#and pressing charges for emotional damage

[vita-divata]

Together again

[bohbee]

Brothers reacting to MC randomly hugging them!

Characters: Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Belphegor

Warnings: Charging? Scaring? Lmao thats like it

Notes: I hope you guys like this, there will be one for the Dateables though I do not know when, could be in an hour, could be in a month lmao

Masterlist

Lucifer

Lucifer had just finished with his work, so you decided to visit him. His eyes laid attentively on his DDD as he stretched his back. He stood up, clicking his DDD off only for his ruby irises to glare at the door. "Who's there?" His voice was slightly stern, yet the exhaustion was heavily visible.

You silently giggled to yourself and waited on the wall beside the door quietly, waiting for him to open the door. "I am not falling for your pranks." You inwardly snorted 'Wow the Anti-Luci league really did him some damage....' You thought to yourself. However, your thoughts were quickly interrupted by a heavy sigh and loud footsteps. The door swung open, a dark aura emitting from the room.

His left leg carefully swooshed the outside air, and he then took a step out. 'Now!', your body charged towards his, his eyes widening. Before he could react, your arms latched onto his waist. You squeezed softly, pressing your face into his chest, not daring to look up. A soft chuckle was heard, he then hoisted your body up in which he gained a yelp from your pretty little mouth.

Lucifer walked back into his room and closed the door, not letting go of you. "My my, MC. Did you really have to be so suspicious over a hug?" He finally let you down and peered into your eyes. "Of course I did!" You said with a heavy smile. His lips softly pushed up. It wasn't often that someone could give him such calm, happy emotions, you though? You did it each time.

Mammon

Mammon sat on his couch counting the Grimm he just successfully made, soft music was playing in the background as his mumbling of numbers could be heard. You snuck into his room carefully treading down his stairs trying not to alert the Greedy Demon. Finally, you made it down the steps, and you tiptoed behind the couch and observed him.

Your eyes watched him as he smiled softly, his knee bouncing happily as he counted his well-deserved cash. He was invested in his own world, even if you were to make a noise, he probably wouldn't hear it. 'Perfect time' you thought to yourself as he sat down his bag of Grimm getting ready to grab another.

You flung your arms around his shoulders, hugging him awkwardly from behind, he let out a deafening screech and thrashed around before tossing you forward to the other part of the couch. Earning a loud 'Umph' from you.

"OI STUPID HUMAN! I COULDA HURT YA" he yelled at you his hand grasping his heart, you giggled at him. "Heh, I got you pretty boy" you pounced the blushing demon into a hug yet again, "Pfft course you'd wanna hug The Great Mammon..... don't let go."

Leviathan

The two of you were gaming late in the night, trying to defeat this seemingly impossible level. No words were spoken the only noses that could be heard was the game, the controllers, and the annoyed grunts. That was until Levi killed the final boss, the screen lit up blue "Accomplished" was shown in big letters. The two of you sat there, eyes wide like a bug, and completely stunned.

"FUCK YEAH LEVI YOU'RE SO COOL" You shouted out of nowhere before yanking him into a death grip of a hug. The purple haired demon poofed into a red balloon, his body tensing up heavily. "Y-y-you really w-wanna touch an ug-" you stopped his self-deprecating words by squeezing him tighter. "Levi...... The great otaku...... THE AMAZING AVATAR OF ENVY..... if you don't stop with those words and hug me, I will steal a Ruri figurine." Almost instantaneously, his arms wrapped around you, his body shaking slightly.

The two of you sat like that for a while, his body finally relaxing. Soon enough, sleep overwhelmed your senses, and you laid off in the dream realm in your crush's arms. His tangerine eyes focused on your form. A small smile and a HEAVY blush overwhelmed his features, he then closed his eyes and joined you in the amazing world of dreaming.

Satan

You were walking alone in the Devildom (HOW DARE YOU?!) when you turned your head and spotted a familiar blonde male in the cat cafe, you smiled softly to yourself and walked in the cafe. "Hey Satan" You waved at him, his attention pulled away from the kitten and he smiled at you. "MC? What are you doing here?" his green eyes glanced around to see if someone was around, only to meet yours with a disappointed look. "Oh don't give me that look Satan, I was bored and luckily I found my favorite demon."

You sat down beside him, and started playing with the kitten in front of the two of you, "Say how about after this.... we go to the bookstore?" You say without turning your gaze away from the cute kitted that was rolling around. His eyes sparkled in love, a rare genuine smile plastered his face, "I would lov-" he was cut off by you suddenly ingulfing him.

"Suprise cat attack hug!" You exclaimed, in between the two of you was the adorable kitten. Satan hugged you back, making sure not to smush the little troublemaker. "You always know how to fluster me, my dear."

The two of you soon left the cafe and walked to the bookstore.......... did I say two of you? Ah, well. I meant three. You, Satan, and the new whisker member of your cat family trotted along the path to the store.

Asmodeus

You sat down in the front row, eyes locked on the stage. Today was the day that marked a beauty contest in the human realm, and you were not going to miss out on your favorite demon strike a pose. Music started playing and many stunning people walked out on the stage but none of them compared to the shining beauty that Asmo was.

The competition soon finished and as expected he won first place, the crown dissipated quickly, leaving you looking around for the Avatar of Lust. "Mc~!" The soft tantalizing voice you knew oh so well said. You quickly whipped your head around and ran towards him, embracing his body quickly. "You did so good! Ah, it was truly beautiful!" You exclaimed.

The strawberry-blonde male let out a beautiful laugh and hugged you back "My my mc~, you keep on squeezing me like that and I won't be able to handle myself." He flirted, his arms tightened around you, and he placed hundreds of kissed on your face.

"Now my dear~, how about you give the first-place winner a congratulatory gift?" his peachy eyes peered into yours, his pupils dilated slightly as he looked at you with so much love and admiration.

Beelzebub

It was yet another restless night for you, your eyes focus on the leaves on your ceiling until shuffling from the kitchen grabs your attention. You slowly sit up and quietly walk out of your room, and towards the noise. As expected, the orange haired male made eye contact with you, his mouth filled with food. "Mphthee warf armph youm dphin upf" (Mc? What are you doing up?)

You smiled at him and walked over to his large form, you wrapped your arms around his torso and laid your head on his chest. One of his arms wrapped around your body as the other placed food in your proximity. "Want some?" he asked softly, cocking his head to the side curiously. You took a small bite of the food and smiled at him "missed you" you mumbled. Finally, your body felt rested as you leaned into the warmth of the nicest brother.

He smiled to himself and hoisted you up, grabbing some food before walking in your room. He turned around and plopped himself on your bed, the two of you laid like that for a while. After an hour of chatting sleep finally overcame your senses, your cheek was smushed on his chest. He pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of the two of you. Before, he himself, let sleep play through his mind.

Belphegor

The brothers were called to duty in the Human Realm leaving you to stay in the Palace with Barbatos. It was fun, definitely, though you missed your sleepy demon. The days droned on and on, until finally, the day where they were coming back finally hit.

You stumbled out of the guest bedroom and ran down the marble stairs, your eyes locking on the infamous avatars of sin. A large smile carved itself on your features as you launched your body on the navy-blue haired demon. You laughed loudly "Belph!" The poor demon tried to catch you though the amount of force in the hug brought the both of you to the floor. A large 'Oopfh' could be heard from the two.

Belphegor's purple eyes widened as he looked at you with shock "Mc?!" he lazily wrapped his arms around your figure, the rest of the brothers snickered and took photos. "Mm I missed you too..... lets stay like this." He said, his face burying itself in your hair (if you lack hair, I am sorry)

The two of you laid there, in the middle of the palace for hours just talking to each other and basking in each other's presence. Though a few hours later photos of the cute interaction would be ALL over Devilgram.

♡♡♡♡♡♡

[starsofteal]

A Lesson and Love

Halsin x Tav // Halsin x Reader (GN) Summary: An accident in the forest leads to an injured child and a rattled Tav—cue daddy Halsin to the rescue.  A/N: One of my favorite things to imagine are these little vignettes of life after the events of the game, when Halsin and Tav and all the children build a life for themselves in Thaniel’s realm. I love the idea of Tav coming into a more parental role after a life of high adventure, and how out of their depth they feel, especially when it appears to come to naturally to Halsin. And, of course, I’m a sucker for Daddy Halsin just as a concept.   Warnings: broken arm (not graphic), fluff (is it hurt/comfort if it’s just physical pain and not emotional angst lol?) 

The sun filters through the tree canopy of the forest just outside Moonrise Towers. The echoes of children’s laughter surrounds you as you relax against a sturdy tree trunk, catching your breath. 

You had coaxed the children into their favorite game of chase—not that it took much convincing on your part—in a desperate attempt to rid the children of as much energy as possible, hoping it would make for an easier bed time tonight—a foolish hope considering how endless their energy seemed to be these days. 

Not that you mind the extra energy. No, in fact, after everything you had been through, nothing brings you more joy than this life you’ve carved out for yourself: surrounded by children and their boisterous laughter, in a safe haven serving to provide hope and safety to all who need it, and then, of course, there’s Halsin. 

Halsin, who you had forged such a deep and lasting connection with over your journey, who shows you the true definition of love and selflessness every day. The love you had found with Halsin will always be the greatest treasure to come out of your ordeal. You’d go through it all a thousand times over again just to end up here, in Thaniel’s Realm, with Halsin, and all the many charges you gained along the way. 

The very charges who seemed determined to send you to an early grave. 

“Nathaniel, be careful!” You admonish from your spot on the forest floor. The young boy, hardly more than six, makes his way up an oak tree, climbing onto a limb with a carefree dexterity that could only come from a child who had been spending far too much time out in the forest with Halsin. 

“I am being careful,” Nathaniel quips back, slowly rising to his feet to grab onto an even higher branch and lifting himself up on it. 

“That’s high enough.” Your voice has a final note of warning in it as you rise to your feet. “Come down from there, now.” 

“Aww, that’s no fun.” Nathaniel pouts, but ultimately acquiesces, turning his body and kicking his feet over the edge of the branch to begin his decent. 

The accident unfolds before you as if in slow motion, but you’re utterly helpless to intervene; feet frozen in place. Nathaniel releases his grip, but his foot just barely misses the lower branch, sending him barreling towards the ground. Your heart stops. A sickening crunch sounds out as he hits the ground, arms out trying to break his fall. There’s a heartbeat of silence before Nathaniel’s wail pierces the air. 

You’re at his side in seconds, crouching low to the ground. The other children swarm in around you, their cries of concern and fear adding to the din.

“Back up, now please,” you order, not unkindly, assessing the damage in front of you while also trying to maintain an aura of calmness. A quick observation tells you that Nathaniel’s arm is definitely broken, the crunch you heard earlier serving as its own confirmation, but other than that, plus a few bumps and bruises, he seems okay. The relief is overwhelming. 

“Nathaniel, sweet, come here,” your voice has a soft, calming tone to it that seems to have an instantaneous effect. The small boy doesn’t need to be asked twice, scrambling into your lap and holding his injured arm close to his chest. You hold him close, pressing a kiss to his temple, as his cries quiet to low whimpers. 

“Cana and Ava,” you call out to the two eldest girls in the group. “I need you two to go find daddy Halsin, okay? Be quick, but be safe.” The pair nod eagerly before dashing off, and you send up a quick prayer to the Oak Father they hurry. 

The rest of the children watch on as you continue to soothe Nathaniel, rocking back and forth. More than a few are shedding sympathy tears, the rest in various shades of distress. 

“He’ll be okay,” you soothe the group. “But this is an important reason we have to follow rules, even when they’re not very fun. They’re there to help keep you safe.” A ripple of nods tells you they’ve more than learned the lesson and its one they won't be quick to forget.

“Go on,” you nod to the clearing, “go play. Daddy Halsin will be here soon.” 

The children reluctantly sulk back to the playing area, though their spirits are too down to continue the game of tag with the same ferocity. 

“You’re being very brave right now, Nathaniel,” you murmur, looking down at the child in your arms. He looks so small, and you feel your heart break in two. Nathaniel presses his head up against your chest and sniffs, wiping his nose on his tunic with his good shoulder. 

“I’m sorry I climbed up high,” he whimpers, fresh tears falling from his thick eyelashes. 

“Oh hush, hush, hush, none of that,” you refute. “The important thing is that you’re safe. A fall from not much higher could have been far worse. Daddy Halsin will be here soon, okay? Just keep being brave, can you do that for me?” You feel Nathaniel’s nod against your chest, and you continue your rocking. 

Finally, you hear the thunder of footsteps running through the forest. You turn your head just as a large brown bear bursts into the clearing, two children atop its back. With practiced ease, they slide off, landing softly on the grass and joining the rest of the children who watch in awe as a burst of bright, magical light erupts. The bear disappears, Halsin standing in its place. 

“My heart, what happened? Are you okay?” Halsin’s eyes are wide with panic as he takes in the sight of you on the ground, Nathaniel curled around his injured arm in your lap.

At the sight of daddy Halsin, Nathaniel’s tears start up again with vigor. “Daddy Halsin,” he wails. “My arm.” His sobs wrack his tiny body, and you wrap gentle arms around him, starting your soothing rocking again. 

Halsin crouches low, getting on one knee. “Now, now, my little adventurer,” his voice is low and gentle. “Let me have a look.” 

Nathaniel leans back against you, carefully exposing the broken and swollen limb, a deep bruise already blooming across the surface. Halsin hums in acknowledgement as he examines the limb. 

“Hold very still for me,” he warns before closing his eyes and raising a hand sheathed in golden magic. His hand hovers above Nathaniel’s arm, causing Nathaniel to bury his head in your chest. “You’re doing such a good job,” you whisper to the boy, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

The glow of Halsin’s magic fades. “There, how does that feel?” 

Nathaniel perks his head up and gives his arm a tentative wiggle. “Wow,” he marvels, his eyes growing wide. “It doesn’t hurt anymore!” Jumping up off your lap, he throws both arms around Halsin’s neck. “Thank you daddy Halsin!” 

Halsin’s strong arms wrap around the child, and the sight nearly brings tears to your eyes. “Of course, my boy,” he replies. “Try to be more careful now, promise?” 

“I will, I promise I will,” Nathaniel hastily replies, already wiggling out of Halsin’s arms and eagerly chasing off towards his adopted siblings. 

Halsin chuckles as he takes a seat next to you in the grass. 

“Well, he got over that quickly,” you joke, leaning into his side as he wraps a strong arm around your waist. 

“These children are strong, resilient. They’ve been through so much at such a young age. It’ll take more than a broken bone to keep them down, I’d wager.” 

You hum in agreement, absentmindedly picking at a few blades of grass. “Thank you for coming so quickly,” you murmur.

Halsin says nothing, just pulls you closer, holding you even tighter. “I’ll always be here, my heart.” His warm lips press against your temple. 

“You’re so good with them, Halsin. You always know what do to, how to act, what to say.” You can’t stop the sigh that escapes your lips, rustling the small pile of grass blades you’d compiled. 

Halsin’s brows furrow. “What is it, my heart?” 

“It’s nothing,” you attempt to shrug off his concern, but he knows you all too well. 

“Tell me what’s on your mind,” he urges. “Please.”

One look in those green eyes has you giving in. With another sigh, you pull your knees up to your chest, resting your chin atop them. You keep your eyes on the children playing ahead of you as you attempt to sparse apart your thoughts and feelings. 

“When Nathaniel fell, there was a moment where I just…” you pause, gathering your breath. “I just froze. I didn’t know what to do. I was terrified. And then I heard him cry and my heart broke into a thousand pieces. There was nothing I could do. I failed him.” You bury your face against your knees. 

Halsin nods his head in understanding, letting your words sit in the air for a moment before nudging you with his shoulder. “Would you like to hear my perspective?” 

You pause for a beat, before giving a slight shrug of your shoulders. 

"I saw you taking charge of the situation. Your fearless heart, your sharp mind, willing to do whatever it takes to take care of the people you care for. You’re relentless in the heat of the moment, whether it’s on the battlefield or here in our home. I saw Nathaniel in your arms; I saw you providing a sense of safety and comfort at a time when he was scared and in pain. You were everything he needed in that moment.”

Halsin’s words of confidence stir you and you raise your head up to look at him. 

“I was so scared,” your words are barely above a whisper, a confession. “After everything we’ve been through, I thought I was beyond ever being scared again. But he looked so small crumpled up on the ground.” 

“You’re not alone with those feelings, my love.” 

At that, you offer Halsin a quizzical expression. “You? I feel like fear isn’t even in your vocabulary.” 

“Me? A stranger to fear?” Halsin chuckles. “My heart, as soon as the girls told me there was an accident here in the forest…” He trails off, his voice taking on a somber pitch. “There aren’t words for the way my heart stopped.” 

You place a comforting hand against his arm, the thick bands of muscle briefly tensing and relaxing at your subtle encouragement.  

“I raced here as fast as I could. It wasn’t until I had you and the children in my sights that I felt I could finally breathe again.” 

Halsin covers your hand with his own, a soft smile on his face. “I think perhaps the drawback to living such an idyllic and wondrous life such as this, is that we have so much more to lose now than we ever had before. And there is a fear in that. But I know that this magnificent journey of ours is only just beginning. There is so much more joy to come.” With that final sentiment, Halsin presses a kiss to your forehead. The warmth of his lips against your skin radiates through your entire body, and you tilt your head up to meet his lips with your own. 

A chorus of “ewwws” and “yucks” erupts from the herd of children now gawking at the two of you, and Halsin doesn’t bother to hold back his howling laughter. 

“To be continued at a later time, my heart,” he murmurs in your ear before pressing another kiss to your cheek and rising to his feet to join the children in play. His grabs two of the closest children in his arms, lifting them up high off the ground. Their squeals of delight pierce the air, and the rest of the children clamber over one another for their own turn. 

You smile, leaning back against the oak tree, letting the warm rays of the setting sun graze your face, as you take in the beautiful view before you. 

[mochinomnoms]

Who do you think would be the kind of dad to take their daughter on daddy daughter dates?

My dad used to do this for me and I loved it sm, imo I think everyone should experience that kind of love from their father <3

Ideally, I think all of them, cause that's just how a father should be. Who makes it a bigger deal, though? I think it's the following:

Deuce: He has such fond memories of going out with just him and his mom that I think he'd want to recreate that. He's taking his daughter out to a cute café near the house to spend some time with her and learn about her week at school. Afterwards he'll take her to play at the park and push her on the swings, blissfully listening to her happy squeals and laughter.

Riddle: His mother caused some permanent damage to his ability to make health relationships, this is just a matter of fact. Perhaps now that he's an adult, the relationship between them as improved, but Riddle is terrified of being like his mother. So, while still firm, Riddle indulges his daughter with several daddy-daughter dates, specifically once a week on Sunday from noon to 2pm. They go out to a lovely café that serves the Clover Bakery pastries and have lunch, tea, and strawberry tarts as he listens to her talk about school, friends, and her favorite books. It's his favorite event alongside your dinner dates.

Leona: Okay, so hear me out, if he were to ever have a kid, he'd spoil the shit of them to make sure that they'd never grow up they way he did. So daddy daughter dates are totally a regular thing. He orders all their favorite foods and drinks as he reserves the game room in the royal library, where he teaches her to play chess. His daughter growing up with confidence and assurance in herself is important, so he doesn't go easy on her. But he does offer very helpful tricks and advice til the day he's proud to admit she's locked him into a checkmate.

Floyd: It's less “dates” and more of “let's fuck up as much shit as we can before your other parent gets us in trouble.” Floyd thinks it's important that his daughter toughens up, so he rough houses with her when they go out, much to her delight. They've gotten kicked out of a few establishments under the sea. Azul begrudgingly lets them in his and his mother's restaurants, where they delight in tormenting him as they eat their takoyaki. They like to have fun.

Jamil: He wants to make sure that his kids know that he loves them and cherishes them no matter what, status or no status. It's hard, feeling like your parents are more concerned about the care and emotions of your charge instead of you. So he regularly takes his daughter on little dates where she can buy little treats for just herself, vent about her duties as a servant (though she gets along surprisingly well with Kalim's oldest), and offer her cuddles in the porch swing. The last one they went on, she got a pair of snake keychains, one for her and one for him. Jamil has it on his key ring when he's working.

Vil: He's thriving, actually. Daddy-daughter dates? No. Daddy-daughter outings! He has fond memories of going out with his father, even as a busy child actor. So, he takes his own daughter to the spa and shopping, instilling expensive taste much to your disapproval. Vil thinks he's simply setting her up with successful self care habits, which you can't deny. He won't mention that she allows him to use silly kid makeup on him in the privacy of their home after their shopping sprees, though. He scrubs his face clean, but always allows you to take pictures, as long as they don't get out to the press. He has an image to uphold.

Rook: The embodiment of a simp and a girl dad, Rook is so in love with his mini-him. Cause let's be real, no matter how much she might look like you, she is a Hunt through and through. Rook reserves one of his family's more remote cabins where he can take her out hunting. He's teaching her the basics of animal tracking, wildness survival, and even shooting. They do briefly turn into family trips instead of daddy-date trips after Rook has to go to the emergency room after accidentally getting shot in his shoulder. He's very proud that his daughter has figured out the basics, but she's crying, and you're frantic. Just in case of an emergency, you tag along with first aid supplies for a little while until your daughter is more confident with her bow.

Malleus: He is SO in love with being a father. He gives no shit about what's on his calendar, if it's daddy-daughter date night, then it's daddy-daughter date night! He will take her scrolling around the gardens as he holds her in his arms and tells her about all the grotesques and gargoyles on the castle. He was so lonely as a child, so he's determined to make sure his own children never feel the same. Between him and her, they have their own Gargoyle Club that meets weekly to visit other castles and admire their architecture. He's yet to convince Leona to let them visit Pride Rock Palace to look at their versions of gargoyles.

[turbulentscrawl]

BUNS HEAR ME OUT.

Top 5 most protective survivors with the ‘who did this to you’ trope.

Let’s just say their S/O gets injured maybe in a match and it’s evident by the damage of the body that it’s definitely not accidental as they claim. So we get a “who did this?”

Maybe this could be a HC for you to do one day lol

Oh this one is quick and easy! I did go back and forth on the exact order here, but these are my top 5s. There is some overlap with the one I just did, but for the sake of changing it up a bit we’ll say that in this case your injuries are obviously also not from a Hunter.

Ganji is at the top because I think he’d be the most emotionally reactive to this specific situation. He’s not as severe as Naib in his revenge, but survivors hurting survivors is a big deal. Like, you’re all stuck here, in limbo, suffering, and some bitch thinks they’re going to start turning it into a free-for-all, too? Fuck no. He feels bad about it later, but he is a little aggressive while trying to get you to admit who did it. He’ll soften a bit if it was a genuine accident, but he still thinks everyone’s been here too long for simple carelessness to be an excuse. If it wasn’t an accident? There are unspoken rules here, and if the manor isn’t going to enforce them, Ganji sure as fuck will.

Naib still has to have a place here, but he’s a smidge lower because his anger is more controlled and calculating. His protective urges in general are pretty off-the-charts and, while he can’t do much about a Hunter hurting you in a game since that’s kinda the point, he can do something about a fellow survivor. He won’t press you too hard while you’re recovering, but frankly it doesn’t matter if you won’t tell him how it happened or who did it. He’s spent years of his life digging up information about targets and this is no different. If anything, it’s easier because he knows the culprit was someone else in the match with you.

Patricia comes after Naib and Ganji because her emotions lean towards desperation more than anger or bitterness. She’s been itching for someone deserving to lay her blood curse on, and this is the perfect opportunity. Someone who was supposed to be an ally has hurt her love? That’s rotten. That’s sinful. She won’t leave you be until you spill who did it. She’s gentle, of course, but every waking moment she spends with you during recovery is spent asking or subtly coaxing you to admit what happened. She’ll give up on asking after several days, but will forever be watching to see if your interactions with the others change. If she suspects anyone in particular, they’re gonna have a little chat.

Andrew can’t see what reason a fellow survivor would have to hurt you, but then he really can’t see reason at all when he’s so angry. He’s not nearly as likely as the others to go out of his way for revenge after-the fact, and he’s not intuitive enough to find out who did it if you won’t tell him…but FUCK he’s mad. Andrew just spends the next few days stewing in anger, tense, sucking his teeth, and cursing randomly in quiet moments. If you or someone else from your match tells him who did it, he makes it clear that he isn’t doing shit for them going forward. Oh, what’s that, they got chaired? Downed? Well, guess they’re fucked. He’d rather take the match loss than save their sorry ass.

Orpheus’s exact reaction is going to depend a bit on when you catch him with all of this. Getting hurt in the matches is normal and frankly he’s a bit numbed to it in most circumstances. But this isn’t a normal match wound, is it, dear? Some of his personalities are more reactive than others, and all of them are quite good at digging. He was a detective, after all. In short, he would appreciate it if you told him who hurt you…but even if you won’t snitch, rest assured he will find out. Whatever happens after that depends on which personality is in charge at the time.

[bumblesimagines]

Midnight Beach

Part 20

Request: Yes or No

Taglist: @nathan-no @hyubg @ash455  @gills-lounge

~~~

"Jesus," A sharp exhale left him at the sight of the purple and green bruises scattered throughout Topper's face. He looked exhausted and pissed. (Y/N)'s nose crinkled at his swollen eye and he dug his teeth into his lip as the guilt began gnawing at him. It should've been him. "Shit, Top... I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Topper sucked in a breath, forearm flexing as he lifted the dumbbell and curled it toward his body. "I was tryin' to do the right thing. I didn't want the party to get ruined by a Pogue again. Now everyone's gonna think I'm weak."

"Nobody thinks you're weak, Top. They think John B's a psycho." If the angry social media posts made after the party held any truth to them, John B wouldn't be able to step on Figure Eight without risking getting jumped. (Y/N)'s thumb rubbed against the sore skin of his index finger. His knuckles tingled but the light pain reminded him things could've been worse had Topper not stepped in. The dirty blonde finally set his dumbbell aside and stood up from the bench, his brows fixed into a deep furrow.

"I'm pressing charges. Mom says it counts as simple battery and he could face jail time for what he did." Topper told him, and the lack of smugness or pride on his face felt unnatural. Kelce or Rafe would've been celebrating at the prospect of putting a Pogue in jail, never mind John Booker Routledge. But Topper had spent the whole night in a hospital ensuring the beating hadn't done serious, life-threatening damage. Even Dr. Thornton, a woman who rarely wore her emotions on her sleeve, had looked terrified for her son.

"I..." (Y/N) swallowed. He and John B weren't friends but the Pogues still cared about him. They liked him, accepted him, and treated him with kindness even after all the hell his fellow Kooks put them through. They'd been through hell and back as a team, as a family. But even as an 'Honorary Pogue', Kiara and JJ had stood silently aside when John B lunged for him. "I-I can testify. I probably would've been in your spot if you hadn't stepped in, Top."

Topper stared at him with a flurry of emotions swirling in his blue eyes. The furrow in his brow softened and his lips pulled up into a wide, thankful smile. He stepped forward and swung his sweaty arms around the teenager, tugging him into a sweet yet slightly wet embrace. "Thank you, man. It means a lot."

"Anytime." (Y/N) leaned back and watched Topper turn around to fetch his water bottle, teeth catching the inside of his cheek when he felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket. He fished it out and tapped on the screen to open the newest message.

Sarah C. Where are you? I need to talk to you

"I'm gonna run upstairs and take a quick shower. Just wait here, alright?" Topper tossed a lopsided smile his way and (Y/N) nodded, forcing a smile for him and watching him disappear up the stairs. Releasing a deep sigh, (Y/N) looked back down at his phone and muted the contact, tapping out of the chat right before a new message could pop up. 

                    ✽        ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽

The courthouse felt imposing. It loomed over them in all its ancient glory and made (Y/N)'s stomach twist. He'd gone inside once for an elementary school field trip, but the only memories retained from that day were of Kelce's group of friends bristling at the nearby kids from the Cut as if they were ferals protecting their territory. He remembered Sarah Cameron, back when her cheeks still had some kid chub and she constantly kept her hair in braids. The only time they'd interacted back then had been brief eye contact when her friends whispered in her ear about his parents. 

He wondered how different things would've been if he hadn't befriended her that night on the rooftop. How easier life would've turned out.

"Guys!" His attention dropped toward the street where Sarah ditched her bike to run toward them. She skidded to a quick stop, her hair tumbling over her shoulders and face. She quickly brushed it out of her way and shot them a wide, perfectly curated smile that promptly fell when she fully took in Topper's face. "Holy shit, Top."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I look like shit." Topper chuckled dryly, tone laced with subtle annoyance. For someone who looked at Sarah as if she were Aphrodite herself for half of his life, Topper looked rather irritated with her mere presence. His shoulders deflated slightly and he jerked his head toward the courthouse and his waiting mother. "We're kinda busy, Sarah."

"W-Wait, you're actually pressing charges? And you're testifying, (Y/N)?" Her brown eyes widened, frantically jumping between the two.

Topper scoffed quietly and glanced back toward his mother when she called out to them to hurry up. "Yes, I'm pressin' charges. John B deserves to face justice for what he did. I'm not lettin' him off just 'cause he's your little boyfriend."

"I-I know, I just..." Sarah's breathing came out in short puffs and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "(Y/N), I need to talk to you. Top, please, just... wait here." 

Without waiting for a response from either boy, Sarah grasped (Y/N)'s arm and pulled him down the sidewalk until they were a good distance away and Topper's stare no longer burned into their backs. Sarah released him and tucked her hair behind her ears as she turned to face him, the look on her face already telling him everything he needed to know. She fiddled with her fingers and sighed softly before finally tilting her head up to look at him. 

"Singh kidnapped Big John. They're in South America trying to find El Dorado and John B needs to go help him. He can't lose his dad again, (Y/N). He just got him back. I-I need you to convince Topper to drop the charges so John B can go find his dad. Who knows, maybe they'll decide to live away from Kildare and never come back." Sarah spoke softly, gently, in a tone he often heard her use on her father and sister to convince them of something. She delicately took his hands into hers and intertwined their fingers together, fingertips gently rubbing against his skin. "John B and I are done. For good. But he's still my friend and I have to help him." 

"You're defending someone who beat someone while he was unconscious, Sarah. If nobody had stepped in, Topper would still be lying in a hospital bed. Why- Why are you trying to help someone who doesn't give a shit about you? If you were in his spot, he'd be halfway to South America right now shit-talking you to JJ and Kie. He likes you because you're a Cameron willing to solve all his problems." Anger bubbled in his chest and he ripped his hands from hers. Sarah blinked, eyes nearly flooding with tears, and she reached out, chasing after his touch. 

"Remember how good things were on the island? Remember how you worked together? We're Pogues. We fight sometimes but at the end of the day, we're family! And- And I know I ask a lot of you, (Y/N), but I really need this one favor. Do it for me, please. Not for John B or anyone else. For me. For Sarah." Her lips trembled, fingers lightly squeezing his arms as she gazed at him desperately. "I care about him but I don't love him, not anymore. I-I love you."

I love you. Words that rang like a church bell in his ears. Words that he barely heard directed toward him. His breath caught in his throat and then he released it in a scoff. "I don't believe you." He murmured. Sarah let out a shaky breath, brows twitching into a furrow as teardrops slipped down from her lashes. 

"What? (Y/N)-"

"You don't even know what love is, Sarah. You- John B's a dickhead, we all can see that. But even he doesn't deserve to be dragged along while you try to make up your mind. Everything was good between us and then you go off and kiss John B. You come back 'married' and when that falls apart, you come running back to me. You cuddle up with John B on the island and the second we get home you can't leave me alone. Now, you're doing everything to help him and his dad. Can't you see how fucked up this is? How confusing it is?"

"I know, I know. I-I made the wrong choice. I picked the wrong guy-"

"Did you pick the wrong guy or did we chase the wrong girl?" The tears tumbled down her cheeks freely and her hands dropped to her sides, head tilting downward in guilt. Or shame. He couldn't quite tell. "You've got a whole life ahead of you to meet more guys. You don't need to settle for anyone right now. You don't have to waste my time or John B's time trying to decide when you might not even be talking to either of us in five years. And you don't need to fix everyone's problems. Some people need to handle their own shit or they'll never learn." 

"I don't want to lose you. Not now... not ever." Sarah whispered, her voice shaky and barely audible. 

He swallowed. "I know. I want to- I want to stay friends. Just friends. My place is always available for you, Sarah, but I... I don't want to be strung along anymore. You should stay single for a while. Figure yourself out and figure out what you actually want." (Y/N) felt a weight lift off his shoulders and he let them slump, finally feeling in control of his life. Sarah remained silent, arms curling around herself, and he turned around, heading back to Topper and his irritated mother. 

Topper perked up at the sight of him, seemingly noting the lack of Sarah's presence, and tilted his head. "We good?"

"Uhm... I need you to do me a favor. A quick favor, Top. John B's dad needs his son right now. He's in some trouble somewhere else and only John B can help him. I need you to tell Shoupe to let him walk free and if John B comes back after helping his dad, you can press charges and have him arrested on the spot." Topper's jaw clenched and (Y/N) stepped forward to take him by the shoulders. "I know it's fucked, trust me, I know. But... I won't be able to sleep at night without knowing if I could've helped someone get their father back. It's shitty and unfair that he'll be walking free but I promise you, I will testify if he decides to come back. I will tell you the moment he comes back and you can call Shoupe to take him to the station, alright?"

Topper quietly stared at him, hardened blue eyes studying his face. "Sarah got to you, didn't she? I'm telling you, man, if you keep going back to those fuckin' Pogues-"

"If they need my help to get Big John, I will help them but it'll be the last thing I do for and with them. They're- They're good people with good intentions but I'm not going to let them ruin my life. I don't need a criminal record or need to go through another life-or-death situation. I'm fine living without a treasure hunt or going on some adventure. Those things are... They're just not for me." 

"You promise?"

"I promise."

                    ✽        ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽       ✽

"South fucking America? What, is this Big John guy Indiana Jones or something? And El Dorado? Like the movie with the hot chick?" (Y/N) snorted quietly, eyes locked on the action movie playing on his television. Liv scoffed quietly and shoved her hand into the bowl of popcorn, nearly spilling some over onto the bed while she grabbed a handful and stuffed her mouth. 

"I hate to break it to you, Liv, but that movie was inspired by El Dorado. The legend of a city of gold has been around for ages." 

"And you're telling me some billionaire from Barbados is trying to track down a legend? He could be dining at five-star restaurants and taking trips to Bora Bora or Fiji or- fuck, I don't know, Dubai. And he's chasing a legend about gold? When he could be picking up the phone and getting a diamond hand-delivered to him? Money can buy you happiness but it certainly doesn't buy you a couple of braincells." Liv said between mouthfuls. (Y/N) sighed through his nose and reached around Liv to pick up his coke can from the nightstand, only pausing when his phone screen lit up with a new message. He took a swing from the coke and sat up, lifting his phone toward his face and squinting through the darkness. 

JJ (Y/N) come 2 chatoe rn

Pope Chateau*

JJ its an emrgency

Pope It's not but we need you

Licking the soda and hint of butter off his lips, (Y/N) cleared his throat and turned to look at Liv. "I'm going to head out. I'll be back soon." He told her and shoved his phone into his back pocket. Liv blinked owlishly at him, mouth agape as she watched him put his sneakers on and grab his car keys.

"What? But we just started the marathon!" 

"I know, I know. I'll make it up to you by suffering through one of your little Hallmark movies." He flashed her a grin and spun on his heel, hearing the sound of her huffing and puffing growing distant when he descended the stairs. Stepping out into the cool night air, (Y/N) took in a deep breath and reminded himself: just one more adventure and nothing more. 

The drive to the Chateau had been a quick one with barely any traffic on the road. The sight of the raggedy, worn-down mobile home made him grimace, the thought of its owner leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He could see the Pogues gathered around near the old tree, the lights intertwined around the branches illuminating the ground below. (Y/N) shut off the engine of his car and climbed out, closing the door behind him and drawing their attention. JJ grinned widely at the sight of him and swung his arm around his shoulder when he grew near.

"There's my little prince! I knew we could count on you."

"Don't celebrate just yet." (Y/N) met John B's gaze, and the sight of the bruise on his cheek nearly made his lips quirk. "The Thornton's aren't doing anything for now. They're not gonna let it go that easy."

"Still," JJ insisted and squeezed his shoulder. "It means a lot to us, man. Right, John B?"

"Yeah, thanks a lot." The brunette forced out through gritted teeth. Some satisfaction bubbled in his stomach at his forced words and he gave the others a quick glance. They all seemed equally happy, even a little excited. JJ bit his bottom lip and lightly shook his shoulders, finally spilling the beans.

"We're flying down to Orinoco thanks to Miss Cameron over here who convinced Ward to let her borrow the plane. We're going on a search and rescue mission to South America first thing tomorrow morning, ain't that right? We're flying first class, baby." JJ laughed, earning playful eye rolls from Kiara and Pope. John B cracked a small smile and lifted a beer to his lips. (Y/N)'s eyes gravitated toward Sarah and she offered a thankful yet sad smile. 

"I, uhm... I have something else I want to share." She piped up and cleared her throat. "Since we've gotten back from the island, I've done some things that have hurt some of you. And- I don't- Poguelandia, guys. It's all I've been able to think about. We were all together on that island and it was a good thing, and I don't want to ruin a good thing. And I... I just want to know, are we all still in? Are we still all together? Because I am." 

Kiara smiled softly. "Yeah. Always." She replied and stepped toward the blonde to embrace her warmly. Cleo and Pope smiled widely at her and moved in as well, each giving her a tight, reassuring hug while sharing chuckles and murmurs. JJ kept his arm snugly around (Y/N)'s shoulders and pulled him along, wrapping his other arm around Pope's waist. They looked toward John B expectantly and after a moment of rubbing his sneaker into the grass, he moved forward to join them. He wrapped one arm around Sarah's shoulder and the other around (Y/N)'s. 

"We're really doing this, huh?" Pope laughed.

"I think we should let loose tonight," JJ smirked widely. "What do ya'll think? We crack a couple beers, smoke a joint?"

"Definitely." Kiara giggled and her warm gaze lingered on the rowdy blonde for a minute too long. JJ whooped and slapped his hands against Pope and (Y/N)'s backs before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the joint. Pope shook his head at his antics and headed inside with Cleo and (Y/N) trailing behind.

And Christ, John B needed to do a deep clean of his house. (Y/N) stepped over a crinkled, stained covered shirt and lightly kicked aside an empty box of Cheerios. Cleo rummaged through the pantry and tossed snacks onto the table, some bags half-full and others barely touched, while Pope searched the living room for any board games he could find. JJ sauntered into the room with the others, already reeking of weed. He fiddled with the radio until a song he liked came on and plopped down on the couch to watch Pope spill some dominos on the table and brush aside the available snacks. 

"(Y/N)," Sarah called out softly and nodded toward one of the rooms, specifically the one John B had gone into. He took the beer offered by JJ and drank some, letting it settle into his system before he followed her into the bedroom and watched the door close. (Y/N) leaned back against the wall, taking in the equally messy bedroom floor and poster-covered walls. The itch to start cleaning crawled up his back. 

"So," John B began, awkwardly and forcibly. "What do you want, Sarah?"

"To get rid of any bad blood between the two of you. I... I fucked up. I hurt you both and neither of you deserved it. I'm sorry, really, I am. I'm not asking for you to be best friends but... it'd be good for all of us if you two were at least on decent terms. We're a family. Families fight and argue but at the end of the day, they come back together. If we're going to be a team-"

"I'm okay with.. apologizing. But, uh, JJ didn't give me much of a choice back there." (Y/N) inhaled and their questioning eyes jumped to him. "I'm helping out this time 'cause I don't want Singh to hurt anybody. After this, after we get back from South America... I'm not joining ya'll on any more adventures or treasure hunts or anything like that. The Pogues are great. It's fun but it's not a forever sort of thing for me."

"Fuckin' knew you'd ditch us eventually." John B murmured bitterly and shook his head.

"Pope lost his scholarship, Kiara's relationship with her parents is going down the drain, none of you have actual jobs or went to school regularly. I want to go to school, I want a diploma, I want to have a life that doesn't revolve around other people. I... I had a plan, even before meeting Sarah. I told the others about it but I don't know if they remember or think I changed my mind. I'm leaving the Outer Banks. The second I can get my hands on a high school diploma and enroll in college, I'm getting out of here. The plan was always to become roommates with Liv somewhere else."

"You- You can't just up and leave us," Sarah said quietly. 

"The Pogue life is fun. It's great. But I've had enough shit on my plate these past few years. I'm tired, Sarah. It's not stupid or wrong to want a normal, regular life where I'm not constantly fleeing from someone or risking my well-being. If you want to be treasure hunters or constantly go on new adventures then great. I hope that life's fun for you. It wouldn't be for me. So, I'm sorry for hooking up with Sarah, John B. It was shitty of me. I'm not sorry for punching you. You've had it coming for a while."

"Yeah, okay, fair." John B sighed and stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry for... everything, I guess. I hope you get what you want. The Pogues will be here if you ever need anything from us." With that, he exited the room and closed the door behind him, leaving the two alone with their thoughts. (Y/N) set aside the beer bottle and slipped his arms around Sarah's shoulders, tugging her carefully into his chest. She buried her face into his shoulder and they stood still like that, listening to the muffled sound of the radio and laughter in the next room. 

"I'm glad you're in my life." She revealed softly and tilted her head upward to look at him. He smiled and brushed the hair out of her face, pushing strands behind her ears and combing through the hair that stuck up from her hectic day. Sarah leaned up and pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss before taking his hand and smiling. "We should enjoy ourselves tonight as Pogues."

[pianokantzart]

By The Numbers (Pt. 3/END)

Luigi hoped to use one of his own special talents to give the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing company the leg-up it needed to succeed. But as usual, for all his good intentions, the younger of The Mario Brothers finds himself in over his head. Final part of a three part story!

Part one: X Part two: X

Also available on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52624285/chapters/134094502

______________

“Luigi, what’s going on?” Mario’s tone was stern, his eyes flicking between the men surrounding his brother as he stood with hands clenched into ready fists. He was hatless, a pair of overalls thrown over his pajamas, one of his shoes left untied in his apparent rush to get dressed. Luigi was slow to answer. He knew that even if he didn’t look so ragged, caught in the middle of four strangers, his brother had already guessed he was in danger. Luigi’s poker face only lasted as long as the card game, in all other instances he couldn’t lie to save his life… or anyone else’s. Before he could say anything, he felt a burly arm envelop his shoulders and draw him close, holding him firm while the other three men formed a barrier between him and his brother.

“Oh… Luigi is just out for a little night on the town,” Warren said, carefully enunciating the name as he spoke it for the first time, “What’s it to you?”

Through the dark Luigi could see how his brother’s chest rose and fell– a tell-tale sign that his emotions were getting to him, but before a fist could be thrown he gathered his breath, released it with an audible exhale, and buried his hands into his pockets in a noble effort to hold himself back. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’ve already called the cops.” Mario pulled a familiar touchscreen phone from his overalls and waved it threateningly. “Let my brother go, and we won’t press any charges.”

This seemed to cause a bit of a stir amongst Luigi’s captors. The nameless three exchanged glances, and once they had all silently indicated to each other they did not know what to do, they turned to Warren for direction.

Warren, much to Luigi’s distress, tightened his hold on him, his arm sliding subtly from Luigi's shoulders to around his neck.

“I think you’re bluffing,” was the firm reply. “What do you say to that?” Mario said nothing. He returned the phone to his pocket, squared his shoulders, and started walking closer at an even, determined pace.

Warren’s three underlings moved in to intercept, but as Luigi had witnessed so many times before, they were blindsided by the amount of fight that was contained in someone who looked so small and innocuous. Mario knew exactly how to leverage both his weight and size, what angle to jump at to connect skull to jaw, and how high to jump in order to lay a sturdy kick into someone's throat. He was experienced in dodging blows from opponents twice his size, and was fast as he was strong.

But it was still three against one. Going up against those odds was difficult, getting out of them unscathed was impossible. For every blow Mario delivered and dodged, something connected and sent him reeling. Blows compounded, and despite the damage he dealt Mario was clearly having a harder and harder time getting back up.

“Don’t!” Luigi yelled, tears pooling in his eyes and trickling down his cheeks. He struggled to wrench free from Warren’s grip, and for his efforts he heard a light “click,” and finally got a decent look at the knife… a folding knife with a needle-point blade. 

“That’s enough, all of you!” Warren commanded, keeping the weapon firmly pressed against Luigi’s jaw. It took a few seconds for the thugs to untangle themselves from the fight and back down, during which Warren leaned close to Luigi’s ear, and whispered instructions in a tone that made the plumber’s blood run cold.

“I suggest you talk your brother down, before we do something you might regret.”

Struggling to regather his breath, Luigi looked over the scene and calculated the odds. Through the dim light he compared the scattered wounds of his attackers to the ones on his brother. Mario was still standing, but was leaning slightly under a bruised rib, his breaths audible through a face that was already beginning to swell. Three against one. The cards were not in his favor. But the odds never mattered to Mario. His hands remained clenched as he crouched back into a fighting stance and stared Warren down, the blade the larger man held against Luigi’s throat the one thing holding him back.

“Mario! Just go!” Luigi pleaded.

“Lu.” Mario’s gaze softened as it shifted to his brother. “It’s gonna be okay, I’m–” “You’re gonna get us both killed!” Luigi interrupted frantically. “Don’t you get it? I don’t want you here! I don’t want you trying to save me!”

His older brother looked startled at this. A look of hurt and confusion creased his face, black and blue and speckled with blood. Luigi felt his stomach twist with regret, but he far preferred that over watching Mario continue to test how much punishment his body could take. Luigi knew that tonight was a culmination of his own weakness. He was not going to let him keep paying the price for that.

“Everything was fine until you showed up.” Luigi spoke quietly as he doubled down with a cracking voice and tears flowing freely. “I don’t need you. The sooner you’re gone, the safer I’ll be. What part of that don’t you understand?”

Mario’s surprised look turned thoughtful as his fists unclenched, and he crossed his arms irresolutely in front of his chest. He carefully looked around, gaze shifting from the three goons, to Warren, to the knife, to Luigi, where his gaze lingered for a long while. As Luigi met his eyes, an unspoken exchange brought him to the unsettling conclusion that no matter what he said, Mario wouldn’t leave– or more, couldn’t leave. He couldn’t turn his back on him. He was too frightened about what might happen. Mario further softened his body language, raising his palms and lowering his head. “Okay, okay… just tell me what you guys want.”

“Whatever happened to having called the cops?” one of the goons mumbled, rubbing at his bruised jaw and wiping away the blood in the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah, you called my bluff on that one.” Mario said, forcing a strained chuckle. “Look, I don’t know what you’re trying to get out of my brother, but we can figure something out.”

“One moment you’re trying to crack open skulls, the next you think you’re some sort of master negotiator,” Warren muttered. He pressed the blade a little harder against Luigi’s jaw, eliciting a pained squeak and a small trickle of crimson. Mario stiffened, his bruised eyes widening.

“Please! I-... What do I need to do to fix this?”

Warren chewed his lip thoughtfully. After giving each of his men a quick glance, he made an offer while clicking his knife closed to his sincerity. “I’ll tell you one thing you can do: hold still. Things are about to get very unpleasant for you, but if you prove you can control yourself, we’ll give your brother here another chance to make things right.”

Mario didn’t know what that meant, he was afraid to ask, but knowing what was at stake he simply nodded. Luigi didn’t understand either, but felt a horrible dread weighing down on him as Warren’s underlings approached Mario one by one. The first reared back, taking his time in aiming his fist at Mario’s temple. It connected without resistance with a gut-churning crack. Mario let out a grunt of pain and swayed under the impact, but otherwise didn’t move. “Mario!” Luigi shouted. Through vision blurred with tears, he saw his sibling smiling up at him. “See?” Mario muttered, blinking away the darkness that danced at the corner of his vision, “I can control myself.” No sooner had he said this, the second thug delivered a blow of his own. In a roundhouse kick that looked straight out of a corny action movie, he knocked Mario’s legs out from under him. Mario slowly and carefully stood back up, but made no further signs of resistance.

The third thug, who had received the worst injuries of his companions, hung back as the other two tested whether or not their opponent would stay true to his word. Seeing Mario remain still despite the attacks, he held a hand out toward Warren who– to Luigi’s horror– handed him the switchblade, which the thug calmly flicked open while approaching his brother. Luigi wanted to scream, call out a warning, do something other than just stand there, but found himself frozen in place save for his quivering limbs and knotted stomach, until a flicker of coherent thought in the back of his mind pointed out that Warren’s grip on him had loosened. He wasn’t completely free, the arm was still wrapped around his neck, but he had a little bit of wriggle room…

___ “Push off with your back leg and twist your hips like you’re swinging a home run.” His father explained, adjusting Luigi’s posture. The ten year old shifted his footing as directed, taking care to keep his thumb outside his fist, between his first and second knuckles on his index and middle finger. “Keep your elbow in. Don’t aim at the head, but behind it.” His father continued as he extended a large calloused hand, nearly as big as Luigi’s head, “Pretend my hand is the face of someone that… um… someone trying to hurt your brother!” Luigi crafted the scenario in his mind, tightening his fist, working himself up. “That’s it. Now swing! Hard as you can!” ___

Luigi’s whole body twisted and his arm shot out in one short, controlled action. He felt his knuckles crack across Warren’s face and the cartilage of the large man’s nose snap. There was a tiny yelp of shock, Warren releasing Luigi to clutch his bleeding face with both hands. Everyone’s attention was captured, the whole scene paused in astonishment. Luigi didn’t waste a single second as he dashed down the alley, snatching up his sibling, practically throwing him ahead in his desperation.

“Mario! Run!”

The command was unnecessary. They fell into sync as they sped away. They could hear manic footsteps and shouts behind them as their pursuers regrouped and gave chase, but if there was anything Mario was better at than fighting, it was running, and if there was any skill in which Luigi surpassed his brother, it was the art of escape.

Together they bounded over chain link fences, across brick walls and fire escapes, rounding sharp corners and leapfrogging over garbage cans, keeping side-by-side until any sign of their pursuers was left far behind, lost completely in the loud bustle of the New York streets as dawn finally broke over the city.

Mario and Luigi took refuge in a corner store across the street from their home. Harry, a friend of theirs, ran the place from six in the morning until two p.m, and played tennis with them on weekends. He was just then turning the sign from “closed” to “open” when he saw Mario and Luigi approach, Mario holding on to Luigi's shoulders for stability.

They claimed they were mugged. The full story didn’t feel worth delving into. Harry considered calling the police, but Mario and Luigi turned down the idea. Given that their attackers hadn’t successfully stolen anything, and Mario had dealt out a fair amount of damage himself, they doubted anything useful could come of it.

They took Harry’s suggestion to call an ambulance into a bit more consideration. Mario looked himself over carefully, and after determining that no bones were broken or organs ruptured, turned down that idea as well. They did, however, happily accept the offer of ice, bandages, and access to the storage room, where they could get themselves cleaned up before heading home.

Soon, Luigi was sitting by his brother on a pallet of paper towels with a first aid kit open on his lap. He decided to start with Mario’s raw knuckles, having decided to wait until after the ice brought down the swelling in his face before he tended to the worst of the damage.

“So, what are we going to tell the family?” Luigi asked after he and his brother had finally settled. “Same thing we told Harry.” Mario said, wincing a little as his brother brushed gravel out of his injured knuckles and dabbed them with antiseptic, “We’ll tell them we got a sugar craving around midnight, decided to take a walk to the nearby 24/7 pancake house, and got mugged along the way.”

“Why would I go to a pancake house in my Sunday best?” “Oh, I don’t know!” Mario snapped, pulling the ice away from his face in exasperation. “What, you want me to tell them that you decided to sneak out and pretend to be Stu Ungar for a night?”

Luigi shrugged, barely even blinking when his brother raised his voice at him, finding it rather comforting that he still had that fire in him regardless of his injuries. Even so, Mario looked regretful, letting out a heavy sigh and pressing the ice back against his face. “No way. They’d never let you hear the end of it.”

Luigi gave a small nod, less of agreement and more of numb acceptance. He rifled through the package of adhesive bandages, trying to find the little H-shaped one designed for knuckles. Finding none, he decided to settle with simple gauze and bandage tape. “Mario, I’m so sorry,” he whispered as he finished tying off his brother’s hands. “Heh, not as sorry as you’re gonna be when Nonno gets wind of this. For a guy who needs a walker he sure can swing that thing, and he doesn't miss!” “Not about that. I mean…” Luigi swallowed back the tears building in his throat. “...I-I mean about what I said back there. The whole ‘I don’t need you’ thing.” “Oh that!” Mario let out a good natured laugh and shook his head. “Don’t even mention it Lu, you were just trying to keep me safe.”

“But I didn’t… I mean I should’ve…” Luigi stuttered and trailed off as he felt the tears continue to choke him, creating a painful lump and cutting off his words. That wasn’t all he was sorry for. It wasn’t even the beginning. He didn’t mean to put his brother in that position, make him feel like he had to turn himself into a punching bag. He didn’t mean to nearly get him stabbed... maybe even killed. He didn’t mean to keep getting lost, keep getting cornered, keep attracting trouble, keep forcing his Mario into these sorts of situations. He couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong with him. “Hey.” Mario’s voice pulled Luigi from his thoughts. He felt his brother gently take hold of his wrist, and lift his trembling hand into the air. “That was a pretty good left hook back there.”

Luigi looked at his own hand as Mario brought it up to the light. It was still marked with Warren’s nose blood, smeared across his knuckles in an ugly brown stain. He felt a glimmer of pride then, seeing the evidence of his little moment of heroism, though he wasn’t so proud that he wasn’t unnerved by the literal blood on his hands.

Using an antiseptic wipe to wash his hand clean, Luigi decided to switch subjects and ask a question that had been on the tip of his tongue ever since Mario first swooped in to rescue him. “How’d you know where to find me?”

“Well, you weren’t too far from the casino you kept researching in your internet search history.” Mario smugly pulled the phone from his overall pocket– miraculously undamaged. “I just followed the address, and then followed my gut, until eventually I found you. Not a moment too soon, from the looks of things.”

Luigi smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Heh, I just wish you’d found me sooner. The night would've gone a lot better if you picked me up right after I won all that mon-” he froze mid sentence, his eyes widening in sudden recollection. The money! He couldn’t believe he almost forgot about the money! “Hold on! I want to show you something.” Mario was confused, but didn’t protest as Luigi took the phone from his hands. Eagerly he exited the internet page, switched to his bank app, and was relieved to see that despite losing his debit card and nearly getting robbed at knifepoint, the total in his checking account was still the same as it had been when he’d first left the poker table and deposited his earnings. “What’s that big grin about?” Mario asked, noticing his brother's change of demeanor. Luigi handed the phone back to Mario, and took no small amount of delight in watching his expressions disbelief and elation.

“Luigi! Is this for real!? I swear if you’re pulling my leg-”

“The average cost of starting a plumbing business is around twenty grand, right?” Luigi interrupted, chuckling proudly. “Twenty five thousand should cover it.”

Saying the number out loud, a part Luigi couldn’t help but feel perplexed. It had seemed an exorbitant amount at the poker table– no doubt it was an incredible sum to win in one night– but it didn’t seem like a number worth being threatened the way he had, not by a guy who appeared as well off as Warren. Luigi suspected either Warren’s issues were based more in pride than money, or he had been pigeonholed as a far more prolific and wealthy gambler than he actually was. Someone worth robbing. In any case, they were 25k richer, and Mario was over the moon.

“We- we can get a van! With a logo and a custom paint job!” he declared, struggling to keep from shouting as he wrapped an arm around his brother, “We can restock our tools, get the name trademarked! Get the permits and a website and- ah, ow!” Too much excitement. Mario’s aching skull began to throb and his split lip that had just started to heal was bleeding again. Luigi tenderly unwound himself from his brother’s hug, settled him back down, and began dabbing at the bloody lip with a cotton ball.

“First let’s see how much the doctor bills are going to cost.” Luigi remarked with no small amount of concern, “you may feel well enough to avoid an ambulance, but I’m not convinced you didn’t crack a cheek bone or something, and we’re no longer insured...”

“We’ll be fine. We’ve got our life savings on top of your winnings!” Mario let out another hearty laugh, still high on excitement despite the surge of pain, “In fact, bet if we… well… nah. It’s stupid.” “Stupid? No way.” Luigi pulled out another antiseptic wipe, waiting for Mario to hold still enough for him to tend to a particularly ruddy scrape on his cheek. “Couldn’t be any stupider than sneaking out to play poker. What’s the plan?” “It’s not a plan so much as it is an idea.” “...And? What’s the idea?”

Mario winced as his younger brother finally succeeded in laying the stinging cloth against his injured face, but quickly bounced back into a smile.

“Say Lu…” he said, eyes shining with excitement, “how do you feel about making a TV commercial?”

[laduenadelswing]

Sworn enemies

Vox x female reader

warning: smut, enemies

The music throbbed through the opulent hall, a cacophony drowned out by the din of revelry. Amidst the swirling throng, you stumbled, laughter catching in your throat as you righted yourself. Wine sloshed in your glass, a red stain blossoming on the pristine white tablecloth.

He found you there, Vox, the enemy you knew all too well. His eyes, twin orbs of deep red, glittered in the dim light, assessing you with a blend of amusement and concern.

"Well, well," he drawled, a smirk playing on his lips. "Looks like the fierce soul hunter has become the prey of the night."

You glared, the alcohol emboldening your defiance. "What are you doing here, Vox?"

He chuckled, stepping closer. "Isn't it obvious, my dear little rival? Enjoying the festivities while you drown your sorrows in Vodka?"

"Sorrows?" You scoffed. "I'm celebrating a victory, actually." A victory over him, though you wouldn't admit it aloud.

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on your flushed cheeks and unsteady stance. "A victory that requires such copious libations?"

You met his gaze, a spark of defiance igniting in your chest. "Maybe I celebrate how I want, Vox. You don't know what celebrating is because I always win."

His eyes locked on yours, the amusement fading to something deeper, something you couldn't quite decipher. The silence stretched, thick with unspoken words and the intoxicating scent of his presence.

You were rivals, sworn enemies, yet there was a strange pull between you, a tension that crackled like the lightning outside the window. You hated yourself for feeling it, for the way your heart hammered against your ribs. You're like the sun and the moon.

"Come here," he said, his voice a low rumble.

Before you could protest, he reached out, his claw warms against your skin as he pulled you away from the crowed to a private place. Afterward, he pulled you closer. You stumbled against his chest, the intoxicating scent of him filling your senses.

"You're drunk," he murmured, his voice close to your ear.

"So?" You challenged, though your voice lacked conviction.

He tilted your chin up, his eyes searching your face. "Don't you know what you're doing, little soul hunter?"

You stared into his depths, the party behind you fading away. The music, the laughter, all vanished, leaving only the two of you, suspended in a moment charged with unspoken desires.

You leaned in, suddenly, inexplicably drawn to him. "Do you, Vox?" you whispered, looking into his red eyes. Your face glow in his blue light, the demon overlord had never seen something more beautiful.

He didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes. His hand tightened on your waist, pulling you impossibly close. Then, his lips met yours, a searing kiss that ignited a fire within you.

It was a kiss fueled by rivalry, by forbidden desires, by the intoxicating haze of the night. His lips were firm yet tender, his touch sending shivers down your spine. You clung to him, drowning in the intensity of the moment, forgetting everything but the press of his body against yours. You began to enjoy his dominance.

The kiss ended as abruptly as it began, leaving you breathless and yearning for more. You pulled back, your cheeks burning, your heart pounding a frantic rhythm.

"What was that?" you whispered, your voice barely audible.

He stared at you, his eyes blazing with an emotion you couldn't name. Then, he turned away, his voice low and gruff. "A decision." He stated and kissed you again. Your mind was corrupted by the alcohol and his kiss, the firm lips and the way his claws playfully wrapped around your waist.

You went back into his apartment. The mobility took some damage, Vox enjoyed throwing you through his flat. His claws ran through your hair, ran down your body. "I can't get enough of this." He stated in between your make-out session. "I will make you come back and help me out." You just smiled into the kiss. His heart stopped, maybe it was more than a forbidden fling. Vox always cared about you, he only wanted to destroy his bedroom, kitchen and bathroom with you."

Try me." You replied. He pulled you into his bedroom, the view was amazing. Suddenly, a big screen appeared in front of you. It just mirrored everything in the bedroom. "I want you to see this." A diabolic grin appeared on his face. He sat down on his bed, unbuckled his pants and showing his manhood, fear appeared in your eyes. "You're so pretty when you're afraid. Take it." He demanded, you agreed. Your sight was corrupted, but you just did you did your best, sucking your enemy. His moans became louder, as he struck your hair gently.

"If I knew you're that good, little soul hunter, I would have given it to you sooner." He became increasingly drunk on his desires and emotions. Vox always knew it was you. You even appeared in his dreams. He told himself that you're a nightmare, but deep down he knew that you have always been the girl of his dreams." He couldn't take it anymore. Pushed you away from him, appeared behind you and threw you onto his bed.

Ripped your dress apart, you were way too sexy for clothes anyway. His claws scratched your beautiful skin and left his marks. Kissed your neck, collarbone, breast. He started sucking on your nipple, playing with the one he couldn't suck, and used his claw to massage your zone. The surprise on his face made him proud.

Your moaning motivated him, he wanted to please you. His claws entered you. "Oh, it's so good just for me?" He growled. As you shivered and began to twitch, he stopped, grinned and worked with his mouth in your private area. You never expected that your sworn enemy could make you so happy. He grabbed your legs forcefully and ate you passionately. With more passion than a demon or human ever could.

You couldn't even recover, before he entered your body. Your moans turned into screams, he scratched your back until he had blood on his claws. The more he fell into your passionate act, the more he became obsessed. You appeared on the screen, he made you watch. He helped you remember that your biggest rival had power over you. He wanted to make you see how he f*cked you. Your expression was priceless. Fortunately it was recorded.

"So amazing." He moaned, trying his best to sound in control, he knew that since he kissed you he could never gain full control again. Not in this situation. Desire consumed him. He took you, pleased you, made you happy and content. After that he was the one to be fulfilled, the bed was used pillows ripped apart, blankets on the floor. He was tired as you laid in his arms. Your warmth made him smile, his body was getting used to your heat. Vox came to close with his rival but he couldn’t deny it any longer. He hoped that you slept as he mumbled.

"I think I love you. Fuck...."

Authors not: Hey I hope you liked it. Please leave me some tricks or critic. Can anybody tell me how to make a master list? Love 🥰

[alovesongtheywrote]

i LOVE LOVE nightmare academia !! smth about spencer as a professor who is just as dumb as he is smart is just so good

♥ Summary:  SAME. He's such a goober. In this chapter of Nightmare Academia, someone shit-talks Star Trek. [Prof!Spencer Reid x GN-Prof!Reader]

♥ Warnings: none

♥ A/N: this is short and sweet, have fun with it

♥ Word Count: 1209

Series Masterlist

♥♥♥

Things crept back towards normal.  The process was slow, but you didn’t think it could be anything else.  It wasn’t like Reid’s stab wound could heal overnight.  Neither could the emotional damage you’d dealt each other.

You had to take things slowly.  The pranks couldn’t come back all at once.  A few mugs were taken here, a few fake bugs were left there, and the typewriter passed between the two of you like a child of divorce.  It spent half its time in class with Reid, and half with you in your office, so in a way, it kind of was a child of divorce- or at least a child with separated parents.

This led your students to dub you and Spencer ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ when it came to the typewriter.  Which title each of you got varied from student to student- for some, you were mom, for others Spencer was mom, but it really didn’t matter.  You were both parents to the typewriter.  You and Spencer were more or less unaware of this.  The rest of the faculty was in on it.

Eventually, the typewriter saga culminated with Spencer sending the typewriter to your class.  During an exam.  Of course, the student in charge of the typewriter only used it long enough to invoke a reaction from you, but good god was it a reaction.

You stood, in the middle of the room, lips pressed together to keep from laughing.  Opal happened to be in that class, and when she asked if you were alright, all you had to say was-

“I’m gonna chop Reid’s fucking dick off.”

You sounded like a spurned divorcee.  It did not help the ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ situation. 

You never did chop Spencer’s dick off.  However, the typewriter incident could not go unpunished.  That was why, a few days later, one of Spencer’s students stood up mid-lecture.

The kid cleared his throat, cracked his knuckles, and yelled out:

“Star Trek fucking sucks!”

He promptly sat back down and buried himself in his notes.  Spencer just stared, for a second, completely taken aback by whatever the fuck had just happened.  Nobody else responded.  For a second, Spencer thought he was going crazy, but then he saw you, leering like a shadow in his doorway.

“Professor (L/N).”

“Professor Reid,” your voice was quiet and unsteady, as if you were running away from him- which you were.  You were running down the hallway.  You were near the end of it by the time Reid excused himself and followed you.

He didn’t bother calling out.  He didn’t even bother to chase you.  He just followed at a leisurely pace, entirely sure he knew where you were going.  He was right.  

You’d just sat down at your desk when he appeared at your door.  He didn’t bother to knock, he just leaned against the doorframe until you noticed him.  Of course, his “sudden” appearance scared the actual shit out of you.

“Ah!  Fuck!  Reid!  Hi!”

“Hi, (L/N).”

“So.  How are you?  I am fine.  Everything is good here.  How can I help you?”

Spencer crossed his arms, “That stunt back there, I can assume you were behind it?”

You stared at him for a minute, eyes narrowed and lips pressed together, “What makes you think that?  Maybe your students just… hate Star Trek?”

“Maybe.  But that student doesn’t.”

“Oh?  And how would you know that, Doctor?”

“Because, Doctor, he has a Star Trek sticker on his laptop.”

You winced.  You probably should’ve checked for that before you promised extra credit in exchange for a favour.

Spencer smiled at your obvious reaction, “And to think- I wouldn’t have seen that sticker if someone hadn’t made me change my laptop policy.  Thanks, (L/N).”

“Yeah, yeah.  You’re welcome,” you waved him off, placing your other hand on your forehead, still reeling at your own stupidity. 

“Hey, speaking of changes to policy,” Spencer began, stepping into your office, “I couldn’t help but notice- you’re losing your edge.”

You blinked, disgruntled, “Oh?  And where did you get that idea?”

“It’s obvious,” he scoffed, “Asking my students to insult Star Trek?  That’s weak, (L/N).  You’re losing your edge.”

“Am I?”

Spencer placed his hands on your desk- and you tried your best not to stare.  It was like the veins in his arms were calling your name.  You weren’t sure why they would call your name, but they did.

“You aren’t going soft on me, are you?”

Your eyes snapped back up to Reid’s, “Huh?”

“You aren’t going easy on me just because I got stabbed, right?”

“I-”

“Because I think you are.  I think you’re afraid to upset me because you still blame yourself for what happened.”

“Wh- no!  No, that’s not what’s happening.  Nope.  I am taking your words to heart.  I didn’t do anything to get you stabbed.  I am totally innocent in all of this.  I do not feel guilty.”

Spencer leaned closer until he was nearly in your space, “You’re bluffing.”

“And-” you cleared your throat, “And how do you know that?  Did you profile me?”

“I didn’t need to,” he grinned, “You would never take my words to heart.”

You bit your lip, “Fair enough.”

He tilted his head to the side, “So I’m right, then?  You’re going easy on me because I got stabbed?”

You stood up, placing your own hands on the desk, millimetres away from his, “Spencer Reid, are you asking me to bully you?  I never pegged you as a masochist.”

A sweet blush coated Spencer’s face, turning his cheeks a lovely shade of pink, but he stayed strong. 

“I’m not asking you to bully me.  I’m asking you to treat me the same way you did before.  Don’t let anything between us change because of what happened.”

You stared into his eyes for a second.  When he was this close to you, they almost looked green.  You had to look away.  

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Try.  You wanted me to be angry with you, remember?  Give me something to be angry about.”

You met his eyes again, your expression melding from shock to determination.  Spencer felt something like pride, but he didn’t let it show.  

“Fine, Reid.  I’ll give you something to be angry about,” you hopped up on your desk, leaning further into his space, “You’re gonna regret asking for this.”

“Am I?”

“Oh, you are gonna beg me for mercy, pretty boy.”

He didn’t back down.  In fact, he leaned in closer, “I look forward to it.”

“Good,” your eyes darted between his eyes and his lips.  He was close enough that you could kiss him if you wanted to.  The thought shocked you out of your haze.  You didn’t want to kiss Reid- did you?

You blinked, pulling back and tapping your desk with your fist.

“Get the hell out of my office, Reid.”

He smiled, tapping the desk twice, “Whatever you say, (L/N).”

The moment he was gone, you slammed your face down onto your desk.  He wanted you to be mean to him.  How were you going to be mean to him?  What prank could you possibly pull now that you had the weight of Reid’s expectations on your shoulders?

♥ Tags: @icarusignite, @usuallyunlikelyfox, @maraudersforlife2005, @fictionalcomforts, @morgthemagpie, @iiheartbowie, @digitalhearts, @corpsebridenightamare, @ghostatrixx if you asked to be tagged and i forgot, pls let me know!! if you would like to be tagged and aren't, also let me know :D

[mewtwoevolution]

Annie huffed still as she made it back to the room, Captain opening the door with no comment, just letting herself collapse onto the bed and wheeze. She hugged the wimpy little pillow that she was only allowed for her damaged neck tube. 

The door shut with a whir from the electronics.

“What was that?… I’ve never done that before,” She thought to herself out loud as she looked at the empty wall across from the bed, “It felt good…”

She almost hit the ceiling as Banny commented, “What did?”

She floated herself back down with a sigh to calm down and set down the pillow as the banette sat down on the end of the bed, “I… I don’t know what it was. I felt cornered. I was pinned and his claws were hurting my hands cause that electricity pain… and I just, snapped. I felt all of my frustrations burn in my chest and then all my pain vanished and I just… went at him to stop the fight fast…”

“Huh, sounds pretty cool. And you liked it?” He didn’t seem to give away if he knew or didn’t, just smiling supportively.

She looked down at him from where she floated and then to the floor, running those feelings in the moment back through her head, “Yeah… yeah I really did. Like a release. That I could finally end my own pain…”

“Then isn’t that what matters? How you feel about it?” He smirked, “How’re your ha-a-ands- what the hell?!” His eyes were wide at the bloody bandages, “I’m sorry for overlooking that… guess I should hold the book again today?”

She looked down at the blood soaked bandages and the empty space of one finger. That slight shaking as she couldn’t hold them still no longer bothering her, “Please? I’m pretty tired. And it’s okay, I kind of forgot too. It doesn’t hurt anymore…”

•••

Annie woke at that whir and glared at the Zoroark in the doorway, “What now?” She sighed out with contempt.

They narrowed thier eyes at her with a small show of thier fangs at her attitude, “Get up. You’ve got another training session…”

She curled her lip but floated up from the barely comfortable slab to float herself behind them. The motion a requirement to not irritate her wounds.

It felt short despite remembering how long the trip felt that very first time.

This door opened and she nearly froze at seeing him.

The mightyenna.

That damned mightyenna. 

And he wasn’t alone. The hydreigon was with him.

She turned to the door ready to scream at the Captain for doing this or to try and run as her heart raced but that mechanical door was slammed shut.

Annie turned back to see them charging.

Her heart was in her throat remembering the pain. That first blinding burning hot pain from the dog pokemon.

The bright arena turned black with the shadows looking white again as her frustrations boiled up and for a moment that energy enveloped her. 

When it came back she slammed a glowing ball into the leaping dog and easily dodged the now slow seeming attacks from the hydriegon before dashing it to hit it with Psy slash sending it to the other side crashing into the mightyenna. 

Over before it started.

Annie huffed and let go of the energy with a sigh. That was it. She wasn’t going to come here again. They can’t make her, she won’t let them make her. She turned to leave not even looking at the Captain when the door opened to them. Just shoving past to go to the bedroom…

•••

She kept the book as steady as she could, hands pressed to her chest to keep them still and tail draped over the edge of the slab that was a poor excuse of a bed.

The story was almost over. Hero going over the fiery mountains to face the mythical beast of the volcano-

At the door opening and feeling that presence she gave no hesitation, just following her surge of emotions at what she knew came with every time they opened that damned door, “NO!”

Captain had to duck a bolt of energy, they looked a bit baffled a moment before hiding it, “You’ll regret not listening to me… the humans are worse.”

“THEN ILL BLAST THEM TOO! YOU WONT MAKE ME FIGHT ANYMORE!” she screamed both with her voice and protected out with her psychic.

Captain scurried out of the way of another bolt, this one causing a small boom against the hallway wall.

The door closed and she took a moment to calm, letting out the energy with a sigh. It worked… no more pain. She finally had control of herself… She didn’t even know that was something she wanted, but it felt amazing.

Asani, Captain, and Banny belong to @blues-sues

[makeitmingi]

Cause Baby You're My Muse [Chapter 45]

Genre: Romance, Idol!AU, Music, Slight angst

Pairing: Mingi x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Producer!Reader, IdolLyricist!Mingi, IdolProducer!Hongjoong, Idol!Seonghwa, Idol!Yunho, Idol!Wooyoung, Idol!San, Idol!Yeosang, Idol!Jongho, cameo(s) by other celebrities

Summary: You always preferred producing underground, having an unknown face and governed by your own rules. But when you start freelancing for idol groups, you say goodbye to your lone wolf lifestyle as you learn to work with idol producers and lyricists.

Word count: 3.2K

Warning(s): Emotions are high, everyone is kind of on edge, Mingi is guilty

"I need a medic!" Seonghwa ran out. That made Mingi shift his focus immediately, going from stewing anger to worry. He knew that Seonghwa was the only one left in the room with you. If the oldest was shouting for a medic, means you needed a medic.

"Did hyung say medic? I need to see her." Mingi said. But Yunho blocked the exit to the bathroom where they and the captain were now baricaded in.

"Mingi, calm down. Do you want Indigo to see you like this? Get a hold of yourself." Hongjoong asked.

"Captain's right, Mingi ah. Let them get her the help she needs. You're in no condition to help her now." Yunho frowned in agreement.

"He hurt her. We were all right outside, I was there. I was supposed to protect her. I let her get hurt." Mingi's bottom lip quivered as he frowned, sitting on the ground.

"Indigo getting hurt isn't your fault." Hongjoong squeezed his shoulder.

"Stay here with him. I'll go check on the situation and do some damage control." He said to Yunho, who nodded. Mingi opened his mouth to protest but the look Hongjoong shot him told him it was best if he kept quiet now. Yunho stepped aside to let Hongjoong out before meeting the eyes of his distraught best friend.

Meanwhile, Seonghwa laid you in his lap while the medic checked you. He was freaking out, trying to hold his panic in and to remain calm.

"She blacked out from the stress and anxiety. I could wake her up with smelling salts but after this event, it's best to let her take a break." The medic advised.

"I'd rather do that." Seonghwa said, slipping the mask back over your face carefully once the medic finished examining you.

"How's she?" Hongjoong came in with a frown.

"Let's take her back to the hotel to rest. She shouldn't stay here." Seonghwa looked up at the captain. Hongjoong nodded in agreement, leaving to get their manager and Eden.

"After discussing, we'll not continue with filming for today. Seyoon will be sent back to Korea and we'll contact the authorities." The manager informed.

"We'll finish filming tomorrow then fly back right after. Let's all go back to the hotel now. When we get back, we will have a call with the team in Korea to discuss what to do going forward." The other manager continued.

"I'll carry her. You two round up the others." One of the stronger managers said. Seonghwa and Hongjoong were reluctant but they trusted their managers to be careful.

"Hyung, we really are pressing charges right?" Seonghwa asked.

"Of course. No one will get away with hurting one of our own. Our team will make sure she's protected." Eden frowned.

"Let's go." Hongjoong got the other boys. They all walked behind their manager who was carrying you. Mingi's heart clenched as he watched you.

You were just being carried with no say or protest since you were still unconscious. He should be the one carrying you, holding you and comforting you, just the two of you alone.

"We'll ride with her." Sohee and Jihyun stepped up to ride with you in the staff van. Mingi wanted to scream, he should be riding with you.

"Thanks." San smiled to them before ushering Mingi to go into their own van. Mingi sat in his seat, not wanting to cause anymore drama or trouble for Hongjoong. Sure, he knew he shouldn't have punched the guy but that piece of trash deserved it. Not just because you're his girlfriend but his entire character.

"Everyone go to their rooms. Seonghwa and I will be with the managers, contacting the team in Korea." Hongjoong said the moment they arrived.

"But-"

"Yunho, stay with Mingi and make sure he stays in his room. San, you should stay with Indigo in her room." He continued, cutting Mingi off.

"Let us know when she wakes up." Seonghwa added. San nodded his head obediently.

"I'll call everyone to meet when we're done to update all of you." Hongjoong said. Everyone split ways. Mingi watched as the manager carried you into your room and San following behind him.

"Mingi..." Yunho urged Mingi to go into his room but the latter just stood in front of the door, not moving.

"Goddamn it. I should be able to see if my girlfriend is okay after an incident like that happens. I need to see for myself that she's okay and that bastard didn't hurt her. I should be the one she sees when she wakes up." Mingi clenched his fists angrily.

"She'll be fine with San. You'll be the first to know when she wakes up, alright? Then you can see her when she wakes up." Yunho put his hands on Mingi's shoulders.

"San, please take care of her." Mingi begged.

"You know I will." San assured with a soft smile before closing the door. With a shaky sigh, Mingi let Yunho nudge him into the room.

You woke up gasping for air, your hands shooting to your face to feel for your mask but your fingertips were met with the surface of your cheeks. But you weren't at the shoot.

"Indigo! You're awake." San was by your side in an instant. You looked at him, fear lacing your eyes.

"It's okay, you're safe. Everything's okay."

"M-My mask." You croaked out.

"Seonghwa hyung put it on you when we got everyone to leave the room. I only removed it when it was just you and me left here. I was afraid it would disturb your rest." He squeezed your hand reassuringly. He reached for the water bottle on your nightstand and uncapped it for you to take a sip.

"Mingi? Where's Mingi? Is he okay?" Your eyes widened. Was Mingi going to get in trouble for what he did to Seyoon?

"I already texted him and the others. He should be-" San was interrupted by the door slamming open. Mingi only took a few rushed strides to get to you.

"Baby." He hugged you tightly.

"Mings..." You cried into his shoulder. He rubbed your back, hushing you softly.

"It's okay. It's okay. I got you, I'm so sorry, baby." He buried his face against the side of your face, pressing comforting kisses to your temple. Your hands clutched the back of his shirt.

"We'll let the others know you're awake." San could easily text them but he and Yunho wanted to let you and Mingi have some time on your own. The moment the two of them left the room, Mingi carried you onto his lap to hold you.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I can't believe I let that happen." He repeated, closing his eyes.

"No, don't apologise. I don't know why I reacted like that..."

"What do you mean?" Mingi pulled away with a frown. He reached out to wipe the stray tears from your cheeks, tucking your hair away from your face.

"It's something so small but I over reacted. I just felt this fear wash over me." You frowned.

"Baby, that's completely normal. You thought he was going to hurt you and you were alone." He hugged you again.

"I don't want you to get in trouble because you punched him." You whispered. Mingi's chest hurt at the fact that you were more worried about him getting in trouble than you were about yourself.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. That guy got it coming, I'll punch him again if I could. No one gets away with hurting you, not under my watch." Mingi said seriously, stroking your hair. You closed your eyes, right now all you wanted to do was savour Mingi's warmth and security. Until someone cleared their throat.

"Sorry to interrupt, we need to talk." Hongjoong stood there. Mingi nodded but didn't move from his position until you gently tapped for him to let you go.

"Joong, Hwa..." You called. The two went over to hug you, their security was different from Mingi's.

"You scared me." Seonghwa said softly.

"I'm glad you're safe, Indi. I'm sorry that this happened under our watch. Luckily we got there in time." Hongjoong sighed into the top of your head.

"It's none of your faults. You didn't know, you were there to film and do a job." You denied.

"What did management say?" Mingi asked, reminding them of why they came in. One by one, the other members filled the room. But they all came to check on you before finding spaces to sit.

"So for Indi and those that don't know, Seyoon was sent on the next flight back to Korea. The company and authorities will deal with him then. That means we are pressing charges against him, we will all be giving our statements when we go home." Hongjoong informed.

"As for Mingi, we said your actions were all in self defense. Since Seyoon did grab Indigo physically." Seonghwa continued.

"No one suspects the any relationship between the two of you because we said any one of us would have done the same. Eden corroborates our close friendship." Hongjoong explained.

"But just in case, Mingi will be on home leave for two weeks." The captain said.

"Why?" You asked.

"Some staff members could start rumours and we want to ensure things are handled and settled before Mingi can be seen again." Seonghwa replied.

"CEO Kim said that we'll have staff and everyone there sign NDAs but this is a precaution. Indi, CEO Kim said we'll give you any assistance that you need so don't worry, okay?" Hongjoong looked at you, squeezing your shoulder. You wondered if CEO Kim was doing this to make you stay at the company.

"So what's the plan? We go home tomorrow?" Yunho asked.

"No. We'll finish filming tomorrow in the day then leave bright and early the following day. It'll be a tight schedule but let's just get it done and over with." Hongjoong said.

"Yes, captain."

"We don't have anything scheduled so let's all rest, have dinner then film tomorrow." Seonghwa looked at everyone.

"Clear out." Everyone moved to leave. Wooyoung pulled you into a tight hug and kissed your cheek lovingly before leaving the room. Only Mingi, Hongjoong and Seonghwa stayed with you.

"There is a recommendation for you to go home tomorrow morning as per the original plan. You don't have to but the sooner you give your statement to the cops, the better." Hongjoong said. Mingi wanted to protest but Seonghwa stopped him.

"It's her decision to make, Mingi ah." He advised. Mingi pursed his lips but nodded his head.

"If it is recommended for me to go home first then I'll do that." You said, casting Mingi a worried look. But he nodded his head, respecting your decision.

"It is but if you want us to be there and accompany you... it's just one more day. Whatever you want to do." Hongjoong told you.

"When's Eden going back?"

"He's going back tomorrow so if you want to, at least you won't be alone." He informed. Of course you wanted Mingi and the others with you but it felt like you've caused enough trouble.

"I'll go back tomorrow." You replied softly. Mingi tucked you under his arm, squeezing you lightly.

"We'll let the team know to arrange that. For now, just get some rest. You've had a long day. If you need any of us, we're all here for you." Seonghwa said, patting your thigh. He and Hongjoong stood up to leave the room when you called out of them. They both turned around to look at you questioningly.

"I'm sorry. I ruined everything." You chewed on your bottom lip.

"Silly girl, what are you saying? You didn't ruin anything." Hongjoong frowned, shaking his head. Seonghwa nodded in agreement, coming back and grasping your chin to tilt your head up.

"Why are you suddenly speaking such nonsense, hmm?" Seonghwa looked at you.

"If only I wasn't there, all this wouldn't have happened. Mingi wouldn't be in trouble, you guys wouldn't have delayed filming..."

"Baby, this isn't your fault, not in the slightest. I'm not in trouble, okay? And like I said, my only regret is not punching the guy harder." Mingi said to you.

"As much as I'm supposed to be disagreeing with Mingi as the captain, I honestly agree with him. I would have punched him too if I could." Hongjoong sent you a soft smile. Mingi sent the captain a touched look, grateful for the captain's support.

"Wait, the film- the camera-" You stuttered, remembering that Seyoon did get footage of you without a mask.

"Don't worry. It's been deleted and we made sure that no copies were made." Seonghwa smiled softly.

"More like Wooyoung destroyed the camera before he had the chance to do anything with the footage." Hongjoong rolled his eyes. Seonghwa sighed, shaking his head.

"He what?" Your eyes widened.

"Ripped it out of the guy's hands and threw it on the ground." Your eyes grew even wider if that was possible, jaw slack in disbelief.

"It's fine, the SD card wasn't damaged, we'll be handing it to the police. Wooyoung just got scolded but he'll be fine." Seonghwa promised you.

"You should rest. We'll see you two at dinner or let us know if you want us to get you some take away from downstairs." Hongjoong patted your head before he left with Seonghwa.

The moment the door close, you threw yourself at Mingi, burying your face in his chest. You wanted to say you were surprised by Wooyoung's actions but you weren't. You were touched, knowing how protective all the boys were of you but you didn't want them to do reckless things that would land them in trouble.

"Baby." Mingi pressed repeated kisses to the top of your head, holding you tight against him.

"When I saw him holding you like that, seeing the fear in your eyes, I just lost it. I wanted to hurt him for hurting you, I wanted to hurt myself for letting him hurt you." He whispered.

"Mings... No..." You looked up at him, seeing the tears spill down his cheeks.

"Then I saw you there, I couldn't even comfort you. I felt even guiltier, knowing I should have controlled my emotions." He cried.

"No, it was for the best and for everyone's safety, just in case he retaliated. Yunho removed you from a potentially dangerous situation." You cupped his cheek.

"He didn't let me go to you. When I heard Seonghwa calling for a medic, I nearly lost it again." He sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Mings."

"Don't say sorry, baby. You did nothing wrong. I failed to protect you and even then, I only prioritised my feelings. I couldn't be there when you needed me." He covered his eyes with his hand, turning away from you slightly.

"Seeing my manager carry your unconscious body out of the room and to the van. I should be the one to do that, I should be the one to hold you and comfort you."

"It's not your fault either, Mingi." You sat up, wrapping your arms around his neck.

"Damn it! I should have been the one here when you woke up!" He yelled but it was muffled into your shoulder.

You held Mingi as he poured out all his emotions. His hands squeezed your hips, feeling all the guilt, anger and frustration from the entire day. Your heart broke hearing his broken sobs.

"I'm okay, Mings. We'll be okay, hmm?" You pulled away to look at him. He cupped your cheeks, pressing his lips against yours.

You and Mingi slept after that, all exhausted from crying and going through the events of the day. His arms circled your waist, holding you tight with his head against your chest. Your own arms draped over his shoulders, your legs tangled with each other. The two of you just needed to be with each other now.

"Mings? It's late... Shall we get the others to bring up dinner for us?" You asked, still half asleep yourself. Mingi murmured something you couldn't hear but you did feel him nod.

"I'll text Seonghwa." You momentarily detached yourself to get your phone off the night stand.

'Hi Hwa, do you mind getting me and Mingi some dinner? Just pick anything, we're not fussed. - Indigo'

'Of course. I'll ring the doorbell later. - Hwa'

Before Seonghwa came up, Mingi reluctantly let you go to shower. Then he took a shower. You were sitting at your desk, looking at work when Seonghwa rang the doorbell.

"I refuse to believe they just let you take a cart up here." You chuckled as Seonghwa pushed the dinner cart into the room.

"I just borrowed it. No way was I carrying everything on my own and I wasn't going to risk the others dropping the plates when they're so clumsy." Seonghwa sighed. You giggled, still grateful that Seonghwa did this for you and Mingi.

"Hey, Indigo." Seonghwa held your hand. You looked up at him in confusion. He gently tugged you to him to hug you, making you blink in surprise.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He whispered.

"I am, Hwa. Don't worry. I was just suddenly freaked out. I'm sorry that I scared you." You said.

"Mmm, don't apologise. And I understand, it's normal to freak out in such a situation. I'm just glad you were unharmed." He patted your back. You nodded, arms wrapping around his small waist.

"Enjoy your meal." He pulled away.

"Thanks." You smiled softly. Seonghwa stepped closer, placing a kiss to your forehead before leaving the room. Just as the door closed, Mingi came out.

"Someone came?" He blinked.

"Seonghwa dropped off our dinner." You explained. Mingi nodded, shuffling over to you and hugging you. His tall frame leaned over you. He smelled good, fresh from the shower. Mingi chuckled and kissed your cheek before sitting on the edge of the bed with you in his lap and pulling the cart over

"They let him take a whole serving cart up?" He asked in confusion, his chin resting on your shoulder, arms draped over your lap.

"I'm pretty sure he stole it when they weren't looking." You rolled your eyes. Mingi laughed, shaking his head. You moved to sit beside him instead as you both dug in.

"Tomorrow, we'll be at the film site before you leave for the airport." Mingi said, one hand on your thigh while the other held the fork he was using.

"I'll text you when I leave and update you." You promised.

"Please do. If you need me, you can call me any time, alright? Don't worry about interrupting me or bothering me." He turned to you.

"Okay. I'm not sure what's going to happen. I hope no one else hears about what happened..." You sighed.

"They all signed NDAs. But take a few days off, hmm? You deserve a short break." His thumb rubbed the skin of your thigh. You hummed, not really agreeing to take a break. Coming here with Ateez was meant to be your break.

"Maybe I'll work from home." You shrugged.

"Alright but at least take 1 day to rest?" He raised an eyebrow. You sighed but nodded, pinky promising him.

~

Series Masterlist

[i-am-the-avatar-of-idiocy]

MC falls for another demon

this isn’t the best and I’m not happy with these but I’m posting them anyway because I can’t think of anything better, sorry! Angst with a happy ending(?), Barbs and Dia have OC demons

DIAVOLO

He saw you drop your books in the hallway, while many demons walked past you, he went to help you

Then he saw a demon with neon blue hair falling over red eyes that seem to glisten

Damien , part of the envy ring. He’s beautiful and seems genuinely concerned for you 

He thinks it’s good you’ve made another friend in the Devildom. Especially considering he didn’t want you here originally, youve made progress. Yay!

He is happy and is planning to ask you out at your weekly tea this Saturday 

Then you seem giddy as you visit him for tea and announce you and Damien are going on a date together! 

‘Wow, MC. That’s… great’

He smiles through the pain and maintains his usual facade of joy

At least you are happy! Hell support you through it all

Hell be your shoulder to cry on, someone to rant to, he is your ultimate support unit

He will always be there for you

When you break up

He holds you in a warm embrace as you sob ‘you thought he was the one’ 

Turns out the scumbag was cheating on you, and it broke you

As much as Diavolo wants to say ‘I told you so’ he can’t bring himself to it. He doesn’t want to make you worse

He will make Damien’s life awful. The brothers will know and will show their true demonic colours to him. 

By the end of the week, the entirety of RAD is against him. 

Diavolo decides it’s not enough, and under charges of ‘damaging worldly relations’ he imprisons him. He is doing it out of jealousy. 

Then after a while, when he’s sure you are ready for another relationship, he asks you out

When you say yes, he asks before pressing his lips to yours passionately, holding you tight against him in a silent promise he will never break you in the way Damien did

He loves you, and will never let you forget it!

Barbatos

When Barbatos saw Antonio approach you, he watched fearfully

After all, Antonio was a pretty face, hiding a sharp, cruel tongue 

His hair was a deep jet black, with hair that glistens a sky blue

He makes you laugh and holds out a flower to you. 

He confessed first. 

He advances further and hears you say ‘Of course! I cannot believe someone like you is interested in me!’ 

Before he makes a comment on that he thought that.

Then he listens to your joyful voice ramble about the date he took you on. He could listen to you reading an instruction manual and find it riveting 

He wishes he could be the one taking you to these enchanting places, but he was too scared to tell you his feelings

One day as you walk together you hear his smooth voice ring out ‘They just eat up the compliments, I never thought the human would be so stupid to believe I love it’

You run off, a choked sob escaping you as Barbatos scowls. 

He slaps Antonio flat across the face and the sound is sharp

He scolds him as the others run. 

No one has seen Antonio in days, but some swear they can hear him begging for mercy from mercy from the demon king’s dungeons. 

When Barbatos finally asks you out, he takes your hand softly and traces shapes on it as you sit together. 

Your head lols on his shoulder and looks up in shock as you hear his confession cut through the air. You lean up and capture his lips in a kiss, leaving him flustered 

He is so better than Antonio could ever be. 

He loves you more than anyone else can. No one can replace him 

Simeon

When he saw Lucifer kiss you, he felt his breath hitch. 

He felt… sad, angry, disappointed and a whole swirl of emotion

He is Angel, he shouldn’t resent Lucifer for being with the one he holds dear. 

As long as you are happy, so is he. Or at least, he tells himself that

But he seemingly glows less, but he won’t let you see the effect

After all, Lucifer is, was, like a brother to him. 

And he still sees him as such

He helps you plan romantic gestures

Eventually, you and Lucifer decide you aren’t right for each other

Simeon cheers you up

That’s when you ask him out, leaving him flustered

He says ‘Yes’ a little bit too quickly, making you giggle

A beautiful relationship blossoms between you

Lucifer supports it too. In fact he is pulling a Simeon and helping you in this relationship, as they both know more about each other than you. 

Simeon makes you feel special and beautiful and amazing and ways you’ve never felt before

Solomon

When it came out you were dating Lucifer he was even more disappointed than he would be with the other brothers, they would be easier to break

He is enraged, if he had Lucifer’s pact, he would sink as low as to command him to break your heart

But he can’t. 

He sits in silence, noticeably colder to the others, and more forward with you 

More time spent with you and flirtatious remarks,more lingering touches

You don’t mind, after all you are close friends

He loves you so much, that after a month or so, he avidly supports your relationship, while wishing it was him

When you break up, he doesn’t ask why, all he knows is you are crying and need him

He asks if you need him to curse Lucifer, making you giggle and say it was not a bad reason you broke up

Then, as he comforts you he thinks of how you can rely on him. He even managed to teach himself to cook for you

When he comes over a few months later, you confess to him, and make it clear you expect rejection and he is CONFUSED

He hasn’t made his feelings obvious????

Him freezing makes you smile sadly and begin to walk away, ‘Wait! Uhh… I really love you too!’ 

You run into his arms and let the scene of his cologne fill your nose and smile into his chest. 

[boxfullaturtles]

Kingdom Hearts Rise AU

Michelangelo Hamato The youngest brother wields magic with incredible skill and proficiency. Combined with his speed and acrobatics, Mikey is a lethal force on the battlefield and not one to be underestimated. His youthful outlook and wide-eyed wonder belie a strong emotional intuition and an even stronger heart whose light reaches out to help and support those in need. He’s a firecracker on the battlefield, his speed on par with Leo’s. His magic is devastating and capable of doing damage over a large area, decimating weaker foes. He’s primarily a long range fighter, working to pin the enemy down so his brothers can close in for a truly wicked series of blows.

Keyblade: Solarflare A Keyblade with a long reach that provides a substantial boost in Magic. Strength: +2 Magic: +8 Length: Long Ability: Magic Galvanizer: Increase the damage done with magic in proportion to the length of the combo.

[extra details under cut]

Team Attacks: + Leonardo: Shooting Star Team up with Leo and launch fireballs through his portals, casting them all over the battlefield, then finish them off with a gigantic Thunder spell.

+ Raphael: Fists of Fire Team up with Raph, coating his fists in flames and riding on his shell as he charges through enemies before finishing them off with an explosive ground pound attack that sends shock waves across the ground.

+ Donatello: Bombs Away! Team up with Donnie and ignite a giant rocket, riding it around and plowing into enemies, then end it all by launching the rocket into the sky, leaping off before it crashes back to earth and explodes.

+ April: Mystic Mayhem Team up with April to link magic and spin around the battlefield like a dance, gliding on air while launching spells in every direction, then finish with an eruption of magic.

+ Casey: Danger Days Team up with Casey to let him rail grind on magic chains, slicing through any nearby enemies before directing lightning down the chains to channel into his Keyblade for a final blow.

----------

More stuff about KH Rise Mikey:

- He swims but very badly and prefers to avoid water if he can help it.

- The most powerful mage out of his teammates, Mikey is capable of combining his spells to cast two at once, often creating deadly combos like Fire-Wind or Lightning-Ice. In the future, he might be able to cast the highest tiers of magic without the cost it would take from most wielders.

- Solarflare sounds like rattling chains when it strikes enemies and its particle effects are grinning little balls of flame, sparks like embers, and little green stars and circles. It is always slightly warm to the touch and the symbols on the end glow softly.

- Mikey’s outfit is specifically designed to allow him to pull into the safety of his shell, since it’s something he does frequently and often uses to his advantage in battle.

- He sometimes gets a little cocky and overconfident in battle, especially when he’s winning. Although unlike Leo, he tends to be immediately humbled by any mistake he makes.

- Chronicles their travels and keeps track of their story (like Jiminy does in the KH games). Fills the pages of his journals with plenty of sketches and photographs. Sometimes adds souvenirs from worlds they’ve been to like pressed flowers, stickers, or scraps of paper or fabric.

- His temper is legendary but rarely seen. Few have ever lived to tell of its unleashing.

- Mikey has an extremely good (and very mature) understanding of the heart. Of all his friends, he’s the only one that seems to really understand that a heart is a thing of balance and that Light cannot exist with the Dark, and that Light can be just as vicious and cruel as Dark. He struggles to conceptualize this in a way that he can explain to others and the frustration of his failure to communicate (and the stigma against Darkness) drives him to keep it to himself. He hasn’t mastered his own Darkness by any means and actually has a hard time dealing with it himself. Just because he understands it, doesn’t mean he knows how to execute it.

- That being said, when it comes to matters of the heart and, indeed, feelings, there’s no one better to turn to than Mikey. Or rather, Dr. Feelings. He’s as blunt as ever and will tell you exactly what you need to hear, even if you don’t want to.

- Yen Sid and Merlin believe that, with the right tutelage, Mikey could do far more than simply cast spells. They see great things for him in the future...

[exodus-au]

Prologue - Sky's escape

The story begins - Sky escapes the Hylian nebula.

(1215 words)

“Come on you damn ship plot the coordinates already…” His hands danced over the controls in front of him. Trained hands and eyes dodging and weaving through black sparks of energy as the ship spiralled through the space in front of him. The yellows that danced across his viewfinder slowly faded as he forced his ship further and further into the dark of the expanse.

“Master” A familiar chime across his implant echoed through his mind as Fi sprung to life. “I detect hull damage; our attackers appear to be targeting your engines.” Her voice was cool and collected as she had been for so long. The calm in the torrent storm that was in his mind after allowing himself to be convinced by Sol to recon the planet.

A shot hit home, and he felt the impact force the ship forward ever so slightly. Sending his body forward, he flapped his wings to steady his footing before opening another panel. Allowing the command chamber to expand. Reds and blues danced through his vision as he lifted himself off the ground. Wings spread wind as anger erupted through his core. “Alright, You damn D3 assassin’s. Come here.

“Fi I’m commencing Symbiotic connection” With the press of a button on the controls, gold holographic feathers began to spiral around him.

They danced across his body as he could feel the controls of the ship echo through his soul. The ship was now his body. A symbiotic bond formed.

With a flap of his wings, he spun around and performed an aerial flip. The ship followed his movements as he closed the gap between himself and his attacker. Settling the ship behind him he raised an arm, forcing a feather into his palm as he went. Slashing it in front of him the ship followed his movements. Huge mechanical claws Slashed across the viewfinder as they cut into the Ship in front of him. Splitting it in half as he rose, forcing the ship to rise with him. Before releasing the control for the weapons and forcing the ship to accelerate instead.

His head began to throb.

“Master you must release the symbiotic control.” Fi’s voice echoed through his head again.  As he continued to push through the throbbing in his head. “You are unable to maintain that state for long.”

Don’t remind me…

“They are trying to stop me from escaping.” He flapped his wings again, the ship steadily increasing in its acceleration as he continued to dodge fire from his now less-of-a-problem group of attackers.  “They are trying to box me in.”

His eyes scanned the dark expanse of space moving his body left then right, dodging and weaving the laser fire as he continued ever onward. The comforting yellows fading out to deep black and purple.

“I know master. But you must stop.” Her voice seemed more insistent. “Go back to standard controls.”

Nope… He looked over to the controls again. The SC Drive wasn’t fully charged but it would be soon. Another impact forced the ship to lurch again, the sudden movement in the space around him forced him to the ground. Sending the ship into a free dive as he attempted to stand.

“Master. Maintaining full symbiotic control over the ship while you also must do so for your wings will lead to exhaustion. You risk your life by continuing this course of action.” Her steady voice the sound of reason in his mind as emotions rocked through him.

His head hurt… His eyes stung.

His eyes flashed over the controls one by one. “Can't lead him to the fleet…” He was trapped, he would die and he would fail and his people would die. “Can’t take him to Skyloft…” His hands stilled as laser fire rocked the ship again. The throbbing in his head was more prominent.

“Master.”

He paused. Before releasing the feathers from his body. Allowing them to fade as he landed gently on the ground. One hand to the floor while the other held his head.

“Fi…”

“I have already taken limited control of the ship to allow you time to recover.”

“Sol said there was some sort of government on the other side of the expanse…” Standing he pulled up a map, allowing it to flicker to life as the sounds of explosions echoed through his ears. Spotting a collection of planets.

“Farore’s core… Farores core…” He hastily said as he opened up a panel. His hands shook. “I have to.. I have to.”

“Spiral charge drive almost charged Master Celestial Sphere.” Fi’s voice echoed through his head again. A wave of calm washed over his body as the lights of alarm bells rang through the ship. Warning lights and ship warnings echoed through the air.

“I told you to call me Sky…” He mumbled.

‘Fire detected in engine bay two.’

His head turned rapidly to the right before he scanned the control panel once again. It now flashing a shade of orange. “Then you better hurry it up, take power from other systems if you must I don’t know…”

He was cut off by the sound of an explosion. “Dammit!”

“Master, I detect multiple impacts. We can't take much more damage.”

‘Left hand wing integrity at 23%’

“I know… I know…” He worked over the controls faster entering final coordinates as a green nebula appeared on the viewfinder. And a marker indicating the planet. Or at least he hoped it was a planet. Appeared.

“Master coordinates set for Farore’s core. Spiral charge core online, we must depart the Hylian nebula if we are to survive.”

“Then let's get out of here!” With the wave of his hand he opened the system to confirm the jump. Thumping it with his fist. It flashed green twice, then a voice sounded over the internal ship systems.

‘Spiral charge launching, destination Castle, Farore’s core.’

“I’ll come back my rising sun, We’ll take back bolt from Demise. We have too…”

The viewfinder stretched the stars as they began to spiral around his vision. Forming a tunnel which the ship hurried through. The sounds of laser fire fading to the stars as he felt the tunnel close behind them.

He released the breath he was holding as the alarms continued to flare.

‘Fire detected in engine bay four’

“Fi! Send a distress call to the nearest planet when we exit. I don’t think I’m going to be awake for.”

CRASH

The ship lurched, throwing the Skyloftian from his pedestal. The he registered the crack of something as he hit the steel walls. He could hear alarms as the world around him spun. A warm substance dripped down the side of his face. He could feel his wings had become detached… The remainders of the mounting device in pieces besides him.

Fi… He tried to call through the noise.

‘Warning spiral charge core offline, course not completed, planetary destination changed’

That wasn’t good…

‘Warning, engines two and four are offline, unable to course correct.’

Prepare for emergency declaration procedures.

Deceleration procedures failed.

Collision imminent

‘Fire in engine bays four through seven.’

Fi… I… need… cover…

Collision imminent

‘Hull damage in sectors one seven and nine.’

Fi… help…

Collision imminent

‘Life support systems on emergency power’

Collision imminent

Fi…

And his world went dark.

[south-of-heaven]

Sasha x reader x Bayley

Bayley and Sasha come out and save reader in the ring

Knocked out || Bayley x Reader x Sasha Banks

Summary: You end up knocked out in the ring, your girlfriends are never far away when you need help.

As you stepped into the ring to face Charlotte Flair, you were ready for a tough match. Little did you know that it would take an unexpected turn that would leave you knocked out and in need of help. As the match progressed, Charlotte suddenly retrieved a kendo stick from underneath the ring, catching you off guard. With a swift strike, she knocked you unconscious.

Backstage, Bayley and Sasha watched in shock as Charlotte unleashed her attack. They knew they had to act fast to get you to safety and make sure she paid for what she did.

Without a moment's hesitation, they rushed through the backstage area, determined to get to you before Charlotte causes any further damage. Bayley's eyes were filled with determination, and Sasha's face was steely with anger. They were going to protect you, no matter what it took.

As they made their way to the ring, the crowd's cheers turned to gasps as they saw your unconscious body lying in the center. Bayley's heart clenched at the sight, but she pushed her emotions aside to focus on getting you out of harm's way.

Sasha climbed into the ring, ready to confront Charlotte, who still held the kendo stick in her hand. "You think you're tough, huh?" Sasha growled, her voice filled with righteous anger.

Charlotte sneered, "I did what I had to do. This is a wrestling match."

Bayley and the other wrestlers surrounded the ring, forming a protective barrier around you. Bayley shot a fierce look at Charlotte, her love for you fueling her determination. "You decided to play dirty when the ref wasn't looking, Charlotte, just admit it. Now you're going to pay for it," she said firmly.

Sasha didn't waste any time. With a quick and powerful kick, she disarmed Charlotte of the kendo stick. Then, she unleashed a series of hard-hitting moves, showing Charlotte that she wouldn't stand for her ruthless actions.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Sasha took control of the situation, and the other wrestlers watched on in awe. Bayley stayed focused on you, ensuring you were safe as Sasha took charge.

Sasha finished the confrontation with a devastating finishing move, leaving Charlotte lying in the ring, defeated and humbled. She looked over at Bayley, who had a comforting hand on your shoulder, and smiled, knowing that you were in good hands.

With the situation under control, Sasha carried you to the backstage area. Bayley walked beside you, her heart filled with concern and love. She couldn't wait to hold you in her arms and make sure you were okay.

Backstage, the medical team checked you over, ensuring there were no serious injuries. You started to come to, and Bayley immediately rushed to your side. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked softly, stroking your hair.

You blinked, looking up at her and Sasha, who was standing nearby with a worried expression. "Yeah, I think so," you replied, your voice weak.

Sasha moved closer, wrapping her arms around you in a gentle hug. "We were so worried about you," she said, her voice filled with relief.

Bayley pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. "We'll take care of you, always," she whispered, her love for you evident in her eyes.

As you recovered from the shocking turn of events, you were grateful for the love and protection of Bayley and Sasha. They had rushed to your side without hesitation, showing you just how much they cared for you. With them by your side, you knew that you were not alone, and you had two fierce and loving partners who would always be there to watch over you and have your back.

[heartfulselkie]

okay like. i didn't know what to pick for the director's cut ask game because skdjbfkjdbgf i wanted smth from penumbra but combing through a nearly 400k fic is to pick 500 words is impossible. so idk i kind of picked a hurt/comfort scene at random (or randomish--i do love hospital scenes hehe) ---

Suddenly a flurry of emotions flooded his eyes. He was looking at her more frantically now as he tentatively caressed her cheek and then lightly ran his hand over her arm. She patiently let him check her over again and again, giving him time to reassure himself that her own injuries were really gone. While she wished he would have more concern for himself after everything he’d gone through, a loving warmth still bloomed in her chest at the affectionate and careful touches he was giving her. When he finally settled on leaving his hand cupping her cheek, she leaned into the nervous touch. She’d missed these small loving gestures from him so much, the feel of his fingertips brushing her skin as though she was the most precious thing. He was looking at her again with so many emotions and thoughts flickering through his eyes.

“Marinette…”

His lip trembled as he was unable to say anything more than her name, but for her that was enough. His eyes became downcast as he struggled with all that had to be going through his mind. She knew she couldn’t even begin to understand all that he was going through and all that he would continue to face from here on, but she was going to stay with him nonetheless.

“I’m okay.” she said softly, “You need to focus on yourself right now. Speaking of, you should really be lying down. You need to rest.”

She felt the tremor that went through him as he answered, “N-No, I...I don’t want to sleep…Please don’t let them make me sleep...”

Marinette observed him for a moment. He was still frightened, his anxiety still eating away at him as he tried to find some reprieve in her embrace. But he was a lot more subdued than the panic he had awoken in.

“It’s okay, they won’t do that as long as you’re not doing anything that’s going to make your injuries worse.” she told him gently, “You just need to try and stay calm, alright? And if you feel yourself panicking then just let me know. Can you do that for me?”

Marinette remained steady as Adrien started to lean on her more heavily. He pressed himself into her as though she were the shelter he needed against some invisible storm. He gave a faint nod, letting her know that he’d understood what she’d asked of him.

His words passed as a quiet whimper from his lips, “Don’t leave me alone. ”

Marinette tenderly brushed his blond hair back from his face, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead as she wrapped both of her arms around him.

“I’m not going anywhere.” she assured, “I promise.”

[Ask Game]

I should write more hospital scenes just for you 🥰

So this is an incredibly raw and emotionally charged scene towards the end of Penumbra. These kids have just gone through hell for each other and they both blame themselves for it. They've learned though, and this is their true starting point for healing - especially for Adrien.

Adrien has taken so much damage at the hands of others - from people who claimed to care for him - that he is absolutely mortified at the thought of hurting Marinette. And he did hurt her. Even if he wasn't in the best state of mind or in control of himself, he still caused her harm.

He is terrified in this moment - of what he's done and what can still happen. He's already made the devastating choice of letting go of his mother and separating himself from his father. But he could still loose Marinette.

Marinette is challenging that fear though. She stays with him and is patient, giving him all the time to reassure himself that she really is there. She's learned to let him lead in these fragile and vulnerable moments because he needs someone to go at his pace. While hse can't fully understand his trauma, she can be understanding and compassionate towards him. She loves him so deeply and shows this in the smallest of ways - by just being close by and listening to his words and paying attention to his cues - but these ways have the deepest meaning for Adrien.

Even in his terrified, broken, vulnerable state, he loves and trusts Marinette enough to let himself just be that. So much so, that he is able to vocally express to her "Don't leave me alone" - something that he has struggled again and again to express because of the abuse and trauma he's lived through.

And Marinette meets his fear with love. She's continually met every side of him with love. She is set on loving him openly and freely, just as he has done for her.

Because loving each other is also loving the broken and messy parts while also helping each other become the best version of themselves.