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urgonnaneedabiggership · 1 year

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Host of a Ghost

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara (Spiderman: Across The Spiderverse) x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Language. Spoilers (Miguel's backstory is mentioned). Mild violence. Very, very light mention of a foiled SA (not to reader). Some angst.

Word count: 4.1K

Short A/N: This man has become my hyperfixation since I watched the movie and I'd been wanting to write something with him and today finally the muse came to me do I deliver you this decent-sized thing I wrote. Hope you like it <3

PART II

“Unusual” wasn’t a word you would’ve used to describe your life at all. At least not until about a year ago.

It was unusual to find a spider with such an odd color palette roaming your apartment since you were used to more dull-colored typical critters. It was also unusual that you didn’t panic enough to turn the apartment upside down to look for the thing before it bit you, but there was too much work to do, and a million notes from Dr. Connors to go over. It was equally unusual that you hadn’t rushed to the hospital the minute you noticed the tiny marks on your thigh.

“I mean, if it was really dangerous, it would have hurt more.” Was your reasoning to ignore it and keep scanning the pages before you. Nobody said pursuing a Ph.D. was without sacrifice.

By the time you tried to stand up to make more coffee just to end up collapsing on your kitchen floor, it was much too late.

From then on, “unusual” was pretty much every day’s motto.

Having a nightmare that night about being suffocated and unable to escape just to wake up hanging upside down and wrapped in sticky shit was the first clue. Turns out you were actually able to produce said sticky shit at will in the shape of a thin thread, then you discovered the wall-climbing abilities, and before you knew it you were roaming the city at night trying to get comfortable threading between the tall buildings, running across rooftops and challenging yourself to climb this or that building as fast as you could. You felt indestructible, alive. It was wonderful.

You’d never forget the night of your first save either. For several reasons.

It was an ordinary night, right before returning to your apartment, when a violent shiver abruptly ran up your spine and every cell in your body commanded you to stop. When you did, a scuffle in a nearby alley caught your eye. A young girl was violently shoved against a wall by a man who pressed his hand against her mouth. The same second his hand came dangerously close to the zipper of her jacket, you practically tackled him from above and pinned him against the ground, having no clue of what to do besides throwing punches at his face until you knocked him out. A whimper coming from a dumpster behind made you realize you had an audience.

“Shit,” you cursed under your breath, remembering your uncovered face, the only solution at hand is to wrap your scarf around your head to try and hide as much as possible, “Oh god this feels too much like cultural appropriation for my taste,” You kept nervously rambling to yourself as you slowly approached the dumpster.

“Um…hi,” You greeted, “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

Being met with nothing but silence, you were about to leave when a soft voice replied.

“No. He didn’t. Thank you so much.”

“Is there…I don’t know; is there somebody you want me to call?”

“I want to call my mom.” She replied, her voice still shaking, “He took my phone.”

“Right. Phone. Okay.” You quickly made your way back to the unconscious man and pawed his clothes looking for it. He let out a groan in protest.

“Yeah it doesn’t feel right, does it asshole?” You muttered as you retrieved it from one of his pockets. Then you shoved him onto his stomach to tie his hands and legs behind his back before returning to the girl.

“Here. It still works,” You just held it over the dumpster, seeing nothing but her pale hand as it reached out to take it before you took a few steps back.

“No, wait,” She immediately pleaded, “Please don’t leave me alone with him.”

“Like hell I am. I’m staying right here.”

So you waited with her until the police arrived. However, the minute you saw the flickering lights and heard the approaching siren, you retreated into the dark part of the alley and climbed onto the nearest building to escape through the rooftops.

It wasn’t until you were back in your apartment that you realized you’d been smiling all the way home. Carefully shutting the window behind you, you let yourself fall onto the couch and screamed joyfully, the pillow muffling the sound.

She was okay. A person was okay because you could intervene and do something about it.

However, a new wave of shivers flooded your veins so abruptly that you sat down immediately.

“Yeah, I know how that feels,” Came a feminine voice from the unlit kitchen, “Being able to help, I mean.”

You scrambled to your feet and started walking backward. However, the voice didn’t remain hidden for too long. A woman emerged from the shadows, dressed in red with a yellow hairband pushing her near-afro hair back. She greeted you with a soft smile.

“Your reflexes need polishing,”

“My…?” You repeated, dumbfounded.

“And you have to learn how to fight properly. Randomly throwing punches isn’t always going to cut it,”

“I’m sorry, who are you? Why are you in my apartment? Were you following me? Do you know about…?”

“Whoa, slow down, kid. I know you have questions, and I might be able to help you with that. But you’re going to have to come with me.”

“Alright, I’ll…let me just get my car keys,”

“Oh, sweetie,” The woman said in between laughs, not malicious but truly amused, “You have so much to learn,”

You were starting to wonder why she had elongated that “o” like that until, after pressing a few buttons on the device around her wrist, something that you would’ve described as a “black hole on LSD” erupted in the middle of your living room.

That night you learned that her name was Jessica Drews and that she was completely right about you having so much to learn. With a four-second-o.

Over the following months, you became capable of things you didn’t think possible. Walls that took you a minute to climb became easy obstacles that didn’t take up more than fifteen seconds of your time, your fighting skills had also improved exponentially under Jess’s tutelage, and of course, going from a life where you could count your friends with less than one hand to being constantly surrounded by amazing (no pun intended) Spider-People who not only understood the changes you were going through but warmly welcomed you into their circle was more than you could’ve asked for.

Well, perhaps some more willingly than others. And by others you meant him.

He, who seemed to be always around, silently watching but never intervening.

He, who despite being allegedly “always locked up in his lab” always seemed to personally oversee your training since day one.

Whom you’d tried to greet as gleefully as you did the others just to receive, if anything, a vague nod of acknowledgment. In your first three months, you had spoken maybe four times. Well, you had. He only hummed, nodded, or answered in monosyllables. You knew better than to waste your energy with people like that, but for some reason you were unwilling to just accept Miguel O’Hara didn’t like you and that was that.

“For some reason” being code for “I’m one second away from fainting every time he as much as looks in my direction,”

You weren’t a child, for crying out loud. You were aware that no matter how cold, distant, and seemingly indifferent the leader of your new team was, he was an insanely attractive man. Even with the fangs…no, especially with the fangs, for some reason. His whole aura that screamed “completely-inaccessible-frighteningly-powerful-twice-my-size-man” had you harboring a huge crush on him within two months of meeting him. So painfully unrequited that it was embarrassing. Just the fact he could ignore your greetings and surely never think twice of it but you would spend the rest of the day wondering what you could’ve possibly said to make him at least say “hello” back made you want to scream into a pillow until your throat burned.

It was right up there with the time he’d muttered ‘much better’ when he saw you land a kick you’d been practicing and those three seconds kept playing on your head for the rest of the week.

The night of your first mission you decided you were going to prove your worth, not to your crush but to your team leader.

“I told him you’re ready,” Jess said with a proud smile, “He’s going to call you in sometime throughout the day to let you know where you’ll be going and with whom, probably me. How do you feel?”

“Excited, I guess,” You replied, pressing your lips together anxiously, “Also nervous. I don’t want to screw this up.”

“With me as your mentor? That’s unlikely,” Jess replied with a wink, giving you an encouraging pat on your shoulder as she walked away.

However, the day continued normally. You did some assigned tasks here and there, which mostly included helping Spider-Byte to keep everything running smoothly given your background in the tech field. You grabbed lunch, then thought it would be a good idea to train some more before going away.

You were beginning to lose all hope when, as you leaned down to fix some wiring, Lyla popped right beside your head and called your name so loudly you hit your head against the metal and hissed. One year and still you hadn’t used to the way she appeared out of nowhere.

“Oops, sorry,” She promptly apologized, “Well you’ll have to walk that off, Miguel wants to see you STAT.”

“How am I supposed to walk a head injury off, Lyla?” You joked, rubbing your forehead as you rushed across the halls with the holographical figure floating after you.

“Not in my code,” She replied using her usual excuse.

When you walked into his working space, Miguel’s back was turned to you as he used a digital pen to do some annotations on what looked like blueprints of new equipment. After he didn’t react to your presence for a few seconds, you hesitantly walked closer and cleared your throat.

“That looks nice. Is it a new suit?” You asked, as always, trying to start a conversation.

“I just received an alert about the…” He stopped and sighed as if saying the silly nickname was physically painful to him, “…the Go-Home-Machine. It said there was a small power overload since we sent back that Vulture from the 192-011 Universe.”

“Yeah, but Byte and I are already working on that and it should be fully functional by tomorrow morning,” You replied, a bit confused as to what that had to do with your mission.

“Good. Let me know as soon as it’s fixed.” Miguel hastily replied, not even turning to face you until a whole minute passed and he realized you were still standing there. Even then, he just barely turned his head.

“That’s all, (Y/N). Thank you.”

That’s all? What do you mean that’s all?

“Was there something else you wanted to do?” He asked. Shit. You’d said that out loud.

“I…Jessica told me that I’m ready to go on a mission and that today you…”

“I said I would think about it, and I have.”

He fell silent again. No matter how attractive he was, you were starting to truly get pissed at his stupid theatrical antics.

“And?”

“And the answer’s no. You’re not ready yet.”

That felt like all the disappointments in your entire life added up and multiplied by ten. Especially because of how easily he dismissed you despite being aware of how hard you’d worked, how many nights you decided to forgo hours of sleep just to train and polish every movement until it was as close to flawless as you could.

“Not ready yet?” You practically hissed in a voice you almost didn’t recognize. Hell, it was enough for him to put down the pen. “Not ready yet? That kid Pavitr has been here for what? A month? And he’s already going off on missions. Alone, I might add!”

Unsurprisingly, he did not answer.

“And he’s very, very good, I’m not saying he isn’t. But I’m just as good. And more experienced, both at being here and at being a Spider-Person. I have completed every training scenario you’ve thrown my way, worked my ass off to understand every bit of information regarding interdimensional traveling, and studied the protocol to control anomalies, what is it that you still need me to prove?”

He took a deep breath. So deep that his shoulders rose, flexing the muscles of his back in such a way that if you hadn’t been so angry, you would’ve been too distracted to keep arguing. Even with your blood boiling, you couldn’t help but stare and feel your stomach tense at the sight.

“Do you like being part of this team, (Y/N)? Do you like training in our headquarters, having access to all our information, and maintaining contact with the other members of this society?”

“Of course I do,” You replied immediately. Slowly, Miguel turned around to face you completely and walked towards you, descending the two small steps that separated you until he stood towering over you. Even if your knees were about to give in to this unexpected closeness, this wasn’t the time to fold. You held his glare defiantly and folded your arms in an attempt to mentally guard yourself against him.

“Then I suggest you get in line and do as you’re told,” He said in a low voice. But it wasn’t threatening, or condescending. It was an odd, flat tone. Tired, perhaps. Almost as if…as if he was reprimanding you against his will.

He was almost unbearably close. You could feel his breath hitting your face. If right then all logic flew out of the window and you stood on your tiptoes you could…

“I’ll do that when you’ve earned my respect, and I have a policy of reciprocity when it comes to respect, Miguel. I’ve been in line for a year, I’ve listened, learned, and improved so much that if you’re still looking down on me, then it’s your problem, not mine. And no self-righteous, big-headed…”

“Just get out,” He cut you off, once again turning his back to you and walking towards the blueprints again.

“Oh no, I’m not finished…” You insisted, trying to follow him. However, as soon as you gave one step forward he turned around so violently that you stumbled backward and stared at him with something you hadn’t felt towards him up until then: fear.

“Yes, you are,” Was his only reply. As dull as the others.

While you could only see his face for a moment before he walked past you and left the room, something about his expression stuck with you even hours later, when you laid on your bed at night and combed through the scene over and over. You thought he would be fuming, maybe even shocked that you’d dared to talk to him like that. The last thing you expected was for him to look…upset. Hurt, even. The mere thought of you being able to hurt Miguel O’Hara was as ridiculous as imagining a goldfish fighting back against a shark. Still, you realized that even if you thought he was in the wrong, you felt bad about how things went down back there. You would never understand what being the leader of hundreds of super-powered people was like. Commanding each and directing their particular abilities as best as he could all while maintaining a vigilant eye on endless strings of causes and effects because he knew firsthand the consequences of being careless with them.

Even if he had made a mistake with you and of course you still wanted to address it later, right then all you wanted was to apologize.

And so, not even an hour later you were roaming the halls of the HQ, your heart beating furiously as you got closer to his quarters, wondering what you could even begin to say.

When the automatic doors slid open, you stepped inside and turned back to look as the doors closed behind you. Well, no turning back now.

“Miguel?” You called, looking around the large room, pondering whether a first-name basis was okay. After everything that had happened, going back to Mr. O’Hara sounded terribly stupid. Then your eyes landed on the row of screens where he spent most of his time. An extremely ill-timed wave of curiosity filled your chest as you approached them, taking another look at the seemingly empty room before stepping onto the platform. Getting bolder, you reached out your hand and brushed your fingertips across one of the screens. It immediately came to life with a blue glow, startling you and making you curse under your breath. You were about to look for a button to switch it off when a video started playing automatically from where he had left off. He was in it, holding a young girl. Miguel wasn’t just smiling. He was laughing. His laugh was exactly as you’d pictured it. Not particularly loud, but hearty and low. He had the kind of laugh that made you unwittingly smile as well as a newfound sympathy filled your chest as tears filled your eyes when you pictured that being taken from him just like that. How could one have a family, and then one day be completely alone and keep going?

With a renewed disposition to make things better between you, your hand reached out for the switch that would turn the screen off until a third voice piqued your interest. It belonged to whoever was holding the camera.

“Would you please stop hoarding her? I deserve some mother-daughter time too! Here, hold this thing and give her to me,” The voice said between laughs. There was something about that voice that made an extremely cold shiver run down your spine.

“Fine, you’re right. Bueno pues, mijita, ve con mamá, ¿quieres ir con mamá?”

The picture became blurry as the camera switched places with a giggling Gabriella, who could be briefly seen stretching her arms toward the third figure.

“Alright,” Came Miguel’s voice again, “But when I turn the camera towards you I want both of you to blow Daddy a kiss, can you do that for me?”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned the camera around.

And then you found yourself staring into your own eyes. They weren’t quite the same shade as yours, and “your” hair was styled differently. And “you” had freckles. But otherwise, it was like staring into an interdimensional mirror. Then, your voice spoke.

“Okay sweetie, let’s humor him, shall we? Blow Daddy a kiss. And another one from me because now I have to use both arms to hold you, my big girl!”

Miguel laughed again at the way his daughter’s face lit up at being called a “big girl”.

“¿Saben que las amo a las dos, verdad?”

“And Gabriella loves you too. I think you’re…nice enough.”

“(Y/N), I don’t think you marry somebody for ‘nice enough’, mi amor,”

“I love you too. Against my better judgment.”

With one last interrupted laugh, the video ended, and, in a cruel irony, the once again black screen showed your actual reflection.

Except this time, it wasn’t the only one. With a loud gasp, you turned around. After seeing him in that video, it became much more evident that the Miguel in it was nothing but a memory of the past. And in a matter of seconds, everything shifted into place like a gloomy puzzle. His expression was unreadable, though he wasn’t even looking at you. His eyes were fixed on the empty screen.

“I wasn’t supposed to ever see that, was I?” Was the only thing that came to your mind after a lengthy, tense silence.

“What good would it have done?” He replied, almost numbly.

“So that’s why you’ve always…stared?” You kept pushing. Against your better judgment, you thought.

“It was at first,” Came his only response. Like always, it seemed like you would have to tear the answers off him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You asked, turning your head to look for his eyes. Even then, something warm filled your chest. Something that made your heart beat so quickly you felt as if it would stop at any moment, and it spread all over you no matter how much you tried to fend it off. Hope.

Surprisingly, this time he caved in and looked at you. Still, the answer never came. For the first time in all the time you’d known him, Miguel O’Hara was at a loss for words. And that said more than anything he could’ve come up with.

“And you expect me to believe that, by sheer chance, you happened to catch feelings for somebody who is practically your wife’s interdimensional twin?”

“It sounds so much worse when you say it like that,” Was that a hint of a smile? An attempt at a joke? One year and the only time he’d bothered to be decent to you was when you were talking about how much you looked like her?

With an annoyed look, you moved away from him and started to make your way to the exit.

“Do you think I wanted this?” He spoke rather loudly, his whispers going out of the window as he started to follow you across the room.

Miguel O’Hara following you to keep you from leaving. Just hours before you would’ve died of happiness at the mere thought of this scenario. Right now, your brain was a flurry of thoughts and emotions that you didn’t know how to handle.

“I was doing an amazing job at keeping my distance. Watching you from afar, seeing you laugh, grow, win everybody over with that awfully big heart of yours, and still I reined myself in,” He continued, “Today’s the perfect example. You thought I didn’t respect you, for fuck’s sake! I respect you so much that every single day I have ignored you and pretended you are nothing but another face in the halls. Damn it, (Y/N), I couldn’t even look you in the eye when for months you’ve been all I’ve wanted. All because I didn’t know if I loved you or what was left of her. And I didn’t want you to get involved in shit that’s mine to figure out.”

Hearing him not only withdraw his previous statement of you not being capable of doing things and accepting the problem was his and not yours made you stop in your tracks.

Fine, the sudden (though odd) love declaration had something to do with it too.

“So you don’t think I’m not ready?” You asked, turning around and even taking some steps towards him.

“Are you serious? I’ve watched you closely all these months. You learn in days what others do in weeks. You push yourself way more than so many of our members and yet I’ve never, ever seen you become overconfident. Today you never said you knew everything. You said you knew enough.”

This time, it was you who remained silent. There was something else you wanted him to elaborate on, and from the look in his eyes, you realized he knew damn well what it was.

“You were right. The problem wasn’t yours. It was mine all along. I could manage to push you away and keep my feelings at bay. But knowing that you were eventually going to go out there and take so many risks...worst case scenario, you could get hurt or not come back at all. That was too much for me to handle, s’all.”

“Were you afraid of losing me…?” You started to ask just for him to interrupt you.

“Yes. Very much.” However, you lifted a hand to stop him. You weren’t finished.

“Were you afraid of losing me, or were you afraid of losing her again, Miguel?”

Three seconds later, when no answer came out of his mouth, you were about to turn around once again when he rushed and stood in front of you. For a second, you thought he was going to grab your shoulders to keep you in place. Not wanting to come off as if he was forcing you to stay, his hands just hovered on both sides of your shoulders without touching you.

“Listen, she wasn’t a picky eater like you are. But I swear that woman never drank enough water and every time I see you there’s either a bottle in your hand or laying around. And she was so, so messy. It took us at least ten minutes to find the keys every single time…and Spider-Byte said you sort your tools by size and color. Color. (Y/N), I don’t think even I…”

“Are you getting somewhere with this?”

“You’re not her, (Y/N). You have never been, and you never will, I know that. I want you to know that I wouldn’t want you to be any other way. I love you.”

After that, he moved out of the way and folded his arms.

“If you want to go back to your dimension and stay there for a while…or for good, I don’t know, I completely…”

“I love you too, you know?” You cut him off, pressing your lips together after blurting out the three words that’d been haunting you for the past months. Words that up until now you were sure would never leave your chest. When you turned to look at him, you saw in his eyes what minutes ago had filled yours. Hope.

God, his face was so hauntingly beautiful when his features softened.

“What do you want from me?” You finally asked him, your voice shaky from the effect you knew his answer would have regardless of what it was.

Miguel moved closer to you almost hesitantly, his eyes never leaving yours. When he was close enough, he reached out with both his hands and slid them up the back of your neck, his thumbs tucked in front of your ears as his warm palms engulfed the back of your head so he could hold you while he brought his face down to press his forehead against yours.

“Mi amor, I’d give you all I am and be happy with whatever you’re willing to give me for now,”

You knew it would take some time for you to get used to hearing him say things like that without wondering if you were the only one in his mind when he did. It would be a while until you felt completely certain that you were made of flesh and bone and not just a ghost in his eyes, but it would happen. You saw his eyes as he drew his face closer to yours and when your lips touched, you knew that it would definitely happen sooner or later. Until then, you thought as you stood on your tiptoes when he almost desperately pressed his lips onto yours, he was very much worth the wait.

#miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x y/n #miguel o'hara fic #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara x female reader #spiderman across the spiderverse #marvel imagine #marvel fanfiction #spiderman 2099 #spiderman atsv #across the spiderverse #atsv

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bones4thecats · 10 months

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poseidon, rudra, buddha, thor with disney! Jasmine? (Ngl the "I'm not a prize to be won" quote is a life motto itself) *and she's with humanity in ragnarok despite being a goddess *

A/N: When I saw this, I had just finished re-watching Aladdin, so, hey, perfect timing, Anon!! I'm not sure if I got her character right, so she may be OOC. Sorry for the rambling, enjoy~~

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🔱 He did not like you at all

🔱 You and him had far different views on many things, including Humanity’s survival

🔱 Poseidon and you just glared at each other when Zeus and Adam fought, he knew you cared for Adam to an extreme amount, and Zeus was his brother, so he had to care for him

🔱 But, during the Gods’ Council meetings, and many, many seduction attempts by Zeus, Poseidon enjoyed watching you chew others out

🔱 He also enjoyed watching your tiger, Raja, pounce on those who defied you

🔱 Now, at a Gods’ Council meeting, Zeus had been discussing the many different things that Humanity had done, you defended them, giving good reasons, reasons that even had Poseidon rethinking his placements, for why they had done what they had done

🔱 But, many Gods did not listen as well as others…

🔱 When a minor God yelled back at you, he took his trident and slammed it onto the ground, sending a wave of shock against the God across the room

🔱 You just stared at him and smiled slightly, maybe you guys were kind of alike?

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

⛈️ Let’s get this straight, personally, I don’t believe Rudra hates Humanity as strongly as many other Gods

⛈️ He understand why they do certain things, as not all lives are as fair as others, and sometimes desperate times lead to desperate measures

⛈️ When he heard you were siding with Humanity, Rudra just sighed and patted your head as you walked out of the room, many whispered about you behind you back, causing you to raise your voice

⛈️ Rudra looked at you as Brunhilde grabbed your arm and dragged you away, probably needing to find human fighters immediately

⛈️ Between every round of Ragnarok, he would meet with you between the two species’ areas, he just held you in the shadows, knowing if anyone saw you guys, either you would be yelled at, or he would be exiled until the end of Ragnarok

⛈️ But, no matter the cost, you, his little stubborn Arabic Goddess, and he, your wonderful Hindu God, could go through anything

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🍭 You and Buddha had met merely a few hours after he was blessed with Godhood

🍭 Buddha saw a minor God scolding you for being ‘unlady-like’ and ‘in desperate need of being controlled like any other woman’, and you snapped like a pencil

🍭 When you kicked the God across the head and began yelling at him, he just laughed and watched as he ran away

🍭 Once Brunhilde confronted you both about Ragnarok, you two had decided in fighting in the ring together and siding with Humanity to antagonize the Gods

🍭 Hearing the Gods yell at you both was like music to your ears

🍭 Once your battle was over and you and Buddha were relaxing, Raja, your tiger, had walked up to him and laid a box in his hands

🍭 That was when he proposed to you, it was quite the interesting timing, but he had quite the interesting lifestyle, so, yeah

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🌩️ He and you did get along quite well before Ragnarok

🌩️ You two bonded over the dislike for many social interactions, but you seemed to do it way more often than him

🌩️ Thor and you had married before Ragnarok, but your beliefs in Humanity did differ, but he was fine with it, he loved you, not what you believed in

🌩️ When he was set for his first match, Brunhilde could tell you were fighting your beliefs and your heart at the same time, so she told you to go relax with the rest of the fighters while she and Göll watched your husband and your ally Lü Bu battle

🌩️ You refused and stood strong, determined to watch this happen, even if Humanity lost this round, or if the God’s lost, you wanted to see the loser’s last moments, it was a sign of respect

🌩️ Seeing Lü Bu die hurt, but seeing your husband just look so down after the amazing fight hurt you more

🌩️ Your stubbornness caused you to walk away and towards Thor’s room as he healed, you scolded him and listened to him as he mourned, in his own way, for the loss of Lü Bu

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simplydannie · 1 month

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Haii pooks!

I know your busy, but when you get the chance, Fanfic about when Veneer and Neena first met? Maybe Nate cameo at the end 🫶🏼

Baii :3

Haii!

Okay so here ya go!

A little context first:

Neena was an OC created WAY before my Under Rageous AU. So this story will not be taking part in that storyline and is completely separate 😊 She was created because I was curious how a HOH character would interact in this kind of world. Also being a V and V fan, my OC befriends them and actually knows them before their fame journey. Her and Veneer had a hard time making friends throughout high school but found each other and became the bestest of friends. Later Veneer would introduce her to Velvet whom she’d befriend as well. Her main form of communication for someone who doesn’t know sign language (like Veneer) is through a notebook which she carries with her everywhere.

A small cameo by @justnat3 OC!

Both drawings for the cover art were done by @skydiverdrawings!

Enjoy!

High school.

This was it.

Elementary school…bust. Middle school…bust. High school was going to be his time to shine…

Velvet and Veneer didn’t want to make a big deal when driving up to their new high school. Instead of the limo, they rode in a black SUV, their Bergen driver up front with his sunglasses up.

“You really think they won't make a big deal out of this?” He asked his sister as he adjusted his beanie.

“Really? This is high school and you're still wearing that stupid thing?”

“What? It was dad’s, it’s my favorite, AND I think it looks good on me.”

”Whatever you say bro…”

Velvet and Veneer Montegue. Their name rang throughout all of Mount Rageous as their father was a renowned businessman and CEO, in charge and overseeing all power industries in the city…basically everything that ran Mount Rageous from the ground up. Since grade school, EVERYONE knew. What made it worse, at least in Veneer’s eyes, was that it was hard for them to make any friends… The most powerful man in Mount Rageous, had the most lonesome children around.

The twins had spent elementary and middle school only amongst themselves. Veneer was the target of bullying, and his sister, well, his personal bodyguard. No one would hang out with her because of how afraid they were. No one wanted to be his friend because well, he was just different, at least in their eyes…

“...People just don’t know how to accept those that are different.” His mother told him one day. He had come home bruised by the beating of the kids at school.

So, all that time, it was always him and Velvet against the world…

“No more playing nice.” Their father had told them as the twins lay in bed one night. He took their face in each of his hands, “They don't like it when you’re nice. Fine. If they want hell, then give them hell.”

”Daddy! You said a no-no word!” Veneer gasped, placing his hand over his mouth.

Vaughn smiled, “Think of it as a motivational word….just don’t tell your mother.”

The twins giggled…

Veneer planned for high school to be his moment to shine…for both him and his sister… This was it. He was going to make friends! He was going to make the yearbook with something more positive on it!

The SUV finally pulled up to the entrance of the school. Both twins grabbed their bags.

“If they want hell…” The Bergen began to say.

“Then give them hell.” The twins replied in unison. They smiled after getting out of the car…The motto their father taught them. There they stood staring at the entrance of Rageous High…

“Ready.” Velvet said.

“No. Not really.”

“Good enough. Let’s do this!”

It has been three months since that day…

….And Veneer had yet to make any friends…

His sister on the other hand was flourishing. She had a whole group of friends now. Velvet would continuously invite him to sit with her during lunch, to hang out with them after school…but Veneer refused. He’d make an excuse; he didn’t want her to worry…For one, when his sister wasn’t around, they would bully him, but they were her friends, so he’d never tell her…He knew she’d choose him over them and he wanted her to have the best high school experience ever. She deserved it after all those years she spent being friendless because of him. He’d even lie to his parents.

“So…How was school today?” Their father asked. Velvet would beam at the time she was having, showing their parents the pictures she took with her and her friends. Veneer could see the relief and happiness in his parents…So when it came for him to speak…he lied.

“Yeah. There are guys from my science class and art class…We sit together at lunch and just kinda have fun.”

“Where do you sit? I never see you.” Velvet declared.

“We rotate. We mainly like to sit outside.” Veneer lied again.

“That's wonderful sweetheart! You are more than welcome to invite them over! Both of you.” Vivian smiled.

“...Well…They wont cause trouble will they?” Vaughn asked.

“Chill dad. You know I'd set them straight if they caused trouble.” Velvet smirked.

“That’s my girl.”.....

…Veneer walked down the hall towards his locker, his head hanging low, hopefully he’d be left alone, hopefully no one would look his way. He made it to his locker only to see the words “moron” written across it.

“Typical.” He sighed, opening his locker.

“Do you need something to clean that with?” He heard a voice call to him. He turned around to see a pale, light- blue haired Rageon standing behind him. He knew him, Veneer remembered, he had him in English class…Nate his name was.

“No…I’ll just clean it later.” Veneer said with a heavy sigh as he grabbed his books.

“….Don’t let them get to you.” The boy smiled, “See you later.”

Veneer waved. Nate was kind, but the people he hung out with weren’t so. He knew what they thought about him, so Veneer never bothered…better to be safe and alone…

Right now his focus was just to make it to science in one piece. A few boys walked by shoving him hard against the lockers.

BANG!

His head collided with the door.

“Freak.” He heard them mumble, giggling as they walked away. Veneer waited till they were out of ear shot.

”Idiots.” He mumbled as he fixed his beanie. Grabbing his books, he closed his locker and ran off to class….

A Rageon girl sat on a chair at the front office, her mother inside discussing something with the principal. The girl had light, pinkish skin with medium length magenta hair. Her feet dangled as she waited…Today was her first day here at Rageous High. Her heart pounded. Would the kids be nicer here than the other schools? Would they have accommodations for her here? She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. She felt a let tap on her leg, looking up, the girl saw her mother had walked out of the office…The girl adjusted her hearing aid.

”Read for your first day, Neena?” Her mother signed.

“No, I’m nervous. What if they’re mean here too?” Neena signed in return.

“…We have to try. You are strong, brave, and beautiful. Perhaps that one friend will be here waiting for you.”

Neena took a deep breath, “Okay.” She signed with her hands. Her mother bid her farewell as she was shown to her first class…science.

Veneer sat in the back. Out of sight, out of mind, he would tell himself. Today they were to work on some experimentation. Of course the others grouped up, leaving him to himself. He was intrigued in his project, writing down notes when he heard the door of the classroom open. Veneer looked up to see the principal walk in with a Rageon girl at her heel. Veneer had never seen her before, he was sure of it. Was she new?

The teacher signaled her to take a seat in the empty desk in the back. Everyone studied her as she walked, particularly the guys, smirking and smiling at each other.

“Pigs.” Veneer murmured.

She glanced around the classroom with a smile…a little cheerful she seemed to be. Looking at the others, she mimicked their actions as she took out her science book. Confused, she looked around the classroom to see where she could get the supplies for the experiment.

“Okay, Vennie, you can do this…make a friend, make a friend.” He was about to stand up when he saw a group of girls head her way already, “…Nevermind.”

“Hey new girl! Listen we’re going to do you a favor, not everyone in this school is cool.” She coughed and nudged her head towards Veneer.

“….Bitch…” He mumbled under his breath. The new girl stared at the clique in front of her then towards Veneer, she smiled. Flustered he looked away. Great, she’s going to think I’m weird to.

“So as a favor, I’ll let you join our group so you don’t embarrass yourself the first day. How’s that?” The girl smiled….

….Neena saw the lips of the girl moving in front of her, but couldn’t comprehend what she was saying. Nothing but mumbles were escaping the girl's mouth. She saw her signal to a green haired boy sitting towards the back. Neena naturally turned and smiled at him only for him to look away. The girl continued to speak, that much she knew…but Neena couldn’t hear what she was saying…The girl stopped talking, staring at Neena with a smile. Oh no! She must have asked me something! Neena quickly dug through her backpack to look for her pen and notebook, tucking her hair behind her ear…that’s when the other girl saw it…her hearing aid.

“Oh…You’re one of those…Ummm…” The girl said. Neena brought out her notebook and pencil, handing it to the girl with a smile. The girl grimaced.

“…W-w-writtte…” Neena attempted to say, but it must have come out too loud and sounded odd as others in the class turned to face her way. Neena had her mother teach her to try and say some words, especially the word “write”. But being deaf, Neena didn’t know whether she was saying right…or too loud.

“No. Sorry…Nevermind actually.” The girl waved Neena off and walked away… Not, again, Neena thought.

Veneer saw the whole thing happen, he heard the girl utter the word “write” a little too loudly and rather awkwardly. The girl and her clique walked off leaving the new girl with a sad look on her face. Out of all people, he knew what it felt like to be left hanging…

Okay, now is my chance, he stood up from his desk and walked over to her. When he approached her he could see the tears beginning to fall from her face. She quickly wiped it away when she looked up to see him. She gave him a small smile waiting for him to proceed.

You, got this…You got this….

“Hi,ImVeneer, woudyouliketobemypartner!” The words came rolling out like an avalanche, one after the other…word vomit. Crap!

Neena stared at the boy in front of her. He seemed shy yet kind. She saw his lips move ever so quickly, then stopped. Wait? Was he done talking? Did he even say anything? Neena couldn’t make out what he had just told her. It must have taken her a moment too long to answer because she saw his smile drop from his face. Oh no! I ruined it again! She thought to herself. As he began to walk away, she instantly reached up to grab his arm to keep him from leaving. She saw the look of confusion on his face and quickly withdrew. She signaled him to wait as she began to write something down in her notebook.

Veneer cocked his head to the side as she scribbled away. She gave him the notebook and pen with a smile on her face. Taking it in his hands, he looked down to read it…

Hi! I’m Neena. I’m deaf, so I don’t know what you were asking me :( Can you please write it here? If you want.

He looked at her…She seemed to have a hopeful glint in her eyes…Maybe she was like him…Looking for a friend… just someone who would understand her too…He smiled. Taking the pen, he began writing in her notebook…He slid it back to her.

Hi Neena! I’m Veneer. I’m sorry. I word-vomited, that tends to happen when I get nervous. Would you like to be my partner for this project?

Neena read his note, looking at him with a wide smile on her face, she nodded.

“Oh! Um, okay! Give me one moment.” He signaled her as he ran over to his desk to gather his things, moving next to her. Neena kept the notebook in between them so they could write back and forth to each other to communicate…

Do you sign? She had written. A look of genuine confusion crossed his face.

Sign like autographs? He wrote. This caused a giggle to escape Neena’s lips. She shook her head. Instead of writing, she made signals with her hands.

“Oh!! You mean sign language!” He said aloud. She saw the movement of his lips and understood what he had said.

“Yes.” She signed, “Sign language.”

“No.” He shook his head. Neena smiled taking the notebook in her hands once again.

It’s okay! I’ll show you! If you want?

He smiled towards her, “Okay!”

At the end of the day, Neena got into her mothers car…a smile on her face.

“You seem happy. Did everything go okay today sweetie?” Her mother signed.

“Yes.”

“Do you think you’ll like it here?”

Neena looked down at her notebook. For the first time it was filled with notes and silly doodles from a friend…A FRIEND!…. Something she had waited so long for.

“Yes. It’s going to be fun!” She signed.

Veneer waited for his sister out front, a smile on his face…

“What’s with the goofy grin?” She asked as she approached him.

“Vels!” he jumped a little too happily. “I finally made a friend!!”

“...Wait…what do you mean finally…What about those guys you talked about from art and science?” She said.

“......Uuuhhhh….”

“You little liar! So all these months you lied to me about making friends! You lied to mom and dad too!”

“I just didn’t want you guys to worry! You seemed so happy with your group and mom and dad seemed so proud when you finally told them.”

“Gosh Veneer! You’re horrible!” She sighed, taking in a deep breath, “Whatever….who is this new friend…If you’re even telling the truth.”

“I am!! She’s a new girl at school! I have her for my science, gym, math, and art class! Her name is Neena…she’s deaf. Some girls were already giving her a hard time..”

Velvet looked at him. He was always one to sympathize with people who had a hard time making friends, with people who would get bullied…

“So she doesn’t know what a complete weirdo you are yet?” She teased.

“Yeah!!...Wait…” He paused, finally realizing what she had said, “Oh, you’re cruel.”

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loviwonnie · 1 year

Text

—COOL WITH YOU

010. oh shit (written 0.8k)

the long-awaited break came and that means that its time for you to start your plan. to find out what wonyoung thinks about ricky.

you and wonyoung have been friends ever since you came to this school. she was just standing in front of her locker fixing her hair, and you managed to trip over and fall with her. you both looked at each other and laughed. ever since then you have become inseparable and every student called you “the two pretty best friends”.

wonyoung has been watching a lot of guys lame attempts to try and talk to her but none of them could catch her attention. but something has changed when ricky transferred into your school. you couldn't help but notice how your best friend always fixes her hair, makeup and clothes everytime he passes by. she was smiling when they did the smallest and unnoticeable eye contacts. you can tell that she finds him attractive. and it was true. ricky was hot topic when he just came and immediately caught everyone's attention. wonyoung was one of them, well, you were too.

now you find out that ricky actually liked her for a long time and you had to play the cupid here. ‘i will make them happy’ was your motto and you were repeating this word ever since you came to cafeteria and waited for your bestie to arrive.

“wonyoung! i am here,” you called your friend who was shining and glowing as always. with a bright smile on her face, she ran to you and sat down with her food tray.

“look, they have my favorite tuna kimbap,” she happily exclaimed and pointed at the rice wrapped in seaweed with tuna in it.

“they better be good” you grinned and took a bite of your bread. “wonyoung, i, you know, haven't been here for a while and there are so many new people here. for example, jungwon, hanni, well I don't know much about their friend group, so I thought maybe you could tell something about them” you said, trying not to sound suspicious or weird

“yeah sure,” wonyoung sat more comfortably and started talking about how cute hanni is, eunchae’s weirdness but in a good way, niki’s great basketball abilities, how jungwon is very nice and smart, but you had a hard time doubting that. and ricky’s turn came.

“oh ricky, um, he is, cute and kind, and also very funny, but you know, in awkward way, because he is still trying to adapt here,”

as wonyoung started talking about ricky, you noticed the way her cheeks turned red, she was looking down and avoiding your gaze. she probably was shy talking about him.

“so you like him?” you smiled and her eyes widened.

“hey, quiet! I don't want anyone to hear that” she shutted your mouth with her palms and looked around, hoping that none of his friends are near.

“omg you do like him! omg! for how long?”

“ever since he came here, now shut up, it's my turn to ask you questions” wonyoung coughed and looked straight into your eyes. you felt sudden pressure but tried to act cool.

“why did you look so invested when I talked about jungwon?” she lifted one of her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

“huh?” you looked at her confusing, trying to understand what she just said

“yn, darling, just say that you are interested in jungwon, you didn't have to make all of this just to hear something about him”

“what? are you crazy? i am not interested in him!”

“i saw how you moved closer when i started talking about him, you like jungwon?”

“no! wonyoung, I don't know why you thought that i like him because I don't! how can i like him if he is rude, mean and just awful? he sighs irritably when i get the good mark at classes or i swear to God, he judges me everytime he looks at me. he hates me, and I don't know why, so I don't see any reasons to like him” you exhaled after saying it all without stopping and looked at your friend with eyes full of wildness.

behind wonyoung, you noticed jungwon who was standing there looking at you with a slight of confusion and surprise. he heard everything and as soon as you saw him, you regretted every word your stupid and uncontrollable mouth had said. you didn't want to call him awful, that was too much, you understood that.

‘oh shit’ you thought and wanted to approach jungwon, but he was already gone. you felt bad, really bad. you knew that you have to apologize but just didn't how and when because it's not so easy to go and talk to a person who despises you.

‘that was..weird, but at least I learned some useful information’ you tried to calm yourself down with the thought of successfully accomplished mission.

— prev — masterlist — next

iris notes :: omg guys have you seen the ru next final?? the debut line up?? it's so rigged I just can't understand how youngseo is not the center and my girl jiwoo 😭😭

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plzravagemethxxx · 7 months

Text

BLOODLUST pt. 1

BLOODLUST Masterlist

Prologue Part Two

"Well," Y/N sighed. "This doesn't look too hot."

Icicle Junior had leapt down from the posts of the bridge and had created a steep ramp in the middle of the road, sending cars flying. He threw his head back and laughed manically as the civilians swerved to try and avoid the ice.

Y/N rushed towards the cars as they flew through the air. She heard people's screams from within and ran as fast as she could, whipping out her knife and slashing her palms open. She felt the blood gush onto her skin and shouted, "STRONG!" as she caught the car midair and lowered it to the ground as gently as she could before moving onto the next one.

"Finally!" Junior shouted, noticing her. "I was wondering what a guy had to do to get a little attention around here!"

He lurched towards Y/N, only to be thwarted by an arrow piercing the back of his shoulder. Several more forced their way into his wall of ice.

Y/N scoffed and pressed down on the microphone of her earpiece. "Took you long enough."

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," Roy Harper grouched. "I don't see you fighting Junior."

"Civies are more important than villains," Y/N mused. She stepped a bit farther from Icicle Junior as the arrows began to beep, indicating that they were armed with explosives. "That's my motto, Speedy."

The blasts went off, and Junior grunted in pain as his wall broke apart. He fell back and snarled up at where Speedy and Green Arrow stood atop the bridge, their next arrows prepped and ready.

Junior summoned massive clumps of ice on his arms, then roared with effort as he chucked them up at the two archers.

"Junior's doing all this for attention?" Roy demanded. He let out another explosive arrow.

"I know," Y/N grumbled. "It's odd." She rushed at Junior, bloody hands extended, and ordered, "BURN!"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Icicle Junior leapt back, narrowly dodging Y/N's hands, which had started to smoke with heat. "Nobody told you, pretty girl? Ice and fire don't mix!"

He tossed several spikes of ice at her, but Y/N simply smacked a couple out of the way and they turned to puddles at her touch. The rest embedded themselves in the ground, and Y/N kept running.

Meanwhile, Roy and Oliver had made their way down to the street, and were firing off more arrows at Junior as he attempted to dodge each of Y/N's attacks.

"I'm telling you now," Roy stated. "This little distraction better not interfere."

Icicle Junior saw the arrows coming and quickly put up a frozen shield all around him. The explosive arrows made a hole in his barrier, and Y/N began to punch through the ice as well. Her burning blood splattered across the ice, reducing it to water in seconds.

Trapped, Junior threw one last attack. He punched the air in Speedy's direction and kicked at Y/N, sending massive blasts of sharpened ice crystals at them both.

Y/N ducked out of the way, but felt some of the ice pierce her abdomen as she tried to escape the blast. Pain shot through her body and she yelped.

"HEAL!" she commanded, feeling the cuts on her hands seal quickly. The wound from being impaled began to patch itself up, a bit slower than her hands.

Roy, however, practically smirked as he jumped over his attack, pulling an arrow from his quiver and releasing it mid-air. The arrowhead slammed into Junior's chin hard, knocking him unconscious.

Green Arrow looked down at their adversary and chuckled. "Kid had a glass jaw!"

"Hilarious," Speedy said quickly. "Can we go?"

"Wow, such patience," Y/N teased, throwing her arm around his shoulders. "It's almost saint-like."

"Can you blame me?" Roy asked, quirking a brow at her. "Today's the day."

"That it is," Black Canary agreed as she pulled her motorcycle up to them. "Y/N, you good?"

"Peachy." The girl tapped the mended skin of her abdomen, feeling the newly formed flesh. "No more injuries. I may need a snack on the way, though."

"That's good." She tossed a helmet to the girl. "Get on and grab a bar. You don't want to be late, do you?"

The Hall of Justice was not the main base for the Justice League. Y/N had known that since Canary had elected to go off on a solo mission for a month, leaving Bloodlust to work with Green Arrow and Speedy. After a particularly grueling patrol, Oliver had invited the two of them to his house where he proceeded to patch them up, get drunk, and reveal the truth about the Justice League's headquarters.

"You see," he'd mumbled, "the Hall is just a fro-hic!-a front. We used to be at Mount Justice but then-hic!-our enemies found out about it." He'd spread his arms and eyes wide, looking absolutely scandalized. "Can you bel-hic!-believe that?" He'd shaken his head and returned to his bottle. "I can't believe that. How'd they-hic!-find us? I don't know."

Y/N had met Roy's eyes, sending him a silent question:

Do we ask more questions?

Roy had answered by turning to Oliver, his lips pursed in thought. "So, um. Where is your headquarters?"

"Mm." Oliver had lifted a hand and pointed to the ceiling. "The-hic!-Watchtower." He'd nodded firmly. "It's-hic!-in space. A satellite." Then he'd smiled softly. "Lovely view."

And so Y/N knew they were being played when Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado greeted her and the rest of her colleagues.

"Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Bloodlust," Manhunter listed off, "welcome. You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully stocked galley, and of course..." He trailed off as the doors to the library opened up. "Our library."

"Make yourselves at home," Flash offered, gesturing to the armchairs scattered about near the large computer screens beside the Zeta tubes on the far side of the library.

Robin immediately flopped into one seat, as did Kid Flash. Aqualad instead gestured for Y/N to take the remaining chair, and she did with a polite smile, kicking one leg over the other. Speedy rested his hand on the back of her chair, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Don't tell me," he whispered, barely audible to anyone but Bloodlust, "this is the end of the tour."

"It better not be," Y/N hissed back.

But much to her disappointment, their mentors huddled close together, physically cutting the protégés out of the conversation even if they could still hear.

"Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four ice villains attacking on the same day," Batman explained, turning his head back to the sidekicks. "We shouldn't be too long."

With that, the adults turned to the Zeta tubes. Batman typed in his command into the computers, and the tubes whirred to life.

"Recognized: Batman, 0-2," the automated voice rang out. "Aquaman, 0-6. Flash, 0-4. Green Arrow, 0-8. Black Canary, 1-3. Martian Manhunter, 0-7. Red Tornado, 1-6."

"That's it?" Roy demanded, standing up straight. "You promised us a real look inside! Not a glorified backstage pass!"

"It is the first step," Aquaman replied calmly. "You've been granted access few others get."

"Oh, really?" Bloodlust growled. She gestured up to the windows, outside of which several civilians watched with cameras flashing. "Who cares which side of the glass we're on? This is insulting."

"Y/N," Canary began, stepping closer, "I understand your frustrations. Both of you," she added, nodding to Roy. "But you need to be patient."

"Patient?!" Y/N scoffed.

"What we need is respect," Roy scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked to Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash, who seemed appalled at the outburst. "They're treating us like kids. Worse... like sidekicks. We deserve better than this!"

But to Y/N and Roy's shock, none of them said anything. Then it hit her.

They don't know about the Watchtower, do they?

"You're kidding, right?" Roy seethed. "You're playing their game?! Why?!"

"Wait, Roy." Y/N tried to reach out for him, but Speedy shrugged her hand away.

"Today was supposed to be the day! Step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League!" Roy shouted.

"Well," Kid Flash muttered, "sure. But I thought step one was a tour of HQ?"

"Roy, they don't know," Y/N said softly, her anger slowly ebbing away.

Roy just leveled her with a cold look. "Then it's about time they learn." Then he turned back to the other protégés. "I bet they never told you, huh?"

Y/N didn't miss the way Oliver stiffened, nor the way Dinah's head shot over to him, the unmistakable air of fury about her.

"This place," Roy began, "the Hall of Justice, isn't the real thing. It's a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching zeta beams to the real thing; an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower."

Batman, Aqualad, and Flash all rounded on Green Arrow. Canary's fingers twitched, like she was seriously considering strangling the man.

Oliver sighed and raised his hands in surrender. "I know, I know, but I thought maybe we could make an exception!"

"And you told Y/N, too?" Dinah growled. "Without my permission?"

"He didn't even tell us on purpose," Y/N reported. "He was drunk."

"Regardless, you are not helping your cause here, lass," Aqualad said. He tried to step closer to Y/N and Roy. "Stand down, son, or—"

"Or what?" Roy interrupted him furiously. "You'll send me to my room? And I'm not your son! I'm not even his," he snarled, turning to Oliver. "I thought I was his partner. But not anymore."

Y/N froze. "Roy, what—"

But he plucked his cap off of his head and dashed it to the ground. He turned his back to the Justice League, and shook his head disapprovingly at the protégés, who sat in stunned silence.

"I guess they're right about the three of you," he said coldly. "You're not ready. C'mon, Bloodlust."

But Y/N didn't move. She stood still as the world seemed to pause around her. She felt the piercing eyes of Dinah on her back, the bated breath of Roy before her, both eagerly awaiting her decision.

And what would her decision be?

They don't fully trust me, she noted. The League, at least. I'm only sixteen, I don't know my way around this line of work as well as I act like I do. Of course Dinah didn't want me finding out about the Watchtower. I could never make it on my own at this level. Petty thieves are one thing, but now the world associates me with Justice League-level threats, and I'm just not there yet. Not by myself.

But with Roy? I wouldn't be alone, I'd have someone with the same level of training as I. He trusts me, he's shown that time and time again. We're friends. He's my best friend.

But Canary—Dinah—she's like an older sister to me. Without her, I'd still be working three jobs to barely be able to support myself. I'd be broke and alone and I would never have made it this far.

What do I do?

"I..." Y/N swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm sorry, Roy. But I'm staying with Canary for now."

Roy turned to face her, eyes wide. There was a glimmer of rage in his eyes, mixed with a twinge of hurt. His jaw loosened as he stared deep into her eyes.

"You're joking."

Silently, Y/N shook her head. For the first time in the years she'd known Roy Harper, she had never had him look at her this way. It stung in a manner she didn't know was possible.

"No." Y/N stood her ground. "I-I'm going to stay. With Canary. And them," she added, waving vaguely at the three boys watching this unfold. "I'm not confident in my ability to go off on my own, Roy. I-I don't doubt you. But I'm not strong enough yet."

There was a moment of silence.

"Fine," Roy whispered. "I can't say I'm not surprised. But it does hurt."

And with that, Roy stormed out of the room.

His absence left a bitter taste in Y/N's mouth. She kept her eyes on the doors, even as behind her, a notification alarm went off and the image of Superman projected onto the screen. She kept her eyes on the doors as Zatara, too, joined the call. And she kept her eyes on the doors as Canary walked up to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I know it hurts, Y/N," she whispered, "but you did the right thing."

"It doesn't feel like it," Y/N replied in the same hushed tone, her voice cracking at the end.

"Hm."

"So..." Kid Flash started once the heroes had Zeta'd away to handle the threat Zatara had warned them of. "Are you okay?"

Y/N almost laughed at the question. "Do I look like I'm okay, KF?"

"Right, stupid question, sorry."

Y/N nodded.

Aqualad sighed heavily. "My King, I thought he trusted me. And yet... what else are they not telling us?"

"In Arrow's defense," Robin said, "Bloodlust did say he was intoxicated. But I've got a better question. Why didn't you leave with Speedy, Blood? And why didn't we?"

Y/N did not respond. Instead, after a beat of quiet, Aqualad looked up with a frown.

"What is Project Cadmus?"

"Genetics lab," Y/N replied swiftly. "Based here, in D.C. Don't know much else."

"Well!" Robin stood and cracked his knuckles before marching over to the computer. "Let's see what else we can find out."

"Access denied," the computer replied as Robin punched in some codes.

"Ha! Wanna bet?" Robin smirked and his fingers flew over the keyboard again. Soon, he managed to tear down the encryptions on the file.

"Whoa..." KF mused. "How are you doing that?"

"Same system as the Batcave," Robin replied. He pressed one last key, and the computer screen switched to a file titled 'Project Cadmus.'

"Access granted."

"We can see that," Y/N whispered, turning to see the screen. She skimmed the text, then shook her head. "Yeah, that's all they've got. Genetics lab in D.C."

"But if Batman's suspicious, maybe we should investigate?" Robin prompted.

"Solve their case," Aqualad translated, "before they do."

"We'll get in so much trouble," Y/N pointed out.

"Not like you're not used to that," Robin fired back. "Don't think I haven't seen your file, Bloodlust."

Y/N glared at him. "Alright. I might be fine. But you?"

"I stand with Bloodlust," Aqualad said. "They told us to stay put."

"For the blotting out the sun mission," Robin stated. "Not this."

"Wait!" KF cut in, raising a hand to stop them. "Are you guys going to Cadmus? Because if you're going, I'm going."

"Just like that?" Aqualad seemed surprised. "We're a team on a mission?"

Y/N chewed her lip. "I'm still not certain about this. But..." She turned to the screen, looking long and hard at the Cadmus logo. "I'll admit. Canary and I were worried about Cadmus. Have any of you guys heard of the legend?"

"Yes," Aqualad replied. "The Cadmus of myth created a new race by planting dragons' teeth into the ground."

"Yeah. We were worried that this Cadmus may be more like their namesake than they say," Y/N said. "Like, their genetic experiments may verge into illegal territory."

"I see..."

"Great!" Robin clapped his hands together. "I mean, not great, but great! That gives us another reason to check it out for ourselves! C'mon, Bloodlust! If they're doing what you suspect, we could bring them to justice. Our mentors can't blame us for that."

"They are all about justice," KF mused.

Finally, Y/N heaved a sigh. "You're not going to stop trying to convince me, are you?"

Robin just grinned.

"Fine. Fine." Y/N raised her hands in surrender. "But I'm only consenting to reconnaissance. We go in, collect information, and we get out."

KF and Robin exchanged giddy smiles.

Then Robin turned to Y/N, a sly gleam in his eyes. "Ready to be whelmed?"

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bveckerswife · 1 year

Note

hi! could you possibly write for jennifer jareau with daughter!reader where the reader is doing her final exams and is really stressed and tired?

you heard your mom’s soft voice yelling for you downstairs, “y/n, are you gonna come down for dinner?”

“yeah after i finish this chapter!” you called back. just one more chapter has been your motto the past few days, and you didn’t know how many more it would take to make you snap.

when you finally did come down for dinner, you were too absorbed in your own thoughts to really make conversation.

“how’s studying going?” will asked, though it took a minute to even realize he was talking to you.

you ran sluggishly walked back to your room after dinner, knowing there was still tons of work to be done, notes to be taken, and pages to be read.

around midnight, a knock on your bedroom door pulled you out of your trance.

“y/n, what’s going on?” your mom asked.

“nothing.”

“y/n, i know something’s wrong. you won’t talk, you aren’t asleep, and you’re doing too much work.”

you were either extremely sleep deprived or just too emotional because your mom expressing her concern for you made you break down into tears.

“i feel like i’m failing at this. i have finals all week and i still can’t make myself get it!” you sobbed.

jj hated to see you cry as any parent would. she gently pulled you over to sit on your bed and cradled your head as you cried into her chest.

“why don’t we take a break for the rest of the night, sleep in, and go to school a little late tomorrow?”

“i can’t mom, what if there’s a study guide? how will i ask questions?”

“i’ll call the school and let them know, it can all be dealt with later. for now i’m just proud of all the work you have put in so far.”

you couldn’t say no to a free morning off, so you and your mom had a sleepover in your room and let yourself sleep for the first time in what felt like weeks.

jj loves how hard you work to keep up in all of you classes by yourself, but for some reason, she’s never been more happy to watch you skip class.

this has not been proofread, i’m too tired to do that tonight so i’ll make edits in the morning. as always, feedback is appreciated and i hope you liked it!

#jennifer jareau #jennifer jareau x daughter!reader #criminal minds #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fluff #x daughter!reader

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bodrewritten · 5 months

Text

Daughter of Discord Rewritten Chapter 6: An Unusual Friend

When Screwball awoke that weekend it was nearly dawn. The midnight air thickened as the morning settled over her window. She often rose early, as it gave her the perfect opportunity to sneak out. She needed to clear her head.

After putting her hat on, she opened the door with a crack. Light gushed from the crack and illuminated her eyes and she squinted. Screwball saw that her parents were not yet awake. She floated into the air and slowly made her way to the front door. Seeing that she had not stirred them, Screwball transported outside of the colorful castle and crossed the bridge into the Everfree Forest.

Teleporting was harder than it looked. At her current age, the filly could travel no further than a few feet. Even that would leave her slightly dizzy. This is why she ran the rest of the way.

She came upon a brown lake, one she had found a few years ago the first time she had snuck out, The water had not been brown then. She had turned it into chocolate milk so the creatures of the forest would not come for a drink, so she would be left alone.

This was her sanctuary. This was where she could spread her chaos freely. No rules, no judgment, no ponies, just her and fun.

Miles away, in a forest much darker and more sinister than the Everfree Forest, Queen Chrysalis was sitting on her throne, plotting her next move. One of her servants approached cautiously.

The castle walls were riddled with organically geometric designs. A honeycomb or near steel hard shell echoed every flutter of wings against the hollow chambers. Thick brambles of thorns hid the place from any prying eye.

"Uh, your majesty?" he whimpered with a bow. "The prince is here to see you."

"Oh, yes," the queen muttered. "Let him come forth."

The changeling who approached was slightly different from the others. While he had a sleek black body with a green elektra, translucent wings and deformed legs, he had blue hair flowing down to his shoulders and green eyes with black pupils. He was quite young, a foal at that, a small male version of the queen. His eyes were the only indication that he was different from her aside from his being a male, since they were downturned, when his mother's were sharp and lifted up.

"Ah, the prince," she said with pride.

She stepped down from her throne to inspect his growth. She lifted his chin so that he may look into her eyes.

"Today's the day you go on your first hunt. If you are ever to one day rule as King, then you must be able to find food for your subjects. Are you ready, boy?"

The prince straightened up and held his head high. "I am, mother!"

"Show me! What is the first rule of hunts?"

"Do not get caught!"

"And the second rule?"

"Make sure the pony you change into is not around!"

"And our motto?"

"Love is weakness for the victim, but strength for us!"

"Excellent! Now, since you are still young, I suggest you keep your targets simple, perhaps a young foal of some sort. And steer clear of Canterlot. They are always on the lookout for 'suspicious characters.' And don't return until you've had enough to make me proud."

The prince nodded and took to the skies. He had not left the Changeling Forest without an escort before and was not familiar with the outside world. He gawked at the greenness of it all. He imagined what it would be like to roll in that soft grass.

He shook these thoughts out of his mind. He had a job to do.

His expedition led him to the Everfree Forest. The best way to catch an unsuspecting pony was in a closed area. He was not aware of the forest's danger or its lack of ponies. He landed on the path and began his search.

His ears perked up as he heard a noise. He hid in the bushes and listened again. It was soft, it was haunting. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

The sound guided him to a clearing. He gawked at the sight. Where trees should have been, there were enormous candy canes with slightly less enormous gumdrops surrounding them. The ground was pink with orange and green polka-dotted toadstools and swirly lollipops growing up from it. What sort of place was this?

The prince jumped as something emerged from the muddy lake. It was a filly looking about his age wearing a mask and snorkel. The thick brown water dripped from her curly purple and white mane and pink fur. As she started humming, the prince realized that beautiful melody had been coming from her.

The filly sighed. "Snorkeling can get boring."

A small dingy appeared beneath her, a newspaper hat atop her head. The prince was astounded, swearing that he had not seen her horn.

"Sailing, however," she smiled bright!

She summoned a small mast and pulled up a flag with a screw and baseball on it, matching her cutie mark. Then she made an eye patch appear over her eye.

"Argh!" she cried. "Ahoy, mateys! Next stop, Fillydelphia, where we shall rob them of their gold, their jewels, and their cream cheese!" The prince stifled a chuckle. This filly was quite amusing.

At that moment, something pounded hard inside the prince's chest. In a mere instant, perplexed as he was enchanted by this filly, he had forgotten to feed! The prince looked into the filly's mind for her loved ones. The first thing he saw startled him, for it was a mangled creature that he figured to be her pet. How cruel of these folk to force such a creature into captivity! Next was a pegasus that he assumed to be the mother. That would not do, He had not mastered adult transformations yet. Then he saw a unicorn filly with strange eyes.

"Well, I've never been to Greenland, And I've never been to Denver~!" She changed loudly in her deep voice. It was just slightly deeper than most young fillies, and he could tell she was in a choir class.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, adopting the pony's shape. In a blaze of green fire, he had turned into the unicorn. The disguised changeling jumped out of the trees and approached the sailing filly.

"There you are!"

Screwball shrieked in surprise.

"Dinky, what are you doing here?"

The prince gasped as the filly floated to shore, changing her paper hat into a propeller one. He then got a good look at her eyes as she removed the patch. They were unlike anything he had ever seen before and he could get lost in those hypnotic spirals.

"Dinky?"

He snapped out of his trance, remembering he was disguised as the unicorn filly (Dinky, was it?). He borrowed one of the excuses his mother taught him:

"I came looking for you! Your mother's worried sick!"

"But why are you out here?" Screwball asked, tilting her head. "Don't you know it's dangerous out here?"

"You're out here, aren't you?"

"Well yeah, but I can protect myself. Besides, I thought this forest scared you to death!"

The changeling hesitated. "Uh, yeah! But I got brave! Your mom's looking for you!"

He could feel the love on his tongue. Friendship was not the most filling of meals, but it had a decent taste. It was like a nice merengue.

Screwball, in the mean time, was growing suspicious. She could not explain it, but she could tell when ponies were lying and Dinky was not one to lie.

"You're not Dinky," she muttered, scowling.

The changeling's false eyes widened and then he laughed. "Don't be silly! Of course, I'm Dinky!"

He squealed as he was lifted by the tail off the ground. He faced his adversary upside-down. No! He could not be caught on his first hunt!

"Put me down! It's really me! I'm Dinky!"

"No, you're not!" the filly snapped, stomping her hoof. "Show yourself!"

Then the prince was unwillingly changed back to his true self. Screwball gazed at the creature in wonder. Swiss cheese legs, cobweb hair, a deformed horn, insect-like wings: she had never seen anything like it before.

"What are you?" she asked, circling around him.

"How did you do that?!" the prince demanded, finally noticing something about the filly. "More importantly, how did you do that without a horn?"

"That's none of your business! Who do you think you are, posing as my friend? Impersonating ponies is a crime!"

"Answer my question! Who are you and what are you doing here?!"

"But how did you know…?"

He waved his forelegs desperately. "Look, I don't want any trouble! I was just so hungry and…"

The filly's mouth broke into a smile. "Well, why didn't you say so?"

The prince cried out as she dropped him. He rubbed his head in pain.

"If you're hungry, I can just give you something!" Screwball said cheerfully. "You like cotton candy?"

"Huh?" he uttered.

"How about chocolate milk?"

"What is that?"

Screwball gasped as if she had witnessed a murder. "You've never had chocolate milk?! What sick, twisted home did you grow up in?! Oh well. I'd say it's about time you tried it."

She summoned a glass and dipped it in the lake. She handed it to the changeling, who looked at it like he had no idea what to do with it.

"Go on, drink it!" the filly urged.

He cringed. "You insist I drink... mucky water?"

"It's not mucky water. It's chocolate milk! Trust me, you'll love it!"

He figured he should tell her that he did not eat or drink, but for some reason he did not want to disappoint this filly. He was still trying to process how she had unmasked him and why she had not run away by now. So he hesitantly took the glass and raised it to his lips.

His eyes shot open as the liquid touched his tongue. He then chugged the rest of the contents down his throat. It tasted like an earthy orangish-yellow with bright green swirls. It tasted organic and ancient, like a groovy, warm R&B track.

"This stuff is amazing!" he exclaimed. "It tastes just like love!"

Screwball tilted her head. "Mrs. Sparkle says it's because chocolate makes the love part of your brain work like being in love does!"

She giggled as the peculiar colt scooped his glass into the lake. She still did not know what he was.

"I've never seen a creature like you before," she stated.

"I could say the same about you," the prince said, looking her over. "How do you do all this without a horn? And your eyes are very…"

"Strange, I know."

"fascinating."

She beamed and puffed out her chest with pride. "I'm the only one of my kind!"

"Really? Oh, what I would give to be the only one of my kind!"

"Why? Are there many of you?"

He fiddled with his glass. "I have about five thousand sisters at home."

"Five thousand?!" Screwball exclaimed in disbelief. "Golly! Imagine the grocery bills!"

The prince burst into laughter. "Actually, we get our food from…"

He trailed off as they heard a loud roar in the distance. The foals turned to see a large manticore leap out of the trees. He was in a furious state, waving his scorpion stinger frantically. The prince grabbed Screwball's hoof.

"we need to run!"

He practically lifted her off the ground as he pulled her along. She was amazed at how strong he was, considering he was slightly smaller than she was.

"But I can…" she tried to protest.

"Wait!" she cried, tugging herself out of his grasp.

"the strength of a territorial manticore can topple trees!" the changeling spat!

The manticore kept wailing.

She ignored him and approached the roaring beast. "Easy, boy!" Screwball cried.

This time, the creature stopped and turned his attention to the filly.

"she's a female, Her mane is large and her colors are less vibrant..." He trembled.

"then she's likely just protecting her cubs."

"That's better," she said, nuzzling his paw with her snout. "It's okay. I won't hurt you."

"You won't hurt her?" the prince uttered.

The manticore nodded with a smile and vanished into the forest. The prince stared at the filly in awe.

Screwball looked up at the manticore with a slow blink. She lowered her stature and stepped back. She spoke only in body movement, squiggling and squaggling along like a bee on a string.

"How did you…?"

"Mom told me to show every beast a little kindness," Screwball explained. "I let her know that we won't mess with her territory."

"That was amazing! You were…" he paused as he and the filly locked eyes. "You must be the bravest pony I've ever met."

She pulled him into a gentle embrace. "You were pretty brave yourself, trying to get me out of danger. Hey! We weren't properly introduced. My name's Screwball."

He raised an eyebrow. "Screwball? That's weird."

"take it up with my parents, I dunno."

"No, I mean it's weird, because my name is Mothball."

She gasped. "We're both balls! Hey, you want to hang out?"

Prince Mothball blinked, as if he had never heard the expression before. "Hang out?"

"Yeah! I don't have school today. We can play all morning!"

"Play?"

She tilted her head at him. "What's the matter? Don't you know how to play?"

He said nothing.

"Oh. Well, I'll teach you!"

The prince was skeptical about this. He should really be returning to the hive, but he was feeling so strange around this pony. He assumed it was because of the positive emotions emitting from her to his stomach. His mother had told him not to return until his belly was full, and he could obey that command by staying with the girl.

"Well…" he stammered. "May I have more of that chocolate milk?"

Screwball giggled. "Sure."

Neither of them noticed, high above the trees, the insectoid scout lieutenant prying into the scene.

#mothball has synesthesia #thye have a kind of spock/kirk dynamic with a bit of marcille/falin and thats the ONLY way i can describe it #mlp fim #my little pony friendship is magic #daughter of discord rewritten #chapter 6 #mothball mlp #screwball mlp #romance #shipping #early 2010s #fanfiction #fankid #fluttercord #fimfiction #changeling

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saturnville · 2 years

Text

holy matrimony.

pairing: chris evans x reader. requested: yes. for @marvelstarker-mha98 warning: none!

Education was a portal to a world unknown. A motto she lived and breathed by. It was the motivation needed to pull herself out of bed, put on her best outfit, and show up for not only her students, but for herself. To keep the legacy of educators alive.

She was a middle school teacher--8th grade physical science, to be exact. She assumed the desire to be an educator was passed through genetic DNA. Her father held a Ph.D. in literature and taught Shakepearan studies at a local community college while her mother, a doctor, taught at one of the medical schools just twenty minutes outside of her hometown. And similarly, her brother had the intention of becoming a history teacher for high school students. She was born into a family that lived to learn, and she hoped to pour that same love of knowledge into her students.

The start to her day wasn’t sunshine and rainbows as it typically had been. No, her morning was a whirlwind. The dryer ate her favorite pair of socks, she ran out of coffee pods for her coffee machine, her hair refused to cooperate, and her outfit didn’t present itself in the way she pictured. She was left to wear a simple dress with sandals, to put her hair in a ponytail, and to visit the nearest coffee shop on her way to school.

She trudged through the double doors of the school. Her smile wavered as she greeted fellow faculty, staff, and students. She made it to her classroom, her safe space, within five minutes. Open flew the door as she pushed it with heavy hands.

It was quiet and the sun shone through the curtains she hung up. The earthly decor around her brought peace and calmed her nerves. She walked to her desk, where she dropped her belongings at her desk and sat in her newly purchased rolling chair.

Soft hums came from her as she prepared to organize her space. She had an hour until the students came to class, which gave her the opportunity to collect her mind and aura before they arrived. As she began to mess around her desk, she noticed a small notecard next to a box of chocolates and a small bear in the corner.

Curiously, she gently took the card into her hands and read it softly to herself, “Happy Monday, my love. I hope today is a great day, full of smiles and full of joy. Love, CE.”

A smile pulled at her lips and suddenly the stress she felt began to alleviate. Her boyfriend of a year, Chris, was the definition of the man of her dreams. Everything that she could have asked for, wrapped into a teddy bear of a man whom she loved. They had a traditional relationship and it worked for them. He honored, valued, and respected her from the depths of his being.

She reread the letter and caresses the bear until the bell rang and the footsteps of students flooded the halls. She shook off her nerves and opened her classroom door, where she was greeted with smiling children, each holding a white rose in their hands.

“Good morning, kiddos. What’s up with the flowers, did you guys hang out outside before class?” she asked. She was met with giggles and hushed laughs. She raised an eyebrow and glanced around the room in confusion.

“What’s going on, honies? What’re you guys hiding? You’re so silly!”

“We have a surprise for you, Miss Jones!”

She placed her hand on her chest and smild gleefully. “What is it?” The students instructed her to sit down at her desk. She obeyed their instruction, and one by one, the children walked to her and gave her a flower. By the time the last chld came up to her, she had twenty five roses in her possession.

Her cheeks hurt from the joyful smile that played on her lips. It only grew wider when a familar presence entered the room. “Hi, sweetheart.” Chris. With those twinkling blue eyes and jaw-dropping smile. His hands were crossed behind his back as he shuffled into the room.

“Heard you weren’t having the best week, and well, I don’t like seeing you like this, and neither do the kiddos…so I asked them to help me out, right?”

A chorus of yesses filled the room. She laughed softly and dug her nose into her flowers.

“They told me that they love their Miss Jones because she’s the best person ever. Loving, kind, gentle, patient. And I couldn’t agree more,” Chris made his way to her chair and took her left hand into his. “Because of you, I’ve had the best year of my life. A year of love, growth, enew experiences, and you have made a better man, in so many ways. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and so, I want to ask, will you marry me?”

Her dream ring shone in front of her brighter than stars in the sky. It was quaint, just as she liked it. But boy, did it sparkle. Behind him, her students encouraged her to say yes until their voices scratched and no more sound could come out.

Through tears, she said, “A thousand times yes.”

Chris grinned and slid the ring onto her finger. She was engulfed in a hug that knocked her off her feet. For a few moments, she forgot where she was. Until she felt a tug on her clothes.

“Does this mean we can come to the wedding?”

She nodded and welcomed in her students into their hug, “Absolutely.”

#chris evans x black ofc #chris evans x reader #chris evans x black!reader #chris evans fluff #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans #cevans x reader #original writing #saturnville #original content

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hummingbird-of-light · 2 months

Text

Round 3: Third story for @badthingshappenbingo ~

Title: Going For A Jog

Fandom: Numb3rs

Character(s): Larry Fleinhardt, Megan Reeves

Relationship(s): Larry Fleinhardt/Megan Reeves

Rating: T

Words: 706

Prompt: Asthma Attack

Warnings: Asthma Attack, Hospitals

(You can also find this story on AO3)

~ Going For A Jog ~

Dr. Larry Fleinhardt didn't know what hit him when the terrible feeling came over him for the first time.

As on many mornings after his return from space, the astrophysicist had gone for a jog. He wanted to build up his muscles again and the regular exercise sessions were really good for his body.

But this morning was different than usual. He was out earlier than usual and it was still quite chilly after a rainy night. Larry had rarely experienced such a cold day in Pasadena, even if it was fall.

When he came to a halt, completely out of breath and clinging to the nearest tree, the professor initially assumed that he had simply overexerted himself. He wasn't the youngest anymore, after all. It was only when he felt his chest tighten convulsively and his heart began to race that panic began to rise within him.

What was wrong with him? Why did he suddenly feel so unwell? High blood pressure? Or maybe even a heart attack?

He thought of the meditation exercises he had read a lot about in space and closed his eyes. The motto was to breathe in deeply and then breathe out again. But when Larry tried to exhale the deep breath he had taken, he realized to his horror that it wasn't working at all. On the contrary, the pressure in his chest only seemed to get worse.

Larry bent over in front and rested his hands on his knees. A terrible coughing fit came over him and tears filled his eyes.

He had to breathe! He had to try to get air somehow!

The coughing increased and the physicist felt his face grow hot. Every time he exhaled, his body made a rattling, whistling sound.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't have his cell phone with him and he doubted that he would have been able to get a word out in this state. And he couldn't keep walking either.

Larry slowly straightened his upper body and leaned against the tree. The feeling of shortness of breath was getting worse. The professor looked around helplessly before slowly starting to move. He had to try to get out of the park and into the city. He had to try to find people.

However, the physicist didn't get too far. With every step he took, he felt worse and thought he would suffocate at any moment.

When his legs eventually gave way under him and he fell to the ground, it wasn't long before he lost consciousness.

The steady beeping of a machine woke Larry and when he slowly opened his eyes, he realized that he was in the hospital. Everything was so beautifully white. The walls, the ceiling, the furniture.

"Larry, thank God you're awake again."

That voice. Carefully, the professor turned his head to the side and he couldn't help but smile gently when he saw the person sitting next to him, holding his hand.

"Megan."

His girlfriend was as beautiful as ever. Not even the worry lines on her forehead and the tears in her eyes diminished that beauty. Still, Larry frowned.

"What ... happened?"

He could no longer remember how he had ended up in this room. Had he had an accident? No ... He seemed physically unharmed.

Megan gently ran her fingers through Larry's thin curls.

"You were out jogging and had a severe asthma attack. Another jogger found you and called the ambulance."

Larry blinked in confusion.

"Asthma attack? But ... I don't have asthma," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. He was perfectly healthy. Otherwise he wouldn't have been chosen for the mission in space.

"The doctors say it can still develop in old age. It's triggered by heavy physical exertion or cold. In your case, it was probably both."

Larry couldn't believe it. Was that really possible? Did he really have asthma?

"And ... what now?"

Megan just sighed as she heard her boyfriend's helpless question.

"Now you rest and then everything will be sorted out with medication. Maybe your life will change a bit, but it's not the end of the world, Larry. Everything will be fine. I'm sure it will."

And if Megan said that, then it had to be true.

#bad things happen bingo #prompt: asthma attack #fandom: numb3rs #fanfiction #larry fleinhardt #megan reeves #hospitals #asthma attack #whump #mega_whumps_characters

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specialagentlokitty · 9 months

Text

Giles x teen!reader - the family you need

Part 10:

You trailed along next to Joyce, hands in your pockets as you looked in the shop windows for anything that seemed interesting.

She glanced down at you before looking at the shops as well.

“Buffy said that you lived alone, is that really true? Do you have your own apartment?”

“Yeah, I’ve been living alone since I moved here, and for a little while before too. It’s pretty cool, I can eat whatever I want and nobody tells me off.”

“What about your mom and dad?”

You glanced at her and looked away.

“Don’t have a mom or dad..” you mumbled.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry I didn’t know. Do you mind me asking what happened?”

You gestured to a shop and she nodded, following you inside so you could begin browsing through the clothes.

“My dad died when I was 13, I never had a mom. Well, you know I did otherwise I wouldn’t have been born, but she died a long time ago, my dad realised me, and when he died, I went into the care of some other people, then I ran away, because fuck people.”

“Is the language really necessary?” She sighed.

“Sorry… but it’s true though. I like it on my own, it’s a lot better, I can do whatever I want, nobody cares.”

Joyce held out a hoodie she thought you would like and you took it to look at it.

“Now that’s not true is it?”

You furrowed your brows, looking at her in confusion.

“You have a few people that care about you.”

“Well I mean yeah, I’ve got friends. But I don’t really have parents that care about me, don’t have to worry about school, or what I’m eating, just me and myself, it’s a good life.”

“Is it really?”

You put the hoodie over your arm, and carried on searching.

“Well, I mean I don’t do the whole celebrate holidays thing, or birthdays, but I’ve never really done that since my dad died. My motto is live fast, die young.”

“That’s pretty morbid.”

“I’m a half demon, i don’t expect a long life span here. Plus it’s not like it’s going to matter when I die, I’ll go into the ground and be forgotten. Like everybody else.”

“That’s not true?”

You turned to look at her this time and she smiled at you.

“You wouldn’t be forgotten, you’ve got your friends. I would certainly remember you, and Mr Giles would as well.”

“Maybe for a while yeah.”

“We would all miss you, don’t you want to have a job? A family?”

“The world definitely doesn’t need more demon spawns running around.” You laughed.

She chuckled a little at this.

“Okay, maybe not a family of your own, but what about a job? A house? People you can call your own family?”

“I never really thought about it I guess, nobody wants to be around me, it’s not all that safe really, it’s only a matter of time before you all see that.”

You turned to go to the changing rooms to try the clothes on, and Joyce stood outside.

“I don’t think we will, it’s not all that safe to be in Sunnydale but we’re all here still. Just because something isn’t safe, doesn’t mean it’s not worth it sometimes.”

“Maybe, I guess I’m just so used to be alone I see it as a better thing for myself.”

“You’re scared, I understand that. But there are people around you ready to love you, and accept you for what you are (Y/N), you don’t have to keep running from that.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew the truth…”

You pulled a hoodie off and tried on another one.

“What is the truth?”

“It’s not important, but thank you though, Buffy should be glad she had a mom like you. If I had a mom, I wish she would be like you.”

You left the changing rooms and you beamed up at her.

“Your mom would have loved you.”

You smiled paying for your items before you went to help Joyce with what she needed help with.

You went back to Buffy’s house with her, and you stood in the kitchen while she made you something to eat.

“Can I ask you Mrs Summers?”

“Of course.”

You looked at the counter.

“Do you think demons can live in this world and not be hunted.”

“I think as long as they haven’t hurt anybody then yes, I mean look at Angel, he seems to live among us pretty well.”

You smiled, tail swishing a little under your hoodie.

“I think you’ve been through a lot, things you haven’t told anybody. One day you’ll be able to talk about what you’ve been through, maybe that day you’ll be able to see that there is a whole world in front of you.”

She smiled at you, handing you a sandwich.

“Life can be hard sometimes (Y/N), regardless if you’re a human or a demon, or a half demon, but that doesn’t mean a half demon is all you have to be.”

“Sorta like Buffy thinking all she has to be is the slayer huh?”

“God that girl, she’s so wrapped up in this whole slaying business she sometimes forgets she’s only human.”

You nodded your head.

“I get it though, you get told your this thing, and that’s all some people are going to see you as, they’ll come after you because of it, it’s pretty scary, and she thinks if she gets to them before they get to her she’ll be alright.”

“Does it ever go away? The fear?” Joyce asked.

You thought for a moment, taking a bite from your sandwich as you sat on the counter.

“No, it never goes away. It’s always there, but that’s what makes us better at what we do, Buffy slays monsters, I kill demons, we both know one day that could be our last day.”

“It’s just so dangerous…”

“Everything is dangerous Mrs Summers, unfortunately we have no choice over our fates, but we can take them by the throat and say today isn’t going to be the day I die.”

You smiled, and you took another bite of your sandwich.

“Buffy is a lot safer than you think she is, she has a lot of people around her helping her, and she’s a natural at what she does. I don’t think a slayer could be any safer than her.”

“I suppose you’re right, I just can’t stand knowing that every night she’s out there.”

“She’s not alone.”

“She isn’t?”

“No, if Angel isn’t with her, then I am. I wouldn’t let her go out there alone.”

“Thank you…”

You grinned and jumped down from the counter, grabbing your bag.

“Thanks for the food, and for the talk Mrs Summers, it’s been really nice.”

You walked towards the door.

“(Y/N)?”

You turned to her.

“Stay safe.”

“I will.”

You left, making your way back to your apartment to put your new clothes away.

You frowned as you thought about your day, you were happy, of course you were, but spending the day with your friends mom made you realise what you were missing out on.

She took advantage of the fact she had a mom who loved her so much like that, she didn’t see how much she really had.

Sitting down, you picked up a photo of you and your dad, and smiled a little to yourself, remembering how good your childhood was.

You hadn’t really thought your life would change when you were growing up, you wondered if the child you would recognise the grown up you.

Setting the photo down, you looked towards the door as it as was opened and Giles came in carry a shopping bag.

“Giles would the child version of you recognise the adult version of you?” You asked.

He looked at you a little confused as he made his way to the kitchen.

“Well, I suppose not. For one I hardly look anything like I did when I was a boy, but people change.”

“Well, I know that Giles. But I mean like, if you were a kid, and you met the version of yourself that you are now, would you know it was you? Like would you just look at yourself and be like that’s who I want to be when I grow up?”

“Honestly I’m not sure, I suppose not. I wanted to be a fighter pilot, not a watcher, and if I knew the things I was going to do I’m sure I would have done things differently.”

You titled your head a little in confusion.

“I wasn’t all about research and books you know, I do have a past shockingly.”

“But you’re so… normal.”

“I don’t know if that’s a compliment considering the line of work I’m in. But thank you. What’s this about?”

You showed him the photo you had been looking at and he walked over, picking it up as he sat on the couch with you.

“I was wondering if child me would recognise me, or if I’m too demon now…”

“You’d recognise yourself, I know you would.”

“I didn’t know about demons then.”

“Really? Your father never told you?”

You shook your head.

“No, the most I had to worry about as a kid was trying not to hit the other kids because they were annoying. I didn’t know about demons, or about my mom, it was just me and dad, that was it, none of this spawn of satan, demon powers, looking like a demon.”

“Appearances change (Y/N), but I don’t think you as a person have, reading what your father wrote, you’re the same person you were back then.”

“I don’t think so…”

“Why’s that?”

You sighed, turning away from him.

“Do you remember when you were asking me all those questions, about like if I hurt somebody and stuff?”

“Yes.”

“I… I lied to you Giles…”

You closed your eyes, placing your head in your hands, eyes fixed on the floor.

“I have killed somebody… only one…”

Giles looked at you, furrowed brows as he turned a little to face you.

“I killed my dad… I’m the reason he died…”

“What happened?”

You watched as one of your tears hit the floor, clenching your jaw a little.

“I didn’t… I didn’t mean for any of them to get hurt… and it’s my fault… I found out what he was hiding about me and I.. I was just so angry…”

“What did you do?”

“I told him how much I hated him… how it was his fault and that he was never nor would he ever be my dad… that I wished he had killed me like he was supposed to…”

Giles listened carefully.

“I ran away for two weeks, and then demons started coming after me. My dad came to find me and brought me back… he tried hide me and.. and he.. he threw himself into a demon to protect me… I lost it…”

“Control?”

You shook your head.

“No… the sword was still holding it. Dad told me I had a choice, but he said if I wanted to be human I could never draw the sword.. I watched him fall down, and I threw away a human life, I killed every single demon…”

“It’s not your fault he died.” Giles whispered.

You looked at him, a few tears running down your face.

“If he’d done what he was sent to do he wouldn’t have died…”

“And you wouldn’t be here right now, he made his choice to protect you, that’s what a father does (Y/N), he protects his children, he loves them, and raises them right, just like he did for you.”

“I said I hated him Giles! The last thing I said to my father was how much I hated him!”

“And he knows that isn’t true, he knew you loved him, he wrote about it every day in his journal.”

You laughed a little, sniffling as you wiped some of your tears.

“I used to tell him that he would always be my favourite person, because I was too awkward to tell him I loved him, but he was my favourite person.”

Giles smiled.

“See? That is emotion, that’s human. Just because you chose to draw the sword doesn’t mean you became a demon in the process, it just means you have more power than any.”

You stood up, shaking your head, and you began to pace back and forth.

“I.. I’m not human! I’m a demon… even if I refuse to admit it… humans don’t have the flames of Satan…”

“You are more human that most humans I’ve met.”

Giles walked over and he placed his hand on your head, and you looked at him with tears running down your face.

“I didn’t mean for him to die…”

“It wasn’t your fault, demons killed him not you. Don’t beat yourself up over something you had no control over…”

“I.. I miss him…”

You crouched down, burying your face in your arms.

“I know, but no matter what your father will always be with you (Y/N).”

Giles knelt down, offering you a handkerchief so you could dry your tears and you looked at him.

“Everybody here has someone… I don’t have that anymore… and I.. I’ll never have that…”

He sighed, running his hand over your head in a soothing way, trying to comfort you.

“But you do, it’s already right here in front of you. We all care about you. Your friends all love you, and if your dad could see you now, he’d be so proud of you for all the friends you have.”

“I don’t want anybody else to get hurt…”

“Nobody else is going to be hurt, because you never hurt anybody in the first place. You protect people, you’re a saviour, somebody who saves other people.”

You sniffled a little.

“I’ve known people become evil for far lesser reasons, yet you’re still good, despite every reason you’ve had to turn your back on the world, for what people have done to you, and you’re still here trying to save it.”

He smiled at you.

“Whatever is going to happen, we’ll work this out together.”

You nodded and he stood up, and you did the same thing.

“It’s going to be okay.” He said quietly.

He didn’t really believe it, and he could tell that you didn’t really believe it either, but you did smile a little, a quiet way of thanking him

#buffy the vampire slayer imagine #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy the vampire slayer x reader #buffy the vampire slayer x you #Rupert Giles #Rupert Giles x reader #Rupert Giles x you #Rupert Giles imagine

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to-myalphonse · 5 months

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Scarlet leaves: The children of the ocean (Chapter 1)

It's a What if Au.

What if Lyney and Lynette were not in the Fatui, and were adopted by Kazuha and Traveled with him.

Notes

The Goodwill's Children are a group of children who run the streets of Fontaine. (They are not canon)

Lynette's nickname is Nettie and will be referred to as such through out the series.

Kazuha will be here much later on through out the chapters.

Freminet will be showing up much later through out the story.

This is not a Kazuha centric story, some chapters will focus on him, so please don't leave in my messages "Where is Kazuha?", because he's not the main character. He is a main character but not the main character.

(The title refers to there being about 3 main characters.)

Just wanted to make that clear!

Scarlet leaves AU is an Au where the fontaine twins don't join the fatui and eventually travel Teyvat with Kaedehara Kazuha and later adopted by him.

The Idea came from here!

This took me months to do and I'm happy to finally show this to you all.

Plot:

Lyney and Lynette are a pair of unfortunate children who lost their parents to disease. They try to live day by day through each paycheck by doing jobs to save up money to rebuy their house. While dealing with the orphan gang and struggling to maintain rations to live by week by week, the twins meet a certain white-haired ronin.

Let's get things started ^^

Fontaine began to calm down for the night as most began to get off work. Stores began to close as people hurried home for the night, except for a few unfortunate souls. Most children who weren't sent to the orphanage begged the streets and scavenged for food at night. Fontaine wasn't the best at monitoring and helping the children. Most went to orphanages or were picked off the streets; if they were lucky, others, in worse-case scenarios, died.

Lyney and Lynette were no exception to this.

The first few months were hell as the two began to adjust to the streets. As the government repossessed items from their home, the two were left with the clothes they had on the night their parents died. Almost too soon after they passed, everything that was eventually going to be promised to the twins was taken away from them. A few people came by and began to take things from their home. Both fought for the gifts from their parents at the time because they were confused, only to have them taken away. The people who had taken away the only memories they had of their parents shortly after that ejected them from their house. After being kicked from their house, the two wandered the streets of Fontaine that night. No one would look at them, nor would anyone have pity for the new orphans. Lyney, as the eldest, tried working various jobs to keep them afloat so that they could at least have food for tomorrow. With every ration that he brought, he found it quickly diminishing every time he brought groceries home.

"Move, you damn brats.” Lyney falls to the ground, holding his sister close to him. Looking up, he sees the group of orphan children glaring down at them. The Goodwill’s Children, an orphan gang, ran the streets of Fontaine. Their motto was to claim things from the rich and give them to everyone in "need."

Typically, when there were fresh orphans living on Fontaine's streets, they would assist anyone who was willing to help the needy for a small fee.

"So, what did you take home this week?" Someone takes Lynette's stack of food and examines it. The ragtag group of orphans were chowing down on their hard-earned food.

"Ooh, this is the good stuff, boss.” One of the members exclaimed as she quickly ate the piece of food, taking another piece. Soon enough, the others joined in, each eating up their rations as quickly as they earned them. Finishing off, they dropped the empty bag in front of them by accident.

“You’re supposed to be helping the streets, not hoarding food for yourselves.” One mentioned kicking Lynette in the leg as she fell. Lyney’s eyes met the leader, who wore a smug look. She stood over his sister, grabbing her by the hair as she went to take out a weapon. Lyney approaches as the weapon digs into her throat. The group let out a laugh as he froze in place. Another member abruptly forced him to his knees as the leader kneeled in front of him. She lifts his head so that they can make eye contact.

"Always give us a portion of your earnings from your job first the next time around, alright?" She leaned in close to his face. Her hot breath hit his cheeks as he glared up at her. She lets go of him, as she and her group make their way back down the road that they came from.

Ignoring his wounds, he gets up, rushing to attend to Lynette, who rises to her feet. She let out a deep sigh, facing her brother. Lyney frets over her appearance, causing a small laugh from her.

“Are you alright, Nettie?” Lynette brushes off her dress, getting to her feet. Walking over to their little house, she grabs a few items. A top hat, a few birds that she had caught were in small cages, and some fireworks were in hand as she made her way back towards him.

“I’m alright, Lyney. We should practice for our performance tonight.” He agrees as they pull out their hats. Lyney tries to pull something out of his top hat, only to pull out lent. Lynette works to make a pigeon disappear, only for the pigeon to fly away that she had to chase down. While his sister ran to get their assistant back, he was practicing card tricks that, over the weeks, he was able to make decent. He continued working on it, until his sister came back to their home. Her hair was disheveled, but the bird was caught in the cage. Carefully, she sat the pigeon down before approaching her brother. They continued practicing their acts for the night before making their way towards the streets. Lyney hands fidgeted with each step they took towards the area. He shakily took deep breathes in and out as his sister lightly squeezed his other empty hand. He let out the sigh he was holding in as his heart rate began to slow down, as he walked in sync with his sister.

Usually around nighttime, the crowds in Fontaine circled around Monsieur Cesar’s performances. Monsieur Caesar was Fontaine’s famed magician, known for the acts he would put on for families and the street acts he would do for the children.

Lyney watched curiously as he moved the hat to the audience, showing nothing within it. As he lowered it, Lyney saw a rabbit being pushed into the back of the hat.

“Ta da!” The hat appeared on the table as the crowd clapped. Lyney gave a smug look towards the audience who remained entranced.

`This seemed like it could be easy, maybe this isn’t as hard as Ceser makes it look?``

Lynette continues her next act with the use of small rings of fire as she jumps around for her performance. Her act mimics the ring of fire act most performers would do for their performances. She successfully passes by the last one, only for her dress to catch on fire a bit. Lynette looks in shock before going away from the crowd to put out the fire. Lyney glances towards her before continuing with his act.

The rabbit in the hat trick was one that they worked on for weeks. After many attempts, he was able to do it. “Look here—a cute white rabbit, right? I’ll make this rabbit disappear before your eyes.” He carefully put the rabbit in the hat before facing the crowd.

“Count down with me now.” He pulls a cover over the hat as the countdown gets to the last number. He pulls the hat back before revealing an empty hat to the crowd. They clap for him as he makes a small bow before re-covering the cap again. Instead of the rabbit reappearing, the hat remained empty. He looks at the top hat, surprised, before recovering it again. The crowd let out a small laugh at his mistake. When the rabbit didn’t appear, the crowd began to get confused.

"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen; there appears to be an issue.” He moves around his makeshift stage, looking for his assistant. Some people got up and began to leave his show as he ran around frantically. His anxiety creeps back in as he frantically moves things making the stage look sloppy. `It was just right here, what did it go?` He looks over on the side to see if Lynette has come back, only to see no one else but himself. He takes a small sigh before opening up his mouth to apologize to the crowd.

“Lyney.” Lynette re-entered the stage with the rabbit on her head. The crowd laughed at the silly look that she had. He let out a small sigh before greeting the audience with a more confident look. “Everyone, she did it!” He bows as they clap for his sister who hands him the rabbit. The rabbit settled in his arms as he looks over to her with a sheepish look.

“thanks, sis.” She rolls her eyes as she takes the stage once more. The two of them and the rabbit bowed as the crowd gave them some cheers. “This has been Lyney and Lynette’s magic show, we’ll see you next time.” He lights a small smoke bomb that goes off as they exit the makeshift stage. This first performance didn’t go exactly as he had planned, but at least they were able to get their names out there. The twins walk with their equipment down the small alleyway.

“How much did we earn?” She holds up the mora they received from their performances. The amount grew a bit from his little mishap towards the end. He slowly counted it over noticing that it was still not enough for food rations for a few months.

“Sorry Nettie, it looks like I won’t be able to get you that desert that you really wanted.”

“It’s fine. What’s most important is that we’re able to save up money to take back our house.” After being kicked from their own home, the person in charge told them to bring 40,000 mora to buy the house back. Lyney pleaded saying that it belongs to them and why would they take it away. The person only says that it’s business after all and that small brats like them couldn’t even think to afford to live somewhere as nice as this. Lyney was held back by Lynette that day so that he couldn’t chase after the man.

“Soon we’ll have enough, just another few 10 years.” He joked before letting out a groan as he held his hands over his face. “Adult life must be hard.” He sighs as they make their way home.

The day after, their small show began regular street performances. With each performance came its mistakes, but also gained new audience members. Their acts are what they expected to draw in people, with all the rookie mistakes, however, this has become more of a comedy show every night.

“Lynette, so I heard that you and your brother are doing magic shows at night?”

The introverted girl nods at her boss while she works on a cake that’s for delivery. Café Lutece that was known for their desserts and sweets, was where Lynette found work. As someone who always buys desserts and spends her time there, her brother suggested that finding work here would be good for her, as she gets discounts for her favorite cakes. Her work was simple and due to her looks, she helped the restaurant receive mora in return. Most would come to Café Lutuce to help the poor child who was working as hard as the adults. Some only spent so much money on the café, to "help” the poor child who came from a struggling family.

“Yes.” One of the coworkers said that she had let out a small clap for the girl. She pulls the younger girl into a hug. “You must have been very much inspired by Mr. Ceser huh?” Lynette nods as another coworker pulls her away from the girl.

“From what I heard, your acts going wrong seem to be more popular."

Her ear twitches at the comment before she lets out a small nod. A coworker pats her on the head with a bright smile. “I’m sure you’ll do well.”

“Activate chat mode. Welcome to Café Lutece, I’m Lynette. What can I get you?” She takes the order for a family that entered the café.

“Aren’t you a little too young to be working here, sweetheart?” She ignores the woman’s concern before repeating her question. Her husband looks towards Lynette with a look of pity towards her. She shrugs it off as she makes her way towards the back with the order.

Going to the next table, the pity she received dwindled down as the group of nobles looked down upon her. “Little girl, make sure you don’t mess this up. My wife would like La letter a Focalors, and I’ll have Conch Madeleine, and some tea freshly brewed from Chenyu Vale.” She stares him down before heading back into the kitchen. She hands the order over to the staff as she makes her way back to taking orders.

By time she returns to the table, she hands them the order before walking off once more. Halfway within someone's orders, she hears her name being yelled as people begin to stare in the direction of the guests whose orders she just placed down.

“This is horrendous, maid here!” The man angrily waves his hands at her as she walks over, carefully stopping a foot away from him. His wife looks at her with a look of disgust as she holds up a piece of cake.

“What is in this?” Lynette stares at her blankly. “Flour, eggs, sugar, normal ingredients.” The woman clicks her tongue as she shows her face to the cat girl. Her face swells slightly as she glares at her. Lynette pauses before walking towards the other staff. Returning to the couple, one of her co-workers took over her speaking for her and found ways to accommodate the couple to appease them. The woman’s face grew red with the more that her co-worker spoke.

“I want this girl fired, clearly she doesn’t know how to do her job.’’ She turns towards the younger girl with a smug look. Her coworker glances towards her before turning back towards the couple.

“She’s our newest employee, she still is taking some time to get used to things, please forgive her for any mistakes.” Lynette also apologizes to the couple as she makes her way back towards the other staff. “She is still learning how to navigate things.” The words they used to appease the couple only expanded the aggression.

“Whoever taught her needs to be fired as well! The cake that she brought was wrong, the tea wasn’t from Chenyu Vale like I ordered, it was cold water, it wasn’t even brewed properly!” Lynette watches the situation become more out of hand as the manager comes out and takes over. She walks back over to her other tables, handing them their orders while the situation is taken care of.

“Hey Nettie.” She enters their makeshift house, dragging her feet along the ground. Their makeshift house in an alleyway was growing more with each item added to the house. Even though the two had a place to call their own, it was nothing compared to the house that they once owned.

"Stressful day?" He finishes cooking and takes a sit next to her, offering her a bowl of food. The two dined alone, their bowls clinking softly. "Work was okay today, I suppose. I delivered a package to the wrong customer, and this lady went off on me." She remains quiet occasionally showing she's listening with an attentive nod as he reverts to silence. When they were finished, he collected the plates and placed them in a bag. "I'll go clean these tomorrow." She hastily changes into her costume as they go for their next job.

“They are so cute, trying to mimic Monsieur Ceser.” One of their wealthier patrons laughed at the cat in their performance, attacking Lyney. Lyney ran around as Lynette tried to fix the props that got knocked over. All of this causing laughter from their audience members. Lyney and Lynette received claps for their performance as they took their bows. Lynette collected tips as Lyney stuck around talking to their patrons.

“Your acts are so well Lyney.” He gives them a smile thanking them. He reaches in his hat before pulling out a boquet of Lumi Douce bells.

“My sister and I appreciate your support."

“Instead of doing magic acts, why don’t you both start a circus with the number of times that you’re acts go wrong.” The person with the person he was speaking with let out a laugh, causing a few others to laugh as well. They mock him further before making their way out of the plaza where they were performing at.

Lyney sighs grabbing a few props to pack up, when someone else called his name, he was still having a conversation with one.

"Hello, Lyney and Lynette, was it?”

A brunette man in an expensive outfit and a blonde-haired woman in expensive clothing made their way towards the two. The man standing next to her had a happy expression on his face as he looked in their direction, concealing the woman's identity and hiding her emotion.

“The two aspiring magicians, whose acts resemble the Great Magician Ceser.” Lyney looks towards his sister as she eyes them before facing him. Her expression changed to a look of discomfort before changing back to blank. Lyney faced the two with a bright smile as he spoke with the same politeness. "Good evening, dear guests; yes, Monsieur Ceser has greatly inspired my sister and I."

"Most acts that we have tried are old tricks that he used while making his debut."

The man laughs as he nods his head. "I'm surprised that you know that being that his debut was before you were both born." Lyney fidgets with his hat as the man continues talking. "Well, in order to learn, one must study everything in order to improve." He pulls out a few of Cecilia's, handing them to the woman next to him. She lets out a huff of surprise, accepting them from him. "What is that my sister and I can do for you, sir?"

“I noticed that you both were without parents. As for someone as talented and amazing as the both of you, it’s rather concerning.” Lyney notices the soft smile that the woman gives him as she lowers the fan from her face. The man grins at her sweetly as he takes her hand before continuing. “If you don’t mind, we would like to adopt you.” Lyney stared at the couple for a minute before turning to his sister. She still held a skeptical look as she eyed the couple. Facing him, she shakes her head.

"It is true; my sister and I do not have parents, but we are able to take care of ourselves. "Also, we are aware of your concern, and we are unable to go along with it." He observes that the smiles that were on their faces disappear. An attempt is made by the woman to mask her emotion by bringing the fan back to her mouth, while the husband appears to be in a state of confusion, almost as if he was unaware of being rejected.

"Are you sure?" Lyney nods as he collects the remainder of his belongings from their impromptu stage. Remaining there, the couple cast an intimidating gaze in the direction of the two individuals. Their smiles have faded as they look down at them from above, as if they were beneath them.

“Have a good night.” Lyney tips his hat towards the two as the twins make their way back to their makeshift home. Peering over his shoulder, he sees the man grit his teeth as he and the woman take their leave.

“Why were they pressuring us so much?”

“I heard that some nobles have been adopting children off the streets as of late.” Lyney looks at her in shock as she continues. “Some orphans have been offered the chance to have a better life with these noble families.” Lyney felt a pit of anxiety hit him as he compared the previous situation from just now to what she was talking about. He remembers how they froze up when they declined their help.

“Do you think that they may have been?” She nods as his voice cuts off. They walk in silence for the remainder of their trip home.

"Lyney has a new delivery for this week.” He nods, taking the pack of newspapers as he makes his way out the door of the office of The Steambird. A young woman in her 20s stood outside as he passed her a series of newspapers in the satchel that he was given. Lyney’s put on his steambird badge before making his departure. “I have more work for you when you make your way back.” She sees him off.

#genshin fic #scarlet leaves au #genshin lyney #genshin lynette #not a romance story #found family story #kazuha will come in later #steambird!lyney #cafe host!lynette #adventures with a magician boy from a quiet villiage #lyney and lynette #genshin impact

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burnwater13 · 4 months

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Image depicts three pit droids standing on a packed dirt surface looking at someone out of frame. Image from The Book of Boba Fett, Season 1, Episode 5, Return of the Mandalorian. Calendar by DataWorks.

“Once upon a time, a long, long time ago there were three little pit droids who were supposed to prepare a feast for an exalted Jedi. The first pit droid was supposed to set the table, but forgot the napkins. The second pit droid was supposed to fetch the quarrel juice, but forgot the glasses. The third pit droid was supposed to bring a dozen flash fried gorgs on a stick, but only brought three. The big bad Peli told them if they didn’t get it right next time they would be pumping out the rancor’s privy for the foreseeable future! Now get it right you three! Grogu’s depending on you!”

Peli Motto’s voice went from a soft, sweet, story telling voice to a yelling ‘Fire’ at the top of her lungs voice pretty quickly. Grogu was impressed. She had so many skills that he just hadn't considered and the pit droids seemed to be magical at bringing them all to light. He wondered which skill would be revealed next.

The pit droids, for their part, ran around and fixed everything, but not before bumping into each other, dropping stuff, and being yelled at again by Peli. Grogu would have told them to slow down, take a breath, and focus, if he could have been heard over Peli’s much louder communications, of ‘Hurry Up’, ‘I’m not getting any younger’, and ‘I’ve seen slime molds move faster than you lot’.

Grogu wondered who Peli’s teachers had been. They must have been good at a lot of different things. She was an exceptional mechanic according to the Mandalorian. Grogu could vouch for her inspirational speech making. Fennec had commented more than once on Peli’s way with math because she seemed to always make more credits than seemed possible for the repairs she completed. Peli had commented at time that when you keep your overhead low it’s easy.

Boba Fett had observed that when your parts came from the Jawas it was easy to keep your overhead low. Peli had replied that the Jawas were just possessed with entrepreneurial spirit unlike some other people she could mention. That’s when his dad asked if she was talking about pirates. He’d been on the receiving end of a frosty stare from her and then she shouted at the pit droids to get Daimyo’s speeder bike so they could review the work she had done. There had been enough ‘chitter, chatter’.

The pit droids had done as she asked. The speeder bike looked better than new and she made a big production about how the Daimyo was not he receiving end of a special discount given only to her best repeat customers. When Boba Fett raised his eye brows at the total, Peli announced that Treadwell had obviously forgotten to include the Daimyo discount, the well armed business partner discount, and the Mandalorian discount.

“It’s been nice doing business with you, Lady Motto.”

Boba Fett shook her hand and Fennec stepped forward and made sure that nothing had happened to the Daimyo’s vambraces or gloves and that his credit purse was still in place. Peli pretended to ignore that which surprised Grogu. Someone must have given her acting lessons as well. He had once seen her chew a customer out who thought that the bill had been padded. She had been so outraged that the Mandalorian gave her some extra credits just to stop her tirade. Grogu should have recognized her acting skills then.

“Listen, kid. Why don’t you go play a game with the pit droids while I have a conversation with your dad about customer service paradigms?”

Grogu had been baffled by what she was talking about, but any invitation to spend time with the pit droids was worth the confusion. They had recently upgraded their games of ‘hide and peek’ to a version they were calling ‘hide and sneak’. They took turns hiding near Peli’s location and then sneaking in closer to listen to what she was saying and identifying who she was talking to. The winner was the droid or Grogu who didn’t get spotted, yelled at, and told to sweep the sand off the street that lead to the garage.

Grogu had only won once. The pit droids had never won. That’s when Grogu began to wonder if perhaps Peli had spent time at the Jedi Temple. Not necessarily the one on Coruscant. But there were lots of other temples. Maybe the Monks of B’omarr had trained her to hear silence?

“Nah, kid. My dad trained me. He didn’t stop until I could hear him sneaking out of the cantina in the middle of the night. That’s when he told me he might have taught me a little too much. But I don’t believe in too much of anything. Come on. Let’s have our lunch and then we can play some Sabacc. Who knows? I might win this time, if the pit droids don’t mess anything up while we’re playing.”

Grogu thought that was unlikely as the droids were still sweeping the streets of Mos Eisley. She had trained them really well.

#calendar prompt a day #the book of boba fett #din djarin #grogu #peli motto #pit droids

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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GOP Presidential Hopeful Ramaswamy Sued Over Strive’s Practices | Bloomberg

In separate lawsuits, two former employees at the candidate’s Strive Asset Management claim that the anti-ESG investment firm pressured them to violate securities laws.

Vivek Ramaswamy has been rising in presidential polls partly on the strength of his business accomplishments. Before he started running for the Republican nomination, where polling averages now put him in third place behind Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, Ramaswamy founded and ran a drug development company, Roivant, which he took public in 2021. Then he started an asset management firm, Strive, presenting it as a conservative answer to the ESG movement’s focus on investments’ environmental, social and governance impacts. Strive’s motto, meant as a contrast to ESG, is “invest in excellence.”

But two former employees have filed lawsuits in recent months against the investment firm as well as Ramaswamy and his co-founder Anson Frericks that suggest practices at the company were something less than that. They accuse Ramaswamy and Frericks of aggressively pushing employees to violate securities law and of mistreating staff. They also suggest that the company has struggled to meet lofty growth goals for its “anti-ESG” investments.

Christopher Lenzo, a lawyer for plaintiff Joyce Rosely, said the two suits raised questions about Ramaswamy’s seriousness as an asset manager. Strive “was founded, in retrospect, largely as a PR mechanism for the presidential campaign of Ramaswamy,” he said. “Not a lot of thought was given to running it as an investment firm.”

Neither lawsuit has been previously reported. Ramaswamy’s track record will be in focus during next week’s presidential debate, when DeSantis allies have signaled that he plans to concentrate attacks on Ramaswamy. “Strive intends to vigorously defend itself,” the company said in a statement. “Beyond that, it is our policy not to comment on active litigation.” Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamy’s communications director, didn’t comment on the lawsuit. She noted that Ramaswamy, who served as Strive’s executive chairman until earlier this year, left Strive when he decided to run for president. “Strive is completely separate from Vivek and his campaign,” she said.

The first suit, filed in Kansas by a regional sales chief who was dismissed as part of a reorganization in March, also says Ramaswamy misrepresented the company’s finances to employees and investors, exaggerating its growth when pitching venture capitalists and recruiting staff. The former employee, John Phillips, claims he was induced to leave a job at JPMorgan that would have paid him more than $1 million in 2022, based on promises made by Ramaswamy and others that Strive was well financed and that Ramaswamy was dedicated to the company.

In reality, according to the suit, Strive was “undercapitalized,” and Ramaswamy was planning a presidential bid. The suit was filed in June, three months after Phillips claims he was fired by Strive without cause. Strive has filed a motion to dismiss the case.

In the second suit, filed Aug. 8 in a Union County, New Jersey, court, Rosely claims she was fired as co-head of institutional sales in retaliation for raising concerns about sexual harassment at the firm and violations of securities laws. She contends she saw a Strive executive make aggressive sexual advances toward a more junior staffer.

When Rosely, a veteran of State Street and Goldman Sachs, complained to Frericks, Strive’s president, he told Rosely it was “none of his business,” according to her complaint. At the time, Frericks, a former beer distribution executive who went to high school with Ramaswamy, held the company’s most senior position.

Like Phillips, Rosely claims that Ramaswamy and Frericks pressured her to violate securities laws. She says she was asked to use sales materials that improperly promised future returns and urged to allow employees who were not yet registered to sell securities to pitch clients. Rosely also claims she complained about Ramaswamy’s social media posts, which she believed constituted unlawful securities sales.

Both Phillips and Roseley were fired in March, alongside another executive who Rosely says was also complaining about the securities law violations. She claims that Strive told her the firing was part of a reorganization but also that everyone who was dismissed as part of the reorganization was over 40 years old. Her suit alleges that she was the victim of age discrimination, as well as retaliation for raising concerns about harassment and securities law violations.

In April, a month after the dismissals, Matt Cole, Strive’s chief investment officer, was named chief executive officer. In a June memo, Cole acknowledged the departures of “underperforming members of the distribution team.” He also signaled that Strive, which manages exchange traded funds (or ETFs) with about $1 billion in total assets as of Aug. 17, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, would tone down its political rhetoric and focus on promoting “shareholder capitalism” instead of criticizing ESG. The memo, first reported by Semafor, said that growth in the firm’s funds had slowed in 2023 in part because investors had seen the firm as “political over investment oriented.” The memo said growth had resumed and would accelerate in a “‘hockey stick’ fashion” starting in 2025.

#us politics #news #bloomberg #Vivek Ramaswamy #republicans #conservatives #2023 #2024 elections #Roivant #Anson Frericks #mistreatment of staff #violations of securities laws #strive #exchange traded funds #ESG movement #Environmental Social & Corporate Governance

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