#'And Miles is right to not listen to him'

[wedriftlikelonelyplanets]

14 landoscar!

14 from this prompt list: "I'm not going to hurt you"

PLEASE appreciate some made-up zombieverse that uh....might become SOMETHING when I decide I have the time or energy. Lemme know if you like it or whatever....

Lando’s picking his way through the abandoned hospital when he hears something. The low murmur of voices, the scuff of feet. He’s not sure if they’re on the same floor, or one lower, but his hand tightens around the handle of his gun, as he ducks into an empty room, hiding behind the open door, and trying to steady his breathing. 

He feels the fear, it’s heady, and he’s dizzy with it, adrenaline sweeping through him, hand shaky. It’s been a long time since he’s run into anyone other than raiders and the fucking zombies. But these don’t feel like raiders. There’s a rhythm to the way they walk, almost military. There are three of them, at least. Three separate voices he can pick out, past the heartbeat he can hear rushing in his ears. 

He hates it, the fear and uncertainty he feels, as he tucks himself further back, trying to make himself smaller. 

He’d just been looking for a place to stay, safe enough at least, to crash for a couple nights, where he could barricade himself in from any possible threats. He’s been on the road for so long, and it’s exhausting. He doesn’t remember the last time he’s slept for more than two to three hours. It was probably months ago, when he was in a shelter areas, before they’d gotten infected, and then he’d had to run all over again. 

It’s been lonely, if he’s being honest. But he’s never really been able to trust anyone. Not truly. Everything changed after the outbreak, and it was easy for friends to become enemies. For him to realize that it was almost impossible to trust anyone ever. And then Max had disappeared, and that was arguably the worst part of it all. 

It’s truly not the time for him to wallow in misery, to get stuck in memories of the past. Doesn’t want to think about the time he went to bed with his best friend lying beside him, and woke up to his best friend gone. 

He sucks in a deep breath to steady trembling hands, flexes them around the gun before he relaxes again, pushing himself back to his feet. Wonders if he can move quietly enough to sneak out of the hospital, or at least to the next floor before they catch on to the fact that he’s there. But he knows that even if he gets out, there’s a chance that they’ll be able to catch him anyway. He’s on foot, and oftentimes when he sees raiders, they’re either on horseback, or in cars that they’ve managed to cobble together, make work with expired fuel and a dream. 

But he can’t afford to let paranoia creep in. There’s a chance that if they do have cars, he could make his own getaway. Despite lack of access, he’s fairly certain driving a car would be like driving a bike, and it would at least give him time to put in some distance, until he can find the next safe city, or somewhere safe for him to linger. Untouched miles of forests, maybe. He thinks that if he tried, with the right supplies, he could live in the silence for a while. 

As much as he misses the contact of other humans. 

Lando pokes his head around the door frame, looks both ways, holds his breath for a second as he listens. They’re still far enough down the hallway that he thinks he can get out without alerting them. Just has to move slowly, quietly. He’s learned to walk quietly in the beat-up hiking boots that have carried him hundreds of miles. 

It’s easy, at first, knows he’s hidden under the dim lighting in dark clothes, keeps to the shadows and moves quietly. But he’s not watching his feet when he glances behind himself, to make sure the group hasn’t materialized, and he trips over something. The sound of metal clanging is loud, echoing in the silence of the space, and he curses under his breath as he manages – barely – to keep his balance. 

“Fuck was that?” one of the people asks, much closer than Lando expected them to be, so he slaps a hand over his mouth, ducks into the nearest doorway and presses himself flush to the wall. His fingers tightening around the handle of his gun all over again, thumb hovering over the safety. 

“I’ll check it,” it’s one of the other people, voice lightly accented, and he sounds almost inconvenienced. Lando wills him to go away, to leave him alone so he can make his escape. 

“Careful, Piastri. Hamilton says we’re not supposed to split up,” the other response is dry, humourless, and Lando hears a scoff. “Don’t worry. Think I’ll be okay,” is the response, layered with sarcasm. And then Lando hears footsteps approaching. 

His breath catches in his chest, terror rippling through him as he works to hold it, to keep himself still, quiet. Like he’s had to do far too many times before this. He tries to keep his hands steady, but knows that if he has to take a shot, he’ll probably miss. 

It’s been getting harder and harder for him to keep his hands stable. It’s been getting harder for him to stay like this, heart beating out of his chest, and not let himself slip into flashbacks. So he bites the inside of his cheek, sharp teeth sinking in, to keep himself present. 

“Clear,” the guy’s voice is closer, footsteps echoing, as he gets closer. Lando’s fairly certain that if he poked his head out of the doorway, he’d get an eyeful of whoever’s there. 

“This one’s clear too,” His voice is loud. Overpowering the frantic beat of Lando’s heart in his chest. And then the footsteps stop, just outside of the doorway that he’s hiding in. His eyes dart around the room, looking for somewhere, anywhere to hide. Is about to sprint for the hospital bed, to see if he can squirm his way under it. But as soon as he goes to move, he hears the click of a gun safety, and he whirls, his own gun held in ever-shaking hands. 

“Found ‘em,” 

The man standing in front of him is gorgeous, despite the fact that he’s got a streak of grime and dust across his cheek. His brown eyes are bright, narrowed on him, lips pressed into a thin line. Light brown hair swoops across his forehead, and Lando has to swallow around the desire he has to reach out and brush it back with his fingers. Wonders if it would feel soft under his touch. 

Bloody hell, he’s been alone for far too long. 

“I’ll fucking shoot,” his voice is hoarse with disuse, and he watches as the other guy’s lips twitch up in a smile, gaze darting between Lando’s shaky hands, and back to his eyes. Lando knows that he looks panicked, and wonders if it’s enough for this guy to take him seriously. “Sure,” the guy says, tucks his gun back into the hip holster, suspends his hands in the air, like Lando’s a fucking cop. 

“You okay, Piastri,” the other voices sound closer than he’s expecting, and Lando jolts, heart rabbiting in his chest. 

“Yeah, fine. Stay out there for a sec, yeah? Reckon I’ll be just fine,” Piastri’s voice is an easy drawl, and Lando wishes that he could be so unbothered, so relaxed, in the middle of a fucking zombie apocalypse. 

“‘M not going to hurt you, yeah?” Piastri says to him, his voice low and gentle, like he’s trying to talk down a feral dog, and Lando sucks in a deep breath, chest rising and falling. His fight or flight’s still triggered, but Oscar’s still all slow movements, as he reaches one hand out. “You can give me that, okay? Don’t think you’re okay to have a gun right now, mate,” but Lando twitches backwards from the outstretched hand instinctively. 

“We’ve got shelter, food, yeah? We’re out on a supply run. If you’re not infected, you can come back with us. At least give you a place to rest your head for a few days?” Piastri’s voice is so gentle, and Lando can feel the prickle of tears beading along his lower lashes. “Let me take care of you, yeah?” 

And Lando nods, hands going limp at his sides as Piastri reaches out for him, wraps gentle fingers around Lando’s wrist, tugs the gun free and removes the cartridge. “You’re going to be okay,”

[traincat]

So @softgrungeprophet just posted about John Jameson/Peter Parker, a thing I have nothing for, but it did remind me that I had a Spideytorch WIP where Jonah tries to set John and Peter up and so Peter comes up with the brilliant idea of fake dating Johnny to get out of it, only for John and Johnny to start dating, a thing which will obviously not drive Peter mad with jealousy. Ft my not remotely in order writing practices.

Anyway I don't know when I'll finish it so have a thousand words of people making bad decisions.

--

It was a regular Friday afternoon and Johnny, free of all social and superhero responsibilities, was just trying to relax and maybe catch up on a week’s worth of reality television when a full-grown man hit the side of the Baxter Building going eighty miles an hour.

“Did I scare you? Sorry,” Peter said, not sounding very sorry at all, as he climbed gracefully through the window.

“Of course you scared me! Not everyone has a built in magic spider danger sense!” Johnny said. He looked down at the carpet and the new red footprints there and made a face. “No, it’s fine, track what had better be paint all over my apartment.”

“Thanks, Torchy,” Peter said, as if Johnny had been in any way sincere. “Don’t worry, Reed’s little robot friends will steam clean that right out. Listen, I’ve got a favor to ask you.”

With friends like these, who needed Doctor Doom.

(blah blah blah)

“I just need you to pretend to be in a relationship with me,” Peter said. “For one, two months, tops. Or however long Jonah has left on this earth. Either or.”

(blah blah blah)

“Look, here’s the deal,” Peter said, rolling his eyes, “and don’t ask how this happened, but I accidentally told JJJ I’m bisexual and –”

“Wait, you did what?” Johnny cut him off. His voice was dangerously high even to his own ears. “You’re what?”

“I just told you it was an accident,” Peter said, still in that tone like it was no big deal and he accidentally came out to major newspaper publishers every other week. For all Johnny knew, maybe he did. For all Johnny knew maybe he put on a rainbow spider-suit and shouted it from the top of the Empire State Building every single Friday Johnny had ever been off-planet.

“How do you accidentally tell your former boss you’re bisexual?” Johnny demanded. Then, his own voice somehow rising even shriller, he added, “You haven’t told me you’re bisexual!”

Peter shot him a look that said that he was pretty sure he just had. As if Johnny wasn’t sitting right in front of him, currently losing his mind.

“The bad news, apparently John Jameson came out to his dad a few months ago,” Peter said.

“That’s the bad news,” Johnny said, his voice both flat and scathing in a way no acting coach he’d ever had would believe he was capable of. “Really.”

“Well, good for John, I guess,” Peter allowed, making a face like he wasn’t quite about all of that. Johnny was going to smother him by the end of this conversation, probably. “But bad for me. Because now Jonah wants to set us up.”

There was a strange static-y sound ringing in Johnny’s ears, like someone had scrambled all his frequencies.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Could you rewind? Maybe to the beginning of this conversation?”

“You’re not listening to me, Johnny,” Peter said. “Jonah basically implied that John and I should get married. The other day I caught him looking at brochures for catering halls out on Long Island. And look, John’s a great guy, but –”

“Great,” Johnny said, his face in his hands. “Fantastic. I’ll send you two a fantasti-toaster.”

“But he’s not my type at all,” Peter said. He reached over and closed his fingers around Johnny’s wrist, tugging his hand effortlessly away from his face and leaving Johnny no choice but to look up into that big brown imploring eyes. “Now, She-Hulk, on the other hand…”

A strangled noise of rage tore itself from Johnny’s throat.

(Peter asks Johnny to be his fake boyfriend to some Bugle event)

--

(Bugle event, Jonah awkwardly talks to Johnny and says something mildly homophobic in an incredibly well meaning way.)

“That’s very… something of you, Mr. Jameson,” Johnny said.

“My daughter Mattie bought me a book,” Jameson admitted.

(blah blah Peter runs off and John and Johnny talk on a balcony)

“You know, that’s the thing about Parker,” John Jameson said, his voice light and casual. “Every time I’ve ever seen him he’s had some beautiful model hanging off his arm.”

Johnny snorted, thinking of the Black Cat, and Mary Jane, and even Carlie Cooper with her whole hot librarian vibe. Dorrie Evans, the prettiest girl in Johnny’s high school, talking Johnny’s ear off on a half dozen of their dates about how Peter Parker was so smart and how he was interested in politics and an inch taller than Johnny and probably much more in touch with his feelings. Yeah, right.

“Tell me about it,” he said. “They should ban him from fashion week for the models’ own good.”

They probably already had. Johnny would have to ask.

“No, I meant…” John trailed off. He smiled ruefully, shaking his head. “Never mind.”

“I’m sorry,” Johnny said, realizing he’d cut John off. “What were you saying?”

“I was complimenting you,” John said, his eyes twinkling. “What I said about Parker and beautiful models – I meant you.”

“Oh,” Johnny said, floored. He felt strangely like blushing, but that was silly. Johnny was a famous space explorer. It was hardly the first time a handsome astronaut had called him beautiful.

It was, perhaps, the first time it had happened to him on earth. And the first time it had happened outside of a hostage situation. And the first time Ben hadn’t been there to threaten to beat the astronaut up.

“You are here with Peter Parker, aren’t you?” John asked. “As his date, I mean.”

“Allegedly,” Johnny said. He’d meant it to come out under his breath, but it didn’t, and he suspected his eyeroll wasn’t quite as internal as he’d intended either. John laughed, but not unkindly.

“He does have a habit of disappearing, doesn’t he?” John said lightly. “I get it, though, as the son of a newsman. The number of dinners my father actually made it to the main course without rushing off to take a call or chase a story...” He trailed off, sighing ruefully, the corners of his mouth quirked up. “That must be why they get along so well.”

“Can I tell you a secret?” Johnny asked, feeling emboldened, maybe, by the way John was looking at him, by the fact that he had called him beautiful.

He definitely wasn’t feeling spiteful over the fact that he was supposed to be here with Peter and Peter had, of course, ditched him, caught up in fifteen other different things, just like always. Things that were more important than Johnny. Things that Johnny could have helped with, maybe, if Peter had asked.

Or maybe things Johnny couldn’t have helped with. After all there were plenty of reasons he might have found Peter’s shirt abandoned in the corner of the men’s room. Things that might have everything to do with, say, the Black Cat instead of Doctor Octopus. 

“Of course,” John said. His hand landed next to Johnny’s on the balcony railing. “You can tell me anything.”

(Johnny admits Peter only brought him as his date to get Jonah to quit it.)

“My father does have that way about him,” John said ruefully. “He’s trying to be very supportive. My foster sister bought him a book. He said he’s thinking about starting a podcast.”

“Elderly Bugle subscribers, watch out,” Johnny said before he could stop himself. Luckily for him, John laughed.

[John kisses Johnny at some fancy event]

--

So now Johnny was a homewrecker. Either of his fake relationship, or of Peter’s future Daily Bugle society page wedding to John Jameson, certified American hero. He wasn’t sure which was worse.

--

Johnny stared at Jonah. Jonah stared at Johnny.

John tucked into his steak like he wasn’t sitting in the middle of the world’s most awkward dinner. Johnny guessed he must have had experience getting through dinners with J Jonah Jameson, but he could have taken a little pity on Johnny, a novice.

(And then somewhere in here Peter would have gone insane.)

[blade-liger-4ever]

How to Make the Two Boys of Team Prime Useful

Surprised to see this? So am I.

Most people by now know I hate Jack with a passion, and that I find Raf's existence completely forgettable. So, what prompted this thought exercise from yours truly?

Simple: a longstanding desire to see human characters written well without dragging the attention away from the titular Transformers we all tune in to watch.

So, how do we do it?

Switch the boys' partners around.

Hear me out.

Arcee "needs" someone to protect to give her purpose, yet she's saddled with a whiny sixteen year old who's already chafing under his mom's overprotective habits and wants to live his own life free of trampling by his peers. Bee is relegated to Wallflower Mimic and has nothing to offer but cute sounds and additional muscle, and is paired with the Baby Human so that all age groups can "relate" to the show and characters. Ignoring the annoying thought that we need humans of all ages to connect with the giant robots we long to be friends with, this would allow more genuine character growth and prove both human males' and Bee's usefulness to the plot.

Consider with me for a moment: A slightly older Raf stumbles across Arcee and somehow gets involved with the 'Bots and 'Cons, maybe by pretending to ride her like he sees his older brother doing with his bike. Meanwhile, at that precise moment, Jack dives into Bee's alt-mode in order to hide from Vince for getting his order wrong, or something of the like.

Then, when the dust's settled and things begin to proceed like in the show, Arcee finds herself partnered with a child who can barely fill out his shoes. She's annoyed, throwing snits left right and center, but Raf puts up with it. He neither rolls over for her nor snaps back. Instead, he asks questions: what was your world like, did you have friends on Cybertron, do Cybertronians have families like humans do, etc. And all of a sudden, Arcee finds her prickly demeanor slowly ebbing away as she has someone who wants to listen and learn about what her life was like, and this in time motivates her to become genuinely motherly while still kicking serious aft.

Similarly, Jack is having a tantrum over "getting involved" with a space war, and Miko just rolls her eyes while going a mile a minute with slow 'n' steady Bulkhead. Bee - perhaps this time possessing a voice, but missing an eye and having an unusual, sickly green replacement - just lets him vent while poking around the town going "what's this", "what's that do", and "will I explode if I eat this rock" (poor examples, but he asks questions about mundane Earth things.) Slowly but surely they bond over this, and when Jack realizes he's been assigned a twelve year old Autobot, things get interesting when he takes on an actual older brother role before Bee uses that to bring out Jack's suppressed inner child.

Boom. Meaningful and memorable dynamics.

The reason for the switch is to actually play off of the "yin-yang" we had with Miko and Bulkhead. It's all about balancing characters' personalities and the time for each individual character without slipping in favor of the humans. This would benefit Raf, Bee, and Jack, and kick Arcee into legitimate Character Development.

Furthermore, Arcee's mama bear instincts would be given credence when Airachnid returns, as there's no way Raf can actually keep himself safe from her. Thus, her protective nature has vindication without being hypocritical (i.e. the first five episodes and the numerous revenge arcs.)

However, Bee is not without his own archenemy.

Shadowstriker.

You can keep his voice box being ripped out courtesy of this ex-assassin, but Ratchet is able to repair it (Hasbro has only enough room for one butt-kicking mute and that's Snake Eyes). But Shadowstriker, in her burning rage, doesn't stop there.

She tracks him down after Tyger Pax on an all-consuming quest for revenge, her offlining of Autobot spec-op officers being the only reason Megatron hasn't cut ties with her/killed her himself. She finds Bee, stalks his movements, and when the time is right, attacks. Despite her morbid disunity with her new body, Shadowstriker still proves dangerous in her combat capabilities...including almost killing Bee after stabbing him through the eye with her energy blade.

It's only through the timely intervention of Prowl that Bee lives long enough to be brought back to medbay. Ratchet curses and swears as he repairs the scout, but there's so little in spare replacements that he has to resort to a Mercenary's optic to keep Bee active. Though never the same from his traumatic near-murder, Bee accepts this and struggles to keep up with the team, his new eye providing him with a super scanner that can see in the electromagnetic spectrum.

If you want - and feel free to use this in your own takes - have Bee and Jack out on a field trip when Shadowstriker tracks him down for another rematch on Earth. Let Bee be absolutely terrified and livid. Let him make mistakes and nearly get killed a few times, while Jack has to grow a spine and distract Shadowstriker and play the mole in Whack-A-Mole until Bee can recover/backup can arrive. This way, both have more to do and actually contribute to the story.

As Optimus here can tell you, this was an unexpected infodump about my least favorite parts of the show. However, despite that, I feel much better, as some of these ideas have rattled around in my head for a while.

I hope you like it, and that you find it useful.

"Transform, and roll out!"

[asher-writes]

Day 1: Desperate.

Ship: April/Ember

WIP: The Poison Complex

Warnings: Kissing, Lots of swearing, planning to kill someone.

It was easy to tell when Ember was annoyed.

April could hear the way he stomped through the offices from a mile off, the heavy boots ricocheting off solid wood. He tensed, cracking his finger against his thumb, and acted as if he couldn't tell.

The door clattered against the wall as it was thrown open, before falling shut with a noise that makes the glass shake in their frames. "Bad day?" He asked.

"That little-" Ember threw himself down on the chair, arms folded across his chest, his leg bounced with a force that made the ground feel unsteady. April focused on the microscope in his hand, not even raising his head. "-shit."

"That bad?"

"He acts like he's so much better than everyone else, and then he nearly gets us all blown up, absolute twat."

April lifted his head, his top lip pulled between his teeth as a frown descended on his face. "Who?"

"Jasper."

"Eurgh, Jasper." A tangible feeling of anger bubbled in April's gut "...what happened?"

"He left a whole barrel of gunpowder right next to the sparking fusebox."

"What a fuckin' idiot."

"I know." Ember threw his hands up, "...Ari won't fuckin' listen to me, but that guy is going to get us killed."

"Then kill him first."

"I...what?"

"Kill him. First." April waved a hand, then turned back to the microscope, he focused in on it, watching the bacteria beneath it with keen interest. "Or I will, I'm not losing you to some idiot."

Ember fell silent then, the chair creaked beneath his shifting weight, and his stillness marred a now silent room. "You'd kill him for me?"

"Of course," April leaned back. "Nobody is allowed to put you in danger."

Ember's breath turned ragged, and he jumped up off the chair like a bolt flying from a gun. April's lips quirked into a half-smile, allowing him to drag him to his feet. "You're mine," he whispers, a delicate tone for such a violent truth. "Nobody gets to hurt you."

His eyes ached from the wideness of his own stare, before he lunged forward to April, fingers tangling in his hair and mouth open to breathe him in. April shivered and grinned all at once, his hands sliding down the length of Ember's body only to hook onto his hips and drag him even closer. The thud and warmth of his beating pulse danced beneath Ember's palm, which took his neck and pressed his thumb below his jaw.

His breath was rough when they pulled apart. "I'll let Ari know you're gonna kill him, he might just tell him to leave."

"Yeah, that's a good shout," April leaned back in his chair, his face flushed a lovely shade of pink beneath his freckles. "Make us a cup of tea, will you?"

"What did your last slave die of?"

"Being underworked," he yawned, "...which you definitely are."

[dangerpronebuddie]

2. "how long have you been standing there?"

Hi baby!! For you 🥰:

Buck slides across the freshly mopped floor, coming to a stop in the kitchen doorway. “Just take those old records off the shelf!” He sings along and dances to the music, Swiffer duster in hand. It's oddly freeing to dance around in his underwear. Now he knows why Eddie decided to do it in his attempt at seeking joy. And Buck might as well. His true joy is hundreds of miles away. He's… making the best of it. He supposes. He spins around, and freezes. He's dreaming. He has to be dreaming. Four months should make this feel more monumental, Buck thinks. But right now, he's frozen where he stands. Where he was about to throw himself on the couch. Eddie's couch. In Eddie’s house, that he’s been haunting like a lost ghost since he watched Eddie drive away. Eddie… Who's standing in the living room trying not to laugh. Four months in El Paso has worn him down. There are shadows beneath his eyes Buck hasn't seen in years, and a weight on his shoulders he'd dropped almost as long ago. But he's smiling, bright and blushing and beautiful. And he's here. “Uh,” Buck says, just loud enough to be heard over Bob Seger. “How long have you been standing there?” “Long enough to get jealous of the fact your Risky Business routine is better than mine,” Eddie says, and God, Buck has missed his voice. Crappy ipad screens won't ever do it justice. It could never pick up the laughter hiding amongst his words. Buck wants to smash the speaker the music is playing from and just listen to Eddie's voice for the rest of his life. “I uh… had more time to practice,” Buck says with what he knows is a goofy grimace. Eddie does laugh at that, and finally deposits the galaxy patterned backpack behind the couch. “So you've made it a habit of dancing around the house half naked while we were gone?” “We?” Buck asks, completely breathless now. Eddie's face breaks into a grin. Wider and brighter than Buck has seen in close to a year. He nods. Buck tosses the stupid Swiffer behind him and leaps over the couch to pull Eddie into a hug. Eddie laughs as he wraps his arms around Buck, his warmth seeping through the thin fabric of Buck’s button down and into his chest. “I missed you,” he says, words muffled against Eddie's throat. “I missed you too,” Eddie says softly. The sound of crutches tapping against the floor has tears welling in Buck's eyes. Fuck, he's missed that sound. He lifts his head and looks at the doorway, where Chris stands covering his eyes. “I missed you too, Buck, but can you please put on some pants?”

(I'd link the prompt list but I'm gonna reblog a different one later 😁)

[unluckywisher]

- What Is This Feeling? -

A Zayne x Carter smut fic

Content: OOC(?) dom!Zayne, slutty bratsub!Carter, toxic because it's Carter, argument to making out to start of hate sex, use of mild force (against Carter) but that's exactly what he wants, this is unfinished.

A/N: I don't know what I'm doing either. I can't bring myself to finish this so you've been warned about the edging. Word count: ~1.3k

If there was a thing about Carter that was certain, it was his stubbornness. Not only in scientific research, but also when it came to convince a certain Doctor to join his experiments.

It was strange, how he felt about Zayne. Not jealousy, no, after all, he was also an accomplished doctor. Hate. Hate was probably the word.

He made his way to Zayne with confident steps, arrogant smile unwavering. He had convinced him to meet up at his office at Akso with the excuse that he wanted to apologize for his behaviour, and return some stolen borrowed documents.

Zayne was sitting at his desk. Without sparing a glance at Carter, and still typing on his computer, he was the first to speak.

“The documents.”

There was that coldness that always managed to creep up Carter’s spine. Hate. He retrieved them from the folder he was carrying and placed them on the desk.

“Did you think I was lying when I said I would bring them?” He chuckled and casually sat on the opposite chair.

“No, but the sooner I retrieved them from you, the better,” his words practically bit, fully intending to express just how little Zayne wanted to be in his presence. Hate.

He stopped typing and took the documents, putting them away in a drawer. His eyes landed on Carter for the first time since he had arrived, sharp and blaming. The aforementioned tried his best to maintain eye contact.

“You have my most sincere apologies. I didn’t think you’d mind that much.”

“You didn’t think I’d mind you taking my patients’ files?” He raised an eyebrow. Hate.

“We’re both professionals. The information would remain confidential.” He shrugged.

“Right, of course, and that somehow makes it completely fine.” Shut up. Hate.

“Do you understand what’s at stake? That information could be saving lives right now. We could be saving lives right now together.”

Carter got more and more riled up as he spoke, rising to his feet and leaning on the desk with his palms.

“What you’re doing isn’t saving anyone, you-” Shut up.

“Yet! Isn’t saving anyone yet. But it could be, if you just-”

Zayne stood up as well, fists banging against his desk. He leaned forward with furrowed brows.

“No. No,” Zayne’s minty breath caressed his face, “you’re killing people. Treating them like a means to an end.”

Carter’s eyes flicked to his lips for a split second. Hate. Hate. Hate. Shut him up. Shut him up. Shut him up.

His lips crashed against Zayne’s in what could only be considered the weirdest powerplay in history. He didn’t have time to close his eyes or move his mouth, because the cardiologist immediately stepped back, the desk between them impeding Carter from following after him.

“...What?” Zayne stared at him dumbfounded.

Indeed. What. His mind was going a mile a minute, trying to accept that yes, he had just done that, and worse, he was disappointed that it had ended so abruptly. His face was warm.

“What?” He echoed Zayne’s question.

“What was that for?”

“You were talking too much and not listening to me.”

“And so, you decided to kiss me?”

Both men stood still, the office too big yet the space between them too suffocatingly small. Carter’s eyes glued to Zayne’s lips, silently asking for more, weren’t helping.

“You need to leave,” Zayne spoke first, walking around the desk to lead him out, but he got pulled back by his arm.

“Make me,” Carter said with a defiant expression.

He didn’t know what was going through Zayne’s head, but he imagined it was more or less the same as his own thoughts - Hatred and contempt, and a wish to make him stop, whatever that entailed.

Carter got pushed back against the wall, sharp gaze pinning him to the spot, cold hands on the collar of his shirt. Unusually aggressive for Zayne. It made Carter that much more riled up, that he was the only one who would ever see this side of him.

“Do you hate me?” He asked with a smaller voice than he intended.

“I do not think of you in any way,” replied Zayne, though they both knew it wasn’t completely true, “stop being like… This, and just leave.”

Carter wasn’t listening, lost in the way Zayne’s lips moved when he talked, the teeth peeking out from the flesh, his tongue-

“Like I said, make me. If you don’t want to hear me out, force me to-” his words cut off by the sudden kiss, this time initiated by Zayne.

Yes. Yes. He felt the same. Shut up. Hate. Shut up. Hate. Shut up. Hate.

Carter closed his eyes, smirking as he kissed him back, his hands on Zayne’s wrists. He was still pushing him up against the wall, clutching his collar. If he was a little more careless, he might have choked Carter, but he wasn’t that far gone.

Zayne pulled back with an angered huff, only getting angrier at Carter’s cocky expression. He wanted so badly to wipe his smug smirk off his face.

A single sliver of ice darted out of his hand and landed on the office door, freezing it shut. Carter’s eyes widened with both fear and excitement.

“What are you doing?”

“You wanted to stay, so stay,” he said with a challenging tone.

Just like that, Carter pulled him into another kiss, fueled by rage, and frustration, and hatred, and, and, and-

Fuck.

He opened his mouth to give Zayne full access, welcoming his tongue hungrily, sucking on it the way he wanted to suck him off, only stopping to nip at his lips.

Carter’s hands found Zayne’s belt faster than he would like to admit. He unbuckled it messily, anticipation making his chest burn. Hands bigger than his slammed against the wall on each side of his face, and he felt so small, so weak… So hard.

His hand slipped under Zayne’s unbuttoned pants and wrapped around the hard shaft. Oh, he was so big. He wanted it inside of him.

The kiss broke and Zayne looked down with a furrowed brow, then up at him. His glasses had fogged up a bit.

Carter almost whined when he stepped back, hand being removed from Zayne’s cock, but his legs almost turned to jelly when he heard him say;

“Lean over the desk.”

Despite how much he wanted to comply, he instead remained where he was.

“Ooh, who knew Dr. Perfect would have nothing against office sex,” he quipped.

Zayne grabbed his arm and shoved him towards the desk. The force of the action almost made him crash face-down, but he stopped himself with his hands in time. He looked over his shoulder with blown pupils.

Before he could say another witty remark, Zayne reached around Carter’s hips and unbuttoned his pants. His cool palm pressed his erection and made him back up, hips now flush against each other.

Carter opened his mouth but no sound came out, the feeling of both Zayne’s hand and Zayne’s cock on each side of his body was practically melting him. In his heart, he would’ve never guessed it would lead up to this, and yet, he knew it was inevitable.

“Don’t pretend I started this,” said Zayne, taking a step so there would be no space between the desk and them.

“Don’t pretend I’m the only one that wanted it,” retorted Carter.

Ice creeped up his mouth, sealing it shut in an instant. No more quips. His pants and boxers got pulled down, Zayne’s cock resting between his asscheeks.

“Mmm,” he whined, reaching back to touch-

His hands froze against the desk, trapped. It made his dick throb.

Zayne intended to give him exactly what he deserved.

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | February 3rd-9th 2025

Less than a month until 9-1-1 is back on our screens babyyyyy! how's everyone doing after that kiss hug in the rain scene???

Complete

You And I Walk A Fragile Line (I Have Known It All This Time) by pinkpeachtea (Hug In The Rain Spec | 1,3K | Teen): "Eddie?" Buck asked, voice breaking on the name as he noticed the car door opening again, staying open– probably getting the entire interior wet. And it was hard to see- especially through the rain- but if Buck wasn't just hallucinating, it'd actually look like… He was walking right towards him. Careful at first, slowly, until his steps got quicker– jogging that turned into running. Buck could feel his feet again, though he had no control over them as he found himself walking towards Eddie, meeting him not quite halfway when he came to a halt and– "Why did you stop?"

lull of you by brewrosemilk/ @gayhoediaz (Getting Together | 1,7K | Teen): For as long as Buck can remember, Eddie’s ability to express himself has left him in awe—the way that, although it sometimes takes a minute for him to get there, whenever he’s ready, he’ll rip his heart out of his own chest and present it on a silver platter. With a thumb pressed to Buck’s pulse point—or both—and deep, warm, earnest eyes. Buck has never been like that—he goes all out before he’s even sure what he feels; he’s dramatic and emotional, and clingy, and his emotions often run his actions miles ahead of his brain. (Not that he hasn’t come to terms with that by now—he is who he is, and he’s learned to appreciate it.) The interesting thing is, though—despite his regular habit of rushing things to beat his tendency to overthink in a lap around the racetrack—for once, tonight, his brain feels… quiet. Calm.

& such by colonoscopys/ @colonoscopys (87K | Teen): prompts and spec fics and codas and all the works jumbled mumbled into one place.

22. reunions (Eddie back from Texas | 2K): Buck kind of—avoids Eddie when he gets back.  He knows he shouldn’t. The thing is, his heart still feels so bruised. It still feels like it’s lying there on the road, soaking up the gravel and the cement and the area just under Eddie’s tires, and he’s—tired. He’s tired. He just wants a second, to recuperate, before he goes back out there and pretends like everything is okay. 

No Take Backs by Maximoff_Wanda (Friends to Fiances | 2K | Not Rated): “Marry me,” he blurted out, causing the other man to freeze and turn to stare at him. “What?” Eddie slowly lowered himself down on one knee, keeping eye contact with Buck, his blue eyes widening as he watched Eddie sink to the ground. Somewhere in the background, he hears a woman squealing as she notices what’s happening. Eddie clears his throat, grabbing one of Buck’s hands as a crowd starts to form around them. “Buck... Evan. There is nothing more that I want than to spend the rest of my life getting pretzels with you at the zoo listening to your endless fun animal facts while you buy our son sugary confections that he doesn’t need just because it makes him happy... So will you please marry me?”

When I see you again by Maximoff_Wanda (Hug In The Rain Spec | 2K | General): Buck sighed as the sky opened up and a drizzle of rain began to pour over them as they walked out of the Diaz house toward Eddie’s truck. Of course, it had to rain the day the love of his life left for Texas. Now that he’s thinking about it, Buck realized it was always raining when Buck and Eddie lose each other.

i knew it when you looked my way (that i'd be begging you to stay) by teaspoonmoon/ @young-waverer (Hug In The Rain Spec | 2K | General): When Eddie pulls Buck in, Buck melts, wrapping one arm over his shoulder and the other under his arm, palms wide to cling to as much of Eddie as he can hold. Buck’s chin settles in the crook of Eddie’s neck and he breathes in deeply, trying to commit to memory the blurred together scent of Eddie’s deodorant and shampoo and the petrichor hanging in the air. “I miss you already,” Eddie says into Buck’s ear, stubble scraping against Buck’s cheek as his mouth moves. With one last squeeze Eddie pulls away, clapping Buck just a little too hard on the shoulder. “I should probably get on the road,” Eddie says, stepping away. “Drive safe,” Buck replies, stepping after him. Eddie slides into the driver’s seat and shuts the door, drops the bag of scones into the seat next to him. He resolutely doesn’t look into the rearview mirror as he adjusts it.

But What A Ghostly Scene by icewhisper (S4, Coma Dream | 3K | Teen): Eddie had always thought if he came close to death, it’d be Shannon or his abuelo he saw who pushed him to go home – to go back to Christopher – but when a sniper nearly killed him, it was a little boy he dreamed of instead. Nearly two years later, he realizes who that little boy was.

with a little water and a little bit of sunlight by teaspoonmoon/ @young-waverer (S8E8: Wannabes | 4K | Teen): “You flipped the tablet.” “Did I?” Lord only knows how he carried out an emotional affair as long as he did if this is how good he is at lying. Buck clearly has come to some—wrong—conclusion, given the way he smirks and cocks his head. “What're you looking at, Eddie?” His tone is a little flirty, a little suggestive, and if Eddie were any less close to a panic attack he'd probably think the gulf between what Buck assumes he'd been doing and what he was actually looking at was very funny. — The one where it's not Homes.com but it's also not porn on the iPad.

let's go get the shit kicked out of us by love by teaspoonmoon/ @young-waverer (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Getting Together | 4K | Teen): “Are you Love Actuallying me?” Eddie looks about as surprised that those are the words coming out of his mouth as Buck is to hear them. “Oh my god, what?” “Love Actually. That freaky kid who’s like thirty now but still looks like a ten year old. Runs through an airport, gets himself put on a no-fly list for love? Are you Love Actuallying me?” “For fuck’s sake, has everyone seen that movie but me?” Buck has to laugh, it’s absurd. This whole thing is absurd. He wants to rip his hair out. He also, as of thirty minutes or maybe six years ago, wants to rip Eddie’s shirt off, but that’s not his main focus at the moment.

Will you still be with me (when the magic’s all run out?) by scarmaddiewrites (Witch Buck AU | 5K | Not Rated): Buck is a witch and in love with Eddie…that really it.

Cupid, Q-Words, and Cursed Shifts by JJK/ @trenchcoatsandtimetravel (Post-S8A, Valentine's Day | 5K | Teen): A slow shift at the firehouse gets derailed when someone accidentally says the Q-word, Eddie pines over Buck, and the new Probie panics about Valentine's Day.

I’ll tell them put me back in it (and I would do it again) by paleredheadinascifi (Getting Together | 5K | Teen): Eddiaz is listening to the slowburn friends to lovers playlist. Eddiaz listened to the POV you’re falling in love with your best friend playlist. Eddiaz listened to the sad gay yearning hours playlist. Eddiaz listened to the he was my best friend and that was the worst part playlist. Or, Eddie doesn't know how to make his listening history private. Buck doesn't know what to do with the words in front of his eyes. Chris cannot believe he has to deal with either of them.

Eddie Diaz's Emotional Support Group Chat by scarmaddiewrites (Chat fic, Post-S8E8: Wannabes | 6K | Teen): Eddie makes a group chat to help him with his plan to woo Buck… It goes about as well as you think it would.

promise what you will, something good for me by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Fake Relationship, Getting Together | 6K | Teen): Eddie forms a one-sided beef with a woman claiming to be psychic and ropes Buck into a fake dating scheme to try and prove all her predictions wrong.

your slightest look easily will unclose me by teaspoonmoon/ @young-waverer (S8E6: Confessions, PWP | 7K | Explicit): Eddie takes in a deep breath and reaches out and sets his hand on Buck’s knee, fingers wrapping around his lower thigh, pinky brushing his inseam. “Hey. If you were my first, you’d be my last.” The air is still between them and feels charged in a way it wasn’t a moment ago. Careful not to dislodge Eddie’s hand, Buck stretches his arm out to grab the tequila. Watching Eddie out of the corner of his eye, he knocks back another half shot. Eddie doesn’t retract his hand, and the heat of it is starting to seep through the denim of Buck’s jeans. “Sure.” Buck sounds weary. “That’s easy for you to say, when it’s—when it’s just hypothetical.” “What if…” Eddie’s grip on Buck tightens marginally. “What if it wasn’t a hypothetical?”

We're Overdue for a Revival by BespectacledBunny (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Chris coming back from Texas, Marriage of Convenience | 60K | Mature): “If I had,” Chris lingers on the words, watching Eddie intently through the screen, “If I had conditions?” Eddie feels his stomach knot up. It’s the first time Chris has ever alluded to a willingness to come home. Usually he just shoots Eddie down with a flat “I know” before hurrying off the call. Eddie Diaz will be damned before he lets this chance slip through his hands. “Anything,” his voice rings with desperation in his own ears, “Whatever you need to feel ready to come home. If I can make it happen, I will.” Chris eyes him, young face serious as a judge presiding over trial. Finally, Chris opens his mouth and says something so earth shattering as to crack the foundations of his father’s mind. “Marry Buck,” Chris says firmly.

WIP

🔥 there is no roadby littleghost/ @ghostlandtoo (Post-S8A, Eddie moves to Texas | 5/6 | 77K | Explicit): Years ago, almost a full decade, Shannon had asked him to move and Eddie refused because he was trying to build a life for himself again. Eddie knows if he asks Buck, he’ll get that same refusal. Worse, Buck could say yes and Eddie would be uprooting Buck from the very life he built for himself. He doesn’t ask, and Buck doesn’t offer, and they pack up Eddie Diaz’s life in Los Angeles into cardboard boxes. Or: Eddie moves to Texas. Buck buys his house. There’s a love story somewhere in here.

🔥 how come everybody's dancing but you?by showedupatyourparty (Post-S7 Spec, Eddie Sexuality Crisis | 4/6 | 45K | Mature): Buck feels guilty. Everyone he loves is going through something painful, difficult, or unexpected right now. And Buck is just…bisexual. It’s great that he’s figured it out, and it’s great that everyone has been so supportive, and Tommy is—Tommy is fine. The sex is good, at least. Consistent. When Buck gets a call from Eddie’s phone late on a Tuesday night in June, it’s cause for concern. * Buck unpacks his own feelings about his recently-discovered bisexuality. Eddie gets adopted by drag queens. They're both just trying their best to be happy.

disappearing into the distance by bucksclipboard/ @endofthedaymp3 (Eddie Comes Back From Texas, Getting Together | 2/4 | 6K | Teen): Eddie wasn’t sure why he and Maddie weren’t close. It was strange, considering her little brother was the most important person in his life. Still, when the door opened, tight hugs were exchanged and cheerful welcome homes rang in his ears. “Does Bobby know? I gotta call Bobby!”, Chimney yelled. “Could you wait a minute?”, Eddie interjected. His eyes darted between them for a moment and landed on Chim, deciding he was his best bet. “Maybe first explain to me why I went to see Buck and his loft was empty. Am I missing something? Did he move?” or: eddie comes back from texas – only to find that buck has left los angeles

🔥 Gentle On My Mind by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, Shannon Lives, Buck/Eddie/Shannon | 13/? | 81K | Explicit): In which Shannon lives, tells a lie, and sends hers, Eddie's, and Buck's lives down a very different path.

🔥 Doe & a Drop of Golden Sun by ohstars/ @oh-stars (Canon Divergent, Dad Buck | 12/? | 54K | Teen): Buck doesn't mean to keep secrets from everyone, but he also can't talk about the pain he experiences on a day to day basis. With his nine-year-old living across the country and his custody limited to one monthly visit, Buck doesn't know how to share this part of himself. How does he tell his team of six years that he's had a kid this whole time? How does he tell his sister? How does he tell his Edd-- best friend? It's fine. The universe isn't going to give him a choice in the matter when the worst thing imaginable becomes his reality.

Podfic

🔥 Cowboy With a One Track Mind by Daisies_and_Briars [Podfic] by Rhea314 (Rhea)/ @rhea314 // fic by @cal-daisies-and-briars (Alternate Universe, Different First Meeting | 2.5h-3h | Mature): Spin-off Sequel to Evan Buckley & the Coma-Verse of Madness - Chapter 7 (Land): Grieving and tortured, Evan Buckley has been living alone in Montana in a remote cabin for nearly a decade. After an incident that leaves him missing six months of his life, and suddenly in connection with a group of strangers from Los Angeles, Evan must decide whether to remain in his self-imposed exile, or take a chance at life again.

🔥 [podfic] braver than you believe (loved more than you know) by be_brave13/ @djemsowhat (S8E6: Confessions Spec | 20-30min | Teen): “There's things,” Eddie chokes out, getting the closest he can in a Catholic church to saying what he means to say, words that he’s never said before unable to make an appearance even now. “There's… people… feelings that I— I want to experience differently than I have before, or maybe even for the first time.” “Something… different than what you had with Anna and Marisol?” The priest hedges. “Something, even, different than what you and your wife had?” The words feel insinuating, but the tone stays light and unchallenging. The priest in Eddie’s mind has big hands and curious, soulful eyes and a chunky watch on his wrist, like he could be anyone. A blond man at a bar that Eddie’s eyes keep coming back to, for no reason at all. “Yeah,” Eddie confesses. “Yeah, I’m just starting to think that… maybe there’s more to it all than I thought. Maybe, I can ask for what I thought wasn’t allowed. And I can choose what I want instead of what everyone else thinks I should have.”

🔥[Podfic] Promising Light by cottagepodfics @cottagepodfics / fic by @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Time Travel | 2-2.5h | Mature): Buck and Eddie fall asleep drunk and in separate rooms after the night of Buck and Tommy's breakup. They wake up seven years later, in an unfamiliar future, only to find out that they're married.

[crossed-worlds]

"A Sonic?!"

Blaze had been listening calmly up until that point, to hear Al's soul was identical to the blue blur himself....it admittedly took her aback for just a second.

She...probably could have made sense of that. But Amy passed out too fast for her to discuss it with her. Could it be? It was possible. Ancient records showed that their Solaria WAS a Mobius once, and every Mobius had a Sonic at some point in their history. But....how was he still here? His soul locked in a gemstone. She knew from the description that Al wasnt just a digital consciousness like Shard has been. If he was his inner world would have been more like the digital world, but if Amy said it was a version of Angel Island...then it was clear. Al was organic once. Maybe still was in his soul....but no normal soul would last this long.

"Tails, I know it's a lot to ask but....could you...?"

"Mmm maybe. But I'll need help..." He knew what she was asking him to do, and yes it was possible...but he lacked the other set of skills that would be needed. "I'll call Nine, he's the only version of me that might have the ability to pull this off. And....I'll inform Miles of what we've learned."

"Thank you... I'll take Amy to one of the spare rooms and inform the rest of her friends in her world." Blaze could leave clean up of this to Matilda, the armadillo was hard to damage after all. But right now....Amy needed rest. But... she wouldn't be surprised if the pink hedgehog's friends wanted to be here after she made that call...

(End of thread)

Time, a ceaseless flowing thing and like a river it flowed along its course endlessly and never ceasing. But it was not quite as linear as people believed it was, and a being such as he could step between the the flow and even stop it for a moment or two. He didn't need much just enough to save the fool girl from what would have been her end or worse. She'd stayed far to long, and now look he had to get involved.

The strange white furred hedgehog with the pink stripes stood within the magic circle holding the pink girl in his arms. Time within this place all but ceased but only for a moment. Magic was already a wild thing here and he did not wish to damage this reality by holding time still to long and despite his near limitless power--- he had no desire to be found out by any of them just yet.

He carried the pink girls astral form nearly drained of all its power in his arms. She had nothing left to give, and if not for him she surely would have ended up in a magickal coma. Lowering her soul back within her body and kneeling in front of her. The hedgehog removed his top hat and and flashed his shark like teeth down has his pink eyes flared to life.

" Ah Chere, as reckless as yer mother... i dun doubt ya had good reasons... but i still have uses for you... "

He whispered into her ear before exhaling magic into her body, filling her full of his magic and pulling her from the bring of death. He was sure that spirit had seen him, a problem but he'd deal with him when the time came. He stood up and placed his hat back upon his head and let his smile spread wide and toothy.

" Time, to wake up Chere... they still need you no? "

With a flash of light the hedgehog was gone, as if he never was. The flow of time resuming like a crash of a wave! Amy's eyes parted and she felt air rush into her lungs--- she was alive!

=============moments later=========================

Amy sat there in that circle for a long moment resting as just catching her breath and feeling dizzy. Yet her eyes had an ominous pink glow to them, yet with each second it seemed to fade. She closed her eyes to make her head stop spinning, and slid her limiters back into place. A click, as she turned the lock in place and felt her body's power fade and in turn she relaxed. She took a deep breath, and pulled her knees to her chest and lay her head against her thighs clearly just exhausted from her spell.

" i'll be honest its kind of a blur... But i found him... i was able to get inside. Al's ok... a little frustrated about what was taking to long but he was ok... i explained things to him. "

She didn't know if she should mention what she found yet, but then these were his closest friends right?

" The inside of the crystal is some kind of reflection of angel island... and... i think Alphonse's soul is a Sonic or... maybe he took on something familiar? anyway he was happy to see me. I wanted to stay longer... i think i pushed my luck... my spells must have yanked me back at the last moment... "

" The circle should be safe now... just careful with the amethysts ... probably hot, i... think... gonna pass out now... sorry, i just--- to much magick used... "

Just like that she fell over her eyes snapping shut as she was just exhausted by the use of such a powerful spell. She needed to find a better way to do this--- maybe Blaze would have an idea. But she'd have to deal with that when she woke up again...

[azalawa-scroggs]

About Eddie Fender and why he was a dick to Miles

I first started this post in response to something, but it got so long I decided against inflicting it on OP. This is very long and very meandering and the form is kinda weird, as a warning. It's also kinda spoilery for Ace Attorney Investigations 2.

When we first start playing AAI2 and are introduced to "Ace Attorney Eddie Fender," it's true he doesn't come across as very likeable. The first thing he says to Miles is basically "Oh, look! Here comes Manfred von Karma," and the game happens three years after the truth about DL-6 came out. That's incredibly low, very petty, cruel even. He does start off as a dick to Miles, unfair on him until he gradually realises he isn't as bad as he thought, and as he starts warming up to Miles we start warming up to him.

But also... I kind of get it.

Like... Imagine you're 19 years old. Your boss just died in a sudden and shocking murder. You inherit the law firm even though you haven't even passed the bar yet. You're grieving as you keep working hard to become an attorney, now without the guidance you used to have. Maybe you even blame yourself a little - after all, you worked on that case too, you were likely there for the trial, you left both Edgeworths to take that elevator by themselves. Had things played out differently you would have been there, too.

Did you think of your boss's son, in the middle of this whirlwind? Probably a little, but you're a 19 year-old law student. You're nowhere near a suitable place in your life to even think about fostering a kid. Besides, Gregory Edgeworth was your boss. Someone you greatly admired and whose death you will never stop mourning, but still just your boss.

(It's unclear how well Eddie knew Miles. Enough for Miles to recognise him instantly, but certainly not as close as Miles and Phoenix were.)

You take it on yourself to continue the work he left behind, to help the clients Gregory can no longer help. For ten years you try your best to uphold the reputation and the values of his firm and name, and every day you witness a little more how corrupt the system really is.

Then, one day, you start hearing about this young new prosecuting upstart. Passed the bar at 20 and already has the legal world in his pocket. Rumours of forged evidence, backstreet deals, manipulated witnesses. Not only is that just like the whole lot of them, the tactics you became so familiar with over the years - no, it sounds painfully, specifically familiar to that one long, drawn-out case, the last one you worked with Gregory. It turns out the young prodigy is the student and protégé of Mr. Perfection himself, the man who never lost a case in thirty-five years, even though he should have lost against you ten years ago if the world was even a little fair. You would hate the boy for that alone, but on top of that he's also the son of the mentor you lost, the son of the man you both used to admire so very much.

And that hurts. That none of Gregory's legacy lived on in his son. That this sweet, kind boy, who Gregory always used to worry about not making any friends, became a parody of all they used to despise.

Perhaps you even get to see him. You catch a glance of him in the courthouse corridor as he passes you by without so much as a nod to acknowledge you, or you stumble upon a picture in the same paper that struck Phoenix Wright so deeply. You see that damn suit. That damn smirk. That damn waggly finger. His features may have something of Gregory but everything in him screams von Karma. He's spent a decade trying to shape himself into him, and it shows.

Prosecutors are a privileged bunch, and the Edgeworth kid grew up into a downright brat. Entitled. Rude. Arrogant. Obsessed with his fucking perfect record. You hear he goes around cutting the salaries of detectives that make a tenth of what he does and insulting the opposing counsel in court. He became the worst of them all, taught by the worst of them all, he is everything Gregory fought against and everything you hate.

Why would you want to associate with that? Why would you ever think he is not perfectly fine where he is, with his cushy office and his cushy sports car and his doubtlessly cushy pay?

A couple years later you hear he's been arrested for murder. Maybe you follow the trial, maybe you only see the headlines after everything, after DL-6 is finally solved. Honestly, that's when you start having a reason to reach out. When, had you been less embittered and jaded by the thanklessness of your job, you might have wondered what it was like for him to grow up in the shadow of his father's murderer. You might have been stricken with compassion and horror at the thought of fifteen years spent in crushing guilt, believing he killed the father he used to love so much. You might have empathised, despite your contempt for von Karma, with how his ward might feel to be so cruelly betrayed, thrice over, by the man who raised him since he was nine, who taught him everything before throwing him away like a piece of used junk.

But you still think of how he was like a son to von Karma, of how he got to spend fifteen years in wealth, following a shiny, easy, corrupt new path while you grieved and desperately tried to keep the pieces of your shared dream together. You think of how uneasy Gregory seemed with the idea of von Karma as a teacher, you think of how eager Miles seemed to follow in his footsteps and how much Gregory would have hated it. You think of the many defendants this boy callously condemned with barely a thought, just like his mentor. Of how he may not have his father's blood on his hands, but with the way he acts you'd think he had his murderer's in his veins. And you really, really don't want to deal with any of that.

You think, somewhat unfairly, that maybe Miles ought to have seen it coming. It's not like it's much of a secret that Manfred von Karma is a piece of shit, and good riddance to him.

Three years later, you actually have to interact with him again. It's been 18 years since you last saw him in his father's shadow, looking at him like he hung the stars in the sky, back when everything was so simple for the three of you. It's been 3 years since the truth about his oh-so-esteemed mentor was uncovered. He still wears the cravat. His brow is still furrowed, his eyes are still piercing.

But slowly, begrudgingly, you talk to him. You start realising he actually has some honour to him. That he's not really the Demon Prosecutor the papers made him out to be, that maybe you misjudged him a little bit, in you grief-stricken, angry bitterness. That maybe he can be trusted, after all, with his father's legacy.

Why would you think he ever needed saving?

[0vergrowngraveyard]

tails gets uncomfortable laying on his back bc of the whole attempted robotization thing in Lost World

[bittersweetresilience]

say hi to me i don't know, i just remembered being so much brighter, i guess

cigarette ash like wildfire burning holes in the nighttime open scars feel like barbed wire white lies flying high like a ceasefire dropping flags on the shoreline this is as far as i can feel right 'cause what you don't know can haunt you

and all we ever wanted was sunlight and honesty highlights to want to repeat let's get away from here and live like the movies do i won't mind when it's over at least i didn't think for a while

don't drag it out living like that doesn't mean a thing

so let's, make a great escape and i'll be waiting outside for the getaway it doesn't matter who we are we'll keep running through the dark and all we'll ever need is another day we can slow down 'cause tomorrow is a mile away and live like shooting stars 'cause happy endings hardest to fake

and i wanna let you know i wanna let you go but i just can't bring myself to speak but this is how it goes the end credits, they roll this bridge was built over kerosene but we can watch it and all i ever wanted was sunlight and honesty highlights to want to repeat let's get away from here and live like the movies do i won't mind when it's over at least i didn't think

so let's run, make a great escape and i'll be waiting outside for the getaway it doesn't matter who we are we'll keep running through the dark and all we'll ever need is another day we can slow down 'cause tomorrow is a mile away and live like shooting stars you can wish away forever but you'll never find a thing like today

[mademoiselle-cookie]

I hate to defend Peter B because he's far from my favorite character in this movie, and he's even questionable in this scene, but not for that.

Peter didn't trap Miles. Not willingly at least. He wanted to talk to Miles but Lyla managed to track them down (bc we know the Society tracks and monitors its members even without authorization). On the other hand, I don't know if Miguel knows that Peter was not at all trying to help them capture Miles.

It's obvious for 2 reasons: narration and logic.

Narration

First, the end.

If Peter wanted to trap Miles, willingly and clearly betraying him, then there's no reason the authors want him to be part of Gwen's group. Or for Gwen to want him in her group. It's a thing if he didn't betray him consciously - but just seek to help him and do the right thing (i.e. not destroying a universe) - but it's another to voluntarily choose to stab him in the back.

No one will give a "redemption" this quick to someone who behave like that. On the other hand, if he must above all question his philosophy rather than his actions, in these cases, it can pass (I still think it's a bit crappy, but that's not the point).

Secondly, if it was the authors' intentions, they would just have to show it. They wouldn't have shown Peter being shocked that Lyla announced that she had found them. His face would have been resigned, just like Jess when Gwen gets fired, because she knows what she's doing by refusing to intervene, she is not surprised.

Besides, Peter wouldn't have promised that he didn't know it was going to happen. Peter is not a liar, and he has no reason to do that when Miles is cornered. And he wouldn't panic. He's the man who's still able to kick ass after (during?) a big depression. He has no reason to act like that if he knows what's going on.

thirdly, it would have completely ruined the sincerity of the moment if it was only a manipulation to trap Miles. You can tell me that it's still a waste because they are interrupted and Miles feels betrayed. But no. Even knowing what's going on, seeing that scene again and its sincerity touch, and having it end like this is still tragic. On the other hand, if it is only a low manipulation, all the emotion disappears, and the spectator is just bitter during the whole scene. And that's clearly not the point. (even if the revelations that Miles is responsible for the birth of Mayday does not touch me, this scene remains strong after watching it many times)

Also, he didn't try to stop Miles when he's "discovered". He tried to talk to him. The one who stop the other? It's Miles. Someone with as much experience as Peter B could have outpaced a newbie like him, but he does absolutely nothing while his target is escaping.

Another small point but it's worth what it's worth. Peter is portrayed as a good father in the film. He wouldn't use his daughter as bait. He brings his daughter on a mission, yes, but it's used as a joke, it's not supposed to be taken seriously (even his wife doesn't care). He's in the same movie as a woman who fights while being heavily pregnant, which doesn't raise any concerns about the health of the baby either.

Logic

Why does Lyla audibly warn Peter? Plot reasons. There's no real logical reason behind Lyla's action, it just shifted the plot, to hell with logic. Miles need to think Peter betrayed him. Because really, if you tried to sneakily trap someone, do you think warning your target that he is cornered is a good method? In advance to give him time to escape?

And why bother to do that? Miles was hunted by the entire Spider-Society. Did he need to be trapped like that to be captured? Miles is a kid with a year of experience against hundreds of Spider-heroes, some with decades of experience. There is no need to corner Miles for the Society to get to him because the Society was already doing that.

When Peter makes the decision to use another method, it's not because he thinks that Miles will miraculously beat all this 'losers' (even though he doesn't yet know he has a plan, Miles seems to be content with flee). It's because he wants to convince him to not save his father. If Miles is no longer on the run, there's no more pursuit, and no need for violence. Period. He doesn't want Miles to get hurt and he think the Society is in the right. He had already managed to make him listen to reason before, so he was trying again.

Peter protested against Miles being locked up before the hunt, and he was glad he managed to trick Miguel on the train. It's not the bahavior of someone who really, really want him to be captured, to the point of betrayal.

Also, he never tried to immobilize Miles. Yes, he tried to give him his baby. But it's not a method to immobilize someone, at most to occupy his hands, so long as he keeps the baby. But if you want to immobilize someone, you IMMOBILIZE them. You tie it up with webs for example. LIKE IN THE FIRST MOVIE.

But no. Even though Peter nags him to take Mayday, Miles moves. He is free to move and he is looking for a solution to escape. Peter is not stupid, he sees that. He didn't corner Miles in the oven (?), Miles got in there on his own and the first thing he does is try to open the grill. Grill that he will indeed use to escape. I'm not going to be told that with the sources of information that Miguel has at his disposal, Peter couldn't have found a better place to corner Miles. Or that he doesn't have enough experience to drag him there.

Another small point, we agree that spider-senses react to danger. That's why Miles manages to run away from all his attackers. So if Peter wanted to cause him harm and Miles is using his spider-senses to the fullest, how did he manage to capture him and take him somewhere else? Because trapping him IS a danger for Miles. So why is it not reacting at all?

Y'ALL I'LL URGENTLY NEED YOUR IMPUT RIGHT NOW

BECAUSE LIKE AM I READING THIS WRONG

So in this scene:

Peter is consistently and very pressingly trying to get Miles to hold MayDay, before having a heart to heart with him.

When suddenly his watch says "We got your location, Peter."

DID YOU INTERPRET THIS AS INTENTIONAL OR NOT?

Since my first viewing, I believed it was fully intended and that Peter had alerted them that he was with Miles. I always assumed Peter was ratting him out.

But so far two people have told me they see this is accidental. Which shocked me. Do you think it's intentional, or a complete accident?

Here's why I think it was completely intentional:

So of course we begin the scene with Peter being VERY insistent that Miles hold his baby. Like.. uncomfortably consistent. He's deadset on getting Miles to hold Mayday. Insisting that it'll make everything okay.

They end up in a small enclosed area.

So they're in this enclosed space, and now Miles chances of escape drop dramatically. Going down seriously is the only way he can leave - and he can only do that if both his hands are free.

Peter knows for a fact if Miles is holding MayDay - 1) he can't swing and 2) he would never kidnap her.

I always interperted Peter's insistence not as a weird fatherly thing, but a ploy to get Miles to stay in one place.

In a space like this, Miles can't wallcrawl with a baby in his hands, and there's no place to swing, besides - Miles would never take her from her father anyway.

Plus there's the Lyla thing. Let me go on.

Peter gets down beside him, putting a hand on Miles trying to get his eye contact. And then MayDay attaches herself to Miles' arm. Peter is really close here - like MayDay doesn't have to lean much to cling on to him.

By the time he says 'And she happened-' MayDay is already on him, Miles just hadn't noticed yet. Peter isn't holding her anymore.

In one shot, MayDay is on the other side of Peter, then suddenly she's on Miles' arm. I assumed this was Peter putting MayDay on Miles, are at least getting her close enough to cling to him.

To me it looks like he literally passed her from one arm to the next in order to get her close to Miles.

Now Miles hands are full. He can't go anywhere. Now all Peter has to do is laugh and joke until they can get to him. Peter even judges the way Miles holds her - I assumed this was him trying to coax him into really holding her, calming down and not focus on leaving.

The better Miles grip on her is, the less likely he is too take off.

Right after this Lyla announces herself - saying "We got your location, Peter."

Now, I always took this as confirmation that yes, he set up Miles.

Why else would Lyla speak out loud to him if he's hadn't spoken to her first. If Peter didn't KNOW he was being tracked, why would Lyla just announce it to him suddenly? Her natural protocol probably would've been to just tell Miguel.

So I always saw Lyla speaking out loud like this as the sign that Peter spoke to HER first, letting her know to track his location, and believing it was safe to respond out loud, Lyla replied back.

Instead of Lyla just talking suddenly and giving Peter away.

As soon as this happened, I immediately understood why he was SO insistent on Miles holding MayDay and holding her well, and calming down.

Because he was intentionally trying to corner/ground him in time for The Society to get to him.

How else would they even know that he was with Miles - and to track HIM and not Gwen - unless he directly told them 'I have Miles with me.' someway?

From Day 1 I saw this as intentional, but I've seen multiple people now who believe it was an accident.

What do you believe? Cause I don't think Lyla would just speak out loud unprompted in a situation like this. To me I always saw it as her responding to Peter, AFTER Peter ratted Miles out.

I mean, look at Miles' face. He LOOKS betrayed. He LOOKS HURT.

Peter says he didn't know, but Miles doesn't believe that. Neither do I.

He says "I didn't know, I promise." But I was like-

Yeah sure, you didn't know the watch you've had for months and the sophisticated ass AI on it can track your location, sure bro.

Sure, Lyla just figured out on her own that you were with Miles and then decided to rat you out. Sure. Her voice recognition picked up Miles being there and she still spoke out loud uh-huh. STFU.

You not making no sense bro CAP. STOP THE CAP!!!!

Like...... Seriously, how else would Lyla know to ping Peter's location, other than him telling her. It's just him and MILES!!!!!

I don't know. That how I always read the situation.

And Peter using his baby to manipulate and corner Miles like that - It DO NOT sit right with me. It don't matter of face I'm sick to MY STOMACHHHHHHH!!!

But maybe I'M the one bugging. If I'm reading this wrong but who knows bit if he deadass ratted him out.....guitar. guitar. Hobie, the guitar!!!!

But how do you read this scene, you think he did it on purpose or nah?

Cause Lyla announcing herself like that is mad random unless he spoke to her first. She could have found him and told Miguel, but I feel like she told Peter too because he actively requested he be tracked.

Hm. HMMMM.

Thoughts, ya'll? We think he did it or nah? Let's hear what the audience thinks fr fr

[rat-rosemary]

I dont want to keep discussing Tommy and want to move past the drama VS the horrible terrible signs and the need to talk about it

[nicoscheer]

Via Jack Savoretti’s TikTok

[number-one-shadisper-shipper]

OKAY SOMEONE NEEDS TO MAKE AN ANIMATIC FOR CLASSIC TAILS AND SONIC WITH "LOST BOY" BY RUTH B.

I'm dying over this song someone please do this I will owe you my sanity

[lady-tortilla-chip]

I like the dynamic between Miles and Miguel because Miguel is all “I can’t stand how scared your existence makes me, I can barely handle the weight of one dead universe let alone two, this doesn’t make me any happier than it makes you but it’s the better outcome, you’re just a stupid kid and your universe hasn’t fallen apart yet WHY push your luck?” And Miles is all “it doesn’t have to be that way, I’m not just a stupid kid, this isn’t all or nothing, something can always be done, just because spider man doesn’t always save everyone doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, nothing is impossible, and I’ll prove it whether you like it or not”