#she could have captured him when they attacked the tower

[queenofmalkier]

Now I'm stuck on how unhinged and depraved and AWFUL Tuon/Gawyn could be.

[lynnuvo]

୨⎯ Long Gone Princess ⎯୧

Characters: Yan!Thief x (Y/N) reincarnated as Rapunzel A lot of you guys enjoyed the Cinderella version, so why not make a Rapunzel version? Very much considering making this a Yan!Fairytales Series.

Stowed Away

When you first awoke in your tower, you panicked for days. There was literally no way out, no matter how much you clawed at the bricks. It didn't take long to figure out where exactly you were. Who else would paint a mural of herself, seriously long-haired, gazing at floating lanterns?

Meeting Mother Gothel was the most anxiety-inducing thing you had to push through. You pitied the real Rapunzel for falling victim to her sugar-coated, poisonous words. As much as you internally cringed at them, it wouldn't serve you well to raise suspicion. After all, you have nowhere to go.

Whenever Mother Gothel was gone and you finished tidying up the tower, you emptied one of your chests full of female paraphernalia and stuffed some "safety equipment inside." Hopefully, Mother Gothel wouldn't notice a missing pair of scissors. Or a few darts.

Your now abnormally long hair was disturbing, to say the least. It was pretty, but now that you were living her life, you wandered how Rapunzel managed to put up with the hair strands scattered around the house, washing the heap of keratin proteins for hours in just ONE day, and sleep knowing there was at least some hair flowing to the floor. And let's be real: you were not going to spend most of your day braiding it just to remove your work whenever Mother Gothel came back.

Unfortunately, you couldn't afford to cut your hair--not just because it'd give Mother Gothel a heart attack but because it might help you. It did have magical healing powers. The only huge problem was that you were not skilled enough to maneuver your hair like Rapunzel. In addition, if you were to leave the tower, how would you return? Until you found the secret entrance amongst all the brick, you needed a backup plan.

One day, you gathered the courage to ask Mother Gothel for more fabric to sew a beautiful wedding dress, one that was colorful and very long. Of course, you left out the part where you wanted it to be long enough to reach the bottom of the tower (it'd be a lot of work, but what else were you going to do to escape?). She was skeptical about the idea behind the dress, but you reassured her that you just wanted something like those girls in the fairytale books you had in your room. After her lecture about the dangers of the world, she agreed to get you fabric.

My Savior

One morning, while you sowed your dress, you heard the sound of metal jabbing into something growing closer and closer. In a panic, you shut off your sewing machine and tied up as much as your hair as possible. There was no way you could capture Rapunzel's beloved thief the way she did. You vaguely prepared for what to do when he arrived, but you hadn't expected it to be that day!

At last, he fell into the tower and froze at the sight of you. He glanced behind him and turned back around, stepping away from the window with hands up. "Uh. I am so sorry for breaking into your home."

You pointed one of your scissors (used to cut fabric earlier) at him with a glare. "I'll forgive you if you hand me that bag you have."

"Listen, miss, I think we can sort this out without--"

"The bag or I'll throw you back down."

He gulped and reluctantly threw you the bag, begging you to please return it to him afterwards. The shock he had at your nonchalant expression while pulling out the most sparkly crown you've ever seen was laughable. In reality though, you were in awe. You quickly snapped out of it, though, and threw it behind you. You both cringed at the clanging it made as it hit the floor.

"I need you to listen to me," you started, gripping your scissors and your dress. "I need your help."

You didn't hesitate to cut to the chase. You explained that you were kidnapped by a woman claiming to be your mother and trapped in the tower by her. Although it may backfire on you later, you shared that you were reincarnated from another world. He was in disbelief until you told him his full name, his criminal history, the companions he had who would soon betray him, and the small cottage he visited along with many more criminals or outlaws. He challenged that you just did your research, but then you told him what crime he had just committed: stealing the missing princess's crown, which was--by the way--you.

After some back and forth, he agreed to help on the condition that you return the crown. You agreed to return it on the condition that he not only help you escape but also help you live in safety.

Together, you both clawed at the bricks on the wall until the secret backdoor was found. He helped you come up with a way to hide the new backdoor again whenever Mother Gothel returned.

You found a pattern in the earlier months leading up to then on Mother Gothel's pattern of visitation. She comes back every three or four days in early evening. If she didn't return by the time the sun disappeared, she wouldn't be back at all. That day was one of those days she wasn't going back. You suspected she wouldn't return for a while since she had just left the day before. Although hesitant at the idea of a new roommate, you demanded that Yan!Thief spend the night in the same room as you. He balked at what he thought was an implication, but he soon found himself sleeping on the floor (you dropped a blanket for him). How were you sure he wouldn't use the secret backdoor while you slept? You boobietrapped it before bed, making sure he stayed in the room so he wouldn't see under the threat of murder.

Steal His Heart

Your new routine was a scary turn but also surprisingly relieving. Yan!Thief would leave the tower in search of a new home for you (and him too) and would return in the afternoon only if a piece of purple fabric hung outside the window. Otherwise, it wasn't safe to come back.

Although your relationship started off rocky (who's to blame him with how violently you approached him?), you two soon warmed up to each other. He sometimes returned with small goods that you sometimes got a clear answer for how he retrieved. That chocolate he got for you both to try? He pickpocketed it. That ripe fruit that tasted like mildew spring? He dodged all of the questions.

Eventually, you gathered the courage to leave the tower with him. Your activities differed from there. Sometimes, you both ventured a little ways from the tower to discover the terrain and help find a new home. Sometimes, you both would spend the day walking around, learning more about each other and chatting away.

With no other companion, it came as no surprise to Yan!Thief that he developed romantic feelings for you. You didn't want to admit that you did too. At least, not until you both were in a safe place.

At last, Yan!Thief found an abandoned shelter. It was rusty, but it was closer to the kingdom than the tower but sheltered away like the tower. With a pounding heart, you gathered as much as you could from your tower into a backpack that Yan!Thief had brought over and left forever. In the shelter, you cut your hair, rendering it free from its power. Yan!Thief initially didn't want it to happen due to your great abilities, but one look at your determined face told him that you knew better.

The next couple weeks was spent in paranoia, you in fear of Mother Gothel and him in fear of guards. Luckily, you two went as far as making it into the kingdom without getting caught.

One day, you brought up the idea of revealing your identity to the king and queen while fidgeting with your crown. You reassured Yan!Thief that you'd vouch for his safety and freedom for as much as possible. It took a while for him to warm up to that, but you two finally made your way towards the castle.

Everything went surprisingly as planned. The kingdom rejoiced at the return of their princess, Yan!Thief was spared of a prison sentence and was even given a home and job as a prize for bringing you back, and the dead, rotten body of Mother Gothel was found not far from the shelter you and Yan!Thief had found.

Life was a fairytale.

MY Princess

Until it wasn't.

See, although you and Yan!Thief seemed to start opening a romantic chapter, that soon closed. With your newfound title came new responsibilities, friends, and much to his worries, a possible new love interest.

He tried his best to remain just a friend to you, but it was unbelievably hard. He couldn't believe that you were slowly forgetting him, your savior! Why must you abandon your knight in shining armor?!

He did feel guilty for not appreciating his new life more. Any other criminal would probably fight tooth and nail to be in his position, but he just wasn't happy if you weren't there with him.

Once his selfishness began to boil over, he devised a plan he wasn't sure if he was going to regret. He paid a visit to your room in the castle (you had given your dear best friend special permission) and chatted with you a bit. You apologized for being so distant as of late; royal duties had been keeping you at bay. He accepted your apology more readily than he had expected. It was hard not to with your bright smile and the cute way you pushed your hair behind your ears. He asked if you had time to visit the old tower for memories sake, and you happily agreed. The kingdom had yet to find the tower (you insisted to him that you wanted it kept secret in case you needed to run away again), so you simply told your guards you were heading out for a stroll.

Once at the tower, you two ventured inside and reveled at how dramatic your lives had changed. You even reminisced your life before being reincarnated. As the sun fell, you got up and suggested that you both should head back before it gets dark.

"Yan!Thief?" You peered at his gloomy expression. "Is everything okay?"

He nodded. got up, and hugged you. You let out a gasp before embracing him back. When he left go, you caught a tear slipped down his cheek. Your hands shot up to cup his face. "Yan!Thief?! What's wrong? I'm here. Did something happen?"

He sniffled and brushed a hand over your cheek. "I'm so sorry."

You were about to demand an explanation until you caught a glimmer shine from a blade in his other hand.

When you woke, you found your ankle chained to your bed--not your bed in the beautiful castle you were meant to be in but in the tower you had escaped from a year ago.

Yan!Thief came in the room and apologized with tears streaming down his face, exclaiming that you were just too irresistible to give to any other man or even the kingdom. He promised to take care of everything.

No matter how much you screamed, threw items in a fit of rage, or revealed that you only had romantic feelings for him all this time, he wouldn't budge. It was only until he bought a longer chain that he freed you from the bed. Your heart broke when you discovered he had discarded the wedding dress you had worked hard on and abandoned in the tower long ago, and even more so when you saw that he had built a new door in front of the original secret entrance.

You were back to square one, only this time with no way out and betrayed by the one person you truly trusted in this universe.

[dcxdpdabbles]

Nice how about to give you one of my old DC DP crossover prompts

Danny is a big fanfic writer for Batman, most of the time doing Tim joins the bat family early and Alternate attack on Titan's Tower. After his accident he decides to write a Jason Todd is a halfa straight out of the grave fic. Just to get his emotions out there and to vent and it gets incredibly popular.

As Time evolves the fic itself evolves from a vent fic to a under the table way to reanalyze his ghost fights and do better by transplanting his ghosts into the fic for Jason to fight. This happens generally okay until Penelope Spectra of unlike the other ghosts she was known by the rest of the world and was actually tracked by Reddit. Making the fans realize hey this is actual going on maybe not by Jason Todd but someone is using this to reanalyze their fights under the veneer of being fiction.

Danny starts to get famous for his fanfictions when he introduces the idea of halfas for the second Robin. He's not sure what happened to the second Robbin, but there are rumors he didn't die; he just retired, and the fans all accept that as the truth.

At first, Danny writes the second Robin struggling with his double life, as alive and dead, forced to hide his existence from Batman as a secret helper at night. He uses the second Robin to freely speak about his struggles with his powers in the early days, using fiction to cover his venting.

He even gave Robin a secret identity- with a disclosure that it was all made up and he did not know anything about the Bats because fans can be crazy- with the name Noir.

He made Noir a loser in school- consistently bullied, his grades were low without Batman's help, and he even had Noir live on the streets for a while before getting flung into the Ghost Zone.

Danny didn't realize it, but his writing made Noir a loveable character to his fans, who all loved "how flawed but kind-hearted" Noir, the halfa Robin. One of Danny's best commenters always claimed that Danny captured the second Robin's character.

He quickly develops Noir into someone who grows comfortable in his role after defeating the old Ghost King and getting discovered by Batman. He made the series with Noir, focusing more on the threats of the other ghosts that came to challenge the Ghost King.

Each ghost was based on his own rouges- all fighting the same way but with different names. Danny switched his main focus from Noir being confused by his powers to Noir getting stronger and stronger through all his fights.

Instead of venting on what life had done to him, Danny used his fanfiction to analyze his fights. He often wrote about what he could have done better, only after writing the actual scene and using that in a fight later on.

He even threw in there some questions that Noir started having about boys- which in high sight he should have known Jazz would have quickly picked up on because she took him to Pride "just to experience new things, Danny!"

He confirmed Noir was bi two updates later and sat back with a smirk when all the comments started rolling in.

Noir's Double Life was his pride and joy. He thought people had to search for his fic, and no one besides his sister would ever read it. Then he made the mistake of writing in a new ghost- Penny Spectra- using her exact powers, thinking no one would recognize her.

What he forgot was that back before Danny kicked her ass into the ghost zone, was that she was a well-known school counselor. A miracle worker, they called her.

Because she always found the teenagers about to fall apart and "saved" them. She had made her way clear across the country, bringing to light issues parents and guardians had no idea their children were going through and getting them the help they needed.

Mr. Lancer had been proud of getting her to come to the school for good reason.

Most adults also didn't know that teenagers talk to each other or, like Danny, post online to vent. Her past victims- for they were victims as some had not been able to pull themselves from the darkness she plunged them into- had started a riddle trend about her.

People began to piece together that whenever she went young people became more and more depressed. They had no proof of course, so she became an urban legend, a demon that appeared as a woman in schools.

Like when a celebrity is turned into a meme for being a secret serial killer, no one takes it seriously, but they think about it in the back of their minds.

Danny just wrote about her with a far too honest retelling of what she had done and how he had found out she was a ghost. He hadn't realized that one of his readers would be one of the original responders for the old Reddit thread about the fact he was a past victim.

That same reader would later link his work for the thread- especially the chapter where she appeared- and everyone would agree that the real Penelope Spectra was a ghost.

And that would be read by Tim Drake, a young member of Riddit who always took mysteries to heart and knew what was real and what wasn't.

This sane Tim Drake would later present Jason to the fanfiction in an effort to tease him about someone adoring him so much they wrote a fic about it and Jason would surprise him with claiming to have already been following the story. \

Their bickering would grab the attention of Bruce, Zatanna, and Constantine, who were in the room next door talking about protection against the dead.

John will be alarmed to see how accurate the fanfiction writer's description of ghosts and King Phantom is, then even more alarmed to find that the writer knows about halfas.

Two days after he posted the newest chapter, Danny is hunted down by Batman to find the human with an insane amount of knowledge about the Infinite Realms and his second son's condition.

Danny would be busy trying to decide if he should give in to the idea of giving Noir a ship and who it should be with while his friendlier ghosts beta-read his work.

"Honestly, I'm a little flatter about how hot you made me sound. Noir definitely has a crush on James the ghost biker." Johnny says flouting to read over Danny's shoulder.

Kitty nods eagerly from where she is lounging on the couch. "I agree, James and Noir are meant to be Danny!"

[your-girl-nina]

Jegulus is honestly the most boring ship imaginable. It’s like watching paint dry while listening to elevator music. James Potter, the golden boy of Gryffindor, stuck with a lifeless brick like Regulus? No thanks. And don’t even get me started on the writers who keep pushing this nonsense. Do they have no creativity left? It's like they’re recycling trash and trying to pass it off as something worth reading. If you’re going to waste your time on this ship, at least make it remotely interesting instead of writing the same dull garbage over and over. Seriously, do better.

Since you were so nice, here's some jegulus smut for you☺. I made sure it suited your request this time! Come again, we're always open, just like your mom's legs when she had to give birth to someone with a skull as thick as yours! Enjoyyyyy 🥰😘

TW, english is not my first language

Thanks to @deathnguts for contributing to the idea!

James had overheard the comments before, but this time they hit him harder. He rounded a corner in the castle and froze when he saw Regulus against the wall with Mulciber and Avery towering over him.

“Why do we even bother?” Mulciber sneered. “He’s so dull.”

“Yeah, one night with him would probably be enough to make you fall asleep for eternity,” Avery taunted.

Regulus looked down at his shoes and didn’t respond. James felt his blood boil as he watched them walk away laughing. He stormed over to Regulus, taking long strides to close the distance quickly.

“What did they want?” he demanded in a low voice.

Regulus jumped at James’ voice, looking up wide-eyed. “Nothing, just -”

“They always fucking bother you!” James snapped. “You don’t deserve that shit.”

“I’m fine,” Regulus replied softly, avoiding eye contact.

James reached out and cupped his face gently, forcing him to look up. “No, you’re not fine,” he said firmly. “And that’s not okay with me.”

Regulus searched James’ eyes for a moment before letting out a shaky breath. “I love you too, Potter,” he whispered.

Something inside James cracked open like a dam being released all at once. Suddenly everything made sense – why his heart raced every time Regulus was near; why the thought of him hurt by someone else filled him with such rage; why he couldn’t bear to lose him.

Cupping the back of Regulus’ head with one hand, he pulled him into a deep kiss full of desperation and longing. He needed Regulus to know how much he cared about him; how much he protected what was his; how much he loved him.

They broke apart when they heard laughter from around the corner echoing through the corridor.

“That won’t shut them up,” James growled, his breath coming out in hot puffs. “But I can think of something that will.”

Regulus looked at him in confusion, but before he could say anything, James grabbed his hand and pulled him down the corridor towards the stairs leading to their dorm.

When they reached the top of the staircase, James pushed Regulus up against the wall and attacked his mouth with bruising force. He plundered Regulus’ mouth with his tongue, claiming him fiercely as he pressed their bodies together.

Regulus moaned into the kiss, his hands fisting in James’ hair and pulling him closer. The sound sent a jolt straight to James’ groin, making him ache with need. He broke the kiss and captured Regulus’ lips again in a searing kiss before trailing a path of heated kisses down his jawline to his neck.

James sucked at the skin on Regulus’ neck hard enough to leave a mark and felt a surge of possessiveness rush through him. He needed everyone who saw this – all those pricks who thought they had a right to comment on them – to know that Regulus was his; that no one else could touch him like this; that no one else had this power over him.

He looked into Regulus’ eyes as he ground their hips together slowly, relishing in how good it felt to have him like this – needy and pliant beneath him. “You’re mine,” he growled. “Tell me you’re mine.”

Regulus let out a shuddering breath, desire burning bright in his eyes. “I’m yours,” he whispered desperately.

James felt a surge of satisfaction as he claimed ownership over every inch of Regulus’ body with each thrust of his hips. He kissed down Regulus’ chest, nipping at sensitive skin along the way until he reached the waistband of his trousers.

With deft fingers, James unbuttoned Regulus’ trousers and yanked them down along with his pants, freeing his aching cock. He licked a stripe up the underside of Regulus’ cock, swirling his tongue around the head before taking him fully into his mouth.

Regulus let out a strangled groan and arched his back against the wall as James bobbed his head up and down. He moaned James’ name over and over again, each desperate plea for more driving James to take him deeper.

James hummed around Regulus’ length, sending vibrations that made him shudder with pleasure. He ran his hands up and down Regulus’ thighs, squeezing the muscular flesh as he teased him relentlessly.

“James,” Regulus panted, “I need to -”

James pulled back reluctantly with a wet pop, smirking at the look of desperation on Regulus’ face. “What do you need?” he asked huskily.

Regulus stared at him with darkened eyes filled with lust. “You,” he said simply.

The raw desire in that one word made something deep inside James ache with need. He pushed away from the wall and turned Regulus around so he was facing it instead.

“Hands on the wall,” he ordered roughly.

Regulus obeyed instantly, bracing himself against the wall with both hands spread wide. The sight of him like that – willing to submit to whatever James wanted – sent a surge of possessiveness rushing through him once again.

Running a hand slowly down Regulus’ back until he reached the curve of his ass, James gave it a sharp slap without warning.

Regulus gasped at the sting but didn’t make a sound as James rubbed over the spot soothingly. He continued this pattern – alternating between slapping and rubbing – until both cheeks were flushed pink and warm under his touch.

When James leaned in closer, pressing their bodies together from behind, he couldn’t help but smirk at the way Regulus shivered in anticipation.

“You like that, don’t you?” he whispered hotly in Regulus’ ear. “You like it when I mark you as mine.”

Regulus let out a shaky breath, his voice barely above a whisper. “Yes.”

The confession went straight to James’ cock, making him throb with need. He reached around and wrapped a hand around Regulus’ hardness, stroking him slowly from base to tip.

“Tell me,” he growled possessively. “Tell me who you belong to.”

Regulus moaned at the tight grip of James’ hand around him and pushed his hips back against James’ erection desperately. “I’m yours,” he panted. “All yours.”

That was all it took for James to lose control completely. He pulled his hand away and lined himself up with Regulus’ entrance, sliding in slowly until they were both fully connected.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment as they adjusted to the feeling of being joined together like this – bodies merging into one under the weight of their desire. Then James started moving, thrusting into Regulus with slow and deliberate strokes.

He held onto Regulus tightly, one arm wrapped securely around his waist while the other tangled in his hair and pulled just enough to expose his neck. Each thrust drove them closer to the edge as James devoured every delicious sound that spilled from Regulus’ lips.

When James felt himself getting close, he let go of Regulus’ hair and reached between them to stroke him again in time with his thrusts. It only took a few strokes before Regulus came undone under his touch, spilling over their hands with a cry of ecstasy that sent James tumbling over the edge after him.

They clung to each other desperately as waves of pleasure washed over them until finally everything stilled except for their racing hearts.

James pressed soft kisses along the back of Regulus’ neck as he slowly pulled out. He turned Regulus around in his arms and brushed a strand of hair away from his flushed face, searching his eyes for any sign of regret.

“What are we doing?” Regulus whispered, mirroring James’ thoughts exactly.

But then something shifted in his eyes – like a wall coming down to reveal the real him underneath. “I don’t want to do this in secret anymore.”

The vulnerability in that one statement made James’ heart swell with love. He leaned in and kissed him softly, pouring every ounce of emotion he felt into that one kiss.

“Okay,” he said against Regulus’ lips when they finally broke apart. “Okay.”

[quietly-sleeping]

Shen Qingqiu wanted to kill one of his fellow Peak Lords. 

At least, that was what the rumors swirling around Cang Qiong said. The disciples couldn’t seem to agree on who the Qing Jing Peak Lord wanted to kill; just that he had sent his disciples out with an order to retrieve. 

Shang Qinghua was the first of the Peak Lords to hear the rumors, his disciples had gotten more chatty than usual, the typical workload for anyone on the peak not leaving much energy to do much of anything. Other than gossip, as it turns out.

“Shizun,” His poor, overworked Head Disciple spoke up while they were sorting out yet another tower of papers into only mildly less intimidating stacks. “This disciple was wondering, has Shen-shibo said anything…worrying lately?” 

“In what way, Wu Xiaoli?” Shang Qinghua didn’t stop his work, he really couldn’t, he barely had any time at all to himself after working to the bone every day, if he stopped at all he’d have to forgo sleep to get it all done. “In a murderous way?” Wu Xiaoli was hesitant as she said this, her hands barely slowing as well, what a good disciple. 

“Your Shen-shibo is almost always like that, is something specific supposed to be happening?” Shang Qinghua glanced over at her, her prolonged silence stretching for a moment more before she spoke again. “In the way that most of Cang Qiong believes he is trying to capture and then kill one of his martial siblings.” Wu Xiaoli let that sit in the air for a moment before adding, “It should be fine, right Shizun?” 

Shang Qinghua really regretted being reborn. “Yes, you could say that Wu Xiaoli.” He felt faint. The paperwork, just the thought of the paperwork a murder like that would spawn nearly sent Shang Qinghua into a panic attack, nausea starting to build in his throat already. 

Which would lead to a visit from Mu-shidi, who while nice, was still trying to drug him with anxiety meds that Shang Qinghua did not need, thank you very much. He could feel Wu Xiaoli staring at him as he pondered how viable throwing himself off the mountain would be for knocking him unconscious, very viable, with only a mild threat of death, before she looked out the window and jolted. 

“Forgive this disciple, Shizun, Tan-shijie requested a meeting about the salary allotted for building a new garden on Qiong Ding.” Wu Xiaoli hurriedly sorted the last few papers in her hands before standing and nervously brushing at her yellow robes. 

“Don’t get scammed too badly this time.” Shang Qinghua said around the lump in his throat as he fished another very late work order for Bai Zhan, thank you Liu-shidi. Wu Xiaoli pouted for a moment, looking ten years old rather than nineteen before turning on her heel and marching out the door. “This disciple will try her best, Shizun!” She called out behind her.

Shang Qinghua did not hold back on the panicked sobs of dread now that his disciple was gone. He was more open with his sobbing response to issues when she was younger, but that led to a good year or so when Mu-shidi was very blatant in drugging his food and tea with anxiety meds. 

The despondent Peak Lord angled himself so any tears wouldn’t hit the delicate paper covered in ink. He may have to appear red and puffy later, but by the gods that had forsaken him, he would not ruin his paperwork.

Qi Qingqi was the next to hear about the rumors. Her usually on-top-of-things Head Disciple, Shi Fa, was distracted by the adorable new addition to their Peak, little Liu Mingyan. The four-year-old giving the poor girl a run for her money. 

It was amusing, but it did prove that perhaps Shi Fa wouldn’t be a great fit for Peak Lord. Which was an utter shame, the girl was perfect in every other aspect, Qi Qingqi mused on the issue for a moment before nodding to herself, a Hall Master then. 

They’d do better only interacting with the students in a more detached manner, still there to advise or support the Peak Lord’s decisions. Qi Qingqi looked back down at the report that had made its way onto her desk, the handwriting hurried with ink blotches and missed strokes. 

Shi Fa had heard the rumor while attempting to track down Liu Mingyan on Bai Zhan and extract her from the feral child colony that populated the Peak. One of the eldest of the feral children had been hired by a disciple of Qing Jing, needing their help since they had left the sect more often and to varied places. 

Shi Fa had located Liu Mingyan and managed to contain the delightful ball of fury while gathering more information, Shen Qingqiu had ordered a fetch mission on a martial sibling. None of the Qing Jing disciples actually fessed up to which martial sibling it was, but Qi Qingqi was certain it was not one of the Peak Lords. 

Since a murder had not happened during the last Peak Lord meeting, and Shen Qingqiu had been no more nasty than usual. The true question was, out of the martial siblings wandering the world, which had managed to offend Shen Qinqiu so deeply while having not stepped foot into Cang Qiong in roughly ten years at this point? 

Truly, what an amusing situation, Qi Qingqi could barely keep herself from giggling like a young maiden at the possible reasons this whole situation played out. Her darling wife would suggest something along the lines of a romantic falling out, which Qi Qingqi would normally agree with, as her wife was always right, but it was Shen Qingqiu they were talking about. 

Honestly, the man wouldn’t know romance if it bit him in the ass. 

Shen Qingqiu heard the rumors and felt deep distaste for his gossiping martial siblings. They must be the ones to fuel this, the rumors wouldn’t have spiraled out of such control that they suggested he was hunting down a romantic partner that had scorned him. 

Truly, the imagination in his disciples was utilized in everything other than their studies. He’d be much more comfortable in sending his disciples out into the world if he didn’t have to read multiple poems about bamboo after every assignment. 

Other plants existed on Qing Jing, they had gardens, and they didn’t have to write about Qing Jing specifically. He could only read so many synonyms of the color green before he began to feel a deep frustration at the mere mention of poetry. 

However, there had been progress, of a kind. Sightings of his wayward shidi were documented in various areas along the border between the Human and Demon realms. Shen Qingqiu was reluctant to mark them as true sightings, at least the sightings given to him by his disciples. 

His network of spies, at the very least, gave more reliable sightings. He’s thrown out so many reports in the last year of a tall man with dark hair and some sort of pet. They fit the most basic description of his shidi but lacked any truly distinctive markers. 

It was infuriating. Shen Qingqiu knew that his shidi wasn’t hiding on purpose at least not anymore, his shidi probably wasn’t even aware he had forgotten about their meeting. A broken promise, Shen Qingqiu seethed. 

The only thing keeping Shen Qingqiu from actually ordering his spies to hunt his stupid, airheaded shidi down was that it would freak the man out, drive him into actually hiding himself. It had happened before, roughly around the time of the Qing’s ascension. The previous Ling You Peak Lord had ordered a manhunt of their youngest shidi. 

The forgetful man had hidden so deeply that the previous Peak Lords were half certain he’d died in some remote hidden realm. Of course, anytime Shen Qingqiu felt like vanishing for a while, he was always dragged back. 

If this continued for much longer, Shen Qingqiu might have to, with deep disgust, call in the brute to track down his shidi. Shen Qingqiu shuffled through the papers stacked neatly on top of his desk, however, other measures could be implemented before he had to rely on the brute. 

He paused, long fingers tapping on the paper he was holding as he hummed thoughtfully. This could do. Qi Qingqi certainly had contacts of her own, even the sniveling rodent of An Ding had his channels. A polite request for tea from his shimei was certainly unexpected, ah her wife must be coming along. 

Shen Qingqiu felt the corner of his lips twitch slightly, for a woman of such brutal background, Qi-shimei’s wife was such a stickler for formalities. 

Yue Qingyuan, despite the pains he went to keep an ear and eye on his Xiao Jiu, couldn’t keep track of everything the strategist did. So when Wei-shidi mumbled over his cup of tea about a manhunt, Yue Qingyuan felt a deep twist in his gut. 

He knew that Xiao Jiu had his reasons, but his Xiao Jiu had grown even more reticent since the ascension, but that had never stopped Yue Qingyuan. Wei-shidi had fled quickly, muttering about checking on a volatile sword, but the sect leader barely heard him, just nodding with a small polite smile. 

Blankly he stared at the wall for a moment, lost, before he called out. “Tan Liu?” Soft steps walked towards the office, “Yes, Shizun?” Tan Liu was the oldest of the Head Disciples and her command over her shidi and shimei made Yuq Qingyuan certain she knew about what was going on. 

“What is this about a manhunt?” He asked, his thumb rubbing along the teacup. Tan Liu hesitated for the barest moment before she straightened, “Shen-shishu issued a retrieval order for a martial sibling of the Qing generation. The general description has made its way to this disciple's ears, but not the name. I apologize.” 

Yue Qingyuan hummed for a moment, gently setting his teacup down on the low table. Tan Liu scuffed her feet gently on the wooden boards before speaking up again, “This one knows she should have reported this earlier to Shizun, however, this one felt she didn’t have enough information or evidence.” Yue Qingyuan glanced over at her with a small smile, “This master understands, the description?” 

Tan Liu relaxed slightly, before reciting the short description she had made sure to memorize. “A taller man of slight build, favors lighter colors such as white and pale blues and greens, wears a simple hairstyle, typically braided, dark green eyes, with a slightly crooked nose.” Tan Liu paused a moment before continuing, “Likely to be spotted with a creature of some sort, the creature will be tame, likely rare. Will take requests regardless of reward or how simple the request may be.” 

Yue Qingyuan closed his eyes as his Head Disciple’s voice tapered out. He knew exactly who his Xiao Jiu was hunting. The man was difficult to pin down, even harder to keep in one place, the only person who had succeeded before was the man’s own Shizun, who had defaulted to tracking talismans. 

“Good. Thank you, Tan Liu.” Yue Qingyuan didn’t look over at the woman as he waved his hand. They both had paperwork to return to, and she didn’t need to be standing around waiting for him to come to a decision. He heard her soft footfalls as she left the room, the door shutting behind her. 

Yue Qingyuan sat in silence for a long moment, a deep exhaustion beginning to form deep within his eyes, Xiao Jiu was certainly hunting someone. Their youngest shidi in fact, someone they hadn’t managed to track down before their ascension, his courtesy name still sealed within a final letter from the Previous Ling You Peak Lord. 

It had been ten years, perhaps the man had slipped out of hiding, his guard falling enough for them to herd him back to the sect. If Xiao Jiu didn’t bring this up at the Peak Lord Meeting next week, Yue Qingyuan would, if only to bring their shidi and shimei into the hunt. 

Shen Yuan, the missing Ling You Peak Lord, and the youngest shidi of the Qing generation. He was still out there, at the very least, Shen Qingqiu believed he was, which knowing the man, was probably as good of evidence as Yue Qingyuan would get. A soft sigh left his mouth before he stood, his paperwork was still waiting for him, and if he was going to be ascending another Peak Lord soon, he’d need his schedule as free as possible to plan a ceremony. 

part two

ao3

[beegomess]

T.N. || Profane girl

Summary: You and Theodore have such a deep connection that there's no way you can't always be drawn to each other. Warmings: Smut; +18; betrayal on Y/N's part, but not against Theo. Requests are open!

He hated every scene of that, every touch you received from your boyfriend was like swallowing shards of glass.

Not even Theodore knew when exactly this feeling started. You two were friends from any job during a Spells class, since then, you have done work together, shared readings and cigarettes in the Astronomy Tower. And well, with the proximity, there were also more feelings, which made everything more physical.

The issue that bothered him, however, was his gradual departure, especially when he engaged in a relationship with a student from Corvinal. His boyfriend, the golden boy of his house, was completely envealous by Theodore's proximity to you, and asked him to move away from him for a while. He was not wrong to ask for this, Nott never made a point of hiding the brazen looks from his body, which in turn felt warm every time his eyes met his.

At a party at the Slytherina communal, you were alone, and a moment of weakness changed everything. Next to a stone column, where they talked, you and Theodore kissed. The climate intensified rapidly as the alcohol took effect, making the moment intense and full of emotions. It was just a kiss, abruptly interrupted by you when you became aware of the situation, moving away immediately.

- Damn... - The song still in a loud roar that was starting to bother her. - Sorry... I...

You tried to say something, but you left quickly, without giving Theodore the opportunity to say something. His worried mind began to bubble, afraid of being seen by someone, afraid of what he really wanted.

This was not uncommon, she had already done that before, which made her feel horrible as a person. Every time he kissed Theodore on the Astronomy Tower, or when he sneaked up to his bed at night, it was a weight of guilt that fell on his shoulders.

Simon, his boyfriend, was always having attacks of jealousy of his proximity to Nott, and thanks to the persuasion techniques of the raven, the discussions always ended up with you apologizing him for exaggerating, always taking away from himself a little of the guilt he carried for betraying him.

These discussions usually ended up with you going to bed with Simon, who was average in quality, leading your mind to always try to imagine that it was Theodore unconsciously. However, your boyfriend didn't use to give you time to even imagine something.

In other words, even if he still tried and didn't do that a lot, his mind always traveled to him. Remembering every detail of the boy's body and face that had already given him so much pleasure, and he seemed more willing than ever to do it as soon as you called, but you wouldn't do it. Not again.

After the kiss, you ran to your dorm, still memorizing his hands on your body, using it as gasoline to light the fire that insisted on growing inside you in the intimacy of your room.

[...]

In class that morning, Theodore watched carefully from the last table in the room Simon affectionately caress his back over his shirt. A sweet and serene smile illuminated his face, when the boy leaned over to give a quick kiss on his lips, moments before the teacher entered.

Theodore's impassive eyes met Simon's during class, when he stealthily looked back, capturing Nott's penetrating look on you, who seemed to try to reach her with his gaze. The fury accumulated in Simon when he saw the intensity of that look.

- You should wear longer skirts. - Simon whispered angry in his ear, which stared at him confused.

- What? - You questioned, trying to understand the sudden change in his mood.

Before he could get an answer, Simon got up like a hurricane and left the room, moments before the end of the class. His eyes followed his boyfriend, only to find Theodore's gaze fixed, who leaned his elbows on the table, as if calling you close. And then, you gathered your things quickly, leaving as hurried as Simon. The rapid movement of the short skirt wore, however, caught the attention of Theodore, who longed to see what the fabric was hiding.

During lunch, Simon decided to do drama and did not show up in the big hall. You sat at Slytherin's table accompanied only by Pansy. On the other side, an empty space seemed to wait for Theodore, who didn't take long to take it as his own.

- Mr. Perfection always leaving you alone, doesn't it? - Theodore murmured almost in a whisper, a provocative smile stamped on his perfectly outlined face. You decided to ignore his provocations, just as you ignored the sensations he caused you, which only encouraged his provocation even more. - Oh, are you going to ignore me? Why? Did he ask you for that?

- What do you want? - His eyes have finally turned to him, now very close. The irritation in his words was evident.

- Just talk, love - Nott's way hasn't changed, which made you even more curious. - I miss you, Y/N.

The last sentence made you swallow dry because it had a more serious tone. This could be interpreted in many ways, but it was clear what he meant. His beautiful green eyes seemed to have never lied to you, always crossing your soul with a disturbing clarity.

Her breathing was deep, trying to stay calm as she looked into Theodore's eyes, who seemed to hypnotize her.

- Tell me what you want to talk about, Theodore. I don't have all day. - An attempt to hide the mixture of curiosity and nervousness in your voice.

Theodore leaned slightly closer, the intensity of his gaze making his heart beat faster.

- Why did you run away the last time we kissed? - He asked, his soft voice, but loaded with a painful insecurity. - I thought you had stopped avoiding me.

His eyes blinked in surprise at the direct question. There was a moment of hesitation, the words stuck in his throat, but he knew he needed to be honest.

- That was wrong, Theodore. - He admitted, looking down for a moment before finding his eyes again. - I have a boyfriend now, and kissing you is a betrayal. That should be obvious to you.

Theodore watched you in silence for a moment, absorbing his words, before responding with a malicious and challenging tone.

- Oh, so that's it? - A smile from the corner of your mouth forming. - Curious that you didn't care so much about Simon when you were in my room a few weeks ago.

Theodore's words were a direct blow, and she knew he was right. The internal conflict he felt was stamped on his face. His face flushing immediately when he remembers the things he refreshed in his memory.

- That... That was also a mistake. - Your voice was more trembling now. - I was confused and vulnerable. It shouldn't have happened.

Theodore leaned even closer to you, his gaze fixed on yours, challenging you to deviate from it.

- Maybe, but you didn't seem so confused that night, Y/N. And, honestly, it doesn't seem so confused right now. - Theodore whispered, the soft and engaging voice, you could almost feel him touch you only with the living memory in your mind. - I admit I want you, and I think, deep down, you know what you really want.

A knot formed in his throat. Theodore's words were honest and, in a way, true. Theodore nodded slowly, a small smile forming on his lips.

- I understand, love. You just need some time. - Nott still had a softness in his voice that contrasted with the intensity of his feelings. - I'm willing to wait as long as it takes.

He concluded, his unwavering conviction reflected in his determined eyes. With one last meaningful look, Nott slowly walked away, each step echoing in his racing heart. You stood there, paralyzed, a mixture of conflicting emotions involving you. The whirlwind of thoughts making her even more confused, while trying to process the meaning of Nott's words and the impact they had on her own feelings.

[...]

You could barely move between the full stands of your house. The quidditch game between Slytherin and Corvinal was in full swing, as people shouted and encouraged their players with fervor. The sounds of screams and applause echoed, creating an electrifying atmosphere.

Simon, one of the most skilled players at Corvinal, threw stealthy glances at you whenever possible. His face remained serious, never sketching a smile, as if he was watching you incessantly. The tension in his gaze was palpable, and there was a clear reason for this: Theodore Nott was sitting quite close to you, a proximity that bothered Simon deeply.

- Nervous about the score? - Nott asked, with a casual smile, leaning slightly towards him.

- Of course, it's an important game. - You tried to keep the tone light, despite the tension you felt. - And you, who are you rooting for?

- Ah, always for Slytherin. - Nott said, as if it were obvious, and it was. The eyes shining with a veiled interest. - But I confess that my attention is more focused on something else now.

You felt Simon's gaze fixed as he flew through the heights, increasingly angry. Your attempt to ignore, pretending to be completely immersed in the game did not work, the feeling of Nott's looks on you caused a certain heat that was impossible to dissipate.

- Simon is playing brilliantly today, don't you think? - You tried to change the focus of the conversation. Nott gave an enigmatic smile before answering.

- Simon always plays well, but I think he's more worried about something else now. Maybe with me sitting here. - His eyes turned quickly to Simon, who at the top of the broom, seemed more tense every second. His presence there, next to Nott, was a provocation that was not in his plans, but that was clearly happening. Theodore, however, had a provocative and convinced smile, as if he wanted the raven to see him. - He should be more careful, he can end up being hit if he doesn't look where he should.

- You should focus on the game, Theodore. - Your tone was firm, but it didn't seem to work.

- Maybe, but I prefer to focus on something more interesting. - Theodore's voice was low, but full of intentions, which left everything worse for his body.

You looked away, trying to ignore the growing restlessness within you. The stands continued to vibrate with the energy of the game, but for you, the match was turning into a much more personal battle.

The final minutes of the game were a real roller coaster of emotions. Corvinal's fans exploded in screams every time Simon made an impressive move, while Slytherin fans tried to keep hope alive. Finally, in a quick and precise move, Simon caught the golden knobe, securing victory for Corvinal. The blue and bronze stands erupted with joy, while the Corvinal players hugged and celebrated on the field.

Later that night, the Corvinal Tower was illuminated and full of students celebrating the victory. The music echoed through the walls, and laughter and lively conversations filled the air. And even though it was a Slytherin, you had been invited to the party, of course, but you were apprehensive. You knew that Simon would be there, and after the looks he had cast during the game, you imagined that the night could become tense.

Simon was in the crowd, surrounded by friends, all celebrating and laughing. When he saw her, her smile disappeared and was replaced by a serious expression.

- Can we talk? - He asked, his voice tense despite the noise around.

You nodded, following him to a more isolated corner of the room, already feeling your stomach wrapped up.

- Congratulations on the victory. - His voice had a sweet tone and a slight smile stamped his face, but Simon didn't look the same.

- Thank you. - He responds dryly. - But I think you're more interested in celebrating with Nott, aren't you? - Your frustration grew, making a tired sigh come out of your lips when you heard him.

- Simon, I was just watching the game. He was there, there was no way I could avoid it.

- You could have tried to do something. - He replied, his eyes shining with jealousy. - I saw how he looked at you, and you just leave it.

- I can't control how people look at me! - You exclaimed, trying to stay calm. A few glances already on you in the corner of the room. - And, besides, we are here to celebrate your victory, not to discuss, please.

Simon crossed his arms, visibly unhappy.

- There's always an excuse, doesn't there? I see how he acts close to you, and I don't like it. He wants you, and it seems like you don't care.

- Simon, stop! Of course I care! - You already felt the anger bubble inside you. - But you can't blame me for something I can't control. Theodore is just a colleague, nothing more.

- It didn't look like just that today - He murmured, looking away. - I think you'd better go out, Y/N.

Your forehead frowned and you looked at him, surprised by your decision.

- What? You're not serious... - Your disbelief was clear, but he soon cuts you off once again.

- I am, Y/N. - With a lump in your throat, you turned around and left, ignoring the curious looks of the other students of the party as you hit your shoulders.

His feet walked quickly through the corridors, his heart squeezed in frustration. The party was still far away, but you didn't want to be part of that anymore.

Arriving at the Slytherin commune, his body entered with quick and determined steps, heading towards the dormitory that he knew Theodore would be. You were ready to explode with him, put him against the wall and tell him to permanently move away from you.

When he found him, he was there, leaning against the head of the bed while reading a book. The room had only the presence of the two at that moment, still dark and cold. And then, when he hears the door open and knock, with a provocative smile on his face, he looks up at you. No shame at any time staring at your body.

- Y/N, what a pleasant surprise. - Theodore had an almost convinced smile and a more provocative tone than usual.

You stared at him firmly, his expression making it clear that he was not for games at that moment.

- I'm not here for that, Theodore. - Nott arched his eyebrows, his expression becoming more serious when he noticed the tension on his face.

- Did something happen? - He asked, now genuinely worried as he sat on the end of the bed.

- I need you to get away from me immediately. - Your voice more trembling than you should. - No more looks or suggestive phrases!

Theodore feels the tension of the situation and gets up, going to you.

- Very well, bella, calm down. - His body was close, which made you retreat a step back for fear of betraying yourself and falling into his known temptations.

- Don't call me that.

- Don't be silly, Y/N. You just argued, didn't you? - It was as if he knew everything about what was around his mind. Theodore's voice became lower as he approached her body. - Come on, you know you can trust me.

It was possible to feel the intonation of his words. Simon was right, only an idiot wouldn't see the way he looks at her, everything was clear like the day. Theodore's soft touches on your face, trying to calm you down, but only contributing to your growing electricity.

His body moved away from him little by little until he felt his back slamming against the door, trying to dodge the feelings and sensations that insisted on invading his body.

Until finally the space between the two of you was tiny, enough for Theodore to feel his breath going up and down on his chest.

- I know you miss me too. - Theodore's voice didn't go very far from a whisper as he caressed his face once again, staring at his lips shamelessly. - Let me help you, love, you know I can.

- Theo, stop... - You were completely immersed in the sensations that Theodore's little touches gave to your body, trying to get rid of it. - I can't...

Until finally Theodore leans a little to reach his exposed neck, depositing kisses there, taking his hands to his hips, which in turn, let sighs come out of his lips.

- You can, dear. You just have to let me help you with that. - He still whispers against your skin between kisses and light bites.

Until for a moment, his body let lust take over, taking his hands to Theodore's hair, pulling him for a burning and deep kiss. Nott smiled against his lips as soon as he realized that you were giving yourself to him once again. The bodies even more pressed showed each other how much they wanted each other, and the cold of the room dispersed as soon as the heat of the two flooded the place.

Warm hands spread under the tight dress you were wearing, gathering as much body as he could take in an attempt to kill the longing of every day away from you. A brief and loud laugh came out of his mouth in surprise of being lifted, curling up on Theodore's lap, who gently laid you on the bed while depositing kisses all over his chest as he went down the straps of his dress.

- You are so beautiful. - Theodore purrs and a low moan escapes you when you feel the warmth of your mouth on your lips again. - I missed you so much, love.

His chest felt the same, but it was more difficult than he seemed to admit out loud. Even more so when he had already completely exposed her on his bed, going down her mouth with kisses all over her body, going towards the wet and pulsating place between her legs.

- Damn, all this for me, bella? - A sliding of your fingers over your folds made you arch and a smile open on his face.

- Theo, please... - Theodore, who was quick to introduce the same two fingers into you, causing even more chills and moans.

- What is it, love? Doesn't your boyfriend usually touch you? - The movement that satisfied you before began to stop, and his mouth, which crawled through his nerve point, moved away when his answer did not come. Theodore's voice became more incisive and his movements extremely slow. - Use your words, bella, I asked you a question.

- N-No. - The word came out between one whining and another, making him smile again.

That helped make Theodore even more hungry for what he would cause next. Your mouth returned even more intense to you, making you moan louder.

- Please don't stop. - Head thrown back, arched back, bent legs and fingers between the light brown hair that you loved so much. - I'm so close, please.

That sounded like music to his ears, which, when he felt you squeeze his fingers as he came down from his height, promptly left his clothes, standing above his body, attentive to all the twist of pleasure on his face, while he finally sank into his body, standing still for a few seconds, just enjoying the feeling of her around him.

Louder moans came out of his lips when he began to move, opening his eyes a few times, seeing how perfect Theodore looked above you. He was proud of the mess you were, exasperated and dripping on the sheets as he went in and out in quick and perfectly fitted movements.

The feeling of a new orgasm grew at the bottom of his body, which again squirmed slightly again.

- Theo... - His voice was like a supplication, almost as if asking for more. The malicious and superior look he gave you sent you even more chills. When one of the hands squeezed his neck with a pleasurable force.

- Yes, love, say my name. - A dangerous smile covered Theodore's lips as you poured over him once again. - That imbecile never saw that, did he? He has no idea how to get you to this.

- No, no, no, ... - Hypersensitivity began to take over his body while he continued his movements at the same pace, it was as if he didn't get tired of it.

- Only I can, dear. - It wasn't a question, it was more like a marking of your territory while staring at the place where both bodies connected. - I could give it to you always, bella. I could give everything to you. - The greenish eyes seemed to shine when I said that while staring at her. You felt a different shiver. Was he being romantic while fucking you completely? That wasn't common, but you just loved it.

- I love you. - That came out completely without thinking, completely unconscious and inconsistent with the situation, it came out so low and whispered that you thought he wouldn't listen.

However, his eyes shone even more when he heard that when he captured, even more encouraged to finally reach its end. In some more time in the relentless movements, Theodore took himself out of you seconds before pouring himself over your body.

Tired faces, accelerated breaths like their hearts beating in unison, and bodies completely exhausted. After a quick cleaning session, you leaned back at the headboard, naked bodies under the sheets, a sinuous smoke hovering in the air while sharing a cigarette. Among you, the oppressive weight of silence pressed, waiting for those who would break the void first. _________________________________

masterlist here

A/N: Guys, in the last post I received something about how the genders were being switched throughout the text. I apologize, as my native language is not English and I believe this switch is occurring at the time of translation, but I am trying to write in a way that this problem is resolved. Kisses. xoxo, bee✨🫶🏼

[i5uckersblog]

“Hearts Entwined and Torn” -Final

**Summary**

Amber makes a high-profile debut, showcasing her skills in a major battle.

Amber had been on her own for months now, working tirelessly to hone her skills and build a new identity. The sting of her departure from the X-Men was still fresh, but she poured that pain into becoming stronger, more effective. The superhero world had begun to recognize her not just as a former X-Men, but as a powerful force in her own right.

One fateful evening, the news broke with urgency and chaos. Ultron, the rogue AI with a penchant for destruction, had launched a full-scale assault on New York City. His army of relentless robotic minions had overrun the city streets, causing widespread panic. The Avengers, despite their formidable strength, struggled against the sheer scale of the attack.

On live television, the chaos was broadcasted to millions. The camera caught the Avengers in action, their efforts against Ultron’s mechanical army increasingly desperate. Amidst the smoke and debris, a new figure emerged with striking clarity. Amber, clad in her sleek Avengers uniform, cut through the battlefield with precision and strength.

The X-Men, gathered in the common room of the Xavier Institute, watched in disbelief. Logan, Cyclops, Jean Grey, and others were transfixed by the sight of Amber in action. Each member of the team felt a complex mix of pride, regret, and heartache as they saw her showcase her prowess in battle.

“Is that Amber?” Jean’s voice was barely a whisper, disbelief coloring her words.

“It is,” Cyclops replied, his face a mask of conflicted emotions. “She’s incredible.”

The camera focused on Amber as she fought with determination. Her movements were fluid, her attacks efficient. She navigated the battlefield with agility and skill, turning the tide against Ultron’s forces. She demonstrated not just raw power, but strategic brilliance, coordinating with the Avengers to systematically dismantle Ultron’s defenses.

Ultron, towering and formidable, loomed over the battlefield, issuing commands to his robotic minions. Amber darted between Ultron’s drones, using her environment to her advantage. She leaped from one structure to another, avoiding laser fire and delivering devastating blows. Each strike was calculated, each movement a testament to her growth.

As Ultron’s control over his army began to falter, Amber’s decisive actions played a crucial role in subduing him. With a final, powerful strike, she disabled one of Ultron’s central control units, causing a massive disruption. The scene was one of victory, with the Avengers managing to secure the area and Ultron being captured.

The news anchor’s voice filled the room, summarizing the battle. “We’ve just witnessed an extraordinary performance from Amber, the newest member of the Avengers. Her bravery and skill have been pivotal in the fight against Ultron.”

As the broadcast ended, the room fell into an uneasy silence. The X-Men were left grappling with the weight of their regrets. Seeing Amber so powerful and resolute only deepened their sense of loss.

“She’s become something truly incredible,” Logan said quietly, his voice heavy with sorrow. “I can’t believe how far she’s come.”

Cyclops nodded, his expression pained. “We made mistakes. We should have supported her.”

Jean looked at the screen, her eyes filled with tears. “Do you think she’d ever forgive us?”

Before they could dwell further, the X-Men’s communicator beeped, signaling an incoming message. The Avengers had sent an invitation for a meeting, suggesting a possible collaboration. The X-Men saw this as a chance to reach out to Amber and address their past mistakes.

A few days later, the X-Men arrived at the Avengers’ headquarters. The atmosphere was thick with tension and anticipation. They hoped to make amends and perhaps find a way to work together again, though they knew it might not be easy.

When Amber walked into the meeting room, her presence was commanding but cold. Her demeanor was distant, a stark contrast to the warmth they once knew. The X-Men were met with a composed, almost impersonal version of the woman they had left behind.

“Amber,” Cyclops began, struggling to keep his voice steady, “we’ve been following your recent activities with the Avengers. We’re truly impressed by everything you’ve achieved.”

Amber’s face remained unreadable. “Thank you, Scott. I’ve been focused on my work.”

Jean stepped forward, her voice tinged with hope and regret. “We realize now that we didn’t handle things well when you left. We want to make amends and see if there’s a way for us to work together again.”

Amber’s gaze was unwavering, her tone sharp. “I’ve moved on from the X-Men. I’ve found a new path with the Avengers, and I’m not interested in revisiting the past.”

Logan’s voice was heavy with emotion as he tried to bridge the gap. “Amber, we made mistakes. We should have supported you. We miss you.”

Amber’s eyes flashed with a mixture of pain and resolve. “You had your chance. I’m not looking to relive old wounds. I’ve built something new for myself, something that matters. I’m focused on my role with the Avengers now.”

The conversation hung in the air, charged with unresolved feelings and unmet expectations. The X-Men, despite their earnest attempts, could see the finality in Amber’s stance. She had moved on, and the door to her past with the X-Men was firmly closed.

As the X-Men left the Avengers’ headquarters, they were enveloped in a somber silence. The weight of their actions and their failure to support Amber was palpable. Her success with the Avengers was a reminder of the consequences of their decisions and the importance of their support.

Amber, meanwhile, continued her journey with the Avengers, her resolve unshaken. Her new role brought new challenges and opportunities, and she embraced them with the same strength and determination that had always defined her.

Feel free to request any stories you’d like me to write!

Tag List🥹

.@lillycore

.@clairealeehelsing

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[layla4567]

Until we meet again

Mihawk x Fem!reader

Part 2

Summary: You make a living as a thief, stealing for your own benefit and working alone. One day you will cross paths with Mihawk and they will declare themselves bitter enemies.

Warnings: Enemies to lovers trope, not proofread, very poor conection to op universe, canon divergence, the reader makes judgmental comments towards men, mention of blood and and injurie

Word Count: 2k

A/N: This is purely and exclusively inspired by the Puss in Boots movie, why? I don't know, don't ask me because I don't have a clear answer lol

You were squatting at the top of a terrace hidden behind a tower, from up there you could see your objective with shining eyes. You smiled and raised your scarf until it covered your nose and mouth completely. You slowly slid across the roof while adjusting the front laces of your black cape where you wore your pirate look underneath it.

Discretion had always been your greatest strength and you always had to go unnoticed if you wanted to achieve everything you set out to do. The life of a pirate thief has its rewards: adrenaline, treasures, etc. But also its cons, many people were after you, especially the government, there were even posters searching for you and capturing you, luckily no one knew who you were since you always wore your cape and your scarf, plus the added bonus that your hair was hidden in your hat.

You always used to say that if you wanted to do a job well done you had to do it alone, that's why you didn't have a crew or assistants or anything and even less men, you felt like you couldn't trust anyone. Do you remember the afternoons at your mother's house always saying the same silly saying: "Actually Columbus's wife was the one who discovered America, because the man couldn't even find his shoes." You laughed softly, repeating her words in a low voice, in the end she was right, men are useless, you discovered that when your father abandoned you both.

You approached the ledge of a balcony with your entire body against the wall and hidden behind some tall palm trees but without losing sight of your objective. Near a market a sailor had poorly stored a devil fruit that he had found. You had followed him closely to see what he would do with it, the middle-aged man looked everywhere nervous of being discovered while he put the fruit in a wooden box and covered it with a worn blanket. The poor fool didn't know that a shadow was lurking from above ready to attack, that fruit had to be yours no matter what. Smiling under your scarf, you were about to go ashore when you saw something that left you frozen. A tall individual dressed in a cape and a wide hat with feathers was approaching with long, slow steps towards where the fruit was blocking your objective. The man didn't seem to realize that a devil fruit was hidden there, he just looked around indifferently. Shit, you thought. Surely the government had sent him to capture you and now he was looking for you, although luckily he had not seen you yet.

Cursing quietly, you climbed back up to the roof without losing sight of him and went down the back, hiding in some leafy bushes, analyzing each of his movements as you slowly approached the stand where the hidden fruit was. You had heard about him before, if you didn't they would say you lived under a rock. Mihawk known as the lord of war was the most popular and skilled swordsman, everyone was afraid and respected him but you didn't care, you were also quite good at your job and until now you had not been discovered, the only thing you had fear is that he would discover your plans or that he would discover you. Now Dracule had his back turned and only his long cloak and wide-brimmed black hat were visible. You crept even closer stealthily like a cat while still hiding behind bushes or barrels without being seen.

You kept drilling Mihawk's back with your eyes so as not to lose sight of him. He seemed to sigh boredly as he looked into the distance. When you were close enough to the crate and the sailor was out of sight, you removed the dirty blanket, uncovering the fruit, and were about to grab it when the sound of a sword being drawn and hitting the edge of the fruit crate near your hands as a warning to you. you stopped When you looked up in surprise you found Mihawk's amber eyes boring into yours.

"I could feel your gaze on my neck, although I thought it was an annoying mosquito"- The man said, raising an eyebrow curiously.

You looked at him furiously, feeling your blood boil, you were always careful with all your movements, but apparently this Mihawk guy was not a fool at all. Had you underestimated men, perhaps, this one? Slowly growling, you moved your body away from the fruit with your hands up even while crouching.

"Very well, what you will do now is withdraw without tricks"

You pretended to bow your head in defeat but with a quick movement you took your hand behind your back and unsheathed the sword that you had hidden under your tunic. With a blow you decided to attack Mihawk but he already saw this coming and simply clashed his sword against yours to avoid the blow to his chest. He looked at your saber and laughed lightly, your sword compared to his was smaller (or rather his was abnormally larger than any other). He raised an eyebrow again, visibly amused by your attitude, not many dared to challenge him but he delighted in the few people who had the courage (or stupidity) to fight him.

"So the little brat knows how to defend himself, interesting"

His peaceful attitude in contrast to yours made you more furious than you already were, he prevented you from taking the fruit but when you attacked he barely defended himself? Was he doing it out of boredom? Gritting your teeth, you attacked again, putting your foot forward and extending your arm, but Mihawk dodged your blow and you clashed your sword with his again. Several attacks followed where he only defended himself and never started the attacks as if he knew he already had the battle won before he even started. Your body was almost shaking with rage and your breathing accelerated while he remained calm as if it were child's play. Bastard. You wanted to shout at him to attack and not be a coward but you restrained yourself and started running to buy time.

"Do you want to play cat and mouse then? As you wish"- He sighed

You ran trying not to burn all your energy so quickly, you avoided boxes by jumping over them and you passed between people without touching them as if you were as thin as a noodle. You felt like you were already quite far from your pursuer so you smiled satisfied and turned your head back. And that was a mistake. Shocked you saw that Dracule Mihawk was hot on your heels, it didn't seem like he was running but rather he was flying. You began to run faster and turned a corner of a house and climbed the balcony to reach the roof just when he hit the heel of your shoe with his sword, although without hurting you. Without looking down you ran along the roofs of the houses and jumping over the tiles while he followed you below and did not lose sight of you.

It was a wild chase where your strength already seemed to begin to abandon you slightly while his was still intact. Feeling your thighs burning, you jumped onto another roof further away and fell with a somersault to get back on your feet and go down a ladder and continue along another path. This time it seemed that Mihawk had given up and had not followed you, you laughed satisfied looking back as you continued running but suddenly something large collided with you and with a groan you fell to the ground while the tip of a sword was pointed at you. You raised your head and saw the tall man with yellow eyes staring at you with one corner of his lips turned up slightly.

"The game is over little mouse, the cat won"

You were not one to give up easily, so with your sword still in your hand, you took his sword out of your sight and jumped up, pushing him and running towards the only exit that he was covering with his back, preventing your escape route. Mihawk was just as fast and grabbed your wrist firmly to spin you around on your trunk and pull you towards him like it was a dangerous dance. You collided with his bare chest with a loud noise, you tried to get out of his grip by twisting like a worm but he wouldn't let you go. Being so close to him you could feel the heat emanating from his skin and you could hear his heartbeat which was fast, apparently the race had tired him out.

"I told you, you should have given up when you had the chance."

"And what are you going to do now, huh?"- You spat angrily, forcing a grave and deep voice to preserve your identity.

"Mmh" -He pretended to think- "What I do with you now is none of your business, in fact it's not even my business."

You didn't want to hear him talk anymore so you stomped his foot hard with your heel. Mihawk growled and let go of you as he bent forward slightly and closed his eyes. He didn't seem as calm as before and his muscles tensed a little. You walked away from him and shouted in a deep voice.

"You work for the government right? They sent you to capture me?!"

Dracule stood up straight and regained his composure. "Oh I just took this little job because I wanted some entertainment. I didn't even know why they were so obsessed with you although after seeing you in action I think I can understand it.."

He seemed amused by the situation, he kept looking at you with those hawk eyes that seemed to hide mischief and mockery towards you. It was more than you could tolerate and you moved your sword again to hurt him but he simply with a quick movement of his wrist not only pushed your sword away but also made a cut on your cheek. You closed your eyes tightly as you felt the itch of the wound on your cheek and fell to the ground in surprise. The force of the blow caused your hat to fall forward and some strands of long hair could be seen. You had your back towards the swordsman so he couldn't see you well yet. You took off your handkerchief to touch the wound with a grimace of pain, seeing your fingers were stained with blood.

"Enough. You're wearing out my patience."

You stood up slowly in pain and grunting but this time with your normal voice which surprised Mihawk a little since it sounded slightly higher pitched. When you stood up completely your hair fell completely behind you and he frowned. You turned around to face him angrily, now your scarf was no longer covering your face and the man could see that you were clearly a woman.

"Well, well" -He said low, looking at you from top to bottom- "This is a pleasant surprise"

Mihawk closed the distance between him and you with his long, slow steps while you tried to walk away but seemed rooted to the ground. Dracule was a few centimeters close to you and since he was incredibly taller than you his face was slightly downward. You avoided eye contact but you still perceived his yellow eyes traveling over your face as if it were the first time he had seen a woman. Suddenly Mihawk's soft fingers traveled to your jaw and slid under your chin to lift it up and force you to look at him. His threatening, yellow eyes burned your retinas and you felt intimidated. The man let out a low laugh.

"You have guts ma'am. I didn't expect to find an opponent as good as you."

You closed your fingers around Dracule's wrist and moved it away, closing your eyes, trying not to look at him, but his amber eyes were still in your head. Remembering the reckless woman you were, you challenged him by raising your chin.

"So? I asked you what you were going to do with me now, Dracule Mihawk."

The tall man narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing her full name. He went from your lips to your eyes analyzing you. He would never admit it but deep inside he was greatly amused by your cheeky attitude and how you had dared to face him.

"You know what? I'll set you free. And you better hurry because they're probably coming."

You opened your eyes and were speechless as your lips parted slightly. You expected him to hand you over to the authorities, even stab you, anything but that. Was Mihawk going soft…for a woman? Seeing you frozen and unable to speak, Mihawk raised an eyebrow and smiled a small smile that seemed almost invisible.

"Didn't you hear me? Go now, if you value your life."

Mihawk turned around adjusting his hat and putting his sword back away as he climbed the ladder you had used to get down there. You shook your head and regained movement. You bent down to grab your hat and put it on while you covered your face with your scarf and walked away at fast steps trying to find another hiding place and then run away. Before losing sight of you, Mihawk turned his head with a look of satisfaction towards where you had fled to see you for the last time… or not.

I'll definitely do a part two, when? I don't know but I will do it (I will try)

[itjazzbicch]

Escaping False Fate

Pairing:  Shang Tsung x Reader 

Summary: Based on Shang Tsung's tower ending:

With Shang Tsung escaping the Le Chin prison, but his partner, the reader, being wounded and captured, the reader loses all faith. Not knowing if Shang is even alive, they can only sit in silence and sad emotions, until fate turns again...

Warnings:   Flashback (it is italicized) MK Ending spoilers, reader starts the fic depressed, some fighting (that's about it!)

Word Count: 1.4k 

Time didn't seem to exist in this prison cell I was rotting in. Shao, Reiko, and Shang Tsung had escaped, but I didn't have that luxury since I was wounded.

All I could do was sit and dream that Shang and I were successful with our plans. I remembered our horrible life, barely surviving, then going toe-to-toe with an Empress, God, and Titan.

I went as high as possible just to smack the lowest pits. I was lifeless inside, and my body nearly reached that point.

"You're a strange one."

Li Mei watched me on the other side of the bars, unsure if she was curious or worried about me.

"What do you know?" I mumbled, thinking deeply as she asked:

"Your wound healed quite some time ago; not going to try and break out like the others? Just know-"

"I'm not going anywhere," Staring into the dark corner across from me, tears ran down my cheeks, but my voice dead and prolonging, "There's nothing in realms needing nor wanting me. So, tell me, why would I bother to break free?"

She wasn't expecting defeat from me, but I was in the dark corner, crying and reminiscing.

-------

"Our lives will be changing for the better, dear."

That storming night, I'd never seen Shang's face so bright, optimistic, promising with a kiss:

"With time, we will have the realms at our feet. We'll never have to live like this ever again."

-------

"To tell you the truth," Li Mei whispered before checking her surroundings to tell me, "I don't think that you're like Shang and the General. You're not evil like them."

"Watch your tongue," Snapping at her, that bit of anger was the only emotion I've shown since being thrown in here, "You don't know me, and your opinions have no value."

"I'm serious," Her kindness was annoying me, shutting her down as I shook my head, voice breaking:

"The only motivation I had is gone now. So, if you don't mind, can I rot in peace?"

"Such a shame," She shook back, quickly taking guard as feet stomped.

"FIRST CONSTABLE?!"

"Yes? What is it?!"

A guard came running down, and this caught my attention. I scooted to watch as the guard came and explained:

"Rebels! They're launching an attack."

"You can't be serious?!" Li Mei took off running, hearing screaming and yelling outside.

Rebels had to have been attacking, but that guard who came to get her flashed a smirk at me—that smirk. Shang Tsung's face flashed in my mind, the same expression on his face. He'd do that as a signal to get ready.

My blood pressure shot through the roof, and not long after that guard left, I heard yelling and screaming from inside. It was the guards.

"Did the rebels get in here?!"

The guards down the hall from my cell started marching down, and my fighter instincts overtook me. Something was telling me to get ready to get out of this place finally, and so, shooting a beam of my magic at them as they passed, going to grab the one with the keys, but they fell to the other side of the wall.

"Curse you!" Trying to squeeze through the bars, I was fingertips away from it, and of course, they had these bars in my way, and my magic was considerably weakened. I was so close, straining my body to try and get them, but freezing as I heard the voice I missed so much:

"Don't strain yourself, dear. We're not done fighting just yet."

"Shang-"

Watching him bend over for the keys, seeing that he was him, I cried tears of happiness for the first time in my life, hurrying to stand, jumping into his arms when the cell opened.

"It's you. It's really you," I cried, holding his face and pinching his cheeks softly as he smiled:

"Live in the flesh."

I was starting to go erratic, squeezing his face a little while pulling his lips to mine, feeling vital energy from within, knowing that something had happened while I was alone sitting in that cell.

"I truly hate to ruin our reunion, sweetheart," He kissed before picking up his head, hearing more footsteps, "But we have some unfinished business to settle."

"Please, allow me," I smirked, ready to go towards the guards headed our way, stopping at him reaching to his side:

"You're forgetting something."

My Khopesh.

The last missing part of me was finally home, and as I held it, energy flowed into me. Did Shang do something to it? There was no time for questions; guards coming from both ends:

"Shang Tsung?! Y/N is escaping! Don't let them escape!"

"Oh, how unfortunate that you chose this vocation," I laughed, that energy growing more vigorous, and with just a swing of my khopesh, the blast wiped them all out, and I was in awe by it, mumbling to myself, "I've never felt stronger."

"I told you," Stepping over the bodies, Shang started leading me to an escape, telling the exact words from the beginning of the new arc in our once meaningless lives, "With time, we will have the realms at our feet."

Out the back, where we were safe from guards, I was in awe at how effortlessly he opened a portal for us to disappear into, his eyes beaming back at me with a bright smile:

"That time has come, my dear, Y/N."

"Finally," I smiled back, stepping into the portal with him, unsure where we were, but all that mattered was that we were safe.

Once the portal was closed, just the two of us, I jumped into his arms again, giggling with joy as he spun a little. I didn't want to let him go; he knew the depressing emotions I dealt with in that cell.

"You didn't think I was going to leave you there, did you?"

"I didn't know what to think," I admitted, "I couldn't even move for days after I was wounded, and I was so worried about you."

Millions of worse-case scenarios were in my head during that time, bringing back my concern when he told me:

"I nearly died in the sea while fleeing."

That made my heart sink a little, but now that we were reunited, I was done with worries, bringing his head to mine:

"But you're alive. That's all I care about, Shang."

"Alive and very well," He smiled excitedly, kissing my cheek and taking my hand, "Come with me."

Following obediently, I began to wonder more about where we were, feeling the energy I felt in my khopesh again. This had to have been the source.

"What I thought would be my death was a blessing in disguise," He spieled, leading me down a dark hall, "Lui Kang may think that because he created time, my life is meaningless. My doppelganger may have tried to feed me false hope, but they both failed. All they did was lead me to greatness."

I finally saw That energy for myself: souls—a massive well of souls holding unimaginable power.

"You are the only one who ever truly believed," Standing before the well, there were no lies in his voice, echoing around me as he held his hands out to the sky, "And together, we will become invincible!"

"The power I felt in my sword came from this?"

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Nodding, I rose to be at his side, smiling brighter than I ever had as our future had nothing but victory laid out for us.

"Just that little bit made me feel like a deity," I expressed, taking his hand and my voice echoing too, not realizing its enthusiasm, "No one will be able to stop us!"

"Not a thing," Squeezing my hand and pulling me into his arms, kissing him again made me feel complete, not daring to part lips till I couldn't breathe.

Nose to nose, staring deep into each other's eyes, we started laughing as we thought that every soul who tried putting us down would soon pay dearly.

"Y/N, my sweetheart," He breathed, an arm keeping me embraced, staring down the well of souls, then back into my eyes, "Are you ready to defy the cruel fates our enemies tried to put upon us?"

"Of course," I laughed once more, serious and undoubtedly ready as I smiled, "It's our fate to do so." 

[rist-ix]

This is a really stupid question considering everything that's going on in the story but... Did Valtor had any kind of care and attention when he was tidying up Bloom's space?

It's possible he just picked the highest room in the highest tower and cleaned the place up... but HE'S SO OBSESSED WITH HER. And in my head, he thought of every little thing: -Each sheet and pillow is handpicked; -The chairs and table were ordered just for her; -The armchairs are padded with magic geese feathers, idk.

One day while Valtor is walking in the Palace, he sees a beautiful vase and takes it to her room and puts flowers in it. He does that twice a week with different little decorations.

HIM ASSEMBLING THE MENU OF FOODS THAT APPEARS FOR BLOOM, it's so stupid and so funny. He hires a nutritionist to put together a diverse sequence of dishes with all the necessary nutrients.

I think it would be kind of a way of his to deal with her absence, as he believed he **would** find her at some point, he always remembered to take care of her rooms until Bloom could enjoy everything he got for her.

"... he doesn't need to sleep, Darcy! He needs to decide if she would prefer tiramisu or something savory for afternoon tea on the wednesday of the second week!! It's urgent, what if he finds her now and this is not ready?!! unacceptable!!!" - Valtor, year one without Bloom.

Girlie you are basically QUOTING the corresponding To Know, To Want chapter at this point, you have NAILED him lmao!!!

Specifically, after he has his little long-awaited torture/interrogation date with Sky, he stops spiraling so much and basically recenters himself on the inevitability of Bloom's capture. Now that he doesn’t spend every waking moments in a prolonged panic attack, he can busy himself preparing for Bloom's arrival! It’s meditative, really. He's doing so well. He is so stable, now. If you touch any those hand-selected color-coordinated pillow cases he will eviscerate you, Stormy.

Before and after lol

[quin-ns]

Inevitable (Kang the Conqueror x Reader)

Word count: 1.8K

Summary: you don’t know kang, but he knows you

Tags: antman and the wasp: quantumania spoilers!!, canon divergent, avenger!reader, one-sided affection, soulmates (kinda), denial

Request: anon: “Ohohoho the DRAMA of a Kang fic okok so how about an avenger who’s super powerful, and loves Scott as a friend and is a good person and has a strong moral compass, somehow they end up in the quantum realm with scott and cassie etc…. And when they meet kang it’s like he knows her… he shows her them in the future being lovers etc… it’s almost like they’re soulmates and she is horrified, she thinks he’s good looking but nuu he’s a bad guy…. How will it all turn out o.O”

A/N: loved this prompt- I did deviate a towards the end but still hope it lives up to expectations. kang was fun and interesting to write for. complex villains are the best ngl lol

cross-posted to ao3 • mcu masterlist • writing masterlist

You didn’t blame Cassie for her invention going haywire and pulling you all into the Quantum Realm. Still, it wasn’t exactly ideal.

When you, Scott, Cassie, Hope, Janet, and Hank all got sucked into the Realm, you all got separated. You, Scott, and Cassie ended up together thankfully. You could only hope that the others were all together as well.

The three of you did your best to stay out of trouble. Except that’s exactly what you got into because, well, who knows? Avengers seem to have bad luck. If you were superstitious you’d say that you and Scott both being there amplified that.

There was an attack by what you thought was a sun—you all quickly found out it wasn’t—and then some big purple… thing. You were saved, but then next thing you knew, you were being captured by what Cassie called quantum people.

Great.

They separated you and brought you to their weird town. It was a marvelous setting, but you didn’t exactly get to admire it all that much. The people surrounded you and chanted loudly, spiking your anxiety. At first you were scared, especially when they poured red ooze into your mouth. You suddenly could understand them.

The leader, Jentorra, warned you that because you were from above, he would be hunting you. The Conqueror. He didn’t sound like someone you wanted to be captured by.

The attack was sudden. Ships shooting blue lasers descended. Robots, or what you thought were robots, began to go after people. It was a mess. Some of them evacuated, some fought. You, Scott, and Cassie ran. You all knew that you were the targets and you couldn’t get captured. Not before finding the others. You saved as many people as you could along the way.

There was a giant floating metal head—MODOK is what it called itself—that stopped you.

Turns out, it was an old acquaintance of Scott (and sort of Cassie). Darren, they called him, showed his—maybe this was mean, but it was true—hilariously ugly giant face. He took you to a tower and divided the three of you into cells. Scott cracked some joke about how he had been in jail four times—one more than Cassie.

Darren revealed that he worked for the Conqueror, who built him into what he was. As it turned out, the Conqueror built a lot of what you were seeing.

You were pacing around your cell, trying to devise a plan, when the sound of heavy footsteps began to echo through the hall. It caught your attention. You watched as a man in a green and purple suit approached Scott. His face was veiled in blue and his eyes shone with the same color.

He walked right up to Scott’s cell and they began to conversate. You were diagonal to Scott and next to Cassie. You weren’t sure if the man even saw you.

You heard Scott tell him he was an Avenger, and the Conqueror casually asked if he’d killed him before. “I’ve killed so many, they start to blur together…” the Conqueror mused.

Scott asked who he was, the Conqueror told him he was the man who had lost time. He began to explain that he had a plan for Scott.

You couldn’t fully hear him, and you decided to speak before you could think to stop yourself. “Hey, if you’re revealing your evil plan, can you clue us all in?”

The Conqueror fell silent. He turned to face you. The moment he laid his eyes on, a chill ran through your spine. The blue mask was gone. You could see him more clearly now. The look on his face… there was recognition in his eyes. Sure, he said he’d killed the Avengers in other universes, but this didn’t seem like that.

“Oh, you…” the Conqueror said, seemingly surprised. Pleasantly surprised. “MODOK said there was one he never met. I didn’t know it was you. I should’ve, though.”

The fact that he was handsome threw you. You were expecting someone… scarier looking? Or more alien. Although you supposed not every villain you dealt with after Thanos would be like him.

“Am I that much of a surprise?” you asked, raising your brows.

“A bit,” he admitted. “You look so… well, like you.” The Conqueror approached your cell, Scott forgotten.

“Okay, what does that even mean?”

“I haven’t seen you in so long,” he sighed out. There was a longing in his eyes that seemed so out of place given everything you knew about the man. “It’s good to see you.”

“I don’t know you,” you told him, shaking your head.

“Oh, but you do,” he replied smoothly.

The barrier on your cell dissipated suddenly. The Conqueror extended his hand out to you, passing easily through the barrier that had once been.

“If you would come with me, Y/N.”

You hated the way he said your name. There was an unearned sense of familiarity. Despite the allure in his tone and the gesture of his hand, you ignored it. The Conqueror let out a sigh. He turned on his heel and began walking away. Slowly. Waiting for you to follow him like he knew you would.

You looked to Scott’s cell. His eyes found yours. He didn’t speak, but he was trying to warn you silently.

That was Scott, always looking out for you. But if you had a chance to negotiate, maybe get you all home unhurt. You had to try, right?

You stepped out of the cell. The Conqueror hadn’t gone out of sight. The moment he heard your movement, he halted his own. You didn’t know the man, but you could see the victorious smile he wore before he even turned to face you.

“I knew you couldn’t resist,” he said knowingly. You began walking towards him cautiously. “I have something to show you, dear. I think you’ll find it quite enlightening.”

You stopped next to him, jaw clenched. “Who are you?” you questioned. “I want a name.”

“Kang,” he revealed. “You can call me Kang.”

You nodded. Okay, that was something. You waited for him to lead the way, and he did. He didn’t offer his hand again, he realized you had no intention of making contact with him.

You looked over your shoulder one last time. You couldn’t see Cassie from the angle you were at, but you gave Scott an assuring look. The one he returned didn’t quite match your confidence.

“I have to say, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Kang revealed once the two of you were alone.

“Yeah, because this is what I had on my schedule today,” you replied sarcastically.

Kang let out a laugh. It was short, but genuine. It was an odd sound to hear from someone who’d sent an army to take out civilians. That reminded you that you in fact should be scared of him.

You arrived in what appeared to be the center of Kang's tower—or whatever the hell he wanted to call it. It didn’t matter what it was, it was where he had been leading you.

“What’s on your mind?” the Conqueror asked, looking your way. You were put off by sincere curiosity.

“Okay, what is going on?” You couldn’t keep it in any longer. “Why did you bring me here? Huh? Why just me?”

“Nice to know some things never change,” Kang said, mind distant for a moment. Then, his gaze refocused on yours. “You always were a curious one.”

“Stop talking like you know me!” you snapped.

Kang remained eerily calm. “But I do. That’s what I wanted to show you.”

Without further word, Kang turned his attention to—well, you weren’t sure what it was. Your best guess was something similar to a projector. He did something, you couldn’t tell what, but suddenly beams of light shot out of it.

In front of you was a projected image of… you? You weren’t alone, though. At your side was the Conqueror himself. His arm was around your waist and your head was resting against his shoulder. You were both dressed formally. You couldn’t tell where the two of you were or what you were looking at, though.

The way the projection displayed, you were staring into your own eyes. It was unnerving to say the least.

“I liked this universe,” Kang spoke up. You nearly jumped, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that he was at your side in reality as well. “We had a lovely wedding.”

Your head snapped to him, unable to believe his words. Kang looked at you and let out a content sigh. “We’re married in a lot of universes. And even in the ones where we aren’t, we’re bonded.”

“You must’ve forced me.” It was the only explanation you could think of. “You say you’ve killed the Avengers—I’d never abandon my friends to love someone who’d do that.”

“There was no force.” He sounded briefly offended before regaining composure. “As for the ‘why’?” Kang allowed a small smirk to cross his face. “I won’t spoil the ending, dear, but I’ve seen it. I’ve seen every ending.”

“Why are you showing me this?” you asked.

“Because, I need your help. Well, you and your friend. Scott, right?” he finally recalled. “I need to get out of here,” Kang explained.

“I saw what you did to those people,” you argued. “Why would I help you?”

“My future directly impacts yours,” he explained simply. “If I get out of here, you could come with me.”

You let out a mocking laugh at that. “No way. I already told you, I’d never be with someone who has done the things you’ve done.”

He looked offended. Hurt, even? But it wasn’t like you lied. There was even a flash of anger but he regained composure.

Kang stepped close to you and you stepped back. Behind him, the holographic image changed. You and Kang. Then it changed again, then again. Picking up speed. You were watching as your future in hundreds of different universes played out. Different paths, different lives, but they all ended up the same way. With Kang.

He was proving a point.

“You and I are inevitable, Y/N. In every universe where we exist,” the Conqueror revealed calmly—calculating—and continued to approach you.

You shook your head. “No,” you stated firmly.

Kang tilted his head slightly, eyeing you curiously. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

It was right in front of your eyes and yet you refused to accept it. “I know it’s not true.”

“You don’t know anything,” he dismissed passively. Like he just knew he was right and didn’t see the need to genuinely argue. “Not yet, at least.”

It wasn’t until Kang’s hand rose to your face, his gloved hand brushing your cheek, that you’d realized you had fallen still in front of him.

“But you will see,” he revealed in a way that you could only label as ominous. “You always do.”

[buckrecs]

2022 Bucky Barnes Fic Rec 5

masterlist | req masterlist

All of them are COMPLETE Series.

✨ - fav fics

Status - Completed

1. I Remember All of Them by @tuiccim

Bucky x Agent!Reader

After Hawkeye’s retirement, you are assigned to the Avengers as the new sharpshooter. You form a special friendship with Bucky but when friends turn to lovers Bucky suddenly turns cold. Were you just another conquest of Bucky Barnes’ or was something deeper at play?  

2. Eye For An Eye by @sinner-as-saint

CEO!Bucky x Reader

Battered and bruising, Y/N is out to seek sweet revenge from a man, James Buchanan Barnes, who tore her family apart 10 years ago. Y/N’s plan was simple; infiltrate his life, mess with his head, toy with his heart and leave him broken. Headstrong, she will stop at nothing, not even when it comes down to her being the villain in her own story...

3. Little Lavender Friend by @thepsychewrites

Roommate!Bucky x Reader AU

The stories and encounters you and Bucky face as roommates, best friends, and eventual lovers.

4. Tempestuous by @sinner-as-saint

King!Bucky x Reader

With his kingdom flourishing in peace, and no threats from enemies; recently crowned King - James Buchanan Barnes sets out at sea. With his finest ship, the best crew ever recruited, and a deep desire to see whether the edge of the world truly exists; the King sets sail. Hoping to find the marvels of the ocean, to find beauty and magic even; however he ends up finding a fiery soul – one he cannot get enough of. But then again, no love story is ever perfect, is it?

5. Can’t Fight the Feeling by @sidepartskinnyjeans✨

Bucky x Agent!Reader

After the second snap the world rejoices at the return of their friends and family. But for the Avengers their home is destroyed. Steve and Tony move the homeless Avengers back to the Avengers Tower. With only a few usable floors they're paired up to support each other from the shock of returning and the changing world. Some are happier with their room allocation than others. Can you and Bucky make it work?

6. Nothing to Despair by @bvccy

Soft!Dark!Bucky x Reader

Bucky and a girl he never met before have to go undercover as married on a mission to Europe. He feels alienated in the modern world, while she goes through life alone and abandoned. Maybe they can find a new home in each other, but she’s not easily convinced.

7. Soldat by @the-fallen-nightmare

Winter Soldier!Bucky x Reader, Slight Steve Rogers x Reader

Captain America and Reader have worked together at SHIELD for over a year. What happens when they have a run in with The Winter Solider and Steve finds out the secret Reader had been hiding from him all this time? And what happens when reader is captured by Hydra and The Winter Soldier, again. Can she make Soldat remember her or is her life with Steve just a slow fading memory now?  

+ Soldat Trilogy

8. pansies, pain and other things about bucky | sex and sage flowers by @bucky-bucket-barnes

Bucky x Enhanced!Reader (2 parts)

You and Bucky are begrudgingly paired on a mission together. This is less than ideal considering neither of you are too keen on the other tagging along. All goes as normal until a surprise attack severely hurts both of you. Feeling incredibly guilty, Bucky helps you tend to your wounds. He has trouble admitting it, but he wants to make sure you’re safe.

9. Mr. Grumpy by @holylulusworld

Alpha!Bucky x Omega!Reader

Bucky hates omegas. You change his mind.

10. Picture Perfect by @writingsoftheloser ✨

Bucky x Reader Modern AU

When Steve asks his collegue to be his fake girlfriend, she accepts, thinking nothing could really go wrong. Then, she meets Steve’s best friend.

11. Show Me Love by @lenavonschweetz

Professor!Bucky x Reader

Where sex-on-legs Dr. Barnes is your History professor that makes it impossible to pay attention in class.  Perhaps it’s the danger of it all, but god help you - you can’t stay away.

12. Siege of the Heart by @world-of-aus

Chubby!Bucky x Reader

With a ring burning a hole in his desk, bucky begins to have second thoughts

14. Bucky Barnes | 2 by @assembletheimagines

Dad!Bucky x Reader (2 Parts)

Bucky Barnes, the winter soldier, a ghost story, deadly assassin and-

15. All We See by @kiritella

Bucky x Reader

You’re the person Bucky goes to for a breath of fresh air, the one who’s smile is the brightest, the one that has the softest voice.  You are sweet and kind, something he is falling for a little more every day, but you have someone, and he respects it...what happens when he finds out your special someone turns out to be a monster you can’t seem to get away from?

16. Deception by @avecra

Mob!Bucky x Stark!Reader

Growing up in the dark business your father ran, violence wasn’t new to you. Rivalries and bloodbaths were something you unfortunately were used to. And in order to save your father from an unnecessary fight, you force yourself into an arranged marriage with Brock Rumlow. But when he threatens your father over a small mistake on your part, you find yourself in front of your husband’s biggest rival and your old friend, Bucky Barnes. With the shared history between the two of you, Bucky finds himself drawn to you once again, and will risk everything he has just to keep you safe.

17. Радость моя (+7 series) by @assembletheimagines

Dad!Bucky x Reader

Bucky being a dad.

18. The Light We Lost by @world-of-aus

Mob!Bucky x Reader

James Buchanan Barnes had been it for you, and you wanted to believe that what the two of you had, was you making it. You wanted to be the other side of the statistics that actually made it, but your marriage wasn’t meant for this life. You fought hard to make your way back to him, to get him to see you, but life had a funny way of kicking you down when you were already down.

19. Typo by @shurisneakers ✨

Doctor!Bucky x Reader Social Media AU*

What happens when he texts the wrong number and suddenly there are memes and friendships involved.

*I’m not sure if I should put this as Social Media AU so tell me if I’m wrong plz😅

20. Bucky and the Bed by @that-damn-girl

Bucky x Agent!Reader

You and Bucky are stranded in the middle of a snowy nowhere when there is an 'electronic blackout' during your mission. With no back ups or any way to contact your team, you take refuge from the worsening weather in the only cabin you find  in miles. Not to mention, with no power, Bucky's become your personal heater and there's only one bed.

21. drifting by @real-jane

Bucky x Reader

bucky saves the life of a woman when she's buried in an avalanche. faced with the possibility that his cover might be blown, bucky must keep the woman alive, and try to keep her from finding out who he is... or what he's done.

22. My Favorite Flower by @theyoutubedork

Bucky x Florist!Reader (2 Parts)

Bucky goes to your floral shop to get flowers for all the unsuccessful dates he’s been on. Soon, he only goes to buy flowers for an excuse to see you.

23. Misfire by @shurisneakers ✨

Bucky x Reader

The four times Bucky tries to ask you out and fails.

24. Project V by @babyboibucky

Bucky x Reader College AU

You ask your best friend Bucky a favor of a lifetime.

25. The Only Exception by @whitestarbucky

Bucky x Reader Soulmate AU

Humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves. A lesson that taunted Bucky Barnes his whole life. Perhaps it was why he refused to believe in it. He couldn’t afford to. Then you came into his life to challenge his fears to their deepest degrees, not once, but twice. Whether he liked it or not.

26. Untouchable by @dreamwritesimagines ✨

40’s Bucky x Reader

What happens when Bucky Barnes falls in love with someone he shouldn’t have?  

27. I Want to Hold Your Hand by @thismustbefakeme

Bucky x Reader

Set after TFATWS. Reader is part of the Newly appointed Captain America's growing team. Reader has had a crush on Bucky and vice versa. When they finally admit their feelings...shenanigans ensue.

28. obsidian by @bentobarnes

Bucky x Avenger!Reader

you and bucky lead a peaceful life after the big battle with thanos but what happens when one day everything starts getting a little big stranger?

29. home for the holidays by @classylo

Roommate!Bucky x Reader

your mom had been pestering you for weeks about coming home for thanksgiving and bringing along the boyfriend you've kept secret for so long...

30. 10 Signs an Introvert Likes You by @andyl394 ✨

Bucky x Avenger!Reader

Bucky wasn’t the type of guy to show his feelings and neither were you the one to notice subtle things, until you come across this video; A guidance that may help you discover rather The Winter Soldier likes you or not.

31. Blink Twice by @simmerandwrite

Bucky x Reader

It was just an undetermined amount of time in a safehouse with a stranger: Bucky “I didn’t come here to make friends” Barnes himself. Would it really be all that different from your lonely life with your cat in the city? Bucky was basically a cat, anyway. He was quiet on his feet, only really made noise when it was dinner time, and you both seemed to just coexist without acknowledging each other. His mandate was to keep you safe. What could go wrong?

32. face the sun by @buckys-darling

King!Bucky x Queen!Reader Royal AU

To ensure the prosperity of their two kingdoms, a determined Princess and reluctant King are to be wed. She is willing to commit, but he can’t seem to let his lover go.

33. Don’t Say Anything by @cumonbucky

Bucky x Reader

You finally decide to tell Bucky that you’ve been in love with him since the day you met but what happens when you walk in on him with a girl? And not just any girl; Natasha.

34. Love At First Grade by @buckysimp101

Single Dad!Bucky x Single Mom!CEO!Reader

When father and first grade teacher Bucky Barnes ends up with Avery L/N in his class, the daughter of the “ruthless” CEO of L/N Enterprises, he's in for a surprise that's sure to change his life.

35. Seventy Years by @writingcroissant

Bucky x Reader

You were with Steve in the Hydra Valkyrie when it crashed into the Arctic. 70 years later you wake up in an entirely new world and have to find out a few heartbreaking details from your past. It’s hard to find your bearings in the world that’s so different than the one you’re used to and just as you think you finally managed to find your way back, a certain someone unexpectedly returns. But he’s not the guy you used to love.

36. The Friendly Wager by @justsomebucky ✨

Chef!Bucky x Reader Modern AU

Reader and Bucky Barnes are neighbors and best friends. After yet  another bad date, reader comes home to find Bucky with his typical  weekend target. They decide to make a wager about dating, but is there  more on the line than reader cares to admit?  

37. Love or Hate by @justsomebucky

Bucky x Reader Modern AU

When the reader’s shot at a better life is stolen from her, she  continues to see the person responsible all over town. Will she learn that there’s a fine line between  love and hate?  

38. all you need by @traitorjoelite

Publisher!Bucky x Author!Reader

just after finishing college and your first novel, you meet bucky barnes - a friend of a friend, a publisher, and hopefully something more

39. Bucky’s Got Game | Doc’s Got Game by @real-jane ✨

Bucky x Doctor!Reader (2 Parts)

Bucky's got a crush, and Sam's a little worried about whether or not he's gonna see it to fruition.

40. The Holiday Hack by @gogolucky13

Bucky x Reader Modern AU

You ask Bucky to be your stand-in boyfriend for your family’s Christmas party.

41 The Quest For Love by @sgtjbuccky

Bucky x Reader Modern AU

Work has always been a priority for Bucky, leaving things like love long forgotten, and for him it’s no problem, but for Sam and Steve it is the biggest problem to grace this earth. Fed up with Bucky and his constants protest and avoidance of love, they set him up on a series of dates to find the girl of his dreams with the help of the magical spirit of December. Only for Bucky to realize that love isn’t always found where one goes looking for it, but may be close by.  

[its-vannah]

Midnight Rain | Jacaerys Velaryon x Reader

A/N: Y'all have no idea how happy I am to finally release this chapter. Although this series is a crossover between Jace x Reader one-shots and Midnights, this one adds in a classic fairytale spin, as it's based off of Sleeping Beauty (the Disney version, we don't condone the original). I hope you guys enjoy reading this one as much as I loved writing it.

Warnings: Mentions of death, fighting, violence

Midnights Masterlist

Just what we wanted, just what we wanted

Everything had gone to plan. You were tucked away in one of the far eastern towers in Asterthal, forever at rest while your palace was in shambles.

My town was a wasteland

Homes had been burned, the palace ransacked, bodies were left littering the ground.

Full of cages, full of fences

Sites that had once attracted outsiders were now unrecognizable, reduced to ashes. Those who had survived the attack were kept inside cells beneath the palace, waiting for their executions.

And the life I gave away

If you had been awake to see your people now, you would've been devastated. But after one of your friends, who had been working as a spy for the Queen, slipped you a sleeping concoction, you were unable to escape slumber.

But for some, it was paradise

But the Queen was delighted to hear of your capture. The alliance between the eldest Velaryon-Targaryen son, Jacaerys, and the House of Asterthal's eldest daughter would have been unstoppable.

I wanted that pain

She had ordered your execution, but been advised to put you to rest rather than death. Anything more and she'd be tried for treason against a noble house.

Chasing that fame

So, Queen Allicent sat beside the Iron Throne, a goblet of wine in her hand as she toasted to her recent victory. Long live the Queen.

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

When the news reached Jacaerys that the House of Asterthal had been attacked, his heart dropped. He feared that it was too late, that your life had already been taken.

All of me changed

But when it was revealed that you were alive, he immediately sought out his mother, searching every hall to find her.

Once he spotted her in her chambers, he fell to his knees before her.

Rhanerya looked down at her soon, concern in her eyes, "I'm afraid you've heard?"

My boy was a montage

"She's alive," He managed to blurt out, clasping his hands together, "Mother, please, I must find her."

She hesitated, "Jacaerys, it could be far too dangerous for you to go to her aid. We must think this through."

"I love her, mother. I wish to marry her," He said between bated breaths, "She's everything I ever wanted—everything I needed."

Rhaenyra bowed her head, thinking back to when she lost the man she loved, "My son, do you understand the dangers you will face on your journey?"

Jace nodded, "I understand and accept the challenges I will face."

"Then you have my support," She said, pulling him into a hug, pressing a kiss to his temple, "I love you, my son, come back to me."

Picture perfect, shiny family

"I will," He promised, before pulling away, "And I'll return with her."

On the ride to Asterthal, memories plagued Jace's mind of when you had met. At the time, he had no idea that you were the woman he was supposed to wed. You were simply a girl taking a stroll through the forest.

"Are you alone?" Jace had asked, pulling his horse on a lead behind him, "It isn't safe out here."

But you merely smiled, "I've been living here my whole life, I understand the dangers."

"You live in the woods?"

Nodding, you continued walking, "My family lives in a cabin farther up the hill. It isn't too bad, really. Just farther away from the town."

'Cause he was sunshine

"Do you need a ride back? The sun is about to set."

Shaking your head, you turned back to face him. It was only then that your beauty struck him. You were gentle, steady, but he knew that there was a fire that lay inside you.

I broke his heart 'cause he was nice

"I was told to never trust a stranger," You replied, "But I thank you for your kindness."

"Then let us not be strangers," He bowed, "Prince Jacaerys Velaryon."

Shocked, you immediately curtsied, "I'm sorry, my prince. I didn't know—please accept my apologies. I hadn't known you were to be in Asterthal."

"It's to discuss arrangements between me and the princess."

He wanted a bride

You tilted your head, "The princess? Why, she's been locked away for years. Since she was a babe. Only when the time is right will she be able to wed."

He sighed, "I'm hoping the time is now. We need Asterthal's support now more than ever, with everything going on."

"Then, I wish you luck, my prince."

"I'll gladly accept it, if you allow me to escort you home. I don't feel right allowing a lady like yourself to go on alone," He said.

You hesitated, unsure, "I wouldn't want to impose upon you."

"It would be my pleasure," Jace said, a reassuring smile on his face, "The Prince's orders."

All of me changed like midnight

You returned his smile, "Then I'll gladly accept your offer."

"It's Y/N," You breathed, "My name, it's Y/N."

He walked beside you up the hill towards your cabin, leading his horse behind him. The two of you talked about everything: your upbringings, ability to relish in the peace and silence of the woods, and even shared stories of yourselves that no one had seen. It was refreshing. But then you arrived at your cottage, and your shoulders suddenly dropped.

"I suppose this is goodbye, my prince."

All the love we unravel

Jace sighed, bowing his head, "I look forward to meeting you again, Lady Y/N."

He was sunshine, I was midnight rain

Drowning, you shook your head, "I'm not sure that's a good idea, my prince. You're betrothed. It wouldn't be becoming of us to see one another again."

He paused for a moment, "I nearly forgot."

You reached out to grab his hand, giving it a small squeeze, "As did I. But there's a stark difference between the world's we're used to. I'm not sure it would be wise for this to continue. I apologize, my prince."

He wanted it comfortable

"It's I who should be apologizing, my Lady," Jace said, "I've become comforted by your presence in this short period of time. I bid you farewell."

With that, pain heavy in his chest, he pressed a kiss to your hand, walking away with a heavy heart.

"I was comfortable, too," You muttered, leaning against the doorframe.

Now, riding on his dragon to Asterthal, Jace couldn't help but smile. From the moment he met you, he knew you were going to have a big meaning in his life.

A slow-motion, love potion

But until he had spoken with the Lord and Lady of Asterthal, he hadn't known that their daughter, Y/N, had been hidden away in a nearby forest. As soon as he heard your name, his heart swelled. He had known it then, and he knew it now: you were the love of his life.

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

Dismounting his dragon, Jacaerys fought his way through the knights guarding the entrance to your chambers, his sword impaling and beheading several men who came his way.

Their swords had been held high, but their skill was no match for the young prince and his dragon.

Finally reaching your chamber, he threw the doors open, panting.

Throwing his sword down beside him, Jace kneeled down beside your bed.

Pressing two fingers to the side of your neck, he felt a steady pulse.

Reaching into his satchel and removing an antidote, he held the vile firmly in his hands as he twisted the cork off.

Pressing a kiss to your forehead, he opened your lips and poured the liquid down your throat.

A deep portal, time travel

Waiting for a sign to show that you were awake, it took a few minutes before you stirred, groaning in your sleep.

Your body had to have been sore from the position you had been in the past few days. So when you opened your eyes, meeting Jace's gaze, it didn't take you long to lurch forward, grabbing his collar and pulling him towards you.

Lips moving against each other, you held him close to you until you were both so out of breath that you couldn't help but pull away.

Except on midnights like this (midnights like this)

Resting against your forehead, Jace smiled, "I knew it was you.

[wordstro]

[2] sector one: post-apocalypse au + mingi + "it's for my friend."

a/n: 3.2k words, gender neutral reader, mingi x y/n, post apocalypse/dystopia typical violence, baker!yn

part 1 | series masterlist | part 3

-

you liked baking focaccia. dimpling the bread calmed you.

you also liked learning combat. just in case you needed to run. just in case. combat was not as calming as the hours you spent baking, but it was important. complacency would be dangerous, and that thought remained a nagging voice at the back of your head.

for weeks now you attended ms. hyori's combat training sessions on your days off from the bakery, but ms. hyori had an accident where she'd slipped from one of the watchtower ladders and broke her ankle so she's been stuck on sewing duty - she hated it, if her constant, very loud groaning that could be heard throughout the compound was anything to go by.

unfortunately for sector one, the medic was a temporary replacement after the previous one had died on a medical supply run, and sector one still had not found a medic with actual working medical knowledge. this had been a problem since before you'd even entered sector one. unfortunately, training people who spent years spent within the walls of sector one with a measly tattered medical textbook only created a group of medics that could treat nothing worse than cuts, scrapes, and sprains.

injuries such as hyori's were treated mostly with bandages and strict rest orders to ensure that they healed properly; at least this was what yeri had told you the other day as you both worked on a round of focaccia bread from possibly expired yeast scavenger crew three found near a rundown gas station. broken bones often did not heal right before the Invasion; you could not imagine dealing with one now.

when you arrive at the training grounds, everyone else is already discussing who would replace ms. hyori, their hushed voices mixing with the early morning chirping from the birds. despite everything, nature kept on, and you always figured that was how the end of the world would go. hearing it and seeing it firsthand, though, was still jarring.

"morning, everyone," joy's soft, airy voice fills the training grounds. though she isn't loud, her voice echoes, and it seems to capture the attention of everyone instantly. even the early morning birds get quieter. joy strides to the front, people stepping aside to make room for her. there were two people trailing behind her.

joy has a bright smile on her face, her eyes sparkling, as she turns to face the group. the two unfamiliar people at her shoulders - one tall and the other shorter, but both angular, made rugged by their days beyond the wall, no doubt, with matching knitted brows, watchful eyes, and an air to them that you knew meant they were New - merely loomed behind her, like a brewing storm.

joy gestures to the two men beside her. the tall one towers over her, a looming figure with a quiet, intense aura. somehow the shorter one is scarier, his features sharp. he looks like the type of man that would have been casted in a television show about gangs.

the tall one, though terrifying in his height and stoic demeanor, appears almost docile in nature, gentler, in comparison. he keeps his distance from joy, you notice, but his eyes flit over the class attendees, lingering on each of you as if he is making mental notes in his head. he is rightfully wary, but he did not seem explosive or impulsive, which was hard to come by in this new world where many attacked first and asked questions last.

"as you may have already heard, hyori is out indefinitely until she's fully recovered. luckily for us, a couple newcomers have enthusiastically agreed to help with combat training during this time slot."

joy waves at the two men. neither of them look remotely enthusiastic.

"hyori has given them her approval, so i'm sure they'll do great. everyone, meet san," joy gestures to the shorter, sharp-featured man. his name suited him, his demeanor jagged like a mountain. joy turns, craning her neck to look up at the tall man, smiling brightly as she points at him, "and mingi. i know you all have things to do, so i won't keep you any longer. i hope you all treat each other kindly. san, mingi, if you need anything you know where to find me."

joy waves as she leaves, her personal guard following behind her. you stare at the two men.

mingi. back Before you would have thought this was merely a coincidence, but the world was truly small nowadays so coincidences no longer existed, at least not with names. this had to be that mingi. chocolate chip mingi. yeosang's friend.

yeosang comes by at least three times a week to request pastries. it was not the norm, really, and the kitchen head often looked down upon such a thing, but you allowed it. you liked the company, and he seemed more relaxed with each visit. it fascinated you, watching him open up to you so slowly. unfortunately, you didn't have chocolate chip cookies, as that last bit of chocolate chips was devoured quite quickly by dinner time the very same day you met yeosang, but you you still referred to yeosang's friend as the chocolate chip man. yeosang's friend who was named mingi. who is here in front of you. you you could finally put a face to.

yeosang never really bothered to bring mingi around.

"i swear you only come around here so you can get first dibs on any fresh batches," you muttered after you swatted yeosang's hand away when he tried to pick at a scone you'd just pulled from the oven.

"it's for my friend," yeosang said, "he's sad."

"yeah, yeah, yeah," you'd rolled your eyes, "i'm starting to think this sad chocolate chip man isn't real."

yeosang had laughed, but he did not say anything to refute your half-assed joke. you still gave him an extra scone before shooing him away from your kitchen.

you'd started to think you might have liked yeosang's company.

most importantly, you started to think his friend did not exist. perhaps yeosang needed company himself, and had no idea how to ask for it. you understood that need; you've had plenty of newcomers linger in your kitchen in search of someone to listen as they rambled on and on. yeosang mostly lurked in your kitchen in silence though. so clearly, this mingi was not real.

except now you know he is very much real.

mingi's eyes meets yours over a few heads, and you find yourself quickly looking away first, shuffling from foot to foot as you focus your attention on san. you feel as if you know him, when he likely has no idea who you are.

"...start with a few simple stretches and then i want you to show me your defensive st..." san's voice drones.

~.~.~.~.~

the rest of the session is quick, and on par with hyori's level of skill, though san and mingi clearly lack her positivity. san does not smile once, and mingi did not speak. somehow, san's intimidating, piercing stares and one-worded corrections as he walked around the training field is motivating though, because the class seemed much more serious this morning than you've ever thought it'd be.

when you first arrived at sector one, the disregard in everyone's demeanor had put you off. it was disconcerting, to think that you'd spent so long living in constant vigilance, while everyone here treated important things such as combat training like it was a boxing class at a local gym.

even after so much time in sector one, the nonchalance still bothered you. you could not shake the fear and anxiety, despite everything. san's stoic demeanor brings with it a sense of urgency in the other members of sector one that you often did not see. perhaps it was more present in those who did supply runs or worked outside the wall, but not in classes like this. it's as if his wariness is contagious.

where san is stoic, his directions short and his patience shorter, mingi does not say a word. he merely taps on shoulders, taps at incorrect points in someone's form, and demonstrates the correct form over and over until the person understands. he certainly has patience, and his presence draws command, despite his inability to speak. you find your eyes drifting to him, even as you try to keep your focus on san.

after class, you sit sprawled in the grass, fanning yourself. the sun has gotten hotter over the last few days, and sweat drips down your back at the simplest of tasks.

san and mingi are talking quietly as the other sector one training session attendees disperse. you didn't think mingi could speak, but it seemed he could, but he chose not to.

"hey, mingi, san!" a familiar voice calls. yeosang appears, waving at mingi and san. so, this is chocolate chip mingi. "do either of you want to -"

yeosang cuts himself off when san walks away mid-sentence, disappearing into the shower rooms at the edge of the training field. he did not look back or acknowledge yeosang. yeosang stares after him, a long look that has you scrambling to your feet, suddenly feeling as if you are intruding on something that was none of your business.

being nosy, though tempting, only spelled trouble, Before and After. besides, the secondhand embarrassment curling at the pit of your stomach as you watched yeosang's shoulders droop and his smile slip from his face was enough to have you scurry to the showers as quickly as you could.

~.~.~.~.~

"it seems this mingi character is in fact very real," you say to yeosang moments after he appears like clockwork at the door of your kitchen the next day.

"what?"

"so it turned out my new combat instructor's name is mingi."

"oh," yeosang nods. "yeah, joy's forced us all to take up hobbies."

there's scorn in his tone as he spits out the last word. you laugh and he scowls at you as you say, "so what does she have you doing?"

"take care of the livestock," yeosang mutters.

"that sounds nice." it did. sector one only had a handful of cattle and chicken, but they were sweet. joy mentioned during your tour that the cattle would not be used for meat unless absolutely necessary, as their manure and milk were more beneficial to the compound. the chicken were used solely for their eggs. it was as if joy was giving you reassurance, as if you were allowed to get attached to these animals if you wanted to, because they would remain. she listed it off as if she'd repeated the same sentiment time and time again.

"well, it's not nice." yeosang rolls his eyes, "it smells like shit."

"sounds like cuddling a cow or two would do you some good, yeosang."

yeosang glares at you, "that is exactly what joy said."

"and now you have a second opinion."

yeosang's glare deepens, but he keeps his mouth shut.

you cut the sourdough loaf in front of you into thin slices. the crunch as you slice into the bread with your dull knife fills the room for a long moment.

"it's so fucking stupid."

you look up at yeosang, "what is?"

yeosang gestures around you both, "all of this. everything is so...nice, and it's fucking insane. how do any of you...why is everyone so..."

yeosang's frown only deepens as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"normal?" you finish for him.

he nods, "it's fucking insane."

you'd thought the same thing, when you were alone in your little cot in your tiny room - it was a little brick room that fit a small cot, a tiny rickety chair, and a scratched up table that you were sure they'd swiped from a school. your clothes were stacked neatly in a woven basket you'd made yourself the first few weeks after you'd arrived. it wasn't much, and you figured the single rooms were so tiny so no one would spend all their time in their rooms - you spent countless nights staring up at the stone ceilings, counting scratches on the brick or missing pieces in the grout, and wondered the same thing. how was this sane? what if the compound was attacked? would anyone be prepared? what if none of this was real, and you'd succumbed to some kind of madness? how was everyone okay with pretending things were normal?

you still wonder the same thing. but the thing is, more often than not you find yourself looking forward to your shifts in the bakery. you watch exhausted smiles stretch across the faces of people - fellow survivors - as they bite into fresh bread or a sweet treat you'd made, and you understand it. it feels like living again. you hadn't had the chance before the invasion, really. everyday, rumors spread of new couples dating. two pregnancies were announced during your time here. it's insane, and you think everyone around you knew it as well. yet you congratulated them anyway. you kept an escape bag under your bed just in case. yet you returned to your kitchen shift like clockwork. you understood it so well. was that naive of you? of all of you?

you wipe your hands on your apron and you say, "why do you come here everyday asking for sweets for mingi?"

yeosang frowns, tone harsh, "why the fuck does that matter?"

you glare at him, matching his harsh tone, "do you think you're the only person in this entire compound that comes here asking for fresh bread or something sweet for a friend? everybody is just trying to cope. is it a little insane? probably, but who the hell are you to judge when you're the same?"

yeosang maintains his scowl, his lips pressed into a thin line. he says, "i don't trust places like this. you're an idiot if you do."

"do you think i do?" you snap back.

yeosang scoffs, "whatever."

you watch as he rolls his eyes, turns on his heels and storms off, a whirlwind of anger, and you wonder if yeosang had a bad experience with settlements like this before. you'd ran from a previous group when they started plans to settle. yeosang did not seem like the type to run from things before they got difficult, at least not the way you did.

~.~.~.~.~

"partner up!" san calls out, clapping his hands as he looks around expectantly. "we're going to practice one-on-one now."

there's been an influx of participants in this particular class ever since last week - likely due to whispers of the new instructors. yeri had mentioned to you how dreamy the newbies were, especially the tall kind medic who she assisted the other day. you did not blame them, really. san is handsome, in an angst-ridden sort of way - a rugged mysterious man whose serious demeanor leaves everyone wanting to know more. mingi was a chiseled handsome, more sad than anything else to you, and, frankly, you found it fascinating how quiet he was. but most of all, you liked that he seemed gentle, like he would not even hurt a fly. his presence made you more comfortable than san's for that reason.

"you're the baker right?" you turn at the voice.

a man with longer black hair, tanned skin, a stocky build, and twinkling eyes crosses his arms over his chest as he peers at you.

you frown, "yeah, i am. why are you asking?"

"let's partner up," he says, ignoring your question. he does not smile as he holds a hand out, though he does keep talking, "i'm wooyoung. i'm new."

you introduce yourself, and his expression twitches. you watch as he settles into a fighting stance, fists in front of his face, legs solid and wide. you settle into your own fighting stance.

san calls for you all to start, his voice ringing through the training fields.

wooyoung says, "so you're the one who's upset yeosang."

he says it more as a statement rather than a question. you blink in surprise. you hadn't seen yeosang since he walked out. you wondered where he was - maybe you even worried a bit - but at the end of the day you and yeosang were not friends, so did it really matter if you checked on him or asked around about him?

"i..." you frown at wooyoung, "he upset himself."

wooyoung's eyes narrow. suddenly he lunges at you. you're unprepared for when he easily side swipes your limp hands and pulls your hands back, shoving you into the ground. you certainly eat dirt. wooyoung lets go of you pretty quickly. you glare at him, "what the fuck was that for?"

wooyoung shrugs, says, "you should have been ready."

you get to your feet, swinging at him as soon as you do, but wooyoung is ready. he's too good at hand-to-hand combat. it pisses you off. he grabs your wrist and twists it until you're turned with your back to him. then he jabs you in the knees and you collapse. he lets go of you, stepping into your view.

you rub your twisted arm, bewildered, "are you serious? is this because yeosang is upset?"

wooyoung hums, "nah that last one was because you used up my entire chocolate chip stash."

before you can say anything, someone clears their throat behind you. wooyoung's flick up behind you and you turn from where you are still sitting on the floor clutching your arm.

mingi looms over you, nearly blocking out the sun. he is a shadowed outline, his chiseled features softened by the shadows he casts. his hands are stuffed into his pockets, and he does not say a word. he just holds out a hand towards you. you take his hand, and he easily hauls you up to your feet.

wooyoung rolls his eyes, "i'm just having a bit of fun."

"you're being mean." mingi says. you startle at his voice. it's a deep rumble, a little raspy. you look between mingi and wooyoung, as they both seem to have a conversation with only their eyes, leaving you to stand awkwardly in silence between them.

wooyoung throws his hands in the air, "whatever, i'll spar with san."

you watch wooyoung stalk away, and all you can think about is that those chocolate chips must have come from the newbies. from yeosang and his friends. why didn't joy tell you when she gave you the bag? all you can think about is wooyoung clearly being pissed at you because yeosang was upset. protectiveness like that was normal these days, though you found such codependency dangerous. you were with a group once who would kill people just for looking at them the wrong way. it was dangerous and strange, and you were never one for codependency, even back before the invasion.

"thanks for that," you say, after a beat of silence.

mingi just shrugs.

the silence lasts another moment before you add, "i'm y/n."

mingi smiles then, even as he says, "the baker."

you nod, unable to help your own smile. his smile is infectious, all gummy and sweet, adding an unexpected charm to his expression. you laugh a little as you say, "yeah, the baker."

[awritesthings1]

How to Disappear (Epilogue)

Anakin Skywalker x Reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Summary: Anakin says goodbye to you on Naboo.

ao3 link

-

Anakin never thought he would have to bury another body.

Yet here he was, on Naboo, staring at the foot of a white marble statue beside the lake where he had found you. It was of a woman posing with her hands laced at her stomach, gazing mournfully in the distance. She stood at least a few feet taller than him and didn’t seem bothered by his presence. He wondered how long she stood there. By the discoloration, cracks, and vines that snaked around her body, he assumed a while.

Anakin liked that about statues; they never died. They remained frozen in time, unable to leave, unable to understand, and immortalized into precious stone. Maybe that was what charmed him about Naboo. Life is vividly captured in its foundations, unlike Tatooine, where it drained like grains of sand down the dunes, or Coruscant, where the sun only reached the towering skyscrapers.

Green fields speckled with unusually colorful flowers painted the hills of Naboo. Not one leaf, twig, or rock felt out of place. The warmth on his skin is welcomed, and the dark robe he usually wore is forgotten in the cockpit of the small ship he had stolen on that fateful night.

The halls of the Imperial Palace follow him in his dreams. Marble pillars line that never-ending rug, which reached in either direction with no end in sight. This dream isn’t like any other he had. No amount of pinching or prodding is enough to keep them at bay. The bloody shoe prints return, staining the never-ending rug, and the hairs on Anakin’s neck shiver violently. The sharp tug of a taut string vibrates in his ear; it’s the blood rushing to his face. You call his name from somewhere far away. And then, and only then, will he wake up in a sweat.

In a strange way, he haunted that place as much as you did.

But here, on Naboo, there was life. Life lived on, and so he would too, even if you weren’t here to experience it with him. Which is why he chose to bury you here, at the foot of a Nabooian statue, to protect you wherever you were. It helped that the statue looked somewhat like you. If he really wanted to, he could close his eyes and imagine that the shadow cast on his face was you. Maybe he would fall for the ruse, but ultimately, no matter how hard he tried, he would open his eyes, and the stone-cold woman would still be staring off into the distance.

His shoulders fall.

Anakin never found your body. After Palpatine’s death, he left half alive, stumbling through the halls of Coruscant, shivering with a throbbing headache and a gaping hole in his stomach. The only evidence he had been there were the bloody footprints after he limped through the pool of Palpatine’s blood and down the never-ending rug that he sees in his dreams. He stole a small ship to escape—the smallest one he could find—while bleeding out in order to make his departure as discreet as possible. The next days were a fever dream, where he relied on his botched memory of Obi-Wan teaching him how to administer first aid to himself. He had only been a Padawan then, and he thought Obi-Wan was only trying to waste his time because why would Anakin need to learn something so trivial when there were always medical droids and ships nearby?

Weeks passed until Anakin could stand without the feeling of fainting or the urge to vomit. He had been extremely lucky to survive the attack and have half a mind to set his new cramped ship to autopilot before he lost too much blood. It was when he was starting to come around that he grabbed his dark robe, which had been tossed aside carelessly, and found your lightsaber buried in the pocket. He cried that night and popped a few stitches from his effort.

Anakin returned to the Imperial Palace when his wound was healed enough. He planned to recover your body so he could bury it on Naboo with your mother. But when his small ship rattled into the Coruscanti atmosphere, all that was left of the Imperial Palace were ashes. Rioters and rebels alike mobbed the place, trashing the ancient marble foundations and setting fire to the remains of the Empire, taking what was left of you with it.

So he figured if he couldn’t bury your body, he would do the next best thing and bury your lightsaber at the foot of the marble statue on your home planet. Anakin didn’t necessarily believe in trivial things like an afterlife. Neither the Jedi nor the Sith believed in it. But he would be damned if he didn’t honor you in some way. Later, he would try to find your mother so he could give her the respect she deserved in her death since he never gave it to her that day when she was alive.

On Naboo, the wind whistled through the trees and water lapped at the sandy shores, but Anakin could not hear a thing. The silence, he realized, was his own. A great, big, loud silence deafened the rustling of leaves and the howling air.

The thundering rhythm of his heart beat inside his chest, roaring into his ears. The more he listened to it, the louder it grew. Live, live, live, it told him. But how could he, when his heart was trapped in a prison others call a ribcage and its true home belonged to a body that was lost in the ashes of Coruscant?

When the ringing in Anakin’s ears settled, he heard the crunch of a twig behind him. He must really have gone mad, he thought to himself, because his gut twisted in an eager way as if somehow your ghost would be approaching him. He could feel it now, your hand reaching out to rest on his shoulder, squeezing it in that reassuring way that was so uniquely you. As if you had the power to fight away all his monsters with one gentle action.

And it all came down to one thing: Anakin couldn’t move on. Even during his time as Vader, he haunted the remains of the Jedi Temple as a clothed, dark figure—a ghost of who he once was. And while he didn’t have a glowing blue figure, he floated through the halls as one, haunting the late hours of the night like one. Some people whispered his name as if he were one. Death followed him like that.

“Anakin.”

He could hear her voice whistle his name in the wind. If he weren’t straining his ears, he would have missed it like he missed most things in his life. Palpatine, you, even the Jedi Council. And how about those untold stories that unfolded behind closed doors, distant whispers, and Obi-Wans tired eyes? Flames consumed them when the Jedi Temple burned. The hungry fires would devour all those unsaid words, leaving behind ashes scattered across the galaxy. It would be fruitless to attempt to stitch those brittle grains back together.

The wind whistled again, beating violently at his robe that flapped in its path. There was that sound again, and that airy ghost that climbed his spine like a ladder. The wind was his new ghost.

The wind causes his robe to flap so violently that he mistakes the feeling for a hand on his shoulder. Of course, this was the wind’s new way of haunting him.

“Will you turn around?”

His blood runs cold. The weight on his shoulder was a hand made out of skin—the flesh and bone kind. It was too good to be true. It couldn't be.

The wind, his new ghost, strangled the air out of his windpipe, sucking all the oxygen out of his lungs for itself. Which was fine; Anakin didn’t have a use for his breath anyway. But suddenly you were standing before him as you did many years ago, and it took everything in him to not lunge forward and trap you in his arms out of fear that you might slip away.

“How?” Anakin felt like he was floating outside his own body.

“The Force?” You shrugged.

You stood in front of the white marble statue, facing him as if it were perfectly normal to rise from the dead and stand on the soil that was supposed to be your memorial. Anakin doesn’t understand it, and he never thinks he will.

“Do you remember that night I nearly died?”

Anakin’s eyebrows furrowed. No, Anakin wasn't there when you died. Palpatine told him that you crashed on your mission to the Outer Rim.

As if you could read his mind, you add, “no, the night I nearly died. When I was trapped in that cave with all those people?”

Anakin nods, still confused about how this was supposed to make any sense.

“I think I did die that night. I was bleeding out in that cave, and then the next thing I knew, I was at the top of a cliff, watching that village burn..." You trailed off. “But I wasn’t alone. I could feel the Force, it was there with me. I think the Force took half of me that day; I never felt whole after that.”

Anakin tried his best to listen, but he was too overwhelmed and had to fight the sickness that quelled in his stomach. “Then how are you here? Am I imagining you?”

Your hand reached to cup his jaw with a small smile.

“No,” you laughed, a buttery sound that melted his muscles. “What I meant was that I think I’ve been split between two worlds. The living and the dead. Half of me was with the Force, and the other half of me was with you.”

Anakin’s head was too full to process the information. All he could think of was you, you, you…

Your flushed cheeks burn against the back of his eyes in a hauntingly delightful way. He refused to blink until it was engraved in his mind.

Alive, alive, alive…

“I saw your body on Coruscant,” Anakin tried to breathe.

“I know…” You stepped closer, holding his head more firmly between both your hands. “I was—”

The look in his eyes stopped you. You could see frozen lakes beginning to crack under the pressure.

“It doesn’t matter,” you said, pressing your forehead to his. “It’s all over now.”

You could feel Anakin’s heartbeat thundering against your chest, and with a shuddering realization, he could feel yours too.

Anakin licked his dry lips. "So... this is only half of you?” His arms held you firmly to his chest, afraid to let go.

“With you, Anakin?” You brushed the scar across his eye. “With you, I am whole.”

And after spending what felt like eons adrift in the Force and feverish nights spent fighting off nightmares, you closed the distance and pressed a kiss of life against his lips.

-

It took Anakin a month to tell you about your mother. Not that you ever asked him, but he knew he would have to break it to you eventually. You were cuddled against his bare chest with his metal arm draped comfortably around your waist when he told you.

The Nabooian wind that blew through the cottage window sent a shiver down your spine. Anakin had forgotten to close it the other night, being too absorbed in the summer heat of the countryside, only to forget how the temperature dropped once the sun sank beneath the horizon. It was a strange but welcome feeling to awaken like this, wrapped in his arms. Anakin had developed a summer tan and the habit of hogging the sheets, the latter of which you summed up being because he kept forgetting to shut the window.

It had been a month of this routine. Shiver, roll over, pry the sheets from Anakin’s grip, and snuggle into his body for warmth. Usually, you both stayed like this for a while until you begrudgingly retreated away from your nest to begin your day with the window still ajar. It was either the rattling of the plants at the open window or Anakin’s own tossing and turning that would rouse him.

Today, it was neither. It was your ice-cold nose poking into his collarbone and the tickle of your hair against his skin. He watched you sleep, slowly running his metal fingers up and down your arm as tenderly as he could. You shiver in response, and the hairs on your arm stand up.

Guilt consumes him immediately.

You were still fast asleep, but Anakin hated disturbing you in any shape or form. Which is why he lay there that morning staring up at the ceiling while ignoring the growls of his stomach. A month of selfish bliss he spent catching up on lost time. A month spent putting off all the ugly truths that would shatter their blanket of happiness.

Your mother was the largest shadow that hung over him. He knew he had to break the news eventually. Since living in Naboo with you, it would only be a matter of time before curiosity got the better of you and you went out in search of your mother. It burdened him greatly that he would have to be the one to break the news to you, but he supposed it would burden you more if he never told you.

The truth left his lips that morning while you were tangled with him in bed.

“I know.”

You said it so plainly that his blood ran cold.

“You knew?”

“Yes, I saw her when I was dead. We hugged and talked. She forgives you.”

Anakin inhaled sharply. Forgiveness was the last thing he deserved. His mouth opened to try to make sense of it, but he was at a loss for words. Your mother had no reason to forgive him. He wondered if you only said it to appease him before pushing away the thought, knowing you better than that. Anakin’s flesh hand grabbed one of yours, which was resting on his chest, giving it a squeeze.

“Do you forgive me?” Anakin’s voice was only a crack above a whisper.

You blinked up at him blankly, the same way you did when you were a Force ghost. It was somewhere between curious and confused.

In that moment, you saw him for all he is, for all his shades of blue refracting off him and into your light.

It was quiet, then:

“Yes.”

[thevelaryons]

The Dragonpit

The Storming of the Dragonpit is one of the notable events that occurred during the Dance of the Dragons, and GRRM built it up quite subtly that it almost makes you think, could it have been avoided? Ultimately, it is one of those tragedies that is very much a consequence of character choices that were made.

It begins with Rhaenyra acting on the false accusations against Addam which results in him fleeing from the city, in fear for his life. This is specifically described as Rhaenyra's undoing:

And thus did betrayal beget more betrayal, to the queen’s undoing. As Ser Luthor Largent and his gold cloaks rode up Rhaenys’s Hill with the queen’s warrant, the doors of the Dragonpit were thrown open above them, and Seasmoke spread his pale grey wings and took flight, smoke rising from his nostrils. Ser Addam Velaryon had been forewarned in time to make his escape. Balked and angry, Ser Luthor returned at once to the Red Keep, where he burst into the Tower of the Hand and laid rough hands on the aged Lord Corlys, accusing him of treachery. Nor did the old man deny it. Bound and beaten, but still silent, he was taken down into the dungeons and thrown into a black cell to await trial and execution.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Triumphant

The book previously mentioned that Addam was residing at the Dragonpit, as part of his duties:

It had long been the custom for at least one dragonrider to reside at the pit, so as to be able to rise to the defense of the city should the need arise. As Rhaenyra preferred to keep her sons by her side, that duty fell to Addam Velaryon.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Triumphant

After Addam's escape, Corlys was arrested. Rhaenyra's actions towards the Lord of Driftmark and his heir had a very major repercussion for her:

By ordering the arrest of Addam Velaryon, she had lost not only a dragon and a dragonrider, but her Queen’s Hand as well…and more than half the army that had sailed from Dragonstone to seize the Iron Throne was made up of men sworn to House Velaryon. When it became known that Lord Corlys languished in a dungeon under the Red Keep, they began to abandon her cause by the hundreds. Some made their way to Cobbler’s Square to join the throngs gathered round the Shepherd, whilst others slipped through postern gates or over the walls, intent on making their way back to Driftmark. Nor could those who remained be trusted. That was proved when two of the Sea Snake’s sworn swords, Ser Denys Woodwright and Ser Thoron True, cut their way into the dungeons to free their lord. Their plans were betrayed to Lady Misery by a whore Ser Thoron had been bedding, and the would-be rescuers were taken and hanged.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Overthrown

The Velaryon soldiers would have been well armed and armored. They're specifically described as joining the Shephard (who later leads the attack on the Dragonpit). With their many numbers, its enough to lend great strength to the paltry bunch of smallfolk gathering together in discontent. Some of the Velaryon soldiers were even captured by Rhaenyra and executed, in which their bodies were displayed outside the walls of the Red Keep. King's Landing descends into rioting shortly afterwards.

The Shepherd’s rats were armed with spears, longaxes, spiked clubs, and half a hundred other kinds of weapons, including both longbows and crossbows.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Overthrown

It's rather unlikely that the smallfolk would be armed with such weapons that are typically carried by soldiers in service to noble houses. So these are clearly the Velaryon soldiers that abandoned Rhaenyra previously. It's said that more than half of Rhaenyra's army was made up of soldiers sworn to house Velaryon and many hundreds abandoned her cause. So you can imagine the kind of numbers the Shepard would now have amongst his followers.

Their rioting through the streets eventually leads them to the Dragonpit, as that seems to have been the Shephard's intention:

As the one-handed prophet shrieked his curses at “the vile queen” in the Red Keep, a hundred severed heads looked up at him, swaying atop tall spears and sharpened staffs. The crowd, Septon Eustace says, was twice as large and thrice as fearful as the night before. Like the queen they so despised, the Shepherd’s “lambs” were looking to the sky with dread, fearing that King Aegon’s dragons would arrive before the night was out, with an army close behind them. No longer believing that the queen could protect them, they looked to their Shepherd for salvation. [...] Then he raised his right arm and jabbed the stump of his missing hand at Rhaenys’s Hill behind him, at the Dragonpit black against the stars. “There the demons dwell, up there. Fire and blood, blood and fire. This is their city. If you would make it yours, first must you destroy them.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Overthrown

Eventually the crowd does march on the Dragonpit and kills all the dragons there. Though the Dragonpit was not left defenseless, but having a dragonrider in their midst could have made all the difference in that chaotic situation. That is, after all, the reason why a dragonrider was stationed there in the first place.

The Dragonpit had its own contingent of guards, the Dragonkeepers, but those proud warriors were only seven-and-seventy in number, and fewer than fifty had the watch that night. Though their swords drank deep of the blood of the attackers, the numbers were against them. When the Shepherd’s lambs smashed through the doors (the towering main gates, sheathed in bronze and iron, were too strong to assault, but the building had a score of lesser entrances) and came clambering through windows, the Dragonkeepers were overwhelmed, and soon slaughtered.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons: Rhaenyra Overthrown

Once the Dragonpit falls, Rhaenyra decides to leave King's Landing, as the city is no longer safe for her:

The loss of both her dragon and her son left Rhaenyra Targaryen ashen and inconsolable, Mushroom tells us. Attended only by the fool, she retreated to her chambers whilst her counselors conferred. King’s Landing was lost, all agreed; they must needs abandon the city.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

Wild tales and rumors followed about the deaths of the dragons: that some were hewn down by men, others by the Shepherd, others by the Warrior himself. Whatever the truth, five dragons died that bloody night as the mobs broke into the huge dome and found the dragons chained, and people perished in droves. Half the dragons that began the Dance were already dead, and the war was not yet over. Rhaenyra fled the city shortly after.

— The World of Ice & Fire, Aegon II

The encroaching Green army certainly helped enflame the residents of King's Landing into a panic. On Addam's part, he was tasked with the duty to "rise to the defense of the city should the need arise", and he died fulfilling that very same duty:

The accused turncloak Addam Velaryon, born Addam of Hull, had saved King’s Landing from the queen’s foes…at the cost of his own life. Yet the queen knew nothing of his valor. Rhaenyra’s flight from King’s Landing had been beset with difficulty.

— Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons

In an ironic turn of events, Rhaenyra later ends up as the one fleeing from King Landing, in fear for her life.