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robin-the-enby · 11 months

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Hello ! Could you do an gomez x fem reader x morticia where you meet them when you pick up your sister to school and they get really taken by you and start invinting you to things and you get overwelmed by the affection and tell them they are very nice but a relationship its not what you are after

I never see a reader who doesnt want a romantic relationship, it would be nice to see one who just wants a physical one

Thank you !

It has no appeal

Pairing: Gomez Addams x f!reader x Morticia Addams

Summary: After meeting the infamous Addams family, you can't help but feel drawn to them. But when you notice that the attraction is mutual, you start to worry if you can give them what they are asking for.

Warnings: female reader, queerplatonic (?) relationship, a teensy bit of angst (happy ending tho), use of (Y/N)

A/N: I have successfuly graduated high school and got into university, so I finally have time to write! However, I am still sorry it took me this long to get to this request. I was thinking while writing this and I absolutely love this dynamic, especially maybe the dynamic between the reader's sister and the Addams children, so maybe I'll do something else with this dynamic in the future :) And as an (possibly) aromantic person, I am so delighted to be able to write this piece! I took a spin on the relationship dynamic that might not be exactly in tune with your experience, so be aware of that 😅

Waiting in front of the tall building, you looked at it with melancholy. You used to go to the same building for years and now, much later, you're picking up your younger sister here. It was a strange feeling that reminded you just how fast time flies and you quickly stomped it down before it got out of hand.

You recently found a small flat in your hometown after your last...relationship...ended. You had a thing going on with a really nice person in the city you studied at, but recently they admitted that they were looking for something you simply couldn't give them and so you parted ways. And life went on.

You thought that a change of scenery would do you good and so you moved back in with your parents, just until you could find something for yourself. In exchange, you helped them around the house and ran some errands for them. But one of your favourite "chores" was picking up your younger sister from school. It felt nice, walking the same streets you grew up in and seeing the teachers that used to teach you. And, of course, the quality time spent with your sister was a great bonus.

She was a lively young girl, who in a few years would go to middle school and you remember how big of a deal that was at your age, so there was lots to talk about. You loved gossiping about her classmates and teachers and hearing about the adventures she had with her friends.

One of them stood out to you. His name was Pugsley and he was a year or two younger than your sister. Every recess they spent time together, playing and discussing very important things, which she always told you about and you gave your insight on. You also learned that Pugsley's sister was your sister's classmate. Her name was Wednesday and although your sister didn't have any problem with her, she told you that she was quite strange, and could be quite mean to Pugsley. You thought it was mighty cute, imagining your sister standing up for her friend during recess against his sister, who had the strangest game ideas from what you've heard.

You talked about it with your parents, asking if you should talk to someone, just to ensure everyone's safety, but they only looked at each other and than at you with strange uncertainty. Apparently, the children were the daughter and son of Gomez and Morticia Addams, who moved into town just when you left for uni. You vaguely remember hearing about someone moving in and you'd certainly be more curious about the newcomers if you weren't preparing for a new big chapter of your life that was colledge.

Your parents explained that the Addams family was a strange bunch, with a strange lifestyle and beliefs. But, as odd as they were, they were actually lovely people and completely harmless, although most of the other citizens avoided them, due to their interest in all the dark, gloomy and macabre things. However, they never seemed to mind the ostracism they faced. So you let it go. Your sister continued to be friends with Pugsley and talked Wednesday out of harming him on the school grounds. Most of the time, that is.

Even after you found a place of your own, you continued picking your sister up from school, because it helped your parents, who were very busy even with your help, but you also just really enjoyed it. And that's where you were now, listening quietly to the excited chatter of children around you, walking hand in hand with their parents and telling them about the day they had. You would've pondered more on the strangeness of a child's mind, but somebody crashed into you, trapping you in a tight hug.

You turned your head and ruffled your sister's hair "Hey you. Long time, no see. How was school today?" You greeted her. She looked up at you with a grin "Hi sis! You won't believe what Micah did in art class today!" You smirked "Oh really? Well, what's the tea then?" Your sister mimicked your expression and was about to speak, when her eyes focused on something behind you. Suddenly, her whole face lit up and she raised her hand to wave it enthusiastically. Turning your head to see who your sister was waving at, you saw a young boy who was just reciprocating your sister's gesture. You didn't know most of your sister's friends personally, but seeing the slightly taller girl standing next to him with her arms folded and a slight frown on her face, you had a hunch of who it could be.

You didn't quite hear your sister's confirming exclamation that the boy was, indeed, Pugsley Addams, because your eyes locked with the two people standing proudly behind the two children. The women, presumably Morticia Addams, was tall and slender, with a visage similar to that of a ghoul, pale skin, raven black hair that shone in the sun and black clothes that, in contrast, seemed to swallow all the light that fell upon it. Her lips were painted a deep red colour and her eyes were just as dark as the rest of her, making it impossible to tell their colour. And yet, she had an almost...angelic aura around her. Like the forbidden fruit, looking perfect on the outside, all beautiful and evoking the feeling of security and peace. But, and you couldn't quite explain why, even if you tried, you felt that underneath it all, was a great power, that you almost feared to uncover. Maybe it was the way she was looking at you. There wasn't anything...malicious or hostile in her gaze. Just something...magical. Wise. As if she knew a lot more than you. And you found yourself believing it.

Blinking a few times, you managed to break the intense eye contact with Morticia and looked at her husband, Gomez. He was shorter and quite the contrast to his wife. Where she was calm and collected, he seemed to vibrate with energy, even while standing still. He, too, was looking at you, but in his eyes, was just a spark, as if he was inviting you to come over and talk. He seemed to be enjoying himself so much and yet, he was just picking up his children from school. His appearance and mannerisms were energizing and uplifting.

And suddenly you saw your sister skipping over to the strange family, running straight towards Pugsley. Your eyes widened and you rushed after her. As she threw her arms around Pugsley, blabbering about something excitedly, you placed your hands on her shoulders. Throwing a short, apologetic look towards Mr. and Mrs. Addams, you gently reprimanded your sister "You can't just run off like that, without permission or letting me know at least..."

Your sister looks up at you, a sad, guilty look in her eyes. With a face like that, you can't really stay mad at her. "I know you were excited to see your friend, but you can't just run off like that. If something happened to you, I wouldn't know where you are." you explain to her as you pet her hair softly. She smiles with appreciation before nodding and apologising. You reciprocate her smile before turning your attention to the family that was watching your interaction silently, but with interest.

"I'm sorry for my little sister, she can be excitable around her friends, she doesn't mean to be rude." you excuse your sister, but Mr. Addams just waves his hand "Oh nonsense! We know from Pugsley here that your sister is a good friend of his, and any friend of his is welcom with us anytime." he smiles energetically and you can't deny that his smile is rather attractive. Right after that thought you remember his wife is standing right next to him, but before you can start to feel bad, you notice the warm look on her face as she looks at you, still with that...knowing look on her face.

You smile at Mr. Addams "Well, I'm glad we haven't caused any trouble. I'm (Y/N) by the way. It's nice to meet you...mister Addams, right?" you introduce yourself. Mr. Addams takes your hand, giving it a firm handshake, although you can't help but feel he is holding your hand just a tad longer than is appropriate. "Oh please, drop the formalities. Since our children seem to be good friends, we might as well be too, if you'd like. The name's Gomez."

You wonder briefly if Gomez's wife is as enthusiastic about the proposition as he is, but when you turn your gaze to her, she is already reaching for your hand, holding it gently, but confidently in her own. She gives you a charming smile and when she speaks, it's as if a siren is calling out to you, a helpless sailor on the wide, wide sea "I think my husband is right. My name is Moricia. This is our daughter Wednesday," she gestures to the infamous girl, who is still sporting a very neutral expression, although she seems to be staring straight into your soul, as if assessing you, before giving a slight nod "and this is Pugsley, as you may know." The boy smiles warmly at you, giving you a polite greeting.

"Well, it was very nice to meet you all, but I'm afraid we have to go, otherwise our mother will be worried about what happened to us." you chuckle and smile at the couple. They seem like wonderful people, you can't understand why anyone would have anything against them. "As a mother myself, I can completely understand that." Morticia smiles "And we would not want to keep you any longer. But I was thinking, would you like to come over for a visit? The children will surely have fun together and we would be delighted to get to know you better. We've heard you recently moved back here?" as she says this, she grabs ahold of Gomez's hand as they both smile. You feel the intensity in their gaze, and et there is no pressure that would force you to agree. You look down at your sister, who looks at you with pleading, hopeful eyes and mouths the word "please", before you turn your gaze back to the couple and grin "Yes, that's right. And that sounds amazing!"

You exchange numbers and go your seperate ways. You register, out of the corner of your eye, them getting into a fancy looking, oldfashioned car, apparently with a personal driver. You don't think much of it and continue to walk home with your sister, who was excitedly skipping along the sidewalk, asking about when you were going to call them the entire way.

It didn't take long for the date of the visit to be set. Morticia called the next afternoon and you agreed to come over with your little sister at the end of the week, so that your sister wouldn't have to rush home and prepare for school.

Once the day came, you were actually pretty nervous, although you didn't really understand why. You blamed it on the fact that you're going to a stranger's home and you wanted to make a good impression. Because it definitely wasn't the fact that you were attracted to a married couple. Yeah, as if.

When you the big house the Addams' lived in, you had to say you were impressed. Sure, it was...unorthodox, but it had a strange charm. And when you were invited inside by a rather tall man, who, although his skin was almost gray and his expression somewhat...dead, seemed pretty nice, you almost felt...homey. The atmosphere of the home, paired with the type of people that lived there, was actually cozy. Gomez gave your sister directions to where she can find Pugsley and Wednesday and she promptly ran off, leaving you alone with the couple.

When she was out of sight, the man took your hand delicately and placed a simple kiss on your knuckles. A simple gesture, that was made much more sensual by the way he looked at you from below, his eyes glinting with...admiration, you would say, if it didn't seem so wrong. Still, you smiled politely and tried to think nothing of it. But you made a mental note to stop these kinds of actions if they would appear, thinking of his unfortunate wife.

Morticia was in the living room, sitting by a grand fireplace, reading a book. You didn't recognize it, but when you asked, it was revealed that the book was in French. You felt...uplifited, being in the presence of such stylish and intelligent people, that weren't snobbish, like you've encountered in the past.

They sat you down across from them on a small sofa and asked if you'd like anything to drink, or perhaps to eat. You declined the food, but you couldn't resist a nice drink to complement the lovely afternoon. The pair sat on another sofa across the small, seemingly old conference table, slightly turned towards each other, hands intertwined. But their sight was only on you. Both of them watching you intently, but their faces were gentle and their smiles welcoming. A thought crossed your mind. Maybe Morticia wasn't an unfortunate wife with a philanderer husband. And when Gomez started passionately retelling a story from his quite adventorous past, you couldn't help but let your mind wander. You wanted to listen, you really did, but his passionate movements, his grin, the lively glint in his eyes...And the way Morticia was listening to him, posed and collected as always, but oh so devoted to her husband, body, mind and soul, her gaze so tender...They looked so beautiful. A forbidden fruit that you could never experience the taste of.

"(Y/N), are you alright?"

You snapped out of your thoughts and you saw the pair look at you, their faces showing concern, a little bit of curiosity and perhaps a hint of slight disappointment. You shook your head, trying to ignore the heat in your cheeks. "Oh, yes, I'm fine." you reassured them quickly "I am so sorry, my mind just...slipped. I promise I wanted to pay attention, you have a lovely way of telling stories, Gomez." you said, still not really used to being on first name basis on them in such a short while.

Lucky for you, they seemed to not take it personally. Morticia assured you that sometimes, the mind does what it wants and drifts where the body can't. In no time, you all finished your drinks and as Morticia went to put them in the kitchen, you stood up and offered to wash the dishes in return. She seemed hesitant, but you told her firmly you weren't going to take no for an answer and a smug smile bloomed on her face. When you looked back on it, she must've seen something in that action that drew her to you just as much as you were drawn to her.

You stood in the kitchen, side by side, you with your hands in the sink, scrubbing glasses and the woman of the house next to you, with a dish towel in her hand, drying and putting away different utensils you cleaned. You agreed to do all the dishes, since you were already at it. Once you were done, Morticia did something you didn't expect. Instead of vocalising her gratitude, she leaned towards you, placing one hand on your arm, and pressed a delicate kiss on your cheek. You were left wide eyed at the kitchen sink, the sponge still in your hand. She handed you another towel, and you dried your hands, noticin Gomez, who was stood leaning on the entry to the kitchen, smiling as smugly as his wife. So that's how it is...you thought.

You went to check up on your sister, who was playing a pretty suspicious game with the siblings, but she seemed unhurt and happy, so you let it go, gently reminding her to stay safe and not do anything she doesn't want to. Then yu spent the rest of the afternoon chatting nd getting to know the unsusual pair. You also met the other inhabitants of the house - Gomez's brother, Fester, Lurch, the man who opened the door for you, the grandmother (you didn't know her name, or if she even was related to the family, but she was very sweet) and lastly...Thing. You couldn't deny you were a little put off by a sentient severed hand, but you calmed down when he offered you one of his fingers to shake. Despite the strangeness, they were all so polite and lovely and fun to be around. But, you had to go home in the evening.

After that, your sister started to come over the Addams' household more and more often. And every time, you accompanied her, of course. While her days were spent having all kinds of adventures with Pugsley and Wednesday, yours were spent calmly with the parents. Gardening with Morticia, listening to Gomez and running little rerrands with him or simply reading in the living room, all the while flirting, first subtly, but the more time you spent together the more...serious it was.

You were now sure that there is a mutual attraction going on and that there wasn't anyone who was unaware or not consenting. It felt...nice, for a while. Slowly starting over, getting close to someone again. But you were beginning to feel afraid of what was to come. You tried to enjoy everything while it lasted, before they inevitably approached you with the proposition of becoming more than just friends. You were afraid of hurting them, and yourself, just like last time. But at the same time, you couldn't make yourself pull away from the affection.

It was on a fateful Tuesday night. The Addams' planned a sleepover for your sister, which obviously meant you would come as well. Somehow, you knew this was going to be the fateful night, the moment you were dreading for a long time now. And it seemed that time wasn't on your side either. Time spent with Morticia and Gomez always seemed to fly right past you.

They had prepared a big dinner, that, although it looked questionable, tasted amazing. Paired with a nice drink, you put the children to bed and soon you were relaxing on an elegant sofa, you in the middle, the pair surrounding you from both sides. Your shoulders were touching and even though you knew what was going to happen, that you would maybe never se them again, the places where your skin touched theirs felt electric, sending shivers down your spine.

Of course they took notice. They were both so intune with your emotions and body language, it was amazing and dreadful at the same time. Gomez placed an arm behind your shoulders, Morticia placing her hand softly on your thigh, both rubbing soothing circles.

"(Y/N)..." Morticia started. "Our dear (Y/N)..." murmured Gomez, his head leaning closer to your shoulder. "You know you are an amazing person, dear?" Morticia asked, and you looked at her, not finding words to respond. She must've seen the turmoil in your eyes, because she smiled reassuringly. "I believe you are very smart, our darling." she continued "And that you can see that...we like you." "Oh, I think like is not even close to how we feel about you, corazón." Gomez said, placing a kiss on your shoulder, making you gasp. Morticia sent him a look "Gomez, behave yourself. We need to talk this out first and foremost. And I believe our trésor has something important to say." She looked at you just a intently as always and yet so tenderly, like only Morticia can. Your heart was beating out of your chest, your hands clammy as they clutched at your clothes. You took a deep breath. Now or never.

"Yes, I've noticed you have feelings for me. And everything you've done for me, and my sister, and everything you continue doing, I appreciate it. You don't even know how." you start, wanting them to know you care about them, just..differently. "But, I'm afraid, I cannot give you what you deserve. I'm sorry to tell you that...I'm not interested in a romantical relationship." And the truth was out. There was no return. Yet, you had to continue. "I...I care for you, and your family. You are amazing people and together, you both are so beautiful, it's almost ethereal sometimes..." you chuckle "Whenever you touch me, I feel as if my very soul was on fire. But...romance is not something I can give you." you finish and study their faces intently.

For once, the pair isn't smiling. You almost start to take it as a bad sign, an omen of a near end. But, Morticia looks up from your face to her husband and after some silent conversation between them, they nod at each other, once. Only once and they know exactly what the other wants, what they're thinking. Oh how you admire them, you think, as a small ember of hope still prevails inside your chest.

"Cariño..." Gomez takes your hands in his, stealing your attention. His eyes are soft and his face adorned by a sympathetic smile. "Don't apologise. There is nothing to apologise for. Some things we cannot help. And while you will belong to us, body and soul, we won't ask of you to return anything you don't feel you have. If you'll agree to that, that is." he smiles at you and nods and you actually feel like you might shed a few tears, happiness and relief washing over you and blooming in your chest with such force you think you might burst.

You feel hands on your shoulders and Morticia lays her head on your shoulder "What do you say, notre cœur?" And you laugh. You laugh happily, your eyes glinting. Instead of saying anything, you take your hands from Gomez and turn to Morticia. And cradling her face softly, you seal your answer with her lips. And then Gomez's. And then you seal it again, and again, and again.

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poetryandfluffycats · 1 month

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Quiz time!

A/N: took a small break but im back and im writing bungo fics. hope you enjoy

Pairing: Kidnapper!Nikolai Gogol x fem!reader

Warnings: dark content, kidnapping, mentions of animal violence, mentions of human violence, implied abuse

Content: Nikolais been keeping you trapped in his basement for 3 weeks now. What does he have in store for you today? You have no idea

Words: 1.0k

Oneshot under cut!

"Oh darling! I'm home!"

The infamous voice of Nikolai Gogol shot through the basement, followed by the sound of his leather shoes creaking against the stairs. My head snapped up from its place on the pillow, watching him with wide eyes as he descended to the bottom of the staircase. The jester had a smile on his face, seeming all too giddy about... something. What that something was, I had no idea.

He was quick to skip over to me, looming over my curled up form under the covers, a hand buried deep into the abyss of his coat. He pulled out a bouquet of pink roses, shoving them under my nose. "For you, my dove" he purred, his voice dripping like sickly sweet honey.

I took them, albeit hesitantly, and examined them with a cautious eye. They were pretty, a light, pastel pink color with a white ribbon tied around the stems, and smelt like heaven. A sweet-but not too strong-floral scent that reminded me of the spring time. It was a nice gift, no one could deny that, but knowing Nikolai...

There had to be some type of ulterior motive.

"Pretty..." I murmured, holding the flowers close to my chest. "Thank you..."

I hadn't spoken much since I got here, only ever really muttering a word or two to keep him satisfied. He talked enough for the both of us, anyway, or at least that's what he had said when my lack of words first was noticed by him.

"Only the best for my sweetest dove! Now, come come, what shall we do today? You're probably just dying to have some fun, right? Aha! I know!" Before I could fully understand anything he had said, Nikolai pulled the covers back and lifted me in his arms, carrying me bridal style as he twirled around the basement.

"Quiz time!"

Quiz time. His way of asking personal questions on the justification that it was 'just a game' and 'there's no need to be shy". Sometimes he'd throw in random questions about Ukrainian literature, to which I almost never got right. I think that maybe he thought that asking a few general questions among all the pervy, personal ones would make me more comfortable, or less likely to catch on to the real meaning behind his game. It didn't.

I hated Quiz time.

Nikolai plopped me down on the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of me. His teeth showed as his lips curled upwards into a toothy grin, head tilted to the side and eyes blown wide. Maybe that's just how he always looked.

"Question 1! What is your favorite color?"

It was such a simple question, childish even. Something a teacher would ask their preschoolers on the first day of school. Yet, it made my throat close up, heat beating faster and faster as the seconds ticked by. What was my favorite color? Did I even have one anymore? What was the point in having a favorite color if I was trapped down here?

"Uh..." I stuttered, eyes flickering around the room. Anywhere was better than Nikolais cold, mismatched eyes. "Purple... b-but I also like red"

Nikolai clapped his hands together, a high pitched squeal leaving his lips. "Wonderful! Gosh you are just too cute, I might simply combust! But then you'd be stuck cleaning my brains off the wall which I don't think you'd like very much, so I'll refrain for you, my darling"

Cleaning brains off the walls? He said it so casually, like it was a normal passtime for him. Was it? Probably.

"Question 2! What is your favorite animal?"

This one was easy enough, and a small smile creeped onto my face as I answered. "Kittys, I have a few at home. They're the best little guys"

My heart ached at the thought of my fur babies. How long had they gone without food or water? Without being pat or doted on? Did they miss me? Had someone taken them in or were they sitting at the window waiting for my return?

Would I return?

Nikolai squealed again, his smile growing impossibly wider, the tips of his lips nearly touching his ears. "Cats are adorable! So fluffy and cute and squishy! I would just love to squeeze them until their little heads popped off!"

He suddenly scooted closer to me, the space between us slowly decreasing until our knees knocked together. He brought his fingers up to my cheeks, pinching them as if I was a baby. "Just like you! Squish, squish, squish! So damn cute"

Our noses bumped together as he leaned in closer, those cold eyes hyper-focused on my lips. I felt like I might hurl as his hands trailed down from my cheeks to my waist, his fingernails digging into the flimsy fabric of the nightgown he forced me into my first day here. This was wrong. So, so wrong.

"Please" I whined, tears threatening to spill at any second. "Please don't"

I had been so lucky the past 3 weeks with him not touching me, not with sexual intent anyway. No kissing, no touching, no... sex. Nothing. He would ask his stupid questions, force me to play his stupid games, and lay with me in bed at night, but that was it. But now, it seemed my luck had finally run out.

"Question 3!" Nikolais voice dropped an octave, sending a shiver down my spine. "Now, dove, this is the last question, so make sure you pay extra attention, mkay?"

Not like I had a choice.

"Who do you love the most in this whole wide world?"

There was only answer to that question. Only one answer he wanted, anyway. I had learned the hard way what the consequences of getting it 'wrong' were. It was so degrading, humiliating, dehumanising even, the punishment he had given me for answering with the wrong person. I wasn't keen to go through that again.

"You, Nikolai. I love you the most" I sounded robotic, like a puppet. Which in reality, I kind of was. Just a little puppet in his clown show.

"Correct! 3 for 3, you're so smart! Now, for the reward"

And then, his chapped, cracked, messily painted lips were on mine. It wasn't recpirocated, it wasn't even pleasant. It was gross, slimy, wet like a fish. Maybe I could pretend I was making out with a fish. That would've been million times better than this bullshit.

I hated it.

I hated him.

I hated myself.

#oneshot #bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungo stray dogs x reader #bsd x reader #yandere bsd #yandere bungo stray dogs #nikolai gogol #nikolai gogol x reader #bsd nikolai #Nikolai x reader #decay of angels #yandere #yandere nikolai gogol #yandere nikolai x reader #yandere x reader

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presidentlokis-hornyhelmet · 11 months

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A Purr-fect Distraction

Part 2 >> 🕸MASTERLIST🕸

Pairing: Pavitr Prabhakar x black cat!Fem!Reader Summary: Pavitr aka Spider-Man is swinging through the dark streets of Mumbattan with his ✨amazing hair✨ when a thief in a catsuit catches his eye. Tags: Attempted Theft, Horrible cat puns, distraction, pav being cutesy, complimenting his hair is pavitr's weakness XD

Also Read on AO3

🎶🎵Do you wanna play a game, Do you Gotta catch me if you can, Catch me if you can You can try, Maybe wanna stay Catch me if you can I'm a runaway🎶🎵 'Catch Me If You Can' by Alan Walker

Pavitr Prabhakar, aka the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, swings through the crowded streets of the never sleeping city, Mumbattan. The chilly midnight wind flows through his hair, curled locks moving like waves under the silver moonlight.

He catches his reflection on a glass tower and takes a detour, leaning closer to inspect his beauty. "Hey, stud muffin!" he praises himself, making finger guns to his reflection. Pavitr runs his gloved fingers through his locks, revelling in being the proud owner of such amazing hair.

It was at such a moment that he catches movement in one of the closed shops down the lane. A woman in a black catsuit and long white hair is moving the display glass, obviously trying to break in.

"Halt, theif!"

Pavitr at once springs into action, yelling as he swings over to the shop in less than a second and webs up her hands together.

_____

"Halloween come soon for you, miss?"

You startle at his voice, raising your arms when you realise they're stuck together by some sticky fluid. It is only then that Pavitr gets to see you clearly -well, except for the mask framing your eyes that hold him captive.

Neither of you speak for a while, Spider-Man entranced and you confused. It was kinda insulting: a kid in a Diwali dress making you stand like an idiot in the middle of the road.

"Wow, who are you!", he sighs dreamily and only seems to remember himself when you raise a brow. He clears his throat. "I meant, who're you?"

"Don't know me? I'm the infamous Black Cat. I do petty crimes like theft, picking pockets and occasionally kneeing assholes in the crotch. Want a demo?"

You throw your leg up to kick him but he's quick to grab it in a tight hold.

"Curious profession", he says, words thick with sarcasm.

"Nah, just a passion", you shrug, ripping off the webs easily and wiggle out your leg from his grip, swiftly climbing up the wall like a feline.

"Hey, hey, I never said you could leave, kitty!" He tries to get you to stop by webbing you up once more, but you evade his shots easily.

You smirk. "Amazing hair, by the way!"

"Thanks", he blushes under the mask, rubbing his neck and you use the distraction to get away, "nothing much, just coconut oil, prayer, some gene- hey!"

You lose him, but sadly not for long as he stands right next to you when you reach the top of the building. Dang it. You try you weasel your way out but he's blocking your path.

"C'mon", he says, keeping a friendly warm hand on your shoulder, "I can see you have powers; use them to fight crime, be a hero."

You smirk and tilt your head in amusement, "You say this to all your villains, Rangoli-face?"

"FYI, I'm Spider-man. And you're not a villain, just a pretty theif."

"I'll be no less pretty when I kick your ass."

Quick as a flash, you pounce on him with your claws but he dodges you. Thanks to spidey sense, Pavitr misses all of your swift hits, blocking your punches and throws. You're quick, but he's quicker. You jump high in the air aiming a kick to his face, but spidey spins his toy, tying you up to a pole easily.

You struggle against the thick web solution. What the heck was this thing made of!?

"Let. Me. Go! Unless you rather I scratch your face off, Mr. Gorgeous."

It doesn't seem to have the desired effect, making you frown. He raises a brow, taking his spin-toy and begins to play with his webs. Is this dude for real?!

When it feels like he'll just stand there and watch, you sigh in exasperation. "Bro, why do you insist I change? I hardly know you."

"Doesn't matter. Think about it, you could help me patrol the city; one more hand to prevent crime. I'm paw-sitive you'll make the purr-fect paw-tner", he chuckles at his own pun.

The thought is amusing but you aren't in the mood. You are, after all, supposed to distract him from the real heist -which you've obviously succeeded. Your partners would be done by now. Maybe you'll take him up on his offer after you've split the fortune.

You quit struggling and send him a sweet smile. "Hmm.. can't say I'm not tempted. Can you release me now, please?"

Spider-Man sighs as he takes out a tiny blade and cuts through the web. You stumble out, feeling the blood rush to your leg as it wakes up after. Ow, that's horrible feeling.

"So, is that a yes?", he asks, eyes big through the colourful mask. Aww, he looks like one of the Golu dolls up close!

He freezes in place when you suprise him with a kiss to his cheek, the pleasant shock throwing off his spidey-sense. You kick him down while he's still dazed and get on the balcony, about to make your inevitable escape when he realises he's been tricked.

You smirk, throwing him one last glance behind your shoulder. "Only if you catch me!"

With that you jump off the building and disappear into the night, Pavitr finding no trace of you even though he follows right after.

He smiles to himself, standing atop the highest tower of Mumbattan as he looks over the lively lit city.

"Oh, I will, kitty cat."

-----

Hope you enjoyed it! Reblogs and comments feed my fic dragon <3🐲 [pspspspsss Can you tell I googled Indian festivals?]

#pavitr x reader #pavitr x you #pavitr x y/n #pavitr prabhakar x you #pavitr Prabhakar x reader #pavitr prabhakar x female reader #pavitr prabhakar x fem reader #pavitr prabhakar x y/n #spiderman india #pavitr x fem reader #pavitr x f! reader #astv #across the spiderverse #black cat reader #pavitr prabhakar x black cat reader #pavitr x black cat reader

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revacholianpizzaagenda · 5 months

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Nuclear hot take on a possible motive for the Lund sisters. We know what they did (erase themselves from history) and we know they wanted to do it (they knew where they'd end up and were looking forward for Zigi to join them there eventually), but why?

It starts from the infamous "Luiga says that he and Kurvitz say that a certain forum post is is correct in positing that Dora is, somehow and to some degree, actually Dolores Dei herself". Specifically, the post says that there was a human Dora who was overtaken by something like an archetype and lost herself into being Dolores Dei.

As a secondary premise, it is possible that Noid was literally right when he suspected Dolores Dei in particular of being somehow not entirely human, an immortal of some kind: in the final dream, she mentions the something or something else of immortality, crown scepter and thingamajig that were "passed onto her by the rulers of late antiquity". She just might have already been around in Perikarnassis' time, before the isolas split. Like, separate from the Dora thing, the game tells us that Dolores Dei was chummy with the rulers of late antiquity, a good few thousand years before her historical relevance.

My impression is that this same... potential for being Dolores Dei... ...somehow... is shared by the Lund girls. Source:

similar if not outright same surname (after all, Jean lampshades twice that he's not sure about Ingerlund being Dora's surname, in a way that may hint at some upcoming twist),

the whole peaches of immortality detour (I'll leave the specifics to Estonian speakers but I'm told it's functionally the same as Dora's apricots, to the point that an older pdf had a stray "apricot" instead of peach)

and, most importantly, Zigi's omen of destruction as he meets Charlotte. She's flat out described as having footsteps that spelled the destruction of Iilmaraa, which just so happens to be where Perikarnassis was, bundled with its rulers of late antiquity (I can do the geographical conspiracy board on a separate post if anyone's interested).

I think that Dora meeting Harry and Charlotte meeting Zigi is the beginning of the same story, one that may have been repeating since antiquity if we take this literally as well. Harry and Zigi, too, famously share an archetype of sorts, by virtue of being overt, straightforward Kurvitz expys. We even have the same emphasis on their cool leather jackets. For the middle class girls, this contact outside their gilded world sparks change. But here is where their stories diverge: Dora eventually rejects this change and falls into the comfort of being bourgeoisie incarnate. The Lund sisters, on the other hand, emphatically go "fuck all y'all" and choose to annihilate themselves.

Sooo, based on these totally solid premises that aren't a stretch in any way whatsoever (source: my beautiful mind, also it was revealed to me in a dream, and also fayde dot co dot uk), here's the take:

By virtue of this parallel between them and Dora, I think it's... not completely impossible... that it was precisely this aspect of themselves that they tried to annihilate, maybe subconsciously. A potential they felt was so wrong that they tried to erase it from history entirely, just walking into the pale wouldn't have been enough, it needed to be scrubbed at its root.

#If I had to type all this on a rickety phone for a reddit convo you people get to suffer through it too #mine #dolores dei #lund sisters #PJÕL #separate post incoming for the jackets thing because ough.#disco elysium #püha ja õudne lõhn #sacred and terrible air

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ananke-xiii · 16 days

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“Regarding Dean” is an okay episode, the perfect episode to place between “Lily Sunder has Some Regrets” and “Stuck in the Middle with You”. It feels filler-y but it’s totally not because it shows us where Sam and Dean stand as far as s12 main themes are concerned: family&love.

To the surprise of probably nobody, we find out that Sam is struggling a lot when it comes to how he positions himself within his family and around the people he loves. Dean, on the other hand, is walking on a much safer ground (which seems like a joke since the ep is literally about Dean slowly losing his memory but I’ll get there), he’s ready to move on to the next chapter of his life, a chapter where his relationship with his brother is not his only&main focus.

Who are the other members of Sam and Dean’s family? This episode tells us it’s Mary and Cas. Even though, so far in the season, Mary has come and gone, Cas has spent a considerable amount of time with none other than Crowley and the brothers have spent a couple of months in prison, the episode explicitly highlights multiple times that Mary and Cas are their family, no matter the amount of time they all actually spend together: what matters is the infamous bond between them.

And who’s feeding this bond? Who’s actually keeping in touch with Mary and Cas? Who’s the primary point of contact? Dean, of course. At the beginning of the episode, when Sam meets Dean at the waffle joint and realizes Dean is maybe drunk and his smartphone is dead, he says: “All right, well, I'll text Mom, make sure she knows to get a hold of me in case of emergency. And Cas, in case he tracks down Kelly”.

So it’s safe to say (and it is because we’ve already seen in past episodes that Sam is definitely not the one playing games and texting with Mary, nor the one calling Cas or receiving calls from him: people in this family know who to contact and it’s not Sam) that Sam is somehow detached from this family dynamic and, we’ll later discover, doesn’t really know what to make of this.

After Sam discovers that Dean is not hangover but hexed, the first thing Dean says is: “Look, we could figure this out, okay? Don't go callin' Mom or Cas with this”. Mmmm, interesting. We’re back to Mary and Cas. Again. And why shouldn’t Sam call them? And, maybe more importantly, why Sam doesn’t call them anyway? So maaany questions :P

The last time Mary and Cas are mentioned together again is in the mirror scene. Dean is regarding himself in the bathroom mirror, trying to remember who he is and he defines himself as follows: “Ahh. Okay. My name is Dean Winchester. Sam is my brother. Uh, Mary Winchester is my mom. And Cast—Cas is my best friend”. So Dean defines himself based on his relationship with the different family members: brother, son, best friend. Once he starts forgetting who these people are he also starts forgetting himself:

“My name is Dean Wi—Winchester.

My name—My name is...

My... My... I don’t know”.

This is crucial. The scene is quite tragic but it’s telling us an important truth: what matters to Dean, what’s important to him to the point that it defines who he is, is his relationship with his family, with the people he loves. I said that it’s quite tragic because, at least to me, it’s a bit bleak that Dean doesn’t know who he is without other people. But I’ll come back to this point later.

So who is Dean? The reply comes right after the mirror scene from Rowena’s mouth: “Oh, you're a killer, Dean Winchester”. And this is super interesting because just before we had this dialogue:

Are people the things they have done? Rowena could’ve said “You kill people, Dean” but no, she says “You are a killer”. And okay, the use of the verb “to kill” can start a debate on morals&justice&law (what’s the difference between killing and being a killer etc) but not the point here. The point here being that Rowena, regarding Dean, is confusing being and doing but Dean is not. He replies: “Wait, I... I kill people?”.

Rowena: You can really remember nothing, can you? What a gift not to recall the things you've done.

Dean: What have I done?

Rowena continues in her “misunderstanding”:

Okay, so now we maybe have a clearer picture of who Dean is: he’s a killer (or he kills people) but he does so for the greater good. To help people other than himself. This is not exactly news to us, I mean, this episode is not telling us anything actually NEW about Dean but the catch is that it’s not about him, it’s about regarding him. How people perceive him and how he perceives himself. The last being the most important thing, we’ll have the answer at the end of the episode.

Rowena: But... but... though you may be a stubborn pain in the arse with the manners of a Neanderthal and the dining habits of a toddler, everything you've done, you've done... for the greater good.

Dean: Oh, and that's supposed to make it okay?

Rowena: I wouldn't know. You help those other than yourself. But me, I've done horrible things, and I told myself it was fine. It was the price of power. And power's what matters, right?

Then I met God and his sister. The two most powerful beings in the universe, wasting it on squabbling with each other. I thought, if—if they can't be happy, or at least satisfied, how can there be any hope for me?

Rowena also drops the “happy” bomb. She’s talking based on the assumption that she must do things in order to be happy, even if these are horrible things, things she tells herself she's fine doing them because it’s the price of power. We’re starting to see the old theme of the “price of happiness” and Rowena thinks she’s paid it but she’s still unhappy and she’s becoming hopeless.

(Cas' love declaration in s15x18 echoes Rowena's dialogue, apart from the Dean thing (you're not a killer aka you're not how your enemies regard you, you're the most caring man aka you're how the people that love you regard you etc), Cas' words circle around the same concept: happiness is not in the having, is in the being or, maybe even more importantly, is in the giving oneself permission to be your true self)

Now we need to talk about Sam. While Dean is having an existential crisis in the bathroom, Sam drops another fucking bomb: “You know, I've seen my brother die, but watching him become... not him... This might actually be worse”.

Excuse me, sir? I mean, this is a very very loaded thing to say. To Sam Winchester seeing his brother dying might be better than watching him become not him. Which is also incorrect, because Dean is not not becoming him, he’s just Dean without "the weight" of the past on his shoulders. (btw, will somebody please give a hug to this giant man who's lived a life where death is o-kay and what's worse is living and not knowing how to move on? Please??? He needs it!) I think this says more about how Sam feels about himself than about how he feels about Dean and his relationship with his brother. And I think I’m right because at the end of the episode Sam explicitly says he was jealous. Sam really should be the one regarding himself in the mirror (and it’s a fucking shame that we didn’t get something like this for Sam because god, it’d be bomb) trying to remember who he is because Dean might be losing his memories but Sam is totally lost and in the dark.

He doesn’t call Mary or Cas because ??? but he does call Rowena for help, Rowena magically teleports and immediately arrives (okay she has an agenda but she does come super quickly, let’s give her that), she agrees to help them and to all of that Sam says: “I obviously don’t trust you”. Which, to be honest, fair, Sam I approve your long-lasting distrust of everything that has to do with Crowley because you have real reasons to do so. But it’s also time for you to learn to create meaningful connections and you cannot do so if you’re not willing to trust people. (important: Rowena tries to steal the Black Grimoire in this ep, the same book that she’ll try to steal in s13. Sam will then give her the one page she needs for her spell, so, you know, way to go Sam! It takes him one whole season to trust Rowena with one only page of the book but, progress).

Okay, time to wrap this rambling up with the final scene. We have this dialogue right here and it’s so gooood:

Sam and Rowena were a little jealous at first. Because Dean showed them life without the weight of the things they carry, the things they’ve done. Dean looked HAPPY. We can infer that Sam and Rowena are not happy, they do feel the weight of the things they’ve done and they would like OUT. They still have a long walk ahead of them to discover who they are apart from what they do and decide what’s next, what they decide to do, who they want to be and what are the actions that can lead them there.

Sam: So how you holding up after the spell?

Dean: That thing kicked my ass.

Sam: You know, I gotta be honest. I was actually, uh, a little jealous at first.

Dean: Of what? The curse that nearly killed me?

Sam: No, just, you know... some of the things we've done, we've had this weight for... forever. And seeing it gone, uh, you looked happy.

Dean: Huh. Well, look, was it nice to drop our baggage? Yeah, maybe. Hell, probably. But it wasn't just the crap that got lost. I mean, it was everything. It was us, it was what we do, you know? All of it. So... that's what being happy looks like? I think I'll pass.

But Dean, Dean is almost there, people. He’s not lost at all, even though he was the one with the brain almost gone. “It was us” and “it was what we do”. The distinction for him it’s clear. And he has weighted the pros and the cons and he has decided that IF that what’s happiness is, if happiness is just forgetting about the crap, forgetting about the past, he will pass. He’s not willing to pay the price for a happiness where he doesn’t have a connection with his family, where the people he cares about (and for whom he does very bad things) are not there. The price for the supposed happiness is not worth Sam, Mary and Cas.

Earlier I said that I thought it was bleak, you know, not knowing yourself apart from other people. But the last scene where Dean is riding Larry (and he’s not yet under the spell so he’s Dean-Dean there) gives a lot of unexpected hope.

The song in the background is nostalgic and, frankly sad:

But it’s appropriate. Dean has accepted that, for him, caring for the people he loves is what constitutes his happiness. He has accepted that “horrible things” have been done and maybe will be done in their names. Acceptance is key: he’s on the right path to discover new parts of himself. He doesn't want to lose "the crap" because losing it means he'll also lose the people he cares about. And without the these people, without Sam, Mary and Cas, he doesn't yet know who he is. But he wants to find out. He wants to move on. And he wants to move on with the people he loves, doing "the good and the bad", not alone, oblivious and fake-happy. It’s bittersweet as all changes are but it must be done. He’s ready to grow up, ready to be a man, ready for love, ready to start a family, guys :").

“So dream on, little Broomstick Cowboy

Dream while you can

For soon, you'll be a dreadful thing

My son, you'll be a man”

(unfortunately it'll all go to pieces when Cas dies and Mary disappears in the AU (OF COURSE Dean will lose his will to live after that, because he was still in the process of differantiating himself from others, but he was SO there ffs) so thanks for nothing s12)(s14 "Lebanon" thankfully comes back to this theme and there Dean finally says, again and out loud for the people in the back, that he's okay with the choices he's made because they resulted in this crazy-ass, totally weirdo, supernatural family and he loves it and he's good with that. PERIOD)

#spn #supernatural #spn rewatch #spn season 12 #regarding dean #dean winchester #sam winchester #rowena macleod #spn s12

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wolfawaycamp · 17 days

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Alternate Truth or Dare "Truth" scene, because Emma's question in-game was super boring. She could've come up with something shippy for that, surely.

🐼 I had a million different ideas for this and maybe I'll write them out someday, but for the sake of brevity, here is (1) slightly shippier version of Emma Mountebank's infamously boring 'truth' question! Thanks for the ask :)

The warm smoke of the campfire mixed with the earthy scent wafting off of Lake Septimus’ surface makes for a nice, comfortable atmosphere for the Hacketteers’ last hurrah around the firepit.

Ryan can appreciate the sentimentality of it, as he had built up a nice camaraderie with these (mostly) strangers, but of course Dylan had to be Dylan and throw a Truth-or-Dare-shaped wrench into things. Ryan’s already nervous enough, what with Chris freaking out and demanding they stay in the lodge with all of the escapes locked as if there’s some wild animal on the loose.

To Ryan, the only thing worse than being attacked by a savage bear or feral hog is exactly what Emma is doing to him right now: putting him on the spot. “Ryan — truth or dare?”

He weighs his options.

Truth — knowing Emma, she's probably going to ask something nosy like "What were you and Chris talking about in his office?" which is annoying but ultimately uninteresting. Easy, painless, and forgettable.

Dare — she's going to make him kiss someone. Sure, he could be a killjoy and say no, but he's already on thin ice with this crowd and he's not so much of an asshole that he's going to ruin everyone's fun by refusing a dare. Besides, he knows it's either going to be Dylan or Kaitlyn. He can handle that. They're both attractive, and they both clearly have a crush on him. But what if she makes you choose? nags a voice in the back of his mind, and that gives him pause. Because — because if he's forced to make a choice, people are going to make assumptions and tease him and Dylan — or Kaitlyn — mercilessly about it for the rest of the night. Truly a fate worse than death.

He goes with the safe option. "Truth. I'm an open book."

"Okay, okay. Let's get right down to it." Emma narrows her eyes suspiciously.

"Let's do." Ryan makes his best attempt to match her energy. He’s sure he looks as terrified as a first-time camper during opening week.

"What were you and Dylan doing when you two snuck away from Mandatory Movie Night last month?"

Fuck. That wasn’t part of the script.

"You left the lodge after Mr. H told you not to? What a little rebel!" Abi blurts out in mock surprise.

Ryan rolls his eyes. "No, we...we went upstairs. Wanted to get away from the kids. Nothing really happened. We just talked."

Somehow, he’s forgotten that the other person in question is sitting six feet away from him, ready to call him out on his bullshit. "C'mon, tell them the rest of it,” Dylan encourages, taking another sip of his beer.

Betrayal. Ryan really was an idiot to think he’d get out of this one so easily. "Whose side are you on, man?"

"Well, obviously, as the one who's laying down the law here, I'm on the side of the truth!" Dylan responds matter-of-factly.

Emma, who’d been watching the exchange and quietly enjoying the drama, leans in. "What are you hiding from us, you mysterious bad boy?”

I’m really not beating the ‘brooding loner’ allegations, am I? "First off, never say that again." Everyone is staring at him in anticipation, except Dylan, who’s looking away and visibly trying (and failing) to maintain his poker face while reveling in Ryan’s discomfort.

Ryan sighs. "We also…might have found some vodka and drank it. But we were just drinking and chilling like we are right now. Nothing to write home about."

“Vodka and chill, huh?” Jacob waggles his eyebrows suggestively.

“No,” Ryan responds, trying to sound as unbothered as possible. Unless you count Dylan acting serious for more than ten seconds as ‘chill.’

In all honesty, they didn’t do anything crazy. They'd started that night sharing childhood camp stories, and it had eventually turned into deep discussions about their fears, their dreams, and their plans for the future after camp, but the other counselors don’t need to know every detail. Ryan had seen Dylan in a different light since that night and they’d grown closer from it. That moment is special, and Ryan intends to keep at least some things between himself and Dylan.

Nick takes a break from basking in the warmth of the campfire to speak up. "Ugh. Boring!”

"On the contrary. My curiosity's been satisfied." Emma is staring at Ryan with an unnerving grin plastered onto her face. In the firelight, she almost looks like a demon. “Thank you for sharing.”

Jacob isn't having it. "No way. That can't really be it. Dylan?"

Ryan shoots Dylan a look that hopefully screams “save me.” Dylan obliges. "No, no, I'd say he's off the hook. That’s all she wrote. Scout's honor." He holds up his hand and crosses his fingers.

"Doesn't that mean you're lying?" Jacob presses.

Kaitlyn responds to Jacob’s comment with derision, "No, dumbass, that's only if he does it behind his back where we can't see it. Duh." Ryan stays silent, letting the two bicker amongst themselves. At least they’re not all still staring at him with those creepy fucking smiles.

"Children! Settle down!" Right on cue, Emma turns everyone’s attention back to their favorite social punching bag. Well, second favorite to Jacob. "Your turn, Ryan." She’s still grinning. She genuinely looks pleased. It wasn’t just some juicy gossip she wanted from Ryan; her goal was to make him uncomfortable, and he played right into her trap perfectly.

Scanning the rest of the group, he sure does feel the discomfort; half of the counselors are giving him and Dylan knowing glances, while the other half look deeply disappointed with his answer. Well, too bad. He’ll let them speculate.

Ryan finds his victim. “Kaitlyn. What d’ya say — truth or dare?”

As she ponders the question, his eyes catch Dylan’s and he can’t help but wonder what would have happened had he chosen ‘dare.’

#the quarry #rylan #ryan erzahler #dylan lenivy #radioheads #truth or dare: dylan style #expert meddler emma mountebank #i'm obsessed with the idea of ryan being so utterly mortified by the idea of discussing any form of intimacy at all #ficlet #ask box #cam #🐼

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not-a-big-slay · 3 months

Text

Until it doesn't hurt

kaz brekker x fem!reader

summary:betrayal leaves some wounds behind, but even more questions when you can't figured out from whom it really came from.

warnings: violence, cursing

type: fluff

part: 12/13

previous part: part 11 masterlist

a/n: please, please, PLEASEEUHH im SO SO SORRY! it has been almost a FUCKING YEAR SINCE THE LAST CHAPTER?! HELLO?! WHO TF DO I THINK I AM? i need to keep myself in line cuz this aint normal! i have been hiatus for soo long i need to pull it together. anywayy, its finished finally. its long ahh hell and im gonna be working on another part immediately so it wont be another 50 years dw. dont mind any grammar mistakes, english is not my first language and i have written one half of this in 2023, so i really dont feel like redoing it lol. i dare you if you can recognize where exactly i picked this draft up again. anyway, pleasee enjoy!!

also, sike, its not the last part hehe, there will be part 13 AND an epilogue

taglist (hi yall :'))

@chickencouncilrep

@venomsvl

@happy-nico

@twlegit

@ravenmedows

@blathena

‎

She had lost again.

That would be the third time tonight. Her change was getting thin and she predicted it would take one more game before she had to go kill someone for free again. So much for making a ton of money with this job. The girl watched her opponent spoon the coins from the table with one hand, laughing: "One more game and I'll have to dig up another grave, Y/N." Others laughed, so she wasn't the only one thinking that after all. It was logical, she really had to stop playing with grown men, they wasted away their old nights playing poker at this very table and she had other, young people things to do. It would be wise to get up and leave, no one would judge her for that. They would maybe even cheer her on, finally making a rational decision, no one ever seen that before when it came to her. Yet the thought of doing so was being blocked by a high indestructable wall, one that never goes away and will only be built higher.

If she does leave, she has to go home.

Her mother is probably fast asleep already, it is possible she could go to bed unnoticed and leave early in the morning. This option she used very little as Y/N never wanted to come back there. A year ago, after her mother left her blood soak through the wooden floor, Y/N made promise into her scars that she will never lay eyes on mother again. She successed in that for a year so far, becoming a hitman that was quite infamous in town. But her fame started growing from mockery, as she was really addicted to poker.

Her eyes gazed on Tim, the cemetary worker, the buryer as she liked to call him. He was one of the granpas at this table, but one of the peaceful people in town. He never wanted her to kill, just to help him with his work, although Y/N hated it more than the murders, she didn't like the aftermath of her work. Tim, being satisfied, started organizing the coins on the table. No, she cannot go home tonight.

"So what's it gonna be, kid?" asked the other player, Miyka. Her green eyes stared on Y/N's face, her wrinkles scrunched in excitment. Oh, how she hated all of them. The girl faked thinking about it before tossing dramatically her last money onto the table. "I bet 20." It didn't sound as good when she started that low, but it was all she had left. Intstead of the usual giggle and witty lines and jokes they threw her way before following up on her bad choices, they sighed, almost in dissapointment. It frustrated her, it seemed like they cared what she does instead of what amount of money she holds. It seemed like they cared about her. A wave of fear pushed her like a tsunami at this thought. People that cared ended up hating her, hurting her.

"What!" she snapped. Miyka looked at Lios, her brother, in concern, while Tim silently reorganized his coins. She looked around the table, frown getting deeper and frustration blooming wider. What was wrong with them. "Well, Y/N" Lios began, "We are just kinda...worried about you. That's all." Miyka took the word next- her previous question has been an obvious tease, the girl was dissapointed. "You clearly have nowhere to go, so you are spending your time here which is.... we get it, but." She sighed, trying to find the right words. "It's not good." Tim helped her and smiled at Y/N as if it would calm her. It did not in fact, she felt more and more anxious about their care, anxious situations made her angry. She wondered why she didn't kill them all instead of those free targets, she would never have to pay another debt again, because there would be no poker players left to play and her addiction would dissapear. "So that's it, huh? You ain't gonna play because you are scared I could actually win?" she said in her defense. Nonsense, she knew, but her heart was sweating and she was glad it didn't blow up yet. "We just care, Y/N, that-"

"Care?! Remind me Lios of just how many people I killed for you, then talk about caring for someone's life!" she spat as she stood up. Lios was more than content to her way of paying, she had no idea why he apparently cared when he could have another enemy at his feet if he just played one more game. Miyka tried to calm her down, touching her hand softly only for Y/N to flinch, hard. Her vision began to blur, the floor shook beneath her and sweat poured on her face. It was like the room was on fire, but she was the only one feeling it. Other people at the pub, being entertainted by the game or simply just hanging ot there, looked worried, some even disturbed by her behaviour.

What was happening to her?

She leaned on the table with her palms, the wood trying to ground her as she closed her eyes to not feel theirs. Voices of the players echoed her head as sounds in a cave and they felt distant, but still could make her more nervous with their caring attitude. They soon fell in whispers, driving her insane. Then, she caught one voice that silenced all the muttering, it was clear, quiet yet she felt as if its breath was in her ear. "Why play, when you can take a life for the exact amount of money laying on this table?"

She recognized the voice, it belong to the fourth player, Haltt. His voice was known only in the game. Hearing him say a sentence was unusual and therefore very powerful. It was deep, low, hard. It had authority and respect and it didn't need to ask for it. He had everyone's attention, he controlled the room with only his silent voice.

Y/N's eyes looked into his dark ones, she had to find them in the shadows floating around him, as if he commanded to them as well. "What are you saying?" she asked carefully, not knowing why. Haltt observed the table, his salt-and-pepper- although more salt than pepper- short beard surrounding his mouth as it counted the cash, then let out a little chuckle that brought goosebumps to everyone close to him. "920 Neredi. Being a hitman, a respectful hitman, would make this amount your pocket change." He grabbed the rest of her money she threw on the table and looked over to Tim. The buryer shook his head hesitantly, knowing what Haltt wants to do, but all it took was the man's neutral gaze for Tim to fold. Y/N watched him slowly scooping the money and anger took over. She pinned his hand to the table, not looking away from his face. She could hear people drawing breaths in fear, but she was free from all the anxiety now, she was grounded by his scary presence, she liked it even.

Haltt's head slowly turned to her direction, his eyes creating a straight path to hers, his eyebrows climbing up as he said softly: " You want this?" When she didn't respond, he stood up, took her hand off of his gently, not letting go as his freed hand reached behind his back, pulling out a gun. She observed quickly, it was an older model, it was small and only one bullet fit into it- however she knew a man like Haltt would only ever need one bullet- he then rotated her hand and placed it in her palm. He released her only when she seized it. Y/N let her hand warm the handle before looking up at Haltt again. "Then go make it." he finished his statement and sat back down in the shadows. Y/N checked the inside of the gun and she confirmed her knowledge about it.

She scoffed. "One bullet" Haltt nodded as if he answered to her statement. "That's all you need, I know your skills." his glass clincked when his rings touched it, raising it to his lips. She waited until he drank the remainings of his whiskey, having the suspision he might continue. "You kill the target, you'll get double of this." Her surprise was voiced by everyone around her, gasping and unbelievably whispering. Lios looked at Haltt, telling him he cannot do this. But Haltt only looked at her. "No one here wants you to play. You made them care, something a hitman shouldn't do." She squeezed her free hand into a fist, knowing his eyes are reading her like cards on the table. He leaned in: "Take your reputation back, make them fear you instead." he said quietly and it seemed only she heard it. He retreated back into his seat, letting her simmer in his words.

She knew people stopped perceiving her as a threat, a force to be reckon with, a fearful killer, and started to look at her as a 15 year old that sometimes threw tantrums. People smiled at her, old men laughed at her when they drank beer at the bar, as if she was their granddaughter doing silly things. Once, she was feared, but now she behaved like an old woman trapped inside a teenage body with gambling addiction and alcoholism. Everyone treated her as a kid she never was, but Haltt seemed to remember who she was 6 months ago, to trust her potential, her skills she never lost, but used them to not drown in debts, not to her job. She suddenly became so connected to him, she was hypnotized. The sound of the chatty room blurred again as she explored the gray ocean behind Haltt's eyes. He let her, grinning as he watched her back straighten and her nose breathing in deeply. Then came the question:

"Who is the target?"

Halt's smile stabbed through his cheeks as he answered.

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Inej didn't allow herself a break until she got the that exact building Y/N told her to. She was nervous to say the least. If everything goes right, Pekka Rollins will be dead. It was unbelievable to even think about. The moonlight caressed her back and the salty wind danced around her in excitment. Ketterdam is cheering for them, it will be better off without Rollins. She thought of ways how to carve his heart out, she wanted to make a heart-shaped hole, but it was too complicated making the curves, it would take too long and she didn't want him to die before she was finished. She needed something quick, but symbolic. After all, when the stadwatch will find his body, her work should be admired. Or Deln's work, she hated he will take credit for it, but it's definitely for the best.

Soon, the spider heard two sets of footsteps beneath her. She looked down carefully, confirming it's Y/N. In the dark, she couldn't much see her 'friend', but she could feel the disgust and fear Y/N had from above, suspecting he might not be an actual friend after all. Another secret of hers she wished to uncover after this is over. The way Jesper talked about this girl is riling up an interest in her. She wanted to get to know her better, her fate might not much differ from her own and she would like to hear her story, she would like to see why Kaz seemed to hate her so much. She also hoped Y/N will stay with them after this. For Jesper's sake and maybe for Nina's nerves as she looked worried about her.

As Y/N dissapeared into the alley, Inej grabbed her knife, Sankt Petyr, that she sharpened moments before. The wind picked up and she stood motionlessly at the edge of the building. She watched lightened windows in the Smeet Residence, hoping no one will think about looking outside tonight. The house reminded her of one she encountered at the southern colonies of Novyi Zem. It was in a horrible shape compared to this, but it was a haven for the citizens there, they admired it like people in Ketterdam admire The Exchange. It was luxurious given the state of the land.

Her train of thought stopped before it reached a station, because her ears picked up a subtle voice, then a laugh. The sounds got louder as they slowly approached her. Rollins must be pretty nervous of the meet-up if he talked to himself, or he was not alone. A slight panic rose in Inej's chest and she prepared to make the uninvited dissapear. If Rollins truly had some company, she would have to wait until he saw Y/N to take it out, otherwise he might see her and change his mind. If we won't do it, somebody else will brought out fire in her stomach. The girl was right, if they won't try the lovely dessert of revenge, others might eat it whole with no crumbs left. She suspected Pekka is the main character in many unfinished death threats and planned out vengeances.

The Wraith took a deep breath as her eyes closed, slowing down her rapid heartbeat filled with excitment. When she opened them, the bright windows from the residence, along with the dimmed lights on the streets aluminated two beings walking. One was definitely the leader of one of the most dangerous gangs in Ketterdam.

And so was the other one.

She silently gasped, panicking again, her heartbeat picking up. What the fuck is Kaz doing here? And why was he bent over with Rollins' hand around his neck. Even though they were right across her, Inej was oblivious to their conversation- well, monologue if she was more accurate- because she was way too busy feeling the plan fall apart. This wasn't supposed to happen, Kaz was meant to know nothing and then just cheer and celebrate once they'd be done. Why did he always took matters into his hands?.

When she came back to reality, they were almost in the alleyway. The spider quickly followed them, never taking her eyes off of Kaz's helpless form. Her hands always gently grazed any surface she incountered, her feet always landing on the tips of her toes, her moves inspiring every ballerina in Kerch, yet now her hands were sliding off roughly and she had to bent her knees to make the landing silent. Her fear of her friend manipulated her body and she almost fell over the edge when the sharp turn of the building made an appearance, luckily she awokened from the feeling and stopped herself.

She was above the meeting place now.

On her right was Y/N with the strange man. Y/N was anxiously pacing around, obviously worried as they all were, even the man next to her who stood still as a pole was taking almost unseeable shuttered breaths. When the girl faced her direction, Inej wanted to warn her of the unexpected turn of events, but she wouldn't be seen anyway. As it turned out though, she also wouldn't have the time to catch her attention in time as the target slowly showed up on her left side, Kaz still in his grasp. Up close she could see the knife he held to his neck, already cut into the flesh. The man on her right stopped breathing and tried to hide his widened eyes, Rollins smirked as he saw him, shaking his head in disbelief. But the tension really sparked up when Y/N finally saw them, her eyes instantly digging into Kaz, while his were already screaming at her. Only two words bound them all together as they appeared on every present mind.

Oh fuck.

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

Silence started perhaps being uncomfortable for Deln, yet Y/N only cared about the boy 5 meters in front of her. He wore blood, a lot of blood. His face showed bruises for every Barrel rat and every drop of blood that fell next to his feet tore a piece of her heart. But the worst thing was his expression, it was no longer hateful, nor angry. His eyes sinked into her and they washed her with almost a relief-like feeling, like he was happy to see her, or maybe upset to see her here, in a dangerous street that will be painted red by more than one person. His gaze was soft, almost pleading her to either run away or get closer to him.

He was worried.

"I told you to come alone if my memory is still serving right." Deln began the conversation, dragging both of their attention to him. He earned a chuckle from Rollins and a response as he squeezed Kaz's neck, straightening him up: "Well, I thought I might get the lovebirds back together, eh?" The knife retreated back to his pocket, revealing a red line on the boy's neck. Y/N allowed herself to let one tear roll down her cheek as an apology to him. Pekka must have kidnapped him, because there was no other explanation on why was he present. Deln was confused, he didn't know Dirtyhands as far as she knew, nor about her time with Hertzoon. "Aw, look at 'em, already pining for each other." Rollins mocked and pushed Kaz off of his hand. Y/N had a hard time keeping it together.

Deln sighed annoyingly and the hitman was glad he kept the plan on track. It was hard to admit he was actually a big help to her. "Whatever, let's talk business shall we? It's cold tonight. Don't wanna be out late." he said offered and Rollins laughed in his face again: "What, gotta read the slaves a goodnight story?" If she wasn't still in shock from Kaz, the plan would skip to the killing part very quickly. "Well, not anymore since you took 'em all away, didn't you." the slaver stated and wiped the smile off of Pekka's face quickly. Y/N had to admit he played the role she made for him perfectly and let the conversation rest in his hands, as she continued to worry silently about the bloodied boy.

The Dime Lions' leader seemed to get upset about Deln's forwardness, he probably thought he could talk his way out of it with his disturbing charm. He put his hands on his hips and shrugged. "It ain't my problem you keep 'em in a dirty warehouse. I offered them a room with a comfortable bed and good money if they were willing to smile. That ain't no crime, lad."

"I'm not interested in your architectural opinion on my slave-keeping. I am upset you stole my property." Y/N was very invested in the conversation she almost forgot her role was against Deln. Her tied hands turned him to her side by the shoulder and pierced him with her eyes. "Don't speak of them like that." she warned and he simpy scoffed her off. It wasn't much, she must admit, but it was enough to voice her stand in this matter. "HA! And what do you think you'll be after we're done here? You will be lucky if I allow you to work in my brothel." the last sentence was a warning, he could be so much cruel to her, like he was in his house. She was present finally, all worry stepped aside to make space for the anger she held and the focus she held earlier tonight sat back down on her mind.

"You won't touch her."

Ready to speak, Y/N was taken aback by his raspy voice with scary undertone. He spoke to her like that, not long ago. It was almost unreal he was defending her. As much as it brought shivers down her body, Rollins was unfazed by the threat. "You can barely stand, boy. What can you possibly do to me." he stated the obvious and continued once he looked her way again. "Besides, she really isn't worthy of your protection." He put one foot in front of the other slowly, walking over to her. She was on alert, if she had the opportunity, she wouldn't wait anymore and strangle him with her tired hands and her desire to dig his grave. He stopped few steps from her and reached into his pocket again, pulling out something else than a knife this time. "Lost this?"

A thin, almost not visible in the dark, black string was held between his fingers. The bracelet she lost. The one Kaz gave her on the last day they saw each other. She lost it in Rollins' office. Her temptation to reach for it was unseen by Y/N as her first instinct was to look at Kaz, who also drowned in the vision of the string. She broke her promise, a childish one, sure, but it destroyed her still. It always served as a reminder of her failure. How she failed to warn him and Jordie, how she wrapped his heart around her finger without knowing it and allowed Hertzoon to shatter it. The girl promised herself to not mess up this promise, at least one thing she could keep. In the end, she lost it too.

How does she deserve to live after destroying all good in her life?

"Yeah, cruel isn't she? Do you really think she cares about you, or anyone for that matter?" he talked to Kaz that was still mesmerized by the sight in Rollins' hand. Deln was silently watching the scene, the situation out of his hands now, the plan off of track. "You don't know anything about her, boy-". " You're wrong." she interrupted him. He turned to her, waiting to elaborate, the string still lifted between his fingers as if he was trying to hypnotize them. "I told him everything." Y/N continued as she silently wished with the last bit of hope he would take the bait. He didn't:

"Everything, eh?" he echoed as he turned his back on her and focused on Kaz fully. As he reached his personal space, his hand streched to him, giving him the bracelet. The boy fixated on it, swaying with the wind due to his trouble standing on the one good leg for this long. Rollins watched him closely, feeling Kaz's hand taking it almost immediately. When his coffee-like eyes reached his snake ones, Pekka uncovered Y/N's lie:

"Do you remember Ms. Hertzoon?"

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"...You what?"

"Don't you dare be offended, you manipulated her and then left us. You're as bad as I am."

That made them punch her strongly in the stomach. Funny, Rollins wanted to watch her suffer, but was too lazy to torture her himself. They were on this for 2 hours now, or she at least thought so, she couldn't tell if the ringing was only in her ears. Rollins had her sit on a chair and then asked questions. The first were stupid and simple, almost like a small talk: Did she rob him, why is she back, when did she get back, etc. She earned 5 different punches in this round. Then the latter began. They wanted to know what happened after the con trick- as he called it- which resulted in her split lip and first blood drawn. Then another small talk, remembering all their time together and then, the truth. "Where is your mother?" it began and ended in countless of other painful things she couldn't be bothered to remember.

"How." he almost whispered, it was so dramatic that Y/N would laugh if she wasn't wheezing with every breath. "Oh, please. Like you care." she fully expected the hit for that one, though it still hurt like hell. "How!" he ordered her and watched her grow a grin with her painted-red mouth. She could still feel the little gun in her little hand, standing at the foot of her mother's bed. She watched her sleep for a moment before she truly aimed. Haltt was right, it did get back her reputation. He gave her the money and she counted every single coin to make sure it really was doubled. Fortunately, he was an honest man.

"One bullet was all it took."

To say she regretted it would be a lie, the biggest one in history maybe. She second-guessed it on her way home, sure, but she more doubted Haltt's promise than her actions. However, once she really saw her mother's chest rise and fall, nothing was easier than to pull the trigger. If she was a monster in her eyes, she would become one in her memory.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" was the last thing she heard from him, then her ears were filled with ringing and also pain when her nerves couldn't take it anymore. Everything went dark after a while, she was sure she couldn't breath and her eyes zipped themselves tightly, but even though she lost consciousness, she was sure she never stopped smiling while it lasted.

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He always suspected some part of her story was left out, it would be unwise to tell him everything and she was not stupid. While Kaz did predict that something happened with the mother, he didn't expect this. He answered her eyes as they asked for connection and tried to assure them of his unchanged opinion. So what? He also done horrible things, they all have, especially Rollins. Such a hypocrite, that man. When he finished re-telling the story of Y/N's torture, he retreated from the boy's space, fortunately for him, because Kaz would have no hesitation in twisting Pekka's neck. Everything was silent for a while, the wind whispered cold around them as they all studied each other. Kaz looked at the building's roof next to them, seeing only darkness, but feeling her presence. He hoped that whatever Y/N planned to do with Inej would be useful. And what did he know, maybe this situation is going extremely well for them.

"Well, that is truly shocking, but unfortunetely, Y/N's dead mom won't solve this conflict. So let's solve it ourselves, shall we?" The slaver spoke and grabbed the girl next to him by the bicep, dragging her with him closer to Rollins. Kaz took a small, unnecessary step forward as a move to help her. Seeing Deln's hand on her made the water rise around him, he could feel her discomfort and felt it himself. They stopped and he threw the girl in front of him lightly, so she wouldn't fall, but aggressively enough, so she would sway. "Pay me for the slaves and she's yours, as promised." the boy's fist turned white at that, wishing he could hang Deln's organs at the lamppost. "Hmmm" groaned Rollins in thinking. "How much do ya want?"

"3000 kruge."

"Pardon?"

Deln rolled his eyes. "It was 100 slaves you stole from me, every slave is expensive and believe me, I'm giving you a discount right now." Rollins nodded at his explanation. At this point, Kaz thought about getting out of there. He was being ignored and would be forgotten in a while. Rollins couldn't see him, Deln could, but he doubted he would care. However, she could too, and his heart radiated an unfamiliar feeling at the thought of dissapearing without Y/N. If this situation happened with anyone else, he'd be already at the Slat, drinking shots and drowning in silence of his room. Dirtyhands planned the escape, Kaz refused to go through with it. He refused to leave her. "Alright, alright. How about this." Rollins spoke his thoughts. "I'll give you half of what they make me from now on and if you ever wander in the Sweet Shop, you won't have to pay." Deln was silent, but he was clearly concidering it.

"Huh? Sounds good?" Smiling Pekka streched out his hand and waited for a handshake. Every set of eyes watched Deln's movement, from his step closer, closer to Rollins, closer to Y/N, until he squeezed Pekka's hand, reflecting his expression. "That's a deal, then." said the robber. "Deal." said the slaver. Kaz didn't know what that meant and from the girl's face, he could tell the confusion was shared. Although, he truly realized this wasn't part of their plan after Deln quickly reached for Y/N's belt with the same hand that just closed a deal, pulling out a small gun, one that could barely fit a bullet, and aiming it at the hitman. She was frightened, taking steps back, but she didn't got very far when Deln grabbed her by the collar, holding her close to his body.

"Like mother like daughter."

He was instantly on the move, as fast as he could, trying to prevent what was about to happen. The bullet was faster though. Before hearing the gunshot, they heard Deln's scream. Y/N felt to the ground and Kaz was at her side immediately. His eyes panicking, trying to find the wound while his heart sounded the alarms and awakened fear. Not like this. He couldn't lose her like this. He soon found the gunshot and without thinking threw his hands to press it down. They never made contact with it, Rollins' knife already found its way back to his neck, pulling him away from her. "You didn't think I forgot about you, did ya?" he laughed in his ear before Kaz threw his head back, hitting him in the nose. The grip got loose and he turned around, sending his anger and frustration in his fist. Rollins tumbled and he kicked him on the ground, getting him closer to the place he belongs.

Deln moaned in pain and the boy finally saw the reason. Below his bent over form, a puddle of blood formed and in it swam his thumb, right above Sankt Petyr. The corners of his mouth lifted a bit, he couldn't remember how did he survive all this time without Inej watching over him and the crows, it made him grateful she is back for now. His eyes were set to find Y/N again, but he only saw a red trace from where she laid. She must've gotten away. Good girl.

He couldn't follow her steps, because Rollins already got up from the cobblestones, ready to strike. He breathed heavily, supporting the place Kaz kicked him in with his hand. He couldn't understand why Rollins always came back into his life. He tried to avoid him all his time in Ketterdam, yet life always brought them together. Or death, he wasn't sure, maybe they were destined to destroy each other. Pekka Rollins was like a mosquito bite: itching to be noticed and when Kaz does so, he feels a brief satisfaction before the itch comes back and is worse than before. He was also as annoying. It needed to be finished right here and tonight

The boy braced himself and waited on the mosquito's move, straightening himself. Little did he know, the shadow from above already closed in on the man. Kaz watched as she kicked his knee from the back and caught his hair, stopping him from falling fully on the ground again. Sankta Lizabeta could be soon visible above his heart, the tip waiting to be pushed in. Only then, Dirtyhands quietly sighed in relief.

"He still can't do it without ya, huh? Tell me boy, when will you start being a man and do things on your own?" Rollins mocked them as he recognized the face, which currently held the future of his heartbeat. Kaz limped slowly closer, feeling Inej's eyes on him. He lowered his head once he entered Pekka's personal space dangerously deep. "When my brother will get his revenge in hell."

As soon as the menacing words reached Rollins, his lips twitched up at the sight of Sankta Lizabeta slowly painting an imaginery outline of the man's heart, being applauded by his blood-curling scream. Inej wasn't the one for torture, but he could see the bit of joy in her eyes and the relief on her face. She deserved to be the one that would free Ketterdam from this parasite and he let her have it, already searching for the bloody trail Y/N left behind.

His eyes alerted him when they caught it and he began to follow the path, slowly, limping as Deln's whines cheered him on.

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The stars were with her, sometimes changing their position or widening in her eyes as they waited to claim her. Salty waterdrops tapped her tired legs, reminding her of where she sat. She imagined death many times, it wasn't unusual for someone in her profession. She remembered Tim talking about the peace that comes with it, saying it is kind, so it would be easier for the soul to leave the body. For her, it was obvious. Everything would be kinder than life. However, nothing could prepare her for the last moments. Y/N realized that no matter how much you imagine it, it will always surprise you. The knowing that this is the last time she is going to exist in wasn't something her brain could comprehend. Maybe that was the mystery death held, that was the fuel for the fear in others, not understanding until it was too late.

Wind played softly with her hair while it kissed the bruises of her now untied hands, and she tried hard to feel everything at the same time. The clothes touching her skin, the numbness in her feet, her shaky breath as it entered and left her system, but mostly, she tried to memorize the pain in her stomache and the bullet inside her body. It was an intense feeling, so she wanted to feel it as much as possible, before it would fade and with it her heart.

The hitman got hit.

This is how her victims probably felt. She brought this feeling to numerous lives. Her mother felt this way too. Y/N couldn't decide if dying felt good or disgusting, but she could be certain it was lonely. Even if people surrounded her, it wouldn't be better. It was an experience for her soul, no one from the outside could empathize.

She wondered where her grave would lay as the slow footsteps got closer. Y/N heard him limp next to her and it seemed like the stars noticed him too, because they stopped moving once he sat down, as though they only wanted to be seen by her. He was visibly tired, still bleeding from his neck.

Maybe he was feeling the final presence too.

Maybe her starts would take them both.

Silence and the waves crashing made the space between them comfortable, maybe too comfortable for her liking. His breath was disrupting hers as it naturally tried to match the rhythm. The moment became so peaceful, she almost forgot about their history. It felt like nothing happened between them, they were just kids, sitting by the port, watching stars and listening to the ocean. They weren't Dirtyhands and Saskia. They weren't the Bastard of the Barell and Snowflake.

They were Y/N and Kaz. As they were always meant to be.

"Do you believe in faith?"

It felt like yesterday since he asked her that question. Every shared memory of them felt so close to her now, as if time was all messed up. Maybe death was already doing its job. Kaz was taking his time with the answer, breathing heavily, as if the air had to fill his words first before she could hear them.

"Yes...I do."

He exhaled, his low empty voice responding. Her lips lifted into a messy smile, her muscles were losing their power all over her body, but that didn't stop her from reaching into her coat and pulling out a folded, bloodied paper that her fingers swiftly grabbed from her slaver's back pocket before he could shoot her. It was almost bizzare, how a small, easily rippable piece made her revisit the demons of the past. She wondered if Deln wanted this all along. Maybe he wanted Rollins to kill her, so he could make his deal with him. Or maybe it was just faith, wanting to see how far she would go for a false sense of freedom.

"It doesn't mean anything." Y/N stated as she felt Kaz looking at the release paper. "I just needed proof that I'm not under anyone's influence anymore, but..." her eyes followed the ongoing waves. They looked like on a leash, as if someone released them, so they could explode onto the harbor's walls, only to pull them back again shortly after, reminding them they were still being controlled. It seemed torturous, humiliating. It looked like her. "...I will never be free of him."

Y/N couldn't look at the boy, even if his burning gaze could only be extinguished by an eye contact. He was right, she was a monster. She could see it now and she wouldn't hide from this fact. She would accept herself before her heart would stop singing. It was the least she could do with the very limited time, coming to terms with her own self.

The stars started moving again slowly as Kaz spoke: "He can't control you anymore..." His tone showed certainty. Inej had to claim her souvenir of revenge by now, but he still managed to squeeze out a scoff from the hitman. She couldn't believe he allowed himself to be so naïve. Rainbow won't repair the damage done by storm, same as killing Pekka Rollins won't erase his actions and the following conciquences. His influence made her do things beyond his leadership. It scarred her for life, and those scars bled onto others without the possibility to heal. She bled on him too. She killed his brother for fuck's sake.

"The things he caused precedes him." Y/N finally looked at Kaz, his eyes seemed to be glowing in her hallucinating mind. "I can't be changed." She whispered, knowing he would hear every single letter. The moon illuminated him perfectly. His features casted a soft look under its light and Y/N was glad this would be the appearence of him she would take to her grave. She was happy to become one of the stars that would continue to shine on him.

Suddenly, death seemed very pretty.

The girl saw his hand on hers before she could feel it. It was weirdly warm, even though he barely touched her. His eyes demanded her ears' attention as he spoke, slowly, so she could feel the words. "You don't need to be changed."

Her mind was confused. How could he even speak such things?

"I am a killer." she reminded him.

"Not by choice." he argued.

"I killed my own mother and enjoyed it." she was restless in making him hate her.

"Your mother's conciquences of her own actions." he dodged her attempt.

"I killed your brother." was when she knew she would win. It wasn't excusable. Nothing could possibly erase this from Kaz's mind, no apology was enough, she was certain. That was the reason she couldn't understand why Kaz's hand began to hold hers more tightly as his eyes studied the wound in her stomache, covered by her arm that desperately tried to prevent the blood from pouring out, but it became more and more hopeless. "You're dying and not doing anything about it." he aknowleged. Y/N smiled briefly, from pain and also from his slow understanding of her plan.

"I deserve it." she spoke weakly, every word felt heavy on her tongue and she was about to give in to their weight. He only observed her, as her body was slowly losing the ability to move, as her energy was being sipped by the waves below. It suddenly felt a bit scary for her, she was in the process of dying and it strangely ignited the last bit of her will to live.

Kaz did nothing, he only asked: "Why?" She looked at him, her eyes shooting fear. She guessed she would engage with every emotion before turning off. Maybe the nature granted this privilege to every person, so they would get to have the proper goodbye to their body.

"I never done anything good, I only brought pain." her lips responded, making Kaz nod slowly. Y/N gasped softly as the fear intensified. This feeling was unlike any before, like her life was slowly slipping through her body, through the wound. Her arm pressed tightly, as much as she could to slow down the inevitable, but it was too late. "Maybe it's time to change that." Kaz spoke. She wouldn't be able to change her ways if she died, the only thing she would remember about this life was how she made it difficult for everyone else.

Y/N sighed, death was almost touching her, heart was losing its music. She no longer felt the waterdrops on her legs and the stars dimmed their light. "It's too late."

The port beneath her began to sway, as if it would tip over to the ocean anytime. She gripped the concrete edge, slipping her hand from Kaz's to do so, trying to stop it from moving, only for it to sway more. She picked her eyes up at the sky, seeing only her five stars in the black treacle sky, as her body pushed closer to the waves.

Death awaited her.

Like those waves, Y/N was suddenly pulled back by someone's hands, feeling her body lift up from the port, supported in the air. Her form bounced with every other step and another warm breath kept mixing with hers. She imagined those arms were of an angel, bringing her to heaven. Or a devil, bringing her to hell. She gave into its touch nonetheless.

"I know you're not very good at keeping them, but would you promise me one last thing?" a voice asked her, a low and a tired one. One that could only belong to an angel the way it kept her dying heart beating. The girl could only hum, agreeing to the angel's request. The voice sounded serious, threatening almost, but she could hear the worry hidden behind it, as it spoke.

"Don't make me lose you."

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Nina whined, having trouble with breathing as her hands shook from the need to be put down. She saved the Dregs numerous times from a certain death, yet Y/N exceeded her expectations. The heartender tried her very best to wake her heart up, while Jesper and Wylan panicked to pull out the bullet and seize the wound, so no more blood would be lost. What wasn't helpful, though, was Brekker, constantly yelling at them for trying harder. She understood that his anger was powered by the fear for that girl, but that didn't put out the urge to fill his face with more wounds, maybe a broken nose even.

"I swear, Nina. If she dies.." he exclaimed again, not helping the situation in any way.

"It will be on you!" Nina barked at him, frustration clearly visible not only on her tone, but her tired features. Her eyes shot to Jesper and Wylan an apologizing look as she saw their hands bloodied and faces worried. The door swinged open behind her, revealing Inej. Nina felt relief wash over her as she saw her. Kaz would maybe stop being such an asshole in her presence.

"Is she breathing?" Inej asked and immediately moved to Y/N's lying form, putting her cheek above her nose. "Barely." Wylan answered stressfully. Kaz's worry shifted to fear, Nina could sense that, even when her full focus was on the hitman's weak heart. She was barely alive, but the heartender was still surprised it could beat. She was strong and Nina hoped she would continue to fight.

Jesper gasped heavily and looked at her. "The wound's sealed!" he sounded so hopeful and it brought Nina some strenght to see him like this. She had to take quick breaths before tightening her hands in the air one more time, fastening Y/N's heartbeat. Fortunetely, it worked. "She's breathing again!" Inej said with a small smile, causing Kaz to limp closer to see for himself. His own wounds weren't yet treated, but Nina didn't even try to convince him. He had trouble looking after himself when one of them was hurt, she could imagine how much worse it was in this case, where his heartbeat's fire was on the brink of death.

She could feel the heartbeat pick up to a slow pace. It wasn't yet normal, but at least she didn't have to control it now. Nina put her hands down and fell down on an armchair beside her. Everyone in the room fell victims to exhaustion, Nina closed her eyes for a moment, just focusing on her breathing. Wylan was the first to stand up and slowly make his way out of the room with the words she'll be alright, Nina, you did a great job. Jesper followed, squeezing Nina's shoulder and nodding shortly at Kaz, before the door closed after him too.

"You either let me treat your wounds or you will go and get some sleep." she offered to the man, her eyes fixated on Y/N. She was glad he, at least, wrapped his neck in a bandage during this hard time, but he had other quite serious wounds she had to treat sooner or later. Kaz allowed himself to be predictable as he stared at the hitman and then slowly limped out of the room. Before he did though, he surprised her after all.

"Thank you."

Nina's head snapped his way and watched him leave, she didn't expect that. Inej sat next to her on the armrest, following her eyes to the laying girl. "You should rest as well, I know how tired you are." the heartender studied her features with a caring look. Her friend fought the sleep well so far, which she hated to see. "I'm not leaving you alone." the spider said with a decisive eyes connecting with hers. She knew the heartender couldn't sleep herself, as she had to look out for Y/N's heart. Nina flashed a defeated smile. She was grateful for her presence, she missed her a lot, but it would ease her mind if she went to sleep. However, knowing her stubborn mind, she scooted over to the very side, creating a tiny space for Inej to sit, which her friend accepted with a smile.

"Alright then. Tell me how you killed Rollins and DON'T spare any details."

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

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nihilnovisubsole · 5 months

Text

it's that time of year again: AK's 2023 Wrapped™. no, not the music thing. the december year-in-review thing. my spotify charts were deeply unfunny this time around because of all the game soundtracks i've been listening to. i don't know when these end-of-year posts became tradition for me, which is to say i could find out and i'm too lazy to check. the important thing, like lemon pigs or eating black-eyed peas, is that it feels like we've always done it. in the depths of winter, the warmth comes from the routine.

i won't beat around the bush about it: it's been a difficult year. it's been hard enough that it doesn't seem appropriate to joke about it or wave it off in favor of big, blog-worthy wins. times are dark right now. it behooves all of us to think deeply and check on each other. i hope i've been a decent friend to the people who needed it. so instead of scraping together a halfhearted victory lap, i'm going to go against my better judgment and be vulnerable.

it wasn't all bad. i got promoted to staff narrative designer this year, which is a fancy way of saying "you don't have to do time cards anymore." it's strange: in an industry infamous for volatility, my job has become one of the few things i can rely on to be positive. i believe my coworkers like me, which is good, because i like them. i feel not just included, but welcomed at work social events. i've developed a reputation for being a garbage goat on my writing team. "got an odd job? give it to AK. we can count on her to eat it." i had the chance to collaborate with someone i've looked up to for years, and i was delighted to find out how amenable they are to work with. there's work stress and there's work stress. everyone has challenging days, but it's not the crab bucket that voltage was, so it never seems that bad. i keep it in perspective. sure, these tasks keep me on my feet, but is it three cents a word, seven thousand words a week? i'll live.

i just wish it had all been good. it speaks to how my health has been that getting covid in february was one of the most mundane things to happen to me. i did everything right. i had all my boosters. i had paxlovid. i recovered well. still, it knocked me out of orbit in the psychological sense. i stopped getting enough exercise, though i'm building myself up again. i became neurotic about my stats. am i Getting A Good Grade In Blood Pressure? what about Pulse Rate? two months later, i came down with a strange, unrelated condition that was nowhere near as serious as covid, but made my life ten times more difficult. i'm happy to report i feel worlds better these days. even so, it was a bizarre time. bodies sure are curious.

later, my sink flooded my closet, and for a few days, i had to reckon with the idea that mold might destroy my entire wardrobe. all those irreplaceable pieces of character design that i've built my identity around since i was eighteen years old. who would i be without them? a wise person would say it was a lesson: stop defining who you are by your looks and find worth in your inner self. the mold is gone and my clothes are fine, but sometimes i have days where my lungs seem like they're sort of operating at ninety percent. i'm trying not to fuss about it. my checkups are normal, and i feel fine whenever i get out of the house for a while. maybe it'll go away when i move. because, hey, i can contemplate saving for a house now. how about that? remember when my mother and i were homeless? what a surreal landscape of highs and lows.

maybe grief is strange like that. in july, just when my health started to settle down, my grandmother died. it was a long time coming. she was 94 and extremely frail. i handled it well at first. it took the ensuing few months for the full weight of human mortality to sink in. before, i'd mainly been to funerals of warm, but distant old men, great patriarchs who loved but didn't relate to little girls. her, i knew. she was there when i was born. i won't go into detail, but it was not a peaceful passing, and it left problems in its wake. you don't live through that without taking a long, hard look at your life. everyone gets the invincibility knocked out of them sometime.

my mother is too disciplined to let it get the better of her. on the worst days of her life, the stove still got cleaned and the bills got paid. when people give her condolences, she encourages them to look on the bright side: she got almost seventy years with her. how many children can say that? but i can tell she's sad, and i'm not under any illusion i can help. i have to sit with it. there's nothing else for me to do.

under different circumstances, i'd have thrown myself into my work. i'd come up with some writing project to avoid thinking about it. i guess the dominant theme when it comes to my personal writing has been inertia: accomplishing nothing and being unsure of myself. if it's a growing pain, it's a rough one. i question my storytelling instincts so much, it's hard to get a story off the ground, let alone take it anywhere. i've hit a point where i find the conventions of the romance genre limiting. i still want to write about people in love, though, and i can't reconcile the two. why do some love stories get to be love stories and others are "just romance?" you could ask why it's "just" romance, and that's a good, but different conversation, i think. what are the great love stories saying about the human condition that i'm not? what is my work saying, period? not a whole lot, i'm afraid. i used to be pugnacious about writing from my id brain, about doing it for the fun of it. i worry that's not going to cut it anymore. i have to push myself harder. i also have to stop fretting about being perceived as pretentious for asking these questions.

it would be easier if i had more answers. i'm not sure which project to work on next, because they're all half-formed outlines with plots i don't know how to fill. i'm not sure whether it'd be weird for someone with my job to keep writing or posting fanfic, no matter how informally. i'm not sure what role physical intimacy should play in my writing, if any, because along with everything else, this was the year shame caught up to me. i'm not sure what happened there. i hope the "are sex scenes necessary" debate didn't get me, because i'd argue for their artistic merit any day. but when i do it, i worry that it's indiscreet somehow, like i'm revealing myself in ways that make strangers uncomfortable. some days i feel like going through my backlog of published work and tearing out all the sex-adjacent content like a power-mad inquisitor. i won't, because i'd regret it, but i spend a lot of time being embarrassed. it's embarrassing. i can't escape the feeling that people don't want to know that about me.

despite it all, it's still bad form to end on a down note, so i'll leave you with this: after five years, i finally got into physical therapy for my arm. i told my doctor the whole sob story and she put in a referral to a hand/occupational clinic. will it help? i don't know. i've tried so many things that haven't. but they're optimistic that i'm in better shape than i think - i've heard a lot of "wow, we get patients who can't even open a jar!" - so it's worth a shot. if it means i can draw a little more, it's something. i still make time for the picrew every day. ever onward. thanks for hanging in there with me, guys. you keep things interesting.

#long post #fyi there's death stuff in there

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the-writing-mobster · 5 months

Note

Where I can read your fics? They seem pretty interesting!

Thank you for the ask, love! Fic links, anyone?

You can find all of my fics on Ao3! I need to make an actual like... Official link post, don't I? I used to have one pinned but other things take priority.

So I guess I'll sprinkle the links to my fics here for your immediate viewing pleasure instead of sending you on a wild goose chase ;)

IMPORTANT NOTE — A lot of my fics are locked so only people with confirmed AO3 accounts can read them. This is because of AI scraping, obvs. TMDG is the only one that I think is unlocked since it's fairly new. But it'll eventually get locked as well.

| The What Do You Want Duology | 🥀 💀 |

(YWIW, the sequel, still lies unfinished, unfortunately, but WDYW is completed and currently under revisions!)

Summary (for those still not in the know):

Frisk spent most of her life fighting to survive in a cruel world where her only upper hand was her soul's Determination and her feminine charms. After angering the most dangerous man in her life, she is thrown down into Hell to be ripped apart and destroyed by the demons said to inhabit it. With her soul refusing to give up, of course she survives.

However, when she is taken hostage by the infamous Gaster brothers, she finds herself trapped in the strange, abyssal gaze of Sans the Skeleton. With political and sexual tensions on the rise, can these two work through their differences? Or will they forever be asking each other, "What Do You Want?"

—

| Baby Face - UF Highschool AU | 💖 🤘🏻 |

Technically an au based off of my characterizations of the UF characters in wdyw. This one is tooth rottingly sweet and set in a surface Ebbott City in the 90s. Inspo was movies like Clueless & the documentary Kid 90. I actually loved this story so much I completely reworked it and turned it into an original novel.

Important to note that this fic isn't really a romance. It's more about platonic love and friendships than it is about Frans romance.

Summary:

Seniors should not date freshmen. No matter what. Not even if the freshman is hot. Not even if the freshman says it's ok. Not even if the freshman makes moves. That’s the mantra Sans lives by, and even though Frisk, one of the cutest girls according to all of his friends, catches a crush of epic proportions on him, he makes it a point to keep his distance. She’ll thank him later.

Sans is in a rock band and Frisk has a big ole unrequited crush on him.

—

| The Most Dangerous Game | 💙 🔪 💔 |

The dreaded serial killer dead dove fic we've all been raving about recently!!!

It's important to note that this one isn't a romance. They are (albeit obsessive) enemies through and through.

Summary:

Frisk Starling should've been used to cases like these. After all, it was her duty to investigate. Give the victims their voice back, catch the sick freak who did it and give the broken families the justice she couldn’t have for herself.

That is until a string of murders throughout the tristate area begin to appear. Women used like toys, mutilated and disposed of for the cops and journalists to find with only the tiniest slivers of useless evidence and the glaring fact that all the women...

Every…

Single…

One…

Look almost exactly like her… Frisk begins to wonder if maybe… the monster she's hunting down has turned her into the hunted.

And God, does she make the most exhilarating, delicious prey yet…

—

Honorable mention One Shots:

| The Witch, The Judge & the 3 Card Gamble | ♠️♥️♣️ |

Probably my best prose ever. Genuinely.

Summary:

After suffering a gruesome bullet to the ribs, the vengeful Witch hovers over a dying fire, praying her campsite isn’t spotted by vagabonds who’d surely make her pay for existing…

But as a shadow blots out the stars if not for the two red pricks of light glaring her down, she fears her true nightmares have come to claim her after all; The Grim Reaper, the judge of her fate.

And she doesn’t like her odds.

—

| We'll See - Christmas Rom Com | 🎄 💕 |

I wrote this as a secret Santa present to @themsource. It is very cute and fucking funny if I do say so myself. It puts the comedy in Romantic Comedy.

Summary:

Sans has some inhibitions about Christmas, clouded with cynicism and bitterness. But if there's anyone to make him have a change of heart, it's Frisk; Ebbot City's own Little Miss Mother Teresa.

—

☣️ HONORABLE MENTION SMUT ONE SHOTS ☣️

| French Kisses | Smut | 🫧💓 |

Summary: Sans has landed a well-paying position as a senior accountant and Frisk has a few ideas on how to reward him — one of those ideas involves a French Maid dress.

| The Librarian's Assistant | Smut | 📚💓 |

This one was pretty steamy...

Summary: Frisk's days working as a librarian can get pretty quiet and repetitive... Until a new patron with an obvious infatuation with her starts becoming a regular visitor.

Eventually she can't help herself...

I hope you are satisfied with my thorough answer! If you do end up reading, I'd love to hear from you again on your thoughts! 🫶🏻🫶🏻

‼️ Also — join my discord for readily available updates and fun discussion! DM me for the invite since those invite links expire ‼️

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typical-simplelove · 2 years

Text

Don't Blame Me (J. Seresin)

Summary: Based on Taylor Swift's Don't Blame Me, it's the story of yours and Jake's relationship, over the course of three years.

Author's Note: Is my writer's block finally gone? Maybe? Hopefully, but then again, maybe it's just the effect that Hangman has on me. Here are way too many words where I basically confess my love for Hangman. I hope you enjoy this!

Warnings: explicit!female reader, alcohol, mentions of nudity, heartbreak, those infamous volleyball and football scenes

Word Count: 10k (including song lyrics)

Note: We’re assuming that Jake was at Top Gun after Penny bought the bar. This is roughly based on Penny and Maverick’s relationship, and I’m assuming that Coyote and Hangman went to Top Gun together. Italics are flashbacks.

*gif made by me*

Don't blame me, love made me crazy If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life

"Dude, your watch is flashing and ringing," Coyote points out. "From the looks of it, you need to slow your heart rate down."

Hangman wasn't listening. No, Jake's thoughts were far from the alert his smartwatch was giving. His mind was far from his friend's words. His thoughts were far from the game of pool they were playing. His mind was wandering away from the beer bottle in his hands. No, Jake was astutely aware of the woman walking out from the back kitchen of the bar. He hasn't seen her since he graduated from Top Gun, and even then, his heart rate acted the same.

"I'll be right back," Jake states and pushes away from the group.

It's been years since he saw her, saw you, but Jake knows that whatever feelings you both proposed not to act on were still there. Who could blame him? For months and months, you were all Jake thought about.

He thought you moved away, but it turns out, maybe you're back, too.

"Can I get another round, please?" he asks Penny. He's hoping to use this unneeded round of drinks to inquire about you.

"Do you want me to get the drinks or her?" Penny asks, flipping her head toward you knowingly.

"Whoever's available," Jake responds, a gentlemanly smile on his face. However Jake responded, he knows without a doubt that Penny would ring the bell on him, and he wasn't ready for that to be the moment you first noticed him.

"Did you not know she was back in town?"

Jake shakes his head. "We lost touch a few months after I graduated and she moved for work." And moved on from me, Jake thinks to himself.

Penny smirks. "There's no time like the present to catch up."

"Yeah," Jake murmurs, giving you another glance. He can still remember it like yesterday when he first met you. Well, more like, he can remember the first time he saw you and knew he loved you. He'd deny it, but both events happened at the same time. It was love at first sight for Jake, but then life got in the way. Was it possible the universe gave you two a second chance?

I've been breakin' hearts a long time And toyin' with them older guys Just playthings for me to use Something happened for the first time In the darkest little paradise Shaking, pacin', I just need you

It was his second day at Top Gun, and he finally made it out to the Hard Deck. It was infamous to be the place where Naval pilots hung out but were also highly respected. It also helped that each Top Gun pilot knew they could get lucky at said bar with one smile and wink.

That was most definitely the case for Lieutenant Jake Seresin. He knew how to work a room and wasn’t worried about finding an enjoyable date for the night.

Jake was in his element up until the point his favorite song came on on the jukebox. He saw the antique in the corner, but he wasn’t aware that anyone could use it. He made a mental note to play around with it the next time he came in. What caught Jake’s attention, though, was the woman who was walking away from the jukebox who most definitely played the song. Everything from her confidence to her smile to her hair to her eyes. Within seconds, Jake was gone.

“I’ll be right back,” Jake says to some of his fellow pilots before sashaying over to where you were walking towards the bar. He’s about to greet you when he watches you continue walking behind the bar. You work here; it appears.

“What can I get for you, tonight?” you ask, a gratuitous smile on your face. The smile falters a bit, though, when your eyes land on Jake. It wasn’t a reaction that Jake was used to. Normally, when Jake catches the attention of other women, he tends to arouse flustered looks, not the look you were giving. He didn’t even know how to describe it. Your customer service smile turned into a genuine smile as if you and Jake were old friends, but your eyes were wide. He couldn’t tell if you were flustered or confused by him walking up to you.

“I was going to ask for your name, but I didn’t want to give you the wrong pretext,” Jake answers, still confused. Jake was good at talking to women. It came as easy as flying, but talking to you and trying to figure you out was starting to feel like the Olympics. “I guess another beer, please.”

“You guess? Did you want something else?” you ask, a cocky tone in your voice. That reeled Jake in, quick. He was hooked in seconds.

“I would like to get to know you, but I’m not sure how comfortable you are with it.” Normally, Jake would just get right into his normal routine when talking to girls, but this time, it feels a bit different. He can’t just jump right into it. He didn’t want one night with you. He didn’t want two nights with you. He wanted every night that you’d be able to give him. He wanted every night with you for the rest of his life. He wanted every morning with you for the rest of his life. He wanted every afternoon with you for the rest of his life. And, he wanted every evening with you for the rest of his life. You were the one in a million that Jake’s mother always told him to be on the lookout for because the ones in a million don’t take nonsense, and sometimes, Jake gave that nonsense. You couldn’t mess that up with you.

“Why don’t you give me your best pitch, and we’ll see if you get my name?” you ask, a confident smile on your face. “Of course, I need to have the liberty to help the patrons in this bar, too.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to neglect any of your duties,” Jake responds, his Southern tone coming out.

“South Carolina?”

“Texas.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Lieutenant Jake Seresin.”

“Call sign?”

“Hangman.”

“Do you like to play the namesake game?”

“Do you like to play the game?”

“Yes, sometimes.”

“Then, yes, I like the game, too,” Jake replies, a cocky grin on his face.

You smile and playfully shake your head. “You’re good. Keep going.”

With that, Jake slowly gave his life story and how he happened to end up in this bar talking to you. When he finishes, he asks, “Was that good enough?”

“Maybe.”

“Was it good enough to get your name? If not, I can just call you pretty girl.”

You chuckle under your breath, and by the way you wipe a bead of sweat from your forehead, Jake knows he’s got you flustered. Jackpot! Slowly, you tell Jake your name and stare intently into his eyes. “Don’t make me regret this.”

Jake bites back a cocky “no girl regrets talking to me,” because that’s the nonsense his mother warned him to hold back on when it came to the ones in a million like you. “What’s your story?”

Slowly you give your life story and conclude with, “So, when I moved here for work, my aunt Penny, the lovely lady who bought this place a few months ago, asked if I could help her out, so I agreed. Besides, I could use the extra money and tips. Speaking of.” You tilt your head to the tips jar a few feet down with a smile on your face. “Let’s see if you pass this test.”

Jake chuckles to himself. “Oh, you’re good.” He places forty dollars in the tip jar and retakes his seat. “Pass?”

“You’re a smart man.”

“Well, you can thank my mother for the way I turned out.”

“Oh, a mama’s boy. Now, sometimes, those are good, and sometimes, those are bad. Which are you?”

“The one who knows when his mother gets appropriate credit and the one who knows when his mother should stay out of the conversation.”

“Where does that response fit in here?”

“My mother raised me to be a gentleman, so she can get credit for that if you believe I’m being a gentleman. If you don’t, then you can blame me for not retaining anything my mother said. But, my mother gets no credit for how attracted I am to you right now. Well, she gets the credit for telling me what to look out for when I see someone who’s one in a million.”

“And what did you look out for?” you ask, trying to hide how warm and flustered Jake is making you.

“To put it simply, you,” Jake responds, a grin on his face as bites the inside of his cheek. Endearing.

“You’re good at this, Lieutenant Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin; I’ll give you that,” you reply, a wide grin on your face. “I work Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Maybe I’ll see you around. Alas, I have to get back to work, but have a great rest of your evening.”

As Jake watches you walk away, there’s only one thing he knows for sure. You could either be his biggest heartbreak or his greatest happiness because, ultimately, Jake was already head over heels for you.

For you, I would cross the line I would waste my time I would lose my mind They say, "She's gone too far this time"

Following that first night when you and Jake first met, he always showed up on the nights you were working. It was a constant for the next few weeks. When you wouldn’t see him, you’d have to hide the disappointment on your face from Penny. She seemed to think that there’s something going on between you and Jake, but you’re just friends. It was a flirty relationship; that’s all.

“Jake is incapable of having any conversation with anyone without it being just a bit flirty,” you say, defending your friendship. It was two hours before opening, and you offered to come early to help Penny with the inventory.

“I don’t think he’s ever flirted with me,” Penny contradicts, knowing there’s more to the story, at least on Jake’s end. “And, I don’t think he’s flirted this much with anyone ever.”

“He hasn’t flirted with you out of respect for your daughter and because he doesn’t want you ringing the bell which forces him to buy the entire bar a round of drinks,” you defend.

“Speaking of the lover,” Penny mutters which has you rolling your eyes. “Hey! He just walked in.”

Quickly, you whip your head to the door, and you pretend your heart doesn’t flutter when you see Jake walk in.

“Hi,” he says, nervous. “I know I’m early, but I wanted to ask you something.”

“Oh, yeah?”

He nods. “We’re doing this volleyball tournament at the beach tomorrow, and I was wondering if you wanted to go? We can grab drinks or something after.”

You smile. “I’d like that a lot.”

And this now leads to Jake looking for you amongst the small crowd and hiding the sinking feeling in his chest when he doesn’t see you. You were coming, right? You’d be there, right?

Just as Jake is about to step out onto the sand court, he spots your familiar head of hair sitting among the crowd on the makeshift bleachers. He stares for a few moments before you sense his staring and turn to look at him. You send him your signature smile, and Jake’s knees wobble. Would that smile ever cease to make Jake’s entire body warm and pliant?

Quickly, though, Jake recovers and sends you a cocky grin before walking out onto the sandy court to start the game. He’s going to win. Not because Jake always wins but because you’re here. He needs to impress you and show you he’s the best. Sure, the need to impress you and prove he’s the best might be a bit primal, but whenever he’s around you, he can’t help but revert to those primal senses and insecurities. Jake can’t mess this up with you even if he’s not sure what it is. He keeps calling it a friendship, but was it truly a friendship when he knows he’d give you the world if you asked? Was it truly a friendship if Jake would drop everything if you called? Was it truly a friendship when Jake knows he’s in love with you even though he’s only known you for a few weeks? Whatever this relationship was, it was intoxicating, and Jake can’t get enough of you.

As the game begins and continues, Jake settles into the primal urge to show off. He’s serving and hitting harder than this friendly game ought to have. He’s digging and sliding to get the ball much more than he needs to. Sure, his reputation at Top Gun is also at stake if he loses, but it’s losing your attention that he’s worried about. He doesn’t want you to get bored because he’s losing. Once he thinks that, though, Jake immediately feels guilty because he shouldn’t think you’ll get bored of him if he’s not the best. He wants to be the best because he knows he’s the best, but he also wants to be the best to prove to you he’s worth it. He wants to prove that he’s worth the effort despite his former womanizer tendencies. Despite it being primal, he also wants to prove to you that he’s the best Top Gun pilot for you.

Jake unapologetically wants you, and he’ll do anything he can to show you that he’s worth the hassle.

Unsurprisingly, Hangman and Coyote win.

When they’re named victorious, the spectators and other pilots gather around the pair to congratulate them. Jake doesn’t want to be rude (and because he likes soaking in the glory), so he takes the hugs and handshakes, but he really, really, really wants to find you. He wants to see you and to ask you how entertained you were. He didn’t want you to have hated every second you were at the game, especially considering it was your day off from both working your day job and at the Hard Deck.

Despite looking very hard for you, he can’t find you. He’s scanning the crowd, and when it dissipates and you’re not there, his heart begins to beat wildly in fear that you found someone else who’s better than him (you were the only person that makes Jake realize that there are people better than him).

“She’s behind you,” Coyote says, nudging Jake and giving him a wink.

“Shut up,” Jake murmurs and turns to see you. “You made it!”

“You know I made it,” you tease. “You saw me before the tournament started.”

Jake’s face burns. “Did you like the game?”

“Yes, it was very,” you say but don’t finish. Jake can tell you’re searching for the right word to encapsulate what you’re trying to say.

“Very?” Jake asks, a shit-eating grin and a raised eyebrow adorning his face.

“Entertaining,” you breathe out, eyeing up Jake. He’s got you flustered.

Oh, right, he’s not wearing a shirt, and his shorts are fairly short, giving you a perfect look at Jake’s toned chest and muscular legs.

“Entertaining, huh?” Jake flirts. “Did you want me to turn in a circle slowly so that you can get a full picture of the entertainment?”

“That would be great, actually, thanks.”

Jake laughs and turns. He stops when his back is to you so that you get a look at his back. He can hear heavy breaths coming from you. Jake knows exactly what he’s doing, and if he’s lucky, so do you, and maybe he’ll finally have the guts to make a move.

Once Jake is facing you again, he says, “Besides this amazing entertainment, did you enjoy the game?”

“Most definitely,” you reply. “You’re pretty good.”

“I mean, with this body, it’s kind of hard not to be good at anything athletic,” Jake responds, his Texan voice coming in deep.

“I’d congratulate you with a hug, but I’m all sweaty.”

Jake shakes his head, hiding how much he’d love to hug you. “I’m probably more sweaty than you are.”

“Fair enough.” You noticed all his sweat. It most definitely didn’t accentuate all the muscles across his chest. In a quick motion, you wrap your arms around Jake and congratulate Jake on his win. Whispering in his ear, you say, “You played really well, and I’m proud of you.”

Jake can feel the vibrations of your voice deep in his stomach, and he has to stop himself from kissing you right there. His life depended on him kissing you right then and there, but it didn’t feel like the right moment.

“Did you want to grab a drink later?” he asks, not pulling away.

“Are you asking if I want to grab a drink at the place where I work?” you tease, also not moving to pull away despite the sweat on Jake’s body soaking through your shirt.

“I was going to say we can go somewhere else. I can pick you up in a few hours?”

“A few hours?” You pull back slightly and glance at his face.

“I’d like to head back to base to shower because, as you can tell, I’m all hot and sweaty.”

“I, um, live five minutes from here,” you begin, nervous. “You can come over and shower at my place, and I can make us dinner, or we can order something. I probably have beer in my fridge.”

“Are you okay with that?” Jake asks, not wanting to put you out.

“Yeah, I’m okay with that,” you answer, your hands running to his hair at the base of his neck. You tug on it slightly as you feel Jake’s hands tighten around your waist.

“Let me grab my stuff; I’ll be right back,” Jake all but growls. Primal instincts are strong in this one.

“Okay,” you whisper, wishing that Jake didn’t let go of you.

Once you and Jake are back at your small beachside house, you lead him to the bathroom.

“I only have one bathroom with a shower in it, so you’re going to see all of my products lining the bathroom,” you awkwardly explain. You mentally face plant. That was way too much information. Why did you give him all that information?

Jake can sense your nervousness, and it makes his heart beat faster. You’re just as nervous as he is right now, and it, somehow, made the whole situation more cozy and comfortable.

“You can go ahead and get in the shower, and I’ll grab you some towels. Feel free to use whatever products you want.”

“Thank you,” Jake tells you and watches you walk out of your bathroom and close the door behind you. He turns on the water and waits for it to get warm. Once it’s at the temperature he wants, Jake turns on the shower head and begins to undress. You must have thought that Jake was already in the shower because just as you open the door to place the towels on the bathroom counter, you see Jake step out of his boxers.

He’s naked.

His back is to you, but even his naked back is stupidly attractive.

As if sensing your presence, Jake turns his head. His face grows warm

“Sorry,” you apologize, before rushing out of the bathroom.

“Don’t be,” Jake yells through the bathroom before chuckling and hopping into the shower.

Jake Seresin was going to be the death of you if you couldn’t figure out how to handle yourself around him.

Don't blame me, love made me crazy If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life Don't blame me, love made me crazy If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right Oh, Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life

Being the great bartender you were, you could sense someone approaching you for a drink despite your back to them. “Just one second, please,” you say, sorting and replacing some new glasses.

“I can wait,” the person says. “I could wait forever if you needed me to.”

Your head whips up, and a sly smile overcomes your face. “Lieutenant Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin.”

Jake smiles as you say his name and turn around. He cockily says your name before throwing you a grin.

“What brings you back to the area?” you ask, pouring Jake a glass of beer, still knowing exactly what his order is.

“I could say the same to you.”

“Work,” is your response as you slide the drink to Jake. “It’s on me.”

“I’ll take it,” Jake says, grateful. Once he takes a sip, he continues. “So, when you say work, is it the Hard Deck, or is it your other job?”

“Other job,” you respond. “I got transferred back to the office in the area, and my dear Aunt Penny asked if I could take over my old shifts because she needed the help, so here we are. Did Top Gun call and invalidate your graduation, and are they making you redo the program?”

“You and I both know that I’m one hell of a pilot,” Jake says, cockily.

“That didn’t answer my question, Hangman.”

“We’ve reverted to my callsign, now? I’m hurt.”

“You keep deflecting, so I’m going to assume you’re here to redo the Top Gun program.”

“The opposite, actually. I’m such an amazing pilot that they’ve asked me to come to fly a super important mission.”

“A dangerous mission, I take?” you ask, nervousness and fear lacing your voice. Your worry is a slap across the face for Jake. Were you worried for Jake, or was it just the normal amount of worry you’d exude when you heard what Jake just told you? Did he want you to be worried? If you were worried, was it a sign of something else? Was it possible that you still loved Jake?

No, he wouldn’t let himself go there. It would undo all the work Jake’s done over the past few years to forget about you and his love for you. He couldn’t undo all that progress.

“Yeah, you worried?”

“Believe it or not, I actually care about you.”

“Do you now?” Jake asks, a small smile on his face. He couldn’t help it. He was elated to hear that you still cared about him.

“I’m offended that you think I didn’t care about you.”

“I’m going to circle back to this point at a later date because I’m not in the mood to ruin this great reunion.” Jake didn’t want to tell you that when you rejected him on his graduation night, it broke him into pieces. Looking back, he understood why you did it, but it didn’t feel like you cared at the time. It felt like someone took his heart, slaughtered it, and didn’t bother putting the broken pieces back in his body. For the longest time, Jake was numb. His life consisted of flying and sleeping. He couldn’t allow himself to have a single ounce of time to think or else he’d throw himself into a depressive episode.

Jake wasn’t ready to delve into all that pain right now, and from what he could tell, it looked like you went through something similar and weren’t ready to delve into it either.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Jake asks, not sure if he wants the answer.

“I’m looking at you right now,” you say, knowing exactly what response Jake wants.

He snorts. “Are you romantically seeing anyone right now? Like, dating?”

“I’m not an idiot, Jake; I know what you meant.”

Jake’s heart gallops when he hears you call him by his name. He’s dreamt of it for years, and to hear you say it again seems too good to be true.

“Say it again,” he whispers.

“What?” you ask, confused.

“My name. Say it again. Please.”

“Jake.”

Just like that, all the wounds were healed. Everything was right in the world. You called him by his name, and suddenly, everything in the world was right. Somehow, you were back in his life, and everything made sense. Even if he never got to have the life with you that he always imagined, it was okay because you said his name again. He got to hear his name fall from your lips.

You were still his one in a million.

And he still loved you. And that wouldn’t ever change. That love isn’t going anywhere.

“I’m not seeing anyone, by the way,” you tell him.

“Neither am I, by the way,” Jake replies, slightly victorious to hear that you’re single. Maybe there was still a chance?

“I have to get back to work, but did you want to come over for dinner sometime?” you ask.

“Are you at the same place as before?”

“Yes, I am.”

Jake smiles. “I’ll be there.”

There’s nowhere else he’d rather be than right there with you.

My name is whatever you decide And I'm just gonna call you mine I'm insane, but I'm your baby (Your baby) Echoes (Echoes) of your name inside my mind Halo hiding my obsession I once was poison ivy, but now I'm your daisy

“I brought you a lemon tart,” Jake says when you open the door to your beachside house. The same one you were living in before you moved all those years ago.

“Hello to you, too,” you say, stifling a laugh.

“Hi,” Jake replies, embarrassed. You lead him into your house and take the lemon tart from him as he takes off his shoes. He quickly looks around and sees that it’s exactly the way it was when he was here the first time around. He points it out to you.

“Yeah, I actually didn’t sell this place when I moved,” you explain. “I couldn’t get a buyer to buy with a good price, so I just opted to rent it out, thinking I’ll eventually sell or move back.”

“And you moved back.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Was that always the plan? To move back?” Jake asks as you lead him into the kitchen.

“It wasn’t always the explicit plan, but I’ve always thought about it, yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were back in the area?” Jake asks. “I’ve been in the area for a while. I’m at the same place I was after I graduated from Top Gun.”

“Did you want me to call you, Jake?” you ask. This wasn’t how you wanted tonight to go, but you guess Jake has a lot on his chest he wants to let out. It made sense considering how the conversation went the last time you and Jake spoke. Well, the time before the previous night. You basically broke his heart. If he did to you what you did to him, you wouldn’t have wanted Jake to call you if the roles were reversed. Well, that was a lie. If the roles were reversed, you would have realized that it was for the best. You would have wanted Jake to call you because, after all, you never stopped loving him. How could ever stop loving someone as amazing to you as Jake? He always was your only one.

“I always wanted you to call,” Jake murmurs. “You just stopped calling me one day, and you have no idea how much that broke my heart.”

After Jake’s admission, neither of you says anything. You look away from him, knowing that if you keep looking at his heartbroken face, you’d start to cry. Instead, you opt to just continue making dinner. Jake, too, it seems doesn’t want to talk to you at this moment, but he picks a counter-stool to sit on and rests there. You can feel his eyes on you as you dice the onions.

It’s distracting. You want to know what he’s thinking. You want to know if he hates you for what you did (this was an absurd thought because you know he could never hate you and vice versa). You wanted to know how dangerous his mission was because after reconnecting, you know you never want to lose contact with him. You wanted to know if he was going to be in this area permanently. You wanted to know that even if he wasn’t in the area permanently if he’d be open to you going with him. You never wanted to lose Jake again, but it seemed like all you ever do when it comes to possibly have a relationship with Jake was ruin it.

“Shit,” you mutter when you feel the knife slice into the skin of one of your fingers. Jake’s eyes instantly bolt up to look at you, and his eyes bore into you as you rush to the kitchen faucet to run the cold water. In seconds, he’s up and by your side.

“What happened?”

“I was distracted and cut myself. I’m fine,” you say.

“You don’t look fine,” Jake points out. “Where are your bandaids?”

“Medicine cabinet in the bathroom,” you direct, and Jake’s sprinting to the bathroom. You can hear him rifling through your medicine cabinet; you want to tell him not to mess up your neatly organized cabinet, but you know he’d yell at you for worrying about the organization when you were basically bleeding out (he was always one for dramatics when it came to you).

“I can’t find them,” Jake yells.

“I’ll come to help you,” you yell back and turn off the faucet. You think you can make it to the bathroom without any blood dripping, but you’re wrong. “Actually, I’ll just stay here.”

Within seconds, Jake’s back by your side. “Do you have a dishcloth or something?”

“They’re all in the dryer,” you mutter and internally curse yourself for wanting everything to be clean for Jake.

In response, Jake rips off his shirt and hands it to you, and you go dizzy. You sway for a few seconds before Jakes wraps his arm around your waist to steady you. “Careful.”

“Then, maybe you should put your shirt back on,” you mutter. Yeah, it wasn’t the loss of blood making you act like this. It was the half-naked Jake Seresin standing in your kitchen.

“Shut up,” he mutters, embarrassed. He takes your hand away from the faucet and turns off the water. He wraps your finger in his shirt before ushering you to the bathroom. “Now, you can help me find your bandaids.”

“You do know I have paper towels, right?” you tease. Jake chuckles, and just like that, everything goes back to normal. You know Jake isn’t mad at you for the decisions you made, and Jake knows you regret your actions.

“I wasn’t thinking,” Jake defends. “I just thought you needed to have something to wrap your finger in, and my shirt was the first thing I could think of you.”

“You’ll do absolutely anything to get shirtless; won’t you?”

“Actually, you’ll do anything to get me shirtless,” Jake teases. “Not that I mind.”

You roll your eyes. “Yes, because I planned to hurt myself. That makes so much sense.”

Jake playfully shoves you and opens the medicine cabinet.

“Jake.”

“What?”

“My bandaids are right there,” you say, deadpanned.

“Oh,” he says, softly. “Again, I wasn’t really thinking. I was worried about you.”

“Well, now you know how it feels,” you say as Jake takes a bandaid from the box.

“What do you mean?” Jake’s eyebrows are scrunched together as he opens the bandaid and begins to wrap your finger.

“Every time you’re in the air, I worry. Somehow, even if you don’t tell me when you’re going to fly, I know and get worried. Before, when you used to tell me about when and how you flew that day, I’d know that the sudden burst of anxiety and worry I felt at the exact same time was about you.”

“I’m sorry,” Jake murmurs, finishing up placing the bandaid on your finger.

“Don’t apologize. It’s your job. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry if what I said and did all those years ago hurt you. I didn’t mean to, and I just thought it was what was the best.”

“Don’t apologize,” Jake echos. “At first, I didn’t see why you did it, but eventually, I realized you did the right thing in terms of us despite how much it hurt and how hard it was to get over you.”

“Mhm, same,” you echo, knowing 100% that you never truly got over Jake.

“And, now we’re friends, so it all worked out.”

You nod and don’t meet Jake’s eye. Friends. You’d pretend you didn’t love Jake. It couldn’t be that hard considering you’ve been doing it for the past three years.

“Now,” you say, feigning cheerfulness in hopes of changing the subject. “Should I do a load of laundry so that I can wash your shirt, or do you want to walk around half-naked for the rest of the evening?”

“Half-naked,” Jake responds, his Texan drawl coming out, and you can’t help but burst into laughter.

You’d figure out how to be friends with Jake and co-exist with how much you loved him because you weren’t letting Jake walk out of your life again.

And baby, for you I would (I would) fall from grace Just to (Just to) touch your face If you (If you) walk away, I'd beg you on my knees to stay

“Congratulations on graduating, Lieutenant,” you say, a soft smile on your face. Turning around, Jake slowly breathes out your name. “You have no idea how proud I am of you.”

“Thank you,” he whispers, a shy smile on his face. “Hey, um, I want to talk to you later tonight about something.”

“Oh, yeah?”

He nods, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. He’s nervous. He’s never been nervous before.

“Okay,” you tell him before pushing him towards his family. “Now, go celebrate, graduate.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he responds, his Texas features coming out. You can’t help the giddy smile that overcomes your face when he says that two-worded response.

Later that night, the Top Gun graduates and their families and friends are piled into the Hard Deck, celebrating. You’re talking to someone’s fiance as they tell you about how very soon the pilots would be getting their assignments and would be dispersing across the country.

“Do you plan on moving with your Navy partner?” she asks.

“I’m sorry?”

“Will you be staying where you live or will you be with going with them? If you guys get married before they’re due to base, then you can live off base with them.”

“I think you miss understood. I’m not with anyone here. I’m celebrating my friend’s graduation.”

“Which pilot?” she asks, eyes crinkling with confusion.

“Jake. Hangman.”

“That’s what I thought! Are you sure you’re not dating?”

“I think I’d know if I were dating someone.”

“True, but think about the benefits—” she’s interrupted by someone wrapping their arms around your waist.

“Is this a bad time?” Jake asks. You can hear his cocky grin as his mouth is low on your ear as he talks.

“Not at all,” she responds, smiling and giving you a curt goodbye.

In one swift movement, Jake turns you in his embrace and pulls you flush against his body. Your hands go to his chest, instinctively. His hands rest on your waist, and you feel his fingers comfortably rest against the curves of your waist.

He leans his head down and whispers in your ear, “can we go outside and talk, now?”

“Yeah.”

Jake places his hand in yours before pulling you out towards the beach. When you’re both far from the loud atmosphere of the bar, you and Jake stop walking, but he makes no moves to take his hand out of yours.

“So, I got my assignment, and I’m going to be staying pretty close by,” Jake tells you. “About a few hours drive.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Jake responds, nervously. “Because of that, I was hoping, before I leave, I could take you on a date. Maybe we could test the waters? I’ve been crazy in lo—”

“I’m moving to Chicago,” you blurt out.

“What?”

“At work, I got transferred, and the opportunity is just too good to pass up; I leave in a month.”

“I leave around the same time, so maybe we could—” Jake persists, but you shake your head.

“No, Jake, we can’t.”

“But, I lo—”

Your eyes begin to water. “Please don’t finish that sentence. It doesn’t matter how strongly we feel for each other; it’s not going to work. We’re going to be on opposite ends of the country, and who knows if this position for you is permanent. I can’t do that to our friendship.”

“But, you can do this to our friendship? You can tear us apart and not let us try?”

“I’m sorry, Jake. It’s what’s best for the both of us.”

“No, you’re doing this because it’s easy. Don’t tell me you actually want to do this.”

“Good luck with this new assignment, and remember, I’m always proud of you. I’ll see you around, Jake,” you say, tearfully and walk away. In terms of logistics, it wouldn’t ever work. You couldn’t start something with Jake that you couldn’t ever finish. You wanted everything with Jake. You wanted the rest of your life with Jake, but in this situation, it just wouldn’t ever work.

It only sucked that you had to break both your and Jake’s hearts in order to come to this conclusion.

Don't blame me, love made me crazy If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life (Yeah, ooh) Don't blame me, love made me crazy If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right (Doin' it right) Oh, Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life

“You’re here pretty early, Lieutenant Seresin,” Penny says when she sees the pilot walk in.

“Yeah, um, is—?”

“She’s in the back,” Penny answers, knowing exactly the reason why Jake was here.

“Thanks, Penny,” Jake responds and walks to where Penny said you were.

“Why, hello there,” you tease when you watch Jake walk in.

“Penny said I could find you in here,” he responds, his usual smile overcoming his face.

“So you’ve found me. What can I do for you?”

“Maverick wants us to do a football game thing tomorrow, and it’s going to be on the beach outside the bar, and I was wondering if you were going to be there?”

“Do you want me there?”

“I’d love for you to be there,” Jake responds, a teasing smile on his face.

“Then I’ll be there,” you respond.

This is how you found yourself sitting at one of the picnic tables outside of the Hard Deck with your computer open. The game happened to be while you were at your day job, so you opted to work remotely instead of going into the office.

It was all silly, watching them play, but you understood the motive behind the game and why Maverick asked them to do it.

As hard as you tried to watch all of the pilots, it was hard when Jake wasn’t wearing a shirt and his pants hung very low on his waist. The sun and sweat glistening on his body weren’t helping. Eventually, you closed your laptop, put on your sunglasses, and walked down to where the pilots were playing and sat on the sand and watched. Penny, at some point, joined you, too, but she seemed to be watching all the pilots whereas your eyes were completely on Jake.

Just like volleyball game all those years ago, he excelled at this variation of football. It made me wonder what other athletic strengths Jake had.

Once the game was over and everyone was chatting and drinking water, you and Penny made your way up to the picnic table. You haven’t had the chance to speak to Jake yet, but knowing him, he’ll find his way up to where you were.

As if knowing you were thinking about him, Jake runs up to you. “Hey.”

“Hey, back,” you reply, a wide smile overcoming your face when you see Jake.

“Did you have fun?” he asks.

“Eh, it was okay,” you say, feigning boredom.

“Is that so?” Jake asks, a cocky smile covering his face as he thought about his next actions.

“For pilots, I guess you guys were okay,” you say, committing to the charade.

“Oh, you’re so full of shit,” Jake says and picks you up.

“Jake Seresin, put me down right now!”

“I don’t think so,” Jake says as he begins to saunter down to the water as if he weren’t carrying another human being.

“Jake,” you warn.

“Yes, sweetheart? Is there something I can do for you?”

“Yeah, put me down, babe.”

“Not happening,” Jake says and throws you into the water.

When you come up to the surface and catch your breath, you grab Jake’s arms and pull him into the water next to you. For the next few minutes, you and Jake are splashing around in the water. You can’t help the laughter and smiles that overcome your face. It was so easy being around and with Jake. It made you realize just how easy it could be to have him like this all the time. You could so easily tell Jake just how much you love him. It could just slip right out, and everything would just fall into place, you know it.

“Okay, okay, I surrender,” Jake says when his stomach hurts from all the laughter and his pants are fully soaked.

“I accept your surrender,” you say and take a step towards Jake. You’re about to push him into the water when Jake grabs both of your hands and holds them up in mid-air.

“Don’t you dare think about it,” Jake warns, a twinkling overcoming his green eyes.

“I wasn’t!” you lie.

“Mhm, I know you better than that.” Jake takes your hands that are still in his and rests your hands around his neck before he places his hands on your waist and pulls you against him. “I think I like this better.”

“Me too,” you whisper, suddenly losing all ability to speak. Jake just has that effect on you.

You’re staring deep into his eyes, and it seems like he’s wrestling with something. What could he be thinking so intently about? Did he want to kiss you as much as you wanted to kiss him? It would be so easy to just lean your head up and close the space and kiss him. It would be so easy to finally get your lips on his; all it took was just moving your mouth a few centimeters—that’s how close you were to him.

You move your hand to brush the hair on Jake’s forehead to the side, and on instinct, your head moves closer to him. He was so close to you right now. It’s the closest you’ve ever been to Jake. You’re breathing in sync, and your eyes haven’t left each other. He’s right there, and if you nudge your head just a small centimeter closer, you could kiss him.

You’re about to kiss Jake when someone interrupts you two, causing you and Jake to pull your heads back from each other and break the intense eye contact.

“Hey, love birds, we’re heading back to base,” Rooster yells.

“Fucking, Rooster,” you hear Jake mutter to himself before Jake yells, “We’ve got plans, but I’ll see you back at base later.” Jake turns his head back to you, praying that you both could get back to where you were just seconds ago.

“Did you just invite yourself to my house?”

“Your water pressure is better than the Navy’s,” Jake begins, a grin on his face. “Your towels are softer, and your soap smells so much better. Your house is so much nicer than the Navy barracks.”

“So you’re friends with me for my household amenities?”

“I guess the homeowner is pretty neat, too,” Jake says, sincere and full of love. “Even when she’s walking in on me while I’m naked.”

“That was one time!”

“If you want to see me naked so badly, you can just let me know, and we can find a time and place that work for the both of us,” Jake flirts, joking but also slightly serious.

“Oh, shut up, playboy,” you say and lead Jake towards your car.

Jake wouldn’t admit it, but he’d do anything to hold you and have you as close to him as he did just moments ago.

I get so high, oh Every time you're, every time you're lovin' me You're lovin' me Trip of my life, oh Every time you're, every time you're touchin' me You're touchin' me Every time you're, every time you're lovin' me

“Are we all up for the Hard Deck, tonight?” Phoenix asks the group of pilots.

A chorus of yeses and cheers erupt from the room, Hangman’s being one of them.

“I’m surprised you want to go, Hangman, considering your girlfriend isn’t going to be working tonight,” Fanboy teases.

“It’s Thursday,” Hangman says. “She always works Thursdays, and she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re fiance,” Phoenix corrects and elicits a round of laughter.

“She’s not working tonight,” Bob informs Hangman. “She told me it’s her job’s half-year, so she’s caught at the office trying to meet all her quotas and everything. She’s probably not working at the bar for the rest of the week.”

“Oh,” Jake says, pretending to sound indifferent. How come you told Bob your plans and not him? How come he didn’t know?

“Dude, you need to wife her up, like, now,” Rooster teases.

“We’re just friends,” Hangman growls. He never liked being the butt of the jokes, especially when it came to how much he loves you.

“Yeah, friends who’re in love with each other,” Phoenix adds on. “Dude, there’s literally no way in hell you two are ‘just friends.’ There’s definitely something else there between you two.”

“What?” Hangman asks, confused. As far as he was concerned, the love was one-sided, and you didn’t feel the same for him.

“Oh, yeah, she’s madly in love with you, too.”

“Mm, I don’t know.”

“Mm, we definitely know,” Rooster says. “Tell her you love her and then go to the chapel and get married. It’s obvious that’s what you want to do.”

Sure, that’s what Hangman wants to do, but he knows that you wouldn’t want a chapel wedding. You’d want something bigger and have all your family there. When Rooster mentions chapel and marriage, Hangman’s mind immediately goes to what it would be like to watch you walk down the aisle in a wedding dress. That right there sounds like what dreams are made of.

He always knew he wanted to be with you forever, but he never thought about marrying you. It was just you and Hangman would be together. It would be like two puzzle pieces fitting together and never separating, but now that the idea of marrying was there, Jake wanted it all. He wanted to “court you” and propose to you with the ring of your dreams, and he wanted to plan the wedding of your guys’ dreams, and he wanted to write vows about how much he loved you, and he wanted to have that first dance at the reception with you, and he wanted to do that thing where the couple smashes cake on each other, and he wanted to have the honeymoon with you. He wanted to buy a bigger beachside house with you and make memories in it together.

Jake wanted every single thing with you that it made his heart burst.

What would happen if he never got any of that with you?

Oh, Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life (Usin' for the rest of my life, oh-woah-oh-oh)

“Put the blanket down over here,” you tell Jake. “I’m going to go inside and convince Penny to let me steal some beers.”

“Don’t get her mad at me, though,” Jake asks, a smile on his face. “I don’t need Penny not letting me get any more drinks. We like the Hard Deck over at the Navy.”

“I wouldn’t worry.” You pat Jake’s shoulder, teasingly. “I’ll tell Penny to open a tab for you.”

“Oh, come on!”

“Relax, babe,” you tease. “Penny loves me, and you’re one of my greatest friends, so I’m sure you’ll always be in her good graces as long as you’re in my good graces.”

Jake’s going to dive into the “babe” pet name in a bit, but for now, he’s going to let his heart grow at your words. “Do you want to shake on it or something?”

You kiss his cheek, gently. “I’ll be back in a few, so put out the beach blanket.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jake answers, his signature Texas drawl coming out. You’d be lying if you said his Southern accent didn’t instill butterflies in your stomach. In fact, the truth is, those butterflies are just as strong as they were on day one.

Playfully, you shake your head and walk towards the bar. When Penny watches you walk away from Jake with a wide smile on your face, she knows she’s going to have to interrogate you about it.

“So, you and Jake are getting pretty serious,” she teases.

“What?” you ask, confusion raking your body. You were still trying to get over the effects of having your lips on Jake’s cheek. Whenever you were around Jake, the haze he’d put over you was incomprehensible. Who gave this man the right for you to lose your sanity with just one smirk or two words? Right, your heart gave Jake the right to make you giddy.

“You guys spend almost every single free second together,” Penny points out. “When you’re taking up shifts here, Jake takes up shop wherever you plan to work that night. If I give you the night off, then you’re either seated next to him, between his legs, or on his lap. He never takes his eyes off of you. Have you two rekindled what you had before you left for Chicago for work?”

Your smile fades. You’ve still felt guilty about not trying a relationship with him. If these past few months have taught you anything, then it’s that you and Jake could have been so happy together. You and Jake could have so easily built a beautiful life together. You could have loved Jake and told him you loved him all this time instead of imagining what it would be like.

“I don’t know,” you say, voice fading. “We’re just friends.”

“Sure.”

“All those years ago, I told Jake that we couldn’t be together.”

“But?” Penny asks, wanting to pull all the information out of you.

“I love him,” you admit, forlornly. It’s a few moments before you say anything. “I thought I stopped and that I got over him, but seeing him at the bar a few months ago made me realize just how much I missed his stupid smirk, his stupid voice, his stupid, loving eyes, his warm hugs, his stupidly handsome face—”

“You missed him.”

“And, I love him. I never stopped, and I don’t know what to do.”

“I think you should tell him.”

You snort. “How about this? You tell Maverick you love him, and I’ll tell Jake I love him.”

“So, four beers?” Penny sidetracks, a smile wide on her face.

“Take it out of my paycheck, please,” you respond when Penny gives you the beers.

Holding the beer, you walk back out to the beach where Jake is sitting on the blanket.

“Does she hate me?” he asks as you sit.

“With a pretty face like yours, no one could ever hate you,” you tease.

“So you think I’m pretty?” Jake smirks.

“Oh, shut up. You know you’re pretty.”

Jake bursts out into laughter. He lifts his arm up, so you sit in the crook of his body where his shoulder and arm meet. He holds you close to him as you let yourself soak in his warmth. You’d never get tired of this.

For the next few hours, you and Jake sit like that, drinking and eating and hanging out. At some point, though, you and Jake ended up laying down on the blanket. Your head was resting on his chest as Jake’s arm was wrapped around your mid-abdomen and making small patterns with his hand.

“Well, anyway, yeah, when I was bored during spring break in middle school, I stared out the window for hours looking for woodchucks,” you explained, and Jake burst into laughter. “I even kept a log.”

“You’re so cute; I can’t with you,” Jake says amidst more laughter.

“Don’t laugh. I shared this in confidence; you’re not supposed to be laughing.”

“Okay, I’ll stop,” Jake says, eyes still crinkling in laughter. He tries, but within seconds, he’s laughing again. “You’re adorable, just remember that.”

Eventually, after your mortification dies down and Jake stops laughing, silence overtakes you and Jake. Your eyes are growing heavy, and as you listen to Jake’s heartbeat, you know you could easily fall asleep in Jake’s arms. You feel so safe in his arms that you know that as long as you’re in his arms, you’ll have the best sleep of your life. It’s so comfortable in his arms that you let your eyes close.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Jake murmurs. “If anything, it only makes me love you more, if possible.”

Your eyes shoot open. “What?”

“You’re awake?” Jake asks, fear in his eyes. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

“Jake—”

Quickly, he stands up, brushes off the sand on his clothes, and says, “I’m going to go.”

“No, Jake, wait!”

He shakes his head. “I can’t take you breaking my heart again, so just spare me, please.”

With that, he walks away and back towards his car.

“I love you, too,” you murmur, tears prickling your eyes. Maybe you should have taken Penny’s advice and told Jake you loved him. That way, maybe your heart wouldn’t be breaking and shattering into pieces.

Don't blame me, love made me crazy If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right (Doin' it right, no) Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life, oh-oh Don't blame me, love made me crazy (Oh-oh-oh) If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right (You ain't doin' it right) Oh, Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life (I'll be usin', I'll be usin')

“Do you know if Jake’s coming tonight?” you ask Coyote when he comes up to you to grab a round of drinks.

“No,” Coyote replies, wishing he wasn’t the go-between between you and Jake.

“May I ask why not?”

“Because you’re working,” Coyote replies, bluntly. “Look, I don’t want to get in the middle of you two. I’m not sure what happened between you two, but if it’s anything like last time, then Jake’s absolutely devastated.”

“Yeah, and I’m not?” you say, incredulous. How dare he avoid the bar where you worked just because you were there? Then again, you’d probably have done the same thing if you were in his footsteps.

“I didn’t know you could break your own heart.”

“Okay, I’ll admit that the first time around, I ruined things, but this time, it’s on Jake.”

“What happened? Hangman won’t tell me anything.”

“He told me he loved me when he thought I was asleep,” you begin. “And when I was about to tell him I loved him, too, he walked away, thinking I was going to reject him.”

“I’m going to tell him that you’re not working tonight to try to get him to come out,” Coyote proposes. “Maybe you can finally admit it to him.”

“You’re the best, thank you! This round is on me, okay? Thank you!”

Coyote nods and takes the drinks back to his table before texting Jake. Within the half-hour, Jake’s at the Hard Deck and making his way towards his friends. When Coyote told you that Jake said he was going to come to the bar, you decided to hide away in the back so that he wouldn’t see you and leave immediately. Coyote gives you the go-ahead to come out and confront Jake. Nervously, you walk out from the back and over to where Jake and his friends were playing a game of pool.

“Can we talk?” you ask when you’re standing behind Jake. He freezes in place when he hears your voice.

“I thought you weren’t working tonight,” Jake spits out when he finally looks at you. The anger and pain directed at you make you falter. He deserves to be angry, but you’re only trying to fix what happened.

“Please, Jake,” you plead.

“I’m not in the mood for you to ruin my life again.”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake!” you mutter and grab Jake’s wrist and pull him towards the back door to the beach. You keep pulling him until you’re quite away from the bar. “What the actual fuck is your problem?”

“What’s my problem? I’m not in the mood for you to tell me you don’t love me again!”

“Again? When did I tell you I didn’t love you because as far as I can tell, I loved you from the moment I first met you!”

Jake takes a step back. “What?”

“I love you, you idiot, and I never stopped loving you,” you admit, your voice low.

“But what about three years ago? What was that?”

“You were right. I was taking the easy way out because I didn’t think the long distance was going to work, and I’m sorry for that. If these past few months taught me anything, then it’s that I’m a complete idiot, and we could have been so happy if I let you tell me how you felt all those years ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you love a few nights ago?”

“Because you basically ran away from me!”

“Fair enough,” Jake admits. He takes a step closer to you. “So, if I love you, and you love me, does this mean I finally get to kiss you?”

“Yeah,” you whisper and close the space between you and Jake. You wrap your arms around him and pull him towards you. Your lips crash onto each other’s as you both finally show the other how much you mean to each other. His hands roam the expanse of your body as you tug on his hair and move closer and closer to him.

Jake can’t get enough of you, and you can’t get enough of him. It’s going to take a comet falling from the sky to separate the two of you because, finally, after years of being absolutely in love with each other and many obstacles later, you and Jake finally figured it out.

Thankfully, though, you and Jake have forever to figure it all out because Lord knows neither of you is ever letting the other go.

I get so high, oh Every time you're, every time you're lovin' me You're lovin' me Oh, Lord, save me, my drug is my baby I'll be usin' for the rest of my life

#claudia writes #jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x y/n #jake seresin fanfiction #jake seresin imagine #jake hangman seresin #hangman #top gun: maverick #op: 2022

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collegetennisoriginstory · 8 months

Note

hi there! so it looks like the whole 'doubles announcement' meeting and practice were tweaked in this update but I can't quite tell if a change i'm experiencing is an intentional change or a bug/pathing issue?

context: my last pre-update save was for the scene where D is waking MC up the day of the doubles announcement, and in the last version of the game my MC was stung by rayyan's reaction, then more or less outplayed her in practice out of spite and told her that maybe she shouldn't worry about them being the one having to keep up. In this version, same choices/closest possible variants (I have a little google doc I use to keep track of update-ending choices for WIPs), no opportunities for any tennis-related stat changes/loss of conditioning, but I get the version of practice where MC can't keep up by the end.

i remember a similar version of the scene i got this time playing out for my Tobin-partnered MC, but his stats/focuses/playstyle were completely different from this MC - one's a straightforward, double backhand, defensive minded counter puncher, the others an offensive one handed aggressive baseliner - so i can't really use him as a measuring stick for what might have changed either.

ps sorry if this seems...nitpicky, if it's intentional i'll absolutely just keep going as is. but dashingdon has eaten/corrupted so many save files recently (corrupted 3 MCs worth of saves in infamous + straight up deleted all of my merry crisis saves 🫠) and i think getting through this update only to lose any progress to a bugged path would end with my phone out the nearest window. and considering i'm spending most of today on an international flight that would be bad for everyone 💀

Sorry for taking a while to get back to you! I thought I'd queued the reply but turns out I definitely hallucinated that heh.

First off, sorry so many of your saves got eaten 😔 that's really sad but hopefully I'll have time to get around to doing that checkpoint thing for ctos soon. Either way though, I think replaying always helps to avoid finicky variable saving issues that lead to wrong text being shown!

On your specific ask though--I went back to check the code (ooh and yes I tweaked it a bit, thought it read better this way, so you're definitely not crazy!)

I think basically its the difference between choosing Tobin as your partner and choosing Rayyan as your partner--when practicing with Rayyan you can choose to be fired up and playing at your utmost best and matching them out of sheer will, but with Tobin, you're not exactly in that mental state and hence I don't think the game gives you a chance to choose that option and instead just allows you to choose which stat you'd like to increase / focus on during that practice.

#ct:os #college tennis: origin story #if #interactive fiction #bugs #asks

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violetstormms · 4 months

Text

DCA x Reader Random Recommendations Post 1

Welcome to the random recommendation corner. Here fics are recommended that sounded interesting but I have not gotten the chance to check out yet. This means that besides the description I have no idea what they contain so pay extra attention to tags and read at your own discretion. Some may eventually make it onto the regular recommendation list as this is essentially my “to read” list. If you are curious about the symbols before the fics you can check out the pined post for an explanation. This will be the same message before every post so you can just skip to read more if you have read this once.

(Since this is post 1 it will probably be a lot longer than future recommendations as there are many fics to get to)

+Overshadowed by skitterplant

archiveofourown.org/works/52145545/chapters/131892796

Having learned of a streak of dissapearances plaguing the areas neighboring the Pizzaplex, Sun desperately tries to prevent more kids from going missing by any and all means necessary. Even if a highly suspicious "staff" woman, the one that's been stalking his children for weeks, must get lost instead.

Unluckily for him, Management seems uncharacteristically protective that person. Left with no other options, Sun uses the most powerful instrument at his disposal — a half-baked Moon AI. A tool that was supposed to get rid of his problem, and do it quickly. Was supposed to do it efficiently. Was supposed to do it cleanly.

What it wasn't supposed to do was wake up.

+If you'll be my star / I'll be your sky by Kamuucab

archiveofourown.org/works/36594289/chapters/91273864

You can hide underneath me and come out at night

When I turn jet black and you show off your light

I live to let you shine...

Burnout sucks, man.

While taking time off from getting your degree after a pretty disastrous exam season, an off-the-cuff request leads you into the walls of the huge and colourful Pizzaplex. After an encounter with an intriguing jester, circumstance leads to a newfound job and entangles you within the sticky web of the mysterious and infamous company that is Fazbear Entertainment Inc.

Also, you befriend two clowns. Eventually. Turns out when you mix advanced AI with childcare things get a little weird.

Fazbear Inc: I have made a daycare supervisor

You: you fucked up a perfectly good robot is what you did. Look at it. It's got anxiety.

+Two Choices by Maelstrome

archiveofourown.org/works/43132227/chapters/108398172

You chose this.

There was regret of course, but turning back wasn't an option anymore. You couldn't lose this new game you found yourself in, and somehow you managed to feel more and more alive the longer you played...

You have worked in sanitation since the pizzaplex opened, but that all changed when you had a bit of a mishap in the kitchen. With the only real option left being an assistant in the daycare, you decided it couldn't be worse that your previous position.

Between the surly daycare attendant, bosses breathing down your neck and the corporate overlords coming for a visit, your starting to think you make really shitty life choices.

-Abandoned Yet Alive by Be_NotAfraid

archiveofourown.org/works/51888442/chapters/131200477

This is SO CLOSE to being a self-indulging fic but yk. I'm holding out here.

You like exploring. A lot, actually. Seeing the plant life reclaiming buildings, cars, and all that stuff is just amazing. Of course, you do come across a few oddities along the way. But that's what everyone expects! What you don't expect, however, is not one, not two, but four animatronics. One of them even seems to work, still. Maybe you could get the others up and running? Just a maybe. You didn't delve into robotics for nothing, after all. This just isn't exactly where you expected to use it.

`Kill the Lights by hahskeleton

archiveofourown.org/works/52911100/chapters/133839028

When you moved to the big city of Evergrove after college, assuming you’d find a suitable career for yourself but end up working at a lowly 24-hour coffee shop, you don’t expect your life to take a wild turn when you come across a movie, short on actors.

At least you’ve made a few new friends despite not having any before, right?

Wrong. Something you never could have imagined is circling Afton Movie Studios, and one lonely day after a scene shooting could change the course of your future, and the studio’s unforeseeable demise.

`Pluck my Heartstrings by Nekomiko and Wandering_Leprechaun

archiveofourown.org/works/52834789/chapters/133640092

Fazbear Entertainment LLC decided to purchase and buy out a rival (but less successful franchise); Medieval Times. It has now been officially announced that the first Fazbear Medieval Times is due to open in early 2035, according to sources.

___________

You're a classically trained vocalist and FazCo offers you a job to perform as their new Regent character, under the condition that no one finds out that the Princess animatronic is really being puppeteered by you. But your Royal Jesters are really distracting with all their weird flirting. Moon only seems to flirt with you when you're out of costume, while Sun can't get enough of you while you're in costume. Working in Castle Faz is weird.

A love triangle of mistaken identity and bonding over a love of performance. And robots, of course.

Jester!Sun/Moon x Vocalist!Reader (SFW)

updates Fridays

+Tokens by VoidSupernovae

archiveofourown.org/works/43201384/chapters/108582367

Tokens were something that was very prevalent to you growing up.

They are the first thing your parents use to teach you about monetary value. They are the gifts that you receive unexpectedly from the people you love. They are offerings of affection for the people you care about.

Token are everywhere in different sizes and shapes.

And although adulthood has faded some of the significance around them, you can't help but recognize when they fill your life again.

*Latest and Greatest by TheHomophobe

archiveofourown.org/works/53474080/chapters/135348469

Years ago, humans were overthrown by an invasive alien species known as the Raptures. We headed underground and created a new home called the PLEX. During our new life, we created a set of equipped robots known as the Final Nation Android Fighters, which are built to protect the remaining citizens of the plex and fend off the raptures on the surface.

You are the newest commander and were given the offer of testing the newest version of the F.N.A.F, version 7, the Glamrocks.

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

AKA a FNAF SB au inspired by NIKKE: GODDESS OF VICTORY

`Love, Death and Rollerskates by Spadillelicious

archiveofourown.org/works/50709166/chapters/128098096

After moving to Crescent City in the 80s, you pick up a job at the local roller rink Party Planet. Ironic, considering roller skating is definitely not one of your talents.

On the bright side, you get to work with the friendly Sun. On the other hand, you also have to interact with the gruff janitor and security guard Moon on a daily basis.

But when staying after hours one day, despite being strictly instructed not to, you find out a terrible secret that changes everything you knew about Sun, Moon and Crescent City forever.

*A Love Most Monstrous by StarvingMe

archiveofourown.org/works/53370430/chapters/135076891

Alternative title: What Has A Varying Number of Limbs And Misses You Terribly?

You're sent to fill in for another scientist one day for a pair of recent additions. What's the worst that could happen?

*Earth-Movers by CapriccioFarce

archiveofourown.org/works/53599036/chapters/135677824

You were boring, and you liked it that way. Yet when three immortal dimension travelers stumble their way into your life, you find out that you too can travel dimensions. Now, excitement has entered your life, and you must adapt with the tide or else you'll get swept away.

`Rising Stars and Celestial Bodies by Laurzzz

archiveofourown.org/works/52294807/chapters/132288019

Your attention snaps back to the silence of the man that called you to his office so early in the morning. He sits there, giving you an indispensably formal expression.

He’s always so hard to read, and that irks you.

“What is this?”, you ask dryly, raising an unamused eyebrow at your stuffy boss. The bright sunlight shining in through the massive window to your right only fuels your irritation.

“Details for the tentatively temporary partnership with FazEnt.”, his voice drizzles slowly. “More specifically, in regards to the Celestial Twins.”

`Shooting for the Sun by SourTomato

archiveofourown.org/works/43264908/chapters/108748113

Owning a gun shop, you've met your fair share of A-holes. Your first animatronic customers come in and catch your attention. Why do they keep talking to you like you've met before?

`(love is) a seed that grows by starboundpix

archiveofourown.org/works/52658560/chapters/133197724

You just want a regular scarecrow, not whatever this shiny metal scarecrow-esque thing is. Too bad your aunt didn't get the memo.

(a mini series depicting the life of a farmer who is sent a top of the line farm helper animatronic.)

`Aquatic Animatronics by AmethystApple

archiveofourown.org/works/53493703/chapters/135399952

You got a job at Fazbears very first Waterpark!! Yippie! It’s just a water job with robots how bad can it be

*Shooting Stars by AmethystApple

archiveofourown.org/works/53493439/chapters/135399349

Reborn into a new world, Sun and Moon now have to adapt to the new rules and systems in the environment, that they’re no longer inhabited humans. It’s strange for these sheltered animatronics to be pushed into the real world, completely different from what they had known previously as a daycare attendant. Especially when they now have their separate bodies. They aim to simply survive and stick together, but a new interest causes their world to turn.

Being born into the organization's biggest lab for humans, you are raised to become a performer for the enjoyment of others. Singing songs, playing music, dancing, it was never forced on you, the staff just realized how much potential you had. And you readily accepted your role, optimistic. When two animatronics enter your life, it gets all too exciting, even when they attempt to shake you off you all manage to meet again and again.

`Dealer's Choice by Certified_Handler

archiveofourown.org/works/41631765/chapters/104426508

1960s; William Afton runs the most state of the art casino on the Las Vegas strip employing a predominantly animatronic staff that draws in a lot of... interesting clientele. And YOU, you lovely thing, have just gotten a job as the bartender in the VIP lounge where the most unsavory characters you come across happen to be Mr. Afton's most distinguished guests. Thankfully you seem to have stumbled your way into the good graces of the blackjack dealer and the head of security.

These will be a series of tiny, bite-sized ficlets taking place in this Alternate Universe

-Ashes Make Good Fertilizer by BuzzyBee3

archiveofourown.org/works/53445730/chapters/135275146

It's been your dream to own a greenhouse since you can remember. Currently living in a small town known as Doland Springs in Arizona, you are currently on your way to making this dream a reality. You just don't realize that your life is about to change because of a certain daycare attendant, who is about to make a surprise appearance in your life after the horrific fire at the Mega Pizza Plex.

~The Future Stares Back by vivisols

archiveofourown.org/works/52742515/chapters/133400584

After a meteor strikes the Earth and a large chunk of the population gets wiped out, the remaining humans undergo rapid evolution in order to survive rising sea levels and much harsher temperatures. Decades later, the daycare attendant wakes up from an emergency shutdown. Desperate to navigate the new world and find a sense of purpose after everything they've ever known was ripped away from them, Sun and Moon eventually stumble upon one of these evolved humans.

You. A mer on land and very far from home.

With no way of understanding each other, the three of you now have to work together to survive.

*From the City that Hates You by Times30

archiveofourown.org/works/48696412/chapters/122837956

It's truly amazing that you got this far. Lies, broken promises, corruption, greed, scorned advances and three bots forced into a city that hated them from the moment they existed. What happens when their dark dealing reach your ears and your own hidden past comes to light?

Hitmen Sun & Moon & 80T x Cyberpunk Future Y/N (SFW)

-Twisted Metal by KingAggressive

archiveofourown.org/works/52732204/chapters/133375747

You're an automotive mechanic repositioned to work on a sentient animatronic after the well-known Fazbear Co. first got hands on the ruined animatronics of their former enterprise. Do you have any idea how any of this works? Nope. Are you willing to try because a specific two-faced robot made you feel sympathy for a piece of metal? Yes.

It may only be a paycheck to you, but its a lifetime to them.

`Tools, Oil, Blood, Sweat by DepthoftheVoidnest

archiveofourown.org/works/53786599/chapters/136142272

As a little mechanic in a world of smog and smoke, things can be hard. Corruption ran thick, gangs and mafia ruled the city, and kindness ran thin. Luckily your little shop was there for those in need, no matter the problem you wasn't afraid of a little pain to get something fixed. Hands in hot oil? No problem. Deep bites from a fearful animatronic? No problem. This little back alley shop was a breath of fresh air for many tin-cans who was in need for a little oil, and eventually problems come stumbling in you just cant get rid of. That is, if you even wanted to?

Ill add more tags later down the line <3

~Ocean Symphony Fiasco by Melanierana

archiveofourown.org/works/47178157/chapters/118868140

You're a surfer but due to some unlucky circumstances you have to sit out for a couple of days. So you go to a zoo where you meet an interesting creature.

TW: reader get insulted by teenagers, swearing and mention of blood

starting out good.

#moon x reader #sun x reader #dca x reader #fnaf daycare attendant #violetstormm fic list updates #daycare attendant x reader #Violetstormm random recommendation corner

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