#*league of legends announcer voice: FIRST BLOOD

[ihatebrainstorm]

I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately…

…and I desire to see him sad.

(One angsty Pharma doodle, please)

How dare you make me draw the sad pharmaceutical owl in a public space 😭 /j

[nobodyfamousposts]

Mominette AU: The Superhero Ban

TRIGGER WARNING!

TRIGGER WARNING!

TRIGGER WARNING!

___________________________________________

It was an indisputable fact that Paris had been the first city to institute the infamous “Supers Ban”. The Justice League knew it. Heroes knew it. Villains knew it. The whole world knew it.

What nobody knew was “why”.

Sure, there had been comments in political circles. Some minor news outlets had mentioned Paris as the latest place where the idea was being considered. But nobody had thought they were serious.

Not until it had been made into law and the Mayor of Paris held a press conference to announce it.

Those who didn’t take it seriously certainly did when Superman himself attempted to go to the Mayor to discuss the matter. And was promptly arrested the instant he set foot in the city.

Outrage was immediate. Cries of discrimination rang out across the world and even at the UN. Various politicians decried the act. Many celebrities admonished it. A good number of people threatened to boycott Paris (which turned out to be for the best as far as Andre and most of Paris was concerned, given that a decrease in tourism meant less people for Hawk Moth to target or the heroes to have to pull out of the fray due to gawking).

Yet a year passed and the ban remained. Even the League would not cross it. Eventually, it just became an accepted fact of the world. Everyone knew to stay out of Paris.

And yet it was still unknown as to why.

Well, people suspected, of course. There were other things happening around the time that seemed to be involved.

It possibly started with the 12 hour timeframe where all of Paris had been closed off. Its citizens had been forced to evacuate. All communication lines were down, and no one from outside of the city had been able to contact anyone from within it. It was news stations in nearby cities that picked up on the fighting and tried to report it, but only several hours after it had started and they seemed to play it off as some sort of freak lighting storm.

Afterwards, things had been strange, but also easily overlooked. The Ladyblogger had gone dark for a several day period. Similarly, the regular correspondent for Paris News, Nadja Chamack had taken a leave of absence. Resident hero Chat Noir had suddenly gotten involved in matters with City Hall, resulting in talk of the hero going into a career in politics. “Chat Noir for President” became a short-lived meme.

It all appeared to come down to a specific “incident”. An akuma fight worse than any other before it. But no one would speak of it. And no information about it was available.

Except for one thing.

There were reports of the existence of video footage of the fight. The Ladyblog had supposedly crashed during a livestream of the mess due to the number of people watching it. Plenty of news reports during that time referenced it. It was rumored to have been played before the city council, resulting in unanimous support of the ban. But what was on the video remained a mystery and any remnant of the video itself couldn’t be found.

Which shouldn’t be possible with the internet. Conspiracy theories abound on the matter—some saying there was no footage in the first place and others saying it was so horrible as to have been erased by time traveling aliens.

In truth, it was the work of a hacker. One of considerable skill to wipe out any trace of this video and not be discovered. There were people willing to pay millions just for a segment of the footage. Plenty of hackers across the world had tested their skills to find even a trace of the original video to no avail.

These other hackers were not Robin.

“I got the footage.” He announced as he held up the USB drive.

Superbly started in surprise, staring at the item in the Boy Wonder’s hand. “This is it?”

“Supposedly.” Robin replied with a shrug.

The Holy Grail of hidden data. A hacker’s ultimate prize. Every journalist and tabloid reporter’s wet dream.

“I haven’t watched it myself,” as he felt it wasn’t his right to intrude on this when it was an issue of his friend’s family, “so I don’t know what’s on there. But whatever’s in this, it’s safe to say it isn’t going to be pretty.”

That was putting it lightly. The video had been so deeply hidden that it was its own urban legend at this point. The incident it showed was bad enough to not only warrant it being hidden from the world, but to set off the “Paris Supers Ban” and arrest of Superman.

The death of a hero was always big news. Even if it’s only barely avoided.

The fact that anyone could HIDE it spoke volumes. Both in regards to the original censor’s ability as well as the importance of the data itself.

Conner nodded, resolute.

“I need to know.”

Robin handed over the device. He probably should have taken it to Batman…probably. But this was Conner’s case. His family. It was his right to decide what to do with the information.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were…accepting of Conner to say the least. They allowed him to enter Paris despite the ban. They let him help. They were kind and accommodating and quite frankly everything that Conner needed.

But…they weren’t exactly open. Not about certain things.

This was one of those things, and Conner had been wanting answers about the “Incident” that cut Paris off from the Superhero world. What made them finally say “enough”? He would ask, but nobody knew. The few who did know refused to speak of it.

Conner wanted to know why. What had they experienced that was so horrible?

Maybe it was a way of feeling closer to them?

Maybe it was a way to understand them better?

Maybe it was just wanting to see the harder things they had faced?

“We’ll be right here with you, Conner.” Wally reassured him when his hands started to shake.

“Remember, you’ll have full access of the gym and training grounds, but you won’t be allowed to leave the Mountain for 24 hours after this.” Kaldur gently stated. Partly to remind Conner of the agreement, lest he attempt to run off to Paris in anger or fear and risk an akuma. Partly to subtly prompt everyone else to ensure that Conner does not accomplish the former.

Still…the choice was already clear.

Conner put the drive into the computer and pressed play.

The video only lasted a few minutes.

A few minutes was more than enough.

_______________________

“Oh…oh my god.” Came the words of the person recording, her voice as shaky as her hands that held the camera.

The damage was…extensive. Rubble, broken glass, and downed buildings littered the background. There was a sad mix of gray and brown as far as the eye could see. Of the destroyed roads and pavement. Of steel beams littering the ground. Of rock and dirt and what may very well have been ash.

Amidst the ruined landscape, there was one spot of color. A bright red standing out amidst the muted neutral around her. Normally a source of bravery and inspiration, it took a few seconds for the camera to get her properly in focus, and a few more for it to register that there was significantly more red in the scene than there should have been.

Ladybug wasn’t standing so much as she was leaning backwards in a half-upright position. Forced to stay on her legs despite her clear lack of strength. The only thing holding her up were the very things responsible for her current state…three steel spikes that extended from the ground beneath her.

They were exiting her torso. One piercing the upper left part of her body, right close to her shoulder. One through her naval. And the third on the right side, for all purposes appearing to have hit a lung.

She was breathing, though it was clearly labored. She was constantly torn between some variation of taking a gasping breath in and crying it out. Her suit could protect her—it was supposed to protect her from anything, but even this was too much.

It was clear she couldn’t move. She had to remain there, impaled on steel. Both to limit her injuries as much as possible and just due to inability from the sheer pain she was in.

The camera was focused on her, though it was shaky at best. The person recording it could be heard muttering unintelligibly with some mention of a hospital and frequent repetition of “oh god” thrown in. Some noise could be heard in the background of someone sounding quite ill, which was understandable given the sight of their hero impaled and choking on her own blood.

Within a minute of the video starting, the crunching sound of boots running on glass and stones could be heard coming closer. The sound of panting grew louder as Chat Noir cleared a hill and entered into view, rushing and stumbling towards Ladybug while holding something in front of him.

The camera zoomed on him, bringing him into focus as he cleared the last hurdle.

“I’ve got it!” Chat exclaimed, racing back to her side with her yoyo in hand. “I’ve got it! It’s okay. It’s over. It’s over now. It’s finished. He’s done.”

“Sh…Ch…” Her head hung limply and her eyes were barely able to focus on him as he tried to get her to look at him without moving her too much.

“It—It’s okay! It’s going to be okay!” He whispered to her, so softly that the camera barely caught it. He was clearly panicked and trying desperately not to let it show. “We just need the Cure. If you cast the Cure, everything will be better, okay?”

She didn’t appear to be listening, though. And barely seemed aware of anything. “Ch-ck…Chaaa…”

The video zoomed in on them both. Ladybug dazed and bleeding out. Chat crying and trying not to break down completely.

“Please! I just need you to say the words! Say the words and you’ll be okay! Can you do that?”

“Huurrr…s…” She slurred, begging him without words for help.

“I know! I know! But you can fix it. C’mon, M’lady, please!”

“I…I cn…”

“Say the words. Just two words, okay?” He begged desperately, patting her cheek in an attempt to both soothe her and keep her attention on him. “Two words and then you can go to sleep, I promise.”

“Ch…a…”

“Just…just two words, that’s it! I’ll…I’ll even say them with you, okay?”

She winced. “Nn…”

She clearly wasn’t listening, but he was desperate and so started to try. “Miraculous—”

She sobbed.

“No, no. Listen to me, okay? Say it with me!” He ordered, forcing her to look at him. “Mi. Say it with me! Mi!”

“M…mi…”

“Racu!”

“ra…” Her gaze started to waver.

He shook her. “Cu!”

“…cu…lous…”

He gave a weak laugh. Even now she was ahead of him. “Ladybug.”

“La…laa-deee…”

He shook her again. “LADYBUG!”

“……b…u—gahck-ugh—" She was cut off by harsh coughing.

But it was enough.

Thank every god out there it was enough.

The Cure spilled out from the object she was holding, transforming into magical ladybugs that covered everything in their wake. Unfortunately, the casting of the Cure and incoming loveliness caused the person holding the camera to drop it, losing sight of the video and cutting the feed.

_______________________

The ringing of her phone got Marinette’s attention, drawing her away from the movie she was watching with Adrien and the Dolls.

“Hello?”

“Miss Ladybug.” Came the voice on the end. “This is Aqualad.”

She blinked in surprise. “Aqualad? Is everything okay?”

“Yes…just…” The sound of angry whispers could be heard on the other end. “Would you be able to come speak with Conner today?”

Marinette frowned at that. While she certainly enjoyed seeing Conner, that…didn’t sound like a good thing. If anything, it sounded like a plea. And the voices that sounded like an argument in the background only made it sound worse.

“Is everything okay?”

Adrien seemed to notice the concern in her voice as he had stopped paying attention to the movie to focus on her. In turn, Chaton was peeking over the couch at her, curious as to what was going on.

“No. We found a recording of something…personal to you. Conner saw it and now he’s rather upset. We think it might help if you were here.”

“WHAT?!” She exclaimed. This definitely got the attention of the other dolls, all of whom had abandoned the movie in favor of checking on their Mama.

Her eyes narrowed. Suddenly full Mom mode was on.

“Aqualad. Tell me right now what happened.”

And Kaldur caved immediately with only a small sigh.

“Robin found the video of the akumatized hero who attacked you and instigated the events leading to the Paris Ban.” He explained. “I apologize. We should have checked with you first, but at Conner’s request, we all watched it.”

Marinette sighed. “I thought that was buried.”

“We’re rather good at digging.” Robin’s voice could be heard on the other side of the line.

“Hang on. I’ll be right over.” She told them before hanging up.

“Marinette? What happened?” She turned to see Adrien standing before her, looking rather concerned. Picking up on her tension, he had stopped the movie. And sure enough, four little dolls stared up at her in worry.

She sighed. There was nothing else for it.

“Who wants to go on a trip?”

The Dolls perked up at that.

Adrien, however, noticed how tense she was.

“Mari?”

“They saw the tape.”

His eyes widened. “Oh.” He reached out to her, and without even thinking, she moved into his arms. He clutched her tightly, soothing her and himself. It was…not a pleasant thing to have to relive. That so-called “hero” had caused more damage than just that one day. And more than any of them had truly recovered from.

The dolls seemed to catch on to the atmosphere, because their excitement died down.

“It’ll be okay, Mari. Let’s just be there for him. And I’ll be here for you.”

She held him back just as tight.

“Together then?”

“Always.”

[romioneficfest]

Lose Yourself

Title: Lose Yourself name: Prompt: Day 4: Quidditch / Hogwarts Rated: K+ / PG Brief Summary: Rose Weasley Granger is about to step on the biggest pitch of her entire life, one that she has been training for almost her entire life: The Quidditch World Cup Final. Before she is off at the starting whistle, she needs validation from the one person whose approval she desperately needs. Warning: Oliver Wood’s guest commentary. Tagging @weasleyisourroyalfamily for the headcanon inspirations.

“Rose Weasley-Granger, the star seeker for the English National team is a bit of a prodigy. Her Dad put her on her first broom a year old, way she tells it. Uncle Harry Potter coached her early on. He was a bit of a star during his secondary years until life got in the way,” the play-by-play announcer nodded in full understanding as most of the English population 40 and up easily recalled, “and later coached by her Aunt Ginny Weasley-Potter, who was an enormous star for the Holyhead Harpies in the UK Quidditch League and taught her so much, even though she was a Chaser by profession in the Quidditch Leagues.”

“She also started as Second Chaser for the English National Team in 2002 and 2006 before retiring after the tournament.”

“That’s right Oliver,” Lee Jordan’s voice crackled over the airwaves to the delight of all the fans. “Rumor has it that Weasley-Granger was tutored in the summer months during her years at Hogwarts by the Hall of Fame Seeker and family friend Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian National team legend who caught the Snitch in the 1994 World Cup match played in the UK, and then again in the 2014 World Cup final in Patagonia, Argentina. Krum retired after that last International match, participating only in charity matches in England and on the Continent, raising funds for the Prewitt Trust, the post-war orphan trust for children whose parents were murdered by the Voldemort regime in 1997 through May 1998.”

Wood interrupted. “Speaking of, there is the Bulgarian Legend Krum, in the minister’s Box alongside the others. His wife Natalia is present and their oldest, Sergei, attends Hogwarts now as a Fifth-year Prefect, and their older daughter Mina as well. All we are waiting on now are the Ministers for the UK and Mexico to arrive.” 

“Back to Weasley-Granger, she made a name for herself starting while in secondary at Hogwarts, catching the snitch in every match she played starting in her second year. By the start of her fifth year, all the professional teams in the UK and a few abroad were recruiting her when she performed a Wronkski feint which turned at the last second into a sloth roll to catch the snitch that had flown under her opponent and sealed the win for her House team that year. At that match, the recruiting scout for the Chudley Cannons, of all the teams, was present at the match and not a week later they were sending owls to the Weasley-Granger residence trying to sign her - at 16. 

“Her Mum, Hermione Granger, who had assumed the role of Minister earlier that term, forbade her from signing any professional contracts until the end of her sixth year after she’d turned 17. The day after the end of term, recruiters were desperate to sign young Weasley-Granger. And each one she turned down, telling all of them, “I bleed orange and Black and am a Chudley Cannon through and through. Sorry fellas,” as she went back to work on their property, using a scythe to clear the back yard of overgrown grass as her daily workout. But the National team, having already watched her first season as a seeker for the Cannons, immediately invited her out for the team before the end of her first year. She beat out 16 other Seekers to become the starter, being the youngest since Krum started for Bulgaria at 18 back in 1994.”

“She’s been nothing short of legendary at the National competition level. I’ve watched her and her vision on the pitch is astounding.”

“And there is Minister Curazon of Mexico and British Minister Granger, along with the entire Weasley clan arriving, lead by Patriarch Ron Weasley-Granger, co-owner of Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes. Also present is Rose’s younger brother Hugo, who is already a renown Rune translator and spell researcher. Arriving with them are the Potters including Lily Luna, the starting third chaser for the Tutshill Tornadoes. Wood, you’ve been a part of a friendly with the Weasley Potter Granger clan. How much fun is it?”

“Lee, I have to say it’s much more fun refereeing them than trying to keep up. Between Rose and Lily Luna Potter, few stand a chance. I’m sore for three days facing Lily Luna, much less her Mum and Rose.”

The music shifted again, sounding like a celebration.

Oliver Wood stood, looking out at the fans. “Ladies, Gentlemen, Distinguished guests,” his voice boomed over the stadium, still strong years after retiring from Puddlemere United, "I give you the Mexican National team. At Keeper, Miguel Gonzales; Beaters Julio Sanchez and Juan Carrasco; Chasers Alejandro , Jorge Hernandez, and Rafael ‘Lobo’ Vasquez; and Seeker Teresa Blanco-Calderon !”

Seven red, green, and white rockets took off from the portal, racing around the Holyhead pitch at breakneck speeds, before taking their places at the centre of the pitch, with Calderon circling high above.

“There’s Ron Weasley, standing tall in the Minister’s Box, with Minister Granger by his side, wearing the customary Home White Lions uniform with blazing red of the St. George’s Cross. I spy underneath his jacket, a sprig of Orange. I‘m guessing, under his Weasley-Granger National jersey on the back, was his pride and joy - his daughter’s replica Chudley Cannons team jersey.”

Ron ignored the commentary from Lee Jordan, focusing at his wife at his side at his wife, the current Minister of Magic who was officially off duty tonight and letting Oliver Wood handle the festivities. Tears were streaming down her face, completely oblivious to anyone who might notice. Ron glanced right and saw his sister, brother in law, Viktor and his remaining family standing there, all beaming with pride, waiting for the English national team. Ron leaned down to give his wife a peck on the lips, ignoring the hoots and catcalls around them.

“That’s Weasley for you. He prefers his wife over propriety.” Guffaws broke out around the couple before Ron kissed her again before turning back to the player’s tunnel.

The Mexican team finished their racing circuits of the stadium and they settled in, waiting. 

A thrum started, like a heartbeat. Ever so slowly, a roar erupted, punctuated with chanting known all over the British Isles: 'Weasley is our Queen'

“And starting for the English National team, we have at Keeper Charles Wood; Beaters Marius Pucey and Aiden Flint; Chasers Zeb Smith, Khalil Reeves, and Mohammed Siddiq-Smythe, and last but certainly not least, Seeker Rose Weasley-Granger,” the announcer roared over the crowds watching the Ginger Wonder Woman, as the English Press referred to the Prime Minister’s daughter. Sure enough, panning the crowds to the Minister’s Box stood Minister of Magic for the UK Hermione Granger, along with 2002 English 2nd Chaser Ginny Weasley Potter, her husband Harry Potter, and the minister’s husband Ron Weasley-Granger.

All eyes turned to the lanky Seeker, wearing her home White uniform with blood-red boots and cape, and her name embossed in Red on the back. The smile on her face was as bright as the fireworks that announced the team, shining above everyone. Rose soared, feeling the brisk air as she rode the jetstream and raced down to the ground, pulling up from the ground a foot from the pitch to fly almost straight up above the stadium.

“Win or lose, Lee, this is her moment, the one she’s trained a lifetime for.”

Rose dared look down at the Minister’s Box and saw her family, including ‘Uncle’ Viktor. An entire sea of ginger-haired people was looking up at her, waving frantically, led by her Dad, her #1 fan. But she only had eyes for her Mum, beaming in pride up at her. Her breath hitched when she saw her Mum signing to her ‘Little Lion Queen, Fly Fast; love you' up at her. She signed back, 'Love you' before deciding to do one last reckless thing before the whistle blew. Rose took off for one sprint around the top of the stadium, weaving in and out of the portals, giving the blurry a faces a momentary glance of her before stopping at the Minister’s Box. Rose waved at everyone before racing to the top of the pitch, settling in next to the Mexican Seeker Calderon, meters above the lights. 

Quidditch chairwizard of the International Quidditch Association Faed Zozimar came walking out, his hair completely white with a moustache that reminded Hermione of a certain famous Singer from the 70s and 80s stood at the centre of the pitch with the official ball box. He kicked it open, letting the snitch escape into the sea of colours along with the two bludgers. He mounted his broom and awaited for Wood to make the official announcement.

“Players, on the whistle,” Wood boomed before an ear-splitting whistle broke the silence of the stadium. The quaffle went up and the match was on.

The crowd roared.

Rose raced off in a rush, feeling like the first time her Mum told her she was proud of her.

[bravescribbles]

The Downfall:Power Couple Pt. 8

What would you do for the person you loved?

The Downfall pt1

In the hospital after the complicated labor and surgery 

Mari does wake up and but is groggy , just kinda squeezes whatever is in her hand and that happens to be Damians hand who bolts awake

“Habibi you’re awake! Thank Ra’s you’re awake..I was so worried about you!”

She interupts to ask about the baby, did the baby survive, where is her baby

“I’m so sorry my Angel, you lost a lot of blood and the doctors could only save one and I chose you.” Damian reaches out for her hand but she takes it back with a look of betrayal.

She has no reaction and that’s what scares Damian the most. She does not say anything but simply requests that he calls the doctor in and leaves the room. Damian protests, stating that she is his wife and he will be there to hear whatever the incompetent doctor has to say. At this, she throws a vase at his head that he dodges but the sound grabs the attention of doctors and nurses nearby. 

“Leave. I detest the sight of you. You took away my hope for the future of a family.” Her voice has the tiniest bit of sorrow but her eyes speak of pure anger

After the doctor comes in and tells her that though the baby may have passed “once you and your husband are ready,there is always the possibility of trying aga…..” The doctor saw the murderous glare in her eyes and simply called for a nurse to ready the discharge papers. 

2 years later

Marinette turns into a different person after that. Her public persona becomes Killer Ice Queen of the Fashion Industry and her marriage with Damian is strained to put it at best. Those who caused the accident were brought to justice and that was the last friendly public appearance from the two. 

Any fashion shows or high-studded events were always cold with each other as it looked like in the photos. Neither smiled or held each other in a physical sense though any rumors about affairs or divorce were immediately shot down just with a look. Any mention of the name Wayne was a surefire way to have that particular magazine trashed. 

Though behind closed doors endless wars were fought with words and swords as the couple sparred to the first draw of blood to see if their marriage was salvageable. It always ended in a tie. Insults, threats and rumors of infidelity were carelessly thrown around used as a distraction to gain the upper-hand. Divorce is never used as both parties know that divorce is worse than death in the eyes of the League but there were rumors floating among the members of why their leader has been so unhappy and why has it been so long since the Queen has stepped foot on the hideout...

Who had their leaders become? One is ruthless dictator worse than his grandfather, the other is a ghost of legends of a supposed happier time

Damian had no mercy towards his enemies and his business became more shady by the day. His wife no longer spared him a second of her time and he was never going to ask. His training became brutal with sparring partners simply not lasting anymore, those who were brought in for questioning of allegiance or loyalty came in and never came out. Females looking to take the Queen’s place are desperate for any attention but Damian simply replies that the Queen will return but he says that more for himself than anything else. 

Marinette seeks for power. Both in her professional life, she made Audrey B. look like a child when it came to anything in fashion, even Gabriel Agreste was a softy compared to the Killer Queen of MDC. All her interview request are denied and no one has seen the mogul publicly since her pregnancy announcement. Even her few friends have a hard time reaching her, all her employees fear the sound of heels clacking down the hallway in case their boss wants to thrash the studio for the third that week. Her rotating carousel of assistants are horrified seeing their boss stuck in the studio throwing countless bolts of fabric across the room because ‘the fabric wasn’t right’ even though everyone knows the boss handpicks the fabric herself. 

 Though in her precious down time , Marinette is seeking a way to create her lost child. She is turning into HawkMoth, the same person she spent 4 years fighting against and proclaiming to Paris that she and Bugman would protect until their dying breath. This realization startles her once it finally hits her but she now understands the longing for a perfect family and her morals have all turned dark in order for her goals. 

Though first she needs her miraculous back. When Hawkmoth was defeated when she was 16, she gave back her ring because she knew it was dangerous to combine the Lazarus pits and any sort of magic but now….

So here’s this one. Umm By the looks of it, it might be an even 10 parts long just so it can be an even number and its not terrible for me to put in a masters list. Please comment, like and reblog. Let me know what you think and I’ll see ya next time

Taglist

@lenamau @fandomfan @vixen-uchiha @vanillacoffee-bean @the-fusionist, @naimena @maribat-2k20girl23 @myazael  @winter-gardenflower @zestyzealot @moonlightstar64 @crazylittlemunchkin @dreamkitty25, @certainmuffinbagelcalzone @alexzandria-747, @damianette-is-life 

[wackygoofball]

JB Appreciation Week 2019: Jaime & Brienne Throughout the Seasons

Spring

It was Spring when they first met. Flowers bloomed despite the war, against the odds, from dried blood soaking the earth. New beginnings were only a promise, far away, off the battlefields and usual paths. He was a captive but he was not the only one running, for she was running from herself, from who she thought she could never be. He, meanwhile, was running from the man he grew to be, with no faith in the man he could still become. That was, until their worlds collided, until swords kissed and sprang apart. And for a time, they ran together, side by side, not knowing to where they were headed.

Summer

It was Summer when their travels stopped, if only for a while, and peace buzzed in the heat like the flies in search for a landing place. Sun warmed theri skins and hopes started to grow where once desolation had ruled. They thought they could do it all, that they were on the right track, headed towards a certain destination, a place where honor meant something again, but in the end, they had to bid farewell. He wanted to run after her, but he did not. She swore to herself not to turn around, but she did. And the only thing that lingered in the hot summer air was a word, a promise, an oath.

 Summer Solstice

They met again, so unexpectedly, at summer solstice when nights may seem short but all the darker. Neither one knew what to say or how to move. Where they used to move side by side, they found themselves standing on opposite sides of a war not theirs all over again. He wanted to follow her, he did, he did, he did. He wanted to leave it all behind, but he could not. It was the longest day to see her come and go, to let her leave and not hold on, to stand shrouded in the dark red of his own House. Only as night fell and he stood upon a castle drowned in the darkness of the desolation of victory did he see a flicker of hope, stealing away across the water, did he dare to breathe again. They bid farewell again, without words this time, with just a single gesture neither one could tell the other saw, but he did. And she did. And as night fell and long days ended, both dared to hope, if only for themselves, that one day, they’d see each other again.

 Fall

Fall brought change, a cut in time. It was a jolt, a wakeup call, for it was time for him to awaken, from dreams he dreamed for far too long, promising no Spring but only endless Winter. He didn’t believe, or didn’t want to believe, he couldn’t tell, but when she touched him, so unexpectedly, he was reminded of the thousand leagues they had travelled side by side, through forests now bearing golden leaves about to fall and die. He was reminded of the promises made, the oaths kept, those neglected, and those on the tip of his tongue which he learned to hold for so many years. He found his voice that day. Because of her. For her. For himself. For the man he thought was gone but lived on in her faith in him, in who he could still become. And so he left as seasons changed, and he along with them.

 Winter

The cold winds blew him North, to where it all began, to where he began anew. Because he had to find her, as he had found himself. He did, amidst an angry crowd who saw the name but not the man. She spoke the words he never would have found for himself, never would have dared to claim for himself. But she did, for him, and so he found himself embracing, slowly, tentatively this man he had become through the seasons, through hardship and defeat, through loss and pain but also hope, no longer as distant as it once seemed, resting in the ice blue eyes of the woman he rode North for. And with her, he wanted to fight. And by her side, he wanted to stay as days grew darker still, grew colder yet, announcing the beginning of the ending yet to be decided amidst ice and fire.

 The Long Night

Side by side they stood, in the dark, wordless, breathless, as life was devoured by a black sky. Together in the dark, their eyes met where their hands wanted to touch, to reassure one another of the presence still there, not yet gone. The sky split open as death knocked down the doors, kicked down the walls, pulled them down, tried to devour their lives. He found her and she found him. And side by side they fought, made legend of a story not yet told, made legend of an honorable man and a just woman who stood for the living, who dared to fall for life, but, unexpectedly, kept standing as death fell, and with it, silence.

 Winter’s End

Hope is born in the strangest places, in the most forlorn situations. It doesn’t grow out of easy solutions. It is born amidst smoke and ashes, fire and ice, life and death, on the tip of a sword. He nearly lost it, finding himself unworthy of the affection, the trust, the love. He nearly lost it, lost her, riding away, but she found him, life dangling by a single thread, covered in dust, in stone. Because it is from such desolation that hope can grow, fragile as it is. She came for the man she knew he had long since become. It was she who made him open his eyes again to the truth resting inside hers, that the journey he’d undertaken had long since ended, that his path was a new one now, and that every path, every track, led back to her, into her strong arms. They embraced, they kissed, and no music was playing beside the one of two healing hearts finally beating as one. Throughout the seasons he had changed, she had changed. They stopped running from who they were and didn’t believe they could become once they ran into each other – and stayed. Hope is born in the strangest places, between the most unlikely matches. And as green buds spring from the frozen earth, on an island sitting in the deep blue sea, hope is born anew, takes on a new shape, gurgling, drinking the milk of life. Because two hearts no longer beat as one but for three. And two souls found a landing place as seasons change anew, for many years to come, for their Dream of Spring...

[rosywrites]

An Easy Decision

Fandom: League of Legends Summary:  After receiving a tip that Jhin was spotted in Navori, Shen and Zed didn't stop searching for his whereabouts without rest. Until one day, the Virtuoso himself sets the stage for Zed to make a choice.

Note: A collaboration story with @spinyoctopus based on a tweet she made!

[AO3]

Word count: 3,012

Several days passed since Zed and Shen received a tip that Jhin appeared in Navori, and they hadn’t stopped to hunt him down since. Both the Shadow and Kinkou Orders were on high alert for the Golden Demon. The two masters kept in contact with their students, making sure they would be prepared if Jhin tried to go for them. Even Akali, who had distanced herself away from the Kinkou Order, accepted the message and kept Shen updated on her whereabouts.

A white cloud formed from Zed’s breath as he turned from the mountain he was climbing. He could see the entire region of Navori from here. He crouched, wondering where Jhin would be hiding… or waiting. His helmet sat in his hands, staring up at him with its empty eyes. He shut his eyes and allowed himself a moment of rest, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exhaustion.

He was tired, very tired.

It had been so long since Jhin’s imprisonment, his breaking from the Kinkou Order, and his murder of Kusho. Then everything came to a stop when word got out that Jhin escaped. It all took a toll on him, but he could never show that. He didn’t deserve to.

The golden light overtaking the dark night from behind the mountains signified the break of dawn. He squinted from the sliver of light that shone into his eyes and shielded them with his hand.

Ever the one to lean towards the shadows.

Another white cloud seeped out of his helmet with another long sigh. The mountain air was cold, but it felt refreshing to his tired soul. Zed allowed himself the liberty to think of nothing and enjoy the sunrise, though he only let it last for a moment. That’s all he could give himself. He put the helmet back on his head and sent one last look at the horizon before sinking into his own shadow.

Shen was waiting for him. If finished with the patrol, Kayn as well.

Zed arrived at the top of the stone steps of the Kinkou Monastery, or rather what once was the Kinkou Monastery. Ever since he overthrew Kusho, the monastery turned into the base for the Shadow Order. Shen had been coming to the Monastery to help deal with Jhin. He could imagine how angry Shen must have been when he first stepped foot into his former home.

They had decided to meet at the monastery every three days to report their findings. So far, their searches had all failed. There was no sign of Khada Jhin anywhere. Nothing on Zed’s end this time either.

He made his way towards the entrance of the monastery, expecting Shen to stand by one of the pillars with his usual stoic expression. And just like Zed, there was an underlying exhaustion in his eyes. Shen was just as tired as Zed was, if not more.

Zed slowly looked up in realization Shen wasn’t waiting for him by the entrance. Odd. He was never one to be late for their rendezvous in the morning. There was a chance he had business in the spirit realm, but he would leave a sign that he would come back.

While he would have shrugged it off, a glint from a bush had caught his eyes. Furrowing his brows, Zed approached the bush and brushed it aside.

Dread immediately pooled in his stomach as he jerked his arm back with his blades pulled out on instinct. His breaths became shorter as he continued to stare at the lotus trap hidden within the bush. It was almost perfectly nestled into the leaves, just barely showing enough to be noticed by a careful eye.

But the Golden Demon would not make such a grave mistake.

This was on purpose.

A warning.

“Shen…!” Zed whispered in panic. He snuck down the hall through the shadows, searching through every room in the monastery. Each room contained a butchered corpse, torn apart and rearranged into different displays. Very few were left untouched, but those few were gravely injured and barely left alive.

“M-Master Zed…” a student croaked, catching his attention.

Zed materialized from the shadows and rushed over. The student’s wounds were severe, half his body covered in deep cuts and gashes. Pieces of metal were embedded into his skin, possibly even puncturing his body. A victim of Jhin’s traps. He laid a hand on the student’s shoulder, trying to shake him awake. “What happened?” he growled.

The student gripped Zed’s wrist with a desperate strength. “You can’t, you can’t,” he kept muttering. “He… he got them too…”

Zed almost felt his heart lurch up to his throat. “Where are they?” he hissed. “Tell me. Now.”

“The meditation hall… they’re…” The student choked and struggled to breathe from the blood that filled his lungs from the penetrating metal. He wasn’t going to live through this. Even if he did, he would be crippled for the rest of his life.

The least Zed could do was end the student’s misery.

Zed silently opened the door to the meditation hall. His eyes scanned the area for any dangers or even the Golden Demon himself. The hall was empty and quiet, the floor and bottom of its intricate carvings and pillars dimly lit by the rising sun. As he walked closer to the center of the hall, he looked up at the swinging chandelier above.

But it was no chandelier.

Zed gasped in horror as he noticed the familiar blue hair. Kayn was hanging limply in the air with two metal hooks dug into his back, his face covered in knife cuts, and metal wires wrapped tightly around his neck. The wires extended to the ceiling, silver bells tied every four feet and around his neck like a harness. His scythe was on the platform ahead, propped up against a statue of the Spirit of Ionia. The red eye of the scythe, usually open and actively looking around, was closed.

Following the wires above Kayn, there was some sort of mechanic constructions extending throughout the ceiling. But it had been placed so neatly that one would have thought it was part of the ceiling structure. Zed brought his attention back to the boy hanging above him.

Kayn was still alive. His eyes were barely open, and the bells made quiet chimes with each shallow breath he made. Zed wasn’t even sure if Kayn could recognize his surroundings anymore.

“Kayn, are you awake? Answer me.”

A quiet wheeze sounded from Kayn’s throat, his eyelids fluttering in response. Zed’s shoulders lowered as he sighed in relief. Kayn was awake, but barely. He saw Kayn’s eyes roll to the left and followed his line of sight, to where Shen was.

Shen was kneeling in the far corner of the meditation hall, where the sunlight began to crawl towards, hunched over with his head hanging low. Golden rope immobilized his torso and legs, preventing him from breaking free. Above him was an arrangement of metal scraps and pieces, disturbingly resembling the shape of eye.

“Shen! Are you awake?”

Groaning, Shen awoke to Zed’s voice. He shook his head, trying to clear his head. But even when he was completely conscious, he didn’t make a move. “Sorry, Zed,” Shen uttered, his voice coarse. “I couldn’t stop him.”

Zed tried to rush over to Shen’s side to untie him, but a propelling glint of silver stopped him in his tracks, and he caught it before it pierced his head. An Ionian dagger, elegantly carved with designs of smoke along the blade with a green gem inlaid in the handle.

The sounds of metal clinking on stone then caught Zed’s attention. From the shadows, an all-too-familiar figure stepped out into the light, the trademark ivory mask almost glowing under the sunlight. “Welcome to the finale!” the figure announced, his cape flying with his grand gesture.

Khada Jhin.

It took everything Zed had to stay where he was and not recklessly attack the murderer before him. His vision was flooding with memories of the gore and horror he had witnessed all these years since his youth. If he hadn’t been used to the smell of blood and corpses, he would’ve vomited by now.

Besides, Jhin was always a step ahead: he stood just out of Zed’s reach.

Jhin chuckled at Zed’s trembling shoulders. Was he trembling out of rage? Panic? Fear? Perhaps all three. “You’ve learned to stop charging headfirst into danger, haven’t you? Indeed, quite the character development.”

“Why are you here?” he growled angrily.

“Why? I thought this is what you wanted. To catch me. And what’s better than being caught in the Shadow Order’s temple?” The amusement was clear in his voice. He paced around in a rhythm, humming to himself. “But what good is a capture if there is no reward, yes? After all, you’ve come so far from back then. I suppose it’s only fair to let you decide your reward.”

“Bastard. You’re only toying with us.” Zed’s hand balled into a fist around the handle of the dagger, a desperate urge to drive the blade into Jhin’s neck overtaking his body. But he couldn’t. Jhin had him wrapped around his finger, and one wrong move would be the end of it all.

Jhin raised his arms, gesturing to both Shen and Kayn, whose bodies were now lit by the rising sun. “Let’s start with the setting for this finale. I walk away, and these two bloom in a matter of seconds.” He lazily paced to the side, keeping an eye on Zed. “But you, the protagonist, can still save them from their fate.

“One, you can save your beloved student from bursting with wings to fly to the sky. Two, you can save Shen, the man you once called your brother, from becoming the final piece to complete the Eye of Twilight above.” He paused to chuckle. “You did come to a peaceful compromise in your little detective adventure, after all, right?”

A shuriken shot past Jhin, narrowly missing his mask.

He merely clicked his tongue and shook a finger at Zed. “Ah, ah, ah. You need to listen thoroughly.” He held up a third finger. “Three, you settle the score with the Golden Demon once and for all, abandoning the angel and the all-seeing eye.” Jhin paused before he turned around and began to walk away from Zed.

“And the fourth?”

Jhin turned his head back to Zed, his visible eye squinting in amusement, before walking away again. The sunrise slowly filled the room with light, creeping up the mechanism until it reached a green gem embedded into the center. The meditation hall became lit with green fractals from the reflecting gem.

With a snap of his fingers, numerous cogs in the mechanism above went into motion like the gears of a clock. Kayn started to ascend to the ceiling with each tick. He had no reaction to his body lightly swinging from the hooks, but Zed couldn’t imagine how much pain he was in.

Looking at Shen, Zed saw wire that was being pulled above between the metal scraps. The wire led down to Shen’s neck. There was plenty of wire before Shen would be beheaded and pulled into the air, but there was not enough time to save both. Zed knew that.

“Choose wisely.”

Zed glanced at the dagger in his hands, then to Kayn, then to Shen, and then back to the dagger. His eyes moved up to Shen, who stared back with those glowing blue eyes. The two shared a look that seemed to last for an eternity.

“You need to save Kayn,” Shen insisted. “It doesn’t matter what happens to me.” He was now sitting upright, the rope just barely tightening his neck now.

Kayn suddenly coughed blood when the metal hooks began to pull him in opposite directions. His breathing was getting shallower, the bells chiming in quick succession.

Jhin was still walking away with a lazy bounce to his steps. He was slowly disappearing into the shadows.

The cogs continued to tick away faster.

Tick.

Tock.

There was no time.

But then it dawned on Zed. He realized it was an easy choice all this time. He made the decision a long time ago after all. He raised the dagger, its blade flashing at Shen.

Shen closed his eyes and lulled his head back, leaving his neck and chest open. But the dagger never came. The sound of metal meeting flesh snapped his eyes open to look at Zed.

Zed had pierced the dagger into his own stomach, twisting it with a pained grunt and pulling it out. In that moment, his shadow materialized behind Shen and cut the wire free.

“Zed!” Shen called in desperate panic, jumping to his feet.

Jhin stopped in his tracks to turn his head, seeing Zed bleeding out on the stone floor. His eye met Shen’s, whose eyes were glowing brighter in rage. He could only smile. “What will you do, Eye of Twilight? It’s all up to you now.” He once again turned to walk away without a care in the world. Not even two steps, and Shen had already gone to Zed’s side.

And the Golden Demon disappeared into the shadows.

The cogs in the mechanism came to a stop and lowered Kayn onto the ground. Shen first cut the wire tied around Kayn’s neck and laid him on his stomach. He carefully pulled the hooks out of Kayn’s back, which were hooked onto his scapulas. Had Zed been any later, the hooks would have tore Kayn’s scapulas apart and spread his chest and arms into the air.

Kayn wheezed before he coughed a few more times from becoming able to breathe better. “M-Master… Zed…” he called before falling unconscious.

Shen wasted no time tending to Zed’s wound, removing Zed’s helmet in the process. He kicked away the dagger in Zed’s hand while applying pressure onto his abdomen. “Zed? Zed, stay with me here.” He watched Zed’s face contort in pain from the stab wound. “God, what is wrong with you? Killing me was the easiest option, and yet you—”

“No, he knew what he was doing,” Zed answered. “This was the only way.”

“What happened to the Master of Shadows I knew?” Shen retorted. “We need you to capture him. Stabbing yourself was not the answer.” When Zed didn’t respond, Shen tried to slap him awake but was stopped by Zed’s hand raising up.

“He never stated out loud what the last option was.”

“But you shouldn’t have gone with that choice. You should’ve just killed me to save Kayn.”

Zed didn’t respond. Instead, he exhaled slowly to help with the pain. “Do you remember when we were young, we made that oath of brotherhood? I never really forgot about that.”

“Zed,” Shen said, a warning evident in his tone.

“I deserve this, don’t you think?” He tasted the blood rising to the back of his throat. Spitting blood out, he croaked out a laughter.

“Stop.”

“Ironic that I, the one who started that oath, destroyed everything with my own hands. The Kinkou Order, the monastery, our bond… your father…”

“Stop talking about things that are long gone, Zed!” Shen shouted, slamming the side of his fist onto the stone floor. “I thought the past is dead. What is the point of bringing this up now?”

Zed couldn’t help but smirk. “When was the last time I heard you lose yourself like that? It feels like an eternity ago.” He closed his eyes. His senses were beginning to numb, and the lull of sleep was tempting. He let out a long sigh before fluttering his eyes open again. He scoffed, “You were foolish for thinking you were the choice.”

“I,” Shen started, a slightly crack in his voice, “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I thought you always wanted to see me dead? Your wish is getting granted now.”

“Don’t, Zed. You are not going to die.” Shen’s shoulders started to shake. “I’m not going to let you.”

Zed blinked in slight surprise at the warm droplets that fell onto his hand. “The Eye of Twilight? Showing emotion? The world must be coming to an end.” He laughed despite the fluctuating pain. He gripped Shen’s wrist tightly. “Shen, promise me you’ll get that masked demon. He doesn’t deserve to see the light of day.”

“I will, but you have to stay alive for that. You’re foolish to think I can do it on my own.”

“Better than what I can do. Besides, you still have your Order. You’re not alone.” Zed pursed his lips and took a deep breath. He couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer from the blinding morning sun. “I think I’m going to sleep for a while. I don’t think I can keep awake. I’m just… so tired.”

“No. No! Zed! Stay with me!”

But Shen’s cries were for naught. Zed’s vision was beginning to blur to black, and Shen’s voice was getting quieter and quieter by the second. For a moment, he didn’t want to die. For a moment, he felt fear for his candlelight being snuffed out by the darkness. For a moment, he feared the shadows he embraced.

That moment of fear was soon replaced by a wave of catharsis. His own words echoed in his mind: I deserve this, don’t you think?

He blinked, and he was taken back to his childhood in an instant, back when he and Shen happily spent their days in the monastery together. Shen’s tearful face turned to his younger, happier grin, dragging Zed over to the temple. It almost felt like another world where nothing bad happened, where Zed didn’t crush everything he had.

A world where Shen and Zed grew up together without a single drop of animosity towards the other. A world where there could have been more. A world where Kayn became closer to a son figure to him. A world where both Shen and Zed were happy and had nothing to lose.

“Shen… I…”

[talatomaz]

healed scars | laurel lance x fem!reader

a/n: i really love laurel and i’m still annoyed that they killed her off. (this takes place around the legends of yesterday crossover)

y/s/n = your superhero name

warnings: mentions of blood, death

word count: 1.7k

masterlist | request list | request rules

reader was sent from the future and is now a part of team flash. you gained your powers from human experimentation by argus. team flash teamed up with team arrow to defeat vandal savage but you got shot by one of his henchman and after the wound was stitched up, you’re in the training room when laurel walks in

i do not give you permission to repost or translate my fics on any platform - likes/reblogs are okay and are much appreciated

You were currently in your training room, taking out your frustrations of the day on the black punching bag. With each punch, you imagined it was Vandal Savage, wanting to get your revenge for him shooting you.

How stupid were you that you didn’t see that gun aimed at you?

The one thing you should have done when you all arrived at the abandoned factory, the one thing you were always taught to remember, was to be aware of your surroundings. If you had done so, then maybe you wouldn’t have gotten shot.

Yes, Caitlin stitched up the wound, and yes, the injury wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but the fact still remained that that immortal son of a bitch got one up on you.

You stilled when you heard footsteps coming up from behind you and then continued to throw punches at the bag.

“I don’t need a motivational speech right now.”

You said irritably, expecting either Barry or Cisco to give you one of their famous hallway talks.

Whilst you appreciated them, and often welcomed them, a hope speech was not what you needed right now.

“Wrong team.”

That definitely was not a voice belonging to Barry or Cisco.

You turned around and saw Laurel, lawyer by day and vigilante by night, Lance staring at you, watching you train.

You didn’t respond and instead went back to taking out your anger on the punching bag.

“Doesn’t your arm hurt?” Laurel spoke after a moments of silence.

You shrugged at Laurel’s question.

“Pain used to be the only thing I could count on but now…now everything’s numb.”

“I get that. After Sara died, I felt nothing but anger. I felt like I lost-”

“A part of yourself.” You finished as you stopped hitting the bag.

You glanced up to meet Laurel’s prying eyes and then refocused on punching the now wearing bag.

“I didn’t realise you had experience with loss.”

You laughed dryly as you continued hitting the bag with your boxing gloves, “Laurel, my entire life consists of loss.”

“Who did you lose?” Laurel asked delicately, now intrigued.

“Who didn’t I lose?” You rebutted. “My mother. My sister. Even my son of a bitch father.”

After each name, you hit the bag harder and harder until you felt one of your sutures blow and the blood trickling down your shoulder.

“Dammit.”

You muttered under your breath as you removed your boxing gloves and placed them on the metal table located near the punching bag.

Then you walked over to the small medicine cabinet situated in the corner of the room and grabbed everything you needed to redress the wound, including the small medical kit Caitlin insisted you have just in case.

“You know how to suture right?” You asked, unzipping your jacket and pulling it down so Laurel could properly clean the wound.

“I’m a vigilante who fights crime. Of course I know how to suture.”

She responded sarcastically as she began to wipe your wound with antiseptic and then started to restitch the wound.

“You’re not even flinching.” She said in surprise.

“Like I said, I’ve dealt with pain before.”

“When you were taken, you mean?” Laurel asked, pulling your stitches tight.

“I’m assuming Barry told you and Team Arrow everything?”

There was no malice to your words, just general curiosity.

“In his defence, he didn’t want to say much but you know how Oliver is.”

“It’s fine. If we’re working together, you should know whether I’m a liability or not, especially after I got shot.”

“Hey,” you turned your head so you could face Laurel, “so what if you got injured in the field? When I first took up the mantle as the Black Canary, I got my ass handed to me by a lot of assholes. Trust me, you’re not a liability.”

You smiled feebly and replied a grateful “thanks.”

“Who would have thought that we’d be working together as a vigilante and a meta-human?”

“How my life has become this, I have no idea.” You both laughed.

“There, done.” Laurel announced, pulling the last stitch tight.

“Thank you. Would have done it myself using my powers but I can’t exactly see the wound.”

You explained, discarding the wipes in the bin and putting the medical kit back in the cabinet.

“Why do you practice combat if you have powers?” She asked, her arms crossed.

“Can’t rely on powers. I mean, I know how to control them and everything, but there used to be a time in my life where I didn’t have them. And now, with all these metas, who’s to say that one of them can’t drain powers or take them away? Then what? I’d be vulnerable to attack.”

“Smart thinking.” She said impressed as she nodded in agreement.

“Afraid Team Flash doesn’t share that same sentiment. I do adore Barry but I keep telling him that he should learn hand-to-hand combat.”

“And Barry being Barry thinks he’s just fine with his speed.” Laurel finished.

“Exactly.” You laughed.

Your eyes narrowed, an idea coming into your mind. “Do you want to train with me now? I mean, we have time.”

Laurel opened her mouth as if to politely decline but you interrupted before she could.

“But if you don’t, that’s fine. I just-”

“No, I’d love to. Just…your powers.”

“What about them?”

“Don’t they give you an advantage?”

You lifted up your sleeves to show Laurel the bracelets around your wrists.

“Power dampening cuffs, courtesy of Cisco. Couldn’t use them even if I wanted to. Besides training without them is more worth while.”

Laurel removed her jacket and tied her hair into a ponytail.

“Well, a moving target is better.”

You went to the corner of the room and grabbed the large wooden sticks you often trained with.

“Definitely.”

You said, throwing one of the sticks to Laurel.

Laurel made the first move which you dodged with ease and then you turned to knock her off her feet. But before you could, Laurel blocked you and then you both officially began sparring with each other.

You were impressed with how quick Laurel was on her feet and she was intrigued with your fighting style, as it reminded her of the way Sara fought.

You hit Laurel’s stick and then quickly span, grabbing her arm and hooking your leg under hers, effectively throwing her to the mat.

“Damn,” she breathed out, her eyes moving from the staff you had against her throat, to you who was breathing just as heavily as she was.

You stared intently at each other for a few moments, your heavy breaths echoing throughout the room, before being interrupted by a stampede of footsteps.

“What the hell is going on in here?”

Both you and Laurel looked to the doorway where both Team Arrow and Team Flash stood, watching the two of you.

To them, it looked as if the two of you had gotten into a fight.

“Relax, Ollie. Y/n and I were just sparring. That’s all.”

You moved the stick away from Laurel and reached down to grab her hand so you could help her up.

“And she beat you? She must be good.”

Your eyes flickered over to the petite blonde who was standing next to Oliver.

“Not that you weren’t great before. I just meant that Laurel’s a good fighter. Obviously. Because she’s the Black Canary. Which you knew but I just-”

“Felicity, don’t worry,’ you interrupted her rambling.

“I know what you meant. And to answer your question, yeah, I totally beat the Canary’s ass.” You smirked.

“Hey! You didn’t beat me. You just-”

You raised an eyebrow in amusement. You were baiting her and it was totally working.

“Yeah, okay, whatever. You won.” She surrendered.

“Oh, I’m geeking out so hard. Y/s/n just beat Black Canary in a fight. God, if I could post about this on a blog somewhere, I so would!” Cisco rambled, making you and Laurel laugh.

“So do we have a plan yet?” You asked, changing the subject to more pressing matters.

“Yeah, but it’d be easier to explain when we’re in the cortex because we laid out a detailed game plan.” Caitlin answered.

“Well, then, let’s go.”

Everyone left the room and as you followed after them, you were stopped by a hand on your arm.

“Y/n, where’d you learn to fight like that?”

You looked back at Laurel, your brows narrowing.

“Different people taught me different things. Why?”

“The way that we sparred right now. It was how Sara and I sparred, even after she was resurrected, and it was a technique she learned from a group called the League of Assassins.”

Your eyes widened at the mention of Sara’s resurrection. You had heard rumours in the future of a place that could do that, a pit of some sort.

And the mention of the League also peaked your interest considering you had met a few members after escaping ARGUS.

“And you’re asking if I’m an assassin?”

“No, I’m-Yes. Yes, I am.”

“No, Laurel, I’m not an assassin. It would be a lie to say I’ve never killed anyone before but never on someone else’s orders.”

“But how-”

“I met a lot different people where I’m from, Laurel, some good, but mostly bad people. Or at least, that’s how we’re taught to think of them. The majority of the people I’ve met and learnt from were just trying to survive in a dystopia and when I encountered them, we were able to offer each other something. I help them get the agency off their backs and in exchange, I learn a few tricks or rack up a few favours.”

“Wow, there’s so much about you that people don’t know, isn’t there?” She said, interested.

“People don’t ask. So I don’t tell.”

“That’s lonely.”

“That’s life. It’s the way I’ve lived for almost a decade. Now, we better catch up with everyone else or they’ll wonder where we are.”

You decided to change the subject again,

“So your sister was resurrected? How does that even happen?”

“God, it’s a long story but basically…”

Laurel began explaining the situation to you as you both left the training room and followed both teams into the context so you could be debriefed on the plan.

[next-time-on-the-reverse]

Anon Requested: How Dare You? - Eobard Thawne

A/n: Requested by an Anon, based off the Iron Fist Season 2 Scene. I hope you enjoy this, I don’t own this gif, it was sent to me by a brilliant human being.

She had been warned; Eobard had told her the second she felt threatened that she should tap the button on her phone, but she’d locked the device. It was difficult to meet with a Villain who wanted to meet her alone, whilst she kept her phone unlocked and finger poised to hit the panic button.

She rolled her eyes at the thought that the speedster would come running, of course he would. He’d only be a couple blocks away, plotting with Malcolm and Damien whilst also trying to avoid the monster that was chasing him. She inhaled, her mind casting to the little amount she knew about Adrian Chase.

It was strange to think Eobard had just plucked him from the timeline and left him in a warehouse to mull over the decision of joining the Legion. Thawne hadn’t even told her why he’d chosen Adrian. From what she did know he was an excellent killer, his crusade to rid Star City of the Green Arrow had been interesting to read about.

“You came” he sighed, his voice quiet. Every syllable chilled her to the bone as she rested herself against the metal railing. Her eyes fixed on the man. “And alone, I would have thought Mr Thawne would come himself and I’m slightly disappointed”

His words echoed around the building and she became increasingly aware of just how alone she was. How he could do anything, and no-body would be the wiser? In her thoughts she hadn’t noticed Adrian waltz towards her, a knife twirling in his hands. He placed the tip of the metal to her cheek, the cold making her jump causing a small cut to run along her cheek.

“Eo,- Eobard said you didn’t want to speak to him” She hesitated as he pulled the knife away, a knowing smirk running across the lower half of his face.

“I bet he also told you that I asked to speak to you” Adrian remarked; he frowned as he took in your appearance. “I know you, you were there when my father was killed. You just watched, in silence” he finished, the anger flashing in him. Eobard hadn’t lied, you knew him. His face hadn’t done his tells, his smirk hadn’t appeared the second he had received what he wanted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” She questioned. “I don’t know your father”

“I think you do, let me refresh your memory” Adrian chuckled, his hands resting on her shoulder as he proceeded to infiltrate her personal space. She had begun to realise the wrong move she had made at the start. She should never have had her back to a sheer drop. “Justin Claybourne” He smiled, the pressure on her shoulders took her from her feet.

She hadn’t noticed until she was plummeting towards the cement below that he had pushed her. There was no time for her to unlock her phone, it had become very real that she had no way out of this. She was heading for her death as the cement grew closer, her eyes latching onto Adrian as he smiled and watched her body hit the ground.

It shouldn’t have been possible as she crawled towards her phone, the device had been smashed in the impact. She could see the blood, through blurred vision, that had begun to pool beneath her body, the pain erupting through her causing her to scream out in agony. The echoed bounced off the walls.

“Help” she screamed, her voice dying in her throat as she spotted the boots making their way over to her. The feeling of her head being yanked up by her hair causing another muffled scream of pain.

“I’ll be sure to thank Mr Thawne for telling me about the spear as I kill him.” Adrian remarked, he dropped her to the ground, his fingers dipping into her blood as he covered his face with a thick line. “I need to make this believable. No hard feelings”

-

Eobard had waited long enough; he was growing impatient as he placed his head on the lamppost, Damien and Malcolm had left him in search of some food to sustain them as they waited. It was remarkable that in the few weeks they’d been around each other the speedster hadn’t seen either of them eat.

She was late, but he trusted her; he would give her five more minutes and then he’d go there. He rubbed his face with his gloved hand, his eyes stinging. He probably should have slept last night but he’d been so focused on getting the spear that he had neglected his own fatigue. His eyes shot up as he heard the pained grunting, in a pinpointed look of confusion and concern he waited for the owner to stumble around the corner. A bloody hand being the first thing he could see; the second was Adrian’s body. His other hand clutching his side and blood staining his face.

The blood in Eobard’s body froze, his confusion become terror as he raced over to the man. He should never have let her go alone nor should he have let both league members go together to get food. It hadn’t been until Malcolm appeared, his hand wrapped around Adrian as they pulled him to the side of the street.

“What happened? Where is she?” Eobard questioned, he wasn’t concerned as to what happened, not entirely. He just needed to know where she was.

“The Legends – they found us. They attacked, she didn’t make it” Adrian cried out. His face wincing as he clutched his side. Eobard stumbled backwards, his breath stopping in his lungs. All he could hear was the sound of his own heart beat and the muffled shouts of his team as he sped off. He needed to check. He needed to.

The warehouse remained silent as he practically threw the door open. The loud bang as it hit against the wall did little to calm him. He couldn’t lose her, not after she had lost him. He had made the deal, he swore he’d keep her safe in their crusade. He spotted the crimson on the floor, his ears almost fluttering over the breathy cries of pain.

She had pulled herself against a wall, her head falling against her chest as the blood covered her shirt – his shirt. The panic rose within him, her injures looked far from minor, her eyes couldn’t focus as they closed. He sprinted to her, his mouth pulling his glove from his hand; he placed two fingers to her neck checking her pulse. It was weak, incredibly weak. He froze. He didn’t know what to do.

“Eobard” she breathed, her limp hand lifting to touch his arm. His eyes widened, and the concern bubbled within him again. He had to think, his hands wrapping around her. He lifted her; she needed a hospital. She needed some help. He ran as she continued to try to speak to him. He almost tripped on his own feet the second they entered the emergency room.

“Someone help her” He yelled, “It’s ok, you’re going to be alright. I promise” He reassured her; he watched as the paramedics and the doctors lifted her onto the gurney, each working over as the nurse stopped him from running after them. Eobard had never been in this situation, he didn’t know what to do. So, he waited. He watched as patients entered and left; as the nurses switched out. He waited as the doctors informed loved ones of casualties, until he spotted the doctor who had gone in with her. A sympathetic smile on her face as she stepped closer to him.

“Your wife is fine” She announced, she was clearly tired. Eobard had never been married and the assumption almost made him laugh, until he remembered whose life had been hanging in the balance. “She kept saying Adrian Chase, I don’t know what she means but it followed with not trust. You’ll be able to see her soon.”

Adrian. Thawne’s jaw tightened as did his fists as he thought about the man. His mind putting the pieces together; he hadn’t seen an injury on Chase, nor had he seen any scorch marks from Dr Stein or damage that normally followed a Legends’ attack. He kicked himself, he should have seen it earlier, the lie was obvious enough.

Nothing could stop Thawne as he sprinted off, his anger a searing temperature as he let it radiate from him. He listened to the tightening of the leather covering his hands, his speed increasing when he finally reached his team. Malcolm and Damien watched with cautious and puzzled gazes as Eobard lifted Adrian by his neck.

“How dare you?” He yelled, “Need I remind you the task at hand. She was not the one we’re fighting against and neither is she yours to touch. You almost killed her” He continued, his hand tightening around the man’s throat. Eobard’s mind scolded him, a quick suffocation was not what Adrian deserved. His actions called for a slow and painful death.

Thawne released the man, he spluttered as he grabbed his own throat. Adrian growled, his hand pulling his own weapon from his belt.

“Oh, big mistake” Damien and Malcolm both commented from the side lines. “You can’t beat a speedster. Trust us”

Chase seemed less than willingly to listen to the words of wisdom the two assassins threw his way as he stood. He watched Eobard, who in turn watched him. One of them would blink and the other would use it against them. It was lucky for Adrian, that Eobard blinked. The younger man rushing forward, Eobard chuckled as he stepped to the side.

Eobard’s fist slammed into Adrian’s jaw, the bone dislocating as the man fell to the floor. He stood after a few seconds, his jaw hanging loosely and the pain evident on Adrian’s face. He lifted his knife again ready for another strike. Eobard shook his head.

“You don’t hurt the people I care about and get away with it Mr Morrison, it’s people like you that give me a bad reputation” Eobard laughed, his hand plummeting into Adrian’s chest, his hand clamping around the man’s beating heart. “It’s a shame, I could have used you. Now I guess, I’ll have to go with Snart” He added pulling the organ out with his hand. He watched in silence as the heart stilled. The blood covering his glove.

“I can’t say we didn’t warn him. Are they all like this in the future?” Damien remarked. “No wonder no-one wins”

[calucadu]

The Light’s Child - Chapter 5

The Light’s Child, a League of Legends Fanfic. Chapter 5.

Summary: Lux has some worrying symptoms, and she thinks she might just know what it’s all about. Katarina wants to find out the light mage’s dark secret, what will she do to discover it?

Pairings: Darius/Lux, Ezreal/Lux, implied Garen/Katarina

Characters: Darius, Lux, Ezreal, OCs, Garen, Katarina, Talon, Draven, Soraka, Ekko, Swain, Jinx, LeBlanc

Rating: Mature

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“You agreed to what!?” Talon coughed up part of his drink, as he’d chocked on it while laughing at the surprising thing Katarina had just said to him.

“What? It’s perfect. That kid is literally brain dead. I mean, I’m already spying on him and all of his family and then he goes and asks for training classes. It’s like he wants me to spy on him some more.”

“Maybe he’s just got a crush on you.” The other teased, grinning. “He’s at that age. He must be curious about girls and seeing a striking woman like you, well…”

“Oh, you think I’m striking now, huh?” Katarina smirked, now her turn to tease.

“I’m surprised you said yes.” Talon mulled it over out loud, ignoring what she’d just said.

“Like I would refuse such a golden opportunity!” She huffed, rolling her eyes.

“When are you going to train him?” He asked.

“Tomorrow morning.” She said, finishing her own drink in one go and getting up. She left some coins on the table and walked out of the Bar of Legends, not turning back to look at him.

‘I will not fail.’ She thought, walking back home, a sly grin spread on her face. ‘Tomorrow’s my time to shine.’

The sight Darius encountered that morning was more than just peculiar. He entered the training room only to find Katarina and Ethanial chatting. She was touching his arm in an over-protective kind of way which made him narrow his eyes in suspicion. The General felt that something was off as he walked over to them, who hadn’t even noticed he’d entered.

“Good morning.” He said when he was within listening range.

“Oh! Good morning, Darius!” Ethanial jumped a little when he heard his voice and quickly started stumbling with his words. “I’m sorry, I asked Katarina to train me yesterday, I’m eager to learn about knife throwing and daggers, I hope you don’t mind.”

“I do recall you telling me you were interested, yeah.” The Noxian scratched his chin before looking at the woman. “Katarina, can I have a word with you, please?”

“Sure” She answered sweetly before turning to Ethanial. “Keep practising. Remember, it’s all in the wrist. When you think you have the movement done, try it out on those practice dummies I set up for you.”

They left the room and she quickly sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Ok, what’s this.” He grunted, baring his teeth at her.

“What’s what?” She answered bitterly, almost disgusted.

“This is none of my business I guess but it still sickens me. Isn’t he a bit too young for you?”

“What?” Her mouth dropped open and she finally looked up at him.

“I saw the way you were touching him, Kat.”

“Wait, it’s not what you think!” She started to panic, waving her hands in front of her.

“Plus I thought you already had a Crownguard?” Darius raised an eyebrow, now amused, especially by her reaction.

“I’m just going to ignore that.” She muttered, but then she looked serious. “Ok, I’ll just tell you. I don’t believe that Ezreal is that child’s father and I’m trying to figure out who his real dad is.”

“That’s ridiculous, Katarina. Why would they lie to us?”

“Because I believe the father is Noxian.” She responded bluntly. Darius’ eyebrows raised and he took a step back in alarm.

“Well, that would explain the lying thing... But, I’m still not convinced.”

“Look at him, Darius! He looks Noxian!”

The General was silent for a few seconds. He had to be very careful with everything he worded.

“Do you have any candidates?” He whispered after a while.

“Well…”

“He resembles Talon a little bit.”  Darius cocked his head, pretending to be deep in thought.

“I also thought that. But I already talked to him and he denied it. He’s like a brother to me… I know when he lies to me and he didn’t lie to me then.”

Darius’s eyebrows creased.

“I’m trying to think of candidates. Jayce? He’s not Noxian, I know, but…”

“Then why have Ezreal cover up?” Katarina grunted, rolling her eyes.

“True. It is odd…” Darius sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“So, I was thinking…” Katarina talked slowly, trying to find a way to say what she needed to without messing it up. “That Draven might have something to do with it.”

“Draven?” The General raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to react.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised. You know how he is.”

Darius sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I have caught Draven trying to have sex with women before, but isn’t it a little ridiculous?”

“Get your head out of your arse, Darius.” Katarina snapped, her eyes narrowing and boring into his. “Your brother is a disgusting excuse for a human being.”

“He’s still my brother.” The man snarled, slamming a fist against the wall beside her. “And you have no right to speak like that about him, especially with no evidence.”

“That’s why I came here. To you. To the kid.”

“To me?” He moved the hand away from the wall, but was still inches away from her face, his posture not at all relaxed and his eyes still searched her face frantically.

“He looks a bit like Draven.” She whispered, looking away. “And who knows Draven more than anyone?”

“I think the correct answer to that one is Draven.”

“Darius! Be serious here! Do you really think Ezreal is the father?” Katarina nearly whined.

There was a silence before the man shook his head and whispered a low “No.” He sighed and rested his back against the wall. “I stopped Draven from abusing Lux a very long time ago. I don’t know exactly when, but I stopped it. Although I cannot say that it didn’t happen again.”

“Are you being serious?” She questioned, needing to make sure.

“Yes. I heard her trying to scream and broke down the door to his place. Found her crying and I intervened. I don’t care about her – or any Demacian, really – but I cannot tolerate those kind of actions, especially not coming from blood of my blood.”

“Yet you care about this kid.” She stated, her eyes pierced onto his.

“I don’t see him like that. He’s not Demacian, he wasn’t raised there. He’s not part of the war.”

“Why are you training him?”

“And you?” He muttered, an eyebrow raised, like he was accusing her.

“You know my intentions. I need to know yours.”

“Like that would change anything.” He snorted, but turned to look at her, serious. “Swain’s orders. I cannot say anything more.”

“Swain? He looked pretty pissed off when you announced you were going to train him. I don’t believe you.”

“It was an act, Kat. Swain is interested in the boy, thinks he has much potential. I am prohibited to say anything else but try to put that pretty little head to use.” He snapped.

She was silent for a while, thinking. If the boy was good – and apparently he was – could Swain actually use him for something? Claim him, make a soldier out of him? Was Darius’s training a good enough excuse to make him a slave for Noxus? Or maybe they were thinking of kidnapping him? He was the son of at least one League Champion, had some magical power and Katarina was sure that was worth quite a lot. Was that what he was trying to make her understand but couldn’t say?

“And would anything change for Swain if Draven was the father?” She swallowed, slightly scared to ask what was on her mind.

“It’ll make things easier, I guess. But honestly I can’t come to terms with the fact that you are imposing the idea of that kid being my niece.”

“There’s no other way! Look, same hair, same body type! And you even told me that!” Katarina raised her voice, exasperated. “Plus, seeing how Draven is, I’m surprised he doesn’t have like twenty other bastard children.”

Darius groaned, uncomfortable. “Do you know what consequences could come from the things you are implying?”

She looked at him, cocking her head slightly and frowning.

“I don’t think I understand.”

“This is huge, Kat! This is bad!” The General exploded, stressing the last word. “A child between a Noxian and a Demacian? And the parents are both League Champions? If any of this information leeks out you’re going to ruin the life of Ethanial, Lux and probably Ezreal’s as well.”

“And Draven’s.” She whispered, but she was slowly understanding what the man was trying to tell her.

“Yeah, him too. It might even be bad for me, too. For training him or something. They could come up with anything. And sure, we don’t care about them, but do they really deserve any of this?”

“Wow, Darius.” She leaned against the wall and smiled slyly at him. “You’ve gone soft.”

He snarled, exasperated and turned around, huffing his annoyance. If he wasn’t careful he wouldn’t be able to control his anger and fear and he could blow his own cover up.

“But, you’re right.” She muttered, rolling her eyes, ashamed of admitting it. “They don’t deserve it. Don’t get me wrong, Draven should rot in Hell.”

“And who’d be your drinking buddy, then?” He teased, knowing fully well that Katarina enjoyed many nights partying with his brother.

At the mention of a ‘drinking buddy’ an idea struck Katarina and a huge smirk appeared on her face, before she composed herself and looked at the General, serious.

“Okay, enough speculation. We don’t know the truth. Let’s just get these training classes out of the way.”

“Yeah.” Darius muttered, walking to the door and opening it, letting her in before him. They entered the training room just as Ethanial threw a dagger, hitting a dummy square in the chest.

“That was pretty good!” Katarina encouraged him, walking to him and patting his back.

They started talking as Darius watched them from the door.

‘Thank god I have her fooled.’ He thought, finally being able to sigh in relief. It had been a very stressful few minutes, and he wasn’t sure he would’ve lasted much longer. ‘But she fell straight for the bait. She really is just a dumb bitch.’

‘The kid’s a natural.’ Katarina told herself, watching as the boy flicked his wrist, practising what she’d just taught him. ‘Like someone else we know…’

Darius leaned against the wall, watching as his son threw three daggers, all of them landing perfectly in what would be the chest, the head and the gut of one of the dummies.

‘My son really is good.’ He thought to himself. He already knew it, though. He was a good fighter, strong and persistent, but he didn’t know about his throwing ability. It was pretty impressive.

“The League’s gonna be all over you, kid.” Darius remarked from where he stood. “But if you want a tip, keep a few secrets to yourself. They’ll get greedy.”

“Ok!” The boy answered, smiling broadly at him. The Noxian hated that smile of his. It was beautiful, but he didn’t loathe it because of it. He hated it because of how it made him feel. And every time he saw it, it made him feel the same, like a black hole had settled in his stomach and was sucking him from all his happiness. Because his own son would never know he was his father.

‘I just need Katarina to keep her mouth shut.’ He’d known for a while that she was spying on Ethanial. C’mon, Darius wasn’t dim. He was pretty sure the boy wasn’t either, but he was probably too naïve to see what was going on. But the General was sure he’d killed two birds with one stone. He’d stopped Kat from intruding any further, especially when she was closing in on the truth and he’d even made her believe he was innocent. And if all went well, she would never expose what she thought was the “truth”.

Katarina really liked the Bar of Legends. She especially liked it on a weekday, where fewer people gathered there. She smirked, going in and finding Ezreal waiting for her on a table, twirling his fingers nervously.

“So, what do you wanna talk about?” The explorer asked when the Noxian woman sat next to him, way too close for him to be comfortable. He wriggled away, but she placed a hand on the table and leaned in.

“Don’t be shy, babe. Let’s order something to drink. Whatcha want? It’s on me, tonight.”

With a quick wrist movement, she ordered Miss Fortune, the bartender, over. Sarah walked up to them, a playful smirk on her face.

The good thing about the Bar of Legends is that you could meet up with any champion you wanted without being judged, and the bar itself actually encouraged everyone to be friendly to each other, but it also had some downsides to it. Like the smirking redhead that stared at them.

“Interesting.” She said. “What’ll you have?”

Katarina smiled at her, looked at Ezreal and ordered for both of them. The boy looked away, slightly embarrassed because he was being seen being chummy with her.

When their beverages arrived, the Noxian made them toast and encouraged the boy to drink as much as he could. He was able to slam the glass, now empty, on the table and the woman next to him congratulated him, asking for another round.

“What did you wanna talk about?” He repeated, wiping his mouth sloppily with his sleeve.

“It’s about Ethanial.” She smiled, taking one sip of her own drink. She couldn’t afford to be cocky.

“He’s such a great lass, isn’t he?” Ezreal smiled and reached out to continue drinking.

“Oh, yes, he’s a wonderful kid. He’s handsome and nice, and well, did you know I trained him today?”

“You did? That’s good…” The explorer trailed off, before remembering they were talking. “Oh, how’d he do?”

“He asked me to show him to throw knifes and to use daggers. He’s a natural, you know.” She smiled warmly at him and noticed how the other’s expression changed, looking really proud.

“He is?”

“Yeah, and he’s gotten really good at fighting. He’s also pretty strong.”

Ezreal didn’t answer, he just smiled and drank some more. Katarina nodded her head in approval.

“Darius is a good teacher.” She mentioned and the other smiled and nodded in approval.

“Yeah, Ethanial is very enthusiastic of his training since he started. I’m very pleased.”

“Do you know when he’ll be in the League?” Katarina asked, peering into his drinking glass. “Fortune, another round!”

“I really shouldn’t be having any more…” He muttered and she had a good look at him. Ezreal had turned a bright pink colour, even his ears were blushing.

“Nonsense. It’s on me, remember? So have as much as you want.”

Two more glasses were plonked in front of them and Katarina was forced to finish hers to encourage him to drink some more. Luckily she had the upper hand here and could see the boy was getting intoxicated.

“Do you want him to be in the League?” She asked, twirling her hair and staring provocatively at him.

“Uhh…” Ezreal was getting pretty drunk by then, being small and not having much drinking experience. His tongue felt heavy but he felt pretty ecstatic as well. “I just want him to be happy.”

“So…” Kat leaned in, forcing the boy to retreat. Her warm body was getting too close to him and that was making him uncomfortable. “How’s your relationship with Lux?”

“Oh, it’s going great.” He answered, flushed. “I love her so much.”

“You’re not finishing your drink, Ezreal.” Her tone of voice changed. “Are you trying to be rude?”

“No, no!” He panicked. He picked up his beverage and had it all in one go, which was a mistake. His head started to spin and he had to take a moment to control the situation.

“Another round!” The woman beside him shouted and he started to scream internally.

“Please, no…” He groaned, feeling woozy.

“Ah, c’mon babe, lighten up.” She whispered in his ear.

Ezreal blushed and sighed, not particularly enthusiastic about the fact that he could feel her warm breath against his neck, and it kind of felt good.

“How’s the sex with Lux?” Katarina asked, all of a sudden, making the other jump. “I’m just curious.”

The explorer blinked twice before turning his head and muttering a quick “Good.”, ashamed that he’d had to answer such a lewd question.

“That’s nice to hear. I mean, you’ve been together for soooo long… I was just wondering if the relationship had gone awry and all that.”

“Oh. It’s actually never been better.” He grinned enthusiastically, his face changing completely.

They continued talking and she forced Ezreal to finish his drink. She smiled, amused, when she found him (after coming from the bathroom) incoherently singing something, his head lying on the table. His face was extremely red and he looked really, really happy.

“Alright, time to take you home.” She huffed, making him stand and grabbing him by his waist. “C’mon, let’s go. Sarah, put it on my tab.”

“Ok, have fun!” The bartender smirked knowingly at them, writing something down on a piece of paper.

‘Oh, I will!’ Katarina thought as she nearly dragged Ezreal out of the bar.

When she was sure they were alone and no one was around to hear them, she forced him to sit down on the ground and she crouched in front of him.

“Ezreal, focus.” She clapped her hands together to pick up his attention and he looked at her, his eyes half lidded.

“You’re really sexy.” He muttered, turning red again. Then he bit his lip, realising what he’d said. “Oh, fuck, don’t tell Lux… that I said that.”

“I won’t if you tell me something I want to know.”

“Aight.” He agreed, his head cocking to the side. She forced him upright again and he tried – he really did – to pay attention to her.

“I need to know something. Ethanial isn’t your kid, right?”

Ezreal’s eyes widened, and he looked focussed for once since getting drunk. He started stammering something, his whole face flushed.

“I’m gonna throw up…” He whispered, agitated. He tried to get up but she pushed him down, her face dead serious.

“Answer me.”

“Y-yes. He’s not mine.”

“Who’s the father?”

“I dunno.” He slurred, looking away.

“Ezreal.” She said, forcing him to look at her. “Who’s the father? Tell me!”

The boy looked up at her, his lower lip trembling and his face still flushed. His eyes showed maybe pity, she couldn’t quite tell, but he started to cry, which took her by surprise. She stared at him as tears slid down his cheeks and his whole body started to tremble with the force of his sobs.

“Sh-She told me she was r…r-raped.” He tried to wipe the tears away but they were too many of them. “I’ll kill him!”

All Katarina could do was watch him quietly. She looked at his face, saw how it contorted itself in anger and then in sadness. A little lump of pity got stuck in her throat and she couldn’t make it go away no matter how much she tried to swallow the feeling away.

“I’ll kill…!” Ezreal’s words started to become incoherent as he tried to raise himself from the ground but she caught him and sat him down again, maybe as a way to numb the feelings that had risen after seeing him in that state.

“I’m so sorry for her.” He whined then, almost coherently, which was weird since he was so intoxicated he could hardly stand. “I just really, really love her.”

“She loves you too.” She muttered, hoarsely. Honestly, she couldn’t tell if she’d done it out of pity to comfort him, because she truly believed her words or if it was a way to get him to calm down so she could take him home.

Ezreal tried to shake his head fiercely, but got really dizzy half way through and ended up falling on his side. His tongue and general drunken state wasn’t letting him express what he wanted to say.

‘I can’t return him in this state.’ She thought and sighed. She’d never imagined he would give her this much trouble.

“Calm down, Ez.” She muttered, not sure if she was unhappy at the situation or because she was forced to try and be chummy with him so he would shut up. “Let’s get you home.”

“Home…?” He muttered, as if the word was a new one he’d never heard before.

“To Lux.” She explained, hoicking him up from the floor.

“I loooveee heeeer sooo muuuuch.” He slurred or tried to sing, she wasn’t quite sure. “I’m soooo happy she loves me toooooo.”

“Yeah, c’mon. Where do you live?”

He pointed in the right direction and she dragged him along, getting annoyed by him gurgling idiotic things. They reached his apartment building and she asked for his keys. He fumbled in his pockets for what seemed like hours until he found them and handed them over to her. She opened the door for him and then managed to drag him in, trying to shush him.

“Be quiet, you’re gonna wake the whole building up. Which one’s your floor?”

“Third.” They walked up the stairs in silence, but Katarina was huffing in exhaustion. He walked over to the door and leaned on it, murmuring something incomprehensible.

“See ya. Thanks.” She muttered, patting his back and walking up the stairs. She hid and waited. She wanted to make sure everything ended up well between the two, and she couldn’t quite understand why. Maybe it was the guilt of having gotten the teenager drunk and made him blab Lux’s secret. Katarina shook her head, she couldn’t have herself feeling like this over some stupid boy and his love. Annoyed, she decided she wasn’t going to let herself get this soft again, and that she would pay a certain someone a visit.

The explorer started to pound the door with his knuckles, realising he had to get in. It didn’t take long for Lux to swing it open and to her surprise, she had to catch a very inebriated Ezreal as he nearly fell on the floor.

“What the…?” She asked, trying to make him stand on his own legs.

“I love you, Lux.” He whispered, kissing her on the mouth. She opened hers to respond and he snuck his tongue in it.

“Ezreal?” She asked, finally getting away from him. His face was bright red and his eyes seemed foggy. “Are you drunk?”

“Very.” He panted, forcing his mouth on hers again. His hands found their way under her clothes and she yelped, excited.

She forced him closer to her and then closed the door behind them, letting Katarina finally relax, coming out from her hiding place.

She grinned. It had been an excellent day. And it all made sense. Ethanial, like Draven, was a natural at throwing weapons. And the Noxian was known for his unscrupulous behaviour with woman. Katarina was pretty sure he’d raped Lux and she’d gotten pregnant with the child. They even looked like each other. They had the same frame, small but strong. Even their hair colour was pretty similar.

There was no way she was wrong. Every single piece in the puzzle fitted. She knew their dirty little secret. And she would make him pay.

The following morning, Katarina couldn’t have been happier. She hummed on her way through the Institute, until she found exactly who she wanted to talk to. She grabbed his hood as he passed by her quickly and he groaned in protest.

“What is it, Kat?” Talon shook her off and turned to sternly look at her. “I’m in a hurry, I have a match.”

“Oh, so you don’t wanna know who Ethanial’s father is, then?” She grinned, folding her arms in front of her chest cockily.

“You figured it out?” His eyebrows raised in disbelief as he put his hood back on.

“But you have a match. You’re in a hurry.” She teased, running a dainty finger over one of his blades.

“Oh c’mon, don’t be like that. Tell me quickly.” He yanked them away from her but leaned in so she could whisper the name in his ear.

“It’s Draven.”

Talon hummed in satisfaction, rubbing his chin in thought. “Noxian. Fits that profile. Non-consensual, I guess?”

“Exactly.”

“Boy, Ezreal’s a loser.” He chuckled.

“I almost feel bad for him.”

“Well, you did it, Kat. Good job.” And before she could answer, he’d turned around and started running down the hall.

[the-sexual-student]

Drangon Slayer

So @ink-splotch wrote a wonderful series and it did things to me and now I did this. here’s a League of Legends AU of what if Laney killed the dragon....

DRAGON SLAYER

When the dragon came to the desert Aisling Jones stood as tall as her body allowed and announced they would draw lots for the sacrifice. In the mountains or in the desert sands one life was always the price for twenty plus.

One life unwillingly given is never worth the sacrifice but Aisling Jones had peace to sow and tents to sew and one daughter left. One daughter out of twenty children. She didn’t believe Laney would draw the short straw.

When her tribe staked her out on the sand dune there was no blacksmith to press her a knife but not reasons. Laney did not scream and cry when she saw the red colored lot in her hand. She did not fight the men of the tribe as they brought her to the highest dune near the oasis. She was her mother's daughter and her mother’s daughter did not let her enemies see her cry. Laney Jones wasn’t born with steel in her spine but she watched her mother long enough to find it.

Her mother held her back own ramrod straight as she watched her daughter be led, not dragged, away. She walked back to her tent where Laney’s perfect stitches gleamed in the noon sun and broke.

Laney did not have a blacksmith to press her a knife, and she had not once in her life asked for reasons but she had a brother who could whistle the world on his voice and a  desire to be more than a failed peace maker. Laney had been pressing her hands against the walls of the universe for years and there was just enough wiggle in her hands to steal magic from the air.

Laney was 16 and already too big for the endless desert sky but didn’t know where else to go.

She began to weave a net out of stolen power. When it came time for the dragon to devour her she had a net, a back up and a prayer she’d never admit to whispering. When the gods abandon you to be devoured as a penance for a sin you haven’t even had the chance to commit you stop admitting to your faith in them. You start rebuilding your faith in yourself.

She threw the net over the dragon with every borrowed and stolen spell she knew. Her brother could have talked to him, her mother would have stood straight and stared her duty in the eye, her father would have fought with only the power he had been given. Laney walked back to the tribe and demanded her pistols. She walked back to the dune, her tribe behind her and shot the dragon through the eye.

She waited until she was several dunes away before she began to cry. Never let your enemies see you break.

Laney was never meant to build peace but she could build safety and she held onto that.

In her tent, tucked into her bedroll were applications to an Academy a lifetime away. In another life she went there and saved the world. In this life she began searching for the only person who it might be safe to break in front of. She still ended up in the Academy walls. She was always meant to save the world.

High in the mountains there were already whispers of the Pied Piper, the Giant Killer and the Slave Slayer. Hero’s always needed names in order for ballads to be sung. A desert man who whistled the world to his lips fell in love with a baker who was a general, who was a hero, who was someone who lost someone. A forest boy who wanted so badly to matter more than being the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son who was brave because the songs taught him how, because he wanted to save the world, because he wanted to matter. A girl who kept nothing from her village but her name after they sold an orphan mage to the slavers to survive a particularly cruel winter. She tracked them down and killed each one of them before they could reach the Seeress’s dungeons.

One unwilling life is never worth the twenty plus that are willing to sacrifice it.

One life is always worth twenty.

One life is never worth twenty.

Laney didn’t know who the Pied Piper was but she knew a boy who might be a man now who could whistle the world and a bakery is as good a home as any.

“What did you do when you killed the dragon?”

“I burned him.”

In the desert they filled the skies with their mourning. Laney didn’t know if she mourned for the dragon or the loss of her place in her own life. Either way she waited two sand dunes before she let the tears fall down her face. Either way she walked back to her tribe after shooting the dragon with spelled bullets and packed her things and left.

In Rivertown she met a woman who helped smuggle mages out of the mountains, who juggled fire in the town square, who wore bits of colored string around her belt.

“Jones?” Sez asked, “I think I’ve heard of a Jones in the mountains. Looking for your brother you say?”

“I’m looking for something.” Laney said in a moment of honesty. She watched a boy in an academy jacket stand just outside the light of Sez’s dancing torches. She saw the band around his arm that proclaimed Hero. She wondered if he saw her watching him. She wondered if she would have sent in her application if the dragon never came.

She wondered why she sent one in with a blank return address from the first town outside of the desert sands.

He did. Rupert Willington Jons Hammerfeld the Seventh paid attention. He saw the dark black girl with perfectly braided hair talk to his best friend. He waited until she was finished before approaching to find out where the latest monster that went bump in the night needed to be slayed.

He pretended not to notice the girl following him. After all it was just possible enough that they just happened to be traveling the same path.

Liam had always meant to come home, Laney had always been built for breaking. Both had their mother’s steel in their spines. Both refused to leave someone in trouble.

When the Thing in the Darkness almost had Rupert around the throat she stepped out of her own shadows and shot it three times with guns both spelled with stolen magic and blessed with dragon blood.

“Thank you.” Rupert said stiffly.

“Laney Jones,” he said after a few nights of hunting, “We received a mage application with no return address from a girl with that name. Where should we send the acceptance letter to?”

Laney thought of her tribe with her mother's steel spine, lots of straws with one tipped red, of one life for twenty plus, of the dragons blood staining the sand and burning it into glass. She thought of her brother leaving and her failure to be a peacemaker, she thought how the sand dunes seemed like another word for trapped. She thought of the dragons ash filling the sky. She thought about how sometimes the air tasted like smoke and ash and sand trapped in her lungs.

In the desert we fill the sky with our mourning.

“Nowhere. Here. Anywhere.” she replied.

Do you have a home when you burn it to the ground metaphorically instead of being burned yourself literally?

“Well we are only a week into the semester. It’s understandable how a mage could get lost traveling to school.” Rupert mentioned.

“Yes I suppose it is.”

Laney had meant to leave everything behind in the desert. She did not expect how much she would take. Jack wasn’t the only one who wanted to matter. Laney wanted to matter more than being a sacrifice. Killing the dragon was the most honest thing she’d ever done and she slotted that knowledge like she slotted her guns back into their holster. She wanted to matter and she was never built for sowing peace. She built and she broke.

Sometimes she woke tucked into her dorm with Gloria, the little sage who was too bright and too cheerful to startle awake at the sound of nightmares. Some nights Laney woke feeling the mix of sand and ash choke her lungs and leave her burned out and dry.

In the mountains sometimes George woke to the sound of a boar spear driving its way through flesh and the taste of blood drowning her lungs. In both worlds they carry the weight of their choices. In both worlds they would make the choices again. People are not meant to be unwilling sacrifices.

Some still choose to sacrifice everything but their lives.

Laney was not willing to die for her tribe but she was willing to fight for them and that mattered.

George would never be willing to let someone die for her and that mattered too.

Maybe in this reality Liam never died. George spent months tracking slavers, not dragons and she knows how human nightmares move. She sees the shadow and pushes Liam and the child out of the way.  A bullet breaks glass and there is no weeping widow. Maybe Jacks luck wraps itself around his friends, no one pushes the Pied Piper out of the way but a window still breaks and no widow weeps.

Maybe some events are fixed points in any universe. Maybe no matter what death or nightmare keeps you company there is always more death and more nightmares to come. Maybe a bullet makes the wet sound of piercing flesh, a widow weeps like broken glass and a child is saved but a husband is lost.

Maybe Jack still leaves, he always left until he learned how to stay. He travels to the Academy with the careful application Sarge helped him fill out, a green badge waiting to his shame. He sees his roommate wrapped in books and blankets to keep the rest of the world away. He sees the boy who toured him around the campus- a paper pusher and nothing else. Jack was still learning to pay attention. He hears of Laney Jones. The mage with the worst grip in her class.

He couldn’t see the ash staining her hands or the way she watched the room, back tucked carefully against a wall, because he was too busy drowning in his own grief. His own disappointments. One day he would learn to look.

Jack was still learning to pay attention- he sat across a young woman in a mountain inn and doesn’t think the boogeyman could look so pleasant. He gives her his name.

Cassandra Graves spent her childhood keeping one boy safe at the cost of hundred. If it was to be her life's work it would be her life's work. Her father made her say good bye to her nurse before the guards dragged her away. She heard the whispers of monster from her father's lips, from the guards, from the things she saw. But her father was a genius and people bought their product and even sold them their children. Her brother was her greatest sin and he was safe.

Hundreds of lives for one.

Hundreds of lives for warmth, for keeping the winter outside the door, for profit.

What does the monster under the bed fear? Bakers and Pipers and Slayers and Giantkillers? Boys with faith in their eyes who give their story along with their name? A brother who glows so bright it blinds her and father who hates so much it might as well be a black hole?

She cleaned the ash from the cages.  

She knew the name of every soul she sent to her father's dungeons and she told herself she always slept soundly at night. After all it was the only way.

In a forgotten room, in a forgotten lab, in a building that was bigger than remembered the word “childhood” tripped and died on Rupert's lips. A demon foraged in the loss of innocence is still a nightmare. A bullet still thudded through wet flesh and a widow still wept.

She said Laney Jones was the least sensitive person she’d seen- especially after her brothers light and gold stained whistle. She saw how much the Giantkiller loved this new army he created. She saw his burned away luck.

She saw the dragons ash on Laney’s skin.

She didn’t see stolen magic.

When Jack tripped into Rupert's private battle Laney was already there with freshly cleaned pistols.

“I told you he’d come after Sally-Ane’s.” Laney said easily hair still perfectly braided as she accepted the oversized helm from Rupert’s steady hands.

“I know, you pay attention.” Rupert said. They’d been monster hunting for almost a year together before this forest boy stumbled into their friendship. Rupert always guarded his left flank a little more than his right until a few weeks after Jack joined their quest.

He remembered which sword Jack liked best after the first fight.

Maybe in this world Rupert is a little less careful and Laney is a little more fragile. Maybe he sees her break six months into her first year, after they talk about dragons in Group Cohesion class. Maybe he sees her spine go rigid and follows her after class to the edge of campus, to the tallest tree that is still like a ladder compared to the palm trees of the desert she used to call home.

Falling is the bravest thing he knew Liam used to tell her.

He never dreamed she’d stop falling.

He had also always meant to come home to a desert, to a bakery, to a sister, to a wife, to a daughter.

Maybe in this world Rupert watches Laney break and shatter 20 feet above the ground in an old oak tree. Maybe she lets him sit beside her and help her hold all her pieces together. In any world Laney is the one who kisses him first. No matter how less careful Rupert can be he’s always a little too careful. He pays attention to everything but his own feelings. Those he carefully sorts and slots in to their labeled box in his mind. He never dreams Laney has a similar box labeled Rupert.

In this world Jack still fits into their group, they learn to watch their sides a little less and his a little more. They bandage themselves up in Jack’s room because he always has a few supplies from his afternoons with Nurse tucked away. Grey sits on his bed and whispers facts and figures before trailing along because he knows things and for once it might keep someone safe. Laney notices when his books shift to the things they fight in the darkness.

Laney knows what heartbreak and running away looks like in this world more intimately than she does in any other. She sees Grey wear the whispers of the mountains in his bones but she lets him keep his secrets. After all- she never told him about the dragon. Whispers of the Dragon Slayer are much quieter than the whispers of the Slave Slayer. One disappeared into a city and one stood tall in the mountains both fighting a war they never signed up for and never could walk away from.

No matter what world they become family, they climb a mountain, face a monster, lose a friend only to find him again.

The wet thud of a bullet, a widow weeping like broken glass. A hero who holds everyone together, a guide who’s a hero, a sage who’s a mage and a magicless mage. No matter what world their in they find each other.

[queennicoleinboots]

The Office Got Fucked Up, part 6 (Count Macrula POV)

"You are most welcome, cat of great beauty," I said to Kissy. "What shall you have me do for you?"

"Well, we are having a great swamp party, despite the fact that this fire station is completely fucked," Kissy said as she meowed.

Pauno, a Greek God with green eyes and black curly-hair and Kendrick, Peter's ex-girlfriend and Pauno's current wife also wandered in the swamp. They also were eating pizza. Pauno honors me greatly.

(Where is that asshole Peter anyway? He was in Swamp Business, part 1.)

Kendrick looked over at the curly-haired woman and approached her. "You look familiar. Have I seen you before?" she asked as she looked her up and down and had her jaw dropped.

The Amazonian woman smiled awkwardly and kind of looked away as she hunched her shoulders. "I don't remember, but maybe we crossed paths before." She shrugged with her arms and smiled. Her smile. It was extremely familiar... she was on TV... she is extremely hot... OH SNAP!

"Peter?!" Kendrick said as she was looking that Amazonian woman's eyes.

My boner felt confused. I just stared at her.

She sighed cutely (GODDAMN YOU PETER, YOU HAVE SEDUCED ME! YOU TRICKED ME! DAMN YOU, YOU VILE BITCH!) before she spoke, "I changed my name. Peter isn't a girl's name." She sighed and rolled her gorgeous green eyes. (Goddamn you! I will beat you with my dick when I get the chance, you transexual cunt!) She still acted like Peter.

The swamp bubbled up before a man with shaggy red hair started crawling from the large puddle in the middle of said swamp. He was covered in mud. He looked familiar. He looked like someone I saw in Jessica Lynn Fortune, my therapist's office. He then hugged that sexy, vile transexual BITCH CUNT around her curveous, milky waist.

'GO AWAY BONER!!!!' I shouted inwardly to myself.

"Xaria, I have found you," the man covered in mud said as he kissed the left side of her curveous, smooth, milky body. Goddamn that vile woman. My boner is confused. My lips envy the lips of the other man. GOD DAMN TRANSEXUALITY!

That sexy, vile transexual BITCH CUNT smiled and put her dainty yet long fingers around those of the man. "Oh hey, Jared. Why the hell did you emerge from the mud?"

King Joebear then growled a great bear growl before announcing, "That's great, and now excuse me, I need to lick ass."

I'm NOT going through that scene again, so I sang angelic opera to summon a swamp drain in the middle of Gwinnett County Fire Station 32.

"BAE WHUHH!!!!" Xara shouted as she shook her divine booty and did the backfat dance in front of us. She still was bleeding like a stuffed pig. Xara's ass is the best form of pork. All it needs is barbeque sauce with extra angel dust, if you know what I mean.

King Joebear growled before he mauled her and started to lick her ass.

I laughed a hearty laugh before I addressed Kissy. "I am not going to lick your cat ass if that's what you are implying."

Kissy looked at me in confusion before she meowed again. "No. I definitely did not call you for that. I simply meowed out of enjoying pizza crust," she said.

We went down the swamp drain in a clockwise direction because we were in North America.

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

"WELCOME TO SUMMONER'S RIFT!" a woman's voice spoke over the intercom. She sounded like Athena.

There were four other people with me. Was I seriously in a game of League of Legends?

Jared, a great redheaded angel was in the summoner's circle with me. Was this the same man that made jewelry for weddings?

"Where are we?" I asked him.

"Summoner's Rift. I'm support," he said as he started to travel on bottom lane. He sounded a lot like Jessica Lynn Fortune....

....

HOLY SHIT! WHY??????!!!! HOW CAN GOD FORSAKE ME LIKE THIS?!!!!

"Where is Summoner's Rift?!" I called loudly as I selected Q as my first ability.

"Abraham's Bosom. You're top lane," Jared called.

Melissa the Great Arc Angel was mid lane. Xara was the jungler woman. And the AD Carry was an angelic woman whose beauty had no competitor. NOT EVEN XARIA THE TRANSEXUAL BITCH! I WILL DESTROY HER WHEN I SEE HER NEXT!!! HOW DARE YOU TEMPT A DARK ANGEL, YOU VILE BEAST!!!!! I AM NOT GAY, AND YOU WILL NOT MAKE ME THAT WAY. TO HELL WITH THEE!!!!

"Excuse me. Minions are being summoned in 30 seconds. I have a therapy appointment on bottom lane. Do you mind, sir?" the AD Carry with great beauty asked as she bought an aggressive item. Her voice was soft and melodic.

I flew to top lane, but my eyes remained on her. Her wings were as white as snow and as big as a set of window blinds. She flew smoothly as her soft red hair trailed behind her. Her green eyes were the same shade as Jared's AND UNFORTUNATELY XARIA WONDERBOOM.

Xaria Wonderboom changed her last name from Parker to Wonderboom. I assume it had something to do with her novel and proving her Wonder Woman like status to the world. She had the body of Wonder Woman back in 1984...

I hope I see that transexual cunt on top lane so that I can kill her again and again. She's giving me a weird boner.

I shot red eye lasers at the minions thinking about disintegrating her (and her vagina... GODDAMMIT THESE THOUGHTS ARE INTRUSIVE!!!!)

Xaria was smiling as she destroyed minions and tried to gank me. Apparently the transexual vile cunt really really really really really really liked to troll humanity. CUNT!!!!!

"There aren't enough ban slots in this fucking game!" King Joebear shouted as he came top lane and destroyed my minion wave.

Turret plating fell off mid tower.

Jared was charmed by Xaria's green eyes and grinned before looking back up at her. "You fight well in the jungle," he said as he fought her with his sword.

Those must have been their therapy sessions all the time. No wonder Xaria is such a fucking BITCH.

"Thank you," Xaria said as she shot an arrow at the redheaded man with the large white wings.

Xara rooted Xaria with tree vines that came from the ground. She wrapped them around the transbitch's legs, groin, and her boobs. She also wrapped the vines around Xaria's mouth with pink thin lips. Tentacle rape, please. Stick one of those vines up her gorgeous butt.

"BOOBS!!!! I am Pauno, the Greek God of parties, being supportive, wine, and crack cocaine," Pauno said with authority as he grabbed Xaria's tits and squeezed them.

"That's my line!" Xara shouted as her bear had slain her. "But yes, BOOBS!!!"

King Joebear growled loudly as his tongue licked wonders to the inside of Xara's anus. "YOU CAN'T SOLO OLAF!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, FUCKING RETARDS!" he shouted. He played this game for real.

"Ooh hoo Bae!!!!!" Xara shouted in excitement as soon as she went back to spawn.

Xaria looked at me as she became free and walked up to my lane to gank me. Her clothes were tattered, showing more skin. All of my blood has rushed to my penis.

Jared sighed. "Put a ward up, Christina. We need to know when Xaria shows up."

That beautiful angel is named Christina? What an appropriate name! But she must excuse me. I have a transvestite to kill. I came and chased Xaria down to bottom lane.

"I am going to fuck up bottom lane," Xaria said with a little laugh and wink. "Three for one is so worth it."

"Please do! Yes, a foursome would be lovely!" I said as I whipped my penis out and beat Xaria with it.

Count Macula, Jr. rolled on the ground and laughed his ass off. He was mid lane. He called after me in the middle of laughing hysterically, "Well, I suppose that's what angels are for. I enjoy laning against this woman, but if only I didn't have to put up with her toxic attitude, that would be great! Could you help me find a better lane? Better yet, let's switch lanes. I like Xaria's boobs. I like Xaria's boobs. I like Xaria's boobs. I like Xaria's boobs. I like Xaria's boobs. I like Xaria's boobs. I like Xaria's boobs. I like Xaria's boobs."

"I sure could! I feel pretty gay right now. Would you like to go in bottom lane?" I asked as I stuffed my five-foot penis in my pants, punched it, and flew away from everyone.

"Anything would be better than laning against this angel in Legendary League!" Count Macula, Jr. said with conviction. He thrust his fist in the air for effect eight times. He posted a surrender vote for his team. Everyone agreed.

King Joebear shouted, "I'm out! I can't do anything! Game's called League of Legends. Retards."

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

Next Game... still in Abraham's Bosom under Gwinnett County Fire Station 32

"Why are we in lane!? N*br!" I yelled. You can't say racist stuff in Abraham's Bosom in 2021.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Count Macula, Jr. said as he ended up in bottom lane against Jared with a retarded AD Carry. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

I looked at him in confusion and great disgust. Are all midlaners toxic?

"YOU'RE AWAKE WHEN THERE ARE MINIONS, HUH!!!!" Count Macula, Jr. said with vigor.

I was mid lane now and let out a big sigh. "THIS IS MY LANE NOW!!!" I exclaimed with authority.

Count Macula, Jr. then started killing Christina and Melissa the Great Arc Angel in bottom lane. His white hair was gelled down. He wore a white long-sleeved button-down shirt with khakis pants and suspenders.

Melissa the Great Arc Angel was the jungler on our team. She was on Count Macula, Jr. like white on rice.

"Fuck off," Count Macula, Jr. said. "Fuck off. Fuck off. Fuck off. Fuck off. Fuck off. Fuck off. Fuck off."

Xaria came down at Jared and was rubbing his large penis. He was ten feet tall, so he was only three feet taller than she was. "You're dead," she said with a smile.

"Nope," he said as he smited her boobs. He slain her and her giant tits.

Xaria giggled. "Fuck you."

"I CAN'T SOLO THREE PEOPLE!" Xara shouted as she was against King Joebear, Pauno, and Princess Lindsay Carrington.

King Joebear removed his mouth from Xara's ass and growled. "Now I want sausage and beans!!!!" he shouted. He then slain her.

"Yes Bae Whuhhhh!!! Sausage and Beans Wednesday!!!!" Xara shouted. "I'm hungry again."

"I love sausage and beans, but you know what I hate?" Count Macula, Jr. asked.

"What? Democrats?" Xara asked as she pinged everyone to go to Top lane.

"Haha Yes, but you know what I hate more than Democrats?" Count Macula, Jr. asked.

"What?" Xara asked.

A rift herald was summoned randomly before destroying mid tower.

Melissa the Great Arc Angel typed furiously to Christina, "You're trash. You're the worst Mid lane ever! You're getting owned by Macrula. Get the fuck out of here. We gonna get dragon? We gonna dragon! Xara, you fuckin' suck. You're trash. You're trash. Do you see my damage? Do you see my damage! That's what's gonna carry us. Not yours. 4! Fizz is bottom you fuckin' idiot! You see him walk across the map! Fuckin' idiot, Christina! Shitty team. Fuck it. GO IN, COUNT. FUCK YOU!!!"

"Radiated Refried Beans!" Count Macula, Jr. yelled.

"Oh yes! Recreational Radiated Refried Beans!" Xara shouted.

King Joebear and Melissa the Great Arc Angel talked shit to each other. They both bitched about their teams. Toxic players.

"I'm speechless!" King Joebear continued. "My team. 3 versus 1. Count Macula, Jr. is fed. GOOD GAME, Christina. You. Suck. Fuck her."

Xara and I just burst out laughing. We hate toxic team members. King Joebear is complaining about having no team. He was on a short fuse.

Everyone surrendered again. This is League of Legends in 2021. Worse than the swamp in Gwinnett County Fire Station 32.

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

King Joebear, Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing, and Count Macula, Jr. all growled loudly in excitement. The trees in the forest in Abraham's Bosom shook from the energy the bears were exerting with their growls. The bears were bears.

"You all have problems. Would you all like to make appointments?" Jared asked as he flew down to us with his large white wings.

Xaria snorted as she folded her arms across her large, curvy chest.

"Would you like to return to Summoner's Rift?" he asked.

"No!" Xaria shouted.

"Xaria is just as much of a jerk as Peter is. Can we have tacos to deal with the stress? Maybe radiated refried beans if possible," Kendrick said.

"Love 'em," Pauno said. "I shall make tacos rain from the sky!" He threw lightning bolts in the air and was staring at Xaria's tits. The only thing that happened was that Pauno made sour cream. "What the fuck?"

I sniffed the air. My nose curled back in disgust. "Abraham's man breasts sour the meat," I said somberly. "WHY IS EVERYONE CHANGING THEIR GENDERS ALL OF A SUDDEN?!"

King Joebear, Bruce the Ace of Brake-fixing, and Count Macula, Jr. growled angrily like cubs. King Joebear added a series of vile yawns to the end of his long series of growls.

Paul the Goat made a series of bleats in disgust. Hollywood charged away with Paul the Goat on his back. Both of them neighed in frustration. The swamp golem hobbled after them.

Pauno growled angrily as well because he was looking forward to tacos.

Xaria said, "And this kind of shit is why I am still in therapy! In other news, the government stimulus includes gender reassignment, so I took advantage of it." She smiled widely.

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

I stepped out of the story into a faded black backdrop scene, screamed, and slashed the fourth wall for 21 minutes straight before I composed myself.

"Next story. Macrula Goes to Therapy. Fuck this shit!" I said as I slashed the story to bits.

Was the plumbing fixed at Gwinnett County Fire Station 32? At this point, I don't fucking care. Fuck this job. I resign.

"I'M SICK OF WORKING!!!!!" I shouted. I broke the sound barrier.

[loveiscosmicsin]

The Final Frontier

Older Glompto/Promptio is a blessing, and yet my heart’s in a drought. Give me lots of content for this ship and those two in their thirties, please and thank you. Ao3 Link

-

“You had me at hello, goodbye and everything in between.” - Shannon L. Alder

-

Prompto Argentum had the perfect plan.

It’s a mission that had constantly been on his mind for the last five weeks. Weeks spent rehearsing in front of Iris, enduring much-needed pep talk from Noctis and Ignis, and kicking nasty thoughts of not being good enough. All that’s left is for him to just go for it. Go big or go home sort of deal, go where no man has gone before: asking Gladiolus Amicitia to tie the knot.

Yet, Prompto got tongue-tied when he felt ready to propose.

The timing was never the issue, Gladiolus’ undivided attention easy to summon for brief periods away from rebuilding Lucis and shadowing the king. Instead of feeling confident after streaming late-night videos of best proposals of all time, Prompto felt a little out of his league. Gladiolus was out of his league. But for whatever reason, they’re been steady for ten years.

There wasn’t any doubt in Prompto’s mind that Gladiolus was the future Mr. Argentum or he himself be Mr. Amicitia. It didn’t matter. The surnames clicked better than what he expected after a moment’s deliberation. Anyone who knew how the Sworn King’s Shield was with words would want him on the spot. Gladiolus always made it look so easy with how he connected to people and it’s not even reflected on the fact that he’s a blue blood. The impressive eagle tattoo and the muscles were something a little extra for Prompto to appreciate.

That’s why if Prompto was to propose to his boyfriend then he’s going to take the grease-monkey goddess’s mantra and do it right. Because they’re practically a little bit married, just needed a ring to go with it.

He may not have a theater troupe to reenact a favorite film or a carriage drawn by a team of glorious chocobos, but Prompto’s heart was in the right place. He was ninety-seven percent positive that Gladiolus wasn’t a fan of outlandish ceremonies. He had to make the moment special, just enough to stun him for a good minute before saying yes.

Prompto met Gladiolus when he was in high school, fifteen and eighteen respectively; Noctis introduced the two of them. The bodyguard definitely fit the bill for intimidating thug more than bodyguard, that was probably the point. The blond thought of him as nothing more than mean-spirited guy who could break cinder blocks with his head without batting an eye, and there were times that that assumption was justified: Gladiolus was a jerk at times. But Prompto had never met a more driven and compassionate man.

Maybe that’s why Prompto was drawn to him and didn’t realize it at first. The livewire was determined to get Gladiolus to crack a smile and laugh at his puns, bad as they were and recycled as they were. (Of all people, Ignis laughed at his jokes long before Gladiolus did, Ignis.) Occasionally, the joking got Prompto in trouble and Gladiolus had always been there to bail him out.

It was probably love somewhere between the lines of that relationship. Maybe it happened when Gladiolus playfully returned the jabs or the day the two laughed to the brink of tears and the older man noticed that the blond had dimples, calling them pretty. Or when Gladiolus suddenly recited poetry word for word and Prompto had no idea what he was saying but listened because he was so pleasant to listen to. This might be reaching, but it had to be that day when he and Noctis showed up at Prompto’s house unannounced, a bloody gash over the Shield’s eye and a startled prince at his side. No, it had to be during the epic road trip where Prompto proved he could carry his own weight and had Gladiolus’ back in battle. Maybe it got more serious when the world got fucked up beyond belief some years later.

Prompto sighed into his hands, blowing exaggerated huffs of air at imaginary crumbs on the counter. Now wasn’t the time to be wistful of the memories. Long story short, they had been through thick and thin, the final chapter to the King of Light’s story recorded for the legends, and the lucky ones got their happy ending, remembering the beloved that helped pave the way to this conclusion. But tales don’t end there, new ones had to be written. This tale had just begun when the blond let it simmer on the back burner of his head. It was what he wanted to do when this was over, only to have recently shared the idea to his friends.

He stared at his palm, a ring crafted of orichalcum with a matte finish, a relic he had picked up during his travels. It wasn’t around any skeleton’s finger and it definitely wasn’t the Ring of the Lucii 2.0 so Prompto can safely declare it safe to wear. Though the thought didn’t occur to him until after the light was restored to the world, it screamed ‘instant noodle-loving, Coleman pack rat bibliophile’ when he found it. Not literally, of course. The size was perfect and it didn’t look like just any conventional wedding ring.

Prompto dropped the ring into a Cup Noodle he just prepared and buried it in the stringy noodles and vegetables. He knew Gladiolus loved to eat them right after a workout. At one point, the big guy admitted that he loved Cup Noodles almost a little more than he loved Prompto. He could hear the wedding bells now.

It was just too bad that someone got to the noodles first.

“Nooooct! Nooooo!” Prompto cried out, lunging to secure the stolen cargo as the hapless Lucian king tilted the cup up, soup and all going down in two gulps.

As crazy he was for thinking it at that moment, Prompto should’ve guarded the Cup Noodle with his life.

“What’s with you?” Noctis demanded as he leaped back, dropping the Cup Noodle.

It was all in vain. The bottom of the container was empty. The soft, merry harmony of wedding bells that had went through the gunslinger’s head became a jarring cacophony of cymbals being repeatedly clashed together by a band of not-so-talented goblins.

Prompto wanted to tear his hair out, but decided against it remembering who his biological father was. He would like to keep a full head of hair for as long as he could, not go bald early. “The ring was in that!”

Noctis went pale as a sheet, clutching his stomach. It didn’t take him long to figure out what ring he spoke of. “You got to be kidding me!”

“You didn’t feel that going down? At all?”

The king balled up his shirt, looking unwell. “No.”

Instead of throwing an obscene comment accusing Noctis of swallowing things bigger than rings, Prompto defeatedly threw himself on the counter. “I can’t believe you ate the ring, man.”

“Ate what?”

Gladiolus entered the kitchen with a towel draped over his neck, shirtless and glowing radiantly from post-exercise. The blond’s jaw would be on the floor at the sight if he wasn’t so wired from the fact the ring was in his best friend’s stomach.

“The noodles!” Prompto yelped, his voice cracking as he trashed the evidence. “That I made for you!”

“That’s pretty generous of you, but I was thinking over what you said about eating healthy.” Gladiolus announced as he walked straight for the refrigerator. He pulled out a plastic container. “I’m gonna stick with a kupoberry salad for lunch.”

“Yeah? That’s great, honey boo bear because I care about you staying healthy.” Prompto patted his boyfriend’s rear with a grimace though the professed sentiment didn’t come close to matching his inner thoughts:

Whaddaya mean you’re going healthy now? You just gotta throw a curve ball at me, don’t cha? Why today of all days you decided to listen to me? At any rate, it doesn’t even matter. Big guy could’ve swallowed that ring or dumped it down the drain.

Prompto forced a laugh and as if there was any way that Gladiolus had overheard his inner monologue, he added, “Love you.” He winced, despising how weak that sounded aloud.

Gladiolus raised an eyebrow at this, reaching out to touch the shorter man’s forehead before laying a big smooch on it. “Love you, too. Catch you later.” He shook the salad in a sort of inconspicuous farewell to the king and Noctis meekly waved back.

Once Gladiolus was out of earshot, Prompto gave the finger guns and clicked his tongue, “Start gagging.”

Noctis crossed his arms with a scowl. “Prompto, I can’t just throw up on cue.”

“Noct, I love you, man.” Prompto, undeterred and unsatisfied by that answer, laid his hands on the king’s shoulders. “You’re the greatest buddy in the whole universe and I couldn’t have picked a better best man, but that ring is coming out of you, one way or another.” He pointed to a package of bran muffins. Fiber always got the job done and best friends don’t stick fingers in each other’s mouths, induced vomiting’s just a little too far. “Eat these.”

Be it that maybe Prompto was ten years early or ten years too late, he needed to hear it from Gladiolus’ lips. Some part of him is relieved that he could delay the proposal a little longer.

“Anything for you, I guess,” Noctis sighed, taking a bite out of a muffin with disinterest. That piece fell out of his mouth. “Ugh, stale. You know, you went about this all wrong. Said 'today’s the day I’m gonna spill my guts to the majestic eagle guy’.” He picked up a muffin and threw it at the blond’s shoulder. “'Noct, can you do it for me? The words aren’t coming out.’”

“I don’t say say that.”

Noctis gave him a stern look.

“Okay, okay, once that ring’s out, then I’m going to propose. For realsies this time.”

Obviously, the anxious gunslinger couldn’t follow Noctis all day, they both had other things to take care of. Lucis couldn’t stabilize all on its own and the king left after choking down four muffins. Besides, Noctis promised to let the blond know when the ring would be ready. Well, that was long before he set his phone off to silent and Prompto’s calls had to go to voicemail. That was criminal. Still, there are other ways around this, a second assurance.

“I came as soon as I could. What’s the emergency?”

Prompto may had told a tiny fib to get Ignis to come over. He felt a little guilty for that.

Before the prince consort could remove his jacket, Prompto took his hand and laid a box of sandwich bags on it.

“Iggy, when Noct poops, you go in there and scoop it up in one of these and call me ASAP.”

Ignis weighed the box of bags, running the clear packaging between his fingers with an undecipherable expression and gave the blond a sarcastic, “Ah-ha.”

“Please, Iggy,” the blond clapped his hands over his head, knowing that the gesture would fall short in the blind man’s range of perception. “I’m begging you.”

“I fail to understand the nature of this request,” Ignis deadpanned, “though I doubt your explanation or Noct’s would prove worthwhile.”

Prompto made a noise of discontent.

The corners of the prince’s lips curled in amusement. “But if you were this forthright with Gladio, I’m most certain he would appreciate it.”

The blond gasped. “The all-knowing daemon strikes again.” Whatever excuse he had to gain Ignis’ attention, it wasn’t anywhere related to the proposal and Noctis hadn’t been with him since this morning. Ignis had eyes and ears where they shouldn’t be other than on his body, but he knew everything going on.

Ignis frowned at the nickname received about a seventh sense that emerged from his blindness. “Enough of that. I receive plenty provocation from my husband. This is your future at stake here, Prompto.”

“Thanks for your blessings all-knowing one.” Prompto whispered, hoping he wouldn’t be heard as the older man had his back to him. “Don’t poison our water supply, burn our crops, and deliver a plague onto this house.”

Ignis flicked him across the forehead. “I heard that.”

-

“What? You’re leaving?” Prompto bolted upright from his comfortable position on Gladiolus’ chest. He immediately regretted it when he saw the room spin.

Gladiolus nodded, stroking the blond’s shoulder. “Gave you a heads-up three weeks ago, remember? You’re the first person I told.”

Prompto searched the older man’s face in silence.

The Shield chuckled. “You don’t remember, huh?” He held out a finger inches away from the blond’s nose. “You’re giving me that same look you made three weeks ago.”

“Does a behemoth ever forget?” Gladiolus opened his mouth and Prompto interjected, “No, no, they don’t do there. I didn’t forget.” He scoffed, “Pfft. But refresh my memory where you’re going and how long again?”

As Gladiolus explained, suddenly all the words became white noise and it would’ve been the perfect opportunity for major ad-libbing, Prompto’s mind drifted off to a whole separate train of thought:

Ohhh… That’s why Ignis had me try on clothes and brought like five outfits. Knew they were a little too fancy for casual wear. Still can’t get over how that man has a great sense of fashion no matter what. Did Gladio tell him what we’re doing just so I can be reminded?

“So,” Gladiolus broke Prompto out of his thoughts and none the wiser of how he spaced out completely, “are we still good for dinner tonight? Like I said, I head out pretty early.”

“Yeah, sounds perfect, big guy.” Prompto grinned, patting his boyfriend’s hand. Or it would’ve been if he had the damn ring on him! All the more reason to get it as soon as possible.

-

“It’s been six hours and you still don’t feel you gotta go?” Prompto exclaimed once he finally cornered the wayward king.

“And whatever you told Ignis earlier made my life harder.” Noctis sighed, putting his hands on his hips. “Surprisingly, he can’t be deterred from the false calls you pulled. He wants results.”

“I know, I know!” Frustrated, the plucky blond threw his hands up. “But without the ring, this would be a bust.”

“Better think of something. Gladio’s going to be gone for a month.”

“A month?” Prompto was desperate, but not before an idea hit him. “What if I just cut you open?” Noctis was stupefied by the suggestion so the other man added sternly, “If you love us, man, you would do this.”

“Surgery?” The king was flabbergasted. “L-look, just let buy you a new one…”

“That’s not the same!” The blond rubbed his chin, eying the king’s midsection. “I knew that watching the medical dramas would come in handy one day. You won’t feel a thing. Probably.”

“You’re not performing surgery of any kind.” Noctis narrowed his eyes. “Why couldn’t you just slip the ring in a book and give that to him?”

“Um, dude, that’s like how you proposed to Iggy. Learned Braille in secret and wrote the question out yourself. It’ll be copying if I did something like that.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Rude. At least one of us don’t got a ring in his belly. That’s new.”

The king rubbed his forehead into his palm. “Are you sure you put the ring in those noodles?”

“Yeah, and that’s how we got here.”

“Fine,” Noctis sighed, shaking his head. “But I’ll do anything, but not surgery.” He added immediately before Prompto pressed further.

-

“So when I asked if we’re good for dinner, I thought it’ll be just the two of us. Uh, no offense, Your Majesties.”

“Pardon the intrusion on your soirée,” Ignis elegantly swirled a glass of white wine between his fingers. “We thought this would be a more fitting get-together before sending you off.”

“Don’t mind me.” Noctis poked at his plate in annoyance. “Prompto won me over with a free meal… by candle light. Real romantic.”

“Is there a reason why you’re not touching your food?” Gladiolus asked.

“I had a big lunch.” The king replied, cheekily, shoving vegetables into a cloth napkin.

“Right.”

Gladiolus had made reservations at a high-end restaurant. Prompto made it a condition that Noctis be present while Ignis wished to be a spectator to the grand proposal. At a compromise and invitation, it was a double date. Everyone was dressed in their finest tonight.

Prompto barely tasted his food and water did nothing to save his parched throat. He didn’t want to risk touching Gladiolus with clammy hands. “I got something really important to ask you and it can’t wait until you get back.” After receiving subtle nods from Noctis and Ignis, Prompto took a knee, albeit rather slowly, his foot was trapped around a leg of his chair. He wiped his hands down. “Gladiolus Amicitia, will you marry me? Come on, crown citizens, let me hear you! Tap your glasses in the name of love!”

Ignis commenced with the polite chinking of glass tapping before the patrons of the establishment joined in. He turned his head when Noctis didn’t join right away and the king groaned.

“Wow, I wonder if I was this obnoxious before proposing to Ignis.” He said under his breath.

“You knighted your husband Gentleman of the Bedchamber before crowning him as the prince so shush!” Prompto sniped in a hushed whisper.

“I’d appreciate if everyone forgot that time.” Ignis protested calmly, voicing his dissent in the word choice. “Or choose not to mention it in my presence.” The tapping of glasses ended and the entire room waited on bated breath.

In all the commotion, Prompto realized that he was forgetting something. He laid his hand on the king’s stomach from beneath the table. Noctis gave him a look, but it wasn’t any less uncomfortable for Prompto either. It gave him some comfort in knowing where the ring was. This was more for Prompto’s belief in luck and reassurance that this would be nothing less of perfection.

“I don’t have the ring on me,” Prompto admitted in a half-truth to the Shield. Technically, it was in someone. “But trust me, it’s nearby and I’m pretty serious about this. About you.” He clutched the front of Noctis’ suit tighter and prayed. “About us.”

Gladiolus grinned. “Yeah, I’ll marry you.”

“What? Just like that?” Prompto lowered his hand. “Did someone rat me out?”

“Nah, ever since you asked me where we’re meeting in the afterlife, figured you’re gonna pop the question eventually.”

“At the ice-cold pool of Jetty’s right next to the chocobo farm! You do remember!”

“We ain’t dead yet so don’t try going before me.” Gladiolus rolled his eyes, but Prompto wasn’t fazed by it, not when the Shield’s grin was the brightest he’s ever seen. “I love how you purposely sing off-key in the shower. I love that you pour cereal while wearing one of my favorite jerseys. I love how your smile’s liquid sunshine even when the weather’s shit. And nothing’s sweeter than that look you get on your face when you gotta show me a cute animal you caught on film.”

Prompto’s stomach had performed a hundred somersaults and at least a dozen backflips by now. “Oh em gee.” His eyes were starting to water, yet he couldn’t avert his gaze, smirking endlessly like a fool in love.

“I love you even more when you say things like that.” Gladiolus fondly stroked the blond’s goatee. “When I’m not feeling by best, you boil the best ramen and we eat straight from the pot. Where I’m getting at is… Yeah, I love you and I want the rest of my life to be with you.”

Prompto reached up and weaved the Shield’s loose ponytail between his fingers. “H-hey, I’m supposed to be the one proposing here. You’re stealing my thunder.”

Gladiolus inched closer until their foreheads were touching. “Needed to set the record straight,” he whispered huskily. “Before we get hitched.”

When they kissed, whatever doubts he had before, it was the perfect marriage proposal in Prompto’s mind. Applause went off like fireworks. If he wasn’t on the floor, his right foot would be raised just like in the rom-coms.

“Was that perfect or what?” Prompto was beaming from ear to ear as he waltzed to Noctis’ side as his fiancé and the prince consort made way towards coat check.

Noctis was walking exceedingly slower than usual. “I’ll give you that…”

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Need to head to the restroom… right now.”

“The ring’s coming? We’re having the ring today?” Prompto cupped the king’s stomach. What timing. “Hey, big guy, Ignister, we’ll be back.”

Gladiolus nodded, waving a hand that bore a ring fashioned from the foil of after-dinner mints, a temporary accessory until the real ring could be procured, before the older man turned his attention back to the counter. Ignis called the ring charming and vintage, praising the ring maker. It still made Prompto giddy with joy as he pointed it out to a random couple in passing:

“That’s my fiancé.”

And once more to every guest, employee, stuffed animal, and inanimate object along the way for good measure. He was certain to indicate where said fiancé was even when he had to squint, turn his head, and visually and physically lead them there.

“What are you doing?” Noctis’ face was flushed, ducking away before people got a good look of his face. “I don’t need you in there!”

“Of course I’m coming in with you! You’re having Gladio’s ring. I can’t miss that for the world.” The plucky blond threw his arm around the king’s shoulders. “You know, Noct, this is the best day of my life. Scratch that, I mean, I still have other milestones to look forward to like being a dad. Maybe. Still gotta talk to my future hubby about that. And uh, launching my own magazine, but I’ll get there eventually. I’m not rushing this at all.”

-

“So that’s what you meant when you said it was nearby.”

“But I promise you I washed, steam-cleaned, and polished it a good thousand times before giving it to you.”

The Shield chuckled, watching the band glimmer in the light. “Well, I’m always on Noct’s ass.”

“And now you got a bit of him around your finger.”

Gladiolus gave Prompto a hard look, one that spoke of how unimpressed he had to learn of this a year later.

“Right. That was bad, but think of it this way: not everyone can say their wedding ring was blessed by the King of Light. I mean, once it finally cruised through the digestive system and he pushed it out, it still counts. We couldn’t been happier. Right?”

“Ask me again in another ten years.”

“Gladioooo!”

[floridaanime]

GUEST: Cristina Vee, the voice of Homura Akemi in Madoka Magica, is coming to FAE 2017 next month!

Cristina Vee is a voice actress from Los Angeles, CA. Since getting her first large anime roles in 2007, Cristina has voiced over 100 characters in both animation and video games. Anime fans know her Mio Akiyama in K-ON!, Alisa Bosconovitch in Tekken Blood Vengeance, Homura Akemi in Madoka Magica, Morgiana in Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, the eleven Honoka sisters in Netflix’s Knights of Sidonia, Cubone (and others) in Pokemon Origins and Riruka Dokugamine in Bleach. She was recently announced as the new voice of Sailor Mars in her favorite show, Sailor Moon! She voices Nickelodeon’s Lady Bug from Miraculous: Tales of ladybug and Cat Noir. Hawk from Seven Deadly Sins is also a character Cristina voices. She makes appearances in Sword Art Online, Kill la Kill, Fate/Zero, Doraemon, Accel World, and Squid Girl.

On the video game scene she is popular for her voice work as Noel Vermillion and the Murakumo Units in the Blazblue series, Compa in the Neptunia series, Lian Shi in Dynasty Warriors, Cerebella in Skullgirls, Riven the Exile in League of Legends, Nova in Tales of Xillia 2 (pay your debt!), Shantae in Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse and Half-Genie Hero, Four in Drakengard 3, Karna and Bami in Ys: Memories of Celceta, Serina in Conception 2, and Cinque in Final Fantasy Type-0.

Beyond voice acting she has a large YouTube following for her singing. She provides vocals to songs in Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d You Steal Our Garbage!? and Shantae: Half Genie Hero. She currently casts and directs Skullgirls and is recognizable to eSports fans for hosting IGN’s IPL 4 and 5.

All Florida Anime Experience Guests sign autographs free of charge.  Fees may apply for purchasing photos, etc.

via the Florida Anime Experience website: http://www.floridaanime.com/archives/3825

[newyorktheater]

James Corden at National Live at Home

Oscar winner Parasite debuts on Hulu

She Loves Me on PBS

Jodie Foster and Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver, on Netflix

Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables, on Amazon Prime

There are no “openings” on stage likely this month, but there is much to see online for theater lovers and screen enthusiasts alike.  Below is more than just the usual streaming services Amazon Prime, HBO, Hulu, and Netflix, though they’re all there.  There’s also the newly created National Theatre at Home, which is streaming recordings of stage shows FOR FREE this month, from “One Man, Two Guv’nors to “Twelfth Night.”

Lovers of live theater should also check out Where To Get Your Theater Fix Online: Old Favorites and New Experiments  — everything from BroadwayHD to the new downtown platform TrickleUp to 24 Hour Plays’ Viral Monologues. (Many of the exciting new theater-livestreaming sites haven’t yet planned a month ahead) 

\

NBC has announced a rebroadcast of its Emmy-winning Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert for Easter Sunday, April 12.

National Theatre at Home

Each filmed production will be streamed for free on National Theatre’s YouTube channel for a week, starting on the date listed

April 2: One Man, Two Guv’nors The slapstick comedy starring James Corden

April 9: Jane Eyre Sally Cookson’s adaptation of the Charlotte Brontë classic

April 16: Treasure Island Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, which premiered at the National in 2014

April 23: Twelfth Night The 2017 production of Shakespeare’s comedy, directed by Simon Godwin

PBS

Great Performances on All Arts

April 11 10 a.m..: She Loves Me

April 11 1 p.m. : An American in Paris The Musical

April 11 4 p.m.: Noel Coward’s Present Laughter

April 11 7 p.m.: Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn The Broadway Musical

April 11 10 pm.: Kinky Boots

April 19 5 p.m.: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I

Playing on Air

The new season of this podcast’s short original radio plays

April 5: The Clam, by Amanda Quaid After a lifetime of playing it safe , a wistful clam (Tony Shalhoub) decides to come out of his shell, with the help of a therapist (Kristine Nielsen) April 12: Night Vision by Dominique Morisseau One night in Brooklyn, pregnant Ayanna (April Mathis) and her husband Ezra (Eden Marryshow) witness a sudden, violent attack. April 19: Wild and Precious Life by Patricia Cotter Friends and flames gather to celebrate and remember the life of charismatic, outrageous Sheila (Debra Monk) — but the dearly departed still has one more trick up her sleeve. April 26: Fake News by Doug Wright Anchors Bob Tunley and Fran Mercer are the iconic voices behind KLWP News Hour — but today, they’ve become the story. As bizarre and menacing soundbites interrupt their live radio broadcast, the studio crew begins to fear that they’re under attack. Starring Eisa Davis, Jeremy Shamos, Steven Boyer and Kate Finneran.

  Hulu

Hulu highlights: 2020 Best Picture Oscar winner Parasite comes exclusively to Hulu on April 8. The Hulu/FX collaboration Mrs. America, which stars Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly, premieres April 15. A screen adaptation of Sally Rooney’s popular book, Normal People, will be available to stream on April 29.

April 1

60 Days In: Narcoland, Season 1

90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?, Season 4

Alone, Season 6

The Ant Bully

Bangkok Dangerous

Breaking Amish, Seasons 2 and 3

Bend It Like Beckham

Blazing Saddles

The Book Of Eli

The Boost

Bring It!, Season 5

Chopped, Season 36

The Chumscrubber

Cutthroat Kitchen, Season 12

Dance Moms, Seasons 2 and 6

Diary of a Hitman

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Seasons 27 through 29

Dr. Pimple Popper, Season 3

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who

Dr. T. and the Women

The Eternal

The Family Chantel, Season 1

Free Birds

The Food That Built America, Season 1

The Full Monty

Fast N’ Loud, Season 13

Fixer Upper (How We Got to Here: Looking Back on Fixer Upper), Special on HGTV

Forged in Fire, Season 6

Fun in Acapulco

Gator

Get Smart

Gods and Monsters

Gold Medal Families, Season 1

Gorky Park

Hidden Potential, Season 1

House Hunters, Season 120

Hud

The Jewel of the Nile

Kabukicho Sherlock, Season 1

Kids Behind Bars: Life or Parole, Season 1

The Kitchen, Seasons 16 through 18

Kill Bill: Volume 1

Kill Bill: Volume 2

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Let Me In

Little Women: Atlanta, Season 5

Little Women: LA, Seasons 7 and 8

Love It or List It, Season 14

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Married at First Sight, Season 9

Marrying Millions, Season 1

The Mexican

Misery

Moll Flanders

Phone Booth

Property Brothers, Seasons 10 and 11

Repentance

Risky Business

Romancing the Stone

The Sender

Shirley Valentine

Spider-Man

Taken at Birth, Season 1

Til Death Do Us Part, Season 1

TRANsitioning, Season 1

Trapped: The Alex Cooper Story

Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter

Who Let The Dogs Out

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

Zombieland

April 3

Future Man, Season 3

Into the Dark: Pooka Lives

Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell, Season 4

Siren, Season 3 premiere on Freeform

April 6

Too Cautious Hero, Season 1

April 7

No Guns Life

April 8

Parasite

April 9

Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Series premiere on ABC

Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life, Season 2A

Little Joe

April 10

Real Housewives of Potomac, Season 4

April 12

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Season 9B

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic en Español, Season 9B

April 14

The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart, Series premiere on ABC

The Baker and the Beauty, Series premiere on ABC

Songland, Season 2 premiere on NBC

Vault

Unlocked

April 15

Mrs. America

The Masked Singer: Sing-Along Spectacular, Special on Fox

A Teacher

The Messenger

April 16

What We Do In The Shadows, Season 2 premiere on FX

Harry Benson: Shoot First

April 20

Paranormal Activity 3

A Kind Of Murder

April 22

Special-7, Season 1

April 23

Cunningham

April 24

Abominable

April 29

Footloose

April 30

2020 Billboard Music Awards, Special on NBC

Netflix

Netflix highlights: All six seasons of the TV series Community, the films The Social Season and Martin Scorcese’s Taxi Driver on April 1. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly on April 2. Despicable Me on April 16.

Also check out the ongoing video-captured Broadway shows, such as John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons

April 1

40 Days and 40 Nights

Bloodsport

Cadillac Records

Can’t Hardly Wait

Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke

Community: Season 1-6

David Batra: Elefanten I Rummet

The Death of Stalin

Deep Impact

The Girl With All the Gifts

God’s Not Dead

The Hangover

How to Fix a Drug Scandal

The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show

Just Friends

Killer Klowns From Outer Space

Kim’s Convenience: Season 4

Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon 2

Lethal Weapon 3

Lethal Weapon 4

The Matrix

The Matrix Reloaded

The Matrix Revolutions

Minority Report

Molly’s Game

Mortal Kombat

Mud

Nailed It!: Season 4

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon: S3: Sun & Moon – Ultra Legends

Promised Land

Road to Perdition

The Roommate

The Runaways

Salt

School Daze

Sherlock Holmes

The Social Network

Soul Plane

Sunderland ‘Til I Die: Season 2

Sunrise in Heaven

Taxi Driver

Wildling

April 2

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll

April 3

Coffee & Kareem

La casa de papel: Part 4

Money Heist: The Phenomenon

Spirit Riding Free: Riding Academy

StarBeam

April 4

Angel Has Fallen

April 5

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

April 6

The Big Show Show

April 7

Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020: Part 3

April 9

Hi Score Girl: Season 2

April 10

Brews Brothers

LA Originals

La vie scolaire

Love Wedding Repeat

The Main Event

Tigertail

April 11

Code 8

April 14

Chris D’Elia: No Pain

April 15

The Innocence Files

Outer Banks

April 16

Despicable Me

Fary: Hexagone: Season 2

Fauda: Season 3

Hail, Caesar!

Mauricio Meirelles: Levando o Caos

Jem and the Holograms

April 17

Betonrausch

#blackAF

Earth and Blood (La terre et le sang)

The Last Kids on Earth: Book 2

Legado en los huesos

Sergio

Too Hot to Handle

April 18

The Green Hornet

April 20

Cooked With Cannabis

The Midnight Gospel

The Vatican Tapes

April 21

Bleach: The Assault

Bleach: The Bount

Middleditch & Schwartz

April 22

Absurd Planet

Circus of Books

El silencio del pantano

The Plagues of Breslau

The Willoughbys

Win the Wilderness

April 23

The House of Flowers: Season 3

April 24

After Life: Season 2

Extraction

Hello Ninja: Season 2

Yours Sincerely, Kanan Gill

April 25

The Artist

Django Unchained

April 26

The Last Kingdom: Season 4

April 27

Battle: Los Angeles

Never Have I Ever

April 29

A Secret Love

Extracurricular

Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story

Nadiya’s Time to Eat

Summertime

April 30

Dangerous Lies

Drifting Dragons

The Forest of Love: Deep Cut

Rich in Love (Rico de Amor)

The Victims’ Game

Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime highlights: Most James Bond movies are on offer starting April 1.  The Bodyguard with Whitney Houston on April 1. The movie of the musical Les Miserables on April 10. The Joker, with Oscar winning actor Joaquin Phoenix, April 16. The musical drama film Footloose, April 29.

Check out also the musicals and other Broadway shows, some of them taped directly from the stage, that you can rent from Amazon Prime.

April 1

Bangkok Dangerous

Bird of Paradise

Blind Husbands

Broken Blossoms

The Bodyguard

The Boost

The Brothers Grimm

The Chumscrubber

Daniel Boone

Diamonds Are Forever

Diary of a Hitman

Die Another Day

Dishonored Lady

Dollface

Dr. No

Dr. T & the Women

Drums in the Deep South

For Your Eyes Only

From Russia With Love

Gator

Gods and Monsters

Goldeneye

Goldfinger

Gorky Park

The Hoodlum

Hotel Artemis

I Am Legend

Licence to Kill (4K UHD)

Live and Let Die (4K UHD)

The Living Daylights

The Lost World

The Man With the Golden Gun

Mark of Zorro

Moonraker (4K UHD)

Mutiny

Never Say Never Again

The New Adventures of Tarzan

Octopussy

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Repentance

The Sender

Shirley Valentine

Son of Monte Cristo

The Spy Who Loved Me

Tarzan the Fearless

Thunderball

Tomorrow Never Dies

A View to a Kill

The World Is Not Enough

You Only Live Twice

The Bureau: Season 1

America in Color: Season 1

Bronx SIU: Season 1

Dirt Every Day: Season 1

El Rey del Valle: Season 1

Foyle’s War: Season 1

The Mind of a Chef: Season 1

Molly of Denali: Season 1

Mr. Selfridge: Season 1

Our Wedding Story: Season 1

Vida: Season 1

April 3

Invisible Life

Tales From the Loop

April 10

Les Misérables

Rambo: Last Blood

April 14

Vault

April 16

The Lighthouse

Joker

April 17

Bosch: Season 6

Dino Dana: Season 3B

Selah and the Spades

April 20

Paranormal Activity 3

April 29

Footloose

HBO

HBO highlights: “The Plot Against America” and “High Maintenance” end their runs, and “Run” begins its run on April 12; the new series stars Domhnall Gleeson and Merritt Wever as people who flee into thrilling and comedic adventures, setting off from The Grand Central Terminal (where you could congregate without repercussions in a previous era.) Also worth watching: the fourth season of Insecure and one of my favorite movies, “The Kids Are All Right.” Theater fans might also be interested in “Glee: The 3D Concert Movie” and “Xanadu.”

April 1

Alpha and Omega, 2010 Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, 2011 American Pie, 1999 American Pie 2, 2001 American Wedding, 2003 Becoming Jane, 2007 Clockstoppers, 2002 Daylight, 1996 Die Hard, 1988 Die Hard 2, 1990 Die Hard with a Vengeance, 1995 Dragged Across Concrete, 2018 Drop Dead Fred, 1991 The Family Stone, 2005 The Flintstones, 1994 The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, 2000 Galveston, 2018 Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (Extended Version), 2011 The Great Gilly Hopkins, 2015 The Judge, 2014 The Kids Are All Right, 2010 The Lovely Bones, 2009 Loving, 2016 Monte Carlo, 2011 The Nice Guys, 2016 The Predator, 2018 Slumdog Millionaire, 2008 Something Wild, 1986 Sophie’s Choice, 1982 Team America: World Police, 2004 Ulee’s Gold, 1997 War Dogs, 2016 Water for Elephants, 2011 Xanadu, 1980

April 4

Good Boys, 2019

April 5

Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children, Docuseries Premiere — HBO Original

April 11

It: Chapter 2, 2019

April 12

Run, Series Premiere — HBO Original

April 18

Stuber, 2019

April 19

Entre Hombre, Series Premiere — HBO Original

April 20

Shadows, Season 3 — HBO Original

April 23

We’re Here, Series Premiere — HBO Original

April 25

Bad Education — HBO Original

April 27

I Know This Much Is True, Limited Series Premiere — HBO Original

April 28

Autism: The Sequel — HBO Original

    April 2020 Calendar of “Openings”: What’s Streaming on Netflix, National Theatre, Hulu, PBS Great Performances, Amazon Prime, HBO Etc There are no "openings" on stage likely this month, but there is much to see online for theater lovers and screen enthusiasts alike.  

[entergamingxp]

Vote for Readers Choice & GOTY Nominations

December 16, 2019 9:16 AM EST

DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2019 is upon us. Check our nominations and vote for your favorite games in 2019.

Welcome back, everyone! This is resident DualShockers Editor-in-Chief, Lou Contaldi, and it is time for the annual bloodbath… err– celebrating the best and the brightest of gaming in 2019!

While it is tradition to hold a separate poll for Readers’ Choice for both Game of the Year 2019 and Most Anticipated Game of 2020, we are spicing things up with a few new ways this year: announcing our nominations for each category and giving you a way to participate in the DS staff polls.

Vote for Readers’ Choice 2019 Awards:

Without question, our community is the best part of DualShockers, so we (and the developers and publishers we chat to) know that the Reader’s Choice Award is one of the best annual honors to win. And, as always we are looking for your help in making that selection in one of gaming’s busiest years.

You’re given the ability to change your vote at any time before the cutoff time, which will be December 22nd, at 11:59:59 PM Pacific Time. People change their mind all the time, so we don’t see a reason why you wouldn’t be able to change your vote here.

Below, you’ll find a form to vote for your favorite game (you can find it here if you are on mobile). In order to limit spam and vote manipulation, you’ll be asked to log in to a google account if you aren’t already. If you don’t have one, making it is pretty easy and very quick.

In order to be eligible for Game of the Year, a game needs to have been released for the first time (unless it’s a remaster/remake) between December 10th, 2018 and December 15th, 2019. Expansions are not eligible. Early Access games that have moved out of early access this year (for instance Dead Cells) are considered 2019 releases.

While we love Japanese games, only releases in the West are eligible (to avoid games appearing for two years in a row). For instance. it wouldn’t make sense to ask you to vote for Persona 5: The Royal as Game of The Year, since most of you will play the Western version (Persona 5: Royal) in 2020. You’ll be able to vote for it in our Most Anticipated Game of 2020 – Reader’s Choice Award.

Asian market releases in English have been included where appropriate in case a western release is confirmed as not happening, or extremely unlikely.

As you’ll probably notice, the list is very long — though sorted alphabetically. While other outlets give you a narrowed down list for Game of the Year, we think it is better that all voices get heard — even niche games that may be ignored. If you notice a game is missing that you wanted to vote on, go ahead and let us know in the comment section and we will add it on.

You’ll also notice that there are plenty of games that didn’t review very well on the list. It’s not our place to tell you what you should or shouldn’t like. Yet, we apologize if we missed or forgot games that you might love. After all, we’re only human.

So, what are you waiting for? Get voting, and feel free to let us know your favorites in the comments:

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DualShockers 2019 GotY Award Nominations and Vote

Now here comes the new part: not only will we be sharing our nominees for each category ahead of the vote, we want you all to be part of the decision-making.

Following a multi-week process of narrowing down on our nomination pool with both the DualShockers Staff and our Discord community, we have a tighter list of the games we are voting for in each category. Starting today, we will be tallying votes from both Staff and the Community. Each DualShockers Staff member will have one vote; comparatively, the Community will get a 10% stake in the final totals (at 3 points) for all of their leading contenders. No game will win without a clear majority (50.1%).

Voting cut-off for this initial vote is Wednesday, December 18 at 11:59:59 PM Pacific. In the instance that there is no clear majority (which will most certainly be the case), there will be a series of run-off elections happening exclusively on the DualShockers Discord! You can join those conversations by heading here: https://discord.gg/uKFUAxp

DualShockers Game of the Year

Apex Legends

Astral Chain

Control

Death Stranding

Devil May Cry 5

Disco Elysium

Fire Emblem Three Houses

Judgment

Resident Evil 2

Sayonara Wild Hearts

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

The Outer Worlds

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Most Anticipated Game of 2020

Cyberpunk 2077

Doom Eternal

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Halo Infinite

The Last of Us: Part II

Hardware of the Year

Google Stadia

Nintendo Switch Lite

Razer Blade 15

Xbox Elite Controller 2

Indie Game of the Year

Disco Elysium

Gris

Katana Zero

Outer Wilds

Sayonara Wild Hearts

Untitled Goose Game

Best Developer

Capcom (Devil May Cry 5, Onimusha: Warlords, Resident Evil 2, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations)

Nintendo (New Super Mario. U Deluxe, Nintendo Labo – Toy-Con 04: VR Kit, Ring Fit Adventure, Super Mario Maker 2)

Respawn Entertainment (Apex Legends, Star Wars: Fallen Order)

Still Not Bitten (The Walking Dead: The Final Season)

ZA/UM (Disco Elysium)

Best Publisher

Annapurna Interactive (Outer Wilds, Journey, Telling Lies, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam)

Capcom (Devil May Cry 5, Onimusha: Warlords, Resident Evil 2, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations)

Devolver Digital (Serious Sam Classics, Heave Ho, Metal Wolf Chaos, Gorn, My Friend Pedro, Devolver Bootleg, Gato Roboto, Obervation, Katana Zero, Weedcraft Inc., Ape Out, Pikuniku)

Nintendo (Astral Chain, BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!, Daemon X Machina, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games 2020, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, NSMBU Deluxe, Labo VR Kit, Ring Fit Adventure, The Stretchers, Super Kirby Clash, Super Mario Maker 2, Tetris 99, Yoshi’s Crafted World)

Sega (Football Manager, SolSeraph, Citizens of Space, Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, Team Sonic racing, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Love Thyself – A Horatio Stari, Yakuza Kiwami, Catherine Classic , Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, Catherine Full Body, Judgement)

Best in Big Categories

Best First-Party Game

Dreams

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Gears 5

Super Mario Maker 2

Best PS4 Game

Concrete Genie

Days Gone

Death Stranding

Judgment

Best Xbox One Game

A Plague Tale: Innocence

Crackdown 3

Gears 5

The Outer Worlds

Best Nintendo Switch Game

Astral Chain

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Luigi’s Mansion 3

Pokemon Sword and Shield

Best PC Game

Apex Legends

Disco Elysium

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

The Outer Worlds

Best Mobile Game

Call of Duty: Mobile

Pokemon Masters

Sayonara Wild Hearts

What The Golf!?

Best in Genre

Best Action-Adventure Game

Astral Chain

Control

Death Stranding

Devil May Cry 5

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Best Battle Royale Game:

Apex Legends

Ghost Recon Breakpoint: Mercenaries

Mordhau

Planetside Arena

Tetris 99

Best Competitive Game

Apex Legends

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

Modern Warfare

Mortal Kombat 11

Tetris 99

Best Co-op Game

Borderlands 3

Gears 5

Luigi’s Mansion 3

The Division 2

World War Z

Best DLC or Expansion

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

Monster Hunter World – Iceborne

Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pass

Best Family Game

Jackbox Party 6

Luigi’s Mansion 3

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3

Super Mario Maker 2

Untitled Goose Game

Best Fighting Game

Dead or Alive 6

Mortal Kombat 11

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid

Samurai Shodown

Best Horror Game

Blair Witch

Gylt

Resident Evil 2

The Sinking City

Best Interactive Story Game

Afterparty

Erica

Life is Strange 2

The Walking Dead: The Final Season 

Best Metroidvania

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Control

Indivisible

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Best Multiplayer Game

Apex Legends

Gears 5

Modern Warfare

Tetris 99

Best Platformer

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Indivisible

Super Mario Maker 2

Trials Rising

Best Puzzle Game

Baba is You

Catherine: Full Body

Tetris 99

Untitled Goose Game

Best Racing Game

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled

Dirt Rally 2.0

GRID

Team Sonic Racing

Best Remake or Remaster

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition

Resident Evil 2

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

World of Warcraft Classic

Best Role-Playing Game

Disco Elysium

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Kingdom Hearts III

The Outer Worlds

Best Shooter

Apex Legends

Borderlands 3

Call of Duty Modern Warfare

Gears 5

Metro Exodus

Best Sports Game

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

MLB The Show 19

NBA 2K20

NHL 20

Best Strategy Game

Civilization VI

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Slay the Spire

Wargroove

Best Virtual Reality Game

Asgard’s Wrath

Beat Saber

Blood & Truth

Falcon Age

Trover Saves the Universe

Technical Awards

Best Art Direction

Control

Death Stranding

Gris

Kingdom Hearts III

Sayonara Wild Hearts

Best Audio Design

Ape Out

Call of Duty Modern Warfare

Death Stranding

Sayonara Wild Hearts

Best Character

Casper Darling – Control

Clementine – The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Gooigi – Luigi’s Mansion 3

Mr X – Resident Evil 2

Parvati – The Outer Worlds

Best Graphics

Astral Chain

Death Stranding

Devil May Cry 5

Gears 5

Resident Evil 2

Best Narrative

Control

Death Stranding

Disco Elysium

Judgment

The Outer Worlds

The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Best Open World

Death Stranding

Greedfall

Judgment

Shenmue 3

The Outer Worlds

Best Ongoing Game

Destiny 2

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Fortnite

Monster Hunter World

Rocket League

Best Performance

Ashly Burch as Parvarti – The Outer Worlds

Jolene Andersen – Ada Wong – Resident Evil 2 Remake

Mads Mikkelson as Cliff – Death Stranding

Melissa Hutchison as Clementine – The Walking Dead: The Final Season

Tommie Earl Jenkins as Die-Hardman – Death Stranding

Best Soundtrack

Death Stranding

Devil May Cry V

Kingdom Hearts III

Pokemon Sword and Shield

Sayonara Wild Hearts

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December 16, 2019 9:16 AM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2019/12/vote-for-readers-choice-goty-nominations/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=vote-for-readers-choice-goty-nominations