#she only had her powers for a year and is worse at controlling her strength than Benny

[bdslab]

[trickstermiraculous]

Miraculous Court Revived Au

This au is based off the idea of Marinette revving the guardians through her classmates.

Basic Facts:

Lila has been found out but the staff still believe her

Ladybug and Chat Noir has revealed their identities after Master Fu passed over guardianship

Miracle queen didn’t happen (Chloe gets a redemption)

Adrien and Marinette had a big conversation on boundaries (with Chat Noir constant confessions/refusal to listen to Ladybug and Marinette borderline stalking, it was desperately needed) and decided on friendship for now so their relationship is healthy

Think only s1 s2 s3

Story:

Both Marinette and Adrien agreed to lend out the miraculous permanently but they did it slowly over a year

Not every hero shows up to an akuma at first but most do now as hawkmoth keeps getting stronger the longer they have the miraculous

Which ironically is something happening to the heroes with them gaining effects outside their suits such as animal traits, super strength/speed and small amount of their powers

The Kwamis explained that this is not unusual and many past users who last longer ended up being tightly bonded to their miraculous which made them into demigods (the class being all true holders just made this happen sooner in the development unlike others who had this happen when they were adults)

Over time the class got more feral but not something that was insanely noticeable until another heroes day incident which ended up with class (plus Kagami and Luka) revealing their identities to each other in order to have a stronger support systems as shit was getting worse and worse with the akumas becoming more deadly and horrific

This cause the class to basically become feral in an actual noticeable manner (think Feralnette au vibes but with the whole class)

They also focused way more on the hero jobs, learning martial arts, weapons training, gymnastics, dance, first aid, civilian control tactics

It was Chloe who brought up the idea because while these classes were great, it was too public so why not get a secret base? Like other heroes do

Between her money and her dad’s complete refusal to go against her and never looking into what she was doing, it was a perfect way to hide a secret base and there are a lot of old warehouses/old buildings needing to be bought up so no would really notice

Even so Max and Alix pointed out that even if that was the case wouldn’t it look odd for a bunch of teenagers to keep visiting a random building/warehouse

It took a lot of brain storming but eventually it was surprisingly Kim that had a solution even if it would be complicated as fuck to accomplish

BUILD A BUSINESS

Confused at first, Adrien asked for an elaboration

Well Marinette wants her own fashion brand, Alya wants to be reporter, Nino wants a music/movie career, Kitty Section has started a career already and just needs to be sign to a label but also has their own job wants outside like Myleen/Ivan/Rose’s charity work and Julaka Modelling career, Marc/Nathaniel wants to make comics, Alix wants to expand her art career/sports career, he wants his own sports career as well, Max wants to build more inventions to improve technology for the world, Adrien wants to also work in science (if not work in food) and Chloe/Sabrina like business in general

so why not just combine all their talents and build a jack of all trades enterprise like other big corporations tend to do

It would also be a good cover to build up the Miraculous Guardians again like Marinette and Adrien wants because you can’t really build something like that out in open anymore without it sounding like a cult.

The Plan/Effects:

So that was the plan, it helped keep their parents off their case, could work on it during school because basically everyone there expect for Lula or Kagami (both helping on music and security branches)

It was a slow build as buying a hood building took a while so did all the legal issues but Chloe, Sabrina, Kagami, Adrien and Marinette helped due to the rich kid background, police father and Marinette’s small business that had been set up with the help of Jagged.

The business didn’t really come first though at least they were not openly promoting it.

First they worked on their hero reputation/brands by increased public interactions with more patrols (more heroes means easier ways to spread out patrols), working with the police for normal crimes like how many other heroes in America do (I’m thinking dc crossover not the canon ones), social media presence for better alerts/info to public/a way to see more down to Earth and relate to people (since come what teenager type hero is not going to shit post/meme about their lives)

And it worked more people support them, helping bring more hope as the new need for more heroes got people worried that hawkmoth was winning, the government was starting to help out more (double edged sword thou as that meant a bigger work load for other crimes) which made them express that even when hawkmoth was defeated they wouldn’t minds them sticking around to help Paris since most hero’s tend to stick to America

The main cover business started to become popular after making themselves more known openly with Ladyblog being officially under the company banner, Marc/Nathaniel’s comics also coming under the brand, Max’s new hero endorsed akuma alert app and Hero Website also coming under the company, Kitty Section joining with the start of company’s music records, famous jagged stone endorsed designer known as MDC also joining.

All these popular thing helped it grow quite fast and with the fact most of them being young teens helped make the media especially interested in how fast they were raising in popularity because it wasn’t everyday you see a group of teenagers build such a big company at their age.

That’s all I got so far to be honest.

Notes:

Adrien has to sneak around his father still but with the business he had chloe help him to threaten Gabriel to back off (threaten to go to the press about how he’s unfairly treated)

Kagami and Lula while out of the class have ended up close with most of them over time before the reveal

Parents are just happy their kids are having fun and building up their future careers

Kwamis are protective as hell with class while also are all really happy with being out after being stored into the box for so long

Teachers and the rest of the school tend to avoid or be more harsh on the akuma class (Lila being the cause for the staff issues)

They are now around the age of 16-17

The hero team is now known as the Miraculous Court due to how the public has heard them use their old titles that the guardians used to use such as Lady Of Luck, Duke of Destruction, Seers of Time, Knight Of The Elements, etc.

If you guys have an idea on what the Business should be comment below (currently only idea is Lucky Enterprise)

[purplebass]

A comment under something I wrote about Kell's childhood got me thinking about antari and how they are objectified. I also briefly touch on their boundaries and dynamics and parallels.

I want to believe that Kell's parents cared about his well being and that the only reason they surrendered him to the Maresh family was to protect him. Imagine if Kell had continued living with his biological parents. They were likely thieves on the run without a home and they probably lived on scraps. Once it would be known that Kell was antari, someone could've taken advantage of him, or worse. Someone could've attempted to kill him. Offering Kell to the king and queen would grant him protection, an education in magic. He wouldn't have to worry about eating and where to sleep. I don't think it was an easy choice for his parents, but they did it because they believed it would be for their son's good. They couldn't know that Kell would end up being dehumanized by his new "parents" and like a bird in a golden cage.

The main og antari and how their storylines reflect each other in different ways.

Holland is the representation of the life Kell would've probably had if his family wouldn't have surrendered him to the royals, and if he wasn't born in Red London. His brother and the woman he loved tried to end him and he had to murder them to survive. Then the Danes and then Osaron made him their pet by literally erasing his humanity by controlling him.

Lila's father sold her to pay a debt and he didn't care about her. But she didn't know she was antari, so her magic couldn't be exploited and this somehow was her luck. Lila could run away from her oppressors, and in theory, is what Kell and Holland both longed for. Freedom. (Side note: that's why Kell likes Lila so much but she also gets on his nerves - affectionately -. The things that come easily to her, are harder for him. And he gets a little irritated by this but I think she also inspires him to improve and believe more in himself.)

Lila is the only antari who wasn't objectified up to this point. She didn't let the black stone or others take control of her, unlike Kell and Holland. It isn't a question of power. This is more of a question of mindset/personality. Lila shares personality traits with Kell and Holland and so do they (and they're a trio of introverts). While the other two are still trusting and kind despite it all, Lila is selectively trusting and kind. She built strong walls around her to protect herself and this is probably why she could resist possession. Perhaps this is her strength. She is also vary and hardly lets people in. She has strong boundaries but she's is selective about them.

Having been treated as servants and not human beings, Kell and Holland do have boundaries but they waver. Kell tries hard to put boundaries but he sometimes loses the fight. Holland has his boundaries destroyed after he was possessed, so it's no wonder he doesn't know what boundaries are anymore. They knew that they needed to get away and could try to leave (they were powerful magicians, after all!) but at the same time, they didn't know how. Oftentimes, the person who lives in a toxic environment knows it's toxic but is unable to leave. Holland was teetered by an enchantment to the Danes and then to Osaron. Kell was bound by duty and by loyalty to Rhy, whom he didn't want to leave because he loved his brother. Rhy was the only reason for him to endure this treatment.

This is why, once again, when Lila appears in Kell's life, she is the catalyst for his growth and for his possibility to get away from the toxic environment he was in. And at the same time, Lila appearing in the story influences Holland's story too. And they also influence her personal growth, because Lila learns to trust people a little more. At the end of the series, their power come together to destroy the enemy, which is cool.

After seven years, things have changed a bit. Kell is free from his royal duties at the end of acol, but his magic is broken and he finds himself without purpose. I think of him as a broken vase that was fixed with a thread of silver just like Japanese do (but with gold) to embrace the philosophy that humans have flaws and they're not perfect.

Lila is more trusting and letting people in (albeit still selectively), and I think that these seven years weren't easy for her either. She was the last antari left (I don't think she counted Kosika because she was still a child and uhm, what did I say about Lila trusting strangers? Read that again lol). I think she felt a huge responsibility on her shoulders, especially because she didn't want to involve Kell in any of the things regarding antari and such (see, reason why she didn't tell him about Kosika either). She was also emotionally tested because of Kell. She was desperately looking for a way to help him but also tried not to show him how desperate she was because she didn't want to show her feelings so openly (vulnerability again).

Holland is haunting the narrative. If the ghost Kosika sees is the real Holland, because I have few doubts that he is the same Holland we know. He's doing to Kosika what was done to him, but in a softer way, because he quietly speaks to her and helps her, and only later she realizes that was the reason she knew how to use her powers. He is using Kosika to act as his vessel so she can finish what he started years before. There's an interesting parallel with Kosika and Tes and the antari but I need to reread Threads to analyze it better.

If you read until the end thank you! lmao and if you have questions please send because I like to talk about adsom

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Hi, could I have a Bucky/reader fic where she is the youngest triplet of Wanda & Pietro (they are all legal) and her power is strength. The three of them are already part of the Avengers when The Winter Soldier takes place and the rest of the Avengers know they aren't just siblings but in love but don't care as they realise the three of them grew up with only the other two to depend on. When the Winter Soldier attacks, reader is the only one who can fight and best him. He realises when she is near, he feels less like the soldier and more like the Bucky that Steve claims he is so when Steve offers help, he takes it to be nearer the reader. He makes it obvious he is interested and she is too but makes it clear that if anything is going to happen, he has to be okay with Wanda & Pietro who are fine with it because they know she still loves and will never abandon them. It takes a while but he soon realises that she does care for him and while he only cares and is attracted to/loves her, the four of them become their own little group. Bucky still has moments where he loses control but they are fine as they know as long as reader is with him, things are fine. Hope this was detailed enough for you and thanks.

Trial By Fire

Pairing(s): Bucky Barnes x Maximoff!Reader, Pietro Maximoff x Maximoff!Reader x Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff x Wanda Maximoff

Warnings: i kept a lot of concepts from the original requests, but changed a bit of it, implied sibling incest, triplets, mentions of past torture, mentions of past abuse, pietro is alive, polyamorous, jealousy, cheating?, bittersweet, angst, mdni, canon character death mentioned, ooc pietro?, still adjusting to writing for him lol

Words: 3169

Nothing shocked you anymore. Not after the life you've had.

Living in Sokovia, there was constant political and military strife that wrecked havoc in the city you and your family resided in. While the mortar shell that killed your parents, it was something to be expected. Many of your school friends didn't have parents anymore. Tragic but there was nothing to be done about it. Nothing that ten year olds could do at least. Were it not for Pietro moving fast to pull you out of the way, you would have been hit by the collapsing ceiling above.

Even HYDRA's experimentation on you and your siblings lost its shock value. They'd been experimenting on people for decades prior to the Maximoff triplets falling into their possession.

Maybe nothing shocked you anymore because of the presence of your siblings that who were never far from you. Wanda always told you that nothing bad could ever truly happen to any of you as long as the three of you stuck together. No one else was worthy of your trust except for Wanda and Pietro.

You never did mind how small your world was before the Avengers changed your lives. You had each other and that was more than enough.

Siblings

Protectors

Lovers

Lines were blurred, ultimately erased over time so that you and your siblings weren't conscious of right or wrong.

It was impossible for you to love anyone else. Pietro and Wanda were your everything. Loving each other unabashedly despite the taboo of your relationship. Why should that change who you are as people? In your core, you and your siblings were good people who may have done wrong things in the past but were on the path to redemption.

You don't remember when it started.

Definitely a little before you and your older brother and sister joined HYDRA.

There were vague memories of the orphanage that you were forced to live in after your mother and father's death. Once you were legal and kicked out to live your own lives did all three of you begin your own. . . experiments with one another. With how you grew up, it was difficult to trust anyone else outside of your trio. Uncomfortable even when someone who was interested in either of you made a pass. You were extremely hesitant and Pietro and Wanda were even worse off with their own jealousy.

Originally when the other members discovered the truth, there was tension. Starting with Tony flirting with you and Pietro getting possessive, being the eldest of the three of you. He took the protective big brother role to the next level.

In the blink of an eye he had Tony by the throat. That was when the truth really came out. Even Wanda's scarlet magic flared in the irises of her eyes. Scarlet that glowed and vibrated all around her. She'd placed you behind her outstretched arm. Her eyes illuminated in red as she glared at the Iron Man.

Natasha was the one to become comfortable with the idea first. She was the last one who would ever judge the circumstances in which people fell in love.

Quite a few avoided you and the other two-thirds of your trio. It hurt to see their initial rejection after all of the times you'd saved their lives. Was it not the Maximoff triplets who stopped Ultron? You'd started as villains, that much you would never deny. HYDRA brainwashed you with propaganda at a young age; disadvantaged by your age and subsequent naivete.

In spite of the oddity of your triplet relationship, you were able to make a comfortable home among the Avengers. It felt like the world was your's. You had things that you never had growing up.

So why did your heart skip a beat when the man known as the Winter Soldier was inducted into the group?

There was no such thing as love at first sight but you feel like this was pretty close. Rather, there was an immediate spark of attraction ignited between the two of you. The moment his steely eyes land on you, you were a goner. He was beautiful in a dark, tattered kind of way. Both weapons that HYDRA created. Corrupted by their instruments of pain and given a new, morbid life with fantastical power.

Understandable that you would be wary of potential amorous intent from Bucky's part. You first didn't get why someone other than your siblings would reciprocate your feelings. For so long you'd had just Wanda and Pietro. It felt wrong somehow to even daydream about Bucky.

When someone new joined the Avengers, the atmosphere was always strained. The dynamic of the team having to accomadate another hero. Letting the pressure settle until there was at least a comfortable silence and brief greetings.

You tried not to stare at him. Even tried to ignore his own staring in your direction. If you paid him any attention, your siblings might catch on. And while they shared you between the two of them, they were not quite so ready to share with anyone outside of your family group.

"He's interested in you." Wanda flippantly mentioned when it was just the two of you chilling out in your room. All three of your rooms were connected by adjoining doors, never liking to be too far from the others. Your's was in the middle.

Saying it, Wanda doesn't look up from the tiny brush that paints your nails. You could tell she didn't like it one bit though. Her jaw was tensed and a tendon in her throat juts out. Faint whisps of her scarlet magic lick at her fingertips.

"I'm just friendly to him. That's all. I want him to feel welcome here. He's a lot like us, you know." Tone neutral, your thumb swipes across the screen of your phone. Trying to distract yourself with meaningless social media content. Plenty of pictures of Tony Stark floods your feed making you roll your eyes and finally set down your smart device. "You and Pietro should actually get to know him."

Her eyes immediately flick up to drill into you. "Do you like him?"

"Wanda."

She shoves the nail brush back inside of its bottle and tries to gently place it on the table's surface but you can hear it clink slightly as her hand trembled slightly.

You felt the shift in the room, the only notification you got before Pietro stood in front of where you and Wanda sat.

"What was that?"

You groan and shove yourself out of your seat, not even caring if the polish on your nails was still wet. Switching from English to Sokovian "Both of you need to relax." Holding down Pietro's heavy eyes, you feel ridiculous having to justify being nice to someone.

As a child, you'd never mind the sometimes overbearing affection of your siblings. Especially when they fought for your sake. Whether it be bullies or an evil artificially intelligent android.

They feared losing you like one feared death.

Your dynamic was set in stone. For it to come crumbling down was indeed a terrifying thought.

Then came the day of your assigned mission where Bucky was supposed to be your partner. Sam was also assigned with the both of you.

Prior to that day, you'd never personally seen the Winter Soldier in action. You'd seen all the his portfolio had to offer: grainy soviet era videos, black and white photos of him in a military uniform, and old documents with a typewriter-style font.

Honestly, you were horrified when the switch flipped in him- where he momentarily phased into the Winter Soldier. A merciless killer. He'd even turned on Sam in a moment of clouded confusion

By pure instinct drilled into you by the same facility that Bucky came from, your hand immediately struck out to grab Sam's elbow and with the god-like strength you possessed, threw him behind you. Taking on Bucky's brute force as solid as a shield.

You grapple with Bucky, taking him down to the floor so you could put him into a hold of submission. Sam watches wide eyed as you effortlessly knock out the Winter Soldier with a simple squeeze of the arm that was around his thick neck. Slowly, Bucky's wild eyes dull before closing as he loses consciousness.

Both you and Sam sighed in relief that neither of you were harmed in that moment.

After Bucky regained awareness, he couldn't stop apologizing to you.

"It's alright Buck."

"No, it's not alright." The undertone of his words were coated with frustration. "I'm still. . . HYDRA has stained me."

You frown, not liking how he spoke about himself. You can't help but reach out and grab his metal hand. Gray blue eyes widen in disbelief. You'd always thought he had the most beautiful eyes. Thumb smoothing over cold, metal knuckles. What did your touch feel like to him? Did it send the same electric jolt up his arm the way it did with you?

"HYDRA has not stained you."

When your gazes catch the other's, the urge to kiss him damn near fried your mind.

Plaguing you to later in the day, you were even unable to reciprocate a kiss which Pietro was trying to initiate as he leaned down to you on the bed.

When Pietro notices your reaction, he pulls back in confusion. "Are you okay?"

No you weren't. "Sorry. You surprised me is all." You release a weak chuckle before placing your hands on his face to bring his lips back against your's.

Nagging thoughts banged against the barrier of your mind: "How do Bucky's kisses feel?" "What does his tongue taste like?"

That night when you were nestled between them in bed, you stare up at the ceiling. Unable to fall asleep.

Down the hall, Bucky was going through the same predicament.

Fair that his sleep schedule was in general a mess, now it seemed damn near impossible.

He'd been staring at the same spot on the ceiling for hours. Your touch seared the metal of his arm to where he could still feel its presence.

A lump develops in his throat when he thinks about it again. The pads of your fingers pressing against his knuckles. Something of the old Bucky resurfaced in him. The Bucky that used to take the hand of pretty girls and kiss it with his panty dropping smirk.

When he first met you, Bucky had no explanation for the warmth that flooded his system. Even with you being flanked by your siblings, you shined brighter than either Wanda or Pietro. Perplexingly, he was forced to admit how smitten he was from just that first glance.

Something in the vast and mysterious universe connected the two of you with an invisible tether.

And when he saw you the next morning, hair mussed from sleep and eyes still droopy, Buck thought you were the most spectacular sight.

You skitter to a halt, coffee mug in hand. "Oh! Good morning." Sheepishly, you try to hastily rub the crusts out of your eyes.

He can't imagine how you would look in his bed early in the morning. Like he'd ever get the chance. Not when Pietro glared at him with the fury of a thousand suns. Wanda was no better. Every time she was next to you, Wanda had either a hand or an arm on your persons' as if to send Bucky a message.

Pouring your coffee, his presence over your shoulder is too much to ignore. "I'm sorry if yesterday got a little weird. . ." You murmur, focus on not spilling searing hot coffee all over yourself.

"What do you mean?"

You purse your lips. "Emotions were high yesterday and I may have gotten too. . . familiar with touching your hand. I overstepped the boundary."

When he scoffs, it makes you turn around. He's leaning against the island in the kitchen. Dark hair tied back indicating that he'd worked out prior.

"If it's you, then you're allowed to touch me anywhere."

The mug in your hand nearly falls. "Wh. . ."

His voice has your core waking up in response. Enough to make your knees wobble inward. Bucky received a brief pulse of delight from the rounding of your eyes as you gawked at him.

Standing his ground, Bucky would wait for you to make the next move.

Certainly you were mistaking his playfulness with flirting. That did tend to happen between the two of you. As was the confusing need to feel him close to you.

Steely gray turn a dark, sultry shade as he lifts his chin up a little to look down at you.

You were never one to back down from a challenge.

Finally getting to lay in his arms, bare skin against skin, you realize you'd just created a huge problem. Cue your post-coital panic attack.

As you had calmed Bucky down during your mission, he did the same for you. "Hey, deep breaths. Did I hurt you?"

"No. No it's not you." Wringing the bedsheets between anxious fingers, you cast a worried glance his way. Bucky's lips were red and bruised from the force of your kisses. "Bucky. . . There's something I need to tell you. I-It might make you hate me though."

"I could never."

Once the quiet shock passed, Bucky leans against the pillows. "I already knew all of that."

Detecting the signs of infatuation coming from his long time friend, Steve took it upon himself to give Bucky a heads up about you and your siblings. One of those 'company' secrets that everyone knows but pretends it doesn't exist. Steve came off as embarrassed when he told Bucky. While he supported the Maximoff triplets, Steve still thought it was abnormal.

"Your life in HYDRA must not have been easy. For you or your siblings." He's coaxing you back into his arms, the cold metal of his arm helps reduce the burning of your body. Tentatively you release the weight of your head to lay against the muscle of his chest. He felt like home already. You want to bury yourself in him.

"So. . . What now?" You ask, your voice barely above a whisper.

"That depends on you, doll."

By the grace of some feminine instinct, Wanda seemed to know the moment you stepped into your room.

You attempt to reassure her that everything was fine before her scarlet magic starts to flare in her eyes.

Desperately you grip onto her hands, refusing to let go as you felt the slight sting of her power against your palm. "I love you. I love Pietro. I always will and I will NEVER leave you. But I also want to give Bucky a shot. He knows about. . . us. He knew even before I told him."

"He's taking you away from us." Her face was starting to redden with the effort it took her to keep her tears at bay.

A meltdown was imminent.

Quick in pleading for Wanda to just listen to you, Wanda simmers down.

Nothing was to be finalized until Pietro was brought in. At the end of the day you were family first and foremost. Pietro didn't take the news any better than Wanda had. You couldn't get a word in above him yelling curses in Sokovian.

Being the protective brother that he was, Pietro insists on having a talk with Bucky. He promised there would be no fighting. That did nothing to calm you as you sat with Wanda and continued to talk to her more about the Winter Soldier.

Bucky was expecting him. He'd felt the tremors of Wanda's magic; a warning. Any other man may think you weren't worth it and give up pursuit. Not Bucky. When the two of you kissed for the first time, Bucky's fate was sealed. He had to keep you in his life. You'd become the shield of his heart, a tender caretaker who'd keep his heart safe and sound from the world outside.

Pietro squares up to him, nearly standing the same height as Bucky. Conceding that Bucky possessed that extra few inches that, Pietro hardens his demeanor. On the silver haired hero's face was almost a disgusted curl of his lip when he looks Bucky up and down. This was the man that was pulling his sister away from the intimate fold of the triplets. An unwelcome interloper.

"It doesn't bother you that she's had relations with both Wanda and I?" Pietro intently watching any sign of discomfort from Bucky but found none.

"If you're trying to scare me off, it's not gonna work." Bucky folds his arms in front of his barrel-like chest. Hating to admit this even to himself, Pietro deflates a bit at the sight of the Winter Soldier's muscles. In a contest of strength it was clear who the winner would be. "Your sister has been the only one in decades to be able to take me down when I get into Winter Soldier mode. If being with her means accepting all of this. . . it's a price I don't mind paying. She's made it clear how important you and Wanda are to her. I don't think she's ready to let either of you go. Not over me."

There's almost a twitch of a smile from Pietro. His steam has evaporated. "We have some negotiating to do then."

You were more than surprised when Pietro and Bucky walk into your room. Wanda shoots confused glances at her brother; bristling when Pietro has Bucky sit next to you on the loveseat.

Your brother ignores Wanda's rueful glares and looks you in the eyes. He spoke in Sokovian. "Are you sure you want to be with him?"

"I want to give him a chance. He's. . ." Helplessly you take a quick peek at Bucky who offers you a warm smile that has fireworks blasting off in your time. Hastily you return back to your brother. "I really like him."

On your other side, Wanda melts when she hears the tender tone of your voice. If she put up anymore of a fight, she may actually lose you forever.

And maybe because you were the baby of the triplets, Wanda felt it impossible to at least try and give this interloper a chance if only for your sake.

She sighs wearily; your happiness was everything to her and Pietro. If you were straying from their protective walls, then that meant you were ready to brave the world by yourself. To try things that might be terrifying for the lot of you. It also meant that HYDRA no longer plagued your memories.

Her palm curls softly against your cheek and you hold it there, closing your eyes. "Alright, imp. If you think this man is worthy of you."

"He is." You beam at Bucky who matches your expression before looking back at Wanda. You bring her close to you so that your foreheads press together. "You'll never lose me. You are my blood. No one can change that."

[missvelvetsstuff]

With Friends Like You, Who Needs Enemies?

Steve Rogers x Reader, Steve Rogers x Natasha, Reader x ????

Reader is a mutant with the ability to turn sound into light who was 'adopted' aka stolen as a child by Baron Von Strucker to use for experimentation. She was given a form of the Super soldier serum so in addition to her mutant abilities she also has super strength, enhanced senses and healing. When he starts experimenting on his volunteers, the Maximoff twins, she tries to convince them to escape with her but they tell the Baron that she's planning to escape so he doubles her cell security. Steve and reader met when the team recovered Loki's scepter from Strucker.

She falls in love with Steve and becomes good friends with Nat but they aren't the friends she thinks they are.

Notes: Here I go with a new idea because I'm stuck on my wip's. Reader has powers like Dazzler from the X-Men, plus a form of the serum.

Steve and Nat are not great people in this.

This story is canon adjacent except that Thanos never happened.

Warnings: none yet

Prologue

Starts at the beginning of AOU

Steve looked around the room, seeing a woman who disappeared behind a wall. "Second enhanced, female. Do not engage"

A tall, beautiful woman in raggedy clothing approached him with her hands up. "Captain America? Are you here to help us?"

Steve noded but kept his guard up "We're here for Loki's scepter but I can help you. Do you work for Strucker?"

She shook her head "No, he kidnapped me when I was young. He helped me learn how to control my abilities but also experimented on me. He wanted me to be a weapon. I just want to go home"

While they were talking Wanda snuck up on them and forced Steve into a memory. Y/N created a light bright enough to shock him out of it.

Steve shook his head and once it cleared stared at her "How did you do that? What abilities, exactly?"

She shrugged "I'm a mutant. I can turn sound into light. It used to be random but I've learned how to make a laser and how to hypnotize people. Strucker made me learn how to break people out of the witches hex, in case she ever turned on Hydra."

Steve nodded "Well let's get you out of here" into his comms "Third enhanced, female. Not hostile. I'm bringing her with me." He looked at her "I'm Steve, what's your name?" She told him and he nodded "Follow me"

Tony nodded, breaking out of Wandas hex "I have the scepter, let's get out of here."

When they made it to the quinjet Y/N was quiet and stayed out of the way while they worked on Clint. She hoped the Avengers were better than Hydra, they couldn't possibly be worse.

Once they arrived at the tower, Y/N was taken to medical to be checked after Clint was being treated but was only found to be exhausted, malnourished and dehydrated. Dr Cho advised starting with a bland diet and rest for a few days, then a check up before starting on other foods and light exercise.

Nat introduced herself "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself before but my friend....."

Y/N nodded "It's ok, all of you were coming down from a fight. I know how that can feel."

Nat looked at her warily "Thanks. Let me show you to your room. You can take a shower while we get some food for you. There are some sweats in the dresser that you can wear until we get you some clothes. We will be in the conference room. in 30. We need to debrief you and Nick Fury wants to meet you. He's not here today but will probably drop in soon."

Y/N looked surprised "I'm no one but I'll tell you what I can."

Nat showed her the room "If you need any help you can ask Jarvis. He's Tony's AI and helps run things here. Just ask him for directions." Nat looked at her, concerned "You're safe here and we'll help you figure everything out."

Y/N looked around the room, more like a suite and more luxurious than she had seen in many years. Strucker kept her in a small, cold cell that had been made so she couldn't use her powers to get out. She hadn't had a proper shower in ages, usually they just blasted her with cold water once a week.

The shower was heaven and the hot water never ran out. There were some high end toiletries and plush towels, she hadn't felt so good since she didn't know when.

She dried off and put the sweat shirt and pants on, they were so soft and felt wonderful on her skin. She found a pair of slippers in the closet and was ready to face everyone. She looked up at the ceiling "Jarvis?"

"Yes, miss?" She jumped at the disembodied voice.

"How do I get to the conference room?"

"Exit this room, turn left and follow the lights"

"Thank you"

"Of course, miss."

Y/N found the conference room with Jarvis help and could hear the team talking quietly, her name came up more than once which made her nervous. She entered the room and everyone stilled, which made her more anxious.

Tony looked over at her "Come on in, we'll see what we need to do here. I have to say you look much better now. I've never seen anyone look so good in sweats. Natasha can take you shopping for some clothes when you're up for it."

Y/N shook her head "Thank you but I don't have any money."

Tony smirked "Don't worry about that, it's taken care of.

Please have a seat. There's food coming for you."

She sat down where he pointed and looked around nervously. She didn't know much about the Avengers and could only hope they were better than Hydra. A plate of eggs and toast with a glass of Apple juice was set in front of her. She picked at it for a minute before diving in. Strucker almost never gave her real food, just some high protein paste that did the job but tasted awful.

Tony clapped his hands "Alright kids, lets get this started. Y/N would you like to start?"

She looked up at him, wide eyed with a mouth full of food.

Tony grinned "Right, sorry. Go ahead and eat and we'll come back around to you."

Y/N listened carefully to everything they said and tried not to eat too quickly. When they came back around to her she had cleaned her plate and wanted more.

"I'll get you more after we're done here, don't want to shock your system too much." Tony told her softly.

"Can you tell us some about yourself and what Strucker was up to?"

Y/N nodded "Like I told Captain Rogers, I'm a mutant. I can turn sound into various forms of light. I can hypnotize, make lasers or just a pretty light show when I sing. I was 10 or so when Strucker kidnapped me and started experimenting to see how my powers work. He also gave me some kind of serum that made me stronger, heal faster and enhanced my senses. Taught me to fight hand to hand. He insisted he was my father but when I got older, he did things to me that no decent father would do to his daughter.

Last year he brought the scepter and two people that he enhanced with it. Wanda can mess with your mind and her twin brother Pietro moves very fast. I tried to tell them how awful he was and talk them into escaping with me but their hatred for Tony Stark and the Avengers was too much. They told Strucker I wanted to escape and he locked me in a cell I couldn't get out of for the last few months. He released me when you showed up, hoping I would help the twins fight against you but I couldn't. I didn't want to be under his control anymore"

Tears were running down her face as she finished.

Nat rubbed her back gently "Do you know where you're from? Where your family is?"

Y/N sighed "I don't remember much. Strucker tried to erase my memories and they are pretty scattered now. I see flashes of another life but they are blurry and vague. I know I wanted to be a singer, taught myself how to make light shows to go with my songs. I remember when my mom saw me doing that and freaked out. There's not much after that except for Strucker and his experiments."

She sat back looking a little dazed "I'm very tired. Is it ok if I go rest?"

Tony nodded "We can talk more later. Once you're fully recuperated you'll have to come to the gym and show us your stuff. Captain, would you like to escort the lady to her room?" He saw how Steve was looking at her so wanted to give him a little shove.

Steve and Y/N were both quiet on the way to her room. She started humming without even realizing and a soft colorful haze surrounded her.

Steve looked at her in shock "That's so beautiful" his cheeks flushed "I mean you're beautiful, you know your voice and the lights"

She stopped "Sorry, it's a habit and how I comforted myself in my cell."

"No, no, don't be sorry. You don't have to stop, it just caught me off guard" they stopped in front of her door. "Get some rest and ask Jarvis if you need anything" he gently touched her arm and felt sparks which made him pull away quickly. "Yeah, uh, good night"

"G'nite Steve"

Chapter 1

[archduchessofnowhere]

Imprudence is at the origin of the crisis which will take Sophie away. (...) After attending a performance at the Opera on May 9 in an overheated atmosphere, she wants to get some fresh air on her balcony before going to bed. She dozed off there and only woke up in the early morning with a high fever. She had again recounted the start of her day on the 9th in her Journal. Then it suddenly stops and will never resume. The bulletins published in the first days by the Court are intended to be reassuring. According to them, the Archduchess suffers from gastric problems. The reality is infinitely more serious. In fact, Sophie has pneumonia which, after a short remission, is getting worse day by day. Clearly, the worst is now to be feared. Informed on May 15, while she was staying again in Meran in the company of [Archduchess] Marie Valerie, [Empress] Elisabeth immediately returned to Vienna.

The family is now gathered at the Hofburg to watch over the Archduchess. The fatal outcome is no longer in doubt. Like Maria Theresia long ago, Sophie wants to face death. A few years earlier, she had written to her mother: “I only understand the fear of death too well […] but I believe that when one has had time to prepare for it, it must give a lot of consolation and courage.” This moment has come. Always in control of herself, Sophie took leave of her family one after the other on May 22. Having drawn on her last strength for this final farewell, she then gradually weakened and, under the influence of cerebral convulsions, even experienced speech problems. Elisabeth was absent, recalled to Schönbrunn to be with the ailing Marie Valerie. Joined by the news that the end is near, she hastens to return to the Hofburg. When she arrives, Marie Festetics, her new lady-in-waiting, hears her ask: “Is she still alive?” and add, the response having been positive: “Thank God! Otherwise they would have said that I have done it intentionally because I hate her so much!”

The last sacraments were administered to the dying woman, then, surrounded by her family, she died at a quarter past three on the night of May 28. Collapsed with pain, [Archduke] Franz Karl throws himself into the arms of his eldest son, also overwhelmed with grief. Mourning the end of a harmonious union of forty-eight years, he will return each of the following days to pray near the remains of his wife. The embalmed body is placed in the Augustinian church, precisely where their marriage had been celebrated. Then the Viennese can pay their respects before the deceased who was dressed in a silver brocade dress and whose head is decorated with a crown of camellias. Finally, on June 1, Sophie was buried in the Capuchin crypt. This is where, according to Habsburg tradition, her earthly pilgrimage ends. For her, the time of eternity has come.

Bled, Jean-Paul (2018). Sophie de Habsbourg

ON THIS DAY, IN 1872, ARCHDUCHESS SOPHIE OF AUSTRIA (NÉE PRINCESS OF BAVARIA) DIED. She was born in 1805 as the third daughter of King Maximilian I of Bavaria and his second wife Caroline of Baden. Sophie married Archduke Franz Karl of Austria in 1824, and they had six children, among them Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria and Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico.

In 1848, she played a key role in the ascencion to the throne of her son Franz Josef by assuring the double abdications of her brother-in-law Emperor Ferdinand and her husband. And although her influence during the early years of her son's reign is often exagerated, she was nonetheless an important and powerful figure in the Viennese court.

Sophie fell into a deep depression after the execution of her son Maximilian in 1867, which also weakened her physical health. She was often sick afterwards, finally dying of pneumonia five years later, at the age of sixty-seven.

[isleofdarkness]

TW for a referenced suicide attempt that was successful but they're bringing her back to life, mention of grievous bodily injury (not towards the person who tried to kill herself,) and an ambiguous ending

"Hades?" His human form had been through a lot. He knew pain. For years, he'd thought there was no physical agony worse than what Maleficent had put him through. But fuck, he'd been wrong.

Trying to move even a tiny bit made him feel like his bones were reduced to splinters under his skin. Gods, was this what Riah's leg always felt like? No wonder the kid could get so grumpy. Every nerve was frayed, every muscle forced to the point of snapping and then forced even further, every cell of his brain battered and bruised. Trying to so much as open his eyes took every bit of energy he had and even then, he failed several times before he finally got them to crack open. It didn't do him much good. Large spots danced in his vision, what little they didn't hide from him hopelessly blurred. He tried to reach up to rub them on reflex, only to regret it a half second later when the worst agony he'd ever felt lanced up his arm. He didn't even have the strength to wince from the pain.

"Jesus Christ." That was Maverick. What the hell had happened for Maverick Fucking Mim to use the name of Jesus? He'd heard her cut herself off when she started to slip and say it. "I didn't think... fuck, Ginny!"

Ginny.

Oh gods, what was wrong with Ginny?

It took infinitely more strength than he knew he had but the jolt of fear that went through him let him force himself up to lean on the wall he'd apparently been thrown into, blinking the spots from his eyes.

He didn't recognize the room he was in.

The floor was reduced to rubble, the concrete ripped to shreds as though hit by a bomb. The walls were scorched, the paint flayed away to blacken the plaster- he hadn't even known plaster could be blackened. Cracks had formed in dangerous-looking spiderwebs across the ceiling. That thing looked liable to collapse in on them at any moment.

And in the middle of it all was Ginny's cot, undisturbed, the silver-haired girl still tied down in it, her eyes wide open.

Wide open, but unseeing. Unfocused. Blank beyond blank.

Oh.

Oh no.

"Maverick-" could he even say it? Could he even ask? He owed the poor child so, so much. She'd tried so hard to save Cora and Selah, and she'd been the one to save Riah's life. If she was dead, if he had missed something that killed her-

If he had missed her killing herself...

"I know, Hades!" Maverick snapped. "Fuck!"

One of her turquoise curls lengthened, wrapping around a finger on her outstretched hand and draping across Ginny's still chest. "Hades," she warned, "I might lose control. If that happens, if I repeat the incantation more than three times without telling you otherwise, do anything necessary to stop me. That includes inflicting lethal wounds." Her eyes cut to him. "I can heal. The structural integrity of the island can't."

Unsure what else to do, he nodded. Her eyes slipped closed.

"Flower gleam and glow," she started. Hades startled (very painfully) as her hair turned yellow, as pure sunlight wove through the golden strands. Oh, okay, apparently she'd had time to encounter the fucking sundrop- when- actually, he didn't have the energy to care about how impossible that was. "Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design, save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine. What once was mine." Her free hand flew to her head, but Ginny was still lifeless. Her voice came out harsh and pained, but she started the incantation again.

And then, around halfway through, he understood why he may need to kill her. Her control snapped.

"Flower gleam and glow." Where her voice had been hard and panicked it became fluid, her harsh repetition flowing into a beautiful song. "Let your power shine."

As the yellow glow filled the room, his pain started to fade. His bones snapped (slightly uncomfortably) back into place, his muscles relaxed, and a wave of cold relief washed through his system. It took two more lines for him to have the strength to get to his feet, slowly reaching into his coat for the ritual dagger he kept sewn into one of the pockets. Maverick was nearing the end of the song, but Ginny still wasn't breathing. He could sense life around her, trying to repair whatever damage she had done as Maverick slammed the world's most powerful healing spell into her, but it wasn't enough yet.

Whatever Ginny had done to herself, it was severe enough that a healing spell wouldn't be enough. They needed one that would restore life.

They needed the Hope Incantation.

He could feel Maverick trying to fight the magic, trying to regain control of her body, but he put a hand on her shoulder. "Maverick, I don't know if you can hear me, but you need to keep going." He couldn't get into her mind fully, not in this form, but he could get a vague impression. And he got the vague impression that she was calling him an idiot for saying that. "I know, but the Hope spell is the only one that can save her. She's too far gone." Fear. There was something under the island, something the Hope Incantation would destroy. "No, it won't. I can contain the spell. It's titan magic but it's not enough to overpower me. The Isle won't fall, I swear it on the River Styx. Keep going. It's safe."

Anxiety. And then, acceptance. Trust. She was choosing to trust him.

As she repeated the incantation again, letting the magic control her, he grabbed a torch from the wall and concentrated until the flame blazed the electric blue of hellfire. As ash began to fall he moved quickly, pacing so that the falling black created a barrier. Once the first circle was done he compelled the flame to consume the entire branch, reducing it to a pile of each and cinders in his hand. Her voice was getting stronger as he dropped to his knees and started using the ash to draw sigils of old on what was left of the floor. He didn't have much more time-

Her voice paused as he finally stood again and he nearly panicked as her lyrics changed. Gods, he needed to cast this spell right the first time, there was no margin for error-

"Power of the sun," Maverick was back to reciting. "Gift me with your light-"

Fuck fuck fuck- Hades turned to his spell circle and started whispering the spell used to bind Tartarus as quickly as he possibly could, praying it was still possible for him to cast it in this stupidly weak form-

"Shine into the dark, restore our fading sight."

The light in the room went out as Stygian chains appeared from the outermost line of ash, flying to form a dome around the three of them, drinking in the bright light Maverick was putting off.

"Rise into the dawn, blazing star so bright."

The ash burst into cobalt blue flames as the spell ignited fully, blazing higher at Hades's urging. Just a little bit more-

"Burn away my strife, and let my hope ignite."

Almost there-

"Let my hope ignite."

There!

[squared-m]

KAIDRA (6/6) — TILA (SHE/HER)

There's no denying the fact that the Onu-Matoran known as Tila was large for a matoran. A fact in which helped her free her fellow matoran from slavers in the remote, mountainous regions of the Southern Continent. She and her people rose up against their captors, and drove them out. Once the dust had settled, and the matoran were free, they began setting up their own small village, making Tila as their village protector. As they had never seen a toa, or turaga, her and her fellow villagers saw them as little more than myth.

As the village's protector, Tila was known for her strength, and her courage, something she, self-admittedly, let go to her head. While her ego and vanity were not unbearable, she was often one to boast, often to cover up for self-doubt and fear. Fear of their captors returning, or something far worse… Tila was custom to all manner of things: Strange, hostile rahi that roamed too close for comfort, or the occasional bandit or two, sure, but nothing could have prepared her for the eventual arrival of Exo-Toa or Rahkshi squadrons that roamed the Southern Continent's countryside.

When Makuta Teridax took control over Mata Nui's body, and plunged the universe into darkness, Tila's primary goal was, as always, to keep her people safe. But she and the village leaders knew they would not be safe sitting in-place, waiting for some mythical heroes to arrive. No, they had to move, and be on the move constantly to avoid detection. Using the old mining tunnels dotting the nearby countryside, Tila's village moved around for what seemed like months on end. They only moved out onto the surface when a tremor of such intensity that it matched the one 100 years prior, when Mata Nui fell into his slumber, could be felt. Once on the surface, they felt a sudden shift in the wind, a change in the universe… Whatever had corrupted their universe had passed.

After encountering a few stragglers while on the move, they'd learned the truth: That a Makuta had taken control of the universe, had been defeated, and that the Toa were, in fact, real. Not only that, they were helping the denizens flee to some-place else. After following them for days on end, they finally reached the surface of Spherus Magna, exiting through an opening in the titanic robot's body. Once there, after processing the shocking and world-shaking revelation, Tila and her people got to work helping others adjust.

Fifty years after Teridax's defeat, and the creation of the city of New Atero, Tila decided to settle down and open up a market in New Atero's city center. Yet this period of relative calm and peace would soon be uprooted by the arrival of a hooded figure. They gave her a strange, glowing purple stone, and who told her to return to the corpse of the colossal machine she once called home. Once there, in the ruins of Metru Nui's great temple, she was transformed into a mighty, and powerful Toa of Earth, and would join the Toa Kaidra along with the other five matoran who had been in the temple.

(Sorry for the late post, totally didn't forget this place, you know how things are >.>)

[moinstar]

Moin MC's Future

WARNING: Contains spoilers and pretty heavy stuff ahead

The story is still a little lacking so expect that this post will be edited from time to time.

Having the three realms united, Diavolo's goal has been fulfilled. He finally settled down and decided to have a family with Moin MC. Unfortunately, giving birth to a powerful demon's child took a lot of toll on Moin MC's body. The child drained her essence during her pregnancy and it took angels and demons to maintain her human body (although she's quite immortal herself, the physical body couldn't take the heavy burden of magic). Diavolo became distraught having to witness the pain of childbearing and began to fear that the same thing might happen like how his mother passed away giving birth to him. She almost lost her life but she successfully delivered a healthy baby boy and she named him Adamas Damao meaning "diamond".

It was a celebration at first but they faced difficulties in raising a powerful demon child. She would always get scratch marks whenever AD has a fit and couldn't control his strength.

And the days passed and they noticed how her body unconsciously goes to sleep and it gets worse over the passing years: randomnly passing out and getting longer sleeps that she can't be awaken from. Her anxieties grew and she fears that her slumber will take years for her to wake up, or maybe never wake up anymore. By the time AD is 10 years old, she slept and sealed herself underneath the Devildom. Her body is still a potential vessel in being used (since she's also a powerful sorceress herself) so only a few people know about her whereabouts.

AD loves his mother so much that when she finally had to say goodbye, he tried his best to be a good kid so she wouldn't worry about him anymore.

He began loathing his father (Diavolo) when he saw how he became emotionally distant to him and only cared in trying to search for a way to awaken his beloved.

AD grew to disliked seeing his father gradually losing himself and so he wanted to live a normal life outside the castle. He wanted to live how his mother lived.

[practically-an-x-man]

I'm going to throw Kat at the mercy of the wheel, I think, I feel too guilty throwing Lars or Jimmy... (sorey, Kat!)

Oooh.... very interesting.

Whump wheel came up with.... Buried Alive! Now that could be fun...

The Whump Wheel

____ Entombed

Word Count: 1.8k Tags: Whump, blood, claustrophobia, captivity, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending

____

Before she could react, there was a hand gripping her hair.

"Ah- hey!" Katherine blurted, more startled than truly in pain. That changed all too quickly, though- the grip wrenched her up, out of her seat, dragged with a pace too fast to keep up. Katherine staggered, fighting to get her feet under her. The pressure on her scalp was agonizing, so intense she wondered if something would tear. With her hair, thick and healthy and natural as it was, she worried that something would be her scalp.

She clawed at the fingers in her hair, digging her nails in deep. Her attacker flinched, grunted, but didn't release their grip. Katherine's feet skidded on the tiles below her, unable to find traction.

Katherine shrieked. It was a high, piercing sound- that quickly dissolved into a helpless cough as her attacker spun and drove a knee into her gut. She only caught a glimpse at the figure, everything but their eyes (brown eyes, like seventy-nine percent of the world had brown eyes) covered in a thick black ski mask.

And then they were moving again, even as she coughed and sputtered and staggered. She didn't dare scream again. She had a feeling her punishment this time would be worse.

Rough hands dragged her down the hall at the same too-quick pace. The pain was blinding every time she slowed. Katherine felt warm blood running out onto her fingers, but still her attacker refused to let her go.

It wasn't until her eyes caught stone walls, engraved in cobalt and ochre, that she realized where she was being taken. Here was the place her lover called home, the roost of the gods that wove her history, the place she'd spent so many peaceful hours...

Here was the place with a great stone coffin, just the right size to contain a helpless girl.

With a single harsh movement, half-drag and half-shove, Katherine found herself tumbling into the sarcophagus. She fell into a ruin of rotted cloth and crumpled papers, saw stars as her head hit the stone base of the box.

Shadows slid over her, accompanied by the cacophonous growl of rock scraping rock. The lid was closing, inch by terrible inch. Katherine shoved at it, kicked at it, tried in vain to slow its momentum, but couldn't find the slightest leverage against her attacker.

Her sliver of light trickled away.

Soon it was gone. Soon she was left in the dark. And as the footsteps of her attacker echoed down the hall, soon she was left in silence.

Suddenly the space felt so much smaller. The stone squeezed her shoulders, pressed bruises into the slopes of her hips and thighs, bent her neck at a strange angle. Katherine took in a breath, fighting hard to keep it under control. Each inhale sent fresh, sharpened aches through her ribs and shoulders. She was shorter than Ahk, but also quite a bit curvier, and this space wasn't made for her.

The urge to scream filled her so suddenly, so violently, it struck her like a bolt of lightning. It took everything in Katherine's power to battle it back. She didn't know where her attackers had gone, and she couldn't bear to waste oxygen in such a confined space. She could not afford to panic now.

She'd been through worse than this, she told herself. She could handle this. They'd taken the locks off the sarcophagus years ago. All she had to do was push the lid aside. Ahk did that every night.

She could do this.

Katherine planted her hands on the stone and pushed, pushed with everything she had, every ounce of strength she had contained in a body that barely cracked five-foot-two on a good day. She pushed until her shoulders burned, until those sore spots on her hips and spine screamed in fresh agony, until she was panting and gasping for breath in the musty air.

And it didn't move. Not an inch.

"Fuck!" she screamed, unable to help herself. The sound just ricocheted back at her, with all the force of a slap to the face. Her ears rang.

Ahk did this every night. Every. Night.

But he was built taller, built stronger, built with muscle where she had softness. And he had a space that fit him, while she was cramped and bent and aching.

Katherine twisted, trying to get her feet planted against the lid of the sarcophagus. She had more power in her legs than her arms, she always had, and even just an inch of space would be enough to give her the leverage she needed.

Her hips were screaming in pain, wedged between unyielding planes of rock. Her shoulders were the same, worse with even the smallest twitch. The sarcophagus was too shallow to get her feet planted against it- she only succeeded in thoroughly bruising her knees.

It had never felt more like a coffin.

Panic flooded her all at once. It had been manageable enough, with the promise that she could create her own escape, but now that promise had shattered. It felt like she was breathing more dust than air.

"Help me!" she shrieked, now veering on desperation. Her fists pounded on the stone, scraping rough edges and drawing blood. Her breath came in roughened gasps, choked with tears of pain and fear. She wasn't sure her voice even escaped the box that held her.

"Ahk! Larry! Somebody!" Her screams ripped through her throat, so sharp and violent that she tasted blood. Katherine continued to drum on the stone lid above her, kicking and shoving until she felt her skin tear.

Panting and sweating, another thought struck her. Katherine fought hard to manage her breathing, pressing her trembling and bloody hands to the stone lid above her.

"Sekhmet..." she whispered, closing her eyes though the box was already unfathomably dark around her, "Give me strength. Please. I need to get out of here."

Gold light rippled through her mind, and she felt it flare bright around her... and then it was gone. Katherine tried again to push at the stone ceiling above her, praying that maybe she'd been granted some unseen strength, but it still didn't budge.

She found herself sobbing in the dark. She was stuck. That was it. Stuck. Not strong enough to escape on her own, and the gods couldn't or wouldn't help her. And she had no idea what had been done with her friends, if they'd met a similar fate.

The air was thick around her. It felt like breathing pure concrete, and Katherine's head spun. She wasn't sure how much longer she had before she ran out of air entirely. Would she drift off into unconsciousness? Or would she simply lie here, panicked and choking, until she died?

She shrieked until she didn't have the breath to shriek, pounded on the stone until the pain in her hands grew to a fiery agony, twisted until the bruises on her hips and shoulders felt bone-deep... and then she stopped, exhausted. Sparks danced behind her eyes, flickering in the darkness. She could have been drifting to the bottom of the ocean, with that dark and the pressure around her.

Katherine didn't know how long she'd been trapped here. It could have been moments or it could have been hours. All sense of time had drifted away. Faint stars flickered in the dark. Despite all her aches, the rough stone pressed in too close, the space suddenly felt endlessly open. Maybe that meant she was losing her mind.

At least she wasn't so panicked anymore. Her head was too foggy to find the emotion within her. She felt her senses extend, like a plane breaking through the veil of clouds above it...

A lion prowling the halls, gleaming gold. A burst of sparks flickering on the end of its tail. A growl- no, not quite, just a rumble, a come-here sort of vocalization. Figures, many figures, first wandering and then sprinting.

Familiar golden light filled the sarcophagus, flooding her senses. Then came another growl - thick and harsh and rocky, a jackhammer into her skull.

"Katherine!"

All she could manage was a sort of wheeze, cringing as she was doused in blinding light. All she could see were silhouettes above her, hazy and looming.

Lean arms grabbed her tight and heaved her out of the box. Fresh air flooded her lungs, and Katherine coughed and gasped until her ribs ached. Her throat tasted of iron and dust. The tile floor was cold beneath her, and quickly became smeared with blood from the rough scrapes all down her legs.

"Oh, my love..." Ahk murmured, taking her hands and running his fingertips featherlight over the many scrapes he found there. Katherine blinked at him, fighting to let her eyes adjust to the new light around her. His face was bruised, like he'd come from a fight, and he was missing his cape and crown. His knuckles were split, the cuts welling with crimson.

"Who..." That was all she could manage. Her voice came out as a harsh croak, and she tasted blood.

"Some sort of intruder. Perhaps looking to loot us for valuables." A voice answered from high above her. Teddy. She hadn't even noticed him there. The edges of her vision were still faintly fuzzy, and for a moment she wondered if she'd pass out. The sensation bloomed and waned, impossible to predict.

"We've taken care of it," Ahk promised, and she was reminded again of his bruised knuckles. Yet his hands were gentle as he checked her over, gracing along the cuts and bruises. "I'm so, so sorry, my dear. I should have gotten there sooner."

"Not... your fault." she gasped, taking in another shuddering breath. It helped clear her head a little. Katherine found herself staring at her hands, caked in half-dried blood. Some of it was hers. Some was her attacker's. She remembered the feeling of digging her nails in, feeling them flinch but still not let go. She hated feeling so helpless, especially in a place that had become such a home to her.

Ahk's careful fingers cupped her face, lifting her chin until she was forced to meet his eyes. That helped too. It was easier not to see the wounds. Already she felt a little less shaky.

"Larry's grabbing the first-aid kit. Just wait here a minute." he told her, sliding a little closer as he did. He'd been hesitant at first, she could sense it, not wanting to crowd her after she'd just been so enclosed. She knew he struggled with the same claustrophobia. Now she understood it all too well. Her bloodied fingers fumbled for him, and he clasped his hands around her own.

"I'm alright..." Katherine croaked, finally managing to catch her breath. She cleared her throat, wincing at the fresh pain. "I'm alright."

[i-bring-crack]

Plague Monarch! Cha Hae-In AU

(I have a lot of thoughts about her zombie control and bugs in general)

Backstory!

At a young age she was very timid so she didn't get along well with other kids or had a lot of strong friends in her life.

She often just passed her time catching butterflies and looking a ant burrows. The little workers fascinated her a lot.

Her mother owned a flower shop and she tended to take care of some honeybees in their backyard. Cha having lived with those bees often had her hands full of them and named the queen Arsha.

When she sprined her ankle during a race, she couldn't run a lot, but liked to be more outside than inside, so her best next destination was to walk around the forest near her home. It felt tranquil and she got to carry a lot more bugs. Sometimes she even let them crawl on her arms, hands and face.

After her mother was admitted to a hospital due to her illness, the Eternal Sleep, she couldn't keep earning a lot of money by being a third rate athlete, and she felt a new power had awaken in her body, so the next best thing she got was to become a Hunter.

Of course, her life wasn't really all that lucky. She got the lowest rank from all Hunters. E rank. With a power level of 15.

It was truly a miserable existence for her during the past 3 years.

She felt as tiny as bug, sometimes even literally as she had to resort to tricks, biting and nail clawing her way out of her situations.

Three years had passed and she already passed the nickname of "The Bug Hunter" due to her her being so weak that she could easily be squashed like a Bug. But also like a Bug she managed to survive despite all the odds.

Insignificant, and yet always crawling on for survival.

But eventually, her luck had run out.

... or maybe it hadn't

D Rank Arc:

The dungeon was filled with giant bugs only found possibly in Red Gates, or maybe something worse.

Whatever this place was, she defiantly saw it as a sanctuary of sorts for all kinds of huge insects whose bodies where made from plants and tiny other bugs compiling bigger corpses.

It was due to her knowledge about insects in general that she even managed to get so far before she was finally struck down by a Bee.

However she still didn't want to die, and in her last moments, she started eating them. (Hahaha SL R refrence)

Her body slowly consuming every single bug until she could no longer go on, yet at that point she had succeeded the trial predestined to her from the start.

[The One Who Became Many]

[Status window]

Name: Cha Hae-In

Level: 1

Class: None

Title: None

HP: 100

MP: 10

Tiredness: 0

[Stat]

Strength: 10

Stamina: 10

Agility: 10

Intelligence: 10

Perception: 10

(Available points to distribute: 0)

[Skills]

Passive skills: - (Unknown) Lv. Max

Active skills: - Sprint Lv.1

"Guess I'm starting from zero huh..."

Her first day was extremely confusing, the chief Woo Jin-Cheol from the surveillance division had retold the story of her being the only survivor in a deserted place, with no injuries whatsoever except for the huge wound around her heart, that no matter how hard they tried to heal, it kept still showing up. But it wasn't of any big deal either since she still survived from that. Then he asks if she reawakened, they measure her, and no, she hasn't. Thus the two assosiation members leave as fast as they came.

Cha didn't get a punishment because she thought "well everything is already weird, and I haven't had a proper workout in a long time so..."

Workout Arc!

A prerequisite to good bodies is the requirement for great workouts that enable the player to reach the very limits of her body and even surpass them!

Of course since Hae-In had already trained as an Athelete before, most of the workouts that changed daily [Endurance, Resistance, Jumps, Cardio, etc—] would be a piece of cake for her to go through.

What were the hardest parts of the daily quest where in fact, the extra dungeon that she would go through every day to test if her workout had done her favors.

Haein tended to be very embarrassed when talking to Miss Choi Yoora about why she always came covered in goo of sorts. And why she smelled so bad.

[You have killed 'Arbogenius Mantis' ]

[You have obtained: The Arbogenious Claw!]

It was bigger than what she expected, a sword made from one of the strongest claws of the monster she faced.

Huh. Guess she now has to start learning swordsmanship.

Lizards Arc!

A few changes are made from the original story obviously, for one she doesn't enter a C rank dungeon yet, especially when the enlistment was too sketchy. Later on Cha, as she is watering her plants suddenly gets called from the assosiation that they need another member ASAP because one Hunter hasn't assisted today.

So she goes and eventually meets up with new people that she feels she has heard from before, although she can't pinpoint from where.

Lee Ju-Hee is the first to talk to her, she is nice and sweet and has a very strong aroma, far stronger than the others.

When she gets close is when Haein notices that her nose has developed far more than before. At first she would often be around low rank hunters and their smell could only be picked up if she got close enough to them. Even then the smell would be as awful as someone who hasn't showered.

Now, respectfully she felt the smell of the B rank healer was like getting close to a trashcan.

'Oh god. And if I'm going to level up more, doesn't that mean I'll have to be around Hunters that smell worse???'

These powers really were to good to be true!!

Apart from the new finding, she also got to meet a swordsman Song Chi-Yul who could help her train.

And she got to level up more by fighting the dungeon boss.

Overall a normal raid with normal people and some false ranker totally not noticing her skills are way too over the top for someone who is a simple E rank.

False Ranker Match Arc!

Over the time Cha had sustained quite the popularity in the negative way, so when she was suddenly sees as more powerful than before, the eyes seemed to shift quickly with curiosity.

The strongest moment where this happened was when a false ranker had appeared in front of her and challenged her to reveal her true status.

This false ranker was none other than Nam Chae Young, an E rank Archer hidding her true potential. Fortunately it was far less than Hae-In who had just reached the strenght of a top C ranker. Nam Chae Young offers her to help Haein hide her identity if she lets Nam live and Cha is... tempted. Nam hasn't done anything bad at all but she still is a false ranker, so she asks why she is hiding her true potential and Nam replies that it's easy money for someone to enter low rank dungeons while also having the stenght enough to beat a few goblins. And if she were to awaken as a C rank she would be put into more dangerous raids which is not what she really wants to sign up for.

But, if Cha is strong, stupidly strong enough to even fight her one on one, have skills like sprint, healing and posion on her and still get rid of the monsters around them without loosing much HP (lies she needed to replenish her HP with those bottles quite a lot) thennn, they can just make a few fake raids and both of them will get what they want.

Cha hae in will get her animosity and be able to level up inside dungeons without any problems

And Nam will be able to make quick bucks by gathering the 'strike squad'she needs, since we'll, she has quite a lot of friends for being so strong.

(And Cha may be a bit irritated that she does need her help, but hey as long as she can keep her mouth shut, no problemo)

Job Change Arc!

It takes quite a lot of side quests and dungeons before Cha finally achieves Level 50.

The event suddenly happened as she was still training with Chi Yul. The old man almost managed to strike her weak spot due to Haein being distracted by the screen, making Juhee and him worry a bit.

She couldn't tell them the truth so Cha texted Nam to help her get out of the situation and creating a perfect excuse in the process ("all that lying to the assosiation really works for something!" "Unnie... =_=")

Juhee understood and said that she will wait for her until tomorrow then, since Juhee will be leaving then in the airport.

In the meantime Haein was to finish the quest In less than a day.

As she enter she found herself in a.... normal house.

Well this was confusing.

Walking through it she realized this was her old home, with everyone gone and every single plant that she and her mother had cared for completely dried and dead.

Cha followed her gut feeling to go outside of the house where the Bee colony she used to care for once lived.

There it was, the first monster and the strongest she had ever seen before:

[Queen Bee Arsha]

Hah... So an old friend.

After much trouble she managed to kill Arsha, her body composed of thousands of bees was the worst kind of enemy that Cha had ever thought to face. Had she not remembered how a Queen bee looked like and killed it, then she would have died from trying to kill every single bee.

First came her fight in a tropical zone, a huge forest where all kinds of bugs and poison lurked withing.

No matter how much she tried to stab them and kill them, they always came back. And if she sliced them in half they will grow more.

[Eat them]

[Devour them]

[Devour your enemies.]

[Become stronger with their blood.]

The memories of the double dungeon cane back, seeing as this was the only answer that she could think of, Cha began to eat the heart of each bug until her body was at its limit and the venom was paralizing her entire body.

[You can only grow so far by being human]

[You aren't the only one who wants to live]

[You aren't the only one who will crawl for scraps in order to survive]

[They called you a cockroach for outlasting Death]

[They called you a parasite for the sake of letting your mother live another day]

[They called you a bug for being so weak.]

[So, are you now? Are you really as weak as they all say?]

[Or don't you want to prove them wrong once and for all?]

And then

[Penalty quest]

[HP:1]

[Good Luck]

For four hours she had to survive against a new wave of monsters now, but these weaker than her. These were big and had many points were she could strike.

And she was small, she was fragile, a single punch— nein, scratch could instantly kill her.

[Skill: Poison activated!]

[Skill: Hunger activated!]

But she was going to survive this one.

Extra content!

Woo Jin-Cheol: I need to asks a few questions for your rank re evaluation. First: what class are you?

Cha Hae-In: *looks at status window* umm Parasite??

Woo Jin-Cheol:... what

Cha Hae-In: wait no, Plague Monarch.

Woo Jin-Cheol:...

Cha Hae-In: *looks at the detox skill and her HP bottles* Just put healer.

______________

Beru: *Bites*

Cha Hae-In: *Bites back*

The entire Korean team: ????

________________

*Cha Hae-In being called a bug*

Queresha: That one. That one. I want that one.

*Antares may just be sulking in the back who knows*

Cha Hae In and her beautiful army of Bugs~~

The way she brings them out is actually quite nasty, but efficient! By drawing blood from herlsef! (You see she is technically one with her bugs now, the ones she eats, so to summon them she has to like, let her blood fall and thus bugs come out of said blood/or are made from that)

So for most of the story Cha has to get quite beaten up before her power fully appears.

In her first S rank Dungeon, the Winter Kingdom, she managed to earn a pair of wings.

While fighting Arsha she got [Queen's Control] which was technically like Ruler's Touch but she would eventually learn to handle it in a more versatile way that let her grab on to more than two things from far away.

This is technically withing the Canon SL minus the change of Haein. So at some point she does meet the Shadow Monarch who is... working as a miner? In the Hunter’s guild??Guild???

The system is asking to not interact with the other players as much but like, what could go wrong? So Cha tries to catch his attention after lunch and — Yo why is he going to the boss dungeon???

Eh???

WAIT IS HE GONNA FIGHT IT ?????

If she didn't catch him in time the whole dungeon would have gone into chaos, so Cha decides to go tomorrow to the raid.

Who wants to a porter?

Both raise their hand.

They make a paper rock sissor game and Jinwoo wins.

Ah so long leveling up her bugs—

Not 5 minutes later and she can already feel some disaster is about to start due to the smell of the gate becoming more strong. She calls upon Chief Woo saying if she has permittion to go.

"No."

"But."

"Miss Cha it is important you do not get involved with him."

">:("

He doesn't want another S rank fight in the middle of nowhere. He just dealt with two already.

With the Wings Haein got she was able to almost be everywhere at the speed of light and fly anywhere she wanted.

She flew to Busan to meet Juhee,

then to where her mother was to bring her the water of the Echo spring forest, sadly it needs the demon bloods king.

(And jinwoo also needs the Echo spring water.)

and she even flew to Jeju to meet the ants :D

What the heck they are able to fly too?!?!

Jeju island goes... well? I mean she didn't expect she had to fight both humans and ants in one day. Goto was planning to kill them, and Haein had to suffer some Ant King trying to take her throne away from her. Not that she will ever let him.

But she had to keep fighting these two until Jinwoo finally came, defeated the with Hae-In’s help and the Koreans as well as the Japanese were able to live.

But how?

Why?

[Skill: Parasite Worm is activated]

Essentially the Japanese that died, haein managed to cure their corpses of any injuries with some generation abilities, and then with the help of the Parasite worms, she could brainwash them to do whatever she wanted.

One of these things where for the worms to give them back some sort of consciousness and keep acting like normal people until Haein needed their help.

(Unlike the summoning from her blood, these ones will just use the host they inhabit to personally do whatever task they need. They are basically just zombies but don't look the part. They dont even know it themselves at times ~)

In the whole exchange JinWoo was horrified.

Beru got his personality by absorbing Cha's blood since he bit her. Due to her regeneration she was fine but Jinwoo didn't like hearing that at all.

If Queresha is being honest, she never wanted a successor, she just wanted and needed a vessel. She still needs it too. But this one right here seems to be very strong in her own way. Her tenacity reminds her to when she was a small bug too, the weakest of her kind able to rise to this extent.

And she can't help but be proud that her vessel has come so far.

But at some point she has to choose.

[The Double Dungeon is calling you again. To where it all started.]

[Can you devour the Monarch whole this time?]

[Or will this be your deathbed?]

[feith-rikya]

All these characters are from an RPG campaign called; Gehenna's Gates, set in the world of Vampire The Masquerade. Feel free to ask any questions!

So here the characters from left to right!

Arthur: A former vampire hunter who saw the final nights approaching, realized that hunting was not the right tool to prevent Gehenna. He's unusually friendly with vampires, so much so that he's come to be like a father to some of them. Man seems to radiate a light of great comfort for these creatures of darkness.

Rudolf the Vile: Ex soldier whose life and non-life are shrouded in mystery. The few people who have a close relationship with him know that his Embrace was neither the most conventional nor the most pleasant. He committed horrific war crimes when he was alive, but no one knows exactly what or why. His atypical Embrace and the atrocities committed in his life contributed to making him a monster condemned to forever be damned for his crimes and tormented by the innocent souls whose lives he had taken. He already suffered from a severe form of OCD when he was alive, a condition that only got worse after the transformation. On the outside he appears as a serious and gloomy individual and his cold character and retrograde ideas do not make him the most pleasant person to be around.

Danya Vetranov: A charming Ravnos with a difficult past. Her sire took her to the circus for her extraordinary divination skills, and for many years that place was her home. The events she experienced in London had a radical impact on her life, pushing her to become the human soul of her coterie. She has a natural talent for bringing people together and considers those close to her as her family. She's willing to do anything to protect them, without any hesitation.

Anselm Godwyn: A True-Brujah who earned his position as Archon due to his ability to control time. He was given the task of keeping tabs on London when the signs of Gehenna were already evident, hampered by a rather peculiar group of vampires and the reappearance of a beloved face lost centuries ago.

Jonah/Sargon The Omniscient: The most mysterious and inexplicable man you could ever meet. A Malkavian who appears to be a ditzy kid with a thing for whales, but is actually far more erudite and older than he lets on. You'd better be careful if you don't want to see what lies beneath the blindfold. He has known Rudolf for a long time and Arthur even more, yet neither the soldier nor the hunter are sure of the true nature behind that mask of naivety.

Elizabeth De Lacy: Coming from a rich and noble family, she lost everything at 17, only to regain it with her own strength and the help of a charming Ventrue who took her as her initiate. As beautiful as she is ambitious and the last of her clan in London, she juggles the government and her various thorny relationships. Haughty and snobbish, she also hides a kind side in her own way.

Luc Gossens: A politician who worked in the shadows to put his party in charge. But just when this happened, after an unfortunate accident he got back up like a Brujah. Without sire and hunted down, he was forced to hide in the circus, where he bonded closely with Philippe, Danya and Simone, becoming the guard who protected them. Even now as head of government he is ready to face anything in order to defend the family he has painstakingly built for himself. Arrogant, tough, stubborn, arrogant and sometimes overbearing, but a solid pillar to lean on in times of need.

Dandelion/Dantalion: A charming yet creepy demon, known to be talkative and a big talker. He claims to have once ruled the movements of the stars in the sky, but now takes care of teleporting Luc around a deal they made. The demon dreams of seeing a human race as powerful and determined as its bearer. Although he seems to trust Luc, he remains a mysterious and ambiguous character, whose true purpose remains to be revealed.

Gregory Kenneth Anderson: A Tremere, apparently a chatterbox and a joker; he wants to restore luster to his clan, an elder incredibly respected by all, and ardent supporter of the Camarilla. Put in London to control the group of reckless that governs it, he will become a great friend and a precious ally of Luc. His outgoing nature can easily deceive, however he too has many skeletons in the closet.

Nathan Black: Initially a Baali in the service of a powerful demon with the aim of bringing the apocalypse to the world, Nathan finds himself forced to infiltrate as a spy posing as a Brujah. During his time of infiltration, however, he can't help but develop an unstoppable affection for several members of the group, which leads him to betray his sire and the demon he was supposed to help. This act of betrayal makes him an outcast, exposing him to enormous risk within his clan, but at the same time opens him to an entirely new path that no other member of his clan has ever taken.

Ranya: A Ravnos, in league with the demon Ekron. She tricks Danya into finding and recovering the dices so she can allow the King of Hell to appear on earth and unleash the apocalypse. Apparently an ancient vampire with infernal powers who tries in every way to torment and destroy the coterie. She's going to kill Becker,leading them all into the fray.

Meinwald Willem Becker: Former Sheriff of London. A Brujah as strong as a titan but with a good heart. He rose from the darkest and most gloomy place in the vampiric world, devoted only to hatred and wickedness, returned with his own strength to find the light for himself and others. So strong and kind that he tamed Spain's most dangerous Lasombra, establishing a deep relationship with him. He was a beacon for the group and his death left incurable scars.

Devon Eskarra: A Lasombra who in his recent past was a serial killer, currently fatally linked to Elizabeth, also known as the butcher of Madrid. Has been embraced by an ancient and mysterious vampire with the sole purpose of bringing evil into the world. But even in the blackest evil can be found something good or useful, after the death of the man he loved seems willing to leave his past behind and live a quiet life. As if his personality wasn't creepy enough, he claims his sister is far worse than him.

O'Connel: A tech-savvy Noferatu, found himself in a difficult situation after his clan decided to abandon London. However, he was invited by Danya to join their coterie to help with the handling of the leak and, through an arrangement, became a valued collaborator. Although he was known for his quick temper, and always sulky, everyone had developed a special affection for him. His death has left a deep and irreplaceable void in the heart of the brotherhood.

Alastor Van Helsing: An apparent human of incredible strength and speed, achieved only by his ignorance and boorishness. The origin of his strength is not understood but a human-vampire fusion is suspected. Even the nature of his sword is shrouded in mystery, like its link with the East.

Samuel Sharabi: Sabbatical Archbishop based in Tel Aviv belonging to the Ravnos anti-tribe clan, a crazy, sardonic and lazy person, always ready to deceive others and take advantage of others. It was he who was robbed by Ranya of the dices and to a closer eye even a limb or two. It is not known how this individual rose through the Sabbatical hierarchy, and in fact some Cainites suspect that his role has simply been given to him and that someone is pulling the strings behind the curtain.

Naya the Fifth Finger: Former member of the Black Hand and belonging to the mysterious clan of the snakes of light, apathetic, emotionless and with a very violent past, he binds to Nate, with whom he establishes a very close relationship.

[velidewrites]

Obi-Wan’s heart darkens.

It has done so too many times since the War started—that grip on his chest. He knows it is the Dark Side clouding the Force—clouding his judgement, tempting him to do things a Jedi should never even think of. Violence, control, power—Obi-Wan always resits it, even when it takes all his strength. There is something peculiar about that strange tug, though—the very darkness itself. It is nothing like the light, blissful before the War and blinding throughout it. Lately, it seems that no matter where he looks, he cannot see the right way.

The darkness promises clarity.

OR

The Clone Wars (2008) S5 E16 reimagined.

Note: This fic is a birthday gift for the wonderful @melting-houses-of-gold!

Warnings: Spoilers for The Clone Wars (2008), Graphic depictions of violence and death, NSFW

Read on AO3

PART 2/2: The Beginning

Obi-Wan’s hot breath clouds the glass wall.

They are exposed here, much too exposed, but there’s an excitement to it—the risk of getting caught. It would be the first tine—they’ve been a lot more careful in the past.

Right now, there probably isn’t a worse place in the entire galaxy for this type of…meeting. Satine would’ve snorted at the ridiculous term had her mouth not been otherwise occupied.

After all, this is no more than a secret hookup.

One of many and very few at the same time—she and Obi-Wan have been sneaking those moments every now and then, but she finds that they always leave her craving more. No matter how many times she feels his lips on hers, his body pressed against her own, it is never enough. She can never get enough of him.

But Obi-Wan isn’t hers to take—and he never will be.

She doesn’t let those thoughts dwell, though—not now, now when his strong hand on her waist tightens. She can feel the calloused skin on the subtle slit in her gown—roughened, she guesses, from all those years carrying the lightsaber. He has scars, too, peppered all over the back of his palms, thin and white and almost invisible to the average onlooker. But not to Satine. Satine always notices.

She tries not to worry about the latest one she’d spotted—still healing, which means he must’ve got it while protecting her. It the same hand that now rests on her cheek, that angles her jaw slightly to give him better access to where his mouth traces slow, sensuous kisses over her neck.

A tinge of guilt still tugs on her heart, though, so she turns her head an inch to brush her lips over his open palm. The move seems to surprise him as his breath halts, if only for a moment. Satine kisses him again, more boldly this time, and Obi-Wan straightens, his blue gaze darker now as it meets her own.

“Satine,” he whispers.

She wraps her arms around his neck. “Kiss me again.”

Obi-Wan does not need to be told twice.

But then, just as she can practically feel the softness of his lips again, something beeps quietly in his pocket, and the moment shatters like glass.

Obi-Wan allows himself one, frustrated huff before he reaches into his robes for the commlink.

“Yes?” he asks somewhat grumpily, and Satine suppresses a chuckle.

There is a brief pause before Master Qui Gon responds, his voice slightly modulated through the device. “Did I wake you, my young Padawan?”

Obi-Wan glances at Satine. “Something like that, Master,” he says, and she finds that she agrees. All of this—him—has always seemed like a dream.

“Well, my apologies. Now that you’re awake, I need you up on the bridge.”

Satine’s brows furrow, and perhaps that’s why Obi-Wan asks, “Is there something wrong, Master?”

Another pause gives Satine worry. An intruder? On a royal ship? No, scratch that—a Mandalorian ship?

“A disturbance,” Master Qui Gon finally says, as if that explains everything. “In the Force.”

And perhaps it does, because Obi-Wan nods—to the commlink, as though it were his Master standing right in front of him. Satine can’t help but smile at that.

Obi-Wan casts her another glance, something like apology hiding behind his stare.

Go, she mouths to him.

He closes his eyes for only a moment before he speaks again. “I’ll be right there.”

***

Obi-Wan Kenobi did the one thing a Jedi should never do.

He dropped his lightsaber—allowed it to fall to the ground, discarded.

Without it, he’s…

He’s not sure what he is anymore.

And, despite his greatest enemy now standing before him, that scares him the most.

***

Obi-Wan drifts to a simpler time.

They are on Satine’s royal spacecraft again, her body caged between his arms, pressed against the glass wall. In that moment, nothing else exists but them—but the sweet taste of her skin, the soft touch of her lips on his palm.

Satine is all that exists.

She is time and space and life, glowing deep inside his chest, his soul. She is the only light he needs, Obi-Wan realises as she gazes at him from beneath long, blonde lashes. She’s the only light he’ll ever need.

The Jedi would call this attachment. Obi-Wan would call it a simple truth.

After all, there is no attachment—there is only this moment, one of so very few that he almost suspects it’s some cruel dream his imagination cultivated. But Obi-Wan has never been much of a daydreamer, which means that the soft lips on his skin must be real. Which means that she is real, as real as the perpetual tug of the Force on his heart.

Obi-Wan fears that one day, he’ll be forced to choose.

He fears, because deep down, his choice has already been made.

***

The throne room feels cold.

It’s the first thing he feels as he blinks back into consciousness—the piercing sting of hate, of years upon years driven by it. He couldn’t believe it at first, but, in a much more real sense, Obi-Wan has always known. Has always known that, one way or another, it would come to this—him and Maul, until the very end.

Satine kneels.

Her legs hit the stone, and Obi-Wan’s jaw clenches. He isn’t sure just how much Maul knows about her—about them—so he makes an effort not to look in her direction, forcing himself to look into those hateful, yellow eyes instead.

He should’ve known this was a plot—a sick, twisted plot to get to him. He doubted Maul cared about Mandalore at all, about the warriors under his rule—all tools to get what he was truly after. What he’s always been after.

He tries not to feel any guilt—that would only be handing another tool right into Maul’s hands. He tries not to think that, had it not been for him, Maul might have left Mandalore in peace—might have never even invaded the system in the first place. This is no time to dwell in such thoughts, no time to feel. 

For Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, there is never time.

Maul speaks to him from the throne—from Satine’s throne, and once again, Obi-Wan swallows the darkness that fills his chest at the sight. “Your noble flaw is a weakness shared by you,” Maul drawls, “and your Duchess.”

Your Duchess.

Satine gasps, and Obi-Wan’s eyes dart to her immediately.

She floats a few inches above the stone now, her hand clasped around her neck as she tries to breathe again. She tries to yank free from a hold that doesn’t exist, from another dark, gloved hand that crushes her throat despite not even touching it in the first place. Maul knows—knows what she means to him, if only to an extent.

He’s going to kill her, Obi-Wan realises. He’s going to kill her because of what she is to him. At last, he’ll have his revenge—at last, he will leave Obi-Wan Kenobi in true, infinite darkness.

The only thing Obi-Wan has ever felt for the Zabrak Sith is pity.

But now, as his iron grip tightens on Satine’s neck, Obi-Wan feels everything.

“You should have chosen the Dark Side,” Maul hums, seemingly noting the turmoil thundering in Obi-Wan’s chest, “Master Jedi.”

Perhaps he should have.

“Your emotions betray you,” he continues. “Your fear, and…yes…your anger.”

Obi-Wan closes his eyes.

Maul growls, “Let your anger deepen your hatred.”

But, the way he always has been, Maul is mistaken—and Obi-Wan almost smiles.

For there is no fear—no anger, no hatred, simmering somewhere in his soul.

There is only clarity.

This is what Maul wants—for Obi-Wan to spiral the same way Maul had a long time ago, for them to stand against each other as equals, two broken souls, fighting a war they never should have been part of in the first place. He wants Obi-Wan twisted and wretched by the Dark Side the way he had been, alone and without the Jedi’s Light to hold on to.

But the only light Obi-Wan has ever needed is right here, offering the balance he’d been searching for ever since he first bowed before the young Princess of Mandalore and sworn to be her protector for as long as she needed him. She’ll be the light while he’ll be the darkness—one unable to exist without the other, the way it was always meant to be.

Obi-Wan no longer fears the Dark Side—he welcomes it like an answer to a question he hadn’t dared to ask until now.

Maul wants to fight him—to kill him.

Obi-Wan wants to kill him, too.

When he opens his eyes again, he can see the victory glowing in Maul’s eyes—can feel the ecstasy lighting his veins. Obi-Wan almost feels pity for him again.

But then he notices the weapon strapped to his side—a trophy to commemorate an enemy he hasn’t even yet defeated— and Obi-Wan allows himself a smile.

He reaches into the Force and finds a new ally within it—not that bright, blinding light promising to show him the Way.

No, he finds himself.

The weapon cuts through the air before it lands in the hand of its Master—old and new at the same time. Changed.

Somewhere far away, he can hear his own name, pushed breathlessly past Satine’s lips. 

Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber.

In his eyes, it already burns red.

***

For a man so deeply rooted in his upbringing, change comes quickly for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Satine watches it with her vision blurred, still adjusting to the cool, crisp air returning into her lungs. She’s kneeling again, propped up on her hands and with her mind spinning, but for this, Satine will fight through the overwhelming heaviness trying to swallow her whole.

So Satine watches.

The transformation is so minor she might have missed it had she not spent every night in the past, countless years picturing him in her mind. Even his posture seems different—he stands straighter now, more confident, as if the weight of the world has suddenly been lifted from his shoulders. His hold on his weapon has always been steady but relaxed, allowing him to swing and deflect with ease. Now, though, the lightsaber lays firm in Obi-Wan’s hand—the stance of an attacker, of an opponent hardly expecting any resistance.

Whatever reaction Maul had hoped to elicit from Obi-Wan was not this—not the calm, collected warrior, simply waiting for the first, reckless strike. But Maul doesn’t seem to notice this—doesn’t even look at Obi-Wan’s body, his attention entirely somewhere else.

No, Maul is focused on his eyes.

They used to shine a lovely cobalt—the kind that reminded her of the sky, bright and gentle at the surface but dark and troubled deep beyond, with only the stars left to navigate it.

Now, Obi-Wan’s eyes shine a gold that could rival the very sun itself.

They are nowhere near the same as Maul’s—the Sith Lord’s eyes are tarnished with hatred, with anger—soon, perhaps, with fear.

But Maul only sees what he wants to see—a reflection of himself that he could kill.

So Satine keeps on watching.

The guards raise their blasters and point them at Obi-Wan’s back—ready to strike as soon as the order is given.

They should know better than that. Even Satine, though her foggy vision and spinning mind, can see that this…this is personal.

“Leave us,” Maul snarls, and his own weapon springs to life—the Darksaber that never should have gotten into his hands. Satine has never much cared for it, but she knew her people have—and, no matter the outcome of this fight, this weapon will forever be tainted. Mangalore’s legacy, poisoned by Maul’s hateful touch.

The guards obey and begin backing out of the room, though their blasters stay aimed at Obi-Wan, who doesn’t even turn or flinch—he only stands, meeting Maul’s gaze directly, those golden eyes catching some of the light from the heavy chandeliers above.

Another guard enters then, his voice echoing through the large space. “Intruders at the landing platform, my lord—”

Satine almost cries with relief. Bo Katan—her message did get through despite the ship’s ruined transmitter.

“Go,” Maul orders, his voice dipping so dangerously low it is but a rasp carried through the air.

Slowly, he steps down the dais, the clank of his metal feet scraping the stone beneath. He’s forgotten all about Satine, now, a predator focused fully on his prey, ready to strike. The dark glint of his saber casts a long shadow trailing him like a pet.

She tries to pull herself up—to stop this, somehow, knowing it can only end one way. She’s never wanted this—this death, this bloodshed. Not on Mandalore—not anywhere in the galaxy. But her body is too weak, perhaps it, too realising, that, just as there cannot be light without darkness, there can be no peace without war.

And Obi-Wan has to win it.

He has to.

Obi-Wan raises his lightsaber over his head—a stance she’d seen him do many times—the blue hue doing nothing to hide the gold shimmering in his stare. Maul’s eyes narrow, the Darksaber twisting in his hand—one weapon answering another.

It’s a language Satine understands yet has spent her whole life refusing to speak. Wishing for it to die out, as all things do, and make way for another.

She understands now that sometimes, some wishes do not come true. So she wishes for another thing—for Obi-Wan’s warm touch, for his soft lips on her own. She wishes for him to survive—for him to win.

Everything happens too quickly.

She is still too dazed, perhaps, too weak and breathless to truly grasp the speed with which Maul moves as he lunges. At some point, Obi-Wan has managed to shift—to adjust his stance to something else entirely, lowering the lightsaber so swiftly she hadn’t even registered the move.

Neither had Maul.

With the Darksaber aimed for Obi-Wan’s head—where his weapon has just been, casting a bright glow over his face—Maul swings the Mandalorian blade, about to cast the finishing blow.

But Obi-Wan is faster. Smarter.

His lightsaber plunges into Maul’s chest, a small smile touching his lips.

Deadly.

Maul’s arms still hover over his head as Obi-Wan thumbs the hilt, and the weapon switches off, free from the burning hole in the red-black chest.

And then, the raging Sith Lord, the poison of Mandalore, drops to the ground with a loud thud.

“You,” she can hear his rasp, choked from a breathless throat. Some cruel part inside her thinks it ironic. “You have no idea what you’ve become.”

Obi-Wan only stares back.

Maul chuckles, the sound immediately cut off by a strained, hoarse cough. “You truly are alone now, Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan looks at her then. Golden eyes meet a pair of blue—sun and ice, balance, as it was always meant to be.

“No,” Obi-Wan hums. “I don’t think I am.”

***

Satine sits on the throne, looking out to the bustling city below. She can still hear the cheering in the streets—she has a feeling the celebrations will continue well into the night.

She’d spent the entire day in the medical wing, every cut, bruise and swelling looked over multiple times until, hours later, she decidedly announced she was fine and practically recovered. She was needed somewhere else.

Now, as the evening beings slowly melting into dusk, she finds that she truly is fine—Mandalore is free once again, and with new allies. For now, there will be peace.

For now is the only thing she has. She will worry about the future later.

Later, because one of her guards has just announced another petitioner. The word makes Satine’s lips curl into a smile. “Petitioner,” she chuckles. “Please send him in.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi strides through the grand door, the Mandalorian armour he’d stripped off of one of Maul’s warriors still adorning his strong frame.

It shouldn’t have that much of an effect on her, but it does. She’d only ever seen him in Jedi robes before—and, well, she’d seen him out of them, too—but this…to see him like this, in her home…A pleasant wave of heat rushes through her, no doubt already flushing her cheeks.

Red suits him.

Obi-Wan bows deeply when he reaches the dais, though his gaze remains on her own. “My lady,” he says in a greeting, and she knows there’s a smile hiding behind that formal voice.

“Leave us,” Satine commands, and the guards promptly hurry out of the hall.

Only when the door shuts behind them does Obi-Wan ask, “I trust your discussion with Bo Katan was…productive?”

He already knows the answer to that—has seen Satine’s sister seamlessly fall back into her old role, mobilising the army to capture Maul’s traitors and keep the skies over Sundari at peace. Still, Satine says, “It was.”

A single ah escapes him, and she uses that brief moment of silence to search those eyes with her own. She isn’t sure what she’d expected—but they are still golden, still blazing with that same clarity she saw while he was facing Maul. More importantly, she’d half expected him to be gone by now—to hurry off to Coruscant, the way he always did. They way he always had to.

And yet, Obi-Wan is still here. Still wearing those golden eyes and red armour. Still looking at her as though nothing else in the galaxy mattered.

“What happened?” she asks quietly. She doesn’t have to specify—they’ve always understood each other, one soul bridged with another, their thoughts and feelings flowing freely between them both.

“I made a choice,” Obi-Wan says.

“Do you regret it?” She doesn’t think she would’ve survived if he said yes.

Obi-Wan takes a step toward her, his handsome features softening into a smile. “Of course not.”

She bites into her bottom lip—an old habit she can’t seem to let go of. Obi-Wan’s eyes trail the movement, and she tries not to think about the way his eyes darken as they settle on her mouth.

Not yet, at least.

“So what happens now?” she asks him, already dreading the obvious answer. “You go back—to keep the peace.” It doesn’t even come out as a question anymore—he is about to leave her again. She might as well state it as a fact.

“You mean to the Jedi,” Obi-Wan says.

“Are they not the same thing?”

His chin dips. “I thought so, once. I’m…not sure anymore. I don’t know if I ever want to find out.”

Satine isn’t entirely sure she is breathing as she starts, “But you are—”

“Not a Jedi,” Obi-Wan interjects. “Not anymore.”

There is no sadness in his tone—and perhaps that is why Satine asks, “What are you, then?”

He looks up to meet her gaze again and holds it long enough that she is not sure he even plans to answer.

But then, Obi-Wan steps up the dais and kneels.

“Yours,” he says. “If you’ll have me.”

She reaches for him, then—for his handsome face, her thumb grazing over his beard. She relishes in it for a moment before she tells him, “I always have.” Her thumb brushes his lips now. “I always will.”

There is a second of silence—as though the world has paused around them—before Obi-Wan’s chest falls, and his hand captures the one on his face. Before he presses his mouth to the pads of her fingers, kissing each one slowly.

That familiar heat swirls through her again, settling somewhere deep inside her—pooling at her very core.

When his hand drops her own and moves to rest on her knee, Satine dares to tangle her fingers between his hair—to pull him closer.

She doesn’t wan’t him far away from her ever again.

“Then allow me,” Obi-Wan starts, his voice lower now, darker, “Allow me to live out my life in service of you, Duchess.”

“Obi-Wan,” she breathes.

“I’m yours,” he agrees, then slides a hand down her leg.

Satine would be lying if she said her choice of a gown tonight hadn’t been purposeful—Obi-Wan seems to have found the slit in the silky fabric quickly, now pulling it upwards and revealing her smooth skin. She can’t help but shiver at the feel of his hand on her bare skin—it has been so long since she felt that fire, his fire, setting her body alight.

When the hem of her dress finally reaches her thigh, Obi-Wan leans down and presses a kiss to her knee.

Satine looses a shuddering breath. It makes him look up—look up and smile as he notes the flushed expression on her face, the slightly parted lips. She knows what he wants, now—has never wanted it more badly herself.

She only gives him a nod before losing herself in him completely.

Obi-Wan’s mouth moves up her leg now, tracing her inner thigh, the kisses more open, more wet as he reaches closer and closer to where she aches the most. Satine can’t help but shift slightly, her body already desperate for friction—for him, filling her entirely, their bodies joining as one the way they were always meant to be.

Obi-Wan chuckles lowly as he notices her desperation—her impatience. He braces his other hand on her other thigh, now, curling his fingers around it, holding her gently yet firmly in place. It crosses her mind now that anyone could walk into the throne room, or fly past the large, wall-length windows, at any given moment—and find their Duchess spread open on her throne with a former Jedi’s face buried between her legs. They’re exposed here, too exposed, and—

Obi-Wan seemingly senses this—or perhaps she said those words out loud—and chuckles again, the rumble of the sound reverberating into her skin. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Satine laughs then—though the sound melts into a moan as Obi-Wan’s mouth hovers inches away, right over the apex of her thighs, and she can practically feel his smile as he understands her plot at last—as he realises that she is, indeed fully bare under the gown he’d so eagerly opened.

“Clever,” Obi-Wan murmurs, his breath tickling her hot skin.

Somehow, she still has half a mind to tease. “You know me.”

He hums. “Indeed I do. Though perhaps,” Obi-Wan says, pressing a kiss to her clit that makes her gasp echo through the walls, “Now is a good time to get, ah…reacquainted.”

Satine swallows. Hard. “I couldn’t agree more.”

The golden glow of his eyes is her only warning as Obi-Wan’s tongue drags clean up her centre.

Satine’s head rolls back, resting against the solid rock the throne is made of, and the city beyond seems to disappear entirely—there is only her and Obi-Wan now, Obi-Wan and his blasted tongue as it takes another taste.

He licks into her like the world is shattering around them—like there is nothing left that matters but the feel of her cunt fluttering around him. She peels herself off the stone headrest to look at him, to take him all in, and the sight makes everything tighten inside her—she needs him now, hard and fast, for all the years they’d lost that they could’ve had together.

Obi-Wan’s fingers move then, travelling down her to her entrance, a small groan escaping him at the slickness there. He licks her again, long and wet up her cunt, before two of his digits move inside her, thrusting in and out until she is breathless and all she can see are stars.

Satine cries out his name, then, overwhelmed with the pleasure he’s coaxing from her as his fingers curl up against the roof of her walls, hissing as she tightens around the touch. He, too, is panting now, his tongue swirling over her clit, swollen from the attention he’s been giving her, from the look of pure, unrestrained hunger upon his face. He licks her like a man starved, like he lives for the moans and the raspy breaths she’s offering him, mindless from the feel of his long fingers pumping in and out of her in a quickening pace.

She’s practically shaking, now, her blonde hair a sea of waves falling messily all over her face. Her grip on his own hair tightens—she is so close now, with her heart thumping loudly in her chest and lightning coursing through her veins. Obi-Wan doesn’t stop though, his tongue flicking at her clit, determined to see her come apart. To see her belong to him just as much as he does to her.

When his mouth closes on her clit and sucks, Satine comes with a strangled cry.

The only sound she’s able to make is the gasping chant of his name as he continues stroking her pulsing walls, riding her through her release. His mouth presses slow, gentle kisses to her clit now, ones that reduce her to nothing but a shuddering mess around him.

His eyes seem brighter than ever when he pulls back at last—like the brightest light in the darkness. She realises then that, perhaps, that is what the two of them are—have always been—to each other. No longer the Duchess and the Jedi, but Satine and Obi-Wan. He has always been hers, the same way she has always been his. For her, he will lay himself bare and become the man he thought he’d never get to be. For him, she will make sure he gets to remain that man forever.

They will fight for each other.

And that will always be enough.

[broodwolf221]

oc asks for dimitra: fear, lesson, gift, wish <3

hehehehe i see you sending me many oc asks <3 <3 <3 these are so fun, such good choices! also i am verbose as ever 😂

asks from here

Dimitra:

FEAR: What was the first thing your OC was afraid of? Why were they afraid of it? Are they still afraid now, or have they grown past it?

Mages, no contest. They were the bogeyman in the Chantry, where she was raised. They invaded the Golden City and destroyed it; they unleashed the darkspawn upon Thedas, by becoming darkspawn themselves; and they were always at risk of becoming an abomination. When the children shared scary stories late at night in the dormitories, mages were the common thread. An apostate hiding in plain sight, who one day lost control and became an abomination; a healer who used just a touch of magic on everyone she healed, who had gained their trust, and who one day turned all those she'd helped into her own army, mindless and unable to resist the magic she'd put in them. Mages in the Qun who were so powerful and frightening their own people sewed their mouths shut—usually followed by brash condemnations about the Qun foolishly keeping mages as pets instead of locking them away. Or killing them, someone might chime in, everyone laughing. Mages and magic were the stuff of nightmares.

As she got older those fears became more subdued and realistic, especially as she began her templar training. As much as the Chantry and the Order wanted their templars to loathe and fear mages, they also needed to be sure they could recognize the true threat of magic, the capability and control some demonstrated over it. An abomination was a horrible threat… but a mage who used magic extensively and did not become an abomination was a different kind of dangerous entirely. They needed to be prepared for both.

Thus, when her own magic manifested, she was terrified. She was corrupt, wrong… but she was also young and scared. She didn't want this, but she had no choice in it. And being sent to the Circle was even worse, for as scared as she was of herself, she was even more frightened by the mages in the tower. The young ones who were still learning and those who taught, all of them full of terrifying potential. 

It took years of exposure for that fear to begin to subside, but it's still an underlying dissonance within her. She feels split in two: the clarifying blade and the cursed staff. Now with the Circle fallen, she is forced to confront herself as she is, relying on her own strength of will to deter demons. In many ways, it's her ultimate fear realized, even more than being a mage had been—she is now a mage on the loose. As much as she'd loathed being under the supervision of the templars, as disturbing as that experience had been, she feels far more dangerous alone.

LESSON: What was the first important life lesson your OC learned? How did they learn it? Was it a kind lesson or a difficult one? Do they still remember it now, or has their worldview changed?

Hmm. Her first important lesson—but not her most important lesson—was that magic was dangerous. It was drilled into her and her peers right from the beginning, made into something that couldn't be questioned, as foolish as questioning whether water was wet. It was simple truth to them, and something she still believes. She no longer finds it to be such an uncontrolled force, her studies in the Circle having taught her otherwise, but she does still treat it with great caution. It is dangerous, and she's careful to only use spells she's already learned, to not drain herself, to never use blood magic, and to rely far more on her strength of arms than her magical skill.

GIFT: What was the first important gift your OC remembers receiving? Who was it from, and what was the occasion? Do they still have it?

Interesting… she doesn't know her family, but assumed they were either killed or gave her up to the Chantry because they could not afford to raise her (although after her magic manifests, she occasionally wonders if her parents had any magic and if that was an aspect of what happened to them or why they gave her up), so she has no gifts or mementos from them. And I don't think the Chantry would encourage their wards to have a lot of personal possessions, nor would the Circle.

I think the first would be from a young man who was also a ward of the Chantry and had a crush on her, bringing her flowers. She would have no idea what to do with any of that—the crush, the gift, or the flowers. But she liked the way they smelled and felt flattered by the attention, even if she didn't reciprocate his feelings.

However, she considers her first draught of lyrium to be the most important gift. The Order had accepted her. She still needed to complete practically all of her training, but that first draught made her feel like she was part of the Order, like her future was coming into focus, her childhood dreams being realized. It was the day that she put her youth behind her as best as she could and committed to the path.

WISH: What's the first thing your OC ever wished for or wanted? Do they still want that, or have their desires changed? If so, what changed them? If not, how far would they go to fulfill their wish?

When she was young, she was pretty content. She wanted to know about her family but it never felt pressing—there were so many orphans and children whose parents couldn't take care of them, and children like her, who didn't know. So she never felt like her experience was unusual and didn't have a lot of context for what family would mean. She felt cared for by the Chantry and those within it, and although there were inevitable tensions, she mostly got along well with her peers. She spent most of her youth within the Chantry walls, including attached buildings that held dormitories, kitchens, and other, more utilitarian areas.

However, the older she gets the more curious she is about her family. Her experience with her own magic led to guilt, self-disgust, and also a deep resentment of the Chantry, the Order, and her childhood guardians and peers. She tries to ignore that resentment because it makes her feel even guiltier, but it remains. She's also angry at her family, questioning whether she could have suffered less with them, and whether they were also mages who knew what kind of life they'd be giving their daughter to. However, she has done nothing to fulfill this desire. For now her feelings about it are too complex and there are too many things going on that demand her immediate attention. She may never pursue it, but ever since she'd gone to the Circle she's wanted these answers.

[marvelmaniac715]

It’s another au! This one is about everyone’s favourite traumatised six year old: Andy Barclay! And this fic actually features Karen, and I’m looking forward to that because I haven’t really written about her before. 

————————————————————-

At the age of six, Andy Barclay changed. Up until that point, he was a polite, happy, well-behaved little boy who got along with everybody. But seemingly overnight, the laughter and smiles disappeared, replaced by suspicious glares and cruel smirks.

His mother took it the hardest. For years, she had a wonderful relationship with her son, but not long after he got that damned Good Guy doll… Karen had lost her sweet little boy forever. Now he cursed, he stole, he tried to smoke, she even caught him beating up other kids once or twice.

It only got worse as he grew older, by the age of eleven Andy Barclay was an absolute menace. Sometimes Karen feared him, the child had no remorse and no mercy, if you annoyed him even slightly, he’d punch you, bite you and verbally assault you until you felt like crying. And he took such delight in it too.

One day, Andy brought home a woman called Tiffany Valentine. He was very mad when Karen kicked her out and slammed the door.

When Karen could take it no more, she pulled Andy aside roughly by the arm and shook him.

“Alright, who are you?”

At first Andy blinked innocently, trying to seem confused.

“Huh? Mom, I’m Andy.”

Karen shook her head.

“No, my son was nothing like you. You- whatever you are- took over my little boy’s body when he was six years old, and all I want to know is who are you?”

The boy grinned and cackled.

“Satan.”

No, that wasn’t it. That would be too obvious. This was someone else, but who? Karen shook him again, growing more irritated.

“Cut the crap. Who are you?”

Genuinely frightened (even if momentarily) the person in front of her backed up slightly and raised their hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright, geez! Calm down lady, I’ll tell you. My real name is Charles Lee Ray, but my friends call me Chucky.”

Karen gasped in horror. The Lakeshore Strangler had possessed her son? But how? She was so shocked that she backed into a shelf, knocking various pieces of cutlery to the ground.

“How did you possess Andy?”

Chucky smirked.

“Voodoo is a wonderful thing, you can do anything through the power of Damballa. Your son was a very willing host, I was in that little doll you gave him for his birthday. All I had to do was convince him that his daddy sent me to Earth to play with him and he was putty in my hands.”

Karen began to cry now. This was all her fault… she had doomed her son just because she wanted to give him the perfect birthday. As if trying to alleviate the tension (or add to Karen’s suffering, who knows) Chucky casually remarked:

“He asks about you all the time. I’m not a monster, I let him float close to the surface quite a lot, but I can’t bear to lose control of this vessel, so he won’t be taking control anytime soon. He told me to tell you that he loves you though, if that’s any consolation.”

Filled with a sudden, furious fire, Karen exclaimed:

“I’m not letting you have him any longer! I’ll find help, I don’t know how or where, but god knows I won’t stop until you’re out of there-‘

“And what makes you think I can’t stop you?”

Karen snorted.

“You have the strength and power of an eleven year old, you can’t stop a grown adult, small fry.”

That’s when Chucky backed away a little bit further, widening his eyes that were now glistening with tears and shielding his face with his hands. Then, in a heartbreaking voice, he called out:

“No- Mommy, please stop! It hurts- please stop!”

He had her there. If he pretended to be abused he could get himself taken away, then Karen would be powerless and would never be able to see her son again. Admitting defeat, she sighed and asked:

“So what do you want me to do then?”

Shaking off the whole ‘frightened’ act, Chucky crossed his arms and said:

“Well, you’re a mother, and mothers are supposed to support their children. I may not be your biological son, but I’m in his body, so by all technicality we’re family. Now, move your ass, I gotta get to soccer practice.”

————————————————————-

That evening, as the monster that was possessing her son went to bed, it suddenly struck Karen that Andy could possibly gain control whilst his body was asleep, or at least be able to hear things around him. With that in mind, she crept into her son’s bedroom and gently stroked hair out of her little boy’s eyes before quietly whispering:

“Andy? Can you hear me? It’s Mommy. Listen, I’m so sorry that I got you into this mess, and I promise that I’ll get him out of you. Goodnight baby, I love you.”

It seemed like a foolish hope, but just as she stood to leave the room, she heard a timid voice (warm and kind, not like him) whisper:

“G’night, Momma, please get him out soon…”

[two-crabs]

1 5 14 20 for amity, 2 11 16 18 for maudlin

TOLD YOU IT WAS ON MY LIST

AMITY:

1. what is your muse’s sexual/romantic orientation? - as written amity is aromantic and bisexual and also i GENUINELY do not think she's introspective enough to identify with any specific label she is literally just following where there vibe leads her 4. does your muse find any specific features particularly attractive? - (from your other ask <3) the most attractive thing in the world to amity is power, and a lot of times that manifests as physical strength. she likes muscles and she's not afraid to admit it. she likes veiny forearms and broad shoulders and the kind of butts that only incredibly intensive and specific training can produce. she also likes bold eyebrows. 5. what is your muse’s ideal first date? - a late dinner at a nice place. something to give her an excuse to get all dressed up, with minimal distractions. for amity a first date is equal parts entertainment and interview. 14. what traits does your muse want to avoid when it comes to choosing a romantic partner? - amity doesn't really do romance, so anyone too clingy or needy is no good, and big gestures just make her uncomfortable so showmen are completely out too. social climbers are unattractive, and braggarts are worse, but false modesty is intolerable. not having a plan for the future is a big red flag, but having an overly structured and rigid 5-year plan is also a bit much and kind of annoying. being cocky will get you nowhere, but insecurity is the most profound turn off. also she refuses to date guys who gamble out of a purely personal vendetta. 20. how does your muse feel about public displays of affection? would they engage in them? - amity has done a great deal of PDA in situations where she felt it was important or strategic to be seen doing so. sometimes you need to shut someone up or prove a point and the quickest most pleasurable way to do so is to manhandle the lacrosse captain in the middle of his own party.

MAUDLIN:

2. has your muse been mainly attracted to masculinity, femininity, androgyny, or an even split (between two, many, or all of the options specified)? - maudlin has been attracted to a pretty even split i think. they love gentleness and softness and fine beautiful things as much as they admire strength and solidity and roughness, and have appreciated the combination of the two in everyone they've ever had feelings for. 11. how comfortable is your muse with their appearance and their body? - maudlin is mostly neutral about their body and how they look, but they do enjoy being able to control their appearance as much as they can. having long hair that they can do things with (or not) is as important as covering themself in their tattoos. they like that they're just androgynous enough to be perceived differently based on how they carry themself and dress, but dislike having to think about that perception as often as they do. they don't think they're unattractive, just a little funny looking, and they took great pleasure in getting dressed up for the party. it was nice, they thought, to be beautiful for an evening. 16. what is/are your muse’s love language(s)? ACTS👏 OF 👏SERVICE👏 (and hand holding) 18. how does your muse feel about marriage? would they ever want to get married? - marriage is a nice idea, but not something maudlin could see themself getting involved in. it always seemed like such a fuss, and most married people they knew growing up were unhappy and unfaithful anyway. there is just as much good in a private commitment to someone as there is in bringing the abbey and government into the situation. (this is not to say, however, that they wouldn't reconsider if they were asked...)