA: I have this business card in my pocket.

MARYAM ABANI: It's for a bar.

SAM YAO: Finally, some luck! Let's get there before whoever shot at Janine catches up. Run!

~

[crowd chatters]

MARYAM ABANI: Here's the bar on the business card Peter left. I've been here before. Amazing collection of vintage arcade machines.

SAM YAO: [high-pitched voice] Hot, hot, hot!

MARYAM ABANI: Sam, are you all right?

SAM YAO: No, no, I feel dizzy. I'm-I'm just going to sit down outside while you all go in and look for Peter.

JANINE DE LUCA: Very well, Mr. Yao.

[door opens, arcade machine beep]

PETER LYNNE: Oh, Janine, thank goodness. Uh, Frances and Five too, obviously. I have been worried sick. And uh, Maryam, was it? Uh, look. Here, I've got you all some orange juice.

MARYAM ABANI: Oh, thank God.

PETER LYNNE: And next is some aspirin.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Finally.

PETER LYNNE: And finally, a raw egg with a slosh of hot sauce from the market!

JANINE DE LUCA: I think we've all learned our lesson about drinking strange concoctions.

PETER LYNNE: Well, suit yourself. More for me. Wait, um, where's Sam?

FRANCES DEMSPEY: Oh, his head was hurting. He's just waiting outside.

PETER LYNNE: Is he wearing his cold cap?

MARYAM ABANI: What cold cap?

PETER LYNNE: Oh no no no no no no! Out of the bar!

[door opens]

SAM YAO: Peter! Oh, am I glad to see you!

PETER LYNNE: There's no time, Sam. We've got to get you to the fish market!

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Fish market? Why?

PETER LYNNE: There's no time to explain, just run!

~

SAM YAO: Peter, I don't understand. Why are we in a fish market? Can we slow down? I've got the worst headache.

PETER LYNNE: Sam, listen to me. Get to that fish counter and stick your head in the ice now.

SAM YAO: What? That’s someone’s stall, Peter. They've laid the fish out all nicely. And I don't feel great. I'd rather not.

[PETER picks SAM up, SAM yelps]

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Did Peter just pick Sam up?

JANINE DE LUCA: He's very strong.

[SAM shouts, PETER dunks SAM in ice]

MARYAM ABANI: Peter just submerged Sam's head in that pile of ice.

FISHMONGER: Hey, you ruined my stall!

PETER LYNNE: I’m sorry, but it's an emergency, okay? Just a few more seconds.

[SAM yelps, PETER dunks SAM in ice again]

MARYAM ABANI: Peter, stop!

SAM YAO: [coughs] Peter, what was that for?

PETER LYNNE: If I hadn't done that, you would be dead.

JANINE, FRANCES, MARYAM, and SAM: What?

PETER LYNNE: Sam, Veronica is inside your head. It was the only way to get her over the border. Last night, Janine created a distraction so I'd be able to get Veronica out of the briefcase and under your scalp without being seen.

SAM YAO: What.

PETER LYNNE: Yes, well, ideally a doctor would have carried out the surgery, but Maxine's miles away fighting a measles epidemic.

MARYAM ABANI: And I was off chasing goats. I can't apologize enough.

PETER LYNNE: Uh, that's fine. Um, Veronica talked me through it, actually. She-she needed access to your greater occipital nerve so she could interface with your brain, you see. Fortunately, cactus tea is a potent anesthetic, hooray! Unfortunately, we did have to remove most of Veronica’s components, so she needed to recompile overnight and that's an intensive process that could have/was causing your brain to overheat, short-circuiting her and killing you. And we'd have lost you both if I hadn't done the right thing and cooled your head in time.

SAM YAO: Well, wasn't there any other way to get her into New Agadir?

PETER LYNNE: [laughs] Well, not after the way you all acted. The guards were on high alert.

JANINE DE LUCA: Why Mr. Yao?

PETER LYNNE: Janine, we went through this. My regenerating body or your nanites might have rejected Veronica. Five is our chief runner. So that leaves Sam.

SAM YAO: [high-pitched voice] Let me talk.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: No one's stopping you, Sam.

PETER LYNNE: It's not Sam, it's Veronica. Sam, just relax.

SAM YAO: Hang on a minute! It's... [sighs] Fine.

VERONICA MCSHELL: Sam, even though your brain is poorly optimized, I've been able to recalibrate my systems to operate on it at a reduced capacity. I'm going to have to reorganize your cerebral cortex... but further explanation will have to wait. There's a high probability that guards are closing on your area.

SAM YAO: What? Sorry, Veronica, what-what are you doing to my cerebral cortex?

GUARD: It's the fire starter! After her!

PETER LYNNE: Oh God, they've caught up with Janine. Run!

~

[crowd chatters]

MARYAM ABANI: They're gaining on us!

PETER LYNNE: Quick, down this alley.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: It's a dead end!

SAM YAO: Oh, what are we gonna do?

VERONICA MCSHELL: Stop running. Put your hands up. If you don't surrender, there's an overwhelming probability of you all being shot.

JANINE DE LUCA: Fine, everyone do as Miss McShell says.

PETER LYNNE: They're coming towards us. Ten of them, at least.

SAM YAO: They've got Mo. But he didn't do anything wrong!

GUARD: Hello, Colonel De Luca. You owe our employer a lot of money.

FRANCES DEMPSEY: Your employer? We thought you were the city guards.

GUARD: The city guards have been after your group before, but we are involved now, and they know better than to interfere with our business. We work for Skull-Kicker, the woman whose dome you destroyed, Colonel. It was very expensive.

JANINE DE LUCA: I understand. Fortunately, my associate Mr. Boujettif, whom I can see you've met, has a fund to cover our expenses.

MOHAMMED BOUJETTIF: Not anymore. After I paid for the hotel bill you walked out on and the many, many damages you've been responsible for over the last 12 hours, there wasn't anything left. You've incurred a terrible debt to – forgive me – the most vengeful crime boss in the city, and mere hours after I finally squared my account with her.

GUARD: So unless you want to end up like the last people who owed her money -

MOHAMMED BOUJETTIF: Drawn and quartered, so they say.

SAM YAO: What?

GUARD: - you're going to have to find a way to pay it off, quickly.

~

[bi-makes-pie]

"I'm her best enemy" Playlist [ PART ONE - Songs 1 to 30]

Click READ MORE to see the whole list

1. Nemeses (feat. John Roderick) – Jonathan Coulton I mostly see this as being in the Master’s POV.

“Could it be that you need me To keep you out, to run you faster Promise me you'll let me be The one, the worst of all your enemies”

2. Crazy – Burn the Ballroom 12 to Missy. This one is quite cute. He does calls her mad, but we all know the Doctor isn’t exactly the perfect picture of sanity either.

“She had problems with my love connections So she bought me bullets and she made corrections (…) I'd say crazy, doll, but you've got something different I'd say complicated but that's your kind of rhythm I'd say lost and you'd say love

But you're crazy not to see That you're crazy just like me...”

3. Silence – Citizen Shade This kinda makes me picture the Doctor trying to give in and settle down with the Master (any version) while dealing with the inner conflict that they’re far too cruel for their taste.

“I found peace in your violence Can't tell me there's no point in trying I'm at one, and I've been silent for too long”

4. Dangerous Man - Little Dume This alternates between the Doctor’s POV and the Master’s. But you can also interpret it as being 100% about any version of the Doctor, since they do have a dark side.

“Every bone in my body's bad Fire's burning, the skies are turning black They say I'm a dangerous man” “Can you hear the storm's a coming I'm a silver in the lining There's a spark in me They say I'm a dangerous man Better run fast as you can Don't you look back”

5. Under Covers – LeRiche A bittersweet song about two people who had this precious friendship and love for each other, and about how distance can keep it all bottled up but once they give it a chance, they immediately go right back to the start. Just fits them very well, if you picture a happy ending to their relationship.

“I don't know why you're looking for a friend I'm right by your side But out here from a distance You won't look me in the eyes Without your love, I think I could die Then you let me in, we go back to beginnings When we were just friends hanging out on the ceiling We'll laugh about love and how we felt for one another And I love the way we make up under covers”

6. The Scientist – Coldplay A song about longing to make things right again and with little analogies involving science? I mean…

“Nobody said it was easy It's such a shame for us to part Nobody said it was easy No one ever said it would be this hard Oh, take me back to the start”

7. Renegades – X Ambassadors The “They actually stole a TARDIS and ran away together from Gallirey” AU we need so much

“Run away with me Lost souls and reverie Running wild and running free Two kids, you and me And I say Hey, hey hey hey Living like we're renegades”

8. Love is War – American Young I like how cute this song is and yet there is a bit of a dark twist. Fits them.

“Sometimes love is all that can save us Sometimes love can kill a man Yeah sometimes love is a soft touch Or a pistol in your hand Sometimes love is a white flag (...) Sometimes a cannon ball But it's worth fighting for Baby, sometimes love is war”

9. Bury a friend – Billie Eilish (Cover by Pomplamoose) Master’s POV. Can apply to any of their regenerations but I think of Simm!Master the most, since Ten tends to run towards him rather than walk away from him.

“What do you want from me? Why don't you run from me? What are you wondering? What do you know? Why aren't you scared of me? Why do you care for me? When we all fall asleep, where do we go?”

10. Come as you are – Nirvana (Cover by Imaginary Future) Best Enemies, everyone. Master’s POV again.

“Come as you are, as you were As I want you to be As a friend, as a friend As an old enemy (…) And I swear that I don't have a gun No, I don't have a gun”

11. Turn – The Wombats Academy!Era, Doctor’s POV. Theta (Doctor) clearly has a crush on Koschei (Master) and they’re both love being chaotic together. 

“I like the way your brain works, I like the way you try To run with the wolf pack when your legs are tired I like the way you turn me inside and out I like the way you turn I like the way your brain works Baby, it's the crazy I like I think I saw the world turn in your eyes”

12. Run – Snow Patrol Master’s POV if he was ever able to be honest about his feelings. Some parts can easily be read as the Doctor’s POV too.

“You've been the only thing that's right In all I've done And I can barely look at you But every single time I do I know we'll make it anywhere Away from here”

13. Maps - The Front Bottoms The Doctor’s POV as their relationship deteriorates after the Academy and he plans to steal the TARDIS and leave Gallifrey and his friend behind. I had to help myself from quoting the whole song because IT REALLY FITS SO WELL.

“There is a map in my room, on the wall of my room And I've got big, big plans (…) You say 'I hate you', you mean it And 'I love you' sounds fake It's taken me so long to figure that out I used to love the taste, I would do anything for it Now I would do anything to get the taste out of my mouth (…) "And what about your friends, Don't you love them enough to stay?" And I say, "If I don't leave now, Then I will never get away." Let me be a blue raft on the blue sea, I'll blend right in”

14. Old College – The Mountain Goats This fits the tiresome, sad, manipulative and draining part of their relationship.

“The warning signs have all been bright and garish Far too great in number to ignore (…) Our love has never had a leg to stand on From the aspirins to the cross-tops to the Elavils 

But I will walk down to the end with you If you will come all the way down with me”

15. Like a Staring Contest – The Future Kings of Nowhere Covers the end of their friendship and start of the new enemies dynamic. 

“I'm so tired of open warfare When the point of this was to be best of friends (…) When you fall in love as hard And recklessly as you and I do It seems that the final act should have The same intensity as the first scene”

16. Poison and Wine – The Civil Wars Reminds me of 12 and Missy but before Series 10. 

“You only know what I want you to I know everything you don't want me to Oh your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine You think your dreams are the same as mine Oh I don't love you but I always will” 

17. Genesis 30:3 – The Mountain Goats The mentions of a past relationship and the following lines followed by drums really make me picture this as Simm!Master and Ten getting a happy but bittersweet ending.

“For several hours we lay there, last ones of our kind Harder days coming, maybe I don't mind Sounds kind of dumb when I say it, but it's true I would do anything for you”

 18. Blood Under The Bridge – Frightened Rabbit Could literally be any version, but I picture Dhawan!Master and 13 making amends here, mostly because he might be crazy and frenetic but behind that façade he’s clearly way more tired than she ever will be.

“And it's alright, it's alright It's just blood under the bridge And I'm too tired to fight And you're sick of feeling sick And so am I It's alright It's just blood under the bridge”

19. Even Though Our Love is Doomed – Garbage  Missy’s POV. You can interpret this like her train of thoughts and reflections starting from early Vault days to the last time we see her on-screen. Reluctance, guilt and then the resolution.

“Come a little bit closer I need to understand Why we kill the things we love the most (…) Can you love me for what I've become Love me for what I Said that I would not become 'Cause they don't burn like I do (…) And even though our love is doomed And even though we're all messed up You're the only thing worth fighting for” You're the only thing worth dying for” 

20. Starlight – Muse 12 and Missy during the episodes World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls.

“Now I'll never let you go If you promised not to fade away Never fade away Our hopes and expectations Black holes and revelations” 

21. Control – Halsey This screams Missy to me, especially since she literally incorporates the character of the evil nanny in her book (The Missy Chronicles) and in Big Finish’s audio dramas.

“I'm bigger than my body I'm colder than this home I'm meaner than my demons I'm bigger than these bones

And all the kids cried out, "Please stop, you're scaring me" I can't help this awful energy God damn right, you should be scared of me Who is in control?”

 22. Enemy – Woodlock End of Academy!Era. Yet another song which reminds me about their early fighting days and the end of their friendship.

This is where it begins At the start of an end I could no longer pretend No more, you walked out the door You’re my enemy

23. Why Can't We Be Friends? – The Academic The title says it all. The lyrics also mention how the relationship is always turning into something new, so I had to associate with the longest friends to lovers to enemies we’ve ever seen on television.

“This world is pointless If you're not here This world is pointless If we're not self-destructing love And it falls and it breaks and it turns into something new And it falls and it breaks and it turns into something” 

24. Wish That You Were Here – Florence + The Machine Doctor’s POV, in the days when he regrets leaving Gallifrey for a couple of seconds before turning to occupy his with something else. Because he knows that even if he went back, things aren’t the same and everyone has changed – including him.

“And I never minded being on my own Then something broke in me and I wanted to go home To be where you are But even closer to you, you seem so very far

And it's beautiful but there's that tug in the sight I must stop time traveling, you're always on my mind”

 25. No Light, No Light – Florence + The Machine This one makes me picture the first moment the Doctor realized his friend had changed too much and had to choose between his own feelings and standing for what’s right. This happens A LOT in the show, but I imagine realizing that for the first time was the hardest.

“But would you leave me If I told you what I've done And would you leave me If I told you what I've become No light, no light in your bright blue eyes I never knew daylight could be so violent A revelation in the light of day”

26. Dancing with the Devil – Wolf Gang This alternates between the Master’s POV and the Doctor’s POV. 

“If you're the chosen one How does it feel to be loved by no one? If you're the number one Where do you run to? Can you hide behind the sun? You say that there's no oxygen again You're forcing down the lies but you always get your way Something tells me that this was all arranged You tricked me once again” 

27. Skeleton Park – Kasador Master’s POV. “You know, back in the day, I'd burn an entire city to the ground just to see the pretty shapes the smoke made” (Missy, in The Lie of the Land, Series 10, Episode 8)

“When the house is on fire Air fills my lungs I satisfy desire From watching all you run Yeah the house is on fire Hear the sirens scream My hands hold the lighter It fits so naturally”

28. Elastic Heart – Longfellow What I love the most about the Doctor (all versions) is how they keep fighting for what is right despite their own feelings being hurt or despite how much it may cause them pain. I love what this character represents, and those lyrics reminds me so much of them. 

“Oh why can I not conquer love? And I might have thought that we were one Wanted to fight this war without weapons And I wanted it, I wanted it bad But there were so many red flags (…) Yeah, let's be clear, I'll trust no one You did not break in here I'm still fighting for peace”

 29. Bite Back – The All-American Rejects “You think you've broken me? You'll have to try harder than that” (The Doctor, in The Timeless Children Series 12, Episode 10). Same unbreakable side of the Doctor, but this time she definitively resents it a little more than usual. 

“You couldn't break me in the end And such a freedom I enjoy When you're deaf to the sounds you trust If that was all you've got, my friend Then set yourself to disappoint” 

30. No Children – The Mountain Goats Listen to me here: this covers the whole “They were married way before they started to hate each other back on Gallifrey” fan theory.

“I am drowning There is no sign of land You are coming down with me Hand in unlovable hand”

[ PART TWO TO BE ADDED SOON ]

[itzleon345]

Dianakko Week  @dianakko-week

Day 6: Space/Stars

I’ll Be Back

Read it in AO3 here!

Summary:

“Who are you talking to?”

“The Rod, I’m sure he was taking care of me”

“Yeah, I’m also pretty sure he was”

“Hey hey hey! Don’t worry Diana, I’ll be back before you even notice I left, it’s just a small trip to the Moon Forest, in and out!”

A young Asian girl was saying to her blonde girlfriend while she was shoving random things inside a medium size red backpack

“I know Akko, but either way, I’m not comfortable with you going to a fairly new magic forest in the middle of nowhere just because you can speak with fairies, there are a lot of witches that can speak with them! I know how to speak with them! Why did they have to choose you?”

Diana exclaimed angrily, she just couldn’t believe why out of nearly every witch in Europe the “oh-so-prepared” explorers had to select her girlfriend, yeah, she knew Akko was a great witch and a really brave person but, why?!

Then of course, she didn’t doubted about the capabilities of her girlfriend, she just was worried about the fact that the Moon Forest was discovered barely two years ago after the restoration of magic, and it wasn’t explored at all, there were still places that no one dare to pass thanks to the fact that maybe in those specific spots were living all kinds of magical creatures, dangerous magical creatures to be more specific.

“It’s just going to be a month, and Diana you know why I’m the chosen one, and always remember, it might be dark inside, but there are still stars shining in the sky, I’ll come back here in a month and we are going to have a date, what do you think of that?”

Akko said with her bag already in her back, she was wearing the most comfortable clothes she had, denim jeans, a pair of black sports shoes, a white t-shirt and a red hoodie, her wand was tied up in her waist with her old Luna Nova red ribbon.

The reason why she was the witch chosen among all of the ones in Europe was that she was once the wielder of the Claiomh Solais and the savior of magic, therefore a lot of people believed that she had some kind bond with magical creatures, this belief has not been proven yet but either ways the explorers preferred to have her by their side, also is worth to say that even if Diana was also once kinda the wielder of the Shiny Rod and the savior of magic she didn’t were selected because of her responsibilities as the head of the Cavendish house

“Also, the forest is not so far from the manor, if somehow I’m late you can always go to look for me”

She said while she gave her girlfriend a kiss on the lips

“Now let’s go, I’m running late and I’m sure James must be mad by now”

It was a peaceful Saturday night, and even if Diana was a little sad because Akko was going away she knew her cute girlfriend was right, there were still stars shining on the outside, her personal star was not going to abandon her, it was just a couple of weeks and then she would be back with a lot of scrapes in her arms and mud in her face, just like it always has been

“Alright sweetheart, but promise me you won’t be doing anything too reckless, I love your scars and all of that but I would prefer not to have to heal more of them… and… you know I’ll miss you, so just come back to me, okay?”

Both of them were now on the front door of the Cavendish manor, the night was a little cold but it wasn’t annoying at all

“Yes, Diana! Don’t be too worried about me, I’ll be fine! There’s nothing that Atsuko Kagari can’t handle!”

The crimson eyed girl said with a mock tone while she was making exaggerated poses

“I know you’ll be fine dearie”

Diana let a sight escape from her lips as she looked up to the night sky

“And you know I’ll always come back to you, so, when you look to the night skies don’t think of goodbyes, think how I’m right here by your side, if my memory is still in your mind then it means that I had never really leave you”

The brunette said with sweetness, and before she left the house she took the face of her beloved girlfriend and she gave her a quick kiss on the lips

“I love you Diana! See you next month!”

She took her broom as she muttered “Tia Freyre”, and the she left

“I love you too”

Diana went back to the inside of the manor with a strange concern

—————————

It was Saturday in the morning, Akko was coming back from her trip today and Diana was a little to excited, since Akko left something in her gut started telling her this trip was a very bad idea, she didn’t knew why but she was really worried about her girlfriend, anyways, today was the day and she was extremely happy.

From what she knew Akko was probably arriving at noon, so she started her day as usual, she ate her breakfast and she started working on a couple of papers about the new magical-centric hospital she was going to open next week…

*10:30 AM*

It was an hour and a half for Akko to arrive, and Diana knew it, the anxiety didn’t let her continue working so she decided to go change to a casual attire, Akko promised her they were going to have a date once she got back, the Cavendish knew it wouldn’t be an elaborated date because Akko was coming back from a long trip to the forest and the girl was probably tired.

The clothes she choose where a simple button-up white shirt with a blue vest above it, a pair of denim jeans and casual shoes, nothing too formal

*11:50 AM*

Just ten more minutes and Akko would be knocking the door calling for her saying that she was hungry or something like that

*12:15 PM*

Akko was just probably running late as usual

*1:00 PM*

What is one hour? Diana waited for weeks, she could handle a couple more hours

*8:00 PM*

“She is running late, there’s nothing to worry about”

Diana said to herself one more time

*10:00 PM*

After ten long hours Diana finally heard an insistent knock on the front doors

“It has to be her, Anna can you please receive Akko? I’ll be in the kitchens serving some snacks for her”

Diana asked to her maiden as she started walking to the kitchens

“As you please young lady” . . .

“Lady Cavendish, your presence is required at the entrance, someone is asking for you”

One of Diana’s butlers said to her as he entered the kitchen

“Isn't Akko the one that had just arrived?”

Diana asked with confusion

“I’m afraid the one requiring your presence isn’t miss Kagari”

He replied

“Then who is it?”

“They claim to be James McClain”

Diana was confused, James McClain was the leader of the crew Akko was going with to the forest, why was he in her house and not her girlfriend?

“Tell them I’ll be there shortly Carter”

“I’ll tell them young Lady”

The man said as he stepped out of the kitchen, leaving Diana alone with her thoughts . . .

“Diana! Thank the Nine you are here!”

A black man exclaimed with relief when he spotted the blonde girl

“James, it’s nice to see you too, before you say anything I need to know, where’s Atsuko?”

Diana greeted the guy with coldness

“That’s exactly why I am here, Akko is still in the forest”

James said with nervousness while he scratched the right side of his head

“W-what!? Explain yourself now!”

Diana demanded to the guy with brown eyes, also, until now Diana notice the way he was dressed, his shirt was ripped from the left side of his neck letting see a really ugly-looking scrape, his curly hair was a complete mess, and his jeans were burned to the upper part of his calf

“Wait, I think it would be better if we have this conversation inside, also those wounds need to be healed”

She said a little more calmed as she let James enter the manor . . .

“And you guys just leave her there?! All alone!”

Both the blonde and the brunette boy were in a living room talking about everything that happened in the forest a couple of days ago.

After Diana healed James wounds, he finally told her why her beloved girlfriend wasn’t in her house, he said that four days ago when they were exploring a new part of the forest they were attacked, he at first didn’t recognize the beast that attacked them because they escaped from the place as fast as they could.

————

“Is anybody else hearing that sound?”

A guy with blue hair asked to his crew after hearing something scratching a tree

“Don’t worry Arthur, it’s probably just a squirrel”

Someone said to him with no worries

“Yeah… just a squirr-“

The Arthur guy started saying but a scream interrupted him

“Everyone! Run!”

Akko, the witch that accompanied them, yelled as she started casting offensive and defensive spells…

————

James said that that was the only time Akko used any kind of defensive spells, he said that before the attack the trip went without any problems, then, he told Diana that today in the morning when they were going back to the entrance of the forest they again hear the mysterious scratching sound they hear the day of the attack

————

“Guys…”

Arthur said in a fearful whisper

“Shush Arthur, Akko, what do we do?”

A girl with green eyes asked as she shut up her partner

“I don’t think there is a safe escape route right now, unless we want to either go back to the forest or guide the beast to Wedinburgh”

Akko whispered back to the girl with nervousness

“Do you have any ideas James?”

The brunette asked after a couple of intense seconds passed

“I don’t know! You are the witch here!”

He whispered-yelled to her

“Whoa, thanks for th-“

“Roaaaaaar!”

Before Akko could end her sentence a petrifying roar interrupted her, it was so powerful that no one dared to move, and thanks to that they finally discovered what the beast was.

An imposing chimera was in front of them, his lion head was the one that roared, his goat one was pointing at them with its horns and the one from the dragon was looking at them with rage

“Hey there little kitty”

Akko finally said as she get out of her shock, she took out her wand with clumsiness while she was slowly approaching to the beast

“Hissss!”

Now it was the dragon head that made a sound

“Yeah, that’s completely understandable, of course I know what you are saying”

The crimson eyed girl was getting even closer to the chimera, wand now in her right hand

“Now we don't have the time to play kitty, maybe you would like to go back to your house? I’m just saying…”

“Rooooaaaar”

The lion head roar again as the goat head started hitting some trees with its horns, while the beast was doing that Akko took out some sort of note of her sweatshirt pocket

“We don’t have much time, James take this and give it to Diana, tell her I’ll be fine that I’ll be going home someday”

The beast once again turned its three heads to the explorers and when it was about to jump to them Akko screamed the first spell that came into her mind

“Blaecus!”

Akko’s wand glowed in a blinding shine as the spell hit its target, the beast screamed in rage as the dragon head released powerful flames to the forest floor

“And now is time for you to run guys! I’ll catch up with you later”

The witch said as she suit herself in a battling position

All of that happened at ten in the morning, he said, but they didn’t leave the forest until 8:00 pm waiting to Akko to come back, thing that obviously didn’t happen so they just left as fast as they could to alert any other witch they knew

————

“Yes, she is probably still in the forest, but don’t worry Diana she is a powerful witch, I’m sure she’ll be back, and if for some reason she takes to much time to return we could always go to look for her”

James answered to the young woman as he took the note out of his pants pocket

“Also, here is the note Akko told me to gave you, I don’t know what it says, so take it, it’s yours after all”

He handed the note to Diana

Dear Diana, if you are reading this then it means I’m not home yet, therefore it also means something happened here in the forest, probably some sort of problem with some kind of magical beast, if the one delivering this is James then it probably means there’s nothing to worry about, anyways, I promise you I’ll make it through the night, and you’ll never have to feel alone again, I’ll come back soon, see ya!

-Sincerely yours, Akko

Diana read the note slowly making sure she read it right.

Akko was still all alone in a unexplored forest full of all kind of beast, yeah it was totally fine, she is promising she is coming back soon, nothing to worry about at all, she is promising she’ll make through the night, she is sure that Diana would never have to feel alone again, Diana star is still shining she is just a little too far to spot it but she will come back

“Thank you James, I would offer you to stay the night because it is pretty late, but I can’t, sorry”

Diana said with no apology in her voice while she accompanied the man to the doors

“Yeah, I understand, anyways, I need to get home to tell my sister I’m back, I’ll tell you if I find out something about Akko, bye!”

“Bye!”

After he left Diana went to her backyard to stargaze a little, for some reason the night sky always got to calm her nerves but tonight it didn’t worked, everytime she spotted a star she thought about the eyes of her cute and clumsy girlfriend, about how she was all alone in the middle of nowhere probably looking for a way to come back home, but after some anxious and depressing moments Diana finally saw a constellation that did pacified her, it was the Big Dipper, it was the Shiny Rod, it was all Diana needed to see to know Akko was still safe and sound wherever she was

—————————

Three days had already passed and there was no sign of Akko, James told her the Monday morning that if Akko didn’t appear by Friday night they would be going back for her with a new crew full of witches and wizards, Diana was thankful for the gesture but it didn’t calmed her nerves at all, that’s why she was still awake in her room, waiting for someone that was probably injured in the middle of a dangerous forest.

It was two in the morning of the Wednesday and Diana was about to cast a sleeping spell on herself when she saw a green light moving on the forest, it wasn’t very bright and it was probably going to fade very soon, it was moving in the direction of the manor in slow motion, it was like if someone was trying to get out of the place in most stealthy way they could muster, she didn’t reacted until she spot the figure of the person that was approaching to her state

As soon as she saw that disheveled brunette hair she knew who was coming home, she got out of her room the fastest she could and she run to her garden, when she tried to cast a quick light spell she realized she left her wand in her room, but she didn’t cared at all, the light was coming closer and the features of the person were becoming clearer, a cute and tired Asian face, long and dirty brunette hair, and a pair of beautiful and shining red eyes was all Diana needed to start crying, the relief she was feeling was nearly overwhelming.

“Diana!”

She heard the person screamed with happiness

“Diana I’m home!”

She heard again, and she knew this wasn’t some sort of vivid dream, her star was finally home

“What took you so long?”

She asked with relief in her voice as she opened her arms for a very needed hug

“You know, the usual, I was playing with a Chimera and it’s cute babies”

Akko answered with a chuckle as she throw herself into Diana’s embrace

“It sounds tiring, do you want to go to sleep?”

“Yes, just give me a second”

Akko looked up to the night sky and she said

“Thank you for leading me home! I owe you a big one!”

She yelled to apparently no-one

“Who are you talking with?”

“The Rod, I’m sure he was taking care of me”

“Yeah, I’m also pretty sure he was”

——————————

I know it’s late, I know it probably has to many mistakes and I know maybe doesn’t counts as “Space/Stars” but I don’t care, gays (guys) I hope you enjoy this thing product of my Mexican Insomnia©️ There are 3 Easter Eggs I hope you guys can find them!

Background Song: here!

[anotherspnfanfic]

Don’t Go In Alone

A/N: Maybe someday she will learn to listen to her big brothers... today is not that day.

Word count: 1088

She felt intense pain on her right side. She whimpered and tried to open her eyes, finding they were much too heavy.

“Shh, you’re gonna be okay,” she heard someone say. “I’m sorry, I know it hurts. We’ve got you.” That was Dean; she was nearly certain.  She felt someone take her hand gently before she sunk into unconsciousness.

~

“Hey, guys, I think I found a case,” she said wandering up the stairs into the library.

Dean closed the book he was looking through. He was ready to go, regardless of what she’d found. He was getting a bit stir crazy while stuck in the bunker doing research.

Sam looked up from the lore book he was reading. ”What’d you find?”

~

She was aware that the pain in her side had eased slightly.  She heard what she was sure was soft snoring.  She tried again to open her eyes but was exhausted after a moment of effort.

The last thing she felt before she passed out once more was a blanket being shifted over her and pulled up to cover her shoulders.

~

“Werewolf. Three deaths in the last three months,” she started.

“One a month?  Why do you think it’s a wolf?” Sam asked.

“Hearts missing. And it’s always the night of a full moon.  Plus, the days before the full moon, livestock have been going missing.  Pigs, cattle, goats… Changes month to month.”

“So, maybe a pureblood trying to not get caught,” Dean summarized.  “Good enough for me!”

“If they’re trying not to be caught, why hunt around the full moon?” Sam asked.

“Who knows.  What else makes sense though?” she asked.

~

She heard voices.  They were muffled so she couldn’t make out any words.  They got louder—arguing, maybe—but still muffled.

She heard a door creak open and a chair squeal as it was pulled across the floor.  She felt someone take hold of her hand.

“We really need you to wake up now, sis,” said Sam. She felt him kiss the back of her hand and gently run his over the top of her head.

~

“You guys go talk to the locals.  I’m gonna go check out the area around the farms that lost livestock,” she said.

Dean looked like he was about to argue. “Fine, but do not go in any sketchy barns or abandoned farmhouses without us.”

“Yeah, yeah.  I got it.”

She spent the next hour driving around the country roads just outside of town.  She pulled up to a run-down farmhouse with a large shed out back.  She decided to get a closer look.  She found a trail of blood leading into the shed.  She pushed open the unlocked door and found a mutilated sheep.

She sent a text to Sam and Dean: “Pretty sure I found where it’s been living.”

“Come meet us back at the motel, and we can head out there,” Dean texted back.

“You guys just come meet me here, it'll be faster.”

“We’re on our way. Do not go inside alone,” he responded.

~

Again, she heard talking, “I’m worried, Dean.  It’s been more than 24 hours.”

“I know, Sammy.  She’s gonna wake up.  How about you go get some rest.”

She heard Sam let out a defeated sigh before the door opened and closed.

“Come on, kid.  You’re scaring the shit out of me,” said Dean.  “Please, just open your eyes.”

She curled her fingers slightly, just then realizing his hand was holding hers.

“Son of a bitch,” he said.  “Can you hear me, kiddo?  Squeeze my hand again.”

She complied. Managing to move her fingers a bit before she sunk back into darkness.

~

She rolled her eyes as she read Dean’s reply.  She put her phone back in her pocket and went to check out the farmhouse.

She jiggled the handle, finding it locked.  She quickly picked it and carefully pushed it open.

She began quietly wandering around the house.  She finished checking the upstairs and headed back outside.  She rounded the corner towards the door and nearly ran into someone.

“What are you doing here?” he growled.

“I, uh, I was just looking around.  I didn’t know anyone lived here,” she tried to cover as he stalked closer.

She stepped back.  Matching him step for step until she hit a wall.  He had her caged between his arms seconds later.

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

She managed to pull her silver knife from her waist band.  She quickly ran the blade across his forearm causing him to recoil as it burned.  She tried to escape as he reached for her.

She felt the claws tear into her side.  As she hit the ground, she reached for the gun in her boot.  Moments later, she fired two rounds, killing the werewolf.

“Shit,” she hissed.  She tried to put pressure on her wound as best she could.  She pulled her phone out, already dreading Dean’s lecture.

She typed a quick text: “Hurry.”

“Why?  Everything okay?” Sam responded.

“Just hurry,” she sent again.  She dropped her phone and continued to try and stop the bleeding.

Within a few minutes she started to feel sleepy. She fought to stay awake as long as she could.

She closed her eyes as exhaustion overtook her.  The last thing she heard was Dean yelling, “Son of a bitch!”

~

“Yes, Sam, I’m positive.  She moved her fingers.”

“Mmm, owww,” she mumbled.  Finally, she managed to open her eyes.  She blinked several times to clear the blurriness.

Both brothers sighed a breath of relief.  Sam grabbed some water and helped her take a small sip.

She tried to sit up but found Dean’s hand on her shoulder keeping her in place.  “Just relax. I don’t need you busting a stitch.”

“Did I get him, at least?” she asked, her cocky grin rivaled Dean’s.

“Yeah, you got him.” He couldn’t help but smile at her antics, but he quickly sobered, “But not before he almost got you.  Which is why I told you not to go in alone. I should have known though, you never listen to me.”

“I’m sorry. There wasn’t anyone home when I got there.” She gave him her best puppy eyes.

“Don’t give me that look. You could have died.” Dean pointed at her.

“I didn’t mean to scare you. I won’t do it again.”

“Yeah, you will. We all know it. Just try not to get hurt next time.” Sam bent over to kiss her forehead. “Get some rest.  I’m going to go grab us something to eat.”

@muchamusedaboutnothing @deanwasscaredbyacat @babypieandehiskey

[k-renne]

CRACK-UP

Your mother always told you to stay away from wolves, wolves like the Logan family who always seemed to be up to no good. It was only natural as a local farmer, you had to protect your livestock. Farmers just weren’t in the company of befriending werewolves. 

TAGLIST: @thecurlycaptain, @oh-adam, @givemelifeorgiveme

At school you did your best to avoid the Logan boys, Jimmy loud and boisterous was easy to stay away from. But Clyde on the other hand, he always seemed to surprise you. Too busy worrying about one Logan you ran right into the other, dropping all of your books. Being the polite boy that he was Clyde kneeles to help you pick up your stuff, giving you an awkward smile of reassurance as you tried to recover yourself. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” You looked down. 

Clyde frowned, and you still wouldn’t look at him even now. Just once, what he would do to have you look at him. “Here,” He sighed, handing you the rest of your stuff. You quickly shuffled off, he could just hear your heart racing. If only you’d give him a chance, but no doubt your parents told you to stay away after their last incident with the Logan family. He wasn’t even involved in that scheme, your family still resented his ever since Grammy got into a few of your cattle on a full moon. Sometimes, Clyde really hated the curse. Farmgirl, don’t you know I won’t hurt you?

The day that you got handed down the family farm was the day that you made a promise to your mother to never trust a “no good Logan”. It was your only condition really, other than that you were free to run the farm how you wanted to-a gift passed down to you after your college graduation. You had dreams for your humble little family farm, so you accepted.

There was a certain routine to farming that you liked, day in and day out work with what little help you hired seasonally. It was getting to that time again when you were looking to hire a few hands, lighten the load of labor. But good help was harder to come by these days, and the prospects for this season were looking pretty grim.

“Hello ma’am I’m here about the job ad ya posted,” A voice interrupted your thoughts. You looked up to see a sheep-no a wolf, Clyde Logan. 

Your eyes widened as you looked him over, last you heard he had shipped off to Iraq. He was a lot bigger than you remembered at high school graduation, shoulders squared and strong, hair starting to grow past his ears and a bit of scruff on his face. You tried not to stare as you noticed the plastic of his left arm, a pang of sympathy hitting your heart. 

“Clyde, you know I can’t. You can’t work here.” You sighed, shaking your head. 

Your heard paper crumble as he tightened his hold around the copy of his resume. “I know your family-they don’t like us. But I wouldn’t do that to ya, and I know ya need the help. Jimmy said-” 

“Shit, don’t bring Jimmy into this now.” You interrupted Clyde. You wanted no part of his little schemes. But, Clyde was right. You did need the help, you didn’t know what you’d do if you couldn’t hire anyone this season. And the last thing you wanted was to go crawling back to your parents. You needed to figure this one out on your own. 

“We don’t do that anymore, nothin’ will happen to your animals farmgirl,” Clyde frowned. 

“Farmgirl? Is that what you Logans call me behind my back?” You accused him, narrowing your eyes. 

Clyde felt his face get hot, he didn’t mean to call you that. Not out loud at least, it was just his nickname for you and now you probably thought he was trying to tease you. “I didn’t mean that,” He said quietly. 

You huffed, why did he have to do that? Turn things around and make you feel guilty, with those big brown eyes of his. You were the little lamb and he was the wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing, luring you into a false sense of security. 

“Okay Logan, show me what you can do then. Because if my animals all want to run away from you, this definitely won’t work out.” You stood up. This way, it’d make it much easier to say no.

You put on your work boots and led Clyde through the farm, you had never really spent this much time alone with a Logan. Your guard was up, you could sense him looming behind you. A part of you wondered what he would look like transformed, you’d seen pictures of other werewolves - some more monstrous than others. It was hard for you to imagine Clyde being a werewolf, the way that he made himself so unassuming, you weren’t sure if you could tell if it wasn’t a well known secret of Boone County. 

You opened the pen to the field where you let your animals roam free, Clyde standing nervously for a moment before following behind you. “Right now I’m working on making different types of cheeses from my cows and goats, but soon I’ll need to start planting for summer crops. Oh and I also have an orchard going, but that’s a side project.” 

Clyde was impressed, you were doing a pretty good job managing things on your own. But he knew as well as you did that come the warmer months you wouldn’t be able to do everything on your own. You’d burn out fast that way. 

A wandering sheep came up to him and he crouched to its level, putting his hand out to let the sheep sniff him. The sheep let out a baa, and licked Clyde’s hand in approval. 

“Of course,” You sighed. The animals loved him. 

Before long it became clear to you that Clyde would be a natural on your farm, but if your parents found out you hired him you didn’t know what you’d do. Yet with the season right around the corner, it didn’t seem like you had any choice. 

“Alright Clyde, you’re hired.” 

“Really?” He couldn’t hide his smile, eyes lighting up. He needed a job real bad, and it had not been easy getting back into civilian life at all. Besides, he had always wanted to work on a farm. 

“Yes-just don’t look so pleased yet. I can’t have you telling people you work here, and you can’t work Tuesdays or Sundays because my parents visit and if they know I hired you I’m screwed.” 

Clyde was still smiling at you, it felt like the first time in a long time something good was happening to him. “I won’t tell on ya farmgirl.” 

Even with on arm made of plastic, Clyde could do the work of two men around the farm. He motivated you really, with how hard he worked on the farm. Sometimes it felt like he was showing off the way he rolled around barrels of hay with his sleeves rolled up, and you had a hard time trying not to watch. He was strong, really strong, his sweat soaked shirt clinging to his muscles and his hair sticking to his forehead. The way you fed him didn’t help, but what were you supposed to do when the man could eat a whole roast chicken after all the work you gave him? You couldn’t deny his appetite. 

You stared in awe as Clyde devoured your food, your cheeks going hot as he smacked his lips and licked his fingers clean. “Your food is sure good as always farmgirl,” Clyde smiled sweetly at you, before gulping down a glass of water. Droplets of water ran down the sides of his mouth, beading onto the hairs on his chin. He could hear your heart racing as you looked at him, it made him just barely smirk, if only to see you fluster more. 

“I should get back to work,” You looked away from him, avoiding his hungry gaze. 

Clyde really thought that he could do this for the rest of his life, work with you on your farm. But, he hoped that things would be a little different if he stayed here that long. He had his little fantasies back in highschool, of you noticing him and talking with him, getting to dance with you at prom. Silly ideas like that, things he knew could never happening. 

But now, you were so close to him almost every day. Right within his grasp, his sweet crush had matured into the ache of longing, the kind that kept him eager every day to see you. He knew you could do a great job together, he’d help you make the farm your own and a little bit of his too. Sharing it all, helping you realize your dreams all the while showing you a little bit of Logan fun. 

He had never felt this way about any girl before, so intensely that he’d do anything for you if you just asked. He never put a name to this feeling until one day with Mellie. 

“Clyde, who’s the girl?” Mellie asked him. 

“Girl? I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about?” 

“The girl who you’re in love with, I wasn’t sure at first, you were having a hard time after coming back but all of the sudden lately you’ve been much more yourself and something else.” Mellie explained. 

“I’m not in love,” Clyde defended, his cheeks getting pink. He wasn’t seeing any girl right now, but you came to mind. He liked being around you but it wasn’t anything that serious, was it? 

“Clyde, I’m your sister. I know. And you haven’t been very discreet about it, I see that look on your face when your “boss” call you. So spill! Who is she? I need to know the girl who stole your heart.” 

Clyde mumbled, “Farmgirl.” No use in hiding it from Mellie, she’d see right through him. 

“Hmm? I didn’t hear that, say it louder for me now.” She teased him. 

“I’m in love with farmgirl,” He growled, wood cracking as he gripped the table hard. 

Mellie’s eyes widened, now that she was not expecting. “Ya mean the girl whose parents hate us? That farmgirl?” She knew right away just who he meant. 

Clyde dropped his head, shame filling him as his hair fell over his eyes. “Yeah...that one.” He murmured. He was well and truly fucked now, it was easy for humans to fall in and out of love but for werewolves that feeling never really went away. He had to walk away and be on his own for a while, mull it all over. 

His chest hurt thinking about it, falling in love with a human was one thing - but falling in love with a human who didn’t accept what he was? It was agony. 

Something was different when Clyde came to work Monday, it made you worried about him. You knew he had gone through a lot, and though you didn’t like to be nosy with him about it you wondered if that was the thing bothering him. He was much quieter than usual too, normally he’d ask you how Sunday went, about his favorite animals that he had befriended. 

Or maybe it was a werewolf thing, you always wondered about that. You knew that he was different in some ways, but you didn’t know just how much it affected him. It might be inappropriate, but your curious mind had to ask. “Clyde, what’s it like to be a werewolf?” 

Clyde paused what he was doing, “I hope it’s okay if I ask that,” You say softly. 

He turned to look at you, his eyes uncertain as he pressed his lips together in a familiar pout. “I’m just surprised ya would ask something like that, s’all.” 

He seemed hesitant to answer your question, not sure if it would reveal too much. “Sorry if it’s too much, I just feel like you know a lot about me but if we’re working together I figured maybe I should know about you too.” You tried to justify it, rambling as you felt nervous, trying to focus back on the task at hand. 

Clyde’s gaze softened and he sighed, you sure didn’t make it any easier on him. Even with your family, he wanted to believe that you were better than them. But your future hinged on one condition that meant he couldn’t be in your life the way he wanted to, working for you was already crossing a line. 

He pushed his shovel into the dirt, “They say it’s not all that different in a lotta ways. S’hard cause this is all I know.” 

He continued to work as you nodded for him to keep sharing, “I know everything is more intense, like senses for example-I know when ya make bacon and eggs for breakfast or just a bowl of cereal. Can tell a lot about other animals too.” 

“I guess that is pretty helpful around here,” You smiled, even if you were a little flustered knowing he could tell so much about you with scent alone. 

“Yeah-and we do hunt, but mostly stick to animals that would ruin the environment if they didn’t get hunted and that only happens every full moon.” He further explains. 

“Does it hurt? When you change that is…” You ask. 

“No-well, my left arm hurts...but that’s just me. Mostly it just gets very itchy, and then it’s sweet relief.” Clyde clicks his tongue. The way you looked back at him made his heart ache, you were so captured in what he was saying, holding on to every word. 

“I’ve never seen one before, I mean a werewolf that is. Well not transformed, I mean. Just pictures.” You keep changing your words, shaking your head. Clyde grins. 

“Would it be dangerous?” You asked. 

His eyes were full of mirth, “Maybe a little, farmgirl,” He stepped closer to you, towering over you in the barn. “Might smell ya and think you’re ripe for the takin’,” His voice deepened, making you whimper. 

Clyde chuckled, “Ah I’m just teasin’, we’d never hurt ya. At least the Logans wouldn’t, but I won’t let any of the dangerous type get even near this area. Werewolves are...territorial, too.” We protect what’s ours, he wanted to say, but kept that to himself. 

“Oh well, I know you wouldn’t hurt me Clyde.” Of course he wouldn’t. You felt that in your bones. 

He felt pride at that, knowing he had come a long way with you. “Maybe one day you’ll see a werewolf.” He hummed. 

“Is there anything else I’m missing?” 

Clyde blushed, he’d probably keep the part about ruts and claiming to himself, you did not need to know about that side of him. “Nope, s’pretty much everything.” Though he couldn’t get the idea of pinning you with his hips and filling you with his cum out of his head, he had to look away before he did something obscene. 

Good, talking to him did work. Whatever was bothering him this morning seemed to be forgotten in this moment, at least you could do that much for him. 

After another day of work you and Clyde enjoyed a couple of beers on the porch, “You know, you Logan’s really aren’t so bad.” 

“That’s because there’s only one of us.”

“Oh yeah Clyde?” 

“Yup,” He smirked, taking a sip of his beer. 

“C’mon, I know you didn’t get into juvie over nothing,” You playfully hit his arm. 

It was really hard to say no to you when you looked like that, smile making your eyes sparkly, the frizz of your hair glowing in the setting sun and you smelled good too, you always did to him. Even after the days were you were drenched in sweat, the sweetness always stayed. “I swore not to say a word.” He pressed his lips into a pout, licking beer off his moustache. 

“Pleaaase,” You bumped shoulders with him, leaning close. “Like I’m gonna be talkin’ to Jimmy anytime soon.” 

Clyde sighed, you were right on that one. “We were always gettin’ into schemes like that, but that time was the first time we ever got caught-well...I got caught.” 

Clyde told you the story of his last Cauliflower plan, the biggest one yet. “But, my life of crime is over.” He said seriously.

“Hmm, s’pose it is hard to imagine you as an ex con. I’d rather have you work for me instead,” You sipped your drink. “But I do wish I could pay you more,” You added with a sigh. 

Clyde put his hand on your shoulder, “You pay me just fine farmgirl,” 

“Say uh, would you like to stay for dinner?” You offered. 

He sucked in a breath, Mellie’s words repeating in his mind you’re in love with her. “I don’t know, should probably go home and take a shower, don’t wanna be a bother.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Clyde! You are not a bother, besides I have two showers-we probably both need one. It won’t be anything fancy but, it’d be nice if you stayed.” 

He wanted to terribly. He’d do anything if you just asked him, “Alright, I’ll stay,” He nodded. 

Your mother always said, a way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. And you never really intended to win Clyde’s heart, but maybe you wanted to him to know just how much you appreciate him. Food was one way you could do that. 

Fresh out of the shower in a comfortable sundress, you began preparing the ingredients for dinner. You heard Clyde coming by the sound of his feet on the creaky floorboards, stopping for a moment as he stilled in his tracks. 

Come to think of it, he’d never seen you in a dress before. You looked so beautiful out of your muddied work clothes it shocked him, and that damned dress was showing off your pretty legs too-much more skin than you ever showed with your well worn jeans. 

“You alright Clyde? You can take a seat you know,” You teased him.

“Oh no, that’s not how my momma taught me.” He stood by your side at the kitchen counter. “Now you just tell me how I can help.” 

“Well I thought I said I was making you dinner,” You put your hands on your hips. 

“No you didn’t sweetheart,” Clyde smiled, teasing you. 

The way he said sweetheart almost made you gasp, “You just go and relax Clyde, I’ll be just fine on my own.” 

He shook his head, you were always so stubborn. Determined to do things on your own, but with help it would get done so much faster and you deserve to relax just as much if not more than he did. “Farmgirl when are you gonna learn that it’s better not to do it all alone?” 

That seemed to hit a nerve, you put down the knife. “I don’t know Clyde, sometimes it just seems easier to be alone.” 

Oh how he ached for you in this moment, it was no wonder you liked talking to him. He didn’t see you around town much, probably too exhausted to do much more. He understood now, you were lonely. Maybe with how well you hide it he didn’t notice, loneliness wasn’t something that was obvious until you really know a person. But he understood loneliness, he often felt it too. 

He had his family, his pack. Yet there was something missing, something that instinctually drives a werewolf. He didn’t have anyone he could call a mate, and that made him feel pangs of loneliness more often than not. But, he had to accept it just wasn’t in the cards for him. Still, he couldn’t resist comforting you. 

“I know it does, but you’re not...you’re not alone,” He reassured you. “And it’s okay to ask for help too,” He took the knife. 

Clyde left your farm that day more certain than ever, he was hopelessly in love. If only you felt the same.