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anonymityisfunwriter · 2 years

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The Twin Flame - Chapter 12: "Question...?"

"Good girl, sad boy. Big city, wrong choice. We had one thing goin' on. I swear that it was somethin' 'cause I don't remember who I was before you painted all my nights a color I've searched for since..."

"What are you talking about?" Sam wildly questions, the three of you walking through some dark, desolate basement. "You wanna break Zemo out of jail? And where the hell are we, Buck? Have you lost your mind?"

"Not that anyone's asked my opinion," you quip, following behind Sam but in front of Bucky. "But I don't feel like this is the greatest of ideas."

"You know what's not a great idea?" Sam rhetorically asks, his voice filled with sarcasm specially reserved for you. "Using that little ball of flame in your hand instead of a flashlight! You know, the flashlight, the one on the back of your phone, the one used to take calls and not ignore me? Or did you forget about your phone because you were too busy being blown up!"

"You were blown up?" Bucky incredulously demands, his eyes wide as his head whips toward you.

"No!" you adamantly deny, smothering the small blue flame in your palm. "The building I was in blew up. I was safely tucked beneath a steel door."

Bucky's almost stunned silent with a dumbfounded look on his face. He shakes his head, pointing at you, "Okay, we're gonna circle back to that in a minute. What was I saying...? Right, we have no leads, no moves, nothing."

"What we have is one of the most dangerous men in the world behind bars," Sam retorts.

"And a serum that no one knows anything about. But Zemo does," Bucky insists, recalling the look on Zemo's face when Bucky questioned him after you left his cell.

It was the look of a man who knew more than he was going to say while still behind bars.

"Or he's just leading the two of you to believe that so you get him out," Sam argues. "Zemo's just going to mess with our minds. Especially yours, Bucky. No offense."

Bucky flips on a large power breaker, illuminating the room. "Offense."

You wait for a moment, leaning on one of the large metal shelves that faces the door you entered only moments ago. "He's a means to an end. The enhanced humans are against everything he believes."

"But she's not a superhuman!" Sam exclaims, doubling down. "She's a person, a person that I don't want Zemo anywhere near."

"He's crazy, but he still has a code."

"And we've all been on the wrong side of that code, Bucky! He blew up the UN, he killed King T'Chaka, and framed you for it. Did you forget that? You think the Wakandans forgot about that? It's a rhetorical question, of course they didn't." Sam pauses for a moment, eyes remaining on Bucky. While Sam continues his rant, you allow your eyes to wander the strange warehouse-like room Bucky lead you to. "I know this matters but we can't let it push us off the deep end." It's then that Sam's eyes snap back to you, pointedly remarking, "Or any further off the deep end."

"Will you quit taking shots at me?" you frustratedly groan. "I haven't even said anything!"

"We don't know how they're getting the serum," Bucky quietly tells Sam, his eyes widening at Sam to silently remind him of the information they were still keeping from you. "We don't know even know how bad this is yet, Sam."

"Sam, maybe we should hear Bucky out?" you gently urge.

"Let me just walk you through a hypothetical," Bucky starts, his eyes flickering between you and Sam. "Can I walk you through a hypothetical?"

Sam's ears perk up, his shoulder stiffening at Bucky's words. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Bucky guiltily replies.

"Oh no..." you sigh, shaking your head. "What did you do?"

"The weakest point in any system isn't the software, the hardware. It's the meatware, the human element," Bucky continues, tapping his temple several times. "Now, in this lockup, it's nine to one, prisoners to guards. And if two prisoners start fighting then the protocol says four guards have to respond."

"So why would two prisoners randomly start fighting at that moment?" you question.

"Who knows? There could be many reasons. But the point is, these things escalate. Lockdown procedures would have to be initiated, and with all those bodies flying around left and right, it wouldn't be hard to slip down a hallway or two. And if the fire alarm got tripped while the prisoners were being separated, someone could use the chaos to their advantage."

As Bucky continues his rambling about the prison in suspicious amount of detail, your eyes wander the room. You remain leaning on the metal shelves, shifting from one foot to the other when the large drape in front of the entrance you just walked through shifts.

"I don't like how casual you're being about this, it's unnatural. Now, where are we?" Sam demands.

You step forward, craning your neck to get a better look at the drape. Just through the other shelves in the room, you catch a shadowy figure emerge behind the drape. You reach out to touch Sam's shoulder, "Hey, Sam."

Sam slightly lifts his hand to dismiss you, "Just hold on. Bucky, what are-"

"Sam," you interrupt again, the pieces of Bucky's plan falling into place as the drape pulls back to reveal the key component to Bucky's farfetched plan. "I just want you to know that I had nothing to do with this."

"Nothing to do with what?" Sam asks, following your eye-line to the doorway just in time to see Zemo enter the room in a guard's uniform. And most definitely not behind bars anymore. "What- Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Bucky sticks out his arm to stop Sam. "No, listen-"

"What are you doing here?" Sam accuses, pointing at Zemo. "You're going back to jail!"

"I didn't want to tell you because I knew you wouldn't let this happen," Bucky defends, still stopped in front of Sam.

You settle back against the metal shelf, crossing your arms in amusement as you watch the chaos unfold. You know you should probably be upset with Bucky for making you and Sam an accomplice to breaking Zemo out or even a little worried that a man who vowed his entire life to getting rid of people like you is now standing only a few feet from you, but in spite of all of that, a laugh leaves your mouth, "This is way worse than the thing I did."

Sam's head snaps back toward you with an expression that goes far beyond irritated, "Then it's a really good thing I'm more than capable of being mad at the both of you at the same time."

"We need him," Bucky insists.

"You're going back to prison," Sam curtly restates.

"If I may-" Zemo starts.

"No!" they both exclaim.

"Apologies," Zemo remorsefully mutters.

And though only moments ago, Sam said he didn't want Zemo anywhere near you, Zemo sidles up right next to where you remain standing with an amused expression on your face. You quietly mutter to him, "If it makes you feel better, they don't listen to me either."

"When Steve refused to sign the Accords, you backed him. You broke the law and you stuck out your neck for me. I'm asking you to do it again," Bucky pleads.

"I really think I'm invaluable-" Zemo tries again.

"Shut up," Sam cuts him off, turning back to Bucky with a bewildered expression. Sam points to where you stand in the room, "You know how he feels about her and you want us to work with him? You trust him not to kill her the first chance he gets? Because I was under the impression you gave a shit about what happens to her."

"Don't do that," Bucky sharply warns, gritting his teeth to bite back his unfiltered response, "I - He's a means to an end, Sam. It doesn't matter what we do or don't feel. We need him."

A huff of disbelief leaves your mouth as Bucky speaks, the words only confirming what you already greatly suspected, you saw something that was never there.

"You are putting her in danger. Even more danger!" Sam exclaims, overemphasizing each word. "Zemo is a dangerous man."

"I can take care of myself, Sam," you angrily reply, once again a little insulted by Sam's complete and utter lack of faith in your ability to stand on your own two feet.

"Clearly," he scoffs. "Has everyone here lost their minds?"

"Even more danger?" Bucky repeats, clearly confused about what Sam's referring to. "What are you-"

"Sam," you finally interrupt, not wanting Sam to divulge any details of your current situation. "This is bigger than me. This serum getting out puts everyone in danger."

You look at Sam with an expression that carries millions of words, thoughts, and retorts.

He takes a large breath of concession. Because once again, it doesn't matter how much he hates this, you've got a point.

While you and Sam share a silent conversation, Bucky thinks and thinks hard trying to figure out exactly what Sam was talking about. He knew physically, of course, this line of work was dangerous. How many people hadn't been lost in one single fight? He'd seen it first hand. But that wasn't it, he knew it wasn't. There was something that you and Sam had been hiding. There had to have been a reason that this strange fight was still going on between you and Sam. So he raked through his brain, trying to remember anything and anything that could help him figure it out.

All that comes to mind is one very cryptic conversation with Steve, coincidentally, also in Berlin.

"So what's her deal?" Bucky asks Steve, nudging his head in your direction.

"Her deal?" Steve chuckles, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Single, if that's what you mean."

"Funny," Bucky scoffs, rolling his eyes at Steve. "What's she doing here?"

"What are any of us doing here?" Steve questions, a slight huff of laughter as he watches you and Sam share some incredibly long, elaborate secret handshake.

"Are you done being a smart ass?" Bucky impatiently prompts.

"Alright, alright," Steve acquiesces. "It's Sam mostly. At least that's what I think, you didn't hear that from me."

"Sam?"

Steve shrugs. "Her story is... complicated."

"Ha," Bucky grunts in clear disbelief.

"I would argue as complicated as yours," Steve continues.

"Should I be insulted?"

"No," Steve assures, his voice a light laughter at Bucky's defensiveness. "She was a SHIELD asset. Best thing they ever stumbled on. Person in captivity. Clean slate. She just never quite fit the mold. 'Specially not with Sam watching out for her."

"Sam was her handler?" Bucky guesses.

"From what I know, yes. Even now, where she goes, he goes. He goes, she goes."

"Doesn't sound that complicated to me."

Steve's mouth remorsefully twists, trying to determine how much of your story he was at liberty to divulge without your permission, "SHIELD wanted things from her, had this idea of what she should be. It was unnerving, watching them try to take advantage of a person that didn't understand this world."

"Captivity?"

"Born and bred. Didn't see the light of day for the first 25 years of her life."

"But she's so...?" Bucky trails off, the four of you still waiting in the parking lot for the rest of your ragtag team.

"I know," Steve snickers, fondly smiling at you. "She's tough. Didn't matter what SHIELD through at her, she never folded."

"And now?"

"I don't know," Steve winces, shaking his head. "It's not really my story to tell."

Bucky snorts. "Who am I gonna tell?"

"Is there a reason you're this interested?"

"There's a reason you're deflecting," Bucky counters.

"It's complicated," Steve repeats. "SHIELD owned her. Like really owned her."

"But SHIELD fell... so she's free?"

"Sam doesn't think so. He won't admit it, but he's scared. How do you argue the freedom of a person that no one knows exists? A person that no one has ever considered a person?" And that statement really strikes a chord with Bucky - because isn't that exactly what Steve is doing for him? Isn't that exactly what he's been for 70 years? "SHIELD's gone, but what's stopping the government from staking their claim? She's not a citizen, of anywhere, no home, nothing. A ward of the state, really. Sam thinks that they're gonna come for her. He wants to keep her out of the fight, but he's not letting her out of his sight any time soon. It's how she ended up here in Berlin."

"And what do you think?"

"I think that she's here to do what's right."

"You think they'll come for her?"

Steve's mouth quickly opens, only to shut again. He waits for a moment, clearly thinking his answer through. "I don't know."

"Okay," Sam decides, the abrupt sound of his voice pulling Bucky from his remembrance. "But if we do this, you don't make a move with our permission. You don't look, talk, or even breathe in her direction with our say so. Got it?"

"I can take care of myself, Sam," you refute, once again, your words are unheard, and most definitely not acknowledged.

"Got it?" Sam repeats, ignoring you entirely.

Zemo nods. "Fair."

"So, where do we start?"

The Twin Flame Chapter List AnonymityIsFun Masterlist

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womanofwords · 2 years

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Punishment

I haven’t done anything related to the awesome work of @creepychippy in a while, so here we go again. The magnificent magnum opus in question is here.

“Do you know why you’re here, Henchman?” Villain boomed, glaring at Henchman from their elevated throne. Henchman stood silently for a few seconds before finally offering an answer.

“Is it because of the latest mission, my liege?”

“Of course it’s because of the latest mission! You were the weakest link that messed it up for everyone by tripping the security alarms! Those wondrous jewels would have been a magnificent achievement for the organization if not for your clumsiness! We’re lucky we escaped at all!”

“I’m so sorry, my liege!” Henchman whimpered.

“And that’s not even mentioning the other times you’ve ruined my plans. Giving our location away to the heroes, gave the password to my bomb to the heroes just in time for it to be disarmed and taken away!” Villain squinted at Henchman, not bothering to get up to properly look at Henchman’s face. “I’m beginning to suspect that you’re actually a spy for the heroes that’s feigning incompetence in order to evade suspicion!”

Henchman’s eyes widened. “No! Sire, I’m not a spy, I swear! I don’t work for those heroes in any way! I hate them just as much as you do!”

“So you’re incompetent?” Villain’s voice rang out through the empty hall they were in, echoing off the walls to punch Henchman in the gut.

“What?”

“You insist that you’re not a spy, so the other answer is that you’re incompetent. Are you incompetent?”

Henchman teared up as they forced themselves to answer. “Yes, my liege. I am incompetent. I offer my greatest apologies.” Villain’s head tilted as they finally left their throne to come closer to Henchman and their tears, which were threatening to escape and roll down their little face.

“Hush now, save your tears for when you’ll need them,” Villain cooed, smiling. The hair of the back of Henchman’s neck stood straight up.

“What do you mean by that, my liege? What are you talking about?” Henchman asked. The smile on Villain’s face looked sinister, almost predatory.

“Incompetence must be punished, Henchman,” Villain cooed, raising their hand. Henchman flinched, but all that happened was the snapping of fingers. Multiple different hands materializing, each with a little pop. Then the hands approached Henchman about as menacingly as a disembodied sentient hand could be. One hand yanked Henchman’s arm upward as the rest dived towards Henchman’s ribs and exposed armpit. A particularly devious one squeezed at Henchman’s knee, forcing giggles out of his mouth that threatened to evolve into laughter.

“BOHOHOSS! PL-AHAHA-PLEHEHEHEAHAHASEHE!” Henchman laughed. Villain looked at them with a mixture of glee and pity, like Henchman was a hapless pet that kept getting themselves stuck in unfortunate places.

“I’m sorry, but you need to be punished for your incompetence, Henchman. About an hour of this should be enough for your first session. You will need to have many more sessions if you’re ever going to be slightly useful.”

“MY LIEHEHEHEHEGE! SOHOHOHOHOHOMEONE MIHIHIHIHIHIGHT HEHEHEHE-HEAR MEHEHEHEHE!”

“No, they won’t. Not a sound will leave here. I had this room soundproofed ages ago. Nobody’s coming to get you.” Villain smiled sweetly at Henchman’s hysterically laughing face. It was an adorable mess, with that laughing mouth and that button nose and those big, brown eyes that were sprouting tears at the corner of them. “There you go, an excuse to finally use those adorable little tears. I would stay longer, but I like having full hearing in both of my ears. Until then, have fun!”

And Villain left Henchman to struggle with those evil hands in that room.

Which was exactly how their punishment was supposed to go.

#creative writing #my writing #writing inspiration #writers on tumblr #writers #heroes and villains #tickles #ler! villain #lee! henchman

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strawberryjamsara · 3 years

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For the opinions thing - Nao and Anzu are both forgettable in the same way and the fandom doesn't really talk about the things they've actually done enough

Strong Disagree/Disagree/Neutral/Agree/Strong Agree

As someone who has Nao in my top 5 characters, and who dearly loves Anzu, you are coming to the wrong person by calling them forgettable.

Nao has one of the greatest character arcs in the game. We see her initial struggle with grief and how Sara needs to figure out how to basically counsel her through her grief initially, while she flounders through the first main game, but she evolves, turning away from the perfect visage of a dead man to better adjust herself, relates to Sara, and helps her through her grief, comforting her when she believes she’s lost it, and telling her that everything isn’t her responsibility, and the amazing double bluff with fake Mishima where she works with Shin completely under Sara and the players noses in a badass display. Not only does she evolve but she’s also a fun character, an aspect people never acknowledge being that she’s batshit crazy and will say the most insane shit with 100% seriousness, and she’s pretty sweet as long as you’re not on her shit list (Keiji in the beginning, although he cleared himself with her lol) Nao is a good character and she’s popular for a reason.

Now Anzu I see a lot more sentiments calling her wasted or useless and I just… come on guys. Anzu is not a complex character but she does not need to be. She is cowardly. That can be detrimental at times. Even to her kindness. But that kindness shines through a lot. She is kind enough to make friends with the supposed murderer Alice, even though she’s scared of him. She finds it in her to trust and work with the humans even though she’s cowardly and scared of dying. She is the one who reconciles with Maple. Kurumada acts like a jerk to her, but she’s the one who watches over him and makes sure he’s okay because she’s a sweet person, despite her prevailing and constant want to run away. And her stupidity makes her endearing. People who complain about her being useless are the weakest link I swear. I thought we were over the era of complaining about female characters being useless. Anzu may not help in puzzles but she has a big heart and she’s funny, and it’s so rare to see a female character who’s just allowed to sit around and be the idiotic comic relief. I’m gonna say it. We need more female characters in media like Anzu Kinashi who are just allowed to be useless fucks who we point and laugh at.

#your turn to die #kimi ga shine #yttd #anzu kinashi #nao egokoro #ask

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a-gorgeous-george · 3 years

Photo

Basic Questions

First name? Georgette

Surname? Foxworth

Middle names? Luciana

Nicknames? Gigi (by her mother)

Date of birth? August 7th

Age? 22

Physical / Appearance

Type of clothes?

Georgette’s style is all about femineity and luxury. She wears a lot of dresses, a lot of skirts, but even her workout clothes are designer. She swears “cheap” clothes give her a rash – and who would want to mar her perfect skin like that.

How do they wear their clothes? Tight and tailored.

What are their feet like? (type of shoes, state of shoes, socks, feet, pristine, dirty, worn, etc)

Georgette is rarely seen without heels on, and thanks to regular pedicures and lack of abuse, her feet are soft and pretty always.

Race / Ethnicity? Spanish and Indonesian

Are they in good health? Oh yes, she has a strict workout schedule and diet she sticks to… well, actually, perhaps not, because alongside that she also lives a life of high stress and nicotine.

Personality

Are they more optimistic or pessimistic?

It really depends on the source of power in a situation. If it is something she has control over, she is optimistic, can’t see how something would ever not work out, but if someone else is in control, her view changes considerably and she is usually fairly certain it will fail.

Do they ever put on airs?

When is she not putting on airs?

What bad habits do they have? She has a serious nicotine problem.

What makes them laugh out loud?

She isn’t really a laugh out loud type of person. She might chuckle or smile in amusement, but laughing out loud indicates a level of ease that she just does not feel around people. Also Al.

How do they display affection?

She is very physically affectionate… I think. She has never been in a position where she felt comfortable being affectionate with a person in that way. Besides that, she shares her wealth in ways that benefit that people she cares about, shares her privilege with them. She is happy to be her friends’ sugar mama.

How do they want to be seen by others? Beautiful and in control.

How do they see themselves?

She very much sees herself as a lone wolf. She knows she’s beautiful, smart, capable, hardworking, but she’s alone and absolutely terrified someone will recognize it. She is also very much aware of her inner rage.

· How are they seen by others?

Because of her past with her family and the lack of ties it provided her, Georgette was left defending herself. Her arrogance and obsessive need to believe in her own importance is directly tied to the lack of importance anyone else gave her.

Strongest character trait?

For all her bravado and arrogance, Georgette is 100% unafraid of hard work. From her work on her blog and marketing it, her history as a beauty queen, her strict adherence to her diet and exercise routine, every aspect of her life, she has no issue knuckling down and putting in the time and effort to succeed.

Weakest character trait?

She is incapable of asking for help, as if it somehow undermines her own achievements if someone else must assist her.

How competitive are they?

Extremely. If you want to manipulate Georgette into doing something, make it a contest. She’ll probably even know what you’re doing and still be unable to resist.

Do they make snap judgements or take time to consider?

Snap judgements all the way, baby!!

How do they react to praise?

Smug agreement.

How do they react to criticism?

Strong commitment to your character’s delusion that she is anything other than amazing.

What is their greatest fear?

Dying without ever achieving anything of substance.

What are their biggest secrets?

Georgette is crushingly lonely. Her whole life has been spent pushing people away, trying to protect herself and prove herself, full of anger, and it has left her without anyone she can be close to.

What will they stand up for?

Once her blog is up and running and successful, once the magazine starts to take off, she will have real issues with people saying she’s self-made. She is fully aware that even without her father’s money, her name alone carries a certain currency most people do not have. She is well aware of her own privilege in that area and will stand up against anyone who compares her achievements against someone who didn’t have that head start.

Who do they quote?

She’s a closet book nerd and might not quote directly but will frequently make allusions to literature.

Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy? Indoorsy.

What is their sinful little habit? Cigarettes.

What sense do they most rely on?

Sight – how someone/something looks dictates more of her life than it should.

How do they treat people better than them?

What people better than them?

How do they treat people worse than them?

That seems like an unfair question when everyone is worse than them.

What quality do they most value in a friend? She wouldn’t know.

What do they consider an overrated virtue? Niceness.

If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?

She would have people who cared about her.

What is their obsession? Herself?

Friends and Family

Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of?

Her mother and stepfather, father and stepmother, Jenny and Oliver (Yes, she considers Oliver as part of her family)

What is their perception of family?

When she was barely cognizant of life, her father had an affair, had a baby, split up her family, quickly destroying the idea in her head. It is an outdated concept made to make people feel like belong to a group, no loyalty or love.

Describe their best friend.

………. Let me get her just a friend first.

Ideal best friend?

Someone who understands her hustle. Someone she can see the inherent importance in. Someone that can still pull her out of her head and get her to have fun.

Describe their acquaintances.

She is jealous of the closeness of Dodger’s gang, watching as an outsider and wishing desperately to be a part of it all.

Do they have any pets?

She is a massive dog person! (Get it?) But yes, she has a little doggo, Valentina.

Past and Future

What was your character like as a baby? As a child?

Awful? Spoiled? She was raised spoiled, but after her father’s betrayal, she sought to teach him a lesson. Even as a child, she would blackmail and torture him, threatening to reveal his dirty secret to the world. She was worse to Jenny even, more easily able to take out her anger over the affair and her birth on the younger girl than the truly guilty adults.

Did they grow up nurtured or neglected?

Neglected – but that is partly her own fault. She is as much at fault due to her reaction and actively hurting her family and her father. She lashed out and did truly awful things and crushed what bond there might have possibly been.

What is the most offensive thing they ever said?

Oh, I don’t know… in my head, I feel like she can be a very problematic person. Add that in with her natural meanness, I am sure she has said some awful stuff.

What was their first kiss like?

It was awful. Some other 7th grader when she was in 7th grade. Too wet. Thought he was trying to drown her.

What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved?

Repeatedly blackmailing her father for her own benefit.

What are their ambitions?

She wants to outshine her father, claim their last name as her own and not the sullied version her father left in the wake of his controversy. That is why her blog and future magazine is named after her.

What advice would they give their younger self? It’s not Jenny’s fault.

What smells remind them of their childhood? Perfume and peppermints.

What was their childhood ambition?

Growing up, her mind stayed on the pageant world. Her ambitions usually stayed just one pageant ahead of her.

What is their best childhood memory?

She doesn’t know if it’s real or not, just this soft memory of her father grinning and spinning around the living room with her, dressed in his coat and tails.

What is their worst childhood memory?

Listening in from the hall as his father confessed everything to her mother, hearing her mother sobbing as he threw clothes into a suitcase.

When was the last time they were crushed with disappointment?

The last one? She still hasn’t got over her first one.

Love

Do they believe in love at first sight?

She only barely believes in love in any form.

· How do they behave in a relationship?

Georgette really doesn’t do relationships, thanks to that whole “love isn’t real” thing. They usually last a month or so, but she gets bored and has no issue telling him to get lost after that point.

When did you character last have sex? Perhaps a couple weeks ago.

What sort of sex do they have?

She is looking for something hot, passionate, and with someone she doesn’t have to worry about calling back.

Conflict

How do they respond to a threat?

Georgette doesn’t back down from a threat, though her means for fighting usually involves $$$ instead of doing any sort of fighting herself.

Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? Tongue.

What is your character’s kryptonite? Point out her lack of backup.

If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? Say it with me… diamonds.

How do they perceive strangers?

Her trust or lack of trust in them is based solely on how they look.

What do they love to hate? Oh, that is way too long a list to put here.

What are their phobias? Bugs of any sort.

What is their choice of weapon? Poison.

What living person do they most despise? Her father.

Have they ever been bullied or teased? That would not go well for that person.

Where do they go when they’re angry? Home, to seethe and plot.

Work, Education and Hobbies

What is their current job? Blogger.

What do they think about their current job?

She has dreams of something bigger, more substantial, but she’s thankful for the success the gossip blog has had and excited to grow it.

What are their hobbies? Painting, reading, dancing.

Educational background? Some college.

Intelligence level?

I believe she is fairly smart, but her work ethic covers a lot of distance for her.

Favorites

What is their favorite animal? Doggies.

What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen? Her face in the mirror.

What is their favorite song? Ego by Beyonce

Music, art, reading preferred? Ooooooh… probably reading

What is their favorite color? Gold

What is their password?

Honestly it is probably a secure combination of letters put together by a professional.

Favorite food: Lasagna

What is their favorite work of art? Judith and the Head of Holofornes

Who is their favorite artist? Gustav Klimt

What is their favorite day of the week? Saturday

Possessions

What is in their fridge? A lot of water, veggies, meal prepped chicken

What is on their bedside table? The current book she is reading, a bouquet of pink and white roses, a gold lamp, a rose gold silk eye mask

Spirituality

Who or what is your character’s guardian angel?

If she has a guardian angel, she would really like a word with it.

Do they believe in the afterlife? I mean, she now knows Hades, so yeah

What are their religious views?

Once you meet a god, you kinda realize which system of beliefs is the right one

· How would they like to die? Painless and pretty

What is their zodiac sign? Leo

Values

What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? Abandonment

What is their view of ‘freedom’?

Able to make your way through life on your own two feet without having to rely on anyone else to support you.

When did they last lie? Probably an hour ago

What’s their view of lying? It definitely can make things easier.

When did they last make a promise?

She doesn’t really bother. You either do things or you don’t. The rest is just extra words.

Daily life

What are their eating habits? Healthy food prepared by a chef.

Describe their home.

Luxurious home in a gated community bought by her father.

Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? Minimalist.

What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? Drink a glass of cold water.

What do they do on a Sunday afternoon?

She can be found putting the finishing touches on her blog post for the week.

What do they do on a Friday night?

She can just as easily be found out dancing as home alone working.

What is the soft drink of choice? She doesn’t drink soda.

What is their alcoholic drink of choice? Merlot.

Miscellaneous

What or who would your character dress up as for Halloween? Anything sexy.

Are they comfortable with technology? She can do basic things.

If they could save one person, who would it be? Jenny.

If they could call one person for help, who would it be? Over her dead body.

What is their greatest extravagance? Jewelry

What is their perception of redemption? She hopes it’s real.

What would they do if they won the lottery? It would change her life 0%.

What is their favourite fairytale?

She isn’t really big on fairytales, but definitely prefers the darker original versions. So much more realistic than that happily ever after in love bullshit.

Do they believe in happy endings?

She believes in the ability of a person to make their own damn happy ending.

What is their idea of perfect happiness?

Surrounded by a family that loves her

If your character could travel through time, where would they go?

She has it on good authority that life gets more uncivilized the farther back you go, so she’s good, thanks.

If they could have a superpower, what would they choose?

Full on mind control. She’ll make you do what she wants and feel no guilt.

#watasks #{beauty for the beholder}

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andsmile · 4 years

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why do you ship dramione?-coming from a romione shipper. like how does it add up? draco is literally so terrible.

took me a while to answer this because... well, i wanted to give you a good answer. draco and hermione are my favorite ship ever. if there’s a meaning to the word OTP, they are mine.

full disclosure, i ship ron and hermione in the canon hp universe. always have, always will. i think hermione in the books and how they were constructed as a narrative for children/teens, needed someone who would challenge her and entertain her and be a little ‘out-of-the-box’, and i think ron is perfect for that. he’s definitely a happy ending for her.

more under the cut cause this is going to be a long discussion.

however, i started reading hp when i was really young - 11 - and eventually i found fics online, and they had “bad boy/good girl” tropes featuring sexy bad boy draco, and i wanted to read that. i was a kid, and no one’s gonna judge me, everyone went through the bad boy phase. there are a thousand books and movies about it.

but that version of draco wasn’t exactly what his character was, right? we first meet him as a kid and a bully, a little racist per se, but if there’s one thing that we learn through the years and the development of the plot, is that draco is a lot...less than that. he’s not a strong sexy bad boy, he’s a weak loser. he repeats what he’s told like a parrot. he’s a product of his environment.

and what an environment!

because, let’s face it. the wizard world is crazy prejudiced. it’s awful. we see it through harry’s eyes and we love it because he loves it and because it literally saves him from an abusive home and a sad, sad childhood, but the wizard world is actually dark and full of awful people. 90% of the characters in harry potter are highly flawed. it’s not just draco. from ~all slytherins are evil to the mudblood issue, to the goblins, centaurs, and people like ron who have such a good heart but mistreat house elves just because, you see that it’s a filthy world full of ugly stuff. it’s not just draco who’s terrible. it’s not just the slytherins. they all are. james was a bully, snape sucked, everyone is grey. everyone has light and dark inside them, even dumbledore. it’s what makes hp such a great story, how complex the characters are. ron’s character (who is MY FAVORITE i swear) deals with his own darkness, and bitterness, and fears. but ron is someone harry (the narrator) loves so much so we love him too (most of us), and we witness ron’s redemption through harry’s eyes, and we forgive him. draco doesn’t get that chance.

if you read harry potter you see the building of a world and a belief - that love, friendship and good will prevail, and that all magic blood is the same. that’s on harry’s point of view. harry, who didn’t really suffer with any of those big prejudices in the magical world because he was, after all, harry potter. a kid who grew up thinking he wasn’t shit but was actually the chosen one, the savior of this world that he loved so much.

imagine reading that book through hermione’s eyes, though: the building of a very incredible world that you love but where you have to prove yourself at every step of the way because so many people in that world think you ain’t shit. in fact, there’s a lot of focus on draco’s prejudice because he’s the first one we see using the word mudblood and he’s the first one to tell hermione she’s worth nada in ~his world when everyone else was always praising her.

imagine reading that book through draco’s eyes: the deconstruction of this world that you believed in so bad, that you thought was the greatest thing ever. you were told you were the greatest, that your family worked for the greatest wizard ever, and then, little by little, you find out that all your beliefs were stupid and everything you’ve always known was a lie, and that the lord you praised was actually a murderous monster and that you weren’t special. you weren’t shit. and the very object of your childish hate is so much better than you.

so why do i ship draco and hermione?

because they are, in my eyes, the two most complex characters in opposite ends. she’s the reason why the world he’s so used to is falling apart, she breaks his prejudices. she’s the reason why he ain’t shit. and he’s the embodiment of all the things she wants to prove wrong, and she’s so much stronger than him. she could teach him so much, she could teach him how to see the world through different eyes, through her eyes.

as for hermione, she’s always seen more in draco than harry or ron. she’s always seen a little bit past the bully even though she was often the object of his vile ways. he’s always affected her in a way that was very blatant, and i think that with her personality and tendencies, watching him change would be a way to change herself. she could become even more confident and self-aware, she could find a different meaning for love. he could teach her so much about the world she wants to be a part of, things she might never understand without someone like him.

the very meaning behind harry potter, that love should be bigger and better than hate, is what a relationship between draco and hermione could encompass, if written the right way.

however, draco and hermione couldn’t work in a book written in someone else’s point of view. they’re not a canon hp romance, they can’t be, and it would’ve been a disservice to try and cramm a love story for them in the hp books. it can’t be treated as a fun hookup or something like that. dramione is a ship that would require patience, so many levels of redemption in his part, so many levels of forgiveness and growing up in her part. of course, if you’re in fanon and you’re already going past all of this, you can read a one shot and think ‘oh such fun dynamics’ but if you want to be convinced of dramione, you have to go for the big works that will give you a full analysis on their characters and place them together carefully. it’s not just the typical bad boy/good girl thing we all thought they could be.

the complexity of how to turn hate into love attracts me.

all the ways you can make them fall for each other and have them grow with each other attracts me.

i think hermione’s character needs and would thrive on challenge, because that’s what she’s made of. ron is a perfectly good pairing for her but imagine if she could have something even harder and more puzzling.

i think draco’s character is the weakest link and i love to see how people come up with redemption stories for him not at the expense of hermione’s character.

the dramione fandom is incredibly talented and some of the best writer’s i’ve seen in my life.

maybe they aren’t the healthiest. some versions of them are actually pretty toxic. but i think that both characters could stand being in a relationship like it if written the right way. the nuances of their ship are amazing, you just have to open your mind and think outside of the canon box.

11 year old me did that, and i’m glad, because i’m never going back.

#re: harry potter #dramione #draco x hermione #anon #reply

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underthedekutree · 4 years

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Young Link might have PTSD - Part 2: Termina is NOT a Parallel World, Technically

This is a continuation of my last post so if you’re seeing this and haven’t read it, go here.

This is the part where I somewhat smoothly segue into Majora’s Mask. Link, lonely and filled with unprocessed trauma, leaves Hyrule in search of Navi. According to most sources (which take from Hyrule Historia probably? don’t quote me on it), Link falls down a hole into Termina, a parallel world to Hyrule, that contains many familiar looking denizens of Hyrule, but playing different roles. And well, if you probably guessed by the title, I have a rather different interpretation.

Okay, so in a nutshell my theory is that Termina is in fact all a dream, kind of like Koholint Island. Except the one dreaming up this world isn’t some deity like the Giants or Skull Kid or the Moon. It’s Link.

(big explainey hoo hah below)

Evidence 1: Link begins the game sleeping. Yes, I know literally every Zelda game begins this way and it’s a whole tradition thing. I am beginning with the weakest points first and working my way up to the strong ones. We’ll get there.

Evidence 2: The reuse of character and environment models from Ocarina of Time. The literal IRL reason for this is of course the game famously being given only one year of production time, which meant that the most practical method was to reuse as much material from MM’s predecessor as possible (eg. Romani Ranch sign is the Kakariko Village sign, and still says Kakariko Village on it). It seems like a rather offhand afterthought for Nintendo to chalk it all up to “oh its just a parallel world like Link to the Past or something. But think of it like this; when we dream, we often see familiar people from throughout our lives put in strange and unexpected situations, like that irritable old farmhand you hated so much is now a depressed circus master for some reason. Dreams don’t make sense. Things you know will mix with other strange inexplicable things, fleeting thoughts in your mind, all roughly tied together by whatever emotions you had been feeling when you went to bed. Malon is split into two people, Romani and Cremia, her older and younger self. This might reflect how Link feels about Malon, that she changed so much in those 7 years that she’s like a different person entirely, that it’s hard for him to process that they are the same, because the change was so shockingly sudden for him.

Evidence 3: Gorons in the snow, Gerudo by the sea. Yes, I know that sounds a lot like good evidence for a parallel world (that’s why the idea is widely accepted in the first place, it has merit), but it also works in as dream world evidence too. As a child, my family was obsessed with skiing. We would go to the same mountain every winter, and we would stay at the same lodge. It almost became like a second home for me. So much so, that one night I dreamed that my house had been replaced by the lodge, so it wasn’t on a snow-capped mountain, but in a bushy Australian suburb. Okay that kinda got off subject but I’m bad at conclusions so in summary Dreams Just Be Like That (tm). You get what I’m saying right? No? Sorry, let’s just move on.

Evidence 4: The Milk Bar. AKA my favourite location in the game! It’s often overlooked as the “haha funny they couldn’t put alcohol in kids game so its kiddy milk hee hee”, but it is actually a strong thematic pillar of Majora’s Mask. As I mentioned in Part 1, if you put a 9 year old in a 16 year old’s body and call him an adult before ripping that all away is probably going to leave the kid with an identity crisis. What is a mature place open at late hours when children are sleeping? A bar. What is a drink associated with the young, being produced for the purpose of helping children grow? Milk. No please don’t go I swear there’s more to this, stay with me. In order to gain access to the bar, Link must prove he is mature enough by wearing a mask, a disguise, like Adult Link is to Young Link. Being adult isn’t earned through years of natural living experience and mental development, it’s a thing you are given by adults to just BE when they deem you worthy, at least from how Link sees it. So that is the amalgamation of dream thoughts that is the Milk Bar. Is it mature? Is it childish? What is the line between the two? Is there one? It’s the culmination of his anxieties and confusions that he doesn’t know how to express. Another, smaller expression of this anxiety is the Clock Town Guards. When Link is a Deku, the guards say they don’t allow children outside the gates. When Link turns back however, the guard goes to stop him because he looks too young, but sees that he has a sword, and lets him pass. Why the sword? Well, in one way this is a callback to Kokiri Forest, where Mido doesn’t let Link see the Deku Tree until he has a sword. But also, what is the item that lets Link travel through time and become an adult in OOT? The Master Sword. Link seems to believe that adulthood is measured by the things you have, physical markers of maturity, which is how lots of children see adulthood. You’re an adult if you can drink, if you’re tall, if you’re married, if you have a house, a car etc. But in reality this isn’t how it works. Heck, I’m technically an adult but I sure as hell don’t feel like one, because I know I still have things to learn about responsibility, patience and all the other things, that can only come with time, which is the moral conclusion of OOT, but clearly Link missed the memo. Don’t get me wrong, there are some indicators to show he’s grown a bit. He can ride Epona, use the bow, do flips like some kind of acrobat etc. But those strange and confused feelings linger, and manifest in the young boy’s dreams.

Evidence 5: The four transformation masks. The four masks represent different aspects of Link’s self, and the way he grew and changed in OOT. Deku Scrub the Innocent, Goron the Confident, Zora the Mature and Fierce Deity the Hero. Link began only knowing the Kokiri Forest, and nothing of the world outside. As he set out on his journey, he grew more confident in his skills and defeated greater foes. When evil took over, he learned from his fatal mistake and worked to right it. And when it was finally time to face the greatest threat, he was ready, with all the heart pieces, bottles full of fairies, Biggoron Sword in hand. At that moment he struck the final blow he probably felt like the strong and unstoppable hero everyone in Hyrule told him he needed to be. And that feeling of pure uncompromising strength, with the whole world behind him, manifested in the Fierce Deity. Fierce Deity is much taller than Adult Link, and packs so much of a punch that he can beat Majora without batting an eye, like some overpowered Super Saiyan. It reminds me a lot of Undertale, with young Asriel becoming what he imagines to be an all-powerful godlike being, like something you’d see as a children’s drawing. Fierce Deity gives off those vibes, like “he has a HUGE SWORD that SHOOTS BEAMS OF LIGHT and he’s 8 FOOT TALL and CAN KILL ENEMIES IN A SINGLE BLOW!!” Before the final battle on the moon, when Majora gives you the mask, he childishly asks if you want to play a game of good guys and bad guys. And the good guy always wins, no matter what. Fierce Deity makes the final boss a cakewalk, but its supposed to.

Evidence 6: Anju and Kafei. Short one, because it falls a lot into everything else I’ve said regarding childhood vs adulthood. Kafei is effectively a switcheroo of what happened to Link in OOT. An adult shrunk back to childhood, uncomfortable in his new body and looking for a way to fix everything. He’s a reflection of how Link now kinda feels like an adult in a child’s body, because he had started to be used to being called an adult.

Evidence 7: The Moon. I haven’t super touched on the main meat of the game yet, so here it is. The moon and the 3 day mechanic is an allegory for constant mounting pressure, that builds and builds, never ceasing, because the world is in danger, and there’s only one person who has been chosen to save it. I’ve always been interested in the Chosen One narrative, and how different media explore the idea of the world’s very existence being pushed onto one person. How at the end of it all, they can never be the same again after all they’ve gone through. When you’re somehow expected to hold up the Moon itself single-handed, and your life and everything you care about suffers because you’re putting everyone else before yourself. That feeling of complete loneliness under a crushing weight, and although other characters may come to help you, in the end its still all down to you, and you never had a choice in any of it, as all the decisions were made by someone else. You must do what they tell you. Believe in yourself, believe...

Evidence 8: Skull Kid. The story goes that long ago in Termina, the Skull Kid and the Giants played together, until one day, the Giants left, leaving the Skull Kid alone and heartbroken, with nobody to turn to. As life moves on, things may change, and people always come and go from your life. Your friend might move overseas, or stop texting you, or you might fall out of friendship after an awkward event from which you could never recover (no, these have totally not all happened to me, shut up i’m fine), or your fairy companion might just disappear without so much as a goodbye after their task is complete. And it feels like you didn’t matter at all. That they never really cared about you, and you’re as easy to drop and move on from as a child’s toy. You might get angry, and want to shut them out, and give them a taste of their own medicine. Majora’s Mask teaches you that this isn’t the case. Life is ever changing, but you will always have the memories of times with your friends, and a chance to make more with new friends, like a sassy talkative fairy sprite and her shy brother or a child made of wood who wants to destroy the world. Friends come from unlikely places, so accept that change will happen and hope that wherever the people you knew are, they’re okay. You’re thinking about them, so they might be thinking about you too. And who knows? Life is unpredictable. They might just come back one day, and it’ll be like they were never gone.

Evidence 9 (the final one, I promise): The Song of Healing. At the end of all things, after losing ones you love, connections to family and friends, memories of things long past... you need time to heal. Link’s journey through Termina is a constant gauntlet of running into his own past traumas, forced to relive them again, and again, and again. But sometimes you should take a deep breath, gather your thoughts, and take time to heal. Although it can be important to confront your fears and learn to surpass them, it is exhausting, and you can end up more emotionally broken than when you started. The three masks all had regrets of powerlessness; unable to protect your community, your loved ones, or even yourself. Troubles you’ve gone through that keep plaguing your mind, and you’re wondering if you’ve done enough, seeking answers where none can be found. And the best thing you can do... is accept and move on. Be kind to yourself, and give yourself time to heal. Link’s way of processing his grief and trauma is to create an entire hellscape world in his own head, but not everyone processes it the same way. Sometimes you feel like you need to busy yourself, or listen to soothing music, or talk to people you trust, or spend copious amounts of money, or make some angst art, or cuddle your plush toys until their stuffing squeezes out. Sometimes life hits you in the face and you want to blame yourself for standing in the firing line, but it’s not your fault. It’s okay to feel however you feel, whether you’re drenched in a pool of tears or you just feel numb, it’s okay and natural. You’re okay. You’re here.

Okay so it got kinda personal at the end there but I hope it was informative, and made you think a little bit differently about Majora’s Mask and Ocarina of Time. You probably want to go back and play them now. Me too.

So was this all just an excuse for me to gush about how cool Majora’s Mask is? Hell fucking yes it was. Congratulations for making it through my monstrous ramblings, you get the secret prize of looking at my weird art on my DA. Here you go. Have a nice day, Zelda Nerds.

#long post #legend of zelda #majoras mask #young link #fierce deity #zelda theory #wow i cant believe i never realised i wrote fuckig outset island instead of koholint im dumby af

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one-minute-the-soldiers-minute · 5 years

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Your Whiskey Is Mine (Tommy Shelby x Reader)

~Requests are open for Tommy~

Request: “Can you do one where reader is very drunk from partying all day and when Tommy tries to make her go to bed she threatens to drink all his alcohol in the house because in her drunk mind she thinks that will make him let her go back to the party?”

Word Count: 916

Author’s Note: I hope this isn’t too trash. This is my first ever fanfiction and I can’t really tell if it’s good or bad. There’s quite a bit of dialogue in this and I’ve always considered dialogue the weakest point in my writing because I don’t think I’m the greatest at it, especially when writing for a certain character because I worry I won’t capture their character correctly. Anyways, I tried my best and hope you all enjoy it :)

~~~

“Tommy I swear I will drink all of your whiskey if you don’t let me go back to the party”

“Well I guess it’s a sacrifice I have to make, isn’t it love? I’m not letting you go back down there”

You stare back in astonishment at the evilness of the man you call your husband. All you wanted was to go back downstairs to the party still going on that you and Tommy threw in celebration of something your drunk mind can’t remember. It has been going on for almost the whole day and night at this point and that entire time you were drinking. Usually you handled your alcohol pretty well, something Tommy admired, but countless drinks being handed to you, many drinking contests with Arthur, and you yourself just getting into the alcohol, you weren’t handling it so well anymore. At least that’s what Thomas thought, you believed you could go on for a few more hours. But here you are now, sitting on the floor of his office, he had attempted to drag you to the bedroom you both share but when you realized he was trying to put you to bed you tore yourself from the grip he had on you. Quite regretfully might you add because you realized without Tommy holding you up you weren’t very capable of walking and his office was the closest room you got to before you collapsed on the floor. You were now holding a bottle of Tommy’s whiskey hostage and threatening to drink all of it if he didn’t let you return to the party. Your impaired thinking made you think that you should be quite successful in this trade deal, your husband loves his whiskey too much to not want it back, right?

“Come on Tommy, I know you want this whiskey. All you gotta do is let me go back downstairs. I was supposed to have another drinking contest with Arthur! I know I can beat him this time”

Tommy looked down at you on the floor and grinned, “Oh I’m sure you could beat him this time Y/N, last time I saw him he was nearly passed out on the floor”

“See?! It would be such an easy win then. Don’t you care that I won’t give you your whiskey back?,” I whined at him.

“It’s hard to miss one bottle when I have plenty more over there,” he chuckled and pointed to the other side of the room.

Oh shit. He did in fact have more bottles of whiskey...and rum...and gin..and is that vodka? fuck. You only remained fazed for a second before looking back at Tommy with your glazed over eyes, “I’ll go over there and drink all those too. Don’t think I won’t Thomas Shelby”.

“I don’t doubt you will love. Why don’t you go over there right now then?,” he raised a brow posing a challenge.

You huffed and started gripping onto the couch cushions to help in your attempt to stand up. You weren’t going to lie this was much more difficult than you thought.

“Having a hard time there Y/N?”

You stayed seated on the floor and ignored his jest at you.

“Just you wait Tommy, I’m gonna get all the alcohol in this room at some point and you won’t have any anymore. But all that can be avoided if I’m allowed to go back to the party. You can’t pass up this deal Tommy,” your words began slurring even more but you were certain you had gotten your point across.

“And what will stop me from just buying more bottles?,” he raised both eyebrows at me in question this time

“Oh you can but it could take at least one to two days for it all to be delivered here. What a major inconvenience that will be to you Tommy to not any alcohol. I’ve thought of everything”

“What about all the cases I’ve bought for this celebration? I’m sure there will be many bottles left Y/N”

“FUCK”

There were quite a lot of cases of alcohol bought for this celebration and you had no doubt there would be many bottles left. You couldn’t drink all of them. At least not without risking possible death.

You saw Tommy smile and laugh a bit at your reaction before you noticed him walking towards you, taking a seat next to you on the floor and wrapping his arm around your waist pulling you close to him.

“You done threatening my whiskey now love?”

“Maybe but you know what? Why am I letting you keep me trapped in this room? I can walk out right now if I want to”

“And how do you plan on getting down all the stairs without being able to walk?”

“I’ll roll Tommy!,” I said giggling nonstop, nuzzling my face in the crevice of his neck.

He tutted at me and said, “Hmm, I think that will hurt, don’t you? I rather my beautiful wife not be injuring herself on wooden stairs tonight”

I hummed in response and cuddled further into his warmth. We stayed in that position for a little while longer until I felt one of his arms slide across the underneath of my thighs and his other arm snake around my back. He was picking me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head against him.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To bed”

“Tommy noooooo”

~~~

#thomas shelby imagine #thomas shelby x reader #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby x reader #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders x reader

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k-corner · 4 years

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Ashes of Love: The Problem with the ‘Protagonists’ Actions and Characterization, and an In-Depth Look at their Concerning ‘Romance’ Part 2

This is a continuation from Part One. Feel free to head on over there to take a look.

Part Two: Issues with Characterization –

Some points mentioned here have already been lightly touched on in part one as they deal with the plot, but they’re going to be looked at more in a characterization sort of way and in a ‘how that comes across to the audience’.

Now, since Ashes of Love is a romance story, it’s natural to assume that there’s going to be some sort of meet-cute, some sort of flirting or courting stage and then some sort of getting together stage that might be accompanied by something a little more concrete physically like kissing or sex or what have you depending on the rating of the show and the image it’s trying to get across.

Now in Ashes of Love, the main two love interests are Xu Feng and Jin Mi, whose characterizations should have some sort of weight to them that allows for a long-standing love story to spring up from them. This can be seen in the ideas of ‘introvert meets extrovert’ or ‘opposites attract’ or ‘birds of a feather flock together’ or some other variation of what personality and characteristics that these characters have that draws them in and is supposed to draw in the audience as well.

Here is where I would say the weakest part of the entire story of Ashes of Love stands. Not in the sometimes dragging storylines that make up the 60+ episode season, but in the base understandings of the two main characters that we as the audience are supposed to root for.

Xu Feng – AKA The Sexual Predator:

One of my biggest pet peeves in a ‘romance’ drama is anytime the two main love interests have some sort of accident – trip and fall, stumble into each other, get pushed into the same small space, etc. – and ‘OMG! Somehow despite height differences and just a basic understanding of how gravity and momentum works’ they’ll fall into a sweet, gentle kiss or somehow just press their lips together and I guess we’re supposed to swoon at the audience at something that really doesn’t mean anything. The fact that no one smashed each other’s noses or foreheads or something is the more impressive moment being seen in that scenario.

I digress though, but unfortunately Ashes of Love has moments like this. Unfortunately it also has moments that are so much worse. Xu Feng takes the kissing and courting parts of the storyline and runs with them from eyeroll territory and into concerned side-eye country. There are several moments, especially early in the show, when Xu Feng chooses to press his luck with Jin Mi and come onto her in a sexual/kissing/pawing at her and starting to take off her clothes while she lays there and looks up at him almost uncomprehendingly sort of way. He’s putting it all out there and out on the line, but somehow he’s not able to catch onto the fact that Jin Mi isn’t picking it up or worse, he doesn’t care and continues to press because it’s what he wants/desires.

Xu Feng’s character is a mess of ‘but she didn’t say no’ and ‘I don’t care that she’s chosen someone else I know she loves me so I have to keep pushing’ and my absolute favorite ‘Uncle, be a bro and tie us together using your mortal love fate strings for no reason other than I want to go get it on with my brother’s fiancé while I pretend I’m doing it to protect her and not take advantage of her in a vulnerable situation but it’s okay because I swear we truly love each other even though she’s never said it because she can’t actually say it right now but it’s going to be just fine just you wait’.

This is also the character who – and I would call this scene a full on assault scene regardless of him stopping himself before he goes too far and I’ll explain why – that got drunk and practically threw Jin Mi onto the bed before climbing over her and pulling at her clothes while she just laid there and blinked up at him with a kind of look that seemed innocent, uncomprehending and trusting. She had no clue what was happening in that moment as he pushes his luck. I’ll give – he stops himself though, as he should but not for the reasons he should. Why does he stop? Because at this point he thinks that there’s a possibility that she’s his sister. If he hadn’t thought that, would he have pushed harder? Would he have gone further? Who knows.

On top of creepy entitled behaviors that he shows to Jin Mi, he also takes pleasure in being unnecessarily cruel to her. The little back and forth in the Heaven Realm when he turned her into all of the various items to ‘teach her a lesson’ was not cute to me. It was borderline sadistic and just downright fucked up.

Leaving Jin Mi behind, Xu Feng still falls short when it comes to his characterization. He’s portrayed as a kind of Gary Stu. He’s the best at everything. The most powerful. He’s unchallenged by any other character – look at how the entire demon army flees before him! Look at how undefeatable he is in battle! Look at how easily he talks back to his mother with no repercussions! Look at how easily he ignores any possible feelings his brother might have and just keeps on pushing! Look at how every other side character prefers him! What a stud! (note sarcasm). Honestly Xu Feng is a character with no obstacles. The only one he has is that he is in love with his brother’s fiancé and his brother won’t give her up to him because he loves her too. How dare he! He’s evil incarnate! (note sarcasm again)

Plus, we have the narrative trying to portray Xu Feng as a supposedly moral and upright character in contrast to Run Yu who is a schemer. There’s just one problem. It’s easy to be lighthearted and benevolent and chill when you’ve never faced a day of hardship in your life, when you’ve clearly never been told no before and when the roulette wheel of fate always spins in your favor. What hardships has Xu Feng truly had to overcome? Everyone loves him and he is the Greatest at Everything™. We see his narrow world view though and how only what happens to him matters when he deals with the information about the Heavenly Empress’s tyrannical torture and killing fests. He doesn’t care that Run Yu has just lost his mother and has been tortured for the survivors he wants to talk about him and get Jin Mi. He doesn’t care that his mother murdered thousands of people because the Heavenly Emperor couldn’t keep it in his pants, how dare Run Yu disrespect her. Who cares if Xu Feng is the one who started them all down this path of misery by refusing to stop chasing after a woman who told him to stop and just kept pushing until he eventually won, he’s going to feel like he’s righteous enough to tell his brother to be alone for eternity as a price to be paid for what’s happened while Xu Feng goes to find a way to flounce off with Jin Mi and live happily ever after. Who cares if Xu Feng stripped Sui He of her powers and her sanity and threw her out to be tortured and eaten by demons without a trial or anything like that, everyone cheered him and he got the girl! Clearly he was right!

Jin Mi – AKA Born Sexy Yesterday:

Jin Mi’s whole characters storyline and plot depends and hangs onto the fact that Jin Mi is ‘naïve and sheltered’ and that she doesn’t have the ability to either consent or not consent to a male leads love. It’s because she doesn’t know what that is and can’t recognize these weird things he does! Like kiss her? Like start pulling off her clothes? Why would she say no? It’s all innocent fun!

Oh but wait, now she’s going to fall in love with this person because…because he’s constantly there and pawing at her regardless of what she says or does or how she reacts! Yay! True Love FTW! But it’s all okay because it might be that she was in love with him the whole time but it’s a good thing that he recognized it because she can’t figure out her own feelings and wrapping her mind around complicated things like love is just too hard so all of his attentions are okay somehow even though they were still done without consent but that’s okay because deep down she truly loved him. [flips a table in the distance].

Unfortunately Jin Mi’s whole story is all about her lack of agency or characters taking it away. Her mother gives her the pill. Her father sells her away before he even knows that she’s been born in an engagement to the Heaven Realm. Xu Feng continuously ignores what she says and pushes himself into her sphere and hounds her over and over again. Run Yu restores the pill and later holds her captive in the Heaven Realm. The Moon Immortal and Yan You literally turn her into a puppet to put her in wedding clothes and shove her at Xu Feng without her permission. How is any of this okay? Jin Mi needs to get the fuck out.

Plus, the story never seems to understand the limits of the pill. She can feel love, just not romantic love because she feels sibling/friendship love for her cactus friend and mourns her death. She acknowledges that she likes people like Run Yu and understands the concept of marriage and mothers and fathers despite somehow not understanding that Xu Feng is a boy and has different equipment. At certain points her level of ditzy and uncomprehending everything and anything was baffling for a woman who is thousands of years old. Sure, she lived sheltered in the Flower Realm so that’s why she got confused at a dick and wanted to cut it off…. but wait…there are men in the Flower Realm which means she would have come to understand the differences. A child catches onto them pretty quickly and that’s within two to five years. Why can Jin Mi not figure that out after four or five thousand?

This all adds up to the most irritating moment of characterization for Jin Mi. Wherein she decides based off of information that she has – before it’s verified or investigated into – to kill Xu Feng with her own hands. This is an action that Jin Mi chooses to take. Run Yu does not push her into this. Run Yu does not tell her to do this. He does not force her to kill Xu Feng. Later though, because of her guilt she throws the responsibility for her actions onto him and blames him and tears him down because of her own guilt. This is not okay for the supposedly main female lead. It’s not okay for anyone to demonize someone else and leave them holding the bag for something they had no control over. Learn to take responsibility for your own actions. It sucks, but you did it. He didn’t. Blaming him and saying that he doesn’t feel/understand love crossed a line after everything.

The extra characterizations of the other main characters I’m not going to go into but I will sum up as this:

Supposedly Smart Characters Doing Stupid/Crazy/Out of Character/WTF Things Because of ‘Plot’:

Sui He – Bechdel Tests Worst Nightmare AKA Female Character Only Exists To Further Male Story And Fawn Over Him.

Run Yu – But By God He’s Pretty When He Suffers AKA Actually a Disney Prince Cast Into Role Of Sea Witch For Reasons Unknown.

Tu Yao – Obvious Over The Top Bad Guy Is Obvious And Will Never Let You Forget It

Tai Wei – Satan’s Butthole.

#Ashes Of Love #Heavy Sweetness Ash-like Frost #ashes of love xu feng #ashes of love jin mi #xu feng #jin mi #my problems with the protagonists

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whump-tr0pes · 5 years

Text

Honor bound - 9

This is a series. Start here. Previous chapter here.

Back to Isaac. Be gentle with me, I’m not used to writing “mental” whump so I did my best. I’m hoping to get my Bad Things Happen Bingo card here soon and then...I’m gonna have a field day.

Cw: death mention, death threats, kinda walks the line between self-sacrifice and self-loathing a little bit..., drowning, asphyxiation

AO3

Isaac groaned at the sound of the door opening again. “No…”

“Oh, come on,” Gavin huffed, walking into the room with Leo close behind. “I gave you 20 minutes to recover. And didn’t you just beg me to torture you? Come on, Isaac, mixed messages here.” He grinned and turned to Leo. “Get him up.”

Leo yanked him to a seated position. He cried out weakly as the welts on his back stretched and bled a little more with the movement. Leo pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked one of the manacles. Confused, Isaac raised his eyes to Gavin. He paled when he saw that Gavin was carrying a bucket of water.

“What…no…” The tears started again as Leo wrenched his arms behind his back and shackled his hands behind him. “Wait…”

Gavin set the bucket on the floor and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “I swear to god, if I have to remind you about Sam every damned time I start into you, I’m gonna get real tired of that real fast.”

Isaac’s eyes were wide and fixed on the bucket. “I…I can be scared and still know why I’m here…”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “And why are you here? I’m sure we could all use a reminder.”

Isaac swallowed hard and closed his eyes. “Sam. I’m here for Sam.”

“Good. Come here.”

Trembling, Isaac drew himself to his feet. He stopped in front of Gavin, staring at the water.

“Get on your knees.”

Isaac fought back a sob. Of all things, all things Gavin could have done, he decided to start with this…

“Get on your knees. I’m not going to ask again.” Gavin’s voice had a hard edge to it.

This is…this is how… Isaac couldn’t seem to think straight. He couldn’t think of his team. He couldn’t picture their faces. The only thing that occupied his mind was the bucket of water in front of him and what he knew was about to happen.

He went down as Leo kicked him in the back of the leg. Leo forced him to his knees and yanked his head back with a hand in his hair. He could barely draw breath past the sobs. “No no no no no no…”

“Isaac.”

“No no no no please no…”

Gavin slapped him across the face. “Isaac.”

That brought him back, a little. “What…”

“You’re the one psyching yourself out right now. Have I done anything to you? Seriously.”

“No… No, I…”

“Then chill out. I’m just talking to you right now.”

Isaac nodded, shaking from head to toe.

Gavin laughed. “Well, if I doubted you were scared of drowning before I wouldn’t doubt it now. Christ.” He watched as Isaac did his best to draw in deep inhales and blow out slow exhales. He waited a few breaths. “Isaac.”

Isaac tremulously met his gaze. “What?”

“Do you know why I decided to do this next?”

Panic clutched at his stomach again. “No…”

Gavin’s slap knocked Isaac’s head to the side, despite the hold Leo had on his hair. Isaac cried out. Gavin shoved his face at Isaac as he trembled in Leo’s grasp. “I swear to god, Isaac, get your shit together right now or I kill you right here and go after Sam.”

Not Sam.

Isaac blinked the tears out of his eyes and dragged in another breath. “No.”

“Ok then. Can I continue? Please?”

Isaac nodded and pressed his lips together.

“Thanks so much.” Gavin rolled his eyes and sat crosslegged on the ground in front of Isaac, the bucket between them. “Let’s talk.”

Isaac watched him warily, his head still pulled back by Leo’s hand in his hair.

“Do you know how I knew bringing this in here would freak you out?” He nudged the bucket with his foot. Isaac flinched away as the bucket moved and stiffened as Leo tightened his grip on his hair.

“No,” he whispered.

“Oh, come on. Not even a guess?” Gavin grinned up at Isaac.

Isaac felt a chill creep into his stomach. He kept his eyes fixed on the wall behind Gavin and pressed his lips together.

Gavin glanced up at Leo and nodded. Without hesitation, Leo forced Isaac forward and plunged his head into the bucket.

Panic gripped him immediately. The feeling of cold on his face made him gasp and he drew water into his throat. He bucked hard against the hands on his shoulder and hair, but Leo’s grip was like iron as he held his head under the water. He screamed as his pulse raged in his ears. His lungs spasmed as he choked, dragging more water in.

Abruptly his head was pulled from the water. He dragged in a ragged gasp and coughed until his ribs ached. Water poured from his nose and mouth. Tears mixed with the water on his face.

Gavin reached out and grabbed his chin. “That is gonna happen every time to refuse to answer me.”

Isaac’s chest heaved with each breath as he began to sob. “You’ll…never…get anything out of me.”

Gavin tilted his head. “Aw. There’s that strong leader Sam kept going on about. But I don’t want information from you. Even if you do know things Sam doesn’t, I don’t really feel the need. I’m content I have enough if I ever need to hunt them all down.”

“No…”

Gavin held up a finger. “I’m not here for information. Like I said, I just want to talk.” Water dripped off Isaac’s face onto his bare chest and onto the floor. “So. Do you know why I knew to do this?”

A whimper made its way out of Isaac’s throat. “Sam told you.”

“Bingo!” Gavin laughed.

Isaac shook his head. “I don’t blame them for that.” His knees were beginning to ache.

Gavin grinned wickedly. “Oh? Would you blame them if I told you they volunteered that information?”

Isaac swallowed hard. “There’s…no way.”

He laughed again. “Think again! I told you they broke, and they broke fast. This was, like, day one.” He gestured to the bucket. “All I told them was to tell me something interesting about you. They volunteered your greatest fear all on their own.”

Isaac clenched his jaw. “They’re young. And inexperienced. It’s not their fault.”

“Oh, please. How old are they? I know every single thing they’re afraid or ashamed of and yet…how old they are just never made it into the conversation.”

Isaac hesitated before speaking. “They’re 19.”

Gavin snorted. “Ok, yeah, that is pretty young. But still, aren’t you even…the slightest bit mad at them?”

Isaac shook his head. “You tortured them. It’s not their fault.”

Gavin’s eyes narrowed. “What are they to you? You’re so god damned protective of them, to the point of idiocy. There was absolutely no need for you to take their place. If anything, you’ve left your team vulnerable without you. So why?”

“They…” He swallowed. “They’re Sam. They’re just…good. They didn’t deserve this.”

“People don’t go to their deaths for people who are just good.”

Isaac’s voice shook. “I didn’t know you were going to kill me.”

“Would that have changed anything?”

“…no.”

“You know what I think?” Gavin scooted himself closer until his shins were pressed against the bucket. “I think you would have done this for Ellis, or Gray, or anyone else on your team. Yes, of course I know all their names. And do you know why?” Isaac glared at him. “This team is all you have. And I don’t mean just, ‘they’re family’ or anything like that. No. You came because…what else do you have to offer them? Besides your life?”

Isaac swallowed.

“Really, I mean it. You’re not the smartest on the team, that’s obviously Finn. You’re not the best at taking care of people. That’s Gray. You’re not the most skilled, that’s Vera. And Ellis obviously has a sense of humor, so they’ve got you beat there.” Isaac’s eyes widened. “Oh come on. I had almost three days with Sam. You think I didn’t get to know your team intimately well? But what do you bring to the table?”

“I…”

His head plunged into the bucket again. He did his best not to breathe the water in but his body betrayed him. He yanked hard against the hand in his hair, but it was unrelenting. When the hand let him up again his lungs were burning for air. He choked on the water in his throat.

“What do you bring to the table, Isaac?”

He couldn’t answer. His throat was too constricted with coughing.

Gavin sighed. “I’ll wait.”

When Isaac could finally catch his breath he said, “I’m their leader.”

Gavin rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Obviously. But what do you actually do for the team that no one else does? More importantly…” He adjusted his seat. “What it is about your life that makes you so keen to give it for another?”

Tears burned in Isaac’s eyes. “I…don’t…”

“Let me tell you what I think.” Gavin’s voice was intense. “I think you know you’re not the hero Sam thinks you are. You aren’t even a particularly good leader. After all…” Gavin clicked his tongue. “I took Sam because of a mistake you made. I think you came to me because you know that’s all you’re good for: dying so someone else doesn’t have to.”

The tears spilled over.

“Aw, someone’s sensitive. I’m right, though, aren’t I?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Oh, yes I do.” Gavin got up on his knees so he was at Isaac’s eye level. “I think you know, deep down, that you’re not the person Sam thinks you are. You came here because you wanted to earn that place in their eyes. With Sam, with everyone. Deep down, you know you’re as weak as they are.”

“Sam’s not weak!”

“You keep saying that with all evidence to the contrary. But I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about you.” He tapped Isaac on the nose. “See, by coming here you guarantee the last thing they remember about you is this incredibly brave and selfless thing you did for your sweet and innocent Sam. Everyone will love you for it. Sam will hold you in their mind as their hero forever. And the team doesn’t ever have to see you when you’re at your weakest.” He grinned. “They don’t have to see how you begged before the whip even touched you. Or how you begged just because you saw a bucket of water. They don’t have to see how terrified you are…” He made a beckoning motion to Leo. Leo slowly forced his head down to the water.

“NO! No no no, please, PLEASE, don’t…” Leo stopped with Isaac’s face an inch from the water. He sobbed and writhed against his grasp. “Please…”

Gavin chuckled. “See? My point is made.” He placed his hand on the back of Isaac’s head and dunked his face into the bucket. He allowed him right back out of the water and let Leo draw him back upright. Isaac coughed and spluttered. “And I think you refuse to believe that Sam is weak because you want to believe you sacrificed yourself for someone good. Because if your sacrifice means nothing, and you are nothing without your sacrifice -”

“You’re wrong. Sam is good. And brave. And kind.”

“…that’s all you’re gonna correct me on? Does that mean everything else is true?”

“You’re a coward,” Isaac spat through his teeth.

Gavin’s face slid slowly into a smile. “Wow. You’re really taking this personally. Methinks I hit a nerve.” Isaac clenched his jaw shut. “You didn’t correct me, though. Which means you know. Deep down, maybe, but you know that you’re weak, you’re nothing, and this was the only thing you could think to do to convince your team that you’re worthy of the trust and love they give you. Or maybe you needed to convince yourself.”

Isaac held his gaze with a glare.

Gavin smiled. “Tell me who you really are, Isaac.”

Tears dripped off his face onto the floor.

“Isaac, you have a choice here. You can either…” He put his hand on his head and forced his face down toward the water. He cried out in protest. “…drown again, or tell me the truth about who you are.” They stood still for a moment, Isaac whimpering as he stared down into the water. “Wow. You would rather face your worst fear than tell me the truth about yourself?”

It’s not the truth. He tried to steel himself for the water, tried to push down his panic. But he broke. “Ok,” he gasped. “Ok.” Gavin released his head.

“Yes?”

Isaac swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Dunk him,” came the order. Leo shoved him forward and forced his head into the water. He tried to hold his breath. A hand pressed against the welts on his back to keep him there. For one beat, two, three…

He was pulled up again. He gasped and coughed. When he opened his eyes, Gavin was leaning towards him.

“This isn’t complicated. I want you to tell me why you’re really here.”

“Is this what you did to Sam?” Isaac panted. “Tried to get inside their head?”

Gavin smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh, I didn’t just try. I convinced them you were there to torture and kill them, remember?”

Isaac pulled against the thug restraining him. “What did you do to them?”

Gavin laughed. “It didn’t take much. I just helped them realize they were weak and a liability to their team.”

“Screw you,” Isaac said bitterly.

“Should you be so lucky,” Gavin murmured, leaning closer. After a moment, he sat back. “But I digress.”

Isaac struggled against Leo’s hands. “What’s the point of this? You want me to say I believe my life is worthless? That I came here to try to make it up to Sam for failing them? Fine. If you want to put words in my mouth on pain of torture, fine. There you go. I said the words.”

That terrifying smile again. “I never actually said those things. You came up with them on your own.” He signaled to Leo again.

“No!” Isaac screamed. Before Leo could get his head under the water, he threw himself to the side and slammed his leg against the bucket. It tipped over, splashing everyone with water. Gavin shouted and fell backwards away from the spray. As Isaac fell to the floor, Leo’s weight crashed on top of him, pinning him to the ground. He cried out as the thug moved his knee onto Isaac’s lower back, his hands pinning Isaac’s head to the floor and his hands against his back.

Gavin laughed, surveying his wet clothing. “Fair enough.”

Isaac’s face was pressed against the wet concrete floor as the water rushed to the drain. He groaned at the weight on his back. Gavin got on his knees beside him and smiled, bringing his face so close to Isaac that he could feel his breath. “Alright. No more drowning for now. I’ll have to move on to something else.” He got to his feet. “I’m going to go change. Leo, tie him up. I don’t want metal on him for the next part.”

Next chapter

@untilthepainstarts, @womping-grounds, @blue-flare10, @free-2bmee, @quirkykayleetam, @walkingchemicalfire, @inpainandsuffering, @redwingedwhump, @burtlederp

#honor bound #whump #torture #self-sacrifice #mindfuck kinda???#emotional whump #forced confession #take me instead #my oc: Isaac #my oc: Gavin #my oc: Sam #cw: drowning

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bleached-d-soul · 5 years

Text

Team ALAB: Home Sweet Home

Part 2 of Team ALAB commissions for @the-hapless-ace

When Jaune ran away from home to enroll in Beacon, his greatest fear was failing.

Now that he managed to get in the academy, fjoin a team of badass guys and even learn how to fight from them, he thought that there were few things he would be terrified of. Bullies couldn't hurt him. His grades were more or less decent. And he even managed to kill a Grimm or two by himself now! He was living the life without fear!

Until the holidays came, that is.

Winter Solaris used to be his favorite time of the year when he was a kid. You gather up with your friends and family, eat a feast of delicious food and basically relax for the entire period of the festivities. Even the Huntsmen Academies allowed their students to take a short break and go home to their families.

It was his time to go home.

Oh Gods, home...

"My parents are going to kill me."

"Kill them first then."

"You are not helping, Mercury!"

The former assassin showed no sympathy for him as he simply flipped through the comic. Then again, considering how complicated and homicidal his relationships were, Jaune couldn't blame him. But right now it wasn't Mercury Jaune was losing head about. It was his own life. His sisters would be mad. His dad would be furious. And mom... Oh Gods, mom wouldn't be mad.

She would be just disappointed.

"You know you could always stay here in Vale, right?" Ren said as he got tired of watching Jaune pace around the room. "Many students do that."

"Really?!" He was saved, wohoo! Now that he found some peace, he had a few questions. "Why are they staying though?"

"Some don't want to. Most cannot," Ren replied simply. "The latter don't have a home to go back to, that's all."

Jaune looked at his teammates. The son of the assassin who was running away from life of abuse and pain. The former terrorist exiled from his only home. And the boy who lost everyone to a Grimm. Fuck, he was feeling like such an asshole.

"You are coming with me."

All three looked up at him, confused and lost.

"Uh, Jaune? I don't think you-"

"Nope, you are coming with me, Ren. All of you are."

"Hey leader, weren't you trying to stay away from your family?" Mercury rolled his eyes. Seriously, Jaune was an okay guy but he seemed to not have much for attention span. "If this is about us killing each other without you, don't worry. Hornhead over here will be too busy stalking his ex."

"I swear to God, Black, another joke like that and I will-"

"Nope, all of you are coming with me for holidays!" Damn his cowardice! He was going to make sure the guys didn't spend the Winter Solaris alone eating some cafeteria food! "I am not taking no for an answer."

Now, all he needed to do was convince his parents to let them stay over and-

BOOM!

Something blew up in the halls.

"Where is he?!" the loud and terrifyingly familiar voice boomed through the corridors, mitigated only by even louder cries for help by the fleeing students. "Where is Jaune Arc?!"

Oh Gods, they came for him.

"He is over there! Please, don't stomp on my ballsa-AAAAAAAH!"

With a sickening crunch and then deadly silence, the four sat watching the door in suspense.

They could hear every step made towards their room but none dared to move.

They were too terrfified to move.

The blade of an axe ripped through their door, tearing the thing into bits and pieces. And now before the young men of the team ALAB stood none other than Jasmine Arc. The former Huntress. Now the mother of eight.

"Hi sweetie!" her voice dripped with warmth and love. And anger. Gods, so much anger and bloodlust even Adam found himself uncomfortable. "I decided to drop by. See how you are doing..."

Jaune gulped as he found mom's eyes staring hollowly into his.

"... and make sure you come back home for holidays!"

Before any of them could do or say anything, the young men were on the Bullhead flying back to Everwoods, the home to the Arc family.

ALAB

Adam didn't remember much of his parents.

His earliest memory was that of a dirty cell full of the other faunus children like him. Little more than cattle in the eyes of their oppressors, the kids were sent down to mine more Dust for the Schnees, as if they were not rich and fat enough. If you slacked off, you didn't get dinner. If you didn't meet your quota, you didn't get to leave the mines until you did. And if you fought back, talked back or even looked like you were thinking something other than 'Yes, sir', you got a beating. Do any of those enough times and you disappeared.

In those conditions, it was the oldest like him that had to be the parent. The mother who could comfort the smallest and weakest. The father who would give up his own stale bread and water so that others didn't starve.

Then he joined the White Fang and his fight was no longer about keeping the kids in cells fed and protected. Now he was taking them out of those cages. No matter where they went, the kids they saved from the labor camps were always the same: starving, scared and silent.

He never had a place to call home. His hoke was whichever base White Fang was situated in. The sands of Vacuo or harsh snow valleys of Atlas, none of it mattered as long as he could set another Faunus free. He never understood people who held any warmth for something as small and frail as a house.

"Waaaaaaah!"

"Shhh, Adrian, mommy is here!"

"Hey, Rouge, where did you put my book?"

"I didn't touch anything!"

"Mooom, I think the pie is burning!"

Which is why he was still unsure what he was feeling in this place. The Arc house was quite big and nice, though hardly large enough for the family of nine. It was somewhat old too. Yet none of the family seemed to mind.

There was laughter. There were jokes. Nothing so out of the ordinary and yet... Yet there was something that Adam still couldn't put his finger on. Was it the smell of all homemade food? Perhaps it was due to his increased senses that he-

"Ren, I have a problem."

"What is it?"

"There is a small child clinging to my leg." Adam pointed at the toddler who looked at him, eyes bright with some weird awe. "I think he might see me as as a threat."

"CA!"

"What is he saying?" Adam whispered as he picked the little one up. He seemed not to mind his mask, which was good enough. He would hate to remove it and get unnecessary questions asked.

"CA!"

What did that mean?

"Uh, I think he likes your horns?" Ren guessed as Adrian touched said protrusions. Did he really? Well, it was certainly a surprise. Back when he was a kid, the wardens used to push him around using his horns as one of the main targets for their verbal abuse. Why, they even called him a cow-

"MOOOOO!"

...

"Adam, are you okay? You are, uh, shaking..."

...

"Maybe I should take Adrien back to Saphron."

...

Mooo? Fucking Mooo?

"I AM NOT A DAMN COW FAUNUS!"

The room erupted in laughter. But not the kind Adam used to hear. There was no mockery or spite. Or fear and disgust. They weren't even laughing at him as much as his reaction. And somehow... Somehow he couldn't help but laugh too. Not like the brat and the sisters. Like he always did, quiet and reserved.

But a laugh nonetheless.

Adam never celebrated any holidays. Had no time. Had no desire. Why celebrate the moments of peace when his kind was still at war?

But maybe... Maybe these things weren't so bad, after all.

ALAB

Well, Adam was pissed. Which counted as good in Mercury's book.

Also, he was training with Jaune's dad, Alder. Which was pretty badass.

"You are good for your age, old man," Mercury smirked. "Too bad I am better."

"Are you sure?" and just like that, Mercury fell onto the ground, suddenly winded. What the hell? "My Semblance is called Drain. Within a certain range, it makes all the people I see slowly use up more of their stamina and Aura. Honestly, I am surprised you lasted this long. You have really good control over your body. Not something you see in a lot of young huntsmen."

Well, he wasn't the most huntsmen, was he now?

"Let's just say I didn't have a choice on that."

He didn't have the Semblance. He used to but now it was stolen, gone along with the asshole that took it from him. A part of him told him that he was crying over nothing. Without his Semblance, he was pushed to become the most vicious and efficient fighter he could be. His speed and strength were the fruits of his own work.

And hey, it was a small price to pay for his bastard dad's death.

"I am really glad my son met you guys."

Huh? "It was mostly an accident," Literally, in fact. "That crazy headmaster launched us all into the forest with a freaking catapult."

Seriously, he could have them jump off the Bullhead or something. But nooo, somehow that old psycho decided that launching them off like some paper planes was a better use of Beacon money.

"Still, I doubt Jaune would make it without you and the rest of the team," Alder said as he took a sip of his beer. Mercury wasn't quite sure why but he took a step back. No, forget that. He knew exactly why he put some distance between the two. And he hated himself for it. Hated how much power his old man had over him even now that he was dead. "You know, you are strong, Mercury."

He knew that. He had to be.

"Thanks, I guess."

"And you don't have to be a huntsman to prove it."

At that, Mercury looked at the man confused. What was that supposed to mean?

"I don't know what it is that happened to you in the past, not my place or right to pry. But I can tell from our little spar that you hate this strength you have. I can tell that you are not fighting because you decided to."

The man looked him dead in the eyes.

"You fight because you think this is the only thing you are good for."

Mercury sat silent, refusing to meet the man's eyes. What else was he good for? Dad never taught him anything beyond the simplest basics. How to write, read and count and that's it. The rest of the time was spent beating the fighting techniques into his skull. It's not like he could become an accountant or something now. At least being a huntsman would let him get his own money for whatever he wanted.

"I became a huntsman for much the same reason."

Huh?

"I thought you were some kind of town hero," Mercury could still remember all the annoying rumblings of how his dad joined Beacon to protect his home after graduating. "The whole White Knight routine and all that."

"That's only half the truth, unfortunately. Didn't want my kids to know I used to be a violent and unpleasant thug," the man chuckled. "I joined Beacon because I wanted a simple life. Be strong enough to slay a Grimm or two in some major cities. Collect enough money and live the life you want. I wanted to get out of this place so much back then. Leave and never look back."

"Let me guess," Mercury rolled his eyes. "Then you found love and decided to clean up your act?"

"No, my entire team almost died on a mission because of me."

Okay... Shit.

"I was young and reckless. But more importantly, I had nothing to lose back then. An orphan without any actual friends, all I cared about was me and what I wanted," Ardel recounted with the small sad smile. "My teammates were different. Each and one of them had something to return to. A home. A family. A lover. Something that made them so desperate to survive that they beat the impossible odds and even saved my sorry ass."

Did he have something like that though? He had no idea where his mom went. Or if he wanted to meet the woman who left him with that monster. He had no special love for his home village either. In the end, Mercury realized that he had nothing to come back to. Nobody waiting on him.

"You are young though. And I can tell you four are good for each other. Whatever comes your way, you don't have to face it alone," Alder said as he stood up and picked up his sword. "Now then, ready for another spar?"

Mercury smirked.

"I could use some more exercise."

ALAB

"Guys, dinner is ready!"

With a loud miriad of steps, the relatively big kitchen in the house of Arcs soon had no space left. The table was breaking apart under the weight of all the food, the orchestra of mouth-watering smells teasing the hungry stomachs with the promise of delectable end of the day.

But not before the man of the house finished his speech.

Which had lasted for good twenty minutes by now.

"Is he always like that?" Adam asked, not quite irritated but still hungry and exhausted from all playing with kids.

"Only when he is drunk," Jaune admitted.

"-and finally! I am happy to welcome Adam, Mercury and Ren into our family!" Alder finished, cheeks red and stance wobbling. "You three take good care of my son! And Jaune, make sure they don't have to take care of you all the time! Now, let's eat!"

The dinner began.

The table laughed, all of them exchanging their own stories and experiences.

And come the end of the night, team ALAB found themselves growing closer.

Not just teammates.

But now members of the same family.

#rwby #jaune arc #lie ren #adam taurus #mercury black #alab au #team alab

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steebharringt0n · 5 years

Text

sanctuary - part 8

summary: Subject 001. That’s what you’ve been called your whole life. You’ve known nothing but pain, violence, and isolation. You were their greatest secret weapon, but when your final mission is to ensure the end of the universe, you escape to Hawkins, Indiana to team up with Eleven and to put an end to all this chaos, once and for all - you just never expected to fall in love with the resident bad boy along the way.

rating: m

pairing: billy hargrove x reader

warning: graphic violence, slurs, abuse, curse words.

A/N: drama! angst! violence! billy being a dick! remember if you’re not tagged it’s because i can’t tag you! enjoy!

001. prologue 002. firestarter 003. spitfire 004. friend 005. sister 006. plans 007. feelings

--- 008. found

Earlier that day …

“Byers residence, Joyce speaking”

“Hey it’s me”

Joyce smiles at the sound of Hopper’s voice. She leans up against her kitchen wall, twirling the phone cable around her finger. “Hop! Everything okay? I wasn’t expecting to hear from you this early”

Hopper brushes a hand over his face, he’s exhausted. They’ve spent the last hour packing everything up, cutting their anticipated camping trip short. He wasn’t expecting to leave so soon, but Eleven has been unusually quiet, traumatized by the dream she had. She begged Hopper to take her back home, she didn’t feel safe in the forest and all she wanted to do was to be in her bedroom, somewhere familiar, safe. Mike had been attached by her side the entire time since waking up - making sure that she wasn’t alone.

They were currently stopped at a rest area, Hopper enclosed himself in a payphone booth while Steve watched the kids take bathroom breaks.

“Yeah, we’re all fine, El just … is there anything weird going on in Hawkins?” he questions.

Joyce frowns, her eyes then catch the magnets that keep falling off of her fridge, she groans loudly, “Other than my magnets not working, and other than Starcourt Mall running more businesses out, everything is perfectly normal, why? Is everything okay?”

Hopper leans his head against the glass, closing his eyes for a second, “Yeah, El is just not feeling well, she thinks something bad is going on. I just think she’s homesick or something”

“Well how long until you guys arrive at Hawkins?”

Hopper checks his watch, it’s 1 PM on a Saturday, they still had ways away. “We still got hours to go, we might just end up crashing at a motel for the night”

Joyce nods, “Well, just give me a call if something comes up okay? Say hello to Will for me”

“Will do, bye Joyce”

“Bye Hop”

---

Billy Hargrove wasn’t one to easily scare.

The years of abuse that was railed on him hardened him into a stoic, cold man. Showing emotions was a sign of weakness, that mantra was drilled in his head for as long as he can remember. Any time he would even think about showing an ounce of emotion, he would swallow it down, shoving it into the recesses of his mind.

But when he saw you, drunk out of your mind, bleeding out of your nose and on the verge of passing out - it scared him.

Watching you fall off the bed was as if his life was suddenly thrown into slow motion. First your knees buckled under your weight, then your body swung to the side, followed by your eyes rolling to the back of your head, your perfectly curled lashes fluttering shut. He wasn’t sure how he found himself running to catch you, but his legs worked faster than his mind. He was prepared to catch you, his legs planted on the floor, arms outstretched, ready to support your limp body.

You felt light in his arms, like dead weight. His heart was pounding furiously, his brow was thick with sweat. The chaos of the moment sobered him up and all that mattered at the moment was to make sure that you weren’t hurt because he knows you’ve been through so much and this was the last thing you needed at the moment.

He cradled you in his arms, adjusting your body so that you fit snug in his arms. He carefully placed his ear towards your mouth, he hears shallow gasps come from your mouth. You’re alive - he lets out a sigh of relief.

“She’s okay … she’s just passed out” he tells Nancy and Jonathan as they stood by the door, their facial expressions have panic written all over them. They just want this night to be over at this point.

Billy’s gaze doesn’t leave your face. His hand suddenly finds itself pushing a strand of your hair behind your hair. Your face has mascara streaks coming down the apples of your blushed cheeks, black stains trailing down. The blood has stopped flowing out of your nose, but it’s dried, cracked on your skin.

He turns to face Nancy and Jonathan, walking towards them as he adjusts your head, resting comfortably on his bicep, your legs dangling. He steps out the broken door, walking over the debris and over Tommy H. who’s been whining in pain this whole time.

“What the fuck?! Who’s going to pay for all of this?!” Stacy bellows at the crowd forming by the door. Her parents bedroom door has been ruined, along with her hallway. Billy steps around her, making sure that your legs or head doesn’t hit a wall, ignoring her cries.

“Why don’t you ask your rapist friend to pay for it” Jonathan sneers at her, following closely behind Billy.

The trio make their way outside where the party is still going on - unbeknownst to those that are hanging outside.

“I’m taking her home” Billy announces as the three of you reach his camaro. He gently places you on your feet, resting your body on his camaro as he quickly fumbles through his pockets for his keys.

“No way is she riding home with you Hargrove, you’ve caused enough damage to her” Nancy spits at him. She knows none of this would have happened if he wasn’t such a jerk to her. She knows it, he knows it, and the words sting Billy, much more than he would like.

He ignores Nancy as he opens the passenger car door, picking you back up and placing you in the seat.

“Billy, stop! Put her in my car!” Nancy barks at him. He slams the passenger car shut, and twists his body to face Nancy. His anger is quickly reaching a boiling point and the last thing he wants to do right now is explode on Nancy.

“Wheeler,” he speaks through clenched teeth, “I know I fucked up, let me just … fucking take her home okay?” he runs his hand through his wild curls. Nancy leers at him, her eyes narrowed at the flustered blond. She doesn’t trust him, she’s never trusted him. She feels Jonathan tug at her shoulder, he’s much more empathetic than she is.

“Nancy, it’s late, just let him take her home. We’ll meet him there, right Billy?” Jonathan looks up at Billy, who in return gives him a quick nod. Nancy huffs, she hates losing, but Jonathan makes a point.

“I swear to fucking god if you’re not there … “ she begins, her fists balled up at her side.

Billy rolls his eyes as he walks over to the driver side, opening the car door and settling himself in. He rolls down his window as he reaches for a cigarette in his center console, placing the stick in his mouth. The camaro comes alive with the twist of his key and he quickly peels out of the neighborhood, leaving Jonathan and Nancy behind.

The drive to Nancy’s house isn’t long, but it’s quiet. He doesn’t turn on the radio for yours and his sake. He reaches in his pocket for his zippo lighter as he balances the cigarette stick in between his lips. He flips it open, and swipes his thumb over it,

Click, click, click

It doesn’t turn on.

“Motherfucker … “ he mutters to himself. His attention is suddenly swept away when he hears a soft snap, he looks over at you and swallows thickly.

Your arm is weakly outstretched, the dimmest flame appears from your fingers, almost barely lit. Your eyes are barely open, but even at your weakest you always still wish to help. Billy slows down his driving, his attention fully focused on you.

“Hey, hey, put it out, don’t use your energy” he softly speaks to you, gently grabbing your hand and putting it back on your lap. You give out the weakest chuckle, “Concerned about me now are you?”

He grunts, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, placing the cigarette out of his mouth and into his shirt pocket. He doesn’t say anything as he starts to focus his attention back on the road, the camaro speeding up. Your eyes flutter shut, you can barely keep them open. You mentally tell yourself not to ever drink alcohol again because your head feels like it’s been slammed on the ground - multiple times.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” he asks, glancing over at you.

You sluggishly shrug, sitting upright now as you adjust yourself, “You being a dick to me, and seeing a girl suck on your neck like some sort of animal”

Billy’s nostril’s flare, his hand grips the steering wheel tight; knuckles turning white. He’s not quite sure how to answer you because he knows he fucked up, his ego is just too big to admit it, and way too big to admit that he cares for you. But he decides to bite the bullet. He slows the car down, pulling off to the side until it reaches a complete stop. You don’t react as you watch him pull the car into park, but he’s still unable to face you.

There’s an awkward silence between the two of you. You decide not to say anything because well, frankly, it isn’t your job to say anything. Billy was the one who hurt your feelings, not the other way around. He lets out a huff, twisting his body to face you, he rubs his large hand over his face,

“I fucked up. I’m sorry, okay?”

You don’t answer him, crossing your arms and looking out into the distance.

“One … “ he calls you by your name, your old name.

“That’s not my name” you snap, your fingers suddenly find themselves scratching at your tattoo, “That’s my old name. My name is Y/N”

Billy’s forehead puckers, his eyebrows furrowed together, “What?”

“I said my name is Y/N. I didn’t like my old name … reminds me of where I came from.” you shift in your seat, bringing your arms close to your chest as you avoid eye contact with him.

Billy sighs, rolling his eyes, “Look Y/N, I said I’m sorry alright?”

“Why are you here? Why are you taking me home?” you suddenly snap at him, shifting your body so that you’re now fully facing him. “You left me yesterday night with no answer, and tonight you were a huge asshole for reasons that my mind cannot understand. You make me feel these stupid butterflies whenever you’re around a - and I don’t understand why because one second you’re nice and the next you’re not, I - I don’t know if it’s just a guy thing because I’ve never been around guys like you before but it sucks! I hate it! I’m so confused with all these feelings you’re making me feel, but you’ve really hurt my heart tonight and I don’t think I can take being your friend if you’re going to keep doing this to me”

The only sounds in the car are your heavy breathing. Your head is pounding, swirling. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe you were just tired of his antics, you’re not quite sure. Billy is stunned, quiet. It’s only been about 24 hours since he’s met you but you’ve thrown his life in a whirl. He’s never one to care for anyone, let alone a girl who he’s just met. But you’ve attached yourself deep inside his heart for whatever reason.

Maybe it’s because you’re just as broken as he is.

Or maybe it’s because you’ve finally given yourself the power to right your wrongs - something Billy couldn’t face himself because he knows he’s hurt people; he’s hurt Max, he’s hurt Lucas, he’s hurt Steve and countless others. You’re here, trying to save everyone from this evil entity while he’s just counting the seconds till he’s back in California. He’s a selfish, weak man, and you’re a selfless, determined woman. You are everything he wishes he could be in a person. He has become so accustomed of cold, fleeting touches that when you came in with your warm hands and comforted him at the diner, he was left stunned, touched. He was left craving more and it fucking terrified him.

And it really didn’t help that he was also attracted to you.

Realizing all of this in his head, Billy doesn’t say a word as he starts up his car again, refusing to face you. Refusing to face the truth.

You stare at him with a scowl on your face, angry that he didn’t give you an answer. “Just drop me off at Nancy’s I don’t wanna see you again” you mutter, clenching your jaw.

Billy suddenly hits the brakes hard, flinging your body forward. You glare at him, “What the fuck!”

“You! This is all your fault!” he screams at you, he’s unhinged, angry.

Your eyes widen, an incredulous expression takes over your face, “My fault?! I’m here so that you won’t die!”

“My life was perfectly fucking fine before you came in, and you - you show up and you think you can make me care for you? You think we’re friends? You think you can touch my hand and pretend that you care for me?”

“I do care for you dumbass!”

“Well don’t! I don’t need your pity!”

“FINE!”

The tension between the two of you was thick. You could see the veins in his forehead pulsate as he leered angrily at you. You returned the look back, your chest heaving wildly as you felt tears prick your eyes. You quickly wiped them away, refusing to let him see you cry. Your bottom lip quivered as you hugged yourself, lowering your head so that he wouldn’t see your face.

He finally pulled into Nancy’s neighborhood. His car rolled into a stop and you quickly jumped out, slamming his door shut and not looking back at him. You made quick strides towards the back of Nancy’s house as you heard his car quickly speed away.

He watched as your figure disappeared into the darkness, he was clenching his jaw so hard he swore for a second that he was going to crush his teeth. He put the car back into drive and sped off, not even giving you a second glance.

Driving down the road, he twists the knob on his car, blasting music to distract him of the emotions that are currently toying with his head and heart.

After all that we’ve been through, I will make it up to you, I’m sorry

He huffs angrily, he twists the knob again, hoping to hear a different song.

Take me back in time, maybe I can forget, Turn a different corner and we never would have met, would you care? I don’t understand it, for you it’s a breeze Little by little, you’ve brought me to my knees

He punches the knob, turning the radio off. The last thing he needed to hear was a Wham! song, especially one about heartbreak. He grabs the cigarette out of his pocket and shoves it into his mouth. He takes the zippo lighter from the center console and flips it open, flicking it with his thumb but as luck would have it, it doesn’t turn on.

This sets him over the edge. He’d been bottling up his emotions all night and the alcohol in his system didn’t help. He angrily chucks the lighter on the ground, not caring where it lands in his car. He squeezes his eyes shut for a second and he feels hot tears prick his bloodshot eyes.

Don’t cry, don’t be a bitch, he tells himself.

He carefully pulls his car over to the side of the road. He inhales deeply, letting his head rest on the steering wheel while he recomposed himself.

You hurt my heart

She defended you!

I do care for you dumbass!

The words swirl around in his head like a song stuck on repeat. His heart is pounding furiously, and he feels lightheaded. There could have been much better ways for him to handle this situation, but Billy does what Billy does best, and that’s push people away because he knows it’s better than dealing with heartbreak or the stupid emotions that come with it. He’s only truly ever cared for one woman in his life, and she left him with a monster.

Never again would he go through that pain, even if it meant completely shutting you out.

He grits his teeth and pulls his head up, staring into the dark distance of the road. He starts the car back up and drives away into the night.

---

“Stupid Billy” you mutter to yourself, sitting on the cold pavement of Nancy’s backyard as you waited for her and Jonathan to arrive. The back door was locked and Nancy had the key, you didn’t mind waiting outside as the cool air helped sober you up. Still your head felt like it had been punched, and the feeling of nausea was starting to hit your stomach. You pulled your knees up to your chest, hugging your legs. You rested your head on knees as you stared out into the darkness.

Nancy’s backyard wasn’t fully gated, it lead out to a dark forest that one would probably find themselves getting lost in.

You sigh heavily, waiting for any sign of Nancy and Jonathan to arrive. You start to fiddle with the tip of the boots that Nancy let you borrow, scratching off the scuff. It was then you hear a sudden rustle in the trees. You perked up, eyes narrowing towards the darkness. You knew it couldn’t be Nancy or Jonathan, you didn’t hear their car pull in, but your adrenaline starts to surge a little.

You carefully stand up, you walk towards the trees, quietly, carefully.

“Is anyone there?” you ask.

You suddenly hear an all too familiar noise come from the trees. A noise that wrought you with nightmares, a noise that you wished you never had the pleasure of hearing again, but it’s here and that’s when the reality of the situation settles in your head.

Brenner is here, he’s found you.

The blood drains from your face as the demogorgon slowly appears from the trees, creeping its way towards you.

“Hey! Y/N, you back there?”

“STOP, DON’T MOVE!”

You quickly glance behind you and see Nancy and Jonathan walking towards your way. But they do as you tell them, and when they realize why you’ve told them not to move, they instantly pale. Nancy grabs onto Jonathan, her breath hitches as he pulls her behind him.

“Don’t move, don’t make a sound” you instruct them.

The demogorgon screeches at you, opening its mouth as it prepares to attack you.

You crack your neck, preparing yourself for it to lunge at you. But you have a plan, you’re more than ready to kill this thing.

“You’ve fucked with me for the last time you piece of shit” you seethe at it. It roars at you as it charges towards you, but stand your ground, watching as it comes running at you.

You give it a smirk as you flick your head towards it, and the demogorgon instantly catches on fire. It screeches in pain as it’s brought down to it’s knees, the flames consuming it’s flesh. You stomp your way over to it and you grab it’s large neck. With the twist of your hands, you snap it’s neck in half, instantly stopping the screeches from his monstrous mouth. You let go of it’s body as the flames continue to burn through it, a soft thud as it lands in the grass.

Nancy and Jonathan watch in horror as the flames devour the demogorgon’s body.

You brush away the fresh blood from your nose, you usually wouldn’t bleed at such a simple task but your body is exhausted, still reeling from your argument with Billy, and you’re pretty sure there is alcohol still lingering inside of you.

“What the fuck” Nancy chokes out, still holding onto Jonathan for dear life.

You glance up at the pair, swallowing thickly as you prepare to tell them the bad news,

“Brenner is here, he knows I’m here. His plan has been set into motion”

tagged list: @thefandomzoneisdangerous @jujurandy @littlebrownngirl @harduy @art-flirt @bish-ima-clown @lynnskata @snakelaufeyson @creativedogs @nightshade7117 @letsloveimagines @sorry-didnt-mean-to-stab-you @sighsophiia @blackravena @universefinds @jesus-jagiya @justatadbonkers @thedarkartsstuff @asheseiler @rad-lad-gone-mad @sophiajiyeon @sweetamren @frostygilbert @hufflepuff-writings @strangerchalamet @frenchzodiacgirl @sadgirlnumber92899 @all-american-fangirl @eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy @solfolgi @magnitude101999 @helena-way07 @skimpyharry @alicecooper19 @mikariell95 @heyhargrove @jyanasia @suoheiwajima @tegan-eva @xxshortclubxx @qtmeryr @colie87 @theshortmajesticsquirrel @silver-winter-wolf @synthsoup @thesleepykaijuu @seasiren96 @helen-of-troi @bb-bucxy @annoyingkidsoulstudent @alina-margaret @brandi1936

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove x you #billy hargrove fanfiction #billy hargrove imagine

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pernatius · 4 years

Text

Lost in Space: Ch 1

For an entire week, I’m going to be writing and editing 5 chapters of “Lost In Space”, which consist of 2k words each. The goal is to make it to 10k words by the end of the week. So, 4 chapters and about 8k words left to go.

Summary: An unnamed Space Explorer and an alien sharing the same characteristics as Greek mythology’s Minotaur must venture outer space together after just barely escaping a band of Space Pirates as she tries to remember why she’s so far away from Earth.

____________________

I cough. I feel my fingers gently stroke my upper lip. I see blood has been painted onto them. It’s my blood and my lip has been split open. Setting my hand down, letting it paint the floor beneath me so that I can leave a trace of my time here, I look at the many lines before me. They’re bars and on the other side of them is another helpless, lost creature. As my head is raised, as it watches them, theirs is lowered. We both may be shackled, are severely wounded, and most importantly broken, but I can’t help myself to follow suit. I can’t hold my head down. I have to keep my head up. I have to for her.

The ground beneath me rumbles. It follows the same rhythm as my heart. As heavy as the sound is, as fearsome as it is, I sit relaxed, or as relaxed as a prisoner could be. A creature far larger than any man and with a figure akin to a Minotaur, one of my many captors, has his scar-covered back turned to me. I watch the bars lower. My eyes follow the other prisoner as he is dragged by the shackle around his neck. For a split second, our eyes meet, and for that short time, I got to read the book that was his life.

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. A water droplet descends before me from the ceiling. I raise my hand out, the one now stained in my blood, and let it splash onto the red paint. With the light flickering, I know. I know the outcome. I know the other prisoner is no more.

He was someone younger than me. Maybe a decade. Five years at the very least. Throughout his entire life, he’s had to live, survive, through war. His planet has been under constant warfare, one that’s started decades before his lifetime. When he was of age, he was forced to fight for something he had lost faith in many years prior. It wasn’t even his planet’s fight, to begin with. It was some other planet’s, one that’s light-years away, yet their bloodlust became entangled with his planet. It entangled with him, and in the end, after all the sacrifices and losses, he became just another casualty.

The bull-like creature from before now stood before me. He huffed, his nostrils flared because of it, and yanked me out of the wall. I soon mirrored the other prisoner.

He threw me. My back slammed against the wall. Slowly, I got myself up.

My eyes met with his. “Sit,” he grunted. I limped towards the other seat, the one sitting right across from him. Once I sat down he pressed his hoof onto the end of my chain. He then pulls me and my chair closer to him. His musk causes my stomach to churn. “Your beauty manages to bring even my cold heart to melt,” he continued.

“Is that what that was?”

“You should be honored. I don’t get fond of many women, especially not,” his hand clutches my face, “humans.”

“A touch of speciesism won’t get you far with me.”

“If I find a liking to something then it’s already mine. I don’t care about your input, but you should about mine.” His hoof, the one that’s been resting on top of my chain, slowly twists. I begin to choke, causing me to claw at the metal tightly wrapped around my neck. Soon my vision begins to fade. Before I can blackout he lets go.

The air is icy, yet it felt so good to breathe in. It gave me the same feeling as drinking a glass of cold water on a hot summer day inside my childhood home that was unable to afford AC. He smirks as I come to realize my place in this conversation.

“Just because you are a woman, especially one I have grown interested in, that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten who you are. You are a prisoner on this ship. However, I don’t plan to treat you as roughly as I did with the previous prisoner that sat on your seat. Now unless you want me to treat you as I treated him I suggest you answer me with both respect and truthfulness,” my silence brings him to continue, “Why are you in this quadrant, human?”

“I,” my eyes look down at my hands, “don’t know.”

“You are not like any other human, are you not?”

“What?”

“You are not a civilian. No regular human has access to the type of technology your spaceship carries, one of which got you this far. That spaceship was manufactured from your government, yes?”

“Yes?”

“Then, why are you out here? What is your government planning to do?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your dedication towards your government is pushing my leniency towards you.” Slowly, he begins to twist the chain.

“I don’t know. I swear I don’t know. Please, believe me,” I begged.

I could only melt his heart so far. He continued. My eyes watered as I slowly fell into unconsciousness, but to my luck, something hit the ship. We both were flung out of our chairs because of it. As he gets back up, I see that he grabs the back of his head. His eyes widen when they meet with his hand. His eyes meet with his blood. My captor’s shock quickly shifts into anger. He slams the newly made fist into the floor.

The door swings open. It reveals another captor, but this one is much slimmer and shorter. He’s just a foot taller than me, which is still taller than most, but at least the possibility of outmaneuvering them is far greater than if there had been two of them of the same stature. “The Commander has ordered-”

“What the hell hit us,” he snapped.

I take note of how the smaller of the two flinched at the snap. “Their ship...”

What was once luck is now turning into misfortune.

“What? How are they out here already? How did they even track us?”

“I don’t know, but The Commander ordered all units to head to the deck.”

“Then, we must’ve been hit pretty hard for him to let us low-classes join the upper ones. What did he say about our prisoner?”

It’s quick, but our eyes meet. The pity in the smaller one’s eyes gets me to gulp, but the silence surrounding them gets a disappointed, yet playful tone out of the other. “A shame. Hopefully, The Commander lets me keep the next one.” He steps out of the room, joining the other.

I slam my fists onto the door’s window. “Wait! You can’t just leave me here.”

The larger of the two is already on ahead, making his way towards the ship’s deck, but isn’t too far ahead to witness the hesitation plastered all over his companion. “What do you think you’re doing,” the malicious one questioned.

Before I knew it the door opened. Because of the surprise, I nearly fell, but the one that stood on the other side of the door caught me before I could hit the ground. Once more our eyes met, and I was about to muster my thanks, but with the brute, I’ve spent too long with then slamming his fist into what has become my savior’s face we both now fall.

The kinder one covers his now swollen cheek. He tries to stand back up, but he’s not quick enough. The brute has his hand wrapped around his neck. “You’ve always been the weakest among us. How dare you flaunt around this ship as if you deserve the same recognition, the same honor, as everyone else on here? The Commander took pity on you, yet you have the gall to go against his word,” he spat.

Underneath the brute’s grip, his thrashing slows. My heart drops. Even though he saved me he’s just like any other of the creatures on this ship, yet my humanity gets the better of this fixed resentment. As painful as it was, I forced the shackle off of me. My blood dripping off from my nails brings strength to that description. Using the chain, I then choke his assailant. He stumbles backward because of it. The bull-like creature tries fighting free, elbowing me. Because of my persistence, he uses what little strength he has left to try to slam us against a wall, but he’s stopped before he could. Horns are stabbed into him but missed his heart.

Fallen to the floor, bleeding, yet breathing, he looks up at the now bloodied horns of the smaller. “Even after that you can’t kill me,” he remains silent, “This will prove to be your greatest mistake. Far greater than coming out of that wretched hole we found you in. You should’ve died. You should’ve died along with the rest of your village. Actually, no. Live with this. Live with the fact you’re the only one left of your village. Live with the fact knowing that-”

With a kick from me into his wounds he not only shuts up, but he knocks out as well. “We have to get out to an escape pod. Now!” He grabs a hold of my hand and rushes me to wherever they are.

As I pant from all the running, he stands in front of the door unfazed. That is until someone shouts from across the hall, “Why is the prisoner-” He yanks me into the room.

Several escape pods stood before us. They’re circular and unsurprisingly enormous. Hearing a thud behind me, I turn around to it. The wall’s control panel has been destroyed. From the door’s window, I see several other bull-like creatures slamming their fists against the door. They shout too, but with how thick the door is I’m unable to make of what they’re saying.

“Hurry up. We don’t have that much time.” Turning back around to the escape pods, I see he’s already in one and is setting up some coordinates into the system. Instead of the creature that’s now an ally I see what I witnessed when I first came onto this ship. It’s dark. Several of his kind have their grip on me, holding me from fleeing, holding me back. Screams echo. Their voices are familiar. One of them steps towards me. A flash hits me. The next thing I know I get a burning sensation on my lip. It’s split. The one that did it lifts me by my collar. From the corner of my eyes, I see a handful of familiar figures, but I don’t know why that’s so. I know them, but I can’t remember their names. My eyes then meet his.

I’m brought back to reality with the shattering of glass. Again, he yanks me. I’m too close to him. Too close for comfort. My breathing becomes erratic. My vision becomes hazy. The last thing I see is those bull-like creatures banging on the space pod’s window.

My eyes open. I jerked up. The first thing I do is feel my neck. There’s nothing there. It’s either none of that happened, or it did happen and I’m free. With my eyes wandering around my surroundings I’m led to the latter.

Trees surrounded me. Although, they’re not like the ones on earth. These are more mushroom-like with their colors and shape, but with how they twisted into one another and how tall they are I’ll simply describe them as trees.

Before me blazed a small bonfire, and soon what stood on the other side of it is the creature I had escaped with. He sat down and threw wood into the fire, keeping alive what’s keeping whatever is lurking on between the trees away from us.

“I,” I grip the wrist he’s had to yank twice, “never got to…”

He’s looking into the fire rather than at me. “You’re awake. Um. I’m sorry about earlier.”

“It’s alright. If you hadn’t I would’ve been recaptured.”

“That’s a relief. I’ve been feeling so guilty about drugging you.”

#174 #lost in space #writers on tumblr #creative writing #spilled ink #fiction #my writing #space

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ohtheseboysilove · 5 years

Text

Goodbye Westeros [ Ben Hardy x F!Reader ]

Words : 1, 400 K +

Warnings : language, fluff

Summary : Reader and Ben watching the very last episode of Game Of Thrones. She maybe confess accidentally her feelings too.

Note : I got a bit carried away after the request of @im-themoonofyourlife and god, I had a lot of fun writting this one ! This pure fluff and praising about GOT characters. But shit I’m so sad it’s over, like daamn, how I’m gonna survive to the next mondays ? Anyway if you want to talk about GOT, just message me or slid in my dm im so frustrated uurgh. Enjoy my buddies xx

!!! DON’T WORRY IT’S SEASON 8 SPOILER FREE !!!

Masterlist & Requests

@/ none of these gifs are mine xx

You bounced nervously your leg, waiting impatiently for Ben to arrive at your place. It was monday evening and who said monday, say...Game of throne day. And tonight was the last episode ever, after ten years of following the drama of the seven kingdoms, you were sad but excited to see finally who gonna end up on the iron throne. Even if you were a bit disappointed about this season eight you were still a massive fan.

When you heard Frankie whining at the front door, you knew Ben was about to arrive, fucking finally ! He gave a copy of his keys for you to come sooner at his place as you always watched the episode at his place. He had a bigger and better t.v than yours.

“Hiya Frank’ ! How are my girls’ tonight ?” Ben’s pretty face popped in the living-room and you immediately jumped on him, tugging him by the arm to the sofa. “Someone is in a hurry” He chuckled and rubbed the dog’s back with a wide smile.

“In a hurry ? You’re two hours late !” You pouted and crossed your arms. “I fought really hard to not watch the episode without you Benny”

“Mmm, you promise you didn’t watch it ?” The blond grinned and observed your face closely. You shook your head and he pressed a deep kiss on your lips.

His warm palms slid cheekily into your jeans, pinching your ass innocently.

“Hey, not even in your dream Benjamin” You pushed him away with a smirk and sat comfortably on the sofa, grabbing the blanket. “Maybe after the episode” You winked and he rolled his eyes.

“But you’re always grumpy after the episode, especially this season babe” He whined childishly. “We all know you’re not gonna like the ending”

“True but I’m gonna watch anyway so...” You shrugged and caught the remote, looking for HBO on the t.v screen. “You’re coming or what ?” You raised the cover for Ben but he stood up with an amused smile.

“I’m starving babe, I’m gonna make myself a sandwich. Want something ?”

“Seriously Jones !” You let your head fell back against the couch in a dramatic effect, sighing deeply. “Put your pretty ass on the sofa and let watch this damn episode” You threw him a pillow when he openly laughed at your exasperation.

“Jesus woman, gimme two minutes” He disappeared behind the kitchen door and just when you were about to pressed start, he yelled “Don’t fucking dare play the generic without me !”

You grumbled childishly and waited five more minutes before Ben finally came back, two sandwiches in a plate. He plopped next to you and slipped his arm around you shoulder, putting you close to him.

“Ready ?” He nodded as he bit in his snack. “Oh my god I’m so excited !” The familiar music started echoing through the room and you smiled widely, both you and Ben humming the theme song.

Your eyes were glued to the screen, hands clasping around your boyfriend’s forearm and squeezed it when your were shocked or afraid by a scene.

“I swear if she hurt him...I’m flying to Westeros tomorrow morning and take personally good care of her” You whispered as Ben chuckled gently. He loved how intensely you were living every episode.

By half of the episode, your cheeks were wet, like every time and you were on the blond’s lap, arms wrapped around his neck as you literally drank every words escaping from the characters’ mouths.

“Hey, that’s mine ! You said you didn’t want anything” Ben growled as you shamelessly bit in the sandwich still in his hand. “You–“

“Shush, my girl Arya is speaking. Show some respect to the best female character of the show” You scoffed and kept your eyes on the screen, waiting patiently for the final outcome.

Ben mumbled something about Cersei being way more interesting but you ignored him, too busy as you tried to guess who gonna be king or queen of the seven kingdoms. As the moment came closer, you could feel Ben tensed behind you, both of you looking with wide eyes the decisive scene.

“Oh my–“ You gasped and put a hand on your mouth as you finally get to know the new ruler of Westeros. “Fuck, is this real ?” You turned to Ben who looked as surprised as you.

“Told ya you were wrong” You silently watched the remaining minutes of the episode, laughing and crying again as the end of the episode was very close. “That was, indeed, unexpected” He shook his head with a grin as the generic played on the screen.

“I can’t believe it’s over” You sniffled and scratched Frankie’s head, your mind trying to process all the informations from the last episode. “I can’t wait for the spin-offs”

Ben stretched his arms and yawned lazily, stroking affectionately your hairs. “I know babe, so weird. Monday gonna be boring again now” You nodded and snatched the remaining half-sandwich from the blond’s plate and munched ferociously in it, not sure how you were feeling about this ending.

“Anyway, now that it’s over, we can all agree and say that Jon Snow is the best character of the show” Ben added with a cheeky smile knowing very well how you would react to his words.

“I think the fuck not ! Not on my watch baby” You shook your head and punched playfully the blond’ shoulder. “He’s a good character, of course. But seriously, he was so bad written this season, what a waste” You sighed with a pout.

“She is my queen (Y/N)...” His imitation of the well-know voice of Jon snow made you giggled stupidly. “It doesn’t matter if I fucked my aunt, she got the nicest tits of the seven kingdoms”

“Oh my god, shush” You snorted and captured his lips for a sloppy, giggling kiss. “You’re terrible...and well all know the best character is Tyrion, periods” You added with a superior smile.

“Only loser think that, babe” He shook his head and you gasped dramatically, offended by his words.

“How dare you talk about-–“

“Come on, he is funny alright, I give you that. But he is just an alcoholic who think only with his cock and get bully by his whole family, you’re always love the weakest one” Ben commented with a shrug.

You knew he was doing that in purpose to annoy you and it worked every time, you were too attached at the characters to let him say some bullshits like that.

“You’re lucky I love you because you being really stupid right now” You grumbled and took a deep breath, ready to make your speech about how awesome was Tyrion. “He is not only fun, he is smart and strong and very brave, he didn’t–“

“What did you just say ?” Ben’s eyes widened and a soft smile painted his pretty face.

“What ? I said he was brave...”

“Not that silly girl, you said I’m lucky because you love me” You blushed deeply as you just noticed that you effectively let your little secret slipped out. “You’re serious, you love me ?” He asked with a giant smile, brightening all his features.

Your fingers fidgeted with the sleeve of your top and nodded timidly. “Yeah, I love you Ben” You looked shyly at him and gladly accepted his long and intense kiss, his hands immediately grabbing your hip and you sighed appreciatively at the softness of his plumpy lips. He broke the kiss when the need of air was too important and you both smiled stupidly. “You don’t have to say it back, you know” You murmured, rubbing gently your nose against his.

He rolled his eyes and pressed few pecks on your swollen kiss. “I love you too (Y/N), of course I do” You heart fluttered heavily in your chest at his words.

“Yeah ?”

“Silly girl, I did catch up the seven seasons of Game of thrones just to watch with you the last one, right ?” You chuckled slightly. “Sixty-seven hours in few months with my crazy schedule darling, I thought it was obvious I did that because I love you. I knew you would need an emotional support for this six last episodes”

“True, you’re my real knight in shinning armour, the bravest of the seven kingdoms” Ben grinned cockily, his teeth grazing gently on your lower lip.

“Bravest than Brienne of Tarth ?”

You scoffed playfully and rubbed his cheek like he was a little kid.

“It’s Ser Brienne of Tarth and please, don’t push your luck honey. She fought a bear and practically killed Sandor Clegane, she is the greatest warrior of all the time”

“Can’t argue on this one” Ben admitted and pressed his lips on your forehead. “I love you”

“And I love you too” You answered with a loving gaze. “Even if you have shitty tastes about GOT characters”

Permanent tag list : @16wiishes

#ben hardy x reader #ben hardy #game of thrones #queen #bohemian rhapsody #borhap

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