#while at the same time you continue to ask yourself 'does this android want to fuck me???'

[commander-frostii]

[onecantsimply]

Yandere Noah and Jack Smith x A2 Reader (Maybe Mother Goose Too But-)

Noah may get more considering that I already write for Jack so much Hh- Also... they're going to be a Yandere. I can never steer away from those topics. I have descended to this level- 

It embarrasses me of how soon I took to complete this-

Your hair and eyes will be the same as the appearance you would like it to be. Your name will be A2 for a while, but will be changed later on in the fic.

NIER AUTOMATA SPOILERS, AS WELL AS JACK THE RIPPER CASE FILES SPOILERS:

-

A2 is an Android from Nier Automata, built originally as a YoRHa soldier. She was a prototype of Androids that had led to the original 2B and 9S. A2 has no liking to speaking, and tends to stay silent. Three years prior to the events of NieR:Automata, she was a member of the first YoRHa squadron deployed to Earth as part of the Pearl Harbor Descent during the early years of the 14th Machine War. Her alias at the time was No2 which is parsed in Automata as "Number Two". Now, A2 is a wanted Android that had first been hunted down at the Forest Kingdom by 2B and 9S. Though, due to the unexpected virus that had spread, A2 had been forced to fight against certain Androids that had been infected with it, even having to defend 2B against some of them. Even with that, she had deciphered that she couldn't live, seeing as how she were infected with a logic virus. 2B told A2 to take her blade that had been imbued with her memories before killing her. And so, the Android does so, with 9S seeing 2B collapse to the floor. He succumbs to a mental breakdown, shouting of how he'll kill A2 while running towards her. However, the bridge under him breaks due to "The Tower" growing out of the floor. A2, who is also amidst the area, had collapsed onto some rubble, going unconscious.

And now... when they wake up, they find themself in a new world, with Humans that have no idea of their own future.

-

• You yourself are simply confused of what the hell just happened. One moment, you were near the destroyed shopping center, and now, you were on an intact building, seeing people... actual people... walking around without a care in the world. It made you... slightly mad. You and your own allies had practically died, some quite literally, to complete a war against Androids and Machines, that still hadn't ended. So if that were the case, why were you still alive? Why were you here? With Humans?

• To your silent confusion, you see a small machine floating around you. It greets you, telling you of how its name is Pod 042. You didn't seem to care, making your way down the building. Though, as you did so, Pod had asked for what your purpose was. You didn't answer. 30 seconds later, Pod asked again. Irritated, you had told him that you wanted to destroy any machines that came across you. Instead of being able to scan the machine signs rather easily, Pod had spoken of how that wasn't available, and for you to pick another purpose.

• You told him that you should simply explore or map out the area. With an "affirmed", Pod had then went silent. Of course, you attempted to ask him where you two were. However, he answered with an "unknown". And with a small scoff, you muttered about how useless this small machine was.

• Though, you had begun to walk around. Your clothes seemed to catch the eyes of others, who had practically giggled or murmured about your appearance. Though, it was never as if you had cared, so you continued on with your day. You passed a cafe, on where a certain silver haired man was enjoying his apple pie. He only got a glance of you, but had stopped, seeing you disappear into the crowd. The man blinked, but had then went back to his Apple pie, enjoying it with a content smile.

• Pod then began to speak of how you needed to refill your fuel filter. You didn't seem to care about that. Though, upon warning that you would have to forcibly shut down if you ran out of fuel, you sighed, telling him to tell you where the nearest part of fuel was. Pod marked the spot, allowing for you to slip in. You had simply grabbed what you needed before someone had called you out. Obviously, seeing as how you were in a world where Humans never existed, you never understood their ways.

• You just flicked some G (Android and Machine currency) over to them before walking towards the entrance of the room. Yet, it seemed as if things had gotten off on the wrong foot. Someone was already trying to kill you. On instinct, you had evaded, punching the male into the wall. Or so you thought. Your hand had punched through the male's stomach, coating your hand in a red, crimson liquid that was some to your own blood. However, the difference was how it had spilled.

• Of course, taking lives wasn't new to you. You had killed countless Androids and Machines that had tried to go after you for any kind of purpose. So, you didn't think much of it, and simply got to slicing as more Humans came at you. However, instead of exploding into flames, they had... stayed lifeless. Slowly, they had all began to exert a certain scent that had you leave the area, covered in blood. Others had gasped, seeing you carrying the fuel out. You had only sent them small glares.

• However, there was a man in black, as well as a seemingly buff male with a scar across his nose. A smaller woman with two swords had watched you walk away. And when they had looked to where you had come from, they had saw that you had murdered pretty much an entire organization on your own. For fuel. Odd- The black haired male couldn't help but smile softly from interest, making a small motion to the pair behind him. They both nodded.

• Now, you were refilled on fuel, being able to wander as you saw fit. However, the blood on you had dried. It grew annoying, so you washed it off. You thought you were finally alone until you heard Pod say something. "Three Humans approaching." You had silently looked back at them with slightly furrowed eyebrows.

• The black haired male seemed to speak of some things, speaking of how bold you were to kill an organization out in the open. You had stayed silent, simply standing there. You were waiting for them to make the first move. Eventually, the male had quieted down. He then looked towards you with a soft smile.

- "... What are you?"

• Your eyebrows faintly furrowed from this question. Yet, you had continued to stay silent, keeping still. Your eyes had scanned all three of them. You knew they were perfectly capable. The one in the middle seemed rather... more odd than the rest.

• Sensing the tension, Pod immediately floated in front of you.

- “Warning: Combat with this unit will result in appropriate consequences. Destruction recommended."

• The male seemed to perk up, asking what Pod was. The small machine had answered of how he was a support unit assigned to you. Seeing as how you weren't going to speak on your own, Pod had decided to speak for you.

- "Unit A2 will attack whenever the first offense is launched. Any attack will be taken as self defense."

• The male in black seemed to chuckle. He the. Started to laugh, the two beside him looking at him slight confusion. You seemed to softly mutter about how weird he was, turning around, since waiting around was completely irrelevant to you. Though, you heard the ringing of a blade only a second later.

• Your own blade immediately connected with the young woman's. She had slightly wide eyes, but had the other male throw a punch at you. Of course, you lunged away from the pair, with Pod firing bullets towards the trio. They had all avoided it, leading to him closing out.

- "Proposal: Wasting fuel from your filter is dangerous. Flee."

• You softly huffed but lunged to the edge. The male seemed to ask of if you needed fuel. That if you came with him, he could supply it in return for some questioning. Pod immediately turned to you.

- "Alliances will be needed in an unknown world, Unit A2."

• You could only scoff, speaking of how you worked better alone. However, Pod floated in front of you, floating forward while saying the same thing. You already had the feeling of how he would keep being awfully pushy about the situation, you had turned to the other male with a sigh, seemingly just ordering him of what he wanted.

• He just wanted information. It's not every day that he sees an Android, after all. It does tend to be the first time, actually. That's when Pod floated in front of him, speaking of how you weren't some lab rat. The male immediately agreed with a chuckle. However, he looked back at you. You were... interesting.

• No care in the world for anyone, no care in the world for how people thought of you, already having a more closed off personality when he knows you were much more kind in the past, so much strength and prowess, and even viewing him, a leader of a dark organization, as irrelevant.

- He thinks of it all as absolutely interesting. Well, at first, anyway.

• Well, the man had spoken and offered how he wanted you to become a background member of his group. The two beside him could only slightly widen their eyes as your own softly narrowed. Whatever you needed would be supplied to you as long as you took orders from him and him alone. Anyone else will have no reign over you unless he says so.

• Pod immediately accepted the offer, much to your irritated shock, and to the man's bliss. He visibly brightened up before you sighed softly. You softly glared at the male after, but followed after him when told.

- "You can't just accept offers like that." You spoke to Pod, who had continued to float beside you. - "Negative. Unit A2 has shown signs of visible problems with communicating. As a support unit, I shall be the substitute." - "You don't need to do that. I can communicate just fine, with or without words." - "Would that mean subtle glares?"

• You immediately sent Pod a glare, proving his point. More so at the three in front of you. The pair beside the male seemed to question the male beside them. However, he never answered them, only sending them a small smile. Did he really know what he was doing? The two never knew.

• Now, you were in a darker building, in which you took a seat in your given spot. It was only soon enough that jobs were given to you already. And yes. You completed all without fail, receiving payment. Noah understood you never did work well with others. But sometimes, he needed to assign you with other members of the group. Whether that be all of them or not.

• Humpty Dumpty... You two didn't give a shit about each other. Simple business partners or partners of Mother Goose assigned by Noah. Nothing else. Though, since Alfred didn't have to worry about friendly fire, he often threw cannon balls towards you and your enemy whenever locked in a clash. However, the same cannot be said for him whenever you throw your blade at his opponent. He has to leap back with what he can to escape being impaled. And that's what has him scold you in silence. You two frequently get in arguments about it. There's something that seems enjoyable about it, however. Well... for Alfred, that is. You still think you don't work well with him.

• Mary Had A Little Lamb... Seeing as how the both of you are swordsmen with different styles of fighting, you still work great together. You know how your blades work, and actually manage to pull off combos together. However, that doesn't mean you two are getting along during those missions. In the beginning, you two just really don't care for each other. Until Mika sees more of your style, and grows curious of it instead of having to focus on the job. She privately asks of what your style was. You don't know about it, since it was regularly implanted into you right when you were built. Oh, right. You're an Android. Not a Human. However... Mika doesn't need to care about that. An acquaintance is an acquaintance to her.

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star... Lmfao. LMAO. No. Your nature throws him off- You're awfully cold, which is something that's fine with Bogey. He's met plenty of cold people like Alfred and Wake. However... why the hell are you so aggressive-? How are you dashing with that red glint around you-? He has stamina in running, yes. But not as much as you. Why do you set yourself on fire if an opponent seems too strong for you-? (Naturally that means Bogey has to be put to the side while you fuck the opponent up with Berserker Mode.) But still... that brings up more sparring sessions. Bogey seems fine with it, even if you deem it as a waste of time. You both get cuts, with mostly Bogey being the more injured one. If he can't grab a hold of you, that is.

• Cock Robin... Bitch no- You're the one who hates him. He's annoying, and he looks smug as hell. Which is not wrong- That razorwhip of his does wonders, however. He likes to get work done fast, which means the both of you may as well work well together when it comes to fighting enemies. Wake keeps a watch over you while you brutalize most people within the building, making sure that no one else gets close enough to you to get a hit in. While you absolute hate him, he has no care for you whatsoever. Just some allies that got partnered up on a job, but had no connection to each other aside from that. It literally takes so many jobs for you two to do anything other than your jobs. Whether that he simply chilling around for a while or having to speak of something to pass the time.

• Sixpence... Do I have to--? Oh... Uh... You were definitely wierded out over her appearance at first, but still, she had quite a lot of uses when it came to slipping through small spaces.

• Lincolnshire Poacher... No- I don't know enough about him- All I can say is that he most likely got backhanded by you when he tried to put his arm around you. His jaw ached for a full month after, and he didn't really approach you again unless he had to- He's scared of you HH- However, him being a sniper only reminded you of one of your Android friends. So even if he never noticed, you had grown slightly softer with him.

• Noah... The man himself... The irritating man himself... You regard him as nothing more than a weird boss. Nothing else. You're used to a commander that's straightforward, and focused on her goal. However, Noah is different. He's focused on his goal, yes. But he loves small distractions such as plays and hard candy. You viewed plays as boring time passers, where you could simply stand against a tree while it was going on. Occasionally, you saw Noah laughing about something. And, about hard candy... Whenever he offered you some, you declined, speaking of how Androids didn't need to eat. However, Noah wanted you to taste it, just in case if you liked it. It had to get to the point where he had to order you to eat it. And honestly... it wasn't bad. You just didn't let him know about it. He knew anyways though-

• However, when you were on a job of your own, you had ran into a young man with silver hair. He took one gaze at your colors while you were walking past, and chuckled, softly mumbling about how your colors were pleasantly impure. You didn't care for what he was talking about, but the next few seconds were the things you cared for. A single knife being launched at you, in which you caught. However, before you could face him, he was gone. I mean... as long as it means he wouldn't disrupt your assignments.

• Though, you were aware of the eyes on you after that. It was irritating, having to minimalize movement just to make sure he doesn't get everything you have.

• Ah... This man has seen you before... Back when you were simply walking around with that small machine at your side. It still is, shooting people lmfao. Well... at least doing your assignments was good enough. However, you needed to get your stalker off your tail. And so, that's what you did. You smashed a window and hopped out before swinging yourself into an open window. You could hear the man above you chuckle, speaking of how he'd see you and your lovely colors yet again.

• After you were sure he had left, you had went back to your own place. Mail had been placed through your slot, having you look through it. Until you saw you had gotten a letter from Wake to attend a monthly meeting, in which you had been skipping every damn time. You were about to toss it to the side until you saw that Noah had ordered you to. The obvious different handwriting made it slightly annoying, but, an order is an order.

• Attending that meeting seemed like a waste of time, just as you thought. Just simply checking if everyone were still alive, in which they were. You really didn't have any more means of staying until Noah had told you to. You seemed more annoyed at that. However, you stayed in silence. After mostly everyone had left, you walked up to Noah, asking him what he had wanted. After being told that he just wanted to do something with you, you could feel your eyes narrowing from slight irritation. Catching this, Noah couldn't help but chuckle.

- He probably asked if you hated his company. You said yes. Noah simply chuckled from your answer.

• Hm... Maybe he needs to try a little bit more then. Or... you could be hiding that you like his presence? It does take a while for you to get used to things, after all. Literally, since you backhanded Crawl because he put an arm around your shoulders, never did anyone else touch you without your permission after that.

• Still, Noah could tell. He could tell he was starting to get to you. You're speaking more around him, and showing the slightest of concern whenever something goes wrong. Even for other members. You don't know them as much since they have things to do, but the places you go to with them when on jobs is something that cannot be replaced. He had mostly occupied your time when you had come back to get your pay.

• Though, when you had to leave, and go home, you could feel specific eyes on you. It was that weird heterochromatic eyed guy. He had been stalking you for a while until it had become regular. You really thought this man would give up within a few months. No. Not at all. He had continued, having to find you over and over again until you had nowhere to hide. It may have gotten to the point where Noah had started to notice himself. So, he may as well accompany you, yes?

• Even with how you tried to refuse, Noah could see the slightly relieved look in your eyes whenever he had come with you at these specific times. It was about time he had to ask you what was going on. Of course, he did it in silence, letting you answer in your own way. Seeing you eye something behind you, Noah had immediately understood from there. Maybe he could take advantage over this. But... couldn't you take care of this person yourself? Yes. You could. But he never did anything unless it was that knife that was thrown towards you.

• Truly, speaking of it, while Noah had left you in your own apartment, there was someone that would sneak in and simply... watch as you sleep. Pod is deactivated beside you, so you're completely shut down. And that gives him much more time to simply watch you. You yourself... The man knows he has enemies. Perhaps lots from how he has a "simple" interest in you. Especially with the group you're in. It was dangerous to even be around you, and he knew this.

• Which was why Noah coming with you seemed rather irritating for him. Especially with the amount of time it took for him to leave. And that man knew it wouldn't be easy, even if Noah had left. Because there was most likely someone else stalking along to make sure you two were safe. Even if that man knew that the person were most likely not going to show themself, there was nice chance that he could always get them first. And that was precisely what he did.

• It was some sort of male with a sniper. It was Crawl. That man just about knocked him out withe enough force to keep him unconscious for a few hours. Now, with bliss, he had snuck his way into your abode. Oh, how your sleeping, or rather, shut down form was beautiful. You had colors of sorrow and guilt within you, however. Most likely that something happened before he ever met you. However, he didn't like to see it on you. While he couldn't do anything other than gently sit beside you, enjoying you simply for your presence, he could always stay by your side. Always in the shadows, but still within your own.

• That man... He adored you. He really did. Ever since first seeing you wandering around while he ate his apple pie. At first, he never seemed to mind, only regarding you as someone slightly odd. He was right. What would you have to do to get into a dark organization? One where people heavily guard you without your own knowledge the best they can? All because of one leader that has also gained an infatuation for you.

• Of course... That man hated sharing. But... the battle to find out who you'll be with is always something fun. Before, that man has always taken care of any that have tried to get in his way. However, he was having trouble with those that had bothered to stalk you other than him. Those that had accompanied you on your jobs, and those that have made sure you weren't injured to certain extent.

• At first, it seemed easy. You were closed off. You always were, and still are to certain others. But to those that had managed to bond with you in certain ways... and had managed to break down your walls before he could... that man couldn't tolerate any competition. So, later would be the time he would finally meet you again. Of course, you or your small machine would recognize him as a stalker. However, he would like to start off on a new foot. Would that be so bad?

• The man then sees something. A knife. His knife. You... kept it? The man immediately grabs a hold of it, softly smiling faintly as he gently traces a gloved finger down the surface of the gleaming blade. The fact that you kept it... This made the knife special. The man immediately pocketed it after softly shuddering from happiness. You give him the best of emotion, and you don't even know...

• Now, that man had gotten off of your bed, giving you a small kiss to your forehead. For a few seconds, he could see a pure emotion flooding into you. That man could only smile before he leaves, just in time to escape away from Crawl's eyes. That man seemed confused on what had happened until he found himself on the cold floor. He immediately checked in on you. You were still okay, much to his relief. He really didn't want to get backhanded by anyone, especially you. The memory makes him sweatdrop each time.

• And, as the man had planned, he had finally met you in another location. It wasn't useful to hide who he was, considering you remembered him. So, you simply glared at him while he spoke of how he never had any bad intentions for you. Instead, that he wanted to do something with you.

- "Surely, spending time away from your odd leader is valuable to you, yes?" - "Not if I get stuck with another weirdo."

• The man could only softly sigh. However, he introduces himself as Jack. Jack Smith. You knew you had no need to introduce yourself, since he most likely knew your name already. And that he did. He never cared for how odd your name sounded. Nor did he care if anyone was watching. This moment to be with you and actually talk with you is something he's been craving for a while.

• Even if you finally depart after a while, even you talking to him is enough for him to feel complete for a slight bit. Until he aches to talk again, that is. However, he knows fully well that your time is being taken up by Noah, or perhaps other Mother Goose members. It... really seems as if you have no time alone. Well, unless for jobs, that is. Actually, not if people are stalking you. Including Jack, but-

• Well, he'll take any bit of time he has to grasp a small companionship with you. No matter how much Pod annoys him about backing off. Jack has no other desire than to be with you. It's... just been quite the while... since he's ever decided to do something like this with anyone. But this feeling... It had subjugated every nerve within his body. And whenever you're near him, that feeling spreads. It begins to fester. The fact that you actually do agree to spend time with him gives him serotonin.

• Though, in the time divided through your week, Jack only has one day with you before it's split to the other members of Mother Goose. If he wants more time, then it would be better to make his own moves.

• Jack Smith... is annoying in his own right. That man can and will follow you wherever and whenever. It's a wonder of how he hasn't managed to follow you back to Mother Goose's base. He will literally follow you anywhere but there, so that's fine with you. But in the times where he does get to spend his time with you, you always seem annoyed of him. Though, the colors within you had always read as slightly amused. Jack can be annoying, yes. But he's... rather mysterious in his own way as well, leading to your slight interest in him. Additionally to the fact that you simply talking to him seems to make him brighten up immediately. Mans seems like a sort of puppy like that. Not that it's cute to you or anything, hell no, but you find yourself arching an eyebrow at that sometimes.

• With Noah, he found the name of A2 rather... complicated. So, he had your address name changed. Your name is now (Y/n). Of course, you could still be called A2 as you'd like.

- To know that you don't mind the name has Noah smiling softly. What a relief this warmth was. He had actually renamed you to something more casual. All that was left was your clothes. Mika could be in charge of that. So, he had her take you shopping. After all, just a few black cloths over you won't do much.

• So... You didn't feel as if it were necessary to remove the other clothes you had. So, you wore the other one you bought over it. Honestly, it looked nice.

-

- (Belongs to Satellite-Helen)-

• Well, you got a few more simps now. Tighter schedule. Yikes- The toothpick and the razorwhip man have been added into the roster-

• At least you and Mika kind of match. She enjoyed it more than anything that her older sibling figure could actually look like her when you two have the same type of weapon. Even if you have more weapon adjustion than she does.

• Well, even if you got more simps, it's still ridiculously hard enough to truly get on your good side. And... those two don't exactly try harder to get on your good side other than accompanying you on jobs whenever Noah needs them to. And they can tell. They can tell he knows about their feelings as well.

• Well, it wouldn't matter if they still had literal years to spend with you. They'd get close with you either way. While their lack of almost communication can place them behind certain people, within the years, it literally becomes irrelevant because of how they'll have to keep up with those certain people.

• By now, things are suffocating for you. You've definitely snapped and told some to shut up or leave you alone. They stalked you instead. It's still better than having direct contact, so you simply let it be. Whether that be simply resting around after a job, or simply taking time to do things by yourself.

- They see you resting by an open window of an abandoned building most of the time, simply staring into space until Pod reminds you that you need to go back. Or that someone approaches you, which can either be the stalker, or simply someone else. Usually, it does tend to be the stalker. But if it's someone else, they're very stupid to even approach a random Android sitting by the windowsill. Still... I suppose curiosity killed the cat, because that person wasn't found anywhere the next hour. Not by you either.

• Anyhow, it becomes regular that you simply expect your time to be eaten up by the ones that have an infatuation with you. You don't pay attention to any of the chaos that really goes on in the area. It really comes to the point where you can only settle around Nu. She's the most calm about everything, and doesn't stalk you unless ordered to. Besties.

• Everything seems to be falling apart whenever a specific toothpick had died, however.

- It appears that the gentleman has finally made his move. However, you were never one to know.

• However, that loss put you in a state of slight anger. It was supposed to be a simple bodyguard or butler job, so what the hell happened. Catching on to your irritation, Noah had taken advantage over it. He had smiled, speaking of how he would find the killer, and would allow for you to brutalize him. You knew fully well of how he was glad at how there was one less rival, however.

• You grew more cold and distant then, to literally everyone as well. Well, unless Noah had ordered you to come with him to kill some lower dark organizations. It was simply to find the killer in easier fashion while checking in on your condition. You were slowly growing more distant, intent on finding the guy that had murdered one of your friends. That seemed unacceptable to Noah.

• You weren't tolerating anyone stalking you either. You were always out of view now, keeping out of sight. And thinking about it... you never did hang around your gentleman friend often. Neither did he approach you as of recently. It seemed oddly suspicious, especially with how you knew what he was capable of.

• One day, after massacring a specific dark organization, the leader had spoken of info he had. And it matched specifically to Jack. You seemed to scoff, and immediately left to find him. But naturally, the gentleman was never anywhere to be found. You asked Pod to locate him. He unfortunately couldn't do so, since he had no signal as a machine. Softly cursing, you went to find him on your own.

• How normal. You found him at Alice's Cafe. And he was quite aware of how pissed off you were. He saved his apple pie by keeping his attention on you.

- “Now then… What would you like to talk of, My Dear?”

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

Can I ask for my favourite android and his favourite alien medical professional, perhaps being cute and relaxing in the Tardis?

Excellent choice~

On with the fic!

--

"And this..." The Doctor threw his arm up in front of the door that suddenly rose up. "is my library!"

"Yes, I am aware." Arthur said, bemused.

"Oh, no, not the library-library. This is MY library! My personal library where I squirrel myself away to relax and do stuff without... ya know, being pestered." The Doctor paused. "Oh, that's rude, isn't it? Hiding myself away from my friends for a few hours."

Arthur shook his head. "No, I do not believe it to be rude when you need a bit of time to yourself. I'm sure that your friends understand, they probably have their own locations for alone time, yes?"

"Probably! The TARDIS is good about providing such things, if you ask nicely." The Doctor smiled and stepped into the room, with Arthur following behind.

The room was massive, with a domed ceiling. The 'windows' seemed to shift between different projections of different skies, from day to night, cloudy to clear, all colors of the rainbow and a variety of shades in between. The floor was covered in a mix of metal grating like the main room of the TARDIS but also grass that Arthur's sensors indicated smelled like apples.

All over the places were a scattering of chairs of different styles and eras, including a very impractical inflatable one that was a very eye-searing shade of hot pink. And there were shelves upon shelves of books, scrolls, tablets (both stone and electrical).

"This is your personal library?" Arthur asked in awe, moving his wheels carefully over the grating.

"Yep! It seems to change for all of my selves whenever we're running the show." The Doctor said, brushing past him to move towards the center of the room. "The normal library is for guests and companions, it has a lot of the same books as this room does, but this one is more of my personal collection from over the centuries. And a lot of stuff from home, kept here for safety, of course.

I like the personality change for the room wherever a new me shows up. Like, I remember when I was all curls and scarfs, this place was a bit more wild to match my unexpected personality. And then when I changed to, well, heh, a personal favorite face of mine, it was a bit more sporty. And oddly dad-like."

Arthur nodded, not quite getting what the Doctor was talking about. He glanced around, but then his olfactory sensors picked up on a mix of scents. He was surprised to find that there was a small kitchenette in the room. "You have food in here."

"Hm? Oh!" The Doctor walked over to the kitchenette, which stood out as if someone just dropped it into a program without bothering to make it blend in. "Yeah, I sometimes forget to eat or drink things while I'm sitting around with my books, and the TARDIS thought, hey, you might as well have a snack or a cuppa without leaving the room!"

He said this just as he grabbed a banana out of a drawer and started to peel it. Arthur wondered vaguely if he could prepare a drink for the Doctor later while they sat about. The Doctor took a bite of his treat, smiling. "Take a look around! There's a whole lot in here to see, I'm sure you'll find something of interest!"

"And what shall you be doing?"

"There's a book I wanted to finish, written by my old pal Doyle. It's a special one that never got published about some friends of mine who lived during his time. I keep meaning to continue it, but I keep getting distracted. I'll go grab it and we can sit and read for a bit, just enjoy each other's company, yeah?"

Arthur looked at him, nodding, and then moved around the metal trails. It was rather nice here, oddly calm compared to the Doctor's active personality. He wondered why it meant to match the Doctor he knew, but then again, there were lines of shelves that seemed to be shadowed in some sort of uncomfortable darkness, and Arthur avoided them.

His attention was quickly caught by a shelf filled with old, paperback books. His data banks informed him that this was a collection of pulp fiction books. Picking one up, Arthur registered that these were, in face, science-fiction romance pulp fiction books.

And they seemed a bit... adult.

Curiosity seemed to be in control of his logical thinking lately, since joining the Doctor on his adventures, and Arthur grabbed a few of the books that looked the most interesting. He decided not to take notice of the fact that all of them were centered on romances with one of the partners being a robot.

His systems whirred loudly for a moment as he held the books close and he hurried back to the kitchenette area, at the center of the room, where he found the Doctor sprawled on a chair, in a way that made it seem like he didn't know the proper way to actually sit in one.

The Doctor looked up from a hardback book in his hands, grinning. "Find anything good?"

"Just... some classic Earth literature that I am unfamiliar with." Arthur commented, setting the books down on the sofa next to the Doctor's chair so he could detach himself from his little cart.

The Doctor glanced at the small pile of books, and his smile turned knowing, which made Arthur glance away. "Well, I do hope that you enjoy those 'classics' you found, Arthur." He replied, and Arthur just knew he winked when he said it.

His inner fans were loud for a moment and he cleared his throat, deciding not to address that with a response. He picked up the first book in the pile, one with an automaton holding a dark haired woman in a blue dress close to their body. He glanced at the Doctor, who seemed to have returned to his book, because he was going through a series of 'oohs, ahhs, and no ways!' as he scanned the pages.

Arthur just gave a little nod and opened the book, deciding to sit quietly and enjoy the peace, smell of apple grass, and the company of his favorite humanoid-alien under an ever changing skylight.

--

I'd like to think that Two started the collection of campy pulp fiction romances and the Doctors after him just continued. Ten is gonna have to take a look through them again.

Just to see what Arthur's been reading. Totally no other reason, nuh uh.

[ethereaiin]

2B likes to carry Reader but doesn't like to admit it?

changed your rq a bit since i wanted some comfort fluff. also this reignited my motivation to write for my nier fic so thanks <3

features; you and 2B + some bonus 9S.

[au]

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Being the only human left in the world meant a lot of things.

The weight of responsibility weighed heavily on your shoulders. There was never a day that went by you weren’t reminded of how precious your life was and how losing it meant the end of humanity. The androids you’ve come to know and love never let you forget that fact. You were their salvation; their hope and most of all, their most cherished person.

2B was especially fond of you. While she was reserved with her emotions, opting to use actions to display her care, you knew that she held a soft spot for you. She treated you as if you were the most delicate thing in the world; like the slightest harm against you would break you completely. Compared to an android, of course you were weaker. Yet 2B was maybe a little too cautious.

“Is this really necessary?”

You say with a slight pout as 2B lifts you from the ground and you immediately wrap your arms around her neck. At this point, she’s done it so many times that it felt more like an instinctual habit rather than something you did to ensure you wouldn’t fall. Knowing her, it was unlikely she’d ever let you slip through her grasp. Her wary nature wouldn’t allow it.

At this point, you were somewhat used to the coldness of an android’s body. They were different from humans and they didn’t possess the natural heat you exuded. When you clung to her, it felt no different from any other person, yet the lack of warmth was like a gentle reminder. Nothing here was the same as you remembered it to be and the beings that you were surrounded with on a daily basis that appeared so human were, in fact, anything but.

2B makes no verbal sound of irritation at your question and she answers you as diligently as she always does. “Of course. We can’t afford you getting sick or hurt.”

Though she rarely ever spoke with emotion, you could still hear the tinge of concern in her voice. It only made the heat in your cheeks feel especially warmer. “A-At least let me ride on your back! You can’t fight like this with me here!”

“You’re fine right where you are.”

Your lips part to protest but quickly close when you recall the promise you made to her earlier that day. It was her condition that if you were to roam about the city, you needed to listen to everything she told you to do. No matter how you felt about it. Even if it was a little embarrassing.

Yet, this wasn’t just a one-time occurrence when it came to 2B. No matter where you were, 2B wanted to be in some form of contact with you. At the camp, she’d sit so close that you could feel the brush of her sleeves against your skin, and whenever you were given the chance to roam about, you always found yourself either in her arms or on her back.

You thought it was nothing more than android curiosity. You were the first human she’s ever interacted with after all and it wasn’t as if it were any different for you. You couldn’t deny that you too were interested in androids, especially how they all came to be. For them, they’ve always known humans as their elusive creators, but for you, it felt as if the androids seemingly came from nowhere.

You couldn’t remember much of your old life before you woke up and for now, the desolate and decrepit city you wandered in was your new home. At least until you regain the lost memories 2B promised she’d help you recover.

“So, where are we going today?” You finally ask after a brief walk in silence.

2B’s stride doesn’t break and you feel almost lulled by her rhythmic steps. She didn’t even seem the least burdened with carrying you. She was stronger than an average human, it was something you came to learn after watching her mercilessly beat down a hunk of sentient metal. Just with her fists alone she was able to put a dent in steel. To her, your weight was of little consequence.

Often, you wondered what you felt like in her arms.

She glanced down at you, visage half shrouded by the blindfold around her eyes though the curve of a smile on her lips shows her excitement. “. . . You’ll see.”

She doesn’t say anymore after that and the both of you continue on in silence. Not that you minded it too much. 2B was never a conversationalist, she relied more on actions than words to convey how she felt. You liked that part of her. Her actions were always well thought out and held meaning, Whether she knew it or not, it made every little thing she did for you feel a little more sincere.

From your place in her arms, you took in the sights of the city. As dilapidated and broken as the world around you seemed, it was oddly beautiful. Never had you seen so much green in your life. Flora grew from the cracks between the roads and overtook the concrete buildings towering above you. Looking up towards the sky, you could see flocks of birds flying towards a destination you would never know, their distant calls an interruption to the silence. You don’t remember much of the old world, but you knew this city was never meant to be this quiet.

You desperately wished to regain your lost memories, yet there was a part of you who wasn’t so eager. Often the thought crossed your mind; maybe you were better off without them. Remembering would only leave you with the desire for a world long gone along with the total realization of your unfathomable luck. You, the last of your kind, were left all alone while the world died and withered without you. If there was a god, surely they wouldn’t have condemned you to such a lonely fate.

“Look,”

At the sound of her voice, you glance up at her only to direct your sight towards whatever she was referring to. While you were deep in thought you hadn’t noticed the direction she was heading in and you found yourself atop a wooden bridge placed just behind the walls of what looked to be an amusement park. From where 2B stood, you couldn’t see much, but you were given an incredible view of the distant castle.

“I-Is that an- Woah!”

The words died right on your tongue as an explosion of color suddenly took over the sky. Even from the great distance between you and the park, you were able to hear the crackling of fireworks. The sky, which you thought the sun would never set for, was darkened with the smoke from the war 2B and 9S constantly talked about. The colors were brightened against it, making their visibility clearer and their colors vivid. With your eyes locked onto the sight before you, you tapped on 2B’s shoulder as a silent request to be let down. She complied, allowing you to step near the edge of the bridge to take a closer look at the fireworks.

You thought you couldn’t remember anything from the old world, yet the moment you gazed upon the fireworks lighting up the sky; you remembered them instantaneously. You remembered their putrid smell, how loud they could be, and the fear you used to harbor for them when you were younger.

Even if you used to be scared of them, even if you thought they were too loud and hated the way they smelled; at this moment, you thought they were the prettiest things you’ve ever seen.

Tears gathered at the corners of your eyes and it was only until you felt them run down your cheeks that you paid them any mind. Though before you could even attempt to wipe them, you felt the distinct sensation of leather gently running across your cheek.

2B stood at your side, looking down at you with a small smile on her face, one you gladly returned. She doesn’t ask you the reason for your tears, nor does she look hurt by their appearance. She lets you be, standing at your side for as long as you allow her whilst providing unspoken support. It warmed you to the deepest part of your heart. Her kindness, although silent and unvoiced, was always apparent to you. She cared deeply for you. You didn’t need her to say it for you to know.

Your hand slips into hers all too naturally and under the crackling fireworks above, you think of only the promising future.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

extra:

“Why do you like to carry me so much?”

The question was asked more straightforward than what they were used to hearing from you. If there was anything 2B and 9S learned from their journey with you so far, it was that you never said what you felt. You looked for gentler ways to word your questions as if your care would be understood by androids who had no grasp of discretion.

2B, like always, never fails to leave your question unanswered and replies as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Because you’re warm.”

2B’s forthright reply even shocked 9S who was walking alongside her. “2B! Don’t you think that’s a little. . .”

You blushed slightly at her reply, burying your face against her shoulder as if that would take away from your embarrassment. From your place on her back, you were unable to see what kind of face she was making. As if that damned blindfold would give you the opportunity anyway. Though you doubted she would feel even a pinch of shame. 2B spoke nothing but the truth and that only made her words all the more brazen.

“What? You don’t agree?” She pauses in her steps, turning towards him which then forces you to face him as well. “Have you never touched her?”

You felt as if you would just die right then and there, yet you can’t help yourself from timidly peeking out at 9S from over 2B’s shoulder. He looks like he’s in thought for a moment, with a gloved hand on his chin and his lips twisted to the side. There’s only a moment’s delay between 2B’s question and his answer.

“Well. . . yeah, you’re not wrong. She’s even nicer to hug.”

Having enough of this conversation, you raise up your head to throw 9S a light glare. “Guys, can we please just get back to camp already?”

Throwing his hands up, 9S cheekily grins at you before continuing down the road towards the resistance camp. 2B follows shortly after him, her lips spread into an equally amused smile. While it might have been normal for 9S to show emotion resembling that of a human’s the feeling that stirred in 2B’s chest was quite foreign to her. She didn’t know what to call this feeling, but she didn’t hate it. It was a delightful buzz, one that she often felt around you and only you.

“Humans are softer than I imagined.” She added, her smile brightening at the sound of your muffled groan.

9S didn't hesitate to tag in on the teasing even from his place further ahead of you. “You know, I think we should include that in our report to the Commander. . .”

“Guys!”

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: July 10th

I really let asks get away from me lately. I was super focused on working on that Patreon Moment. With that done I can finally think about doing other things, so here’s a new collection of answers!

Thank you for sending in questions everyone ^^.

For the new Patreon moment, will you be able to reference it in step 4? Or just like a tiny nod to it if you pick certain choices?

There won’t be. I’m sorry if you were hoping for that! The Patreon moment is meant to be entirely optional, it’s not something that gets you extra content in the main game.

Is the new CG artist the main one now? :0 I’ve noticed theres been a difference in the art style recently. Is the old CG artist still going to make art for the game? :0

The original artist still makes CGs for the game sometimes, but he mainly focuses on character sprites.

Are you going to put the NSFW our life moment on a website other than patreon? I would love to get it but I can't use patreon atm.

I don’t know. I'm afraid we can't release the Patreon Moment on a normal game storefront because we can't mix 18+ content with our family friendly game. If there's some other place similar to Patreon where it's not the normal type of full-scale public content releases we'd consider using that, but I’m not sure if there is another site that’s better than Patreon in that regard. I'm sorry.

Out of curiosity, in all of your games so far, which characters in each were the most fun to write? They obviously don't have to be your favorite characters!

Buffalo Seer in AFA, really everyone in XOD/XOBD is pretty equally entertaining to write, The Guide in LoV, and Cove in OL!

idk if you accept "personal" questions, but is there anything you've been watching/ listening to lately

Mostly, I’ve been watching/listening to Authortube videos as of late! It’s people who talk generally about the process of how books become traditionally published and/or share their own experience as they attempt to be published. I don’t have an interest in writing normal text based books, but it’s really interesting to hear about that world. I’m listening to a video about royalties right now as I answer these asks.

Will one of the desserts we get to pick be fudge? That'd be such a cute reference! 

Haha, yeah, it should. Unless I completely blank on it and forget when trying to include the various referential food options.

I don't know if this has been asked previously but what would be the approximate heights for the presets MC can choose from Step 2 ~ 4? Are there any measurement you had in mind? Sorry if I didn't make myself clear kk I've been struggling with my English lately 💀 

I don’t know, ahah. I didn’t have any numbers in mind for that. So it’s whatever you imagine it is!

I noticed a bug with the Patreon moment when it comes to what your character wears. When Jamie and Cove are kissing while my character only had dresses selected, I had both the option to remove the dress or to remove the shirt... Picking one of the options to interact with Cove, after he removed his shirt, it had Jamie remove their shirt followed by ther pants despite only having dresses picked. 

Thank you for reporting ^^

I keep refreshing steam to see when the new doc for xobd will be released. I noticed you haven't posted anything about it in quite some time. Would it be possible to ask about a timeline/potential date? (If it's even this year—) I know you and your team are probably working super hard, I'm just super curious! ~Thank you!~ 

There are more stories done, I just haven’t gotten around to publicly releasing them. Hopefully I will have a chance to spend the time on that sooner rather than later!

hello!! i’m not sure if it’s an update but i’ve just replayed our life and at the end i can’t propose to cove anymore? :(( i’ve actually tried playing twice but the options are not there anymore, did you guys remove the options? i’m sorry if you’ve answered this before!! thank you and have a good one :) 

I’m afraid things haven’t been changed or removed, so I think you might’ve accidentally picked the wrong things somewhere along the way and locked yourself out of being able to propose by mistake. Sometimes you meant to say you want to get married but instead you mis-click and have it so the MC isn’t thinking about marriage or something. All I can suggest is starting from the beginning of Step 3 and making sure to follow the steps listed in the FAQ. I’m sorry for that.

Did yall remove some of the options for when youre making out with Cove in the charity moment? I could've sworn you could grab his bonkadonk and its not there anymore 

This is the same situation as the above. We didn’t remove things and you’re not wrong that there are sometimes those options. But there are various choices you have to make to get those options and it sounds like you accidentally missed something. If your relationship isn’t long-term, you can’t do it for example.

HI IM SO EXCITED I CAN FINALLY GET THE STEP 3 DLC 

Thank you for getting it!

Is Shiloh super totally straight bc I’m very gay and a huge Shiloh fan, would my man make an exception?😩

Sadly, he is one of our super straight characters. I’m sorry.

Hi, I have a very dumb question. In Step 2 does Cove not wanna share his drink with us at the mall (or rather why he stops drinking it) because it's an indirect kiss? Or is it like ...weird to him to share? Because if I remember right he eats off our spoon in the birthday scene right? 

Yeah, he’s awkward about it because he likes the MC and it feels very personal to share a straw with his crush.

Hi! If you don't mind me asking, who is the artist for OL2? Their style is so pretty! 

Thank you for saying so! This is her Twitter- https://twitter.com/redridingheart

Do Beginnings & Always and Now & Forever exist in the same universe? 

Yep! XOXO Droplets also exists in the same universe. It’s one big GB Patch world, haha.

Do Pran's parents regret the way they raised him? Do they feel ashamed of it?

No. They’re the type of people best cut out because they’re not gonna change. Which is why Pran does go very limited contact when he’s an adult.

Hi! I just wrapped up my second playthrough of Our Life, and I absolutely adore it, but I had a question. I went to the gallery and found I was missing 2 CGS (specifically Step 1-3 and 2-3) and I had no clue where they would've shown up. Which moments are those found in? 

You get it by telling Cove about his dad offering you money to be his friend in Step 1 and Step 2. You can’t get both in one playthrough, since you can only tell Cove the truth once. I’m really glad you liked it!

Hi hi! Please, how tall is Baxter and Derek? Love the game so much and I can't wait to see more! 

I don’t know, aha. I think Baxter was around 5′10 and Derek was like 5′8/5′9, maybe. I really am not one who has specific heights for things in mind.

is adult cove a bottom, top, or switch? 

A switch, though would choose the top if he had to pick.

I was wondering if there is a way to transfer save data? Even if through the game files. I wanted to be able to transfer my save data from my desktop over to my laptop so that I could continue playing right where I left off from but I'm not entirely sure how to go about that. 

If you save the save folder/persistent data of the game from your desktop and put it into the game folder on your other device, that could work.

Hi! Is it possible for us to know the date when our life: now and forever comes out on steam? Sorry if you've mentioned it before but I haven't seen it and I'm looking foward to that happening and just wanted to know :) 

It’s gonna be a long time, I’m afraid. There’s no estimate right now.

I started playing Our Life with my sister a while ago, and I think you guys should know that we discovered your secret. >:)

L from death note and Cove are clearly the same person, and this whole game is just an origin story!!

I’ve never seen that show so I’m sorry to say I don’t understand the connection/reference you’re trying to make. I’m pretty out of the loop when it comes to media. I don’t watch movies or TV.

Will OL2 have options for disabled MCs?

I understand if it's too complicated, just curious

Unfortunately, it’s not really something we have a plan for. We couldn’t finish the game if we tried to include every disability and have it be meaningful. It’d just be too much content to create. But if we decide to only include a few, how would we choose which disabilities get to be represented and which are left out? I don’t know. It’ll probably have to be something we don’t include as an option again, sadly. I’m sorry.

playing our life > anything else 

Haha, I’m glad you’re enjoying it.

Honestly, I would like to thank Our Life for helping me come to terms with my sexuality. Before, I never would've actually thought that it was possible to like boys romantically and still be asexual. Almost all of the BL visual novels I've read had unskippable sexual content in them and it honestly just didn't click with what I feel. I'm glad I found Our Life. I love the game, the developers, and this fandom so much. Now, I can safely come out as homoromantic AND asexual (at least anonymously here anyway; my parents are still huge homophobes 😂). 

Aw, it’s great to hear you felt comfortable being yourself in the game! That’s wonderful. I’m really sorry about your parents, though.

Will the demo for OL2 be on android? Really not sure if I could wait any longer than I have to aha 

Yeah, it’ll be available for Android once we eventually release a demo!

Do all these reveals perhaps mean development is progressing ahead of schedule? Please let that be the case I'm already obsessed with Qiu 

No, sorry, aha. Art comes along much faster than script/programming-work for us. It’s gonna be a long time before the game is a finished thing you can actually play. But at least we can look at the beautiful images.

Hey! First of all I wanna say I reallllllyyyyy loooovvveeee Our Life and XOXO Droplets! I have over 300 hours of playtime on Our Life… Anyways, I was just wondering, are the Derek and Baxter DLCs going to come out at the same time? If not, which one do you plan to release first? :3 

They will come out separately and Derek will be first! Glad you like the game.

I keep replaying Our Life to get every possible iteration and I am loving it <3 I was wondering if Cove gets locked out of his confession because MC was talking to Lee, would it be possible to confess to him in step 4? 

Yeah, you can avoid the confession in Step 3 and then get it in Step 4.

Hi, my Cove wears bracelets through step 2 and 3 but I still don't get an option to give him a bracelet? I didn't even know that was possible until I seen someone else ask about it lol 

Hm, did you use the Cove creator? Maybe there’s a bug where using the creator to add bracelets doesn’t fulfill the requirement to give Cove a bracelet in Step 3.

Wait, I'm dense, when does Baxter appear in step 2? Is it from big park firework? I feel so bad since i really love Baxter and waiting to buy his dlc. 

It’s in the Soiree Moment. You have to be just friends with Cove, indifferent, or crushing but not ask Cove to the dance at all. Then while there you can find someone new to dance with. But if you bring Cove to the dance while crushing, the MC won’t wanna dance with anyone else so you can’t get the scene.

In step 2 when we go to the soiree I made my mc go alone and baxter chooses the mc to dance, i'm curious, why did he pick the mc? sorry if this has been asked before! 

Because the MC looked to be around his age, seemed to also be searching for a partner, and had nice legs. A perfect option for him.

I read some of the FAQs, and I saw that we could tell Baxter about the condo that he rented there was previously the mean old grandparents. how do we get the mc to tell him that? 

It happens in the DLC Moment “Late Shift”. If you don’t have a job you instead get a longer scene with Baxter.

I don’t know if you’ve addressed this or not, but are you planning on paying voice actors for our life: now and forever? 

Yeah, we pay our VAs in all our projects.

hey can i ask how you did the moments thing in ol? im trying to get into making visual novels and while im VERY sure its out of my comfort zone and all that atm i kinda wanna know just for the future, bc im p sure it would work well for something i wanna do :O but its also fine if you cant say for other reasons :> 

I’m afraid I’m not sure what you mean. Are you asking how we programmed the screen or something script related? Adding Moments like that is pretty straightforward, though. You just have buttons that open to different labels and then the scripts are essentially individual short stories/vignettes. Good luck with your VN!

Since Autumn becomes gender fluid later in the game, will there be a character who remains as he/him to romance in game? 

OL1 has the he/him LIs, OL2 is all about other genders.

I don't want to impose on your creative plans, but a parrot could possibly make a good pet in an OL-type game? They're pretty long-lived and likely to still be thriving by the end even if the MC got them back in step 1. 

I do appreciate the suggestion, but I’m afraid it’s not likely going to happen. I understand there are technically some animals that could theoretically live long enough to last the whole game that or we could have the MC only get a pet after some years have already passed. But the many things that would have to be considered/accommodated for makes it just something we probably can’t manage adding. I’m sorry.

As time passes will we be able to see Qiu and Tamarack's other stage arts as well?

They are both so cute i can't wait to be friends with them!

Yeah, we’ll show content from other Steps in the future. It’ll be a little while from now, though.

Can you date Cove and still have your family comfort you in the car?

You can’t get Cove’s Step 3 confession scene if you have the family comfort you in the car. But that’s not the only way to date him. You can get together with him earlier in the game or later on in Step 4.

Is Mc always going to be the one walking down the aisle or could Cove do it? Also could you choose to have one of your moms walk you? 

No. Cove wouldn’t want to walk down the aisle like that and the MC automatically respects that. And the MC also gets to have their preferences respected, so it’s up to you whether they want to do an aisle walk or not. You also can pick who, if anyone, walks with you.

Once step 4 is out, will you be able to go the whole game on crush/love without either of you confessing? 

Yes, as long as you tell the game you don’t want to progress the relationship. Even in Step 4 it won’t force you to officially get together.

Howdy, so in Step 4, there will be any Romance with Derek that is not part of any dlc? 

He’s only a friend unless you get his romance story.

Will the step 4 in OL2 be one big step or are you considering moments? 

Step 4 is just an epilogue in both games.

hi kind of a weird question but!! we know tht cliff doesn't start dating again but. wht abt flings? like does he ever do 1 night stands or anything? thank u!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Nope. Cliff has a very small interest in sex. If he’s not in a real relationship with a partner he’s crazy about it simply isn’t something he feels a need for, so one night stands wouldn’t even cross his mind.

sorry if you've already answered this, but i was wondering if there were plans for there to be bonus love interests in OL2 like how we have derek and baxter in OL1.

Maybe! There are side characters who could be given romance stories, but whether or not it will happen depends on funding and how long everything else takes to finish.

I don't know if i'm allowed to ask about ol2 here yet, if not u can ignore this or answer it later. My question is can you date one of them and be good friends with the other? I don't want to be strangers with the other bcs i love them both a lot :<

Yes you can!

what patreon level do i have to be to unlock the nsfw moment? im on the $5 one right now, will that give me access to the moment, or just access to the moment progress? 

That’ll give you access! Tier 2 and anything higher allows the player to download it.

[strawwritesfic]

Clint Barton x Pregnant!Female!Inhuman!Reader: Where Gods Do Fear to Tread [Ch. 5]

Summary: Even Prince Charming can’t ensure a happily ever after.  

Challenge: “9 Months” challenge by crackleviolet on Lunaescence Archive -- Single Motherhood

Rating/Warnings/Tags: T (sexual reference; pregnancy; not canon compliant; canon character death; canon character death does not reflect canon; physical violence against androids; some foul language; canonical Barney; no Laura Barton; Inhuman!Reader; Avenger!Reader; Avengers Compound; Wanda & Reader friendship)

Pairings: Clint Barton/Female!Reader; Wanda/Vision

Tag List: @imaginesfire​

Master List

Chapter 5: Gone Forever

The worst thing about being pregnant did not turn out to be getting sidelined for the safety of your unborn baby. Though you hated being shut inside, you loved the little guy too much to endanger him. Nor was the worst thing not being able to use your powers. You’d kicked a bit of a fit when Dr. Cho told you no one could know what doing so would do to your kid, but he tired you out so much you didn’t want to exert the effort anyway.

No, what the most awful part of your pregnancy was was being stuck all alone while the rest of the team saved the world.

For days, it had been just you and FRIDAY at the facility. Tommy (alternately called “Mark” or “Jack,” depending on your mood) was there, too, obviously, but he didn’t make for good company quite yet. You couldn’t wait for everyone else to return, especially Clint, though you didn’t want to admit to that last part aloud even to yourself.

They were due to arrive sometime that day. When, exactly, FRIDAY couldn’t (or wouldn’t) say. You had taken up your usual position at your window seat so that you could watch for the incoming quinjet. Gazing out over the land that surrounded HQ, you gently caressed the swell of your stomach. How much bigger was it going to get in the three months before you were due? And how much more Mozart would you be forced to endure?

The track on the CD Pepper lent you during her most recent visit drew to an end. Even knowing the next would start soon, you relaxed. Those few seconds were bliss. Then came again the blaring instrumentals.

“You better appreciate what I’m suffering to ensure you come out smart, kid.”

Tommy didn’t reply. He didn’t even kick.

“FRIDAY?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Do we have an updated ETA for the team?”

“I haven’t received any communications from them since yesterday when they stated their intention to return today.”

You sighed. “Right.”

Long ago, you’d learned that railing at her did you no good. She knew you knew she was patched through to Tony at all times. Yelling at her to drop the act wouldn’t phase her. She simply didn’t have the same personable quality that JARVIS had had before her. Him you could bully into an answer, FRIDAY not so much.

Just when you’d made up your mind to try asking her why Tony didn’t want you to know when he and the rest were headed home, the tell-tale whoosh of the quinjet rushed over the building.

“I believe that will be them now, ma’am,” FRIDAY announced.

“You think?”

It always took some time for everyone to finish disembarking, so you remained sitting for the rest of the song. Then you stood on your swollen, aching ankles, turned your stereo off with a verbal command (so FRIDAY was good for something other than pointing out the obvious), and trundled out of your bedroom toward the hangar bay.

The normally busy halls rang with silence. Had that not been them after all? Should you have grabbed an ICEr before making your way across the base? No attack came your way, nor did anything or anyone else. Clint typically rushed to greet you when he’d been gone for as long as he had this time, and even he remained absent.

Frowning, you continued on your journey with one arm protectively held in front of your stomach. You weren’t about to let the real Mandarin—or Zemo, or Loki—get at Tommy without a fight whether you could transform or not.

But when you made it to the hangar, all was well. Your friends were there, not some group of Hydra mooks looking for an easy target. Everyone was too busy to notice your arrival, however. Not a single one of them looked your direction as you crept closer to where they stood.

“Hey, guys,” you said.

Wanda gasped and turned around. She had blood spattered across her face. “[Name]! What are you doing here?”

“I live here.”

“She means here here.” While the rest of the team looked on, Natasha took you by the shoulders and led you back the way you had come from. She, too, looked the worse for wear. Her catsuit had been torn open in a very unfortunate place.

“I came to see Clint,” you answered as Wanda trailed up behind her. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Wanda was purposely blocking your vision of whatever Steve, Sam, Tony, Bruce, and Vision were busy with.

“Now’s not a good time. Wanda,” Natasha said, “why don’t you take [Name] back to her room?”

Wanda nodded and grabbed your arm, but you dug your heels in and refused to budge. “What’s going on? Why do you all look like shit?”

“Later,” Wanda said soothingly. “You need to rest.”

“I’m not leaving until I talk to Clint.”

Natasha and Wanda caught each other’s eyes. Something passed between them that you didn’t understand. The latter shook her head so slightly you almost didn’t see it, but then Natasha, seeming to steel herself, took both your shoulders in her hands and said in a flat, mechanical voice:

“Clint’s dead.”

You felt as though the floor beneath you disappeared. It couldn’t be true. Natasha was a known liar. Hell, she was proud of how good she was at lying! If she was lying, though, why did Wanda look like she was about to start crying?

“What?” you breathed.

“He got badly hurt. Died on our way here. Bad stab wound through the chest. They had salvaged chuthari weapons.”

“But how—”

“We don’t know. I’m sorry. I should have helped him. I should have been there,” said Wanda, tears now cascading down her cheeks.

“It’s no one’s fault but the bastard who murdered him’s, and I took care of him,” Natasha said.

You looked rapidly between them. They weren’t joking. God, they weren’t joking. Clint really was…gone. To prevent yourself from crying, you cleared your throat.

“I need to see him.”

“No.”

The tone of Natasha’s voice brought you up short. You shot her a quick look. Normally pale, her skin was stark white around her shining eyes. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. It hit you: Clint might have been your something, but he was also Natasha’s best friend. She’d known him longer. What was the point in picking a fight with her when she was clearly struggling to maintain her icy disinterest?

“He wouldn’t want you to see him like that,” she added, a little hoarsely.

Finally, you took a step back. “Okay.”

“Go sit with Wanda. When he’s ready, I’ll call for you. We’ll have a service as soon as we can, so—”

“Okay.”

That was all you could say, all you could do to cover up the fact that her voice had come very close to cracking just then. She nodded her thanks before turning back to help the others. Gently, Wanda led you away, back through the quiet halls and to your empty room. Even then, you did not allow yourself to cry.

[pla-teau]

LOKI EPISODE FOUR : THE NEXUS EVENT

GIF CREDIT TO: @luke-skywalker SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

SYLVIE | there's a lot to process in the short time we get of young sylvie. it didn't seem like she was doing anything that caused a nexus event. when we see her, she's simply playing with her toys on asgard. sylvie asks about what her crime was later on with renslayer but it's never clear cut as to what she did. the only thing we know is that she escaped from renslayer which is why she's so hell bent on capturing and pruning sylvie. i have a certain thought on this later.

WE SURVIVE | the words loki tells sylvie just when she’s given up and accepted that she’ll die on lamentis. that’s what makes loki a loki - yes, he fails over and over again but each and every time we’ve witnessed his ‘death’ he comes back or when things seem to possibly end for his story, loki still manages to survive.

LAMENTIS | based on the namesake of the episode, this is the nexus event that caused them to be found but what was it? personally, from watching the episode and keeping in mind that this is 2012!loki, i think that the nexus event was hope and acceptance between them. i think there’s genuine hope despite being stuck on a doomed planet about to become smaller flying rocks in space. in every apocalypse so far, we’ve seen that basically anticipating and accepting the end of the world doesn’t cause a breach in the timeline because what is there to hope for? it’s all going to be destroyed anyway no matter the little fake hope you have inside yourself telling you that everything is going to be alright. loki and sylvie up to this point haven’t had that kind of hope before ever in their lives. with the acceptance part, i think it's self-acceptance and acceptance of their roles in the universe. roll with me here, loki throughout the mcu has never accepted his fate or what's supposed to happen; he's always fighting it and trying to come out on top as a ruler of people whether it's earth, asgard and sakaar. he doesn't accept to not be a ruler or on the losing side of a battle against earth's mightiest heroes and at odds with the other marvel characters. he doesn't fully accept himself either because he didn't know he was adopted until at least one thousand years later and he couldn't accept that he wasn't destined for something other than a shadow or simply his title as the god of mischief. it made a lot more sense in my head tbh. a lot of people freaking out about this moment being loki falling in love with sylvie/himself but i don't think that's it. loki for once genuinely cares about someone else and i think it's platonic cause while i have little faith in the mouse house giving us more than confirmation that loki is bisexual, i don't think they'd make loki fall in love with himself.

LOKI'S TIME CELL | a nostalgic reveal we get is sif in this looped time cell plucked from loki's memory. apparently, he cut off a chunk of her hair because he thought it would be funny. in typical sif fashion, she proceeds to beat him up in retaliation as well of sharing some biting words. it's interesting how after a few loops and knees to the nuts, loki apologizes to sif about the prank and admits that he's afraid of being alone and acts narcissistic and like a pompous asshole if you will because of this fear. i think this is a bigger break through of his character than the one we saw in the first episode because he's admitting it to someone from his life that he highly respected but acted like a child to her to get her attention even if it was negative. i wish for more vulnerable loki moments because it continues to prove that loki isn't just the god of mischief, he can be more (as thor said in ragnarok).

MOBIUS VS LOKI | honestly, this whole interrogation scene screamed mobius being jealous of loki making pals with sylvie and i loved it. what i like is that mobius does air the sentiment that we all have in our heads after realizing that loki and sylvie did somehow click to create the nexus event. it's narcissism to the max. again, i think loki truly cares for sylvie in a platonic or even a familial sense since they both don't make connections too often with others (romantic or platonic).

HUNTER B-15 | i was wondering what happened with her after her run in with sylvie at the roxxcart supermarket. clearly, sylvie unlocked a memory within her subconscious as well and is starting to doubt herself. we don't see what memory of hers it was but it's enough to make her break protocol and go against the TVA later on in the episode. in conclusion, we have no choice but to stan this queen. also seems like she wasn't reset in that final battle so we'll hopefully see her in the next episode.

RAVONNA & MOBIUS | their friendship is put to the test in this episode. while being of a higher position than mobius, ravonna does seem to care deeply for mobius. she said so herself, she wants to protect mobius...but from the truth instead of the false danger about sylvie that she's filling his head with. ravonna clearly knows a lot more than she's letting on and that the TVA is an elaborate lie. i think she wants to protect mobius from the truth because she doesn't seem to have other close friendships like the one with him. it's also clear she cares for him when he's pruned (supposedly!) by another hunter. also, there's this other analyst/field agent mobius always brings up when we see them in her office so i wonder if it's someone who also knows about the grand lie the TVA is or is even some alternate variant of kang the conqueror who we know is supposed to be introduced in the third ant-man movie. it'd be interesting to see if kang is teased one way or another in the final two episodes.

DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU DESERVE TO BE ALONE? | the question mobius poses to loki when he starts to believe that they may be telling the truth. it's an interesting question to pose because we've been hearing it and have seen it throughout the mcu with loki. the time loop loki's stuck in, sif tells him that he'll always be alone. throughout the mcu, loki has been alone in his plans and mischief despite being surrounded by his family, his future enemies, and his people. loki has known nothing but being on his own, being his own island of chaos. as sylvie put it earlier, they're a product of the universe trying to break free, chaos. mobius knows that this nexus event has something to do with the two of them, for once, accepting that they're not alone or that they're not just a cosmic mistake, there's hope for them to be whatever they want and not just confined to their mischievous roles.

RAVONNA & SYLVIE | in the elevator, sylvie confronts ravonna about her crime as a child. it's something everyone wants to know, what does a young loki have to do to be charged and reset by the TVA? ravonna seems to know that this something she can leverage and torture sylvie with so she claims to not remember. sylvie says that it must've been important and severe enough to mess up the sacred timeline. maybe she wasn't supposed to know that she was adopted until later in her life like our loki. she's supposed to be causing trouble and be this terrible villain but what if with sylvie knowing her true parentage at such an early age, she learned to accept herself/identity and made peace with it. that's another thing that could've caused the nexus event between the two, they had found self-acceptance even at just the brink of death. maybe they're supposed to do so but later in their lives in their own timelines so that's why it's enough to destroy the TVA as mobius hinted at earlier. happy that sylvie decided to keep ravonna for information so i expect the next episode to have them in ravonna's office or still in the timekeeper chambers as ravonna tells us what is going on.

THE TIMEKEEPERS | when sylvie beheads the central timekeeper, we learn that they're mindless androids. it never ends, there's no throne to sit upon after killing them so it seems. it was all just a giant hoax but this further feeds into my personal theory that kang, one way or another, is behind all of this. what i find really interesting is how the other two timekeepers laugh when sylvie beheads one. whoever is behind controlling the fake androids, they have a way to see what is happening and communicate in real time with the TVA agents and variants. hopefully in the final two episodes we see what the hell is going on and how the TVA came to be and why.

LOKI POST CREDIT SCENE | so apparently, loki isn't reset or something of the sorts. he's actually sent to another world. i believe this is an alternate new york where we'll see president loki as you can see the remains of the old avengers tower. this makes me think about mobius' fate to be similar to loki's; possibly sent to either the same place or a similar world. we see three human new lokis here. from the credits, we have classic loki (richard e. grant), kid loki (jack veal), and boastful loki (deobia oparei). apparently there's also a crocodile!loki and i'm here for it. can't wait to see how our favorite variant gets out of it next week!

oh god, this was so rusty and unorganized but hope if whoever reads this can somewhat understand the points i'm trying to get across.

[croatian-nt]

Sejan podcast

I know this isn’t in order but I also know everyone is waiting for this one so, here you go. Translation under the cut

Host, speaking to the camera: Good day dear viewers, and today-a treat. Dejan Lovren and Šime Vrsaljko. I was tempted to start this off with Šime's famos phase: Good day working people, tonight is a live" but it seemed a bit too much

Host, turning to them: should we expect something like that from the two of you during Euro as well?

Dejan: it's spontaneous for us. For Šime and me. We never know what will happen

Host: oh I see. Is it also partly the fact that you are a bit older now-

Šime: *giggling *

Host: -so you have this mindset of "oh we are older now, we'll leave it for younger players"?

Šime: *giggling louder * well no-we only improve with years that go by

Dejan: we get even worse

Šime: *openly laughing * yes, even worse!

Host: but the two of you continued that tradition even after WC. You call one another, you go live, you guve yourself into the ether, so to say

Šime: I mean, it's not...it's not showing people as much as they think-

Dejan: we show them maybe 1%!

*everyone laughs *

Šime: yeah we show them maybe 1% of the way we-I mean, we show everything through positivity and that's it. I guess people like that

 Host: I know the two of you have been active during quarantine. You were both probably bored and had quite a bit of interesting conversations. Maybe we should touch a bit upon that. Is it something you guys plan or does one call another and then you just talk?

Dejan: Oh, it's as I said before. Šime knows that when I call him, I'll call him three times. He has to answer

Šime: yeah, we really don't plan that. I often have some things I am doing but then he is calling me to comment on something and I-I don't have the heart not to answer

 Host: so Dejan, you were also quite bored in quarantine, and you tries quite a lot of activities. I believe cooking was also one and that one steak ended up burned

Dejan: the house almost burned down

Host: *laughs *

Dejan: no, seriously

Host: so it ended up completely black huh?

Dejan: yeah. But I did learn how to cook better after that

Host: and you Šime? I believe you said you didn't cook the eggs but the eggs cooked you. That there was oil everywhere

Šime: I mean, they closed us in the house. And I had some friends over and we were all really hungry so I made some eggs. They asked for fried eggs but they ended up getting scrambled ones

 *about getting haircuts in Russia*

Šime: so I came downstairs, after the lady was finished with Kova already. And we share a glance and Kova is like 'brate...this really isn't good' but I take a seat anyway, hoping it will turn out alright. And then she started cutting it and I felt she was taking out too much hair so I stopped her. Still had patches of hair missing. It was awful

Dejan: the rest of us surely didn't let him forget about it

Host: so how did all of this start? I know the two of you were roommate and that Dejan pressure you into opening instagram account, which you didn't want to do. But you did in the end

Šime: yeah, he was pesting me about it for days. 'Šime please. Com'on just open an account please' and what could I do? I relented. And then...I think we made that Marica video first?

Dejan: yes, that's how it all started

Šime: yeah. I didn't know how anything on Instagram worked, so I played with filters and that's how Marica happened. Interesting, what can I say

Host: what's interesting is that none of that was planned. There was no plan, no censure, nothing. You just showed us things as they were

Dejan: well I think that's the best, really. Plans rarely work out as you want them

Šime: yeah. We didn't do it to, I don't know, pretend we are funny or for views or something like that. Just...what happens, happens

Host: do you miss it now? The fact that you aren't roommates?

Dejan and Šime overlapping: we didn't-weren't

Dejan: everyone has their own rooms. But it's practically like we are. Not much of a difference

 Host: how did you think of your famous "aj lajk" idea?

Šime: well I don't it'-

Dejan: something got messed up in his brain

Šime: -something clicked in or out of place

Dejan: he just said something like "aj lajk a lot" and that was the end of it

Šime: no, I remember there was something-there was that moment well-erm

Dejan: laughs *

Šime: *sighs, shakes his head * I was watching this comedy from Jim Carrie and then he-and then he- *loses a train of thought *

Dejan: *laughs louder *

Šime: *smiles * there was something he did and-I thought of-

Dejan, whispering: aj lajk

Šime: no, it was-

Dejan, louder: ajjj laaajk

Šime: it was something different

*continous laughing from both Dejan and the host *

Šime: ...anway it was also spontaneous

 -Card break-

 Host: let's make first card break. You take the cards and ask the questions one to another

*Šime and Dejan take each one card *

Host: you can take all of-or you can take them one by one. Nevermind

Dejan: so what, I am asking him then?

Host: yes

Šime: don't give me any hard questions

Dejan: a yacht or a sailing boat?

Šime: a yacht

Host: a big one?

*voices overlaping *

Dejan: as long as everything fits in-

Šime: it doesn't really matter-

*pause. Šime shrugs. Dejan starts laughing *

Šime: I don't wanna sound too posh here. I don't spend much time on yachts and I was never on a sailing boat. And I am not very patient-

Dejan, overlaping: he doesn't have patience for that-

Šime, still overlaping: yeah, exactly-

Dejan, speaking over him: I think he is more likely to push the sailing boat himself-

Šime: I really don't think I'd like that- not one bit. Anyway, SUV or Cabriolet?

Dejan, looking pained: Cabrio.

Dejan: VAR or not VAR?

Šime: *sighs * no VAR

Šime: Jennifer Lopez or Shakira?

Dejan: *thinking*

Šime: Can he choose both?

Host: he can, but if he can choose one that would be better

Šime: I am just giving him an option

Dejan: JLo

Šime: ah, fine I guess

Dejan: rock or hip hop?

Šime: I listen all kinds of music so it depends

Šime: iPhone or Android?

Dejan: iPhone

  Host: Šime you didn't play a lot of games because of your injury. We are all happy you are back now but I am curious. How did you feel at home, watching them play and suffer on the pitch while you are at home?

Dejan: what about how I suffered?

Šime: If someone told me I will not play for the nt for so long after WC during WC I eould have called them crazy. But I kept postponing the injury during WC and I paid the price after. So yes, it was hard, watching my boys that I spent so much time with, play without me and struggle while I wasn't there. But I am here now and we have a big chance once again to cheer up people who love Croatia

Host: Deki, there have been some new player joining the nt recetly. How do you think they are settling in?

Dejan: I think, good. I mean when I remember my start, of course you are a bit more shy but I am sure they'll be more outgoing with time. But they seem like nice guys

Host: do you think there is a potential in some of them to continue this entertainment thing you and Šime do? Or are they more closed of?

Šime, cutting in: I think there is always a way to joke around a bit. But-

* Dejan, shaking his head and mouthing no*

Host: no huh?

Šime: but-

*voices overlaping *

Dejan: it just doesn't exist-

Host: how would you encourage them to-

Dejan: you can't. You are either born that way or you aren't

Šime: I mean the two of us have been in the nt for awhile now and it's always the same. Every morning if I wake up even at 4 am I'd start laughing

*Dejan laughing *

Šime: it's just the way it is and you can't really describe it

 Host: I wanted to ask, I don't know if this will ever happen but I would like to see you two as hosts one day. If you could choose someone to ask questions as host from the nt, who would it be?

* Šime and Dejan share a look and burst out laughing *

Šime, still laughing: no the thing-the thing is, the two of us commented on probably every famous person ever. Connected to sports or not. But if I had to choose-if I had to choose someone I think I'd laugh to tears with while interviewing it would be Goran Bare

*Dejan giggling in the background *

Šime: it would really be a show

Host: if he could hold a concentration during the whole interview

Šime: I mean it would be something casual, like this. And for the questions we would have...I reallly don't know

Šime, looking at Dejan: who would you choose?

Dejan: I don't know

*silence *

Šime: com'on brate, say someone

Dejan: hmmm. I don't know. No one is coming to mind right now

Host: and from the nt? If you had to choose one teammate?

Dejan: Brozović

Šime: well yes but-

Dejan: he is maybe number one for me right now. I just remembered

Host: and would he agree? To come to a show hosted by you?

Dejan: not only would he agree. He would have to agree

Šime, unconvincinly: mmm. Yeah

Host: Deki, did you get used to life in Russia?

Dejan: well yeah, yeah I did-

*Šime giggling *

Dejan: it's not how I expected. I expected to be able to survive the winter but it's really cold

*Šime bursting out laughing and coughing *

Dejan: I went out on the balcony one day and thought "my freezer is warmer than this "

Šime: so meat can be kept outside with drying clothes. If it's that cold. How cold it is?

Dejan: -30 C

Šime: wow. There we go then

Host: you didn't visit him yet?

Šime: no

Host: and you won't huh?

Šime: oh no *laughs * I said I didn't not that I won't

Host: Šime how did you face Luka after snatching the trophy from him?

Šime: normally. But I remember thinking-since he scored last minute to Villarreal and we won our game. If we ended with a draw and he scored a goal in last minute and won the championship-uff. I wouldn't be able to look at him

Dejan: he doesn't even have space for any more trophies anyway

Šime: him?

Dejan: yeah. Like com'on

Šime: but. Um- *looks at Dejan and forgets his sentence *

Dejan: dragi

Šime: hmm?

*Dejan laughs *

Šime: don't talk too much

 Host: We had Budimir here yesterday and we talked about how he got into argument with Savic. He didn't want to tell us any details, but he said you'll surely tell us everything

Šime: he really pushed it all on me huh?

Someone off camera: that's not exactly how he said it!

Šime: I mean I don't want to judge because I am on good terms with both of them. I didn't get involved and I actually found someone else to argue with-

*Dejan laughs *

Šime: but I am really close with Ante while we are with the nt but Stefan is also my friend I talk to every day so. I wouldn't want to pick sides

Šime: I am glad Ante scored thought and that the club bought him so I congratulate him on it this way-oh he just entered

Host: Ante you came a little late. We just talked about you and Savic. Šime told us everything

Dejan: he insulted you to the fullest

Host: he told us everything, we heard a completely different story from you, just so you know

Budimir: will I need to give some sort of reply?

Host: it's too late for that, you had you lr chance and you didn't say anything

Šime: I wanted to say, there was tension during the whole game and it escalated jn the tunnel-

Host: oh Luka, you are a bit late too. We talked about you as well

Luka: I was here already before-

Host: I think he waited until you left to say something-

Budimir: I just wanted to say, he sent Grbic after me. The biggest one

*all laugh *

Šime: I didn't even see Grbic. I was too busy with some other things. Some my exhibitions

  -Cards break-

Dejan: who has the best image?

Šime: ufff. Hmmm *thinks for about 30 seconds * Based on my taste? I guess Mateo? He knows how to dress well

Dejan: *laughs quietly *

*everyone from the background start laughing *

Host: you are not of the same opinion

Šime: well I said it's based on my taste

Dejan: next question

 Šime: who has the best car?

Dejan: what should I say?

Šime: just say it's you, brate

Dejan: I mean Barišić has a good car

Host: Barisic huh?

Dejan: I wanted to say Luka but Luka is *makes dismissing gesture with his hand *

Luka: soon!

Šime: Luka will have it soon but tastes shouldn't be discussed. Besides whoever has the fastest doesn't mean he is the fastest

*everyone laughs *

Host: so who is the fastest?

Šime: well that I don't know. We should have some sort of competition

 Dejan: who gets ready the fastest?

Šime: ufff. I don't know. I really don't know. I can tell you who gets there last but-

Host: who gets there last?

Dejan: captain

Host: Luka huh?

Dejan: well you know it's when you pass 30-31, you immediately pay a fine. So he comes exactly at 30

Šime: but at yesterday's lunch, you should have seen that show. It was 29 minutes and 45 second when suddely the door opens and everyone rushes in. There was pushing and running...chaos. but that's because we have some new regulations like no being late, no phones...but I think that's great

Host: who paid the most fines?

Dejan: ufff I can't quite remember. But I think Reba and Perisic

Host: now I'd like you both to tell me about your childhood, but perhaps something not football related

*Šime and Dejan burst out laughing *

Šime: there is still more of these dragi *giggles *

Dejan: are you fucking with me

Host: alright sorry guys, my bad. Continue

Šime: are you asking me or am I asking you?

Dejan: you ask me

Šime: no, I asked you last. You ask me

Dejan: alright. Who eats the healthiest?

Šime: I think Deki does

Dejan: Me??

Šime: yes. The way he makes and mixes those salad he eats...I am sick from only going to that part and looking at all the stuff you are supposed to put in them. But he does it so carefully and he clearly enjoys it. I mean we all eat healthy but he is like...yeah

Dejan: I mean I really do like salads. And I have this whole pressure-captain sits next to me and he says "make a double salad"

Šime, overlapping: well yeah, he uses him a little, so what-

Dejan: and it has to be perfect, salted to a gram, otherwise it's "what did you put in this?!" *sighs * it's fine

Šime: who cooks the best?

Dejan: cooks???

Both of them: no one

 Host: alright so, your childhood. Šime, you can go first

Šime: my childhood? I don't know what to say, really. It was good, I grew up loved, surrounded by fun and playing games with my friends outside. I also thankfully have a younger brother and...I don't know. Most of my fondest memories are the ones spent playing outside, usually with the ball of course

Host: which neighborhood?

Šime: well we moved once so there were two addresses in Zadar, until I finished middle school. And then I went to Zagreb at 14

Host: what about you Dejan? I know you had a harder childhood, but I'd like to touch upon happy moments and not so much on bad ones

Dejan: what should I say? I don't know where to start. I mean I had a really nice childhood in Germany. My parents introduced me nicely to the real world pretty early on. I remember at that time I thought we had everything we needed but...in the background everything was burning. I think I only realize how bad the situation was when we got back to Croatia. But that's alright-it happened for a reason. And I think we can all be proud that we survive it. I am actually sad my brother didn't went through that with us. He was too small

Host: you spoiled him a bit huh?

Dejan: well no. He is 10 years younger. By the time I went to Lyon he was just starting to grow up. Maybe that's why I-because of what happened I developed quite a character. So I can proudly say we all went through that together and today that's something that doesn't have a price

Host: you went to Zagreb when you were only 14 right? Although I believe you said in one interview you really wanted to go

Šime: I wanted to go because it was a call I couldn't refuse. It was football and football is my biggest love. And it's something you just feel you need to do. And when you are that young you are just pulled by your goal, by the love for football. But when I came and when the process of growing up was suddenly sped up...only then did I realize the consequences of my decision. But at that time that was a challenge to which I would never admit defeat. So there was only victory left. And I did win that game of my life. Those kind of moments left a mark on you. As Deki said those things make you stronger and make some things later in life easier

Šime: but don't get me wrong! I am not saying it wasn't nice as well. I am talking her like it's something awful-

Host: was it too much of a change to you at first?

Šime: well no, it was great for me actually. I was supposed to go to Hajduk at that time and I went to two tournaments with them in Zagreb, we won that tournament, I won the best player award and they were demanding for me to come to Hajduk but they couldn't make a deal with Zadar and then the offer from Dinamo came and...there wasn't much thought on my part. It was really great. I was at dorm for the first 6 months. And...I don't have time now but one time when we have time I'll talk about the details and my experience with boys from both on and off the pitch. It was a time of self descovery for me so to say

Host: Deki, I have to ask you something. I have a friend that played with you in Inter and he said that you spend the whole night with them celebrating, but you only drank Cola and similar drinks. Never alcohol

Šime: impossible. I don't believe it

Host: that's what he told me

Šime, turning to Dejan: is it true? How old were you?

Dejan: 16 or 17 I think?

Šime: oh okay, then I believe it

Dejan: I mean I had this sort of mentality of looking at things ahead. It's not that I never got drunk. I got absolutely plastered and I walked on my knees-

*everyone laughs *

Dejan: -but I definitely had days I didn't drink despite hanging out with teammates because i didn't feel like it

Šime: *still laughing *

Host: He is dying of laughter. I don't understand why

Dejan: that's because he saw the time I was on my knees and ge remember that now-

Šime: *laughing louder *

Dejan: so now for him that's-

Šime: no it's *laughing do hard he is incomprehensible * it must have been some time before the game so you didn't drink *proceeds laughing *

Dejan: well yes, that's what I am telling you. The rest of them were getting wasted anyway

Šime: *laughs even louder * this was good, my god

Host: he has good tricks huh?

Šime: no I mean, I am not saying what he is saying is untrue I just *laughs *

Dejan, overlapping: he just saw the worst version-

Šime: I know how he gets when he-*laughing harder *

Dejan: -saw the full transformation-

*both laughing very hard *

Šime, wiping his eyes: oh my god.

Dejan: anyway, next question

 Host: Šime that jump of yours after a ball during the game against Belgum...what happened?

Dejan: blackout

Šime: I mean yeah-I was so mad

Host: but jumping with both legs-

*Dejan laughing *

Šime: he is laughing but I am still mad. There were so many situations with Lukaku, he kept pushing the players with the whole "oh I am strong, oh I am fast" I mean he is but. Still. So when I saw him leading the ball I wanted to-I want to shorten his....

*everyone except Šime laughs *

Dejan: his legs

Šime: his way to towards the goal. And I failed and when i saw that in a duel I lost the ball-

* Dejan laughing again*

Šime: and I was tired and under stress so I had to get it all out somehow so i don't do something worse later

Dejan: I remember watching TV and I saw that, I looked at my brother and then back the TV and I said "he had some sort of blackout there"

Šime: I just did what I had to do. If it was concrete there, I would have threw myself at concrete at that moment

*Dejan absolutely losing it *

Šime: I am serious. I would have honestly threw myself at the concrete at that moment

Dejan: *slaps his arm, still laughing *

Šime: I realize it was a bit unexpected from the outside but I just had to do it so I don't endanger anyone else's health later

 -Cards break-

Dejan: only two cards?

Host: no there are supposed to be three

Dejan: *looks around, no sign of third card *

Host: lost it on the way huh? It's fine, there can be two

Dejan: alright. Favorite book?

Šime: pfffff

Dejan: *laughs *

Šime: there is no favorite book

Dejan: *laughs harder *

Host: nothing huh?

Šime: no. I know there might be a phase in my life when I will read books, but for now...I just don't have a patience

Dejan: *continous laughter that increases everytime word 'book' is mentioned *

Šime: favorite song?

Dejan: uh. I can't really choose, it depends on a mood *thinks for a moment * but now...let's say from Oliver "Bez tebe"(without you)

Dejan: favorite city?

Šime: Zadar

Šime: now another question that won't be hard to answer. Favorite number?

Dejan: *shurgs * 6

Šime: you didn't really choose some hard questions

 Host: if you had a choose one player from the nt who is really special? Personality wise as well-

Dejan: Broz

Šime, nodding: Definitely Brozović

Host: I keep hearing about him. Maybe people from the outside have the wrong idea about him-

Dejan: wrong idea? No, they have the right idea. Exactly the right idea. The guy is hilarious, but also an amazing player. I cannot believe someone can eat 2 kg of pate, 2 croissant and coca cola before a WC match and just. Run for 15 km. I just don't understand that. And then when you ask him how he says: "pateee" and makes hand gesture to the sky. I really don't understand him. I would need 4 days to recover from eating all that

Šime: yeah his mental state...I don't think there is much of a difference for him when he wakes up in the morning on a normal day or when he about to enter a pitch. But I think when you meet him you are surprised actually. He is actually quite quiet and nice and really smart, with a big heart

Host: and he is honest right?

Šime: yes. There is no doubting for him. He will tell you everything to your face and what you think about that-that's your problem. I think that's great

 *about their lives and interviews from Russia*

Šime: one thing that I specifically remember from videos of our interviews are people trying to read our lips

Dejan: oh god *laughs *

Šime: I remember whispering to Dejan "look that guy is the same Strina

Dejan: the guy really looked identical

Šime: and someone wrote that I said "look at that woman with big boobs"

Dejan: *laughs harder *

Šime: I mean, how do you even read it so badly??

 -Last card break-

Šime: which teammate would you let choose an outfit for your night out?

Dejan: Šime Vrsaljko

Dejan: which teammate would you choose...as a business partner

*they share a look and start laughing, the entire audience joining them

Šime: Well Dejan Lovren, of course

Šime, calming down: alright, alright next question. Which teammate would you choose to-*starts laughing * to-to babysit your child for a few hours?

*everyone burst out laughing *

Dejan: Šime Vrsaljko

Dejan: now, listen to this

Šime, already half laughing: yes?

Dejan: which teammafe would you choose to...change your tire

*both burst out laughing again *

Šime: *catching his breath but still laughing * what-I mean what should I say *laughing again, shrugging * oh fu-

Šime: which teammate would you choose for a gaming partner?

Dejan: *thinking * but you are always playing those video games. Call of duty and stuff. I have to pick Šime again

Šime: well I really sometimes do-

Dejan: sometimes?

Šime: often-and then I tried to get him to start playing-

Dejan: and I did, during lockdown. And he got me into Call of duty. And after 5 hours I say "I am going to bed" and my wife wakes me and she is like "dragi you are shaking "

Šime, laughing: he was shooting!

Dejan: it completely scrambled my brain. So I quit. Stupid video games

Dejan: alright now tell me...who would you choose as a partner in a fight?

Šime: ufff. Well him. I'd choose him for everything. It's a matter of trust. If we were to get into a fight together-

Host: you'd take a punch for him?

Šime: we'd-we'd make it a good fight. Guaranteed

  Host: well guys, that's it. I hope you enjoyed-viewers certainly will. This will be viewed a lot I bet

Šime: it was good. Fun. Although I saw that in some podcasts they drink while answering-

Dejan: where did you see that?

Šime: in podcast. When Goran Bare was a guest they also gave him the-the-

Dejan: so I end up on my knees here? Don't be ridiculous-

Šime: -and we'd open the topics much easier that way

Host: I don't know what your coach would say to that-

Šime: -it's classic art. I am not saying we have to drink here just that I think it's cool

Dejan: *laughing *

Šime: maybe some people are a bit stiff so this would help them relax

Dejan: how do you think we'd be like? How relaxed?

Šime: from 1 to 100? 200

Host: well you gave us a good idea for maybe some future podcasts-

Šime: but I think that would need to happen when there are no football activities involved-

Dejan: I think the chair would be sitting on me and not me on a chair

*both laugh *

Šime: just prepare us two beds here so we can lie down after

Host, turning to the camera: Anyway, dear viewers, we'll stop here for today. I hope you all had fun today, and watch us tomorrow as well

[pinkispoggers]

New Girl || Lance Bishop x Fem!Reader

A/N: PLEASE READ!! ok, there's a few things I need to say before you get to reading. I have an alter named Bishop. He's my co-writer. I have DID. Please, if you don't know what that is, look it up to understand why some of the writing style is different than others. Second. I'm so sorry this took so long to write but that's because I was studying the Aliens script to write this, and had to watch the movie 2 times. 3rd the grammar sucks again and this is like a remake of the movie with a similar plot. I'm so tired but please don't comment about the writing style changing, that's probably Bishop's writing. Anyways please enjoy!

(Oh, and this is like the dumbest plot ever)

Tw: mentions of vomit, profanity, and the word "kill" and small violence, (and some death (gore)) Guns and of course Mr milk guts…

Words: 9.1k

You slowly wake up, yawning before you could notice anything in the room, but when you do, you see him, standing in the doorway, legs crossed and arms crossed, looking down at what you saw to be a plate with (a food you really like) on it. You smile widely. "You didn't have to!" You blush. "I kept my word" He smiled and looked down. You grab the fork as you sit up and dig in.

A few moments later

You finish your meal and he hops in bed with you. You gasp and smile as you hug him tightly, never wanting to let go but you had to if you wanted to kiss him. You smile and smash your lips on his and he kisses you back. You take a breather and he looks at you with care in his eyes. "I love you, Bishop, I just want you to know that." You whisper and he nods "me too Y/n" he smiles and kisses your forehead, putting his forehead on yours.

"I also watered the plant you have." He smiles and you mimic the gesture. "Aw, thank you Bishop" you say. "Do you want to go for a walk?" He asks and you nod. "After I get dressed, I would love to." You blush. You get up from your bed, fully nude. You go to get clothes but within seconds his arms are wrapped around you and his head is buried in your neck once more. But this didn't last long as you had to get dressed. You slip your shirt and pants on. You grabbed your wallet and headed out with him, hand in hand. "Wanna go to the mall?" You ask and he nods.

You hold his hand while you walk from your apartment, to the local park, skipping happily almost all the way there. You reach the flower field and you and him sit down on some soft grass, secluded from everyone else. No one was even at the park, just you and your synthetic boyfriend. You and him lie down on the grass and he does the same. You lie there, not saying a word for a few moments but he breaks the peaceful silence. "It's a beautiful day Y/n, isn't it?" He says and smiles. "It sure is!" You smile wider. He points out some cute shaped clouds and you laugh and point out another.

Without warning, you roll on top of him and he gasps. He looks up at you and smirks. No one is around so you can do whatever you want, but you choose not to. As you lay on his stomach, he flips you over to be on top of you. He kisses you deeply. "I love you Y/n'' he breaths and you smile on his mouth "Same here" you whisper as you continue to kiss him. This only lasts for a few moments as you remember what you said about 30 minutes ago. "We should probably start heading to the mall now." You say and he pushes himself off of you.

He stands up from the soft grass, pointing out one more pretty cloud. You stand and start running and laughing, knowing he is going to follow. He jogs after you, getting closer. You try your best to get away but as soon as you could process things, he scoops you up and swings you around once. You laugh and kiss him once more as he let's you down. You jog with him about 2 blocks to the mall.

You run in through the automatic doors but you pause when you see everything in there, you stop in your tracks. He catches up to you and hugs you from behind. You shake, not expecting that. "Oh, I'm sorry." He says and you grin "it's alright!" You say as you rush into a men's clothing store, and he follows you in. "Ooo oh! Bishop look!" You call to him and point to a black and gray striped shirt. "It looks… really nice!" He says and you smile and kiss him "wanna buy it?" You ask "Sure! You brought your wallet?" He asks and you nod. You also grab a few pairs of sweatpants and formal clothing. You head to the register and he goes to the other side of the shop and crosses his arms, waiting for you to finish paying.

As you finish paying and grabbing your bags, he grabs one from you, and you know he's trying to help and you smile. "May i?" He asks "Yes you may." You blush and you head out to other stores.

3 hours later

You call a Taxi and head home with what seemed to be a million bags. You were surprised that you could carry that much with his help of course. You arrive home at dawn, but there are 2 big black cars outside your apartment. "Y/n, I'm being pinged." He says slowly. You're so confused "pinged?" You ask and you don't even notice the large pair of hands grabbing you, and another set, Bishop. He doesn't say anything, but you are screaming for him. You get out of the pathetic grip of the person behind you, only to go up and hug Bishop, knowing what you have to do. The person doesn't try to grab you back so this is the perfect opportunity. You reach up and snatch the chip out roughly and put it in your pant pocket. No one noticed.

After you do that the hands pull you back and you don't say a word, knowing that you have him in your pocket, instead, you smile. The person escorts you up to your apartment, but while you were walking, you thought, how did they know he was here? The car he came in? Maybe, you had no clue. When you get inside you smile at the now known man that led you in and he just walks away "bitch" you mutter. You get in and immediately get a phone call. You rush to get your phone. It says WEYLAND-YUTANI CORPS. You honestly don't want to answer but you do.

It's a nice woman, asking how your day has been and how it goes now. "Listen Y/n, to cut to the chase, we need you on another mission. Hadley's Hope isn't responding. Again." She said and you sigh, barely wanting to do it, but you knew you would have the same crew, Bishop, Hicks, Apone, Hudson and more so you of course said yes and hung up without saying goodbye.

It's getting late so you head off to bed, only dreaming of Bishop, and wishing he was there, in bed with you.

2 days later and it's time to head into Cryosleep. You lie, not caring who was with you, but only caring about the journey ahead.

3 weeks later, sleeping peacefully with no interruption.

You rise from your chamber, slow and easy. You overhear a tiny conversation between Drake and an unnamed female, just before you feel the need to vomit all over the place, and you almost do, but you control yourself. You sit up and drag your heavy legs over the bedside and you see someone you know and love… or well, the same model you guessed. Bishop. You blush, but before you know it, that smile on your face turns into a frown.

You know it's him, and you know it's his same model, because he is the only synthetic of his line, named Bishop, which you could see on a screen in the far corner of the room. Your face flowers into a smile once more as you flood over with happiness. You were also happy because you were part of the team. You stand, in your underwear and a tank top and you hear Hudson and Apone fighting? If you could call it that.

You notice an unfamiliar woman staring at Bishop with a glint in her eyes. Something like… love? You get a rush of anger deep in your heart but you pay it no mind as you slip by them and rush over to your locker, just remembering what was inside. The chip. You grab that and your flight suit and move to the cafeteria.

You sit next to someone new today, a curly headed woman with light skin and beautiful eyes. You try to spark up a conversation but she doesn't answer. "Ok then" you snort. You look over to a sudden loud noise that is Hudson screaming. Bishop is playing the knife game with him of course. Why would he be screaming? It ends soon with a "Thank you" from the artificial person himself. He goes to sit down right next to the women you were trying to talk to, which was right across from you. You noticed the same woman from the locker room staring at Bishop. Her face was angry, probably because she didn't get to sit next to him, you thought. But again, you pay it no mind and try to ignore it.

"I thought you never missed, Bishop." Burke said with a scoff in his voice. The woman next to him was startled for a second, but her facial expression turned into a mix between shock and anger. "You never said an android was on board. Why not?" She said. "It never occurred to me." Burke replied. "It's common practice to have synthetic on board." He said calmly but Bishop's face turned into a slight frown, but then a smile as he said "I prefer the term "artificial person" myself." You were going to say something to Burke, to remind him that before Bishop said anything. "Right." Burke said with a nasty smile. "Is there a problem?" Bishop worried "I'm sorry." Burke breathed. "I didn't even... Ripley's last trip, the syn... The artificial person...malfunctioned." Burke said with a tone of worry in his voice.

"- Malfunctioned?" Ripley said, a bit surprised. "Ripley," you whispered and no one heard. Such a nice name, you thought. "There were problems and… a few deaths were involved." Burke lamented. Bishop opened his lips slightly, to come off as "I'm shocked." He turned to look at Ripley, then back at Burke. "Was it an older model?" Bishop asked. "Yeah. The Hyperdyne Systems 120-A-2." Burke answered and Bishop closed his lips and within seconds, "The A-2s always were a bit twitchy. That could never happen now with our behavioural inhibitors. It is impossible for me to harm, or allow to be harmed, a human being." He goes on, turning to Ripley, tray in hand "You sure you don't want some?" He asked.

As soon as he offered, she slapped the tray out of his hand and everyone in the room turned to look. You were surprised she had snapped. Maybe she wasn't so friendly after all. "Just stay away from me, Bishop. You got that straight?" She said angrily and he got up to go sit by the woman that was looking at him before and you sighed deeply, a spark of jealousy perking up in you. You turned your head to see her sparking up a conversation. You want to move but you don't want anybody to get suspicious of your intentions with him so you sit quietly, not eating any of the cornbread he had offered you earlier.

After Breakfast

You rush over to a few boxes where you wait for everyone to pile in. Ripley is standing in front of them with another Marine and Apone. Ripley is talking about our mission, going back to Hadley's Hope because they weren't responding… again but you barely listen. Only looking at that Bitch and Bishop together in the back, laughing together. You were furious now. But then you remembered that you had the chip. He would only love you, and nor her. He's loyal, right?. As Ripley finishes talking, you are still staring at him and the woman, until she and Apone motions everybody to move out.

You move to the back rooms, where you thought you were gonna be alone but as soon as you open the door, you honestly weren't surprised. It was Bishop and the girl. You are furious. They were sitting there, laughing at each other's jokes and things like that. "Excuse me?" You say and they notice you are there, her, holding in a laugh. Bishop got up and walked over to you. "Hello, I don't think we've met! I'm Bishop" He says softly. "I know" you say angrily. "Did I do something wrong?" He asks and you smile and stare dead at her. "No honey" you say, suddenly changing your tone, but still staring at her.

"Um…" She whispered "What the fuck" she said as her face contorted into a angry frown, but before she could say anything else, Apone barged in. "What is going on in here?!" He asks but before you or the girl could say anything, Bishop speaks. "Oh, I'm just introducing myself to Y/n and hanging around with Diana." Diana. Her name was Diana. Before you could even think of anything else, you thought of saying "Diana, more like Die-Ana" and you burst out with laughter. "What is so funny Y/n?" Apone asks, very seriously and you simply reply with "Oh nothing" and you slip past him, happy you made that bitch mad.

You overhear Apone telling Diana to get back to work and stop fucking around with the artificial person and you snicker under your breath. "Fuck" you mumbled, knowing that you still had the chip, but wondering what you were going to do when the time came to put it in. You see Ripley and you walk up to her slowly. "Hi!" You accidentally raise your voice and she shouts, turning around and shaking a bit. "Oh, I'm sorry if I scared you, I'm Y/n, you need anything?" You ask and she smiles gently "I'm sorry about what happened a little bit before this, I guess I just wasn't in the mood, I'm Ripley, and I don't need anything but thank you. And tell Bishop I'm sorry." She went on and you smiled.

"Yeah I can do that!" You say and she smiles widely.

30 mins later

Everything is in place and Apone is raising his voice for everybody to head into the M577 Armored Personnel Carrier, and you complied. You see Bishop heading in first and you, last. You strap into your seat next to Hicks and right across from Diana. You give her a mean stare and she catches your eyes. You try to start a convo with Hicks but he's asleep. "Well." You whisper, and the carrier heads off with a "Rodger!" From Bishop and you head out. The carrier pulls into a drop ship and they dive down into space, heading for LV-426, Hadley's Hope.

You set down on the planet and you feel sick from all the turbulence but you hold back your vomit. Apone rushes everyone to hop out and head in and you do as he said. Diana is a marine and you are a science officer, so is Bishop. You hide back with Bishop for a moment and Diana just stares at you "Well Marine, do as Apone says." You laugh and she growls at you like a fucking animal and you cringe as you look at Bishop with a smile and he smiles back, not processing what just happened. His mind is on something else, you thought.

You head in, walking and talking with him, having a pretty good conversation about life in general and how his goal in his "life" was to learn and grow more! It was very intriguing. "Oh! You remember Ripley right?" You ask "Well how could I not? I mentally cannot forget unless my memories are deleted." He said and you laugh "I know that silly. Well anyway, she said she was sorry for flipping out on you." You exclaim and his face lights up with a smile.

"Ah, thank you for telling me!" He says with a smile that could light up any room and it makes you blush. "I have a surprise for when we get inside, it has to be somewhere private." You whisper and his face lights up. "So… sex?" He whispers back. "When did you get such a dirty mind?!" You laugh. "So not what I'm thinking." He asks so politely "nope, definitely not" you smile. You head in, holding his hand all the way in, but you feel as if something or someone is watching you. When you make it to where the marines are and they are trying to catch something? A little… girl? You had no clue but they were very scared and you offered to help but it seemed like no one heard you.

You and Bishop head back and wait outside for the marines to come back. You start up a conversation with him and as soon as you know it, you are having a laugh with him, a light hearted talk with him, and you could tell it made him so happy that someone was treating him like he was a "human". You made him feel welcome, that was all he ever wanted. "So, Bishop, what was your early life like?" You ask and he smiles.

"Well I'm glad you asked! When I was… say, "born", all I remember was standing on a shute, and a beautiful woman on a keypad in front of me was murmuring something in another language. I said "Hello" but she wouldn't answer me back." He said with a frown. This seemed to be a slightly hard story for him to tell but you were intrigued. He sensed that and kept telling you the story. "Well, when she did answer, and after I asked some questions, mainly about the shute I was standing on, she got… worried? At Least that's what my database was telling me. She thought I was too curious? I don't know, but she told me about how the shute led to something that would disassemble malfunctioning Artificial persons like me." He went on and you felt sorry. He could have gone to that "room".

"Then she told me to walk into a room that had others like me, my same model. An artificial person named Rook greeted me. He told me the others were named Castle, King, and Knight." He said and you cut him off "someone likes chess!" You laugh and he mimics your gesture. "That's what I said!" He said and you laughed harder. "I was in my skin only. They gave me clothing and I pulled it on. They all pinged me to sit down on a long white couch, but I didn't. The room was all white too. They were like... brothers?" He exclaimed

"and why didn't you sit down?" You ask and he smiles "simply because I didn't want to." "But…" you stop and he takes that as a green light to speak "I'm just… different, maybe broken." He said and you frowned and hugged him. "You aren't broken, but you are very different, and that's what we love about you." "Thank you Y/n" he says as you hear faint screaming from inside the building.

"What was that?" You ask and he shrugs "I think it's better to wait here." He says. "People could be dyi-" you try to get out but before you could make out the rest of the words, the carrier came rolling out from inside the building and you screamed and Bishop grabbed you, careful not to hurt you, and quickly pulled you to the side so you wouldn't get hit. "Are you ok?!" He asks and you nod.

"We need to call a fuckin dropship, NOW!!" Hicks yells and you get a wave of anxiety. Ripley comes rushing out of the Carrier and you run up to her, leaving Bishop behind. "Ripley what is going on?!" You shout. "Those fucking aliens. We need a dropship!" She shouts back and you panic. Aliens? What the fuck was she talking about. You knew now that you should've listened to the speech she gave instead of worrying about Bishop.

You hear Burke and Hudson squabbling about something dumb, but you don't pay it any mind. You turn around and your eyes widen. Diana is in the middle of hugging Bishop, and looking right at you. Fuck you, you wanted to say but that would be unprofessional so you just stuck your middle finger towards her and she laughed. Oh, you were gonna get this bitch later.

About an hour later

You could see the dropship coming in close but something was wrong. It was a bit wobbly? It was coming in hot, and definitely not normal. You start running, and so does everyone else. Everything is coming down off of the ship and you cry out for everyone to move. You get out of the way, grabbing Bishop from Diana and rolling behind a rock with him, hugging him to protect him, and you. "Y/n, I'm ok!" He gasps out "Ok good!" You smile widely. "What the fuck are we gonna do now?" Somebody called. "Why don't we start a fire, and sing some songs!" Burke said annoyingly. "Shut the fuck up Burke" you call and his face turns to a frown and he shuts up.

It's been twenty minutes since everything had happened and Ripley motions you into a big base, with the little girl in hand, but before you could follow her in, "where were you Diana?" Hicks raises his voice at her. "We were all looking for you." He snaps. You had had a gut feeling that she was watching you and Bishop, but you didn't know if that was true, but you were going to assume it was. "She was watching me and Bishop." You blurt out and she rips her gaze away from Hicks and over to you. She gives you a glare and then looks back over to Hicks. "I swear I wasn-" she tried to say but he cut her off "I don't want to hear it. Let's go everyone!"

Diana rips Bishop's hand from yours and… kisses him, hard where no one but you sees. You could tell he was surprised, and had no say in this. You felt bad for him, but at the same time, you were fucking furious with her. It wasn't a competition for his love, but if he wanted to compete, you would gladly compete, and you knew you would win. You had the chip, and she didn't. You run in, looking back and winking at Bishop and he just smiles.

Bishop walks with Diana, and you behind into the building, having a chat. He parts ways with her to go into a room with the rest, but you head to what looks like the lab you guys were in last time you were here. You overhear Bishop talking, saying that he was heading to the mad lab. You make it there first and are already standing over the face hugger that Bishop was in the middle of dissecting, and right next to it, where you had the second best sex of your life. "Y/n?" A voice whispers. "Bishop!" You say and he smiles and comes over to hug you. This is the time! Now! You think and you reach to hug him.

Your hands slowly reach up to his neck and right before he can do anything, the chip is out. He's pretty much lifeless, not moving, but blinking. It was unsettling, but you had to do it, to get him back. You grab the chip from your pocket and slide it in the slot and he begins to power up. His eyes shut hard, and then open like the first time. His eyes, flawlessly human-like. When he opens his eyes, "Y/n!" He says as he goes in for a kiss and you let him. He backs off to speak "where are we?!" He asks and you smile and fill him in.

After you do, he stares blankly at something behind you. "Bishop?" You ask and he motions his eyes towards you. He slowly closes you into a corner and you get a wave of anxiety. "Bishop!?" You call out as his hands gently push you against the wall. You were already so touch starved so you didn't mind, but at the same time, you were scared, not knowing his intentions. "Now where were we?" He asked and chuckled. "Oh, so you want to have sex I'm guessing?" You whispered "Yes. Are you ok with this?" He asks "of course, but please ask before you make a move." You laugh.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have asked, I didn't mean to scare you!" He says with a sorry tone. "No, no, it's alright!" You laugh it off. "Ah ok!" He says with a smile. He pulls his arm from your chest and starts to pull his flight suit down. Once he gets it all down, yours is next. He unzips it and pulls it down with smooth, efficient movements with a little help from you of course. He grabs your legs and hoists them up to behind his head, now he's right in front of your heat. You are a little anxious even though you know he's seen you. You are also anxious because of the watching eyes you felt when you were outside with him and you weren't exactly comfortable with people watching you.

He pulls you closer to him as he leaves kisses along your thighs as he gets closer to you. When he reaches your sex, he leaves one gentle kiss on the top of your cunt. His tongue suddenly delved into you and he started pacing around your clit, making you shake. You reach for his hair while convulsing slightly, grabbing it and forcing his head towards you. His tongue speeds up against your clit, and you try your best not to shake anymore then you are already shaking.

"B- Ahh!!" You cry out. He takes this as a sign to go to the perfect pace, a pace that sent you to heaven. "Im-" you cry "please" He says, smiling on you. You burst out with moans of ecstasy. His tongue slows down, as he notices that's what you need. As you are coming down from your high, he's still working on you, but now, teasing you with two fingers right above your entrance. You noticed what he was doing as soon as you could see straight. "Please" you whine and with sudden moments, his fingers are in you, slowly pumping in and out, curling as they do.

"Mfh!" You cry out and he speeds up, but then stops suddenly. "Bishop?" You ask and he turns his head suddenly. "I heard something," He says. "Please continue" you say softly and he lowers you to hip level. "Shit Bishop" you moan as you look at his perfect shaft. He lines himself up with you, smearing pre cum all over you to lube you before he thrusts into you. As he's holding you with strong arms, your arms go over his head and he snaps his hips into you at an alarmingly fast speed. "AH!" You scream out.

"I love you Y/n" he says softly and the butterflies that were in your stomach were fluttering around fast. "I love you too!" You smile. He starts off with an achingly slow pace and you arch your back as best as you can. He uses the power of his upper body to lift you up and down on his cock, while still trusting at a normal pace now. He takes one arm off of your hips to finger your clit. "Ohhhh" you moan. You are a moaning mess under him, but you still hold onto yourself as best as you can.

He's leaving kisses wherever he can, mostly sucking on your neck to leave Hickeys, noticeable ones. "Faster!" You shout and he complies. He's thrusting into you at animalistic speeds and you are literally living your sexual dreams. "OoOH!" You moan and he smiles "you like this don't you" he asks and you nod while shaking in front of him. He licks a trail of artificial saliva up your neck and gently bites your ear and you scream out, gripping him, hard.

"Mmh" He grunts. "You feel amazing" He says as his head rolls back. You blush. "L- Let's change positions!" You call out and he slides you off of his shaft, gently. You point to a small mattress that definitely wouldn't fit both of you but you had an idea. He carried you bridal style over to the bed and to your surprise, flipped you so that you were facing the wall, stomach on the bed. "Like this?" He asked "exactly" you smile and he lines himself up and pushes in.

He continues his thrusts, very fast, but it stops suddenly. "Bishop?! What's wrong?" You ask, a little mad, but it's hard to be mad at him. He's not usually like this unless he thinks someone is in danger, or if he hears something. Then you hear it, small footsteps. "Shit," you mutter and he pulls out of you, concerningly slow and just stands there, awkwardly. You get up fast and try to cover yourself with a nearby blanket, quickly wrapping it around yourself as a figure steps in the room. "You BITCH" The figure says as she makes herself clear. Diana. Of course it has to be fucking Diana. Your face switches from panic to a shit eating grin. Not even giving a shit that she just caught you having sex with him, but that you won him over completely, like it was a game.

"Awwww are you mad Diana?" You ask and she just looks at you like she's ready to kill you, but with tears brimming her lashes. You started to walk towards her but Bishop grabbed your arm "Please Y/n, don't." He says, not exactly knowing what you were going to do. "Please" He says with a reassuring voice and you decide to stay back. Tears were falling down her face, but she was also angry. Diana runs away down the hall and out of sight. "Are you ok?" Bishop asks. "Yeah! I'm fine" you shake off what just happened with a smile. His hand lands on the wall behind your head "would you like to continue where we left off?" He asks and you shake your head no. He frowns, but he understands.

You slip under his hand and he doesn't stop you. You slip on your clothes and start a long conversation with him about what had been going on when he was gone. It's been 4 hours with you both trying to dissect a facehugger, which is quite a pain then you hear a buzzing in his ear. "they are pinging us over." He says. When you get there, Ripley is with Hudson and Vasquez fooling around and joking. Bishop went over to Ripley as she motioned him to.

"Now let me get this straight.

The aliens paralyzed the colonists, carried them over there, cocooned them to be hosts for more of those…" Ripley points at the stasis cylinders containing the face-hugger specimens. "Which would mean lots of those parasites, right? One for each person...over a hundred at least." She asked

"Yes. That follows." Bishop says "But these… things come from eggs...so where are all the eggs coming from?" Ripley asks and pauses "That is the question of the hour. We could assume a parallel to certain insect forms who have hivelike organization. An ant of termite colony, for example, is ruled by a single female, a queen, which is the source of new eggs." He says.

"You're saying one of those things lays all the eggs?" Ripley asks.

"Well, the queen is always physically larger than the others. A termite queen's abdomen is so bloated with eggs that it can't move at all. It is fed and tended by drone workers, defended by the warriors. She is the center of their lives, quite literally the mother of their society." Bishop runs on. "Could it be intelligent?" She asks.

"Hard to say. It may have been blind instinct...attraction to the heat of whatever...but she did choose to incubate her eggs in the one spot where we couldn't destroy her without destroying ourselves. That's if she exists, of course." Bishop says plainly. Ripley ponders the ramifications of Bishop's analysis. Ripley rises "I want those specimens destroyed as soon as you're done with them. You understand?"

Bishop glances at the creatures, pulsing malevolently in their cylinders. "Mr. Burke has instructions that they were to be kept alive in stasis for return to the company labs. He was very specific." Bishop says and Ripley feels the fabric of her self-restraint tearing. She slaps the intercom switch. "Burke!" She calls out and you look over at Bishop with a grin "He's in deep shit" you laugh and he laughs with you.

Everyone leaves the room so you and Bishop are alone, making things… well you can't say awkward. He walks over to you slowly. "Do you need something?" You ask but he doesn't answer. He reaches you and a hand crosses your neck, to the wall behind you like before. Then he twitches suddenly. "Bishop what's wrong?!" You call out but he doesn't answer. You try to push him away, but he won't budge, and then his eyes go blank and you can finally push him off of you. You stand behind him, clueless to what is happening. "Shit" you murmur. Then it hit you.

You reach up to the back of his neck and pull the chip out and he stands straight, not moving. You had to be quick about this though, for people might walk in. You rush over to get a hot glue gun from the side of the room as it seemed like it had everything in it. You grab the gun and start to try to fix the growing tear in the chip. Once you are done with that, you walk over to him but you feel that you are being watched… again. You turn around suddenly but there's no one there. "Ok…" you whisper but then a small hand grabs your shoulders and spins you around, just to slap you.

"Excuse me!" You shout at the person in front of you. It's obviously Diana, because who else would slap you that hard? "What the fuck is wrong with you, you whore!" She screams. You have no words, or any before she said something else. She looks over at Bishop, terrified. "What the fuck did you do? I watched you!" She calls out. "Why the fuck were you "watching" there's something seriously wrong with you Diana." You say calmly. "Nothing is wrong with me Y/n, it's you being a whore that's wrong with you." She said angrily as she stomped over to the lifeless artificial person like a child. "How am I a whore when I made love to him, and only him?"

"Well… i- ya know what, I'm gonna tell everyone that you slept with him" she smiled well she observed him. "Ok?" You pause "I couldn't give two fucks if you did or not… honestly" you give her a shit eating grin, practically begging her to tell everyone, knowing they aren't gonna give a fuck, so you let her. She leaves and you get back to what you were doing. You were supposed she didn't give a shit about what you were doing to him, or how you were helping him. You've been hiding the chip behind you while Diana was acting like a toddler. You go over to him and put it in, having to reach past his soft hair.

He powered up again and turned around, looking sad. "What's wrong hun? What's that look for?" You ask and giggle. "I'm sorry, it was an error in the chip. I'm trying to fix it." He smiled. You go up to kiss him and he gently lays his lips on yours for a moment then let's go and his hands, especially one finger, vibrates. You worry. He never shakes like that. "What's up with your hand?" You ask and he shakes his head with a frown. "My sexual functions are simulating rubbing you off. I'm sorry." He says and you almost snort "I'm sorry, so you're telling me you could have used that when we were fucking?! Woah, that's actually really cool." You say, louder than intended. "Well, next time tell me and I can." His smile widens and you nod.

"Shit!" You say and he turns his head back at you "I filled you in about what's going on right now, and why they need you right now? Right?" You ask. "Affirmative" He smiles. "Well let's go! Vamonos!" You say and he follows you out.

Ripley and Hudsons side

Mixed with the echoing crash-clang is a nerve-wrecking SCREECH of claws on steel. The intercom buzzes, startling them. "Bishop here. I'm afraid I have some bad news." He says over the coms. "Well, that's a switch," Hudson laughs.

You walk into the room with Bishop and he goes over to the window where Ripley and Hudson stand. You stand over to the side, just watching them. You overhear the conversation. It's hard not to listen.

"That's pretty Bishop, but what are we looking at" Ripley asks "That's it. See it? Emergency venting." Bishop answers as you see big blueish steam rising from outside somewhere. "How long until it blows?" Ripley asks "I'm projecting total systems failure in a little under four hours. The blast radius will be about thirty kilometers. About equal to ten megatons." Bishop runs on.

Before anyone could say anything more, Diana rushes in. The fuck does she want, you thought. "Do you need anything?" Ripley sighs. "She fucked him!!" Diana called out. "Who fucked who?" Hudson asked, confused. "Y/n" she breathed hard. You can tell she ran here. "She fucked Bishop" she panted and Hudson looked shocked. "Y/n…?" He said quietly. "C,mhere!" He shouted as he raised his fist for a fist bump and you did, and gave him one, while smiling from ear to ear.

"You gotta tell me about it when we get back!" Hudson said and you laughed and shook your head "Nah, I'd rather not" you smile and look back at Diana. Ripley just smiled, glad for you, but seeming stressed at the moment. Diana was furious, thinking all of them would be mad, and you, humiliated. Vasquez was also smiling. "We got problems." Hicks calls "I don't fucking believe this." Hudson says and you roll your eyes. "Do you believe this?" Hudson replies to himself "And it's too late to shut it down?" Ripley asks, not paying any attention to Hudson. "I'm afraid so. The crash did too much damage. The overload is inevitable, at this point." Bishop says.

"Oh, man. And I was gettin' short, too! Four more weeks and out. Now I'm gonna buy it on this fuckin' rock. It ain't half fair, man!" Hudson exclaims "Hudson, give us a break. They watch as another gas jet lights up the fog-shrouded landscape. "We need the other drop-ship. The one on the Sulaco. We have to bring it down on remote, somehow." Ripley says, looking at Hicks

"How? The transmitter was on the APC. It's wasted." Hudson cries. "I don't care how! Think of a way. Think of something." Ripley paces "Think of what? We're fucked." Hudson cries out again in-between some "Shut up"s from Hicks. "What about the colony transmitter? That up-link tower down at the other end. Why can't we use that?" Hicks asks "I checked. The hard wiring between here and there was severed in the fighting." Bishop answers.

Ripley is wound up like a dynamo, her mind spinning out options, grim solutions. "Well then somebody's just going to have to go out there. Take a portable terminal and go out there and plug in manually." Ripley says to which Hudson's face turns grim. "Oh, right! Right! With those things running around. No way." He says and you could hear someone muttering something, then they spoke up. "I'll go." Bishop says quietly. "What?" Ripley asks "I'll go" Bishop repeats himself.

"I'm really the only one qualified to remote-pilot the ship anyway. Believe me, I'd prefer not to. I may be synthetic but I'm not stupid." Bishop smiles for a moment, seeming to be proud of himself. "All right. Let's get on it. What'll you need?" Ripley asks. You turn your head away and walk with them into a med lab.

Vasquez and Hicks

"Listen." Vasquez shushes. It's stopped. They listen. Nothing. An instant later comes the high pitched shrilling of a motion-sensor alarm. Hicks looks at the tactical board. "Well, they're into the complex." Hicks says plainly

INT. MED LAB 130

One of the acid holes from the colonists' siege has yielded access to subfloor conduits. Bishop lying in the opening, reaches up to graph the portable terminal as Ripley hands it down to him. He pushes it into the constricted shaft ahead of him. She then hands him a small satchel containing tools and assorted patch cables, a service pistol and a small cutting torch. "This duct runs almost to the up-link assembly. One hundred eighty meters. Say, forty minutes to crawl down there. One hour to patch in and align the antenna. Thirty minutes to prep the ship, then about fifty minutes flight time." Bishop goes on. "Great" you sigh and he looks back at you with a grin. "Wanna come along?" Bishop asks and you nod

Ripley looks at her watch. "It's going to be closer. You guys better get going." "See you soon, C’mon Y/n!" he says cheerfully as he squirms into the shaft, pushing the equipment along ahead of him with a scraping rhythm. The diameter of the conduit is barely larger than the width of his shoulders. Then you get in, doing the same. Vasquez slides a metal plate over the hole and begins spot welding it in place. Bishop and you look back as the welder seals you guys in. He sighs fatalistically and squirms forward. Ahead of him the conduit dwindles straight to seeming infinity. Like being in the bore of a very long Howitzer. You say nothing as you crawl along.

When you finally make it there, it's very windy and cold, lightning everywhere.

hunched against the wind at the base of the telemetry tower. He has a test-bay panel open and the portable terminal patched in. His jacket is draped over the keyboard and monitor unit to protect it from the elements and he is typing frenetically. "Now, if I did it right…" He whispers to himself He punches a key marked "ENABLE." And the ship is off

10 mins later

"Bishop, you read me? Come in, over." A voice says through the coms, it's Hicks. There is a long pause then Bishop's voice, almost unintelligible with interference, comes over the radio. "Yes, I read you. Not very well... " Bishop replys.

Bishop is huddled against the base of the telemetry mast, out of the wind which is now gusting viciously. "The ship is on its way. ETA about sixteen minutes. I've got my hands full flying…" Bishop raises his voice over the coms. the weather's come up a bit. Bishop's fingers are blurring over the terminal keys and he squints, watching the screen as the flight telemetry updates rapidly. In the b.g. the AP station has become a raging demon, wreathed in boiling steam and electrical discharges. "All right, stand by there. We're on out way. Over." Hicks says and he's out.

You turn to Bishop, wind almost blowing your face away, a single tear falling down your face, and a smile on your lips. You started a nice conversation with him, telling him what happened while he was gone, or dormant. "So you're telling me this other Bishop told you about the time I was "born"?" He said, barely audible over the high winds. "Yep, all of it." You yell over the winds. He seemed surprised, he knew he would have told you if you had asked and laughed.

"Shit, we gotta go, it's gonna be here soon" you say and you rush out of there.

Drop-ship two descends toward the landing grid, side-slipping in hurricane gusts. Bishop stands, guiding it with the portable terminal. The ship sets down hard. Slides sideways. Stops. Bishop turns as Ripley and Hicks stumble out of a doorway in the colony building behind him. He goes to them, helping to support Hicks and they run toward the ship, buffeted by the gale. Ripley shouts, her words barely audible over the wind. "HOW MUCH TIME?" Ripley yells "PLENTY! TWENTY-SIX MINUTES!" Bishop answers. "WE'RE NOT LEAVING!" Ripley says and Bishop's facial expression is… from what you can see, confused. "WE'RE NOT?"

You step to Bishop's side once again. "Where is everyone?" You ask, trying to be as calm as possible "Dead. Let's go." Ripley said with a flat tone.

The loading ramp deploys and they run into the ship. An infernal engine, roaring out of control. Steam blasts and swirls, lightning zaps around the superstructure and columns of gas thunder hundreds of feet into the air. You look up in astonishment. If you had more time, you would have stayed and stared at it, but you had no time for that.

Ripley finishes winding tape around a bulky object and drops the roll. She has crudely fastened a M-41A assault rifle together, side by side, with a flamethrower. A massive, unwieldy package of absolute firepower. Her movements are precise...determined. She works rapidly, snatching magazines, grenades, belts and other gear from the fully stocked ordnance racks of the drop-ship.

Bishop comes out from the pilot's compartment to help Hicks dress his injuries. Hicks is laid out in a flight seat, the contents of a field medical key, strewn around him. He's out of the game...contorted with pain. "Ripley…" Bishop sighs "She's alive. They brought her here and you know it." Ripley says "in seventeen minutes this place will be a cloud of vapor the size of Nebraska." Bishop sighs again. Ripley is stuffing gear rapidly into a satchel, her hands flying. "Hicks, don't let him leave." Ripley eyes Bishop "We ain't going anywhere." Hicks said, grimacing in pain. Ripley runs down the ramp, crossing the platform to the open doors of a large freight elevator. The doors close.

You felt really bad for him, standing over him. He was one of your friends. You went to go stand out on the bridge of the drop-ship. "What the fuck?" You ask yourself as a small figure approaches the dropship. "Diana, what-" you try to make out the figure and sure enough, it's her. "Oh fuck" you blurt out. "What's up?" Hicks says painfully. "It's Diana" you sigh as you see her flap her arms in the air to try to get your attention. "I'd- I'd say shut the damn door, but that would be rude" Hicks tried to laugh. When she reached the bridge, she hopped on and ran straight to Bishop, who was still treating Hicks's wounds. She tried to hug him but he gently pushed her off.

"What's wrong hun?" She says. "What? Please don't call him that." You say, trying not to get annoyed. You could tell Hicks was enjoying this squabble since he was not trying to break it up. "I can call him whatever I want." She said as she walks up to you and slaps you for the second time today. "Fuck you" you say softly and punch her square in the bridge of her nose and she passed out right away. "Y/n!?" Bishop called. "Holy shit" Hicks said and you just smiled as she's laid out on the floor.

Bishop rushes up to the pilot's chamber and starts the ship. "What are you doing?!" You yell "the platform is getting unstable!" He calls back to you. "But Ripley?" You say and you get no answer.

30 minutes later

You just sit in your seat, Diana still passes out and you sigh "Damn, this bitch." Bishop let's down the ship and you gasp. The doors open and Ripley and the girl run in

Ripley leaps into a seat with the girl, cradling her. Begins strapping in. Bishop wrestles with the controls. The landing legs retract, ripping free. Ripley slams her seat harness latches home. "Ripley!" You say as she turns her head to you and then Diana. "Shit, what happened?" She asked and you told her everything and she just sat there with no words.

"Punch it Bishop!" She called

The entire lower level of the station disappears in a fireball. The air vibrates with intense heat waves and concussion. The drop-ship engines fire. Ripley is slammed back in her seat. The ship vaults out and up, Bishop standing it on its tail, pouring on the gees. Ripley and Newt see everything shake into a blur.

30 minutes later

Diana finally woke up, just staring at you the whole way to the Sulaco, probably not knowing what happened.

Bishop stands behind Ripley as she kneels beside a comatose Hicks. "I gave him a shot, for the pain. We'll need to get a stretcher to cart him up to medical." Bishop says. Ripley nods and, picking up the little girl, precedes Bishop down the aisle to the loading ramp. "I'm sorry if I gave you a scare but that platform was just becoming too unstable…" Bishop continues as they move down the ramp. "I had to circle and hope things didn't get too rough to take you off." He says. Ripley turns to him, stopping part way down the ramp. She puts her hand on his shoulder. "You did okay, Bishop." Ripley says. "Well, thanks, I-"

He notices a tiny innocuous drop of liquid splash onto the ramp next to his shoe. SSSSSS. Acid. Something bursts from his chest , spraying Ripley and you with milk-like android blood. It is the razor-sharp scorpion tail of the alien queen. Driven right through him from behind. Bishop thrashes, seizing the protruding section of tail in his hands, as it slowly lifts him off the deck. Above them the Queen flowers from its place of concealment among the hydraulic mechanisms inside one landing-leg bay.

It blends perfectly with the machinery until it begins to emerge. Seizing Bishop in two great hands it rips him apart and flings him aside, shredded, like a doll. It descends slowly to the deck, the rotating lights shining across its shiny black limbs, dripping acid and rage. Still smoking where Ripley half-fried it. The Queen is huge, powerful...and very pissed off. It descends slowly, its six limbs unfolding in inhuman ways.

"BISHOP!" You scream as you try to run over to him but Diana grabs your collar and pulls you back, making sure she's there first, but before she can make it, the razor sharp tail slices her straight in half, blood spilling and guts falling out of her and tears stream down your face. "HOLY SHIT" You scream and freeze in place.

You and the little girl run for cover. The Alien drops to the deck, pivoting toward the motion. Ripley waves her arms, decoying. You and the girl get under I grate, trying to hide from the creature, but, you see a big hand trying to rip the grates up and you try not to scream as you rush down the system. As you are trying to get away, the clawing stops and you do the same, and so does the little girl. You hear a stomping on the ground from above and the creature turns around from the grates. "Get away from them you Bitch!" Ripley says from about ant the "Queen" runs towards Ripley. This is your time to escape with the girl. You run from the queen and pick up the girl as you do it.

You see Ripley in a power loader "Holy shit" you mutter, and Bishop, violently torn in two.

Ripley pulls her arm out of the controls of the loader and claws toward a panel of airlock actuating buttons. She punches the red "INNER DOOR OVERRIDE" and latches the "HOLD" locking-key down. A KLAXON begins to sound. She hits "OUTER DOOR OPEN" and there is a hurricane shriek of air as the doors on which they are lying separate, revealing the infinite pit of stars, below.

The girl and you scream as the hurricane airstream sucks you and her across the floor toward the airlock. Bishop, torn virtually in two, his pasta-like internal organs whipped by the wind, grips a stanchion and reaches desperately for the girl as she slides past him, but not you as his hands are full. He catches her arm and hangs on as she dangles, doll-like, in the airblast. You grab onto a grate, also dangling like the girl. You don't know what is happening but as soon as you know it the airlock is closing with shrieking winds.

When It finally does close, Ripley emerges from the pit, not in the power loader at the moment. She lies on her back, drained of all strength. Gasping for breath. Weakly, she turns her head, seeing Bishop still holding Newt by the arm. Encrusted with his own vanilla milkshake blood. Bishop gives her a small, grim smile.

"Not bad for a" He gurgles "human." He winks.

The little girl is called out for Ripley, calling her mommy, to which Ripley grabs her, like a mother and her child, and cradles her, spinning her around and hugging her tightly, careful not to hurt her.

You smile at Bishop, hurting just looking at him, but you gather the strength to go over to him, and kiss him on his, also encrusted lips and he smiles back

Ripley is carrying Newt on her hip, and you are carrying Bishop's top half, In your arms to the Cryogenic chambers and lie him in it, in a big plastic-like bag. But before you close it, he blurts out three simple, but complicated words. "I love you" he says and before you can say it back, he shuts himself down and you begin to cry while you walk over to yours. Ripley lies Hicks in one of the chambers next to her and Newt in another, having a little conversation before her, and you both get into your own chambers and drift off to sleep, but you, with one tear rolling off of your face. It's been a tough journey, but you are just glad you made it.

Tag List: @soggy-enchilada (hi! So ik I'm tagging you in all of this so I'm sorry, it just seemed like you were interested!)

[doesitsparkjoytho]

Old Dog, New Tricks

Words: 2100 POV: Hank A short piece exploring the events leading up to and just post-epilogue (good ending). Fluff/feels. This can be interpreted however you like. (You can also read on AO3)

...something about the bright blue thirium against the snow—hell, it fucking glowed in the dark…. He’d barely driven two blocks before he had to swerve to a curb and open his door to puke.

“Are you alright, Lieutenant?”

Hank really looks at the android now, and is pained to see the bullet hole, the blue blood now dried along his shoulder, spattered like neon paint along the front and sides of his usually neat jacket. Connor is filthy, his hair is a mess, his clothes are frayed and torn in places. It’s a miracle he’s alive.

Alive...

Connor follows Hank into the kitchen, and his eyes quickly scan the counters, table—likely analyzing what’s changed since he was last here. Hank looks at him, slightly abashed. The last time Connor was here, he wasn't exactly concerned about the state of his house. He'd barely been aware that Connor was even in his house, let alone been concerned about how he'd gotten in (the window was still broken, and Connor's request to Cyberlife to reimburse the expense would likely never be processed now).

"Do you eat?" Hank asks. It sounds stupid as he asks it, but it feels good to ask regardless. And honestly HANK is hungry. But even without opening the fridge, he realizes he has next to nothing edible, except perhaps to android standards. With all his favorite fast food places almost certainly closed, he isn't sure what he’ll do.

"I can eat, but I have no need or desire to,” Connor replies. He looks perplexed, but doesn't say more.

Hank smirks. "Can you cook?" It’s funny imagining Connor, who he's seen so often licking blue goo from floors and sprinting after deviants, cooking.

Connor's face scrunches slightly. "I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it." Now he smirks. "If you're that desperate, I'm sure Sumo won't mind if a few of his cans go missing. It's probably preferable to whatever I'd manage."

"Haha, very funny, Connor. But unlike you, I do actually need to eat. Eventually." He trails off on this last word.

It's then that Hank realizes how fucking tired he is. What time is it, anyways? 10:27am. The past 24 hours feel like a fever dream. He also hasn't slept since.... When the fuck did he last sleep?

After he and Connor split ways at Cyberlife tower, he went to the park and tried to calm his nerves. However, for the first time in a long time, he found himself unable to drink even a beer—felt he might be needed, and that he’d have to be ready. Sharp. And that thought made him even more anxious, more agitated.

So he got back in his car and drove around the city, trying to find somewhere with a TV. His phone was a useless brick with communications shut down nationwide several days prior. The streets were deserted, stores and bars closed. Not even looters wanted to chance encounters with deviants, apparently.

He did pass several groups of soldiers and androids, and he felt sick when he inevitably imagined Connor kneeling in the snow, a machine gun pressed to the back of his head. At one point he witnessed such an execution, and something about the bright blue thirium against the snow—hell, it fucking glowed in the dark…. He’d barely driven two blocks before he had to swerve to a curb and open his door to puke.

“Are you alright, Lieutenant?”

Hank really looks at the android now, and is pained to see the bullet hole, the blue blood now dried along his shoulder, spattered like neon paint along the front and sides of his usually neat jacket. Connor is filthy, his hair is a mess, his clothes are frayed and torn in places. It’s a miracle he’s alive.

Alive.

Hank smiles and leans back against the counter, crossing his arms. "So what now?"

Connor looks tired, if that's possible. He inhales sharply and looks away. It’s such a human trait, looking away to think. As if staring while your brain is churning isn’t polite.

His eyes dart back to Hank, worried. “I don’t know. For the first time, I don’t have a mission. That…‘voice’ in my head is quiet.”

“That’s how humans feel all the time, Connor. We have no idea what the fuck we’re supposed to do. But finding that purpose? That’s what makes us human. That’s free will, Connor.”

You gave me a purpose again.

One side of Connor’s mouth pulls into that familiar smile, as if he can read Hank’s thoughts.

“Well, for a start, why don’t you go clean yourself up?” Hank suggests. “You look like you got shot.”

Connor peers down at the hole in his shoulder, taking in his disheveled appearance. “You’re right—I’m a mess.”

“I have some clothes that might fit you, from when I was uh….younger.”

“I suppose mine aren’t really suitable any more,” Connor replies. Without hesitation or ceremony, he removes his jacket. But he holds it gently, folds it so that the “RK800” and serial number in iridescent silver faces up. Stares a moment.

Getting sentimental, Connor?

Before, Hank would have said this aloud, jokingly. He wonders what Connor feels, about to relinquish one of the few things he has, one of the only things that has ever identified him.

You’re more than a number now. You don’t belong to Cyberlife.

Connor looks at Hank and holds his jacket out to him. “Will you put this somewhere for safekeeping?”

Hank smiles. “Sure.”

With that, Connor starts towards the bathroom. But he stops. “You wouldn’t happen to have a soldering iron, would you?”

Before Hank can ask ‘what the fuck’, Connor adds, “for my shoulder.”

“Ah, shit. No. Is that how you normally fix yourself?”

“No. Normally I’d return to Cyberlife and have them repair me.”

“It doesn’t...hurt, though, right? You’re fully functional and all?”

Connor smiles. “I’m alright, Lieutenant. I suppose I wanted to fix it more for your sake, so you’ll stop looking worried.”

Hank scratches the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. Before either of them can say anything more, Connor continues down the hallway.

Hank follows, heading into his bedroom as Connor turns into the bathroom. He opens the closet and reaches for the far right side. He has some old t-shirts, a couple button-ups, even a black suit jacket. He hasn’t worn it since…. But he grabs it anyway, thinking that perhaps Connor may still prefer to wear a jacket. Hell, Connor probably doesn’t even know what he prefers at this point, but at least he’ll have options. More than anyone’s ever given him. He grabs a pair of old jeans, too. He even considers a tie, but decides it’s time for Connor to loosen up a little.

He heads to the bathroom, and finds Connor standing before the sink, staring at his reflection. He hasn’t started to clean himself up.

“I, uh, found a few things,” Hank says from the doorway.

Connor turns slightly, and Hank approaches. He offers the clothes, and Connor takes them.

“You need anything else?”

“Just this,” Connor replies. He takes up Hank’s barber style razor, and holds it at chin level.

Hank starts forward, fear punching him in the gut.

But in a flash, Connor has the edge of the razor against his temple. It’s then that Hank realizes he’s going to remove the LED.

Connor looks at Hank in the mirror, and Hank nods.

With a flick of the razor the LED drops, and Connor catches it with his left hand. The spot on his temple quickly recolors, leaving no trace. He pinches the disc between his fingers, looks at it a moment, and then drops it into the trash.

Connor turns to Hank and smiles.

Such a simple thing, the LED. But standing there before him, without that or the jacket—he looks human. If he hadn’t seen the flash of white beneath the skin, Hank would briefly wonder if it was all a show. He’s seen cops go undercover so well and for so long that he barely recognized them without the cover.

As Connor picks up the shirts to examine them, Hank turns to leave. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant.”

Hank grunts a “mmm” in response and pulls the door mostly shut.

Suddenly his house feels foreign, like when you return from a long vacation and everything smells different.

Overwhelmed, he sinks heavily into the couch.

Will Connor stay with him? He’ll offer, of course. He can use the couch, or I could convert the garage…. Wait, he doesn’t even sleep, does he? Well, he needs somewhere to be, or else he’ll just be....here, all the time.

But what if Connor decides to live with the androids? Will he leave Detroit?

Fuck, what will he do? He’ll never return to DPD, not after attacking Perkins, letting Connor into the evidence room. He’d tossed his badge and gun on Fowler’s desk to avoid being arrested—although he won’t be surprised if Perkins decides to press charges, tries to get him thrown in jail for assaulting a federal agent. What’s the minimum sentence for that? Six months? A year?

Not worth worrying about now.

Seeing Hank on the couch, Sumo raises his head.

“C’mere, Sumo.”

Sumo slowly gets up from his bed and pads his way over. Hank pats the couch, and Sumo jumps up to lie down next to him. He places his head on his leg.

“That’s a good boy, Sumo.” Hank scratches his head, gives him a solid pat on the back.

Without androids doing pretty much all of the labor, he imagines the country will be in chaos shortly. Stores will be ransacked, people desperate for supplies. Terrified of androids, who will all soon be aware—alive—will humans flee the cities? Surely some androids will be angry, seek justice for years of slavery and abuse. Will Detroit become a capital for the androids?

His thoughts are interrupted by Connor approaching from the hall. Before he can turn to look at him, the android steps around to the front of the couch. He’s wearing the old Knights of the Black Death t-shirt, once black but now a faded dark gray. He’s rinsed his hair and apparently tried to towel dry it because he looks a little like a cockatoo. Gone is the dirt and the blue blood. He’s kept the rest of his outfit the same, but he looks like a kid in his 30s now.

Kid, Hank? You old fuck.

But something about seeing Connor like this fills him with hope. Hope for the world, but most importantly, for himself. He feels alive for the first time in three years. There’s plenty to worry about, sure, but it all seems distant.

“I put the other clothes on your bed,” says Connor. He holds up his white shirt, stained with blue. “I’d like to keep this, if we can get the stains out.”

“Just toss it in with my stuff.”

Connor looks around.

“Shit, sorry—the washer’s in the garage, the door at the end of the hall.”

“Ah.”

“Here, just put it down. I’ll wash it later.”

Connor sets the folded shirt on the arm of the couch, and looks at Hank. His expression softens. “I haven’t thanked you for what you did,” he says. “Not just at the station, but back with the other Connor. It—he—would have killed me.”

Hank grimaces. “It’s my own damn fault he was even there, Connor. I should have realized it wasn’t you.”

“I doubt you could have. At any rate, thank you, Hank. For everything."

Is that the first time he’s ever called him by his name?

Hank smiles. “You’re welcome. You’re also welcome to stay here, Connor, for however long you want to. I, uh...wouldn’t mind some company. I’m sure Sumo wouldn’t, either.”

Connor looks at Hank, smiling that half smile of his.

Hank doesn’t have a word for what Connor is to him, but he knows that he loves him. And he hopes that he’ll stay, at least for a while.

“I’d like that,” Connor replies.

Hank smiles. “First rule of living here, Connor: If Sumo is lying on you, you don’t have to move.”

“I think that’s a fair rule. Can I get you something?”

“No, no. At some point I’ll have to go out scavenging for lunch, but right now, I just want to sit here.”

His eyes feel heavy, as heavy as Sumo’s head on his leg. The house is quiet, snow gently falling outside.

He feels the couch sink slightly as Connor sits beside Sumo, and he opens an eye to see the android curling up like a cat at the other end of the couch, laying his head on Sumo.

Tears sting Hank’s eyes, and he shuts them tighter to keep them at bay. But his heart is full to bursting, and soon he’s quietly sobbing.

He would risk his life again for Connor, and again, and whatever number of times circumstances demanded. He would gladly go to jail for his role in the android revolution because Connor is free. Alive. Whatever price fate might demand of him, he’ll pay it. Because for the first time since he can remember, he’s whole.

[summonerscenarios]

Since it's getting colder, could I get hcs to Hephaestus and whatever two other fire units you want reacting to Mc going "Wow! My hands are cold as hell :D, here feel" and without waiting they grab their warm hand hand with their ice cold freezing ones?

sdfghgfd god I always struggle with pick you own requests because I have to stop myself from just going ahead and picking my favs lmao. But this was too cute not to do!!! gotta love some fluffy scenarios. (Also you’re a way better person than I am when I do that I go for the cheek and neck cause the reactions are hilarious)

--------

Hephaestus

Coming to hang out with the crafters it’s hard to stay in one place - there’s so much stuff to get distracted by and so many things to pull your attention away (all of which you attempt to touch because why wouldn’t you? It’s fun to find out what they do!). Which is exactly why you find yourself wandering around the place, running all around the outside of the building and only occasionally dipping in to check up on the stuff that’s happening indoors before going back out to run around again. Musashi’s usually doing rounds around this time too (despite how little fighting the guild actually sees) so you end up hanging around him for a little bit on one of his checks before it gets too cold for your liking and you decide to take shelter back inside, teeth chattering from the lack of winter-appropriate attire as you head inside the main building.

By the time you’re back down into Hephaestus’ workshop you’re still chilly. You guess that because Heph (and Talos, by extension) has a naturally higher body heat than you he doesn’t notice just how chilly his workshop can get sometimes, especially during the winter months. You’re rubbing your hands together, bringing them up to your face to puff hot air at them in a bid to warm them up as you trot over to where Heph’s standing. He spins around to greet you, expression lighting up at the sight of you approaching him, but you beat him to the punch with a “Hey, Heph - check out how cold my hands are!” and proceed to reach down for his hands, taking one of them and cupping your hands around it. 

You’re right about the difference in body temperature - it feels as though you’re holding a mini heater in your hands, though it’s not an overbearing warmth in the least, and you could almost swear that the skin gets just a little bit hotter than when you’d first grabbed his hands. The rush of added heat is just what you need, and you let out a blissful sigh as you feel the energy seeping back into your fingertips, fingers flexing free of the previous stiffness thanks to the weather. 

See, at your comment of feeling cold, the first thing Heph wants to do is find something to warm you up - he’s not going to let you just stand there and freeze and would probably end up swaddling you in blankets until you felt warm again. But at the same time, he does not want you to let go of his hands at all (you can’t convince me he isn’t touch starved to high heaven - he’s desperate for affection but doesn’t wanna ask for it). So there’s a few seconds where he flounders, looking around and hoping to find at least a blanket or stray coat nearby for you to wear; thankfully, Talos is always nearby on hand, and upon spotting the scene unfolding comes in prepared. The android bursts into the moment with a fleece blanket in tow, and while Hephaestus is miffed at him for interrupting the moment it doesn’t last long as the blanket’s draped over your shoulders and you lift up the one side as you move one hand away, offering it to Heph and telling him to get under with you so he can warm up too. You’re sure that the flames on the side of his face burn brighter as he tentatively leans in so you can slide the other end of the blanket over his broad shoulders.

Jinn

Being able to stay warm no matter the weather, Jinn fares better during the winter months than some of the other teachers, which sometimes means that some of the outside lessons often get delegated for him to oversee and teach. And he love the opportunity! It gives him more time with his students and he gets to be a little more active in their education; though it seems as though his students are feeling the chilly turn in the weather a lot more than he is. When you come jogging back over to one of the benches for a quick drink break you’re rubbing your hands, cussing out the cold but too stubborn to make the trek all the way back inside to go put something warmer on as you drop onto one of the benches and make a move to look for your drink. When Mr. Jinn comes over to check on you, you can't help but note how he doesn’t even seem to be feeling the cold - especially because his usual outfit hasn’t changed (seriously, you think you’d freeze over if you tried to pull off his typical clothing style).

Jinn’s ridiculously warm thanks to being a smoke genie, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t just about jump when you grab his hand out of nowhere, grinning up at him as you exclaim “It’s so cold out my hands are like ice - here, feel em!”. He fumbles a bit over his next words, cutting them off with an awkward cough into his free hand as you squeeze his other one. By comparison to the heat radiating from his body you are significantly colder, which is what ends up turning his attention away from the fact that you’re grabbing his hand and focusing it onto the fact that you’re right - your hands are like ice.

Not wanting his student to get cold however, he ends up lending you his signature jacket to warm up with - after all, what good teacher would he be if he didn’t help you warm up when it was so chilly outside! His jacket’s surprisingly thick and insulated, so it warms you up in no time as soon as he slips it over your shoulders and lets you put your arms into the sleeves. Burying your hands into the pockets you burrow into the item of clothing and give Jinn a grateful smile as you thank him, and he swells with pride at the praise, his demeanor visibly brightening. 

He’s so chuffed that he ends up letting you wear it for the rest of the class - even after the class, because by the time everyone heads back inside to go to their last lesson for the day the fact that you’re wearing his jacket has completely slipped his mind until Mr. Mononobe points out that he doesn’t have it with him. The two of you just about end up slamming into each other, as at the same time you’re on your way back to return it to him, Jinn’s rushing to retrieve it before the final bell; you narrowly avoid barreling into one another, but Jinn manages to catch the two of you before either of you fall. He’s still surprised to see that you’re wearing it, and almost doesn’t want to ask for it back because of how snug and content you look wearing it, but you end up sliding it off of you when you realize you’ve found him, offering him thanks for letting you borrow it as you hand it back to him.

Kyuma

Being cooped up inside for a while makes it easy to forget that everything is getting colder sometimes, which is exactly the case for you when you finally decide to go out and spend some time with Kyuma. Given how long it’s been since the two of you have last seen each other, Kyuma’s understandably looking forward to the meetup - you don’t get the chance to spend time together often, so when you’d gone out of your way to ask to hang out with him he’d been excited to take you up on the invitation. Kyuma’s more dressed for the occasion than you are, with him being bundled up with a jacket and David decked out in a fluffy scarf to keep warm; it makes you wish you’d came out in something warmer, but that thought soon goes to the back of your mind when the two of you start walking around together.

It’s only when the two of you stop looking around the shops for a quick break that you realize just how cold your hands are, as upon walking into the shopping centre the wave of warmth that hits you is enough to make your cheeks sting from the temperature change. You bring your hands up to rub your cheeks, only to pull them away upon feeling just how cold your hands are. Upon noticing your reaction, Kyuma turns to you and asks what’s wrong, perplexed by your reaction. In response you shrug and hold up your hands, commenting “Yeah, my hands are just cold as hell - here, feel how chilly they are!” 

As soon as the words leave your mouth you reach down and grab Kyuma’s hand - he’s kept them stuffed into his pockets while you’ve been walking around together, so they’re warm to the touch the moment you slip your hand into his, and you immediately feel a little bit warmer from the contact. The second he feels the cold contrast in your hands he yelps at the frigid skin, instinctively moving to pull his hand away with a yell of “Ah, cold!” when he realizes that it’s your hand that’s holding his. 

Kyuma flushes a little at the feeling, even more-so when you flash him a grin and say “See - freezing, right?”, completely oblivious that his reaction is from your boldness. Not trusting his words, Kyuma simply nods, but before you pull you hand away he, in a moment of courage, ends up tugging your hand, still intertwined with his, and slipping them back into his jacket pocket. The warmness of his hand holding yours alongside the warmth of the fabric already has you feeling less cold, but when you give Kyuma a inquisitive look he sputters out that like this he’d at least be able to help you warm up a little - if that’s okay, of course. He worries that maybe he shouldn’t have been so forward, but at the sight of you smiling, moving so that you’d be able to walk in stride alongside him that worry eases. This time, when the two of you continue walking it’s side-by-side, hands interlocked together as you dip between stalls and immerse yourselves back into the crowds.

[wannabe-fic-writer]

Natasha Romanoff x Reader : Escape

Summary: The Red Room haunts you, from the moment you stepped foot inside to long after you’ve left. Truth is, you don’t think there is any escaping it.

Warnings: 18+ Violence, Depression, Mentions of Death, Smut

Chapter 3

******

It’s safe to say that you’ve seen a decent amount of the world, having been to places like: France, Spain, the UK, the US, Russia, and South Africa multiple times and you’d thought you’d seen the most beautiful things the earth had to offer.

Which is why you’re so surprised when you see Wakanda for the first time. The country is absolutely breathtaking, while Natasha takes top spot for the most gorgeous sight you’ve ever seen, the place definitely takes a top spot.

But none of it lasts very long. It seems as though things happened in the blink of an eye.

One second you’re walking through the state of the art tech facility built by Shuri and the next you’re being pinned down by rabid aliens with razor sharp teeth. 

There you were thinking the toughest fight you’d ever been in involved a guy with silver claws in his knuckles. This proved to be tougher. 

Quite honestly, you can’t tell if your side is actually winning or not. For every alien you all take down there are about twenty more where that came from.

“You know when I agreed to help, it wasn’t cause I wanted to get my ass kicked.” You half joke into the comms.

Surprisingly it’s the King that replies,“ trust me, we aren’t planning on losing.”

“Tell that to-”

Bruce’s frustrated and frightened shout interrupts you,“ there’s too many of them!”

You look over to see his giant metal suited form on the ground with about a dozen aliens tearing into him.

Just as you’re about to go help, a beam of rainbows appears in the sky. It touches the ground and an ax flies out, lightening trailing behind it. The ax sails over the battlefield and takes out every alien it hits.

Not only have you stopped in your tracks, but so has everyone around you. All of your eyes on the man that just appeared in the middle of the field. Beside him stands a tree and a raccoon.  

He catches the ax in one hand and surveys his surroundings.

Bruce chuckles and exclaims,“ you guys are so screwed now!”

“I’m confused is this guy on our side? Is he not also an alien?” You question. 

The man’s words clear it up for you,“ BRING ME THANOS!!”

“Alright, got it.” You nod and throw yourself back into the fight. 

You hate to admit it but each hit makes you more and more tired. It’s like your bones shake each time you punch or kick these things.

The people around you chatter, almost lightly, as they fight. Barnes tells the raccoon that he isn’t selling his arm as they shoot at aliens. And Steve chats with the God of Thunder and the tree, who says he’s Groot.

But the talking stops as the ground rumbles beneath your feet. 

You take down the nearest alien before looking around. 

The source of the tremors is unclear, confusing everyone around you. Briefly. 

When giant saws burst from under ground your eyes widen. 

“Fall back! Fall back now!” The King shouts retreating.

Everyone follows his orders, running and dodging out of the way of the saws.

Rhodes calls out directions to Sam as everyone seemingly snaps out of it. The fighting continues.

But you’re just a little too slow.

Right before you can start fighting again you’re tackled on to the ground by two aliens. 

“Oh shit.” You grunt, holding one of their mouths open. The other snaps at you, teeth scratching your arm as you jerk away. 

You punch the first one multiple times and stab a knife into it’s neck. Which leaves you too occupied to fight off the second one properly. It bites you again on the same arm.

“For fuck sake!” You groan through gritted teeth.

The second one starts to writhe as electricity ripples over it’s body. You kick it away before the pulses reach your body. 

Looking up, your eyes connect with familiar, warm, green ones.

“Did I just save you?” She asks jokingly. 

You take her hand and let her help you up,“ your one to my, what, six?”

Despite the seriousness of the battle around you, Natasha still smiles. As little as it is, she smiles.

That’s where the small moment ends.

“Guys, we got a Vision situation here.” Sam calls out.

“Somebody get to Vision.” Steve replies.

Both you and Natasha look around the field and the woman’s eyes widen. She takes off, running past you and to a trench in the ground. You go to get to Vision.

You make it into the woods just in time to see the big alien guy hit Vision. The android flies right past you, landing on the ground aggressively. 

As the two progress on Vision you stand in the way, Bruce dropping in beside you. You both share a quick look before facing the aliens again.

“Oh no, oh no you don't. This isn't going to be like New York, pal. This suit's already kicked the crap out of the Hulk-” Bruce’s words are interrupted as the big one charges him. They struggle for a moment before Bruce flies off with him.

You turn to the lone alien and smirk,“ wanna cut your loses and get outta here now? I bet you’re gonna look mighty weak to Thanos when he hears I kicked your ass.”

The alien grunts,“ humans always make the mistake of overestimating yourselves.”

Instead of replying, you wait for the alien to attack first. 

He comes at you with his scepter, swinging it at you, almost gracefully. You make sure to stay in front of Vision, even as you dodge the aliens attacks.

“Hey, I need back up, someone needs to get Vision ba-”

Your eyes widen and you look down at the scepter that’s pierced your skin.

In the midst of you talking and trying to count the aliens attack, he managed to stab you. The blade of his scepter wedged itself into your side.

“Every bit of weak I assumed you were.” He growls, snatching the blade from you. 

You grit your teeth, hand pressing into your wound. As much as it hurts, the last thing you want is to lose to Thanos. While you are far from a hero, you want to save the universe since you’re one of the idiots who lives in it.

Finding more strength than you thought you had, you surge forward and slam into the alien. His scepter falls from his hand and you both tumble on the ground. 

He gets up much faster than you and tries to come at you again, only to have his scepter stab through him.

Vision raises the alien in the air, holding him there, and then flinging him aside. 

“Vision,” you force yourself to stand,“ you gotta get back to Shuri.”

Steve and Wanda both make their way into the woods and over to you and Vision. The brunette goes over to the android while the super solider meets you.

“That looks pretty bad.”

You chuckle breathlessly,“ it looks worse than it feels.” Which is half true.

It hurts but you’ve had worse.

Taking a deep breath, you stand up straight, hand resting on Steve’s shoulder for slight support.

“You think Thanos wants to take a break, maybe lay off for a couple days.” 

Steve breathes a chuckle, looking up at Natasha as she comes over.

Her eyes snap to your injury and she’s by your side in an instant.

“Don’t fuss Romanova, I’m fine.” You give the most reassuring smile you can.

“Well this doesn’t look fine.” She remarks.

As much as you want to reply, you don’t. Because you feel the atmosphere shift. Tension swirls around you. The air is so thick if you breathe too hard you swear you might choke.

“Everyone, on my position. We have incoming.” Steve speaks into the comms.

All eyes follow his direction of sight. The King and his general join you, Bruce rejoins you as well, as does Sam.

Blue mist appears, opening to reveal the void of space. A very tall, muscular, purple guy steps out. 

Your eyes snap to the golden gauntlet on his hand. All stones but one. Your gaze flickers to Vision, who hangs on to Wanda.

“Cap,” Bruce nods,“ that’s him.”  

The eerie feeling in the air set the perfect tone. 

Thanos took you all down without batting an eye. Phasing Bruce into a wall, trapping Natasha under debris, flinging you and Okoye away like you’re nothing. 

Smacking into a tree literally takes your breath away. You feel yourself losing blood by the minute. Each breath you take is labored but you’ve never given up in your life, despite having every reason to.

It was pretty much ingrained in you to keep going unless absolutely impossible to.

Every bit of you protests as you stand up. Just in time to see Thanos dig his fingers into Vision and yank the stone from his head.

“No, no no no.” 

Two steps toward Thanos and you see him get hit with a bolt of lightening. It stops and Thanos shoots a blast at Thor, who just throws his ax through it. 

The ax lodges itself into Thanos’ shoulder.

Thanos raises his gauntlet covered hand, and snaps his fingers.

You feel your heart drop before it kicks into overdrive.

In an instant the titan disappears, leaving Thor’s bloody ax, and a very confused group of people.

“Nat.” You look around for the red head,“ Talia!” You call out.

Finally you see her, dazedly walking around. 

Knowing that the snap couldn’t possibly be a good thing, you rush over to her. You cup her face and search her eyes for any signs of pain or whatever the hell you’re looking for.

“Where’d he go?” Steve also comes stumbling into the open,“ Thor, where’d he go?”

“Steve?” 

You all look over to Barnes who literally turns to dust before your eyes.

You subconsciously tighten the hold you have on Natasha, praying that she doesn’t disappear.

Through the comms you hear the team calling for each other. You hear the general call for the king. The lack of a reply is all the answer you need.

Barnes. Sam. King T’Challa. Groot. Wanda.

With the remainder of you standing around Vision’s lifeless body, you have to ask.

“What the hell just happened?”

Steve exhaustively falls on the ground, right into Wanda’s ashes beside Vision.

“Oh god.” He breathes.

Natasha’s hand grips yours as reality just barely starts to set in for you.

You lost. Big time.

******

Taglist: @thelastavenger-3000 @aaron-despair @messuhp @izalesbean @bvb-bk @username23345 @sighsam

[tara-the-quiet-bookworm-2016]

His Dark Obsession (Yandere! Kamski x Reader) (Chapter Two)

Authors Note- And here we are with Chapter Two of His Dark Obsession. In this chapter it will feature our boy Elijah trying to woo our oblivious reader the normal way. Well... as normal as someone spying on the person he has feelings for through the eyes of their very own android can be. So this chapter will feature our beloved recluse pining for reader while sending her expensive gifts and such. While, like I said watching her through the eyes of her android, which I guess would be called stalking? So this chapter will feature stalking, and obsessive thoughts. 

If none of this is your cuppa tea then this is where we part ways, but I’ll remember our time fondly. Now that we got that out of the way here is Chapter Two. Enjoy.

Chapter Two 

Maybe there was something wrong with him. Elijah mused, his eyes remaining glued to the screen before him. His breakfast from earlier this morning sitting untouched to his left, a glass of whiskey in his hands as he leaned back in his seat. 

No there was definitely something wrong with him, after all any normal person wouldn’t be watching you through the eyes of you own damn android, now would they? But Elijah already knew this wasn’t normal behavior, most people would have moved on by now. Moved on with their lives when their S/O leaves them. And yet here he was...

Shaking his head he took a sip of his whiskey as you emerged from your bedroom, yawning and stretching your arms above your head. Your girlfriend followed behind, a sunny smile on her lips as she placed her hands on your hips and placed a kiss on your cheek.

A pang of jealousy formed in the pit of his stomach at he watched this. His eyes glued on the scene before him, his lip curling his disgust. He should be the one holding you, kissing you...

Shaking his head he shoved those thoughts from his head with a violent shake, a strand of hair falling into his face, which he quickly pushed back as he continued to watch. He loved to watch you, to see you so unguarded, so vulnerable, so unaware of how he was watching you as you went about your day.

But it wasn’t enough Elijah concluded, as he gnawed at his lip, simply watching you wasn’t enough, he wanted to do something... when a devious expression formed on his face as an idea formed in his head as he watched to you down your first cup of coffee of the day. One of what he knew would be many. He wanted to toy with you a little bit, a...secret courtship so to speak. He would send you gifts, nothing overly extravagant since he knew you weren’t the type who ever liked overly flashy gifts. Gnawing at his bottom lip Elijah shut down his computer and pushed himself away from the desk. He wasn’t going to get any work done watching you all day, even if it was delightful, he had things to do.

Getting up from his seat he paced around the room, he knew exactly what he’d start out with. Nodding to himself he went to find Chloe, she would know what to do. After all he couldn’t always watch you through the eyes of your android all the time, but despite that he couldn’t wait to see you reaction to his gift.

***

*A Few Days Later.*

It was a few days later that Elijah finally came up with the perfect gift to give you. A coy little smile on his lips as he rested his head on his hands as he watched from your androids eyes as he did before. Watching as you walked towards the door as you heard someone knocking on your front door.

Opening it you were greeted by an delivery android holding out a small package out to you, a faint smile on its lips.

“Special delivery, for Miss Y/N.” It said.

Confused you looked down at it, before looking up at the android. “For me, are you sure?”

Smile disappearing the android looked down at you. “Is this not the house or Y/N L/N?”

Brow furrowing you nodded. “Yes.... it is but I never ordered anything-”

Oh.

Trailing off it hit you, just as you heard Ellen walking around upstairs. That clever girl... Turning your gaze back up at the android you placed a smile on your face as you offered the android an apology before reaching for the package. 

“I’m sorry about that.” You said, as the android walked away. 

Nodding the android gave you a wave before returning to his truck, leaving you alone with you gift. Obviously your sweet girlfriend was a few steps ahead of you in regards to getting you something for your anniversary... even though the date in question was a few weeks away still but that was typical of her. She always seemed to like to do things early, even super early. 

When you had asked her when you had first started dating she told you she liked to have time to relax before the deadline of certain projects and such. Poor Ellen had a tendency to get stressed about things a bit too easily, poor girl. Shaking your head you unwrapped whatever she got you. A gasp escaping your lips as you saw the somewhat worn book in your hands.

It was a copy of The Last Unicorn. A book you remembered from your childhood. You had looked everywhere for a copy after you had lost yours a long time ago. But... how could Ellen have known where to get a copy? As you thought that your girlfriend of more than 10 years walked into the room as you turned to face her. The book clutched to your chest. 

Before she could even utter a word you pressed your lips to hers in a tender kiss. Pulling away slightly she giggled, her hands resting on your shoulders. “What was that for?” she asked.

“For this,” You said, holding out the book to her, the smile never leaving your face, until you noticed the confused look on her face. “You... didn’t get this for me did you?”

Meeting your gaze once more she shook her head. Did the android actually give you someone else’s package? Embarrassment formed in your chest at the thought of claiming someone else stuff as your own. 

“I think I accepted someone’s gift, thinking it was from you.” God, that sounded sad. Biting down on your bottom lip you picked up the paper, looking for a address, so you could return it to its owner. Blinking when you saw your exact address on the paper. 

But that wasn’t all, as you bent down to pick the paper up something slipped out from between the pages. A small note had slipped out from behind the pages. Blinking a few times you picked up the paper, as Ellen looked over your shoulder to read what it read.

It Read: “I’m still thinking of you. Even after all this time...”

“Okay...” Ellen spoke after what seemed like forever. “Is it just me or does this sound really creepy?”

Reading and rereading it you finally turned to her, and nodded before looking at the book. It was weird aside from Ellen, who else knew about this book? Or where you lived? Outside of work that was, and if you were being perfectly honest the list was very short. Much like you the people you worked with were busy workaholics who had no time for a social life, or anything.  So... who?

Or...you looked to Ellen, who had moved away to talk with Katie, the android stationed in the corner listening intently to Ellen’s instructions. Was she messing with you? Now that you thought about it that wouldn’t be surprising considering that she was a known prankster after all...so for all you knew that this was an elaborate prank from her. She would wait until you drove yourself mad trying to figure out who it was, after toying with you a few more days before SURPRISE it was her all along!

In which you would roll your eyes, laugh it off before engaging in some more ‘fun’. A blush crept to your cheeks as you thought about what that might entail. Saying nothing you placed the book down on the center of the coffee table, before placing another kiss on her cheek before getting ready for work. Wondering what idea she could be coming up with next.

Whatever it was you would be waiting... Little did you know things would not go the way you thought it would. And when you did you would never be the same....

***

Elijah felt anger swell in his chest as he watched through the eyes of your android as Ellen yammered on and on. Ordering Katie to do this, to do that, blah, blah, blah. Did she order you around like that while going on and on? He gritted his teeth at the thought of her just bossing you around and you, someone he knew as head strong and never one to let anyone walk all over them being bossed around like that.

Or maybe that was what you liked about her? No, Elijah shook his head, taking a sip of his whiskey, the light of his computer illuminating the darkened room. But that wasn’t what bothered him most, what did was the fact that you seemed to have forgotten about him. Pushed him out of your mind completely and moved on it seemed. 

Gritting his teeth Elijah let out a low growl. Well, fine, for now that was okay, he would play your little game. See how long it would take before you remembered him, and besides he thought with a cruel smile as he leaned back in his seat, downing the rest of his drink. You would be in his grasp before long anyway, and when you were he was going to make you remembered him. After all, watching you was fun but he wanted more you were going to be his again...

[yesvaldemarharder]

Do you write fluff too? Can I request the courtiers reacting to reader kissing their hands when they meet? UwU

Yesss!~ I gotchu babe!~ I love fluff with these basterds uwu.

EDIT: I JUST realized that you said “when they meet”. I’m at Valdemar just realizing that FML. I hope this is still ok with you... I can rewrite it with them first meeting you if you want you’ll just have to comment or whatever lol.

-

Volta

You’re kinda sudden with it because catching Volta off guard with something cute makes her blush oh so nicely and squeal.

You watch her gobble up her food clearly happy with the taste but then again is there any taste she doesn’t like? You shrug at the thought before going back to watching her.

She doesn’t look up until she realizes you’re taking a while to eat. She looks at you with those curious eyes and puffy cheeks. She takes the time to swallow her food before speaking.

“Is something wrong love? Do you not like the food?” She asked and now there’s a bit of a worried tone as she reaches over to pluck a chocolate covered strawberry off your plate as if to try feeding you. Something she has done a couple times but as you watch her hum at the fruit you can tell she’s contemplating on stuffing it in her mouth instead of yours.

You smooth, catching her hand before before she can hold the fruit in her small hand. Your fingers lace in her’s and without a second to waste you lay a loving kiss along her knuckles.

“It’s nothing darling, you’re simply so cute. I can’t help but watch you.” You grin. Oh the blush that covers her face in less the 0.2 seconds. There’s a loud squeal and you know servants hear it because who wouldn’t?

It doesn’t take long for her trying to climb into your lap. “Oh (y/n)!” She squeals as she tried to press loving kisses all over your face as you giggle.

She loves the hand kisses, as well as the forehead kisses and the nose kisses and literally any other kiss. As long as I comes from you she’s happy.

Vlastomil

Vlastomil is much like Volta but then again he doesn’t expect such actions so sometimes he seems shocked to receive them.

Vlastomil is actually busy and when you two run into each other he always greets you first. He’s excited whenever you’re around and he can’t help but come up to you whenever you both have time.

Today you both seem to have time and thanks to that you’re laying outside with him in a patch of shady grass and Wriggler runs around enjoying the nice breeze. In the time of you dating Vlastomil you have noticed he rants a bit but it’s definitely fine, you can’t help but find it cute.

If he isn’t talking about you guy’s favorite worm or what happened at the palace then he’s talking about you. He talks about you in such loving ways that sometimes you can’t help but blush brightly or laugh.

He’s definitely a ‘nerd’ and usually you surprise attacks happens when he’s working at his desk at night in your shared room. He works a lot and you get pouty about it after a while.

His back is to you and you walk up behind him dressed in night clothes wishing for cuddles. While you could just tell him to get in bed, there’s nothing wrong with playing with him a little. Your chest pressed against his back and the hand that’s holding a pen stops for a moment as you smile.

“Y/n? Is something the matter? Can I help you?” He asks already confused but you say nothing. As you reach down you lace your fingers in his hand and with awe he lets you pull his hand up to your lips where you lay a kiss on each part of his boney knuckle.

He’s blushing now and he blinks owlishly before his eyes fall lidded watching how carefully you press kisses against his skin. He doesn’t speak until your down. Opening your eyes which you hadn’t realized you closed until now.

“Please get in bed my love.. it’s lonely without you.” You hum and he nods. Such a good boy he is..~

“Of course” he chuckled as you freed his hand to where he puts all his things away before getting out of his chair as you lead the way back to bed where the two of you can cuddle for the rest of the night.

Valerius

Valerius would love to not go to these masquerades.. there’s far too much noise and while he drink quite a bit of wine of a daily basis there’s far too many people who simply can’t hold their alcohol. The poor fools.

The only reason he’s still seated in his chair is because one, he’d be annoyed to leave now and miss something interesting and two, you. You’re here. Right next to him seeming as if you’re having quite a bit of fun listening to the music and chatting with a man next to you.

Wait.. a man next to you? He looks past you to the other and the annoyance he’s producing catches both of your attention. Valerius isn’t one to admit he’s jealous.. he wouldn’t even call it jealousy just protectiveness. Valerius also isn’t one to be the first to give hugs or kiss, especially not in public.

It bothers you sometimes but it’s understandable as well. The man grows uncomfortable, as he should, and Valerius doesn’t take his hard glare away from him until he’s out of view and once he is Valerius looks away as if nothing happened.

You have to admit, while Valerius is a bit of a tsudere you do like it when he silently interferes like that. It shows that he does care a great deal for you. While you are a little confused as to why he did that you can’t help but smile at him.

His hand is crossed over his chest but it doesn’t stop you from reach over and taking it. He pauses and looks at you, pulling the lip of the glass away from his lips. “What are you doing?” He asked with a huff and you shush him. “You know you like it..” you counter.

It’s true, behind closed doors Valerius loves holding you against him, hugging and kissing you skin but as always he won’t admit that. He lets you hold his hand looking away for a second only to look back as you pulling it closer until you can lay a kiss on his skin.

He blushes deeply but if you ask about it he’ll just say it’s the wine but you both know the real answer..

Vulgora

Vulgora doesn’t back down to anything.. ok but if you catch them at the right time or bluff enough maybe they will but that isn’t the point right now.

They’re irritated, which isn’t knew but whenever they are people usually call on you to straighten them up. If angry and you show up almost immediately they’ll calm down a bit, still irritated but not as much as they had been before you showed up.

“Darling? What’s wrong?” You’ll ask as you approach them and with a frustrated hiss they’ll fall back into a chair like a child ready to throw a fiery tantrum. Literally..

“It’s so annoying! Irritating! Frustrating! It’s like you humans run on pecans for brains! What’s wrong with you all?” They ramble as you sigh. At the beginning on your relationship their words would have hurt you but after a while you’ve learned that they don’t consider you the same as those people.

You look almost sympathetic. You agree many people are those things but you’d rather calm them than agree with them and risk tossing oil in the small flame. You come over and they look up at you lifting a brow only for their eyes to widen as you climb into their lap.

“What are you doing?” They asked almost sounding a little frightened. Vulgora May be rather blunt but you realized a while ago that you still have to be careful with them in things like this. You are once of their first partners in a very long time.

You take their hand and with a smile and hum you press a kiss against them. The gauntlet is off because while they did prefer wearing them sometimes they could be caught without them. (Suddenly have the need to do hand headcanons..)

They watch you in silence, the redness on their cheeks gets redder Android we’re sure that if you asked about it they’d tell you to shut it before they push you off of them. Vulgora is a blushing mess at this point before they carefully wave you off.

“Stop that..” they huffed, their free hand wrapping around you to keep you against them while you giggle against them.

“Ok ok, no need to be grumpy.~” you reply nuzzling against them. They’re much calmer now and while you both have work to do they can spend a couple minutes with you before you both have to separate.

Valdemar

PDA isn’t really something Valdemar is too keen on. Mainly when it comes to you doing it to them and not vice versa. They’re like a cat, they can touch you but you can’t touch them. Deal with it. Behind closed doors though it doesn’t matter all that much.

Valdemar is working hard like always, sitting behind their desk working on papers and things like that.

You don’t even have to knock because you’re special and they never get tired of having you around unlike how they do when the other courtiers are around or people in general. You’re welcomed.

You huff at them, patients are gone and other doctors as well as yourself have cleaned up so all you want to do now is go back to their manor and rest. Of course you should have expected them to be still here and still working but seeing how they didn’t even look up from their work made you sigh.

“Valdemar dear?” You start off already making your way over to them. You might have to encourage them into dropping their work and giving up for the night.

“Yes my little magician?” They reply only now taking the time to actually look at you. You’re quite visibly tired and it’s only when they see that do they hesitate on continuing their work. While Valdemar themselves don’t sleep too often they knew you needed to.

You continue to approach until they shift a little and now there’s room for you. Without a moments hesitation you’re in their lap, back to them to which they sigh. “Y/n.. I’m busy right now..” they start but even so they pull one of their hands to wrap around your waist pulling you closer before they slide their head between the space of your neck and shoulder.

Before you two had gotten too physical sitting in their lap or taking in your scent like they were doing right now would make Valdemar tingle all over. As if being itchy.. now however they couldn’t help but sigh a little in relief and hold you closer. “You’re always busy..” you reply with a bit of attitude to which they hum. You definitely had a point there..

Your hand finds their free one and willingly they let the pen they’ve been holding fall from between their fingers. Today definitely has been a long day.. well honestly it’s been a long week. Both of you needed each other. You sense the energy and with a tired smile you tilt your head giving them more access to your smooth skin to which they start leaving light kiss. You squeezed their hand and they squeezed back before you guide their hand to your lips.

You can feel their lips form a smile against you skin as you press a sweet kiss against their knuckles. They’re so soft for you.. some of the other doctors have noticed it but never bring it up knowing Valdemar will either scold them or act like they don’t know what they were talking about. You hummed softly as their eyes fell shut and they kissed you skin again. “Ok.. let’s head home shall we?” They’ll mumble against you to which you nod.

Finally.~

Now I know it’s not like the request asked for since I’m slow BUUUUT I hope y’all liked the fluff!

[grimoire-of-geekery]

Detect Magic: the Sixth World Tarot by Echo Chernik

(pictured here- the deluxe edition [left] and the Arcanist edition of the Sixth World Tarot by Echo Chernik)

Y'know, it's been a long time since I did one of these, but here goes. It's time for another Detect Magic review. I haven't put the Dork Magician hat on for a while, so let's give this a whirl!

Today we're taking a look at the Sixth World Tarot, by Echo and Lazarus Chernik. She has this available on her website (click the above link), which come signed by the artist and the author. I'm a bit bummed, I bought a copy of this deck juuuuust before she started signing them. Not her fault, but still. XD

For those of you unfamiliar with Shadowrun, it's a cyberpunk dystopian magic-and-mech RPG setting and fantasy novel universe which originated in the late 80's. The premise is that magic is growing stronger, the world experienced a big Awakening in the early 2000's, right around the same time that corporations managed to gain extraterritoriality. So, you have dragons running huge megacorps, which basically enslave people to be lifelong wageslaves from birth (or as soon as they can get their hands on a desired talent), immersive VR Matrix hackers, cyberware enhanced fighters and magic practitioners acting as "deniable assets" to said corps for all sorts of shady business.

Hence the name "Shadowrun."

This setting, one of my absolute favorite settings out there, has had the misfortune of developing a sort of eerie prophetic element akin to the Simpsons and its bizarre track record of prediction of ludicrous world events. Shadowrun was intended to be a cautionary tale, not an oracular one. That being said, that does make a tarot based on Shadowrun more than a little on-the-nose for predictive purposes. After all, they're telling the future without even trying. Wait until they actually put some effort into it...

All right, time to Detect Magic!

Accessory- Crit (4 out of 4) Stunning artwork, evocative imagery... this deck is gorgeous. It's so beautiful, and so intricate and well made, that people who don't even read tarot (or even particularly like tarot) buy several copies for their geeky collections, and even people who don't particularly care about Shadowrun have dropped their jaw when I showed the deck to them.

A bit busier than I'm used to working with (not the art, but the extras which I'll explain later), I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved the cards when I first got them. The box for both editions I own are a nice durable gloss with a magnetic foldover closure, there's a ribbon inside each to help pull the cards and book out of the box, and the decorative artwork is gorgeous and fitting with the setting. Definitely aesthetically pleasing enough to take places, and durable enough to resist scuffing or tearing for on-the-go divination and gaming use.

Tome- Crit (4 out of 4) So, the Tome section of this review is supposed to be about how well the cards help one in the pursuit of learning magic and practicing geekomancy. And... really, I don't think I've found a deck (or any artifact of fandom) quite as good as this.

Let me explain.

Tarot, in the sorcery practice I teach, are already basically a pictorial grimoire, describing life in a way that allows us to learn the hidden movements, mysteries, and forces at play in our world. Art is good for things like that in general. It helps you see the world through a special lens, one which allows you to see things you might have missed.

The thing is, the lens of this deck is the Shadowrun continuity, which as I said earlier, has proven to be more than a little prophetic, and alarmingly so.

The magic system of Shadowrun is pretty adjacent to our own. Life force lines, spiritual power sites, astral projection and spirits and magical "energy" forms, initiatory mysteries... it's all pretty much the same as our own reality, just juiced up a bit, with some extra game elements added (don't even ask me about insect spirits).

This makes the deck particularly helpful if one wishes to learn magic in any of the myriad ways described in Shadowrun (and they're particularly respectful and diverse and true-to-life in their tradition descriptions).

BUT, it also has an entire lore-book called the Book of the Lost associated with it, which explains all these little secret sigils and images and easter eggs stored throughout the deck, which can be used for gamebuilding and storytelling, but are designed to be arcane indicators and omens, among other things. And the kinds of symbols they use range from sentences or mottos in dead languages, all the way to waveform patterns and dot-matrix maps. I swear, if you're one of those people who like puzzles and cryptography, this deck is even more fun than the Hermetic Tarot.

In summary, while you'll have to get some Shadowrun sourcebooks to really get deep into the canon lore, there's so much of it that the cards really show you on their own that I don't consider this a setback at all. Feel free to deep-dive with this deck, you'll learn a TON about magic if you let it guide you.

Relic- Success (3 out of 4) If you read the Book of the Lost, or Unearthed Arcana, or any of the 5th edition Shadowrun magic sourcebooks, you'll see that "tarot magic" is an up and coming thing in their canon. Each text helps you see how practitioners use the cards in-game for spellcasting, ritual magic, initiation practices and spirit summoning. The Tarot are already really valuable as central objects of importance to certain kinds of magical practice. This particular deck is designed to be so handy a central object that there's an entire book dedicated to it.

Weapon- Success (3 out of 4) The only reason I'm rating this a success instead of a crit is because they don't provide enough spreads in the various associated books for one to immediately begin casting spells with them, which means you'll have to do some designing. They do have a couple solid unique spreads for basic divination though.

The deck's canon in-game suggests ritual practices like gathering and doing a ritual with sets of related cards, and one such ritual was easily adapted in my own practice, into the Lucky Kimono spread I designed (which people can read about on my Patreon at the higher tiers). So, even without outright including spell-spreads, they sort of gave us clues anyway.

Again, you're going to need the sourcebooks, but it's only a few of them, and they're well worth a read even if you're not planning on playing the game (and I don't play in the actual Shadowrun mechanical system, though I do like the sourcebooks for campaign setting ideas).

Overall Rating: Critical Success (14 out of 16)

Achievement Unlocked: Novahot Echo's artwork is already legendary in the dork realms of geekomancy. She's done work for Dungeons and Dragons, Mage: the Ascension, House of Night... she's even working on a Fate: the Winx Saga playing card deck right now. Her art-nouveau delicacy combined with the powerful non-pandering way she draws women means that her paintings pack a punch!

That being said, it's rare that we see professional artists create a tarot deck of this magnitude as a gaming accessory. Most tarot decks of this caliber are found in professional occult catalogues or as independent projects by artists just wanting to flex their skills for their own reasons. To have a deck like this, clearly a labor of love by all involved, as a major element of gameplay within a franchise is really very special. And something this diverse, deep, and absolutely saturated with layers of ciphers and riddles... it's a geekomancer's dream come true.

Level Up: 2 Levels I think the only way anyone's going to be able to top this deck is if they manage to design a tarot deck that's also a fully immersive VR video game AND an AR game and divination tool useable with one's iPhone or Android. Legit, Echo and Lazarus left everyone in the dust. I haven't been this excited about Shadowrun since Shadowrun Returns first came out, and I got a set of dogtags that had a USB drive with the game on it.

It's just... crazy cool.

Full disclosure, I've had the deluxe edition of these cards for a while now, so I've basically been low-key squeeing about this deck since I first heard about it in 2018, even before I got it. I've been utterly astonished that people weren't more excited about them, and I wasn't hearing about them everywhere.

Before this, I created my own Shadowrun tarot method using the Universal Transparent Tarot (cuz, y'know, plastic and see-through and weird little mosaic readings all in one place, seemed fitting to me), and when I got the Sixth World Tarot? I don't think I've opened the UTT since!

Anyway, this is my review of this deck! Go follow the link up at the top of this post, and buy yourself one! And hey, let me know if you figure out the cool little map trick. My jaw literally dropped when I was shown that!

[saundraswriting]

Interior Design Ch. 6: First Day

SUMMARY: Today marks your first day as a SI employee...more specifically the Avengers' personal interior designer.

WARNINGS: None.

NOTES: Sorry it has been a while. Been busy. 

As always you can read it on Ao3 here!

Masterlist // Ao3 // Previous

The next morning you were up with the sun. You laid in the bed for a moment, relishing in everything that happened yesterday. You sat up in a quick movement. 'I have to give Ms. Potts the contract. I have to get my sample books here. I should also finish with the other clients I have waiting too. I should speak to each member I can to get a idea...maybe a powerpoint to show the difference in styles.' You thought to yourself. A plan in mind you got ready, silently thanking the universe for dry shampoo. Once done, you pulled out the contract and read it over before signing it. There wasn't anything you were against, so you signed and placed it on your desk for later. You decided to head to the kitchen, remembering the sleek looking espresso machine on the counter.

You headed out, your bag full of your necessary tools. You were deep in your tablet by-passing everyone loitering in the kitchen as if by magic until you got to the machine. Not hesitating you grabbed a mug and set the machine for a quad risotto shot and waited for it to brew. While waiting your phone rang, you answered it knowing it was one of your clients.

"Yes, ma'am? I am sorry I had to take an unexpected trip out of the city. What can I do for you?" You said pulling up her file on your tablet.

"Y/N, I love your work always, but this time something happened. The table just doesn't fit right. I am very unhappy. I hate glass top tables and the coffee table is glass." Your client said.

"Ma'am...I would never had ordered you a glass table. I have a distinct note in your file. I will immediately look into this. Please give me a moment. The company is still there correct? I will call you back in a moment." You hung up, muttering under your breath before calling another number. "You idiots. Get that table out of there. That is the Tohru account not the Bells. Yes. I know. I have the order right here. I ordered the gold leaf marble table, that glass table isn't to be delivered until next month. Take it back right now." You demanded, rubbing you forehead harshly. "Thank you very much." You hung up, you began typing rapidly on you tablet at the same time asking you phone to call your client. "Ma'am, they will be taking that table back this minute. I am sorry for the confusion. I had to take a trip unexpectedly and wasn't there to oversee everything. I hope you can pardon this mistake. I will be seeing you in a few days when your actual piece comes in. I am currently emailing the company to ensure this next delivery goes off without a hitch." You finished your email with a glare to your tablet.

"Thank you so much, Y/N. I appreciate all the effort you put into this. You are always so good to us. I'll send you a tip right now for all your help." Your client bid you good bye and hung up. A second later your phone chimed with an alert your client had deposited a large tip with only a smiley face emoji.

"She is too much. My goodness." You slumped against the counter and remembered your coffee that was probably done brewing. You pulled your mug over and fixed it up. The first sip has you moaning in pleasure. "It isn't even 8 am." You whispered into your mug.

"You gonna join us for breakfast or keep murmuring sweet nothings to your coffee?" Clint asked from the table. You tensed expecting comments on your lack of manners.

"I am so sorry. I am a coffee addict. Nothing before coffee. I don't really eat breakfast, but thank you. I did want to talk to you if that was okay?" You asked hesitantly.

"Sure. I don't mind. Honestly this is probably the best time to get us, before we scatter for the day." Cint answered.

"Oh, good." You hurried over and pulled out your notebook. "I need to get ideas from all of you. I have some examples of different styles and themes to give you ideas. I need preferences and things to get samples ready. I am starting with your individual rooms. It will help build a connection between you and I." You told them. "I have several other things happening at the moment so I will be coming back and forth for a while which is why I want to get ideas so I can build layouts and idea boards and bring them to you for approval." You continued. "I know that it seems overwhelming but my job is to make it less so. If you even have 15 minutes at some point today to speak with me I would appreciate that. My job is to do all the work. Your job is to say yes or no. So who wants to go first?" You looked up from your notebook to meet several curious glances.

"I have some time around 10:30 or so. I can meet with you." Clint said. His agreement seemed to break the ice and everyone else began chiming in on when they could meet. They all were cooperative in making it easy to meet with them, and once breakfast was over Tony came in.

"Mr. Stark, can I ask a favor? I was wondering if you could escort me to Ms. Pott's office? I have the contract all signed and I have a question for her." You asked. Tony nodded. The table began dispersing and with it you did. You gathered your things and waited in the kitchen.

"You're leaving? " Steve asked with a pointed glace at your bags.

"Yes, Captain Rogers. I have things to do at my office and all of my things are there. I have a lot of work to do before I start working. I have to speak to Ms. Potts and then I have to meet with all of you and then I will be on my way back home. I am just trying to be one step ahead of the game." You explained.

"I'll take your bags to the door for you while Tony takes you to Pepper. I will see you later." Steve grabbed your bags but you stopped him with an arm on his.

"Thank you, Captain Rogers. Can I also ask if you would sit in with Sargent Barnes' meeting? I don't want to overwhelm him." You said, looking at the ground.

"Yeah, of course. I'll have him come to mine, how is that?" He suggested. You smiled up at him gratefully.

Tony came that minute to walk you to Ms. Pott's office. Steve took your bags like he said he would. On the ay there, you made a point to learn the way, not wanting to be escorted back. Tony disappeared when you arrived offering "Meetings, you know." with a quick wave.

Pepper was more that willing to hear out your requests for several of you favorite catalogues and sample books to be ordered for the Avengers to look through. She also accepted your contract with a bright smile. She also gave you her personal cell number and a few other important people in case you needed them. You also got your badge and biometrics scanned to finish your hiring process.

You headed back to the Avenger's side, seeing the living room empty you set up in there, getting more ideas together for the meetings. You were scrambling putting together examples of some of your favorite design motifs like industrial, contemporary, oriental, art deco, bohemian, Scandinavian, rustic, country, modern, classical, minimalist, coastal, glamourous. You also added geometric, traditional, transitional, floral and such. You tried to keep it simple but informative. You listed pros and cons of all of them and before you knew it Clint loudly arrived in through one of the openings into the living room.

" Hey, kiddo. I just need to grab a drink and then we can get started. Do you want anything?" Clint said as he walked by.

"No. I am-" You tried to deny him, you were interrupted by F.R.I.D.AY.

"Agent Barton, Ms. L/N has not had any thing by mouth since breakfast and that was only a large coffee. You should ask her again." Friday told him. She sounded almost disappointed in you. You narrowed your eyes at the ceiling, unable to make words only noises.

"Get used to it. That is what she does. She loves us as much as an AI can. Now, let's try again. Can I get you something to drink?" Clint shook a bottle of water and raised an eyebrow.

"I guess I will take a water. I swear if my meetings run late because of bodily functions, I will never forgive her." You threatened. Clint laughed.

"You heartrate skipped implying that you don't mean that, Ms. L/N. But I appreciate the sentiment." F.R.I.D.A.Y. said. You just sighed and shook your head.

"Come on, Agent Barton. We should get going. This isn't going to take long. All this talk is for it getting you opinions on the very basic thing...theme. You pick what you like, what parts you don't ad I take that information to find pieces to go in your room and then we put it all together. I will do this for everyone in every room and then for the common rooms I will take the common things or needs and then ask everyone's opinion." You explained.

"You will do this for everyone today? That seems a lot." Clint said.

"I need to get ideas, that is all I can do. All my sample books and such are in my apartment. I will have more to work with when I come back. I have some pressing work to do to. I am have clients currently." You patted the seat next to you, gesturing at tablet, notebook and laptop before you. "Shall we get started?"

The meetings with the Avengers went well. The start of each meeting was rocky but as they warmed up, it got easier. You got about 1/2 of those who had rooms, You still needed the more...Very Important Powerful Beings and their opinions. But this was a start. There wasn't much repetition the styles they wanted, and it honestly went how you had predicted. Clint had chosen a geometric motif with hints of industrialism. Natasha had gone with muted bohemian style. Wanda had chosen a more glamorous bold style while her brother had chosen a soft coastal theme. Vision agreed with Wanda's help a very bare bones approach considering his android-ness. He accepted a sleek contemporary look but only to satisfy you and Wanda. Tony was a very new age tech room that you figured would end up being a crash pad and extra lab. Thor went with a more traditional art deco theme, it seemed to make him happy and sad at the same time. Sam was the most undecisive until you convinced him of the perks of mid-century modern vibes. Bruce wanted a more classical theme, a relaxing space to turn off. You made some notes to help that idea stay number one. Steve and Bucky took some time.

"Sargent Barnes, I know this seems like a lot but I promise, nothing you say here is your forever answer. You have time to change your mind, if we finish and you don't like it so be it. We will work on it until you do. This is your room, your space. You don't have to answer to anyone on why it is the way it is. My job is to make you happy and comfortable. So just answer my questions honestly and then we go from there. if you aren't sure then that is okay too." You pulled up some of the more radical themes you had worked on. You felt him saying 'no' would be first easier than saying 'yes'.

"That is gaudy. I was alive when that was losing steam as a trend. I don't want to relive it." Bucky denied the art deco, bohemian, glamorous, nautical and new age theme.

"That is a great start. However this is where it gets tricky. You know what you don't like, but now we need to find what you do like. If you like a whole idea, great. If you only like pieces of it, also fine. My job is to make it work." You next pulled out some of the rustic, industrial and minimalistic ideas. The palette was a little warmer than Steve's Scandinavian minimalist choices. Bucky like the wood/metal contrast and the open concept and natural lighting seemed to catch him too. You had an idea for the ceiling to have it painted to look like there were pipes and so made a note. You also made a note about a pipe bookshelf and plant wall.

"Captain Rogers, Sargent Barnes. This was fun. I will be having some magazines and sample books delivered here for everyone to look through if they want. If not we will have plenty of time to talk about it. Sargent Barnes, I know today was a lot for you, but I have to say...I am very proud of you. Today can't have been easy with the interrogation as light as it was. I unfortunately have to get going. I need to be in the city for the next few days but if you or anyone else has questions, I left my contact info on the fridge." You stuck you hand out to shake and Steve snorted.

"A minute after meeting me, you gave me a hug and made me cry, now you want to play coy and offer a handshake? I don't think so doll." Bucky pulled you into a fast hug before bidding you good day and heading back to his room. Steve gave you a slightly longer hug, beaming at you.

"You are amazing. I never thought we would be doing this today. He seemed like he was having fun. Thank you again. It means a lot to us that you are working so hard." Steve said.

"Captain Rogers, you all save the world weekly. The least I can do it make your bedrooms into a safe space. Now, are you gonna be a punk or you walking me out?" You asked winking with a smirk.

The two of you walked to where Happy stood next to a car that you were sure already had your stuff packed. "I am glad he trusted me enough to talk with me. I want him happy, and comfortable. Tell everyone I said bye and I will see them soon!" You squeezed Steve's arm before heading to the car, letting Happy open the door for you.

Happy opened the door for you to exit the car. You bid him a warm goodbye, taking yourself and your bags up to your apartment to begin the hard part-putting the ideas of others into a plan of action.

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So what did you think? How am I doing? Thoughts, comments, concerns?