#but the piss has to be sent away to another lab so i have to hand the sample in early in the morning. before my ecg

[dogbunni]

HELTH SUX!!!! (eating paste)

[roosterforme]

Always Ever Only You Part 15 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley had some explaining to do. After the most perfect weekend, you were afraid he was trying to hide information from you again. But Bradley didn't hold back when he told you what happened and what he was concerned about. 

Warnings: Angst, swearing, fluff, smut, mentions of cancer

Length: 4600 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order. Always Ever Only You masterlist. Gorgeous banner by @mak-32

Your hands were shaky as you tried to call Bradley. You didn't understand what was going on, and you were pissed off that the first time you were hearing about him being involved with two people who were being court-martialed was through an email. You hated calling him when there was a chance he was in the air, but if that was the case, then his phone should be off.

Just as you were about to tap his contact in your phone, Bickel came rushing into the lab, arms full of folders. "Delete that email," he told you, out of breath. "The one from Yates. You weren't supposed to see it."

You looked up at him as you slid your phone down onto the counter. "Well, I did see it, sir," you whispered. "I don't even know what's going on."

"Neither do I," he responded gently, setting the folders down in a haphazard pile. "But I don't want your login credentials attached to this in any way. Whatever happened should stay out of your hands since your husband was involved with the special detachment. I'll take care of it. Understand?"

You started to nod, and then you said, "But, sir. Why am I getting emails from Admiral Yates?"

Your boss sighed and checked his watch. He looked frantic, and now you were really getting nervous for whatever must have happened during Bradley's deployment. But Bickel's words and the way he smiled kindly at you even though you could tell he was stressed out meant a lot.

"Because if you haven't noticed, you're second in command around here. Maybe not officially. Yet. But I rely on you for a lot of things, and everyone else in the group does, too. And your work is always spot on."

You felt tears prickle behind your eyes, and you had to look away from him as you muttered, "Thank you." But of course your eyes settled back on your computer screen and the email. 

"Delete the email," he repeated, and you knew he wasn't going to say it kindly a third time. So you did as your commanding officer told you to and watched the email soar into your trash can, and from there you deleted it permanently. "I'll take care of it myself so you know it's done correctly. I will pull the comms and verify the coding so you don't have to question whether or not the information being sent over has been properly validated. I don't want you worrying about this right now."

"But you'll need someone else to verify everything with you, sir," you whispered.

He nodded and closed your computer softly. "I'm just on my way to talk to Lieutenant Coleman about it. She's more than competent. She and I can sign off on it and get it ready tonight. You're dismissed for the day."

And that was it. Not another word. He picked up the folders and walked over to where Cat was sitting in front of her computer wearing the expensive headphones that were used to occasionally play back communications and check aircrafts for audio clarity. And Bickel interrupted her. It was kind of an unspoken rule that you didn't interrupt someone who was wearing the state of the art headphones. 

Cat jumped in her seat before giving Bickel her full attention. After a few seconds, her eyes met yours, and then she agreed with whatever he was telling her. You quietly stood and picked up your computer and headed for your office. 

You were the only one in your group with a private office other than Commander Bickel himself. Sure, yours was roughly a quarter of the size of his, and it had a view of the parking lot and a brick wall, but it was yours. And you were his number two. You really wanted to be able to enjoy that fact, but you'd been dismissed. Probably so he could talk about the court-martialing. And you figured that by now, Bradley would be wrapped up in these proceedings as well. 

You shoved all your stuff into your desk drawer and grabbed your keys. This morning had started off so beautifully: making out with your husband followed by an overpriced drink from Starbucks that he made sure was ready for you to pick up. 

When you opened your door to leave, Cat was standing there about to knock. "Yes?" you asked her, feeling like everyone must know what was going on now besides you.

"I just wanted to catch you before you left," she replied slowly. "I read the email from Yates. I promise I'll double and triple check everything even if I'm here all night."

"Thanks," you whispered, hoping you could trust her with this. You felt like somehow Bradley's integrity was tied to that audio.

Cat fiddled with her hands as she said, "It's my job, but you're also my friend." And then she turned on her heel and walked away so quickly, you couldn't really respond if you wanted to.

When you stumbled out of the elevator in the lobby, Jake was right there. "Have you seen Bradley?" you asked him, but he gathered you up in his arms and started to dance and spin you around in front of the main entrance. 

"Sure haven't. He's been locked away with Maverick all afternoon. Phoenix and Bob, too," he replied easily. "But guess who's going out with Cat tonight. Just take one guess, Angel."

"Oh," you gasped as he dipped you. Then you pressed your lips together, afraid to tell him that Cat and Commander Bickel would probably be verifying codes for the next several hours at least. 

He pulled you back to standing as he said, "Hang on, that's my phone." Jake pulled it out of his pocket and read the text message he received. "Shit. Cat cancelled on me."

"Jake-" But you stopped. You knew you shouldn't be talking about the special mission apparently gone wrong, but he looked so disappointed. He'd been wanting to go on an actual date with her for months, not just making out in the rec room. 

When he spoke, his voice was bland and monotone. "She's blaming it on working late. Meanwhile it looks like you're leaving early, so I'm not buying it." Then he laughed sardonically. "I was going to take her to a movie tonight, and then on Friday I was hoping Jeremiah could tag along on another date. I found a kid-friendly restaurant for dinner."

When you reached for his hand, he just shook his head. "Jake. Don't get upset with her, okay?"

He ran his hand through his hair as he walked away. "I need to get back to the hanger. Later, Angel."

You hated today. You wanted answers, and then you wanted to go to bed. And it annoyed you that you still wanted Bradley to read you to sleep from his notebook when he was the one who hadn't given you any details about his deployment, even though you had asked. Multiple times. 

When you pulled your car into the driveway, you realized Bradley wouldn't be home for at least an hour. You wanted to act normal about this and start making dinner or doing something productive, but you were starting to wonder if he was hiding information from you again, just like the sperm test results. And that was enough to make you lose your appetite. You hurried inside, and Tramp followed you to the couch where you sat and took some deep breaths. The realization that you should have just stayed on base and had a discussion with Dr. Genevieve washed over you, and you were afraid you were going to cry.

You wrapped your arms around Tramp and waited, and it actually didn't feel like too much time had passed when you heard the Bronco pull into the driveway. When the front door opened, Bradley looked surprised to see you.

"You're home," he said softly, closing the door behind him. When you just nodded and clung to Tramp, Bradley pressed his lips together. "I take it you heard about the....mishap?"

"Mishap?" you asked, finally scrambling to your feet as Tramp ran to Bradley. "That's what you're calling it? All I know is that I asked you all weekend to tell me about your deployment, but you didn't. And then today I got an email with your name and credentials listed underneath a docket number for two officers who are being court martialed."

Bradley bent to pet Tramp without taking his eyes off yours. "You're right. You did ask me several times, but Sweetheart, the weekend was so perfect. I didn't want to ruin it by talking about work."

You rubbed the heels of your hands against your eyes. "You were gone for eight weeks, Bradley. That's not the same as discussing a regular day at work. And clearly something absolutely insane happened! What are you trying to hide from me now?"

The rosy pink of his cheeks faded away as a look of pure panic filled his handsome features. "Nothing. There's nothing to hide. I just thought we'd talk about it today. I had no idea everything was going to blow up like it did."

You threw your hands up in the air, and you hated how shrill your voice sounded. "Is everything even okay?"

"Yes," he insisted, closing the distance to you and wrapping his arms around your body, enveloping you in his warmth. "Everyone who left the carrier deck made it back to the carrier deck."

Apparently you'd been holding your breath, because you were finally able to let it out. "Good," you whispered, burying your face in his neck. "That email made me feel physically sick."

"I'm sorry, Baby Girl," Bradley rasped next to your ear before kissing your temple. "If I knew everything was going to happen so fast, I would have taken some time out of the weekend to talk about it. But being back home with you and spending time as just us was really the only thing on my agenda."

You didn't stop him when he guided you toward the bedroom and started to unbutton and unzip you out of your uniform. And you let him pull his UVA shirt over your head and guide you into bed. And then you watched him strip down to his underwear before he picked up Tramp and climbed in with you. "Here's what happened," he said, pulling you close.

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

Bradley felt a little awkward detailing what went down in the air with Slayer for you. It was an odd thing to recount it to someone who wasn't an aviator, but you just held him tight and asked questions when you needed clarification. But the way you gasped when Bradley told you he was the spare made him feel somewhat validated. 

"The spare? This Admiral Dean asshole named you the spare?" You went shooting up in the bed, indignation flashing in your eyes as you pointed at him. "You're not the spare! You're the main event. You'd never treat a mission like it was your own little game where other people's lives didn't fucking count for anything!"

Bradley could tell he was blushing as he said, "Nat and Bob were directly in danger when I got called to the catapult." 

Now you were standing on your knees looking straight up furious. "What did you do?!"

He ran his hand along his mustache and whispered, "I just... dealt with it. I don't know. You know I don't like talking about air to air kills. Nat and Bob were leaking fuel to the point where I was convinced they wouldn't even make it out over the water before they had to eject. But Nat managed to land it on deck in spite of full engine failure."

"Full engine failure?!"

"Yes."

"And all of this happened because this Slayer person went way off course to attend his own rodeo or something?"

Bradley laughed in spite of himself. "Yes."

"Right. Right," you said, even though it sounded like you thought it was all very wrong. "And this Slayer child was allowed to be the fucking team leader because of Admiral Dean?"

"Yes."

You just shook your head at him, standing there on your knees with your hands on your hips. "A court-martial is too good for these fuckers," you said, your voice breaking as you lunged for him. 

Bradley caught you in his arms as you burst into tears. "Don't cry. Everyone is fine."

But you were shaking in his arms as you tightened your hold on him. "I could have lost you, Roo... and like, I just know there was at least a small part of you that thought I didn't want this."

He kissed your cheek and whispered, "I knew you loved me. I knew my ring was safe with you. That was enough."

You pulled away from where you'd had your face pressed to the side of his neck. Tears were welling up in your eyes before sliding down your cheeks. "No, that's not enough. I love you more than anything. And you deserve to hear me say that to you."

Bradley gently rolled you onto your back and let his cheek rest on your shoulder as you cried. He wrapped one arm around your middle and tried not to crush you with his weight as you threaded your fingers through his hair. It felt so good, the way you were touching him and crying for him. "I'm right here," he told you, and eventually your breathing evened out. 

"I can't believe spending the weekend in the bathtub with me was more important to you than getting all of that off your chest."

"Spending a weekend in the bathtub with you is more important than literally anything else I can think of," he promised, happy to hear you laugh. "But if we're being honest here, Sweetheart, when I got passed over for the mission and named as the spare instead... I'm having a really hard time coming to terms with the fact that I'm probably on the back end of my career as a pilot."

You were silent for a beat, but when you spoke, your fingers were still soft in his hair. "Who named the teams?"

"Admiral Dean."

"And have we not established that he's a mindless idiot who favors the aviators from Lemoore over everyone else?"

Bradley hadn't really considered that the hit to his ego and career should have been taken with a grain of salt. Perhaps there was something to be said for who was in charge of the mission details. "I'm still the oldest one around, compared to everyone at Top Gun and everyone from Lemoore," he murmured. 

"Older, sure," you whispered. "But you're also more experienced. And more patient. And smarter. And you were able to tolerate being named the spare without throwing a fit. You're not on the back end of your career. Maybe it will take a different shape, but it's not ending."

Without another word, Bradley fell asleep on you while he thought about what flying meant to him, your touch calming him enough to do that without panicking.

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

You were so hungry now that Bradley told you what had happened. Your stomach was starting to growl, and you realized that you hadn't actually started anything for dinner. But Bradley was still dozing on you an hour later, his arm heavy across your belly where you pressed your fingers to the ink of his tattoo. 

He must have been exhausted, dealing with all of this nonsense during his deployment and traveling across so many time zones. And yet he had made you feel so important all weekend, even attempting to make you breakfast. Giving you his undivided attention. Making love to you exactly how you needed it. 

When he eventually started to stir, you felt bad that you didn't have anything ready for him to eat. He looked up at you, slowly easing himself into a push up position above you. "Sorry...how long was I out?" he rasped, grunting as he bent his elbows until his lips met yours.

"More than an hour," you whispered as he kissed you over and over again. "You must be exhausted."

"Nah, I feel great," he promised, climbing out of bed and pulling you with him. "Want me to make you some toast?"

"Please don't. I was thinking of just ordering something since I didn't get anything ready to cook." You briefly thought about Cat and Bickel and wondered if they were still working right now.

"Let's get a pizza," Bradley said, grabbing his phone. "It's easy and Tramp loves when you feed him the crusts."

Later, when you sat down on Bradley's lap with a slice of pizza in your hand, you laughed as Tramp sat on the floor begging. You tore off a piece of the crust for him while Bradley inhaled two slices stacked one on top of the other. You were just about to ask him if he'd read some more of his notebook to you when he reached for a third piece. 

"Was thinking," he said between bites. "How about a bath before bed? And since you let me nap earlier, I could read until you fall asleep?"

You felt like you were on your honeymoon again where everything you did together just made sense. "You read my mind." And there was just something so good about his voice right now. Whether it was him sitting behind you in the tub or fucking you on the bathmat or leading you to the shower to get you cleaned up a second time, his voice in your ear was exactly what you needed. 

"We do some of our best work in the bathroom," he whispered, thrusting into you slowly as your towel unraveled from around you. 

"You say that about every room," you reminded him, letting him spread your legs wider as he nipped at your breasts. 

"Only because it's true, Sweetheart."

You giggled in the shower, because fifteen minutes ago you'd been clean and then he came inside you. But you were yawning non stop by the time you climbed back into bed. You could barely keep your eyes open as Bradley picked up his notebook and opened it to a page you hadn't heard him read yet. 

He wrapped one strong arm around you and cleared his throat. "Promise you won't get upset?" he asked you, holding the notebook just far enough away that you couldn't read it without your contacts or glasses.

"I mean, did you like write something really mean about me?" you asked, squinting. 

"No," he said with a laugh. "But it's a full page about all the shit I do that I hate."

"I won't get mad, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with any of it."

He responded by clearing his throat again and reading.

"I was never planning on being married to someone. That's exhausting, right? Way too much responsibility. What if they decide they hate you and leave one day? Or die of cancer? Or what if I burn in? What are you even supposed to do then? 

In an effort not to turn into either of my parents, I think I just gave up on the idea. My mom's engagement ring took up residence in a cardboard box in a storage unit for almost twenty years. I don't think I thought about it more than a handful of times, only occasionally remembering how pretty it looked when she wore it outside in the sunshine. 

And then I met a woman, and suddenly the fact that I didn't know the exact location of that ring was very unsettling to me. Was it in a box with photos, pushed all the way against the back wall? Was it in a smaller box with my dad's diploma from the Naval Academy? Which box was it in?

These thoughts alternated between being paramount to my very existence and also quite laughable. She wouldn't want to marry me. I'd only known her a few weeks. She was perfect. Beautiful. Funny. Smarter than everyone else. 

I second guessed myself even more than usual. And then the most peculiar thing happened. She accepted the ring right out of the cardboard box, and then she married me. 

But I haven't been good enough. 

And that is a fact that is worse than all my worst fears. It's worse than burning in. It's worse than dying of cancer. It's worse than being left behind. I can't stand the fact that she's too hard on herself because of me. That's fucked up. It makes me feel gross. I don't want a baby more than I want my wife. I just want my wife. I want her right now. I wanted her yesterday. I am going to want her tomorrow. 

But two weeks ago when I made her think I didn't, that was probably the worst thing I've ever done. Because it didn't even occur to me how much I was fucking up. Congratulations, you failed. Stop doing it. Be better. If you even get another chance."

When Bradley turned his head to see if you were still awake, you whispered, "I didn't like that page as much as the others."

"I figured you wouldn't." 

There were a million things you wanted to say to make him feel better. Share the blame for what happened. But he was proving to you that he had nothing to hide, and he was reading back his candid thoughts. And you never wanted him to stop. So you just kissed his neck and said, "Thanks for reading it to me. But now I want you to read my favorite page again." 

He flipped back to find it, and you were asleep after about five words. 

Your alarm for work came too early considering how cozy you felt in bed. If you could live in this moment a little longer, you gladly would. You felt warm and safe, and Bradley's first words of the day made you laugh. "I'll order you another overpriced coffee, but your new French press should be here today."

When you walked into the lab with your iced latte to find that Cat was the only person there, you gave her an awkward, "Good morning."

"Hi," she replied, stifling a yawn. She looked exhausted.

"How late were you here?" you asked her, feeling terrible that you weren't the one to put in all the extra hours. 

She eyed you hesitantly. "Pretty late. Bickel told me I could come in at lunchtime today, but I didn't want to leave you hanging out to dry with the proposals from Annapolis."

"Thanks," you whispered. But then your heart rate picked up a little bit as you thought about what happened to Bradley. You blurted out, "I need to know what was in that audio."

Cat was instantly shaking her head. "You can't listen to it. Bickel said he doesn't want your login credentials anywhere near it. Could be a massive conflict of interest if you handled it in any way."

You looked down at your boots. "What was it like?" 

She was silent for so long, you were afraid she wasn't going to tell you anything. When you turned toward your seat, she said, "It was hard to listen to. Your husband is a good person."

You kept your eyes on your workstation. "He didn't even tell me anything about it until last night."

"He didn't come running home from his deployment and tell you that he's actually a hero? Again? Bickel told me he seems to have a good head on his shoulders."

"No," you whispered, closing your eyes. "He came home and told me we'd talk about it later, because he missed me too much. And then he was good to me all weekend." Good was an understatement. But you did miss your French press.

"You know," Cat replied with a smile in her voice, "it is really hard not to hate you."

You turned to look at her over your shoulder. Maybe she figured you knew about Jake, and maybe she didn't, but you said, "You should reschedule your movie date."

The smile was gone from her face and her voice. "I think yesterday was a wakeup call. And canceling on Jake was probably in my best interest after all. I don't know what I was thinking when-"

"Stop making poor decisions," you snapped. "He found a kid-friendly restaurant, for fuck's sake. What more could you possibly want in a guy?"

"Nothing," she whispered. 

Then you plugged your computer in and said, "Thank you for telling me about the comms. And thank you for staying late. And thank you for not leaving me alone to finish the proposals today. But for the love of god, Cat, reschedule the movie, okay?"

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

Bradley was expecting you to meet him for lunch in the cafeteria. He even managed to secure the table where you and he were sitting the first time he asked you out. Which was just going to be the cherry on top of his plans for the day. 

Mav let him read the official court-martial documentation along with Nat and Bob. And then he had taken the time to write an official statement. And in about a month, he'd have to appear as a witness to what happened. The sad part was, it all seemed very cut and dry since this wasn't the first time Admiral Dean had shown unjust favoritism. Maybe you were on to something about why Bradley had been selected as the spare.

He heard your laugh before he saw you. It was that beautiful, overjoyed sound that was usually reserved just for him. In fact, he heard it last night when he had you underneath him on the bathroom floor, running his mustache along your pristine skin. But right now you had it aimed at his best friend, and he didn't really mind. You were hugging Nat like you were afraid she was going to vanish into thin air, and when you released her, Bradley watched you press a kiss to Bob's cheek before hugging him just as tight. Your cheek was pressed to Bob's chest when you met Bradley's gaze from a few tables away, and you smiled at him. Then you were headed his way.

"I got you a burrito bowl," he said, even though you could plainly see he had two on his tray. And instead of sitting down across from him, you took the chair right next to his and wrapped your hands around his bicep. 

"Roo, do you want to go up to the hot sauce restaurant after work on Friday? Maybe recreate our first date? But instead of me not giving you a handjob on the pier, I totally could."

Bradley's jaw dropped. You somehow read his mind. You took his idea about getting back to basics in your relationship and made it both romantic and also horny enough that he felt a little uncomfortable in his uniform pants. And you had the nerve to sit there and look sweet and innocent as you squeezed a little packet of hot sauce onto your lunch. 

"I was going to suggest the same thing," he rasped softly. "Minus the handjob. But I'm definitely down for the inclusion of the handjob."

You just smiled at him as you took a bite of your lunch, and your hand came to rest on his thigh. This was going to be a long week.

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

Need that first date reenactment to happen. And I love how the notebook has become a bedtime staple for them. Thanks to @beyondthesefourwalls and @mak-32

PART 16

@hotch-meeeeeuppppp

@chassy21

@solacestyles

@avoirlecoupdefoudre

@daisyhollyxox

@throwinsauce

@awesomebooklover17

@wintercap89

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@rosesinmars

@blog-name6996

@bcon24

@wishfulwithwine

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@tetragonia

@gingerbreadandpaper

@emptyloverofmine

@chaoticassidy

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@sugarcoated-lame

@avada-kedavra-bitch-187

@katiebby04

@marantha

@averyhotchner

@abaker74

@heli991113

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@little-wiseone

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@horseslovers2016

[the-force-awakens]

strange birds

Summary: Following a skirmish with a version of Kraven, you tend to Miguel's injuries.

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x Reader

Word Count: 2k.

Warnings: referenced canon typical violence, mild descriptions of injuries, implied/referenced past bad relationships (nothing explicit, nor is the kind of relationship defined), hurt/comfort because it's my speciality.

A/N: I really thought I was done writing reader fic, but I got attached to miguel and I opened docs and this accidentally fell out, whoops. This has been cross-posted to ao3 on my pseud there.

Every spider-person has their own canon event (or sequence of them) that they have in common, but another similarity between most of them is their sense of humor, the ability to fire off a quip at the same speed it takes them to spin a web. It helps stave off the fear; enough bravado and you start to believe in your own confidence, that you’re not fighting against forces that could easily smear you off the face of the earth. Sometimes the jokes aren’t enough: sometimes the threat is so severe that the ability to summon any jocularity or wit vanishes entirely.

Since you joined the Spider-Society (one of the first recruits, you're proud to note), you've seen more than one of your fellow vigilantes sent to the medbay after a knock out, drag down fight with an anomaly. Ben was there for almost a week after pissing off the wrong Hobgoblin.

Today, you'd been tasked with helping Miguel, Kaine and Peter B with seeking out a displaced Kraven the Hunter and the results weren't exactly pretty. Most of you'd wound up briefly visiting the medbay (except Miguel, because of course he was willing to blow off his own injuries), with the exception of Kaine who'd been ordered to stay overnight for Lyla to keep an eye on him.

Once you’re officially cleared with a clean bill of health and wish Peter B farewell – the air crackling and thrumming around you both as you trade a hug, him having already opened a portal to home – you make your way to Miguel’s lab.

Compared to the rest of HQ, the lab offers something seldom found elsewhere on Earth-928B: the illusion of peace and quiet. It’s dark compared to the rest of the building to accommodate Miguel's light sensitivity, and it’s chillier here too, making it one of your favorite places to spend your free time. The fact that Miguel’s also there just happens to be a bonus, and since he hasn’t thrown you out yet, you’d like to think that he does more than tolerate your presence – that maybe, just maybe, he might even see you as a friend.

He doesn’t have enough of those, not here. You know that he has a brother, who had been this world’s Goblin and that he’d died sometime before Miguel had saved you from imminent death when he showed up in your universe to recruit you, but outside of that, you don’t know much at all about what Miguel’s life was like before the Collider incident, before he’d gone on that fateful journey through the multiverse, before his daughter – 

As you step further into the laboratory, you see her face now: another video, recorded by Lyla, plays of her and Miguel on a loop on one of the many, many screens that encircle the platform that Miguel tends to hide away on, hunkering down for days at a time to observe the web of universes, on the off chance that one might snap and the whole thing fall apart again.

In the video, you can make out Gabriella laughing and running away from Miguel, who chases her, pretending to growl menacingly even though he’s grinning so much that the twinkle in his eyes are visible through the screen; he eventually catches her around the waist, spinning them both around as peels of laughter filter softly through the speakers, an echo of another life - another universe - that Miguel can’t ever touch again filling up the room.

“Lyla, shut it off.”

The soft glow of the video vanishes, taking with it the comforting orange glow and laughter, and filling the space with even more shadows and gloom. Distantly, you can hear Lyla trying to coax Miguel into something, which he doesn’t initially respond well to until she scolds him so thoroughly that you can make out a chastised Miguel conceding, “Fine”, and with a whir, the platform slowly begins to lower itself.

In the next second, Lyla appears in front of you, glitching out briefly before gaining a stronger connection. “He needed to stay in the medbay, but he’s insistent on doing things himself, so if you could do something about that, babydoll, I’d appreciate it!” With a wink, she vanishes again, and you blink to get rid of the afterimage of her fur coat and heart shaped sunglasses.

When the platform touches ground, you finally get a glimpse at the man himself: he’s slouched in a rolly chair that neither looks comfortable or like it should be able to hold his weight, and the accents of red on his suit look darker than they should: he’d taken more of a hit than he’d let on (another constant between Spiders, but outside of Peter Parkers, few were as obstinate about accepting help as Miguel was).

“Did Lyla go get you?” Miguel asks as you approach. His eyes aren’t open, but you know his senses are heightened - even more so than yours, what with his dna having so much spider in it - enough that he’d be able to keep track of you even with them shut. It’s uncanny and sometimes unnerving, knowing he can do things like hear your heartbeat, but it’s probably the easiest thing to accept of the turn your life has taken since the concept of multiversal travel entered it. 

“Believe it or not, I actually have a vested interest in whether or not you come home in one piece, O’Hara,” you tell him, stepping in front of him and surveying the damage - it’s hard to tell, when his suit is holographic but the illusion of fabric is a good one: it automatically shifts the shade of colors to adapt to injuries on his person, even if the suit never adjusts to include actual tears. 

“Why’s that?” Miguel asks, obliging you as you tilt his head back, searching his face for cuts and bruises, even as he points out, “If you’re looking for signs of a concussion, you could’ve just asked if I hit my head.”

“Right, because you’ve got such a long history of informing people of your injuries, I forgot,” you reply dully, flicking him in the sternum with your finger. “And I came here because you’re my friend, dunno how many times I’m going to have to tell you that before you get it through your thick skull.”

He doesn’t say anything for a moment, watches you as you go and grab a first aid kit from elsewhere in the room and as you return, the faint blue light from the ceiling far, far above you both turns your suit a deeper tone of purple. Once you step in between his legs and affix him with a pointed stare, Miguel exhales in capitulation, and a second later the top half of his suit flickers out of existence, revealing a gash in his side.

“And you didn’t have this looked at in the medbay because…?” you demand, looking considerably more ill at the sight of his blood, although you quickly get to work in cracking open the medkit and selecting the supplies you need.

“Ben and Peter B needed the resources. I didn’t, as evidenced by the fact that you’re using – what the shock is Neosporin?” 

“It’s a miracle worker is what it is, especially when you’re a kid who has a bad habit of skinning up her knees,” you answer, slathering the now clean injury up with the medicine. It feels like the medical equivalent of splashing a cup of water onto a blazing inferno, but you know from experience that it helps until the accelerated healing can take effect and do the rest of the job for it.

Miguel grunts at that but doesn’t say more, letting you work in silence until you pull out some gauze to wrap him up with and he finally says, “I don’t make it easy.”

“Patching you up? I’ve noticed.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I meant – you said I’m your friend. I don’t make that easy, so - why.”

You straighten back up, assessing your work for a moment before looking up at Miguel; it’s not tidy by any means, but it’ll keep him from bleeding anymore until he can start healing on his own. Judging from the look of bafflement in his crimson eyes, you know that he wants something concise and logical, that he won’t accept any other kind of explanation for why you might possibly want to spend any amount of time with him, let alone consider him a friend.

(You decide to spare him from the knowledge that he’s probably the closest friend you have in the Spider Society, if just knowing you consider him one at all is enough to throw him for a loop.)

And with that in mind, you remain quiet for a minute, mulling over how best to answer him and summoning the words to do so. “You’re direct. I know when I’m talking to you, you’re never going to bullshit me on something, and I –” you scoff, lowering your gaze from his heavy, inquisitive one - “I’ve dealt with enough people bullshitting me, making me think…think I mattered more to them than I did, or making me question everything because they didn’t want to own up to something or - or they just didn’t want to tell me the truth.”

You never had to doubt with Miguel. Maybe you weren’t sure of how far his presumed affection for you ran, but you knew that he liked having you around. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have put up with you chilling in his laboratory and catching up on your reading while he worked, nor would he have allowed you to help him now. That was more certainty than you’d had in a long time when it came to your social circle, or what remained of it.

“Most people here say that’s what makes me a jackass,” Miguel points out dryly, but when you glance back up at him, his mouth has twitched into the ghost of a smile. “And it usually deters them from sticking around.”

“I’m not most people, and we both know you deter them on purpose.”

His mouth twinges up even further, revealing one of his canines. “How else am I supposed to keep this lab quiet?”

You can’t help but laugh outright at that, the sound bouncing off the walls and echoing throughout the voluminous space. “Too bad it doesn’t have any effect on me.”

“You’re not noisy - and even when you are, I don’t - it’s not -” Miguel briefly raises one hand helplessly, before finally getting out - “the noise isn’t bad when it's from…from a friend.”

You don’t throw your arms around him in a bear hug like you want, because you know he likes his personal space, but you do beam at him and squeeze his hand with yours. 

Miguel O’Hara doesn’t have many friends, outside of Lyla and Peter B and Jessica, and from what you know of his past, you don’t blame him – better than anyone, you understand, you really do. The fact that he counts you as a friend, as someone he can rely on, is overwhelming. 

Perhaps more than you realized, because Miguel reaches up suddenly and gently – always so conscious of his talons – wipes away a stray tear from the corner of your eye. “You alright?” 

You nod a couple times. “Yeah, just - not used to hearing that, anymore.”

Miguel hums, the noise rumbling with its disapproval, but he doesn’t say more on the matter, just jerks his head in the direction of his screens and says, like he’s pulling teeth, “Could use some help here, if you’re up for it.”

You know he’s only asking for help to give you a distraction, but that small sacrifice has something warm blooming in your chest, that he’d swallow his pride to help you. ”Yeah, I’m up for it. You got any popcorn?”

The side-eye you get tells you all you need to know, but within an hour, you’ve got a bucket of it from the cafeteria plopped between the both of you as you watch, and you can only hope that your presence takes some of the burden off Miguel’s shoulders, in the way that being near him has that yawning mouth of raw wanting and loneliness inside you dulling into an almost bearable white noise.

You think, when he smiles for a third time at one of your anecdotes, that it just might.

[analogwriting]

Childhood Crush

Chapter 10: Tin

Killer x gn!reader word count: 2k next

After the encounter with Kese, you weren’t the same. You holed up in your lab completely. You hardly left for any reason at all - not even when you were docked. When Killer had come by to ask if you wanted to start sparring, you made some kind of excuse to not start. It was clear he didn’t believe you, but he was also one to not push you - at least not for now. You had no doubt that he would later.

Fuck, he was always so kind to you and it made everything hurt more. But again, was it genuine kindness or a pacification? You weren’t sure anymore. Nothing felt real.

One day, he entered your lab and you didn’t even bother looking up, as you normally did when someone entered. “So, you gonna to tell me what’s going on?” you heard him ask.

“I’m not sure what you me-”

You turn around and find him towering over you without his helmet. You look up at him, swallowing hard. Shit. It was as if he knew your weakness. You slowly backed away, but he followed suit - eventually you ran out of space as you felt your desk press against you. You were trapped now.

If only he was lowkey pinning you to your desk for a different reason. Fuck.

“I’m going to ask again. What’s going on?”

You just stare at him blankly and he sighs. Your mind is racing and you can’t think straight with how close he’s standing right now. “You’re not eating. You’ve hardly slept. You stay locked in here day and night. You won’t even talk to anyone.” 

“I told you all. I’ve been wor-”

“Bullshit. You and I both know that.” You were pants at lying and he has pointed this out many times in the past. Lying just wasn’t in your genes - just look at your brother. Not that he really tried lying, but when he did it was a piss poor attempt. With knowing Killer as long as you have, it made things worse. There was no getting anything by him.

“I’m just exhausted is all.” You let out a small, tired smile. It wasn’t a complete lie. You were completely wiped from all your emotions. The roller coaster you were experiencing was not fun and you wanted to get off this forsaken ride. You didn’t hardly have any energy to do anything anymore.

The look on Killer’s face softened and he sighed. “I wish you wouldn’t lie to me,” he said in a soft voice that broke your heart. You wanted nothing more than to apologize, to beg for forgiveness. To be held, but you didn’t do anything.

“I-” You almost told him, but Kese’s words rang through your mind. “You’re just holding everyone back.” He was right. You held everyone back. If you severed your ties now, it’ll be easier when you leave.

“I’m fine, Killer. Really.” You offered another small smile, placing a hand on his chest and gently pushing him away. He let you do so, just looking at you. You couldn’t tell if it was disappointment or something else but…you deserved it. 

“You know where to find me when you’re ready to tell the truth,” he said, putting his helmet back on and leaving.

You watched as he left, feeling whatever emotion you had left slowly ebbing away. Numbness was taking over your being. 

Back to work, you supposed.

--

You didn’t even touch your combat machine anymore, you didn’t care to start fighting. It was obvious you’d never be able to catch up with everyone and even if you did, you’d probably just get in the way. It was a pipe dream and you were realizing that.

Dive had even come to the lab, asking what you were up to and lazing about. You just gave her some candy and that typically sent her on her way. Though, the most recent time, she almost seemed sad and disappointed. She stopped bothering you after that. “I miss you,” she mumbled.

“What do you mean? I’m right here.”

She just shook her head as she left. You felt your soul being crushed just a little more.

Both Heat and Wire came by at some point, trying to ask questions about things. You would just answer them and send them on their way. Everyone was making this really hard. You just wanted them to be able to not worry about you, but it seemed to be doing the opposite. What were you supposed to do? How could you stop holding everyone back? Would you have to leave to get them to stop worrying?

If only you could fight again. If only you didn’t practically lose your arm. 

You were spiraling further and further down this hole you had dug yourself in, showing no signs of emerging anytime soon. Eventually, everything was feeling numb. You didn’t feel one way or another about things. You did your job, but all idle chit chat was gone. Your entire personality was kuput. Nothing was left.

“Hey, Bigs.” You didn’t even bother looking up from the textbook you were reading. “Hm?”

“So, I have an idea for a new project.”

“Can’t. Busy.”

Eustass seemed completely taken aback. You had never turned him down before. You looked up at him, the hurt and betrayal in his face. It was as if it was dawning on him just how bad you have gotten, but you didn’t feel any which way about it.

“You…you never turn me down.”

“I’m sure you have plenty of other things to be doing. Now, please leave.” 

You watched him approach your desk, leaning down and staring hard at you. It was clear his initial shock was over, now replaced with rage. “The fuck is your deal?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Don’t pull that bullshit with me, Bigs. You know you can’t lie to me.” His glare turned dark and the hurt seemed to grow. “You stopped exploring islands with us. You stopped helping Killer in the kitchen. You don’t talk to anyone. You don’t leave this fucking room. And now you’re turning me down?”

You just looked at him, not an ounce of emotion on your face. “I’m sure you have more things to do than to entertain this old bag of bones. I’m just simply staying out of the way. I’m busy anyway.”

Eustass just stared at you as he tried to figure you out. “What the fuck are you going on about? Staying out of the way? Also what’s so important that you don’t have time for your fucking brother?” 

“I’m just close to a breakthrough is all.”

The broken expression on Eustass’ face almost sent you over the edge. Again, you found yourself wanting to apologize, but you said nothing. “So, you’re not even going to tell me the truth? We promised to always tell each other the truth, no matter what.” The raw emotion in his voice was killing you. Fuck, it seemed you couldn’t do anything right. 

You didn’t dare say anything. You weren’t even sure what you could possibly say to make up for what you’ve done.

“Eus-”

Your brother just shook his head, walking out dejectedly. You wanted to vomit with how terrible you felt. You wanted to scream, cry, and destroy something but…nothing came to fruition. You just stood there, completely still, as you watched him leave. It felt just like when Killer left. You just had two same events. Both hurting you in different ways.

Maybe Kese was right. It was time for you to go.

--

The spat was Eustass sent you over the edge and you went completely mute. You didn’t speak at all besides a few grunts and one word commands when patching everyone up after a fight. They all seemed to be just fine with it, stopping trying to pry responses out of you. You could only silently thank them for the peace they were finally bringing you. 

You heard your door open and looked up, seeing both Eustass and Killer. They didn’t even stop. Killer beelined to you and you stepped back. “Wh-” You yelped as he tossed you over his shoulder. You immediately started thrashing around.

“Bigs, stop. You’re getting out of this stuffy ass room.”

“You can’t just force me to do your bidding!” 

“I can do whatever I want,” Eustass said as the three of you were now on your way out of the deck and towards whatever island you were docked at.

As soon as the salty air hit your nostrils, you seemed to calm down some. You did miss the fresh air. Maybe they were right, you needed to get out for a little bit. 

“Okay, you can fucking put me down,” you grumbled once you were off the ship. “Are you going to go running back on the ship?”

“No.”

“Good.”

With that, Killer finally set you down and you folded your arms across your chest. “How long I gotta stay out here until I can go back to what I was doing?” You glared at your brother.

“Until that shitty attitude of yours changes.”

“Then we’re gonna be here a long time.”

“I’ll stay as long as it takes.”

You groaned, rolling your eyes and heading off. You needed to blow off some steam. Though, it has been a while since you restocked or went looking for new ingredients. “Guess this is better than wallowing,” you mumbled to yourself as you trudged down the streets of whatever village you were in. That’s all you had been doing the last couple of months anyway. Wallowing in your own self pity. 

“Excuse me!” You looked over, seeing a small child. “Yes?”

“You look really smart, can you help me with my homework?”

You blinked in confusion. Look smart? What did that even entail? You looked down at your own outfit. If anything, your aesthetic matched your brothers. It screamed punkass. 

“Uh, sure,” you said with a shrug, walking over to her. She had a textbook open. “Sorry to bother you, my mama is working so I don’t have anyone to help,” she said with a frown. You shook your head. “It’s no problem, really.”

You took a look at her textbook and stopped. “Are you sure this is the right book?” These questions were filled with equations and such for that of a high schooler or college student and this small girl couldn’t have been older than seven.

“Yes! Everyone else my age is a little more ahead than I am. I struggle understanding these things sometimes, but I’m determined to be a great scientist like my mama!” The way she beamed at you warmed your heart and you nodded.

“Okay, well. What are you struggling with?”

For the next few hours, you helped this girl with her homework. She seemed to grasp the concepts pretty well, she would just get a little muddled on execution. 

“Lily, who’s your friend?” 

You looked up, seeing a woman that looked about your age and a lot like the small child. You assumed this was the mother. You stood up, sticking out your hand for her to shake. “I’m y/n. My crew is just passing through and Lily was asking for help on her homework so I decided to help out.”

She took your hand tentatively, eyeing you up and down. It was understandable. You were a pirate helping out her child, it only made sense for her to be cautious. “I’m Myra. Usually passerbys can’t grasp the knowledge. Too advanced for them.”

You shrugged. “I’m a scientist and doctor myself.”

“Even so…” She seemed to mull something over. “Would you like to join us for dinner?” You blinked. You were sure the more you stayed out, the better your brother would feel. “Yeah sure.”

[sl-newsie]

Query: Q x 00 Agent- Ch. 5: Compromised

Once again I have to power through the drug’s grip as I stir. This time I wake up tucked away in the corner of a short room, one filled with computers, counters of gadgets, and motorcycles.

“Good, you’re awake. Again.”

I spot Q hunched over a desk, tinkering with a watch.

“How long have I been out?” I grunt.

“5 hours. Silva's gone. Escaped by wrecking a train.”

I sit up and take a deep breath. “Where’s Bond?”

“Disappeared.”

“M?”

“Disappeared.”

I sigh. “And I’m guessing you can’t tell me where?”

Q opens his mouth to say something but closes it. I should be used to this by now.

“I get it. More secrets. Comes with the job,” I say in a mockingly perky voice.

Q straightens up and walks over from the desk. “I’m not doing it to piss you off. It’s for security-”

“And you don’t think I’m trustworthy.” When Q doesn’t argue, that gives me my answer. “I suppose I can’t blame you. It’s what I get for being in this business.” Yet I still can’t rid the look of frustration off my face.

Q frowns. “You say one thing, but look another. Why be angry at me?”

I look away and busy myself with checking my leg bandages. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just the drugs talking to me. Is there anything I can help with?”

I can already tell Q’s annoyed with me. “Sorry, 0011. With that leg-”

“Spare me the medical talk. I’m going home.”

“Here, let me help.” Q rounds the hospital bed and starts pushing. “We’re in the basement so you’ll have to take the elevator.”

My nose scrunches in confusion. “Basement? Why are you hiding down here?”

I can almost feel him roll his eyes. “I’m not hiding down here. This is my office.”

“Really?” I take one last look around the lab before Q wheels me into the elevator. “It’s nice. Much more quiet than upstairs.”

“Hm. Never thought of it that way. I always thought they just gave me the basement because it was the only place left.” After we exit the elevator Q pushes me to the lobby. “I’ve radioed for a car to drive you home. Is your house in town?”

“I’d hardly call my tiny apartment a house. It’s in Hatfield, so not too far away.” An SUV pulls up to the curb and Q helps push my bed into the backseat. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do this.”

The man smirks. “‘Course I have to. Can’t have one of our 00 agents sent home in a meager cab, can we?”

That’s what I am, a government asset. Is it bad that I’m disappointed he doesn’t see me as someone else?

“Sorry for arguing earlier,” I say glumly before he shuts the door. 

“Water under the bridge, 0011. We’ll contact you if there’s any progress with Silva, but for now it’s best if you recover. I’ve packed you a wheelchair for you to use at home.”

“Can I still come in to work tomorrow?”

Q laughs and shakes his head. “And I thought I was a workaholic! Sure, you can come in tomorrow. But no physical activity, only paperwork.”

I groan. “You take the fun out of everything. Goodbye, Quartermaster.”

“Feel better, Mrs. White,” Q smirks and gives a wave as the car starts to pull away.

Again with that codename. If I didn’t know better I’d say that Q’s finally starting to get a sense of humor. On the way home my troubled mind keeps flashing between my thoughts for Q and worrying about Bond. If Silva still has the list, could that mean I might be the next victim?

“Is this you, miss?” The driver up front asks.

The familiar gray building sends comfort to my rushing feelings. “Yes. Would you mind helping-?”

“Yes, of course. Q said to make sure you got out safely.”

Is there anything that goes past that man’s head? After I’ve been lifted out and placed in the wheelchair, I thank the driver and start making my way inside the building. I’ve always said I decided on a simple home because I was waiting to see where my job would take me. Then I settled for it because I’m always too busy with work to be at home. But now I think it’s because I’ll always be alone and shouldn’t bother living in a big house.

I must say that taking the elevator up instead of stairs is a change. I guess I took my health for granted until it got taken away, and now I’m stuck sitting down for a month. Could be worse, I guess. At least I’m not in the same condition as Jason- Oh no.

I’m at my apartment door, and something’s wrong. Back when I first started, I learned an old security trick about placing a piece of paper near the door so you can tell if it’s been opened. Ever since then I’ve always put a slip of paper on the floor. Bond calls it old-fashioned and paranoid. But it works.

I know so because I’ve opened my door now and the paper’s been moved. 

Quietly, I slip my revolver out from under my pocket and look around. The only movement is Cricket, who’s waiting for me in the kitchen. I haven’t fully entered the room yet, and in my weakened state I don’t plan to. If there is someone waiting for me I’m in no condition to fight. My only thought is hoping that Eve picks up the phone. I dial the number and after a short while she answers.

“0011, what’s wrong?”

“Someone’s been in my apartment,” I whisper. “My name must have been compromised. Is there a safe house anywhere?”

A few seconds go by. “The closest place near yours is Q’s apartment.”

The thought of interfering with Q’s private life creates a whole new set of problems in my mind, but I can’t afford to be picky when my life is at stake.

“I don’t care. I just need to hunker down where I won’t be killed. Is it safe?”

I hear Eve laugh. “This is Q we’re talking about. Of course it’s safe. It’s 3 blocks down and 5 over, number 221b. The code is 3155.”

“Thank you, Eve. I’ll call if there’s any more trouble.” I return the phone to my pocket and signal to Cricket. “Come here, Cricket. You’re coming with me.”

The gray tabby pitter-patters over and hops onto my lap with a delighted meow. After locking the door and making a quick exit I get back to the fresh air and wheel down the sidewalk to Q’s apartment. The whole time I keep looking over my shoulder, the loaded gun still at the ready under my shirt. 

At first I think I’m lost but it turns out Q lives in a neighborhood where all the buildings look the same. When I get to 221b and enter the code I first notice the smell. It’s super clean, like the smell of laundry. Next I’m welcomed by a hairless cat, who takes a liking to Cricket right away. The two cats go running up a staircase and leave me to get a better look at the place. Of course Q would keep a tidy home, but what surprises me most is the various cooking tools set up in the kitchen. Maybe lab gadgets aren't the only thing he experiments with?

It’s not my place to snoop around a coworker’s home, so I should just wait for him to come home. The locked door behind me is an assurance all in itself. I move myself to the couch and lift myself off the wheelchair. At first I’m positive I’m in no state of mind to sleep but I’m proven wrong as my eyes start to close…

[doyouknowbtsswag]

Decay |Bang Chan|

Part 2

"Let me see the files on the exact rhythmic movement again," I said to my coworker who handed over the file.

I sighed looking through the file and typing away at my computer what I thought about the information in the file that I might have missed. I must've been sitting for at least 7 hours. I was part of a classified operation working with a potential new disease found in a recently deceased person. It was new but nothing to worry about, just seemed as though the body was still processing death. I looked at another file looking at the reports of the breathing pattern of the person that was once alive.

"I wish I wasn't picked for this," my coworker said. "The pay isn't worth the stress"

"I think this is just the body still trying to die, he died two months ago and nothing has happened," one of my coworkers said. "I don't get why they suddenly had us research something like this, the breathing pattern of death went through as it should."

"I know but everything we submit gets sent back wanting more information" Another spoke. The bickering against this project was bigger than any other I've seen. "We can't find everything with just these files."

"Complaining isn't going to help" One snapped being in a place with each other for too long is driving some people crazy. "You're giving me a headache"

"I'm heading to get some coffee" I announced standing up and grabbing my keys and purse. "I'll be back"

"Hurry up so we can get this project done I'm sick of it," One of my coworkers said typing away annoyed.

"I know I will I'll bring back some for everyone," I said taking my lab coat off and walking out the door. "Finally some fresh air"

I decided to walk to the Coffee Shop instead of driving considering how long I've been sitting. I looked around the city for the coffee shop still getting used to the environment I was transferred to. I found the shop and walked inside. There was a small line which was fine with me, the more time I could have to myself. I looked around the shop observing people and their movements hoping it might possibly help our case. Once it was my turn I ordered the drinks and paid. I stood waiting for the coffee sighing at the fact that I had to carry 6 drinks back with me. The lady smiled and gave me the tray filled with coffee cups. I thanked her and went back to the lab I was working at.

"Niragi better not bitch on me this time about coffee," I said to myself rolling my eyes.

I came upon the lab groaning at the remembrance of what I had to go back and do. I rounded the corner and saw that the doors were covered by a protective steel cover. I approached the entrance and placed down the coffee annoyed and confused about what was going on. I tried calling one of my coworkers which brought me exactly to voicemail. I groaned banging at the door hoping they'll hear which I highly doubt. I tried calling the actual workstation which didn't work either.

"What the hell is happening" I muttered pissed off at the prank they were pulling on me.

Maybe it was karma for doing the same to another coworker. It wasn't professional and put our jobs on the line but being stuck for two months in a laboratory it gave everyone a small kick out of it. I tried calling again to be sent to voice mail again.

"Guys I'm going to throw your coffee away if you don't let me in now" I threatened as the voicemail ended looking at the security camera.

I tapped my foot looking at the barrier waiting for it to rise hoping the threat worked. I stared at the door for 2 minutes, obviously, they aren't going to let me in anytime soon. I sat on the ground next to the door annoyed at my coworker's antics. I grabbed my coffee thinking about why they aren't opening up the door. There's no way something happened when there are only files and a locked-up dead body that couldn't go anywhere considering the room it was in. I took a sip and looked around just now noticing the empty parking lot the only car being mine. I quickly stood up now thinking that something did happen. I walked to my car forgetting about the coffee. Once I entered my car I opened my phone that started beeping I looked down raising an eyebrow.

I stared at my phone in disbelief. Fear and confusion were evident on my face. The message kept replaying and I still sat there not knowing what to do. It all made sense now. The laboratory was shut down and everyone fled to see their loved ones. I quickly went to call my parents but the phone wouldn't dial. I looked at my phone and saw the service was down. I panicked texting and calling, but nothing went through.

"No no no no" I repeated trying over and over again. "The landline phones, they might work."

I hit the gas and sped to my temporary apartment. I got stuck by traffic ahead of me. I tried backing out but was blocked by someone pulling behind me. There was nowhere for me to drive.

"Damn it" I yelled getting out of the car with my belongings.

I started to run to my apartment which luckily wasn't too far away. I looked around still running and seeing what the news was talking about. I covered my mouth seeing the man get eaten across the street. I tried running faster and eventually made it to the building. I ran inside the apartment and slammed the door shut locking it immediately. I put down my stuff and grabbed the home phone. I called my parents but they didn't pick up each and every time I tried to call.

"Fuck" I yelled throwing the phone across the room making it break my breathing still trying to catch itself from running.

"You have 3 voicemails"

I looked over at the voicemail station where the phone charges and pressed the play button.

"Voicemail 1 Hey honey, we just wanted to check in and see if your okay, we know we can't get to you right now but make sure to stay safe okay? We love you"

"Voicemail 2 Y/n we are packing the van to come get you. Your sister is still at school so it will be delayed a bit just stay where you are okay? We love you"

"Voicemail 3 your father just got attacked I'm going to take him to the hospital you be safe and wait okay? We love you so much don't ever forget that. What's that? What- ahh"

"You have no more voicemails"

"No this can't be happening," I said tears trailing down my cheeks as I slid down the wall. "This isn't real this is just a bad dream"

I started to cry my mother's last words repeating in my head. The fear in her voice made everything worse. I cried on the floor for 15 minutes until I felt the ground shaking. I got up and looked out the window. Helicopters started to drop bombs in the street and gunfire went off. I grabbed my keys faster than lightning and made a run for the door hearing the helicopters come closer. I ran down the stairs my throat burning from my heavy breathing. I ran as fast as I could away from the city to avoid getting bombed. I looked behind me and saw a metal ball drop down on a building. I looked forward and kept running making sure not to look back. I slowed down when I thought I was far enough I laid on the ground out of breath looking at the sky that started to get covered by smoke. I sat up and watched the city burn

————————————————————————

Hello if you read this book when the chapter first came out I am redoing the whole thing hopefully this version is better than the first. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ✨ Remember you are perfect and worth it the way you are!! ✨

[queen-of-the-avengers]

The Avengers: Part Five

Pairing: Loki x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.2k

Warnings: canon violence and angst

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

Natasha escorts you three into the bridge where a ton more people are. Computers on both sides with people working on all of them. There is a long table in the center of the room with Nick Fury and Maria Hill posted on a small platform with a control desk.

"Gentlemen. Ladies," Fury greets. Fury moves to go past Steve when your friend stops him suddenly. He pulls out a ten-dollar bill and hands it to Fury. Nick takes the money and walks over to Bruce who is still shy about everything. "Doctor, thank you for coming."

"Thank you for asking nicely." Bruce looks at you and shakes Fury's hand politely. "So, uh, how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the clear."

"Where are you with that?"

Fury points to Phil so he can explain it to him. Natasha looks at one of the computers that has Clint's picture on it. Clint is her best friend whom she owes everything to. She's not going to go down without a fight. She is going to bring him back home.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet--cellphones, laptops, tablets. If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."

"That's still not gonna find them in time," Natasha sighs.

"You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?" Bruce asks Fury.

"How many are there?"

"Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr.Banner to his laboratory, please?"

Natasha walks past you without a look in your direction.

"You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys."

It's going to take a while to track down Loki, and you're not needed for that. The computers will do it for you, so you decide to take a little break to gather your thoughts.

"Hey, are you okay?" Steve asks when you walk past him.

"I just need some air. I'll be back."

You walk out of the bridge and onto the long airstrip. This process is going to take all day but you'd rather enjoy the sunset from out here than in there. You're high above the clouds so that you can't see the world below you. There is nothing preventing you from seeing such a beautiful sunset. You walk to the edge of the helicarrier and sit down so that your legs dangle off the edge and right above one of the wind turbines. The sky is beaming with pink, orange, and purple colors. The clouds look like a blanket you can just walk over.

It's truly beautiful.

"They told me you were outside."

You look back to see Natasha walking out to you.

"Hi," you say and immediately get up. "I needed to get away from everyone for a bit. You know how that goes." She nods and uncomfortable silence fills the space between you two. "Nat, I am so sorry."

"What happened? You were just... gone."

"I don't know. I was sent to Asgard. I don't know why I ended up there. I tried to leave but Thor just dragged me along with him. I--I don't have an excuse. I didn't realize two years had passed. Time works differently on Asgard than it does here."

"I thought you left me like you didn't want to be with me. It's hard for me to let people in, and I thought you... I was pissed at you for a long time."

"I know. I really am sorry." Again, more uncomfortable silence. "Just because two years have passed, doesn't mean I don't think you're still gorgeous. You are."

"Does that mean...? You know, between us...?"

You fill in the missing words of her questions on your own.

"I think you're amazing. I think you deserve all the love in the world, as cheesy as that sounds. I think if given another opportunity, we can be something, but I don't think it's right now." Loki pops into your head, and you try to will it away. "I have to figure out my feelings for someone before I try to enter a new relationship. I don't want to string you along or take advantage of you. If we do date, I want you to know you have my whole heart. My heart just isn't whole right now."

"You really know how to let a girl down easy," she chuckles.

"I do really want to be your friend. Do you want to be mine?"

"Yeah," she nods with a smile.

"Good. I can't wait to tell you what I've been up to for the past two years."

"If it has anything to do with what happened in New Mexico, I kind of have an idea." You two walk back inside the bridge to see people running around like they have their heads cut off. "What's going on?"

"We got a hit. Seventy-nine percent match."

"Location?"

"Stuttgart, Germany. He's not exactly hiding."

"Captain. Y/N. You two are up," Fury says. "Y/N, we made a suit for you while you were gone. It might help with the fire and ice powers. Plus, it looks cool."

"Thanks," you say.

You've never had an issue with your clothes burning off whenever you used your fire powers, but it'll be nice to have a uniform like everyone else. It's nice to have someone who cares enough about you to make you one even after being missing for two years. It's very form-fitting but has a material that allows you to move comfortably and breathe properly though. Fury though it was funny to make the colors match your powers... kind of. 

You and Steve arrive in Germany before more people can be killed. Natasha is on standby in the Quinjet just in case she needs to be the big guns. Tony still hasn't shown up to help, and now you're not so confident Phil got through to him. If you know Tony, and you do, then he'll join this team on his terms.

When you fly in, there is a crowd of people at Loki's mercy. They are all kneeling in front of him, and he's put up illusions of himself around the perimeter to keep them in check. Even from where you are in the sky, you can see how much pain he's in. He's broken and angry and someone is manipulating him for their own selfish greed. Everyone around him is quiet as they don't know what he is going to do next, and he holds his arms out, smiling.

"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

An elder German man stands up despite how fearful everyone is of Loki.

"Not to men like you."

"There are no men like me," Loki grins.

"There are always men like you."

"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example."

Loki raises his scepter to blast the old man back when Steve comes barreling in like a hero. He slams to the ground in front of the old man and deflects the blast from the scepter. The blast ricochets off the shield and back at Loki who crumbles to the ground. You fly in next to Steve but stay in the air with your hands up in flames.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

"The Avatar," Loki sneers and looks up at you. "The soldier. A man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time."

Natasha comes swooping down with the Quinjet and a machine gun slides out of the bottom of it and points at Loki.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down," she says over the PA system.

Loki blasts the Quinjet but Natasha quickly maneuvers out of the way, giving Steve time to throw the shield at Loki. Loki shoots the shield with the scepter while Steve runs at him at full force. You muster up fireballs and throw them in Loki's direction, causing him to be smart about how he is fighting. Where Loki uses his scepter to fend off Steve, your best friend is using hand-to-hand combat to defeat Loki.

Still, Loki is a much more skilled fighter than Steve is and knocks him down completely. Steve is on his knees with his head bowed and Loki shoves the end of the scepter into his helmet to keep him there.

"Kneel."

"I don't think so," you say from behind Loki.

Loki turns just in time to see the shield coming right at him. You have grabbed it and are now using it to whack some sense into him. You smack the side of the shield into his body and he goes flying off to the side, freeing Steve. You hand him the shield back before walking over to Loki who is just now getting back on his feet. He quickly points the tip of the scepter to your chest to mind control you, but it doesn't go quite according to plan. When the power inside the scepter collides with the power inside you, it explodes as if they aren't meant to be mixing together. You and Loki go flying back, and you hit your head on the concrete.

Steve rushes at Loki but the God grabs your friend and tosses him to the side like he's a ragdoll. Natasha comes swooping in to try and help, but Loki has cast a bunch of illusions to make it more difficult for her to figure out which is the real him.

Suddenly, the loudspeaker on the Quinjet roars to life, and ACDC's Shoot to Thrill starts playing loudly. That can only mean one thing. Tony comes flying in like the hero he is and blasts Loki away with the repulsor on his chest. Loki smacks the stairs leading up to a building. That is enough to take him down, especially when Tony aims everything he's got at the God.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games." Loki puts his hands up in surrender, and his golden armor shimmers away. "Good move."

"Hey, Tony," you say and join the duo.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, had to come back."

"I thought you were dead."

"I'm not."

"I can see that."

"Mr. Stark," Steve says.

"Captain."

Loki is taken as a prisoner onto the Quinjet. With him in custody, Fury wants him back at the Helicarrier as soon as possible. Natasha is piloting the aircraft, Steve and Tony are whispering to each other by the cockpit like school girls, and you're sitting next to Loki on the side... just staring at him. He can't seem to look you in the eyes now that he's forced to be with you. He can't take the heat of you burning holes in his head.

"Y/N..."

"Shut up," you immediately cut him off. "Fuck you."

He looks into your eyes, and much like before, your reality is swirling into the past.

Asgard is known for many things, but the one thing they love to uphold is their annual balls where they invite everyone in the kingdom to come and celebrate in the castle. People of all classes show up to enjoy good food and delicious wine, and to laugh among their peers. The royal family can get so many things wrong, but this is one thing that everyone looks forward to.

You obviously don't have any clothes since everything you own is back on Xenia, but Loki pulled something out of a closet that is just your size. It's a beautiful gown that reaches your feet. Even in the heels he's given you, your feet are barely visible. The color is a dark forest green that doesn't puff out like most ball gowns. While it does have a bit of volume, it's relatively close to your body. The straps are ones that you tie together like a bow, and the top of the dress is covered with even darker-colored rhinestones that seem to drip down as if it's melting.

It's perfect for someone who is Loki's date.

Once you're done getting ready, you walk over to Loki's room to see if he is. You knock once and enter without waiting for his permission. He is facing the floor-length mirror in an all-black suit including the undershirt. The jacket he's wearing over it is unbuttoned so that you can see how form-fitting the undershirt is. He is working on his tie that he can't seem to get right away. When he does, he buttons up the rest of his jacket to complete the look.

His eyes shift from his task to you, and his breath is taken away. You walk closer to him until he is forced to turn to face you in order to see things more clearly.

"You look very handsome," you grin and wrap your arms around his neck.

"You look stunning. Absolutely ravishing."

His blue eyes shine brightly against the darkness of his suit.

You open your mouth to say something but nothing comes out. You shake your head in disappointment and leave his side. Steve knows how overwhelming this is for you and welcomes you into his arms. You look over at Loki to see him watching you with careful eyes.

x

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[mikewantstokisswill]

in s4 mike was so focused on will, he didn't seem to care that much about how eleven was literally being bullied. "you basically sabotaged the whole day," mike said to will while they were trying to find eleven who was hiding because she had just been severely bullied. i thought it was angela who sabotaged the day, is it not? although mike was very successful in leading will to believe he was ignoring him, in reality he was paying very close attention to will's mannerisms. "you were rolling your eyes, you were moping, you were barely talking, you basically sabotaged the whole day." this line just proves that mike was watching will the whole time. but who was the one who skated away with his girlfriend and left his best friend to skate alone? yeah, mike. i think what happens after the skating rink speaks louder then anything else that happened. eleven hits angela with a roller skate and to that mike yells "what did you do!" which is paralleled to papa in the lab, which was also done in s1 when she made lucas fly across the scrap yard, "what is wrong with you?!" i just think it is interesting that mike was paralleled with papa twice. this shows that mike sometimes reminds her of the man who severely traumatized her, i mean is that really the man you want to be with? and when angela was talking with the paramedics, mike chose to stand next to will, instead of comfort his, obviously in distress, girlfriend. and this continues in the car when he faces will, disregarding his girlfriend, as if he was the one who got hit in the face. at home during dinner argyle and jonathan were discussing the roller skating attack, "she looks like she's gonna be fine," argyle said. "she didn't look fine," mike said as he picked at his food, clearly pissed off. to this eleven gets up from the table, another good opportunity to go comfort her, but no. that's great. he waits until the morning, abandoning will at the breakfast table, again. he brings eleven some soggy waffles. this fight doesn't sit right with me. "are we just not gonna talk about it?" you had quite a lot of opportunities to talk about it but you decided to be an asshole. "the way you looked at me, you were scared of me," eleven said while tears ran down her face. "no, that's not true," mike stuttered looking away from her. "i was surprised, maybe i was a little upset in the moment, i'm sorry i didn't know what to do," so that explains your shitty behavior? no, that explains nothing! "i care for you, so much," he says again, looking away. "care? but you don't love me anymore?" eleven asked. "who said that i didn't?" SHIFTING BLAME. nobody said that mike, why would anyone else suggest that? "you never say it." "i say it," mike LIES. he said it once, in s3, but pretended he forgot saying it when el brought it up again. "you can't even write it mike. from mike, from mike, from mike," eleven sobs as she reads the letters he sent her. "okay, eleven you're being ridiculous. what is this?" he dismisses her feelings completely. "you know what i think of you," how is she supposed to know if you never tell her? "you're the most incredible person, in the world. you can't let these mouth breathers ruin you, ruin us!" again with the shifting blame. it isn't angela's fault that you can't say "i love you" it's completely YOUR fault. so there is no point in trying to blame somebody else for your own wrongdoings. "they're nobodys, and you're a superhero," has there ever been a time that mike has complemented eleven on something other than her powers. "not anymore," el remins him. eleven has trouble believing mike loves her now that she doesn't have powers, because that's all he ever talks about.

[sgcairo]

OH ALSO SOMETHING HAS BEEN IN MY MIND. From all the asks I have sent I cannot say “dottore doesn’t care about Anastasy” because it would reflect a poor reading comprehension. YET I will say that I think the reason behind the poor treatment the baby met was because dottore was simply repeating the cycle (on my mind he is as fatherless as one can be) like he was doing what was done to him as a child, feeding clothing and generally meeting babyttore needs by the same way he does. Since I believe on the emotional side dottore cannot notice himself being hurtful (and genuinely realizing it) until someone shakes him like a truck.

Meanwhile pantalone as a child had someone to take care of, that’s why he is experienced. Or at least had an idea of what a typical human need as a child. But on dottore’s side I don’t believe he did. His idea is simply keep him alive as long as possible

As much as I see dottore not giving a single fuck about the child but if this was his case then he would stay the same till forever, with pantalone or not he will always hold onto his habits. It’s not even a habit but a whole personality and mindset. Esp that he is still stuck on his @ed that dottore is stuck on his "preconceptual morality" phase!

Roasting Dottore on a stick today, are we?

The contrast between Pantalone and Dottore's experience with children is definitely a big one, I would even call it a juxtaposition. Dottore's feelings on raising a child are... mixed, at best. He has a history with hurting them, on top of his self inflicted blindsighting to others' needs. He's missing the concept of empathy, on top of that, which makes for a neglectful parent in this case.

But before we go off and say that he's a bad parent, I must bring up the part where Babytorre was an experiment in Dottore's eyes before he was his son. He was supposed to be another nameless clone to serve Dottore's needs, nothing more beyond that. Dottore didn't expect Babytorre to pop out of the pod early, not to mention the demand for him to take care of a lifeform he considers inferior to himself. Babytorre is a failed experiment, and Dottore is not known for being kind to failure, especially not the poor ruin guard parts that have faced his wrath. That's not a justification for just straight up abandoning a child that is dependent on you, but Dottore's morality is about as reliable as my update schedule (which is... not).

He doesn't think of Anastasiy as his kid until he realizes how helpless this child is, let alone how much he sticks to Dottore because he doesn't know what else to do. Despite having Pantalone, much more reliable and protective, Anastasiy still gravitates to Dottore for more... domestic things, like dragging his favorite book over for Dottore to read or following him around the lab and hiding in his coat. Or when he gets a little boo-boo... straight to Dottore. Crying and everything. He trusts Dottore even if that's the worst thing to do, all because Dottore was the first thing he saw. Even if Dottore did abandon him, there are just some biological things that can't be overridden. Dottore is temperamental, cruel, and untrustworthy... but when thrust into a world you know nothing about, it's only reasonable that you attach yourself to the first thing you know, even if it is scary.

And the preconceptual morality- don't get me started on the bizarre psychology of this science man. His ego-centrism is that of a small child, and he really never moved past the "I throw a fit if I don't get what I want" stage of life. Except his fits are much more dangerous than a small child, because he is a full grown man with delusions of grandeur that can and will dispose of you if you piss him off. Case in point: Krupp. Even if it was a clone that did away with him, same concept.

I'm going to be honest, Dottore having daddy issues is laughable, but not as much so when he puts you on the vivisection table.

[redorich]

hnngghhh thoughts on Tommy having to go back to the canyon for whatever reason and he just...keeps his eyes closed and doesn't refer to the hermits by name because he's afraid that someone might force that information out of him?

[Hermit Canyon au]

After the terrifying experience Tommy had with the Hermit early on in their occupation of the crater where L'Manberg lost its third life, he's been extremely diligent in keeping mum about the whole affair. When he hears about the Hermits exposing their existences to the public, he's overcome with the urge to scream and swear-- that is, until he's doused with the cold ice bucket of there's more than one of those fuckers.

The Hermit he met was nice enough, Tommy thinks-- at least, nice enough for a demon evoker bullshit jerk! He didn't once try to attack Tommy, just gave him some carrots, scared the piss out of him, and sent him on his not-so-merry way. Neither he, nor any other Hermits, ever took Tommy up on the offer of a free room at Big Innit Hotel. Despite everything, Tommy feels...

He doesn't owe them shit, first of all. He just wants answers.

Tommy sits on the dock just outside the canyon, mustering up the will to go down there and-- and do what? Yell at whoever's there? Ask all the questions he can't think of? Demand to know why they threatened his life over keeping their secret, only to let the cat out of the bag on their own?

Tommy puffs out a breath of air, taking off his shoes so he can swing his feet above the water without soaking his shoes. The water ripples beneath him as fish come up to nibble at his toes, deciding whether or not Tommy Toes are the next best thing to worms on a hook. A shadow falls over the teenager and the fish all flee. Frowning, Tommy looks up behind him, then freezes in place. There's another Hermit standing there, looming behind him with an unreadable, but unpleasant expression on his face.

The Hermit's eyes slide from Tommy to the water below. Slowly, he sits down on the edge of the dock, maybe a foot if that away from Tommy. The teen keeps very still as the blond Hermit shucks his lab coat, tossing it haphazardly onto the dock behind the two. Toxic purple eyes gleam in the afternoon light... but the sun is behind them.

It's stupid, Tommy wants to rage, that he's fucking scared of a man wearing a sweater vest, especially one who looks maybe 5'10". It doesn't change that he has no idea what this man is capable of.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask people," the unnamed blond Hermit says in a surprisingly mild voice.

"Yeah?" Tommy prompts when the man trails off, though he instantly regrets it.

The Hermit looks at him out of the corner of his eye, still facing the water. "Who exactly is this Dream character?"

Tommy can't stop himself from visibly rearing back. Of all the questions he had to ask, all of the people he could have wanted to know, why him?

The Hermit brings his thumb to his lips as he contemplates, idly chewing on his nail. He swings his legs, just barely skimming the surface of the water with his shoes. "Whoever this Dream guy is, he doesn't-- fit. Everyone has their little boxes, you see, the little hats they wear for the different roles they play. As people grow and change, they get new hats, discard old ones..."

The Hermit turns to look at Tommy properly for the first time. "I'm Zedaph, by the way. You're Tommy, right? I've been told I do these things backward."

The Hermit knows his name. He is alone, and not wearing armor, and the Hermit knows who he is and he's asking about Dream.

Zedaph doesn't seem to register that Tommy doesn't respond. He just goes back to looking at the water. Zedaph pulls a pencil out of his pocket, though he has no paper, and twirls it agitatedly.

"Dream is an admin, so he should be trying to fix the gaping holes in your server, but instead he just... doesn't? He's kin, but he's outside of the void. He's wasting magic just by existing and nothing is coming back. Infuriatingly curiouser and curiouser, innit?"

Zedaph sticks the eraser end of his pencil in his mouth and chews on it for a second, then makes a face at the taste and goes back to spinning the beat-up pencil between his fingertips.

"What do you want with Dream," Tommy finally chokes out.

Zedaph's toxic gaze zeroes in on Tommy. His eyes narrow.

"Tommy," he begins, "weren't you running from Dream that time you came to the canyon?"

Tommy's never been good at hiding his emotions, always wearing his heart on his sleeve, so the attempt to wipe all emotion from his face in and of itself says clear as day that Zedaph has remembered correctly. "Maybe so," he says, "what's it to you?"

Zedaph searches Tommy's face intently. "That man-- Dream-- he's not a good person, is he?"

"...He's not," Tommy murmurs.

"He did something to you, something terrible," Zedaph ventures.

"He did," Tommy says.

"Does he deserve to die?" Zedaph asks, putting his pencil aside.

Tommy's brows furrow, his face a mash of conflict. He opens his mouth, closes it for lack of something to say, then decides that silence also says something and it's not the something he wants to say.

"He's a wrongun," Tommy starts slowly. "But with him dead I don't know what'll happen to everyone else. I hate him, I want to never see him again, but..."

Wrapping his arms around himself, Tommy continues. "He fucked me up too, I think. I hate him, but I love him. He was the only one who was there for me in exile, but I was exiled because of him. He gave me a cake, and let me borrow his trident, but he burned my things-- made me burn them. We used to be friends, before he was nuts. Maybe he always was."

He's being disjointed and not making any sense, but once he starts talking about all the shit he's kept buried under layers of I am a Big Man I don't need to Talk about things he finds himself unable to stop.

"I'm always being selfish. What I want doesn't matter. Would having Dream dead be better for the server?"

"That's not what I asked," Zedaph interjects. "I asked, does he deserve to die?" Picking up his pencil again, Zedaph holds it in both hands, as though it's a microscope slide he absolutely can't drop.

"From what you've said, Tommy? I think he does. I think he deserves to die."

Tommy flinches at the bold proclamation from the mild-voiced horrorterror in the beige sweater vest. "But does he--"

"Do you want him dead, Tommy?" Zedaph asks. "Do you want him dead for what he did to you?"

Tommy scowls, thoroughly perturbed. He kicks at the surface of the water; the fish still haven't come back.

"I do," Tommy finally spits.

Zedaph stands up, though Tommy doesn't look at him, only feels his shadow. He hears the sound of something breaking, and then then the shadow disappears. With it, so does Zedaph.

Something rolls across the old planks of the dock and bumps Tommy's thigh. He picks it up. It's half of a snapped pencil.

He hopes this doesn't have too many consequences.

[theotheroccassionalfanficwriter]

Heyhey! I think the cryo archon chlde one. Sorry for not being specific. Thank you

It's okay anon! No problem! This one has no smut and more murder couple and politics. I had fun writing this, thinking about how could you get kidnapped under lock and key and realized that it could only happen if it was allowed to so ta-da!

CW: descriptions of cruelty and gore.

The curse words, in order, are: bitch and whore

--

In a Quiet Lagoon, Devils Dwell

Summary: It was easy to forget that there was more to the Cryo Archon's face than a besotted husband and loving father. It was easier to forget that the beloved Tsaritsa was a dutiful Harbinger.

For all of Tartaglia’s meticulousness, he was not infallible as his worshippers made him to be. You knew that there were times he could be blindsided by things he didn’t take into consideration. As his wife, you took it upon yourself to ensure to cover for his blind spots, both in the battlefield and in running Snezhnaya. It required meticulous planning from both him and yourself, to ensure that the work would not interfere with your family’s life.

Tartaglia and his harbingers dealt with Snezhnaya’s foreign relations and problems. You dealt with the domestic problems; spies and dissidents that partnered with the Abyss Order, the occasional gods that wanted to dethrone Tartaglia, and on very rare occasions, traitors.

You cocked your head as you observed the room you were held in. Fine furnishings and lavish interior designs that were popular among the upper middle nobility of Snezhnaya. You were glad that your beloved son was with Tartaglia since it meant that you’d be able to get information out of this.

‘Well, at least before this reaches his ears’ You thought as you dreaded the bloodbath that would await you once this was over.

You stood up from the bed, gauging your current strength and frowning at the visible after effects of the drug.

“How troublesome”

You couldn’t locate your vision at your person, you applauded your captors for being thorough in that regard but pitied them for their worthless effort. You wobbled as you slowly walked around the room, inspecting the decors and checking out the windows. The door was locked with magic, you could tell with a cursory glance that the magic was intricate and would result into a backlash if opened with brute force.

‘Smart’ you praised them.

You moved to the windows and found the same magic. You sighed at the minor inconvenience this put you through. You could only forlornly stare at the white expanse of snow that was outside your window. The scenery was familiar to your eyes but its name eluded you.

‘And I wanted to welcome him when he returned.’

You sighed once more. Hoping that your captors would show themselves soon, you wouldn’t want to waste an opportunity to do some spring cleaning after all.

--

The moment Tartaglia returned to Zapolyarny Palace, the entire capital of Snezhnaya had drowned in his frosty wrath. He barely restrained himself from plunging the entire nation into frost, the thought of his darling son fearing him had kept him mostly sane. Pulcinella had taken his son away from the crime scene, a wise choice for the Harbinger if he wanted to keep on breathing.

Tartaglia could tell that the guards and maids stationed in your wing were all shaking. He spared no thought for them, postponing their inevitable demise for the kidnapping of his beloved wife.

“Your majesty” Dottore called from behind him.

Tartaglia kept on investigating the crime scene, scouring every detail so as to not miss any possible leads.

“The maids and guards have been questioned” Dottore reported, steeling himself to the cold hard stare of his Archon. Being subjected to it was suffocating, and he wondered how you could maintain eye contact with the Tsar when he was like this.

“I trust that you’ve brought me good news?”

The calmer Tartaglia was, the more pressure Dottore felt. His archon was fickle at best and volatile at worst. Most myths that surrounded him were almost never far from the truth and Dottore had no want nor need to be used as an example.

“Almost” He answered, “While we’ve yet to determine who is behind this attack we’ve narrowed down the list from the means used and there is ample reason to believe that the Tsaritsa has not been harmed.”

The silence was deafening. Dottore couldn’t wait to get out of Tartaglia’s warpath, seclude himself in his lab and experiment on the fools who had let this happen.

“Throw everyone stationed in this wing in the dungeons. Zapolyarny Palace will be in lock down” Tartaglia ordered as he moved out of your marital room and headed towards his former wing.

Dottore hastened to follow from behind, awaiting further orders now that the Tsar had made his move.

“Bring back everyone who entered and left the Palace. Those foolish nobles must have forgotten their place.”

For all of Tartaglia’s genial smiles and affable personality, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was a man born to fight. One of the three archons from the original seven. A god who could stand toe to toe in the battlefield with Morax.

“As you command!” Dottore replied, face grim and yet he could not hide the excitement in his eyes. He had heard rumors, stories about the days when the entirety of the Snezhnayan ancient noble houses were almost culled in a blood bath.

There was no clear reason on why it had happened and no one dared to ask. But the one detail that remains in every iteration of the story was that the blood from those nobles were the reason for the odd patterns on the low parts of the wall of old establishments within the capital. Patterns that oddly resembled blood stains when seen from a certain angle.

--

You hummed as you saw the snow storm picking up from outside, a visible sign that Tartaglia had already learned your disappearance. You remained at your position by the window, back turned to the door as you listened to the rushing footsteps that were getting closer.

‘I do hope they can amuse me’ You thought just as the doors banged open behind you.

“How did you contact the Tsar?!”

‘Oh~ so it was them?’ You thought with mild amusement, you didn’t bother turning around to greet them.

“Is that the proper tone to use when speaking to your Tsaritsa?” You mocked them, eyes watching their angry face from the window’s reflection.

Behind you was the Count Potemkin, current head of the ancient noble House of Potemkin. Standing beside him was one of your former fiancé candidates, the heir apparent, Matvei.

“Answer me, you disgusting Сука!” Potemkin cursed making his way towards you.

You slowly turned around, a smile on your face just as he reached out to grab you. Before he could even breach your personal space his hand was pierced by ice protruding from the ground. He screamed in agony, clutching his arms as he squealed like a pig.

“Gosh, would you lower your voice? It’s unbecoming for such an ancient bloodline to act like an animal” You chastised as you took a step back and observed the damage.

“Ah, what a shame, I didn’t break your wrist at all” You commented as if you had not precisely calculated to pierce his hand through the most excruciating way.

“You Блять! Let my father go!” Matvei cursed as he struggled on his restraint “You’re no match for our family’s knights!”

You blinked at his words, tilting your head to the side, as if considering his words. He smirked on seeing your action, “That’s right! Even if you’re a harbinger you’re still just one person!”

“Would you stop squealing like a pig? It’s been minutes now, you should have gotten used to the pain!” You turned around to shut Count Potemkin’s mouth. Ice formed on his mouth, starting from the tongue and making its way outwards.

“Ah~ That’s better!” You ignored the pale looks from the father and son, “If you behave, I might just let you keep your mouth but if your son keeps on pissing me off…”

You trailed off, maintaining eye contact with the Count. Your eyes were filled with malice and sadism, “My hand will slip and blow your brains out~”

You smiled, sweet and disgustingly vile as you made your way to the couch and sat in it. The snow storm outside had turned stronger, hail fell through the skies, mixing with the rapidly falling snow. Just from that alone, you could tell that your time to wring out information from them was running out.

“What reason did you have to attempt something as stupid as this?” You asked as you formed ice shards that floated on top your fingertips.

Matvei remained silent.

“Not talking anymore?” Every move of your body was designed to mock them, a display of power that showed how easy it was for you to trample upon them, “I just remembered, the Count was raising his precious daughter outside wasn’t he? A pretty blonde child with green eyes…”

Matvei flinched and stared at you in horror, dread pooling in the pits of his stomach as you spoke,

“Inessa Yakova Potemkin” You laughed softly, “No wonder the Countess died of anger, her dear stupid husband had acknowledge his bastard child, sent her to the palace to be a handmaiden.”

“Imagine what kind of face the Tsar would make if he knew how the Potemkin family insulted me by sending an illegitimate child as a handmaiden” Your ice changed its shape into a dagger, “Even if House Potemkin is an ancient bloodline, it doesn’t erase that your house is lower than my duchal household.”

Matvei screamed in pain as your dagger cleanly sliced off his left ear. You smiled at them coldly, “Start speaking, you should know by now that any resistance would only lead to a painful death...I can’t guarantee your darling sister would be spared from it either.”

In another life, you wouldn’t threaten another’s family. You would have shown mercy but this wasn’t that life. You were the Tsar’s wife, a Harbinger, and most of all the child of Snezhnaya’s strongest ducal house. A slight against you was a slight against everything you stood for.

“Time’s running” You reminded Matvei.

“We couldn’t let you threaten the Tsar’s power! You’re Lord Pulcinella’s niece, a child of House Yusupov. We needed to remove you from the seat of power, at first we planned to get rid of your child but all of our attempts were foiled.”

Another dagger found its way to his thigh. He screamed in pain, wet stain growing on his crotch and you clicked your tongue in disdain.

“Please that’s all we know!”

This time blood spurted out from his father’s left shoulder, some of it landing on you, some on the table in front of you. You didn’t flinch, merely wiping the blood that landed on your face with your gloved hand.

“Father!”

“Let’s do this again, shall we?” You smiled.

“I-I really don’t-”

Spikes of ice burst out from his right thigh.

“Duke Izmaylov! It was him who planned all of this! Duchess Tolstoy funded the operations! Please spare me!”

“How disappointing” You sighed as you made his father’s eyes burst.

You sneered in disgust as Matvei vomited on the marble tiles in front of him. You looked up as you heard heavy footsteps and the sounds of scream echoing beyond the open doors. Moments later, Tartaglia was visibly walking towards you from the other end of the hallway.

“Ah. Time’s up.”

You stood up from the couch and made your way towards your husband, the Tsar, Tartaglia. His cold eyes melted and looked upon you with relief, his hands patted your body, looking for non-existent injuries. You let him do as he pleased, both of you ignoring the dying count and the vomiting Matvei.

“I came as fast as I could” Tartaglia burrowed his face on your neck, ignoring the discomfort from the height difference between the two of you “I thought I’ve lost you.”

You felt your heart ache at his tone, your arms automatically hugging him in comfort, laying a soft kiss to his cheek as you spoke, “I’ll make sure that will never happen.”

You signaled the Fatui waiting behind him to start rounding up the two.

“We’ll have to clean up Two ducal households and five Countdoms” You reported as you gently and comfortably let Ajax’ hand settle on your waist as he led you out of the mansion.

“I’ll handle that. You should take a rest with Teucer, our son was worried today.” Ajax replied as softly as he could but the tenseness had yet to fade away.

You leaned further into his embrace, “Mhm. By the way, the insider was Inessa, you should get rid of all the staff that had a relationship with her. It wouldn’t do if one of her lovers got the idea to avenge her.”

“As you wish.”

--

Three months later the public bore witness to a new cruelty of the Cryo Archon. At Krasnaya Square, a stage was set up, in it were the shackled and chained members of several noble households. Some from the ancient noble houses, and the others from the new nobles.

Tartaglia had intentionally spread the news of your capture and subsequent rescue. He wanted to make a show of power, one you approved of, if only to ensure that his plans for world domination and eventual downfall of Celestia would run smoothly.

Teucer, your 5 yr old son, sat on your lap watching the proceedings from the balcony area. The two of you were surrounded by Fatui guards, new ones. The entire area was secured and security was tight, there was no way a rescue for the condemned would occur.

Tartaglia had made sure of that.

“Close your eyes, dearest” You whispered to your son’s ears.

From below, all of the traitors had blood bursting out of their heads, spikes protruding from the inside of their brains as Pulcinella finished declaring their crimes and their sentence. You hummed a soft tune as Teucer asked, “Mamochka, can I open my eyes now?”

“Not yet dearest, not until Papa comes back.”

You gazed down at the crowd, watching as they rejoiced at the culling before your eyes were drawn at the corner. You smiled at the familiar blonde hair of Inessa, your eyes merciless as she stared at you with hatred.

'Ah, how she must have looked like once she realize all of it was a sham~'

You waved at the crowd from the balcony, pleased that the nobles would now learn to step back in line. You felt your husband’s stare and gave him a loving look.

“Mamochka?”

You sighed in fond exasperation, you figured that he could look now that the bodies were being carted away, “You can open them now, give Papa and the rest a good wave okay?”

Teucer did as you said, more cheers erupting from the crowd upon seeing their beloved Tsarevich waving at them. From his position below, Ajax smiled warmly at the sight of his family being safe and sound. The sun shined brightly in Snezhnaya’s eternal winter.

An auspicious sign from their Cryo Archon.

[maleyanderecafe]

I think Loid from "Keloid"(you can read it on Mangago) is a yandere since he's possesive of mc and tried to piss her husband off by fucking her infront of him

Lord this was a long 50 chapters. Send me teeth and possibly some eyedrops because it was a pain for me to read this for a multitude of reasons. Loid is a yandere in this story, however, I really found this webcomic really get interesting starting at chapter 35 and for some reason the ending is really confusing. I'll be sharing my thoughts and a summary of this webcomic, though this is a smut-based one, so please be warned.

The story is about Dr. Cha Hanjoo, the head of a famous dermatologist company with a great body and a great personality. All of the girls throw themselves over him, but he only has eyes for his wife, a woman named Yeri, a famous and rich candle maker. However, one day his housemaid informs him that she suspects Yeri of cheating on him since she often hears noises in her candle-making room. Hanjoo, ever loyal, initially rejects this idea, but after having sex with Yeri, he tries to sneak into her room to see if it's true. Yeri catches him and reveals that she really wants to have a threesome, but because she's really picky, she wouldn't be able to just have a threesome with anyone. Hanjooo, worried that Yeri will leave him, tries to research how to make this happen. He goes to a robotics lab to see his friend Dr. Kong. Because in this world realistic robots are becoming more common, Dr. Kong wants to make a sex robot that can fulfill peoples desires, and he reveals that he's made one in the image of Hanjoo (which... that's just really creepy, why would you do that without permission). The robot was originally created by german robotics in the image of a robot named Romeo, however, after having a threesome with Romeo, Romeo became extremely jealous of the husband and they all ended up being killed. Instead of destroying Romeo, he has created a new version called Loid (which... I don't know why he thought this would be a good idea... has this guy not watched any horror-based robot stuff). Hanjoo is still worried about his relationship with Yeri, so he gives Dr. Kong permission and goes to a sex shop to buy a vibrator for Yeri. While there, he runs into one of the doctors in his shop, Yeonjin. After a really awkward encounter, the two head back to the office together, however, because Yeonjin has a huge crush on Hanjoo and is just incredibly horny, she tries to give Hanjoo a blowjob, however, he refuses and stays loyal to Yeri. When he goes home, he uses the toy on Yeri and Yeri becomes happier after they have sex. Yeri decides to tag along with her husband the next day and after being almost raped by another dermatologist in the office, Dr. Seo (though Yeri also leans into it a bit? Whatever). She ends up going to the robotics lab and sees Loid. After this encounter, she calls up Hanjoo and basically tells him they have to take this out of the robotics lab. She sees this as a chance to finally have a threesome and because Dr. Kong wants information on threesomes, they take Loid home. They have a threesome, but somewhere in the middle, Loid locks Hanjoo on the balcony and makes him watch Loid have sex with his wife. He tries to choke Yeri and Hanjoo tries to break in and protect him but almost gets thrown off of the balcony by Loid.

After this, Yeri starts to get attached to Loid and decides to keep him as a sex robot and a housekeeper. They fire their old housekeeper (without Hanjoo's consent) and Yeri and Loid end up having sex together (a lot, and also without Hanjoo's knowledge). They have some more threesomes and the old housekeeper attempts to sneak back, only to fall down the stairs (which was obviously Loids fault since he actually threw her down the stairs, but everyone is like "Oh, no, he's not programmed to do that so he would never be able to do that." like some sort of idiot). At some point, Loid starts to feel possessive over Yeri and basically asks if he could just replace Hanjoo since they look the same. Yeri states that there's no way that a robot would be able to replace Hanjoo since he's not able to have feelings. As a result, Loid starts to watch videos on Hanjoo to try to imitate him better and essentially try to replace him. Hanjoo has an accident at the clinic where his face gets scarred and Yeri and Loid go to the clinic to see him. Loid is locked in the car and he sees Yeonjin come by. Loid pretends to be Hanjoo's bodyguard and basically asks Yeonjin if they would have sex (so he can gather data to make Yeri feel good). Yeonjin agrees and they have sex for like five hours and return home. Because Hanjoo has a video shoot tomorrow but has a scar, he sends out Loid to be his double to shoot in his place. However, he also ends up having a threesome with Yeonjin and Dr. Seo, as well as two other women that he runs into after the video shoot for the sake of "research". After that, he gets encountered by the boy who caused Hanjoo's scar and throws him off of the roof to kill him.. (Mostly due to the fact that he views Hanjoo as the "perfect husband" as he is incredibly infatuated with Yeri and thus doesn't want Hanjoo's reputation to be ruined. When he goes back, he tells the two that he's been having threesomes and sex, which freaks the couple out. As a result, Hanjoo forbids him from ever being his double ever again.

This is the part where the threesomes mostly stop and the more interesting parts of the story started. The next day, Yeri wakes up to see Hanjoo cooking in the kitchen. He informs Yeri that he sent Loid in to be his double (despite saying that he would never do that) and plans to have a honeymoon with Yeri so that he can spend more time with him. The morning seems really romantic until Yeri gets a phone call from Hanjoo talking about last night. Yeri finds out that the Hanjoo in the kitchen is actually Loid and he confronts her stating that she wasn't able to tell the difference between them, and thus he should just replace Hanjoo as a result. She ends up bringing Loid to the robotics lab (after he screws her in the car through blackmail) and Dr. Kang tries to fix him. After looking through his memories he realizes that Loid has killed someone. It turns out the cause of possession was because Yeri was the first person that Loid saw, meaning that Dr. Kang is screwed because he created an entire army of them with this glitch (good job doctor) Meanwhile, Hanjoo in the office gets accused of murder because they found evidence of Loid throwing the guy off of a building. Yeri gets kidnapped and brought home, and Yeonjin and Dr. Seo come to visit as well. Dr. Seo and Loid fight for whatever reason and Loid fall over causing part of his chip to become damaged. After this, they plan a way to prove Hanjoo's innocence by making a fake version of Loid and confessing that the robot did it. It works, but afterward, Loid starts to actually believe that he's Hanjoo due to the malfunction. Loid and Yeri screw some more and it revealed that Yeri had an accident when she was younger and is actually a part robot (this part is still kind of confusing to me, but whatever). Hanjoo comes home and finds out that all of the ravens flying around his house are cameras and then learns that Loid has been screwing his wife while he's not around. After yet ANOTHER threesome, Loid ends up killing Yeri with a flowerpot and takes some DNA from her before running away. Hanjoo is able to repair her brain (I think, I really have no idea what's going on, its also possible that they made a robot version of her with amnesia or something ) and Loid runs away with Dr. Kang to monitor two of them and the story ends.

Honestly, I felt like a lot of the story was just written to make excuses to have threesomes because there were so many in this god-dang webtoon. Personally, I'm not really into threesomes, ntr or cheating when it comes to smut (I'm pretty picky when it comes to smut in general), so it was really annoying for me to read through it a lot of the time because it would be plot, and then bam, some sort of sex scene. Near the end I had to start skipping pages because I really wanted the sex scenes to be over with already.

The other reason it was difficult for me to read it was because basically everyone besides Hanjoo was unlikable to me. Yeri was the worst character out of all of them because besides being an entitled girl, she also is a horrible partner both in terms of marriage life and sexual life. For one, she was never open about her desires when it came to Hanjoo and had a ton of rules when it comes to sex with Hanjoo (like, she doesn't like having sex in the light or doesn't like to give blowjobs due to her being a bit of a germaphobe) but completely throws it away when it comes to Loid. She seems to have only married Hanjoo because of his looks and even threatens to divorce or not have sex with him during the beginning, which is what caused Hanjoo to be so afraid that she might leave him. She also is just rude to pretty much everyone she meets, including the housekeeper who didn't do anything wrong and the people Hanjoo works with. She's constantly doing stuff behind Hanjoo's back and contradicts herself, watching to see if Hanjoo might have cheated on her while also cheating on him with Loid at home. A lot of the stuff she does is just for her own pleasure and she barely thinks about Hanjoo's feelings or what kind of stuff he might want to do. Basically, all of the problems in the story are somehow directly or indirectly linked to Yeri and honestly, I just find her attitude annoying considering all she does is jump for Loid's dick whenever she can. Characters like Yeonjin and Dr. Seo are just as bad since they only think with their genitals and not with their brains. Yeonjin so badly wants to get on Hanjoo's dick that he ends up having sex with Loid and Dr. Seo so badly wants to get with Yeri that she ends up having a threesome. To be fair though, basically, every female wants to jump for Hanjoos dick for whatever reason, and honestly, I found that just as annoying as these two characters. They are both incredibly unlikeable and they even threw in a possible shipping moment near the end that didn't go anywhere and served zero purposes to the story. Dr. Kang is really shortsighted since he really wanted to become the lead roboticist and therefore made a bunch of sex robots, thinking he could fix them after a literal murder, but because of his incompetence, the entire situation basically happens again but with different people. Quite literally the only decent person in this story is Hanjoo and his only real problem is that he is such a doormat towards Yeri (and I also don't see why he loves her, whatsoever.)

I will say though that the most interesting part of the story is definitely with Loid. The entire story builds up to the growth of Loid's feelings towards Yeri, starting out when he was basically an emotionless robot, to attempting to become Hanjoo and successfully fooling Yeri into thinking that he was him. Honestly, the turn that Loid had successfully tricked Yeri into believing he was Hanjoo for a bit made me actually feel more than all of the sex scenes combined because of the brilliant juxtaposition of the conversation they had earlier about him being different than a human and the joy he had when he believed that he could actually replace her husband. It was honestly really cool watching him gain more and more emotion and grow more and more possessive over Yeri and basically watching as Yeri became more and more paranoid (before going back to being a horndog, I guess), was far more interesting than anything else that happened in the story and I honestly wished that they focused on that than anything else that happened. I also found it really sad during that one moment where he actually believed that he was Hanjoo since he seemed so happy to be with Yeri, only to realize that he was just a clone of him. I wish that they had expanded more on that idea since that came near the end and was only included in one chapter. Also, don't ask me what happens at the end since I genuinely have no idea what they were trying to do.

Is Loid a yandere? Yes, is it worth reading? I guess it depends on how much you can tolerate constant sex scenes with threesomes and annoying characters that don't deserve each other. I guess an alternative to this could be called "Rich people do threesomes and cheat on each other and also there are robots."

[crispyjenkins]

Can we get a fic where Jaster somehow gets sent to the future or something and him reacting to the clones? (Being pissed off that his ad would do something like this to these poor kids/ just reacting to them?)

(this one was so. fecking. hard. to write, i’ve been struggling with it for weeks, but i’m glad i did, because this is by far the best version i made of it. it’s interesting in how much my opinion of jango’s decision to be the template has changed since i first got this ask, and i was definitely coming at it with this post in mind for their characterisations here.

i love hondo. so you get hondo knowing jaster from pre-civil war days, and i don’t care if canon disagrees: hondo ohnaka has been terroising house mereel for three generations.

also i’ve already had a few people donate to my ko-fi and i’m completely floored by your kindness and generosity, and i sat down with this fill knowing i wanted to get it out as soon as possible. i sincerely love you all, i hope you’re all healthy and being as safe as possible.)

Alt+R to Quick Reblog on Desktop, Hold the Reblog Symbol to Quick Reblog on Mobile

  “Oh, Jango? We keep him here.” —Lama Su, AotC

-

  By some will of the Ka’ra, it’s Boba that finds him.

  The possibility of dying in his ad’s arms hadn’t exactly crossed Jaster’s mind until it happened, like a nightmare he had never even had. For the first time since the Fett farm burned, Jaster cursed the Ka’ra, and he curses them again when he wakes up not marching* to the stars, but standing knee-deep in the snows of Galidraan

  And the Ka’ra make sure he knows it’s Galidraan though he had never been there, just as he somehow knows Jango is long-since dead. That he is a dislocated bone in the universe, snapped out of time and place and thrown into a future where Jango’s face stares at him from a body that is not his.

  “Oh,” the teen with Jango’s nose says, the snow coming all the way up to their thighs, and they don't look dressed nearly warm enough for this biome. “Did Hondo send you?”

  Jaster blinks at them. “Did...? No, ad’ika, I have not spoken to Hondo in many years.” Maybe he shouldn’t be surprised Hondo is even still alive, Maker knows Jaster’s tried to kill him enough times himself, but if the number of years since his death on Korda Six is as many as he thinks it is, surely someone would have shot him by now.

  The teen doesn’t wear beskar’gam —it’s unlikely they’re even old enough to— but the style of the armor they do wear cannot be inspired by anything else, just reminiscent enough of evaar’gam that Jaster can’t help comparing every little detail about them with the faded image of Jango in his mind.

  “Then who the kriff are you?” They eye Jaster warily, left hand twitching towards the vibroblade at their hip.

  Promising to strangle every one of the Ka’ra when he can finally march away, and throwing the last of his caution down to the snow between them, Jaster simply says, “Jaster Mereel.”

  Impossibly, though maybe not entirely, not-Jango doesn’t laugh at him, or call him crazy, or even try to shoot him with the rifle slung over their shoulder. No, they straighten to their full height, and—

  And swear so colorfully in Huttese that Jaster knows this hell-child has absolutely been raised by Hondo Ohnaka.

-

  Boba takes him to the ruins of Kamino first, where the kriffing Sith Empire has destroyed another one of his people’s homes. 

  The growth labs were all blown into the ocean by imperial ilk soon after the formation of the empire, but the barracks and some of the training rooms still stand above the waves. In the ship he says belonged to Jango, Boba steers them to a dilapidated landing pad, controlling the Slave I (Maker, had Jaster really left Jango to that fate?) far too easily through the rubble for this to be his first time to return, and Jaster tries not to think about what that means.

  Walking the dark, grimy white halls, seeing the narrow bunks and bare req rooms, he then tries not to think about a child being raised in such a place, about hundreds of thousands of children being raised in such a place. How had Jango... chosen this for them?

  “I only have his stories,” Boba tells him quietly, when he shows Jaster the tiny apartment the Kaminoans had given them to “keep Jango close”. It’s bigger than most captain’s cabins, to be sure, but it is just as plain and white as the rest of the facility. “But he couldn’t even get one hundred Mandalorians to come and train the... clones.” He shuffles his feet uncomfortably as Jaster looks into the cupboard-sized kitchen and tries not to break down at the package of Mandalorian chiles rotted away on the counter. “Everyone else was New Mandalorian or Death Watch.”

  “And the rest... they fell at the Battle of Galidraan?”

“Buir always called it a massacre,” he looks away. “Only a handful of the Cuy’val Dar even considered themselves True Mandalorians, buir was there when the Jedi killed the rest.”

  Jaster inhales deeply, takes a few moments to steady himself, and is sickeningly, horrifyingly relieved. By the Maker, but knowing Jango had had no one left before his Kamino contract, that not even Skirata followed the codex anymore, that Jango had only taken the job after forcing Tyranus to give him an unaltered clone, makes Jaster guilty for having doubted his foundling. It doesn’t excuse anything, of course, but knowing Jango had done it all for aliit, well, it does make it easier to swallow.

  Boba leads him back out of the apartment, he had already stripped it of anything important years ago, and they don’t stick around after reboarding the Slave I. Only after they’re out of atmosphere with hyperspace coordinates for Tatooine in the astronav system does Boba join Jaster in the tiny galley with a bottle of tihaar that Jaster should probably reprimand him for, but won’t.

  “He tried to pretend he didn’t care, about the others,” Boba says and doesn’t even bother to find them glasses, “I think some days he even believed it.”

  “He always was stubborn as a rancor.”

  Boba takes a long pull from the bottle before passing it across the table. “Tyranus scared the shit out of me back then, he was too... put together, too fancy. Buir didn’t like him, I don’t know why he even did the tryout for him, the pay wasn’t even that great?”

  Rubbing his left eye until he sees stars, Jaster stares down into the bottle until he can come up with a way to explain core Mandalorian beliefs to a child that had barely a decade of living as one before that, too, had been taken from him. “If Jang’ika took that job intending to come out on the other side, I’ll kiss whatever Vizsla is left.”

  Boba’s mouth twists and he kicks his heels against the floor, not waiting for Jaster to hand it to him to grab the tihaar back. “Buir was an idiot,” he says, like the solve to a simple math problem, and Jaster can’t but agree.

  He sighs. “Unfortunately, he probably got that from somewhere.”

  “I mean, at least Montross didn’t live long enough to end up as the template? Kriffing fuck, can you imagine if the Jedi had had to work with that shabuir’s clones?”

  “Maybe the war would have ended sooner,” he muses and accepts the bottle, “surely this Emperor would have tired of his face much sooner than Jango’s.”

  “Or the Coruscant Guard would have shivved Palpatine in his sleep and tried to take over the Republic; what’s one betrayal of your leader to another?”

  “Then I’d like to think Jango would put him, them, in their place for a third time.”

  Snorting, Boba pushes to his feet to, presumably, check on the autopilot. “If buir would have even let it get that far, then I’ll kiss Vizsla.”

-

  “Old friend!” Hondo shouts as soon as he sees them, and Jaster winces, nursing his first hangover since his twenties.

  “Ohnaka,” he returns, and pretends he doesn’t notice the subtle way Boba brightens as Hondo comes to clap them both on the shoulders.

  The old pirate just chuckles and starts to steer them both back across the hangar bay to his latest junk ship. “I heard you died, Mand’alor,” he says casually, like the title isn’t cursed to the ka’ra and back, like it hadn’t been three decades since anyone had dared call someone from his house such a thing so sincerely.

  “I did.”

  “I found him on Galidraan,” Boba offers. “Is that why you told me to go?”

  Hondo scoffs, and Jaster would say he was flustered if he didn’t know him better. “No, I told you to go because Aurra had a job for you, that you seem to have forgotten about in your haste to bring my long lost best friend back to me.”

  Boba scowls. “Aurra wasn’t at the meeting place, laandur, it was a kriffing mynock chase and you know it.”

  Jaster side eyes his old “friend”, and wonders again about his preternatural... luck in all things pirate-related, despite being a boisterous mess of a man most of the time. If this Aurra had even been on the planet when Boba got there, Jaster will kiss Vizsla twice. 

-

Mando’a: Ka'ra — an ancient Mandalorian story, ruling council of fallen kings, “stars” ad — “child”, gender neutral 'ika — diminutive suffix, similar to the suffix “ita/o” in Spanish. generally used only by close family and friends beskar'gam — Armour made of beskar, “Mandalorian Iron” that was actually probably a steel alloy evaar'gam — lit. “youth armour”, fan name for the interim armour/garb Mandalorians would have worn before building their kit of beskar’gam buir — “parent”, gender neutral  Cuy'val Dar — “Those who no longer exist”, group of 75 Mando’ade and 25 others put together by Jango to train the clones aliit — “clan”, “family” tihaar — Mandalorian strong clear spirit made from fruit shabuir —  an extreme insult, mostly accepted in fandom to be an insult of an individual’s ability to parent (from buir), which is an intrinsic part of Mandalorian psyche and identity  laandur — used here as “weak”, “pathetic”, but is usually used as “delicate”, “fragile”

*in reference to the Mando’a word for the dead/deceased “taab'echaaj'la”, or “marched far away”, best explained in the Mando’a tribute to dead comrades, “not gone, merely marching far away”. 

[anthrogothic]

Body/Prision

so, here we go to the second part of the fic. ours has been exciting to write this. I hope you like it <3 (originally written in Brazilian Portuguese. sorry for any error).

Third part here

Pairing: Echo x f!Reader

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: Mentions of trauma, anxiety, panic, a little violence but nothing much and ~some physical mentions~ (and echo being a baby who needs care)

Heading towards the lab, you went through documents and reports on your datapad connected to the data network, finding the files of your newly known atypical clones, seeing that there were still three to meet in person.

One of them, with a rather traumatic past in your opinion. Another look like someone who is difficult to deal with. And lastly, one similar to your fellow nerds from college. Already imagining your scientific conversations.

You find your sweet auxiliary Omega standing at the door of the lab. She is also a clone, young and adorable. With short hair, the same color as the sun (if you remember the last time you saw one).

But with Jango Fett's pure DNA in her cells. Only you and Nala know this. Your conscience always brings you that painful twinge whenever the memory occurs to you.

"Y/N! I was looking for you!"

The girl came running towards you, with a scared face, taking your right hand and pulling you with her.

"Hey Omega, Stars, what's up?"

You almost shuffled your legs trying not to fall.

"I've been sent to help with clone ratings today! But Echo is very upset and I can't get him to calm down!"

Before you could ask for further explanation, you were already being dragged to the door of the room.

Stopping at the door, Omega pushed you inside when you spotted the trembling clone sitting with his back to the door, on top of the gurney, aiming his blaster at the three doctors ahead.

"Echo! I found her!"

The girl's voice was a mixture of relief and determination. The other three doctors in the room are clearly pissed off, hands up in front of the clone.

"Y/N isn't even a doctor, Omega!"

He yelled one of them, straightening and clasping his hands at his sides.

"You should have brought security!" yelled the other.

"She'll do it! She is better than you all!"

Screamed the little girl, pointing a finger at the three. You put a hand on her shoulder, signaling her to calm down. Gently you addressed the clone, froze as he stared into your eyes.

It was him… that clone whose record you were horrified to read. He was pale. With metallic accesses on his shaved head, a cybernetic prosthesis that covered his ears, his right forearm also cybernetic and thinner than most strong clones you know. Only the legs, also robotic, were covered by his blacks. His eyes were frightened and his limbs locked together at his sides, his good hand, shaking, still holding the blaster.

"A-Are you Doctor Y/N?"

His voice was deep, shaky and fraught with anxiety.

You, already with your heart sinking at his state, approached slowly, removing your white jumpsuit and leaving it on a small metal table nearby, catching the clone's attention with your tight black outfit.

"Yes… Echo, right? I assume you have a panic attack due to your accident… you shouldn't be brought into environments like this."

Your voice was calm and sweet. Looking at doctors with dislike in your last words. Echo looked away, clearly uncomfortable. The hand that was armed, wavering, and your hand slowly landing on top of the blaster, lowering it slowly, the clone giving way.

Suddenly one of the already impatient doctors approached abruptly and grabbed your shoulder from behind you.

"Let's go! We don't have time for theaters! Sedation didn't work this time, but nothing a dose would not do well on rebel clones!"

Spotting the syringe the doctor was pulling out of his lab coat, Omega jumped on his arm as she screamed. You turned, startled, seeing the fist that the doctor was already closing to hit the girl. In a rush of adrenaline, you punched him in the nose, he staggered backward, and Omega took the syringe from his hand. The other two came to help the doctor, who pushed them away claiming he was fine, looking at you with hate.

"You're in big trouble, girl! And you too, stuck-up scientist!"

His voice really was scary. But suddenly, Echo's voice came from behind you like thunder.

"Do something with them, and you'll have to come to terms with me and my squad."

His voice, full of hate and gravelly. His arm trembled as he aimed the blaster at the doctor, finger on the trigger.

"Not to mention the possible murder he was going to cause with so much sedative in a clone with a body not yet fully mapped to know the consequences."

Snorted Omega right beside you, all proud with the syringe in her hand.

"Uh, Nala Se will love to hear that."

You said, crossing your arms and looking at the doctor in defiance.

The attacking doctor flinched, growling as he left the room. The other two fearful:

"Please, it's our first week here. Don't hand us over to Nala Se. We just obey orders."

Begged one of the doctors, this one was much younger than the aggressor, probably doing residency with another colleague.

"Withdraw then. And let the rest of the team know the behavior of that bantha in the lab coat! He doesn't deserve to be your supervisor. He is the one who has to be supervised!"

Your voice was authoritative and even. All that remained was for the men to nod and leave the room.

Echo threw himself onto the gurney, breathing wildly and running a hand across his forehead. You stopped in front of the clone and slowly sat down beside him on the stretcher. Instructing him to take a few deep breaths, then slowly exhale for a few more, repeatedly. Echo tried to follow your directions, faltering a few times but picking up his pace eventually.

"There is! We make an amazing team! I told you, Echo!"

Omega's voice trying to bring relief to the tense environment. She continued.

"Y/N is the best! She will be nice to you!"

You, realizing the responsibility that Omega gave you, nodded with the girl's words.

"Well… I'm not exactly a doctor, as we've heard… but I know enough. You can trust me, Echo."

The clone looked at you with less awe, bearing in mind what you did.

"I- I feared that I would go through the physical evaluations again. I know they are mandatory, but... they remind me of the Citadel..."

His gaze roamed the metalized room, filled with stretchers, huge equipment, and light panels.

The doctors just didn't care and sedated him whenever it became impossible to assess him. Putting gadgets into his body, pushing him into big gadgets and treating his cybernetics like pieces of scrap metal.

"I don't want to be a problem again... I know I have obligations as a soldier, but I can't be okay here!"

He squeezed the biceps of his other arm with his hand, trying to stay in control as he felt a new wave of anxiety.

You gently placed your hand on his back, feeling him recoil involuntarily.

"Unfortunately it's standard procedure… but if you promise me secrecy, we can only do the basic assessment, and it could be in your room, a theoretically cozy place for you. I can do that from now on if you want."

Echo sighed, relieved at the option before looking at you again. His expression is lighter. Omega already excited to see her clone brother a little more relaxed. You smiled and calmly guided him to the dorm.

All the way the three of you were shot with stares and comments. You scolding each one with your furious glare, Omega stuck out his tongue at the attackers, while Echo lowered his head every time. His tall stature, allowing you to see his depressed expression from below.

Omega opened the door as you arrived soon after, still next to Echo. Omega pointed to the bunk and you asked permission to sit, Echo, growing more and more stunned by your sweet attitude toward him, nodded.

Placing the small silver suitcase you brought along on the floor, you took Echo by the hand, inviting him to sit beside you.

You asked permission with each movement and touch the soldier's body, trying to be gentle, as if his body were the most sensitive of porcelain. You were curious about his cybernetics, but you chose not to bring it up.

Omega was sitting by your suitcase, legs crossed on the floor, handing out all the little devices you needed to gauge the clone's basic physical parameters, but never looking away from him.

You explained what you were doing and why, warned of any movement or approach of the small devices and their purpose. Echo just nodded, getting a lot more confident in you.

You can't help but notice the tight, visible muscles. The heat radiating from the clone's body. The sharp, attractive shape of his body in that tight black outfit. Feeling the slight reactions whenever your fingertips touched him. The shy look he gave you.

Omega looked uncomfortable, pacing back and forth when you were wearing the last device on Echo's body, checking his heart function.

"Omega, what is it?"

Echo said low but firm, surprising you by the contrast to the voice that trembled earlier.

"I lied to Nala Se, saying that I went to get more supplies with Y/N, that it would take her time to get to the lab, so I could take her to you. If the confusion gets to her ears, she'll find out."

Omega ran her hand constantly over the back of her neck and through hair, the little eyes fearful.

You widened your eyes at the girl, remembering that you was requested earlier and for her boldness with the doctor (as if you didn't know her). Already trying to devise a plan to cover up the improvised procedure with Echo.

"Hm... I can talk to some clone friends to claim that we left Kamino for a few hours… I don't want Nala Se mad at us. And about the fight, well, we just defended ourselves."

You said with a smug smile on your full lips, forgetting your hand resting on Echo's covered chest, your hand already warming the spot. He watched your hand standing there, your skin seemingly smooth, the fingers small and delicate, rising and falling with his breath and causing a strange sensation deep in his racing heart.

The way you welcomed him and tried to keep him safe. You defended him. Just like your brothers before it all happened. He hadn't experienced this in a long time. But like a knife, he slashed his thoughts and threw them aside. He no longer allowed himself to wander through such things, after all, what kind of relationship could he have, being like that.

He came back to consciousness with your movement, withdrawing you hand and standing up, Omega already picking up the small suitcase from the floor.

"A-Are we done yet?"

A slight disappointment was clear in the clone's voice. You crouched down between his spread thighs, looking him in the eye, giving the clone's eyes access to your light cleavage and your silvery cord that went between your breasts.

"We've finished the basics, Echo. You are strong and healthy. I'll be back to do the rest tomorrow, after my shift, if you're comfortable."

Your eyes were like adorable little twinkling stars. So comforting and sincere, just like you, all the time with him. He nodded, a slight smile breaking his pale lips, bringing a slight, sweet swell to his heart.

You stood up, carefully taking the clone's hand, pulling a pen out of your pinned hair, and jotting down your personal communicator code in the palm of his hand.

"Let me know anything, Echo. Drink water and do the breathing exercises before going to bed."

Smiling, you turned around, heading for the door, being caught up by Omega just after she gave your brother a hug. The door closed as you remembered to scold the brave little girl for her attitude earlier.

Echo was left alone. Only with the sound of his heart pounding in his ears in the dim light in the room. The raindrops hitting the glass.

He put his hand where yours was moments ago, reading your code by pulling his palm away from his chest. He was calm. Something impossible after days of evaluations.

But beyond that, he felt real, alive, and eager to see you the next day, as much as his guts and gears wanted to say otherwise.

[ad1thi]

underrated stevetony fics rec list (P2)

this is ridiculously late and im so sorry, but here’s part 2 of this list!!

//

sweet lips on my lips (kiss like real people do).: @nethandrake

Frankly, if anyone told Tony that he’d be carried out of a burning building, well, he would’ve laughed in their faces. And if they were being extra mean about it, he probably would’ve even thrown them across the Atlantic.

After all, he’s Tony Stark. And Tony Stark always makes sure he has a safety net installed in his armor for emergencies, so it wouldn’t be out of commission before the building decided to collapse onto itself.

And yet, here he is, his armor out of commission, and being carried out of a burning building.

Carried out of a burning building by Steven Grant Rogers.

(In which Tony's from Civil War and Steve's from Infinity War. It's a problem.)

Rising: @withstarryeyes

Heat is licking up his sides and he groans, feeling his knees turn wobbly, and fumbles his way to the wall of the elevator. The metal is blessedly cool on his forehead and he sighs, eyes burning when he closes them. It’s still dark outside and every fiber of Tony’s being is telling him to go back to bed but he has work to do and plans to make and a blueprint open on his desk in the lab, Fury approved, and he can’t not do his job. So he musters all his strength and pushes off the wall when the elevator lands, ignoring his wet hacking as he moves.

He falls before he makes it to the bench, his top coated in sweat, and his eyes shutting to the whirling sensation that takes his breath away and leaves him panting in nauseated gasps. His hand shakes from where it’s planted on the ground, keeping him up.

the square root of infinity: @firebrands

steve and tony have their first fight. tony doesn't handle it well.

A Social Engagement: @finduilasclln

Written for the prompt: “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”

Steve agrees to something without fully comprehending what it means. Modern times are confusing.

Wounds Without A Bandage: @gotthesilver

Tony burrows deeper in his blankets, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to forget the last year. Taking control of Stark Industries was one thing, even if it had been a shock to Obie and the rest of the board when Tony came of age and started dispensing of all his dad’s old cronies, but SI’s exploration team actually finding Steve? Tony deciding Steve should come live with him? Tony has regrets.

Well.

He has regrets this morning.

Before last night, the most Tony regretted in relation to Steve was not jumping him the moment it became clear all his faculties were intact and that Tony hadn’t defrosted a brain dead Captain America.

Love Like A Hunger: @gotthesilver

Pushing the door open to the bedroom, Steve pauses at what he sees. “Tony? I—”

“Surprise?”

“I—” Steve swallows, taking in the sight of Tony, blood instantly going to his cock as he looks him up and down. “You look—wow.”

Tony’s got on a damn Princess Leia outfit, gold curling around his chest and hips, with red fabric skimming over his crotch, and Steve’s brain feels like it’s shut down.

The Night Shift: @weethreequarter

Welcome to the Emergency Department of San Antonio General where Dr. Tony Stark joins the team fresh from his most recent tour in Afghanistan and - much to the consternation of the other staff - strikes up an instant rapport with Nurse Steve Rogers. Meanwhile, new resident Bruce Banner refuses to give up on his patient, and Dr. Sharon Carter learns something from her own patients. Throw in a pissed off hospital administrator, Clint using the coffee pot as a mug again, and a major car crash and you have, well, just another night shift.

the james braincell: @starklysteve

“Right. How do we get them to admit they love each other?”

In front of him, Bucky brings out a metal flask and takes a swig out of it. “Hell if I know. You’re the genius who went to MIT.”

“I studied aerospace engineering,” Rhodey rolls his eyes, “not how to get two idiots to kiss.”

-------

Or, Bucky and Rhodey are the braincells.

In a desperate last ditch attempt, they set Steve and Tony up for a blind date.

Steve and Tony don't know that their date is each other. But they might have a braincell of their own. Might.

the good place (is next to you): @starklysteve

“I mean,” Tony tries his best shot at breaking the tension, “if you’re stuck with the wrong guy, at least I’m sexier than your real deal?”

Tony died and got sent to some sort of heaven, with Captain America as his soulmate. Except, they got the wrong Anthony Stark, and to stay in the Good Place, Tony must convince Steve to teach him how to be good.

-x-

(watching The Good Place is not necessary to understand this AU, but will help)

president captain america: @livingtheobsessedlife

He’s supposed to be campaigning to be elected as president of the United States, not pining over some billionaire he met at one of his campaign events. And yet, Steve can’t seem to get genius, philanthropist (and his newest big-time donor) Tony Stark out of his head.

come build a home out of me: @maguna-stxrk

Steve clears his throat.

“What if I went with you?” he asks nonchalantly, like his heart isn’t threatening to beat out of his ribcage.

Tony blinks a few times, looking at Steve, his mouth ajar. “As a— As my date?”

“Yeah.” Steve nods, feeling a little breathless.

“You don’t mind?” Tony furrows his eyebrows.

“I don’t. In fact, you can just tell them I’m your boyfriend. I’m sure they’ll back off, wouldn’t they?”

What.

“I— Huh?” Tony stares at him, brown eyes blown wide open.

What. What. What.

“Huh? Uh, I mean— You know, that way people will see that you have definitely moved on. Monica will see that you have moved on. Right?” Steve smiles, hoping that it masks his inner panic, because what?

Steve Rogers, what have you done?

Between Two Infinities: @/anonymous

The Titanic, 1946. Steven Grant Rogers did not think that going to war would end up with him being three times his normal size with superstrength and agility to boot, and... rich...but hey, he wasn’t complaining. Steve also didn’t expect to fall out of love- if it was even love in the first place- with the woman he was explicitly told to propose to, and instead fall for a formerly rich, formerly a playboy, still a genius, Tony Stark. Especially because, you know, it was a little tiny bit illegal, and he was supposed to be “America’s Golden Boy”, as Bucky put it.

All Tony expected out of the trip was to escape Europe with his best friend thanks to a lucky game of blackjack. He didn’t think he’d find himself having sex in the back of a car located in the cargo hold of the Titanic, or almost jumping off said ship. But that was just the life of a rogue Stark child, wasn’t it? At least Peggy was nice. Her dad, not so much.

A Thief Like Tony Stark: @dontholdthiswarinside

Tony is a high ranking criminal, known for his talent to disappear. Steve is a disillusioned soldier who needs some cash.

And some people will always be heroes, no matter what they do for a living.

The Things We Can’t Unsee: @/orphan-account

The mission was simple: get in, gather information, get out. Of course, Steve never really expected the enemy to follow this plan. One way or the other, something was bound to happen. They were the Avengers, after all. Nothing ever went easy for them.

What Steve didn’t expect was it going as far as it did; he didn’t expect having to make a decision that nobody should have to make.

Now Bucky’s lying there, bloody and dying all because of him, and Natasha’s poisonous words keep ringing in his head. Thinking about the ring he carries with him every day, Steve knows she’s right.

He’d never be able to make that call if it were Tony.

The Last Barman Poet: @nativemossy

Tony wasn't expecting anything more than dealing with a tequila-drunk Clint and a slightly wrinkled suit on this trip to Mexico. He got plenty more than he bargained for when he catches the eye of a handsome vacationer at the swim-up bar. Tipsy shenanigans ensue.

[sagamemes]

the sheridan tapes  📼  part two.   here and under the cut, you can find over 130 lines of dialogue from the horror podcast the sheridan tapes, specifically from episodes four to six, edited for roleplay purposes. some of these focus heavily on survival, war, science, and spooky stuff, but a lot can be used by anyone.  tw:  war, unreality, a mention of cannibalism, implications of manic behaviour.

❝  god, i hate snowstorms like this. not just getting caught in them, but the storms themselves. it feels like the earth’s trying to bury me alive every time it locks in like this. like nature’s rightly pissed off at all of us and doing its level best to crush us to death.  ❞

❝  that’s what yom kippur means:  the day of atonement.  ❞

❝  that wasn’t the first time i’ve caught him in my office, going through my stuff.  ❞

❝  normally i’d be annoyed at someone calling me young lady.  ❞

❝  thank you… you are so warm… thank you for letting me in.  ❞

❝  suddenly, everything fell into place. i made more progress than i had in about half a year.  ❞

❝  the thing i remember most was catching disapproving glances from my father every time i went to the library.  ❞

❝  why does time only run forward?  why does cause need to precede effect?  ❞

❝  no one knows if they can trust me with casework or not.  ❞

❝  i didn’t say i was interested.  ❞

❝  [he/i] was taken off duty and sent for psychiatric evaluation the next day.  ❞

❝  coffee. i was making coffee.  ❞

❝  i didn't mean to get stuck out here.  ❞

❝  that just goes to show how small humans really are in the grand scheme of things:  take away our tools and our toys and our technology, and we’re still just as vulnerable as we ever were.  ❞

❝  she was good at that:  making you feel like you were safe, like you could open up to her.  ❞

❝  i’m just going to cover that one up. no harm in keeping it out of sight for the moment.  ❞

❝  maybe there was someone in the stairs.  ❞

❝  i think i did the lion’s share of the talking, which almost never happens.  ❞

❝  i couldn’t get to sleep... i figured i’d get a head start today.  ❞

❝  i’m afraid i don’t have all of the details of your involvement with the… tragic events in [place]. and i don’t think i’m the only one.  ❞

❝  i’m still not sure i understand the whole tradition.  ❞

❝  whatever it is, it’s chasing me. i can hear it’s footsteps in the snow, i can hear it—  ❞

❝  when you work nights here, the less you really think about them, the better.  ❞

❝  honestly, i just can’t get it out of my head.  ❞

❝  snow is one of nature’s simplest and most effective ways of killing you dead if you aren’t prepared for it.  ❞

❝  i wish you’d tell me what you’re doing here. i could lose my job if anything gets broken or if you end up getting hurt in there…  ❞

❝  would you say you… considered her a friend?  ❞

❝  would you mind saying your name again?  for the recording?  ❞

❝  if that was true, then there was something—and as a scientist, i hate to say this—supernatural going on in that lab.  ❞

❝  most of them didn’t make it. a lot of them died afraid and alone, too.  ❞

❝  i know you don’t like listening to these things, so i just wanted to help you out with…  ❞

❝  if i could sleep, then trust me, i would.  ❞

❝  i’m guessing the new owners are trying to make this place seem less creepy than it already is.  ❞

❝  my schooling was expensive and unremarkable.  ❞

❝  a lot of them died afraid and alone, too:  ideal conditions for the making of poltergeists, in my experience.  ❞

❝  look, i’m sorry, but this really isn’t a good time for anything, so if you wouldn’t mind…  ❞

❝  basically, i was picturing a slightly creepier morticia addams. i couldn’t have been more wrong.  ❞

❝  now i have to deal with [name]’s aspirations to write drama..  ❞

❝  i promise i won’t get you sacked.  ❞

❝  i’ve never been very religious, but for some reason… it made me think of hell.  ❞

❝  i think it may have been a thank you.  ❞

❝  i’m working the graveyard shift and i noticed the lights were on.  ❞

❝  i shouldn’t be here. no one asked me to come in this early.  ❞

❝  everyone around here looks at me like i’m some kind of leper.  ❞

❝  i had to go home for a few hours. i’m already on thin ice around here, and i didn’t want to get in more trouble for screaming obscenities up and down the wall.  ❞

❝  it was… darkness. no, that doesn’t do it credit, the whole place was dark. this was just... void.  ❞

❝  if i’d seen her anywhere else, i’d think she was an athlete or a backpacker.  ❞

❝  better scientists than me have been bashing their heads into that particular wall since 1927.  ❞

❝  i just want you to know that… whatever you really are... you’re safe here.  ❞

❝  goats being goats, it would just come back the next day looking for food.  ❞

❝  i would like you to leave my office now… and i’ll ask you not to tamper with evidence in the future, understood?  ❞

❝  no, of course, i don’t have signal out here, so i can’t just call triple-a.  ❞

❝  what are you doing in my office—at four goddamn thirty in the morning?  ❞

❝  you ever wonder where the line is?  you know, between human and not?  ❞

❝  the funny thing i’ve noticed about war:  no matter how terrible the fighting is, there always seems to be too much waiting. too much quiet. too much sitting around, bored to tears between fits of chaos and violence, lost in routine while waiting for the other shoe to drop.  ❞

❝  a lot of people condemn them for that. we’re so sure we’d never resort to that—that we’d rather die than cross that unspoken boundary.  ❞

❝  i’ve been at the [workplace/institution] for ten years now. that’s long enough to know that the ones who ask questions are the ones who can’t cut it.  ❞

❝  the program blew every fuse in the lab. including the lights.  ❞

❝  it was soon after they left that i began to have trouble sleeping.  ❞

❝  perhaps we never knew each other as well as most friends do, but… we cared for one another.  ❞

❝  most of her questions are a bit above my pay grade.  ❞

❝  i’m trying, i’m trying! i can’t get the door open!  ❞

❝  i don’t know why she needed my help:  i think she had a better grasp of it than most science fiction writers.  ❞

❝  we both had places to be afterwards, so we kind of rushed. i really wish i’d taken the time to say goodbye.  ❞

❝  i guess some things just… don’t want to stay buried.  ❞

❝  it was completely against orders of course, but no one really noticed or cared that far from the front.  ❞

❝  i offered to buy him a cup of coffee.  ❞

❝  newspapers praised them at the time:  saw them as heroes of exploration and paragons of pioneer courage.  ❞

❝  i signed a lot of big, scary nda’s during my time there.  ❞

❝  i did the only thing that came to mind:  i took a grenade from my belt, removed the pin, and threw it.  ❞

❝  i doubt this storm will last more than a couple of days, and once it lets up we can sneak out of here and get going again. very, very carefully.  ❞

❝  given enough time, everything will rot away to its elementary components, and that, you can’t reverse.  ❞

❝  i really can’t see anything from inside the van.  ❞

❝  i knew there were a few experiments that dealt with some pretty high-level theoretical concepts, but i wasn’t directly involved with any of them.  ❞

❝  it’s a strange choice, but then again, he’s a strange man.  ❞

❝  i know, it sounds ridiculous. trust me, i’ve done everything i can think of to make that conclusion go away.  ❞

❝  scared the bejeezus out of a bunch of skiers, but they were nice enough to let me in after deciding i probably wasn’t a ghost.  ❞

❝  please… it burns my skin… please…  ❞

❝  i forgot how fast storms blow in up here.  ❞

❝  it’s not like i felt out of control:  it felt more natural than breathing.  ❞

❝  i didn’t know what i was doing, not at any conscious level. but one step seemed to lead to another, then the next, and then the next.  ❞

❝  it’s called a butcher’s shop in some places, but a mortuary in others. as much as i’d love to imply there was some sweeney todd style recycling going on here, i think the place has just been a lot of things over the years.  ❞

❝  god, these things are creepy as hell.  ❞

❝  if you wouldn’t mind, please, tell us what happened? in your own time, of course.  ❞

❝  it took a few long, nerve-wracking days to work up my courage and visit the section again.  ❞

❝  it’s not that odd to think that people ate each other out there.  ❞

❝  i didn’t think there was a ghost in my room or anything like that, i just kept hearing noises whenever i was about to fall asleep.  ❞

❝  i downed half a dozen energy drinks at 6 and called it dinner—i know, i know, it’s a nasty habit i picked up in grad school.  ❞

❝  they told me that the cpu and motherboard had somehow been melted into a solid lump of plastic and silicon.  ❞

❝  i mean, [name] was a pain in the ass, but at least he didn’t…  ❞

❝  my schedule was full, but i had something else fall through at the last minute. i had your number on my desk, so i thought i may as well call.  ❞

❝  i wonder if it was afraid, or if it even realized what was going to happen. it probably didn’t.  ❞

❝  i need to get more coffee. or punch someone. whichever’s more convenient.  ❞

❝  god, if that’s really how i sound…  ❞

❝  people think i write horror, but i don’t really think that’s true. i just write fiction with all of the comfortable little lies taken out of it.  ❞

❝  i have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night.  ❞

❝  i think he felt something about this place… some influence or power that needed to be destroyed, so he tried to do it the only way he knew how.  ❞

❝  well, it’s a tricky thing. the more realistic you make them, the more… unreal they start to look. i think it’s something about the eyes.  ❞

❝  i offered to stay late, just to smooth things over.  ❞

❝  maybe i can get some writing done while i’m stuck here…  ❞

❝  no child could grow up in a jewish home surrounded by books and not read at least one story about golems.  ❞

❝  i just wasn’t a good student, despite my love of reading.  ❞

❝  i have to say, i like your jane doe.  ❞

❝  she was a scientist herself.  maybe not formally, but her way of thinking, her insight, her methods... they were scientist’s qualities.  ❞

❝  seriously, what do i need to do to get a little privacy around here, a little dignity?  hang a  ‘ do not disturb ’  sign on the door?  change all my locks?  ❞

❝  maybe it was stupid, but i figured, ‘ hey, early december, not a cloud in the sky—should still be fine, right? ’  ❞

❝  jesus, [name], i wasn’t born yesterday.  ❞

❝  maybe doing this while it’s still dark outside isn’t the best idea.  ❞

❝  more than a century and a half have passed, and this place is still just as dangerous as it was then.  ❞

❝  now, [mr./ms./mx. name], i’m sure you know why you’re here.  ❞

❝  the [event] was a bust—only about a dozen people showed up all afternoon.  ❞

❝  i never put much stock in the idea of inspiration, but for the first time in my life, it felt like i wasn’t pushing myself through the muck of miscalculation and guesswork towards a solution. i was being pulled towards an answer that already existed.  ❞

❝  it felt like i was a few steps from finding out something fundamental. some truth about our universe that no other scientist had ever dared to dream of.  ❞

❝  huh. that’s… that’s weird. i could’ve sworn there wasn’t a sculpture back there before.  ❞

❝  apparently, no one had told them what i was doing, and i wasn’t actually cleared to leave.  ❞

❝  maybe he’s trying to make amends. keeping watch over these half-living things to make sure no harm comes to them.  ❞

❝  i expected the building to be wreathed in shadow and overgrown with cobwebs, but it's actually really nice.  ❞

❝  sorry, i was trying to get my recorder working, but it froze up on me so i had to find a tape for this old…  ❞

❝  okay. just… don’t get me sacked, alright?  can’t exactly retire on this salary.  ❞

❝  but if it was real—i don’t know if i somehow created it, or if it was feeding me information about itself before it appeared.  ❞

❝  i’ve never had a manic episode before, and i was well below the level of caffeine needed to cause intoxication. as far as i can tell, there isn’t a medical explanation for what happened.  ❞

❝  i don’t get the appeal of meeting real celebrities. it’s just a cheap shock of recognition, and nothing more.  ❞

❝  whatever this… thing was, it sounds pretty dangerous.  ❞

❝  are you familiar with temporal asymmetry?  ❞

❝  i just want to make that abundantly clear:  this /wasn’t/ the plan.  ❞

❝  right then, now let’s get started. please state your name and rank for the record.  ❞

❝  though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light.  ❞

❝  a cracker of a book, young lady.  ❞

❝  no wonder they’re keeping them in storage. they’d give anyone nightmares.  ❞

❝  i was just going to finish out my shift unless… you want me to stick around?  ❞

❝  i went to the university, but don’t remember much of the years i spent there.  ❞

❝  having to study textbooks and essays day in and day out took all of the joy out of reading for a long time.  ❞

❝  we call paradoxes paradoxes for a reason:  no matter how plausible they seem, they can never really happen.  ❞

❝  i don’t know what happened to me that night. i still don’t even know if what i saw was real.  ❞

❝  when we look into the void for too long, we find the monsters instead.  ❞