#and who has nothing to her name and who needs weed to control her pain and also to sleep and is down to maaaaybe a week's worth

[remyfire]

The good/bad news is that Tumblr hates fun and is not letting me upload my screencaps so you are all free from my emotions about the episode I rewatched today.

[im-totally-not-an-alien-2]

Who's ready to feel pain again?

Here's an angsty eldrich horror prompt to make you cry <3

Au where Danny is blind and Damians younger twin. He was raised basically being told he was abandoned by his mother for his blindness and that his brother was healthy and happy with her. Meanwhile Danny's life was a living nightmare. No one wanted to adopt a blind kid in a small city like Amity Park, so he stayed stuck in the crappy little orphanage with neglectful caretakers. He hated this place and everyone in it, though he had no doubt his life would be much better if he hadn't been blind.

Danny was killed when a drunk driver purposely ran him over for something as stupid as ableism. Unfortunately, dying as a person with a lot of sorrow and angst in his heart inside Amity Park basically ensured he would become a spirit. That, or it had something to do with the Fentons expiramenting on his corpse.

No one could have known he would be so powerful though. Or that he would be able to "see" after his death. He soon became obsessed with finding the woman who abandoned him in this tiny city in the middle of nowhere and making her pay.

First, he needed a lair. He found out from research -aka possessing his mothers ninjas that felt like her and by extention, himself- that his father was Bruce Wayne- the Batman, and the first time in forever his heart filled with want.

He wanted a father. Someone who was kind and caring and who would protect him. Someone who would want him in turn.

He wanted brothers who would play with him and tease him and teach him him how to be like them.

He wanted sisters who would stand by him and hug him when he had a bad day and help him get away with things he wasn't supposed to be doing.

He wanted a family. The family Talia had cheated him out of. The life Talia had cheated him out of.

So he picked a mansion. A horrible dilapidated old thing, literally half falling apart. One pulse of his core transformed it into a billionaires dream. Everything was pristine as the day it was built. The gardens outside changed from weeds and grass taller than he was to beautiful paved garden paths, forever in full bloom.

This of course drained his energy and he fell asleep, never taking notice of the "For Sale" sign out near the gates

Needless to say, once he awakened he was not amused to see a couple unboxing thier belongings and taking over his home. He just wanted to scare them. He didn't think throwing heavy boxes across the room into thier heads would kill them, but it did. He killed them and there was no going back.

It was only a few hours later that he discovered whoever he killed within his lair would become a ghost.

A weak ghost fully under his control.

So he continued killing the people who moved in, but was sure to always give them a month to move out, signing a warning on thier calenders. Some left. Most didn't though, and became lesser ghosts.

His obsession with the picture perfect family allowed him to develop the power to trap any one person in a painting, but only one person per canvas and he had to have a full view of thier body and he has to do that double L thing with his hands and line them up in the center.

Once he lures his mother home with a mysterious letter addressed to her mentioning her League he wastes no time trapping her and hanging her portrait in the grand entryway.

He did the same with his Father, inviting Bruce Wayne and his wards to speak about someone committing corporate espionage in his company. Danny didn't actually know what that was but it sounded important, and the end goal wasn't to fool them but to get them here. Sadly nothing seemed to go as planned. First Jason snuck into the mansion as Red Hood a week before the planned meeting time and saw something he wasn't supposed to. Namely one of his victims. So he ordered the spirits to pin the startled Jason to the wall as Danny trapped him.

The painting came out better than expected. You could tell he was startled even with his helmet covering his face simply by his body language. The multitude of transparent arms coming through the wall to pin him made the scene all the more haunting.

The bats grew more concerned with each day that passed with no word from Jason and as the day on the invitation grew closer they begin preparing to go in groups. One group goes as civilians and the other sneaking about as vigilantes and trying to find Jason while Alfred and Barbara stayed behind to keep an eye on them and the mansion respectively.

Cue them arriving at the mansion and being forced to play real life Pac-Man and free thier kin from thier paintings while avoiding getting trapped in one themselves.

Eventually one of them discovered they could actually use the furniture around the house as weapons and Danny couldn't phase through it and they told the others about it so they didn't have to keep relying on Jason's unexplained ability to punch ghosts.

Eventually they manage to temporarily defeat Danny and escape the mansion. It was so hard on everyone listening to him sob from where he was pinned on the ground, begging them not to go. Promising to be the best little brother, the best son, he promised to be good.

Bruce took it the hardest. He had failed another of his children but he needed to get the rest of his family out of the sprung trap before the weaker spirits dug Daniel out of the rubble and the mansion is pulled back into that pocket dimension and captured them again. They had been here a while and he was fairly certain his family could go for a round 14 but he wasn't sure they would last beyond that.

So they left. But Bruce silently promised himself he would come back for his son. He kept repeating it over and over in his mind like a mantra to block out his sons desperate cries as they left him behind.

Needless to say the ride back to Gotham was mostly silent as his children processed everything that happened.

[raineydays411]

So warm and tender

Tony Stark x Daughter!reader

A/n: Hello! finally the last part of Ember. I hope you guys like it and sorry for making y’all wait so long for the confrontation lol)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/n’s POV

“Aunt Pam?!” you say in shock as you stop struggling against the vine wrapped around your body.

“Y/n, is it really you?” your aunt said as the vine loosened its grip and gently lowered you on the ground. “ Where have you been? Everyone has been going crazy looking for you”

You don’t answer as you look at your aunt. You didn’t realise you missed her as much as you did but now all you want to do is throw yourself in her arms. So you did.Pam, sensing you needed comfort rather than an interrogation, wrapped her arms around you. “I missed so much my Petal.” 

With those five words, all the hurt and pain you bottled up came out. and you cried.

As you cried, your aunt looked at the girl she hasn’t seen in eight years, and wondered what she’s been going through and if she did the right thing by giving you to your father all those years ago.

“Petal, I think you need to explain what’s going on”

You look up and sniff, “ Yeah, i think an explanation is well in order.” and you tell her everything. From the years of being ignored by your father, your last argument, the two weeks you spent in captivity, and your new powers. 

“ And that’s when I found you.” You finish looking at the grim faces of Pam and the other woman, who now that you think about it looks really familiar. 

“Oh, you poor puddin’!” you found your face being squished between two ands and then you were comically pressed against a body in a tight hug. 

“Don’tcha worry bout a thing, me and Pammy will take care of everything, you just sit here and---”  This seems familiar...

“ Harley, I don’t think she can breathe.” “Oh right, now you remember, it the blonde woman who used to sneak into the apartment”. You think to yourself as you struggle to get loose from her grip. You hear someone snicker and see Danny looking at the commotion. 

“ Shut up Danny, where have you been?” You say, forgetting that you’re the only one who can see him. 

“Exploring, do you thing she could hug me like that too?” 

“ If you weren’t already dead, I’m sure they would kill you for that comment”

Pam and Harley look at each other in concern as it seems like you’re talking to yourself. 

“ Hey kid, if you’re gonna talk to yourself, try an’ do it when other people can’t see you, like me.”  The blonde says as if someone talking to themselves was a daily occurrence for her.  You explain that with your powers, you were basically dead and can speak and see other dead people. Hearing that, Pam’s expression darkened

“He let you die?” she said in a grim tone. All the vines and plants in the room started whipping around angrily as if they were looking for the person who wronged you. It was then when you realized it wasn’t your Auntie Pam who taught you how to plant petunias you were looking at, this was Poison Ivy. 

“ Men, you can never trust em’. Well, whadda say little flower, ya up for a little premeditated murder?” and that was the infamous Harley Quinn. 

“ It would’ve been nice to know that you’re related to scary criminals y/n....” Danny said in a fearful voice. And if you were being honest you just found out that your aunt Pam was also the Poison Ivy but to be fair you haven’t seen her since you were like eight. 

“I don’t want to kill him” you finally say. “ I don’t want anything to do with him. Nor his precious Spiderling.” The plants calm down as Ivy calmed down and was your aunt Pam again. “ What do you want to do?” she asks.

You think to yourself and say,” I want him to know how he made me feel, and then I want to stay with you.”  Your aunt and Harley froze when you said that. 

“Petal, there is nothing I want more than for you to stay with me again,” She started, “ But it isn’t safe for you to stay.” Your eyes started to water

“But I-I have powers now, I can defend myself! I won’t be any trouble, it’ll be like I’m not even here” At this point, anything was better than going back to being invisible. “Please...I don’t want to go back...” 

Hearing the desperation in your voice broke Pams, Harleys, and Danny's heart. Pam because this was the daughter of her closest friend. She vowed to protect you from anything the day you came to her after losing your mother. Seeing you like this just reminded her how she, in her mind, has failed you. Seeing you so desperate to get away from the man who broke your heart reminded Harley of herself. The nights she would sneak into the tiny apartment you shared with Pammy, in hopes of escape only to get drawn back with empty promises. So yeah, she had a small soft spot for you. And Danny, you were the only person who saw him after months of being invisible. He felt like he needed to help you in your mission to get your father regret ignoring you.

“Hey Pammy...maybe we should call him...” Harley started to suggest. 

“NO, I’d rather drink weed killer than go to that...orphan collector for help.” the red head spat. “ No. We’ll figure it out but she can stay here for now.”

Hearing that you had a place to call home now, gave you the motivation to go and confront your father. Not only for ignoring you, but for leaving you in that..cell for two weeks. He didn’t even attempt to look for you as far as you knew. You’d have thought at least one of the other Avengers would have came to save you. But no one came. After all those years, no one came.

“Y/n.. your eyes” Danny whispered, his cold hand touching your arm snapped you out of your mind. The neon glow of your eyes faded to your normal e/c. 

“ Aunt Pam, Harley is there any way you guys can get me to New York and back?” You ask, finally ready to confront your father. 

“ Well....” Harley say as with a smirk

~~~~~~~~~one terrifying ride on a stolen batplane later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upon arriving to New York you made Pam and Harley wait a few blocks away from the tower, as you really didn’t want the Avengers to find out your aunt was a wanted criminal. You “went ghost” as Danny like to call it and snuck into the Tower with ease. You then snuck into your room, seeing everything covered in a layer of dust as no one has been in there for over two weeks. You packed a bag and filled it with some clothes, books and a picture of you and your mother. You took that bag and walked to the door, looking around at the room that was both you prison and safe space. It was decorated with multiple trophies, medals, and ribbons all from the multiple sports and clubs you joined to impress your father. Not like that ever happened. Danny wander around looking at the multiple teams photos you had hung up.

“ You’re a volleyball girl?” he said, “ Huh. I’d never have had guessed.” 

You rolled your eyes as you finished packing. “ Hey I have a job for you.” you say turning to him. “ I need you to go to the control room and turn off the power for thirty minutes. Then turn it back on and come find me in the common room.”

“ Yes ma’am” Danny says, saluting and disappearing through the wall before he comes back. “Ummm, wheres the control room?” 

You roll your eyes and explain how to get to the control room and wait. When the lights go out and you’ll make your move. Your father would have to pass through the common room to get to the control room from his lab, which you assume he’ll be. There you’ll be waiting for him. 

The lights go out. It’s showtime.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tony's POV

The team spent three more days searching for you. They followed every lead and half of the team even flew out to the building that collapsed an hour ago. Tony, Steve, and Natasha stood behind to look at more clues. It was a little past midnight, and both Steve and Natasha went to bed leaving Tony to tinker in his lab. Tony was making improvements to a certain spider suit as he thought about what his daughter said to him before she went missing.

“Sir, there seems to be someone in Y/--” FRIDAY started to say when the power cut out.

“FRIDAY??” Tony questioned as he walked out to check the control room, making sure to get his nano bracelet just incase. As he walked down the hallway he thought about waking up Steve and if he was brave enough to wake Natasha when he heard it.

“Hi daddy.”

Tony stopped dead in his tracks as he looked up in disbelief. The lights turned back on to reveal his daughter. Wearing a black halter top, spandex leggings, grey boots with elbow length gloves. She looked skinny, as if she hadn’t had a proper meal in the weeks she was gone. And for some reason the air was cold in the room. But there she stood.

‘Y/n” Tony said breathlessly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/n pov

As you wait for Tony to walk in,you look around the common room and reminisce. You think about the time when you first moved in, and you got lost trying to find the bathroom and accidently walked into Natashas room. YOu thought she was going to kill you but ended up walking you to the restroom and back to your room. Or when you made the volleyball team way back in eighth grade, and you ran home to tell your dad but ended up telling the whole team, who were rarely all together, and they all took you out to get ice cream, minus Tony. You had to admit, even though your dad didn’t pay attention to you, Nat and Steve did. As well as the whole team, but those two really became the parental figures in your life. That’s why it hurt when not even they came for you. Even they had forgotten you.

“Hi daddy” you said in a mocking voice. Your father stopped dead in his tracks, as he looked you over in disbelief.

“Y/n”, he said in a breathless voice. 

“Oh, you remember my name?” You say in an sarcastic tone. “ Didn’t seem like you did when you left me in a hydra cell for two weeks.” 

Hearing that you were a prisoner of Hydra made Tony’s blood freeze. 

“Hydra? Oh Y/N are you okay? What did they do to you?” He asked frantically as he walk towards you with the intent of checking if you were injured. You jerk away from him, avoiding his touch and say

“ Oh, I’m wonderful. Just so fucking fantastic. I was just experimented on and injected with various liquids that caused excruciating pain. No big deal” 

“ Y/n..we spent days trying to look for you. Me and the team--”

“You and the team what Tony? I was there for two weeks. TWO WEEKS I WAS POKED AND PRODDED. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE.” You scream, anger filling your heart as you remember the agony you went through. You think about the scratches on the wall of the cells, the taunts from the guards, and screams of the undead.

“ You have no idea what I went through. What I’m going through.” You say, feeling your body grow colder as you lose control and start to shift. “ You don’t care about me. If I were Parker, you would have saved mem within SECONDS.”

“That's not true. Y/N you have no idea how much I love you.” Tony tries to say. He’s filled with the need to tell you everything he didn’t tell you before. “I know I haven’t always been the best father. Trust me I know that now. But if you give me a chance, I want to make everything right. Please.” 

You didn’t think it would go like this. In fact you were not at all prepared for Tony to say this. You expected to walk in on him continuing his life as normal, tinkering in his lab and such. You had always yearned to hear him say those words to you. But now, they just fill you with anger.

“You think you could just tell me what I want to hear and what? I’ll just act like nothing happened?? I know you’re not that stupid.” You spit, the room growing colder as you get angrier. “ It’s too late for all that Tony. I’m not the same girl i was two weeks ago.i won;t take it any longer.” 

“Y/n..your eyes” Tony says as he slowly starts to put his gauntlet bracelet on, realising that you are becoming a threat. 

“ Oh do you like them?”, You ask “ This is what happened when they injected me. I can also do this.” You shift, shades of blue taking over brown skin. Tony stared at you in awe and a bit of fear. 

“ Y/n this isn’t you. I know you’re angry but--” “ Isn’t me?” You interrupt.” You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m like. And even if you did the old me died in that cell. Literally I died” You and Tony stared at each other. and that's when you heard the doors open. Two sets of footsteps started rushing to the commotion. 

“Y/N some red head and beefy blonde are on their way” You hear Danny say as you realize you had to wrap it up. If anyone can convince you to stay, it’s Steve and Nat.

“ It doesn’t matter anymore Tony.” you say as you start walking to the window. “ I can’t stay here anymore. There’s nothing for me. You win. Peter can be the child you always wanted cause from now on, consider me dead.” and with that, you phase threw the window and let yourself fall, knowing that you won’t actually fall as you can fly. 

Tony freaks out and calls for his suit, only to see a blue blur shoot up and across the sky. Then he just sits there and stares. The footsteps reach the common room and he hears someone ask 

“ Stark..what was all the yelling. What's going on?” 

“she's gone” He says, and that's when he truly realizes his mistake. He became what he never wanted to become. He became his father. And now you were gone.

Taglist: @vxidsti1es @big-galaxy-chaos

[traekenimagines]

A Little Light: A Theo Raeken Imagine

Request from @breathtaking-cynthia​: reader is just like Malia can change into wolf form whenever she likes-she is not bound by the moon BUT she has purple eyes in case of Malia's blue one and has control over plants and trees like she can grow a plant from anywhere and everywhere, make flowers bloom, rapid a plants growth, revive a dead plant,etc.So she likes him,he likes her too but none of them know that they like each other but one day Theo is in a very bad mood but she cheers him up with her powers and a love confession and maybe possible smut...

Little bit of smut in this one. Hope this is okay for you lovely, and enjoy x

If anyone had asked Y/N Y/L/N what she thought of Theo Raeken a few months ago, she would have said that he was a weed in need of plucking out of the garden before he polluted anyone else. She would have said he was a seed, buried in the ground, unable to grow, destined to rot in the earth where he belonged. She would have said he was dead inside, unable to be saved even by her.

But that was a few months ago, and as she looked at him, at his desperation to make sure Mason was okay, she realised that he was so much more than that.

The truth was that ever since Theo had come back, Y/N’s feelings towards him had changed. She had started to see the weed begin to flower, roots sprouting from that seed, hope that maybe she could revive that dead plant, just as she had done so many times before.

There was genuine concern in his eyes, a spark, a little light that had the potential to grow.

A light that threatened to spread into her – her skin, her heart.

“You can’t take pain if you don’t care.” Mason’s voice echoed in the tunnel as Theo attempted to take his pain away, and Y/N felt a sharp sting in her stomach. If it had hurt her, she could only imagine how Theo felt, could see that light fading in his eyes.

She wanted to bring it back, wanted to help him grow as she did the other plants that she cared for. She made a promise to herself then to do exactly that.

So when he dropped her home, she asked him a question. “Walk with me?”

Theo looked at her in confusion, clearly disturbed by her kindness. It hurt Y/N that this was the case, and she desperately wanted to make it so such a thing was normal for him, wanted him to bathe in the light that would enable him to grow, the light he was so in need of. She repeated her words, more of a demand than a question this time round. “Walk with me, Theo.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to show you something.” She smiled to herself as Theo climbed out of his truck before leading him over to the gate that cut off her garden from the rest of the world. She looked at Theo as his eyes widened, taking in the meadow that she had created, flowers blooming everywhere he could see. There was amazement in his eyes, pure amazement, and it only made her like him more.

She expected him to say something, expected him to ask about what he was seeing, but he said nothing, and Y/N could see a storm brewing in his eyes, threatening to take away that light. He was clearly in a bad mood, clearly hurt by what Mason had said, and Y/N only wanted to cheer him up. Her gaze caught that of a flower on its way out, and in it she found the perfect opportunity. She smiled. “Look at this.”

She had never really shown him the full extent of her powers. Theo had seen her in her wolf form and complimented her on it before, but he had never seen her with those purple eyes as a human, never seen use her plant-based abilities just because she could. She flashed her eyes at him and swore she could hear his heart beating fast as she brushed her hand over the dying flower, restoring it to its former glory. Her skin glowed as she did so, before settling back on its normal hue. “All it needed was a little light to grow.” Y/N looked at Theo who was staring at her like he had never seen her before.

“Why? Why show me this?”

Y/N stepped towards him, and without thinking, took his hand in hers. She let him feel the warmth that had spread through her, smiled when his eyes closed, embracing it. “Because you need to know that things take time and growth. All you need is someone to help with that.”

“Is this about what happened today?” He was looking at their hands now, and Y/N’s heart was the one beating fast now.

“It’s about you. You’ll grow Theo. Everything does. And,” she took a breath, “I want to be there to help you.”

“Why?”

“Because I care about you.”

Theo looked at her, really looked at her, and for the first time that day, Y/N saw him smile. “Well, in that case, I’d like you to be there. Because I care about you too, Y/N.”

Y/N wasn’t quite sure how she had ended up on the floor, surrounded by flowers, with Theo on top of her. But she didn’t care, not as his lips found hers, not as he pulled apart the summer dress that she was wearing. She didn’t care as she let him worship her, kissing down the valley of her breasts as she pulled off his shirt.

One moment she had been confessing how she felt, the next she was letting him have her in any way that he wanted to.

There was something almost poetic about doing it here, in her garden, the place where she felt most at peace. She never took her eyes of Theo as he rid himself of the rest of his clothes, as he rid her of her own, still searching for that light.

The light that would let him grow.

It was when he entered her that she found it. She saw it in his eyes as he thrust into her, as he said her name over and over again. She saw it in his eyes as her hands clawed at his back, as he asked her to show him her powers one more time. Y/N obliged, her eyes turning purple and the flowers around them growing to their full height.

As Theo continued to show her just what her affection meant to him, Y/N knew that she was right about him. All he needed was a little light.

All he needed was her.

Masterlist

[jiikyu]

Taste of Marigolds In Bloom

Herb of the Sun — Or Marigold was often used during the Middle Ages as a love charm. Carrying one of these brightly colored flowers was thought to bring love.

Though be warned for they are also poisonous.

Chapter III. Life moves fast and you’re not sure you can keep up.

∘◦ ✿ ◦∘

All characters are 18+

Yandere!Mirio x Fem!Reader(AΩβ)

Y/N = Your Name

F/N = Your Full Name

E/C = Eye Color

H/C = Hair Color

Warnings: Yandere / Unhealthy Behavior / Delusions / Angst

First Chapter Here❦ Previous Chapter Here❦ Next Chapter Here❦

∘◦ ✿ ◦∘

This whole thing started because of Mirio.

In the most uneventful way possible, like a passing comment about the weather he mentions that he lost his quirk.

“It would’ve been a piece of cake back when I had my quirk.“ The sunshine blond says while leaning back into the cushion of the couch.

It took you about a full minute to process his words and slowly your fingers had come to a stop, hovering over the laptops keyboard.

Mirio’s good at this. Springing things on you out of nowhere, though, usually it’s on a much smaller scale. Such as when he cuts through a conversation between you and a classmate, asking if you’re free to hang out after school.

But this? There are a lot of implications behind that one statement.

And even after everything, after he tells you in detail how he lost his power you’re left to just sit, utterly awestruck. He tells you how his quirk had taken years to master, how he trained every single day for over a decade. Your eyes fall to the many scars decorated across the skin his forearms, like badges of hardship, a reminder of the very thing he worked so hard to lose. 

There’s no resentment, no pain to his confession.

The very idea shakes the foundation you’ve come to believe growing up in hero society.

“It — It really doesn’t bother you?” Your words betray you as they become a little wobbly at the last syllable and you’re sick, sick of becoming an emotional mess around him.

The waver in your voice has his attention trained fully on you, nothing but wholehearted worry in his eyes and a soft smile. Like always. And immediately you understand that it was a stupid question. He’s so radiant that you wonder how you ended up this lucky? Even if this only ever stays a friendship... You don’t deserve to have this.

“Are you sure it’s okay for you tell me this?” You ask, you need to make sure this is okay, that it’s not some obligation that compels him.

“Never once did I think it was something I should hide from you... I guess that just goes to show how much I trust you.”

Absorbing his words you miss the way a hand inches across the couches fabric, towards your own.

Or how he just barely manages to keep something else from falling through his teeth.

∘◦ ✿ ◦∘

“— What about you Y/N?”

Without warning you’re pulled from your daydreaming and back into the reality of the schools cafeteria.

Weeks have passed since Mirio decided to tell you about his past but... That doesn’t stop it from being at the forefront of your mind.

You’re still reflecting.

Your ears only catch the tail end of the conversation and for a moment you sit in silence. Racking your memory for an answer. Something. Anything.

“Who?” Undoubtedly, your voice doesn’t do much to hide the fact that your mind had been elsewhere and your friends eyes only sharpen in suspicion. Lifting your hand to point a finger to yourself in silent question. ‘Me?’

“You haven’t been listening at all!”

“Sorry! I was distracted.” You offer an apologetic smile before by reaching across the tables surface to the tray of food opposite you, stealing a sliced tomato from your friend and chewing it down. But it’s not enough.

You feel more than one pair of eyes on you. The crowded cafeteria table is well and alive with idle chitchat now it’s your turn to join in. It’s days like these that make you grateful for the creation of hormone blockers, you can’t even begin to imagine the concoction of pheromones wafting through the building right now. 

“What was the question?” Please. You really don’t want them to ask what’s on your mind.

“What are you doing after school?” This time, the very person you had been dwelling on speaks up. Mirio’s seated next to you, and you curse the schools poor decision making. Plastic seats with little space in-between them, his knee knocks against your own every so often. So casual.

“No plans really, probably head home and —“

“That wasn’t the question!” Your friend interjects while swiping something from your own plate, you don’t even get to see what it is she stole. Too fast for you. “What are you doing after graduation!”

Graduation?

Of course you had given it thought... More than just some thought actually. But that doesn’t stop the very near future from being any less intimidating.

“I haven’t really decided yet. Who knows I might have to move back home, save some money.” It’s an honest-easy answer, one you don’t really put much thought into. You’re really not sure what the future holds for you yet.

“Oh you’re no fun Y/N.” Your childhood friend, an Alpha, wipes away a fake tear. She’s always looked out for you and you her. “We could be roomies in an apartment somewhere nice, like in the city!”

A chuckle escapes you at the idea, how you two would be a dangerous combination, and the conversation flows naturally. Between the ever changing topics and your own thoughts it takes a moment to realize Mirios been uncharacteristically quiet. Your E/C eyes turn upwards, pulling away from the meal before you to see... 

Something you’re sure you could have ever prepared for. 

You’ve never been the best at reading situations but... This? That brilliant smile is nowhere to be found and when his ocean eyes meet yours... It’s like you’ve wrongfully caught a glimpse through a two way mirror, you see what this man hides. 

Hurt. 

Your heart drops to the floor. 

And you wonder what is it that could have upset him, the most selfless person you know. You could have sworn you saw his shoulders shake, if only for a second. He doesn’t let you look for too long, bringing a hand to lightly pinch your cheek.

“Aww don’t make that face Y/N!” In a blink everything is back to normal. Mirio’s smiling and it’s contagious. 

You repeat the gesture, pulling on his own cheek in silent meaning. ‘Those should be my words.’

Though it’s too late, you’ve seen enough. 

The future.

∘◦ ✿ ◦∘

Mirios stare burns into the skin of his palm — Or rather, into the tiny object resting within his grasp.

A pale blue pill sits, waiting.

The suppressant he’s been taking ever since presenting as an Alpha. In the other hand a glass of water, condensation beading down the transparent surface and soaking into skin.

Mirio Togata has never been afraid of the future, but then you uttered some careless words that were equivalent to being pushed into frigid Atlantic waters. Something that never once crossed his thoughts. That you might leave Musutafu.

That you might leave him. 

It hurt. 

He knows you didn’t mean for your words to cut so deep. He knows. But God... His mind won’t stop racing. Why hadn’t you told him of your worries? If you’re struggling financially you could always ask for help, ask him for help. He’s not sure there is anything in world that would make him happier than by making you smile. Maybe you are just being shy. The blond knows the two of you share something special, trust. So then, why was leaving even an option? 

The poor man may be struggling to control the tidal wave of emotions that have suddenly manifested but there is one thing he is certain of, and that is — He knows you feel the same by the way you say his name.

And oh how he wants nothing more than to let this weed and grow, to protect what you both have. He can’t that do that if you move far away.

If he asked, would you stay? 

What if he gave you a reason to stay.

Mirio doesn’t even realize he’s staring into space till the buzzing of a doorbell breaks his concentration. 

And just like that the moment has passed.

In quick succession the blond tosses the tablet between his teeth and gulps down the sweating glass.

Swallowing. 

A bitter aftertaste lingers against his tongue.

Waiting behind a flimsy door is the sign he needed, it’s blissful, because with the twist of a doorknob all of his worries melt away. 

There you stand, umbrella in hand.

∘◦ ✿ ◦∘

It’s raining.

[thirtysomethingloser92]

If The World Was Ending

Pairing: Daniel Sousa x Reader

Warnings: Angst, small smut scene, mentions of torture. “Daniel Sousa can’t lose someone else he cares about”

Daniel Sousa sat by the light pod, his own body covered in bruises and scrapes. His arms folded over his dark blue dress shirt that now carried a stain of your blood on it. A bloody liaison across his head, a purple bruise forming across his lower jaw. He was in pain, yet his eyes never left the steady rise and fall of your chest, because as long as that was happening, you were alive. You were safe and breathing.   He had been so close to losing you he realised, he had been so close to standing at your grave rather than sitting next to you in the light pod. The panic he felt in his heart when he watched you laying on the table, your eyes barely open and you barely conscious from the painful injections you were given earlier, the doctor picked up the scalpel and held it tauntingly over your chest; (“I just want to see what makes an inhuman tick,” Those words would never be erased from his brain, no matter how much he tried to will them away) was something he never thought he could feel, he was positive that it was strong enough that you could feel it even as you hit the ground. He emptied his own gun into the perpetrator, but it still didn’t feel like it was enough. It was barely enough that he was pleading for you, begging for you, to stay with him. That he pulled your almost lifeless body into his lap, brushed your hair from your face, and began talking to you. Him whispering what a pain in his ass that you were to him, he told you stories about the war, stories that he probably wouldn’t have told you any other time. Except now you were dying, evacuation was still a bit out, and he was terrified that someone he had come to care about so deeply would die in his arms. He smiled as Jemma came and checked on your stats, telling him that you were stable, and your wounds were healing. He smiled a little less when Daisy came in and stood by his side, telling him stories about The Battle of New York; she showed him videos on her tablet of you running around and fighting aliens. She tried to remind him that you were strong, and it would take a lot more then a crazed Hydra agent to kill you. He didn’t even bother smiling when Coulson came in, leaning against the wall and staring at the scene in front of him. “She’s a good person.” He began, watching you with soft eyes, “Her powers don’t define her. Despite what Ross says,” He continued staring, “I don’t know how much she’s told you about her past, but when I found her, she was on SHIELD’s radar. She can manipulate people’s emotions, she can read them; like a human lie detector,” Coulson shrugged, “As a result, the higher ups thought that she would be able to weed out spies, use her powers as a type of interrogation technique,” Daniel’s eyes barely left your body, but his eyes showed the sadness in them, “They wanted her for their own purpose,” Coulson nodded, “So I took her under my wing, trained her up, made her see that she was more than what they wanted her to be. She was so determined to prove her worth,” He gave a sigh, “Still to this day I think she’s trying to prove something to me. She doesn’t need to worry I trust her fully and completely. She has nothing to prove,” Daniel nodded, “She’s a good person. I’ve noticed that she seems more lighter since you’ve taken that bracelet off. More carefree,” Coulson nodded in agreement, “Ross wanted her contained for her original purpose, to help him interrogate those in the Sandbox and the Raft. The ultimatum was either wear the bracelet which would bind her powers until she agreed to work with him or work for him then and there and well, you know what she chose,” He looked down at Daniel who still looked worried at the woman in the pod, “She’s going to be okay. She’s dealt with blows like this before and she’s made it out,” “She stopped breathing,” Daniel swallowed deeply, “I was talking to her, and she just stopped. I tried-“ He swallowed the lump in his throat, “I tried to keep talking to her, I tried to revive her and I thought for a minute that she,” He shook away the tears that were welling in his eyes. Coulson continued to stare at Daniel, “You care about her deeply,” It was a statement rather than a question as he could see it on the other man’s face, the desperation, the need to have her eyes open, to see her smile again. He remembered those feelings with May, like a physical ache in his chest. Daniel stayed silent, neither confirming nor denying Phil’s statement. Instead his eyes just focused on the pod in front of him. “Did you want us to take you home?” Phil asked quietly, seemingly already knowing the answer, but asking it anyway. A small sigh escaped Daniel’s lips as he leaned back in the chair, making himself more comfortable as his eyes never left the chamber, “I’m right where I need to be,”

  You were so tired, every bone in your body ached in a way you never knew before, but you couldn’t focus on that as you stormed into your apartment; the sound of the familiar limping following quickly behind you. Your lips were cracked and split, ribs broken. You know that the man behind you didn’t fair any better, but you were so wound up in your head that you could barely comprehend the pain you should have been feeling at that moment. “Would you say something already? Get it out?” Daniel called out to you as you went to walk straight into your bedroom. Every part of your mind said to ignore him, to walk away and deal with everything in the morning when you weren’t so tired, and your body wasn’t screaming for relief. Your mouth, however, opened before your mind could even catch up to what it was doing. Walking away wasn’t your strong suit. “You screwed this whole operation up!” You stalked forward like a lion stalking it’s prey, “You were told to stay back, I had this whole thing handled,” Your chest was heaving and you could see his brown eyes watching your every move, making you abnormally hyperaware of every movement. His face was blank and that was what angered you even more; “I couldn’t leave you in there at the hands of Hydra. With what they were doing to you,” He said calmly. You scoffed and shook your head, placing your hands on your hips, “I had back up in the form of Daisy, of May, and Mack and Yo-Yo and Deke; we’re trained for this!” “What? Trained to be tortured the way you were?” “I’m a superhero Sousa,” You didn’t miss the slight flinch at the mention of his last name, “I’m an Avenger. This is what we do. We save the world whether we survive it or not,” The crack in his mask finally broke as he looked at you incredulously, “I knew a woman like you. She wasn’t a superhero, she didn’t have powers, but she was strong, and stubborn, and never knew when to ask for help,” You think you finally understood the out of time man as you shook your head and bit the inside of your cheek. You didn’t think that you were that bad, you always asked for help if you needed it- at least you think you did. “I get it, I do. You fell in love with someone back in 1955, and we took you away from that, your heart is broken. And I’m sorry that you were pulled out of your own time and you never got a proper chance with Peggy, I really am-“ During this speech, Daniel had turned around to face the front door, he looked as if he was taking a few calming breaths. You had never really seen Daniel get mad before, not in the few months you had known him. You had seen him argue back if he thought something was wrong or unjust, but you never had to watch him physically turn away and calm himself down. Daniel spun around quickly to face you, “See, I don’t think you do get it. Because if you did get it, we wouldn’t even be in this mess. You’re a superhero, like you keep calling yourself, but you have this habit of letting things get worse thinking that you have it under control and ultimately you end up paying the price when it goes south. It’s like you get a thrill from the danger” “You want me to apologise for that?” “No. I want you to ask for help when you need it! I want you to trust me enough to ask for help! You almost died out there,” He argued back, stepping closer to you, his brown orbs searing through your soul. You shook your head and threw your hands out, “Don’t even try to pin this on me, you heard the name Peggy Carter and you flipped. I had everything under control, and then you came barging in like John Wayne and nearly got us both killed,” “You don’t think I don’t realise that I screwed up?” He stepped closer to you, “But you’re wrong,” You tiled your head to one side, “No I’m not. You let your emotions get the better of you. You need to learn to let go of her. You can’t do that every time someone mentions her name,” “I didn’t do it because of her. I did it because I saw what he had already done to you and what he was about to do to you,” Daniel moved even closer, “You’re everything to me. If something happened to you, I couldn’t deal with that,” “Do you want to go home Daniel?” You whispered as he moved even closer again, his hand moving to ghost over your face. He shook his head, “Not anymore,”

  The kiss was burning, almost searing into your skin. His hands on either side of your hips as he tried to pull you closer. His tongue traced your lips,  hands slowly moving from your hips and touched your face, his fingertips moving across your soft skin a centimetre a second, barely touching your flesh as if you were something breakable, something precious, across your cheeks and behind your ears, moving down to your jaw and neck, across your neck under your jaw. You couldn’t help but to move your head back to allow him access to your neck as a breathy moan escaped from your lips. You felt the hungry opened mouth kisses, the scraping of his teeth against your sensitive skin as a louder moan escaped from your mouth.

You felt as he moved down, his lips on your chest, down the slopes of your breasts, his fingertips leading the way, brushing lightly around your breast, moving slowly, a centimetre a second. His lips found a nipple and gently closed on it, lifting it, before allowing it to drop back. His mouth continued to pepper your body, his hands reaching around your back and pulling you closer to him as he lowered himself to his knees.

His fingers moved down the outside of your legs, Goosebumps rising from your skin as his fingertips lightly traced your skin, around behind you knees before moving back up your thighs and to your buttocks. You almost collapsed on top of him from the feeling of his gentle lips and soft touches. You could feel the wetness in your underwear as he kissed your inner thigh.

You watched as he stood up, you giving him a slight hand, his fingers moving to his shirt buttons, one by one they were undone, revealing his chest to you. He slipped the shirt from his shoulders and let it drop to the floor.

Biting your bottom lip, your mouth suddenly went dry at the site in front of you. Of course, you had seen him in his white singlets, many times in fact, but nothing could have prepared you for the sight in front of you.

You reached for his belt, but he took your hand away.

His eyes never left yours as you cautiously reached out and touched him, his hands painfully slowly undoing his belt and kicking his pants off out of the way near the door.

He turned you around, so you fell easily on to the bed, his eyes watching your now bare body with almost animalistic glee. You watched as he removed his false leg and placed it by the end of the bed. You knew that by him doing that meant that he trusted you implacably. He wanted you to see all of him, and you realised in that moment that you think you were completely in love with the Agent out of time.

He stooped over you, and kissed you in the same, only just touching way, that he had done before. Soft almost imperceptible moans emerged from between your lips, your hips moved with a rhythm unguided by your mind.

"That feels so good." You heard yourself whisper as a finger slid between your wet folds soft and delicately.

His finger moved to your entrance. Your legs parted to allow him free access, but instead he chose to concentrate teasing it just a bit longer without venturing inside.

His finger entered you slowly until it was fully inside. Your hips rose as you arched your back to force him deeper

“Please,” You whispered, noticing the small smirk on Daniel’s face. As if he knew exactly the type of emotions that you were feeling.

He leaned forward, his lips once again brushing against yours, as his hand moved between the both of you to guide himself into your entrance. A sharp gasp escaped your lips as he rested his forehead against your own, his eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of you contracting around him.

He began to move inside you, slow and steady at first, before his movements became harder, more exquisite. You continued to meet his pace as your skin started slapping together. Your hands moved up to his shoulders, nails digging in as a loud moan escaped his lips. He reached down once again and kissed you, this time so much harder than his previous times, this time was needy, desperate. As if he needed the comfort.

A large wave of emotion overcame your body, heightening the experience. The feeling of adoration, the feeling of feeling wanted and equally needed.

The feeling of love.

You wondered whether that came from you or Daniel, either way it made you climax harder than what you ever really had before. He must have felt it too, because as he pumped himself inside you his forehead came to rest upon yours, his chest heaving and his hands brushing your hair off his cheeks as he peppered your lips with kisses.

You don’t remember when he rolled over or when he wrapped his arms around you, but that night, you fell asleep feeling safe, secure and satisfied.

The days events had floated away in your mind as he pulled you closer to him, leaving no space between you.

“I can’t lose someone else I love,” He whispered, his breath brushing across your back, leaving goose bumps in it’s path.

You felt him press a small kiss into your shoulder as his thumb traced your hip bone and you closed your eyes, a smile gracing your face.

[wu-sisyphus-gang]

Motion Sickness Chapter 62

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I kicked my feet up and I watched the striper dance before me. I took a long draw on my packed pipe and since Aurum was doing it, I tossed some bills on the striper. Why the fuck not?

She bent down low in front of me in pretty white bottoms. She had pretty blue eyes besides and a frilly matching white top. She danced in front of Aurum and I and he poured me a drink.

I took it from him with grace and sipped on the alcohol slowly, though faster than I might normally.

"No word on your mustached man," he told me. "I've been keeping an ear to the ground about it and I haven't heard a thing. If only you'd seen his weapon, man. Then we'd have something to go off of."

I grunted and nodded. I took a swig of drink.

"Can I get something sugary up here for Neo? Girliest, sugariest drink you have in the house. All the better if it has ice-cream in it."

Neo hit me in the side but smiled. She didn't disagree.

"One fuzzy navel coming right up," Aurum called out to a wait staff member who was passing by on the second floor of his club. The man nodded and took the order. Like all of Aurum's waitstaff the man was good looking. Stand out in a crowd good looking. Almost hunter angel-like good looking.

Aurum owed me. For killing Tyrian. Neither of us said it but mass murderers are bad for business, they brought the wrong kind of attention. He was paying me off with drink and women a little. Or trying to. I was hard to buy off with such trivial things. I wasn't saying I couldn't be bought with it. That seemed like a bit much. And the dancer was beautiful with those baby-blues. She reminded me of my first crush a little.

I was good for his business because I was so dangerous. Keeping me happy was good for his business because I was so dangerous. It was a razor that might cut one of us but for now he was happy and I was happy so why not drink with one another and party while I waited for my information to come in?

I'd already paid for it by murdering some of his enemies and he'd probably tell me about it as soon as he knew something because Cinder Fall was another murderer who wasn't interested in the drug game or playing the game like I was.

"Cloud, I still don't have any news on the others you asked me to watch out for. Cinder Fall or Hazel Rainart."

"Cinder Fall is probably not her real name anyways. Plus she could be working through some other associates. Emerald Sustrai or Mercury Black."

"I'll keep an eye out for them all the same. Did you learn what you needed from Avalanche?"

"I did. The General's project wasn't so secret after all. Hard to keep everyone in on something that large quiet."

"Fair enough." He said without asking me more about the project. He probably didn't care to know the details so long as it didn't affect his business ventures. "Come with me. Try some hyper," he said. He was trying to buy me off with drugs as well. He'd hooked me up with more greens. I'd paid a little but it was discounted.

"I don't know that I should. I already have some psychosis. That's what the weed is for."

"Oh it's not so bad. Just an intense rush."

"Isn't it a pro-psychotic?"

"Maybe a little. I'm not a doctor. Try some, you'll be fine."

I shrugged my shoulders. Fuck it. Why not? What was the worst thing that could happen if I did? I'd become a murderer? That ship had sailed, thanks. I'd become involved in the drug game? A bit late, thank you. An alien goddess would seize control over my mind, again? Maybe. But I couldn't live in fear of Mother all the time.

He cut out a line of the stuff and showed me how to inhale it.

I did. I pulled deeply into my nostrils and up into my sinuses.

I leaned back as the powder filled my nose and dripped down my esophagus a little. It hit my brain fast and hard. Aurum had been right. It was intense.

And it was a rush. I was zooming. My brain strummed like it was endlessly hitting a high wiry note on an electric guitar with an amplifier. Volts coursed through my veins in my skull. My arteries seemed to be full of odd amps. Like I'd been shot in the head by some kind of electric gun.

Bugs wiggled their way around behind my eyes more intensely than ever. I just didn't care as I leaned back into my seat once more.

I swear I could almost hear mother's voice over the din of the music in The Den. But only just. It wasn't bad now that I thought about it. Just a dull whisper. Just some bitch talking to me like she owned me.

What else was new?

My leg was moving restlessly. I felt like I was about to jump out of my skin.

Neo sucked on a long blue bendy straw next to me and on impulse I nearly took it from her hands and threw it across the room. I reigned myself in, though. There was no reason to do that. I just needed to sit back and relax… relax… relax.

My brain seemed stuck in a loop and I repeated that over and over in my head like a mantra. Relax… relax… relax… why wasn't I relaxing?

I drank and smoked some more. I drank like I was thirsty and I smoked like my personal stash wasn't running a bit low before I'd bought some more.

It felt damn good to over indulge and crossfade myself as thoroughly as I could.

"Well you're handling it well," Aurum said. "That was your first time, no?"

"It is. Was. Whatever." My heart beat fast and my leg bounced. "I want to kill something. Is that normal?"

"Depends. For you, probably. You're a killer."

I nodded. That made sense. It was hot in all my clothes so I stripped my armor off and set it beside Neo and I on one of the long couches.

I sat back and watched the dancer before me work as my vision came in and out. Blackening and refocusing.

It beat a steady tide in rhythm with my heart.

"Though there is one man in town who I thought you should know about." Aurum told me. I wasn't sure how he was staying so fucking calm.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Name's Adam Taurus. Old White Fang member. He's another killer. Caused the SDC problems for years."

"Want me to kill him?" My voice was much more calm than I felt. My heart was racing. My head throbbed in time with the music in a pleasant way. My eyes felt like they were going to pop from their sockets.

"Maybe. He's the sort who is also bad for my business. Idealistic. Unwilling to compromise. And he paints the town red wherever he goes."

"I could go for a fight right about now. Not sure it's a good idea. Neo, your thoughts?" She shrugged at me, then she shook her head to the negative. Thank you for that contribution Neo. Enlightening. "We'll probably end up passing. I'll kill him for a favor if you change your mind."

"I just might take you up on that." Aurum took a long swig of his favorite amber drink.

I followed suit and found my glass empty. It was quickly refilled by a gorgeous young redhead with a staff shirt on and long legs.

I stared after her for a long time.

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I came down with a headache. "Neo would you get me a glass of water." I bemoaned from my bed in our shared motel space.

She obliged. Fetching the water, then she poured it right on my face.

"Ack! Neo. Gods damn it." I was awake now if nothing else.

I sat up in the bed. I spat water from my mouth. I stood up and got my own drink of water. Neo could be so unreliable.

"You're such a bitch, Neo." I told her over my throbbing headache. I palmed my forehead and over one of my eyes.

"Why I oughta," I said it like a complete sentence with no real heat.

She blinked at me innocently and her eyes switched colors. She fooled nobody with that.

She had a cigarette in her mouth, the smoke from it was filling our shady apartment.

I wasn't sure which drug that I had partaken in the night before that was killing me. It could have just been alcohol. It could have been hyper. Either way I was thirsty enough that when I downed a glass, I followed it up with two more.

I could scarcely remember the night prior. Other than a soft warm feeling that followed my memories about it. Too much drink. Too much weed. Too much of everything. I probably wasn't going to try hyper again. I crossfaded myself hardcore. I rubbed my eyes firmly.

I looked over at Neo and really took her in for the first time. She wasn't wearing a shirt and was just in her brassiere and a pair of pink panties. I took her milky cleavage in for a moment before I looked down at myself. I was totally naked.

"Did we…?"

She rolled her eyes at me. A smirk on her face as she did. She reached over with her cigarette and put it out on my chest, nice and slow. She grinned at my pain. Her breathing rushed a little as I hissed. The tips of her breasts hardened and I noticed that the burn she left there was not alone. It had company.

"Neo, I'm damn well serious." I tasted my own lips with my tongue a little. It tasted funny. Was that someone else's lipstick or was my mouth just fucked from drinks and hyper? It tasted like lipstick. Neo was wearing pink lipstick.

"Did we or didn't we?" She just turned and began putting the rest of her clothes on. She spun and twisted a curtain into place between our two sections of room and beds as she clothed herself.

"Neo!"

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She refused to answer me. In any capacity. She just left it as it was which was well within her personality but was more than a little obnoxious from my end. Fuck her.

Sex with a demoness or not, and I was trying hard not to think about that, I still had other business to attend to. Like heading over to Avalanche headquarters.

We rolled up on the bar with Neo's arms wrapped around my waist. She held herself nice and tight to me for the ride. The absolute… I mean honestly...

"Neo you little devil," I said to her, looking forward. Neither of us were wearing helmets. Little point when we were both hunters.

It was on me for getting black out drunk and giving her the opportunity to hold it over me. Forever.

Plus if I really did do it I had a lot to feel guilty about. Wherever little Ruby Rose was she wasn't enjoying another's company like that. She was probably shattered to pieces.

She was probably in a lot of pain over me. I had caused that. I didn't deserve to cause her pain. But I had anyway. It made my chest ache to think about. It made me feel worthless. More worthless, that is.

Guilt rose up in my mouth like bile and it whipped at me like a switch. I didn't much like to think about that. But by all accounts we were broken up. I had no idea when I would even see her again. We were shattered, me and her. So what did it matter if I did have sex with Neo? Evidently it mattered to me. I didn't want it to have happened. I regretted that I didn't know.

It meant that Yang was right about me. One way or another her older sister instincts had been on point. She'd been right to keep me away. For more than one reason, probably. That made me feel like shit.

It also meant disappointing Weiss. I had long wanted her approval for one reason or another. That hadn't exactly changed. Her affectionate dawn smile with her hair down reflected in my mind for a moment before I imagined her looking at me with a cold hard apathy like she had so many times before. And I grimaced at so many memories of asking her out.

Besides, I should feel guilty about what I had done to Ruby. She was probably off saving lives while I was taking them like some common criminal or something. We couldn't be more different. She was an angel and I was a demon.

And I wasn't about to talk to Neo about that. Or have a one way conversation with her, at any rate. As much as you could have a conversation with Neo. About all of this.

I walked up to the bar and opened the door with a jingle of bells. I tried to roll my shoulders and undo a kink in them I'd worked into the muscle the night before.

Jasper was up behind the bar, washing the counter down with a cloth.

"Oh, Cloud… you're back!"

"I promised to train you guys a little. Where's the others?"

"They're out for a minute. There's a big player in town. Adam Taurus. He's causing problems for the union and with the miner leaders like Dyne."

"Dyne?"

"Just Dyne. No last name. He's one of the old miner leaders. Been around since the old days of the White Fang. He was always outspoken about union action over taking up arms. Or at least he used to be. He hates the Schnee name, now. His daughter was injured in a mining accident recently. Bisque is worried about what he and Adam will get up to."

"This is the second time I'm hearing about Taurus."

"He's problems. At least for us. They're working up strikes, which is a good thing. But they also have the potential to get violent. People could get hurt. Bisque is trying to stop things from escalating."

"Yeah but you guys are fairly militant. Shouldn't you be on board with Taurus?"

"We always plan our operations around not killing people. People always die with Taurus on the job. Always. He's got a red streak a mile wide."

"Guess that's why Aurum might want me to kill him. Not willing to play ball. And Wenge?"

"Leading a strike. Avalanche needs to stay involved in all of this if we want to be a player at all. I'm just holding down the fort because somebody needs to be looking after the bar. People might come by and have questions for us about the strike. We have to stay on top of information."

"Need me to kill Taurus?" I asked.

"You think you can pull it off? I know you're good but Taurus is also a badass. He's got some real power," Jasper said.

I thought of Tyrian. He was one of Salem's guard and I'd killed him. He was probably about as dangerous as hunters came. Barring people like Cinder who were also maidens and had some extra kick.

"I might be able to manage it. Difficult to say before I lay into him but it's a possibility. Aurum talked to me about maybe taking him down. I remember that from last night at least."

"What happened last night?" Jasper asked. She leaned forward on one hand which rested with her elbow on the counter.

"Drank too much. That's all. Nothing else happened."

Neo nudged me. I looked way down at her short ass. A calm smirk was on her face looking back up at me. One end of her lips turned up.

Shut up, Neo.

"You up for some training?" I asked.

"I can't." Jasper sighed. "I've got to man the fort. Think you can come by again later? Wenge should be by then too."

I nodded.

"Probably. I'm just waiting for some information to come in. Not much else is going on in my life at the moment. Running favors for my 'friends.' That sort of thing."

The door jingled again. I turned to look. It was the crossbow girl from before.

"Oh. It's you," she said with some derision at me. I could live with that. At least I was being remembered.

"Me." I agreed. Like it was a curse. Which it was in a lot of respects. Boy was it.

"I'm not here to talk to you." She looked away towards Jasper. "I'm here to talk about the strikes. You kicked this off by bombing the mind and shutting work down."

"Maybe we did, as far as Avalanche is concerned the strikes are a good thing."

"Not this close to the elections. It's too much unrest."

"You're just upset because the strike leaders aren't paying homage to Robyn. They don't care about another election cycle where nothing gets done to improve their conditions. Especially when Schnee himself is running."

"This isn't about that. If martial law gets declared it will push elections back."

"I know you're concerned about Hill's chances of winning. Maybe you should be out leading them instead of hiding away or whatever the Happy Huntresses are doing," Jasper told her. Crossing her arms over her chest.

"The Happy Huntresses are always fighting for Mantle."

"Yeah, on your time table. Not on Mantle's. The people want change and they want it now."

"You stirred them up. Your bombing caused this. The people were content to wait!"

"We didn't cause the strikes. You're looking for Dyne and Adam Taurus."

"Adam Taurus?!" Fiona was incredulous.

"Oh you haven't heard? Maybe the Happy Huntresses are out of touch."

"Don't be petulant just because I wouldn't help you with your bombing. Look at what you've done! Now Adam Taurus is involved."

"If you're scared of him-" Jasper began she was cut off.

"Only a fool wouldn't be," Fiona said. "Call off the strikes."

"No can do," Jasper said. "Wouldn't want to even if we could. Take it up with Dyne."

"Dyne is unreachable. He wants revenge against the SDC at all costs. We're hoping Avalanche is more agreeable. You have a network. You can shut this down."

"I told you we want the strikes." Jasper leaned forward into her words. "Live with them. Or don't. Better yet."

"All this because I wouldn't bomb them with you! It was a bad idea. Look at all the unrest it's causing. Ironwood might declare martial law. Who will win then? Not the miners. The military always backs the SDC to break up the strikes. People get hurt every time. Please. This has to stop. Only through elections will real change get affected."

"I disagree. I think we can get real change done by collective action."

"It never works. It'll end with them opening fire on the mob. It always ends that way. Dust mining is too important to stay shut down. The military will back the SDC because they need the dust."

"There's an oversupply with the embargo. There's enough dust to last months. The strike won't last that long anyways. Old man Schnee will have to give in and improve the working conditions."

"He never does. And the negativity too, it's drawing the Grimm."

"So what? That's exactly why they can't open fire on a crowd of protestors." Jasper refuted.

"So what? So what?" Fiona repeated sounding shocked. "So people will die. And what about people who want more than improved conditions? What about the levelers who want wealth and property abolished? You're giving them a platform."

"What if the levelers are right? What if wealth and property should be abolished. Look at the pain it causes."

"It's the foundation of our society with the Grimm at the gates!"

"Cloud, what do you think, are the Grimm that big of a threat? We've got the largest military in the world for a reason."

I had been watching the two with rapt attention as they ran down Mantle politics. To be honest I was learning a lot. Particularly about these levelers. They sounded a lot like the Anti-capitalists of back home in Vale.

"I think the Grimm are always a threat. More than the layman knows," I murmured.

"See, even the murderer agrees. All this negativity can't go on. If you don't shut down the strikes, then the military will."

Fiona turned at the door.

"Please," she begged. "Shut it down."

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

-WG

[cloveroctobers]

ANNA-JULIA “AJ” (JONES) JARLETT

IG bio/info: @/annajj9x_ | 20.1k followers| Athlete | hey peeps can you stop asking me to throw it back cuz the answer will always be no! K thx take it easy 🏳️‍🌈🌻🏒🐶

21 years old

From bath, England

Hockey player as her profession for the past three years

Her position is defense

Their team name is “rowdy alphas”...yeah some team names just didn’t make sense or they’re cringe for no reason at all

Was raised by her mom,(her mom was a teen mom & had her at 17) maternal grandmother, and her paternal aunt (dad’s younger sister, who’s more like a big sister to her at 28)

They’ve made her into the person she is, literally

Her grandmother has a bed and breakfast that they all live in

the house is Victorian style—almost as if they walked right out of charmed! Instead of a big pink house, think yellow AND purple. It was hideous but homey and charming on the inside

growing up in a house with multiple temporary strangers wasn’t odd to aj at all, in fact it felt like the norm. There was always someone around to socialize with so that was quite nice

Her father was a pro baseball player & passed away due to a automobile accident

she has his smile & freckles

aj was also involved in the accident at the age of 6 & miraculously survived with intense injuries

Has scars as a reminder

used to have night terrors because of the accident...it took awhile—years!!! for them to subside

they’re all vague memories now (but the pain is something she’ll always remember) but she preferred it that way

she’s named “Anna” after her mother’s old best friend/roommate and was supposed to be aj’s god mother but she went missing during their uni years

the name“Julia” came from her paternal grandmother who she gets her wide doe eyes from

her athleticism definitely came from her dad

Her mother luckily liked to document things so there’s a bunch of home videos of her dad in them & pictures/scrapbooks that her mom has for safe keeping

She’s more of a klutz, tiny, and wears huge prescription glasses

extremely close to the three most important ladies in her life, so she’s always been able to be open with them about anything!

when she first expressed her interest in liking both genders around 17-18 her paternal aunt was all smirks, “i knew Britney Spears was so your type, yeah?”

more like shakira but Brit was just as pretty

her mother was a “cry baby” so ofc she burst out into tears squeezing aj’s limbs and peppering her face with kisses. She didn’t view her child as anything different... as she shouldn’t & was glad that her daughter trusted them with this significant moment in her life and wanted to be as supportive as she could

got books, watched Ted talks and everything but knew she could come to the source even tho aj was still figuring it out herself

her grandma dipped her head at the new info sitting at the round kitchen table, “been there. had a few broads in my life after and during my marriage with your no good grandad. Thank goodness the bastard died before you even got to meet ‘em.” “Mum!”

what felt like the biggest weight on her chest was lifted. She knew they’d understand but a part of her had a little bit of doubt, she’s heard so many horror stories where those like her didn’t have the support she has and that made her extremely sad to think about

i see her as a person that has/had many friends in secondary. She’s always open to chat and her being on a few sports teams helped her out in her case

very competitive in anything that she does & will guarantee that she’ll beat you. (“ You wanna race to the car from here?”wins. “Who ever cleans the most dishes the fastest gets the last slice of pie.”) majority of the time she’s right but if she loses?? oh don’t let her lose to you, it’s a pity party for the rest of the time ur in her space. Such a sore loser omg

stays active, always working out + has a gym membership and makes sure she goes at least five times a week

she’s very strong, loves leg day & working on her core

she’s about 5’10

loves wearing “gf jeans” since they’re super comfy but doesn’t mind skinny Jeans with rips in the knees every now and then

trainers and chucks are her go-to sneakers

has no issue shopping in the men’s section ‘cause who’s gonna stop her? Nobody that’s who

owner of over a 100 graphic tees + vertical stripped shirts are also her favs, SWEATPANTS/joggers?! How many does she have? A lot. Snapbacks? Plenty. Will she wear them backwards? Obviously.

Physical touch is her love language. She’s comes from a family that has no issue showing their affection by touch. There is NO such thing as personal space and that still stands with aj when it comes to relationships, she sees no other way

It’s what she shows and what she wants in return, if you’re not touching her in some sort of way, then automatically she thinks there’s something wrong or that she did something

Is the jealous type. It has shown in relationships and ruined a relationship or two

Has cheated on a significant other out of pure jealousy & is not proud to admit that

Does have a wandering eye but feels now that she truly understands herself when it comes to relationships, she’ll never act on it again

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, I get libra tendencies from her so that’s what I’m sticking with. She likes to keep the peace (unless she’s jealous) , idealistic — always looking on the bright side of things, outgoing, romantic, and professional— especially when it comes to her team; her true leadership comes out, yet she can be indecisive, hates confrontation, self pitying — if things don’t go perfectly how she imagined/planned it to, the world is ending and everyone is out to get her, and can be unreliable—never on time

September libra to be exact

if she’s really in love/taken a interest in you then she gets nervous: blushing, sweaty palms, cracking her knuckles, tongue tied—the whole 9

she’s already defined as a puppy by her coach but when she’s in love? She’s a lovesick puppy!

her fav holiday is Valentine’s Day

thought she was going to be a pro skateboarder growing up but it took one bad fall where she thought she was paralyzed for her to choose something else

she likes her weed on occasion

Obsessed with all types of cheese except cottage, “can I put cheese on this?”

more of a jumpsuit kinda girl or dressy top with jeans & hoops on a night out

has a solid group of mates outside of the hockey team, they’ve all met and hung out a couple of times, as they should since aj feels they’re going to be stuck with her for awhile so why not?

They’re a riot when they all go out, let’s just say that there’s never a dull moment

fav color is periwinkle

enjoys ASMR, mostly in the mornings when she’s waking up. You know how people love podcasts? (Sorry seb & Nicky, she still wants to be on the show soon!) ASMR is her thing

loves tangerines, you can count on it that she’ll have one on her, “where did you pull that from?” “I’ll never share my master plan.” “You’re such a tit.”

Definitely prefers “fresh squeezed” orange juice & will make her own, she has the tools & the strength 😏

Very rare for her to get sick ;) & if she does she’s a complete baby about it

Will fight that she’s sick before she admits it, trying all sorts of horrid remedies & vitamins

loves summer & all things that come with it, the number one thing is leaving bath for however long she can for a new place to enjoy

when she arrived to love island, she was thrilled for the weather. Yes she was looking for love but most importantly a nice get away & that it was (depending on your route that is lol)

closest with seb, vieve, elladine, and tai but don’t tell the others that! (She doesn’t care if you tell Yasmin, honestly)

just because her & seb “dated” and it didn’t work out doesn’t mean they can’t be friends right? It was almost automatic for them to be platonic after it was determined there would be no romance between them, almost like sibs! like those celebs like to say—except this time these two won’t turn around and actually find romance

vieve came with seb so...but no shade aj did like vieve. She gave great advice (while seb sometimes didn’t say the right things unintentionally or what aj needed to hear) when needed, especially from a medical view and is very sweet

elladine was the one who had all the tea & ideas to match, she’s quite organized and always down for DIY’s and could suggest almost anything. If you needed someone to help you get things tidy or match/find your Aesthetic, she’s the friend you call to help

tai was the one she could be a “bro” with, sure elladine has her competive side (or controlling, depends on how you view it) but tai was the one you can run to for much needed “bro hugs”, partying, going to the pubs, playing sports with or against, checking out/flirting with babes, etc...

it was not long after the villa that aj had a revelation with her sexuality & fully owned and labeled herself as a lesbian

She was happy being in relationship with someone else or with herself, life was short and she was young so there wasn’t time to dwell and stress over things so what the hell?! Live your truth the best way you know how ya know?

probably smells like sweet citrus, almond flower, and sea salt

on chest days, she’s a sweets snacker. Loves gummy bears (also with vodka) , swedish fish, sour patch kids, etc...basically shit that sticks to ur teeth

put all her chips into hockey, while it was advised by her Counselors & mum not to do so, aj went about it anyway. She thought about the pros and cons but knew there was nothing else for her. So there were more pros than cons. She was meant to play sports, its what felt right in her soul

Made her feel connected to her father, when she’s on the field she feels that he is with her

 scrunches up her nose when she’s frustrated or confused about something

Doesn’t always grasp concepts right away, she’s a soft dummy but most of us are and that’s okay! We’re all smart in our own ways

Feels like sunflowers are always around her especially if she sees them wherever she is. They must symbolize SOMETHING, therefore she loves them

spf queen. All about it, get with it or let the sunrays ruin ur skin that’s on u

loves a good filet mignon medium-well & is probably the only good thing she knows how to make alongside a salad, baked potatoes, & her oj

sucker for romantic-comedies...it’s basically her life duh!

If she has a dog, it’s a Dalmatian or Great Dane. She needs a companion that’ll keep up with her

loves kissing, it’s her favorite form of intimacy

Quarantine life included the push up challenge for her. Gaining a few pounds in muscle and fat, bothering seb via ft, viewing old letters she wrote to her dad, spending time with her fav ladies since they were now restricted from having guests in their home, and letting boredom consume her + she hated the whole lockdown that came with it, she hated being indoors for long periods of time but she knew that’s what partly needed to be done

Posts a lot of beach, park, outings with her friends & team, moments with her fav ladies, workout videos, and guests at the b&b with their permission and if only she befriends them along the way. She’s just as active on the socials as she is in rl but she’s not obsessed with it, she knows how to live in the now. She’s all about balance!

I also feel like she never keeps her phone charged and it’s always dying on her! She had a car charger but...that’s a jungle. She needs to invest in a portable charger stat

crushing on/finds attractive: Jared Padalecki, Keanu Reeves, Barrett Doss, Camilla Luddington, Sandra Bullock, Adrian Kempe, Harry Kirton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Naomi Osaka, Ming & Aoki Lee Simmons

who does she listen to? Shakira lol!! Bea Miller, Dua Lipa, Daya, XYLØ, Elley Duhé, Stela Cole, Aloe Blacc, Maroon 5, Lewis capaldi, Charlie Puth, girl in red, Hayley kiyoko, king princess, dodie, & tessa violet

Anthem: Icona Pop — we got the world

[fleetwoodmak99]

Primed for Sin (2/10)

SUMMARY: This is Arthur's point of view of meeting Elena and the effect it has on him. Arthur doesn't really know what he's gonna do but he doesn't know that she's the one.

WARNING: Delusions, masturbation, smut, stalking, smoking weed and mental illness (Borderline Personality Disorder and PBA)

Please kindly do not read this if these offends or triggers anyone. Im always here to listen if someone needs it.

Hey again. This is part 2 of idk how many parts to the Primed for Sin story. Like I said before idk where I'm gonna go with this but this chapter is gonna be more dark when it talk about stalking and mental illness. I decided to have Elena too have stuggles with mental illness as well because I felt it better represent what I'm going through with my own mental health. So I apologize if I offend anyone or if anyone feels misrepresented.

Primed for Sin Part 1

Arthur could feel his whole body ache as he sat on the couch in the apartment he shared with his mother. His legs bounced as he sat back on the couch. One of his hands coming up to his mouth to take a drag of a cigarette while the other one held the boys toy train. He could feel another one of his laughing fits hit once again.

He couldn't help the raging fits of laughter that escaped him as he felt the sharp pain of anxiety shocking his body. He remembers the events that had happen earlier that day.

He tried to think of something else, anything else but he couldn't stop himself from thinking of how beautiful that girl was when she had smiled at him earlier. How she smelled of peppermint, it reminded him of Christmas. Even though he never really was able to really celebrate it, something about the season always brought him comfort.

He felt his pain starting to ease as the laughter once again started to die down for what seemed to be the millionth time today. Ever since this morning he's been having laughing attacks left and right. He squeezed the toy train even harder. His thoughts beginning to roam again. He didn't know anything about that girl but he knew he needed to know more. No, craved to know more. There was nothing that would keep him from her. He already knew this, he just didn't know how far he would take himself for it.

He imagined that she would be the perfect good girl for him. She's already seemed to be a mother figure which delighted Arthur. Maybe one day she would be round with his child.

No. Stop it Arthur, he thought to himself. There will be plenty of time for that. For now, he wanted to know more about the boy she was with. Who was he to her? Her son? Has she been with another man? Is she a virgin?

The thoughts ran rapid through his head as he started to spiral. Nothing made him more upset than thinking about another man's hands on her. So he did what his thoughts told him to do. He gathered information on her. Anything he could find. The easiest way to do this was to follow the woman as she goes about her day. He knew it was wrong, the small voice in his head told him so but there there even larger voices telling him to go through.

After a few days of this, he was able to find out more about the sweet girl. Her name was Elena Wheeler. She worked at a comedy club, one that Arthur had gone to often. She did singing gigs on the side while she bartended for the most part. Arthur noticed she like to cover 50s songs as well as write some of her own songs. Arthur would find himself relax while enjoying her voice each night. She would work this job most days while the boy would go to a behavioral center for children.

The boy on the other hand wasn't her son but her younger brother, yet she was the one who had custody over him. This was most likely so he too wouldn't end up in the system.

This gave Arthur some relief as his virgin theory might be true. He'd watch the two of them interact with one another. Almost being jealous of the way they played together. He wish he had that with someone. He will, soon.

It was obvious that the boy had some major abandonment issues. He would cry every time she would kiss him goodbye. Only calming down hours later when he's starts watching a cartoon or until she returns. But Arthur could also tell that Elena had some issues of her own. She too would be antsy every time she was away from the child. Never allowing herself to rest until she knew she was ok.

Arthur would watch her through the window of the complex building. One thing he did notice immediately was the constant hits from a bong. He was honestly surprised how much she could smoke. If she were drinking, he would actually be concerned for her. The girl was small and shouldn't take much to get a high yet there she was coughing up a storm from hitting it so much. Michael was in the other room watching his Thomas show. Arthur couldn't help but wonder why she did this so much. Maybe she was lonely too.

Arthur was able to keep track of her favorite things, what upset her, what made her happy. Everything and anything. He would notice her moods would change frequently. She would be happy one minute and crying the next especially when she was away from Michael. He could see her trying her best to hold it together for the little guy. He really did. His heart leaped just watching it. His heart leaped even more when he saw he watching the Murry Show being played most nights after putting Michael to bed. She's perfect.

Arthur started to understand her more when he was able to get his hands on some of her records. He won't say how but let's just say he has his ways aka breaking and entering. He was glad he did when he saw an entire file dedicated to her.

She had been diagnosed with Boderline personality disorder when she was 18. She herself had been in behavioral centers for having difficulty controlling her anger. She also lived in foster home for most of her childhood it seemed since both her parents abandoned her when she was around 4 years old. Even though her parents had started coming in and out of her life when she turned 18, she never really gained anything from it.

It saddened Arthur to see she had had to struggle so much but that just seems to be a common theme around here in Gotham.

_________________________________________

After a long day of clowning around at his extremely emotionally draining job. He had done his nightly routine of watching Murray and cooking for his mother. After what seemed like an eternity, his mother had finally drifted off into sleep. He felt himself finally relax and with this he let his mind wander.

He wanted to see her. Just see her face. That's all he needed. Even if it was through a window in the freezing cold in the ally way behind the building. Luckily she didn't live on a high floor. That was enough for him to take action.

Arthur quietly grabbed his coat and shoes as he slipped out the door and into the cold. He shivered as the coolness hit his body.

Finally making it to his usual spot for that last few days and set himself up, only looking up when he was finished. His eyes focused on Elenas apartment window. It was dark with the only light coming from the TV in one of the bedrooms. He figured she had put Michael to bed because he could see her all alone, he paused, in only a gray tank top and black panties.

His heart started to race and he could already feel his throat starting to react. The laughter was ready to pour out.

Maybe this isn't a good idea, he thought to himself as he started to reach down to grab his things.

Yet he still couldn't tear his eyes from what he was seeing. Her tangled in the covers with her short brown hair all messy from moving around. It certainly was a sight to see. His cock agreed as it immediately started becoming hard.

The small voice in his head told him to stop. He knew it was wrong to watch her but when her hand started to move up and down her bare leg he knew he couldn't turn away. It was like she knew he was there almost. Like she was putting on a show just for him.

He grew harder and harder the more he watched. Watching her eventually making her way down to her panties, slipping her hand just inside. It didn't take long for her face to start turning and her body to start squirming. It didn't take long before he became hard enough it started to hurt leaning against his pants. He wanted to relieve himself so bad. More importantly he wanted to relieve himself in her but knew that couldn't happen right now.

He couldn't take it anymore when she started to grab at the sheets of the bed. He pulled out his cock that was already leaking with precum. Arthur didn't get a lot of action so when he did he just couldn't contain himself.

Arthur placed his dick in his hand as he started to slowly pump himself. He tried to match the same movements as her, trying to think it was her hand instead. He imagined they would be gentle and soft. His were the total opposite.

He imagined her saying his name. Whispering as she cums or screaming it as he fucked her. He knew he wasn't gonna be able to last long with all these dirty thoughts roaming his head. To his delight she couldn't seem to either. Elenas back was arched as her hands started to tease her breasts underneath her tank top.

He was right as her body started to shake, her chest move up and down swiftly as she starts to come down from her high. This gave Arthur the silent ok for him to cum as well. And when this boy cums, he cums everywhere. He just can't hold himself back. Shamefully cumming in a nearby trashcan so no one would see.

He quickly cleaned himself up, looking up and down the ally to make sure no one is watching. He couldn't help the connection he felt with her. She was so sweet the first time they meet and she's perfect now weak against her mattress.

Ok its time to make a move.

[undeadgoathead]

Whumptober 2021- Prompt # 4: Trust Fall

Devilsclaw was traveling alongside Tarragon, Bitterclover, and Dandelion, when suddenly he was grabbed from behind. He tried to scream, but a hand covered his mouth, and another throttled his throat. He grabbed at the hands that choked him, and tried to kick himself free, but he was already subdued.

“Shh, be still now, Thorn prince. We do not wish to hurt you. Come with us quietly, and do as we say.”

The unseen captor eased their grip on Devilsclaw, but he still couldn’t speak. He pawed at his own face, and was horrified to feel a strip of parchment sealing his mouth.

“We put a scroll of silence on you. It’s a demonic spell. A curse, if you will. But never fear. We know the counter-spell, an angelic blessing, to take it back off.” This voice was different. Higher. There were two people here.

One captor grabbed Devilsclaw’s wrists and held them before him, and the other bound them with a long rope. Devilsclaw struggled and screamed, even though his voice was muffled and he was outnumbered. He recognized one of them. The blue hair styled in an undercut was a dead giveaway. Brambleberry, a Wildflower Nomad. The other was a stranger. But their pink skin,  green mohawk, and face full of piercings betrayed their identity. Horsecrippler.

Brambleberry finished tying the final knot, and Horsecrippler struck the backs of Devilsclaw’s knees with a wooden staff. Devilsclaw doubled over,, falling to his knees, wincing with pain. Brambleberry and Horsecrippler towered over Devilsclaw as he knelt on the ground.

“I warned you.” Horsecrippler sneered. “Obey me or you will get hurt.” They grabbed Devilsclaw under his arms, and hoisted him back on his feet.

“Are you well enough to walk?” Brambleberry asked.

Before Devilsclaw could answer, Bramleberry yanked on the long rope that dangled from Devilsclaw’s bound hands, forcing him to stagger a few steps forward.

“Yep, he’s alright to march.” Horsecrippler snipped.

“Alright, come along now, Thorn prince. We have plans for you.”

They brought him toward the Wildflower Palace, a magnificent tower of intertwined grass, trees, and stones. Even from a mile away, they could see the green spire as they approached its living walls. Brambleberry walked in front of Devilsclaw, leading him by the rope. Horsecrippler walked behind, with their needle-sharp blade aimed at the small of Devilsclaw’s back, forcing him to keep up his pace. Devilsclaw hung his head, ashamed of his capture.

They finally reached a massive, mossy door of their destination. Brambleberry pounded on the door. Devilsclaw mewled against the scroll that gagged him, and struggled against the ropes, but Horsecrippler held him down. “Shut up! We’ve taken you this far. We’re not letting you get away now.” But Devilsclaw continued to resist.

Just then, the door swung open, revealing a beautiful fae with long blue braids falling over her dark brown skin.

“Larkspur! Just in time!” Horsecrippler called out, still struggling to control Devilsclaw.

“Horsecrippler. Brambleberry.” Larkspur nodded in a curt greeting. “Who have you got there?”

“We’ve captured the Thorn prince!” Brambleberry boasted.

“Is that so? I’ve never met Devilsclaw in person before. Sovereign will be most pleased! Come now, take him inside.”  Larksur stepped aside, welcoming them within.

Devilsclaw stared at Larkspur as Horsecrippler and Brambleberry dragged him in. She didn’t look like he had pictured her. She was an ancient and wise elder mystic, yet she appeared so young.  But why did he even know her name?He had heard of her before, but where and when? Could she be the one who had stolen Bitterclover from the Bisti Badlands?

“You’re lucky that our Wandering King happened to be in the palace tonight. Our Sovereign travels extensively, even for one of our nomadic clan of Wildflowers.” Larkspur led them down the earthy hallway. They came across a wooden door, with brass knobs and knocker, at the end of a narrow passageway. Larkspur rapped  her knuckles on the door three times. “Lord Sovereign, it is I, Larkspur, your royal Mystic. Your faithful soldiers, Brambleberry and Horsecrippler, have come to seek your audience.”

After a few moments, there was a rattle at the brass doorknob, and the door opened with a creak. Someone with blonde hair peeked through the crack.

“Marigold! Is our king in the throne room?”

“Yes, lady Larkspur. Please come inside. Horsecrippler, Brambleberry. Welcome.” Marigold gasped when she saw Devilsclaw, bound and gagged. “Is that-?”

Larkspur put a finger on her lips to hush her. “Shh. It’s a surprise.”

Marigold nodded silently, and ushered them all into the grand throne room.

Devilsclaw gulped. The roome was supported by columns of red marble, and the floor was pink granite. The walls were adorned with impressionist oil paintings framed in ornate brass, bronze, and gold. The throne was similarly jeweled and intricate. Before the grand throne, stood a tall, lean man with locks of golden hair spilling out over his suit of armor. He wore a robe of red velvet. He stood proud, holding his mighty broadsword, pointing ceremoniously downward.

Larkspur and Marigold curtsied, while Brambleberry and Horsecrippler bowed low, taking Devilsclaw down with them. Horsecrippler pushed down on the back of Devilsclaw’s head, forcing him down even further, as he tried to crane his neck to look Sovereign in the eye.

“Welcome to my court, subjects. What brings you to my palace this evening?” Sovereign spoke in a smooth, soothing voice. Even as he spoke softly, his voice commanded respect and reverence.

“Your majesty, Brambleberry and I have captured the Thorn prince, Devilsclaw.” Horsecrippler said.

“I see. Let go of him. I want to take a closer look.”

“My lord?”

“I command you to unhand him!”

Brambleberry and Horsecrippler obeyed. Devilsclaw was still kneeling, but straightened his back up straight in defiance. The king grabbed Devilsclaw by the chin and peered into his eyes.

“Hmm. Purple irises. Long black hair. Golden hoop earrings. This certainly looks like Devilsclaw.” Sovereign grabbed the rope falling from Devilsclaw’s wrists, and hoisted his hands up, inspecting his arms. “I don’t see any cuts or bruises on him, though it is difficult to tell, with these tattoos. Still, well done. You know I want our prisoners treated fairly. Especially my fellow royalty.”

Devilsclaw winced. Sovereign could not see the welts behind his knees, where Horsecrippler had hit him.

“Thank you, my lord. We followed your orders to treat our captives humanely.” Brambleberry said.

“Indeed. “ Sovereing replied. “ We shall ransom him back to the Thorn Empire. They will have three days to give us our money and collect their prince. Until then, keep him locked up in our holding cells. But unbind him, and give him something to eat and drink.”

“Yes,  my liege.” Horsecrippler and Brambleberry said in unison. They picked Devilsclaw up, back on his feet, and walked him down another hallway. His new home was a chamber deep underground beneath the palace.

Brambleberry took Devilsclaw’s bound hands and hastily untied them. Devilsclaw massaged his sore wrists. Horsecrippler recited an ancient, gutteral spell, and the scroll of silence fell from Devilsclaw’s lips, and burned itself off in a wisp of crimson smoke.

“Thank you.” Devilsclaw gasped. He still resented his captors, but hi was relieved to finally move and speak freely again.

“Silence, little weed.” Horsecroppler snapped.

“Excuse me?” Devilsclaw bristled. Nobody had ever insulted him like this before. At least, not too his face. Sure, the Thorn Empire was invasive and all-consuming. But to be called a weed was the ultimate humiliation.

“You heard me. Sit down and be quiet. You Thorns are so barbaric. Even a prince like you.” Horsecrippler scoffed.

“It’s you Wildflowers who are savages! You ambushed me, and now I’m your prisoner!”

“Yes, we captured you. But we didn’t kill you. We didn’t even maim you. We have nothing to gain from torturing a weak little sapling like yourself. We’re holding you hostage for ransom. We need your money more than we need you.”

“But-“

“And we took only you. You were the only valuable one. Tarragon has lost all her former status, glory, and riches. Her brother, the former king Basil, is now a common soldier, as lowly as myself and Brambleberry. Dandelion and Bitterclover are merchants. Their modest fortunes wouldn’t even be worth the trouble of kidnapping them. But you? Emperor Tribulus and Widow Witch Belladonna will pay a fine price for your head.”

“Joke’s on you. My father hates me. And the merchants will help Tarragon find me.”

Horsecrippler cackled. “Your father loves you, at least as an heir to his empire and legacy, if nothing else. That alone is worth a prince’s ransom. Or perhaps it will be your beloved mystic, Sagebrush, will pay for your safe return. Or your lover, Tarragon, who you said will find you anyway. But even if she and the merchants find you, they’ll still have to pay the price to have you back.”

“Thorn warriors would have captured all, or captured the prince and killed the rest. But we Wildflowers show some sophistication and restraint, a testament to our virtuous chivalry.”  Brambleberry bragged.

Devilsclaw paused. He remembered the legends, tales, and stories about valiant Thorn warriors, like his grandmother, Woodspider, who was notoriously ruthless in battle. In his heart, Devilsclaw knew that Horsecrippler and Brambleberry were right about Thorn military tactics, thought he hated to admit it.

“Here’s your rations, damn it.” Horsecrippler threw a flask of water and a loaf of bread on the ground at Devilsclaw’s feet. Horsecrippler slammed the barred door shut and locked Devilsclaw in the cell.

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

The snowy mountains of Dragonpierce

Crystal icicles can be nice to look at, but they are a pain to deal with. The mountains would be a good place to explore some more if it wasn't for the sheer cold. I applaud Connie and their friends for braving the cold and spending a good part of their vacation time here for team building activities.

Dragonpierce is one of those places where looks can be deceiving. Appearance wise it looks like any other snowy place. But when you step inside it's brutal, to say the least. Amber, Bennett, and Xiang are the real MVPs for keeping us from freezing to death with their pyro powers.

It's a shame, really. I want to explore more of the mountains - it really is a fascinating place that's full of resources we can use at the camp. The glacial gyroids were a nice find along with various plants and berries I've never seen before. But the risk is too much, especially for non-seasoned outdoors people like us. I doubt even an experienced adventurer would want to set foot in the mountains without at least three backup plans or something.

Connie and Pai are back again with their team for another retreat. Things have been going a lot better for them, especially now that they have more allies as well as no immediate threats looming ahead. In fact, it's been a little slow as things outside their control has forced them to put their main mission on hold for a bit. Though that doesn't make Connie any less busy, especially now that they're moving up ranks with the Adventurer's Guild so they're up for a promotion soon.

Turns out it's a good thing we planned this adventure because it's been a while since the original team last hung out all together. Luci and Amber have stepped back a bit to focus on the Knights so they've been eager to meet up with Connie again. Noelle, Seraphina, and Xiang have been stepping up the ranks as well, becoming part of Connie's main team for missions. Xingqiu and Bennett have been helping with the new recruits as well as building up their skills.

In terms of combat, Pai says they've improved by a lot. It also helps that they have more members as well as the fact that Noelle and Seraphina are powerful healers. They still have a long way to go in terms of being in the same league as other seasoned adventurers so that's something for them to keep working towards.

Not too long after Connie and the gang first visited the camp, Xingqiu's best friend Chongyun offered his assistance. He's a psychic exorcist with telekinesis and cryo powers. Connie had ran into him a couple times before, tagging along with him on investigations regarding reported sightings of evil spirits.

The next teammates to join were Meggie and Di, both who work at a bar/cafe. Meggie's a friend of Amber's from Stone Bridge, a neighboring town of Bonsai. Meggie is a bartender/astrologer who just moved to the city in hopes of a new start. She says she's not too keen about being a bartender but she has to pay rent somehow - she refuses to monetize astrology, something she takes seriously. Connie says whether you believe her or not, she does possess strong intuition when it comes to reading people.

I have to say, some of her observations about me were spot on. I barely know her and she managed to get a glimpse of me just by reading the stars. I don't know too much about astrology - and it's not something I want to overly look into - but I like to have an open mind. Even if astrology isn't real, I believe some people are highly intuitive - it's a trait that you can't hone in on, you either have it or don't.

Di is a waitress who's from Spring Valley, not too far from the city. She comes from a family of hunters and is a master archer with the power of stealth on her side. She's quite young so Connie has kinda unoffically adopted her. Apparently she's been going through some stuff at home, so that's why she started working at the bar despite being underage. It's not an ideal situation, particularly due to the fact that alcoholism is a thing in her family so obviously she tries to avoid falling into the same path. No wonder Connie wanted to take Di under their wing.

Then along comes Lan, a renowned captain/pirate who's traveled around the continent at least three times so far. She came to the rescue after a mishap with explosives temporarily put Connie out of commission. Apparently someone at the Adventurer's Guild thought it was a good idea to set off explosive barrels at a high cliff to extract some ores. Lan happened to be around the area when Connie literally landed in her arms.

Lan hardly spends time on land as she's always out on the open seas, so she's kinda a legend around these parts. She said she heard about Connie from Xiang as they often write letters to each other, so she was hoping to meet the honorary hero one day. And so fate decided to literally hand Connie to her, which is quite funny.

I mean, imagine falling off a high cliff and landing right in the arms of this badass pirate captain? If that happened to me, I wouldn't know what to say or do.

And finally, there's the newest team member, a conqueror of demons named Xiao. He's basically an immortal being who has been protecting the land for thousands of years, often lurking in the background. Pai never expected him to offer his assistance considering that he usually avoids interactions with others. Connie was surprised too, though they had been working together a lot since having to defend the city so that's probably why he decided to stick around.

Considering how he keeps his distance from mortals, it's also a surprise that he came along for this trip. He does admit that the only reason he reluctantly joined in was to take the opportunity to observe the team, which makes sense. Pai says he's been helping out a lot in terms of improving team combat skills so that's why he needs to know how well everyone fights and what needs to be worked on.

While the others are off doing various activities, Xiao stands in the sidelines, watching over everything. He seems like the type who takes their responsibilities seriously, the kind you shouldn't mess with at all unless you have a death wish or something.

As for this gyroid event, we're gonna use the gyroids to forge weapons designed by Luci, Xingqiu, and Connie. With the team growing and moving up in the ranks, they're in need of more advanced weapons. Noelle's claymore is pretty worn out while Di's bow isn't exactly meant for combat. Connie still has their trusty sword, but it'll be in need of upgrades later on while Xiang's looking forward to switching out her old polearm for something more sturdier. According to Connie and Luci's research, glacial gyroids can produce a range of high quality weapons. In short, it's something to take advantage of as forging weapons is expensive and hard to come by.

While the mountains of Dragonpierce are hard to navigate, Connie says it's nothing compared to the snowy mountains on the outskirts of Starcatcher and Bonsai Harbor. Over there, you can freeze to death if you're poorly prepared, so most adventurers avoid it like the plague. The sheer cold is strong enough to knock you out if you don't have adequate warmth, not to mention the fierce monsters that roam about. As a result, Connie rarely takes commissions to go there, but it's not something they can avoid entirely, not with their standing as of now.

I don't think I'd survive the mountains over there - Dragonpierce is already pushing my limits. I get that Connie and the others want to collect gyroids, but using the mountains for combat training seems a bit risky. Though it's kinda in the middle of nowhere so I guess it makes for a good training ground. Something about the extreme cold helps to put them in the right mindset? I mean, there's other places where they can train that doesn't involve them risk freezing to death but then again I know nothing about fighting and stuff.

I have to say, it's cool to watch them show off their combat skills and powers. Connie's come a long way as a leader - that's what I call growth! Pai continues to cheer on from the sidelines while offering commentary once in a while. I wonder if one day she'll join in on the field too but I feel like that's asking too much of her.

As much as Connie and Pai are thick as thieves, Pai can be a bit exasperating. Maybe that's why she gets along well with people like Connie and Jamie as they both are kinda jaded and have a low tolerance for bullshit, therefore they can keep her in rein. Also, it's funny whenever Connie roasts Pai because let's face it, she had it coming. Like Pai, we love you, but sometimes you need to step back and be quiet.

It's fun seeing them train and figure out their team dynamics. Like how Xingqiu and Chongyun work well together by coordinating their powers to freeze enemies. So naturally, Connie and Xiao want to utilize that. Xiang, Connie, and Lan also make a deadly combo with Xiang's pyro combined with Lan's electro causes an explosion. Throw in Connie's wind storm and you've got your enemies cornered in a pyro and electro tornado.

At the campsite, everyone's got their own thing going on. Amber's gliding around as usual, practicing her archery as well and bringing fruit for us in the process. Lan, Seraphina, and Xiang have been cooking up a storm in the kitchen and they really like spicy food. I mean, they literally eat hot chilis like it's nothing - it's kinda scary. I though Rika was crazy when it came to spice but I think these three are in another league.

It's a shame. really. Because if it weren't for the intense heat, I would be able to enjoy these dishes more. They taste good but the spice...why must I be weak?

Di and Noelle have taken an interest in finding materials like plants and rocks. They're really good at discovering new stuff like unusual seashells that contain iron that can be extracted or poisonous weeds that can be used to make potions. Di has her methods of handling dangerous plants safely by infusing her arrows with cryo and shooting at them to temporarily make them safe to handle by putting them into a bubble until they can be stored away.

Bennett and Xingqiu have been showing Chongyun around the camp, teaching him a bunch of stuff in the process. Apparently he doesn't go out much so things like camping is completely new to him, so he needed some time to get comfortable. He comes across as a serious person, kinda innocent and naive though, but dedicated nonetheless. I think with Xingqiu around and Connie keeping everyone in rein, he's been able to loosen up a bit.

Pai's been having fun - she's either off doing her own thing and getting into some sort of trouble or bothering someone. It seems like the others have joined in on roasting Pai when she finds herself in a mess that she caused. It's also nice seeing Connie loosen up too, probably since they've gotten comfortable in this unfamiliar world. Pai says they've been making friends and allies left and right - from ordinary citizens to people among high rankings, even some gods as well - it's pretty wild actually.

Of course, Connie remains humble and shrugs it off as it's nothing. They say the high ranking people are just like everyone else, but as for the gods, it's best to exercise caution and expect the unexpected. Also, Connie's at the point where if they hang around certain places for too long, then one of their new friends will whisk them away on some adventure or job. It's only happened a couple times so far but Connie has a feeling that as time goes on, it's gonna become a regular thing, much to Pai's frustration. Connie says they don't mind too much - at least for now.

Since the gang will be coming back in the future for another camp event, I wonder how much things will change by then. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Connie's friends as well as hear more stories about their adventures. I just hope no one insists on doing combat training in Dragonpierce again - unless they're gonna collect gyroids too.

Either way, I think I'll pass on the freezing mountains - I think that's one area I don't mind putting off exploring for a long while.

[maaaddiexo]

The Within Series | Legolas Greenleaf

Book 1: The Devil Within - 1.6

Mainlist | Serieslist

Nyx of Tyndall does not know love or kindness. Cursed at a young age by a jealous witch, Nyx has lived a life of solitude and death.

Until Gandalf the Grey requests her presence and uncontrollable skill in assisting a young Hobbit across Middle-Earth with nine others to destroy a ring so powerful all fall victim to its evil.

Not only must Nyx face Orcs, demons, and creatures she’s never seen before, but also the devil inside. Controlling the devil is the key to finding freedom in a spell that can’t be broken. But it will not be so easy for Nyx when every obstacle she faces pushes her to an edge she cannot return from.

Chapter Six

Through the woods they ran. The sun had barely begun to rise when they heard the screeches of the Nazgûl once more.

“Hurry!” Strider shouted from the front of the line, Frodo thrown over his shoulder. His skin had paled and small groans came through his lips every time he was jostled around.

“We’re six days from Rivendell,” Sam replied. “He’ll never make it!”

“Have faith,” Nyx said, though she feared Sam was right. “If he can withstand the Ring he may be able to stay off the poison in his veins long enough.”

They moved as fast as they could until the next sunset, finding refuge in thick foliage, surrounded by three trolls that had once been turned to stone. Nyx touched one gently. “Bilbo turned these to stone sixty years ago. Gandalf told me about it when I was younger.”

“How did he turn them to stone?” Merry asked as he wrapped an unconscious Frodo in an extra blanket. The poor Hobbit had begun to shiver.

“Trolls cannot stand sunlight. They will turn to stone if any sunlight touches their skin. Bilbo saved the entire company from being eaten that night. It was the first time he proved himself helpful to Thorin Oakenshield.”

“He’s waking up!” Sam shouted. “Look, Frodo. It’s Mister Bilbo’s trolls!”

Frodo could only moan and groan, his eyes enlarged and his skin a pale blue. All of the veins in his chest were visible. Sam touched his cheek.

“Mister Frodo? He’s going cold!”

“Is he going to die?” Pippin asked worriedly.

Strider looked sadly at the Hobbits. “He is passing into the Shadow World. He’ll soon become a wraith like them.”

Frodo gasped painfully again, and the Ringwraiths screeched in response. The noise came from all around them.

“They’re close!” Merry gasped.

“Sam? Do you know the athelas plant?”

“Athelas?”

“Kingsfoil.”

“Kingsfoil? Ah, it’s a weed.”

“It may help to slow the poison,” Strider said. Sam nodded and moved to leave but Nyx stopped him.

“I will go. I know what the plant looks like and where to find it. Besides, I am still uneasy from last night. I believe some time away from people may help calm me down.”

Strider hesitated and then nodded. “Alright. Don’t stray too far. There is another plant, echinacea. I will search for that.”

Nyx nodded and the two left the Hobbits alone and moved into the woods, searching for their respected plants. Nyx had just found hers when she heard a new voice. Not a wraith, but a woman.

“What’s this? A Ranger caught off his guard?”

Nyx grabbed her scythe. “Drop your weapon.”

“It’s alright, Nyx,” Strider said. “She is an old friend. Only having fun.”

The woman stood up straight and sheathed her sword, revealing porcelain skin and pointed ears. An Elf. “My name is Arwen. I bring no harm, but it is my job to patrol the borders. When we heard of Ringwraiths, I was sent out further to investigate.”

“Our friend, Frodo, he was stabbed with a Morgul blade,” Nyx said. “Can you help him?”

“Not here.”

“He’s this way,” Strider said. They returned to camp, Arwen with her white horse. Frodo’s head rolled to the side when they approached, but Nyx was unsure if he was truly seeing them.

“Frodo,” Arwen whispered. Frodo’s lips moved but nothing came out. Arwen said something in Elvish Nyx could barely hear. I have come to help you. Hear my voice. Come back to the light.

The Hobbit’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as some colour returned to his face.

“Who is she?” Merry whispered as Arwen knelt beside him.

“She’s an elf,” Sam said in awe. He had never seen an Elf before.

“He is fading,” Arwen whispered.

Nyx knelt on the other side of Frodo, ripping up the plant she’d gone out to find. Arwen pulled back Frodo’s shirt to examine the wound, revealing purplish and black veins stemming from the wound. After chewing on the plant, Nyx placed the plant over the wound, cooing at Frodo as he gasped in pain.

“He is not going to last. We must get him to my father.”

The three stood up and Strider picked up Frodo, moving to place him on Arwen’s horse.

“There are five Wraiths behind you. Where the other four are, I do not know.”

“They’ll be back,” Nyx said. A sense of dread filled her heart.

“Let me take him,” Arwen said.

“Arwen,” Strider sighed. Something in his eyes told Nyx that Arwen was more than just a friend to him.

“I do not fear them.”

Strider conceded, moving to let her mount her horse. “You must ride hard. Don’t look back.”

“Wait!” Nyx moved past Strider, reaching into Frodo’s pocket for the Ring. It immediately felt heavy in her hand, calling out for the devil within.

“Nyx!” Strider said harshly. “What are you doing?”

Nyx ignored him, stringing it onto the plain chain hidden underneath her dress. “Giving them a better chance.” Nyx moved to Strider’s horse, mounting it with ease.

“But they saw his face at the watchtower!” Merry shouted.

“Exactly. If the Ring is separated from the one who once had it, it will buy Arwen some extra time.”

“Nyx,” Strider warned. She looked down at him.

“I was telling you the truth the other night. I don’t want the Ring. But Gandalf believed that Frodo is destined to carry the One Ring. And if he is, he needs to be alive to do it.”

“Does it not call to you?” Strider asked softly.

“It does,” Nyx admitted. Already she could feel her resolve weakening against the curse. “But the evil inside me wants the Ring for itself. It does not want to give it away.” She tightened her grip on the reins. “I will see you all in Rivendell. With the Ring.”

“We need to hurry,” Arwen said. Nyx nodded and the two took off together. They rode through the night just like Strider had said – hard and fast. They did not stop at daybreak and they did not stop for food. At one point, when they had to cross a river, they let the horses drink momentarily and eat some grass by the shore, but then they were off again.

“How is he doing?” Nyx yelled as they rode through a meadow.

“The athelas isn’t working anymore!” Arwen replied. They both spurred their horses to go faster. The meadow ended just as suddenly as the forest began and the Ring around Nyx’s neck felt heavy with evil. Something churned inside her.

“They’re here!” she shouted to Arwen before pulling her horse away from the Elf and Hobbit. The Ring burned under her dress, begging her to take control of it. Give it to the Nazgûl. And the evil inside of her begged her to put it on and use it for herself. Nyx screamed aloud, forcing herself to stay true to her journey and dodged the trees. Hooves sounded loudly behind her and Nyx knew the Nazgûl were upon her. Through the trees to her left, she saw Arwen with a Ringwraith on either side of her. Normally, Arwen would have been able to fight them off. But Frodo was fading and she had to hold onto him to keep him on the horse.

“I cannot outrun them!”

Nyx reached for the necklace, pulling it over her head and dangling it in front of her. She didn’t have to say a word before the two Ringwraiths turned to her and left Arwen alone. “Go, Arwen!”

Nyx weaved through the trees as Arwen galloped straight ahead. They were almost at the border of Rivendell; Nyx could feel the magic in the air. The trees thickened and the air became colder as Nyx neared the riverbank. She could barely hear the trinkling of water over her laboured breath and heavy heart. The trees broke on the edge of the riverbank, and across the way she could see Arwen. She joined her side and together they watched to see if the Nazgûl would cross.

They screeched at the touch of the water.

“Give it up,” one growled.

Nyx held up the necklace while Arwen unsheathed her sword. “If you want it. If you want him, come and claim him.”

The Ringwraiths waded into the water on their horses and Nyx moved back. Arwen looked around them, muttering elvish under her breath. Nyx chanced a glance at Frodo. He was wheezing now, and green liquid was dripping from his mouth.

Something rumbled in the distance and all parties looked upstream as a tsunami of water came rushing at them. Wordlessly, Nyx moved to the shore and watched as something reached out from the rushing water.

“Horses?” she wondered. They trampled the Ringwraiths without hesitation, washing them and their horses downstream. Nyx smiled in delight, turning back to Arwen and Frodo only to see the two of them on the riverbank.

“No, Frodo!” Arwen cried. “Don’t give in.”

Frodo wheezed softly and Nyx dropped to her knees, pushing his sweaty curls out of his face. “Frodo…”

Arwen pulled the Hobbit into her, tears falling freely as she cradled the boy. “What grace has given me – let it pass to him. Let him be spared. Save him.”

Frodo gasped for air, but his eyes were still enlarged and the whites of his tinted red. Nyx looked at Arwen. “What did you do?”

“I gave him a little more time. Come on.”

Nyx mounted Strider’s horse and they were off once more. From the dirt came a stone pathway and stone arches overhead. Elves in armour watched as they raced past them but did not try to stop them. An Elven horn was blown somewhere behind them.

Arwen stopped in a round stone courtyard, and they dropped to the ground as a man with Arwen’s hair and bright blue eyes approached them.

“Arwen.”

“He’s been struck with a morgul blade. He needs help,” Arwen said. The man nodded and touched her back. Arwen hurried down the corridor on the right. Nyx moved to follow her but an arm prevented her from doing so.

“It has been a long time, Nyx of Tyndall.”

Nyx dropped into a quick curtsey. “Lord Elrond.”

“You carry more evil with you during this visit. What has happened?”

Nyx touched her sternum where the Ring rested. “Not here. And tell your men to expect more company. A Man and three Hobbits.”

Elrond nodded and led Nyx to the Council Room. “Tell me everything that has happened.”

Nervously, Nyx pulled the chain over her head and placed the ring on the table. It felt too heavy in her hands for just a ring.

“That cannot be,” Elrond gasped. The two stared down at, dread in their stomachs. “The Ring of Power has been found.”

Part 1.7 ➺

[jaskierrrrrr]

ooh, prompt prompt prompt! I will never get enough of fix-it fics with Jaskier and Geralt meeting up like a few years later, but one of them is sick and they try to apologize/start a fight respectively and then realize and abruptly stop because they realize the other is really, really not okay.

Wanted to write this for ages but couldn’t decide who would be hurt and who would comfort- then wham bam @mystic-majestic wanted some hurt Geralt content so here we are! Also figured you guys might need something to help you calm down after everything that’s been going on XD hope you all enjoy!

***

The creature thrashes in the water, sending waves of foul smelling, icy swamp water flooding over Geralt’s boots. He doesn’t register the cold; he’s too preoccupied with the rows of fangs protruding from the creature’s jaw that are covered with lumps of rotten flesh. Geralt’s all too aware that that’s how he’ll end up if he doesn’t find some way of killing this monster, which is proving significantly harder than he expected. They’ve been at this for over an hour. Geralt can feel the potions wearing off; he’s tiring, but the beast is not.

He knows he can’t win through brute force alone, the creature is too strong for that. As quickly as the tangled weeds under his feet will allow him, he crashes backwards through the swamp, as if attempting to flee. The creature takes the bait, rearing further out of the ater. Geralt seizes his chance and uses the last of his strength to throw himself towards the beast, sinking his sword into its soft underbelly with as much force as he can muster.

The creature screeches in pain so loudly Geralt’s ears ring. It snaps its jaws at Geralt in one last, desperate attempt. He dodges, staggering backwards, but as the creature finally seems to accept its fate, its barbed tail comes arching through the air. It catches Geralt across his chest, knocking the breath from his lungs. He feels his ribs crack as he’s thrown through the air and lets out a grunt as his head inevitably collides with a tree trunk. He collapses at its roots, his mouth opening a desperate attempt to suck oxygen into his bruised lungs. As he lies there, dazed and disoriented, he dimly registers the loud splash of the monster finally sinking into the water. When sparks finally stop flying behind his eyes, he opens them. He’s suddenly aware of a sharp pain in his side above the dull ache of his cracked ribs, and as he painfully twists around to look, he finds the cause.

One of the thick, jagged barbs from the monster’s tail is embedded deep in his skin. He wipes away some of his own blood that’s slowly leaking from the wound. It’s deep, but what's more concerning is the greenish hue surrounding the entry wound.

It’s a choice Geralt really rather wouldn’t make: a toss up between blood loss if he removed the barb and blood poisoning if he didn’t. He curses his earlier decision to leave his healing salves back at the inn, but he hadn’t expected this type of creature; they were rare, and didn’t match the villagers’ frightened descriptions at all. To be fair, they probably hadn’t wanted to get close enough to find out exactly what they were dealing with.

Geralt assesses his options. He’s pretty sure that he’ll be able to make it back to the inn if he binds his wounds, but he doesn’t know how strong the poison is, or what the effects will be if he leaves it in for longer than he has already. It’s already burning the skin nearby, he can feel the hot, itching sensation starting to spread.

Resigned to his fate, he grabs a piece of wood to wedge between his teeth and tears off the bottom of his shirt in preparation. Grateful that at least there’s no one around to see this except Roach, who’s seen far worse, the braces himself and yanks out the barb. Thankfully, it all comes out in one piece; he tosses it aside as hot blood begins to pour from the now open wound and grabs the makeshift bandage, wrapping it tightly around his torso until the blood stops soaking through it.  He staggers to his feet, grimacing at the pain, and stumbles over to the dead beast. Pulling his sword out from where it’s still lodged in the monster’s belly, he makes his way over to where Roach is tethered, aware that he needs to see to his wounds sooner rather than later. Mounting Roach is a challenge, and he’s gasping for breath when he finally gets settled on her back. He sets his teeth as they make their way back towards the village. This isn’t going to be a fun journey.

****

He makes it, somehow. His head is swimming by the time he arrives at the small inn, and he can feel the poison coursing through his veins now that his potions have worn off. He’s oblivious to everything surrounding him as he tethers Roach and makes his way inside; all his energy is going into not keeling over sideways. 

He’s made it inside and is contemplating how best to tackle the uneven stairs when he hears it. The peal of laughter that he would recognise anywhere, the one he hasn’t heard in months. He doesn’t quite believe it- thinks maybe he hit the tree hard enough to hear things that aren’t really there- but he’s scanning the room anyway, until-

Jaskier hasn’t changed at all since the last time Geralt saw him, clothes still as vibrant, blue eyes still as bright. He’s clearly been playing to the patrons of the inn for a while, judging by the amount of coins in front of his feet and the red flush of his cheeks. He plays another song, and as the crowd whoops and cheers, Geralt completely forgets about his injuries, the sound of the lute and Jaskier’s voice washing over him. All thoughts of healing salves and bandages disappear, replaced with the guilt at the words he said when they last saw each other.

Jaskier’s finishing his performance, arms spread wide as he winks and grins at the crowd. The smile only slips for an instant when he locks eyes with Geralt, who’s now leaning heavily against the wall, but Geralt senses his anger. He knows this is a bad idea, that he desperately needs to see to his wounds, but he can’t will himself to move away from Jaskier. His heart leaps as Jaskier swings his lute over his shoulder and saunters towards him, still acting for the crowd.

‘Jaskier,’ Geralt says weakly, but the bard sweeps past him without a word. Despite his muscles screaming in protest, Geralt follows without hesitation.

The door to Jaskier’s room is ajar, and Geralt can tell he’s furious before he’s pushed it open. Sure enough, Jaskier’s face is contorted into a scowl as he stuffs his clothes into a bag without sparing a thought for creases. He throws it over his shoulder, and finally meets Geralt’s eyes. Geralt feels a pang in his heart as he sees hurt, rather than anger in Jaskier’s eyes.

‘No.’ is all Jaskier says.

‘Just give me a change to ap-’

‘No!’ Jaskier says firmly, even though his hands are shaking. ‘I’m done with this, with all of this. I’ve moved on.’

He juts his chin out, as if he’s trying to control the emotion in his voice. When he speaks again, he’s cold and quiet. ‘I will not let my heart get broken again.’

Geralt takes a step towards him, opening his mouth to speak, but Jaskier’s already moving past him. As he passes him in the doorway, his shoulder thuds into Geralt’s, pulling on the wound. Geralt feels a sickening lurch of pain, can’t help the gasped ‘fuck’ that spills from his lips. His vision suddenly blurs and his knees give out. Surprisingly strong hands grab his shoulders and stop him from hitting the floor, and he hears a faint voice calling his name. He dimly registers that he recognises it, before he sinks into blissful nothing.

***

When he comes to, he’s warm, sluggish, and he can’t move his arm. There’s a level of panic, but it’s muffled by what he thinks is probably some type of potion. He’s still too out of it to remember how he got here. He remembers the pain, even though it’s been reduced to a gentle ache. As his eyes adjust, he scans the unfamiliar room, before his eyes fall on a familiar head of brown curls. 

Jaskier is fast asleep, his mouth slightly open, head resting heavily on Geralt’s arm. He looks exhausted- there are dark circles under his eyes and his clothes are rumpled. Geralt shifts his arm slightly under his head and he bolts upright, blinking groggily. His eyes immediately snap to Geralt; when he sees that his eyes are open, he sighs in relief.

‘Oh, thank the Gods,’ he sighs, rising from the bed and wiping his eyes. ‘I thought we’d lost you.’

‘It’s good to see you too, Jaskier.’ Geralt says sincerely.

Jaskier’s eyes suddenly narrow, as if he’s only just remembered what happened. 

‘What the hell were you thinking?,’ he says, in a much angrier tone, ‘Why the fuck didn’t you go straight to a healer? The poison had nearly reached your heart- the mage I found said you’d have been dead in ten minutes if I hadn’t brought her to you.’

‘Lucky for me you found one, then.’ Geralt murmurs, leaning back against the wooden bedframe with a smile. It’s hard to take Jaskier’s anger seriously when his face is creased from the blanket and his usually perfect hair is sticking up in tufts. Jaskier crosses his arms and scowls.

‘Lucky for you I had enough money to pay her.’ he corrects, but there’s a small smile at the corner of his mouth. ‘But you didn’t answer my question.’

‘That was the plan.’ But then I saw you, and I knew I had to…’ Geralt trails off, shrugging. There’s an awkward pause, then both of them speak at once.

‘I wanted to say sorry-’

‘I know you were trying to apologise-’

Jaskier looks down at his hands, fiddling with a loose thread. He opens his mouth, and starts speaking hurriedly. 

‘I wasn’t really angry. I knew at the time you didn’t really mean what you said, I just knew you needed some space- so I left. But then the months went by and we didn’t find each other like we normally do, so I just felt like you didn’t really want to see me. But then when you walked in yesterday, I didn’t know how to react. So I guess I owe you an apology too.’ He says ruefully, finally meeting Geralt’s eyes.

Geralt smiles at him, knowing that he’s forgiven. One of the many things he respects about Jaskier is how easily he forgives and doesn’t hold grudges. Except for Valdo Marx, but Lord knows that man deserves it.

They move on, easily falling back into old routines, Jaskier speaking of his latest ballads and successful performances, and Geralt filling him in on the events that led to his current injuries. Geralt loses track of time as they talk, and it’s only when Jaskier gently pushes him back against the pillows that he realises he’s exhausted.

‘It’ll take you a few more days to heal properly. Fortunately for you, I’ll be here to make sure you don’t do anything stupid in the mean time. Complete bed rest, alright?’ he says sternly.

Geralt smiles sleepily, as his eyelids fall closed. ‘Thank you,’ he mumbles, and he feels a warm hand squeeze his own as he drifts asleep once more.

[dreamersmemes]

jessie reyez ‘before love came to kill us’ sentences

feel free to change pronouns & things ! DO YOU LOVE HER

‘ i should’ve fucked your friends ’ ‘ it would’ve been the best revenge ’ ‘ i’m trying to heal but it’s a process ’ ‘ there’s a stranger where my heart is ’ ‘ i’m sick with feeling like i deserved better ’ ‘ you’re sick for everything you did to me ’ ‘ it was a setup ’ ‘ if i blow your brains out, i could guarantee that you’ll forget her ’ ‘ i could kiss it better ’ ‘ kiss me ’ ‘ i’m the monster that you made ’ ‘ kiss me, i’m the monster that you made ’ ‘ you made me ’ ‘ now i’m just like you ’ ‘ don’t complain ’ ‘ i do the things you like hoping you’d stay ’ ‘ you don’t want me unless i’m someone else’s ’ ‘ you don’t even know you’re being selfish ’ ‘ that’s when you get off and you can’t help it ’ ‘ all your bullets, they feel like velvet ’ ‘ i let you do it ’ ‘ i loved you too much ’ ‘ your dead to me ’

DEAF ( who are you )

‘ what the fuck’s a day off? ’ ‘ i don’t love ya ’ ‘ go get your bitch ’ ‘ she’s all on my dick ’ ‘ i am the one that got you in love ’ ‘ i heard you got a lot to say ’ ‘ i ain’t a killer, i’ll let you breathe ’ ‘ oh, now you don’t recognise my face? ’ ‘ i never listen ’ ‘ who are you? ’ ‘ if i’m sipping jameson, i don’t answer ’ ‘ i’m taking everything i came for ’ ‘ i ain’t fucking asking ’ ‘ who are you, bitch? ’

INTRUDERS

‘ this is mine from now on ’ ‘ when i see intruders, i load up my weapons ’ ‘ you’re beautiful ’ ‘ i see them stare ’ ‘ you belong to me ’ ‘ i’d kill all intruders ’ ‘ my love is ruthless ’ ‘ you are my kingdom ’ ' heads on a stake of people that failed ’ ‘ don’t you come in ’ ‘ this is my land ’ ‘ please, no intruders ’

COFFIN

‘ we fought until the sun rose ’ ‘ i still ain’t been to bed ’ ‘ the devil wakes up in my head ’ ‘ he told me that you hate me and you blame me ’ ‘ you hate me and you blame me ’ ‘ you said that you wish that you were dead ’ ‘ you make me wanna jump off a roof ’ ‘ i love you to death ’ ‘ i love you to death, just like a fool ’ ‘ i walk up to the edge and say a prayer before i let go ’ ‘ you get there just in time to save me and apologise ’ ‘ maybe we can go back to bed ’ ‘ i had to watch you jump off the roof ’ ‘ maybe buddha’s got it right? we reincarnate every time ’ ‘ i’ll find you in another life ’ ‘ i don’t really wanna fight ’ ‘ i just wanna spend the night ’ ‘ hit me in the eye, bit me on the thigh, then began to cry ’ ‘ i’m at the end of my wits. let’s end this ’ ‘ pledge your loyalty, treat me like a king ’ ‘ no matter how mad i get, i’m mad about you ’ ‘ i know we’ve had our challenges, still i keep trying to salvage it ’ ‘ bet you think i’m fucking around on you ’ ‘ it never changes, i doubt if it will ’ ‘ cheat on me then say “how does it feel?” ‘ ‘ how could you? ’ ‘ i almost had a child with you ’ ‘ i’ll put you in the ground ’ ‘ you’re just trying to pull me down with you ’ ‘ if you jump, i’m jumping with you ’ ‘ neither one of us having nothing to lose but each other ’

ANKLES

‘ we fight just to fuck just to fight again ’ ‘ i never thought you’d leave me ’ ‘ i doubt you’ll ever find anyone ’ ‘ these bitches can’t measure up ’ ‘ you apologise, but your twitter says ‘no regrets’ ’ ‘ i’d kill for a mute button in my head ’ ‘ i’m tired of pretending like i was the guilty one ’ ‘ you’re shallow ’ ‘ why’s it always me that’s gotta feel bad? ’ ‘ you left me in a heartbeat ’ ‘ it will never go back to the way it was ’ ‘ she’s not on my level, you could’ve done better ’ ‘ you make me sick ’ ‘ i’m back on my shit ’ ‘ she doesn’t ride like i used to ride it ’ ‘ i doubt you’ll find anyone to measure up to me ’

IMPORTED

‘ my bank account is looking mighty fine ’ ‘ we can skip the wine and dine, go straight to the wind and grind ’ ‘ wanna cum? i can make it happen ’ ‘ you can be my biggest secret ’ ‘ you’re gonna have to leave him ’ ‘ you’re in love with somebody else ’ ‘ maybe i could offer some help? ’ ‘ get over them by getting under me ’ ‘ you might o.d if you get too much of me ’ ‘ my name is not important ’ ‘ i’m not from here ’ ‘ i drink liquor like it’s water ’ ‘ what happened here ain’t nothing sacred ’ ‘ that got me fucked up ’ ‘ i know that dude just saw me naked ’ ‘ fake it ‘til you make it ’

SAME SIDE

‘ how come i can’t leave you? ’ ‘ i feel like i am tied down to someone who’s making me cry more than making me smile ’ ‘ i don’t want you. i hate you, i think. but i don’t wanna be alone either ’ ‘ you’re such an asshole, but i see a prince ’ ‘ i’m a good girl, but you see a bitch ’ ‘ i wanna make love, you wanna burn a bridge ’ ‘ i wish i was a bad guy ’ ‘ we could be fighting on the same side ’ ‘ you said you would be out of my life ’ ‘ you used to be paradise ’ ‘ you used to be where i would go to hide from people who treat me how you treated me ’ ‘ i don’t believe you ’ ‘ sorry i’m not your ex ’ ‘ i’m sorry i’m lacking self-respect ’ ‘ should’ve left you when you started hopping beds ’ ‘ i’m sorry, i swear that i tried my best ’ ‘ can’t you be sorry instead? ’

ROOF

‘ it be skinny dudes packing those anacondas ’ ‘ i’m a fucking monster ’ ‘ everything i do hits the roof ’ ‘ i got nothing to lose ’ ‘ you lucky i don’t want your man ’ ‘ never really ever had a high like this ’

DOPE

‘ tell me do you need a teacher? ’ ‘ i know i got what you need ’ ‘ i know what you like ’ ‘ that shit dope ’ ‘ come here hot boy ’ ‘ it’s only bad if you get caught ’ ‘ pull that trigger ’ ‘ put that drink down ’

BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US

‘ i love you in the worst way ’ ‘ you knock me down like a heavyweight ’ ‘ we fell in love ’ ‘ nobody gets out of love alive ’ ‘ we either break up or we say goodbye when we die ’ ‘ for a moment at least, i know you were mine ’ ‘ winter comes and roses don’t survive ’ ‘ it’s getting late and i should go ’ ‘ i wanna hold you ’ ‘ we’re not supposed to but i can’t learn my lesson ’ ‘ i miss when you were my best friend ’ ‘ i think about you everyday ’ ‘ life’s good and i’m getting paid ’ ‘ when i miss you i medicate ’

LOVE IN THE DARK

‘ we’re only humans, floating on a rock ’ ‘ i think you are made of stardust ’ ‘ you put up with so much ’ ‘ the sweetest goodbyes are never with smiles at all ’ ‘ our lives are running out ’ ‘ i’ll be there to pull you back up ’ ‘ i’m nothing without you ’ ‘ i won’t leave you alone ’ ‘ there’s love in the dark ’ ‘ i’d do anything to relive our memories ’ ‘ i thank god for everything that you showed me ’

I DO

‘ we let this castle fall down, what a tragedy ’ ‘ do i still live in your head? ’ ‘ do you still live with regrets? ’ ‘ because i do ’ ‘ i do ’ ‘ do you got something on your chest? ’ ‘ do you wish we weren’t finished yet? ’ ‘ come bring me all your sins ’ ‘ put a band-aid on the scars ’ ‘ would you give me your heart again? ’ ‘ if i could just see you. we don’t even have to talk ’ ‘ i’ll take an argument ’ ‘ all i want is a familiar face ’ ‘ i’d much rather hurt from familiar pain ’

FIGURES

‘ i gave you ride or die and you gave me games ’ ‘ i’m crying ‘cause you just won’t change ’ ‘ i gave it all and you gave me shit ’ ‘ i wish i could hurt you back ’ ‘ what would you do if you couldn’t get me back? ’ ‘ you’re the one who’s gonna lose something so special ’ ‘ tell me boy how in the fuck would you feel? ’ ‘ i’m the bad guy because i can’t learn to trust ’ ‘ you say sorry once and you think it’s enough ’ ‘ i got a lineup of girls and a lineup of guys begging for me just to give them a try ’ ‘ i’m willing to stay because i’m sick for your love ’

FAR AWAY II

‘ i think you’re the love of my life ’ ‘ i feel like i need you tonight beside me ’ ‘ i feel what you feel when you’re far away ’ ‘ i ran out of heart, don’t got feelings ’ ‘ you left your panties and bra right under my pillow ’ ‘ you gonna stay on me until i’m finished ’ ‘ your body won’t say stop ’ ‘ you feel it in your soul ’ ‘ i fuck with your vibe ’ ‘ i never meant to do you dirty or make you cry ’ ‘ you’re just my type ’ ‘ like the love of my life ’ ‘ i care about you so much it’s kinda scary ’ ‘ I’m happy that it’s happening ’ ‘ i just miss you ’

WORTH SAVING

‘ you’re trying to leave while you can ’ ‘ i might be worth saving ’ ‘ when you come back i might not be here waiting ’ ‘ didn’t you say that your mama liked me? ’ ‘ there ain’t gonna be one like me ’ ‘ don’t let me go too easy ’ ‘ i’m not the easiest ’ ‘ to be real i don’t blame you for leaving me ’ ‘ all my friends, they hate your guts ’ ‘ i’m here defending all you’ve done ’ ‘ i’m not the easiest, don’t even blame your dumbass for leaving me ’

SUGAR AT NIGHT

‘ i could blame your parents, but you’re grown now ’ ‘ a couple vodka’s and you lose all control ’ ‘ if it ain’t about you, you just peace and zone out ’ ‘ it’s such a joke to hope that you could just be normal ’ ‘ you’ll never make me a bride ’ ‘ you just give me fight scenes ’ ‘ you always take away my smile ’ ‘ you always fuck up my dreams ’ ‘ sometimes i wish that you’d never entered my life ’ ‘ you had a wild light ’ ‘ embarrassed when i had to call you my guy ’ ‘ you stole my good years ’ ‘ i could’ve dodged your cheating and some bad scars ’

NO ONE’S IN THE ROOM

‘ i’d go to church every sunday ’ ‘ teenage love still took my virgin skin ’ ‘ after my first time i cried ’ ‘ after my first time i cried because i thought heaven wouldn’t let me in ’ ‘ the priest has got a boyfriend ’ ‘ the teachers smoke weed after school ’ ‘ when you’re young they try to keep you in cages ’ ‘ most of them don’t follow their own rules ’ ‘ i need to talk to god there’s just some things that i don’t understand ’ ‘ who am i when no one’s in the room? ’ ‘ does the voice in my head that talks me off a ledge belong to me? ’ ‘ vices only pacify for the moment ’ ‘ vices that they made to hold our pain ’ ‘ spend your whole life being graded ’ ‘ you’re not enough ’

[maxskulline]

Max has had an issue with narcotics for a long time. But she always managed to control it - to not fall into addiction. She uses strong alcohol and the occasional drug (her drug of choice is Ketamine for the numbing and dissociative effects it provides, but she also smokes weed and takes party drugs from time to time), as a means to numb herself to the onslaught of guilt and self hatred that she always carries within her - even as a teenager - and to numb the pain of, well, simply existing. The same goes for sex: it is a device Max has learned to master because the bliss of pleasure is a short-term relief, because it helps her forget and ignore the everpresent shadows in the back of her mind, digging in their talons until every meager ounce of self-esteem has been torn to ribbons. 

But it gets worse from there. And there is a point in Max’s life where the leash on her habits slips, where it is all she can do not to fall apart completely - or maybe she does it solely for the hope of falling apart to begin with? 

I already explained that Max finds a purpose on Paniola Ranch before she and Rosie ultimately ship off to Galar. But what happens before the ranch? How did she end up there? 

After the events on Aether Paradise, a few months pass before she ever sets foot on the ranch. In the first, initial month, Max is bedridden and recovering from the poisoned wound Gala inflicted on her during her battle with Guzma. She doesn’t know what horrors had happened to Rosie until a while later, but it is a demon of guilt that starts nagging and nagging until she can’t take it anymore. Even looking at her friend will result in Max wanting to double over and puke, or run to the next window and fling herself out of it, that is how unbearable the guilt weighs on Max. 

For letting this happen to Rosie. For letting this happen to her best friend. For letting her Pokémon be almost killed by the man she thought she had loved. For letting Guzma get to this state to begin with. For being so weak that she could not protect anyone - anyone she loves. For killing that Pokémon, so many years back. For being an utter, disgusting failure, a waste of a person.

Failure failure failure failure failure failure failure failure failure failure failure failure

Max never, ever lets these demons show. It is a battle she fights with herself, silently, and mostly at night when the memories come to the surface - memories that she spends so carefully forgetting, dissociating until the daggers barely scrape her. Rosie does not know of the battles she fights, because Max doesn’t tell her - ever. She cannot bear to burden her friend any more, and she can’t let anyone see how much she utterly hates herself. 

But the demons begin showing in other ways. Because when Max is well enough again, she begins to frequent bars, and when she comes home she is pissed out of her mind. If she comes home at all. Latter doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, Max finds herself waking in the middle of a park, or in the bed of a stranger, unable to recall their name or how she had gotten there. Leaving Rosie with Plumeria, where they’re currently squatting at, unable to imagine that Rosie could be possibly worried about her. Because why would anyone be? Why would anyone want to even see her alive- she is a failure, a wreck, weak - Guzma had shown her that she was nothing. That she never meant shit to him, too. Her inability to save her friend or her Pokémon showed that her parents had always been right.

So she drinks, and she fucks, and she dances, drowning out the thunder in her head for a few hours. Leaving Rosie worried, neglecting her Pokémon and irritating Plumeria. Hitting rock bottom. Clinging to the blissful numbness in those precious few hours where Max lets go and forgets, even herself. Max loses weight again during that month, and it becomes very obvious to others that this girl is slowly killing herself. That’s when Plumeria’s patience snaps - and that’s when she finds out Rosie is pregnant.

It does not take a second for Max to piece it all together. How this had happened - where, and when. Feeling trapped in what feels like an event horizon, a bottomless pit of darkness that she cannot escape from, because this is her fault, too. 

Plumeria knew about Rosie before Max did, and could sense what the information would do to Max. That’s why she had arranged a setup to get them both settled into Paniola Ranch, where Rosie would be safe and taken care of, before the news cracked. Max could not go on like this - Plumeria would not see it happening. If it seemed like a cruel decision, Plumeria could rest well with the knowledge that it came from a place of love, and worry. If she let Max go on like this, she’d last no longer than a month. She was withering. But she could not be the one who snapped her back into reality, give her cold turkey - it had to be a more drastic measure, of giving Max a purpose, something she currently absolutely lacked of. And, because Max was so intent of pushing everyone, including Rosie and her own Pokémon, away, Plumeria reached a treshold with her patience, too. 

The news did not go down well with Max, of course. A nasty arguement ensued, in which things were said that drove a temporary rift between her and Plumeria (and is one of the reasons Max initially cut all ties with her when she left for Galar). Plumeria compared her to Guzma - and while she spoke the truth, it was the wrong thing to say to her. 

Max and Rosie left for Paniola Ranch, because Max was given an ultimatum. Either go, or leave - without Rosie, who would always have a place with Plumeria as long as she needed it. Max, who did not ever want to live on the streets again, had no choice but to take the bait. It would not be until many, many months later that she saw Plumeria’s actions for what they were: to save her life. 

For the first two weeks on the ranch, Max could not bring herself to leave her room. Had locked the door and shut the windows, and she would only eat the food she was brought every other day. If her depression was bad before, now it rendered her motionless - incapacitated. Unable to leave her bed, with nothing but the roaring silence around her, and the shadows in her mind. Telling her what she told herself, over and over: she is worthless, she is a bad friend, she is weak, she is useless, and she utterly, utterly failed Rosie. The distance she put between them were for two reasons: to avoid Rosie’s disappointment at seeing her like this, and to keep the girl away from herself because she brought nothing but trouble to her. She could not fathom the idea that Rosie might need her more than ever, and she could not be that person - for anyone. 

Rosie met Rocky around this time - unbeknownst to Max, he would prove an anchor to the both of them, although even more so to Rosie. 

Eventually the Ranch caught up on her shit, and she was practically forced to do her share of work. It was hard at first, due to the detorriation of her body, both from malnourishment, alcohol abuse and because she was still recovering from the Golisopod inflicted wound. She did not manage any heavy lifting and started to tend to the Pokémon instead. Cleaning out their boxes, feeding them, all whilst keeping her distance from other people still. Until Rosie introduced her to Rocky - with such a sunny, carefree demeanor that it was very, very hard not to feel comfortable in his presence. Seeing Rosie befriending him did something to Max. Some sort of relief washed through Max - despite everything that had happened to her friend, she was still capable of forming connections. And shame. Shame for not being there for her like she should have been. That someone else started to fill this role. It took her another week to process it, and finally, finally show some semblance of change everyone was desperate to see in her.

Max left her room more often to spend tentative time with Rosie, although she never discussed anything that had ocurred on Aether Paradise. Keeping it casual, as easy as she could, Max did try to mend the bond between them. But the nightmares still haunted her at night, reminding her of how close she had been to losing everything she cared for. Rocky could sense it - through whatever empathy he had within him, he could sense what sort of demons haunted Rosie’s friend.

And offered to train her, and her Pokémon.

For so many years, Max had been behind the training of her Pokémon. It was the sole reason why Guzma had come so close to killing them - killing her, even. And the offer did scare her, a lot, because it is hard to shed the level of overprotection Max held over her team. Still, if there was one thing Max knew she could never let happen again, it was this:

She would not be weak anymore. Her Pokémon deserved to be prepared for everything. Her Pokémon deserved to be trained.

So she accepted. Every morning, for two hours before her work started, she would meet Rocky and train with him. And when she finished work and he was busy, she would take her Pokémon to the fields and do it herself. It was the one purpose she had missed in the past two months, a void that slowly filled, a sense of doing the right thing. The healing slowly began.

But, even years down the road, Rosie will still not know that the guilt had never left Max. It is the one truth Max swore to take into her grave. 

[mbti-notes]

Are you familiar with Little Women? Is Beth INFP or ISFJ? I don't really see enough Ne or Fe. I'm wondering how to determine the aux when her life/dev was cut short. Is Amy ESFP or ENFJ? You've said that using the tert is more likely to lead to problems, but how to differentiate an impulsive kid or unhealthy Se? I don't know what Laurie is and I'd love to hear any thoughts of yours. Thanks

I haven’t read the book. I’ve watched the 1994 and 2019 film adaptations and read some literary commentary. I don’t know whether I’ve captured the true spirit of the characters in my mind yet. 

The story is a period piece at this point, which means that context is very important for getting into the minds of the characters. That is, we should avoid projecting our current understanding about personality expression onto past eras. Theirs was a time when people, especially women, were not afforded the freedom that we have today to be oneself and pursue one’s own happiness. They were also quite limited in their exposure to the wider world, thus, new and diverse learning opportunities were rare and to be cherished. Despite being in financial hardship and difficult political times, I believe that the girls had a good moral upbringing. The fact that the girls eventually learned the right things to focus on in life is a credit to their mother’s strong and steady influence. Given this backdrop, I think there will be more examples of healthy than unhealthy function use. The girls are well-adjusted people.

Yes, it is more difficult to assess children, as they do not express the functions in typical adult fashion. Adults have the benefit of many years of feedback about their function use and they are more consistent in their function expression, whereas children are in their experimental phase and often misfire in their attempts to use a function. That is, there is a lot of “noisy” data to sort through when observing kids.

Beth

I’ve often seen words like “shy”, “pious”, and “industrious” used to characterize her. I don’t think introvert is in doubt. Her manner is reserved, she prefers to keep to herself, and she is self-motivated. I don’t think F is in doubt. She cares very deeply and her judgments/decisions are largely informed by her feelings. 

Other than the expected imaginative play of all children, I don’t see any evidence of Ne, and she should be showing some significant signs at her age. Being P means being a prospector of information. She lacks the curious, exploring, and adventurous mindset of NPs. Shy and reserved INFPs still find ways to explore the world safely such that they feel brave in their own way (a great example that pops to mind is the character Amélie from the film of the same name). But Beth is perfectly content to close herself off from practically every opportunity to venture out into the world, and there were some very good opportunities presented to her that NPs typically wouldn’t be able to resist. She prefers that life is tightly structured around familiar people, routines, and comfort zones, where she is able to feel in control of her own realm. Of all the sisters, she seems to enjoy her routines the most, as she is most likely to perform her chores and duties without complaint or requiring admonishment. Dutiful, obedient, routine, and “industrious” behavior does not come naturally to INFPs (i.e. not without coercion of some kind), in fact, they tend to really struggle with it unless they are motivated by deep passion. Therefore, there’s compelling evidence that Si is the higher function.

One of the main arguments I’ve seen for INFP revolves around Beth’s strong moral beliefs. If every person with strong moral beliefs is Fi dom, the world would be overrun with them. Why is it that, of all the types, SFJs are known for being the best caregivers? Let’s not do them a disservice by downplaying the strong moral beliefs that FJs are also capable of. It’s more important to look at the source of the beliefs and how exactly they are expressed. 

To me, the word “pious” invokes Si more than Fi. A pious person is a rule-abider at heart, someone who deeply respects tradition and ritualistic expressions of it. A pious person also faithfully corrects un-pious behavior, as a form of self-improvement. Challenging oneself to be “proper” (Si) is somewhat different than feeling “good” (Fi). I would argue that Beth’s morality comes from her sense of what is proper and “expected” of people, as picked up in very literal terms from her mother’s pithy advice. Beth is acutely aware of how her suffering might impact others and tries her best to put people at ease. She also never needs to be told twice and she doesn’t struggle with moral decisions in the way that her sisters do. 

INFPs often feel conflicted when decision-making because they tend to be full-to-the-brim with conflicted feelings after having prospected too many Ne possibilities. Beth does not seem to suffer this common problem because she’s not just about following her feelings and she’s not as full of conflicted feelings as one would expect of INFPs (i.e. F is not dominant). She is naturally good at managing feelings and keeping them in check because her main approach to information is to structure it with rules and regulations. And purposely keeping her world very contained to the known and simple is a way of making doubly sure that the rules are never difficult to follow. Luckily for her, she lived during a time when it was still relatively easy to choose a small and simple life, away from the stressors of the world at large. She didn’t get to experience the weeds of developing Fe because she purposely kept life simple socially, and then she died before she was forced out into the real world. 

Amy

Aside from the impulsiveness one would expect of children, I’m not sure I see other significant signs of Se dom. Fortunately, we do get to see her grow up, and the mature Amy doesn’t resemble ESFP. 

One of the main differences that I look for between ESFPs and ENFJs is the degree to which they “think” about how to socialize and fit in. ENFJs approach socializing in a much more complicated way than ESFPs, for better and for worse. ENFJs are more “calculating” socially (for lack of a better word) because Fe relies on knowledge of social norms to achieve social acceptance. ESFPs tend to fit in more naturally by virtue of being themselves and showing off whatever obvious talents or good qualities they have. The more ESFPs “think” about how to socialize, the more they fumble socially, because they get further and further away from themselves (i.e. betrayal of Fi + poor use of Ni). The more carefully ENFJs think about how to socialize, the more they succeed at climbing the social ladder, because they are better able to abstract the essential rules for socializing well (i.e. good use of Fe + Ni). 

As a result of this main difference in “complexity” of socializing, ENFJs tend to think/talk a lot more about fitting in (how to do it and how to behave the right way), whereas ESFPs tend to reject abstract talk about “how to” and prefer to “just do it”, since complexity only leads them astray. Notice how Amy gives Jo and Laurie unsolicited advice about how to be “better”, i.e., more acceptable. ESFPs aren’t likely to interfere with people like that because they don’t possess complicated “social worries” to project onto others.

Amy often gets obsessed about particular things that she believes are necessary for “moving up in the world”, such as: physical appearance, material possessions, matters of etiquette, impressing the right people, learning the right crafts, developing the right skills, and so on and so on. Moving up in the world seems to be her main character motivation AND she’s a natural at it. ESFPs, with the strength and conviction of healthy Fi, tend to dislike/resent the idea of social hierarchy, so it pains them a lot more to feel forced into participating in categorizing people along those lines, and, in the end, they will feel that social rewards are meaningless if obtained through betraying Fi. ENFJs are much more willing to play the long social game, even when they are aware that it’s all an act, because Fe benefits much more greatly than Se from the rewards of social status. In the end, Amy makes the correct decision to prioritize her well-being over the superficial trappings of social status (Fe+Ni well-balanced).

Laurie

I’m not sure about him, either, because he’s a supporting character and we aren’t privy to all of his motivations. Being rich affords him a carefree life, so his personality development is rather slow due to not being challenged to grow. I think he’s introverted as he’s modest and unassuming, not one to actively seek out attention, esteem, or glory. I think he’s P as he doesn’t seem to require any structure and is content amusing himself with whatever he likes moment to moment. He seems to scrape by just fine no matter where he is or what he’s doing, and he doesn’t aspire to much more than drifting along. However, I think his lack of aspiration isn’t a natural part of his personality but more a result of him being bogged down by unresolved heartbreaks. He feels somewhat alone in the world (family issues). He dreams of being with Jo but she refuses him. He dreams of being a musician but feels torn about disrespecting his benefactor. He dreams of various careers but lacks the talent.

What’s his main motivation? I think he would love nothing more than to devote himself wholeheartedly to the people he loves. He’s basically willing to accept any sort of life as long as he gets to be with his loved ones. This deep romanticism indicates F, and if also P, then Fi dom. His long and deep devotion to the IDEAL of being with Jo might indicate Ne. Later, he longs for the past and his childhood relationships with Jo and the girls, which might be an indication of Fi-Si loop. He has mythologized Jo, their past together, and the future they could’ve had. It takes both Jo and Amy to make him face facts. A running theme in the book is how women are expected to be proper for men (so as to be a good influence and/or not lead them astray), and the sisters saving Laurie from himself is a good example of that.

Observe how he sizes up the girls and the ways in which he tries to care for and protect them. One thing that he seems to value a lot is “authenticity” and he tends to call them out for inauthentic behavior throughout the years. He had a hand in Amy re-evaluating her priorities. In return, Amy taught him that "authenticity” is a privilege (as women didn’t have the freedom to be authentic) and he came to admire her ambition and tenacity. He seems to think that he’s good at sizing people up, but she’s on a different level. I think that he was impressed by her blunt assessment of his lifestyle, probably because he had never encountered that sort of tough love (aka honesty) before. It seems that he needed someone to be tough with him, which is common for INFPs. Jo was always the star of the show, too self-involved to encourage his growth. Amy opened up his mind, which he seemed to sorely need for moving forward (perhaps Ne resolution).