#prompt 4 - mistaken for a couple

[thgsapphicsweek]

THG Sapphics Week 2025 begins June 28th and concludes July 3rd!

Please, reblog this announcement so more people can find us and join in!

RULES:

•tag all your posts/works with #ThgSapphicsWeek2025 in one of the first five tags so that we can find it (tumblr, ao3, twitter..)

•you can also tag us if you want to.

• we will reblog everything posted in that tag

You can create any type of fanworks: fanfictions, headcanons, incorrect quotes, meta/analysis, smaus, fanarts, playlists, aesthetics, moodboards, gifsets, edits, videos, manips,… literally anything - the only limit is your imagination!

Don’t be scared If you can’t do every day, tune in whenever you want to! Even just one day!

We came up with a list of prompts for each day, but you are all welcome to mix and match to suit your own ideas!

You can choose just one, do both, create something only loosely ib it, whatever you want to!

SCHEDULE OF THE WEEK:

DAY 1, Saturday 28th June: tbosas/sotr era or coming out

DAY 2, Sunday 29th: celebrity au or lyrics

DAY 3, Monday 30th: fairytales elements/au or hurt/comfort/angst

DAY 4, Tuesday 1st July: canon divergence au or mistaken for a couple

DAY 5, Wednesday 2nd: thg trilogy or “please, don’t do this.”

DAY 6 Thursday 3rd: free choice or update/complete a wip

—

You can write about thg sapphic couples, love triangles, throuples… characters from thg with an OFC or with another female character from another Universe. Even Genderbend thg characters. Anything !!

Just remember that this is a week to celebrate thg wlw ships (so at least one must be a thg character).

For any questions we are here, drop an ask and we will answer you.

We are also on Twitter!

Here is a Google doc with some examples for thg wlw ships

[gravitywonagain]

Can't Cheat Death While You're Digging Your Own Grave; Part 4

Continued from [1][2][3]

What if Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian were closer? Sworn brothers, even? What if NHS visited WWX in Yiling?

Prompt from the wonderful @shiranai-atsune

[T (for now?), implied Wangxian, 1.4k, 4/?]

~

To say that the ambush was uneventful would technically be a lie. There were events. Upsetting ones, too. 

Nie Huaisang’s heart leapt into his throat and his feet froze to the ground when the Ghost General jolted abruptly -- a motion faster than sound -- and caught an arrow that was aimed for the center of Wei Wuxian’s chest. 

He wasn’t sure whether it was the Ghost General’s sudden movement or the attack on Wei Wuxian’s life that had Nie Zonghui reaching for his dual sabers, but the effect was the same once he’d seen the arrow clenched in the undead man’s fist. Nie disciples that had been trailing at a respectable distance flowed around them like water. Grey and green robes flared their allegiance loud and clear so that even the pompous ass up on the cliff could not be mistaken over such a declaration of protective intent. 

The idiot didn’t take the hint and started calling out Wei Wuxian for cursing him. He opened his robes, too, which was a disturbing sight, even without the curse-mottled flesh. 

It would take too much effort for Nie Huaisang to roll his eyes in a way that would be visible to Jin Zixun and the couple hundred disciples would actually be able to see, so he kept it small. Just a little look between himself and Wei-xiong. 

He and Wei-xiong had been engaging in a pleasantly light back-and-forth regarding the superiority of weasel hair over squirrel hair in calligraphy brushes -- Wei Wuxian was wrong, there was a significant difference in quality using the former -- when they were very rudely interrupted by Jin Zixun’s completely predictable attack. 

His friend wasn’t even a little bit shaken by the arrow aimed at his chest. Or the hundreds of arrows still aimed at him from up on the cliffs. Annoyed maybe, like Nie Huaisang was, at being interrupted or at being proven right by this random Jin cousin of all people. But he just smiled at Nie Huaisang’s eyeroll, a sideways grin that reminded Nie Huaisang of passing porn back and forth over peanut shells and jars of Emperor’s Smile. 

Wei Wuxian looked like he wanted to yell something back at Jin Zixun’s inane accusation, but Nie Huaisang beat him to it. It was better if he handled this. Better if it came back on the Nie directly. Better if Nie Mingjue’s useless brother was the one who insulted Jin Guangshan’s favorite nephew. 

There was a short back and forth between Jin Zixun and Nie Huaisang that roughly amounted to the former repeating variations of, “But he cursed me,” and the latter counting through all the ways he could think to politely say, “Nobody cares.” 

Nie Huaisang knew Wei Wuxian hadn’t cursed Jin Zixun because sometime in the middle of that back and forth, Wei-xiong leaned over to him and asked, very sincerely, “Who the fuck is this guy, again?”

Also, Wei Wuxian wasn’t exactly a man of subtlety. Or of half measures. Nie Huaisang was fairly convinced that if Wei Wuxian had cursed someone with one hundred holes in their chest, the holes would spell out his name, or list out their transgressions in order of most annoying to him, specifically. 

But none of that mattered in reality. Jin Zixun was convinced Wei Wuxian had done it, and Jins tended to become intractable when their ego was at stake. Probably, Jin Zixun had built himself up in his own mind as the nemesis of the Yiling Patriarch. Disabusing him of that notion would get them nowhere, so Nie Huaisang, instead, said, “He is under the protection of Qinghe Nie. You can take it up with my brother.” 

That seemed to shut Jin Zixun up quite nicely. 

Wen Qing, standing in front of her brother like she could protect him -- the probably immortal and incredibly powerful sentient fierce corpse -- from the world, looked shocked that such a lazy threat had actually worked. But, then, she’d never been on a battlefield with Da-ge, so Nie Huaisang could forgive her her surprise. 

The Jin disciples and, curiously, Lan disciples up on the cliffs began to retreat back toward Koi Tower. Jin Zixun lingered for a moment. But then his cousin came flying in on his sword, yelling at him from the air. 

Which was also curious. 

Nie Huaisang decided to ponder the timing of that more later. 

So while there had certainly been events that took place, the whole of the matter was finished within moments and nothing but bluster had actually come of it. Well, bluster and the dubious satisfaction of having their suspicions -- and their precaution -- validated. 

After a blubbering explanation from Jin Zixun and a much more coherent and succinct one from Nie Zonghui, Jin Zixuan agreed to escort his cousin back to Koi Tower himself and to relay the situation to Da-ge. Jin Zixun paled, possibly recalling Da-ge’s war face. The two of them left swiftly after that, the one’s reproof drowned out by the other’s whimpering. 

Predictably, Da-ge met them at the foot of the stairs when they arrived. He exchanged a quick few sentences with Nie Zonghui as he fretted, in his way, over Nie Huaisang. Gruff words to make up for gruff hands that had to refrain from touching and grabbing and patting him down to verify he was still in one piece while they were in public. (He was sure Da-ge was going to make him account for every inch of his skin later -- if not for scrapes and bruises, then surely for curse marks.) It was annoying, but sweet in Da-ge’s way. 

It was also to their benefit, so Nie Huaisang leaned into it, whining loudly to his brother and sect leader about how scared he’d been when Jin Zixun shot at Wei-xiong. 

He made sure to call Wei Wuxian “Wei-xiong” or “Xian-di” as often and as overtly as possible. Their intention to swear brotherhood should have been well known in Lanling by then, if his gossip mill was doing their job correctly, and if anyone but a Lan had been paying attention. But it was still important to reinforce the idea for the eyes and ears they’d captured with their dramatic arrival. 

Nothing damning showed on Jin Guangshan's face as he welcomed the Nie, Wei Wuxian, and two Wens into his banquet hall, but then, Nie Huaisang hadn't really expected it would. Jin Guangshan had been at his games much longer than Nie Huaisang had even been alive. They would just have to make sure to keep a close eye on Wei Wuxian and his Wens. It wouldn't be good to let them get separated, picked off one by one, and used against each other.

A quick glance around the room showed Lan Wangji paying very close attention to their little party. Lan Xichen, too, probably interested to know what his own disciples had been up to and why they were following Jin Zixun of all people. He departed his circle of delegates to corner San-ge. But Lan Wangji's gaze was fixed on Wei Wuxian.

Nie Huaisang watched him closely from behind the theatrics of his fluttering fan. He knew Wei-xiong was besotted with Lan Wangji. (He'd known before Wei Wuxian did, though it was nice that he'd figured it out on his own sometime since the lectures.) But, while he'd known Lan Wangji for much longer, the Second Jade's face was much more difficult for him to read. He didn't know whether Lan Wangji's continuous pestering of Wei Wuxian during the Sunshot campaign was born of worry or of actually, very Lan-like disdain for the kind of things Wei-xiong had been up to around then.

Was this close attention now worry for a man held in high regard? Or was it apprehension directed at an enemy of orthodox cultivation? Nie Huaisang was rather annoyed to discover that he couldn't tell.

Regardless, many eyes in the room were on them. Many afraid, many concerned, and many confused. It would be helpful if he and Wei-xiong could do their ceremony immediately. But that would be far too rude, which would, of course, harm their cause more than help it.

They could make it three days, Nie Huaisang was sure of it. Each of them were highly competent individuals. Capable of great feats and great focus when required.

Whether or not their opposition would catch them out somehow, well. That remained to be seen.

~

Tag list: @greywake (if anyone wants to be added for updates, let me know!)

[waayoutofline]

Murder On The Dance Floor (part 3)

(from the When the Cat and the Mouse Go For a Midnight Dance series) | Part 1 | Part 2| Part 3 | Part 4 | Marvel Masterlist

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x F!Reader

Prompt: Vigilante!Reader x Agent!Natasha

Summary: Natasha isn’t having the best of luck in trying to bring one of the ex Hydras general down. You however may be able to assist her. Will you two be able to cooperate? Or is it your fate to always stand on opposite teams?

Warnings: Nothing too explicit. Just angst-

WORD COUNT: 3849

A / N: Helloo! So, this is a lengthy one. Remember when I said that this was a trilogy? Well, clearly not-There will be at least one more xd Thank you all for reading and interacting <3

***

When it came to Agent Natasha Romanoff, the word easy was never in your vocabulary. If anything, your dynamic was the opposite. Between the two — both so different, so stubborn and set in your own ways��peace never had a chance to take root.

But as you two glided onto the dance floor with a scary synchronization, an old ‘70s song playing softly, that elusive word was the only one that came close to describing the moment.

It was staggeringly, painfully easy.

The redhead took the lead almost instantly, with a grace and serenity that seemed worlds away from her usual strict persona. The lights cast errant glimmers of gold and silver over her, making her pale skin seem to glow. The faint scent of her perfume left a trace in the air that you couldn’t help to notice.

In these fleeting instances, the woman you’d been at odds with for years seemed subtly, strangely changed.

As if swaying to the beat, guiding you effortlessly through each step, was something she was born to do—like reuniting with an old friend from the past.

You might’ve been confident in your own skill, but you were briefly relieved that Natasha clearly knew what she was doing. If you hadn’t known her better, you might have mistaken her for any of the prestigious dancers here.

Struck by the unfamiliarity of the moment, you were startled back by the countdown of Ethan Cole.

“One, two, three, one!” With that, the music changed to a more upbeat song, and everyone sprung into action. 

With a firm grip on your waist, Natasha pulled you closer to her, her lips lightly gracing your ear. You could feel the warmth of her body contrasting against your usually chilled skin. 

”So, what now?” She blurts out, straight to the point. You create some just enough distance to blink up at her innocently. 

“Oh, whatever do you mean?” You asked sweetly. The redhead didn’t even blink as she stared you down with an unimpressed look.

”Please, we both know you're not planning on winning this with the honour of sportsmanship, so let's cut down the chase.” You couldn’t help but laugh at that. Oh, perhaps she did know you. 

“But that’s my favourite part!” You practically whined. 

She was right, of course. You weren’t stupid enough to let season veterans surpass you so easily. “You wound me, Natasha. I can play nice, y’know.” You defy, but she merely looks at you. 

“Perhaps. But you don't really want to, do you?” She mutters, lowly enough to almost get engulfed by the base notes of the song. But you hear it loud and clear, the words sending a pang of excitement which further increases as you see the tiniest of smiles graze her lips. “So, who is it going to be first? The Barbie and Ken you have been eying up since we first arrived? Or perhaps that one couple who just came out from a 70s disco ball special magazine? 

Your smirk went into a full-blown grin. ”Ah, perhaps some of my mischievousness has rubbed off on you.” You taunted defiantly. 

“You wish” She scoffed, now with a small smirk of her own. This was no different from your usual banter, but instead of the underlying aggressiveness, there was just harmless playfulness. It felt familiar but strange all the same. 

“Just…-“

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” you interrupted, rolling your eyes with a playful huff. “Don’t worry. It’ll be a… bloodless murder on the dance floor. Just try not to kill the groove, and we’ll get that pass.”

Natasha arched an eyebrow at your quip, a glint of challenge in her eye. Before you could process it, she pulled you in close, spinning you around with a swift, practised move. In an instant, you found yourself pressed against her, her hand settling confidently on your hips.

Heat flushed your cheeks as her face leaned in close to your ear, her breath warm against your skin. You could practically feel the overconfidence radiate off of her when she whispered, “Oh you got it twisted Raven. You will be the one trying to keep up with me.”

You gulped, not really knowing how to react to this sudden shift in her attitude. No, you were the one who usually teased her, not the other way around. It was throwing you slightly off balance. 

After another beat, she spun you around again, bringing you face to face. You pray to the high heavens that she doesn’t notice the slight pink on your cheeks. 

As if on cue, a call of ‘The all together’ rang out. In the blink of an eye, the dancers fell into a line formation, their bodies synchronized, down to the stomps on the ground. Arms raised in a clap, performing a series of dramatic moves in perfect unison.

You seized the brief moment of distance from your peers to gather your thoughts. This wasn’t the time to lose focus. No, you were here for a reason. This time there was something higher at stake.

Natasha distracting you shouldn’t even be a factor! But ever since stepping onto the floor, it was as though she had done a complete 180 on you.

The intensity rose, some couples are already being disqualified, but there were still too many people left, you realized. Shaking your head, you took a deep breath. Concentrate, Raven.

Graciously, Natasha seemed to float above the air as she reached for you again. Once you two were together again, you scanned the other participants' positions, trying to find an opening.

A sigh escapes you, thinking how easy it could have all this been if Natasha didn’t force you to play nice. 

As the two of you engaged in some movements, you eyes landed on the various couples. Some were already moving with  impressive confidence, reaching cockiness. 

You cursed softly under your breath. This just barely started and you already have seen someone being spun through the air like a helicopter. 

But if they think they are going to get away with victory, you are going to prove them wrong.

”Move us to the right.” You mutter in her ear as she pulls you in close after yet another crossed movement. Surprisingly enough, the redhead complies, easily moving you around to where you desired. 

Rolling away, you “accidentally” flex your leg, just in the nick of time to make a woman trip and fall on her backside. 

There was a commotion as the girl’s partner stumbled, desperately trying to catch her up, but it was too late. One of the judges noticed the mistake and promptly disqualified the two. 

The girl, red-faced with fury and indignation, started throwing accusations in your direction, her words growing more frantic as she was pulled away by her partner—and eventually by Cole himself, who seemed to have none of it. Her protests were muffled by the booming call of the “All Together.”

Natasha stepped up beside you, gawking. 

“What?” you said, shrugging and refusing to look her way. “It got the job done, didn’t it?

Her lack of answer was enough for you.

Your attention shifted to an obnoxiously coordinated trio of men directly in front of you. You rolled your eyes, already setting your sights on them. Before you could make your move, Natasha’s hands found their way to your hips, effortlessly guiding your body to the rhythm. 

Her movements were fluid, her touch steady, and your coordination fell perfectly in line as though you two have been practising this for weeks. Was there anything she wasn’t good at? You asked yourself in a mix of confusion and subtle admiration. Not that you would ever confess the last one of course.

As she extended both your arms outward, her free hand brushed over your shoulder in a deliberate motion. Your breath hitched, your eyes fluttering slightly at the unexpected gentleness. You weren’t used to this—weren’t used to her like this.

“I know that glint,” she muttered near your ear, her voice knowing. “Got another victim in your sights, don’t you?”

You hummed in confirmation as you guided her with your eyes to the next person to sabotage, not trusting your voice to sound steady. Natasha caught on to your plan as you slipped from her grasp, gracefully executing a cross-body turn. 

She was quick to guide you back into rhythm as you swooped in, swiftly grabbing the thin strap of one of the competitors’ dresses. With a tug, the whole dress fell, pooling at the woman’s feet.

A gasp escaped the blonde as she scrambled to cover herself, fleeing in panic with her partner chasing after her.

“That was mean,” Natasha admonished, though the laugh she barely stifled betrayed her. The corners of her lips twitched upward, and for a moment, the guarded edge that so often was present in your exchanges softened under the shimmering light of the mirror ball.

“Oh? Is Agent Romanoff actually having fun?” you teased, unable to hide your delight at the rare shift in her demeanour.

Natasha huffed, but the faintest trace of a smile lingered on her lips, betraying her amusement.

It caught you off guard. The usual tension and harshness that defined your… relationship, seemed to dissolve in the glimmering light. For once, there was no mission, no stakes—just the two of you, sharing a laugh in a moment that felt painfully human. Having a nice, casual moment

A voice laughed mockingly in your head at that. 

This went on for a while to the point where even less people remained. The only issue was that the quality of them was also notoriously good.

Through the speakers, one judge announce a small break time. The competitors were expected to keep a bit of a groove going, but it was also a chance to grab some refreshments. It did give you an idea.

“If you’ll excuse me,” you said softly, stepping away from Natasha. Before she could ask what you were about to do, you managed to slip through the crowd, your movements fluid enough to blend in with the rhythm of the room.

Spotting the drinks table ahead, you made your way toward it, gliding with purpose. You glanced around, making sure the coast was clear, then discreetly twisted the hidden compartment on your ring, revealing a small amount of white powder. Just as you were about to mix it into the lemonade, a familiar presence stopped you.

Natasha.

This time, she succeeded in intercepting you, catching your wrist. Her grip was firm but not rough. 

“Raven—” She started, with doubt. It wasnt as accusatory as usual, but it had enough distrust.

“Natasha,” you interrupted, mimicking her tone, though the seriousness on her face made you falter slightly. 

The playfulness from earlier was briefly diminished, replaced with a slightly sharper gaze that meant business. 

Of course. You were briefly enchanted by your timed truce. Natasha’s trust in you still remained as fragile as always.

You sighed, deciding to drop the act. “Geez relax, I’m not poisoning anyone. It’s just laxatives,” you admitted with a chuckle. “Lame, I know, but effective.”

Her eyes narrowed as she studied you, searching for any sign of deceit. But you held her gaze steadily, unflinching. After a tense moment, she finally released your arm.  “Thank you,” you said while forcing a grin, stepping past her toward the table.

 You didn’t know why her distrust stung, it wasn’t like the two of you were friends.

“Now shoo—you’ll scare off the boys.” You winked with an overexaggerated enthusiastic expression before turning back to your task, feeling her eyes linger on you for a moment longer before she moved away. Quickly putting in the powder, you stirred the drinks, stood pretty and waited. 

Quickly enough, the trio of men from before approached you, each one wearing what they likely thought were “million-dollar” smiles. You greeted them warmly enough, keeping your expression as unassuming as possible.

“Hey there. Saved some drinks for us?” one asked cockily.

Feigning shyness, you nodded and held out the drinks.

“I’ve been watching you,” another added, his voice dripping with confidence. “Quite the pretty thing with some decent moves, aren’t ya?” His eyes gave you a once-over, and you fought the urge to roll your own. Oh, you’d been watching them too, alright.

You accepted the compliment with a small, bashful smile as they eagerly grabbed their drinks, clearly parched.

They didn’t hesitate, drinking quickly. It didn’t take long for discomfort to show on their faces. Their grins faltered, replaced by pained grimaces, and just as quickly as they had arrived, they were stumbling away, clutching their stomachs.

You finished your own drink with a satisfied grin, which you quickly replaced with one of feigned confusion.

However, your moment of triumph didn’t last long. From the corner of your eye, you noticed Montgomery’s sharp gaze locked onto you. 

You froze briefly, then scanned the dance floor for Natasha, only to realize that she had noticed too. When her eyes met yours across the room, an unspoken understanding seemed to pass between you.

Before you could process what was happening, Natasha moved swiftly. Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the participants crowding the drink table, she slipped out of sight, disappearing behind the curtains. A moment later, you caught a glimpse of her grabbing Montgomery—the older woman’s face twisting in surprise—before they both vanished from the floor entirely.

You blinked, momentarily stunned.

Huh. You didn’t think she had it in her to play along with your games. 

She soon enough came out of the shadows, moving towards you as if nothing happened, just in time for the dance to resume. Guiding you yet again to the dance floor, you couldn’t help but so sneaker. She huffs while moving to position. 

“That was reckless.” She comments. You shrug, hands returning to your rightful place. 

“What’s life without a little risk? Besides, now we only have two judges to care for.” She doesn’t look necessarily pleased with your justification, but relentless nonetheless. 

“Spin me around.”  You muttered, subtly patting your chest with your free hand. Always observant, Natasha caught the motion, her curiosity piqued as her eyes followed the movement. When she didn’t respond, you felt slightly put off.

“Natasha?” you called again, your tone playfully insistent.

When her gaze finally locked with yours, you seized the moment, winking with a knowing smirk and raising your eyebrow, questioning.

It could have been the rising temperature or the suffocating heat of the lights, but you were certain the blush that crept up to her ears was very real. Ah, got caught.

She was embarrassed, you realized. It felt a bit nice, seeing for once the imperfect and human person under the secretive superspy. Not that she would ever really show you willingly, you thought. 

Finally, she lifted both your arms with deliberate ease, guiding you into a smooth spin. With flawless timing, you used the momentum to grab the butter packet you snatched from the snack table, flicking it right under the heel of a currently spinning dancer.

Grinning with satisfaction, you watched as the pair stumbled when she slipped and lost their footing, resulting in yet another immediate disqualification.

This pattern continued throughout the night. Your personal favourite moment came when you managed to slip one of your lacy thongs into the pocket of an unsuspecting male dancer. The garment was just visible enough for his partner to spot it, her face twisting in fury before she slapped him hard across the cheek.

Hiding in Natasha’s arms, you parted away from her chest as if startled by the scene, gasping dramatically.

“Wasn’t that one too far?” Natasha murmured, her tone low, brushing past playful. “I think you just broke a relationship.”

You shrugged, your smirk teasing as you feigned innocence. “Hey, I paid the price,” you said with a light-hearted tone, but then your grin turned sharper, your eyes glinting with mischief. You leaned in as if to share a secret.  “I looked really, really good in those.”

Your voice dipped just enough to charge the air, and as you pulled back, you met Natasha’s gaze through your lashes, your head tilted ever so slightly in a challenge.

You didn’t miss the way her breath hitched. The mask of her usual composure faltered, her eyes darkening ever so slightly as her grip on your waist tightened. For a fraction of a second, you felt her fingers curl against you, her control slipping.

“Careful,” she said finally, her voice low and rough, almost a warning.

She knew what you were doing. You were using the same techniques that seemed to be engraved in you. The seductiveness, the calculated teasing. A mechanism. 

It was one thing that set her off, not knowing when the real you started or ended. 

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m just practising.” This made Natasha’s eyebrows furrow, a characteristic wrinkle appearing right above her nose bridge when she was confused. You always noticed it because, well, it was probably the expression you made her feel the most.

“The slick brunette seems to hold Harper’s attention. I’m going to redirect it to me,” you said with confidence. But before you could head to the judge’s table, something tugged at you. 

Ugh, Natasha couldn’t seem to let you go. If it were any other circumstance, you’d be flattered, really.

You turned around again, fully expecting a judging look and a disapproving frown. Or even something you were all too familiar with in your life—people who looked at you as if you were a nuisance, always glancing down at you from above their shoulders.

But no, what you encountered was… worry. A strange, almost foreign expression in Natasha’s repertoire that she had reserved for you, and one you’d never seen directed at you. 

But there was no mistaking it. Her eyes seemed to glimmer, her lips tugging downward in clear displeasure. Her mouth opened slightly, but only a shaky breath escaped for a few seconds before she seemed to regain her composure.

You had never seen this kind of worry on her face, not when it came to you.

Finally, Natasha straightened, her body language shifting into something calmer, almost careful, as she stepped toward you. 

“There’s no need for that.” she said, her voice soft, as if she were trying not to scare you away.

Still confused by the sudden change, you tilted your head up to meet her gaze. “It’s nothing I haven’t done before,” you replied, trying to sound casual.

Her expression, however, didn’t relent. The weight of her concern hung heavy in the air, and you hated it. You hated the shift in the atmosphere, the way her focus seemed entirely locked on you, unyielding. It was making you restless.

This just didn’t happen between you two. It couldn’t.

Your dynamic was never like this, and for a fleeting moment, you felt a spark of resentment at her sudden change. 

You’d bantered, teased, and danced around each other almost two years now. You couldn’t allow her to start caring—not like this.

“But you don’t have to.” she shot back firmly, as if sensing your inner turmoil. “I just…we have an actual shot at winning now. Let’s just keep doing what we’ve been doing until now.”

You huffed, glancing around as if to find some excuse to shake this off. “Natasha, look around. We’re down to the final six. Any trick we pull won’t go unnoticed now.” You tried to sound exasperated, but there was a small tremor in your voice. “C’mon, it’s not like I’m going to sleep with him,” you added, trying to inject your usual teasing tone, but it came out with a shaken breath of desperation.

Desperate for her to return to normal. Desperate for her to stop caring so suddenly and openly. Desperate for things to go back to the way they were. You couldn’t stand this.

Your banter with Agent Romanoff was one of the few steady things in your life. It was entertaining yet distant, predictable yet invigorating—like a perfectly choreographed dance. It was something you relied on, something easy and familiar. Something you desperately needed. 

“Don't say that just— I know that you can, but why do it just now? I…we—are going to find another way that doesn’t involve you seducing the pig.” She insisted. As if also, somehow, begging. You didn’t need to hear the words between the lines to understand. You could see it in her.

You both knew it. Not only that, but you were both trained for it—trained to wield your bodies like mere tools for any ends, stripped of your identities for however long it was necessary to get the job done. But the weight of that knowledge, the sheer detachment it demanded, always gnawed at your soul, voracious and unrelenting.

You two fought. She clearly disliked you. So why was she acting like she worried?

It wasn’t meant to be like this. You both weren’t meant to be like this. Frustration starts to build at her sudden change. How dare she take this away from the briefest of moments?

But this wasn’t Natasha, you realized as you dared to meet her gaze again. Her stormy sea-green eyes had shifted into something softer, something more vibrant—a glimmering jade.

No, this wasn’t Natasha Romanoff.

This was a rough sketch of Natalia Alianova Romanova.

A mystery you hadn’t unravelled.

For the first time since meeting her, you felt your blood drum faster, your chest tightening with a nervousness you hadn’t experienced in years. You had always known how to handle the ruthless, unflinching Agent Romanoff. But standing before Natalia?

You were at a loss.

And you were too weak to handle it. 

Releasing an exasperated breath, you broke the now unbearable eye contact and drew in a steadying breath. This was going too far—you wouldn’t, couldn’t, let it. So, when you opened your eyes again, any trace of Y/N Y/L/N faded into the recesses of your mind, locked away and chained.

When you spoke to her again, it wasn’t you any more, not quite—it was Raven. Every grin, every flicker of movement, every perfectly placed mannerism was calculated, deliberate, practised.

You saw the realization hit her, the weight of it sinking like an anchor in the sea-green depths of Natasha’s irises. Her expression barely shifted, but you could feel it. The tension, the shift, the subtle acknowledgment that you had drawn a line between you both, a barrier she wasn’t meant to cross. But she did. 

”Don’t worry, Agent. I’ll get us those passes.” You smirk, overconfident, but even you could feel the detachment in your own voice.

Slipping away, you managed to avoid her brief disappointment. Finally being able to just breathe normally, you shook your head.

Something between you and Natasha had shifted. You felt it in the erratic thrumming of your heart, like a bird desperate to escape its cage, and the faint tremble in your knees that betrayed your composure. You didn’t know how to handle it—weren’t even sure if you could.

At the table, your hands quivered, a crack in the carefully constructed mask you wore. With a subtle clench of your fists and a steadying breath, you forced the tremor away, slipping into the practised ease of a smile. Whatever had just passed between you and Natasha—it couldn’t matter.

Not now. Maybe not ever.

[dragonshoardofworks]

DannyMerMay 2024

Day 1: Insect/Anchor

The return of Little Baby Moth! (From last year DannyMay)

Something happened since last time the two of them met, so LBMo is reasonably surprised to see Little Baby Man Mer's new form... or is this just an alternative dimension iteration of LBM (by @tourettesdog)? 🤔

(Keep reading to find the answer!)

@pikakaistudios Little Baby Mer inspired me in doing my own, so Kudos and credits where are due!

More fanarts and lore under the cut because it was getting long...

(^～^;)ゞ

Prompt for DannyMay by @dannymayevent and MerMay by @vladdyissues.

〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

Since I'm a serial procrastinator and I wanted to be sure the art pieces were at least decent/accurate, I was almost late (but thank CW that I did, because some of them had the wrong orca-pattern and I would have brought disgrace upon myself if I published anything not done right since orcas are one of my favorite animals).

That being said, let's continue the DannyMerMay journey!

Day 12: Time Travel/Seafood

My poor Mer-boy got yoinked temporalily into the past when he was still Danny (so even before the "normal" LBM-fication) and he's feeling reeeaaally distressed at the act of practically cannibalism that his past-self is committing...

(≧∇≦)

Day 2+4+29: Wish/Starfish + Wander/Night + Fireworks/Bioluminescence

Wandering in the night, some interesting encounters are bound to happen...

I wonder what would happen if you wish upon a(n alien) star(fish)...

(≧∇≦)

Day 19+20: Iron/Pearl + Pitch AU/Abyss

LBMer found a his rightful Crown (of Fire) sunk into the depths of the ocean!

But since it was rusty and forgotten, what better way to restore it than ghostly mother pearl?

(Works like ghostly ice, but it's an exclusive power of LBMer.)

(The Crown got bigger than canon, but he smol!)

Day 26: Shoes/Camouflage

They say that imitation is one of the best form of flattery, but when you don't want to get caught by a certain dimensional hopper (and be mistaken for one of his foes), it's the best way to blend in!

(Octopi can camouflage in ways that make you think that magic is real...)

ฅ^≧ﻌ≦^ฅ

(Little Baby Terror unfortunately got caught in the same "accident" that LBM did, so they generally prefer to stick together-ish in case they need help.)

Day 16+22: Glowing Veins/Courtship + Song Lyrics/Songs

I couldn't help myself and sneaked in some Everlasting Trio for the soul.

After all, LBM (and therefore LBMer) is still Danny, even if he has new form(s) and instincts.

They do incarnate the "Would you still love me if I was a worm?", don't they?

(◡̀_◡́)

Song: A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay

(It feels such a Danny song to use, plus I checked how orcas court and while there's some posturing, they also sing! It felt only natural from there... >:3c)

Day 11: Mutation/Shell(s)

And finally: the answer!

LBM found this weird shell on the beach while they were on vacation, but when he checked it (read: nibbed it), it reacted and tooted a magical cloud that mutated our Little Baby Man into a Mer!

(The same fate happened to Dani/Little Baby Menace and Dan/Little Baby Terror, changing them into a Seahorse Mer and Octopus Mer respectively.

I've got a lineart done of them for another prompt, but I didn't manage in time to clean and color it yet, along with a couple of others... ( ≧Д≦) )

This has two versions because I couldn't decide which was better. @teacupsandstarlight suggested the first because of the transforming smoke around our boi, but since I saved both, I told myself: why not upload both?

For now, that's all! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

I still have some linearts to finish/digitalize/color, but at least I contributed to these two fantastic events, hope y'all enjoyed them and my works!

Hope to type ya soon! ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

[knotwerk]

ofmd fics by me, knotwerk!

okay you got your alternate universes, your rpf, your canon era, and a podfic. browse, click, win! as always, mind the tags & notes.

alternate universes

lux 14k, E. modern au Gentlescribed pwp, trans Lucius POV. Lucius has a stellar time at the gay bathhouse TM4M night. posted 3/11/25

and prosper 4k, E. modern au established relationship Ed/Stede t4t fluffy pwp. t4t sex is neat and Ed and Stede have some before bed. posted 12/15/24

Proper Hydration 208k, E. Ed/Stede. A 7-part modern au that explores the question, "what if they met after coming home to themselves a bit first?” the first installment has an incredible podfic by @lindie-kninjaknitter! here's my Proper Hydration masterpost with links to each installment and related blog posts. fics posted 10/13/22-8/28/24

Happy Accidents 1.8k, E. Ed/Stede, modern AU. Stede wears his new remote-controlled vibrating butt plug to brunch with friends... and loses the remote. proud to be the first fic in the extended butt plug universe lmao. posted 12/24/22

The Ylp's Tale 20.6k, E. Ed/Stede, medieval AU for AUgust 2023 prompts 'restaurant,' 'medieval,' and 'cryptid.' sweet delightful collab, with delightful art! posted 8/13/23

rpf

rhys never breaks 2.7k, E. Rhys/Taika. messy, angsty Taika POV, post-"zaddy" improv moment. posted 4/21/24

character research 11.7k, E. Rhys/Taika... Ed/Stede. once again a messy Taika POV, once again inspired by a behind-the-scenes drop (the "tangy/zangy" improv, this time!). i both lol'ed and yelled nooooo a number of times while writing this one. posted 10/2/24

canon era

if stede is not mistaken 6.4k, E. Ed/Stede. post-S1E5 "you wear fine things well" scene. gorgeous podfic available by @sierrajanesims! written fic posted 10/3/23

Pinch Me 5.4k, E. Ed/Stede/Mary (actually Stede/Ed/Mary, heyooo), silly horny Ed POV in a happy post-S1 setting. an Ed Sandwich fic. posted 3/27/23

stede knows 0.6k, Teen. Ed/Stede. the S2E5 kiss, from Stede's POV. wrote this after watching these gifsets five million times. posted minutes before S2E6&7 dropped on 10/19/23

Tomorrow's Almost Here 9.2k, E. Ed/Stede. post-S1 reunion. plus tentacles. posted 9/20/22

Choose Your Own Adventure: Reunion! E. Ed/Stede. what it says on the tin - and then some! collaboration with an awesome group of writers and artists. i wrote a couple scenes, contributed to a hidden scene that is absolutely worth the price of admission, and beta'd a good chunk of this delightful fic. posted 5/20/23

Crescendo 4.4k, E. Ed/Stede. bby's first fic[tion] ever lol. post-S1 post-reunion. posted 8/10/22

podfic recorded by me

[Podfic] Ink by zemph147 aka @gaypiratebrainrot. (link to written fic here.) "a twist on Ed-is-literally-the-Kraken, where instead of having tentacles, Ed ejaculates squid ink." this fic changed my life lol. (the author's pretty great, too.) podfic posted 5/4/23

[keeryhours]

✨ WIP Weekend

make me write!!! send me an emoji and i’ll write a few sentences of that WIP and share!

since i didn’t post this until Sunday i’m going to continue this for a couple days into the week!

👾 - Billy angst with prompt “wake up”

🍼 - Real Love, Baby chapter 4

💫 - Stop the Stars chapter 4

😈 - Eddie smut with prompts “Keep talking back, I dare you” and “I’ll give that mouth something to do”

💁🏻‍♀️ - Eddie with plus size gf blurb

🍑 - Virgin Eddie x reader

🎸 - The Needle and the Damage Done chapter 4

🌸 - Wildflower chapter 9

🐊 - Gator fluff with prompt “You’re so cute when you’re angry”

🌹 - Rafe one shot based on One of the Girls by The Weeknd

👩‍❤️‍👨 - 5 times you were mistaken for Steve’s girlfriend and the 1 time you really were

🏃🏻‍♀️ - Runaways chapter 1

🔪 Scream: The Hawkins Massacre act I

🚓 - Pregnancy series - Hopper

[adaobiiii]

Felinette February

So i thought there was already one shots for Felinette in February (cause they start with the same letter...) but apparently there isn't. So! Instead of making some up, I made ChatGPT come up with prompts for me!!!

Here They Are !!!

Please tell me what you think...

Week 1: Valentine’s Season Begins

February First Sight – Felix and Marinette meet unexpectedly at a flower shop, both buying flowers for themselves.

Library Whispers – Felix finds Marinette asleep in the school library and debates whether to wake her up or let her rest.

Skeptical Suitors – Marinette’s friends assume Felix is up to something when he offers to walk her home.

Fake Love, Real Feelings – Marinette needs a date to get her friends off her back, and Felix volunteers, but neither expect to enjoy it.

Roses Are Overrated – Felix insists red roses are unoriginal, so Marinette challenges him to find a better Valentine’s gift.

Not Your Average Love Letter – Marinette receives an anonymous love letter, and Felix is suspiciously quiet about it.

Stray Cat Serenade – Felix catches Marinette singing on her balcony, and she catches him listening.

Week 2: Sweet & Spiteful Confessions

Rainy Day Rescue – Felix begrudgingly shares his umbrella with Marinette when they get stuck in a downpour.

Betting on Love – Adrien bets Felix he won’t be able to make Marinette blush, and Felix takes the challenge way too seriously.

Stitching Up a Heart – Marinette helps Felix fix a torn jacket, and he finds himself entranced by her concentration.

Jealous? Who, Me? – Felix and Marinette keep getting mistaken for a couple, and Marinette teases him about how flustered he gets.

Valentine’s Disaster – Marinette’s Valentine’s cookies get ruined, and Felix secretly makes a new batch for her.

A Dance with Fate – A masquerade ball leads to an unexpected and heart-stopping moment between them.

Last-Minute Valentine – Felix panics when he realizes he actually wants to give Marinette a Valentine’s gift but has no idea what to get her.

Week 3: Tension & Softness

Say That Again? – Felix accidentally calls Marinette by a pet name, and neither of them knows what to do about it.

Through the Camera Lens – Marinette catches Felix taking candid photos of her and demands an explanation.

Your Smile, My Weakness – Felix realizes that Marinette’s smile has way too much power over him.

Accidental Date – A misunderstanding leads to them spending the entire day together, much to Felix’s horror and Marinette’s amusement.

Touch-Starved – Felix is not used to casual affection, and Marinette is determined to change that.

Midnight Calls – Felix gets an unexpected late-night phone call from Marinette, and he doesn’t have the heart to hang up.

Falling for You (Literally) – Felix tries to be smooth, but he ends up embarrassing himself instead.

Week 4: Serious & Soft Moments

The Cat’s Out of the Bag – Felix accidentally reveals something personal, and Marinette reassures him in a way no one else has before.

Stargazing Confessions – They find themselves alone under the stars, and Marinette asks Felix what he truly wants.

Soft as Silk, Sharp as Thorns – Felix realizes Marinette is stronger than she looks, and he respects her even more for it.

Comfort in the Chaos – After a rough day, Marinette finds unexpected comfort in Felix’s presence.

Lost & Found – Marinette loses her sketchbook, and Felix goes out of his way to return it.

Handwritten Honesty – Marinette finds notes from Felix tucked into her things, and she’s not sure if he meant for her to see them.

The Moment We Knew – One simple, seemingly insignificant moment makes them both realize that something has changed between them.

February 29 (Leap Day Special!)

Once Every Four Years – Marinette asks Felix if he would take a leap of faith for her, and his answer changes everything.

I just copied and pasted them and haven't actually read over them yet... I'll start from D1 (even though it's the 9th already :P)

[rekino2114]

Valentine's Day event prompts

Since Valentine's Day is "close", I've decided to do some themed posts as usual, but unlike before this time I'll simply write some prompts and you guys will have to request which prompt for which character you'd like me to write

The prompts:

🩷=fluff

❤️=suggestive fluff

💜=angst to fluff (mostly comfort)

1:she asks you to be her valentine (pre relationship) 🩷

2:she asks you to be her valentine (established relationship) 🩷

3:she gives you a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates 🩷

4:what gifts she buys for you🩷

5:a heartfelt love letter 🩷

6:she's your secret admirer🩷

7:recreating a scene from a romance movie you're watching🩷

8:feeding each other chocolate covered strawberries🩷

9:giving her a Hersey's kiss instead of a real one🩷

10:testing chocolate lipstick on you🩷

11:making you relax and giving you a massage after you have to work on valentine's day 🩷

12:taking a bubble bath with her 🩷❤️

13:Candle lit dinner🩷

14:going on a platonic date and being mistaken for a couple🩷

15:showing you her new lingerie❤️ (maybe smau)

16:your child sets up a date for you two🩷

17:rewatching your wedding video🩷

18:she sends you a spicy picture as a gift ❤️(smau)

19:baking heart shaped cookies🩷

20:comforting and confessing to you after your gf breaks up with you on valentine's day💜

21:making a blanket fort🩷

22:you think she forgot about valentine's day 💜

23:going ice skating/sledding together🩷

24:someone else sends you flowers🩷(maybe smau)

25:proposing on valentine's day🩷

Rules

Technically, the limit of girls for prompt is 4, but I think these might actually work best with only one girl (except for the smau requests the limit there is 6 and it's actually encouraged to request for more girls), but I don't really know since I've not written anything yet

Feel free to add any details or anything to the requests. It's actually encouraged since it helps me

The posts might be shorter than my usual ones, and if they are, I might post more than one a day but I'm still not sure

Like normal, both classic girls and genderbents are allowed, and this is something for my usual requests too, but I'll say it here too just to make sure, if you want male reader specify it in the request, if the gender is not mentioned I'll just make it gn reader

I don't know when I'll start doing the post, I'm just doing this early to give you the time to request

I think that's it, so I hope you have an amazing day and happy early valentine's day

[stealingyourbones]

Fav Prompts Pt 4.

756. Fake Marriage MLM AU 757. Fake Marriage MLM AU 2 761. Fear Couple 762. Star is an Amazonian 763. Superpowered Dash (Espresso Shots) 766. Alfred is Danny Fenton 767. Jason Masters 768. Gardner for the Waynes: Danny Fenton 771. Erasing Crimes 772. Actions Have Consequences 773. Danny is a Bomb Disposal Tech 778. Danny Possesses Damian's Grotesque 779. Clark Confronts Metallo (it's Danny) 780. Jason has Death Marks 784. Ghost Speak Curse 785. John "Any Holes A Goal" Constantine 786. Wally Adopts Danny Phantom 789. Tucker/Question Shenanigans 791. Kwan/Clark/Lois Daily Planet AU 793. Jazz/Jason Motorcycle Repair AU 804. Fish In The Pond 808. Billy & Danny 809. Danny Possesses Tim's Shadow 812. Danny Pals With Bats 813. Jason Borrows Johnny's Motorcycle 815. Danny Falls Into Puddle Uno Reverse 821. Sam Meets Ivy & Harley at College 828. Magic School Bus Field Trip 829. Wes Mistaken For Wally 830. Danny Looks Like Tim & Alien 831. Eldritch Younger Brother Tim 836. Cass Knows Danny Is In Wayne Manor 837. Danny Meets Superman On Moon 839. Lancer Works In Gotham 840. Tucker Becomes A Speedster 842. Sam Gives Info To Clark Kent 843. Dash/Jason Bookshop AU 844. Jason Time Core Time Travel AU 847. Jason/Johnny 13 Meet Cute 852. Spectra John Constantine's Ex 855. Lancer Long Lost Friend of Constantine 857. Paulina/Damian. Mentor to Lovers 859. Dash/Bart Jogging 860. Kwan/Clark Office 862. Kwan/Clark Mailman

[b0amagination]

Whumptober 2024 Masterlist

"Tastes of Whumptober"

You know the drill: all 31 pieces from last month gathered here in the same place! They're organized by day and by story so you can find whatever it is you're looking for. Emojis indicate story association, and no emoji means a standalone piece!

As a general rule, I write creepy whumpers with defiant whumpees! Not all drabbles follow this religiously and I only write safe for work content, but you can expect those vibes from most of what I do! Otherwise follow content warnings and tags within each post, and ask for any missed labels.

In Order

Day 1 (Search Party: failed rescue, desperation, emotional whump)

Day 2 (Amusement Park: mistaken identity, recapture, knives)

Day 3 (Fingerprints: manipulation, gaslighting, friend to whumper, acid)

Day 4 (Sensory Deprivation: lab/medical whump, torture, unconventional drugging, mild horror)

Day 5 (Sunburn: captive whump, manipulating wounds, and a healthy dose of plot)

Day 6 (Not Realizing They're Injured: whumping the whumper, humiliation, nursing their own wounds)

Day 7 (Magic with a Cost: magic whump, pacts and punishments with deities, cave systems, and drowning)

Day 8 (🎧Isolation Chamber: sensory deprivation, multiple whumpers)

Day 9 (⛓Obsession: creepy whumper, shock collar, bargaining)

Day 10 (💸Passing out from Pain: caning, breaking bones, interrogation)

Day 11 (Convenience Store: public whump, threats, suspense)

Day 12 (📌"Just a little more": carved mark, tied to a table, collar whump, begging)

Day 13 (Team as a Family: multiple whumpees, pat down, criminal investigation)

Day 14 (Blackmail: captive as leverage, forced to listen)

Day 15 (💸Painful Hug: continuation. held captive, escape attempt, interrogation, dislocation)

Day 16 (📌Wound Cleaning: automotive accident, resigned to death, painful wound cleaning)

Day 17 (Ruined Map: pirate whump, swordfight, rivalry)

Day 18 (Loss of Identity: multiple whumpees, emotional whump, torture, punishment)

Day 19 (💸One Way Out: continuation. multiple whumpees, betrayal)

Day 20 (Giving Permission to Die: hero & villain whump, gun violence, threats of death)

Day 21 (🛏"Let the bedsheet soak up the tears": recapture, forced to watch, creepy whumper, whumpee called "pet")

Day 22 (🛏Reopening Wounds: continuation. forced to watch, creepy whumper, bastinado)

Day 23 (Public Display: medieval whump, public humiliation, put on display)

Day 24 (Equipment Failure: hero & villain whump, fighting, unconventional weapon)

Day 25 (Stitches: mild gore, held captive, blood, grievous injury)

Day 26 (📌Breakfast Table: continuation. recovering, foreshadowing)

Day 27 (🎧Muzzled: exactly what it says on the tin)

Day 28 (🎧Exposure: continuation. public whump, forced nudity, humiliation)

Day 29 (Fatigue: continuation. public whump, humiliation, forced drinking, whipping)

Day 30 (📌Recovery: continuation. painful wound cleaning, held captive, restrained)

Day 31 (⛓Therapy: mental health screening, held captive, caretaking from the whumper)

By Series

⛓Hasan and Declan⛓

My main story whose characters got just a few random drabbles this month when they fit the prompts!

Day 9 | Day 31

📌Nicolai and Payge📌

Payge's life is crumbling, due in no small part to the people he's repeatedly pushed away. One fateful night leaves him with no choice but to accept help, but he soon finds that there's nothing he can refuse anymore. (Pieces in story order!)

Day 16 | Day 26 | a gigantic time skip | Day 12 | Day 30

💸Financial Matters💸

Mari is the head accountant at an insurance firm, but the moment they notice the subtle funneling of funds they're already in more danger than they've ever known.

Day 10 | Day 15 | Day 19

🎧An Assault on the Senses🎧

A night of isolation for a captive whumpee veers quite suddenly into the unknown - helped quite handily by friendly guests and sensory restrictions.

Day 8 | Day 28 | Day 29

🛏Room For One More🛏

A happy couple, a recapture, jealousy, and torture, all in bed together. Or something like that, at least.

Day 21 | Day 22

[alianoralacanta]

Have you seen the article Bernie Collins wrote on how Carlos helped Ferrari choose the right strategy for Charles?

At this point the information is given to Leclerc that Sainz is targeting a one-stop strategy. Leclerc agrees that it is the best opportunity to win and immediately begins work on the tyre saving required to pull it off.

Weren't Charles' laptimes reflective of a one-stop even before he "agreed"? Plus it was confirmed that the one-stop was the pre-agreed strategy (by both Fred and Charles after the race) so his times make sense.

This line in particular... So although Leclerc then took the plaudits and the glory on the Monza podium in front of the adoring Tifosi, he couldn’t have pulled off such a famous victory without the help of his Ferrari team mate.

I can't believe this lol, I'm convinced this is to push a feel-good teammates narrative for Monza or something (I usually love Bernie by the way.)

I would love your thoughts on the article!

I'm glad I waited on this one. Turns out the full radio transcripts don't support Bernie's conclusion, and initially I thought they did (if for different reasons than Bernie). Leclerc was definitely aiming for a one-stop all along. Indeed, he was going faster as the hard tyre stint went on (on average), which is the opposite behaviour to that expected by someone suddenly changing to a more conservative strategy. That is not in doubt. However, I thought I'd heard Bozzi ask to go onto Plan C (which in context would have meant going to 2 stops rather than 1) partway through the race, shortly before Sainz suggested Plan B (the one-stop). This would have led to Sainz deserving credit for saving Ferrari from losing confidence in its convictions. The first paragraph you quoted would still be nonsense, but at least the second one you quoted would be justifiable. However, looking back through the Channel 4 highlights where I thought I'd heard it revealed that this was just an error on my part. Plans of any letter were never mentioned on that program.

One of my friends on Twitter tracks Leclerc's and Sainz's radios all the way through each race. I am not sure how she does this (I assume she has only one pair of ears) but she spotted that at no point did Leclerc agree to two-stop. There were a couple of comments that suggested that Leclerc and Bozzi were instead trying to bait McLaren into two-stopping. The one I think might have tripped Bernie and several other analysts, was a prompt to think about tyre wear, soon followed by mention of a lettered plan. Leclerc had done a very slow lap prior to this message. However, Ferrari's experience over the last few races is that Leclerc can have a few slow laps and then clear the tyre, quite reliably. Barring a request from Leclerc, it would be surprising to pit him after only one slow lap. Naturally, Leclerc sped up again the moment Piastri pitted (to do his in-lap). (The baiting was probably superfluous, since I don't think McLaren could have one-stopped even if it had tried. Tyre management is one of the McLaren's only technical weaknesses). In tricking McLaren, I think Ferrari managed to trick several analysts. I don't think this is about pushing a feel-good narrative, it is simply a mistaken analysis. That it feeds into a pro-Sainz attitude that would be appreciated by Sainz's sponsor that is about to take up a position as F1's sponsor, is purely coincidental and would not have entered Bernie's mind. It might, however, have been considered by the F1 site's editor, in an opportunistic sense.

[jjajjangmyeon]

Mark Sloan x F! Reader.

Character based shorts!

Prompt:

Dr. Jia Park, orthopaedic surgeon, the last person you would imagine being known as "The Falcon". Everyone knows the Falcon for taking ZERO shit, and ZERO excuses for being late, messing up or cockiness. Looking at Jia Park? You would think she is a kindergarten teacher.

Mark Sloan, notorious plastic surgeon, the DEFINITION of man whore. What happens when their worlds collide?

5:35am Monday, It was a quiet morning in Seattle Grace hospital. No emergencies, no interns messing about, and to Chief Webbers happiness, no attendings in his ear yapping about who's going to be the new chief.

Did he know who it was going to be? Yes. He was simply just waiting for the bombshell to drop.

Soon enough he was joined at the O.R board by Dr. Derek Sheppard who had Dr. Sloan, Dr. Montgomery along with Dr. Burke in tow.

"Well? Chief we have been waiting for an update for the past week!" Sheppard spoke as he stood right infront of Webber, leaning against the clear Surgical board.

"C'mon Chief, you know who suits the job perfectly. The nurses listen to me, the patients love my advice, i-"

Dr. Sloan was cut off by Webber holding up a single finger. Addison looked around at the other attending in confusion.

"What?..." she questioned.

"The new chief has been chosen already. So stop nagging at me like a bunch of hounds!" Webber spoke in almost a hushed shout.

Burke let out a laugh almost as if he thougjt Webber had beeen the funniest guy in the room.

"Chief, dont be so discreet. Im sure they can handle me being the chief" Burke spoke in such a cocky manner it made Addison shiver.

Webber cleared his throat as he threw his gaze over to the entrace on the surgical wing where a woman was walking through confident with her head up high as if this was her hospital. Her outfit so out there yet professional it took the group aback at if what they were seeing was the truth. She had her blonde hair up in a bun that was so well put together but also had stands falling from her face so you couldnt tell if it was freshly done or done hours earlier. Paired with a pair of black and pink frames on her head along with her short 5'4 frame, Sloan was unsure if he got the right person.

Webber, walking a couple of feet away from the group of frozen attendings, met the woman with a friendly handshake.

"And you if im not mistaken must be Dr. Park. Im Dr. Webber, we are so thankfull to have you here at Seattle Grace" He greeted with a bright smile, genuinely happy of her presence.

Derek cheekily elbowed Addison teasingly "And you thought you were a big deal". In which he was met with a deadly glare and a chuckle from Burke.

Sloan on the other hand was almost frozen. His gaze, fixated on the tiny woman only a couple of feet away from him. Almost forgetting she was his new boss.

Jia on the other hand happily took Webbers hand. "The pleasure is all mine Richard. Im happy you accepted me at such short notice" she spoke happily. Her voice sweet yet had that undertone of sultriness.

Around the corner were the 5 muskiteers, Meredith, Christina, Izzie, George and Alex who were starring at the scene in a mix of shock and curiosity.

"She is definitely part of the Paeds parade" Alex muttered with a smug smile which earned him a much deserved smack from Izzie.

"She looks sweet, i hope im on her service today" Izzie spoke happily.

Webber then happily lead Jia over toward the 4 slightly narky attendings.

"Dr. Park, these are our main Neuro, Cardiothoracic, Ob/gyn, and plastics attendings" Webber spoke, trying to introduce her to the group.

Addison, thoughts aside happily introduced herself.

"Addison Montgomery, its a pleasure to have you here" the red head spoke with a bright smile which was happily returned.

Derek and Burke introduced themselves, pressing a fake smile on their face which was noted but pushed off by Jia.

Sloan on the other hand could only let out a laugh before patting Webber on the back.

"Gosh, Chief you nearly got me there. Thats a good prank, i never knew you knew how to pull a prank" Sloan muttered out, pushing fake tears away from his eyes but he was met with a cold hard stare from Webber.

"Do i look like a joke Dr Sloan?" Jia asked with a fixed stare, meeting him with a raised brow and reflected attitide.

Sloan still was unsure whether to keep laughing or apologize.

"Oh..., well now its awkward" he chuckled, taking a step backwards which got him a laugh from Derek and Burke.

Richard cleared his throat before leading Jia away from the group of attendings who had just started to cool down, minus a certain Mark Sloan who still thought it was a joke.

6:18am Monday.

The surgical wing was much more fuller now, more people arrived, rounds had started and patients were groggily walking the halls hoping to get discharged.

Jia Park on the other hand was now in her dark blue scrubs and ready for action.

All the interns were huddled together outside the nurses station along with Dr. Bailey, their resident.

"Alright hounds, you are still on my bad books for using Mr. Yost's room as a lunch room so you will all get the most disgusting, surgury free cases that i can sniff out" Bailey smirked, knowing the group wouldnt be so impressed.

Jia thinks she will like Dr. Bailey.

But Jia did need some extra hands on her service today since she had an ACL reconstruction, an echondroma consult as well as 2/3 ORIF procedures. Plus she needed to do her Pre-Op and Post-Op call arounds.

Approaching the group, she introduced herself to the group. "Dr. Bailey, youve probably heard the rumour im Webbers replacement as chief"

The group of interns scrambled for an answer, denying any recollection of the rumour which was met by a side-glance by Bailey. "Its a pleasure to meet you Dr. Park. Im Miranda, Dr. Bailey".

They exchange greetings before Jia cut to the chase.

"Alright, Miranda i may need to borrow a couple of your interns to help me out today, show me to my feet and help me on my service" Jia spoke confidently as she began to point toward George, Izzy and Alex.

To Jia's surprise she was met with a laugh from behind her.

Dr. Sloan, leaned against the nurses desk right behind her with a smirk that to Jias dismay, would make a statue blush.

"Dr. Park, you really are something else. Throwing orders around like you havent just gotten here. I have more respect for those nurses than i have for you in this moment" Sloan roared with hsi chest full of pride. Sloan himself? Crumbling. His brain was conflicted between jealousy and anger or flirting and teasing. She was absolutely beautiful, quite cute too. It was almost impossible for him to hold back.

The interns behind her froze, unsure whether to keep walking or stay behind Miranda, like she was their mother duck.

Surprisingly, Sloan was met with a laugh.

"Oh, Dr. Sloan you make me laugh, you really do. Although i dont know whats more funny. You thinking your the high almighty of this hospital or that i managed to become chief before you while never meeting Richard in my life" Jia smirked as she began walking toward Sloan, in some ways planning on giving him somewhat of a beating but was held back by a fuming Miranda Bailey who was amused by the situation.

"Now now! Yall are both DOCTORS! Not adreneline filled teenagers. Now go your both ways or il kick your asses" Bailey ordered as she pushed them both toward the north and south wing.

Bailey ushered the three interns along with Jia, Izzie overcome with happiness, George too nervous to even speak, and Alex? Well he was eyeing Jia up, typical Alex behaviour.

"Dr. Park, im really honoured to be on your service today! I heard your work on Spinal fusion techniques and im a big fan" Izzie spoke up as she walked side by side with Jia.

Jia, despite being very flattered, had to keep her chief face on and try not to show weakness. "Thank you Dr. Stevens but please note flattery will not get you into better surgeries or into my good books. I do not have a good book. All of you are in the same small book of mine" she spoke as she kept her pace, izzie falling behind as she left the interns in a bit of a stunned state.

"Dr. O'Malley, please take care of my pre-op patients, page me if you need me. Stevens, you are on post-op, same thing. Page me if needed. No team work today, more will get done if you split up" Jia announced throwing them a smirk as she turned down the hall with determination in her step.

"What about me?" Karev shouted, probably a bit too loud for his own good as he followed behind Dr. Park.

Jia let out a laugh, handing him back a chart she had gotten from the nurses station. "If you keep shouting like im an elderly you will be seeing the pit for a little while".

Her threat went over his head completely as he read the chart with widened eyes.

"You are a rockstar! We have an echondroma?" Alex almost jumped in his stride, debating on whether to risk a hug with the woman.

Jias lips curled into a smirk as she took the chart from Alex. "Well its a consult, dont get your hopes up yet but ive a feeling he wants the surgery. He is a pianist" she spoke as she turned into the next patient room.

"Mr. Fitz! How are you-"

Her chirpy attitude soured slightly seeing the smirking face of a one, Dr. Sloan.

"Ah~ Dr. Park! D.r Sloan and i had a wonderful conversation about how he will make my hand look normal again!" The man who was sat up in the bed spoke happily.

Jias once bright smile turned into a sour glare which was thrown directly at Sloan.

Behind her, Alex let out a disastered sigh. "Dont let him take the case, beat the shit out of him or something" Alex whispered into her ear, almost making her break her cold demeanour.

"Oh, he said that did he? How...kind of you Dr. Sloan but im sure you have other procedures you have scheduled" she spoke, hoping he would just dismiss the case.

Sloan rested his hand on the patients shoulder, shaking his head. "I gave my word to our lovely patient Mr. Fitz, im a man of my word".

Jia could nearly punch the smug smille straight off of his face and she would be sure Alex would back her up on it too

She simply pushed past Sloan and began assessing the patient.

"Mr. Fitz, this is my intern Dr, Karev. He will just be reading out your chart for me" jia spoke as she manouvered her away around the bed, feeling Sloan's body a bit too close for comfort.

Would it be so bad to stick him with a needle? Probably.

"Ezekial Fitz, 37, complaing of pain and swelling in his right proximal phalynx of his ring finger. Imaging shows us he has an echondroma present. A curettage is being thought over by our patient here" Alex read out cleanly, impressing Jia at his precision.

"Beautiful Karev. Have you thought about the surgery at all Mr. Fitz?" She asked the patient as she glanced over at Dr. Sloan who was too busy scribbling in his notepad.

"Im a Pianist! I need all my fingers. Its my love and passion. Theres no decision to me made doc" he spoke as he lifted up a notebook full of chords and notes.

"Thats understandable sir" Karev commented with a rare smile of his.

"Well thats settled, Karev book an O.R please" she asked as she slotted the mans chart back in its place as she made her way out of the room.

The warm weather plus the stress of the new job had her wiping small droplets of sweat from her head as she turned into the attendings lounge.

Miranda said the lemon and lime water in there was to die for, plus it was pretty tangy.

She slid off her doctors coat just for a minute to cool off untill she was next needed.

The cold water felt like a relief down her throat as she slumped down on one of the brown leather couches. She had her notebook out, jotting down some surgical notes for the day, enjoying the quietness while it lasted.

Oh how the universe works.

"Well well well, tired of being chief already?" The voice of the one and only, Mark Sloan boomed as he walked inside.

Jia just wanted to squeeze the lemons into his eye sockets.

"Mark Sloan, its so lovely to see you as per usual" she replied in a very much sarcastic tone as she gathered her charts and stood to leave.

The man started to laugh as he grabbed her elbow, stopping her from leaving. "Oh dont go now, tell me about all the new things your going to do for the hospital as chief! Step stools in the O.R's ms 3 foot nothing? Make up stations instead of scrub in sinks?-

Sloans rant got cut off the moment her palm hit his cheek before grabbing him by the collar.

"Listen up man whore and listen up good. I will NOT take your bullshit, not even for a second. So dont think you can take your hurt manly ego out on me because i promise you, you will be given it back tenfold. Maybe even more than a slap on the face. Next time it might be a scalpel in the foot" She spoke as she got almost nose to nsoe with the man who was very much taken back, underestimating the girl.

"Jia-

"Thats CHIEF to you" she corrected him as she barged passed him and out the door.

Jia had absolutely no time for petty little insults from the man. She had no interest at all. I mean, she couldnt lie. He was a chick magnet through and through but she wasnt going to let a man walk over her so easily.

4:30pm that afternoon

After completing most of her schedule, letting the interns scrub in on her surgeries because hey, they were surgery deprived apparently. She loved Bailey for that but Jia was no monster and let them scrub in.

Throughout the day Sloan always tried to approach her but was met with her going into the womans bathroom, her basically running away and even one time Karev pulled him away from her direction, giving him a talk.

Karev was definitely her favourite intern.

But in this moment she was scrubbing in for the last surgery of the day, the curettage procedure alongside Dr. Asshole himself.

Speaking of the devil. He walks in, taking the sink alongside her. The silence was quite loud actually, very loud.

"Jia, you dont have to talk to me but i just want you to listen, the way i talked to you was a dick move. You were right, i was jealous. Webber told me that he would make me chief if i took this job so it was just a kick in the balls when someone new came and became chief. Its not an excuse for the way i spoke to you, i honestly respect your work as a surgeon. So i hope you can forgive the way i spoke to you" Sloan spoke very much genuinely from what Jia could tell as he simultaneously scrubbed in alongside her.

Jia for one was left speechless. Neither in a good or bad way. She neither knew Mark Sloan professionally or personally but she could tell by the way he spoke it wasnt normal for him to apologize like that.

As she threw her tissue in the disposal bin as she turned to sloan who was putting on his surgical gown and grabbed the ties, helping him tie it up. "Get your ass in that O.R before i have to slap you again". She spoke with obvious sarcasm which made Sloan beam visibly.

"Oh please, i think il be the one doing the slapping next time" He commented as they both entered the O.R.

8:46pm, night

Relief.

Thats what she felt the moment she stepped out of the hospital, out of her scrubs and off the clock.

But despite the lovely warm weather that was given the whole day, she was starring at ice cold drops falling from the sky as she stood under the hospital shelter.

So she thought, fuck it.

She put her handbag over her head and took a dash for it, aiming for the bike shelter which was at the end of the hospital parking lot.

Raindrops were dripping from her bag, down to her body as she began to get soaked.

Untill she wasnt.

She heard footsteps running behind her that came to a stop beside her.

It was Mark Sloan with an almost comically large umberella.

"I can tell your new to seattle buy not carrying around an umbrella with you everywhere" He joked as he walked alongside her, holding the umbrella over her.

Jia couldnt hide her smile as she crept closer to Sloan to escape the rain.

"Thanks for the heads up. Although i might have to borrow this from you when you get to your car" she asked.

Sloan scoffed as he playfully pushed her out in the rain. "Dr. Park i thought you were a independant woman" he joked.

Jia on the other hand did let it go softly as she grabbed the handle of the umbrella from the man and started open and closing it repeatedly, drenching him with the rain that collected on the umbrella before dashing off, escaping from whatever he was going to throw back at her.

And to her surprise, he started chasing her.

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE-" Sloan shouted at her playfully as he chased after her, his much longer legs having an advantage as he gained on her before grabbing her by the waist with one arm, lifting her up playfully.

Jia let out a laugh as she softly slapped his shoulder. "Let me down! Ive a strict reputation to keep up, if anybody sees-

Her whining was interupted by him "they will know you are human! You dont have to put up some cold facade. You're too cute looking to gain a nickname lile the Nazi" he spoke as he placed her feet on the floor once again.

The words hit Jia like a truck.

No one ever told her that she could be herself. She always felt like she had to be someone she wasnt to get by in life and he wants her to be herself?

She honestly didnt know what got into her that night because she found herself slamming her lips against his.

Sloan honestly was a little shocked.

He never usually hesitated when kissing a woman but with Jia? He felt something different.

It wasnt lust or sexual tension.

It was admiration, awe.

He had beautiful women in his arms before but with her oddly it felt different and he couldnt explain why. Deep down he knew why but didnt want to admit it.

He gripped her waist softly as he held her closer to his body while she had his damp shirt balled into her fists.

They were in eachothers arms, enjoying eachothers lips for a couple of minutes untill a car pulled to a stop beside them.

A cough interupted their kiss.

"That man is a man whore, has always been a whore and probably always will be a whore! But if you decide to persue this whore, il have to castrate him if he hurts you Dr. Park. So keep that in mind, both of you".

It was the one and only Dr. Miranda Bailey. After she spoke her much impactful words she drove on with a tut.

The pair awkwardly looked at eachother before breaking into laughter.

"So you're a whore?" Jia asked him as she regained her composure.

"Well...i was. But for some reason..." he paused and looked into her eyes for a couple of seconds.

"I dont want to be when im around you".

If you told Jia she would be kissing and getting hit on by an attending, Mark Sloan out of anyone. She would have laughed.

But she just starred at the man who looked straight into her eyes for a reply.

"Make me dinner and i think you have me sold" she spoke with a happy smile as she walked ahead with the umbrella in her grip.

Sloan was almost tripping over himself as he ran after her bragging about how much of a good chef he was and he grabbed her hand as they walked hand in hand through the rain.

A couple of metres behind stood both Christina Yang and Meredith Grey who stood with their mouths hung wide open.

"And we thought we were the dirty doctors".

[holyguardian]

❛ i want you to forget this ever happened. ❜

Dialogue prompts.

Ifalna made a request that took weeks to fulfil. Honestly, she expected to be denied — how long had it been? Veld had been promoted shortly into her capture, and with his reassignment there was little-to-no reason for their lives to cross paths again.

To witness him walk back into her humble containment cell was less of a wonderful thing than she had in mind. He was polite, back then, but the man who walked through those doors was as changed as her. Layers upon layers had built up. He wasn't a man who glanced a kid that reminded him just enough of his own daughter to feel something, that had been long-buried.

His cold professional demeanour was nothing, though, compared to the state of her.

Ifalna, a nurturing mother doting over her newborn a distant 7 years ago looked like a shell of her former self.

She sat in a wheelchair. Though that wasn't exactly the truth. She was so devoid of strength that she slumped back. Her healthy weight had slowly diminished too. Not even her flowing clothes or the blanket upon her lap and halfway up her arms could hide how frail she looked.

The security camera was ever watching over them. What was said in this meeting could be scrutinised, and so she planned her words to perfection. Something that could be mistaken as a mother's plea for one thing, when it was a plea for something just barely hidden away.

"I wanted to ask... one last favour." Ifalna spoke, as though even speaking took its toll. She hitched a pained breath, her hands lifting, just enough to pull at the fabric of her dress. Red, angry lines were immediately apparent. The kind of marring that only came about from drastic surgery, and the further she pulled at her dress, the more horrible the unspoken stories. "Protect Aerith... don't let this happen to her..."

There was little time to linger. Her caretaker, Marielle, entered the room mere moments later. No doubt having been sent by whatever lead scientist currently surveyed the Cetra's live feed.

It had hopefully been enough. Most people would have studied the surface level. It was a mother's plea to someone she saw as like a bodyguard — a last ditch attempt to sway how her daughter would be treated under the 'care' of the science division.

That was the sum of their reunion. Ifalna held eye contact with the man while she was made more presentable again, and a couple of white coats came to see him out. This would cause a stir, but her words had deeper meaning.

There was still hope for the future yet. The Cetra, who had waited for the world to be kinder, for there to be a hero that would rescue her from the injustices she and her daughter suffered, had finally taken matters into her own hands.

Veld would uncover small moments. Fleeting. Faz Hicks was assigned to Ifalna's care, and the man had fallen into a blind obsession, one that she used to urge him on. There were blind spots in some of the surveillance footage, but the Turks were able to pull audio from multiple sources to piece together the puzzle. His 'dear Ifalna' would have a home.

Unusual activity in Hicks bank account backed the statement — he had recently purchased a home in the undercity, Sector 3. Among the activity was a large purchase from a department store for children.

The clues for their upcoming escape attempt were all there.

And yet, it went without a hitch. While the alarms sounded for a breach in monster containment, Ifalna and Aerith were smuggled out of the building and into a truck with crates bound for a freight train. Though rather than staying with the plan the pair emerged at Sector 4 station and ran the opposite direction.

What was running for Ifalna was a brisk power walk for anyone else, something that worked out in her favour in the end.

She felt faint. The stumble in her steps, the threat of her legs giving way. She almost collapsed in a heap near Sector 5 — when a mysterious figure stepped in and helped steady her. It was a small gesture in the grand scheme of it all. Miniscule. But he helped her to walk the length to a small table with chairs so that she could sit down to catch her breath.

It was only then that she caught his face. It was Veld sitting across the table from them, barely concealed. The fear that surged up inside her must have reached her face because it prompted him to sit forward.

"I want you to forget this ever happened."

Ifalna slowly nodded her head while Aerith perked up beside her. "Are you here to help us on our adventure?"

"Sweetheart..." Ifalna softly guided her daughter's attention to her. "This is very important for our adventure. We did not meet a man tonight. Okay?" If the worst happened, if they were recaptured, Shinra would reconstruct what had gone on the night the Cetra escaped. Veld was a piece of the puzzle that could never come to light.

Then she looked to him, a touch wary. "We can go...?" Without any strings?

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

Teen and Up Rated Fics Masterlist (23)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15 / Part 16 / Part 17 / Part 18 / Part 19 / Part 20 / Part 21 / Part 22 /

Created: March 14th, 2024

Last Checked:—-

Long As I Got You-HGfanonezillion (ao3) Summary: Modern AU. Katniss and Peeta surprise each other on Valentine’s Day. Lullaby-Alliswell (ao3) Summary: Desperate for sleep, a lonely veteran calls a sex line, looking for respite, finding more than he expected to get. Make Your Move-C_r_roberts (ao3) Summary: Katniss Everdeen is her high school's star soccer player. And Peeta Mellark is her assistant coach.  Marriage Goals-HGfanonezillion (ao3) Summary: Peeta surprises Katniss with some fun on the morning of their tenth wedding anniversary. Menorah Lights, Blessing of Life-Alliswell (ao3) Summary: Peeta and Katniss have overcome many obstacles to come to their Happily Ever After. Now with a child on the way any day now, they gathered their friends and family to light the menorah, with grateful hearts. Midnight Fireworks-Alliswell (ao3) Summary: Married couple, Katniss and Peeta, dance the night away at a Masquerade Ball charity event, and share sweet surprises with one another before ringing in the new year with a kiss! Missed Connection-Abagail_Snow (ao3) Summary: When his flight is delayed, Peeta runs into someone unexpected from his past. Mistaken Gift Swap-Alliswell (ao3) Summary: Peeta Mellark takes pride in being a thoughtful 'gifter', when it comes to his holiday presents. This year however, hasn’t gone as planned... Based on the Winter in Panem Prompt: “I accidentally gave you (my roommate) the box containing lingerie I got for my girlfriend, but you still surprised me by wearing it for Christmas.” Everlark pairing, modern setting AU. Mistletoe Venom-Alliswell (ao3) Summary: Madge has discovered the old tradition of kissing under the mistletoe, and decides to hang a few sprigs, for the Victor's banquet, during the Victory Tour, in honor of the winners of the 74th Hunger Games. Mockingjay On Tour-HGfanonezillion (ao3) Summary: Katniss is the lead singer of the band Mockingjay. Peeta and the kids are traveling on the tour with the band.

[flower1622]

The only Lois Lane that I can't relate to Annabeth is the one from Smallville.

This Lois Lane reminds me of Clarisse from the movies. She bickers with Clark, they are pratically enemies and friends like Percy and Clarisse. She is a little naughty, sarcastic, arrogant and violent. She is chaotic and funny. She is intelligent. She was trained to be a soldier (If I'm not mistaken). She wasn't a good student. She likes to drink and even got drunk a couple of times. She gives good nicknames/names (If I'm not mistaken people say that Clarisse was the person who came with the nickname wise girl), different from Annabeth.

Smallville. Farmboy. Sailor:

Nicknames that remind Clark from where he came from.

Seaweed Brain:

Seaweeds are those who 'go with the flow' and 'sway with the wave'. They're clueless people who go along with what a crowd believes/says/does, like seaweed swaying with the waves of the sea.

This nickname only reminds that Percy is not intelligent and can't think for himself. This is so wrong. So he just needs to follow Annabeth's orders? From the wise girl? I think if things were reversed and the girl was being called dumb, nobody would like, but if is a man...well, boys can be really "dumb" sometimes? I completely don't agree at all. Percy is only a submissive boy that can't think for himself, obeys almost everything Annabeth tells him to do and serves to be her "punching bag (not in the sense of the word) in a playful manner because she missed him and an "spectable to laugh at".... just like a perfect toy.

The ironically part is that their nicknames represent pretty well their relationship:

"Wise Girl" and the "Seaweed Brain"

A wise person is able to use their experience and knowledge in order to make sensible decisions and judgments. She has the air of a wise woman. You're a wise old man: tell me what to do. 

[maspers-reads-subspace]

Previously: Odder Oddness

Chapter 4: The Oddness Gets Odder

Yes, this chapter's title is remarkably similar to the previous one. Yes, the author is aware of this, he lampshaded it during his author's notes at the end of the previous chapter. Moving on.

The Sky Runner has crashed, and now Ness and Paula are finally united with the rest of the group. The two of them are overjoyed to see Jeff, seeing as they were pretty much banking on him rescuing them (well, Paula is overjoyed, Ness is still mourning his sandwich). But when Jeff reveals that Chris and Lucario accompanied him, Ness and Paula are understandably more guarded. After all, they were only expecting Jeff. There's only supposed to be four chosen ones after all, and the fourth one definitely isn't Chris or Lucario.

The tension is exacerbated by the fact that Lucario is mistaken for being some kind of monster (Pokemon aren't exactly native to Eagleland, after all), and the fact that in the midst of the crash, Chris's clothing changed to be identical to Ness's without warning. Most readers probably figure out what's going on there pretty fast: Chris's outfit changed to match the new Job power Master Hand gave him last chapter. But Chris is significantly slower on the uptake and panics a little, not understanding what's going on.

Ness and Paula are eventually convinced to let Chris and Lucario tag along temporarily, mostly because 1) Jeff explains he feels a bit guilty for Chris's current age problem and 2) Lucario briefly engages in a show of force after being provoked by Ness, and the latter is extremely impressed. You'd think provoking Lucario would be a horrible idea, but Ness is apparently the type of person to be distinctly unfazed by most things in his life. And hey, if it gets our heroes to team up, I'm not complaining. They climb out of the crater the Sky Runner made and make their way back into the city of Threed.

I hear Threed is actually very nice this time of year... when it's not being occupied by hostile undead controlled by psychic time-traveling aliens.

The group has a brief encounter with a zombie, which Lucario very quickly disintegrates. This prompts a brief discussion about how Chris and Lucario unfortunately cannot tag along for the Ness's entire journey, but they do plan on at least helping out with eradicating the zombies from Threed, and possibly a little bit after. When Lucario boasts that he should be able to destroy all the zombies in no time, Paula interjects and explains that if they make too much of a disruption the zombies might become more aggressive and start going after the people hiding from them inside the buildings. Threed is and inhabited city right now, and the only way it's managing to stay functional is because the zombies are docile enough to not put much effort into breaking down doors. I'm rather fond of this explanation. Not only is it the sort of worldbuilding that fanfiction is good at (picking up where the game's limited graphics and descriptions leave off) but it also reasserts how the author is trying to keep Lucario from being overpowered. Strength isn't everything, and the variety of ways Worlds Conquest leans into that concept to keep its party composition balanced is one of its charms, in my opinion!

There's a brief sidequest of sorts when the group goes to order some pizza, during which the author takes the chance to call out the convoluted pizza delivery system in EarthBound. But they still get their pizza, and there's a couple of small funny and heartwarming moments as there tends to be when a group of people enjoy pizza together. Nothing plot-important though. Then Lucario senses some particularly concentrated evil Aura and the group gets back to business.

Surprise! It's a boss fight! I'm kind of mad the original game doesn't have Lucario in it, both finding and defeating this thing was a pain.

The Aura is coming from one of the local circus tents, which has been possessed (somehow) to become the Boogey Tent. In-game, this was one of Threed's main bosses, and it surprisingly manages to put up a little bit of a fight against our heroes. It needs to be struck in the face for any damage to be dealt, which means the group's first salvo of attacks can't do much. Then it hits the group with a large PSI attack, specifically PSI Flash alpha. Unlike in Smash Bros., PSI Flash/PK Flash originally is one of those moves that has a lot of weird randomized effects, especially status conditions. So in this case, it causes most of the group to cry uncontrollably... but it causes Chris to "feel strange" which essentially means he's going to end up accidentally attacking the rest.

Since Chris is currently using his PK Kid Job, this means he's going to let loose the one move in his arsenal: PK Fire. Anyone who's ever played Smash Bros. knows how much of a danger PK Fire is, and it's even more potent in the original game, where it can hit a large amount of targets at once. So everyone else gets bowled over by a wave of fire. Lucario, naturally, takes issue with this, and slams a massive Aura Sphere directly into the Boogey Tent's face.

Do I feel guilty about spamming this move? No, not in the slightest.

As you might recall from The Bond of Aura, Lucario's Aura Spheres are explosive to a frankly spectacular degree. The tent is obliterated. Only a crater remains. Later on the Threed Newspaper will blame the zombies.

Paula then determines that Chris was the source of the PK Fire, and this prompts discussion about what PSI is and how it works. Somehow Chris still hasn't figured out that his PSI abilities are a result of the Job that Master Hand literally gave him last chapter. Maybe the author just forgot? Fortunately PSI isn't really unheard of in this world, so Chris manifesting it doesn't raise any red flags, but it does cause Chris to panic a little.

The group then puts together a plan to at least temporarily deal with the zombies in Threed without raising too much of a fuss (somehow annihilating the tent didn't count). It's the same plan from the game: fill another circus tent in town with honey and flypaper, which will then attract all the zombies overnight, trapping them in the tent (apparently zombies really like Fly Honey for some reason). Once the bait is set, the group relocates to a hotel to stay the night. When Chris and Lucario are alone, they have a brief discussion about how insane this whole situation is, and Lucario reminds Chris to not be too negative about their situation. He'll get a handle on their powers in no time, and they'll be able to protect Ness from the Subspace Army.

Unfortunately, this happens to be the precise moment when Ness and Paula decided to try reading Chris and Lucario's minds, out of suspicion. Lucario catches them (because Aura can apparently sense psychic powers), but Ness and Paula are still able to figure out enough that an explanation is necessary. So Chris and Lucario reluctantly explain the basics: they're from another world, and they were specifically sent by Master Hand to protect Ness from another otherworldly threat, one that's unconnected to Giygas. Ness and Paula are skeptical (and Jeff is a little shocked as well), but Paula points out that there's no way they're lying seeing as she and Ness just read their minds. Plus, if they meant to harm Ness, Lucario could have taken him out without much difficulty, so clearly Chris and Lucario must be genuine about their intentions.

With all that explained, the group decides to team up for real. The next morning the group heads out to investigate Threed further. The zombies had previously been obstructing a pathway in the woods, but with all the zombies trapped in the circus tent it should be easy to determine what they were guarding. There's a brief encounter with one of EarthBound's running gags: a cameraman who flies down from the sky to take photos of people. "Say, 'Fuzzy Pickles'!" The group gets their photo taken in a graveyard, then continues heading down the passage into Grapefruit Falls.

Pictured: (Part of) Grapefruit Falls. Also Pictured: The undying rage I feel when I'm reminded this place exists.

I remember Grapefruit Falls. I freaking hate Grapefruit Falls. I am so jealous of the fact that the heroes have Lucario with them. When I played EarthBound I kept nearly dying and retraced my steps over and over again until I could finally reach the dang Saturn Valley, but THESE guys just have an overpowered Lucario that takes out everything in their path! I know it's partially for story convenience, nobody wants to watch fifty bajillion encounters happen when they aren't important to the plot. But like. Come on. This area was so hard.

That doesn't mean the group has no monster encounters in Grapefruit Falls. There's a couple of ghosts, and a pile of slime called a Mini Barf, who identifies Chris and Lucario as people it was specifically told to look out for, implying the Subspace Army has already started making alliances with the evil forces in this part of Eagleland. Lucario destroys the Mini Barf, but when he activates his Aura vision to see if any of Subspace's forces are around he oddly comes up empty, aside from a vague mass of negative energy in the distance.

There's a brief encounter with a croissant salesman (EarthBound is weird okay?) and then another monster encounter, this one slightly more significant: the path through the waterfalls is barred by a sizeable group of Plain Crocodiles.

Apparently balancing on one's tail is just. A normal thing crocodiles do in this universe. At this point I would have turned my brain off, but it's hard to do that when you're trying to keep your party from dying. I hate Grapefruit Falls.

Ness, who at this point has only seen Lucario take down the undead or other things devoid of functioning internal organs, cheerfully declares that with Lucario around defeating these Crocodiles should be a snap. Lucario, who remembers how Chris and Jeff reacted the last time he disemboweled an animal, refrains from doing so, instead resorting to fighting defensively. This eventually results in some of the Crocodiles sneaking past him to attack the kids. While it's tough, we get a sort-of-triumphant moment when Chris finally uses PK Fire intentionally to attack one of the Crocodiles. ...But his celebrating is cut short when Chris then gets knocked into the water and screams in a panic.

This is enough to set Lucario off, and we're treated to a surprisingly gruesome description of the Crocodiles being physically torn apart.

Oh, um... [Content Warning: Discussion of Blood, Murder, and Trauma Responses to said Blood and Murder]

Seriously I swear most of the fic isn't this gruesome, this chapter is one of the rewritten ones so I expect that like in The Bond of Aura the author was going for a slightly darker and more mature tone, not realizing how much it clashed with the generally comedic premise of the fic.

Anyhoo, Chris and Lucario and the others get physically drenched in crocodile blood, and Chris just... completely shuts down. It's full-blown panic attack, with the shock and heavy breathing and everything, and the rest of the group aren't faring much better, once again calling Lucario out on resorting to overkill when he really shouldn't have. They're able to get washed off, but Chris is still really out of it, just muttering the words "too much blood" over and over and over again.

Lucario then explains to Ness, Paula, and Jeff that he's actually partially responsible for Chris having this shock reaction, because this isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened to them. Which then leads to a backstory drop which completely blows my mind.

To rip off the band-aid: apparently Lucario has straight-up murdered a guy. Like. In the real world. At some point between the last written chapters of The Bond of Aura and the start of Worlds Conquest, a thief broke into Chris's house and threatened Chris with a knife. Lucario's protective instinct kicked in, and he tore the thief to shreds. Chris was covered in blood in the process, and shut down similarly, to the point that he's developed a form of hemophobia that kept him bedridden for multiple days.

What the heck??? I can't remember if this was in the original version of this chapter, but I am pretty sure this backstory is never addressed or comes up again. I know it reasserts the fact that Lucario's overpoweredness is nowhere near an ideal solution, but like. He killed a guy. There isn't even any explanation of what was done with the body??? Did they just hide it somewhere? Is this really just going to be glossed over? I can't say I'm particularly impressed with using a murder in a backstory for sheer shock factor, if that's the case. It's a bit tacky and insensitive, to be brutally honest.

I also can't remember if Chris's blood phobia comes up again after this. Video Game worlds are often pretty devoid of blood, so I'm not surprised if the concept just didn't come up again for me to remember it, but I'm definitely going to be looking for it specifically this time.

Ness, Paula, and Jeff chew Lucario out some more, but what actually gets to Lucario emotionally is Chris's barely functioning pleas for Lucario to help him. After feeding the boy and getting moving again, Lucario and the children keep moving forward.

[Okay we're done with the Content Warning stuff now]

Paula points out they probably shouldn't be moving, Chris clearly is in desperate need of rest so he can calm down and get out of shock, but Lucario sees a bunch of good Aura signals up ahead and forges on anyway, leading the kids through the falls and caverns while stomping on cockroaches. I am not complaining about the change in locale. Somehow this little traumatic encounter managed to sour my opinion of Grapefruit Falls even more than it already was. If Worlds Conquest somehow has more Suddenly Dark Tonal Whiplash moments like this that I'm just conveniently not recalling at the moment, I'm gonna call them "Grapefruit Falls Moments". Because like. Screw this place. Anyway, when the group finally exits the cave...

BOING!

They're greeted by a creature who introduces itself as Mr. Saturn, which leads them further into a valley. However the group is so focused on getting Chris to safety that none of them, not even Lucario, notice a figure high up on the cliffs shrouded in dark aura. The figure makes an ominous comment about how taking down Ness is its main goal and implies Mr. Saturn might not be as altruistic as it seems.

Next up: Enter The Bad Guys (Plus, a bit of commentary on the inherent hazards involved in fanfic rewriting)