#and sure at first they approach the army taunting them

[thetimelordbatgirl]

Kinda sad how nowadays Doctor Who will never be able to do a scene like the scene of Gwen, Rhiannon and the kids fleeing the army while Rhys and other men in the neighborhood with eventually Andy fight back against the army. Because lord knows with the UK's constant army adverts lately, that the BBC won't the army be the bad guy in Doctor Who again.

[tulipsforyourlips]

✧˖°. i found you ✧˖°. (5)

|| the sandman x dead boy detectives ||

SUMMARY: You run the dead boys detective agency along with your two best friends. And somehow two ghosts and a living girl make it work. Until you dream one night, of dream himself.

PAIRING: dream of the endless x fem!reader

WC: 1500

WARNINGS: mentions of blood (the usual)

PART 5 ✧˖°.

You were sitting on your bed, pondering over Dream's words or actually the lack of them from last night. Why was it bothering you so much who he loved or did not? He probably had gone through an army of lovers being so ancient. You knew there was Nada, Calliope, courtesy of Matthew's inability to stay quiet for more than two seconds, and now Hope. But there was something about the first time he had said her name, pure anguish coating every syllable, that had your heart retreating into itself.

"No mate there is absolutely no way I am leaving her behind." Charles' muffled voice sliced through your silent rambling.

"Charles you cannot be serious. We can't put the entire agency to a halt because of one client," Edwin wailed.

"What's the problem?" You peeped through your door.

That's when you saw Jesse's curled form on the couch and the overheard conversation bore logic.

"She's still here?"

"Yeah." Edwin's face wore a scowl. But as he sensed the oncoming taunting suggestion from you, he hurriedly added, "which I have no problem with of course."

"Sure mate," you smirked. "I will stay with her."

Charles lifted his eyebrows.

"Yeah I am feeling super tired anyways. You guys go ahead," you assured the lot of two.

"How do you manage to feel exhausted after sleeping 10 hours a day absolutely stuns me. You stun me woman." Charles relieved a deep breath.

"Aw thankyou love," you pouted.

"Alright, Hazel keep a watch on her. And if anything strange occurs, call us immediately," Edwin spoke. "You sure you aren't staying behind because of your mysterious guy?"

You gave a mock chuckle.

"No seriously Haz how are things going with him?" Charles wiggled his brows. "Which base-"

"Okay okay okay out! Both of you."

You dropped the book titled 'Hope' with a thud on the table in front of you. You were waiting for Dream to join you tonight and in the meantime, your inquisitiveness had gotten a tight grip on you. So you had raked the library to locate Dream's past lover's record successfully, you might add. Excitement swooshing in your entire body, you flung the book open. Nothing. White blankness stared at you. You flipped through the pages. Still nothing. Are you kidding me? How is this even possible? Lucienne had told you that any being, immortal or not, living or not, had a book dedicated to their dreams and stories. Before you could lose more of your mind on the enigma on your hands, you heard the flapping of Matthew's wings. You quickly put the useless book back in its place.

"Boss wants ya."

You gaped at the apparition in front of you. Consider a rhinoceros, but bigger and scarier and from a fairy land. He was partially covered in moss and vines loosely wrapped around his ears and horn. You pitied the humans back in the waking world whose dreams the animal had ever had a cameo in. You were just glad you weren't one of them. Now not so much as the whimsical rhinoceros slowly made its way in your direction. You stretched your arm in front of you. And closed your eyes in concentration. The sounds of heavy stamping grew louder. You can do this. You have been doing this for weeks. The literal fate of the world depended on you being able to do this. You opened your eyes. Yellow eyes speedily approached you. You got this. Blinding pain seared through your palm where the pointed horn of the creature tore through your skin and the acute scent of copper wafted into the air. Dream raised his hand to dispel his creation.

"No!" you shouted. "Don't."

"Haz-"

"I got this." You got this.

Blackness seeped into the periphery of your vision but you reeled your focus back to the huffing beast in front of you. He started towards you again, sand flying from the rear of his feet. You shut your eyes. Enough. You are chosen for a destiny far greater than yours, Dream's words from your first encounter surfaced in your mind when you had accused him of being a serial killer. So much time had passed since then, so much time putting your body and mind through vigorous training, so much time withholding yourself from your bestfriends, so much time with Dream, who had placed his faith in your hands, gentle and soft. A faint energy began buzzing in the core of your soul, spreading throughout, tickling every nerve in your body and roaring in your ears. You opened your eyes, the creature's angry black pupils crashed against your outstretched bleeding hand, almost. The second his bristly face came in contact with your touch, his pupils dilated and he skidded to a stop. Your hand glowed with the hum of energy that slowly receded back from wherever it had come from, inside you. The animal leaned into your touch before pulling back and leaped away to from wherever Dream had summoned him. Dream. You tilted your head to where he stood, his lips twitched upwards all so ever slightly, a ghost of a smile. A fire ignited in your heart, from where it trickled down your insides, painting them warm, at the sight. He walked towards you and the wave of adrenaline rush that had kept you distracted from your punctured hand that was reddening the sand below, died down. Before the blood loss could take its toll on you, Dream's calloused yet silken fingers wrapped around your wounded hand. His touch though cold, lit your skin on fire. He rubbed sand over your hand. The blow of the pain simmered down to a dull ache. He severed the contact between your skins, leaving behind an abrupt chill. It was as if your body was calling for his hand again, craving for his touch.

His perfect lips parted, perfect? you perverted brain get a grip, "Hazel? Hazel?"

Shit. Were you staring? "Yeah,"

"How is your hand?"

You looked down, a black cloth was tied around it. How long were you zoned out?

You might have cared for the throbbing pain still lapping around it if you weren't reveling in the ecstasy your triumph had wrought. "It's better. Thankyou."

"You did well tonight, mortal."

"Shut. Up!" You turned towards the newly joined raven on your shoulder. "He can hand out praise?" You asked incredulously.

"Unsolved mysteries of the world," Matthew replied.

Dream's lips fought a smile.

You fisted blades of grass within your fingers as you sat alongside the Dream lord in your favourite place of all the realms. The darkness was slowly fading away, a hint of pink dotting the mountain edges. It would soon be time for you to wake up.

"Dream,"

Morpheus turned his attention to you. You didn't like the intensity of it. 

"Yes mortal?"

You hesitated.

Dream's gravelly voice jeered, "How many questions do you have?" Amusement danced in his eyes. 

You sighed and laid down your head on the soft grass. "It was you, wasn't it? That day at the sisters' house. You saved me from Aura." You finally gave voice to the doubt solidifying in your mind.

"That isn't a question Hazel."

"Why?"

"Because you are important to the survival of the realms." 

You felt a brush of disappointment at his answer. What were you expecting? That made a perfect explanation for why he had saved you. This partnership was not forged out of any preference or want. You were chosen for this. He was stuck with you.

"So what happens now? With the nightmares under control- Why did you even create them in the first place? Just some merry dreams would have sufficed don't ya reckon?"

"Nightmares serve a crucial purpose. They are merely meant to reflect a man's worst fears so he can face them."

"I wish I could say makes sense."

"Don't trouble your puny mortal brain with the rules of the universe," he said in a teasing tone.

Your laugh was gradual but it came. He was getting better with his jokes. You felt Dream watch you intently. He had begun to open up. You had managed to writhe little information about his past but whatever you had, the Corinthian, Roderick Burgess, Rose Walker, he had given it up willingly. Do you ever get lonely? You had asked him your first time in the Dreaming. Even though he hadn't replied to you then, you had come to know the answer. He was just as eager for company as you were for his.

"Well back to the concerned topic, with the dreams now learning to trust again, what happens now?" You asked.

The sun had emerged from the diving nook between the mountains. Its rays spilled honey all around you. 

"We will decide tomorrow." Were the last words of your dream as you were tugged back into wakeness.

[darth-aces]

Pining For Pineapple

Bella Ramsey x Reader

This is just a short story I wrote that wasn’t meant to be a fanfic, but I’m bored and I don’t know where else to share this story so I decided to nourish the gay Bella army with a new story. Anyway I hope you enjoy.

“Pineapple again?”

Bella asks as they picks up a silver tin wrapped in a bright yellow strip of paper. Before I could answer, their hand and the can make their way toward the basket swaying from their other hand. “I know you like them. We might as well pick some up while we’re here.”

“I’ve got a can or two in the cupboard already so I think I’ll be all right till next week,” I explain as I try to pick the can back up to return it to its original place on the shelf. Before my fingers could reach it in time, Bella moves the basket farther away from me.

“I think we should just grab one, in case you’re craving pineapple this week. Also, it might save us some time from coming back here next week.” Bella protests.

“Why? Are you so sick of me that you’d rather stock up on canned food to avoid hanging out with me?” I say teasingly, knowing full well that I’m the one who wouldn’t be able to go a day without them.

I watched as a grin emerge from their lips before they speak. “Yeah. You’re suffocating me, so I’ll have to buy as many canned pineapples as I can to feed you and keep you satiated while I’m away.”

To this remark, I scold them with a light smack to their arm and say, “You know you love me too much to stay away.”

“I do know that, but do you love me?” They playfully say.

I taunt back, “Not as much as my pineapple.”

We continue our banter with a side of more shopping. By the time we paid for our things and exit the store-the groceries in my hand-I noticed that night was approaching, and the clouds were grey and ominous looking.

We’re walking back to our apartment when Bella gets a text on their phone. I take a glance and it’s a message from a good friend of ours. “Everyone’s hanging out tonight. Wanna go?”

“Sure, but we gotta be quick. It smells like it’ll rain soon.” As if on cue, raindrops lightly fall onto our face.

“I think if we run, we can make it back to the apartment before the rain gets heavier.” My hand holding the grocery bag tightens as I nod, and we both take off.

I’m only a few steps behind them, giving me a chance to get a good look at them.

Hair, eyes, nose.

Then I see their lips. They grew as uncontrollable giggles slip out of their mouth as we run through the rain, and it convinces me that I now have heightened hearing and limitless capacity in my memory just for them.

Suddenly I feel my heart expand, and I am eager to fill it with the thing I’m craving the most. I’ve felt it before. The way my lips purse as I engulf myself in its sweetness, but I have to brace myself every time for the sourness that comes at the end. Despite this pain, I’m craving it more than ever right now.

When we finally get to the main entrance of our apartment, we slow down before getting closer to the door. The giggling had turned into huffs as we try to catch our breaths.

Before they reach the door handle, I say with the little air in my lungs, “Hold on.” They turn around to face me, and our eyes connect. Before I forget why I stopped them in the first place, I lay the groceries down by the door. Then I walk back into the rain just a few steps away under the warm yellow hue of a street light nearby. The rain had started pouring moments before we got here. Despite this, I still waved them to come over.

“In the rain?” They yell over the sound of the sky continues to pour down on us.

“Just for a bit, please,” I say.

They come over grinning, radiating, and ecstatic about whatever plan I have up my sleeve.

“So much for trying to avoid the rain.” They’re still taunting me.

We’re both drenched now, yet they’re still glowing; brighter and yellow now as they enter the light. I extend my hand as they get closer, and they rest their palm against mine, weaving our fingers together. My eyes are on them this whole time, with a grin I can’t seem to shake. Our eyes are still connected until they get close enough to place their other hand gently on my face. Immediately they use their thumb to caress my cheek, and my eyes fall to their lips like it always does.

I’m feeling it again. I’m craving them, and nothing can stop my concentration, not even the rain.

When I move closer, I ask them, “Is this okay?”

Bella nods, and they let out a slight chuckle. This only amplifies my craving. My smile gets wider and my heart beats at a rhythm I can not recognize.

Then we kiss, and I lose myself in the sweetness.

The hand already tangled in theirs, softly squeezes. I do this because I hope it can make the sweetness linger a little longer. It is also to brace myself for the sourness that will follow when it’s over.

When we do pull away, we laugh to ease the tension in the cliche story we’ve curated. It’s time to walk out of the rain, but my concentration stays on them.

I'm doing my best to savor this moment so I can store this memory away for the next time I'm craving pineapple, and I’ll ensure to ask them if they want to share it with me again.

[lady-morrigen]

Could I perhaps request Cassian Andor fluff with reader going through a particularly difficult bout of winter depression and him having the patience of a saint? Much love ❤️

Daylily

pairing: cassian andor x gn!reader (it was accidentally gn, so let me know if i missed anything)

a/n: so first, i'm sorry i take a million years to fill requests! idk what drew me to this one, but i guess because i'm army crawling towards the end of winter myself. i'm not sure if this is what you were going for, but my current work stress sorta worked its way in here... my apologies lol i can write something fluffier when i don't feel endless rage

rating: g

warnings: seasonal depression angst, job stress, brief mention of parental death (nothing graphic)

You’ve always hated it, the way the sun dropped beyond the horizon before you had a chance to feel it thaw the frozen contours of your face. It hardly seemed fair. A hint of a cotton candy sky peeking through the slats of the window over your bunk was as close as you came to seeing the sun all day. 

Day in and day out, you were surrounded by the damp, clay walls of the base, working yourself to the exhaustion to ensure data collected by the Rebellion’s Intelligence Officers was properly decoded. Lukewarm cups of caf and nutrition bars weren’t exactly a balanced or healthy diet, but they got you through more often than not. Each passing day, as your vitamin D stores depleted and the hunger pains grew stronger, your irritability wedged itself permanently at the front of your personality. 

When the doors of the tech bay slid open with a hiss, you had to fight the urge to roll your eyes. The man headed toward you was a particular thorn in your side, always one to meet your icy tone with an edge of his own, taunting you, pushing you, like a thumb to a bruise. Captain Andor had never met a spat he didn’t absolutely savor and you seemed to be the most recent object of his ire. 

He approached the desk, smug smile in place as he braced his arms on the top, crossing over the desktop, crowding your space to an annoying degree. With a huff, you sat down your data pad, steeling your gaze and facing him head-on.

“Captain Andor,” you said plainly, disdain evident in your tone. 

“Always so happy to see me, Lieutenant.” His smile didn’t quite meet his eyes. Truthfully, he looked just as exhausted as you felt. His brown eyes no longer held the sparkle, the hope that you were sure once shone in them.  

He could have been lovely once, you thought. Before the Empire crushed our spirits and the cold leeched out what little happiness we had left.

“What can I do for you, Captain?” 

Your already thin patience was waning, desperate to move the conversation along so you could get back to work. He tapped a finger against the screen of your data pad insistently. 

“Did you decrypt those Coruscant messages yet?” His lips set into a thin line, his features twisting into something much more serious, all traces of playfulness drained from his expression. 

You scrubbed a hand over your face, the feeling of being impossibly overwhelmed bubbled up in your chest, creeping up your throat and threatening to suffocate you. You fought back against the tears welling in your eyes. You knew well that Captain Andor wasn’t one to miss things like that, no matter how well controlled, and showing him any sign of weakness was out of the question. 

“Like I told you yesterday, Sir, we are very behind. It’s going to take me at least two more days.” 

You turned to the table behind you, taking a deep breath to regulate yourself, looking anywhere but at the disappointment on the face of the man behind you. When you turned to him again, his arms were crossed over his chest, and he was eyeing you quizzically, as if trying to figure out your deepest secret. A few silent moments passed when you suddenly realized he was waiting for you to continue.

“I’m sorry,” you started to speak, the sound breaking in your throat in traitorous defiance to your control. You felt your shoulders droop, the fight leaving your body in place of defeat. “I’m doing the best I can.”

The energy in the room changed then. Captain Andor’s body softened, his eyes held a kindness and understanding that hadn’t been there before. He looked almost sad for you, as if he could empathize with you. And you supposed maybe he could. 

“Hey,” he said, leaning forward once more. “How much of the key have you completed?”

“Captain Andor, I sai-” He held up a hand to cut you off. 

“I was only wondering if there was enough for me to try the decryption on my own. I want to help you.”

The look on your face must have been a comical mixture of confusion and shock because the corners of his eyes crinkled and he chuckled, throwing his mask of confidence back on and leaning into an elbow. 

“Don’t look so surprised.” In any other situation, the way he grinned at you would have made you weak in the knees. “I can be a nice guy when the situation calls for it. I am a spy, afterall.”

You nodded, dumbly, grabbing the data pad and bringing up the partially completed decryption key, handing it to him. 

“So far, this is all I could make out. If you could apply what we have to the messages, maybe we can get a headstart on figuring out what it all means.” 

His brows knit together in concentration as he poured over the symbols, picking up on the pattern, analyzing your skill. He moved around to the back of the console, pulling a stool up beside you and got to work. As you focused on a special project for General Draven, the two of you began to work in relative silence, punctuated every now and then by Captain Andor asking questions about specific sequential symbols.

It was comfortable, you thought, working with him like that. You never knew that he could be anything other than the ornery man you’ve always met, worn down by the weight of the responsibility resting on his shoulders. As if reading your mind, he spoke, pulling you out of your thoughts with a jolt. 

“You weren’t always like this,” he said. You whipped your head toward him, shooting him a glare as deadly as blaster fire. “When you first got here, I mean.”

“What exactly am I like?” You groused, setting down your data pad to face him fully. He shrugged noncommittally. 

“Stressed. Angry. Argumentative.”

You laughed, something humorless and cruel. How dare he?

“That’s rich coming from you, Captain Andor. This very well may be the first time we’ve spent more than two minutes in a room together and I haven’t wanted to rip your head off. If I’m any of those things, I am only mirroring your own temperament.”

For a long moment, he stared, his dark eyes flitting back and forth over your own, searching for… something. With a sigh, he relented. 

“You’re right.”

“I’m… what?” The fight drained from you all at once. You could tell he was sincere, and maybe even slightly remorseful. 

“You’re right. I am all of those things and I have been for a very long time. That’s why it bothers me to see them in you. I wanted better for you.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Before, you had kindness in your eyes. You believed in what we’re doing here. You knew it was something good. You had hope.” 

“I still believe in what we’re doing, I just…”

“Thought it would be easier than this? That we would have won by now? Me too.” 

He turned his attention back to his data pad and the weight of his words lay heavy between you. 

“Captain Andor, I’m so-”

“Cassian.”

“What?”

“That’s my name. ‘Captain Andor’ is so formal. You can call me Cassian.”

“Cassian Andor… it’s nice.” And it was nice. Knowing his full name made the miles of distance between you feel like feet. Made this intimidating man feel more like a tangible person. Someone you could grow to understand, maybe even like. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Go for it.”

“Why did Mothma decide to build a base on the coldest planet in the galaxy?” That earned you a chuckle, low and warm. 

“Hoth is the coldest planet in the galaxy. We’ll soon have a base there too. We’re headed there once we’re done here.”

“How convenient,” you rolled your eyes. “But you know what I mean. Is this not a better fit for the soulless many of the Empire? I swear, I can feel it leeching the happiness from my body the longer we stay here.”

“Is that what the problem is?” He looked at you, curiosity once again twisting his brow. “Where are you from?” 

“Alderaan. My father was a farmer.” 

“Was?”

“The Empire’s destruction extends far beyond Coruscant. They wanted to use our land to build a base and they were… unhappy with him when he refused. My older brother and I were able to escape, but just barely. My mother was a childhood friend of the Organas. They provided us with shelter and sent us to Mon Mothma when we refused to sit on our hands and watch the chaos unfold.” He was staring at you. Taking in every word with silent contemplation. You nervously rubbed your palms against the rough fabric of your uniformed thighs. “And yeah so anyway… Now I’m here.”

“I’m sorry.” He was quiet for a moment. “Do you think you’ll go back? When we win?”

“I like to think so. I have so much to thank the Organas for. They saved us. If it weren’t for them…” 

“I get it. I’ve been there.” You didn’t pry. You got the feeling he wasn’t particularly happy to speak of his past.

“Yeah,” you said. “It would all feel worth it if I could just see the sunshine again, feel the warmth of it on my face. Something other than constant, dreadful cold and blank walls.”

Cassian glanced back to the data pad, making note of the time. 

“Hey, we’ve been at this for a while,” he said. “It’s almost morning. You should get some rest.”

“Morning is the only time I get to see the sun shine all day. I’d just end up sleeping through it if I went to bed now.”

“I see,” he said. “I have an idea.”

He took the data pad from your hand, setting onto the console beside his and grabbing you gently by the wrist, pulling you toward the door. He grabbed your coat from a nearby stool and handed it to you. 

“You’ll need this.”

As you followed him through the hallways, your curiosity continued to grow. You stopped by his workstation so that he could grab his own coat, a long, navy parka with a furry hood. When he slipped it on, he seemed to transform into a different person. He looked soft, small in comparison to the bulk of the coat, and incredibly warm. 

He tossed a pair of gloves to you, slipping on a pair of his own, before extending his hand. Hesitantly, you grabbed it, eyeing him suspiciously. 

“Where are we going?” You asked. 

“First, we’re going to get some caf,” he pulled you toward the mezzanine impatiently, as if he was racing against an imaginary clock. “The second part is a surprise.”

“Cassian, I really don’t like surprises.” You tried to stop, to pull your hand from his, but he held tight. He turned, placing a cup of caf in your free hand and you could have cried from the warmth as it slowly seeped through your glove.

“You’ll like this one,” he said, a smile threatening to crack at the corners of his mouth. He tugged your joined hands again, impatiently, leading you toward the exit. 

“Please, Cassian, it’s freezing.” You were whining, you knew it, but you were already so cold and the thought of going outside, into the frosted darkness of Tokmia, was enough to make you want to throw a full-blown tantrum. 

He said nothing as he led you through the forest, making his way to a steep hill and motioning for you to walk ahead of him. You glared at him once more for dramatic effect, huffing as you made your way up the steep embankment. When you reached the top, you stopped short, gasping in surprise. 

The hill overlooked a pristine snow field, sparkling in the waning moonlight, breathtakingly beautiful in its serenity. You turned to face Cassian, huffing slightly as he crested the hill. He offered up a shy smile, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked toward you. 

“It’s nice, right?” He took a sip of his caf, an effort to disguise a smile, you thought. “I found it once when I needed to escape K’s blabbering. I come here when I need a reminder of what we’re fighting for.”

“It’s beautiful." Your voice was barely more than a whisper, breathless as you noticed the pinky blue light of the sunrise begin to peek through the darkness. You inhaled sharply, the sound getting caught in your throat as you realized why he had been in such a rush.

“Looks like we made it just in time,” he said, taking another sip of caf. 

You closed your eyes as the sun crested over the horizon, reveling in the way the light pushed past your eyelids. When you were younger, you caught as many Alderaanean sunrises as you could. There was some kind of magic tied to being the first person to catch sight of the sun as she rose from her slumber. You hadn’t realized how much you missed that feeling. 

You glanced at Cassian, interested to see if he was enjoying the sunrise as well and found that he was already looking at you. His smile was genuine, satisfied, and dazzling. 

Maybe he is lovely afterall, you thought. He just needed a little warmth.

[naushtheaspiringauthor]

~Child Of The Storm~

Nikolai Lantsov x OC

Image by - @brokendreamtale2

Warnings- none

A/N- I think I'm gonna start making my chapters bigger from now. It's more convenient and there are a lot of chapters already so. And let me know if you'd like to be added or removed from the taglist!

Taglist- @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @sirisuorionblack @nadeleine123n @marauders-wife @evelyndane

Ch-49 ~The calm before the storm~

As Anaya turned around and glanced at Alina, she saw that the girl was gleaming. It appeared as if they'd attained a human lantern.

“Alina,” Mal said softly. She opened her eyes. 

The rest were staring as well.

“What?” she asked

Mal took her hands and held them out in front of her, “You’re glowing.”

“Oh,” she breathed. 

“Oops.” He ran a finger down the girl's forearm with a smile.

He stepped back abruptly and dropped her hands. “Be more careful,” he said tightly.

Mal gestured to Adrik to help Tolya reseal the crypt, then spoke to the group. “Stay close and keep quiet. We need to find cover before dawn.” The rest of them fell into step behind him, letting him lead yet again.

Anaya noticed that Alina had hung back, actively brushing the light from her skin. When her and Zoya drew level with her, Zoya spoke, “You know, Starkov, I’m beginning to think you turned your hair white on purpose.”

 “Yes, Zoya, courting death is an integral part of my beauty regimen.” Alina responded

She shrugged and cast a glance at Mal. “Well, it’s a little obvious for my taste, but I’d say the whole moon maiden look is working.” 

“I hate to admit but I believe she’s right. The hair’s adding to the dramatic flare” Anaya chimed in

An astounded expression washed over Zoya's face, but it hastily converted into a proud grin. “Look who’s finally taking account of my intelligence”

Anaya rolled her eyes.

“Thanks, for keeping us safe down there. For helping save Sergei and Stigg.” Alina said, a statement that purely shocked Zoya.

 “You’re welcome,” she managed. Then she stuck her nose in the air and added, “But I won’t always be around to save your ass, Sun Summoner.” 

                                               ..................................................................................………………..

It took them far too long to get out of the cemetery. The rows of crypts stretched on and on, cold testimony to the generations Ravka had been at war.

The paths were raked clean, the graves marked with flowers, painted icons, gifts of candy, little piles of precious ammunition, small kindnesses, for the dead.

Anaya was grateful when they finally cleared the gates. The terror of the cave-in and long hours on their feet had taken their toll, but Mal was determined to get them as close to Ryevost as he could before dawn.

They trudged onward, marching parallel to the main road, keeping to the starlit fields. Occasionally they glimpsed a lone house, a lantern glowing in the window.

It was quite relieving to Anaya, to see that there were still people who led normal lives.

The sky had just started to lighten when they heard the sounds of someone approaching on the road. They barely had time to scurry into the woods and take shelter in the brush before they glimpsed the first wagon. There were about fifteen people in the convoy, mostly men, a few women, all bristling with weapons.

 Anaya could make out  bits and pieces of First Army uniforms. It was impossible to tell what they were transporting. Their cargo had been covered by horse blankets and tightly secured to the wagon beds with rope.

 “Militia?” Tamar whispered.

 “Could be, not sure where a militia would get repeating rifles.” Mal said

“If they’re smugglers, I don’t know any of them.” 

“I could follow,” said Tolya.

 “Why don’t I just go do a waltz in the middle of the road?” Tamar taunted. 

Tolya was hardly quiet on his feet.

“I’m getting better,” Tolya said defensively. “Besides—”

 Mal silenced them with a look. “Do not pursue, do not engage.” 

As Mal led them deeper into the trees, Tolya grumbled, “You don’t even know how to waltz.” 

                                                     ……………….......................................................................................

They made camp in a clearing close to a slender tributary of the Sokol, the river fed by the glaciers in the Petrazoi and the heart of commerce in the port cities. They hoped they were far enough from town and the main roads that they wouldn’t have to worry about anyone stumbling upon them. 

According to the twins, the smugglers’ meeting place was in a busy square that overlooked the river in Ryevost.

 Tamar already had a compass and map in hand. Though she must have been as tired as the rest of them, she would have to leave immediately to make it to town before noon. None of them had liked the idea of letting her walk into what might be a trap, but they’d agreed that she would have to be the one to go. Tolya’s size made him far too conspicuous and none of the rest of knew the way the smugglers worked or how to recognize them. 

“Don’t do anything reckless.” Nadia had been hovering nearby. Now she cleared her throat and kissed Tamar once on each cheek. “Be safe,” she said. 

Tamar flashed a grin. “If anyone wants trouble,” she said, flicking back her coat to reveal the handles of her axes, “I’ve a fresh supply.”

The girl was clearly showing off to Nadia

 She pulled up her hood and set out at a jog through the trees.

“Yuyeh sesh,” Tolya called after her in Shu.

“Ni weh sesh,” she shouted over her shoulder. And then she was gone.

“What does that mean?” Alina asked

“It’s something our father taught us,” Tolya replied. “Yuyeh sesh: ‘despise your heart.’ But that’s the direct translation. The real meaning is more like ‘do what needs to be done, be cruel if you have to.’”

“What’s the other part?”

 “Ni weh sesh? ‘I have no heart.’” 

Mal raised a brow. “Your dad sounds like fun.” 

Tolya smiled slightly, “He was.” 

Anaya watched Tamar disappear into a row of trees. She truly hoped the prince had been alive. It was the only bit of hope they had left.

He was the only bit of hope she had left.

                               .............................................................................................................................

They laid out bedrolls and divvied up food.  Adrik and Nadia started raising a tent while Tolya and Mal scouted the perimeter, setting up stands where guards would be posted. 

Stigg was attempting to get Sergei to eat. He appeared slightly better since the death of Marie, but he was still far from being okay. They all were.

Anaya looked around her, the trees, the long blades of grass growing from beneath the soil. She felt as if a lost part of her had returned. Despite the fact that being at the White Cathedral was far safer, away from the war, she’d despised it. 

If being safe meant forever living as a prisoner, huddled beneath the soil, if it meant being stripped off her freedom, she did not wish to be. 

She looked around at the camp. Harshaw already curled up and snoozing with Oncat on his chest, Sergei, pale and watchful, David, back propped against a tree, a book in his hands as Genya fell asleep with her head in his lap; Nadia and Adrik struggling with poles and canvas while Zoya looked on and didn’t bother to help.

She’d never quite liked Zoya, and she’d gotten the hint that Alina didn’t either. After all, she hadn’t exactly been all friendly to the girl, both of them hadn’t.

But she understood her. She knew her in a way that Alina never would.

They both had their petty rivalry since their childhood. But it was something placed in both their minds, the need to be the best in order to be worth something.

And despite all, Zoya had been the one to save her back at the Little Palace. Back when she’d no longer wished to live. 

Even at the White Cathedral, she was the one that had held her through it all. Perhaps because she too, had understood her. She’d known her longer than the rest of them.

                                         ………………………...............................................................................................

Tamar had come back. Though her expression had no signs of relief, making Anaya believe that she hadn’t brought any good news.

Tolya went off to fetch Alina and came back with her in a moment. Tamar was leaning against a tree, gulping down water from a tin cup as the others gathered around to hear her report.

 “Any trouble?” Alina asked her. 

She shook her head.

“And you’re sure you were in the right place?” Tolya said.

“West side of the market square. I got there early, stayed late, checked in with the shopkeeper, watched the same damn puppet show four times. If the post is active, someone should have spoken to me.”

 “We could try again tomorrow,” suggested Adrik.

 “I should go,” Tolya said. “You were there a long time. If you show up again, people may notice.”

Tamar wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “If I stab the puppeteer, will that draw too much attention?”

 “Not if you’re quiet about it,” Nadia replied. Her cheeks pinked as they all turned to look at her. Anaya hadn't ever heard the girl crack a joke.

Tamar slipped a dagger from her wrist and twirled it, balancing its point on one fingertip. “I can be quiet, and merciful. I may let the puppets live.” she said, as she took another gulp of water. 

“I heard some news too. Big news. West Ravka has declared for Nikolai.” That caught their attention. “They’re blocking off the western shore of the Fold,” she continued. “So if the Darkling wants weapons or ammunition-”

 “He’ll have to go through Fjerda,” Zoya finished.

“West Ravka now, maybe the Shu Han next." Tolya said. 

 “Or Kerch,” Anaya added

 “Or both!” Adrik crowed.

A swift wave of hope spread through them

“So now what?” Sergei asked, tugging anxiously at his sleeve.

“Maybe we can wait another day?” Anaya suggested

I don’t know, I don’t mind going back. But there were oprichniki in the square today.” Tamar said

That wasn't a good sign. The oprichniki were the Darkling’s personal soldiers. If they were prowling the area, the group had good reason to move on as soon as possible.

“I’m going to go talk to Mal, don’t get too comfortable. We may need to be ready to leave in the morning.” Alina said as she left.

The rest of them dispersed while Tamar and Nadia walked off to dig through the rations. Tamar kept bouncing and spinning her knife, definitely showing off, but Nadia didn’t seem to mind. 

                                      …………………………………….................................................

Anaya had been talking with David about some of his past works, when the peace was disrupted by sudden chaos.

Harshaw had been on watch when they heard the sudden sound of a bullet. All of them had sprung to their feet. Anaya had a summoned a blade.

Then they saw them, about thirty soldiers in the First Army uniform marching towards them with their rifles raised.

Tolya attempted to lunge forward, attacking one of the soldiers. But another struck a blow at him from the back of his rifle, making him stumble backwards.

The rest of them attempted to strike, but were seriously outnumbered. And before too long, they all had rifles pointed at them. Two more soldiers appeared from the trees, with Alina and a barefoot Mal with rifles pointed at their backs.

Harshaw was pale, swaying on his feet, clutching the wound at his side and panting as Oncat yowled.

 “See? With this windfall, I don’t need to worry about the highest bidder.” the soldier said to Alina

Alina stepped infront of the soldiers and spoke to them in a voice so low that Anaya couldn't make out what she was saying.

It seemed as if whatever she'd said, had made the soldiers go in deep thought

“Don’t do it, have one of her bloodletters take care of him.” The female soldier narrowed her eyes

She gave Alina a jab in the back and steered the two into the group with the others.

“Spy that collar?” the other soldier asked of the crowd. “We have the Sun Summoner!” There were exclamations and a few whoops from the rest of the militia. 

“So start thinking about how you’re going to spend all of the Darkling’s money.” They cheered.

“Why not ransom her to Nikolai Lantsov?” said a soldier from somewhere near the back of the circle. 

“Lantsov? If he has a brain in his head, he’s rusticating somewhere warm with a pretty girl on his knee. If he’s even alive.” the soldier from before responded.

 “He’s alive,” said someone.

 “Makes no matter to me.” He spat

“And your country?” Alina asked. 

“What has my country ever done for me, little girl? No land, no life, just a uniform and a gun. Doesn’t matter if it’s the Darkling on the throne or some useless Lantsov.”

 “I saw the prince when I was in Os Alta, he’s not bad looking.” said the girl.

“Not bad looking?” said a rather familiar voice. “He’s damnably handsome.”

The man scowled. “Since when—” 

“Brave in battle, smart as a whip.” Now the voice seemed to be coming from above them. The man craned his neck, peering into the trees.

 “An excellent dancer, oh, and an even better shot.” the voice added

 “Who—”  the soldier never got to finish. A blast rang out, and a tiny black hole appeared between his eyes.

Then chaos erupted.

[seven-004]

Unexpected ally

Mito Yohei x Reader

I've seen little to no content for Yohei and simply couldn't stand for it. The most I could find were a lot of Yohei x Hanamichi on AO3 and only 1 on Wattpad for him and reader. It made me so saddd, he's literally my favorite in the anime I needed to give him some more love myself. Anyway enjoy!

"Do you like basketball?"

Akagi Haruko inquired as she approached the gym doors to watch the team practice. The interhigh tournament was nearing and the boys were especially enthusiastic in comparison to the start of the season and even tryouts

"You could say that" you answered politely, Akagi was here on her own today without her two friends or Sakuragi's rambunctious army

Truthfully you had somewhat of a crush on one of the members of such

She hummed "Well I think I'll be going now" you bid farewell as who'd you'd actually been here to see was absent from spectating today and began to leave

"Ah wait!" She called out to you and you turned curiously back "I'm Akagi Haruko" she introduced herself with a warm smile

"(L/n) (Y/n), I'll see you around" you returned the smile waving a final goodbye before heading home for the evening

— • — • — • —

"Pssst"

You glanced over -fortunately or unfortunately for you, you were also in year 1 class 7. Your seat? Next to Sakuragi- the red head himself had brought it amongst himself to find out if you were a fan of this particular genius

"You're the one from practice right? The one who was talking to Haruko yesterday"

This was the first time you'd actually talked, he was intimidating sure but overall not a bad person

"Uhm yeah, I've seen a couple of the practices why?"

Quite a devious look overcame his rugged features "You must be a fan of mine huh"

You almost choked but managed a simple deadpan "I- well-" he took the stuttering as confirmation "not really, sorry"

A look of utter shock took over his face before being replaced with confidence "Probably because you don't yet know the amazing capabilities of this genius, that must be it!"

"Sakuragi quiet down back there!"

You ducked behind the student in front of you to avoid the teachers glare

Sakuragi kept calling for your attention for a while longer, it was surprising that it was a first considering how restless he usually was in class. Then again he often dozed off or cried his rejections away

Throughout both the class and the short exchanges with the male you kept trying to steal glances at the boy two seats in front of you

Something the self proclaimed genius took notice to, for someone who didn't seem all that bright he was oddly perceptive

"Ohoho I see!" He cackled that devious look returning to his face startling you from the peering over the shoulder of the person in front of you that you were doing

"What-"

"Youuu like Yohei~" he taunted in a singsong-ish voice

"No- that's not-" you turned away with bright cheeks, guilty as charged

Through the playful teasing and friendly smiling Sakuragi didn't seem all that scary anymore

— • — • — • —

"Hey! It's (Y/n)!" Sakuragi approached with his army of delinquents as some would say

"Ah Sakuragi" you smiled as he got closer

The boys beginning to tease as he talked so casually to you "Oh? Over Haruko already?"

"What- not at all! Haruko is the only one for me" he turned to glare at the accusor and proceeded to headbutt them causing you to laugh

"Oh there she comes!" Anyone could see the internal panic as she walked closer

In his panic and true camaraderie Sakuragi quickly grabbed Mito by the shoulders and exchanged places with him so he'd be facing you instead. Catching you off guard and consequently a bit flustered

"Hey?" He greeted sheepishly, his pompadour slightly disheveled making him look the perfect amount of rugged

"Hey- hi!" Mito didn't miss the octave jump or how your reddened face deepened a shade

You both loved and hated Sakuragi right now. But above that wanted to dig yourself a hole in the ground

Mito chuckled finding your overall demeanor endearing which in return made the blush spread to your ears. That sound was your new favorite as of now

"I didn't know you and Hanamichi were friends"

"Oh that, he kind of just started talking to me in class one day. Something about being his fan because he saw me watch practice a few times?"

For all you'd thought Sakuragi was perceptive initially Mito was even more so. Noticing immediately how the tension left your body when Sakuragi was brought up

"Are you?" He asked curiously just trying to keep the conversation going while such talked to Haruko and the rest of the boys participated in their conversation as well. Sometimes unnecessarily to Hanamichis dismay

"No! Er- well I'm not there to see him at least, not that I don't see him- wait that came out wrong"

Mito watched in amusement as you tried to both compose and not expose yourself. That sense of endearment came back to him as well as did the tension to your body

Being under the slight impression that you liked someone else on the team and were trying to hide it. Another Rukawa fangirl perhaps?

— • — • — • —

You walked to practice with Sakuragi, taking the route to the outdoor side of the gym while he split off to the locker room

Haruko whom was already there greeted you. Having talked to her a few more times now while watching practices with a new sense of kinship to the team now that you had befriended the simpleminded redhead

Sakuragi was quite sweet once you got to know him and you hoped Hakurko would come to realize such if she hadn't already

"Are you stupid?" The chatter of the boys was heard around the corner as they approached. Who knows what they were talking about

"Ah you two are already here" the lot of them greeted which you returned now being a bit more comfortable with the four rowdy teens

Whom were still secretly betting on who your crush was, still thinking it was someone on the team. Not sure wether to expand their options after the whole Mitsui scandal you were present for with the girls

There were hardly any practices left until their first match and both spirits and tension was high

But just like how Sakuragi still managed glances at Haruko you did at Mito as well

It was hard not to when he was leaned against the door like that perfectly in sight. Holding his uniform jacket lazily over his shoulder with a soft smile watching his best friend find his calling

His head perking up and looking your way only to find you staring. Embarrassed, you quickly looked away and back at the shooting drills missing the way Mito's cheeks grew a soft pink

— • — • — • —

"Guys I don't think (Y/n) likes anyone on the team" Mito contributed as their wagers increased

Sakuragi surprisingly able to keep his big mouth shut on the whole thing. And perhaps not actually being aware of the waiver they had going

"What makes you say that Yohei"

"Well- I think" he flushed a bit rubbing the back of his neck "maybe I'm her crush?"

The boys erupted into laughter all respectively making their comments of disbelief

"No way she likes you Yohei"

"You really think she'd like you over Rukawa!?"

"Ha! She probably likes cool upperclassmen Miyagi"

The choruses of laughter continued but after he'd caught you staring like that he couldn't get the thought out of his head. Maybe the boys were right. You were out of his league but they couldn't stop him from dreaming

— • — • — • —

Mito would now proceed to analyze any interaction you had like some passionate underpaid detective. His suspicion shifting to Hanamichi, it seemed like you two were closer than he initially thought

In reality the two of you had become each other's wing men in a sense

"Ah Hanamichi!" You ran up to the tall boy with a wide grin not even attempting to hide the giddiness in your step as you approached Yohei's best friend "Guessss what!" You jumped to high five said boy who was in actuality only holding his hands to about shoulder height

"Huh? What is it (Y/n)" although all the guys referred to you with your first name now, hearing it come from his best friend who currently held your attention made Yohei feel a slight pang

It was an odd sensation he'd never felt "Haruko was talking about you! She said you're improving a lot" the classroom was mostly empty and the others weren't around to rejoice in the small celebration the two of you shared

"You hear that Yohei!"

Hanamichis voice brought him out of his thoughts and into the present. That little exchange has now made his whole day as Hanamichi overflows with energy and enthusiasm now. Taking off into the hallway 'accidently' and not so subtly bumping you into Yohei who catches you swiftly

"Hey! Watch where you're going Hanamichi!"

It comes off more aggressively than he intended but the perpetrator is already out of the classroom

After the initial irritation resides his attention returns to you now going to make sure you're okay. The bump itself wasn't very hard but everyone knows Hanamichi can be quite a brute

Only he finds you already captivated by his face

He has very clear skin and it looks great. Even when he often gets into fights it's obvious he takes care of it. With the way his eyebrows are tappered and no remaining evidence of any of his fights

"You're beautiful"

He looks stunned, a slight blush creeping it's way onto those supple features

Now realizing you said it out loud, a look of utter mortification overcomes your features and you make a dive for Yohei's collar to hide your embarrassment away still securely in place in his firm arms. You can hear his chuckle and even feel the reverb from where your face is timidly tucked away in the crook of his neck and chest

He could feel the heat radiating from your face and he enjoyed the way you hid with him from him. It was cute. Especially when you weren't like this around any of the other guys

Finally recognizing that earlier pang as jealousy "Well you look beautiful as well"

You groaned clenching his open school blazer "You're teasing me aren't you"

Another melodic chuckle pushed it's way passed Yohei's lips "I'm really not. Promise" you could hear the smile in his voice and didn't believe him but he gave you a reassuring squeeze nonetheless

Such making you aware of being in his arms. The sudden awareness of this making you squirm. Yohei released his grip only enough for you to be able to pull away far enough to see him face to face

The proximity made your heart race. But the way your face stayed red and the small pout on your lips gave Yohei butterflies

"I think- no, I like you.... a lot" he smiled so genuinely but kept you in place so you couldn't hide in his collar again. Voting to instead hide your face behind your hands "Aww come on (Y/n) don't hide from me, please?"

You nodded but didn't make a move to actually remove your hands yet but he patiently waited. When you moved your fingers to peek he was also blushing quite a bit but didn't look the slightest bit embarrassed or teasing in any way

"I- I like you- I like you a lot too" it came out as a squeak. And it took everything in you to put your hands down but the way he looked at you so softly like there wasn't anything else in the world made it worth it

"Can- can you say it again for me?"

You nodded but got on your tip toes to try and reach his ear. Only for him to slouch down against his desk so you could reach him

It took gathering all your courage and clenching your skirt to be able to do it but instead of saying a word you bashfully pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. He immediately straightened up to his full height pressing a hand to his face looking rather dumbstruck "I could... get used to that"

[ncfan-1]

I haven’t yet watched the premiere of the new Obi-Wan show, and I’m still deciding whether or not I’m going to watch this show. I’ve been having thoughts about Obi-Wan a lot lately, though, I think probably at least partly stirred up by the approach of the show, and I wanted to get some of them out, if only to solidify my thoughts about the way I see him.

I don’t think I see Obi-Wan in quite the same way a lot of other people see him, though it is also entirely possible that I’m just not finding the right metas and other posts. I swear to God, I feel like by the time anyone who’s reading this is finished, they’re going to think I hate him, but I really don’t, I promise you I don’t. It’s just that there are times when I feel some cognitive dissonance when I think of him, and I think it’s because he is such a dissonant person sometimes. The man contains multitudes.

Anyways, the duality of Obi-Wan Kenobi:

On the one hand, I do see him as a man who, though he strives always to live up to the ideals of the Jedi Order, not acting from attachment very much included, sometimes just straight-up can’t help but act from attachment. Sometimes, Obi-Wan’s concern for his loved ones just overrides all of the teachings he holds so dear. Like when Maul taunts him by bringing up Qui-Gon’s death when he’s dueling Maul and Savage and Obi-Wan just freakin’ loses it for a moment, but the big example of this is from ‘The Lawless’ in TCW when he goes to Mandalore to rescue Satine.

Let me set the stage for you, just to make sure we have all the background. Satine has been overthrown by Maul and Death Watch, and has been thrown in prison. During a brief prison break, she gets a distress call off to the Jedi Council, trying to reach Obi-Wan in particular. Yoda and Ki-Adi Mundi (and, by implication, the rest of the Council) watch the message first, before Obi-Wan can see it. They want to help; that much is obvious. But the war has eroded the Order’s independence to the point that the Jedi can no longer fulfill their own mandate if it runs at cross-purposes to what the Senate wants, and Ki-Adi Mundi notes that since the Separatists aren’t involved, and since Satine has been so adamant on keeping Mandalore neutral in the war, the Senate will cheerfully leave her high and dry, and won’t sanction the Jedi sending anyone in to help her.

They want to help, but they can’t. So what do they do? Yoda and Ki-Adi Mundi call Obi-Wan in, have him watch this clip, and convey the political realities of the situation to him. They must know that Obi-Wan and Satine are still in love with each other. The two of them might have broken off their relationship many years ago, but it’s obvious to anyone with half a brain that they still have strong feelings for one another; it’s not like they do much to hide it.

And Obi-Wan acts as the Council must have been expecting him to act. He rushes off to Mandalore in a ship he borrowed from Anakin. That the ship he rides in on is literally falling apart tells me that he did not have the official sanction of the Jedi Council to do this; what he had was the Council temporarily going blind and deaf while he begged a ship off of Anakin and snuck off of Coruscant. Plausible deniability, and all that.

Plausible deniability for Obi-Wan acting from a place of attachment, making a decision incredibly risky both in terms of his own safety and just how easily he could have landed the Jedi Order in serious hot water if it ever got out that he had done this. The Jedi’s independence from the will of the Senate is gone at this point. Their only real function anymore, as far as the Senate is concerned (and since the Senate is holding the Order’s leash, they do get to make this call) is to serve as officers in the Republic army, and for Obi-Wan, a general, to have abandoned his post to intervene in internal affairs on a neutral world… I don’t know exactly how it would play out if that was discovered, but I can’t imagine it would go down well with the Senate. Jesus Christ, it would be such a scandal, and I feel like the Senate (nudged here and there by Palpatine) would have clamped down on the Jedi even harder as a result.

And Obi-Wan isn’t stupid. He knows this. He knows he’s risking his own safety. He knows he’s risking the Order being embroiled in scandal and its independence being eroded even further as a result. But he has to do it. He can’t not do it. It’s Satine. He has to go help her. Partly because, as far as he knows, no one else will, but also because he just can’t bring himself to leave her in those straits, even knowing how dire the consequences could be for the Order.

And on the other hand…

On the other hand, you see Obi-Wan displaying this extreme ‘ends justify the means’ mentality that enables him to be incredibly callous towards those same people he cares about when he feels the situation calls for it, and then double down afterwards when called out on it instead of validating the pain they felt because of his actions, thanks to that same mentality.

The classic one is the Original Trilogy, where Obi-Wan tries to set Luke up to commit patricide, and when called out on it, doubles down on it being necessary and doubles down on Anakin being irredeemable instead of apologizing for having lied to Luke and having, you know, set him up to kill his own father. In context of Return of the Jedi, we know that Obi-Wan (and Yoda, too, since he’s in on this as well) is dead wrong both about it being necessary for Luke to kill Anakin and about Anakin being beyond redemption, and in the moment, when we see Luke actually come close to killing his father, we know that it would have been the point of no return for him if he had done it. And even if Luke had killed Anakin without first being aware that he was his father, in so many of our own cultural traditions, including the ones that Lucas draws on in constructing the story of Star Wars—the obvious influences of Japanese films in the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy being like a Greek tragedy, so on and so forth—patricide is such a cursed act. Occasionally it doesn’t end in destruction for the person who killed their father, but usually, it does.

The conventions of storytelling demand that when someone unwittingly kills their parent, that there are massive repercussions of some kind when they inevitably find out what they did. Those repercussions vary, but can you really imagine Luke being okay if he killed Vader before the reveal, only to find out later who “Anakin’s murderer” really was? No, you can’t, can you, because he wouldn’t have been. That would have destroyed him. But Obi-Wan is able to square it away as justifiable, still, because the ends justify the means. The destruction of the Sith justifies Luke’s potential destruction, because the good of the galaxy must come first. The greater good of the galaxy comes before the well-being of those who fight for it, even those under Obi-Wan’s own care.

Then there’s everything about the Rako Hardeen arc, but specifically the fact that it was Obi-Wan’s idea, not the Council’s, that Anakin not be told that Obi-Wan had faked his death and gone undercover as his own murderer. There’s the fact that Obi-Wan wanted to keep Anakin in the dark specifically because they needed his unfeigned reaction to really sell the deception of being dead. Yes, really. Obi-Wan’s rationale for keeping Anakin in the dark about the fact that he hadn’t really been murdered was that they needed him to react a certain way. I’m not going to hold how flippant he was during the mission briefing too much against him, since I think it’s possible that his flippancy may have been meant to keep him from thinking too hard about how Anakin was taking things (Obi-Wan really does care a lot about Anakin, even if he’s also capable of hurting him very badly), but this whole scene, when taken in light of his “funeral”—which prominently includes a line-up of the four people he’s hurting most with this deception: Anakin (enough said), Ahsoka (who is also in the dark about the whole thing, and had the oh-so-pleasant experience of Obi-Wan “dying” in her arms), Satine (completely shattered, as you would expect), and Padmé (who seems completely stunned, though her reaction does get basically no spotlight)—is so very, very jarring. Upstairs are the people he’s hurt, and though I really do think his flippancy is some sort of mental defense mechanism against thinking about it too hard, it’s still quite unpleasant to watch. Even Yoda and Mace seem a little jarred by Obi-Wan’s flippancy, and neither one of them seem entirely sold on the idea that Anakin needs to stay in the dark about all of this (if only because they know him well enough by now to know that he is going to start shit if he’s kept in the dark for long enough), but onward, we proceed.

The arc goes about as well as you would expect for Anakin. He’s utterly traumatized and out for revenge, and this arc really does a lot of legwork to pushing him closer and closer to that point where he could fall to the Dark Side. When, at the end, Anakin finds out that not only was Obi-Wan alive the whole time and masquerading as his own murderer, but that it was Obi-Wan’s idea to keep Anakin in the dark the whole time, Anakin’s reaction is, as you would imagine, one of utter betrayal. And Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan doesn’t apologize. Obi-Wan doubles down on how it was necessary, trying to get Anakin to see the necessity of the deception, but Anakin’s not taking it. A new fissure has opened up in their relationship, one Obi-Wan isn’t making any moves to close, because to do so would require him to go up against his own “ends justify the means” mindset, would require him to really look at the hurt he’s caused Anakin in pursuit of the mission. Even if it was justified, he still hurt Anakin—a lot. He’s not making any moves to make amends, because that would require him to ask himself if the ends really do always justify the means.

The closest Obi-Wan ever gets to apologizing to Ahsoka for the Council’s role in the chain of events that led to her leaving the Order is telling her that the Council isn’t always right after she demands to know if Obi-Wan is really telling her to try and defend the Council’s decision to have Anakin spy on Palpatine to Anakin in Season Seven. He never apologizes for it in the moment, no matter what he might be feeling personally.

In Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan naturally doesn’t want to be the one sent to kill Anakin at first once it has been proven to him that Anakin has fallen to the Dark Side, but once he’s convinced that it’s necessary that he does it, he resolves himself completely. It’s very, very telling that when he goes to try and get Anakin’s location out of Padmé, Padmé’s first conclusion is that he wants Anakin’s location so he can go kill him. Not for one moment does Padmé think that Obi-Wan wants to know where Anakin is so he can try to talk sense into him, to try to convince him to turn aside from this dark path. She has no faith in him in that regard.

And when Obi-Wan does win the duel against Anakin, he just… just leaves Anakin to die of his wounds on Mustafar. Oh, yes, you can definitely make the argument that Obi-Wan couldn’t bear to kill Anakin outright, but the alternative… isn’t better. As far as Obi-Wan knows, he’s leaving Anakin to spend potentially the next several hours burning to death beside a river of lava, and it’s just a shockingly cruel moment. Yes, from a Doylist perspective, Anakin had to be left alive in order to be in the Original Trilogy, but from a Watsonian perspective, leaving Anakin to succumb to his injuries was a choice that Obi-Wan made, and killing him outright would have been a kinder one.

I know that there are people in this fandom who think that Obi-Wan could never fall to the Dark Side. I am not one of those people. For one thing, I do believe that anyone is capable of falling to the Dark Side. No one is above that. But for another, I think that Obi-Wan could fall because of this callous edge he has to his character, and because he never really examines in detail the impacts of his callousness on others. He’s very split by his deep care for his loved ones and this “ends justify the means” mentality that leads him to hurting those same loved ones deeply, and he never really reconciles these two halves of himself. He never examines his own capacity for ruthless callousness, and how it always seems to hurt his loved ones, instead of his enemies. There’s massive tension between these two parts of himself, and it’s never resolved.

I think that Obi-Wan’s “ends justify the means” mindset was fostered by the Clone Wars. It is the natural incubator for it, after all. I believe also that every Jedi who fought in the Clone Wars was corrupted by it somehow, in ways large or small, and this was how Obi-Wan was corrupted. I think it became easier for him over time to make these ruthless choices, became easier for him to listen neither to the voice of his own conscience nor the pain of those he cared about, because there was always a plot that had to be foiled, always a brutal battle that had to be fought, always a dirty choice that had to be made in order to preserve the Republic.

That is what Obi-Wan’s fall could have been. I don’t think the moment of his fall would have been as sudden or as dramatic as Anakin’s. While I don’t think he would have been cast in the same mold as Atris from KOTOR II—Obi-Wan definitely wouldn’t be meditating in a chamber full of Sith holocrons, that’s for damn sure—I think a fallen Obi-Wan would be Atris-adjacent, to some greater or lesser extent. It wouldn’t be one thing with him, it would be a hundred. His journey to the Dark Side would be small step after small step after small step that all feel the same as the very first one he took. Dirty choices he has to make in the name of the greater good over and over again, circumstances that reward his ruthlessness and punish listening to his conscience, the disconnect between his caring for his loved ones and just how much he hurts them sometimes getting wider and wider all the time, and as easy as it seems for him to ignore the voice of his conscience and the pain he causes other people in canon, I think it would get much, much worse over time in an AU where he falls to the Dark Side.

Obi-Wan would never become a Sith. His loyalty to the tenets of the Jedi Order is too strong for that. But he absolutely could become a fallen Jedi, one who, like Atris, would not be able to see that he had fallen until someone else came along who could really force him to look at himself and listen to himself, to examine the choices he’s made that have led him to this place. Cognitive dissonance in action. He’s acting in the name of the greater good of this galaxy, and thus his actions are ultimately justified, because he is acting towards a good end. Even when it breaks his heart.

And he can never look at the shadows cast by those actions, because it would call his whole life and everything he’s worked for into question.

[mellowyandere]

One Hell of a Logical Ruse Part 1

Reader: F

Characters: Aizawa Shouta (Eraserhead) 

Summary: Shouta loves a good game of cat and mouse, unfortunately for you the game’s a little rigged. This is somewhat of an experiment to try and write a smut scene from the male POV. Disclaimer I am not a man so uh yeah lmao. 

Based off the pre-established fic You’re Ours to Protect. 

Length: 4.5K

Warnings: non-con, yandere themes, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex, praise kink

Aizawa Shouta was a rational man. He did his best to adhere to logic, and to never waste time with unnecessary action. And yet despite this, he absolutely loved watching you try to escape. You were pretty clever, even without him “accidentally” forgetting to lock the second story window that just so happened to be above some forgivingly soft shrubbery. 

You probably would have figured some way out on your own, but something feral inside him didn’t want to wait around for you to act. Normally it was his ever-loud husband Hizashi that fell flat when it came to the notion of patience, but today he would relent to his own selfish desires. 

Toshinori would have been utterly distressed had he been aware of the sleepy pros scheme. The number one was a man of swift action, seemingly never thinking twice before charging fist first into danger. He would not be happy Shouta was playing with you like this, but Toshinori and Hizashi wouldn’t be made aware of his little game with you. After all they had no idea he set this up, so they might genuinely try to punish you. He’d keep it quiet once he caught you and pretend it’s your little secret. Maybe you’d even be a little grateful if you believed he was saving your skin.

He rationalized his behavior by telling himself you seemed so bored, truly this was the perfect way to stimulate your mind and body. So when he heard the telltale sound of a body landing in bushes on the back side of the house he simply started a timer for 20 minutes to give you a bit of a head start. 

Was it cruel to get your hopes up like this? Perhaps, but he’d make sure to fuck you senseless to alleviate the disappointment. After all, if you were a good girl you’d have settled into your life with them already. But you really did enjoy testing them, which brought out the side of him that wanted to put you in your place. 

Giving himself a once over he made sure he had everything he would need for your inevitable return home. Well, now that you were basically quirkiness, all he needed was his capture weapon just in case you put up a struggle. He hadn’t decided yet if he was going to fuck you when he caught you, or if he was going to haul your cute ass home first. 

Thinking about plowing into you with adrenaline still pumping through his veins from the hunt had some blood rushing below his belt. Well he could always just do both.

The shrill ringing of his phones alarm brought him back from his wandering thoughts. With a sadistic grin stretching wide across his face he headed for the front door.

-----

Three weeks. Three fucking weeks trapped inside that house with three insane men. Sure they might not beat you or starve you, but the constant belittling, undermining and infantilizing was about to drive you to insanity yourself. You almost jumped for joy when you noticed an unlocked window on the second floor in Hizashi’s and Shouta’s room. The blond man had a bad habit of using too much cologne, and his dark-haired counterpart was always having to air out the room when the radio star went overboard. 

Eraserhead was normally very diligent about ensuring the window was sealed tight, but last night Toshinori had come home in a flurry of smoke and blood, sending his blond junior into hysterics. It was nothing serious, unfortunately, but Shouta had been the one to calm Hizashi and tend to the number ones injuries. Amidst all the ruckus he had left the window unlocked. 

You knew Shouta would soon realize his mistake and lock the window down tight, leaving you with a small time frame to enact your grand escape. It wasn't ideal, but the best you had been able to do was wait for both blonds to leave, trapping you in the house with Shouta. Normally he let you be during the day, opting to nap and grade what appeared to be homework. Hopefully today would seem like just another day, and he wouldn’t think to check on you until dinner approached. 

You found yourself perched on the window sill, ready to take flight. All you had were the clothes on your back, not wanting to make any suspicious noises that would tip you off. On the count of three you braced yourself and pushed off from the ledge, landing on the bushes below with a thud. 

Fuck, that was a bit louder than you had anticipated. Ignoring your growing anxiety, you made quick work of escaping the clutches of the now flattened bush and took off into the woods on the back half of the house. 

Your heart was hammering like mad in your chest as you sprinted as fast as you could. It was hardly fair that it was your first time outside in three weeks and you couldn’t even slow down to take it all in. Thankfully it was spring, meaning you wouldn’t have to worry about the cold. All you needed to do was find someone to get this stupid quirk canceling collar off and then you could safely recede into the background, making sure the three pros never found you again. 

Easier said than done when one of those pros was All Might, and the other two were just as formidable, but you’d be damned if you didn’t try. You did your best to not leave a trail behind, but knew once Shouta figured out you were gone he’d have no trouble tracing your tracks. It was the unfortunately shitty reality you were dealing with. 

Were you really going to be able to escape? Even now as you ran as fast as you could it felt like a fruitless endeavor. There were too many variables that had to line up perfectly in order for you to pull this off, and as you ran directionless through the woods no viable solutions were coming to you. Hell, even now your lungs were burning from exertion, legs begging you to stop. 

But if there was one thing that you were it was stubborn. Stubborn to a fault sometimes, and so you pushed onwards. After what felt like an eternity of non-stop running you slowed to a walk. The forest seemed never ending, taunting you with its sprawling army of trees and shrubbery. You decided to be more mindful of the tracks you were leaving, veering off course in a way that would hopefully go undetected. 

Now no longer running you simply kept your steps quiet and ears alert in case Shouta had already discovered your absence. He was good at his work, but even he had limitations. 

-----

Shouta had to give credit where credit was due, you were better at this than he thought you’d be. If you were his student he’d be proud, but you were his prey so he was a bit annoyed. At first your tracks had been sloppy, easy to follow and incredibly straight forward. At some point though you had changed your approach, footsteps almost vanishing as you adopted a new tactic. 

He found himself crouching low, inspecting leaves to see which you had accidentally broken. There were no more snapped limbs as you carefully maneuvered through the woods. If he wasn’t a pro at hunting people down you probably would have been able to evade him, but this was his livelihood. 

Ever so carefully he followed your almost invisible trail. He had you beat in endurance so you’d have to settle somewhere eventually, and without food and water you were at a distinct disadvantage. Everything was lining up in his favor as he intended, even if you were making this a little harder than expected. 

The anticipation of catching a glimpse of you, of watching you realize he was there and taking off, made his heart beat faster. The longer you evaded him, the more time he had to come up with a fun punishment for you. 

-----

The sun had been directly overhead at the beginning of your escape, and was now kissing the horizon. Oranges and reds were thrown about the woods as the creatures of the night began to wake from their slumber. You listened to see if you could hear the chirping of frogs to find a water source but no luck. 

There was no doubt in your mind that Shouta was 110% aware of your absence by now and was probably hot on your trail. You were zigzagging a bit, trying your best to not disturb the forest floor while making it harder to track you. Dammit this was the fucking worst, it had to have been at least 6 hours in these woods, and without any food or water you were famished. 

And yet despite wandering about for 6 fucking hours you had yet to see anything besides the woods. Maybe you should just give up, sit down and accept defeat and whatever punishment you had awaiting you. You couldn’t help but shiver a bit at the fear of what that would entail. 

As dusk quickly turned dark you debated on whether or not you were going to rest for the night. Visibility would be lower, giving you a slight edge, but Eraserhead was a night owl meaning you were entering his domain of peak performance. There was also no guessing if he was the only one looking for you. All Might could move faster than you could even comprehend and Present Mic was fine-tuned when it came to noise location. 

Sighing in annoyance as your wayward thoughts shot holes through your confidence you decided to find somewhere to try and lay down for a bit. If all three were out hunting you down they could take turns and overlap the time so you never got to rest. As busy as they should be with hero work they always seemed to find too much time to hover around you. 

Spotting some dense shrubbery, you crossed your fingers that any creepy crawlies would keep to themselves and carefully began to conceal yourself. Perhaps one of them would pass by and you could gain some intel. If you were lucky they’d write this area off after not finding you and search elsewhere. 

Settling as comfortably as one could in a bush you closed your eyes and did your best to focus on the sounds around you. The melodic chirping of crickets was the most overwhelming of all the sounds. Skittering of small forest animals echoing around as well. Your mind began to desensitize to those sounds, the lack of adrenaline that pushed you along at the start of all this causing it to dip into unconsciousness. 

That was until you heard the distinct snap of a branch. Eyes flying open you were on high alert as you kept still. You tried to hear if there would be any follow up sounds, knowing something of a decent size had to have broken the branch. If it had been a deer they would have simply kept moving, which made you all the more anxious. 

“No more tracks kitten, I know you’re here somewhere. This little game dragged on a lot longer than I had anticipated so it seems there won’t be any way to hide this from Zashi and Toshinori.” 

You wanted to scream. Even though you had tried your best it simply wasn’t enough against Eraserhead. 

“If you come out kitten I’ll give you one last shot to run. Those bushes over there look like a mighty fine hiding spot for someone of your size.” His voice was pointed directly towards you.

FUCK. You couldn’t tell if he was bluffing or not at this point but he knew you were here, might as well come out with some dignity before he dragged you out kicking and screaming. 

The bush rustled loudly as you forced your way out. You were tired, famished and most of all so frustrated you wanted to cry. You didn’t even need to look at him to know he had a condescending smirk plastered to his face. 

“There’s my pretty kitty, did you have fun outside?”

Shouta knew just what to say to strike a nerve, but you held your tongue. “One last shot to run. You said so yourself. Ditch the capture weapon and catch me like a man, I mean unless you don’t think you can. I’m already quirkiness which is your gimmick on a regular day, so really you're just beating on someone while they're already down.” You looked up now, glaring at him as his smile grew in amusement. 

“I’m going to have to be a lot more physical without it you know, I’ll have no choice but you manhandle you.”

“I’d rather take my chances.” You knew even without his capture weapon you didn’t stand much of a chance of escape. Your only goal now was to try and see how much he was willing to handicap himself. 

“Gonna give me a head start or are you going to just run as soon as I do?”

At this Shouta had to keep himself from snarking back at you. He had already given you a head start, but if he told you this was all set up you’d probably lose the will to fight on. “Five minutes. I’ll give you five minutes to run as far as you can and then I’ll come after you,” he said while pulling out his phone. 

“What about Toshinori and Hizashi?” 

“At the house. I told them I’d handle this, Toshinori will be coming to get us though once I tell him game over. We’re pretty deep in the woods and I don’t feel like walking back for six hours.”

You nodded at his words. So it was just the two of you then. Your combat skills were nothing to write home about, but maybe if you fought dirty you could gain the upper hand. 

“Alright, tell me when.”

“Oh, I already started it. You have 4 minutes and 17 seconds.”

Fucking asshole. You took off sprinting, running as fast as you could, only opting to slow to a jog once you thought you were out of earshot. You wanted him to believe you’d be trying your damndest to put distance between the two of you. But you knew you’d never outrun him. Instead you were going to continue jogging for a bit, counting down the seconds in your head so you didn’t lose track your timer. 

Once your remaining time was up you were going to lay low and try to ambush him. He wouldn’t be paying as close attention to your trail since he knew he could easily catch up. 

After the remaining 4 minutes had passed you found a decent sized tree to hide behind and worked on slowing down your breathing. It felt like your heart was going to chisel its way straight through your bones, your limbs trembling with anxiety. It wasn’t often you were hunted back when you were an anti-hero. Not many people knew who you were which made it incredibly easy to be looked over. 

Scooping up handfuls of dirt you waited. You heard him before you saw him. He wasn’t bothering to take it slow, seemingly eager to get it over with. He ran right past you, noticing you a second too late as dirt and debris were chucked straight into his face. 

He yelled out in surprise, hands reaching out to grab you but you jumped out of reach. True to his word his capture weapon was nowhere in sight. Screaming in anger you lunged at him, nails attempting to claw his face but his own larger hands were working on wiping off your dirt assault, effectively blocking you.  

He stumbled back a bit, unprepared for your hostility, before steadying himself and turning the tables back on you. In one swift motion his fist collided with your gut, forcing the air from your lungs. Your arms came down to protect where he had hit as you wheezed pathetically. Seconds later his larger frame came crashing into you, easily knocking you to the ground. 

You cried out in pain, head hitting the ground a bit too hard as stars danced behind your eyes.

“Not very smart of you Y/N, I mean it beats trying to outrun me, but really? Dirt? It’s like you want me to punish you or something.”

“GET OFF ME!” 

Placing a hand on the back of your head he pushed you down while his other arm pulled the lower half of your body flush against him. You could feel his erection pressing up against your ass.

You were a snarling sobbing mess at this point. All your emotions crashing down at once as you thrashed below Shouta.

“Easy now easy, calm down kitten. You did really good, better than I thought you were going to. If you calm down I might be willing to reduce your punishment, but you have to stop throwing a fit first.”

Despite his words Shouta was enjoying almost every second of your thrashing. The only thing he didn’t enjoy was knowing how disappointed you were right now. Anyone would be after coming so far. Now was his chance to make it up to you before giving Toshinori the go ahead. 

As your struggles subsided the only movement from your body was from your gentle sobs. Shouta for his part was slowly grinding his hard cock against your ass as he softly shushed you. 

“I know you’re disappointed kitten but I’ll make you feel better. If you’re a good girl for me I’ll be willing to look past that little dirt tactic. You’re such a smart girl though, you really did catch me by surprise.”

Leaning down he began to whisper into your ear, removing the hand from your head and bringing it down to your clothed pussy. 

“You always were resourceful, it’s one of the things I fell in love with about you. If only you were a hero, but then again if you were I wouldn’t have had the fun of hunting you down.”

You felt your stomach drop at his words. All three of them enjoyed reminiscing about how they first saw you and all their subsequent actions that lead to your imprisonment. The effort they had put into bringing you “home”. It was beyond disturbing. 

“Please Shouta, not here. Can we, can we just go home first?”

“Maybe if I had found you 4 hours ago, but right now you’re treading on very thin ice. Be a good girl for me and I’ll make sure Hizashi and Toshinori don’t punish you too harshly when we get back.”

His large hand was pawing at your clothed sex, black hair draping over your own face as his body curled around you. He slowly rutted against you, excited huffs of air ghosting across the side of your face. You could practically feel his heart vibrating against your back he was so worked up. 

He gently rubbed his stubble against the side of your face, composure slipping a bit. While Shouta absolutely loved how feisty you could be, nothing compared to when you submitted to him. He craved the feeling of your tired body giving in to his ministrations, but he needed more. 

His hand quickly slipped between your pants and underwear, index finger eagerly aiming for your folds. He couldn’t care less that you were sweaty and dirty from the hunt. Right now all he could think about was the softness of your exposed flesh, and much to his delight, the slight wetness to your outer lips. 

“Seems like someone likes being caught more than they let on hmm kitten?”

He couldn't help but taunt you a bit, loving the way you sniffled and whimpered beneath him. You knew when to behave yourself, when to be good for him. Arousal was flooding his veins. The way it felt to rub himself against your perfect ass, even through layers of clothes, had his mind blanking out. 

Your core was warm, even without him dipping a finger inside. Gently he began to delve deeper, gathering up your arousal to spread around. Your pants were starting to bother him a bit, retracting his hands he made quick work of not only your bottoms, but his as well. You remained still for him, opting to sulk like a child as he prepared to ravish you. 

You were too cute like this, and with the lower half of your body on full display he couldn't help but groan in delight. Bringing a hand down he slapped your ass hard, mesmerized by the way your flesh gave way. You yelped in surprise, body rutting forward. His cock twitched as he palmed your sore flesh, cooing softly in apology. You glared back at him, pretty little face set in a pout.

As much as he wanted to slap your ass until you cried for him to stop he restrained himself. Although this was a punishment, he had set you up. He would go easy on you, not forgetting his promise to himself to help you forget the frustration you were feeling right now. 

Whenever you got angry you opted to stop talking, instead waiting for a moment of weakness to strike or quietly accept your fate. Judging by your defeated expression he could safely assume the latter 

Folding himself over you he brought his hand back down to your pussy, thumb working slow circles on your clit while he middle finger delved deeper. Your entrance was a bit tight, but with gentle persistence he worked his way inside. 

Your velvety inner walls clamped down on him. He couldn’t help but rut his aching cock against your bare ass as his mind drifted to the feeling of you clamping down on his arousal instead. Your whines of protest only further spurring on his overwhelming need to be inside you. 

Adding a second finger he began to pump into you with a bit more urgency. Your slick was quickly coating his hand as he hit all the spots he knew would work you up to your orgasm. Groaning in delight he brought his lips to your exposed neck, sucking and nipping at your soft flesh. 

He loved when he could tell you were getting close. Your warm walls would clamp down on him, breathy mewls and moans escaping your soft lips. You were rocking back into him, uncaring of the fact that you were grinding against him as you chased your release. In these moments you abandoned your resolve to fight against him, and he happily took advantage of that. After all, if your body knew what you wanted, surely your mind would catch up one day.

Your moans were more audible now, hands grasping at the forest floor. Your back was arched into him, desperate to use him. So close, you were so close he knew it, and right before you could finish he pulled his hand away. He laughed as you huffed in frustration. 

“Shouta pl-please.” Fuck, he loved it when you begged. It didn’t happen often with how stubborn you were but when it did he knew he had to comply. 

Instead of verbally responding he opted to do what he wanted to all night long. Lining up the tip of his cock to your entrance he groaned at the heat radiating off you. Pumping his hand along his length a couple times to lube himself up with your excess fluid he pushed the tip in. You stilled beneath him, and in one swift movement he fully sheathed himself. 

His mind went blank as you cried out in pleasure, wet walls convulsing around him as your orgasm tore through you. He held still, opting to gently pet you while cooing softly down at you. Before he met you, even with Hizashi, he had never been very vocal during sex. But now he couldn’t stop himself from babbling a bit, praising you for being such a good girl. 

As your body stilled in his arms he continued to plant kisses along your delicate neck. Your soft sniffles made his heart clench a bit, how was it possible for you to be so damn cute? 

“Alright kitten now it’s my turn. No pulling anything stupid, I won’t take long.”

This whole hunt had been one giant tease, working him up in a way he normally wouldn’t allow himself. Pulling out he groaned at the feeling of his cock sliding against you. Moving his hands he grabbed your waist, eyes transfixed on where you were joined. Your back was arched as you braced yourself on your elbows, presenting yourself to him. 

His mind clouded over, blood opting to drag his attention elsewhere. He began to push back in, desperate to feel you surrounding him. Setting a tempo he pulled about halfway out before slamming back in, loving the way your body moved as you bounced off him. 

His hands dug into your supple flesh, possibly leaving bruises. He could feel the oncoming of his own orgasm, the muscles in his lower abdomen pulsating. He was panting, heart racing in his rib cage as his eyes rolled back into his head. He didn’t have the patience to edge himself today, he needed this, needed you.

He loved hearing the way your breath was forced from your lungs when he fully sheathed himself inside you. He knew he was overstimulating you a bit, but the part of him that needed to find his own release didn’t pay that fact much mind. All he could think about was the way it felt to be one with you, lost inside your soft warmth.  

After only a couple more minutes of relentlessly pounding into you he couldn’t hold it back any longer. A wave like sensation rushed through his body as his hips stuttered. He folded over you, wrapping his arms around you as he felt his hot cum rush through his cock and fill your body. The emotions rushing through him as he released into you, the woman he loved, were indescribable.

It didn’t take long for his muscles to relax, euphoria swept away by the need to take a nap washing over him. You had long since stopped crying, remaining motionless beneath him. He wondered what was going through your mind as he held you flush against him.

“Sho-Shouta.” So meek, so quiet. His heart fluttered a bit. “Can we go home now... I want to take a shower.”

Chuckling softly he pulled himself out, groaning a bit at the feeling of overstimulation as your warm walls dragged against him. Leaning away he smiled as his cum leaked out your pussy. 

“Yes kitten we can go home. I’ll make sure to clean you up.”

You groaned in protest, hating when they insisted on washing you. He knew you liked your privacy but Hizashi and Toshinori were still going to want to punish you. He’d keep close by to keep them from being too harsh. 

Pulling up his pants he fished his phone out of his pocket, rolling his eyes at the sheer quantity of missed calls from the two aforementioned. Poor little kitten, it didn’t look like you’d be getting off easy. 

[tryingmyves]

Girl All the Bad Guys Want

okay i won’t lie, i remembered this song exists and i could not get the idea of a badboy!iida out of my head

this is a bit self indulgent because i was definitely that girl in hs lmaoooo

anyhow hopefully y’all like it too

PAIRING: Iida x Y/N

cw: badboy!iida

✨ tagging the iida army: @coleluuviida + @saturnity + @peachiileaf ✨

You have a reputation at UA, mostly with the male students. It isn’t something you put effort into maintaining or even something you cultivated on purpose, but you’ve gained some notoriety amongst your peers. At first glance, you don’t seem too different from your female classmates. You certainly don’t feel superior or disparate from them, but you’ve also never quite felt like you belonged with them. You don’t excel at being soft and demure, and you refuse to shrink yourself down in order to make others more comfortable in your presence. You spit in the face of all the things typically expected of a lady. And frankly, you’re more than a bit awkward when you hangout with the girls from your class. They always invite you to their sleepovers and shopping trips, and try to engage you in their conversations, but you’re always worried about saying the wrong thing or accidentally offending them. You’re never really able to add anything of value when they talk about the boys in your class - a recurring subject. Mina knows everything about everyone in class; she loves to gossip. It’s like her horns serve as antennae and pick up on all the juiciest secrets. She is always interrogating the other girls about their crushes but you just never really felt that way about anyone. Honestly, you find the conversations about who likes who to be a bit boring. You typically end up hanging out with Bakugo, Kirishima, and the rest of that squad. Boys are just easier to be around. They don’t get offended at your crass comments and your sometimes gruff disposition looks outright friendly next to Bakugo. 

Your undeniably attractive appearance, unquestionable skill with your quirk, and nonchalant attitude have landed you in the sights of several of your fellow UA students. You are the embodiment of do no harm, but take no shit and something about you is intoxicating. Mina frequently jokes with you about how the entirety of the Bakusquad is duking it out to see who gets to ask you out first. You roll your eyes at her, convinced she’s imagining things. But in reality you’re just clueless. As cliché as it is, you really are the girl all the bad guys want. Too bad you didn’t want them back. 

What you didn’t expect with your tough exterior, competitive nature, and tendency to slack off on class work is that class rep, Tenya Iida, would want you too. God, not even he expected it but he had fallen hard. You frustrate him. You’re just as smart as Yaomomo or Todoroki, but you skate by in class. You don’t outwardly disrespect authority, but you won’t blindly accept orders just because someone says so. He thinks the rap metal music you listen to while training is abrasive and doesn’t understand why all your favorite artists sound like they’re mad at their fathers. He finally gave up on lecturing you on the fact that the fishnets you wear with your uniform are not regulation and he was still wrestling with how he felt about learning you were one of the students caught at a dorm party with alcohol a few weeks ago.  More than anything he hates that you’ve so effortlessly got him pining for you and you haven’t even noticed. Iida loves the rules! Order, structure, regulation - these are the things that Iida covets, so why was he craving the taste of your lips on his?

He is tired of silently lusting after you, and decides he’s going to try actively pursuing you instead. Tenya thinks that you like “bad boys” so as foreign as the concept is to him, he concludes he’s going to have to take on that persona. He starts off simply, making a playlist of songs he’s heard you blaring from your dorm. He eases himself into your music, starting with Linkin Park and Korn, before adding Incubus, Machine Head, and even some ICP to the mix. He’s hesitant at first… the music just sounds so hostile and aggressive to him. But soon he finds himself relishing the fierce energy the songs give him. Tenya gets why you train to this sort of music, his workouts becoming more intense than ever. They end in his chest heaving and his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. His muscular calves throb vigorously after every run and he feels powerful. It gives him a new found confidence that he strategically channels into his interactions with you. For class today, Aizawa simply instructs you all to pair off and spar. You’re about to ask Sero to partner with you when he approaches. 

“Y/N. You’re with me.” Tenya doesn’t ask, he’s telling you you’re his partner. 

A small sound of surprise leaves your throat at his unexpected forcefulness, but you don’t question it. You just nod, giving a small shrug to Sero before following the class rep to a vacant spot of the training gym. 

You look over your challenger, rolling your head on your shoulders a few times to loosen up. “Don’t expect me to go easy on you. You asked for this,” you smirk, bringing your fists up in a defensive stance. 

Before you can even blink, Tenya has closed the 10 foot gap between you, sweeping a long leg beneath yours in a circular motion, knocking you off your feet. You land with a thud on your back and the air in your lungs is forced out with a nmph. 

“Just try to keep up, Y/N.”

Oh, it’s on. Previously you found Iida’s flustered demeanor around you endearing. But this new, assertive, almost cocky disposition is irresistible. His momentum propels him in a circle while he stays anchored in place on his massive left thigh. As he finishes turning through the motion he reaches forward hoping to pin your arms to the ground, but you’re just getting started. You plant the palms of your hands on either side of your face and kick up from the ground with a boost from your quirk. The added flow of air thrusts your legs up and over your head so you are now standing once more. You are sure that the soles of your shoes connect with Iida’s face during your arch through the air. 

“It’s not going to be that easy, specs,” you taunt. Now it’s your turn. 

You launch yourself at Tenya, closing the small gap between the pair of you in an instant. He extends a locked arm to block your approach but you simply dip your head, gliding underneath and down the length of his limb until you are just one step behind him. You pivot on your right foot as you swing your left arm across your body. Your open palm lands just between Tenya’s shoulder blades, your natural momentum accompanied by a gale force wind. The impact knocks him off his feet and sends him toppling forward. Tenya’s speed is unmatched and his large frame is covered in tone muscle, but with the addition of the very air around you, your strikes are ferocious. Your air quirk aids in your mobility, but you’ve used it to master hand to hand combat. You dominate in tight quarters, so you just need to keep Tenya close. He’s already returned to his feet, calculating his next move. The moment ‘s hesitation creating an opening for your right shin to collide with his side. Tenya growls through gritted teeth in response to the blow and the feral vibrations send shivers down your spine. Instead of recoiling from your attack Tenya’s hands clamp onto your shoulders like vices. His brows are furrowed in smug determination, and he practically sneers “Recipro Burst!”

You are propelled backwards rapidly, the gym surrounding you flashing by in a blur, the only thing you're able to see clearly is the dark glint in Tenya’s eyes and the zealous grin on his lips. You try to activate your quirk to counter his momentum, but it’s futile, he is pushing you backwards so quickly you can’t manipulate any of the air whizzing past you. Your back is suddenly pinned to the back wall of the gym, Tenya’s large hands holding your slender wrists to the concrete wall. He places a muscular thigh between your legs so his left knee is pressed to the wall as well - he has you completely immobilized. Both of your chests are heaving, your faces no more than three inches from one another. You don’t know what possesses you but you smash your lips to his, desperate to close the miniscule gap between you.

Tenya’s body stiffens in shock for a moment before he opens his mouth, snaking his tongue past your lips. You wrench your hands from his grip, placing one on the back of his neck and tangling the other in the mess of his navy hair. You didn’t expect the class rep to be such an amazing kisser, but when he catches your bottom lip between his teeth you can’t contain the soft moan that escapes you. Tenya swallows your noises and begins to pull away. Your lips hungrily follow after him, but you’re stopped when one of his calloused hands rests on your neck with just enough force to hold you in place. 

“Such public displays of desire are unbecoming of future heroes, Y/N. Come to my room this evening and we can finish this privately.” And with that, Tenya separates himself from you completely, already settling into a stance that signals he is ready to continue sparring.    

[lightning-philosophy]

Fallout New Vegas Missing Courier AU

Idea: The courier went around the wasteland and recruited all the companions. She sleeps with Benny, but doesn't kill him, and then kills House and installs Yes Man.

The point of divergence is that the courier said she had "personal business" to take care of, and then she just vanishes from the Mojave. After a month of waiting, Yes Man summons the companions to the penthouse.

First, they need someone to gain an audience with Caesar, recover the chip, and activate the securitron army. The form a makeshift caravan so that Cass and Rex can scope it out, but they won't let her in.

While they continue to wait for a chance to recover the chip, Yes Man suggests they investigate the other two casinos.

Veronica and Raul put on their Sunday's best and hit the Ultra Luxe. They take EDE, as Arcade doesn't like him.

Arcade, Boone, and Lily go to Gomorrah. Unexpectedly, by drawing everyone's attention, Lily allows Arcade and Boone to sneak around more effectively.

Quest related hijinks ensue, which I might write up eventually if I have a good idea for a hook.

Cass returns empty handed, the casinos of the Strip learn to respect the courier's friends a little more, and Yes Man enquires about side bets.

Who cares if the Platinum Chip might be lost to the Legion forever? Those Securitron upgrades were total unnecessary, probably.

Without the upgrades, we probably need the support of groups around New Vegas.

Rejecting destroying the Brotherhood out of hand, Veronica goes to convince the Elder, bringing EDE with her to get upgraded while she's there.

Arcade goes to convince the other Followers.

Neither the Great Khans nor the Kings would want to talk to Boone, so he decides to head to Nellis alone.

Raul and Cass are sure to take Rex with them when they go to make sure the Kings still support an independent Vegas; of course they do.

Lily is tasked with convincing Vault 21. It doesn't go well, but it was kind of a throw away task.

Raul and Cass grab Lily and go to convince the Great Khans to stay in the Mohave and be a part of the community. Convincing them to break ties with the Legion is hard enough.

Not sure how each of these should go, besides Lily failing a throw away task (although it may be funnier if she succeeds).

The Second Battle of Hoover Dam fast approaching, the Courier is nowhere to be seen still. The team splits up to check places they think she would go. They identify four places, which they investigate in pairs.

Arcade and Veronica go investigate a crashed satellite, as they are the most likely to understand the satellite's prewar technology. They are abducted to Big Mountain, but no surgeries are done to them. Their Courier had apparently been there already, but left. As she had the only transponder, the Leader of the Think Tank, Dr. Dala, guides them through finding the right blueprints to make a new one so that they can return to the Mohave in time for the Second Battle.

Cass (experienced caravan expert) and Lily (very strong) join the Happy Trails caravan, thinking that the Courier might have been looking for The Burned Man. They're ambushed, just like in the base game. Joshua has no idea who they're talking about.

Raul repairs a broken holotape in the Lucky 38; it's a recording of Ulysses taunting the Courier. Refusing to get involved with someone so creepy, Boone and EDE travel the lonesome road.

Thinking he got over on everyone, Raul takes Rex for a night at the Sierra Madre casino.

[the-broken-truth]

Headcanon: The Lords & Mother Miranda Meeting Dire Werewolf S/O For The First Time

Broken Truth: Quick Note: Werewolves are 4-Legged and look perfectly like wolves. Lycans are Humanoid Wolf Beings. Dire Werewolves are much larger than werewolves - think as big enough to carry Alcina Dimitresecu and all her daughters on their back without fail.

- Lady Alcina Dimitrescu -

The S/O would have been captured by The Dimitrescu Daughters on a New Moon - The one time their powers are not in effect, so they would be stuck in their mortal form.

Once the morning sun rose, S/O would have broken out of the dungeon and made to the door, only to be stopped by the daughters and Alcina.

The daughters would circle the S/O and taunt them while the S/O bears their fangs at them and growls.

"Aw, you call that a growl?" Bela would taunt. "I'm sure you can do better than that. Try again, come on."

The S/O would drop to all fours and let the transformation rip through them before roaring at the girls and their mother, making them all back away at the massive beast before them.

The S/O would growl at them and Alcina before turning tail and bolt through the castle door - running down the path and disappear into the thick forest.

Alcina would think about them all the time while she alone, holding the fabric torn from their body during the transformation...and makes it her mission to find them once again.

But not before getting a jewel-encrusted, engraved collar made first.

- Lady Donna Beneviento -

Donna would be looking in the depth of the Valley of Mist for a rare flower that only grows there, so she wouldn't bring Angie in fear she might be broken from the rocks - completely unaware of the huge claw marks in the rock walls.

She would find the plants at the mouth of a large cave but the moment she goes to reach for them - a deep growl would come from the depths of the cave and large beastly eyes would stare back at her before the large canine come from the cave; snarling.

Donna would slowly back away in fear as the large creature comes closer to her - she would be so focused on keeping a distance that she wouldn't notice the rock behind her heel that causes her to trip and fall on her butt.

The large wolf would get right in her face - the hot breath would blow the veil away; making the wolf's eyes widen at Donna's face.

The Wolf would back away and sit down, just looking at the woman.

Donna would notice that the wolf looks more like a confused puppy than a monster that wants to eat her so she would stand to her feet and start talking to it.

"Is this your home?" The wolf would nod. "Are you going to hurt me?" The wolf would shake its head.

Donna would explain she was here for the flowers and the wolf would stand aside so that Donna could pick a few.

Donna and the wolf would sit for a while with Donna talking and the wolf reacting but when the sun began to set - the wolf offered Donna a ride on its back which she accepted.

The wolf gave Donna a ride back to House Beneviento - Donna offered it to stay but it refused and returned to the valley's end.

Donna would tell Angie about with wolf and end up making a doll to remember her wolfish friend.

- Lord Salvatore Moreau -

He was walking along the surface of his domain when he noticed very large pawprints - he thought it was Karl's Lycan but these were too wolf-like to be Karl's beasts.

He then heard groans and moans in pain and he followed them - he found a large wolf with a huge blade in his hind leg.

He slowly approached it but it growled at him, making him step back.

"It's alright... I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help you."

The wolf's growling lowered and it allowed him to remove the metal pieces from its leg.

'Did Karl have something to do with this?' He wondered.

After he was done - he used Healing Salve to close the wound but the pain was still there.

He would bring the wolf food and fresh water every day and the wolf gave him something he hasn't had in a long time: Friendship.

One day, he went to feed the wolf but found it was gone; it made him sad, thinking the wolf abandoned him but it was revealed the wolf went to get some elk meat for the two of them.

After a few weeks - The wolf revealed its human form to Salvatore and remained by his side for as long as he would have them.

Companionship - Salvatore finally had a companion.

- Lord Karl Heisenberg -

A few of his Lycans reported a massive wolf that killed a good number of them while injuring a few others. He was curious and decided to look for this creature himself.

What he did find was a human skinning a fresh elk kill. He laughed at the thought of this being the thing that killed a grand amount of his lycans but his jaws stopped flapping when that human exploded into a monstrous wolf - larger than any lycan he had.

This made him smile like a mad man - "You're perfect! I'll use you to make an army to kill that bitch, Miranda."

"You're not using me for shit!" The beast growled.

"It's not like you have a choice." Heisenberg made the sign and lycans attacked from all directions.

The large wolf made quick work of his lycans but that was a distraction until Karl gathered enough metal to stab the wolf in their hind leg to keep them from moving.

Out of desperation - the wolf ran with the metal in its leg and jumped off the cliff into the unknown.

- Mother Miranda -

The S/O was one of Miranda's test subjects that were injected with the Lycan Serum that had more blood and less Cadou - making them turn into a large wolf but with later training, they were able to control it.

The S/O was sleeping when they noticed something was off and broke free from the containment cell and found Miranda just in time to save her from an explosion from a flash she was working on - should she remained, it was going to turn her into ashes.

Ever since then, Miranda would keep the S/O near her side, mainly in wolf form - she loved having the massive beast sit behind her during lord meetings.

Heisenberg asked for the wolf's blood to make his lycans better but Miranda refused.

"This beast is mine and mine alone; there shall be no others like it."

[moonbaby26]

Title: What’s in a Name?

Pairing: Peter Maximoff x Reader

Summary: Continuation from last chapter. You and the others are finally homeward bound, flying back to the U.S. from the events in Egypt and Greece. You get to hear a little more about Peter’s eastern European roots while passing time on the plane together.

Warnings: None, just fluff and Peter being Peter.

Notes: I know where some things I’m referencing don’t match the comics. Blend of comic canon and the movie version going on here.

Chapters: Previous Chapter Here

Taglist: @drikawinchester , @n0obmaster69 , @alexloveskili , @what-a-silver-lining , @bluesprings18 , @weakmoony-stuff , @slytherinsi-mp , @wintwrsoldiwr , @tommy-braccoli , @amourtentiaa , @cringingmemeries , @bi-panicatthe-disco , @himbos-are-my-lifeblood , @simp4mcuwomen

Peter Maximoff x Reader Masterlist

—————————

The morning sun was still low and red on the horizon as you’d stepped back out into the open air of the flight deck. But seagulls were already calling from somewhere up above as men milled around, checking and readying a set of helicopters that you knew would soon be taking you ashore.

You wouldn’t miss this boat itself of course, none of you belonged here after all. But you’d be lying to say it’d been easy to let go of Peter when morning had come. You’d woken up far more tangled than you remembered going to sleep as, chest to chest, his good leg wrapped over you and one of his hands somehow far up the back of your shirt.

The longest part of getting ready had been the procrastination of leaving that bed. After that, it only seemed like minutes before you were all awkwardly standing up here now, waiting on next instructions. It wasn’t as if you’d had anything you could pack after all. Besides that somewhat silly polaroid picture you’d seen Peter carefully stowaway in one pocket of his shorts, you had no possessions to speak of here. Even the shoes they’d given you were some poorly fit military boot. The tops of them scraped against your ankles as you walked and you’d be glad to be rid of them whenever possible.

The Professor and Moira approached after another moment, Moira hurrying a little more as one of the helicopters began to fire up, followed by the other soon after. She had to speak louder over the rising noise of the blades rotating faster and faster.

“Keep these on you!” She called, going to each of you in turn, handing over a U.S. passport with a driver’s license closed separately inside. She only opened them briefly to check that she was matching each to the correct person. “The flight we’ll be taking is just a commercial plane. The government has contracted them and dictated the pickup and landing points, but it’s civilian pilots and flight crew. Normal security still applies, but only those with U.S. citizenship are allowed aboard.”

As she’d gotten to you and Peter, she’d handed both passports to you as you’d had your hand outstretched, and he’d still been holding on to his crutches. You quickly opened one just to see which was yours, so you could pocket only your own. The first one opened was his however, but even in the low light of early sunrise, your brain hitched on something unexpected.

The picture looking back at you was clearly him, albeit a little younger, and with slightly longer hair than the way he wore it currently. But that wasn’t the issue. You reread the name printed in front of you more than once, before glancing up to him as if to confirm.

It said Pietro Django Maximoff.

“Your real name isn’t Peter?” You asked, even over the helicopter noise before you could stop yourself. But the realization was already dawning on you almost before that last word left your mouth that so many people were called one name by friends and family even if their legal name may still be another. You felt a bit stupid then for your reaction, instantly wishing you could take the question back.

But thankfully he only leaned in with a smile, taking his passport and license from you even as he spoke right against your ear. “Define real.” He pocketed them, before continuing. The helicopters were at their full ready now. “But it’s a bit loud here, babe. I’ll tell you all you want to know about my sexy alter ego later, deal?”

—————————

By the time you’d gotten to the airstrip on shore, it was full morning sun now. And just as Moira had said, there was already a large U.S. commercial jet waiting there. You also found out you weren’t alone, as you’d had to join a line of people already waiting to board. They were checking credentials as people moved up one by one onto a mobile stairway that had been rolled up flush with the plane’s open door.

Looking around you, most of the would be passengers still looked like military of various branches though. Army, Navy, Air Force, they still had on their uniforms. But there were others too, likely diplomats being evacuated you thought. Men, women, even a few children as you’d seen the curious eyes peeking out from behind their parents’ legs as you all had also moved through the line.

“It had to be damn stairs,” Peter mumbled as the two of you neared closer to the plane. Without any actual terminal here, boarding straight from the tarmac was the only option.

“If Hank can help carry the Professor up them, wheelchair and all, I’m pretty sure I can handle you.” You responded, only meaning to give him a little grief.

But he just spun things right back on you of course. “Oh, you can handle me any time.”

And when your stare said you didn’t seem to find that quite as funny as he did, he only shrugged, still smiling. “Sorry, you left yourself wide open for that one.”

“I did.” You admitted. “But I still want to hear the story of that driver’s license. And why did you even have one to begin with? Seems a little unecessary.” You said, still moving up every few moments as you neared the bottom of the stairs.

Yet he just kept smirking at you, almost a seeming delight in his eyes then, realizing that you were that curious about it. “Now who’s impatient?” He taunted, just before turning back to flash said documents to one of the workers now checking them.

“Do you have anything to declare?” The woman asked him.

With the way he paused, you knew his brain was churning then to select whatever he would deem the funniest or wittiest response. But as odd of looks as you were all already getting, mostly from Hank and Kurt’s vivid blue skin as usual, it probably would be best not to test the waters any further. You did want to get home after all.

“We don’t,” You answered before he could, relieved when she seemed to want to hurry you all aboard and away from her as much as you did. She handed Peter’s passport back to him, then took your own in quick succession to glance it over as well before seeming satisfied enough as she handed it back to you.

After you were past her, it was the issue of the stairs however. Obviously they expected Peter to just figure it out, but you knew you could lend a hand. The trick was going to be in trying to keep that act of levitation a little more subtle though, still being in mixed company here.

“You should have let me have a little more fun with her,” Peter said, though glancing back with some curiosity as you moved behind him.

“I don’t want to make a scene,” you responded quietly. Really, referring to her just as much as what you were about to attempt. “Pretend you’re going up the stairs anyway. Move a little like you’re walking.”

The person in front of him on the stairs wasn’t looking back, and only more of your friends were directly behind you. With the sidewalls of the stairway also going up about waist high, the people still on the ground couldn’t see the little glow that went around his legs as you willed him to levitate just high enough that his cast didn’t drag the steps as you both continued towards the plane’s door.

“Woah, hey at least give a warning.” He responded, lifting his good leg up enough for it to also miss the now passing steps even as his crutches hit once or twice.”

“I did.” You answered, though still trying to look past him the whole time to make sure no one was looking back from the plane’s doorway. Once you’d gotten nearly to the top, you set him back down to do the last couple steps on his own and enter the plane normally.

Once inside though, the aisle really was too narrow to use his crutches properly. Maybe on a more normal flight more measures would have been taken to assist the disabled, but there sure wasn’t anyone offering anything today.

Kurt was behind you, and offered to take the crutches while Peter put one arm over your shoulders and you both half hobbled, half shimmied awkwardly down the aisle until you reached the first open seating.

Being a larger jet meant for transoceanic travel, there were seats in groups of three on both the left and right side of the plane, but a row of four in the center as well. You ended up in one of the rows of three on the side, letting Peter take the aisle seat to have more room for his leg, while you sat in the middle, and Kurt beside you at the window as he’d laid Peter’s crutches down on the floor underneath the seats.

You finally felt like maybe you could relax a little then, just glancing around a bit. There were some old magazines in the seatback in front of you, but probably not much of anything else any of you could really do now in however many hours it’d take to get stateside. You were pretty sure a passenger jet like this would be a good deal slower than the high tech military one you’d gone to Egypt in.

You were only looking up at the light and air vent controls above your seat next as a sudden movement and curse surprised you as your eyes darted back to the aisle.

“Goddamnit.” A man said.

His soft sided suitcase had just burst open, spilling most of his clothing onto the floor as he then paused to shove it back in as best he could. He struggled with the zipper a moment, but it only slid back and forth uselessly, no longer sealing the bag back. “Cheap ass government issue,” He added, finally just picking up the whole thing and holding it closed against his chest as he walked on.

And that random event would have been nothing more to you, except for the way you saw Peter move his head back then, sucking in a pained breath through his teeth as he gripped the armrest between you.

Kurt noticed too, leaning forward as he asked, “Are you alright, Peter?”

“Yeah, sure,” He grunted.

But as you glanced down to see Peter’s other hand now clutching his broken leg, you also saw a newly materialized pair of sunglasses pressed between his fingertips and the cast. As well as a military jacket now folded messily under his seat.

“That was you.” You spoke abruptly, yet low enough just for the three of you. “You took those out of that man’s suitcase!”

“Well I didn’t think the stupid zipper was going to break when I tried to close it back! He’s right, that was a cheap zipper.” Peter admitted.

“And you hurt yourself trying to get back into the chair didn’t you?” You chided a little more, not quite sure what was worse, the thievery or the recklessness.

“I hit my foot on that damn bracket, and the vibration went through the bone.” He motioned to the metal bracing that bolted the seat in front of him to the floor.

“Thou shalt not steal,” Kurt said, not judgmentally, but just as if this should be an inherent truth as he still looked to Peter with concern.

“Oh man, so I get like twelve hours of flight time to look forward to, trapped next to you two goody two shoes then? Awesome.” He joked back, though already looking back down then at the sunglasses in his hand with a little admiration. They had a mirror finish as he spun them over in his fingers. “And hey, you guys are the ones who burned up my last jacket back in Egypt, remember? I’m not going home empty handed. I’d been wanting one of those army looking deals since we got here. Buzzcut there seemed like he’d have one.”

“Mama look!”

All three of you paused your talk then to see a small boy now standing in the aisle as the movement of people had slowed once more with passengers stopping to put their luggage in the overhead bins. But his mother didn’t seem to be paying him any mind as he continued to point. She was talking to the man in front of her as that man fought with an oversized suitcase.

The boy continued staring though, likely at Kurt. But it wasn’t really a fearful gaze, more excited than anything.

“Guten tag,” Kurt said cheerfully regardless, just waving in return.

And at that the boy’s eyes really went wide. “Sprichst du Deutsch?” The boy stammered a little, yet with the biggest grin.

“Ja, ich komme aus Bayern.” Kurt replied.

And that spontaneous connection over a surprise shared language would have been truly adorable too if Peter wasn’t suddenly leaning right over you to interrupt it.

“Yo, Kurt, ask him if I can borrow some of his markers!” Peter pleaded abruptly.

“What?” You and Kurt both said almost simultaneously.

“The markers, he doesn’t need the whole box. I only need like three colors, tops.” Peter answered, motioning back to the boy. And when still neither you or Kurt seemed to understand this sudden sense of urgency, Peter actually put his hands together like making a little prayer. “You told me you didn’t want me to steal, so I’m trying not to. Come on, at least a red one?”

Kurt really was confused then, but he did lean forward, saying something else in German to the boy.

At that request the boy did look down at the coloring book rolled in one of his hands, and the small pack of markers sticking out of his pocket that evidently Peter had somehow put a target lock on.

But he really did like Kurt apparently as after only a couple moments of thought, the little boy opened the marker box to pull three out.

“Sweet!” Peter said as the child handed over red, black, and blue to him. “I’ll give them back in a bit, right?” Peter added though, smirking at him. “Thanks, little dude.”

And it was all just the oddest thing to you as the boy only happily waved bye to Kurt after, the movement of people starting again as he and his mother continued on to go sit a few rows further back.

“I don’t even know what just happened,” you said after they were gone.

“That was world class negotiating, babe. I mean Kurt literally just smooth talked some colors from a kid with a coloring book in his hand on a twelve hour flight.” Peter responded.

“You are actually going to give them back though aren’t you? You told him you would.” Kurt replied with a little concern.

Peter kind of shrugged, “I mean yeah, I guess so.”

“He’ll give them back,” You added for him. “Or I will.”

“Okay, okay, jeez. Yes, it’s not going to take me hours to do anything. Ever. I’ll have this baby gussied up in no time.” Peter responded, patting his cast gently. “You can’t leave a blank canvas to a guy like me. Especially if I have to stare at this thing for weeks.”

And he was right, you weren’t even in the air yet before he just started doodling away.

————————————

Thankfully the plane only stopped one more time, at an air base in France to pickup more U.S. government evacuees, before at last the wings were over water and you were finally pointed home.

By now Peter’s cast looked more like those advertisements or example sheets on the walls of any tattoo parlor. Yet when you made a comment as such, the sly grin you got in return made you instantly wish you’d thought that through a little better.

“Ah, so you’ve been in a tattoo parlor then?” Oh he was so interested in this topic now. You could see that wolfish look coming into his eyes. “You’ve got some ink somewhere?”

“I don’t.” You’d thought of doing it though, quite a bit actually. But it was such a commitment. You’d probably keep that tidbit to yourself for a while though, lest he try to drag you immediately to a tattoo shop on the drive to D.C.

“I’m not totally sure I believe you.” He answered, though leaning in to whisper in your ear after, “Think you’ll let me check some time?”

The fact that he was still so bold with Kurt literally right beside you, made you wonder if you really should be making sure whatever rental car you ended up with later was just some sort of bucket seat tiny two door thing. If it was a boat like sedan with a full bench back seat, you might actually be in trouble tonight.

“We’ll see,” Is all you answered back though. At least for a moment before you realized now was as good a time as any to flip the conversation back on him.

“So when do I get to hear the Pietro story?” You asked, relaxed into your seat as much as the small space would allow. “Kurt and I have nothing else to do. Let’s hear it.”

“The who?” Peter teased back, just working on giving one of the pin up girls he’d drawn a little better shading.

“Or Django. Either Pietro or Django, they both sound pretty interesting I think.” You replied playfully.

Peter glanced at you, but smiled a little. “You’re just going to be disappointed actually. I was just hyping it up, there’s really nothing to it.”

“Then go on, it’ll be a quick story then.” You still wanted to know more about him of course, and every piece was just another part of the whole picture.

“Django was my grandfather. Mom’s dad back in the old country.” Peter replied, still just finding more and more little details to add to his drawings. “I didn’t really know him. Mom never liked to take us back there much to visit. I mean it makes more sense now of course. She didn’t want my Dad to know where she was. But back then I just figured she thought that place was creepy.”

“What place?” Kurt asked innocently enough. You both were actually equally curious to whatever Peter might say about his family. Like he’d said before, Kurt wasn’t used to having friends his own age. And learning more about each other now was all part of growing those bonds.

“Wundagore Mountain,” Peter replied. “And trust me, as much as it sounds like the newest ride at some amusement park, it’s totally not. I remember being like five and going back there thinking Dracula himself was going to yank me out of that freaking soviet tin can Mom was driving us around in. Wanda still swears she heard voices up there. I mean I don’t know, we stayed with Mom’s aunt one time and she tells us this thing so creatively called Man-Beast was going to come down off the mountain for us if we didn’t behave.”

Peter glanced over to the both of you, further clarifying, “Not like Hank or anything though, it was basically just a werewolf I think. But if it’s a werewolf, call it that you know? What the hell is a Man-Beast? They had so many weird things that could take children. I feel like every story was, oh but don’t do that or Porga will get you. Oops, you talked back to your mother? Guess Tagar is coming tonight. Darn, forgot to brush your teeth? Nice knowing you, kid, Bova’s going to take you to live in the woods forever now.”

You were sort of just staring and listening, but out the corner of your eye you saw Kurt only nodding as if in complete understanding. You would hazard a guess that parts of Bavaria evidently had very similar folklore. Between the two of them, they could likely trade stories like this the whole flight.

But Peter just continued, “But yeah, Django was my gramps, just met him a couple times. And Pietro...well that’s just me. Like I said, nothing special. I was Pietro all the way until Mom started us in kindergarten.” He smirked a little. “Guess she figured the dorky little Jewish kid with the curly brown hair needed all the help he could get fitting in with all the John’s, Mark’s, and Scott’s of the world. And yeah, feel free to tell Summers I said that later.”

So she’d Americanized his name. It wasn’t unheard of with first or second generation immigrants, but still there was something a little sad about that. Yet you smiled softly, that image of the kindergarten age Peter frankly adorable in your mind. “You were a baby brunette?”

“Until the old X-gene flared at 12 or whenever that was yeah,” But he paused, a little surprised, just then realizing what look that was on your face. “Oh stop, you’re picturing it now aren’t you? I was a total dork, don’t do that. Seriously, no! I swear I will never let you find those pictures.”

But you just kept grinning. “No need. I can imagine this forever.”

“Hell, where is Jean?” Peter looked around in a little show of dramatics. “Memory wipe needed on aisle 3, Red.”

It was just too funny though, and honestly it made all the sense in the world. The physical resemblance between Peter and Erik would have been a lot more noticeable had they both still shared similar hair color and texture. Yes, you would bet Peter’s hair had even had that bit of auburn in it too back then.

“But I do have a question,” You spoke then, your tone sincere. “What do you actually want to be called?”

“Sexy?” He answered at once.

But you didn’t let him off the hook that easily, still waiting patiently for the real answer as you just watched him.

Finally he relented, but still seeming a bit non committal. “I mean I’ve heard both for so long, I answer to either. Really, I do. But if the Django comes out though, that’s Defcon 1. It means I’ve done something catastrophically wrong and Mom is about to go full on nuclear on my ass.”

You considered this for a moment, before trying it. “Pietro,” you said, looking for any difference in his expression.

He did grin at you, eyebrows going up a little.

“Peter?” You asked then.

And to that he just continued to smile. “Babe, it’s like you’re trying to pick the name of the new dog.” He raised the pitch of his voice a little, imitating a generic wife you guessed. “Honey, which one does he like better? Did his ears go up at that one?”

“Hey, I’m just trying to figure things out,” you defended. “Guess I’ll just go back to imagining all that curly brown hair now.”

“Noooo.” He whined.

———————————

The three of you had joked and talked for quite a while. But somewhere, maybe about two thirds through the flight, things did quiet back down. Eventually you decided to try and sleep some if you could. You weren’t tired yet, but you knew you would be by the time you landed.

With the difference in timezones, even though you’d left early in the morning Greek time, it would likely only be around lunch time in the U.S. after landing. While you already would have been traveling for almost twelve hours.

It was as if you’d get to repeat the day all over again. You had all that time still ahead of you, including having to convince the Professor to let you drive Peter home.

You closed your eyes for a bit, thinking of all the hypotheticals of what you could say. What you would argue if needed, and what Xavier may say in response. But as you tried to let your thoughts drift further, you realized you’d crossed your arms, little chill bumps on them as you opened your eyes to look up at the air vent above you.

Was it stuck open? You fiddled with it a moment, but felt no difference. Shifting to sit back up a little, you looked at the seatback in front of you again as well, in the pouch there with the old magazines.

“They don’t have any blankets,” Peter said quietly, easily interpreting the reasoning for your search.

You’d thought he’d already been asleep just as Kurt was though. You were surprised as Peter reached out, smoothly laying that jacket over your chest and arms. The one he’d taken earlier.

“See.” He added. “Crime does pay sometimes.”

You gave him a skeptical look still, but the jacket really did make the difference as you leaned back again in the seat, snuggling into it. “Thank you, thief.” You answered softly.

“Any time.” He smiled a little, before reaching down to click the button on the armrest between your seats. He moved the armrest up and out of the way, then running a warm hand under the jacket to find one of your own.

You grasped his hand when they met, intertwining your fingers together.

“Have a nice nap, see you in Jersey.” He said, yet closing his own eyes as well.

“See you in Jersey, Pietro.”

You felt him squeeze your hand more at that, and you couldn’t help but smile.

————————————

(Continued in next chapter here)

[glowingbadger]

God your galaxy brain brat tamer!Zelgius is just *chef's kiss*

If you don't mind, how about a request for Zelgius and a little bratty fem!s/o (with a size kink 😩) teasing him and riling him up all day

YES please ugh. I wish all cute little subs a very get railed by your big strong dom~

CW: punishment, brat taming, sub/dom

Zelgius (FE:POR/RD) x Fem Reader

NSFW 18+

You know fully well that you're playing a dangerous game. Not many would intentionally provoke Zelgius, easily the strongest of Begnion's army, among other less widely known accolades. Most would assume that even his lover would hardly dare such a thing. Yet you'd resolved to spend the day testing the waters of what you could get away with.

He'd noticed immediately, of course; even the hint of a coy glint in your eye as you'd looked him over that morning was enough to imply your intentions. At the time, he'd only raised an eyebrow curiously, observed your tighter-than-usual attire, cleared his throat and went about his duties. Later on, you come to visit him between training exercises with his troops. While you know that interrupting their regiment would be beyond the pale, you do dare to punctuate your little chat with a lingering kiss on his cheek- which of course, you ensure happens in full view of his subordinates. While stifled chuckles and whispered comments move through their ranks in a wave, Zelgius' eyes narrow and lock on you as you turn innocently to leave him to his work.

Finally, a number of lingering looks and light touches later, you make the move that you know will earn you your punishment. In the middle of a droll strategy debriefing, you sit beside your stoic lover as he reviews the status and morale of his troops for those in attendance. Then, as he speaks, your hand rests gently on his firm thigh. If he notices, gives no indication, merely continuing his report. Yet as he makes his final notes, your touch slides gradually up his thigh, reaching warmer and more dangerous territory.

The moment he concludes his review, he directs a sideways glance at you that makes his intentions abundantly clear. The quiet fury in his eyes tells you clearly that you will pay for your behavior- and by now, you're eager for it.

You enter his quarters that night with a mischievous smirk and a pounding heart. He makes as handsome a picture as always, seated at his desk with immaculate posture as he writes what looks like some form of correspondence- likely to that mysterious master of his who, even now, he refuses to speak of to you in any detail. When you approach, Zelgius doesn't acknowledge you until you drape your arms around his broad shoulders and nestle your face against thick black hair. Whatever he's writing, he turns it face down onto the desk, then side-eyes you and says,

"You have been absolutely incorrigible today."

"I'm certain I don't know what you mean," you reply, your lips brushing the shell of his ear. With a sigh of exasperation, he pushes himself out a bit from his desk. Then, his hand finds your waist and he directs you forcefully to stand in front of him.

"I know you're quite aware of your own attempts at provocation," he says firmly, "and as I'm sure you are also aware, there will be consequences to follow." His voice bears a dangerous edge, but you bite at your lip and smile sweetly.

"Attempts at provocation?" you ask playfully, "it seems to me like I've succeeded."

You only see the flash in his darkened eyes for a moment before he seizes you by your hips and turns you toward his desk. As your next sassy response begins to form in your mind, he raises his hand behind you, and when he brings it down across your ass, you give a gasping yelp and subconsciously bend forward over the desk. The rounded flesh of your backside jiggles and aches at the impact, but you hardly notice amidst the rush of arousal that plunges through your center. Zelgius only spanks you once- he knows once is all that's needed. Then, he tugs down your underclothes and pushes up your sorry excuse for a skirt, he sees that the spot he struck is already tinted an angry red. When you manage to speak, you can't possibly camouflage the lust in your voice with affected defiance.

"Is- is that all? You know I can take more."

"Don't try this with me, Y/N." Zelgius warns. His large hands cup your ass cheeks and squeeze them, bouncing them before him and emphasizing the sore spot of where he spanked you.

"I thought you said there would be consequence-"

A strangled cry pulls from your throat as he brings down his hand on your other cheek, striking you harder this time and immediately matching the first bruise. You're panting, clinging to the desk beneath you, yet he doesn't say a word. Only vaguely aware of the sensation, his thumbs part the puffy lips of your pussy before him. The cool air of his quarters meets the wet heat at your core, finally drawing your attention from the lingering pain of your backside. Then, you feel yourself spread open for him, his strong fingers even stretching the opening of your drooling cunt a little as he observes you.

"How shameful," he says, his voice low and masculine, "Could it be that misbehaving arouses you? How truly depraved."

All at once, you lose your footing and come tumbling backward onto Zelgius' lap as he tugs you down onto him. His hands hook under your knees and force your legs to sling over his thighs, spreading you open for him while your torso rests back against his hard, muscular chest.

"No matter," he growls against your ear as one hand works his member out of the front of his breeches, the other holding you firmly to him, "I will be certain to remind you of your place."

"You and what-" you're cut off again, this time by his hot, hard length pressing between your lower lips. He doesn't enter you- not yet. Instead, your labia slide against his thick, veined shaft, and glancing down, you can see the impressive length curving up between your parted thighs. "Oh..." you whimper softly at the sight of it, flushed to a dark red and practically threatening you with its presence.

Then, Zelgius lifts you, his powerful arms handling you like a helpless doll. You're left uselessly whining for him, arched back against his larger frame behind you as he aligns the tip of his manhood with your now soaked pussy. And when he lowers you onto the throbbing mass of his cock, he first nestles only the head inside of you. Zelgius allows your legs to support you just a bit on his lap, and you instinctively try to hold yourself up, prevent yourself from taking too much of him at once.

"I thought this was your aim," he says with clear derision in his voice, "Come now, hurry up and take it deeper."

"I- I can't- AAH-!!"

He grips your hips so hard they ache, and all at once, he forces you down onto his cock. You go completely limp against his body, your thighs violently shaking and your gut screaming with pain and pleasure. Your lips form the syllables of his name, but you can't utter a sound other than the occasional gasp for air. Zelgius trails battle-calloused hands up your sides, taking his time with the curves of your hips and waist, then up towards your breasts. Your vision blurs in and out of focus, but by the time you've just about caught your breath, you feel his fingers begin to roughly tug and pinch at your nipples, which stiffen immediately in reply.

"Zelgius- puh- please-!"

"Where has that rebellious spirit of yours gone, I wonder?" he says, his breath warm against your face, "I had hoped you would have a little more fight in you."

"Too... big-!" you whine, leaning your head against him as you attempt to shift your hips enough to accomodate for his massive length invading your body. Zelgius gives a contemplative hum, and while one of those large, powerful hands remains at your chest to fondle you at his leisure, the other slides down the front of your body.

"Where do you feel the tip, Y/N?" He murmurs as his touch reaches your pelvis, "Roughly... here, would you say?"

At first, you only produce a weak little moan.

"Answer me," he prompts, and by now, you won't dare to disobey him. You inhale deeply and force yourself to say,

"Deeper- it's... deeper than that."

"Show me." Zelgius' voice rumbles behind you. With trembling hands, you guide his own higher up your body, until it's just below your navel. "Here?" he asks, and you nod. Then, he presses down on the spot, and you gasp out his name as your eyes roll back. He's creating an unbearable pressure at the point where the thick head of his cock nudges up against your womb. Tears bead the corners of your eyes, but Zelgius either doesn't notice or doesn't care.

His hands leave your body quite suddenly, but before you can question him, his grip is at the back of your throat.

"Ride it," he commands, sitting back in his chair with his hold firm around your neck, "You wanted this badly enough to squander your day taunting me, so now is your opportunity to show me how grateful you are."

Your entire body burns, your thighs tremble with the strain of merely holding him inside of your stretched and abused cunt- but you force yourself to obey him. Slowly, carefully, you rock your hips forward, then back, grinding onto him and feeling his veins and contours rubbing against your inner walls with every shift. You brace yourself on the arms of the chair and push yourself up just enough to bounce your body up and down on his shaft. All the while, his hold on your throat never loosens. With time, he even uses this leverage to force you into his preferred rhythm, pushing you down onto his cock as he likes. And despite yourself, you can't withstand the incredible rush of being punished and used like this- like all you're good for is taking your powerful lover's cock. Your cunt twitches and squeezes in around him, your panting breath comes faster, more stilted. At last, your head tilts back, and Zelgius can obviously feel you cumming around him.

He scoffs, and for a moment, releases your throat from his grasp.

"You've cum already? What a disgraceful lack of endurance," he says, the words hardly reaching you through your pleasured daze. Then, his hands are at your hips once more, and he snarls against your ear, "I am nowhere near sated."

Zelgius brings you down onto the full length of his manhood with such force that, for a moment, you forget how to breathe. Any last vestiges of strength or resistance you might have had now vanish as he slams into you to the base. His hips push upward as his grip slams you down to meet him, and if you could even form a coherent thought, you might worry that he's bruising something inside of you. In no time at all, he's reduced you to a gasping, whining mess on his lap, your inner thighs coated in your release and your entire frame trembling against him.

His pace only increases, and by now, all you can do is lie boneless in his arms as Zelgius ruins you. You feel so small- so absolutely helpless- and it's wonderful. Subject to this mind-numbing pleasure, you can't imagine why you ever wanted to go against your lover's wishes to begin with. Now, feeling the bulging veins and ridged head of his cock dragging along your inner walls as he fucks up into you, you truly feel that you would do and give anything to remain forever as an obedient slave to his body.

"How dare you try to taunt me!" Zelgius practically roars as he fucks you senseless and breathless, "You've no one to blame but yourself for this treatment-! Do I make myself perfectly clear?!"

"Yeh-yesss...!!"

"What's that?!"

"Ye-yessir-!!" you cry, and at long, long last, Zelgius forces his full member into your deepest point, letting out husky groans through gritted teeth as his cum bursts out deep within you. His release is hot and thick as it fills you, each shot like an impact against your inner walls. You give a barely audible whimper at each volley, until finally, you feel his muscles begin to relax, and his spent cock give one final pleasurable twitch.

He huffs out a sigh and carefully lifts you up off of his length- but he knows full well that you're in no state to support your own weight. Instead, he cradles you to him and places a soft kiss to your forehead; and it would be a sweet and tender gesture if not for the excess cum already dripping down your inner thighs. Zelgius notes this with raised eyebrows, then exhales once more.

"Come now, let's get you cleaned up."

You wear a dazed, blissful smile, nuzzling against his chest as he carries you, and you murmur,

"Yes, sir..."

[bonjovian]

Never Let Me Go: Chapter Twenty-Three

Masterlist Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Four

Word Count: 1,283

Tag List: @oddballspamicorn @arrthurpendragon @seankayser @mokosun

The group is on their way to Cartanica, which is Niflheim territory. Their goal was to find one of the royal tombs, but drama starts up before they even reach the station...

The train ride was way too long for comfort. We'd been on the rails for a few weeks now. Though it was only my first time traveling this way, of course, I felt uncomfortable. I grabbed my journal out of my pocket and began writing in an attempt to keep my mind occupied. The tension between Gladio and Noctis only seemed to get worse. 

Prompto broke the silence. "We're going to roll through Tenebrae," He said softly. 

"Not before visiting the royal tomb," Ignis stated. 

"You're sure you're up for that?" Prompto asked. 

Ignis looked down at his lap and responded. "The wounds have mended. Eyesight is a matter of time." 

"It's your decision, Ignis," I said as I put my journal away. "But we are in a foreign land, and who knows what kind of wildlife they have."

"You aren't from here?" Prompto asked me. "If you don't mind me asking." 

I shook my head. "I was born in the Ueltham region. Grew up just outside the capital," I responded. I sighed and looked over at Noctis. He was sitting by himself and hadn't said a word the entire time. Gladio stood up and walked over to him. I winced, knowing exactly what was to come. 

"The hell is wrong with you?" Gladio snapped. 

Noctis just looked up at him. "What?" He asked in annoyance. 

Gladio continued glaring at Noctis. "We're not stopping in Tenebrae. You need to grow up and get over it." 

Noctis stood up and approached Gladio. "I am over it. I'm here, aren't I?" 

Gladio grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Maybe when you're not too busy moping, you can look around and give a shit about someone worse off than you," He growled. 

Prompto and I looked over at each other. Gladio was causing a scene, but telling Noctis to grow up? I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. However, I also pushed up my sleeves because I knew this was only going to escalate. It always did when Gladio was acting like this. 

"Let go of me," Noctis warned. 

"How's that ring fit you? You'd rather carry it around than wear it?" Gladio taunted. "She gave her life so you could do your duty, not so you could sit around feeling sorry for yourself!" 

"You don't think I know that?" Noctis snapped. 

"You don't! Ignis took one for you too, and for what?" Gladio yelled. Other passengers were staring at us. 

"Enough, Gladio!" Ignis ordered. 

Of course, Gladio didn't listen. "You think you're a king, but you're a coward," He lowered his voice. 

"Shut up!" Noctis yelled, pushing Gladio away. 

Prompto stood up and tried to break up the fight between them. "Don't do this," he pleaded, before getting shoved away by Gladio.

"Gladio! What the fuck is wrong with you?" I yelled as I stood up. 

Noctis shoved Gladio one more time. "I get it, alright? I get it!" He yelled. 

"Then get a grip! Pull your head out of your ass already!" Gladio snapped as Noctis stormed off. 

Prompto tried to run after him but was stopped by Gladio. 

"Leave him," He said before also taking his leave.  

I sighed and looked over at Ignis and Prompto. I tugged my sleeves back down. "I'm going to go to the diner car," I said softly. "I need a bit of time to myself." 

"Alright, we're almost there," Prompto nodded slightly. 

I nodded and walked away, making my way to the diner car and sitting down on one of the stools near the counter. I glanced over at the radio sitting nearby. 

I reached over and turned it on. My heart sank when I heard what one of the newscasters was saying. "High Commander Fleuret has been deemed accountable for Altissia's tragedy and sentenced to execution. Lord Ravus Nox Fleuret was promoted to the imperial army's top post amid the turmoil of the failed peace talks. The high commander's primary responsibility was restoring stability to Lucis. Yet his campaign against the Hydraean ended in disaster, incurring monumental losses for the empire and collateral damage to the area."

I put my head against the counter, tears stinging my eyes. He didn't tell me any of this, I thought. Did he know? 

I reached over to the radio again and turned it off. I couldn't listen to the rest of it. I just sat there, head in my arms and staring at the floor. 

"Excuse me, are you alright?" A woman asked as she sat next to me. 

I sighed and looked over at her, noticing her blue eyes and brown hair. It was strange being approached by someone I didn't know. "Not really," I responded after a moment. I was skeptical. I wasn't sure if this was something set up by Hecate or the empire, even if that idea was a reach. 

"What's wrong, hun?" She asked, a small smile on her face. 

I struggled to find words. "Guy trouble," I said after a moment. 

"Oh? Was it that fight that happened earlier, a couple of cars down?" She asked. "One of them was quite the looker. The one with the tattoos?" 

I shook my head. "Those are just my friends. The guy I'm having trouble with is someone else." 

She nodded slightly. "Ah. Can you tell me his name?" She asked. 

I bit the inside of my cheek in a moment of hesitation. "Ravus," I said softly. 

She laughed a bit. "The High Commander? He got what's coming to him." 

I grit my teeth, standing up. "If you want to be a two-faced bitch, go somewhere else," I huffed. 

"Look, hun," She said in a patronizing tone. "He's not a well-liked person. You should have known that when you got with him." 

"Go somewhere else," I repeated. I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging into my palm as I tried to keep my cool. "I am not in the mood." 

The woman left. I made my way back to the others, sitting down in front of Prompto again. 

"Everything alright?" He asked. I shook my head, and he got up and sat down next to me. 

"All this tension, all this fighting," I mumbled as he pulled me into a hug. "And to top it off, I just heard Ravus is set to be executed." 

Prompto nodded slightly, remaining silent for a moment. "Hey, he'll be alright, everything will be okay," he said softly. 

Ignis nodded slightly. "He is extremely resilient, don't worry." 

"I'm just so worried, about everything," I sighed. "I can't help it. But I know it's not good to linger on things like that. Are you going to build up the courage and tell him?"

Prompto blushed slightly. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"You know what I mean," I laughed, elbowing him gently.

Prompto just laughed awkwardly in response. "Fine, fine." 

As if on cue, Noctis walked back to a nearby seat, just out of earshot. 

"Well, go on," I smiled, nudging Prompto again. He rolled his eyes as he stood up and walked over to Noctis. 

"What is he doing?" Ignis asked. 

I just smiled, "Well, I'll let him tell you." 

I wish I could have heard how the exchange went, but whatever Prompto said had a positive outcome. He gave me a thumbs-up as he walked back to us. 

"So, how did it go?" I asked him with a smile.

"We're giving it a shot," Prompto smiled back.

Ignis nodded slightly but remained silent. I looked around, noticing Gladio hadn't come back yet. I really didn't care, especially since we were finally pulling into the station. It was time to find a royal tomb in a foreign land. 

[itsallanimeandgames]

Sore Loser (Seto)

Seto Kentaro x Reader

Warning: Words & Suggestive Content

A sore loser takes his anger out on you when he loses to Kirisaki Daiichi.

“There she is...”

You were completely unaware of all the attention you were receiving from across the hall. Your eyes were solely fixed on the tall figure before you. His slicked-back hair a sign that he had been called on by Hanamiya today.

“Sorry I missed it was hard getting time off work.” You pushed your hair back over your shoulder in an attempt to placate your wild locks. They had gone through significant turmoil as you rushed and ran the last few blocks.

“You should quit,” Hanamiya bluntly suggested. He wasn’t a fan of overachieving students like you who tried their best to the point of exhaustion.

His blunt statements no longer fazed you. Ignoring him completely, you strode past him to attach yourself to the owner of your heart. He was warm and sweaty but you could care less. The sight of his slightly exhausted face made you want to take him back to your place for a nap.

Seto comfortably leaned into you, his hand resting on the small of your back. His lips gently pressing against your forehead in the usual gentle greeting ritual that was a stark contrast to his appearance. 

“You should have gone straight home.” 

It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate your presence, rather he was worried knowing how hard they worked you at your part-time job.

“I wanted to cheer for you.” 

Hara pointed out you were still in your uniform which did nothing for him, unlike your usual short school uniform skirt. “Shouldn’t you wear something sexier to raise our spirits?”

The comment earned him a glare and click of your tongue. You knew “I don’t give a f*ck about your spirit.” 

Unbeknownst to you, the opposing team was grumbling as they glanced in your direction. A couple of them scowled feeling a sense of misplaced anger towards you who they had seen several times cheering on their cheating rival. Their captain instructed everyone to get over the loss and get ready to leave. 

A few of the younger members didn’t agree with him. They thought they had a duty to look out for their seniors. They wanted to do something about the injustice they faced.

“I’ll be waiting outside.” You let go of Seto’s hand so he could follow the guys into the locker room. The night was relatively warm but the cool breeze made up for it. It was ideal idling around weather. 

You leisurely walked with your phone in hand, mindlessly scrolling through social media until you got to a bench behind the gymnasium that was empty. It never crossed your mind to take a look around so you were legitimately startled when someone called your name. 

“Y/N-” 

A guy with light brown hair sat beside you on your left while a blonde took the right seat. One look at their uniform was all you needed to know why they were here. This wasn’t your first time being approached by guys from other schools. It was your experience that told you it was best to avoid them.

“That’s your name right?” His eyes roamed to your chest where your nametag gave away that he was indeed correct.

You got up to leave but only took a few steps when the light haired guy quickly caught up blocking your way and nearly making you bump into him. You took a step back only to bump into his friend.

“What the f*ck do you want?”

They were both slightly taken back by your language, not expecting the expletive.

“You’re that guy’s girlfriend right?”

“That’s none of your business-” when you took a step to the side they followed. 

“That guy hurt our captain’s shoulder. Coach said he might be out for the rest of the season.”

Honestly you weren’t in favor of the tricks or their manipulative plays. After watching for so long you were desensitized to their behavior. It was beyond you to feel their pain. Instead you celebrated Seto’s victory.

You sighed.

“Listen, talking to me isn’t going to change anything so back off and go home.” You looked back to his friend making sure they knew you were talking to both of them. 

This time when you tried to leave the light haired guy held onto your arm and tightly pulled you back. The quick motion caught you off-guard for a moment causing you to crash into him.

The moment was all seen by Seto who had been looking for you. He didn’t know what their business was with you and he didn’t care. All he knew was what he saw.

“Oh they better run,” Hara taunted with laughter when he saw Seto walk faster than he has ever before. “Should we watch?”

Hanamiya didn’t even stop to look. “What’s the point, it’ll be over the moment they see him.” He knew physical violence was unnecessary for such a scary looking guy like him.

Those first years were nothing but benchwarmers. They had only seen Seto from afar, failing to recognize how overpowering the army of one could be. As soon as he came up to them he pried the unknown guy’s hand off of you with no effort.

You happily joined his side now that they could no longer stand in your way. When you reached for his hand Seto noticed a bruise forming on your wrist.

“Did they do this to you?”

The guys took a step back, their faces a mix of anger and frustration. “We did nothing compared to you. Our captain’s shoulder is probably broken-”

“So?” He caught them off with one word. Then ignored them for a moment to grab his jacket out of his bag when he felt the wind pick up. He draped it over your shoulders to ensure your warmth. 

“Better?”

You nodded appreciating his attention to detail.

His lips curved up at the sight of his oversized jacket on you. It was gone in an instant when he turned his attention back to the offenders.

“Don’t come near her again,” Seto’s voice seemed deeper when he warned them. “If you have a problem with me then you come to me.”

The guys had to stretch their necks to look at him. The height difference was enough of a threat, however these two knew Kirisaki Daiichi would deliver on their threats on or off the court. 

“Whatever, let’s go.”

“That’s no fun,” Hara booed when he saw them leave with their tails between their legs. 

You leaned on Seto to take your shoe off and throw it at Hara. The bubble-popping weirdo caught it despite your wishes to have it hit him.

“Don’t mind him,” Seto picked you up and carried you over to Hara to retrieve your shoe. He took a hold of it and continued to walk home with you in his arms.

“I can walk.”

“It’s faster this way.”

You didn’t mind the stares but you wondered where this burst of energy came from. Usually after games he lazily leaned on you the entire walk home. When he walked past your home and into his you only gave him a look of confusion.

“From now on you aren’t allowed to leave my side.”

“We literally live next door to each other.”

He nodded in understanding but, “No one is home.” He couldn’t leave you to fend for yourself again. From now on he had to pay closer attention to your safety. 

He brought you to his room and finally set you down.

You were touched by his sudden overprotective behavior brought on by today’s incident. “I’m fine Ken-kun” you brought him over to sit on his bed. With him seated you stood in front of him, between his legs, now able to meet his eyes. “I’m actually pretty tough, you know?”

“I know,” his arms wrapped around you. “I still worry.”

“I know,” you copied his monotonous response. A giggle erupted at his stern look. “Thank you for worrying.”

At this height you were better able to kiss him, so you did. First it was a peck on the forehead then on the lips.

But a peck wasn’t enough.

Seto held you closer as he captured your lips. The two of you kissed in the silence of his home forgetting the whole ordeal. When it got intense he fell back onto his fluffy bed bringing you along on top of him. 

One thing you loved about your boyfriend was his passion for rest. Since he loved to sleep, his bed was always well-maintained. He kept the sheets clean, invested in a good mattress, and pillows.

“Oh,” you smirked playfully. “I thought you wanted me to rest?”

“Rest after.”

-end-

A/N: Thank you for encouraging me to write this one and hopefully I’ll get to Hanamiya too ^^

@kaidoslastbraincell​ @lukes-princess​ @zero-nightshade​

[aseioh]

Of Stars and Moonlit walks pt.3/?

Chapter 3: Evening with a view ( TRIGGER WARNING: PLEASE NOTE THIS CHAPTER DEALS WITH SUICIDE OF A FAMILY MEMBER. )

Days blur into weeks as life continues to buzz around the Castle. With harvest season fast approaching, Alcina and her daughters has been busy. Thankfully, most of their ‘wine making’ operation is contained in the basement. Donna has never ventured below the castle, and even though she offered to help with their ‘harvest’ Alcina declined good naturedly. After all, the process of creating “Sanguis Virginis” was a family secret -even though all the Lords knew what was inside the wine- still she appreciated the offer.  

Donna herself has been busy with helping Heisenberg in his factory, between this and her own work as Mother Miranda’s chief interrogator for prisoners, she was often left haggard at the end of the day. But beneath the tired feeling, Donna was proud of her work.  

After all she was needed, she wasn’t disposable.      

Donna remembers the first time she entered Heisenberg’s Factory and found it stifling. The metal doors that never seems to open and the constant smell of oil that permeates the air made her want to regurgitate her breakfast.  

‘Heisenberg himself carries the same smell, along with the smoke of his preferred cigar.’ Donna muses as she makes her way to the hidden lift at the side of the front warehouse. The lift itself was a new addition, after Heisenberg noticed Donna’s reaction to the metal doors he graciously installed the one way lift for her.

“A direct access to our workspace! We need to be efficient and what better way than an ‘in and out way’. No need to walk around the factory floor.”  Heisenberg boasted as he revealed it to Donna at the end of their first week working together.

Donna has never been more grateful with her ‘brother’.  

The two of them shared a passion of building things, a trait Mother Miranda noticed early on and took advantage of. Donna with her dolls and Heisenberg with his technical proficiency, the two would always discuss their newest projects after every meeting.  

When Mother Miranda said that she needed to expand her control, and increase their territory Heisenberg volunteered to make her a ‘mechanical army’, and with Donna’s help with in the early stages the plan was going along nicely.

Today had been a rather slow day for the two of them, after the field test of ‘Soldat’ prototype Heisenberg offered a break on their work. Of course, with nothing new on their plate discussions quickly turned to Donna’s stay at the Castle as well as its colorful inhabitants.

“So how’s the stay at the gilded castle?” Heisenberg inquired, as he lazily smoked his cigar, the red dot at the tip reminds Donna of the Soldats central weak point, something they need to remedy if they want the mechanical man to have a chance.

Donna sipping her tea frowns at the question. “Quite fine actually. I wished you would stop teasing Alcina, Karl. One day she’ll get so angry at you that you’ll end up as confetti on the floor”

“ohh, are we having a party Mistress” Angie pipes up from her stool.

“Now, now you know I’m only joking. and Alcina’s too strung up, it’s funny to piss her off. Besides I’m genuinely curious, are they treating you well? No headaches or nightmares? I know you get stress in new environments”  

“I’m fine Karl, Alcina and the girls are lovely. Even Angie is having fun” at that the Doll nods enthusiastically. “As for the headache, its manageable, the herbal tea helps”

“and the last one?”

“Like I said, manageable.” She said with finality

“Right, you know I care about you Donna. If anything happens, you’re more than welcome to stay here. You’re friends are getting antsy sometimes but all is well here. I’m sure they’ll be happy when they know that their Mistress is in the same room as them”  

“Thank you”

“Right enough about that.” Heisenberg extinguishes his cigar and stands up animatedly, walking to the side table with blueprints laying on top, he motions for Donna to follow him.

“So I have this new idea… what do you think if we attach a huge propeller at the head of one of the soldat”

The afternoon at Heisenberg’s factory just became interesting again.

----

In her dreams she wasn’t fast enough.  

It was always the same scenario, her and Mother standing near the viewing docks of the waterfall. The sound was deafening but she can distinctly hear Mother talking and saying that she will always be there for her and urging Donna to run back inside the house.  

Donna turns intending to follow her Mother’s order. She hears a soft “goodbye love” and when she looks back Mother is gone.  

Gone. Gone.

Gone…  

She makes her way at the edge of the viewing dock and looks down…  

---

It was Bela's turn to patrol the corridors of the castle, with the harvest of maidens it isn't uncommon to see one or two of their 'prey’ to try to escape. As she makes her rounds near the guest wing she hears a scream.

 ‘Donna!?’  

Bela hears Donna scream and rushes to the woman's room, thinking that someone had managed to escape and made their way to Donna's room or even worse. Bursting through and seeing there are only embers near the fireplace, Bela was about to light a candle when she was stopped.

"STOP!” Donna and Angie both shouted, the duality of their voices unnerved Bela. Donna was hunched over the bed, her hands shielding her whole face.

“Are you alright Donna?” Bela doesn’t sense anyone is in the room, and she felt her shoulders sag, she didn’t even realized that she was holding her breathe. Getting a better bearing of the room, she understands why Donna stopped her.  ‘Ah, she's not wearing her veil’ quickly turning around the other direction she makes her way to the fireplace and stokes it back to life.

Donna still feeling the effects of the nightmare answers in short burst.  

Bela doesn't know how to react on these situation, usually when one of them does experience nightmares they would just usually walk around the castle to decompress and shake the feeling off. On worst occasion when it was really bad they would knock on their Mother's door to seek comfort.

‘How do you comfort a woman?’  

An idea forms in Bela's mind “Would you like to have a short walk? That usually calms me down when I suffer nightmares” Donna considers the invitation, sensing that Bela will not leave her easily she agrees beside she doesn’t really want to be alone right now. She wouldn't want to worry Alcina if she finds out she had this outburst.

“Yes, I would like that” Adjusting her veil she stands up and makes her way to Bela. “Angie will you stay here. Alcina probably heard that scream, will you tell her that I'm with Bela if she comes by?”

"Yes mistress” Angie agrees and settles by the wingback chair near the fireplace . Donna approaches Bela, touching her shoulder. Sensing that it’s alright to turn around, Bela faces the woman, based on the tensed shoulders and wringing hands in front of her, she makes a bold move and gently takes one of the hands.

"Come, I know the perfect place where we can go.”

‘She has warm hands.’  Donna though looking down on their joined hands. She wonders when the last time someone held her hand this way.  

She comes up empty.  

A quick detour to the kitchen for some tea and Bela leads them to the Castle Garden.

Thankfully, it was a warm night.  

By this point Donna has managed to settle some of the earlier tension she's been feeling. She even managed to smile a little, although her companion cannot see it.  

“I will always be surprised at how big this Castle is. Tell me are you also the one that tended to these plants?” Donna motions to the assorted flowers encircling the garden.  

“Unfortunately not, we have the gardener take care of this area. I'm afraid I cannot tend to them when it becomes too cold.”  

“I see.”

Silence follows, as they made their way to the center of the garden where a small gazebo was located.

“Are you feeling well now?” Bela asked after some time, hoping that the open air and the calm night has settled Donna’s nerve.

“Yes, thank you. You were right the short walk really helped.”

Bela can tell with Donna’s posture that she was still not a 100 percent alright, so she decides to distract the woman with questions. “How did you become one of the Four Lords?” at the question Donna’s head snapped up.

‘Shit!’ Bela blanched further, if that was even possible for her. ‘what the hell kind of a question is that? Mothers’ going to kill me’  

Donna studies the woman in front of her. She weights her options on whether to tell Bela the truth or not.

‘You weren’t fast enough’ the intrusive thought taunts her on.  

“First, do I have your word that what I’m about to tell you here will not leave and that you will not divulge my secret to your sisters?” Donna asked seriously as her voice takes on a lower timbre  

“Yes”  

“My Father was the village doctor and we have always lived at the Beneviento mansion. One day my Mother met an accident when we were out near the waterfall. I say an accident because that was what Father said, Mother slipped while I was turning to go back to the house”

“And the truth?”

“She jumped. I don’t know why and until now I have never learned her reasons, but one moment she was there and next she was just gone.”

‘Gone’ she hated that word and the absence it implies.

“My Father never recovered from the heartbreak, then one day he met an accident and I was left alone. Alone in the truest sense possible. The only one I have left was Angie” Donna pauses trying to catch her herself and willing her mind to not spiral down further.

“There were the house servants and the gardener a nice old man who taught me how to care for my plants, but other than them I was a ghost. Just counting my days, existing without living. Then one day Mother Miranda showed up.” At that, Donna smiled recalling the time that the woman suddenly appeared on the anniversary of her mother’s death.

An Angel with black wing. Or was it the Devil?

“She offered me salvation from my loneliness; she gave me the gift to influence others. The moment I’ve received her power, I gave a little of myself to Angie and I was never alone ever since.” Donna lets her story end. Looking at the young woman in front of her, she was surprised to find tears streaming down Bela’s face.

“I’m sorry, I know it was an upsetting tale-“ Donna starts only to be interrupted by Bela standing up and embracing her.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Bela whispers as she rest her cheeks on Donna’s head “But I hope that you will never feel alone again, Mother’s here, Cassandra and Daniela are here-“

“And you’re here as well” Donna finishes Bela’s sentence

Chuckling “Yes, not to mention, Heisenberg and Moreau. Donna, I swear as long as I’m here you will never feel alone” Bela declares as she tightens her embrace

Donna sinks further into Bela’s embrace and for once, she felt it.

She felt peace.  

The two stayed in the same position for some time, With only the moon and stars as their witness.