#and really hope our body can heal more because being so disabled really makes it all so much harder to cope with

[silentalltheseyearsnomore]

Somehow got through the worst of the crisis. Didn't tell S for the first time. Told her when we saw her and she asked why we didn't reach out and we said we know she's already overwhelmed and if we were to come out the other side we needed her to still be there, we needed to protect our relationship. She got it. It sucks the situation we are both in because of complete lack of support from everywhere else. She is being our care co, advocate, therapist, attachment figure, everything at once because *no one else is* but ofc it is too much. Hence ending therapy. Because the best way she can help is to fight the system for us and get us the right support, while also staying around so we don't have another broken attachment. I know it's her doing everything she can to help us the best she can. It's just hard to not view it through the lens of so many triggers and abandonment. When the reality is she is doing ALL this, soon for free, out of care. It is just not all focused on the care littles want (cuddles lol) and more of what we need. Which is what someone who truly cares for you does.

I value her seeing the situation and knowing our therapy and relationship will be damaged if we continued the same and therefore ending therapy before the damage was too big. Like others should have done. But it still sucks that it means we have to start again with someone else AND get used to seeing her less. It sucks because she doesn't even want to see her less but her life is just so that if we don't see her at work it will be less. I know how much she is doing for us behind the scenes to fight the system and yet child parts just want the time with her. Even if logically her doing that work is what will help most. I value her so much doing this for us. It's just the fear of seeing her less is so fucking huge. From outside it may seem ridiculous because we're so lucky to have an attachment figure who wants to see us anytime she can, and the least it'll be is maybe a couple weeks.. that's kind of a lot, it's more than anyone in her personal life gets besides those she lives with, even family! We'd be fine seeing anyone else every couple weeks!! Yet going from 2 or 3 times a week to knowing she'll struggle for even once a week feels like actual death. Like, we laugh when we see the facts. But for child parts it is like literal death it feels. And I just hope it actually feels okay. We'll get used to it. We'll speak inbetween. We will be adding more support and it won't feel long at all- the isolation does add to the attachment pain, its not ALL about her. Its also about what it triggers, and about being lonely in general. We have to trust that will change. And trust we will feel connected. (Mostly I secretly hope her work thing settles so she has more time lol). Remember there is the possibility for a lot more in the future when we are better, she wants us to be involved in an amazing work thing if we get well enough. WHEN we get well enough. She WANTS us in her life. We are wanted. That is beautiful. That is everything. The rest is just noise and life in the way.

It sucks how when we are connected we feel okay but then we loss it and drown in dread. When we are together we think we can handle ending therapy, these changes, the unknown, all of it. We can feel how much she cares, we know it, we see it. She gave us the most beautiful birthday gift and held us and we talked about the fears and we both are just having to face the unknown as both our lives change. And we just have to trust. Trust that even though her life is changing, even though we have to end therapy, even though xyz, she will find time to see us. She'll still be there even if its different. Trust that this is very different to previous ex therapists (who her supervisors now want us to report and are basically blacklisting already..), because yes we are close but we are doing it healthily and slowly and boundaried. She is not being our mum, she is not promising things she cant deliver like they did. She says the hard things when needed, she knows limits. Trust that that doesn't mean she cares less. Trust she'll still fight to get us the right support. And we have to trust that the right support will actually happen, despite the huge obstacles. And we have to trust we can hold on until it comes. We have to trust so many things we can't see yet.

And when we are with her, we do trust. But when we are apart, it's just overwhelming. We can't take another broken attachment. And I do trust her not to do what others did but I also know the whole situation is so stressful and she is one human trying to do her best. And so are we. I do kind of think it may be okay with her.. she won't go. I feel less sure about getting specialised therapy funded. And I know all our stuff and needs can't fall on our relationship or it will suffer. So we need the other support to work out. And I am scared what happens in the meantime. I've never experienced either thing- enough support or an attachment figure staying in a safe and healthy way. So even if factually it looks like she's staying and it'll be okay, we still need to experience it.

Honestly I have no idea how we'll feel with this transition. I have a feeling either we'll feel like we are drowning, while S is abroad and when back will see her less even if she's doing more for us behind the scenes, and no therapy..... OR, we may feel better. Maybe we dont need our attachment wounds constantly poked at. Maybe space to breathe will help. We've done SO much work internally attachment wise. We've gone from wanting child parts dead to calling them (pet names) lovingly like B did and S now does. And we've had some experiences of them being loved and wanted outside too, even if chaotic and abusive at times. I don't even really know the next step even if I was being offered it. I don't think I ever want such a deep attachment in therapy again. Some kind of attachment sure but our main one? It just feels never endingly painful. I think we do better when it's outside of therapy. And inside of it to an extent too. Just not the main and only. So maybe getting used to S outside of therapy will somehow help us see what is needed moving forward. I so wish K was safe for us..... then we'd have two attachment figures outside of therapy, and the attachment in therapy would feel less brutal and poking with its stupid hour or so a week. But she just isn't. Maybe she never will be. There's no way to know. Right now she isn't. There's S. But she can't be *everything*. And I want more outside of therapy. It's just... we don't really ever attach that way outside. Child parts never do. So I guess we just try and build the attachments and connections outside of therapy. Settle in to what S can be. And maybe we'll see therapy differently going forward.

I honestly have no fucking idea. But I do know what we've been doing isn't sustainable. I do know I don't want my main attachment figure to be my therapist. And I don't know what that means. And it's not like you have a fucking choice in who you attach to anyway lollll who am I kidding. We don't even know what we will be offered yet. Or when. In a few weeks. Years. Its so hard to keep walking forward not knowing how anything looks. And just trusting. And trusting that S won't give up fighting for us or let go of our hand. Trust ourselves that we choose to trust her for good reason and not purely attachment. Trust ourselves to feel her hand is still there even when physically apart. Trust we can keep ourselves safe when we need to. Trust that having to do so doesn't mean we don't deserve others. Child parts deserve to be rescued and protected and kept safe. And we have to trust we can do that, and that others want to, even if they can't always. Trust ourselves that we can grieve the gap between what others can do and what we deserve/d.

[wishful-seeker]

Tips on how to avoid being unintentionally ableist

1. When a disabled person says they cannot do something, and you wish to offer solutions, do not make a solution that involves them powering through pain, or something thats not accessible to the disabled.

Example:

Disabled person: "washing dishes hurts too much and i cannot do it."

Abled person: "what if you did one dish at a time throughout the day?"

This statement is not respecting that this disabled person just said they "can't". Always respect that. No matter how simple the task would be for you.

Disabled person:" i think ill use plastic silverware so i don't make dishes."

Abled person: "plastic is bad for the environment!"

This statement shuts down the most accessible and disabled friendly option that this disabled person can actually do because of the abled persons personal beliefs. This is not helpful, and ableist.

Better yet, instead of offering solutions, ask them directly "is there anything you need that you do not have that would help you do this?" This allows the disabled person to think about what would work, and they will always have a better idea of what would work than you do.

To add on to this, when we say we have no more energy to solve a problem or do a task, or change our lifestyle, we mean it.

2. If you feel discomfort when a disabled person is talking about their health, good and bad, that is ableist. Your discomfort is coming from a place that deams disabled peoples very existence as a bad thing and you need to fix that.

For example:

Disabled person:" this week has been rough pain wise, ive been through a lot, felt like my body was on fire. Lucky i got new meds though and i think they're helping!"

Abled person: "can we talk about something else, this is a bummer."

Disabled people should be able to exist freely without worrying about your personal comfort. Do you really think its appropriate to tell someone in constant pain that their life is making YOU uncomfortable?

3. Do not treat disabled people as tragedies, do not romanticize their old life or put their current one down.

For example:

Disabled person: "yeah my life is pretty difficult sometimes, ive lost a lot but i still have happy moments."

Abled person: "it makes me so sad to see what disabled people go through :(. You used to love rock climbing and running, i would love to see you move around more again."

This statement is putting more value on the disabled persons abled past, and ignoring their life as a whole.

4. Do not avoid speaking to disabled people because it hurts to see your loved one disabled.

For example: my grandmother avoids conversations with me because it hurts her to see me in pain. While she has good intentions it leaves me being unable to be close to her. This is very isolating to the disabled.

5. Do not stop inviting your disabled friend/loved one out even if they are never well enough to attend. Unless we specifically ask you to stop asking if we can go out, good chances are we want to know you still care because again, disability is very isolating.

6. When a disabled person says certain things in their health have gotten better or worse, do not challenge this because you don't see a difference.

For example:

Disabled person: "yeah things are getting a little better"

Abled person sees disabled person using their wheelchair like usual: "i thought you said you were getting better?"

Better and worse are usually small changes only the disabled experience, its not like abled people healing from a broken arm. Better to a disabled person could mean they can stand for 10 more minutes.

7. Do not expect disabled people to ever be abled again, and again, do not put more value on an abled life.

For example:

Disabled person:"I have been using a wheelchair for 2 years."

Abled person: "oh you're young, im sure you'll be walking around in no time!"

This statement invalidates and ignores the disabled persons current life by hoping they get a more abled bodied life. Its fine to hope disabled people get better, but you don't get to decide what better looks like.

Hope this helps, stay punk.

[neuroticboyfriend]

we're in the same situation as you. 19 years old with an emotionally abusive father that we have to live with because we're a full time college student and our body can barely handle that. there's no chance of us getting a job before we graduate. and we have to graduate, because we can't do manual labor. we told a family member that he's abusive and she said we could come over to her house if it gets really bad... but we've lived with her before and know that she'll either demand we get a job and pay her rent or we'll slowly drain our savings paying for gas on the car (that we have to drive to school). the savings which is essentially our college tuition fund. everyone says that if you're in an abusive situation the first thing you need to do is leave. like that's soooo easy. I am angry for you, I am angry for myself, I am angry for every other disabled person who has to make the choice between homelessness or financial dependence on an abuser. you are not alone, you are seen. we love you and we want your safety more than anything. surviving in situations like these is so mentally tough and I'm proud of you for making it through. being an addict or having suicidal thoughts doesn't negate that. you being here is what matters. you being healthy can come later.

i love you too. i hope you get out sooner than i do. when i was 19 i was right where you are. barely in college. scared to hell. abused to death. i hope you find hope and healing and all those good things you've been deprived. thank you for reminding me im not alone. thank you so much. please update me on however you're feeling. you can talk to me off anon, message me, i don't care. you are loved too, by me and others, evne strangers. thank you. also? you got this. you do. ibelive in you. <3 <3 <3 <3

[wild-wombytch]

Hey ladies 💗!

You can call me Tañ. I'm a 24yo European disabled dyke with sometimes approximate English. I'm also an anarchist and believe genders and sexual exploitation are as oppressive as (and products of) patriarchy.

I'm a veteran of the Reddit misogyny and purge against "TERFs" for saying neo/microlabels and bi/pan "lesbians" are harming real lesbians and bi women. I was already starting to be skeptical and tired by trans women talking over lesbians with pretty misogynistic takes, so I decided to look into the so frowned upon radical feminism and gender critical ideas, sensing this Reddit drama was just the tip of the iceberg. That's after years being a TRA/libfem.

I'm tired of the marketable liberal feminism and queer communities and catering to males' feelings, when they're actively hurting lesbians to satisfy their ego and so called feeling of erasure (forcing females who want nothing to do with males to cater to their mental health still or trying to coerce them into sex). I'm also tired that "lesbian" is always associated with porn, especially porn for straight men. So I hoped to get to know the radfem community here better, because you are the only ones who seem to give a fuck about women at all these days and trying to keep women from mutilating their beautiful bodies instead of caring for their mental health. I almost did that to myself due to the trans agenda convincing me that I was a "nonbinary transmasc" and not just a good ol' dyke not aligning with heteronormativity, so here I am. I'm still reading and learning about radical feminism. To be frank, I've been quite brainwashed into the TRA/pop feminism cult bs and genuinely have to rebuild myself psychologically and get all these things I interiorised (to be honest, mostly out of fear of being thrown out of my own lesbian community, leftist and "feminist" spaces) out of my head. Including things about my body and the "queer community" pushing for us to cater to men and shutting ourselves up instead of saying things as they are. I hope I can learn by interacting with the community here. I frankly need some sorority to help me out of the patriarchy and its genderist Hell. This ideology definitely made feminism go back of 50 year. Males can wear dress and be feminine without needing to get into our locker rooms and females can be butches and bind to alleviate dysphoria without being men.

What else to say? I don't want to say too much for now, because the world is so fucking dangerous for women, especially if they go against the men ideology. I really hope to find a peaceful corner here where I can interact with other lesbians without getting witch hunted for stating science and that I'm not into penises and without fucking men filling up the only internet spaces where we can just have women talks about women issues without always centering or integrating men.

I also discovered things like the Moon School, which helps me healing my relationship to being a woman and starting to accept again that I'm a lesbian and don't have to convince myself I'm either trans or having to be exactly like straight women or that gender matters. I'm learning to get rid of the internalised misogyny and feeling like I can't love what I want to love, especially if it's "girl things" or be emotional...etc I'll likely open up more and act more like my confident self once I'm used to be able to state my opinions without getting banned. Probably expect some NSFW and New Age content here. I have a spiritual approach to what it means to be a woman (exploring Wicca and the Dark Goddess).

I'm still learning to use Tumblr, so apologies if the tagging is shit or if the reading is hard on my blog for whatever reason (tell me if I can make it more accessible!). I'm still not confident being here, hope I'll learn. Feel free to DM or send recommendations in asks (about how to use Tumblr, radfem communities, radfem books/Youtube channels, women-centered spirituality...anything really) or just introduce yourself! Straight women have valuable inputs too, but I'd prefer to interact with other lesbians and ex-TRA, since we have more shared experiences. Hope I'm not being weird by spam liking and reblogging your posts there!

Also warning word that my beliefs are bound to adjust as I learn about radical feminism and heal my own relationship to being a woman. I'll still navigate radical feminism leaning, but might go more tirf or other orientations over time.

⚠️ Everyone except the dni can follow, I won't tell you "pro TRA kys" like people say about TERFs 🤷🏻. If you don't want gender criticals, misandrists possibly in the future TIRF, TERF, SWIRF, Dianic Witches or whatever to follow you, you can block me. ⚠️

Again, I'm too new to know exactly what I'm going for except radical feminism.

DNI : Men in general, bi/pan/male "lesbians" (febfems are cool, I refer to mspec "lesbians"), conservatives, alt right, the genderist/MOGAI crowd can respectfully interact and is welcome to like and reblog, but you're on thin fucking ice

[dangerously-human]

About what you said here-

"I know that some aspects of my disabilities will be gone when I have my heavenly body. But some probably will remain, because they’re not all bad."

Hmm... Personally, I doubt that.

You still keeping certain traits I mean.

I mean no disrespect when I say that, but, it's just..

The way I see it, God might have chosen to let you have autism so that it could in some way be used as an opportunity to, like you said, highlight his powers, and as a way to make you build up your faith and reliance on him; to help you get closer to him.

But, once you do all that and you *do* succeed and *do* make it into heaven and reunite with God (hypothetically), then that's it. It's done. You're there now, you made it. It has fulfilled it's purpose; you don't need it anymore. So, at least to me, it seems very unlikely that He would make you keep even the smallest fragments of it in your new body, regardless of whether they were painful or harmless to you in your past life on Earth.

Any and all earthly conditions, illnesses/disabilities, habits or traits from our previous lives, whether they were physical, developmental or psychological; whether we were born with them or not; whether they were absolutely debilitating to us or mostly harmless, it doesn't matter what. ALL of them will be removed from us and ereased for good when God gives us our clean heavenly bodies. That's my belief. (And hope.)

But in all honesty, neither of us really know what will happen when we get a new body in heaven, and we'll never know for sure until we actually get there ( *if * we ever get there..).

All we can do right now is speculate.

Just wanted to add in my two cents there.

Hi. Given that you're saying this on anon, I'm guessing we don't know each other. So I don't think you know how this comes across, and I will try to be polite in my response, but this was hurtful to me and I don't think I can or should answer without acknowledging that. I am not responding in anger, but I am responding from a place of wariness.

Autism is not only a bad thing. It is a way of being. I love the comparison to different operating systems on a computer, especially when you consider that one OS might be better at certain tasks than others, but that doesn't mean one OS is actually superior to another (diehard Linux fanatics dni, lol). Some traits can cause problems in some people's lives, but equally some traits (even the same ones) can be actively good in other people's lives, and mostly, it's just neutral - none of it is inherently good or bad. Autism is not brokenness or sin; being perfected would not require me to not be autistic. Now, I can perhaps see some of your point in terms of "there will be neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile," also examples of neutral identities that won't be the same in heaven as on earth. That said, I think most of that statement is about healing division, not so much that we will no longer be who we are. I have to ask if you'd say the same thing about being a woman having fulfilled its purpose and being no longer needed when I'm in heaven. You know what I mean? Like, sure, it's going to mean something different here on earth, but it's not "unclean" or a problem to be solved or a hindrance to overcome in being made complete. In fact, there are ways in which I am a better Christian for being autistic - things like special interests improving my biblical learning, or, as a friend (the lovely @loubuttons) recently taught me, an emphasis on rest and listening to the Lord. I know our understanding of what heaven will be like is imperfect, but I don't see anything in the Bible that says we won't have personalities or will be uniform templates of people. Honestly, it reads to me that you're still on an understanding of autism as being separate from a person, but that makes no more sense than saying I'm a person with femaleness or a person with whiteness or a person with born-in-the-90s-ness - it's a neutral thing that is part of who I am and gets expressed in my life in a variety of ways. When I see Jesus face-to-face, I'll have a chance to ask him more about this, and it will be very cool to learn more about the purposes behind how each of us was made.

Last thought for now: respectfully, if this is something you or anyone else wants to talk to me about, via asks or messages, I'm very open to it but I ask that you sign your name to it moving forward.

[mod--soul]

~ Spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett Episode 3 ~

I want to take a look at the three most discussed “issues” with episode 3 of The Book of Boba Fett from a writer’s perspective. Because to me, as someone who has both worked with editors, sensitivity readers and near editor-level readers on my original stories and read other peoples original works as the latter, the writing does not seem lazy or bad, as a lot of people suggest.

Quite the contrary: It makes sure that BOBF is not just a simple repeat of the Murder-Hobo RPG-plotline of The Mandalorian and instead shows actual consequences of such actions. Plus the continued and stacked failings and vulnerabilities of a character that stood on such a high pedestal for so long is something rarely used in modern media and is therefore utterly fascinating to me. (In addtion to all the insights into species that so far were mostly known for being "bad". )

But let's take a look at what went down this episode.

Boba’s injuries

Let’s start with the easiest one. People have been complaining that Boba did not show signs of his injuries after the fight with the Wookiee.

Well, first of all: Krrsantan ripped him from a filled Bacta tank actively flodding the floor with its content.

This in turn means two things:

Boba was drenched in Bacta-water

Every time he fell onto the floor he got a new dosage of it.

With the interference of the Mods/Cyborgs that could have been enough time to rudimentally heal the most of that awful crunch. At least to an extent that he can pretend that he is not as injured as he really is. Which is technically underlined by the fact that Boba is still in the robe hours later instead of wearing the armor and unwilling to eat. (A lot of pain usally puts eating at quite a low priority ...)

What should be questioned instead is: How the heck did they get the Gamorrean in the human-sized tank?!

(I’m also pretty sure the Wookiee is going to be an ally later on in the season, paying back the kindness offered to him.)

The Mods/Cyborgs

The major complain about this is the fact that they look shiny, new and colorful. Yet, we don’t know if

they are from Mos Vespa

the modifications are aesthetically or aids

All we know is what the weaselly water vendor told us about them - and the one comment about the eye being expensive. So it may as well be that they have only recently moved to Mos Espa after buying and installing their gear. In the new environment they then found no employment causing their funds to dry out making them unable to have access to basic necessities. And of course they would have to keep their gear clean, as otherwise it would stop functioning, which is not good considering they are used as body part replacements. Though, I really hope that it will be revealed that the modifications are aids and not just aesthetics as that would add significantly to the representation they have already featured on both shows (plus SW in general). Even if it’d again be a case of “fixing” a disability with technological means.

(If anyone is interested in more information about the topic of Science Fiction trying to “fix” disabled people, you may want to check out the Podcast “Our Opinios Are Correct” where they talk about it with deafblind author and activist Elsa Sjunneson)

Considering that Boba knows about such modifications - having installed them in Fennec - it’s pretty clear why he gave them a chance, apart from the treatment they received.

As for the colors: You do realize that Mandalorians communicate their views on life through the colors of their armor? Which could make for quite a colorful group of people.

Anyway, now for the most important one:

The Tuskens

I think we can all agree that the subtext of using indigenous-coded people for this is questionable at best, because it is too close to things that happen(ed) in real life. Something that writers should strive to refrain from reusing over and over again and instead focus on new narratives (which was well done in the previous episode). Yet, at the same time it is sometimes easier (and recommended) to tell real world problems through a fictional lens to make people understand how awful and wrong a “thing” is/was. With Morrisons apparent involvement it stands to reason that he and Rodriguez may have deliberately chosen this to show how wrong the treatment of indigenous people (still) is.

Because the thing is: Even if Boba had been picked up by, say, the people of Mos Pelgo, as long as they incorporated the train-plot the exact same thing would have happened.

Well, let’s take a look at the plot so far:

The Pyke train drives through Tusken territory, killing anyone they see on sight - with the Tusken trying to defend themselves.

Boba conjures up a plan to stop the train, which succeeds. Through that, they not just kill most of the Pykes, but also destroy the train and the spice, while ordering them to pay a toll to the tribes for trespassing/safe passage. (Basically causing major financial loss for the Pykes)

Boba then tries to negotiate the treaty and is informed that the Pykes have already hired security details (despite Boba’s insistence that the deal would be made with the Tuskens). Namely the Nikto-gang Boba beat up and stole the bikes from that then were used to destroy the train.

In that moment Boba decides and announces to get rid of the competition. Only to realize that they beat him to it. Most likely having heard the exact same words regarding the "double payment” before Boba even made it to Mos Eisley, giving them a headstart and the Pykes an opportunity for revenge.

To me that is a valid (if old) narrative. And additional fuel - and thus connecting memories and present time story arc - to the Pykes trying to take over the Syndicate and showing how they treat their “problems” by playing all sides involved, expecting the parties that stand in their way to eliminate each other instead of them having to dirty their hands. Something they, from what it looks like, also did with the Hutts and Boba by sending the assassins by using the mayor. This could even mean that the memories are a warning/prophecy that remind Boba of what the Pykes are capable of.

In short: Whoever had saved Boba would have died, because of the actions he took to repay their kindness.

It’s not a new plot, quite old actually, but it is definitely not lazy as a lot of pieces need to be laid out for this to work. Namely the involvement of the third party that was teasered but only now revealed to not just be a random view into the life on Tatooine. It’ll still be interesting to see this unfold, especially as Boba promised ten-fold repercussions (technically only for deaths dealt by the passing freighters, but that would be nitpicking a perfectly fine threat) ...

And yes, I too hope that some of the Tuskens survived/managed to flee/were taking as prisoners ...

[jess-the-vampire]

Sooooo whatya think of the new episodeee?

Oh it’s definitely my favorite episode of the series so far, i was having such a good time at every turn. I’m glad i went out of my way to avoid spoilers, cause i was glad to actually be surprised by some elements on first watch.

I think this had by far the best opening for an episode so far, we finally get back to the villians, we meet the coven heads, we get insight on belos’s plans-

and then belos gets constipated, which starts getting into the more character driven lore, which is the best part. You instantly can tell GG and Kiki have some bit of tension between them to be Belo’s favorite, though granted i wonder if hunter is the only one to know belos is cursed and actually just always insists to help belos with his fits to prevent others from seeing them.

Including kiki.

It’s honestly unclear how aware anyone is that belos is cursed, like him eating pailsmans is apparently not something he hides, but like....i feel him being cursed is something that people would know universally if it got out...so i’m left wondering if anyone knows besides hunter.

Regardless, belos turns into a goop monster with an angry side, and i guess his mask doesn’t transform with him compared to the rest of his body so he breaks it again because i guess he goes though masks like crazy.

Hunter turns away in this scene from his outburst and even though he’s masked here i can already tell he’s most likely pained in these scenes. Like he’s probably seen this happen so many times, and i can’t imagine it gets any easier for him, it’s probably awful to watch belos suffer like this for him (Regardless of the abuse)

And to be honest, it seems pretty painful for him, i think this ep seems to at least confirm whatever this thing is that takes over belos’s body.....belos never actually wanted it in the first place. 

Yeah so after Hunter tells belos there’s not enough trees to medicate him anymore, we’re hit with the “UNCLE”. Which, when i first watched it i needed a second to even process the fact they confirmed their relation.

and i was like “CLOSE ENOUGH”, not his kid but uncle still works just fine for me, i’m just happy my assumption they were related actually came to ahead.

And i rewatched this episode a few times, and on second watch i realized more what happened in this scene. Hunter was talking about his interest in wild magic, and making more pailsman to help belos, and some method that could heal him and as soon as belos looked at him he instantly shut down.

He was clearly rambling about wild magic cures for belos because of his interest in it, and then suddenly remembered his uncle hates wild magic and felt super awkward.

It seems highly likely his interest in wild magic came from trying to cure belos and spending a lot of time reading up on the stuff. 

And then we get hit with the whole “Our family is dead because of wild magic” line, which.....i’m curious to know what happened there. But it does at least explain why belos feels how he does, if wild magic both killed his family beside hunter AND cursed him in the first place. We’re just gonna need more info on what exactly happened.

Also while Belos is def abusive and does not treat hunter how he should, this scene actually does read off to me like belos does care about hunter to some degree. If belos is cursed and his curse works in similar ways to how Eda’s curse works, then it’s worth reminding ppl that eda mentions early this season how stress can amplify the curse even more.

And sure enough, belos goes goopy on hunter’s shoulder all of a sudden when he grasps him. Which could be considered a sign of stress and that the idea of hunter dying or being in danger actually does stress him.

You could very much also assume this is just due to his curse not being fully handled and just getting worse, or that belos only cares about hunter for selfish reasons....but i’m not taking anything off the table here.

Belos can still be a shitty uncle, and still care about hunter, these aren’t mutually exclusive traits. But we need more episodes for now on this.

But anyways he asks hunter if he can rely on him, kiki is pissed......and we move on.

So i’m glad luz’s impulsiveness is addressed a ton in this episode, they actually bring up a lot of good points. That luz has no plan, that the time she’s spending here might render moot if she goes back to earth, ect ect.

Hunter even calls her out a lot later for not thinking things through, it’s a whole deal in this episode. I’m glad it was brought up cause it’s actually worth asking a lot of these things.

the set up here works, they actually made a good reason for why a pailsman didn’t bond with her. Speaking of which the adoption thing is cute and i love it, it’s a great idea. The designs are all very cute and fun.

Bump face reveal was a lot for me to process, but i find the idea of his pailsman being a pet that can help with his disabilities a good idea.

Also like, i did find it odd that they got staffs so early because we’ve never seen kids their ages with them before, but i guess it’s a new tradition? Does everyone at hexside now have one?

Honesty not sure why batqueen left the nest there overnight, i meant i guess she assumed they were safe with that shield but in context i dunno why she didn’t take them home after the school day was over.

but whatever, luz stays there overnight hoping  a pailsman will bond with her and GG just kidnapps them cause of pure luck on his part a bunch of pailsman were in a vulnerable spot tonight.

So GG continues to be charming, by whistling the theme song and then being blasted off his ship hilariously, before cockily teleporting himself right back on it seconds later. Like he and luz have great banter, he’s so extra like this it’s so funny, and god he’s so FAST with that staff it’s scary but so awesome.

Yeah so then hand dragon crashes them and i was so excited cause it meant face reveal. Poor dude looked so in pain and then we find out kiki tried to effing murder him because of course she did. But like, i think killing your boss’s nephew is the WORST way to get a promotion tbh.

(Also i got confused for a bit cause his mask has always been drawn as a mask, but now it’s a helmet in this scene for whatever reason but-)

Anyways, face reveal, Like honestly ppl weren’t too far off with their guesses, really the only thing people didn’t get was the tooth gap (That was fair tho, we couldn’t have guessed that). But it did make him even cuter.

like the banter is funny, he licks her hand, she slaps him, he looks SO pissed at her for this mess.

and i guess that outfit is his under armor apparently.

He’s lucky she didn’t run away immediately and followed him, but maybe he assumed she would since she had no where else to go.

Also his expressions in this ep are glorious, these had to be fun to draw.

Also we find out that the coven team members have never seen his face i guess? They just assume he’s a silly kid and are awful to him, so i guess he’s not only the youngest member of the coven but he never really shows his face much.

(”Call your parents”, ha ha.....whose gonna tell them who his uncle is?)

He is however, REALLY good at parkour and he’s fast even without his staff, so he’s well trained alright.

And then they reveal he’s not magical and i was SO happy cause i was so sure something was up when he wasn’t doing magic like the other witches despite his pointy ears. So they outright confirmed what i thought.

Hunter is pretty smart tho, like he can tell luz wouldn’t hurt him and wouldn’t flee so he knows he has the high ground here. Like he might be being a bit of a dick, but to be fair luz has been nothing but a dick to him throughout the whole episode (Everyone in this episode has been a dick to him tbh)

They team up and i get excited cause i love this kinda stuff and it gets more wholesome because hunter is super interested in her magic, he thinks it’s cool and you can tell how much he actually loves wild magic but then again...shuts himself down because of belos making him fear the stuff.

An then because luz asks, he tells her his backstory.

honestly with how this world treats people who aren’t magically powerful, living and growing up in a world that would find you useless sounds....awful. Hunter must be an anomaly around here, human blood or not.

Luz coming here to learn is different then growing up in a world and being the only one with no abilities and no future without them. Belos provides him with magic and a future, it’s no wonder he stays with him despite everything.

the whole “Found me” thing is weird, cause belos implies they’re blood related and hunter makes it sound like belos semi-adopted him. Which....if he did i dunno why “Uncle” and not “Adopted dad”, but ok....guess that’s for later.

Apparently hunter is important for something tho with the “Titan has big plans for me” thing, not sure what, but-

But yeah as soon as Hunter talked about wanting to make his own future and Rascal tried to land on him i knew EXACTLY where this was going, it was so cuteeeeee. The lil birb wanted to be with hunter, that’s so wholesome.

And he’s so terrified because of belos and what wild magic did to him, the poor bab.

But yeah, luz then trusts him with his staff back, because again....impulsive. But hunter does actually ask if she’s sure, so he might as well be asking if she trusts him.

The plan goes ahead, and hunter nearly betrays her.

though granted, hunter never promised her he’d stop and let her take them away, the truce was supposed to last till kiki was stopped and they were gonna fight out who got the pailsman. But it does bother luz cause she was hopeful he was better then this.

But just like he did before, she calls him out and he doesn’t betray her, because he’s ALSO too nice to do it, just like he said she was. He says his name (Which also took a moment to process), and then beats the crap out of kiki while letting luz get away and protecting her like a badass.

He might not have magic, but he’s good at fighting

like he can easily teleport to luz and take the pailsman, but he doesn’t, he lets them get away and luz knows this. Even though she also knows hunter has to go back to the emperor too and they have to separate.

It’s only slightly bitter terms, because in the end he came through for her and she knows it.

honestly, the worst part is i can’t even be mad at hunter for it, i’m sure he was terrified to fail belos. Both because he loves him and doesn’t want him to suffer....but also because of well...being punished. Really says something when his near betrayal doesn’t even make me mad at him, and i can understand why he nearly did it.

He let her go, knowing he’d be in SERIOUS trouble and that it would hurt someone he actually loves, so....ouch.

so yeah at this point i knew rascal wanted him so it was only of matter of what happened next.

Which was, luz getting the wood, which i like more anyway. Eda and King doing this offscreen and coming home like this is actually very funny, and honestly i appreciate the message of it being ok to wait.....means a lot to me.

yeah so belos is like...being an ass, like the kid tried his hardest, you don’t need to hit him with the “Is this the thanks i get?”. He’s a kid and he’s trying to cure you you dick, give him a break he doesn’t remotely have to help you like this.

Also apparently belos has not even told hunter HOW this happened, like...dude. Hunter is trying to be entirely reasonable here and belos spikes at him, which does imply some physical abuse though the only reason hunter doesn’t get a new scar is because he moves.

but how he reacts implies this has happened before, he is bracing for impact and he flinches. It’s pretty sad tbh, especially since hunter loves him and belos’s respect means something to him.

Belos is such an idiot, like c’mon dude, hunter is trying to help you and you don’t listen to him you dick. Kid shouldn’t have to say sorry for anything he did nothing wrong, he was just trying to help.

Anyways, he gloats at kiki (So at the very least she knows what he looks like under the mask), which he deserves a chance to do anyway. So i guess he didn’t rat her out for trying to kill him, personally my guess why is blackmail.....he was gonna hold it over her head to keep her from doing it again and threaten to tell belos.

But kiki quickly tells he LET the pailsman get away since he was the one to fight her (Curse his cute loose hair strand). So i guess now they have dirt on each other, so that’s fun.

His room is adorable, though the med kit by the bed is concerning.

Rascal comes for him and it;s so cute....though you can tell hunter nearly hurts him on instinct because of force of habit, but it’s so cute how he cares and how the birb loves him and is his new staff.

it was well hinted to as well, it’s so subtle, but the bird being cheery, curious, and his constant habit of escaping boundaries was perfect for hunter. He represents what hunter wants to be and why they got matched is done so well, all without explaining anything.

Hunter indirectly stated his deepest wish, to make his own choices, and rascal resonated with that. 

can’t wait to see where this goes.

great ending shot, love me some conflicted shots looking out of windows like trapped birds.

also this title was a pun the whole time i can’t-

[analyzingadventure]

Okay so I had a weird Ghost Game related dream last night and, well this post has nothing to do with that dream but that dream gave me A Thought and I’ve been overthinking it severely and losing my got damn mind and I need to get it out of my system so let’s go

Do Digimon Breathe???

And, apologies in advance, this is not a well-constructed post, it’s just a series of bizarre questions with no real answers because I am just 100% overthinking this and it’s really not that deep

Also, this is not based on any specific franchise entry, I’m overthinking this from the POV of like, null lore/the general concept of Digimon

Is there "air" in the Digital World, or is "air" just empty space?

As we all know (I hope), the empty space that surrounds us in our beloved really real human world isn’t truly empty, it’s filled with various gasses that we interact with (along with some other things). But in a Digital World, where everything is constructed out of data, is there anything “there” in the empty space? Is there like, data that’s programmed to behave like air in our world, or is that space no different from the void of space??

   A Digital World is meant to exist on a computer server (usually Yggdrasil’s but not always), and computers only have so much data they can store, so like. One could wonder if it’d make sense for there to be “air data”, taking up valuable resources on the computer... (That said, the deeper you go into the logistics of this, the more video game-y this discussion will get, which might not be ideal)

If there isn't "air"-data that's similar to oxygen, should the DW be a lethal place for humans?

Like?? Does a human converted into data still require oxygen?? How does the human body react to being converted into data, do you continue functioning just the same as before or does shit get weird??

Honestly that’s its own separate discussion of its own and if go into that now we’ll be here forever (like does a data human’s heart still beat? Do they still grow new cells and do their old cells continue to die? Can you grow older in the Digital World or will you stay in an unchanging statis? If you get wounded, will your wound heal? Like, Rei from V-Tamer was able to walk in the Digital World despite being disabled (her disability didn’t get “cured”, just being in the DW somehow bypassed it)--- if a human dies in the Digital World, will their body decay???), but still. If there is “oxygen data” in the DW, sure, humans could probably breathe it in and it’d probably function in their data-fied lungs just like molecule oxygen would in their atom-based lungs. But if there’s no oxygen data?? Would you just suffocate?? Should you just suffocate?? Or, once you’re data, would you become immune to suffocation?? And if you did, would you also be immune to like, drowning??

Are Digimon required to breathe in "air"? Like, can Digimon suffocate?

Like. Why would you be programmed to need “air”. Also, the DW existed before Digimon did, so before the first Digimon was born, there was a world for it to exist in (be it DW Proper or just the Net Ocean). If my memory doesn’t fail me, all we know about The First Digimon is that it was a Virus, which doesn’t really tell us much, and it’s likely that Digimon is extinct. But whatever it was, either it was a Digimon that didn’t require “air data” to survive and thus lived in a Digital World where there didn’t have to be air. Or. If it DID need air, then the DW must’ve had air from the very begining, otherwise, it would suffocate. This observation does not help answer my question in any direction at all, it’s just a thought.

If Digimon overall do need air, are there exceptions?

Like could robotic/undead/ghost/etc Digimon not need air at all? Because they’re not “alive” the same way “flesh” Digimon are? Or would they need air too because regardless of how their bodies are constructed, that construction is just how the DigiCore has decided to dress itself up like and won’t reflect the Digimon’s actual physical needs? (Also answering such age old questions like “how does a robot Digimon poop”)    And on the opposite side of the spectrum, could there be like, certain Digimon that require air at all times, like a Meramon for example? Like if you yeeted a Meramon into a true airless void, would its flames die out? And if that did happen, would it kill the Meramon?

If Digimon do breathe, how do they do it?

Digimon can see even if they have no eyes/their eyes are covered. Digimon can speak even if they have no mouths, or even if they don't move their mouths. Digimon can fly even without wings, or without flapping them. Digimon can smell things even if they don't have (visible) noses. So if a Digimon doesn't have a nose, does it need to breathe?    Like I’m saying that because many Digimon really don't have noses (at least not visible/easily recognizabe ones). Do they require a specific "organ" to absorb/ingest "air", or like. Can they just absorb it all through their skin? By just having most of their body surrounded by air? Is there like a universal rule there or is it a case-by-case thing? If they could absorb air through anywhere on their skin, is there a limit there? Like if you put an Angemon in water, would it need to have its head above water to not "drown", or could it still breathe through its hands or feet if it kept just one above the surface?     Okay so in the past I’ve joked about Tamers’ take on the DW (in good spirit), and how when Adventure is like “water is real and water is wet”, while Tamers is like “water isn’t real and so it’s not wet if you believe so”, when the Big Brain way to interpret water is “water applies the Status Effect ‘Wet’ to whatever touches it“    So could drowning maybe follow that kind of logic? Maybe it doesn't matter if a Digimon can breathe or not, maybe water just has the effect of "takes damage/dies if submerged for longer than X minutes" on Digimon, unless a one has a passive ability of "breathing underwater" (or like "immune to drowning" or something)? (The same logic applying to like, an empty void, or a pool of lava)

If Digimon don't breathe, can they become out-of-breath?

Or would "out-of-breath" be essentially the same as "tired", but visualized slightly differently? (Remember the comment about the questionable applicability of of video game logic I made earlier? Well here we again)    Are Digimon "animated" the same way a video game character might be? Would they have idle animations, movement animations, attack animations etc etc? And if they do, are they animated to breathe regardless of if they actually need to do so?

Do Digimon understand humans need to breathe?

If a Digimon observes a human breathing, would it understand what that was? That it’s crucial for a human to survive? Do Digimon know what a heartbeat is?

[hitory--chan]

Day 5: Queen of the Garden

(Ranked T)

Title: In my withered roses you lay resting

Around the forest there were always legends of all kinds, about fantastic creatures and horrifying monsters beyond human imagination, about nymphs, fairies, werewolves and giant snakes that would devastate the entire town in a few minutes if they wanted to; they were just legends, stories to amaze or scare whoever would listen to them, hypnotizing the virgin ear that listened to them with their magnetism, leading their victim to demand more, driving them mad in the search to satisfy that need.

But there was one in particular, the biggest, the most fantastic, the most sublime and the most terrifying no one ever dared to tell, the one whose existence was only known to the oldest of the town who defended tooth and nail its veracity, but nevertheless only tell each other, remembering and crying the intense agony that each word conveyed.

The legend of Hinata, the queen of the garden in the heart of the forest, and Sasuke, the infamous king who without any army was able to penetrate the invulnerable barriers that protected the queen.

The king who never returned.

“My King!” One of her courtesans shouted. "Please, I beg you to reconsider!"

He ignored her, tightening the draws of his armor as the guards placed the shoulder pads and handed him his helmet, which he took.

It was still dark, the moonlight hanging over the entire sleeping kingdom as he prepared to leave.

"My lord, he turned, now listening to his first officer, Kakashi, who was speaking to him "Are you sure this is a good idea? Going into the forest alone?"

"It's not something I didn't do before, Kakashi, you should know" he replied without much interest as he grasped the reins of Onyx, the majestic black horse that had accompanied him for years.

"I understand, but it's not the same, your majesty, it never got beyond the Stone River" the man said, his voice so slow and dull as if it was something he was trained to say, but Sasuke knew him better than many as to know that there was concern hidden behind those dead tones “It is a great risk to take to find a woman that we do not even know exists”

"People are dying Kakashi, of hunger, of disease ..." He inclined his head a little towards his first officer, not enough to really see him “If that woman, that… witch exists, it will be our chance to solve all the evils that afflict us, if I find her, then I save my people”

“And if you do not find her, my lord?”

“Then we will have to take more drastic actions, actions that I don't think we're ready for right now, Kakashi”

The silence that followed told Sasuke that the man knew what he was referring to.

They had recently fought a war against a rival kingdom that wanted to take over all his lands. They attacked in the middle of the night, cowardly seeking to have the tactical advantage darkness gave them without expecting the surprise that they were ready to fight back with much more violence than would be expected of a small kingdom that barely prospered in comparison to others. Many lives were lost on both sides, but his army had kept the slightest advantage over the invaders and captured the main officers of the intruders, executing him right on the battlefield as he had ordered them to do, closing any openings to negotiation the rival might propose.

They rose above them and conquered, drove the remaining invaders from their lands and proclaimed their victory, but they had not come out without casualties, as happened in any other war.

Their crops were burned and their women desecrated. Bodies of infants who had adventured out of their hiding spots now laying among the corpses of their fathers and men who sacrificed their lives in the name of the king's sovereignty, waiting to be buried or burned while their mothers, wives, and brothers mourned their losses.

Soon after came the diseases, plagues so violent that even the best physicians in the kingdom had succumbed to permanent contact with the infected and were now lying in beds, signaling with weak voices to proceed to their charges.

The only hope was the woman who dwelt in the depths of the forest, a queen in her own right, the oracle told him, whose miraculous fingers brought life to everything she touched. A witch, servant of the devil, counterattacked the priest, who would only bring bliss before plunging them further into misery.

A queen, a witch, Sasuke didn't care, he only wanted her hands to heal his people, determined to cut them off if necessary to save the few that were left.

Then Sasuke mounted his horse and reached out his hand, taking the sword that Kakashi had prepared for him and fastening it to his waist strap, where it would remain with him throughout his journey.

"Itachi will be in charge while I'm gone" he decreed, looking at his court, who looked at him in surprise and disbelief.

“My king, my lord!” The woman spoke again “His majesty is very ill for this task, I fear that his condition is too delicate to carry the role, your highness!”

“My brother already ruled once in a worse state than the one he currently is in while waiting for me to grow up to cede the throne, he certainly can do it a bit more while I'm gone”

“But sir…!”

"In case his condition worsens ..." he interrupted, with a tone of voice as icy as the look he gave the woman "in case he´s not an act to continue, then Kakashi will make all the decisions in my absence and my brother's disability”

Several indignant murmurs were heard from the other members of the court, annoyed by the possibility of a military man would rule them, but with the same look he gave the insolent woman, he quieted them all.

"Kakashi" he called and the man walked with him towards the limits of the kingdom that served as the border of the forest, trotting slowly as his first officer followed him with great ease "I trust you to keep everyone safe, especially my brother” he said, stopping his steed and staring at the man.

"My king's orders are my perpetual la," Kakashi recited, quoting the motto of imperial strength as he brought his right hand to his heart and bowed to him.

Sasuke nodded, but before starting his horse again, he spoke for the last time.

- And Kakashi ... execute her

Kakashi bowed again and Sasuke pulled the reins of his horse to start running, going into the forest when the first rays of dawn hit the ground, and knowing his order would be carried out without hesitation.

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

Inside the forest the thick trees hid any trace of the sun, giving the illusion that it was still night even though Sasuke knew it must be after eight.

Still he didn't back down, mentally reciting the directions the oracle had given him to find the mysterious woman.

“Once crossed the river of stone, the road will split for you, one more dangerous the other, competing for the new prey that appears before them. Be guided by the horrendous noises that make the bones of the strongest of men tremble, by the trail of perdition from which your eyes will not be able to turn away, from the putrid stench of those who defied the sanctity of the earth who stepped on impure feet.

Along the way you will find death's favorite resting place. Do not drink or eat the natural delicacies that will be shown for you, instead you must use your senses, facing the great beast that will attack from the shadows.

If the combat is satisfactory, then the beast will show its respects by leading you to its queen, otherwise, there will be the place of your last rest"

Naturally, oracles liked to be cryptic with their words to the point of making them indecipherable, but the more than a century old woman who had served three generations of her family had put those fanfare behind her, preferring to be as clear as possible in her revelations than risk a bad future for the kingdom because of misunderstandings out of her tongue.

Upon reaching the Stone River, he took a moment to observe the waters peacefully.

That river had been named this way not only because of the rock formation that simulated a natural bridge in the center of that great pool, just covering its surface with a thin layer of water that made it extremely slippery, but also because of the rock at its bottom, arranged in the shape of spikes so sharp that even the slightest fall on them could cause fatal injuries to the unfortunate victim.

He allowed Onyx to drink some of the water before venturing across the stone bridge.

His horse, fearless just like his owner, also had some afraid. On rare occasions he’d tried to cross that path through the waters with the equine, but his partner had acquired a phobia at that particular step when, being very young, he slipped on the stone and it was almost impossible for him to get back on his feet, almost falling to the bottom of the river when with desperate movements he slid to one side before finally reaching the bank of the river and climbing, being completely exhausted on the grass, all under the frightened gaze of his owner who had remained on dry land while his horse struggled.

He remembers that, after that, he had remained with Onyx there for longer than he ever was in that place, being found by the royal guard and brought to the castle only to remain expectant all night at the possibility of having to sacrifice the animal.

Now, Onyx was a majestic and imposing stallion with more history than half his stablemates, but from time to time he would turn back into a fearful foal when they were near that place.

However, while he normally wouldn't push him any further than he considered Onyx could take, this time around he couldn't afford to be understandable to his horse or to be left without a mount for the rest of the way.

“Come on boy!” He encouraged him, shaking the reins several times and smiling as Onyx, refusing at first, approached the rock and put his front legs on it, whinnying loudly as he took small terrified steps.

Even in the slippery material, the new horseshoes he had had his horse put on were being especially helpful in preventing the equine's legs from slipping over the rock even when Onyx's steps were somewhat shaky, leading the horse to gain a little confidence with every step until he was finally on the other side.

“Well done, Onyx!” He congratulated the horse, patting and stroking his neck before pulling out an apple, which he happily accepted.

He wasted no time and continued with the journey, reaching the place where the road divided in three.

At first glance they did not seem dangerous at all, leading him to wonder if the oracle had been wrong with her interpretation or if he had deviated from the correct path himself, but the sudden sound of something sliding on the ground caught his attention and put his whole body on guard again, waiting for any sign of attack.

Instead what he received was the cawing of birds, crows, he recognized, noises of something sliding and the screeching of bats that flew directly to his face at that moment, causing Onyx to panic and stand up on his two hind legs, almost making Sasuke to fall.

When he regained his balance and Onyx was back on all fours, Sasuke looked at the central path, remembering what the oracle had said and thinking that this should be the way to go, so he made the horse move forward, despite the reluctance of the animal.

The putrid stench started only a few minutes on the road before dead animals began to appear on the road, being replaced only a few meters later by human corpses in various states of putrefaction, from skeletons to bodies that should barely have been there for a few days. , and even recognized the uniform worn by the third-rank guards in his kingdom, only stuffed with bones, each corpse wrapped by vines and other local weeds.

He was forced to breathe as little as possible when the stench became impossible to bear, coming to vomit in the section where everything was strongest, without having the opportunity to breathe until the road began to clear of so much death, showing to his sight a great stone plateau clothed with climbing vines and rosebuds.

He got off his horse and gave him another snack, tying the reins to the tree farthest from the ferns and other plants full of fruit that he knew they shouldn't eat.

Slowly and carefully he approached the great structure, gazing at it in fascination. Up close, he noticed the spines that protruded around the roses of different sizes that decorated the plateau, which, he noticed, were deceptively sharp, cutting him at the simple touch and spilling a thick drop of blood that bathed the thorn that caused his wound.

The sudden tremor in his spine appeared as the slight trembling of the earth beneath his feet, accompanied by the sound of something sliding - something that must have been big and heavy, from the way it sounded - and then deafening silence was present. .

“Onyx!” He shouted, turning around when he heard the horse whinny and stop suddenly, expecting to meet the animal where he had left it, however in its place he found another type of animal, giant and with shiny black scales, which were only cut with the three red lines of scales on the tip of its tail, raised in the air with a swaying motion.

The gigantic snake kept its eyes fixed on his, hissing and showing off his forked white tongue.

Eyes wider than they had ever been in his life, he diverted them just a little to the rest of the great reptile's body, almost growling in pain at the bulge protruding from where, he guessed, was the stomach of the immense snake, sure it was the product of his horse swallowing.

Feeling the flame of fury ignite and grow in him, he grasped the hilt of his sword in a slow motion and drew it lightly, as the serpent rose a little higher above him.

With one swift movement he pulled it out completely as the snake lunged at him, barely being fast enough to avoid its jaws, but not fast enough to dodge its tail, which slammed it against a tree and left it stamped there until he nailed the sword almost halfway.

Even his powerful armor hadn't been enough to shield him from that blow, catching his breath cut short by the pressure of the limb that had held him captive, but he had no time to think about that as he tried to get away from the great perimeter that covered the snake.

The injured tail slammed into the ground next to him, causing him to stumble from the din it caused.

The reptile's head also collided with the ground a few feet from his back and then glided at high speed towards him, using its nose to push him up when he collided with him and sent him flying into the air as the snake rose again, now with its jaws open.

But Sasuke was able to hold on to the tip of the animal's nose and avoid being swallowed as he had done with his horse by resting his feet against the bottom of the snake's mouth and giving a little jump before it closed it, being helped by the impulse that the same reptile gave him before the abrupt movement it made while trying to make him fall.

Sasuke stayed on the snake's skull and held onto its scales as best he could before stabbing his sword - which he had clung to as much as he could during the attack - into one of the animal's eyes, which let out a shrill and strange sound before, to Sasuke's immense amazement, it made a 180 ° turn and threw himself hard against the floor, taking him with and crashing him on the flat surface, a blow so violent that it caused him to lose his helmet, his mobility and his strength.

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

Only seconds before he lost consciousness he saw the towering snake - now one-eyed - rise above him before launching itself with his jaws open just as Sasuke's eyes finally gave up.

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was the immense throbbing pain in his head that only got worse when he tried to open his eyes, being hit by the brightest sunlight that forced him to close them again.

Where had so much light come from?

After a while, and when he was sure he could resist it, he opened his eyes again.

It took him a long time to regain the clarity of his sight, but once everything was clear he was astonished at what he saw.

In front of him a large colorful space, green above all, stood proud in all that light. Huge trees were here and there, casting great shadows, covered with fruit in great quantity.

A few meters from him was a lake with crystal clear waters, reflecting everything that was shown from above.

It was only when a slight movement behind him caught his attention that he realized he had been leaning against something cold, and when he turned around he felt as if his entire being had left his body when he found himself face to face with the giant eye yellowish that he recognized instantly.

He backed away quickly, grunting in pain as his muscles protested at his sudden movements, but instead of stopping to ease them, he fought them and reached for his sword at her waist, surprised not to find it.

The snake stared at him for a few seconds before lazily deflecting its head toward the center of the thread that had turned its body.

—You must not fear, it will not hurt you

He turned quickly and looked around, searching for the soft voice that he had said those words.

"Onyx" he breathed out, seeing the mate he had thought he lost, now lying on the grass, asleep on the other side of the lake.

Naturally those words were not said by the animal, but by the other person next to it, who was gently stroking the mane of his horse.

Their eyes met and he forgot how to breathe, incredulous of the moons that were his pupils, beautiful, and that without a doubt were looking directly at him.

The woman stood up and he could see her completely: snowy skin, long dark hair that swayed with every step she took. Her body was covered in leaves, branches and flowers that clung to her like a second layer. The upper part of her was covered by vines up to the middle of her breasts, being enough to cover the most. The lower part was a skirt, much less rigid than the upper one as it was made entirely of green leaves in different sizes, stopping only a few inches above her knees.

A long vine rested in the center of her abdomen, joining the two pieces as one.

She was barefoot and her hair was decorated with the most elaborate flower crown he had ever seen in his life.

As he passed by the lake, he stopped, crouching in the direction of the water, taking from the ground a large leaf of a plant that he did not recognize - and which he had not realized was lying there - and wrapped it gently until it formed a bowl that she plunged into the water until filled it, rising again and resuming its way towards him, now with the makeshift pot that spilled tiny drops from its bottom.

When she finally got to him, he saw her more clearly: thin and natural pink lips, a small and upturned nose, perfectly shaped eyebrows and long eyelashes that only marveled her appearance even more, also highlighting the lack of the slightest freckle on her face.

She offered him the bowl but he did not take it at first, still fascinated and hypnotized by the beauty of the woman in front of him until she pushed it to his chest, forcing him to hold it as she took one by one his hands between her smallest and drew them to the sides of the blade, releasing it when she made sure his grip was firm.

She, with one of her index fingers, touched the surface of the water three times in different parts, and when her hand lowered three different flowers grew in the water: a lotus, a calla and a water lily, which immediately disintegrated and mixed with the liquid, giving it a color that ranged from pink to purple.

"Take it" she said, looking into his eyes "it will help you heal."

He didn't know why, but he obeyed her and took the entire tonic in one gulp, grimacing when the bitter taste of it touched his tongue and she slid down her throat.

She smirked and turned around, walking back to where Onyx was now awake, looking at them wearily.

"It's you" was the first thing that came out of his mouth, looking at her completely uncovered back as she walked away from him “The witch”.

Her walking stopped and she turned around again, looking at him now with a frown, offended.

“That's very rude!. I am not a witch" she protested "My name is Hinata Hyuga, and I am the queen of this garden" she said proudly, turning to resume her march as if her statement was enough to deny his word.

But he would not be fooled; he had witnessed for himself what she had done in the water she had given him to drink.

He looked around him and his sight fell on his sword and armor, arranged neatly on the grass near the giant serpent's tail.

Slowly and careful not to be heard he approached his things and took the sword at the same time that with difficulty he took three steps back as the snake's tail moved to hit the ground and then returned to its original position.

It took a bit of trouble, but he was able to raise his sword and hold it with both hands, directing the tip in the direction in which that woman - that witch - was, now again sitting on the grass, stroking the back of his horse, looking at him unimpressed.

"Witch, you will come with me" he demanded "Everything will be easier if you do not resist, you will get a decent treatment: you will sleep in the softest bed, you will wear the finest clothes ... otherwise, if you resist, you ... you ..." He stopped for a moment, not for lack of words, but from shortness of breath —If… if you resist… the dungeon… the smallest and dirtiest dungeon will be…

"You’re hurting them" she interrupted, and he didn't understand.

The witch looked down and he followed her eyes, stopping at the sword that was now stuck in the middle of a small group of flowers.

When had he lowered his sword?

“What did you do to me?” He growled, aware of the progressive loss of strength to which he was subjected.

"It's the medicine" said the witch, calmly "for your body to heal, it must first rest”

And as if that were a command, his body fell apart, causing him to fall to the floor on a tall grass bed that he could swear was not there a moment ago.

- Witch! ... You will pay...

Unconsciousness welcomed him.

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

When he woke up there was still sunlight, quite clear, so he thought that maybe he had only slept a few seconds, but the environment felt different from before and he could hear the distinctive galloping and neighing of Onyx, going here and there as his footsteps slightly covered the happy laugh of the female.

He could not move his body freely, only just his fingers, and mentally he cursed himself for having taken that concoction that this evil woman had given him, clearly using her sorcery to weaken him.

“Your body still needs rest” he could have shuddered at the sudden voice if it weren't for the fact that he was paralyzed, shortly afterwards the witch's face appeared in his visual range, tilted from above so he could see her “you´ve been very hurt by your confrontation with Munda, your injuries will take a little longer to heal”

He grunted, annoyed.

“Why have you risked your life to get here, mortal?” She asked him, now in a more serious tone.

Then and once again without really knowing why, he began to tell her about his kingdom, about the moments of wealth and prosperity before the war struck, about the deaths and the lack of food that besieged them, making their situation worse. He told her about his brother and his mysterious bedridden illness, about the sudden barrenness of his lands, and how he had preferred to make this trip alone rather than take away much-needed protection in case they tried again to invade them during his absence.

In her face there was no sorrow, annoyance or joy for their misfortunes, instead it was pure curiosity what he could see while he finished explaining the reason why he was looking for her.

"Okay, I'll go with you" she answered with conviction.

He, who had gradually regained mobility to the point where he could now sit up and the waves of heat attacked him insistently, looked at her in surprise, unable to avoid questioning her decision.

"I'll go with you" she confirmed again "However, the starting path is more dangerous than the one you traveled to get here, so you will have to make a full recovery first" She stood up and looked at him “I cannot be away for long, this place depends on me, so I will help your people and leave immediately, it is my only condition”

He watched her, almost denying immediately that he could leave that easily, but he was quick enough to bite his tongue before speaking.

"Okay, then we have a deal" he agreed.

She nodded pleased and stood up, walking away from him and up a tiny hill where she began to press with her fingers the closed buds and the withered flowers that surrounded her, opening and coming back to life with the simple touch of her.

Despite having accepted, in his mind they only danced ways of how he would interrupt her departure, it would be very foolish of him to let her go that easy, a person with her abilities, whether witch or not, was unique, one in a million , and no self-respecting kingdom would let her go that easily.

He could try to convince her by showing her everything that she obviously didn't have in her "garden", the wonders of modernity, and if that couldn't convince her, well, he had dungeons at his disposal that he could trick her into or even without them, but surely he would not lose those abilities from his hands.

Satisfied with that plan, he began to touch the back of both of his hands, searching and removing the splinters that he did not know how he has nailed himself.

Even though Hinata's tonics were helping him recover faster than he normally would, it felt like it was actually taking forever.

There, the days and nights seemed to last longer than normal, as if the clock had 36 hours instead of 24.

Each remedy that Hinata gave her were different and she healed something different, like the one she used to make his bruises disappear, which were a combination of wild flowers and citrus fruits that melted in the water as soon as she created them and released. Those bruises that would normally take a week or more to fade, she had done it in almost three days.

The problem is that she could only give him a tonic for one thing at a time, along with the first one that she had given him so his body relaxes and rests.

Now he was drinking one that she claimed would help with his internal ailments, and he guessed she was referring to the bruised bones that barely allowed her to walk or breathe. This was particularly bitter and she had to take it several times a day, which was a mini torture considering that these wounds would take even longer to heal.

He was washing his armor when he heard her scream.

“No! Go away, you can't be here!”

His skin prickled when she heard it. Had someone entered that place? An ally or an enemy? The great snake that was supposed to be the only one that could make someone else reach that place, Munda, hadn't moved from the rock it had spread on the day before, almost looking dead if it weren't for the hiss it left escape from time to time, maybe someone had found a way to enter without facing the great reptile?

“No! Get away!”

Wasting no time he dropped the piece of armor he was washing into the water and instead grabbed his sword, gripping it tightly and ran - or rather, he limped quickly - looking beyond the trees and bushes until he saw her midnight hair, covered with small flowers of various colors, and he went quickly towards her, who kept her fists clenched and her arms stiff down, slapping the floor with one foot while she kept yelling at whoever was there to leave.

But as he got closer to her, he still couldn't see anyone else; maybe it was some invisible person? It would not be unreasonable to think about that.

Finally, when he got to her side, he saw whoever caused her annoyance.

"This… creature…" she began, making an exasperated gesture with her hand at the wild boar that nonchalantly ate the blackberries from the orchard it raided "This annoying creature won't go away!" I've tried everything but it keeps coming back”

He looked at her in disbelief.

“So much fuss over a wild boar?”

“Is this the name of this demon spawn?” She asked him, looking at him intensely "Do you know him?"

"It's a wild boar, there are hundreds of them in the forest" he said more calmly, dismissing the accusation of her previous question.

“Hundreds?!” She gasped in disbelief.

"Calm down, just ... get rid of him."

“I´ve tried it! But this ... boar keeps coming back”

He let out an exasperated sigh, thinking of suggesting of making her pet snake eat the animal, but dismissed the idea as he thought the reptile was pretty useless when it don´t came to attacking and killing unsuspecting humans and their horses near the plateau of stone.

Since he first woke up he had only seen it move a few inches and change position, so another idea occurred to him.

“Can you hold it?” He asked him “with your ivy?”

She looked at him curiously and suspiciously, but instead of answering vocally, she raised a hand and made a few short movements with her fingers before clenching her fist, catching the animal that began to screech in panic.

He approached it, and with a certain movement, cut off it head.

When he heard her loud gasp he looked back and there she was, her brows furrowed, her eyes staked and both of her hands covering her mouth.

He looked back at the now dead animal, grabbed it head and raised it before asking.

“Do you know fire?”

.

.

.

Sasuke sat on a rock while at the same time bringing the now cooked boar meat to his mouth, biting off a large chunk and tearing it from the rest so he could eat it.

Sitting on another rock on the other side of the bonfire he had made, Hinata found herself with her arms crossed and her brow furrowed, looking at him with such intensity as if she wanted to make his head explode with just her powerful gaze.

She was upset with him, that was clear. Since he had killed the animal and cut its meat into smaller portions so he could stick them into branches and put them on the fire to cook.

The turning point, however, was when he gathered branches and leaves and started the fire that he had surrounded with rocks of different sizes as a barrier so that the fire did not spread.

Apparently, she could forgive him for killing an animal even if she was clearly against it, but lighting wood and using leaves as a burning material was where she drew the line, practically declaring enmity at the prolonged silence she had maintained.

It was funny to tell the truth, even if preparing that meat and the dressing he had bathed it with to give it a little more flavor had been torture for his sprained wrist, it was worth it if I could see her normally relaxed and smiling face distorted with annoyance and disappointment, her lower lip sticking out childishly.

Furthermore, and despite the wide variety of fruits she had been feeding him - more delicious than he had ever eaten - he had really missed the taste of meat on his palate.

“Hey!” He called her even though it wasn't necessary, since she hadn't taken her gaze from him for a second. "Try a little" he said, spreading some meat even though he was too far for her to reach.

That scandalized her.

“I will not do it!” She vigorously refused, looking quite offended by his proposal “I'm not a savage!”

"Me neither" he said, shrugging even though he wanted to burst in laughs at her expression.

“You are eating a living being”

“You eat the children of your plants, but I don't judge you for doing that”

The expression on her face finally overcame him, making him laugh.

With difficulty and care, he rose to his feet and walked around the fire, sitting next to her and extending with his good hand the piece of meat he himself had previously been eating.

"Try a little" he repeated, but she pursed her lips and turned her face away, refusing.

“No, I do not like”

"You can't say you don't like it if you haven't tried it yet" he told her, repeating the words his mother had repeated so much to the fussy eight-year-old he was.

But she kept refusing, so he took another approach they used to use with him when he was especially difficult to feed: negotiation.

"How about this" he began “If you try a little of this, I promise I won't complain and take all your strange meds even if they taste like hell itself, you don't have to like it, just try a little”

She looked at him scrutinizingly, apparently looking for some kind of dishonesty, but he just brought his injured wrist to the center of his abdomen, in a well-camouflaged dirty little manipulative move, which he knew was working when she looked at his wrist and then again to in his eyes.

“Just a little?” He nodded "And will you take the medicine without complaining?" He affirmed again.

Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out again in the form of a long sigh.

She opened her eyes again, now with a look of determination and nodded.

He smiled and brought the meat to her mouth.

“W-wait!” she yelled, holding his wrist.

He was really having a hard time not laugh again.

Without letting go his wrist, she barely opened her mouth and bit into some of the meat, chewing it and stopping after swallowing it.

He looked at her expectantly, watching as she frowned again and sudden tears began to fall from her eyes.

Was it really that bad?

He began to feel guilty for forcing her to do so, but he was surprised when she now took a bigger bite, taking the meat from his hand to grab it herself, saying between sobs

"It's good!" she sniffed and cried harder as she ate more of it.

________________________

That night he woke up because of the pain that attacked his healthy wrist, grunting and looking for the reason for that, and when he looked at it, he was surprised and out of breath to see how a bracelet of branches wrapped him, which would not be a problem if it was not for the fact that they seemed to come straight out of his skin.

________________________

Another few days passed and he had kept thinking a lot about his situation.

Due to his suspicions, he decided to do an experiment.

For a few days he stayed especially close to her, touching her skin with his fingertips in the most subtle way he could, leading him to offer help during the moments when she did her self-imposed tasks that were not really necessary - there was not much to entertain herself with, he supposed — and despite confusion at his sudden need to help, she agreed and directed him what to do, frustrating him when any of those tasks kept him away from her.

But at the end of the day he touched her enough without going overboard - tapping her shoulder to get her attention or patted it awkwardly as he congratulated her with a "good job" - and then he walked away from her and went to the makeshift cot she had created for him, leaving her more confused than at first.

The first night he waited awake for something to happen, for the branches to start coming out or for his skin to turn green, he wasn't entirely sure what could happen, but he waited.

And he received nothing.

He repeated the experiment several more times and nothing happened, so he thought maybe it was a side effect of the last potion she had given him to drink? It would make sense that his body is no longer producing more vegetation by changing the type of medicine she was giving him, and it would also make sense that she did not know that effect as something out of the ordinary, since her own body seemed to produce by itself the plants that dressed her.

Then he forgot the topic, classifying it as a one-time occurrence.

Until he wasn't.

That morning, when he no longer had any kind of ailment and was beginning to feel he was finally regaining his strength, he had helped Munda - who, he learned, was really peaceful when he was not protecting the entrance to that garden - to get rid of the little debris that had stuck to him after his last shedding of skin.

"Good work," Hinata said, patting him on the shoulder as best she could since he was significantly taller than her “Munda's shedding of skin is usually a disaster because it is more resistant than normal, so I always have a hard time cleaning it when it's in season” she revealed, now with her hand fixed on his shoulder “you are very good at that”

He accepted her congratulations with a small hint of pride on her chest.

They passed the day with normally, and at night, while taking a bath in the lake, a sudden pain attacked his shoulder.

When he tried to move his shoulder in circles, he couldn´t, the pain and stiffness prevented him from the slightest movement, then he brought his other hand over said shoulder to try to massage himself, but when he felt his fingers prick, He stopped.

Surprised, he looked at his shoulder and couldn't believe what he saw: it was covered in thorns right where Hinata had touched it.

The fire of anger ignited in him and spread like forest fire, was that it? Her hands? Were her hands causing his body to produce leaves and thorns as if it were a simple plant? Although, now that he thought about it, he had been a fool not to realize it before, after all, she was nothing more than a witch whose hands could grow trees and flowers out of nowhere.

He had been fooled. He had let his guard down and this witch was turning him into another plant in her garden.

Who many more had she done this to?

He looked at the surrounding trees for the hint that any of them were once a man, but he had done his job so well that there was not the slightest trace of a previous humanity in them.

Angry, he left the lake and put on his pants, not caring they were dirty and dusty from the activities he had done that day. He dressed in his armor and took the sword with him, searching for Hinata and finding her, as always, in the center of the small flower-covered hill that surrounded her.

His quick and heavy steps caught his attention, turning and smiling at him when she saw him approaching, but that expression quickly changed when he entered, stepping carelessly on the flowers that she loved so much.

"Sasuk ..!"

"In two days we will leave," he interrupted, placing the sword under her chin and applying enough pressure so the tip dug lightly into her neck, hurting her “I have already lost a lot of valuable time with your stupid games, as of today, I command”

He turned around without giving her the opportunity to speak and went to the farthest part of that garden, where he found what seemed to be the oldest tree of all, the most leafy, where he sat down and pressed his back against it, crossing his arms with his sword still in his hand, quickly creating in his mind all the logistics of what he would do next.

______________________

The desperate neighing of Onyx woke him up.

He hadn't realized when he had fallen asleep, but it seems as if the apocalypse had taken place once he closed his eyes.

He blinked, trying to clear the blurry view of him until everything was terrifyingly sharp.

In front of him, Onyx kept crying, rising on his hind legs and then dropping the front legs in heavy blows, kicking up the dust with each fall.

It was daytime, he could tell, but the whole environment was so bleak that his brain had a hard time understanding it.

He looked around him, all the space that had previously been green and colorful had turned to the darkest gray he had ever seen. The trees shed their leaves at an impressive speed, the same ones that were now on the ground, surrounding him.

He tried to take one, but the blades were so brittle they broke with the simple touch.

"Onix, take it easy" But the horse ignored him; instead, he whinnied louder as if urging him to stop and then ran, leaving him behind.

He walked carefully, looking everywhere: the bushes were dry but still held some of their fruits, of which he took one and put it in his mouth only to spit it out instantly, disgusted by the horrible taste of the previously delicious blackberry had taken. As he walked, a foul stench began to fill his nostrils, aggravating the closer he got to the lake, until he realized that was where it came from. The waters, previously clean and clear, were now as black and thick as tar.

What was happening?

It didn't take long for him to find the cause.

Still on the small hill was Hinata, motionless and with her head bowed, the flowers around her were wilted. Munda surrounded the hill, making a great circle with its whole body, as trying to be a wall of protection for her owner.

The great snake gave him a warning hiss, glaring at him, now with both of its healthy eyes, as if it was challenging him to come closer.

Even with the threat of the reptile, he did, he knew how protective he was, but he had learned that in here Munda was more like a puppy playing at being brave than the gigantic and terrifying snake really was.

Already within the circle of protection of him everything was more horrible, here the flowers were not withered, and instead they seemed burned. Hinata's body remained immobile, not even seemed to breathe, and when he surrounded her and was face to face with her, he was surprised by the horrible state that in just a few hours she had gotten.

Her skin was as gray as the rest of the earth, her previously pink lips were now dangerously close to black, almost all the flowers in her hair and crown had lost their petals and the ones that remained would fall at any moment. Her eyes were open and she kept them that way, without blinking, and the only sign that told him there was still life in her was the trail of tears that fell without stopping.

He crouched in front of her and called out, but he didn't get the slightest bit of recognition from her.

He grabbed her face and winced at the ease of movement he had from her, even if her body seemed stiffer than could be possible.

Then the dark green trail that fell from her throat to her abdomen caught his eye, and he felt as if he had been hit with the strongest metal as he remembered what he had done.

Was this his fault?

"Hinata," he called her, lifting her face so he could look into her eyes, which seemed to be empty. "Hinata, I'm sorry."

But his attempts were in vain because she did not respond or make the slightest movement that indicated she would do it at some point.

Desperation began to fill him and he didn't know what to do, stroking her face and trying to wipe the tears away, but they kept falling and instead, sliding over and around his thumbs, mocking his unsuccessful attempts to stop them.

Then, in a moment of utter despair he did something he had only thought would happen in his dreams, and kissed her.

His lips froze over the cold, chapped of hers, and all ambient sound that he had previously not actively noticed disappeared. He made no move, just stood with his lips joined, praying inside his mind for a reaction, until her lips trembled.

One sob left them, then two, until it was totally a symphony of wailing.

He hugged her and pressed her to his chest, quietly apologizing to her and preferring to hear her cry than remain in the deathly silence of moments ago.

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

Recovery was slower than he could have imagined. While it took less than one night to produce the disaster, fixing it was a matter of a long time.

She avoided talking to him and he couldn't blame her, not after all that he´d caused.

She was just getting back to her normal color and at the same time so did her garden, slowly returning to the green it was when he had arrived.

He hadn't given her a reason for his action in the first place, and he didn't think he'd do it sometime soon - never, if he could.

He just helped her silently, discovering that when he kissed her, she recovered a little more.

So he kept doing it, morning, afternoon and evening, until the pink on her cheeks appeared and the flowers in her hair began to bloom.

That, however, came at a price, and it didn't take long for him to realize that the mere touch was more powerful than that of her fingers.

It first reflected on his nails, which turned brown and their textures became like that of a tree trunk. Then on his chest, where leaves and thorns came out again.

It was a much faster process than he had thought.

"I think we can leave tomorrow" were the first words she spoke to him after days of silence, smiling shyly at him, speaking in a low voice.

He nodded as best she could, his neck stiff from the changes taking place in him.

That day his feet stuck to the ground, and pulling them off felt as if he had lost a limb.

"Sasuke" Hinata called him the next morning, worried about what she was seeing. "Since when has this been happening?"

He looked at her, but he didn't answer.

He was still lying on his grass cot, trapped by the ivy that had tightly encircled his arms, torso, and legs to keep him in place.

"Wait." The desperation in Hinata's voice was palpable, but he could barely recognize anything.

With her hands, Hinata touched the plants on top of him, but was surprised to see that instead of obeying her and disappearing, they seemed to tighten around Sasuke.

She looked at her hands without understanding what was happening and tried again, her eyes clouding over as she obtained the same result as the first time.

The tears left her eyes and the sobs soon appeared the more she tried and failed, becoming more energetic and miserable with every second more.

"Hinata," he called out, barely a hoarse whisper as he felt a new plant grow from his stomach and slide its roots through his esophagus, slowly exiting his mouth "There is no time for me…”

“Do not!" She shouted shakily" Don't say that!”

“S. Save them ... my people ...” he said, barely breathing.

"I-I will, but-but first ..." A sob interrupted her "you first..."

Sasuke wanted to deny, but he had neither the strength nor the mobility to do so.

"There ... there is ... no time for ... me" he repeated.

“Sasuke”

“Please”

Without finding the words to answer him, she just nodded.

Sasuke smiled and looked at her, grateful as a single tear slid down the side of his face as more roots came out of his mouth.

"Thank you" he said, his voice cracking, closing his eyes, "I lo ..."

But he couldn't finish his sentence, losing the last breath he had and finally letting the roots slide out of his mouth and dig into the ground beneath him.

A heartrending scream came from Hinata's mouth, the loss, for the first time in hundreds of years, completely ripping her apart.

She cried over his body, feeling a pain much worse than that of a few days ago completely invade her, feeling again how she was fainting rapidly.

But she still had one last promise to keep.

Unwilling to leave him, Hinata placed both hands on the ground and gathered all of her strength, screaming as she transferred her power beyond the forest, filling all around with the life that he had come looking for.

The earth shook and great thorny walls rose above all of her garden, joining in the center without closing completely, and leaving a small gap through which the sunlight entered.

Exhausted, she walked to where Sasuke's body lay covered in roots and she dropped down beside him, placing a hand on his chest, slowly closing her eyes and melting into him.

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

From the highest tower of the Uchiha castle, the cries of the courtesans invaded the room of King Itachi, whose body was covered by a white sheet as his court surrounded him.

"You did it, my king," Kakashi whispered, watching from the window as the kingdom began to fill with the vivid green of the growing plants and the colorful buds of flowers and fruit that followed them, though his attention was really fixed on the large bud that it had formed in the farthest part of the forest.

While, at the gates of the kingdom, Onyx the steed without his king arrived.

@sasuhinamonth

[yanderelovebites]

Warning: hinted DDLG, not too explicit but reader does show signs of a Little.

*This is part of a thirst book that is both Fluff and Smut. This is a fluff one with a soulmate reader from the tattoo AU. Some future ones will be connected to this.

It was a long power struggle but the villains came on top. Many heroes and heroes-in-training lost a chip. The chips were made so they could avoid their soulmate in the event their soulmate was a villain or any other type of criminal. Most heroes were executed if they didn't match up to a villain. Some that were in training were given a choice redemption based on their year and if they interacted at all with villains before. Then, there was the rest of the classes.

These children gathered were found to have been forced to, while in the school, have a temporary working chip as well. They took it out and yet again the villains checked. You were in the last class they checked. You were young so you knew if by chance you were one... they would be older than you. You trembled at the thought of some much older woman or man potentially having right over you... you were raised to believe if someone is a villain, they can't love and they will mistreat their match.

That's terrifying.

To be honest... you hope you bleed out, but it's been slow. It'll close only to reopen if people are too rough. And it was a sloppy job. You see, you were stabbed because you were the forced 'volunteer' of what would happen if any of you resisted. They said for being a such a 'good girl and helping' they'd bandage the stab wound.

You hear the door open and you and your classmates are picked up. You didn't fight it. You were only a general class so judgement wouldn't be too harsh after they realize none matched a villain. You all were put in a line alphabetically. You were no. 14. You shiver as you see them scan the soulmate tattoo on the class rep. They pulled her away to the right... she would be okay right? The left is where the... soulmates have been pulled. Over there are nurses forced to be there. It's terrifying... this whole situation. You can't really describe it...

As each person went ahead, not single before you went to the left nor were they moved forward to die by the leader in all this....

Tomura Shigaraki.

You trembled a bit as the last person before you was moved. You trembled partly in fear and partly in pain. It still hurt. The men picked you up like the last and put you on the scan. Unlike the last thirteen people, there was green flash once it scanned the back of your neck... your tattoo was a hand with spider lilies growing from the palm. You were picked up but... brought to the left..?

The left...!

You didn't see who it was. They only said the match would appear on top of the machine, but those being scanned can't see that. A nurse takes you and says she's just going to check you over because the villains were definitely rough with the others. You could only nod.

She takes your clothes off and gasps a little "W-Were you the 'example' dear?" You nod again and she tells you to lay back as she fixes this and phones the doctor. Things got hazy from there and at some point, you passed out sometime after the doctor came.

You woke again in cozy bedroom. You were on a soft, but firm, mattress with purple sheets and a black bed cover. Under it was a fluffy blanket and even more at the foot of the bed. You had pillows around you and a couple stuffies. The nurse was at your side and smiled "Nice to see you're awake dearie. Please don't move, we don't want you to reopen the wound or undo the stitches. I was checking on your monitor. I will get someone to bring in food, alright?"

You replied hoarsely "A-Alright, ma'am..." She scurried off so you can better look around, but only on your back. There's an empty cork board, a simple desk with what you can assume are notebooks and pencils. There's a stain-glass window that cant be open and you can somewhat see has bars on the other side.

The walls were a dark shade of purple and the curtains were also black like the bed cover. There were color changing lights around the ceiling and in the center of the ceiling appeared to be the main room light. There was a TV hooked to the wall with - Blue Ray and an Xbox set up. The TV was on a clothes dresser.

You waited a few more minutes and a young girl came in with eggs, toast and some juice. The helped you sit up so you wouldn't open the wound and they supervise the meal.

You get sleepy after and they help you go back to sleep. You unconsciously hugged one of the many stuffies. You loved stuffies... back with your horrible mom who only cared that you be in a dumb hero school, you had many on your bed.

You held it close and let your dreams take you. This happened repeatedly that you asked the nurse if they put stuff in your food. She said "Yes, h-he asked us to. It's to make sure you don't reopen the wound... I assure you it's just until your fully healed, then you won't need that anymore!" She nervously chuckled it off. You latched onto her sleeve.

"Ma'am, I never saw who was flashed on the machine as to who my... mate is. Do you know?" You asked her. She looks at you sadly... "Miss L/n, it's the very man responsible for our nation's hell. Tomura Shigaraki is your match," she said as you let go. She scurried away once again.

Tomura Shigaraki.

The man who broke Izuku Midoriya. (He's alive babies)

The man who disabled your mom's sperm donor... (daddy issues :3)

A man who can leave you literally in dust is your soulmate?

Someone who has killed thousands?

The man who did the executions?

The man who you felt stare at you and your peers like you're insignificant ants?

You could only hold the stuffies, now frightened once again of your unfortunate situation. The second nurse comes again and you eat swiftly again. Would you feel safe knowing the stuffies and Blankies and the pillows you hugged so close were his doing?

Heh.

The man from the security screen room wouldn't know yet. He always kept watch of you there since that day. It was maybe two weeks ago. You're his, you had no choice. He never had the choice either. He's yet to explicitly interact, afraid one slight action from either of you would destroy your fragile body. On one hand, he could get a quirk disabling room-they had one available-and force you to share with him, but that could lead to safety issues.

It would be best left as a room used when you both are ready for it.

He knew you'd enjoy the stuffies, they questioned your mother through threats. She's expected to release some of your materialistic treasures. Anything significant. He, quite amused, enjoyed watching you ask finally who you were stuck with, although didn't like the nurse's tone. You seemed scared, but Tomura knew it would be that way. It's why he spoils you. He's bound to be shitty so you might as well get something good, right?

He really didn't want to admit he liked the idea of being able to care about someone. To be able to love them without any other reason than it's what he craves.

He hopes he won't have to discipline you too much once you're fully healed...

—

Eventually, it comes to the nearing point of  your healing process, but also the fact you've grown an immunity. The drug only left you unable to move now. It was quiet. No sound and unable to open your eyes... it's like a horror film. At least you know no one would harm you... but it still scared you.

After a good while, you hear a door creak open. You hear unfamiliar footsteps. These ones are more... stealthy. The nurse's were hard and left a tapping sound once it met the floor. This seemed quiet, as if he didn't want anyone to know he or she is there. You feel the bed sink in and wish you could open your eyes.

They stroke your head with only two fingers. It felt... calming. Your body accepted his touch like second nature. You hear a rough voice say "So innocent..." They gently move hair away from your face. "I wonder how you're fairing inside that little head of yours, being confined to a bed, no freedom besides what little conversation that nurse has with you... I'd imagine its boring," the voice said to your immobile body. After some thought... the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

He strokes your head again with two fingers. "You like these don't you... the stuffed animals. You cling to them like a small child, it adorable. I'm glad you like them so much... means I didn't waste time picking a few for you after that long day of going through your entire school," the voice said. His last sentence was all you needed to know who this was without any doubt. Tomura.

"You're mine regardless," he said, twirling a piece of your hair with his index finger, you assume anyway. "When you heal, I'll make sure you understand what that means," he mutters, almost too low for you to catch. It was creepy, but comforting, knowing he's talking to you while unconscious-or at least he thinks you are.

It becomes quiet, the only thing you hear is the clock, your breathing, his too, and the fabric static from your pillow. Yet, the warmth of his fingers never stops moving. They pet you almost robotically until you hear a beep from a watch. He sighs. "I'll be back tomorrow, awake or not..." he said. You blushed in your sleep as you felt chapped lips kiss your forehead, but then they leave along with your soulmate. He's gone with a simple thud of the door closing...

All while you long for his warmth again.

[ignitedbynatsu]

A Little More Faith

A/N: None of you would be able to read my works if it wasn’t for Grammarly 🤐 Anywayyy @exhaustedpotat0 I hope you like it ❤ Thank you again for the request and the support it really means a lot to me. My blog is blowing up recently and I can’t express how much everyone’s support means to me. 

Warnings: mention of injury, fighting with parents

Genre: Angst to fluff

⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍⚡🤍

"I don't like this" Laxus grumbled as he watched his daughter laughing over something Natsu had said.

"It's just a job" Mira-Jane reassured him as a feeling of pride washed over her while looking at the girl in question. She was finally going to go on her first mission.

"I already don't like the idea of her leaving for a mission" he repeated "but for that mission to be with Natsu of all people? I don't stand behind this"

"Is dad being grumpy again?" A chuckled vibrated from (Y/N)'s chest as she gave her mother a kiss on the cheek as a way to say goodbye.

"I don't condone this" Laxus voiced his thoughts as the girl kissed him on the cheek as well.

"Well, that sounds like a you problem" she shrugged before rushing off, knowing he'd scold her for talking back if she didn't get out there quick "Bye mom and dad, I'll be back soon! Love you!"

Team Natsu followed soon behind, Natsu and Gray laughing at the pissed of Laxus while Erza reassured the couple she'll scold her in their place.

The younger girl was beaming with excitement as she finally left for her first-ever job. Even though Laxus was still mostly against it, Mira-Jane somehow managed to persuade him to let her go on her first mission at the age of 14.

That same excitement soon vanished as her hamstrings were slashed, making her unable to walk and crumble in pain to the floor, a blood-curdling scream leaving her lips soon after.

"(Y/N)!" Natsu was quick to jump in front of the younger mage, Gray following not even a second later. They shared an understanding nod to push their differences aside and protect the girl at all costs. "Lucy! Get her out of here!"

Lucy obeyed, summing Loke to grab her whilst fighting the enemies with Taurus. "Loke! Bring her to Wendy and protect her"

The celestial being understood the graveness of the situation and decided to bite his tongue instead of making his usual flirty remark towards his owner. "Let's go little one" he carefully picked her up while his eyes darted around, desperate to catch a glimpse of the dragon slayer. The moment he saw a hint of blue hair, he didn't hesitate for a second and ran over to her, all while carrying (Y/N) in his arms that was still crying out in pain.

"Wendy!" Loke called out to the said mage. With only a mere glance she understood what was going on. She finished off the opponent she was fighting with and ran towards the wounded girl.

She exclaimed the cut, a troubled expression clearly evident upon her features "there's not much I can do right here. I can stop the bleeding and relieve some pain, but her hamstrings are torn. I need my equipment at the guild to see how grave the injury is"

A new determination filled everyone as Wendy's words rang in their ears. They needed to handle this quickly. Every second could be one too many. In record time, they managed to fend off the last enemies.

Natsu took over from Loke, as Lucy had little to no energy left to keep the celestial being in this world. They got the first train home, not even sparing the price-money a single thought. The younger girl was their top priority right now. No money in the world could top that.

Laxus's eyes fell on the lifeless girl in Natsu's arms as soon as they set foot back into the guild. Freed and Bickslow quickly got up to stand in front of him as they saw the change in his demeanour. Their friend was completely engulfed in rage that was directed towards one man in particular and that was the man that was holding his gravely injured daughter. "Natsu" electricity was crackling over his body as he got closer and closer to the said mage.

"Laxus!" Mira-Jane narrowed her eyes at him as she stepped between the two dragon slayers "this is not the time. Wendy, please, heal her"

Wendy motioned Natsu, to follow her to the medical room, leaving the enraged Laxus and a worried Mira-Jane

There was a heavy, uncomfortable silence placed across the guild. Nobody dared to make a sound, afraid to tick the couple off as they waited in anticipation for Wendy to finish the surgery.

Laxus mind was swarmed with worst-case scenarios as his eyes were fixated on the door of the medical room. He was experiencing so much stress and frustration that he felt like punching a wall, no, he wanted to punch Natsu, but Mira-Jane was right. This was not the time, not right now.

Mira-Jane was busying herself downstairs with the dishes. Even though she had complete faith in Wendy, she also knew that if she were to be left alone with her thoughts for even a minute, she wouldn't be able to break free from them.

Minutes felt like hours and hours felt like years. But after nearly two hours, Wendy came out with a content smile plastered upon her face "she'll be fine. She just needs to wake up from her anaesthesia, but after that, she'll be back to normal."

It was like everyone could breathe again once those words filled their ears. She was okay. (Y/N) would be just fine.

After a couple more hours, the anaesthesia had completely worn off and (Y/N) was sitting up straight while Mira-Jane and Laxus stood on either side of her bed.

"I'm so glad you're okay" the eldest Strauss sibling mumbled as she kissed her daughter's head, a couple of tears fell from her eyes in relief.

"That's it. No more jobs for you" (Y/N) eyes shot up as she heard the stern words from her father "What? No! You can't do that"

"I can and I will. Don't you realize that you might have never been able to walk again?" He argued, but his daughter wasn't having it, both sharing the same short temper "It was just a scratch stop making a big deal out of it"

"I'm not having it. You're not allowed on jobs anymore and that's final" Laxus crossed his arms in front of him to show that he was done with the conversation.

(Y/N)'s eyes were swimming with rage at her father's stubbornness "stop treating me like a child!" "Then stop acting like one!"

"It's because you push me in that role!" She was certain that everyone downstairs in the guild could hear her, but she didn't care. If anything, she wanted them to hear how unreasonable her father was "I am the daughter of two of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail. You've been training me from the moment I could walk. Why can't you trust me?"

"Because you're clearly not ready for it" the blonde scoffed. He knew this discussion was long overdue, but that didn't mean he was going to back down easily. Not when his daughter was nearly disabled for life.

"It was an accident! Mom, please say something" she desperately pleaded for her mother to side with her and talk some sense into her father but when she didn't budge, the younger girl scoffed "you're both being hypocrites. How many times have you been laying on death's doorstep when you were around my age? I want you to leave. Now."

It was like the temperature changed along with the cold words that left her mouth. The toxic words left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.

Laxus wanted to say something but stopped himself when Mira-Jane placed a hand on his bicep and shook her head softly no. She knew that their daughter was right. They were being a hypocrite, but how could they not when they saw their little girl in so much pain only a couple of hours ago?

"She's right you know" Erza confronted the parents once they softly closed the door behind them "It's definitely not fun, but it's part of the job. She's 14, you can't shield her away from the world forever. Sure, this wouldn't have happened if we all had been a little more on edge, but it happened. Mistakes are bound to be made, but we learn from them, and so will she"

"But she's our little girl" Mira-Jane sighed as her eyes lingered on the door where Wendy had just walked through again to check up on their daughter.

"I know, and I can't start to imagine how you two must've felt when you saw her like that, but she's also part of Fairy Tail. If you didn't trust her skills, you wouldn't have let her join" Erza pointed out. Both parents were quite as they took in every word the mage in front of them said "you both need to put a little more faith in her. If you don't, she'll start doing stuff behind your back, and you will drift apart."

The last words struck a nerve with Laxus. He knew how painful it was to lose his family. He vowed to never let that happen, to never make the mistake his father did. And yet he unconsciously was pushing her further away from him.

The white-haired mage took notice of the realization that dawned upon her husband "I think we need to apologize"

Laxus blindly followed his wife as they re-entered the room their daughter was laying in "I thought I told you to get out"

"Actually, we're here to apologize" Mira-Jane's signature kind smile was placed upon her lips.

Laxus sighed deeply as the eyes of the two women he loved most were staring at him in anticipation "we- no, I am really sorry for smothering you. I wanted to keep you close in an attempt to not go down the same path my father did, but by doing, so I realize I'm also pushing you further away from me, from us. I am really sorry. I never meant for that to happen"

"You're not pushing me away, nor do you need to compare yourself to that man. You're the best father I could've ever wished for and yeah sure you can be suffocating sometimes, but I know it's because you care about me" (Y/N) eyes softened at the revelation of her father's insecurities.

"You're allowed to go on missions from now on. Just promise us you'll be more careful next time" Mira-Jane pleaded to which their daughter placed a hand over her heart "I promise, now come here"

The three shared a hug, mending the cracks that had slowly started to form as if they were never there.

[hains-mae]

Flowers

(Damian x Reader) Soulmate AU

Rating: T

Ages: Damian and you are 16, everyone’s ages follow after.

Summary: Soulmate AU where the wounds on your soulmate turns into a flower tattoo on your skin, if it heals with no scars the tattoo goes away, if it heals with a scar then the tattoo stays. You are just an ordinary girl, with an ordinary life, so one might think it only makes sense that your soulmate is just as ordinary as you. But that isn’t the case. Especially not when your body is constantly littered with flowers. Some of them fade over time, some stay, but one thing is for certain – your soulmate seems to get hurt. A lot.

Notes: Hey there you guys. Recently I’ve been caught up in a Batman fever, and I can’t do anything about it. I ended up creating a challenge for my friend @mrevaunit42​ which was an “Character x Reader” Soulmate AU. Seriously, it was all in the name of fun.

And then I got caught up in it, perhaps a little too much – and created this. I’ve never written a soulmate au before, though I really wanted to. (Now I have! Yay~) So please forgive my writing since I’m a little rusty, and I hope you enjoy.

Stay safe everyone.

Disclaimer: I do not own DC. If I did, I wouldn’t make it as confusing as it is now.

I woke up to a burning sensation on my lower ribs in the middle of night. Hissing in pain I slowly pushed my feet out of the warm covers and turned on the lamp beside my bed. Pulling up my shirt I assessed the damage.

It was purple lilacs this time, stretched across the middle of my torso going horizontally to my side. I winced as the tattoo completed itself and just as the heat came, a cold chill ran through it and down my spine. Somehow it soothed the burn.

God, another one? I frowned at the beautiful flower and sighed. It worried me that my soulmate was prone to getting hurt. Sometimes the injuries made sense, like when I found them on my knees, I could easily chalk it up to falling and scraping – but injuries like these were more difficult to decipher.

How does someone normal get hurt this way?

They don’t.

“Unless they’re a criminal.” One of my friends stated dryly days ago.

“Or a hero!” Another said quickly.

Needless to say, I wasn’t in a rush to find out. Whoever this person was, I knew from the start that they were trouble.

The next time I woke, it was to the early morning rays that escaped my curtains and played a fiery dance on my eye lids. I groaned and pulled the covers up wishing I could sleep in for a couple more minutes, but I knew I couldn’t.

A few weeks ago my school, Gotham Academy, announced that they were holding their annual science fair at a convention centre as opposed to the regular school gymnasium, because surprisingly enough, Wayne Enterprise offered to fund the event.

It was no secret that Gotham’s economy was hitting below the desired margin. Many people don’t have jobs which resulted in an influx of crime in the past years. And so Wayne Enterprise collaborated with Gotham’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to raise awareness and encourage young minds to strive for a better, innovative future. They shouldered the expenses needed and created an international affair, to top it off; Wayne Ent. also offered scholarships to future college goers and internships in all their branches.

Which was why I couldn’t sleep in today. I had project to work on. In line with our team of sponsors, I decided to invent a weapon that could help the GPD when catching criminals. A gun that projects thin plastic case marbles filled with a chemical concoction that erupts into a quick hardening foam upon impact. The foam itself is not toxic, but it works with catching and detaining. It turns as hard as stone but there was another type of compound that I was in the process of creating to counter act it as a measure of safety.

I got up and started my day.

“Good morning sweetheart.” My mom greeted as I entered the kitchen. She smiled warmly at me as she placed a plate of eggs and bacon on the table.

I couldn’t help but return the gesture, walking up to her and placing a kiss on her cheek. “Morning Mom, are you working tonight?”

“I have to, but don’t worry I’ll be leaving something in the fridge for dinner.”

I thanked her and took my plate into the living room. Turning on the T.V., I easily found the news channel and watched the latest reports on Gotham’s activities.

Mom sometimes had to work on weekends just to make ends meet, which was one reason why I was so hard to get that scholarship and hopefully the internship as well. The other reason was…

A family picture caught my eye in the middle of the news and I bit back a sigh. My dad, my mom, and me. We all were smiling at the camera.

Dad was part of the Police force and died during a heist. Reports stated he was running after the criminals and got shot before he could capture them. That was another reason I chose this as my project. Dad always wanted to fight for justice, hopefully this invention could help.

I finished up my breakfast and helped my mom with chores before I slipped into science mode and continued tinkering with the project. The projectiles were complete and I was able to make 3 in total, which I stored in a small box encased with extra padding.

It was around evening after my mom left that I got another burn. I dropped the screwdriver I was holding and bit my lip. Gasping for breath I pulled my sleeve and watched another flower blossom on my forearm.

The pain was gone in an instant and the cold tickled the skin that was branded. I sighed and slowly straightened my poster. This person, after all these injuries, they better not die before I meet them. I grumbled to myself when I realised I was short on supplies. Poor planning on my part.

I grabbed my bag and locked the front door before I headed out to the nearest hardware store, careful to keep my marks hidden from view. I’ve lived in Gotham my whole life, and I knew that standing out, even in the smallest way, would lead into trouble.

The walk to the store was short and uneventful, thankfully. There were only a few customers. I manoeuvred my way between the isles and picked up what I needed. After paying at the counter I hauled my goods and ducked back into the streets. I almost wished I didn’t stop when I heard that woman cry out for help. I was unarmed, unprepared, and every cell in my body screamed at me to walk – no – run away from the scene that was unfolding before my eyes.

But she was helpless. Clad in a trench coat and rain boots, she didn’t look like much but her bag was definitely designer. The thieves in question had a knife pointed at her face. There were 6 of them. All were towering and bulky next to her petite frame. Their menacing stares struck a cold shiver in me and my hand involuntarily clutched the projectiles I was working on in my pocket. I had a feeling it would be safer with me than it would be at home, however this was not how I imagined I’d first be using them.

The woman screamed again and I clenched my palm.

I sucked in some air and got ready to shout at the perpetrators – until I felt the wind rush past my ear.

In a flash someone had swooped into the scene and kicked the man holding the knife to the ground. The sound of blades being drawn stole my attention. It was Robin. He took a stance between the woman and the men.

“Run. Now.” He told the lady.

She whimpered and scrambled up to her feet dashing towards me, towards the entrance of the alley. She zipped past and didn’t stop running till she turned the corner. I should be running too. But my eyes were fixed on the fight that was about to happen.

Robin seemed no older than me. In reality there was no way he could win against 6 huge men. But then again, this was Robin. No normal teenager.

“6 against 1.” He mused, the grip on his katana tightened. “That hardly seems fair.”

The one who held the knife, possibly the leader of the gang, growled thickly. “Get‘im boys.”

They all rushed towards him at the same time, hands in the air and weapons ready. Robin whipped his blade and easily knocked two knives down, the remaining used their strength and threw punches that looked like it would strike anyone straight to next week. The masked boy effortlessly dodged all their hits. Crouching, jumping, twisting, exactly when needed and not a second too late. His movements were precise; a quick jab below the rib striking the kidney with the handle of the sword, a sharp slam of his elbow to the chin, and to close the deal with a blunt blow force to the side of the neck. The goon fell like a tree that’s been cut down.

I gaped in awe.

The others rushed to avenge their fallen comrade, but Robin was quicker and used his blade to disable them. He kicked one of them into the brick wall, a sickening crunch echoed as the goons’ head smashed into it, then a howl of pain when Robin sliced his back. I cringed at the sight of the blood. It was a superficial wound, at least from my vantage point. The cut was deep enough to hurt and draw red, but not enough to kill.

The next lunged himself and grabbed Robin’s wrist, the boy growled and kicked him the face, forcing to free himself. He couldn’t see the other one running towards them from behind, the weapon aiming straight for Robin’s back.

“Robin!” I found my voice and screamed. “Behind you!”

He did a roundhouse kick and slammed the head of the one holding his wrist, then using the momentum back flipped and kicked the one who was behind.

I sighed in relief.

“What are you doing just standing there?!” He shouted at me as he readied himself again. “I said run!”

That got all the men’s attention. The ones that fell got back up and huffed angrily.

“Get the girl!” The leader shouted. “We can use her.” His leer sent bile rushing up my throat.

I squeaked as 3 of them started to chase me. Finally my legs listened and I dashed across the street onto the other pavement.

They were too fast though, their thundering footsteps grew closer towards me. My lungs burned as I tried to inhale some much needed oxygen, physical sports like running really weren’t my thing. I nearly tripped on an uneven tile as a scream rippled out of my throat. I braced myself for impact but it never came. Instead I felt a rush of wind across my face and a lightness below me. The ground was getting further and further away.

I realised I was being carried. Looking up, I was face to face with Red Robin.

“God thing I saw you when I did or you’d be dead meat.” He said dryly as we landed on a roof.

“Th-thank you.” I breathed, trying to gulp in as much needed air as I could. “Robin – he –“ But I didn’t know how to articulate. The adrenaline rush was messing with my head, and I could barely think straight.

Yet Red Robin nodded, understanding. He jumped off the roof and shot his grappling hook. I peered down and saw the fight started to move, from the alley to the side walk. The goons cornered Robin into a store front and were relentless as they threw punch after punch. The other 3 that were chasing me were already fighting Red just below the building that he deposited me on.

I watched in horror as the glass shattered everywhere around them. They weren’t just normal gangs I discerned, they knew how to fight. And unlike the birds and bat, they didn’t mind taking a life.

Clutching the projectiles again in my pocket, I brought them up with trembling hands.

“I hope this works.” I whispered to myself and pulled out my elastic hair tie.

Hooking one of the orbs onto the elastic, I aimed for the goons attacking Robin, and pulled as far as the band could go. Willing my hand to stop shaking, I said a silent prayer and released my hold.

Time seemed to go into slow motion as it flew across the air. I held my breath.

It hit the ground between two goons and burst into a big foamy cloud of vibrant cobalt, instantly seizing the men and solidified their prison as the concoction cooled.

Both fights stopped for a split second, as they watched the chemical reaction, which now looking back was a mistake on all parties.

I gasped and thanked whoever was listening.

The leader roared and pulled a pistol. I felt my throat tighten as the gun set a bullet free.

Robin and I cried out in pain as the bullet dug into him. Tears threatened to roll down my cheek as I clutched my burning shoulder.

A birdarang zipped towards the leader, catching his wrist and making him let go of the weapon. With a grunt, Robin kicked him hard across the chest stealing the perpetrators breath and with a quick turn, smashed his foot onto the mans jaw, cracking it before letting him fall with a loud thud.

The fight continued and Robin easily subdued his last opponent. Then he ran across the street to finish up with Red. Both of them moved in fluid motions like well trained dancers as they fought while protecting each others weak spots. They took down the last 3 goons and tied them up just as the police sirens blared within the distance.

I jumped up from my spot and turned to run but stopped when I saw the two Robins in my path.

“You.” The younger one started. “You were the one who shot the…”

I nodded wordlessly, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through my body. A nasty red splotch caught my attention and I believe they both noticed as I glanced at it. My own hand went up and clutched my shoulder unconsciously, a cold sensation rippled through where the bullet was.

“Oh my god.”

---

to be continued...

Part 2, 3, 4, 5 (end)

[headcans-oneshots-and-stuff]

All that counts

Warning: It seems that I can’t write anything un-angsty anymore so again, Angst warning, graphic description of violence, traumatic event, near death Word count: 1,3k (bit short I know)  Summary: It was supposed to be a simple go-in-get-out mission, but it quickly got out of hand, Damian finding himself unable to do anything. Now usure of if you were even alive, his heart is ripping apart. Will you come back to him?

Requested by one of the amazingly great inspiring Anons: May I request a oneshot with Damain, where the reader who was a vigilante and has to permerantly retire because of Joker/ or Bane who leaves the reader disabled (deaf, or paralysis in legs, I'm both) , and now she now needs adjust to this new life and the fact that she can no longer pick up the mask again? Also I really love your writing!!

Every part of Damian screamed at him to do something. To move. To help you. But he couldn't- his hands were literally tied and so was the rest of his body. He could do nothing but watch and try to escape his bonds while you were being thrown around like a rag-doll. It was supposed to be an easy mission, it was supposed to be a simple going-in-and-going-out thing. Bruce had promised him that. But -whether Bruce had lied or he hadn't known- when they arrived at the scene, Bane and his gang had been waiting for them. At first, the luck was on your side, being able to get rid of most of his henchmen before being noticed, but then he had managed to catch you and -being distracted by your cry- tie Damian up. He wanted to tell you that you had to stay strong and keep on fighting back, but the gag in his mouth was silencing him effectively. Finally, after trying everything to somehow free himself, he actually managed to loosen the rope around his arms.  He could do it, he could free himself, save you, and get both of you out of there.  His hopes were shattered when Bane picked you up from the floor you were half-consciously lying on and held you over him, only to crash you down onto his knee. The only sound that was filling Damian's ears was the disgusting crunch of your spine and the heartbreaking scream that left your mouth shortly after.  Damian was like in trance. His eyes were fixed onto the dark corner where the villain had harshly thrown you, somewhere you weren't seeable if someone didn't know you laid there, your position too unnatural and blood seeping from under your head and out of your ears. He hadn't noticed that a team of heroes had bombed themselves a way inside and that they had long defeated Bane. He didn't even notice when Batman came over to him and opened his ties.  Damian wanted to jump up and run over to you, but alone the possibility that you might not be breathing anymore was stronger than every rope could be.  "Robin?" his father's distorted voice asked him and he finally felt the hand that was laying on his shoulder. He looked up at Bruce and the man could see the same look in his son's eyes that he had in his own all these years ago in that alley.  "Where is Y/H/N?" he asked, almost sure that he knew the answer already. Damian's eyes wandered back to where he could still see you laying there the same way you did before and Bruce's followed. When he saw the state you were in, he immediately put himself in front of his son and pulled him to stand up and turn around, not wanting him to have to remember you like this.  "Nightwing, Orphan, recover Y/H/N," he told his eldest and his daughter, nodding his head into the direction of where you were laying, before leading Robin out. Dick and Cass would take care of you if there was still hope, but he also had to think about Damian right now. Had to think about what would happen next...

The next week was ripping Damian apart from the inside, the uncertainty, the not-knowing, was slowly killing him. Cassandra and Dick had told him that you were still breathing when they took you out of there, but Bruce had quickly made sure that he understood that he shouldn't have hope, that he should be prepared for the worst. He knew that even the themysciran healers that he had Diana bring you too couldn't bring someone back to life. Not to mention the lack of contact they could have with Diana who had offered to stay with you on Themyscira and overlook everything. It was devastating for Bruce and the others, but for Damian? For Damian, it was killing. It was another week until a message from their Amazonian friend arrived, another week of agony and pain. But when Damian heard that you were alive, that you would survive it was like all his prayers had been answered, like wishing upon a star was more than just a childish fairy tale. The next few days he spent at home, having Bruce's allowance to skip school for a while, and prepared everything for you to come back. He went all in, barely eating or sleeping, too excited with the prospect of having you back, until Alfred knocked on the door of your room in the manor (Bruce thought it would be best for you to have people around who'd be able to take care of you until you were healed) to inform him that Diana and you had arrived. Damian had never run so fast, even going as far as to jump down the stairs instead of walking them down normally, not caring for the fact that it was somewhat dangerous. It took only seconds until he came bursting into the cave, attracting the attention of Diana and Bruce who stood on both sides of a wheelchair. He recognized your Y/H/C hair and your approximate height and couldn't help himself but almost shout out your name. Nothing. No Reaction at all. Diana gave him a sad smile and Damian couldn't help the thoughts that were running through his head. You hated him! You must have realized that it was his fault what happened, you'd never forgive him! Could he live without you? But before he could get deeper into any of these thoughts, Bruce tapped onto your shoulder and helped you turn around the wheelchair. When your eyes arrived on Damian they immediately lit up and tears started filling them, sweeping away all of his negatives thought. "Dami," your voice weakly called out to him and his feet moved on his own as they transported him to your chair and brought him to his knees in front of you. He laid his forehead onto yours and relished in feeling you so close again, your hand finding it's way to his cheek, carefully cupping it. "Damian," Diana called out for him from beside and he looked up, not seeing the confusion that filled your eyes for a moment until you followed his movements, "there's something you should know." He looked at you for a second, searching for answers in your eyes, but only finding you diverting them, before looking back at Diana. "Bane's attack has heavily damaged Y/N's spine and even though they tried their best our healers don't think that she'll be able to walk again and-" Damian looked at you again and immediately interrupted her. "We can handle that. Barbara will surely help her and teach her how to get used to it, she can stay here in the cave and take over Oracle now that Barbara is Batgirl again. This is nothing we can't handle." His voice was filled with care and love, but it seemed to have no effect as you still had your eyes averted at your lap where you were playing with your hands. "There- There's something else," Bruce said and laid his hand onto his son's shoulder, "She suffered some brain damage during the fight. It's nothing too severe and most of it will heal on its own, but she lost her hearing." It was then that Damian connected the signs, how you hadn't reacted to him calling you, why you'd been so silent this whole time,  why you hadn't reacted to anything that had been said. You looked up when Damian took your hands in his and smiled at you. He was aware that other than he and his siblings you didn't know much ASL yet and that he'd make sure that he'd teach you as quick as he could, not being able to stand the thought of being unable to tell you how much he loved you other than through writing. He also knew that Cassandra and Barbara would be there for you, both of them able to relate to your situation on levels that he never could. Yet at that moment all he could actively think about was that you were here with him, that you were alive and that he had you back. And for him, that was all that counts.

[theclosetedwitch]

Salt In Magic

How we haven’t talked about this before blows my mind; but I guess it’s better late than never. Also baby witches, this is really important; so listen up! ( Also I usually I wouldn’t ever say this but please like, reblog, or simply read. This really is VERY important)

Salt is magical ingredient that has been used for centuries upon centuries in many civilizations in magical ad metaphysical workings; as well as the mundane. ( we all eat it of course)  It has a reputation of being one of the purest substances on earth, to the extent that some believe it can even repel demons! So what is the history of this magical substance, as well as its properties, its correspondences, and some ways to use it?

History:

- Salt has always been considered very valuable to humans, not only because it is essential to our bodies, but also because the process of collecting it can be very time consuming. It was so valuable in fact that Romans sometimes even paid their soldiers in salt.

-Salt has a place in the old testament, often being used to signify good being turned into evil; as is shown when lots “bad” wife gets turned into a pillar of salt.

-In parts of Germany, Normandy, and Scotland, salt is used in or around a butter churn to keep witches from souring the butter or harming the cow from which the cream was obtained.

- In Irish folklore, “fairy- stuck” people were thought to be cured by salt; when used in combination with other religious rituals. 

-Egyptian caravans setting out on a journey across the desert used to perform a ritual that involved burning salt on hot coals. This was done to ensure that evil spirits wouldn’t get in the way of the travelers.

Properties:

Warding, shielding, protection, putting up spiritual barriers, repelling evil, absorbing negativity, purification, disabling unwanted psychic phenomenon, as well as creating spiritual walls and keeping out spirits. 

Correspondences/ Ideas on how to use:

Pink Salt:

Ruling Planet: Venus 

Properties: Love attraction, cleansing, beauty, friendship, heart chakra. 

Deities: Venus/ Aphrodite

Some usage ideas:

- Sprinkle in a ritual bath or soak before intimacy or pleasure; it will both help cleanse but also bring in that romantic venus energy.

- Use in Kitchen magick when your intent is to persuade a subject towards romance or friendship. 

- Add some in spell bottles with  white roses and lavender to encourage a clean  and chaste romance. 

Black Salt:

Ruling Planet: Saturn

Properties: Warding, uncrossing, repelling evil, getting rid of emotional and physical toxins.

Some usage ideas:

- Put some in a ritual bath with rosemary and mint for a deep and intense cleanse, or to help break curses.

- Scatter around the corners of rooms to repel demons and evil spirits.

- Use in curses to help give ‘em their karma.  (yes, salt can both get rid of curses AND curses)

Table Salt:

Properties:

Ruing Planet: ( this is heavily debated) Saturn or Jupiter

General cleansing, healing, general warding. 

Some usage ideas:

- Use to cast circles, spreading clockwise for attraction, and counter-clockwise for banishing/getting rid of.

- Put in beauty scrubs for a gentle cleansing and healing.

- Sprinkle around the house and across doorways to keep out unwanted energies and people.

IMPORTANT NOTE!!!

Salt (especially black salt) is used to ward and put up walls to keep evil out. But one thing to note: it can also keep the good out. It is a powerful ward, and may keep positive energies from entering or exiting a space as well as negative. Constantly keeping large amounts of salt everywhere around you can block in emotions and energy and make you feel lethargic and the room stagnant. SO go easy on the salt, and try not to keep every possibly entrance blocked with it.

Also since salt absorbs energy it is very important to cleanse your salt, or refresh it with a new batch, or redistribute it.Otherwise you might have last months funk still hanging around in the space you meant to cleanse and protect.

Love you guys! I’m so privileged to have gained 2.1k already after just 6 months on tumblr, it’s really amazing! I hope I have a chance to spread some knowledge to little baby witches as well as assure the more seasoned practitioners that there is new fresh blood coming into the craft, don’t worry. Magic will continue. 

Take care loves, and goddess bless)O( 

[thewitchandtheassassin]

Deserving Love (Wanda Maximoff x Reader)

Prompt: Heeeey! Could I request Wanda x Reader where the reader is a total goofy and immature jackass, like a bad boy/girl personna but has feelings for Wanda (and vice versa) and on one particular small mission the reader will have to step up its game and help out the team, especially Wanda. Can be angsty, fluffy and a bit smutty. Bonus for some dirty talk. Thank you 😘😘

Warnings: Injury, vague violence, SMUT!!

Words: 4312

A/N: I don’t think I get bonus points for dirty talk but I tried. I swear I did...

Grunting as your back hit the mat, you stared up at Natasha with a cheeky grin. “Well, if you wanted me on my back, you should have said something.”

Natasha rolled her eyes, offering you a hand. You accepted the gesture, letting her pull you upright and onto your feet. “Can you at least pretend to be serious while we train?”

“I’m serious,” you snickered. “I’m the most serious person in the room!”

The redhead before you shot you a look and you broke out in laughter, tears forming in your eyes. You were never serious during training and everyone knew it. You were the one cracking jokes, trying to get Natasha to either go easy on you or, at the very least, smile. She wasn’t fond of your “I don’t give a shit” attitude, but you didn’t care. It’s just who you were.

Grinning, you prepared yourself for Natasha’s next attack. She took a swing at your head and you ducked, landing a well-placed shot to her stomach. She let out a slight huff, but quickly turned on you and swiped your legs out from under you, knocking you down – again. You groaned as you hopped back up to your feet and swung wildly at her. It didn’t surprise you when she kicked your knee and knocked you forward, your hands catching you before you busted your face.

“That’s enough for today,” Natasha said, shaking her head. “You really need to try harder, (Y/N). You won’t always be able to rely on your powers.”

You rolled your eyes and stood up. Natasha warned you of that every session, but it hadn’t come true yet. Having the ability to heal almost immediately had come in handy so many times in your life and hadn’t failed you once. Why would it start now?

Glancing around the training room, you spotted Wanda with Clint. He was trying to help her get better at hand-to-hand (just in case her powers ever failed her, something you couldn’t imagine happening either). You watched her for a moment, taking in her lithe form as they worked together. She was gorgeous in a dark tank top and shorts; you’d never seen her in shorts before and wow, her legs were nice to look at.

You swallowed hard. She must have felt your eyes on her because she peered over at you through dark lashes and smiled. It was the kind of smile that would have made you melt if you weren’t so determined to keep your bad ass reputation intact. You’d made a name for yourself being sarcastic, your lack of seriousness legendary amongst the Avengers. You hadn’t wanted to seem weak – your power wasn’t terribly impressive like Wanda’s or Bruce’s or even Pietro’s – so instead, you forced yourself into the role of the “bad girl” and it had stuck ever since.

Wanda watched you fondly, oblivious to Clint’s knowing look. Everyone on the team knew about her crush; they just couldn’t figure out why you. You two were nothing alike. Wanda was sweet and caring and a joy to have on the team while you were a bit of a prick sometimes. You never took anything seriously and you often showed how little you cared about things.

You waved at her before grabbing your black leather jacket off the bench and throwing it on. It stuck to your sweaty body but you didn’t care. You loved that jacket; you wore it damn near everywhere.

Wanda’s eyes lingered on you as you strolled out of the room. Clint tapped her on the shoulder, regaining her attention. “You okay, kid?”

Blushing, Wanda nodded before falling back into her fighting stance. “I’m fine.”

“Why don’t you ask her out?” Clint suggested, charging at her.

Wanda barely avoided his attack, her cheeks glowing bright. “She’s (Y/N). If she liked me, she’d tell me. I can’t imagine her being shy about it.”

“Maybe you make her nervous,” he said, shrugging.

Shaking her head, Wanda involuntarily glanced over at the door again, hoping to catch another glimpse of you.

Steve walked confidently into the room. “We have a mission.”

-X-

Sitting in the debriefing room, your arms were crossed disinterestedly as Steve rambled on about the upcoming mission. You, Wanda, and Steve were headed to the Midwest in search of a HYDRA base. You had your intel and your assignment, so why was he still talking? There was nothing he had to tell you that you couldn’t read in the file.

Wanda was next to you, listening intently to whatever the great Captain America was discussing. Her chair was so close that it was touching yours. You could smell her vanilla shampoo and all you wanted to do was stick your face in her hair. It was probably so soft; you would’ve bet your powers on it.

“(Y/N), are you listening?” Steve asked, cutting himself off.

You stared at him blankly. You had no idea what he’d been saying if you were being honest, but maybe you should have pretended to. You didn’t enjoy being called out by Steve; it was like disappointing your father or something.

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. “Really?”

Sighing, you looked over at the file on the table. “I know what to do, Steve. We go in, use our handy little flash drive to get all the information off their computers, clear out their hideout, try not to die, get back on the Quinjet. It’s a pretty common theme with these HYDRA bases.”

Wanda bit her lip. She didn’t know if she should laugh or scold you. You weren’t entirely wrong, but that didn’t mean you should be rude to Steve.

“If you were listening, you’d know there was a little more to it than that. The commander of the base has been designing weapons that could cause some real damage if we aren’t careful. It’s not just guns and soldiers. We’re going to have to be extremely careful,” Steve said exasperatedly.

You nodded, not acknowledging the chastised expression on your face. “Alright.” You stood up from the table and started for the stairs. “Let me know when we’re leaving.”

Staring after you, Wanda pouted. She’d hoped to talk to you after the meeting, but now you were gone and so was the opportunity. Steve watched her curiously. He wasn’t unaware of her affections towards you, but he too couldn’t understand why.

“We leave tomorrow morning. Let her know if you see her,” he instructed, grabbing his file and strolling out of the room, leaving Wanda with her thoughts.

The next day, Steve was flying the Quinjet towards your destination. You were in one of the chairs, Wanda beside you. You noticed that she was often beside you, whether you were on the Quinjet or just sitting in the compound living room. She liked being at your side, even though you didn’t speak a lot when you were alone with her. She made you so nervous that you often didn’t know what to say to her.

You could feel her warmth seeping through your clothes and it brought a slight smile to your lips. You liked her being close, even if you wouldn’t admit it out loud. She was so perfect and it made you wish you could be a better person for her, but you’d never deserve her.

Your lips dipped downward at that thought.

A patch of turbulence hit the jet and Wanda’s hand instinctively reached for you. It landed atop your hand and you froze, staring down at them. Wanda smiled sheepishly and went to move her hand, but you simply turned your hand over and entwined your fingers, keeping your hands clasped together. Another wave of turbulence hit and the jet shook violently. Her grip tightened. Your thumb stroked the back of her hand comfortingly.

Wanda was stunned. She hadn’t expected such a sweet gesture from you. She’d expected a joke or for you to jerk away but actually holding her hand? That was different – but she wasn’t going to complain. You shot her a grin, as if you knew what was going through that beautiful mind of hers.

When the Quinjet touched down, your hands separated and a cool, indifferent mask fell across your face. You wandered off the jet and glanced around. You were in the middle of nowhere but you could make out a base not too far away. It wasn’t inconspicuous by any means. How no one had caught on was beyond you.

The three of you carefully made your way to the base, knocking out the occasional agent that was stationed nearby. They weren’t hard to render unconscious, especially when there was a man with a vibranium shield and a woman who manipulated energy. You weren’t useless either; you may not have cared for your training sessions with Natasha, but you’d picked up a thing or two since you started.

The building wasn’t as guarded as the one in Sokovia had been so it wasn’t hard sneaking inside. Once inside, though, things became a little chaotic. HYDRA had been preparing for your eventual visit; they were ready for you.

Hitting the nearest agent, you knocked his gun away from him and smacked your fist into his temple. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious. You smirked triumphantly and began wading through the other HYDRA agents, keeping most of them away from Wanda. You knew she could handle herself, but you weren’t about to let one of them creep up behind her.

You’d rip anyone apart that dared to hurt her.

Hooking your leg around another’s neck, you slammed his head into a table and shoved him away. You were getting closer to your objective, you just needed to finish off the rest of these guys. They were the only thing standing in your way. You broke away from Wanda and Steve and ran for the server room, disabling agents as you went.

When you reached the server room, you hurriedly emptied it of agents and shoved the drive into the computer, downloading the information onto it. Your eyes scanned through it as it downloaded, but it meant very little to you seeing as most of it was encrypted anyways.

“I’ve got it, guys,” you said through the comms, ripping out the drive the moment it was finished downloading. You stuck it in your pocket and returned to the other two. They’d managed to clear out most of the agents. Only a few stragglers were left.

It wasn’t until you were preoccupied with one of the remaining skilled agents - one that actually knew what he was doing - that something went wrong. You heard the whirling of a weapon and peered over your shoulder. Two men were leveling weird looking guns at Wanda. You didn’t know what the hell they did, but you knew it wasn’t good. The barrel of the guns lit up and made a noise and you rushed towards Wanda.

“No!” you screamed.

You caught Wanda around the waist and spun her around, your back to the guns. Bursts of light left the barrels and slammed into your spine. It felt like fire running up your back, your shirt burning away and your skin sizzling audibly. Wanda’s mouth was opened in a silent scream, her eyes glowing red as your arms grew slack and you dropped to the floor. You landed on your side, refusing to let your back touch the ground. Your body hurt so much, tears flooding your eyes.

You heard a primal noise break from Wanda’s throat. You heard bodies smack against the floor, then there was silence. Wanda dropped to her knees beside you, her hand reaching out for you but not touching you. She was scared that it would only cause more damage. She peeked around at your back and blanched. It was charred and ugly and she couldn’t imagine what it would have done to her if you hadn’t been there. It was very likely you'd saved her life, but at what cost?

Steve ran over to you, bending down behind you. His face was pale as he took in your injuries. He wouldn’t be able to move you without hurting you, but he didn’t have a choice. He’d have to touch your back in order to lift you.

“(Y/N), this is going to hurt,” Steve warned, rolling you onto your back. You howled in pain, the tears finally falling down your cheeks.

He hurriedly picked you up, one arm at the bend of your knees and the other around you, trying the best he can to keep you steady. Tears were still dripping down your face and your vision was almost blackened with pain, but somehow you were managing to stay conscious. It was a daunting task, but you refused to pass out. You needed to reassure Wanda that you were okay; she looked too distraught.

Once you were finally in the Quinjet, Steve set you down on the nearest flat surface and helped you onto your side. It would be a rough flight, staying in that position, but there was no way in hell you were going to lie on your back for that long. It might have only taken a couple hours to return to New York, but that was a couple hours too many.

Wanda took a seat in the nearest chair, her hand finding yours as she studied your pained expression. Her free hand brushed a sweaty lock of hair from your face and she frowned. You looked so miserable.

"Hey," you whispered, "Stop that."

"Stop what?" she asked in an equally as quiet voice, almost afraid to break the calm that was falling over you.

Your hand squeezed hers. "Stop looking so guilty. This isn't your fault."

"If I had been paying more attention…"

You shushed her, smiling weakly. "It's not your fault," you repeated.

The pain was slowly becoming too much and you closed your eyes, trying your best to will it away. You could feel your powers trying to kick in, but the injuries were extensive. It would take time for them to fully heal you. Whatever those beams were had dug in deep into your body, taking layers upon layers of skin with it. Your powers just needed time.

Honestly, though, it was worth it. Who knew what it would have done to Wanda? She'd likely be in a worse condition or…

You shuddered.

Eventually you succumbed to the darkness, passing out when the pain got to be overwhelming. You'd fought it off for a little while, but it was too much even for you.

-X-

You awoke in your room, the sheets pulled away from your torso as you slept on your front. You couldn't feel any aches or pain in your back, so you assumed your healing had finally started working. You sat upright, stretching your arms above your head. The muscles of your back were tender, but not agonizing. You were shirtless, but that didn't faze you. You were positive Bruce had been nothing but respectful when he'd checked you over. You were kind of surprised you weren't in the hospital wing; you weren't complaining though.

The door to your room opened and Wanda stepped inside, a cup of tea in her hand. She looked good in a cute red shirt that clung divinely to her and a short skirt that offered a nice view of her legs. You were quite entranced by the sight.

She gasped when she saw you were awake - and blushed when she noticed how very naked your upper torso was. “You’re awake!”

You grinned, nodding. “I am. How long was I out for?”

“Only a day and a half,” Wanda assured you, setting her tea on the side table beside you. She was trying valiantly to ignore your nakedness, but her eyes still lingered on your throat and collarbone. She wouldn’t dare let them drop lower. “It took some time for your healing to start working because of how extensive your injuries were.”

Standing up from the bed, you smirked. You could see her gaze slowly dropping lower and lower and honestly, it made you a little hot under the collar. You were starting to wonder if your feelings were returned. Your hands instinctively fell to Wanda’s hips and she gasped, the green of her eyes so deep that you were worried you’d drown in them.

“I realized something,” you murmured abruptly, startling her.

“What?” she replied breathlessly.

Your nose brushed along Wanda’s jawline. You can hear her sharp inhale and it only urged you on. “Life is short, even for someone like me. I don’t want to have any regrets.” You pulled back slightly and cupped Wanda’s cheek. “If I don’t do this, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

Glancing between Wanda’s eyes and her lips, you slowly leaned in. You waited for her to jerk away – anticipating the rejection – but she didn’t. Her fingers tangled in your locks and she dragged you closer, slotting your lips together. Your mouths fit together perfectly, moving in harmony as you adjusted to the new sensations. You tugged her into you and her hold on your hair tightened.

You moaned in surprise, fingers flexing on her lithe waist as your other hand came to rest opposite its twin. She echoed the sound and you slipped your tongue into her mouth, mapping out every inch. Your tongue teased hers, earning a low noise that settled deep in your stomach. It was desperate and hot and you never wanted it to end.

Caught between wanting to press her up against your bedroom wall or taking things slowly, you wandered back towards your bed, never breaking the embrace. Your knees knocked off the mattress and you sat down, your lips never leaving hers. She stood between your legs, her back bent slightly as you continued kissing. She tasted like she smelled and it was driving you mad. She was like sugar and heaven rolled into one perfect creature.

You helped Wanda straddle your lap, her skirt bunching up around you as she slid atop you. You could feel her panties against your thigh and could barely contain your smuggest smile. She was already wet, the material clinging to her core. You couldn’t wait for it to be gone.

Grabbing the edge of her shirt, you stared inquisitively up at her. You weren’t going to do something she was uncomfortable with, but a fervent nod soothed your worry. You stripped it off her and leaned back, eagerly taking in all the skin presented to you. She blushed under your scrutiny but refused to look away. Instead, she finally let her eyes drift lower than your throat. She caught sight of your heaving chest and her blush deepened.

You smirked, leaning forward to press a kiss between her lace-clad breasts. The black encased Wanda’s bust deliciously and it brought something primal out in you. All you wanted to do was ravish this woman on your lap, but the rational part of you knew that you needed to take this slow. Being a HYDRA experimentation didn’t leave much room for romantic prospects so going slow and taking your time was essential. You wanted her to enjoy this too.

Slipping your hands around her back, you unclasped her bra and tossed it aside, exposing her completely to your gaze. Pebbled flesh called to you and you attached your mouth to one while your hand came up to play with the other. Wanda moaned softly, cupping the back of your head and keeping you close. Your tongue teased her skin, circling around it before lips captured her nipple and sucked.

“(Y/N)…” she sighed.

You switched breasts, leaving a trail of wet kisses between them. Her wet flesh was tight as cool air met it but your hand replaced your mouth, keeping it warm.

Wrapping your arms around Wanda’s waist, you stood up. Her legs encircled your hips and you groaned as she ground her soaking center against your bare stomach. You positioned her on the bed so that her head was to the pillows, brunette locks fanning out on the (P/C) cases. She looked good enough to eat as you kneeled between her spread legs. Her chest was flushed, lips kiss-swollen and eyes so dark that there was hardly any color showing.

She looked properly debauched and you loved it.

Crawling forward, your hands fell to either side of her head as you stared down at her. “Tell me what you want,” you demanded, voice raspy and deep.

“I want you,” she whispered, her fingers drifting along your cheek.

You smiled, capturing her lips in a slow, sensual kiss. It was softer than your previous ones and Wanda melted into it. One of your hands glided down the expansion of her stomach, past the waistband of her skirt, and under it. Your hand found soaked material and your thumb circled her covered clit. It was light and teasing, but Wanda still panted wantonly. She needed you to touch her.

“Please,” she begged, throwing her head back.

“Please what, pretty girl?” you prompted, leaning in and biting at her exposed throat. There were definitely going to be marks tomorrow, but Wanda’s encouraging groan eased your worry about them. If she didn’t care, then you were going to mark her as yours – then everyone was going to know.

She pushed into your hand, your finger coming into firmer contact with her engorged flesh. “(Y/N), please… Don’t tease.”

“Why not?” you cooed. “You look so good like this, all flushed and soaking, begging me.”

Wanda whined. She didn’t know what else to do.

You wanted to make this last but you weren’t going to be cruel. She was dripping through her panties, the wetness evident on your thumb and her slick thighs. Finally slipping your hand into her underwear, you rubbed her clit firmly, mouthing at her neck as she moaned. She was beyond enticing like this: head thrown back, lips parted, eyes clenched shut.

All you wanted to do was devour her.

You teased her entrance with your finger, your thumb never leaving her clit.

She made a choked noise, jerking into the sensation. She wanted more. She needed more. “Fuck, (Y/N), please!”

Hearing her desperately curse and plead set you off. You slipped one finger, then two inside her. You set a steady, slow pace, just enough to give her some relief but not enough to send her crashing headfirst into an orgasm. You wanted to make this last. You didn’t know if this was a one time thing so you were going to savor it while you could.

Wanda’s hips followed your rhythm, incoherent moans falling from pink lips. Your fingers were long and filling and God she hadn’t felt this good ever. “Harder.”

Following orders, you moved your hand faster and harder, fingers dragging along the spongy area that would send her into a frenzy. Wanda cried out, mouth wide open as her legs trembled. You couldn’t stop yourself from kissing her, swallowing every moan and little noise that escaped. She clutched at you, nails digging into your back as she got lost in the feeling. She could feel something warm building low and she nipped sharply at your bottom lip, earning a strangled cry. It wasn’t painful per se, but it was startling.

“God, you’re so hot,” you muttered between kisses, “You like this, don’t you? I bet you’ve dreamed about this, me being deep inside you.”

Wanda whined loudly into your mouth before breaking the kiss, gasping for air. Her nails scraped down your back and you shuddered. The burn was sharp, but it ignited something deep within you. You picked up the pace, almost to the point of your wrist hurting, and pressed your thumb firmly to her clit. She jerked and her legs clamped down on your hand, trapping it there as she rode out the orgasm that had slammed into her. She could feel her heart pounding painfully in her chest, breath coming out in puffs.

You kissed below her ear, appreciating the moment. You’d managed to make the most beautiful woman you’d ever met come apart with just your fingers and it was the hottest thing you’d ever done in your life. You could feel your own slickness between your legs and an ache in your core.

Wanda tilted her head and connected your lips chastely, a smile tugging at her mouth.

“That was wonderful,” she sighed, staring deeply into your eyes. Hers were full of emotions you didn’t dare put into words and you returned her smile.

You kissed her nose, smiling when it scrunched up. You couldn’t admit it out loud but your crush on her was turning into something more. She was too sweet to end up with someone like you. As if she could hear your thoughts, she frowned and then you realized something: she probably could.

You weren’t a quiet thinker.

“You’re perfect for me,” she whispered reverently.

Blushing, you glanced away from her. You couldn’t look her in the eye after such a confession. You wanted her – truly you did – but there was no way you could make her happy in the way she deserved. You were too stoic, too sarcastic. You knew you were a jerk some days, and what happened if you were mean to her? You’d never forgive yourself.

Wanda cupped your cheek and tilted your head, catching your gaze. “You deserve to be happy, (Y/N).”

“I…” You wanted to say “I love you” but the words got stuck in your throat and left you silent, unable to finish your thoughts.

You leaned forward and kissed her sweetly. Pressing your forehead to hers, you breathed in, taking in her comforting scent. She always smelled so good.

“I know, baby,” she whispered, “I know.”

[scripttorture]

I came across your Torture in Fiction tab where you reviewed a Doctor Who episode and mentioned your love of the show so I'm going to mention exactly what I'm writing. It's basically a Bill/Heather story after they leave together and I'd like to accurately take into account the type of consequences (short term and long termr) of the entire turned into a cyberman ordeal. So any input would be highly appreciated.

Anon, I think I love you. Lesbian romance in the stars with one of my favourite characters, you are too kind.

 Let’s start at the beginning.

 For those unfamiliar with Doctor Who, the Cybermen are a recurring foe. The idea behind them is that they are people, cybernetically enhanced people with all the ‘unnecessary’ bits removed. Like the ability to feel pain or hope or love. The ultimate aim of the Cybermen is to make everyone else like them. They believe that not having emotional connections makes them superior.

 And in one of Bill’s stories she gets turned into a prototype Cyberman. Except due to some unique circumstances the programming doesn’t quite take. Bill is left with a Cyberman body but her thoughts, personality and ability to feel are intact.

 Through more unique circumstances (which depending on your interpretation may include Bill dying and being resurrected-) Heather restores her body as it was pre-Cybermen.

 We’re never told exactly what happens to Bill. But it’s clear from the context that the procedure is painful and not consensual.

 We do see Bill for a few days afterwards. She struggles to accept that she’s a Cyberman and doesn’t seem to know how to process what she’s been through. She seems more or less OK, but given the short time frame we see her for it’s difficult to say if this is a bad portrayal or not. For some people it takes a while for things to sink in and for symptoms to become apparent.

 Going forward I’m going to assume that’s the case for Bill.

 I’m going to make a couple of other assumptions because there isn’t anything in reality which lines up that well with the Cybermen.

 There is not anything that can really 'take away' all emotions. Some drugs can result in emotional blunting as a side effect, but less intense emotion is not the same thing as no emotion. The intense, invasive surgical procedures that are implied to make a Cyberman are completely fictional, and probably wouldn't be survivable in reality.

 It's a scenario that you'd expect to be traumatic: an extremely painful, invasive act that re-structures the entire body and is done without consent. Given the particular circumstances in Bill's story, it's tempting to compare it to non-consensual medical procedures.

 As a black, lesbian woman who is aware of both modern politics and history it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume Bill can make the same comparisons I have. Black women have been subjected to forced sterilisation and used for medical experimentation within living memory (see The Immortal Life of Henreitta Lacks for a discussion of unethical experimentation in the recent past).

 Heather is less likely to be aware of this history and these issues.

 As I said there isn't anything that lines up exactly; I keep thinking of forced sterilisation, though this often doesn’t cause lasting physical pain. It also brought to mind some of the… less ethical ‘treatments’ and ‘experiments’ in recent history.

 We’ll assume that Bill has a realistic memory of what happened, that the experience was traumatising and that she isn’t in physical pain.

 I’d also make the argument that turning someone into a Cyberman could be considered torture in the legal sense. It’s done by a group that effectively controls territory, to people who are under their power. It causes suffering and in Bill’s case it is arguably done to punish the Doctor.

 You’ve read the blog before so you probably know the drill when it comes to the common long-term symptoms of torture. Here’s the Masterpost should anyone else want to have a look. I’ll get back to symptoms in a moment.

 In the short term I think that it’s likely Bill would experience something similar to modern survivors of ‘clean’ tortures.

 ‘Clean torture’ is a term Rejali uses to describe techniques that don’t often leave obvious external marks. These are no less dangerous then other methods; people can still be seriously injured, disabled or die because of clean torture techniques.

 But the lack of obvious marks makes it harder to prove a person was tortured. And when the public perception of torture is that it always leaves scars many survivors find they’re dismissed, belittled and denied services.

 People don’t believe they were tortured. Because we are taught that torture ‘must’ leave marks.

 And Bill has just come out of the Cyber-conversion process unscarred. In a world where most people believe that turning back once you’ve been made a Cyberman is impossible.

 This is likely to be a factor if she tries to get professional help as well as in everyday interactions.

 Bill herself might assume that her symptoms are overblown or somehow put on; that they’re not warranted because her body has been perfectly restored.

 When it comes to more long term symptoms, the right choice will always depend on the characters and the story you want to tell.

 Personally I wouldn’t want to give Bill suicidal tendencies or an addiction because I feel like those are symptoms that could shift the story away from the central relationship. I think they’re symptoms that usually demand more focus and that can make balancing them with the central story more difficult.

 I usually suggest that authors try to include memory problems in a realistic way and I think they’d be an especially good fit here. (The Masterpost summarising the most common forms of memory problems survivors have is here).

 Essentially I think that you could use memory problems to highlight how Bill’s time as a Cyberman has affected her mind. So much of our identity and self-image is rooted in our memories. Finding flaws in them, especially around important things, can shake our sense of self.

 And that ties in to the way Cybermen are consistently used in Doctor Who to denote the loss of self. All of the common memory problems could be used to raise these philosophical questions and tie Bill’s symptoms more firmly to the plot.

 Insomnia is a symptom I always find a little difficult because it has so many knock on effects.

 The worsening of reaction times, alertness, coordination, combined with the pain and shakes and occasional visual hallucination or micro-sleep means that insomnia isn’t a symptom I’d recommend for a character like a superhero. If you want the character to consistently win fights then it’s not a good pick.

 Similarly the long term effects on creativity, reasoning, concentration, emotional processing and learning mean it’s a bad pick if the character is supposed to be an inventive genius.

 One of the nice (but underutilised) things about Doctor Who is that the way the stories are typically structured means that not every character has to be exceptional at everything. Bill’s strengths were not superhuman physical combat or exceptional genius (even though she was incredibly intelligent); they were compassion and her ability to form fast, strong friendships with just about anyone she meets.

 Insomnia could fit your story but I think it depends on what you want the characters to do on a regular basis.

 Chronic pain could be a good fit.

 The conversion process radically changed Bill’s body, a change that she more or less refused to accept was real during the story. In those circumstances physical pain can be an interesting addition: it simultaneously acts as a reminder of what Bill suffered and ties her to her restored body now.

 And since chronic pain in torture survivors can be psychological, or a combination of psychological and physical, there’s no reason why Bill’s body couldn’t be perfectly healed while experiencing chronic pain.

 This is also a symptom that characters can be more proactive about. She can try things and find solutions much more quickly then she might be able to for something like depression. Stretches, exercise, mobility aids, organisation, painkillers and forward planning can all be helpful. And early success could help you to show the character feeling more empowered, reclaiming her body.

 I’m not sure if difficulty relating to others would be a good pick, considering Bill’s canonical strengths. However social isolation could be interesting as an obstacle to gradually overcome.

 Going beyond the usual symptoms- Have you read any of the Doctor Who comics? Because I keep thinking of The Flood, which was a Cyberman story with the Eighth Doctor.

 It had a rather wonderful Cyberman design and had the Cybermen attempting to persuade large numbers of people to volunteer for Cyber conversion. They did it by chemically manipulating the emotions of an entire city; making feelings unbearably intense and then offering the conversion process as a solution.

 Bill kept her feelings but she would have known she was supposed to lose them. And she’d go from that to having incredibly intense feelings. Because she’d have developed trauma symptoms.

 She might be tempted to view her symptoms as the ‘natural’ consequence of regaining full capacity for emotion, rather then due to trauma. Latching on to a physical, rather then psychological, difference.

 I’d also consider whether all of this changes Bill’s relationship with her own body. Relief at getting it back might be accompanied by a heightened awareness of changes, even natural ones.

 I think if I was writing this I’d be tempted to add in little details, triggers or self-soothing behaviours tied to her body.

 The Cyberman chest unit for that design looks heavy. Does compression around her chest make her panic? Do rubber gloves feel horrible? Does the sensation of something going over her face, like the ‘mask’ on these Cybermen, prompt intrusive memories?

 The ‘handles’ on the head were supposed to suppress emotion in this version. Could Bill reassure herself that they’re gone by touching her own hair? Do short sleeves feel ‘better’, because she can feel the sun, wind or rain against her skin? Does she wear her earrings more often, because the weight of them and the way they move is comforting?

 Good luck with your story. I hope this helps. :)

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