#*salute to fallen heroes*

[manasastuff-blog]

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[tiny-space-platypus]

Half baked idea time!!

DC/dp au where it's like late teens/warily twenties punk Danny being tired as shit. Like this man just wants to sit on a roof top, patch himself up, maybe smoke then go back to having to do inner dimensional politics or another fight. But Danny can't have that instead every time he tries a hero either thinks he's going to kill himself and tries to intervene or some sort of fight breaks out and his stupid core makes him have a mighty need to assist. Also, where the hell did all these heroes come from, ancients knew they weren't there when he needed help. He's just a tad bit bitter about the only time he's getting attention from heroes is the only time he doesn't want it. He goes everywhere just trying to catch a break.

Or

Danny tries to find some peace and fucking quiet only to end up freak out the league because dear god this kid is going through it and they need to get him before he becomes a supervillain or something.

Metropolis

Chills for 5 minutes seeing Superman nopes the hell out of there cursing in kryptonian. He deals with his kind enough in the realms he doesn't want to deal with the living either. "Nope! Not today! Not dealing with you today!"

Superman is freaking out because there's a kid that was sitting on top of the daily planet only to disappear speaking his language??? He also had a really slow heart beat? Was that child alright??

Coast city

Danny's on a large skyscape sitting on the edge watching the streets below as he patches himself up and lights a smoke only to have it glow green and ripped from him.

"You know, this stuff isn't exactly good for you. Especially on skyscrapers. Besides you seem a little young to be smoking."

Danny who looks like he wants to tackle Hal pit of the god damn sky for interrupting his break. "I feel like I'm too young for a lot of things but here we are"

Hal starts some sort of space cop speech and Danny decides fuck this and jumps off the building mouthing "Acab" with a salute and disappear giving the green Lantern a heart attack. Since he thinks he's about to save a kid from falling to his death only for the kid to not be there.

Central City

Danny is yet again trying to relax on a skyscraper only to be interrupted by the flash. At least this time the hero doesn't take his smokes instead just sits next to him. It's nice actually, the quiet white noise of the city below shining how stars would in the sky. Eventually Danny would finish his smoke and put it out before shoving the bud in his pocket. (He won't litter) as soon as Danny stood up the flash grabbed him forcing him back to sitting.

"Look kid, I don't know what's going on but there's gotta be a better way than this. I'll help you if you need help just-"

Danny now staring at him. A little dumbfounded then laughed.

"I'm not trying to kill myself. Just wanted to smoke in peace." Danny looks down at the ground from 150 meters up "besides I've fallen from worse"

"Great! Wait what?" The Flash looked relieved for a second then proceeded the second part of what Danny just said. The flash only looked away for less then a second which gave Danny just enough time to disappear scaring the shit out of the hero.

Bludhaven

Danny after having a rather rough fight as phantom with his parents. Bleeding and mumbling curses as he patches himself up on another skyscraper. "Stupid ecto-gun, stupid laws, stupid, stupid"

Just as Danny started to patch a literal hole in his side Nightwing would make his appearance. "Back away-"

Danny snapped at the hero. "You've got to be fucking- I'm trying to kill myself, Yes I'm injured, no I do not want help, yes I'm fine. Will you be going now?"

Nightwing paused then sat next to the kid a little disturbed. As he watches this kid doing stitches on himself. "Bad day?"

Danny snorted as he finished stitching himself up with fishing wire. "Bad life" He then started smoking again making the vigilante frown. This kid was nowhere near old enough to smoke but the kid was also giving himself stitches on a roof so not the worst thing this kid has done so far. "Wanna tell me what happened?"

Danny shrugged. "My parents shot me again"

"I'm sorry what? Again?!"

[thr0wnawayy]

Useless Heroes and Hori's spinelessness with setup.

Salutations! I remembered my password.

(Jk, I've been busy)

It's no secret that Japan's heroes in MHA are extremely incompetent, I've pointed out their general disregard towards human life and surrounding infrastructure.

However what some of you might not know is that a majority of heroes in MHA are completely and utterly useless.

And I'm not just talking from a Doylist perspective either, Heroes in MHA are more of an obstacle than the villains they fight.

Take this panel for example:

Originally I was going to crop this to only include (ugh) Birdman, however on a second read I realized how asinine every single hero (not counting All Might) is.

First off the "clean up". I shouldn't need to explain what's wrong with this. The crowd posing a security risk, the minimal security. The fucking plastic bags!?

I mean really, what the hell can Backdraft achieve here, or Kanami or Mount Lady. The list goes on.

(That also ignores how these 4 imbeciles are getting paid for what a clean up crew or police force could do easily. Not to mention this whole incident veing their fault)

Anywho... We then see Death Arms and another "hero" yelling at Midoriya, who was also a victim of the Sludge Villain and actually bought All Might time. Whereas Bakugo failed like a panicked animal and worsened the situation.

It is here we see the first plot point: Heroes are hypocritical and biased towards those with flashy quirks.

They automatically downplay Midoriya while also neglecting to get him checked on by a paramedic.

Even Bakugo doesn't benefit as these so called Heroes swarm him like a vulture. Just so they can use him to boost their own popularity.

(and if I'm honestly speaking, if Birdman were somehow a high ranker. Bakugo would have fallen for it hook, line and sinker)

This subtly introduces a second idea: that Heroes are not as pure as they seem. Perhaps they can even be corrupt.

These two ideas, plotpoints, call them what you will. Do a good job at showing us the cracks in the mirage. Cracks that seemed to be widening come the Sports Festival.

So what happend?

I'm sure we're all familiar with the utter disappointment/disaster that was MHA's epilogue.

Regardless if you believe the initial final chapter to be canonical or the more recent 'improvement'. We can all agree that it bombed in regards to doing the above any justice.

The simple answer is that Hori (in my opinion) is a spineless hack, who can draw really good but for the love of god. Keep him out of the Writers room.

Hori seems to whine about how dissatisfied he is with MHA's direction towards darker themes or even complaining about characters he wrote into the story himself (see Tetsutesu x2.)

Hori lacks any guts when it comes to his own writing, preferring to laze-about in what's comfortable. The problem is he didn't write a comfortable story.

Corruption, Eugenics, Peer Abuse, Negligence and Human Trafficking. These are all things that MHA brings up but Hori refuses to touch on. Despite having wrote them into the world (and plot) himself.

Someone once commented under a post of mine that my W.I.P worked as a story because the events fit, rather than simply existing for shock value.

Now I cannot confirm whether or not the above were added to drive up stakes. However with how MHA ended up, I wouldn't be surprised if it was like the Big Three all over again. Hori adding something, nor knowing what to do with it and then desperately trying to smother it while introducing the "next big thing".

Ultimately, I find it humorous that someone so inspired by comic books and Star wars, is such a coward when it comes to pushing boundaries. Instead choosing to fall in line with what's trending, what the polls say, chasing after something that could never be obtained in the first place.

But hey look at the bright side, at least we have fan-works.

[moosemink]

Working alone looks different

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ CH6 - The Offer ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Pairing: No actual Romance just some mentioned, JayRoy | TimKon | BirdFlash Characters: Batfam | Justice League Word count: 3.808 A/N: Last Chapter ! Now all that is left is to crosspost the two drawings I made for this fic. There is a second part to this story. I've posted up to Chapter 5 of it on AO3, but I'll wait to cross post it to tumblr because I am struggling HARD with chapter 6 rn ^^; AO3 Masterlist for W.A.L.D.

The Justice League dealt with overzealous, extraterrestrial enemies on an almost weekly basis. From gigantic hordes of small, slimy critters to towering behemoths. They’ve fought it all and by now they have a sort of routine to the battles.

But this fight was much different from their usual procedures. Instead of one broody bat there were nine. Tough one of those nine was still an enigma to the league as they had yet to meet face to face. So far they had only heard her voice.

The other eight had fallen into a terrifying routine. They moved from enemy to enemy with cold, quick efficiency while quipping and smiling. Batman was the only one of them that fought side by side with the league members like he usually did, the rest of the Batclan kept mostly to themselves and the other young heroes that had come to help. They did swoop in and save a league member every time it was needed though, courtesy of the ninth Bat, Oracle, who seemed to see everything happening on the battlefield. Her moniker truly fit her perfectly.

Billy settled down on a roof to take a breather and to see if they had gotten any closer to winning. He really hoped it was over soon, he liked Fawcett much better without swarms of aggressive aliens.

He was really thankful for all the heroes that had gathered to help keep his city save. He was admittedly especially excited that a bunch of young heroes had joined too. He sometimes really hated that his powers made him look so much older, he really wanted to get closer with the hero community that was closer to his actual age. He liked the other league members but they too often talked about stuff he just couldn’t relate to. Sometimes it was exhausting to fake that you paid taxes and did other adult stuff.

Billy observed the Battlefield and his gaze fell to the different members of the Batfam. Nightwing was fighting aliens alongside Red Robin, easily trusting his back to his brother. The man bend in ways Billy was sure shouldn’t be possible but Red Robin seemed to anticipate every move. Used to his seemingly boneless brother. The two switched their weapons between each other easily. Moving almost as one, they took out another handful of enemies and with a wide smile on Nightwing’s face and a calculating grin on Red Robin’s, they moved to another part of the battlefield. Leaving behind mountains of bodies. Billy was really glad that they’re on the good side.

He turned his head and spotted Red Hood, locked in a fist fight against one of the bigger aliens. Hood was cursing like a sailor and hitting the alien hard in places that really hurt, at least to a human. Billy winced when Hood landed another hard kick to the lower half of the bipedal alien. Said alien let out an enraged roar but promptly slumped down to the ground, Billy spotted a red arrow lodged in the back of the extraterrestrial being‘s head. The red helmeted vigilante gave Arsenal, or the building Arsenal was sniping from, a thankful salute, he then pulled his guns out of his holsters and planted a few bullets perfectly between the aliens four eyes and or their knee caps. He switched between four guns with trained ease despite being limited to two hands and reloaded with such speed that Billy almost missed it. His reserve of bullets seemed endless.

Black Bat was basically a deadly shadow, Billy had only seen her for a second at the start of the fight, since then he could only guess where she was based on the aliens that just seemed to randomly keel over dead. Billy felt a shudder run down his spine as he saw the terror on an aliens face as his comrades dropped like flies around him. Again Billy was really glad he was on the same side as the Bats.

Another blue-kangaroo-looking alien dropped dead next to Red Hood. Said vigilante wordlessly pulled a knife from somewhere beneath his leather jacket and threw it in the air. The knife promptly disappeared in the air as a shadow, Black Bat, caught it. At the same time a broken blade dropped on the floor next to Hood’s boot. Billy simply watched in awe as the path of dead aliens kept going after the weapon exchange. Hood also just kept going, downing a few aliens with targeted punches and ending them with a bullet each if his fists weren’t enough.

Signal was hard to watch, as he used his powers, he apparently had, to blind the enemies. He then easily took them out as if taking a walk in a park. Well, a park in Gotham, Billy didn’t think that any other place would have parks that were comparable to a battlefield. Signal‘s bright light lured a lot of Aliens in his direction, which would’ve definitely been a cause for concern, at least for a non-bat. Signal simply kept moving unbothered by the masses moving towards him, because barely any actually made it close enough to be dangerous to him. Before they could step into his range most were skillfully taken care of, either by decapitation via the, in Billy‘s personal opinion, scariest Bat, Robin or by a simple punch via the Batlings kryptonian counterpart, Jon.

Billy admittedly watched Robin and Jon the longest as they were closets to his age. He really wished to be friends with them. As terrifying as Robin was, Billy thought he was equally as amazing. And Jon seemed like he would be a lot of fun to hang around. His warm and inviting smile had given Billy the courage to try and befriend them. He had gone to Gotham as he knew he would have to start with Robin to have a chance to be accepted into their group but before he had the chance to transform back into his actual body he had run. Robin hadn’t even let him get a word in and the cold Batglare from the just a few years older vigilante had killed all of Billy’s gathered courage. But as Billy watched Robin and Superboy work together he found himself filled with determination to try again.

Mind made up to try to find hero friends his actual age again Billy’s thoughts got interrupted by a battle cry. His eyes snapped onto the source and he spotted Spoiler. She had teamed up with beast boy who had turned into a mighty steed. The purple vigilante was loudly cheering and whooping as she rode on the large, green horse's back into battle. Together beast boy and spoiler mowed down enemy after enemy. Any foe that survived their stampede was finished of by Kon, Wally or Bart who were loudly cheering them on. The cavalry moved over the battlefield quickly and deadly as Spoiler easily switched between the weapons she kept on her person and literally anything else she could get her hands on. Even alien body parts were used and Billy found himself cheering them on from his perch on the roof.

By the time that Billy managed to pull himself from watching the young heroes fight, he notice that the numbers of the enemy had dwindle to barely two dozens. They were trying to retreat, but they were unsuccessful, as the Bats made quick work of them. The biggest problem now was the giant portal still open in the center of Fawcett City. Definitely not something Billy wanted to keep around. It didn’t mash well with the city’s looks. The bright, glowing greens and purples clashed harshly with the city’s aesthetic. Billy also wasn’t a fan of a potential second attempt for world domination via an army of blue-Kangaroos.

He knew he could easily close it but Billy also knew that it would cost him the last of his energy and would reverse his transformation. Everyone would find out that he was actually little, homeless, ten year old Billy Batson. The thought terrified him and made him hesitate.

But the decision was taken from Billy by the last alien, it seemed to tried to call for reinforcements from the other side of the portal. Before Billy even fully realized what was happening his body was already moving. He used the last of his power to quickly close the gate as Green Arrow shot the offending extraterrestrial being.

With the strike of a lightning bolt and a loud crack of thunder Billy, in all his now again ten years old glory, found himself in a small crater on the street.

Of course, to his luck, right in front of the Caped Crusader himself. And of course, worlds-best-detective that he was, he immediately connected the dots,

“Captain Marvel.” A simple statement, really but it froze Billy in place, “Is this your true form ?”

‘Right to the point, huh ?’, Billy thought but he also knew that the Dark Knight, slowly joined by all the other heroes, was expecting an answer.

“Y- yeah. I- I can ex- expla-“, Billy started but was interrupted by the wave of Batman’s hand. The man had more questions and it was clear he wanted them answered.

''Your name.'' Batman wasn't quite glaring at Billy but the boy could feel the Bat's stare drill a hole into his soul. Yet the voice Batman used wasn't quite as scary as his usual Batman-voice. He didn't seem angry, which Billy had feared, he seemed more, curious ? Billy doubted that was the right word.

''B- Billy, Billy Bat- Batson,'' Billy stammered out. His eyes snapped onto the rest of the Batclan, that had gathered behind Batman, as they collectively sucked a harsh breath in.

''B, No !'', Nightwing chided.

''He probably has parents, B !'', Red Hood joined in.

''I- I don't...'', Billy muttered hesitantly but he bit his tongue as the Batkids all displayed various reactions at his words.

Red Robin had his head in his hands, Robin tsk-ed and shook his head as he crossed his arms defiantly, Signal looked a little excited actually, Black Bat whispered something that sounded a bit too much like 'little brother', Spoiler threw up her hands and walked away exasperated, Red Hood was crouched down with his head directed at the sky quietly whispering a string of curses under his breath and Nightwing looked, well just resigned.

''Batson...'', The big Bat muttered, ''I mean...'' He angled his head to look at his colony of children and seemed to try to reason with them, about what, Billy did not know. In fact Billy was highly confused, he couldn’t think of what made half the Batclan look agitated and the other excited. He watched as Batman slowly reached for one of his utility belt pockets.

''Father, please tell me you are not reaching for what I think you're reaching for.'', Robin hissed, clearly already knowing the answer to his query as it came out as more of a warning then a question.

Batman suddenly moved very quickly and before Billy knew it a stack of papers was thrust into his hands, an annoyed groan escaping Red Robin and a tsk coming from Robin. Billy had to blink a few times before the words on the front page registered in his head. In bold letters it read:

ADOPTION PAPERS.

Billy sucked a breath in too fast and started coughing. Concerned eyes landed on him until he regained his ability to breath. Billy looked at the people gathered around him. The league members looked as confused as Billy, except for Martian Manhunter, his face carefully blank and Superman, who looked like he was trying not to laugh. The Titans present, old and new, were in a similar state to Superman, all trying their best to hold in a laugh. Though Billy also received an encouraging nod from both Superboys.

Billy opened his mouth to say something but before any words could leave him Red Hood cut in, ''I'm calling Agent-A, the kid is considering it. For fucks sake old man.'' Hood took of his helmet and pulled out a beaten up flip phone and very pointedly stared at Batman as he hit a speed dial button and spoke,

''Hey A, sorry to bother you while you're cookin’. B’s done it again.'', Hood drawled, he let out a deep sigh before he answered the person on the other end of the line, ''Yeah no, Black hair, blue eyes, orphan, maybe 9? or 10 ? Probably Homeless... His last name is Batson, there is no way we could've stopped him A.'' He then just grunted a confirmation before he harshly clapped the phone shut and put it into one of his many pockets. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed again. He must've spotted Billy's perturbed face as he gave him a surprisingly reassuring smile. He then turned towards Nightwing and with just a look relayed something to the older vigilante.

Understanding his brother’s wordless message easily, Nightwing turned to Kon and told him to go and pick up 'Agent-A', whoever that might be. Somebody with Zeta access apparently, as that’s were Nightwing told the Kryptonian to pick Agent-A up.

The questions in Billy's head only doubled as Kon returned just minutes later with a polished, well dressed, older man. A butler, Billy realized. Fully dressed in a butler uniform and with as simple black domino mask pasted over his eyes. The man carefully dusted of his clothes after the Kryptonian set him down before striding over to Batman. It was clear pretty fast why the man was called to Billy, as the Batkids all considerably relaxed but Batman tensed.

''My dear boy, what did I say about adopting every child you find ?'', The man lightly scolded the Dark Knight, his hands on his hips. Again, excluding Superman and Manhunter the JL members all tensed at the man’s words but the Titans looked just about ready to break out in loud laughter.

“Not to.” The bat grumbled, “But-“, Batman started while gesturing vaguely towards Billy but he was interrupted by the wave of Agent-A’s hand, just like the Bat had done to Billy just minutes before.

Billy was trying hard to keep a giggle down at the down trodden posture of the Bat but he almost choked on his fit of giggles as the butler addressed him with his smooth British accent, “Now, child I will not stop you from accepting Batman’s offer but know that you can refuse it.” The man bend down and pulled out a linen cloth, with it he gently wiped some grime off of Billy's face, only hesitating for a second to let Billy pull away if he didn't want to.

But Billy didn’t pull away and actually enjoyed the gentle touch and the feel of the soft linen. He felt himself relax as the butler continued speaking, “You may think about the offer as long as you'd like, but I do invite you to at least come to our home for a meal and a shower dear boy.'' Agent-A gave Billy a soft and warm smile that almost made the boy forget where he was. Almost, as Hal suddenly blurted out a question, unable to hold his tongue any longer as was typical for the man,

‘’I’m sorry but who the hell is this and what the fuck is happening right now ?! Someone please explain ?! I can’t be the only one that’s completely lost, right ?!'', the lantern exclaimed, desperately looking at the gathered crowd, begging for answers.

All eyes snapped onto the green hero, some of the JL members muttered that they also very much would like an explanation as Red Hood called out a ''Language Glowstick, there are children present.'', while slapping his hands over Robin’s ears, who ducked away while tsking offendedly. Then there was silence as Batman signed something with his hands and the Bats promptly turned towards each other and discussed something between themselves, evident by the quiet chirping the league now knew was actually the Batclan’s secret language.

After a moment and a seemingly quite heated discussion Batman was pushed forward by both Red Robin and Nightwing. He cleared his throat and then spoke in his usual, I-eat-gravel-for-fun, voice, ''Justice League, meet Agent-A. The man that raised me.'' Billy's jaw dropped at that and so did Hal's, Barry's and Green Arrow's. Wonder Woman looked exited at the prospect of meeting the person that raised the Bat, same as Dinah.

''Agent-A is the reason we haven't died yet with our level of self preservation.'' Nightwing declared with much affection and a fond and cheerful smile.

''The best of us all.'' Red Hood added, his tone surprisingly warm and loving.

''Oh you commend me too much my dear children,'' Agent-A said with a fond look in his eyes and small but very warm smile on his lips.

''Well that's great and it's very good to meet you sir,'' Hal said with a charming smile towards the Butler, that was apparently Batman's dad or at least something close to that (Billy's mind was still blown), ''But can we get one thing straight please ? Spooky you gotta have mercy on us non detectives.''

''Hnn.'' The Bat just grunted and gestured for Hal to continue.

The lantern stepped forward and next to Billy so he could have a better view of the Batfamily and everyone else that was present. ''First of, can we all acknowledge for a moment that our teammate that we all thought was an adult is actually a fu- freaking child ?!'' Hal exclaimed while pointing at Billy and looking at all the people present.

Billy felt his face heat up as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. He turned his eyes to the floor.

''Well yeah but that is hardly the weirdest thing to happen in our line of work.'' Arsenal chimed in, the red archer opened his arms and looked around asking for confirmation which he mostly got from the other young heroes present.

''Batson, has always struck me as the most agreeable of the Justice League besides Father. It makes much more sense now why he did.'', Robin stated and even if Billy doubted that that was true, his chest warmed at the other boys words. He met the boy's eyes and gave him an embarrassed but thankful smile, a hint of a smile hushed over Robin’s face before his usual scowl quickly returned.

Hal looked a bit offended but the green hero persevered, ''Okay, fine. Just for the record though I wanna say that a lot of things make much more sense now.'' Hal turned to address Billy, ''I gotta be honest with you, you're not a good liar, taxes are not a weekly thing you know ?'' The lantern smiled at Billy apologetically,

''But like, am I understanding this right ?'' Hal leaned down and tried to take the adoption papers from Billy, who hadn't realized that he was still holding them, though the lantern was unsuccessful as Billy kinda didn't want to let them go. Hal looked a bit sheepish before giving up and deciding to simply point at the stack of papers instead, ''Spooky is trying to adopt said teammate right know. Just like that ?''

''Well that's how he took most of us in, minus the demon brat, so yeah.'' Signal shrugged nonchalantly, he then seemed to think about something before he quickly added, ''And Oracle, he's kinda unofficially co-parenting with her dad which is a special can of worms and spoiler hasn't signed any papers'' He just shrugged as if he didn't just open up more questions than he answered.

''I- I'll just not ask,'' Hal sighed, ''so Spooky just collects kids ? God that sounds so wrong and weird.''

''It's a bad habit of his,'' Red Hood chided in the direction of his father.

''Calling it a bad habit is really an understatement,'' Robin muttered, ''And you cannot chide father, when you've basically taken to adopting all of Crime Alley's kids Hood.''

''Pshhh, haven't actually adopted any,'' The yet went unsaid, ''You do it too Demon brat, just with animals.'' Hood grinned triumphantly as Robin sputtered for a moment before he just did his signature tsk, Billy quietly noted that he didn't refute Hood's words.

''Now, now the man has more questions,'' Nightwing interrupted the banter, an amused smile on his lips.

Hal was silent for a moment before he sighed and carded his hand through his hair in a manner of exasperation. He opened his mouth a few times to ask a question but words seemed to avoid him as in the end he just shook his head and said, “I don’t know what to say, there’s too many questions in my brain and I’m pretty sure you, family of paranoia masters, won’t answer most, if any, of them anyway.”

Batman just grunted his usual “hnn” as confirmation. Billy was sure if Batman could he’d only speak in grunts.

Agent-A seemed to regard Billy for a moment before the man spoke, “We can discuss the offer of adoption over some food. I do insist though that even if you refuse, you’ll at least let us support you in any way possible child. Let me extend that offer to any of your close friend or family if you have any.”, the butler gave Billy a knowing look and the boy had to remind himself that this man had raised the Batman, worlds greatest detective, part of a family in which ‘Like father, like son’ was truer than anywhere else. Of course the man would know or realize that Billy had family even if he didn’t have parents anymore.

Billy had to swallow hard at that revelation as Red Hood walked over to him and offered him a hand to help him stand up. Billy hadn’t even realized that he was still sitting in the crater the lightning bolt created. He hesitantly took the man’s hand and was pulled to his feet with a strong tuck. And as Hood decided to simply pick up Billy, after the boy's legs gave out because of the exhaustion of using all his energy for the day and the shock of Batman offering to adopt him, Billy simply let him.

All Billy could think, as he was carried towards the closest Zeta, was ‘Man, Mary and Freddy will not believe me when I tell them about today.”

And they truly didn't until Billy showed them the adoption papers that he had kept. He did so because he didn't want to seem rude, at least that's the reason he told himself and anyone who asked. Yeah, that's definitely why he kept them. He was absolutely not considering anything.

<- Prev. CH1 | CH2 | CH3 | CH4 | CH5 | CH6

[silvrash-797]

Febuwhump 2025 - Delirium

Read on ao3

Tw for non-graphic descriptions of violence

Warriors groaned as the throbbing pain in his head spiked. He swayed in the chains that held him upright as he tried to use his shoulder to rub the grit from his eyes. 

“Captain?” Legend asked softly from the other cell. “Are…you okay?”

Warriors hummed noncommittally, his eyes falling in a long, slow blink before he forced them open again. “Yeah,” he rasped. His stomach twisted at the lie. “Just…tired.” 

“You can sleep, you know. I can handle whatever they throw at me.” But his voice was brittle, stressed, and Warriors could hear the lie there, too.

“No, Lege. I’d rather lose sleep than cause you more pain.”

For that had been the ultimatum, when they’d been caught by traitorous knights a week ago: the captain stays awake, or Legend gets hurt. He didn’t know how they knew, but every time he’d fallen asleep those first few days he woke to Legend's screams of pain.

It was made worse by the fact that he couldn’t see what they were doing to his brother. The cells only had bars along the front, while the walls were solid stone. 

So, he couldn’t see. But he could still hear. Hear the crackle and pop of instruments, of joints. Hear the yelps, gasps, and muffled curses as Legend tried to be strong. And he could smell. Smell the smoke, sweat, and what he desperately hoped wasn’t burning flesh. And he could taste. Taste the blood in his mouth and throat as he accidentally bit his tongue while screaming himself hoarse.

No. If that was what it took, he could stay awake. He could save his brother. 

Four days was pushing the limits of his endurance, though.

Warriors shifted again, trying to ease the stress in his shoulders, the numbness in his hands. A nerve along his tricep burst into flames as sensation returned. Despite his best efforts, blackness clouded his vision and his eyes slid shut.

-----

WHSSSHHH-CRACK! POP! 

Legend's cry brought Warriors back to consciousness. He gasped and lost his footing as he scrambled to reorient himself. 

Another SNAP-CRACK of what he guessed was a whip sounded, and Legend whined.

No, nonono! “Stop, please!” Warriors yelled. “I’m awake, I’m awake!”

“Oh, I know,” their captor drawled from across the hallway. The large man stared hungrily into the heroes' cells, visibly enjoying their plight. 

“You cretins!” Legend spat. “You Goddess-forsaken, Ganon-cursed AUUGH!” His words were interrupted by the thud of flesh on flesh. Warriors heard a sickening pop as something shifted, and Legend coughed, gasping frantically for air. He whimpered with each exhale; Warriors surmised that a rib had been fractured or dislocated. 

Their captor tipped a hand to his brow in mock-salute. “You have a good night, Captain,” he grinned, then turned to leave with four other knights in tow.

As soon as the heavy door clanged shut behind the men, Warriors turned his attention to his brother. “I’m so sorry, Lege,” he said, voice thick with regret and exhaustion, “I don’t know what happened!”

He heard a few more shallow breaths before Legend gathered himself enough to respond. “Like I told'ja, Cap,” he slurred, “…I c’n handle it.”

But you shouldn’t have to. Warriors thought about the rest of the Chain, praying to whatever goddess would hear that they would arrive soon.

-----

Time passed. Warriors didn’t know how much. He’d settled into a state of semi-alertness, walking the line between wakefulness and sleep like his life depended on it.

His didn’t. But Legend's…Legend's did. And so, he remained awake, talking occasionally, but mostly staring into the middle distance. 

The heavy door creaking open shook him out of his trance. Dry, burning eyes blurred so badly he couldn’t see the figure standing at his cell door. 

The figure spoke, and Warriors' knees went weak. “Wars! Lege! We found you!” 

If Hyrule had been any closer Warriors could have kissed him. As it was, he finally let go, sinking into exhausted sleep.

[pankowcrumbs]

Parody X Joe Keery (Requested)

Summary: Y/n, Joe and the rest of the Stranger Things cast decide to make a parody of a horror movie, where Caleb and Maya are the "heroes." Y/n, Sadie and Millie end up trying to survive some ridiculous monsters (Gaten, Finn and Noah), but instead of being serious, they all just cracking jokes and improvise the worst possible plans.

MasterList

Stranger Things and Cast Masterlist

The idea was born in the middle of a long lunch break on set. Caleb leaned back in his chair, chewing on a piece of pizza, and said, “You know what we should do? Make a movie. Like, a real movie.”

Maya perked up immediately. “What kind of movie? Because if you’re suggesting a musical, I’m in.”

Joe leaned forward, smirking. “Horror. It has to be horror. But, like, the dumbest, most ridiculous horror movie ever made.”

The rest of us—Millie, Sadie, Gaten, Finn, Noah, and I—paused mid-bite, staring at him. Then Finn nodded slowly. “I’m down. But only if I can be the monster.”

And that was it. By the time the day was over, we’d planned out an impromptu, zero-budget horror parody to shoot in the woods behind our trailers. Caleb and Maya were officially cast as the “heroes,” Millie, Sadie, and I were designated as the terrified victims, and Gaten, Finn, and Noah enthusiastically volunteered to play the monsters. Joe, naturally, decided he’d be the “Director Extraordinaire” and insisted on narrating the entire film in a fake deep voice.

Later that evening, we gathered in the woods armed with props that Joe had thrown together from the trailers. A mop became a spear. A pool noodle wrapped in duct tape was somehow a “monster weapon.” And for some reason, Gaten had a saucepan tied to his head.

“Alright, people!” Joe clapped his hands, standing on a fallen log like he was Spielberg. “This is art. Let’s make magic happen.”

Caleb rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his grin. “You’re taking this a little too seriously, Keery.”

Joe raised a finger dramatically. “The Director Extraordinaire is always serious. Now! Scene one. The victims stumble through the woods, panicking because the monsters are chasing them. Action!”

The camera—Joe’s phone—started rolling. Millie, Sadie, and I exchanged exaggerated horrified looks and broke into a “run” through the woods. It wasn’t exactly graceful; Sadie tripped over a tree root, and Millie couldn’t stop laughing as she pulled her along.

I tried to scream dramatically, but it came out more like a startled yelp. “They’re coming! We have to hide!”

From behind us, Finn’s voice growled, “You can’t escape!” But it was hard to take him seriously when he emerged from the bushes covered in a bedsheet, with eyeholes cut out like a ghost costume gone wrong.

Millie stopped mid-run, pointing at him. “Wait, are you supposed to be scary or...?”

“I’m terrifying!” Finn protested, holding up his “monster weapon,” which looked suspiciously like a plastic spatula.

“Cut!” Joe yelled, throwing his hands up. “You’re supposed to chase them, Finn, not debate your scariness!”

“Maybe if my costume didn’t look like I was going to a Halloween party in kindergarten, I’d be scarier!” Finn shot back, but he dutifully got back into character.

The next scene involved Caleb and Maya coming to the rescue. Caleb strutted into the frame with a toy sword, while Maya held a flashlight like it was the most powerful weapon known to mankind.

“I’ll distract the monsters,” Maya announced, flipping her hair dramatically. “Caleb, you save the girls!”

“Got it.” Caleb saluted, but instead of going to save us, he tripped over a fallen branch and went sprawling onto the ground.

Joe’s voice rang out from behind the camera. “Perfect! Keep it. It’s gold!”

“I just face-planted!” Caleb complained, brushing dirt off his pants.

“Exactly. Authenticity,” Joe said, clearly delighted.

Meanwhile, Maya had “distracted” the monsters (Finn, Gaten, and Noah) by shining her flashlight in their eyes and yelling, “Look at the light, you fools!” For their part, the “monsters” stumbled around like they were vampires seeing sunlight for the first time, howling dramatically.

“It burns!” Gaten cried, clutching his saucepan-covered head.

“Who even are you?” Sadie asked from the sidelines, doubling over with laughter.

“I’m the Monster King,” Gaten declared, striking a pose. “Bow before me!”

The chaos only escalated from there. Millie decided to take charge in the next scene, declaring that the victims were tired of running and were going to fight back. She grabbed the mop-spear and rallied Sadie and me.

“We have to outsmart them,” she said, crouching behind a tree. “Y/N, you distract Finn. Sadie, you take Noah. I’ll take the King.”

Sadie raised an eyebrow. “Outsmart them? Did you forget they’re just three idiots in bad costumes?”

“Hey!” Finn yelled, offended. “These costumes are artistic choices!”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I grabbed a random stick to use as my “weapon.” “Alright, let’s do this.”

As soon as Joe yelled “Action!” Millie charged at Gaten, yelling a war cry that sounded suspiciously like a chicken squawk. Sadie went after Noah, who tried to dodge her by climbing a tree (he didn’t get very far). I ran straight at Finn, waving my stick like a sword.

Finn dropped his spatula and screamed, “I surrender!” before collapsing dramatically onto the ground.

“Cut! Brilliant!” Joe called, grinning like a proud parent.

By the time we filmed the “final battle,” everyone was too tired to take it seriously (not that we had been before). Caleb and Maya stood triumphantly on a rock, holding their “weapons” aloft while the rest of us sprawled on the ground, pretending to be dead or defeated.

“We did it,” Caleb said, wiping fake sweat off his brow. “The monsters are vanquished.”

“Thanks to our bravery,” Maya added, striking a heroic pose.

“More like thanks to our bad acting,” Millie muttered, still lying on the ground.

Joe turned the camera toward himself for the final shot, his face comically serious. “And so, the heroes saved the day. But at what cost? The end.”

When we finally wrapped up, we were all exhausted but couldn’t stop laughing as we replayed some of the footage on Joe’s phone.

“This is either the worst or the best thing we’ve ever done,” I said, leaning against Joe’s shoulder as we watched Finn dramatically collapse for the tenth time.

“Definitely the best,” Joe replied, his hazel eyes sparkling with amusement. “I’m already submitting it to Sundance.”

“You’re delusional,” Caleb said, shaking his head.

“Maybe,” Joe said, grinning. “But you’ve got to admit—it’s a masterpiece.”

And honestly? He wasn’t wrong.

[rain-crestfall]

relentless

Link to chapter 3

================================

Chapter 4

The days had started to blend together. 

Training with the Scouts left your body sore and your mind stretched thin. Eren kept his distance. He barely looked at you, but there was still something between you — quiet, unspoken, threaded beneath the surface.

Mikasa barely spoke, though she always offered a curt nod in passing. Armin remained polite, kind even—but there was a line, and you hadn’t crossed it.

Levi didn’t make it easy, either. He pushed you harder than the others. His drills scraped against your limits, forged new ones. If it wasn’t ODM training, it was labor—hauling gear, lifting crates, brushing down horses like it was a form of penance.

The work was exhausting—so unlike the kind you were used to. In your world, you fought monsters, saved lives, played the part of a hero. But when the dust settled, you always went home to your apartment, took a hot shower, maybe ordered takeout, and did your own thing. Here, there was no such luxury. 

The work was constant, physical, and unrelenting. And yet… you were starting to realize you didn’t mind it. There was a quiet sense of relief in the people around you, like your presence made things just a little easier. And Levi—he didn’t just trust your strength. He expected it. That simple, unwavering belief in what you could handle made you want to rise to it even more.

One day, he personally showed you the Scout Regiment’s salute. 

“It’s not hard,” he said, voice flat. “Even a kid could do it.”

You raised your fist to your chest, trying to steady your voice. “Shinzō o Sasageyo.”

He gave you a look—sharp, unimpressed. “Louder.”

You swallowed and said it again, this time louder, the words scraping out of your throat. A chill crept over your skin. You’d said it before, back in your world, half-laughing in front of a screen. But here, with Levi watching and silence pressing in around you, it didn’t feel like a catchphrase. It felt like a vow.

-

Hange, of course, was relentless in other ways.

She poked and prodded you for details—about your powers, your past, your world. It was her idea to let you dig through the library.

You’d hoped for answers.

You found myths instead—old tales of kings and creatures, of things that lived beneath the skin of the earth. But nothing about how you’d fallen here. Or how to get back.

Still, you kept searching.

When Erwin and Levi left for Wall Rose, you found yourself standing at the edge of the forest for a long time, eyes tracing the treetops. If there was a way home, it might be hidden in places like that.

But you didn’t go.

Your thoughts drifted to the barracks. The clang of dishes in the mess hall. Hange’s questions. Eren’s brooding silence. Levi’s stare, sharp and unreadable.

Maybe this place wasn’t home.

But it was something.

-

It was evening. You’d just come from the showers, hair damp, skin warm, the soft cotton of your sleeping shirt clinging lightly to your frame. You had barely settled when the knock came.

A pause. Then a voice: “Commander Erwin requests you in his office.”

You blinked. “Now?”

“Says it won’t take long.”

You didn’t have time to change — just threw on a jacket and stepped into your boots. The stone floors were cold under your feet as you made your way through the halls, heart beating a little faster than usual.

Erwin’s office was dimly lit, the last of the sunlight barely touching the window. He looked up when you entered, and for just a split second — barely more than a flicker — his gaze shifted.

You saw it. A slight lift of his brows. The briefest tightening of his jaw.

You were still in your sleep clothes.

He stood, smoothing his coat with a hand, and cleared his throat. “Apologies. I didn’t realize you already changed for the night.”

His voice remained even, but his eyes shifted politely away, careful not to linger. Respectful. Professional. But human, too.

“It’s fine,” you murmured, pulling your jacket tighter. “What’s going on?”

He didn’t sit, and neither did you. The air felt heavier now.

“We move beyond the walls at dawn,” he said. “You’ll be assisting in the capture of two Titans.”

Your brows drew together. “Alive?”

“Hange believes there’s more to learn from them than we understand. She wants them observed.”

You didn’t respond right away. You didn’t have to. The names fell into your mind like a stone in still water.

Sonny. Bean.

You inhaled slowly. “That won’t be easy.”

“That’s why you’re here.”

There was no malice in the words. Just certainty. But the weight of them pressed down hard. They reminded you that you were here to be used.

Something in your face must’ve changed — just for a second — because Erwin’s expression shifted too. Softer. Less guarded.

“I don’t take your involvement lightly,” he said after a pause. “But this could change everything. You’re not here by accident.”

It wasn’t comfort, not really. But it was something.

He glanced at the papers again. “You’re dismissed.”

You nodded, more quietly this time. “Understood.”

You left the room. The hall outside was still, quieter than usual. Everyone else already knew. Everyone else was preparing.

Now, so were you.

-

The air was cold and thin, the kind that bit through your cloak and settled in your lungs. Beneath you, the horse shifted anxiously, its muscles twitching with barely-contained energy. You reached forward, brushing a hand along its sturdy neck in an effort to calm it—though you weren’t sure if it was the horse’s nerves or your own you were trying to settle.

Around you, tension hung heavy in the air. The soldiers lined up at the gates stole quiet glances your way, eyes full of questions they didn’t dare speak aloud. Would you save them, if it came to that? Could you?

You ignored the weight creeping onto your shoulders and focused ahead. Sixteen people. You counted.

Your gaze swept over the group, and you spotted Eren, Mikasa, and Armin in the crowd. A part of you wanted to approach—this was your first expedition, after all—but you stayed put. Not yet.

Civilians had gathered near the gates, murmuring their silent hopes that everyone would return alive. When the signal was given and the gates groaned open, you rode hard with the rest, hooves thundering against earth.

Erwin led the formation with calm authority, Levi and Hange flanking him with practiced ease. The mission: just outside Wall Rose. When you arrived, a swarm of Titans clawed uselessly at the wall's surface, unable to climb. The group diverted into a nearby forest to regroup under cover.

Erwin’s voice cut through the rustling leaves. “There are eight Titans nearby. We only need two secured.”

“Short blondie and tall brunette are mine!” Hange called out, practically vibrating with excitement.

Then Erwin turned to you, expression firm. “Eliminate as many as you can.”

You nodded, your chest tightening.

When the order came, you launched into the air without hesitation. The wind tore past your face as you shot through the trees, scouting for the closest target. You marked the ones Hange needed and went for the others. One spotted you—a lumbering mass of muscle and teeth. You barreled toward it, caught a fistful of its hair, and yanked. The crack of its neck echoed like a gunshot as its head snapped back.

Below, Eren and Connie took out the legs of a second Titan. As it collapsed, you landed hard on its skull, burying it beneath your boots with a sickening crunch.

You didn’t stop moving. You couldn’t. In a blur, you leapt again—and spotted a Titan closing in on a group of new recruits. You caught her by the wrist mid-swing, twisted her arm and slammed it against her own head, and sent her crashing into the dirt.

Three left.

You caught a glimpse of Levi’s squad restraining Hange’s chosen Titans—tight ropes, swift precision, no wasted motion.

Then you heard it—a scream. You twisted mid-air and saw a ginger-haired scout being lowered toward a Titan’s waiting jaws. You surged down, grabbed her by the collar, and yanked her out of its grip. The Titan’s fingers crunched in your hand as you broke them on instinct.

You set the scout behind a tree and turned back, slamming your heel through the side of the Titan’s skull.

The last two Titans didn’t stand a chance. Mikasa and Jean cornered one, slicing deep and clean. The other fell to coordinated strikes from a flanking team led by Eld.

It was done.

“Excellent work,” Erwin said as you rejoined the group.

You looked down at yourself, noting the dark blood streaked across your arms and chest. “I need a bath.”

Hange cackled. “You can soak for hours when we get back.”

Levi wrinkled his nose. “You smell worse than the stables.”

You gave him a look right back. “And yet, you’re still standing next to me. Must be my charm.”

He scoffed. “More like my bad luck.”

With the sun beginning to set and your shadows stretching long, you turned your horses around and rode back toward headquarters—bloodied, battered, but alive.

-

The courtyard pulsed with laughter and clinking mugs—an echo of rare relief. For once, no one was missing. No names to mourn. Just a quiet victory under the stars.

You leaned against the stone railing, watching Sasha inhale food like she hadn’t eaten in days—chicken in both hands, face smeared with grease and joy.

Connie pointed at her with a grin. “I swear, she fights harder for food than she does against Titans.”

“She’s got her priorities straight,” you said, grinning.

Jean swaggered over with a drink in hand, his cheeks flushed just enough to give him away. “So… noticed something interesting tonight.”

“Oh?” you asked, sipping from your cup.

He tilted his head toward a quiet corner. “Captain Clean Freak hasn’t looked anywhere but your direction since we got here.”

You followed his gaze—and sure enough, Levi stood near Hange and Erwin, arms crossed, eyes settled on you. When your gaze met his, he gave a tiny nod. Then he turned back to answer something Hange said.

Warmth bloomed in your chest, and you tried to tamp it down with a shrug. “Pretty sure he’s just checking if I still smell like Titan guts.”

“Oh, you definitely did,” Connie added, grimacing. “It was awful.”

Jean chuckled, shaking his head. Then he looked at you more seriously. “For real, though. It’s good having you around. Makes the rest of us feel like we’ve got a fighting chance.”

You swallowed past the sudden lump in your throat. That quiet, gnawing doubt—would it always be enough?

“I’m just glad I can help,” you said, voice soft.

Your eyes drifted across the courtyard, catching on the ginger-haired scout you’d saved earlier. She was laughing now—shoulders relaxed, cheeks flushed, alive.

Just before the celebration began, she had approached you, her eyes wide with emotion. “You saved my life,” she’d said, voice trembling slightly. “Thank you. I’m Mina, by the way.”

You’d given her your name in return, a quiet exchange between two people still reeling from the weight of survival. She’d smiled then—soft, shaken, but real—before slipping off to join the others.

Then your eyes found Eren and Mikasa, standing a little apart from the crowd, speaking in low voices. There was a gentleness between them—a flicker of something that hadn’t yet been hardened by war. You watched them for a moment longer than you meant to.

That little cabin in the woods came to mind. The one Eren dreamed of. A future stolen before it ever had the chance to bloom.

Was that why you were here?

To help them reach it this time?

To change something that wasn’t meant to be changed?

You didn’t know. But as the firelight flickered and laughter surrounded you, a quiet hope stirred in your chest.

Maybe, just maybe, this time it could end differently.

[lovemyage-blog]

Saturday was finally the day that did it. We always knew that he would be taken down, not by force, or even the legal system, but by ridicule.

By laughter over his own well-deserved karma.

Oh, the propaganda machine is still going on, full blast on all fronts, and the Faithful are still preaching frantically to their choirs, and our MAGA relatives still going lalalalalala with their fingers in their ears.

But it's over.

It is one thing to rally behind a martyr or a fallen hero. But it's hard to rally benind an assho!e without looking like one yourself.

He wanted riots. He got, by valid estimates, WELL over 10 million good-hearted people engaging in peaceful protests throughout the country.

He wanted a blowout birthday celebration. He got empty streets and empty seats in DC.

And he wanted a military parade that would showcase HIM as the Master of the Universe. Instead, he got a middle finger from the US Military, who has had enough of him. Of his third-rate FOX appointee. Of his DEI guttings. Of his demeaning recycled Rally speeches. Of his ridiculous conflicting orders.

Of his public remarks calling them suckers and losers, and saying he prefers heroes that WEREN'T captured. And that HIS Presidential medal was as good as a Congressional Medal of Honor, and even better, because HIS recipients didn't get "shot up". And saying to a Gold Star father at Arlington "I don't get it. What was in it for THEM?"

And most of all, his attempts to USE them as his goons. As his personal mafia hit squad. On our own soil. Against our own people.

He stood there, looking like a 13 year old cadet as he saluted. He couldn't have looked more ridiculous if he and worn his marching band-style costume uniform with the gold braid and the big hat with the feather, and the silly sword at his side.

Instead, he stood there fully revealed as the Emperor with No Clothes. Which he has been all along. A cheat. A flim-flam man. A petulant child.

We have ALL seen that. The entire WORLD sees that.

And it no longer MATTERS if MAGA sees it, too.

And that is because WE saw OURSELVES this weekend. We are not the SILENT majority any more. We are strong, we are committed, and we are on our feet, and saying with one voice, "ENOUGH".

WE, The People, have had ENOUGH.

[spindle-girl]

Shadow 5.y

Before the fire, earlier during the raid, the first dream, Rain vs Snag, and then [REDACTED]

The food helped in the early weeks, but what really ended up mattering most was having the right mindset.  When the end of the world actually came it was a pretty heavy emotional blow.” “Yeah,” the guy said. “The people who seemed to do best weren’t always the preppers.  It was the people who could get back up after being hit that hard, and the ones with an idea of what to do when they’d been left with nothing.  It was better to have the right skills than the right things.  Having drive.

this feels like a commentary on parahumans, but i'm too tired to say on what precisely. something to look back on when i'm more awake

Jonathan bit his tongue.  He was tempted to offer more, but he couldn’t.  As it was, he’d barely make back the money selling the figure, if he made any at all.  He needed to eat and pay for the store space. ... “If you give it to me, and if I sell it, I’ll get the contact information from the buyer. Somewhere down the line, if you want, you can talk to me, I can give you that information. Maybe you can track it down and offer them enough to buy it back. That’s the best I can do.”

d'aw, Snag's being nice

And the Fallen kid -the fucking kid with the demon mask- went from railing uselessly against the walls of his cage to taunting Jonathan and the others.

ngl, it feels cheap to have the insults narrated to us again instead of having them on the page

She’d broken.  That she’d broken to the degree she had scared Jonathan, because he wasn’t sure how intact he was. He might lose it entirely if every night was like this.  This was only the second.

i was about to say, Snag and Cradle seemed remarkably calm* all things considered. maybe it was just trying to limit the noise

* calm in the sense that this kid ruined his life and it took three times of said kid ignoring him to raise his voice

His mover power let him treat any direction as down, with some nuance when it came to propelling himself forward.  He used it to ‘fall’ up to the top of a Fallen home.  His combat boots had enough gravel on them to crunch against the overlapping wooden slats.

i've always wanted a superpower like this, although i imagined it more as a pair of gravity boots kind of thing

“Blame her,” Imp said, indicating Bitch.  Bitch pushed her. “Protecting our asses,” Bitch said.  “Some might be in the building, and if we don’t check it’s clear, they’ll attack us from behind, whichever group we go after.”

awwww. Bitch is willing to explain

In another way, he hated it.  He hated what it represented.  That he had once had a tie to his brother, and he’d lost that family connection when, as he communicated with his brother on the phone over hours, the line had suddenly gone dead.  It had been by word of mouth, days later, that he’d heard New York had been hit.  Struck by a sweep of golden light.

oof. that just sucks

And the ashes, the memories, they had been stomped on, repeatedly, night after night, mixed with the memories of others, drowned out by a select set of events that were replayed ad nauseum.

it really does not seem like you need the bleed through to change Snag and Love Lost as people

“Yeah.  I know her,” Foil said.  “She’s been after me since… forever ago.  She turned up in Brockton Bay twice, after the portal, before the end of the world.  She kidnapped Parian once.” “She wanted to recruit me, months ago.” “She collects multi-triggers,” Parian said.

i forget, is this new information or did it get brought up after the timeskip?

Everything had gone still and quiet as the small band of heroes, March, and March’s coterie approached from the settlement.  The Undersiders were circling around to talk to the heroes that had cut off the Fallen’s retreat, Foil’s old teammates included, and the battle lines held. March saw him, then saluted.

very funny image of all these groups together. reminds me of the arc 29 squad Taylor set up. what worm arc 5 could have been if they fought the nazis instead

Snag pulled his attention away from Nursery and the likely Fallen boy and the heroes he’d inserted himself in.

love the phrasing here. the word inserted makes it feel like Snag wouldn't believe the heroes would help Rain if they knew what he had been about

He made eye contact with Secondhand, and Secondhand looked alarmed.  A moment later, the man disappeared.

lol, didn't know a thing but still managed to get the speedrunners to start the betrayal

“Why!?” Snag roared. “Someone’s gotta represent the fourth,” Secondhand’s voice could be heard from the crowd.  Everything was dissolving into chaos. The fourth. The fourth Endbringer.  Khonsu.  A time manipulator and teleporter. They were Fallen?  Had they been all along?

that's gotta suck for Snag and co

“The only words I’ve spoken in the last six months have been pleas for mercy and cooperation,” the boy said.  “Innocents- the innocents fighting back there, they don’t deserve that.”

pressing pause on Snag about to target innocents--

He grabbed the boy around the head with his arm, felt two hands grip his arm, and with a wrench, tore the arm clean off.

RAIN WAS TAUNTING THEM FOR SIX MONTHS??? the mall was a year ago, so. jeez. seriously, they do not need a shard pulling at their emotions. no fucking wonder they want to kill him

...maybe what's happening next is making me more against Rain. technically he could have stopped and been silent for most of that time after getting the initial insults out of the way

and Rain claimed he had a weak power

...

gonna be honest, took me reading the next paragraph to realize this is about Snag's gauntlet, not his actual arm, but the point stands i think since it's implied if Rain had hit Snag actual arm it would be just as easy

“I’m going to put the Fallen shit- unh.  Behind me.  I’m going to build something.  If you’d just… Let me!”

saving this for later

Help.  He’d get help.  He turned- He felt the impact of the silver blade.  A line marked his body. Two more lines appeared, as the boy struck him. “Either let me help… or get no help at all,” the boy said.

i'll be 100% honest with y'all, it's hard to root for Rain with this line of thought. Snag was literally turning to run and get help with his injuries

“You could let me go,” Snag said.  “If you had any mercy in you at all.” “If I let you go, you’ll come after me again.” “Yes,” Snag said. He felt the faint tingle of the lines start to fade.  The boy hit him again.  Two more.  One at the neck. “No,” the boy said.

it's going to be really funny to see Rain calling himself a hero after this

She spoke, her voice disused and broken by a throat raw from screaming, “Rest, Jonathan.” He opened his mouth to reply, but he knew it would be useless. “We’ll get your revenge,” she said. “No,” Jonathan said.  “It makes us into monsters.”

shard influence yeah yeah, conflict drive yeah. i guess Snag is trapped in cape hell now, unable to talk to anyone and forever in the dream world. i wonder when his shard's going to make him start to feel the pain from the wounds. does it have to become part of his identity like the rasp in his throat? he remarked how that hurt while in the dream world, so i imagine the wounds are going to start hurting too eventually too

With that knowledge, he slipped into dreams of a different sort, knowing that even if they paused or were broken up by visits to the room, there would never be an end to them.

i cannot imagine after the whole rigamarole their shard is putting them through with this emotion-bleeding effect that this will be in any way pleasant for Snag

End Notes:

i really thought this was going to be a case of Snag constantly chasing Rain until he splintered, but Snag ended up turning away to fight another day and Rain ended up stopping him from running to avoid being chased in the future sure is something. straight up killed the dude and unknowingly sentenced him to shard hell

like yeah, Snag was going to keep chasing him and he just showed a willingness to go after innocents, so i do understand it, but uh... i don't think Rain gets to call himself a hero after this

i'm pretty sure the thing in the fifth room is just their shard avatar thing that crushed that one cape

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Bill Day, Florida Politics

+

𝔗𝔯𝔲𝔱𝔥 𝔐𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔰 :: @politicsusa46

I am incandescent with rage right now. I feel sick to the stomach. A US Vice President stood today on the soil of where so many Americans gave their lives to defeat fascism in Europe. He delivered a disgraceful speech that spat on their graves. Not that we should expect any different, given his boss skipped visiting the graves of fallen Americans in Europe for fear of getting his hair wet. The same man who called the same fallen heroes suckers and losers.

As a Brit that loves America and the American people, I am deeply disturbed at the insults delivered by a man who once described Donald Trump as an “idiot" and said he was "reprehensible." Privately, comparing him to Adolf Hitler. How times have changed. Vance is now part of the most authoritarian administration in American history. An administration actively seeking to deny bodily autonomy to women. An administration pursuing the same mass deportation of immigrants that Europe witnessed in 1930s Germany. Vance is a man that his own president doesn’t even see as his successor. He came to Europe to vomit his Christo-fascist bile on leaders from the UK and across Europe, in what appears to be a retribution tour designed to assert American power.

The U.S. are to my knowledge the only NATO country to have invoked Article 5 of the NATO charter after 9/11. We, his European allies, met that call with no questions asked. We sent thousands of soldiers to the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to fight a war on the false premise of Donald Rumsfeld’s ‘known unknowns’. We did this despite millions of our own citizens protesting in the streets of our cities. Our military stood shoulder to shoulder with his military and we, like many Americans, stood to salute our fallen young men and women returning home day after day. I have tears in my eyes as I write this, thinking of them and their loved ones. Our brave men and women willingly gave their all and far too many made the ultimate sacrifice in support of an American led war. For the record, 6000 Ukrainian solders server alongside American soldiers in Iraq. This, despite Ukraine not being a member of NATO. In 1994 upon signing the Budapest Memorandum they gave up their nuclear weapons in return for security assurances from the US and the UK. These were then reneged upon in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea. They were told ‘An assurance is not a guarantee’.

Now, despite their friendship and their brave sacrifice on the battlefields of Ukraine, the President of the United States has decided to abandon them and hand a victory to an indicted war criminal, who illegally invaded the sovereign territory of a US ally. An ally who’s soldiers had previously lost their lives supporting America in its war on terror.

SHAME ON HIM. Shame on the man who dodged the draft and never served a day in defense of his nation. He is a coward and I would gladly call him that to his face. To all those Americans on social media currently posting vile insults to those who have always been there for America, I say, democracy is bigger than you, as you sit anonymously behind your phones posting poison.

America might have the most powerful army on the planet, but remember, that same army fled from Saigon after being handed their ass by a bunch of peasant rice farmers, armed with grenades made from discarded US coke cans. Ukraine have been to the Russian army what the Vietnamese were to you and we salute them. You might want to throw Ukraine under the bus while stealing their mineral deposits, BUT EUROPE WILL NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. I know for sure that the UK will not abandon the Ukrainian people. Our aid to GDP contribution already exceeds that of the US as does Poland, Germany Finland and others. The U.S. is no longer a reliable ally and if need be, we will stand with Ukraine without America. As for your pathetic tariffs, do your worst. You will soon have no friends but thugs and autocrats, so I’m sure Wun Dum Fuc will be right at home.

[drearymondays-05]

Drunken Confessions

Jily Week August Day 3: In Vino Veritas

@sunshinemarauder and @kay-elle-cee

The house remained standing in an isolated area, somewhere near the fringe of the forest. It built up the mystery and allure of that singular building which appeared to be deserted. If any person were to try and open the locked gate, it would not open up. The gate was resistant to even some of the most advanced magic. Only a handful of people knew the way in. The atmosphere inside the house was in stark contrast to the outside. Loud music, tabletops filled with foods and drinks and the merry laughter of people brought into life the worn-out walls and clipped wallpapers. Some people were drunk, some lost in thoughts.

James continued his perusal of people till he caught a corner filled with his heart. Sirius and Remus were up to their debates, Peter was looking morosely into a tumbler and Lily was about to fall if her slipping away from the sofa was any indication. He made his way to them leisurely. He was bone-tired after patrolling the entire day at the Department of Mysteries as Dumbledore had asked of him, and then there was the altercation with a small group of Death eaters. This made him late to the party at the Order safehouse.

“There comes our hero of the day”, Sirius announced when he reached there. James sent him a mock salute and proceeded to make himself comfortable. Remus started asking him about the fight. Just as he was talking with Remus, he saw Lily had fallen asleep. “She started getting drunk as she waited on you. She was worried about you,”, Sirius replied when he saw James looking at Lily. James felt a spark of hope and quashed it immediately. Of course, she was worried about him. He was her friend after all. How long till he realized that it was all he would ever be?

Once upon a time however she was his girlfriend. Few months after the beginning of their seventh year in Hogwarts, they had started dating. For James, it was a dream come true moment after fancying Lily for a really long time. He felt like winning all the Quidditch trophies at once, flying high and soaring in the air. All the things in the world could still not compete with the giddiness he felt while dating Lily.

He just did not know that those days were numbered. He could still clearly remember the doomsday. It was a Hogsmeade Saturday when the first attack near Hogwarts took place. The chaos, screams of pure agony, terror in little eyes, and weight of responsibility on his shoulders were new to him that day. He saw how ugly war could be from closer quarters. It strengthened his resolve to take the final step in their relationship by saying ‘I love you’ to Lily. He could not pretend to not love her anymore. He loved her, irreparably and irrevocably. He loved her when her green eyes would search for him across the room and smile that pretty smile of hers just for him, when she would visibly light up in his presence, when she absentmindedly ran her fingers across his palm and all the moments within and in between.

When they met after a bit of calm in the castle from the attack, Lily seemed tensed almost. He saw determination fill her as she took sure steps towards him. “We should not be together anymore”, she had said. James had felt his heart stop with those words. “This is not the time to be dating when muggle-borns around us are dying. I should have been working harder towards stopping this fight not frolicking around as if the world around is roses and sunshine. I need to do more James. I am, I am sorry I cannot continue this with you. Don’t ask me of it.”

James had not. He could not find it in himself to convince Lily to not stop living her life because of all the shit going around. He knew the impact the attack had on her. He saw the fire and thirst in her eyes to actually do something. He did not want to take that away from her. Most of all he understood she needed to fight the war on the frontlines till her need for vengeance and justice was quenched. And also, that she would feel guilty about her cause if she rather spent time with him. And James had wanted to be many things but never a page in Lily Evans’s regret diary.

Sirius had given him serious flak over the stupidity of their break up and that he should have said something. But he could not explain to Sirius that during his time with Lily he saw things he never knew of. The difficulties of just surviving as a muggle-born in their world, the smaller things, the covert judgements daily, snide remarks and the alert even an accomplished witch like Lily had to be in. So, a muggle-born fighting the war was a powerful statement to the world that they could fight their own battles and need not rely on others for it.

So, he had kept quiet and just nodded that day. His ‘I love you’ had died a swift death before even getting its voice. He had sworn Lily that they would always remain friends.

If that wasn’t the most difficult promise, he had made someone! Being Lily’s friend tested his self-control at times. Times when he wanted to kiss Lily with desperate abandon after she returned from Order missions, times when he wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go. It became increasingly difficult to keep his feelings at bay. He just wished Lily would sooner realize that falling in love during this time was not a crime.

Back to the party, James sighed and asked his friends to turn up for the night. He carried Lily up the stairs to the bunk. Once he had tucked her in, he tried getting away but a hand snaked around his wrist. As he turned, he saw Lily smiling at him dreamily. “Lils……” he tried saying but Lily sat up and put a finger on his lips. Merlin save him, that simple touch set his heart racing. “Hey, James!” “Hi”, he managed to say. Lily then went on to do a thorough survey of his face. When she returned to look back into his eyes, she panicked, “Are you hurt? Christ, why do you have to always play the hero? Did something happen?” James managed to soothe her down while murmuring, “Look who is talking.” She evidently paid that no mind as she took his hands in hers, “I am an idiot.”

She started talking to herself, “What did I even gain by pushing you away? It was so stupid. The war is still going on….. Why did I ruin the best thing that happened to me? Stupid, stupid, stupid. …………..” Then her mumble turned her incoherent. James on the other hand was undergoing a kaleidoscope of emotions as she went on. Sorrow, grief then sudden delight, and bliss were all warring inside him. Amusement took the prize whatsoever. Drunk Lily was adorable.

All of a sudden, Lily turned her ire on James, “You knew that, didn’t you? You could have stopped me from breaking up. Why didn’t you?” She pointed her accusatory fingers towards him. “Do you not fancy me anymore?”, she lamented. The corners of his lips turned up into a smile.

She was turning sleepy. He pressed her into the bed and said, “Sleep sweetheart. We will talk tomorrow.” She went to sleep obediently but asked before closing her eyes, “What if I forget?” “I will remind you”, James promised and pressed his lips to Lily’s forehead.

This time he planned on freaking following through on that promise.

[enchanting-raptor]

Bungou Stray Dogs Poems. I'ma chuuin.

CHUUYA POEM.

Worms Upon The Sorrow

Wriggling inside your mind,

Worms upon the sorrow.

Spoiled sorrow, rotten till morrow.

Eating away slowly,

Cookiecutter bites along the hippocampus.

Turns to ash and turns to dust,

Sorrow, sorrow, grieving some tainted wanderlust.

Wrap it up in crystal shards and morning dew,

Light and soft and delicate,

Stabbing sharpness of the pain’s puppet.

Maggots, maggots, love you so,

Feeding them life, salutations to their yearn.

In your body and your pain they’ll learn.

Disgusting, dirty, nasty fly,

There’s never a close to your thousand eyes.

Laying sorrow, nest in the amygdala,

Wriggling again.

An ever cycle, worms upon the sorrow.

Tainted, corrupted, spoiled rotten.

Eating away the hippocampus.

“What is the appeal of my head?”

It’s like a soft, warm, wonderful bed.

“What makes you want to stay?”

You’ll always make room, especially in your grave.

I've been searching for a while.

Your brain is a lovely place.

Thalamus, thalamus,

Wherever did you go?

I fear the soiled sorrow eats my mind away.

Cerebellum, cerebellum,

Where do you lie?

With the worms upon the sorrow?

They ate your head, and now,

They'll eat your body too.

Too far deep to defend yourself,

In the dirt.

Little fly fallen from the sky,

Look up and see the ugliness.

Worms upon the sorrow.

ODA POEM.

Silent Scarlet Sky

Mind me not, I strive for a quiet life.

Miss me not, this is no tragedy.

Forget me not, or forget me so.

It wouldn’t hurt me, neither in will nor wo.

A poet’s dream,

Unheard and unseen.

But felt, I’d say?

Indeed, in a thousand different ways.

Stop breaking your soft jewel heart,

It’s too precious to be torn apart.

Don't weep for me,

It won't do me good.

Rather, live the life that we wished we could.

AKUTAGAWA POEM.

Shatter

A heart like a shattered vase on the floor.

You hung these shards in the air.

From all angles but one, it looks as if it was perfect again.

I saw that angle.

And I never unsaw it.

Deny the love in yourself, but I believe in it.

I go hunting for it, night and day.

And one day, I'll grow a garden in the river of the tears you've shed.

And your pain will bring these flowers new life.

Then, it'll all feel worth it.

I know that. Because…

That angle betrayed a golden ray of light…

You want to be the hero, you always have.

And in another world?

You are.

The end.

[christian-oc-tournament]

Propaganda for Joy O'Connor!

Joy is an inquisitive lady, and sometimes, people wonder if she's grown up under a rock. She seems to know next to nothing about how the world works - and wants to learn it ALL! So she asks a lot of weird questions and gets really excited about mundane things, kind of like an overgrown toddler. Her husband Zac has his work cut out for him, trying to keep up with her curiosity!

To most people, Joy appears to be a hunchback, and nobody really understand why she doesn't know so much - she can't even read! But that's because she's actually from another world, and isn't even human. She's got a lot of secrets, including what's under that hump on her back....

She was raised in the other world, under the name Aileev tiz Lucard. She has powers - similar to a firebender from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and she's actually got a pair of wings folded up under her shirt. She loves being able to get out of the public eye and stretch those things out!

Above: Joy's Childhood (Joy is at the top right.)

Zac was magically and mysteriously transported to Aileev's world one day, and was trapped there for several years. She and her people took him under their wings, helped him survive, and eventually were able to salute him as a hero. Then, he finally found a way to come back to Earth... but by then they'd fallen in love. So Aileev made a tough decision, and decided to be brave and go with Zac. They got married, and she changed her name to Joy, which is what her name translated to in English.

.

[musical-chan]

For the ask game, Shadow of the Deity? :3

I'm editing the next chapter of this! There's a few sections I'm having some troubles with but I hope to have it done soon!

Nocturne jumped from Luna's back, sword already in hand and armor gleaming in the sunset, landing somehow both light and heavy on the ground in front of Time.  Silence crushed in on the hero's ears and they tilted backwards almost of their own accord.  This was what he had looked like every time he put the mask on, save only that the long, teal hat seemed to be missing.  This was what he had been, the presence he had inflicted on others as he cut down enemies like they were nothing.  Majora had fallen to this, as had so many other enemies he had gone up against.  For the first time ever, he got to see the full power of the Fierce Deity on display instead of wielding it himself.  The god grinned, a feral smile full of the promise of blood, then turned and swung his sword at an approaching lizalfos, decapitating it easily.  A shout from the other side of the battlefield pulled the god's attention away from Time and he saluted easily at Oceanis and Link, then turned and stalked towards his next target.

[iamvegorott]

Ink Month 2024 Day 2

Sleep Deprivation - Marvelsepticeye

Marvin hummed in thought when he peeked into Jackie’s room but didn’t see him there. He could have sworn he heard him come home earlier. Had he been mistaken? 

“Have you seen Jackie?” Marvin asked Chase when they crossed paths in the hallway. 

“I thought he was still on his patrol?” Chase asked back.

“I thought I heard him come in.”

“There’s always some noise happening in this place. But if Jackie's back, he's only got so many places to hide.” 

“That’s fair.” Marvin clicked his tongue. “If he’s not back yet, I’m hunting down.” 

“I’d gladly join you if you do.” Chase gave a little two-finger salute to Marvin as he walked off, seeing Henrik at the end of the hall. Marvin waved to the other Septiceyes and went in the other direction. 

“Not in his room, I just came from my own…” Marvin said his listing out loud, going into the kitchen next. “Not getting a snack.” He continued and went to the living room. “Found him.”

Jackie was sitting on the couch, his elbow lying across the back of it, propping his head up. His mask sat beside him, and his phone was on the floor. The other hand showed that it had fallen out of it. He was fast asleep, and it likely happened while sending a text. 

Marvin slowly went to Jackie, crouching and running a hand through his messy hair, noting that he needed a haircut. The poor hero had been working beyond overtime lately, and the dark bags under his eyes hinted at how little sleep he had been getting. 

“Oh, Jackie.” Marvin sighed, hand moving to cup Jackie’s face, thumb rubbing his cheek. “Your heart is just too big for you.” 

“Huh?” Jackie's eyes fluttered as he started straightening up. “Wha-Where?” He blinked a few times, looking around, and eventually, his sight focused on Marvin. “Hey, babe, what’s up?” 

“You fell asleep on the couch. You should go to bed” 

“Nah, nah, I have stuff to do.”  

“No, you don’t.” Marvin placed his hands on Jackie’s shoulders, preventing him from getting up yet. “When was the last time you got some proper sleep?”

“I…um…” Jackie chewed his lip, unable to come up with anything since he couldn’t lie to Marvin.

“We’re going to bed.”

“We?”

“Yes, we. I’m tucking you into bed and laying on top of you so you can’t leave.” Marvin tugged on Jackie’s hoodie and made him stand up.

“But it’s really early.” Jackie’s protest was weak as he walked with Marvin to his bedroom. 

“I’ll grab one of my books. But you need to relax and catch up on the sleep you’ve been neglecting.” Marvin was now tugging on the hoodie to get it off Jackie’s body, taking his shirt along with it. “Shoes.” He instructed while he took care of his own.

“I’m not getting a choice, am I?” Jackie chuckled, kicking his shoes off. 

“Not at all,” Marvin stated, changing into some more sleep-appropriate clothing. Jackie was now just in his sweatpants, so he was fine. “In the bed.” He pointed with one hand while the other glowed with a green hue, using magic to make a book float over and rest on the bedside table. 

“Is there any way I could talk myself out of this?” Jackie joked with a weak grin.

“Jackieboyman, get in that bed and lay down.” Marvin’s ‘stern voice’ was exaggerated, and he had a hint of a smile. 

“Okay, okay, yes, sir.” Jackie laughed and crawled into the bed. 

“That’s what I thought.” Marvin playfully huffed, grabbing the TV remote before getting into the bed as well. “I give you until the intro to the show is over before you’re out cold.” He gave Jackie the remote and got himself comfortable. With a satisfied sigh, Marvin laid on his back, at a bit of an angle to tuck himself against Jackie’s side, resting his head on his chest, and then, with the snap of his fingers, his book appeared in his hands. 

“I’d give me at least an episode. I feel awake now.” Jackie pressed play and set the remote aside. 

“Five minutes at most.” Marvin smiled and decided to watch some of the show with Jackie. 

And as if Marvin could predict the future, Jackie was lightly snoring by the time the show’s intro finished. 

“Told you.” Marvin sang to himself, smiling as he opened his book and began to read. 

[lilpotatjj]

WATTPAD:

AN: This chapter contains death, and is the start of a bigger chapter. enjoy <3

Congratulation...Captain?

Chapter 8

"Are you ready for the funeral, Captain?" asks Maya, standing quietly in the doorway. Black is the color that is omnipresent, just not in the 19 itself. Everyone is dressed in mourning clothes. Andy turns to Maya and nods without saying a word.....

FLASHBACK

You'd think a movie was being filmed here at the sight of the 19. Andy is struck by lightning and without thinking or any protective clothing she wants to run off and smother the fire with her own hands. "Andy! No!" Vic and Travis struggle to hold Andy down. "NO! We have to put it out, it's my home, my father's home!" distraught with tears in her eyes, she watches the station burn to the ground.

"Andy we have to find a safe place!" Andy is numb, as if nothing exists around her, nothing but her and the burning station. With great effort, they drag Andy away and finally find safe shelter just before a huge tornado sweeps through the city. You yourself have also made it to safety, along with a few other strangers, neighbors and firefighters from other stations.

Andy sat curled up in one of the shelters, completely absent-minded and in shock. It was hours before the storm finally passed. The silence is so intense and weighs so heavily.

"what the...." Warren looks shocked. "who.... who did this? one of our people?" Warren and the others gradually gather in front of the 19 floor. A sad picture stretches out, but it is not completely destroyed. Someone has contained the fire and prevented the entire 19 from burning down. Andy goes closer and looks around. Almost the entire barn and the vehicles inside have burned down, but the rest has been spared by both the fire and the storm. Travis and the others look around cautiously. Andy is relieved that only the barn has been hit, but it still hurts to look at it. You join them and can't believe what you see. "Andy!" you run to her and you both start to cry, more with relief than with horror at the recent events.

"Travis? Travis, what is it?" Vic comes to him and sees his silent and empty look. "What..." Vic stops in all her movements as she also turns her gaze in the same direction Travis is looking. " oh my god..." Andy, you and the others come to see what's going on and pause as they realize who is lying there. Heavily burned, you can barely read the name written on the jacket. Vic falls to her knees and Travis hides his face under his hand as he bends down to Vic and tries to comfort her.

FLASHBACK END

Everyone is lined up in several rows, salutes, and lets the preacher speak his phases. Andy at the front as the stations captain senses everyone's tension and holds the firefighter's helmet with the name Ruiz firmly in her hands. She finally places it on his coffin and salutes him with a strength that could weather any storm. A brother has fallen, made it his mission to save his own station and had to pay for it with his own life.

It is quiet even after the funeral service. Andy is the only one who remains at his grave and pauses. You stand close behind her, but give her space. He saved the station from burning down completely. Andy can't put into words how grateful she is and yet she is shocked at the price everyone has to pay.

"you saved my home...my father's, all of us...." She lowers her head so that her hat covers her face. "it wasn't your job...I should have done it" the tears run down her face. You come to Andy, who wipes away her tears.

"hey..." you stroke her back and she smiles tightly.

"He died a hero," Andy says and swallows. "I'll never forget him. As long as I live." You smile sympathetically and take her hand. "Come on... let's go to the others and have something to eat. The funeral feast has long since begun." The two of you head off to meet up with everyone else. Chief Ross is also there to offer her condolences. Gathered around the large, long table, it suddenly becomes very quiet as Andy stands up quietly.

"The 19 is still standing largely because we lost one of our brothers, who decided with all his efforts to save our home. A place where I owe my childhood, a place where I grew up!" Andy pauses for a moment and continues. "Ruiz was a good captain for a short time, wanted to continue to be captain and did everything he could to ensure that we were always safe. His last task was to save our home!" Andy raises her glass. "He was a hero and will always be our hero.

Everyone toasts, but the sadness is written on everyone's face.

"Andy, I will do everything necessary to ensure that the station is open again as quickly as possible," said Chief Ross as she goes to Andy, hugs her and looks at her empathetically.

"Thank you chief..." You walk over to Andy and hug her too.

"Your words were very moving," you smile at her and she simply kisses you on the mouth in front of everyone, which doesn't go unnoticed by the others.

"No more secrets"

You look at her in surprise and let your gaze wander around the group, almost all of them are looking at you with a surprised smile. Chief Ross just starts to applaud and Vic comes dancing to you. "Well at least we have something positive to celebrate today" Travis raises his glass and everyone laughs at Vic's dancing.

You both smile happily. "It will take a while until the station is ready, I'll make sure that everyone stays in other stations for the time being. But don't worry, it's only temporary" Ross said.

"Leave Y/N and I out for now" Andy says and Both you and Ross look at Andy questioningly. "We wanted to take a break anyway." Andy takes your hand. "We're flying to Puerto Rico." Everyone looks excited and Ross nods in agreement.

Just a few days after the funeral service you pack your bags. "and how long do you plan to be in Puerto Rico?" you look at Herrera questioningly. "As long as it keeps us there. the station won't be functional for another two months. Pack lots of sunscreen." Andy laughs and finishes packing everything together with you. "The trip will do us good, give us other ideas." You agree and hug Andy lovingly. "I'll go everywhere with you." Andy smiles happily for the first time in a long time and kisses you tenderly.

All packed up, you set off in the middle of the night and arrive at the airport. On the way to check in, Andy takes your hand and smiles happily at you. You feel how Andy can gradually let go.

About Robert.

About the guilty conscience of being captain and, above all....

the fear of getting involved in a relationship with you.

When you get on the plane, you buckle up, hold your hands and take a deep breath.

"Off to homeland" Andy laughs and shortly afterwards the plane rolls off, takes off and a beautiful nighttime view from above, Seattle shows all the beauty of the city. After a few hours the sun rises as you slowly reach Puerto Rico. Blue-turquoise water, palm trees and colorful houses can be seen and Andy can't help but smile broadly.

"Puerto Rico...prepárate...ya vamos!"

Be prepared! the next chap will be a long, full of fluff and also a 18+ raw smut chapter which I wil mark clearly. (if you wanna skip feel free. the 18+ isn't story relevant)