#and if you don't and you pit the decision on me then the least you can do is respect my choices

[pickingupmymercedes]

Let's talk that stupid ass strategy bc my head is still hot and not even an effing long run did it's job (yes I thouched some grass while at it)

Mercedes changed that whole damn setup from Friday to Saturday and had almost no real data on long runs (from what I recall they did 2 laps on hards with Lewis and that was it)

They decide to go on a gamble starting with USED softs in a track where tyre management and track position is key

Even if Lewis has a miraculous start and jumps to p1 even, then what? He still needs to pit early, he still needs to go through the field and wait for others to pit, he still needs to run in dirty air.

Even with every single scenario going just the right way he stills gets to the end of the race with an offsett of at least 12-15 laps older tyres.

And that doesn't even consider the very likely scenario that a SC was a 100% garantee up until this race. Then what? Everyone pits and Lewis stays out bc he was already on the hards and he's left just as vulnerable

They had no idea how the pace of that car would be like. None. Even when they don't dismantle the entire car they have no flipping idea how that car is gonna perform bc it is that unreliable

For effing sake's Ferrari tried that exact same strategy with Charles starting from p3 last year. Know what happened? a p4 with +21s to the ones running with newer tyres (he would've been p5)

And don't even come at me with 'tyre strategies are up to the drivers' bc 1- it isn't, Mercedes has made Lewis go incredibly and unnecessarily long on stints when we had the w10/w11/w12 and have overriden Lewis's decisions on tyres before, 2- didn't Merc learn from Spa that you don't let a driver call the shots when you're the one with the data, when trying to hold a p3 or even losing a position to p4 is miles better than whatever gamble they tried, bc honestly that car even on its best days did not outpace the Mclarens.

[fromdusttosoil]

There is something very ironic about the same people who told me i need to learn how to set boundaries going and crossing every single one i set for myself.

[batterygarden]

trapped in a bomb shelter with your big bro naoya

cw: big bro! naoya x fem & afab! reader, dead dove do not eat, misogyny! (and it's my kink so it's not like.. refuted), mild degradation (naoya calls u dumb), but naoya's sweet too, depression and nihilism, masturbation (both of u), sorta dubcon (tagged), fingering, and light mentions of: p in v, somno, cunnilingus, bondage, cowgirl, humiliation kink (on you), naoya being possessive, 1.7 k words

18+, minors don't interact

It’s surprising when the attack is announced how quickly Naoya moves to grab you. The gears in your mind haven’t even processed the news—that doomsday is upon you—by the time your brother has you snatched up in his arms and he’s running. 

Most of the clan’s away at a local festival—a whole kilometer’s walk from the great zenin estate and the bomb shelter your esteemed (and wealthy) clan head installed. You and Naoya are the only ones to make it in time. 

Naoya has never been the warmest big brother. In fact, there have been plenty of times where you thought you hated him. But at the end of the day you know he cares for you—even if it’s in his twisted, roundabout way. Still, enough that you were his first and only priority to shove into the little bunker beneath your estate surprised you a bit. 

You aren’t sure Naoya thought his decision out—you know he didn’t have time to properly. The way he rushed to your room and scooped you in his arms, no pit stops before locking the thick bunker door closed behind him—before anyone else had the chance to join. It ended up being for the best, explosions outside were heard only too shortly after—still, you hope he doesn’t regret it.

You’re nearing day 10 inside your small shelter, and if the shaking ground and dire radio warnings Naoya managed to pick up are any indicator—the world outside isn’t going to be inhabitable again for a while. 

Naoya is handling things better than expected. He’s thrown himself to small tasks—keeping the mind sharp he calls it. He’s less grumpy than he could be—resilient. Honestly the one lacking in mental fortitude is you.

“You can’t just sit there watching me do push ups. You need to move around too, dummy.” 

“Nii-san im starting to lose the point.”

“The point?”

“I don’t understand why anything matters anymore if we’re all that’s left.” 

He wipes sweat from his brow, glaring at you while he drinks some water. 

“You just said it. Things still matter because we are still here. Eventually outside will be safe again and we’ll get out and start over. Don’t get all stupid and weepy in the meantime.” 

You try to stay occupied, you try to do as Naoya says, but still, you struggle. Spending day after monotonous day trapped in here, you can’t help but start to get depressed.

Then one day Naoya says he needs to touch himself. 

And there’s no room for you to avoid him while he does. You’re uncomfortable—-giving him a look that conveys it. But he insists he has to. 

“I’m a man. Don’t be dense.” 

Before you know it his cock is out and he’s fisting it at a leisurely pace, leaning back on the bed with his other hand. You face away from him, trying and failing to focus on rereading your book. But then he says your name, and when you look he’s still exposed and hard, but he beckons for you to come closer. He isn’t satisfied with your closeness till you’re sitting beside him on the bed. 

He’s still stroking himself slowly when he says: “You need this, too. Touch yourself.” 

You freeze for a minute then shake your head. Is this some kind of test? It’s shameful…

“Saving yourself for marriage doesn’t matter anymore if we’re all that’s left. You’re practically mine now anyways, since our entire clan is obliterated. It’s just me ‘n you.”

...You need to collect your thoughts. In the first place… you’re unsure how far you could get away with disobeying your big brother. He’s been somewhat softer in the shelter, better behaved than he was outside, at least. But you haven’t forgotten the way he used to act when he didn’t get his way… conniving and nasty—you’ve witnessed his wrath more times than you can count. Notably, though, It wasn’t ever pointed at you—his attitude towards his little sister has only ever been mischievous at worst. He’d simply mock and pick apart, invade your personal space and mess up your hair—though you’re sure he’d have been much worse if you didn’t go out of your way to be inoffensive. All in all, a hard no from you now would be a first inside the shelter. 

Then there’s the honest truth of the matter: he’s right. Naoya may as well be the last person on earth for all you know, and you have been going crazy with hormones and neediness—but too afraid to touch yourself with no alone time. It’s a week after your period so you’re pretty sure you’re ovulating, and Naoya’s been walking around shirtless, acting just as touchy as always, but kinder than usual—and it’s not like he’s unattractive. 

It’s sick that you’re even considering it. Touching yourself at your brother’s command—you’re a daughter of a distinguished clan! Maybe this little bunker truly is making you crazy…

In the end, the same idea that’s been infecting your mind constantly post doomsday wins out: nothing matters anymore anyways. 

That thought is how you justify laying back on the bed beside your brother, stripped of your robes and spread-legged, two fingers pumping in and out of your pussy while you buck against your palm. 

Naoya’s sharp eyes watch from beside you, never missing a thing while he continues stroking his cock. You’re so relieved to be giving your pussy attention after so long, you don’t even dwell on how messed up it all is. 

After a while of trying to cum but barely reaching that special spot inside you to do so, Naoya can’t take watching anymore. 

“My sweet sister, how old are you, again? You can’t even make yourself cum?” Naoya tucks his hard-on in the waistband of his pants, focusing entirely on you. 

The mattress squeaks as he scoots closer, large hand around your ankle to spread you wider for his gaze. 

You stop pumping your fingers, giving him a slow stare. He frowns. “No, no, keep trying. Let me see what’s the matter.” 

So you do, working yourself up while you and Naoya watch each other, humping your palm when you get close again. You whine, biting your lip while you brush against the part inside you that feels best. Still, it’s not enough. You’re on the edge of tears searching for that release when—

“Okay, stop, sweet thing. You clearly need a man to do this.” 

You pant while you look up at him, remembering what exactly is going on here when you pull your messy fingers away. It only makes you wetter when you think of the nastiness of it all.

“Nii-san?” 

It shouldn’t surprise you when his fingers replace yours, but it does, Naoya’s warm touch with no warning earning a little jump. 

He doesn’t comment, only sets to work with his middle and ring finger sinking deep into your hole, curling right where you need them but couldn’t reach yourself, pressing his thumb to your clit at the same time. 

It feels heavenly. So good you almost close your eyes, but you can’t somehow. You wouldn’t want to lose a glimpse of Naoya—his eyes are transfixing. 

And, like always, Naoya watches you back.

His expression while he does is patient and relaxed in a way that reminds you of when he helped you with homework or something as a kid. Patient and bored if you ever struggled or needed help—like he always had low expectations for you. You suppose that’s why he had so much more patience for you than he did for other family members—your shortcomings were at times endearing while those he thought were supposed to be strong had stricter standards. 

Ultimately, an inability to make yourself cum seems like something Naoya expected of you. 

And he wasn’t lying about his ability to help—his bigger fingers fit inside you just where you need them, and it takes your brother only minutes to earn your release, clamping down on him while you make a mess on the bed, crying out and arching—after edging for so long the orgasm lasts what feels like forever. 

Noaya fucks you after that. He may as well, he tells you—he still needs to get off and it’ll feel good for you this way too. And he’s right, he may as well. It’s the end of the world and your brother may as well fuck you. And of course his cock feels amazing—it manages to feel like a solace in this bunker where nothing matters. 

After that day, miraculously, you start to perk up. Naoya figured out the key to your depression, the key to keeping you occupied—it’s sex. Everyday your big brother fucks you and every day you get better. 

Things stay interesting because when you’re fucking every day—you experiment. Or at least, Naoya does—he’s the creative one between the two of you, you’re just along for the ride. 

You wake up in knots of rope one morning with Naoya’s tongue between your legs—you’re in the middle of an orgasm. He splits you open on his cock afterwards for good measure. He lets you ride him another day, something you’re fairly sure he’s never let a woman do. You cockwarm him while the two of you read a book at the same time—it’s silly. He’s kept you tied up almost an entire day before, doing whatever he wanted, exposed and embarrassed. You’re his little cock sleeve of a sister, he says. 

“You know I’m actually glad that at least this way, stuck in here, no other clan can have you. They wouldn’t deserve you as a wife, not one of them. It’s a silver lining—this way, you’re all mine.” 

[coco-loco-nut]

Forza Red Bull

Pairing: Max x Best Friend Reader

Summary: You have a big decision to make, stick with Red Bull or move to Ferrari

A/n: changing when the driver's press conference is for the plot. Thanks for the request!! I loved writing this

requests open masterlist

_________

It is getting increasingly harder to hide your trips to the Ferrari motorhome, where you are negotiating a potential contract. Fred has been talking with you the latter half of the season, just waiting on a phone call from you, one that you are reluctant to take despite it being an offer you can't otherwise refuse.

Your contract ends after this season and Red Bull is waiting until after the season to offer you a new contract, despite them knowing your requests. To you, Red Bull’s waiting says everything. They aren’t confident in you, and they don’t want you.

Carlos is leaving the Ferrari team, having gotten a better seat elsewhere. Most F1 fans believe Ferrari will be signing Ollie Bearman or Arthur Leclerc.

"Y/n, it's a beautiful day for racing," Max wraps his arm around your shoulders, fresh from a workout. The hot Abu Dhabi air doesn't help the sweat.

"Ew, Max, get off of me, you smell," you gag for the added effect.

"I'm wounded, my own teammate and best friend?" Max places his hand over his heart.

"Go shower than we can talk. I stopped dealing with sweaty Max after karting," you shove him off of you. Max rolls his eyes, heading to shower while you beeline for coffee.

Your heart hurts while greeting the staff you have grown to love since you joined the team in 2021. Hannah sits down beside you.

"How are you feeling today?" she asks, handing you a pastry.

"Good, I think I have a shot at winning today, hopefully with your brilliant strategy I will," you smile hopefully, one that drops as you see her cringe a little.

"About that, Christian wants you to defend," Hannah tells you, you can feel the anger building. You have been so close to beating Max last year and the championship is just within your grasp, you need this win. You should've known better, you were brought onto the team for your ability to defend. She shouldn’t even be warning you about Christian’s strategy, but she has a soft spot for you as a friend.

"Hannah, please," your eyes beg her to give you the better strategy.

"I'm sorry, Y/n," she whispers, the one person on pit wall you thought that was on your side other than your race engineer. You swallow your pride and nod, looking away.

"Understood, I'll defend," you say after a second.

"You are a wonderful teammate and driver, Max is lucky to have you," her comforting words fall flat. Max. Your best friend and fiercest competition.

"I have to go to the press conference," you say, standing up and walking away.

"Y/n? Everything okay?" Pierre asks, you two weren't close, but you were a part of a group chat for drivers who are traumatized by Red Bull, one that you had often joked that you don't belong in. Now you know why Daniel added you.

"Red Bull," you huff angrily.

"I'm sorry," Pierre doesn't know why he's apologizing, but he can certainly empathize with you. The two of you walk to the conference together. You weren't close with Pierre, but you aren't enemies either.

You receive the first question of the conference.

"Y/n, you've been strong in free practice and qualifying. How are you feeling going into today, knowing that these are crucial points in your battle with your teammate, Max? Especially since you were in this position last year," the interviewer asks.

"Wow, starting off strong. Um, yeah, the car has felt great all weekend, I feel great going into today. It's always so much fun to race with Max, something I've had the privilege to do since we were karting together. Max got the win last year, so I hope I can secure it for myself this year," You say, hoping that satisfies the question. It does, at least until the journalists.

"How is Red Bull handling the driver situation, seeing that you and Max are both fighting for a championship," the journalist asks.

"Obviously the team wants us both to succeed, they will have a winner either way. I'm really glad to be with a team that supports both of us that way," you lie through your teeth, knowing that Christian wants Max to win. There is a reason that the Red Bull PR team loves you doing press conferences. You can feel Pierre, Carlos, and Daniel looking at you, knowing that you are likely lying, they just aren't sure which part.

"Good luck today, Y/n, if someone is going to beat me, I want it to be my best friend. If it isn't this year, I know you will take next year's Red Bull to the top," Max hugs you. Your anger dissolves for a moment, you aren't mad at him. He makes a great point, you already have a great relationship with Red Bull, you love it here, even if Christian makes you mad sometimes. Ferrari is, well, Ferrari. The car isn't as good and the strategy is lacking. You are smart, you know Red Bull is the better team, and Christian can't ignore your ability after this season.

"Thank you, Maxie. I hope you lose," he can't help but to laugh with you. You go into your driver's room to text your agent, letting them know which team you chose.

"Y/n, are you sure?" She asks over the phone, calling you immediately.

"I am," your agent agrees to let both teams know, only asking you to call her after the race.

You get ahead later in the race, wheel to wheel with Max as you battle for P1. You know Red Bull isn't going to show their hand that they want Max to win yet.

Y/n, let Max overtake

The instructions flow through your earpiece, you push harder.

No. Max can take the win from my cold dead hands. That's a team order, Y/n I don't give a shit. Tell Christrian and Hannah to fuck off.

Max is a bit confused why you aren't letting him pass, GP told him he was getting the overtake, but he respects you wanting to fight. You ignore your engineer trying to get you to follow team directions.

Y/n, I'm saying this as your friend, your race engineer for the past 3 years. Max has the faster pace, you have to let him pass before you end up in a crash

You hold back the tears in your eyes, as you watch Max slide in front of you, taking P1.

It's not fair. I know, keep fighting. We will get it next season. I will hold you to that. Red Bull owes me that much.

You keep your helmet on after the race, not letting the cameras see you cry. Max immediately finds you after weigh-ins.

"Y/n, I'm so sorry, I didn't know they were going to do that," Max says, pulling you into a hug.

"I knew. Hannah told me this morning," you do your best not to take your anger out on him.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've fought for you, you're my best friend," Max asks, confused.

"I didn't want you to throw your race for me,"

"This isn't happening next year, I will make Christian understand that. You fought so hard for the win, you deserved it," Max tells you and you nod.

"I know, I'm negotiating it into my contract. I have to go pee and make it look like I wasn't crying. I'll see you in a minute," you tell Max, purposefully being ambiguous like you have the past couple months, going into the private bathroom to make the quick call, getting your phone from your assistant.

"You have the green light to announce your contract," she says before you hang up. You subtly give your phone back and head to the podium.

"That was one hell of a fight, is Red Bull mad at you for ignoring team orders, even though you did give up the spot?" You are asked after the podium by Sky Sports.

"Probably, not that it matters much now since it was the last race of the season," you shrug.

"You have yet to announce your contract renewal with Red Bull, will you be negotiating the team orders part?" Another asks.

"Yeah, I will be making sure any future contracts don't allow something like today to happen again. Red Bull has been waiting because of my salary increase. Which is why I will be joining Scuderia Ferrari next season," you say, dropping the bomb. You had been tempted to say Forza Ferrari over the team radio.

Max looks at you in disbelief and hurt. You don't comment after that, electing to leave the room and go back to your driver's room. Charles nods supportively at you, having been informed already about his new teammate.

"Y/n, open the door," you hear Max's voice on the other side a few minutes after you change.

"Max, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I made the decision minutes before the race," your voice cracks a little.

"How long have you been talking to them?"

"Since after summer break,"

"Damn it! Why didn't you tell me, I could've helped you," Max looks utterly broken.

"Because you needed to focus on your racing. Even if I stayed things would be good for a few races then they would go back to how they are now. Red Bull will always choose you. I'm not mad at you for it, please know that," you plead a little as Max pulls away from you.

"You knew you were changing teams for half of the season and didn't tell me. You are going to our rival. You are supposed to be my best friend,"

"I am your best friend, Maxie, I wasn't allowed to say anything,"

"Don't call me that, I can't be friends with someone who doesn't trust me," Max gets up and leaves.

"Max! Max, please come back," you cry, a hole in your heart. You leave the paddock discreetly and go back to your hotel room. Usually, you'd be celebrating with Max, but now you don't know what to do. There is a knock on your door, you hope it's Max,

Daniel, Pierre, Yuki, Carlos, and Alex stand at your door with wine, a cake that reads 'Fuck Red Bull' and another that reads 'The real WDC winner'.

"Max is a dickhead," Daniel offers as you let them into your room. Despite Daniel's good relationship with Christian, he knows right from wrong.

"Thanks, guys. How did you even get cakes like this last minute?" you say, happy to celebrate with them.

“It’s a secret,” Yuki smiles secretively.

"Sorry, Y/n, you deserved the win. I'm glad you are taking my seat at Ferrari," Carlos says, patting your shoulder.

"Let's get drunk, eat cake, then go to the club," Pierre suggests, a plan that you all quickly agree to. Yuki and Alex show you the massive support you are receiving online and the backlash Red Bull is getting. It is comforting, you just wish your best friend was here.

Twitter has a field day with the squad you roll up to the bars with, but they all ask the same question, where's Max. It takes until testing for you to comment on it.

"You shocked the world after announcing a move to Ferrari not long after being forced to lose the world championship. Any harsh feelings towards Max Verstappen following last year's drama?" you are asked right away.

"None. Other drivers might be mad or take it out on the track, but at the end of the day, it wasn't his call, it was Red Bulls. Obviously, it sucks to lose someone who was your best friend, but everything happens for a reason. I can't wait to drive equally with my teammate and have the Tifosi support," you say, catching Max watching you out of the corner of your eye. He is obviously still upset. You ignore him, he can find you when he is ready to apologize.

"If she had told me what she was planning on doing, maybe we would be friends still, but I can't be friends with people who lie to me and are traitors," Max says when asked for his opinion. Max only apologized after you won the season with Ferrari, you think it was because Charles and Daniel forced him to. You are just happy to have your friend back.

[sp1d3rzz]

The Devil's Bride

Ryōmen Sukuna

Warning!! : Mentions of death/killing, forced marriage, and basically Sukuna being an asshole and having no respect for reader.

Summary : After Sukuna reclaims his throne and becomes known as the King of Curses once again, he decides on bringing forth a Queen. You

A/N : I somewhat switch pov's during this so don't get confused. Part 2 coming soon!!

Days have passed since Sukuna has once reclaimed his throne. Yet, he seems to be bored out of his mind. There's nothing to occupy him from his apathy.

Sure, he has countless people at his feet he can order to do as he pleases. But what's the fun in that? He needs something exciting to happen. Something to fill his empty pit of boredom.

He contemplates on whether or not he should start a war, find more slaves soldiers to do his bids, or perhaps even go on a killing spree somewhere random in this dark, dark world. Better yet— why not just kill everyone??

Well, not yet at least.

His teeth grind together and his fists clench in annoyance to this endless pit of nothing he can't seem to shake off.

But just before he rips someone's eyes out with his bare nails from frustration, he forges an idea. And with that idea, comes a no-good smirk spreading across his face.

What does every king have in every fairytale, movie, and book? That's correct. A Queen.

"You." His thundering voice reaches the ears of a guard who could be approximately 52ft ahead of him. "Come here." he motions with his fingers.

Almost immediately, the soldier makes his way up the steps and to the throne of his King. "Yes, my Lord?"

Sukuna makes a simple face of boredom, supporting his head with a propped up fist. "Gather 5 of my best soldiers and find me my Queen." his eyes squint, which silently says 'Hurry it up.'

And without another word, the guard takes off to seek out to the Kings orders.

Not many people could get in the mind of Ryōmen Sukuna. To understand what goes on in that so called empty mind of his is mildly impossible. But, taking a wild guess, the soldier puts together things the King takes an interest in.

Power, Control, and Cruelty.

To find a Queen fit to the Kings likings, she must be innocent. A girl who can't stand up for herself, but when she attempts to, she cowards out.

A girl who needs someone to make the decisions for her. But also a girl who has a little spark in her soul. A spark that can carry her to victory no matter the battle.

This shall be the woman who Sukuna finds quite delightful.

The next step was finding a girl who fits this description.

While this soldier is pondering off into space, he almost forgets about his group of men. Which, he's surprised to see catch up to him with a younger looking woman.

"P-Please!! Let me go!" she sobs, loud enough the birds in the trees fly away and flee from the scene.

Tears flow down her cheeks and onto the dirt. Her clothes are scrunched up and dirty, most likely from how roughly his men handled her. And her breathing is so uneven, she might just pass out.

"I swear I'll never tell a soul—" hic! ",if you just let me go!"

There's two men on each side of her, both practically dragging her through the ground. "We found her out here by herself. She seems to be lost." The one on the left inquires.

Once she's dragged to be met face to face with the lead soldier, he grins.

She's a mess. Forehead so sweaty strands of her hair stick to it. Panting so rapidly, she might use up all the air she has left in her lungs.

The soldier takes one last look at the girl, eyes scanning her over, just to analyze how fit she is to take the role as Sukuna's Queen.

"What do you want for me?! Why– why are you doing this!" the girl begs to know any sort of information. Anything to get a grasp on herself.

No one responds.

She looks to her sides, expecting any kind of answer. But is instead met with the men completely ignoring her.

"She'll do perfectly."

Heavy footsteps echo throughout your head, which by now has been ruined with a horrible headache. Lucky you.

It's hard to tell how long you've been out for. If they've hurt you, or if you've somehow died and awoken in the after life.

The only thing you're sure of is how much pain is coursing through your body. It's to the point you're numb all over and you can barely lift your head up. Barely lift a finger for that matter.

"My lord." A familiar voice rings in your ear and back out. "Your Queen." Another one seems to say in-front of you.

In a desperate attempt to figure out what the hell is happening, you weakly lift your head, blinking a couple of times to regain your focus.

Your vision still remains slightly blurry, but you're only able to make out a set of stairs. Stairs that lead to what seems to be a throne. And in that throne, sits a man.

As you concentrate on this mysterious man, your vision slowly begins to recover.

He has spiky pink hair, long black nails, two eyes on one side, with a plated set of 2 more next to it, and 4 arms? His chiseled shirtless body seems to be tattooed with stripes and dots on each of his shoulders. No, no, this can't be right.

"Bring her here." his voice practically echoes into the air.

Your eyes widen to this sudden command, and you wiggle your arms, attempting to loosen yourself of the men who have you a strict hold over you.

Though it seems to not work, because the men ignore you and continue to their orders. Step by step, the men take you to who appears to be the lead of this whole situation. The man who looks to be the devil himself.

In protest, you kick your feet a little, trying to gain balance and hopefully escape wherever you've been brought to.

But before you can successfully break away, it's too late.

You're met with the horrifying (but somewhat sexy) face of the man who has caused you all of this misery. You scowl at him, which in return earns you a small look of satisfaction.

Disgusting.

His men hold you up to him like a piece of meat, dangling you in-front of his nose as if he was meant to devour you with one swift bite.

His eyes scan up and down your figure. Almost like he's purposely invading your personal space. "Pretty little thing, aren't you?" his words taunt you in a sense you'd never thought you'd feel.

You avert your eyes from his. Turning your head away so he's only in view of your cheek. You're mentally unable to face him.

The prideful moment you had was quickly interrupted. With one swift move of his arm, his hand snatches your chin and snaps you back so you can looking him eye to eye. "Did I say you could look away?" he growls.

His sharp nails press into your skin, making you wince. With how tight his grip is on you, it feels like your skin might tear.

His brows scrunch together lightly as his eyes lock with yours.

"I-"

"Silence." he's quick to cut you off.

Your mouth closes shut almost instantly, and your head drops once he releases you from his grasp. Pathetic.

Everything hurts so much. Your head, your body, and apparently your voice now too.

Small whispers spread around you. From one person to another, you can hear all sorts of comments the strange people are making about you.

If the men holding you up right now were to let go of you, you're sure you would collapse and never get back up again. Fall into an endless abyss and never awaken.

"Take her to the cellar. I shall deal with her later." he orders.

You groan a little when the men tighten their arms around yours. But your vision fades back to nothing as they take you away.

It's been hours.

Hours of crying, screaming, and wishing upon your own death. To end this confusing mess that has somehow been brought upon to you.

You're curled up in the corner of the cell, cold walls and bars keeping you away from whatever source of life might be out there.

It almost pitch black in the haunting cellar. The only things in sight is your arms, which wrap around your legs to pull yourself into a tight ball.

Everything feels dirty. You feel dirty.

Small droplets of damp moisture fall from the ceiling and hit the rough concrete. Your skin is hot, tingling up your bones to the point you might overheat.

Your mouth is dry, deprived from the lack of water you've had in the past week or so.

Before you were captured, you were on the run from home, escaping the endless chains of torment your parents had put you through.

It might have been a stupid decision, especially since you had no where to go at the time, but it had to happen. Your life wasn't meant to be lived like that, and neither was it for this life.

Your eyes close shut, mind struggling to block out the unbearable sound of water meeting cold, hard, ground. It itches down your skin with every fall.

Abruptly, the creak of a wooden door captures your attention quickly. Lifting your head up out of curiosity to see who's there.

"H-Hello..?" You call out, but it seems useless since no one replies anyways. Though you know someone has to be there. The evidence of lingering footsteps tells enough.

Seconds pass by to what seems to be an eternity before the footsteps stop in-front of your cage cell.

Everything, including the man in-front of you, seems so unreal.

He doesn't say anything, just stares down at you as if you were just some dirt on the floor.

"What do you want from me!" You shout at him, but it appears to get you no answer except a irritating frown.

Your teeth are gritted together, and it take everything out of you to not pounce at him. Well, not like you have the strength or energy to do so anyways.

He rests his bottom two arms on his hip, and crosses his other two over his bare chest. "Y'know, you're starting to piss me off."

A moment of silence rests between the two of you before he finally speaks up again.

"What's your name?" it's more of a demand than a question, but you don't care. You don't owe him anything.

And once again, another pass of silence flows by.

He raises a brow, giving you another chance to answer. But, it seems you wont of any use for the time being.

"Name's Sukuna, but you can call me your King."

His words catch you by surprise, lifting your eyes up in a shockingly manner. "W-What..?" you have to confirm what he just said was actually him and not just an imaginary voice in your head.

He let's out a huff, shaking his head to your stupidity. "Do you know why you were brought here?"

Well obviously not, or else you wouldn't have been taken aback to his statement. "No, I don't."

"You were brought here to stand beside me as I rule over this.. kingdom of mine."

And just like that, his words crash and bring down your whole life. Everything you've been through, fought for, and accomplished are all worth nothing. It was all useless.

"No, I refuse–"

A hand slams down on the bars, causing you to flinch. "I don't remember asking how you felt, did I?"

Immediately, you go quiet. The hurtful beating of heart being the only sound audible as he glares down at you from behind the bars.

"Tomorrow shall be the wedding. I'll have my men bring you to me first thing in the morning."

Leaving you no time to protest, question, or even give him a snarky reply, he disappears.

You're left all alone, mind now pounding with how quick this is all happening. You have no say in anything, it seems.

Nothing seems to matter when you feel your eyes flutter close. Too exhausted to reject this rest, you fall asleep.

Thank you for reading! I'll try to have part 2 out as soon as possible (which contains the smut 👀) but I hope you guys enjoyed this so far ^^ Reblogs are also greatly appreciated 💗💗

[dr-spectre]

Hey all, so i wanted to discuss something a little bit different compared to my usual Splatoon ramblings because i have something that's been floating in my brain for a while now and I really wanna talk about it! But don't worry, I'll tie it back to Splatoon in this blog post!

So i have been seeing a lot of criticisms towards the new "hit game" Concord and a lot of it is very VERY well deserved. And one of the MANY criticisms is aimed towards the character designs and mostly on these characters who have become punching bags for the entire gaming community.

NOW! Let me come and say it, i am NOT going to be defending these designs at all, i am NOT a professional character designer but, these designs are flat-out dogshit and it's not for the reasons you think. I am not saying these character designs are bad because "WAHH!!!! FAT PEOPLE!!! WAHH!!! I HATE BLACK PEOPLE!! WAHH!! I CAN'T GOON TO THIS CHARACTER NOOO!!! WAHHH!!! I ONLY WANT STRAIGHT WHITE BARBIE DOLLS TO JERK OFF TO!! WAHH!!" If you're someone like... ahem.... asmondgold. And whine about how you can't goon to these characters and you're scared of fat and black people. Then you need to fuck off and genuinely go outside. And like... Idk, jump into a pit of lava.

The reasons why these designs suck is because they have terrible silhouettes, poor balancing, too many random colours that have no harmony whatsoever, lack of strong shapes and a lack of any clear cut qualities to tell us who the fuck these characters are. A good character design will tell you who a character is based on looks alone.

Let's take a look at how to properly do character design in a video game, shall we?

We will first start off with an iconic tank character, Heavy from TF2.

Heavy has a strong use of squares on his body, arms and hands, showing us that he is a strong and meaty character. Squares are used in larger characters to show that they are durable and strong. Heavy also has appropriate accessories on his body to show us what kind of character he is, like his bandolier, pouch, fingerless gloves and tactical looking vest. His legs are also small compared to the rest of his body which tells us that he probably isn't the fastest runner out there.

All of these simple design decisions the characters designers chose to include add up to create an iconic character who you can gather that he is a large and in charge weapons expert from the design alone.

Tell me something, what the FUCK do you get from this character?

He's a big person... That's it. I can barely gather any sort of character traits from this character. There's nothing. THEIR GUN IS FUCKING BORING TOO! AT LEAST HEAVY HAS A BIG ASS GUN! THAT'S JUST A BASIC BITCH ASSUALT RIFILE!

Now let's look at another iconic tank character. Reinhardt from Overwatch.

Reinhardt has a VERY strong silhouette, with his iconic helmet with the 3 spikes/horns, his giant shoulder pads, the pointy tips on his boots, his... groan... flap? thingy? idfk what that is but anyways, Reinhardt is an iconic tank character because his design is super well balanced, his concept of a futuristic knight is dope, and the lion emblem on arm showcase Rein's personality and origins.

I genuinely get nothing from this design. Like... Fuck all, i get NOTHING!!!

They are a tank character with a big gun... Okay? Is there... any cool details? Uh... there's a tiny flag.... What the fuck is that supposed to tell me about the character? The silhouette is boring, the character looks like a Fallout knock off. It's just... BORING!!

I could talk about the other tanks in Overwatch and how incredibly well designed they are compared to Concord's "anchors" and other classes but i don't wanna be here all day. Just know that D.VA slaps, Doomfist slaps, Ramattra slaps, ALL OF THEM SLAP HARD AND HAVE SUPER GOOD SILHOUETTES AND COLOURS!!

Now for our final "tanky" design, let's roll it back to Splatoon and talk about a character who is bigger compared to the rest of the cast.

BIG MAN!

His silhouette is actually so well done and is a masterpiece in character design, it is so incredibly distinctive and unique from other characters. He has a unique headpiece too, he has these droopy eyes that give him a relaxed look. He has some cool patterns, he's just a really well designed character that you can gather his personality from really well.

The reason why Concord's character designs fail is because it feels like Sony brought in a novice fashion designer to make characters in an hour and call it a day. The only designs from that game i can say with my full chest are okay are these guys, and even then they have ISSUES!

Haymar is supposed to be this fire user yet nothing tells me that they use fire. It's so easy to... oh i don't know... USE MORE RED?!?!? ADD FIERY PATTERNS?!?! WHY IS SHE COVERED IN FUCKING ANAL BEADS?!??! HELLO?!?!??

Roka is just.. fine, her colours suck but... I guess i like the helmet?

When the best looking characters out of your fucking 5V5 HERO SHOOTER are just... eh? You know got a massive problem. If we take a game like TF2 you can see just how well the designs are at showing the player what kind of personality and traits they have.

Scout has rolled up pants with tight socks on, bandages on his hands and a cap on his head, showing us that Scout is a fast and somewhat reckless character who gets into trouble but can get out due to his speed and wit. Medic has a simple pallet of white and red which are common colours used in hospitals and doctors. I could go on but you get the point.

If you're going to create a new hero shooter with a large roster, for the love of god, actually have characters with better silhouettes, colour balancing, accessories, etc.

Take a page out of their books and come back with a better fucking game. Or not. Sony... You piece of shit. You ain't beating the "PS5 has no games" allegations with these wack ass games. (This is coming from someone who has a PS5.)

[astralnymphh]

combat practice with jackson!ellie, who loves getting beat up by you. those who take joy in the taste of blood revel here, but for some, it simply becomes a supplement of evasion. after the lie, after the fighting, ellie pushed herself into deep woods, thronging with antidotes, distractions, recreations, the list parts the cosmos. hard to think about your father figure's dishonest mistakes when you've got punches flying your direction, left and right.

ellie consumed it aggressively; never-ending rematches slashing against old, beaten wounds she had to take care of herself. it was all reap and responsibility in that madhouse basement under jesse's house; the heracles cave. everybody knew it existed, but nobody knew who exactly partook in the bandaging of fists. they only know by the swells n' bruises when you see 'em; so joel does not. he can only chairbound himself on his porch, strumming his guitar to a tune of calling, wondering in silent voices: where are you, ellie?

somewhere, she is. ellie is the least vulnerable to daylight. always tucked away behind space, in her garage, the basement, on patrol. in essence, away from joel. but where she is most vulnerable is with you, who is well known for their bruises. everyone sees you. everyone knows your brawn. but did it ever stop ellie? absolutely not. did it inspire lust over blood? absou-fucking-lutely.

“you're getting halfhearted, williams. don't you think it's time to tap out?” you speak ruggedly out of your composed exhaustion, an undeniable comparison to her in front of you. strong veins thickly pervading her exposed arms, blood trickling from nearly every hole in her face. one of them was smirking.

a proud shape.

ellie takes one brisk study of your knuckles. “no,” she demands. “don't go so fucking soft on me, i know what i need.” and the gulp thereafter is harsh, bursting into a tiny chuckle when it hits the pit of her belly. rolling her head right and reiterating. “i need this.”

you aren't a stickler for arguing, “sure.” your voice a proselyte of doubt. so being you who respects the sacredness of decision, lets up and goes in, swiping one quick undercut to her chin. it's tough on your knuckles, as usual, and sends ellie flying back—as usual.

“fuck!” she splutters coughs as her shoulders thump into the ground, knocking out the wind. plumb to the earth. pretend-dead as a dog.

to be conquered by you is to be commemorated by you, in a sense. but with ellie, you want to be forward. mounting her hips and pushing on her shoulders, you wear the grin of a god as you swipe a dry thumb over her burst, bloodied lip, mixing two opposites of indulgence together. talk about commemoration, get a room!

ellie feels something of a foreign medley, it's likeness an embarrassing yet skin-raising sensation with her now. and like nothing, she molds into your palms; gives into the situation and assumes it a gesture of flirtation. no sound-else but the heaving of her chest is heard on your end, but the repeating of some optimistic motto plays on hers. don't fuck it up, ellie. don't fuck it up.

thing is, you do secretly cherish ellie, and find it frankly adorable when she waits out everybody else to rival you. concentrated on the sideline benches, shifting her foot nervously. when you stare at her now, life suddenly revolves around her, and the responsibility of cleaning her wounds adds itself to your mental checklist. maybe you will get a room.

“still need it?” your voice hovers; falls all around her.

“y-yeah,” she woozes, and swears her ears catch the ridiculous sound of cartoon birds chirping around her head, yet takes only your fists ripe with her blood into account. god, it makes her tummy flip. “again?” ellie asks, laughing inappropriately; a fool in love.

[magicalmanhattanproject]

(Most) QSMP Characters As Dog Breeds

Etoiles – Great Pyrenees

Literally the reason I made this whole goddamn monster of a post. Sometimes a man is just So dogboy. Specifically, livestock guardian dogboy. Pyrs are massive, immensely strong dogs that are bred to protect flocks of sheep from wolves and bears and they are very, very good at it. They are fiercely loyal, but also independent and comfortable spending time off on their own and making their own decisions as they wander the borders of their flock's territory. While they're phenomenal at guarding the sheep, they don't have any business herding the sheep or trying to get the sheep to go anywhere in particular.

Philza – Border Collie

Herding the flock is the job of a dog like the collie. The whole point of them is to keep a whole massive flock all in one place and all moving the same direction. Keeping them together, keeping stragglers in line, making sure everyone is accounted for. Border collies in particular are considered the smartest breed of dog on the planet, making them highly adaptable to a wide range of new situations. On the other hand, a collie that doesn't have the space to roam freely and keep itself occupied can easily turn bored, anxious, and destructive.

Roier – Calupoh

Also known as the Mexican wolfdog as it was made by hybridizing with wolves, the calupoh is used for both herding and guarding livestock. While it's not hyperspecialized for either role like the pyrenees or collie are, it can more than hold its own in both. They tend to get along well with both children and other dogs, making them excellent family dogs.

Quackity – Chihuahua

He's short, he's loud, and he likes to start fights he can't possibly win. What more do you want from me? Chihuahuas also happen to be one of the oldest native Mexican breeds alongside the Xoloitzcuintli.

Tubbo – Cairn Terrier

Stubborn, clever, and prone to excessive barking, Cairn terriers are nonetheless loyal and protective of their family. They're playful with family and get along great with children. Bred to chase down vermin, they love digging holes and chasing after whatever catches their eye. They are also known to enjoy chasing things and digging holes. Some of their hobbies include digging holes and chasing after things. They are much less fond of being told to stop chasing or digging.

Tina – Lhasa Apso

The lhasa apso is decidedly not a working dog. Their job is to sit around looking pretty and being brushed and doted on until they hear any suspicious noise that might disturb their peace, at which point they start barking to alert the actual muscle to get to work. That being said, they're more than willing to do the biting themselves if they decide the muscle is too slow to react.

BadBoyHalo – Pit Bull

The pit bull is a breed surrounded by rumors, misinformation, and flat out lies. For one thing, it's not even a breed. It's at least eight breeds that people lump together because they assume they're scarier or more aggressive or dangerous than average, including weird made up lies about locking jaws and nonsense like that. On the other hand, other people will argue that every pit bull is completely 100% harmless and neither would nor could hurt a fly. The truth of the matter is that a dog can be sweet and loving and playful and affectionate and also muscular and toothy and capable of lashing out when hurt or scared or simply because it has a prey drive that it hasn't been properly trained and socialized to restrain.

Jaiden – Beagle

Everyone loves a beagle! They're chill, sweet, eager to please, and down for anything. This makes them a preferred breed for animal testing.

Missa – Siberian Husky

Incredibly dramatic creature. Everything that is going on in the husky's life is the most important and portentous thing that has ever occurred and it will tell all you about it. Loudly.

Carre – Dogo Argentino

Although they sometimes get folded into the "pit bull" label, the dogo is a mastiff bred to hunt pumas and wild boars. They have strong prey drives and love to chase, but are very affectionate with their families. They can also have problem with dog aggression if not properly socialized, but do well with human strangers.

Bagi – Bloodhound

If there's one thing bloodhounds are good at – better than any other dog at, in fact – it's following a scent. They have the best sense of smell of any dog and can follow trails long after they would have gone cold for anyone else. The problem is this leads to an obsessive tendency. They find an interesting smell to follow and they follow it no matter where it's going or who is trying to get them to stop.

Pierre – Pyrenean Shepherd

Another sheepdog, this time bred specifically to work with the Great Pyrenees. Highly intelligent, highly motivated, if they cannot find any problems to solve, they will create them.

Fit – German Shepherd

A trustworthy, versatile breed, German shepherds have the power and strength for aggressive guard and attack dog roles as well as the intelligence to work as service or search and rescue and dogs. In fact, these are some of the most likely dogs to get themselves a job.

Mariana – English Greyhound

Large, long, lean. Little loony.

Wilbur – Borzoi

Large, long, lean. Little loony. (Floppy hair version)

Spreen – Ovcharka

Type of dog to make you go "holy shit is that a bear!" and type of dog to make a bear wish you saw right.

Niki – Hovawart

Native German breed known as a guard for the home and the farm. They are very protective of children and loyal to their families, but take a while to warm up to strangers.

Mouse – Papillon

The smallest of the spaniels, the papillon is not a lapdog. They are highly intelligent and highly energetic and require plenty of daily exercise to meet their activity needs. They're friendly and outgoing and great fun to be around.

Rivers – Boxer

You know, because she boxes...

Pol – Basset Hound

These days, the basset is a companion dog that's perfectly content to lounge around the house all day and not get into too much trouble. And it's these days that we're worried about, right?

Felps – Brazilian Terrier

He's just a little guy who loves to dig.

Antoine – Dogue de Bordeux

An ancient French breed with a weird looking face. The dogue is calm and friendly with children, but aloof with strangers and serves well as a guard dog.

Baghera – Poodle

Look at that silly dog with that funny haircut! Surely that can't be a highly intelligent and effective hunting dog. Nope, none of that here. Just the funny haircut dog. Hey, did you hear the joke about the goldfish?

Cellbit – Fila Brasileiro

Bred from mastiffs and bloodhounds, filas are massive dogs with incredibly powerful tracking instincts and prey drives. They are loyal and protective of their family and especially children but can be aggressive with strangers if not properly trained.

Maxo – Portuguese Water Dog

Please stop trying to keep him on land. Please. He just wants to get off the island. You know, to swim.

Vegetta – Burgos Pointer

Native Spanish breed of gundog. About as close to purple as a dog can get. Generally mild mannered and even tempered, but a hunting dog to the core, they need space to run and roam and make some trouble for small animals.

Foolish – Golden Retriever

A gorgeous specimen of classical doghood. Bred for a similar role to pointers. Known as goofy, charming housepets, but also extremely intelligent, diligent, and hardworking. And gorgeous.

Pac - Irish Wolfhound

Introverted, intelligent, and easygoing, but prone to becoming destructive and morose if left alone for too long. Unreliable watchdogs due to their friendliness towards strangers.

Mike – Campeiro Bulldog

Powerful, strong, and active, with a real fighting spirit and a temper that's slow to activate but powerful when it's there.

Slime – Pug

I'm out of pictures. You know what these look like. Specifically with the most smushed face possible. Why would you breed this dog? Try again.

Cucurucho – Rat

Literally canon.

[dindjarindiaries]

Bear My Burdens

character: Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

prompts: "I knew you'd feel guilty; You do understand that I'd take a thousand wounds if it meant keeping you safe, don't you?” “​​Why is it so difficult for you to believe that you deserve to be protected?” and “I’m going to protect you, now. Because that’s what we do for the ones we love. We keep them safe.”

main masterlist • prompt masterlist

Two knocks is all you’re able to offer before you slump against the side of the cabin’s entryway. The blood on your face has crusted over by now, but the bruises and aches have started to settle within your ribs and your limbs, making the simple task of standing too difficult. You’re surprised you made it to Nevarro in this shape, your ship on the opposite side of the cabin from the N-1.

You’ve fully sunken to the ground with your back resting against the cabin as the door slides open. Din stands in the threshold fully armored, both his blasters drawn as he looks around. His visor snaps in your direction, his helmet tilting as he tucks his blasters back into his belt. Din curses as he kneels down to pick you up.

“I’m sorry,” you apologize through gritted teeth, groaning as you get jostled against his armor. Your cheek presses against his pauldron as he takes you inside.

Din doesn’t say anything, instead focusing on getting you settled as he lays you down on the couch and disappears into the bedroom. Grogu emerges from his own room, his ears lowering at the sight of you as he coos.

“Hey, little guy,” you greet, trying your best to perk up as you give him a small wave. “I’m all right. Promise.”

Grogu tilts his head and snorts, catching your bluff just as effectively as his father always does. He starts to approach you, but Din’s quicker, emerging with his medpac and kneeling down next to your place on the couch. Din begins his work on you once he silently gains your consent to be touched, his gloves removed and his hands tending to the dry blood on your face. He still hasn’t spoken since his curse earlier, worsening the dark pit that festers inside your stomach.

You speak up when the silence starts to drive you mad. “Din,” you begin, your voice soft and wary. He doesn’t stop his work, and if you didn’t already know him so well, you would’ve assumed he wasn’t listening at all. “Are you upset with me?”

Din’s actions slow at that, his cuirass rising and falling in a visible deep breath. He offers his response in a single decisive and telling word. “No.”

That’s all you get. He returns to his usual speed, leaving you to raise an eyebrow at him. “I’m not gonna bother asking if you’re upset with the people who did this, then, because I know you are.”

Din huffs, though the sound isn’t amused. You watch him pull one of his hands into a fist when he exchanges one cloth for another.

You sigh before going on. “But you shouldn’t be upset with yourself.”

Din goes still at your words. His hands remain near your face, but his helmet looks away from you, his chin tucking closer to his cuirass as if he’s trying to hide himself from you. You give him time; It’s the least he deserves after you’ve returned in this condition. His voice is so low you almost miss it. “I could’ve stopped them.”

You tilt your head at him, propping yourself up as best as you can and instantly releasing a tight growl at the pain it causes. Din faces you to urge you back to where you were before. “I was the one who kept you from coming,” you remind him. “I wasn’t taking the chance of you getting hurt for something I did.”

Din doesn’t respond to that. He still doesn’t move, either, his visor instead considering the blood-stained rag that sits at his side. The tension in his armored shoulders tells you everything he doesn’t say.

“I knew you'd feel guilty.” You lift a hand to the side of his helmet, brushing your thumb over the ridge in the metal. “You do understand that I'd take a thousand wounds if it meant keeping you safe, don't you?”

Din’s visor meets your gaze, his hand rising to cover yours. “As would I.” He takes a grasp on your wrist, lowering it and watching as his thumb brushes over the skin there. He passes over the dark marking of Crimson Dawn you’ve never been able to escape from, despite their destruction at the hands of the Empire. Your debts need to be paid, and Din deserves better than to be the one who pays them.

“I know you would.” Din releases your wrist to continue his work, with Grogu now trying to help him by handing him various bacta remedies and bandages. “But I can’t let you.”

Din finishes with the cuts on your face and sighs, the sound as heavy as the burden upon his shoulders. He all but tosses the cloth in his hand aside and takes a tight grasp on his armored thighs, his visor watching them as he shakes his helmet. “No.”

You raise your brow at him again. “No?”

Din’s visor snaps up at you. “I’m not letting this happen again.”

You frown at his words. “Din…”

“​​Why is it so difficult for you to believe that you deserve to be protected?”

Your gaze can’t meet his visor any longer. Now you’re the one who’s avoiding him, your eyes darting all around the room. “It’s not your burden to bear.”

Din lifts a hand to the lip of his helmet, removing the beskar in one swift move. He sets it aside and takes your face between his hands, keeping his grasp gentle in light of your recent wounds. His brown eyes, dull in their concern, never once leave your gaze as he repeats the vow you both exchanged long ago. “Mhi me'dinui an.” We share all.

You try to come up with a rebuttal, but you can’t. Din is a man of honor, and trying to talk him out of upholding the vow he’d sworn to you is an impossible task.

“I’m going to protect you, now.” Din rests his forehead against your own. “Because that’s what we do for the ones we love. We keep them safe.”

You lift a hand to the side of his face, your thumb brushing over a scar he’d gotten once on your behalf as your vision starts to blur with sheer gratitude and affection. “I love you, too.” You repeat the first words you said to him when you first got back home. “I’m sorry.”

Din shakes his head, the corners of his lips pulling into a small smile as he leans even closer to you. “You did nothing wrong.” The gentle reassurance melts against your lips along with his own in a meaningful kiss that becomes the seal of his promise to uphold his word of protecting you, and your agreement to finally letting him.

[i-starcreamed]

Y/N: FIGHT ME!

Scrouge: How foolhearty... and facinating

Y/N: I- I don't- MIRAGE HELP I THINK HE'S FLIRTING WITH ME

Love it when villains find at least one (1) human cute and flirt worthy

🦂

ROTB SCOURGE X READER

Omg thank you 🦂 anon, im just like you and you’re just like me. MORE SCOURGE CONTENT!! While this wasn’t a request it gave me ideas :3

Unedited and also written on mobile…also look at this gif they scourge hot and wet on purpose

[ human!gn reader

Summary: As the request states, Scourge flirts with you. Big bad robot villain likes littol human

You might’ve secretly followed Mirage when he went over to distract Scourge while the others went on and save the world, no way in hell you were allowing an alien to destroy your planet. No way you were letting Mirage, you’re new friend, fight him alone. You started to rethink your decision when you were running across the platform, no weapon in hand to fight 20+ feet robot aliens and explosions going off everywhere. Then again, you were determined to fight along side your new robot alien friend to defeat the other…robot alien fiend. Aliens really need to find another planet to make a pit stop at, dont they?

You grunt as you pick up a piece of debris from the ground, it’s about the size of your head and could do as much damage as a splinter to Scourge. Who cares, you’d rather it be annoying than harmless

Scourge knocks Mirage back and you take this as an opportunity.

“Y/N stay back!” He reaches out but its too late, you’re already yelling and sprinting towards Scrourge, your piece of metal in your hand and waving it around like a crazy person.

“FIGHT MEE!” The piece of debris goes flying towards Scourge, only for it to hit his leg with a clank and deflect back into the floor. You freeze in your tracks, fuck. You’re out of breath and your little plan didnt work.

Scourge doesn’t squish you, he barely retains a laugh. Evil guys dont laugh, they cackle menacingly when revealing their evil plan to you. But this? This was…amusing to him.

“Did you really think that would work? How foolhardy, how stupid, how…fascinating”

He towers above you even as he leans down to..examine you? The proximity of his frame to your face is so close, your face was burning. You didn’t know if it was the fire and lava around you or just pure embarrassment.

“Uh, i don’t-“ Was he…flirting with you? You stood frozen even as his metal hand rose up, inching towards you. Do you run, freeze, or attack with your bare fists? Realistically your fists would be useless against his frame, you would be more in pain than he would. Even if you wanted to run, those eyes of his kept you in place. Such an intense orange gaze, who could look away from that? Scourge was getting distracted, he could easily snatch you up and complete his mission, but he couldn’t help but revel in your gaze of extreme awe and fear. He was rudely interrupted when Mirage started shooting again

You too snapped out of your thoughts and took a few steps back before sprinting back behind Mirage. “Mirage, was he fucking flirting with me?!” You yell over the sound of their blasters. You hid behind a small structure as the fight continued, not without noticing the way he occasionally glanced at you before attacking Mirage. You couldn’t tell if he was showing off or not

…was he seriously showing off for you?

[brucewaynehater101]

So I was reading "Kidnapping Tim's dignity" by Sophie_Vers and "Suffer in Vogue" by InkpotSprite, which btw, mind the tags and content warnings in the endnotes before reading because holy fuck!

And while they aren't the first to depict Tim being the exception to Jason's 'Protect Kids' schtick, it got me thinking of the principle of "if one of us isn't safe, none of us are safe"

So here's some loosely connected ideas exploring that. Bending canon ahead

Also I fused that Mafia!Tim idea with this because it's fire

Feel free, but not pressured, to add on however you want

==========

Titans Tower occurs before Stephanie becomes Robin. It, + other incidents, convince Bruce to bench Tim for the foreseeable future

Steph becomes the Fourth Robin and has the help of Tim for training, the batcomputer + more

Stephanie's dies during her run as Robin and is buried, Bruce at least has the decency to pay off the bills for the funeral eve if she wasn't legally adopted

How does she get revived? Let's say Tim is experimenting with Lazarus Water. If it can bring back Jason, it can bring back his friend

And since he succeeded at reviving Stephanie, if anybody else (like say, Kon & Bart) dies, he can just whip out the pit juice

Since Stephanie died under Batman's tutelage, she makes the decision to hide her revival from Batman, and Tim helps set her up with a new identity

At some point between Tim trying to revive Stephanie and helping her get a new ID, Duke joins the fray. Idk how but they meet & he gets in the know about Steph's revival

Then his parents being Joker Gassed happens, and Bruce—thanks to a little red robin whispering in his ear—takes him in as his ward/foster/adopted kid

Fuck it, let's add in Cassandra as well, girl speedruns hopping into Gotham like another League runaway she's heard of and comes under Batman's wing in no time

And you don't hide shit from her so Cass and Duke are in on Stephanie's resurrection and are trusted Secret Keepers

==========

Despite all that's happened, Stephanie isn't going to let go of being a vigilante, but she doesn't want Batman looming over her either

Plus the others are up for some teenage rebellion so they copy after their Big Brother Jason and become crime lords

Introducing the gang; The Undying Carrion

(named them after Carrion Crow, which is very intelligent and a scavenger)

Works like Tim Gang in the Gang AU but with Tim, Steph, Cass and Duke as shared leaders

They need leader names, fuck

Lemme think . . .

Introducing, the Carrion Crows!

Stephanie / Carrion Violence

Tim / Carrion Thread

Duke / Carrion Light

Cassandra / Carrion Promise

Explanation Times!!

// (Violence - nce) + t = violet, which is purple!!

Hence why Stephanie calls herself violence! Okay that's a Canon Event but there's also other meanings to the name

Stephanie didn't just die, she was killed or murdered, an act of violence

Stephanie is on the field more than the rest of the Carrion, and knows how to rock your shit, she's well trained in—and expecting—violence

She's motivated partially by Jason's violence against Tim

Why call themselves Carrions? Stephanie started this all after being returned from death

// Tim became Robin because what little faith in Batman remained was a thin, fragile thread, and while he restored Gotham's into a tightknit spider web, his own faith degenerated into a thread that snapped with Stephanie's death

Likewise, his adoration for Jason, the Second Robin, is hanging by a thread, especially as the other three voice their disdain for Jason's more recent action in Titans Tower

Plus the logic Jason has for hating Tim, Batman has for abusing Tim, and he has for loving those two still, barely has a thread of logic to them

Like spider webs, he's able to take mere threads and weave them into inescapable traps, make unseen firewalls and find the thinnest threads of knowledge on the internet

He makes a secure spiderweb of safety nets and contingencies for the gang for countless possible situations

// Behind Stephanie, Duke is the most well-known of the Carrion Crows, he's like a lighthouse of directions for the gang

He is also able to lead mass swaths of people at once, while Stephanie is better with smaller groups, or doing it one-to-one

Because he leads a larger statistic of people at once, foes tend to be lured to him like moths to a flame, thinking if they take him down, the whole operation comes toppling

Even if they do put Duke out of action, they're in for a rude awakening when the rest of the Carrion Crows come to the rescue

He and Steph know how to put all eyes on themselves so that Tim and Cass's activities go unnoticed

Why think of mysteries with too little clues to wonder about, when you can look at this spectacle of a spotlight and galore of violence?

His name is also a nod to the fact that despite all the trauma he's went through, he has more childhood innocence compared to the rest of the four; more light in his eyes so to speak

// Cassandra, the renegade, the renegade . . .

She made a promise to herself even before she met The Bat; She will not kill, for it is wrong, all have the right to live, and none the right to revoke it

She does not kill for all deserve a sufficient judgement; all victims the ability to gain closure how they see fit (this sets up possible future arguments between Jason and her)

Where as the other Carrion may take the liberty to transform 'No Killing' into a fate worse than death?

She is the only one who's made this promise, and thus the only one you can trust to not make you beg for death due to it transforming into mercy

And if you make a promise to the Carrion? You better go through with it, because she'll know when you've broken it

==========

The gang starts off as basically welfare.

Here's free lessons of essential life skills, here's free nursing and doctor training, here's free education and shelter— legality? Who cares?

Eventually, however, they meet bottlenecks of lacking legal options as illegal gangs do

So Tim starts looking into ways to circumvent this. lo and behold, the Drake Industries he is set in inherit

Tim starts catching up on everything he'll need to know to be CEO as a fricking teenager and starts discussing the possibility of even doing so under eighteen

For plot convenience, Jack and Janet are ecstatic that he appears to be so passionate about this and help him speedrun inheritance

Badabing badaboom, with Tim weaving in the Undying Carrion and Drake Industries together, business is booming on both sides as they feed into eachothers growth and profits

The Drake's, in the dark, are wiping tears above their smiles. They're so proud of their boy!

Tim unfortunately has to play Loving Son™ more than ever, but hey, worth it

Fuck it, it's helping Gotham, so Tim even enlists Kon, Cassie and Bart as honorary and substitute leaders in case of emergencies, gets them up to speed

(hey maybe even have Bart info dump about the Undying Carrion when introduced to it be it due to history lessons or it's place in the future)

Idk what their Carrion Titles would be lol

Also how will they utilize their powers without giving themselves away? 🤔🤔🤔

==========

Oh yeah, what do they all do as the heads of their gang?

Well, they're very remote and hands off in practice due to civilian and bat-vigilante lives, so unless they can find the time;

Tim is the tech genius, encrypting and hacking like no tomorrow. Plus his ability to gather information is like no other

He can even double as an info broker when nessecery

He does most of the bureaucracy when it comes to working Drake Industries and Undying Carcasses both at once, but others help him shoulder the burden

Cassandra specializes in getting a read on people with her knowledge in body language

She can tell who works best where, who to trust, who to play, who to investigate, etc.

Duke does most of leadership possible remotely. He also utilizes his meta powers without outing himself as Signal

Stephanie—with an undone death—is able to act as a physically present leader for the gang, and is the one on the field if nessecery

In a nutshell, Tim does tech + organization and DI & UC, Cass passes judgements, Duke does remote leadership, and Stephanie does fieldwork and physical leadership

As the four leaders, they have meetings and discuss how to proceed with their gang

==========

So yeah, Batman + non-criminal allies and Red Hood are sniffing around the Undying Carrion because, hello? New gang? Who dis?

Especially if one of them catches a look at Stephanie's eyes as Violence and sees them flash Lazarus Green, giving the name 'Undying Carrion' a whole 'nother meaning

That also boosts their motivation to uncover what the fucking is going on here

==========

Anyways Jason slander because I'm a Hater™

Stephanie proposed becoming a crime lord since she didn't want to work under Batman, still wanted to help people, and crime is still a big fucking problem so "if you can't beat 'em, join em"

However, she is also aware of the mess that is Batman and Jason's relationship after the latter revived, plus Jason beating Tim up to high hell, and fills in Cass and Duke about this

And having never met Jason nor caring about his Robin days nearly as much as Tim Drake, she has a very low opinion of the Second Robin

Especially with Jason's audacity to claim he protects kids whilst doing the Titans Tower

And whatever the hell he was pulling didn't stop her from biting the dust

So yeah, she's a hater and she makes it KNOWN

She's super vocal about her criticism towards Batman and Red Hood

"Batman's second Robin died due to circumstances out of his control, so I won't grill him for that, but to allow Red Hood to break into Titans Tower and beat the Third Robin to near death and later allow the Fourth to die is something else entirely!"

"Speaking of Red Hood, what happened to 'protecting the children'? look at you! You beat Robin—a teenager—into the dirt for daring to care about his community! for feeling obligated for throwing away his childhood so he could play Therapist for Batman!"

"Shouldn't you be throwing hands with Batman instead? The Third Robin threw away so much for him and the Fourth Robin gave her own life!"

"Or is the problem that they do care for their communities, and have the power to fight for them and defend ourselves?"

"Was the Third Robin not only exempted from your rules, but actively targeted by you because he could defend himself? Do only protect children when they can't fight back? When they're utterly helpless? In Gotham?"

"Forget being an exception, why did you see fit to grant the idea that children should be protected from harm an exception? Are the kids in Crime Alley safe from you at all?"

"Argue all you want for yourself, but the fact remains that you've displayed not the power, but the willingness to torture those you claim to protect, and we won't stand for it, I least of all."

"If one of us isn't safe, none of us are safe."

Maybe Stephanie's slip for the tongue "one of us" can clue Red Hold in on Carrion Violence being a teenager, whoopsie daisies

But yeah, arguments for those under Red Hood or The Undying Carrion abound

Lord help you of you're under Red Hood, and The Undying Carrion

I'm thinking about the Twitter Wars . . .

==========

Hey maybe she even whispers the idea that Red Hood is infact a copycat of The Joker and is just playing the long con, building a reputation and trust so he can burn it all away and watch the improving community collapse and despair

It'd explain why he brutalized the Third Robin like how The Joker did the Second Robin but has yet to do the same with Batman and is obsessed like the Joker is, she's just saying . . . 👀👀👀👀

Not as Carrion Violence of course, that'd be the biggest target in her back yet!

It's small suggestions here and there only Tim would be able to trace back to her

I'm just saying, with the Carrion Crows being Waynes (not matter how unofficial) and Tim running Drake Industries they're experience with PR could be weaponized *handrub*

Jason has to throw in his own rustic abilities but it's gonna be tough, woof

==========

Is Cluemaster still isn't jailed yet, he's done for with the Carrion Crows on his ass

==========

The four are also gonna beat Jay's ass into the dirt when they find out he knew about Damian since he was under Talia's care and never brought him up

Or maybe not, Red Hood isn't on good terms with Batfam or Carrion, and if he did go single father he'd have assassin's on his undertrained ass

But also

That kid's in a fucking cult for fucks sake what the hell man?

==========

Oh yeah, the Batclan side of things.

Given the disastrous trend of Robins biting the dust or being brutalized by previous ones, Robin is benched indefinitely, especially with Tim admitting that he's going to focus more on his civilian life

Particularly getting that CEO status in Drake Industries and playing the Prodigy Image for PR

Also the Carrion stuff but Batman doesn't know that

Bruce sort of has his hands full simultaneously training daylight hero Signal and recent partner Batgirl

as do they but he doesn't need to know why

Batman is sweating bullets after learning about the rapidly growing Undying Carrion and realizing they have to investigate this. Especially if he knows about Carrion Violence's Lazarus eyes

Cassandra and Duke meanwhile are sweating because they have to investigate themselves without getting caught

Just because Tim is benched doesn't mean he's wholly out of the game

He does lots of duty on the batcomputer as he did during Stephanie's Robin time

Plus, since he's gone Computer Man, he spends more time with Barbara and learning technology with her

Which is later exploited by Carrion Thread

So yeah, with the Batfamily infested with three moles, It's gonna be rough not raising suspicion but slightly easier with each other to trust

Plus they can do some espionage for the Carrion side of things

==========

Suffice to say that the Carrion Crows and maybe even Young Justice become much closer thanks to this, so if something real bad happens like Tim's Sixteenth birthday, he'll trust them to have his back and to give a shoulder to cry on

And to think this started off as Jason Todd hate . . . And also Batman hating . . .

Oh yeah, I never established wtf Stephanie"s fake ID was, just that Tim helped her get one, should probably toss that in as well

Tim doing experiments until he can, in cases of emergency, revive his family with Pit water makes sense.

I do love that this AU focuses on Steph, Duke, and Cass because they can be overlooked by fandom and canon (I'm glad Tim is a focus as well, but he's not nearly as overlooked as the other three).

I'm always down for Bruce bashing, and I like the idea that they are slowly driving him nuts. He has no clue why this new gang is always ahead of him, and he just wants to figure it out. Fuck him, though.

The role for Steph in this is great. I think that Bruce is too limiting for her character. She should be able to make her own decisions with support, not dictations of lines. She's too used to making her own decisions for some random ass man to tell her what she can and can't do. It doesn't matter that Bruce is Batman and a billionaire. Steph deserves the respect to be a leading decision maker of her own life.

In this AU, she's able to shine as the brilliant, fierce, and strong person she is while being able to lean on Duke, Cass, and Tim.

Duke and Cass have it rough with two separate vigilante (ish) personas, but you did mention they kind if work not as frequently as Steph is able to.

As far as Jason, there's very few fics that address how his attack on Tim would affect his reputation in Crime Alley. That, more than anything, would devastate the man. The kids of Crime Alley, whose trust is hard earned, losing faith in him. I don't remember which fics address this, but even fewer actually have Crime Alley find out about Red Hood attacking Robin. That whole situation is tricky to navigate as a fan of both Tim and Jason.

Anyways, I love the amount of detail you put into this AU. What part of Gotham would they control? Would they be fighting with Red Hood for Crime Alley, or would they set up territory in another section? Or do they not have territory?

I'd be down to hear more about this AU. Stuff like what their outfits are like, what missions they tackle, how the public treats them, etc.

[cupids-chamber]

𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐒

Hi, so I'm going on an indefinite hiatus. This is a impromptu decision, so I don't know if I'll come back in like a day and correct myself. But I've been debating on this decision for a long time, so yea.

[ below the undercut you'll find some of my reasons for this decision, and etc, I'd be grateful if you take your time reading it. ]

I don't feel comfortable as 'Cupid', I guess it's because 'Cupid' was never supposed to be my persona, she was just an oc who's running this blog, and it was supposed to be fun, mini lore bits, or whatever, and I thought the idea was really cool back then. . up until people started calling me Cupid.

I guess overtime, I never made a serious effort to correct it, so like it just became me? But like as shit went on and on and on . . It felt weird, I guess a sort of imposter syndrome or like identity crises started forming? I . . didn't feel like myself, I guess I felt like whatever 'Cupid' was.

And as months passed with this sort of identity crises, I started questioning my personality, my interests, if my friends here truly liked me, or if I was more open or idk myself? If they'd still like me? I'm not a chronically online person, in fact I've realized pretty recently that I hate staying in one place, I love the outdoors, and if I could I'd socialize more, but I also overthink and get embarrassed easily. I don't like being on my pc 24/7, yes it's something I still do, but I feel terrible after doing so.

I actually picked up certain interests I've had in the passed again, and I've felt more like myself. I don't know, I think I've realized that my relationship with this blog has been unhealthy, it's always been unhealthy, and my identity crises was the least extreme problem I've had due to this blog.

Actually, the game, the controversies, the fights, everything I've experienced on this blog, has left lasting physical damage on my body, I can't handle anxiety, I can't handle stress, and it's because the moment I get anxiety, stressed, or begin to overthink, I get immensely nauseas, I'm stuck in the bathroom, and if I don't throw up it feels worse, I can't eat, I'm unproductive for hours if one things ticks off my anxiety. I feel unlike myself, and the thing is, I can't fix it, it's just how I'm now. I have pills I have to take for this itself, and honestly they've not been 100% helpful.

Alongside abundance of other problems, mental breakdowns, and so much more shit, this blog has truly done nothing but make everything so much worse for me. If I had one good day or week with this blog and the people around me, I can expect a month of bad in return, and there comes a point where I genuinely cannot fake confidence out of it.

I genuinely think I need to dissociate from 'Cupid', she's not me, I'm not her. As I'm typing this, I genuinely wonder, what am I truly? Up until now my identity, was what I formed through 'Cupid', and honestly I don't even know where I'm going with this, I genuinely am just . . done. I'm tired. I've tried, I have not succeeded in overcoming any problems this blog has caused me.

I think a part of me is so attached to this blog, because of 'Cupid' and of course because it helped me out of my depressive pit, but as these last few weeks pass, and I edge closer to my final year before university, I feel myself returning to that depressive pit, worse than ever . . so at that point, I can't help but ask myself, what was the point of me staying on this blog despite the clear signs and warnings for me to leave?

I really don't know where I'm going with this, but I'm really grateful for everyone who has followed this blog, who have given me the chance to improve my writing. I guess it's time for a genuine goodbye? Because as I'm writing this, I don't really plan on coming back and that's the honest truth, with every hiatus I try and dance around a final goodbye but after this week I genuinely think this is the best decision for myself.

Note : Kindly do not call refer to me as 'Cupid', or anything if you plan on responding and if you do want to remain in contact with me, please message me for my new discord account. I probably won't respond fast as I try and maintain a distance from this account and don't bother contacting me on discord, I'm taking a break from the account as well <3

[ded-lime]

what i think on the whole making vessels thing the pale king did

first of all this is not about excusing pk, however the 'me exploding people who say pk is an asshole and throws kids in a pit with my mind' is very true, aside from the fact that it's literally not what happened, pk's character is all about a guy who was in a desperate situation without a good solution and saying that he's bad for what he did is missing the point. just like the colour scheme of his palace bro is morally grey. there are things that i believe made his plan sound not as bad as it is before it's implementation, and some of my interpretation seems to differ to how it is more commonly seen (that i know of at least).

so what was the plan? place eggs in he abyss and let the void animate their shells and voilà got some vessels.

why have the void? well one reason is obvious - it's a natural enemy to the radiance of sorts, an opposite of light. another one is the supposed belief that a creature of void does not feel or think. also yes the idea is that 100% of them are empty, that's the foundation it is on. i believe that he has done some experimentation before making this plan(and possibly before the infection): he's the type to build and reasonably coming up with that shit requires familiarity with the void. so assuming that they would not feel pain or think could come from that, also not that insane for a god who gave bugs minds of their own to think that with walking examples of void constructs. so godly resilience and empty head, can't feel the pain he has to put it through and strong enough to contain another god.

why so many of them? the reasoning for that is the same as why any creature has many kids: most of them not surviving for long. not just the climb, but just not even being born (which i think most of them just didn't) or dying right after (instability such as turning to liquid or crumbling shell).

the climb so here's a thing i thought since playing the game years ago. the abyss memory is a dream and not quite literal. you hit an egg with a dream nail, every time you've done that you go to a dream, i don't see why this is different besides it looking differently. the real part being pk getting pv and fucking off. and climbing up in general i guess but you know that. i don't think the ghost was literally hanging on that ledge and literally falling off after some screenshake. it's a representation of ghost and/or every other vessel getting left behind and pv leaving. and getting charm about uniting the void right after plays more into it.

the climb in itself could be a way to see which ones are stable enough, could also be a culture thing as rotten eggs all around hallownest may suggest that they are a bit more like actual animals in regard to offspring. (don't forget that this is not human society we are talking about.)

the main fucked-up-and-feeling-guilty-about thing in this whole ordeal is letting the void consume thousands of your yet unborn children inside out and subsequently animating them with it or let radiance kill everyone and picking the first one. which is you know, sucks and is pretty fucked up and he did indeed feel guilty about it. well that and then the whole hollow knight ordeal later but that's pretty straightforward. does he realise that they are not empty? like yeah probably suspected it at the very least, but that's when you can't just drop everything you've done up to this point to save everyone. only thing that does is add more guilt and drama.

the things done and decisions made were not to be cruel or evil or whatever, we don't see what this place was like before the infection and for all we know he saw the future and still thought this was the best option. how fucked up would that be huh

[bbyhellfire]

our phantom of forever

➠ summary: eddie is resurrected by vecna, only to realize you don't exist in the upside down.

➠ pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader (she/her pronouns)

➠ word count: 1.3k words

➠ warnings: angst city, death, resurrection, allusions to suicidal thoughts (eddie wishing for death), swearing, reader moved to hawkins with her parents, vecna being vecna.

➠ a/n: pushing the 'eddie is alive' agenda 😌 i have a couple ideas about eddie making a deal with vecna that i'm debating turning into a series or just standalone one shots, so let me know what you think! and let's continue to live in delulu

It was stupid, running away from Vecna in the Upside Down. It wasn't like he controlled it or anything. But Eddie Munson isn't exactly known for his smart decisions.

He makes a mad dash from the Creel House the first chance he gets. He's alive, resurrected by the very monster responsible for his death. Eddie should be relieved that he can feel his heart beating as he runs through the decrepit streets of Hawkins. The never ending fog blurs his vision, not that it matters. Upside Down or not, he knows where he is going. No alternate dimension can change that.

All Eddie wants is you. He wants to curl his wrecked body around yours and cry into your neck as you tell him everything will be okay. He knows it won't happen, Vecna won't be so quick to let his new plaything go. But the hope is still there, and it's enough to take him across town towards the direction of your home.

If he can't physically be with you, then at least he can be surrounded by you. A piss poor replacement, but he'll take what he can get.

The ash-like spores make his lungs burn with every jagged breath. His body, still weak from his death, begs for him to stop, but he is already here. The navy blue paint is chipped and vines have broken through the front windows, but it's still your home. The world around him blurs into a watercolor of black and blue as he rushes through your front door and up the stairs to your bedroom.

Maybe you'll be waiting for him. You'll greet him with open arms and a teary smile and –

Nothing.

You're not there. In fact, none of your belongings are there. Not your bed, not your desk, your posters, your clothes. The room is empty.

What the hell?

He moves towards your bathroom. The counter should be covered in your toiletries. The doodles he'd given to you should be taped up along the mirror.

An owl with "You're owl I need" written on the bottom.

A mug with "I love you a latte" etched in the front.

Another of a cat holding a sign that says, "I've got felines for you."

The bathroom is as empty as your room. The only things waiting for him are those fucking vines, slithering out of the bathroom sink like a bouquet of snakes.

No, no, no.

Vecna controls this universe, right? So it's not completely unreasonable that he could make you disappear. Right? That has to be it. This is just Vecna. It's all Vecna.

"Do you really think so little of me? After I saved your life? Think, boy."

Eddie's head shoots up to the mirror, expecting to see the monster standing behind him like this is some sort of horror movie, but he's alone. Of course Vecna has an omnipresent voice that echoes throughout. Of course he fucking does.

He's never gonna beat the God complex allegations, Eddie thinks as the vines in the sink start to move. A little nudge of encouragement so to speak.

He bolts out of your room and down the hallway to your parent's bedroom.

Empty.

He tries the linen closet.

Nothing.

He practically tumbles down to the first level. Your living room, dining room, kitchen, even the garage. Everything is devoid of you and anything connected to you.

Dread is settles in the pit of his stomach. He is running out of places to check. All he thinks to do is scream. And he does. He wails and wails until his vocal cords hemorrhage. The dull taste of blood in the back of his throat makes him add obscenities to his screams. Maybe it'd be enough to echo through the other side. Hell, he'd take your parents materializing to scold him. He'd take anything as long as it means you're there. But nothing ever comes. It's just him and his pain.

It's like you never existed.

Only when he's back in your bedroom, standing in the exact spot where your bed should be, does he remember Nancy's diary. Ice cold realization turns his organs into stone.

He tries not whimper, "She isn't here, is she?"

"No, she's not, but you already knew that." With every word, the fog thickens into a violent red until the monster responsible for all of this appears in front of him. Eddie shakes his head in furious denial as the date in Nancy's diary taunts him.

November 6, 1983.

It's like you don't exist in the Upside Down because of you don't exist. Your family wouldn't move to Hawkins until the following month. It wouldn't be until the start of the spring semester when you and Eddie would properly meet, paired up for a science project. By February, he'd build up the courage to ask you on a date. His adoration for you would bloom with the spring flowers. He would be head over heels in love with you by the fall.

But with the Upside Down frozen at a point in time where he didn't even know your name, you won't be here. There will be no record of you, no liferaft to cling to as his humanity is thrown into freefall.

"No, it's not fair! This isn't fucking fair!"

"The human existence is anything but fair. Your life was an excellent example of that."

Eddie knows that very well, but he doesn't need this walking smear stain reminding him like he's a toddler. He remembers every taunt, shove, and outrage that formed his life. They were his to experience, not anyone else's. They were his life no matter how unfair it may have been. Vecna didn't get to use them against him.

Now, he is angry. He lunges toward the monster, but vines shoot out to wrap around his waist before he can reach Vecna. They throw him back violently, wrapping around his middle and neck to keep him flush against the wall. The tendril around his waist tightens until he stops moving, his arms pinned to his side. Another vine slithers around his neck, squeezing until he has no choice but to look up at the monster of the Upside Down.

"So ungrateful even after I gifted you the chance of another life. Do you understand I can take that away from you? And then how would you see her again?"

Eddie grimaces, scrunching his nose and glaring with all the resentment building inside. He knows where this is going, the manipulation so obvious it's insulting.

The weight of his situation presses down on him harder than the vines bundling his body. He finally cries. Fat, angry tears run down his dirty cheeks as he glares at Vecna. Eddie hopes he looks as pathetic as he feels. Maybe Vecna will be disgusted and realize he made a mistake resurrecting him. He is not a killer, not a hero, not a villain. He is just Eddie.

He wishes for a reinstatement of his death sentence. He'd rather his body be picked apart by demobats than a life shackled by shame and defeat.

"I'm not unreasonable, Eddie," Vecna takes heavy steps towards him. "You can see her again, if it's what you really want. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. I just need you to do something for me."

The tears keep falling, his vision blurring from the splotches in the shape of you. He thinks of you, the way you smell, the comforting feeling of your hand in his, the sweet nothings you'd whisper when you thought he was asleep. He remembers the nights you'd spend wrapped in his sheets, eyes glassy from all the weed you'd smoke, as you talk about the future.

That is all he will ever have of you – memories. Memories that will fade until only the pain of what could have been remains.

What else is he supposed to do?

"What is it?"

divider by @/silkholland

[fanficonly]

Wenclair x Reader-

What Are You?- Part 11

Wednesday and Enid

Wens are you okay?" Enid rushes to her girlfriends side panicked and full of confusion, almost falling over the chair as she did. She knelt at her side, spotting the goth as she rose up from her horizontal positioning.

"Yes Cara Mia I'm fine" Wednesday pressed her palm into her head and closed her eyes to let the electrified feeling subside. It seemed to take longer this time and the usual cold burn she felt after a vision was replaced with a hot sting burning her brain mercilessly.

"Oh god oh god Y/N" Enid's voice immediately snapped Wednesday out of her dazed state and her eyes went wide as she contorted her body to assess the danger.

"That was the strangest feeling I have ever felt" Wednesday remained staring at Y/N, wide-eyed and unable to drag her attention back to the frantic wolf.

"Babe! What's wrong with her?!" Enid tried getting her attention again while reaching for Y/N's comatose body and moving to reposition herself.

"What was that?" Wednesday feels uncomfortable in her own skin as if her mind, body and soul had been invaded by a foreign substance, she could literally feel it in her veins like a blood transfusion from a fresh batch of freezer bags.

"Wednesday!" Enid yells snapping her out of it. Wednesday could barely process the feeling let alone what she had seen in her vision and she was internally screaming in a pit of brimstone instead of focusing on real life which was currently not ideal for Enid 'panics over killing an ant' Sinclair.

"I apologise dear I-I don't know what happened" Wednesday pipes up unable to calm her nerves and stuttering for the first time since she was a mere 4 years old.

Enid just makes a noise and grabs at Y/N's shoulders

Y/N!!!" Enid yells again stroking at thier face in an attempt to wake them up "Y/N can you hear me?" Wednesday watches as Enid's face begins to tear and the more sadistic of the two grabs what can only be described as makeshift defibrillators. Regardless of the seriousness of the situation Wednesday got a slight satisfaction from the chance to use one of her favourite items.

Then she notices you waking up groggily as if from nothing more than a 12 hour nap, deflating slightly as she didn't get to have her fun. Enid however lets out a huge breath of delight as she looks into the squinted eyes.

"I told you not do it yet!" The yelling shocked the ravenette slightly but she understood.

The thing with Wednesday and Enid is that because of who and what they are, the day they fell for eachother meant thier minds were forever linked. Could be Enid's wolf, could be Wednesdays magic, noone really understands it but being at Nevermore noone feels the need too. They are simply telepathically linked meaning the kind of secret conversations and hushed whispers most might have to adhere to doesn't apply to them when they can happily just read each others minds.

It also meant that when Wednesday had made the decision to elicit a vision from Y/N Enid was in the process of telling her "not yet" and "It isn't the right time" in her head.

Unsurprising, Wednesday had ignored her and instead grew too impatient and frustrated with knowing nothing about Y/N and decided to go rogue.

Clearly not her brightest idea but how was she to know that this would happen. In fact she didn't even know what had happened and the theories in her head were ... Overwhelming to say the least.

"I don't know what happened Cara Mia this doesn't make sense, she should not have felt anything" she stared at Y/N a low flash of worry sprinting across her face.

"Y/N?" Enid says again, this time seeing Y/N stir.

Urrrgh" Enid hears the noise and let's out another breath, looking to Wednesday for guidance, who still seems unresponsive to say the least.

And then...

Y/N suddenly sits up shakily and both Enid and Wednesday jolt back in an attempt to avoid an unnecessary collision of foreheads.

Y/N

"Y/N we're so sorry are you okay?" Enid asks concern corroding her once beautiful smile.

"Fuck" you let out a breath and honestly don't know what to do. Your whole body is buzzing, like literally vibrating and you can feel your eyes still pulsating with a golden tint.

"What happened?" Wednesday asks you before you can even fully regain your composure.

No words leave your mouth. You want to speak. You want to say something. Anything. But you just can't. It's all too much. It's... It's tomorrow's problem honestly you need to leave this room.

But before you can make a break for it your eyes trail down to the machinery Wednesday is holding and you choke out

"Are those for me?" You ask a twinge of fear evident in your cracked voice.

You breathe out again this time feeling less like someone had hit you with a truck and chuckle when Enid nervously laughs and says "Yeeeaaah no we don't need those now haha" she ushers for Wednesday to put them away keeping eye contact with you and waving Wednesdays toys away.

You stay silent as Wednesday practically huffs and glides towards her desk to put away yet another torture device.

"Well I'm terribly sorry you don't get to electrocute me I know you would have loved it" you can't help the smirk that forms on your lips and you take a whole lot of pride when you see Wednesday smirk while looking down, attempting to hide the fact that you had amused her. For a moment you almost forget the near death experience but of course this cannot last.

"This is NO time for jokes!" Enid yells, inspecting you for injury as she did, you squirmed away trying to avoid skin on skin contact given your current emotional state.

"I'm sorry it's kind of a coping mechanism" you shrug, trying to play off what had happened and maybe distract the girls with a laugh or two.

"Enid has the same one so I'm not sure why she is scolding you" Wednesday looks at the offended girl and can't hide the twitch of a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth when Enid huffs at her. God they were so cute!

Wait focus! This is not the time to be admiring them both after they lured you into a false sense of security and caused what you can only describe as an immeasurable amount of electroshock therapy across your entire being.

"Anyway ... Do you wish to enlighten us on the details of what you just did" Wednesday politely asks but you can't get past the audacity.

"Excuse me don't you mean what you just did?" you fight back immediately. She was the one who tried to elicit a vision from you and now you're the one being questioned, wow this girl was really gonna be the death of you (maybe literally).

The impending questions already causing dread to fill your soul. Your mind races once again, the wolf is looking at you, the seer is looking at you god can everyone just stop looking at you!

You need to get out.

Now.

"I have to go" the words fall from your mouth unwillingly and it's as if your legs have a mind of there own as you stand up... WAY too fast becoming dizzy.

"What no you can't go what if you're hurt" Enid says following your movements by reflex, mirroring you with perfect precision and practically catching you as you stumble back towards the ground.

Wow shes strong. The feeling of Enid's toned arms gripping your body in protection causes all your thoughts to leave your mind replaced only by the stunning blue eyes staring back at you. You're like this for a moment, getting lost in the feeling of being held and then your brain resumed function and you realise Enid is getting weaker from your touch as claws form where your hands use to be.

"Y/N did you see what I saw?" Wednesday seems far less concerned with your well-being and much more wary of her vision. Understandable but there is no answer you could give her right now that would satisfy the Seers need for information so it's no surprise when you lowly say

"I -" again your voice betraying you as you remove yourself from Enid's grasp and stop sucking the life out of her.

"Y/N" she says it sternly and you feel like you're being scolded for your actions, something about the way she presents herself makes you want to shrink away. Not because you're frightened but because you feel guilty, like you don't want to lie to the girls but you cannot tell them the truth. You're at an impass.

This is ridiculous! They are the ones that did this! And now they're asking you - no no you have to remind yourself to stay calm in this moment and you remove the expressions from your face and the feelings in your heart.

"Y/N what's happening" Enid steps forward cautiously scanning your face for danger and you instinctively step back an icy expression covering your face as you attempt to numb your brain, muffle your thoughts and feel nothing.

"I am going to leave now" you say in the most unemotional tone you can find, ignoring everything that just happened and numbing the vibrations that still emulated from your body. You rush towards the door and open it only pausing when a claw slams against the hard wood, startling you momentarily.

"No you can't" Enid keeps her hand steady as you stare at her claw blankly. Your brain immediately starts up again at the sight, wondering what those hands would feel like wrapped around you again but this time more lovingly as you had seen in the vision. Hope flooded your mind for a second and you wanted nothing more but to reach out and take her hand in yours, explain everything and squeeze it comforting and settling the claws away. But reality hits you in all but 2 seconds, you can feel those gorgeous blue eyes once again piercing the skin on the side of your incredibly flushed face and you remove the smile that threatens to form. Then you simply take a small breath and turn to Wednesday, she's your only way out here, there is no way Enid will give in willingly otherwise and let you go

"I saw it." You speak harshly this time "I saw..." you couldn't even say it, how do you explain it "I saw everything" you prove your telling the truth by maintaining eye contact with the wide-eyed seer who seem genuinely disturbed by your confession "Now let me leave" you challenge Wednesday. It was a low blow but you needed to startle Wednesday somehow and get out of here. It's just too much. Everything is too much and you can't figure out what to process first.

"Cucciola, come here" Wednesday directs her words towards her still panicked girlfriend, never breaking eye contact with you, as she rose her arm out for Enid to gravitate towards.

"What babe she-" Enid begins to argue but is ruthlessly cut off by yet another stern tone.

"Enid don't argue come here" She speaks and now the blonde pays attention and you wonder in what other situations has Enid heard this tone and immediately listened to her.

To see any kind of fear in either of the girls was exactly the kind of confrontation you had promised yourself to avoid coming to your fresh start but you had to force the tears back, force the emotion back and force yourself to run.

The blonde must have sensed that it was time to give up just by her lover's reaction and retracted her claws, a shine still to her eyes as tears began to form once again.

"Are you okay?" she whispers to you like she's sharing a dark secret and again you fight the relentless urge to comfort her as she shows nothing but pure care and concern for you

"I promise I'm fine we will talk tomorrow" as your eyes continued to glow, you take a step out of the door only turning back to say

"Thank you for your help" directed at Wednesday who just nodded as a teary Enid collided into her arms

Your eyes flash at the sight a surge of force in you being pushed down by everything else in you just to stay away from the 2. The strength it took to leave when all you wanted, all you needed, all you craved was to join the embrace, seeking out the comfort that vision made you feel and desperately trying to fight off the discomfort of the visions after affects.

You weakly shuffle down the corridor and into your own room, traipsing up the stairs before collapsing onto your twin XL bed and almost instantly passing out from pure exhaustion.

...

"Y/N" the blonde yells a giddy smile streaming across her features "Come here" she squeals chasing after you. The smile hurts your jaw as you laugh running from her, a spring in your step and fresh air invading your lungs.

"You'll have to catch me first" you challenge, her giggles flooding your ears as you look back still running forward.

""Shouldn't be too hard with my expertise" Wednesday pipes up, appearing Infront of you and you almost collide with her but twist your body clumsily falling to the ground and rolling across the tree roots.

Enid tackles you with a great big hug and kisses your cheek sending a flood of emotions appearing as red flushes further onto your already rosy cheeks.

"Told you" Wednesday kneels beside you both as you play fight, reaching out to both of you, peeling your attention away from winning and onto her encapsulating gaze. The soft touch of her chilly fingertips cause you both to sigh happily, the feeling unlike anything you had ever felt before. And then they both lean in and you suddenly become very aware of the implications they inch closer and closer and closer...

....

*Gaaaaaasp* your eyes dart open as you inhale a large breath and start flitting your eyes around the dimly lit room desperately searching for solace.

"Oh god" you mutter to yourself "just a dream" you hold your head, sitting up and trying to calm yourself. You can feel your eyes glowing, your body half in a state of shock and the other half completely relaxed at the beautiful dream you just had the pleasure of experiencing.

Fuck. That felt so real... Like you could actually feel their touch and hear their voices ...like ...like it was a vision of your future rather than a dream.

You stare blankly at your alarm clock 5:32am. What an inhuman time to be awake you think to yourself before last night's events plague your memory and you curse out loud once again.

Right today will be different....

Once you speak to the 2 girls who may or may not want nothing to do with you now.

Okay piggybacking on that vision was painful and unforseen, ironic but no less irritating. Now how do you explain yourself. You might just have to tell them. But if you tell them what you are everything changes and-and you're not allowed too, the repercussions could be ... Deadly for you and them. Although they do seem like a pair that could keep a secret it still doesn't seem worth the risk.

Let's be real the problem here is what you saw and what Wednesday saw and what you know Wednesday saw you see and what she definitely told Enid she saw and you saw and... God your head hurts. Ironically it's like a saw was currently hacking away at your brain. So even with a clear head and a somewhat reasonable amount of sleep (more than you usually get anyway) there was still no clear headed way you were going to be able to deal with this, so instead you do the worst thing imaginable.

You decide to wing it.

[spideyanakin]

Heather

Cedric Diggory x reader

Based on Heather by Conan Gray

Synopsis - ‘As she walks by, what a sight for sore eyes, she’s got you mesmerized.’ Cedric is oblivious to your feelings, so you end up watching as he dates a girl that isn't you. Will the two of you get a happy ending?

Masterlist 🧚🏻‍♀️

Cedric Diggory Masterlist 🌻

I still remember the third of December, me in your sweater

It was a cold day - a third of December to be exact. It was late in the afternoon and quidditch practice had just ended. You were drenched in sweat, your bright red Gryffindor quidditch jersey barely shielding you from the cold now that your body was cooling down from the exercise.

You fished in your bag but loudly cursed when you realized you had forgotten to pack your sweater and jacket. Fred had asked you to do something for him right before practice, making you almost late and also making you forget half of the things you wanted to pack on one of the Burgundy common room chairs.

A shiver slipped passed your lips, eyes darting up to the gloomy pathway leading up back to the castle. A thin strip of paved stone slithering up through the grass, the polished stones shining as rain poured down its hill.

Great.

You swallowed, wondering how you were going to make it back to the castle without freezing to death. You watched as the one and only Harry Potter got out of the changing room--all cozily wrapped up in warm layers of clothes, a big Gryffindor scarf wrapped around his neck, and a knitted sweater poking from under his blue raincoat

You really wished that could be you right now.

Keep reading

That was until your savior's voice broke you out of your spiraling thoughts like he always did.

Your name, so perfectly coming out of his lips, making butterflies flutter deep in the pit of your stomach. You tried to calm them down, try to make your heart beat calm before lifting your gaze to his. Eyes clashing with his grey ones. Like always, you felt the shivers tumble down your spine.

"Let me guess," he had a slight smile to his tone, the corner of his lips fighting to not form a teasing smirk, "you forgot your sweater?" The corner of his lips couldn't hold out the smirk any longer as your face fell in defeat.

"I think so," your eyes went back to the small window by the door, the pouring rain was threatening to turn to snow later in the evening. You bit your lip at the thought of walking through this storm in an already drenched quidditch jersey.

"What am I going to do with you?" He smiled, a bright smile that made you weak in the knees.

"I don't know Ced," you shrugged, brushing of the way his eyes never left you.

"Here," he didn't think twice before handing you his. "I know it's not Gryffindor but I'm sure it will at least keep you warm until you get back inside," all your thoughts froze in place, and for a second it felt as though it was only you and him in the small space between the changing rooms.

He was towering over you, arm reached towards you and his yellow sweater balled up in his hand. "Plus, it's too small for me now," he added, "It would look better on you, anyways," you had to look away to compose yourself from his words, an anxious breath leaving your lips.

Only if he knew how much you liked him.

You stared at the ball of yellow before gazing up to him, trying to make a decision. You were about to speak, maybe even accept his offer but you had to watch as his gaze flickered from you to someone passing behind. You painfully watched as his eyes softened and almost sparkled under the light.

Your shoulders slumped, bracing yourself for the worst of impacts; you already knew what you were going to see if you followed his eye line.

It was already as if he had taken your heart out of your chest and ripped it apart before your eyes.

You felt your head turn by itself, your heart dropping to your stomach when your suspicions were true. She walked there, right behind you in all her glory, Heather.

She flashed a bright smile towards Cedric, blatantly ignoring you before walking out the door, and into the raining lands of Hogwarts.

You watched the door for a good few seconds, the silence feeling heavy in your chest.

Heather was a Hufflepuff chaser, always first in class and always having something bright and positive to say.

What a sight for sore eyes, brighter than the blue sky

Of course, she had to be prettier than you. Long brown hair braided for Quidditch, and crystal blue eyes that seemed to glisten in the sun. You would have sworn on your life she was part Veela if you hadn't already been familiar with her parents.

She's got you mesmerized, while I die

"No it's alright, I'll be fine," you muttered, "but thanks, I appreciate it." You brought him back to reality. His grey eyes leveled back to you as you pushed his hand back towards him. "I'll freeze my way back to Hogwarts," you half-joked, standing up before he could even argue.

So, you walked back up to the castle, heart broken into a thousand pieces and shoulders shaking from the cold.

Every day you had to be reminded that he loved someone else.

It all started last June, right before the summer holiday. Professor Trelawny paired them up in divination and ever since he only had eyes for her.

She seemed so perfect; a good sense of humor like you, mixed with the brains and the looks. She was even on the quidditch team, again like you...

But he only saw you as a friend. His childhood best friend who was placed in a different house than him. His childhood best friend who got into way too much trouble with the Weasley twins. His childhood best friend who was doomed to watch him love someone else from the other corner of the room.

But your misery couldn't end there. Because you knew Cedric and you knew that even if he was a Hufflepuff, bravery was his most prominent trait. You knew that it wouldn't be long until he asked her out: he had already been debating the idea since September.

And every single second of it felt like a knife to your heart.

And, by the next week of December, you had to watch as they walked into the great hall--hand in hand.

Watch as she stands with you, holding your hand

Of course, she would have said yes. It was Cedric Diggory--the heart throb. Everyone liked him, everyone dreamed of him. He was kind, and brave and everything someone could ask for in a relationship. All of his golden traits mixed into one beautiful being.

Somehow you thought that being his childhood friend would have made you higher up the list. That he would notice your lingering eyes and the way you reacted when he was close.

But you like her better, wish I were Heather

She was wearing his Hufflepuff sweater, the one he had offered you a week earlier. Now you sort of wished you had accepted it, not even that--that he would have given you the sweater as a token of his love, not as only helping a friend.

You gave her your sweater

Of course, Cedric spotted you by the Weasley twins, and of course, he wanted to introduce you.

Oblivious to how he painfully twisted the knife inside the wound, he sat in front of you by George, and Heather gracefully took a seat at his side, delicately hooking her arm around his torso.

put your arm 'round her shoulder, now I'm getting colder

The lunch went on, and with every second you felt another piece of yourself crumble away. So much that by the end your mind had fully gone blank. Desperately trying to tune out the way he was holding her, stealing glances with her and everything you wished could happen with you.

She's got you mesmerized while I die

The worst part is that it was so painfully obvious to everyone else. Fred and George played eye tennis, reading each other's minds in an attempt to find ways to help you.

Fred who sat by your side ended up placing a hand on your knee in an attempt to comfort you. It somehow made you feel better, but you knew nothing could fix the Cedric-shaped hole in your heart apart from the man himself.

And after a painful half an hour, you decided you had enough, instead of holding in the pain, and pretending like everything was alright, you finally excused yourself, pretending you had finished your lunch early and mumbling something about extra homework to be done before class.

Your feet flew up to a little hidden corner of Hogwarts that to your knowledge only you and Cedric knew. It had become your hiding place, but he never seemed to come anymore. It was just you in this lonely corner of the world these past few months.

So you let the tears fall. Hot drops stained your cheeks and this time you couldn't do anything about it. It wasn't a random joke from the twins that could fix it. It wasn't his smile or something he would say that could cheer you up. It wasn't anything he could give you, because his heart was already taken. His heart had been partly given to someone else and in your lonely corner of the world, you wished you could have a piece. You wished that Heather hadn't taken all the pieces for herself.

Maybe it was selfish. But also how could you hate her? She had always been kind to you and even today she hadn't shown an ounce of jealousy towards your friendship.

But how could I hate her? She's such an angel

No one was to blame.

You had to live with your misery.

December turned into April and the pain in your chest had become nothing but a numb feeling.

The tears were frequent though. And it would always be the red-haired twins that would try to glue the pieces of your heart back with jokes. Bring the pieces back with soft laughter and dumb pranks, but it was never enough.

You hated the way this made you drift away from him.

His presence seemed to get further as she stole him piece by piece. She made him drift away from you like a deadly river that was so beautiful you wouldn't guess that stepping in it would drag you miles away, making you drown in the process.

Was that what she was doing? Making him drown in her presence as the tied of her river dragged him further and further from you?

"Hey Y/n/n," George broke your thoughts, snapping his fingers in front of your eyes.

"S- sorry-" you blinked again, your eyes falling to the work on your lap.

"I asked you what you knew about Disneyland," he pointed to the paper; Muggle studies.

"I've been there once," you replied, your tone slightly off as the thoughts of Cedric tried to grab your train of thoughts again.

"And?" George paused and watched you swallow as you blankly stared at a spot on the carpet. "Y/n/n," he sighed and shuffled closer to you--placing a hand on your shoulder to catch your attention again. "Cedric's a dumb dumb," he whispered. "He's dumb to have chosen her instead of you, and dumb to have abandoned you after they started dating."

You took a long breath in and out, looking back down to the homework on your lap.

George looked at the clock and clicked his tongue "Let's go to quidditch practice, it will cheer you up," he grinned and stood up, making you follow him.

Rain was pouring down the freshly cut lawn of the quidditch pitch, reminding you a bit of that December evening.

You leaned a bit against George as you walked, your eyes drifting to the opposite side of the pitch, wondering the house you were playing against today.

Of course, practice had to be against Hufflepuff...

To your surprise, Heather wasn't glued to Cedric as they walked out--and both of their gazes seemed to be lost elsewhere.

Did they fight?

Something in the back of your mind was asking. Cedric looked pretty mad, and it didn't take long for you to get confirmation when you watched him guide his team. Although he wasn't being mean, his tone was harsher and his patience short--making every yellow-wearing player feel uneasy.

From the other side of the pitch, Heather was pointing a deadly glance at you. The rain was already bringing you shivers, but her stare was even worst and it made you wonder what in the world happened.

You hadn't done anything. Hell, you hadn't even talked to Cedric in weeks.

You hadn't even noticed George had left your side and paired up with his twin again, excitedly whispering to each other.

"What's going on?" You questioned, their grins only expanding as they caught your eyes.

"I've got something to tell you," he sang along his words, bouncing on his feet.

"What's up?" You smiled with them, their grins contagious and spreading faster than any other disease.

"There's a rumor."

"A very interesting rumor," George chimed.

"Cedric and Heather had a fight."

"A fight?" They got your attention. "About what?"

"2 rumors: That she cheated on him with Jamie Lammerson,"

"they've been awfully close lately," George added.

"Second rumor is that she did it because he's been acting more distant lately," Fred continued.

"That's he's been acting distracted," George finished.

"Distracted? By what?"

The twins looked at each other like they knew the biggest part of the puzzle which you were apparently clueless off.

"You!"

"Me?" You shook your head. "Impossible," you laughed, a bittersweet laugh that felt sour on your tongue.

"Not as impossible as you think," they said in unison before making their way further the quidditch pitch, leaving you stranded with your own thoughts.

~

This time you hadn't made the mistake of forgetting your sweater, and Cedric noticed.

He noticed?

"I'm glad you brought your sweater today," he smirked. A smirk you hadn't been on the receiving side of in weeks.

What the heck was he doing talking to you? Shouldn't he be with Heather, laughing about a dumb joke she made?

You blinked, "y-yeah."

Him, on the other hand, he had completely forgotten his. He was soaked with rain, wet hair that fell to his forehead making water drops drip onto his shoulders.

"But you forgot yours," you noticed.

"I did," he scrunched up his face and twisted a part of his shirt to drench the water in a poor attempt to dry it.

Somehow it wasn't awkward. Even if he had spent weeks without talking to you, your friendship didn't seem to have taken any impact.

Your smile lingered and you noticed that his stare did too.

Weird.

Were the twins right?

Right until Heather stepped out of the changing room. Her wet hair tied in a bun, she was all wrapped in dry clothes, fixing something about her bracelet by the changing room entrance.

Cedric noticed her, and suddenly, the glim in his eyes died down, making you frown.

He cleared his throat--giving you a stiff nod before following her out and back up to the castle. You heard his words echo from a distance--something about needing to talk about their fight.

It made you frown even more.

But you couldn't dwell on that too long, you were on broom cleaning duty.

The rain had made your job easier. It had partially removed all the dirt from the collections of nimbus and cheap school brooms. You didn't mind the work and the thundering rain made relaxing music as you meticulously scrubbed every last one of them.

You dusted your hands and admired the clean brooms aligned on the floor of the big shed, awaiting polish and all the other products to make them stay pretty and shiny.

You opened the closet and frowned when you saw that the polish was empty, realizing you would have to go to the other side of the field to the second storage unit; the one with old broken brooms and extra products.

You grabbed your raincoat, securing the hood before darting across the pitch and slipping in between the tall bleachers, walking along the field downhill towards the crooked storage shed, half hidden in between the overgrown trees and bushes.

"Wait- we have to stop-" You heard mumbling from the inside, freezing as you realized people were in there. Great. You had forgotten this was a famous make-out spot.

"What do you mean stop? Is this about Cedric? Aren't you two practically broken up?" You gulped as you heard the name, your heartbeat quickening.

Maybe you heard the name wrong, or it was another Cedric?

But the female voice that spoke again felt way too familiar.

"Well, I think we sort of made up?" You balled up your fist. So it was true, Heather was cheating on Cedric--with who you expected to be nonother than Jamie.

Cedric wore his heart on his sleeve while she was doing all this behind his back...

"You made up!?" Jamie's voice became a bit angrier. "Heather, I thought you were ending this? I thought you said he became interested in what's her name again?"

Was he talking about you? You munched at your lip in anxiety as the conversation went on.

The rain was still harshly falling against your raincoat, but you were frozen in place. It felt impossible to move with what you were overhearing.

"Yeah, Y/n. She's one of the Gryffindor chasers. The one who broke your nose last game, remember?"

"Oh, her. Aren't they like best friends of something?"

"Kind of..." She mumbled--she seemed angry.

Jamie laughed at her reaction. "She's definitely a threat. I thought they were together before the two of you were a thing."

What you didn't see was Heather shooting daggers at him with her stare.

"Will you shut up?" She sounded mean, nothing like the facade she wore every day.

"Why? You dragged me here remember?" Jamie bickered back and you could sense tension in their words, this felt like your cue to leave.

The brooms would be fine without polish.

You turned back, making your way back up the small field leading up to the pitch. Walking through the bleachers again and back inside the shed.

What the fuck?

~

The next day, that overheard conversation was eating you whole.

You were walking in the middle of the hallway as you headed to your next class, Fred and George on either side of you like usual. You were drifting off into thoughts again, running images of how you were going to tell Cedric, or how you were going to attempt to make this situation stop.

He was your best friend, and he didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve her.

"Hey!" A voice came from behind you, making you jump as you felt two hands on your shoulders. You all turned around to meet a bright-eyed Cedric.

He looked all happy and giddy and it made you raise an eyebrow.

"Can I steal Y/n for a second?" He looked at each of the twins.

"Ask her," they both pointed to you.

"Yeah," You nodded, not being able to help the small smile that bloomed on your lips at the sight of him. "What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you." He looked behind your shoulder to make sure the twins had continued their way and weren't eavesdropping like they famously did. "Somewhere quieter," he smiled and you almost thought he was blushing.

"Sure."

You followed him down to your secret place. Your hidden corner of the world where you had spent the last few months coming alone.

It felt weird seeing him there again, especially with you.

"I wanted to apologize." He awkwardly stood in front of you, scanning your features for a reaction.

"Apologize?" Your scrunched your eyebrows. "For what?"

"For how distant I've been lately..." He went back and forth on his heels and looked down to the floor. "For the way I've been ignoring you-"

"Cedric, it's ok."

"No, it's not. It's not because you didn't deserve this. I've been an awful friend lately and it's been because of-" He didn't want to stay it. He didn't want to voice the name of the person whom he knew had caused you and him all this pain.

He might have been oblivious for a long time, but now he knew.

And he wasn't going to take this opportunity for granted.

"Because of her"

"You can't blame her, it's normal, she's your girlfriend-"

"Was," he corrected you. "She was"

You blinked, your breath catching in the back of your throat as the words registered.

"What?"

"We broke up," you looked to the side as you tried to process the information.

Was that why he was acting all happy when he asked you to follow him here in the first place?

"But I thought?"

He shook his head.

"I told her it was over yesterday. We got into another fight because she complained about the fact that I was talking to you after practice," he took a step closer to you, "but she also made me realize that it wasn't her I liked," he looked down to his feet, and you could feel your heart leaping in your chest.

"I've heard things... about um- the way you might feel too. But- if it's not true, I'm not going to ask you to feel the same-" He sighed through his nose and suddenly your whole world lit up again. "But I want you to know."

"I'minlovewithyou" you muttered, barely audible.

He heard it. His whole being lighting on fire as the words climbed up to his mind.

But he wanted to hear you say it again.

"What did you say?" He muttered, reaching to cup your cheek as he took a step closer to you, chests touching.

"I'm in love with you," you said again, loud and clear for him to hear.

Cedric didn't think twice before leaning down, breath mingling together as he whispered.

"I'm in love with you too," he smile before closing the gap between your lips faster than you could say Quidditch.

You thought you were going to explode, your body as his hand found itself on your waist.

You were kissing Cedric.

You were kissing your childhood best friend.

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