Tumgik
#i think i assumed they were the main ship before and so i watched the first few eps with goggles on
lunaicfantastic · 10 months
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anyway the pride and prejudice metaphor in episode one is about lupe and carson. if u even care
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nervoushottee · 4 months
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Go For It | Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader
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Summary: Steve has been your “movie guy” at Family Video for a while now. Little does he know that the main reason you’ve been buying these movies is to flirt with him and just maybe ask him out…
Warnings: Steve being oblivious babygirl
Note: hey hottees! Happy New Year! I hope to be writing a lot more on Tumblr💗
(Possibly might be a Smut Part 2?? Let me know if you guys want one?)
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The bell chimes as you enter the door of Family Video. A smile on your lips and an intent in mind as you walk confidently toward the front counter. “There’s my favorite customer.” Steve says to you with his signature smile.
Steve Harrrington, the “boy next door”, the ex- “King Steve” or for your case, “The hot Family Video employee that has a hard time understanding that you’re flirting with him.”
For the past two weeks you’ve been coming into the movie store in need of new movies to watch. The first time you came was truly because you were in need of something new and Steve in all his strong, beautiful and delicious glory helped you no problem with finding a comedy for you and your girlfriends to watch one night.
You could hardly understand half of what he was telling you about the movie when you were purchasing it. You were too busy ogling his toned arms and the many freckles across his face. You wondered if you played your cards right, you’d be able to see if there were any more freckles in other more delicate places.
The movie he recommended wasn’t actually bad and you jokingling made him your “movie guy”. You had said it to flirt and make him laugh but Steve took it seriously. He stood proud, almost cocky saying, “If you ever need a new movie, I’m your man.” pointing his thumb towards himself as you return the movie back to him a few days later.
You did in fact let him be your man and nearly spent half your pay checks each week to come in and buy movies. You would flirt and banter with him and Steve would laugh and banter right back with you.You could tell he enjoyed your company but you weren’t too sure if he was getting what you were throwing down.
One day, you came to return a movie and Steve was on his break so Robin did it instead. The two of you both knew of each other. Being in the same classes from time to time throughout the school years but you never had any mutual friends. You both talked as Robin ringed up the movie for a return and a calm silence covered you both.
Your rings made clinking noise with every tap of your fingers with the rhythm of whatever song was playing softly through the store speakers.
That sudden calm was quickly interrupted by an eager Robin.
“I think you should just go for it.” she blurts out to you.
You turn your head to see the girl staring back at you. Not too sure (you’re pretty sure) what she was referring to you tell her as such. “Go for what?” Robin looks back to where you assume is the back room door to see if Steve was coming out.
“Ask Steven out.” she whispers to you with an amused gleam in her eyes.
You peek over to the same door Robin had looked back at only seconds before, before you lean over the counter closer to her and whisper. “You think?? Because I’ve been subtly flirting with him for almost a month and he hasn’t shown much interest.”
The short haired dirty blonde eyes widen in shock, “Pfftt. Oh he’s totally interested. Number one, I mean look at you you’re gorgeous, I mean your pretty cool gal. Number 2, Steve doesn’t know if someone is flirting with him unless he’s the one that seeks them out. I know he had this “reputation” a while back but that ship has long sailed for a while and he hasn’t been doing that well in the flirtatious department if we’re being honest.” Robin says all this to you rapidly, adding finger quotation marks when she says “reputation”.
“And Number 3 and please listen when I say this. Sometimes Steve isn’t the brightest fish in the sea. If he was a dog, you would need to tell him that the bone is a treat before you give it to him or else he’ll think it's a friend and play fetch with it or something.” she finishes.
You try to take in all that she said as much as you could, trying to understand the innuendo she threw in at the end. Nodding at her words you eyes going unfocused as you get lost in your head in thought. After a few seconds you eventually grab the receipt Robin hands you.
“So yea I think you should go for it. Trust me you won’t be disappointed.” she says with a smile.
You tell her that you’ll keep it in mind and thank her before leaving the video store.
The conversation between the two of you was a few days ago.
But today, today was the day you were going to ask Steve out. You made the decision the night before. You put on your favorite outfit, listened to the songs that make you feel the most confident and didn’t forget to tell yourself some positive affirmations before you left. There was also a pint of mint chip ice cream waiting for you in the freezer just in case Robin was lying and this all didn’t go how you wanted to. (You were just making sure to check every box.)
So here you were at the counter that Steve stood behind as he leaned over to get closer to you as he spoke. “So did Jim and Janine like “Die Hard”?”.
Jim was your neighbor who you’ve known since you were young. Him and his wife Janine were in need of something new to watch and you offered to get them a movie. Saying that you knew a guy who gave out pretty good suggestions. Was it another excuse for you to show up at his job and flirt with the boy? Yes but your neighbors didn’t need to know.
“They loved it, it is definitely going to be a favorite for them.” you say to him. Steve is clearly happy with your response telling you as always that he’s happy to help.
You try to take a subtle deep breath to gather as much confidence and bravery before speaking. ‘Here it goes’, you think to yourself. “Aside from returning this,” you place both hands over the movie you placed on the counter. Rings clinking against the plastic cover.
“I am looking for something to watch for myself and I’m in need of your recommendations.” You say to him.
Steve nods his head, “No problem. Any genre you in mood for? Maybe a little action movie for yourself or a good comedy.” He places the “Die Hard” movie in the return pile next to Robin who you had no clue was even there until just now. You lock eyes with her briefly as she gives you a subtle thumbs up and mouths “go for it”.
“I think I’m in the mood for romance. Any suggestions?” You tell him softly.
Steve drums the table with his hand repeatedly as he thinks. You assume he has a movie in mind once he walks from behind the front counter and walks toward you. He places his hand lightly against the middle of your back and leads you toward the romance section. “I have a few movies in mind that you might like.”
The two of you are in the romance aisle. Between two shelves that cause you both to be a lot closer compared to the distance you were before. The front counter made a barrier between the two of you. But now you can see every detail of Steve Harrington. The small freckles against his arms, the sweet yet warm scent of his cologne as he passes you to pick up a couple movies for your suggestion. The tip of his tongue sticking out against his lip as he concentrates. Looking between each movie to choose the perfect one for you. Fuck, he’s too cute and you hope he says yes to your proposal.
“Here we are m’lady.” His voice brings you out of spacing out thinking about how cute Steve was. You smile to bring yourself back and hope Steve couldn’t tell you were staring at him and daydreaming. He raises two movies, one in each hand out to you.
“We have the great “Sixteen Candles”. A very cute and classic Rom-Com deal.” He starts to tell you about the movie, a short and sweet summary of the movie without giving any spoilers.
“And if you’re not feeling for that we’ve got “Endless Love”, a bit more of romance and with a good amount of dramatic flair.” He gives the short rundown of that movie without giving any spoilers for that one also.
You nod your hand and act as if you’re thinking of choosing one or the other. “Both good choices.” You say to him which earns you a beautiful Steve Harrington smile.
Here it goes.
“There’s a new movie that came out not too long ago. I don’t know if it's on video yet or if you guys even have it. It’s um- I can’t remember the name. There’s a guy works at a laundromat in the movie-” you start, looking a bit confused as you act as if you’re trying to remember the name of the movie that’s been repeating in your head about a thousand times since last night.
“Oh yea we do I think. One sec.” Steve walks further down the aisle and skims the shelves for the movie you were talking about. He picks it up and walks back toward you waving the movie in his hand. “This is the one right?” He hands it to you.
You nod happily, “Yea! That’s the one.” you look up at him smiling brightly and he’s smiling right back you. He asks if you were searching for any more movies and with a shake of your head, he leads you back to the register to cash out the movie.
Robin is no longer standing behind the counter but she’s acting as if she’s making herself useful. Stocking a few shelves with movies. It’s her subtle attempt to give your privacy to ask Steve out but still be able to eavesdrop on the whole thing.
Steve walks behind the counter and begins to ring up the movie, muttering the lyrics to the song from the radio in the background. You think to yourself that now is a good time as any to ask him out. You won’t get this opportunity again. Despite Robin teling you about Steve’s lack of dates, you doubt that’s going to last forever. I mean look at him, he’s Steve Harrington.
You clear you’re throat before speaking, “So uh-How many movies does a girl have to buy for you to ask her out?”
Steve freezes in what he’s doing, the movie in his hand as he stares at you. His eyebrows raised in curiosity and shock. “What?”
You don’t let his confusion or shock stop you. You’re on a roll now, you can’t just quit.
“This movie is still in theaters. It’s not that busy now but I still would love to see it on the big screen. Maybe instead of me getting this tape,” you grab the movie softly from his hands. Steve still so frozen in shock he lets you. You place the movie down on the counter and slide it away.
“Maybe you and I can go see it? If you want, that is.” you finish.
You look up at him sweetly and Steve blinks once, twice, a few more times. He swallows like theres a lump stuck in his throat and before he speaks, he nods.
“Ye-Yea.” he starts, his voice cracking at first before he clears his throat and shakes his head subtly to get shake himself out of it.
“Yea uh that’d be great.” He finally responds.
You smile brightly at him. You go on your tippy toes to reach over the counter for the pen that was in the front pocket of his jeans. You hear Steve gasp slightly before you go back to how you were normally standing.
You grab his arm softly and he lets you and you uncap the pen. “I’m free on Saturday but you can call me so we can figure out a time that works for you.” you say to him, writing your number on his arm. You put a heart and small smiley face at the end of it before handing the pen back to him with a smile.
You don’t let him say anything else to you as you say goodbye and begin to walk away. But that’s before you see Robin out of the corner of your eye who gives you a wink and a big thumbs up. You exit Family Video and walk a few paces before letting out an excited squeal when there was no one around.
You just scored yourself a date with Steve Harrington.
— — — — —
(Did I use Joe Kerry’s song as the title…maybe)
HEY HOTTEES OMG ITS BEEN SO LONG <3
Small life update, Im a working girlie so thats where most of my time goes and im way too tired to do anything else but sleep. But hopefully this year that changes!
I miss my friends on here and I hope to make new ones so please don’t be shy to send me a message!!
Hoped you enjoyed this fic of reader being down bad in need for Steve
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writingoddess1125 · 7 months
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You get high with them- 🍃 🚬
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Luffy
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You of course bought some edibles the last time you were on land. Now chilling jn bed you ate some and Luffy came in- Assuming the gummies were just normal candies he partook in some before you could give the warning.
He ate a easy 400mg and now is laying next to you as high as a kite. His gum gum abilities also being messed with by the edibles as he is quite literally dropping over the sides of the bed.
"My face feels heavy and fuzzy" He hums, blinking at you slowly.
You smile at him and giggled at his reactions.
"You're absolutely fucked up-"
He nods at this and just giggles as he lays there. Clearly a giggly high.
Sanji
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You offer Sanji a bit from your joint while sitting in the kitchens. He accepts figuring it won't be that bad-
Sanji and you will talk with you for a while as you two shared the joint. When it hits him however- it hits him hard.
"This feels weird" He smirks at this and passes the joint back to you with a smirk. The man shows a whole new side of himself- were where he is just so chill and open! Super cool too.
"Yeah I do see Chef Zeff as my father. I'll never let him know since that would boost the old man's ego way to much- But I love the old guy"
Will come up with amazing cooking ideas and actually prepare them, often having music playing as he does so.
"(Y/N) I just got an amazing idea- what if I cake the creamy cheese sauce from the pasta and add it to ramen instead and top it with spicy seafood, a soft boiled egg and green onions. A cheesy spicy ramen"
Zoro
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When you first offer to zoro he absolutely refuses- It isn't until a few weeks later when he sees you at it again does he agree. You make him a small joint to start out with and the two of you sit on the main deck under the stars and pass it back and forth.
He will start to get a bit chattier. Talking to you a bit more about random things- He smiles and giggles a bit more.
"This is a new experience for me- I usually don't want to dull my senses"
You take another kit and cough a bit, Waving the smoke.
"But you drink a fuck ton" You pass him back the joint and he nods.
"Touché"
Eventually however he gets sleepy, immediately turning into the sleepy high. Just laying on the deck half asleep and joining in humming a song with you.
Usopp
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Truth be told- Usopp is the most open to the experience. He lies saying he does it before despite being fairly clean. However is interested in the opportunity!
Will be the one wanting to try a pipe- Which you will happily provide and the two of you will sit in the bottom haul of the ship and pass the pipe back and forth-
Usopp will actually start to yet honest with you- really really honest. It turning almost into a therapy session between the two of you.
"Man I really miss my Mum... she was just an amazing person and it makes me upset to think she only heard about how her son was a lying mess up instead lf someone great"
He admits, sadly looking at the pipe before taking another rip of the pipe.
"I'm sure she's proud of the man you are Usopp. You are a good guy and an amazing pirate" You praise, patting his shoulder.
He nods at this and smiles. Defiently a honest high Ironically.
Nami
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Nami is no beginner- In her time away from Arlong she used to smoke to feel a bit of stress relief. So when you offer she comes prepared with her favorite bong.
Sitting together the two of you will talk for hours while taking massive hits of the bong. Eating snacks stolen from the kitchen as you play records.
"So- You think that Buggy can take off his dick?" You question watching Nami take another massive rip from the bong, holding it in for a good second as she nodded and releases the cloud of smoke.
"Abso-fucking-lutely he can. He said he would take every thing apart and I saw how small he had himself flying- There is no way he hasn't sent his cock through the air"
"Wait- so if every part... do you think Luffy can stretch his?"
You both burst out in hysterical laughter and continue to talk mindlessly. Nami is Defiently the social butterfly of highs, just laying out the best of conversations.
Buggy
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You get caught by Buggy smoking at first- however he is fine with it and interested in what you could possibly be doing.
Buggy is more then willing to smoke with you, thinking this will be a fun experience for you all. It's an experience all right-
Let's say in stupid thoughts you guys get hotboxed in his bedroom. Buggy has his hair down and will be talking about random philosophy and sounding intelligent unlike his normal Goofy self.
"You know, I've always wondered how the system of devil fruits work?- if one can exist at a time say I die. Does that mean another Chop Chop fruit will appear? Who controls this?.. Does that mean a plant knows when I died?"
You nod at this, also curious of this question.
"You know, I never thought of that... wait wait- so Does that mean a plant is closer to a God then anything else if it knows when you die?"
You two will talk for hours about random questions, before stumbling to get some snacks in the middle of the night.
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snippychicke · 4 months
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It's Just Business -- Four
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Fandom: One Piece (LA mainly)
Rating: Teen so far
Pairing: Sanji/Reader
Warnings: No real warnings, but god, I hope you like pining
Summary: You felt like you had known Sanji forever, considering your family had been the main merchants Zeff used to supply the Baratie. You had a small crush on him, but knew it was hopeless considering you were the one woman he didn't seem to pine over. 
It was fine. Or so you thought until you ended up on the Going Merry as a bookkeeper and supply manager. Being around him 24/7 was a lot more difficult than just a few days a week.  
(Please note 》°《 denotes a scene in the past while -*- will be a regular scene break. Because yeah, I like my non-linear story telling.)
Masterpost | Ao3
Coco village was freed of Arlong after several long years. You had already talked with several of the townsfolk about restarting trade routes to help restore their village-- they did have some of the best tangerines in the region, after all. Plus, being the closest to the Baratie meant even fresher items for the restaurant, as well as a large boost to their own economy. 
Business was your trade, and one of the very few ways you could help out. You also helped Sanji prep food for the entire community as a celebration, which challenged the small set of culinary skills you did have. Still, you would take it any day over the fight had left you wondering how you were even standing. 
(You also desperately tried not to think that this might be the last time you watched him cook. To see the light in his eyes as he mentally went over his recipe, assuring everything was going to be perfect. 
Eventually the evening wore into the middle of the night and you found yourself sitting at one of the few bonfires still burning. You were nestled between Nami and Sanji (Well, closer to Sanji than Nami) with the rest of the Strawhat crew circling the fire as well. You enjoyed just listening to the others, the events of the day leaving you tired. It was probably more than okay for you to slip away to bedrolls Nami’s sister had prepared for the crew, or even trekking back to the Going Merry to crash, but you felt reluctant to leave. Even if you were struggling to keep your eyes open. 
"It'll be nice not to be the only girl onboard," Nami sighed during a lull in the conversation, making you frown as you glanced over at her. "Being surrounded by those three was hard enough, let alone Chef Flirt."
Sanji leaned forward, giving the redhead a wink. “Just want to make sure you’re aware how beautiful you are, Nami dear”
Your chest tightened. You had assumed she had known, but then again, Luffy was still insisting you were part of the crew. "Actually…I'm not staying." Your words caught the attention of everyone else, and suddenly you had five pairs of eyes staring at you, making things even worse. "I came to make sure you idiots got here safe and sound,” You insisted against the looks of disbelief that everyone was giving you. “I can't just abandon my job and become a pirate." 
Even if Sanji was doing the same thing. Even if Zeff himself had encouraged you to embrace the chance if you had found it appetizing. And… you kind of did. Even with the fighting, you enjoyed being around the Strawhat Crew and could see yourself becoming quick friends with all of them.
"But you're part of our crew," Luffy was the first to actually protest. "Even with our Navigator back, we need you at the helm! Plus you’re the bookkeeper!" 
“Your ship isn't that big that you need both a navigator and a helmsman,” You argued. “And surely between the five of you, you can manage your own supplies and ledgers." 
"We have a thief, a liar, and Luffy," Zoro of all people pointed out, opening his eye that had been closed before. "And I'm not keeping track of anything." 
Before you could argue, Sanji nudged your shoulder. "You really want to keep ferrying supplies back and forth to the Baratie the rest of your life? The same thing you've been doing since we were kids?" 
Your stomach twisted at the thought. At seeing the firelight reflected in his eyes as he gave you a pleading look. "Well, no," You admitted slowly. Especially considering he wouldn't be there anymore. You loved Zeff, Patty, and everyone else. But… No Sanji to talk and tease? It would be like the restaurant lost its heart…. 
But it was the responsible thing to do. It was good, steady, profitable work. 
"What's your dream?" Luffy asked, staring at you intently from across the fire, the flames flickering in his dark eyes. (There was just something about this boy you couldn't put your finger on that both scared yet compelled you at the same time.)
Dream? You huffed at the thought as you shook your head. You never really had a dream; just short term goals. You had been happy enough with life that you never really questioned what the future could hold. You had listened to Sanji talk about the All Blue through the years with fondness as well as envy. Nothing brought you passion like that. Nothing called you so much to daydream about it day after day, year after year. 
"I don't have one," You admitted quietly with a half-hearted shrug. 
But Luffy refused to take that as an answer. "Surely there's something you want?” he pressed. “More than anything?" 
Something you wanted more than anything? More than anything, you… just wanted to be happy. But compared to Luffy’s dream of being the King of Pirates, Zoro’s goal to be the world’s best swordsman, and Sanji’s own dream of finding the All Blue, your ‘dream’ (if it could really be called that) would likely fall flat. No matter what Nami and Usopp’s own dreams were. 
You shrugged your shoulders. “Not really? I mean, seeing new places would be fun," You offered, hoping no one could tell your cheeks were darkening in the firelight. “But I don’t know if it's enough to compel me to leave everything I know behind.” 
~*~
Sanji swore he could feel his heart drop into his stomach as you dug your heels into your refusal. The bright future he had just been daydreaming of suddenly grew dark as you faded from it. 
Were you really so against the idea of joining the crew? Of becoming a pirate? Despite pirates being the cause of your parents death, you hadn’t seemed to hold any ill-will to the so-called profession itself. Plus you had just admitted that you didn’t want to stay in the same routine for the rest of your life. 
Without thinking, Sanji placed his hand over yours, bringing your attention to him. Those wide, bright eyes that he loved so much, now filled with doubt, worry. 
“What about finding the All Blue together?” he asked softly, squeezing your hand softly. In all of his daydreams of finding the uncharted area, seeing the mixture of all the four seas together, you had been right there beside him. To the point he couldn’t  imagine the All Blue without you there, grinning ear-to-ear and just as excited as him. 
You bit your lip as you looked away, though you squeezed his hand softly. He could tell you were lost in thought, allowed you a moment to go over the pros and cons in your head as you always did, debating if it was worth the risk. 
(Please, he prayed, let him be worth the risk.) 
You sighed in defeat, leaning against him suddenly with your head on his shoulder. “Okay, fine. I’ll join your crew.” 
He heard the other cheer, but it mostly fell on deaf ears as he untangled his hand from yours so he could wrap his arm around your shoulders, squeezing you tightly as he pressed a kiss to your hair. “Thank you,” he whispered to the crown of your hair. 
"I've sailed the same stretch of water all my life,” you stated just as softly. “It'll be neat to see other places for once."
Sanji was determined to show you the world as you searched for the All Blue. Whatever it took so you didn’t regret your choice. He’d hunt down every natural and man-made wonder to make it up to you if need be.  
》°《
"Oh god, you're gonna be one of those," You swore when you found Sanji on the back deck of the Baratie that was restricted to staff only and mostly filled with crates and barrels of overstock. 
But your focus was on the thin white cigarette in his mouth, the lit tip bright in the shadow cast by the restaurant. A lot of the cooks smoked, so it wasn't surprising to see Sanji had picked up the habit. Yet you couldn't help wrinkle your nose--mainly just to give him grief. 
"Oh shut it. I've heard enough from Zeff," He grumbled as you perched yourself on the crate he was leaning on. 
"He means well." Sanji merely grunted at your defense of the older man. Silence fell and blanketed the air as you both looked out at the ocean, listening to the waves gently lap at the sides of the restaurant. 
"I guess I should break the news," You sighed, and watched his shoulder tense as he took a deep inhale of the cigarette. It had been a few weeks since the death of your parents-- since you found your way back to the Baratie where you had been accepted with open arms by the crew, proving they were every bit the family you had felt. Yet you knew you weren’t one to stay in one place, used to having the wind in your hair as you headed to the next destination. Bussing tables, waitressing, all the jobs you were qualified for on the Baratie drove you up the wall after doing it for a few days in a row. 
He knew you couldn’t stay still, and you knew he didn’t like the idea of you leaving. 
But the suppliers Zeff had reached out to proved that they did not hold to the same kind of quality that you believed the restaurant deserved. "I'm going to take over my parent's route. My vessel will be smaller, so I'll have to make more frequent trips, but like Zeff said, that just means fresher ingredients for the restaurant." 
The relief in Sanji's frame was easy to see, warming your heart. You even caught a small smile on his face as flicked away the ash into the ocean. "Aw, were you worried, lil' eggplant?" 
He rolled his eyes, though his smile didn't fade even as he looked up at you. "Didn't want to have to deal with some random idiots that don't know what they're doing. That's all." 
"Mmhmm," You hummed doubtfully as you slid down from your perch to stand beside him, nudging his shoulder with your own. (You were a little irritated that he had reached his growth spurt and was now taller than you.) "Either way you're not getting rid of me that easily. You're gonna be stuck with me forever." 
You couldn't imagine leaving the crew after everything. Just being alone the few days between the restaurant and port made you nervous enough. But you had to pull your weight, prove that while you may not serve the restaurant directly, you were vital enough to keep around. 
What you weren't expecting was Sanji suddenly wrapping an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him to the point your back was pressed against his chest as he muttered in your ear. "Is that a promise, lil' miss." 
Your heart was pounding in your chest from the near-sultry tone. You knew he was just playing, just seeing if he could get you flustered. A game of chicken. That's all this was. You pushed away the butterflies and twisted in his grip and wrapped your arms around his shoulders with a devious grin, hoping your blush didn't betray you. "It's a threat, my good sir." 
Sanji smirked, his gaze lingering on you for a long moment before he leaned in, pressing a kiss to your forehead. A friendly gesture… or so you had convinced yourself as he let you go. 
Because there was no way he saw you like the fancy ladies that visited the Baratie. Not when you had known each other for so long. You were friends. Friends that playfully flirted just like you bantered and cussed each other out. 
 Right? 
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bits-and-babs · 1 year
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✰ 𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐙𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐒 - 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐍 ‘𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓’ 𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐘
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↳ summary: prompt: “This is just a hookup." "I know." — Fed up of your antics, Simon gives you a time and place.
↳ pairing: Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley x f!Reader (Delta)
↳ [1k] content: 18+ MDNI. reference to interrogation/violence/torture, sensory deprivation (pitch black), power imbalance, references to masturbation and voyeurism, finger sucking, gagging, against a wall, p in v sex, unprotecte- i know, I’ve got issues.
ghost masterlist I| main masterlist |I join taglist
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Skittering chills crawl up your vertebrae as you wait impatiently. The shipping container previously used as an interrogation chamber didn’t make for the cosiest spot, but Ghost hadn’t left much room for argument when he’d informed you of the rendezvous point.
��Container 12, 11 pm.”
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He’d delivered it with authority, that barking order that rang out over the coms when bullets whizzed by your ears. Who were you to deny Lieutenant Simon Riley? Refusal equated to insubordination— you couldn’t have him thinking you’re undisciplined.
Casting your eyes over the inside of the container, you grind your teeth together. Dried, rusty-coloured flakes of blood peel from the metal ridges of the walls, and a chair lies discarded on its side in the corner. Standing here alone is unnerving, though you’d never admit it. Perhaps that’s what Simon had in mind- a test of endurance. He was late for the meeting by around five minutes; surely there was no other explanation?
It’s only as you begin to settle into reluctant resignation that the creaking door of the container screeches, pushed forward. You’re, admittedly, relieved to see him. Golden flood-lamp light spills across the floor, haloing Simon’s hulking frame before he shoves the door closed again.
“Lieutenant,” you address him by rank, squinting in the darkness but keeping your voice as steady as you can muster. It’s pitch black, but you’re almost convinced you can see his ghoulish mask sneering at you in the darkness. “You’re late-“
“You’re early,” his gruff voice cuts through the blackness. It sounds odd, the bluntness of the Mancunian accent bouncing off your eardrums. He also appears closer than you realised, his voice abnormally loud for the distance you assumed lay between you.
They were right; he really did move like a spectre.
“You needed me, Sir?” You query, but the words seem to shrivel and die in your throat when a gloved palm settles across your chin, tilting your head up.
“Don’t think so,” he answers, his warm breath fanning over your face. There’s amusement flirting with his tone— only slight, but with your senses on overdrive, it rings in your ears like he’s set off a gun beside your temple. “Think you need me.”
Heat burns beneath your skin, but you grit your teeth and steel yourself against the shock of Simon fucking Riley making such an astute observation.
“Sir?”
“Don’t play coy,” his tone is flat, words slightly muffled as though he had something in his mouth, “Think I don’t hear you? Always moanin’ my name when I’m on watch.”
He’s walking you backwards, stopping his advancement only when your back hits the cold metal of the wall.
You don’t have a chance to dispute his damning point, his naked fingers pushing past the plush of your lips and pressing against your tongue. It’s as though your body falls in line immediately, following his silent orders like a good little soldier. You trace his fingertips with the tip of your tongue, sucking on the length of them as he hums.
“Always raisin’ your voice, hopin’ I’ll hear you. You want me to join you? That it?” He asks, his monotonous accent pooling deep in your abdomen as he continues to call you out for your reckless behaviour. Any of 141 could have overheard.
You open your mouth to speak around his digits, but Simon preempts your pathetic attempt to make an excuse. He pushes his fingers in until his knuckles brush your lips, halfway down your throat. You gag around the intrusion, hand grasping at the bulletproof vest Ghost still wore after returning from his latest mission.
“Fuckin’ dirty girl,” he groans over the filthy sound of your chokes. You can hear the clinking metal of a belt in the darkness, the rustle of khaki fabric and the rip of a zipper. “If I give you what you want, are you gonna stop those pathetic little whines?”
God, it’s ridiculous. You practically trip over yourself to nod the affirmative to his question. Muffled swears rumble in Simon’s chest, intelligible despite the close proximity. You’re already scrambling to pull down your cargos; embarrassment soothed only by the blackness that swallows and shrouds you both.
Ghost grunts softly, pulling his saliva-soaked digits from your mouth. The disappointment of feeling empty doesn’t last very long, his drenched fingers brushing over your pussy lips and plunging deep inside you without warning.
“Fuck,” he practically spits at the squelching sound of your cunt swallowing his fingers. You gasp loudly as he curls them back, brushing against your walls and coaxing a sensitive spot that ripples bliss through your core. “This— This is just a hookup.”
You nod over and over, probably looking like those stupid Churchill-Dog bobbleheads he’d see in taxis at home, babbling the same words over and over as he teases that mind-melting spot inside you that has your thighs trembling; “I know, I know, IknowIknowIkno-“
You feel it before you hear it, the huff of breath before the rumbling growl of dying resolve. A large, bruising hand grabs your thigh and hoists it over Ghosts’ hip. The position settles for only a moment, your tight, orgasm-teased muscles just creaking at the sudden change before Simon’s cock sinks into your dripping core.
The wail of bliss ricochets off the metal walls of the cargo container. Ghost is quick to press his naked palm to your mouth, suppressing your pathetic little mewls as he inches inside of you. You can hear his haggard breaths, can feel the ebb and flow of his exhales as he presses his masked forehead against your own.
“Hoh- Fuck-“ Simon groans out, only slightly rocking into you once he settles balls deep. It’s barely there, but the gentle thrusts have you clawing at his sleeves. Your eyes roll back, his pubic bone grinding just right against your needy clit.
“This is just a hookup-“ Simon insists through gritted teeth, but as a shaky moan falls from his mouth when he begins to thrust into your tight, wet heat forcefully, you start to wonder if he’s attempting to convince you of himself.
You realise he’s losing that battle when he spills inside you with a gasp of your name, quickly followed by an almost desperate ‘just one more-‘
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thetriumphantpanda · 10 months
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Stolen | Marcus Pike (Day One)
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Series Summary | A week on from the biggest museum theft in history, you find yourself shipped to D.C. to track down the most important British archaeological artefacts, stolen from right under your nose. You didn't plan on Special Agent Marcus Pike getting under your skin in the process. Special Agent Marcus Pike didn't plan on falling for you either.
Pairing | Marcus Pike x Archaeologist/Curator F!Reader
Word Count | 4.4k
Warnings | Marcus being the biggest and best gentleman ever, some flirting, food consumption, but nothing else I can think of.
Authors Note | OKAY. So, I watched The Mentalist and IMMEDIATELY knew I needed to give this sweet boy his happy ending, so here we are. This fic is super self-indulgent so I apologise in advance. I'm currently completing my master's degree to become an archaeologist so that's where this really comes from. This is a reader insert and whilst there will be very few physical descriptions in this fic, it is assume reader is British, although not explicitly stated, and she has the nickname 'Jones' - guess where that one came from? 👀 If you like this then please consider reblogging, commenting or popping into my ask! I'd love to hear from you all! And a massive thank you to my darling @morning-star-joy for being the best beta for this fic, ilysm.
Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist
The ticking of the clock is starting to annoy you. It’s silent in the room, three people, including you, sat around waiting for the appearance of the team of people who were hopefully about to make all your problems go away. They’re late, which is even more annoying, because every second lost to waiting for these people are seconds lost trying to locate what had been stolen from you. 
You pull at the dry skin around your thumbnail, pulling it a little too far, drawing blood. You suck the side of your thumb into your mouth to stem the bleeding which helps, before you’re checking the watch on your wrist, annoyance bubbling beneath your skin. Fifteen minutes late and counting. 
Your assistant is sitting next to you, writing God knows what in her notepad. Normally her eagerness to please and her exceptional organizational skills were welcome by you, but the scratching of her pen on the paper is just adding to your irritation. Sat next to your assistant Lizzie, is Peter, an aging Metropolitan Police officer who is no doubt completely out of his depth. He’s starting to bald, and age had not been kind to his face, which is wrinkled and makes him seem far older than he already is. When you’d first met a week ago, he’d introduced himself and told you he hoped this would be his career defining case to crack because he was less than a year away from retirement and his hefty pension. 
What he had wished to be an easy case had turned into something much more complicated than anyone could have imagined, which is why the three of you were now sitting in a glorified glass cage in Washington D.C. Waiting for someone to hopefully help crack the case and crack it quickly. Although your boss wasn’t here, you could feel him breathing down your neck. 
Another look at your watch and it’s now twenty minutes late. 
“This is ridiculous.” You mumble, turning in your seat to look around at the office outside of the meeting room you were in. 
Men in suits wandering around with folders in their hands, women sat at desks typing their way through reports. There’s what you assume to be an intern walking hastily through the bank of desks, dropping mugs of coffee down to people who don’t even acknowledge his presence. Then, you spot two men walking towards your meeting room with purpose. They’re deep in conversation with each other, one holds a similar manila file as the rest of the office, the other, older and more handsome is the one who pushes open the door. 
“Sorry for making you wait,” God his accent is jarring, what you wouldn’t give to be back in London, surrounded by your own people, “We were just catching up on the files.” 
Pete is the first to stand, he shakes the hand of the older man who introduces himself as Marcus Pike, head of the Arts Crime division here in DC. The younger man is Steven, his partner. There’s already a strange air of respect between the men, law enforcement officer to law enforcement officer, even if they do work on completely different sides of the ocean. 
Lizzie introduces herself quietly until they fall to you, “Nice to meet you both,” You say stiffly, reaching out to shake their hands and tell them your name, “I’m the Curator of the department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory at the British Museum, I’m hoping you might be able to help us.” 
Marcus motions for you all to take your seats, taking hold of the folders from Steven, “We’ve read the files but maybe you could take us through what happened?” He’s directing the question toward Pete, because of course he is, but Pete is deferring to you. 
“About a week ago,” You begin, opening your own files, “There was a break-in at the British Museum as I’m sure you’re aware from your own files,” You shift some papers around to find the clutch of photographs, “Highly sophisticated from what Pete has been able to tell us – the thieves managed to cut out CCTV coverage and the alarms before they even entered the museum, which meant no-one knew anything was wrong until I came in the next morning to find half of my collection gone.” 
“What exactly was taken?” Marcus asks, thumbing through his files to find the answer that obviously isn’t there – if this lot can’t put together a case file properly, how the hell are they going to help you? 
“The most recognizable would be the Sutton Hoo helmet,” You slide a photo of it across the table to him, “Anglo-Saxon, incredibly important archaeological find, along with this gold belt buckle from the same collection,” Another photograph is slid across the table to him, “And this purse lid and the collection of coins found within it.” The final photograph is passed to him. 
“You have any leads?” Marcus speaks, again mainly towards Pete, who again, defers to you. 
“We managed to pick up this CCTV from the pub across the road, which shows the group of people loading the items into a van,” You slip the print outs across to him, “Pete and his team managed to track the van to a depot just outside of Heathrow airport, that was raided less than twenty-four hours after the heist, but it was empty,” you sigh, sliding more grainy CCTV printouts over the table, “Then we’ve picked them up getting a flight here to D.C. but after that, the trail has gone as far as we can follow, hence why we’re here.” 
This time Marcus speaks directly to you, “Any idea on motive?”
You shake your head, “We can’t figure it out if I’m being honest,” You massage your temple, a familiar ache brewing behind your eyes, “We know a lot of our collection in the museum is contested, the Benin Bronzes and the Parthenon Marbles for example, countries have been calling for repatriation of their items for years, but this is all British, everything they took belongs in that museum, so apart from it being a massive fuck you to us, we don’t know.” 
Marcus and his partner are silent as they study the photographs you’ve given them so you decide to keep talking, “All of these items are instantly recognizable too, the second they appear on any market, black or otherwise, we’re going to know about it, so it can’t be about selling it for money either.” 
Marcus is nodding in understanding, “It’s not a lot to go on,” he shrugs, turning to Pete, “Do you have the flight number you tracked them on?” Pete nods, slipping a bit of paper across the desk to Marcus, “We’ll have a look at the CCTV on our end and see if we can pick up the trail here, in the meantime, Pete feel free to make yourself at home here, we can get you a desk set up so you can work alongside us,” He turns to you, “I’m assuming as Curator of such a large collection you have work to be doing whilst you’re here too,” His tone is dismissive which has rage pooling inside you, “We’ll call you if we have any news.” 
“This case is my number one priority,” You interrupt, “I want to be as closely involved in this as Pete is.” 
It’s Marcus’ partner who is speaking now, “With all due respect ma’am, this is a job for law enforcement, these heists can get dicey, and we wouldn’t want you putting yourself in any unnecessary danger when we’re more than capable of handling this ourselves.” 
“Please,” You snort, “I was an archaeologist before this, I’ve worked in literal war zones, so don’t talk to me about unnecessary danger,” You stand, noticing that Marcus’ expression softens a little, “I want a daily meeting on the progress of the case starting tomorrow morning so I have something to report back to our board of directors, and I want to be present when you follow any leads out in the field, these items are incredibly fragile so I want to be the only one to handle them when we find them, understood?” 
Marcus nods his head, giving into your demands, “We can meet every morning at ten for a progress report if that works?” 
You nod and start gathering your belongings, noticing as Lizzie follows suit. Pete is also standing, smoothing out his uniform as he shakes the boys’ hands again, letting them know he’ll walk the two of you out before coming back up to get on with some work. 
“I want to know everything Pete,” You say to him when you finally get outside, stress gets the better of you and you’re reaching into your jacket pocket for the packet of cigarettes and the lighter you’d bought at the airport when you’d landed, “I need to know whatever they’re planning – if they leave anything out of those morning briefings I want to know, are we clear?” 
You think you might actually scare Pete judging by his expression, “Of course,” He’s stuffing his hands in his pockets as you light the cigarette and take a long drag, “I’ll keep my ears open for anything.” 
You check your watch as you take another drag of the cigarette, “I’ve got to get back to the hotel for a check in with Hartwig, you’ve got my phone number,” You direct to Pete, “Anything happens, give me a call.” 
He nods in understanding and is taking his leave as quickly as he can, leaving you with Lizzie to wait for a cab. 
“I really do hate Americans sometimes,” You mumble, “The biggest theft from a museum, possibly ever, and no sense of haste in them at all.” 
“At least he was cute.” She shrugs, and your eyes are going wide, “What? I’m just saying if we’re here for the foreseeable future, it’s nice to have something to look at whilst we’re here.” 
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” You try and say sternly, but chuckle anyway, Lizzie had become a fast friend in the year she’d worked for you, “Is your jetlag killing you as much as mine?” She nods, “I don’t think there’s much left for either of us to do once I’ve caught up with the team back home, so just take it easy for the rest of the day, yeah?” 
You ride in a cab together to the hotel, bidding each other goodbye with flimsy plans to meet for dinner if neither of you fell asleep before then. The room you’d been given was huge, king size bed, a bathroom that not only had a full walk-in shower but a bath as well, a desk that you’ve already made into a makeshift workstation, laptop currently plugged in and charging. There was a lovely view out of the window, but it was one you couldn’t fully enjoy, wondering where in this city, if anywhere, your precious artefacts were being kept. 
There was a chime from your laptop, signaling someone had joined the video call, so you set yourself up and accept the invite. Within seconds there were three or four squares of your colleagues back in London, and Hartwig Fischer, the museum’s director, who skipped all pleasantries and headed straight into wanting an update. 
“We just finished meeting with the Art Crimes division here,” You begin, “We’ve brought them up to speed on what was taken and where Pete and the Met had managed to get to with the investigation, we’re working with two agents who have said their first port of call is to see how far they can trace the gang from the airport here and then take it from there.” 
“And I assume you’ve stressed the importance of this collection to them?” Hartwig is speaking now, “It’s imperative we get them found and back where they belong as soon as possible.” 
“I did,” You nod, noticing the roll of the eye that your boss, Mark, gives at his question, “We’ll have progress meetings here in D.C. with the team every morning at ten, so I’ll schedule calls with all of you at around four each afternoon your time, but I’m afraid that’s all I have to update on.” 
Everyone says a mumbled goodbye and you’re about to close your laptop when an email pings into your inbox from Mark. He’s been a good boss to you since you made the premature switch from archaeological field work to curatorship nearly three years ago, always had your back and had supported your ideas for displays and conservation. As a man who had spent his entire career working up the Museum’s staff structure, you were somewhat of an enigma – archaeologist turned curator, he’d affectionately taken to calling you Jones, after Indiana Jones, which, whilst it had annoyed you at the beginning, was now the best term of endearment you could come to expect from him. 
Doing a great job already, Jones. I know you’d rather be here than the States but we’ll hold the fort. Go get em. All best, Mark. 
You smile but choose not to reply. Instead, you toe off your shoes and shed your suit jacket before climbing onto the bed. You set an alarm on your phone for an hour from now, hoping that Lizzie would do the same so you could have company for dinner later, before falling into a fitful nap, full of images of your precious antiquities in various states of damage and decay. 
When you wake from your nap it’s clear that you’ve slept through the alarm you set. It’s dark outside and you can see through the window that the city outside is lit up. You roll over and check your phone. Three texts from Lizzie who obviously hadn’t been as lucky as you to fall asleep. 
Dinner? I didn’t manage to fall asleep. 
Taking from your silence you did, I’ll wait. 
Okay, I’m starving so I’m going out to hunt for food, speak later. 
Then there are two missed calls from a number you don’t recognize. It’s an American number, so you’re dialing back before thinking, just in case you’ve missed an important development in the case. It takes three rings for someone to pick up.
“Agent Pike.” 
“Oh, hello, I just woke up and had some missed calls, so I was just checking in.” 
You can hear some shuffling on the other end of the phone and then the background noise dissipates, “Sorry, should have known jetlag would have been a killer for you,” You hum in agreement, “Listen, I didn’t upset you earlier, did I?” 
What an odd question. 
“Marcus, I don’t know you, how could you upset me?” 
“I don’t know,” You think you can picture him shrugging on the other end of the line, “Felt like maybe I’d been a bit dismissive of you, if we’re going to work together then I wanted to make sure we’re all good?” 
You really did have bigger problems to worry about that didn’t involve making sure Agent Pike thought you hated him, but he was right, if you were going to work together, you needed to be able to trust each other, “We’re all good, don’t worry, I’m just getting a lot of stress from my side.” 
“I can imagine,” You hear him sigh a little at the other end of the phone, “Have you eaten?” 
“I’m sorry?” 
“Have you had dinner?” He asks again, “If you’ve been sleeping then I assume not, I can show you the best twenty-four-hour diner in town if you are hungry?” 
You’re about to refuse, wanting instead to order room service and soak in the bath, but then your stomach makes the most unholy noise, and you think that a measly room service portion isn’t going to cut what your body obviously needs. 
“Sure, okay,” You reply, “Where shall I meet you?” 
“You’re in luck, because it’s just around the corner from your hotel, I’ll meet you in the lobby in an hour.” 
“Wait, how do you know where I’m staying?” 
“I’m a federal agent, it’s my job to know.” 
You’re about to reply when you hear the familiar tone of being hung up on. You hang up yourself, throwing your phone to the bed as your drag yourself into the shower to freshen up. You’d come straight off the plane and to the offices and then back here to promptly fall asleep and you felt gross. You tied your hair up into a knot on the top of your head, deciding that right now, Marcus Pike was not worth washing your hair for, before standing under the hot stream of water for longer than anticipated. 
You rush to get ready, throwing on the first thing you can pull from your suitcase, which happens to be a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt that you remember wearing to one of your first excavations. Its threadbare by now and you have to wear a t-shirt underneath it to be semi-decent to go in public, but it’s always been like a comfort blanket to you. 
When you exit the elevator and head into the lobby, Marcus is already waiting for you. He’s in the same suit as he had been this morning, clearly coming straight from the office, but he’s left his FBI badge behind thankfully. He stands and greets you with another handshake. 
“I hope you’re hungry,” He speaks as he leads you from the hotel, “I think this is my favourite place in all of D.C. to eat.” 
The walk to the diner is quiet. Marcus is typing on his phone as you walk, lifting his head only to make sure he’s not going to immediately walk into someone or something. He mutters something about emails piling up and a mumbled apology, but it’s not long before he’s guiding you into a diner on the corner of a street and greeting the waitress on the door by name. 
The waitress, who clearly knows Marcus well, is leading you to the very back on the diner and into the last booth they have available. You shimmy into one side and Marcus does the same opposite you. He doesn’t reach for the menu like you do though. If this is his favourite place to eat you can only assume that every person who works here knows exactly what he’s going to get. 
Your point is proven when the waitress brings two mugs of coffee, filling his first. You put your hand over yours so she doesn’t pour any in, “Sorry, can I just get a glass of lemonade please?” 
She smiles at you and nods, taking your mug away. You watch as Marcus adds creamer to his coffee and an unholy amount of sugar, he must notice your face of disgust because he’s smiling, “What?” 
“I just don’t know how you can drink that stuff so late at night,” You shrug, looking down at the menu, “I can’t drink caffeine past three in the afternoon because I’ll be awake all night.” 
“Occupational hazard I suppose,” He takes another sip, “Our team works odd hours a lot, art thieves don’t seem to rest much so this keeps me sharp.” 
You nod in understanding before turning your attention back to the menu. It’s huge, far bigger than any menu you’d see in London, you’re spoilt for choice, “What do you usually get?” You ask. 
“Chocolate chip pancakes,” He grins, “Side of bacon if I’m feeling it.” 
You look at your watch, “At nine at night?” 
“Don’t tell me breakfast for dinner isn’t a thing across the pond?” 
“I mean, I’ve been known to eat a bowl of cereal late, I guess.” 
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” 
When the waitress comes back you decide to follow his lead, chocolate chip pancakes and a side of bacon – when in Rome and all of that. 
“So, have there been any developments today?” You ask, sipping the lemonade through your straw. 
“I’ve got Steven searching the CCTV from the airport, if we can pick them up there then we’ve got a good chance of following them to wherever they might be keeping your artefacts, but it’ll be at least tomorrow morning before we know anything.” 
“Is this what you’ve always done?” You’re not great at making conversation with people you don’t know, but the thought of an awkward silence is too much for you to handle right now. 
“Pretty much, I worked Art Crimes down in Austin for a while and then transferred to D.C. just over a year ago now,” He’s draining his coffee and motioning for the waitress to top him up, “How about you, you said you were an archaeologist before this, right?” 
You nod, “Yeah, worked as a field archaeologist straight out of university, got to travel the world, which was pretty cool, and now I’m confined to the walls of a museum that a lot of people hate these days.” 
“Why the change?” 
There’s a pause for the waitress who drops two huge plates of pancakes in front of you, you have to admit they look pretty bloody good. Marcus covers his in syrup and passes you the jug, you add your own syrup and dig in. 
“Fuck, that’s good.” You can’t help yourself from moaning as you chew on your food. 
“I told you they would be good,” He smiles, digging into his own plate, “So, why the change?” He asks again. 
You shrug your shoulders, “I had an accident, recovery meant no fieldwork, and I had to pay my rent somehow, so this seemed like the natural jump to make.” 
“What kind of accident?” 
You look him dead in the eyes, “Pass.” 
He’s looking at you whilst eating and you think he might press you, but he relents, “So, London then, always wanted to go, is it as good as everyone says?” 
“Probably best not to ask the person that lives there but it’s decent,” You start eating your own food again, “It’s a great city and it’s a lovely place to visit if you enjoy being busy but it can lose its magic when you live there too long.” 
There’s a long silence whilst the two of you continue eating and you can’t stop the way your brain thinks back to Lizzie’s observation. You must admit that Marcus is pretty cute. No. You try and tell your brain, we are not doing this here. But it doesn’t relent, tracing the curve of his nose and how his eyes are the colour you like your coffee in the morning; how his plush bottom lip, shiny from the sticky syrup, is just begging to be kissed. No, absolutely not. Just because you’d spent the last however many years focusing on your career and trying not to die and as a result were the loneliest person you’d ever met; didn’t mean we need to start fantasizing about the very cute FBI agent sat across from us. 
“You alright there?” Marcus’ voice cuts through your thoughts. 
You shake your head to rid yourself of your thoughts, “Yeah, sorry, guess I’m still pretty tired from the flight.” 
“Understandable,” You notice he’s finished his food, “You done there?” 
Your own plate is half finished but there’s no way you can fit anymore into your stomach, so you nod, he motions for the waitress, who clears everything away and brings your leftover pancakes back in a to-go box for you, along with the bill. 
Marcus is reaching for it, but you swat his hand, “What are you doing?” You ask. 
“Paying for dinner?” He says defensively. 
“Don’t be silly,” You murmur, rooting around in your bag for your wallet, “Company card,” You smile, flashing the card from your bag, “If they’ve got me out here chasing after thieves, the least they can do is pay for our food, right?” 
“Remind me to always phone you for dinner then.” Marcus muses, a glint in his eye that has you swallowing deeply. 
Paying is relatively painless once Marcus has explained how to properly tip the waitress, still something that confuses the hell out of you, even once he’d shown you how to do it. You’re standing and gathering your bag as he reaches for your to-go box, “Don’t worry, I won’t steal them, I’ll carry them whilst we walk.” 
“My hands do work, you know?” You tease, and the way his Adams apple bobs as he swallows at the innuendo isn’t lost on you. 
“Just trying to be a gentleman after we got off on the wrong foot earlier.” 
“Are you a gentleman for all the women you barely know, or am I special?” You tease, as he holds the diner door open for you and starts on the short walk back to the hotel. 
“You might joke but you’re not far wrong.” He’s chuckling but there’s an undercurrent of something else to his voice, maybe frustration, which tells you there is much more to Marcus Pike than might first meet the eye. 
It’s another short walk until you’re back in the hotel lobby. Marcus hands you your box of pancakes before he stands awkwardly with you whilst you wait for the elevator to arrive at the ground floor. 
“Well, thanks for showing me the best place to eat when I inevitably forget to do that during the day,” You smile, a genuine one this time, “Hopefully you’ve got some more places to recommend?” 
“You have no idea how long that list is,” He’s got his hands stuffed into his pockets and he’s rocking back and forth on his heels, his nervous habit, you observe, “Maybe if you’re not busy with meetings tomorrow I can show you the best Italian place?” 
Just like you were earlier, you go to open your mouth and decline when you stop. Sure, he’s supposed to be a professional colleague, and an Italian restaurant is a far cry from the diner on the corner, but what would you be doing otherwise? Room service and an overpriced glass of wine followed by no other option that sorting through all your emails. Just because you were here on important business didn’t mean that you couldn’t enjoy D.C. whilst you did it, and was it so bad if that came with the company of your lead agent who just so happened to make your knees a little weak? 
“Do they have tiramisu and good white wine?” You asked as the elevator door opens, Marcus walks forward with you, putting his hand across the divide so it doesn’t shut prematurely. 
“The best outside of Italy,” He claims, “Not that I’ve ever been, that’s just what the menu says.” 
You laugh, “It’s a date then.”  
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trailblazethegalaxy · 3 months
Text
Not Leaving You Behind ~ *Jing Yuan*
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Summary: A Stellaron has found its way onto the ship Jing Yuan has been traveling on, causing irreparable damage. The only thing left to do now is run. Yet, why didn't he notice it sooner?
Pairing: Jing Yuan X G/N!Reader
Genre: Angstyish Oneshot (Hurt to comfort)
Word Count: 1925
Warning: Jing Yuan OOC? Maybe?
Masterlist
The ship was on fire. Jing Yuan couldn’t believe his eyes as he surveyed the destruction before him, not understanding the chaos happening right in front of his very eyes. Wasn’t it just yesterday that this ship was bustling with life and adventure? What had occurred for all of this devastation to happen like this?
With a slam, the doors to the study he was currently in were thrown open and he turned to see it was only you. You were panting heavily, your clothes torn and a streak of blood was splashed across your cheek, yet you appeared to be unharmed. Despite the terrible circumstances around the two of you, you still bowed before speaking to him.
“My Lord, we have to get you off of this ship immediately. It’s not safe for you here.” You exclaimed, sounding winded.
He glanced back out the window facing the main floor of the ship, seeing the fire only grow. “What happened? What caused all of this? I don’t understand…” He trailed off.
Sighing, you spoke softly. “We're not sure but we assume it has something to do with a Stellaron. It's the only thing that makes sense, but none of the crew has been able to locate it. I’m so, so, so sorry you had to find out this way, My Lord.”
Again, Jing Yuan became confused. It couldn’t be possible. A Stellaron? It wasn't possible. It just couldn't be! They were rare and as soon as one was found and implanted, it made immeasurable destruction for centuries. There is no way a Stellaron made its way onto this ship. Not while Yukong or the rest of the Xianzhou Alliance's Sky-Faring Commission has anything to say about it. No, he refused to believe it.
And yet…
When he looked in your eyes, he knew.
He knew you were telling the truth. You never lied to him. And, honestly, out of the two of you, it was you who were more perceptive. You probably noticed the effects of a Stellaron before anyone else on this ship. He knew he could trust you and if you said it was a Stellaron, he knew you were right.
Jing Yuan could feel himself slump in defeat. A Stellaron was hard to defeat, near impossible. However, there was one on the Astral Express who could help them now. But they were too far away. They would never make it in time. It was hopeless. The ship was a total loss.
Seeing his look of defeat, you tried to urge him again to leave. “Please, My Lord, you need to evacuate if you want to live. Yukong is rounding up every last person on this ship into escape pods. The plan is to scatter and eventually meet back up at a safer location. Please, you need to come with me and I will protect you.”
He looked at you with eyes devoid of emotion. “Why bother? I let them down. I let everyone down. I should have seen something, felt something was off. I should've known better and yet, I let this happen. I was too blind, too carefree to notice anything was wrong. I don’t deserve to escape and be free when I bring all of this to happen.”
You shook your head frantically. “No, Yuan! You can't think this way!”
That was the first time you ever called him by his first name. He blinked at your words, a jolt passing through his body. The only thought running through his head was he liked the way you said his name.
Sighing and tugging at your hair, a habit of yours for when you are stressed or anxious, you continue, “I can’t just stand by and watch you die. It wasn’t your fault. A Stellaron is a tricky thing. No one would have noticed it in time. Besides, even if we did, there would have been nothing we could do about it. Sometimes, things just don't work out in our favor. But I know we can get through this, just like we've gone through so much more before. So please, I beg of you, let me get you to safety. I don’t want to leave you behind.”
He didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t think you cared about him this much, considering it wasn’t till now that you ever used his first name. But he could see in your pleading eyes and hear in your begging voice how much you believed in him. Even if it seemed like everyone was against him, it appeared you would be right there beside him no matter what.
“Why?” He breathed.
You looked at him confused. “What?”
He reiterated, “Why? Why do you believe in me so much? Why are you willing to risk your life to bring me to safety?”
Biting your lip, you confessed, “Because I know deep down you’re a good man. There are people out here and across this galaxy who care about you a great deal. It would be devastating if you decided to give up your life and what you've done has meant nothing to countless people out there. Besides, I’ve always believed in you, Yuan, even before all of this happened.”
Again, he was speechless. Never in a million years would he ever realize just how much you truly cared for him. Secretly he was always vying for your affection, but knowing that he always had it surprised him. A small spark in him ignited. Knowing that you believed in him, he started to believe in himself. He needed to live, for all of the people like you who still believed in him after all this time.
Nodding, he said, “I’ll go with you. I’ll follow wherever you lead.”
A beautiful smile flashed across your face before you instantly became serious once more. “We need to hurry. The fires are growing and it won't be long until this ship explodes. I know exactly where the escape pod is that Yukong has designated for you. We'll have a fleet of escape pods following us as we head for Thalassa. Then we will wait for Yukong or Fu Xuan to contact us at the next meet up point to reorganize the Alliance once more. Just follow me and do exactly what I do, alright? Our lives depend on it."
Again he nodded, ready to follow you to safety and, hopefully, to a brighter future. His heart almost stuttered to a stop when you took his hand in yours but he pushed his feelings to the side. He needed to be more concerned about making it out off this ship alive than acting on his feelings towards you. You led him through the passageways of the ship that wound their way towards the escape pods. He felt himself tense at the destruction left behind from the Stellaron and Fragmentum.
Sensing his sadness, you squeezed his hand tightly. “I know it’s hard to bear it, but the sooner we get out of here, the sooner you won’t have to see this mess. I promise you, everything will be alright.”
“How many survivors are there?” He inquired. It was a question he was afraid to ask, but he needed to know what happened, as it was better to know than live in a constant state of wonder.
You winced. “I’m not sure you want to know the answer.”
“Please, just tell me.” He pleaded. “I’d rather know.”
Nodding, you explained, "Less than you would like. But we are still strong in numbers. I'm sure we'll have plenty of people to take care of when we reach Thalassa. But for now, let's not focus on how bleak things are. This will all be over soon, I promise. It will be alright. Trust me, I speak from experience.”
Jing Yuan remembered then that you were an orphan who came to the ship as a prisoner for stealing. Fu Xuan had taken pity on you and had you trained as an intelligence gatherer for the Xianzhou Alliance. She also helped with your education regarding divination, which you seemed to have a knack for. It didn't take long before you became a trusted member of the crew and were put in his care. He sighed to himself, trying to push all the memories of the past away for now.
Eventually you found yourself at the last escape pod bay. Only one was still open, the one for you and Jing Yuan to share. He was hesitant to step inside but you squeezed his hand.
"I'll be right beside you, I promise."
As he entered, you closed the hatch and began punching in the coordinates. It didn't take long for the small escape pod to be launched off the main ship and into the deep throes of space. The two of you were now hurtling through the galaxy, towards Thalassa.
You sighed and leaned back in your chair. "Everything's been all set up and taken care of. It should be a straight shot from there. I expect to hear from Yukong no later than two weeks from now. Then the Xianzhou Alliance will be restored and everything will be back to the way it once was."
He nodded, still feeling numb about the whole situation. Just yesterday he was living a life of luxury, without a care in the world. And now he was running for his life as the ship he's called home for a while now blew up from a Stellaron. He didn’t know what to think or say anymore. But he did think of one thing.
"Allow me to drive us to Thalassa."
"You really don't have to." You try to assure him. "I can manage."
He shook his head. "No. It's the least I can do after you helped me escape. I am in your debt."
"No, you most certainly are not." You shoot back with defiance before sighing. "I'm sorry this has happened and I'm sorry it is affecting you more than you anticipated. But things like this happen. Until all of the Stellaron's are contained and the Anti-Matter legion is brought to justice, these things will keep happening. So please don't feel like you are indebted to me. We have bigger things to worry about."
He sighed. "I know. I just, I feel so powerless right now."
You nod. "I understand. Believe me, I'm one of the few people who can understand what you're feeling right now. But I just want you to know that I will always be here for you, no matter what. So if you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to yell at or for someone to just listen, I will. I’m here for you, Yuan, and I’m never going to leave you behind.”
Without a second thought, he crashed his lips against yours. You squeaked a bit in shock before slowly melting into the kiss. You could feel every emotion he was feeling in that kiss and your heart ached right along with his. Pulling away slowly, it was your turn to not know what to say or feel.
“Y/n, I love you. I always have and I always will. Knowing that you will be here by my side no matter what makes me happier than anything. Thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for not leaving me behind.” He breathed, his eyes still closed as his forehead pressed to yours and his hands stroked your face.
Sitting next to him, you held him closer before whispering, “I will never leave you behind.”
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marblemoonstones · 7 months
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stiletto 👠
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summary: bangtan may think they’re the mafia kings, but little do they know you are the rising queen. mafia!au I apologize if there are any minor holes or grammatical errors. feedback is welcome, but please be respectful. :)
main masterlist
*any similarities to other fics are accidental*
bts x reader
mafia!au 
*warnings: ❗️any characters in the story have nothing to do with their real life counterparts❗️f reader, use of ‘bitch,’ ‘ass’, ‘shit’ (still don’t know if it counts as a warning lol), mentions of killing (nothing happens), tae and kook threatened by reader (nothing happens), shooting of guns (no injuries)*
sorry I haven’t posted in forever 🥲 I’ve been so busy, but I’m still working on catharsis 🩵 
this is just a silly little mafia one shot because I wanted to try something different. reader is a bad bitch bc I wanted her to beat bangtan in a fic for once ;) also pretty tame in terms of violence and such for a mafia fic. hope you enjoy!
word count: ~2.3k
Opening my eyes, I immediately sense that someone’s watching me. I pretend to not notice it, going about my daily morning routine. The cameras are subtle, but my eyes catch them quickly. These boys may be smart but I’m always one step ahead. I knew that they were going to watch/trail me the second I turned down their business proposal. 
~ Two days ago
“Stiletto, you have a business meeting with Bangtan today,” my assistant tells me. 
“Oh, it totally slipped my mind,” I say, knowing full well about the meeting. You have to act forgetful once in a while or else people assume that you know everything and don’t tell you anything. 
“It’s in an hour in your office.” I nod at the reminder, and wave her off. Venus is a hard-working girl and not a snitch, so I’ve kept her around as my assistant. She knows the consequences of betraying me.
An hour passes by quickly, dealing with my product shipping and whatnot. I’ve been involved for a good seven years; in both the technology industry and the mafia. My technology is top notch, and this led many mafia bosses to want to buy my products. I’m happy to oblige, as this makes me a pretty penny.
A sharp knock on my door makes me smirk. 
I call out, “Come in.” 
Seven men dressed in suits enter and shut the door behind them. 
Bangtan. 
“Hello Stiletto, it’s good to finally meet you,” Kim Namjoon says cordially.
“Likewise. Now, let’s get to it. I’m a busy woman, so if you please, give me your deal.” My face is blank, eyes steely, scrutinizing them as they do the same to me. 
(a/n, I didn’t go into specifics with the deal because I’m not good with that sort of thing, so sorry for being so vague :’)) 
I listen to their proposal, knowing from the first sentence that it’s not going to happen. At least, not with me. The deal has minor holes and could easily be executed with another company. My price is also not met. 
“I’m sorry to interrupt Mr. Kim, but this isn’t going to work. Have a good day,” I dismiss them, seeing the looks of anger flash in their eyes.
“What do you mean it won’t work, Stiletto?” Min Yoongi asks, barely concealing his anger.
“Are you deaf? I mean it won’t work. Find another company. Goodbye.” I’m about to call for security, but they keep pushing on. Well. Looks like they have some bark in them. But I have more important things to be doing than entertain some boys and I know I’ll see them again soon enough.
“You’ll regret this later,” Park Jimin says, and before he can say more I interrupt. 
“I know that I won’t. Goodbye.” And with that, I have security escort them out. Granted, they don’t put up much of a fight, but instead I see them clench their fists if only for a brief second. Good. They’re mad. I hope that they learned that I can be a bitch, exactly as everyone says. 
Hence the nickname Stiletto. Stilettos may be pretty looking but they’re also powerful. I bet you’ve never seen someone walk in stilettos and not look like a bad bitch. 
Ever since this nickname was given to me, I have worn a pair every day. Why not give the people what they want? 
I had to kill everyone who knew my actual name, so now only a select few remain who know my actual name; Y/n.
~ Present Day
Bangtan is so mad that they are trailing me to try to find weaknesses to make me bend to their deal. Their attempt is almost comical. Almost. I don’t have weaknesses. Growing up in an orphanage led me to learn and figure out things by myself. 
My black suit is waiting for me, and I slip on my signature stilettos. They have red soles, an exclusive one-of-a-kind shoe made especially for me. Little does the brand know that I made some alterations to the shoes. I made the tips be steel and each shoe has a small dagger hidden inside the stiletto. 
My black purse is waiting and I check my inbox as I make my way downstairs and into my garage where my chauffeur is waiting. 
The cameras inside the house have already been disabled, courtesy of Venus’s hacking skills. That girl is shaping up to me more and more like me everyday. I smile inside at the thought of toying with Bangtan. Some say they’re the most powerful mafia, even going as far to call them the ‘mafia kings’ but I know better than that. They may be more known in the industry, but my name is still influential and slowly climbing the ranks. I blame me being a woman for the reason why I’m not on top. Most of the mafia bosses think I’m just a pretty face who can’t be taken seriously. Someday I’ll destroy all their empires and watch them burn. (she says nonchalantly lol)
I get out of the car at my office and head inside. Venus greets me, showing me my schedule of the day. I thank her, the only person I ever do, and head off to my office. It’s a peaceful workday, considering that I haven’t had to hurt/kill anyone yet. 
It’s around 2:00pm when I get a notification on my phone saying that there are two unidentifiable figures that breached our building. I dismiss getting security to investigate as I know that it’s Bangtan. Perfect. They’re coming just as I knew they would. I know it’ll take them about a half an hour to reach my office so I wait eagerly. 
Half an hour later I’m sending an email when I can feel their eyes on me. Based on my research I can guess that it’s Jungkook and Taehyung in the vents. These two are the deadly duo and also the sneakiest. 
While Yoongi and Hoseok are the best at weaponry, Namjoon and Seokjin are the best fighters (with Seokjin doubling as a doctor), Jimin is a master manipulator, and Taehyung and Jungkook are the stealthiest. Jungkook is their ace though, good at everything. 
I internally feel giddy, but on the outside I pretend that I don’t notice them.
I let this go on for another half hour, knowing that they’re watching every move. So I send boring emails and don’t do any actually work. I already shut down their hacking and can’t wait to shut down their camera that’s been in my office all day. But that comes later in my plan. 
After hitting send on another email, I start typing up an rsvp and say, “Boys, it’s time to come down now. I know you’re up there, so be good and come out.” 
There aren’t any noises but I can tell that they didn’t expect this. 
Bangtan doesn’t expect me to know their every move. I have tabs on all of them at all times, and they don’t know I know all their tricks in the book. Including trailing business owners who don’t accept their deals.
Since they aren’t responding, I decide to have some fun and use their names. 
“Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook…the maknaes of Bangtan. Be good boys and come out, okay? We don’t want this getting out of hand,” I say sweetly, imagining their eyes widen at me calling them out by name. 
I count slowly in my head…three…two…one…
Bang! The vents come open and they drop down silently behind me. I turn around in my chair and see the two culprits. 
“Hello boys. Have a seat.” I say, leaving them no room for argument. They sit down and don’t speak. I know they’re searching for ways to escape, but I won’t let them. They’re not the only ones good at planning.
“Look, I’m not going to force you to talk about anything. But just know that you shouldn’t try to-“
Before I can finish Jungkook brings out a gun and fires it at me. I dodge it and pull out a gun of my own.
“Don’t even think about it buddy. I have dozens of weapons aimed at you that could fire at any moment, so sit your ass down.” This makes him slightly wary, and he lowers his gun. 
“Give me your weapons boys,” I demand next, knowing that I could still win against them in a heartbeat but don’t want to take that chance.
They get them out for me but I notice Jungkook forgot two and Taehyung forgot one.
“Jungkook, give me the dagger in your hair and behind your ear and Taehyung, give me your ankle dagger,” I sigh impatiently. 
They do as I say, surprised at my knowledge. 
“Perfect. Good boys, thank you,” I praise, knowing that this makes them uncomfortable. And it works. Jungkook looks down slightly while I see Taehyung swallow. 
I stalk over to the filing cabinet and pull out the camera recording all of this. I smirk slightly into it and place it down in front of the boys and I. 
“Hello Bangtan, thanks for sending your maknaes to me. We’ve been having a jolly good time,” I say into the camera, noticing Jungkook and Taehyung exchange glances.
“Anyways, better come get them before something happens to them…that would be horrible,” I say, my tone a hint darker than before. Then I crush and destroy the camera. 
I turn back to Jungkook and Taehyung.
“I’ll guess…thirty-four minutes until they come for you. In the meantime, do make yourselves comfortable. I have snacks and shit in the mini fridge if you’re feeling peckish. But don’t try anything!” I singsong, going back to my desk. 
They look at each other, confused at what’s going on. One second I’m threatening them the next I’m offering them food. I ignore their looks and continue typing and responding to emails.
Precisely thirty-four minutes later the rest of Bangtan comes bursting through my office door.
“Where are they?!” Namjoon booms, gun in hand.
“They are right there,” I say, pointing to the two boys who haven’t moved from their sitting positions.
I see Bangtan freeze, if only for a split second. I know that they’re shocked I didn’t harm them/tie them up somehow.
“Did you do anything to them? Because if you did, I swear to god Stiletto I’ll-“
“Calm down Hoseok, can’t you see they’re unharmed?” I state boredly, gesturing to the maknaes.
“It’s true Hobi,” Jin says, rushing over to inspect his babies. 
“Aw, such a happy reunion,” I say, then sharpen my tone. “Looks, you idiots need to learn that no means no. I don’t want your business deal, so stop trying. It’s not working.”
“You sure, Stiletto?” Jimin asks me, a calculating grin on his face, “Because it seems to me that you care a lot about our babies, not even harming them. What does that show?”
I roll my eyes. “Jimin, quit it. Your tactics don’t work on me.” 
“Ooh, feisty. I like you, Stiletto,” Jimin says, sidling up to me and putting his arm around my shoulder.
Quick as a wink I take his arm off my shoulder and twist him so we’re now face-to-face. 
“Isn’t it obvious? I like you too Jimin,” I say, staring deep into his eyes. Oh how I love toying with them.
He falters for a millisecond then regains his composure and licks his lips.
“Great, so let’s make a deal-“
“You silly boy,” I push him away much to his dismay, “I already told you, no means no. Now, get out of here before I shoot you all.” I’ve had my fun and it’s time for them to go.
“Look, Stiletto, we don’t mean to cause issues with-“
“Trailing me? Putting cameras up in my own home and office? Attempting to hack my technology? Sending your babies to spy on me? It seems that you have caused issues. While I like to mess with you, I’m done playing.” I’m dead serious as I look them each in the eye.
“Get out of my sight and don’t bother trying to contact me again. I’m done with Bangtan. Oh, and keep in mind that I know more than you think,” I warn.
“Like what?” Namjoon scoffs, not believing me.
“I know that you and the rest of the boys have feelings for each other,” I say casually, noticing their looks of shock, “What, you don’t think I noticed? It’s pretty obvious to me and honestly you’re all perfect for each other anyway.” 
“But…no one knows that…” Jin stammers, showing the first sign of weakness since their arrival.
“Look, I’m not a snitch when it comes to that topic, so I won’t tell anyone, but you best believe I know so much more,” I say, watching them all breathe a small sigh of relief.
“Okay, point made Stiletto. We’ll leave you alone.” Namjoon caves, nodding to the rest of the boys.
“Great, now get out.” I point to the door and they all file out.
Ever since my spy in Bangtan told me that they were planning on meeting with me, I planned on the outcome. 
I knew their deals were usually good at hiding the holes, so I took the liberty of finding out what deal they were going to offer to me. It wasn’t bad from the outside but I knew that in the end it would benefit them more than me. 
I knew they wouldn’t accept my ‘no’ so I planned on them following me. Taehyung and Jungkook coming wasn’t a surprise in the least and I knew that revealing their biggest secret would make them leave me alone. 
I now hold power over the ‘mafia kings.’ 
That makes me be able to control all the groups in my area. 
Perfect. 
Now I can grow my empire and slowly but surely take over and show everyone who their mafia ruler really is.
The mafia queen, Y/n.
sorry for kinda rushing through this. it’s not perfect but I just love the scenario! anyways, as always, thanks for reading! 🩷🫶🏼
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iammissingautumn · 1 year
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genuine question, in the kindest way possible: why do you like south park? i truly don’t get what the appeal is, especially in a sense of wanting to make fan content for it. i understand that it can be funny to watch sometimes, and i get when people like it casually, but i am continually confused when i see people making fan art and fanfics and intense in depth meta posts about characters and characterization because it’s like. a joke show? it’s all a joke. it’s all satire and inappropriate/sometimes genuinely over the line humor. i don’t understand why there are so many people who seem to resonate with it in such a way, especially because as far as i can tell most of the fandom seems to be very young people - teenagers and young adults. again, i don’t ask this in a mean spirited way or to judge or shame, i just am genuinely baffled every time i see south park content you share and i wanted to ask… what’s up with that? what’s the appeal, for you? why do you think people are so into it in this fandom way? do you think that the fandom is just very divorced from the content itself?
Oooo thank you so much lovely follower. This is an amazing ask. And if you’d want the answer I’ll give!!! And there’s a TL;DR at the end of this :>
Why do (you) so many people like South Park?
(C.W. for south park typical stuff, mentions of abuse and s/a in many forms and serious topics.)
1. What’s the appeal for you?
I got into the South Park fandom at the age of probably ten or so. Eight years ago. How did I get into it? Uhhhh I watched the series rarely as a younger kid. What made me want to get into fandom? To tell the truth it was Stick of Truth. That was South Park’s first video game where you are put into the town and play along side the kid. South Park was the first fictional series I ever got into. Before that I had been a youtube shipper (Septiplier). And then I saw South Park. To be fair, I saw Kenny. Early memories of South Park is fanfiction and pinterest art and playing hours on hours of Stick of Truth, and later the next game.
What did I see in Kenny McCormick? He was a poor kid, who died everyday, with parents who fought physically and verbally. He was the fourth wheel in a best friends/obsession dynamic of his close friends. Pretend this isn’t a comedy. Pretend this isn’t some silly show. It’s a boy who can barely have enough money to eat. He had a younger sister he was willing to sacrifice anything for. And an older brother who never said much without a slur to his words. Without saying too much about my life on main I had a lot of reasons to identify with that. This is a house that many people can identify with, drunks as parents and kids who have to take care of themselves. On top of this he’s Princess Kenny :) Get’s treated as a girl in a roleplaying context and loves it. She’s a great princess. My interest in Kenny then went to Bunny (Ship of Kenny McCormick and Butters Stotch).
What is there to see in Butters Stotch? He’s a boy being dragged into sexist, racist, and homophobic talk. We quite literally throughout the series see him become more and more mean. How does a nine year old boy get dragged through those things? His parents are incredibly abusive, often grounding him for things he didn’t do and finding any excuse to blame anything for. He believes he’s at fault for everything he’s in trouble for. The only friend he eventually gains is a boy who uses him for schemes and tried to kill him at least once. The other person he considers to be a friend doesn’t speak or lead. He finds someone who sticks with him and isn’t a hypocrite and sticks to him no matter the pain he’s put through. He also want made for conflict and enjoys femininity. This will be talked more about later, but I assume you can make some assumptions as to why a ten year old could like the stuff shown here. Then again the next list will be why I like it as well. But Kenny and Butters were my start. They’re on of the most popular ships in fandom. So there’s a lot of content.
2. Why is this a popular fandom?
It’s like. Have you ever been neurodivergent? Have you ever been gay? Have you ever been trans? Have you ever been abused? Have you grown up in a simple U.S. town?Have you ever accidentally become codepdent to your childhood friend as a child? Have you ever been born into a situation that hurts you for years but you’re a child you don’t know what to do? Have you ever been a child and all the adults are so stupid and they’re supposed to be protecting you?
Have you ever been all of those things or some of those things and wondered. Holy Fuck. How am I going to handle this all? I hope I don’t need to explain how or why some people would feel these things and how they would use South Park to express these feelings. (Relatability.)
(Age.) A big criticism I’ve heard is. Oh no. They’re Ageing Up These Characters To Have Sex. It’s a very weird assumption and very strange to assume that people would only care about themes of childhood, being a son, or growing up if it’s about sex. Aging up the characters often has to do with wanting to give them maturity and time to learn. You have access to kids still forming their brains, you have access to 50 year old adults who are still growing and dealing with their current problems. High schoolers going to teen parties for the first time and drinking and smoking. College kids going to parties for the first time drinking and smoking making steps to join their profession and figuring out what they want from live and having the freedom of life or being trapped by family expectations.
Infinite scenarios. The amazing thing about South Park is you have at least ten characters to make whatever drama you want with at a time. You can make an ensemble piece of friend groups full of years of love and hate or a focus on one characters inner turmoil. You can make them into fucked up adults with complicated feelings, a gay man who’s never accepted himself sees his childhood best friend and Understands. The kid being drugged secretly by his parents dies of overdose and now everyone has to deal with that and the feelings towards the person. It’s winter and there’s too many holes in kenny’s house so he asks to stay over at someone else’s by knocking on a window and sneaking in. On top of this for many seasons one of South Park’s things is they would make fun of specific movie concepts that have been run into the ground by putting the kids in it. Losing Edge, Stanley’s Cup, and Up the Down Steroid are great examples of this.
People love to take the absurd seriously. I don’t think I can explain how people who see something silly and take it seriously do it. If you don’t see the appeal that’s really fair. But when Kenny Dies plays and we see Kyle Stan and Eric deal with death in their own ways. We see their differences highlighted. As we watch The Passion of the Jew we see this internalized anti antisemitism, that many people who have the same thing or something similar like internalized racism, homophobia, transphobia, ablism, etc. see reflected on the screen in this surprisingly real way.
A lot of content. There are 26 years of seasons in this show. That’s a lot of content, but genuinely a lot of people don’t watch even half that shit. Majority of the time I’ve spent being invested in South Park I had only seen a few dozen episodes. There are two full videos games with extra content and a phone game. A movie as well. A lot of content you can pick and choose from! A lot of small moments to hang on to. (I.e. Good Times With Weapons Butters get his eye hurt, fandom draws him with a scar more often then not. Eric got Kenny’s eye as a transplant after Kenny died one time. Kyle is said to have the same nose as his mom; hooked.) these build the fandom, but everyone has always embraced those who reject and those who accept canon. There’s so many different things to sink ur teeth into, including serious AU’s of the canonical fantasy and superhero games the characters play together.
But once again I’ll harp on this. I think what brings people to this show is seeing damaged things and giving them the chance to heal. Or giving them things to make their damage a bit easier. Or maybe damaging them more. Standard exploring relationships and feelings. But on top of this we see character who have been sexually assaulted, groomed, abused, neglected. While also the show gives very liberal takes and knows how fucked up these situations are. That’s apart of the comedy (Tsst. Where we see Liane Cartman take away the chance for Eric Cartman to become more respectable and less bigoted and everything because she wants someone to hang out with her.). There’s always something enthralling about seeing yourself on the big screen, and seeing my friends right there too etc. (Relatability, again.)
Simple designs. A child could make the cardboard cutouts that we see the characters as. That’s motivating! What’s also motivating? Giving these characters with specific color schemes a full face body and wardrobe of clothes ! Oh so that means I can make my favorite superhero team Coon and Friends all hanging out together? So that means I can draw something about Kenny dying? So I can make them play dsi’s together? There’s a lot of one off concepts we get that are very cool and some people love to reimagine them in their own style. Others love to make the setting more fantastical like Princess Kenny in the rose garden during the Black Friday Trilogy. You can make them anything!
Sand box! We have set up friend groups, conflicts from twenty years ago, and a mayor of the township! We have the entire map laid out in front of us and more from every episode’s location that hasn’t been included. We have the local coffee shop and the local movie theater. We have a whole city! We have canonical neighbors and stores and everything! Where would you like to start? We have it all.
Taking things “Seriously”. Most importantly, South Park wants to be take seriously. SP doesn’t work without being able to take it seriously. The comedy in Passion of the Jew doesn’t work unless you sympathize with Kyle. I laughed at the obliviousness of the adults as Cartman formed his group and then a pit grew in my stomach as I saw Kyle and them about to crash. The comedy in World Wide Record Concert doesn’t work if you don’t know that Mr Garrison feels bad for a very dumb reason !!!! But that episode is genuinely one of the funniest to me. South Park did not make it a character trait that Mr Garrison is gay for all those early seasons just for us to not notice. And more importantly he feels like a very very ignorant gay man in those seasons, but he feels genuinely gay. As Kenny Dies it asks you to take this seriously, and we watch in Coon Vs. Coon & Friends and are asked for it to be taken seriously as Kenny describes the many deaths he’s faced. This show quickly shows how absurdist and crazy it is in most if not all episodes it has yet it still cares to ask you to take things seriously, to sympathize, empathize with these characters. It tells you to laugh at Kenny’s deaths and then it has the audacity to tell you he remembers Every Single One and is reborn every time, and that Cartman always knows and they never talk about it. They never mention it more then once. They lull us into personal moments and then never bring it up again. The fandom is built around these one off moments, these things the creators didn’t think too much about. These characters have such strong personalities and back bones that have existed for YEARS. Stuff set up and shown in the first five seasons makes sense to the characters of today. The character consistency goes rlly hard for a 25 year old show that only stops itself for exploring character because they know they’re there to be funny and not serious. It’s crazy and amazing and we want the serious shit!
History. South Park history is crazy, what’s ever crazier? Fandom history. The shows history doesn’t matter too much (except that time Matt and Trey went to The Oscars for sp while on LSD) but the fandom history is legendary. The development of fandom, the fandom blorbo of the time, the Stan and Wendy baby guy. It’s really neat. We have a steep history with artists that have come and gone in a very unique way because of how tumblr’s algorithm is set up. South Park’s fandom existed before most popular social media sites. And while this allows you to put the character in Any decade it also lets you see how old some of those ff.net fics are. The fanart on tumblr can easily be a decade old if you look at the right blog. A deactivated user behind it. Ships that have come and gone, we’ve been here this whole time !!!! I love hearing about different sites issues and problems. And also the beloved stuff that has happened here. Some people weren’t here before Creek was canon, some people came in with a canonical gay couple amongst the kids as just an average background thing.
So those are some reasons. The most important ones that I think most south park fan in the fandom. will list at least one of when being asked Why. I value all of these things heavily. You also meet some really great people with mostly solid opinions ! It’s great ! Genuinely a really understanding and accepting place with unique stories from anyone you meet.
3. Do you think that the fandom is divorced from the canonical content?
Off the rip I would say no. But it’s complicated. To those who have seen all or most of the show I’d say; We’re pretty connected. I think the majority of us are just smart enough to understand that Cartman is a bad person on purpose. A lot of this has to do with he’s something the creators use. He’s an archetype of the worst person and is the only character imo that gets pulled ooc in order to do What The Plot Needs. But majority of the fandom is gonna give Kyle curly hair, green eyes and he’ll love to study with some side sports interest. We have a lot of continuity in many ways.
That being said there’s MANY people who have seen Five episodes and read the wiki and maybe play the game(s?). And they treat the show the same as those who have seen it more. Those who have not seen the show might be a bit more outspoken about how it’s Bad or Wrong when they haven’t seen it and I usually don’t trust those people. Hence why I’m watching the entire show rn on my own, to get my own opinion. Those people who haven’t seen shit are also probably connected mainly to a duo or one character. Popular examples of this are Creek (Craig x Tweek) and Bunny (Kenny x Butters). There’s non watchers in the Style (Stan Marsh x Kyle Broflovski) and Kyman (Cartman x Kyle) community but less so from what I’ve seen.
But we’re looking at this show in a different genre. Many of us act like we’re creating CW Shows except Better. Many of us lean into drama and tragedy. Others are in it for the sillies. Majority of people know what’s bad in this show, some people are sometimes so hurt or misguided that they think Cartman is the only evil and never want to see him. Other times ppl are just uncomfortable with him (Like I’ve spent the majority of my time here being). There’s a scale! I think it’s important to realize what is wrong with the show in your own way, and I think the show gets demonized for its effects on main stream media and boys who couldn’t grow a spine for themselves so took Cartman’s personality. It’s pretty apparent that Matt and Trey are very liberal they just thought “making fun” of everyone “equally” was right which got some bad apples. No one likes season 9 episode 1. Not a soul. Tbh most of the drama doesn’t relate to bigotry, though enough does that it matters. And if you aren’t interested in exploring how bigotry effects ppl I’m not sure why you would be interested in South Park.
Like yeah Matt and Trey haven’t thought about Marjorine more than once, but everyone saw a boy being accepted and cared for and enjoying himself seen as a girl more than ever before. And Matt and Trey aren’t gonna give these kids real mental illnesses when we see the symptoms clear as day (price of making characters “unique”). We’re playing a different game then they are, so yeah we’re disconnected in some ways. But we’re very connected in others. We don’t let all 25 seasons go to waste.
And what has my opinion been from watching the show so far? Well I’m on season 11 and so far it’s not as bad as I expected. I agree with a lot of their messages and the stuff that’s obviously just. terrible isn’t as common as I thought it would be? Again, s9 e1 is the worst of it, and you phrased it really well when saying it’s mainly inappropriate humor that often goes over the line. They’re very liberal though, I mean they introduce a gay character in the first episode and in the 90’s teach a kid gay is chill. There are episodes I dislike or just get bored by, but most of what I’ve gotten through which is getting closer to half of the show runs from decent to surprisingly well made (pick any s8 ep tbh. oops all bangers). Mattrey aren’t me, and I’m here to develop the characters, they’re there to develop a comedy. we are not the same but we appreciate each other even tho we probably squint and think the other is more in the wrong then ourselves. But we enjoy each other occasionally.
EDIT: I meant to put this originally but not everyone here is a young adult. I’ve seen 11 year old fans I’ve seen 50 year old fans. we have a lot of diversity in stuff like that. I think young adults had a wave of coming into the fandom because creek became canon which gave the show credit for showing how good it can be at times. Every one of my south park friends are at least two years older then me. That being said I joined a discord that I hadn’t realized was for minors and saw the swath of young ages we get. a lot of us have a decade between each other, but even more of us are in that 17-25 range. I think it’s just more common for young adults to get into it since we have the freedom to watch whatever we want and it’s a household name some may have been restricted to. Then again I joined this when I was 10 as well so like. i may be a bit warped. either way this shows rlly has smth for everyone.
Oh wait! Oh no!!! TL;DR: South Park is a show that’s important to me and others for a lot of reasons. Nothing butters me up like seeing people in broken worlds be able to put it together again in the future, or to be torn apart idk it depends. Other reasons to like the show are: Relatability, they can be literally any age, Infinite scenarios, People love to take the absurd seriously, A lot of content, Relatability; again, simple designs, the setting is a sandbox, creators kinda want us to take this seriously, and a lot of fandom history! And probably more. We’re not that disconnected from the series itself but everyone is pretty aware how problematic it is and many disconnect entirely from the series. Other choose to embrace it to Fix Them. Ppl love to do a lot.
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cienie-isengardu · 8 months
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Jango Fett' childhood on Concord Dawn
One of the things that I think bothers me the most about Jango Fett: Open Seasons comics series is how a 8 (or 10) years old Jango was told by his dad to repair a harvester
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and then… left alone for who knows how long in the middle of a crop field?
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I was born in the city so obviously I don’t know how life on a farm goes and all so forgive me my ignorance but:
A) Jango was introduced with a weapon in his hand, while he walked through his own family’s property
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and was taught by father how to use a blaster at the age of 8 - 10.
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At this point in the story, I think it is safe to assume Jango’s dad knew Mandalorians were in his field, as he brought food to Jaster and his men. So I assume he was contacted by comlink or he already talked in person with Jaster and he probably had some idea of what was going on - unless Jaster didn’t warn him about Death Watch on his trail, but I think this is pretty unlikely, as the Mandalorians stayed hidden in the field, instead of coming to Fett’s house.  
So there is a reason to think that leaving a kid alone in the middle of the field was not the smartest idea.
B) Jango has never been any technology genius or even that good with it in sources? His jetpack was repaired by a droid whose main job was to take care of little Boba on Kamino. I’m pretty sure Jango as a Mandalorian Merc was capable of maintaining his armor, weapons and ship but if the harvester was so important to put back into use - and I assume this is the case, as Fett’s parents were usually described as simple farmers and the first part of comics clearly represents the season of summer (childhood) and this was very likely grain harvest time  - then I would not pick a kid to do the job, unless the kid was Anakin Skywalker who could fix all kind of machinery, as it was his specific gift. Jango though? I’m not so sure about his 8-10 year old self’ skills.
Of course, the harvester’s problem could be a simple matter but then why not send Arla, Jango’s older sister (14 years old) to either do the job, or help Jango to speed up the repairs? Not saying Arla did not have her own share of duties and all (unless the kids were treated unfair, as Arla did not hold/use a gun against the invaders
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but that could be just matter of her being too terrified or there could be not enough guns which is why only the mother was armed), but considering how the comics implies that Jango’s dad, mother and Arla were at home when he was working during sunny (if not hot) day, in the middle of a field, no shadow, repairing a vehicle bothers me a lot. 
And sure, on Concord Dawn living on farm could be just that tough even for kids, but looking at AotC novel (that admittedly does not mention Jango’s time with Mandalorians at all) 
Other than that, though, this was just a  job,  well  paying  and  easy enough. Financially, he couldn't have asked for more,  but  more  important, only the Kaminoans could have given him Boba - not just a son,  but  an  exact replica. Boba would give Jango the pleasure of seeing all that he might have become had he grown up with a loving and caring father, a mentor  who  cared enough to criticize, to force him to perfection.
or
This, then, was Jango Fett's greatest reward, right here, sitting  with his son, his young replica, sharing quiet moments.   Quiet moments within the tumult that had been Jango Fett's entire life, surviving the trials of the Outer Rim alone  practically  from  the  day  he learned to walk. Each trial  had  made  him  stronger,  had  made  him  more perfect, had honed the skills that he would now pass along  to  Boba.  
and old source material like outdated starwars.com’s databank entry:
Fett all but disappeared from bounty hunting circles as he took time to raise his son. He sought to experience what his life might have been like had he been raised by a caring guardian.
I can’t help but wonder about Jango’s childhood before the Mandalorians showed up.
So far my research showed, only Fact Files v.3 #14 mentioned he had "as idyllic a life as could be while making a living off the land, in close family unit with his mother, father and sister, Arla"
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which gives some hope Jango's childhood although tough, was a relative happy one.
[Just to be clear here: I don’t think Jango’s biological family was by any means pathological, I just think Concord Dawn is a pathological place as this planet's record is not the best when it comes to people's backstories.]
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moonlightazriel · 1 year
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Son of the Darkness /// Azriel X F!Reader
Summary: Hidden for so long The court of shadows thrived, and things were great until the high lord's death, now the next in line should assume the crown of high lord of shadows, will he accept his duties?
Warnings: None for this chapter
Word Count: 2K
Notes: Welcome to the first chapter of this literal dream hahaha I really hope you guys can enjoy this fic.
Son of the darkness masterlist
Main Masterlist
The female rushed through the dark hallways, the soft rustle of her nightgown and the sound of her bare feet on the marble floor echoing on the walls, the light peeking from under Loralen’s door, the High Lord of The Court Of Shadows, her hands pushing the double doors open as she entered the room, the weak figure of her Lord laying peacefully in bed, his hazel eyes landing on the young general, one of the few people he trusted.
“Sweet Y/N, I don’t think I will be able to stay in this life much longer.” The old fae held Y/N’s hand, she sat by his side, her eyes filled with tears as she watched how his chest barely moved when he breathed, more than a High Lord, he was like a father to her, have taken care of her when her mother, the previous general, and war advisor, died in battle. “You need to go and find my grandson, my daughter Eletha ran away from home many centuries ago, and with her death, the crown will be his.”
“But where do I find him?” She knew that the High Lord’s daughter had disappeared even before she was born, and in the 450 years she’d been alive, no one had a clue of where she might be.
“I’ve been sending spies to try and locate them, I didn’t tell you because I knew you would try to take matters into your own hands and look for them yourself, but now you’re the only one who can find him, we can’t leave this court without its ruler. The last thing they were able to find is that Eletha died and left a son, he lives somewhere in the continent of Prythian, I know you never left our home, but you’re the only one I trust to do this.”
Y/N nodded, she was loyal to her court and her home, if the High Lord thought that she was the only capable of doing this mission, she would go, he gave a few more details, about what the boy might look like and where he might be, Y/N was going to follow rumors and she hoped that they were true, for the sake of her court.
On the next day, she was ready to leave, her horse was straddled with her bags, and she had the royal seal on her chest, indicating that this was an official mission, she was wearing her black pants with high boots, a leathery long-sleeved shirt with a corset and her holsters, where her dagger rested peacefully on her tight, on her back, two long swords and a heavy cloak covering her body, her long silky black hair braided behind her back.
Midnight puff with her nose, the black mare ready to leave as Y/N jumped on top of her, her big hooves pounding against the floor as the two started their journey. It was a five-day journey until she reached the border, once there, she would have to travel by ship until she got to Prythian’s border, on what’s known to be the Autumn Court, there she would have to go all the way up to the Night Court and pray to the Mother that she’s lucky enough to find the boy.
The Shadows territory was the biggest one, in the war for human freedom, the Nightfall army was almost erased, being among the fiercest defenders of mortal liberty, all the enemies turned their weapons their way, after the war, Loralen had so much work to do in rebuilding their strength and defending his people, so with the help of the great Sephiran coven, the seven witches made a spell, covering the territory in darkness, those who didn’t know would think that nothing exists, but as the years passed, they rose again, the Nightfall army was bigger than it has ever been and people were protected. Hiding wasn’t a weak move as some may think, hiding was necessary, and the High Lord wouldn’t allow his people to suffer from hunger and sickness ever again.
Every place she went, people were more than happy to receive her, the respected General and High Lord’s protege, she was kind to the people but ruthless on the battlefield, Y/N stayed with some families along the way, they gave her more food to continue her journey, and as she noticed, she was almost in Prythian. The ship would shake her stomach in every direction, making her feel a little restless as she admired the view, even if she traveled all the Court’s territory, she had never been this far away from her home.
“Be careful, some say that these forests are cursed and they devour those who don’t belong here.” The captain of the ship warned her two days later as she grabbed Midnight’s reins and walked out of the ship, she had a map with her, to guide her around, she took a look at it before she motioned for the mare to start to walk, as the pair entered the forest, she felt a weird sensation creeping in the back of her mind like something was watching her, she lifted the hood of her cloak, hiding her face and then grabbing her dagger.
As the day gave space to the night, she decided to stop, making a fire and taking some of the food, she sat, watching the fire pit, the flames dancing from one side to another, that same feeling of being observed now stronger as the flames grew, she quickly got up, stepping away from them, the heat so strong that almost burned her skin, she reached for one of her swords, whatever it was, should be easy to deal with.
“What are you doing here?” A male voice sounded from the darkness in front of her, she focused her gaze in the direction that the sound came from, and as the darkness seemed to dissipate she was able to spot the figure standing in the dark, the male was tall and slim, something told her that it was him messing with her fire, she moved her arm, seeing his shape perfectly leaning on a tree, she threw it, the blade pinning him in place while she extended one of her hands, the mist of shadows started to appear in her palm, like a river, they flowed until they reached him, she was feeling really good today, so she only took away his vision.
“WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?” The male growled angrily as she approached him, his face moving in each direction trying to see something.
“If you’ll be a good male and give me the information I need, I might give your vision back.” She stood close to him, removing her dagger and dragging the male closer to the fire, he had white skin and bright red hair, unlike the majority of her people that had different shades of black hair, it was so beautiful.
“Why would I help you, stranger?” He sarcastically laughed, he was confident even when he didn’t have the upper hand.
“Because I can make this permanent, and you’ll be wandering around, blind for eternity.” She taunted and he stiffed, he was starting to take her words very seriously. “I need to go to the Night Court, do you know any quick way to get there?” The male’s face contorted into an angry expression once more.
“Of course, you would be a Night Court freak, my father will enjoy knowing that Rhysand is allowing his pets to run freely in other courts.” The disgust was evident in the redheaded male and Y/N wondered what might have happened between them for such hatred towards the unknown male.
“Watch your mouth or I could take that away from you too.” She warned. “The sooner you help me, the sooner you’ll be free and I’ll be out of your way.” She paced around him, leaving him confused, her location a mystery to him.
“There are some hidden spaces between the folds of space and time that can take you there, I know one that is close to here, I can take you there. But give me back my vision.” He demanded, Y/N looked at the desperate male, the way his eyes flickered in every direction, and then the mist Around him was gone, his eyes focused on her.
“Don’t try anything funny or I’m killing you.” She simply said, her expression blank as she moved to get her things. “And we're going now. So get up.”
“So bossy. Are you like this in bed too?” The male asked, a cocky smirk on his lips as she rolled her eyes, long ago she had discovered that her silence was more powerful to mess with male ego than snapping back, so she kept quiet, her things ready to leave. “I’m Eris, do I get to know your name?”
“Knowing my name will make you walk faster?” His smirk grew as he looked at her up and down, and he nodded slowly. “I’m Daera. Now walk!” Eris did as he was told, afraid that she would take away any more of his senses, they weren’t that far away from the portal, only thirty minutes walking and they would be there.
She kept a close eye on him as they walked, he was holding a bright flame in his hand, illuminating the way, she could walk perfectly fine in the dark, one of the few abilities she inherited from her people, they were able to see a little bit better in the dark than other people, and this was always a vantage for her. Eris stopped in front of nothing and she rose an eyebrow.
“It’s here, if you walk a little further you will find it.”
“Then go ahead.” She pointed her dagger to him and Eris held his hand up in defeat.
“I can’t simply go in another court territory like you, and I’m not in the mood to bring problems to my father. So I can only go this far, and have fun on the other side.” Eris finished, already turning his back to her, winnowing away as he did so, leaving the scent of burned wood behind. She sighed, walking to where he pointed, at first she didn’t see anything, but as she walked she saw a path, she climbed Midnight’s back, hitting her belly softly with her feet, the animal sprinting along the way. She didn’t know how long the two walked but she finally came to an end, reaching an open field, the night sky almost gone as a new day began.
She had no idea of where she was, and as she walked, the only thing she could see was green prairies on every side, she huffed annoyed, stopping at a lake to drink water and eat something, the mare drank water and Y/N fed her with apples.
“Ugh, I think we’re lost, I should’ve asked for Evanore’s help with some kind of locating spell.” Midnight looked at her and she closed her eyes, feeling her shoulders heavy with tiredness. Evanore was the youngest of the seven from the Sephiran coven, and Y/N’s best friend for as long she can remember, but there was some information that she couldn’t share even with her, she wished she could have brought her friend with her.
Eva was kind, and a really powerful witch, her healing powers were the strongest she has ever seen, her sisters kept her hidden from those who wanted to use her for evil, her powers were able to bring people back from death, and if this kind of power fell in the wrong hands, the consequences could be devastating. Y/N reached for the protection pendant that Eva gave her, the blue stone calming her restless mind and bringing her some comfort as she got walking again, it was like her best friend was there with her.
Y/N and Midnight walked for days until they found something, or better yet, something found her, she was resting, heating her hands in a makeshift fireplace, it was night, the Night Court sky was really beautiful, the stars shone bright, and each one unique, she counted three shooting stars as she observed the sky, her eyes feeling heavy as she drifted slowly to sleep, too tired to pay attention to her surroundings, if she paid enough attention, she would’ve seen the two figures looming in the dark.
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anakinskywalkerog · 2 years
Text
My Very Soul (Chapter 4)
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Anakin Skywalker x Jedi!Reader
everyone meet Henry! played by Skandar Keynes, dashing young man version
Link to Chapter 3
Warnings: more Anakin angst, lots of jealousy, canon-typical violence & death, and the beginnings of some soft Ani fluff (it’s a slow burn y'all, so appreciate the build, please)
Summary: As you and your fellows try to figure out the mystery behind the Banking Clan's slow progress, Anakin's jealousy leads to an upsetting confrontation
Word Count: 5.4k
The Muuns of the Banking Clan were interesting beings. You sat watching them as they looked down upon you and your colleagues, their chairs elevated in the high-ceilinged chamber in which they held their proceedings.
       "The Republic believes this new organizational structure will add security and efficiency to the documentation of the Banking Clan's credit reserves," Master Obi-Wan was saying, the Muuns nodding as he explained the new record-keeping system that you Jedi had been sent to initiate...or, so the Muuns believed. You felt a bit uneasy at this deception, but you understood the importance of securing the Republic's control of the credit standard, especially for those planets in the Outer Rim that suffered under the hands of the crime syndicates. As Obi-Wan spoke, you felt Master Yuma reaching out with the Force, communicating to you that you must focus, now. You let your eyes glaze over. From the outside, it would appear that you were politely listening to Master Kenobi's speech. You used this mask to hide the true purpose of this meeting—the objective was for you to try to read the situation, understand the Muuns' emotional movements, sense where their thoughts led, trying to glean if anything within this governing body was amiss.
       Before you knew it, the meeting was over. Time passed differently when you were meditating, you knew, and you shook your head to clear it, quickly, following your Master and the other Jedi out of the Clan's chambers.
       "We should reconvene on our ship," Master Yuma said innocently, disguising the true meaning of her words. "We can send a transmission to the Council, to let them know of our progress."
       "Certainly," Master Faer said, just as calmly. Though it was not assumed that any of the Muuns had ill intent, it was important for you to discuss your mission aboard your own ship, where you could be sure no one was listening in.
       The sun was setting outside against the mountains as you, Henry, and Anakin followed your Masters back out onto the landing platform. You paused, only for a moment, to take in the colors as they moved along with the jagged outlines of the mountainous horizon. Spending most of your time on Coruscant, you didn't often get to admire the natural beauty of the universe.
       "Y/N," Master Yuma called to you, and you turned, following her up the closing ramp of the ship you'd arrived on earlier that day.  
       "My Padawan tells me that you have an unusual ability for understanding other's thoughts," Master Faer said to you as all of you entered the main hull, sitting around the flight table.
       "Not thoughts, exactly," you responded, looking to Master Yuma for permission to explain. She nodded to you in encouragement. "I can...sense minute changes in other presences, through the Force," you clarified, trying to speak of your own abilities with humility. "Usually centered on emotions."
       "And what did you discover," Obi-Wan asked, looking to you, "about our Muun friends?"
       "They're..." you cast around, searching for the right words to explain. Thought, emotion, and consciousness were not easily captured through language. "They're afraid," you said, looking inward, trying to translate the experience you'd had in that chamber in a way that made sense. "All of them. They're scared. Of what, I don't know," you continued, "but I don't sense any malintent on their behalf. I don't think they're the ones behind this...plot, if it is such an organized effort. But there's something they're not telling us. It's like...like they're being forced, against their will. To do what, I don't know." You shook your head, deep in thought, trying to understand it. "It's like there's some other presence. I sensed the outline of something we're missing, but I can't get a read on what it is...whatever this presence is, the Muuns are terrified of it."
       Your words cast the group into silence, everyone thinking hard.
       "I too sensed a lack," Master Yuma agreed. "A lack of sight, that is. We're being blinded." You watched your Master as she puzzled, her braids hanging loosely around her attractive face, her large eyes clouded by thought.
       "Well, we don't have much to report yet," Master Obi-Wan conceded. "We'll need to do a little more digging." Master Faer nodded.
       "The Muuns are under the impression that you will be overseeing the new organizational system's implementation tomorrow," Master Faer said. "They've arranged rooms for you all. I have found them to be gracious hosts," Master Faer continued, smiling a tired smile.
       "That's good news," Master Yuma said, leaning back. "We could all use some rest."
       "Henry," Master Faer suggested, "if you could show your fellows to their rooms for the evening, I will join Masters Yuma and Obi-Wan in sending a transmission back to the council." Henry nodded obligingly. You stood, Anakin following suit. You noticed that Anakin's presence seemed subdued as you walked back off of the ship and toward the Banking Clan's headquarters. It wasn't common for him to be quiet during deliberations—it wasn't common for him to be quiet, period. You read in him a sense of unease, felt some flickers of fear and anger, though you didn't understand where these emotions were coming from.
       You thought back to Henry's words from earlier. He's quite taken with you, Henry had said. You knew this area of thought was off limits, but you couldn't help feeling a gnawing feeling in your stomach. In your own way, you cared for Anakin. You felt remorseful, now, as you walked toward the turbolift inside the floating city with your two silent companions. You could admit that when you were around Anakin, a part of you warmed internally—the way Anakin's Force presence swelled when it met yours, the way you felt his joy spike, no matter the circumstance, even if you were glaring at him, even if you were insulting his intelligence—you couldn't help but feel affection for this boy. Anakin wore all of his emotions on his sleeve, and it was, in many ways, ironic that you were the one who was so often paired with him on missions, seeing as reading other's emotions was your Force gift. You didn't need it, with Anakin. His emotions spilled out at every turn, his joy, his eagerness, his anger, his insecurity—all of it read on his face and in every gesture. You hadn't been able to prevent yourself from becoming fond of him, even though you had tried very hard. It was endearing, meeting someone so genuine.  Maybe you had been too hard on him.
       "The rooms on this level are for diplomatic visitors," Henry told you quietly as you exited the lift, seeming to sense that both you and Anakin were lost in your own, deep trenches of thought. He gestured to a door in front of him, and a door to his left. "Anakin, you may take this one, if you wish," Henry offered. Anakin gave him a curt nod.
       "Thank you, Henry," you said, putting your hand on the door handle. "For everything."
       "I'll see you in the morning," Henry said, and with a soft smile, he departed back into the lift. You turned, opening the door to your room, surprised at its size. The window was large, and through it you could see the last bits of light disappearing against the expansive starry sky. On missions, you were usually delegated to sleeping in the corner of the ship, or perhaps a bunk, if you were lucky. To have a guest room, with a large bed, a view, and a vase full of fresh flowers on the bedside table overwhelmed you. You turned back around, smiling, to find Anakin standing in your doorway, looking angrier than you'd ever seen him.
       "Ani—wha?" you started to question, but all too quickly, he crossed the room, his angry strides breaking through your peaceful mood like a knife.
       "What do you mean, what?" Anakin accused, turning back to look you in the face before continuing his pacing. You looked at him, eyes wide. For once, you truly had no idea what was going through his mind.
       "Henry!" Anakin snarled, putting his hands up in the air, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
       "What about Henry?" you asked, truly nonplussed.
       "You're joking, right?" Anakin asked, stopping his pacing to put his face up close to yours. "That man is what—four, five years older than you?"
       "So?" you questioned, trying to understand how Anakin could be so angry.
       "So?! So he had no right talking to you the way he did." Anakin resumed his angry pacing. You sensed that his subdued nature earlier was nothing more than a valiant attempt to contain the emotions he exhibited now, though you still felt this reaction needed more of an explanation.
       "Talking to me how?" you asked, looking at Anakin as if he were crazy.
       "You know," Anakin said threateningly, pointing his finger at you. "Talking to you as if you were..."
       "As if I were what?" you asked, more quietly, wondering if you could calm Anakin down enough to get him to spit it out.
       "He's way too old for you," Anakin huffed, and you saw that his hands were shaking. "It's not right. And you," Anakin continued, turning to point at you again accusingly, "you went right along with it. He's grown, and you're just a—"
       "Just a what?" you asked, anger finally penetrating your mood. "Just a kid?"
       "His behavior was completely unacceptable," Anakin went on, still pacing. "He was all over you. And he was so obvious about it! Romantic attachments are against the rules, Y/N. And it's...it's wrong. It's beyond inappropriate, for you and him to—for you—" Anakin sputtered, seeming unable to finish his thought. You started laughing.
       "Anakin, it isn't like that at all. Henry and I have known each other since we were small children, training together as younglings." You shook your head, finally cluing in to the meaning behind Anakin's reaction. You felt yourself blushing, wanting very much to completely ignore this realization about the reason behind Anakin's anger, and also struggling to keep yourself from punching Anakin in the mouth.
       "There's something off about the way he looks at you," Anakin retorted, his eyes narrowed, looking up into your face with an intensity you had seen from no one else. The strength of his Force presence was incomparable.
       "The only thing off here is you," you responded, raising your voice ever so slightly. "And I know why," you said, your hands balling into fists, your frustration and discomfort rising in you like a swelling wave. Just when you thought maybe you should be giving Anakin more grace, he worked his way under your skin in the worst way, proving himself to be the most irksome, the most exasperating presence in the galaxy. You felt Anakin's anger rise alongside yours, his presence in the Force lashing out toward you.
       "Oh yeah?" Anakin taunted, trying uselessly to use bravado through his anger.
       "You're jealous of him," you responded rudely, lowering the tone of your voice again, trying to regain control of yourself.
       "Of him?" Anakin squawked derisively, going in the opposite direction of control. "As if. Obedient, quiet, polite, Henry," Anakin spat, smiling a horrible smile. "He's weak."
       Your anger turned to ice. You felt your body stiffen, all of your cold fury directed at the boy in front of you. You couldn't believe it—couldn't believe Ani could be so cruel, that he could be so dismissive toward someone so caring and generous, someone who was like a brother to you.
       "Henry is kind," you said fervently, and you felt your eyes start to water. You willed the tears back. "He's compassionate, and wise. He's ten times the Jedi you will ever be." At these words, you felt Anakin's presence fold into itself, somehow, as if inside him there were a black hole that had suddenly been unleashed. You felt the tiniest twinge of regret.
       You heard a clattering sound across the room, and you turned, seeing the vase that had been filled with flowers on the ground, shattered into pieces. The flower stems lay amidst the wet, surrounded by clear shards of glass. You turned back to face Anakin, to chastise him for letting himself lose control like that, but he had already run from the room, leaving behind him a wake of fury and agony that you felt linger in the Force.
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Anakin awoke the next morning balled up in his sheets, sweating, his feelings and memories from the previous night still storming around him. He had not slept well. He had not gotten a chance to enjoy the beautiful room that the Muuns had prepared for him, though Padawans never were granted such dignified accommodations. The whole of it seemed to be mocking him in his anger, the white sheets, the view of the mountains outside in the morning air. Even the vase full of flowers on the bedside table was taunting him. He wanted to smash this one as well—two for two—but he held back.
       He had felt he was justified, telling you off for the way you had interacted with Master Faer's Padawan. Anakin refused to think his name. Still, when he had locked himself in his own room, after confronting you, all he had felt was distress. He was tormented by your face—he'd never before seen you with tears in your eyes, looking at him as if he'd gravely wounded you. The memory made him feel slimy, sick, like some kind of slithering, wet sadness were making its way through his body, emptying him of his anger, his confidence, of anything aside from guilt. Anakin sat up, putting his feet on the ground, resting his hands on his knees.
       He had not meant to make you upset. He didn't know what he had meant to do—his anger had gotten the better of him, as it so often did. But Anakin was not able to banish his anger completely—he felt it stirring inside him, waiting to be called upon should it be needed. Anakin shook his head. Yes, he didn't see what there was to admire in a boy like Henry—a man, Anakin supposed—but you did, and Anakin certainly admired you, your tenacity, your skill, the way you refused to give in, the way you always seemed to be a step ahead of him. Anakin put his head into his hands.
      "Anakin," Obi-Wan said gently from the doorway. Anakin looked up, annoyed that his Master always seemed to appear when he was struggling with his emotions. Having a Master like Obi-Wan—someone so perceptive and attuned to Anakin's internal shifts—was at times difficult. Anakin hadn't ever tried to hide his feelings for you, from Obi-Wan at least, but as he grew older, things seemed to become more complicated.
      "The Muuns have arranged breakfast for us on the lower level," Obi-Wan said cautiously, watching his Padawan.
      "I'm not hungry," Anakin muttered, turning his face away from the knowing gaze of his Master. Obi-Wan sighed, entering the room, sitting on the ottoman at the end of Anakin's bed.
      "You might try to see what you're feeling right now," Obi-Wan began, Anakin still refusing to look at him, "as an opportunity for growth. Feelings that seem important and all-consuming in this stage of your life will shift, and likely fade with time." Anakin shook his head. He didn't know all that much about this kind of attachment, but he knew enough to know his feelings about you, in particular, would never change, or fade, no matter how much time passed. Obi-Wan put a comforting hand on his Padawan's shoulder.
       "I do know that if you want the admiration of your peers," Obi-Wan said gently, "you need to earn it, through words and actions that are admirable." These words softened Anakin's anger, for they were useful to him. They envisioned a way forward—a future in which you didn't despise Anakin, but rather, a future in which you admired him, more than you admired Henry, more than you admired anyone else.
       Obi-Wan watched his apprentice's face as Anakin worked this through. Obi-Wan felt as if he could see the cogs churning, Anakin pushing through the heaviness of his adolescent emotions toward logical conclusions. Obi-Wan remembered what it was like to be young, though he had never been as hot-tempered as his Padawan. He was sympathetic toward Anakin, wanting to assuage these feelings and put his apprentice's mind at peace. Still, a warning arose in the back of Obi-Wan's mind, a warning that had come from the Jedi Council long ago. Though Obi-Wan was aware of Anakin's tendency toward attachment and possession, he also knew Anakin to be, in his very core, a good and compassionate person. He would work through these feelings, in time, and mature with age. Obi-Wan was sure of it.
       Obi-Wan waited in the hallway while his Padawan washed and dressed. Anakin emerged from his room feeling quite irritable, but he worked hard to arrange his features. He breathed in the Force, trying to remember that a Jedi must act selflessly. A Jedi must be slow to anger, must always try to feel connected to other life forms—even life forms that were older, and annoyingly polite, with their stupid freckles, life forms that talked to you as if you were the most beautiful person in the whole of the galaxy—
       No. Anakin worked again to clear his mind of anger for Henry, worked to compose his face and stature into something resembling good natured. As he waited for the lift to descend, Anakin felt Obi-Wan's Force presence and was calmed by it. His Master never seemed to get too worked up, about anything, and though this often infuriated Anakin, right now it was helping him to quiet his troubled mind.
       As Anakin followed Obi-Wan into a sunny room with a large table, he saw that you, Master Yuma, and Henry were already seated. The table had another vase, with the same flowers that had been in the guest rooms, and was covered with a variety of fruits, biscuits, and other breakfast fares. Master Yuma and Henry looked up as Anakin and Obi-Wan entered, both ushering greetings, but you refused to acknowledge their presence. Anakin watched your face, but you ate slowly, staring across at the wall in front of you. Anakin sat down at the table.
      Anakin swallowed, trying to move his face correctly as he turned to Henry. "Good morning," Anakin told Henry, in a voice that didn't sound like his own. Henry nodded to him. Anakin turned to you. "Good morning, Y/N," he said, making sure to push outward with his own remorse, his compassion, his most admirable qualities.
      You looked up at him, finally, your eyes wide and your eyebrows upturned, as if he had said something horribly shocking. You looked back down at your plate, your face red. Clearly, you were still angry.
       "Are you all right, Y/N?" Henry asked you gently, and Anakin's emotions roiled inside of him. You ignored both of them, still staring at your plate.
       "I don't want to know," Master Yuma said, putting her hands in the air in front of her, as if in surrender. "Y/N, we've been tasked with going over the manifest for the credit reserves this morning. Whenever you're ready, we should—"
       "I'm ready," you responded quickly, looking as if you wanted nothing more than to escape that room. Anakin saw the sides of Master Yuma's mouth twitch.
       "All right," Master Yuma said quietly, no hint of anything other than professionalism in her tone. "We'll all reconvene this afternoon." As Master Yuma pushed back from the table, you stood up, knocking some of your silverware to the ground, and fled the room quickly, not turning to look back.
       Henry looked concerned, but Anakin avoided his eyes. Henry turned to Obi-Wan.
       "Don't ask," Obi-Wan said, taking a dignified sip from his teacup.
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"You know," Master Yuma told you as the two of you poured over the large books kept by the Muuns, standing in the small room behind the chamber in which the meeting had been held. "You're really growing up, Y/N. Though I can sense that you are troubled, you've handled your emotions quite well." She turned a page and ran her finger along it, looking for any inconsistencies within the Muuns' records. You shook your head.
       "I've been working hard, to regulate myself," you admitted to her, running your hand along the opposite page of the large book, looking through the numbers presented in small, neat lines. "But it's so difficult, sometimes. Anakin—"
       "Anakin is very powerful in the Force," Master Yuma said thoughtfully, keeping her eyes down, on her work. "It must be quite a challenge, to be so young, and to command so much power." These words surprised you—you hadn't expected Master Yuma to make excuses for Anakin's behavior.
       "But he can be so irritating," you groaned, finally letting out some of your frustrations, finally allowing yourself to act in a way some would consider indecorous. "And sometimes, when his emotions get the best of him, he can even be...cruel." Your stomach turned as you remembered the way he had spoken about Henry. Master Yuma looked up, turning to you.
       "I know that age grants one the ability to see things more clearly," Master Yuma said, "and I know that you and Anakin both are very young. Still," Master Yuma continued, her eyes becoming unfocused, as if she were trying to look ahead, past this room, past this moment. "Still, I sense that you know Anakin's heart is not cruel—that you know there is more to this story that has not yet revealed itself."
       You watched Master Yuma, sucking your breath in. This honesty startled you. You didn't know what to say in response, didn't know how to make sense of these words. It wasn't as though you hadn't thought this, in the depths of your mind, before now—it was that hearing it spoken aloud, and from someone you regarded as wise and discerning, frightened you.
       "We can only control our own actions, Y/N," Master Yuma continued. "I trust that you will—"
       Master Yuma's words cut off sharply, as both of you turned, looking to the doorway in alarm.
       "I sense it too," you said quickly, and before you knew it you were following your Master at a run, unholstering your lightsaber, through the maze of rooms that made up the Clan's headquarters, outside, onto the hangar, where you sensed a bubble of tension—of danger.
       You exited to a distressing scene: the bright light of the day revealed Anakin and Henry, standing at the edge of the hangar, their lightsabers lit, blocking blasts sent from an enemy wearing pilot's clothing, a mask covering their face, their blaster firing shot after shot. The mystery attacker was skilled, you saw—the assailant dodged the blasts that Anakin and Henry sent back, deflected by their lightsabers, and rolled on the ground and fired more shots, getting closer and closer to the Padawans. You and Master Yuma ran forward, lightsabers lit, but you were still too far away. You felt the presences of Master Faer and Master Obi-Wan exiting the building behind you, having sensed the danger at the same time you had. This was supposed to be a diplomatic mission, you thought desperately. Who was this attacker, and, more importantly, why were they here? There wasn't time to think it through. You ran forward, desperate to join your fellow Padawans.
       You watched with horror as a blast hit Henry in the arm, knocking his lightsaber out of his hand, leaving him defenseless. You felt like your legs were moving in slow motion, so intense was your desire to get to him, to protect him, when you saw the attacker fire the blaster again, directly toward Henry's heart.
       "Henry!" you screamed, but as you felt your stomach drop, a terrible fear slashing through your middle, you saw the red light stream of the bullet stop, hovering in mid-air between the masked attacker and Henry's frozen form, his mouth open in surprise. You didn't understand, not until you looked to your left and saw Anakin, sweat dripping from his brow, his hand reaching outward, his fingers tensed. You wouldn't have believed it if it weren't happening before your eyes. You'd never seen someone stop an energy bolt from a blaster through the Force. You wouldn't have thought it possible—the reflexes necessary to stop something moving that fast would need to be quicker than lightspeed. The attacker stood, watching the beam of light hovering, astonished, and turned to look at Anakin. Anakin's stare turned cold, and you knew what would happen before you could stop it. Anakin used his Force grip on the energy bolt to change its direction, sending it back to the attacker, hitting the mysterious masked figure in the chest.
       "Henry," you said, your heart beating quickly as you ran forward to look at your friend. "Are you all right?" Henry nodded, seeming shaken, but you could feel in his emotions that it had not been the attacker's actions that had caused that bewildered look on his face. It had been Anakin's response. It took Henry a moment to get ahold of himself.
       "Thank you," he said, turning to face Anakin head on. "You saved my life." Anakin nodded at Henry, then turned to look back at the masked attacker. It was clear to everyone from the mysterious figure's still form, unmoving on the floor of the hangar, that whoever this person had been, they were no more.
       "That was unwise, Anakin," Obi-Wan said quietly, walking forward to examine the body. "Now we will never know who this assailant is, or who sent them to attack us." Anakin flushed, and you felt his frustration through the Force.
       "He would have killed Henry," Anakin argued, "had I not intervened."
       "He, or she, or they might be dead," Master Yuma said, "but it's time for those among us who have not been truthful to give us answers." She turned to face the Muuns, who stood in a cluster near the doorway into the inner chamber, looking terrified.
       "Who sent this assassin?" Master Faer asked them, for once abandoning his calm demeanor, looking angrier than you had ever seen him. You felt that Master Faer cared deeply for his Padawan.
       "We do not know!" one of the Muuns entuned, wringing his hands, acting upset. "We cannot know."
       "Then what is it that you have been hiding from us, friends?" Master Obi-Wan said. His tone was calm, but the strength of the Force command in his question rang around all of you. The Muuns felt it, whether or not they knew consciously. They all looked at each other, looking scared.
       "We have been plagued," one Muun said in a small voice, standing behind the others, "by a demon. A hooded man, in the shadows. A demon who has threatened us, our species."
       "Tell us everything," Master Yuma said, her voice intensifying.
       "We will," the Muun agreed.
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"But we can't go," you said, distressed, looking back to Henry and Master Faer as you, Master Yuma, Master Obi-Wan, and Anakin prepared to board your ship. "Not now that we know there has been an attempt to remove the Jedi presence on Muunilinst. We need to stay to help Master Faer, and—"
       "It is likely our presence here brought forth this attack," Master Obi-Wan explained, looking to you with empathy. "Staying will only garner more resistance to a Republic presence in the Banking Clan."
       "But—"
       "Master Faer and I can take care of ourselves," Henry told you, walking forward and taking your hand. "You don't need to worry, Y/N." You looked up into his eyes and felt that he meant this—that though he didn’t want you to leave, he felt it was for the best. Duty came first for a Jedi. You hugged him, burying your face into his chest, the way you used to do when you first arrived to the Jedi Temple as a young child, when Henry was one of the only other younglings who was nice to you.
       "We'll see each other again soon," Henry said kindly, pulling away from you and gesturing for you to enter up the ship ramp with your companions. You turned away reluctantly, and once you were aboard, you turned back to watch the ramp close, Henry waving goodbye from behind it before it shut fully.
       "Better settle in," Master Yuma told you, putting a reassuring hand on your arm. "Get some rest, Y/N." You still felt wrong about leaving, still saw Henry's face as the ramp closed in your mind, but you knew Henry was talented, and that Master Faer would do anything to protect him. There was no use in worrying more, right now. You sighed, and plopped yourself down onto the flight couch in the main hull. Master Yuma went to check on Master Obi-Wan in the cockpit. You'd almost forgotten the other presence next to you, so lost you were in your thoughts of all that had just occurred. You tried hard to cast out your fear, because you knew where the fear of loss led. As you worked through the Force to regulate yourself, your eyes closed, you noticed a pause hanging in the air, as if someone had spoken half of a sentence and was waiting to speak the other half, or the last few notes of the melody had yet to be played. You opened your eyes.
       "I'm sorry!" Anakin burst out, standing across the hull in front of you, looking uncomfortable in his posture. You raised your eyebrows. Watching Henry almost be killed by a blaster had driven your argument with Anakin from your mind, but you could see now that Anakin had been waiting for the appropriate moment to say this. It was surprising, to you—you'd never heard Anakin apologize.
       "For what?" you asked cautiously, taking in Anakin's bowed figure, feeling his complicated emotions swirling around the both of you.
       "I'm sorry for—for what I said. About Henry," Anakin continued, his voice clipped. This seemed to be new territory for him, as if he were pushing hard within himself to try to force the words out. "He's not weak. He's a good Jedi." You watched Anakin, his eyes looking to you, asking for your forgiveness, and you felt a shift in the Force. Between the two of you there had rarely been any vulnerability, any weakness—you had always kept a strict guard up around Anakin, and he had always met that guard with confidence, with boldness, with his daring audacity, his stubbornness. The boy in front of you now was allowing that boldness to wash away, leaving behind a presence you associated with the boy you had found, all those years ago, sitting on the bench in the Jedi temple. Underneath Anakin's self-confident swagger you had always intuited this sensitivity, this soft current, but now that it was on full display in front of you, at your mercy, you were overwhelmed. You felt yourself blushing, unsure what to say.
       "Thank you," you whispered, and Anakin felt your acceptance of his apology in your words. His posture relaxed. He walked over, tentatively, sitting next to you on the flight couch, still keeping his distance.
       "Do you believe it? What they said?" Anakin asked, his energy buzzing, his body still working to keep in his emotions—fear, relief, amongst other things you refused to name. "About the hooded demon, that is."
       "Yes," you admitted, still looking down. "Though that descriptor doesn't seem right, as it's through the Muuns' limited lens. Whatever that presence actually is..." You paused, turning to look at Anakin, feeling his presence in the Force swell when you made eye contact. "I have a feeling things are changing, Ani." He nodded, his eyes wide, taking you in.
       "There's nothing in this universe that the Jedi can't handle," Anakin told you. You knew he had been trying to say this with comfort, but the phrasing unnerved you. You couldn't sense why. "Whatever changes, we'll handle it together."
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Chapter 5 is out now!! Head on over :)
Henry will return eventually :) And yes, as you might have guessed, Master Faer is played by none other than Ben Barnes:
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sunshinecherryblossom · 10 months
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And the war between the ships has begun... sighs... Well, now I want to understand one thing: in the first case we have Minato who notices Kushina who is watching his training because she is worried about him and she approaches him (in all this we remember that she was already Minato's girlfriend at that time) while in the case of Hinata and Naruto she was secretly spying on him without doing anything concrete for him and he didn't even know of her existence in all that but ok! a similar setting is enough and we can already speak of parallelism obviously. Regarding the SS the situation is identical: both Sakura and Kushina show extremely worried about the person they care about at that moment given that both Minato and Sasuke were in the hospital and both were happy with their awakening but the main difference is the situation in which the scene takes place: Minato, in an attempt to stop Kushina's transformation, is seriously injured and seeing Kushina extremely worried about him surprised but also reassured him (note the sweet and calm smile he gives her as she squeezes him) while with SasuSaku we see Sakura extremely worried about Sasuke who hugs him when he wakes up but due to different circumstances. Furthermore, Sasuke has never reacted like Minato with Kushina and coincidentally, when Sakura embraces Sasuke, Naruto is seen with a smile similar to the one his father assumes. Now, the setting could also be the same but this does not mean parallelism. I urge these folks to look for the meaning of true parallelism before spreading such comparisons because comparing the SS or NH to the MK is just a disrespect to Kishimoto's own wife as Sakura is her basis while Naruto represents the author himself. Among other things, seeing so many likes on Twitter on such comparisons only leads me to think how toxic and illogical the Naruto fandom can be and how much people have to try to deny the evidence just to add grist to their own mill. This isn't about ship preferences, everyone can ship whoever they want of course, but about objectivity so please grow up 💀💀💀🙄🙄🙄
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Thank you for offering your askbox. I've been thinking that Izzy being just a side character whose story wasn't main plot thread makes even better proof that not everything was well planned? If I was a writer and this would be easily the most discussed topic about the finale, I'd reflect on storytelling decisions I made. There's a good reason why Izzy's fate overshadows everything despite that he wasn't the point of the show.
(Post posted 10/31/23) Feel free to comment below if you agree or disagree, we're all here for discussions.
Thank you so much for this amazing question!! [If you're seeing this and want to discuss some aspect of S2, or my thoughts on OFMD overall, SEND ME AN ASK! I love doing this]
TLDR: Vague characterization from historical records means Jenkins is free to bend history without a lot of guilt. During early days of casting and during scene changes Jenkins got inspired by Con's audition tape. Con was told to play this shit as a Jesus/Judas relationship. An amazing performance in S1 keeps the character relevant in fandom spaces in the hiatus, and in Jenkin's mind for S2. The S1 season finale accidentally reveals a really interesting dynamic in Ed/Izzy's relationship. [Speculation from this point on] Jenkins feels like he needs to explore, with little plans to fully explore it. Fleshing out both Ed/Izzy abuse and love.
Jenkins realizes 'Oh shit, Izzy wasn't supposed to be this' midway through S2. But he still follows his original plan in killing him off, because he's not needed for the story in his outline, leading to him accidentally killing off a character as they're growing and healing. Leading to what some consider a move SO off-brand for the show, they are leaving the fandom.
[*Tin Foil Hat On*] I expect the original cut of S2 to include more scenes of the crew. I bet for every other Izzy scene, we got a crew scene. So when 'extra' not plot-relevant scenes had to get cut, they kept the Izzy scenes due to Izzy's stable arc, the fact that he'd die at the end either way and Con's amazing performance.
EXPLINATION AND DEPTH BELOW! It's a long one. A lot of this post will be speculation, interviews from Jenkins, and highly dependent on if you were in fandom between seasons 1 and 2. If you need me to hunt for sources, I can do that for you.
I'll separate everything into a chronological timeline as much as possible.
Before we touch on why Jenkins wrote Izzy to stick out in the story, we need to assume how he outlined this entire show.
Pre Con O'Neill:
I am of the personal belief that Jenkins likely wrote out an imagined arc for Ed and Stede. Including a lot of cool set pieces, fights, etc. for the three seasons he wanted vaguely based on the real lives of Stede Bonnet and Edward Teach(watch a YouTube vid documenting their history, it's a wild ride) turning it into something explicitly romantic. This is easy enough to do, as most of what we know about them was written YEARS after their deaths.
Next was filling in the cast. This is where we get our crew, mostly characters Jenkins made up, as very little is known of the men either sailed with.
Izzy Hands being a pirate under the age of 18 whose notable actions with Blackbeard include- Captaining his own vessel, running a ship aground, being Blackbeard's first mate, and getting shot by Blackbeard maybe on accident.
[THEORY] So. If you're any writer you see that and think 'cool a side character we know almost nothing about'. You slot him in as being Edward's one thing keeping him to the pirate lifestyle. Not necessarily romantic, but a serious Boss/underling relationship. This is a bit of how Izzy was written in S1 UNTIL-
Con O'Neill is cast as Izzy.
In interview, Jenkins has admitted that Con's audition tapes influenced how he wrote Izzy. As a writer, this shouldn't necessarily be ringing red flags. But he has gone on record as admitting to changing the script before shooting to suit Con. IN SEASON 1. My guess is Izzy at the end of episode 10 was meant to be more of a side character. Another Frenchie, or Wee John, who serves their purpose and then gets pushed to the side by the plot.
But at some point, Jenkins wrote how important the dynamic was between Ed and Izzy. Describing Izzy/Ed to Con before filming S1 of a 'Jesus and Judas' relationship like in Jesus Christ Superstar.
If you tell a (then closeted) queer actor who has been playing queer roles since the 1990s that his leather daddy character was having a Jesus&Judas JSC dynamic in a TV show that respects and celebrates queerness? 🤩 MY GOD.
[Speculation] That's how we get an Izzy Hands who is watching the man in front of him slip away, trying to dig his heels in. Hell, if I were Jenkins, I'd be adding a few more lines for Izzy to be pissed just to see Con have fun in the role. Let him be mad. Let him be in the background of scenes just glaring. Let us see a man slowly lose something he's built up his whole life.
[As mentioned from Comic Con- From Con O'Neill] This was important for me to bring up as Jenkins could have said 'henchman' but he didn't. Hell, when Taika and Con did hair and makeup they'd listen to the JCS cast album. It was a choice on both their parts.
[ovservation from here on out] Con plays it up, and a lot of queer fans saw this and grabbed hold of a man so desperate to keep the man he loved close that he sacrifices almost everything for it (Izzy also signs the Act of Grace to get Ed out of there).
Izzy, in a show full of openly queer people, is still on the fringe of society. SO MANY queers saw this and said 'OMG me'. ME INCLUDED. With a super supportive actor who genuinely is respectful of the fandom? Of art, and fic and meta? The Izzy 'Canyon' became so loyal because Con is a Queer Elder we didn't know we all needed in our lives!
Jenkins accidentally wrote into what could be an amazing story of a queer character living in a homophobic society where he learns to open himself up. All without ever writing a 'coming out' scene for Izzy. Jenkins knows this. Hell, since S1 Izzy fans have been telling him how cool that type of arc would be.
Now here comes the issue of where to take a side character, when you have loose plans for them.
S1 IS TIGHTLY WRITTEN ONTO ITSELF... S2?
Something we might forget now is HOW tightly written Izzy's falling out with Ed is tied into Stede and Ed falling in love. Beat per beat, Izzy is shoved away as Stede takes his place. That's really fucking smart. So smart, it was planned in the writer's room. The fact that some took it as romantic, that Ed could ever really love him back? Well...this is where Jenkins had a decision to make.
So he dips his toe. Let's make Ed even more violent than at the end of S1ep10. Let's include the bit where Blackbeard shoots Izzy Hands. Let's have Izzy confess his love for Ed and have it not be enough for Ed to change his mind. Let's show Izzy rising like a phoenix reborn after a failed suicide attempt where Izzy chooses to mutiny on Ed to protect the crew. Let's see Izzy growing. Because Jenkins loves Con's performance. Everyone in the cast enjoys him as a person. Let's give Izzy one last hurrah.
Jenkins knows this character meant a lot to Con. It's obvious in the way Jenkins recently confessed he told Con about Izzy's death midway through shooting. Sadly we likely will never be told when Con was told. But imagining Con filming the AMAZING character change of S2eps 1-2, then AFTER being told Izzy would die anyway? Oh. I wouldn't be alright. Not after all his fans had spent the last year telling him how much seeing a character like Izzy 'being accepted because they are worthy of love'.
This is the 1 thing that fucks me up. Not telling Con until midway through shooting, Versus his belief that writing Izzy's death was a fitting way to end his story. BOTH CAN'T BE TRUE. Right? If Jenkins felt the need to take con aside and go grab a meal to announce Izzy was dying but then market the ending as a 'Good Idea'. Then...What? If Con felt it fit the character, then he would have likely guessed Izzy would die. But that wasn't the vibe in the fandom at the time. It feels like a decision Jenkins made this season.
Because yes, some general audiences predicted that Izzy would die. But when your core fanbase for a character don't expect it, you didn't plan the death correctly. Fuck, I thought Izzy was trying to RECOVER this whole season. Not that Izzy was hiding how hard he was struggling. That's not a good sign when I've ALWAYS called Izzy as some brand of suicidal/depressed.
[Quote from Jenkins Entertainment Article: Oct 26 2023] 'What's the best journey we can give him(Izzy)? And what's the most interesting thing we can do with Con, who can do just about anything?'
That is not the quote of an author who has planned everything out. That's a writer who knows points A and E and is fighting to find everything in between.
The Fly in My Ointment
There's a point most writers know when a character or story slips out from under you. You didn't mean for this to happen. Hell, I write Scene by Scene outlines. My stories change. When Izzy Hands' growth arc became the most interesting part of S2, Jenkins had a choice.
How far was he willing to bend his idea to keep a character that wasn't 'essential'? Not that fucking far apparently. Because for some reason, Jenkin's labeled Izzy in his mind as 'Blackbeard' and tied Ed and Izzy's fates together. Ignoring how this season Izzy died to separate his old life with Ed from his new life with this crew.
Your question poses it perfectly- If I was a writer and this would be easily the most discussed topic about the finale, I'd reflect on storytelling decisions I made. There's a good reason why Izzy's fate overshadows everything despite that he wasn't the point of the show.
That's a trick they teach you in some writing podcasts. That in the end, you are telling one story. You can have twenty side characters and a romance arc, but in the end, you are telling one story. Each side character is going to show what happens when you fail or succeed at the central thesis.
What do we have in S1? What does Frenchie sing to set up where our story STARTS-
"A pirate’s life, [it’s] short but nice,” -“we won’t live long,”  AND “to death we go, a certain death we go.”
Our characters expect a short simple life of what most pirates EXPECT. In my mind, this story has ALWAYS been about survival. From the extravagance of Stede's ship, and a crew ready to throw him overboard, to the barebones Shark eats Shark type of survival described in Ed's own fleet. OFMD is about living in a world that doesn't want you there. About surviving and thriving. About these two men from different worlds coming together and forging a life of kindness for them and for their family.
Saying fuck you, I'm here, I'm still alive, and I'm going to THRIVE. I deserve kindness, happiness, love, and a fully lived life. I deserve to spend my short time on this Earth happy.
IN S2? The ONLY character that matches this thesis is Izzy. After scenes of Izzy struggling. Of finding himself. Of crawling up from his own personal hell, Izzy dies. He dies from a random bullet wound in the same spots that didn't kill Stede or Ed in the previous season. Breaking the one established rule for wounds in this universe that the left side is the safe side so that Izzy can die.
Even if Izzy spent this entire season wanting to die, he tried to live. For a few days after a breakup of over 20+ years of casual intimacy. Of a bond where Izzy was the murderer, the brawn. The dangerous right hand. Where Izzy dying meant not just his death, but likely that of Ed. Given the man's constant depressive moods, crews that didn't like him, and reoccurring suicidal tendencies. Ed didn't need Izzy Hands anymore. Ed had Stede now. He was ready to finally leave Izzy for good. What will Izzy Hands do now?
He gave up. He tried to move on. He listened after being told he was too rough, too loud, too mean. He tried. He tried to survive this new way of life surrounded by people who supported him. But he was tired. After so many years of putting up a mask, tearing it down was too much work. So he wanted to die. In the end. Izzy died in the arms of Edward surrounded by his family.
Buried on a plot of land Jenkins has already told us Stede and Ed will leave when things get boring. Left behind like the corpse of a pet the family has forgotten. Buried without his ring and cravat, items Izzy is only seen without when he's naked. Without the prosthetic gifted to him by a family that cared about him.
Izzy wasn't mourned for more than five seconds, before Stede and Ed were making jokes on his fresh grave, and then the episode moves on to a wedding.
RIP Izzy Hands- a man who loved more than he was ever loved in return.
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Was this the right message? FUCK No. But for those of us who believed that theme of queer survival and community- We saw framing Izzy's death like this as a fucking betrayl.
Izzy Hands isn't buried with his most prized possessions- they're left out to be stolen or rot in the front yard. With only one man crying over his death and a silent funeral. He leaves this world without more than a 'he was intense'. Which...isn't great coming from the man Izzy loved for most of his life.
The reason why we're mad about Izzy isn't that it's Izzy. It's that when we boarded this flight we were given a set of rules to follow. It's a comedy about men falling in love on a boat that sometimes gets serious. That's it. To watch a character start to grow only to die for NO PLOT SPECIFIC REASON. Is insulting. If your death has no tie to the narrative (sacrifice or it comes with a revelation) it's a death just set up for shock. Izzy and Ed could have had that deathbed confession talk at the start of episode 7.
A REASON WHY I'M MAD BEYOND THAT SPECIFICALLY. [Very Personal Gripe]
A SALUTE TO CON O'NEILL -AGAIN!
I had the privilege of hyper-fixating on this show from the entirety of S1 ending to S2 beginning. During this time I explored the catalog of Con O'Neill's work on Tumblr under the tag 'Conography'. I watched this man play queer roles since the 1990s. Genderqueer/somewhere on the Trans spectrum, Gay, Bi. This man loves to play a queer story, even if it's sad. If it's tragic. He will breathe new life into their lungs and express their moments of Joy. Of love. Of community.
After the filming of S2 at a con, Con he felt comfortable publicly coming out due to the love and support he felt from our fandom. Do you know JUST how crazy that is? That Con KNEW Izzy was dead, yet he loved our fandom so much he let himself be vulnerable, and come out as queer? It's fucking INSANE to me, and shows just how much this show means to him.
He's not just Queer. He's a Queer fucking elder whose been protective of this entire community since S1. This 57-year-old man has proudly stood up in the name of Trans rights this entire time. Treating everyone, but especially Trans Izzy fans with so much fucking respect. Trans Izzy is a common headcanon partially because of how comfortable people feel knowing they won't get harassed because they interpret Izzy a certain way. That trans people feel at home seeing themselves as a misunderstood character with a chip on their shoulder.
I'm pissed for every in universe thing listed above AND NOW THIS. Because our Queer Elders are dead. There is a generation of Queer people we can never get back. They died from a mix of society pressuring these people into the closet or an early grave. Of disease running wild in communities unchecked. Of media ruining the careers of anyone who dared to come out. To see Con O'Neill So Fucking Happy and having it cut short because Jenkins thought Izzy was better dead than being an actual background character makes me see fucking red.
No. Jenkins probably didn't know Con was Queer when writing S2. But I'm assuming he still saw how happy Con was at Izzy fans before S2 was written which still makes it feel shitty.
Sure. Give Izzy all the amazing speeches about family and belonging and rip that right from his hands as soon as Izzy realizes it's something he might want for himself. Let's have Con O'Neill say all the prominent lines that are a blatant metaphor for why the Queer community needs to stick together.
Izzy's arc isn't just overshadowing the conversation because it was mismanaged and feels unplanned, it also just feels cruel to the central arc of this series. Add that to an actor who was so vocal about loving this community, it feels pointed to give him a tragic ending.
Jenkins doesn't need to consider why people hated this finale. Because there are SO MANY Ed/Stede fans who just don't care. They put Izzy in the box with every other side character and decided to put their effort into the protagonists and point and laugh when we suffer. Jenkins won't rethink anything because he can just say the 'Izzy community was passionate and are sad their favorite died'. Ignoring how this season made Stede into a shittier, less sympathetic captain and gave Ed an interesting arc only to give up before the finish line.
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stardragongalaxy · 11 months
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Library of Illusions event
Title: Hybrid Experiment 1018
Pairing: Alien hybrid! Yunho x scientist reader
WC: 1751
Au/genre/trope: Alien vs. Predator inspired, Sci-fi, fantasy, slight horror, Forbidden love, non!idol au
Warnings: Enter with Caution!! mentions of escape, a slightly hurt Yunho, Dom Yunho, sub reader, possessiveness, rough, primal, marking, breeding, aftercare, monster fucking, I think that's it! Let me know if I missed anything!
AN: Hello! I am back. I am behind since I've been sick for a whole week.
Do not translate, plagarize, or re-upload my stories. I only post on Tumblr. Thank you.
The idols represented in the works are not the true reflections of the idols themselves.
Taglist: @abiaswreck @kitten4sannie @kpop-stories-21 @kwanisms @yoonguurt @sanjoongie @flowerboykun @anyamaris @wooyoungmybelovedhusband @ateezreactionsandscenarios @thelargefrye @cultofdionysusnet (let me know if you want to be added to the taglist)
Read under banner!!
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Opening your eyes, you adjust to any surroundings seeing mainly darkness, except six books that were open in a half circle not far from you. Lighting up the pages in a variety of colors, orbs floating above each book in different motions being the main sources preventing the darkness to come closer. Turning half way looking back, all you saw was Seonghwa on the other side of the mirror covering you, breathing slowly, but steadily, with a blanket on a sofa still in eyesight. Seonghwa looking back at you through the mirror with direct eye contact. Speaking, though it sounded more in your head then directly "Don't take too long. The keys are important for your answers and try to survive"
You nod with widened eyes, knowing these won't be easy trials from his words alone. Turning back after watching him walk away, examining the colors of the book's light sources. Good thing you memorized the color coded sections when you entered. Walking towards the middle to the right side, you bend down, cupping the gentle moving beautiful blue orb. Remembering its the sci-fi book, you bring it up to examine it closer watching it shimmer and shutter in your hands. It flashes, making the book flash too before you disappear.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Opening your eyes then lowering your hand that shielded them taking in the surroundings. Realizing you were higher up surveying the surroundings, seeing tops of what you could only describe as something closest to the lush amazonian forest, though bioluminescent and vibrant in cool and hot colors sometimes mixing, below on two winding paths as well as behind you. Above was a sun, but blazing in a golden blue, while three moons were in sight. Turning slightly, your foot hit something as you stopped, looking down, spotting a journal. Picking it up, you look around to make sure you weren’t in immediate danger before opening it up. Reading the entries, some writing seemed familiar, but it explained so much and who you were seeking for. Closing it, taking a deep breath, you wondered if the hybrid that was spoken of in the journal was the guardian. Giving little time to really think, you needed to search for him, looking beside you finding a backpack and a lanyard with your i.d. Upon closer expectation, you found that there was a scientist they spoke of as well that took care of the hybrid. Closing your eyes as memories flashed in your mind for a brief moment. Understanding better, you grabbed everything and hoisted it onto your back, adjusting when needed, you looked around, feeling determined to find him. Now which direction… taking the first few steps, you stopped hearing a loud cry of distress and anger from a distance. Widening your eyes, recognizing the cry, you took off in what direction you assumed it came from. You had to find him. You left the ship secretly before traveling, knowing what the other scientists put him through and the dangers that were ahead in the journey, body coursing with anger as you ran.
Seeing a small ship ahead from a glowing river, all hope expanded to see if he was there. You stopped a few feet from the ship. A hole big enough to see the inside. You slowly took steps and gasped seeing Yunho. Biting your lip, assuming the worst, since the only things holding him up were the chains and being on his knees, His armor still intact, tail half way around his body, and his helmet beside him. Seeing marks, bruises possibly, on some of his skin.
"Yunho.." Whispering in a yell, worried if he was alive or startling him with careful steps. A growl made you stop, opening his eyes giving his first signs of movement. Moving slowly to him until you were close enough. Yunho moved his head up after you hugged him. He growled, moving his tail up ready to strike. That is until your scent hit his senses did he calm down, lowering his tail and wrapping it around you loosely in a hug. "You're here.." he muttered in relief, nuzzling into you lovingly. Running your hand through his black locks to sooth him further for a short while, taking the backpack off in the process, deciding best to try to get him up. "Can you stand for me?"
Nodding, he lifted one knee off the floor below with your help. Pushing himself up with you with a deep growl, keeping you close as he did. You grabbed the backpack foraging through it to find anything to get him free, keeping half his weight on you and the other against the wall. This caused a pool of arousal and your cheeks to heat up until you found the keys to set him free. Feeling him stand up behind you growling in urgency "Hurry, it's going to be dark soon"
Looking out, seeing the darkness spreading slowly, turning and getting the chains off to be free. He kissed your head and pulled you into his armored chest gently pulling you further into the ship that still surprisingly still functions watching the lights come on. He looks at you with a growl. "I smell your scent change" Tilting his head looking into your eyes" Will you allow me to be with you in union as a mate?"
Agreeing to this, he helped you undress, seeing how wet you truely were, but knowing something was going to come and time was limited as the sky turned to night from the moons covering the sun. He growled sensing you strongly as his instincts were taking hold. He grabbed his helmet setting it aside along the way to undressing his lower half. Exposing his length that made your mouth water. He growled from your scent picking you up and kissing the side of your neck wanting to take you right then and there. He nipped your skin, moving one arm down to insert a clawed finger into, moving slowly hearing you gasp then moan. He observed your reaction and added another digit stretching you at first. Finding your spot, he abused it careful of his claws, adding a third to stretch you more and making you feel full since his hands were larger than any human with the back of his veiny hand rubbing against your mound moving in speed. You were close and hearing the wet sounds started to make Yunho feral. He knew you were close, wanting to edge you, pulling away hearing you whine and huff in anger "Now I truely mate you"
He locked eyes with you kissing your head then looking out hearing noise as he growled in warning with a snarl causing the sounds outside to stop in their tracks. He looked back entering you without a warning moving back against the wall to keep you safe. Caging you effectively with one hand as the other held you. He bottomed out watching your reactions. Starting to move without you adjusting, his mind flipped fully, being relentlessly primal in his actions making sure you enjoyed this as much. The pleasure fully hitting you from the burning stretch to his movements.
"Open your mouth" Yunho growled by your ear. You obeyed, opening your mouth. What you didn't expect was Yunho kiss was letting you swallow a little of his blood and saliva. Making sure no one else could mate you and that the bloods flow as one. Your body tensed at first, Yunho reacted in worry watching the very blood rushing in your veins giving it a very golden purple look for a few seconds. Relaxing afterwards, you gave the same growl to him, causing him to smirk and go back to his mating ritual.
He watched after a few minutes as you moaned loudly being so close. He bit down into your shoulder causing you to cry out, your orgasm coming in waves. He snarled going up deeper into you as he followed making sure the ritual was completed and seen through.The knot stretching causing you both to be locked. Letting go of your shoulder, his marks healing leaving an imprint. "Mine" Snarling out the word, seeing your belly protruding with his bulging knot. He rubbed softly.
Looking over he swung his tail, hitting metal and letting the hole collapse close. He held onto you keeping you against him, moving to a room in the back that even had a teleporter. You both stayed like that for a while. You worried when he started to shake, throwing his head back, veins bulging with deep guttural cry, releasing, causing you to gasp and moan being filled to the brim and beyond feeling slightly strange. His claws digging into your hips as an anchor.
Shaking your head after a few minutes of recovery, it was a wild ride, but you had to remember your own mission and the keys to get to the final room. "Yunho, do we have a key?"
Listening and feeling the ritual completed, he pulled out, a string following afterwards, closing your legs to keep everything inside. Keeping you like that while he nods to you.
"Yes, but not here. Danger is all around" Listening to the outside hearing the hits and tearing metal all around the ship from the intruders. Picking you up, he headed to the teleporter, seeing one alien breaking through, not staying any longer, he moved quickly with you in his arms, causing you both to leave.
You were back in your outfit from before dusting off. Jumping, you saw Yunho in his place holding a skull. "Didn't mean to startle you" Chuckling at your reaction. "We will take the prizes to Seonghwa so you can continue on your quests"
"How does he know i truly won if he only sees you guys come back?" Questioning his reasons. Yunho smirks, nodding over at the mirror. Turning, you see Seonghwa amused look. "He has to check in somehow" You nodded, looking back to Yunho "Sounds like a plan. I'll get ready for the next trial" Patting your shoulder with one hand "I had fun with the time together. I'll see you soon though" Kissing your head before walking straight ahead and through the mirror handing Seonghwa the prized skull causing you slight confusion.
"That's one down, but stay alert. It's just beginning, " Seonghwa announced, saying nothing further. With a hum and nod. You turn back to the book's seeing five left. Now was the decision of the next story.
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thestobingirlie · 5 months
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To answer your Byler question: it’s about the slow burn of it all and about the audience that the story will reach. I don’t really know what you mean by “with gay rep the way it is now” because the state of gay rep rn is just two characters getting together after a few episodes of no buildup. Regardless of Will and Mike being white (which I’m going to assume is what you’re getting at), there are very few modern gay stories out there that spend this long on a slow build and the careful construction of a seasons-long sexuality arc. That is what would make Byler so unique if it ever becomes canon, compounded by the fact that ST is the most mainstream of mainstream shows. This isn’t Heartstopper or Schitt’s Creek or another gay show whose audience is limited because it’s targeted specifically to gay people — Everyone and their mother watches it, and that means that everyone will end up witnessing Byler’s story if it happens. That is what would make this special and groundbreaking. 
Of course, no one should be dismissing the importance of Robin as a character on her own, and lesbophobes claiming that Robin and Vickie mean nothing is unfair, but your point about it being the other way around (aka Byler meaning nothing Vickie and Robin as a couple) doesn’t make any sense, as Rovickie has had barely had 5 minutes of screen time together compared to the way Byler has been built up since S1. Even Robin and Nancy got more screen time than them, hence Rovickie’s complete lack of popularity. Stranger Things had the opportunity to make Vickie important in s4 and chose not to do it. It’s no different than any other show, where as you said, the wlw couple is just in the background. It’s nice that ST included a love interest for Robin, but it would have been more meaningful if she was actually a character in her own right. 
(And Robin and Vickie are also white, btw.) 
okay.
first, i would like you to watch more gay shows, because from the sounds of it you are not very well versed. but that’s okay!
second, i mentioned will and mike are white because while there are a lot of white mlm ships around nowadays, that number obviously drops with gay characters of colour, and i wanted to be clear i was taking that into consideration.
third, and i presume this is where our opinions majorly differ, i don’t think will’s sexuality arc has been handled as well as it could have been. and i think if the majority of the audience is unable to recognise that mike is going through a sexuality arc, then byler won’t be recognised as a slowburn anyway.
fourth, other shows have been popular and included gay characters and couples. and people are already calling stranger things a “gay show” because they have one lesbian and one gay character. though i think it’s very sweet that you think people, at the bare minimum, watching byler happen will make byler groundbreaking. a ship isn’t groundbreaking just because it’s been seen by a certain amount of people.
now, you seem… riled by my comparison of rockie to byler lmao. i think you misunderstood my tags. so i suppose there’s a few things to address with this too lol.
so. i very very much so doubt byler has been built from s1, because the duffers didn’t plan past s1. we were never going to see those characters again. the duffers are largely making this shit up as they go along.
a lot of bylers i’ve seen on tumblr seem to have this… obsession with making stranger things the mike and will show, and it just isn’t. and i think they’re doing a disservice to the characters and the ship by imagining this importance.
and i don’t think rockie not having a main part is a bad thing. i want my gay characters to exist past their sexuality. rockie isn’t groundbreaking! so many ships have come before it lmao. but it doesn’t need to be groundbreaking. i’m okay with vickie being introduced this season as her love interest, and robin having a life and arc outside of vickie. that’s how most side romances go. that’s what happened with dustin and suzie! if vickie receives no time at all in s5 and rockie end up together off screen, then yes, obviously i’ll be annoyed at the lack of time given to them. but that’s a problem for future me.
my point was rockie having their moment, and dating, and us watching it throughout s5 would mean more to me than byler happening. not that everyone shouldn’t care about byler rep lmao.
(and i know rockie are white, babe, but wlw shows are being cancelled regardless of if they’re both white)
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