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boyfhee · 2 years

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⌕ TAKE TWO ━━ 13 : unauthorized investigation

PRECIS. while riki constantly assured you that him being an idol under a different label wouldn't be an issue in your relationship, you start getting second thoughts when fans start shipping him with his co-mc at music bank.

w. angst, miya ( bbg deserves her own warning )

wc. 1.23k

“i didn’t expect you to actually come,” miya chuckles, a menacing grin dancing on her lips with unclear intentions masking her eyes. there’s not much you can decipher about her, except that she’s here for nothing more than your boyfriend. “do you not trust your boyfriend? do you think he’s actually hiding something from you?”

you watch her skim through the menu as if this is supposed to be some friends’ day out, her characteristic smile never leaving her face even for a second. perhaps, it’s the smile that has people wrapped around her, or maybe more. you’re here to fight for what belongs to you in the first place, but one look at miya, and you’re thinking of all the reasons you could lose from her. you aren’t the type to think of the worst possible scenarios before trying, but something about her has you counting your other options.

what if she actually succeeds in whatever she’s planning?

what if riki loves her and not you?

what if. . . and what ifs are all that have been plaguing your mind ever since you received her text. her presence isn’t one to stand out but her words weigh down your shoulders. the truth about riki, you might never know. maybe, it’s part of a bigger plan, maybe she’s simply messing with you. you don’t know, you would never. miya, in herself, is sort of a mystery, and you hate how she makes you question everything you’ve been confident about.

“no, i’m just here to see how pathetic you can get,” but you have a dignity to maintain, a look to deliver that you aren’t half bothered by her silly tricks, even if it’s a white lie.

“you’ve really painted me as the villain in your eyes, haven’t you?” you wonder if she’s trying to incite you, to make you lose your cool. her words are of less importance, almost none, for she’s asking questions she already knows the answers too. she tried to break up your relationship with riki, took every opportunity to ruin things between the two of you and create doubts. so yes, if you consider these things, a villain is not even close to how you see her.

“i don’t want someone who doesn’t want me, but if there’s even a little chance that he does, i’m not backing off,” it’s an apology and a challenge in the same sentence. as if, she’s sorry that you’re about to lose your relationship, but riki is worth fighting and so, she’s not going to apologise for being the reason why your relationship is falling apart. “besides, i can’t control who i fall for, now, can i?”

“of course,” you reach the conclusion that she’s trying to buy time, to annoy you enough that it leaves you with few options, one of them being giving up. it’s smart, you would say, because throwing around the blame and playing the victim card, if done correctly, tends to turn situations in your favour. her eyes still travel back and forth between you and the menu— it doesn’t seem like she’s planning on ordering anything. and in the end, there’s no truth, all lies, and one benefit of doubt.

“yn, i’m not an enemy,” her voice goes soft, eyes looking at you as if you’re supposed to be on her team. “i’m your friend. i’m just another person in love, just like you. i’m really hoping you’d understand,” and there’s a certain tone in her voice; pride, pity— desire.

it’s a shame how you failed to recognise it at once.

“understand what, that it’s okay to ruin someone’s relationship? or that, everything is fair as long as you get what you want, even if it means ruining someone’s career?” there are a thousand reasons why riki could choose her over you, and a million reasons why he wouldn’t. one could be so blindly in love to even forget what’s good and bad, or right and wrong, but god, not riki, not him. you’ve known him for over ten years, dated for three, and there’s only one thing about him that you’re sure of— music. you would find yourself wondering how life would’ve been if you had never chosen this field, but not him. riki has one dream, to make music, and his second, you, or so you believe.

“now, when did i do that?” and miya goes again, pretending to be the innocent one in his unauthorised interrogation. you know she’s in the wrong, but the look in her eyes and the confidence dancing on the tips of her fingers push you towards fear. she isn’t half as astute as you, but she came prepared. as if she had played this conversation in her head weeks ago before fixing her target and sharpening her moves.

“oh, i know you paid the media to post pictures of you and riki to provoke us. even his instagram, it was impossible to track it and find the pictures since it’s a private account that has been inactive for years,” you say as a matter of fact, “you think you’re the smart one here but it really doesn’t take a scientist to catch up to your cheap moves,”

at first, you thought of it as a coincidence— the media finding riki’s account, an article about dating while referring to a picture taken months ago— but the more you think about it, the less it comes off as just a coincidence. in fact, things fell into place better when you imagined miya behind every single thing that has happened lately. it would make more sense to claim that she tipped off journalists to post articles about her and riki everytime the rumours seemed to disappear, just to make sure the fans stayed interested in whatever hypothesis she was trying to prove. she planned it out, has been doing so for months probably, and you would give her the credit of being incredibly clever and impossibly crazy; the more intelligent, the less sane.

“oh, okay, i did that,” she shrugs nonchalantly, as if her actions don’t concern her anymore. the lack of remorse and the abundance of everything else on her face is making your palms sweat, afraid that the next moment, your boyfriend would be slipping through the cracks of your hands and you wouldn’t be able to hold him. “but yn, do you really think i’m the only one who wants this?”

“what do you mean?” there’s a stern look in her eyes. her words are firm, she sounds a little too certain for your comfort. maybe, she’s just a really good liar, maybe you’re reading too much into her actions. maybe, it’s something you’ve created inside your head and it will go away when you wake up. just maybe, those are the words you decide to hold onto.

“you’ve been doubting me since day one, convinced that i’m trying to steal your boyfriend, but what if it’s the other way round?” she leans on the table, you’re hoping her words won’t gesture towards what you’ve been fearing the most. “what if riki made the first move?” and miya knows it’s a blatant lie, but no amount of apologies from riki could bury her words deep enough to never unravel.

after all, she just had to sow the seeds of doubt and let them do their job.

PREV | NEXT | MASTERLIST

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hardcoverho · 11 months

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dark charles leclerc where the reader is his best friend but he wants so much more than that? and she starts seeing someone so he just kidnaps her and it’s super sad for her because she trusted him!

Omg I absolutely adore this idea. So, here is it.

Destiny

Pairing - Charles Leclerc X reader

Warnings - NONCON. Charles being an absolute asshole. The reader crying a shit ton. Belt spanking. Chocking. Degradation. Drugging.

Something was going on with your best friend, Charles. He and you had been friends forever. You could tell that he was troubled by something, but you didn't know what. And you didn't really even have time to figure it out.

You were in a very new relationship with a man you really liked. You didn't have time to run after Charles, especially when he outright refused to tell you what was wrong.

Charles, on the other hand, was seething. Every time he thought of you with your boyfriend, he saw red. He was more aggressive during the grand prixes, slamming into his opponents without care, yelling over the radio, and winning using every dirty strategy in the book. Everyone noticed his change, but the fans were happy to be winning, and others could only try so much to make him talk.

It was late at night when your phone buzzed. You were cocooned in your boyfriend's arms. You blindly reached for the phone and cracked open your eyes to look at the text.

Charles - Come down and go on a ride with me. I will tell you what is wrong.

You didn't want to lose the warmth of the bed to the chilling night outside, but you weren't going to lose your chance to talk to Charles, especially when he was finally willing to talk.

You quickly dressed yourself and were out of the apartment in mere minutes. You found him leaning against his car under a streetlight, his jacket black and his t-shirt red. His face was set in stone and the shadow of his hair fell over it.

"Hey," you said, rubbing yours arms. You should have put on one more layer. "What's up?"

"Get in the car." He opened the door for you. You frowned at his bland tone but got in nonetheless.

You trusted him blindly.

You shouldn't have.

Men like him, swimming in money, had no boundaries. They got what they wanted, how they wanted it, and from whom they wanted it.

Charles drove, the speed often pushing the speed limit. You gripped your seatbelt, glancing at him again and again, waiting for him to speak. He didn't open his mouth.

"Charles-" you began but he shook his head.

"We're going to my apartment. We will talk there."

You nodded. "Okay." You just hoped you'd be able to solve whatever problem he had.

. . .

Charles settled you in the living room as he went to fetch some wine. You messed with the edge of your dress, looking around. The apartment seemed darker, somehow. More threatening. The curtains hid all the window.

He returned with two glasses filled with red wine. He settled one Infront of you and cradled the other in his hand, his rings making a soft sound against the transparent surface. You took a sip.

"Will you tell me now?" You asked softly, looking up at him. He was a lot taller than you.

He sipped his wine. "It's you, Y/N."

"Me? Did I do something wrong?"

"You let him be with you."

"What....what are you talking about?"

"You let him touch you." You gasped as his hand shot our and wrpped around your neck, pulling you towards him. Your fingers clawed at his hand but his grip was unbreakable. "You let him touch this fucking body, didn't you? I bet he put his filthy fucking hands on that cunt. Cunt that belongs to me."

He threw you onto the couch. Your head felt heavy. The wine. You realized. The wine.

You were whimpering as you tried to get off the couch. He chuckled but didn't try to stop you. Your body felt weak. Your fell onto the floor, the carpet cushioning your body, but you couldn't drag yourself further.

"It's just you and me now, Y/N. I will make you regret making me feel this way."

Tears fell down your eyes. You had trusted him so much and this was who he was.

This was who he had always been.

You were just too blind to see the monster behind the sweet smiles.

. . .

You woke up to felling something holding your legs and hands down and something warm between your thighs. A tongue licked you up and down. You moaned, momentarily forgetting where you were, and then you tensed as you heard a familiar chuckle.

"Good morning, my little slut. We have a very long day of training ahead. I thought we'd start with something simple."

There was something in your mouth, it was forcing your mouth apart. A gag of some kind.

You struggled against the restraints, feeling Charles bite into your clit and then spreading you open with his two fingers. You made urgent noises, trying to get him off.

"Well," he said, pressing a kiss to your clit. "If you want to resist so much, maybe I should not start with something simple."

You begged him through your eyes. He'd been your best friend, your shoulder to cry on, the man you ran to with all your problems, and now he was undoing his belt while looking right into your tears filled eyes with a smirk on his face.

He pulled his belt out of the hoops and folded it in half. He tested it on his hand and smirked. "This will hurt."

It did. He slapped your cunt with the belt. You screamed your clit taking the worst of it. Drool escaped your mouth, your cunt throbbing with pain. He chuckled.

"This is what you get, Y/N. I had planned on always being nice to you, but you had to go date him. You gave this body to him when it belongs to me. It's mine to fuck, mine to defile, mine to hurt, mine to use." He slapped your cunt again, focusing completely on your clit. You let out a scream with each slap.

Soon, your pussy was nothing but a mess of pain. Your head moved from side to side. Charles chuckled every time you tried to beg him, unable to make out any words because of your gag.

He tilted his head down and spat in your open mouth. You smelled his familiar cologne. But it wasn't him. This wasn't your best friend. It couldn't be. You sobbed. It couldn't be Charles.

"Whore," he muttered. "A fucking whore is what you are now, do you understand me?" He slapped your face. "You are a whore. You are nothing but holes, holes you will present to me anytime I want, holes I will use any way I want." He slapped your breasts, pinching the nipples through the thin cloth of your dress. He twisted the nipple, and you screamed again. He chuckled.

"I will make you my fuck toy. I will make you my cumdump. You will live to have my cum in you or on you. You're nothing but a toy now, Y/N. Something to be used, be amused by, and then store away." He slapped your cunt with his hand. You tried to beg him to stop. He shook his head.

"We could have been a normal couple," he whispered in your ear. "Instead, you gave your holes to him, when I've always owned them. You will pay for this for a long time, Y/N. And I will enjoy every fucking second of it."

He pulled out a vibrator from the drawer and shoved it in you, the vibrations rocking through your trembling, weak body. He grabbed three clamps and set them on your clothed nipples and your clit. You screamed violently because of each one. He paid you no mind. Lastly, he wrapped an uncomfortably thick collar around your neck.

His fingers brushed on the front of the collar. "It reads Charles," he said and then he was gone.

. . .

Charles Leclerc Masterlist

#dark fic #tw noncon #charles leclerc #charles lecrelc x reader #charles lecrelc

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eletricheart · 2 years

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The Great War

*image creds to the owner

Word count: 1.371

"that was the night I nearly lost you"

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

Miranda wasn't the most open person, sometimes you didn't even know if she actually enjoyed your presence, but since you were never kicked out, you stayed. You weren't stupid, you knew of her experiments, you've seen the results in the woods, criminals she would say. You'd ask about the lords, "I did everything I could, I saved their lives".

You believed in her for a while, you understood and trusted her.

However, she never told you the extent of her trials, never told you the age of some subjects, never told you she doesn't feel remorse for all she's doing.

A lie won't go too far, she expected you to stay in the haze, blindly trust her, but Miranda was careless.

All of her experiments were failing, soldiers kept knocking on her door, Alcina's and Heisenberg's endless fighting. She was stressed, she forgot to lock the door, forgot to sedate the child.

When you first heard the screams, panic took control. You raced down the stairs to find Miranda covered in a little girl's blood. The urge to vomit was immense but the initial shock kept you completely frozen.

Miranda knew she messed up, she knew you wouldn't approve this, but her daughter was more important than anything in this world. So why did she care? Why was she worried about how you would react? It took you a month to properly look at her after finding the laboratory, how long would it take now.

Miranda watched as your mind worked relentlessly, trying to make as little movement as possible to not scare you off. Until all you could ask was why.

Miranda scoffed at this question, it was as obvious as the existence of the sun.

"Children have a more similar anatomy to my Eva, obviously".

You were perplexed, stuck between anger and sadness, not being able to formulate any long sentences with the way your mind kept going up and down. "But she's just a kid".

Miranda wanted to laugh at this, but instead she just furrowed her eyebrows and smiled. "My Eva was just a kid, besides it's not like this one was useful, didn't even pass the incision, no need to be worried".

So it clicked, Heisenberg's fury towards Miranda, Donna not leaving the house, Moreau disfigured and the Dimitrescu trapped inside a castle.

You want to be mad at her, for all of the suffering she has caused. But you were just upset with the lying, if she just talked to you.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh please, you were dramatic knowing about those creatures, with this you would be an even greater nuisance".

"Miranda this was a child! Not a criminal or someone close to dying, it's a kid. This is completely wrong. Oh my God what have I done, I can't believe this, I've been going against everything I've ever believed during these past few months for your to lie to me. I've been trusting you, trying so hard to understand you, to give reason to your actions, to have an excuse for all you've done and this is what I find".

"I never asked for you to do any of this, you chose to stay, you chose to accept my mission, my holy mission. I was blessed by the Black God and now you come to me thinking I have time for your petty complaints. You're nothing more than means to an end, don't blame me for your pathetic love expectations. I will do anything for my daughter, these subjects are serving a purpose greater than you could ever understand".

"Miranda, listen to yourself, this is insane, you're acting completely crazy".

So she slapped you.

𓄿

You would think that after living with someone for months, you would know the person. Neither of you knew each other, not even superficially, you just stayed close. Maybe it was fear of the other not liking the real personalities, maybe none of you wanted to meet the other.

Miranda saw you as a hypocrite, someone who acts like an activist but turns a blind eye to her cruelty.

You saw Miranda as a grieving mother, willing to give her life to Eva, someone who has done many bad things but still has good inside.

In reality, both were right in a way. You were a hypocrite but you still cried everyday for her experiments, you still helped the village with their basic needs, you still tried. Miranda was indeed grieving, but the pain was larger than you could possibly imagine. At a certain point she did go mad, she didn't care for the person laying on the table or dying in the cages, all she could see was the main goal, bringing her daughter back.

𓄿

You left after she slapped you, no one followed. You left the village, no lycan crossed your way and no crow watched you.

You went back to your city, tried to live a normal life, tried to forget the priestess. You really tried, but everything you did a memory would go through your mind, it could be something as simple as watching the sky and remember the day where you dragged her out of the cabin to see a rabbit shaped cloud.

You missed her and felt guilty for it, so you didn't come back, at least not for the next six months.

Miranda went back to work, crueler than before. The crops started to die, the lycans became more erratic, the crows were more aggressive.

Even the Lords noticed the changes, Moreau's reservoir was starting to lack fish, a sudden coldness reached the castle leaving it's inhabitants trapped inside without enough food, Heisenberg was having more troubles with the lycans and an absurd amount of new corpses.

Donna was the only one who didn't feel such a difference, except for a certain sadness in the air, one that wasn't her own.

They all tried to speak with the Goddess but she was unreachable, either spending weeks performing experiments or laying in bed for days.

It was the darkest six months the village had faced in many decades.

That was the state of the village when you returned, the common people tried to drive you away, to spare you from the land's cruelty, but you kept going, simply following the crows. Finding her at the lake, five minutes from the center of the village. There she was in all glory, waiting for you.

Miranda saw your return, she noticed how you looked skinnier, more tired, as if the world didn't treat you right.

The priestess wanted to kill you on the spot, no one insults her and leaves alive. And then you smiled at one of her devotees, your dimples faintly showing. So she forgot to kill you, forgot even the reason why she was supposed to hate you.

All Miranda felt was relief, a strange feeling of hope that maybe you forgave her. How comical, a Goddess wanting forgiveness from you...it was something she truly wanted.

Neither of you knew what to say, both still remembered the last conversation.

You could feel your hands shaking, your fast beating heart and your happiness to see her.

"I'm sorry."

Miranda released a breath she didn't even notice holding, and gave you a small smile.

"I'm sorry too."

Suddenly, the crops grew healthier, the sun shines brighter, more fishes started to live in the waters, the lycans became completely manageable.

Both of you agreed to talk more, she promised to try not to experiment on the innocent and you promised to never leave again.

Everyone noticed that both changes happened with your exit and return, some villagers even started worshiping you. The Lords were apprehensive, Salvatore wanted to impress you, Karl planned your murder, Alcina probably wished to eat you and Donna was quietly curious.

Everytime you fought the Lords would know, Miranda would be more demanding than usual, and the fact that you went to Donna's after her fight made her even angrier.

So yes, things turned out to the better, vows of never going back to that bloodshed were made.

However, this time when you fought, you would always receive a letter from Alcina and Karl, begging to forgive Miranda.

"I vowed I would always be yours."

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

masterlist

#Spotify #mother miranda x reader #mother miranda #resident evil village #resident evil #re8 #re8 mother miranda #re8 incorrect quotes #resident evil fanfiction #x reader #fanfic #resident evil fandom #non canon #angst #i'm so mentally ill

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redrum-alice · 1 year

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A dumb TimeBomb Highschool AU headcanon...

Because I've been listening to some personal playlist reminding me of it...

So like the premise is that Ekko saw Jinx crying with her hair a mess as if someone tried to put a gum on it, etc.

...this is gonna be long bc i dont know how to write properly lol...

When Ekko and Powder got out of middle school and into highschool, he noticed how drastic her looks have changed in a course of the whole summer: a long braid reaching nearly down to her knees and some bangs proudly protruding at the side of her face. He also noticed how she often uses make up to flatter her pale features she used to despise. Above anything else, she changed her name to "Jinx" and insists him (and everyone) to call her that instead.

Ekko guessed this may be because she doesn't wanna be that "weak girl" she once was (what Mylo insults her with + "jinx") and wanted to prove something. He wanted to disagree, but she already set her mind.

Even with these changes, it doesn't change the way he sees her; a friend. They've been friends ever since kindergarten, challenging each other on who can solve math problems faster. He's the only friend she had all those years growing up.

He's aware that she may not want to be with him most of the time since both of them have/are in different cliques. But even so, he checks on her every now and then.

Jinx loves her newself, but finds it hard to get along with people because of her new personality. As much as she wants to admit she likes to be with Ekko, she wanted to stay away from her old self and any remnants of it. She eventually found "friends" that liked her style...

It was all good until...

One day, when Ekko was finishing up cleaning the chalk board after school, he heard Jinx crying somewhere at the back of the school.

She was sitting down and hugging her knees with her hair loose and messily cut off- tufts of blue hair with a gum stuck on it was on the ground. There was a scissor in her hand, opened as if it was ready cut another chunk of her hair the moment she raises her head from her knees

"Jinx?" Ekko called out gently and quietly approached her. She knew he would appear in moments like this, so she didn't lift her head anymore.

"What happened?" She felt him laying his bag aside and sitting down in front of her. He scanned the gummed hair and assumed, "Did they do this to you?"

She wanted to hit her head several times for being a fool to trust people blindly. How did she not see red flags theyre only using her to get their stuff done? She wanted to scold herself, but all her strength was spent from crying.

"Uh..we can still braid it--"

"Mom wore a braid once." Her answer stopped Ekko for a moment. "...at least that's what Vi told me..."

Ekko understood her predicament and proceeds to sit beside her. He carefully brushed her hair with his fingers and parted it in two main sections before braiding each.

"Don't worry, we'll fix it. I bet it'll even look better than before."

From then on, she began to wear her hair in two twin braids, along with hair cuffs Ekko lended her.

No matter how much she wanted to change, Ekko will always be there to make sure she's doing okay :)

...that ending was lame lmao

@starry-nights12 imma tag u as thanks for the food you bring to TB

#arcane jinx #arcane #ekkojinx #timebomb #jinxarcane #ekko league of legends #enemies to friends trope #ekko x powder #league of legends #highschool au #these two idiots are in love #Her mom would've been so happy to see her wearing braids :)

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galaxysharks · 1 year

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if maddox were to have a meltdown for whatever reason with the wildcats... well, what'd happen???

i can assume most of them haven't seen maddox have one, with the exception of jet bc of The Incident

Oof, Finn, my guy this one's on you

They certainly haven't. Maddox has gotten pretty good at the whole 'removing herself from the problem' thing you see. It's pretty rare these days for something to bother her long enough to set off a meltdown, cause she can always run off, right?

So really it should make sense that the first meltdown that the Wildcats see is during one of the few times she really can't run away.....

It happens during a press event for HSM4. The Wildcats are generally there supporting Gina and Mack, with a few questions thrown their ways in regards to follow up from the Frozen documentary.

It starts out quite doable, with the hardest questions being the whole relationship musical chairs situation, which is relatively easy to play off with they're all quite young and exploring their individual sexualities. Jet is remarkably personable with the press, his dry wit a big hit, Maddie jumping in every so often, but mostly hiding behind JJ and Mack. With Gina and Mack expertly directing focus, Maddox gets away without answering many questions, oddly given she's the third in the triad of heavily involved students in HSM4.

Then the reporter forevermore known only as the Soulless Bastard finds his way to the front of the line. He claims that several of his platform's followers are from the lower LA area, and have a few questions for the behind the scenes process of the film. Quinn is further up the line with Gina, discussing similar topics with the major publications and isn't able to get back to them at the moment, so Maddox of course steps forward to take over in their portion.

Except he's not asking questions about things like the set reconstruction process, or the framing of shots, no he keeps asking about Maddox. Frustrating, invasive questions that Mack keeps trying to joke around but this guy's not letting it go.

Reporter: How did such a delicate recreation tolerate a dog on set?

Mack: actually, JJ here makes me feel right at home, after all you could say my most reliable coworkers were the wonderful dogs of Mark and Spark!

Reporter: We are simply concerned for the safety of several historical HSM set pieces and props pulled from the Disney vault in the presence of such a large animal.

Maddox: ...uh.... actually Joe-Jack was not on set during the filming of High School Musical 4 *JJ licks Maddie's Hand and she pets his head*

Reporter: oh so you don't need it? Is the service vest simply a fashion statement then? Are you aware of how incredibly disrespectful it is to miss label a pet as a service animal?

Maddox: ....well no, or yes, I, I need him... he.....he helps me! *JJ starts leaning on Maddox's legs*

Mack: come on sir! Can't you see he's working! He's very busy!

Reporter: Was he assigned to control your Autism?

Maddox: my, my what? How?

Reporter: is it true that you attacked several students and destroyed multiple pieces of state property at a previous school?

Maddox: I, I need to go, I need to go, I need to go. *JJ begins actively pulling on her jacket to direct her through a clear path the reporter attempts to follow. They are stopped by a barrier blocking of this street in front of the theater*

Reporter: there are thousands of children in attendance at this event, are we expected to trust that they'll be safe with someone like you here!?

Mack: HEY! ENOUGH OF THAT!

At this point with Macks shouting, several of the wildcats have noticed that something is happening, and are wrapping up their questions as best they can, Gina and Quinn included.

Maddox's grip on the old wooden barrier behind her begins tightening, splitting the wood apart, and causing splinters to push into her hands and causing them both fall to the floor. Maddox blindly pushes through the mess of wood, through the confused crowd on the other side and down a side alley. JJ gets caught on the support of the barrier hooking through his harness's handle, pulling him away from her as he struggles to unhook himself.

Once there the excess anxiety and panic send her to the farthest corner. She can hear too many things, heartbeat, the crowd, the shouting reporters, heartbeat, kids somewhere, her own breathing, someone calling for JJ, heartbeat, those kids she hurt, Jet yelping in pain the first time she'd scratched him, everything and everywhere.

She pull off her hearing aid, throwing it away from her, not caring about where it ended up. She stumbles into an unused rope barrier, without thinking she sends the weighted cylinders careening away from her, catering to the ground.

What she doesn't see is Jet hoping over them as he tries to get closer. Quinn has stopped this portion of the event, and had all affiliated presses from that publication removed and banned from future events. Mack, Gina and Seb (Carlos's +1) have moved forward, shoving back the crowd.

Ashlyn and Kourtney are untangling JJ from the debris, before EJ comes over and just unhooks the harness all together, with JJ taking off immediately to the alley. They follow him.

When they get there, Jet is crouched by his sister, with one hand supporting his leaning against the wall, and the other pulling Maddoxs hand from under her ears. Her hands are bleeding and there are scratched lines along her neck, but it's hard to tell where the blood is from at this angle. JJ is on top of her, pressing her into the wall, the sleeve to her other hand in his jaws pulling that one away from her face too.

The frantic struggling starts to slow as Jet talks to her, directly by her ear so she can hear him.

Once she has settled, Quinn comes back with security to escort them to a different room, where she can wait out the press event and decide if they want to press charges to the reporter.

After this, it's decided that the premier is going to be watched at the apartment to avoid any more of these scenarios. Maddox does not attend any events for Romeo and Juliet.

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts maddox #high school musical the musical the series #hsm the series #hsmtmts season 4 #hsmtmts jet #ashlyn caswell #madlyn #hsmtmts ej #hsmtmts gina #i would like to say i only claim half custody of this one #this is mostly finns fault

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cherriegyuu · 1 year

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seventeen as songs from folklore (ts)

this is also include songs from evermore

a/n: for this, i'll be giving songs and lyrics to each of the members, as well as small plots based on those lyrics. i don't plan to write all of these, but they are still my ideas (as basic as some of them might be). so if you are interested in writing one of them, you can message me about it. if you want to read one of them you can send in a request and i'll write for you

• Seungcheol ➝ Champagne Problems Your mom's ring in your pocket Her picture in your wallet You won't remember all my Champagne problems ↳ you watch from afar as Seungcheol moves on with his life after you broke his heart.

• Jeonghan ➝ Gold Rush I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch Everybody wants you Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you ↳ you always took pride in the fact that you aren’t very jealous of your boyfriend, mostly because you trust him blindly. But, sometimes, you need him to remind you that you’re the only one he loves.

• Joshua ➝ 'Tis The Damn Season You can run, but only so far I escaped it too, remember how you watched me leave But if it's okay with you, it's okay with me ↳ it’s been years since you last saw Joshua. At the time, both of you had been desperate to leave and ready to start your lives in the big city, however, you were the only one who managed to escape. Years later, you came back for the holidays and things seemed to be the exact same, including your feelings for him.

• Jun ➝ Hoax Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in Don't want no other shade of blue but you No other sadness in the world would do ↳ you knew Jun had fallen out of love with you a long time ago but still you couldn’t bring yourself to let go, having him hate you was better than not having his at all.

• Soonyoung ➝ Mirrorball And I'm still a believer, but I don't know why I've never been a natural, all I do is try try try I'm still on that trapeze I'm still trying everything to keep you looking at me ↳ Soonyoung is just tired of being the life of the party, of always being the one people go to when they aren’t feeling well because they know he will cheer them up. For once, he wished someone else did the listening and comforting.

• Wonwoo ➝ Seven Love you to the Moon and to Saturn Passed down like folk songs The love lasts so long ↳ never in your life would you have thought that you would be able to love someone but then you met Wonwoo, and he showed you just how great love could be with the right person.

• Jihoon ➝ Illicit Affairs Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me You showed me colors you know I can't see with anyone else Look at this idiotic fool that you made me You taught me a secret language I can't speak with anyone else ↳ Jihoon never thought that he would be the third person in a relationship and yet, there he is, looking at you from afar as you dance with your fiancé.

• Minghao ➝ Cardigan But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss I knew you'd hunt all of my what-ifs ↳ as a college student, you had a one-sided crush on Minghao. even years later, when he's no longer in your life, you can't help but compare every guy you meet to him.

• Mingyu ➝ Right Where You Left Me Did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen? Time went on for everybody else, she won't know it She's still twenty-three inside her fantasy ↳ you were never ready to move on after you lost Mingyu.

• Seokmin ➝ The One I persist and resist the temptation to ask you If one thing had been different Would everything be different today? ↳ you never thought you'd see Seokmin again, but when you're forced to change jobs you discover that he is your new boss you can't help but reminisce on the past.

• Vernon ➝ August Back when we were still changin' for the better Wanting was enough For me, it was enough To live for the hope of it all ↳ you always had hope that one day Vernon would see you as more than just a friend, so when he introduces you to his new girlfriend you feel your heart break into a million pieces.

• Seungkwan ➝ Invisible String Time, curious time Gave me no clue, gave me no signs We're there clues I didn't see? ↳ since you were kids, life always found a way to put you and Seungkwan together in the same room.

• Chan ➝ This Is Me Trying I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere Fell behind all my classmates and I ended up here Pouring out my heart to a stranger ↳ Everyone always had high expectations for Chan, he was always the future of something. For once, all Chan wanted was to live in the moment, and with you, he found an opportunity to do so.

taglist: @wonwooz1, @ryuwonieebae, @sobun1est, @mirtaspace, @ho34gojo, @feat-sun, @wonvsmile, @mhlsymlysn, @swinterr, @immabecreepin, @uniq-tastic, @miriamxsworld

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#k-labels #seventeen imagine #svt imagine #choi seungcheol #yoon jeonghan #hong joshua #moon junhui #kwon soonyoung #jeon wonwoo #lee jihoon #xu minghao #lee seokmin #kim mingyu #chwe hansol #boo seungkwan #lee chan #taylor swift

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delete-the-kisses · 5 months

Text

i broke up with him on january 8th in front of the library inside a mall, since the main library is under renovation. my best friend held my hands in an isle beforehand, told me i was brave. and if it hadn’t come from her, i’d believe it was a well-crafted lie instead of an honest mistake in judgment.

truth being, i was scared. a coward. someone who’s own feelings were still something to be explored, someone who just needed her hands to be held. and when i left that night i didn’t feel regret. i felt free. i floated like a feather amidst the winter breeze, in my pink puffer jacket and rosey cheeks.

a fool; what i truly was on that evening. so self–centered, confused and helpless, believing i’d made the right choice. i didn’t hear myself screaming. i didn’t hear my rapid footsteps on the pavement, chasing down a girl, didn’t feel myself pulling the lapels of her jacket until it choked.

i dream of myself in the library, voice raspy and restricted, screaming at her as she stands up. “i need to go”, she says, but that’s the opposite of what she needs to do. she needs to stay. she needed to stay.

now, i hit my juul in the school bathrooms with him. he tells me his problems. his new girlfriend plays guitar, so i started to learn too. not that i realized that until afterwards.

his new girlfriend’s name is aurora, like that phenomenon in the northern sky where all the lights shine in green, purple, red and i hate knowing that’s exactly what she feels and looks like. his new girlfriend’s favorite radiohead album is in rainbows. i want to learn jigsaw falling into place on my dad’s old acoustic guitar.

every guitar string scar will remind me of him, every note i play will be reminiscent of the sound of his voice. i pride myself in knowing what will happen. i pride myself in my everlasting, sullen misery.

i blow the white smoke in his face as opposed to kissing him, i cry on park benches, i open my windows and pretend the noisy birds are why i’m losing sleep. i listen to music on the bus. i wish i’d have to take it more often, and i pretend the ride to his place isn’t the perfect amount of time to exist as something with a destination.

summer washes away pain, i suppose, but i spend each one being in love with someone i can’t have. i’ll learn guitar. i’ll go to another country and write about him there, spread my love along the countryside like it’ll do any good there. i’ll go to church and pray for him to take me back.

a mess; what i’ll be for an uncertain amount of time from now to somewhere. his name has six letters, otherwise i’d take it as an angel number. a sign.

screaming to the girl i was this winter will do no good, but i’ll never be or do good. i trust for everything to fall into place. i trust blindly, and i only trust myself.

#spilled thoughts #poetry #writers on tumblr #poems on tumblr #writing #creative writing #poems and poetry #queer poetry #poem #writer

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frostise · 5 months

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7 + 16

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 ┇ accepting ♡

7. Would your muse ever get married?

omfg this is a hard question! uhm...i think louise has thought about marriage at random times of the day but it's not a top priority right now because prioritizing her vengeance against firestorm will always be her ultimate life's goal (as depressing as that realisation is). but of course, louise has other important things to do in her spare time then try to kill him because there are a bunch of his other villains trying to end his career too. mostly her life involves T.A.B since she works for them on a daily basis until death arrives at her doorstep.

however, i do imagine it starts to get pretty lonely entering her various penthouses with nobody to greet her and it would explain why she's super close to criminals or monsters she befriended over the years and hangs out with them frequently just to fill the emptiness she's been feeling ever since crystal's death. louise's pride wouldn't admit it but she's actually lonely in the love life department because of her abandonment issues plays up in most of the relationships she's been in the past. there's never a moment where she thinks a long-term relationship will result in a marriage. it has always been casual relationships frost was familiar with over the years.

so personally speaking—i don't think she's ready for marriage. at least not until firestorm is eliminated. the concept of marriage does sound rather enticing, serene, a happily ever after if you will. well...that's if she was still young and carefree. i do think there's a alternative version of louise who never lost crystal. she would've actually considered marrying her on the spot but unfortunately crystal never felt the same way about her, so louise would never marry anyone who never really saw how monstrous she can get and accepted that nature with open arms.

in other verses where firestorm is dead, she will stop obsessing over him and refocus on working on her second goal which is to be happy even if it's without crystal and her own family. this will eventually lead to marriage at some point with someone she deems worthy of her time and trust. my current version of kf is just a conflicted mess of emotions and riddled with major abandoned, trust and commitment issues she's still trying to resolve even though it's a slow, arduous process to cope with. this doesn't mean she'll cheat! she just has doubts and paranoia about her partner leaving the marriage if they show a single hint of rejection.

16. Does your muse believe in soulmates?

that actually reminds me of her canon quote: "in a world where aliens can fly and regular men stand up to the gods. what are the rules of physics? is it now so tough to imagine them bending...to imagine them breaking?"

from louise's perspective, anything is possible in a world full of gods, monsters, magical gateways and metahumans cosplaying as hero/villain amongst the multiverse. she would believe there are soulmates out there somewhere in the world but she personally never experienced 'meeting the one' and even if it was a real thing? louise would rebel against fate. she would prefer to meet someone on her own accord, not follow a red string blindly just because the all mighty 'god' of whatever chose to seal their fates. plus, gaining 'true love' for a mere stranger is very unsettling as you can imagine lmfao. louise would want to actually know the person first! she hates it when people rush a relationship!

#red-hemlock #˗ˏˋ ༄ ──── 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 〳 ❪ don't let the cold put you off ❫#˗ˏˋ ༄ ──── 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 〳 ❪ violence creates and molds as well ❫#this is such a depressing hc my goodness!#louise will always prioritise vengeance over anyone else #unless they were caught up in a dangerous situation then she will save them ofc #but if she had to choose between marriage and getting her vengeance #then she WILL always chose vengeance #probably end up dying alone at this point lmfao #peace through vengeance louise?#hMM #she really loves crystal though 😔

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splendidreads · 2 years

Text

Open Your Arms, Part 3

Mob!Bucky Barnes × Female OC

Word Count: 4692

Warnings: some mildly foul language, threats, protective Bucky is a warning in itself.

Summary: 'Arranged marriages are never easy. This one is no exception. Both sides will have to relearn their ways, and learn to trust each other. Bucky has all the love to give, but Katherine doesn't know how to accept real love. She's never been loved by anyone other than her best friend. Will she learn to open her heart, to New Yorks most notorious Mob Boss? Or is she too scared, that he's just like everyone else?'

A/N; This is my FIRST Bucky story. As well as my first AU story. If this first part does well, l'll keep on going. I'm incredibly beyond nervous about this. ALSO; things will pick up in the next chapter!! DONT WORRY!!

Constructive criticism welcome, but please be nice.

Please re-post and comment:)

I do NOT give permission for my work to be copied and posted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. PLEASE just reblog if you want to share my story!!

TAGLIST: @wintasssoldier

Part 4 Here

SONG: Finesse by Bruno Mars & Cardi B

Katherine had slept pretty well that night, in her new big bed. She had actually slept into the morning, for the first time in years. Her bed was surely a mess, and she probably had the worst bed head of her life. But for the first time in what felt like forever, she felt rested.

A soft humming sound started in her throat, as she rolled over in the bed, hearing her phone buzz against the nightstand. She stretched her arm out, blindly smacking her hand around before she finally felt her phone. One of her eyes slowly peeled itself open, just enough to look at her phone.

10 text messages, and 2 missed calls.

It was then that she finally looked at the time, both of her eyes snapping open. It was nearly eleven in the morning, far longer than she’d ever slept in before.

“Shit!”

She fell out of the bed with a loud plop, scurrying to get to the bathroom and start her day. As she turned the shower on, she went through her text messages.

Sage 7:46am ‘GOOD MORNING! Let me take Skadi out for a walk, then let me know when someone will come get me!’

Sage 8:03 ‘Skadi tried to drag me into the lake.’

Sage 8:30 ‘KATIE ARE YOU UP?’

Bucky 8:32 ‘Good morning, Katherine. I came to check on you, but you were so peacefully sound asleep.. I thought I’d just let you rest. I have meetings starting at 9, and hopefully will have a lunch break around noon. I hope you sleep well, and I’ll see you later (:’

Sage 9:10 ‘I’m ready whenever you are’

Sage 9:30 ‘…are you alive?’

Sage 9:47 ‘Did something happen..?’

9:52 Missed phone call, Sage

Sage 10:03 ‘I’m stopping by your house, or I guess your old house, grabbing a couple of things. Your dad isn’t here..’

10:13 Missed phone call, Sage

Sage 10:15 ‘Did I possibly steal someone’s phone number, because you left the letter on your desk? Yes, yes I did.’

Bucky 10:25 ‘Sage texted me. Steve’s about to head over to get her.. I know you said she worries a lot, but she seems pretty antsy to not hear from you. I told her that you were asleep, and she didn’t seem to believe me..?’

Katherine let out a long huff of air as she began brushing her teeth, reading all of the text messages. Her eyes rolled, reading the ones from Sage. But when she saw the texts from Bucky, she smiled. She hummed softly, her fingers tapping away on the glass screen.

‘Everything’s fine, I promise!! Would you believe me if I said that I slept in?’

‘Good morning! I’m so sorry, I don’t ever sleep in like this. Thank you for being so kind! Don’t worry about Sage, it’s just very uncharacteristic of me, lol’

She sent the first text to Sage and the second to Bucky, as she moved around the bathroom, prepping to get into the shower. Just as she was about to step into the shower, Sage texted her back.

‘…What?’

‘I was preparing myself to fight a mob, just so you know..’

‘Also.. YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT STEVE WAS HOT!’

A rumble of a laugh passed Katherine’s lips, shaking her head as she quickly texted her back.

‘Lol I’m getting into the shower see you soon.’

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

Katherine decided to try and leave her hair down for the day, realizing she hasn’t had that opportunity in such a long time. Her hair was always in a slick bun, or a braid for work. It had been long enough that she was a bit surprised to see that the strands reached right above her rear. She had a hard time getting herself ready, her eyes glued to the body she saw in the mirror.. Noticing every detail that she despised about herself. She wasn’t a petite woman, that was for sure. Her hips were wide, thighs jiggling as she moved. Her tummy had a bit of a pooch, sticking out over her jeans, enough for her to grab between her fingers to fiddle with. Stretch marks across her hips and abdomen, even her thighs and breasts, from frequent weight changes. She would at least give herself credit for having nice curves.

A sharp rap of knocks at her bedroom door snapped her out of the daze.

“Hold on!” Her voice echoed through the bathroom, her bare feet padding across the tile as she pulled a shirt over her head.

“My hands are full or I would just come in anyways!” Sages voice sounded from the other side of the door.

Her hands were full?

Katherine pulled the door open, a confused look on her face as not only Sage but Steve as well both walked into her room with a few boxes and shopping bags. She continued with her confused expression, a hand on her hip as she watched them set everything in the TV area.

“So, I know that you’re not a very materialistic person,” Sage started, opening a few boxes, “But I also know.. That was never really a choice.”

Katherine walked towards them, peering into the boxes, “Okay…”

“I may have let it slip, that you’re a bit of an artist..” Sage shot her an innocent look, “I grabbed everything from my place that you had, and Bucky sent Steve and I out to get you new art supplies.”

Katherine’s eyes shot up, looking between the two blondes. She was silent for a moment, not sure what she wanted to say. Steve let out a soft sigh, a smile on his lips as he helped Sage take everything out from the bags

“He had already fully intended on taking you shopping.. But after talking to Sage,” His eyes went to her, a smile on his lips, “We all agreed you could use the surprise.”

Katherine stood there, dumbfounded. It wasn’t unlike Sage to try and take care of her, that wasn’t anything new. But the fact that it was Bucky, as well as Steve.. She watched as the two began taking things out, her eyes looking at all of the things.

“I also got a few things for you to decorate your room with.” Sage spoke, looking around the room. “This is the perfect spot!”

Sage stood up with a handful of rectangular frames in her hands. She walked over towards the television, and began placing them on the wall, trying to figure out the best spot for them. Katherine watched her for a moment, trying to look at the photos.. She could practically feel her heart swell, realizing what the pictures were. One was of Katherine and Sage, around the time they met. They were both so young.. Another was the two of them, a bit older, with a huge mess of paint. They both had big grins plastered on their faces, though she knew that after that moment they cleaned it all up. Next was a photo of them from their High School graduation..

“I thought you could use a few personal touches.”

Katherine’s lips curved up into a sweet smile, “Thank you.. Both.” She turned her smile to Steve, who just simply nodded his head, returning the smile.

Sage hummed softly, as she stuck the photos to the wall, satisfied with her arrangement. She then went back to all of the things on the table, and began to move some stuff around. Soon, all three of them were going around the room, decorating. Sage had suggested putting music on, and Katherine didn’t argue. The girls were dancing around the room, having a great time.. Katherine didn’t even notice that Steve had been gone for about fifteen minutes.

“Ooh, don't we look good together?

There's a reason why they watch all night long..

Yeah, know we'll turn heads forever..

So tonight I'm gonna show you off!”

Sages voice sang the words happily, both girls laughing as they danced around. Katherine smiled, walking into her closet to hang up the last of her clothes.. There wasn’t much, but it was at least a little better now. Sage had brought the clothes that Katherine left at her house, wanting her to have better options. Katherine had gone deep into her walk in closet, the music flooding her ears, and didn’t have any idea that Steve was back.. And that there was someone else in the room as well.

“You must be him.” Sage smiled, putting her hand out, “It’s good to officially meet you.”

Bucky offered her a kind smile, shaking her hand, “You too.” He glanced around the room, raising an eyebrow, “It looks nice. Thank you for doing this..” He seemed like he had more to say.

Sage hummed softly, “No problem. I’m just thankful that you’re not a big meanie,” She chuckled a bit, before lowering her voice, “She would kill me for saying anything… But I feel like it’s my job.”

Bucky’s eyebrows furrowed on his face, listening intently. He could hear Katherine in the closet, humming along to the music. He wondered if she liked to sing.. But he was also very curious to know what Sage was about to tell him.

“I know way more about what you do, than she does.” Sage crossed her arms on her chest, looking directly to Bucky’s eyes, “She has no idea.. The reality of what she’s about to put herself in.”

Bucky nodded his head slowly, though his eyes narrowed a bit, “And just how do you think you know?”

Sage chuckled softly, proving his gaze ineffective, “Deputy Chief Alexandria Chambers.”

Bucky’s gaze softened, hearing the name. He looked to Steve, who simply nodded his head as if he already knew the information that was being revealed. He was confused.. How did she know her?

“She was my mother.”

Bucky swallowed a lump in his throat, “She was one of the best, that’s for damn sure.. I was very sorry to hear about her passing.”

Sage nodded her head slowly, “Thank you. She was always fair.. And I know that she was on your side of things. Well, you and your mob family.”

Bucky wasn’t exactly sure where this conversation was going, but he continued nonetheless, “I’m assuming that uhm..” He cleared his throat, “She made sure her daughter was well aware of the world she lived in.”

Sage nodded her head, “She was very thorough about it.” She seemed like she was about to say more, though a smile crept its was back onto her face when they could all hear Katherine’s voice.

“When I'm walkin' with you..

I watch the whole room change..

Baby, that's what you do..”

Katherine had absolutely no idea about the conversation that was taking place, as she hung up her clothes. If anyone had been paying close attention, they might have noticed the sweet smile that tugged on the corners of Bucky’s mouth. ‘She sounds wonderful..’

“Listen,” Sage looked to Bucky’s eyes, a serious expression on her face, “I just don’t want Katie to get caught in the crossfire of your world.” She let out a huff of air, “She deserves the best.. Even if she doesn’t think so herself.”

“No, my baby, don't play..

Blame it on my confidence..

Oh, blame it on your measurements..”

Steve walked over, grabbing the now empty bags. He was listening to Sage speak to Bucky, and he knew where she was going with her words.. Sage had told Steve quite a bit when they went shopping. She was quite the protective friend.. And for good reason. He glanced at Bucky, their eyes meeting for a moment. Bucky’s eyes shifted back towards Sage, and they watched each other for a moment, listening to Katherine sing. He put his hands on his hips, as the two of them shared a bit of a staring contest. Until Sages words broke the moment of silence between them.

“I will do anything for her.. Anything.” Sages eyes squinted, “I’m not trying to get on your bad side or anything.. I just want to make sure what your intentions are with her.”

Bucky watched Sage for another moment, and was starting to understand why she was interrogating him. “My intentions are what they’ve always been.. I intend on marrying Katherine someday.”

“But do you intend on loving her?” Sages words were sharp, and quite clear.

Bucky thought about those words, his eyes looking around the room. It’s not like he was heartless.. But love was never really on the table for him. Love was dangerous. It could be used against him.. Who would ever truly love a man like him anyways?

Sage shook her head, her eyes looking over the photos on the wall, “She deserves to be loved.. Taken care of.. And cherished.” Her lips curved downwards, “She hasn’t gotten much of that. Her mom died too soon, and her dad just became even more of a piece of shit.. Yet somehow, she’s still a ray of sunshine in this shitty world.. and I don’t want anything to diminish that.”

Steve cleared his throat, taking a few steps closer to them, “I can tell you that she’ll be well taken care of here, Sage.” He offered her a kind smile, before glancing at Bucky, “Even though everyone thinks that Buck is some scary monster.. A hard ass, who has no heart.. There’s a big ole teddy bear under that facade.. And I have a feeling that Katherine’s going to find him.”

Bucky glared at Steve, for saying such mushy words.. But, he could potentially be right.

Sage returned Steve’s smile, “I hope you’re right.. But I still want to know what Bucky’s thoughts are.”

Bucky took in a sharp breath, looking down at his shoes for a moment, trying to think over his words, “Steve’s right. Everyone does see me that way, and they’re not exactly wrong.” His eyes flicked up to Sage, “But I know how to be a gentle man, Sage. I would’ve never made a deal to marry someone, if I didn’t think I could… Be a decent husband.” He let out a soft breath, “I promise you that my intentions with Katherine are genuine. I will take care of her, and maybe we will grow to love each other.”

Sages lips curved up into a wide grin, and she brought her hands together, clapping them. “Well, alright then. Then I have a job for you.”

Both men’s facial expressions changed to one’s of confusion, looking between each other before turning their attention back to Sage.

“Katherine needs to change. She needs to learn that she deserves love.. And I want you to help me do that.”

Before Bucky could respond, the music suddenly stopped.

“Hey Steve, I was wondering if you-“

Katherine had come out of the closet, holding a clothing rod in both of her hands. Her eyes widened slightly, seeing that Bucky was standing there.. Her lips curved up into a sweet smile, their eyes locking. She felt her breath hitch in her throat, admiring his steel blue eyes.

“Hi.” Her voice came out soft, the grin on her face not faltering.

“Hey.” Bucky responded, his lips curving up to return the grin, “Uh, what happened?” He asked, pointing to the rod in her hands.

Katherine looked at it, then chuckled, “Fun fact, if you’re too short to reach something, just ask for help. Or you’ll end up taking down all of the clothes you just hung up.” Everyone in the room began chuckling, though Katherine’s cheeks tinted a light pink shade.

“I’m assuming you were about to ask for my help?” Steve finally asked, still chuckling a bit.

“Yeeaahhh..” Katherine chuckled softly, “It can wait until later..” She hummed for a moment, before looking between the three of them, “So.. What ‘cha guys up to?”

“Oh, I was just interrogating your new boyfriend, of course.” Sage grinned, sending Bucky a knowing look.

Katherine’s blush deepened, “Sage!” She scolded her, “We literally just met yesterday!”

Bucky’s lips turned up into a smirk, “Yeah, and I’m already introducing you to people as my girl.”

Sage raised an eyebrow, Steve tried to stifle a laugh. Katherine’s face was red as a beat, and thank god she didn’t have to come up with anything to say.. Because Annette knocked on the door, her warm smile peering into the room.

“Lunch is ready!” She announced, before motioning for everyone to follow her.

Bucky chuckled, sliding his hands into his pockets. His eyes watched as Sage grabbed Katherine’s hand, leading her out of the room. How cute. He couldn’t help the thought, seeing how she reacted to his words. Steve followed behind the girls, and Bucky went right behind him.

———

The next week went.. Well? Bucky had been pretty busy with a bunch of meetings, and Katherine found herself feeling pretty lonely. Sage had gotten stuck working overtime at the hospital, so Katherine didn’t really have anyone to talk to. She did, however, find herself in the kitchen a lot. Annette showed her where everything was, and was delighted to find out that Katherine was a quick learner. Baking, cooking, you name it. Annette started showing her everything that she knew.

“You know, I think Mr. Barnes has a soft spot for brownies..” Annette said, smiling as Katherine took them out of the pan.

“Really?” Katherine’s eyes looked at her, “You think.. You think it’d be okay if I took some up to him?”

Annette nodded, “If the door is closed, just make sure that you knock. But yes, I think he’d be pleasantly surprised.”

Katherine slowly nodded her head, and decided to grab a plate. She put four brownies on it, not knowing who else might be in his study with him.

“I’m going to finish up the laundry, then I’m done for the weekend!” Annette said, as she came around to the side of Katherine, taking a brownie.

“Alright, thank you for your help. Let’s hope that he likes them!”

Katherine took the plate in her hands, and started to make her way through the house. She was a bit nervous about going to Bucky’s study. She hadn't been in there since her first day here, and he’s been so busy lately.. Maybe brownies might be a nice offering. They hadn’t spent hardly any time together, shy of quick ‘Good morning’s before he had meetings. As she walked down the hall to the study, she found that the door was open. Perfect! She hummed softly, deciding to just walk in.

“Hey Bucky, I’m sorry if I’m bothering you.. But I made-“ Her words were cut short by the stares of five men.

Bucky stood at his desk, towering over scattered papers and files, a frustrated expression on his face. Steve stood next to him, the same kind of frustration.. There were three other men gathered in the room, none of which Katherine had met before. As soon as she had stepped into the room, all the men’s eyes snapped up to look at her. It startled her enough to make her stop dead in her tracks. She gripped the plate tightly, her eyes shifting between each man, finally landing on those icy blue orbs.

“Brownies..” Her last word finally came out, her voice much quieter than it started.

Her eyes glanced at all of the papers on the table, and they widened a bit when she realized what they were. Crime Scene Photos. As soon as she had that realization, the photos were all scooped up back into a Manila folder.

“Who the hell are you? Snoopy little bitch..” One of the men voiced, his words sharp. Italian. “Who said you could barge in here?”

Bucky’s head snapped towards him, and as he opened his mouth to speak, Katherine’s voice was first.

“Excuse me? I live here. If I feel like bringing my man some brownies, I’m quite sure I can do just that. And, the door was open.” Her words came out much stronger than she expected, so she kept that strength and walked further into the room. “Learn some manners, bitch.” She walked around to the side of the desk that Bucky was on, and he greeted her with what seemed like a proud smirk.

“You are quite correct, doll.” He hummed, her words feeding his ego a bit. My man. His eyes looked towards the man who voiced against Katherine, “You’re lucky you still have your tongue. Katherine is right, you should learn some manners.. That’s no way to speak to a woman, especially mine.”

Katherine felt a chill run through her, Bucky’s flesh hand resting on the small of her back. She gave him a warm smile, silently thanking him for his words.

The man in question scoffed, rolling his eyes, “Whatever. She just marched in here like she owns the place.”

This time, Bucky’s metal hand reached out. He grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, pulling him to be halfway across the desk. Katherine let out a soft gasp, though Bucky’s flesh hand stayed gently on her back. Steve stepped around Bucky, putting Katherine between the two of them.

“Her name might not be on the title yet, but this is her home. And no one will speak to my girl like that. Next time, there will be no warning. Capiche?” Bucky’s voice was loud, commanding.. And it startled Katherine a bit.

The man’s eyes widened, his hand grabbing onto Bucky’s metal one, and he just nodded his head. Bucky finally let go of him, not until his eyes seemed to peer straight into his soul. The man stood up straight, fixing his shirt. Bucky’s gaze softened, turning towards Katherine once more.

“You made brownies?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. His voice was much softer towards Katherine.

She cleared her throat, nodding her head as she held the plate up, “I only brought four.. I wasn’t sure who all was in here..”

Bucky took one, giving her a grin, “Good thing there’s only four of us. Amato, you can leave.” He didn’t even look over to the man as he dismissed him.

The man grumbled something in another language, which Katherine assumed was Italian, before storming out of the room. The other two men looked between each other, before turning to look at Katherine with small smiles.

“Katherine,” Bucky hummed, “These are two of my best men. Clint Barton, and Bruce Banner. Bruce is the head of our science division, and Clint is head of the security team.”

Steve took a brownie as well, “It’s nice to meet you both.” Katherine smiled, extending the plate over the table.

“Likewise.” Clint said, nodding his head as he took a brownie. Bruce took the last one, giving her a nod with a smile.

Katherine watched as all four men began to eat the brownies. She hadn’t even tried one yet, so she wasn’t even sure if they were good or not. Though, based on their silence, and that they continued eating them..

“These are so good, Katherine.” Steve grinned, plopping the last bit of the brownie into his mouth.

“They really are.. Reminds me of my moms.” Clint said, a soft chuckle on his lips as he ate.

Bruce smiled, “Did you make these, or did Annette?”

Katherine couldn’t help but laugh at them, “Annette supervised, and I made them. Found an old recipe we wanted to try.”

Her eyes went up to Bucky’s face, still awaiting a reaction from him. His eyes were closed, as he slowly ate the brownie. A soft hum came from him, as he finished the brownie, his eyes opening to find hers looking at him.

“Delicious.”

Katherine’s lips curved up into a big smile, “I’m glad you guys liked them. I’m starting to really get into baking, maybe I can bring some stuff up for you guys every so often.”

Bucky smiled at her, his hand still on her back, “I think that’s a really nice idea.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment, Clint moving to collect all of the papers on Bucky’s desk. Katherine glanced at them, curious about what they were.. And why that man was so rude to her.

“I’m sorry if I interrupted something important.. The door was open, so I-“ Katherine’s words were cut short by Bucky raising his metal hand as if telling her ‘stop’.

“The door was open. You did nothing wrong, doll. Amato needs to learn his place, and keep his trap shut.” Bucky’s fingers on her back slowly began to caress her, sending another chill up her body.

Katherine nodded her head, though it didn’t exactly make her feel better.

“I think it was a shock to him though, hearing you talk to him like that.” Clint said, giving her a grin, “You’ll need that sharp tongue, being in this world.. Especially being Bucks girl.”

Katherine returned the grin, “Anyone who dares to calls me a bitch, will get this sharp tongue. I don’t care who they are. I’ve dealt with a life of assholes, I’m not doing it anymore.”

All four of the men began chuckling, Steve patting Katherine on the shoulder.

“No one will ever treat you badly, doll. If they do, they’ll have to answer for it.” Bucky said, the other men nodding their heads.

Katherine’s eyes looked up to Bucky’s, searching.. All she could see was a strong, kind man. He wasn’t as scary as people made him out to be. He had only been kind to her.. She almost couldn’t believe that there was blood on his hands. She gave him a small smile, nodding her head.

“Alright boys. Now that this is taken care of..” Bucky motioned towards the folders, “I’m done for the weekend. I’ve been putting a few things off, trying to get this done.” His eyes glanced back down to Katherine.

Steve chuckled softly, nodding his head. Bruce nodded his head, “It was nice to meet you Katherine, thanks for the brownie.”

Clint smiled, “Yeah, it was nice to have a snack.”

“Of course.” Katherine smiled to them, watching as all three men walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.

“So…” Bucky cleared his throat.

Katherine raised an eyebrow, turning her body in his hand to face him, “So?”

He let out a soft breath, “I’m sorry that I haven’t spent any time with you, Katherine. Business has just..” he shook his head, “It can be very time consuming at times.”

Katherine shook her head, gently resting her hand on the arm that was still around her, “Don’t. I understand, you’re a very busy man.”

He smiled, lifting the hand from her back to gently caress her cheek with a finger. Katherine’s lips parted ever so slightly, her breath getting caught in her throat.

“Well.. I intend on spending the weekend with you.” He hummed softly, “I’d like to take you to dinner tonight.”

“Is it.. A date?” She asked, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

He chuckled softly, “As long as you want it to be..”

Katherine’s lips curved up into a happy smile, “Well, we’ve got to start somewhere, yeah? I think a date is just what we need.. You need to solidify the fact that you call me your girl.” Her words were meant as obvious teasing.

“Oh? Well, you did come into my study, and call me your man.” His lips quirked into a handsome smirk, “I think we’re on the same page, don’t you?”

“Hmm.. I suppose we’ll see, depending on how well our date goes. Maybe we’ll get somewhere.” Her expression changed to match his.

“Maybe.. I’ll steal our first kiss tonight.” His words were soft, barely above a whisper.

Katherine’s cheeks darkened, “O-Oh yeah?”

“Only if you want me to, of course..” His fingers cupped her face gently, “I don’t want to force you into anything, doll.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” Her voice was soft, her eyes peering deeply into his.

“I hope not.. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day we met.”

#bucky barnes #sebastian stan #james buchanan bucky barnes #mob!bucky barnes #au bucky barnes #bucky barnes story #bucky barnes x female #mob boss bucky barnes #female oc #mob!bucky #SplendidReads Open Your Heart

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ohheyaghost · 3 months

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OC STORY DUMP TIME!! :D

lots of text under the cut so ooh beware

general info to keep in mind: everyone in this group except for Cody & Aviru is 13-14. The story takes place the summer between 8th grade and 9th grade for them all.

The main guy, Robbie. On his way home after the last day of school ended, Robbie took a shortcut through the woods to his house. A random deer shows up, bites his hand and then leaves. Robbie ignores it until he brings his brother(he gets mentioned later) through the woods and the same deer shows up, turns into some weird eldritch horror and attacks his brother. Robbie tries to help but accidentally finishes off his brother, killing him. Robbie tells his friends about this and they all are like “well that’s weird.” They go to the woods to investigate and that’s where all the weird stuff happens. They form a plan to get rid of this monster thing so it doesn’t hurt anyone else. I’m not gonna say much else because I’ll probably post more about these dudes :D

random cool fact: often has nightmares and cannot sleep as a result. (This was a problem before everything happens.) he’s also a trans guy :D

May is Robbie’s best friend. She was the first person Robbie told about anything. They’ve been best friends since 6th grade. She’s super smart and does most of the research about what the thing in the woods is. She’s also got some insane paranoia after the first arc ends because of all the stuff that happened when it ended. not to mention she has zero idea what she’s going to do after Highschool. She feels like she needs to figure everything out now so everything is okay later. (Can you tell im projecting?)

random fun fact: both her parents are engineers which puts more pressure on her.

Juliet is the groups caretaker and #1 “what the hell is going on” person. She blindly trusts most of her friends wich leads to a lot of issues both now and what happened when she was younger. Shes been friends with May the longest out of anyone in the group. Random fun fact: she was born without the lower half of her right leg and uses a prosthetic.

Teagan recently moved into the town and barely knows anyone except for Juliet. They’re aggressive and is constantly one upped by her sister. (She’s not in this post because she doesn’t really show up in the story.) Teagan only agreed to anything with the group because “the cute girl who I live Nextdoor to is doing it and I want her to like me.” (Juliet is the cute girl Nextdoor.)

Random fun fact: she played baseball in their old town and got kicked off the team for smacking a kid in the face with a bat. (On purpose.)

Cody is Robbie’s younger brother (9 years old). In the first arc the only thing he does is die. That’s literally it he just dies. In the second arc he appears again as a weird living corpse that’s actually [HUGE SPOILER WOAHH!!] random fun fact: knows the entire plot of dog man (yes the graphic novel by dav pickley) from beginning to end.

VILLAIN TIME!! Aviru is a shapeshifting monster that but Robbie because it was “in need of someone to carry on the legacy.” Aviru is a master when it comes to making Robbie freak out. It often messes with Robbie’s head and if Robbie is freaking out hard enough, it can sneak on in and take over Robbie’s mind. random fun fact: when I first created the characters and idea of this story (back in 2022 when it was a gacha club miniseries I made for myself with one episode yeah yeah point and laugh I was a gacha kid) aviru did not have a name and was just a goofy creature.

and that’s them!! There’s other side characters who aren’t as important to the plot but they’ll show up some other time. That’s the group though and I felt the strong urge to infodump and introduce them so here we are!!

#Oc #original characters #my ocs #lore dump #Character lore #infodump #how do i tag this

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catsafarithewriter · 1 year

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A/N: PART 24 of the Bedlam au!

The Bedlam makes no effort to pull his façade back into shape after the mortal has gone.

What's the point? She's seen clearly past his mask; the time for pretty words has passed. Time to abandon the carrot, and pick up the stick.

He approaches his marionette, its form having fallen still the moment he'd dropped its strings. Inanimate. Lifeless without his puppeteering, as it should be. He plucks at its strings, and again finds no fault in his weaving.

How bizarre, then, that two of his creations should act out – first the best friend, and then the cat – when he has crafted them perfectly?

The Beldam waves a hand, and the web sphere vanishes, combining with that on the Bureau mantelpiece to be a singular prison. It sits on a small display stand, and from the outside it looks like a strangely clouded-over snowglobe.

For his own entertainment, the shadow is only one-sided; its occupants see clearly the show he puts on.

He paces the Bureau, frustration prickling at him.

"A fine mess of it you've made," his first captive calls. "What makes you think she'll come anywhere near this place after that tantrum?"

The Bedlam pauses before the pseudo-snowglobe and, with another wave of a hand, it clears enough for him to see its diminutive prisoners. As far as collections go, a complete Cat Bureau is a pretty find. "Why wouldn't she," he asks, "when I have such irresistible bait as yourselves?"

"She's smart!" the white cat snaps. "She'll run a mile now she knows what a monster you are."

The Bedlam's smile near cracks his face in two. "Just like she wouldn't, y'know," and the Bedlam's voice echoes the cat's, "just blindly trust some button-eyed doppelgangers, would she?"

Both felines flinch.

"If you're going to talk about someone," he continues, "best not to do it where their eyes are watching." He inclines his head. "It could be considered rather gauche." His gaze moves to the cat Creation. "No words, Baron? Perhaps you're wiser than your companions. After all, you are the one who warned her that love makes you reckless."

The Baron holds himself still, rage pooling in those eyes the Bedlam never could replicate. His gloved fingers are curled tightly around the crook of his cane.

"What's the matter?" The Bedlam alters his face back into a mockery of the Creation's. "Cat got your tongue? I watched quite a few of your adventures, you know, and I'm quite hurt by this silent treatment. You're not even going to offer one measly little 'you'll never get away with this' spiel?"

The Baron's face doesn't shift, but there comes the tell-tale stutter of breath, the betrayal of a thought surfaced and then smothered. After the day the Bedlam has had, suddenly this – the failure to bait one pathetic cat doll into a reaction – is the last straw.

"Or maybe you don't offer such trite threats because this is the nightmare scenario you worked so hard to avoid – and all for nought," the Beldam hisses. If he's had a bad day, he's going to make sure someone else has it worse. "The fear that she would sacrifice herself to save the likes of you. You pushed her away – and in doing so, only hastened her fate."

"What makes you so sure she will trade anything for us?" the Baron asks at last, his voice low and edged. "For me, after our last encounter?"

Finally.

#bedlam au #cat writes #to shelby who went 'BITCH' last time in the replies #(presumably at the bedlam)#you're gonna be saying that a few times before this is over XD #posting this scene in two halves #so i have time to get the next one down 🤞

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whisker-biscuit · 9 months

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The Lines We Cross: Chapter 26

A Strange Reunion

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Have you ever been in love? Horrible, isn't it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.

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Murray had no idea what time it was when his phone startled him awake. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, hand reaching blindly for the thing that was blaring like a siren on his nightstand. Squinting at a number he didn’t recognize, the hippo silenced the call before laying it back down, then rolled over towards the wall in the hopes of falling back asleep quickly.

No such luck. After barely twenty seconds of blessed quiet, the phone lit up again just as obnoxiously loud as the first time. Murray groaned in irritation as he realized that this was still that same strange number and they weren’t going to go away any time soon. What kind of telemarketers called multiple times in the middle of the night?

The most stubborn ones, apparently.

Against his better judgment, the hippo answered it with a groggy “hello?”

“I need to talk to your coworker right now.”

“Whuh…” He sat up with a frown. That voice was vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t for the life of him place it. “I’m sorry, what? Who are you?”

“It’s Sly – the, the raccoon with Inspector Fox. You gave me your phone number, remember?”

It took a few moments for him to remember the quiet guy who had come in with Miss Fox several weeks back. He sounded impatient and stressed, and that made Murray sit up in bed just as much as recognizing the caller did.

“Oh, uh, yeah, hi Sly, it’s good to hear from you? Why are you calling in the middle of the night?”

“It’s not night where I’m at right now,” Sly said, still impatient although now he seemed a little apologetic about waking him up. “Look, I need to talk to your coworker. Do you have his number so I can call him?”

“Uh…”

The hippo glanced at his shut bedroom door. He and Bentley were roommates, and it was more than likely that the turtle was still awake and working, but he wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea to tell this stranger. Everyone always told him he was too trusting for his own good, and that it wasn’t polite to share personal information about other people without asking them first.

“…Why do you want to talk to him, exactly?”

Sly let out a loud, frustrated huff. “It’s really important. I need – I – it’s – Inspector Fox and I were working on a case together, but she’s in danger. I can’t help her without your friend’s help.”

Murray’s eyes went wide. He clutched the phone closer to his face. “Wait, Miss Fox is in trouble? Is she okay? What happened?”

“I don’t know if she’s okay.” The stress in the raccoon’s voice was even stronger now. “I can’t tell you what happened, but the more time I waste, the more likely it is that she’s – that I can’t help her. So I need to talk to Bentley. Please, Murray.”

He bit his lip and began making his way to the door. “Okay, um…hang on just one second, okay?”

Sly made another noise, like he was being strangled, and that got the hippo moving even faster. If it was true that Miss Fox was in danger and only Bentley could help, then he couldn’t waste any time!

He headed down the hall to his roommate’s room and was relieved to see light filtering through the crack under the door. When he knocked, he heard Bentley jump in his chair.

“Murray?” The turtle asked as he opened the door to squint at him. There were large bags under his eyes beneath his glasses and he looked like he hadn’t even tried to go to bed the whole night. “What are you doing up this late?”

There would be time to scold him for not sleeping later, after they dealt with whatever scary thing Miss Fox and her friend were involved in. He shoved his phone into Bentley’s hands, making him blink rapidly in surprise.

“That raccoon guy who was with Miss Fox just called me,” Murray told him as fast as he could. “He said she’s in danger and he needs your help! You gotta help him, Bentley!”

“I – wha – hold on…” He put the phone to his ear. “Hello? This is Bentley. Why did you call Murray in the middle of – what?”

The hippo watched, anxious, as his friend’s expression changed from confusion to shock to concern in seconds.

“Well, that’s awful, but I don’t know how I’m supposed to…her tech? You’ll have to be more specific; I don’t even know what you have – okay. Uh huh. Shock pistol and a…a jetpack? What model? You need to find the serial number! It – yeah, it should be somewhere on there.”

Murray twiddled his thumbs while Bentley began talking about special technology and how to use them and other things that just went completely over his head. He tried very hard not to shuffle in place, afraid that it might distract him.

“…Okay, that covers everything, I think,” the turtle finally said after several minutes of back-and-forth. “Are we finished? Cause I’d really like to go back to bed. I know you’re worried about Inspector Fox, but I’m sure you’ll be able to – pardon?”

He got quiet very suddenly, eyes growing wider and wider over whatever Sly was saying.

“You want to make a – hang on, hang on, I need to –”

With one quick, nervous glance at his roommate, Bentley turned around to disappear back into his room, still on the phone. His door slammed shut before Murray could join him. The hippo stood there in shock for a minute, unsure if he should follow or not, before deciding that his friend had closed the door for a reason and probably wanted some privacy.

Why he wanted privacy was a mystery, but there were a lot of things the turtle did that were mysteries to Murray.

Almost half an hour later, Bentley finally came out of his room. He trudged over to the tiny kitchen where the hippo had started making a midnight snack while he waited, and gave the cellphone back with a glazed look in his eye.

“Uh, Bentley? Everything okay?”

“I sincerely hope that was a trusted coworker of Inspector Fox,” he said, slow and anxious, “because if he isn’t, I might have just done something incredibly illegal.”

Murray gasped. “You mean he might have stolen her stuff and you just helped him figure out how it all works?”

“No. Well, yes, but also…”

Bentley gulped.

“…I just helped him build a bomb.”

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Sly watched the Panda King turn his back and leave the medical room without looking even the slightest bit upset, despite the fact he had just dropped a bomb on the raccoon’s life and destroyed it in a single instant. He should have known not to trust one of the people who had attacked his home and killed his family, who had helped kidnap him, but after all these years, he’d thought – he’d hoped – that things had changed. He’d really thought that the panda would protect him when it came down to it.

He should have known better. He should have known that the Panda King was just as much of a monster as –

“You cry over false hope.”

The kit froze with tears still streaming down his face.

He had not forgotten who had perched in the far corner during that fight, but that presence had not felt like the most pressing threat while he had been pleading with King to delay his fate. Now, as his wide eyes slid from the door to the yellow gaze burning straight through him, he felt very stupid for ever thinking otherwise.

“The Panda King was never interested in your wellbeing, and you are foolish to have ever believed otherwise,” Clockwerk continued. He had not moved a metallic muscle from his spot since speaking. “There are no allies for you here. Even his daughter, who you thought cared for you, has turned her back on you. She was the one who told me that you had fled. She is the reason you were caught.”

Sly didn’t dare protest; he didn’t even think of doing so. This creature had always cut to his core by speaking only the truth. He had taken great pleasure in it on the night he had told the raccoon that he belonged to the Fiendish Five, long before he fully understood what that meant. Even now he could feel it – under the hatred still radiating off of his metal shell, the monster bird was delighted that the few people Sly had cared for in this nightmare had betrayed him.

He took a deep shuddering breath and did his best to remain perfectly still. His chest ached horribly under its bandages. The owl studied him in silence for several agonizing seconds.

“Our conversation from here out does not leave this room.”

It was a statement, not a command, and the boy swallowed alongside a stiff, terrified nod. Seemingly satisfied by the agreement, Clockwerk stepped forward until he was standing at the foot of Sly’s bed. He had to hunch heavily forward, too big for the room’s ceiling; it made him loom even more over the tiny, trapped subject of his attention.

“As the Panda King said, you will join the rest of my team in their criminal exploits beginning next week. The consequences have already been laid out for if you refuse, or attempt escape again. These parameters will always remain in place.”

The raccoon didn’t close his eyes in despair like he wanted to. He continued to stare at the monster, paying attention for all he was worth.

“It is clear how much you despise us. You would run from us again if given the chance. The only reason you will not is that as much as you hate working for those who killed your parents, you fear death and pain even more.”

Clockwerk leaned down until his beak was an inch from Sly’s face. Now, there was nothing but hatred in those terrible eyes.

“Make no mistake, Sly Cooper: your survival from my attack was deliberate. I could have killed you as I did your father, and no one – not the Panda King, not the rest of the Fiendish Five, not anyone – would have dared to stop me. You despise all of us, but it is nothing compared to the loathing I have for you. Your name, your blood, your heritage, everything. You live by my word alone, and you will die by my claws. Sooner or later, you will become bold enough to retaliate against the others, or think you are capable enough to slip out of their grasp. And even if it is neither of these things, you are not infallible. You will eventually outgrow your usefulness to my team. They will tire of your presence, and they will ask me to relieve them of the burden that you are. It is not a prediction; it is a fact.”

The child could feel his breaths coming out faster, shallower, but it was as though all his panic was locked deep in his body as he stared into that yellow gaze while the owl told him exactly what his fate would be. He couldn’t flee, he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t even blink as the words sank into his brain and his heart. All he could do was clutch the blanket in his lap for all it was worth, waiting for things to end.

Finally, miraculously, Clockwerk pulled away, giving just enough space for Sly to feel in control of himself again. He let out one single, quiet choked sob, trying desperately to keep his body from falling apart for how much it had started shaking. Never once, though, did he take his eyes off of the threat still standing before him.

“There is one exception to this outcome, however.” The monster shifted so that he could lift one of his clawed feet into the air. Sly’s eyes locked onto the Cooper cane he was holding. “I told you, five years ago, that we would see how well you would measure up to your father. The Fiendish Five all believe that this referred to how useful you would be to them as a criminal, but that is not my true intent. Only you will have that knowledge. You have made yourself known as a Cooper, now, and thus you have earned my utmost honesty. Do not take it for granted.”

The raccoon gave another stilted nod, unsure if he was even supposed to respond but not willing to risk it.

“You see, I play a very different game than the rest of them. When we stole the Thievius Raccoonus, they saw it only as a means to an end; they have been using the book as a mere tool without understanding what it truly does. It does not simply give you a better way to achieve your criminal goals, but instead makes you a better criminal. The fools in your bloodline have flaunted this book of secrets, of betterment, for centuries upon centuries with no struggles in their lives. They inherited it through the ages, as if not thieves but kings, until this chain of arrogance and ego was finally broken with your very existence.”

Clockwerk placed the cane on the bed in front of Sly. He leaned forward again, scrutinizing the boy as if daring him to take it. The kit didn’t move.

“Let’s make a deal, Sly Cooper. You and I,” the owl said. His tone was unreadable. “I want to see what becomes of a Cooper who is forced to rely on his own raw talent instead of the Thievius Raccoonus. I want to see if you can keep up with the Fiendish Five, but more than that, I want to see if you can surpass them. I want to see if you can prove that a Cooper is worth more than the falsehoods and thievery that they are known for.”

He tilted his head, and the expectation was clear. Sly Cooper picked up the cane.

“I want you to steal back your Thievius Raccoonus from every member of my team. If you are caught in your attempts to do this, it will be treated as a betrayal, and we will kill you. However, if you succeed in restoring the book completely…you will be free. Free of the life you are living, and free of the name that you carry. Do you accept these terms?”

The very idea of freedom from all of this made his heart beat out of his still-bloody chest. He thought about the deal this monster was offering. This monster who had killed his father – the strongest person he’d ever known – and had hurt him so terribly. He was no more trustworthy than the rest of the Fiendish Five, and yet…

And yet, what other choice did the raccoon have? He was condemned no matter what. At least in this way, there was the tiniest bit of hope for a future he no longer dared to have.

Sly Cooper took one deep breath, then another, and held the cane out towards Clockwerk. His voice, thin and raspy from screaming, did not waver.

“I accept.”

Clockwerk took the offered hook by two talons. He shook it with deadly honesty, gentle as could be, then released it and turned towards the door.

“I have left my portion of the Thievius Raccoonus here with the Panda King to give you a sporting chance,” he said, staring at Sly as though he was a powerful rival and not an injured child. “My home is in the Krakarov Volcano, but I do not expect you to make it that far. In fact, let us assume that the only time you will ever see it is if and when you fail in this game we have begun. I think it would be a fitting place for the death of the very last Cooper.”

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When Carmelita woke up, it was to the loud, constant hum of machinery.

She groaned as she gingerly sat up, aching from head to toe as if she’d just been hit by a car. The ground beneath her was metallic, but deceptively warmer than she would have expected. When she looked up, she was surprised to see the slightest reflection of light in front of her. She did a slow three-sixty to the exact same sight at every turn.

She was in a large, glass…thing.

The inspector pressed one hand against the glass. It felt warm as well. Realization set in that it wasn’t just the container that was like this; the very air itself was thick with heat, despite the room she was in having no obvious source for it beyond the half dozen computers and their ridiculously-sized monitors lining the walls. From every top corner, four cameras were trained on her, and she could see heavy-duty vents embedded all over the floor outside her odd cage seemingly at random.

The single exception to all the fancy technology was one wall-to-ceiling mirror, which mocked her as she stared at it and her own face stared back. Her winter coat was in tatters – probably ripped to shreds by the talons of whatever had carried her off. Her hair was a knotted mess of a braid, and there were tiny grey flecks scattered about in it that was definitely not snow. Carmelita began lifting her arm to investigate and immediately regretted it as her body protested with pain.

She pulled up the rim of her shirt, mysterious hair dirt momentarily forgotten, and grimaced when she found a dark purple bruise wrapped around her entire midsection. It was visible through her fur, in the exact shape of the crushing grip that had stolen her breath and knocked her unconscious. Holding back the full-body shudder that threatened to overtake her at the memory took more willpower than she would ever admit.

Aside from the bruising, she was unharmed. The fox viewed it as a silver lining in this terrible situation she had found herself in, and next began cataloguing what she had available for escape.

Her jetpack and shock pistol were missing; it took a moment to remember that she had removed them while talking Sly down from his near-homicide and hadn’t picked them back up before finding him outside of the observatory. Taking them off was something she didn’t regret, even though she kicked herself for her lack of foresight after the immediate threat had ended. The only thing still on her was her radio, but, as she scrambled to turn it on, it was a hope quickly dashed when all it spit out was static.

Without the radio working, she had no way to contact Interpol. Her GPS tracker had been left in the truck with most of the rest of her stuff for the sake of mobility and speed over anything else. None of her team knew where she was; she doubted any of them had even seen her get carried off. Clockwerk – because it had to be Clockwerk, who else would it have been? – had ambushed her and Sly so silently that she hadn’t even heard his approach until it was too late. No one else would have thought to look up while they were preoccupied with securing the Panda King’s fortress. The inspector was on her own when it came to getting out of here.

She had the thought, for a moment, of her former partner – and then firmly pushed it away before it could give her false hope. There was a good chance he had no idea where she’d been taken, and even if he did know, he was terrified of the Five’s leader. Expecting him to follow her to the ends of the earth with his worst nightmare waiting there was expecting far, far too much.

Even if he didn’t hate her anymore.

Mind made up, Carmelita began testing the glass to see if it was thin enough to shatter with her feet or even the radio. It didn’t give no matter how much force she hit it with, so instead she turned to the floor where it met metal. There wasn’t the slightest weakness she could find in the entire circle. The glass rose high above her, capped by a metal cover, but the diameter of her container was too wide for her to climb up the cylindrical walls.

Frustrated and sweating up a storm, she began taking off her shredded coat, then paused as she realized there was a slight weight to one of the pockets that she hadn’t noticed before. The inspector pulled the thing out quickly, hoping it was something she could use.

It was Sly’s camera she held in her hands.

Carmelita’s mind stalled with surprise. She hadn’t seen this thing since Wales. She remembered it, of course – the raccoon had gotten it somewhere between the USA and Haiti, and she’d often catch him taking pictures of just about any novelty he saw while they traveled, which had been a lot.

In hindsight, maybe she should have taken more note of the fact that he considered mini-marts and migrating birds to be among such novelties.

Thinking about Sly and his terrible lot in life made a rush of righteous anger flow right through her. The fox tucked the camera safely away back in her coat, deeming it a mystery to solve at a later time, and turned towards the open room beyond her odd prison.

“Hey!” She yelled up at the ceiling. “Is anyone there? What’s the meaning of this?”

There was no response except for that continued, constant hum of machinery. Carmelita worked her mouth before taking a step closer to the nearest barrier.

“I know you’re watching me. I can see those cameras. What do you want? Is this a ransom for Interpol? Some kind of retaliation? What demands do you have?”

Still nothing. The inspector let out a frustrated growl and kicked at the reinforced glass. All it gave her for her troubles was a smarting toe.

“You’re Clockwerk, aren’t you?” She called out one last time, hoping to get a reply through that. “Kidnapping doesn’t fit your known MO. Is it because I’ve arrested all your colleagues? If you were afraid of getting caught too or wanted revenge, why not just kill me?”

The cameras all stared at her in mocking silence. She bit her lip, running over the few facts she had. Clockwerk didn’t do things like this. He worked in the shadows, never revealing himself except to help his fellow Five escape at the very end of a heist. The bird was as elusive a criminal as Conner Cooper had been.

Cooper.

Inspector Fox stiffened as she remembered that night in Kunlun. Sly, dejected and certain his life was over. Offering to let her arrest him because he thought it was the only choice of fate that he could make for himself. The pure horror on his face as he looked up at what had felt like the grim reaper bearing down on them both, and then even worse – the resignation that he had clearly fallen into without even trying to run.

She thought about Jing’s story of his failed escape and the price he had paid for it. His strange shift from just wanting to get away for good, to going back over and over to steal his family’s book back for no rational reason.

“This isn’t about me at all, is it?” She asked, as much to herself as to her absent captor. “It’s about Sly Cooper.”

It was like the name alone had flipped a switch of a long-dormant machine. The computer screens all over the room turned on, and Carmelita was suddenly, finally, face to face with the dark silhouette of the leader of the Fiendish Five.

“It has always been about Cooper.” The giant owl said. His voice was cold. Emotionless. Robotic, even. It sent a shiver up her spine. “From the very beginning to the very end.”

“But why?” She questioned, understanding the actions but not the motive. “You killed a rival criminal in Conner Cooper, and then kept his son alive because he was useful. But why the – why toy with him all this time? I know he was trying to take back what you’d all stolen from him, but…he doesn’t actually care about that, does he?”

Clockwerk didn’t respond. He simply stared at Carmelita, his yellow eyes the only detail she could fully make out in his shrouded visage.

“I asked him why he kept risking getting caught by you guys, and all he could say was that he needed to get his book back. He told me right before you attacked us that he had to do that, and then he’d be able to ‘escape for real.’ It sounds like someone obsessed with fixing their family’s reputation, but that’s not what was going on at all, was it?”

Her voice came out louder and louder as the revelation hit her in full, terrible force.

“All he’s ever wanted was to be free, but he knew you’d come after him. He’s terrified of you because he fully believed it wasn’t possible to escape while you were out there. You made him think that you – that you’d let him go if he stole his book back? That you wouldn’t chase after him if he, what, if he humiliated your team enough? Is that what this is all about?”

The owl’s head twitched to the side in a perfect forty-five-degree angle. “I suppose I can indulge in this thread you’ve managed to untangle, just this once. It has been a very long time since someone who wasn’t a Cooper discovered one of my plans, after all, and you are certainly not in a position to do anything about it for much longer.”

Carmelita suppressed another shiver, and refused to look anything other than the confident, collected Inspector she had become over the course of this entire affair.

“While it is true that I allowed Cooper to believe he had any fate but death waiting for him by recovering the Thievius Raccoonus, you are only half-correct about my motives. I do not care about such shallow, insignificant things as the Fiendish Five’s reputation. Any failure on their part to protect their stolen pages of that book was entirely on them, but I would never allow the world to assume that I would let Cooper go if he were successful. It is not possible for him to succeed, you see. Even though the rest of my cohorts disappointed me, I expected it. I planned for it.

“I wanted to show the world that without their precious book, the Cooper line was nothing. It has been their crutch for thievery for as long as I have known them, and now that I have taken it away, the proof of that is known to all. Sly Cooper was not even able to get this far on his own; he was so weak that he was forced to seek aid from you.”

The dark glee in his voice made her skin crawl. Her tail twitched without consent while she absorbed his twisted words and motives.

“I don’t understand,” she said, very slowly, as every alarm in her mind suddenly went off at once. “You keep talking about the Cooper family, like – like you’ve been around as long as they have. How old are you?”

Clockwerk regarded her for a long, silent minute. Eventually he tilted his head in the opposite direction, almost as if amused by the inquiry – or perhaps deciding she was worth an honest answer for her part in the game he had been playing without anyone else knowing.

“Perfection has no age,” he finally said. “I have kept myself alive for hundreds of years with a steady diet of jealousy and hate.”

Carmelita couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What are you saying? That you’re…immortal?”

“Revenge is the prime ingredient in the fountain of youth. I have been patiently awaiting the day when I would finally eclipse the Cooper family’s thieving reputation.”

The glee was gone. All that was left was the darkness and the spite. It was so powerful that the inspector nearly averted her gaze even though she wasn’t the target of it.

“Those arrogant Coopers dared to claim they held the title of master thieves, but they were always inferior. I am a master thief. I was the master thief. The original. The antecedent. And I have proved it, time and time again.”

“How…how would you prove something like that?” She asked, dreading the answer but compelled to learn.

“By achieving the ultimate crime.”

Soulless yellow eyes burned into hers. The eyes of a predator.

“To steal the lives of such master thieves – that is how I prove my superiority.”

Carmelita recoiled, appalled and horrified by the thing she was talking to. “Criminal” was too kind a word to describe him, even among his Fiendish companions. He was nothing less than a monster.

“How many?” The question came out in a whisper against her own will.

“Nearly all of them. Those who did not succumb to sickness, or injury, or unfortunate circumstances. I hunted entire family trees through the generations. I diluted their sprawling lineage across the entire world, narrowing it down meticulously until only one pitiful, struggling bloodline remained. I nearly completed my goal with Conner Cooper, but he evaded me for too long and became too well-known through his exploits and his book. So, I found fulfillment in his son instead.”

She finally let herself shudder. Sometime in their “conversation”, her fur had begun standing on end and hadn’t stopped. It was no wonder Sly had believed himself out of options the last time she had seen him. She had no doubt that if she hadn’t intervened, he would not have survived the trip to wherever Clockwerk had taken her.

That thought gave her pause.

“…What about me?” The fox dared to ask. “I stopped you from doing what you wanted to with him, and now I’m…here. Why let me live when I wasn’t even your target to begin with?”

“Your actions are inconsequential. Your life is inconsequential. You are alive only because I found a use for it.”

“And what use is that?” She demanded, drawing her shoulders up as high as she could to hide the way her fur was still puffed out in fear.

“Bait.”

The word caught the inspector completely off guard. Her bravado faltered just a little bit in the wake of confusion.

“I’m…what?” She blinked. “For Sly?”

Clockwerk’s answer was the slightest tilt of his head back to a vertical position. Carmelita would have pretended to scoff if not for the sick pit growing in her stomach.

“That’s not going to work. We were only partners for a month before I found out who he was, and I’ve been trying to arrest him since. He hates me.”

“Does he?” It was asked with something actually bordering on an emotion other than hatred and delight; the first he’d shown. The fox had been starting to wonder whether he was even capable of it.

And yet, that emotion was one she couldn’t identify at all.

“Of course he does!” For some reason, convincing Clockwerk of this suddenly felt very important. “He nearly killed me in Wales. And – and in Kunlun, I tried to gun him down when we ran into each other again.”

She pushed the last interaction they’d had out of her mind. Even if they had made some tentative form of reconciliation in the moment, it wasn’t enough to repair the chasm of hurt she’d caused him. Surely not enough for the raccoon to risk his life for her.

“If you truly think so, then perhaps I’ll simply kill you right now.”

Carmelita froze. The owl continued.

“You won’t survive either way, of course, but maybe a different lure would work better if you’re so certain you won’t be enough to draw him out. Considering the Panda King was the only of my former colleagues he had any attachment to, and has since been…compromised, his daughter may be an ideal substitute.”

“Don’t you dare harm that girl!” The inspector slammed her hands on the glass in thunderous, instinctive fury. “She has nothing to do with any of this!”

Clockwerk cocked his head. “What a peculiar response. I would have thought you’d beg for me to spare your life if I were to switch your places.”

“I will not let you threaten an innocent person,” she growled. “Not her, not Sly, not anyone.”

He chuckled. It was a low, terrible sound. “It’s too late for empty platitudes, Inspector Fox. We shall see whether Sly Cooper is willing to come and save you. If he does not, then I will dispose of you and find a better lure.”

And with that promise made, the ancient leader of the Fiendish Five disappeared from every screen. Carmelita collapsed to her knees, knowing she was still being watched but pretending otherwise as she stared at the giant mirror across the room and wondered whether it was worse to wish for Sly to save her or not.

Eventually, almost without thinking, she reached for her discarded winter coat and found the camera within. She ran her hands over it but didn’t turn it on, thinking over everything that Clockwerk had just confessed to. Her mind spun over the utter depravity of the creature she was trapped by. Knowing that Sly, or Jing, or any other number of people would be at his mercy was as bitter a pill to swallow as knowing that regardless of what happened from here on out, her life would probably not last long enough to witness the aftermath.

For the first time in a very long time, Inspector Carmelita Fox felt well and truly helpless.

She didn’t know when she finally began looking through the camera. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, but at some point, her brain snapped out of its stupor long enough to realize that this inconspicuous little device was all she had left of her former partner. She didn’t know how it had gotten into her coat pocket, but she didn’t care – right now it was the most precious thing she had ever owned, right next to her lost shock pistol.

At first, they were exactly as she expected: pictures of stores and streets and cities, pictures of scenery, pictures of the occasional oddity that stuck out more than usual. But as they moved from the U.S. to Haiti to Wales, she began noticing herself popping up more and more. What had started as a sporadic appearance of blue hair or orange jacket in the background started moving to the foreground, and then became the focus completely.

There were pictures of her admiring the street vendors at a farmer’s market; pictures of her arguing with an officer over whether her parked car was a registered police vehicle; pictures of her up close, clearly looking at Sly behind the camera with a bemused yet open smile. Almost every single one was without the fox knowing the picture was being taken, and the few that weren’t featured the same slightly confused, honest happiness as Past-Her seemed to find it funny that her partner had wanted photos of her.

She’d had no idea. All the time they’d spent traveling together, that month or so of his snark and irritability and gradual trust, she had thought he surely couldn’t have felt the same way about her as she had started to feel about him. Whether he was aware of it or whether it was a subconscious thing, Sly Cooper had gone from seeing her as the cop who could be his means to an end, to someone he seemed to truly care for.

Carmelita cycled through all of them slowly, drinking in every detail so that she could commit them all to memory as she sat curled up against the wall of her glass prison and waited for her fate to be decided. This camera and its contents had been a candid snapshot into the raccoon’s mindset; she wanted to hold on tight to the feathery feeling in her chest every time a new picture of herself came up for as long as she possibly could.

And then, very suddenly, all pictures of her were gone. It was back to scenery and cities again, as it had started out, although she recognized very few of these locations. The personality he had started to grow in his photography – both with her as the subject or without – disappeared just as abruptly. All the new photos were almost clinical; no longer snapshots of lives and what it was like to live, but simply back to the basics of seeing something and taking a picture of it just to show he did.

Understanding hit the fox like a freight train, but she still gave the new batch her full attention. There were hundreds of them stored on the thing from when Sly had first bought it all the way to Kunlun; she recognized some of the scenery at the base of the mountain as the exact same that she had passed with her Interpol team probably days later. By the time she reached the end, her throat was dry from lack of water and her muscles nearly cramped every time she shifted.

And then, she came to the last one.

It was Sly – the only picture of him across the entire gallery – sitting on a bed, in a room that Carmelita didn’t recognize. He had his chin propped up in his hand and he was staring out the nearby open window at the night sky, obviously unaware of the camera aimed his way. There were bags under his eyes and he looked both contemplative and melancholy.

She could see historical Chinese décor all over the room, and the reason for the picture clicked in her head – as well as how the camera had ended up here with her. Either the raccoon had left it out where Jing had gotten ahold of it, or he had given it to her directly. She wondered when the teenager had slipped it into her coat pocket and couldn’t help but be impressed for not noticing it. Clearly, she had not been lying about learning a few things from her surrogate brother regarding sleight of hand.

Just as the inspector began working her way through the photos a second time, the screens in the room booted to life again, startling her to her feet in preparation for fight, flight, or another harrowing conversation.

This time, Clockwerk did not waste any time before cutting to the chase.

“Sly Cooper is here.”

Carmelita swallowed and flexed her hands at her side. She fought the icy panic and the dangerous hope that were both creeping across her mind, pretending instead to be indifferent to the announcement.

“He knows you are alive, but not where you are. I am curious if he will be able to find you before my security measures overpower him.” If the owl had seen through her bluff, or was worried that Sly would succeed, he did not show it. His metal countenance was as unreadable as always.

“I believe in him. He’s made it this far on his own,” she dared to say over the fear that her captor would take it as a challenge that he was underestimating her former partner.

“Indeed, he has. His luck has certainly held out longer than expected.”

Clockwerk leaned forward, and she very much did not like the sudden gleam in his eye.

“But this time, Inspector, you are not going to be his savior. You are going to be his doom.”

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A/N: I love villains. I love monologues. I love villain monologues. I may love these things a little TOO much because I think I made Clockwerk awfully chatty compared to canon, oops. The cat is finally out of the bag, the truth is finally revealed, and now we know exactly why Sly was so single-mindedly obsessed with recovering the Thievius Raccoonus instead of simply disappearing into the dead of night.

Also, kudos to everyone who predicted that Bentley and Murray would make another appearance! There were quite a few of you and I was delighted at how many remembered that Sly had a way to contact them.

#sly cooper #carmelita fox #clockwerk #fanfiction #the lines we cross

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