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reds-skull · 6 months

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Not Alive, Nor Dead

[NEXT PART]

Okay I'm trying to be brave and post this before I chicken out, first time writing a fic, and I'm not sure if this is any good.

So, since I don't have time to draw out all of the revenant au story, but I still want to share it, I'm writing it instead.

Will continue this if people are interested!

[this isn't requiered but reading the comic might help you understand this better]

[also there's a Soap pov version of this by Badolmen, it doesn't line up 100% because we didn't work together but it's very very good and you should read it regardless]

“No.”

“I wasn’t asking, Ghost.”

He shifted in his place. Can never get used to Price’s voice in his head.

“You know I work best alone. All he’s gonna do is get in the way.”

Price’s mustache twitched, as if he’s fighting a smile. Bastard is about to drop something to win the entire argument, Ghost already knows.

“He’s a revenant. Strong one too.”

Fucking figures. Still, he could argue he doesn’t need any support-

“Intel is rigged with explosives. And the Sergeant just so happens to be explosion-proof.”

…Fuck.

Ghost sighs heavily like he was presented with an unreasonable amount of shit to deal with. He watches as Price sits there, shit eating grin spitting at him. He looks back to the folder, at the details of this already annoying mission, “you said there are 2 buildings?”

Price snaps from his self boasting to confirm “one suspected barracks and the other an abandoned warehouse. Warehouse contains the majority of explosives.”

Finally finding something to work with, Ghost straightens his back to his usual self-assured posture, “the Sergeant can deal with the warehouse, I’ll clear the barracks. No need to work together.”

Price seems less happy about that. Serves him right. He sighs and drags a hand over his face, and Ghost almost feels bad for ruining his plan to get him to play with a team. Almost.

“Will it kill you to try and work with the lad?” Price asks offhandedly, while organising the folder back to the never-ending pile of documents on his desk.

“You mean again?” Ghost would wear his own shit eating grin if his face wasn’t permanently covered.

Price still seems equally pissed. Probably saw it in his literal mind’s eye. “Get out of my office Lieutenant, wheels up at 0500.” He gets up and walks around his desk to face Ghost, “don’t scare the kid off alright? I have a feeling you two could mash well together.”

Ghost tilts his head and projects the most doubt he could muster at Price. “Yes sir.”

This is going to be a bloody long day.

It’s not that Ghost hates people per se, it’s just that most of them seem hell-bent on being annoying, disruptive, or boring. Useless on the field for someone of his caliber, and even more useless off-field.

He knows he’s not exactly easy to relate to, but he couldn’t care less about trying to be. He’s here for one purpose. And it’s not “making friends” or whatever Price and Gaz has been trying to push him towards.

He wonders which category the Sergeant currently standing in front of him will fall into. By his fidgeting nature and easy smile, Ghost would put his money on “annoying”.

The Sergeant, “Soap” apparently (Ghost wonders if that callsign was given to him before or after he died a probably painful death), now directs that smile at him, seemingly undeterred by the giant man wearing a skull like a stereotypical grim reaper. He has to give it to the lad, at least he hides his discomfort well.

“You must be Ghost, eh? Let’s get ourselves a win LT” The Sergeant says with an obvious Scottish accent, fist-bumps his shoulder and walks off towards transport.

Oh, annoying is definitely winning.

Despite that, Ghost can’t feel like Soap really fits it. He’s unlike the other muppets in the category, He’s not poking him like the rookies do, trying to make him reveal his powers.

No, the Sergeant is annoying like an overly friendly dog is to someone that doesn’t want to be licked. He’s acting like they’re just two normal soldiers on their way to a normal mission, not the unnatural, unexplainable phenomena they actually are.

Ghost will have to keep watching. Certainly on field he will be able to find out his true colors.

On the helo, Ghost picks his usual spot near the ramp, where the lights don’t reach as much and most prefer not to sit, and observes Soap. His fidgety nature stayed the same, but the carefree expression he wore on ground morphed into a determined one, face stern and serious. He seemed lost in thought, eyebrows twitching here and there. He sees how his fingertips flicker, watching flames dance between them before the rapid movements put them out.

Well, at the very least Soap doesn’t fall into “boring”.

Clearing the barracks is a laughably easy job, even without using his powers. Although, it would’ve been so much faster with them… too bad he doesn’t hate the Sergeant enough to send him to Limbo.

They practically run through both buildings, untouchable storms. Ghost has to admit, Soap is clearly competent, disarming bombs and taking down hostiles at an impressive rate.

God, he hates when Price is right.

“Ground floor clear, heading to the basement” Soap relays on comms.

“Copy, clearing third floor, keep an eye out for Intel.”

“I have to say LT, you’re not quite like I expected.”

Feeling’s mutual, Ghost thinks to himself. “That so?”

“Aye, you’re not a major cunt for starters.”

That startled a small huff out of him. What the hell do the rumors say about him? He would have to ask Gaz about that, “Could still change that Sergeant.” he mock-lectures him.

A small laugh is what he gets in return, “I doubt that. I’ve worked with some bastards before, you barely make top 50.”

“Only 50? I hoped for at least 20”

“Got work cut out for you then, sir”

“That I do.”

Ghost continues clearing the floor methodically before faltering for a moment. Why was he entertaining the Sergeant like that? Since when does he joke with people?

Though, he would’ve done it more if he had someone so ready to joke back…

Useless thoughts.

Cursing Price, Soap, and all other stupid distracting things swirling in his head, Ghost takes down another hostile.

The mission is going without a hitch. Which is usually when something “hitches”.

A couple of minutes after Soap’s last words, Ghost sees a bright light flash from the warehouse, before a soundwave shakes the windows of the now barren barracks.

One of the explosives went off… “Soap, what the hell happened there?”

No answer.

Ghost knows he’s fine. Price wouldn’t brag about how “explosion-proof” he is otherwise. But he’s not answering…

“Sergeant, give me sitrep, now.”

Ghost stands still for another minute, listening to static. He checked the last room right before the explosion went off, so he just has to go to exfil and wait for the Sergeant at this point. His part of the work is done.

He should just go to exfil.

Ghost climbs down the stairs and heads for the warehouse, a foreboding plume of dark smoke billowing from its roof.

If asked why he didn’t ignore his gut feeling and use his brain like always, he wouldn’t have an answer.

Maybe he just wanted to exchange one more joke with the Sergeant before they finish the mission and never see each other again.

Arriving at the doors, he sees how the ground floor caved in, creating a ramp down to the basement. He starts making his way down, when he sees bodies littering the debris. Was Soap ambushed?

“Soap? Where the fuck are you Sergeant!” Ghost shouts. He has half a mind to be quiet, not wanting to attract enemies to their location, before realizing no one would’ve survived this. No one but-

“LT…?”

“Soap, why weren’t you answering comms- what…”

He stumbles upon Soap. Soap, who's laying on the grey concrete floor, wheezing and shaking, a metal rebar in his hands. Ghost walks closer and realizes the rebar is going through his stomach and pinning him to the floor.

The Sergeant’s eyes blearily look at the metal “I need, I n-need to get this out…”

He lifts himself half an inch and Ghost sees how the blood rushes out of the wound, how Soap pales.

Ghost rushes to his side. “Stop fucking moving”, he slides his hands under his torso, feels his gloves getting soaked in blood, “let me help you”.

Soap’s breathing becomes less harsh, and he looks up at him, “you… you don’t have to-”

He slowly lifts Soap before he can say another useless remark. The muscles under his fingertips clench and the Sergeant chokes out a scream.

“Fuck” Soap mutters between pants.

“We’re halfway there, you’re doing good.” Ghost lets him rest before continuing to lift his body up. The blood keeps rushing out of the wound, enough that he doesn’t understand how Soap is still conscious. The sergeant let go of the rebar, and is now gripping Ghost’s forearms like he’s about to fall to his death.

After a few seconds, which Ghost is sure felt like hours for Soap, he eases him off the metal and onto the ground. Soap immediately collapses, shuddering and holding his hands around the wound.

Ghost then realizes he’s not sure how the Sergeant’s powers work. Is this supposed to even happen? Is he actually dying?

Soap looks up at that moment, giving him a small smile that looks more like a grimace, “I just… give me a minute to heal, I’ll be ready to go soon.” he uncurls and drags himself to sit against a piece of wall.

Ghost frowns and slowly steps towards Soap and slides to sit next to him, “take however long you need.”

He doesn’t look, but from his peripheral, he sees Soap’s head whipping around and staring at Ghost like he told him he’s giving him a million pounds.

He seemed to find something in his expression (however much he could even see of it), and looked down at his bloodied hands, “thank ye…”

Ghost blinks down, “I hope this doesn’t lower my cunt rank.”

Soap lets out a small laugh that turns into a fit of coughs. More blood rushes out of his wounds, and Ghost internally winces.

“Ha… I think it takes ye off the list, mate.”

Ghost heaves an over-the-top sigh, “shame”.

Soap smiles at him, and Ghost notices it’s different from the one he gave him before the helo. This one is… warmer. Or at least it makes him feel so.

Soap lifts his shirt to inspect the wound, and Ghost can’t help by take a look. The wound stopped bleeding, and when Soap wipes some of it away, he can see how it’s already closing.

So he does get hurt… it just heals. Ghost still wonders how it all works, but he knows their powers work with bizarre rules, weird exceptions and what not. He can almost hear his Reaper laughing. Or whatever you would call that chilling noise it lets out when it finds something funny.

It doesn’t matter either way. Not like he’ll get to work with Soap again.

The Sergeant exhales and lets his shirt drop, “a’right, let’s fuckin’ finish this.” he slowly starts lifting himself up before Ghost wordlessly grabs his arms and helps him.

Soap mumbles a thanks, “did you find any intel?”

Ghost looks ahead. The climb out of the basement won’t be easy on his wound… “Negative. We’ll keep looking.”

Eventually they reach a door labelled “storage”, that is blocked by several tonnes of concrete and metal. Ghost internally curses.

Soap, who’s been trailing behind Ghost, reaches the door and looks around. Ghost is about to ask him if he’s got a few C4’s hidden somewhere when the Sergeant asks him, “permission to use my powers, sir?”

Ghost raises an eyebrow, “what are you planning?”

“Gonna blow it up sir” Soap says like it was obvious.

“...go ahead.” Ghost replies, half baffled Price forgot to mention the Sergeant, besides being unkillable by explosions, can also create them.

Was probably in the folder he didn’t bother reading.

He takes a step back to let Soap Have a go. The Sergeant rests his palms on the debris, inhales, and…

A loud boom makes Ghost’s ears ring. He’s momentarily blinded by the bright explosion before he regains his vision, and sees Soap stepping around the remains of the door into the small room.

Ghost shakes away his slight shock and joins him. Soap’s powers intrigue him… he wonders what else he could do.

Somehow, the intel survived the explosions. Ghost could barely care. At least they won’t have Price on their case later on.

As they walk towards the exfil point, a heavy feeling sinks within Ghost. He’s not sure what to call it, but if he had to it would be “regret”.

Regretting what, he’s not sure. Maybe he should’ve prolonged their walk.

And from a glance at his face, Soap might understand this feeling as well.

“You did well Sergeant.” He has the sudden urge to say. Maybe it will make him regret less.

Soap casts a smile at him. It doesn’t warm him in the slightest.

The chopper blades slashing through air never made him feel worse.

“I guess this is it then.” Soap says when they land.

Ghost turned to face him. That heavy feeling in him just kept getting heavier throughout the flight. Why?

“So it seems.”

Soap stares for a moment longer before sighing. Ghost wants to do something about the annoyingly heavy air of despair around them.

“Soap” the Sergeant hums, “Why did the Scotsman’s prank fail?”.

Confusion takes over his features, “what?”

Ghost inhales, “because no one let him get away scot-free.”

Soap stares at him like he brought shame to his entire bloodline. Ghost grins like he did.

“Steamin’ Jesus LT, that was horrendous.”

“Ah Sergeant, just admit my jokes are better, no need to be a sore loser.”

“My gran got better jokes than this, fuckin’ hell” Soap laughs.

“I’d like to meet her.”

“So you two could battle? I rather not see you die of embarrassment sir.”

Soap’s transport decides to arrive at this moment, chasing away the small joy they both found.

Soap looks back at it and turns to Ghost.

“It’s been great working with you sir.” if Ghost was feeling bold, he would say Soap almost looks sad, “I hope we’ll get to go another round later.”

Ghost hates the hopeful tone in his voice. Hope is uncertain, leaves everything up to chance.

Useless.

“Likewise, Sergeant.”

He stays standing there for a few minutes, staring at the truck vanishing towards the horizon. As if it will lighten the boulder in his chest.

“So, Simon, what’s your verdict?” Price finishes after debrief.

Ghost thinks about the entire endeavour. Not annoying, not disruptive, or boring.

Soap is…

“He’s something else…”

Critiques are welcome! Nobody beta'd this so I'm sure there are mistakes lol (that and this isn't my first language...)

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drpoisonoaky · 8 months

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This is what I think it would happen if Katara and Azula were telling people they’re dating:

—————————[Aang]—————————

Aang:

Azula: I think we broke him.

Aang:

Azula: I mean I killed him once but two times seems excessive.

Katara: I don’t think he needs that reminder right-

Aang: MONKEY FEATHERS WHAT WHY WHY HER OMG KATARA WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU SHE KILLED ME YOU WERE THERE AND-

Azula: I think I’m going to make some tea while he’s letting it out.

Katara: Bring some cookies.

Azula: Sure.

————————— [Sokka] —————————

Sokka [stepping closer to azula’s face]: Mmm.

Azula: What?

Sokka: What are your intentions with my sister?

Katara: Sokka please.

Sokka: Shh, I’m not asking you.

Azula: Sure.

Azula: She helps me to be a better person every day. She taught me how to love and how to love right even though I fuck it up on a regular basis. I want to be with her for as long as she wants me there. She’s strong, smart, caring and beautiful among other things. I just love her.

Katara [on the verge of tears]: ‘Zula

Sokka [crying]: That was…

Azula: Or maybe I’m a psycho and I want to destroy your tribe from the inside pretending I’m in love with the chief’s daughter.

Sokka: And there she goes.

Katara: She’s working on it.

————————— [Suki] —————————

Suki: She put me in prison.

Katara: I know.

Suki: She made our life a living hell.

Katara: She has changed.

Suki: People don’t change.

Katara: She was a traumatized, unstable and unloved child at that time. Believed me she changed.

Azula: Auch.

Katara: Sorry sweetheart.

Suki: …well I guess it’s your call after all.

Katara: Thank you.

Suki: Just one little thing… [looks at Azula] before you put me in that prison did you try to flirt with me?

Azula:

Katara: Azula?

Azula:

Suki: OMG how did you get Katara like that was so bad you had 0 skills

Katara: AZULA

————————— [Ty lee] —————————

Ty lee: Wait wait wait

Azula: For what?

Ty lee: Nonono wait wait wait

Azula: Are you having a stroke?

Katara: Maybe she is homophobic.

Azula: She’s a kyoshi warrior.

Ty lee: No but wait wait wait.

Azula: Agni

Katara:

Ty lee: YOU LIKE GIRLS THAT WAS AN OPTION AND YOU NEVER SAID SOMETHING FUCKING BASTARD YOU KNOW THE MASSIVE CRUSH I HAD ON YOU GROWING UP I TH-[and she kept screaming for a while]

Azula: We make the soft ones yell at us it must be some kind of achievement.

Katara: My turn to make the tea.

————————— [Toph] —————————

Toph: Congrats.

Katara: And that’s it?

Toph: What do you want me to say?

Katara: We don’t usually get a positive reaction at first.

Toph: I’m better than most people but I must say it’s kinda weird that you’re fucking a purple platypus bear.

Katara: What the hell are you talki-

Azula: And that’s why she’s the only one of your friends I respect.

Katara: You’re both so freaking weird.

Toph: Don’t be ableist.

Katara: I AM NOT-

————————— [Zuko] —————————

Zuko: Katara I get why Azula is messing with me but you teaming up with her? c’mon

Katara: It is not a prank.

Azula: Why wouldn’t she team up with me? I make great plans, I conquered Ba Sing Se and I had made legendary pranks.

Zuko: Katara it’s not funny.

Katara: Zuko we’re not joking.

Azula: Do you remember the time I made you think you were a big turtle duck?

Zuko: Katara please.

Katara: Zuko.

Azula: Oh oh or that other time when I pretended I couldn’t see you so I made you think you were invisible and you went into the kitchen naked to steal sweets.

Katara: Wait he did that?

Azula: What can I say? I’m good at pranks, babe.

Zuko: STOP ALL OF THAT.

————————— [Mai] —————————

Mai: You told Zuko?

Azula: Yes.

Mai: And he thought you were joking?

Katara: Yup.

Mai: Ty lee?

Azula: Also yes.

Mai: So between them who is the one who keeps screaming? My bet is on Ty, but Zuko can really get that high pitch.

Katara: Zuko is still in denial and saying that it’s a prank.

Azula: And Ty lee is the one who keeps screaming how much I love woman and why nobody tell her sooner.

Mai: She was unbearable about her crush on you until she join the kyoshi warriors. Now I think she’s dating one of them but I guess she needs to let it out the repressed years somehow.

Azula: I don’t blame her I know i’m gorgeous.

Katara: And very humble.

Azula: You didn’t deny it.

Mai: If you keep flirting here I want to say that I have a new knife I want to test.

—————— [Zuko (Second try)] ——————

Zuko: ‘Zula drop it already. Someone was screaming for a while and my head hurts.

Azula: Zuzu I’m not fucking joking.

Zuko: Yes, you are.

Azula: And they said I’m the stubborn one.

Katara: You know what fuck it.

[Katara takes azula by the collar of her shirt and kisses her hard]

Katara: DO YOU BELIEVE US NOW?!

Zuko: I know Azula would go far for a prank but I didn’t think you would roll with it. Still, I don’t believe you.

Katara: For Agni’s sake.

Azula [looking at Katara]: so… what are your thoughts of public sex to prove a point?

Katara: Azula remind me why I love you cause I’m about to kill you and your brother.

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slytherinshua · 1 year

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Love Points

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. . .

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ genre and tags: fluff. basketball au. ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ warnings: none. ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ pairing: eunwoo x fem!reader. ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ wc: 1.1k.

The squeak of Eunwoo’s shoes on the court and the thump of the basketball as he dribbled it across the court were sounds you had become very accustomed to. After starting to date the school’s jock, you changed your scenery from the quietness of the library to the bustling atmosphere of the school gymnasium.

You didn’t mind it that much. You would spread your work out over the bleachers, working on your many projects whilst watching Eunwoo practice. Making friends with students on the sports teams was good for you as well. You needed to “branch out”, as your mom often told you, and you were finally doing it.

You had stuck to your nerdy, studious, straight-a students friend group since 2nd grade, but you were halfway through highschool now. You had taken the push yourself to show up to one of the school events but ended up spending most of it sitting by yourself and eating snacks. Eunwoo must have caught sight of you from the other side of the room, because he had joined you at your table.

One thing led to another and before you knew it you had Eunwoo falling head first for you. You weren’t quite sure how you did it, or what special charms you possessed, but he was completely in love with you.

You caught yourself staring at your boyfriend as you thought about this. Your chemistry homework laid out next to you, but it was being completely neglected. You couldn’t get yourself to look away from him, watching the slight sheen of sweat on his skin making his face look like it was glowing.

You watched his lips grow into a slight smirk and you knew you had been caught. You looked back at your work, pretending like you had been looking at it the whole time and hoping he wouldn’t tease you about it.

But he would never give up the opportunity to tease you.

“I know I’m handsome, babe. You don’t have to remind me of that fact.” He said, still shooting baskets with ease.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about…” You mumbled back with a scoff. He stopped shooting, holding the ball between his side and arm.

“You’ve been studying ever since classes ended…” He started with a pout and you had your guesses as to where this was going.

“So? Finals are coming up soon anyway.” You muttered, clicking your mechanical pencil for more lead. You looked back at your boyfriend and then back down. You held your breath and counted in your head, closing your eyes as you completely expected what would happen next. You were sure he was going to ask you to go out on a date in 3… 2… 1.

“Want to try shooting a hoop?”

“Sure- What?” You looked up with wide eyes. Those were not the words you expected to come out of Eunwoo’s mouth. “I thought you would ask to go on a date. That’s what you always ask.”

Eunwoo grinned and shook his head, knowing he had tricked you into saying yes when you otherwise would’ve said no. He motioned you to come over to him, sly glint in his eyes making you nervous.

“What do I get out of this? I have chem homework.” You complained as Eunwoo grabbed your wrist and walked you over a little bit closer than a 3-pointer range to make it easier for you.

“Come on, we both know you were not studying. And for every point you get, I’ll give you a kiss, okay?”

“Hmm… convincing offer. You won’t cheat me out, right?” You gave him a serious stare, studying his face to see if he was in an extra teasing mood today or would actually deliver on his promise. You couldn’t quite tell because he put on an innocent look, pursing his lips and avoiding eye contact slightly.

“Fine, I’ll do it. 1 kiss for every basketball in the hoop.” You grabbed the ball from Eunwoo’s hands, shaking your head slightly at his celebratory smile.

“Hold the ball like this,” Eunwoo instructed, coming up behind you and guiding your hands, “And then flick your wrist as you aim to shoot.” He whispered in your ear, sending shivers down your spine and making the tips of your ears tint red.

You nervously jumped as you tried to aim the ball in a way that would go in, but you missed horribly. Eunwoo didn’t tease you, though. He caught the ball as it was bouncing back, doing some fancy dribbling before throwing it towards you to catch.

“Don’t try to impress me with your fancy techniques. It won’t work.” You told him, eyeing the net to try to find a better angle.

“No, it will,” Eunwoo commented, “It already has judging by the way you’re blushing.” He reached out his hand, brushing his fingers against your pink cheek softly.

“What… are you doing?” You whispered, voice caught in your throat.

Eunwoo leaned in, and your eyes shut on instinct, getting up on your tiptoes to reach his lips. But instead of the soft kiss you were expecting, you heard Eunwoo’s giggles.

You opened your eyes, cheeks burning from more than just shyness now. You glared at your boyfriend and the kiss that he had taken from you.

“What? You haven’t scored yet. 1 kiss for 1 point, remember?” He raised his eyebrow.

You groaned, “I’ve never had to work so hard for a kiss in my life.” You shot the basketball again. It almost made it into the hoop, only to teeter off the edge at the last moment. You picked it up immediately, shooting again, and then again after that since you kept missing.

“You're very determined to get that kiss, huh?”

“Shh, you’ll break my concentration.” You tried one more time, hitting the board, but the ball seemed to refuse to go in the net.

“Let me help you.” Eunwoo stepped behind you, hands on yours to guide you. You let him aim and shoot, letting go of your pride to do it all on your own. You just wanted to get that kiss by any means.

This time, the ball went in smoothly, and you were sure it was all Eunwoo’s doing. You didn’t give him enough time to make an excuse as you spinned around and pressed your lips to his. He kissed back without hesitating, even going so far to pick you up and spin you around once before setting you back down on your feet and breaking the kiss.

“You did well.” Eunwoo said, smiling at you lovingly.

“That chem homework is never gonna get done, but who cares?” You grinned, clasping Eunwoo’s hand in yours and pulling him across the gym floor.

“Where are we going?”

“On a date.”

“Why all of a sudden?” Eunwoo laughed.

“Don’t question it.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ astro taglist: @yeonjuns-bluehair,, @hannahsophie0103,, @justhyunhoer,, @ddeonudepressions

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didishawn · 1 year

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could you write pedri scoring a goal against the y/n brother’s team and then telling him « that goal was for your sister » to piss him off

El Clásico (Pedri x Reader)

Warnings: lots of Spanish, El Clásico (Real Madrid vs Barça), no mentions of who your brother is -only that he is a bit of a little shit and plays for Real Madrid, cursing and fights

Masterlist

Your brother, doesn't matter how much you love and adore him, is admittedly an asshole, after a Real Madrid match, the internet is full of videos of him teasing other players or the fouls he committed.

To say he isn't a fan of you relationship with Pedri -a player for his team's ultimate rival- doesn't surprise anyone, often making off handed comments whenever you bring the Canarian home for dinner when he plays in Madrid, or the opposite when your brother blays in Barcelona.

If a day of El Clásico stresses a normal person out -doesn't matter if the person is a football fan or not, Madrid or Barcelona has a strange air during these special days-, needless to say is that you hate when these matches take place.

The stress of choosing who to cheer for is big, fans criticise you whichever side you take, you are called a traitor from both sides.

Still, you could never not go to the matches, wanting to be there for support of your brother and boyfriend -whose relationship is also not that great by the way.

Pedri is a chill boy, everyone knows this, even your brother, so that's why the little shit enjoys it so much to try and push the Canarian's buttons. At the start of the relationship, he had even gone as far as to try and set you up with one of his teammates - since then the relationship has been tense.

You are seated with Fer as you watch the match -you don't dare to wear any representative shirt, still fans take offense of you being with your boyfriend's brother, they seemingly forget your own family hasn't attended and you were not about to sit on your own.

You watch as the Real Madrid players get closer to Ter Stegen, and both you and Fer tense as you watch Araujo and Balde doing their best to kick the ball far away. It seems they are safe, until you see your brother come out of nowhere and kick the ball in, everyone who wears white on the stadium standing up and shouting out for the goal as you see your bother make his usual celebration, then pointing you out and signaling the Real Madrid badge.

You clap slowly, but your smile turns to a frown as you see your brother approach Pedri, and whatever he tells him must be bad as you see the angry look on your boyfriend's face, Lewandowski holding him back as he sees your boy about to respond.

"Que hijo de puta, con perdón, pero a saber que le ha dicho" Fer says and you can't help but nod. (what a son of a bitch, excuse me, but who knows what he told him)

Half time arrives and you excuse yourself from Fer and go downstairs, hopefully you can catch Pedri.

You inmediatly see your boyfriend, of course with your brother on his face, the two, arguing, you run towards them and instantly grasp your brother's arm and push him back.

"What the fuck are you doing?" you demand "Pedri, ¿que te ha dicho?" (Pedri, what did he say?)

Your boyfriend shakes his head "Nada importante, no te preocupes amor, se va a arrepentir" he kisses your forehead and walks away wit the promise to see you after the match, it's only you and your brother left. (nothing important, don't worry love, he will regret it)

You turn to glare at him "Seriously, can you ever not be a fucking asshole?"

He raises his arms, trying to look innocent "Wow! Not my fault he can't take a joke!"

"And just so, we are on the same page, what exactly was this joke about?"

"You know, the usual. How maybe this game will make you open your eyes at how much he sucks and finally change teams and support your big brother and maybe be with one of his teammates" you hit his shoulder "Ow!"

"You think that's funny?"

"Oh come, one just a joke"

"Fucking asshole"

"Look, I will apologise, ok?"

"You better"

Your brother hugs you, and you have never been strong enough to deny him one of his hugs.

The match is on again, and both Fer and you are in awautal of a Barça goal just so your brother can go down a notch.

You wait, it's the minute 72, Barça players are getting closer to Courtois, and like the star he is, your boyfriend kicks the ball in, and the stadium goes wild.

You boyfriend does his celebration, he kisses his badge and turns to point at you, blowing you a kiss, making the Real Madrid followers go mad.

You see Pedri approach your brother, and it's his turn to whisper something.

Minute 92, Lewandowski wins the match with a last minute goal.

The players walk out from the field, Fer and you go down to meet Pedri. You pass by your brother, he gives you a side hug but says nothing, he looks mad.

Pedri appears, running towards him and engulfing you in a hug, the same with his brother.

It is not until you are home that night, the couple of you about to fall sleep, when you ask your boyfriend what he told your brother.

He smirks "Ya sabes, solo que ese gol era para su querida hermana, para que quede claro quien es el que está contigo" (you know, just that that goal was for his dear sister, just so it was clear who is with you)

You can help but laugh, the next family dinner surely won't be boring.

#pedri #barca #fc barca #barcelona #spanish nt #pedri headcanon #pedri imagine #pedri x reader #spain national team #spain nt #Real Madrid

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sapybara · 2 years

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Dream Team VODs & Videos Masterlist

Hi hello! I noticed there's a lot, and I mean a lot, of new people wanting to know the Dream Team better and join the fandom, so i thought I'd give you a quick tour through some vods and videos that are personally the ones that I enjoyed the most. Of course, this is not everything, but just a little starter, to get to know them better. So, for your enjoyment, here's my masterlist of Dream Team content.

Note: this list will NOT include dsmp lore

DREAM

▪︎ Main YouTube Channel

▪︎ Alt YouTube Channel

▪︎ Music YouTube Channel

▪︎ Main Twitch Channel

▪︎ Alt Twitch channel

Of course, the most iconic Dream Content™ is his Minecraft Manhunt Series, where he tries to speedrun minecraft while his friends try to kill him before he kills the ender dragon. Theres 26 different Manhunts (including the "non canon" ones) that go progressively from 1 Hunter to 5 Hunters, and while watching them in order is fun, these videos can be watched as stand alone in any order! My personal favourites are Speedrunner vs 2 Hunters and Speedrunner vs 3 Hunters Grand Finale, but I highly recommend watching all of them.

Outside of the Manhunts, I really like Death Shuffle and Minecraft But We Can Only See One Chunk but there's lots of other that you can check out.

If you don't feel like watching minecraft and want something more chill, Geoguessr VODS are a good choice. They last 2 hours and he just chill with chat and answers some questions: Here and Here are two of the most recent ones!

And, you might have heard of the Dream Discord Podcast (Drodcasts for short), which are also very chill, sound only that you can have as background noise. This playlist has most of them without silences and here's another playlist with the most recent ones. The must of this are the infamous Are You In Love With Your Best Friend Quiz (The Quiz per se it's in 1:39:13) and when he Took It Again A Year Later (timestamp for this is 1:40:32)

Also here's Dream playing FNAF Security Breach that I'm adding just bc is hilarious and he's a little scared cat

If you want a full list of Dreams VODs here's a playlist

SAPNAP

▪︎ Main YouTube Channel

▪︎ Alt YouTube Channel

▪︎ VODs YouTube Channel

▪︎ Main Twitch Channel

▪︎ Alt Twitch Channel

Sapnap my beloved, his main YouTube Channel is minecraft only, but he likes to stream other games Valorant and Fornite (+ others) on twitch.

As for minecraft, he has his "Minecraft But" series, my personal favourites are Minecraft But We're All Colorblind (a classic) and Mincraft But It's 2D from his main and The Most Chaotic Minecraft Video from his alt. The Shock Stream (where he gets electrocuted if he takes damage) also absolutely hilarious.

For some background noise, the speedrunning minecraft stream is a good choice.

For other than minecraft, the Risk Stream and Pokémon stream

For IRL content, Cooking Stream with Karl and Eating Minecraft Food are good starters.

His vod channel isn't really complete but here's a channel and here's another that have some more of his VODS that include Valorant, Fornite, IRL meet ups, Pokémon, Detroit Becomes Human, and MCC Practices content.

Also he is the co-host of Banter, a podcast with Karl and (recently) George, where they invite different people and ask them questions.

GEORGE

▪︎ Main YouTube Channel

▪︎ Alt YouTube Channel

▪︎ Highlights YouTube Channel

▪︎ Vlog YouTube Channel (Coming Soon™)

▪︎ VODs YouTube Channel

▪︎ Main Twitch Channel

▪︎ Alt Twitch Channel

Just like Sap, George's main is minecraft based. He has a series called Minecraft But My Friend is my Pet where he tries to beat minecraft with Dream (who's a mob) helping him and also a "Minecraft but" series, where Sapnap, Dream and him play minecraft with a twist. Minecraft But You Can't Touch The Floor is hilarious and one of my favourites along with Minecraft But If You Laugh You Lose Finale and his own Shock video. I can't not mention the Minecraft But I'm Not Colorblind Anymore, which is a classic and really cute. The Mincraft Basketball VOD is really entertaining and features Dream, Sapnap, Quackity and Callahan.

I highly recommend his POV for MCC All Stars, where the three of them are teamed together and they crush it.

For some George IRL content, the musts are his First Cooking Stream and his Birthday Cooking Stream. I personally LOVE Tommy's Waterpark vlog ft George too. The Highlights of the Hot Tub stream are super entertaining too.

For some Non-Minecraft content, I recommend his Stray VOD which is kinda long but really relaxing and nice George Solo content. The FNAF Security Breach VOD is also a good option

Here's a playlist of all his streams if you want to check them out

And that would be it! It's not all and I'm leaving a lot of content out but I think this is a good starter if you want to get to know them better. There's a lot of content of them on their friend's channels (Like Karl Jacobs and TommyInnit) that is worth checking out too. Hope this is useful, and welcome to the fandom!

#thanks dtblrcon for the help with this you guys are awesome <3 #PLEASE if you have another suggestions add them! everything is welcome #dreamwastaken #georgenotfound #sapnap #dream team #masterlist

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bippot · 2 years

Text

Peacemaker - Adrian Chase Masterlist

1) Savage ~ A crime writer moves to Evergreen and Vigilante is more than willing to help her settle in. He's not sure why. Maybe it's because she's nice to him.

Chapter 1: Dancing Queen

Chapter 2: +5 To Initiative

Chapter 3: Gorilla Facts

Chapter 4: Boo-Boo

Chapter 5: Polish Vodka

Savage V2

Chapters 1-5

Chapter 6-10

Chapters 11-15

The other 40 chapters can be found on A03 :). 15/45 has been rewritten.

2) Cowboy & Piggy ~ No, Adrian had not been crushing on his colleague. That's just, like, not true in the slightest. It's not as if the moment she became available, he said something he could never take back.

3) Calendar Girl ~ When his buddy goes missing, Adrian spends all of his time and energy trying to get her back to him. Because they're friends, obviously.

4) Hercules and Megara {version 1} ~ Childhood friends have a habit of drifting apart. Usually, it's a natural thing. Usually, there's a slow detachment. Adrian never wanted to detach from his best friend. But he thought he had to.

Chapter 1: Stabbed In The Gut

Chapter 2: Stabbed In The Heart

Chapter 3: Stabbed In The Thigh

Chapter 4: Stabbed In The Past

Hercules and Megara {version 2}

Chapter 1: For Now

Chapter 2: Fatal Flaw

Chapter 3: The One That Got Away

Chapter 4: Earning A Soul Back

5) Squirtle Pajamas - So she knows how to calm Adrian down. And wears his clothes. And teases him relentlessly. And knows exactly what to do to rile him up. And knows his deepest secret. But, no, nothing can happen between them. He must resist.

A Kid? ~ Sequel to Squirtle Pajamas. Weddings and children, amirite?

6) The Crocodile's Dilemma ~ After his manager forces him to go the emergency room for a concussion, Adrian meets an old friend and she looks worse for wear. But he can help with that.

7) Hopelessly Devoted ~ Well, they broke up a while ago and Adrian still isn't over it. Chris takes him on a night out and they get trashed. Adrian never imagined that he'd get up in front of people and serenade his ex, but he did. Now he has to face the consequences.

8) My Favourite Girl ~ Telekinetic powers can be beneficial sometimes. Other times? Yeah, not so much. After a mission gone wrong, it might be that her gifts are godsent. Adrian, however, knows she is godsent, especially with boobs like that.

9) Sweltering ~ It's way too hot in Evergreen for Adrian to even hide his attraction to Y/N. He tries. And fails miserably. Especially when the guy who delivers her hot tub is so swoon-worthy.

10) Wednesdays ~ While Peacemaker was in prison, Vigilante made another friend and she had a much lovelier voice than Chris did. After a takedown, Adrian can't quite get his thoughts off her.

11) What You Deserve ~ Vigilante has had a long night and just wants to see his favourite girl then go to sleep. Is that too much to ask for?

12) Big Strong Guy ~ No. Adrian is fine with scary movies. He's fine, okay? That's impossible, he doesn't have goosebumps. You're seeing things. Must be, because a big strong guy who doesn't get scared of shit like that.

13) Lucky Number 14 ~ A work outing let's some things come to light. Yet, Adrian isn't there to hear it.

14) Last In Line ~ Getting kidnapped is becoming more of a regular thing for Adrian. Yet, he knows this one. And she definitely knows him.

15) The Things You Do For Pussy ~ Living together means that Adrian's secret identity isn't really a secret to her. Yet, he doesn't know that so she loves to make thirsty comments about Vigilante whenever she can. It's not as if Adrian feels something more than friendship for his roommate, right?

16) Waller's Way ~ When the new government-issued 11th Street Kid arrives, the team soon finds out why Waller picked her. They don't really know how Adrian pissed off their boss so much, but he sure isn't happy with their new colleague.

Chapter 1: Build

Chapter 2: Demolish

17) Clingy ~ The Vigilante mobile breaks down, and Adrian needs a hand, transport-wise and socially, it seems. Once his coworker gives him a hand, it sets him off, and there is no going back to the platonic relationship they had before. A relationship that needs to have clear boundaries because Adrian is known to get far too excited to interact with her at any chance he gets.

18) Beautiful Things ~ Since he's now a representative of A.R.G.U.S. and, therefore, the government, Vigilante no longer has to work his shity busboy job. Yet, that does leave his schedule wide open for the rest of the day and he soon finds himself frequenting a quaint coffee shop, not only because the drinks there are good, but he's grown fond of the woman working there who he happened to save the night before. She's grown fond of him too - both versions of him - but will she figure out that she won't have to pick between them? Or will Adrian manage to keep his cool and hide his secret?

19) The Distraction ~ Every now and then, Peacemaker has a solo mission. Whenever these happen, Vigilante has to be distracted so he doesn't make the solo into a duo. The only person that is capable of that is the girl that Adrian hates... no, that can't be right. He doesn't hate her, not really. Quite the opposite, actually.

20) The Monarch Hotel ~ How many times does Vigilante need to get injured before Harcourt finally gives in and hires a medic to help out with the squad's injuries? Far too many times, that's how many.

When it's uncovered that a fancy hotel is linked to, not only what's left of the legion of butterflies, but also a string of weird deaths and missing persons reports, the only two for the job are lovesick Adrian and the newbie.

Will they both make it out of paradise alive?

Chapter 1: Butterfly Boobs

Chapter 2: BG3

Chapter 3: No More Velvet

Chapter 4: Posh Person Place

Chapter 5: Alien Perverts

Chapter 6: Milkweed

Chapter 7: The Bee's Knees

Chapter 8: Raw

Chapter 9: Afterglow

Chapter 10: Farmville

Chapter 11: Puppeteering

Chapter 12: Feeling In My Gut

21) Peacemaker Jr ~ Peacemaker scrubbed all mention of his kid from his file. But when the butterflies find out about her, he must admit to his team that he needs their skills to find her. Then, Chris really needs Adrian's help to keep her safe, but he's concerned that his buddy is going to get far too familiar with his daughter. And maybe those fears are warranted.

22) On The Road ~ Peacemaker's mother fled with her unborn child when Chris was a teenager. He'd always wanted to find his family again, but he was too slow. After annoying Waller, he must send his friends out to help save his family, and Adrian finds out that he is more than willing to throw himself into danger to ensure that Peace's sister is unharmed.

23) Slumber Party ~ Had Vigilante intended to find the missing Mayor's daughter? No, but he wasn't going to admit that. He'd completed the 11th Street Kids' mission entirely by himself and found himself caring for the kidnapped girl.

#adrian chase #vigilante #vigilante x reader #adrian chase x female reader #masterlist #peacemaker

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year

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Mature and responsible characters yet rook comes off as the opposite. If you can't tell I would like to know why you love rook so much as he deviates from your usual mature responsible body guard type, the only thing that fits is that ugly haircut

[Referencing this post and this post!]

L i s t e n

I will fight to the bitter death to defend the huntsman’s honor/j 😤

I don’t believe that Rook is “the opposite” of mature and responsible. Sure, he initially comes off as silly and as someone to not be taken seriously, but I think it’s false to say that he isn’t “mature and responsible”. When it comes down to it, he really is wise and dependable, and serves as a good mentor and a protector to others. Rook just so happens to express those qualities in unconventional ways and with a very different personality compared to what we typically think of as a “mature and responsible” character (ie the “big brother”, “dad” “butler”, “bodyguard”, “student council president”, “smart anime glasses man” types, etc).

In reality, Rook is every bit as wise and as dependable as any other upperclassman! He’s the first to support others and to bring up their positive traits even when they don’t see it for themselves; this is most notably seen in episode 5, in which Rook offers pep talks to his juniors (mostly Deuce and Epel) who are struggling to keep up with their VDC training and in Happy Beans Day, when Rook speaks highly of Trey’s skills and experience even when Trey downplays himself. Rook is keenly aware of others’ strengths and weaknesses, and he makes the active decision to support those strengths and how they develop. Recall that it was also Rook that coaxed Epel through the discovery of his unique magic in episode 6, which allowed Epel to take command of it and get them out of a tight pinch. Then, as we see in Glorious Masquerade, Rook takes great pride in seeing the people he has supported blossom and come into their own; he rejoices in Epel’s masterful use of his unique magic and says that he must share the story with their dorm leader upon their return.

Another thing that makes Rook responsible in an odd way is how he decides to take action; he tends to act in very roundabout ways or he plans that involve thinking ahead rather than solve problems head-on. For example, Rook doesn’t tell Vil outright that he needs to be less vain and to accept himself regardless of how the public perceives him; instead, Rook, knowing how headstrong Vil is, suggests that Vil selects Adeuce and Scarabia for the VDC team. Rook believes that exposure to this group is the most positive thing that can be done for Vil given the current circumstances; this is Rook’s way of trying to be responsible for looking after his dear friend and dorm leader without outright shutting down Vil’s hopes and dreams.

Something else I want to point out is that Vil, someone who has extremely high standards for both himself and for others, wouldn’t have picked Rook to serve as his vice dorm leader if he didn’t have faith in him and his abilities. And, indeed, we’ve seen many instances in which Rook fulfills his duties as Vil’s second-in-command to a T. He has had to oversee Pomefiore in Vil’s absence both in the main story and in events (when Vil was kidnapped in episode 6/Ghost Marriage/Endless Halloween Night), reassuring panicked students about Vil’s absence and even figuring out a plan of rescue. Rook was even planning to save Vil all by himself in the main story (until Yuu and Epel demanded he take them with him); he knows when to take bold action, and what lengths he must go to to save and to protect those he cares about. This is arguably much more “dependable” of Rook to do when compared to like... Trey (the TWST character we most likely think of as “dependable” due to the “big brother” tropes he is usually associated with), who stood by and let his dorm leader rampage and unjustly punish several students. While I don’t fault Trey for acting in the way he did (it makes total sense given his history), it just goes to show that just slapping a label on a character doesn’t define their entire existence, whether for Rook, for Trey, or for literally any other character. There will always be instances in which they contradict those labels, or, in cases like Rook, they demonstrate those labels in unorthodox or hard to pinpoint ways.

... Okay, now with that analytical defense out of the way 🤡 I just want to say that Rook 100% has the capability to be a decent butler/bodyguard (ugh, my favorites) between his uncanny attention to detail and his seemingly superhuman senses and strength. But even more appealing than that is just how he’s just so weird at the same time???? I really like characters that can keep me guessing and on my toes... basdfyoasdasbdaAND NOT TO MENTION 😔 I have a weak spot for characters that think first before acting or reacting with violence (which is a laaaarge part of the reason why I much prefer Jade to Floyd).

SIDE NOTE: I know that I joked before about how I like anime men with ugly haircuts, but that’s only technically HALF true, because I think Trey has an ugly haircut as well but he doesn’t appeal to me at all.

All that aside, I’m also allowed to like multiple different tropes!! I’m not beholden to enjoy only one type of character. (This is true for everyone else too; no one should be expected to just like one thing.) A lot of the other TWST characters that rank high on my tier list definitely don’t classify as mature and/or responsible 😂 and likewise, there are many characters that are mature and responsible that don’t rank highly.

Certain personality traits alone aren’t the sole determining factors; I know my own trends and tastes, but I try to consider characters as a whole before deciding how I feel about them.

#Rook Hunt #twst analysis #twisted wonderland analysis #twisted wonderland character analysis #twst character analysis #Rook Hunt thirst #notes from the writing raven #question #trey clover #Epel Felmier #Vil Schoenheit #Pomefiore #spoilers #Deuce Spade

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thetarttfuldickhead · 1 year

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Theres is an excellent gif set in the jamie tag at the moment of people acknowledging Jamie's abuse and its got me thinking back to Man City when Ted sees. That look on Jamie's face I never know how to read it. Defiance? Accusation that Ted sent him back to that? Resignation? Desperation?

Ah, this is a tough one. I don’t know that I know either, nonny, but let me think out loud for a bit and we’ll see what we’ll see.

First things first (and this might be an unpopular opinion): I don’t like to think that Jamie has a horrible time with Manchester City in general. Yes, his dad is there and he is obviously a fucking nightmare, but as far as we know Tartt Sr. is still a presence when Jamie’s with Richmond, even if he doesn’t come out to see the games. Admittedly, he does love his club more than he does his son, but he’s still invested in having a professionall footballer for a kid and I don’t think he’d let go of that claim to fame just because Jamie plays for a team other than City. I can see him watching the matches at a pub with his mates, you know, bragging loudly about everything he thinks Jamie does right, and then texting or calling to berate Jamie for everything he did wrong.

Of course, we don’t know that that’s the case, but consider the fact that when Jamie wants to get away from his dad, he doesn’t make a push to switch clubs or to go on another loan: he ditches football altogether to go on a reality show. And sure, we don’t know that Jamie didn’t try go somewhere else first either; it’s not an easy thing to do when you’re under contract, so maybe the TV bit was a last desperate option when everything else failed. However, he did seem eager to return to City when he was voted of Lust Conquers All, so yeah, I just don’t think he hated being in Manchester, and consequently I don’t think he’s upset with Ted for sending him back to that per se. We’ll get back to that in a bit.

Turning to the actual scene, this is what Jamie looks like in the beginning of it, before his dad starts throwing shoes and Jamie notices Ted:

This really breaks my heart. Jamie looks so young and so sad here. Not initially fearful, I’d say, but just so very dejected and resigned. He did a good and unselfish and useful thing but is immediately robbed of his joy and rightful pride in that because his father has nothing but scorn for anything less than “scoring a winner”. Reminds me of nothing so much as a little kid who’s spent a lot of time crafting something quite complicated for your birthday and is so excited to show you, only for you to complain about the visible glue or whatever. (Doesn’t necessarily mean that Jamie’s after his father’s approval, by the way, just that his father sucks all joy out of what should have been a triumphant moment for Jamie and ruins it for him.)

And then asshole of the year gets in Jamie’s face and Jamie catches sight of Ted:

Jamie does look rather angry and/or accusing here (and yeah, the quality of the picture is exceptionally meh – Apple TV doesn’t really make it easy for me to grab screenshots on my PC, I’m right annoyed about it). However, and as previously stated, I don’t think Jamie’s angry with Ted for sending him back to this, because I think that this kept happening at Richmond too (albeit not usually physically).

But if I’m right, what’s with the dark glare, Jamie? Well, even if I don’t believe Jamie was necessarily upset about having to return to Manchester in general, I think he was very upset about being sent away (as he perceived it) after making an effort to do better. He took Keeley’s advice and did what Ted wanted him to do and opened up in front of the whole team (which was quite brave of him) – and still he got sent away. I can’t help but think it must have made him feel tricked and made a fool out of. (Which to my mind explains why he goes a little bit extra assholish afterwards.)

And now here he is again, having followed Ted Lasso’s advice in making the extra pass, and all that gets him is being yelled at. So that’s the accusation, I think: “I did what you taught me to do, and this is what I fucking get for it.”

(He also gets a little green toy soldier and a kind note, and that’s so hugely important for his continued journey. Jamie, as we know, responds well to positive reinforcement.)

Huh. I didn’t know this was what I’d land on when I started writing this, but I do love to hash things out in text so thank you so much for this ask, nonny! I had fun! Not sure how convincing it’ll be to you, and I have a feeling this is one of them things I might well change my mind about later down the road, but for now this is my take on it. If you have other ideas, feel free to hit me with them.

For reference, I believe nonny is referring to this amazing gif set.

#jamie tartt #ted lasso #james tartt #1x10 #meta #asks #my stuff

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nhl-stories · 11 months

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hydrangeas where your face should be – Dougie Hamilton

Summary: Dougie had all but given up on ever finding his soulmate

Author’s Note: This is me breaking out of my comfort zone and writing a soulmates au for @huttons as a part of @wyattjohnston's summer fic exchange.

There's some accidental deadnaming, but the character was unaware of the transition and under the influence.

Title from Flowers Where Your Face Should Be by The Wonder Years

Word Count: 2.4k

Dougie always knew he was different.

He knew it at age 5 when he was the only kid in his class with red hair; everyone was eagerly waiting to point that out.

He knew it at age 13 people started to notice him on the ice; said things like he could make it to the OHL maybe even beyond if he worked hard.

He knew it in Boston and Calgary when he didn’t quite fit in; all shy and awkward and out of place in the hockey world of loud, gregarious men.

But all of those differences paled in comparison to his soul marks.

He was already a little different for having two. It wasn’t completely unheard of; his mother had two, an anchor and tulip, the tulip fading away as her bond with his dad grew over the years.

Because the universe didn’t always get it right with one guess. There are 8 billion people on the planet, how can some unseen, almighty power be expected to narrow it down to just one option.

For some a second mark might grow over time, like something could happen to change the course of your life and a new soulmate grew along that path. For others the two were always there, never to fade or change.

But Dougie’s two marks were different; because they were identical hydrangeas in different colors. Boldly staring up at him from each thigh.

His parents told him to be patient, finding a soulmate would come naturally like it had for them. But Dougie felt so different he couldn’t imagine anything happening naturally; no fairytale moment where his soulmate might brush the mark by chance and everything just clicked into place.

So, he took to voraciously reading about soul marks, hoping to find an explanation for the twin green and pinkmarks that mocked him. He pored through books on botany to try and make sense of some hidden, deeper meaning behind the flowers. He never could settle on one single thing that made sense of everything.

He thought he met his soulmate in the 10th grade. Paisley Van Wormer played on the volleyball team. She was smart and kind and clearly going places.

Anyone would be lucky for Paisley to be their soulmate, in fact every boy in the school thought she must be their soulmate. Dougie thought he had the edge because her parents owned the local nursery and she would spend her spare time around flowers.

The other boys would dare each other to touch her soul mark on the back of her shoulder. It was frowned upon to purposefully touch a soul mark without permission, like you were trying to circumvent the path destiny set out for you.

But all the boys who touched the green apple never had a lifechanging moment, just got detention if they were caught.

The summer before senior year, Paisley shaved her head and suddenly no boys wanted to touch her soul mark. No boys but Dougie, who was still completely infatuated, but wouldn’t dare touch Paisley without her permission.

He planned to ask her to prom despite the chirps he got for liking ‘the bald chick.’ But during his attempt to psych himself up he bumped into a ladder she was using to hang up a sign for prom, he caught her at the last second and realized one of his hands was on her shoulder, brushing over the apple.

The world didn’t shift in the way he always dreamed of, instead it shattered his heart.

He threw away his childhood obsession with his soul marks and threw everything into hockey. For the most part it worked; everyday he got to live out his childhood dream. He played with one of his idols in Chara, he got to play in the league with his brother.

Still, it could get lonely.

He saw teammates find their soulmates, settle in for a future while he bounced from team to team. He got labeled a locker room pariah by the media, even when he felt like he was finding a home. He felt unwanted by the first team he felt truly himself with.

Then he landed in Jersey. And things seemed to be looking up. Two years in and he felt things coming together, felt like he was part of a family who wanted him there.

He took rookies under his wing, even when he had a hard time believing he was the old veteran with a decade of experience under his belt. He joked with the media, tried to come a little more out of his shell.

It took nearly 30 years, but he felt like he had finally become the person he was supposed to be. And he didn’t even need a soulmate to feel complete anymore.

Of course, that’s the thing about destiny; it comes whether or not you’re looking for it.

❀•❀

Dougie decided to stay in Jersey for the summer. He knows he’ll miss the time with his family, but he feels the need to keep carving out space that’s just for himself.

He starts the off-season with a wrist surgery and looks forward to some relaxation before the grind of rehab begins.

One week into his post-surgery R&R, he starts to have an excruciating pain in his mouth. When the pain killers for his wrist don’t quite quell the pain, he texts Jack about the dentist he saw to fix his teeth. Feeling less like an adult since he hasn’t found a new dentist since the move.

Dr. Van Wormer, tell them I sent you and they can probably squeeze you in 😜

He texts back: Don’t get too big of a head someone will knock that tooth out again

He gets an appointment within a day; he won’t let Jack know about the namedrop. Though based on the fairly extensive collection of Devils memorabilia, he doesn’t think he needed to do that.

It turns out he has a wisdom tooth that they didn’t take out the first time when he was 18. The thing finally decided to make an appearance when he was already dealing with his arm. Perfect timing as always for Dougie.

He can tell the dentist is smiling even behind the mask while he pulls on a pair of gloves.

“Nice to finally get you in my chair, wish it was under better circumstances. You’re pretty much the only current Devil I haven’t seen yet.”

Dougie isn’t a huge fan of dentists trying to have conversations, but there’s something familiar and calming about this man.

“If you have time I can get this guy out today, I won’t put you all the way under but you’ll be a little loopy for a while, so if you drove, we can schedule another day.”

Dougie wiggles his arm in its sling, “I took a Lyft.”

“So, is that a yes to moving forward?”

“Uh- yes please.”

The grin clearly widens under the mask.

Dougie is given some laughing gas, it doesn’t fully put him under, but he manages to doze off during the lengthy dental procedure.

He wakes up groggy and feeling a little airy and high in another room, gauze stuffed in one side of his mouth.

There’s a gentle touch on his shoulder, “how are we doing?”

The dentist squats down in front of him and smiles unmasked, a spark of familiarity down Dougie’s spine.

Dougie gets a glance at the name on his badge

“I went to high school with someone with that last name, it’s not very common,” he babbles before his brain realizes what he’s doing.

“Yeah, you went to high school with me.”

Dougie doesn’t know if it’s the drugs wearing off or the news or the combination, but he stares opened-mouth. Drool pools in his mouth and threatens to drip out, the dentist laughs. It’s huskier and lower, but it’s Paisley’s melodic, intoxicating laugh.

Or is he allowed to even think about that name? He doesn’t even know what their new name is, he knows he should ask, say anything, but his brain is foggy.

“I know I look a lot different. It’s Parker now.”

“Nice to meet you, Parker,” Dougie awkwardly shoves out his free hand to shake.

“I’d love to have a whole catch up with you, but you’re obviously not in the right mindset for this kind of life altering news,” Parker’s eyes sparkle and Dougie doesn’t know how he didn’t immediately recognize them.

“But I’m done for the day so how about I get your post-care information and I’ll drive you home.”

Dougie gives a goofy smile that must look extra stupid with the gauze and nods.

“Okay let me grab my stuff and” Parker uses Dougie’s thighs to help him stand up again, “holy shit.”

Dougie furrows his brows, not getting it at first. Then the feeling hits him.

It’s different than how he imagined it, he can’t look up at Parker, just stares at his own thighs, where the lingering feeling of his touch prickles under the marks.

It feels like everything in his brain and heart just settles. Not the seismic shift in his reality he always expected, just that everything is as it should be. He’s wrapped in a warmth that feels like his mom hugging him when he was little. It feels like comfort and home and unconditional love.

It makes him want to cry with relief.

When he finally looks up, Parker mirrors his feelings. And his face breaks into a smile.

❀•❀

Parker drives Dougie home but they decide not to talk about the two elephants in the room, post-dental surgery doesn’t really feel like the right time for it.

Dougie understands but he doesn’t want Parker to leave, feeling like the tenuous bond won’t be able to survive the separation. Parker gives him some pain killers that make him too sleepy to think about the cross-town distance.

Parker surprises him the next morning with an overnight bag and a load of dentist-approved recovery food.

“I’m here for the long haul,” Parker shrugs and makes himself at home in Dougie’s living room.

Something flips in Dougie’s gut at sight: Parker looking so at home in his space. A tiny piece of what he’s been missing all these years.

He tries to act casual, like this is an everyday occurrence, and awkwardly sits a cushion away on the couch. Parker bridges the gap by pulling his legs up on the couch, his feet touching Dougie’s thigh. His toes curl into the green hydrangea on his left thigh.

It’s like a fire lights behind his sternum, not some white, hot passion but like a fireplace you want to curl up by.

“How’s your mouth feeling?” Parker avoids the obvious.

��Fine, the pain meds are working wonders,” he smiles the best he can, like that proves it.

“I would hope so, I prescribed them.”

The silence stretches too long to be comfortable, especially between two people who have so much more than small talk to get to.

“I touched your soulmark in high school once,” it’s the first thing that comes to his mind.

Parker furrows his brows, no recollection of the moment that broke Dougie’s heart.

“Senior year, it was an accident.”

“Oh, the apple? I don’t even have that one anymore.”

He leans up and turns one foot to the side, a small bear below the ankle bone. Dougie can’t help but run a finger over it, Parker shivers in response. That at-peace feeling washing over them again.

“I always wished it was you,” Parker says it with so much reverence, like any other way might break the spell.

“But I never could figure out how you were connected to an apple or a bear, and then we graduated and you were drafted by the Bruins. But by then I thought our chance had passed already.”

Dougie feels a lump in his throat, mourning the loss of all the years they could have had.

“It’s probably for the best, I obviously still needed to find myself, become myself.” Parker adds like he can read Dougie’s mind.

“I always thought it was you until I touched the apple. I wanted it to be you so bad and then that happened, it broke my heart,” he feels the need to bear a little more of vulnerabilities to Parker.

“Even after I shaved my head?” It’s supposed to be a joke but his tone is off.

“I didn’t just like you because you were pretty. You were smart and nice to everyone, even to the guys who were dicks and tried to touch your mark.”

“I heard you yelled at the guys on the hockey team who did that to me.”

“Freddie did too,” Dougie shrugs off the compliment.

Dougie continues to rub a thumb over the bear as another silence consume the room.

“Can I see your mark?”

“You want me to take off my pants?”

“What’s a little nudity between soulmates?”

Dougie feels overwhelmingly shy, like he’s a scrawny kid in an NHL locker room for the first time.

He stands up and lets his sweats drop to the ground and step out of them. He’s not sure whether to stand or sit when Parker grabs his hips and maneuvers Dougie in front of him.

Parker’s face is unreadable, he’s staring like he’s trying to decipher, figure out what Dougie always wondered his whole life.

“Do you know what hydrangeas symbolize?”

“Beauty and grace and some other stuff.”

“Yeah, they also symbolize unity because there’s so many little blossoms making one big flower.”

He looks towards the right mark, getting close with his fingers but not quite touching, “pink hydrangeas symbolize love, normal soul mark stuff.”

Parker then focuses to the left mark, actually touching the skin ever so gently. He doesn’t talk for a while but Dougie can’t bring himself to speak, he doesn’t want him to stop.

"My parents gave me green hydrangeas after I told them I was transitioning."

He finally looks up, eyes a little glossy.

“They represent rebirth,” his voice cracks a little and he gives each flower a kiss, each giving Dougie a burst of warmth.

“The universe knew you’d love me before and after,” Parker is crying, but his smile is undeniable.

Dougie doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t have all the words, doesn’t want to say the wrong thing. So, he pulls him off the couch and holds him tight against his chest, because he knows the universe was right about loving Parker then and now.

#dougie hamilton #dougie hamilton fic #dougie hamilton story #new jersey devils fic #nhl imagines #nhl stories #nhl fic #hockey fics #nhl fics #new jersey devils #new jersey devils story #summer fic exchange 2k23

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tothesolarium · 6 months

Text

Morning Meeting

Chapter one

“Good Morning Everyone,” Gusion glances about the table of crooked faces. “36 new souls arrived this light rise. Currently they are at the DewDrop restaurant, getting time to rest and talk with each other before they meet you all and get their tour of the city. Their files should be… “ Gusion stops himself as the Demons and Spirits around are already ahead of him. Files flutter about the room as claws grasp charmed paper, or feathers pull apart runes.

It was a mix of spirits and Demons at the table, and by visuals alone, the Demons often looked more mundane. While spirits changed little of themselves, happy to use all their limbs, brush their thick vibrant fur, and walk as woods or anything else that now has the chance to breathe. Gusion was of the old generation of Demons. So he wore a carefully made Human suit, still curved fangs sat proudly against his lips.

“Remember, if you have any troubles-“

“Contact you, Aim or Zagan.” The spirits responded in tone.

Gusion smiled while the morning team prepared themselves. Wrinkles accenting her joy and laugh lines remain even in the most serious of days. Gusion was all genders and none, and at work dressed in a tight button-up shirt and loose pants, wearing dark earth tones except for the topaz inset on their throat.

While the spirits winked out of the room, Gusion got a message from Zagan about some human souls who were still fighting one another. The Morning shift was never easy, with fresh energies starting the night’s adventures that did not want to end. Gusion was about to write a response when a chill went down their back and into the city’s foundations. The Old Demons tensed, while the younger spirits slipped from the room.

Just in time for the door to be flung open. A force surged through the room. By the rules written by Him, this light was not allowed. Yet it still was. An all-consuming color that could not be defined, stripping and emboldening what could be seen, til Till all that was left was raw energy. The air snapped onto itself, leaving behind the smell of ozone and fresh rain.

“Can I help you?” What had been a lump of feathers in the corner of the room stood up into a thin-dressed man. Despite being blinded he stood in front of Gusion. While he was buta dash of a shadow in front of Gusion, the light seemed to absorb into him, letting Gusion’s eyes adjust faster.

“Yes!” A child chirped from the Angel’s grasp.

“Do not speak,” The Angel snapped. Zagan was now in the room, her body cracking into four arms of iron and muscle. The man of Shadow did not try to keep Zagan back, trusting she would not start a war.

“Let me go!” The Child kicks the Angel again, and winces from hitting something so hard. This did not stop the child from kicking the same spot with their other foot.

“You persist in adding more sin to your damnation, halt so we can be over with this,” The Angel’s voice was a song from fire, coming from a face that almost looked human. Painted to have a blush and long eyelashes, jointed like a puppet, with small cracks revealing a mass of golden weapons within.”

“You’re not in charge of me! Right?” The child stopped kicking the Angel to look at the Demons with shaking confidence, barely 12 years on Earth, still round with childhood in a hoodie that could swallow them whole.

“He’s not,” Gusion says.

“But, do be careful,” Lucifer’s voice was smooth despite the nervous feathers standing on end. It had been a long time since he had seen this Angel. They had both looked much softer and had been on worse terms.

“Why does this soul get a personal escort?” Lucifer asks.

“That is not your concern. I am simply fixing your mistake. He slipped into Heaven and must get his just end,” The Angel’s six wings stood out proudly, breaking into the ceiling and knocking over a plant.

“Ah, yes, certainly,” Lucifer tried to nod seriously, though he had no idea how souls were sent to Hell, and wondered if his Father knew either.

“So, what happened?” Gusion asks the child, who starts to grin before being shaken by the Angel. The Angel huffed with annoyance. Why were Divine asking questions instead of knowing? The Angel’s annoyance sent out shards of light that scattered through the room. It was good that the Young Souls had left the three-morning demons. Gusion could quickly duck behind Lucifer, who took in a deep breath as the shard ripped into his shadows. Zagan simply let the shards of light burn through her and fall to the ground like glitter.

As the Light settled into darkness, Lucifer raised an eyebrow, “Did God make a mistake?” Lucifer’s question was anything but innocent, and his small smile made the Angel’s wings flare out further.

“Our Father never makes a mistake, this is just a cunning human, uniquely malicious for its age-“ The Angel tried to keep going, but was kicked again.

“It’s?!” The Child rebukes. “His! Or theirs if you want to be cool. The name’s Avery-“ Avery tried to offer a hand to Gusion, but was shaken again. Zagan took a step closer with a tight smile. A smile that was the only thing keeping her from biting into the Angel.

“Avery committed crimes the moment he entered heaven.” The Angel growls.

“Yes I came in with guns blazing,” Avery says while pretending to have finger guns.

“Once he had free will he used it to harm, and does not want forgiveness,” The Angel scowled.

“That’s true,” Avery grinned, and the Angel’s scowl grew deeper.

“What crimes?” Lucifer looked at Avery, and the child squirmed. Lucifer's gaze was intense, summoning up a shame that only a loving family could bring about,till Avery saw the glitter in Lucifer’s golden eyes.

“Violent Assault.” The Angel is now a dark purple with hot orange strobing from his chest.

“That sounds way worse than what-“ Avery tries to defend himself.

“You attacked Him!” The Angel lifts Avery by the hood. The child makes a broken noise as they try to grab onto the Angel’s wrist to avoid being choked. Which burned Avery’s hand so they started kicking the Angel’s chest.

“Put him down,” Zagan’s hands clenched as her horns splintered from her forehead]]. Gusion tried to touch Zagan’s hand to keep her calm but flinched at the Heat coming from her skin. The Angel glared at Zagan, hoping his gaze would simply melt the Demon. Instead, he watched as Zagan’s eyes burned and healed over and over. After a minute the Angel sighs and sets Avery down.

“I hope you all do your damned job,” The Angel might as well have spit on the room. Lucifer was about to promise how they would do just work. The room was scorched with heat. It burnt Avery’s peach fuzz and blinded the Demons. Avery was the first to see that Angel was gone, but the Demons acted as if all was well.

“Did you attack Him?” Gusion asked while pulling out their chair for Avery to take. Avery plopped into the seat as they started to spin the hoodie’s cord around their finger.

“Yeah, but I think it hurt my hand more than it did him,” Avery tried to look confident, but their hands still hurt. Caught in the memory of the violence of salt that was only blocked by an Angel swiftly taking him away.

Zagan beams at the child, and Lucifer takes a seat across from them, peering into the soul as gently as he can. There was more to the story that couldn’t reach Avery’s throat just yet. To push now would just cause more wounds. So the Demons gently snooped and saw a child who died among his friends, and woke up alone. There was a speech about being a part of the one righteous flock, Avery felt rage that still sparked under tears.

“Where’d you land a hit?” Zagan asks as she takes a seat. She was a large woman, even while looking more human now, Avery had only seen people like her in wrestling matches. Even then she still felt larger than what was possible.

“Nose and teeth,” Avery tried to smile back, but still couldn’t believe this was real.

“Thank you for landing a hit on Him,” Lucifer bows his head slightly to the child.

Avery’s stomach did a flip, but then he was back, standing before a white Throne, with beady pink eyes blinking from the armrests. The cold rage and the declaration of damnation. A death grip that had saved him. Avery’s knuckle throbbed, and he jumped back to the present as Gusion took the child’s hand into their own.

“I should have asked first,” Gusion says while letting go of Avery, but holding out a jar of green paste. “This should help with the pain, do you like tea?” Avery just blinks.

“Hot cocoa might be better,” Lucifer adds. Gusion patted Avery’s shoulder and left the room.

“Avery, I’m sorry you had such a harsh entrance here, but It is a pleasure to meet you,” Lucifer smiled warmly. Avery had no older siblings, but looking at Lucifer it was as if he had known him all along. Lucifer had the same curve to his nose, and rich brown skin that only looked unfamiliar with the shades of purple and blue. Instead of saying anything, Avery stared, then jumped as a Spirit walked through the wall and picked out some papers from a filing cabinet, not even glancing at the new soul.

“This is Hell?” Avery finally asked.

“A part of it,” Lucifer nods.

“Huh,” Avery looks around in thought. While Avery had never been in an office building, he assumed this was about right. His mother would be amazed by all the large windows showing a colorful city and the plants growing from floor to ceiling.

Gusion comes back with a tray of cups, a pot of tea, and a large mug nearly overflowing with whipped cream. Avery is the first to get their drink. He watchesas Lucifer helps set out tea for empty seats. Instead of asking questions, Avery enjoys the drink in his hands. Once the sweet is no longer blocking their sight, Avery is met with company. All sorts of beings, inhuman beauty, and wings with blinking eyes, robes and masks, too sleepy hills of moss all enjoying a drink.

There is quiet as everyone takes deep breaths.

“Would you like a tour?” Gusion asks as she finally sits down with her cup.

“Nah,” Avery shrinks back into their chair, keeping the mug in front of their face.

“What have you seen?” Gusion asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Well… you guys have very nice hallways, trees, birds… weirdly painted buildings.” Avery was looking out the window for inspiration. Avery didn’t want to stay in the meeting room, but they didn’t want another adventure either.

“Do you need me for anything else, Gusion?” Lucifer asks, setting his half-finished cup down.

“Not for this meeting,” Gusion said with closed eyes. “Tonight though, we are having dinner, so don’t be late and make sure Beelzebub dresses nicely.”

“Thank you,” Lucifer gets up and bows to the table. He walks over to Avery and extends a hand. Avery stares at the long painted fingers, and cannot take it. Instead, Avery finishes the last bit of his hot chocolate and follows Lucifer out of the room.

“The tour will be brief, just the way here, some uh, cute? spots along the way to where you’ll be staying.” Lucifer’s molten eyes were gentle despite the glow they cast, rolling between yellow and red.

“Okay,” Avery had to force their shoulders down, as he followed Lucifer. “I have a room?” Avery asks.

Lucifer looks back over his shoulder with a raised brow. “Do I look like the sort to not give a room to my guests?”

Avery’s eyes go wide.

“Raise your expectations,” Lucifer tuts with his chin lifted. Avery was so confused but had to keep pace with Lucifer’s long strides. The Demon was made up of sharp angles, with a suit of purples and blues that fell into what could be a skirt or dark tail feathers trailing behind. The more Avery tried to see the harder it was to define.

Avery was hoping Lucifer would have more to say, instead, they walked down another hallway, then another, a third and a fifth. Avery was becoming more annoyed with the checkered floors and wooden walls. The only thing that seemed to change was the ceiling, which was made of a shimmering stone. In this part of the hall was a blue nearing black, the one prior was green and now they were heading into a soft yellow.

“What is this place?” Avery finally asks after they had taken 12 right turns, and 5 left, seemingly making no progress. All that was changing with the colored stone above. Blue, red, yellow, light blue, green from the ocean, a rolling yellow, blue, red, this weird color that was both pink and green, purple, blue, and red.

“This is… Well, it's been named The Resource Center, but it is also the main workspace for us Divine who strive to work with Human souls. If you ever need help, someone here is ready to assist. You get to where you need to go by following the signs.” Lucifer gestures to the ceiling. “There’s more to the building, but those parts are not meant for human compatibility.”

“Ah,” Avery stares ahead blankly. “What does that mean?”

“If the door is red, Please Knock, and we will let you in once the room is, tidied.” Lucifer thinks that’s a good word, instead of the reality of divine living outside human sensory comprehension or the keeping of three dimensions.

Avery squinted at Lucifer, trying to imagine what a dirty Demonic office was like, all while going down more halls. Dark blue, white, then green. Which led to an elevator that looked normal from far off, but the buttons he had been ready to press were feet above him. Till he saw the set of buttons closer to the floor. There were buttons near the ceiling as well.

The elevator sings its way down to the first floor of the Resource Center. Which is a beautiful low-light garden, with a receptionist desk behind a wall of ferns. Avery pays zero attention, instead sprinting out the double glass doors to take in the city before him. He is met with the smell of fresh fruit and a dancing breeze that brings all sorts of whispers about the city.

Gardens fill the gaps between buildings and shelter most of the roofs. Fruit trees hang sleepily over the sidewalks, and Avery watches as someone munched on an apple they picked on their way. This person was also blue and had a spiked tail.

Hell City was not just built out of the scraps of burnt-down cities, or nostalgic rebuilding. It is bustling with the creativity of souls given any material they could ask for, with the colliding inspirations for all sorts of cultures and times. With all that is human-made, there are also the making of spirits and nature, which gave little regard to human aesthetics. A large amount of art is painted across the buildings in a wash of colors. Some buildings have clear artistic themes, while others are cobbled together out of clashing tastes. Every other building is at least three stories taller than The Resource Center.

A Bus trotted down the road, stepping over anyone who was in the street, often drawing with chalk. The front of the bus had a grinning maw, and the front windows were wide eyes that looked every which way, till it spotted Avery who was staring unapologetically. While the Bus knelt to let some passengers off, it nipped at Avery’s heels.

“It bit me!” Avery spins around to look at Lucifer, as the bus laughs through an engine’s purr.

“Learning to cohabit with spirits is a part of the adjustment process,” Lucifer says with an annoying twinkle in his eyes and crosses the road. Avery chases after, not wanting to be bitten again.

“Is that a cat bus?” Avery asks and Lucifer nods. “How?”

“Human dreaming,” Lucifer shrugs a little. “Beelzebub found a box with six kitten buses a few… a time ago. Time is… not important here, but the cats are quite nice to have around, but they are cats.” Lucifer says with a slight smile.

“How can you not know time? Aren’t you magic?” Avery says squinting up at Lucifer.

“I am just a piece of magic, with little control of what I know, let alone something like Time, which is a beast all of its own.” Lucifer hides a weight on his shoulders with easy breaths, while Avery grumbles about no adult being reliable.

They walk over a footbridge that spans a creek. Crayfish poke out from under the shadows. Tall reeds grow in bursts between larger stones and droopy ferns. Skipper bugs make their way along the surface of the slow-moving creek. Moss grows unapologetically along the bridge's underside.

They leave behind the tall part of the city, now approaching a section that is more green than buildings,with wildflowers and raised gardens dotted around. Thick ranges of trees hug the buildings, filling the air with cedar and pine.

“So where are we going?” Avery asks, unable to look away from the sprawling gardens. While a few plants were growing in rows, many had other plants nearby, lifting them or offering shade.

“The place you’ll be living,” Lucifer answers obtusely as they round a bend. Avery’s face scrunches up as they see a large building. The architecture is old, and grand, both familiar and daunting. The sprawl of buildings was built on a circle of raised earth. Not a hill that gently curved up, but a wall of Onyx that was about three feet tall, with stairs and ramps set into the stone like hour marks on a clock.

“A school? Oh my god, this is Hell.” Avery groans and stops walking. “Why do I need to go to school?”

“Learning is quite important, especially in a world where you will be around all sorts of life and have room to explore your passions,” Lucifer knew not to verbalize how the goal was also the development of friendships but smiled as Avery glared at him.

“You are evil,” Avery’s voice shook with drama, and Lucifer had to keep himself from laughing.

“Earthly school might have oppressive motives, but even then there are many people trying to take care of you. Here is a school with only that focus, to help you discover who you are, and to be a respectful citizen of this realm,” Lucifer says gently but knows words prove nothing. “School is Monday through Thursday, most days are four hours. Wednesday is five because there is a community service hour.”

“Five?” Avery groans.

Lucifer simply nods and starts up the stairs to campus. Avery however notices a gap between the black ring and the city’s ground. The gap was so narrow that all Avery saw was a thin abyss.

Lucifer only noticed Avery had stopped following after he climbed the stairs. Lucifer leans over the edge to see Avery crouched into a ball trying to press their finger into the gap.

“A blade of grass might work,” Lucifer’s head tilts as he tries to get a better view. Avery gets a blade of grass and tries again. “But you don’t want what’s down there,” Lucifer mutters, and Avery’s head snaps up.

“What’s beyond?” Avery asks with big eyes.

Lucifer’s eyes widen, and he spins on his heels to walk away.

“Hey!” Avery sprints up the stairs and nearly runs into Lucifer. “What’s beyond?” Avery grabs onto Lucifer’s sleeve. The Old Demon looks at the child’s hands, so small, yet fillled with a fire. Lucifer tries to keep his expression hidden from the child, but there is no way to hide such a grimace.

“We do not control all of Hell. There are about thirty of us working to keep this part of Hell safe for humans. Many Demons simply want their own life and live in what has been called The Wilds. Then there are… other Demons who do actively despise and… torture humans, they are- fearsome if you are mortal, and heartbreaking if you once knew them.” Lucifer’s eyes dim.

“Why don’t you stop them?” Avery’s fists ball up.

“We- well, I cannot.” Lucifer could not meet Avery’s gaze.

“That’s bull-“ Avery begins but is stopped by the grief in Lucifer’s eyes.

“I do not act as myself alone, I am in every shadow you see. If I were to get into an argument, let alone a fight, the land would respond. The collateral damage is too great to risk.” Lucifer’s molten eyes looked ready to drip down his cheeks.

“What can we do?” Avery’s voice wavered.

“Well, human souls act more freely than me, but you,” Lucifer pats Avery’s shoulder, “need to prioritize your safety and growth for the time begins. Once you are stable in your shoes you can look for ways to help. What I, and the other Demons of the Resource Center, can do is make Campus accessible to everyone,which is what the ring is for. It lets souls within captivity still have a chance to relax and learn.” Lucifer’s jaw clenched, trying to keep all the failures of even this plan from Avery’s shoulders.

“I’m going to school with killers?” Avery’s question knocked Lucifer out of his thoughts, and the Demon laughed dryly.

“And politicians,” Lucifer nods gravely. “You won’t get hurt. On campus people cannot harm each other, the worst that will happen is that they have a cruel personality, but most are trying to be better. Though, don’t look past Hell City, You will walk with criminals there too, but they have worked to heal from their life on Earth.”

“What if they hurt people again?” Avery’s eyes were wide.

“On campus, there is a tight magical net to prevent physical harm, and a version of such magic goes through all of the city. However, once people have their physical and mental needs met, people are remarkably kind. For other’s safety, some spirits and demons will intervene in conflicts and help talk through whatever happened.” Lucifer struggled to summarize the therapeutic approach in a way that made sense and did not take an hour at least.

“Cuz a talk can stop a fight,” Avery rolls his eyes.

“I hope you’ll never have to witness it, but yes, talking can do quite a lot. It can be harder when you are flesh or can die from pain, or hold the fear of living in such ways, but Divine like us can manage to be mediators through most any human conflict.” Lucifer says calmly.

“How can Magic stop harm?” Avery asks.

“It’s a finely woven spell that took a long time to make. It does help that I can taste when blood heats and see the neurons that want to trigger those sorts of muscle movements. When it comes to spoken harassment, it’s the air - well the spirits of air - itself that catches the word. Though we cannot restrict people completely, nor let their actions go ignored, so when there is a visual queue that something is to happen, a divine will appear for conflict resolution.” Avery’s eyes were wide but glittered still.

“Magic can do that?”

“It’s a strange thing but, yes, Magic can do much once you learn its ways. We do offer classes on it as well,” Lucifer says smoothly, and can almost see all the ideas running through Avery’s head. Lucifer tries to move the conversation away from dreams of fireballs, by pointing to the posts around campus, which have maps and are covered in posters of upcoming events.

“Dinner will be at 6. There is a cafeteria in the building across from the clock tower.” Lucifer tries to smile warmly, but Avery won’t look at him, memories of Earth tugging any excitement out of Avery’s face.

Avery nods a little, staring up at the old clock tower. It looked almost normal, but the numbers going around the rim weren’t any numbers Avery knew. There were also five hands spinning around the clock, and despite this, he knew it was 3:21 p.m.

“Is it really at a cafeteria?” Avery glances away from the clock and grimaces at Lucifer’s nod.

“Not that you will trust me, but the food is good.” Avery lifts a dubious eyebrow. So Lucifer decides to pick up the pace.

“The Dorm buildings are organized by…” Lucifer twists his lips to think of a polite way to say this, and just shakes his head. “Cimejes does it, and it works for them. There are three main dorm buildings, and you will be in the East hall.” Lucifer pulls out a journal and starts flipping through the pages. “I have it written down somewhere,” he mutters, being one of the few divines who keep paper records.

While Lucifer is distracted, Avery peaks through a big window of the nearest dorm. It looks like a study room of some kind. A group of people around his age surround a table, with sheets of paper sprawled out, dice, and a few books. Avery has no idea what sort of study that could be and is quickly back at Lucifer’s side by the time the Demon finds his place.

“Ah, here you are!” Lucifer taps the page. “Okay, you are on floor 3 room 206. You have three suite mates but uh- I know these three. If you don’t make an active effort to talk to them you might never see them.” Lucifer chuckles when he can see a look of relief on Avery’s face. “Do you want to be walked to your dorm, or do you have it from here?”

“I got it,” Avery shuffles his feet, needing to be away from anyone’s sight, let alone the intense golden eyes.

Lucifer tries to see what’s stirring inside Avery, but the child keeps looking away. “I’ll see you at dinner,” Lucifer bows low and walks away.

Avery lets out a heavy sigh and then walks through the East Hall doors. It was a cute space that Avery didn’t pay attention to. He double-checked he was at the right room, before using the key.

Avery wouldn’t know it, but this room was furnished, unlike any dorm. It came with a plush bed, with two sets of sheets and blankets, a full dresser, and a mirror. As well as a desk and bookshelf that already had all the books and materials he’d need for class. To Avery’s delight, there were some comic books as well.

Avery laid down for a moment and then got his shoes back on.

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zvtara-was-never-canon · 1 year

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I know the ZKs were mad when Mike confirmed on the podcast that there was nothing romantic between Katara and Zuko in the crossroads of destiny. That it was just empathy 😂

And it's not like we needed anyone to confirm something that obvious.

The one time they were not hostile with each other before Crossroads was when the Gaang + Zuko and Iroh teamed up against Azula. And even though Katara did something really nice when she showed compassion and offered to heal Iroh after Azula blasted fire at him, Zuko was NOT moved by her compassion, and in fact lashed out at her and her friends just for being near him and Iroh - aka the one person there he actually gave a shit about and had not been fighting side by side with just because it was convenient.

Crossroads happen, it's a nice moment - that also included Katara saying that up until that point she had pictured "the enemy's face" as Zuko's face, which makes perfect sense considering he has been trying to kidnap her best friend, and put her, her brother, their tribe, and a bunch of innocent people in danger. For fucks sake, before they both let their guards down a bit, Katara calls him a horrible person and she 100% means it. Why wouldn't she? We saw Zuko do kind things and show remorse/doubt, she did not.

And after such a meaninfull moment what does Zuko do? Immediately teams up with Azula, his sister/rival/enemy, and helps her capture Ba Sing Se for their father - who disfigured and banished him, and whom we later find out in The Day Of Black Sun that Zuko legit thought might have killed his mom. Even that guy meant more to Zuko than Katara did.

And who does Zuko repeatedly mention, visit, and eventually begs to forgive him after his betrayal? Iroh. Again.

And whose kind words of "we could have been friends" does Zuko explicitly bring up when he tries to join the Gaang? Aang. The guy his story is constantly a parallel to. The actual first person to trust him and give him a chance.

And, of course, after his "romantic moment" (according to Zutarians) with Katara, the next episode shows Zuko in a relationship with Mai. And once he is forced to leave her, yeah, he was kind of a douche by breaking up with her through a letter BUT he did feel the need to explain himself to her, to give her a proper goodbye, he even says "I'm sorry, Mai", and looks like a dumbass in love when he brings her up during a conversation with Sokka.

What was the one time he seemed to even remember Katara's existence before joining the Gaang? Oh yeah, when he remembered the water from the oasis and realizes she could have used it to save Aang - meaning Ozai would be mad at him. Even the ONE time that interaction with Katara crosses his mind without someone else mentioning it to him, it is still all about his feelings for a completely different person.

As for Katara, she also didn't bring Zuko up once. She was busy talking things out with her dad, travelling and getting into trouble with her friends, and worrying about the war - ya know, the one Zuko pretty much helped his father win, and yet she didn't mention him at all.

And when he joins the group? She naturally doesn't trust him in the slightest, and says that she will make him pay if he hurts AANG again. Pretty much stating that her anger at him is not because they had any kind of deep, meaningful bond (be it romantic or platonic) but because he was responsible for her nearly losing someone she loved - much like his nation took her mother from her, something she explicitly told him about, which must have only twisted the knife further.

Because of all of this, I wouldn't give a damn if Mike and literally everyone else involved in creating the show had said that the scene in Crossroads was meant to be romantic - the actual story and characters clearly show that was NOT the case.

Zutarians can cry about it all they want, but Zuko and Katara's bond starts in the second half of book 3, and it's clearly platonic. Any romance, or even friendship, that claim existed before that was only in their heads, not in the actual story.

#anti zutara

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indeedcaptain · 8 months

Text

Spirktober 2023, day 1: Uniform

I will catch up after missing the first two days if it kills me. I told myself that I would write my own personal novel but I am fixated on these guys right now. Behold! More fan fiction!

Also posted on AO3 here.

☆ ☆ ☆

Kirk had been in San Francisco for six months. His time on the U.S.S. Farragut had ended, and his new ship had more time in spacedock before they would set out on their five-year mission, to explore new space and push the boundaries of Federation knowledge. And he would be there, leading the charge, as the youngest captain in Starfleet history. His father had been so proud, and his mother so worried. Sam had been… well. He had been himself, which was all he would ever be.

Kirk was worried too, if he were being honest with himself, but he was trying to remind himself of the similarities between his old and new postings instead of focusing on the differences. The U.S.S. Enterprise was the same class of ship as the Farragut. The officers’ mess would have the same ten replicators. His quarters would be different, larger, and in a different location, but the mattress and sheets and smell would be the same. The uniforms would be the same. Almost everything would be the same, except for the people and his role among them. He even had gotten to know the ship and some of the crew ahead of time, thanks to his sojourns with Captain Pike through his various misadventures. He reasoned that he could take on his new level of responsibility without too much fuss.

Four days before the U.S.S. Enterprise was scheduled to take off on her journey, his new crewmates began to arrive in San Francisco and either come say hi or introduce themselves to him. Newly promoted Lieutenant Uhura threw herself into his arms with congratulations when she returned from visiting her grandparents in Kenya. Bones arrived from Georgia a few hours afterwards, bearing moonshine and tales of Joanna’s exploits. Slowly they trickled into the city and HQ grounds, with new faces mingling with the old. Uhura positioned herself at Kirk’s side and introduced the ones she knew to him, whispering details that might be helpful to him into his ear as they departed. She knew who was secretly dating, who couldn’t work alongside each other, and who was most likely to break anything fragile. With every detail she was able to slide him, he felt a little less overwhelmed by the prospect of guiding three hundred people successfully through the black and a little more excited to get started.

Three days before departure, a package landed on the doormat of the apartment Starfleet had furnished him with. He picked it up as he arrived back from a dinner out with Uhura and several of her Xenolinguistics friends, hefting it up into his arms as he wrangled a padd out to tap against the lock.

Inside, he dropped it on the kitchen table, located a pair of scissors, and sliced into it. It was printed with official Starfleet logos, so it must have been something related to the mission. Inside were four sets of a new uniform, with a note on top.

Captain Kirk,

Congratulations on your promotion and taking command of the U.S.S. Enterprise. As your unique mission will take you beyond where finding adequate replacement uniforms will be convenient or possible, the Fabrications team has taken this opportunity to outfit the Enterprise crew with new, more durable, and more functional uniforms.

Please let us know if you discover any issues with their construction at your earliest convenience.

Best wishes on your journey.

Starfleet Fabrications and Material Construction

Kirk pulled the top uniform out. The material was certainly thicker than he was used to, but it stretched in the same way, and the gold of command was a warm, cheery hue. He pulled out the matching pants and, grinning, made his way to his room to see how captaincy fit him.

☆ ☆ ☆

It’s not that there was anything wrong with the uniforms, per se. They were comfortable, durable, and flexible. The colors were right. They fit him well. He could feel the clever measurements within them as he bent his knees and elbows experimentally, moving through his range of motion and found no areas of discomfort.

It was just, he thought as he frowned at himself in the mirror, that they weren’t particularly flattering. He had thought, despite his best efforts to quash any public displays of vanity, that the old uniforms had helped him cut quite the striking figure. But the new uniforms had softer, less visible seams, and fewer panels. The outcome was that they were undoubtedly more useful for extended action, more difficult to rip, and likely easier to repair.

But they also made him feel like a child again, round like only a farm boy could be, weaning play clothes that he could get dirty without upsetting his parents.

It’s fine, he told himself. It’s not like there was a common Earth saying about “the clothes make the man.” He was not a self-conscious teenager and it didn’t matter if his clothing made him feel like a child again. They were useful for his mission.

But that didn’t mean that he had to like them.

☆ ☆ ☆

The uniform had not grown on him, but he was wearing it as Montgomery Scott, new chief engineer of the U.S.S. Enterprise, beamed him aboard for final review. The enthusiastic Scotsman pumped his hand and led him down into engineering. Kirk found himself buoyed from department to department by the momentum of his crew, everyone wanting a moment of his time to tell him about their experiments, or ideas, or questions for their trek. Their excitement was infectious, and (despite all of them looking like babies to him in their soft uniforms) Kirk was thrilled to see each and every one of them.

Finally he ended up on the bridge, surrounded by his hand-picked command crew: Lieutenant Uhura on communications, the Russian baby genius Chekov for navigation, the ace pilot Sulu, Bones, who was supposed to be in Medbay but was following Kirk around with a hypo just for the hell of it, and ---

“Where is Mr. Spock, Uhura?” Kirk finally asked, when there was a moment of silence.

Uhura looked down at her padd. “He should be here any moment, he was on his way back from---”

The turbolift door slid open, and Spock stepped out. Kirk hadn’t seen him in over a year: not since his last time on the Enterprise when she was still Pike’s ship, when Spock had saved his ass in a firefight and Kirk had promised Pike afterwards that he would convince Spock to be his first officer if it was the last thing he did. He looked just as Kirk remembered him. Spock was tall and dark and broad, steady and familiar and comforting. There was a happy jolt in Kirk’s stomach as Spock turned to him.

“My apologies, captain,” Spock said. His dark eyes were warm as he looked over Kirk. “I just returned from a visit on Vulcan. My mother was less than enthusiastic about my departure.”

“It’s good to see you, Spock,” Kirk said. He could feel his affection radiating out of his face, but he was powerless to stop it. Spock inclined his head, and walked from the turbolift to the science station, which whirred to life at his approach. He placed his hand over the power panel almost fondly, with his back to the rest of the bridge crew.

Kirk felt his mouth dry out. Had Spock’s legs always been so long? Had his ass looked like that before, or had he gotten stronger in the intervening year? Had his shoulders always tapered to his waist at that angle; had his fingers always been so agile; had the blue of the science shirt always set off the soft green undertone of his eyelids like that? He realized that he was staring and pulled his eyes away, and if Uhura smirked at him then he would pretend he didn’t know what she had seen.

As he settled into the captain’s chair, his captain’s chair for the first time, Kirk thought that he might be convinced of the merits of the new uniforms.

#spirk #k/s #kirk/spock #star trek fan fic #my writing #spirktober2023 #spirktober #Kirk Likes Spock's Butt and That's It

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topazy · 2 years

Text

Hunted

Paring: Liam Dunbar x reader

Warnings: Swearing

Chapter: 5.02

“So this is the book I was telling you about.” You practically jumped on the spot when Mason walked up behind you and put a book in front of your face. “I got it from a rare book dealer in Germany. It cost me 200 bucks, but it was totally worth it.”

You squint your eyes trying to read the title of the book, which was hard because you were walking to class. This wasn’t only your first day of the year, this was your first day of being at a normal high school. Growing up, you went to an all-girls boarding school, so this was a completely different experience than you've experienced before.

“You’re still reading about this stuff?” Liam asks casually.

You felt bad for Liam. He was only trying to protect his friend, but not telling him the truth was eating away at him.

“I was attacked by an armour-plaid giant wearing a bear skull," Mason said as a matter of fact. “It left an impression.” He opens the book and points to a drawing, “Have either of you ever seen anything like this?”

“No,” you and Liam answer in unison.

“And then there’s this whole section about the Nagual. Have you ever heard the name Tezcat…”

“Tezcatlipoca,” Liam corrects him before widening his eyes. “No. No, I never heard of him.”

You take a seat, then notice Liam hesitating to sit down next to a brunette girl. She glared at him before he reluctantly sat down.

You found it strange how he kept shifting nervously every time she looked at him. You brushed it off and didn’t think about it for the rest of class; you were too busy wanting to stay focused and not fall behind on your first day.

—

“Dude, it’s the first day of school. Shouldn’t we be thinking of other things like…” Liam gave you a pleading look, silently asking for help as Mason continued to talk about the supernatural as you walked out of class.

“Like the soccer team?”

Mason watched as the Beacon hills soccer team walked down the hallway, “what do you think I’m going to do? Follow them out to the field and watch them practice while I pretend to study?”

“It’s warm out,” Liam shrugged. “They're probably gonna be shirtless.”

You laughed as Mason pretended to think about it before going outside. You waited until it was just you and Liam before mentioning the plans you’d made the previous night. A part of you was convinced he was going to change his mind at the last minute. “Are we still on for tonight?”

Liam opened his mouth but got cut off before he could say anything by a locker slamming shut next to him. He groaned when the same girl in your class was standing there. “You know, I was wondering if you were still pissed off about the sixth grade, but I guess you cleared that up.”

“I’m not pissed off, Liam,” she smiled sweetly. “I’m vengeful.”

“What was that about?”

A look passed over Liam's face, a look you couldn’t quite place. “It’s nothing… so tonight. Do you want to come to mine and my mom will drop us off?”

“Sure, sounds good.” You got your books from the locker and headed to your next class.

—

“That must be her,” Liam says, hopping off his kitchen counter towards his front door to open it for his mom, who was running late from work. “Hi mom- Stiles?”

“I need your help with something. It’s something important.” Stiles stopped talking when he noticed you standing in the hallway. “Hi Lulana, I didn’t know you were here.”

“Hi.”

“So what’s so important? We kinda have plans…” Liam says, hoping the older boy will get the hint.

“Okay Liam, listen to me okay. This is about Theo. I know that he’s up to something and I need your help to prove it.”

Liam rolls his eyes before looking back at you, “You sound just like her. Lulana thinks there’s something up with him as well.”

Stiles looked surprised and said, “What do you think?”

“I never said he was up to something per se,” you say, pulling a face. The last thing you wanted was to get involved in any kind of pack business. You just shared your opinion on the situation because Liam asked you what you thought. “I just said it was coincidental that a werewolf with talons, which are extremely rare, attacked Scott at the exact same time Theo was passing by. Especially when he had a whole ‘I want to join your pack’ speech prepared.”

Liam shakes his head. “Like I said, you sound the same.”

—

“I’m sorry our date night got ruined.”

You smile at the sincereness in Liam’s voice. “It’s fine, we can watch a film anytime. Besides, stalking a potentially crazy person in the woods is much more romantic.”

“Romantic? We just spent three hours watching this dude playing video games in his bedroom. He better be out covering up a mass murder… oh god, I forgot. I was supposed to meet Mason tonight as well.”

Stiles stopped walking in front of him and said, “Why didn’t you just tell him?”

“Tell him what?”

“Anything.”

You walked ahead as Liam tried to explain to Stiles why he couldn’t tell his best friend what he was. You crouched down when you noticed Theo had stopped walking on a bridge. “Hey,” you whispered, waving them over, “he’s stopped.”

When they came over, Stiles asked Liam what he smelled like twice. The first answer ‘soap’ didn’t make the cut.

“He’s sad… it smells like grief.”

“How do you know what grief smells like?” Stiles questioned.

“Because it smells just like…” Liam pauses, giving you an apologetic look before continuing. “It’s the same thing I smell whenever Lulana or Scott talk about Allison.”

You watch as Theo drops white flowers into the river. “Oh my god, we need to go, now.” Stiles quickly starts to pull you and Liam in the opposite direction. “That’s the bridge where they found his sister.”

“What, sister?”

“The one that got lost and died from exposure,” he explains. “He’s leaving flowers for her.”

Someone got lost from exposure and died in the beacon hills? You found it hard to believe.

You almost walked into both boys when they suddenly came to a halt. When Theo jumped down from a tree, Liam put his arm out in front of you.

“What are you guys doing?” When Theo looked you up and down, Liam let out a low growl, causing the older boy to let out a chuckle. He held his hands up with a smirk on his face, “Why do I get the feeling this kid is tougher than he looks?”

“Only when we let him off his leash,” Stiles says sarcastically.

Theo questioned why Stiles was suspicious of him. Stiles pulled out copies of two different forms that were eight years apart and had different signatures from Theo’s dad. You listened to them go back and forth and came to the conclusion that your cousin was right about Stiles noticing things others missed, and that Theo was full of shit.

—

The atmosphere became tense when you returned to Stiles Jeep and Scott was waiting to talk to him. You and Liam got into the jeep to let them talk, not that it gave them much privacy.

You watched Liam get into the driver's seat to turn the ignition on since the vehicle wasn’t staring. “Liam, why are you covered in mud?”

“I fell in a hole when you walked ahead.”

You started to laugh, but the smile on your face faded when you noticed how tense Stiles had become. “Yes, okay? We followed him out here. What do you want me to say? I’m a stalker, huh? I’m crazy, totally paranoid? None of this is new information.”

“Now you’re gonna try to at least give him the benefit of the doubt?”

Stiles looked offended, “I give people the benefit of the doubt. I’ve given a lot of benefits to a lot of people.”

“Like Derek? Kira? Liam? Lulana?”

At the mention of your name, Liam squeezed your hand.

“I was right about Peter,” Stiles said, frustratedly waving his hand. “You know, I bet you still think that there’s something about him that can be saved.”

“Maybe.”

Liam tried to start the car a couple of more times, but I didn’t work causing Stiles to become more frustrated.

“Why can’t you trust anyone?” Scott asks.

“Because you trust everyone!” Stiles punches the hood of the car before yelling out in pain.

You watch in amazement as Scott takes away Stiles' pain. “Don't pay attention to what he says. I’m Scott’s beta and he still doesn’t trust me.”

You could hear the hurt in his voice. Liam was kind-hearted and concerned about what others thought of him; he deserved better.

—

Nervously, you knock on the door in front of you. “Dad I told-” Stiles stares at you confused. “You're not my dad.”

“Yeah… I know that. Your dad let me in.” Stiles stepped back hesitantly, letting you into his room. Your eyes widened at the sight of it. “Wow.”

He had his own police investigation board in his room, which you thought was pretty cool. “Why did you come here?”

“Uh yeah,” you say, looking directly at him. “I just wanted to see if you were okay? You seemed upset earlier.”

You could tell by the look on his face that he didn’t trust you. That’s why you came. “Did Liam ask you to check on me?”

“No, he doesn’t know I’m here.”

He rubbed at his face before starting to pace back and forth. Stiles still seemed as stressed as he had earlier. He was looking at you the same way he did when Scott was in danger, and when Liam said he wouldn’t help him unless you came as well. You knew, realistically, you and Stiles would end up spending time together at some point, and you didn’t want to continue feeling uncomfortable around him.

“Why don’t you trust me?”

“Because you’re an Argent!”

“So was Allison.”

A look of regret crosses his face. You stared at each other for a moment before you shook your head and went to open his door. “Screw this, I only came because, believe it or not, I actually care. I care about Liam and Kira, and I think they could be in danger if Theo joins your pack. But who am I, right? I’m just another Argent, so you can be crazy all on your own.”

“Lulana, wait! I’m sorry.” He let out a sigh, “Scott was right, I don’t trust people. I’ve been right a few times, but I have been wrong.”

You slowly turn around to face him. “All I know is that Theo is lying about something.”

His head hung low. “How can you be so sure?”

“Like you said, I’m an Argent.” You shrug. “I can just tell when someone is dangerous.”

Stiles looked lost for words. “If I - we find proof he’s dangerous, will you come to Scott with me?” He looks down at the ground. “He already thinks I’m paranoid, but maybe if he hears it from you he might listen.”

You smiled and nodded. You’d do anything to help Allison’s friends and prove the Reaken boy was dangerous.

#Liam Dunbar #Teen wolf #liam dunbar x reader #Liam Dunbar x you #teen wolf x reader #teen wolf fandom #teen wolf fanfiction #stiles stilinski #Scott McCall #McCall pack #mason hewitt #Liam Dunbar/you #Liam Dunbar/reader

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