#replayed the mission just to do this and it was so worth it

[hogwartslegacypics]

finally did what we all wanted to do when sebastian called us ignorant 😇

[theygender]

I've got too many games I want to play and not enough free time 😭 I still need to finish my BG3 playthrough but since Endless Ocean: Luminous came out I've been playing a lot of that instead. Also just got back into Wizard101 last night. Started playing House Flipper again last weekend. Still need to finish BOTW so I can start a TOTK playthrough and finish Pokemon Shield so I can start on Pokemon Violet. I've been fighting off the urge to start up a new Skyrim playthrough for weeks. My brother just told me that Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is getting ported to the Switch. And now I'm suddenly feeling inspired to replay DAI... And throughout all of this I'm also playing the hell out of DragonVale on my phone. Someone just pay me to play video games all day please

[thefirstknife]

Big fan of what I read in the thingy about plans for the exotic mission rotator, most of it sounds very solid to me

However

Since the focus seems to be on making the relevant exotic weapon craftable, do you think this makes it less likely we'll get whisper of the worm or zero hour back? Outbreak seems like it wouldnt be broken as a crafted but I cant imagine Whisper as crafted, that feels like a dangerous can of worms.

And also, as it seems unlikely Ada or Black Armory will have a story spotlight again, how would you feel about Niobe Labs getting reworked into an exotic mission, dropping craftable izanagi or le monarque, craftable black armory weapons, and then maybe some of those nifty modified foundry weapons but of the post-witch queen ones.

I thought about that too, specifically the potential to get Zero Hour and Whisper back with craftable Outbreak and Whisper. I really like the idea of craftable exotics with these missions and this idea would be the only real reason to bring back Zero Hour and Whisper. But how viable are they to be craftable is beyond me. I think in some way it might help, especially for Whisper, but on the other, it could make them too powerful, in this case for Outbreak. Balancing that would be incredibly difficult.

I'd like to see those missions returning however! Even if they don't want to make these weapons craftable. I just feel like they won't really bother going through that work if nothing of value can be added. A lot of people say that they want them back, but in reality they would not have much replayability without something to chase. They also might be too frustrating at this point; the Wicked Implement exotic mission being timed was a major point of frustration for a lot of people. But I would 100% enjoy seeing them back, with or without craftable exotics. In a way, it almost makes it more likely because at first it just made no sense to return those missions when the exotics are in the kiosk, but if they're going to be changed in some way, then it makes more sense. It's just on whether or not those two are viable for such a change.

Same thoughts on Ada and Black Armory. I think they did say at one point that they're looking into returning some old weapons, specifically Black Armory and Season of Dawn stuff, but so far we've not heard anything more about it. Your idea would be really cool. Reworking Niobe's Labs into a mission and adding a craftable Black Armory exotic would be really neat. No clue how likely that is to happen though; as of now, I'm thinking not very. But now that we know this stuff with exotic missions is possible, it's a neat possibility.

[creepy-friday]

How would the Proxies react to fem, proxy reader having feelings for them also? (This can be romantic or smut whatever you are comfortable with)

I love their dynamics ngl

Creepypasta Proxies x Fem!Reader

|reciprocated feelings|

Warnings: violence,mental illness, abuse,slight suggestive themes mentions

I'll start with our favorite asshole Masky,whose ego would be over the roof if you happen to have romantic feelings towards him

It means that all of his bullying, harassing and abusing you kind of turned out to be in his favor after all!

He wouldn't believe they are genuine in the first place,he thinks that they are just feelings of lust,of passing the time in this fucked up place,he wouldn't mind if that would be the case either

Tim noticed how you care about him,from a simple light of his cigar to the way you offered to patch him up after training.The way you surprisingly went with him instead of suggesting Brian to assist him in a mission,all of these made his chest warm

Masky's assaults would mellow down A LOT to observe you more,he isn't dumb either to your advances.

If you're more confident I see the reader and Masky making out in the woods,giving life to fantasies,but even after that your relationship would take time to be "real"

But,if you're shy and prefer to not make the first move,Masky would continue to harass you until the point he will have a nervous breakdown and yell ask you directly

"Do you have the hots for me or something?stop fucking around with my fucking head"

After this he will actually realise how much of a dick he actually has been and the tiniest hope he had for someone like you to actually be interested in a piece of shit like him would make itself known

Masky will have a cold yet extremely rare moment of weakness with you while Tim would fully try to express himself while also trying to not creep you out

The man will start by treating you distant at first,but he will warm up to you! If you're more "submissive" he would definitely call you "his bitch" and would make very clear that you are his possession

Even if you're more "dominant" he will continue to guard you from the other residents,but he will treat you more like his equal instead of a princess he has to protect

Either way you're the fire of his ice-cold heart

Toby is already delusional,but the prolonged eye contact definitely made his nights longer,both to replay the way you looked at him and the "hand training" if you know what I mean

He knows there's something more to the way you walk and talk about your day with him,that's why he's even more anxious than usual,which is very very bad

If you just realised you liked him and warmed up more to him,you will have about a week or so time to confess before he will have a breakdown and be all over you

He knows he's a creep,a weirdo even (Creep by Radiohead would describe how he feels about you) and would pin you in some place while pressing his weight onto you and asking over and over again if you think he's "worth it"

Let's face it.He's a traumatized young adult who faces constant bullying,death and compares himself to the "competition" who are stronger and "more alluring" than him.His insecurity is more than justified

After the breakdown he will need one or two days to process his thoughts,he definitely needs some reassuraning from you,even if it's small like a side smile or a wink

He's scared of creeping you out and losing you,that's why he would try to be better.After all,he got the woman everybody craves,so this mindset would give him a littttleee confidence

"Lmao,fuck you Masky" eyes everytime both of you walk suspiciously close to each other.Don't get me wrong,you're not a prize but you're definitely worth bragging over with

Toby is also a hypersexual,so except a lot of begging and pretty moans and pleases to do something to him or to let him do things to you

He's a puppy after you,a very loyal and docile one~

We also have the perfect pervert,Hoodie,who much like his friend,doesn't believe your feelings at first to be genuine

He definitely knows you're onto him,that's why he comes to you first as a fuck buddy

If you accept he would except you to be "lovey dovey" with him only when you need something from him,so he finds strange that you continue to be warm even without any sexual needs

If you turn off his offer he would actually find it amusing that you fell over him from all deranged people

There are no mind games anymore for a while, he would simply return your over friendly gestures and slowly make your way deeper into his heart with some deep questions,to make sure you actually can love him

Brian knows you're capable of love,after all you're the most human of them all,but he doubts you want to see what is layered past him

For the first fucking time he becomes soft and is actually afraid of losing this connection,that's why he approaches you with a "fuck it we ball" mentality and asks you one night

"Do you want to love me?" he uses the L word after Toby.It's up to you how you respond,but he is set on making you accept who he is and to continue on letting you love him

As always,he will continue on staying by your side,even more so than he actually did before.

[chosopie]

I love the conquer Sukana but imagine this. You baby brother Yuji, met Sukana on a walk last night after sneaking out and 'befriend' him so y/b obviously is worried cause who this Sukana so she goes with Yuji and meets Sukana herself. Sukana falls in love and rizz her up successfully so technically Yuji Unknownly set Sukana and Y/n up

MISSION: LOVE - RYOMEN SUKUNA

It was night time—the forbidden hours. Yuji mustered up the courage to bring himself outside without asking you for permission. You were sound asleep, without a single worry in your head as your mind wandered into the land of dreams. He felt guilty for going behind your back, especially since all you ever did was take care of him and try to keep him safe from the dangers of the world.

Yuji was already 15, and he was very much capable of taking a night stroll. Except it wasn’t really night anymore, it was midnight, 12:34 A.M. to be exact. You were going to kill him for going out this late, but he knew it was going to be worth it as long as his plan works.

You have been single for quite a while and Yuji thought it was time for you to meet someone. It was his way of giving back after everything you did for him. He wanted you to have someone else in your life. Your routine was pitiful to look at, for it was an endless cycle of work-cook-clean-attend to Yuji. He felt guilty for being your responsibility at all times, since your parents were no longer there to do that job.

“She must be so miserable,” Yuji sighed.

The cold breeze blew his face, and he smiled in delight, taking in the serenity and freedom the midnight had offered him. He raked his hair with his fingers as he continued to walk towards the nearby convenience store. There had to be someone there who could be a perfect candidate. He pondered, his mind replaying the exact words you told him when he asked you what your type was.

“Someone strong, capable, tall, and intimidating. I kind of like the bad boys, you know?” Those were the exact words you said.

Yuji kept repeating your words in his head like a mantra while he walked towards he glass doors. He pushed them open, and his eyes got to work, scanning every person in the room. His eyes landed on the cashier guy. He was quite short and nerdy-looking. He has a nice nose but he just seemed too uptight.

Nope. Next.

There was this tall man in a blue shirt who was checking the fruits. He looked like a foreigner. He had blonde hair, a tall and muscular stature, but he also seemed like some goody two shoes type of guy.

Next.

“Woah,” Yuji gasped as he stared at the big and tall man who was checking the beers in the refrigerator. He had pink hair, tattoos, and an ear piercing. He had this grumpy and intimidating aura. “He’s perfect.”

He quickly walked up to him, but suddenly got shy and scared. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up at the guy. “Excuse me… are you single?”

The big stranger grimaced. “Fuck off, will you? Aren’t you a teenager? Plus, I ain’t into that gay shit.”

“No,” Yuji squeaked, clearly embarrassed and regretting his choice of words now. “You might be interested in my older sister.”

The man thought about it, then looked back at Yuji. “Is she hot?”

“I don’t know how to answer that…”

“Alright, whatever. Give me her number.”

“I’ll just tell her to come here,” Yuji took his phone out and dialed in your number. “Uh, what’s your name, sir?”

“Sukuna.”

-

“What the fuck?” You groaned and rubbed your eyes. Your phone loudly rang and vibrated.

“Yuji” the contact name was displayed on your screen, causing you to panic. You quickly tapped on the button to accept his call.

“Oh my god, where are you? What happened?” You frantically asked him.

“It’s my new friend Sukuna. Convenience store. Now.” Yuji quickly dropped the call before you could ask more questions.

“Who on earth is Sukuna?” You groaned and rummaged your closet for some clothes, preparing yourself for whatever mess Yuji had gotten himself into. The frustration was getting to you, not only because you were tired and sleepy, but also because Yuji had decided to venture off at night all alone without your permission. What was he even thinking? Of course, you were more worried than mad, especially when you heard the name of another man. A million scenarios raced around your head, your mind trying to pick the most probable situation.

-

“Yuj!” You pushed the door open and searched all the aisles until you reached the alcohol section where Yuji stood with a stranger. “Who is this?”

Yuji deviously smile, mischief glinting in his eyes. “What’cha think about him? He’s your type, right?”

“Are you kidding me, Yuji?”

Now you were really angry. All that trouble because Yuji was trying to set you up with someone? What if he met someone dangerous? You shook away your frustrations, your attention now on the mad that stood before you. Shit, he is handsome. You hated to admit but Yuji succeeded.

“Yeah, he is,” you quietly mumbled, and you felt your face grow hot.

“What’s that?” Sukuna pointed behind you.

You quickly turned around, and found nothing. “Huh?” When you turned back to face them, you felt a finger poke your cheek.

“What a fucking dumbass,” Sukuna laughed.

“I wouldn’t fall for that if we were friends, but you’re just a stranger,” you protested. Your face was now as pink as his hair.

“Let’s change that, dumb woman.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Fine, I’ll stop, only because you’re pretty…” Sukuna sighed.

“Good,” you beamed.

“…Pretty dumb.” He added, his big hand ruffling your hair. Ignoring his corny remark, you couldn’t help but smile at the oddly sweet gesture.

Yuji triumphantly smirked, his arms crossed while he watched the two of you. “I’m way too good at this.”

[dronebiscuitbat]

Oil is Thicker Then Blood (Part 7)

The one thing Uzi did not mind about her transformation was her ability to fly alongside N during scavenging missions. He often had to slow down (thrusters will always be faster than manual flying), but it didn't seem to bother him in the least, especially when she was sharing her favorite songs with him over short-range.

And no, it didn't all consist of Nightcore thank you very much. She was sharing the ones she thought he would like.

Of course, N liked all of them, so she probably could blare Nightcore at full volume and he'd like it, but she was still keeping it mostly mainstream, mostly because he seemed to like singing lyrics if he knew them, which was fun!

Because he was good at it.

He nailed nearly every note so long as he was familiar with the song, and it was gorgeous, his voice smooth as butter and just high enough to reach the minor keys without sounding off.

And yes, it did make her core flutter like it was full of a million butterflies, but that was besides the point.

“Hang on, lemme give you this one.” She sent another over to him, her wings flapping above her as they both glided comfortably.

“How many do you have?!” N asked excitedly, although it was definitely in the sense that he was eager to hear all of them and not that he wanted her to stop.

“Years worth of emotional repression leads to years worth of saved angst, what can I say?” She replied, poking a little fun at herself, she pushed ahead as he opened the audio file, scanning the ground for any parts she needed.

This one was a little angry sounding, but the guitar was nice, and there was a woman singing in the background that he wished didn't sound so sad, but it was pretty, at the very least.

“Do you want me to just give you my playlist? I've kinda just been sending you singles from it this whole time.” She fell back in line with him, wings beating above her, wow, he never realized how strong they looked before.

“Yes!” He beamed, being ecstatic to listen to more, it was leagues better than anything he'd ever heard play at the manor, plus he felt as if he was learning quite a bit about her just through her saved songs.

He noted the complete lack of love songs, there were plenty of breakup songs, but it didn't seem that Uzi had either never felt that way about anyone or she may have just not liked the sappiness of them. He wasn't sure, he was kinda hoping for the latter, she deserved someone to make her happy, surely?

“Here. But we can't spend all night doing this, it not really what we're here for…” She sent him a massive folder that was going to take a bit to install, in the meantime. They both flew upwards, trying to spot things from higher up.

“No worries, what are we looking for?” He asked, just replaying the same songs he'd already listened to on repeat, just at a lower volume.

“A hardware store preferably, that explosion melted all my railguns internals… stupid J… pain in my ass even in death.” She added, sounding bitter. He didn't argue.

“Hmm, I think I saw one last night. I can send you the map data?” He offered, not noticing how closely they were flying, he could feel each beat of her wings. The urge to wrap his tail around her hit him suddenly. She wasn't in danger. What was this about?

“Sweet! Yes!” She gave him a thumbs up, and so he sent the map data to her, and she went silent looking it over intently.

And here he was admiring how she could intently focus of his map data while also flying near perfectly again, if he ever needed to revist a location he had to stop flying lest he hit something. Not her though, her mind was so lightening fast. Not just in this, but in everything.

Man his best freind was so cool. And pretty.

She… was pretty. But that was random.

“Yeah, you did pass one, this way!” She did pause in the air for a moment, but only to turn to him and make sure he was following, he nodded, letting her lead him.

Her tail swirled behind her as she kept herself aloft, it was graceful in it's own way, since she had to think more about consciously flying then he did, and so she ended up doing more spins and tricks in the air just by flying normally. It was almost like watching a dance, albeit a bat-like one.

“We're here.” He heard her shout before diving, and he followed without question, landing beside her with a metallic thud in contrast with her graceful perfect landing.

Okay, what the heck was going on with him today?

“Anything specific?” He asked, dusting the snow off himself before it melted and refroze to his chassis. Ignoring the random intrusive thoughts that seemed to be increasing in frequency and intensity.

“Small screws, wiring, oh! And capacitors! Lots and lots of capacitors.” He knew at least what two of those things were at what they looked like, so he nodded and followed her into the blasted out store after beating the snow out of his cap.

Her tail whipped around into a flashlight, pointing it at the rotten shelves and the icesicles hanging above them, a skeleton was at the counter, still in uniform, and still in the position of looking bored.

“Split up? I'll look for the capacitors, you get the screws and wiring?” She turned to him, with the absence of others she always seemed to smile, he gave her a thumbs up and beamed her one right back, before turning and wandering to the nearest shelf, leaving them both alone with their thoughts.

Uzi was already searching deep in the electronic section, trying to find capacitors that weren't completely broken or frozen, with a task at hand her mind was blessedly empty for once, enough that she was humming absent-mindedly whatever song had gotten trapped in her head.

She didn't sing, she didn't like her voice and thought it was too deep for most songs, but humming was fine, if it wasn't done in front of other people. Robo-God forbid someone hear her not being aggro for ten seconds. But here she was alone, and N was on the other side of the store, he couldn't hear her.

And even if he could, it was N. He wouldn't ever make fun of her for anything.

She smiled. At this point trying to deny her feelings was pointless, he made her feel so special, so wonderful. And he was so happy to spend any time with her, whether it be listening to her music or watching a movie or agreeing to visit a baby with her. He was always down, loving every second.

It rubbed off on her, she found herself smiling more, liking her life more, liking herself more. She was beginning to feel less like a freak and more like a person, all thanks to the lovable goofball she called her best freind.

And she wanted to call him more, connect with him more, but… she couldn't be certain he felt the same way. He was always so loving but he was like that with everyone, he cared, and that's just who he was.

So nothing he did proved he liked her like that. Romanticly. Never in a million years did she ever think she would be longing for someone, or even have a crush in the first place, but here she was, admitting to herself that… she was in love. Ew

But at the same time, the way he had been looking at her in the nursery, with a small smile on his face and his eyes digitally half-lidded. He looked… almost like he wanted to kiss her.

But that had to have been her imagination, he'd asked if she felt better right before, maybe he'd just been concerned.

With a victorious gasp she found a whole box of preserved capacitors and quickly stashed them in her bag before going off and trying to find the boy in question, core full of butterflies but also very very heavy.

N had finally finished downloading Uzi's monster of a playlist and was skimming through it while picking up his second box of screws, he doubted she needed this many, but being an overachiever never got him in trouble before.

He fingered the wiring he had in his pocket, feeling satisfied that he'd completed his task and yet still felt anything but.

He was… confused.

Uzi was his friend, his best friend. And yet the more he thought about her the lighter his core got, in a way that was new to him. Well no, that was it wasn't it? It wasn't new.

It was just attached to a new person.

But… he didn't have a crush on Uzi did he? He could form sentences just fine around her, he wasn't nervous or artificially sweaty. He just wanted to be close, to protect her. To be there when she needed him. That wasn't romantic. It was protective! Like all friends should be!

And yet he still felt unsatisfied, like he was missing something.

“Hey! Did you find what we needed?” He heard her before he saw her, bounding up to him with a crooked smirk, her tail twitching behind her and her wings folded against her back. She was cute…

He shook off his thoughts again.

“Yeah! Here!” He he presented the screws and the wire to her with a smile, his tail twitching as her hand grazed his as she took them, no that wasn't a spark you're imagining things.

“Thanks!” You ready to head back? It's going to be morning soon.” She asked, punching his shoulder playfully, a small laugh left his mouth.

“Yeah! And we can listen to music together on the way back!”

“Sure buddy.”

And with that they took off, commenting on songs and cracking jokes about the stupid ones, flying high to get home faster. With each minute he felt himself relax, whatever confusing mess his thoughts were causing right now didn't matter, they were laughing, and she was smiling. He would figure it out later.

“Is… is this song about a potato?” He asked slowly, causing her to snort before devolving into a fit of laughter.

“Y-yeah? I thought it was funny, and I rigged the teachers lounge to play it on repeat once.”

N didn't want to ask why, but he felt that it was a very Uzi thing to do.

“Hey, I might need to crash at your place tonight. Charge is low and I don't wanna pass out on the way home.” As she said that, a little low battery symbol appeared at the top right corner of her visor, showing she wasn't lying.

“Sleepover!” He shouted, making her smile again, he really liked her smile…

“Yeah, whatever.” She rolled her eyes, but her words lacked any sort of bite. There was a brief comfortable silence before;

“Oh… this one's kinda sad.” His face fell at little as he listened. An orchestral swell being out of place in the rest of the playlist.

I am tired of this dream….

Will it ever end for me?

“Sorry, I don't have a lot of happy ones that aren't also sarcastic…” She admitted sheepishly, she probably should find happier songs now that she was thinking about it. She felt happier now, what was the harm? So long that it was only her and N that would ever hear them.

I don't have the will to know…

Can you help me see?

“Oh! Duet!” He hummed happily, that fact alone seemingly making him feel better about it.

Let my body keep you warm…

Let my essence be your breeze.

Oh. This was a love song, and a rather longing one. He looked over Uzi's playlist, this one was added only recently. About three months ago, huh that was around when prom happened.

Can you hear me calling?

Please look out for meeee…

“N! Look!” Uzi shouted and he looked up, the gas giant was being eclipsed by Copper-9s barren moon, causing the entire night sky to be lit up in a burnt umber red. But he'd be lying if he said that was what caught his attention.

Can you set me free?

Will you take my soul away?

Uzi was silhouetted in the light perfectly, sending warm oranges and reds bouncing off her features like she was gazing at a roaring fire, she was hung in the air, snowflakes falling slowly around her, the light turning them to embers dancing in the air. She was smiling, her hands reaching out to touch one of the dancing flames.

Casting me in cold

Bury me in bones

Rest eternallyyyyyy…

He felt all the moisture in his mouth evaporate on the spot, and any further thought through his processors die. If flying wasn't an automatic process, he would have fallen from the sky in shock.

She looked beautiful.

Will you take me home?

Can we see the moon again?

Dancing in the dark

Till we fall apart

I can't end this dream...

[okieedokes]

girl worth writing to | john egan x f!reader

summary : john pays you a visit while he’s on leave and things get melodramatic lol

warnings : brief mention of suicide, doesn't exactly follow the events of the show

word count : 888

The vibration of gentle snores rouse you from your sleep, your eyes search for the clock ticking away on your nightstand.

5:04 am

The sun had barely risen yet and you cursed yourself for being such a light sleeper, knowing the day you had ahead of you. However, the sight of shirtless John Egan dozing peacefully beside you was certainly one for sore eyes. You lifted a hand to his disheveled curls and attempted to stroke them back into place, whilst your mind replayed the events of the night before…

5:34 pm

You had just returned to your flat from another agonising day at the infirmary, to the incessant ring of the telephone. You are hesitant to answer, as you are sure it’s your head nurse, calling to inform you there’s been another emergency and you would need to return.

With a deep breath you lower yourself onto the edge of the bed and retrieve the telephone.

“Hello?…” You had meant to use a more formal introduction but simply couldn’t find the strength.

“Y/N?! It’s me, Bucky! You remember?” He teased.

You had half the mind to pretend you had forgotten the pilot after not hearing a word from him in almost six months.

“Unfortunately, I do remember.” You mask your tone with sarcasm.

“Atta girl!” He remarked and you found yourself repressing a smile as you imagined the cheeky grin on his face.

“I just completed my twenty-fifth mission today and it was frankly very nearly my last, so they’re graciously giving me the weekends leave!” He boasts sarcastically and you suppress a giggle.

“Lucky Buck!” You retort and hear him scoff.

“Anyways, I was thinking I’d come pay you and London a visit…that’s if you’d have me, of course.”

You take a pause, pretending you have a choice. Unfortunately the truth of the matter was that you’d take the Major in, always and forever no-matter the heartache, come his departure.

“Do you still remember the address?” You asked, placing a hand to your stomach in an attempt to ease the brewing butterflies.

“I couldn’t forget if I tried sweetheart, I’ll see you soon enough.” He teased playfully and ended the call.

You sighed at the realisation that you would have to spend all evening making your tired self presentable for the pilot, knowing deep down that for John it would always be worth it.

5:36 am

You jump at the feeling of his large hand wrap around your wrist that was still embedded in his hair. You feel your cheeks grow bright red as you push your body towards the opposite side of the bed.

“I’m sorry baby, I didn’t mean you scare ya.” He croaks in his deep morning voice that never fails to make your knees weak.

“That’s okay! I need to get ready for my shift anyways.” You stutter wrapping yourself in the bedsheet as you crawl out of bed.

“Y/N please…” Bucky groans and grasps at the sheet that is now tightly wound around your shivering frame.

“You always do this…it’s too early and it’s bloody freezing.” He pleads and gently pulls you back into the bed and his embrace, gently guiding your into head to the crook of his neck.

“I’m sorry I scared you…twenty-five missions…it’s starting to get to me now, I think.” He admits whilst stroking a lock of hair behind your ear.

“I can only imagine the horrors you boys have endured…” You whisper.

“You would probably understand more than most Y/N…what with the hospital and all the bombings.” He adds, his tone soft and comforting as he continues to stroke your hair. This is not the witty and sarcastic John you were familiar with.

“I suppose you could say that.” You mumble as you fidget with the dog tag that hangs around his neck, a cruel reminder.

“I guess it doesn’t help that I have this American pilot of mine who when I’m sure has gone and died on me-”You attempt a teasing tone but it falls flat.

“What’s all this about me being a goner? Don’t you have any faith Y/N?” He interjects, his tone only half joking.

“Well you never write or call? What am I supposed to think?!” You feel anger boiling in your chest as you push yourself away from him.

“Or maybe I’m just not worth writing to!” You accuse before John had time to even consider a response to your sudden outburst.

“I promise it’s nothing like that Y/N… you know how I feel about you. Christ! I wouldn’t be using my weekend off like this if I didn’t have feelings for you!” He scrambles to defuse the situation, knowing your spirited ways.

“Oh really?!” You mock.

“Y/N these missions, they’re suicide! I couldn’t never let you get involved with me now! It would be cruel!” His statement cuts the conversation like a knife, silence falling over the entire flat.

A tear rolls down your cheek as you stifle a sob.

“I-I’m sorry John…but I think I’m already…involved.” You stutter.

The pilot sighs, using the bedsheet gathered around your waist to pull you back down into the mattress, so now you are pinned underneath him. There's nowhere to hide.

“If you only knew how many times I’ve heard your voice in my head or seen your face in a crowd…” He whispers whilst gently placing a kiss to each of your tear soaked cheeks.

“You’re my girl…I’m sorry I ever made your feel like you weren't worth writing to.” His tone is soft but sincere.

Without looking away, he reaches for a scrap of paper that was resting atop your bedside table.

“In fact I’ll start right now…My dearest Y/N…” He declares in a exaggerated british accent and you playful slap his shoulder, giving him permission to attack you with kisses again.

When he finally pulls away your eyes meet and you raise a hand to his cheek.

“Come back to me, Major Egan.” The words tumble out before you even able to acknowledge they are there.

“Always.” He whispers, before burying is head in your chest. It wasn't long before you feel his soft snores radiating against your body again.

[its-time-to-write]

Hi!! I hope you’re well! This ask is a little diff from the norm BUT it’s with Jamie and Bea (his daughter OC you created I don’t remember her name exactly I’m so sorry) but basically it’s her like dealing with a stupid boy who reminds her father a lot of himself and he helps her understand that she’s worth the world!! She eventually finds herself an amazing guy and tells Jamie sm like “I wouldn’t let myself settle for anything less than the example you set”? Anywho I’m always here for Jamie in his dad era so if you’re inspired TY ILY YOURE AMAZING KEEP SLAYING I REREAD YOUR FICS LIKE EVERY NIGHT🫶🫶🫶

wow, two posts in one day?😱 the mission to clean out my inbox continues! this fic is a little out of my wheelhouse, but I did my best. the title is from “betty” bc teens are dumb and also great. here are the other fics in this universe:

you’re losing me

i’ll still be right next to you my dear

today’s a day like any other

lyrical smile, indigo eyes

thanks for requesting!!🩵

i don’t know anything

“It’s just for school, Jamie,” you say.

“Yeah, it’s just for school, dad,” Bea says. 

You point to her from the kitchen. “Stay out of this, kid.”

She puts her hands in the air and backs away. “And hang up your bag!” you call.

Jamie hovers over your shoulder. He’s supposed to be helping with dinner, as he’s taken up cooking more since his retirement from football. 

“Look,” you say as you slice vegetables, “you said nothing when Theo had a girl over last week. Why are you so fucking weird about Bea having a boy over?”

“Because- she- he- it’s different,” he sputters.

You hand him a head of lettuce with the command, “Shred.” He starts tearing it into pieces, letting it fall into a bowl.

“And how, Jamie Tartt, is that different?”

“Theo is fucking twelve. He’s a kid. Bea’s fifteen and a dead knockout. She got both our looks and your brains. Any knob’d be fucking lucky to have her.”

“Yeah, okay,” you replay. “He’s still going to be here in five minutes. And you’re going to be nice. She likes this boy, Jaim. So we’re going to be supporting and fucking grateful that she’s not sneaking around, got it?”

“Fuck’s sake,” Jamie grumbles. “This is what I get for being a prick as a kid. Bet you and Keeley think this is fuckin’ hilarious.”

The doorbell saves you from replying. Bea yells, “I’ve got it!” as she thunders down the stairs.

She appears a moment later with a boy dressed in the same school uniform as her. 

“This is Isaiah,” she says. Isaiah snorts and looks away, so you put a hand on Jamie’s arm to stop him from doing anything.

“It’s nice to meet you, Isaiah. Can we get you anything? Water, a snack?”

He shrugs and says “Nah.”

There’s an awkward pause before Bea says, “Right! We’ll just be in the living room.”

They leave and Jamie turns to you. “I don’t like that kid,” he whispers. You don’t either, but you’re not going to tell him just yet. You’ll give the kid a chance because you have a weird soft spot for absolute assholes.

You squint at him for a moment then say, “You know, if we’re quiet, we can listen in.”

Jamie grabs your head with both hands and kisses you. “This. This is why I married you. Fucking brilliant.” You smile and pat his cheek.

Their voices float in the kitchen and you can’t quite catch what Bea’s saying, but it’s definitely a question. Isaiah’s response is… not exactly kind.

Jamie mouths, the fuck? and you frown. He has a look in his eyes that you haven’t seen since the days he used to brawl with Roy. You’re considering a brawl of your own.

Give him a minute, you mouth back.

You half-heartedly continue chopping while straining to hear as much as you can. It’s not good. He’s not being explicitly mean, but he sure as shit isn’t kind.

You and Jamie are so intent on trying to listen that you don’t hear Theo come in the room. “What are you doing?”

The two of you jump and swear. “Jesus feck, kid, don’t sneak up on your mum like that.”

“You’re the one who jumped the highest dad,” Theo points out. “Mum, can I have a snack?”

You say, “Sure,” and absentmindedly point to the fridge.

“Fuckin hell, did Bea eat the last of the cake?”

“Fucking hell,” echoes your youngest, Georgie. She’s seven, and like Theo’s shadow.

“Don’t say ‘fuck,’” you and admonish in unison.

“Can you be fucking quiet??” Bea whisper-growls from the doorway. “We’re trying to study.”

The four of you make your apologies as she leaves.

—

Two hours later, Isaiah’s left and Bea’s on the phone with her best mate. You can hear her saying something in a favourable tone.

“Why the fuck did you let that little prick into our house?” Jamie seethes. “Fucking tosser. He’s not good enough for her, and I don’t give a shit what you have to say about it.”

You shoot him a Look and he apologizes. “Sorry babe, it ain’t about you. I do care what you have to say. Just- I fucking hated that prick.”

“Give her a week,” you say. “If you tell her never to speak to him again, she’ll do the exact opposite, yeah?”

“Yeah, alright,” he grumbles.

—

It’s formal season. Bea’s sixteen and over the moon, talking about the boy who asked her out. 

“He’ll be here any minute. Dad, you’re still driving us, yeah?”

Jamie smiles and wipes lipstick out of the corner of her mouth. “Whatever you want, love.”

Bea smiles back and fiddles with her necklace. “I hope he likes this dress,” she frets.

Jamie grabs her hand. “Oi, any kid would be fucking lucky to be in the same room as you, let alone at a formal. Isaiah better fucking behave.”

“Don’t say fuck,” Bea says automatically, then she frowns. “I’m not going with Isaiah.”

Jamie’s face twists into confusion. “Why the fuck not?”

“He’s a prick,” Theo calls from the next room, followed by, “Ow, mum, my ear!”

“He is a prick,” Bea says.

“I’m a prick,” Jamie points out.

Bea scrunches her nose. “You were a prick, Dad, like, three decades ago when you were my age. Now you’re just an old softie.”

Jamie shakes his head. “Don’t know how old you think I am, love, but you’ve got your maths all wrong.”

There doorbell rings and you call, “I’ve got it!” as Bea panics with a last-minute hair adjustment.

“Oi,” Jamie says gently, “you look beautiful, love. Just like your mum. Glad you dumped that prick.”

Bea shrugs. “I had to, dad. Couldn’t be with him when I have a dad like you.”

Bea’s date, Thomas, walks into the room all smiles. He shakes Jamie hand then shyly slides a corsage onto her wrist. He is a far cry from who Jamie was at that age. This kid doesn’t seem so sure of himself, like he’s trying very, very hard not to mess things up. He and Bea whisper about something as you sidle up to Jamie.

“We did good with that one,” you whisper in his ear. He smiles. Thank god she doesn’t have her mum’s taste in men.

[ghostandsoap]

The Risk of Love

John Price x Fem! Reader

Tags: Mentions of death. Sacrifice. Angst.

A/N: Just a simple fic. Kind of trash.

Word Count: 2.4k

“I couldn’t live with myself if something had happened to you on my account.”

Price was pissed.

Never in his life had the good captain ever flipped his lid quite like this. It was the kind of anger that no one dared to try and get in the way of. His blood was boiling hot, and the pressure of it felt like it was increasing with every inhale he took. He was scary when he was angry, and it didn’t feel good to be on the receiving end of it.

Even in hindsight, you wouldn’t change a single thing that you did that day.

To avoid sugar coating it, you had saved John Price from dying. Price was mere moments from meeting his demise when you swooped in at the last minute to snatch him from the grasp of death. 

It had been a scene of chaos. Enemies were dropping like flies and the sound of gunfire was so loud that it was hard to hear anything at all. Eventually, there was a clearing and a window of opportunity to escape and complete the mission.

Price failed to get away with the rest of the team when it was time to run. At the brink of escape, you realized that your captain was left behind – now a sitting duck in the midst and swarm of enemy fire. 

It was a no-brainer. There was no hesitation or time spent weighing your options. You did what any loyal soldier would do.

You went back for him.

In all honesty, you weren’t so sure that it wasn’t more out of an act of love than it was an act of loyalty. There was no question as to how you felt about him. Avoiding going back for him wasn’t a choice.

You weren’t leaving your captain to die.

It wasn’t a graceful rescue, you would admit. It was pretty much a mixed scramble of shooting blindly at anything that moved and grabbing at his collar to force him to his feet as an attempt at a second chance at life. 

The two of you dashed through gun smoke and flying debris, doing everything you could to ensure that you were going to live to see another day. It all happened so quickly that Price didn’t even register what had happened until the two of you were caught back up with the rest of the team.

He was frazzled at first. He was barely even aware of what happened until he had the chance to replay it all over in his mind again.

The team eventually slowed once the coast was clear and was in a safe location. The time to catch your breath and regroup was definitely needed, and it was just enough given time to allow Price to come to terms with what exactly you had just done.

And quite frankly, he couldn’t believe it.

You had come back for him.

He couldn’t fathom that you had rolled the dice and thrown your life out on the line on the off chance of saving his. He wasn’t worth all of that, and it spooked him just how quickly you had acted on it.

He was having a hard time processing it. He couldn’t come up with a proper reaction fast enough. So he resorted to the one that came to him most naturally (a flaw of his, he was aware.)

Anger.

His initial reaction exploded right there in front of everyone. He blew a gasket right then without taking into account that this was not the time nor the place to have this conversation. He spat fire as he gave a little sneak peek at the full version scolding that was to come later when the two of you were alone. 

Ghost, Soap, and Gaz couldn’t do anything other than stand stoically and watch. They were just as shocked at his fury as you were because if there was one thing there was to know about John Price, it was that you could never, ever do wrong in his eyes.

His anger was a major surprise to you. Certainly it was a rash decision, but it was the right move under any circumstances. How could he be mad at you for saving his life? 

The journey back to the base was quiet. No one dared to say anything. Price was silent, but visibly stewing. It didn’t feel right to be the source of his emotional turmoil. Never once had he blown up at you like that, especially when you had done him a favor.

There was part of you that felt ashamed, the natural feeling after being hissed at by your superior. But the other part of you was frustrated. He was ungrateful for the fact that you cared enough to go back for him? How did that make any sense?

The trip back to the base felt all too short. You knew once you were in a private location, it was game on. The scenery outside of your window flew by in a flash, far too quickly for you to take any of it in. 

The moment your boots hit the ground outside of the vehicle, Price barked an order to speak with you.

The rest of the team couldn’t do anything but watch helplessly as Price practically dragged you to an empty room to “have a chat.” It felt like following the principal to his office after one too many strikes inside the classroom. Except this time you had no strikes, and you weren’t even sure what exactly you were in trouble for. 

Price entered first, waiting for you to follow suit before unloading everything on you. There was barely even time to take a breath before he went off again.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Price boomed, not even a millisecond after the door closed behind him with a squeak and a thud.

A flush of red infiltrated his cheeks as he stared at you through unblinking eyes. His pupils were blown to twice their normal size, almost to the point where his irises were completely swallowed by black. If it weren’t for the natural intervention of his brain, the hard clench of his jaw would’ve broken every single one of his teeth. 

Never once had Price even remotely acted like this towards you. If anything, you were the only one who could prevent him from getting this upset over something. 

Needless to say, Price was beyond angry.

It was uncomfortable to be yelled at like this by anybody…especially when it was someone who you were so fond of and vice versa. But even under the awkward pressure, you weren’t one to let this kind of outburst slide without a little pushback.

“Well that’s a shitty way to thank me.” Your voice low and words coming out as a mumble.

Price’s upper lip twitched. His face morphed into an expression that plainly and clearly read: “are you kidding me?”

“Thank you? You just nearly got both of us killed, and you want me to thank you?” He gawked, clearly not believing what he was hearing.

“We were all at risk. I wasn’t in any more danger than anybody else.” You argued, arms crossed over your chest in a defensive way.

“You had gotten away with the others. Darling, I would’ve been just fine.” He seethed.

“Like hell you would’ve. You might as well have had a target on your forehead,” You corrected. “I had to come back for you.”

“You didn’t have to do anything. You put your own safety, not to mention your life, in jeopardy.” He fired back.

“Which is something that I know you would’ve done for me,” You remarked. “Look me in the face and say you wouldn’t have done the same if it had been me instead of you.”

Price’s next line of words were knocked out of his mouth. He knew that you were right. There was no doubt in his mind that he would’ve done the same for you…in the exact same way and with the same lack of hesitation. 

Price never would’ve been able to live with himself if something irreversibly horrible had happened to you, and he did nothing to prevent it. The thought alone of something like that happening brought a burning, unbearable nausea to his stomach. 

This was different in his mind. You had put yourself at risk for his sake…in a lot of ways, it wasn’t so different at all.

John did everything he could to keep you safe. There were layers to your relationship. Colleagues, best friends, lovers. It made things complicated, he would admit. It certainly had changed many things.

Suddenly, you had transitioned from his best soldier, to his best soldier that he also happened to be madly in love with. It was a welcomed change, but it was one that presented some challenges.

He was so emotionally and romantically involved with you that he went the extra mile to ensure that you were secure. 

In this line of work, it made that task much, much more difficult. It was exhausting to constantly be on defense from the outside elements that he couldn’t control. The sinister things and people that were out to get you in an ongoing war. 

Price knew that deep down he couldn’t stop everything from getting to you. You had been injured on missions more than once, some incidents being worse than others. But he felt that it was his responsibility to do everything he could to prevent that, and that’s where the root of his anger was growing from.

In reality, it wasn’t that at all. It was fear manifesting itself into anger.

You had scared him.

It wasn’t lost on him that most people wouldn’t lash out like this at the person who just saved them from death. Honestly, he wasn’t sure why he was feeling so strongly about this. 

Price knew that he was often quick to react boldly to certain situations. It was something that he had been consistently working on since establishing a relationship with you. He wanted to better himself, and this was an opportunity to put it into effect.

He took a moment to re-center himself, taking a deep breath in to reset his mind and body. 

Explain how you feel, John. Communicate.

“It was stupid to come back for me. You could’ve easily been killed,” Price rumbled. “I can’t risk that.”

While Price was well on his way to calming down, you were still burning on. 

“Why? I can handle myself, Price.” 

That stung his heart. When it was just the two of you, you only used his last name when it was an intentional dig. He took another breath. He had drawn this behavior out of you, and he could certainly defuse it if he kept it together.

Keep it together. You made her angry.

“Because this means nothing without you,” He said as coolly as possible. “I couldn’t live with myself if something had happened to you on my account.”

There was a moment of quiet. A gentle, personal reflection that both of you needed to reach a constructive end to this conversation. His words took a moment to register in your mind, your heart soaking them up much faster than your brain. 

His face was still frozen still, but his eyes were swimming with feeling. Somewhere in those pools of his, there was a glimmer of fear shining through. A fear that you had inadvertently caused out of an act of care and love. 

When looking at this situation from his point of view, it made sense how he felt. If Price had risked his life to save yours, it would’ve frightened you as well. 

“John…” You exhaled, a mound of stress coming off with it.

Tell her you love her.

“I love you,” He professed, his hand coming to cradle your face. “You know I do. It’s just that I’ve lost a lot of people that I care about…and I can’t lose you.”

“I almost lost you. I couldn’t just let that happen.” You stated.

It was almost comical. The two of you were arguing over the same thing essentially…just from different perspectives. John was upset that you risked your life for his, although he would’ve done the same for you. And if John had been the one to put his life on the line…you weren’t so sure that you wouldn’t have reacted the same way.

John’s anger was a reflection of fear, which in turn was an even stronger reflection of love. It was hard to be so defensive when he was so passionate. John was understanding of the position you were in. He supposed that, in reality, he was more distraught over the fact that you had been put in that situation to begin with.

“I suppose I can’t stop you from saving my life then, hm?” John chuckled, his voice low and much calmer now.

He pressed his lips to your forehead, planting a sweet kiss that was more for his own comfort than yours. This ordeal was just a reminder of the dangers and tribulations of your job. The situations that you often found yourself in were less than ideal, considering the average person would never have to have this conversation.

Most of all, it was a cruel reminder of how uncontrollable fate can be…and the risks of being in love with each other.

“And I can’t stop you from saving mine.” 

John didn’t like it when you couldn’t come to a mutual compromise. Nine times out of ten, the two of you could always come to a happy solution when you had a disagreement. John didn’t like leaving unfinished business, especially when it came to you.

He ran his thumb across the apple of your cheek, the warmth of your face infiltrating his hand. He felt relief when he looked into your blinking eyes, the same ones that he had fallen in love with over and over again. The ones that glistened with love and life.

He always prayed that he would go first because he was petrified of the day that he couldn’t look into their beauty anymore.

“I wish that I could promise to be more careful.” John declared, his chest inhaling and exhaling deeply.

“Yeah…” You answered, the sudden serenity in his voice settling you. “But no matter how much you protest it…I’ll always come back for you.”

There was a pang in his heart. The words crept into his bloodstream and spread through every capillary and every fiber of his body. He couldn’t stop you from being there for him, protecting him, supporting him.

Most of all, he couldn’t stop you from loving him. The same way that you couldn’t stop him.

“Me too, darling. Me too.”

[romanoffsbish]

How to Mend What’s Broken

Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

Prompt

"I feel your absence in everything that I do alone, in every place I go without you."

Warnings: Angst; Breakup, Jealous Nat.

This is the first of many ghost posts, I’m queuing up my requested blurbs/fics as I finish them, but I won’t really be here.

She'd thought you were bluffing, that this year long mission would be like any of the others, and that when she came home with flowers and chocolates that you'd just happily embrace her. That wasn't the case though, she came back to find you'd not only moved out of your shared apartment, but that you apparently moved on. Hearing it through her family, the one you now shared after half a decade together was hard, but actually seeing it was truly devastating.

—————-

—————-

"Nat, if you go on the mission, then I'm gone.," the words replay in her fractured mind, on a continuous loop as she's forced to watch you dancing with another at Tony's New Year's party—it wasn't right, she felt nauseous seeing the way her hands sat on your hips, pulling you in for a kiss, and the worst part being the way you beamed back at her, pushing her fallen hair behind her ear, the same way you did hers.

Natasha could feel the bile rising up her throat, she couldn't stomach the sight of you two so happy together. Shifting on her feet she faced the bar again, chasing the obnoxious burning in her throat down with a different kind. She could hear you giggle from across the room, and in turn the next shot was thrown back. Every time she saw her hands on you flash in her mind another shot was taken, her high tolerance aside, the woman smelled like a distillery, and truly needed to be stopped.

"Sestra, slow down.," Yelena hissed, yanking the shot glass from her sister's hand, sending her a warning glare as she tried to grab it back., "Natasha, you made your choice, live with it.," The redheads shoulders deflated instantly at her words, because they were the ugly truth.

Months—you gave her so many of them to get it together, to finally put you first for once, but she continuously failed to do so, leaving you behind for those fleeting rushes of adrenaline, but that high she so desperately craved wasn't the same when she didn't have your arms to crash into after she finally returned home.

No, instead of welcome home cuddles, and whispers of 'I love you' between steamy kisses she's met with cold sheets, and nightmares. The kind that shows her how bleak her future is going to be without the love you two had fostered, she shakes her head as the aforementioned images began to flood her inebriated mind again., "It wasn't worth it."

Yelena clapped her sister on the shoulder, a smile riddled with pity sent her way., "Da, tupitsa, nakonets ty ponyal, teper' ispravlyay.," the redhead glared at her unbothered sister., "Good luck Natasha, you better succeed. I want my future sister in law back like yesterday."

(Yes dumbass, finally you understand, now fix it.)

Natasha didn't know how, or when, but she knew she'd get you back, because in the grand scheme of it all, you're definitely her soulmate. Part of her wondered if tonight might be the time, since she could feel your intense stare from a mile away, her heart even fluttered a bit at the premature hope it was filling up with.

It wasn't fair to your girlfriend, Clara, but you couldn't remove your gaze from your first love. The clueless girl was clinging to you, her head laying over your chest, and you hoped she didn't hear the skip in your heartbeat every time you got to see the other woman's face.

Natasha looked stunning in the black dress that clung to her every curve, the swell of her breasts visible to the naked eye due to the surprisingly low cut of the fabric. Part of you wondered if she did it on purpose, she had to have known you'd RSVP'd to the party, and as exciting as it is to know it might've been for you, you know she's no longer yours to gawk at.

Still, your eyes managed to linger on her all throughout the night, wandering her body in its entirety. Eventually catching the necklace that you got her for your second anniversary. Your fingers ghosted over the imprint of yours through your dress, causing your heart to ache, and for you to run off the dance floor as if you were Cinderella herself and the dreaded clock was about to strike midnight—which it was.

Natasha watched you run off the floor and onto the balcony, your hand clutching at your chest, and the other covering your mouth. To most you looked like you were going to be sick, but she knew you were trying to hold back the tears to keep your tough front up. She wasted no time running after you either, the door had barely shut before she was bursting through it, and catching the way your body shook with sobs, an ache consumed her as she watched all the pain she'd caused you come flooding right on out of you. It was painfully humbling...

"Natasha...," you went to tell her to leave, even if that's the opposite of what you wanted, you knew you needed her to go, because just one smile would be enough for you to crumble, and you didn't want that again. To be putty in her deceitful little hands, the ones that loved you so well on the sparingly good days, and left you craving so much more on the bulk of the rest., "I need you to...," the redhead however had other plans, ignoring you, and desperately blurting out a truth of her very own.

"I feel your absence in everything that I do alone, in every place I go without you.," her voice was not but a whisper as she moved to cage your trembling body in between hers, and the balconies metal rail., "I love you so much Y/N—my precious little dove."

"Natasha, please.," your hands gripped the rail even tighter as you pleaded for her to stop, to walk away like she always does; to let you go., "Tell me to stop, to go," she pressed her lips to the nape of your neck., "I- I can't.," a tear left your eye as you shamefully crumbled at the simplest of affections. How could you not? Natasha's touch had the power to set your body alight with need, no one else could compare, and deep down you were content with that.

Without giving you room to slip away she was able to turn you to face her, a soft smile on her face., "But God, Nat, I desperately want to.," you shakily admitted, causing her face to fall., "because I deserve so much better.," though your voice cracked, the conviction in your eyes was strong, and a ghost of a smirk befell her face as she filled with pride at seeing you fight for yourself so very well., "I'll do better!"

She could see you already registered her words as empty., "Fuck, detka please, I'll do anything you want or need if it means you'll just be mine again.," your brows furrowed at the sight of her being so vulnerable, it wasn't foreign for her to be like this with you, but this public display of it by her surely was. It honestly made you more willing to listen, and maybe take her seriously.

"I-I can't sleep another night without you Y/N, that damn apartment could never be a home without your laughter filling it, and my heart.," she paused, frantically grabbing at your hand so that you could feel the organ's steady thumping beneath your fingertips., "It will never be whole again without yours beating beside it, do you feel that? How hard it's beating against my ribcage? That's all you. Without you it's forever been out of sync."

Silence followed up the Russian's monologue. It consumed the air around the both of you, but it wasn't suffocating, the party was thankfully silenced by the compound's thick panes of glass, and the streets below were just quiet. The world continued to fade away as you stared into her gorgeous, viridescent eyes, and felt her heart beating in sync with your very own. If not for Natasha leaning in you're certain you could've been lost in her gaze for an eternity.

Natasha bit back a sob as the hand on her chest lightly pushed her back, fear of your incoming rejection rising steadily, but then she watched you smile as your hand slid over to the charm. A golden chain with her trademark spider dangling from it, your initials engraved in the bottom of the piece, and the color of your eyes matched the color of the jewel adorning it., "You kept it?," she frowned immediately., "I'd never dream of taking it off, it's a part of me as much as you are Y/N; a testament to our love."

To prove her point she gently tugged on your own chain, pulling the nearly identical charm from where it was hidden beneath your clothes. She smirked at your nervous fiddling while also admiring the piece that mirrored hers, the gem was an emerald, and her thumb ran over the markings that were her own on the bottom., “You kept it?,” she teasingly threw your words back at you causing you to pout., “Well yeah, it was really expensive.,” you groaned playfully, but she saw the way you clutched onto it as she dropped it, safely returning it to beneath your clothing., “Plus, it was all I had left of you.”

“Y/N, you have all of me.,” her thumb lovingly stroked over the apple of your cheek, you melted into the affection with so much ease that the former assassin nearly broke down. You’ve always put your unwavering faith in her, and that’s one of the many reasons she fell for you—hard and fast. The Avengers title, and culmination of her past meant nothing to you. To you she was Natty, with the strong arms, hot smirk, with horrible cooking abilities, and to her you were the definition of everything. Your soft voice pulled her out of her reverie., “Are your sure Nat? Because I can’t go back to being your second choice, I won’t do it.”

“You never were Y/N/N.,” she quietly admits, and before she could try to kiss you again you moved to whisper in her ear., “I’m no cheat Natalia, give me a few minutes, maybe let the Winter chill calm the ants in your pants, hm?,” she rolled her eyes, then smirked as you stared back at her skeptically., “Ants aren’t all I have in these pants by the way.,” she winked, then cackled as you subtly flipped her off before venturing off to find your unfortunate date.

Natasha watched over the city of New York, every second you were gone a spike of panic shot through her. What if the woman isn’t all that understanding? What if she hurts you? Before her mind could make her travel to rescue you the door slid open, she turned on instinct, but also she was feeling a bit hopeful., “Catch me!,” you squealed, running full force at the slightly sobered redhead, she mirrors your excitement as she spins you around though, then she tries to kiss you again in the thrill of the moment, but your finger slips in between your lips and she groans., “What is it now?”

“The countdown.,” you huffed, and she listened closely to hear all the shouting from indoors., “10,9,8…,” she tapped your dangling legs, and you got the message to wrap them around her., “3,2,1… Happy New Year!!!,” your cheers were abruptly brought to a close as Natasha’s lips met yours in a needy way, but you certainly weren’t going to complain, especially not when your ability to have done so was sullied by the tongue that was pretty much down your throat.

The kiss was messy, it’d been 387 days since she’d last been able to kiss you like this, and if you were aware at all you’d better be preparing for a long night, her roaming hands a sign that she isn’t planning on stopping anytime soon. Not that you’d want her to, your body was a squirming mess beneath hers as she’d laid you on a lounging chair, then quickly mounted you. Her lungs burned, but it wasn’t until you had tapped at her shoulder that she retracted with a displeased growl, reluctantly allowing you to breathe while she admired the dishevelment.

“To new beginnings.,” she whispered against your lips with a smirk as you panted wildly. Your eyes squinted as her bright phone screen was brought up to your face, the words slowly coming together as your cognition returned with each gasp of oxygen you inhaled., “Nat?,” your lip wobbled as you read it, and she leaned down to kiss you again, but far more tenderly like your quivering voice told her you needed., “Effective immediately detka; I’m all yours.,”

“No more missions?,” you sought out clarity with a bright smile and nervous stomach, and your beautiful woman beamed down to you, nodding her head while cupping your cheeks. The soft look she gave you warmed your heart, but you were a bit more focused on the way your entire body warmed at her great news., “Please, take me home Natasha.,” her eyes widened when your breathy plea came out, surveying your eyes she could see the lust at the forefront, so she scooped you up, and ran., “Whatever my detka wants, she fucking gets.”

——————————

2,264 Words.

❤️🤖

(Image source)

[worstghost]

a little john price drabble for yall

let me know if you'd want any more, I'm kinda tempted to write something where he teaches the reader a few things ;b

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Price stays back with you one night when the team goes out to celebrate. He can sense that you don't want to be alone, but you didn't really want to go out either. He internally curses himself for being so attuned to your feelings, but it's not something he can help, his heart had just decided it was meant to be soft for you, and you only.

He loved his team, there's no denying that. But this was different. You had joined so young, fresh out of sniper school, bright eyed and bushy tailed. He ached to think that you'd never be that way again, and he could see it now as you two sat in his office, sharing a bottle of scotch, that you were mulling over the mission. He knew the feeling, replaying it, thinking of everything that could have been done differently.

"Kid." He breaks the silence and you glance up at him, "It's not worth stressin' over. Believe me."

You hum and turn your head away, tapping the side of your glass. You weren't actually thinking about the mission. You were caught up in this, alone in your Captains office, sharing his favorite drink, trying to not let it go to your head. You were embarrassed to even think of him this way, but how could you not? He was always so kind to you, always knew what to say.

"I'm not stressing over that." You admit softly, finishing your drink.

Price raises an eyebrow and sits in the chair closest to you, leaning in a bit. "What is it then? Hm?"

You swallow hard, oh god he has to know what you're thinking, right? You can't even look at him. His eyes are too interested in what you have to say, too intense.

He's watching you, noticing the red flushing your cheeks, is it from the alcohol or are you blushing? The thought that he could make you blush feels good.

Professionally he knows it's a bad idea, to get involved with a new young recruit, but personally, he doesn't really care. You're all he can think about. He watches you always, bursting in pride when you succeed on a mission, feeling the slow heat of jealousy creep up when you excitedly hug your teammates after.

But he knows you always look at him after, waiting and wanting for his approval. And all he can do is smile and nod.

And now, you're looking up at him, eyes wide, and you let out a soft 'Captain...' and he can't think of any reason why he shouldn't kiss you.

Luckily, it's not his decision, as you push forward and press yourself against him, connecting your lips.

He hesitates when he sees your lashes start to flutter open, but corrects himself quickly and pulls you back to his mouth, one hand threading through your hair. You're so fucking soft, it shouldn't feel this good, he knows. But how could he say no, it would be cruel to deny you, wouldn't it?

You're not exactly a great kisser, but he can't find it in himself to care, instead he decides to show you how. He moves even closer and tilts your head back into his palm, slipping his tongue between your teeth. The little noise you make is enough to last him a life time.

Only when you pull away to breathe does he think of the consequences. Your lips are pink and swollen and your eyes are glossy, and he fears for a second that you're going to cry.

"I'm sorry... I've only really ever kissed maybe two people. I can't imagine I'm any good." You fluster and touch your lips with gentle fingertips.

Fuck. Of course. You're so young, so shy, you wouldn't have kissed a lot of people. But then that makes him question whether or not you've ever had sex. The thought makes him draw in a ragged breath, like the air was punched from his lungs. It's not his place to ask.

"Love..." He tries to think of where to go from here. He feels guilty almost, for reciprocating so quickly. He should have at least pretended he wasn't interested, right?

Price decides that you've had too much to drink, you're not thinking clearly. As much as it pains him, he has to let you go for now.

He reaches forward and touches the side of your face, huffing when you lean into him. "Listen. I can't put you in this position, come back to me when we haven't been drinking, if it's something you really want."

Your eyebrows draw together and you frown, pulling back. "Oh. You're right, I'm sorry." It's hard to hide the hurt in your expression, and he falters when he sees it. He follows you to the door, one big hand pressed against the small of your back.

You leave with a quiet 'Goodnight, Captain.' And he watches you go.

Price sits down, rubbing his rough palms over his eyes, scratching at his beard. He hopes you come back another time. When you're both a little clearer, when you're certain you want him.

That's all he wants.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Yandere Husband Kyojuro Rengoku x Reader ~ Trophies

I honestly love Kyojuro Rengoku i really do

But before the end of Mugen i thought he was a little creepy

I mean he hardly blinks he always smiling and even when he's not exactly happy he's still smiling like an idiot

But anyway here it is

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

You found another one. Another woman's necklace found in youre shared home with your husband. He was a wonderful man everyone had told you so and you had witnessed his goodness yourself. But something was off with Kyojuro Rengoku. Now that you were married you knew that much. He easily swore on his mother’s grave that he would never cheat on you and you believed that but still something wasn’t right. Why did he keep ‘losing women’s jewelry’ or random trinkets that didn’t belong to any of you?

You tried to ignore it but while channel surfing you recognized the jewelry set on the missing persons report. It was in a montage, a flashing moment of haunting familiarity as the anchor relayed a hopeful tale of this missing mother hopefully coming home. You tried to dismiss it as only a coincidence but it just kept replaying in your mindseye until you looked it up. Low and behold it matched everything on it including chips and forming rust. 

“STARSHINE HOW ARE YOU!”

You jumped as your husband looked over your shoulder at the article you were reading. Even after years of knowing him sometimes his volume still seemed to shock you. 

“Oh hi Kyo,” You gave him a peck on the side of his everpresent smile, soothing whatever ill-will initially brought by your discovery. “I recognized the jewelry set that ‘you found’ and I think it belongs to this missing woman…would you know anything about that, dear?”

You smiled and squinted your eyes as you turned to look at him still hovering over your shoulder. You were mimicking something he did often where instead of expressing negative emotions in a straightforward way he’d just smile or laugh in the fake sort of way. 

“HA HA HA.” 

He pecked your lips before reaching over to close out your tabs, sauntering into the kitchen saying he’d cook your favorite dish. Pouting you decided it was time to take this into your hands officially. 

__________________________________________________________

Operation Jewelry-that’s what you were calling it and you told yourself that calling in sick for this mission was definitely worth it. You were sitting in your own car waiting for your fiery-headed husband to get in his patrol car. You perked up when you finally saw him saunter out of the station all suited up…you resisted the urge to shudder and instead started your car for your first step of tailing your husband. 

For the first six hours he honestly was just driving around and if you weren’t already driving you would have fallen asleep. There were times when random citizens called out to him to compliment him or give him pastries–you knew he was loved but not as much as you originally thought. Anyway finally something interesting was happening as he drove a ways outside of your town down a long stretch of road through the country. You didn’t realize that you were caught until he stopped, hopped out of his car and made a look with his hands on his hips. You sucked your teeth as you stopped a couple hundred feet behind his car. 

You rolled your window down waiting for him to appear as he waltzed up hand on his hefty belt.

“(Miss/Mister) RENGOKU ARE YOU AWARE THAT STALKING CAN BE CONSIDERED A FELONY?”

“Oh officer Rengoku, I didn't mean to be bad! Can’t we figure something out?” You teased and in the way only you could recognize he reciprocated. 

“I BELIEVE WE CAN!” He reached in through the window unlocking the doors. “IF YOU’LL STEP INTO THE BACKSEAT!” 

Following his instruction you laid back into the seat excitedly watching as your husband stripped off his police gear. Finally free of the hard equipment he climbed inside caging you in as he kissed you neck and face. 

“But-hah-d-don’t you have to w-ohh!” 

“NO WORRIES mmm~I'M OFF THE mwha CLOCK~mwha BY NOW AND I’M TAKING THE CAR THIS WEEK SO WE’RE IN THE CLEAR!” 

He dove back into you happily indulging in his significant other who was just happily commencing in the inevitable plan B of Operation Jewelry. If caught, distract from the initial task. Originally this was something to be scared of but your suspicions were scary and you weren’t above stalling yourself from confirming a possibly gorey truth. So for the next hour or two in the abandoned roads you and your husband indulged in one another in the backseat of your car. 

When you awoke still in your car you dawned your clothes and searched for the one who appeared to be missing. You decided to search along the car finding nothing so you moved to look at his patrol car. Looking on the outside you vaguely could see footsteps tapered off into the surrounding crop. You decided since he seemed to leave you it wouldn’t hurt to snoop through his stuff. 

“HELLO STARSHINE!” He popped up again on the outside of the car effectively scaring the living daylights out of you. 

“Where the heck were you just now I couldn’t seem to find…” 

You trailed off realizing your husband had made a disturbing wardrobe change from his police uniform to something of a raincoat with red splatters on it. Ushering you out of the car you were scared of what came next. 

“NO WORRIES! I’VE SIMPLY NOTICED MY DEAR SPOUSE HAS BEEN PARTICULARY SNOOPY LATELY SO IVE DECIDED TO CLEAR UP ANY AND ALL CONFUSION!”

Latching onto your arm with a gloved hand he dragged you away from the road and into some unknown path in the crop. You could do nothing but follow blindly as the pit in your stomach seemed to grow. 

After moving through the crop for what felt like hours you arrived at an abandoned building. Dingy, cracking concrete of what might’ve been a mental asylum long ago. Pushing you inside you couldn’t decipher this smile and felt the urge to finally satisfy this confusion. Walking in you found various brown splatters and you could easily smell a metallic scent growing stronger as you walked deeper in. 

SPLOsh

You looked down to find your shoe steeped in a puddle of blood  which had a heavy trail leading into another room. Against your better judgement you followed it leading you to the human remains of the lady from the missing persons report. 

“RECOGNIZE HER LOVE!”

“-f-from the Tv? Yes, yes I do.”

“NOPE THAT'S WRONG!”

“W-what?”

“THIS ONE’S FROM THE SUNDAE PARLOR WHO SPILT YOU’RE ICECREAM ON YOU!”

“I told you that was literally a mistake. And THIS one?! You mean there's more!”

“OF COURSE THERE’S MORE! ANYONE WHO DARES TAINT YOUR SHINE SHOULD BE PUNISHED!” 

He was beaming with pride even as you cried and begged him to never do this again. He optly refused and quite proudly told you he’d never stop and that now that he was quite happy you actually knew what his ‘trophies’ were for. 

And when you drove home in silence debating whether or not to turn into the police station; your husband's patrol car following closely behind, nearly bumping the rear, told you otherwise. You found that truly in every aspect of your life Kyojuro Rengoku had control over you. Police station? Worked there. Private Detectives? Friends of his. Your pleas for no more death was only met with his laugh and smile as he fawned on about his latest kill. Even when you fell back into your typical routine he never did cut back on the amount of ‘trophies’ he left for you to find. You deduced that from the beginning this was the case meaning he was more than thrilled when you were seeking out the truth. 

[saintrocklee]

title: Need prompt: I’ll fight the bad dreams off if they come to get you pairing: itachi x reader publish date: 09.08.22 non-massacre AU

“Why are you here?”

“To see you.”

dedication: to anon; who asked for this prompt like three decades ago. i love you dearly & i am so sorry. i hope the wait was worth it. warnings: none! just pure fluff & a sprinkle of angst. itachi is, in my bestie @chanfictions words, “an aloof house cat.” we love that for him.

The chill from the early morning’s air has the hair on your arms rising, but you don’t move. You’re waiting for the sun to fully come up, so you can climb back into your apartment window and sleep. Sleeping in the dark was difficult after missions; the weight of the things you’ve done seemed heavier at night.

There’s an irritating itch on your neck and you distantly think it might be some blood you missed, so maybe you’ll shower before you crawl into bed. Your latest mission plays back on a loop and you can barely hold in the cringe that comes with remembering what you did. Typically an assignment like that would require some form of comfort from your team afterwards. A quick lunch. A light training session. But they’re all out of the village and you don’t think you have the required energy to go and find anyone else to lean on.

Someone specific came to mind, but you quickly dismiss the thought. You hadn’t seen your old friend in weeks and you know clan duties on top of whatever the ANBU required of him left him out of the village for days at a time. You were busy as well, and you didn’t seek him out as much as you used to. There was a confusing swell of feelings in your chest regarding the man in question and you weren’t in the mood to try and sort them all out. So you let the divide between you two fester. Grow.

Maybe one day you’d process your feelings. Maybe you’d even speak to him about them. Not today though. Not for awhile.

You’re not sure if you’re being protective of yourself, or a coward. Probably both.

It’s crippling, the loneliness that seems to gut you in this moment. You’re not used to sitting still like this, to being stagnant. Just a rare moment, that you’re separated from your teammates and friends, with nothing pressing to attend to.

And your successful mission, replaying on a loop.

The blood, the pleas. This one will haunt you for awhile. Your brain is starting to buzz, to tune everything out, and you think you’ll get a moment of peace while the sun finishes rising.

You hear him before you sense him.

“I didn’t know you’d be back so early.”

The silk in his voice is deeper than you remembered. As always, it settles right under your lungs, and you can already feel the warmth start to spread through your chest. His arrival was completely silent, and you idly wonder how long he’d been standing behind you.

“Keeping tabs on me?” You ask dully, your eyes not once leaving the view in front of you. The sun was just about to peak above the surface and you didn’t want to miss it. You’d been waiting for awhile for it to come up.

Itachi settles himself down next to you and it takes more control than you thought for you to not immediately turn toward him. You’ve found that your last few encounters have been more heartbreaking for you than you’d anticipated, and the storm of feelings you’ve kept a lid on for years begins to swirl.

“Your mission was successful, I take it?” He evades your question easily, which typically meant that he had information he didn’t want you to know. That he was keeping something from you.

If you were less tired, you’d dig your heels in. Instead, you shrug.

It’s quiet between you two for a moment as the sun continues to rise, until Itachi breaks it with another question.

“What do you need?”

He asks it quietly, seriously, and it blooms butterflies in your chest. It’s a question that defines your friendship, a question that is only asked when the other is in visible need of help. You’ve lost count of how many times Itachi has saved you from yourself by asking. There’s a lump forming in your throat and it hits you, right then, how much you’ve missed him.

You wished it was strictly platonic.

“I can’t stop seeing them.” You whisper back, hating the way your voice cracks. You’re greeted with more silence before Itachi stands. The sun has now broken through the surface so you turn your head to finally look at him. He’s devastatingly beautiful as always, and the early morning hues only add to it. He doesn’t have his Sharigan activated, and his hair is tied back at the base of his neck like always. The soft look he’s giving you leaves you feeling a bit breathless, and you find yourself trying to memorize him in that moment.

He reaches a hand out to you and you take it, sliding your fingers along his palm before he tightens his hold and helps pull you up. You wait for him to drop your hand, but he continues to pull until you’re standing close; too close to be socially appropriate. His eyes flick to your neck, to the dried blood that’s no doubt spattered there, and they trail down slowly. You think he might be looking for more, all while his thumb starts to lightly rub the skin on top of your hand.

“You need a shower, and then we’ll have breakfast.” He states and you frown in response. Itachi, of course, notices immediately and his thumb stops it’s slow caress.

“You don’t need to stay.” Your words are still quiet, like your voice has forgotten how to be strong. Loud. The look you receive is borderline chastising.

“But I will.” He counters, and you feel your lips tug upward without your permission. He drops your hand and takes a step back, to give you room to climb down. You look at him for a moment and nod, feeling very grateful and not as lonely as you did before.

“Thank you.”

A few days go by before he comes to you again. This time you’re inside your apartment, deep cleaning your horribly disgusting kitchen. You hardly used the damn thing, yet dust seemed adamant on collecting there, and your fridge was a disaster. You’re almost done when you hear your window opening and turn with a frown, only to be met with Itachi climbing into your living room. In his ANBU uniform. Covered in what you hope is dirt.

“Itachi?” You call out, moving from the small space of your kitchen. His feet meet your carpet and he stands, only to sway slightly which sets off warning bells in your head. You move to his side immediately and steady him with your arm around his waist. He leans into you, furthering deepening your panic, and you move him to your couch. Itachi sits down harder than normal, almost like he’s collapsing into it, and tilts his head back with a soft groan. There’s blood and dirt caked to him and his uniform like a second skin, and you crouch down in front of him.

“Are you hurt?” You ask hurriedly, looking for any signs of fresh blood to signify that he was actively bleeding. You’re answered with what sounds like a negative grunt and you frown, eyes flicking upward to look at his face. He’s still got his head resting against the back of your couch, eyes closed, leaving his neck completely exposed. It’s a rare sight indeed, to see Itachi Uchiha so open like this, and his voice is slow when he speaks again.

“I overexerted myself.”

Okay. That explained why he practically stumbled into your apartment. It didn’t explain anything else.

“And you’re here and not at the hospital because ... ?”

Itachi finally moves his head up, only to look down at you with a cocked eyebrow. Like it should be obvious. Like you were the one being ridiculous.

You’d strangle him if you thought you could move fast enough. But you’re still concerned, because if Itachi came to you then that meant something was wrong.

“What do you need?” You ask, your tone dipping into something more serious. The cocky brow relaxes itself and Itachi stares at you with a tired, almost numb look. He doesn’t answer, and if you’re being truthful he never really did when you asked. But you know what he needs. He needed to stay, to not be around his clan or doctors or the Hokage or anyone else.

He needed to be left alone.

You nod once you understand.

“Okay. I was just about to heat up some dinner, but if you’re going to be here you need to shower. You smell horrible.”

You stand and can’t help but smile when you’re greeted with an amused snort. Good. Normalcy. You move back to your kitchen, missing the way Itachi’s eyes follow you and the small, tired smile on his own face.

It strikes you as odd, when you run into Itachi yet again only a couple days later. This time you find him, standing on top of your apartment building. You’d sensed him when you were walking home, and if there was one thing you knew about Itachi - he only let someone sense him when he wanted them to.

He’s giving you a choice you realize as you maneuver yourself to the roof. You could have easily gone into your apartment and ignored him, but that was silly.

You’d never do that.

His back is to you when you finally see him and you stop when you’re only a few feet away from him.

“Hey.” You call out, and he turns his head to glance at you. He raises that elegant brow expectantly and you shake your head as you continue to move forward, till you’re standing next to him.

“Hello.” He greets and you shoot him an amused look.

“Care to explain why you’re on my roof, Itachi?”

He glances around, brow furrowing, before turning his full body to face you.

“I didn’t realize you owned this building.”

His retort pulls a chuckle out of you and you watch as his mouth curls into a smirk.

“Funny. You should quit your day job, take your jokes on the road.”

Amusement sparkles in his eyes.

“Would you join me, if I did?”

You’re taken aback by his question and try not to show it on your face.

“Can’t. I’m too busy owning the building.”

Your comeback is lame and a bit breathless. Itachi hums, cocking his head ever so slightly as he considers you. You’re not sure what exactly he’s looking for or even looking at, and decide to try and question him again.

“Seriously though. Why are you here?”

“To see you.”

The bold bluntness of his statement sends you reeling. You blink dumbly and swallow at the way his face changes. Almost as if he’s relaxing. His eyes turn softer as they meet your own and the butterflies you kept carefully hidden were starting to escape and make a mess of your insides.

“We’ve seen each other a lot lately.” You murmur, hoping he answers the unspoken question. Why? Why did he want to see you? Why did he seem to be around more? Did something change?

But Itachi never did anything unless he wanted to, never answered a question he didn’t feel like answering, and his next smile shows teeth.

“Yes.” He agrees easily, much to your disappointment.

Your face falls into a deadpan and you shake your head in amusement as well as frustration.

“Come on in then, you can make yourself some tea. I’ve got laundry to fold, so don’t expect me to be very entertaining.”

Itachi hums and follows you down, that smirk still present on his face.

You’re so tired you think you might collapse before you can open your door. The keys in your hand are fairly uncomplicated but your fingers aren’t cooperating and you watch as they slip out of your hands and fall to the ground. You’d just finished another mission and had to spend what felt like hours at the hospital. One of your teammates was exposed to a toxin and they needed to do blood tests on all of you, as well as scrub you clean, before you could leave. Your hair was still wet and the borrowed clothes you had on were too big, leaving you uncomfortable and cold.

And now your keys were on the floor.

You bend to pick them up when your door creaks open. You freeze and snap your head up, only to be greeted by Itachi standing in your doorway. Inside of your apartment. His hair is pulled back but he’s missing his forehead protector and is dressed in what you can only describe as civilian clothing. Your brain and body feel like they’re lagging as you stand slowly and the noise that comes out of your mouth is confused. Itachi arches a brow and moves to the side, allowing you entry, and you walk in before turning to watch him close and lock your door behind you.

“What are you ...” Your questions trails off into nothing as he carefully takes your keys and pack from you, setting them on your kitchen counter like he did this everyday. You blink, your brain still trying to catch up with everything, and Itachi speaks - his voice like sweet honey in your ears.

“You’re exhausted.”

It’s a question that wasn’t a question. You blink again.

“Long mission.” You reply distractedly as he moves toward you, hands coming to rest on your back and elbow.

“You were due back sooner.”

You frown in response. How did he know that?

“Got held up at the hospital. Why are you here?”

Itachi hums in that annoying way of his as he presses you towards your bedroom, his thumb beginning to slowly stroke the small of your back through your thin, borrowed shirt. He hadn’t bothered to turn any of your lamps on and the setting sun shining through your blinds is the only source of light throughout your small apartment.

“To see you.”

You’d roll your eyes if you were positive they’d stay in your head.

“Did you break in?”

There’s a snort from somewhere behind you.

“You’d need adequate locks to define entering your home as breaking in.”

You snort tiredly and feel your shoulders sag when your bed comes into view. Yes, yes, yes. Perfect.

“Still.” You mutter, kicking off the sandals you loaned from the hospital into the corner. Itachi lets go of your elbow but keeps his hand on your back, thumb still stroking you through your shirt. It felt nice and grounded you enough to press him again for some kind of answer.

“Why are you here to see me?”

His movements stop and you turn your head to look at him. His gaze is focused on your bed, his head turning towards you before his eyes do. The hand on your back moves to the side of your face, and you freeze as he curls a finger through your damp hair. It sends a jolt of electricity through you, offering you clarity where you previously had non.

Itachi was in your apartment. Itachi had been waiting for you. Itachi had, once again, sought you out. You bring your own hand up to rest on his forearm.

“What do you need?”

His shoulders settle at your question, as if he’s been waiting for you to ask. His hand leaves your hair to hang limply at his side, causing your own hand to drop.

“To stay.”

You inhale slowly at his words, their meaning settling heavy on you. Your hand twitches forward, brushing his own, and you find yourself searching his eyes. They’re so dark, bottomless, and tired. You nod slowly, realizing that his request is something you both need.

“Okay.”

Your voice cracks and you swallow, taking a step back toward your bed. He follows, as if on autopilot, and soon you’re both under the comforter facing each other. It’s not as awkward as you thought it would be, and the annoying flutter of wings in your tummy is beating a ferocious rhythm inside of you. You’re physically tired, but your brain has woken itself up since arriving back home, and you consider the man in front of you carefully.

“What’s going on?” You question softly and Itachi regards you with a serious look. The darker oranges and reds coming from your window bathe him in a soft light and you can pick out each individual hair on his head, each individual lash above his eyes. He’s truly beautiful, handsome in a heartbreaking sort of way, and you almost miss his response.

“I had a dream you died.”

It takes you a full second to register what he said, and your mouth parts in surprise.

“When?”

“Several weeks ago.” He pauses, eyes unfocusing like he was remembering. “It was ... unpleasant.”

You frown and move your hand to cup his face. He lets you, even closes his eyes at the contact, and your chest swells.

“I’m sorry.” You offer quietly, brushing your thumb over his cheekbone. This dream obviously disturbed him deeply, and you wonder if that’s the reason for all the sudden visits. He hums and you’re distantly reminded of a cat purring while being pet. It makes you smile.

“It’s my apology you should be accepting. I’ve been a coward.”

Your thumb halts it’s movement and your smile fades.

“A coward?” You echo, confusion evident. Itachi opens his eyes, holding your gaze with a serious look.

“I purposefully distanced myself from you.”

The warmth in your chest halts and you feel what feels like ice start to prickle at your fingers. You had just thought he was busy, that you were both just busy, and to know he did it on purpose ...

“Why?”

You want to keep the hurt from showing but you can’t hide the way your voice wavers. Itachi doesn’t move, doesn’t turn his gaze away, and his tone turns to honey, to silk wrapped in velvet.

“Because of my feelings for you.”

Oh.

You open your mouth to ... respond? Gasp? Laugh? Yell? To do anything but freeze, which was what you were currently doing. Your brain had turned into mush, your body was collapsing in on itself, and your heart and lungs were somehow tightening but also moving at an impossible place.

Because of my feelings for you.

Itachi seems minutely amused by your reaction and turns his head to brush his lips against your fingers.

“I have dreamt of you often, these past few months. It was foolish to avoid you, to try and create distance where none was needed. It took seeing you broken and dying to realize my mistake. My hope is that you will forgive me, with time. I have tried to make it up to you, to ease back into the friendship we once had, but I find myself wanting more.”

You’re pretty sure you’ve stopped breathing. He turns his head to meet your gaze again.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult, to be away from you.”

Okay, yes. You’ve definitely stopped breathing.

Itachi pauses, to give you time to absorb his words, before speaking again.

“If I am being too forward, you may tell me.”

You blink.

“It’s not ...” You start, frowning at the way you’ve just decided to lose all ability to think. Or talk. You pull your hand away to rest on the bed in between you and start again, fingers digging into your sheets.

“I’m ... processing.” You answer, lowering your gaze. You can’t keep looking at him if you want to be able to formulate actual words. He says nothing in response, giving you time to think, and you eventually speak again.

“I think I’ve loved you for a very long time.” You start, still unable to look at him. You feel him stiffen next to you and find yourself taking a deep breath before continuing.

“I understand, though. I’ve been avoiding you too, I think. Caring for someone in our line of work can be damning. It can end horribly, or never even begin. I think we were both cowards, in a way. I also think you’re a bit of an ass, but that’s more of a fact than an opinion.” A breathy chuckle interrupts you and you smile softly, eyes floating upwards to meet his again.

“I think that you can stay … however long you’d like.”

Itachi’s eyes flick down to your mouth and stay there as he responds.

“I’d like that.”

You smile and try to fight against the heavy weight currently making itself at home on your eyelids. Sleep was calling your name urgently and you fight back a yawn. There’s another breathy chuckle in your ear and it takes you a moment to realize Itachi had moved closer, even going so far as to loosely wrap an arm around your waist. His fingers are trailing soft patterns against your back and you press yourself into his chest, deciding that anything else can wait until tomorrow.

“Sleep.” You murmur into his collarbone with a smile, “I’ll fight the bad dreams off if they come to get you.”

Itachi hums a tired laugh and you feel something soft brush against your forehead as you drift off into an easy sleep.

[barbarianbookhoe]

Chapter 1

As the years passed, Y/N learned how to blend in with the workers of the club, trying her best to hide her need to shapeshift, keeping her gift to herself and her partner as they both climbed the rankings of the Dregs. (If you didn't count her brother, who seemed annoyed anytime he had to join her for their weekly training, and would rather eat his hair than admit he liked it.)

She didn't want to draw attention to her magic, especially in a place where people would kill for her head, if they knew how much she was worth. The arrest warrant came seven years later, while she was on a job and had to use her powers to help her friends escape the stadwatch.

She found out about the bounty while she was looking for a gift for her nephew's birthday, and as she rounded the corner, on the brick wall studded with multiple job requests and wanted papers, there was one, which stood out to her.

"Wanted dead or alive! Shapeshifter woman, aged 19, seen mostly around the East Stave and the Crow Club. Look for: burn scars on neck, green belt scarf. Reward: 100 000 kruge!"

Y/N stopped in her tracks as she read it, then let out a small laugh as she took off the paper and hid it in her coat's pocket. You're trying to find someone who changes looks faster, than you can blink. Ha! Idiots!

That green scarf she usually put around her waist, was one of the only things anyone gave her while she worked at the Crow Club. The boy was far more ruthless and cold than his age required, never laughing or smiling, or even seeming to enjoy anything. One day when Y/N was fourteen and came back from her first mission with the Dregs, all bruised and cut, the boy stood next to her and gave her that emerald green scarf. He told her that he noticed when she was stuffing it in her jacket, only for the scarf to fall out from her pocket while running, so he went back and retrieved it. When she asked why, the boy answered with something, that replayed in her mind for the next few days: "I saw how badly you wanted it. It was just a stupid piece of fabric, but it seemed you loved it. Yet, when you saw it fell on the ground you didn't stop to get it back. You ran with the others, and when you thought the danger was gone, you tried to go and find it. But when the stadwatch saw you, you dropped it, and ran again. You're a greedy person, but you didn't let greed take over your life. And that's something you won't see often in the Barrel." Suddenly the soft fabric felt heavy in Y/N's hands, as she slowly realized what he meant by his action and words. She decided she'd rather eat dirt, than lose the scarf that reminded her of him.

Y/N made her way to the West Stave, where she thought she might find something unique the little boy would definitely like. Her nephew was a curious kid, therefore anything that seemed new or foreign to him, he took interest in it, and played with it until he passed out. For a 2 year old he was quite full of energy, a trait that no side of his family had.

Y/N had been looking at multiple handmade toys, stuffed animals and even a kitchen supply stand. She started to forget what gift she wanted to give in the first place, when she came face to face with a stand that sold blankets, carpets, curtains and even tapestries. The woman who was shouting numerous prices about numerous fabrics, saw Y/N eyeing one of the blankets and quickly came over to her.

"Good morning! Can I help you with something Miss?" She asked on a cheerful voice.

"About that knitted blanket over there," she pointed at said item, just on top of the multiple piles. The woman held it up for Y/N to see it. "Do you sell smaller ones?"

"Yes. Do you want a knitted one?" The woman asked and Y/N nodded, before she reached into one of the piles and pulled out another knitted blanket. It was way smaller than the other ones, and some strands were hanging out of it, like it had been pulled by someone.

"Perfect," Y/N whispered as she took it in her hands to take a better look at it. The woman apologized for the state of it, offering to find one in a better condition, but Y/N just waved her off. "Don't worry about it, it's for a kid. He's going to rip it to shreds in a few days, anyway." She smiled at the woman and gave her the money, thanking her.

She folded the blanket and tugged it to her chest as she made her way towards her small shop. Her father teaching her the basics of making weapons came in handy, after she got a job offering at the Dregs' private gunsmith. After three years of kindness and a little forgery, she got to keep the place, the workshop basically becoming her second home. After a while, Y/N and Raffiel decided it would be more practical for her to buy the apartment above the workshop and live there, instead of walking back and forth between their aunt's house and the workplace two-three times a day, not to mention the visits she had to make to the Crow Club and the Slat, delivering the finished knives and guns.

She was about to open the front door of the shop, when she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. It felt like someone was watching her and she took a glance around the area, finding nothing. When she finally stepped inside the shop, she heard the faint sound of boots clicking and a very familiar voice whispering, "That was my foot!". Y/N put the blanket on the counter before going outside again, checking her surroundings. This time she saw the figure of a certain sharpshooter walking closer and greeting her with one of his famous smiles.

"Morning beautiful! How are you on this lovely day?" Jesper asked on a suspiciously giddy voice as he leaned on the wall next to Y/N. She just rolled her eyes as she let him inside the shop. "I gave you my address for emergencies only. What do you want now?"

"What? I can't visit one of my dearest friends to see how they're doing? You hurt me sweetheart," He said exaggerating almost every word, earning a knowing look from Y/N. Jesper took a sharp inhale before he spoke up. "I need a favor," Jesper began explaining his problem with his revolvers, how it happened, and how it was none of his fault, which Y/N knew was a big fat lie, but she listened to his reason anyway.

"So you want me to fix your revolvers by tonight?" Y/N asked and saw Jesper shift uncomfortably from one leg to another. "Look, I would've got here sooner if it weren't for Kaz, and his firm belief that my duty is to guard a door," he told her which made Y/N look at him with lifted eyebrows. "That's your job, Jesper," The boy shook his head at her words.

"No, no, no. My job is to shoot things and look good while doing it," He smiled and Y/N let out a quiet laugh as she shook her head. "How you managed to not die yet is beyond me." She let out a sigh as she motioned for Jesper to give her the guns. "Look, I never had to do anything with your guns, not even cleaning them, so I don't exactly know how they look when they're in pieces. I can't promise they'll be done by tonight, but I'll try what I can. I know how much they mean to you," she told him and saw the boy almost ready to say a prayer at her words. Jesper thanked her multiple times as she walked him to the door, so she could start working.

The workshop, along with her, was loyal to the Dregs, which meant she always started with their requests and orders. The orders usually consisted of simple knives and guns, all of which had no mark or sign as to where it came from, making them untraceable for anyone who found them. Then after lunch, she'd take a look at other orders, to keep up the image that the workshop belonged to no gang, inviting in more customers.

After the gunsmith's death, Y/N practically became her own boss in the shop, so her work hours were quite flexible. Some days she refused to even lift a finger after five bells in the afternoon, some weeks she didn't sleep for days, trying to get the orders done as soon as possible for the extra money.

This week was one of those weeks, and Y/N could already feel how exhausted she was going to be by this weekend, just by looking at the requested items the gang needed. She cursed them for not taking care of their weapons enough (not like Inej and Jesper did at least), as she got to work. She let her mind wander elsewhere as she grabbed a box and began gathering some weapons listed on one of the orders, to see how much she'll have to make. The morning turned into afternoon, and later into night, but Y/N only left the workshop for a very quick lunchtime at her brother's, to give her nephew his gift. (Which he started to chew not long after she gave it to him.)

Meanwhile, a few blocks away in a club filled with rich merchants, unlucky tourists and the smell of cheap alcohol, Kaz Brekker was scheming once again. After telling Jesper, Inej, Nina, Matthias and Wylan about the Ice Court job and the fact that Wylan's not only Van Eck's son but their demolition expert, they begin to argue. It only goes on for a few minutes before Kaz settles it in his usual way, making Matthias tell Wylan everything he knows about the Ice Court, so Wylan can draw a map for them. After they get it done, and Matthias reluctantly explains every detail of the security protocol, Kaz turns to their group.

"We're going to need weapons that are easy to hide, but no one's going to recognize. We'll need a gunsmith," he told them.

"There's at least a dozen gunsmiths in Ketterdam," Jesper said casually.

"We need someone we can trust with this. Someone, who doesn't ask questions, someone who..." Kaz didn't finish his sentence as he stared into space, his mind moving a hundred miles per each second he stayed silent.

"Scheming face?" Jesper smirked at Inej as she looked back at him. "Definitely"

All of a sudden Kaz moved to the door as he called out for them. "I know who we need. Follow me," he said and walked out the door without looking at them.

They shared confused glances, before quickly going after him. The darkness of the night was in favor of them, for the citizens didn't take one glance at their strange group, led by none other than Dirtyhands himself.

When they reached a gunsmith's shop, Kaz didn't stop at the front door as expected, but instead went around the corner and walked to the backdoor. Jesper and Inej shared a curious look as Kaz picked the lock and went inside.

The lights in the workshop were turned off and the fireplace was dead too. The only thing that indicated someone was here, was the warmth that still radiated from the fireplace, and the half-done knife sitting on the working table. As they slowly glanced around the room, Jesper's brows furrowed.

"Wait, this place seems awfully familiar," he whispered, looking at Inej next to him, but she just shrugged her shoulders.

"They must've went upstairs, come on," Kaz whispered firmly and made his way to the staircase that was hidden behind the wall, next to the fireplace. Not knowing what else to do, the others followed him.

"Looks like no one's here, so why are why whispering?" Nina asked and Kaz harshly shushed her, which made her open her mouth in surprise. Before she could respond, Jesper put his hand on her mouth, muffling her words. She looked at him with raised brows but Jesper just shook his head. Don't piss him off right now, his eyes said and Nina huffed, but stayed silent.

Kaz knocked on the door twice, but he was met with silence. He knocked again, this time using a pattern that made the other five person behind him look at each other with even more confusion than before. When there was still no answer, he grabbed the lockpicks from his pocket and just as he put them in the lock, the door flew open, revealing a woman in dirty clothes, numerous knifes and tools attached to her belt, with a rifle pointing at Kaz's head.

"You're not supposed to be here Brekker," she said calmly, slightly lowering the rifle to his throat as he smirked.

"I have a job for you, Orlova." Kaz said on a sweet voice, but his gentle voice went unnoticed, because the five members behind him were too surprised to notice. Wylan, Nina and Matthias was surprised to see a woman in general, Inej and Jesper was surprised that it was Y/N, their most trusted friend.

Y/N tilted her head slightly to the side as she spoke. "What's the prize?"

"Four million kruge. And the bounty gone from your head."

[liamthemailman]

♠️♥️House of Cards♣️♦️

Act One Part Two - So What?

CW: Violence, injury

“Captain-” Ace repeats himself again but is immediately silenced with a single look from Queen.

“Don’t bother nagging me about morals,” Queen snapped, the silence that followed after felt uncomfortably eerie. “You know how it goes. It’s all for the sake of the mission.”

This left an undesirable aftertaste on Ace’s tongue. He couldn’t sit back any longer to watch as Queen endangered innocent lives ‘for the sake of the mission’. Ace continued to listen to Queen as she lectured him on mission priorities, a talk that had been gone over far too many times, but this was different.

“What if you shot a civilian?” Ace questioned. This made Queen pause. She fully turns to him, finally facing him. Her eyes shot daggers at Ace in the dark and her lip curled downward in frustration. “That could have gone wrong with just a shift of the wind!” Ace adds.

“Yes, and?”

Yes, and? Yes, and? Yes… and? Ace replayed Queen’s answer in his head multiple times. It was weirdly worded. Was Queen looking for Ace to answer her, or was it that she was that nonchalant about the lives of others? Ace has had his doubts about Queen’s ethics but never had he seen such disregard at this scale.

“And? We’re supposed to be protecting the civilians, are we not? Isn’t the whole deal based on defending those that need it?” Ace argues, taking a step forward. He could feel his blood start to boil.

“Going soft, are you, Lieutenant?” Queen sneered, amused at how quick Ace was to anger. Her eyes look downward towards him. It’s always the small dogs that bark the loudest. “We were tasked to eliminate a dangerous person, and that's what we'll do. Anyone in the way of our mission objective is just an obstruction to be removed.”

Ace was speechless. There wasn’t anything he had ever heard that’s as selfish as the words coming from Queen. He could feel his chest tighten but he continued to hold his tongue. This wasn’t worth getting angry over, Ace tells himself.

“Not to mention your attempt at undermining my order to Jack. Don’t think I don’t notice how chummy the two of you have grown with each other.” Queen scoffs, disdain in her voice at the thought as if it offended her. There was a bite to her words, clearly made out to hurt Ace. “Your influence has her confused, as if he’s not dull enough already.”

“Hey-” Ace snapped. He could feel a vein pop on his forehead from how he was ready to burst with anger at any moment. “They’re under no obligation to follow in your exact footsteps.”

Queen laughs at this, a shrill shriek that raises the hairs on the back of Ace’s neck. He shook this feeling away, not letting Queen disrespect Jack. While Ace wasn’t Jack’s assigned mentor, Queen’s methods were questionable from what he’d heard from the Private. Ace opened his mouth to speak again but Queen beat him to it.

“Now he’s running around with rope, playing cowboy and playing with fire.” Queen sighs, exasperated just thinking about Jack’s antics. In her eyes, the Private needed to be ironed out. It’s a wonder how they even passed selection. Queen mentions this, waving her hand dismissively as she complains. “It’s horrible to my image, really.”

That hit Ace like a punch to the gut. Queen was clearly out of line with the bullshit she was spouting out her mouth. Ace takes another step forward and, before he could stop himself, grabs Queen by the collar of her jacket, driving her back into the wall. 

“Is that all you care about? Your image? Whatever’s in the way of your target?” Ace seethed, staring daggers at Queen. “How shameless of you-”

A struggle breaks out as Queen shoves Ace, who stumbles backwards. He regains his footing and dodges as Queen reaches to grab at him but fails to avoid her sweep, sending him to the ground, dragging her down with him.

A hand yanks painfully in Ace’s hair, a breathless Queen leers down at him. “I’m still in disbelief. What did the Major even see in you all those years ago..?” Queen taunts, her lips curled upwards in a sick smile.

Ace throws Queen off of him, quickly taking her place over him as she hits the ground. He presses a blade to Queen’s throat, pinning her down to the ground. However, this did little to stop her ridiculing.

“Looks like you still have that Mad Dog in you,” Queen jabs at Ace, panting as she catches her breath. He feels another chill as she brings up his past. “Violent, reckless and unstable. You try so hard to be nice but you still struggle to keep your little façade up.”

Ace grits his teeth, unable to form words in his cloud of rage, only grunting in response, the cold sharp knife pressed firmly to Queen’s neck, the edge digging slightly into the flesh. “Quiet-” He hissed, but Queen cut him off as she screamed bloody murder out of nowhere.

Loud thumps break Ace’s focus as they rush closer and closer. Before he could react, he felt rough nylon wrap around his neck. Next thing Ace knew, he felt burning. Both on the skin of his neck and in his lungs as he struggled for breath. His body is forced to bend backwards as his assailant puts a rough boot to his back. Ace lets out a choked gurgle, managing to reach back to cut at the rope around his neck.

Rushing to his feet, Ace turns around as he sputters to fill his lungs with air, hand clutching at his neck, the skin still aching with a burn. His head pounded as the blood started to return into his brain. His eyes refocused and he faced Jack, who was staring wide eyed at her lieutenant as they realised what she had done. A scowl twists Ace’s face as he gasps for air, standing hunched over, noose still hanging from his neck, the skin blooming with a new scar that stretches around his neck.

“What in the bloody hell’s wrong with you?!” Ace barked at Jack who visibly flinched at the tone of his voice. However, Ace would find that Jack was no longer looking at him, but at what was behind him. 

Quicksaving...

[dragonflight203]

Some thoughts as I replay Mass Effect 1:

-Hackett is one of the ones to recommend Shepard as a spectre. No wonder he feels comfortable calling them up for missions through the game. He probably feels Shepard owes them a few.

-One of Joker's first lines is that he doesn't like having spectres on board. That tune changes quite quickly.

-The game eases into aliens. For the few couple of hours the player only interacts with humans and one turian. Another turian is shown in a cutscene. Geth, which are basically advanced robots, are enemies you can kill without guilt. It's not until the citadel that the game really embraces alien diversity. Bioware's wariness on how comfortable players would be about aliens shows very clearly.

-During the Eden Prime drop scene Kaidan is the one to ask about survivors. Of course he is. Kaidan, you paragon.

-Everyone learned about aliens in school. Everyone is an adult. First contact was 30 odd years ago. How exactly did the curriculum get updated so quickly that everyone learned about this in school? Bioware, your timelines make me cry.

-Manuel definitely got hit by the beacon at some point. Interesting that he also saw Saren, but his speech is so confusing no one realizes he's talking about a second turian.

-Nihlus may feel differently about humans than Saren, but he is Saren's student. He skipped all the survivors and made a beeline to the beacon. He's not cruel, but he is efficient. The beacon is the priority.

-Nihlus, we hardly knew ya. Every time I replay it's always surprising how short his screen time is. And those faces when he interacts with Saren... Bioware did a very good job on making him nonhuman but still recognizably expressive. The difference in facial expressions between ME1 and MEA are light years.

-Benezia is clearly used to Saren's tantrums. She dodged like it's something she does on a regular basis.

-Kaidan, about informing the Council about Saren: "Makes sense. They'd probably like to know he's not working for them anymore." Love this man.

-Kaidan only gets migraines. Having experienced one recently, that's a big only. And he's soldier that's frequently in combat. I hope the future has excellent pain killers.

-For this playthrough I'm planning to have Tali and Liara as companions, so I'm skipping everything on the Citadel that isn't necessary or unique to the first visit until I pick them up. It makes the game feel quite different. I usually spend hours on the Citadel during my first visit; this time I'm leaving quite quickly.

-Pallin's skepticism about humanity makes more sense when Harkin is considered. Harkin was the first human in C-Sec, he's corrupt as hell, and humanity did a lot behind the scenes to protect him. Pallin's big on following the law no matter what. No wonder he's not impressed by humanity.

-Anderson has extreme tunnel vision about Saren. From the minute he's mentioned he's convinced Saren's behind it and he's doing it solely out of hatred of humanity. He repeatedly brings this up.

Meanwhile, in the game I get the vibe that Saren doesn't care about humanity too much. He doesn't like them, he might antagonize them if the opportunity comes up, but they're not worth the bother to put actual effort into tormenting. Humanity just isn't that important to him.

-Love those silent interactions between council members where they just look at each other. Again, the difference between ME1 and MEA is stark.

-Going by the Geth core Tali retrieved, Saren considers Eden Prime a victory. The tantrum he threw indicates otherwise. Does he really consider it a victory, or is that just a speech he gave to motivate the Geth?

-At this time, I'm not convinced Anderson believes in the Reapers. He still thinks it's Saren, he just doesn't think it's worth debating Shepard on it.

-I genuinely like Udina as a character. I'd hate to be around him, but he's determined to do a good job, pragmatic, and truly devoted to humanity. Also nice to have someone around who pushes back against Shepard. ME3 wastes him.

-Garrus mentions that he rose in the ranks through C-Sec. What was his actual rank? Detective or the like, I presume. Pallin knows who he is, and that's impressive considering the number of officers there are. Even with Castis as a father.

-Tali mentions Quarian overseers to the Geth when speaking to Shepard. The game definitely pushes the slavery parallels with the Geth, even in ME1. "Overseer" is not the first term I'd use for supervising machinery. Or maybe that's the American cultural bias showing through.

-Everyone info dumps in ME1. Everyone. Enjoyable, but a bit exhausting at the start of the game when it feels continuous.

-Liara in ME1 is a completely different character than in ME2 and ME3. I'm hesitant to consider the change natural growth. It's a shame, because ME1 Liara has quite a bit of potential. They didn't need to rework her character for the later games.

-First time playing on Insanity, and I'm surprised at the lack of trouble I've had so far. Everyone says the battle with the krogan at the end of Therum is difficult, but I only died once. I might regret this later, when I get to the Uncharted worlds...

Edit: Fix spellings