#Deus from his serious side | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

graveyardvalentinee · 1 year

Text

confessions / neymar jr

Pairing : Neymar x Reader

Warnings : light smut

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

It was supposed to be a secret.

Just between the two of us.

We both knew how stupid and risky it was. Sneaking around , meeting up any where we could just to get a simple taste of each other.

We knew the if it ever got out the media would go crazy.

But we couldn’t help ourselves. It was almost as if we were addicted to one another , which from my side - wasn’t entirely wrong.

We would go to the same places , have friends in common , watch each other across the room , then with no one knowing ; go home together.

Having the time of our lives.

Which is exactly what is happening now.

Except - instead of going over to his house and letting him take me however he wanted all night long , we are now at my apartment trying to sort out how in the world we we’re going to explain to the media why Neymar did what he did.

“We can just tell everyone you’re my cousin.” He says. Is he actually serious ?

“Your cousin ? Really Neymar. I don’t think you say things like that about your cousin , and if you - then that will be an even bigger problem.”

“Well why don’t you come up with something better , huh!” He says slightly raising his voice at me.

“ME ? Why me! If it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t be in this mess meu deus.” [ my god ] I argue back , standing up from the kitchen stool and getting in his face. He was being so irrational.

“What did you want me to do Y/N. Stay there and watch him put his hands all over you like he owns you or something ? And you - watching me while he fucking does it like it’s funny or something.”

“You’re not the innocent one here. You let that skank drool all over you on the dance floor , sweet talking into her ear the whole time!”

“Plus - you are the one who made it very clear this was just us having fun from the beginning.” I add.

Even tho there were times when you two weren’t just with each other for sex , sometimes it was much more. But knowing Neymar and his past you tried to never let it get to your head.

“Foda-se ela , she is nothing to me. Who do I bring home ? Who do I pour my all into every time we’re together ?” [ fuck her ] He shouts , his face so serious but - his eyes full of something I can’t make out.

“Me , it has been me for the past 8 months. But that does not give you the right to beat the guy senseless.” I say , grabbing his hands that are still bruised and bloody , bringing him to the couch and getting the first aid kit.

“I know I’m the one who implied just sex in the beginning ; mas deus - I’m so tired of everyone thinking you don’t belong to me!” [but god]

What? Is he implying what I think he is?

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

2 hours earlier

The dark liquor burned my throat.

I didn’t mind tho , Neymar dancing with some blonde chick was enough to make me want to get drunk senseless and dance all night.

Screw his plans of taking me to his house.

I catch this guy eyeing me and make my way to him.

I get a good look at him - blue eyes , sand blonde straight hair ,tall but a lanky build.

Perfect , Neymar’s opposite.

I lean into his ear and whisper “Want to dance querido?” Wasting no time in small talk , just wanting to show Neymar he’s not the only one who can play at this game.

“Gladly sweet heart” gross.

On the dance floor I let him get behind me , placing his hands on my hips while I start swaying my hips to the music.

I spot Neymar across the club from me , his hands still wrapped around the skank. He smirks - actually smirks.

That asshole.

I bring the guys hands tighter around me , letting him nuzzle his face into my neck. I giggle ; pretending I like it.

The beat of the song changes to a more sensual tone , causing me to slowly grind on the guy - god I don’t even know his name.

All this going on while me and Neymar hold eye contact , his eyes piercing into mine.

I wink at him.

Suddenly the guy moves my hair to the side and starts to kiss along my neck. His hands now roaming all around my body.

“Let’s take this to my place , it’s on West Street.”

I ignore his comment and turn back to look at Neymar - only that he’s no longer where he was , he’s now walking , no marching my way. Shooting daggers with his eyes at the guy behind me.

Oh fuck.

“What do you think you’re doing Y/N.” Neymar spits at me.

“I- I was just - ”

“She’s having fun with me , as you can clearly see man. It’d be nice if you’d leave us alone.” The guy says.

“Oh you both were having fun.” Neymar says loudly while laughing.

Some eyes turn to us.

“That’s Neymar Jr!” “And that’s the model Y/N!” I hear people whispering.

Shit.

“Well we were about to continue the fun at my place until you decided to bother us.”

I can tell Neymar’s insanely drunk by the way his eyes are droopy and slanted. His jaw clenches before be looks between me and the guy.

“What’s your name huh?” He asks.

“Alexander why?”

“Neymar just cut it out , let’s leave.” I cut in , trying to end all of this considering almost every one in the club is now watching.

“Oh - so you do know him.” Alexander says sounding annoyed. I can tell Neymar gets even angrier by his remark.

“Of course she knows me! I make her mine anywhere , every fucking chance I get! Just ask her! She enjoys every second of it.” Neymar shouts.

No, no, no no no.

Did he really just say that. In front of everyone.

“I can make you forget all about him beautiful.” Alexander says to me while smirking.

I have no time to say anything back when Neymar suddenly lunges forward and punches Alexander straight in the jaw , causing him to loose his balance and fall on the floor. Neymar gets on top of him , one hand grabbing the guy by his collar - before saying ;

“You’re going no where with her!” Before punching him in the face again.

“She’s mine!” Another punch. And another.

Everything around me is blocked out and all I can do is stand here and watch. I can hear people yelling for security.

Neymar is still on top of the guy beating him to a pulp when the security guy comes and pulls him off.

“You two OUT NOW!” The security yells pointing at me and Neymar.

Neymar gets up and wipes the blood from his hands on his shirt. His eyes looking up - meeting mine.

I reach for his hands , trying to get us out of here. I look around and notice people with phones out recording.

This is bad. Horribly bad. By morning this will be all over the media. Headlines everywhere. This was the last thing I wanted to happen tonight.

Taking Neymar’s hands in mine I turn around heading towards the exit before we hear Alexander talking yet again

“If you every get tired of him sweet heart , you know where to find me.”

Is he asking for it at this point ?

Neymar tries to lunge at him once more before the security guard grabs him from behind - almost dragging him out of the club , not before Neymar yells back

“Tired of me? The only one getting tired is her from us going at it all night idiota!”

“You wish you could have her - but you never fucking will!”

At this point it’s getting kind of funny. This guy is getting humiliated in front of everyone by the actual Neymar Jr.

And the way Neymar is talking about me strangely makes me swoon - even if what he’s saying about me is highly inappropriate. It’s almost as if he’s saying I’m his. Jesus , what has gotten into me.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

present time

I shake my head and sigh.

He can’t be serious. Neymar is not the relationship type - especially if we’ve been keeping this going for months. If he really wanted something he could’ve spoken up earlier.

“Neymar you’re drunk. You’re speaking none sense.” I say , my voice slightly breaking.

Knowing the feelings I have for him don’t make it any easier on me.

“I’m past drunk Y/N. Me and you both know this isn’t just sex anymore.” He says looking up and meeting my eyes. His hands still wrapped around mines from me bandaging them up.

We’ve been this close before so many times , hell, we’re basically glued to each other every time we’re together but this. This feels different.

“Two people just having casual sex don’t lay together for hours after. They don’t fly from country to country just to be together for merely 5 hours. They don’t cancel important events just so one can go comfort the other after a bad day.” He continues.

And he’s right. I know he’s right. We both know he is.

“I never thought about it that way before Juninho.” Lie. I think about it all the time. Every time we are together.

He takes his hands away from mine and stands up , shaking his head.

“You’re lying to yourself querida! I can see it clearly on your face.”

Silence. No words come out of my mouth.

“Why aren’t you saying anything ? Is it because of the way I talked about you in the club? Listen , im sorry , I should not have talked about you in that way. I was drunk and just wanted to find a way to make him back off. I now see that speaking of you in that way was not the answer.”

“It is not that Neymar.”

“Then what! What is it ? What are you afraid of-”

Meu deus.

“I’m afraid that I’m so deeply attached to you , it fucking terrifies me. I have been ever since the first night we spent together. Those feelings have always been there for me! And for you to just out of no where come to me with all of this? You could’ve spoken up way earlier instead of dragging it out this long.” I finally said it. The feelings I have been trying to push down and avoid for months are now out there.

It’s his turn to be silent now.

I feel a wave of embarrassment go over me. I probably came off too strong. He’s probably changed his mind about this whole thing now. I ruined it - the chance I had with him is now gone.

“Look who’s the silent one now. Just forget I said anything , I’ll contact my manager tomorrow morning to find a way to settle this whole mess. You can sleep on the couch for tonight.” I rush out , trying to get up as quickly as I can and go to my room to escape the heavy awkwardness in the room.

I always end up embarrassing myself like this. I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.

I make my way past him , not daring to look back. Tears slowly fill my eyes but I push them straight back in. He will not get tears out of me.

Before I can open the door to my room I feel his hand wrap around my wrist. He turns me around and pushes me against my bedroom door , his hands on either side of my head.

“I have been waiting for you to admit those words to me even before the first night we slept together. When I first saw you at Lionel’s wedding I couldn’t take my eyes off you the whole night. Every time I’m with you , I block out the whole world - wishing we could stay wrapped up within each other forever. You have nothing to be afraid of with me because I’d give up anything to make you mines Y/N. If I would’ve known you felt like that I would’ve spoken up months ago.”

He lets out a breath , staring deeply into my eyes.

“Please don’t tell me it’s too late …” he whispers.

I don’t respond back. Instead I grab his face smashing our lips together. I cling onto his shoulders , his hair , his back , trying to grasp as much of him as I can. He stands there shocked for a moment by my action before kissing me back with even more hunger.

He breaks the kiss first , both of us gasping for air.

“I’ll take that as a yes?” He questions.

“A million times yes.”

He grins before picking me up , causing me to wrap my legs around him. He gently settles me down on my bed , hovering over me. Gently laying kisses on my neck and upper chest.

His hands come up my sides , caressing every inch of my body. His eyes slowly roaming all of me while he slips off my dress. Then reaching behind me to unclasp my bra , he dives straight into my chest , licking and sucking my breasts. One of his hands comes up to grasp my nipple , while the other goes down and brushes over my clothed center.

He applies a bit more pressure , and by this point I’m a mewling mess. Panting heavily. Tired of being patient.

“Ney… please” I moan.

He meets my gaze , smirking while still sucking on my breasts.

“Hmm? Please what linda?” He teases , rubbing slow circles on my clit.

He’s the absolute death of me.

“Please - fuck me. I can’t … I can’t take this anymore.” I have no control of the words coming out of my mouth by this point.

“Meu deus, I’ll never get over how gorgeous you are. Having you spread out - all for me , just for me…” [my god]

“I’m yours , forever.” I whisper , running my hands through his curls.

“Forever mines , yes , because I’m never letting you go.”

He comes back up to my face , kissing me with so much passion , pulling my hands above my head and intertwining them with his.

The next few hours were spent with us breathlessly and hungrily going at each other.

While laying together after , Neymar mentions over and over again how long he has been waiting for this moment - for us to finally become ; us.

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

my first one shot ever , i definitely want to write more of these and don’t have many ideas so if anyone would want to request some ideas - please do! hope you guys enjoy ✰

#neymar jr #neymar #neymar imagines #neymar jr one shot #neymar fanfic #psg #football one shot #neymar x reader #one shot #imagines #football #footballer x reader #futból

852 notes · View notes

misc-obeyme · 11 months

Text

So uh... Lesson 18 huh??

I'd just like to say that the juxtaposition of Lesson 18 being all sad and serious with the new event being all ridiculous was both weird and kinda nice? Like I needed that event to cheer me up after Lesson 18 almost made me cry.

Anyway, let's talk about it! Lesson 18 spoilers below!

Okay. I've seen some speculation that perhaps Lesson 20 won't be the end of season one. However, I don't think that's going to happen.

I think they're gonna pull some time travel shenanigans on us again. Or Nightbringer is gonna show up and deus ex machina this mess. Or the solution to everything is for MC to just make a pact with all seven brothers at the same time. Solomon did say that he thought they could do that in a past lesson. And if they do it all at once, it wouldn't take that long? Hmmm.

Anyway, I could speculate all day, but there were some really interesting things that happened in this lesson that I'd rather talk about.

First of all, Diavolo pulling out the Prince Voice on Raphael had me going OHHHHH lol.

I honestly love Diavolo's different sides. It makes him feel so real, you know?

SPOILERS FOR HARD LESSON 18 (just skip this paragraph in case you haven't gotten to it yet!)

And I feel like that really is even more evident in the hard lesson where he talks to Barbatos about the difference between his head and his heart. And how all he really wants is for the brothers to be happy. Which was so dang sweet. And Barbatos just gives him that whole speech about what a great king he's gonna be. I was like I can't with these two.

HARD LESSON SPOILERS OVER

Anyway, the fact that Diavolo can just step into this Prince persona and be a leader when he needs to, but then he's just a silly guy when he's not needing to do that is very realistic to me. A lot of people have different versions of themselves that they only show at certain times or to certain people. Gives his character a lot of dimension, in my opinion!

And oh... can we talk about Mammon?

My precious baby. I wanted to hug him so bad. I wanted him to continue to chew out Raphael. I mean, I know Raph is kinda just the messenger here, but I felt like Mammon was actually saying what everyone was feeling, but was too restrained to say. For some reason, everyone was just kind of letting Diavolo take the lead (and I guess that makes sense, he is the Prince after all and Raphael is basically saying they'll go to war over this). But Mammon was like oh hell no.

I agreed with him entirely. The Celestial Realm can go fuck off. I was NOT expecting this to be about the fact that the brothers have power in the Devildom now. Like are you kidding me? THAT is your big concern? Should've thought about that before you threw them out, GOD.

And when Raphael was like are you questioning Father's word to Lucifer and Luci just kinda got sad looking, I was like YES QUESTION HIM because Lucifer and his brothers deserve better than this bullshit.

It really feels like the Celestial Realm booted them out because the bros did something they didn't like, but now they've realized they made a mistake. So to get them back, they're gonna go down to the Devildom and threaten them.

Are they trying to get us to hate the Celestial Realm? Is that the goal here? I don't, obviously, but I think this was a pretty shitty move considering all that these guys have been through.

BUT THEN THE BROTHERS COMIN THROUGH WITH THE WE WON'T LEAVE SATAN

when I tell you I was crying... it was Belphie's fault.

Pretty sure this was the line that made me tear up, but then we get the same sentiment from Beel and Asmo about not leaving Satan behind and I was just like that was MY HEART you guys just shattered.

Now let's talk about Solomon and Barbatos in 18-A, shall we?

Please refer to this collection of screenshots featuring my true love dishing out some real insults.

WOW. Let him have it, Barb.

I don't know what Solomon did, but I do find this exchange incredibly interesting. Note that Solomon is wearing his human world outfit here. I kind of think human-world-outfit-wearing-Solomon is the imposter. He's the one who talked about the pact with Asmo first, where it didn't fit with his later version of the story. He was also the one who pushed all the brothers into Asmo's tub and therefore also the one who then made a pact with Asmo. He was also the one who commanded Barb to make a portal when he didn't want to and who had the discussion with Nightbringer.

I'm just sayin... maybe he doesn't know why Barb is mad at him 'cause we got more than one Solomon running around...

Buuut I could be completely off base here. We'll see, I guess!

This could all be resolved by the end of Lesson 20, you never know with this game lol.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me nightbringer #obey me nightbringer lesson 18 #obey me nightbringer spoilers #obey me nightbringer lesson 18 spoilers #obey me diavolo #obey me solomon #obey me belphegor #obey me barbatos #obey me mammon #obey me raphael #misc talks about characters #misc rambles

151 notes · View notes

lotrefcp · 10 months

Text

Hidden Away - Chapter 5

pairing/AU: Javier Peña x female!reader

summary: When the DEU fails to catch Escobar you are sent to Bogotá to help the team.

warnings: I don't understand this so just gonna say mature content, 18+

word count: 2700+

I hope you like and, if you want to help me, interact with this post, liking it ou reblogging it. Thank you so much.

Chapter 5

Murphy was surprised by the fact that he was the only one sitting at his desk, working. You were always the first to arrive and he still hadn't seen you. You arrived three minutes before 8am.

“Good morning Steve.”, you started. "How are you?"

“I am surprised.”

“Why?”, you asked while sitting in your chair and taking what you needed out of your bag.

“Because you always arrive before me. And today you arrived just in time. Is everything ok?"

"Of course. Just something I had to sort out before I came. But I'm already here. You can already look at me while I work.”, you said while sticking your tongue out at him in a joking tone.

“And you haven’t seen Javi by any chance?”

“Me?”, you asked a little nervous. “Why should I have seen him?”

“Because you live right next door to him. You could have seen him leave the house.”

"Oh no. I didn't see him.”

“Well, at least for him it’s normal to be late.”

“Exactly, he must have overslept. By the way he ate yesterday he’ll never wake up again.”

"By the way, didn't you find him strange last night?"

“Strange how?”

“It looked like he wasn't expecting us. Are you sure he invited us to his house for dinner? He never had. He didn't even have the table ready."

"Don't worry, there was an invitation."

“Okay, there was an invitation.”, Steve continued leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “And how many people did that invitation include?”

“That issue was not discussed. But I also wasn't told that I couldn't bring some friends. Where there’s food for two, there’s food for three, or even four.”

He disengaged from the chair and pulled it closer to your desk, speaking more softly. "Are you serious? Was he just waiting for you?”

"Apparently."

“And you got us into the middle of your mess?”

“What mess? He didn't say I had to go alone. And I'm glad I didn't or I'd starve. As you said just now, there was no food.”

“Of course there was no food. Do you think Javi invites someone over to his house to eat?”

“The invitation was for dinner. Without food, you can't have dinner.”

“And you still think that for him the word “dinner” means “dinner”? When you accepted his invitation, he was thinking about something else.”

“And you think I don't know that? It was so nice to see the look on his face when he saw you by my side at his door. I don't know how I managed to hold back my laughter. It was a work of art.”

"I can't believe you did that to him."

"Why? Because I’m a woman? Because normally he snaps his fingers and they all go after him wagging their tails?”

“Yes, that's what he's used to.”

“Well. That’s his problem.”

“What do you have against him?”

"Nothing. Why are you saying that?"

“Why are you always attacking him, since the day you got here?”

“I don't attack him. They are little jokes. We are all adults, I thought he could handle a few jokes.”

“He can, but don't abuse it. Look, we all have to work together, we have to be able to trust each other.”

"No problem. I've always had these kinds of relationships with my partners and we've always gotten along.”

“Yes, but he is not like all other men.”

“Are you talking about me?”, Peña asked when he reached your side. Murphy jumped at his voice and straightened up in his chair, returning to his seat. “Yes, I was saying you were late.”

“And it seemed like something out of the ordinary? I'm always late.”

“That's what I told him.”, you said.

“I believe it.”, he finished. He finally looked at you and noticed that you had already unbuttoned one of the buttons on your shirt again, the sweat running down your neck in the heat of the place, sweat that clung to the white of the garment and made it a little transparent, letting him see the color of your bra, the same bra he had seen a few hours earlier, so close to his face, his hands when he ran them down your cleavage, when he felt hard under your weight. He looked away before he had to take another shower. He reached for his shirt pocket and took out a pack, taking a cigarette and lighting it, already with it stuck between his lips. “Any news on our friend?”

“No, just a few calls from people with tips as to his whereabouts but apparently they were all false,” Steve said.

“More people paid by him to waste our time.”, and saying that Javi saw one of the secretaries passing behind him towards the bathroom, smiling at him shyly. He followed her with his eyes until she disappeared around the corner of the room, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and got up. “I’ll be right back.” And went to the bathroom behind her.

“Where is he going? He just arrived.”, you asked looking at his back as he walked away.

“Don't worry, he'll be back soon. In the bathroom there are no foreplays.”

"What?"

“Didn't you notice he went after the secretary? He will be here in no time.”

You didn't know why and you were afraid to know, but hearing Murphy say that dropped like a bomb, like your heart was beating in the wrong place, in your stomach instead of the left side of your chest. You imagined his eyes looking at another woman with desire, the same desire he felt for you not long ago. But with her Javi could satisfy that desire. With you it was nothing more than a challenge, a challenge that you won, that you managed to overcome. Did I win? Doubt began to rise in you, reminding you of his naked chest, his skin on your lips, on your fingers, his smell, his penetrating and excited gaze.

Peña arrived at the bathroom door even before it closed and went in after the girl. She was waiting for him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

"You know."

“I was thinking you would never come. Every day I pass by you waiting for you to follow me.”

“Well, today is your lucky day.” And he lunged at her, swallowing her tongue as he pushed her into one of the cubicles and closed the door. When he pulled away from her to lift her skirt that reached just above her knees, she managed to speak. “My name is Clara.”, she replied as she felt her panties being ripped off. Javi got up again and, unfastening his pants and taking his already hard and throbbing cock out he said "I don't care." He raised one of her legs with a hand and she grabbed herself to him while Javi began to penetrate her without ceremony or care. He just wanted to satisfy his urge to fuck someone, to feel himself coming inside someone. He started his rhythmic movement looking at her but then your face came to his mind, your flushed cheeks, your green eyes looking into his. He averted her face till he came as he looked at the wall behind Clara. She moaned and called him by his name but he only heard his body hitting hers, waiting to come, after hearing Clara holding back her deepest moan as she reached her orgasm. In the end she let her head fall on Javier's shoulder to try to compose herself but he pulled away and started to tighten his pants again.

“Are you leaving already ?” Clara asked.

“Isn't this what you wanted?”

“Yes, but not like this.”

"What a shame. At least now you can tell your colleagues outside that you were with me.” He opened the cubicle door and walked out of the bathroom towards his desk, only to find Steven there.

“Where's Y/N?” Javi asked.

“She went to the cafeteria for a drink.”

“But her stuff isn’t here.”

“She took her files with her. I think she's going to be working there for a while.”

"Why? Don't tell me she couldn't handle this much testosterone around her."

"Don´t you know? For someone who has all the women behind him, you don't understand anything about them.”

“What do you mean by that?”

"Seriously?". Javi just shook his head. “Nothing, I don't mean anything. Let's get to work before Messina sees us here doing nothing.”

At lunchtime Peña went to the cafeteria and found you, with a tray in front of you and your papers resting on the chair beside the one you were sitting on. He went to get his food and came to your table.

“Can I sit down?”

“If I say no, will you go elsewhere? You are so used to doing what you want.”

“Not always.”, he said as he put down his food and sat in front of you. "Even this morning I didn’t do everything I wanted to do."

"No? Clara didn't let you fuck her?”, you asked with a crooked smile.

He was taken aback by the question but continued. “I wasn't talking about that.”

“Yes, you were. When I went to your house this morning you thought you were going to fuck me. But it wasn't because it was me, it was just because I have a pussy between my legs. You didn't fuck me so you went to get someone else."

“It was your fault. You made me believe that you wanted me.”

“Wanted you? The only thing I wanted was to make you eat your words from yesterday. And I did.”

“Well, you must be very proud. But let me ask you one question.”

"You can ask two."

“You did whatever you wanted to do with me but you never kissed me. Why? Were you afraid of liking the taste of my lips?”

“No, I just didn't want you to taste mine. You don't deserve to taste them. Lips that go through everyone else’s mouth don’t touch mine.”

“That's what we're going to see.”

"Try and you'll have a bigger hole between your legs than mine."

You got up and, without having finishing your food, you went to put away your tray and went out the door.

“Nooooooo.” You got up quickly in your bed and looked around you, unable to see anything. You reached over to the bedside table and turned on the small lamp that was there and raised your hands to your closed eyes, trying to wipe away the tears deposited in them. Your body was shaking, drenched in your sweat. You turned over in bed and put your feet on the floor with both hands resting on the mattress. The nightmares were getting worse. You slept less and less every night and the consequences of the lack of sleep began to show more and more in your face and in your posture throughout the day, tired, heavy, defeated. You went to the kitchen, grabbed a glass and opened the tap to fill it, drinking it all in one gulp. You sat down on the couch until you managed to control your body and you took the book, always resting on top of the table, to read it knowing damn well that you would not be able to fall asleep again. It was getting hotter and hotter in your house. You got up and went to open the living room window, even knowing the danger of a stray bullet. But come one, if there is one, it won't be the glass that will prevent it from entering., you thought as you took advantage of the little air that entered through the open window into your apartment. You went back to the couch and there you finished your book before the sun started to appear in the sky.

Peña woke up to a scream. Would it be close, would it be far? The daze of sleep had not allowed him to notice. Then he remembered the other night when he had heard you screaming in your apartment right next to his. Was it her again? Something was going on.

The next day Javier arrived at work before everyone else and went looking for your file to try to understand what was going on with you. He opened it and began to read it, from your full name, something he didn't know, to the operations you had participated in and, in the end, led while you were still in New York. All the injuries you had mentioned before were described there, explained in detail and he couldn't believe that after everything that had already happened to you, you still hadn't given up on that fight. You always said that you slept badly, using the Colombian heat as an excuse, but now he realized why you had so many problems falling asleep, or staying asleep. And finally, his gaze reached the operation in which you were stabbed. He remembered you mentioning a stab wound to the stomach but he had never thought about it. And now he had your account of what happened before him. “After chasing the drug dealer, Carlos Silva, to an abandoned building, I called reinforcements telling them where he was and that I would continue the pursuit. Gun in hand, I forced my way in through the half-open door and went from door to door looking for him. When I got to the end of the corridor, I turned to the right and he appeared in front of me, suddenly punching me and throwing me to the ground, causing my gun to jump out of my hand and causing me to hit my head on the cement, becoming unconscious. Next thing I knew my vest was on the floor, my shirt was up and he was on top of me starting to unfasten my pants. I struggled under him but he landed a punch that stunned me again. I stuck my thumbs in his eyes to try to push him away but he, although screaming in pain, grabbed the knife that was at his side and stabbed me in the left side of my stomach. I stopped struggling with the pain and he continued to run it down to my navel. My screams must have alerted the team as they started to enter the building and headed towards us. When Carlos got distracted by the sound of my colleagues' feet hitting the floor, despite the pain, I managed to reach for the gun I had dropped and shot him in the chest. Tom and Robert arrived soon after and joined us, trying to stop my bleeding and checking the dealer's pulse, but he was already dead. From there they called an ambulance and I was taken to the hospital where I stayed for 5 days.”

The report continued, talking about her recovery and the lawsuit that was raised by the death of Carlos Silva, although this was just a blindfold as nobody wanted to know if or why another drug dealer had been killed. Javier remembered your cold face and realized that it wasn't just coldness that filled it, but also sadness. He understood the changes in your expression, trying to hide everything you had been through and understood why you were always messing with him. Jokes, she says. Ways to forget what won't let go of her at night when she's alone. A mask to hide the pain that fills her every day. A way for her not to feel so alone. Javi realized you were coming and quickly closed the file and hid it inside his drawer.

“What are you hiding? Already seeing porn magazines at this time in the morning?”

"Today you didn't come to my house so I have to see other women naked."

“Ahah, what a joke. Just because you've seen me in a bra it doesn't mean you've seen me naked. You get satisfied with very little.”

“It’s enough for now. But it won’t be for much longer."

“The day you can’t hold it anymore, you can pay someone to undress in front of you.”

“I do that often. But I won't have your green eyes looking at me while they do it.”

"Green eyes?"

“Did you think I hadn't noticed? Darker inside, lighter in the sun, always shinning even it you have no reason for them to be so bright.”

"What do you mean by that?"

“That I notice you more than you think.”

“Well, if you want green eyes looking at you while they are undressing, buy them contact lenses.”

“I prefer the natural ones.”, and turned forward putting another cigarette on his lips and starting to work.

TAG: @ttupelohoneyy @random-fandom-lady @appleperson2 @kirsteng42 @thelittleames @smashcrabsblog @viraghideg-blog

#pedro pascal #narcos #javier pena smut #javier pena fic #javier pena fanficiton #javier pena #javier pena x reader

38 notes · View notes

kustas · 5 months

Note

can you talk about your issues with blue eye samurai

I can! warning: i will spoil the show here.

This show has an incredible issue with consistency, among other problems which make it one of the worst series i've watched in a long time. It has a basic plot thread it wants to follow and everything it does is malleable for the sake of said plot beats. The main character's personality can change from one scene to the other depending on if they want the moment to be funny or sad. Battle wounds, established personality traits and other Deus ex machinas vanish randomly when they become irrelevant. The show also has no idea of the tone it's going for. It wants to be everything at once, funny, tragic, epic; and does so by lazily copying better media of reference down to at times remaking shots nearly 1:1. It does nothing it attempts well.

The historical setting is a mess. For a show who's premise is entrenched in a particular historical period you'd expect it to be a major part of the story, but Japan is mostly used as a cliché set dressing. Each episode pulls out a few cultural setpieces in a shallow way that felt ridiculous if not borderline offensive. It's Japan right? Oh we gotta reference the Sakura. The sumo ring. The matcha tea. And I say Japan and not historical Japan because I have doubts about the veracity of every cultural element and how well researched it is. Keep in mind I am no expert, I know very little of either the country and the time period but even with that every episode made me go huh? This is not true. There is little to no effort spent on accurately representing a foreign culture's history and it is very visible in how the characters act - aka like modern american TV characters. The worst part? The cultural things its cast casually goes against are referenced...as jokes or as set dressing for each episode's look we are in Japan;););) scene. So, they know. They just don't care.

When it comes to...a bit more troubling topics, the show sucks too. The first episode reveals its main character is crossdressing to make her way across the world and the show has many secondary female characters in female social roles to contrast her to. This premise is a great one: watching a woman evolve in a sexist society by disguising herself into something she's not. Is it well done? Lol, nope! Gender remains explored in a very surface level way. The thing is, if the characters indeed acted like their time period would imply, I would be fine with much more, as this is a society with very strict gender roles. But given most of the times they act like modern american TV show characters, it stings that despite the MC's position, said gender roles are not much explored. Notable examples that made me facepalm damn hard: a side character who's established as a rich brat trying to work her way out of an arranged marriages ending up finding satisfaction in said arranged marriage; and the main character herself who i will repeat spends her whole life passing as male and fighting dudes, getting found out by the villain mid-fight because of her "fragile female bones". What the fuck?

Additionally, the show has two disabled characters, a blind man and a man born without hands. The former is written okay, the latter is not. He is treated like a comic relief and spends his time on screen (where he's not being a buffoon) sucking up to the other characters. It feels frankly insulting to have your fat guy with a deformity be this archetype and he is not allowed much growth or serious moments.

I'm not a woman, I'm not japanese and I am not disabled so all of what I say here should be taken with the grain of salt of: it's my impression, as someone who's not been on the recieving end of things. Seeing this show being celebrated for being progressive is a fucking joke.

#partially copied from my anilist post on it #i also have beef with the animation but thats less important #i AM physically deformed and i gotta say: inuoh having its deformed guy be a literal monster with a curse still felt kinder #ask #blue eye samurai

14 notes · View notes

filypadreams · 1 year

Text

[ Guardian Angel ]

(Obey Me Brothers x gn!reader) angst/fluff ] based on Nightbringer's initial synopsis.

A-Asmo-chan!? It's ok Asmo, it's gonna be ok, look at me sweetheart. H-hey now…crying isn't a good look on you, let me help.

I had been looking for Asmo since Michael's blast. We were right next to each other but the light was so strong I was scared I would go blind.

(Y/N)...? (Y/N)! My wings!! The left side hurts and, and… I think I smell iron? Is my wing ruined? Please fix it, fix my beautiful wings!

Silly goose, you shouldn't be worrying about at a time like this. What if your flight gets impaired? Turn around, will you? Let your local dashing doctor see them~!

Asmo had a broken wing. He still looked as beautiful as the day he was born. Even whilst sobbing.

*sniff* I-I know but it's important! Michael always called me the cutest of archangels. Not that it matters now…

《It never will but at least you'll always be beautiful even without my help.》

_________

Levi? Leviathan where are you?!!

Ah! Finally I found you! Where were you? You got Lucifer worried.

I hadn't meant to be a burden to them but I couldn't shake away my worry for Asmodeus. Besides, there were so many casualties.

That's my line, I've been looking for you since the blast! Are your eyes ok? It was really bright.

…To be honest it's all a little blurry. The only thing that differentiates you from all the white plumage around me are the jewels decorating your wings!

Levi…they are quartz. Clear quartz, how can you see them if everything looks as bright?

Is my Levia-chan hallucinating??

The only assurance I got that he didn't hear the shake in my voice was his goofy smile. Like me, Levi was trying to keep himself together. He was happy to see a familiar shape.

I brushed his bangs away, his eyes were unfocused but nothing too serious, I hoped.

Hahaha! Silly normie. Your wings always shone brighter than most! My eyes do hurt, can you fix them? I'm…afraid to be honest.

《Oh, Levi… you ain't alone. I'm also afraid. Afraid I couldn't help anymore.》

__________

(Y/N), stop for a moment, please! You've been flying around non-stop. Aren't you hungry? I managed to keep some Pão de Deus* stashed away.

…Beel where did you even stash it?? In your pants?!

Probably the only time I got a good laugh out of this war. The bread tasted great regardless of where he took it from. Beel was relatively fine even if he looked worse for wear.

I assure you it's not contaminated. I need to go back and look for Belphie before he gets himself… … Please be safe.

He didn't dare speak his thoughts less they became reality. Which it almost did. He was always so gentle. Too gentle.

Wait Beel, you have a huge gash on yoru chest- LET ME FIX IT!

《How pathetic could I be at this point. To still even try, to believe I wasn't forsaken!》

__________

MAMMON!! Come back here this second or I'll throw you down to Earth myself!

Oi! That's not funny at all (Y/N)! We could end up there ya know?! Stupid Belphie…

I admit, bad choice of words. I couldn't let that idiot roam around with a gash in his chest though!

You don't mean that…nor did I mean to sound callous. But you need to sit down this instant, a gold piece fell off and you are bleeding! Honestly, what were you thinking when you got those??

Got a problem with my war medals?! They represent my proud and precious achievements for your information.

They say to be proud of your scars for those are marks of bravery. Of life.

Those are also heavy and attached to your skin in an impractical and unwise way. Let me fix that gash for you then we can look for Lucifer together.

Hmph! If you insist. Take haste, I can't stay idle for too long!

Really though, thank you. I'm scared for once…

《It's tragic you couldn't see yourself equally as treasured as your hoard anymore. I wonder how many you'll have. How many scars once this conflict is over will mark your body, that I couldn't heal?! There's too much gold on you.》

__________

…

…..

Lu…Lucifer? Hold on I'm here to help!

Even if for a moment, Lucifer had fallen on his side. The first of many during that battle.

I never saw him as damaged as in that moment. I had to do something!

Get…away from me! It's not safe out here for guardian angels! Hasn't Raphael provided you with shelter or something like that?

My brothers, sisters and, and… e-everyone was dutifully safely guided, sir! You need to worry no more, I'm here to…

To help.

(Y/N)...thank you. But I'm afraid you are of more help alive than with dead weight. Don't make me drag you with us.

Every guardian angel under Raphael had been dispatched to safety to help the wounded. I was one of the strongest but still low in rank, especially compared to someone as prideful in their capabilities as "The Light Bearer" himself. Please sir, don't push me away this time. Let me.

What are you saying…? Lucifer what are you doing you baboon? Stop being so incoherent, you know this is not like you.

I think the blunt end of a spear hit your head pretty hard, let me fix that for you, sir! It's my duty to be here.

《To be a useless withering and trembling angel. How can I expect to clean all that blood if I couldn't even fix Asmo's wings?!》

__________

Where is she? My sister…where's my bubbly, kind, naive sister?!!!

He screamed into the void, voice hoarse. No one was in the right mindset to help him. It's a blessing…it's lucky we survived. Most of us.

Belphie don't force yourself to speak! You…it was a huge fall. It's a miracle we are not as mortally wounded as I expected, hehe… let me have a better look at your leg, it seems to be broken. I'm sure I can fix it-

SHUT UP! Who have you "fixed" since we started fighting?! You can't help anyone anymore, you couldn't "fix" any of us. You were useless, (Y/N)!!!

And you fell just like that, like…like an incompetent!

Belphegor, please don't say that, I tried…I'm sure I can… I can still…

I let my tears spill after holding them in for so long. He was right, I had long lost my powers or at least I was forbidden to help them.

There's nothing I can do.

If you could fix this you could help Lilith. Where is she? Please tell me she's going to be ok, (Y/N). Can you do that?

He sounded desperate. I myself wasn't sure of what Lucifer was doing but I didn't have it in me to tell the truth.

Beelzebub saved you. Lilith was mortally wounded. If she's not gone yet then she's about to die.

Belphie would be none the wiser by looking me in the face, as I would find out.

… …

Yes. She's- There's someone much stronger than me. Lucifer is talking to him right now. I'm not sure what will be of dear Lilith but it's hard to deny that thanks to him, everyone will be fine.

Better tha-

Thank you. I apologize, you never disappoint. I should know.

I can't see anything, could you take me to Beel? He doesn't feel quite right.

Of course. I'm so lucky to be blessed like this even down here, uh? Your local doctor will fix all your troubles!

《Better than with someone as useless as me, who left you blind.

Who even Raphael* has forsaken》

_____[ House of Lamentations]_____

[ Some unknown time in the future]

Fix them. Fix them, fix them, FIX THEM (Y/N)!

In the silent living room your form shakes on the sofa. You fell asleep again.

" Oh? Mammon, call Lucifer!! I think (Y/N) is having a nightmare again! "

Asmo shrieked in panic at his older brother. He had stayed to look after you. You were such a cutie in dreamland!

" Another one?? On it!

Oi, Lucifeeer!"

Mammon's voice is carried through the halls, echoing his worries. Meanwhile Asmo tries to find a comfortable place to sit close to you and pets your head.

" What are you dreaming of this time, angel?"

" Fix…"

Asmo inclines his head curious. Fix? Mammon's garage?

" Fix them. You can't… useless… why?"

Why are you also alive? Why were you able to walk, why did you keep wings stronger than Asmo's to fly?! Why do you still exist-

You feel a pair of hands on your shoulders, shaking you awake.

Your eyes unfocused on orange eyes and hair that today is brown, some other days is pink and in-between.

" Angel?! Wake up beautiful you shouldn't be in dreamland right now. It's not yours to live in."

" Asmo? Your wings, where are they? Oh, look at your face, you'll get wrinkles if you look at me like that. Don't be sad!"

Asmo blinks at you, worried. You lift a hand to his to caress his cheek.

He manages to force out one of his signature giggles.

" Silly goose~ Did you forget? This is how I look when I want to rest my wings! No need to use them indoors. Hehe."

" Rest… oh, I fell asleep again in the sofa. So… Levi and Belphie…?"

" Their eyes never worked better. Well, bright lights are not as easy to take in anymore but we are healthy. Thanks for always guiding us, angel~"

You are silent for a long moment, looking who knows where while Asmo puts a hand on your forehead. You weren't sick at least.

" Did Beel eat yet? That scar-"

" Yet?! (Y/N), he's always eating! Hahaha, I'm so jealous of his metabolism~

What scar? He hasn't gotten hurt since the last time Dia sent us to scout the lower levels. I tell you, I might be 5th but those restless incubi have sharp nails and temper!"

He jokes. That's all he has ever done whenever you wake up from a memory. It's all he knows to do whenever you have such a vivid nightmare.

" I admit that Mammon looks as dashing as ever, although I have better taste of course. He went to go fetch Lucifer."

Oh, oh. He started sweating once he said that name. Your bulging eyes didn't help.

" No, wait. What I meant- (Y/N) it's fine, Lucifer would be in a worse mood if he wasn't there to comfort you!"

You grab his arms, quite painfully, begging him with your eyes to not tell Lucifer.

The guilt in them makes Asmo tremble.

Luckily someone unexpected was reading close by.

You were never as close to Satan as you were with the other brothers for obvious reasons. Yet he never minded your presence.

If anything you were a great reading buddy. Not too loud, not completely silent and a great listener.

He didn't need to know the details to help you whenever Asmo talked too much.

" Even I would panic at hearing that name. Did he find out about one of my pranks? Truly scary."

He says condescendingly (at Asmo) but also with a lilt of humorous sarcasm. He aproaches you, ignoring Asmo's tantrum and shows you the new book he picked up.

" Sorry Satan, I didn't mean to disturb your reading time!"

" Any time is reading time (Y/N), don't sweat about that. Have you heard the tale of King Midas? I think that Solomon had a hand in it if this book is to be believed…"

Any shady business done by the shady wizard is worth your immediate notice.

Fifteen minutes of gossiping about Solomon and what he might or might not have done pass before Lucifer pushes the doors open, the poor things weren't a match to his strength as they hit the walls so loud everyone except for Satan jumped on their sits.

" Lucifer! (Y/N) had another nightmare and I might have said too much-"

" Calm down Asmo, you are fine. Everything 's fine.

It's late, you better get your beauty sleep. I'll take it from here."

Asmo nods fervently, ruffling your hair as he gets up. You giggle at the gesture, Satan pats your leg before he also takes his leave.

" Do I also have to go? Doesn't The Great Mammon, deserve to help our miracle worker~?"

Mammon jokes. Lucifer doesn't take it kindly if his glare is anything to go by.

" I trust we both know why it's best if you go to bed too."

" Fine, sorry… welp, see you tomorrow (Y/N). We are still having that shopping trip, daddy needs some new specs~"

" Daddy doesn't look good on you Mammon. RIP your future significant other."

With a grumble he stomps away.

" Don't forget you still have a huge debt to Lord Diavolo!! I swear if he breaks another statue…"

Lucifer rubs the bridge of his nose before helping you sit up.

" Don't you prefer to go back to your room? Or talk in the study?"

" … Can we… talk in yours?"

Lucifer is caught off guard by your proposition but relents.

He clears any other doubts you might have about the state of the family while you walk down the corridors to his room.

" Belphie is still grieving, I don't think that will ever be fully healed. Levi is faring well, he sees her in Henry…both of them."

You laugh, the memory of the giant serpent who now inhabits the catacombs coming to mind.

" Satan couldn't be happier to have a friend who isn't as closely related to us or the war. Take it as you will, I guess."

" And you…sir?"

Lucifer pauses for a moment, solely the sound of his footsteps is heard.

You arrive at his lascivious bedroom and he locks the door behind.

" I enjoy my privacy so forgive me for locking you in."

You shake your head, shrugging your shoulders in indifference. At any other time it would feel quite intimate, possibly.

" I'm doing well as you can see."

" I'm worried about what I cannot see."

Once again Lucifer's eyes widen but he let's you speak.

" There's Satan, your new job, position…workload."

" I told you to stop worrying about my work ethic. I sleep enough."

… …

" Enough to take care of my family."

You smile, a little smug perhaps.

" You couldn't have done anything. Not because your blessings were stripped from you, at least some of them."

He adds remembering your state after the fall. You were for the most part healthy save for ripped bloody feathers, a bent arm and a bruised face.

" Simply, I wouldn't let you. I ripped them out of my sheer will, wings I didn't need anymore. You shouldn't be in the middle of a rebellion you aren't part of. You would have been happy with the others. No need for nightmares."

You fidget in place.

" You can't be so sure. I couldn't bear to see everyone I cared for hurt. Yet I was powerless for once. If not for the prince…

Is it my fault…?

Are you a slave of another because of me?!!"

Lucifer grabs a hold of your shoulders as you scratch as your scalp with both of your hands, helding your head in place.

He guides you to his bed, leaving to start a fire in the fireplace and returning with a handkerchief in hand to clear your tear stains.

" I'm no one's slave, (Y/N). You haven't stripped me of my most valued aspect. It's simply a different job in a different world under a different ruler. I take pride in my achievements here and my prowess the same way.

Stop blaming yourself. No one holds resentment towards you and no one wishes to go back, if we are to be quite honest.

The nice days are gone so we can have new days."

He holds both your hands.

" I told you I would drag you with me if you kept pushing your luck. You made the choice to be at our side. We are happy to have you."

He cleans the snot like one would do to a toddler, his thumb making circular motions on your hands still clasped in his gloved one.

" I can't make them stop Lucifer. The nightmares, Asmo's face- every time! I want them to stop. I don't want to disappoint anyone ever again… sometimes I wish I could disappear so this wouldn't happen again and again and again!"

Lucifer hugs you against his chest, taking deep breaths waiting for you to follow along.

" I'm only good at making people sad now."

" I know this won't help. It never goes away. But a reminder, (Y/N), that it was never your job to fix the already broken. Those who deny help won't get help and you never let anyone down. Even Belphie has a soft spot for you.

For we remember you as our guardian angel who still fusses over Levi's addiction to technology because he might hurt his eyes.

Who worries that Beel's stomach might burst someday, the one person who relents to having a self-care day with Asmo even when it's mostly him who gets the self-care.

The angel who takes responsibility for half of Mammon's debts, don't think I haven't noticed.

What you couldn't do back then, you do now.

Thank you for your sacrifice."

You burst into tears, hiding your face on his chest.

" I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, sir! But everyone is taking care of me when they should move on…I'm tired of being kept behind by my own mind!"

Lucifer ponders for a moment, checking your scalp for signs of self-inflicted injuries.

"Hmm. I also have my fair share of nightmares.

How about we help each other? Do you want to stay the night?

Like back in the day."

You nod your head. Lucifer lays you down, covering you under the sheets.

Before changing himself into anything comfortable he adds:

"Also, stop addressing me as sir."

" Sorry. Force of habit."

You say eyes looking as the flames dance beautifully. Back then seeing everyone naked as a baby wasn't as embarrassing as it is now. You sometimes wonder how much you, yourself changed.

Something brown and fluffy is put on your line of sight, moving up and down like a cartoon character.

" I couldn't find one like Mrs. White Feathers, the Dove. So I hope you like Cerberus Jr. as much."

You smile picking the three headed plushie.

" Thank you…Lucifer. I still miss Mrs. White Feathers."

Lucifer nods, thinking of mentioning it the next time he speaks with Michael. Or perhaps Raphael could retrieve it for him.

" Sweet dreams, angel."

___________ Notes! __________

*Pão de Deus > a portuguese crunchy and sweet bread usually topped with grated coconut. It's one of the delicacies baked by nuns back in the day where they would take offerings like eggs to help bake sweets for religious festivities or for themselves to have something different to eat (some nuns were previously noble women).

**Raphael > an archangel cited to be the patron saint of healing the sick and ill and the angel of all healthcare workers. The staff that he carried can be a nod to the caduceus, Hermes' own staff and symbol of health.

#obey me #om! nightbringer #fanfic #obey me brothers x reader #platonic #romantic #can be read as both #angst #fluff #mentions of war #mentions of injury #shikibutterfly

51 notes · View notes

lurkingshan · 9 months

Text

bad buddy fandom getting-to-know-you-meme!

Tagged by @telomeke, thanks friend! I had to get through the weekend drama deluge before I could clear out some brain space to answer this one properly, because I never mess around when I'm talking Bad Buddy.

Name and whatever you want to share about yourself

Shan, she/her, I live in the US. I am a lifelong consumer of stories and both an avid reader and drama watcher. I write a lot of meta because when I enjoy a thing I love to dissect and unpack it, and I post on tumblr because I have the most fun when I do that with other people.

When did you watch bad buddy/join the fandom?

I watched Bad Buddy live when it was airing! I was not on tumblr then but I was lurking around fandom spaces and following the week to week discussions around the show, but not actively participating in them. After that my interest in bl as a genre only grew, so I created this blog about 9 months ago to start joining in the fun.

Favourite ship/s

Pat/Pran, of course. They are amongst my all time favorite couples that I've seen in any media, period. I will spice this up by also admitting Pa/Ink didn't do all that much for me. They were just a bit too underwritten for me; I am not someone that is wowed by side crumbs or enjoys filling in the gaps myself. But I am really looking forward to seeing Milk and Love headline their own show soon.

Favourite character/s

Going to take a stand here and throw my love Pat's way, because Pran is the character most in fandom seem to connect with. But I just love Pat. He's such a kind and loyal and devoted person at heart. He's a little bit of a himbo about his emotions, but he's also quite smart in his own way and he understands more than people realize. I love his easy acceptance of his own sexuality but also others around him. He has good instincts about people and it's no coincidence he ends up surrounded by such a good community of his own making. And I respect the hell out of his willingness to fight the constraints of filial piety to call his father on his bullshit. He is someone Pran can trust to stick with him through a lot of hard shit, and his easy forgiveness of Pran's more prickly attributes is crucial to their relationship health. For someone with such a healthy ego, Pat has no problem putting it aside for the man he loves. That's real strength, right there.

Favourite episode/s

Joining the pile on for Episode 11, my beloved. When I tell you I was sobbing the first time I watched it. Tears just pouring down my face from the moment Pat told Pran he understood they had to go back all the way through Pran's song for Pat and their return home. It's one of the most moving sequences I have ever seen in a romance, the way they came to the realization of what they were facing, chose each other anyway, and decided they were going to find a way to stay together, even if it couldn't be in exactly the way they hoped.

Favourite scene/s

Oh gosh, there are just so many. The aforementioned sequence in ep 11, both major rooftop scenes, that lone tear tracking down Pran's face at the end of episode 4, Pat confronting Ming. On the lighter side, there's also the brainstorming roleplay from ep 3, pretty much every courtship scene where they flirted via PPL, the FINGER LICK, the final episode wrestling match and sex acrobatics. Every scene between Pat and Pran was just aces.

One thing you would change about the show if you could

*cracks knuckles*

Okay, fam, just remember, you asked! Bad Buddy is one of my favorite shows of all time, but as I have discussed with @waitmyturtles at length, it is not perfect and I have some serious quibbles with it from a writing standpoint. My top 3:

Wai outing Pran and then Pran spending the whole episode apologizing to him. Nonsensical, infuriating, and the show didn’t do the work to make us understand Pran and Wai’s friendship enough to accept that. I still hate poor Jimmy's face to this day and I blame that on Aof.

Pat gets shot as the deus ex machina to resolve the Wai plot. Villain comes out of nowhere in the same episode, the whole situation is tonally discordant, no follow through and the injury is treated like he got a paper cut in the aftermath. It's just lazy writing. Honestly, send all of episode 9 to the trash heap.

Finale fake out. Aof undercut his own themes about the struggle of the closet and sublimation of your own needs in service of filial piety in order to play a prank on the audience. Dumb waste of half the finale’s run time that actively worked against the message he sought to deliver, and that ep 12 preview nearly ruined ep 11 for a lot of people. Luckily the second half of the finale was so strong it made up for it, but I maintain the fake out was a bad choice that I would definitely go back and change.

What are your some of your favorite fanworks made by other people?

I am a meta girlie at heart so I am always most excited reading deep dives. I cannot possibly remember all the good shit I have read on Bad Buddy, but I'll give a shoutout to the BBS (gender neutral) girlies keeping the meta alive to this day @telomeke @ranchthoughts @dudeyuri @dimplesandfierceeyes @chickenstrangers @miscellar @grapejuicegay. I am always so excited when I see new posts about this show on my dash and I had a great time clowning with you all on OS2.

What are your favourite fanworks you've made?

I wasn't here when the show was airing so I actually don't have a deep library of my own meta for this show (not that made it onto tumblr, anyway). But one of the fun things about being in bl fandom is we get to make connections across the shows we're all watching, so I'll give a shoutout to this post I did drawing a line between Pran and Jae Won of The Eighth Sense.

A song that makes you think of BBS (not in the show)

It's gotta be Same Page? by Tilly Birds. It's not actually played in the show, but Pat briefly references it when he's teasing Pran in their final scene together, and y'all, look at these lyrics:

Me missing you is missing Me missing you is missing along the way Me missing you is missing Me missing you is missing along the way Do you realize how much I am agonized? I only want to know If you and I are on the same page I really want to know if you have a change of heart Or is it just me thinking? Or is there something missing? Like how my feelings never reach you

Feels pretty appropriate for a long-distance couple with more separation ahead, doesn't it? It's fine, I am very normal about this.

youtube

Thanks again for tagging me, Tel, this was fun! I am adding @neuroticbookworm @blmpff @manogirl @invisiblegarters @slayerkitty @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle in case you want to play, and anyone else I tagged above who hasn't done it yet, consider yourselves tagged!

#bad buddy #tag game #shan unleashes her unpopular bbs takes and prepares to get tomatoes thrown at her

15 notes · View notes

blessedarethebinarybreakers · 2 years

Note

(cw for mentions of death)

hi there! i'm sorry if you've talked about this before, but i'm curious to know your thoughts on the concept of God sending Christ to earth specifically for Him to die for the redemption of sin. i'm not sure exactly what i believe about this, but i've always struggled to reconcile the very idea of a loving God 1) creating a human specifically for the purpose of killing that human and 2) requiring any kind of sacrifice for the redemption of humanity (e.g. why wouldn't God simply forgive humanity without all the extra steps and suffering on Jesus's part). it brings questions to my mind about when this detail of christian theology was settled on, and also if it's a fringe belief to think that maybe God *didn't* originally intend for Jesus to die, but to redeem the world through teaching instead, and the execution was an unseen side effect of such teaching. it's a very complicated issue to me, and i'm curious to hear what you think about it!

Hey there, anon, thanks for the question!

Based on a lot of conversations over the years, I feel like a very large number of Christians

either struggle with or flat out don't believe in the idea that God sent Christ to suffer & die for our sins, but

assume that this is like, the one and only Church-Approved way of understanding Jesus, salvation, the cross, and all that jazz.

I say this to let you know that you're not alone in having these questions (definitely not a fringe belief!), and that there are lots of other perspectives out there, including ones held by serious theologians.

For instance, I think you'll resonate with what Rachel Held Evans wrote on the subject in her book Inspired (which I can't recommend enough for folks looking to understand the Bible in new and life-affirming ways):

“Any view that reduces Jesus to a sort of deus ex machina, necessary only for a single moment of rescue, strips the incarnation of all its power and tells a far simpler story than the one the Bible actually gives us.

Jesus didn’t just “come to die.” Jesus came to live—to teach, to heal, to tell stories, to protest, to turn over tables, to touch people who weren’t supposed to be touched and eat with people who weren’t supposed to be eaten with, to break bread, to pour wine, to wash feet, to face temptation, to tick off the authorities, to fulfill Scripture, to forgive, to announce the start of a brand-new kingdom, to show us what that kingdom is like, to show us what God is like, to love his enemies to the point of death at their hands, and to beat death by rising from the grave.

Jesus did not simply die to save us from our sins; Jesus lived to save us from our sins. His life and teachings show us the way to liberation. But you can’t fit all that on a bumper sticker.”

______

I'm gonna throw some links at you to explore; once you've looked through a few, feel free to ask me any follow-up questions :)

If you have the time for it, my top recommendation is my YouTube livestream "What Happened on the Cross? Exploring theologies from substitution to solidarity." -- If you don't have time for the whole video, watch 13:01 - 21:54 for some validation of your own questioning of a loving God willing the brutality of the cross. -- Then starting at like 1:20:00 I get into the theologies that focus on Jesus on earth as 1) God incarnate, not a victim sent by God to die; 2) expressing ultimate solidarity with the oppressed; and more .

Here's a quote similar to the one I shared above — just another take emphasizing that Jesus came do so much more than die.

Oh, and another such quote! .

Then there's my whole #crucifixion tag full of quotes, art, lots of stuff .

Finally, you might enjoy my tag #the human Jesus — more of a tangent than direct response to your ask, but it's full of fun imaginings of what Jesus was like here on earth.

#theology of the cross #salvation #crucifixion

54 notes · View notes

abyssalaerlocke · 2 months

Text

Deus Ex Machina

From the DnD 5e wild magic surge table:

If you die within the next minute, you immediately come back to life as if by the Reincarnate spell. 👇

The magic fashions a new body for the creature to inhabit, which likely causes the creature’s race to change.

This is my current obsession, but let's throw it into some Durge situations...

Act two, Durge ends up killing their love interest/closest companion. Their urge is sated, their mind clears, they look down at their bloody hands and find an unfamiliar face looking up at them, very much alive.

Would Sceleritas be pissed, or would he reconsider that maybe this person is worthy of his master afterall, if they can pull off something like this? 🤔

On the other side, being close to Durge, and seeing their uncontrolled Urge as you're murdered by them, only surviving by stroke of luck because you tried to cast a spell to defend yourself (unsuccessful), but triggered a surge which saved your life — but your body's been suddenly and involuntarily replaced. Would you be able to continue a relationship, or would that be the breaking point (at least until Durge rejects Bhaal?)

Speaking of — Durge rejecting Bhaal, dying, and immediately coming back to life with a new look. Sorry Withers — you're not needed ✌ (this... actually holds some serious appeal for stories without Withers around, so death generally carries more weight 🤔 As well as poetic if it repeats what happened in act 2 — puts them on equal footing to restart things with their second chances...)

But idk, the mother of all things is pulling off a Bhaalist murder-suicide wedding, where they both survive.

If you both trigger a wild magic surge, there's about a 0.04% chance of both getting the Reincarnation effect (a little higher, because one of the effects lets you roll 9 or 10 effects, but I have too many questions about how it works to calculate it) which is 1 in 2,500.

I believe at its base (there are other things you can do to increase surge odds), if you both cast spells, there's a 0.25% chance of both triggering a surge, which brings it to 0.0001% you both surge and Reincarnate — or 1 in 1,000,000 (literal 1 in a million).

I'm not sure there's been that many Bhaalist weddings, let alone the circumstances for both of you to be wild magic sorcerers, and then meet and fall in love/be compatible. So I feel like this would definitely be seen as an omen/godly intervention. By Bhaal? Maybe not — but someone (Withers, that you?)

Bonus: BG3 has Controlled Chaos at level 11

When an enemy casts a spell, spend your reaction to cause a Wild Magic Surge near the enemy spellcaster.

Now, when it says "near the enemy spellcaster", I'm not sure that would change the target, or just the centre of locational effects, and it doesn't seem to exist in 5e.

But if it did work, it would be pretty neat if only one of you had wild magic, and managed to pull off saving your partner, let alone both of you (looking at you, Durgetash)

All of these pieces just exist, so if this inspires anyone to combine them into stories like this Please Do! I wanna know 😄

#dark urge #wild magic #durgetash

4 notes · View notes

actualbird · 2 years

Text

"hey zak, u seem to like making characters have to face and address their mental eelness and dysfunctional emotional coping methods in fic but why havent u done that with luke yet" asked nobody, but see, i Do have a luke therapy fic concept in my endless drafts buuuut

it's set in nsb days where his self destructive tendencies turn into a lack of self preservation during missions. which is totally a no-no cuz the nsb would like their best agent to yknow, Last. so hes ordered by the nsb to go therapy and hes THE MOST uncooperative patient ever cuz hes still in the stage of his character development where i doubt hes valuing himself as a person at all and probably very resistant to letting another person try to lead him towards examining Why and How to get better from that.

imagined in a joke-y way itd be like

aaron: swear to god, it's like dragging a cat into the fucking bathtub

luke, struggling in aaron's hold cuz aaron is literally carrying him to dump him at therapist: YOU'LL NEVER GET ME TO TALK!!!

aaron: THIS ISNT INTERROGATION TRAINING, YOU IDIOT

but in a more serious lens, just look at how luke argues with mc in his anniv 1 card. thats already After hes gone thru some development and he still has the tendency to argue for the side of not choosing him or his happiness. so if thats how he is after some chara development, i can only assume he was so much worse pre-chara dev. he'd be too scared to examine his fears and self-loathing, he'd be too on guard to show any kind of vulnerability, he'd still be hating himself too much to even allow himself to indulge in emotions

in my mind, i think he'd go stone cold raven mode in therapy. single word answers, doesnt talk unless prompted. and the therapist would tell him that this whole thing? it doesnt work unless he wants to get better, it wont work at all if he doesnt work with them.

"good," luke says. and he stays silent for the rest of the session.

the nsb thinks about lifting the therapy requirement since it's a waste to spend resources if luke wont budge

then luke gets his illness

and they lift the requirement immediately. they wanted luke to last, and it seems that wont happen even if he does get better mentally.

and even after my hope comes true and luke's illness gets a deus ex machina treatment that gives him a regular long non-depressing lifespan (IM HOLDING OUT FOR THE BEST HERE OK), i still think itd take a Lot for him to willingly go to therapy and work on his big huge baggages (plural, he has so many)

actually, after his illness no longer has him on a time limit, i think he'd struggle with something else thats very common among people who didnt think theyd live past a certain age: existential dread

because...

what now?

he'd spent his life before his 20s vaguely hating himself, spent his life once he got the illness Intensely Hating Himself so that he minimizes damage to the people he loves, and now hes got more time

to...what? hes got his life back, but he'd spent so much of it not caring about himself at all

im thinking that mc and the rest of the team would help him realize that hey, hes got more time now to actually, yknow, think about what he wants to do and actually do them. hes got time to indulge in things that make him happy, hes got time to do a Lot More Now and thats great. but the hesitation of committing to that would still be so, so ingrained that itd take a while. luke was so prepared to die, and he'll have to learn how to live

it'll be a clumsy, slow, stilted process.

but slowly, he'll get used to it. and one day he'll wake up and...the dread wont be gone. but it wont be as loud. it'll be soft enough that he can look forward to what the days ahead can bring.

#tears of themis #luke pearce #here have this from my drafts since all the other stuff im working on is taking foRREVEEERRRRRRRR #tot luke #tears of themis headcanons

68 notes · View notes

justwhumpythings · 1 year

Text

My old Loki whump

So here is a piece of unfinished self-indulgent Loki whump I wrote years ago. It’s gen, about 3,000 words, battlefield injury and wilderness medicine type-thing. The only title it ever had was refering to what whump took place in it.

Some points of preface on rereading:

I wrote this at 19 years old, back in 2015 (I thought I was younger 😆).

This ends very abruptly as soon as the main whump does, lol sorry. I never used to be motivated to write beyond that point.

There’s a bit in the middle where there would have been other chapters with non-whump plot, but instead there’s just a brief snarky note about what that would have contained 😆

I don't know why Thor's speech patterns are so casual 😅 (this was pre-Ragnarok and that's not something I would have adopted anyway, plus Sif's language is much more traditionally 'Asgardian'). Possibly that’s the only way I knew how to write caretaker dialogue at the time.

The whole 'twenty mintues' thing was definitely an attempt to apply some medical accuracy from something I'd read somewhere (I think I intended to try to properly publish this originally, and so wanted it to be a little more thought-through)

The Deus-ex-machina plant! I simply did not care XD

Still, there's lots I value and look back on fondly in this piece, and maybe you'll derive some amusement from it too!

---

The last of the Vanaheim rebels turned tail and fled into the forest, leaving Thor and the others victorious. The Odinson turned and raised his hammer high in triumph. “The day is won!”

Volstagg, Fandral and Sif joined him in the cheer, weary smiles all around. Hogun was still dispatching a final enemy with his mace. Loki had been knocked to the ground in the fighting, but Thor could see pride on his muddy face as he met his eyes. Panting on his hands and knees, Loki made to get up, but as he put his weight on his leg, he seemed to slip and fell back to all fours. Thor chuckled, assuming his brother’s clumsiness was just due to the boggy mud coating the ground, but his smile disappeared as Loki slipped again, this time whispering a curse and pressing a hand to his side.

“Loki? You okay?”

“I’m fin-” Loki began, but he slipped a third time and this time collapsed to the ground, clutching at his side and crying out in pain. Thor’s eyes widened and he ran to his brother’s side, joined by Sif and the others.

“Brother, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Shakily, Loki lifted his hand away. It was sticky with blood. Thor inhaled sharply. Underneath, there was a huge slash through the black leather, darkened and glistening red. Loki tried to sit up, but immediately gasped and fell back again. Fandral caught him and lowered him carefully down to the ground.

“Shit.” Thor started to panic. “Shit. Sif, what do we do?”

Sif had been training as a healer - “Someone in this group has to be a responsible adult” - but thus far she’d only had to attend to minor injuries; cuts, burns and the like. A wound of this degree would need serious treatment, and quickly. With nothing but their saddlebags and pine forest for miles, she didn’t have any of the equipment she needed, and was a bit hazy on the knowledge too. She swallowed.

“We...we need to stop the bleeding. I need...you know, fabric, some fabric. Something to press on the wound.”

Nodding, Thor reached around for the end of his cape. Seizing it in both hands, he grunted and the material slowly began to rip apart. Loki groaned with pain. Sif snatched the strip of cloth straight from Thor’s hands and pressed it hard to Loki’s side, leaning down with all her weight. Loki grimaced. His fists were clenched tight, knuckles white. Thor laid a hand on his shoulder. Anguish was etched into every line of the Odinson’s chiselled face.

“How long do you have to-”

“Twenty mintues,” Sif wheezed. “If that doesn’t stop the bleeding then...well, we’ll come to that.”

Twenty minutes soon passed. Thor gripped Loki’s hand and held it tight as his moans increased in volume. Sweat glistened on his forehead, and his chest heaved as he panted through the pain. It was difficult to tell against the fabric’s original crimson, but Thor was sure it was soon soaked in Loki’s blood. The pressure didn’t seem to be having any effect at all.

“Okay.” Sif prepared to remove the bandage. “Fingers crossed.”

Slowly, she peeled it away, revealing the wound beneath. The bleeding did seem to have slowed slightly, but nowhere near enough to apply a regular bandage. Sif swore.

“What do we do now?” asked Hogun.

Sif swallowed again. Loki’s eyelids fluttered - he was fading fast. “There’s only one thing I can think of.” Her eyes met Thor’s grimly. “We need space. Set up the camp nearby; get a fire going. Thor, I need more material.”

Hogun and Fandral rushed off to follow her instructions. A fire should be simple enough - the ruins of the battle had left many small blazes burning - but they couldn’t fathom why it would be needed.

Thor tore another strip and handed it to her, anxiously awaiting the next instruction. Motioning Thor and Volstagg to lift Loki’s shoulders, she wound the fabric tightly around his waist and tied it off with a sharp tug. He gasped softly.

“That should hold it for now,” Sif puffed, running a bloody hand through her hair. “We need to move him.”

Nodding, Volstagg moved to hold Loki’s legs, and Thor grasped him under the shoulders. “1, 2, 3-” Loki bit back a cry as they lifted him, the material cutting into the wound but holding it shut. As delicately as possible, Thor and Volstagg picked their way across the debris to where Fandral and Hogun had set up the camp, and were kindling the first sparks of a fire. Sif followed them, expression grim.

Loki groaned as they lay him down again, head lolling weakly to the side. Everyone looked to Sif. She scanned the ground for a moment, frowning, then kneeled decisively and grabbed one of Loki’s small throwing knives from its sheath. Thor looked at her quizzically. She avoided his gaze, and went over to the fire where she laid the blade in the centre of the coals. Thor’s blood went cold.

“Sif-!” he started up, accidentally knocking Loki’s arm and making him hiss in pain. “-Shit, sorry brother-” Thor brushed his knee and then scrabbled over to Sif. “Sif, we can’t!”

“Thor,” she scowled “we must.”

“But-”

“This is battlefield medicine, Thor. It’s not going to be neat or painless, but if we don’t do something he’s going to bleed to death before we could ever reach Asgard.”

Thor gulped, but made no further argument. Sif retrieved the blade from the fire, wincing as she grazed the red-hot metal. Loki looked up blearily as she and Thor returned, holding the knife menacingly in front of her. He whimpered slightly as she knelt down beside him, already knowing what was to come.

“Hold him down.”

Thor sniffed, but took his place at his brother’s shoulder and pressed his arm firmly to the ground. Fandral did likewise, and Hogun and Volstagg at his legs. They all paused.

“Are you ready, Loki?” Sif asked.

Loki took a shaky breath, then closed his eyes and nodded.

The second the brand pressed against his skin, Loki’s back arched and he screamed with pain, fists clenched and legs trying to kick out. Sif held firm, despite the small trail of smoke drifting into her face. Loki yelled and struggled under Thor’s shaking hands. Tears formed at the corners of the Odinson’s eyes as he watched his brother howl, face twisted in agony. “Almost there...”

As abruptly as the torture had begun, it stopped. Sif removed the burning blade and cast it aside. The tension drained from Loki’s body and he fell back, panting and groaning. Thor breathed a shaky sigh of relief, and stroked his brother’s sweaty forehead. “It’s okay, brother. It’s okay, it’s over. It’s done.” Loki moaned.

Sif dashed off to fetch one of their waterskins from the saddlebags while Thor and the others did their best to comfort Loki. Sif returned and unstopped the gourd, pouring as much water as they could spare slowly over the wound. Loki shuddered at the touch but his low groan almost seemed to be of relief instead of pain. His closed eyelids fluttered.

Sif cleaned the wound as best she could, and then carefully applied a bandage of clean fabric. Thor watched her careful work. Loki’s limp hand lay in his. She finished and straightened, brushing the hair from her face. “What now?” he asked.

Sif swallowed. “Now...we let him rest. And pray it heals properly.”

Thor nodded. Sif moved away to help the others with the camp, leaving Thor to gaze down concernedly at his brother. Loki’s eyes were closed and still, his head resting against the ground. His chest rose and fell with the smooth motions of sleep. Thor squeezed his hand gently, then got up and went to join the others.

* * *

“Thor!”

Thor jolted from sleep’s embrace, eyes gluey. The fire had died down overnight, and even through his thick cloak he could feel the prickle of the night’s chill. Sif swam slowly into focus in front of him.

“Sif? Wha’s-”

“It’s Loki.”

At that, the Odinson sprang up, instantly alert. Sif seized him by the arm and half-dragged him over to where his brother lay. In the dawn’s dusky light, at first he failed to see anything wrong. But as he leant closer, he could see that Loki’s skin was pale and clammy, and although his eyes were still shut, he was close to hyperventilating, his breath catching erratically in his throat. Thor lifted his chin towards him. His skin was as hot as ash.

“He’s burning,” Thor whispered to Sif. Yet Loki seemed to be shivering, even beneath the thick blanket. “Loki? Loki?” He gently slapped Loki’s cheek.

Loki’s eyes fluttered open, but something was definitely wrong. Their normal clear olive green was clouded, and as Thor cradled his head and called his name, he stared blankly as if he couldn’t even hear.

“This is bad,” murmured Thor. “Do you know what’s wrong?”

“No. I came to check on him and he was just...like this,” said Sif.

Loki coughed weakly in Thor’s arms, his eyes rolling back. The others had been woken by the noise, and clambered sleepily over.

“He’s running a very high fever,” said Sif. “Which, considering...” - she swallowed awkwardly - “...what he is, must be even more dangerous. We’ve got to bring down his temperature.”

Thor nodded, holding Loki close. They all watched on in dismayed silence as Sif prepared a wet cloth, the only sounds the trickling of the water and Loki’s fevered groans. He had started to convulse intermittently, febrile twitches racking his whole body. Thor ran a soothing hand through his hair.

Sif handed Thor the cloth and he pressed it tenderly to his brother’s forehead. Then she shuffled closer and cupped a hand behind Loki’s head, raising him up and lifting the water bottle to his lips. He drank weakly, eyes still closed. The water began to overflow down his cheek and he coughed helplessly. Sif quickly removed the waterskin and lowered him again.

Exchanging a glance with Thor, she moved to Loki’s side and began to remove the layers of cloth covering his wound. The stiff material had stuck to the skin with dried blood in places, and made a painful tearing sound as Sif pulled at it. Loki’s hand scrabbled out blindly, clutching feebly to Thor’s shirt as he panted. Sif’s frown grew deeper as each bandage peeled away. A sickly sweet smell began to emerge.

Cautiously, Sif lifted the final bandage. A second’s glimpse, accompanied by the horrible tang, was all they needed. She immediately pressed the cloth back down, heat from the inflamed tissue below radiating into her hand.

“Fuck.”

Thor swallowed. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated, the words caught in his throat. He took a nervous breath. “...What can we do?”

Sif sat back and put her head in her hands. She said nothing. Thor stared at her anxiously, his brother’s limp body still cradled in his arms. Everyone waited.

“A flower!” Suddenly Sif’s head shot up, eyes gleaming with the starlight of a new idea.

“What?”

“There’s a flower - Mallow Feverfew. Said to cure any fever. But it only grows in the Black Mountains.”

“That’s only a day from here,” Volstagg pointed out.

Thor glanced down at Loki’s pale face. “Will he last that long?”

Sif sighed. She had not been trained for this. It was a miracle that she’d been able to remember such an obscure note from the herbal remedies instructions the healers had given her in the first place. But Thor’s desperate expression didn’t permit any doubt.

“It’s the only option.”

Thor nodded sharply. “You three get provisions ready,” he ordered. The Warriors Three scrambled off to prepare. Sif leant over and grabbed one of Loki’s throwing knives again, wiping the blade clean on her knee. Thor frowned. “What are you doing?”

“I need to drain the wound.”

“Oh.”

Loki trembled. He was having real trouble breathing now, each gasp juddering and strained. Thor laid him gently down, squeezing his bloody hand. His own fingers were also stained red with his brother’s blood. Instinctively Loki’s fingers clutched at his as Thor unwound them. Sniffing, the Odinson bent and gently kissed his brother’s forehead. “Just...just please don’t die on me, brother.”

He ran off to help the others. Sif shuffled closer, and peeled away the bandages again, cringing slightly. This would hurt. She only hoped Loki was too weak now to fight back. Last thing she need was a black eye.

Thor and the others assembled behind her, puffing, packs slung over their shoulders and map at the ready.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can. No setting up camp, no rest for longer than we need it.”

“Fine, fine.” Sif waved a hand dismissively. She needed to focus.

“Come on. This way.” Hogun gestured to a twisting trail leading into the forest. Fandral and Volstagg set off after him. With a last glance back, Thor followed.

Turning back to Loki, Sif shifted again, getting in the best position to avoid a knee to the face. She took a deep breath, steadied her hands. Then she guided the tip of the blade downwards and made the first incision.

Thor flinched as Loki’s screams echoed through the trees. The need to run back and do something, just to stop those agonised cries, was burning, but he knew he had to fight it. He concentrated on the path ahead, placing his feet methodically in Volstagg’s deep footprints. With every step away towards the mountains the yells faded, swallowed by the endless forest.

* * *

Thor and the Warriors Three have some shenanigans and collect the flower. Fighting rebels, climbing mountains, all that jazz.

* * *

Morning dew shone like oil droplets on Sif’s boots as she trampled through the lush grass beneath the pines. She’d been scouring the forest for herbs since dawn’s light, and it had been a long and tiring night. Loki’s condition was no better - barely conscious, he’d started to hallucinate, murmuring in his sleep. She’d had to stay awake most of the night, tending the fire and persuading what little water she could into his mouth. She rubbed her grey eyes with the back of her hand. She needed to rest...

A twig snapped somewhere behind her. Sif whirled, instantly alert. Nothing seemed to be moving. Her hand moved slowly to her spear, folded at her belt. Still nothing. She eased forward, rolling her foot silently against the grass.

Suddenly, a small creature darted from the undergrowth and sped away into the trees. Sif breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing to worry about. Nonetheless, they couldn’t be certain the last of the rebels had fled the forest completely. A small band would be no trouble for them under normal circumstances, but alone, with Loki completely incapacitated and defenceless...She needed to get back. Hurriedly gathering what little herbs she’d managed to collect, she strode off back in the direction of the camp.

The sense of unease didn’t leave her as she walked. If it came to a fight, she knew she was a skilled warrior, but having a charge to protect as well would certainly hamper her combat. She wasn’t sure she was ready to risk her life for Loki. They’d never got on, even before everyone found out what he was. His lies, his mischief, just the way he didn’t really belong. Thor was always so ready to believe his deceptions, to forgive all the trouble he always ended up causing.

Enough, she chastised herself. You’re training to be a healer, and he is your patient. He’s depending on you for his life. A warrior does not abandon the weak. Besides, Thor would never forgive her if she let anything happen to him.

As the camp came into view through the trees, she was relieved to see that nothing had changed since she’d left. A small tendril of smoke floated from the fire’s embers on the light breeze, wafting the enticing smell of wood-smoke in her direction. That cosy smell had always made her sleepy. By Odin, she was tired.

She set her herbs down by the fire and rummaged in her bag for a cooking pot. Next to her, Loki kicked out feebly, frowning in his sleep. Sif sighed. She wasn’t used to being unable to fix problems, and the waiting was beyond frustrating. Hopefully it would not be too much longer before the others returned.

Sif prepared a poultice from the herbs and heated it gently over flames, then peeled back Loki’s bandages and applied it carefully to the wound. Loki flinched at her touch, but it was clear from his mutterings that his mind was elsewhere. “No...Thor...Father, please!” Whatever he was hallucinating, he sounded distressed, tossing and turning as if trying to escape from something. Thor tried to keep his family issues away from her and the Warriors Three, but Sif knew he’d been hurting after he, Loki and the Allfather had fought and his family had completely imploded. She blushed. This was their private matter. Thor wouldn’t want her to hear this. Of course, neither would Loki, if he was conscious enough to realise.

She settled back down by the fire, closing her eyes for a few moments blissful rest.

* * *

Thor stumbled through the undergrowth, looking worriedly back over his shoulder. That had been a close one. These skraelings were getting harder to outrun every time. Thank the gods they were nearly back to the camp. Panicking, he thrust a hand into his belt pouch. The flower was still there. Thank the Norns.

Soon the trail became familiar, and they started to glimpse the flicker of flames through the pines. Eager and anxious in equal amounts, Thor hurried forward. “Sif! Sif! Are you there?” he called ahead.

“Thor!” the reply echoed.

“Sif!”

“Thor, hurry! He hasn’t long.”

The Odinson broke into a jog. Hold on, brother. Almost there.

Thor careened through the trees into the camp, snapping branches and nearly falling to the ground. Sif dashed towards him, hands out held expectantly. Gasping, Thor pulled the precious bloom from its pouch and handed it to her - she scurried off to prepare the tincture. Thor scrabbled unsteadily to his feet and stumbled to where Loki lay. Fandral and the others emerged, disorientated, from the trees.

“Brother! Brother!” Thor threw himself down beside Loki. His brother’s skin had turned deathly pale and his heavy hand in Thor’s was icy cold even by his standards. His eyes were shut and he was totally still. Thor couldn’t even tell if he was breathing or not.

“Sif!” he called, voice cracking with anguish.

She returned with the potion; Thor propped up Loki’s lifeless body, his head lolling, and she poured the solution carefully down his throat. He didn’t react at all. Thor laid him tenderly down. They all waited in silence.

“How long will it take?” asked Volstagg. Sif shrugged helplessly.

Several hours passed. Sif went to rest and the others to organise their belongings. Thor remained at his brother’s side. The potion did seem to be working - the colour had slowly drained back into Loki’s skin, and his breathing was now regular and unlaboured. But he still hadn’t shown any sign of waking. Thor stroked the back of his hand unthinkingly.

Suddenly, Loki swallowed and grimaced, eyelids fluttering. Thor leant closer. Loki half-opened his eyes. Thor breathed a sigh of relief. Loki’s eyes were still filled with weakness and pain, but clear, the cloud of fever gone. He looked around uncertainly a few seconds, until his eyes focused on his brother. “...Thor?” he whispered.

An automatic smile lit up Thor’s face. “Yeah, brother. It’s me.” He shook Loki’s hand in his.

“What happe-” Loki tried to sit up, but gasped in pain and fell back. “Woah, woah. Easy!” Thor exclaimed, catching his shoulders and gently but firmly pressing him back down. “Just rest, brother. It’s okay.” Loki breathed heavily, wincing.

---

Aaand that was all she wrote.

#my writing #whumperhood memories

13 notes · View notes

bleuhisteria · 11 months

Text

Deus Ex Machina|| Aizawa x Reader Chapter 11

The key to trust and communication, is... videogames.

What are we doing here? The deadpan thought ran across my mind as I found myself in the living room, sitting in front of the TV next to Aizawa.

"(N/N), shoot it! Shoot it!" Dad's panicked voice filled the room.

"Y-yes!" I responded quickly, frantically mashing buttons on the controller in my hand.

"(Y/N), on your left!" Aizawa shouted, fending off zombies in his virtual realm.

Both of us were in a state of panic, playing a video game indoors while my dad watched us from the couch.

But why were we doing this, exactly? Well...

"I'm glad you asked! First, we'll do an exercise that will help you both learn to work together and improve coordination, starting with open communication," Dad explained.

What I didn't expect was that his idea of open communication involved playing a multiplayer video game together.

"I'll go get snacks. Want anything?" Dad asked as he got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen.

"Candy!" I shouted, my eyes still glued to the screen as Aizawa and I cleared the level. "Yes!" I cheered, finding myself standing up in excitement.

The game continued as we progressed to the next level.

As (Y/N)'s dad grabbed a bowl, humming while filling it with treats, he opened the fridge to grab some drinks. Startled, he closed the fridge door and was taken aback by Elena standing behind it.

"Jeebus! Elena! What are you doing there?!" (F/N) screamed, caught off guard by the maid's sudden appearance.

Ignoring the question, Elena's gaze shifted slightly to the two teenagers in the living room before returning to (F/N). "(F/N)-sama, what exactly are you trying to do for those two?" she asked, her tone skeptical.

Chuckling, (F/N) replied, "I need them both to build trust in each other. Besides, screaming counts as open communication," he said with a laugh.

Sighing at his antics, Elena's gaze shifted to Aizawa. "He's close to figuring it out," she remarked, her face displaying worry.

(F/N) glanced over at Aizawa and (Y/N), observing their tense expressions and heated exchanges. "Does he have bad intentions?" he inquired, turning to Elena.

Elena shook her head. "None that I know of. He's solely here to achieve his goal," she stated.

"Then don't worry too much and make it a big deal. As long as he doesn't harbor ill will towards our (N/N), you should try not to pry into his mind as much as possible," (F/N) advised, his face relaxing as he reassured himself that his daughter was in safe hands.

Placing a hand on her forehead, Elena shook her head and sighed. "You know I can't exactly control whose mind I enter," she said. "And I don't want to anyway," she added wearily.

"My concern is, are you going to tell him that you're a hero?" Elena asked.

(F/N) shook his head. "You know what happened last time, and I don't want (N/N) to feel unsafe again. The only information he's going to get is what she's willing to share. Their relationship is none of my business," he stated, looking serious.

"I'll just watch over them for now, and you make sure that things don't go down the same path as last time," he said, picking up the bowl of snacks and drinks, heading back to the living room.

Elena bowed. "I will. Have fun. I'll be taking (M/N)-sama for her walk," she said, casting a side-eye at the three as she walked off upstairs.

"So, how's it going?" Dad asked as he placed the bowl full of snacks on the coffee table.

I set my controller down, grabbing a few pieces of candy mixed into the bowl of packaged treats, leaving it to Aizawa to respond.

He sighed, "We already finished the game," he said, dropping his controller and reaching for the bowl. "Remind me again how this is supposed to help us?" he asked, unwrapping a chocolate bar and taking a bite.

Dad settled back onto the couch, causing the cushion to sink beneath his weight. "This exercise is all about communication. How well you can communicate with each other can make a big difference in a fight," he explained, raising a finger.

"Tell me, Aizawa, how many times did you have to shout at (Y/N) before she turned left like you asked?" Dad inquired, causing my face to flush with embarrassment.

Despite being into machinery and tech, I wasn't really one for videogames.

"Five times," Aizawa responded.

Dad nodded approvingly. "Good, good. Now, have you considered why she couldn't do as you asked right away?" he prodded.

Aizawa pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

Then Dad turned to me. "And (N/N), how many times did you have to tell Aizawa to stop focusing on one side and cover your back?" he questioned.

I flinched, swallowing the candy in my mouth. "Th-three times," I admitted.

Dad nodded again. "Now, have the two of you thought about why you had to repeat yourselves multiple times before the other person acted?" he asked, looking expectantly at us.

Aizawa and I exchanged confused glances, unsure of what he was getting at. With little response from either of us, Dad continued.

"Besides this being your first time playing, which is a factor on its own, what you both lack is trust," he stated, pointing at us. "You don't trust each other enough to effectively communicate and listen to one another," he explained.

As if a bolt of lightning had struck, Aizawa and I locked eyes, a newfound clarity washing over us. But before we could utter a word, Dad was already rising from the couch, heading towards the TV to change the game cartridge we had been playing.

"I've got just the game to help build that trust you're lacking," Dad announced with a mischievous grin. "It's a two-player VR game, but here's the twist: you'll be in separate rooms. You'll need to rely on communication and observation to navigate the challenges together. Have fun!" he exclaimed, retrieving two virtual reality helmets from the nearby display.

He couldn't resist adding a playful remark, "Fun fact, this game was actually what caused your mother to fall in love with me."

Blushing furiously, I turned away from Aizawa, "D-Dad!" I stammered, embarrassed by his playful remark. He always claimed that a certain video game could make people fall in love, even insisting it was what won Mom's heart. But I never thought he would make us play it!

Chuckling, he reassured me, "I'm just kidding. Your mother fell for my natural charm." he said with a wink.

Aizawa, unamused, focused on the VR helmet in his hands. "What kind of game is it?" he asked, directing the conversation back to the task at hand.

Dad settled back on the couch, explaining, "It's a puzzle-solving game that requires both players to analyze their surroundings and make decisions based on their individual perspectives. You'll need to communicate what you see, but you won't know exactly what the other person is experiencing."

Rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but comment sarcastically, "Ah, analyzing, the secret to love. No wonder mom couldn't resist." Deep down, though, I couldn't deny that there might be some truth to it. If it was an analyzing puzzle game, it was probably an over analyzing game, making it right up my mom's alley. She had a knack for solving puzzles within seconds.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked, "How long did you guys play for?"

Dad crossed his arms, appearing contemplative. "A couple of hours into the night. She didn't want to stop until we finished the game," he replied in a serious tone.

"A couple of hours?!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening. How difficult could this game be if it took my mom, the puzzle-solving genius, a couple of hours?

Dad waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, don't worry. It took a while because we had it on the highest difficulty. You and Aizawa can handle the easiest level for now," he reassured me, setting up the game.

Curious about the game itself, Aizawa spoke up. "What's the game like?"

Dad hummed, raising his head to answer. "There are some horror themes, but nothing too scary. No jump scares, if you're wondering. However, if you care about the storyline, it definitely adds to the tension," he explained, finishing the setup on the easiest difficulty.

"That should do it. It'll take you about..." he glanced at his watch, "...about an hour to complete."

I glanced at Aizawa, concern evident in my eyes, as he put the VR helmet on. He seemed far less fazed than I was by the prospect of playing a potentially scary game.

"Since your screens are displayed on the TV, you can ask me for hints if you're struggling. Just keep in mind that I'll be grading your co-op skills, and the more hints you ask for, the more deductions you'll receive," Dad informed us, setting the expectations for the game.

The initial stages of the game were relatively simple, involving pulling levers, pushing buttons, and coordinating actions to progress. However, the true test of trust emerged when we encountered doors that would determine our path forward. One wrong choice led to witnessing horrifying scenes, making us question the reliability of the other's judgment.

"Are you sure door number 8 is the right one? That's what it shows on your side, correct?" I asked, still reeling from the shock of a previous door that had led us to a nightmarish laboratory filled with grotesque experiments.

"Yes, it clearly indicates door 8 as the correct option. All the other numbers are crossed out," Aizawa reassured me, trying to alleviate my apprehension.

With trepidation, I cautiously opened door number 8, closing my eyes in anticipation of a jump scare, despite my dad's assurance that there wouldn't be any. As I opened my eyes, relief washed over me, revealing an operating room with a curtain separating an operation table from a computer displaying security footage.

"Aizawa, is that you?" I asked, peering at the computer screen on my side. "I see you standing behind a counter in what appears to be a cafeteria. Are you in a cafeteria?"

"You can see me?" Aizawa responded, his player character looking directly at the nearest camera.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, a genuine sense of relief sweeping over me in the midst of the game's horrors.

"That could mean we might be able to meet each other soon," Aizawa remarked, his words providing a glimmer of hope. The thought of seeing him, even in a virtual world, filled me with warmth.

"What should I do now? There really isn't much to this room..." I said, scanning the eerie surroundings of the abandoned hospital, a chill running down my spine.

From the live footage on my screen, I could see Aizawa exploring his surroundings. "I'm not sure where to go from here either," he replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

As I scrutinized the security footage on my side, a tiny pixel caught my attention, indicating what seemed to be a door. "Try heading to the upper right of your current position. I think there might be something there," I suggested.

"Got it," Aizawa responded, and I watched his character move in the opposite direction.

"Hey! I said upper right!" I called out, perplexed by his movement.

"I am going to the upper right!" he retorted.

"That's the upper left!" I shouted back, frustration creeping into my voice.

"Huh?" he expressed, his tone reflecting confusion. It was then that he had an epiphany. "Look at my character on the screen and tell me where I'm going," he requested, causing my own confusion to deepen.

"You're going to the upper right..." I replied hesitantly.

Aizawa let out a sigh. "You're watching a mirrored footage," he explained, realization dawning upon me.

Dad's laughter resonated from behind us. "Good job, Aizawa," he praised, thoroughly enjoying our miscommunication as the game continued.

Later on, I found myself in a control room, surrounded by notes that provided guidance on what to do. Aizawa informed me that he was in a room with a broken bridge and needed to reach the other side or progress to the next level.

"What happens when I pull this lever?" I asked, curiosity piqued as I pulled the lever on my side.

"Nothing really..." Aizawa began to reply but then noticed something. "Wait, a moving platform just passed by me," he exclaimed.

Nodding, even though he couldn't see me, I quickly formulated a plan. "I'll pull the lever back, and you can take the opportunity to jump on the moving platform," I suggested, hearing Aizawa hum in agreement.

With our coordination, we successfully made it to the next level. However, a cautionary sign appeared on Aizawa's side, warning, 'Moving platforms lead to furnace.' This prompted Aizawa to ask a crucial question. "(F/N)-san, can you die in this game? And if so, what happens after?"

"Yep! If you die, the game restarts from the beginning," my dad chimed in, relishing in our trepidation.

"I-I don't want to restart!" I cried out, dreading the prospect of reliving the horrifying experiences.

"Then you better coordinate better," my dad teased, clearly finding amusement in our predicament.

"L-Let me test a few things, Aizawa. Tell me what happens on your side," I requested nervously, pulling multiple levers simultaneously.

"Several moving platforms just passed by me. I think if we time this correctly, I can parkour my way to the other side," Aizawa reported, his voice determined.

I hummed in understanding, determined to figure out a solution that would spare us from restarting the game.

"First lever!" I called out to Aizawa before pulling the lever, followed by the second one a few seconds later, creating a bridge for Aizawa's character to jump onto.

"C-crap!" I heard him shout in panic.

"What happened?" I asked with genuine concern.

"Wait... I thought...?" Aizawa's voice trailed off in confusion.

"What is it?" I inquired, wanting to understand the situation.

"I fell down. But instead of the game resetting, I just got teleported back to the other side of the bridge," Aizawa clarified, his tone still tinged with bewilderment.

As the realization hit me, frustration bubbled up. "Daaad!" I whined, hearing him chuckle at our expense.

After his laughter subsided, he informed us, "The game has save points," bringing a sense of relief to both Aizawa and me. "Sorry, I forgot our game was on the highest difficulty, we didn't have save points."

Back to the task at hand, I had to time pulling the levers for Aizawa to be able to move through the platforms, he had to trust that I knew what I was doing, and I had to trust that he knew what he was doing, it was rather intense despite being a simple puzzle game.

After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached the end of the game. The tension that had built up throughout the experience dissipated, replaced by a surge of accomplishment and relief. With trembling hands, I removed the VR helmet, feeling the weight of the virtual world lift off my shoulders.

"How was it?" Dad asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he observed us.

I took a moment to catch my breath, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. "Intense," I replied, a mix of exhaustion and relief in my voice. "It was challenging, but we made it to the end."

Aizawa nodded in agreement, his expression reflecting a sense of weariness. "(Y/N) screaming was the highlight of it all." he said playfully as he turned to me.

My face turned red, my hand immediately covering my face, "I-it was scary okay?!" I exclaimed in defense as I heard him and my dad chuckling.

"Now, before I get on with my evaluation, ice cream, anyone?" Dad asks.

I took my hands off my face and nodded.

3 notes · View notes

princeofgod-2021 · 1 year

Text

LIGHT OF LIFE 325

John 1:4

WHERE WE MUST DRAW LINES 7 – LOVE FOR GOD 3

Exo 32:26 HE STOOD AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAMP AND SAID, "IF YOU'RE ON THE LORD'S SIDE, COME OVER HERE TO ME!" Then all the Levites gathered around him. GW

So again, why the extreme judgment on those who don’t love or have stopped loving God?

Think again on the extent of the Judgment on the Ephesian Church over diminished love for God.

Rev 2:4-5 "But I have this against you: YOU HAVE LEFT THE LOVE YOU HAD IN THE BEGINNING. So remember where you were before you fell. Change your hearts and do what you did at first. IF YOU DON'T CHANGE, I WILL COME TO YOU AND REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE. ERV

They still served God faithfully and with zero tolerance for false messengers, yet they faced this?

Rev 2:2-3 I know everything you have done, iNCLUDING YOUR HARD WORK AND HOW YOU HAVE ENDURED. I KNOW YOU WON'T PUT UP WITH ANYONE WHO IS EVIL. WHEN SOME PEOPLE PRETENDED TO BE APOSTLES, YOU TESTED THEM AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE LIARS. You have endured and gone through hard times because of me, AND YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN UP. CEV

If judgment against those who are this faithful is as serious as shown here, then you have to agree that what Moses did in the wilderness, is in concordance with an all-time standard of God for all defaulters of His commands.

If you won’t love God anymore, He’ll remove you from His House, Period!

Now to answer the question as to why God wants haters eliminated from his fold.

Deu 24:1 "SUPPOSE A MAN MARRIES A WOMAN AND LATER DECIDES THAT HE DOESN'T WANT HER, BECAUSE HE FINDS SOMETHING ABOUT HER THAT HE DOESN'T LIKE. So he writes out divorce papers, gives them to her, and SENDS HER AWAY FROM HIS HOME. GNB

This was the unfair law Jesus came to correct in Matt 19: men with evil motives will find “any” reason to divorce wives and send them away.

But look at the deeper angle to this: when love fails between a couple, there is no more Joy at seeing each other; it could get to a point where if they don’t separate quickly, they may end up killing each other, especially, the weaker suffers more.

Jer 12:8 The people I call my own have TURNED ON ME LIKE A LION IN THE FOREST. THEY HAVE ROARED DEFIANTLY AT ME. SO I WILL TREAT THEM AS THOUGH I HATE THEM. NET

Have you seen bitter Christians who complain about [almost] everything?

Some can’t even hide it anymore. In this case, God does not have to cut them off; they backslide themselves.

But in some cases, God will have to excommunicate them because they could infect others with their hate.

Deu 1:26-27 But you would not go up, but REBELLED AGAINST THE COMMAND OF JEHOVAH your God. AND YOU MURMURED in your tents and said, BECAUSE JEHOVAH HATES US, He has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. MKJV

People or persons who hate God, or at least, don’t love Him anymore, will always incite murmurings amongst brethren through slander and bitter animosity.

They will claim that it is God that hates them and they could strike up rebellions in the House and scatter it, so God must remove them.

Remember satan and how he got 1/3 of angels to follow him?

He cajoled and deceived them.

Rev 12:4,7 THE DRAGON’S MASSIVE TAIL SWEPT ACROSS THE SKY AND DRAGGED AWAY A THIRD OF THE STARS OF HEAVEN AND CAST THEM TO THE EARTH. And the dragon crouched before the woman who was about to give birth—poised to devour the baby the moment it was born…Then a terrible war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the great dragon. THE DRAGON AND HIS ANGELS FOUGHT BACK. TPT

Pride alone wasn’t the problem of satan. He had come to hate God and we know that rebellion or revolution is staged against a hated leader.

The people won over through slander become worse.

Num 21:5-6 AND THE PEOPLE SPOKE AGAINST GOD AND AGAINST MOSES, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness, for there is no bread or water, and we detest this worthless food.” SO THE LORD SENT VENOMOUS SNAKES AMONG THE PEOPLE, AND THEY BIT THE PEOPLE; MANY PEOPLE OF ISRAEL DIED. NET

If we allow such haters to stay long, murmuring will graduate to outright bold challenging of God and Leadership in Church.

Then God gets angry and kills many more, where only one should have been “excommunicated” or flushed out earlier.

A last stage of the “Loveless” impact is where a people hate God but they don’t go away; they start adulterous relationships in His House.

Eze 16:26,38 YOU HAD SEX with your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians. YOU USED YOUR PROSTITUTION TO MAKE ME ANGRY…I will punish you the same way that those who are guilty of prostitution and murder are punished. I WILL GIVE YOU THE DEATH PENALTY IN MY FURY AND BURNING ANGER. GW

This is the stage where God can kill anyone.

Reason?

Idolatry/Adultery!

Notice the progression in stages and results of lovelessness:

1. When love fails, commitment dwindles.

2. bitterness sets in, and you could leave by yourself.

3. Bitterness graduates to murmurings and influencing other, so an “army” could form against God.

4. Murmuring becomes shouts of rebellion and war against God.

5. Adultery/idolatry in the House brings God’s anger against defaulters and he kills them.

Jer 2:13 for my people have committed two sins: THEY HAVE TURNED AWAY FROM ME, THE SPRING OF FRESH WATER, and they have dug cisterns, cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all. GNB

Check your “Love Stage” for God.

If faulty, please repent and return, or you’ll draw a line between you, God and the people that truly love Him.

May God help restore us to Himself, in Jesus name.

Join us on Monday for more digging into scriptures and peruse this intriguing subtopic.

Keep Shinning!

Brother Prince

Friday, March 10, 2023

08055125517; 08023904307

0 notes

shadowsshowdown · 1 year

Text

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Shadow’s Showdown 38

youtube

The One Who Knows More Than You Think.

Sweden. Gamla Uppsala.

Laura sat hunched against the door, paralyzed by a panic attack. She was breathing unevenly, fighting for every draught of air. Shivering spasms ran through her body. The woman put her arms around her head in an effort to utter a few words.

"You found me Damien just the way I wanted it! So let's end this once and for all! Take me with you but leave Adam alone! Do you understand?!"

She felt someone grabbing her arms, so she tried to get free. She jerked furiously for a long time, only stopping when she realized her terrible mistake.

"Laura, it's me, Connor," he tried to calm her down but to no avail so he sat down right next to her and just hugged her. "You didn't hear anything, I didn't say anything!" she growled. "Yes, you said quite a bit, I'm not going to deny it, what's more; I expect an explanation," he replied, and his tone suddenly became firm and serious. "Stay out of my matters," she insisted, trying to get up but her legs were like cotton wool so the man took her in his arms and carried her into the living room.

The hacker felt like this was a road of no return. Connor was able to force her to confess things she didn't want to tell him, without any problem. Laura was angry at herself because she had already dragged too many people into the swamp she found herself in. She was pulled out of her reverie by a mug of tea handed to her by Connor.

"Let's start at the beginning. Tell me, is that man who was hanging around the house today related to this Damien of yours?" he asked quite openly, without playing around with the subject. "What man, what are you talking about?!" the woman twitched, panicking.

The man noticed that she was shaking all over, so he set her mug down on the top of the coffee table. "So you were unaware of the fact that someone was apparently interested in you?"

"I thought I saw Damien in Valhalla, so I went home and you already know the rest. I thought by some miracle he had managed to get here before me." "I don't know who he was, after all, I don't know Damien. But if it wasn't for that suspicious type, I would have been waiting for you at the door." "How did you know I was right here? There are at least a dozen of these cottages in the area," Laura was ruthless in her inquiry. "And that was already the receptionist's courtesy combined with my personal charm," he replied proudly."Boaster," she muttered.

Connor grew more serious, trying to put together in his mind exactly what he should say to keep her from throwing him out the door. "You should pack up and come back with me. Staying here is suicide."

"Out of the question!" she protested, barely having time to finish her sentence. "First of all I want him to find me, secondly stay out of this. It's enough that Adam stepped into that swamp." "Adam?" the man raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise. "He knows everything, wants to help you, is worried, and you just run away?!"

The woman pulled her knees to her chin and wrapped her legs with her arms. "That's exactly why I couldn't stay."

"Laura, damn it! Don't act like some kind of martyr. You have friends in Detroit who are there for you so why..." Connor broke off his sentence and turned around when Laura suddenly started taking off her blouse. "Look!" she yelled. "Look, for the fuck’s sake!"

The man reluctantly turned his head, and Laura's words grated like biting sugar crystals. He saw an irregular scar stretching along the right side of her back. He was beginning to understand her actions a little but it still wasn't enough.

"This is Damien's work, one of many. He's not just a psychopath he's an intelligent predator, trained to fight."

"Are you afraid Adam that can't handle it? He's just as experienced, maybe you're just underestimating him?"

Joe is an aug, and he couldn't prevent tragedy.

"Believe me, though, I know what I'm talking about. Damien and I are a long-term story of a girl being tormented into unconsciousness, raped, sold, and kept in a basement."

"I understand how you feel, and I try to imagine what you've been through, but don't you think it's time to get over it? Find your strength in this fall, spread your wings and soar. Start trusting the people next to you."

Laura knew she had said too much but Connor made the words somehow flow by themselves. She also knew he was right. "I'm going to stay here. I have spoken," she said firmly. "I have to protect Adam at all costs. He has a wonderful life ahead of him, and I'm nobody. No one will even notice that I'm gone. It's better for everyone."

Connor couldn't believe what he had just heard. Though after a moment's thought, he concluded that the hacker must have heard for a long time how insignificant she was and that's why she still felt that way. "If you were a nobody, Adam wouldn't look at you. He wouldn't fall in love with someone worthless." They were risky words but necessary. He could see that Laura needed such reassurances as long as they were sincere, and in his case they were.

The woman's hands began to tremble, so she hid them entwined together between her belly and curled legs. Adam couldn't fall in love with her. What had happened was just a passing fascination, nothing more.

"I know what you're trying to accomplish, but enough fun. The only thing those words carry is false hope. I've told you too much anyway, now be so kind and get your ass back to Detroit," she growled.

"I'm sorry, but I have no way to go back. My pilot is on a tight schedule so he won't be arriving here until less than a week from now. Faridah has even more flights. So like it or not, I'm staying here," he replied getting up from the sofa.

The woman sighed loudly, ostentatiously demonstrating her displeasure. From further down the hall, Connor could be heard whistling “Always look at the bright side of life” while carrying a backpack slung over his left shoulder.

"The room on the right is free, right? I'll sleep in your bed, great!" she heard an amused voice.

Plague, pestilence, syphilis, and leprosy, she thought as she reached for her cold tea. She wanted to drink already, but suddenly her cup was taken away.

"It has long gone cold. I'll brew a new one," he announced still amused, and went to the kitchenette. "Damn you..." "What are you mumbling about?" he asked as he pulled clean cups from the cabinet. "That you're so strong, handsome, wonderful, helpful, and caring," she burbled while squeezing into the corner of the sofa. "It's very nice of you to appreciate that," he replied with a wide smile.

Laura bit her lip and closed her eyes. It was amazing how he could suddenly change his demeanor. Just a moment ago he was serious, and now he had completely forgotten about their conversation. What kind of game is he playing? On the other hand, there was this feeling that she didn't dare to talk about out loud. The calmness, the sense of security, and the understanding that his presence brought were irreplaceable to her.

"Why did you say Adam had a crush on me?" she asked quietly, looking intently at his face as he handed her the cup.

Connor folded his lips into a pout and fixed a strand of hair falling across his forehead. "Because it’s obvious. Besides, you should know that yourself."

It wasn't until he finished the sentence that it occurred to him what a gaffe he'd made. Most likely Laura does not know what it is like to be loved, or she rejects this feeling because she is not worthy of it. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her. Stalker came over and jumped into his lap.

"I wasn't always like this. After my parents had died, I had no one to tell me what was right and wrong. I fucked with a lot of guys wherever possible. Dirty toilets, dark alleys, squats, their apartments. After drugs and alcohol, I was all over the place. I often ended up in some kind of threesome. I didn't remember much in the morning. By the evening I would sober up and everything would start all over again. Many times I ran from the police, many times I was in jail. Then Damien showed up. He was so damn handsome, every time he walked into Lemon-Lime all the girls lost their minds to him. He always had fashionable clothes, an expensive watch, and a phone. He must have had rich parents. Damien ignored all those pretty girls and chose me. The prince looked at someone ordinary. He made me feel like a queen and then a whore. He always said I was the most important, but he kept bringing new girls. He made me watch him fuck them, listen to their shameless moans." "He wanted you to be jealous of him, typical behavior of rich narcissists," Connor muttered.

Her story didn't shake him at all. Yes, he felt sorry for her, but she's just one of many victims showing how broken this world is. What shocked him more was that no one was trying to fight it, to stop this sick circle of cruelty. He knew she would call him heartless, insensitive, and mean, but he felt compassion was the last thing she needed. Laura needs to start fighting back, to stand firm on her feet and say "Enough!"

"He said I was too fat, so he stopped feeding me. When we went to Lemon-Lime I could only drink as much as he saw fit. He also chose the drinks. At home, I always walked around naked because he had to see if I wasn’t secretly eating more than he allowed. Sometime later we left, but I don't know where. Damien made sure the place remained a secret. I remember it was a huge estate, a palace full of precious paintings and antique furniture. I lived in the basement, going out whenever he or his friends felt like having sex." "Let's watch a movie," he suggested suddenly, interrupting her story. "Come on. You're supposed to be resting, after all."

Laura was not thrilled, though she should have been. She slowly got up from the sofa and followed him towards the other sofa set in the corner. Opposite it was a large television, hung on the wall halfway separating the living room from the hallway. When she sat down, Connor had already managed to find a movie, but it didn't actually matter much what they were going to watch just to distract the woman from her problems.

"Leave it," she protested when he wanted to change the channel. "Do you like Thor?" he asked curiously. "Very," she muttered. "Because he's strong and masculine and reminds you of Adam?" "Yup," she muttered again, not even listening to what he was saying to her. "I knew it," Connor laughed. "What did you know?" she asked clearly surprised. "Nothing, absolutely nothing..." he replied whistling. "Connor!" she yelled. "That Thor reminds you of Adam," he said sipping his tea and glancing up as Laura blushed. "No wonder, after all, he's brave, gallant, handsome. He may not be blond, but he has blue eyes."

Gray-blue, she thought. "Stop it!"

"Why should I..." He broke off looking at the screen. "Well, yes... It's that scene with the romantic kiss on the... hand!"

He didn't have time to dodge the pillow that hit him in the head. He fell to his side pretending to be dead. Laura looked in his direction out of the corner of her eye without turning her head then they both burst out laughing.

Location Unknown.

Dr. Amanda Moore stood completely naked on the balcony, leaning her elbows against the black and gold metal railing. She held a glass of red wine in one hand, the rim of which bore a trace of her beige lipstick, and a cigarette in the other.

"We're not done yet, Miss Moore!" she heard an impatient voice coming from inside the bedroom. "What aren't we done with?" she asked as she put out her cigarette and dropped it into the ashtray standing on the coffee table right next to her. She also left an empty glass on it, the contents of which she drank at once. "Our therapy," the man muttered, hearing her footsteps.

The gentle clacking of her feet against the marble floor clearly indicated that they were bare. Later, the creaking of the parquet was so subtle and wonderful. From those sounds, he could imagine how sensually she swayed her hips. If only I could see it, he thought while biting his lip.

At first, there was only tingling in his loins, disappointing and ridiculous. He already wanted to comment on the doctor's embarrassing efforts but all that came out of his mouth instead of words was a loud, long moan followed by a gasp. He stretched out his hands towards her like a child demanding his mother take it in her arms. He felt his fingertips sliding over the silky skin. He found her hips moving faster and faster like a storm-tossed sea. They were perfectly round and just right wide, but still far from the ones he knew well and longed for. He had almost reached the doctor's breasts when their fun was interrupted by an incoming call.

"Hades, what the fuck do you want?!"

Damien's shout and the inarticulate words it contained made no impression on the doctor. She merely decided she should slow down a bit. After all, it would be foolish for a subordinate to hear his master's moans. With one firm jerk of her head, she tossed back her snake-like black hair that was halfway down her back. Her nails left a pink mark on his belly.

"The pizza is indeed waiting to be picked up. Unfortunately, RK800 unexpectedly showed up there. Shall we continue the mission?" "Back off. We'll find another moment." "Yes sir. Hades out."Barely finished talking he felt the doctor's teeth sinking into his neck. She bit him so hard and didn’t let go until she could taste his blood in her mouth. Damien purred with satisfaction. "Oh fuck..." she heard from him as she firmly jerked her hips, and immediately the man almost screamed in pleasure.

He hadn't expected that such a modest doctor could actually be so fiery and determined. With another movement, his hands tightened on the scarlet bedding. Just one more and... The eighty-eight-inch television rose showing the screen hidden beneath it. Kratos knew this conversation had to take place without Amanda. She knew it too so she reluctantly put on her dressing gown and left the bedroom.

"Take care of serious business instead of screwing around with Amanda!" the irritated voice of Bob Page greeted him. "Why the sudden anger?" he asked, resting his straightened arms against the headboard of the bed. "We must be ready. I can't stand failure. You were talking to..." "Yes, a few days ago I agreed with Kratos that his Whalers would wait for an order. Should anything go wrong the Tyrants can count on their support," Jaron Namir's voice interjected. "And the girl? The one who broke off the leash?" asked Page. "She is harmless and knows nothing of the coming attack. Besides, Hades is guarding her. I'll get rid of her before the attack," he replied, reaching for a box of cigars, from which he took one and cut off the end. He had no problem finding items as long as someone didn't move them or put them in a different place. "She's a known hacker," Namir interjected. "She can do us harm." "Or help," Damien's tone was rough. His face was lit for a moment by the flame of a lit match. "What do you mean by that?" spoke up Page.

Kratos let out a cloud of smoke with his mouth that soared to the ceiling. He wanted to answer already but didn't have time.

"We will finish the conversation another time. Namir, you are to be ready and know the entire plan by heart. So do the building plans." "Yes, sir. Over and out," Jaron hung up. "And you keep an eye on the hacker. If there wasn't time for another meeting, put your plan into action. I give you credit, don't let me down, Damien."

The man sank heavily onto his pillow as the television screen went back to its place. Amanda returned moments later, but he no longer felt like having sex. Now his thoughts were occupied by Evie.

Sweden. Gamla Uppsala.

When the movie was over Laura was already in a very good mood. Connor decided that he was starving, so he went to the kitchen intending to prepare something to eat. At first, it was going to be regular sandwiches, but after looking at the contents of the fridge, he decided to make toast. He planned to eat three, but he knew something would always happen and would make his plate empty before he started eating for good. Learning from experience, which was called: the stomach rumbles, he took extra precautions and made twice as many.

Laura promised herself that she wouldn't deprive him of his meal, but the smell was so tempting that all resolve went to hell. The hacker quietly snuck into the kitchen and unsteadily took one toast from his plate. When Connor turned to put another piece on his plate he noticed the lack of supplies and smiled to himself. He didn't say a word. He knew Laura might misunderstand him and he was only too happy that she liked his cooking so he preferred not to spoil it.

Pretending nothing had happened, he went back to the hacker and set a plate of still hot toast on the table. He hoped Laura would hold out longer in her resolve not to eat so he felt a stab of disappointment.

"Joe used to do the same thing," she said quietly. "Joe?" Connor raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Holy shit. I talk too much.

There was no point in lying, so she had to tell him anything. "He was my friend but he disappeared. I don't know where he is. I tried to find him but to no avail. Every time I told him I wasn't hungry. He brought twice as many sandwiches. We spent Christmas together, but they were not full of joy. I kept remembering how Joe... how Damien... how..."

Without thinking, Connor put down his plate of toast and embraced Laura tightly. "Imagine locking the past in a box," he said quietly into her ear. "Everything bad. Every word, every gesture, memory, feeling, pain. You wrap everything in decorative paper and tie it with a ribbon. Then you hand that gift to Damien with a smile and watch it blow up right in his face. That's your strength, Evie."

He didn't wait for her to respond. He took the woman in his arms and carried her to her bedroom. He laid her on the bed covering her with a quilt and left quietly.

Laura could not fall asleep. The whole time she wondered why Connor had called her Evie? How does he know her real name? Maybe it was just a coincidence? Or maybe not after all...?

All chapters can be found: [AO3], [dA], [Wattpad] and [Tumblr]

#Deus Ex #DXHR #Deus Ex Human Revolution #Adam Jensen #Shadowfanfic #crunchy-shadow #Shadow's Showdown #Nifriel #I never asked for this #Fanfiction #Evie Dormer OC #Joe Mando OC #Cyberpunk #Writers on tumblr #Chapter 38: The One Who Knows More Than You Think.

0 notes

lizhly-writes · 3 years

Text

there’s something wrong

roleswap x canon, I guess! that is, both kdj and yjh think that they’re dealing with the protagonist of their favorite novel. they’re both wrong!

“We have to make it a little further,” Yoo Joonghyuk says, just a little desperate. The protagonist was supposed to have swept through this area already, so why were there so many demonic people left? It’s as if Kim Dokja hadn’t touched the horde at all.

Behind him, Kim Harin curses. “Hey, what’s all this about?” she screams. “Weren’t we supposed to have a fighting chance? Aren’t the numbers here too much against three people?”

[Sorry,] the supervising dokkaebi says, not sounding particularly sorry. [The difficulty of the scenario was raised since the group ahead of you proceeded before the scenario was ready. It’s no fun if things are too easy, is it?]

“It’s also no fun if we’re wiped out in the first wave, right?” Han Younghwan grits out. He’s already taken a hit; if this goes on for much longer, there’s no way he’ll make it far enough on that leg.

The dokkaebi pauses. [True. Then what about this? I’ll be generous. If you make it halfway to the bridge, I’ll adjust the scenario difficulty back down again. How does that sound?]

“Are you fucking serious? You call that gener—”

“Deal,” Yoo Joonghyuk says, loudly enough to drown out Kim Harin’s voice. It’s no good arguing with a dokkaebi. They’ve all seen the results on national television.

[Good! I’ll leave you to it then!]

“Great!” says Kim Harin. “Now we’ll only maybe die.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Han Younghwan says. “Me, on the other hand—”

Yoo Joonghyuk doesn’t have a stigma or skill that can deal with this. He’s got coins from dealing with that terrorist, but even if he spends everything he has, it might not be enough to get through. They’re not actually doing badly right now — the start of the scenarios has still given everyone a boost — but they can’t keep this up forever.

Far ahead of them, there’s a figure struggling to deal with the oncoming hordes. It’s a salaryman, average in all forms, panting as he throws himself out of the way of black-ether enhanced limbs. There’s no way that isn’t Kim Dokja. But if that’s Kim Dokja, what’s with this situation? He should have been able to take care of this entire horde without a problem.

There’s something wrong.

“Shut up shut up shut up,” Kim Harin says viciously. “We’re going to make it out alive if I have to kill every single one of these fuckers with my bare hands. Look, there’s this skill I have, I don’t know what it does, but if I just look at the name, maybe—”

…

[Character, ‘Kim Harin’, has used stigma, ‘Bacchanalia Lv. 1’! ]

The onslaught of demonic people slows. Their movements become clumsy and swaying. Some of them collapse onto the ground, some walk in dizzied circles, and the ones still trying to attack — well, they’re easy enough to avoid now.

Kim Dokja wipes sweat off his brow and contemplates the three people in front of him. Yoo Joonghyuk, he expected. But the other two… no. Yoo Joonghyuk was supposed to come alone. Yoo Joonghyuk was supposed to be strong enough to come alone, but that clearly wasn’t the case here. Even when Kim Dokja had been similarly occupied, he’d been able to see that even with these two other characters, they’d been having a hard time. There was no way that this Yoo Joonghyuk could have slaughtered the entire horde, like Kim Dokja had expected. If that woman, that ‘Kim Harin’, hadn’t used her stigma, it would be likely they wouldn’t have made it.

There’s something wrong.

“Harin-ssi,” the other unexpected character says, hurrying to Kim Harin’s side. ‘Han Younghwan,’ apparently, according to the Character List. “Harin-ssi, are you okay?”

“Thaaaat’s so much better than I thought would happen,” Kim Harin slurs, landing on her knees with a hard thud. “Bacchanalia, you know, that’s — that’s a sex thing. Thought we might end up with. With a sex party. A zombie sex party. That would be gross.”

“You,” says Yoo Joonghyuk.

Kim Dokja turns his head just enough to see Yoo Joonghyuk staring at him, eyes narrowed.

Han Younghwan snaps to attention. “Another survivor?” he says, just as guarded and suspicious.

“There’s no need to look at me with that much hostility,” Kim Dokja says mildly. “I’m just thankful that your companion activated that skill, I wouldn’t have made it out either if she hadn’t, you know?”

Kim Harin flaps a hand absently in his direction. “Don’t mention it,” she says. “Just don’t try to kill us or anything and it’ll be fiiiiiiine.”

“I don’t have a reason to do anything like that,” Kim Dokja says. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to do anything until I crossed this bridge.”

“What’s that supposed to mean,” Han Younghwan says.

“It’s a Deus Ex Machina called the Even Bridge, you can only cross it in even numbers. I can’t cross it by myself, you know? If you’re really suspicious, we can all cross at the same time.”

“Is that so,” says Yoo Joonghyuk.

…

This isn’t right. Yoo Joonghyuk expected the Deus Ex Machina. But in the novel, it wasn’t the ‘Even Bridge’ that Kim Dokja had let his companions cross without him, but the ‘Tragedy of Three Bridge’ — a bridge of light that only let people cross in groups of three.

There is something very wrong here.

#orv #omniscient reader #omniscient reader's viewpoint #yoo joonghyuk #kim dokja #yjh #kdj #my writing #everything #roleswap au #roleswap x canon #mentally i've been referring to this as double roleswap au #but then i realized that wasn't accurate #what IS a double roleswap #isn't that just... not roleswap?#i'm still going to refer to this as double roleswap au in my head tho because it's so much catchier than roleswap x canon

135 notes · View notes