#oh no evil?? IMMUNE SYSTEM GET THIS FOOL

[lazyveran]

the absolute funniest thing about the fire nation royals is that they canonically fall into a coma when they do one (1) nice thing

[bettysupremacy]

Omg imagine james doing something stupid (not much imagination needed there) and r is telling him of (lovingly) and he’s just like “yes ma’am🫡” and the others are like side eyeing him I just NEED james to call me ma’am in an argument

i hope you are having a great december so far my love

(not much imagination needed there) LOL

i could kiss you this idea is so cute thank you lovely

“Oh, my boy.” You croon to the mess tumbling into your lap. Softly, you brush some hair from his fluttering eyes. “What‘ve the evil twins done to you.”

“Evil twins!” Sirius gasps.

Remus laughs. “That’s a new one.”

You don’t look up from the sickly boy careening for your touch. “What did they feed you?”

He moans into you, muttering something you can’t pick up. He’s gone all right, ten shades of flushed and warm to the touch. It’s already a warm night, but this is no warmth that came naturally.

“We didn’t do anything.” Remus denies impishly.

“Puking pastilles again?” You eye them. “Do you know how long we sat by the toilet?”

“That was not our fault.”

“And neither were the nosebleed nougats?” You sigh. “Seriously thought his brain was coming out his nose.”

Sirius nods in agreement nose scrunching. “Not his finest moment.”

“Because of you.”

“Don’t start with me, woman.” His finger points between your eyes.

James is malleable under you, nose pressing into your thigh coyly. You see the corner of a smile as you fuss, guilty pleasure at your roaming touch. The room is hot, warm bodies passing and going as they please through the small flat. You fear he may run a fever, though that’s uncommon. James immune system is a rock, solid at anything thrown to it.

You press your hand to his forehead. “Has he had to much?”

The boys eye each other suspiciously. “Too much?”

You scoff. “To drink?”

“Depends.” Sirius shrugs

“On what!”

Their dubious behavior alarms you. These boys are up to something, or rather, were up to something, and now they’re avoiding dealing with the consequence of you.

“The substance.”

“Substance?” You sit up straight, shuffling the boy under you. He grumbles in protest.

“Potion.” Remus gives.

You frown apprehensively. “You didn’t.”

“We didn’t,” Sirius starts.

“he did.” Remus finishes.

Felix Felicis. They’d been talking about it a couple weeks ago, getting their hands on some. You protested, begged them, to forget it. It’s too dangerous, your voice of reason lowered their spirits, James you’ll be sleeping on the couch if you risk yourself like that.

“No,” You whine, fretting over the intoxicated fool. “how much?”

“Ask loverboy.”

“The whole,” James takes a deep breath mid sentence. “bottle.”

“Oh my god,” your eyes wide at the older boys standing. “he’ll be puking all night.”

“Maybe not..”

Your face drops into your hands exhausted. “Puking Pastilles all over again.”

“M’sorry.” James moans under you. “M’so sorry, lovely.”

“That was so stupid.” You scold lightly, hand coming down to flatten over his collar bones. “So, so, so, stupid!”

You're ruffled, shaken at the thought of him downing such an expensive, easily tainted, potion.

“Do you listen to everything they tell you to do?”

“No,” he starts slowly.

“Seems like it.” You bristle, pulling him up to sit. You look into his eyes seriously and he shuffles, nervous under your gaze. “Get a mind of your own.”

His fingers twitch at the hem of the dress you’d picked out tonight, squeezing it in his grip, grounding himself in reality. “Yes ma’am.”

Sirius scoffs behind you, shaking his head at Remus who looks equally perturbed at James’ extra affection. Under them, you wrap your arms around his neck surely. Besides the soft sent of sickly sweet potion, he smells of pine and cologne. You let yourself recognize his body is continuing to function as it should. Untouched, mostly, by the yellow inebriant.

“I can’t stand you, do you feel well?”

“I’m feeling better.”

You stick your face in his shoulder. “Be serious.”

“No, I don’t feel well.”

You sigh into him, pressing a kiss into his freckled skin. He won’t sleep on the couch tonight, though you aught to teach him a lesson.

“We’re going home.”

“What?” James frowns. “We only just got here.”

“D’you have another pool to jump in?”

He cringes at the memory of his fireball spree. “Kay, coming.”

You collect your coat and purse as you stand, leaving James to fend for himself behind you. “Felix Felicis isn’t a joke, one wrong tincture of thyme and you’re in St Mungo’s- James, were are your shoes?”

[malevolent-fairy]

Of all times, of all the times!

"ACHOO!"

Maleficent's sniffles, turned to a cough, turn to a body-encompassing illness, now has her bedridden. HER! When she's supposed to be evoking the wrath of Hell on her enemies and pestering others with minor inconveniences and snarky remarks! This has thrown off her entire schedule! How was she going to brood evilly on her balcony when a hard enough sneeze would send her toppling over the edge?! You would think a magical creature such as herself wouldn't be able to even have a compromise in her immune system... But this was a special case of a magical illness.

The Fairy Flu, also called Fae Flu, is caused by a build up of magic within a user. The more powerful the magic, the more severe the symptoms are when it finally rears its ugly head. It's only contagious to those of similar magical capabilities, so her dimwitted minions were safe. But their incompetence at treating her was only making her worse. They had tried to make her chicken soup... Which resulted in an actual chicken splashed with water running amuck and making a mess of things. Finding good help for her evil is so hard nowadays... And her faithful pet was NOWHERE to be seen! Where had he gone?! She needed him now more than ever! Yes, she is very overdramatic when she's sick. But to be abandoned! Oh, woe is her! Tragedy! A horrible fate to befall such a faithful servant to the dark arts...

But her pet raven had been doing her a favor. One she did nor ask for, nor wanted... But needed. He had fetched someone to help in her dire time of need. Not that this sickness was fatal... But she was a handful and a half to try and deal with when everyone around her was incompetent. Having someone, anyone around was better than none. Even with her preferred solitude, someone who actually knew how to properly prepare her a meal and listen to her complain... It didn't sound like the worst thing in the world.

So, her raven flew into the room and landed on his perch at her bedside. Where her yellow eyes shot daggers at him from the confines of her blankets she had wrapped herself in while she was chilled. "So. You haven't abandoned me after all. Where have you been, you feathered fool-"

A knock at her door? She groaned and covered her head. "Make yourself useful and get rid of whoever that is, pet." But he would not do such a thing. In fact, he flew over and unlocked the door, turning the knob to slowly let it open and reveal...

[the-mirror-witch]

scenarios of sick heartslabyul boys being taken care by their fem!s/o, please?

(Feeling under the weather? Never fear, for the nurse is here!)

Riddle Rosehearts:

How undignified. Riddle had been so busy with club activities, staying ahead of his studies, and maintaining law and order in Heartslabyul that he had managed to overwork his body to the point of exhaustion. And what was a weak body susceptible to? Sickness, that’s what. As he rested in the infirmary, his body shaking with chills, he cursed his oversight. He could practically hear his mother’s voice berating him for his negligence. 

A soft knock resounded through the room before the door opened and your head poked inside. Your eyes caught sight of him, a bright smile gracing your lips. As you approached him with a cup in your hands, he attempted to sit up so he could greet you properly.

“Please don’t get up,” You chided him gently, your voice laced with concern. “You need your rest.”

He’d argue with you about proper etiquette, but he was frankly too exhausted. 

You sat down on the edge of the bed. You handed him the cup in your hands, “Here. This’ll make you feel better.”

He examined the cups contents with a scrutinizing eye, “What is it?”

“It’s tea. My mom used to make it for me whenever I got sick. It’s got honey in it.”

He frowned, “I see you don’t remember rule number 631 of the Queen: The only beverage permissible for illness is-”

“Yeah, well, rule number 900 says that sick boyfriends have to let their girlfriend take care of them without a fuss,” You cut him off, pouting with your hands on your hips.

“...You just made that up.”

“Did not. Besides, my number is bigger than your number, so I win!”

“That’s not how it works!” 

Raising his voice even slightly caused him to spiral into a coughing fit. He hunched over, and you reached out to rub his back soothingly and to keep his hands steady so that he didn’t spill the drink.

Once he recovered, you gazed at him with pleading eyes, “Please? For me?”

He felt his resistance waver under your earnest gaze. He sighed, “Very well, then.”

You smiled brightly as he drank your home remedy. It was delightfully sweet. 

Trey Clover:

Trey chuckled as you continued to administer your “fool-proof cold remedy”. Ever since he had fallen ill, you hadn’t left his side for a moment. You brought him more tissues when he ran out, changed the wet cloth on his forehead, even spoon-fed him when his arms felt like jello. Though, he had to admit, this current treatment was his favorite, as you peppered his cheeks dainty little kisses. 

“Kisses are magical,” You had insisted. “They make all pain go away.”

Well, he wasn't about to argue with you about your logic. 

“Are you sure you should be doing that?” He still asked anyways, concerned. “I don’t want you to catch my fever.”

“I won’t,” You assured him, muttering softly against his skin, causing him to shiver. “I have a strong immune system.”

“But-”

“Shush,” You said, more forcefully this time. You lifted your head to look directly into his golden eyes. “You don’t have to worry about me. Just let me take care of you.”

Can’t argue with that. Not that he wanted to. He allowed you to continue without further fuss.

Later, when you did get sick, he chuckled at your feverish form. You glared at him from under the too-thick-yet-not-thick-enough blankets.

“If you say “I told you so”, I will kill you.”

He smirked, “I wouldn’t dream of it. Besides...”

He leaned down, brushing his lips against your flushed forehead, “Now, I get to take care of you.”

Cater Diamond:

Cater was on his phone, updating his status on his MagiCam account. 

#gottheflu #babetakingcareofme #blessed

He continued to scroll through his posts until you came back. You said something about “getting into the spirit of healthcare”, whatever that meant. 

The door to the the infirmary creaked open, “Cater, I’m back.”

Ah, your voice was like music to his ears. His chuckle sounded more like a cough as he looked up from his phone, “About time. I’ve been wasting away here without my-”

His tongue turned to lead in his mouth at the sight of you. Oh, you had gotten into the spirit of healthcare alright. You were dressed in a cute little nurse outfit, beaming at Cater like the sun had broken through the clouds.

Oh, definitely #blessed. 

He couldn’t help it. He whistled at the sight of you. 

You blushed, “Now, don’t get any funny ideas. I’m only doing this to get into my role as caretaker. No funny business until you’re better.”

Boo.

He couldn’t help but watch your every moment as you dutifully attended to his needs. He didn’t even try to hide it. You caught him staring numerous times.

After a while, you eventually said, “Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer.”

He’s never reached for his phone faster in his life.

“I was joking!”

Ace Trappola:

“I’m not drinking it.”

“Ace-”

“I said I’m not doing it.”

You huffed, fed up with your boyfriend’s antics. For the better part of an hour now, you had been arguing with your stubborn as hell boyfriend, trying to convince him to just take his damn medicine. You’d have better luck convincing the sun not to rise in the morning.

“Ace, if you don’t take it, then you won’t get better,” You reasoned, patience waning. 

“Fine by me. I’m not taking that nasty shit.”

“What if you get worse, Ace? Huh? Isn’t taking the medicine better than that?” 

“Nope. Have fun at my funeral.” 

Alright, you had officially been pushed past your limit. Damn that Ace. If he wasn’t going to take the medicine willingly, then you were just going to have to make him. 

You poured the medicine into the little plastic cup. Ace watched you with a smirk, knowing it was a futile effort. He wasn’t going to back down. What he didn’t expect, however, was for you to drink it yourself.

“Wha-”

You shuddered as the rancid taste of the medicine registered on your tongue. Okay, yeah, it was pretty awful. But it was a necessary evil. Suddenly, you grabbed Ace’s reddened cheeks. He made a startled noise as you leaned forward and crushed your lips against his. Taking advantage of his blatant shock, you managed to coax his lips apart, forcing the medicine into his mouth.

His eyes widened and he tried to pull away, but you held on tight. He was forced to gulp down the dreaded substance. Satisfied, you released him and pulled away. 

He gagged, “Gross! You’re awful.”

You smirked, “Got you to drink it, didn’t I?”

“I hate you.”

“You love me.”

Deuce Spade:

He felt absolutely awful. His muscles ached, and his body was torn between chills and heat flashes. His nose was stuffed and his throat was scratchy. Honestly, he’s come out of fights feeling better than he did now. 

Deuce faded in and out of consciousness, too tired to register what was happening around him. It wasn’t until sometime during the night that he was able to regain some of his bearings.

He blearily opened his eyes to a dark room. Sweet Queen, his head hurt. In fact, everything hurt. Why had he bothered waking up if he was going to feel this bad? Then, he realized that he wasn’t alone as a lovely melody finally reached his ears. 

It was a lullaby, being softly sung to him by a familiar voice. The sound of your voice surrounded him like a warm blanket, reminding of all the times his mother cared for him while he had been sick as a child. 

“Y/N...” He croaked your name.

You paused your song. “Shush. Don’t speak, just rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Oh. 

He did as he was told, closing his eyes again as you resumed your singing. You placed your hand in his hand. He squeezed it weakly, and you squeezed back. He drifted back to sleep, comforted by the knowledge that you wouldn’t leave him. 

Your song followed him into his dreams, where you greeted him with your beautiful smile and open arms. 

[thebibliomancer]

Archaia’s Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance #10

The Journey into the Mondo Levidian Part 2

The true untold tale of All-Maudra Mayrin’s inaugural adventure!

Well, untold in the show. Comic is telling plenty.

In part one, Mayrin becomes All-Maudra and has plenty of unresolved mother issues and insecurity about it. Her first crisis is the growing Sifan separatist movement which threatens to shatter Gelfling solidarity and make her more of a Most-Maudra. She charters a ride with Captain Kam’Lu to go speak to the separatist leader Fenth but the ship goes and sinks.

So far we’ve had a journey so far but not into or Mondo Levidian. We probably should get around to that soon. There’s only three issues left.

So let’s get started!

When the ship sank, Mayrin jumped overboard to save Kam’Lu. Now they’re stranded in the middle of the ocean on a raft.

Mayrin is insistent that they try to find and save the crew of the Scalene Anchor and also Dot. Kam’Lu is equally insistent that No That’s A Terrible Idea. They have no food, no water, and no hope of survival unless they’re lucky enough to find land. They’re in no position to rescue anyone else. Plus...

There are political considerations.

Kam’Lu: “If the other clans believe the Sifans killed the All-Maudra, we’ll never be trusted again.”

He also mentions that Fenth predicted that THIS EXACT SITUATION might happen if the All-Maudra intervened in the Sifan separatist movement.

Huh.

Speaking of Fenth, the plot cuts over to him for a bit.

He learns of the sinking the Scalene Anchor and the presumed death of the New-All-Maudra and thinks hey, its free real estate.

High Councilor Fenth: “That means... There’s no one in line for the All-Maudra’s throne! The seat is vacant!”

skekSa: “How... fortunate! Haha! Ha! Haha! You wanted autonomy for the Sifans! Freedom from the greedy hands of the Vapra clan, yes? That is why honored me with this grand tithing -- to enlist my immortal aid? I am the only one who is sympathetic to your cause. That is why the Skeksis are here. To help Gelfling lead...!”

Call it a shot in the dark but I feel like skekSa was involved in the suspicious sea monster sinking of the Scalene Anchor.

Of course, she’ll probably get away with it. It’d spoil the surprise too early if a Skeksis was caught doing an evil scheme.

Also, look at the ambition on Fenth. Grows up in a matriarchy where clan leaders are always women, where the word for clan leader means ‘clan mother’ and thinks to himself ‘psssh i can do that.’ Good on him. Dream big, guy.

Back over with our mismatched comedy duo, as all Dark Crystal stories must have, Mayrin and Kam’Lu have some mismatched comedy duo banter.

Like her criticizing him for not being able to find land despite being a captain of a ship. And then immediately spotting land while he’s indignantly defending his credentials.

Or her maligning his swimming abilities since he fell off a boat and got knocked unconscious and had to be saved from drowning by her.

So he decides to turn this into a swimming contest, winner gets to be All-Maudra.

Good fun.

Just how I like my Gelfling buddy comedies.

Of course, its all fun and games until the island turns out to be a sea monster that eats them.

And it turns out that the island is a sea monster that eats them.

A mondo levidian, if I had to guess.

Giant turtles passing as landscape. Giant monsters being mistaken for islands. This comic series is too good to me.

So the two slide down the mondo levidian’s throat (gross) MANAGING TO BICKER ON THE WAY DOWN!

Kam’Lu: “Don’t you have wings?!”

Mayrin: “They don’t work well when they’re wet!”

Amazing.

They slide and slorp and flump all the way down to presumably the stomach.

But as they stop to rest, they realize they’re not alone.

Sulub: “Yer some kinda fishie-fish I ain’t ever seen! Betchur tasty! Anyway! No wrigglin’ while I kill ya good!”

OH MY GOD

This comic series is too good to me.

Look at this delightful podling crabtaur.

Once Kam’Lu proves immune to Sulub’s “advanced technology” (ie Sulub stabs Kam’Lu in the foot with a spear), the podcrab agrees to take the two Gelfling to see his village elder.

Sulub actually assumes that Mayrin and Kam’Lu are married and here on honeymoon at the thriving fish digestive system tourism industry I guess. Mayrin claims that Kam’Lu is just a fool and her servant (and Kam’Lu doesn’t speak Podling very well so has no idea about this) and introduces herself as the All-Maudra.

Sulub: “ALL-MAUDRA! The legendary All-Maudra! Well, why didn’t ya say so! Sulub is gilltickled and downright honored to lead ‘the all-powerful and all-knowing’ All-Maudra to our home. You’ll be enjoyin’ to know we’ve kept care of your most regal gifts! Still in pristine condition for havin’ come in a while ago!”

The gut city of Bajula has a statue of the previous All-Maudra, one apparently commissioned when Mayrin was baby.

Huh.

Well. Its helpful to Mayrin that they know about the All-Maudra and are excited to have her here. And that they’re assuming that she sent the statue ahead of herself, like luggage.

Sulub tours Mayrin and Kam’Lu around Bajula. Showing them the goo farms, the visitor center, the fermented... milk wine bar.

The king shows up and is disappointed that the Gelfling want to leave so soon into their visit and asks if Sulub even bothered to show them the goo farms!

But since Mayrin insists that they have important outside stuff to do outside, the king decides to rush through some exposition.

These podling crabs? They’re called Boblings.

Bobling King: “Thousands of trine ago, my tribe set out to explore the Silver Sea as proud, stalwart Podlings! Our regal forefathers were not known to swim, but their bravery was unmatched, and they set out to conquer everything they discovered! All those who would get in their way would be destroyed by the might of the Podlings! Yet there are creatures in this world that are mightier, and the Mondo Leviadin emerged from the Silver Sea and devoured their ships. Thousands of digestive cycles passed as we changed to better suit our new home. Our new world.”

An unstoppable army of Podlings sounds funny until you remember how awesome Hup is. The Mono Levidian may have spared the peoples of Thra a tragic fate.

Also, I’m a big impressed at the lack of linguistic drift. Thousands of trine and Bobling language is indistinguishable from Podling and Gelfling is still recognizable.

Kam’Lu gets fed up with the Bobling King and starts yelling that he’s cold, he’s hungry, he doesn’t want to be in a fish’s guts! Mayrin manages to convince the king by speaking of duty.

Bobling King: “You speak of duty. I know it well. As a leader of my kind, I would do anything for their survival. So yes, I will help you and your servant. Why you married him, I will never know.”

Kam’Lu: “Her what? We’re what?!”

Hah, that misunderstanding is paying dividends.

The king explains that the levidian only surfaces to feed once per trine and that it stays near the surface for a time after feeding.

So if Mayrin and Kam’Lu don’t get to the porticol (blowhole) within eight or so intestinal groans (.... hours??), they’ll be stuck until next trine.

WHICH IS GOING TO BE REAL BAD FOR MAYRIN’S CAREER.

Even though the Boblings are but a simple goo-farming people, the king sends his daughter Gunda, the most skilled hunter in Bajula, to escort them.

Gunda: “But father, the journey as never been done by a single Bobling. You send me into certain danger!”

King: “And do you not crave danger?! My daughter, you are the only one capable and brave enough to undertake such a quest! Please! A duty for your king!”

Gunda: “So be it. I will guide you to the porticol, but know that it is dangerous and uncharted. There are many creatures that call this place home. We must be vigilant. Stalwart. Like my podling ancestors!”

This is a fun little bit because it implies a life and experiences and that these Boblings haven’t just been sitting waiting for protagonists to show up. I mean, they also have been doing that. They have a visitor center set up. But they’ve been living their own dramas.

And off they go! Mayrin, Kam’Lu, and Gunda! On a grand journey to a giant sea monster’s blowhole!

Wait, is this thing a mammal?

So that’s issue 2.

We’re finally in the Mondo Levidian. And now all the protagonists want is to get out. So we’ve got the title, we’ve got an objective, we’ve got some fun side cast, we’ve got a ticking clock before Mayrin and Kam’Lu have to look at the sea monster gut apartment listings, and we’ve got some outside stakes!

Mayrin continues to impress. There’s even a moment right when Kam’Lu rouses after the shipwreck where he seems in awe of her confidence in a crisis.

Kam’Lu has his own personality now that’s not parroting Fenth. Its being a butt monkey, with a slight shade of being a little shit. Between Mayrin giving him shit for supposedly being bad at sailor stuff to getting stabbed in the foot by Boblings twice to being mistaken for Mayrin’s servant-husband, Kam’Lu is having a trying adventure. Plus his ship sank and all of his friends may be dead and if they fail to escape the Mondo Levidian, he’ll go down in history as the idiot that got an All-Maudra killed.

Poor guy.

Gunda has only had two pages to shine and she seems endearing! But it feels weird that Sulub isn’t coming along. He’s the introductory Bobling and all. But I guess speaking only Podling would be an impediment to interacting with Kam’Lu. Still, its weird that he just seems to fade out of the story once the king shows up.

Farewell, Sulub, you funky crab potato.

[i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend]

Dog Years ~ Steve Rogers x Reader

A/N: Hello lovelies! Another one I’ve had in my drafts but I couldn’t get to flow just right. But I’m finally happy with it I think. It’s a slight change from my normal fluff, I hope you like it. ANGST/hurt/comfort ahead! 

Summary: After Steve rejects you, you start feeling insecure. When Bucky tells him as much he comes to set the record straight. 

Characters/Pairings: Steve Rogers x Reader, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson 

Rating: T for language 

Warning: Angst, insecure!Reader, anxious/overwhelmed!Cap 

Word Count: 2066 

“So, how’d it go?” Sam asked excitedly as he and Bucky leaned on the counter on either side of you.

“He’s not interested,” you informed him matter-of-factly as you sliced an apple with a bit more ferocity than necessary.

“What?” Bucky demanded in a flat tone.

“He is not interested in dating me or even going out on a date with me. So thank you both for encouraging me to make an absolute fool of myself.”

You turned on your heel and headed for your room hoping they would leave it alone. But of course they didn’t.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I need full details.”

“What exactly did he say?”

“I didn’t realize you two were so interested in my humiliation. I don’t know how I feel about that.”

They scurried to block your exit.

“Doll, you know that we care about you. We never would have told you to go for it if we thought for a second he would say no.”

Bucky stared down at you, willing you to believe him. You knew deep down that they would never set you up, but the rejection was still fresh.

“Okay, fine. I’ll tell you. But not here. Too many ears listening here. Let me go change and then you two can take me out for a nice breakfast.”

“Oh we can?” Sam snarked. “Well thank you, most gracious one.”

“Hey, I got rejected because of you two. The least you can do is buy me some pancakes.”

Sam glanced at Bucky who shrugged, conceding the point.

“We’ll be waiting in the car.”

 Once you were seated at the diner in town, you let them see a fraction of how upset you were. They both looked instantly guilty.

“What happened?” Sam asked softly, placing his hand over yours.

“I did everything the way we planned. We were cuddling on the couch, talking. And I went for it. I asked if he wanted to go out on a date with me.”

“And what was his response, exactly?” Bucky stressed the final word.

“He told me that I was a really sweet kid, and he wished he could because I’m a great person. But we weren’t right for each other.”

“And that was it?”

“I didn’t exactly feel like sticking around after that. I don’t know why you were so convinced he liked me.”

“Because he does,” Sam assured you.

“He’s just being a stubborn punk right now,” Bucky added.

“He was very clear. I’m not right for him. But that makes sense, I mean how could someone like me be right for him?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means, I’m just a nobody. He’s Captain America. He’s perfect. Why would he choose me when he could have any other girl he wanted? Someone prettier, smarter, better.”

“Alright first off. You are not a nobody and I don’t ever want to hear you say that again.”

“But, I…”

Sam held up a hand to stop you from talking.

“Shhh, shhh. Shush. I’m not done. Number two, you are beautiful. Number three you are brilliant. And number four, Steve is far from perfect.”

“You know that. You’ve seen him at his worst.”

“It doesn’t matter even if I am all those things, which I’m not. The fact is, he doesn’t want me. It’s as simple as that.”

They were looking at you with sad expressions, and you were desperate to assuage their guilt.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I took my frustration out on you guys. It wasn’t fair. Look, I’ll be fine. I’m used to rejection.”

Before they could respond a waitress brought your food over and from that point you steered the conversation any direction but towards you. Thankfully, the boys let you get away with it.

Once you got back to the compound, you locked yourself in your room and turned on some sad music. Tomorrow you would act like nothing happened and go back to being an avenger, but for today you were going to wallow in the familiar feeling of inadequacy.

Once the tears started, they didn’t want to stop. You were certain anyone walking by could hear you bawling, but luckily no one disturbed you. At least not until you refused to go down to dinner.

“Mr. Stark firmly requests your presence for dinner, Miss y/l/n.”

“Tell Tony he can bite me,” you snapped at the AI.

“He says that was rude but he still loves you and requests that you come down to dinner.”

“FRIDAY, please tell the team I think I have a stomach bug and I’m quarantining myself.”

It was a lie, but the thought of having to face Steve did make you want to hurl.

“I do not detect any abnormalities in your vital functions. You are not ill.”

“FRIDAY, please,” you begged the AI.

There was a pause.

“Yes, miss. I’ll tell them.”

“Thank you.”

You knew you would regret that decision later when you were starving, but if you waited long enough you should be able to sneak downstairs for food. Or you’d make Bucky or Sam sneak you something.

Turning on the sappiest romance movie you could think of, you let the tears flow as soon as the credits started. The movie was just about over when there was a firm knock on the door.

“Go away.”

More knocking.

“Unless you have food go away.”

Your door creaked open and you honestly expected to see Nat and Wanda with a pint of ice cream. You were not prepared to come face to face with the man who had rejected you less than twenty four hours prior.

“What do you want?”

He smiled sheepishly and glanced down at the tray in his hands. “I brought soup. Thought it might help with the stomach bug.”

“Thanks. Just leave it on the desk.” He hesitated. “You should skidaddle. Wouldn’t want Captain America getting sick.”

“I can’t get sick,” he reminded you.

“Right. Enhanced immune system. How could I forget?”

“Y/n,” he sighed, putting the tray down on your desk and closing the door. “Can we talk? Please.”

“About what? You made yourself perfectly clear last night.”

“I don’t think I did,” he argued.  “Please, sweetheart. We need to talk. Especially if what Bucky said was true.”

“And what exactly did he say?” You asked in a tired tone as you sank back onto the bed.

“May I?” he gestured to the space next to you and you nodded. “Y/n, he told me that you think the reason I said no last night is because you’re not good enough for me. Is that really what you think?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I think.”

“Where did you get a crazy idea like that?”

“Am I wrong?”

“Yes!” he almost shouted. “Y/n, it has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh it’s not me, it’s you?” You scoffed bitterly.

He exhaled sharply, “Will you please just hear me out?”

“Do you not like spending time with me?” You asked in response.

“I love spending time with you.”

“Are you not attracted to me?”

“Of course I’m attracted to you. You’re beautiful.”

“Do I have some quirk that you find too irritating to deal with a daily basis?” You rattled off the question as you thought of it.

“Sweetheart. Y/n. I want nothing more than to date you. But we aren’t right for each other.”

“Why?”

“I’m way too old for you.”

You snorted, convinced he was joking. When you realized he was serious you gaped at him.

“Are you shitting me? Really? That’s the argument you’re going to go with? You’re only four years older than me!”

It was his turn to gape.

“I’ve been alive for ninety-nine years.”  

“You’ve only been living for twenty-nine. Jesus, Steve, you were frozen for seventy of those years. They don’t count.”

“They count for everyone else.”

“I am not everyone else. I don’t care about what year you were born in. I care about you.”

“I care about you too. You make me happier than anyone else I’ve ever known. But that’s why I can’t be with you. I would end up hurting you.”

“Why do you assume you would hurt me?”

“Because, even if you want to argue that I’ve only been living for twenty-nine years…”

“I do.”

“Regardless. I’ve aged in dog years since I came out of the ice. The shield might be a symbol of hope, but I’m not. I’m bitter and broken. You deserve someone better than me.”

“There is no one better than you,” you whispered.  

“You have this image of me. You think I’m this ideal… this golden boy. But it’s not true.”  

“I’m not getting my image of you from newspaper article or Smithsonian exhibits. Steve, I was there after Siberia, in case you forgot. I’ve seen you at your worst. And I love that part of you.”

“How can you?”

“Because I love you. All of you. The real you. Not some idea of you. You have had the weight of the world on your shoulders for so long. All I want is to be the one who reminds you that you don’t have to bear it all by yourself. You’re human. I want you to remember that.”

“All I can bring you is darkness. You deserve light in your life.”

“And you don’t?”

“Not at your expense. I have seen evil and no matter how hard I fight I can’t beat it.”

“You are so dramatic. I’m not some starry-eyed school girl who’s afraid of the dark. I have fought with you, Steve. I have been right beside facing that evil.”

“And you are still good.”

“And so are you.”

“Some days I don’t know why I fight. Maybe it’s just all I know how to do.”  

“I know you. You are smart and creative. Fighting isn’t the only thing you know how to do. If that were true, it wouldn’t matter who your opponent was. You fight because you care. You fight because you’re a good man.”

“I feel like I can’t breathe. Even when everything works out, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“That’s because you’ve had the weight of the world on your shoulders for far too long. You can’t protect everyone without help.”

“I know that. That’s why I came back to the team.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

He looked at you with tears in his eyes. The only way you could describe his expression was lost.

Bringing your hand to his cheek you kissed his forehead, the way he always did when you came back from a hard mission.

“Sometimes you have to let people take care of you.”

“I’ve never been good at that,” he admitted quietly.  

“Well, despite what they say I firmly believe you can teach an old dog new tricks.”

He sniffled out a laugh.

“Thought you said I wasn’t old?”

“I mean if we’re going by dog years,” you shrugged, making him chuckle.

He was quiet for a long moment, digesting the conversation you expected.

“I still don’t think I’m ready to date you,” he mumbled.

You were unsurprised by the conclusion, but you were grateful for his honesty.

“That’s okay. Just let me be here for you then. I already told you. You are what’s important to me.”

He looked at you with watery blue eyes, trying to plaster on a smile.

“You don’t have to be strong for me, Steve,” you said softly as you placed a hand on his shoulder.

Your words were like a pin to a balloon; all the fight went out of him in seconds. You weren’t sure how his six foot frame curled in on itself as much as it did. But he suddenly took up much less space. He allowed you to position him so his head was on your chest and you could stroke his hair.

You stayed like that for hours. He would talk about what was bothering him in fits and spurts. Occasionally, you would respond, but for the most part you just listened. It was nearly dawn when he seemed to run out of things to say. His breathing slowed and you were fairly certain he had fallen asleep, so you let yourself relax. You were just about to drift off when you felt him mumble a “thank you” into your collar bone.

“Any time,” you whispered.  

A/n: So that’s it. A little touch of fluff at the end but still angstier than normal. I hope you liked it! Feedback is appreciated. <3 

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[winterflash-2019]

Why Me? pt 5

As weeks went by the closer Barry figured out how to bring you back. There were more vengeful Metas now and you seemed to be working with them. You attacked Star Labs 5 times in one week and Barry had grown to be exhausted, the stronger your powers gotten the more you lost control which made you 10x more dangerous than before.

The CCPD seemed to be taking actions into their own hands, they planned to eliminate every meta that used their powers to harm others but their first target was you since you were the leader of course.

“Barry, Singh is sending his troops to y/n’s base tonight” Joe says, he came in the forensics lab to warn Barry about Singh’s plan; if Barry wanted to get y/n back then he had to be fast.

“They have some special type of bullet as soon as it goes through the target it dampens the dark matter; stopping their powers but it also kills said target if something goes wrong”

Barry sat as Joe’s words circled in his mind. You were in danger he had to do something after all it is his fault you turned evil.

“I’m going to her base tonight” Barry states before standing up and walking over to his bored and pulling up the cover, revealing a picture with your face with sticky notes and locations surrounding it.

“You can’t be serious” Joe looks at the bored to see a picture of you in the middle of the road fireball in hand, you had set a car on fire.

“Have you been spying on her”Joe thought it was absolutely ridiculous that Barry wanted to get you back. He had been secretly investigating your case all this time and Joe felt like he had been fooled.

“I needed more details Joe I almost got it but I need more time” Barry pleads

“She almost killed you barr...and you’re telling me you still want to help her; maybe it’s best if Singh deals with this Barry.”

“Joe, she’s pregnant Singh doesn’t know that; if that bullet finds its way in her system who knows what will happen”

“You’re already dealing with different metas on a daily you don’t need to stress yourself over a crazy fire controlling Meta”Joe says as he looked at Barry with a frown before walking out the lab.

“Cisco what is this?” Barry asks as he picks up a weird looking watch

“Oh I made that a while back it was for Caitlin as a timer to remind her to charge the dampening cuffs”

Barry puts down the gadget before walking over to Caitlin who was figuring out a way to get rid of your powers.

“How’s it going Cait”

“Barry, I don’t think we could get rid of her powers without getting dangerously sick and possibly dying; when she first got her abilities her body had to get use to the dark matter in her system if we got rid of it then her body would still supply her immune system as a defense mechanism overload causing her to get really sick and die” Caitlin sighs she really wanted to help but she didn’t want you to die either. It may be a small chance of actually getting you back but if anyone could do it then it was Barry.

“Barry they’re moving out” Cisco calls out from the satellite tracker and with that he leaves.

When he comes to a stop he sees a nearby police car in an alleyway; they were doing a stake out.

He runs the opposite direction so they won’t see him but he could still see you through the base walls at the same time.

You were in your office surrounded by numerous books and papers. You’ve spent days looking for a way to bring your fiancé back which was hell itself but finally all your hard work paid off all you need is the philosophers stone and you knew exactly where it was.

A knock on the door caught your attention, making you scramble to put away all your research just in time as the door opened.

“Y/n, there’s been suspicious activity detected outside the base”  

“Stand guard; I’ll check it out” You stood up and fire ignited from your hands but as soon as you stepped outside your office gunshots could be heard.

You looked at the walls to see bullets shattering the glass and villains everywhere taking cover or using their powers.

“There she is” You hear a voice yell, making you turn around to see cops with their guns pointed at you.

Barry’s eyes widened as he saw everything play out in front of him. “No I have to do something”

“You don’t want to cross me” your tone was stone cold as you looked at Singh and without warning you threw a huge fire ball towards him, your eyes glowing a bright orange as your hair turned itself into flames.

“Y/n” Barry calls out as he quickly moves Singh out the way.

“Haven’t had enough Flash” You growl

“Y/n please, this isn’t you”

“My name is y/n l/n and I was supposed to marry the god of speed instead he was ruthlessly murdered and I became broken so this is who I am now and there is nothing you can do to change that” As the words found their way out your mouth Barry could see Singh and the other officers cock their guns.

“You are not like this; I know you y/n look I’m sorry for causing you pain I was stupid but look at you right now you’re being reckless with an unborn child y/n. I will not let you ruin your own life and cause harm to innocent civilians it stops right here right now...y/n please it’s me...its Barry”

Barry could see your expression soften a little as the flames on your head burn out, leaving only your eyes glowing brightly while you lowered your hands. But he could also see Singh signaling his team to shoot.

“NO, HEY STOP HOLD YOUR FIRE” he yells

“Sorry Flash but we need to do this” Singh says and with that he pulls the trigger.

Suddenly everything around Barry becomes slow motion as he sees chaos everywhere and the special bullet flying towards you but you were in a daze. Everything Barry said made something click inside of you as you remembered your life before you lost control, your life before your lost your sanity; your life with Savitar.

“Barry” you said breathlessly as you came back to reality, you furrowed your brows and your eyes switched back to their normal color but it was too late as soon as Barry’s name left your mouth the bullet went through your chest and you slowly went down your eyes never leave Barry’s.

“NOOOO” Barry yells as he goes to catch you. You were unconscious as the bullet worked it’s way through your body faster than ever, he had to take you to Star Labs.

“Guys she’s been shot with the special bullet” Barry shakily says as he ran with you in his arms.

“Barry focus I know you’re not thinking straight at the moment but listen to me okay; you have to hit her with a lightning bolt” Cisco’s voice rings through his ear piece.

“What no she might die...she’s pregnant ”

“She’ll die if you don’t do this I know its risky but its the only way to save her; your lightning counteracts the bullet and it’ll lose its special ability”

“Cisco...I don’t think I can”

“Just run Barry, run”

Barry sets you down to the side before running off to distance himself away from you and starts running in circles, building up momentum.

He finally gains enough speed and releases the bolt, making it come in contact with your body, the blast was so powerful it makes Barry go flying backwards. He groans as he turns over on his stomach and sees you violently slide against the ground and he begins to make his way towards your body.

“Y/n” he calls out to your still unconscious form. He picks you up, your head and arms dangling loosely.

“Hey its okay come back to me y/n” he soothes, his voice hoarse as he rubs your hair but he notices blood starting to trickle from your nose.

“Cisco she’s still unconscious why didn’t it work” Barry frantically says, voice cracking as he looked at your closed eyes.

He hoped you were actually conscious and that you were just playing a cruel joke on him but as time went on even longer the more he knew this wasn’t a joke.

“Bring her to the lab”

Taglist: 

@jennyaraiza23  @onceuponateenpanwolfian

[olivieblake]

Do you have any ill feelings towards people who learn more Pro life than pro choice? (If they just personally don't agree with it but wouldn't condemn someone for going through with it if it wasn't for health reason?) I ask because I struggle with this part of me :( I am pro life but understand abortion can be needed in terms of health. I don't like it to be used as Birth Control, but it someone uses it that way I won't judge them. Though I get hate for my beliefs anyways :(

Oh boy, Anon, I know I’m shouldering a lot of risk by handling this subject on a blog devoted largely to Harry Potter erotica, but back in the depths of my conscience I know that this topic is important enough to be honest about, so here we go; have mercy.

This is what I believe:

Every person (in this case, specifically every woman) has a right to do with her body, her mind, and her spirituality whatever she chooses. You have a right to be pro life. You have a right to embrace that belief wholeheartedly or to struggle with it; you are free to hold your beliefs however you choose. It’s not anyone’s right - especially not mine - to condemn someone for making that choice for herself, whatever it may be.

However, this is my experience: I have worked with a number of social services and public institutions in Los Angeles and Chicago, and from my experience, I believe that abortion in reality is nothing like the belittled form of ‘birth control’ that some conservative politicians claim. In my view, unplanned pregnancies that result in abortion are due to three main factors: 1) that sexual education is severely limited, 2) pregnancies can be economically crippling, and 3) that it is a cultural anomaly for males to shoulder responsibility that comes with an unwanted pregnancy. 

To the first point: in many cases, most people - men and women - are simply not informed about the realities of sex; and why would they be, really, if they’re getting their only information from unreliable sources like the internet (which we all know is full of Fools™, myself included)? Public education in particular is hampered by limitations on what can or can’t be taught, and a girl who is told by a boy she cares about and/or trusts that a condom ‘doesn’t feel good’ or ‘won’t fit my gigantic penis’ might believe those things if nobody teaches her otherwise. 

This leads us to my second point: yes, conceivably there are other options than abortion - adoption, for example - but the cost of medical attention during pregnancy itself is extremely prohibitive, and in a country like the one I live in where insurance is more than a little costly, that’s not an option for most people. If I were to get pregnant right now, I would be in huge trouble. I have a preexisting condition (I’m bipolar) and mr blake does as well (he had brain cancer as a child and several knee surgeries while he played college baseball) which means that without ACA (Obamacare), we wouldn’t have insurance, and as long as that program continues to be in a state of political flux, there’s no telling whether I’d even have it at all in 9 months. 

[Sidebar: as a person with bipolar, I would require constant blood tests during pregnancy because of the medications I would need, because depression and mania in the mother can negatively affect the development of the baby’s immune system. Do you know how much those blood tests alone cost, even without the doctor and the insurance bills and the psychiatrist? Upwards of $900 each round, depending on the medication cocktail, and they’re required at regular intervals during pregnancy. That’s just a side point, of course, in case you didn’t know - because I certainly didn’t until I bothered to find out. Believe me, that’s just one more thing they don’t teach in sex ed class.]

My final point is that our society generally accepts - depending, of course, on the context, the demographics, and the cultural factors - that a pregnant girl is the pregnant girl’s problem, end of story. I hope we can agree that’s not fair - and I want to be clear even as I say that that I unequivocally admire the triumph of the single mother. My mother, in fact, had me out of wedlock and raised me by herself, so I would never, ever say that women are not capable of great things despite the difficulty of pregnancy/child-rearing. All I’m saying is that with the stigma of pregnancy and the difficulty of living on one income - if there is an income at all - means that abortion can be the lesser of two evils; i.e., that the life of the mother is valuable, too, and her right to choose herself is her choice to make.

I know I asked for this can of worms when I casually mentioned that I wished for reproductive rights, but I want to make this clear: whether you personally are pro life or pro choice isn’t the issue. Believing or not believing in abortion is not the issue. The real issue, in my view, is simply that a political system dominated by men has determined that it is their job to ensure that women are not permitted to make that choice for themselves, despite the fact that pregnancy is a two part equation. There are a hundred more arguments I could make about why women should have access to birth control - how, for example, increased access to birth control can help prevent unwanted pregnancies in lieu of better sexual education, thus reducing the need for abortions to begin with - but that’s not what I want. That’s not what I wish for.

This is what I wished for: that someday I can have the certainty of knowing that my vagina and my partner’s penis have the same fundamental rights and freedoms - and that’s literally all I’m asking.

[demonicsoulbound]

@hailtheascendant

Maya was surrounded by the grunts, the lowly message boys, the ones too stupid to do anything else.  They were more like her than the others in the organization.  Even if she was Mariya’s personal assistant, they didn’t treat her that much different when not working.  And it was always nice to know an ex-bartender when you want to get drunk.  Even if most of the group refused to drink anything but terrible vodka.  Which suited Maya just fine when she wanted a shot or three.  Like the other times she spent around them, they were surprised how much the small girl could drink.  Little did they know she had a very interesting secret up her sleeve.  Many terrible jokes and shots later, Maya was ready to go home.  Her nights were never the most restful with Z in her head all the time, but a nice drunken sleep through the night would do her good.

Within a block of her apartment was when she noticed the followers behind her.  She should have noticed something blocks ago, but she was too content and enjoying the cool summer night as she walked home.  Either way, a few idiot muggers or would be attackers would cause her no worry, a simple fireball aimed carefully would send them running.  Not that she would let them run too far, a vindictive streak emerging over the weeks around Mariya.

When they had finally come close enough, she turned to face them, the oh so familiar grin of someone overconfident in their abilities gave before something terrible happened.  And of course it did.

Her ego and bravado blinded her to the others encroaching up behind her.  She heard the loud crackling before the heat and pain hit the back of her neck.  Hey body spazzed and fell as the taser moved away.  Before she hit the ground on her own, powerful hands pushed her down, face slamming against the ground as they held her down.  She just needed a few words, just to get her breath back and they would regret what they did.

She could feel her senses returning quickly, struggling against the men that held her down.  Curses and mutterings of how the tiny girl was still able to fight back were traded back and forth between the group.  She just needed a few more seconds, the pain she felt lessening with each passing moment.  Her head turned sharply when she heard a familiar voice.  The man standing a few feet away, one of Mariya’s men.  The same one she insulted and made to look a fool before, was there.  Part of the attack.

“Traitor,” Maya spat out instead of a spell, her anger taking control.

His smile sickened her, making the witch want to torture and break the man.  And when she was done, he would be given to her demons, the rest of his pathetic life left just for the monsters enjoyment.  But before she could get another word out, the top of his foot met her face.  The pain lasted only a moment before he kicked again, the girl finally losing consciousness.

She awoke in a dark room, or at least she thought it was dark, she could barely see anything past a few feet.  Her whole body was hurting, pretty sure at least her jaw was broken, if not more.  Pain just radiated from everywhere.  She struggled to move, only to find that she was chained to something hard, mouth gagged.  She needed her speech, she needed her magic to escape and they had taken it away.  

Three men approached her slowly, the traitor in the back of the formation, still smiling, still needing to die.  They spoke in a language she didn’t understand, something she was used to around Mariya’s Russian friends and associates.  “They mean to kill you Child.” Finally Z’s voice echoed in her head.  She didn’t understand why it took so long for him to speak, or why she wasn’t suddenly seeing his form to protect her.  

She had to focus inward, something in her system stymying her thoughts, as if a cloud had descended along her brain.  “Why…aren’t you…helping?” the voice quiet in weak in her mind, trying to communicate with the demon king that was bound to her soul.  “Simple Child, I will let them break you.  Something I’ve spent years trying to do, and they’re going to do it for me.  When they do, you will be mine.  Your precious world will be at my mercy like I had planned oh so long ago.  I will not allow them to kill you, you needn’t worry about that.”

Maya felt dumbfounded.  This was something she could have expected from the demon, but never thought he would actually stoop so low.  “Bastard” she echoed in her mind, louder this time.  She was going to make him pay, to make the demon inside her squirm and feel the pain she would have now.

One of the men had already walked to the girl, fingers snapping in her face to pull her from the mental conversation she had with Z, “Pay attention little girl.”  She had heard that accent before, somewhere recently and she should have remembered it.  “You killed our friend.  We don’t know how, but we know it was you bitch,” he said as his hand flew across her face.  The slap only worsened the pain from the kicks, blood dripping down from her lip.  “See we’re going to make you suffer just like he did, but don’t you worry, we won’t bury you.”

He motioned for his partner, the other walking up with a syringe in his hand, “Now we heard you did a very interesting trick with our drug.  We want to see how you…did it,” he said as the needle stuck into her neck.

Without Z’s help, her body couldn’t fight it off, not entirely.  She felt her mind slip even more, the complex spells she she had in mind slipping out of her hands.  “See Sasha?  I told you it would work,” the lead Ukrainian spoke to his partner.  “Don’t worry girl, you’ll still feel the pain just fine,” he said as the back of his hand went across Maya’s face.

The routine continued, taunting and then the beating.  Eventually the taunting just gave way to the beating.  She had no idea how long it went on, she just knew it felt like days to her.  After the first few rounds, she found herself whimpering, as if begging for them to stop.  “I thought you stronger than this girl.  They have only just begun with you.”

“That’s enough Anton,” the other said as he grabbed her assailant’s arm.  His accent was much heavier, his face stern and angry.  It was in stark contrast to the man that was beating her, Maya’s blood dripping down off his knuckles.  Her face lit up slightly as she looked at Sasha. Maybe he felt sorry for the girl, maybe he was going to give her a break from his friend’s fists.  “You’ve had your fun, now let me get to work.”

Maya didn’t understand what he meant by that at first.  Her mind too clouded from the pain and drugs to think properly.  “Vadim,” he called out, “Bring me my tools.”  Maya looked back into the darkness behind them, the noise of squeaky wheels moving along the ground.  The fear crept back, louder and more dire than before as another man approached, pushing a cart with different tools and items.  She had seen enough movies and TV to understand just what they would be used for.  “Oh this human here is quite…evil.  I’ll remember to use him later,” Z said in the back of her clouded mind, mocking Maya yet again.

She heard the snap of gloves as the man prepared himself, the traitor still smiling as he was now seated and watching the show with that same smile.  “We’ll start slowly,” he said in a heavy accented monotoned voice.  He looked over the tools on his cart, picking a pair of pliers and walked over to the girl.  “You won’t be needing that any longer,” he said pulling the gag out of her mouth.

The fool.  The worthless fool.  He gave Maya just what she needed to free herself.  To kill them all and make it out alive.  Only when she brought the words to the tip of her tongue, they came out slurred and useless.  Her magic doing nothing.  She could feel the blocks in her mind, no doubt the work of Z and the drug they had injected into her.

Once again he heart dropped, hope quickly fading away as she felt more and more helpless.

She was too immersed in her mind to notice the cold steel on her left pinky before it was too late.  She didn’t hear the snap, but she felt it, her voice that escaped her before found its way into a loud scream of pain.  “I see you still have some voice left,” he said breaking the finger in another place, another scream echoing in the room.

After the the fourth broken bone in her hand, her screams became quieter and muffled, her vision blurring more than before.  The man didn’t let the girl’s condition escape his notice, picking a syringe up off the table, “You’re not allowed to sleep.”  Another quick stabbing sensation in her neck and she felt more awake than before, the drug pumping through her blood quickly.

Tears started to fall quickly out of her eyes as she tried to beg for them to stop again, her words broken and undecipherable.  The man’s expression never changed as he looked down at the girl, immune to the cries and noises.  His next tool of choice was in his hand, a small scalpel that glistened from the lone light shining on them.

She didn’t notice that they were alone now, the others having left the room at some point during Sasha’s time with her hand.  The pain he inflicted next was drawn out and lasting as the scalpel sliced through her skin.  Small cuts here and there along her body, deep enough to bleed well enough to his tastes.  “These are for show, your employer will need to see just what happens to her assistants that go too far.”

Maya recognized the phone in his hand as hers, the man not knowing the precautions she placed on her technology until it was too late.  His curses in the foreign language matching the look of surprise and pain on his face as the phone fell to the ground.  “Clever girl,” he said clenching his now burnt hand from the ward she had placed.  “No matter,” he said reaching for another phone to take the pictures of the bloodied girl.  He placed the phone in an envelope before walking out of the room.

The silence was so much worse than she would think, the occasional laughter and taunt she couldn’t understand from Z echoing through her head.  That would have been enough to drive her crazy if it wasn’t for the pain and suffering.

The man’s return was almost welcoming to the girl, his footsteps blocking out the noise in her head.  His next item in hand was a gun, a development that sent Z into a bit of an alarmed state.  “You’re not ready for this,” he said putting it back down before picking up a staple gun.

She wanted the other gun, the one to end it.  The one that remove the noises in her head forever.  “So close Child.  Your walls are crumbling all around me.”  Maybe it would be better if he had won.  She wouldn’t suffer any longer.  He would finally have what he wanted and she would have her peace.  Something that had been missing from her life.

Before she could think any more of how nice it would be, the click of the gun signaled her next scream.  The staple puncturing her skin and more of the hot, red liquid dripped down.  “That’s not where it goes,” the man said before ripping the staple out with the pliers, a more muffled scream escaping.

Her mind went back to how easy it would be to give up, to give Z what he wanted.  To just drop the walls and let him out.  Her mind was so clouded and broken, she struggled to get to that point, feeling the walls with her mind and magic.  “Yes.  Do it.”  As she was about to tear the last of the barriers down, an image flashed through her mind over and over.  It was the face of her smiling mother.  The same mother that was taken from her as a child.  The mother that was driven mad by her own demons and the mother Maya had sworn to find and save.  She had forgotten this until that moment.  “No!”  

The thought had given her a new strength.  The fight returning to her body and mind, fighting the demon’s influence back and feeling her magic again.  

The thought was broken by the click again, another staple penetrating her skin.  Only this time she didn’t scream.  Her eyes focused on the man, blurred by the pain and blood, but locked in.  The demonic words finally forming on her tongue, her eyes glowing the familiar shade of purple.

His face was that of shock and pain, a sharp red spike extending from her hand and through his heart.  It was like a red opaque glass, only it was part of her.  Her magic turning her own blood into a weapon and her salvation.  A few more words and all signs of life in his eyes faded as she stole whatever life she could from the man.

It didn’t heal her, but it gave her the strength she needed to cast the spells needed to free her. Her body still broken enough that standing wasn’t possible, but that would come back.

“I win,” she said to the demons both inside and out.

She needed a way out, and the only way she could think to do it was to latch on to something in her mind.  Something familiar and safe.  Once she had the image in mind, the spell for her portal came slowly, needing all the focus and energy she could muster to tear the rift under her.

The last thing she saw was the blonde woman looking down at a phone and then at the bloodied girl.  The rest was black and empty.