#the working theory is that my knee at the time of the injury was a ticking time bomb because i had a weak shitty vmo (holds the kneecap in

[fingertipsmp3]

Like yeah I can absolutely be charming and personable when I need to be, but I have to be in the correct headspace first. Like I have to not be catatonically depressed about my dog dying and my sister dying and winter in the north being so bleak!!! Can we talk about it

[purple-babygirl]

in the far corner of the forest IV

Pairing: Orc!Bucky Barnes x human!f!reader

Word Count: 6,540

Summary: For the longest time, the kingdom has used Bucky as their number one fighter, forcing him to win their wars for them. The only thing he asked for in return after he was done was that they give him a wife, and they did. They handed him the orphan he picked on a silver platter; it wasn't like anyone would miss her. It would've been perfect if she actually wanted to be there though.

Warnings: mentions of hand injury, idiots in love, feels, jealousy, racism against orcs, angry behaviour, shouting, fight gets slightly physical, bruised arm, crying, angst (i'm sorry). I think that's all.

A/N: good news result in long chapters. thank you from the bottom of my heart for everyone who has wished me good luck with my interview, you guys are angels. please enjoyxx💜💜

~

“You’re in love.”

“I’m what now!?” Bucky chuckled dismissively as he dropped his axe.

Bucky had spent half a day at home, refraining from going to work because of his hand’s condition, but as much as he loved staying home with her, he knew he wasn’t made to take a break.

So he thought he would visit, talk to Sam for a bit and maybe get some pent up ‘feelings’ out on some tree logs. His metal arm was still working just fine after all.

“I said, you’re in love with your human wife,” Sam repeated, smiling so warmly that Bucky wanted to smack him.

“I got her a few weeks ago.” Bucky shook his head in denial of the mere idea of him falling for anyone, let alone a human.

He did love Sam and Sarah, but that was it. They were the only humans he could tolerate. He hated the rest of them. Hell, he hated the human half of himself.

Bucky was just trying to make life easier for himself, that was all. He has been through enough conflicts and he didn’t need this in his marriage too. He deserved to live a normal life like everybody else.

Yes, he was courting her, and maybe he did constantly crave the feel of her body against his ever since she let him hug her the night of the injury, and he was definitely getting hopeful now that she hadn’t tried to run for a whole half day, but that didn’t mean he was in love! Did it?

“And now you’re in love with her.” Sam smirked, knowing how much it drove Bucky crazy that a female human had him on his knees for her love.

“Quit saying that!” Bucky stood up, ready to walk away from his annoying friend.

“Why does it make you so angry that you’re in lo—”

“Don’t,” Bucky warned him, eyes angry and glaring.

“—ve?”

“I am not in love with her, okay! She’s human! Plus, that girl drives me crazy! Do you know how many times I had to bring her back after she’d tried to run in the first two weeks? Five fucking times! That’s almost once every two days, Sam. And she only had one foot working!” Bucky ranted heatedly, desperate to negate his best friend’s theory.

Was he in love with her? And if Sam could see it, did that mean she could too?

“Well, why do you care to bring her back? Why not just let her run?” Sam shrugged, internally dying for Bucky to acknowledge his feelings.

“She could die out there! Humans are weak.”

“So?” Sam probed, intentionally ignoring Bucky’s remark about humans’ strength.

“So— so I signed all those things when she was offered to me. She can’t— I can’t—”

“You can’t?”

“I can’t let her get hurt,” Bucky admitted lowly, sitting down on a log with a loud sigh.

“Why does that make you so upset?” Sam dug deeper.

“Because I think you’re right. I think I might be in love with her.” Bucky rubbed his eye with his good hand, pushing his hair back angrily.

“And?”

“And she thinks I’m the devil.” Bucky’s face fell to his palms.

“Did she ever say that to you out loud?” Sam asked, touching the end of his sharpened blade.

“She doesn’t need to, Sam. I see it in her eyes every time I find her after she’d tried to run away.” Bucky’s voice was broken like his friend has never heard before.

“I thought you said everything was better after your injury?”

“Yeah, but that’s not gonna last forever.” Bucky gave a sad grin, “she’s soon gonna go back to seeing me the same as before.”

“Well, it’s up to you to change her mind, Buck.” Sam patted his friend’s shoulder, giving a squeeze.

Bucky sighed once more before getting up.

Sam was a human. A very handsome one with much less scars and non-icy skin. He would never understand. It would never work. She hated him.

He could continue trying, but it wouldn’t change anything of the way she felt about him and their marriage. She had told him time and time again how she felt about both.

“Going home already?”

“Yeah, I can’t miss the running away bit. It’s my favourite,” he sighed, Sam's laugh trailing behind him.

“Smile at her for a change.”

“Shut up.” I do smile at her. I only ever smile at her.

“Sarah loved the jam by the way!” Sam yelled.

“I’ll let her know!” Bucky yelled back before exhaling sadly.

Sam would never understand. Her taking pity on him those past couple of hours was nothing more than sympathy and likely even guilt.

Sam would never understand that of all the eyes in the world, it seems like Bucky has managed to fall for the only ones that knew how to hurt him, the eyes that would only look at him as a disgusting, frightening monster.

~

When Bucky got home, everything was creepily in place. His door was closed like he had left it and he actually had to use his key to open it for the first time in a while.

Stepping inside, the warm smell of roast chicken welcomed him back.

The house was warm because all the windows were actually shut, too. It was all so calm and homely; the orc was seriously worried.

And then he heard it: his human wife’s sweet voice, humming the melody of a song unfamiliar to him. It sounded like it was coming from the kitchen.

Bucky carefully shut the door behind him, not wanting her peaceful mood to end so soon as he tried to take lighter steps to where she was.

Much to his dismay though, she needed something from the other side of the kitchen and when she turned around she saw Bucky and gasped, jumping embarrassingly high.

“You scared me!” She whined, holding a hand to her heart.

“Sorry.” Bucky smirked, entertained by how cute she looked when startled.

“Welcome home,” she mumbled with a bit-back grin, holding onto his forearms before getting on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Bucky’s cheek.

She never told him, but she was unbelievably thankful when he didn’t specify which type of kiss he expected weeks ago, and even more thankful when he didn’t object to her pecking his cheek before burying herself under the covers.

Life with Bucky has gotten undeniably familiar lately and leaving him was all of a sudden an idea that didn’t interest her as much as before.

Everything he was saying and doing has brought her closer to him without her even comprehending it.

As the days passed, she had realized running away was too exhausting, too risky, and for what? It wasn’t like she had a home to run to or a treasure buried somewhere or a lover worth escaping her orc for.

Her orc.

Hers.

A word she never felt the meaning of until the day Bucky made her his wife.

Bucky was the first and only one to present to her a taste of something she has never had: the feeling of exclusively owning things.

The smile that graced her face when she brushed her hair the first time with the brush Bucky got her was new and unprecedented.

Her brush, he called it.

Her shoes. Her chair. Her towel. Her clothes. Her books. Her side of the bed. Her cottage. Her kitchen.

And her husband.

Everything was brand new and completely hers.

Nothing was handed down to her, nothing was used before the minute her fingers had touched it. None of the things Bucky gifted her had previous owners, including him and his heart.

Most importantly, she didn’t have to share any of it with anybody.

“You’re home,” Bucky said, a surprised yet very happy smile lighting up his handsome features.

“I thought the wife was supposed to say that,” she replied playfully, going back to the bubbling pot.

Bucky raised his eyebrows at the good mood she seemed to be in. He was liking this.

He watched her sprinkle some black pepper into the soup as he came behind her.

She could feel the heat of his body surrounding her even when they weren’t touching and it had her heartbeat going crazy.

“Thank you, little human,” Bucky whispered, before he leaned down and pecked her cheek as well, his stubble and blunt tusks tickling her jaw.

She felt her whole body jolt with electricity at the simple graze of his lips and tusks on her skin as she closed her eyes.

Bucky left the kitchen and went to the bathroom but she was still hot as if his warmth never left her.

And when she opened her eyes and absentmindedly reached her fingertips to touch her cheek, she found herself smiling too.

What was happening to her? What was this foreign feeling lifting her off of her feet in the middle of the kitchen?

“Sam’s sister loved your strawberry jam by the way!” Bucky shouted to her from the bathroom, making her jump again before smiling to herself.

He didn’t use Sarah’s name on purpose, not wanting to ruin her happy mood as he had noticed how angry she got every time he would say it.

“I’ll make her more tomorrow!” She replied with a grin, proud of her hand’s work, her jealousy long forgotten after Bucky’s words of the night before.

After all, how could she be jealous when she was the one that Bucky was looking at like that?

~

When she finished setting up the table and Bucky didn’t come out of the bathroom, she got a little worried.

He never took too long during his showers, and now that he only had one arm to use, she thought he would cut his showers even shorter.

What if his wound was bleeding again and he didn’t want to tell her and was trying to fix it by himself inside the bathroom? She knew she should have stopped him from going to the yard!

“Bucky.” She knocked on the door softly, wanting to make sure he was okay.

“Yes, little human?” Bucky instantly opened the door for her.

And he looked like a dream.

Steam has surrounded him inside the bathroom, water drops from his still-wet hair dripping down his muscular, bare chest and for the first time since Bucky has been naked around her, she found herself looking at him. Actually looking.

Bucky’s chest was so broad, beefy and ribbed down to his abdomen. Scars of all sizes and shapes littered the beautiful, icy greyish skin, a reminder of the battles he had fought and all the sacrifices he had made.

Her heart clenched at the sight, a pang of sympathy coursing through her as she could only imagine the pain he must have had to endure.

Still, she found her hands tingling in curiosity, desperate to know what tracing the healed skin would feel like under her fingertips.

Bucky was a sight for sore eyes, a sight that both captivated and unnerved her, stirring a flurry of unfamiliar emotions in her chest that she struggled to contain.

She averted her gaze, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her at the unexpected intimacy of the moment.

“Are—” she chocked, her voice barely above a whisper as she coughed it out, “are you okay? You took a while.”

“Yeah, I’m just having a hard time drying up my hair with one arm,” Bucky reassured her, chuckling lightly at his dilemma as he let the towel around his neck drop.

He was completely oblivious to the way he just made her face burn up as her thoughts spiraled out of control.

“Come.” She took Bucky’s hand in hers, careful not to squeeze his palm, and led him outside to their bed.

It took Bucky a second to move his feet, but when he did, he felt like he was being carried on top of a cloud.

She felt herself drawn to him in a way she couldn’t quite explain, her heart pounding with a mixture of nervousness, curiosity and… desire. A new sensation was tingling all over her body, specifically in places she didn’t need to be tingling right now.

Positioning herself between his parted legs, she reached to take the towel from around Bucky’s neck.

His eyes watched her, surprise flickering in them as he realized what she was going to do, unable to believe what was happening.

Sensing her nervousness, Bucky offered her a reassuring, grateful smile, silently encouraging her to continue.

And as she began to carefully pat his damp hair dry, her touch tentative and her eyes focused, he felt warmth welling up inside him.

She couldn’t help but steal glances at his bare shoulder and chest, her cheeks burning with embarrassment at the engrossing sight. It was a feeling unlike anything she has ever experienced before, her heart racing with unparalleled excitement.

The awkwardness of the situation began to fade bit by bit as she focused more on the task at hand, in its place growing an overwhelming sense of closeness and familiarity.

Bucky’s hair was so soft under her fingertips as she took the towel up and down the brown locks. She wished she had given herself a chance to touch it more before.

As she finished drying her orc’s hair, she met his gaze with a shy bite of her lip, her eyes sparkling with newfound confidence.

Bucky reached out to take her hands, his smile appreciative as his lips pressed a deep kiss on each palm, silently thanking her for her kindness and care.

~

“I didn’t know your cooking was so good. You surprise me every day,” Bucky praised, as she filled his mouth with more lentil soup, trying not to think of his conversation with Sam or the way his body was still on fire from the mere act of her drying his hair for him.

He couldn’t even believe she was feeding him after seeing him struggle to keep the food on his spoon using his left hand.

“All the girls at the orphanage know how to cook. They teach us all sorts of things and make us to be good housewives,” she replied, suddenly nostalgic of her days at the orphanage, curious to know how, where and when Bucky got the chance to see her back then.

Bucky didn’t say anything, busying his mouth with chewing some bread as his smile shrank.

She didn’t look happy. Why did she stay then? Was she planning on running away at night that day? Maybe she put something in the food?

“I’m glad you like your dinner though,” she said, breaking the thick silence with a soft smile as she fed the orc a piece of chicken.

“Why didn’t you try to leave today?” Bucky couldn’t hold back.

She was taken aback by his question. She thought he wanted her here.

Was he finally done? Did he want her out? Was he not going to look for her this time? Has Bucky given up on her? Was he going to leave her be had she gotten out today?

Most importantly, she didn’t know how to answer because it seemed like she was done running away from her new life with him, and she didn’t know if she could admit that.

“I– did you want me to?” She asked, her voice strained as she tried to hold in the tears.

“No! No, of course not!” He assured her quickly.

“Then?” She chewed on her lip.

“I don’t want you to stop running if it makes you feel alive,” Bucky told her, his blue eyes gushing with love he didn’t intend to show, “I’m willing to go to the ends of the earth to find you.”

“What?” She wasn’t expecting this at all, all the tingles she had hardly managed to shake off after drying Bucky’s wet hair coming back to attack her.

How were these words coming out of an orc! And why did they make her heart stutter in its beats?

“I love your fiery spirit and I’m afraid I’m killing it by keeping you here against your wishes. I never want to be the one to snuff your fire out.” Bucky admitted, eyes sincere as he watched her.

She just stared at him for a moment, stunned as her heart skipped yet another beat.

If he only knew that he was the one who had managed to bring this fiery personality to life.

Bucky respected her silence and went back to enjoying his dinner, not wanting to push her for a reply. She could take her time.

She kept staring at him in confusion for another minute before taking her almost untouched plate and getting up.

She almost ran to the kitchen with her hand on her heart.

What was going on with her? Her heart wasn’t seriously beating this loud for the orc. Could it be?

He sounded so selfless and spoke so gently like he has never before and she was overwhelmed.

His words were doing things to her that she has never felt before. What was wrong with her?

She knew she had caught herself staring at him without a shirt just minutes ago, maybe admiring his eyelashes as he slept in some early mornings, but she rendered it curiosity and nothing more.

She shook her head, her thoughts startling to her as she emptied her plate in the garbage and started washing it vigorously.

Bucky no longer had an appetite, sighing at her reaction.

He told himself he could understand, but it was still hurtful the way she jumped out of her chair.

He left his plate on the table, not wanting to invade her privacy by going to the kitchen before leaving the cottage altogether.

He probably shouldn’t have said anything.

~

She revisited the subject the same afternoon though, not wanting there to be any misunderstandings between her and Bucky. Not any longer.

“I don’t wanna leave anymore,” she admitted timidly, making Bucky’s smile betray him and his usual frowning.

“But I don’t like being locked away in here all day either,” she said carefully, scared to upset him.

“Where do you wanna go? The forest is dangerous, little human.” Bucky was back to frowning at the thought of anything bad happening to her again.

It was torture for him when her foot was still healing and he was the most relieved when it finally did. He couldn’t just let her roam around when she didn’t know the area.

“Take me out when you come back from work maybe? Or even on your day off,” she suggested, desperate to see the world.

“And go where?”

“Anywhere. We can walk around the woods before it gets dark, you could show me your shop, I could meet Sam? Or we could even go to the market!” She suggested eagerly.

She has been locked up for so long and she didn’t want to continue her life like this.

Bucky actually thought about it and he didn’t hate the idea. Taking her out with him would ensure her safety. He would be by her side and he would protect her. He also liked the thought of taking her out and properly courting her even if she didn’t know that that was what he was doing.

He said he didn’t want to kill her spirit by keeping her in here and she gave him the solution.

“Okay.” Bucky nodded at her with a smile.

“Okay?” She exclaimed happily, not believing Bucky would actually take her out to see around.

“Okay.” He nodded again reassuringly, her happiness making him laugh.

“Well, don’t you have tomorrow off?” She asked suggestively, gesturing to his hand.

Bucky laughed, nodding, “put your shoes on.”

“Thank you, Bucky.” She involuntarily gave his healing hand a squeeze, kissing his cheek before running to get her shoes.

Bucky swallowed hard, hoping he would be able to hold himself together and not completely melt under her sweet company.

“You’ve got to promise me though,” he said.

She looked at him questioningly as she slipped one foot into a shoe.

“No running away, little human.”

“No running away. Promise.” She promised, shaking her head with a shy smile.

Bucky smiled big, taking her smaller hand in his as she grabbed her basket in the other, ready to browse the market with her husband.

Her husband. That was starting to sound unquestionably comforting.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“What?” She tilted her head with a grin.

“You owe me a kiss,” Bucky said, his tone serious.

“No, I don’t! If anything, I just gave you an extra kiss!”

“Yes, you do. From that morning. You’re still one kiss behind!”

“I just made up for it!”

“Doesn’t count. That one covers the night before.” Bucky shrugged, a smile etched on his lips.

“Okay, fine.” She kissed Bucky’s cheek, “stop going around saying other girls’ names though.”

Bucky laughed, “I only know one!”

“Still too many,” she whispered under her breath, but Bucky heard it, smiling from ear to ear as he took his hand in hers, taking the right path out of the woods. ~ It was a beautiful afternoon, full of warm sunshine and fruitful deals. She has got some pretty good stuff for really good prices.

She couldn’t believe Bucky actually gave her pocket money.

He didn’t want her to have to ask him for money every time something caught her eye. He wanted her independent, fulfilled and brave as she bought herself whatever her heart desired.

Her heart was so full and her smile was inerasable.

Bucky didn’t let go of her hand all day and she actually liked it so much that she never complained. The feel of his calloused skin against her soft palm wasn’t like anything she has felt before.

She didn’t want to let go of his hand even while looking at the different stands and booths at the market.

But she eventually liked the flower stand too much and told Bucky she would take a look at them while he continued buying them the fruits he was picking.

“Good afteroon,” a smooth voice interrupted her admiration of the potted plants before her, making her look up for a second.

“Good afternoon.” She smiled coyly.

“Any favorites?” The handsome man inside the booth asked her.

“All of them,” she giggled softly, the sound catching Bucky’s ears at once.

The man laughed back, “okay, I think I have something special for you. How about this one?” He brought her a purple flower from the batch hidden behind him inside the booth.

“Oh, how beautiful! What is this one?” She wondered, amazement sparkling in her eyes at the sight of the pretty petals.

“That is a Globemaster Allium. Pretty, isn’t she?” He asked, staring at her desirously as she looked at the flower.

“Yes, she’s stunning!”

“I’m Cole by the way—”

She heard Bucky clear his throat next to her and looked up at once, the innocent awe in her eyes softening the orc a little.

“Look, Bucky! Isn’t this the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” She pointed to the flower pot excitedly.

Bucky leaned in, his frown scaring her a little, her breath hitching when his lips tickled the shell of her ear, “no, little human, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

She chocked on her own saliva, hiding her hot face with her hand as she coughed, “Bucky!” She whined with a shy smile.

Where did that come from!

“Let’s go,” Bucky said with a nod of his head, eyes stern as he glared at Cole.

“Can—” She held his wrist, “can I have it?” She asked softly, gesturing to the flower pot.

Bucky wanted to say no. He didn’t want her to have this farmer’s flower. But he couldn’t say no to those hopeful, beautiful eyes of hers.

“Fine.” He watched her get the money out of her pocket and she smiled gratefully as she almost set them down on Cole’s counter.

“It’s on the house,” Cole said, still smiling dreamily at her.

She could all but swallow as she gave a polite smile back before looking up at Bucky for help.

“Take your goddamn money.” Bucky made a quick job of paying for the flower, taking the money from her and slamming it on the counter, making the whole booth shake.

He quickly took his wife home, deciding that was enough socialization for the both of them for the day.

She wasn’t going to lie, she was loving jealousy on her orc. It felt so intoxicating to have someone love her so much that he was jealous of other men talking to her.

She wouldn’t tell Bucky, but she would probably spend the nights of the next week smiling at the wall every time she remembered how he held her hand back home just a little bit tighter that day.

Her own heart was running wild at the sight of the orc now and she didn’t want it any other way.

~

“Now you know how it feels,” she teased with a smile as they were getting ready for bed.

Bucky couldn’t let it go, talking about how they were never going to stop by that farmer’s flower booth ever again.

“That’s not the same! I was never into Sarah! But that man was openly ogling you!” Bucky grumbled, his frown digging deep into the skin of his forehead.

“He was just being nice, trying to sell his flowers,” she laughed, upsetting Bucky even more.

How couldn’t she see it? The guy was all over her!

“He was flirting and you were all giggles and blushes.” Bucky copied her, going to the bed and burying himself under the covers, facing the wall.

He understood now why she had done that.

“Hey, that’s my spot!” She joked, not knowing if Bucky was being serious.

“Not tonight,” he murmured from underneath the covers.

“Bucky,” she whined, uncovering her orc’s face.

Bucky didn’t reply, pushing himself closer to the wall.

She tried to bring him on his back by the shoulder like he so easily did her a couple of night ago, but he was too strong for her and his body wouldn’t budge.

She huffed, “okay, you left me no choice.”

Bucky remained still, wanting to see what she meant by that as he felt her shift behind him.

Before he knew it, she was on top of his bicep, trying to slot herself between his body and the wall.

“What on earth—”

“You started it, Bucky!” She said, voice determined as she kept pushing, trying to squeeze herself in the small space accessible.

Bucky looked at her in amusement for a second before moving back, making her body drop as larger space became available.

She landed with the tiniest “ouff” on the mattress, facing Bucky on her side with her back to the wall, its coolness helping soothe the heat rising to the surface of her skin.

That was the closest she had been to Bucky since their hug the night of his injury, face to face as his passionate sapphire eyes watched hers.

“Hi,” she whispered, heart in her throat.

“Hi,” Bucky replied with a charming smile, smoothing some of her ruffled strands back in place.

She stared at the orc’s eyes, not the slightest bit scared of the fact that she was trapped against the wall by his huge body.

“You’re not the only one who wants to be loyal to this marriage, Bucky,” she said, surprising Bucky and herself, “I don’t want the farmer. I don’t want anyone else.” but you.

Bucky smiled in disbelief, taken aback by her words, and she took it as permission to move closer to his chest. He instinctively wrapped her up in a protective hug, wondering how he was able to hold himself back from kissing her.

She pushed her face into her orc’s chest, his scent and warmth engulfing her into a protective bubble.

She couldn’t believe she said the words she has just said and it made her bury her burning face deeper in Bucky’s arms.

He could only hug her tighter, his nose in her sweet-smelling hair as his smile grew bigger.

This moment right there was everything Bucky has ever wished for. He could die a happy orc right then and there.

~

It became a habit for them to go out to the village on Bucky’s day off. They were both having a great time, getting closer and falling harder.

Cole hasn’t spoken to her again after learning that the snow orc was actually her husband, and she respected Bucky’s feelings and never approached Cole’s booth no matter how pretty the plants on his stand were.

Market outings were their thing now and she wasn’t going to let anything ruin that.

She didn’t want anyone else’s attention but Bucky’s anyway. His hand has almost fully healed and she could now squeeze it all she wanted whenever she got excited about anything they encountered.

One thing did occur that annoyed her though and that was the way the jewelry lady would look at her every time she and Bucky would pass by. The woman had so much pity in her eyes when she saw her hand in an orc’s and she hated it.

She despised the way people misjudged her orc when he was far better than any human man she could’ve ever ended up with.

Yet, the lady kept giving her those pitiful looks, probably thinking Bucky had enslaved her or something.

But enough was enough.

When Bucky was busy looking at the knives, she made her way to the jewelry lady, determined to put an end to the ridiculousness.

“He is my husband,” she sternly told the lady in the jewelry stand, taking the chance that Bucky wasn’t listening.

“Oh.” The lady quickly gave a kind smile, turning from concerned about her to happy for her, “I apologize for misjudging you, dear. I was only worried about you. We’ve all heard stories about him.”

“Well, that’s all they are. Stories.” She ferociously defended, her eyes still stern.

“I’m sorry,” the woman sincerely expressed her regret, squeezing her hand.

She nodded with a small smile, accepting the older woman’s apology.

“I don’t see a ring on your hand.” The jewelry lady gestured to the collection of rings in her glass box with a wink.

“Oh.”

The sentence caught Bucky’s ears as he turned away to look at her embarrassed face.

“We didn’t get time to buy one. It all happened so quickly,” she explained awkwardly and Bucky’s expression fell.

“I have a pretty collection if you wanna take a look, and don’t worry about the price,” the older lady suggested kindly.

“No, it’s okay—”

“Choose what you like, sweet thing,” Bucky whispered to her, immediately by her side when he saw her eyes skimming over the jewelry, “I’m sorry I’m not familiar with the human marriage traditions. I should’ve gotten you one sooner.”

“It’s okay, Bucky. You don’t have to,” she reassured with a tender smile.

She didn’t need a ring to know that she was Bucky’s.

“I want to. I want you to wear my ring, little human.” Bucky raised her hands to his lips, placing the softest kisses on her each finger.

Her heart surged as a shy smile spread on her lips, heat rising to her cheeks.

“Okay.” She nodded happily, feeling like she was in a dream and she never wanted to wake up.

Though very expensive, Bucky ended up buying her the ring she chose. It was the prettiest gold ring with a moss agate blue diamond.

She tried to talk him out of it, wanting to pick something cheaper, but Bucky wouldn’t have it.

She has never felt as special as she felt with Bucky’s ring on her finger. It was the prettiest thing from the most handsome orc.

And in that very moment, she was the happiest that she trusted her gut; that she gave Bucky, and herself a chance for this marriage to be something more than a contractual deal.

Bucky couldn’t believe she has finally let him make her his. When he slipped that ring on her tiny finger, he felt like he was king of the world.

While walking back to their cottage, a new dream got unlocked inside of her, one that included her and Bucky and their very own little stand in the market.

“Can we stop by the shop before we go home?” She asked tentatively.

“Sure, why? Did you forget something there yesterday?”

She has been to the shop a couple of times, curious to meet the important people in Bucky’s life and possibly have friends of her own, too.

“No, just wanna show Sarah the ring,” she said, a shy smile lighting up her happy face.

Bucky brought her hand to his lips, kissing her ring finger this time, “to the shop it is.”

~

Everything was going amazingly and she wished with all her heart that it would stay that way, but unfortunately, the very next day was a day for another fight that none of them saw coming.

Bucky still hasn’t recovered from her little stunt a few weeks ago and today he came back to find the cottage empty again.

He should have locked the door. He shouldn’t have trusted that a ring on her finger might stop her old habits or give her a magical change of heart.

What about all the small moments she had shared? Did those mean nothing to her?

Bucky’s anger and feeling of betrayal wiped away everything nice that had happened between the two of them, only remembering that she never wanted to be here in the very first place.

“Why are you so adamant about making me lose my mind?” Bucky asked, pushing her inside and slamming the door behind them.

“I’m not! Would you just listen?!” She yelled back, startled by the harsh treatment.

“What the hell were you thinking?!” Bucky shouted as if he didn’t hear her.

“I was just—”

“Wandering through the forest alone is dangerous, I’ve told you time and again, and yet you keep doing it!”

“Would you listen to me?!” 

“No! You acted like you would stop running, so what changed?!” Bucky threw his big arms in the air, making her take a step back.

Bucky looked bigger than he usually did when he was livid like that.

“I wasn’t running!” She repeated, her voice tinged with anger of her own at the distrust.

“Stop lying!” Bucky growled, roughly grabbing her by the arm.

“I’m not lying,” she insisted as she tried not to wince at the way Bucky held her forearm, her jaw clenched defiantly.

“Then what were you doing up the hill, huh?” Bucky unconsciously squeezed her arm harder.

“You’re hurting me.” She tried to pull away, but Bucky wouldn’t release her.

“You think you’re the only one who has fucking feelings?” Bucky shook her in his hold, unintentionally bruising her further.

She cried out but it fell on deaf ears, “Bucky, let me go!”

“Do you think what you do doesn’t affect me just because I’m not a goddamn human?!” He forced her closer, making her tears fall as he barked in her face.

His words hung heavy in the air, echoing through the spacious room.

“Bucky, please,” she tried again, not wanting to fight anymore.

Bucky finally listened, suddenly shocked at his actions as he let her arm go.

It’s been so long since he had made her cry and he just ruined everything good he had worked on building with her.

She just stood there, whimpering in pain as she held her arm to her chest.

Bucky watched her roll the sleeve of her winter dress up to look at her arm and there they were: thick fingerprints on her flesh.

“I— I’m sorry,” he whispered, trying to get closer to look at her arm, swallowing hard.

To his surprise, she let him.

“I’m sorry, little human.” Bucky wiped a few of her tears away, regret evident in his voice.

“I wasn’t running,” she repeated, pushing her hands in the pockets of her dress, “I was collecting berries to decorate the cake I made earlier.” She pulled handfuls of now ruined wild strawberries, raspberries and blackberries out of her pockets and dropped them on the wooden table for him to see.

She left Bucky alone to stare at the berries and went to the kitchen.

And boy did he stare.

He felt so stupid and ashamed at the way he had reacted. He just hurt her and she wasn’t even trying to leave. He wouldn’t let her explain either and had unjustly judged her.

She got out a cold water bottle from the fridge, pushing it to her bruised arm.

Bucky walked into the kitchen, shame branded on his face.

“Are you okay?” He asked, not knowing what to do to correct his mistake.

“What do you think?!” She irritably snapped at him, waving her bruised arm in the air.

“I just wanted to help!” Bucky barked back.

“Well, I don’t want your help!” She shouted.

“Fine! Don’t want it!” Bucky walked out, his feet stomping on the wooden floors.

He stormed out of the cottage, violently slamming the door behind him.

Bucky then realized what he has just done and how he had made the situation even worse. He kicked a rock so hard he was sure it flew to the other side of the forest as he saw birds flying disruptively.

“Damn it!” He yelled out loud, slamming his fist to the door, making her flinch inside the cottage.

The fight between the orc’s rough exterior and his rather tender feelings for her was torturing Bucky. What he meant to show was that he cared about her and was worried for her, but instead he’d done what he’d done.

She, on the other side of the wall, irately got out of the kitchen with the trash bin and swept the berries from the table, throwing them in the garbage.

When Bucky got inside again, she was cleaning the stain of the berries from the table, her features still twisted in a frown.

He opened his mouth, trying to think of anything he could say to fix this, but nothing came out. With a sigh, he left the cottage once more, leaving her all alone.

She sat down with a huff, throwing the cloth in her hand across the room.

She let her tears run in frustration.

It was supposed to be a peaceful night where they enjoyed a delightful desert that she has worked hard on making and was going to work hard on decorating.

She was trying to start a life with him. Why did he have to ruin it like that? She wasn’t running. How could she make him believe her?

She desperately wanted, needed Bucky to trust her.

She cried harder, feeling helpless in the face of her orc’s rage as her heart clenched at the thought of a happiness gone so soon.

Part V

~

Tag List:

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[enwoso]

INVISIBLE STRINGS — alessia russo

*i started writing this and loved it then got bored by the end so sorry for the rushed ending:) but thank you for the love and support on my first post!!

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google would define invisible strings as a thread that connects two people who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or the circumstances. the thread may stretch or tangle but it never breaks.

you and alessia both truly believed you were a prime example of the invisible string theory.

the two of you always existing among each other but neither ever really acknowledged each other until later on when you were both older.

you lived on the same street as alessia growing up, only a few doors down, she was the blonde girl you would always see from afar playing in the park with her two older brothers as they blasted the ball at the young girl.

however she always gave back as good as she got.

you had even went to the same school, however she was in the year above you. there were plenty school photos with the two of you in only a few metres apart. walking past each other in the corridor every single day - not having an idea how important each other would become to be to the other in the future.

you had played football for the local team as did she. the blonde playing in offence taking any spot on the front line whereas you sat at the back and played in defence stopping the opposition from scoring.

that is how the two of you met, well kind of. you played for the same team but you two never really friends. it wasn’t that you didn’t like each other it’s just you never really spoke to one another bar the few words when necessary.

however you only played with each other for a few months before she moved onto a new local team. only seeing her now when your team would face her new team.

you both existed in the backgrounds of each others lives.

when you were sixteen, you were scouted by the arsenal's academy for the under seventeens teams, it took you a little time getting used to playing academy football and not the usual sunday league but after a few months you had found your feet and began to settle in.

you had one goal, the england youth squad. your family pushing you each day to try and help you achieve your goal however just a month before the squad announcement you tore your ACL at sixteen.

you were out of football for a year, endless days sat with a physio, in the gym just trying to get your knee to bend again like it once used to. watching from the sidelines as your friends in the academy got their calls up for the youth teams and how you wished it was you.

you felt as though you were fighting a battle you were never going to win, you were falling out of love with sport that you had played your entire life.

after three hundred and sixty two day you were finally allowed to play again, however your return it wasn't the fairy tale dream you had spent the past year dreamed about. you ended up spending a lot of time on the bench not playing as regular as you did before your injury and you spent many of those ninety minutes wondering why you were no longer good enough.

losing all your confidence in yourself and your ability to actually play football - you felt as though you had hit a brick wall. finding yourself some days where you didn't want to play football anymore.

but thankfully your family, mainly your dad, were not going to let you give up so easily on the talent that they had spent watching over the last ten years. your dad repeatedly telling you 'that you time would come'

and like the fairy tale you had dreamed about you slowly begun to get minutes again and fell back in love with sport all over again. forever thankful for your family for their support each day, for sometimes dragging you to training even when you had told them multiple of times that you were done and that you quit.

and you dad was right, your time did come. your hard work finally paid off and just after your nineteenth birthday you made your appearance for the arsenal first time - even bagging yourself an assist.

the next few season were spent learning and being loaned to another other club spending half a season at brighton when you were 20. but you saw it all as learning and a way of improving - you were getting minutes, plenty of clean sheets and you were working towards a new goal: the 2023 world cup.

you were back at arsenal and were a regular starter in the back line for arsenal and with that came your good from and finally your call up for england came as they were beginning their campaign to quality for the world cup in australia.

"are you excited?" leah asked swinging her arm around your shoulders as you walked towards the changing rooms, she had been a big mentor to you since you had came into the first team, along with helping you to improve your game. you could say you became her little prodigy.

the squad had just been announced on social media for the first time and hearing your name on the sheet of paper had you feeling something you could even begin to find the word to describe.

“yes.. but no, i’m a little nervous” you admitted with a small laugh as leah gave you a soft smile and a squeeze of the shoulders to reassure you.

“listen, you’ll be fine! just play with the passion you always have” she said as you nodded slowly, “plus you’ll have me, beth and jordan!” the blonde added as you playfully groaned, leah gasping and unthreading her arm from around your shoulders.

“i’m just kidding, you know i love you all” you smiled, as leah rolled her eyes as you reached the doors of the changing rooms, “i do kiddo! ..but i’m at the top of that list, right?”

“whatever helps you sleep at night, lee!”

leah was right - you were fine. while you didn’t get any starts in any of the games at your first camp, you did get some minutes as a sub which was more than you were expecting. but while sitting on the bench you did find yourself talking to a particular blonde.

“you said you were from kent, didn’t you?” alessia asked as you hummed, a puzzled look growing on your face as you waited for the blonde to carry on. your eyes were glued to the girls running around on the pitch as you sat on the bench with a bright orange bib over your jacket.

“me too! what part?” the blonde asked as you turned your head at the question being slightly caught off guard at the fact she was also from kent.

“um maidstone” you gave her a small smile, your attention turning back to the girls on the pitch as the ball was close to going into the back of the net. alessia gasping making you think she had seen something you had missed on the pitch as well as making you jump a little, “me too!”

you turned back to her, giving her a shocked look. confusion filling you as the two of you spent the rest of camp talking about each others childhood finding out your grew up on the same street as well as going to the same school.

when the next england camp rolled around, you and alessia had became even closer to the point you were counting down the days until you next saw each other.

short and sweet messages turned into hours and hours spent on facetime until the other fell asleep. friendly comments turned into subtle flirty ones and the touches turned to ones that lasted longer than friends and slowly you found yourself falling for the blonde.

the last england camp before the euros in the summer at home had finally arrived, you had arrived at st george’s park with beth and leah but before alessia.

you found yourself sitting patiently in the common room, like a lost puppy waiting for the blonde to walk through the door. the other girls chatting and playing cards in the background.

“kid, if you stare any longer at the doorframe your gonna burn a hole in it!” lucy teased as you glanced away from the doorway for the first time in a least thirty minutes, rolling your eyes at the teasing comment you moved your gaze to fix at watching leah try and beat beth’s high score on the basketball hoop game.

eventually after what felt at least a year to you and fifteen minutes to everyone else - the blonde walked through with ella, as she made a beeline for you as you wrapped her in a tight hug.

the two of you finding a rhythm and falling into a deep conversation about all the things you had forgotten to tell each other over the phone.

“so then me and ella had to stop, so i could get a coffee and she-“ alessia was in the middle of telling you a recount of her journey here before you interrupted her with a big gasp, jumping up out of your seat to find your phone quickly.

“what?” alessia asked as she watched you frantically search for your phone on the beanbag you were sitting on - finding it wedged under the beanbag.

“i have to show you this before i forget!” you said a grin on your face getting bigger with ever swipe your finger did on your phone screen. moving closer to the blonde, your shoulders touching as she peered over your own shoulder wondering what on earth you were about to show her and why was it such a big deal.

"look-" you moved your phone so that it was in her eye line and on your screen was a group school photo, "i don’t get it? what am i looking at?" the blonde asked her squinted her eyes trying to get a better look at the photo.

"there's me and.." you paused as she pointed to herself as a small gasp followed from her, "and there's me" alessia whispered, so quietly you also couldn't hear her. shock has consumed the blonde and you sat back with a smug smile as she examined the photo a little more.

"how’d you find this?" alessia asked as she turned her head back to you, handing you back your phone, "my mum sent me them,, there's more if you swipe across" you said beginning to swipe along your camera roll.

the two of you spent the next hour looking through the photos, some from school and others from your grassroots club, recounting each others side of the memories both of you in shock of how close you to were to each other growing but in reality how far you were to each other.

"we've literally been in the background of each other lives forever" alessia smiled as you nodded. "attached by an invisible string" you added.

the international camp came to an end and you both went back to your respective clubs, this time the two of you were making an effort to see each other without it being on a pitch or about football — so on your days off you went to see alessia and on her days off she came to see you.

your feelings for alessia were growing each time you saw her, her smile was infectious, her blue orbs were the most beautiful thing you had ever seen. but you didn't want to admit your feelings to her in case it ruined your friendship, plus why would she like you back, alessia sees you as a friend and a friend only.

or so you thought.

"less, why don't you just admit you have feelings for the girl!" ella said as she caught the blonde smiling at her phone knowing that she was messaging you.

"w-what" the blonde stuttered her phone dropping into her lap. "less, we can all see that you like her!" ella paused as alessia's cheeks tinted red, "except for y/n - but she definitely likes you too!"

"she does?"

"of course, everyone can see the way you both look at each other!" ella said bumping her shoulder with the older blonde as alessia gave her a small smile and nodded processing the information that had just been given to her.

before the euros came around in the summer alessia managed to make the first move taking you on the first date — a fancy dinner accompanied by going back to her apartment and spending the rest of the night cuddled into each other while watching a film.

the euros had come and you were back with alessia and the rest of the england girls. the tournament had been the best time of your life making unforgettable memories with the girls. slipping in a few dates with alessia when you two had some downtime.

you were just beginning to enter the second half of extra time the score being 1-1 in the final, yes the final at wembley. the little girl inside of you was buzzing with excitement, you couldn't believe you were going to get to play here. your whole family had made the trip to wembley, sitting proudly in the crowd.

it was england's chance to score, germany had conceded the corner. alex was hovering over it to take it as white shirts littered germanys penalty area.

the ball swing in as everyone jumped up, you watched alessia drop to the ground and then watched as chloe poked the ball into the back of the net. chloe running off to celebrate as the stadium erupted, as you all gathered around chloe celebrating.

all you had to do was hold on for the next ten minutes and the trophy was englands.

keeping the ball in the corner, desperately waiting for the final whistle to blow.

germany had one last chance but before it got into the final half the whistle blew, england where european champions.

running to the closest person near you which happened to be leah, engulfing her in a hug as the tears began to fall. "we did it!" you whispered as she hummed, the two of you sniffing and wiping your eyes and going off to celebrate with the others but your eye caught the sight of your favourite blonde moving toward her.

you don't know if it was the adrenaline of the win that was flowing or if you had finally just grew the confidence to say it but after months of dancing around your feelings for the blonde.

you ran up swinging your arm around her neck, as you both cheered before you faced her grabbing her hands, "less! will you be my girlfriend" you blurted out, clearly catching the blonde of guard as her head perked up, alessia thinking she had misheard you before nodding, "yes, a thousand time yes!" 

you smiled bringing the blonde in for a bear hug, not wanting to let go. enjoying her touch, it made you feel safe and loved. as she pulled away she wrapped an arm around your shoulders pulling you into her, kissing the top of your head lingering there for a few moments.

"all along there's been an invisible string tying me to you."

liked by lucybronze and 915,703 others

alessia day one or one day?

comments -

lucybronze well y/n looks thrilled on the first one

24m 140 likes     reply

-> yourusername she annoyed me that day.

-> alessia how on earth can you remember that?

-> yourusername i can’t? i’m just guessing that you did

yourusername i love you<3

24m 140 likes     reply

-> alessia love you more, my love<33

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Writeblr intro post

So yeah when I first came here I didn't know this was a thing so I've been working on this in the background. Now that it won the poll, I'm making it now!

I'm going to edit this post as I go so it has more links as I make posts about my WIPs!

About Me

Hi. Call me Kaylin. It's a pen name but I like it. (Some people are just finding out this isn't my real name and y'all should've read the bio)

I'm an education major and do writing on the side and it's a huge passion of mine (hence why I want to teach literacy)

Asexual demiromantic sapphic (she/her) currently in a relationship - (I am comfortable within reason to talk about my experiences)

Love ask games and tag games and generally interacting with others

Love reblogging mutuals' writing talking about WIPs!

21+ but my WIPs are YA - I don't usually reblog anything with a mature community label (sorry in advance for mutuals who do), but when I do I mark it 18+ and I try to label content warnings (LET ME KNOW IF I MISSED SOMETHING)

I'm an educator by heart so I love giving feedback, know a lot about kids, and of course education psychology and theory

I have minor scoliosis, early start of arthritis in my hands, and chronic headaches and migraines attacks in control with medication if anyone needs to ask me about these experiences for writing purposes. I also occasionally use a cane due to knee pain from an injury.

I have an ultimate get to know me game if you want to check that out

My asks are always open! Feel free to stop in whenever you want!

My WIPs

The Secret Portal

See linked intro post for more detail!

YA sci-fi/fantasy

Planned to be a five book series

Quick version: A bunch of adolescents discover a portal to a dimension populated by people with powers. There's also a war. Yayyy.

The first installment is currently in the process of being read by beta readers. Apply to be one here!

One to five game

Q&A (open at any time!)

Tagged as #the secret portal, #tsp, or #teaspoon if you want to give it a nickname. #tsp updates and #tsp excerpt are used as well. All characters get their own tag and #alium will be used when talking about my world building

Ask to be added to or removed from the tag list! @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites @the-golden-comet

School of the Legends

See linked intro post for more detail!

YA urban fantasy fairy tale retelling

International school for people with gifts (born with), majicks (learn), and curses (given).

Currently in planning stage but five chapters have been written.

One to five game

Tagged as #school of the legends and #sotl. Also use #sotl updates and #sotl excerpt, though not as often as TSP

Ask to be added to or removed from the tag list! @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

I have a WIP questionnaire I have gone for BOTH TSP and SOTL!

Other Ideas

It Was All Just a Dream - (linked WIP questionnaire) high school senior gets an entire redemption arc via vivid dream

The Emerald of Secrets - temporary title for vague fairy fantasy idea

Perspectives - we watch the same event five times in a row from different perspectives

Eternity - temporary title for a supernatural detective story

The Others - temporary title for a sci-fi apocalypse story

There are more but these are the main ones

What I Post or Reblog

Updates on my writing

Tag games and ask games! I love them dearly but it may take a bit to reply! I have a lot piled up and not all of them are simple. But I will get to them!!

Writing from others

Writing advice

Beta requests, book announcements, and intro posts to help boost!

I try to keep things positive! If I see a negative post about writing I'll usually reblog it with some positive spin. Sorry if that's annoying but it makes me sad that people aren't happy about writing.

I always try to include image IDs to make my blog accessible - if something is incorrect or you have any suggestions for making IDs better let me know!

[cassieb1617]

Risky nights under the moon💌

Pairing: Remus Lupin x fem!reader

Angst

Summary: Submitted to the power of the full moon, Remus accidentally hurts the one person he swore to never hurt, how will they handle the complicated situation that takes place in Hogwarts‘ hospital wing?

Warnings: reader get injured but nothing too badly, Remus feels so bad about it, mentions of scars, language I think, let me know if there‘s more

A/N: this is probably far from canon because I honestly have no idea about werewolves but I hope you enjoy it anyway! And yes, in my head Poppy knows about the Marauders animagi abilities.

To be fair, you knew the risks. All of you did, Peter, Sirius, James and you. Remus knew you knew the risks too. Remus grew restless under the full moon, not that that is his fault. It was an accident and all of you knew that. Remus can‘t control himself when he‘s moony but he was always more gentle with you. Why Moony was that way no one knew but it started back in the middle of fifth year. The boys noticed that, of course they did, but they blamed it on the fact that the wolf can probably smell that you‘re a female not a male and he felt protective of you because of that. It didn‘t truly make sense but it was one explanation. Another one was James‘ theory. In his eyes it was all pretty clear. Remus was in love with you so Moony was as well but the problem in his theory? Remus hadn‘t realized how deeply in love with you he was.

Madam Pomfrey was by far the best mother-figure Remus ever had. His father hated werewolves and when Remus got bitten by one which resulted in him being one as well, his father had given him to an orphanage. Remus was only a kid, barely a kid actually when he lost his family through another man‘s revenge. Madam Pomfrey was caring about him since his first year at Hogwarts, she knew about his monthly trip in the woods and she tended his injuries with a care that only a mother had. She was also the only other person who knew about Remus‘ friends' little secret: that they are animagi. The woman had seen the worst of Remus‘ transitions, his first ones here in Hogwarts where he thought he would be alone and some where he came out with more scars littering his body than before. But this one was the messiest she had seen in all the six years the woman had known him. 

You came in the middle of the night to the hospital wing with Peter by your side, helping you to walk. The woman barely had time to recognize your pained cries and Peter‘s helpless shouts for help before she saw you two. Your arm was around his shoulder to help you not to fall down. There was a big slash across your thigh that reached downwards to your knee. The full moon was still not over but that wasn‘t Pomfrey‘s thought. She already had a theory on what happened and she certainly wasn‘t ready for the morning if the night already smelled like trouble. „It‘s a hard moon?“

At her question, you nodded numbly as she led you and Peter to the hospital bed, thanking every God out there that you were alone. „He- it was an accident but he slashed me, Poppy, it hurts. Please, make the pain go away!“ Your cries for help broke the poor woman‘s heart. She knew that you didn‘t just meet your pain but also Remus‘ pain of hurting you. Pomfrey had her wand out as she warned you, „This will hurt for a bit, my dear, but it will numb the pain.“ She muttered a spell and you hissed in pain, holding Peter‘s hand a tad tighter for comfort. The short boy bit his other fist as to not scream from you grip and shook his hands as you let go of his hand. 

„Oh, fuck! Sorry, Pete, didn‘t want to hurt you.“ Madam Pomfrey shook her head at your words, of course you would apologize to him when your leg got critically hurt. Pete waved his hand in dismissal and you smiled at the older healer, „Thanks, Poppy. It doesn‘t hurt anymore, you can work your magic now.“ The woman smiled at you and began healing you with spells, giving you a few potions against the pain and with that you called it a night, Peter sleeping on a neighborly hospital bed as you waited for the morning. 

Sirius and James were worried. They already predicted that this full moon would be a harder one, Remus was more stressed and more on edge the week before the night, far more than usual. They‘ve been helping the scarred boy on full moons since fifth year and they got hurt a lot, sometimes because Moony decided deer looked fascinating tasty that night or because a dog was a good playdate but Moony has never hurt you. Sweet you who cared so much about Remus that even Moony was protective of you. The pair of best friends knew the feelings that Remus held for you but on the first full moon they realized just how strong they were. Whenever Padfoot, Prongs or Wormtail came close to your animagus form, Moony would growl or even latch out, shielding you from the other guys. This time though you got hurt and your whole group knew that it was Moony. He didn‘t bite you but the scratching of his claws did enough damage. You were bleeding and Sirius and James would forever remember the moment Moony‘s eyes shifted as he realized he had hurt you, precious, loving you. 

Moony ran away after that, deeper into the woods and it was an agreement they made beforehand that if someone got hurt, Peter would go with them. It was nothing personal, obviously, but someone had to follow Remus and Peter was the smallest due to his animagus. This was the case this time, you got hurt so Peter helped you to the hospital wing as the two other boys followed the confused wolf into the forbidden forest. Remus was fast and more aggressive after he hurt you, Prongs and Padfoot almost got as hurt as you did as well but they always escaped in the last second before another critical injury was inflicted. 

In the morning, Remus, Sirius and James woke up in the Shrieking Shack again. Remus‘ memory was always vague after a night in the full moon but this time it wasn‘t. Remus can remember exactly the moment the night went into a disaster, the moment he hurt you. And not just a small scratch, no he slashed your thigh. The three boys knew that Madam Pomfrey would come in any minute to bring them to the hospital wing and Sirius and James were not prepared for the upcoming storm of emotion from Remus that they knew for sure would come any minute. They heard the footsteps from outside just as predicted and a few moments later Poppy opened the door and held her hand in with a few old clothes for Remus. Sirius stood up, took the clothes and thanked Madam Pomfrey as he handed them to the naked boy on the ground. James and Sirius turned around as he got dressed, helping him with his pants or sweater when needed. Madam Pomfrey stepped in when they gave her the ready and together, they brought the taller boy to the hospital wing, not yet ready for Remus‘ emotional outburst.  

The moment they stepped into the hospital wing, Peter was up on his feet to greet them. You would come too but Madam Pomfry told you to keep it easy and walk as little as possible. You watched as Sirius and James hovered him to the hospital bed next to you that didn‘t hold Peter moments before. James looked at you and you watched as his eyes drifted to your leg. His eyebrows raised slightly and his eyes moved back to yours, he motioned to help you to come over and you nodded. Remus was already lying in bed, Madam Pomfrey next to it and already tending his wounds. James helped you sit up as Sirius was pulling a chair for you next to Remus‘ bed. The two boys helped you up and into the chair, Peter getting your blanket and throwing it over you. You reached for Remus‘ hand as his wounds were treated by Madam Pomfrey. 

„How are you feeling?“ You asked the question as soon as Madam Pomfrey stepped away, eager to hear if the night got worse after you got injured or if things quieted down. Remus looked, understandably, tired. He had dark bags under his eyes and fresh wounds that were still fresh pink. His grip on your hand was weak but it was there, a sign of comfort coming over you. „Doesn‘t matter, how are you? I- I‘m so sorry that I hurt you. I don‘t know what‘s gotten into me-„ 

You interrupted him before he could even start blaming himself, the Marauders watching the interaction with heartbreak in their eyes. „Oh, Remus. It‘s not your fault and not Moony‘s either. You aren‘t you on the full moon and it‘s always a risk to go out with you and the rest in the nights. I know the risks of getting hurt and I did it anyway. It‘s not your fault, Remus. If anything, it‘s mine.“ 

The boy shook his head at you and tears gathered in his eyes. The three animagi next to you two looked at the scene in sadness. Whenever one of them got hurt on the full moon, Remus always believed it to be his fault. „I hurt you, I did that. You shouldn‘t even come to the full moon with us, with me, none of you should.“ 

James intervened with Remus‘ statement next, „Now, Moony, don‘t exaggerate the situation. She got hurt, yes, so did we all at one point but don‘t you realize that we help you a lot on those nights? You‘re a lot calmer and getting hurt is normal.“ The curly haired boy gestured to you, „It may seem bad now but Poppy‘ll fix her up in no time and she‘s gonna be alright again.“

„Listen, this is the first time you hurt her and she‘s tough, she‘ll get through this.“ Sirius' words made Remus flush slightly but the boy still looked as guilty as ever. 

„Remus, every other full moon you kind of, like, protect me. It‘s truly okay if you hurt me once. I may not be able to properly walk now but I will in no time. And anyway, I will have a badass scar on my leg now and imagine how cool it will be when someone asks for it: „How did you get the scar on your leg?“ - „Oh, I survived a werewolf attack!“ That‘s pretty badass isn‘t it? I almost have to thank you.“ Your giddy smile and words made the group smile and even Remus cracked his tense expression up a bit. You had imitated voices as you spoke and it helped let Remus lose a lot. You reached your hand out to smother his brow, „I‘m going to be OK, Remus, don‘t you worry about me.“

The boys shook their heads at you two, „You know, you would think they‘d be a couple by now but no, they have to take their special time.“ Sirius mumbled words made  Peter and James crackle and you and Remus looked at them in confusion. „What did you say, Sirius?“ The long haired boy shut up at your words and the group laughed as you and Remus shook your head at them. 

Madam Pomfrey watched the group with a smile, the older woman couldn‘t wait to hear the words of you and Remus dating, having rooted for you two since she first saw you at the hospital wing after the full moon. Youmay not be together now but she knew you will be. 

[luhafraser]

Anons in my inbox... Sorry... I'm not ignoring you, but what do you want me to say? Nothing new here...

New Blah Blahlands?!

Another blah blah blah book... Nothing new in this "I had Covid" speech or have you guys already forgotten the Xmas 2021 - QT LA playlist on Spotify?! ... He's just unfolding a script that he created in December 2021... There was his "wee" accident too... A series of misfortunes... True or not?! Believe what you want... 😜🤣 Fact is that at the beginning of January 2022 he no longer had anything (or he wouldn't have gone to the Chargers game with Marina and Alex), he was in LA and I don't need to mention where Caitríona was, right?!

(The best part was Cait giving her location in a interview, where she was supposedly at the end of 2021 - London -, and this article being published on January 1, 2022... Because it's very common for Cait to give her location! 😜🤣)

All the "clans" in this fandom are fed with these books... We already had "the gardener" Sam, the bluebell flower thing, and now even the believers in gay theory are well served with this pathetic description of Sam and his flirtations.

Oh... And the article in The Telegraph? He should be ashamed of that. But tell me... How many thousands of people, from outside this fandom, are going to read and/or pay attention to that?

Of course, one or other will read it because of the usual bait...

Oh and of course, JJ...

Regarding this "I don't have time for relationships because of my work", I already gave my opinion in another post.

It doesn't make any sense... After all, he supposedly had relationships years ago while filming Outlander.

---

Years ago (2019) a well-known shipper stopped believing that Sam and Caitríona had children (in secret)... One of her statements to stop believing is exactly what Sam has been using for a while to justify why he doesn't have a relationship/family. She even said that Sam would never deny his child...

Well, I don't blame this shipper, far from it... But let's be honest, SC use a lot of what we talk about here... Very little in favor and much more against shippers' beliefs.

Sam for Philippine Daily Inquirer magazine, in early 2020:

He probably added "the trauma of his father's absence" in Waypoints book, to cause commotion and be a slightly better excuse than that lame one used first?!

And the announcement of the blonde child, in August 2021, was a blow delivered using what that and other shippers started to claim. We are often our own worst enemies, even if unintentionally.

---

And what Sam said about "his daughter"... Well... He didn't lie. He doesn't have a daughter WITH MM...

😜🤣

---

It's as if the SC is always on the defensive, justifying something... Which seems strange at first, but... If Sam just said "I'm single because I want to be"... That wouldn't tease us, right? Maybe not in the same way... It probably wouldn't cause a buzz talk (here)... Anyone outside of this fandom will see just another unknown actor, who is not romantically involved with his co-star (and that's what they want).

It's been years of the same....

All of this crossed the line of ridiculousness, and when the world outside is so chaotic, sometimes it is impossible to have fun and be distracted by this circus. Sorry, Anons.

[tiramissyoucake]

Payback For A Damaged Doll

Sae itoshi X reader, royalty X commoner au this is kinda part 2 cuz established relationship/marriage, characters are 18+, Sae is borderline yandere but not fully, Rin cameo, approx 2.8k words

CW: NSFW, injury (ankle sprain), some dirty talk, oral f!Receiving, very minor violence like just 2 slaps, reader’s footsies hurt :((, no proof reading

Note: TYSM for the love on the prince Sae fic here is another part but this time make it horny, im gonna go to sleep and play games now

Sae prided himself on the quality he saw in things, weapons, items, artifacts and even people. He could tell a great deal just from one glance at the person’s stance, eyes and small movements.

When he married you he knew you were resilient and had a high tolerance for pain as you carried yourself with grace even as a corset crushed your ribs into a fitted shape. As a commoner you couldn’t have been used to these expensive corsets or high heels and yet you still held out in the painful ways of royal fashion all for the sake of presenting yourself in your best image and by extension, him as well.

Yet today, he saw you break

Sae had been leading you to the family archives for the sake of brushing up on your knowledge for a meeting later; this was just to be sure you’d understand the topic of discussion. The peaceful chirping of birds outside the windows as he passed them with you following behind him layered by the sound of footsteps echoing in the halls put his mind at ease, until he heard you let out a surprised noise, he would have thought you had tumbled down to the ground due to just a simple misstep had he not heard the familiar popping sound of a sprain.

His beautiful doll, struggling to stand properly as passing attendants and servants scrambled to help you stand back up, the sight agonized him. 

Sae shooed the servants as they tried to help you stand and he opted to picking you up by hooking his arm under your knees and pulling your torso up to his chest; a bridal carry.

“Bring a doctor to our quarters, now.”

“Yes, your highness!” One of the servants spoke and they all rushed off to either continue their work or attend to his order, he hurriedly walked back to your shared room- the only thing he heard from your soft lips were promised that you were fine that were immediately betrayed by a hiss of pain. He shushed you as you tried to complain again, knowing you were too stubborn to accept his help.

“Be quiet-“

“I promise I’m okay! It was just an accident! I can walk just- ah..! Fine..!” Sae felt his chest tighten, both at your bold-faced lie and the pain you felt.

“I’ve sparred enough with my brother to know what a sprain sounds like, you are hurt and I won’t stand to let you push through it.” His insistence silenced you, he was just as stubborn it seemed.

After he had settled you on your shared bed he moved down to check your feet seeing that a swelling was indeed forming around your ankle, he hurriedly loosened your clothes and pulled off whatever accessories or garments that would be a hassle for you however his movements were interrupted by your hand over his.

He couldn’t help but notice the way you flinched when his hands went to fix your legs and brushed over the heel of your feet.

“Sae- please, calm down for a moment, look at me..” you sat up a bit, not moving your ankle as he listened to your command staying in his place as your hand caressed his cheek.

“I’m alright, this will heal and I will be back to walking in no time! You said it was a sprain? I’ve had plenty of those growing up—“

“You don’t understand-“ Sae interrupted you and then himself as he let out a shaky sigh, pulling your hand closer to his cheek and kissing your palm “it.. something or someone caused this, I’m sure of it..”

His affections and theories intrigued you so much you couldn’t help but smile “and what are your speculations, my king?” You coaxed him to continue and he did so.

“… since you have been brought to the palace for me, to marry me, you’ve been so resilient…” he emphasized his words with a soft kiss to your wrist, his actions tugged at your heartstrings.

“Your stubbornness to surrender to the difficulties this shift has thrown at you amazes me, (Name). In all of your time here I have never heard a complaint from you, only questions on how to work around this life.” The way he says your name, as if he could taste sweetness on his tongue whenever he uttered it.

Sae’s hold on your hand tightened as he caressed your skin, he remained alert of his strength so he wouldn’t hurt you. “Which is why I believe.. you got hurt now because you have been neglecting to tell me of your pain, I do not wish to label you a liar but… can you tell me the truth, love?”

You felt guilt pool in your chest and spread like an unwelcome weed “… I assure you, I’m okay dear—“

“No- no, you are not! You’re!!…” he stopped himself from continuing as his frustration grew, he loved you and sometimes your dishonesty for the sake of not letting him worry only makes him want to shake you by your shoulders and demand you to be more selfish in your needs and wants, to recognize your position as his queen.

He stopped as a servant knocked, he granted them permission and they opened the door guiding the doctor inside, as the prince explained what happened the doctor confirmed that it could indeed be a sprain and explained a simple treatment.

The prince stepped out the room, unable to face his lover after making such an accusation towards you, he could feel you stare longingly at his back as the doctor began using a compressive cloth on your ankle. Sae decided it would be best to let you rest as he walked to calm his mind before talking to you again, he didn’t want his anger to get the best of him.

“All this for a sprained ankle?” A familiar voice spoke from behind Sae, he turned and found his younger brother Rin, hand resting his sword’s hilt indicating he is either returning or going to train in the courtyard.

“Leave me be, I have work to do”

“You mean digging into your conspiracy theory about how your wife sprained her ankle? That should be an easy solve.”

Sae immediately deduced he already has the answer, turning to him Rin would have grown concerned at his brother’s expression if he didn’t overhear your conversation.

“Speak, or I will make you.” Sae spoke through gritted teeth, he knew his suspicions were correct; something triggered this domino effect. You had always been strong in the face of this life so for you to suddenly get hurt like this was no coincidence of a ‘misstep’.

Rin was tempted to keep silent just to spite his egotistical older brother, but he only decided to tell him because he was actually fond of you, you weren’t an uninteresting snob of a royal and it would be his fault if something happened to you again.

“Well.. are you familiar with her dance instructor?”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Rage, nothing but unbridled rage filled Sae’s mind and soul as a violent urge tingled at his finger tips.

‘I passed by the dance instructor’s ballroom lessons with her a multitude of times.. I assumed you knew of how harsh he was at scolding her or overworking her feet.’ His brother had reported to him the day prior, how has he never heard of this?

That rotten excuse of a dance instructor probably faked being polite and understanding to you whenever he would overlook your lessons just to stay on his good side, Sae mentally berated himself for never picking up on this.

Sae announced to you that you were excused from your duties to rest including from your classes, you wanted to argue as he moved about the room and wore his lavish clothes. He approached you and sat on the edge of the bad tipping your head up by your chin to face him properly, he couldn’t help but smile

“How are you this morning, my love?”

“My ankle is still in pain but.. I’m happy to see you have calmed yourself after yesterday.” He didn’t miss your guilty tone, concern riddled his features.

“I apologize for raising my voice at you yesterday, I grew scared and restless and took it out on you and for that I give my deepest apologies— you have every right to hate me for it…” he emphasized his apologetic regret by kissing the top of your hand longingly.

“No— it’s alright love, I understand, I would feel the same god forbid anything happens to you..” his heart twisted in his chest, even like this you would love him? He doesn’t deserve you.

“I have to go deal with a few errands, I will come check on you in the afternoon. I love you.” Sae settled a kiss to your forehead, getting up and bidding you farewell

“I love you as well!”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“… your highness?” The dance instructor was surprised to find the prince in the ballroom during your class time, the prince got up from his chair throwing aside his book.

“You’re late.” The prince simply noted, the instructor spoke again.

“Forgive me, sir- I had a problem this morning—“

“Did I say you could speak?” Sae immediately interrupted and circled the instructor slowly, hands clenched at his side as he watched the puny man as if sizing him up to eat- but he wouldn’t do that, vermin is too disgusting to digest.

The instructor grew silent and Sae stood infront of him, he wore an indiscernible expression that teetered on bored or disappointed.

“How is my wife’s ballroom dance technique, instructor?”

Silence, Sae grew irritated.

“Do you need to be told when to speak, like a child?” The instructor flinched at this and stuttered, debating on what to say

“W-well She is.. ah, a wonderful student!”

Sae approached the instructor as he spoke, he squawked random assessments for the sake of satisfying the prince and he could feel his stomach churn in disgust at this pathetic attempt to satisfy him.

The instructor was interrupted by a back-handed strike to the face that left his ear ringing and his cheek reddening.

“Do not lie to satisfy my suspicions, you buffoon.” Sae began “I know what you’ve been doing, I know my wife’s feet are in pain because of you, she fell and sprained her ankle.”

The instructor suddenly found his tongue heavy in his mouth “with all due respect- I don’t understand how I’m at fault, sir..?!”

SMACK! Another strike, Sae was tempted to begin punching the daylights out of him.

“You dare speak back to your king, pleb?”

Nothing the instructor could say would put Sae at ease, there is no doubt, this slime had the gall to overwork his dear wife and act as if he was doing a favor.

“The woman I love, the woman I married- your QUEEN has sprained her ankle as a result of your foolishness, I should have you hanged for treason.” Sae’s tone was dangerously low as he stared down the shivering instructor, every fiber of his being was screaming for him to break this man’s legs just like how he’s exhausted yours.

For a moment, his humanity came back to him as he remembered you lying in your bed waiting for him to return; what would you say if you knew he killed a man over you? He wanted this fool dead yet he knew his actions would transform into guilt and it would weigh down your beautiful soul. Sae can’t let himself do that, not to you.

“Leave this kingdom, and never return.” The instructor kept his head down as the prince chose the merciful route, so you won’t feel a splatter of blood on your loving hands.

A rational part of him wanted to tell him this was all immoral and illogical, but how would morality and logic serve him if you’d gotten a worse injury? It was a sprain now, what if it had been a broken bone or something more severe? What then? No, he had to nip the problem in the bud, all for the sake of his queen’s safety.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

You received news of your dance lessons being postponed indefinitely due to your instructor having to move away for familial reasons. A replacement instructor will be provided soon, you were happy with this news, the old dance instructor was so cruel to you and you were tempted to tell your husband but you didn’t want to act like a spoiled brat, not after everything he’s given you.

The door creaked open, your husband returned to visit you right as the first hour of the afternoon began, punctual as always. He approached you with a small smile and kissed you briefly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “How is your ankle, my love?”

“The pain is still there but it’s more of a dull ache, thank you for asking..” you set down the book you’d been reading after setting in the bookmark, he offered you his hand and you accepted.

“I’m glad, I only hope the pain subsides faster…” Sae squeezed your hand gently, his gaze slowly shifting from the intense stare he maintained in his everyday life to a soft look he would only look at you with.

“My dear.. you know I love you, correct?” Sae asked and you nodded, smiling with those tempting lips of yours.

“Is there something wrong, Sae?” He held back a shake that wracked his body from a shiver, the way you said his name made him want to thank his parents for giving him that name, he shook his head.

“It’s nothing love, I just… I worry for you.. and I miss you..” he finished his sentence as he leaned forward and captured your lips with his, kissing you so tenderly as if you were a brittle rose. One kiss turned into two, two turned to three, now he had you laying on your back as he kissed your neck softly, one of his hands intertwining his fingers with yours and the other hiking up your nightdress.

“You’re divine, my love…” he whispered to you as he bit at the flesh of your neck, causing you to let out a sharp gasp that fueled his desire for you. He kissed at your neck and went down to your collarbone, stopping at the very top of your breasts and looking up at you with a desperate stare.

“May I taste you? It’s been so long, need to taste you..” had he been sobered up from the Lust he would have cringed at himself for this desperation but right now he didn’t care, he wanted your approval which you granted with a shy ‘yes, darling’ that melted his heart.

Sae was careful not to go near your ankle as he settled himself between your legs, licking his lips and moving your nightdress out of the way. He mentally thanked whichever servant helped dress you for leaving you without undergarments, holding your thighs apart as his hair tickled your inner thigh.

He licked a long stripe covering your entire slit in his spit, he repeated the action to ensure soaking you before beginning to suck and lick at your cunt like a man starved. Happy grunts from him and overwhelmed moans from you filled the room as your husband fucked you with his tongue.

“Louder, my love..” he mumbled between slurps, now targeting your clit and sucking to ensure your pleasure “I want the entire palace to hear you coming undone on my tongue…” he demanded and who were you to deny your king?

You ran one hand through his hair as he continued licking up your juices, desperate for more of you, your heart pounded in your chest as a familiar feeling bundled inside you. Sae could feel it, he could hear it in your beautiful moans, he shoved his face deeper between your legs licking and sucking with more vigor now.

“Sae— oh... Sae! Haa.. my king..! I love you..!” He could die between your legs as he heard your declarations of love, he tightened his hold on your thighs fingers pressing into the soft flesh, and licked at your clit rapidly, switching between licking and sucking just so he could have you drench his face.

He could tell you were close when your hold on his hair tightened, this was his signal for him to move his mouth faster and encourage you “mmmpf- yes, yes, cum on my tongue love, cum on your king’s tongue..” His words were layered with the wetness of his spit and your slick colliding with his tongue.

You stilled as pleasure washed over you in waves as your husband brought you over the edge, moving your hips as he let you use his tongue to ride out your orgasm he couldn’t help but smile, sitting up and making sure you were decent before crawling next to you.

Sae licked his lips to clean any residue left behind, sighing in satisfaction “Sweeter than the finest ambrosia~” he cooed and you couldn’t help but smile at his sweet words, tugging him down to kiss him.

[bmodiwrites]

I got a request for single dad!steve & I'm so here for it! I think this little ficlet is going to be the first part in a little series. I have so many ideas, so let me know what you think!

It’s a rare Thursday off that changes Eddie’s life forever.

He’s sitting on his favorite bench in the park when a high pitched yell catches his attention. Looking up from the drawing he’s been zoned into for the past hour, Eddie glances left and then right over his shoulder to see a small girl trying not to cry on the ground.

As a children’s librarian, Eddie is more than familiar with the little lip wobble that’s happening and the usual tears that follow. If he were back at work, his arsenal of book references and character impressions would be the perfect fix. Out in the wild, Eddie isn’t as well equipped.

It doesn’t take a genius to comfort a hurt person, however.

Setting aside his pencil and sketch book, Eddie gets up from the bench and walks quietly over to the little girl. He’s impressed she’s not screaming with agony – the scrape on her knee is worse than most and more than worth a wail or two. Instead of questioning this little girl’s integrity as he approaches, Eddie slowly kneels down in front of her.

“Everything okay over here? I was halfway through my drawing of a goblin when I thought I heard one squealing in the grass.”

It only takes a second of sniffing for the girl to look up at him with a wet attempt at a smile. “I’m not a goblin. I’m a girl. A human girl.” Said girl tries to sound defiant and strong, despite the tears still welling up in her eyes. She’s so close to forgetting her pain, it’s almost comical.

“Are you sure? Some of the goblins I’ve seen sort of look like little girls. They even have pigtails like you,” Eddie says, pointing at the two long braids thrown over either shoulder. The pink helmet she’s wearing does nothing to hide them.  

Just like that, the little girl’s mind is no longer on the injury to her knee – instead, her ire is pointed right at Eddie and his theory on goblins. It’s both sharp and adorable. Especially when the little girl says “I’m absolutely positive. My name is Judy and I’m a human girl, not a goblin.”

This time, Eddie can’t help himself, a chuckle is let loose.

“Okay, okay. You’re a human girl. I just needed to make sure. Goblins are very tricky and I like to know what I’m getting myself into.” Eddie pauses for a second to watch Judy’s eyes grow as interest in his words settle in. It’s still astounding to see wonder light up a person’s world.

Instead of lingering on that thought, Eddie puts a hand between them, intent on introducing himself the proper way now that her goblin status is ironed out. “It’s very nice to meet you, Judy. I’m Eddie.”

Judy doesn’t hesitate to slip her little hand into Eddie’s. Her grip is firm and so is the look she gives him as they shake hands. “There’s a man at the library that’s named Eddie. My daddy talks about him all the time.”

For a second, Eddie is stumped by the girl’s ability to be so candid and loose with her words. He always forgets that children have no filter; it’s both gloriously refreshing and shocking as all hell. Once he’s past the initial rock of his world, Eddie tries to push past his befuddlement. “Huh, it’s kind of a small world. I’m the children’s librarian at the library in town.”

Judy’s adorable hazel eyes lit up as Eddie spoke, realization colors her expression. “That’s why you look so familiar! You’re Mr. Munson, who does all the voices when you read.” She crosses her arms then, trying to look petulant. “No wonder you thought I was a goblin!”

After that, it’s easy to check over Judy’s wounds while they talk about the book he’s going to be reading at story time this week. She’s a fast learner that immediately catches onto the runaround that Eddie is trying to subtly give her. By the third attempt at asking him for the book’s title, Judy gives up with a loud sigh. “You grownups and your secrets. Don’t tell me, then!”

Eddie believes he might cave into the cutest little pout he’s ever seen, but his willpower comes back just in time. “You’ll have to come to story time to find out. The surprise is half the fun.”

Before Judy can agree with him, another loud voice registers in Eddie’s ears. This time, it’s very deep and masculine, more than likely belonging to the dad that Judy’s been mumbling about. He’s proven right a second later when she pipes up “I’m over here, daddy!”

Eddie is not prepared at all for the sight of Judy’s dad running towards them. Everything from the moment Eddie heard Judy’s voice to the familiarity of talking to her makes sense now – Judy’s father is the man Eddie’s been checking out behind the counter for months. The strong thighs and wide shoulders are strong players in Eddie’s fantasies. To be perfectly honest, it’s all a bit too much.

He’s thinking about how small the world really is when that deep voice cuts in –

“Judy, oh my god – I thought you got lost on the path again. What happened to you? Are you okay?”

It’s almost like Eddie isn’t standing right there with a couple of his lunch napkins pressed to Judy’s leg. Even Judy seems to think so.

“Daddy, I’m fine. Eddie is taking care of me. He’s the man from the library, daddy. That does the voices!”

Like he’s been shocked, Judy’s dad jolts to the present where Eddie is there next to him, where their shoulders are brushing and a little girl is watching the whole thing unfold. Eddie lets him come back to himself before using his free hand to wave. “Hi, Judy’s Dad!”

The worried look that’s been on the man’s face since he walked drops down to the ground with Judy’s bike, only to be replaced with a soft smile, sort of like the one Judy first flashed him a few minutes ago. Eddie’s taken aback by how beautiful the man is – despite him being kind of a jerk for a quick second, Eddie is absolutely still on board the hot dad train. Especially now that he knows the little girl the dad belongs to.

They share a look that’s way too long in the presence of such a young person, so Eddie clears his throat. Only then does Judy’s dad start acting like a human again. “I’m Steve. Steve Harrington. Not uh – not just Judy’s dad.”

“Steve Harrington. You’re the middle school guidance counselor, right? I supply a lot of books to Nancy in the library and she’s always talking about you. I had no idea this little one was the kid she’s forever going on about.”

“Yeah, yeah that’s me. I – you know Nancy? It’s crazy to think we’ve been running in the same circles and never met before.” Steve’s cheeks turn a little red then, almost as if he’s admitting to something more than just curiosity.

It’s a gorgeous sight, one that Eddie hopes he gets to see more often.

“She’s been trying to get me to meet her friend Steve for a while. I never thought much about being set up but now I’m kind of sorry I never took her up on the offer.” He stops for a second and looks between a dad and his daughter. “Maybe this way is better, though. More raw – organic.”

The blush brightens on Steve’s cheeks and Eddie knows he’s got him.

“Are you up for it now? I hear the ice cream sundaes at Hop’s are the perfect treatment for a scraped up knee.”

The gasp he gets from Judy is almost as telling as the large smile on Steve’s lips. There’s no hesitation in the way Steve nods eagerly.

“I think that’s exactly what the doctor ordered.”

[plantsjustwannahavefun]

Theories on how Izzy lost his leg

Okay so we're all very interested in Izzy's leg, obviously, but so far everyone else seems to assume it was caused by his toe getting infected. I don't buy it, though, for several reasons.

For one thing, I'm not a doctor but is this really how infections work? How would a toe infection spread so far and so quickly that they had to cut his entire lower leg off? Yes, we know Izzy isn't inclined to accept help or allow himself to appear weak or sick, but he's not stupid either. He's an experienced pirate, he must have seen enough amputation or deaths from infections to know what's at stake. He's much too practical to let it get this far without seeking medical help or at least getting it amputated sooner so that he only had to lose a foot and not his entire calf or even his knee (can't tell from those few frames in the trailer yet).

And besides, we already saw his foot get better at the end of S1, it seemed like several weeks had passed and he was walking just fine, wasn't even using his cane anymore. From what I know, if a wound gets infected, it typically happens within the first few days of an injury. In several weeks it would either have got infected already or healed enough not to be a problem anymore. For much of the S2 trailer Izzy is seen taking part in attacks, with his leg still whole, so it seems like he only lost his leg in the second half of the season. We don't yet know what sort of timeline the season follows, but it's safe to say it's going to take place over a period of at least 3 weeks. So that's several more weeks. That makes it even more unlikely for Izzy's toe to suddenly get infected towards the end of the season after all this time.

And secondly... it would just be a bit boring from the narrative perspective. Losing the toe was already punishment enough. Even if it had healed fully with no physical consequences at all, the whole experience of being woken up in the middle of the night to the pain of having it sheared off and then forced to chew and swallow it is was definitely traumatising enough not to be forgotten that quickly... This show doesn't shy away from graphic injury and violence, but it's never gratuitous. That's why that toe cutting scene was so powerful - it already stood out as one of the most seriously violent moments in the show. Adding more to it would only diminish its impact rather than strengthen it.

Now you might want to mention Lucius losing his finger, and the way it didn't happen immediately and went from a minor injury played for laughs to a serious infection with a significant time gap, but that's a very different case. There was a comedic contrast here, a very minor injury that happened in comical circumstances (Buttons accidentally biting Lucius's finger) unexpectedly turning into something serious. But Izzy losing his toe was taken seriously from the very start, there was nothing comical about it. There already was an expectation that it could turn into something worse... but it didn't. And Lucius having his finger cut off wasn't portrayed as a punishment, just bad luck, a realistic moment on a 17th century pirate ship. It led to a cute and significant moment between Lucius and Black Pete, but other than that it could have happened to anyone. And he only lost that one finger. If he got a finger bite and ended up losing his whole forearm, that would have been way too cruel and out of character for this show.

So, what's my take then, you ask? Well, I don't really have anything concrete. Except, we know that the real Blackbeard shot Izzy in the knee. I know OFMD isn't trying to be historically accurate, not when it comes to the characters at least, but they could still use that bit for inspiration. Maybe Ed does shoot at Izzy. Or maybe Ed tries to shoot at Stede, but Izzy gets in the way. Or maybe Stede does something really stupid and Izzy gets shot or injured trying to protect him - no really, think about it, they're practically glued at the hip in the trailer. They're having a friendly banter. They're gonna be friends. Getting himself injured while trying to protect Stede would be a major milestone in Izzy's redemption arc. It would even explain that bit in the trailer where an already peg-legged Izzy punched Stede in the gut. It wasn't a hateful punch, you could tell he wasn't really trying to hurt Stede. It looked more like punching your buddy out of anger when they did something really, really stupid that got both of you in trouble.

Honestly, I'm open to pretty much any theory, except the toe infection because it's boring af and makes no sense.

[kybercrystals94]

Grounded (Part 2)

Read here on Ao3!

Read Part 1 here on Tumblr

Febuwhump 2024 | Day 12 | Prompt 12: Semi-Conscious

Rated: T | Words: 824 | Summary: Hunter refuses to leave an injured brother behind. [Character Focus: Hunter, Crosshair]

“Almost done, vod,” Hunter says, beginning to wrap Crosshair’s leg in gauze, striving to stabilize the fracture. While it’s an injury he knows about in theory, he’s never had to address it. What he wouldn’t give for Tech’s boundless knowledge right now.

As if Hunter’s words flip a switch, Crosshair suddenly falls completely still, rigid body going limp. Panicked relief overwhelms Hunter as he realizes that his brother is again unconscious. Hunter finishes dressing the injury, cursing under his breath at the red stain already blooming through the white bandages. He takes the knotted fabric Crosshair had been biting down on out of his mouth, tossing it aside.

The adrenaline that has kept Hunter upright since the accident evaporates, and he slumps forward, bracing himself with his elbows on his knees. Taking a few, steadying breaths, he works to regain his composure. It had hurt, seeing Crosshair in a state of sheer hysteria. Trying to talk him down from it while quelling his own sense of dread felt impossible; however, he’d managed it somehow.

And now he is alone again, trying to figure out how to get Crosshair to safety without further compromising the mission. The mission always comes first. An order drilled to the depths of their artificially bred core. And yet, Hunter found it an easy directive to step around when the need arose. Not often. They are elite soldiers, able to withstand more than the average clone trooper; however, not every cause and effect can be accounted for.

Like Crosshair being shot out of a tree and stricken with a compound fracture.

With another breath, Hunter sits up. He knows what he must do first.

Getting to his feet, Hunter makes sure that Crosshair is adequately hidden in the undergrowth from any enemy eyes or probes that might still be in the area. He checks Crosshair’s vitals one more time before he starts off for the place of the accident.

If he knows there’s one thing Crosshair would never forgive him for, it would be leaving his sniper rifle behind.

The tree Crosshair fell from is only a two minute, hurried pace from their cover. Granted, trying to carry an unconscious and injured brother the distance had taken a bit more time. He quickly finds Crosshair’s abandoned rifle and kit in the brush he’d shoved it into before circling back.

He returns to find Crosshair awake. He puts the weapon and pack down next to his own before going to Crosshair’s side. “How’re you feeling?”

Crosshair makes a face, as though the question disgusts him. “Guess,” he deadpans.

Hunter chuckles in spite of himself. At least Crosshair is coherent enough to be his waspish self. “I’m guessing you’ve been better?”

Crosshair huffs, but Hunter doesn’t miss the grimace of pain that flashes across the stoic’s face. They are both quiet for several long minutes, listening to the silence uninterrupted by war. If Crosshair weren't injured, it would be peaceful.

”You should go,” Crosshair says suddenly, weakly, shattering the illusion.

Hunter looks down at the sniper. “What?”

”You have to make the rendezvous point,” Crosshair says,voice thin.“You can come back for me.”

“No, I’m not leaving you here like this. End of discussion.”

Crosshair glares up at him, but the effect is dampened by his ashen face and the sheen of sweat across his brow. Hunter takes off his glove and presses the back of his hand to Crosshair’s forehead. “You have a fever.”

“There’s antibiotic hypo in my kit,” Crosshair mutters, averting his gaze to glare at something else behind Hunter.

Hunter goes to retrieve it, ignoring Crosshair when he says again, “You have to complete the mission.”

He brings back the hypo. “This it?”

Crosshair nods, and Hunter quickly injects it.

“I’ll be fine,” Crosshair insists. “There’s nothing else you can do for me until comms are back up and Tech can set up an extraction.”

“And what if the patrols come back through and find you? You can’t move. And you’re in no position to defend yourself,” Hunter argues.

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“And I’m not!”

Another moment of stillness, but there is no peace in it now.

“I would leave you,” Crosshair murmurs, “if the roles were reversed.”

Hunter knows that’s not true and refuses to rise to the bait, to allow Crosshair to prod him into a heated reaction.

“We don’t leave our own behind,” Hunter says instead.

“You’d come back.”

“Why do you want me to leave you?”

“I don’t, but there isn’t any other choice.”

They finally meet one another’s eye, and Hunter sees the fear there, reflecting his own.

“There is,” Hunter says, reaching out and grasping Crosshair’s wrist. “I’m making it. I’m not leaving. I have faith that the boys will figure this out without us. Once comms are back up, we’ll get an extraction plan.”

Crosshair swallows, nods, and looks away.

They don’t leave their own behind.

END

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[mtap-comics]

Welcome back to my Bad Things Happen Bingo!

Fandom: My time at Portia

Pairing: Arlo x Female Builder

Summary: Elenya had always been proud of her good reflexes. Combined with her clumsiness, they had saved her from so many injuries and broken glasses. But today this blessing was proving to be more of a curse.

Word count: 7'742

Prompt: Bleeding Through the Bandages

Well, look who's back! It's been a while since my last story, but I started a new job at the beginning of February and haven't had much time to write for a while.

But now I welcome you back to my Bad Things Happen Bingo!

You'll experience the usual angst, followed by enough sweet Arlo to rot your teeth. It's once again quite a bit to read, so make sure you have enough time for it!

Warnings: Blood, Injury, Stitches, Fainting

Read on AO3: Link

Healing Hands

Elenya had always been proud of her good reflexes. Combined with her clumsiness, they had saved her from so many injuries and broken glasses. But today this blessing was proving to be more of a curse.

It was a mild late summer morning in Portia and Elenya was in her garden, as she often was, working at her workbench. Paulie had posted an order for 3 grinding saws on the commission board and as luck would have it, she still had 3 blade blanks in stock and just needed to sharpen them. She had already finished the first two and the third just needed a final polish to give it the outstanding quality she had become known for in Portia over the last year and a half.

With an exhausted sigh, Elenya lowered herself onto the small stool at her workbench and took off her leather gloves. It was only 10 o'clock in the morning, but she would have loved nothing more than to go back to bed. She had been working almost non-stop for the past few days, finishing the pump and boiler for the new hot springs that Mayor Gale had planned. In theory, she needn't have rushed, but if she was honest with herself, she couldn't wait to relax in the hot water herself.

She had been able to install the machines yesterday, and now all that remained was for Albert to finish the building. And even though she had finally gotten enough sleep that night, the exhaustion still lingered in her bones.

But it was no use. Work never stopped in Portia.

With another sigh, she reached for the water bottle in the corner of her workbench, took a deep drink and put it back. Unfortunately, she wasn't careful enough and bumped her elbow against the nearly finished grinding blade, which immediately slipped over the edge of the workbench.

Without even thinking about it, she grabbed the blade with both hands in a flash, and while this ensured that neither the blade nor the wooden floor underneath the workbench was damaged, the blade slipped a few, but critical, millimetres through her hand, leaving deep, burning cuts in her palms.

The pain shot from her hands through her entire body, and it was only with great difficulty and a great deal of swearing that she managed not to drop the blade and throw it back onto the workbench. Blood immediately began to flow from her palms.

Quickly moving her hands away from her body to avoid bleeding all over herself, she frantically looked around for something to stop the bleeding. Her eyes, blurred by rising tears, fell on her textile machine, which had just finished sewing a fresh piece of fabric.

That would have to do.

On trembling knees, Elenya hurried to the machine and grabbed the fabric, squeezing it tightly between her palms. Another unsavoury curse escaped her as more pain shot through her body, but she gritted her teeth and didn't let go of the fabric. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking fuck!

How stupid could a person be? What was she supposed to do now?

The fabric between her hands was already turning red and through the pain she tried to grasp a clear thought.

Stop the bleeding. She had to stop the bleeding somehow. Where was her first aid kit again?

A few single tears escaped her as she stumbled uncoordinated towards her front door, but she managed to open the door and get deeper into her house.

Once in her bathroom, she managed to use her elbow to open the door of her bathroom cupboard and take out her first aid kit. She still held the piece of cloth between her hands and didn't dare let go. 

But how was she going to open the box, let alone take out the bandages?

Elenya decided to drop the box to the ground and wedge it between her knees. It took a moment, but with the help of her elbows, fingers and teeth she finally managed to tear open a pack of compresses and a bandage.

She took a deep breath. Now it was time to let go of the fabric.

Carefully, she slowly released her left hand and immediately her stomach turned and she got lightheaded. The cut was deep and blood was still flowing from it.

Normally she had no problem with blood, but when it was her own and in large quantities, her circulation could not keep up. At least she could still move her fingers, so nothing important had been cut, but she was afraid the wounds would need stitches.

Just thinking about it made her even more dizzy, and she shook her head vigorously, trying to clear the black dots from her vision. She had to pull herself together!

Elenya let go of the cloth with her right hand and laid it roughly over her lap and the floor to catch at least some of the blood that was dripping again. Then she grabbed a compress and used three fingers to press it firmly against the cut on her right hand, leaving her thumb and forefinger free.

With these two fingers, she tried as best she could to wipe the blood from the other hand, apply a compress and wrap a bandage around it. She didn't succeed very well. Her hands were half numb with pain and she couldn't muster enough strength to tighten the bandage properly.

She repeated the process on the other side and then collapsed exhausted against the wall behind her. She carefully placed her hands on her drawn knees to hold them above her heart and closed her eyes with a sigh. Pain was still pulsing through her hands and the stress of the whole situation was sapping the last of her strength.

She would have preferred to sit here forever, but the temporary bandages wouldn't last long and she needed to get up to the clinic. She waited a few more minutes for her heartbeat to calm a little and the pain to subside, but then she couldn't put off the inevitable any longer.

With another deep sigh, Elenya slowly straightened up, and as soon as the black dots disappeared from her vision, she set off, holding her hands carefully to her chest.

Without really noticing, she reached the gate to the village, her body automatically following the familiar path. As soon as she turned the corner, however, she collided with something and lost her balance. Fortunately, this something, or rather someone, also had good reflexes and grabbed her shoulders to prevent her from falling. Had it not been for that, her reflex would probably have been to catch herself with her hands, and that would not have been a very good outcome for her.

But now she found herself leaning against a strong chest, her throbbing hands trapped between them, and a warm, familiar voice reached her ears.

"Oh, Elenya, sweetheart! I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Are you all right?"

Elenya's knees went weak as she realised who she had walked straight into. Arlo, her wonderful boyfriend, tightened his grip on her back as he felt her lean into him even more and she could feel his worried gaze on her.

Despite everything, her heart leapt with joy at the gesture and she couldn't help but nestle even closer to his chest. The warmth of his body filled her with a sense of peace that made her forget the stress of the last half hour for a moment. She was no longer alone with her injured hands and only now did she realise how much that fact had affected her subconsciously.

"Elenya?"

Arlo's worried voice sounded again and Elenya finally lifted her head to meet his gaze. Blue eyes rested warmly and questioningly on her face and she tried to smile reassuringly at him. Judging by his expression, she didn't succeed.

 "Hey Arlo, I, um..." She didn't really know what to say. How do you explain that you were stupid enough to catch a sharp grinding blade with your bare hands?

Before she could think any further, Arlo finally caught sight of her roughly bandaged hands and his eyes widened in shock.

"Your hands! What happened to your hands?"

He quickly took a step away from her and gently gripped her wrists so that he could see her hands better. Blood was already seeping through the bandages and the sight made Elenya dizzy again. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Oh God, what was wrong with her today? She usually had no problem with blood!

Instantly, the grip on her wrists tightened as she swayed in place and was pulled back against Arlo's chest. Exhausted, Elenya let her head sink against his shoulder.

"Woah, hey, it's all right. I've got you. Come on, I'll take you up to the clinic."

Leaving one arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders, Arlo pulled away from her, planted a soft kiss on her temple and then led her along the path she had intended to walk alone until a moment ago.

~~~~~~

Elenya didn't know exactly how long it took them to get up the hill. She was completely focused on Arlo's warm, reassuring presence, blocking out everything else, including the constant throbbing of her hands. It was only when they entered the cool interior of the clinic that she became aware of her surroundings and found herself face to face with Dr. Xu.

"Oh god, Elenya! What happened?" Concerned, the doctor approached her and cautiously grabbed her hands, which she was still holding protectively to her chest. Two startled sounds rang through the room as she opened her fingers, and Elenya dared to look at her hands again.

The bandages had almost completely bled through, and a few drops of blood were already running down her hands again.

She quickly looked away before she could get lightheaded again.

Why haven't the cuts stopped bleeding? How long had it been?

Dr. Xu also seemed very concerned about the amount of blood and quickly led her over to his desk and instructed her to sit on the stool. Arlo stood close behind her so she could feel his warmth and she was incredibly grateful to him. Now that the inevitable stitches were imminent, panic began to creep back into her.

Dr. Xu quickly cleared the table, placed a flat cushion on top, threw a clean sheet over it and instructed her to put her hands down.

Elenya silently complied.

As soon as her hands touched the sheet, Dr. Xu began to remove the first bandage from her left hand. Elenya did her best not to look at her hands. She felt that if she saw the cuts again, she would faint.

It was only when a large, warm hand rested on her shoulder and a second began to soothe through her hair that she realised her whole body was shaking slightly. Almost immediately, some of her tension was released and she leaned gratefully against Arlo. He supported her like a warm stone in the surf.

Again, two startled sounds echoed through the room as the first bandage was removed, but this time she managed to suppress the reflex to look at her hands. However, she could not suppress a painful hiss as Dr. Xu presumably pressed a new compress firmly onto her wound and wrapped a new, tighter bandage around it. The hand on her shoulder squeezed reassuringly.

"This definitely needs stitches. God, Elenya, how did this happen?" Dr. Xu's voice sounded horrified and Elenya dared to look up at him. Dark, worried eyes met her gaze and she shrugged her shoulders, blushing.

She really didn't want to tell him how this situation had come about, but she could feel Arlo's gaze resting on her, tense and worried, so she gave in with a soft sigh.

"Well, I was working on some grinding saws for Paulie..." She recounted how disastrous her morning had been, hissing painfully several times as Dr. Xu tended to her right hand. When she finished, a soft sigh sounded behind her and a gentle kiss landed on her head.

Tilting her head back, Elenya looked up at Arlo and met his exasperated but loving gaze.

"Oh sweetheart, what am I going to do with you?" He stroked her cheek lovingly and she leaned into the comforting gesture, a sheepish smile forming on her lips.

"I'm sorry." For a moment, she lost herself in her boyfriend's deep blue eyes until Dr. Xu's throat clearing brought her back to reality. She quickly raised her head again and looked forwards.

"Okay, before I take care of your hands, I have a few more questions. First things first: can you still move all your fingers?" The doctor observed her attentively and she nodded. At least in that regard she was still lucky enough.

"Can you show me?" Dr. Xu turned his gaze to her hands and, without looking, Elenya carefully moved each of her fingers. Pain throbbed in her hands as she moved, but Dr. Xu quickly seemed satisfied and indicated that she could stop. Relieved, she sank a little more against Arlo's supportive body.

"That's good. At least the blade didn't hit anything important. Do you know roughly how long ago the accident happened? It's really worrying that the wounds are still bleeding so much."

"It must have been about 10 o'clock." A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her that it was now almost 11 o'clock.

Was she really still bleeding?

Without being able to stop it, she looked down at her hands and immediately regretted it. Dr. Xu had tied a new tight bandage directly over the cut on her left hand, but her right hand was exposed and her stomach instantly turned and the world spun before her eyes. Everything went black for a moment and when she came to, she was hanging slightly sideways from the stool, two strong arms wrapped around her torso and horrified exclamations met her ears.

"Elenya!" It was Arlo right next to her ear. He must have caught her. 

Had she really just fainted at the sight of blood? Shame crept up her spine and she quickly tried to sit up, but her body wouldn't obey. The arms around her upper body tightened their grip and gently lifted her up until she was sitting upright on the stool again. Exhausted, she slumped down and wished she could hide her face in her hands. 

Could this day get any more embarrassing?

Fortunately, she was able to resist the temptation and instead looked into the worried eyes of Dr. Xu, who had stood up and was now crouching in front of her.

"Does your body always react like this at the sight of blood?"

Ashamed, Elenya shook her head and Dr. Xu's gaze became thoughtful as he scrutinised her face.

She felt completely stupid. Sitting here, Arlo's arms still wrapped around her torso, his tense chest behind her - had he knelt down? - and her injured hands still outstretched on the table in front of her.

"Would you rather lie down?"

Another shake of the head. She just wanted to get this over with.

"Have you been getting enough sleep lately?"

Arlo's arms tightened around her and Elenya had the feeling she'd better not answer that question. But her silence seemed to be enough of an answer for both men and with a sigh, the tension drained from Arlo's body behind her, and his supportive grip became more of a warm embrace.

"Oh sweetheart, what am I going to do with you?" His words rang out again and apologetically, she snuggled against him. Her tendency to forget about her own health as soon as she had a project in front of her had always given him a headache and she was sorry that he was worrying about her again.

"One day I'll get you to look after yourself first and then the town." Warm lips pressed a gentle kiss to her mop of hair and a sheepish smile crept across her lips.

She wished him good luck with that.

"Well then, I'll leave that problem to Arlo. Let's take care of your hands now, okay?" With a sigh, Dr. Xu straightened up, took a small bottle from one of his cabinets and explained: "Here, this is for the pain. Can you help her drink it, Arlo? I'll get everything else I need in the meantime."

"Of course." Arlo took the already opened bottle and then leaned over her to gently place it to her lips. Slightly ashamed that she needed this help, but grateful, Elenya drank the painkiller. 

A bitter taste followed by the sweetness of honey washed over her tongue and she had to force herself to swallow the concoction. She knew that Dr. Xu was always trying to improve his medicines, but unfortunately the taste still left a lot to be desired.

As if the latter had already known this, a glass full of water appeared in front of her shortly afterwards and Arlo took it with a soft chuckle. He also held it gently to her lips and she gulped down the water greedily to get the taste out of her mouth.

"Thank you." Elenya turned her grateful smile first to Dr. Xu, who waved her off with a simple hand gesture, and then to Arlo, who still had an arm around her back and was looking at her lovingly from the side.

"Of course. Anytime for you." A warm kiss on her forehead followed Arlo's soft words, then he positioned himself behind her again, his second arm wrapped back around her waist, and with a sigh she let herself sink back against his strong chest.

Her hands were still throbbing with pain, her stomach was churning with nausea and she still felt like she could faint again at any moment, but for a moment she could forget all that and just concentrate on the familiar warmth.

Without noticing, her eyes closed and she was only jolted back to reality when something cold - burning - suddenly flowed over her hands. With a startled hiss, she sat up abruptly, barely managing to stop herself from pulling her hands protectively towards her.

"I'm sorry, perhaps I should have warned you. But I'm afraid that wouldn't make cleaning the wounds any more pleasant." Dr. Xu looked up at her apologetically for a moment, but quickly turned his attention back to her hands, and Elenya had to do her best not to look there herself.

Gritting her teeth, she tried to bear the burning sensation, but the feel of the disinfectant flowing over her open hands felt all wrong and a new wave of nausea spread through her.

Oh God, please let this be over quickly.

"Breathe, Elenya. Come on, you can do it, sweetheart." Only when Arlo's voice suddenly appeared next to hers did she realise that she was holding her breath and that black dots were already appearing in her field of vision. Startled, she took a deep breath.

"That's good. Take a deep breath..." He inhaled behind her and she did the same. "And out again. That's it. Nice and slow." 

For the time it took Dr. Xu to clean her hands, she followed Arlo's breathing and was once again so grateful to have him by her side. 

"Okay, that's that. Fortunately, the bleeding has almost completely stopped by now. I'm going to apply an ointment now to numb the skin around the incisions so that I can put the stitches in, okay? How are you holding up?" Dr. Xu's dark eyes searched her gaze warmly and, exhausted, she could only nod.

She just wanted to go home.

In the five minutes it took for the ointment to take effect, Dr. Xu got everything ready for the stitches. Once again, Elenya tried not to look. She generally had no problem with needles, but this wasn't the first time she'd had stitches and the feeling of a thread being pulled through her skin was more than unpleasant and always made her feel nauseous.

Arlo seemed to notice her growing discomfort and positioned himself so that he was now kneeling to her left, his right arm still wrapped supportively around her back and his other hand gently cupping her cheek.

"Hey, are you all right?" He looked at her with concern and affection and she leaned gratefully into his touch.

Her voice trembled slightly as she replied, "I hate having to get stitches."

"It's going to be all right, okay? I'll be here the whole time. And it'll be over before you know it." Encouragingly, he leaned his forehead gently against hers and she instinctively breathed in his soothing scent. Some of the tension drained from her body and she gratefully pressed a brief kiss to his lips.

However, the sound of someone clearing their throat startled her and she turned back to Dr. Xu with slightly flushed cheeks. He smiled at her reassuringly and then pressed his now gloved finger to a spot next to the cut on her left hand and asked her: "Can you still feel anything?"

It felt strange. She could somehow feel the pressure, but she couldn't feel the warmth or the rubbery surface of the glove, which meant the ointment was working and Dr. Xu could start the stitches. She swallowed hard, but then shook her head.

"No. I think... you can start." At her shaky words, the arm around her shoulders tightened and she hid her face in Arlo's chest as best she could. It wasn't easy in her position, but Arlo moved slightly towards her, burying his free hand in her hair to hold her close.

"Don't worry, I'll be as careful as I can." Dr. Xu's reassuring voice reached her ears, but even his words couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling as he made the first stitch. Instantly, nausea spread through her stomach and with a soft whimper, she pressed herself even closer to Arlo. Her heart pounding, she tried to concentrate on his warmth and the hand that was gently stroking through her hair.

"Shh, it's all right. It'll be over in a minute."

And indeed, it wasn't long before her first hand was treated. Elenya felt her hand being gently washed again, the wound disinfected, and then a tight bandage tied around her hand to her wrist. She dared to take a look at it.

The bandage was pristine white, no blood in sight, and with relief she looked up into Dr. Xu's warm eyes.

"You're doing great. Ready for the second hand?" She felt like a little child at the doctor's words, but she probably wasn't behaving much differently and so she just nodded, her cheeks slightly red. The sooner she got this over with, the better.

Before the next stitch could be placed, she quickly hid her face in Arlo's chest again. His hand found its way back into her hair, though a soft laugh rumbled through his chest.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound. Even though he was laughing because of her, it was still her favourite sound and it filled her with warmth. She could melt every time she heard it.

The left hand was finished almost faster than the right, and she wondered for a moment if the cut wasn't quite as long, but it didn't matter. The main thing was that it was over, and she no longer had to endure that horrible feeling.

While Dr. Xu bandaged her second hand, Elenya let herself sink completely against Arlo. Now that most of the stress was over, exhaustion caught up with her and she struggled to stay upright. Immediately, Arlo changed his grip on her to better support her weight.

"You okay, sweetie?" Warm and concerned, his voice rumbled through his chest, and she nodded slightly. She felt warm and safe, a light fog in her head, and she suspected that the painkiller had finally taken full effect. She only realised that Dr. Xu had finished with her hands when he gently lifted them from the table and placed them in her lap. Her muscles sighed in relief. Holding her arms out for so long had become very uncomfortable after a while.

"All right, that's it. You did great, Elenya. How do you feel? Are you still in pain?" Dr. Xu's voice rang out from behind Arlo's back, and with difficulty she managed to pull her head away from Arlo's chest and look up at the doctor with a blurred vision. She had to blink a few times, but then the gentle smile came into focus and she smiled back automatically.

Arlo's gentle laugh reached her ears and she couldn't help but turn her smile towards him at the sound. Warm, loving eyes caught her gaze and her smile widened even more.

Another laugh and Arlo said without letting go of her gaze, "I think your painkiller is working wonderfully, Xu. Am I right, sweetheart?"

Elenya nodded with an approving hum, even if she didn't know exactly what she was agreeing to. But if Arlo said something, it was bound to be right.

"Well, I'm glad." Dr. Xu also let out a laugh, but then became a little more serious. "I'd like to discuss the next steps, but it looks like I'd better do that with you, Arlo. I don't think she'll remember much later."

More words followed, but a new wave of exhaustion washed over Elenya, so she snuggled back against Arlo's chest, leaving the thinking to him. Wrapped in warmth, she let the conversation flow over her.

She caught words like 'don't get wet', 'clean daily' and 'not touch anything'.

Wait... what?

A brief rush of adrenaline gave her enough strength to completely detach herself from Arlo and look up at Dr. Xu in horror.

"You want me to do what?"

Xu met her gaze sympathetically. "For the next three days, you should touch as little as possible. Ideally, you shouldn't grab anything at all. The less the cuts are moved, the better and faster they can heal. I know that's a lot to ask, but if the wounds can't heal properly, the scars could harden and affect your range of movement.”

She was even more horrified. This could not happen! She needed her hands! She couldn't work without them!

But how was she supposed to not touch anything for three days? She wouldn't even be able to pick up a glass of water!

Desperation must have been written all over her face, because two warm, rough hands softly cupped her face and gently turned her gaze back to Arlo.

"Don't worry, darling. I'll stay with you and take care of you, okay?” Full of love and care, he held her gaze and she looked back, confused and uncertain.

"But... you have to work. That's much more important than me.”

"First of all, nothing is more important than you, alright?" She felt herself blushing. 

"And secondly, as luck would have it, I was actually on my way to you earlier to tell you that Sam and Remi have banished me to holiday for at least two days with the words 'You work too much'. I'm sure they could also manage without me for three or four days. Fortunately, it's very quiet at the moment."

A mixture of warm relief and guilt spread through Elenya.

Relief that Arlo wouldn't leave her alone, and guilt that thanks to her stupidity she was now taking up all his precious free time. Without being able to do anything about it, tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." A sob escaped her lips and soon she found herself pressed tightly against Arlo's chest, his strong arms holding her together.

It was all too much right now. All the stress, the pain, the exhaustion and the difficult days ahead. She felt helpless.

“Shh, it's okay. It was an accident. We'll get through this. Together." Arlo's warm words washed over her head, but they only made her cry more, and she spent the next few minutes buried in Arlo's chest, her body wracked with violent sobs.

She didn't know how much time passed, but eventually she ran out of energy and just hung limply in Arlo's arms. He didn't hesitate for long, loosening one arm from around her back and sliding it under her knees instead, carefully lifting her off the stool. With just a few steps he carried her over to one of the hospital beds and carefully laid her down on it. He placed her hands gently on her chest and then moved away from her.

She missed his warmth immediately.

"Get some rest for a moment, sweetheart. I'm just going to get some things so I can stay with you for a few days, okay? I'll be right back." A lingering, warm kiss graced her forehead, followed by a gentle caress of her cheek, and then Arlo was gone and she fell into a light sleep.

She awoke when the door to the clinic opened again, but she was in no mood to open her eyes. Instead, she listened to the sound of soft footsteps, the muffled conversation between Arlo and Dr. Xu, and the soft clinking of glass vials. She almost fell back asleep.

But then a warm hand cupped her cheek again and Arlo's voice rang out softly: "Hey sweetheart, ready to go home?"

"Mmmh." Tired, Elenya opened her eyes and was about to use her hands to sit up, but luckily Arlo quickly saw what she was trying to do and gently grabbed her wrists.

Damn, she wasn't going to be able to get used to this.

"Careful. Let me help you." Arlo helped her sit up and with a grateful look, she glanced up at him.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt exhausted, her body heavy with the weight of everything that had happened.

Arlo smiled at her, his hands steadying her as she shifted her legs over the side of the bed. "Of course. Can you stand?"

She nodded, feeling a little more awake now. "Yes, I think so."

With his help, she slid out of bed. Dr. Xu approached her with a small smile, holding a bag. "Here are some extra supplies for cleaning the wounds. Make sure you follow the instructions and come back in three days for a check-up, okay?"

As Arlo took the small bag and placed it in the rucksack she now noticed he was carrying, Elenya nodded with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Dr. Xu. For everything."

He waved her off with a friendly gesture. "It's my job. Take care of yourself, Elenya. And Arlo, make sure she follows the instructions."

Arlo chuckled, his arm securely around Elenya's waist. "Don't worry, I'll make sure she does."

With a final nod, Dr. Xu stepped back, allowing Arlo to guide her out of the clinic. The walk to the exit felt longer than it actually was, each step reminding her of how weak and exhausted she felt. But Arlo's steady support kept her going.

The journey back to her home was a quiet one, with Elenya concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, while Arlo remained a steady presence at her side. When they reached the door, Arlo helped her inside and shut the door.

"Sit down for now, sweetheart. I'll just take your medicine and bandages to the bathroom, okay?" With gentle pressure on her lower back, Arlo led her to her couch, onto which she sank gratefully. She had declined Arlo's offer to carry her - her legs still worked fine after all! - but she was still glad to be able to sit down. Her exhaustion was growing, and she couldn't wait to lie down for a few hours.

With a quick, gentle kiss on her forehead, Arlo made his way to her bedroom and the adjoining bathroom. Elenya watched him go, lost in thought, and even after he was out of sight, she continued to stare at the doorway to her bedroom. She still felt so stupid and guilty. Here she was, having spent the last year and a half building impossible things and fighting all sorts of monsters, and then managing to incapacitate herself for several days because she couldn't control her clumsiness or reflexes.

But before she could indulge her thoughts any further, Arlo reappeared in the doorway. Much quicker than she had expected and his face devoid of any colour.

What had happened?

Before she could ask, he hesitantly opened his mouth. "Um... d... do you still need that piece of fabric? I don't know if we can save it..."

And suddenly she remembered how she had left the bathroom behind. The contents of her first aid kit strewn everywhere and a piece of fabric soaked in blood on top. And who knew where else she had left traces of blood.

Oh God, no wonder he looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Startled, she jumped to her feet. "Oh shit. Wait, let me..."

She didn't get any further. As soon as she stood upright, her vision went black and her legs buckled. She fell uncontrollably back onto the couch, luckily without falling on her hands, and when her vision cleared, Arlo was already leaning over her. His strong hands cupped her shoulders and gently guided her into a lying position.

"Careful. Let me do this, okay? You just stay here and rest. I just got a bit scared at the sight." He held her gaze firmly and with an annoyed sigh she let herself sink into the cushion of the couch.

She hated this whole situation already. She wasn't used to sitting around idly and certainly not when someone else had to clean up her mess. She wanted to help!

Arlo's big, warm hand cupped her right cheek and she reluctantly met his understanding gaze.

"I know you want to help, but you have to take it easy. I really don't mind looking after you. In fact, there's nothing I'd rather do. I love you and I want you to get better quickly, okay?”

Damn, how could she not melt at those words? 

"Okay... And I love you too." Her words of agreement were rewarded with a short, soft kiss and then Arlo straightened up again.

“Good, now that we've got that out of the way: What do you want to do with the fabric? Do you want me to throw it away?"

“Yes, I don't need it urgently. It wouldn't be worth the effort.” She could always make new ones.

“Okay. You rest and I'll tidy up.” Another quick kiss was planted on her forehead and then she was alone in her living room.

With another sigh, she sank deeper into the couch and, without meaning to, dozed off again.

~~~~~~

Strong arms slid under her back and knees and lifted her up, but before she could be startled, a familiar smell reached her nose. With a confused sound, she tiredly blinked her eyes open and was greeted by Arlo's neck.

"It's all right, sweetheart. I'm just taking you to bed.”

Bed? Oh right, she had fallen asleep on the couch.

She tried to lift her head to look at him, but her body felt like it was filled with lead, so she contented herself with snuggling even more against his warm chest. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before she found herself in her bedroom.

Arlo gently set her down on the edge of the bed, his hands lingering to steady her. "Let's get you into something more comfortable, shall we?"

Elenya nodded weakly, her eyelids heavy with fatigue. She felt his hands move to the buttons of her shirt, his touch gentle and careful. A wave of shame and frustration wanted to spread through her, but she was too tired for such emotions and so all that remained was gratitude to Arlo.

His strong, battle-hardened hands were always so gentle with her, so loving, and so she didn't feel the slightest discomfort as he dressed her in a soft t-shirt and warm sweatpants.

"There you go," he said gently, smoothing the fabric. "Now let's get you comfortable."

He helped her to lie on her side and carefully positioned her so that she could put her hands in front of her. He placed a soft pillow under her head and another behind her back to support her.

"How does that feel?" Eyes as warm as his voice watched her.

"It's good," she murmured, feeling the comfort of the bed and the softness of the pyjamas. "Thank you, Arlo. For everything."

Arlo smiled and leaned down to press a tender kiss to her forehead. "Anything for you, Elenya. Get some rest now. You'll feel better when you wake up."

Before he had even pulled the blanket over her and tucked her in, she was drifting off into an exhausted sleep.

~~~~~~

When she woke up again, the sun was a lot lower and she felt anything but better. Nausea churned in her stomach, cold sweat covered her body, her head ached and her hands throbbed and itched terribly. Everything felt off.

With a soft groan, she opened her eyes and was surprised to see Arlo sitting in an armchair next to the bed, intently reading a book. She looked at him for a moment, transfixed, admiring the way the late evening sun made his red hair glow and the way his lips moved silently as he read, as they always did.

But then the terrible itching in her hands picked up again, and with a croaked "Arlo." she drew his attention to herself. His head immediately shot in her direction and he put his book aside to kneel down beside the bed at the level of her head.

"Hey, darling. How are you doing? Feeling any better?" His eyes rested warmly and attentively on her face, but she could only answer with a pained expression and a shake of her head.

His eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Oh no, what's wrong? Are you in pain?" 

"Yes, that too, but... I don't feel well. Everything hurts and my hands itch like crazy."

Worried, Arlo pressed his hand gently to her forehead, his eyes filling with even more concern. "I think you have a slight fever. That's not good at all. I hope the cuts haven't gotten infected. What exactly hurts?"

Fever? That would at least explain why everything felt so wrong.

"Everything hurts. My hands are throbbing, my limbs are aching and my head is burning. But the worst part is the itching. Can we please take the bandages off? I can hardly stand it."

It took all her willpower not to scratch.

"Technically, we shouldn't change the bandages until tomorrow morning, but I think it would be better if we checked right away to see if anything is infected. Then we can clean your hands and hopefully reduce the itching a little. Come on, I'll help you up."

With practised movements, Arlo helped her to sit up. The world spun before her eyes as soon as she was upright, and with an unconscious whimper she buried her face in his stomach. The nausea intensified, but Arlo's soothing scent and his hand gently stroking her hair quickly brought relief and she felt well enough to stand.

With Arlo's arm around her back, they took cautious steps into the bathroom where he carefully lowered her onto the toilet seat. He got everything he needed from the bathroom cupboard, filled a small bowl with warm water and then knelt in front of her.

"Let me have a look. I'll be very careful, I promise." He gently reached for her left hand. He cradled it oh so gently in his, her palm facing up, and she couldn't help but marvel once again at how much bigger his hands were compared to hers. Bigger, rougher and yet so tender.

With deft fingers, he began to remove the bandage from her hand. Unconsciously, she followed his movements, her mind focused on the warmth of his palm. It flowed up her arm, filling her heart with calm and easing part of her headache and nausea.

When he pulled the cloth off, he winced at the sight of the cuts, but he quickly composed himself. Unfortunately, she couldn't. Her nausea intensified at the sight of her reddened, stitched-up skin and she quickly turned her gaze to Arlo's face.

He was examining her wound intently, his eyebrows knitted in concern. "Hm, the wound's a bit red, but I don't think it's infected. That's good." His warm blue eyes met hers, his gaze reassuring. "The fever is probably your body's reaction to all the stress from this morning. Hopefully it'll be gone by tomorrow. Let's get you cleaned up anyway. I hope that helps with the itching."

He gave her a gentle smile, then dipped a cloth into the warm water and began to clean the wounds, his touch so gentle it barely caused her any discomfort. Elenya watched him work, her heart swelling with gratitude and love for his care.

After cleaning the wounds with antiseptic, he applied fresh bandages with a tenderness that belied the strength of his hands. He repeated the process on her right hand and then pressed a feather-light kiss on each of her injured palms, making her heart melt at the sweet gesture.

"Thank you," Elenya whispered, her voice full of gratitude and awe at his tenderness.

He answered her gratitude with a gentle kiss, his lips warm and soft on hers, and she automatically followed him as he pulled away. Her movement earned her an affectionate chuckle and another brief kiss, but then he really pulled away from her, reaching instead for one of the small vials he must have gotten from Dr. Xu.

"Here, according to Dr. Xu's instructions, you are allowed to take some painkillers again. It should also help with the nausea and, with any luck, the fever." He uncorked the bottle and held it carefully to her lips.

She could tell from the taste that it wasn't the same mixture as before, but that didn't make it any better. But to her surprise, her nausea didn't get any worse, as she had expected.

As soon as the vial was empty, Arlo set it aside and started to put away everything he had used. As Elenya watched him again, she suddenly began to shiver, and before she could even say anything, Arlo took off his grey sweater and pulled it over her head instead. She was instantly enveloped in his familiar scent and warmth, and with a happy sigh, she buried her nose in the soft collar.

Oh, how much she loved this sweater.

As soon as he had finished tidying up, Arlo turned back to her. "You should eat something, even if it's just a little. It'll help your body recover."

Elenya grimaced. "I still feel nauseous. I don't think I can eat much."

Arlo insisted gently. "Just a little, for me? How about some crepes with fruit sauce? I'll make them just the way you like them."

Damn, he just knew her too well.

She agreed, and he helped her into the kitchen, where he sat her down at the small dining table. She watched as he moved around the kitchen, preparing her favourite crepes with practised ease.

The kitchen filled with the comforting aroma of baking crepes. Arlo's movements were efficient and confident, the result of the countless times he had prepared this dish for her. He whisked the batter, heated the pan and expertly flipped the crepes, always keeping an eye on her to make sure she was comfortable.

He brought her the finished crepes, pulled one of the chairs close to her, and picked up a piece of crepe with a fork, holding it out to her. Full of frustration and shame, she glared at the fork as she realised he was trying to feed her.

She had been wrong earlier. Her day could get even more embarrassing.

She almost snapped at Arlo that she was no longer a child and could eat on her own, but luckily the logical part of her brain was able to intervene before that.

Because firstly, no, she couldn't eat alone right now, no matter how much she wanted to.

And secondly, Arlo was not at all to blame for her shitty situation. It was all her fault.

On the contrary. Without him, she would have been completely screwed and the last thing he deserved was to be snapped at by her.

Arlo still held the fork in front of her face, his gaze patient and full of understanding love, and her brain finally gave in. For it was Arlo sitting next to her. Arlo who loved her and whom she trusted with her life. There was no need to be ashamed in front of him.

So she let him feed her, and despite her initial reluctance, the crepes tasted wonderful and comforting. Each bite gave her a little strength, and the sweetness of the fruit sauce was a soothing balm for her frayed nerves.

After dinner, they moved to the couch where Arlo wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled up against him. He picked up the book he had been reading and began to read to her, his voice a balm to her weary soul.

The warmth of his body against hers, the familiar hum of his voice and the captivating story created a cocoon of safety and love around her. She closed her eyes and let the rhythm of his voice carry her out of her discomfort and into the world of the story.

When it was time for bed, Arlo helped her into the bedroom. She lay back down on her side and he climbed into bed behind her. He gently slipped his left arm under her head and wrapped the other around her waist, pulling her tightly against his chest.

"Good night, Elenya," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I love you."

"Good night, Arlo," she murmured back, feeling his love and warmth surrounding her. "I love you too."

With Arlo's steady presence by her side, Elenya finally drifted off to a more restful sleep, knowing that no matter how hard things got, they would always face them together.

[aromanticannibal]

Basil is very mentally ill (SPOILERS)

I just came to this realization in the tags of another post but how deeply fucked up mentally must little twelve year old Basil must have been for his first idea to cover up Mari's death to be a suicide.

Mari has a knee injury that stops her from playing softball - so it must be a pretty bad knee injury. And you know what knee injuries do to you? They make you fucking fall. What are the odds of Mari accidentally falling off the stairs and dying from it after tripping because of her injury (and she was probably tired because of her training for the recital on top of that)? Pretty high me thinks. Even without the knee injury, these are some tall stairs man. Maybe I'm just clumsy but I know I'd fall from that.

So what happened is that Basil saw his best friend made his sister fall from the stairs and she died from it. And his first thought was to... Stage it as a suicide. And not any type of suicide, stage it as Mari having hanged herself. @a-rock-nothing-else in who's tags I screamed already pointed out that it's really weird for a twelve year old boy at a time where Internet isn't that easily accessible to know how to tie a noose.

So. Basil is undeniably fucked in the head from a stupidly young age, which makes sense given his parents are canonically "too busy" to take care of him, and he lives with his grandma + he seemingly didn't have any friends before Aubrey befriended him. So the child is probably somewhat depressed in the first place, and may have been suicidal in the past, explaining his knowledge of how to tie a noose (this is from @/a-rock-nothing-else's post).

But on top of that, even when he's seemingly really happy with his friends, his immediate reaction to Mari dying isn't to either freeze up like Sunny or call for help, it's to frame the "murder" and even then, to frame it as a fucked up suicide that's probably hard to put in place (need to know how to make a noose, need to bring the dead weight of a 16 years old girl down the stairs and then up a rope, all that alone because Sunny isn't responsive) instead of a simple "She fell down the stairs!". Even giving most of the truth would probably have been simpler ("Sunny and Mari were arguing and Mari was tired and tripped and fell down the stairs!").

I have a theory/headcanon : Basil probably was traumatized by something in the past (his parents' absence, his lack of friends or potential bullying, even just his depression) and got the good ol' "You're so mature for your age!" symptom. In this state of mind, he felt he had to help Sunny, because Sunny is helpless and doesn't know what to do, and he's his best friend, so Basil has to do something. He's the only one who can do something. (He doesn't think of calling for help.) Then, his first thought is to stage a suicide, perhaps because he's seeing things through his own eyes too much : when you're suicidal, you might view committing suicide as an escape from everything (good) and think that the people around you will forget everything about it in a few days, maybe (very good). Basil doesn't think in terms of "this is going to break everyone's hearts and might traumatize many of my friends" first because when you're twelve you don't think like that, and second because he's seeing himself in Mari supposed suicide.

Of course, he realizes after how terrible of an idea this is, but well. He can't do anything now, and he knows he did something wrong.

I suppose after all this, when the adrenaline went back down, he realizes that Mari didn't kill herself or die out of nowhere, someone pushed her. And when you're a kid you probably struggle to see shades of grey a bit, so he can't possibly believe his best friend is the one who pushed Mari down the stairs and killed her, no - it was something behind him.

Anyway. I'm not blaming Basil for anything, just trying to understand why his brain works so fucking weird and projecting a bit. I also might have missed some canon points but heh. These are just random thoughts, this is the reason why I labeled this as a theory/headcanon.

[felassan]

its that time again! 🍵 

Thoughts/wonderings on Dragon Age: The Missing #4, under a cut due to spoilers for The Missing -

I'm probably becoming a lil unhealthily obsessed with this building. what do we think it is? the Archon's Palace is the highest building in Minrathous (tho I guess not, as it has sewers and this is floating). A Circle? it has a similar shape to the logo for the Circle of Magi. the meeting place for the Magisterium senate, lording over everyone below from high above? whatever it is it looks cool and it must be important to be featured on the map. I wanna go there (๑*ᗜ*)

I love Neve Gallus' design. it's fresh and cool, and she just looks so cute and neat okay. also full of detail - the snake pattern on the headpiece, shoulder 'scales' and scales elsewhere, collar & jacket like one of those hooded snakes, snake-'tailcapped' footwear (rather than steel toe-capped), the serpent belt and of course most of all the beautiful snake design of her prosthetic limb. 10/10 character/costume design

this page had me on my knees basically. my heart.

surely this panel is a new meme format hh? same goes for the one where Varric is saying "Then perhaps all this is linked" and Harding says "And we've led them here"

you walked into the wrong neighborhood bro

I also liked this pair of illustrations, they had a nice 'bookend' feel and reminded me a lot of Lord of the Rings.

Other thoughts:

Minrathous looks kinda cyberpunk and (despite what Harding says in the opening panels) feels quite clean in this comic

Is that the person tailing them lurking in the doorway that Harding is catching sight of here?

These holes in Varric's ear seem to be new. What happened? Injury from the leopard attack?

confused a bit by the perspective flip in this issue. In issue 1, Varric was more like 'stop', and Harding was more like 'talk to him'. it's flipped around a bit here.

Varric smiled when he thought about Neve and then lit up when he saw her. she calls him an "old friend". I wonder how they met and how long they've known each other. something to do with varric's spy network?

This panel felt a bit meta hh.

When Neve says "Your friend is quite intense" is she referring to Solas or Harding?

Then we come to the two main things we learn in this issue:

We learn that Solas has been in Minrathous causing trouble. He's been attacking Venatori locations in the city, stealing artifacts from them and freeing elven slaves in the process, which has greatly angered the Venatori. The Venatori now want revenge and a "bunch of rebellious elves" are "causing trouble throughout the city, presumably in the name of the one who freed them". I wonder if the artifacts weaken the Veil, are connected to the idol somehow, or are simply sources of great power that Solas either needs for himself/his plans or that he simply thinks should be taken away from the Venatori so that they don't cause harm using them? Tevinter Nights showed agents of Fen'Harel seeking artifacts and referenced rumors of elven artifacts that strengthen the Veil, like the ones from DA:I. freeing folks also makes sense, "I am not a monster" and it's something he has a history of doing

In this issue we also learn that Neve works with a group called the Shadow Dragons, who have been trying to help the former slaves. indeed they're trying to help anyone who is held as slaves in Minrathous. this is our first time hearing about this new group. they make it their business to help those in need and Neve makes it her business to help them. I'm a bit ¿ about their name, just due to how it sounds, but it's exciting to learn about a new group/faction. Each issue of this DA:D prequel comic has shone a spotlight on a faction - Grey Wardens, Antivan Crows, the Veil Jumpers and the Shadow Dragons. two new, two old. it's a nice balance. and it brings to mind the common fan theory/speculation about the PC of DA:D having a different faction background depending on the player's choice. at the very least it feels like a way of saying 'these four groups [or characters from them] will feature in a significant way/be 'players on the board' in DA:D".

thinking about the Shadow Dragons' name in an in-world context, like thinking about why they may have chosen their name: dragons are emblematic of Tevinter. dragon imagery is everywhere there, dragons are a symbol of power and Tevinter heraldry shows a dragon. the Tevinter Imperium is a 'dragon', or several (metaphorically) - Magisters, ruling over the classes below. the "shadow dragons" feel like "the other side" of Tevinter, the side in shadow, the underside, the 'anti-Tevinter'. I'd guess that they are the "Tevinter you forgot", i.e. the Viper's faction. (and if you look at Tevinter heraldry, there is also a snake 'in opposition' to the dragon.) before Missing #4 I wondered if “the Tevinter you forgot” "means they are a group of folks who have fallen through the cracks in Tevinter society or who are the downtrodden in Tevinter society. is it some sort of uprising or anti-Magisterium movement?" - here we learn they're trying to help people Tevinter 'forgot' like slaves and former slaves. I also commented "from the story it sounds like the dark-clad card dealer is the Viper. the magister in the story is afraid of him and tries to claim that the Viper is just a tale, implying that the Viper’s name has become known as a sort of shadowy, stealthy urban legend in Minrathous and that it has a sort of bogeyman effect on magisters." Shadow indeed. Neve later comments that the Shadow Dragons are trying to "help anyone held as slaves in Minrathous". I think it was in the Dorian short story in Tevinter Nights that there's a reference to how there's now an anti-slavery movement in Tevinter. Is that the Shadow Dragons? you can see possible echoes of "the Tevinter you forgot" in later comic dialogue "The Shadow Dragons have vowed to help us restore our dignity. To get back the lives that were stolen from us by the Venatori. To make sure we don't have to scrabble in the dirt for food and warm", imo.

I wonder if Dorian, Mae and the Lucerni know anything about the Shadow Dragons? maybe they've done some work together?

and while the Viper/Viper's faction/the Shadow Dragons themselves didn't appear in issue 4, issue 4 still highlighted them, continuing the pattern I speculated about, of the DA Day short stories (Evka/Antoine/Wardens, Teia/Viago/Crows, Strife/Irelin/Veil Jumpers and Viper's faction/Shadow Dragons), one from each of those short stories per issue.

Varric is still having a bad time. also he was born in 9:1, and so if DA:D is set in 9:52, he's now over 50. from these comics, he's feeling old and tired. I don't expect that he'll be a companion in DA:D. more like an advisor (off-field), a contact or quest-giver, or the person that recruits us.

"But why? What did he get out of it? Surely, he wanted something in return" was an interesting line. because like on one hand "I am not a monster", he has a history of freeing people who were enslaved and he's shown as valuing freedom and not enjoying needless suffering. setting people free definitely is the only decent thing. but he's also smart and does things with purpose, always playing 4-D chess, and has been outwitting Varric and Harding at every turn throughout these comic issues, always one step ahead. it seems like a 'it's both' situation. like two birds, one stone. he would free people and it's the right thing to do, and he also gains from it strategically. Varric lampshades this in the final page: and it's three stones, actually. Solas freed people, dealt with the Venatori on his tail and slowed Varric/Harding down long enough to escape all in one move.

Also, at first I wondered if the brown-haired elf was sort've projecting his own perceptions on Solas (with the "his kin" lines). but look here. the leader of these Venatori has a pouch round their neck. the others don't, it's prominently placed and it's consistent on this Venatori in every panel they're in here. and where have we seen that before? around the neck of the Venatori stalker that saved Varric from the leopard in Issue 3. I think we're supposed to conclude that the ringleader of the Venatori that attack the elves in this issue is the Venatori person that's been tailing Varric and Harding all throughout these comic issues. the Venatori ringleader seems to recognize Varric in a later panel, with the "You!". They fight and Varric starts demanding answers from the Venatori leader. but then, just as he's about to get answers, the brown-haired elf intervenes and kills them at that very moment. they won't hurt their people anymore, and conveniently also (more than one purpose to things again..), now Varric and Harding won't get any answers. and also this:

another - not two, but - three stones. when the brown-haired elf kills the Venatori ringleader, A) preventing them from further harming his people and B) preventing them from giving any answers to Varric and Harding, C) the killing blow also cuts that pouch from their neck. a very specific thing to depict. presumably in the chaos of the Venatori leader's death (you can't see the elf's hands in the very next panel) the brown-haired elf has grabbed the pouch, and part of his goal all along was to take it. I think we're supposed to conclude that the pouch contained the crucious stone and that the brown-haired elf works for Solas. so the "You're too late, I already have the crucious stone" letter from issue 3 was a Solas fakeout, the Venatori at that point in time did in fact have the stone (having beaten Solas to the vault, and as-shown by the Venatori who saved Varric from the leopard having the pouch around their neck), and the events of issue 4 were part of Solas' plan to steal it/steal it back from them (and going by Neve's earlier dialogue, it's not the first artifact he's stolen from them). so two things here: one, Solas' 'three stones' are actually-actually four (free the slaves, deal with the Venatori on his tail, delay Varric/Harding long enough to escape, and steal the crucious stone artifact from the Venatori [my head hurts]). and two, the brown-haired elf was working for Solas after all. he'll give the pouch (and the contents, the stone) to Solas, "he set us, his kin, free" wasn't projection considering that he does work for him, and him being there in the alleyway when he was, with the information that he had, was part of Solas' plan to escape and get the stone. otherwise, it's pretty convenient that one of the former slaves at the place Neve's aware of where former slaves have been eating scraps, at the time when she takes Varric/Harding there, just happened to have helpful info about the meeting that Varric/Harding needed and also happened to kill the Venatori leader and in the process cut the pouch from their neck. idk if it means all the elves here were working for Solas or just the brownhaired one or the brownhaired one & the blond one, but yea. definitely the brownhaired elf is I think.

Neve fighting was cool: staff-less magic and then as a mage using a dagger or shortsword.

party combo-kill! ice spell + finishing blow - a comic depiction of Shattering :)

Brown-haired elf missing his elven ear here.

A cool panel. Also, you can't see his other hand..

just really liked these two panels :) also, they missed their chance, they missed this chance, in this, a comic called The Missing... is that why it's called that?

[clenches fist] vowing to protect Neve and her good heart at all costs

and he stole the crucious stone artifact from the Venatori.

I am not sure that I agree with the premise of this article that BioWare retweeted, that The Missing is required reading before DA:D. I enjoyed issues 2 & 3 a lot! I was hoping for a bit more from the end of issue 4, perhaps a small Solas appearance like at the end of Dark Fortress or just a bit more insight into his plans or things in/the setup for DA:D. finishing on the Dread Wolf mural from the DA:D TGA 2020 trailer as a reminder was neat but the highlight reveal from these comics as a whole was definitely the new mural depicted in issue 3.

"He knows us too well, we need to find/use people he doesn't know" is the same conclusion that was reached at the end of Trespasser (and Harding was present for that conversation). I guess the meta irl reasons for The Missing are: A] since it'll be almost 10 years irl between games, to refresh folks about that conclusion and the fact that it will be a new PC and why it has to be 'someone he doesn't know', since most new players to the franchise at DA:D aren't going to buy years old DA:I and DLC and play til it the end of Trespasser B] fill some irl time C] do some marketing/advertizing and D] highlight these four groups/factions and introduce the two new ones (Veil Jumpers and Shadow Dragons) in advance of DA:D, and possibly highlight these specific characters (Strife, Teia, Evka etc) the same way (though I speculate those characters are more like DA:D 'contact' cameos rather than that they will be companions themselves). Certainly if I was Varric at the moment when Harding asks "So who are you thinking?" at the end here, after the events I had experienced and people & groups I had met in recent weeks, with those being fresh in my mind, I would be thinking about the Grey Wardens, the Antivan Crows, the Veil Jumpers and the Shadow Dragons, both as groups and terms of the mental list of people that I had recently met who Solas doesn't know. again it makes you think about the popular speculation that the DA:D PC will have the background of being from one of these groups. also, those 4 groups aren't ones which were referenced in Tevinter Nights as keeping an eye on Solas/as Solas having some info on them in turn (unlike some other groups like the Mortalitasi, the Executors, the Ben-Hassrath etc).

[bos-basement]

ahhhhhhh i finally finished reading the script (link here, also if you know of any other scripts from earlier or later in production plz send, i would like to read those too)

and here are some of my notes!

bo sustains a knee injury, as well as the headlight getting busted here, in a cut intro you can view some of here, this would also be the only time he is shown to kill someone

nick is two years younger then carly, so they arent twins

paige wanted to marry blake instead of her being pregnent (which still doesnt matter in the end, seriously why was this her character detail?)

script implies its vincent at the campsite due to his laboured breathing, but bts implies that lester broke the fanbelt (i think its vincent cuz why would he have daltons camera?)

the roadkill pit is 8 foot deep and 50 feet in diameter

town used to be called Athelston, also used to be a mining town instead of having a sugar mill

lester fully enjoys being sadistic to carly and wade lmao

movie theater says its playing body snatchers lol

script takes into account louisiana heat (as well as infrastructure) for the house of wax

both bo and lester have a cb radio, def how they communicate about victims, also fake detour signs to lure people into town

the line about how carly could win the beauty pageant gets way darker when you know the victim from the cut intro was made into that wax figure

bo says trudy wanted to make a town of wax in his spiel to wade and carly, is this also a lie? also adds more credence to the theory that trudy also killed

victor and trudy switch places in the story, victor dies by house fire (full on lie which shows the story is at least not all true) and trudy kills herself

bo wouldve asked wade to help him in the house if he didnt need to go piss, bo had zero thought into killing them lmao

continuing he prolly talked to vince about a plan while wade and carly waited for him at the gas station

wade puts up more of a fight, very glad the movie didnt, that bitch deserved to get got cuz of all his snooping

carly escapes into a house (lesters mayhaps 👀 prolly not tho lol) instead of the church, she also gets a hit on bos hand

also escapes into community pool where bo catches her

jonesy is prolly vincents, she sleeps in the basement while he works on wade

"Bo (mocking) : What happened to Wade?" hes so silly goofy 🥰🤪😚

dalton and nick dont have a conversion about how nick took the blame for him

script makes a typo and calls nick wade for a line

dalton is the one to check out the gas station and talk with bo, bo leads him to the house of wax

ok i have to talk about the fanbelt now cuz wtf is up with it? bo has a 15 inch in a drawer at the shop, but like no one can appreciate the dramatic irony except us and him?? what would he have done if wade had a 16 or 14 inch?? do they only go after cars with 15 inch fanbelts????

ALSO!!! would he have just let wade and carly go if they had found the 15 inch????? BO IS FUCKING STUPID AND I LOVE HIM

AND!!!! ALSO!!!! as @hollabackgrl pointed out in her alternate scenarios post, what would have happened if lester/vincent stole the fanbelt out of blakes truck?? seriously bo lucked into wade having a 15 inch 😒

bo uses he/him pronouns for jonesy 😔😔 sad day for us girl jonesy truthers 😔😔😔

also the script keeps calling her "The Mongrel" so mean to her 😔😔😔 (p.s. where did we get the name jonesy??? like did the fandom just agree on that name or is it in some extras in the dvd? /gen)

nick is abke to go into the snack store? grocery store? and finds a deer that wade hit at the start in the back, id like to believe that its because lester was going to cook it but its infested with rats, so why keep it and not throw it into the pit?

dalton finds wade in the basement instead of being displayed

vincent has steeled toed boots, nice :)

nicks still the one to free carly, there just no confrontatiom with bo

nick and carly go into the church still

script mentions shotgun wound in trudys head, so some of bos story is true,,, maybe?

paige does a strip tease but vince slices at her shoe? lmao

nick and carly run into a looney toons showing instead of "whatever happened to baby jane"

diversity win! the murderous twins that incase people in wax dont discriminate on who dies!

bo and vincent hadnt been seperated until 3-4 years old??

bos able to get both arrows out, movie bo needs to step up his game 😒😒 /j

i love how the script characterizes vincent as super pissed about everything

switch board has a label for chimney smoke??? how tf does that work???

bo and vincent never argue in the kitchen, in fact it seems as though theyre more in tune with eachother

we gotta cancel nick, he hits jonesy with a wax arm >:[

bos feelings towards trudy vexes me and i hate it

vincents scars are described differently, having actually been scarred over

carly aggitates bo by saying trudy hated him (which he hates?? seriously what tf goes on in his head) and saying he killed her instead of trying to get vincent on her side by saying bo manipulated him (which is bs anyway but i'll get to that in my analysis on the movie 😌😌)

And thats it! actual deep thoughts and analysis will come when i rewatch the movie and pause every frame /hj (will add link here when that happens) but thats everything i found interesting about the script and what all changed from it to the actual movie, im open to discussing in the comments or my dms ^^

[karume-selfshipper]

Zora May: Draconification

Very long post, end of TotK (possible spoilers idk I didn't finish the game either...), close to the end of Tides that Bind (original Selatoh AU), dots to separate non-flowing scenes.

.

Despite how late at night it was, Selatoh was up a the first sound of Sidon’s footfalls just beyond her door. Ever since Link had left the domain some months ago, Sidon and to a greater extent Selatoh had been awaiting him to call for aid. Though had Sidon known his dear sister was following behind him, he would have made every effort to stop her. It wasn’t until he had rounded the corner, realizing he had a small company of not only Selatoh but Tottika, Bazz, and Gaddison. 

“Wha- What?” Sidon stopped, “What are you doing? Especially you Selatoh. You need to remain-”

“Not this time brother.” Selatoh shook her head, “I’ve stayed behind far too many times. It’s time to act and we haven’t the luxury of time.”

As much as Sidon wanted to argue, he knew deep down that Selatoh was correct. Even if they wouldn’t have much to do, Sidon knew that Selatoh had all but sat on the sidelines during her entire life up to this point. At the very least she could remain to tell others what happened…

.

If it weren’t for the massive surge of monsters from all sides, Selatoh would have leapt into the chasm under Hyrule Castle alongside her brother. But the surface, the researchers and fellow fighters needed her more. She wouldn’t let anyone down, not in such a critical moment…

.

No one seemed to know how the Sages emerged from the pit, but Selatoh didn’t care. She didn’t want answers, she wanted to make sure Sidon was okay. Rushing over with Tottika close on her heels, skidding to a halt as she dropped to one knee. 

“Sidon, are you alright?” Selatoh was quick to begin her attempts at healing magic, “Where is Link?”

“I don’t know.” Sidon shook his head, small injuries fading, “All I was aware of was Ganondorf using some form of darkened wave to force us Sages out.”

“It’s all up to Link at this point.” The massive automaton known as Mineru spoke with a saddened voice, “It was always destined to fall to the Hylian hero.”

The aggravated hum from Selatoh was hardly audible, yet the look on her face was unmistakable. Even as Tottika gently eased his hand over her arm, he wasn’t certain what to do to help calm her. This was undoubtedly the last thing Selatoh truly wanted to hear, yet there wasn’t anything anyone could do. The blackened, purple-red barrier around the castle was impenetrable, unless the person was willing to take severe damage and fall incurably ill. There was nothing else that could be done at this time…

. 

Everyone staggered back as a massive black and red dragon burst from under Hyrule castle. Terror rising as it became clear that Link was up there with only the dark colored dragon.

“What was that!?” Riju yelled, yanking her sword out of the ground, “What happened to Ganondorf?”

“It seems as if he swallowed his Sacred Stone.” Mineru clanked forward, “That's the only thing that could have happened.”

“And he turned into a dragon?” Yunobo scratched his head, “How does that work?”

“No one knows.” Mineru stood still, “However there are theories. The massive amounts of power and energy is seemingly the easiest answer.”

“Look! Is that the Light Dragon?” Selatoh's eyes hadn't left the air, “That one hasn't been seen for some time.” 

The settling silence was unnerving, as if Mineru didn't want to admit a harsh truth. Yet Sidon could see the wheels turning in Selatoh's mind, as could Tottika. 

“My Lady,” Tottika reached out, “There's hardly a thing we can do at the moment except wait.”

“There is one thing…”

“Do not!” Mineru turned, “There is no possible way to reverse the effects of draconification. There will never be a way to return to yourself. Nor will you have any memories of who you were. Nothing of yourself will remain.”

Sidon closed his fist over his Sacred Stone, staring at the soft glow from between his fingers. Riju, Yunobo, and Tulin looked around at the platoons of their people, none of them were willing to put their own through that. However, Selatoh rested her hand over Sidon's closed fist, obscuring the glow of his Stone. The pair locked eyes, knowing what wasn't being said.

“Link needs help.” Sidon sighed, “Someone has to-”

“No!” Mineru snapped, “There won't be a way to return you to yourself.”

“Sidon, let me do this instead.” Selatoh muttered, “The domain needs you, Yona needs you. I can-”

“Are either of you listening to me!?” Mineru attempted to wedge her bulky body between the two royal Zora, “You will lose everything that makes you who you are! There is no coming back from draconification!”

“I understand that.” Selatoh nodded, “And I'm willing to go through with it.”

“You shouldn't,” Sidon tried to pull his Stone away from Selatoh but her grip on his hand wasn't letting up, “I may be the King of the Zora, but I'm also the Water Sage. When Link has need of me, I must be there.”

“No, I should do it instead.” Selatoh insisted, “You have other responsibilities Sidon, but I can do this in your place.”

“No, you'll be needed in my place. The domain will be in good hands with you dear sister.”

“I cannot rule the way you do brother. Allow me to do this in your place. It's the least I can do.”

“It isn't your responsibility to do so Selatoh.” Sidon carefully pried her hand off his, “It's mine as the Water Sage.”

“And what if Link needs the Water Sage in the future?” Selatoh asserted, “If I turn into a dragon, then you can continue to watch the domain as the King while I watch the domain from afar. You needn’t do this.”

Mineru huffed, “You won't know a thing. That is quite literally impossible for you to keep this mindset.”

Turning to the large armor suit, Selatoh cocked her head, “Then could you explain Farosh, Dinraal, Naydra, and the Light dragon? They are peaceful, watching over Hyrule and have for longer than any of us could ever know. Except yourself Mineru. Even if I won't have any sense of self, I won't be dangerous after this.”

Mineru huffed again, “This is absolutely insane…”

“But I can't argue with your logic either. But if you're going to do this, then everyone needs to stand back.”

Selatoh nodded, Sidon still had his doubts however. Refusing to relinquish his Stone even as everyone else backed up, except Tottika; ever standing by his princess's side. 

“Sidon, I've made my choice.”

“Selatoh, this isn't-”

“I've stood back long enough Sidon!” Selatoh snapped, “I can't stand back any longer!”

“Selatoh…”

“No! Enough is enough!” Selatoh snagged Sidon's Sacred Stone, “I can't lose you the way we lost Mipha just because it's not my responsibility. I've had to stand back as you helped Link twice now! After what happened with Mipha, you can't begin to imagine what I've felt, how deeply I feared you wouldn’t return! I won't go through that again!”

Sidon's arms shook as he reached for his twin sister, this wasn't normal. As badly as he wanted to comfort her, talk her out of this, Sidon knew Selatoh wouldn't be reasoned with.

“Selatoh, please.” Tottika stepped forward, “There are other ways to help Sir Link than this. Please, no one needs to go through with draconification.”

Turning to Tottika, Selatoh frowned slightly, “I'm sorry. I have to do this.”

“SELATOH!” 

Both Sidon and Tottika rushed forward as she backed away, swallowing the stone quickly. The immense surge of raw power through her body sent Selatoh reeling. Stumbling over her own feet as the pain raced across her body, only just being able to turn to where everyone stood, staring. 

Selatoh's voice reached the two Zora, the only people closest to her as she uttered her last lucid statement, “I love you.”

Then in a blindingly red and gold light, an ear splitting roar filled the sky as a new dragon emerged from the spherical prism. Red as blood with Selatoh's markings lining the body, three stars across the familiar head crest; exactly where they had been in her Zora form. A frilly mane fanning out as if perpetually underwater, sparkly flecks of light raining down like glitter as the dragon ascended to the clouds. A thin and spindly beast twisting, coiling as she went.

Shaking, looking up at the newly formed, ferocious beast, Tottika held a hand over his mouth as he muttered her name. Sidon couldn't help but stare in disbelief as his sister, his twin sister, flew upward, straight at the black and red demonic looking dragon. 

It was the kind of nightmare one could only hope to wake up from…

Even as the memories of her life faded, Selatoh knew what she needed to do. Her instincts screaming to protect the land, to rid the skies of this demonic presence as she sunk razor sharp teeth into the dark, scaly hide. Massive droplets of blood dripping off her snout as she retreated, the ghastly wound oozing blood down its own tail. 

Link wasn't entirely certain of where this new dragon had come from, or if it was even friendly. What he did know was that it was fighting Ganondorf alongside himself and Zelda. Even as he hesitated in his trust given that this dragon was quite vicious, Link couldn't deny that it was doing quite a bit of damage to Ganondorf while he got his weapons ready. 

And yet, with Ganondorf's… or rather Sonia's Sacred Stone in hand, and Zelda returned to her Hylian form; Link worried about hitting the ground. Until the mysterious red and blue dragon swooped under them. There was something vaguely familiar about this dragon, what was it that Link couldn't put his finger on? It was almost maddening as they landed near Hyrule Castle. The calmness of the dragon was unsettling… even Zelda was caught off guard by how domestic this unknown dragon was acting. Until…

“SELATOH!”

Both Tottika and Sidon rushed forward to the dragon's snout, Sidon practically flinging himself onto its face. Tottika could barely bring himself to touch the dragon, but the soft way the snout met his hand sealed Link's mind. His eyes widened as he approached the dragon himself.

“Selatoh, why?” Link muttered, “Why?”

Mineru couldn't help but stand in awe, “I… I can't believe any of this. The Zora princess is still calm as a dragon and Zelda is back. How? How could the draconification process be reversed?”

“I have no idea…” Zelda shook her head, “I was certain that my own change was permanent, but-”

“It was the other Stones.” Link tore his eyes off the red dragon, “I- I don't know how to explain it but Rauru and Sonia's spirits appeared and between the three of us we were able to return you to normal Zelda. It was almost like an overpowered Recall ability.”

Sidon slid off the large snout, “Then we must hurry! Selatoh didn't change more than an hour ago, she might fly off if we wait for too long!”

Mineru sighed, “I don't know why she hasn't already, she should have left by now. Unless her instincts as a dragon haven't fully kicked in yet. But that can't be the case given how she was acting during the fight.”

Looking up at Selatoh, Link clenched his fist.

“We have to try. If all the Sages channel their power to Zelda we should be able to reverse Selatoh's transformation too.”

“But Link, I've never-!”

“Please Princess Zelda.” Sidon clutched both of her hands, “I may not have my Sacred Stone, but I will help in any way I can. I can't let my sister spend eternity as a dragon, if there's even a tiny chance to return her to normal.”

Riju stepped forward, “I agree, Selatoh only went through with this because she wanted to assist Link in the fight. If there's anything I can do to help, you have my Sacred Stone.”

“Yeah, I don't know much about this but if we can fix this I'm all for it.” Yunobo nodded, “Count me in!”

Tulin hopped over, “Let's do it then! We all believe you can Princess!”

Walking over calmly, Link rested a hand gently on Zelda's shoulder, the two locking eyes as they nodded. Something deep in Zelda burned brighter as she lifted her arm toward the red and blue dragon. 

A bright orb of light built up in her palm, her Sacred Stone glowing much brighter. One by one the other Sage's Stones began glowing as their hands glowed with the same light, even Sidon despite his lack of a Sacred Stone. Except for a bright dot in Selatoh's chest, where the Sacred Stone resided.

As the dot in her chest glowed brighter, it expanded to swallow Selatoh's form. Even as the clock-like runes enveloped the domeing light, it was clear the sphere of light was shrinking quickly. Breaking once the reversal process was completed, leaving a confused Selatoh holding the Sacred Stone in her palm. Looking frantically upward before turning her gaze to the crowd of people. The first to reach her was Tottika, who extended a hand to pull her to her feet. 

Meeting his eyes as she accepted the help up, Selatoh was cut off by Sidon nearly tackling her back to the ground. Selatoh couldn’t help but look away sheepishly, hiding against Sidon’s shoulder as the two shook from the sheer force of emotion coursing through the two of them. A million questions flew across Selatoh’s mind as she had believed there was no way to return. 

And yet, words failed her as Sidon finally relinquished her shoulders. Everything she had been through, the fading memories of the sheer power and mindlessness of her dragon form, having seen the entirety of her life flash before her eyes only a a short hour prior… 

All Selatoh could do was laugh. Her head thrown back as her while body shook with the force of her laughter. The overpowering emotion tearing its way out of her body through whatever avenue it could find. Tears streaming down her face before her laughter could even lower in volume in the slightest. No one around her knew what to do, not even Sidon. Only capable of letting Selatoh laugh and cry and hiccup herself into a quiet stupor as she stood there. Nothing left to express, no energy to even think about anything. Tottika moved to support her, guide her to an area of rest. 

Selatoh didn’t, couldn’t fight even if she had wanted to. Trudging alongside Tottika and eventually Bazz as the pair of Zora lead the frazzled Princess away. Leaving Sidon and Link to trot behind. Followed closely by the remainder of the Sages, their platoons, the mechanical Zonai, and Princess Zelda; the motley, triumphant, and exhausted crew shocking the researchers whom had fled into the underground bunker. Though their shock was short lived as recuperation procedures, hot meals and first aid, begun.

[negative-speedforce]

Slowly coming up with more details about the clover OC!!

Her name is Gia Pantazis, she's a 23-year-old ace lesbian who runs a flower shop in Hell's Kitchen. When she was 18, she signed up for a medical case study that ended up being an underground branch of HYDRA running an experiment on life force. I've told you a bit about this part, but she ends up having her life force bound to a clover plant.

Most injuries she receives to herself will heal quickly and with minimal pain, but any damage to the clover will affect her strongly. For example, she has scars on her face that look like acne scars, but are actually left from sooty blotch that affected the clover a few years back. She is also missing her right leg at the knee - HYDRA cut it off, wanting to see if it would grow back since it was damage to her body and not the clover. They were half right: the wound did seal over quickly, but she lost the leg. She usually wears a prosthetic, though on humid days she'll use crutches instead (since the prosthetic gets itchy)

She is generally healthier the more clover there is, since the damage is dispersed. However, she still is affected by damage to the plant, so she has to tend it carefully (this is why she doesn't just plant it in a bunch of fields and let it spread - she'd feel it every time there's a drought, or a herd of deer nibble on it, or whatever else, and it would only make her weaker in the end). So she just keeps a large patch of the clover in her flower shop and tends it there.

The clover doesn't seem to have any lifespan as long as it's well-kept, and it's a bit more regenerative than most. It does go through a few rough patches, like any plant does, and Gia gets very sick and has to close her shop until it passes.

In theory, she wouldn't have to eat, drink, or sleep as long as the plant is healthy, though she's been too scared to actually test that theory out. HYDRA did try to test this, though it was obviously a very unhealthy environment for both her and the clover and the tests were largely inconclusive. Outside of HYDRA, she's run very few tests of her abilities, and mainly tries to live a normal life (though let's be real, she'd make a killer vigilante as long as she kept the clover thing hidden, she's basically got Wolverine healing factor as long as the clover is thriving).

Bruh this is so cool! I love this character concept! If you have any questions about working in a flower shop, feel free to shoot them my way!