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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 3 years

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COSMIC - S1:E2; Chapter Two, The Weirdo On Maple Street - [Pt. 2]

A Will Byers x Male!Reader Series

𝘠/𝘯, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘴, 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯.

|| 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 ||

Lucas, Dustin and I take our seats once we get to class.

"Oh, that can't be good." I sigh, gesturing to Mike's empty seat.

"Yeah, he's never this late," Dustin added.

"I'm telling you, his stupid plan failed," Lucas stated.

"I thought you liked his plan?"

"Yeah, but obviously it's stupid, or he'd be here."

"If his mom found out a girl spent the night—" Dustin began.

"He's in deep shit right about now."

Dustin shifted in his seat, and leaned forward, whispering loud enough for us to hear. "Hey, what if she slept naked?"

"Ugh!" My face screws into a sour, disgusted look aimed at my brother, unintentionally speaking at the same time as Lucas. "Why would she do that, Dustin?"

"Oh, my God, she didn't."

"Oh, if Mrs. Wheeler tells our parents..."

The thought of Mom finding out was enough to elicit an anxious groan from me, and I let my forehead fall against desk where I buried my face.

"No way. Mike would never rat us out."

I hesitantly looked up, making eye contact with Lucas. He gave me a reassuring smile, knowing I worry easily.

"I don't know." Dustin said warily.

"All that matters is, after school, the freak will be back in the loony bin, and we can focus on what really matters, finding Will." I frown at his specific choice of words for El, thinking back on how scared she seemed last night. I desperately want to say something, but decided against it, not wanting to get in a fight. Fighting won't get us any closer to finding Will.

|| 𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐎𝐕 ||

Mike Wheeler rides his bike down the small slope of grass towards his front yard. When El refused to let Mike's mom know she was there, Mike had no choice but to resort to plan b. He had led his mom to believe that he had ridden to school when in reality he had stopped around the corner until both his parents were gone.

When he got to the driveway, he dismounted his bike and led it into the garage, however something caught his eye. He stared in awe as the once withered and frankly the most miserable looking plant he had ever seen in his life, was now a beautiful lush green and stood as tall his knees. 'How had Y/n done it?'

It took a solid moment for Mike to gather his thoughts and focus on the task at hand. He parked his bike and made his way inside.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"You want anything to drink?" Mike decided to take advantage of the empty house so that he could show El around. "We have OJ, skim milk... What else? Um, we have..."

Mike trailed off when he saw that El was more fascinated with the things in his living room, mostly his TV set.

"Oh, this is my living room. It's mostly just for watching TV."

El lightly traced her fingers around the frame of the TV as she examined it.

"Nice, right? It's a 22-inch.

That's, like, ten times bigger than Dustin's."

El turned her head and said quietly.

"Y/n."

"Well, yeah of course. Y/n too."

"Y/n. Brother?" She asked, making sure she remembered correctly.

"Yeah!" Mike smiled, then lightly shrugged. "Well, technically adopted. But yeah, they're still brothers."

El's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Ad-adopted?"

"Yeah, um, it means that he came from different parents. Mrs. Henderson adopted him because his parents were unable to take care of him. It's funny actually, Y/n is from Hawkins. Or at least that's where they found him. They didn't used to live in Hawkins; I don't know much about it cause Dustin was so young he doesn't remember any of it, but I think him and his mom were visiting family here and they just... found him, I think? I'm pretty sure that's why they moved here, or something."

El seemed to understand as she thought about it. She then turned to look at the all the pictures on top of the fireplace. She slowly walks to the fireplace and steps up onto the brick platform. She gazes at all the family photos. Particularly, the photo beside the one of Mike; of a smiling girl, a little older than herself, with long brown hair and a pink sweater.

She smiles longingly and speaks in a soft voice. "Pretty."

"I guess." Mike's face is contorted in confusion and a little in disgust.

"That's my sister Nancy. And that's baby Holly." He said as she moved to the slightly larger photo of a young baby. She then moved along to a photo with Mike, Nancy, and Holly, along with two other people she didn't recognize.

"And those are my parents. What are your parents like?" As usual, El says nothing and she steps down from the fireplace and walks up to a large green chair.

"Do they live close?" Mike continued. He notices El run her hand along the top of the plush green chair. "That's our La-Z-Boy. It's where my dad sleeps. You can try it if you want." He offers. El looked up at him, intrigued. "Yeah." He assured her, with a warm smile on his face. She cautiously sits down as Mike kneels down beside the chair. "It's fun!"

She looked to Mike, wondering what he is up to.

"Just trust me, okay?" She gives a quick nod, and braces herself, not knowing what to expect. She is taken aback by the sudden collapse of the chair, she is now laying down and the chair is rocking back and forth. She lets out a gasp, and then a nervous chuckle.

"See? Fun, right?"

With one hand on the back of the chair, and the other on the front, he brings the chair back into its default position. "Now you try."

With a small smile on her face, and feeling more confident she leans over the side and pulls the handle, letting her entire body go flying backward into a slow rock. Mike and El both look at each other and laugh gleefully.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Some random rock song on the radio that Jonathan barely recognized came to an end as Jonathan Byers drove to his dad's house. His eyes darted to the radio unit in his car for a moment as his heart fell when the familiar sound of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" rang throughout the car.

- 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 -

"Darlin', you got to let me know"

Jonathan is sat on the edge of the bed next to his younger brother Will. The two of them are in Will's room, bobbing their heads along to 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' by The Clash.

"Should I stay or should I go?"

"You like it?" Jonathan had to raise his voice so he could be heard over the loud song. Will looks to his older brother and grins.

"Yeah, it's cool!"

"All right, you can keep the mix if you want."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. All the best stuff's on there. Joy Division, Bowie, Television, The Smith's... It'll totally change your life."

"Yeah, totally," Will says with a smile. However, the smile is quick to leave when the two boys hear their mother yelling on the phone.

"Where the hell are you, Lonnie?"

Will slowly turns his head to the door, listening to his mother yell at his absent father.

"I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it." Jonathan mimics his brother's actions and looks to the door. Finally, he gets up and walks towards the door.

"This is ridiculous! I'm so sick of your excuses.

"One day is fine and next is black"

Before Jonathan sits down, he lowers the volume on the stereo.

"He's not coming, is he?"

"Do you even like baseball?" Jonathan asks softly.

"No, but... I don't know." He shrugs sadly. "It's fun to go with him sometimes."

"Come on. Has he ever done anything with you that you actually like? You know, like the arcade or something?"

Will shrugs his shoulders weakly. "I don't know."

"No, all right? He hasn't. He's trying to force you to like normal things. And you shouldn't like things because people tell you you're supposed to. Okay?"

Will only looks down at his feet sadly.

"Especially not him."

Will silently nods his head in understanding.

Jonathan decided to change the subject.

"But you like The Clash? For real?"

Will nods his head eagerly with a smile. "For real. Definitely."

"So... is Y/n a fan of The Clash?" Jonathan asks, genuinely curious.

A faint blush dusts Will's cheeks as he looks down at his hands. "Um, yeah, I think so."

"Maybe you should show this to him. I bet he'll like it."

"Maybe. You think?"

"Yeah, from what I know, he has great taste. He's pretty cool."

A loving smile spreads across Will's face. "Yeah, he is pretty cool."

There's a small pause filled only with the now dulled melody of drums and guitar drifting through the air. They had talked about it before, but only vaguely, never fully addressing it and it dawned on Jonathan that there was probably still loads of fear for Will because of it. He looks down at his brother who he loved more than anything and sent him an encouraging, honest smile.

"Will, you guys are best friends. You two are just too close to ruin the friendship. Why don't you think about asking him to the arcade or something? Just the two of you, maybe come back here for some mac and cheese or something if that'd make you feel safer, and you could " he shrugs. "let him know how you feel?"

Will looked up at his brother, shocked. But his body was flushed with relief, he could feel the air in the room hitting his sweaty and clammey skin giving him chills. Not quite knowing how to handle his brothers reaction, his eyes simply fall to his hands where they fidgeting in his lap.

"But what if that does ruin the friendship? What if he doesn't feel the same way, and decides to stop hanging out with me. Or if someone finds out- I just- I just can't. I'm not ready."

"That's okay. All I'm saying is, he is way too nice to be the kind of person who would do that. And you are way too important to him. And hey, if you ever do feel ready, or you guys do go out in the future..." Jonathan trails off, sensing the awkwardness creep up. He chuckles and looks back to his brother.

"All I'm trying to say is, I'm here for you. Always."

Will smiles gratefully and Jonathan leans forward to the volume back up.

"Should I stay or should I go? So you gotta let me know, should I stay or should I go?"

- 𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 -

#you'll float queue #stranger things #will byers x reader #reader insert #will byers #dustin henderson #mike wheeler #lucas sinclair #cosmic #m!cosmic #el hopper #eleven #y/n henderson #stranger things x male!reader #stranger things x reader #will byers x male!reader #the weirdo on maple street

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puckrph · 3 years

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DARK IN HERE STARTERS

taken from the 2021 album by the mountain goats

PARISIAN ENCLAVE

' let the devil take the rest. ' ' walls envelop all of us like a mother who protects her young. ' ' i go beneath the streets of the city with my brethren in the neverending shadow. '

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE KOLA SUPERDEEP BOREHOLE TOWER

' stick bright reflective tape to the collar of your shirt. ' ' mind your business, and you won't get hurt. ' ' be true to the things you said you'd be true to. ' ' always keep your objective in view. ' ' those who came to learn these lessons left no trace of their presence. ' ' show the world your true face. ' ' burn such fuel as you need to burn. ' ' keep a sense of wonder when you finally reach your goal. ' ' what will they say back home about you? '

MOBILE

' they threw him down into the water, but he did not drown. ' ' be free of your burden. ' ' i'm on a balcony waiting for the wind to throw me down. ' ' if you won't keep me safe and warm, then send down the storm. ' ' why do you hold back your fury? ' ' don't hold back your fury. '

DARK IN HERE

' steal away at sundown. ' ' check for signs of ambush. ' ' i'm tired of running, tired of never standing still. ' ' hear them riding up the hill? ' ' it's high noon somewhere, but it's dark in here. ' ' you, who thirst for action: i will give you some. ' ' when the smoke dies down, you can rest assured that we will know who kept their word. ' ' you stood so proud once. ' ' i can taste your fear. ' ' it's dark as a coal mine filling up with gas. ' ' will you be ready when your moment comes? ' ' i live in the darkness. '

LIZARD SUIT

' take the trouble to pronounce the street names right; people like it when you show respect. ' ' it's so hard to get noticed in this town. ' ' you're almost invisible aboard the train. ' ' there's so many people who i just can't read. ' ' i have to trust that my compass stays true. ' ' i let my phobias control my habits, and i let my habits form the shapes of days. '

WHEN A POWERFUL ANIMAL COMES

' we move by night. ' ' we'll follow the shoreline until we've run clean out of land. ' ' we've made mistakes. ' ' everyone spots their own mess when the dawn breaks. ' ' life is short, and life is hard, and life is sweet. ' ' they will never know what hit them. ' ' it gets pretty hard to concentrate. '

TO THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN

' i rode past you on the road again today. ' ' who awakes prepared to face such sights as these? ' ' god keep the hunter who shows mercy to his prey. ' ' as you approached, i could sense the threat. ' ' a stranger's just a friend who hasn't shared their secrets yet. ' ' songs bloom in the dark. ' ' i seek the gate of wisdom. ' ' get ready for the waterworks. ' ' one of us will tire, and one will rise and ride away. '

THE NEW HYDRA COLLECTION

' i'm hell bent on doing the work that you cowards won't do. ' ' we're weaving the future from bright new threads. ' ' i dream of the day when the calm waters break. ' ' the safe way isn't the only way to go. ' ' it's only a test run. ' ' the tension's too delicious to bear. ' ' according to my projections, everybody's going to run for their lives. ' ' wait until our time has come. '

THE SLOW PARTS ON DEATH METAL ALBUMS

' i'm jumping out of my skin. ' ' this tiny sector can't contain me. ' ' i go where i'm not wanted. ' ' i'm trying to find the mask that fits me. ' ' let me dance until i die. ' ' let it begin with me. ' ' we're never quite free. '

BEFORE I GOT THERE

' the relics are all in ruin. ' ' it's illegible forever. ' ' it's an oracle with no tongue. ' ' the bodies of the fallen are in a pit behind the altar. ' ' their faces were turned toward the sky that they would never see again. ' ' i have failed you. '

ARGUING WITH THE GHOST OF PETER LAUGHNER ABOUT HIS CONEY ISLAND BABY REVIEW

' will there be another way? ' ' you took the ancient spell with you wen you fell. ' ' i hurt too hard, too long, and i'll die too young. ' ' may your passage be assured. ' ' you will always have been here once. '

LET ME BATHE IN DEMONIC LIGHT

' someday, the old flesh will give way to the new. ' ' find a functioning mirror inside, and slip right through. ' ' who's coming with me? ' ' show me my one true face. ' ' i'm hopeless, but free. ' ' you're lit up like a marquee shining over the freeway. ' ' where will my long trail end? ' ' there's undying hunger deep in the bloodline. '

#memes #the mountain goats starters #sentence starters #rp meme #rp sentence starters #askbox meme

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whatareyousearchingfordean · 4 years

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Happiness Begins

Part 25

Chapter Summary: The reader finds herself dragged to a charity event by her big brother. What will she do when she finds out what he really has planned for her?

Word Count: 4.6K+

Warnings: Language, angst

Author’s Note: Well, here it is. The final part. I am honestly amazed I even made it here. This story turned into a true monster from its original inception. I know I would have never made it here without all of your guys’ love and support. Your feedback means the world, so keep it up. You never know whose day you might make. I hope this is all you dreamed it would be if not, don’t blame me, I just typed this shit out ha. xo Alex

Catch up with the series masterlist and check out Alexandra’s Library for more works by yours truly!

Jared had insisted that Y/n ride with him and Gen to the fundraiser he had begged that she go to in the first place. He knew her too well, after all. If Y/n didn’t want to go somewhere, she was exceptionally good at getting out of it. But their sharing of a ride to the event left her without a number of excuses. So she bit the bullet and just accepted her fate. After all it was for a good cause, and she was authorized to make a donation on behalf of Et Cetera.

Y/n followed behind her brother and his wife into the event, the two of them practically skipping, their fingers entwined between them. The sight made her both smile and her stomach turn.

Out Youth Austin had organized this little shindig at the country club that Jared frequented in town. It was the perfect sunny afternoon for a party. Y/n laughed to herself as she took in the image in front of her. It reminded her too much of the final scene from Step Brothers, well, minus the ocean in the background and the giant ice sculpture of a helicopter.

The place was bustling, there was a live band playing some song she didn’t recognize, but they had a certain aura about them that was infectious. The charity had also decided on a fully catered Texas style barbeque, complete with lots of alcohol. Y/n mumbled a silent ‘thank you’ to whatever was listening as she spotted the bar. Silently she slipped away from her brother and towards the bar, looking for something cold and fruity to keep her sated.

Jared noticed her absence almost instantly, taking the opportunity of her departure to initiate his plan. Well technically, her spotting the bar was step one of his plan, which she had fallen for hook line and sinker. Genevieve stood begrudgingly by his side, also in on said plan, no matter how much she truly hated it. The things we do for love...

“She’s going to kill you when she finds out, you know that?” Gen whispered to her husband as he was bent over the sign-in table.

“I can handle myself. Besides, I’m sure she’ll thank me later.”

“You have a lot of confidence in that. I hope you are right.” Gen mumbled. Jared made a face at his wife as if to say ‘trust me’. He knew full well how badly this could go, but he also understood how good it could all work out. Things were still tense between himself and his baby sister and at this point he could lose her either way. He at least had to try this.

Once they had signed themselves and Y/n in, they went to find her with their seating assignment. She was reluctant to go too far from the bar, earning a sour look from Jared. Like a scolded child, she followed him to their table, a small frown on her face.

Once she knew where she was to eat dinner, she left them again to network. Jared and Gen were quick though to follow her into the crowd. They stuck to her like glue the whole time, unwilling to let her out their sight. After all, she didn’t want to be here in the first place, making her a flight risk in Jared’s eyes. And he couldn’t exactly lose her if he wanted this to work. He also was there to steer her in the right direction. After all he couldn’t risk her seeing something she shouldn’t and ruining everything.

Y/n, on the other hand, couldn’t understand her family’s odd behavior. Everytime she turned around, there were Jared and Gen. It didn’t matter where she went or who she was talking to, they were always a step behind her, making the young woman uneasy. Y/n chose to brush off their peculiar actions, chalking it up to Jared’s lack of trust in her.

The dinner was served about an hour after the three of them had arrived at the venue. The food that was served was like nothing she had ever tasted before. It gave a true definition to southern style cooking. Y/n made a mental note to get the caterer’s information from whomever she could pry it from.

Y/n quirked her head up as the music died down from the stage and the audience was applauding. A spritely woman, who Y/n deemed to only be a few years older than herself, bounced onto the stage, taking the mic from the lead singer, “Desert is about to be served, we hope you all enjoy it as it was made right here in Austin. We have about thirty minutes until the auction starts, so get your wallets out and ready.” The organizer rushed off the stage just as quick as she came to a hoopa from the crowd. Y/n turned back to her brother, her brow scrunched together on her forehead.

“You didn’t say there would be an auction.” She noted, confusion written on her features. Gen suddenly became very interested in the ice cream now being placed in front of her as Y/n spoke. Y/n picked up on the way the woman averted her eyes, not daring to look up at her sister in law.

“I didn’t? I could have sworn I did...” Jared’s voice was high as he played her comment off.

Y/n hummed, annoyance now bubbling up in her chest. “No, you didn’t.” Her tone was firm with her resolution. “Jared, what are they auctioning off?” She had to ask the question even though, based on her family's sudden change in demeanor, she was afraid she didn’t truly want to know the answer.

“Oh, you know, just the usual.”

“Jared.” Y/n set her lips in a tight line as she glared at her brother. He was up to something, and she knew it was going to piss her off.

“They are auctioning off dates with local eligible bachelorettes.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal. A huff of air left her lips as the realization dawned on her. Y/n closed her eyes.

“Please tell me you didn’t…”

“I did.”

“Jared! You signed me up to be auctioned off like some cattle to a strange old rich guy? I can’t believe you!” Y/n threw her napkin on the table and moved to leave. Jared grabbed her arm, an action that only sent more fire through her veins. She tugged her arm from his grasp. “Don’t.”

“Y/n.” Jared’s voice was soft as he attempted to not draw more attention to themselves than had already been drawn. “It’s for a good cause. Please? Who knows, maybe this could be exactly what you need.”

Y/n stared at him, incredulous. His words didn’t make any sense to her. Jared said ‘this could be exactly what she needed’? What does that even mean?

“You can’t back out now, they already have your name. Think about how that would look.” Jared raised his eyebrows at her and she could only clench her jaw. He was right, and that only pissed her off. He was smarter than she cared to admit.

“I hate you for doing this to me.” Y/n growled as she sat back down in her seat. Jared smiled, the action quickly faltering when he realized she would not be smiling back at him.

The sun was just beginning to fall towards the horizon as the auction started. Jared explained that Y/n was to stay in her seat until they introduced her, then she would head up on stage. The whole notion of selling dates with women churned at her gut, causing her to leave her desert untouched.

As much as she hated the idea, she was in this now. There was no way she could go back without making herself and the charity look like fools, and she hated that Jared knew that too. The only saving grace that was helping her hold back the bile in her throat was that she knew it was all for charity.

She did a quick check of her makeup as woman after woman was sold to the highest bidder. One more girl was sent off to her fate, when the announcer introduced Y/n as the next prize. She made her way to the stage, her head held high and a polite smile on her face.

“Miss Padalecki is a seasoned and truly talented makeup artist. She studied at E.I. School of Professional Makeup in Hollywood and has worked on multiple television shows, including the one in which her dear older brother, Jared Padalecki, stars; Supernatural. This beautiful woman also owns her own makeup line headquartered right here in Austin; Et Cetera. Shall we start the bidding at one thousand dollars?” Multiple hands went up before she could get the words out, much to Y/n’s surprise. The number jumped to five thousand dollars before she even had a chance to blink.

“Ten thousand.” A hand in the far corner went up and her eyes immediately snapped towards the voice. Y/n would recognize that voice anywhere and her suspicion was confirmed when she locked eyes with those familiar golden green orbs. Her breath caught in her throat as she finally understood what Jared had been talking about. He had set this all up, reasons for which she didn’t understand. Last she knew, the two of them hadn’t even been on talking terms. What had she missed?

A few more people out bid Jensen, and she wasn’t sure if she was relieved about that or not. Hell, she wasn’t even sure if she should be relieved. But Jensen, the stubborn ass he was, wasn’t letting her go that easily, coming back with a counter offer of a good three grand over the last one. He was dead set on making sure he won this one.

“Eighteen thousand.” Some guy called from a table in the front, but she didn’t even glance his way. The steady drumming in her chest began to pick up pace, threatening to burst from her chest as she waited with bated breath, her eyes never leaving Jensen.

“Twenty five thousand.” Y/n scoffed, if he won this thing she was going to punch him for spending this kind of money on her, especially when he could have just called her. It was a stupid, ostentatious gesture, but that being said, she couldn’t deny the butterflies it had awoken in her gut.

“Do I hear twenty six?” The auctioneer called out. It was quiet. “Going once,” Still silence. “Twice… Sold to paddle 853. Thank you so much for your generous donation.” Y/n let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. A hand found her elbow and began to guide the stunned woman off the stage.

Her body was shaking as she fought her conflicting emotions. On one hand, she was relieved that she wasn’t stuck with an awkward night with a stranger, but on the hand, she was pissed at Jensen and her brother for setting her up. Jared met her stare across the tables and she glared before stomping off across the golf course to get her some space to think.

Her heels were just hitting the pavement of the far side of the parking lot when she heard someone calling her name behind her. She didn’t want to turn just yet to face the man she knew had chased after her, but she had nowhere else to go.

“Y/n, wait!” Jensen tried again as the woman spun on her heel to face him, the confusion evident even behind the anger in her eyes. “Listen, I know you’re mad-”

“Damn right I’m mad! You two had no right to do this. If you wanted to talk to me, you could have just picked up the phone. Why go through all this?” She seethed.

“Would you have answered if I called?” He asked her, his head tilting even though he already knew the answer.

“That’s not the point.” She mumbled. Though honestly, she couldn’t answer him as to whether or not she would have answered. Right now she wanted nothing more than to say no, just to pour salt in his wounds, but she couldn’t do that.

“It’s exactly the point, Y/n/n.” Jensen’s voice dropped as he made his point. “If it helps, it was all Jared’s idea.” Jensen tried to ease the tension with a small smile and she hated how her body instinctively reacted to it with a smile of its own. She quickly composed her face as soon as she realized her slip.

“I think that makes you feel better, not me.” She answered honestly.

“You’re probably right.” Jensen let his shoulders fall as he looked at her. Y/n looked just as stunning as he remembered, if not more so. That fact only had his heart clenching in his chest, the evidence of his mistakes standing in front of him. As he admired her tanned skin where it showed dark in contrast against her yellow dress, the way her hair fell in waves framing all the high points in her face, and even the tension in her jaw as she fought herself to let him see her smile, all the reasons for his past choices seemed irrelevant. This woman standing in front of him had his whole heart. He understood that now. There was no one else that he would ever love more than her.

“I know I may not be your favorite person right now, but I won’t take back what we did. All I’m asking is that you listen to what I have to say.”

Y/n chewed on the inside of her lip as she eyed the man in front of her. He looked like he was on the verge of tears, his features pulled down as he pleaded with her. And no matter how much she wanted to tell him to fuck off, she couldn’t. All she could do was nod.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow, six o’clock?” Jensen offered.

“Six o’clock.” Y/n confirmed before turning away and leaving him at the edge of the parking lot.

****

Y/n stared at her open closet, contemplating how she should dress for this. Honestly, she knew full well she was overthinking all of it. It didn’t matter what she wore, but she also knew that it was just her anxiety’s way of diverting from the real problems raging in her head.

Eventually she just landed on a pair of jeans and a nice blouse. She paired it with her favorite sneakers. In the end, she decided she just wanted to be comfortable.

Y/n was making sure she had what she needed in her purse when there was a soft knock on her door.

Taking a deep breath, she went to the light wooden door and pulled it open. Jensen had a soft smile on his face as he came into view. He was sporting a pair of dark wash jeans, paired with a soft looking tee. It seemed he went just as casual as she had, topping off his look with a pair of converse.

“You look beautiful.” He noted as his eyes racked up her figure. Heat flooded her cheeks under his intense gaze.

Y/n cleared her throat, not wanting to dwell on his compliment. “Shall we go?” Jensen stepped back, signalling for her to exit. Y/n locked up behind herself and headed down the stairs outside her door that lead to the parking lot.

Once they were pulling out of the lot, Y/n could feel his gaze on her from the driver's seat. It made her uncomfortable and hot all at the same time. “Mind paying attention to the road, you aren’t fake driving here.” She turned to him just as he snapped his head back to the road.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel weird.”

“It’s okay. Truly this whole thing is weird.” Y/n admitted, her voice low.

“I’m sorry.” Jensen repeated himself. Y/n rolled her eyes at that, it grated on her nerves more than it should have.

“Jensen, you’ve got to stop saying ‘I’m sorry’. It won’t make a difference.” What she wanted to say was it wouldn’t make a difference because she had already forgiven him. What she wanted to say was he was wasting his breath. But she didn’t, just because she forgave him didn’t mean that everything was rainbows and butterflies. Jensen still owed her an explanation. And besides, it was fun to watch him squirm a little. Her comment had officially shut him up, for now. She could see where his jaw was clenched as he kept his eyes fixed directly ahead. It almost made her feel guilty… almost.

Jensen pulled off towards McKinney Falls State Park, parking in a secluded spot under a tree. He hopped out of the car without a word. She watched him as he walked around the car and opened her door for her, offering her his hands as she stepped out. With a silent ‘thank you’ he let go of her hand and went to his trunk. Y/n couldn’t help her curiosity, only to have it satiated as he pulled out a small cooler and a rolled up blanket.

“A picnic?” It was hard for her to hide the upturn of her lips.

“Yeah, last I remember you liked my cooking. And I thought you would feel more comfortable away from my place.” Y/n cast her eyes away from him. It was a sweet gesture, and she had to fight the tears stinging in her eyes. Sometimes she really hated how easily she cried.

“Lead the way.” Jensen moved past her into the relatively empty park. The whole place was huge, leaving plenty of space for people to spread out. They were walking for she didn’t even know how long, when he finally picked a spot under a large oak tree near the water. Jensen tossed the blanket out for them to take a seat on and placed the cooler in the center.

“Come on.” He urged her to follow his lead as he sprawled out on the blanket. The grown man looked hilarious as he tried to find a comfortable position. Y/n crossed her legs and sat up straight across from him, waiting intently for him to start unpacking whatever it was that he had. “I didn’t think this through.” He admitted as he continued to shuffle around.

“Just lean back against the tree.” She gestured to him and took it upon herself to pull items from his cooler. She started with the two bottles of sweet tea, then a tupperware container filled with what looked like coleslaw, followed by two bags of chips and some sandwiches. Y/n handed off Jensen his share then grabbed the forks and moved to sit next to him, her back resting against the tree. She set the container of coleslaw between them and handed Jensen a fork before turning her attention to the sandwich. Y/n took a bite, her taste buds exploding with flavor with one bite.

“Holy,” She mumbled around a mouthful of food.

“Yeah?” Y/n nodded, she could never deny his cooking abilities, especially considering this was one of the best sandwiches she’s ever had. How the hell does he do that? “You should try the coleslaw, it’s grandma Ackles’ secret recipe.”

Y/n covered her mouth as she swallowed her bite. “Okay.” she agreed. Jensen filled the fork with the dish and held it out for her to eat. Her mouth closed around the utensil, her lips pulling all of the tangy salad into her mouth. Jensen had to bite back his groan as he watched her movement, followed by her eyes rolling up in her head. After all this time, she still had that effect on him, and he knew she always would.

“Good?” The tip of Jensen’s tongue was peaking out of the corner of his mouth as he waited.

“That’s amazing, like really amazing. What does she put in that?” Y/n hummed.

“Sorry, I promised her I would take her secret to the grave.”

“Your grandma Ackles was a very mean woman.” Jensen laughed as a pout formed on Y/n’s features. He had to avert his attention elsewhere. Y/n could have gotten him to do anything she wanted with that pout. It was unfair, really.

“She actually kind of was.” Jensen mused, remembering the strict yet loving woman.

The two of them continued their picnic in relative silence. Everything Jensen had put together was beyond delicious. It amazed Y/n how he could make something so simple taste so delicious. But she never doubted the man, after all he was annoyingly good at everything.

Once the food began to dry up, they both knew that they were just postponing the inevitable. For once, Y/n found the courage to just bite the bullet. “Well, you have me here. I’m listening.”

“Okay...” Jensen sucked in a breath as he brushed the chip crumbs from his fingers. “Gotta be honest, I’m not exactly sure where to start. I’ve gone over what I would say in this moment since you left Vancouver, but nothing ever quite came out right.” His hands rubbed up and down his jean clad thighs, one of the other nervous habits that Y/n had quickly picked up on from him. He cast his glance down for a moment, before looking back at her. Her eyebrows were perked up on her forehead as she waited in silence.

“Jared and I have talked. We’ve actually been talking for a couple weeks.”

“I’m glad.” And she was glad for the both of them. They were important to each other and they deserved to be in each other’s lives. As much as she hated how much their mistakes broke her relationship with her brother, she also hated what it did to Jensen and Jared’s relationship.

“He actually came to me and we hashed out our differences. I mean we aren’t where we used to be but I think with time we will get there. He told me you guys are talking again too.”

“Yeah, well it’s debatable how long it will last this time.” Y/n grumbled. She was still pissed at him for lying to her and she felt like being dramatic about it for a while.

“Y/n/n, we messed up, I messed up. We went about this all the wrong way. But I don’t take back leaving you, because it did give you a chance to make up with your brother, and that’s all I ever wanted, your happiness.” Jensen admitted.

Y/n pursed her lips, pushing down the fight building in her chest. “So why are we here then?”

“Because you’re not happy Y/n.”

“And you know that how?” She pushed back.

“Jared told me you are thinking about selling Et Cetera.”

“So that means I’m unhappy?”

“Yeah, it does. I know you better thank you want to believe. Selling the most cherished thing to you and moving across the country away from everyone and everything that you love is not like you. The woman I fell in love with fights for what she believes in, for what she wants. And I can’t let you go without telling you it’s a mistake.”

“All of this is just you telling me what is best for me again. I don’t see how it’s any different than the last fight we had.”

“It’s different because you know it too. You’re running, and don’t try to lie to me. I know this is about me.”

“So what if it is? I reserve the right to make my own life decisions.”

“You’re absolutely right, you do. But I can’t let you do that without knowing all the facts. Y/n, I love you, and selfishly I don’t want you to go. Walking out that door in Vancouver left this emptiness in my chest that’s suffocating me. Everyday I wake up wondering how you are doing, and if you are okay. You’re the first person I wanted to call when my manager set up this big audition for me, and you were the first person I wanted to call when I didn’t get the part.” Jensen let out a huff, composing himself before continuing. “I just couldn’t let you go without knowing that.”

Y/n was at a loss for words, for the first time in a long time. That was quite the admission, and what was one to say to that? “What about Danneel?” It was the only thing she could come up with in the moment, her words startling even her.

Jensen smiled. “I was hurting and needed a friend to talk to. I was looking for advice on how to get myself out of this funk. Danneel knows me just as good as anyone.”

“What did she tell you to do?”

“She said that if I love you, and you love me then we would find our way back to each other, even if I had to go and get you.”

“So this is you just coming to get me then.” Y/m mused to herself, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “What if I don’t love you?”

“Then I’ll walk away, and you can go to New York and be a big successful business woman that lives out all her dreams. But only if that’s what you truly want.” He paused and shifted himself towards her more. “Is that what you want?”

Y/n swallowed, the motion getting stuck in her throat. “No, I want you. It’s always been you.”

“Then please don’t do this. Stay here and build your business big enough to scare that other company into bankruptcy.” Jensen pleaded with her. Y/n shook her head, chuckling. She knew it would come to this at some point.

“Jay, I already turned them down. You are right, I couldn’t leave my family behind, and I couldn’t leave you.”

“How long were you going to listen to me rant for?” His voice rose an octave, his thousand watt smile returning to his face.

“You were on a roll,” she shrugged. “Besides, you said all I had to do was listen.” Y/n failed miserably to hide the smile on her face. Jensen shoved at her shoulder, sending both of them into a fit of laughter.

As he got back his senses, a warm smile spread across Jensen’s face. There was one last thing they needed to clear up. “Listen, I know we still have some things to work on, but I want to work on them. You and me. What do you say?”

“You had me at ‘you look beautiful’.” Y/n licked her lips, an action not unnoticed by the man next to her. Jensen shook his head, fighting back his own smartass comment. “Seriously though, best idea I’ve heard all day.”

Jensen chuckled as he leaned himself towards Y/n. “I’d really like to kiss you now, if that’s okay.”

Y/n reached her hand out, cupping his jaw as she ran her thumb over the stubble on his face. “You are such a sap sometimes.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“And an idiot.” She finished with a roll of her eyes, all the while smiling like an idiot herself, before leaning into him and bringing his lips to her own. At that moment, it didn’t matter what had happened in the past. It didn’t even matter what was going to happen in the future. All that mattered was that he loved her and she loved him. And all the rest, well, it would fall into place, one way or another.

Epilogue

Forevers: @spn-impala @22sarah08 @turtlepad @callmekda @chaldei @hobby27 @cowboysnwinchesters @tranquility-or-chaos @pikabootoyouchu @dawnie1988 @grease222 @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce @polina-93 @clarinette07 @moonlight-babeh @suckerforfanfic @witandnargles @sleepylunarwolf @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan @geeksareunique @akshi8278 @superfanficnatural @malfoysqueen14 @deanwanddamons @waywardbeanie @emoryhemsworth @talesmaniac89 @waywardbeanie

Et Cetera: @jbbarnesgirl @hillface89 @arses21434 @thevelvetseries @sslater34 @mrsirishboru @smoothdogsgirl @spnfamily-j2 @encounterthepast @facadeformyrealblog @supernatural-bellawinchester @screechingartisancashbailiff @rebeccathefangirl @squirrelnotsam @heartinmyhead1 @1d-killed-me @samsgirl93 @deans-baby-momma @deanmonandnegansbitch @woodworthti666 @supraveng @onethirstyunicorn @heartsaved @know2grow @littlewhiterose @surprisinglysarah @stoneyggirl @carryon-doctor-lock @thebookisbtr @youaremyfiveever @kalesrebellion @lilulo-12 @winchester-fantasies @vicmc624 @supernatural3002 @winchester-writes @maralisa124 @therollingstoners @parinarain @kaz11283 @charmed-asylum

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its-sixxers · 4 years

Note

26, 27, and 29 for as many characters as you can think of answers for

i got three brain machine broke. for tandreth, lizzy, and azuraansi! (the skyrim fixation 2 strongk but fallout always squeezes in)

Memory Ask Meme

26. A memory they want to share

Tandreth

In his travels with the Dragonborn, he’d seen many things. Tamriel was a strange place, host to stranger experiences, and in his centuries upon it he thought he’d seen it all.

Dragons were certainly unexpected, but part of the territory. While facing them would never be normal, he’d figured out how best to help in taking them down. Arrows tipped with paralysis poison, aimed at the soft flesh under the wing where limb met body. Each battle was horrible, and he thought there was nothing to do but destroy each damned creature they came across.

But Idunn was an odd one. A stupid one. Always wasting time and energy looking for ways to handle beasts that knew nothing but hate and violence, always reticent to kill. He didn’t understand it.

Until she succeeded.

Until she tipped her head back to the skies and shouted, her voice Kyne’s itself, and a dragon rose over the mountains and settled on the tundra in front of him. Idunn smiled at him, then, and grabbed his hand.

To battle a dragon was one thing. To ride one was another matter entirely.

Yet he did - seating himself behind Idunn between the creature’s massive scales, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as they took off, terrified out of his wits for the first five minutes and thrilled beyond measure for the rest of the flight.

Up above the world everything looked small. Red Mountain’s plume, so far away, seemed small. Vvardenfell looked ordinary. Up so high, the world seemed calmer. Gentler.

If only he could stay.

He’d have to ask Idunn how she did it.

27. A memory of something they’re proud of

Lizzy

They’d run another letter between Underworld and Megaton, given Gob news from Carol yet again, and again listened to Gob sigh the rest of the night when he thought no one was listening.

“I’m getting sick of it.” Charon grumbled at the bar beside her, his hands clasped around a warm mug of tea. Early spring still held a chill, and it was far too early for liquor.

“Sick of what?” Lizzy inquired, frowning at how Gob’s joy seemed to annoy Charon.

“The sighing. The sadness. He misses her.” he replied. “He should visit, if it bothers him so.”

“Downtown’s dangerous, and it’s not like he can just abandon the bar.”

“He has Nova to look after the bar.” Charon looked at her consideringly. “We’re dangerous, you know.”

Understanding dawned on her. “... we are. Are you saying we should -”

“Escort Gob to Underworld? Yes.” Another sip of tea, before Charon raised his voice. “Gobtholomew!” he shouted. “You want to go on a trip?“

A few days later, when they entered Carol’s place with Gob in tow and only a few scratches between them, Lizzy saw a rare and genuine smile cross Charon’s features.

The man was softer than he looked - and for the first time, willing to try and express it.

29. A memory they can’t let themselves forget

Azuraansi

After so many years of silence, her twin brother returned to her. In her time of greatest pain, mourning the loss of her wife and child, Tandreth set their quarrels aside and traveled to Winterhold’s unforgiving snows to offer her company. His presence kept her heart from freezing entirely, reminded her that she had other children yet living no matter how far they’d moved. For a brief, beautiful time he was family again - things felt as they had in Solstheim, when they were young and had the world ahead of them.

Until the letter. Raansi would never have read it if she knew it was not for her, but providence or some cruel Daedric influence brought it into her hands. It revealed a grim truth.

Tandreth had not come to Winterhold for her. He had well and truly ruined matters for himself in Solitude, and had fled for the safety of the frozen wastes to lay low from the law. The letter was meant to inform him that it was safe for him to return.

Of course, she had thought. Of course he could not see past the bridge of his own nose when it came to the feelings of others.

So she had confronted him, on one of the tower overlooks. Tandreth tried to dodge the question, in his usual way, but eventually admitted that he’d no idea she’d lost her wife and child until he heard it from one of the apprentices. When she asked him if he’d have come if he’d known and hadn’t needed to flee, he had the grace to look ashamed of himself before he answered.

No. Even her loss could not spur him to action. Her brother was set on remaining unfettered, never to be seen when the world was dark, never staying near unhappiness.

Raansi’s tears froze on her face, her heart growing cold. Two could play at isolation.

Tandreth apologized even as he packed his things, and as she watched his back as he walked down the lonely road out of Winterhold she wondered if she’d ever see him again.

She wondered if she ever wanted to, and hated herself for it.

#ask prompts #oc: tandreth #oc: tin lizzy / lone wanderer #oc: azuraansi

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anteroom-of-death · 4 years

Text

Life, for Dummies p14

a/n: its wrapping up babes.....next??? epilouge and i can assure you...it’s gunna be, SPECTAULAR! yall....we LOVE a the great reference....so i did it.

Time passes slowly as you cemented in your immortality. Life became easier as you grew in confidence.

The Master was a great help, not just teaching you the in’s and out’s of being ageless, but educating you on how to claim your legacy as a partial Time Lord and the dynamite power that you were. Every day turning into every month, you grew in power and felt yourself harness the madness within your core. The intricate shifts of the universe?

At your disposal and yours to peruse through.

You became fluent in a very intimate way of speaking Gallifreyan and writing it that you never felt possible, despite all your previous studying. It was as if it were your native language, just not something you’d happened to pick up off the streets. You felt the Master’s declarations of love and lust moaning off his tongue as he spoke into your mouth, kissing you as you fucked each other deeply, penetrating each other’s mind as he went deeper and rougher inside you.

You weren’t so fragile anymore.

He could these days.

Of course.

Of course, things shifted dynamics wise.

You didn’t moan in awe of his mania or his various inconceivable actions. They were conceivable. Even as a human, you’d been a tad bit of an unorthodox thinker, but usually he’d leave you in the dust leaping to connect dots. As you now were?

The dots connected in shimmering patterns.

Your brain was both a million times emptier and a million times more crowded. You had new room for ideas and could carry a dozen or so different trains of thought at once.

No wonder the species perfected time-travel…

Space was yours and you and him, and your now shimmering, sharp mind waged war against all who stood in your way.

Even that pesky Doctor bowed to you, shocked and terrified of what a pet could become...if you let them recognize and upgrade their potentials.

They didn’t even take your flirting as a charade at their new tight body as a compliment.

They let you two slip and even resigned the control of the universe they felt entitled to unto you two.

It was fun to make your once awakening beg for mercy…

Perversely, you didn’t feel like good or evil for anything.

There really was no such thing.

Morals and meaning. Once you reached your first century, things started falling away. Bits and shards of your humanity, like old nail polish when drying your hands. What was right or wrong that you learned in various ethics and philosophy classes or even hands-on in life ceased meaning. Seeing good or seeing evil was for those who had a life and death cycle.

The Master and you did some research. He’d drift on in this form forever. Stymied to this body. Not that you particularly minded.

You’d be frozen in yours much the same way.

True immortality had been reached by you both.

Something he longed for so much for so long.

Ironic that the sacrifice of blood for the life of his beloved pet would bring it out in him.

He was truly in his most attractive form and he had you to thank for it.

You could leer at his form for years.

And years truly did pass.

Once you reached roughly three-hundred, you stopped counting. Counting birthdays seemed useless. An arcane tradition from an increasingly distant pass. A chant to the death and how to sparkle up the eyes and be optimistic about the inevitable.

One day, you happened to be on Earth and you noticed a calendar, and the distant memory of the day you were born startled you to a halt mid-scheme. A hot flash of twisting iron ground into your stomach as you started rapidly counting and flurries of years crashed.

“Pet?” He pulled you to his side, frowning as he assessed you physically. You could feel your mental bond being crossed as you sorted and he helped you pile yourself back into a redeemable sense.

You muttered something. He pointed to his ears, you muttered again. The dawning giving you your first reverie in centuries. You closed your eyes as the blood rushed into your ears and the thudding of your heart echoed dully.

“I’m five hundred andseventy five.” You finally hissed after you caught your breath.

You felt him hold you. “Oh, I know.” He pulled you back a bit and kissed your forehead.

“Why do you think we’re on Earth? Hmm?”

You shrugged. Another day, another fantastic wild ride through your universe.

No doubt about it, it was yours. You both controlled it completely in one way or the other.

Some of your old human density arose.

“Oh. That’s today in my timeline?”

“Yeah.” He smiled and ruffled his hair. “That’s the only birthday Time Lords really celebrated...half a millennia, then half a century, then half of that…” He clued you in, beaming. Eyes misting over...

You went on to have a lovely day physically torturing all of Reganite congress and then wiping the collective memories after fucking in a pool of blood, licking and laughing as you drank into each other. Having them be dazed and confused all naked and bloody and bruises flowing up to the surface…

All and all, a good birthday.

He took you back to the TARDIS, and the lights dimmed a soft purplish blue as he divested you of your panties and bra and picked you up gingerly and spread your legs. “I’m gonna do the alphabet now.” He tucked into your folds, voraciously licking and biting as he switched between languages and formats, spelling everything as you gripped his hair and toes curled inward.

He didn’t let you stop cumming for days.

Locked inwards and outwards until you were a goop pile of sex-crazed sleepiness. You finally passed out as you felt him carry you into the bedroom and crawl into bed with you and spoon you deeply.

Days passed on.

And that was befitting to you…

You were the Queen of All, and the Master, your Devoted King.

A powerful trip to give one former human.

But alas, it was the flavor of the life you lived.

You loved seeing him from across the room, whether or not it be disguised in plotting, and you’d take the role as the enslaver, or vise versa. Or even both at once. It was the thrill of the kill, and the pleasure of it all.

You’d even fucked beyond recognition 18th century Russia by him playing a sweet, naive virgin Count and you a scullery maid. Both whispering dissent and letting that dolt of a child Catherine think she was planning a coup.

You saw him as you were bringing in sheets playing the virgin card and you definitely had to lock yourself in her huge walk-in and scream for the scene for an hour. He found you after you both had gotten done with that day’s work.

“Heard you laughing at me…” He shoved you into the ground of the gardens and purred into your ear as he divested him trouser.

“Amethyst eyes.” You mocked the girl’s lilty voice in a nasally squirm.

You crossed your hands on your heart and changed your mocking tone to match his, “Are you seducing me?” You added some false tears, to blend in with your crying laughter.

That earned you a slap across the face and him turning you around, ripping your underthings away. “How dare you talk to your superior, I’m a Count, you filthy little maid.”

You snorted, “A nice little benefit package you're giving me?” You joked as you felt that familiar weight grab your hips and pull you down towards his thick prick.

“You know this is the 18th century and Russia. We don’t pay our help.” He explained.

“I’m unionizing!” You moaned and braced yourself, gripping grass and dirt.

He thrusted hard, proof that Orlo wasn’t a sweet bastard boy, but the universal bastard most knew and feared. He cupped your breasts and tore at your kerchief, ruining your bodice jacket in the process and reached into the stays, deftly stretching the front panel with his flexible hands and under your shift and massaging your breast and digging a nail or two into your nipples. You stifled a scream. Revolution would come. But not before you.

You went on like that for three hours, rutting in the Russian night like wild pigs out to stud. Eventually you came and went, talking about the next phase of awkward Orlo and the housekeeper starting a coup…

You rolled your eyes, “Whatever happened to the cigarette after sex?” You offhandedly muttered, watching the sky start to get light, “Humans found out pleasure kills?” The Master shrugged.

“Humans are dumb.” You observed astutely.

“Definitely.” He kissed your neck and bit it roughly and popped off, Orlo had a meeting and you had to ready that room of Peter’s.

He wrinkled his nose at you across the room, and you swore you would have died right there.

That adventure came and went, and you moved onto the next.

#personal #i wrote this #dhawan!master x reader #dhawan!master #dhawan!master x you #doctor who self insert fiction #master x reader #sacha dhawan #count orlo #oof to my braincells #yeet #lemon

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monumenttisland · 5 years

Text

uhh my 2 cents of the SWH songs related to the tarot and meta narrative

♥ Dancing Devils: Begin Again

This song is about how unhappy the subject is in their relationship, and how their partner leaves them “Sad and scarred” However because this song is associated with The Devil, which represents attachment, addiction, and restriction, one can assume they feel an obligation or a dependency on the partner. One can infer that the subject’s partner is abusive or emotionally manipulative in some way. One interesting way I think this is illustrated is during Begin Again where the first devil seems to hang perilously off a cliff. The Fool dashes in to catch them before they fall, but in no time at all the dancing devil simply resumes flying and continues attacking the Fool. We understand that the devils have no trouble keeping themselves afloat and have the ability to soar through the air carefree, making this action seem like a very manipulative thing could do. This could be synonymous to a abuser pretending to be vulnerable to make a partner feel guilty enough to stay with them. The subject realizes that this is a poor way to live, and recognizes the toxicity in their relationship, even though they have since dismissed the strife until now. “I have tried to forget all the pain and regrets“. The subject decides they must ‘begin again’ by leaving this person and finding a new love, but this is never easy to do. Initially the song ominously echos “Begin again” as though it were a foreboding warning, but as the song goes on and the subject describes their unhappiness, the phrase begins to change. It becomes not a fear of loss or abandonment, but of hope. If they can ‘begin again’ despite how difficult it can be, they have the opportunity to truly be happy. They overcome the devils their chained to and brave the new world set before them.

♥ Howling Moons: Dead Of Night If the scenario for The Moon is to succeed the events of The Devil, then the theme and song here is about fear and uncertainty (which is what The Moon can represent). The lyrics for this song are very organic, in which the subject expresses “I don't know where to start In the search of the beat of your heart” emphasizing their anxiety to both being alone and finding love. In the level ‘Forest Ghost’ you follow and eventually ride a white deer which is a personification of The Emperor tarot card, which represents structure and knowledge. This could represent The Fool trying to find guidance in her time of change. The chorus talks about how the subject still feels lost without a partner, but despite this they decide to “Shake the pain, break away, leave it all behind / With a hint of dawn I'm already gone”. Meaning that despite their fears they’re still determined to persevere. However, the chorus contrasts to this statement. It describes how the subject doesn’t feel any emotional attachment to new people the way they did previously, and that new people are “Perfectly void of life / Lovers like zombies”. Alternatively this could be describing how the subject is exhibiting these traits and is emotionally detached to further avoid emotional trauma and heartache. The song goes on to describe how the subject wants the thrill of a new love, but is blinded by love in return. Perhaps after their previous relationship, they fear intimacy because they feel it’ll become toxic or empty like before. In the songs second verse, they go on to explain they still dream of a perfect love, one in which they can outrun death itself (death in this case means the end of love itself).

♥ Stereo Lovers: Mine The Lovers’ arc begins with The Tower card, which represents sudden change and chaos. Perhaps after being unable to find love, The Fool realizes their inability to love will lead them to ruin and in an act of despair they find a way to fulfill their loneliness. The Lovers’ tarot card represents love and harmony, the thing The Fool has been searching for, however the lyrics in Mine seem contradict to this. The song is upbeat and a more positive sounding song in the entire soundtrack, but the lyrics talk about how the subject doesn’t care for intimacy or any kind of real love, only the appearance of it. “Your wild heart glitters / And my eyes shine / You fit so perfectly / With all the golden things of mine” - this lyric might refer to another person who appears to be their perfect match for the subject, but as we’ve learned from Dead of Night, this doesn’t matter, the subject has abandoned any hope for real love and only seeks the ideal. In this, they acquire a new sense of confidence through materialistic love, in that the ideal match is simply themselves (hence why the Stereo Lovers are split in two). The facade is good enough for everyone else, so it should be for them. This kind of self-love is hollow as its only a means demonstrate a semblance of wholeness, of which the Stereo Lovers certainly are not. This is all a temporary solution to a much bigger problem as illustrated by The Tower and further emphasized by the Stereo Lovers destroying the road, forcing the Fool to fly on a tiny glider. Perhaps this act of wanting to be carefree and soar is the subject’s desire to be as unrestricted as their partner was during The Devil arc. This is a vain interpretation of love the subject has seems to have fallen into after The Moon’s arc, not for conceited reasons however, but out of necessity to feel okay.

♥ Hermit64: The World We Knew After experiencing the liberation of The Lovers self-love, The Hermit arc opens with The Chariot, which represents success and determination. Night Drift has the player drive freely on the open road of the “Desert of Doubts” only to come to a screeching halt at Hermit64, waiting patiently on their throne-like chair. The Hermit represents isolation and introspection, taking time to contemplate and understand both the self and the world. In the meta narrative established so far, I believe the subject finds themself doing just this, considering all their experiences with love thus far. They begin to slow down and take time alone and eventually find themself at a standstill in their life unable to continue. Hermit64 uses The World tarot, which represents achievements, wholeness, and completion, as the game running on their VR headset, and sends the Fool into it. In a sense, Hermit64 is playing The Fool in The World video game. The World We Knew is a slow and somber song with emotional peaks and valleys that plays during the subjects lowest point in their life. From the beginning of the song the lyrics describes the subjects thoughts quite literally on the world they know. “I’m too young to remember when the world was alive” - The subject is at a time in their life where they don’t feel they’ve experienced enough of life to have had a peak of a “golden era”. They haven’t felt alive since so much of their love life was spent in the relationship in The Devil’s arc they only realized recently was bad for them. “I’m too old to start changing” - After what the subject has been through during The Moon and Lovers arc, they feel they have changed too much as a person to do so again. They recognize the person they are and all the faults that come with that they deem unable to adapt to new love. “And too tired revive... the world we knew” - With the previous considered, the subject is simply too tired to subject themself to love again because of the risk of heartache and misery. This also reads as depression and being stuck in one place in life, and how difficult it is to keep moving on with mental illness. “They say "begin again" / But I'll take any fragments I could find” - Possibly a callback to Begin Again, although doing so leads to the possibility of finding happiness, the subject cannot do so, and would rather live with the memory of when they were happy.

♥ Little Death: Inside The Death arc opens after the bleak sentiment posed by Hermit64 with The Star as a boat in the ocean of death, which represents hope and faith. At the very bottom of the The Fool’s depression, they have a glimmer of hope and decide to seek it out to see whatever it has to offer them. This leads us to Lovedead City, home to the infamous Little Death who began all this heartbreak. Little Death rides on a white motorcycle similar to how Death in classic tarot cards rides on a white horse, symbolizing purity. Little Death summons Hate Skulls through The Hanged Man tarot card, which represents sacrifice and letting go (which goes hand-in-hand with the Death tarot card). At this point, its clear that all of this means the dreaded end of love Sayonara Wild Heart talks about. I believe the reason these are called Hate Skulls are because the subject/The Fool feels a sense resentment towards themself for not leaving their relationship in The Devil’s arc sooner, and now unable to find love. The act of the destroying of the Hate Skulls with the bow from Temperance, which represents balance and moderation, could represent the subject taking the time to work through their feelings in an attempt to be reborn, now at the brink of death. The actual song is filled with remorse, but inspires hope in a sense as well. The subject explains how they’re unable to properly express the right words to say, presumably to their partner. Perhaps this reason this lack of communication is associated with Death is because it is what leads to the end of love in every circumstance. The theme of regret could be tied back to The Devil where if the subject was able to find the right words and articulate their feelings, they may have never fallen out of love to begin with. The first and second verse of the song seem to be casual conversations with another person, perhaps what the subject wish they had said. This is further evolved by Little Death violently vomiting puke which could be interpreted as “All the things I need to say / And all the big words (that) seem to stay / On the inside” Alternatively, I like to believe by this point the subject has found someone they can simply speak to about their feelings and experiences to, and in the candid dialogs they have is the powerful notion that they may find love again. Death is inevitable and simply means the end of something, but I believe here it means rather than the end of love, it means the end of all the heartbreak and strife the previous love the subject went through.

#max says stuff #sayonara wild hearts #simogo #long post #happy holidays lol

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rather-impertinent · 5 years

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A Wish Fulfilled

A/N: I’m sorry if this is full of errors, I am far too exhausted to keep my eyes open for another second longer 😅 I also have a (very long, very angsty, very lovely) fic which is almost complete and that I will be adding to The Enys Chronicles tomorrow, stayed tuned! 💗 For now, I hope you enjoy this wee drabble, friends! xo

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

The November rain pattered off the window of Dwight Enys’ study, whispering its wintery secrets. The frosty afternoon and incessant rainfall, however, was no match for the loving warmth of the room itself.

“Dear little Isabella is very sweet, is she not?” Caroline rhetorically asked her husband, carefully studying his concentrated features as he examined his appointment diary at his desk.

The Enyses had returned from a visit to Nampara barely an hour ago. Caroline and Demelza had hoped to have a civilised cream tea with their husbands and catch up on each other’s news as they had barely seen each other all month with Ross’ tasks taking him all over Britain - and Dwight and Caroline themselves had been in London for over a fortnight. The ladies’ plan was foiled the moment the Enyses walked into the house, as Clowance and Jeremy immediately dragged their uncle Dwight into the game they were playing with their father and youngest sibling. Ross had devised a new game of hide-and-seek, one which involved a chase, whomever managed to find and hold baby Bella before the seeker caught them was the winner. And so the ladies had sipped their tea alone at the table, raised voices exchanging pleasantries, their teacups hiding their smiles as they fought to maintain their put-out pretences.

Dr Enys’ features softened as he thought of the newest member of the Poldark family, whom he had assisted into this world two months ago. “She is lovely,” agreed Dwight, his tone soft; there was something about babies that was so inexplicably comforting to him - perhaps it was their enchanting innocence. And with large blue eyes like her mother and wisps of dark brown curls like her father, Isabella-Rose was most definitely enchanting.

“Just think, Dr Enys, the next child you deliver could be your own,” Caroline hinted, smothering a smile from the armchair Dwight had installed for her in his study.

The doctor let out a soft chuckle as he continued to write in his diary. “God willing, my love,” he murmured, glancing at her before taking a piece of parchment and beginning a letter of correspondence to Dr Pinel, with whom Dwight had worked closely during and after his time in France these past few months.

Caroline hummed, now grinning mischievously from behind her book. She discarded the novel, schooled her grin and stood up, moving to casually rest against Dwight’s mahogany desk, her hands clasped against the edge of the table as she stood next to him. Caroline pointedly stared at the doctor, a small smile on her face as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Dwight’s eyes met her own and he returned her tender smile, his hand momentarily resting on top of his wife’s.

Caroline huffed quietly as he resumed writing; how could one so intelligent be so stupid when it came to picking up hints? “Well, pray check your diary and see that you be free for such an occasion around May.”

“May?” Dwight repeated absently with a small chuckle, his quill still scratching the parchment as he noted down possible treatments of psychosis. “But it is already November-“ A dawning realisation stole the end of his sentence and ruined his neat script as his hand slackened in surprise.

Satisfied that the news had sunk in, Caroline smiled smugly: smug that she had managed to hide her condition from him and surprise him. But most of all, Caroline was smug that she - that they both - had not allowed life’s greatest hardship to snatch away any future happiness.

Dwight rose from his seat and stood opposite his wife, simply running his eyes over her, his gaze clinical and disbelieving, hopeful and uncertain.

Caroline pulled anxiously on her fingers; it was not often cool, calm and collected Dr Enys was rendered speechless. “My love?” she asked, her eyes searching his. “Are you alright?”

“Alright?” Dwight softly repeated. He laughed and shook his head; never had there been such an understatement. “My darling, I am so ecstatic I am quite afraid to move for fear this is all a dream.” Even in the muted winter light, Caroline could see that his eyes were filled with tears.

Caroline then felt her own eyes prick with tears, a surge of relief and happiness filling her being. “Fear not,” she murmured, carefully taking her entranced husband’s hand and pressing it carefully against her abdomen; a small, but readily detectable, curve was present.

A beaming smile stretched across Dwight’s face; it was truly no dream, it was a wish no longer.

Caroline closed her eyes in anticipation of a kiss but instead felt her body jolt forwards and upwards as Dwight lifted her from her waist and spun her around like a madman. “Dwight!” she gasped, shrieking and laughing as the room spun around her, her feet brushing the curtains, bookshelves flying past her gaze.

Grinning like a fool, Dwight put her down and stumbled, dizzy from the action but more so from Caroline’s news. Just as he was about to lean in and kiss her, the doctor within him bubbled to the surface and drowned out the expectant father. It had taken them a long while to come to expect, and it was certainly not for want of trying. “You must have at least one strengthening tonics a day,” Dr Enys ordered, his mind whirring as he thought of the ingredients he would need, “It will be good for both you and the child.” The child! A child! Their child!

Caroline rolled her eyes gently; they both knew she would be drinking no tonics unless Dwight poured them into her slackened mouth while she slept. “Dwight.”

Dr Enys held up a finger. “My love, I’m afraid I must insist.” He leaned over the ruined piece of parchment on his desk and dipped a quill in ink. “Have you any sickness? I can prescribe something depending on its severity. Are you feeling alright now?” He glanced at her; she didn’t look pale. She looked beautiful and happy and radiant.

“Dwight.”

“Of course some exercise every day is important,” Dwight continued. “Not too much, though,” he warned, now very much babbling. “A walk around the gardens shall do fine. We can walk together after some supper,” he offered as he continued scribbling things on a piece of parchment, his brain going a mile a minute. “Hmm,” Dwight then said, turning and narrowing his eyes at the bleak day. “But only if the rain stops, lest you catch a chill.” He felt a gentle hand on his back.

“Dwight.” Caroline was smiling now.

“May, you say, my love?” Dwight double-checked, unable to prevent another smile forming on his handsome features. “Well, if you wish to return to London then we must go soon because you will not be in suitable condition for such a long journey come March or February,” he told her, continuing to scribble on a piece of parchment, his hand trembling with excitement. “Oh, and-”

“Dwight!” yelled Caroline, flicking his bicep and grinning with impatience.

Dwight’s head snapped around to look at her, his blue eyes were round in surprise. “What?”

“Dr Enys, I wonder, could you be persuaded to stop worrying for long enough to give your wife a well-earned kiss?” Caroline asked, her tone teasing and flirtatious.

With a slightly guilty smile, Dr Enys dropped his utensil and straightened his spine before quickly closing the distance between them. He smiled softly as he brushed his hand against the barely detectable swell of her abdomen. “I think that can be arranged,” he purred as he placed his hands on either side of her face and kissing her deeply.

Caroline’s arms went about his neck as she deepened the kiss, not a single beam of light passing between them as they embraced.

Dwight paused thoughtfully as he broke their kiss; he wondered if anyone else knew. Did Demelza know, or suspect? Did Ross know? Well, they would know within the hour, he would ride there and share the news himself, it simply could not wait. He must also write to the Blameys, Sam and Rosina, Kitty and little James, his only living aunt, George, Caroline’s aunt...

Caroline’s mouth swished from side to side to contain her smile and imprison a laugh at her husband’s predictability. “Good Lord, Dr Enys, I can practically hear the quill on the paper already. At the risk of not being clear, you may not write to every single acquaintance that pops into your head to inform them of our news. We shall tell the Poldarks and the Carnes at dinner on Sunday over some of Demelza’s delicious pie and any other bodies who happen to hear of our news may do so then, but only once our dearest friends are aware,” she warned without heat, wagging her index finger at him.

Dwight barked out a laugh, which echoed throughout the study and floated down the long corridor. “Must you always read my mind?” he wondered, smiling, as he tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

Placing both her hands on his shoulders, Caroline pressed a kiss to his mouth. “I suppose it is the consequence of our abiding love for each other, or something to that effect,” she teased, though her eyes were soft and shining.

Dwight smiled softly and kissed her again. And again. “Or something to that effect,” he murmured against her lips.

#poldark #poldark fanfic #carolight

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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 3 years

Text

COSMIC - S1:E2; Chapter Two, The Weirdo On Maple Street - [Pt. 2]

A Will Byers x Gender Neutral!Reader Series

||𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

Lucas, Dustin and I take our seats once we get to class.

"Oh, that can't be good." I sigh, gesturing to Mike's empty seat.

"Yeah, he's never this late," Dustin added.

"I'm telling you, his stupid plan failed," Lucas stated.

"I thought you liked his plan?"

"Yeah, but obviously it's stupid, or he'd be here."

"If his mom found out a girl spent the night—" Dustin began.

"He's in deep shit right about now."

Dustin shifted in his seat, and leaned forward, whispering loud enough for us to hear. "Hey, what if she slept naked?"

"Ugh!" My face screws into a sour, disgusted look aimed at my brother, unintentionally speaking at the same time as Lucas. "Why would she do that, Dustin?"

"Oh, my God, she didn't."

"Oh, if Mrs. Wheeler tells our parents..."

The thought of Mom finding out was enough to elicit an anxious groan from me, and I let my forehead fall against desk where I buried my face.

"No way. Mike would never rat us out."

I hesitantly looked up, making eye contact with Lucas. He gave me a reassuring smile, knowing I worry easily.

"I don't know." Dustin said warily.

||𝟑𝐑𝐃 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

It took a solid moment for Mike to gather his thoughts and focus on the task at hand. He parked his bike and made his way inside.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

"You want anything to drink?" Mike decided to take advantage of the empty house so that he could show El around. "We have OJ, skim milk... What else? Um, we have..."

Mike trailed off when he saw that El was more fascinated with the things in his living room, mostly his TV set.

"Oh, this is my living room. It's mostly just for watching TV."

El lightly traced her fingers around the frame of the TV as she examined it.

"Nice, right? It's a 22-inch.

That's, like, ten times bigger than Dustin's."

El turned her head and said quietly.

"Y/n."

"Well, yeah of course. Y/n too."

"Dustin. Brother?" She asked, making sure she remembered correctly.

"Yeah!" Mike smiled, then lightly shrugged. "Well, technically Y/n's adopted. But yeah, they're still siblings."

El's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Ad-adopted?"

"Yeah, um, it means that they came from different parents. Mrs. Henderson adopted them because their parents were unable to take care of them. It's funny actually, Y/n is from Hawkins. Or at least that's where they were found. The Hendersons didn't used to live in Hawkins; I don't know much about it cause Dustin was so young he doesn't remember any of it, but I think him and his mom were visiting family here and they just... found Y/n, I think? I'm pretty sure that's why they moved here, or something."

She smiles longingly and speaks in a soft voice. "Pretty."

"I guess." Mike's face is contorted in confusion and a little in disgust.

"And those are my parents. What are your parents like?" As usual, El says nothing and she steps down from the fireplace and walks up to a large green chair.

She looked to Mike, wondering what he is up to.

"See? Fun, right?"

With one hand on the back of the chair, and the other on the front, he brings the recliner back into its default position. "Now you try."

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

The random rock song on the radio that Jonathan barely recognized came to an end as Jonathan Byers drove to his dad's house. His eyes darted to the radio unit in his car for a moment as his heart fell when the familiar sound of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" rang throughout the car.

- 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 -

"Darlin', you got to let me know"

Jonathan is sat on the edge of the bed next to his younger brother Will. The two of them are in Will's room, bobbing their heads along to 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' by The Clash.

"Should I stay or should I go?"

"You like it?" Jonathan had to raise his voice so he could be heard over the loud song. Will looks to his older brother and grins.

"Yeah, it's cool!"

"All right, you can keep the mix if you want."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. All the best stuff's on there. Joy Division, Bowie, Television, The Smith's... It'll totally change your life."

"Yeah, totally," Will says with a smile. However, the smile is quick to leave when the two boys hear their mother yelling on the phone.

"Where the hell are you, Lonnie?"

Will slowly turns his head to the door, listening to his mother yell at his absent father.

"I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it." Jonathan mimics his brother's actions and looks to the door. Finally, he gets up and walks towards the door.

"This is ridiculous! I'm so sick of your excuses."

"One day is fine and next is black"

Before Jonathan sits down, he lowers the volume on the stereo.

"He's not coming, is he?"

"Do you even like baseball?" Jonathan asks softly.

"No, but... I don't know." He shrugs sadly. "It's fun to go with him sometimes."

"Come on. Has he ever done anything with you that you actually like? You know, like the arcade or something?"

Will shrugs his shoulders weakly. "I don't know."

"No, all right? He hasn't. He's trying to force you to like normal things. And you shouldn't like things because people tell you you're supposed to. Okay?"

Will only looks down at his feet sadly.

"Especially not him."

Will silently nods his head in understanding.

Jonathan decided to change the subject.

"But you like The Clash? For real?"

Will nods his head eagerly with a smile. "For real. Definitely."

"So... is Y/n a fan of The Clash?" Jonathan asks, genuinely curious.

A faint blush dusts Will's cheeks as he looks down at his hands. "Um, yeah, I think so."

"Maybe you should show this to them. I bet they'll like it."

"Maybe. You think?"

"Yeah, from what I know, they have great taste. They're pretty cool."

A loving smile spreads across Will's face. "Yeah, they are pretty cool."

"Will, you guys are best friends. You two are just too close to ruin the friendship. Why don't you think about asking them to the arcade or something? Just the two of you. Maybe come back here for some Mac and Cheese or something if that'd make you feel safer, and you could," he shrugs. "let them know how you feel?"

"But what if that does ruin the friendship? What if they don't feel the same way, and they decide to stop hanging out with me? Or if someone finds out- I just- I just can't. I'm not ready."

"That's okay. All I'm saying is, they're way too nice to be the kind of person who would do that. And you are way too important to them. And hey, if you ever do feel ready, or you guys do go out in the future..." Jonathan trails off, sensing the awkwardness creep up. He chuckles and looks back to his brother.

"All I'm trying to say is, I'm here for you. Always."

Will smiles gratefully and Jonathan leans forward to the volume back up.

"Should I stay or should I go? So you gotta let me know, should I stay or should I go?"

- 𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 -

#you'll float queue #stranger things #will byers x reader #reader insert #will byers #dustin henderson #mike wheeler #lucas sinclair #cosmic #gn!cosmic #el hopper #eleven #stranger things x reader #stranger things x gn!reader #x gn!reader #x gender neutral reader #the weirdo on maple street

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blueishfood · 5 years

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The Rider

Pairing: Hiccup x Astrid

Words: 2,7 k

Warning(s): Mentions of rape

Summary: She was a trapper. Born a trapper, grown a trapper. Her parents and all those before her were trappers. All her life Astrid's been told that dragons were beasts and monsters. So what happens when she meets the Rider, the devil in human form, who believes dragons could be friends?

A/N: This is an alternate universe fic where Astrid Hofferson is a trapper and Hiccup Haddock lives alone with his dragons. I wrote this years ago, but I just kind of never published it anywhere? So here it is, sorry for bad writing and stuff but again, old fic. If you’re sensitive to mentioning of rape, do not read this! It does not happen in the fic, and it will not be described, but it is mentioned as one of the characters are affected by this.

Chapter 2

She was a trapper. Born a trapper, grown a trapper. Her parents and all those before her were trappers. All her life Astrid's been told that dragons were beasts and monsters. So that's what she believed. She always had her axe, she was always on guard. She'd killed more dragons than she could count, and she had never regretted it. Because dragons are monsters, so what' there to regret? Astrid was trained to protect her loved ones and kill her enemies. And the dragons were the enemy.

Then there was The Rider. That was what they liked to call him. He was the devil in human form. He often came in the dead of night. Sometimes even in the day, but that wasn’t often. He always wore that mask. It was black as the dragon he was riding, tiny horns stuck up on the top, resembling the tale of his dragon, and the only opening was for his eyes. The green demonic eyes of Loki.

He didn’t look like much. He had a slender, lanky body. He didn’t look like a fighter. But he was. She had seen him pin her father to the ground. One of the greatest warriors in their tribe. As easy as nothing. His pride had been very hurt that day, grumbling something he had grabbed food and stayed in his room for two days. Astrid snorted at the thought and she downed the last of her yak milk. Her father hadn’t been prepared. Unlike him Astrid wouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating the Rider.

Astrid jumped when she heard the first call of war in the morning. Barely done with breakfast, she ran outside to see the now usual figure of a nightfury in the dawn sky. She grabbed her axe and threw two knifes in her pockets before she leaped into action. Jumping over dragons, leaving them a scar or two, before running towards him. This time. This time for sure. She was going to take on The Rider.

With a screech the deadly black dragon landed on the ground. The Rider jumped off, and with a swift movement he had a flaming sword in his left hand, he held the other calming to his sneering dragons head. As Astrid neared the man, his nightfury turned to look at her. Its eyes burned with a hatred greater then she had ever seen. Her breathing came out in rapid breaths. She made no move, and neither did he. But when his dragon suddenly turned to take on her cousin, she decided that it was now or never. And charged.

He blocked without a sound. Sliding under her and ducking up at the other side. She had seen him fight before, and he her. She knew some of his tricks and moves, he knew that she was running on sheer power and strategy.

They fought like a dance, gliding against each other. Weapons and shouts sounded all around them, but Astrid didn’t realize that. Her sweat made her clothes cling to her body. She swung her axe towards him, it hit his sword and for a moment they were locked to a stop. She looked deep into his eyes, trying to figure out what he fought for. She found nothing. The moment was over in a second, he slid his sword out of the lock and kicked her in the stomach. She stumbled backwards. He was surprisingly good at what he did. He turned his sword and pushed a button. She recognized the gas coming out as zippleback gas and ducked just as it exploded. She felt a strong hand pull her axe out of her grip. Then she was pushed against a firm chest, the flaming sword at her throat.

She tried to get away from the heat, pressing her head to his chest. "C-cheater." She choked out, trying to get out of his grip. She could hear the frown in his voice as he pushed the sword a bit further towards her throat. "Trapper." He growled.

She barely registered the fire leaving her throat. She was so stunned that when he took off on his dragon, she did nothing. She only stared as he shot the dragons out of their cages and disappeared with his new recruits behind the clouds.

"Argh!" She became aware of Night racing towards her. "Astrid! You had him! You let him go!" The man gripped her wrist ferociously. She ripped it out of his hand. "He had a sword to my throat!" Night huffed. "You could have killed him." Astrid’s unbelieving eyes turned angry. "I could have been killed! Don't you care!?" He rolled his eyes. “I care about catching that dragon-loving-pest!”

His eyes were fire and hers were ice. Without a word she turned and headed for the woods. "What the Hel Astrid!?" The young woman turned back slowly.

"We're through. I already told you that and you need to get it into your head. You have no right to talk to me.” She frowned at him and spit by his boots. “I'd rather marry The Rider than you." Night tried to grab her forearm, but she forced it away. "Get off me!" She tried walking away, but he grabbed her again.

“Astrid! Wait!” She turned with a deadly glare.

“I said…” Her voice was no longer loud. It was silent and silent was dangerous with Astrid. “Get your filthy fingers off me.” Night didn’t have time to answer before he felt a strong pain spreading through his jaw. He fell and as he tried to get back up, black spots filled his eyesight. Astrid cracked her knuckles.

“You should learn to listen.” Walking away without killing the man was one of the hardest choices Astrid made that day. She noticed Snotlout punching the man again but said nothing against it.

As a hand was placed on her shoulder, she looked up. Ruffnut smirked down at her. "He was a jerk anyway." Tuffnut popped up beside his sister. "Yeah and think of it this way; now you can spend more time with chicken!" He lifted the cackling creature in the air, smiling like a crazy man. "We were all hoping for that to happen, babe." Snotlout smirked at her as she punched him good-heartedly. "Hey Astrid, you okay?" Fishlegs looked concerned at the girl. Astrid smiled. "Sure, I'm fine. I'll just go practice the axe." She turned, walking towards the woods, but looked back when Ruffnut followed her. "Alone." She muttered and ran before anyone could catch up.

Astrid threw her axe towards the pine tree. "ARGH!" She shouted as she pushed herself to the limit. Breaking up with Night was not really the problem. Sure, they had been together for a few months and they looked like a power couple from the outside, but he ruined all her fierce personality. He ruined her. He made her look weak, constantly reminding her that she was a girl and he was the man. That she would bear his children one day and stay home as the housewife as Viking-law had it. That he would destroy for her, kill for her at the battlefield. But never die for her. He never mentioned that.

No Night wasn’t really the problem. The fact that she’d kept up with him was. The fact that she’d been too weak to break up when she should have.

Her doubts had started long ago. When he first tried to kiss her only days into the relationship or when he hit her for the first time.

Astrid sat down on the ground slowly. The memory making her weak. She had been fighting and gotten a nasty scar out of it. He told her that women were supposed to be perfect and without flaws. When she denied it, he lifted his hand and struck. It burnt so bad. It prickled all over her face even though he’d only touched her cheek. She’d wanted to cry. But she was a warrior. She could take a hit. With her head held high, she left the house with a smile. It left a mark on her cheek the next day, but when Ruff asked, she had brushed it off, saying that it was from a dragon. It didn’t look like it came from a dragon.

Astrid fought back the tears.

She continued with him though. Because her parents wanted her married and they liked the stupid bravery that the boy had. She had smiled and faked everything. She would do anything for her family.

A violent relationship doesn’t start with a strike. It doesn’t start with shouting and screaming. It starts with a man who seems strong, loving and unbeatable. It starts with the guy that brings her roses and cheeky smiles over a glass of mead. It starts with the boy that she fought with for years, that she always thought were the mighty, the best. That’s why she didn’t run when he shouted. She didn’t run when he hit. She stayed because of the person she thought he was. The person she thought she knew. She stayed because maybe, just maybe it was a one-time thing. She stayed because of false love and broken promises.

But when he took her. When he took her purity from her, her honour that was when she said stop. She couldn’t deal with him. She wanted to crawl into a hole and cry every time she saw him. At the same time, she wanted to cut his head off. At every mention of him she saw him holding her hands up with such a strong grip that it left marks on her wrists. Every time she saw him she saw that dark room, that hunger in his eyes. Every time she heard his voice, she heard his commands for her to stay silent. His promises that it would be quick. That it would be over soon. And his cruel laugh when she cried. She hated him. She hated him so much that she wanted to die.

No.

She wanted him to die. She wanted to kill him. Forcefully. She wanted to watch him bleed out as she cut something deep into his heart, or as she shoved her axe into his skull. Or maybe she wanted it to be slowly. Maybe she wanted him to suffer as she had by his hands. She wanted him dead. But not before she made him bleed.

The woman stood up with a start and flung the axe at the nearest tree. A satisfying crack filled her ears as she pretended that it was his head. She didn’t wipe away the tears running down her red cheeks. With an angry shout she threw the axe again and again and again. She imagined that it hit his head, his heart, just him for Thor’s sake.

She didn’t see the monsterous nightmare sneaking up on her, and neither did she see the nadder defending her. What she did see was the nadder turning around after the fight, when the nightmare had flown away. Astrid looked at the dragon for a few seconds before she lifted her axe into fighting position and took a stand. She needed to kill something.

The nadder squawked at her, flopping its wings and slamming its tale down to the ground with a warning 'shmack!'. Then Astrid attacked. She jumped, taking a hold of the blue nadders horn and swinging herself on top of it, just in time to escape the hot flames. Then she ran down it's body, concentrating, and jumped off on the other side.

"HYAH!" She shouted as she attacked once more. For a moment she had forgotten about its spiky tale. As the spikes shot up, and the tale swiped towards her legs she jumped, barely touching one spike with the sole of her boot. She let out a ringing laughter when she caught one of the nadders spikes in her hand. It was great to be back on track where she belonged.

It took to the air and aimed to her. She gripped it's blue and yellow spike and threw it. When a nadder shoots its spikes, it always leaves its stomach unarmed. The spike hit. It barely left a mark, because of the nadder's thick skin, but it still made it fall to the ground. 'Thump' Astrid ran towards it. Letting out her battle cry she lifted her axe on the way and let it fall.

It was just about to hit the animals neck when she hesitated. It almost reminded her of herself. Spikes out, walls up. Full of armour, probably killed more humans than it could count. Razor sharp and cold as ice. But it was not the sharpness of its claws, nor the spikiness of its tale that surprised Astrid. It was the Nadders bravery. Astrid had known for a long time that dragons had stupid bravery that got them killed. But this? This was something else.

How it didn’t blink when Astrid had it under her axe. How it looked straight in her eyes with a cold gaze and waited for its death.

And then she saw it. In the dragon’s eyes. Something that reminded her of... honour? Dragons with honour. What a stupid thought! Dragons didn’t have honour. They were like sheep. Dumb, only following their flock.

Then again, what did she do? Would she dare abandon her flock? Probably not. She was trained to protect her loved ones and kill her enemies. Not to flee. And as Astrid continued to wonder, the Nadder flew away.

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

Hiccup frowned when Stormfly flew towards him. "What in Odin's name took you so long?" He asked chuckling, and then motioned for her to follow him. "Yeah, yeah, let's just get home." The man called the rider patted his dragon and felt Toothless body readjust as they prepared for the long home journey. "So... -what the-?" The man turned around only to see the Nadder heading back towards the island.

"Stormfly! How-?" He leaned and turned around, speeding after the dragon. She squawked at him. "So... you are coming later, then?" He asked, only to get no response. The dragon only looked at him and continued. "Stormfl- argh-" Hiccup pushed Toothless further, receiving a grunt from the dragon.

"Hey! It's not my fault!" Toothless stopped mid-air and flicked his ear a bit to get his riders attention. Hiccup glanced down to the island, the hunters had already gathered under them. Realizing that arrows were sizzling past their ears, Hiccup looked down to Stormfly before he pulled Toothless up.

"You're right bud. We can't risk getting shot. Stormfly's already below their point of aim anyways." The Rider scratched his chin, wondering what to do. "How ‘bout you shoot a warning?" The nightfury let out an agreeing sound before shooting a plastmablast near the unsuspecting nadder. Unfortunately, she ignored it and continued.

The hunters shot more arrows towards Stormfly, but she dodged them easily. Hiccup saw her press her wings to her sides, angle her tale straight and press her head forward to achieve maximum speed. Then, when she got close to the ground she let her wings out to stop the fall and readied her claws. Suddenly the Rider saw her goal. The girl.

The girl he had been fighting earlier. Astrid.

The young man looked panicked to Stormfly. Toothless growled, not impressed. The dragons knew that killing Astrid was out of the question. They knew that she was Hiccups only. Hiccup reasoned with that Stormfly either wanted to kill her or... well, that was probably the only answer. He had no time to react, and plainly looked when the nadder picked up the blonde girl.

Astrid didn’t see anything until she was lifted from her feet. "Oh Thor... OH THOR! Aaaaaahh!" She screamed as she was lifted higher up. She scrambled to get a hold of the nadder’s foot, clamping her legs and arms around it.

"Astrid!" Ruff shouted in despair as she could do nothing but see her best friend float away. She kicked Snotlout in the leg and screamed.

"NO! Why didn't you do something!" She shouted in a shrill voice. Tuffnut came up behind her, looking amused at Snotlout who was jumping on one leg trying not to make a fuss and put a firm hand on her shoulder.

"We'll get her back. Chicken's a good tracker." Snotlout grunted in agreement. He stood silent, watching Astrid disappear before he turned around.

“Let’s go kill that son of a half troll rider.”

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

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

A/N: Yay! Hope you liked it! Comment down below if you want to be on the tag list!

#httyd fandom #httyd #httyd fanfiction au #httyd fanfiction #hiccstrid #hiccup haddock #astrid hofferson #toothless #stormfly #dragons

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screensirenfic · 5 years

Text

Black Leather - Chapter 29

It took another forty minutes to get this trash heap battle ready; most of our time spent turning the bus into a makeshift bomb shelter to withstand the wrath of some inter dimensional creature that, lets not forget, we weren’t even sure actually existed.

At least Steve had finally managed to get the boys to pitch in, though they’re idea of helping seemed more like arguing over petty shit that really could wait till later; maybe after we weren’t counting down the seconds to a monster attack.

Still; me and Steve had managed to corral the troops onto the bus, and pour a gasoline trail from the door to the meat pile to guarantee we can light up this fucker like a barbecue with minimal risk to the kids.

Now all that was left to do was wait, something that was easier said than done considering keeping the kids calm and on the bus was like herding toddlers, but not because they were nervous.

The kids seemed far too eager for this show to start; as if it was one big fucking game of laser tag rather than a potential life and death situation.

Despite the risk and the newfound responsibility; me and Steve remained pretty damn calm all things considered.

We were sat on the bus seats next to each other; my feet propped in his lap and my shotgun nestled in my arms, looking very ma and pa for two ragtag teenagers waiting on a monster battle.

Steve kept fiddling with my lighter, flicking it on and off in a visible nervous tick that disrupted the illusion of coolheaded leader.

Across the aisle, Max sat alone, watching us with contemplative eyes, as if us being here at all confused her.

“So you thought one of these things before?” She asked; no disbelief in her voice, just interest.

“Yup.” Steve confirmed nonchalantly, popping the p with insane casualness as if we were talking about the weather or something.

“And you’re like; totally one hundred percent sure it wasn’t a bear?” She continued to question, and look; there was that disbelief I was waiting on.

“If it was; it was a pretty fucking freaky looking bear then.” I chirped, though my words fell flat; coming out clipped and tense.

“Shit. Don’t be an idiot, okay? It wasn’t a bear.” Interrupted Dustin from the back of the bus, finally breaking his silent sulking.

It seemed the kid still hadn’t gotten over the fact he might lose her to his best friend, and decided that the right person to be mad at was her; rather than his romantic rival sat on the roof.

“Why are you even here if you don’t believe us?” He continued to spit, rising from his seat to walk up to her face on.

“Just go home.” He barked, and I kinda wished he had that kind of confidence in the first place; would’ve saved him a lot of heartache if he’d just confronted her about his feelings all along.

“Sheesh! Someone’s cranky. Past your bedtime?” She retorted sharply, before getting up from her seat and climbing up the ladder to the roof.

Poor girl. She didn’t even know why Dustin was so mad; had no idea of the massive crush on her.

Why did boys have to be so damn constipated when it came to feelings?

Fuck; if I knew.

“That’s good. Just show her you don’t care.” Steve praised Dustin, and I had to hold off slapping him around the back of the head, because really?! That’s what he got from this?!

“I don’t.” Dustin replied, already pacing up and down the bus, and I was beginning to think I’d missed a big part of the picture back in the woods; because when did this become Steve’s advice?!

“I’m sorry; did I miss something?” I asked; mainly directing my question at Steve.

If we survived this we were gonna have a serious question at setting an example for the kids, and Jesus; I was sounding like a mother again!

“No. Nope. Nothing.” Steve lied blatantly, and believe me when I say Steve was a terrible liar.

We were so having this conversation when this was over...

And why the hell was Steve winking at Dustin?

“Why are you winking Steve? Stop.” Dustin spoke my thoughts, because at least someone here had some emotional maturity; even if that person was thirteen; and Jesus; Steve was doing it again!

“Enough, Steve.” I instructed, holding the lighter shut whilst I was at it, because Steve was becoming annoying, and I don’t think I could go the rest of the night without braining him if he kept this up.

———————————————-

So I managed to make Steve settle down and not act like a complete child, meanwhile the actual child was still pacing up and down like an elderly war widow, and my other charges were up top, probably sucking face if Max was anywhere near as petty as I wa—

Fuck! And not in a good way.

An ear piercing shriek that was somewhere between Godzilla and the Queen Xenomorph in Alien echoed across from the other side of the junkyard.

Steve, Dustin and I immediately got to our feet, making our way over to where we left some strategic gaps in the barricades on the bus windows.

Steve and I got there first, peering through at what appeared to be a completely deserted junkyard; mist rolling out over the metal skeletons of cars.

“You see him?” Dustin asked; peering over our shoulders to try and take a look.

“No.” Steve replied, eyes still scanning over the landscape outside.

“Lucas; what’s going on?!” Dustin yelled upstairs way louder than I’d like, making Steve and I both grimace with disapproval.

“Hold on!” The other kid- no; Lucas, yelled back.

We waited on baited breath for our elected lookout to put his binoculars to good use.

“I’ve got eyes. Ten o’clock.” Lucas instructed, and I immediately swivelled my head to the left, my eyes scanning for a sign of—

“There.” I pointed, honing in on a shadowy doglike figure on the outskirts of the junkyard.

“What’s he doing?” Dustin asked, leaning in real close, because apparently this kid knew nothing about personal space.

“I don’t know.” I replied, trying to make out more of the suspect demogorgon, but unable to see much else in the shadows.

The demogor— Dart, began walking towards the pile of meat; slowly and cautiously like a stray dog, and if not for the starkly reptilian colouring, I could be convinced he was one.

He stalked closer and closer to the meat, and for the time being, it looked like our plan would work and we’d have bagged this sucker before curfew.

Thirty feet... then twenty... then fifteen... and then ten.... and

Stop.

Dart just stopped dead in his tracks, like he suspected something was up, but that was impossible; that would mean he...

“He’s not taking the bait. Why is he not taking the bait?” Steve asked; a slight hint of panic edging on his voice as he voiced the question we were all thinking.

“Maybe he’s not hungry.” Dustin suggested, surprisingly calm, all things considered.

“Or maybe he’s sick of cow.” I said; reality dawning upon me, because of course! The demogorgon didn’t want to be fed; it wanted to hunt! That meant it needed—

“Steve; what are you doing?” I asked, watching as he got to his feet and began stripping off his jacket.

“Helping.” Steve stated matter-of-factly as he swiped up his nailbat with one hand.

“Steve; where are you going?” Dustin began to panic; alarmed that our all star quarterback seemed to be making a break for the outside world.

Steve didn’t answer, already making his way to the front of the bus.

I followed him, grabbing hold of my shotgun ready to hold him at gunpoint if it meant stopping him from doing something stupid.

“Steve; I’m not letting you do this...” I objected, standing between him and the exit, because Steve was already a white knight; I didn’t need him to be a martyr.

“I’m not asking you to, Lo.” Steve countered, moving to step past me.

“Steve; this is suicide!” I argued, grabbing hold of his arm in an attempt to stop him.

There was no way I was letting him do this!

“Then spot me from the roof.” He instructed, gently pushing my gun towards me, as if playing sniper was a good counteroffer for letting him play bait.

“Spot me from the roof!” I scoffed, following as he went to open the door of the bus, because no; he didn’t get to be a hero, whilst I sit with the kiddies like a good damsel.

“Steve Harrington; if you think for one minute I’m gonna sit pretty on the roof whilst that thing makes lunch meat out of you; you’re dumber than I thought...” I lectured, positioning myself as a suitably pissed of human barricade between him and the door.

“Then what the hell do you expect me to do?” Steve asked; whining and protesting at me ruining his action movie moment.

“Let me come with you.” I countered, because when Steve was in white knight mode; there was no way he was leaving it, but godammnit; I was coming for the ride.

Steve stared back at me; looking for an opening or an excuse, but I wouldn’t give him one.

I was Lola Fucking Hopper, and if anyone was gonna out-stubborn me it wasn’t gonna be a six foot pretty boy.

Then Steve relented, nodding in agreement at me, because dumb or not; he knew when he was beat.

He moved to open the door, when Dustin rushed up front; panic colouring his face and voice.

“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?!” He asked, eyes flickering wildly between the two of us.

Steve gave me a look; one we’d shared a thousand times since we were kids.

It was the we’re about to something painfully stupid and borderline dangerous look.

I loved that look.

“Get ready.” He said, turning his attention back to the kid with ominous words of wisdom.

He pulled my lighter out of his jeans pocket and tossed it towards Dustin.

Dustin clumsily caught it mid air, looking at it like it was a live hand grenade.

“Hey?! What am I supposed to do with this?” He panicked, but it was too late.

Me and Steve had already stepped off the bus and into the night.

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fanficnewbie · 5 years

Text

“Fighting for Forever” - Chapter Six: Open Heart Fanfic

This is my first story/series. The first 5 chapters are adaptations from the first 4 parts of “A Weekend with Dr. Ramsey” series with permission from @alwaysmychoices and then I continue my own original work in chapters 6-14.

I start this adapted storyline during Chapter 15 of the original OH series. There is a bit of AU, where I play around with the storyline a bit and insert two days between MC leaving the country club and returning to her apartment to find Landry packing. Some situations have been changed to keep with the original vision of @alwaysmychoices and make the story work in the direction I wanted it to go. However, I find my way back to the original in Chapters 6-8 and then move on past the ending of Book One during chapters 9-14.

My MC is female, Francesca Houseman, who has only had eyes for Ethan Ramsey from day one.

FULL SERIES

Chapter Six: “Diagnosis”

2728 words

This entry retells the story of how MC diagnoses Naveen and how she gets the help she needs to figure out a plan for treatment.

(M - Language)

Francesca watched as Ethan and Jenner walked away and her stomach lurched at the metaphor their physical departure represented. She quickly pushed those thoughts away and went into her building. It had been an exciting and illuminating 36 hours but now life had to return to normal, her friends were waiting.

Francesca opened the door and was startled to see Landry in the living room packing boxes. “What are you doing here?!” Her perfect morning instantly dissipated.

Landry looked just as shocked to see her as she was to see him. “Getting the rest of my things. I said I’d pack up today while you guys were at brunch. It was in my email. I didn’t think anyone else would be here.”

Knowing that she hadn’t paid much attention to her phone over the past two days did not win Landry any sympathy points. “Yeah well, my plans changed,” she mumbled, “Do what you have to do, I’ll be gone again in 15 minutes.”

Francesca tried not to look at him as she went to her room. She managed to look somewhat presentable for her outing after changing clothes, styling her hair and putting on a touch of make-up, in a record amount of time. Upon re-entering the living room, she noticed Landry struggling with a box. As much as she wanted to walk right past him and leave him to suffer, it just wasn’t her style. Instead, she sighed, put her purse down and went to help.

“It won’t work like that, here.” She took a box and repacked the items to make them fit like a jigsaw puzzle. Landry looked unconvinced, “I see what you did there, but what about the weight distribution?”

He had a point. They both worked on adjusting the items in the box in silence until finally it was packed correctly and taped shut. Francesca grabbed her things to head out the door, already much later than she planned to be, when Landry stopped her.

“You know, I always thought Aurora was the real threat, but I should’ve realized it was always going to come down to the two of us.”

She turned, trying to figure out the point of his words, refusing to allow him to justify his actions, “Maybe. But it didn’t have to ruin our friendship. We could have helped each other.”

Landry looked resigned. “I wish that were the case, I do. But we both have the exact same career goal. There was only ever going to be room for one of us at Edenbrook. And until one of us won, it was always going to turn out like this. It was always going to tear everything apart.”

His words sank in, the tragic truth cutting her to the core as she turned her back on him to leave, but then, something started to dawn. “Until one of them won.” An idea began to take shape as she instinctively connected the dots to her other cases. Until one of them won, like Jake Sandburg, the baseball player with the drug interaction that amplified in his system. Until one of them won, like the young boy with the bad bacteria in his gut wreaking havoc and making him sick. Francesca’s eyes widened with the realization, the picture formed and the answer hit her like a slap in the face.

Landry watched her standing there with her hand on the doorknob, frozen in thought, “What’s wrong with you?”

She spun around as her hands flew to her mouth – her amazement evident. “Holy fuck, you just helped me figure it out!”

Startled, Landry was also completely confused. “Figure what out?”

Francesca dropped to her knees and started opening the boxes he had just packed. Landry was incredulous, “Whoa, what are you doing?” She found the medical textbook she was looking for and started flipping through the pages.

The words poured out like a flood, her heart raced with the realization. “Dr. Banjeri, I know what’s wrong with him! It’s just like Jake Sandburg and this kid I had as a patient. Two factors causing a reaction. We were looking for the disease but the disease is really just a symptom!”

Shaking his head Landry struggled to comprehend. “What are you talking about?”

Francesca found the page she was looking for and quickly started scanning the text. She continued, “I think he’s is suffering from two ailments that are fighting each other to win total domination. Potentially a bacterial infection like that kid and a, and a…” she found the section she’d been looking for, “…a bacteriophage. Yes! Those would explain his sepsis, it’s basically a side effect!”

Landry sank to the floor and reached for another textbook as he processed her words. “So wait, you’re saying that the infection and the phage are attacking each other?” He opened a book to find his own evidence, “Then why hasn’t one won out yet?”

She rocked back on her heels, still trying to put it all together. “Theoretically, if both had strong defenses and a large enough population, they could keep the fight even, both sides growing.” She shook her head at the epiphany. “Dr. Banjeri is a victim of collateral damage.”

Landry started to comprehend, “So his body is the battleground and his sepsis is just his immune system reacting to what’s going on?”

“Exactly, but we need to run tests and see what strain of bacteria he has. That way we can wipe it out before his immune system kills him trying to do the same.” She paused, whispering almost to herself, “We can save him.” The idea floored her.

Francesca looked up at Landry, although it killed her, she knew she was going to need his assistance. “Look, I get that we’re not in a good place right now, but I need your help. I don’t have a car and I can’t go to the hospital and get the equipment we need, but you can. If you get the supplies and take me to Dr. Banjeri’s house, we have a chance.”

Landry looked at her quizzically. “Why would you ask me? Why not the others or even Dr. Ramsey? We both know he’d do anything to save Dr. Banjeri.”

“The others aren’t here and I don’t have the time to gather them up and explain what’s going on just so they can do in an hour what we can do right now. As for Dr. Ramsey…” She stopped, remembering the sadness on his face the previous day, his hand squeezing hers for strength just to get out of the car and face Naveen. “I don’t want to involve him until I’m sure I’m right. I don’t want to get his hopes up for nothing.” She looked Landry in the eyes, her ego cast aside and implored him, “Please help me.”

Landry took a breath, “So you’re asking me to help you save the life of the preeminent diagnostician in the country?”

She nodded.

“And you somehow think that I’d say ‘no’?” He stood with the textbook and grabbed his keys, “Let’s go.”

The two of them were at the hospital in a matter of minutes, Francesca waited in the car, her stomach a tangle of knots and anxiety. It all made sense but what if it was still wrong? Worse, what if it was too late? Needing to focus on something tangible, she grabbed her phone and pulled up the memory in her GPS. She was thankful that Ethan had her navigate to Naveen’s house the day before, even though halfway there it occurred to her that he had to already know the way. It didn’t matter, now she could get there on her own. Now she could possibly save Naveen, and by extension, Ethan. The thought made her heart thump.

Landry startled her when he jumped back in the car, gear in hand, she grabbed her seat-belt, “That was quick.”

He started the ignition and shrugged, “We both know we don’t have time to lose.”

She gave him the address and watched as he entered it into his own GPS, it said they’d be there in about an hour. She settled in for a long and awkward ride.

Five minutes later Francesca’s phone started to ding incessantly. She yelped, “Oh no, the brunch!” Her friends were pretty pissed. She read through multiple texts where they complained that she disappeared again and that she’s started to worry them.

Francesca responded to the group chat, talking out loud as she typed, “So, so sorry. Dealing with an emergency, I’m okay. Will explain tonight.” She sighed as she realized that she would have a lot of explaining to do when this was over.

Landry looked straight ahead, “Must be nice to be so cared for. Just don’t piss them off, they’ll all turn on you on a dime.”

Francesca snorted, “Well since I have no plans to betray anyone anytime soon, I think I’ll be okay.”

“I didn’t betray you, I followed my conscience.”

“Okay Landry, you did what you had to do. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. This, right now, it’s all that matters.”

“But, what about your hearing tomorrow?”

Francesca sighed and remembered that Ethan had given her specific instructions to prepare, but there just wasn’t time to do it all. What was the point of her medical license without Dr. Ramsey or Dr. Banjeri anyway? Suddenly it all seemed rather insignificant compared to what was happening at the moment. She shrugged and responded, “I’ll cross that bridge tomorrow.”

Then she turned on the radio and effectively silenced the conversation for the rest of the ride.

When they arrived at the river house, it almost seemed deserted. Landry turned, “You sure this is the right place?” Francesca hopped out of the car, “Of course, I was just here yesterday.”

Landry glared and she realized that she never told him how she had Dr. Banjeri’s address to begin with. Francesca met his harsh gaze defiantly, “It doesn’t matter Landry. We’re here to help him.”

Landry slowly nodded while he grabbed the equipment. Francesca ran to the door and started knocking, calling Naveen’s name. When he didn’t answer after a few minutes, she remembered the dock. “Of course, follow me.” She led Landry around the backside of the house and spotted Naveen, in a comfortable chair beside the water, a canvas resting on an easel in front of him.

She ran down to greet him, “Dr, Banjeri!”. He turned and smiled, slowly standing up when they reached him. “Francesca, what an amazing surprise.” He noticed Landry, “...and who is this?”

Landry awkwardly held the equipment and tried to shake Dr. Banjeri’s hand, “Nice to meet you Dr. Banjeri.”

“Well as I told Francesca yesterday, I’m retired, so you can call me Naveen.” He turned back to her. “What’s going on? Is everything okay with Ethan?” Francesca blushed a bit, “He’s fine. I’m here for you. I think I figured out why you’re sick and Dr. Olsen is here to help me.”

Dr. Banjeri sat back down while Francesca quickly explained her theory. He nodded thoughtfully as he listened. “Intriguing and very clever, I have to admit, I never thought of it.”

He looked to Landry and it seemed to suddenly dawn on him why he was carrying all of the medical equipment.

“You want to test me, here, now?”

Francesca nodded, “Yes, I know you don’t want to be in the hospital so I figured this was the best way.”

Dr. Banjeri smiled, “A great doctor understands and respects their patient, and those two factors can save lives.” He chuckled, “Plus I didn’t have any other plans for this afternoon.” He stood back up with some effort, grabbed his cane and led the interns to his home.

With Naveen resting on the couch, Francesca and Landry drew the sample and fed it into the molecular analysis machine. Francesca’s stomach twisted tight waiting for the answers, she barely registered Landry quizzing the elder doctor on his career until the results came through.

The flood of relief that hit Francesca’s system was immediate. “We were right! There’s both a bacteria and a phage in your system. The phage is c2 and the bacteria is Acinetobacter baumanni.”

Naveen chuckled, “How fitting.” His tone started to deflate Francesca’s excitement as he continued, “A. baumanni is a superbug found only in hospitals, it’s resistant to antibiotics… It seems I have, quite literally, worked myself to death. I thank you for finding the truth. I can die with one of my life’s greatest mysteries solved at last. But I will still die, there is no antibiotic that works on that infection.”

Francesca only half-listened to his interpretation of the results, her mind raced as she tried to find a rebuttal. There was no way she’s going to come this close, only to hit a dead end.

“What if, what if… what if we tipped the scales? So far, it’s been an even fight but what if we gave the phage the advantage, then it could kill the bacteria!”

Naveen worked it out for himself, “Theoretically if you injected me with a massive dose of the phage, then yes it would wipe out the bacteria…”

Landry interjected, “…but it would exacerbate the encephalitis, your brain will swell and that will kill you!”

Dr. Banjeri threw up his hands, “Well at this point I’m going to die of something, and soon.”

Francesca started pacing the room, her mind still in warp speed, “Yes, if we get the dosage wrong it’s lethal. But if we got it just right, we should have a small window of time, just enough time to cure the phage before it actually does kill him.”

Landry balked, “Do you have any idea how risky that is? Getting the dosage right would be a pure gamble. We’re not experts in that field and I’m sorry Dr. Banjeri, but neither are you.”

Naveen smiled and looked at Francesca, “No, but we know someone who is.”

Francesca stopped pacing and looked at Naveen and Landry, another plan formed quickly in her head with just one more obstacle in her way.

She fell to her knees in front of Dr. Banjeri, her eyes entreating him to listen to her. “Naveen, we need to get you back to Edenbrook. I think I understand why you left but this time it’ll be different. It’s no longer the places for tests and failed treatments. It’s now the place where we can cure you.”

Naveen leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. He opened them and sighed, “The one place I never wanted to die was in a hospital. It’s a promise I made to myself long ago. It’s why I came here, I wanted the comforts of home, the beauty of nature. Not hospital beds and machines.”

Francesca touched his knee gently, “Then how about we make a pact that you won’t die there? I’ll go get Dr. Ramsey, Landry will help you pack some things and drive you to Edenbrook. We’ll meet you there in a couple of hours with the phage, we’ll save your life and then you can come back home to finish your paintings and read your books.”

She could tell that he wanted to say yes but something was holding him back…“Please Naveen, for Ethan.”

Banjeri looked into her imploring eyes and suddenly realized that if he lived, he would have the chance to see Ethan and Francesca create a life together. He’d be able to see their story unfold after all. The thing he mourned losing just yesterday was now within reach and that spark was enough to conquer his deepest fear, to push him back towards choosing life.

He clasped her hands in his, “For both of you. For both of you, I’ll go.”

Francesca held back a smile at the insinuation and jumped up excitedly. “Landry, I need your car keys. I’ll leave now and go get Dr. Ramsey, you help Dr. Banjeri pack and take his car to Edenbrook. Text me when you leave here, I’ll text you when I get to Ethan’s.”

She didn’t even bother correcting herself when she said Ethan’s name. Landry either didn’t notice the informality or no longer cared, he just tossed her his keys and went to help up Dr. Banjeri as she exited the room.

CHAPTER SEVEN

#choices #choices game #choices fanfiction #open heart #open heart fanfiction #ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #dr ramsey #romance #edenbrook #fanfic #open heart dr ramsey #playchoices #choices fandom #ramsey stan

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elliepassmore · 5 years

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Tower of Dawn Review

5/5 stars Recommended for people who like: fantasy, magic, desert fantasy, multiple POVs, healers, Chaol Westfall, court intrigue, thriller I really like this one, but I will also readily admit that this is the creepiest book in the series. ToG had the creep/thriller aspect with the Ridderak and Cain, and CoM sort of touched on the side of thriller without actually diving in, but Tower goes further in than even ToG did. I like it, even the thriller aspect, but it’s definitely creepy. I can’t tell how I feel about Chaol for the first half of the book. He’s definitely still going strong on his end-of-QoS vibe, and he seems to have forgiven a lot of what he was angry about in that book, but he also still hasn’t let go of things—such as his loyalty and obedience—as much as he had in HoF. For starters, though, it’s nice to see Chaol return to being the kind of playful snappy he was in CoM, I’d forgotten how funny he could be. So, I really liked how jokey Chaol was in this one, and I liked his handling of the royal family, going so far as to scheme his way into a meeting with the khagan. I still felt that Chaol was a bit…condescending throughout the book, though he once again got better about it at the end of the book. I did really like being in Chaol’s head in this one, though. After reading this, I feel like he wasn’t really present in QoS as much as he was in the other books. Like, he was there and narrating, but he didn’t feel there. Seeing in his head in this one makes a lot of things suddenly make a lot more sense, and we even get an explanation for his previous blind obedience. Yes, admittedly, some of it was him being willfully ignorant, but more of it was him giving up certain privileges to knowledge in order to protect Dorian. Chaol’s journey with his injury was interesting. I’m not really a fan of how ableist he was being, but I can also acknowledge that shedding that ableism off was a crucial part of his journey and that we probably aren’t supposed to like it. Chaol needed to realize for himself that just because he couldn’t move his legs didn’t mean he was less than or couldn’t still contribute to the coming fight. His realization comes from the healing process, which has three different parts. One part is the physical healing that Yrene does to repair the damage to his spinal cord. Another part is the metaphysical/psychological healing that both he and Yrene have to participate in, and this is the part that really makes me understand him and how he sees things better. And then there’s the part that involves seeing things from the outside and realizing no one really looks down on him, and that his injury does not remove him from the prospect of fighting against Erawen. Chaol’s journey is a different version of Celaena’s story in HoF. They are both struggling with similar emotions, both wanting to be rid of them and ignore them, and both come to realize that ignoring them and being rid of their negative emotions and memories won’t solve anything. Same general arc, different people, different situation, different story, but a way to show many sides of the same issue. I love Nesryn’s side of things in this one. She’s a fun narrator, partly because she’s so excited to be in her home city, but also because she’s got a very relaxed vibe that none of the other characters really have. She’s worried and tense about certain things, but she definitely handles it better than a lot of the other characters in this series. Nesryn ends up with the rukhin riders and Sartaq for most of the book, and I would probably kill for a whole separate book just about the rukhin riders, Sartaq and Kadara, and Nesryn and Salkhi. Nesryn’s journey is one away from Adarlan. She loves the country, is willing to fight for it and the innocent people there, but spending time in the Southern Continent, exploring its reaches, has her slowly switching over. Nesryn’s main development in this one, I think, is deciding where she calls home. Regardless of where it is, she’s going to fight against Erawen, but I think a part of her needs that identity settled when we first come into this book, and her development centers around that. The world and culture there is so different from those seen in the rest of the book, and the prospect of people who live in mountain homes and ride the wind on the backs of giant birds is pretty awesome. Nesryn’s main goal is to find information to help defeat Erawen and to convince Sartaq to lend his aerial legions to the cause. Of course, things never really go to plan and Nesryn ends up venturing beyond the rukhin riders’ homes and seeing Stygian Spiders, which are called the khalankui in the Southern Continent, as well as visiting some thousand-year-old ruins, so a pretty wide range of places all in one go. It’s interesting to see a new land from the POV of someone who hails from that land. We didn’t really get to see that with Rowan and Wendlyn, since Rowan barely narrated that book, but Nesryn is one of the main narrators in this one, and she’s spent most of her life in Adarlan, so we get to see a mix of someone who loves that land, who sees it as her own, but is also an outsider and is still, to an extent, getting introduced to the land. I think it’s an interesting way to introduce a new land, and Maas sort of did it with Terrasen in EoS, except the group in that book didn’t stay long enough to really get as good a feel of the land as we do in this one. I also think it’s a nice break from either a character has lived in land forever and has exactly zero reason to give us exposition, or a character is 100% new to the land/situation. Yrene is a new character if you haven’t read Blade. A healer from the Torre Cesme, she takes no one’s shit, not even Chaol’s. Actually, since her mother was burned alive by Adarlanian soldiers when she was 11, that makes her particularly unwilling to put up with Chaol’s shit. She hates Adarlanians the same way Aedion does, the same way all those other children of fallen kingdoms do. But she’s a healer and so she helps Chaol with his injury and unwittingly gets dragged into things. Based on who the Big Bad is in this one, though, I wonder if she wouldn’t’ve been dragged into things anyway. Yrene’s journey is for herself and for the rest of the world. She’s ready to go to the northern continent and heal people injured in the fight against Erawen, but she still has that simmering rage in her that started when her mother died. Her internal journey and arc is about repairing the hole her mother’s death made and cooling that rage until she realizes no one group is ever homogenous in its beliefs and actions. She’s healing and realizing this as she heals Chaol, which requires research. Unfortunately, her research sparks the interest of the Big Bad in this story, and that’s when the external struggle begins. Yrene has to contend with healing Chaol, healing herself, hunting for answers, and being hunted herself. Yrene has a connection to nearly everyone in the story. She’s a healer from the Torre, she’s actively healing Chaol, but she’s also a friend of the royals who rule over the Southern Continent. Yrene wants to help as many people as possible, and yet she also befriends royals and ends up in court schemes. One of the princes, Kashin, has a romantic interest in her, though she turned him down, and is protective over her. One of the princesses, Hasar, is Yrene’s friend and asks her to occasionally spy for her. It’s a complicated situation, and it goes to show the delicate precipice Yrene balances on. Hasar is the eldest princess, second oldest of the royal kids, and a nasty piece of work. She’s fiercely protective of the ones that are hers and over her country, but that just means she’s ruthless and cunning in other areas. She has no issue manipulating Chaol, Yrene, Nesryn, and others to get what she wants. This manipulation even includes backing Chaol into a corner where he has to swear Aelin would never do anything like burn Ellwye’s coast…which Chaol being Chaol can’t answer with a definitive ‘she’d never.’ Other stuff includes her using Yrene as a spy or threatening to block the Narrow Sea between the continents to prevent passage. I can’t tell if I like her or not, but I appreciate her character. Maas does a good job of depicting her as someone who cares deeply and will do anything to protect those she cares about. As a plus, Hasar is an openly gay, main side character, which is definite improvement for these books re: representation (I know we had Emrys and Malakai, but neither were ‘main side characters,’ nor were they together as much as Hasar and her lover, Renia, are). Sartaq, a rukhin rider and one of the princes, is another main side character. He spends most of the book with Nesryn in the mountains. I liked his character, he had a healthy dose of protective, relaxed, and funny rolled into one. I also liked the concept of his family in the palace being different than his hearth-family, or the family he has with the riders, and that the latter is far more relaxed and less vicious than the other. Sartaq wants to fly north, wants to do the right thing, but he also doesn’t want to go into it blind, which is part of the reason they end up seeking the Stygian Spiders to begin with. He’s definitely one of my favorite side characters in this book. That being said, it’s also pretty obvious that he’s mostly around to serve as a new love interest for Nesryn and to introduce the world of the rukhin riders…which is fine, but it would’ve been nice if he’d had a little more of his own development in the book. Hafiza is the Healer on High for the Torre, and she’s essentially Yrene’s adoptive mother. She teaches Yrene and helps guide her, but she also loves Yrene and genuinely wants her to succeed and stay safe. Like a mother, she even expresses disappointment when she feels Yrene is going against something she feels would strengthen Yrene. She was another funny character with a pretty dry sense of humor that I can definitely appreciate. I can’t entirely remember, but I hope we get to see more of her in KoA. Other side characters include Shen, a guard who lost part of his arm and had to have it replaced and is one of Chaol’s catalysts that makes him realize that if his wheelchair is a prison, then it’s a self-imposed one. The Khagan is someone we don’t see a lot of but holds a shit ton of sway over everything. Arghun is one of the princes and definitely the worst of the siblings, and he has no qualms undermining Chaol, Nesryn, and even Yrene at every turn. Kashin, who has already been mentioned, is really the one who gets Yrene researching, as he thinks there are already Valg in the Southern Continent. Below Sartaq, he’s my favorite prince simply because he’s open to what Chaol and Nesryn are saying, and he remains respectful to Yrene despite her rejection of him. Duva, is the now-youngest princess and doesn’t get a lot of page-time, but seems sweet enough. And then there’s Falkan, a shapeshifter from the northern continent who lost 20 years of his life to the Stygian Spiders. If he sounds familiar, he should, Celaena met him in Blade as well. In terms of the romance in the book….umm. When a character like Yrene, who hates Adarlan and Adarlanians, is going to end up with a character like Chaol, who is not only Adarlanian but an Adarlanian lord and ex-Captain of the Guard, there needs to be more build-up. They’re cute and sweet together, but the two (??) months that they got to know each other were not enough to overcome all of that enough to start a romance, in my opinion. It probably would’ve been better for them to get together in KoA, following a similar timeline to Celaena and Chaol, or even Aelin and Rowan. I like them together, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it should’ve happened in this book. Nesryn and Sartaq make more sense to me, especially since they had a more obvious chemistry between the two of them. They complement each other really well in terms of attitude and respect for one another’s abilities—it will never not be funny to me when Nesryn blocks Sartaq from doing something and he gives her ‘an incredulous face’ or whatever. Despite their chemistry and the fact they liked each other, even if not romantically, from the get-go, Nesryn suggested they survive the war first and then see what happens. Obviously they’re going to get together, but at least the pretense of waiting a little longer is there….even if this is the couple I wanted to see formalize it in this book. Overall, good plot, characters, and world-building. The romance leaves something to be desired, but I think the rest of what happens and is revealed in the book more than make up for it…especially what’s revealed. The heartbreaking end chapter I could’ve done without, mostly because I had to then wait a year for KoA, but whatever.

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anextraordinarymuse · 5 years

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My Heart, My Heart, My Drowning Heart

So. The finale and most of the season was terrible and I reject basically everything after the first ten minutes or so of episode 4, but ... this idea wouldn’t leave me alone and it follows canon, so here we are. It’s sad. I’m (kinda) sorry.

Brienne knows the moment that Jaime rides away from her that he’s a dead man. She expects it.

She knows it, but she rides into King’s Landing with Lady Sansa and her forces and feels it.

Riding into King’s Landing is ... horrible. Brienne has seen so much death, especially in the recent weeks, but this is worse. They’re not riding onto a battlefield but the scene of a massacre. Brienne wants to cry, or retch, or both; next to her, Pod murmurs, “My gods.” A susurrous echo inches through their assembled ranks as the devastation becomes more clear and battle-hardened soldiers around them let out similarly breathless curses.

Brienne knows that Jaime is dead before she leaves Winterfell, but she feels it when they arrive in King’s Landing. It’s more than the pervasive revulsion that coats the air as thick as oil - it’s deeper than that.

Brienne rides into King’s Landing with everything that Jaime has given her, but without him. He has given her the life she’s always wanted: her armor, her sword, her squire, her knighthood ... all of it has come to her through Jaime. He has given her a life and lost his own.

The god of death himself seems to whisper in her ear. Jaime Lannister is dead.

Brienne wants to hate him for leaving her. She’d warned him of his fate and begged him to stay, but it hadn’t been enough. She wants to hate him.

Instead, she rides on to the ruined waste of the Red Keep and loves him anyway.

Brienne is haunted by the thought of returning to her room in Winterfell. Her happiness is trapped in that room in the echoes of his voice and their moments together. Her life had been full in that place. She’d always been only part of herself before: a lady and a warrior but not a knight; a lady but not a warrior; a woman. In that room for that small stretch of time, Brienne had been everything all at once: a woman, and a knight, and a warrior.

Sansa solves that problem for her. The good lady finds her alone on a ruined balcony the day before they’re set to depart.

“My brother will need good people around him,” Sansa tells her plainly. “People that can be trusted to do what is right, always. You have fulfilled your oath to my mother and served me truly. The world needs more people like you, Brienne.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

“You’ve been named Lady Commander.” Sansa says it proudly and with a fond smile.

Brienne is too shocked to respond immediately. “Lady Commander?” she finally repeats. “Has the North always had a Lady Commander?”

“Not in the North,” Sansa corrects. “Here. My brother has formally named you to the position with my blessing. I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

First a knight and now the Lady Commander? Brienne feels heavier than she ever has before - heavier than should be possible. She’s finally being given everything she’s ever dared hope for just in time to realize that it’s not everything, after all.

“Brienne? You look unhappy.”

“I am ... overwhelmed, my lady. What about you?”

“I’ll be fine.” Sansa smiles gently at her. “You’ll always have a place at my side, Brienne. But this can be a fresh start for you, away from the past.” She hesitates on “the past” and Brienne knows what the lady is thinking.

Away from what happened. Away from the specter of Jaime and his betrayal and the last place they were together.

Brienne thanks Sansa with true gratitude. She is honored, and it means more to her than she can say that she’s being entrusted with such a duty.

She won’t return to that room in Winterfell where she was full. The door will stay closed on those moments, but Brienne knows their ghosts will find her on the wind.

Brienne rests her hand on Oathkeeper’s hilt and trudges on.

Brienne doesn’t brood.

She knights Pod, and sets her mind to her duties, and tries to make sense of the new world order, and all the time she can’t help the sense of being dogged by phantom steps. The Red Keep is damaged and scarred but Jaime’s presence seems to linger everywhere.

She doesn’t brood ... often.

Tyrion finds her alone in the small council room one evening. Night has fallen outside and the torch light casts an amber glow over the furniture, but Brienne hardly notices. She turns her head slightly at the scrape of a chair across stone; Tyrion smiles tiredly at her as he hoists himself into the seat.

They sit in silence for some minutes. The last time they’d been together like this had been after the battle with the wights. There’d been wine and laughter and ... Jaime.

Brienne is so tired of the pain, and the struggle not to think of him - laughing, naked in her bed, leaving her - that rather without thinking she snarls, “the fool deserved it.”

Instead of being surprised, Tyrion snorts a laugh. “I always said he was the stupidest Lannister.”

Brienne huffs out a bare chuckle at his response. In the quiet evening away from their duties, and looking him full in the face as she is now, Brienne can see her own sadness reflected in the Imp’s face. She has lost her lover, but Tyrion has lost what was left of his family. He’s the last Lannister.

“He didn’t deserve it,” Brienne corrects. “I’m just ... angry.”

“As you have every right to be,” Tyrion agrees. “By all rights you should hate him.”

“I don’t hate him,” Brienne answers quietly. It’d be easier if she did.

“He loved you, I think.” Tyrion’s expression is gentle but not pitying, and Brienne thinks that she’s glad he’s here. “For what it was worth, in the end.”

Brienne nods. She’s doubted it, especially in the first moments and hours after he’d left her to return to King’s Landing, but she’s made peace with it over time. She’d had years with Jaime. Not as a lover, perhaps, but as two people who had shared more than they could adequately explain. He’d saved her from the Bloody Mummers and lost his hand for it; jumped into a bear pit to save her; come to the North to keep his sister’s broken promise because it was right. The proof of Jaime’s love is in his actions.

“I know.”

And it is worth something. Even if no one but the two of them knows it, or believes it, Jaime Lannister had loved her. But he’d also been a knight - a man of honor, though perhaps none will believe that either - and he’d done his duty.

The man who had killed his king and died saving his queen.

That’s worth something as well.

There is honor in you, Ser Jaime, she’d told him before. Brienne knows what Sansa thinks, and perhaps Tyrion as well: that Jaime leaving her was dishonorable. But leaving his queen to die would have been dishonorable as well, and Brienne knows that if the choice had been hers - love or duty - she would have chosen duty. Will still choose it if the choice should ever need to be made in the future (which she doubts). She keeps her vows.

So many vows, Brienne thinks. Just as Jaime had said all those years ago to Catelyn Stark, trapped in a dirty cage in the North. No matter what you do you’re forsaking one vow or another. But he’d never made her a vow.

Jaime had never told her he loved her. He’d shown her that he did, though, through years and trials and small acts of love. Brienne is armored in that love even now, draws upon it in the defense of those she’s sworn to protect, and that is what she chooses to remember.

“He was a good man,” she tells Tyrion, “and he died honorably: a knight protecting his queen.”

Tyrion swallows hard and looks away. They have shared laughter and drink, and now they share this. Brienne is not alone; Tyrion understands.

They sit in silence as the shadows lengthen, alone together with their ghosts under the heavy blanket of night. She won’t always feel like this, Brienne knows - hopes. One day she’ll be able to think of Jaime and their time together without feeling like a soul lost at sea, but until then she’ll just have to learn how to live with a drowning heart.

Brienne only speaks again when dawn has broken and Tyrion stands to leave. She doesn’t know what she wants to say but it seems wrong to let him go without remarking on the unexpected vigil they’ve shared.

“I am glad you’re here, Lord Tyrion.” She says it softly but with feeling. She hopes it’s enough.

“And I am glad you’re here, Lady Brienne.”

It’s not enough now, for either of them, but one day it will be.

It has to be.

#braime #my fic #this is the first time I've written for this pairing or fandom #I hope it's good #I just had to #I has the sad #also wow I haven't written anything in forever #brienne of tarth

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