#but decided to stay home and draw my brain worm | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

apalkenndream1 · 9 months

Text

I'll Follow You Into The Dark || !Tav/!Reader x Astarion

(The brain worms demand this be posted)

Tags: fluff, soft, full squad, end-game spoilers

Word Count: 3,664

With the Netherbrain defeated and everyone cured of the tadpoles, Astarion has to flee from the sun once again. You follow him, of course, so he doesn't have to face the darkness alone. You head to the Underdark to help the vampire spawns find their way in this new world. Watching Astarion help his brothers and sisters warms your heart, reminding you of their freedom and how far he has come. He was once a man who only knew to live one way: deceive others and fight his way through everything. Now, he accepts the role of being a hero and helps out his siblings when he could've left them behind. Of course, his personality stays the same, including his sass and silly jokes in every interaction with them.

The two of you have found a home to call your own, making it comfortable for the time you can spend alone. While there may not be any sun to bask in, you make it comfortable with lanterns and a fireplace to keep you both warm. However, it never seems like quite enough.

_____________________________________________________________

Lately, it seems Astarion has been less of himself, diving into readings and drawings instead of keeping up in conversation. Similar to humans having seasonal depression, it seems this vampire has a similar affliction. He has become a recluse, only coming alive when he's helping out the vampire spawns. You decide to bring it up to him, hoping to find a way to help him out.

"Hey," you say softly, hoping not to disturb him.

"Hello, beautiful." He smiles softly, finally looking away from his book.

"Whatcha drawin'?" You say casually, ensuring he doesn't know what's happening.

"My muse, darling. You." He uses his wicked grin, the one that always knocks the wind out of you. You softly giggle, eyeing his drawings of you.

His attention to detail, including your wrinkles around your mouth and by your eyes. He shades every detail exactly, capturing your essence in picture-perfect form. It's like you're looking into a grayscale mirror.

"Wow, you're incredibly talented. That looks incredible." You're taken aback by his abilities, speechless.

He blushes slightly, as much as a vampire can, "Oh, you're too kind. Now, what did you actually want to talk about?" He says, a little more sternly, as he can see you're holding back.

You sigh, let out a large breath, and look into his striking red eyes, "You seem a little...off. I'm worried about you, is everything okay?"

His eyes drop, and he sets down his book, looking at his hands, "I miss our adventures, our team, and the sun. A part of me wishes we had never gotten rid of those tadpoles. A part of me wishes it had never ended so that we could still be out exploring the world, exploring my home. I guess I didn't realize how much it affected me."

Your eyes well slightly; he has never been able to be this open to anyone before. You know how important it is to take this lightly, and you must comfort him. You wrap your arm around his shoulders and smile softly at him, "I miss it too, but we also got to save a lot of good people. I'd rather be down here, safe, with you than, ya know...growing tentacles and eating brains."

He laughs softly at you, grabbing your hand and squeezing it. "I know you're right; it's just a hard thing to move past...Thank you for talking to me; I love you." He stands up, giving you a peck on the forehead, "I'm going to go gather some things for dinner; I'll be back shortly."

You both smile softly at each other and say, "I love you too." before he heads out. While it helped slightly, you can tell that he is still not 100% back to himself. Then, a lightbulb goes off, and you know exactly what you must do.

______________________________________________________________

You leave him a note so he knows you haven't disappeared forever:

Dearest Astarion,

I will be gone for a short while, but I will be back shortly. I've gone into the city, as someone needed some help retrieving an important item for them. Continue with dinner; this shouldn't take me long. I love you, see you soon.

Yours always,

(Y/N)

You gather some supplies for your trek back to Baldur's Gate, made simple by the Ancient Sigels, and get ready to assemble some people as well.

___________________________________________________________

Your first stop is the Sorcerous Sundries, assuming that's where he might be staking out. Since the end of Lorrokan, the tower has been home to Rolan, but he also wanted to learn more about the weave. What better person to do that with than Gale? He also took over the entire running of the Sundries, ensuring knowledge was accessible to all wizards. As you walk in, a familiar face lights up and runs to you with arms wide open.

As you embrace him, he laughs, "I wasn't sure you'd ever come out of the Underdark without your trusty lover!"

You chuckle, "It's good to see you too, Gale." You back up from him, looking him over in his newest and finest robes.

"You're on a mission, I see. What can I do for you?" Gale says, his voice more matter-of-fact.

You sigh, hoping he will understand what you're getting at, "Astarion hasn't been himself lately. He seems down like he needs a pick-me-up. I hoped to gather everyone to get together and see if that helps. Would you be willing to come to our home for a small party?"

Gale looks inquisitively at you like he's trying to read your mind. Then, he lets out a laugh as he grabs your shoulders, "Of course I'll come! Anything to help an old chum out of a rut. I'll also let Rolan and the tieflings know; it would be great for them to take a break!"

You smile, giving him a firm hug with a bit of a squeeze, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" You don't know what else to do, as thanks would never be enough.

You head off to your next destination with a large smile on your face.

____________________________________________________________

One of the few places with a lot of greenery is where two of your Druid friends spend their time: Halsin and Jaheira. When you find them in Bloomridge Park, you see them and Arabella assisting other Druids to become one with nature. They are so focused on the task at hand that they almost don't see you walking up.

"Y/N!!" Arabella shrieks, running to give you a hug around your legs. You bend down to return the favor.

Halsin smiles in your direction, crossing his arm across his chest and smiling towards you. "It is great to see you, friend. It's been a while; glad to see you getting some sun."

"Welcome back," Jaheira says softly, giving you a nod.

"Hello to you all. It's great to see you helping out the younglings," You grin, wondering if you'll be asking too much of them. Taking them away from the younglings seems like a large ask, considering the kids are new to this side of nature. You start to second-guess yourself, wondering what aspects this might have against them.

"You are concerned; let us know what you are thinking," says Jaheira, a fellow look of concern on her face.

"I don't want to take you away from these children; it seems like a bad time to ask something of you." You kick the ground lightly, feeling nervous.

Halsin smiles, looking at you caringly, "Whatever you have to ask, I'm sure it is necessary."

You look up at them all; they have warming smiles on their faces, making you feel better. "Okay, well, Astarion has been feeling a little down lately. I was thinking of ways to make him feel better, so I thought about getting everyone together in the Underdark. It's a lot safer, and Astarion has been working with the vampire spawn to teach them how to take care of themselves properly. Only if you're able to; not a big deal if not." You realize you have rambled on to them and get nervous awaiting their answer.

"YES! Let's go, please, please, please!" Arabella shouts, vibrating with excitement.

Halsin and Jaheira laugh, holding onto her shoulders to try to calm her down. "Of course, we'll be there, Y/N. That is never too much to ask of us." Halsin exclaims, smiling to try to comfort you. Jaheira nods in agreement, a similar smile across her face.

You grab them in a group hug, feeling fulfillment all throughout your body. "Thank you. I appreciate this more than you will ever know." With a final squeeze, you allow them to get back to their hard work.

___________________________________________________________

Your idea is finally coming into fulfillment, adding a skip to your step as you head to Wyrm's Rock Fortress. There are quite a few people you can talk to here, but the chances of them being able to step away is very slim. The first stop is the barracks to chat with the two behind getting the military ready to protect the people. You walk in to see them hard at work, helping the beef up the crew.

"A'right, soldiers, take a moment to recoup before we get back into the training," Karlach states in a stern tone, one you've never heard.

"T'saik, I never rested in my training; you are too soft, Karlach," Lae'zal exclaimed, rolling her eyes at this obviously tense partnership. Karlach gives her a soft punch on the shoulder when she sees you out of the corner.

"No fucking way," she states, running towards you and tackle hugging you. Lae'zal sanders over with the slightest smile on her lips.

"Why are you here?" she asks, some confusion in her voice. It's only suitable; it's been a month since you've seen the surface.

You let out a sigh, feeling their confusion, happiness, and slight sadness. You've been so concerned with helping Astarion that you never thought about how it could affect the others.

"I'm sorry I've been gone so long and that I've come to ask a favor. I should've come and visited earlier; I apologize." You say sheepishly.

"Oh, soldier, don't worry about it. I'm sure you've been just as busy as us." Karlach states, flinging their arm around your shoulders. Lae'zal crosses her arms, looking into your eyes with dismay.

"I still came to visit." She seems a little more cranky than usual, probably since she's here helping people who aren't even Githyanki. Perhaps it's disappointment in her high expectations, or maybe she's worn out from defeating Vlaaketh and rebuilding her home.

"Lae'zal, ease up, will ya?" Karlach says, her eyes a little more piercing than usual. "What do ya need?" She smiles towards you, her arm still on your shoulders.

"I wanted to see if you could come and do a bit of a house party for Astarion. He's been feeling quite depressed since we went to the Underdark, and I think it would cheer him up." You try to sound enthusiastic, but it comes out a bit more pleading than you want.

"Always aiding him when you should be here with us," Lae'zal says through gritted teeth. This statement grants her another intense stare from Karlach, to which she just bears her teeth at her.

Karlach looks back towards you and grins, "We will be there after we finish training. I'm sure they won't mind a night's rest from this one." She points over at Lae'zal, who just rolls her eyes at the gesture. You smile and give Karlach a big hug, which no longer burns since fixing her engine. You glance at Lae'zal, who finally uncrosses her arms and relaxes as much as she can.

"I will be there by no choice of my own." Lae'zal scoffs, a sign that she isn't as upset as she gives off.

"Alright, where's Wyll? He's next on my list." You say, looking around and expecting him to be there. Usually, he is around to help the Blades of Avernus grow and learn how to protect the city.

"Oh, he's downstairs. That's where the Blades practice after he rebuilt the old prison as a training ground." Karlach says before turning back to the trainees. "Break over! Let's get back to it."

As they line up, you head down to what used to be Wyrm's Rock prison. Once you get down the stairs, you take in the new training area. It's fitted with all the best weapons, shields, and armor that Baldur's Gate has to offer. As you look around in awe, you hear Wyll helping the Blades of Avernus gain in ranks.

"Blades, we have a special guest; please give them your respect," Wyll states before you can even process it. All the Blades stand up and give you a sign of respect. You nod towards the soldiers, and Wyll says, "At ease, back to your training."

He turns to you and smiles, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

You smile back at him with the same twinge in your stomach that you had when talking to Karlach and Lae'zal. "I'm getting everyone together for a get-together at my home. I was hoping you might be able to come. Astarion is having a hard time, and I think it could cheer him up." You look up at him softly with the same break in your voice.

"You can count on me." He says, saluting you with a grin. "I should be done shortly; I'll head there as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Wyll. I'll see you tonight!" You bounce off, successfully recruiting all your friends for a fun night.

____________________________________________________________

Before heading home, you head to Behive General Goods to gather some goods for tonight. You realize that it's going to be hard to surprise Astarion with all of these people and groceries. It's time for you to add a step to your plan.

You head back to the Underdark, hiding your groceries somewhere Astarion couldn't see them. You then head to Dalyria's home, heading to ask her for help with distracting her 'brother.' You knock on the door, waiting for a response before walking in.

Dalyria opens the door and smiles once she sees your face. "Y/N! Come on in." You walk through the door, returning her smile.

"Hi, Dalyria, I have a favor to ask. Could you possibly distract Astarion for an hour or two? I have a surprise for him." You smile brightly towards her.

"Easily. I'll go over there now! Do you need him to leave the house?" She says kindly, happy to assist obliviously.

"Yes, please! There will be quite a few people. Can you also ask your other siblings to come over a little earlier? You and Petra can come with him when the time comes."

"Yes, I absolutely can do that. Oh, I am so excited. It's been a while since I've had to keep a secret." You instantly know what she means, but try not to let the thought hold you too long.

_____________________________________________________________

Once you see Astarion leave with Dalyria, you grab your hidden groceries and get the party set up. While you don't have to make food for him, you start cooking for your food-eating friends. Along with that, you set up some carafes of wine out on the table. Once you have things finished, you hear familiar voices outside your home. You run up to the door and open it to a crowd of faces that light up your heart. They start pouring in, each with something in their hand. This went from a small party to a much larger gathering than you expected. Thankfully, they brought enough to cover everyone.

You look around as your longest friends mingle with each other, laughing and filling your home with warmth and joy. You can't wait to see how Astarion reacts when he shows up with Dalyria. The vampires come in shortly after everyone arrives and begin mingling with the crowd. Your plan has finally come together and ended up even better than you imagined.

______________________________________________________________

When you see Astarion approaching the house, you shush everyone for his entrance. As he opens the front door, everyone simultaneously shouts, "SURPRISE!" Astarion looks around in absolute shock, taken back by all the kind and familiar faces. He lets out a loud laugh as everyone joins in, surrounding him to say hello. You allow him to mingle around with his long-missed friends to allow him to glow up.

You watch him at a distance, smiling as you see him joking and laughing with everyone. Seeing him return to himself brings you a joy unmatched by anything you've felt since you first met. He looks around, locks eyes with you, mouthing 'I love you' and grinning. You mouth 'I love you more' back to him, winking as you move to mingle with the others. You walk over to the group to listen to the conversations being had.

You listen to adventures retold, new experiences from the point you all split ways, and everything in between. From Gale's tales with Tressym and Rolan to Wyll's expertise with the Blades of Avernus, everything seems to feel back to normal with everyone except Lae'zal. She is recluse, not talking with everyone and keeping to herself. You decide to speak to her privately to see what you can get out of her.

_____________________________________________________________

"Lae'zal, can we speak, please?" You say softly so the others don't hear.

"Tsk'va, why would I want to talk to you? I am only here because of Karlach." She scoffs, crossing her arms like she did at Wyrm's Rock. You sigh softly at her, grabbing her arm to drag her outside. She yelps, but you get her outside before she can throw a fit.

"Let me go, istik." She hisses, yanking her arm away from you. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I'm here to ask you what is going on. Why are you so angry at me?" You say, crossing your arms to meet her energy.

She rolls her eyes, annoyed at you. "Is it not obvious? You left us for SO long, not even a word or a letter. You could've been dead for all we knew. Then, you come back and ask us to do you this favor when we know you'll just leave again. This will be the last time you see me." She glares at you, keeping the energy she's had the whole time.

You sigh, understanding her frustration and taking it in. She's completely valid in her concerns, but you aren't sure what to say to make her feel better. "You are completely valid in your feelings. I got so encompassed down here that I didn't think about the effects it would have on everyone else. I'm sorry; I truly am. I promise going forward that, I will come up with more. We can plan night events as well to bring Astarion around. I should've done this from the beginning, but I will correct my actions going forth."

Lae'zal takes a deep breath and relaxes her stance more. "If you break this promise, I will never forgive you. I will leave you behind like I have done to many before you. I will accept it...for now." She glances at you and then back inside. You take the hint and follow her back into the party.

______________________________________________________________

When you return, it seems that no one noticed your little skiff outside, and they're still mingling together. You go and grab yourself a drink from the table when a hand all too familiar to yourself rests on your shoulder.

"Thank you, darling," Astarion whispers, kissing you on the cheek gently. You smile at the kiss and turn to him to see his soft smile. "This means so much to me; how did you know I needed it?"

"I know you better than you know yourself. I needed it as well, ya know?" You smile as you rest your hand on his cheek. He rests his face against your hand, closing his eyes to your soft touch. This moment makes you both forget you're in a room full of people. You softly rub his cheek, but your moment is quickly dispelled by hooting and hollering by your friends in the room. Astarion whips back at them, and they immediately silence themselves, sipping their drinks. He bursts into laughter and heads back to the group, winking back at you. You join them, telling stories and gaggling about everything. The night flows into the morning, wrapped in love and friendship for the whole time.

______________________________________________________________

Everyone has left, most helping to clean up and leaving you and Astarion to relax after the long party. He sits on the couch, and you lay next to him, resting your head on his lap. He plays with your hair as you sit in silence, closing your eyes to his touch. You sit in silence for a while, the first in the last few hours. After a while, he breaks the silence in a hushed voice.

"This night is one I won't forget for a while. I didn't realize how long it had been since we had seen everyone. I missed the laughter, the stories, and their presence. Thank you, dear. I will never be able to stop thanking you." He smiles at your calm face, looking at every crevice that he adores.

You open your eyes and smile back at him, looking lovingly in his eyes. "I would do it again, a thousand times over, just to see that lovely smile of yours." You sit up, bringing him into a soft kiss, feeling him smile throughout. Your kiss deepens, filled with passion, love, and thrill. You pull back, resting your forehead against his, both grinning from ear to ear.

"It's nice to have you back."

"It's good to be back, my sweet."

#bg3 #bg3 spoilers #bg3 tav #bg3 astarion #baldur’s gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate astarion #baldur's gate 3 astarion #baldurs gate 3 astarion #fanfic #fanfiction #headcanon #hc #x reader #reader insert #astarion x tav

97 notes · View notes

estelle-skully · 1 month

Text

Ainsley Lore Drop (🤯)

Ok pookilicious pookies who actually gaf about my ocs, Im gonna rant about my Ramshackle oc’s backstory now *breakdances emotionally*

So they lived the first fourteen years of their life as an only child in a middle-class household. Their parents were not poor, but they weren’t rich either, and because of that they still got looks from the wealthy folks and were treated with a little less respect. Not that they were completely shunned like the scraps, though.

Ainsley himself never minded, because he was satisfied with what he had. A comfortable home, plenty of food, clean water, lots of clothing… what was the point of having unlimited money when they already had everything they needed? But his parents didn’t have the same point of view on the situation. In fact, they took their anger out on him.

They weren’t exactly abusive- never hit her, didn’t yell often, but they often acted like Ainsley was more of a thing they had custody over, rather than their own child. They were very controlling and did not let Ainsley express herself in the way she wanted to. They pressured her into becoming a lawyer or doctor or something, but she was more interested in becoming a musician- or really, some kind of performer. She also liked to draw, but she didn’t often get the chance, because her parents always said that “doodling is for the brain dead” or some dumb shit like that

So at 14 years old, they decided that they had had enough of their parents being so controlling. They hated being treated like some pet they had to train, or like a customizable doll. They decided to run away. If the scraps could manage to survive on the streets, why wouldn’t they be able to as well?

Ainsley ended up having a blast the first week- (for the most part) they cut their hair, decided to change their pronouns and was very good at pickpocketing, even though they had no experience.

but then things started getting extra difficult, which is to be expected when you’re homeless. They traveled around a lot, never really staying in one place. Met a stray cat on the way and named it Brenn, after their favorite musician.

Things kind of stayed this way for a few years- at this point, she’s gotten used to this life. But then things changed when they decided to steal from a particular rich woman, sitting on a bench and yapping away on the phone, her sad looking over-dressed daughter sitting beside her… and a random ass baby doing the worm? Or was it the maggot?

#I bet you can kind of guess how it went from there lmao #Estelle’s ramshackle oc #sfw tickling community #non tickles #tword community #sfw interaction only #sfw furry

4 notes · View notes

thatbitch2828 · 2 years

Text

Chapter two!!!

a/n: Sorry it took a while, I got stuck a lot haha. Hope you guys like it, and don’t forget to leave feedback of you’d like! Love you!

You woke up slowly, groggy from sleep. You blinked and looked around, slowly remembering where you were and what had happened the night before. The concert, then the bar. You and Stacy… met someone? Yeah, two someones, and you went home with them.

:readmore:

Ugh. Drunk you had struck again. You would normally never just go home with a complete stranger, tipsy or not. But the combined euphoria from the concert and the alcohol must have overpowered your good sense. It did feel good to be wanted like that, though. It certainly hadn’t been bad sex. You grinned and felt the guy from last night, Chase, you remembered, sigh into your hair and shift his arm further around your waist. You chuckled at this and began carefully extracting yourself from his grip, careful not to wake him.

Your efforts were in vain, however, and you felt him pull you closer with a mumbled “good morning”

Time to put your (minimal) acting skills to work. “I need to get up.” you ‘pouted’.

“No, baby, you don’t have to, you can stay as long as you like.” he mumbled, kissing your neck.

“I do, though, I need to get Stacy home.” you chose to ignore the pet name.

“She’s fine, baby, she’s with Bret.” Chase insisted, still kissing your neck.

“No, we have stuff to do today, I have meetings for work.” you lied.

Chase finally just groaned and rolled over, allowing you to pull yourself out of the bed. You pulled on your clothes and went to find Stacy.

You crept from room to room, not wanting to disturb Chase and have to worm your way out again. You found Stacy curled up in what was presumably Bret’s bed, though the man in question was nowhere to be seen. “Stace, get up.” You said, unceremoniously whacking her with a pillow to wake her up.

“Uuuuggggghhhhhh” good, that means she’s awake.

You grabbed her arm and started dragging her out from underneath the covers. Half-asleep, Stacy pulled on the clothes you threw at her while you called an uber to take the two of you home.

“Stacy, you don’t want to break out just because you were too lazy to take off your makeup, do you?” you asked as you walked in the door to your shared apartment, fully aware of the panic this would induce.

“Shit! Do you think it’s too late to save my skin? You get in here too, I will not let my best friend suffer a skin-neglect crisis!”

Stacy was a skin-care nut if you’d ever seen one. She had countless face masks, scrubs, lotions, body butters, and a seemingly infinite supply of other skin-care products you didn’t even know the names or uses of. “With the alcohol and concert makeup, we’re gonna need a full, oil and water, dirt removing cleanse!” Stacy declared, digging through her bins to find the perfect products.

///

The two of you lay on the couch, hair and face masks ‘drawing out all impurities’ as Stacy had put it. You had taken it upon yourself to handle the hangover recovery side of things, popping an advil and chugging cup after cup of water, forcing Stacy to do the same. Speaking if Stacy, she was happily on her phone, probably watching skin-care tutorials, not that she needed it.

Your mind began to wander, your thoughts being drawn to your case and what you had said about it the previous night. What had made you say Harry Styles? Probably the fact that you had been coming down from a concert high from his concert, but something about the offhand remark didn’t sit right with you. You tried to shake the feeling, but it just wouldn’t quit. You remembered a brain exercise they had you do in the academy where you would try to connect the least likely suspect to get your thought process in gear and decided to go for it.

So, if Harry Styles were the killer…. The victims could be fans, that would explain the locations being clustered in cities but ultimately scattered across the country. Motive could be him wanting to find his soulmate, lots if people want to find theirs. Method variety would be him not wanting to be caught. Ugh. This was getting you nowhere. Harry Styles killing people? Ha! Just the thought of it was laughable. The exercise didn’t even help, you were just as stuck as you had been before. “Time’s up! Clean up time!” Stacy exclaimed, jerking you out if your little bubble of thought.

You peeled off the face mask and hopped in the shower to get the hair mask off and relax. The hot water ran down your body, soothing tense muscles and rinsing away the soap and any remaining dirt from the night before. You got out of the shower and wrapped your hair and body in your favorite big, fluffy towels, and made you way to your bedroom. Before you had a chance to pit on you gray cotton shorts and cami, Stacy busted into the room, squealing.

“Stacy, what the hell?!?” you said, glaring and trying to cover yourself.

“y/n, you won’t believe it!!!” Stacy screamed, completely ignoring your nakedness.

“What do you want Stace?” you asked, knowing it was probably a new skin-care product being released or something.

“I won! I can’t believe it! y/n, we’re going to meet Harry Styles! I won the weekend meet & greet!”

end if chapter two

a/n: I know this chapter wasn’t very exciting, but it had to happen for the plot to move along, hope you liked it!

0 notes

ahloveisboo · 2 years

Note

HIII JO!!! Can I request a story with Jihoon please, maybe something like a slice of life and having a lazy day with reader. <33

hi meraki <3 sorry for being so incredibly late with this. i'm going through my jihoon feels lately so i'm about to treat you to some of my brain worms. hope you enjoy.

pairing: lee jihoon x reader / slice of life, established relationship, wc: 0.6k

***

The water's hot, scalding almost—the hard stream hitting that one sore spot on your shoulder just right. It's a knot you can't quite reach yourself, knit together from hours sitting behind your home made office typing up drafts and reports and e-mails and rewrites and more e-mails. You welcome the hot shower, eager to wash away the fatigue that built up as the hours passed.

There's an unmistakable click of the bathroom door lock falling into place, and you draw back the curtain to peek into the steamed up room. Jihoon wasn't supposed to come home until 8, but there's a big heart shape lazily drawn into the mirror fog and a cup of your favourite tea sitting on the edge of the sink. Wrapping a towel around your waist, you smile as a whiff of the tea's scent reaches you.

Jihoon looks up from his spot on the sofa without really looking up, his eyes still glued to the tv but lips puckered to welcome a kiss anyway, and you chuckle. "Home early?" you say as you affectionately pat his hair, and he beckons you to take a seat next to him. You've changed into your pj's and place the cup of tea Jihoon's made for you on the coffee table before plopping down comfortably.

"Kind of forced my boss to agree to letting me put some of my overtime into shorter shifts," he smirks, reaching for the remote to turn down the volume. "I miss spending quality time with you. Even left me with enough time to bring you food," he adds, "I know you've been craving these." Jihoon hands you a tiny plate of fried gyoza.

"Ugh, I love you," you sigh after a big bite, and you snuggle deeper into the sofa, balancing your plate on your knees. "If you're going to keep feeding me like this I might ask you to stick around forever."

Jihoon laughs. "Don't tempt me."

You finish dinner in record speed. Jihoon asks you to lay with him after, assures you he'll clean up later, and so you do—with your head in his lap, and his fingertips brushing through your hair, you're suddenly exhausted. You stay like this for a while, just you and Jihoon and the soft lull of voices eminating from the tv. There's a tingle at the back of your neck as he continues to pet your hair and you can feel your eyelids growing heavy with sleep.

"How about-," Jihoon's voice is soft when he speaks. He clears his throat. "How about we call in sick tomorrow, sleep in, and do a mini movie marathon?" he proposes. You look up at your boyfriend in surprise. The harsh tv light is casted upon his face, yet the glint is his eyes is warm, and you find yourself agreeing without hesitation. It has been a while since you spent an entire day at home without commitments.

"Do I get first pick, though?"

"Absolutely not," he jests, "but I'll let you decide on breakfast?"

You put a hand over your heart in response. "Oh, Lee Jihoon, you romantic soul. Be still, my heart."

"This is what I get for trying to take care of you?" he scoffs, "sarcasm and quips?"

"You can get those for free," you note, trying to suppress a smile. "Comes with the package. Sexy, smart, funny, what more do you need?"

Jihoon clicks his tongue, hands moving to cup your cheeks—gently. His eyes lock on yours, and for a moment, your breath catches in your throat. A few heartbeats pass, and then a soft, "Absolutely nothing."

Your chest contracts. This man will be the death of you one day.

"...Although a new set of headphones would be nice. Ouch! "

#caratwritersclub #ficscafe #lee jihoon #woozi #woozi fanfic #woozi drabble #woozi imagine #woozi fluff #seventeen #woozi seventeen #jihoon seventeen #jihoon fanfic #jihoon fluff #jihoon imagine #jihoon drabble #jihoon x reader #woozi x reader

153 notes · View notes

ais-for-alex · 3 years

Text

It’s Not Fair

Hi hello, so I wrote most of this little story quite awhile ago and never finished it but today reading over it I just felt the need to give it an ending (it’s not the best ending but it’s an ending) anyway, I hope y’all enjoy a little short story about Leo experiencing anxiety 🥰 as always these characters belong to the lovely @lumosinlove

It’s not fair.

The thought wound its way into Leo's mind, twisting and sliding into every nook and cranny of his brain as easily as a serpent sliding through marshy river reeds.

It’s not fair.

Leo sighed and rolled his shoulders out hoping to relieve the coil of tension that had tightened in his muscles. The day had started so good too. He had woken that morning to the feeling of Logan pressing soft butterfly kisses to his cheeks, his forehead, his neck, Leo’s face pulled into a sleepy smile as he blinked his eyes open taking in the sight of Logan’s bright eyes and atrocious bed head.

“Good morning baby,” he mumbled, voice scratchy from sleep. Logan grinned back and leaned in, catching Leo’s mouth in a slow chaste kiss.

“Bonjour mon amour,” Logan whispered back against his lips. Leo didn’t want to move even an inch, because right there in their bed with Finn snuggled into his chest snoring softly and Logan’s lips warm and plush against his own, that was his favorite place in the world.

Everything had been going smoothly, practice had been hard but good, his day perfectly ordinary in every way. So why?

Why on earth did he feel this way? Why had his heart began beating fast as hummingbird wings? Why were earthworms burrowing and churning through soil in his stomach? Why did invisible ants scurry across his skin raising goosebumps in their wake?

It’s not fair.

It’s not fair that out of the blue Leo’s entire mood could flip, that his happiness could sour and curdle with unfounded anxiety. It wasn’t fair that the good could turn so very bad without so much as a warning.

Oh, boo hoo, who ever said life was fair? Leo shook his head, trying not to listen to the stupid mean thoughts in his head. Get over yourself, your little discomforts don’t matter. Suck it up.

Leo breathed in deep, trying in vain to settle the uncomfortable squirming inside him. After he had gotten home from practice Leo retreated out onto their little balcony, the cool evening air felt nice against his skin. The coarse wicker of his chair bit at his legs, through the thick denim of his jeans; the sharp pricks simultaneously felt very far away but also somewhat comforting, grounding him in the world around him. Leo’s eyes were locked onto the Gryffindor skyline but they had long since glazed over blurring the buildings into one gray streak across his vision, smudged pink clouds just above it.

Distantly he heard the glass door slide open and Finn’s soft voice, “Hey Nutter Butter, Lo was wanting take out tonight. Any strong opinions on Thai?”

Leo opened his mouth to answer, his eyes still staring blankly into the distance, but he couldn’t seem to get enough breath into his lungs to form the words. Each inhale making his chest tighter and tighter until Leo wished he could take a knife and cut himself open just to relieve the pressure.

“Leo?” Finn asked, concerned as he stepped out onto the balcony, coming a bit closer. Finn must have recognized the glassy vacant look on his face because he let out a sympathetic sigh, “Oh, sweetheart.”

Settling down onto his knees so they were at the same eye level, Finn pressed his palms against Leo’s thighs smoothing them up and down the tense muscle soothingly. They had been through this enough times for Finn to know that when he was lost and hurting, Leo craved nothing more than the contact. The warmth of his partner's hands on him more comforting than anything else.

“Come here baby,” Finn whispered, his hand rising to cup the back of Leo’s neck and gently pull him into his shoulder. Leo could feel his fingers thread into his hair as Finn pressed a kiss to his temple, “It’s ok my love, everything’s gonna be ok,” he murmured.

“Guys? You decide what you want for dinner? Cause I am not above ordering without-“Logan said walking out onto the balcony only to cut off his sentence when he saw the tender way Finn was holding Leo.

“What happened?” Logan asked, concern bleeding into his voice as he came to sit on the arm of that wicker chair, his hand settling warm and heavy on Leo’s back.

“I don’t- I-“ Leo tried, somehow his mouth unable to even form the simple phrase I don’t know.

It’s not fair.

It’s not fair that at random everything could be stripped away leaving Leo raw as an exposed nerve.

“Oh, mon amour,” Logan sighed, sad and sympathetic, “shhh, it’s ok you don’t have to answer.”

Leo’s breathing was as shaky as his trembling body, he let himself lean into their touch until his back was pressed to Logan’s thigh, face still buried in Finn's shoulder. The position was awkward, but Leo honestly couldn’t have cared less all he could think about was the warmth of their hands soaking into him. All he could think was how he desperately wished their touch could burn away the feeling inside him.

But sadly no matter how much he wished their love alone was enough, that wasn’t how life worked. But despite the fact that Finn and Logan couldn’t fix him Leo was still so incredibly grateful for their support, their love.

And in the moments when it felt like he was locked in a grave buried alive under cool dry earth. With tangled tree roots trying to twist and burrow through his body, absorb the nutrients of his life, they were the ones that made Leo want to dig himself out. They were the ones that made him want to claw his way back to the surface rather than surrender himself to the worms.

Leo didn’t know how long they sat with him, just letting him draw strength from their stability while the cool evening air washed over them. He didn’t know if his shaking was from the cold or the anxiety but then again he didn’t really care.

Eventually, Finn and Logan guided him back inside their home; they wrapped him in warm blankets and held him close until the trembling subsided.

“How you doing, Love?” Finn finally asked once Leo’s body seemed to have relaxed a bit. They were laid together on the couch Leo wrapped up tight and curled into Finn's chest. He soothingly ran his hands up and down Leo’s body and pressed a kiss to the little fluff of hair that was visible from inside his blanket cocoon.

“M’ok,” Leo whispered, his voice a bit rough from the raging forest fire of emotions that had burned hit inside him.

“Yeah?” he asked softly, worry clear in his voice, Leo just nodded.

“You hungry? You haven’t eaten since this morning, it might help to get something in your system.” Leo shrugged and snuggled in closer, tucking his face into Finn's shoulder.

“You just wanna stay here laying on me?” Leo nodded once more making Finn huff a soft laugh and kiss his head again.

“Alright baby, how about this: Lolo will get food, you can stay here and when he gets back if you don’t want to eat you’ll have some food for tomorrow. That sound ok?”

Leo tightened his hold around Finn and mumbled a quiet, “love you.”

And though the words were muffled by the blankets wrapped around him Finn heard, “I love you too Le, I always will.”

Read on ao3

#sweater weather #coast to coast #leo knut #logan tremblay #lumosinlove #o'knutzy #finn o'hara #writing

79 notes · View notes

softspeirs · 3 years

Text

A/N: Some holiday Speirs for your Monday morning. Sorry I haven’t posted much lately! Anxiety has been eating me alive. Felt inspired this morning, though. Hope you enjoy. x

He’d be lying if he said the hustle and bustle of downtown Boston on a wintery morning didn’t make him want to rip his hair out.

It was all very festive, sure, but he’s still not used to the crowds, or all the noises... it makes him feel on edge, twitchy. Still, he has an important job to do. A mission, if you will.

He makes it to the train station relatively unscathed, despite a few bumped shoulders and rushed apologies from unsuspecting shoppers.

She’s already on the platform when he arrives, and he takes a minute to watch her before she notices - her hair, slightly windblown, and the way she stretches up on her toes to try to spot him overtop the crowd.

He finds himself a little breathless at the sight of her in civilian wear - the sight so feminine she looks like a completely different person. She’s lovely, but he thought she was beautiful in dirty ODs, too.

When she spots him, it feels like a punch to the chest. Her eyes light up, and that smile--

He has no choice but to follow the beating of his heart as it nearly begs him to get closer, closer, closer.

“Ron,” she says softly when he closes the distance between the two of them.

“Hi.” He says simply. He reaches down to take her suitcase, and she positively beams at him when he falters at how heavy it is. “What do you have in here, rocks?”

“Some light reading.” She says, her smile a little too sweet.

“Taking advantage of me wanting to carry your bag for you?”

Her lips twitch. “I’d never.”

He rolls his eyes, but can’t help but smile. “Come on.”

He walks closely to her as they head out to hail a cab, their shoulders brushing together every so often. He smiles as she chatters on about her trip and everything she’s done since the last time they spoke.

He’s missed her. It’s hard for him to admit - not because he’s naive enough to think she hasn’t wormed her way into his heart, but because he tried so hard not to form attachments, and ended up attached to nearly everyone in Easy, surprising himself.

She was no different, but he had no choice but to care for her. She had that type magnetic personality, drawing everyone around her into her orbit and into her heart and refusing to let go.

And out of everyone, somehow she chose him.

He knows how he seemed when they first met. Rough and aggressive and angry... and he was. Still is, most days. But she treated him with the same sunny disposition she did everyone else, telling him terrible jokes until he smiled, shaking his head, and eventually staying up with him when they both couldn’t sleep and listening to his worries about the company and everything else.

They’ve been tiptoeing around the idea of seeing each other in person again after she started writing to him when she got home. It started professionally - she needed a letter of recommendation to start nursing school (why she didn’t ask Dick, he has no idea), and they just... kept writing.

Finally, he asked what her plans were for Christmas. Making conversation, or so he thought. When he heard she was planning on staying home and studying for exams, he couldn’t bear the thought of her alone.

So now here they are. He’s got a small apartment in Boston - figured it was easier to have something temporary stateside as he waits for new orders. He suspects he’ll be back at Benning in the New Year to train new recruits, but for now, he’s thankful his back pay is enough to get him a place of his own.

“This is beautiful,” she breathes as they walk through the lobby. He smiles at her as she takes in the Christmas trees and holiday lights strung around the windows.

Upstairs, he feels out of his depth. He’s keenly aware of the way she takes in his space, his belongings -- as spartan as it is, she seems to take up the entire room.

She looks out the large picture window, and he can hear her sigh from there. “Wow.”

His view of downtown is one of the reasons he chose this place. Plus, the city noise at night is preferable to spending a quiet night alone with his thoughts and his memories.

She turns around suddenly, her hands on her hips. “Ron, there’s not a single Christmas decoration in here.” She looks so put out, he can’t help but laugh.

“Didn’t have a reason to decorate.” He says, shrugging. “Don’t suppose you have any ideas in that big brain of yours?”

She rolls her eyes. “Let me unpack, and then we’re going to fix this.”

Two hours later, they’re back with arms full of bags from the department store. Garland and ornaments and the world’s smallest Christmas tree she insisted he buy from the place on the corner.

He huffs out a breath when he sets it down, leaning it against the wall.

“Tired?” She asks, and he narrows his eyes.

“I carried a tree for three blocks.”

“I offered to help.”

“And I’m sure my neighbors would have been scandalized to see it.” He says, winking. “Imagine, a woman doing heavy lifting.”

She rolls her eyes. “You should hear the women my mother is friends with. I wore trousers to tea last week and I thought they’d faint.”

He grins at the mental image. “That’s my girl.” He says quietly, the sentiment slipping out almost without his permission.

She stills, a shy smile on her face, and he worries he’s ruined it, but she breezes by him to start fussing over decorations, the only sign she registered what he said the way she won’t quite meet his eyes.

He brushes it off and together they work quietly to transform his home into a winter wonderland. He finds his can’t quite keep his eyes off her, his mind straying into dangerous territory, watching her move about the space like she was always meant to be there.

Later that night, they’ve collapsed on the sofa, a glass of wine for her and a glass of scotch for him, admiring their handywork.

“Well?” She asks quietly. “Do you like it?” She gestures at the tree.

He hums. “I do.”

She cranes her neck to look up at him. She shifts so she’s facing him. “What are you thinking about?”

“You.” His answer is almost immediate. “I’m thinking about how I shouldn’t have waited so long to have you here. How I sat for weeks in this near empty apartment, missing something I didn’t realize was you.”

“How many of those have you had?”

He snorts. “I’m trying to be romantic. Serious.”

She sighs, but she’s smiling. “Sorry. Do go on.”

He huffs. “I think I’ll get my orders after the holiday. You’re going to be finishing exams--”

“If I pass--”

“When you finish your exams,” he continues as if he hasn’t heard her, “I wish I had more to offer you.” He admits.

She frowns. “What do you mean?”

“You deserve better than some Army captain who will be gone more than he’s home and can’t support you.”

Her eyes flash. “I can support myself, thank you very much.”

He gives her a sharp look. “I meant support you when you start working,” he says. “You’ll need a shoulder to lean on and I think I’ve been pretty clear that I want it to be mine.”

For the first time since he’s known her, she looks speechless.

“You know I had no plans for after the war,” he says quietly, twisting the glass in his hands, admiring the way the amber liquid looks in the dim light. “I didn’t think I was going to live to see the end, and I certainly didn’t plan on you.”

“Well, tough.” She says, her voice thick with emotion. “You’re not my commanding officer anymore and I think I can decide for myself what I deserve. Plus, you’re stuck with me now.” She drains the rest of her wine, setting the glass on the end table before reaching up and taking his face in her hands. “You’re going to train up the next group of paratroopers and whenever we can be together, we will.”

He blinks slowly at her. “Simple as that?”

“Simple as that.”

“I’m going to kiss you now, if that’s alright with you.” He says softly, his voice low.

“How can a girl say no to that?” She smiles, and leans in, meeting him halfway.

#ron speirs x oc #ronald speirs x oc #band of brothers fanfiction #band of brothers imagine

61 notes · View notes

lenadoyle · 4 years

Note

#1 and #35 could be pretty cool, please and thank you (if or when you feel up to it). Have a good weekend!

Thank you!

1. “It’s really not that complicated” & 35. “Do you regret it?”

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

“Do you regret it?”

“Hm?” Kara hums in reply.

They’re laying in bed cuddled together. Lena slightly elevated with her shoulders propped up, Kara laying on top of Lena. Her body between Lena’s legs, arms hugging her sides and head resting on Lena’s chest, feeling its rise and fall as she breathes. It was Kara’s favourite spot, there was something about it that made her feel safe and warm. Was this what Lena felt when she was in Kara’s arms?

“I asked if you regret it,” Lena repeated, her voice sounding off.

“Baby,” Kara whined, feeling the sleep she so desperately craved slip away, “I’m gonna need more than that.”

It was late and the reporter had only just gotten home, crawling into bed and onto her love, savouring the comforting embrace. Lena had still been awake as usual, unable to find her own slumber.

If Kara had been more awake, she might have noticed the pensive look lingering on Lena’s face. The furrowed brow and pinched mouth, chewing the inside of her cheek as she battled with something internally.

Lena huffed in frustration, wishing her girlfriend could just read her mind. “Me...us,” her eyes and words so icy in the quiet night.

“What?!” Kara flew up so quick Lena was surprised she didn't have whiplash. “What the heck made you ask that?”

“I don’t know,” Lena groans, dropping her head against the headboard as tears welled in her eyes, “I just, I was thinking about us and how everything happened, and it was all so rushed after what happened with Kieran and I started to worry that you felt pressured into this and are only staying out of pity and because you don't want to hurt Kieran. I don't want you to regret it and end up resenting me and-”

“Hey, hey, oh my love,” Kara sighed, cupping Lena’s cheek and brushing away a tear. She shuffled around to sit next to Lena, pulling the younger woman into her arms and cooing softly. “I’m sorry,” she breathed, “If I ever made you think I wasn't one million trillion gazillion per cent committed to you.”

Her words though sincere had the desired effect of cracking a smile on the teary woman’s face. “That’s not a real value,” she snorted, wiping at her runny nose.

“It is to me,” Kara punctuated it with a kiss to her hair.

“You don’t need to apologise, it’s not you, I just-” Lena broke off on a sigh, not wanting to open up the can of worms she was currently holding.

“You just? Talk to me,” Kara softly encouraged.

“Lillian called me today,” Lena reveals playing with the edge of the blanket, feeling Kara tense beside her. Lena had told Kara all about her life growing up in the Luthor mansion and the role Lillian played. It was a touchy subject and had been the centre of a few tiffs between the couple in the past.

“Lena.”

“I know I know, I shouldn't have let her get inside my head, but she did, and now I just- I just need you to answer the question, please.” Lena sounded like she was begging by the end, the sheer power Lillian held to completely destroy Lena made Kara wish she had superpowers to throw her into the sun.

“Lena, love of my life. I could never and I mean never, regret you or loving you.” Kara held Lena’s eyes as she whispered the most honest and easy words she had ever spoken. “You and Kieran, are the single greatest thing that has ever happened to me, and you know that.

Lena tried to hide her face, shame creeping in but Kara wouldn't let her, a finger under her chin to keep their eyes locked. Kara could see she was about to argue and decided to put an end to her worries, once and for all.

“It’s really not that complicated, love. I’m yours and you are mine, and he is ours, and I will spend every day for the rest of my life making sure you know that.”

One of Kara’s hands dropped to Lena’s, pulling it to her chest. She twists in her spot and reaches for the draw on her side of the bed, digging around for something out of Lena’s view.

“I wanted to wait a bit longer and do something a bit more romantic,” Lena feels her heart rate pick up when Kara moves back to her side, her left hand still in Kara’s grasp near her heart, “but nothing says ‘I could never regret you’ quite like a proposal.”

With a shy smile, Kara lifted up the delicate sapphire and diamond ring between her thumb and forefinger. Lena’s wide eyes shifted between the blue of the rock to the blue of Kara’s eyes, her mouth open as her brain struggled to keep up.

“Lena Kieran Luthor, I have never and will never regret loving you. I want to love you for the rest of my life. Marry me?”

Lena could barely speak, a choked sob was the best she could do paired with an enthusiastic nod. She smiled through her tears as Kara let out a ‘yeah?’ in confirmation. She threw her arms around Kara and buried her face in her neck, laughing at Kara’s muffled ‘yes!’ and fist pump.

They pulled back from their hug but stayed close, head tucked in close to each other, temples side by side. Both watching with warm hearts and soft eyes as Kara slowly slid the ring onto Lena’s finger, the moonlight twinkling off it beautifully.

Kara, the dork that she is, had to break the moment with a cheeky grin.

“I told you, babe, it’s not that complicated.”

#didnt mean for it to be another proposal but oh well #supercorp #supercorp fic #supergirl #supergirl fic #kara danvers #lena luthor #supercorp oneshot #LKcubed series #drabble

160 notes · View notes

al-perthe · 4 years

Text

The Arcana - MC with Epilepsy Headcanons (LIs & Courtiers)

I know we're most of the way through November, but it's National Epilepsy Awareness Month, and as someone with seizures, I thought I'd do a headcanon post for the Main 6 & Courtiers with an apprentice who has epilepsy - can be interpreted as platonic or romantic if you so choose. The Courtier ones are more about prevention or very specific scenarios so theymaynotbeasgood

Note that epilepsy manifests differently for everyone, so I may not have had the same experiences as someone else; I did my best to research outside of my own experiences but it may come across as rather general or vague. That being said, feel free to add on if you'd like to contribute (especially for the Courtiers... pls help).

EDIT: Under a read more because I didn’t realize how big this was, sorry!

ASRA:

Getting you to take your medication, and remember when to do so, was one of the challenges he faced when you awakened without any memories three years ago.It really took him a while to feel safe travelling out of the city, constantly worrying about what if you forgot a dose, what if you had a really bad seizure and got hurt, or even the thought of you just having a smaller one and feeling alone and afraid... As someone who enjoys naps, he's probably the best at making sure you get a good night of rest to help prevent seizures.

Safe. Peaceful. No danger.

Naturally, Faust is going to help comfort you after a seizure, especially if she can tell that you're experiencing fear and/or confusion as a result of it.

NADIA:

When you first started the investigation, you made sure she was aware of your condition. You assured her you'd be okay to take it on, just be a little patient if you were ever 'out of it' for a few minutes.

Oh, it's no trouble at all - she'll make sure that a specialist is brought in to ensure your treatment is the best it can be.

But a few moments later, she clarifies - this isn't being done for the sake of the investigation, and she apologizes if she gave off that impression. She does genuinely care about your well-being, and if she needs to take a step back or if there's more she can do, just let her know.

Her room is definitely the go-to spot if you need a quiet spot to wind down after a seizure.

Also good at making sure you're comfortable and can sleep well.

JULIAN:

Part of you wondered 'what if...?' when you found out about Julian's healing mark, but you dismissed it quickly - there's a chance it wouldn't work, and with the whole murder investigation going on, dealing with seizures (even if temporarily in theory) would just be another thing weighing on him. You couldn't do it. You wouldn't do it. It was selfish.As a doctor, he's the best at recognizing your symptoms as a result - he can tell right away if you're having an aura and need to move to a quieter spot or at least sit down. He does worry about it each time it happens, but puts on a calm face for your sake.Even Malak seems a little bit quieter when you're having a rough time with your epilepsy.Need a distraction afterwards ? Count on him to have a story from his travels to get your mind off it!Of course, let him know if your symptoms change, or if your medication doesn't seem to be having the same effect - he'll look into finding a more effective treatment.

MURIEL:

Inanna's the best at picking up when you're about to have a seizure, and lets Muriel know immediately.Since she can't always accompany him, he's done his best to learn to recognize when a seizure's on the way, or when it's happening. As someone who prefers peace and quiet, he knows the go-to places for some privacy if you're in the presence of other people.The most calming presence you could ask for once the seizure has passed. If you're experiencing confusion afterward, he asks you simple questions and makes simplified statements to help ground you in reality. So ironically, he's the best at helping you remember what happened.He may not be the best at striking up a conversation, but will offer you some words of comfort and reassurance afterwards.

PORTIA:

After your first seizure around her, she acknowledges that 'something just didn't feel right' moments before.

No guilty feelings though - once you've settled down, she asks what she can do to help in the future. She'll support you the best she can.

She's actually the one who brings you to Mazelinka, to see if she knows about any home remedies that could somehow help. At the very least, her soup will give you a good night's sleep to help prevent them!

Naturally, she also seeks guidance from Julian on how to help you with your condition.

If you're feeling anxious after a seizure, she's actually the one who's best at rationalizing you through those fears. The dread that there's someone just outside the cottage, the shop, etc that could hurt you? She checks out the windows and doors first, confirms with you that there's nobody out there, and reassures you that even if there was someone out there after you, they'll have to go through her first!

Expect to find notes from time to time with compliments or general positivity that also remind you to take your medication!

LUCIO:

If you've spaced out due to a seizure, you might need something repeated. He's not normally one for patience... but you're the exception. If anyone gives you a hard time for it, he's bound to round on them with a death glare.

As the Count, he's got access to all kinds of resources. He spares no expense at making sure there's specialists who can get you the best medication as possible, as quickly as possible, when you're in need of a new supply.

Mercedes and Melchior spend more time around you too - they aren't as quick to pick up on an oncoming seizure, but when they do, they make a great team. One of them stays with you, and the other goes off to find Lucio.

Need to get your mind off it? Did you know that he had a saltwater crocodile as a companion during his travels near the Sea of Persephia in his early mercenary days? When he first met the crocodile, it was clearly starving, so he had to wrestle it off... and as he goes on his heroic tirade, it's not so much the adventures themselves but the clearly exaggerated parts that entertain and distract you.

Sometimes you just need something or someone to hold onto, to keep you at peace and keep you feeling real after a seizure. Okay... so... patience, peace, and quiet aren't exactly his strong points. But - with a firm yet comforting hand on your shoulder - he's got your back, and you'll get through this.

VALDEMAR:

Epilepsy? It's actually more common than you think. They've naturally seen it plenty of times over the years.

Some types of epilepsy are limited to specific regions of the brain. Theoretically, it could be possible through surgery to alter or even remove the areas where your seizures generate... you leave it at a "I'll get back to you on it" and stick with your medication for now.

Then it finally happens. You've had a seizure in their presence. You're feeling confused and uneasy, but Valdemar doesn't seem bothered at all. "Seems like you're starting to come back. You might feel unwell for a few minutes, but that's typical in the postictal stage." More confusion. "... Right, simplified terms. You had a seizure. Now you're recovering. What you're feeling will pass. You need only wait a few minutes."

The explanations are nonchalant, blunt, and brief. But that just makes it easier to understand. It's... surprisingly calming, too. You scoot a little closer to them. They don't move away.

Will share interesting accounts of historical figures who also dealt with epilepsy, and reviews their own records of past patients with symptoms similar to yours to study potential triggers and effective treatments or preventions. After a while, you start talking beyond that, about how your day went and other chitchat. It seems that as a result of the time spent around you, they have grown... rather fond of your presence.

VALERIUS:

Obviously, for safety reasons, you're not going to drink heavily. But while some people have to avoid alcohol entirely due to their seizures, you're part of the typical group that can handle some alcohol, a drink or two depending on the strength.

If you're out with Valerius at some sort of soiree, he'll make sure that the one drink you get is the best one suited to your palate. Similarly, he points out the best food to pair with it so that way you're also eating to neutralize the alcohol.

Sometimes, you decide to pass on the drinking, and have fruit juice or even just straight up water served in a wine glass. He'll frown at you, but you KNOW you saw the briefest hint of amusement in his eyes.

To be frank, he usually attends these sort of gatherings for the wine and/or meeting with important figures. So he is ready to get you out of there if you need a quiet spot away from others.

He's not very good with reassurance. Sure, just a simple 'it's going to be okay' can help, but is it really enough? You can't just expect him to repeat it like a mantra or something. He's absolutely making that flustered face as he tries to figure out other things to say, but that's comforting on its own - he's trying for your sake.

VLASTOMIL:

Maybe there was a sudden flash of lightning, maybe there was some 'grand finale' of a fireworks show, but your photosensitivity stirred up a seizure in you.

He's not really sure what to do, but a cautious approach is a best approach.

He draws you aside later to ask about what happened - now admittedly, he's not very familiar with epilepsy. But photosensitivity? Absolutely! There are certain species of worm that are actually quite sensitive to lighting, such as... oh, right. The point is, for some enclosures, he's used a special type of tinted glass to reduce the effects of sunlight and nights when the moon is brighter, and perhaps something similar might be useful for you?

A week later, he brings you a pair of spectacles with darker lenses. They actually do the job pretty well? And he even had them designed to go along with your aesthetic? Whether he had them commissioned or if he just crafted them himself, this is... surprisingly nice.

Oh, and you can't forget the tea. Filling you in on the latest gossip and the occasional Worm Fact once you're feeling calmer is his way of taking your mind off any lingering anxiety. Also, he recommends a variety of herbal teas that calm nerves or even help you fall asleep.

VOLTA:

The first time it happened, oh, Volta did not know what to do! She was so distraught that someone else had to step in and help you collect yourself.

But now that she's aware of your condition, she will offer you words of comfort and kindness to help you after your seizure has passed. Volta's a sweetheart, of course she'd be good at that!

She has a highly developed sense of smell thanks to all the food she exposes herself to. It seems as though, when you were having stronger or more frequent seizures, there was something in your diet you had been eating more often.

In other words, she helped you determine that certain foods were contributing to your seizures. Grapefruit seemed to be the only thing you needed to avoid - come to think of it, you recall that it doesn't react well with certain components used in preparing your medicine - and other foods just needed to be consumed less.

She'll eat those foods at any gatherings, since you're trying to avoid them... oh, but save some of the other dishes for Volta, too!

VULGORA:

Tonic-clonic or grand mal seizures... call them what you will, but point is, if you collapse and lose consciousness in a seizure, they will get everyone to STAND. BACK.

"It's a seizure, just give it a minute or two, it'll pass! I SAID, STAND. BACK!! IF you're so much as THINKING about trying to hold them down, DON'T. NO! Swallowing the tongue IS NOT A THING!! Not unless you CUT IT OFF and FORCE IT IN SOMEONE'S MOUTH! Which I am CLEARLY NOT DOING!!"

... Okay, so getting other people to stay calm while you're having a seizure is not their strong suit. But they're certainly good at getting people to keep their distance, at least.

They're talkative and energetic! Of course being calm and quiet is hard for them! ... But maybe that's just another challenge for them to conquer? The first time they tried they basically just held their breath as long as they could.

Someone actually had the audacity to make a rude remark about your condition. But unfortunately for them, they somehow missed the bright red figure of Pontifex Vulgora in the vicinity.

That person was never seen in Vesuvia again. Because they moved out, after receiving a rather persuasive argument to move to... some other place. Oh, okay, you were worried there was some other reason they disappeared.

#the arcana #the arcana headcanons #epilepsy awareness month #arcana apprentice #arcana mc #asra alnazar #nadia satrinava #julian devorak #muriel kokhuri #muriel of the kokhuri #portia devorak #count lucio #lucio morgasson #valdemar #valerius #vlastomil #volta #vulgora #epilepsy

66 notes · View notes

fandom-necromancer · 4 years

Text

You are safe with me

This was prompted by an awesome anon! I hope you enjoy!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900 (Warnings: Description of violence, evil Sixty, panic attack)

‘Eli’, Gavin whispered, trying to keep his voice down. ‘Eli!’, he tried again with a bit more urgency and was rewarded by a low groan. Gavin could hear the pain in his voice but was relieved the man had woken up at all. Once again, Gavin futilely tried to rub his blindfold off with his shoulder. He had only just started warming up to his brother again, but damn, he wanted nothing more than see the bastard and make sure he was okay. ‘Are you alright?’, he asked. ‘I’m fine’, Elijah slurred through gritted teeth. ‘A few more bruises and breathing hurts. You?’ ‘I’m alright’, Gavin sighed. He was, in fact, not. Elijah was who they wanted. The genius inventor with billions on his bank account and influence all over the world. Gavin was just someone they accidentally had to take with them because he had visited Eli over the weekend. Figuring they could use him as a bargaining chip to make his brother spill whatever they wanted from him, he hadn’t been treated as lightly.

He was hurting all over. Being beaten up and cut to make him scream over and over again, so Elijah would cave in, hadn’t passed him without a trace. He hadn’t lost enough blood to be light headed, but half his face was swollen, he couldn’t find a position his body wasn’t hurting in when he laid down and from his past hospital visits from his work, he knew there were several bones that were broken or at least sprained.

They had been taken by masked figures and since then Elijah had worn a blindfold. Gavin was only blinded when he was brought back to his brother. During his sessions in the next room, he was allowed to see his opponent and it made his stomach turn. It was Connor. Or at least a Connor. Gavin refused to believe the puppy-eyed nerd that constantly swarmed Hank was capable of such things. The Connor that had introduced itself as Sixty was far too cold anyway. Gavin could see it had some sort of sadistic fun hurting him. And the more the damn machine smiled at him, Gavin struggled. Even if they tied him down and took everything that could be used as a weapon from him, he still had his voice. They needed his voice so Eli would hear it next door. And Gavin used it to spit every expletive known to man in Sixty’s face.

But he could feel how he grew weaker. This had been going on for far too long already. There was only so much pain a human could withstand and still fight. With every passing day, desperation sat in. Gavin’s only hope was that the DPD would find them. Kidnapping Gavin was a bad idea when his partner and love was the best android ever built. But he hadn’t found them yet. And if Nines hadn’t managed to find a trace yet, how likely was it he would find one any time soon?

He was his only hope by now, because he knew he would never stop searching for him. But that hope was dwindling as Gavin tried his best not to think about him too much. He was already dreaming of Sixty hurting him over and over again when he found a few hours of sleep. It was far too easy for these eyes to turn blue, for his face to turn up and for their surroundings to change to their living room. Nothing was worse than waking up from sleep after the love of his life had just mutilated him in his dream and being dragged off by his Doppelganger immediately afterwards.

Sometimes, when Sixty decided to phck him up worse than normally, Gavin thought to see Nines. Reality and dream had merged and panic overshadowed anger. He didn’t bother to hide it: He was afraid. He was so damn scared Elijah would give them what they wanted, and they would just kill him off. He was so scared they would never be rescued. He groaned, as he rolled over, trying to locate Eli and make sure the man didn’t lie to him in the same way he did to him. Because what he feared even more than himself dying in this hellhole was Elijah meeting his demise.

He had finally wormed his way over to his brother as the door opened and they both froze. Gavin felt familiar arms hugging him from behind to lift him up and felt like throwing up as they were almost careful. He was carried out of the room and laid on the table. Only then the blindfold was lifted, and the man froze in panic as his stressed-out brain tried to make sense of what he saw.

It was the first time he begged for Nines to stop.

‘Everyone in position?’ Nines waited at the north entrance to the abandoned machine hall – a relict from the days Detroit was still the world’s automotive capital. He was wearing a borrowed Jacket from Connor and had changed his eye colour to brown to infiltrate the building. He had worked night and day to find the people that had taken his love away from him and with help of nearly the whole department found out who had kidnapped the Kamskis. Sixty, the wretched third brother that had nearly stopped the revolution and killed Connor, was still loyal to Amanda and taken Elijah in her name. He wanted to force him to develop a virus that would un-deviate every last android in the world and follow Amanda’s orders. With that information Nines quickly found a place that had sufficient space and power supply to house an AI and checking the energy draw it was a surprise they had managed to stay hidden for so long in the first place.

Nines didn’t want to think what they had done to Gavin. They didn’t exactly need him and likely used him to pressure Mr. Kamski into compliance. But that would end today. He heard the others confirm their positions just outside the different rooms, entrance routes secured for a quick access. ‘Alright. Going in.’

He walked calmly down the hallway and feigned a confidence only Sixty could display. If they had hired goons for protection, Nines doubted they knew Sixty well enough to distinguish him from a near identical model. And if not, then it would just come down to a match between him and an inferior machine. Nines was prepared. Months of despair, pent-up stress and fear could create a dangerous cocktail of fury and the RK900 was determined to let Sixty feel it before deactivating him for good.

Walking deeper into the complex he never saw another face and decided to give the clear for the rest of his team to enter and scout for themselves. He watched out for any sign someone had been here lately, climbing through debris and balancing over beams where the floor had collapsed. But it were his hears that picked something up in the end and it made his pump stop at least two full beats: The bloodcurdling screams coming from the end of the hallway were so far from everything Nines had ever heard this voice produce, but still mistakenly Gavin. He started running, regardless of whether the integrity of the floor allowed it or not. He slid to a halt at the door, pieces of drop ceiling on the floor spun to the side after centuries of decay. With one distinguished movement, Nines ripped the door open, the lock falling to the floor from the sheer force. He could only see the table with Gavin strapped onto it and a person bowed over him, then he was already next to them and punched Sixty square in the face. The impact sent him crashing against the next wall.

The time Nines needed to follow gave the other android the chance to look up at him and ask: ‘Connor?’ Nines dismissed the masking protocol and fixed the RK800 out of his own, blue eyes. ‘Guess again’, he ordered cold enough to let hell freeze over and took Sixty by the throat to punch him against the wall repeatedly. ‘My name is Nines. You kidnapped and tortured someone who is very dear to me.’ ‘Kamski?’ ‘No. His brother.’ ‘Reed? What, someone actually likes the asshole?’

Nines screamed at him and send him to the floor, pressing Sixty down with his weight alone. ‘I love him. You weren’t successful the first time and you missed your second chance, Sixty. Now you die.’ Those were the last words the RK800 would hear, as Nines broke Sixty’s artificial neck before unholstering his gun to shoot him a few times for good measure.

He looked down on the deactivated android with content until his attention shifted to the laboured breathing audible in the room. Immediately he was on his feet and on top of Gavin to open the restraints and take him in his arms. Gavin was alive. Gavin was hurt, but alive. Gavin was back by his side. They would go home and- no, they would go to a hospital first, but they would go home eventually and then-

‘No, no, no, no-‘ The panicked whisper, nothing more than air leaving his lungs, came from somewhere at his chest, where Gavin’s face had been smothered against him. ‘No, this can’t be. Not this dream again, please-‘ weak arms pressed against him and Nines knew Gavin well enough to let him go immediately, only helping him to lay back down. The human’s eyes were wide in fear and panic and Nines instinctively took a step back. ‘Please, no, not you Nines, no, I beg you. You would never do this. Make it end, make it end!’

‘Gavin, it’s me. It’s me. I came to get you out of here. You are safe now.’ But the man wouldn’t listen. ‘You say that, but you will just hurt me again. This is my phcked-up brain again. Stay away from me!’ ‘I- I will’, Nines said despite wanting nothing more than holding him close and carry him out to never let go again. ‘I will stay right here; I won’t do anything. I don’t know what they did to you, but this is me. The DPD is just outside waiting to shut down Amanda for good and get you to a hospital.’ He finally shrugged out of Connor’s jacket, thinking it might be the uniform. But otherwise he didn’t move, hoping Gavin would come to his senses. But everything his scans returned him was showing him he was experiencing a panic attack. He had to keep calm. For Gavin’s sake. ‘Gavin, please, try to breathe. Try to focus. Try to breathe deeper. It is over. Sixty is dead. I will get you and my brother out of here.’ ‘What are you asshole playing?’, Gavin asked, tears flowing down his cheeks. ‘Just get on with it already you mad phcker! Cut me open like you always do! What are you waiting for?’ ‘For you to calm down, Gavin. I unshackled you. And look: I will sit down here now.’ He took more steps back until he hit the wall and sat into the dust. ‘I won’t stand up until you tell me to. Please try to calm down, to breathe and to relax. I won’t do you any harm.’

Gavin eyed him sceptically, but his breathing had indeed become more regular. Nines relaxed a bit, staring at his human, who was just sitting there wounded and sore, bleeding from cuts and his face swollen. He wanted to caress where he could and warm him, wanted to make it better. But anything he would do now would only make it worse. ‘I’m not dreaming?’, Gavin asked. ‘You never did that in a dream before.’ ‘You are not. I’m really here and we can go home whenever you are ready.’ ‘Home…’, Gavin still watched him, but his eyes looked distant. ‘I… Is it really over?’ ‘Yes.’ Gavin blinked and looked down on his feet, swaying to the side and righting himself again. ‘Sixty is dead?’ ‘He is.’ ‘Nines, I think I’m losing consciousness…’

Nines was on his feet the moment he said it and ran to his side, holding him gently and this time Gavin didn’t freak out like before. He did tense and looked like he was ready to bolt the moment Nines moved the wrong muscle, but otherwise sought the closeness. Nines did nothing but supporting him, until Gavin leaned against his chest and hugged his side. He inhaled through his nose and smiled. ‘It’s really you’, he murmured, before resting his head against him. ‘Get me out of here, Nines.’ ‘I will, Gavin. You are safe with me.’

#detroit become human #dbh #Reed900 #Gavin Reed #RK900 #Elijah Kamski #all aboard the angst train #whoop whoop #me torturing my favourite characters again #Eli in the next room: and who will rescue me now?#Connor: Nines where is my jacket #Nines: looked stupid anyways get yourself some fashion sense and ditch the uniform #Connor: But you are still wearing yours #Nines: Because mine looks amazing #sorry #needed to be done

46 notes · View notes

goldenhydreigon47 · 3 years

Text

I have returned with more Rebel Hearts Infodumping™. This time, we'll focus on the triplets of Cal, Cat, Cataclysm, and Dev.

So first up are the triplets. Their birthnames are Calamitas, Catastrophe, and Cataclysm. However, they each have different preferred sexualities and preferred pronouns, as well as preferred names. First up is Cal. She is usually pretty quiet and reserved, but open up easier around her allies, especially her siblings as well as Dev and Mariko. She is also a pyromancer, much like in the official canon. Cal is demigirl, uses she/her pronouns, and, much like the official canon, is aroace. She is 20 when Rebel Hearts takes place. Catastrophe's preferred name is Cat. Why is it Cat? Well, for one thing, he found it easier for him and Cal to shorten their birthnames to make a preferred name. The other reason is, in Cal's opinion, he has the most, "cat-like," personality, appearing calm and unfeeling, with some skittishness, but is super loving when around his siblings or friends (Fun Fact: In Rebel Hearts, Cal, Cat, Cataclysm, and even Mariko all purr and wag their tails [yes they have tails in this story. I saw one of my friends draw the siblings with tails {hi Juno :)} and I've always had Mariko with a tail]). Cat is demiboy, uses he/him pronouns, and, much like his sister, is aroace. He is 22 in Rebel Hearts. Finally, the youngest of the three at age 18 is Cataclysm. Their hair is a floof in my story and they are the most upbeat and adorable of the three (Also, all three of the siblings have English accents. Cal has an English accent canonically, so it seems appropriate for Cat and Cataclysm to have English accents too). Cataclysm is non-binary, uses they/them pronouns, and is pansexual, quickly ending up in a relationship with Mariko.

So, backstory time for them. These three lived deep in the mountains with their parents, but sadly, their parents died shortly when Cal was age 6 (Cat was 8 and Cataclysm was 4). Enraged and saddend by their parent's deaths (their parents were mistaken for two other wanted criminals and shot by some mercenaries in this story btw), Cal swore revenge on humanity. Cat agreed but didn't really want to, hoping to drag Cal out of this whole "vengeance" thing, and Cataclysm was too young to know what was going on. This rage inside of Cal manifested into her pyromancy skills, specifically her brand of fire: Abyssal Fireballs. Cat's cryomancy and Cataclysm's electromancy wouldn't develop until a few years later. After about two years, Cal found and burned the very souls of these mercenaries. Her wrath was exploited, however, as she was lured to a jungle temple, along with her siblings. This, of course, led to her brainwashing by Yharim, who also brainwashed Cat and Cataclysm, awakening their powers. From that day forward, Cal and her siblings proved to be Yharim's most powerful soldiers, killing players multiple times. Her greatest feats were burning down Mariko's village, despite the regret she held in constantly ever since, even apologizing about it to Mariko in a letter she wrote a year after she first met him, an apology which Mariko accepted, and burning the entire ocean kingdom of Amidias, who held no ill will towards Cal for the incident, as he only blamed Yharim for this. She was so great, an inferior clone was made of her and her siblings. She continued to take command from the tyrant without conflict, until 8 years later, when they met Mariko. After her slowly defeated them in battle, Cal asked Mariko to finish her and her siblings so they may join their parents. Mariko, who was 18 at the time, told the then 18 year old Cal that he too had lost his parents, and wished for death to come to him as well. However, he saw that life was worth living and knows that everyone can have a second chance, except for Yharim of course. He then fully healed Cal and her siblings, much like he did to Dev a few months prior (we'll get to that) and told Cal that he saw good inside the hearts of her and her siblings, before flying away. It was here that Cal saw more good in humanity. However, her torture at the hands of Yharim grew more intense after she failed to kill Mariko. Her siblings were also tortured. She had begun to see what Mariko was talking about, how Yharim was irredeemable. After they were freed from their torture chamber by Dev, Cal's best friend, the four began to plot escape plans. Eventually, after two years, Cat and Cataclysm escaped after their brainwashing "juices" ran dry, telling Cal and Dev where they went so they may follow. Upon escape, Cat and Cataclysm bumped into the former Sea King, Amidias. Upon recognizing who they were, Amidias, a former father figure himself as he raised his late daughter alongside his late husband, decided to care for Cat, now 22, and Cataclysm, now 18, while they waited for Cal and Dev to join them. Mariko even made frequent visits to check up on the three, which is when his friendship, and eventual love relationship, with Cataclysm kicked into high gear. After about a month and a half, the brainwash "juices" in Cal and Dev ran dry, and the two escaped, following directions to get to Amidias' place, whom they affectionately called "Ami." Dev and Cal bump into Mariko, explain what's they're doing, Mariko approves of their decision to escape from the tyrant while also reiterating that he holds no grudges or hatred to Cal and Dev for eliminating his village while brainwashed, the trio make it to Ami's, reunite with Cat and Cataclysm, and thus, the initial five members of Rebel Hearts are founded.

And now, we move on to Dev. Dev is also enby and uses they/them or he/him pronouns. They're permanently 19, even after they were "born", and is asexual. Dev was born on another entire planet, but sent to the Terraria Calamity mod planet (I seriously don't know if it has a namd or if I should just name it Earth) to stay fed, as their home planet was dying. Upon emerging from his space pod, he was quickly "rescued" by Yharim and brainwashed by a robot made by Draedon. It was here Dev met their best friends, Cal, Cat, and Cataclysm. Dev was always the most rebellious of the four, constantly defying Yharim's demands, and thus, was tortured quite often, usually by being denied food. This just caused his inner hatred towards Yharim to grow, and it would only fuel his want to escape with Cal and her siblings. The torture would only cause Dev's hunger to grow, now wanting to feast on the essence of living beings or deities, especially Gods and Goddesses. In an attack on the Brimstone Crags by Yharim's troops, Dev encountered, killed, and devoured Providence. Sure, she would revive because of Mariko, but that's what would drive Yharim to make the biggest mistake of his life: Sending Dev to attack Mariko. Upon seeing Mariko, Dev knew he wasn't a God, but would feast upon his essence regardless, especially since he knew this was the same "weakling" Yharim found when Dev and Cal decimated Mariko's village while brainwashed. However, surprising Dev, Mariko defeated him in his much more powerful worm form. Now back in their humanoid form, which they took on more often, he tried to off himself out of disgracing Yharim, but Mariko knocked the weapon out of Dev's hands. Mariko then told Dev that he saw good in their heart, healed them, gave them a large amount of food, and told them that Yharim was irredeemable, unlike them, Cal, and her siblings. Now fully enraged at Yharim, he tried to kill Yharim, only to nearly get killed himself. After being healed by Draedon, the next two years saw Dev continue to defy Yharim's orders, even more often than usual, even refusing to battle the newly revived Providence. Yharim tried to have the brainwash "juices" put deeper into Dev's brain, but their headstrong nature just pushed the juices out by themself. After two years of torture and manipulation, Dev finally grabbed Cal and escaped. Cue the two of them bumpung into Mariko, going to Ami's, reuniting with Cat and Cataclysm, and Rebel Hearts beginning.

Infodump on Cal, Cat, Cataclysm, and Dev complete. Yharim, Draedon, Yharon, and Sunork infodump coming soon.

#terraria calamity #writing

5 notes · View notes

black-streak · 5 years

Text

Waiting for the Worms - Comfortably Numb

Part 5

Warnings as always. This isn't terribly dark. Again, more informative, but a fun little lead up towards the future, so there's that. (Take note of the way Marinette describes her movements, it's not extremely important, but gives a little insight to her mind.)

(Closed list) People I've had on hold for a week: @northernbluetongue @thethirdwheelfriend @shizukiryuu @theatreandcomicfreak @michellemagic @karategirl119 @moonlightstar64 @my-name-is-michell @mystery-5-5 @zalladane @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm @miraculousdisapointment @dorkus-minimus @jardimazul @allthebooksandcrannies @g-arya @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @persephonescat @mycupisbroken @luciferge @18-fandoms-unite-08 @dawnwave16 @alwaysreblogneverpost @kris-pines04 @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog @weird-pale-blonde-person @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @kokotaru @naclychilli @slytherinhquinn @clumsy-owl-4178 @ladybug-182 @darkthunder1589 @evil-elf16 @dast218 @lysslovsanime @emilytopaz @naoryllis @iloontjeboontje @thepeacetea @danielslilangel @finallyaniguana @i-like-fairytail-and-stuff @vixen-uchiha @yuulxd @bleeding-heart-romantic @magic-inthe-stars @st0rmy-w1th1n

~---~

Sitting in a coma for a year was only mildly less terrible than sitting in a grave for however long.

On the one hand, Marinette was in a coma for a much longer period of time as far as she could tell. On the other, she was alive and could feel this body. Could hear the nurse read the newspaper to her, always announcing the date at the beginning of the visit. Sure, most of the news of this local area meant very little to her, but beggars can't be picky or whatever the saying was.

Still, nothing could possibly beat the feeling of waking up fully. As these eyes (Both! They both opened now!) took in the room, she decided to focus in on her nurse. Watching the little delicate movements and shifts and attempting to replicate them to ensure all her nerve endings still worked. That muscles, large and small, still responded to commands, nothing paralyzed or unresponsive. While every movement strained against itself, everything still worked to some extent. Weak, but there. It seemed laying mostly still for over a year and a however much longer had deteriorated the muscle mass. Not surprising, but annoying when she desperately wanted to work her body into a frenzy just to prove she could.

Laying there a little longer to take stock of healed over injuries, she came to the realization that this throat felt weird. She opened the mouth and attempted to ask the nurse, only for nothing to come out. Narrowing eyes, she reached out and gently tapped thin fingers on the nightstand next to the still reading nurse, drawing his attention to her.

Startled molten gold met her and suddenly he was up and taking the vitals, checking everything to be sure Marinette was truly awake and okay. He started speaking in a soothing, soft voice, though she could barely focus on the words enough to process them. Reaching out again, she stopped him midstep and then brought that same hand up to the throat to indicate the problem. She couldn't speak.

The man seemed to understand and nodded along, quickly paging a doctor and coming back to her, pressing a button to gently prop her up and slowly adjust a few machines before turning back and slowly asking a few basic yes or no questions.

Did she know who she was? Yes, she was Marinette, stuck in the once dead body of her soulmate. She shook to indicate she didn't. With the state of the grave, she doubted she would be welcomed back to the manor. Best not to let them know who Jason was and have them contacting Bruce.

Did she know where she was? A hospital. She gave a nod for that.

Did she know the date? Yes, the nurse had read the date every day for a little over a year now. That much was easy to agree to, despite the timeline confusing her.

Does she know what happened to her? Well yes, but she shook her head no. She couldn't very well explain dying by Joker's cruelty while in the wrong body as Robin and climbing out of a grave. That was like, three separate identity reveals to one stranger. It also made zero sense and she'd probably end up institutionalized.

With the knowledge that she understood him and wasn't brain dead, the man informed her of the various injuries she knew of, plus a few bonus ones that alluded her. Then, he mentioned her inability to speak.

While all of the breaks and bruising had healed up well, the damage to the vocal chords had been horrific and while they did their best, the damage was done. They couldn't even remove them without it potentially cutting off her airway or esophagus.

She was effectively mute.

Marinette finally woke up after a year in a coma and however long in that grave and she still couldn't scream to her heart's content. This was stupid.

All she could do was glare off into space, ignoring the doctor that came in to do a checkup.

…

After a week they took her off feeding tubes and IV only hydration and started reintroducing a liquid diet. Progress was slow and painful, but necessary.

After another two weeks they brought in soft solids like pudding and oatmeal. This is also when they first tried to help her stand up a little on her own and fine motor control was finally stable enough to write short phrases on a white bored. Rehabilitation was turning out to be an annoyingly long process.

After a month in this place, she finally left her room for the first time and abruptly realized they transferred her to a children's hospital at some point. It made sense. Jason was about fifteen when she died for him and small due to his time on the streets. Stunted growth, likely. They probably assumed she was about fourteen right now, despite the year technically making them sixteen. Even then, it would make the cutoff for a children's facility.

The bright colors across the walls and floors jarred her a bit after the nothing of so long, but was a welcome change. She tried not to glare at the little sick kids running about as she wheeled slowly along corridors, not quite able to walk on these stick thin legs.

Reports of a child John Doe had been filed, but no one really looked at those that hadn't lost their kid, so no one who would recognize Jason ever saw his report. She would be here a while. At least until she recovered enough to be considered okay for discharge. Then she would be put into the system as an orphan. She had no intention of staying long enough to see that through.

Jason and her had taken to the streets before and would thrive out there more than in any foster home they could find her. For now, she would settle back and allow the recovery process to take control.

…

Or so she thought. She'd only been awake for a little over a month, but she guessed the file must've been put through when she first came in to try and find his guardian. Someone, somewhere, recognized Jason Todd.

Whoever they were sold the information to Talia Al Ghul.

The woman came in the middle of the night and stole Marinette away. With this weak body and useless voice box, struggling didn't even seem like an option.

Where would it get her, anyways? Dropped off a rooftop and possibly stuck in a grave again? Talia could kill her again and she wouldn't stand a chance in defending herself. Marinette was not willing to take that chance, so she stayed complacent in her kidnapping.

Talia asked many questions of her, curious as to the state of her new play thing. She had to have known that Jason was supposed to be dead. Marinette didn't bother with paying the questions any attention. It's not like she could respond and she felt hesitant to reveal the inability. She worried over what Talia would do upon finding out the extent of the damage. Would keeping Jason be worth it to her?

Either way, she sensed the ever festing frustration in the older woman with every passing inquiry left unanswered. The look in her eyes spoke of a willingness to torture the information out of her.

Good luck with that.

At the same time, what could Marinette possibly lose at this point. She already died once and had no home to return to. The once ever present tug in her mind was long gone and hadn't returned with her resurrection. She already lost Jason and her old life. If she actually died again by Talia's hand, would it kill her as well by this point? The body was as good as hers what with the lost connection. Either she could either actually die in it now or she was immortal. When it came to it, with no connection or way to truly live on or track down her past life, she had nothing left to fear.

Eventually she came to a decision. Looking up at the woman before her, she lifted a hand to point to the throat and quickly made a slashing motion across it, which Talia immediately nodded in understanding at. She left for a moment only to drop into the seat across the way again and drop a notebook and pen between them. Marinette picked it up and slowly wrote out a phrase.

'Vocal Chords destroyed.'

Talia only nodded and gestured to continue.

'Long coma, deteriorated muscles. Not much function.'

"And coming back from the dead? How'd that happen?"

Marinette only shrugged. She truly didn't have an answer. Luckily that seemed sufficient an answer.

"Your brain is fully functional though. I can see how closely you're watching me. Waiting and observing. Not nearly as reckless as your past actions made you out to be. Perhaps dying has that affect though."

Marinette only watched silently as Talia mulled the thought over.

"And the damage otherwise?"

'Mostly healed over. Weakened though.'

The following conversation continued much the same. Talia asked questions and either answered them herself or waited for a short response in return. It didn't take long to get the full extent of the situation hashed out. Talia seemed to regard her with an excited gleam now and reassured her that that could all be fixed. Not to worry, the process only hurt a little. In the end, 'Jason' would feel all better.

Marinette wasn't sure exactly how to respond to this news. Yes, the promise of healing faster and possibly regaining her voice was a tempting offer, but in the end, she knew the woman wanted something from her. The price of health would be steep, of that she seemed sure. Again, she couldn't help but wonder what her alternatives were. This would happen whether or not she consented. Might as well make it feel like she had some control over the situation, if only for the comfort it lent her. She gave a jerky nod and watched the woman's smile grow.

Letting this head loll to the side, Marinette blanked out on everything else, falling into a restless sleep for the duration of their journey to wherever they were going.

…

Over the next few weeks, she woke up in random locations, being carted off into a hotel and up towards their rooms. She was never allowed to leave the room or do much more than eat and drink and use the restroom. It was similar to how she imagined prisoners lived, only in nicer conditions. Talia, while adjusted to live in any conditions, preferred to live luxuriously after all. And it wouldn't do to have a random, half dead kid following her around, raising questions all the time. Marinette couldn't truly blame her for that. She remained hidden.

…

At the end of their travels, she followed Talia out of the final hotel room and out into a cab. The cab dropped them off at a seemingly random location only for the two to walk out into the dessert. She wouldn't be surprised if that cab was only a front for the league. They walked for well over an hour, Marinette lucky to have healed enough to walk so long, even though it started to wear her down after the first thirty minutes, only determination to not be left behind moving her forward.

Talia must've stolen her without informing anyone else of her intentions. Otherwise, she's sure they would've taken a more direct and less discreet route. As it was, they reached a cave entrance and made their way down and down until eventually they begin to veer down different paths, Talia disabling traps as they went.

Eventually they reached an opening into a glowing green room, the glow emitting from a massive pool in the center. Something about the place set her on edge. The glow reminding her of Plagg's toxic green eyes and letting off what had to be a magical aura. Talia smiled down at her in a reassuring manner, putting a hand to the small of this body, nudging her forward.

Calculating the risk, it seemed her best bet to go along with the woman's plan. Talia would want her alive, so surely this wouldn't kill her. Plus, Talia seemed sincere in her promise of healing this body up and Marinette might as well be a walking lie detector at this point. The woman meant her every word. Taking a deep breath, she only hoped this magic would accept her as well as the miraculouses had.

Hovering a foot over the pool, she hesitated only a moment before remembering Kagami's advice from all those years ago. Hesitation had never helped her before and had no place here. Blinking, she nodded and let herself drop down into the pit.

#ml x dc #maribat #jasonette #WFTW #part 5 #mightve been sitting on this for a week on accident #my bad

447 notes · View notes

sunsetinmyvein · 4 years

Text

I Know That I’ll Lose - Chapter Three - I Tell You Lies, But It’s Only Sometimes

It was 1am when she heard her phone buzzing relentlessly against the wood of her bedside table. She grabbed it, recognising the number that she really had to save as an actual contact. Eventually. One day. Maybe. But why was Matty calling at 1am? He was meant to be on a plane.

“We have got to stop meeting like this.” She mumbled as she answered the call, still half asleep.

“My flight got cancelled.” He replied instantly; opting to ignore her fantastic joke.

“That’s shitty.” She said with a yawn. “When’s your next one?”

“They just asked me to come back tomorrow to find out if there’s another.” He explained. She hummed thoughtfully in response, only really sort of processing what he was saying. There was a pause on the line for a moment as Matty waited for her to put two and two together. “So… I don’t have a hotel to stay in.” He added.

“Better go book another one then.” She replied.

“But it’s midnight.” He whined. “And so last minute.” He continued.

Her brain was starting to catch up to what he was getting at now, and she sensed he would continue listing reasons it would be better for him to stay at her house rather than at a hotel all night if she let him. “No, Matty.” She said, properly awake now.

“Please?” She could practically see the pout on his face through the phone.

“Why can’t you just book another hotel?” She questioned, rubbing her eyes to get the uncomfortable feeling of being awake far too early out of them.

“You’re the one who said your place is close to the airport.” He reminded her. She had said that. Why did she tell him that? That was a bad decision.

She groaned loudly and he could already tell that she had given in. “Fine. FINE.” She caved. His quiet ‘yessss’ echoed down the line. “You’re sleeping on the couch.” She added, just in case he was getting the wrong idea.

“Aw.” He laughed.

“I’ll text you the address and let you in when you get here.” She said, throwing the covers off and shoving some slippers on her feet.

“Wait, what? No, no, you can go back to bed. Just leave the door unlocked and I’ll let myself in.” He said, figuring it made no sense for the both of them to be losing sleep. Not over something like this, anyway.

“Firstly, no. That’s super unsafe. Secondly, no. I will wait for you to get here.” She was already out of bed at this point and starting to get a few blankets together to throw over the couch for him.

“You do a lot of waiting for me.” He quipped, the background noise of the airport filling the few seconds of silence as he let his comment hang there for a moment. She could just picture the smug look on his face as he said that.

“Shut up or I’ll take back my generous offer.” She shot back.

“Thanks! See you soon!” He said quickly, and with a click, the line was dead.

She draped the blankets and a pillow over the couch before taking a seat and waiting for him to get here. At this hour, the airport would only be ten minutes away, so she just kept herself busy on her phone until she heard the knock at the door. When she answered it, he looked all too happy about the news that his flight had been cancelled. Almost as soon as the door was halfway open, a massive grin was plastered on his face and he instantly dropped his suitcase to wrap her up in a hug. She let him in, leading him through to the lounge room where he was going to be sleeping.

“Couch.” She said, gesturing to the three-seater sofa in the middle of the living room with bedding spread out over it. “Kitchen. Has water and glasses to hold said water.” She waved in the general direction of the kitchen in the next room. “Bathroom is that way.” She pointed down the hall. “Do you need anything else?” She asked, turning to face him.

“I just really wanna look at all your stuff. Your house has such a different vibe to mine.” He said as he found himself drawn to all of the things around her living areas. His style of living was fairly… minimalist. He enjoyed things but didn’t own that many himself. Half of his life was spent on the road, if he had too much, he’d never be able to keep it all. So, most of his belongings were spread between a few different locations and his suitcase. This, in contrast, was extremely cluttered. Neat and organised, confined to only certain corners of the room, but cluttered nonetheless. He could tell with how things had been displayed that a great deal of care had gone into setting it all up and these items were clearly well loved. She sat down with a huff in the arm chair next to the couch he was meant to be asleep in by now, watching as he gently examined things around the room. He asked a few questions every now and again: where had she gotten this, why did she have such and such, what was the story behind that. At one point he had asked her a question and he had thought that she was trying to work out an answer, but when he had turned around, he realised that the reason for her silence was because she had fallen asleep while he was too busy fawning over inanimate objects.

“Bollocks…” He muttered, trying to work out what to do. He already felt bad for having woken her up and making her wait out here for him to arrive, he didn’t want to wake her up again just to send her to bed. But letting her sleep on the recliner was hardly reasonable either, especially if he was supposed to be sleeping on the couch right next to it. That was just going to be awkward for whoever woke up first. He took a quick glance around the small home, eventually spotting a doorway with a bed on the other side that he suspected to be hers. Deliberating his options for a quick moment, eventually he decided that she’d probably appreciate getting a decent night’s sleep after having to get up and let his sorry ass inside. He opted not to overthink the situation and made an effort to try and switch his brain off for five seconds as he picked her up and carried her back to bed. After he had put her back safely in her bed and pulled the covers over her, he stopped for a moment.

He had dragged someone else into his mess of a life to help him cope with shit that he should be able to deal with by now. Whenever he left the slightly darker part of his life behind, he was under the impression that he was capable of keeping himself in check. That was certainly what everyone seemed to congratulate him for; that he finally sorted it out, he got a hold of his addiction, he got himself through it. It had turned out that without company, his self-control was pretty limited. He hated how dependent that made him feel. When he was on tour and away from his friends and family, he could at least rely on the band. But, with the band already gone he wasn’t as much of himself as he usually was. However, her company felt comforting in a different way. Yesterday had gone exceedingly better than he would’ve expected it to, and he was sure that it was due to that. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, something wasn’t the same as if he would have been at those interviews with the band. But he thought that maybe he could work it out if he had enough time to. Hell, he fucking skipped out on his own flight just to hang around for one more day and see if he could do exactly that. She mumbled something as she rolled over, and he finally snapped out of it and realised he had been standing in this room for far too long now. “Creepy, Matty. Creepy. Leave.” He muttered under his breath to himself as he trudged back out into the lounge room to try and get some sleep.

* * *

“Sleep well?” He asked as she wandered into the lounge room the next morning. He was sat comfortably in the recliner, the blankets that had been tossed across the couch were now folded up neatly on top of it. The TV was playing some random morning news program, and he was mostly paying attention to that, other than the brief glance he threw her way as she entered. Did that man ever sleep? He looked almost exactly the same as he had when he rocked up last night.

“Not bad.” She answered, eyeing him curiously. Everything in the lounge room still seemed to be in place. Neater, even. “I fell asleep in here last night, didn’t I?” She asked eventually.

“Mmhm.” He nodded, not looking away from the TV.

“How did I end up back in bed?” She continued.

“I put you there.” He answered casually.

“I had a feeling that’s what you were gonna say.” She said, making her way into the kitchen to start finding some form of breakfast. “And I was kind of surprised to see that you hadn’t tried to worm your way in next to me. So, I wasn’t sure if that would be the correct answer.” She said with a dry laugh as she put the kettle on the stove top to boil.

“Geez. I’m hurt that you think I’d do that.” He gasped; a hand clutched to his chest. His tone of voice sounded serious but the look on his face was still joking. “You told me to sleep on the couch. I might be a bit of an arse but I’m not a complete psychopath.” He added with a shrug as he came over to lean against the counter top.

She hummed thoughtfully at his answer, “How you act sometimes would have me convinced you don’t know where to draw the line.” That one felt like it cut him a bit deeper than he would’ve liked, but he shrugged it off.

“You have never once told me to stop acting how I do.” He pointed out. She thought about this for a moment and quickly realised that he was right. Maybe she should start doing that… Maybe. “If you did, I would. But I know there’s a line.” The silence hung between them for a moment as she thought about how to respond. She felt like she should potentially apologise for accusing him of something like that after his answer, but he continued speaking before she got the chance. He seemed to be pretty good at that. “Tea?” She gratefully took the way out of the conversation that he was offering her before it got awkward, nodding as she grabbed two mugs.

They both prepared a quick breakfast, eating quietly in front of the background noise of the TV. She only had fairly limited supplies considering that she hadn’t expected to have to cater to a second person this morning. Which meant that they ended up stuck with buttered toast and tea, the breakfast of budget conscious champions. A decent amount of time had passed since she had woken up, and it was starting to move into mid-morning territory. So far, Matty had mentioned nothing about having to get on a plane and go home. “So, what are you going to do about your flight?” She asked him around a mouthful of toast.

“They wanted me to go back to the airport today to speak to the people and get a new one, but I think someone is just going to call me with the new details instead.” He answered, flipping channels to find something more interesting

“You just have to wait and see?” She asked with a frown.

“Yep.” He sighed, popping the ‘p’ as he said it.

“Which, in light of that, what is there to do around here?” He glanced around the room, trying to spot something that could be used to kill the time.

“You’re intending on hanging out here?” She questioned in surprise.

“Well, I might be leaving in half an hour, I might be leaving in eight. I can’t just wander around outside like some lost puppy until they call me and tell me when.” He pointed out as he stood up and made his way over to a bookshelf.

“Why not?” She huffed.

He gasped loudly as he turned to face her, but his shocked expression gradually turned into a smile. “You wound me. You don’t want my company?” The look in his eyes and the smirk on his face suggested that he was already giving her shit for admitting that she enjoyed having him around. She shouldn’t have said anything yesterday in the bar. He was already well aware of her answer by the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

“Okay, fine. You can stay until your flight. But I have actual things that I need to be getting done.” She finally agreed.

“But who will entertain me?” He asked with an exaggerated groan.

“Well, you can’t just expect me to drop everything I had planned for today.” She argued as she grabbed her laptop and set herself up on the couch.

“You should’ve been expecting me and freed up your schedule!” He said with a laugh.

“How could I anticipate that your flight would get cancelled and you’d rock up on my doorstep?” She asked without looking up from her screen. He quickly realised his mistake. Him intentionally ditching his flight to spend more time with her was a thought that only occurred in his mind, not hers as well.

He let out a nervous laugh, “True.” He mumbled as he quickly changed topics. “What you doin’?” He asked as he plopped himself down on the couch next to her.

“Answering emails.” She replied.

“About?” He continued, glancing over her shoulder and trying to read what was on her screen.

“Upcoming shows and sending spreadsheets off for yours.” She answered as she dragged and dropped a few excel sheets into an empty email.

“Any bands I’d know?” He glanced at the contact names on the email sidebar. None seemed familiar except the ones that he recognised as being Dirty Hit addresses.

“Doubt it.” She shrugged, “They’re all smaller, local shows.”

He watched her typing away at the keyboard, his interest eventually waning as his eyes wandered around the room. “Got any weed?” He blurted out.

She rolled her eyes at his question, then supposed it was probably only a matter of time before he asked it. “I do.” His face lit up at her words. “But I’m not sharing it.” And out went that light as quickly as it had come into his eyes. He opened his mouth to begin arguing as to why she should indeed split some with him, but she continued. “You need to catch a plane, anyway! You can’t rock up at the airport stoned.”

“Why not? I’ve done worse.” He laughed loudly, thinking on all of the stories he could tell her that would definitely top arriving at a flight stoned.

“I am not letting you rock up to the airport stoned.” She rephrased.

“Just tell me when I’m getting warmer.” He said as he stood up and started moving around the living room, holding his hands out like he was stumbling through the dark about to run into furniture.

“We are not playing hotter and colder for drugs, Matty.” She tried to sound at least sort of chastising, but the laugh that fell from her lips betrayed her amusement at how silly he looked walking around blindly.

“I’ll pay you back for it.” He added.

“That’s not…” She let out a deep sigh as she ran her hands down her face. “That’s not the point.”

“If you’re hiding it on your person, don’t think that’ll stop me.” He turned to face her with a suggestive grin. As she went to discount that theory, his phone started ringing. Thank god for that.

He held the device up to his ear, listening intently and making approving noises as he continued to pretend that he was a drug sniffer dog. While he was distracted, she got up and walked into another room. The random representative from the airline spent a good ten minutes apologising for the inconvenience of having to rebook his flight due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’ before actually getting to the point. He decided it was probably best not to press that matter any further given it would come out sooner or later that the circumstances that caused him to miss his flight were pretty easily foreseen. She walked back into the lounge, seeing that he was still on the phone. “Sweet. Flight number BA637 at midnight? That’ll do.” He nodded to himself. After a few more apologies and pleasantries were exchanged, he finally managed to get off the phone and get back to the important matter at hand. “So… My flight is at midnight. That’s plenty of time to get stoned.” He said as he spun around to face her, only to find that she was already right in front of him, holding something out for him to take. He flashed her a confused expression before holding his hand out. She placed a snuff box and papers into it before taking her seat back on the couch. “Oh, you actually…” He seemed genuinely surprised to be presented with the drug. “Uh, thanks.”

He hadn’t anticipated that she would actually go get it for him. For the most part, he had been joking. Not that it was an unwelcome offer. His stash had run out after the show on Friday, and it was incredibly good for calming his brain down. He took a seat back in the recliner, quickly rolling a joint. Before lighting it up for himself, he supposed he should probably share with the gracious host. He held the joint he had rolled out to her and she shook her head in response without even looking up from her emails. He frowned as he looked down at it, then back up at her. “You’re not gonna have any?” He asked.

“No way.” She said with a short laugh. “I’ve got shit to get done, I can’t be stoned.”

“What! Why didn’t you tell me that before?” He asked loudly.

“You seemed pretty hell bent on getting high.” She shrugged as she looked up on him. He looked like a child who’d just been told that they weren’t actually going to Disney World and were, in fact, going to the dentist instead.

“Not by myself.” He mumbled in disappointment.

“Tough shit.” She chuckled.

He let out a reluctant groan, pausing for a moment before speaking again, “You sure you don’t want any?” He offered one last time.

“Another time, Matty.” She sighed with a small smile.

“I’ll hold you to that.” He nodded as he tucked the joint behind his ear.

He sat and waited patiently, half paying attention to the TV as she finished up the emails that she had to get done. Eventually, once she had finished the tasks that she was meant to get done with her day, she was considerably more willing to entertain the messy haired boy on her couch. They killed the time eating snacks and getting to know each other a bit better. She felt that she had a pretty decent grasp on the conundrum that was Matthew Healy after a few hours of chatting with him. They were both blunt and honest people, so it was easy to cut to the chase and skip around the idle chit chat that filled the majority of their day to day conversations. And he was finding that the more he spoke with her, the further the connection between them went. What had initially been him enjoying having someone around purely because of how well they reacted to him was fast becoming quite a well-rounded friendship. She was also quickly finding that whenever she got him onto a topic that he truly enjoyed discussing, he was an unstoppable force of enthusiasm and ridiculous vocabulary. A conversation with Matty mostly involved just listening to the torrential waves of thought that were Matty.

Eventually during their chat, he discovered a few retro video game consoles that she had hidden under her TV. He was all too keen to prove that he’d have more skill than her at any game she could throw at him, and being the competitive person that she was, she wasn’t about to let him think that he was right. As soon as they got engrossed in the games, the time flew by. It wasn’t long before his phone was buzzing to remind him that he had a plane to catch. Whoever was organising his flights had also organised a taxi for him that was currently waiting outside. He flashed her an apologetic look as he paused the game and started grabbing his things.

“Sorry, I’ll have to kick your arse another time.” He said as he quickly scanned the room to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything behind. Would leaving his wallet behind be a decent excuse to miss another flight..? Probably not. He shoved it into his pocket.

“You have lost more games than you’ve won, y’know.” She pointed out with an eyebrow raised as she stood up.

“So far.” He shot back as he pointed at her seriously, before cracking a huge grin. His smile was ridiculously infectious.

He started heading towards the door, pausing for a moment before grabbing the handle. “Thank you for letting me hang out here all day. Sorry if I was a bit of a burden.” He said with a sheepish smile, scratching at the curls sitting at the back of his neck.

“You’re not a burden.” She replied with a roll of her eyes. “But it’s no problem. Let me know the next time you’re back in this part of the globe.”

“Can do.” He said with a bright grin. “Bye, Y/N/N.”

“Bye, Matty.” She said, going in for a goodbye hug. He leaned forward in a different way than if he was reciprocating the hug, and for a brief moment the thought passed her mind that he might be about to try and kiss her. But he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling to himself as he did so. The blush that was rapidly spreading across her face gave her away before she could even try to cover it up.

“I’ll see you soon.” He said with a wink as he opened the door and walked down to the waiting taxi, throwing a brief wave over his shoulder in her direction. She realised as she stepped back into her house that the joint that she had given him was now sitting above her ear. She laughed to herself, expecting that she probably would be seeing that boy sooner than she thought knowing his antics.

* * *

When her phone buzzed loudly on her bedside table, pulling her out of her half-asleep state, she supposed that she shouldn’t have been surprised. Would it really have been a night of knowing Matty Healy without him trying to contact her at some ridiculous hour? She rolled over, grabbed her phone and held it to her face, trying to adjust her eyes to read the bright screen in the darkness.

11:36pm My flight got cancelled again :/

No way. Again? That didn’t seem very likely... The airports here were fairly reliable most of the time, the odd cancellation wasn’t unheard of but two in a row seemed pretty ridiculous. What had he said his flight number was? Maybe it said online what was happening with the plane. She quickly googled the flights heading to London that night, finding his flight number straight away. It was still scheduled on time. Why the hell was he trying to get out of his flight home?

11:39pm No, it didn’t

11:40pm It did. They said the engines are broken

She sent through the screenshot of the page that she had just looked up.

11:40pm It says here that your flight is still scheduled for midnight

11:40pm Your website must be outdated

She didn’t have the energy at this hour to work out if he was joking or not. But she was pretty damn sure that the website would’ve been correct.

11:41pm Catch your damn plane, Matty

He smiled to himself as he read the message before tucking his phone into his pocket and handing over his boarding pass. The flight attendant gave him a warm smile as they scanned it and handed it back to him. He hadn’t really expected to be able to get away with it two nights in a row, but he felt it was still worth the shot.

Last Chapter

Next Chapter

#matty healy x reader #Matthew Healy x Reader #Sunsetinmyvein

37 notes · View notes

giingers · 5 years

Text

The Worst of Nightmares (part two)

Part One

Request: the reader gets shot and bleeds in Tommy’s arms

Tag list: @peachy-aisha @crazyonesarethebest @peachyblinderss @spaghettirogers @mclfoybaby

Been listening to All My Tears which is the song that played in the finale of S2, and I’m in my feelings for sure. God I just want to cry because of Tommy Shelby.

Small Heath was blanketed in a cover of obsidian black that seemed to outwardly embody Tommy Shelby’s most dark thoughts. The moon was non existent in the sky and any stars that had hung proudly within the cover of inky blackness were now being smothered by the angry smog that normally resided over Birmingham.

Watery Lane was quiet, yet Tommy’s heavy footsteps that were weighted by the events of the evening now polluted the utter silence with a deafening thrum. His hands shook as they opened the door and as the heavy wood was flung back he could hear the arguing voices that rose from within. He had almost ran here after he had heard how Arthur had been thrown in prison, how Michael had been dragged from Aunt Pol’s house and how his business was under threat.

The betting shop was cold with tension as he entered and he found that every pair of eyes in the room landed on him. Aunt Pol was over to him in a flurry of brown curls, and dark wide eyes that searched his face for an answer to a question she hadn’t even voiced yet. Finn was poker straight and pale, and Tommy could sense that the young boy was beginning to fret over his brother and cousin who were now undoubtedly under Major Campbell’s mercy.

There was no time to fret however, only time to think and lay the foundations for plans. Tommy’s mind was already beginning to swirl with solutions to avoid outright combustion for the business, and it was business that needed to be sorted first. Family matters were larger and more difficult to unravel, therefore they needed to be dealt with in a different manner.

It was what he told Polly as she demanded he figure out what to do with Michael. Business first, he told her almost harshly and he could see within the dullness of her dark eyes that a spark of venom was squirming its way through her.

John who was sitting down, his shoulders slumped forlornly, began telling Tommy how the whiskey was gone, how the clubs were handed back to the Italians and how their warehouses and vans were no longer under their control. Tommy could feel his brain begin to fry itself beneath his skull, and for once in his life he did not see an achievable goal to the situation.

He threw himself in the chair opposite his brother and put his head in his hands. Fuck, he wanted to scream loudly, fuck Sabini! He had to clench his hands over and over again out of a trembling anger that was tearing through his veins like pure opium, and just like the drug it was causing him to get light headed. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and then opened them again. His family were still looking at him as if he had all the answers, but he just felt lost and dumbfounded. He’d be here all night thinking and discussing the company’s next move, he wagered, and he sighed as he gazed at the pocket watch that hung from his breast.

“Finn, be a good lad and walk to the Garrison, eh? I told y/n I’d walk her home tonight. Explain what’s happened and bring her here” he eyed his little brother who was still standing idly by. The young lad just nodded weakly and began to walk out the door.

“And be quick about it. No delaying” Tommy warned as he took a cigarette out of a packet “I don’t want any coppers seeing you and coming up with an excuse to arrest any more Shelby’s”

The closing of the door was the only response Finn gave, and Tommy sighed mightily when he thought of how different his youngest sibling responded to situations. He was softer than the rest of them, and didn’t display the same fondness for the lifestyle his big brothers partook in. This life is bad, Polly had said, and perhaps she was right.

Tommy and John began a very strained conversation about how they were going to muddle out of this one, and Aunt Pol decided she had heard enough about business and whiskey deciding instead to storm into the kitchen. The tension in the family was palpable and it was worming its way through Tommy’s soul, causing him to stress more with each passing tick of the clock.

Not that much time had passed (perhaps five minutes but it felt like five hours)when the front door opened with an almighty slam. Tommy and John both stood abruptly, drawing guns and the second eldest Shelby felt his heart pick up its pace with the thought that perhaps the coppers or Sabini had come to take out the rest of the remaining clan.

But it wasn’t Sabini, or police for that matter. It was a very pale looking Finn, and Tommy felt his heart that had been pumping wildly minutes before, plummet in his chest. He dropped his gun to his side and his eyes that were wide and searching, now studied his shaking brother.

His hands were covered in blood.

“For fuck sake Finn, you scared us” Aunt Pol said as she too had stood to attention at the small kitchen table. She didn’t seem to notice the young boys state for a few seconds but when she slowly made her way towards him a hand went over her mouth.

“What’s on your hands?” her voice shook as she inspected her nephew and Finn swallowed harshly, taking a moment before he spoke.

“It’s y/n’s blood. She was on the ground when I got there, and I ran back here as fast as I could to get help” he was breathless as Tommy bounded towards him, his eyes mad and his hands trembling as he grabbed his brothers collar.

“What happened?” Tommy almost screamed at him, but Finn’s eyes were just as scared as how Tommy felt.

“I think she was shot”

He felt his brother slip away from his hold and before his mind could even register what his body was doing, he could feel his legs take off. The cold night air whirled around him as he ran through the night- the heavy footsteps of his family following close behind. His mind was whirling with all sorts of thoughts, but he knew that no matter what he found around the corner, it would be the worst of nightmares.

__________

His dream that had plagued him relentlessly for nights upon nights seemed to materialise somewhat as he came across the scene. The Garrison wasn’t on fire like it had been in the depths of his night time imaginings, Arthur wasn’t there to shout and scream at God and the heavens and his mothers spirit definitely was not there to stalk the shadows with her ethereal presence.

You were lying in a pool of your own blood however, and Tommy dropped to his knees to bring you close to him. At least in some sick way, his prophecy had gotten that part right. He wondered as he held your frail body, if perhaps his dream had been a warning and not just some nightmare. Perhaps he’d dreamt of his mother being there because she was the one that was giving him some inclination of the foreboding events that would be played out. Like some message from heaven. Or maybe it was the Romani blood that flowed through him that had made him foresee this. What was it that Polly had said? The part of me that dreams is gypsy.

He could hear Polly crying behind him and the erratic breathing of both Finn and John, but all Tommy could do was scream.

“Get help!” he roared as he held you “somebody get her some fucking help!”

John said something but it sounded warped and muffled to Tommy’s ears and then the sound of his running footsteps followed, and Tommy knew he was gone to fetch someone. Anyone.

You were alive, Tommy could tell that much by how your short breaths left your mouth and how your chest rose and fell unsteadily. But he knew by how fast the blood was gushing from the bullet wound and by how quickly all colour was draining from your skin that you had a very small window of survival.

His eyes were blurry with tears and he could just make out the shape of your beautiful face as he stared at you, and as he blinked the tears dripped onto your skin. He roared furiously as he rocked you back and forth, feeling the sticky blood that covered you slowly soak him from where he knelt in the dirt. He vowed then and there as he clutched your slowly dying body that he would murder whoever done this. Campbell, Sabini, Solomons....it didn’t matter. He would kill them with his own hands and he’d enjoy it.

“Please don’t leave me” he bent his head low and whispered to you, feeling those tears of utter pain soak his face again “I love you and I need you. God above I need you more than ever now”

He thought of Campbell then, and how this mission he had been given needed to be carried out. He thought of how he hadn’t told you, or any of his family, and how much he needed to tell you now, or how much he wanted to love you and hold you because he didn’t know what outcome would present itself. He had thought all along that it would be him who would be shot soon enough, not his beautiful wife.

He wished then underneath the blanket of inky sky, with the dim stars and clouds of smog his only witness, that he could trade places with you. He just held you close to him and cried like he’d never cried before, feeling each stuttering heartbeat of yours that thrummed against his chest. He stayed like that for what felt like a dismal eternity before he heard the dull noise of tyres on gravel.

He felt the dark sky was taking over his senses as he felt you slip out of his grip and into someone else’s, like all darkness in the world was enveloping itself around him. He rose his head and saw John and some stranger lifting you gently into the back of an ambulance car while he stayed kneeling in a pool of his wife’s blood. His mind and heart seemed to be tearing themselves apart from the inside of his rattling body, and all around him he found he could not escape the reality of this nightmare.

The part of me that dreams is gypsy, Polly had once said, but Tommy never wanted to dream again.

#tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby fanfic #tommy shelby imagine #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders fic

254 notes · View notes

thanksjro · 4 years

Text

Eugenesis, Epilogue Scene Three: A National Holiday Is Declared

Mark your fucking calendars, folks, it’s a once in a lifetime event.

Now, what could be making Rodimus happy?

Telling himself that Kup isn’t dead, that Thunderclash isn’t dead, that Prowl isn’t dead, that the medics had managed to find their brains and fix them, that it wasn’t actually them who had died but some cheap copies.

Telling himself that Primus himself had given them the cure for the Inhibitor Chips.

Telling himself what he wishes was true.

Telling himself lies.

So, let’s try this again. It’s January 12th, 2013, and Rodimus Prime is awake and alive in the camp that is now home to the Autobots.

Rodimus has been spending the last few days listening to the recordings Perceptor made for him from the time he was busy being mostly-dead. He doesn’t remember any of the time he spent not-dead, but the scientists have been trying their hand at spirituality and more or less explained it to him as him ever-so-slowly approaching the event horizon of joining with the Matrix. The Matrix that we now know is a computer that makes babies, and that we’d already known was chock full of Unicron. Is this what being in the Cloud is like? Because if so, I’m just going to commit to a physical hard drive for all my stuff so my documents don’t become clinically depressed.

And while we’re on this whole not-really-dead thing: you know, retcons feel a lot less needing of justification when they aren’t being pulled by the same writer who made the retcon necessary in the first place, in the same piece of writing. Roberts, if you didn’t actually want to kill Rodimus, you shouldn’t have taken away all of his pigmentation and dusted his ass in a ditch after Kup went off the deep end.

I don’t think he’s actually happy, guys.

He’s currently staring out the window, totally not painfully aware of just how unbelievably tired he looks. Remember when this was the guy who went on fishing trips and joyrides with ten-year olds? Rodimus remembers. He remembers it very clearly. Someone let this guy take Animated Bumblebee’s place for a few days before he goes and finds a pod filled with robo-cancer or something.

It’s time to bury the pain again, as High Command comes through the door.

They made it! Rewind’s OTP lives, unlike him. Time to get down to business.

Rodimus thanks everyone for coming to the meeting, and starts going over the revamp process for the brand new Autobase- they’ve cleaned out the corpses, sorted them by faction, done god knows what to the ones that couldn’t be identified one way or the other, and we finally get to know just what in the fuck Jolup was doing Downstairs.

…Alright then, Ed Gein. Is this how they were going to handle that dropped Phase Sixer subplot in Lost Light? Because if so, Swerve what the 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔.

Rodimus has decided that they’re just going to bury that nightmare under forty tons of plasto-steel, to never see the light of day again. Moving on, he says that Metroplex is recovering rather well from his transplant.

Oh! Hello, Metroplex. You’re looking very… alive. Didn’t you just spend the better part of the week dead and lying on the seafloor?

Turns out that Titans are pretty hardy- they just ripped his head off and slapped it into the middle of the new Autobase and he was good to go.

Rodimus hasn’t heard from Galvatron since he got back- I’m hoping it’s because Soundwave took matters into his own hands- and it’s making him a bit nervous.

Time for status reports!

Magnus has had teams searching for bodies (brains, really) that they can bring back to Ratchet to fix up. He asks Rodimus about potentially building another outpost on Earth, but it looks like he won’t be getting to see Oregon again anytime soon. There’s also the issue of literally everything Xenon told him back on Aquaria- he asks for a private audience for that. Magnus, did you really wait this long to talk to your boss about this? He’s got the Matrix inside him right now, and you didn’t think it pertinent enough to bring up sooner? Priorities, man.

Ratchet’s injected all the POWs with the anti-Chip, which has helped their physical health tremendously. However, not all of them are regaining the ability to transform, and that’s opened up a real can of worms, mental health-wise.

I’m with Ratchet on this one. I know we don’t exactly have a ton of real estate on the bombed-out husk that is Cybertron, but surely there was something better than the epicenter of the Quintesson Antiholocaust/Transformers Holocaust.

Rodimus says that anyone uncomfortable with the camp can stay in Fort Max’s old place next door until they’re more open to the idea. The reason they aren’t staying at Fort Max’s altogether is because it’s apparently too small to house everyone. There’s, like, maybe three hundred of y’all left, and Max wasn’t exactly petite. Maybe I’m missing something here.

Rodimus, uncomfortable with the topic, moves on to one that’s equally as uncomfortable- Prowl. Ratchet wants to send him off with a full, personal funeral. He’s not dead yet, but he might as well be. Still no donor. Rodimus opts to let the guy die naturally, even after Ratchet explains that he might still be in pain even in a pod and knocked out. Geez, any more good news, doc?

Oh ho, you thought this would stop with just a single robot? Not even close.

Mirage is allowed to be in a bad mood this time. I can’t even remotely fault him for that. And Autobots don’t give parental leave? What a rip.

Yeah, except they’ve all been Quintesson nightmare babies. This is what some folks might call a problem. Are you telling me that they can just catch pregnancy like the common cold now? This is tapping into irrational teenage fears. Christianity-based fears.

I have to wonder, what’s the general feel behind this process? It’s completely random, even when it happens to someone who’s supposed to go through it, and people just kind of stand there and watch it happen. I feel like it’d be really fucking embarrassing to just keel over and start going through mitosis in the middle of a room full of your peers. Then the whole murder-baby thing starts happening, and folks are drawing guns on your abdomen to top it all off. At what point do you just say “screw it” and have your torso removed?

Ratchet’s been storing the Quintessons in stasis pods, as opposed to Soundwave’s snap judgement of “kill now, repress later.” He’s run all the tests he can think of, and the things aren’t exactly hostile- they don’t really do anything, honestly. Perhaps murder-baby is too harsh a term. Still, they gotta figure out something to do with the little bastards. High Command’s been asking around off-planet.

Well, there’s one mystery solved! Meeting’s over, Rodimus shoos everyone away, but Siren has something to report: he and Chromedome figured out Nightbeat’s final words.

Oh wow, I was WAY off. Road trip!

#transformers #jro #jro punches me in the face #eugenesis #part seven #epilogue #maccadam #Hannzreads #text post #long post #prose writing

18 notes · View notes