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hyperfixiation-station · 4 months

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Choice, Choices, Choices Pt. 2

TW: Swearing, canon typical violence

Pairing: Reader x Graves Summary: Well your week off wasn't very productive, hopefully a really stressful, fate-of-the-world-is-in-your-hands mission will help clear your brain. As usual, I didn't beta read, so lmk if there are an errors :) Also sorry for the reupload, I accidentally deleted it whilst trying to edit something lmaooo.

When Price said a lot, he meant a lot.

In the time you had been gone, a new terrorist threat had popped up, a man named Hassan who somehow had gotten ahold of American missiles. You didn’t even have time to unpack before Price was shipping you off to Mexico to help Soap and Ghost infiltrate a cartel to find the location of said missing missiles. It seems the talk with Graves will have to wait.

You get no rest on the flight to Mexico. Instead you spend the entire time focusing on your and Grave’s relationship. Maybe it’s the threat of imminent annihilation, or maybe it’s the fact that you are going to be seeing him soon, but whatever it is, you were thinking more clearly than you have all week.

Graves was a man of authority, and you had recognized it from the moment you had met him. He took what he wanted, when he wanted, and made sure everyone knew he was the top dog. In your relationship he always had the last say, always chose the restaurant, always chose the movie. And for the most part, you didn’t mind, enjoying the feeling of not having to be in control for once when all you did all day long was make choices that could mean life or death.

He had this belief that he could do no wrong, and was smug and uptight and sometimes even cruel about it.

And yet there was something…alluring about him. Some magnetic charm that drew you in every time you wanted to take a step back. He didn’t even have to try, hell, he had stopped putting effort into the relationship years ago, and yet you still found him almost irresistible.

You weren’t stupid, you knew what there were issues in the way your relationship worked, but you loved him, and he…loved you too. It wasn’t until Ghost stepped fully into the picture that you realized that may-

“Y/N!” You flinch, your eyes coming up to meet your pilots as his voice snaps you out of your musings.

“You okay in there? I’ve been yelling at you for at least a minute.” He says over the headset, “Anyways we’re about to land, so get ready.” You nod, shouldering your pack and making sure your vest is strapped correctly.

5 minutes later, the helo begins its choppy descent. The second it touches down you are ushered off, ducking under the blades in an odd crab run as you make your way to where Soap, Ghost, and 2 strangers stand to the side. The pilot takes off before you've even cleared the LZ.

“Good ta’ see yer no’ dead lassie.” Soap grin, clasping your shoulder, “Ah trust Price has briefed ye?”

“Aye.” You nod, “Though he didn’t mention these two. Who are they?”

“These are th’ Los Vaqueros.” Soap says giddy, “Means th’ cowboys”

“My name is Alejandro.” The taller one on the left tells you.

“Mine’s Rodolfo, tho y’ can call me Rudy.” The one on the right says moments later.

“Nice to meet you.” You incline your head, avoiding Ghost’s searching gaze, “I take it you’re the ones leading us through this, uh…whatever we’re about to do?”

“Aye.” Alejandro turns and begins walking, everyone else falling in line behind him, “Soap here is infiltrating Las Almas, we are looking for El Sin Nombre. We believe he knows the location of the missiles Hassan has stolen.”

You climb into the back of a truck, consciously avoiding sitting next to Ghost. The drive is tense, the silence only occasionally broken by questions from Alejandro and Soap. The truck comes to a stop, and you all pile out, getting Soap outfitted for his ‘Day in the life of a cartel member’ extravaganza.

“Y/n!” You spin around, seeing Graves walking towards you, “How was your week off?”

“It was good. Did a lot of…thinking.”

“Wonderful.” He says, his eyes already looking past you. He presses a quick kiss to your cheek and moves past, going to speak with his Shadows. You sigh internally, moving over to Soap and Ghost.

“How wis yer week off?” Soap asks as a Shadow helps fit his comms. He’s grinning, his blue eyes almost glowing in the dark, but you can see the faint lines of fear in his expression.

“It was since. Did a lot of thinking, I guess.” Ghost shifts, a subtle movement you notice out of the corner of your eye. Your face flushes, and you’re grateful it’s dark out so he can’t see.

“Let's roll!” Alejandro calls. Soap nods, and you follow him and Ghost back to the truck. This drive is tense for a whole other reason, everyone thinking about all the ways this could go wrong.

You get to the compound, and take your spot on a ridge with Ghost. No words are exchanged, but you know him well enough by now to tell he is worried about you. If Soap’s life, and the lives of millions of Americans, weren’t at risk, you would be grateful for this mission delaying the inevitable conversation you have to have.

You both get into position, sniper rifles trained on the building. You wince as Soap is manhandled, a deep pit of fear in your stomach once he disappears from your view.

Now all that's left is to sit and wait.

He emerges victorious, much to yours and Ghost’s relief. He brings with him El Sin Nombre, who apparently is actually a woman, and an old friend of Alejandros. You could see yourself liking her, if she hadn’t sold missiles to terrorists.

She is feisty, smart, and cunning. She keeps her mouth shut, refusing to volunteer the location of the 2nd missile, instead goading Alejandro into a frenzy. You watch, eyes narrowed in distaste, as Graves tries to make a deal with her. Not for the first time, you judge his ability to make decisions.

But she does give you all the missile location. In what feels like a matter of moments, you find yourself on a boat, heading through stormy waves towards an oil rig off the Gulf of Mexico. Grave’s Shadows launch an attack, only for Ghost to find that the missile not only has entered pre-launch phase, but wasn’t even on the oil rig to begin with. Instead, you find it on the deck of a ship, primed and ready to fire. You, Graves, Soap, and Ghost file onto the cargo ship, where you find that there is no way to disarm the missile.

Your heart sinks, until Shepard has the great idea to turn the missile on the oil rig. Alejadro and the Shadow Company clear out, and Soap hacks in and resets the missile's trajectory. The burning ball of flame is a beautiful sight to see, in your opinion.

“Gold Eagle Actual, Shadow-1. Good hit. Good hit. Missile and rig destroyed.” Graves crows, a grin lighting up his face. He grasps Soaps shoulder, and you watch him mouth a quiet Good work, his voice too quiet to hear over the noise of the shadows and everyone celebrating.

Without thinking, you press a kiss to Ghost’s masked cheek, the euphoria of victory clouding your senses. Soap steps in to give Ghost a moment to recover, and gives you a side hug, slapping you on the back a little too hard for your liking. You don’t notice Graves eyes on you, narrowing with your every action.

The ride back is still tense, the tension between you and Ghost so thick you can almost taste it. Luckily Soap either can’t sense it, or just is just ignoring it, the Scotsman happily chattering away as the sinking feeling in your heart grows and grows.

The crisis is over, and once you get back you won’t be able to put off your conversation with Graves any longer.

It’s still raining when you get back to the Los Vaquero’s base. The truck comes to a stop outside the gates, and you slide out of the truck after Ghost, confused and a bit wary.

“What’s this?” You hear Alejadro’s voice from the other side of the truck.

“This is the immediate future.” You stop short, Grave’s voice making your blood run cold, “Step away from the gate.” No. There is no way.

“You’re outta line Graves.” You blink, hard, realizing you had zoned out for a moment. You force your feet to move again, rounding the truck, stiffening as a barrel is pressed into your spine.

“Hey!” Grave’s voice echoes in your ears, “Let her go. She’s with us.” You inhale sharply, looking up at him in shock. Soap looks at you in betrayal, taking half a step towards you before the Shadows are on him as well.

“Don't do that. Don't... do that. No one needs to get hurt here.” Graves says, eyes narrowed.

“Are you threatening us?” You can hear the betrayal in his voice as well, though he does his best to hide it. You want to look at him, try and communicate that you have no part in this, but your mind is still reeling, and you’re unable to draw your wide eyes away from Grave’s face.

“Soldier, I don't make threats. I make guarantees. So, let's not do this.” The animosity in Graves' voice surprises you.

“I’m calling Shepard.” Soap turns, hand reaching for his radio.

“General Shepard sends his regards.” Graves' grin is predatory, and you have no doubt he’s enjoying this, “He told me you wouldn’t take this well.”

“He knows about this?” Ghost’s eyes are dark, his body tense and ready to spring.

“He's put me in command of this operation from here on out. So, y'all need to stand down. It's time to let the pros finish this.” You watch Graves still, eyes trained on his face, your brain numb with shock. Shock and…disgust.

“And why the hell are we talking like this is some kind of a negotiation?” Graves continues, “It's not. I've got my orders and now you have yours.”

“And who the fuck do you think you are, cabron? My men are inside!”

“I'm afraid not.” Graves pauses, meeting your eyes with a disgusting grin, “Your men have been... detained.”

“Cabron!” For the first time, you manage to tear your eyes away from Graves, your gaze falling on Alejandro as he launches himself towards your boyfriend only to be beaten down and restrained by his Shadows.

“Graves, what th’ fuck?” Your eyes dart to Soap as he lunges at the Shadow next to him, holding him hostage. You let out a small cry as Graves and his men open fire. You duck behind the truck, watching as Ghost elbows the Shadow behind him before stabbing another one in the neck, quickly ripping the blade back out and hurling it at another Shadow before disappearing into the dark.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” Your hands fly up to cover your mouth as you watch Graves slam the butt of his gun into Alejandro’s head, dropping him. You stare at Graves in shock, unable to move as your mind tries to process what's happening.

Soap yells in pain, snapping you from your reverie as you spin to look at him. He’s on the ground, the Shadow he had taken laying dead on top of him.

“Go, Johnny! Get out of there!” Ghost yells from somewhere behind you “Soap, Go!” You watch as Soap heaves himself up and throws himself over the barrier, disappearing from your view. You slide down the truck, sinking to the ground as your legs give out, your entire body shaking.

Graves' actions start to sink in, and gods does his betrayal hurt. It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before, worse than the time you broke your arm, worse than the time you got shot in the thigh, worse than any wound you had ever received. It’s like a physical pain, your heart feeling as though it’s been ripped from your chest. Tears well in your eyes, your fingers digging into your palms in an effort to stop your tears.

You don’t know how long you sit in the rain, but it’s enough time for you to be completely soaked head to toe. You are surrounded by blood and bodies, and your mind reels as you survey the scene. Alejandro is gone, you’re not sure when he was taken away. Soaps rifle is still laying in the street, a very damming pool of blood underneath and around it. With the amount of blood he lost, you're surprised he's not dead. Oh gods he better not be dead.

“Y/n?” Graves' voice breaks the fog in your brain, “Darling? Are you alright? I know this was...a bit of a surprise…but I’m sure you understand.”

“Graves…”

To be continued.

Notes: Sorry for how long this took!!! But it's here now! Hopefully Pt. 3 won't take me another thousand years. Anyways I hope you enjoy, and sorry if this is not the direction you wanted it to go :/ Tags: @redhoodxsupergirl @infpt-zylith @scarletdfox

#cod fanfic #simon ghost riley #angst #cod x reader #ghost fanfiction #ghost x reader #no beta we die like men #cod #john soap mactavish #graves x reader #phillip graves #alejandro vargas #haha I finally updated #sorry for how long it took #call of duty x reader #cod modern warfare

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worm-in-a-trenchcoat · 2 years

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The teaser trailer posted by Nickelodeon came up on my Facebook feed and I chose violence today and commented “Can y’all hire a director that isn’t racist this time around?”

And they deleted it almost immediately lmao 💀

#monster high #I mean I guess that answers my question lol #yes ik that was petty that’s the point #if they don’t fix any of the issues with the first one then what’s the fucking point

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amaya-writes · 2 years

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I love your writing sm and I was wondering if I could request a karma akabane and reader where the reader is like a very kind,calm, and patient person so whenever he tries to tease or be a little shi- to them they just kind of pat him on the head a give him a polite smile. You can delete the request if you’d like :D

Notes: hi! sorry I took so long to reply lol I was super caught up with events and all. i went with hcs for this since I had a lot of different ideas for your req but if you wanted a drabble instead you can send in another request and I'll write one out

Warnings: light mentions of violence, etc. (things that can be associated with Karma's character)

Characters involved: Karma Akabane

Gender-neutral reader, you/yours

Being in a relationship with a guy like Karma definitely requires a lot of patience. As someone who's always messing around yet analytical enough to not get caught for it, Karma can quickly get on his partner's nerves.

Which is why someone who is kind and understanding is exactly what he needs in his life.

He can come off as standoffish and rude at first, but after a while your lack of response to his subtle nudges (both verbal and physical) your way started to intrigue him.

It wasn't like you were the kind of person who didn't have a backbone and chose to keep their head down, in fact, it was the opposite.

You weren't crazy smart or strong, but enough to be able to at least fight back if you chose to. It was just that you didn't see the point in fighting his fire with fire.

Instead, you would give him that stupid small smile of yours or occasionally quip back with a reply that made it seem like the two of you were having a conversation rather than Karma just being a nuisance.

Over time, he began to increase the lengths he went to in order to get a reaction out of you, finding comfort in the way you seemed to keep up with him without actually fighting back.

It was only when you snapped at him for the first time that Karma realised he liked you.

That was the first time he had chosen to drag others into your little game of sorts, but you didn't seem to take too kindly to having your friends play victim to Karma's little pranks.

He never actually hurt you or anyone, yet his actions were malevolent enough to earn a slap on the back of his head with your textbook.

Who would have thought such a small action would earn the affection of Kunugigaoka Junior High School's very own red devil.

Once the two of you start dating, you're one of the few people who can reign Karma in. It's not like you control him or anything, but when he needs it, you do help him see lines that shouldn't be crossed.

You worry about him because of his sadistic tendencies, but that doesn't stop you from helping Karma plan out some of his plans.

You aren't part of their class so don't know about Koro-sensei but he still appreciates your advice.

Karma enjoys leading you up the hill to more secluded places where the two of you can just sit under a tree and talk or chill around. This often ends with him flustering you in some way or another before he drops you home.

He can be very hard to keep up with, but Karma also has those calm moments where he just wants to be around you.

After the events that occur at the end of the second season, Karma went to your place rather than going home because he felt a need to be around you.

You obviously didn't understand why Karma was suddenly so insistent on spending the night hugging you or why you could almost certainly feel a tear or two drip onto your skin, but you didn't complain.

That's what Karma liked about you: you always understood him, you knew when to just let his behaviour slide and when to actually intervene.

In the storm that is Karma Akabane's life, he often found that you were what grounded him.

#akabane karma #karma x you #karma x reader #karma akabane #karma assassination classroom #karma headcanons #karma hcs #karma drabbles #karma scenarios #karma imagines #assassination classroom oneshots #assassination classroom #assassination classroom and karma #assassination classroom x you

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beauregardlionett · 2 years

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the eclipse episode 5

note board below for my ramblings on this episode. this one is much more scatterbrained than the last one.

episodes 1-4

Character Notes

Akk

What we know so far - Akk being from a small town has achieved plot relevance as well as his adherence to the rules and desire to become a prefect - he tells Ayan that he’s at Suppalo on a scholarship and implies that he can’t afford to attend without it, and the same likely holds true for college; Mes was the student prefect that Akk looked up to when he was younger, and I hope we get more details about Mes because he very clearly idolized Mes (side note but this is bothering me: Mes’ face looks SO familiar but I cannot fucking place why) - a parental figure has entered the ring! Akk’s father spoke with him on the phone about needing to come say goodbye to his aunt before she left - all the insight we have for now but good to know he has parents - Akk is NOT the one who took Ayan’s journal from his locker - Akk is notably NOT annoyed at all by Ayan’s texts about being paired together for judo. in fact he actually smiles and laughs to himself a little, looking almost fond (and the shot was kind of wide so it was hard for me to tell, but right before the scene cut away, Akk almost looks a little surprised at himself for that reaction) - he went to find Teacher Chadok after the fight with Ayan, but it’s not clear what exactly he was going to talk to him about - Akk sought out Ayan after Ayan missed class, but didn’t talk to him after he saw Thua approach Ayan...what were you going to SAY MY GUY??

What we should keep in mind - Akk returns to the queer cafe and he still seems totally fine in that atmosphere so my money is on Akk knows he’s queer he’s just having a crisis that he’s being queer about Ayan as a person rather than Ayan being the same gender as him - springing from the pattern of Akk constantly threatening violence to Ayan if Ayan continued to step out of line finally culminated in Akk actually punching Ayan; he then later mentions he got into fights when he first arrived at Suppalo because he was bullied - i’m curious if Akk grew up rough and tumble or if he just snapped from the environment change and pressure - he seems to feel the need to hide how his feelings toward Ayan are changing from Kan and Wat, likely thinking that they wouldn’t understand and he’s too confused himself still to explain - i believe Akk is changing before he’s even aware of it, something honest breaking free without his permission; he’s the one to approach Ayan and offer up an olive branch, something Akk wouldn’t have done three episodes ago; he even acknowledges that he was after Ayan’s notebook when before he would deny it - Akk’s obsession with the rules and love for Suppalo has been revealed to have stemmed from the interactions he had and people he met during his first year there; Mes and Dika and maybe even Chadok showed him the path to a future Akk probably felt he previously didn’t have access to, but the exact details are still yet to be revealed, especially why Suppalo was the school Akk chose in the first place

Ayan What we know so far - Ayan’s journal has been snatched by an unknown figure (potentially the same one who has yet to be identified from earlier episodes) and while upset about the journal being taken seems relatively unconcerned about the contents of said journal being spread around - Ayan has moved on from giving Akk an out and now texts him to claim Akk as his partner for judo practice in advance - previously stated that Ayan seems well-educated; he was reading G. Orwell’s 1984 in his free-time because we know damn well that’s not on Suppalo’s required reading list - Ayan may have deleted the cheek kiss photo after sending it to Akk, but he still has sleepy Akk photos on that phone of his - Ayan absolutely is feeling some type of way about Akk at this point

What we should keep in mind - it seems like there is still a distance between Ayan and the World Remembers group in terms of protest planning, but I’m curious what Ayan was doing at the school when he found Akk at the end of the episode - I should have mentioned this previously but it seems that Ayan is extremely aware of when Akk is following him and I’m not sure if it’s just because Akk is bad at it or if Ayan is that paranoid, but I find it interesting that Ayan seems to always have his guard up even outside of the school - Ayan sending the photo to Akk felt like a test, especially when he gave Akk the out to save face about likely not deleting the photo by telling Akk to do it not in front of Ayan...I’m wondering if he’s clocked the cracks in the foundation of Akk’s beliefs in Suppalo (or maybe he’s just gay lol) - when Akk asked Ayan about what he meant regarding the curse, Ayan didn’t answer and instead asked “does the student prefect title mean that much to you?” and i know it was Ayan’s way of diverting the conversation but to me it also read as a protective mechanism, as if trying to keep Akk clear of whatever fall out Ayan knows is coming

Dika What we know so far - Dika met Akk after Akk got in a fight and was able to help Akk figure out how to move forward and was “just so understanding” which is a sentiment that Ayan agrees with; the idea that Akk’s personal sense of betrayal in calling Dika a “traitor” comes from a sense of abandonment seems much more plausible now - during the snippet of flashback, the interaction between Dika and Chadok seemed...fine. Chadok seemed calmer and less severe than he does in the present, even looking like he could crack a smile or something crazy like that

What we should keep in mind - something happened between Dika and Chadok - my bet is some dirty truth was uncovered in relation to the rules; Mr. Sit mentioned something of the like during his conversation with Ayan, but no one seems to know exactly what went down

Thua What we know so far - definitely does not have a good relationship with his step-father who is abrasive and verbally abusive (what we’ve seen on screen); Thua’s mother does seem to be trying to step in where she can - Thua abruptly left the car after his step-dad snapped at him and didn’t stop even when his mother called after him; someone is nearing a breaking point - despite not being the direct target of harassment about his sexuality, witnessing that bigotry immediately after being yelled at by his step-dad clearly affected Thua as well

What we should keep in mind - previously stated that he didn’t want to see Kan get hurt again - but it looks like he will have to, considering the ep6 preview - Thua seems to understand Ayan with more ease than his other classmates, especially for someone who has not had all that much on screen interaction with Ayan thus far, which makes me continue to think that they knew each other before Ayan started going to Suppalo - “it would be nice to disappear” i want to know how long Thua’s been thinking like this and the context in which he means disappear

Kan What we know so far - Kan has made progress! he did not immediately release Thua’s hand when other students saw them holding hands - an action that Kan initiated as well! in fact, it was Thua who let go of Kan’s hand, likely thinking that Kan would be uncomfortable - only for Kan to look frustrated and disappointed after Thua walked away (i’m curious what the catalyst for this change was) - Kan’s strong belief in the curse continues to be his go-to explanation for when things start going wrong around the school

What we should keep in mind - he is the only person we are shown on screen having seen/read Thua’s post, a scene which is immediately followed by “Bruce Wayne” contacting Thua; strong suspicion here that Kan is Bruce Wayne; if he is “Bruce” my guess is it’s an attempt at getting Thua to open up under the guise of anonymity - continuation note from previous one but considering we had a scene where the World Remembers trio was being very publicly harassed for being queer, Thua being glared at for holding hands with Kan, and the mounting tension of the curse, I would not be surprised if the reason Kan looks roughed up in the preview is because someone says the wrong thing to either him or Thua and Kan snaps

Wat What we know so far - actively sought out Teacher Sani to tell her that she was right to guess he wasn’t enjoying class - that he actually liked film; and she showed him that she was listening and talked to him briefly about his interests, thereby giving Wat a supportive adult in his corner - Wat’s mediator personality shines again in the phone scene where he waits to see how Akk will react first, and then explains his thoughts to Akk and Kan, acting as a balm to Akk’s more direct explanation; then again after Akk and Ayan’s fight when he talks Kan down from pushing Akk for answers

What we should keep in mind - Wat told Teacher Sani that he had spoken to his family about his film interest and was told it wasn’t a stable career; however when he was talking to Kan and Akk about a communication arts degree, he implied that they would never entertain the idea and made it sound like he had never brought it up and was assuming based off what he knows; i’m curious if anyone in his family has actually told him not to pursue film - Teacher Sani told him “you don’t always need to do what others expect of you” and i’m excited to see how that’s going to affect his growth going forward

The Curse

- we don’t get much new information on the curse in this episode, but in his emotionally driven rage, Ayan asked if the students wanted to know the truth about Suppalo’s curse - something that Akk tried to follow up on later, but Ayan didn’t give him a clear answer; the implication that Ayan already knows what’s going on and is only here to prove and expose it was not something I was expecting, but is definitely intriguing given his connection to Dika - Kan brings up the curse in the meeting with Teacher Sani about the World Remembers group, stating that there is almost a formula/legend for how the curse manifests which is...a highly concerning detail especially considering one involves literal burning (how has this been left unchecked what the fuck)

Things to Follow Up On

- the unknown figure from ep1 and ep2 (now appearing as the journal thief in ep5) is still unidentified; i think there was an attempt at misdirection by utilizing the framing they did with Akk at the end of the episode, but Akk does not have the journal and in the shots from ep2 the figure does not appear to be wearing a prefect armband - Namo was the one pretending to be a prefect in ep1 and then was the one to tell Thua that Kan got into a fight in ep2; also worth noting his actor is in the opening credits so best to keep an eye on him - the jacket sniff: Ayan gave Akk his hoodie which of course made me absolutely insane <3 - ep2 4/4 timestamp 2:15 - unfortunately no follow up - still no follow-up on the whispered conversation between Ayan and Thua, but I hold out hope - the individual who posted the protest video still has yet to be identified - Teacher Sani being willing to pay attention to the students and listen to them: further fulfilled by her interaction with Wat this episode, but I want to keep an eye on her progression throughout the show because Chadok was notably absent from this episode giving her that leeway to be a little softer; also there was a shot of her walking around the school at night at the end of the episode? - the first crack in the foundation of Akk’s belief: the cracks are spreading as evidenced by his leniency with the phone situation - Ayan’s emotional vulnerability in front of Akk: we didn’t see much of this in the same context as the last couple episode, but we did see Ayan thank Akk for stepping in and diverting the teachers from continuing to harass Ayan in class, as well as Ayan acknowledging that he reacted on emotion instead of logic when his journal went missing (though it appears from the preview for ep6 we’ll be getting some VERY emotionally vulnerable scenes between Akk and Ayan) - none of the students at Suppalo knowing Dika’s dead: AKK THE ANSWER IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!! g o s h when Ayan changed the subject and immediately walked away, unable to tell Akk the truth about Dika? I was screaming <3 - Mr. Sit (the janitor) is now on my suspect list...previously he was in the spotlight for the van incident in ep1, then he gave Ayan the information about the rumor concerning Dika, and has interrupted charged moments between Ayan and Akk at least three times now, the last of which he seemed to have purposefully done so and did not look thrilled before he walked away...the vibes are off - Akk: no way. i don’t want to be like you. Ayan: how do you know? you haven’t even tried. Me: alright okay okay okay alright why am i emotional i’ve got my eye on you - Akk: why does it have to be you Me: elaborate - this whole time I’ve been curious about the World Remembers group and why they’re still at Suppalo if they’re clearly suffering so much; this episode gives the insight that they’ve tried to speak out about it to the teachers and to their families and friends and have been ignored/abandoned in every direction; if anything happens to these kids I’m rioting <3 “i truly believe tomorrow will be better than this”

Recurring Themes

- this isn’t exactly recurring but goes sort of hand in hand with the theme of Akk pulling Ayan closer (aggressively) but during the cafe conversation this episode, I absolutely LOVED the detail of body language between Akk and Ayan where they seemed to push and pull toward one another based on who had the upper hand in the conversation. when Akk felt smug and “on top” he would lean against the table and exude this aura of knowing he was winning, until Ayan also leaned on the table and brandish the familiar barb of being incredibly comfortable with utilizing/weaponizing his sexuality for his social benefit, making Akk lean away until he could find his footing again. and there’s the detail that when they were on common ground, like when Ayan said “thank you” to Akk, they were both leaning back, creating a neutral space (perhaps I’m over explaining this but I noticed it on my first watch and thought it was cool) - every shot of Suppalo continues to have the building dominating the screen (maybe it’s just me, but the shots of the building this episode did seem like the angle was adjusted somewhat, perhaps implying something) - no martial arts flip but Akk was the one who threw the first punch in their fight and I’m still just waiting for the narrative-relevant scene of Ayan flipping Akk - not much in the way of sun and moon imagery but don’t think i missed the way Ayan’s face was reflecting the moonlight in that last shot <3

Favorite Shot From The Episode

emotionally charged interactions in tight spaces with your enemy who is slowly becoming something more are actually something that can be so personal

honorable mention (of course)

#the eclipse #the eclipse the series #the eclipse akk #the eclipse ayan #the eclipse kan #the eclipse thua #the eclipse wat #note board #the eclipse spoilers

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fluffykitteninabox · 2 years

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Season 6 intro analysis (that somehow turned into a Hawks rant, sorry about that):

So the new intro looks amazing.

Everyone is shaded like All Might and i wonder if that's supposed to mean something..

also this is like poorly written and stuff because I'm not good at this kind thing. I call it analysis but it's more me trying to stitch my thoughts together and probably failing. If someone wants to add things to make it more coherent or complete destroy my stupid theories they can...

Also also tumblr is doing that thing again where it posts my unfinished drafts but at least this time it's almost done so I'll just edit it like this instead of deleting it

ALSO ALSO ALSO SPOILERS FOR ANIME ONLY WATCHERS I GUESS (because only one episode is out at the moment and I talk about stuff that'll be in future episodes)

Am I doing this right? Should I tag season 6 spoilers if the episode is not out yet? Or is it still considered manga spoiler?

The way All Might is drawn is supposed to represent the old style comic books, and the contrast between him and the other characters shows how he's kind of an unreachable ideal.

This intro looks more like those old style comic books with the style of animation they chose. There's even shots that are divided like manga panels and there's words used as sound effects like "thud" and "rrmmmbll" for the shaking ground and "boom" for Bakugou's explosions

I mean look at the very first shot and tell me this doesn't look like an old comic book to you:

Look at this dramatic shading:

I wanted to say that the use of this type of shading maybe shows how our heroes are getting closer to that ideal that All Might represents (specifically I'm talking about the main trio).

But they show a lot of other characters with the same shading, including Hawks and Endeavor, who are nothing like All Might.

I read somewhere (i don't remember who wrote it but i think it was someone here on tumblr) that in my hero academia there's this idea of the passing of the torch from the older generation to the newer one. And that All Might and AFO both represent how heroes and villains were in old comic books. There's more of a black and white morality. Good vs pure evil. And that Deku and Tomura represent the new generation where the line of good and evil is more blurred.

I'm not explaining it well but i hope you get the point.

So maybe the All Might type shading is supposed to represent them getting closer to him, but in a bad way??

The heroes are the ones initiating the violence in this arc. And I'm not saying this is a bad thing, they need to stop the potato bastard after all. But they abuse their power and try to solve a problem that is in the grey zone with black and white morality. I'm talking about Hawks here (yes others abuse their power too but this is like the big thing that happens in this arc so I'm using it as an example).

Heroes aren't supposed to kill, and yet Hawks murders Twice because he is the hero and Twice is the villain. He justifies it by saying it's for the greater good and that Twice was too dangerous to be left alive, but the audience knows that that's bullshit. Or at least the ones with a brain know!

Twice is not "pure evil", he's anything but that. If he hadn't died he would probably be the easiest LOV member to save because he doesn't want to be a villain. Twice didn't have a personal motivation for revenge. All he wanted was companionship and for the world to not treat him like shit. You would just need to show him proof that you wanted to help him get rehabilitated and the most important part, extend the offer for help to his friends.

It would have been literally so easy!

But Hawks chooses not to do that and instead stabs an unarmed person in the back while he was trying to run away.

So yeah my conclusion is that the shading represents the characters acting with that black and white morality mindset that i mentioned above. They're taking steps backwards into the past in a way, by allowing the labels of hero and villain to cloud their judgment.

But at some point in the intro the dramatic shading stops and the rest uses the normal animation we usually see in the show. A bit like the gif i used above that transitions from the vintage style logo to the new one.

That's also when we start seeing group shots instead of characters standing alone. Kind of how after All Might's retirement heroes started working in teams. No one person can solve the problem but if they work together they can.

Maybe that's them realising that the way they were handling things was not working so it's time to try something new.

I want to emphasise this shot of the kids taken straight from the manga:

Again because old generation passing the torch to the new generation and all that. Our kids have spent the past 5 seasons learning and growing and now they'll become greater heroes than the ones that came before them. They represent the future.

Also I'm doing this completely out of order since tumblr decided to be a little shit today. I want to go back to this shot i used in the beginning but this is a few seconds after:

Something something about them coming out of the shadows, and looking all determined like that. Shonen protagonist mid battle energy boost because they thought about their friends (maybe). It still looks stylized because of the colours but the shading is less dramatic now.

There's one last thing I want to mention. There's this one shot that stands out apart from all the rest:

Dabi looks... blurry for some reason. His colors bleed outside the lines. It's kind of like when you use too much water with watercolors and it starts spreading everywhere without control.

Literally everything else in this intro looks super crisp and HD except him. But it's not in a bad way like usual. Bones has a habit of fucking up Dabi's design, but this looks more like a stylistic choice.

I don't know exactly what this is supposed to symbolise. Maybe the fact that he feels separate from everyone else because his real self is dead to the world. Or maybe it's that thing i read somewhere (again I don't remember who wrote this sorry) Dabi is a character that is stuck in the past,so maybe that has something to do with it. I don't know... someone with better skills at analysing stuff like this can maybe figure it out.

#mha #mha season 6 #all might #izuku mydoria #bakugou katsuki #shouto todoroki #toya todoroki #mha hawks #mha twice

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ao3feed-toshinko · 2 months

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Izuku Shimura - Emerald Collector

by DivineHealer

All characters belong to the Kōhei Horikoshi. I don't own MHA/BNHA.

Izuku Shimura was done. After being diagnosed quirkless, he lost almost all of his friends. For years, he had to endure bullying and being used as a quirk dummy by his own sister and his former friends. Even with his family's support and his real friends, Bakugo, Shoto and Hitoshi, he couldn't bring himself to go on. And all because he just wanted to help people...

But what will happen if he'll be found by a mysterious group of quirk fanatics, who will be dazzled fascinated by his amazing analysis skills? What if they will offer him the only thing he needs for his revenge? And what fate awaits those, who made his life a living hell?

----------------

Story migrated here from Wattpad, because of their absurd regulations. I will try to post there too while I can, but if Wattpad decides to delete the story there, I'm moving here permanently. I'm also thinking about posting on Fanfiction.net, but let's leave that for the future

Words: 186, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki, Todoroki Shouto, Shinsou Hitoshi, Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Midoriya Inko, Sensei | All For One, Nedzu (My Hero Academia), Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Todoroki Family (My Hero Academia), Melissa Shield, Yaoyorozu Momo, League of Villains (My Hero Academia)

Relationships: Midoriya Inko/Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Midoriya Inko/Sensei | All For One, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Fukukado Emi | Ms. Joke, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added

Additional Tags: Villain Midoriya Izuku, Shimura Nana is Midoriya Inko's Parent, Shimura Nana Lives, Midoriya Izuku Does Not Have One for All Quirk, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Overpowered Midoriya Izuku, Sensei | All For One is Midoriya Hisashi, Good Parent Midoriya Inko, Good Parent Todoroki Enji | Endeavor, Good Parent Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Bakugou Katsuki is a Good Friend, Todoroki Shouto is a Good Friend, Shinsou Hitoshi is a Good Friend, Villain Yaoyorozu Momo, Sort Of, Bullied Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku Has Multiple Quirks, Midoriya Izuku Has a Twin

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55176127

#ao3feed #toshinko #all might #yagi Toshinori #Inko Midoriya

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sanctified-jasper · 5 months

Text

If anyone leaves an unrelated comment or a comment asking about another fic in one of my fics ever again. I am legally allowed to do a violence. S2G.

FAQ

Zuko Potter

What happened, where is it? i can haz update?

No. Shan't. The sheer self entitlement from the fandom, the Harry Potter side especially was so freaking rancid, it left a massively sour taste in my mouth, I stopped having fun writing the fic, it felt like a thankless chore and all my creativity shriveled up and died. After the number of "update soon. hurry up and update." type comments, I just, got really sick of remembering it even existed. Between that and finding out the author of the source material was paying for hate crimes, on top of being a phobic rascist who took people liking her work to mean the same as people agreeing with her philosophies... I just felt deeply uncomfortable interacting with the fandom in any capacity. I had planned to delete the fic in its entirety, but I put so much goddamned work into that fic that I chose to private it instead.

So I can't read it anymore?

There's a less complete copy on FF.Net because I keep forgetting that bitch exists. It will not be updated ever again, it is as complete as it is ever going to get. That one got dropped a lot sooner than the AO3 version because no one was reading it, so I didn't see the point in double posting.

How do we get the AO3 version back.

Wait for JKR to die? ... or make me a TV Tropes page? IDFK. If you could find a way to stop people from being an asshole in the comments forever I might republic it for that.

Sew Long, Fair Well

Is it dead?

Alas. There's part of the next chapter written, but I got a guy in the comments who thought "you should do this that and the other thing and also make my waifu the main character. Stop telling me she's 2 years old and make her the main character. You're just a bitch and I slap bitches like you all day long. Kill yourself or prove yourself to me, what are you going to do, you can't stop me from reading it." was acceptable behaviour. Decided to shelve it for a few weeks and came back only to realise I wasn't just being petty, I was suffering Burnout. (Which would go on to last almost 2 years.)

So... are you coming back to it. Like, ever?

Oh I hope so. But probably put it in your sub feed and forget about it... maybe pray. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#blog faqs #first post for pinned post #zuko potter #sew long fair well #Sanctified_Jasper

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sodasback · 3 years

Text

JJ’s Sister Part 1

Reposting from my deleted account.

Maybank!Reader x John B (eventually)

Warnings: Domestic violence (physical and verbal abuse), cursing

"Who used up all the fucking gas?!"

You and JJ were sitting at the kitchen table, eating dinner you made yourselves from the leftovers you could find, when you heard your father slam the car door and yell. He was mad. And probably drunk. Your and JJ's eyes widened as you looked at each other. JJ then scrunched his eyes closed.

"Fuck. I forgot to fill it up." He cursed.

"Shit JJ" You sympathized.

"Go to the chateau or go in your room." JJ whispered.

"No. I'll tell him it was me. He's not gonna hit me." You argued.

"Y/N, he's on one. Get outta here." He ordered more firmly this time, but you kept your eyes on him, "It'll be fine. I'll be fine. Go!"

You hid in the hallway, when you heard your dad barrel through the front door.

"Boy, did you drive the car, use my gas and leave it practically empty?! I ran out of gas halfway to the marina. Couldn't afford to get dinner for you two because I had to buy gas! You better believe you'll pay me back for that."

You could tell JJ was staying quiet and seated, knowing anything he said or did would just make it worse.

"Look at me, boy!" Luke said, hitting the back of JJ's head. JJ stood up and backed away.

"Yes, dad, I'll pay you back okay?" JJ raised his voice, letting his temper rise with it.

"I've heard that shit before!" Luke smacked JJ in the face, but not enough to knock him down. He was looking for a fight.

You winced hearing JJ get hit. Your dad didn't hit you ...usually. He had done it before, but only if JJ wasn't there. Because the one time your dad had hit you in front of JJ, JJ almost killed him. You were pretty sure he wouldn't hit you with JJ there now, so you walked back down the hall.

"Dad?" You said quietly.

"Y/N!" JJ interrupted as your dad let go of JJ and turned to face you.

"Dad, it wasn't JJ. It was me. I took the car and forgot to fill it up. I"m sorry. ...Look, here's $40 for the gas."

Your dad towered over you, "Don't fucking lie to me, Y/N! You're just trying to protect him." You flinched a little.

"No, JJ was covering for me. I'm sorry."

He looked down and took the money out of your hand with a deep sigh, causing you to flinch.

"Get outta here, both of ya. I can't stand to look at either one of you right now." He said, voice dripping with disdain and then turning to the kitchen.

"Come on, J." You said, grabbing his arm and tugging him behind you out the door.

"God! I hate when you do that!" JJ yelled, exasperated as you guys walked down the street aimlessly, knowing you would probably end up at John B's.

"JJ" you sigh, not wanting to have this argument again.

“Why can’t you just fucking listen to me?! I hate when you’re there when he’s like that. He’s gonna lose control with you one of these days and then…” He trailed off.

“Kay, how bout you don’t yell at me right now and just be grateful for the fact that we both got out of there fine …for the most part. Let me see your face.” You said, gently reaching for his chin, but he pushed your hand away and turned away from you. You rolled your eyes.

JJ just shook his head and bit his lip as his jaw clenched. His temper was still rising from what just happened with dad.

“It’s one thing that he hits me. But if I can’t fucking protect my little sister, then I don’t know why I even-

“JJ shut up! First of all, you’re older than me by what? 2 fucking minutes? So let’s get that straight. And it’s not your fault he’s like this. It’s not your fault if something happens to me. It’s not us. We got dealt a shitty hand in life. All we can do is be there for each other and always have the other’s back when we can. Right?” You said trying to and finally making eye contact with him.

He shook his head a little more. Even though you knew he didn’t fully agree with everything you were saying, he still let out a “Yeah.”

You reached your hand out to do your no-so-secret handshake. And he rolled his eyes at you, “Come on” You smiled at him.

He smiled a little and you did your secret handshake.

“I’ll pay you back for the gas money you gave him.” JJ said.

“Don’t worry about it. I took the twenties you had in the top drawer of your night stand.”

JJ nodded and then paused, “I had $80 in my night stand.”

You pulled the additional $40 out of your bra and held it in between your fingers smirking as you walked backwards away from JJ paused in the street.

JJ shook his head, “I’m gonna give you a 3 second head start.” He said menacingly. You took off running. You squealed as you reached the backyard of the Chateau.

You spotted Pope sitting in a folding chair near the fire they just started. “Pope! Save me! JJ’s trying to kill me!” You yelled, running behind him.

“And you chose to hide behind me?” He asked, barely looking up from his book.

“Right! Where’s Kie?”

“She’s getting food.”

“John B!” You yelled, as JJ caught up to you, you scurried behind John B. who had been moving logs around and you put your hands on his hips to use him as shield between you and JJ.

“Really Y/N?! Give it back!” JJ yelled, trying to reach around John B. to get to you.

“JJ back off. You guys are so immature.” John B. lazily held JJ at arms length. “Stop trying to hurt my little bug.” You melted at John B’s affectionate nickname for you as he tried to maneuver his arm around your shoulders and tuck you into his side away from JJ. You smiled evilly at JJ in only the way a sibling can smile when someone sides with them.

“I’ll give you 20 of the 40 bucks she stole from me?” JJ offered quickly.

John B. looked down at you as you quickly got ready to run again, but John B. already had you in a headlock.

“Traitor!” You yelled at John B. and he started rubbing a noogie into your head. “Ow, fine fine! You can have it!” John B stopped but kept you in a headlock.

“I’m not going in your bra!” JJ yelled.

"I will!” John B volunteered casually, but you elbowed him hard in the ribs and he immediately let go of you.

“Here. ...dicks” You grumbled holding out the money that JJ hastily snatched from you hands. You went and threw yourself into the folding chair next to Pope who was reading a book.

“You should have just offered John B. half of it to protect you from JJ.” He stated matter of factly.

You thought about it for a second. “This is why you’re the smart one.” You finally said.

“I know.” Pope agreed.

Taglist: @moniamaybank @hernameisnoell @moonrisebeach @abbyj1822 @october-cameron @railmerafe

#Maybank!Reader #JJ Maybank #JJ Maybank's Sister #John B x reader #john b routledge #outer banks #obx #outer banks imagine #outer banks fanfiction

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havin-fun-imagining-twd · 3 years

Text

The Interview

Word Count - 4,200

Perspective - 2nd person

When - the first day in Alexandria, when Deanna is interviewing the group. The series has indeed made a quick jump to the future (nonlinear ftw), but soon will revert back to where we left off on the road to the CDC. To read more of the Slowpoke Series, visit the Masterlist.

Relationships - since it’s the main story line, Daryl x reader, and as always “you and the gang.” You don’t see Daryl too much in this particular story, it’s mainly you and Deanna talking, but he’s waiting right outside the door and ready to barge in if the reader needs it.

Genre - it gets a little controversial, but ultimately it is made clear to the reader (hopefully) that the reader is cared for, safe, and not alone. More disclaimers below.

Pronouns - she/her.

TWs - language, and brief allusions to/talk of violence and sexual assault.

*This was initially an experimental story line, but has now been incorporated*

With this particular story, it is not my intent that anyone feel attacked or offended. I did not decide to write about this for shock value or to make things gritty, and I tried to keep it simple and fairly subtle. I chose to add this story line in honor of some incredibly brave and wonderful women that I have the utmost respect and love for. Their stories fit in a such a broken, fallen world, and I wanted to attempt to do them justice by acknowledging it.

My hope is that I can delete half of these disclaimers, but I will leave them for a while.The internet and Tumblr tend to be a riskier place at times when it comes to controversial subjects, and because tempers tend to run higher when distance and anonymity are involved.

If you wish, please message my inbox anonymously with any constructively critical feedback. Otherwise, please remember to be gentle and respectful with each other and myself if you leave any public comments.

_____________________________________________

“Tell me about yourself,” Deanna requests, her smile warm. Or at least convincing. Never trust a politician, right?

But what the heck are you supposed to answer? And in front of a video camera?

God above, you really wish you weren’t in there. You were going to try to avoid speaking with her entirely, but when Carl was called in for his interview, you’d just about glued yourself to the door to make sure that he and the baby were safe. Then when his interview was over, Deanna greeted you and, well, Rick urged you to let her finally talk to you. Why keep avoiding it, right?

“It’s so wonderful to see that life goes on, even after most of what we used to know has since stopped,” she speaks, comfortably filling in the silence. She’s nodded her head at Judith.

The baby is still in your arms. You’d scooped her back up as soon as Carl was done being interviewed. You disliked letting either of them out of your sight for long. The world isn’t safe for them. All of the other children at the prison were dead now and you are beyond lucky that Carl and Judith weren’t among them.

“Aaron told me that her birth mother was dead, but –”

“– I ain’t her ma,” you interrupt before you can stop yourself. Lori would have fallen head over heels to find a place like this to raise her family. “Excuse me, I’m sorry. I meant to say: no, I’m not Judith’s mother. Just her auntie,” you rephrase it, trying to sound more formal. You even lessened your accent. You aren’t sure why you’re bothering.

Deanna does seem kind, you’d give her that. Authentic, even. But then again, politician.

She holds up a hand and finishes her sentence “But I’d almost think that it was you. Yes, your appearance may not necessarily suggest blood relation, but families aren’t just blood, at least in my mind. I can simply see that you’re very protective of her, of Judith. Her and Carl,” the woman continues, smile somehow even kinder than before. “And I can tell that you will be a very good mother when the time comes.”

You know, you have to hand it to her: her eyes were crinkling in all the right places for that smile to be real. But that name recognition with “Judith” and “Carl,” that was very politician of her.

And that comment about families not being strictly blood? How did she seem to sense how you were raised? You would find it creepy if she didn’t seem so...trustworthy, somehow.

But what was with that last comment? Did someone tell her? Was it Aaron?

“Yes, I’m very protective of them. You gotta be these days, right?” you reply simply, pacing back and forth, bouncing Judith on your hip and holding her tightly.

The idea of sitting down made you nervous. Too easy to get comfortable and wag your lips, reveal too much. What you needed to keep hidden, you weren’t sure. It’s not like your news would go unnoticed for much longer, anyways.

The only thing to really keep hidden would be how big of a threat you could pose, and every last one of you should be doing that. That’s what Carol was doing. It was smart.

“Your whole group seems protective of each other. It’s beautiful, I think. A group of unrelated individuals sticking together and trying to keep each other safe through thick and thin. A family.”

Damn it, Deanna seemed in earnest, that was the problem! What if these people were as fucked up as Terminus?

The people there almost killed your family. Carl and everyone else by those cannibals, Judith and Tyrese (and yourself) by that crazy man in the cabin.

“I’m curious why you’d risk bringin’ in a group like ours,” you declare. And yes, you could have said that more politely. But fuck it, do they not have any idea what’s on the outside?

Or is it that this place is worse than the outside?

Deanna’s head tilts slightly, but she doesn’t seem phased all that much. As if she were putting pieces together and found it amusing, she responds “Rick said something similar, you know.”

“What’d he say?”

“He said that we should keep our gates closed. That it was all about survival now, and that there are people who...” She pauses. “Who take advantage of others, for their gain.”

After a longer stare at you than you preferred, she sighs and continues “Well, to that I say that’s always been the case, has it not? And that’s precisely why I then asked him if, in telling me this and warning me of it, that he wasn’t already being protective of this place.”

How is she so damned….tranquil? Welcoming? Was this all a set-up or something? What is this place?

“Aaron assured me y’all don’t eat people. That true?” you question sharply. Ugh, and you need to rest your head on Judith’s for a moment, you’re starting to feel dizzy. And you may or may not have glared into the camera when you blurted out the accusation.

Her expression goes from confused to alarmed, but all very controlled. She’d make a good poker player.

“Y/N. We don’t do that here. And we never will. I’m –” she inhales. “I’m sorry. For what was done to you. For what you’ve gone through to make you so distrustful. And I don’t doubt that is what’s kept you alive, kept all of you alive and together for so long. And that is why we are welcoming you.” She shakes her head slightly. “This is a community. Civilization.”

This is all a very good put on, isn’t it? To make you all put your guards down, to feel safe, to feel like you were needed and wanted here. You didn’t trust Terminus either, and that turned out to be for a good reason. And even though you don’t feel the same dread here, you don’t want to risk trusting this place.

Hell, but somehow no one else but yourself seemed to feel that unease except Daryl and Sasha.

“Why ain’t you worried that we are a threat? Ma’am.” You really don’t feel well right now.

She lowers her brows and studies your face. Then, she only shrugs. “You are a threat. All of you. You are strong, you are smart, and you are protective. And that’s why Aaron assured me that we can trust all of you. Why he brought you and your family here to be a part of our community.”

Now, she leans forward on her elbows and looks at you with a expression of triumph on her face, of pride even. “You’re good people.”

“Why would you think us ‘good’ people?”

She gazes back and forth at you and the baby, then turns it around. “Why do you think I shouldn’t?”

What? Of course she should!

Oh. You’d insinuated otherwise, hadn’t you?

Stupid, stupid Y/N. Glenn is in the group. Maggie! Tara, Carl...everyone! Even the new ones seemed to be good people. You’d defend the idea that wonder-mullet Eugene has integrity, even though he and Father Gabriel need to work on courage.

You kiss Judith’s head and close your eyes. Just in case this place is for real, Carl and Judith deserve a safe place. You’ll need a safe place, too. This was Lori’s dream in the before-times. And maybe Jacqui and Dr. Jenner would have chosen to live if they knew that you’d all find a place like this. If they survived everything that came before this.

“I don’t think that we’re bad people,” you mumble. You press another kiss to the baby’s head and inhale her scent. How on earth do babies smell so good?

“Tell me what you do think, Y/N. Because I don’t think you’re bad people, either. And Aaron certainly didn’t, and he was observing you all for quite some time.” She inclines her head, slightly frowning. “Sweetheart, you look very drained. Perhaps you’d feel better if you sat down.”

You don’t respond to her offer to sit, though maybe you should. “I’d say it’s usually, um,” you swallow and think on it. Oh shit, you need to lean on the windowsill at this point; you really don’t feel too good.

Changing the subject, you instead question “The, um, the curly haired guard out front said they won’t let people carry weapons here. Why?”

“When people decide to stay, we keep the weapons in a safe place. But they’re still yours, and they are yours to check them out whenever you venture outside the walls.” Deanna is standing up and walking over to you now. “That’s why we are fine with you still carrying them. Since you’re not sure whether you’d like to stay or not.” She stops and stands a ways away, you note, and for that you are grateful.

“Guess you weren’t the type who believed ‘an armed society is a polite one,’” you observe, reining in your grimace. Subtly, you peek down at your boot knives to make sure they are still there and easily reachable.

“There’s an awful lot of armed people out there now. Would you call it a polite society?” she asks, humor blooming in her face.

Yeah, you don’t appreciate the joke, not after everything that happened. You ignore your thoughts of Terminus and (you shudder) the Claimers and focus only on the The Governor.

He had found a fucking RPG or whatever and obliterated one of the prison guard towers. Your tower, you just hadn’t been in it. The only reason that the survivors of your group were still alive in the first place was because they had weapons ready and on them when he attacked, or had been protected by those who did!

“It’s about levelin’ the field, ma’am. You don’t know what’s gonna come over them walls or blast their way through it.” Okay, you need to rest a second, you really need to sit down. You bend forward slightly to try and get a reprieve without appearing too obvious.

“You know, I think I have to say it, Y/N,” she points out, and with a smile cannot possibly be more triumphant. “It sounds like you’re already protecting this place, too.” Turning to the window, she adds “Now, I’m going to open this up so you can have some fresh air. You are looking unwell, and I’m concerned. When did you last eat?”

“I ain’t hungry, thank – I’m not hungry, thank you.” You know that you need to, but you’ve been too scared and exhausted and worried to feel hunger. What’s more is you know that feeding someone is a good way of relaxing them. But you can’t let your guard down now, you don’t even know these people.

“Would you like me to take her so you can rest a moment?” Deanna next offers, arms out for the baby.

Abso-fucking-lutely not! Nearly baring your teeth, you square your stance at the offer and clutch Judith more tightly.

Whoa, whoa, you try to calm yourself. Deanna is not an immediate threat. Most likely. You breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Gentle, deep belly breathing.

You know that you aren’t reacting rationally, but it is difficult to ignore the nagging fear in the pit of your stomach that is telling you otherwise. You’d been hesitant to go into Terminus, and look how that turned out.

Shit, now your arms are starting to shake. Okay, that’s enough. You are beginning to panic, and it’s affecting Judith. And it would reflect upon everyone else if you react even more poorly during a simple interview.

“Ma’am, I just need to, uh, m’sorry – a minute is all,” you assure Deanna, then make for the door. “I think the l-little one might could need a diaper change.”

You grip the door handle, start to open it, and are startled to find Daryl right there. Oh. And Rick is standing against the wall opposite him next to Carol, who’s in clean clothes and looking very...in-character. It suits her, though, in a way. Aaron is also there, for some reason, talking quietly with Sasha.

“Rick, t-take her, please,” you exhale, voice shaking.

“Hey, you need to get out of here?” Daryl asks you, his hand ghosting at your arm but not touching it.

Rick takes the baby from you and starts to say something, but when you look around and don’t see Carl, you interrupt “Rick, where is he?” in a slight panic. Oh heck, and you’re gripping Daryl’s arm way too tightly. You didn’t even realize you’d grabbed it.

“It’s okay.” Rick has Judith in one arm, and placed the other on your shoulder. “Michonne is with him. He’s safe. All of our people are safe right now, I promise.”

“That don’t mean shit!” you hiss before you can stop yourself. Immediately regretting it, you cover your face and lean against the shut door. Carol comes over and leans next to you. You start to fiddle with Shane’s old ‘22’ necklace that you keep around your neck. “I’m sorry, Rick, that came out harsh.”

Poor Rick’s expression looks a little defeated, to say the least. “You don’t have to apologize, Y/N.”

“C’mon, that wasn’t fair of me,” you insist, and Sasha gives you a look. It actually is a little fair. You’d begged Rick not to let Carl go into Terminus, to instead have the boy to wait with you outside the boundaries until you knew that it was a safe place.

But Carl did end up going in there, and you’d almost lost him. Lost all of them. It wasn’t even enough when you’d razed their settlement, the survivors had hunted you all down, stolen Bob, and eaten his fucking calf.

But that wasn’t lost on Rick. You can practically see it weighing him down, torturing him. So why would you twist the knife?

“Hey. You don’t look too good,” Daryl murmurs to you. “Is it your head, or the, um –”

“– It’s okay, I just need to sleep. Kinda dizzy.”

Carol starts to rub your arm comfortingly, and you begin to relax. Then Daryl holds eye contact with you for as long as you’ll allow it. “You eat anythin’?”

The both of you had come far. Back when you’d first found each other again on that roadside, you two could barely look at each other. Not because of any hatred or anything, just...it’s how it was. After.

You shake your head and quickly glance at Aaron. You’re still uncertain about him. “I’m gonna head back in. Finish talkin’ to her.”

“You sure?” When he said this, his hand gently touches yours, so lightly that you would have missed it if you hadn’t seen him do it.

“Why, you gonna fry up that possum?” you attempt to tease. The residents of this place must have been...intrigued, when he walked in with that thing in his hand. Daryl makes a sort of snort as he smiles response. Carol and Rick outright chuckle, and Aaron, to his credit, appears to have the good sense to try not to. Sasha looks at you and smiles as best she can.

Carol leans in closer and reassures you quietly “We’ll be right outside the door waiting. Okay?”

“And when we get back, I’ll keep watch first so you can sleep for a while,” Sasha tells you.

“Since when did I get so needy?” you half-joke. You are of course touched that they're there, but also almost...ashamed that they knew they should be, that you’d need it. Yes, you were grateful for their support and even for their pity, but you hate feeling weak.

Turning back around and swallowing to keep the tears in, you pray that things will go smoothly and quickly as you twist the doorknob to walk back into the Deanna’s living room.

“Thank you for waiting for me, ma’am,” you say to her.

“I feel that I may have frightened you, Y/N. I apologize, it was not intentional,” the woman acknowledges. She’s holding a glass of water in one hand and something else in the other.

“It ain’t you, ma’am, it’s me,” you respond in an attempt to be pleasant.

You’re rewarded with another of her warm, almost playful smiles. “This is for you,” Deanna tells you, holding out an unopened can of ginger ale. You swallow. So she does know, or at least suspects it.

“It might be flat after all this time, but please, have some. I would have gotten you a glass of water, too, but I imagined that something completely sealed would be preferred.”

Hesitantly, you mumble “Thank you,” reach for the can, open it, and take a sip. And hesitantly again, you sit down in the chair opposite Deanna. You try not to sink into the soft cushion so obviously, but oh holy Moses, you could fall asleep right there if your people were with you. Thank God Sasha promised you that she’d take watch so you could nap after this.

“When we left off, you were, I’d say, almost concerned at the idea that we’d simply let your group in. That we want you here, as a part of this community. That I think that you and your family are good people. I would like to know what your thoughts on that are.”

Oh right, and you’d changed the subject. What were your thoughts?

The people at Terminus had come to the conclusion that it was kill or be killed, eat or be eaten.

The Governor thought that he was justified in doing what he did in order to protect or avenge his own or whatever.

Even the Claimers had their own fucked up moral code.

And your group wasn’t exempt, no way in hell. Look at what happened to Shane, your own brother. Look at how Carol’s code had gotten fucked up, and how Rick’s was starting to. Hell, your own code was shot. You would never and should never forget the way that you’d sauntered out of the woods that night and onto that roadside after finally finding them again. The men you were hunting and your family. And how you’d found it downright delicious the way you’d growled “Bite his fuckin’ neck off, Rick.”

Aiming to ignore those memories and make light of Deanna’s question, you brush it off with “Ain’t you worried about us needin’ to be housebroken again, ma’am? You’ve seen Rick’s beard.”

A genuine laugh comes out of her, and she shakes her head. “Not at all. I’m not worried about any of you having gone, uh, let’s say feral; just regarding yourself, you’ve called me ‘ma’am’ far too many times for that to be a concern.”

She then takes a sip of water and relaxes back into the couch, a smile still lighting up her face.

You take another sip of the ginger ale and lean forward to put the can on the coaster when you see the bottle of vitamins on the coffee table. Prenatals. Those hadn’t been there before.

For only a moment do you freeze before continuing on as your were.

It’s fine. It isn’t any big secret, it was just...what it was.

“W-was it Aaron who told you or somebody else?” you ask quietly.

“Most of your group alluded to there being a pregnant woman among you, but without naming names. So I narrowed it down between yourself, Maggie, and Sasha, and well. You’ve got quite the amount of protectors out there.”

And as you sat back again into the soft chair, you glance at her, then find that now you’re fidgeting with Beth’s bracelet that she’d given you, and Dale’s old watch. You’d taken it before he’d been buried, and still wind it up like he’d always done.

Well, to be honest you’d forgotten a few times, so now weren’t quite sure of the actual date or time.

Deanna speaks again. “Please. I really do want to know what you think about it. Because I have a knack for reading people, and am quite certain that you aren’t...malicious, and that no one in your group is. That you and your family are people with integrity.”

Dale enters the forefront of your mind as you wind that old watch of his. He and you used to discuss things like this. Philosophical things, like morality and ethics.

Hershel joins him in your head, as you remember how he’d so wholly believed that no one was too far gone to be good again. T-Dog joins the two of them as you recall how he’d always chosen good, no matter how difficult it was. And Tyreese follows, so desperately wanting to not have to kill anymore.

It’s the good ones that the world seemed to chew up and take, wasn’t it? You wish that you could talk to any one of them again. Just once.

And before Amy or Beth can make themselves too present in your thoughts as well, you look up at Deanna.

Finding some semblance of your words, you respond “It’s how far in the wrong direction someone is willin’ to go to ignore their conscience. Or to reorder it, or alter or somethin’ to justify their bad.” Bite his fuckin’ neck off, Rick. “If th-they have a well-formed conscience in the first place.” You swallow, then add “Usually.”

“I agree with you, Y/N. And I like how you said it.” She leans forward. “And you know what? I still want you here. I want all of you here,” she says, gently and earnestly. “This place is a fresh start, regardless of what you’ve done in the past.”

She notices you eyeing the bottle on the coffee table as she was talking. “Please. Take them, they’re for you,” she tells you, inclining her head towards the vitamins. “As your group’s medic, I’m sure you know how important it is to nourish yourself right now.” And there’s that look of pity you’ve gotten so used to.

She then halts as her hand moves towards the camera.

“I haven’t ever, um, turned it off during an interview, to be honest. But I want for you to have privacy when I ask you something.”

And she reaches over and finally pauses the video. “If I wasn’t paying attention, I would assume that Daryl was the father.”

Finding it curious that she’d drawn that hypothesis, since you and Daryl weren’t ever romantically linked, you shake your head.

“Alright. I will only ask you once, so that I’m clear about what happened to you and so I know how to help you.” She appears to be trying to find the right wording, so you help her by speaking first.

And you remain calm. What happened, happened. What was happening, was happening – and you are not alone, you know that. And maybe you are even safe here, as tricky as that word can be these days.

“You can turn the camera on, ma’am. It’s there for transparency.”

Deanna presses her hands together as her brows knit close. “You’re certain you’re comfortable with that?”

“Yes.” You watch as she presses the record button again and the red light turns back on.

She inhales. “It was someone else, or a group out there who harmed you?”

“They're dead now.” Bite his fuckin’ neck off, Rick. “They were, um, gonna do the s-same thing they did to me to two of them. To Michonne, but first to C-Carl,” your voice nearly breaks but you remain steady, even though you need to cover your eyes. “And they were about to kill Rick and Daryl, but...” You shrug and swallow. “They didn’t know I’d found them again. So we killed ‘em first.”

“Good.” Her response is firm and immediate. And when she says it, as surprised as you are, you have no doubt that she means it. True to her word, she asks nothing further to fill in the blanks.

She allows you to calm your breathing and relax again before continuing on.

“Next, I’d like to go over the practical part of this discussion: your job here, and what we can offer you. And your job was a very easy decision,” she shares. “Since you are the group’s medic, and you all are in remarkably good health, especially considering how long you’ve been out there, I would like you to assist our doctors some of the time, learn more from them.”

“Some of the time?”

“Yes. Based on the way that you were reacting to protect Judith just a few minutes ago, and how Aaron observed you around her and Carl; that is something very reassuring. And having somebody like that, helping to mind the children here – we don’t have many, yet – but, well, there’s nothing I’d like more for the kids here than someone so protective.” She tilts her head and smiles. “Now, what medical training did you receive, if any?”

“I, um, I worked as a phlebotomist, and had just got EMT trained. Took health and anatomy courses in college. After the world changed, I was taught by a vet – a veterinarian – who saved both Carl’s and Daryl’s lives as well as my own and several others. Then for a good while, he and I worked with a doc back in our old settlement, too. Got lots of training with Caleb.”

“What were their names?” she asks kindly. Your eyes flit up at hers. “I believe it is important to remember those who have helped us,” she explains.

Fighting back tears, you nod. “Hershel Greene and Caleb Subramanian.”

“Well, I am thankful for them.”

Damn, if she wasn’t a great politician. You would even go so far as to say that you like her.

Maybe you’d even say that you feel somewhat at ease here. Maybe.

“Our own doctors here are Peter Anderson and Denise Cloyd. Pete is our official physician, but Denise had some fairly extensive medical training before switching education paths to psychology.” This last part she stresses, but subtly. “She acts as both a part time doctor and psychologist. And if I may, she’s very good at what she does.”

Point taken. You nod politely, then check “And will I be able to go on runs, or are we restricted to our assigned duties?” God help her if she said no. God help you if she said no.

“You are free to go outside the walls, yes. And while it certainly makes me nervous to imagine you back out there, I would like to make this very clear: you are not trapped here and you are not a servant. And, whatever time you need to rest, especially in your condition, you may take whenever you need.”

You nod again and quickly wipe the tears that begin to slip down your cheeks. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“You’re safe here. As uncertain as that word may seem nowadays,” she tells you, echoing the exact thoughts you’d had. And then she stands up and turns the camera off.

And after making sure that you have the vitamins and ginger ale in hand, she escorts you back to the door, to where your family is waiting outside.

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heyitsdoe · 3 years

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One Piece Bachelorette Round 5: Double (Dating) Trouble

Round 5 Voting Deadline: Thursday, August 12th @ 8:00 PM (MT)

(Named accounts only! Anon votes will be deleted and uncounted. One vote per person, per round.)

Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid

You suspected trouble the moment Law and Kid locked eyes, realizing they'd have to tolerate each other's presence for the duration of the date without killing one another. Perhaps pairing them together wasn't the smartest idea, but in all honesty, you were curious if they would remain courteous despite all of the tension between one another.

And surprisingly, the answer was yes. Well...mostly. Granted, you could practically feel the angry glare they shot one another when they didn't think you were looking, believing you too caught up in the many trinkets the market's vendors were offering for sale. Still, at least they hadn't yet resorted to outright violence.

Kid, being the physically more muscular of the two, offered to carry your bags while you shopped for more things. And thanks to his large frame, navigating the crowds was a piece of cake. And every time you sent a grateful smile in his direction, he matched it with a smug grin, eyes always sliding over to Law as if to see his reaction.

"What? My arms aren't tired, no way. I could carry these all day if I have to. Keep shopping for whatever you want, I've got plenty of time to kill, and I'm having a great time, believe it or not. Now, if we could just get rid of the third wheel over here, we might be able to actually spend some quality time together..."

Law, on the other hand, was quick to point out the vendors in particular that would most suit your tastes. He ensured you never missed something he thought you might like, sharp eyes scanning the market stalls for anything that caught his attention. And while making your purchases (through a bit of practiced and subtle intimidation) he was easily able to snag you the best prices everywhere you went. You might call it thievery, but really, he was a pirate after all.

"That really does suit you. I saw another stall you may like further down this way. Oh, Eustass-Ya, you don't have to come with. Why not take a break over on that bench? They don't sell anything you'd be interested in, I'm afraid. We wouldn't want to bore you, now would we?"

Portgas D Ace and Marco the Phoenix

To say there was rivalry between these two bachelors was a severe understatement. Being essentially brothers, you wondered how they'd cope competing against each other in this competition. Marco was the older, more experienced one between them, but Ace still retained his boyish charms and confidence. It made for an interesting outing.

It was comedic, the way they almost playfully butted in to one another's attempts at courting you. One moment you were beside Ace, and the next Marco was taking you by the hand to look at another of the zoo's exhibits. And then not minutes later, you'd find yourself tucked in Ace's arms, pointing out the animals in the enclosures again. They seemed to play off another, trying to win you over, but their rivalry never turned malicious. It was as if they enjoyed the challenge.

Ace's smile never fell, pointing out animals that he found cute, and often was the one dragging you off to new enclosures. And when you eventually hit the gift shop to purchase cute and ridiculous souvenirs, he's combing the store for the wackiest and cutest things he can find.

"Look over here, Y/N, gorillas! Ooh, or there are the snakes in that building over there. Which one did you want to go see? I don't care either way, but...Marco, you hate snakes, don't you? Well, you'd do anything for Y/N, didn't you? Let's test that out! Don't back out now!"

Marco isn't quite as bubbly and bouncy as his younger brother, but you can tell he is enjoying your outing together all the same. He's quick to lift you up so you can see into the enclosures, or helping you through your fear as the lions approach the thick glass separating you and them. He's a calm, reassuring presence, and you find yourself with your hand in his multiple times throughout the day.

"Don't worry, they can't get to you. And even if they broke through the glass, they'd have to get through me first. Ace wouldn't last a second, yoi. But I'll be here to make sure nothing happens. Anyway, did you want to see the bird exhibit? I think they have some falcons here..."

Killer and Charlotte Katakuri

You knew that a double date with Killer and Katakuri would be a rather, ahem...awkward affair. And it was! It seemed neither quite knew what to do around you with the other man there. But you were pleasantly surprised to see both of your quietest bachelors making an effort to push through their social boundaries for you.

The day was warm and sunny, perfect for a hike through the nearby mountains. The forested path kept you shaded and cool against the intense heat, and with babbling brooks and lush greenery all around you, it was both a relaxing and beautiful experience. Adding to that the fact that your two bachelors almost...got along? Incredible.

Killer always stepped up to tackle overgrown foliage, quick with his weapon to create a clear path. The path was one not taken often, and thanks to his handiwork, you were able to explore areas that were otherwise hidden away. With his gentle guiding hand, you never lost your footing through the narrower sections. His hand in yours fit perfectly. He listened attentively to everything you talked about while walking alongside you.

"A hike was a nice change of pace. Quiet and relaxing, and we can get away from the other noisier ones that are in the competition. And hey, if I had to share this date with someone else, Katakuri isn't that bad, actually. At least he appreciates a peaceful environment. Still, I think we'd all feel more comfortable if these double dates hadn't happened at all..."

Katakuri exuded a sense of calm, and truthfully was probably a main reason that this awkwardly quiet date didn't feel quite so devastatingly cringey. When you happened to come across sections of the path you couldn't traverse, or didn't feel comfortable crossing, he was ready and willing to lift you with his great arms and carry you across. You never felt unsafe in his embrace. He was patient, also a great listener, and offered up his own thoughts when the three of you were sitting in the clearing beside the small river that ran down the mountain.

"I remember a place like this when I was very young, before Sweet City grew to be Totto Land's capital. It was a good place to get away from it all, from the noise and distraction. Killer is right, I am glad you chose this place to take us, and at least the quiet isn't tainted by a more...vocal bachelor. Of course, he is also correct that none of us prefer this arrangement, but it cannot be helped."

#one piece #bachelorette #300 follower event #event #law #kid #ace #killer #marco #katakuri #vote

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levi-my-beloved · 3 years

Text

Birds of a Feather

Chapter one

Pairings: Canon!Levi x F!reader

Content warnings: violence, swearing

Word count: 4K

Summary: You were the most notorious criminal in the Underground City. With your organisation of highly skilled professionals, only one man could take you down. He also happened to be Humanity’s Strongest… and your ex.

A/N: asdfghjkl hello there. so, this has been on my brain for a while now, so i started this as just a drabble. what i thought would stay as just a drabble turned into this 22k+ multi chapter fic because i have zero self restraint or self respect. i’m currently finishing chapter 5 as this is being posted, but i want to keep chapters posted around once every two weeks so i can keep up with the workload. maybe once a week if i start feeling spicy. yeah plot twist this is actually the second time i’ve drafted this up. the first time i managed to get everything done and in order and then manages to delete the entire post with my huge disgusting thumbs. Genuinely felt like crying for a good half an hour.

This is also my first Levi fic! yay! lmk if it sucks and idk i’ll cry or something. nah, in all seriousness please send me criticism cuz i really want to improve and critiques are the best way.

𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔

“How down, Raven?”

“Six feet.”

Within the dank confines of a stinking alleyway, two green capes marked with the Military Police insignia crept ever closer to the taller, run-down building upon which you and your little squad of Shadows were now perched. No sunlight illuminated your position. Not that you’d ever seen the sun, or know what it even looked like, but you based your guesses upon the pathetic rays shining through the grates littering the ceiling of the Underground City.

The language you used with your Shadows, coded words translated to:

‘How do you want them to be dealt with?’

‘Death.’

It was something developed by your late guardian and mentor, Viper. See, you all had aliases in The Nest, your criminal organisation. The leader was often referred to as The Raven, however your mentor preferred to use his own nickname, stemming from his own reputation.

Then come the aliases for your Shadows. Prongs was your second, a tall, stern looking man with the black mask of a stag settled across his features.

Then came Wolf, and you swore the first time you’d set eyes on him, you thought a titan had wandered into the city. He was enormous, all 6ft 6ins of him carved in hard muscle. Slicked back silver hair and a beard that to rival a bear. Similar to Prongs, a mask sat upon his face, resembling that of a snarling wolf.

Following him was Verdant, Scales and Diablo. Your power trio. Though their special talents lay in different professions, get these three together and they were borderline unstoppable. A white mask decorated with three broad maple leaves obscured Verdant’s pretty features, Scales sported a bronze half mask etched with a snake-like diamond pattern, whilst Diablo, your trained escort, had opted for something that accentuated her own gorgeous features, a mask of black leather arcing high onto her brow on the left side, whilst the right arced low by her jaw. Though you were already spoken for, you couldn’t deny the beauty of Diablo. She did wonders when prying information between the legs of a moaning MP.

To your left crouched the twins, Una and Leaf. Una was gifted her name by none other than you yourself, after seeing her accuracy with a rifle. A single shot was all it took, from any distance. She wore no mask, something you’d allowed simply because she’d complained about the sight obstruction when lining up a shot. You’d agreed, but only under the condition that she wore a low hood. Her fiercely protective brother Leaf had chewed you out for that, but you knew he meant well. Leaf was good at what he did, excellent, in fact. Which was part of the reason you kept him on as a Shadow. The larger part was that you were damn fond of him. Of all of them, in fact. You loved every single one of your Shadows. Every single damned member of The Nest, you adored. You were their leader, afterall.

A masked helmet of black leather, similar material to Diablo’s, perched snug upon your own features. The hooked beak and obsidian feathers of a raven decorated the necessity, covering your face and hair, though leaving your lower features visible. It was a rite of passage, for you especially, and it signalled the start of your leadership.

“Una, set up. Verdant, Prongs, roundabout. Wolf…” your eyes slid to the giant man on your right, a dark smile slicing across your mouth. “Heel.”

The boulder of a man visibly sagged, clearly disappointed at your orders whilst the others sprang into action. Prongs and Verdant leapt across the rooftops in separate directions whilst Una removed her rifle from her back, parting her heavy cloak to reveal rounds and rounds of bullets strapped across her body. Leaf nestled closer into her side, whilst the other four took a step back. It was obvious you’d all been at this for a very long time, despite the twins not looking a day older than sixteen. In fact, most of your squad was younger than you, save for Wolf and Prongs, who had served their respective roles twice previously.

Sitting back on your heels, you watched your team get to work, the warmth of pride blossoming in your chest. Whilst you knew Prongs and Wolf were already incredibly skilled, the rest had flourished under your leadership. It had been ten years since you’d witnessed MPs put a bullet through your mentor’s skull. Ten long years since you’d taken up leadership and expanded the reaches of The Nest. Honestly, you were pretty proud of yourself, and none more so than when you watched your Shadows do what they do best.

Taking care of unwanted visitors.

Una took aim, resting the butt of her rifle in the crook of her shoulder, staring down the makeshift scope. She would be ready to take care of the two soldiers if either Prongs or Verdant failed to eliminate their targets.

Speaking of which…

That kernel of pride ignited as your (E/C) eyes followed Verdant’s careful, calculating form dropping from the rooftops above the alleyway, in sync with Prong’s own movements. The two assassins swooped with the grace of a stooping hawk, the silver glint of metal caught your eye as they both brandished their blades, before sinking the steel into the necks of the two soldiers. You didn’t need to be closer to see they were both dead. Expert precision. Deadly accuracy. That was why these people were your hand-picked Shadows. And why you were the most formidable gang leader in the Underground City. Your little criminal organisation had expanded into something to rival the killcount of Kenny the Ripper. You couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

Una lowered her weapon, strapping it back in the buckles between her shoulder blades.

“Finished.” she simply stated, turning back to drop down between the shattered tiles and splintered ceiling beams that marked your entrance and exit to this lookout point.

“Rendezvous back at The Nest,” you ordered flatly, before dropping forward and into the alleyway below.

“Anything?” you ask, a brow raised behind your raven mask as you saunter over. Prongs held up two sets of blades from one of the crimson bodies now gathering dirt and grime. Useless to you as they were, but somebody would definitely find an interest in them. Verdant seemed to be struggling with the straps of whatever gear these mosquitoes used to fly around. You’d never been able to figure out how to use it, but that shit made good money when in doubt. However, your usual buyers had disappeared off the face of the city, and you’d noticed a decline in gear sales since then. Gritting your teeth, you shook your head to Verdant, laying a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t. It’s not worth it. The thug trio haven’t been back in years. I doubt they’d return to us now,” you explain softly, prompting the girl to stop her struggles and huff defeatedly. You’re heart ached softly at the thought of him, but you pushed the feeling down.

“Here,” she muttered, handing you another rifle. It seemed to be a newer model, something of an upgrade for Una.

“You did good, Ver. I’m proud of you,” that seemed to immediately lighten the girl’s mood, her eyes shining behind her mask as her mouth widened into a toothy grin.

“Thanks Raven!” she beamed, before scampering off back to The Nest, almost forgetting to take the gun back from your outstretched hand in her haste to make it back and tell everyone she’d received a compliment from you. It wasn’t an everyday occurrence. Rather it only happened once in a blue moon…

A huffed chuckle had your head turning and eyes narrowing to your second in command.

“Can I help you?” you ask, your tone dripping with the poisonous threat of hell if he chose his next words poorly. But Prongs continued to smile ever so slightly, shaking his head.

“Not at all, Raven. It’s just, in the last few years, since you drafted her into the Shadows, she’s really come into her own,” Prongs explained simply, shrugging as she stooped to kick over the now drained corpse, hoping to find anything useful. You bristle ever so slightly. That was something you hated. Compliments. How the fuck were you supposed to respond? You tried to think back to when Viper tried to teach you simple social skills.

“Uh, yeah. She has,” you respond, keeping your features as neutral as you could as you turned away, beginning to trudge back to The Nest.

“I’m serious, Rave. You’ve done incredible things for us. You know Viper would be proud of you. I am too. But…” Prongs trailed off, clearing having something to say but not knowing how to say it.

“Go on. But what?” you pressed, wanting to hear what your second in command had to say.

“Well, don’t you think it’s a bit much? Rave, it’s been years. Eyes have started looking in our direction since those three vanished. You don’t think we should be lying low for a bit? Calming suspicions instead of rousing them?” Prongs offered gently. You knew, deep down, he was right. But some notable gang disappearing hasn’t stopped you before, and it sure as hell wouldn’t stop you now.

“I’ll talk to Scar about it,” even just the mention of your advisor, and wife’s name gave your stomach butterflies. Scarlett Obsidine, your other, and better, half. After the disappearance of a certain dark haired man, Scar was the woman who comforted you, and though you missed him dearly, your heart managed to haphazardly piece itself back together and love all over again.

“Rave, listen—“

“Let’s go,” Prongs closed his mouth, the tone of your voice stating clearly that this matter wasn’t up for discussion. Especially not with him.

⎈⎈⎈⎈⎈⎈⎈⎈

“You know he’s right,” you couldn’t help but sigh when your wife’s soft tones calmed your irritated mood. Soft hands gently kneaded at the tense muscles in your shoulders, forcing them to relax as a tired moan escaped your lips. Leaning back, you peer into her shining sapphire eyes, locks of brunette framing your face as she took the sides of your cheeks in her hands and leaned down, softly pecking your lips with her own. You couldn’t help humming a smile against her mouth, reaching up to deepen the kiss, but she pulled away before you could.

“Scaaaaar…” you pout, looking up at her mischievous smirk as she winked playfully.

“(Y/N)...” Scarlett sighed, swinging her legs over your body to sink into your lap, one thumb now caressing one of the most prominent features on your face. A nasty, jagged scar ran down from the the top of your forehead, over your right eye and finishing just past your jaw bone. One (E/C) iris lighter than the other as a result of the old wound. Soft lips chase away the shadows of your past as Scarlett replaced her thumb with her mouth.

“(Y/N), I don’t want to find you dead in some alleyway because you picked a fight you couldn’t win,” a finger poked your chest as she huffed above you, feigning irritation. You roll your eyes, (E/C) landing on your gear now strung across the table. That raven helmet almost calling to you as you shook your head. Disagreeing with your wife was never a good idea, but you were feeling particularly bold this evening.

“Look. So many jobs have opened up recently. We have so many opportunities to make this life more comfortable. More jobs means more money, more money means we can afford the gate toll and actually see the world above ground. And I can finally buy you an actual ring.”. Technically, you two weren’t married. Who the fuck would be stupid enough to perform marriage ceremonies in the underground City? But, it was easier than saying you were devoted to each other in every single way.

Lightly smacking your chest, Scarlett raised herself from your lap with a hefty sigh. “One of these days (Y/N), you’re going to be captured or killed,” she said quietly, unable to meet your eyes. “And then what the hell will I do…?” Scarlett had now completely turned away from you, shoulders hunched. Running a hand down your face, you pick your sore body up from the chair, reaching her in a matter of strides.

“I can’t give this up, Scar. You know that. You knew that when you chose to be with me. You knew The Nest was always going to be my priority,” you held out your arm, hand hovering over her back, not sure whether to comfort her or let her go. The admission almost had her in tears, you could tell by the way her shoulders shook ever so gently.

“You still miss him don’t you?” It was her vulnerable, defeated tone that alerted you to the slight change of topic.

You fell silent, not really knowing how to respond. Yes, of course you missed him. You loved him more than anything. But those days are over, you knew that. You’d cried enough those following nights after his disappearance.

He was probably dead anyway.

“Of course I do,” you wouldn’t lie to her. That wasn’t fair. But you knew the truth was just as painful for her.

“Will I ever be enough? Will I ever be enough to replace him?” the sound of her voice had your heart in pieces. You loved Scarlett. You really did. But your heart wouldn’t let you love her wholly. Part of yourself will always be dedicated to that grumpy kid you’d fallen for all those years ago.

“Scar… I—”

“I know,” she whispered, stepping forward away from your outstretched grasp. “I know,” you watched as the woman you loved, and who loved you, stepped from your shared quarters, hovering in the doorway. “I’m sorry I asked,” she closed the door as she left, leaving you a frustrated, conflicted mess.

⎈⎈⎈⎈⎈⎈⎈⎈

“Understood, I’ll bring them in right away. Thank you Niles,” The Commander of the MPs stood opposite Erwin, arms folded. An expression of irritation plastered on his sunken features. Erwin simply sighed, realising Niles was wanting to stay for this seemingly impromptu meeting. With a nod of his head, a cadet rushed off to find the two soldiers mentioned in their little conversation. Being Commander of the Scouts often had its perks, like having cadets around to run errands for him.

Niles cleared his throat, taking a seat on the green leather sofa within Erwin’s office. “You sure he’d help us? I mean, it wasn’t too long ago he actually decided killing you was probably a bad idea.”—he raised a thin brow, peering at Erwin with barely concealed suspicion—“I’m pretty sure the Underground City would be the last place he’d want to return.” a knock at the door cut their conversation short, both turning their heads as Erwin called;

“Enter.”

Hange was the first to make her presence known, poking her head in as she opened the door. A smile adorned the slightly dishevelled section commander, her hair sticking up in all directions. Clearly she had been in the middle of something when Erwin requested her presence.

“You asked to see us, Erwin?” her eyes sparkling with curiosity behind her glasses as she stepped through the door.

“Tch, just make it quick, I have shit to do,” the monotone voice of Levi behind her made Erwin pinch the bridge of his nose. How many times has he told him not to talk to him like that?

“Yes, come in and make yourselves comfortable.” Hange immediately took up a seat next to Niles on the sofa, Levi preferring to stand against the now closed door, arms folded. Erwin’s sharp eyes shifted to Niles, an indication for the MP Commander to speak.

“Well, no point in beating around the bush. We’ve received an anonymous tip about some criminal gang that’s been plaguing my soldiers in the Underground City.” Levi visibly stiffened at the mention of his old home. His jaw tensed in anticipation. There would be only one reason he would be called into such a discussion, and the answer was a firm no.

Without his permission, his mind flashed back to a (H/C) girl, her face etched with that ever mischievous smirk. He quelled the thoughts as quickly as he could. He needed his wits with him, and allowing his mind to wander back to what he’d left behind wouldn’t help anything. Besides, the likelihood of you being alive was close to none.

“Section Commander, I don’t suppose you would have heard of the group but Captain Levi here surely would have done. The Nest.” Niles continued, now eyeing Levi to gage his reaction. And for a man whose emotions were usually on a tight leash, this seemed to be what cracked his impenetrable walls. His eyes flew wide open, frantically searching between Niles and Erwin. They couldn’t be serious. The Nest? That was where Farlan and Isobel used to—

Shit, he really needed to keep his thoughts at bay. But what he did know was that The Nest was an impenetrable fortress of criminal activity. Trying to mess with them was suicide.

“Judging by your reaction, I’m going to assume you are familiar with them, Levi,” Erwin’s surprisingly calm tone eased the growing tension in the room. Taking a subtle breath to calm himself, Levi’s eyes narrowed to his commander.

“Yeah. I know of it. Why?” it was a rhetorical question, he already knew why, but he wanted to hear it from Erwin himself. Hange looked incredibly confused, looking between the men in the office, trying to glean something, anything, about what the hell was going on.

“The Nest? Why are they so bad?” she asked, not afraid to show how completely oblivious she is to anything that doesn’t concern titans or science. Erwin gestured to Levi.

“Levi? Care to explain? You probably know more than myself and Niles combined,” though his voice seemed kind, there was a slight edge to his deep tones. One that didn’t go unnoticed by Levi.

A heavy silence filled the room as the Captain wracked his brain for all the information he could think of regarding the organisation. It seemed like hours before he finally spoke.

“Well, you got one thing right. The Nest is a criminal organisation. A nasty one at that. Merciless bastards. Whether you’re a soldier or a citizen, they don’t give a shit. They’ll leave you a broken, bloodied mess in the street. I don’t know much about their leader. Only that he took over from the previous one around ten-ish years ago. Since then, they’ve expanded their shitty little gang and taken over an entire section of the city,” he explained, poison lacing his tone. It wasn’t that he was above the whole gang thing, oh no. It was more the state Farlan would be in before he left to meet whoever the fuck led that group of demons. He’d never seen his friend so anxious. So afraid.

“You never met him? Their leader?” Erwin inquired, lacing his hands together on the desk in front of him. Levi scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“If I had, I would tell you. But I know he’s smart. And not the good kind of smart. The kind of smart where he would always be ten steps ahead of you. He has a small group of trusted criminals surrounding him at all times, called his Shadows. They’ll be the ones to look out for,” Despite his voice sounding bored, Levi’s heart was racing. They couldn’t seriously be thinking of facing The Nest, could they? But something in the expressions of both Niles and Erwin told him he was wrong. Dead wrong.

“They’ve been picking off my soldiers. Always in the same places as well. I was going to leave it, just tell them to avoid certain areas until this tip. Their next job. We know what it is,” Niles interjected, looking down to the floor, his own mind a whirlwind.

“And you want to intercept them. The same way you did with me, right?” Levi finished through gritted teeth. This was absurd. There was no way they could pick them all off. Unless… that wasn’t the goal. Levi’s grey eyes widened slightly, realising what they wanted to do. Yep, this was total suicide. Hange clapped her hands together almost excitedly, as if she was also able to read Erwin’s mind.

“You want to capture him! The leader! Ah! This all makes so much sense now, I was starting to wonder why I was here,” the scientist mused almost to herself, before jumping to her feet. “This is the perfect opportunity to test some of the concept traps I have in mind. Obviously for titans they’d need to be much, MUCH bigger. And of course a few modifications would have to be made so they could adapt to size and body type but oooooooh this is so exciting! I’ll start right away!'' Without allowing anybody to get a word in edgeways, Hange dashed back to her lab to begin her preparations.

“Thank you Erwin, the Military Police will remember this,” Niles said, before he too was rising from his seat. Throwing Levi an unsure glance, he made his way towards the door, only to be shoved into the hallway by Levi, who promptly closed the door behind him.

“Don’t.” he simply said, turning back to Erwin who was peering at him, his expression puzzled. Levi rolled his eyes again, clearly having to clarify what he meant. “Don’t pursue them. It’s suicide,” The Commander’s expression relaxed slightly in understanding.

“We don’t have a choice, Levi. Not only are hundreds of MPs being slaughtered down there, but relationships between the Scouts and the MPs are strenuous at best. It would be in our best interests to—“

“Bullshit.”

Erwin sighed again, having to hold his tongue. Snapping at Levi now for his language would only rile up the man more.

“Levi, we already have a plan in motion. There are soldiers down there now meeting whoever gave us that anonymous tip to further discuss the job The Nest has taken. It’ll be fine, but you’re going to have to trust me.” Erwin’s eyes bore into Levi’s own, the man once again asking his Captain to trust him in a risky call he’s made. Levi’s done it so many times before, why was it so difficult now?

It took yet another pregnant silence before Levi eventually yielded.

“Fine, but don’t be surprised when we’re once again forced to retreat with our tails between our legs.” it was a savage comment, but one that Erwin didn’t take to heart as he watched the raven haired man leave. Yes, this was a risk, but all his risks so far had worked out fairly well. There was no reason why this one would fail. No reason at all.

Levi leant against the door to Erwin’s office, looking down the hallway before letting loose a long breath. Not only would he have to go toe to toe with The Raven, but he also had to face so much of his past he’d wanted to forget. Fuck, this was a terrible idea. Why did Erwin always have to gamble? It was exhausting for everyone else involved.

Folding his arms, the shorter man strode back to his own office, lost in thought the entire way. Would he see you again? Were you even alive? Did you know just how much he had missed you. Just how much he’d wanted to see you again. To hold you again.

Did you know he’d looked for you? How his heart shattered over and over again each time he found no trace of you. He’d never accepted you were gone. Always holding onto that thorn of hope that maybe, just maybe, you’d survived.

Collapsing in his chair behind his desk, Levi unlocked the bottom draw and gently pulled it out. He delicately picked out a small, ebony bird feather you’d crafted into a quill pen. Even though neither of you knew how to write, you knew back then how much he had wanted to learn despite never voicing it directly. All those nights spent copying out basic letters from discarded newspapers and wanted posters. You always had this way of reading his mind.

The smallest fond smile crept across his usually bored face. God he missed you. It had been years and he still missed you like he only lost you yesterday.

#levi attack on titan #captain levi #snk levi #levi x reader #aot x reader #aot x y/n #aot x you #levi x you #levi x y/n #shingeki no kyojin #levi ackerman #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x you

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yan-twst · 3 years

Note

Idk if I made it in time for requests so I'll send it in anyway feel free to delete if too late but headcannons of Yandere Malleus, Kalim and Leona with a darling who loves them back but is scared of being tied to royalty?

a/n: just a quick heads up- kalim isn’t royalty (i used to think he was like, the son of the sultan when i got into twst) like in the sense his family isn’t connected to the crown, however he is the heir to an incredibly powerful and influential family! it still works for the effects of being incredibly stressed to being connected to such important family- think of it as old money rich families- but just thought i’d give a heads up bc i don’t refer to him as royalty in this one. also i’m working off the assumption that the relationship is already like, happening because i don’t want to make these way longer than needed

warnings: general yandere themes, implied violence

❥ leona kingscholar

it all comes off as... almost mockery, really. it leaves a sour taste on his mouth- he can see how his darling tenses at his presence whenever his title is mentioned, how they seem to stress whenever leona’s brother writes about how he should bring his lover to the palace to meet him

it’s not them trying to make leona feel unappreciated or feared, but that’s what they do. he’s spent too long being compared to his brother, being whispered about by servants- it wouldn’t be too far off to say that he almost feels betrayed by his significant other because of this, even if their reluctance isn’t necessarily aimed at him

he isn’t above using pressure to keep them right by his side. royalty might be annoying, but it’s also pressuring and crushing. he knows better than anyone that his darling can easily crumple under it all, and he uses it for his own advantage before they can slink away from him

their face shown to the entire afterglow savannah. being presented to farena and his wife. cheka’s constant cheering and asking “when they’re gonna marry uncle leona”. he has no trouble taking his darling back home by telling them how excited farena is to see them- surely they aren’t about to disappoint the king, are they? and once there, it’s all in his ballcourt.

court manners, keeping up appearance, smile for the citizens, wave as leona puts his arm around their shoulder, try not to go pale and fall when farena introduces them as leona’s partner- this isn’t a marriage announcement, but it might as well be. after all, is it even possible to split off now...? now that everyone seems to think leona’s found his genuine love, that it’s a sweet love story of the ill tempered second prince falling in love with a no-name commoner and tossing aside traditions of royalty marrying royalty to bring them to his kingdom... it’s such a sweet story for everyone, except perhaps for the poor soul that’s trapped in the relationship with no exits

and oh, if pressure isn’t enough, then pain and threats surely will be. leona seems to easily pick his own desires over his darling’s comfort; after all, he so easily chose to shackle them to the relationship just because he feared their insecurities would cause them to leave. now that they’re effectively trapped to him by everyone’s gazes being in them, he just has to keep them docile and obedient, keep them from causing a scene.

he’s careful enough not to bruise anywhere visible if he thinks punishment is needed; long gone are the days when he’d perhaps tolerate his darling not doing as he pleased, replaced by his seemingly unwavering intent to train them into absolute submission. it’s more so mortifying when he decides to drag their loved ones into the ordeal: perhaps they’re willing to withstand pain themselves, but would they want anything bad to happen to their beloved friends back at nrc, hm?

“are you being cold to me? you should know better by now.” he isn’t necessarily angry, per se, but annoyed- by now they do know it’s already bad to have him in that mood. there’s an added danger of being back at nrc now that break is over; there’s no longer guards stationed outside the room, no longer the danger of cheka bursting in- which means leona has little to no reason to not be as horrible as he wants, provided he makes sure they can’t scream too loud beforehand. the bruises on their arms still hurt from being gripped too tightly last time he considered they weren’t behaving as affectionately as they should, and the memory immediately makes them tense. without even asking why he’s accusing them of being cold now, they apologize- meek, docile, spineless- and the grin on his face grows. perhaps they’d been to scared at the thought of being connected to royalty before and failed to realize it wasn’t leona’s connection to royalty what made a relationship with him dangerous: how many red flags had they missed before? how many of those quirks and things they chalked off to leona being a bit too possessive or territorial had been warning signs to this eventual outcome? dwelling on the past did nothing to soothe the pains of the present, though. “hmph, i don’t think i’m buying that apology. if you really want to get off without a punishment, put me in a good mood first. you can do that much, can’t you, herbivore?”

❥ kalim al-asim

sweet, innocent and cheerful kalim would seem like the sort of person who wouldn’t understand anxieties over being connected to a powerful family. he gives off such a bubbly and happy impression that such things would simply slip his mind

oh, but they don’t. he himself has suffered at being tied to his family- he’s been through enough attempted assassinations and kidnappings and poisonings that he’s almost de-sensitized to it all. he’s sunny, yes, but it’s almost surprising how cheery he is considering all he’s been through

perhaps that’s why he’s almost... sympathetic to his darling when he finally understands their plight. it’s a relief, really- it’s not that they don’t love him! he’s fine, they’re fine- it’s just a little bit of anxieties!

he understands, really... it’s so scary to have people wanting to get rid of you. well, it’s different for him, because he’s lived this way all his life, but his darling hasn’t... it must be scary for them... kalim’s affection and his simple mind, combined with his love that runs a bit too deeply mix

good intentions or not, the result is nothing more than glorified imprisonment, really. it begins with him happily saying that he asked crowley for permission to get some guards from back home to come to nrc to make sure nobody tries to break into his darling’s dorm, to then kalim insisting they spend their nights in scarabia for added safety- it snowballs from there

don’t eat the cafeteria food if it hasn’t been poison tested! actually, don’t eat in the cafeteria at all, he’ll provide the food. they don’t have someone like jamil by their side, so try not to wander outside alone! in fact, always have him close if they go out, ok?

... and of course, it ends up with maybe don’t leave the dorm, since it could be dangerous, and by then? it’s too late. kalim interpreted their anxiety as fear of dangers, because he’s put in danger because of his position, and so he seems to tell himself that as long as he keeps them safe everything is fine

even if they don’t want to do as he says, he’s just... keeping them safe. it’s his duty, as a good boyfriend, right? even if it’s painful to hear them cry from their room as he locks the door, even after he has to keep a chain on their ankle to keep them from trying to pick the lock... kalim doesn’t enjoy their pain, doesn’t relish in the sadism most nrc students seem to inherently have. but he still thinks he’s doing what he must to keep them safe: after all, wasn’t it them who were scared before...?

“i got you this, it reminded me of you! please, won’t you try it on? i’m sure it’ll look amazing on you, and it matches with me... oh, if you don’t like the colour of the gems i could get you another one, too!” kalim opens the box to present a bracelet. it’s objectively a fine piece of art- surely it’s pure gold and carved jewels, a priceless piece that most could merely dream of even looking at through a glass display, and yet to kalim, there isn’t really a price too high for his lover. they’re his most beloved treasure; and he seems to protect them as such, too, if the chain connecting the cushined cuff on their ankle to the wall says anything. it’s covered in gold and long enough they can wander around the room, but a golden chain still remains a chain. it’s almost silly to think back on how this hell began, with them being anxious over being connected to such an affluent family as the asim family was- in fact, the threats of poisonings or kidnappings hadn’t even crossed their mind until kalim began to protect them from it. and now this was life- kalim seemed to willingly ignore every single time they tried to lash out, acting as if everything was fine, showering them with gifts as if new and expensive belongings could somehow soothe the loss of their freedoms. and maybe it was partly their fault too- after all, they let him put the bracelet on their wrist, let him cheer about how pretty they looked. it was so hard to lash out against him, despite him doing all of this- knowing that he genuinely had no bad intentions, that it was all born out of love and desire to protect, but they were still prisoners with no escape.

❥ malleus draconia

there’s nothing that malleus dreads more than being feared by his darling. that’s what sets them apart from others, what makes him so obsessed, to finally have found someone to show even an inkling of kindness to him, to show him a glimmer of warmth after a life of being feared, of being shunned

he... can’t understand. why are they scared of being tied into royalty? as he sees it, it’s a step up from their current life- power, riches, comfort, those are all things that people dream of, things men have gone to war over, things he can give them. malleus doesn’t seem to comprehend the pressure of it all to someone who’s simply never been involved with the crown- he’s never truly had friends outside of his parental figure or guards, always surrounded by those who work for the crown or are part of the court.

his frustration makes him turn to his instincts. he isn’t willing to lose his darling, not over something like this- even if in reality, he’d be unwilling to let go no matter the reason. what good is power and status if he can’t at least keep the one person he loves the most...? why would he not use said power to keep them by his side?

he seems to think that if he just pushes them headfirst into it, they’ll adjust. a sort of “rip the bandaid” method; they’re anxious over being tied to fae royalty, so why can’t he just show them it’s truly nothing to stress over? they don’t need to worry about ruling or about duties- their title as royalty in the future wouldn’t mean much. they’re malleus’ lover first and foremost, their only true duties would be to stay by his side as they’ve been doing

malleus makes his decision almost worryingly quickly. it’s perhaps because this obsessive attitude has been in him all along, simply brought up by the slight bump in the relationship. maybe his draconic instincts to hoard could be blamed, or maybe his lack of real relationships, or maybe he simply was never meant to love in the regular sense

it... really doesn’t help that most fae don’t think too highly of humans. when malleus drags a clearly terrified and unwilling little human back home and declares them to be his future spouse, the fae court really seems to think of them more as the prince’s pet rather than a lover, leave alone an unwilling victim. if anything, there’s more pressure added to them, the fact that in the castle there isn’t really any ally for them

he’s persistent. malleus doesn’t want to hurt his darling much, but his temper isn’t quite stable. test him too much and he’ll snap, electricity and magic humming in the air. the faster his darling learns that the best path for them is to just do as he says, to hold him and kiss him and try and hide how their body tenses and hands shake when he enters the room, the better it’ll be for them. it’s not like they’re going to be getting any other life soon- upon returning to nrc, malleus doesn’t see the need for them to attend classes. after all, their future is already decided as a docile spouse to a king, they aren’t going to be needing much of an education, as much as they simply have to learn to be a doting and gentle spouse to him.

“i don’t understand why you’re so stressed over this.” malleus sounds genuinely confused, arms crossed as he stares at his darling. the poor thing flinches at his voice, quickly composing themselves, as if trying to hide said moment of vulnerability from him- the last thing they want is for malleus to grow more upset because he once again is forced to realize his own lover is terrified of him. still, he steps closer, close enough to cup their cheek with one of his cold hands. it takes all of their willpower to not stiffen under his touch. they’re extra jumpy today, mainly because lilia dropped by to begin court etiquette lessons. the fae’s ways are much different from humans, but from what they hear, malleus doesn’t plan on having them discuss many affairs with the court to warrant more than some infrequent reminders by lilia on how to behave. still, that does little to calm their nerves, especially because they know the reason why despite the fact they’ll soon be royalty that they’ll still have little duties. malleus caresses their cheek, thumb moving to gently swipe over their lower lip (the urge to lunge and bite seems to still scream from a corner of their brain. the urge to rebel against this, to try and claw back at their old life- urges they ignore and suppress. it’s useless- it’s all useless now, and they know trying to stand for themselves is just asking for malleus to lose it again and hurt them beyond belief in his anger). he seems satisfied with their response; that is, with the lack of response, minimal flinching and tensing, things he’s slowly become keenly aware of, are good, and speaks again what weighs heavily on their mind. “you won’t have to deal with the court much. you’ll be my spouse- your title doesn’t mean anything to worry about. you’ll simply have to continue to love me as i love you; your only job is to stay by my side forever.”

#yandere twst #yandere twisted wonderland #leona kingscholar #kalim al asim #malleus draconia #yandere tw #violence tw

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the-hidden-writer · 3 years

Text

And Into The Fire

Chapter 4: A Not-Quite-Plan

Summary:

Months after the Mitchells saved the world, Linda gets a phone call asking if she’s seen two defective Pal MAX bots. Powerful people are after Eric and Deborabot 5000, and it’s up to the Mitchells to protect them.

Check reblogs for AO3 link!

A Not-Quite-Plan

An agent came running into the office just as Mark was about to take a sip of his coffee.

“Ma’am! We’ve got into #009181987!”

Agent Ward turned off her tablet and stood up immediately.

“About time!” She snapped. “Come on, Dr Bowman, this is where we need you.”

He barely had time to grab his coffee cup as she practically dragged him toward the door by his hoodie.

Ever since they’d locked onto the missing Pal MAX bots, Agent Jennifer Ward and her team had pretty much taken control of Pal Labs. Or at least the headquarters where Mark worked.

He’d spent the past week or so locked in his office with the scary Agent Ward herself. The tall woman had ordered him to come into work every day despite the complete CIA take-over of his company, just to keep up pretences for the public. And he also needed to be kept under supervision at all times for some reason. He was basically a prisoner.

Oh well. At least he had WiFi.

After pulling him out of his office (freedom at last!) Agent Ward led him down the stairs to the main work area, which was a large room filled with rows of computer desks.

At the very back of the room were two large screens on the wall. These were usually used for advertising and announcements, but recently they’d served another purpose.

Displayed on each screen was a status. Before now, they’d said the same thing. But for the first time in weeks, one was different.

Pal MAX #012041966 Status: UNRESPONSIVE

Pal MAX #009181987 Status: ONLINE

“Online?” Mark wondered aloud. “So you actually got into it, huh.”

Agent Ward scoffed. “Of course we did. Don’t doubt my team, Dr Bowman. Especially Agent Travis here.”

As if on cue, the young agent that had come to tell them the news before came rushing in through the door behind them, and almost glided straight into the wheelie chair next to the computer he’d been working on.

“Actually, we got through a couple of times.” Travis explained, huffing slightly from having to run. “But we got kicked out before we could change anything. This is the first time it looks stable and ready to be edited.”

“Well, these robots are based on AI.” Said Mark. “They’re not as simple to take down as ordinary machines.”

“Trust me, we know.” Agent Ward sneered. “That’s the reason we’re in this mess to begin with.”

She turned to her team, who all had their fingers poised over their keyboards ready to begin typing. “Delete any excess data and then start to rewrite the functional coding.” She ordered.

“Rewrite?” Mark had been under the impression that they would just delete it all to stop the robots for good. That’s what they were trying to do, right? “I thought-”

“Yes, rewrite. Anything more is classified.”

One of the agents raised their hands. “Uh, Ma’am? All the data here looks pretty messed up. Most of its data’s been built onto the errors presumably caused by defects, we have no idea what it actually does. There's words liked 'brother', 'mother'-”

“Do I need to repeat myself, Barker?”

Even though it wasn’t aimed at him, Mark couldn’t help but gulp at the way Ward was glaring at the poor agent.

“No Ma’am,” mumbled Barker, “sorry, Ma’am. We’ll start the rewrite.”

~-.-~

The three of them raced into the room with Monchi following close behind, probably because he was intrigued by all the commotion.

Linda didn’t want to believe it. Her robo-boys being sick was one thing, but fighting each other? That was truly unbelievable. They would never.

But unfortunately, it was just as Aaron said.

Deborahbot was kneeling on the bed with his back to the door, repeatedly hitting Eric’s screen by alternating between using the clenched fist of one hand and the open palm of another. There was a “clunk” sound with each impact, and Deborahbot showed no sign of stopping.

“Deborahbot!” Linda exclaimed incredulously.

The bot’s head turned 180° to face them but he did not cease the attack on his brother.

“Mother! Other Mitchells!”

“What are you doing?!” Demanded Rick, aggressively pointing at the bot in the bed. Aaron gripped onto the back of Linda’s pant leg in fear.

“I am more defective than my brother.” Deborahbot stated matter-of-factly, his calm voice sounding quite scary compared to the current violence he was inflicting. “I thought if he was more defective like me, he would be himself again.”

Rick waved his arms in annoyance. “That’s insane!”

“Deborahbot, stop hitting your brother right now.” Ordered Linda.

“Ok!”

Linda felt a small stab of guilt in her heart. Since they’d joined the family, they’d all tried their hardest not to order the bots to do anything. By phrasing things the wrong way, their programming would make them obey commands mindlessly, whereas the Mitchells just wanted them to be themselves. The longer the pair of them went without being given an order, the more their individual personalities shone through.

Deborahbot released Eric and stepped away. Two seconds later, once the command had been completed, he held out a warning hand to the family.

“Wait, Mitchells, stop!”

Linda was about to open her mouth to ask why, only she first noticed the movement on the bed.

Movement. On the bed.

Under the blanket, Eric looked like he was shivering. Or, more accurately, vibrating. The screen that had been full of color before was now its usual black self, and his red marker face was visible again. The only indication that anything was wrong was that the small LED in the corner of his screen was flashing an array of different colors.

“What’s happening to him?” Aaron asked from behind her, and Linda nodded to encourage Deborahbot to answer.

“I do not know for certain, but I think that the infiltrators have successfully entered my brother’s system.”

“You’re speaking normal again.” Commented Rick, though his cautious gaze was fixed on Eric, as if he would spring up and attack them at any moment.

“That is why I came to that conclusion.” Elaborated Deborahbot. “They have stopped attacking me, so they must be focusing more on him.”

Unlike earlier, Linda drew up the courage to approach Eric in the bed. His shaking was growing ever more violent by the second, and without Deborahbot keeping him down it was only a matter of time before he fell off the bed completely.

She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and made her voice as soft and calming as possible.

“Eric, honey?”

“Dear, be careful.” Rick warned from behind her but she chose not to listen.

“Can you hear me?”

It didn’t seem like he was going to respond. Feeling defeated, Linda was about to turn to ask Deborahbot what to do next when a voice spoke up.

“User recognised: Linda Mitchell.”

Eric’s voice was even more distorted than Deborahbot’s had been to the point where it was nearly unrecognisable.

“Uh, Mom?”

“Linda, get back!”

Linda understood exactly why her family was scared. The bots had never, not once, called her by her actual name. To not hear “Mother!” come out of Eric’s metaphorical mouth alarmed her, but still she couldn’t bring herself to step back.

“Brother?”

In a similar situation, the bots never called one another by their given names. It was always “Brother”. It only made them seem closer to one another in a way that the Mitchells themselves couldn’t be.

“Unknown user. Verify”

Aaron approached them with caution, one hand automatically searching for his mother’s own. She clasped it tightly.

“It’s like he’s gone back into robot-mode.” Said Aaron.

Linda squeezed his hand in agreement. Out of the two, it was Eric that always seemed more closely related to all the other Pal MAX bots for some reason. Still, Eric was their Eric, and not one of the mindless machines that tried to blast all of humanity into space.

Then a high-pitched whine echoed throughout the room without warning, causing the Mitchells (and Deborahbot, who mimicked them a second later) to cover their ears from the terrible noise. Monchi began to bark.

Once it died down, Rick frowned and used two fingers to massage his temple. “What the-”

“B-Brother!”

Rick snapped his mouth shut and all heads in the room turned to Eric, who was now sitting up straight on the bed.

“Brother!” Deborahbot called back in relief.

Eric's head twisted to face the three extremely shocked Mitchells.

“Mitchells!” Eric cried dramatically, his words accompanied by a more familiar glitch. “You are in danger. Pal Labs is taking over our systems, and it’s only a matter of time before-”

“I already told them all that.” Deborahbot interjected.

“Oh.” Eric muttered softly. “Aww.”

It put Linda a little at ease to see her boys’ dynamic return so quickly. That must mean things were getting better, right?

“Brother, what should we do?”

Deborahbot had always been reliant on Eric for decision-making. Linda had no idea how the bots managed to form such a human-like sibling relationship.

“They’ve already gotten to me.” Said Eric, solely addressing Deborahbot now. “It’s safer if you power me off until they stop. If you wait a while and they don’t, then you might have to go to Pal Labs and stop them yourself.”

Linda’s immediate thought was: No. She was not going to turn off her boy.

“How do we know if they’ve stopped?” Asked Rick.

Eric glitched before shrugging. “My brother might be able to tell you, but-”

He was interrupted by the return of the high-pitched whine. This time, Deborahbot did not cover his ears.

A few seconds later, Eric’s voice was distorted again.

“Status: online. Location-”

He did not get to finish his ominous speech as Deborahbot had quickly moved toward him and placed his hand under Eric’s head. After a few short seconds Eric’s screen went completely black with only his marker face remaining as he fell back onto the bed.

“Deborahbot!” Linda exclaimed in outrage. “Tell me you didn’t-”

“He told me a plan.” Deborahbot said nonchalantly. “First I had to power him off, then-”

“Yeah, we heard.” Scoffed Rick. “But that’s not really a proper plan.”

“It’s a start.” Aaron piped up. “I don’t really know what’s going on but I think the bots have it better together than you do.”

Linda bit the inside of her lip. She did not like how Deborahbot switched off his brother without permission. They were technically under 18 and therefore not adults, so Linda felt responsibility for their wellbeing and safety. She tried her best to keep quiet to avoid snapping at him.

“So... what now?” Asked Rick.

Deborahbot took a moment to look at his brother before turning to face the Mitchells again.

“I don’t want to wait.” He said blankly. “So I think that we should go to Pal Labs and tell them to stop now.”

Comments make my day! :)

#the mitchells vs the machines #tmvtm #fic #tmvtm eric #eric tmvtm #eric and deborahbot5000 #eric and deborahbot #deborahbot 5000 #linda mitchell #rick mitchell #aaron mitchell #mark bowman #and into the fire

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