I need a quote for my yearbook, please help!
8-9 words, preferably short words because there isn't much space. No swear words, science gags excepted but can't be inappropriate because the teacher putting the book together is a science teacher.
live laugh lasagna
I fell down a @norrisleclercf1 rabbit hole two days ago (and I'm still stuck down said rabbit hole) and this is what came of it
1.5K
Mafia!Danny Ric x Verstappen!Reader
Jos Verstappen was a powerful guy
A scary powerful guy
He ran an empire that spanned the entire world
He spent his life raising his son to take over the empire
He also spent it teaching his son to keep his daughter away from this sort of life
Jos didn't want Y/N Verstappen involved with his empire
It was Max's job to protect her
There was a five-year difference between them, with Max being twenty-five and Y/N being just twenty
When Y/N was ten, she went missing
Jos lost his shit with Max, threatening him with his gun before sending him off to go and find her
Fifteen-year-old Max cried with he found Y/N reading out in the garden, hidden behind some bushes
But that was ten years ago
Now, Max had more responsibilities
He was set to take over Jos' empire any day now
Max had his own men, his own weapons and his own big jobs
His main job was still to protect his sister
It was something he and his inner circle did together
Max's inner circle
It consisted of three men and then their men
Charles, Lando, and Daniel
Max's inner circle was made up of people from all different countries
Charles was the Monégasques, he helped Max with his French dealings
Lando was British, he helped Max with his dealings in English-speaking countries
Daniel was the Aussie, he didn't help Max with any international business; his talents were better suited to the jobs Max had for him at home
Well, job, I should say
There was just one job for Daniel and her name was Y/N
When Y/N was a teenager, she had her rebelliousness squashed out of her by her fear of Jos
Now she was a quiet adult who rarely left her house, unless she was surrounded by a team of at least five men
That team always involved of Daniel
Daniel was always guarding Y/N
He went wherever she went
And, if she wasn't going anywhere, he was outside of her door
If Max wanted a meeting with his inner circle, Daniel always had at least two of his men standing outside of her door
One day, Daniel was guarding outside of her door
He had at least two guns and a knife on him - you could never have too many weapons in this line of work
Although he was always there, Y/N never interacted much with him, she knew her father would hate it
But one night, she was thirsty
Wrapped up her in robe, Y/N pulled open her bedroom door
"M'lady," said Daniel as the door opened
He tipped an invisible hat in Y/Ns direction and she smiled back at him, not saying anything
Y/N walked through the dark halls, making her way down to the kitchen with Daniel close behind
"What do you need?" He asked her
Daniel knew how Jos felt about 'staff' interacting with the Y/N Verstappen, he just didn't care
"Just a water," said Y/N as she grabbed a glass from the cupboard
Daniel stood vigilant as Y/N filled her glass and drank it
This happened night after night
Y/N didn't always answer Daniel, so he just talked as she drank
Not about his work, thank god
He spoke about everything else
Y/N was grateful for it
She didn't approve of her father's empire or the work her brother and his friends did for Jos
So, with Daniel talking about everything else, it was nice
"You're an interesting man," said Y/N as she got her water one night, surprising the both of them
"You think so?"
She nodded, standing closer to him than she ever had before
If Daniel reached out, he would have his hands on her, holding her hips
Daniel escorted her back to her room
The next evening, Y/N didn't want water
She knocked on her own door and pulled it open, looking at Daniel
"Do you want to come in?"
"If I come in, who's going to guard your door?"
She pulled him in anyway
"Everything okay?" Asked Daniel as he leaned against the door
"Fine," Y/N replied as she sat on her bed, tucking one leg under the other
"Do you need any water?"
She shook her head
"Anything to eat?"
She shook her head again
Daniel pushed away from the door
He walked around the room, looking at Y/N's things
Pictures, all of them of her family
She had no pictures of her having fun, of her with her friends
They were just her and Max, standing in their Sunday bests behind their father, who looked as though he was sitting on a throne
There were a couple of cat pictures, cats the family had owned over the years and a couple of Jimmy and Sassy
No pictures of her mother or older sister
Daniel didn't ask about it, he didn't want to pry
He stopped over by the window and looked out of it for a moment, before turning around and looking at Y/N
"So, what do you do for fun around here?" He asked
Y/N pointed towards her television and her bookshelf
"Is that it?"
She sat further back on her bed, leaning against the pillow
"I need my fathers permission to do anything and I don't have any friends. What am I supposed to do?"
"What if I took you somewhere?" he offered
"You mean, sneak out?"
"I definitely mean sneak out."
That was how Y/N found herself in her first night club
She had a drink in her hand and Daniel dancing beside her
When the second drink was placed in her hand, she and Daniel were dancing together
By the third drink she was pressed against the wall, his lips on hers
It was wrong - he worked for her brother and was more than ten years her senior
"Danny," she whispered when he pulled away
They were once again on the dance floor, his hands on her hips as they swayed to the music
His front was pressed against her behind and Y/N felt like her every nerve was on fire
At two AM, Y/N and Daniel were making their way back home
They got to the front gate and kept going, climbing over the wall
From there they snuck through the front garden, hid themselves behind trees and rose bushes
It was a real good thing the Verstappen's didn't have dogs, Daniel thought as they got to the trellis below Y/N's window
"I can't believe you don't have more security," he whispered as he helped her to climb
"You can bring that up with my brother, if you'd like"
They weren't being very quiet
Y/N struggled to open her bedroom window, stumbling back as she did so
She let out a shriek and then a series of giggles when Daniel caught her
"Wow," she whispered, grabbing a hold of the trellis
She didn't go back up to her window, but instead she turned around and kissed Daniel again
He was just a couple of rungs below her, but it made them the same height
His arms on either side of her was the only thing holding her up
They were there until his arms got tired
"Want to head up?"
***
Daniel didn't have nearly as much to drink as Y/N
He was sober enough to get her into bed and then stand guard at her door until he changed shift with Oscar
From then on it was sneaking around with Daniel
During the day, they didn't know each other; they were Y/N Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo
At night, when he could slip through her bedroom door, they were Danny and Y/N
There was four months of this, of sneaking out and kissing in the hidden away shadows of the house
And then Max found out
Well, no, actually
Lando found out first
He was walking through the hall when he saw Danile slip into Y/Ns room
The usually so careful Aussie didn't know how to explain himself, so he folded and told Lando everything
And then Lando realised he had to tell Max
Max was furious, at first
He waited, though, watched from the distance
Needed confirmation before he struck
Confirmation was something Max got surprisingly quickly
Max had himself hidden away as he watched Daniel look around and then slip into Y/Ns room
Gun drawn, Max burst in
Y/N and Daniel didn't have time to jump away from each other before Max had his gun pressed against his head
"I'm going to funking kill you"
The writing is happening a little slower rn - academics are about to start and I'm trying to work so it'll only get worse
Again, this is the product of reading @norrisleclercf1 posts all day (aka, if you like this, check out this beautiful persons writings)
Ongoing Series
Synopsis: All your life you’d listened to your friend, Usopp spin wild tales about pirates and adventure. Pirates weren’t a thing that came often to Syrup Village, but one straw hat pirate and his crew changed all that the day they arrived. Now, you aren’t so sure if your sleepy little village was always pirate-free or if no one had been paying attention.
Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Reader
Genre: friends to lovers, frienemies to lovers, slow burn (I hope y’all like aching) eventual smut
Words: 5k+
A/N: I told myself I wasn’t going to do this, so naturally I did it anyway. This is the first chapter in a planned series with a reader insert following the events of the OPLA universe. I sincerely hope that this is a story you all love as this is my first initial time writing for one of my beloved anime. But let’s be real, after seeing Mackenyu play Zoro (my fav) I knew I was going to be whipped from the start. The reader will go by “Doc” in this story at times, and later a nickname by Zoro himself. As always, I hope you enjoy this. Much love, Jenn. Also, thank you @thegreatesttttttttt for indulging me.
Next
The ringing of the bell thundered through the sky above. An upcoming warning of four words that would echo through the street's moments later.
“The pirates are coming!”
You could practically hear the rest of the town groan with a sigh. Their annoyance stunk up the streets as Usopp sounded the imaginary alarm as he usually did every day around this time. Maybe it was because you considered Usopp a friend that his tall tales and wild imagination didn’t bother you.
Instead, a sly smile tilted your lips as you continued to grind the seeds deep into the mortar. Mr. Edison’s gruff voice from outside your window reminded Usopp for the millionth time that he needed to stop as he sprinted past.
“What is that boy going on about?” Naan huffed.
You sent a quick glance behind your shoulder at the older woman who was currently folding the recently washed linens. All of them are used with a purpose to either staunch bloody wounds or for the simple purpose of relieving colds. Naan’s linens, like her home, were used for a multitude of healing services, with the only payment she accepted was that of the kindness of others around her.
“You already know, Naan,” you replied, your smile evident in your words. “It’s the usual afternoon reminder to stay on your toes.”
A deep chuckle came from behind you followed by the soft cough that came after.
“These toes can’t do very much standing. So, maybe tell your friend to give me a day of rest soon.”
“Usopp has done this every day for seven years. I don’t think anything anyone will ever say will make him stop.”
Even if you could get Usopp to stop, you wouldn’t be the one to make him. You weren’t sure how many people in town knew who his father was - or that he’d been a pirate. A father by suggestion, Usopp’s wild imagination could only recall small things from the stories his mother had been willing to share, and from those stories, even greater ones grew.
While everyone else may have found Usopp’s stories as an ever-present headache you knew they held a deeper meaning. They were the only thing he knew of a man he never got to know.
The sound of chair legs creaking across the floor cut you out of your thoughts. Just in time from the looks of the seed putty you’d created. A heavy thud on the boards informed you Naan grabbed her cane and the heavier shuffling of her feet that she was heading in your direction.
“What are you so intently making over here, child?”
Settling down the pestle, you reached over your workstation to grab a pot. You were going to need to fetch some water to bring everything to a bowl before you strained it into a jar.
“Water. I need to go get some water,” you murmured as you brought the pot down in front of you.
“Am I talking to myself?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Naan. Did you say something?”
This time you did dare to look at her. Her deep-set wrinkles set impossibly deeper as she regarded your work from over your shoulder.
“Oh, I only asked what you were making that was stinking up my kitchen.”
Your eyes flew open wide as you took a deep breath in. You were sure the only thing you’d put in that maybe - maybe - smelled was the slippery elm, but you hadn’t even steeped it in the water yet. Naan must have read your panic before it began to stitch your brow together. Your eyes still helplessly peeled to the job in front of you instead of the chuckling woman behind you.
“It’s fine, child. I’m just teasing you.”
All your panic rushed out in a huff of air as your body finally turned to greet her. Your eyes instantly took in the very tired look of hers.
“You should get some rest, Naan.”
The two of you knew you meant well. You would never try and make Naan feel older than she already felt, except you didn’t give a damn about her feelings when you could easily spot the sweat on her upper lip. The way her body leaned more into the cane that supported her. She batted your concern away with a swat of her free hand. As if it would be enough to make whatever fear that gripped at your heart magically disappear.
“Don’t patronize me. I’m fine.”
“You are not fine. You're wheezing with every breath now-“
“I said I’m fine. Leave me alone and start worrying about whatever it is you’re making.”
“Well, if you would stop interrupting me, maybe I could finish it!”
The irritation in your voice wasn’t hard to miss. Naan heard it too no doubt with the way her brow cocked as if begging you to repeat it.
The silence stretched uncomfortably between you. Naan wouldn’t even look at you - probably too scared to see your eyes pleading, full of worry for her to just go lay down.
Why must you always be so stubborn?
The question sat on your tongue and made your words form like molasses. You weren’t a child anymore. So, it begged the question of why you were still afraid to speak to her like an adult. It didn’t matter if what you said hurt her old feelings. Not when the thought of her not being around made your chest begin to spread wide like an aching chasm.
“You never did say what you were making.”
You pressed your tongue against your cheek while you debated if it would be worth it to try and argue with her. Of course, you were always the first one to relent and push it under the metaphorical rug.
“It’s a gift for Miss Kaya. Usopp told me her cough hadn’t changed and asked if I would make something for her.”
“Hmm,” Naan hummed in thought. “That boy is strange, but he is kind.”
“Not as strange as Kaya having an unknown illness the last few years and never seeking any aid from the town's doctor,” you grumbled.
Naan’s hand lightly clasped your shoulder in comfort - comfort you didn’t want to accept. Not only were thoughts of Naan being sick plaguing every ounce of free space in your brain but now so was Kaya. You’d only met her once when you were younger with Usopp and after her parents died that odd butler, Klahadore, kept her under strict observation.
In all the years you’d been with Naan, learning everything she could teach about healing, you’d found it odd that the staff never came to ask for help. You couldn’t recall a time when Sham or Buchi ever came down requesting any tonics or medicines from Naan, or for her to come with them to examine Kaya in the first place.
I wasn’t aware they were waitstaff and doctors.
You knew these thoughts would only dampen your mood until it turned completely sour. You just couldn’t stop the runaway train that was your thoughts from slipping back into questioning everything with the universe never giving you any new answers.
“How many times have I told you, child, we can’t make people get help. They have to seek it themselves and that- that is when the real healing begins.”
You were already bitter and that bitterness responded to Naan’s words in the form of an eye roll. One you were lucky the older woman didn’t see.
“It’s just not right.”
“Right or not, it’s not our place to go butting in.”
She stood behind you for a few more minutes waiting for a reply you didn’t give. You were done talking. Done trying to get her to understand that she was sick too and that all those years of molding words and actions to help others were what drove you to help her. To help Kaya. Only Usopp seemed to notice that something in her grand home wasn’t right.
Frustration drew tight across your chest causing your hands to seek support against the counter. For a split second, you imagined yourself splitting open and becoming two separate people. One being the doctor Naan trained you to be and the other something less controlled. Someone who was tired of listening but never being heard.
You listened as Naan began to retreat back to her table where the rest of the linens waited to be folded. You listened as another terrible cough violently shook itself free from her lungs as you focused on your work.
If you couldn’t help Naan you were just going to settle for helping Miss Kaya. Once you finished making Usopp’s requested medicine you were going to be sure he delivered it to her.
It was time a doctor paid a visit.
————
The shipyard.
Of course, Usopp was going to be here. Why you hadn't thought to come here first felt like a mystery all on its own.
In all the years you’d known him, Usopp’s routine hardly ever changed. He usually performed his usual pirate ritual just before he started his day in the shipyard. He was hired to care for and clean all of the ships housed within, however, and upon no real surprise to you, Usopp cleaned and polished the Going Merry daily.
So, it didn’t surprise you to find him already on the ship. What did surprise you were the three people standing with him steps away from the Going Merry, herself.
You didn’t feel alarmed in any way. Usopp was good with people - he enjoyed talking to anyone willing to listen. The man with the straw hat, who was grinning wildly in the direction of Usopp and then to his friends, seemed happy to listen. He was giving Usopp his full attention and whatever your friend was saying was exactly what Straw Hat wanted to hear.
The other two people beside him, however, didn’t seem to share in the excitement. Sure, the pretty woman with the orange hair was giving all the perfect signaling queues of a smile and nod to make it believable that she was interested in anything Usopp had to say. Did she probably care about whatever was being said? Probably not, but at least she didn’t look as sour as the moss-hair-colored guy-
Holy shit
Your feet stopped working. Your knees seemed to refuse to bend, to make any movement forward for the last few feet to close the distance to the group. For what reason? There had to be a perfectly good reason-
Nope. Thoughts gone. Head empty.
That was the best way to describe what was currently happening as your eyes stayed glued to the three-sword-wielding swordsman standing next to the woman.
Three swords? You wondered. Where does the other one go?
Maybe you would ask him if you ever summed up the courage to do just that. If you could just get your legs to function again.
In all the time you’d lived on Shell Island you were more than positive you’d never seen someone that looked close to him. Especially someone carrying around three swords or standing with so much purpose. Even as your eyes took him in you could tell he was pretending to be relaxed, but after years of mending bodies, you noticed the tightness between his shoulder blades. The ease he tried to display with a hand resting on the hilt of the sword wasn’t actually resting. Even relaxed, this man was ready to unsheathe those blades and use them at a moment's notice.
While the idea made you consider him a great swordsman, your heart also ached at the thought of feeling trapped and weary of others' intentions.
Your thoughts would’ve continued to run wild as you embarrassingly gawked at this stranger and his friends. All of that was ruined, however, when Usopp caught a glimpse of you between orange and green hair.
“Doc!”
Usopp’s excitement translated to a crazy arm wave and immediately caused all three of his newfound friends to face you. God, this meant you had to get your legs working. You had to physically move closer. You could do that. No problem.
Taking in a deep breath, you allowed a genuine smile to raise your lips in welcome. Luckily, your feet didn’t betray you as you moved the last few feet. You made a mental note as you got closer that the straw hat was meeting your smile with his own, while the other two regarded you with lackluster enthusiasm.
Great. They were the grumpy types of people.
“There you are Usopp,” you began cheerfully. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“You know, Usopp?” Asked straw hat.
You felt your brow crease in question as your smile wilted at the corners.
“I would hope so. We’ve known each other since we’ve lived here.”
“Impressive,” mumbled the woman.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t as friendly as you originally thought, but she was still definitely friendlier than moss hair. Who currently felt like he was drilling holes into your chest.
“Ugh, Doc I was just going to take these guys to visit, Kaya,” Usopp interjected.
He was still smiling - always smiling. His eyes darted to the three new faces before landing back at you.
“Why would you take them to see, Kaya?”
“She owns the shipyard and we-“Straw hat interjected, “Are in need of a ship. That beautiful ship behind us, to be exact.”
You glanced behind him to the Going Merry. Kaya’s family ship.
You shot Usopp a questioning glance that you weren’t surprised to see him ignore. He was up to something there was no doubting that. The issue was you weren’t sure what angle he was trying to play.
“Good luck with that.”
You did mean it. You didn’t think he was going to get it no matter how good-natured he seemed. That was still a family memory you weren’t sure Kaya would be willing to part with.
“Thanks!”
“Doc, before I take them over there do you by chance have what I asked for?”
You patted your satchel for good measure before you replied, “That’s why I was looking for you. I have it right here.”
Usopp took a step towards you, his hand outstretched in waiting for you to deposit the bottle. When you didn’t comply with his request he shot you a look of worry.
“You do have it right?”
“Yes, Usopp I told you I did. I just want to come with you to check on her myself.”
A look of worry dimmed the mirth in his eyes for one second. If you didn’t know what to look for you would have missed it entirely. You knew he’d been asking you for months to sneak in with him to visit Kaya. His own suspicions began to outweigh the doubt that plagued his heart with every heavy decision that needed to be made.
Deep down, Usopp knew if you were finally going to answer his request of sneaking in with him, it must be serious. A concept Usopp himself purposely tried to run from often.
“Wait, you’re a doctor? That is so cool!”
You needed to learn Straw Hat’s name because he was growing on you fast.
“I’m no-“
“She’s actually one of the best doctors in the whole East Blue,” Usopp beamed. “She’s cured this small village of at least two possible plague outbreaks twice already.”
You were willing to bet your eyes were the size of saucers. There was no way any of them would believe that kind of nonsense. There was absolutely no way-
“Wow, now that is really impressive! Sounds just like somebody who should be a part of my crew-“
“No!”
“We are not a crew!”
The absolute verbal whiplash you just experienced left your head reeling to pick up on every conversation. Straw Hat was practically turning into pure sunshine in front of you, while the other two were glaring like you’d sprouted three heads.
Geez, what a tough crowd.
“Ok, wait what?”
“It’s nothing he doesn’t mean anything by it,” the woman replied, a tight smile thinning out her lips.
“We don’t need someone pretending to play medicine woman to join us.”
Your eyes narrowed in on the now green-haired monster. He met your cold glance with his own. Whoever - whatever - he experienced in his life meant he didn’t find you the least bit threatening. He regarded you like an annoyance and you found yourself wondering why the universe made all the grumpy ones the most attractive.
If his lips pouted any harder he was going to have to rent a kissing booth.
“For your information, I’m not a pretend doctor.”
Whatever he was going to reply with was cut off by Straw hat who quickly pointed at himself. “I’m Luffy, and these are my companions Nami and Zoro.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Luffy,” you beamed letting them know your name in response. “But most people just refer to me as Doc because of Usopp.”
Nami clapped her hands together to bring you both back to the matter at hand. Kaya’s medicine. Their boat.
“Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, can we get going? We really should stop by and pay her a visit.”
“Oh yeah! Come on guys, I can show you the fastest way there.”
Usopp tossed down his rag and skipped backward to the crate where his own satchel sat.
“Great! If you guys will kindly follow me this way I can show you something really awesome.”
You wanted to smack some sense into him. Usopp always wanted to be liked - for people to spend time with him and enjoy it. Besides Kaya and you who humored him with his opulent imagination and ability to spin fables like cotton candy. These people, Luffy excluded, did not deserve his endearing desire for friendship. They were both giving off major chip on their shoulder vibes and you vowed to become an even bigger pain in the ass if they were unnecessarily rude to him.
They didn’t wait to know if you were joining them or even behind them. They all moved forward to follow Usopp, who was spit-firing a conversation at Luffy who easily seemed to match it with his own charisma. Nami and Zoro trudged behind them both and you brought up the rear.
You’d hoped at some point Luffy or Usopp would drag you into the conversation. Anything that would keep your wandering eyes from constantly burrowing holes between Zoro’s sculpted shoulders. If you didn’t locate some form of self-control soon, you were positive your brain would be sent spinning into a tangent about how martial arts training with weapons was a godsend. So, looking at your feet for the next few miles would have to suffice.
It was strange how the world between poverty and the rich was such an overwhelming force. The farther you ventured out past the town and into the privacy of the landscape that kept Kaya’s family home hidden, it was a wonder that anyone would know it was there.
There were endless strawberry fields that farmers planted on one side and potatoes on the other. Dozens of workers tended to their growth with their hard work and sweat until a wall of bamboo cut off any view. All you could see was an endless path swallowed in bamboo branches making the path more foreboding than you thought necessary.
When you finally came in through the front gates, their iron and mortar was a welcomed sight. The one thing that wasn’t was that stupid Well you’d grown to hate ever since you almost fell in looking over the side as a child.
“I’ve never seen a house this big before.”
Luffy’s admission sent your eyes up from your feet to the large garden entrance. And that damned well that sat like a mockery in the middle of the walkway to the front.
“It’s impressive, right? Kaya’s given me an open invitation to stop by anytime I want.”
Your eyes darted over to Usopp who was practically skipping with excitement as he and Luffy made their way over to the well. You wanted him to look at you, but you knew he wouldn’t. If he did, Usopp would only find you looking at him - full of questions - with a look calling him a liar. You would never want him to feel bad. It was never your intention, however, it was going to be more embarrassing if you all got caught and thrown out on your ass than just being honest.
“Wow. That’s pretty awesome,” Luffy breathed. His face was full of wonder as he continued to take in the large space. “All of this is just for one person?”
“Well…she lives here with a few other staff.”
“Yeah. A bunch of asshole staff,” you grumbled under your breath.
By the way, Luffy and Usopp were hanging over the side of the well - ick - neither of them had heard you. Unfortunately, your fellow rear buddies did.
“You don’t seem to be a fan of the staff?” Nami ventured.
You eyed her carefully. She came off friendly enough, but she wasn’t giving anything else away. The small smile on her lips wasn’t reaching her eyes. Instead, they were calculating and waiting for you to give her any information you were willing or unwilling to give.
Nami was incredibly smart and equally dangerous because of it.
“They do a lot of suspicious things,” you replied slowly, unsure of how much sharing was too much.
“I’m sure butlers don’t come harboring life-threatening secrets,” Zoro countered.
His hand shoved in a pocket while the other still rested on the sword. He regarded you the way adults do children making up fairytales. The way the townspeople looked at Usopp like a silly child always crying wolf. They both thought you were being silly, and you wish you could say their disregard didn’t make your chest cave in just a bit, but you never were a good liar.
“No, maybe butlers don’t,” you countered, “but people do.”
When neither of them showed signs of continuing on with the conversation you started forward following Usopp and Luffy. You didn’t care about whatever conversation Zoro or Nami were having behind you. They could’ve been discussing robbing the place blind for all you could care about.
You were worried more about the people than the objects inside.
“If you have an invitation, why are we going through the back way?”
Just tell them, Usopp.
“Oh, well I never go through the front entrance. This is more of a VIP entrance.”
“This guy is full of shit.”
“Yeah, but if he gets us inside who cares.”
Why was Luffy the only member of this merry band of misfits who weren’t incredibly grumpy?
“Usopp,” you called out to him in a warning.
He gave you a glance over his shoulder before he made his way over the giant lily pads without a reply.
Little shit, you thought as you realized he was very much choosing to ignore your existence. Did you blame him? Not really. You couldn’t remember the last time anyone had humored him this long and you were debating on if you should be the one to crush his newfound hopes and dreams.
Fortunately for you, you weren’t going to have to be the bad guy in that scenario. One already seemed to exist.
Just as Usopp reached the second lily pad, you knew something was wrong. The hiccup of an, “Oh,” that came out of him registering as panic. He was already turning back to stop Luffy from coming closer, almost begging him to go to another entrance - an extra special one - when he was interrupted by a knife plunging into the lily pad between his feet.
A very sharp knife. One you knew could’ve easily severed flesh or nicked an artery. Your blood boiled as you pushed past Luffy, your eyes darting wildly as Buchi stalked towards Usopp who stuttered past a greeting.
“What the hell are you doing here, Usopp?” He snapped as his hands lurched in to grasp the leather of Usopp’s top. “You know you aren’t welcome here.”
“I know nothing of the sort. I came to give Kaya an extra-special gift.”
You practically glided past the last lily pad when a sharp hiss cut the air. You didn’t necessarily need to look to see if it was Sham. You knew it was. She stood just off the first step from where they’d been disemboweling the hog, mop at the ready, and her teeth bared directly at you.
“He’s brought the doctor,” she hissed.
Buchi finally seemed to register your presence from behind Usopp and bared his own teeth in warning.
“You are definitely not welcome here.”
“A rather odd thing to say to a healer when your mistress seems to be suffering a mysterious illness.”
“An illness we are more than capable of handling.”
“I find that highly doubtful.”
With his hands still holding onto Usopp, Buchi leaned forward to growl - literally growl - in your face like a rabid dog. You wanted to poke him in the eye and were incredibly tempted to do so when a soft voice cut through the tension.
“Usopp! What a wonderful surprise!”
Everyone’s attention shifted as Kaya made her entrance on the arm of Klahadore. You took a step back and away from the two just so Usopp could twist himself free and walk towards the waiting mistress of the estate.
“I wouldn’t miss today of all days. Happy birthday, Kaya.”
“You remembered.”
My god, she was practically swooning and Usopp was eating it up.
“I could never forget.”
This feels awkward.
They acted like they didn’t have a captive audience watching them look at each other like two lovestruck teenagers.
It wasn’t hard to notice how Kaya beamed at him or how that attention brought happiness to Usopp. For as long as you can remember, even as children, Usopp always liked her. Sure, he would play it off as if they were just friends. There was no way she could see him that way, but when Kaya’s parents passed away three years ago what was between them seemed to change. Their feelings became something saturated in an understanding of loss. Usopp knew what Kaya needed because it was something he himself had never truly received.
So, did it bother you that she actually hadn’t greeted you yet? Not really. What did bother you, however, was the way Klahadore’s eyes slithered over to you. It made you feel like you were going to be sick.
“Usopp. Did you bring the doctor with you?”
Please, let me crawl into a hole and die.
There was something off about Klahadore. It wasn’t just because he made your skin want to completely crawl off your body. It was the way he sounded every alarm bell in your brain. The way your heart speeds up triggering the fight or flight response that was ingrained in your body's defense system. The way he continued to look at you as if you were a bug that needed to be squashed, only drove the feeling home.
“Oh, yeah. Kaya, I had Doc make you something for your cough. I figured it might be worth a try.”
God, he looked so happy. He was completely oblivious to how Klahadore seemed ready to smite you both where you stood.
You closed your eyes, taking in a deep breath. Maybe when you opened them he wouldn’t be staring daggers into your face.
Nope. No such luck.
“Oh, that is so incredibly sweet,” Kaya beamed.
Klahadore slowly set his hand out in front of him. The cold obsidian of his eyes never left your face as he spoke. “Please hand over whatever tonic you’ve acquired for Miss Kaya.”
You weren’t aware your hand was already in the satchel. Your fingers wrapped protectively tight against the cool glass of the bottle as you continued to stare at one another.
“Hand it over. Please.”
“No-“
Usopp’s hand on your shoulder stopped you cold. Your teeth ground tightly to stop your next words. You didn’t want to hand that asshole anything. Not when Kaya looked so damn pale.
Something is wrong.
The thought wormed its way into your brain until it gnawed at all other thoughts until it consumed every available spot. It was all you could think as your eyes continued to look over her frail frame.
Naan taught you that as a doctor, and as a healer, it was your job to fight for your patients. To always do what you could and what was best for their care. Was giving the medicine you made for Kaya to Klahadore best for her care.
No. No, it sure as shit didn’t feel like it.
Maybe that was why it felt like such a betrayal to take the medicine from your bag and drop it inside his gloved hand. You watched as his disgusting white fingers wrapped around the gray bottle and brought it up to rest closely to his chest.
“Now, Usopp we’ve had this discussion about coming here unannounced - and this time with a doctor.”
“Nonsense, Klahadore,” Kaya interjected. “They are my friends. What a sweet gesture it was, Doc to try and make me something. Usopp, did you come to tell me more stories about your adventures?”
“I can do you one better. I brought some of my crew.”
With a sweep of his arm, Usopp introduced Luffy, Nami, and Zoro who registered this gesture with sheer disbelief. Well, disbelief would be putting it mildly.
“Is he talking about us?”
Luffy sounded as confused as you felt.
“I’m sorry, but we do not have any room for any extra guests tonight, I’m afraid.”
“Oh please, Klahadore couldn’t they at least stay for dinner? It is my birthday.”
You hated how Kaya had to beg to have company that wasn’t her staff. You could vaguely remember the butler who was in charge before Klahadore had arrived. Mr. Thorburr had been an absolute delight and genuinely seemed to care about Kaya and her family’s wellbeing. If he was still in charge, you were positive he would’ve believed in letting Kaya outside to enjoy the garden or have friends stop by, even unannounced, to visit.
One day he was just gone and slowly the only staff that was left were these three assholes. It all felt awfully convenient or maybe you were just being petty because you disliked them.
The way Klahadore looked at her made your stomach turn.
“Anything for you, Miss Kaya.”
You wondered if he choked a little over each word as they traveled up his throat.
“Great!” Luffy shouted. “When do we eat?”
“You don’t. Not dressed like that. You will change and bathe before dinner. No exceptions.”
Everyone was willing to accept the invitation. The premise of a bath seemed enough to make Nami practically skip forward to be led inside by Sham. Your feet, however, refused to move. Usopp, Luffy, and Nami practically took the small stairs up to the patio in one giant leap. Your earlier dread from the day was back and something dark borrowed its way into your chest.
Something is wrong.
You were about to turn tail and run when you noticed Zoro stop at the edge of the stairs. His body turned slightly to eye Klahadore one last time before he turned to follow after his crew. It was small and barely lasted a second, but it was enough.
Zoro noticed something wasn’t right either and maybe, just maybe, he’d be the one to believe you. All you had to do was join him inside the house to talk to him. No biggie.
Taking in a deep breath you finally moved to follow behind Kaya and Klahadore. Your eyes intently following a particular green-haired swordsman and wondering how you were going to get him alone.
The showers seemed like a great place to start.
_______________________
As always, thank you for reading. Reblogs and comments are always welcome.
1st Person POV:
Bobby is sitting in his make-shift library while Sam sits at a desk in the kitchen. I sit across from him while Dean paces around the room. Dean and I had just finished telling them about what happened while Sam was MIA and Bobby was ever so gently knocked unconscious by an angel.
"Well, then tell me what else it could be." Sam sighed, resting his forehead on his fist.
Dean leans forward slightly, "Look, all I know is I was not groped by an angel."
"Dean I saw his wings, his friggin' wings! Is that not proof enough?" I throw my hands up in exasperation.
"No! You wanna know why? Because I didn't see 'em! Why the hell are you the only ones that can anyway? I mean, Bobby didn't!" Dean raises his voice a little, gesturing his hand towards Bobby, who's just reading in one of his many books.
"Okay, look, Dean. Why do you think this Castiel would lie to you about it?" Sam's voice is calmer than his brother's, quieter.
"Maybe he's some kind of demon. Demons lie." Dean argues. I rub my forehead in frustration, these Winchesters always being the argumentative type.
"A demon who's immune to salt rounds and devil's traps... and Ruby's knife? Dean, Lilith is scared of that thing!" My voice starts to raise as well, feeling more and more overstimulated by each passing moment. I roll my eyes as Dean picks up a slice of pizza, sniffs it and tosses it back in the box. "Don't you think that if angels were real, that some hunter somewhere would have seen one... at some point... ever?" Dean waves his hands around, irritated.
Sam smirks softly, "Yeah. You just did, Dean."
"I'm trying to come up with a theory here. Okay? Work with me."
"Dean, we have a theory." I argue.
Dean stands up from where he was leaning on the counter, putting his hands on his hips, "Yeah, one with a little less fairy dust on it, please."
"Okay, look. I'm not saying we know for sure. I'm just saying that I think we --" Sam starts before Dean interrupts.
"Okay, okay. That's the point. We don't know for sure, so I'm not gonna believe that this thing is a freaking Angel of the Lord because it says so!" Dean yells.
Bobby interjects, looking up at us, "You three chuckleheads want to keep arguing religion, or do you want to come take a look at this?"
The boys and I walk over to Bobby's desk, "I got stacks of lore -- Biblical, pre-Biblical. Some of it's in damn cuneiform. It all says an angel can snatch a soul from the pit."
"What else?" Dean asks, making me smack his shoulder.
"What else, what?" Bobby's eyebrows crinkle at the question.
"What else could do it?"
Bobby folds his hands in front of him on his lap, "Airlift your ass out of the hot box? As far as I can tell, nothing. And nothing on why (Y/N) can see his wings while you can't."
"Dean, this is good news." Sam beams.
"How?" Dean furrows his eyebrows and looks at his brother.
"Because for once, this isn't just another round of demon crap. I mean, maybe you were saved by one of the good guys, you know?" Sam says, a little too excited about angels being real.
"Okay. Say it's true. Say there are angels. Then what? There's a God?" Dean's tone still holds disbelief.
"At this point, Vegas money's on yeah." Bobby shrugs.
"I don't know, guys." Dean sighs, rubbing his forehead.
"Okay, look. I know you're not all choirboy about this stuff, but this is becoming less and less about faith and more and more about proof." Sam waves his hands around.
"Proof?" Dean narrows his eyes.
"Yes." I say incredulously.
Dean raises his voice again, "Proof that there's a God out there that actually gives a crap about me personally? I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it."
"Why not?" I cross my arms over my chest and shift my weight to my left leg.
"Because why me? If there is a God out there, why would he give a crap about me?" Dean's voice breaks.
"Dean --," Sam starts but Dean interrupts him.
"I mean, I've saved some people, okay? I figured that made up for the stealing and the ditching chicks. But why do I deserve to get saved? I'm just a regular guy."
"Apparently, you're a regular guy that's important to the man upstairs." Sam smiles a little.
"Well, that creeps me out. I mean, I don't like getting singled out at birthday parties, much less by... God." Dean scoffs.
"Okay, well, too bad, Dean, because I think he wants you to strap on your party hat." I clap my hand on his shoulder.
A silence passes over us before Dean clears his throat, "Fine. What do we know about angels?"
My mouth falls open slightly as Bobby plops half a dozen heavy books in front of us, "Start reading." The older man says.
Dean's eyes widen and he looks at Sam, "You're gonna get me some pie." Then he grabs the top book from the pile. I sigh and grab the second book, plopping onto the couch and opening it.
~~~~~~~
1st Person POV:
Sam pulls up in the Impala as Bobby, Dean and I load the trunk of Bobby's car. Bobby tosses a brown duffel bag in it then walks up to Sam, telling him about his plan for us to go see a friend of his, Olivia Lowry. Dean walks around to the driver's side while I go to the backseat, Bobby going to his own car.
"Scoot over." Dean all but demands.
"Yeah." Sam responds, looking a little concerned. Dean grabs the bag of food from Sam and rifles around inside it. "Dude?" Dean doesn't look up from the bag.
"Yeah?" Sam looks at his brother while I giggle, knowing where this is going.
Dean looks at his brother, wide-eyed, "Where's the pie?"
~~~~~~~
We all walk into Olivia's house, all armed with guns and Bobby calling out to his friend. "Olivia?" I round the corner with the boys, seeing the woman dead on the floor, bloody and mangled. Bobby says nothing as he walks out of the room and out the front door.
"Bobby?" I follow him out, wanting to make sure he was okay. I see Bobby on his phone, dialing someone else's number. "Bobby?" He looks up at me, trying not to show just how distraught he is and failing. "Are you okay, Bobby?" He nods silently, bringing his phone to his ear. After a few seconds, he sighs and tries another number. He repeats this process a couple times, growing a little agitated. Bobby puts his down again, putting his other hand on my shoulder and leading me back inside silently.
"Bobby, you all right?" Dean asks him. Sam stands up from his position, previously crouched over Olivia's body.
Bobby keeps his hand on my shoulder, maybe a little worried if I wander too far I'll end up like Olivia, "I called some hunters nearby..."
"Good. We can use their help." Dean grimaces down at the corpse.
"...except they ain't answering their phones either." Bobby finishes.
Sam looks at Bobby sympathetically, "Something's up, huh?"
"You think?" Bobby leads me back outside, I can feel Sam and Dean's eyes boring into our backs.
~~~~~~~
Dean, Sam and I are driving to another hunter's house, a friend of Bobby's named Jed. Dean's been calling him every once and a while on the drive with no answer. "Jed, Dean Winchester again -- friend of Bobby Singer's. Look, we think something's happening. We think it's happening to hunters. Just want to make sure you're okay. Call me back."
Dean hangs up the phone and sets it on the dash as he drives, "Damn it."
I sigh softly, not having much hope that Jed is still alive, or anyone that Bobby has called.
~~~~~~~
"We're at Jed's. It's not pretty. He looks even worse than Olivia. What about you?" Dean speaks to Bobby through the phone as we walk down the front porch steps. After Bobby's response Dean speaks again, "What the hell is going on here, Bobby? Why did a bunch of ghosts suddenly want to gank off-duty hunters?" More silence as Bobby speaks, then Dean says, "We're on our way."
~~~~~~~
Dean is driving, on the phone, trying to get ahold of Bobby. Sam is in the passenger seat with bruises on his face, I try to assess his injuries, distracting myself from the growing anxiety of my surrogate father not answering his God damn phone.
"Damn it, Bobby! Pick up!" Dean yells, looking at his phone, then putting it back up to his ear.
"How you feeling, huh? How many fingers am I holding up?" I ask Sam, holding up three fingers.
"None. I'll be fine, (Y/N)."
"Henriksen?" Dean asks.
"The FBI dude?" I raise my eyebrow. Dean and I were both asleep in the Impala when Sam was attacked in the bathroom, Dean saving him with salt rounds, while I took the gas pump out of the car, unaware.
"Yep." Sam nods.
"Why? What did he want?" I ask, leaning back against my seat, arms crossed over my chest.
"Revenge, 'cause we got him killed." Sam sighs.
"Sam." Dean says sternly.
"Well, we did, Dean." Sam tilts his head.
"All right. Stop right there. Whatever the hell is going on, it's happening to us now, okay? I can't get ahold of Bobby, so if you're not thinking answers, don't think at all." Dean scolds, rather harshly, speeding to Bobby's.
~~~~~~~
Dean, Sam and I enter the house, guns cocked and ready. "Bobby?" I call out, moving throughout the first floor.
"Bobby?" Dean calls. He snaps his fingers, pointing to a fire poker on the floor.
"I'll go. You check outside." I gesture to the stairs, the boys nodding and going outside to the junkyard. I go upstairs, searching for Bobby, calling his name every once in a while. A door slams next to me, making my head whip to my right. Another door shuts at the end of the hall, then the last one opens.
"Come out, come out, whoever you are." I say as I slowly make my way down the hall. My breath becomes visible.
"(Y/N) Singer. Or should I say (L/N). Still so bossy." I turn around, seeing a woman a little older than me with (h/l) (h/c) hair. "You don't recognize me?"
My eyebrows crinkle, remembering a picture of my mom and dad Bobby grabbed when he found me. My mother was standing before me, looking as she did when I was a baby, albeit a bit dirty.
My mother takes a step forward, "This is what I looked like when you were tiny. You were only a few months old when that demon killed me and your dad."
"Mom?" I tear up a little, letting my guard down slightly.
She smiles lovingly, "Hi. It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you, baby."
"You're my mom. Bobby saved a picture of you for me..."
"I'm glad he did, so you could recognize me now. You were too young to remember that demon possessing me. Too young to remember the demon in my body killing your daddy right in front of you. Then Bobby Singer showed up, your little self screaming and crying in your crib. The demon made me stab myself. So when Bobby exorcised the demon, I died too." She takes slow steps towards me.
"I'm sorry, Mom." I try to keep my tears at bay.
"Oh, yeah? So sorry that you're the reason the demon was there?" She tilts her head.
"W-What? What do you-?" My mom cuts me off, yelling.
"That demon was there for you! You're the reason your father and I are dead! It's all your fault! Without you, your dad would still be alive! I would still be alive!"
I sniffle, flinching slightly as a tear falls, "How is it my fault!? I was a baby!"
My mother takes another step forward, hitting me with a right hook, making me fall to the floor. My gun clatters to the floor and she kicks it away. "Mom." I grunt, bringing myself to my elbows before she kicks me in the face. I groan and roll onto my back. "I was a baby..."
My mom scoffs, crouching in front of me, "No...you're apparently more than that. Important enough that demons wanted you. Do you know what you are?"
"No, I don't." My voice comes out strained.
She grabs the collar of my shirt, I glance down, seeing a brand on her hand. "Of course not. Not a clue that the angel on your shoulder is the reason I'm like this..."
"What are you talking about?"
She shoves me back down, sending another harsh kick to my ribs. She stands over me, continuing her monologue, "Your daddy worshipped you. He was gonna be at your beck and call as his little girl. He died protecting you. He died because he was determined to not let that thing have you."
"Mom."
"You were the best thing to happen to us. We were already planning when to give you a little brother or sister. Picturing you running around with your sibling, being a mentor. But when that demon told your dad what you are, speaking with my voice! It's all your fault! I wish I never had you!"
Another tear falls down my cheek, I'm not sure if it's from physical pain or emotional at this point. "I'm sorry, Mom."
She grits her teeth and kicks me again. I grunt and get to my hands and knees, trying to crawl away, I probably have a broken rib...or two. I lay back down on the ground, pulling a pistol from my boot. I aim it at my mother, glaring slightly.
"Oh come on. Are you really that stupid? You can't get rid of me with regular bullets." My mother taunts.
"I'm not shooting you." I grunt, aiming my gun up to a chandelier, shooting the chain. It falls and immediately makes my mom disappear. "Iron. Bitch." I groan in pain, laying there for a moment.
~~~~~~~
Sam, Dean, Bobby and I are in the study, the boys looking away from me as my shirt is sitting on my shoulders so I can wrap an ace bandage on my ribs. Dark bruising covers my ribs and stomach, making me wince.
"So, they're all people we know?" Sam questions, his arms out disbelievingly.
"Not just know. People that died because of us. I saw something on my mom's hand, and I don't think she had any tattoos on her hands, it looked like a brand." I huff, struggling with the bandage. Sam walks over and helps me wrap it around myself, being gentle and not letting his eyes wander.
"I saw a mark, too, on Henriksen." He says.
"What did it look like?" Bobby asks.
Sam finishes wrapping my ribs, standing back up from his kneeling position, "Uh, paper?" Bobby hands him a piece of paper and a pencil, "Thanks." He begins to sketch the symbol on the paper. I pull my shirt back on as Sam shows me the symbol and I nod, "that's it."
Sam shows it to Bobby, "I may have seen this before." He says as the radio starts up and lights flicker, "We got to move."
Bobby hands Sam a couple books, "Follow me."
"Okay, where are we going?" Sam asks.
Bobby looks at Sam like he grew another head, "Some place safe, you idjit."
Bobby picks up a couple more books and leads us into the basement. We walk to the back of the basement and Bobby opens a big, solid iron door. We walk inside, the boys looking rather impressed, meanwhile I helped Bobby set this up a long time ago. The light turns on, revealing the devil's trap on the floor. It has a bed, weapons rack, desk and a couple other things. Bobby shuts the door and sets the books down.
"Bobby, is this..." Sam starts.
"Solid iron. Completely coated in salt. 100% ghost-proof." He nods, a little bit of boasting in his tone.
"You built a panic room?"
"I had a weekend off." Bobby shrugs.
"Bobby." Dean says.
"What?"
Dean holds up a rifle Bobby had on the gun rack, "You're awesome." Dean smiles and looks at the wall, seeing a poster of a swimsuit model. Obviously not my idea. "Oh."
~~~~~~~
Sam, Dean and I are making salt rounds at the table, while Bobby is writing something down at the desk nearby. A heavy silence hangs in the air as Sam and Dean glance at each other. Dean speaks up first, "See, this is why I can't get behind God."
"What are you talking about?" Sam's eyebrows crinkle.
"If he doesn't exist, fine. Bad crap happens to good people. That's how it is." Dean looks back at Bobby then back at Sam and I. "There's no rhyme or reason -- just random, horrible, evil -- I get it, okay. I can roll with that. But if he is out there, what's wrong with him? Where the hell is he while all these decent people are getting torn to shreds? How does he live with himself? You know, why doesn't he help?" Sam looks over at Bobby, silently asking for help with this conundrum.
"I ain't touching this one with at 10-foot pole." Bobby chuckles nervously.
"Yeah." Dean scoffs.
Bobby taps his pencil on the book in front of him, "Found it."
"What?" I ask.
"The symbol you saw -- the brand on the ghosts..."
Sam nods, "Yeah?"
"Mark of the Witness." Bobby flips a page in the book, pointing to the symbol.
"Witness? Witness to what?" My eyebrows furrow, a confused look on my face.
"The unnatural. None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths. See, these ghosts -- they were forced to rise. They woke up in agony. They were like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault. Someone rose them... on purpose." Bobby informs.
"Who?" I ask, irritation lacing my tone at the thought of someone doing that to my poor mother.
"Do I look like I know? But whoever it was used a spell so powerful it left a mark, a brand on their souls. Whoever did this had big plans. It's called 'the rising of the witnesses.' It figures into an ancient prophecy."
"Wait, wait. What -- what book is that prophecy from?" Dean asks, him and Sam standing up and walking over to Bobby. I stay at the table, ignoring the dull throbbing in my ribs.
"Well, the widely distributed version's just for tourists, you know. But long story short -- Revelations. This is a sign, kids."
I rub my forehead, "A sign of what?"
Bobby leans back in his chair, glancing from me to the boys, "The apocalypse."
"Apocalypse? The apocalypse, apocalypse? The four horsemen, pestilence, $5-a-gallon-gas apocalypse?" Dean asks incredulously.
"That's the one. The rise of the witnesses is a -- a mile marker."
"Okay, so, what do we do now?" Sam interrogates.
Dean scoffs, walking back to the table, "Road trip. Grand Canyon, Star Trek Experience." He claps his hands. "Bunny Ranch." Dean sits back down with me at the table.
"We're not going to Carson City." I cross my legs, resisting the urge to throw one of these salt rounds at him.
"First things first. How about we survive our friends out there?" Bobby rocks slightly in the desk chair.
"Great. Any ideas aside from staying in this room until Judgment Day?" Dean tilts his head.
Bobby taps his pencil on the page in front of him, "It's a spell to send the witnesses back to rest. Should work."
"Should. Great." Sam chuckles.
"If I translate it correctly. I think I got everything we need here at the house." Bobby says hopefully.
Dean smiles. "Any chance you got everything we need here in this room?"
"So, you thought our luck was gonna start now all of a sudden?" Bobby says with his signature sass. He stands up, walking to the gun rack, "Spell's got to be cast over an open fire."
"The fireplace in the library." Sam states.
"Bingo."
Dean looks between Bobby, Sam and I, "That's just not as appealing as a, uh, ghost-proof panic room, you know?" Sam sighs and we start preparing to leave the panic room.
"Cover each other. And aim careful. Don't run out of ammo until I'm done, or they'll shred you. Ready?" Bobby asks after we've loaded our guns and got things ready. Bobby pushes open the door, all of us aiming our guns and ready to fire. We round the corner to the stairs, seeing a man with dark, curly hair sitting near the top.
The man looks up, smiling a little, "Hey, Dean. You remember me?"
Dean smiles as well, "Ronald, huh? With the laser eyes? I wish I could say it's good to see you."
"I am dead because of you. You were supposed to help me!" Ronald yells, standing up.
Bobby shoots Ronald with a salt round, making him disappear, "If you're gonna shoot, shoot. Don't talk."
Sam, Bobby, Dean and I get up the stairs and into the living room, I help Sam pour a salt circle while Dean starts the fire in the fireplace. Bobby looks at Sam, "Upstairs, linen closet -- red hex box. It'll be heavy."
"Got it." Sam nods and goes upstairs.
Two little girls appear, both with dark hair and dirty dresses. "Bobby." One of them says. I shoot them bot before they can get another word out.
"Kitchen. Cutlery drawer. It's got a false bottom. Hemlock, opium, wormwood." Bobby tells me.
"Opium?"
"Go!" Bobby yells at me.
I go into the kitchen and rifle through the cutlery drawer, grabbing what Bobby asked for under a false bottom in the drawer, when I hear another gunshot, meaning one of the boys shot another ghost. The doors to the kitchen close suddenly. "(Y/N)?" Bobby yells for me, worry in his tone.
"I'm all right, Bobby! Keep working!" I see Henrikson appear next to me out of the corner of my eye, grabbing my wrist, "Victor."
"(Y/N)." His voice is full of malice, of hatred.
"I know."
He scoffs, "No. You don't."
"It's our fault you're dead. We left you behind. And the minute I heard about that explosion, I thought, 'I should've known.' We should've protected you." I reach behind me to grab my shotgun, but it's flung across the room.
"Unh-unh. Not so fast." I look at my discarded gun then back at Henrikson, "You think you left and Lilith came and we all died in a beautiful blast of... white light? If only. 45 minutes."
My eyebrows furrow in confusion, "What?"
Henrikson continues, "Over 45 minutes. Lilith said she wanted to have some fun. The secretary was first. Remember her? Nancy, the virgin. Lilith filleted Nancy's skin off piece by piece. Right in front of us, made us watch. Nancy never stopped screaming."
"No." I could feel the guilt racking my brain.
"I was the last."
"Victor..." I start, full of remorse. Henrikson reaches into my chest, gripping my heart, making me grunt and grit my teeth. "Tell me how it's fair. Dean gets saved from Hell -- I die. Why does he deserve another chance, (Y/N)?"
Henrikson sighs, my eyes shutting as my vision starts to fade, before a loud gunshot makes my ears ring. Henrikson's hand disappears from my chest and I crumble to the ground, gasping and coughing.
"You all right?" Sam kneels next to me as I grasp my chest where Henrikson's hand was.
I wince, "No."
"Let's go." Sam helps me to my feet. He opens the kitchen door, carrying the hexbox while I bring in the bowl of ingredients. We set them on the desk in front of Bobby and he starts putting things together. Ronald appears again as Dean is reloading his gun.
"Ronald. Hey, come on, man. I thought we were pals." Dean smiles a little, putting the salt rounds in his gun.
"That's when I was breathing. Now I'm gonna eat you alive." Ronald smiles back.
Dean chuckles, "Well...come on, I'm not a cheeseburger." Dean cocks his gun and points it at Ronald, but Ronald has vanished. Bobby recites some Latin words and the windows blow open and a wind fills the room. The wind breaks the salt circle, leaving us vulnerable. Meg appears and Sam quickly shoots at her, as Bobby continues to recite the spell. My mother materializes in front of me, Dean shooting her.
Ronald appears and I shoot him. Sam, Dean and I continue to fire as the ghosts show up. My mom appears again and knocks my gun out of my hands. I quickly pick up an iron rod and swing it at her. Meg comes into view and pushes Sam against the wall, trapping him there with a desk. Sam grunts as he tries to push the desk away without success.
Dean shouts, "Sam!"
"Cover Bobby!" His brother responds, his voice strained.
Bobby continues to recite the spell as Sam keeps trying to get out from behind the desk. The two little are sitting on the desk in front of Sam. Meg plunges a hand into Bobby's back, making him drop the bowl with spell ingredients with a grunt. Bobby yells at me in a strained voice as I catch the bowl, "(Y/N)! Fireplace!"
I throw the bowl in the fire, which turns blue. Dean grabs me and pulls me from the fire as a bright light explodes in the room and we shield our eyes. When we look around the ghosts are gone and Bobby falls to the floor.
"Bobby?" I call to him, concerned.
Sam pushes the desk away from him while Dean nd I go over to Bobby. The boys help him up and I stand in front of him, looking at his face. Bobby nods, telling us he is okay.
~~~~~~~
3rd Person POV:
The couch where (Y/N) was supposed to be sleeping was empty. Sam and Dean are asleep on the floor nearby when the sound of wings wake up Dean. He looks up to find Castiel standing in the kitchen. Dean checks on Sam and sees he is asleep. He looks to the couch, seeing it empty and he grows concerned and walks over to join Castiel, who is leaning against the sink.
"Where's (Y/N)?" Dean asks him.
"She is outside, she is safe." He says, monotone. "Excellent job with the witnesses."
"You were hip to all this?" Dean asks incredulously.
Castiel nods, "I was, uh, made aware."
"Well, thanks a lot for the angelic assistance. You know, (Y/N) almost got her heart ripped out of her chest. Not to mention some broken ribs." Dean says angrily.
"I know. And I'm sorry. I plan on talking to her after I'm done with you." He says, the same guilt on his face that he had when he was reminded about blinding Pamela.
Dean furrows his eyebrows. "I thought angels were supposed to be guardians. Fluffy wings, halos -- you know, Michael Landon. Not dicks."
"Read the Bible. Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier."
"Yeah? Then, why didn't you fight?" Dean interrogates.
Castiel continues in his monotone voice, "I'm not here to perch on your shoulder. We had larger concerns." He puts emphasis on 'your'.
Dean looks at the angel with offense, "Concerns? There were people getting torn to shreds down here! And, by the way, while all this is going on, where the hell is your boss, huh, if there is a God?"
"There's a God."
"I'm not convinced. 'Cause if there's a God, what the hell is he waiting for, huh? Genocide? Monsters roaming the earth? The freaking apocalypse? At what point does he lift a damn finger and help the poor bastards that are stuck down here?"
Castiel sighs, "The Lord works..."
Dean interrupts him, "If you say 'mysterious ways' so help me, I will kick your ass." Castiel puts his hands up momentarily in surrender, "So, Bobby was right... about the witnesses. This is some kind of a... sign of the apocalypse."
The angel nods, "That's why we're here. Big things afoot."
"Do I want to know what kind of things?"
"I sincerely doubt it, but you need to know. The rising of the witnesses is one of the 66 seals." Castiel states.
"Okay. I'm guessing that's not a show at Seaworld." Dean says sarcastically.
"Those seals are being broken by Lilith."
Dean nods in understanding, "She did the spell. She rose the witnesses."
"Mm-hmm. And not just here. 20 other hunters are dead." Castiel informs.
"Of course. She picked victims that the hunters couldn't save so that they would barrel right after us."
"Lilith has a certain sense of humor."
"Well, we put those spirits back to rest."
Castiel shakes his head, "It doesn't matter. The seal was broken."
"Why break the seal anyway?" Dean asks.
"You think of the seals as locks on a door."
"Okay. Last one opens and..." Dean trails off.
Castiel stands up straight, "Lucifer walks free."
"Lucifer? But I thought Lucifer was just a story they told at demon Sunday school. There's no such thing."
"Three days ago, you thought there was no such thing as me. Why do you think we're here walking among you now for the first time in 2,000 years?" Castiel asks.
Dean makes the realization, "To stop Lucifer."
"That's why we've arrived."
"Well... bang-up job so far. Stellar work with the witnesses. That's nice." Dean gives the angel attitude.
"We tried. And there are other battles, other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll lose. This one we lost. Our numbers are not unlimited. Six of my brothers died in the field this week. You think the armies of Heaven should just follow you around? There's a bigger picture here. You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of Hell. I can throw you back in." Castiel threatens before he vanishes from Dean's sight.
~~~~~~~
1st Person POV:
A flutter of wings makes me jump as I sit on the hood of one of Bobby's junk cars, my knees curled to my chest. Castiel stands in front of me, a gentle smile on his face, his wings folded behind him.
"Hello (Y/N)," He greets, his voice monotone.
"Hi Castiel," I give him a polite smile back.
"Good job with the witnesses, I'm glad to see you alive." He nods once, taking a step forward. "But I was made aware that you're injured."
"A, uh, a couple broken ribs, I'll be okay."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you," Castiel apologizes.
"It's alright, you're busy, I get it." I hum and smile softly.
"May I...heal you?"
I give him a look of surprise and I nod. Castiel brings two fingers to my forehead and I close my eyes, honestly preparing to hurt some. But instead, the dull throbbing of my ribs completely disappears in seconds. "Thank you Castiel."
He smiles again, "Thank you for letting me."
"C-Can I ask you something?" I stutter, my (e/c) eyes meeting his light blue ones.
"Anything." He answers honestly.
"Today, one of the witnesses was my mother. Her and my dad were killed by a demon when I was a baby. My mom said the demon was after me, that's why it was there. Because of the 'angel on my shoulder'. Do you know what she meant?" I ask, using air quotes.
Castiel nods, looking down at the ground, he seemed almost...nervous. "It's because your soul is tied to...my grace. Which could be harnessed in a way that can cause both of us great harm, even death."
"W-What do you mean? 'Tied to your grace'? Is that why I can see your wings?" My thoughts are going a thousand miles a minute.
The angel sighs and nods again, taking another step forward. "Every angel has a soul they are tied to. But not every soul is tied to an angel. I believe the term humans use is 'soulmate.'"
I look at Castiel like he grew a second head, "So what? I'm destined to be with you or something?"
His eyebrows crinkle and he shakes his head quickly, "No, you still have the free will to choose that. It's more like I am your guardian angel. My father, he wanted to give us something to...live for. A lot of angels never meet the soul they are bound to, some die before they do. But the humans they are bound to, they are almost always reborn, or reincarnated. Unless that soul is sent to Hell."
"I-I'm sorry, that's a lot to take in." I interrupt before he can continue.
He nods once more, fidgeting with the sleeve of his trenchcoat, "I felt like this isn't something I should keep from you. You deserve to know."
"Uh, yeah. Thanks Castiel." I nod, swallowing thickly.
Castiel's wings spread out a little, "I-I need to get going. Just know that if you pray to me, I will be there as soon as I can. I will always be someone you can count on."
(A/N:) 5.3k words later. This was really long, so I hope you like long chapters. This would have been out sooner but my daughter's first birthday was on March 30th. I've learned these take about 3-4 days to write so I will try to post at least twice a week. Thank you for reading and I hope the exposition at the end made sense.
She… she calls it “Chupi”.
THE IMPERFECTS 1.03 “Portland Warehouse Massacre”
the sexual tension between me and unread books on my bookshelf
possessive miguel o’hara has me in a chokehold
Possessive!Miguel trusts you but not those you interact with because he knew what every one of them were thinking upon looking at you because he thought the exact same thing.
Possessive!Miguel who’d watch from his hubbub as you interact with the others in the spider society under the guise of doing something else. It completely fools everyone but not Lyla, who would often catching him stealing glances and noting how his jaw clenched when the person you were talking to decided to get a little too comfortable.
Possessive!Miguel who’d definitely leaves bite marks scattered about your body when he’s feeling particularly possessive and would hide away any article of clothing that would allow you to cover them up so that people would get the message that you were taken. But when he noticed that some had healed, he takes up the task of replacing them with more marks.
Possessive!Miguel who is your shadow, following you whilst keeping a distance, thinking he was merely watching over you, which he was but one too many times had he followed you on the pretences of looking out for your well-being, when it was just him making sure to keep you within his line of sight, sending him into an almost feral state when you seemingly disappeared before his eyes.
Possessive!Miguel who only got possessive when he’s faced with the possibility of eventually loosing you one day to someone who truly deserved your love. It’s fascinating for Miguel when he’s aware of the moment his protectiveness became possessiveness towards you; Yet despite how possessive he may get, Miguel never lets it go to darker places where he would be pushing and pushing you away into the arms of someone else.
Possessive!Miguel who’d holds onto you really tight, face pressed into your neck, whispering ‘you’re mine,’ ‘there’s nobody that you’d rather be with then me,’ ‘I need you,’ ‘you belong to me,’ ‘don’t leave me when I still need you in my life,’ ‘see the way you fit within my arms? It means that we were meant to be.’ And so on like a mantra that you didn’t know who it was made for, you or himself for reassurance.
Possessive!Miguel who’d may or may not keep you inside the house when he feels as though something bad was encroaching and his first instinct was to assure that you were safe, even if it meant keeping you locked inside until further notice but he makes sure you have everything that you require until the danger passes over.
A/n: I kinda ran out of stuff to put here and this might seem a little lacklustre but at least I tried and gave it an attempt. Plus half of this probs ain’t within the realm of possessiveness but eh.
Request: “I was wondering if you could write an Adrian x Reader with the only one bed trope?”
Thank you @r3tr0sp3ct for the request.
Warnings: None that I know of. (If you see something please let me know!)
A/N: I was so excited about this request when I got it. I love writing for Adrian! If you wanna see something for our boy (as long as it’s not smut) send it my way and if I feel comfortable writing it I’ll eventually get to it!! Hope you guys enjoy! :)
Keep reading
Kaz and Matthias being mean to each other in chapter 29 my beloveds.
Kaz: How do we cross? I don't see anything.
Matthias: Because you are not worthy.
Kaz: I'm also not near sighted. There's nothing there.
Matthias: We go from aspirant to novice drüskelle in the ceremony at the sacred ash.
Kaz: Where the tree talks to you.
Matthias: (resisting the urge to shove Kaz into the ice moat) Where we hope to hear the voice of Djel.
Kaz: All this to be a witch hunter? The Dregs need a better initiation.
Matthias: This is only one part of Hringkälla.
Kaz: Yes, I know, then a tree tells you the secret handshake.
Matthias: Chilly, Brekker?
Kaz: If only we had time for a swim. Get moving.
Matthias: I feel sorry for you, Brekker. There is nothing sacred in your life.
Matthias: And the magic tricks?
Kaz: (snorts) So you don't think I'm a demon anymore?
Matthias: I know you're a demon, but your tricks are human.