#A one-sided kid crush on Law's part is fine but at this point it makes me a little nervous every time I see it. Cora wouldn't do that.
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any opinion on dad!cora to law? love ur art btw :3
Oh! Generally I think my favorite part of their relationship is how complicated and messy and unresolved Law's devotion to Cora is and I think confining that to a strict dynamic can sell it short. He's a brother, he's a parent, he's a savior, he's Rosinante.
That said I do adore a good interpretation of Law growing to see him as a father in AUs where they have more time, but that also comes hand in hand with healing.
#my art#one piece#one piece fanart#donquixote corazon#The only interpretation I don't like is a romantic one. They're 13 and 26.#A one-sided kid crush on Law's part is fine but at this point it makes me a little nervous every time I see it. Cora wouldn't do that.#donquixote rosinante#rocinante donquixote#trafalgar d water law#law one piece
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I have been stalking your page for a bit and absolutely loved your headcanons of law and kid reaction to their crush being slapped by their bf. I was wondering if you could do that for the three admirals, Kizaru, Akainu, and Akoiji? If you don't feel comfortable doing Akainu, you can skip him, it's fine.
akainu, kizaru, aokiji when their crush argues with their boyfriend and gets slapped
TW- abuse
-akainu hates seeing you and your boyfriend fight, not so much for the “their wiwth him not me” part, it’s just that your boyfriend get’s so angry and yells at you so loudly it just pisses akainu off
-akainu saw your boyfriend raise his hand and immediately his blood was pushed past boiling point
-unfortunately he didn’t reach you in time to stop it from colliding with your face, but he did reach you in time to grab your boyfriend’s arm before he could even retract it
-akainu’s arm began to glow and your boyfriend screamed in pain as his arm melted into magma
-once your boyfriend’s arm was.. no longer an arm akainu ordered the marines to take him elsewhere
-then he led you into his office and stopped in the middle of room turning to look down at you with an unreadable expression
-”has he done that before?”
-you hesitated but nodded slowly and akainu scowled
-”he shouldn’t have- and he won’t ever again.”
-you knew what he was insinuating and honestly you were okay with it
-akainu gestured for you to come closer and he leaneded down bringing his hand up to run his fingers gently over your reddened cheek
-”sit down i’ll call someone to get some ice.”
- you say down on one of the chair before his desk and waited in an oddly comfortable silence until the ice was brought
-akainu took the ice himself and told you to “come here” gesturing to beside his chair
-you stood and went beside him, he looked at you seeming to analyze you before he warily placed the ice pack on your cheek
-you leaned against the soothing coldness and akainu easily reached to the other side of him and grabbed a stool, placing it before you so you could sit while he continued holding the melting ice for you
-he was judging, not you but your boyfriend, thinking things like how he should use that tone with you, how he shouldn’t use such exaggerated gestures
-if only the lower marines hadn’t walked in front of the scene and blocked kizaru’s view, then he would’ve been able to reach you before you got hurt
-as soon as the marines passed and he saw you holding your reddened cheek in pain, he shot up and appeared before you
-his leg shot out the moment he appeared and your boyfriend went flying back through the wall and out of the building
-marines came rushing in to the sound but kizaru announced for them to leave
-he easily scooped you into his arms and held you very carefully
-“are you okay _____?”
-you nodded slightly but the tears brewing didn’t help, kizaru wiped away one of the tears as soon as it escaped
-“oh~ don’t cry darling everything’s okay now. he’s probably drowning in the sea somewhere as we speak.”
-a giggle escaped you and kizaru smiled in return
-let’s go get some ice or something hm?”
-you nodded again and kizaru leaned down quickly to kiss your cheek before he walked forward towards the doctor
-aokiji was supposedly sleeping, his head leaning on his arms on the table, but he was actually listening to parts of your argument with your boyfriend
-he couldn’t see you though
-so only when he heard the sound of skin to skin contact and a squeak come from you, did he look up at the scene
-he instantly knew what happened and stood up walking over to you
-he placed his hand on your boyfriend snd he was quickly frozen solid under aokij’s touch
-he turned to look at you with a familiar unreadable expression
-“you okay?”
-you nodded and aokiji kept staring at he eventually yawned
-“come take a nap with me. it’ll make you feel better.”
-he didn’t let you answer before he picked you up and and walked to his office, flopping down on his cot and wrapping his arms around your waist spooning you against his chest
-“yknow I won’t be unfreezing him right?”
-you hummed and aokiji brough his hand to your cheek, it I’m was super soothing because he cooled off his hand like an ice pack
-you settled back against aokiji’s cooling chest and you felt his lips against the side of you face, you were about to ask aokiji about it but his light snores filled the room
#one piece x reader#one piece headcanons#one piece imagine#akainu x reader#akainu imagine#akainu headcanons#akainu#kizaru imagine#kizaru x reader#kizaru headcanons#kizaru#aokiji imagine#aokiji x reader#aokiji headcanons#aokiji#kuzan x reader#kuzan
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Hollow Pass (Part 1)
Summary: When the reader has to spend a day in the mines for work, she’s less than thrilled. When the miner showing her around for the day, Dean Winchester, is an ass, she’s even less thrilled. But an accident will change all of that and if they want a chance of getting out of the mess they’re in, they’ll need to put their lives in each others hands, literally...
Pairing: Miner!Dean x reader
Word Count: 4,100ish
Warnings: language, injury, frightening/claustrophobic/near death situations
A/N: Please enjoy the first of this 2 parter!
_______
You sighed as you stood in the trailer of the manager’s office, a jumpsuit and a pair of boots sat in a chair. Your boss, bless his heart, thought it was always a good idea for corporate positions to experience a day in the mines to truly understand the product and what the little guy went through on a day to day basis. The argument that you were not really corporate, not even close, seemed to go over his head.
“Y/N, you gonna change? I need my office back,” said the manager through the door. You pulled it open and pouted. “I don’t want you going down in the mines anymore than you do but if you want to make corporate, you gotta do what the CEO says.”
“Dad I don’t even want to work there. I like my simple office job.”
“Then why have you been in all those development programs at work?” he asked. You shrugged and he sighed. “Cause you can’t say no.”
“Do I have to?” you asked, looking back at the overalls.
“Do you want to quit?” he asked.
“I don’t want to lose a good paycheck. But I don’t want a corporate job either,” you said.
“Then you’re shit outta luck,” he said. “I’m gonna put you with the Winchester boy. He’s on safety checks in our most secure mines.”
“You mean the ones that never have problems.”
“Funny how that all coincidentally happened today of all days,” he said with a smile.
“Thanks dad.”
“I don’t want you going anywhere near explosives. You’ll be safe doing the checks with Dean for the day.”
“Hi, I’m Y/N,” you said twenty minutes later. The man in overalls and a hard hat rolled his eyes.
“I’m ten minutes late because of you which means I’m gonna get docked those ten minutes of pay so thank you little miss corporate.”
“I’m your boss’ daughter, jackass.”
“Still ain’t my boss,” he said. You huffed and headed over towards the mine entrance when he grabbed the back of your overalls. “No, dummy. You have zero safety gear so unless you want to die, you’re coming with me.”
“Asshole.”
“Dean Winchester at your service,” he said, dragging you over with him to some lockers. He punched a card and went to the storage racks, seemingly grabbing a few items and putting them on. He picked the hard hat off your head and grabbed one with a light and a wire attached to it, clipping it on your belt. He put something over your shoulder you put your arm through like a sling and clipped a mask onto the back of your belt, a flashlight and a small hand pickaxe going through your other loops. “Turn this lamp on anytime you’re in the mine and never, ever, take off your hat. If I yell at you or you smell something funny, get that mask on. Flashlight and the axe are backup for emergencies.”
He put a radio in your pocket and looked you over.
“Oh and for the love of God, do not wander off. I don’t care if you see a bug or break a nail or gotta piss.”
“What do you do if you have to…” you said.
“Normally you piss against some rock like a man but special manager’s daughter we’ll walk you back out here, take our slow ass time, make me go longer than my shift and because I was late today, I don’t get overtime.”
“That sounds kinda illegal.”
“The contracts for this company are a fucking nightmare,” he said, walking out of storage.
“Why work here then?” you asked as he went to an area and grabbed a clipboard. He took two water bottles and clipped them on each of your belts before whistling for you to follow after.
“Well somebody had to pay for his baby brother to go to law school and it wasn’t going to be my drunk of a father now was it,” said Dean, stopping and writing something down.
“So you didn’t grow up with mining in your family?” you asked.
“No. I’m not some redneck hillbilly like you imagine either,” he said. He flipped on his light and turned yours on when you got to the mine entrance. “Crouch.”
“Huh?”
“We ain’t riding the cart which is missing, dumbass. Crouch down so you can fit in the tunnel,” he said. You swallowed and had to bend down some, following Dean closely. “Ain’t claustrophobic are ya cause now’s the time to tell me.”
“No,” you said. “Jerk.”
“Ah, see? We’re getting along already.”
You walked for five or so minutes before the ground sloped down further and an entrance to the right opened up. Dean straightened up and you did the same, stretching out as he grabbed the back of your jumpsuit.
“Dude, would you stop doing that?” you said.
“Would you stay in my line of sight?”
“That’s harassment. You can’t touch me without my permission,” you said, crossing your arms. He blinked a few times and rolled his eyes quite possibly the most dramatically you’d ever seen in your life.
“This? This is not an office building. Every single time you step in here you run the risk of dying and you have zero clue on how to stay safe down here. I hate it when you people with your big offices and penny pinching bullshit come down here and complain about every goddamn little thing. If you want out, get out of the fucking mining business.”
“You’re an irritable person,” you said. He grumbled and tugged you along with him until you brushed him off. You followed him down a hallway and another, Dean checking things off on his clipboard as he went. “Are you gonna explain any of this stuff?”
“What do you think?” he said. He whistled and you followed him down a few more hallways when he stopped a gauge looking contraption. He checked a few different numbers and valves on it as you spun around.
“I guess it is kinda cool. That somehow you guys know how to block up rocks and leave all these cracks and know how to make it so it doesn’t all come crashing down.”
“Cracks?” he asked as he squatted down and read off a meter.
“Yeah like that big one,” you said, pointing at the wall across the way. He turned around and looked at it for barely a second before he grabbed your arm.
“Move. Now,” he said. He pulled out his radio and pressed down the button. “We have a grade five crack in Lodge Six West. Do not blow. I repeat do not-”
The ground rumbled and you heard a splintering noise, Dean pushing you back into the hallway you’d been in. He jumped on top of you and covered your body with his, all the lights going out, a loud thundering of falling rocks happening close by. It seemed to go on and on before it finally stilled, the hallway pitch black.
“You alright?” he asked.
“I think so,” you said, coughing when you felt dust in the air.
“Don’t move,” he said. He lifted his head and there was some light, Dean looking around before climbing off of you and staring at a new wall of rock. He looked at the hallway you’d been in, clicking on his flashlight and you saw where the rock dropped off about a hundred feet away. “Well. Shit.”
“What just happened?”
“The rock was unstable and they already set off the charges and it shook the mountain so now there’s a giant hole over there and our exit is blocked.”
“What’s that way?” you asked, nodding down the only unobstructed hallway.
“Further down into the mine before you hit the decommissioned area.”
“Is there a way out,” you asked, Dean patting his side.
“Fuck. My radio is under all that,” he said. He took out yours and handed it to him, Dean nodding before he turned it on. “Main do you copy, over?”
There was silence on the other end and Dean hit the button again.
“Main this is Winchester in Lodge Six West with…what’s your name?” he asked.
“Y/N Y/L/N.”
“Y/N Y/L/N, manager’s kid. Copy, over.”
“Winchester this is Main. We got lots of calls coming in from ground crews about a shaking.”
“Lodge Six West Hall K is a giant crater of death and Hall H is buried, right up to the entrance of junction HJ.”
“Injuries?”
“We’re okay,” said Dean.
“Give me a second.”
Dean took a deep breath and coughed. He tapped your mask on your belt and you put it on, the air a bit easier to breath.
“Winchester this is Melvin.”
“She’s okay, boss. Just a little shook up. Saved our asses from winding up in the ground even if she doesn’t know it yet,” he said. He held out the radio and you pulled down the mask.
“Dad I’m fine, really. We both are. It’s just kinda dark and smelly is all.”
“I know. Put your mask on sweetie until you can get to some cleaner air,” he said. You put it back on, Dean, getting to his feet. He pulled you up and looked back at your blocked path.
“Any other collapses?” asked Dean.
“None reported so far. Everyone should be out of the mine’s or on their way. Alarm is blasting.” You looked back at Dean, his eyes shutting.
“Melvin we can’t hear it. At all.”
“Rodney’s out checking where our side of the collapse starts. We’ll get you out,” he said, someone panting in the background.
“Hall B, Mel,” he said. Dean turned away from you and sighed. No one said anything for a long time until Dean finally raised his head.
“We got two 16 ounces bottles of water. If she rations it, she’s got a shot,” said Dean quietly.
“No, she doesn’t,” said your dad, his voice softer than you’d ever heard it. “How long does your radio have?”
“Mine got crushed. Hers was on a quarter charge. I’d guess maybe an hour or two tops,” he said.
“Should we call your brother?”
“He’s hiking in Glacier Park this week. No cell service,” said Dean quietly. “Just tell him to check my bottom desk drawer. There’s something for him there.”
“I can do that,” he said. “Is there anyone...parents-”
“All due respect sir, I’d rather you talk to your daughter,” he said. Dean held out the radio to you and you picked it up, Dean skirting around the corner to the one unblocked hallway.
“Dean?” you asked, following over there. He was leaned against the wall and looked over his shoulder at you. “What’s going on?”
“They can’t dig us out in time.”
“What do you mean-”
“Talk to your dad. You’re wasting time. That battery won’t last forever,” he said. He turned back and you walked back around the corner, sitting down against the wall.
“Hi dad,” you said.
“Hey,” he said, his voice shaky. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “Mom’s on her way down to talk, okay? She’ll be here in ten minutes.”
“I so quit this job,” you said, wiping off your eyes with the back of your hand. He laughed and you threw your head back. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I’m gonna stay on the line as long as I can, okay?”
“Okay. Okay.”
Two Hours Later
The battery in the radio had died about fifteen minutes ago. There was no sound aside from your sniffling and Dean’s down the hall. You got up eventually and went into the hall, sitting down beside him. You handed him the radio and he clipped it back on his belt.
“You okay?” you asked, voice hoarse.
“You try listening to someone say goodbye to their parents and not bawl,” he said. He wiped off his face and took a deep breath. “Air’s better now at least.”
“What do we do now?”
“Now,” he said, clipping his water bottle onto your belt. “You sit there and try not to exert a lot of energy and that water will last you a few days.”
“We both heard my father. They can’t drill or dig or do anything fast enough. It’d take weeks. I’m not sitting here next to your dead ass so take your damn water back,” you said, shoving it back in his chest. He didn’t speak but put it on his belt, pulling his knees into his chest. “Why were you so mean to me before? You gave up time on the phone for me. I don’t think you’re what you pretend to be.”
“I’m a dead man walking and that’s a fact.”
“Technically you’re sitting.”
He smiled and rested his face in his knees. He sat up and reached over behind you, hitting off your headlight.
“We need to conserve power as long as possible,” he said.
“Will our lights go out before we dehydrate to death?” you asked.
“Yes,” he said. “This is what it’ll be like.”
He flipped off his lamp and you swore you’d never experienced a darkness so deep. You felt his hand graze yours before holding it and you swallowed.
“Kinda less scary knowing you can turn it back on again,” he said.
“You didn’t answer my question. Why such a brute?”
“You do this job long enough and most people think you’re a dumb sack of shit with nothing in his head. You’re dead weight, odds are you’ll die down here or get into some kind of accident and have to go on disability the rest of your life. You corporate people are always so stuck up, like I’m not even good enough to be the dirt on your shoes. I didn’t give you a chance because odds were you were like all the rest of them. You’re the only reason we didn’t die in that hole, very painfully.”
“Wouldn’t we have-”
“No. It’s not a simple hole we would have fell in. Falling rocks, crushing and hitting, landing on you, ones you hit yourself. Might not kill you immediately. You’d feel it.”
“Dying of thirst is better?”
“I’d say so. Still get to keep this handsome face, or what’ll be left of it,” he said. He flipped his light back on and you scooted closer. “I think you’re very attractive.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m gonna die in like three or four days. Life has no consequences now and I happen to find you very attractive and you seem like a smart, sweet woman that put her parents a little at ease during the worst moment of their lives.”
“Who’s your brother?” you asked. “No consequences after all.”
“He’s a lawyer...and my best friend.”
“You said you did this job for him.”
“Student debt is a bitch. I try to help him out and the overtime helps make dents in it,” he said. “Our parents had debt out their asses. It caused so many problems for us. I wanted him safe, never have to worry about the next meal on the plate or the roof over his head or having to wear my hand me downs ever again. At least he’ll get my life insurance policy. That should help.”
“I have been busting my ass since I was a college freshman in that office to move up the chain for a job I didn’t even want. I completely lost nearly all of my twenties to work. All so I could die in here.”
“Well I know this doesn't sound good but I’m glad I didn’t die all super painful. Or that I’ll be alone,” he said. You smiled and nodded, Dean returning it. “Got any bucket list shit we can pull off down here?”
“We could make out,” you said. “Never knew anyone could make that jumpsuit look good.”
“Why the fuck not,” he chuckled. He leaned in close and your helmets bonked, Dean pulling his off and yours, quickly cupping your face.
His lips were gentler than you thought, the two of you stopping when your lips were pressed together. You rested your forehead against his and broke off only an inch.
“Not as much fun at the moment as it sounded,” you breathed out.
“Pretty good last kiss though,” he said. You put your helmets back on and you grabbed his hand again.
“Don’t let go down here. Please.”
He reached to his belt and undid a little pouch, pulling out a small tether of rope. He clipped one end onto him and the other to you.
“For when the lights go out,” he said.
“How long do we got?”
“About a day, maybe a little more,” he said. You sighed and turned your head, staring down the rest of the hall. “It’s decommissioned, Y/N. It’s a death trap.”
“Is there a way out?” you asked.
“Maybe. Maybe they never find us though,” he said. You stared at him and he nodded, hitting your headlamp back on. “Enough of the pity party. Let’s go get out of here or die trying.”
He stood and held out a hand, hoisting you to your feet.
“So. What’s our best option?” you asked.
“It’s alright for a bit until we get to the decommissioned section. When we get there, that’s when it gets dangerous. Technically it’s dangerous now considering the blast but we’re okay for a bit,” he said.
“Let’s go then,” you said. He nodded and you followed him down the hall, walking side by side.
“Alright so the decommissioned section is called Hollow Pass. Beyond that is Upper Seven. If we can get to Upper Seven, we can get out the old entrance I’m pretty sure. Never been in there but hopefully it’s not a maze over there.”
“So Hollow Pass is the hard part.”
“Yeah.”
“Why was it decommissioned?”
“Unstable ground. Holes, pockets of air, rotted support beams, wood planks.”
“So it’s a death trap.”
“Yup,” he said. “We’re probably gonna die down there.”
“What do you think our odds are?”
“Well it’s been out of order for over fifty years, we have no map, I have no real idea where exactly to go...I give us 1% odds.”
“Beats are 0% odds here.”
“Good way to think about it considering we’re going to most likely die.” He stopped walking and took a deep breath. “If I fall or whatever, follow the widest hall possible and keep away from wood and cracks as best as possible. Ration your water and eventually you’ll find your way out.”
“If you fall I’m definitely not gonna make it.”
“Well at least try. You can tell my brother how devastatingly brave I was that way.”
“You just spent the past hour crying.”
“So did you,” he said. You bumped his shoulder and he returned it but it was playful and soft. You walked together quietly for a moment until Dean rounded a corner and took a deep breath.
There were a few planks across a hallway, Dean kicking them down, frowning when they broke pretty easily.
“There’s gonna be rot.”
“Lovely.”
“We don’t have to go,” he said. “You don’t have to. There’s a chance-“
“There’s no chance Dean. Not if we stay up there. If you don’t want to go, I will. Maybe I can get help back in-“
“We’re doing this together or you’re staying. I can go and you-“
“We both go,” you said.
“I go first. You step where I step and if I tell you to do anything, you do it.”
“Dean. We already established that you’re not a hardass. You can lead the way but you know, nicely.”
“Alright, alright,” he said. He gave more slack in the rope attached to the two of you and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”
He was calm for a few minutes until you were turning down a hallway, Dean suddenly stopping in front of you.
“What is it?” you asked.
“Look,” he said. You poked your head around him, swallowing at the rotted wood on the ground, holes worn into the planking. “Y/N that’s not good. Rot means there’s water and water means erosion and erosion means big shafts hundreds of feet straight down under those wood planks.”
“How much of it is wood?” you asked. You both looked ahead and sighed, the whole hall flooring covered in wood. “Shit.”
“Y/N. This is too dangerous. I’ve worked in mines since I was 18 and it’s way too dangerous.”
“Dean. I don’t want to die. If we don’t do anything, we’re dead in three days, maybe less.”
“Maybe they come up the decommissioned mine and get us,” he said.
“Dean. The mountain collapsed from what my dad said. They are not coming in here, risking even more lives, in this mine. It might even have collapsed on the other side on the way out. We don’t know. All we do know is we stay and we’re dead or we go and we’re maybe dead.”
“You still won’t let me go on ahead on my own to try to get some help?”
“You’re not leaving me alone,” you said. You stepped ahead and he yanked on the rope, pulling you back. “Dean. Stop.”
“I go first,” he said. You held up your hands and he swallowed, Dean stepping past you, carefully putting his weight down on each plank. “Follow. Every footstep exactly where mine go.”
You followed after, the only sounds your breathing and the occasional board creaking. Dean put a foot down and stopped moving forward when you heard snapping.
“Go back. Slowly.”
You stepped a foot backwards, putting weight on it and your foot going straight through. Dean grabbed your arm as you pulled your foot up, a few sticks falling into a deep dark pit.
“What do we do,” you breathed out.
“Well we’re over rock that fell away so there’s a big hole beneath us if the rotted wood is anything to go by,” he said. You heard the slight waiver in his voice and sighed. “We make a choice. Forwards or backwards.”
“Back looks bad. Plus we already probably broke the supports.”
“I think solid ground is in front. But I have to jump for it,” he said. You looked past him and shook your head.
“Dean, it's way too far. I can try to walk over there if you let out the rope. I get to solid ground and then you walk and if you fall, I got you with the rope.”
“Sweetheart, there’s no way.”
“You’re too heavy and we can’t stay here,” you said. You slipped past him and he tried to grab you but you went quickly. “Dean let out the rope. Now.”
“Fuck. We’re gonna die.”
“No we’re not,” you said, walking quickly, planks creaking but you sighed when you had solid rock under your feet again. “Alright. Just go where I did and fast.”
He took a deep breath and walked a few steps, a loud groaning of the wood making him move faster.
You hit the ground the second you saw him go down, the wood breaking away. Dean shouted and you dug your heels into the dirt.
“Y/N!” he said, falling straight down into a hole and out of view.
_____
A/N: Read Part 2 here!
#supernatural#spn#dean x reader#dean winchester#dean winchester x reader#supernatural fanfiction#dean#winchester#dean spn#miner!dean#au#dean x you#Dean Winchester one shot
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Chips and Orange Soda (part ii)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine One Shot
Pairing: Reader x Jake Peralta
Other Characters: Amy Santiago
Warnings: theft, threats of violence
Summary: When a series of bodegas are robbed, Holt assigns Jake and Rosa on the case. You, a cashier, become a suspect, but Jake has a gut feeling that you’re not a suspect at all. In fact, he thinks you’re the key to solving the case.
Part One: Chips and Orange Soda
Word Count: 2,319
A/N: the second part to my submission for @locke-writes‘ writing challenge!! admittedly it gets kind of into an ethical dilemma that i didnt mean to go into and that’s unnecessarily deep but you’ll see what i mean ajskdhas but anyway disclaimer again!! not in law enforcement!!! this is not accurate when it comes to crimes!!! i really hope the reveal/ending isn’t too disappointing and that u guys still enjoyed the story!!! it does get a little more serious in this part but i still hope it’s in character/tone with the show!!
reblog/feedback/comments are very much appreciated!!!
Jake is careful to open up the door of the bodega, which is all bordered up with tape as the shattered glass has yet to be replaced. The inside looks better at least, no longer sectioned off with police tape, and business seems to be going on as usual, with customers in between the aisles and some at the counter. Jake resists the urge to grab a snack for himself, and he glances around the room, frowning as he realises there’s no sight of you.
Jake finally approaches a young man manning the cash register. “Hey man, is y/n in?”
He shakes his head. “Sorry dude, they don’t work Tuesdays.”
Jake smacks the side of his head, remembering how you mentioned it to him. He moves to exit the store when he notices the live security footage playing on the screen behind the counter. Pointing it out, Jake says, “Hey, looks like you got your cameras working again.”
The man looks over his shoulder, before turning back to Jake with furrowed eyebrows. “What?”
Jake frowns slightly, his hand falling to his side. “y/n told me that your cameras were down last week.”
The man remains confused, staring at Jake as if he’s speaking another language. Slowly, he finally responds, “Nah, they’ve been working fine. I don’t know what y/n’s talking about.”
Something inside of Jake’s stomach twists, and he frowns. Despite how hard he’s been trying to defend you, he can’t help but admit to himself that you’re not making it easy. He digs through his pockets, pulling out an old receipt, and he grins to himself as he flips it over and finds your number on the other side. Pulling out his phone, he cringes slightly at his 6% battery level, and he hopes he has enough to make a call.
Dialling in your number, he raises the phone to his ear. It rings a few times before someone finally picks up the phone. Taking in a deep breath, Jake says, “y/n? It’s Jake, the detective from last week. We… we need to talk.”
—
Jake paces around the briefing room, shaking his head as he tries to piece everything together. After coming back to the precinct following his failed attempt to find you at the bodega, Jake had filled up a corkboard with pictures and other small pieces of evidence he and Rosa were able to gather, although it was looking rather sparse. Your lie about the security cameras definitely presents as an obstacle, but he tries not to think the worst of it. He hasn’t told Rosa yet, who had gone out to meet with the forensics team again, fearing what her reaction would be towards you. Maybe you were mistaken, maybe the robbers managed to figure out a way to wipe the footage. But something about the situation doesn’t sit right with Jake, and he lets out a defeated sigh.
“Hey, Jake,” Amy peeks her head inside, knocking at the door, and Jake looks up. She gestures back to the bullpen as she continues, “You’ve got someone here to see you. Sounds like they’ve got some information on the bodega robberies.”
Jake perks up, rushing past Amy out of the room. His eyes widen as he sees you linger by his desk, nervously glancing around the room. He nods as a thank you to Amy before making his way over to you, and he greets, “Hey, y/n, thanks for coming in. How have you been doing?”
You meet Jake’s gaze, and you can’t help but soften at his tone. He seems to genuinely care, and you can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. Nodding, you reassure him, “I’m okay. I’m… I’m glad you reached out, actually. There are some things that I need to tell you about. Can we go for a walk?”
Jake hesitates. He knows that he should probably bring you to the interrogation room instead, but he finds himself nodding. He grabs his leather jacket hanging on the back of his chair, and he nods towards the elevator as he remarks, “Sure. Let’s go.”
—
You and Jake make your way through the streets of Brooklyn, finding yourself at a nearby local park. You can’t help but smile at the sight of children running around, squealing at one another as they chase each other in some sort of game, but you can’t ignore the pit in your stomach, the gnawing guilt that has plagued you ever since your first interaction with Jake.
You finally happen upon an empty bench in a quiet corner of the park and you silently take a seat. Jake sits beside you, and your breath begins to tremble. Jake patiently waits for you, eyes wide with concern as he finds himself shifting closer to you, subconsciously wanting to comfort you despite not knowing what’s to come.
“I… I haven’t told you everything that I know about the bodega.” you finally confess, and Jake takes in a deep breath. He nods slowly, silently urging you to continue, and you look up to meet his gaze as you continue, “I know who did it. And the other robberies, too.”
Jake stares at you, and you can tell it’s clearly a lot of information to take in. He presses his lips together, trying to process all this, before he quietly asks, “You’re trying to protect someone, aren’t you?”
Your expression crumples, and your shoulders slump as you bury your face in your hands. You swore to yourself you wouldn’t cry, but as the overwhelming reality of the situation begins to sink in, you’re suddenly finding it hard to breathe. Jake’s expression falls, and despite knowing that the two of you are practically strangers, he wraps an arm around you, gently rubbing his hand up and down your arm as he tries to soothe you.
“It feels like I’ve been trying to protect him all my life, but I- I feel like I can’t, anymore.” you manage to say through sobs, and Jake frowns, eyebrows furrowing in concern. Gulping, you finally reveal, “My brother.”
Jake sucks in a sharp breath. He’s all too familiar himself with broken homes, with strained familial relationships. You’re almost afraid to look at him, but Jake’s expression is one of understanding, of sympathy. He gently reassures you, “Take all the time you need, alright?”
You nod, trying to compose yourself the best you can. You fold your hands into your lap, perhaps a poor attempt at stopping them from shaking, and you manage to hold your tears back long enough for you to begin explaining, “It was always just me and my brother, you know? My single mom had to raise us, but we barely saw her because she was always working. But my brother and I always had each other’s backs, and I thought it would be that way forever.”
You’re distracted as a pair of kids dart past you, and Jake notices the bittersweet smile that appears on your face as you watch them. Quietly, he prompts, “When did you feel like things started to go wrong?”
“I mean, my brother was always a rowdy kid, always getting into trouble, but it just kept getting worse and worse. I’d try to bail him out, but there was only so much I could do.” you continue. “As we got older, I started seeing him less and less. He’d show up whenever he needed help, but that was it. Until he showed up the night before the bodega robbery.”
“He came to see you?” Jake’s eyes widen in alarm, and you nod. You can feel a pit forming in the bottom of your stomach as you think back to that night, and you uneasily run your hands through your hair.
“I didn’t know he had robbed those other bodegas. But he came around asking for me to let him and his friend in, basically. Asked me for the key. I told him no, that I could just lend him money, and he… he got angry.” your voice shakes slightly as you stare off at some point in the distance. “We’ve had our fights, obviously, but this was different. I was almost scared of him.”
You screw your eyes shut as you remember seeing the smashed in front door, the fear swallowing you whole as you worried what might happen next. Jake doesn’t try to prompt you further, knowing how difficult this must be for you, and he lets out a soft sigh as he wishes that you didn’t have to go through such a thing.
“I don’t want him to go to jail. I just want him to be okay.” you can feel your words getting caught in your throat as you struggle to continue speaking. “But he doesn’t even feel like my brother anymore. That night was just… I- I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“What about the cameras?” Jake quietly asks.
“That was me.” you sigh, nervously wringing your hands together. “I couldn’t sleep that night, so eventually, I… I just got up and went to see if he had really done it. Part of me still had hope that maybe he didn’t. When I saw the door broken in it just… crushed me. I almost feel like he did it on purpose, to scare me. But I still wanted to protect him, so I… I went in to delete the security footage, and rushed out before anyone could see me.”
Jake leans back onto the bench. This is it, he realises. With your revelations, it seems as though the case is solved. But seeing the heartbreak on your face doesn’t make the solved case as satisfying as it usually is.
“I just feel like I’ve failed him.” your shoulders slump, your voice barely audible. “He’s my family I have, and I just… I just wish it didn’t have to be like this.”
“Hey, you didn’t fail him, y/n,” Jake gently insists, and to your surprise, he reaches out to take your hand, giving it a squeeze. “You’ve been an awesome sibling, better than he deserves, really. But he chose to do this, and that’s not on you.”
You nod, trying your best to believe him, and from the earnest expression on Jake’s face, you feel like you could. You manage to muster up a smile, and Jake smiles back at you. Nodding back in the direction of the precinct, Jake tells you, “I do need you to need you to come back to the precinct to make a statement. But you’ve really helped us, y/n, and you did the right thing.”
A part of you has doubts, but you try your best to take comfort in Jake’s words. Jake gets to his feet, and you stand up with him, and Jake offers you a small smile that reassures you that everything will be okay.
—
You bump the cash machine closed with your elbow as you count out some change. Sliding it over to the customer alongside their bag of snacks, you politely smile at them before they step aside to leave. You wave the next customer in line forward, only to realise it’s Jake standing before you, and your eyes widen as he offers you a sheepish grin. He steps up to the counter, placing down a bag of chips and a bottle of orange soda, and you exchange a knowing smile as you lean forward, “Hey, Jake. Did… did everything go alright?”
“We got him and his buddy.” Jake confirms, and you let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding. “They tried to give us the slip, but I chased after them.”
You narrow your eyes slightly, and Jake quickly corrects himself, “Okay, Rosa chased after them, but that doesn’t matter.”
You laugh, and Jake snorts with you before continuing, “There’ll be a trial, obviously. I’ll give you more updates when I hear them.”
You nod, before sliding Jake’s stuff back to him. You don’t even bother ringing his purchase up as you tell him, “It’s on the house.”
“What? No.” Jake hurriedly searches through his pockets for some change. “You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s the least I can do.” you insist. Jake offers you some cash, but you shake your head. “Seriously, Jake, thank you, for everything.”
You reach out, closing Jake’s hand, and your gaze lingers on one another as your hand remains on his. He smiles, and Jake feels like his heart might beat out of his chest as you smile back at him. Before he can stop himself, he blurts, “Do you want to get dinner with me sometime?”
You blink at him in surprise, and Jake winces as he worries he might’ve blown it. Stammering, he continues, “It’s, uh, my way of saying thank you. For helping us solve the case. And for the snacks.”
Jake watches as a smile spreads across your face, and you chew on your lip as if trying to contain your happiness. “Is this a date?”
Jake grins at you. “It can be.”
“Just tell me when and where.” you nod excitedly, and Jake beams at you. “I’d love to go out with you, Jake.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Jake claps his hands together. He scoops up his snacks, backing away as he continues, “Hey, I’ve got to run back to the precinct, but I’ll text you, okay?”
“Got it.” you nod, grinning from ear to ear. You can’t help but chuckle as you watch Jake clumsily try to open the door, but he stops himself.
“Oh! By the way,” Jake spins around on his heel. “Do you guys sell batteries?”
“Um,” you glance over your shoulder at the inventory behind you. “We’ve got some. What kind do you need?”
“It’s for a clock.” Jake sighs, and you raise an eyebrow at his reaction. “It’s… a long story.”
tag list: @myfriendmagislit / @thedamagedcne / @real-fbi / @writinqss / @thisismysecrethappyplace / @natalia-helena-alianova-romanov / @dontjudgemepeepswrites / @hauntedpocdreamer / @locke-writes / @lgbtonystarks / @fangirlsarah16 / @kittensanddarkclouds / @randomfandomimagine / @ofthedewthesunlight / @bravelittlesunflower / @gothicwidowsworld / @halfofwhatisayismeaningless / @amirahiddleston / @interwebseriesfan24
#reader x jake peralta#jake peralta x reader#b99 imagine#b99#b99 one shot#jake peralta#jake peralta one shot#imagine#imagines#reader insert#oneshot#one shot
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The rose left unwatered (Law x f!reader)
Heyo guys ! this is my first multi part fanfiction and I hope that you will all like it =w=. No TW for now apart for coming smut in next chapters~ This was originally a request by @soul-stealer-reaper . Thanks for requesting :) originally you asked for a scenario with rough NSFW where Law has a crush on a girl that the government is afraid of and that has high bounty. As this will have some parts, everything you asked for will come in the next chapters so no worries :’) ! I won’t hide that wrote quite freely tho, I hope that it’s fine. Synopsis : You have felt unwanted for so long that you forgot the last time you felt like you belonged. Quite paradoxical, when you are one of the most wanted “criminals” in the new world. You cross paths with Law after joining the strawhats at Fishman Island to “kill some time” and you both feel a weird connection from the moment your eyes met, curiosity, hatred or desire, did it really matter as long as feelings were involved ? ---------------------------
A rose left unwatered will wither, A heart left unloved will rot, A sweet dream left untouched will go bitter, A love left unspoken will be forgot. Nemo - Murder in Venice
The first time that Law saw you, he found you extremely annoying. He remembered that he saw your wanted poster somewhere, with one of the highest bounties that he has ever seen. Seeing such a high bounty made him raise an eyebrow at first, what could you have done to have the whole world on your back ? The second thought that came to his mind was that of detachement, then he flinched at that thought.
The first time that Law saw you in person was after his Allience with the strawhats. You stayed at the ship the whole time, you didn't even bother to follow others to punk Hazard or to help them with their plans. He thought that you were an extremely selfish person and you reminded him of the person that he hated most. That way you had of doing what you wanted without caring about others, the smirk you had on your lips at all times, never submitting, always acting so sure of yourself, it irritated him.
How could someone get such a strong reaction out of him ? He didn't even know, he always eyed you from afar and it was enough to know that you prfoundly, passionately got on his nerves.
You joined the strawhats in the Fishmen Island, finding your way to them and just asking to join. Luffy's simplistic demeanor meant that he accepted right away, not caring about who you were and not flinching at your high bounty.
You made it clear that you were just staying to be entertained, in fact, you didn't want to fight, you didn't want to help anyone, your curiosity was just peaked by Luffy, by that man that defied the world government, by that man that defied everyone at Marineford. You weren't impressed, but you just felt sympathy towards him and wanted to find some company.
You found what you were looking for, in fact, life with the strawhats was enjoyable, you didn't get along with Usopp or Nami. The former thought that you were « too scary » and would kill them in their sleep, the latter hated how little you were willing to cooperate.
You had your own reason, but nobody on that ship was able to grasp your personnality, you just had your own way of thinking, your own internal logic that nobody seemed to get. Who were you ? Why were you there and why was the whole world on your back ? All these questions were provoking Law, teasing him endlessly. His curiosity was growing day after day and you were always there, on a lounge chair enjoying the burn of the sun on your skin, not caring about anything else, not caring about him, not that he cared...did he ? You got on his nerves just by being there, he felt obseverd yet, he wasn't the kind of people to get flustered but your gaze was so intense, feline.
It was a soft night on the sunny, a few days before getting to Dressrosa. On this night, the strawhats decided to gather around after dinner like always. They enjoyed socializing and spending time together, telling stories and playing silly games. It was quite late so Momo was already sleeping. Everyone was on the deck enjoying some drinks and you were on the crow's nest, peaceful.
« Y/N-chaaawn~ » Screamed Sanji, making you look down. « Come have some fun with us, don't stay there on your own ! »
« - Yeah Y/N ! We're all having fun here. » Said Luffy.
You jumped gracefully from the crow's nest just like a cat. You then looked around circularly before taking place between Law and Robin as she silently made some space for you. The atmosphere was light and everyone was enjoying themselves. Zoro was drinking bottle after bottle as Sanji was screaming at him. Usopp was telling you all for the tenth time about how he took down a sea king with his little finger and Luffy and Chopper were captivated by how cool that was.
You were just silently enjoying that sense of peace till Nami asked you out of nowhere
« Oh true Y/N, I actually never asked but I am curious, why is your bounty so high ? What have you done ? »
For a second your expression changed and everyone's eyes were on you. You just decided to tell them some kind of lie and you said that you killed a celestial dragon. Everyone looked at you in awe, killing a celestial dragon means that you had to escape from admirals. You excused yourself then saying you were tired, therefore going to sleep.
After hours of partying Strawhats went to sleep. You got out of the girl's quarter wearing only a night gown. Your thoughts were waltzing since earlier's events and you were looking melancolically at the ocean. The sound of the waves was so calming, you got close to the board of the sunny, placing your elbows on the wooden surface. You didn't notice it when Law came your way, he wasn't sleeping either, his sleeping schedule was always herractic. He was still intrigued by the lie you told earlier and by your overall attitude, something about you drew him towards you like a magnet.
-(Y/N)-ya...You didn't kill a celestial dragon, did you?
His voice was low and hoarse, stealing a murmur out of your lips. Your eyes met his, gray, icy. It was the first time he said your name outloud, actually, you briefly ever interacted since he got on this ship.
-Trafalgar ?..
You were wondering why did he bring this up, he never ever showed interest in you and you in him. In fact, now that you looked at him more in detail, you could say that he was an exceptionally handsome male with soft dark hair and a gloomy but all the more seductive cast of demeanor.
He could obtain any female he wanted at a snap of his fingers. You looked away and added :
-I thought that you disliked me. Why do you even ask ?
He raised an eyebrow, but got back to his stoic expression almost immediatly. He didn't know that it showed. However, you were wrong, he was starting to get intrigued by you, by your high bounty, by the detached way you acted. He was usually the one to observe and analyse people, but something about you...He couldn't put a finger on.
-I don't like lies.
-I have my own reasons...I'm sure there are a lot of things that you want to keep secret.
You hesitated then looked his side. He seemed calm still and just shrugged, ready to go back to his spot but then you added ;
-I lied because I didn't want to involve anyone in this...When I was just a child, I was a part of a dozen kids that were selected to take part into a « government experiment »...I don't want to go into details but...you clenched your fist, eyes fixed on an imaginary point in front of you I am the only survivor of that experiment...Therefore I'm being tracked... We were given power...To this day I don't know its extent...But I know that with just a blow of my fingers I could...you gasped How could a child be granted such a power ? Why did they have to choose for me ? I didn't want any of this....I never wanted to fight, I don't want to fight. I just wanted to be normal, to have a family, to feel wanted...haha...your laugh was bitter I mean, I know that I am the most wanted person you probably met, but I didn't mean it in that way. I hope that this satisfies your curiosity, Trafalgar Law.
Your eyes met, he looked in them, deep, searching for traces of honesty. You were telling the truth, there wasn't a doubt. He liked the way his name sounded out of your lips, it was the first time that he heard these three letters murmured by you. It's as if his first name sounded different, you had that way of saying it, almost like a whisper. You looked so vulnerable in your nightgown, so fragile despite your usual arrogant carapace. The fiery tigress looked like a sweet kitten and he was surprised by the way he just wanted to reassure you. He brushed that thought quickly and added, stoic ;
-I see, why did you tell me ?
-You just asked me to, no ? I just felt like we were a bit alike...Ah. Also, quit asking me questions....This is starting to feel like a doctor examination...Now it's my turn to ask. Why do you even care ? I didn't think that the surgeon of death was such a curious person.
He scratched his chin, hesitating for a second, but then he just said bluntly ;
-The first time I saw you, I thought that you were extremely annoying.
- Ah ? you looked at him with a straight face, but still a bit offended If we're playing first impressions then...
-But I get it now.
He wasn't annoyed, in fact, he was just fascinated. It wasn't animosity that he felt but desire to know more about you. It wasn't that he was making sure that you're not endangering anyone, he wanted to look at you, it was just excuses upon excuses, rationalization for a case of irrational fascination. Now that the diagnostic was there, he could understand his emotions more clearly.
-You are talking in riddles but well...Whatever...Why did you form an alliance with Luffy by the way ? I wonder how you're able to handle all of his energy if you can't even stand mine haha.
-Let me correct you ; I don't hate you. He stops for a moment then he adds. There is a man that I would like to kill.
You turn now, back against the wooden border of the ship. You had an amused look on your face, wondering who was that man that he wanted to take down ;
-Now that's interesting ! Let me guess, who is it ?
-You are quite curious yourself, (Y/N)-ya...
He thought it was only fair, you opened up to him, he opened up to you, but telling you the details wasn't for now.
-So you are using the strawhats ?
-I am not sure who is using who. And what is your reason for joing the strawhats ?
-Luffy, you said with dreamy eyes, it's the D in his name...I have been drawn to people with this letter in their names like a magnet...I don't know...I just believe it's fate...
He was startled by your answer, so you knew about the « D » letter ? He also had this letter in his name...He just added then, with a face that didn't betray his surprise ;
-Oh , a girl like you believes in such romantic stories ?
-And what is a girl like me like ? You added, amused. I mean, apart from annoying.
-...Quit it already.
His tone was stable as always. He didn't show it but he thought that it was cute of you, how you insisted and played along. You faced him, your eyes looking right into his and you weren't one to look down, oh no. Irisis into his irisis, looking for him and digging something into him. He didn't even know what you meant by such a look, once again, feline.
The salty smell of the ocean's water mixed with the odor of your fruity perfume made that moment a bit more enjoyable and he wasn't even the type of person to enjoy chatting.
Check mate, you made up for that horrible first impression. You added then ;
-You avoided my question by the way, why wouldn't I believe in « such romantic stories » ? What do you think you know about « a girl like me » ?
You got a bit closer, amused, and he thought that it was getting a bit dangerous. You had a fake woeful look in your eyes. His limbs were filled to the brim with that ocean perfume of yours mixed with that sweet taste, and for a second it was as if that odor operated some kind of spell over him, because a surprising thought occured to his mind ; what would your lips taste like ? Certainly salty like the ocean and a tad like peaches.
Unsettled and unfocused he said ;
-Shouldn't you be sleeping ?
In reality, he didn't want these thoughts to make a nest out of his head and decided to cut the conversation quite abruptly. Your rocked your body back, almost like a child and rose your eyebrows in a semi-sarcastic semi-dramatic way.
-I'm a bit too old for a bed time don't you think, Trafalgar ?
-Just Law.
-Yes yes ! L-a-w...See you tomorrow ! You're not as uptight as I thought.
-(Y/N)-ya.
He just said your name in a strict way, probably indicating that you needed to go. His tone was firm, stop teasing already.
You looked at him with a diminishing smile, pronouncing every single letter so slowly, stretching his name on your lips so that these three tiny letters seemed endless. You tossed your hair, and something about the whole situation, about your feminine charm, something about the breeze of the night made the both of you feel unbearable tension. The type of tension that happens between a man and a woman at three in the morning, that tension that makes every little detail, every look in the eyes, every brush of the fingers feel indecent.
The eyes of a woman can't lie, his ego was stroked as he thought he had a glimpse of your hidden desire.You turned to go back to the girl's quarters, his eyes still hanged on your silhouette. ----------- I hope that you liked this first part. Please tell me what you think. It is a great motivator to know that I’m writing and being read. <3 I wish you all a nice day !
#law x reader#law#trafalgar law#onepiece imagines#one piece imagine#one piece scenario#Trafalgar law x reader#one piece#one piece x reader#onepiece x reader
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Fruits Basket Manga Review , ch 112 & 113 (part 2)
I hate that this chapter is cut... mainly cuz it deals with the most “ horribly presented” theme in furuba anime.... grief.
-The shame of grieving: “ Rarely discussed theme in Literature”:
When a love one dies... ppl differ in how they deal with it. Some cry their hearts out, some become depressed & painfully lonely, others get angry or cynical, some might deny it, some move on quickly, others move on but years after the realization crushes them, others stay still... Above all, you feel ashamed of yourself if you didn’t move on or if you DID move on.. “ Sometimes ppl around you judge you for it... for your grief”
The later is the theme of these two chapters. Rarely discussed themes & it saddens me that it is cut. You see, Furuba anime doesn’t get grief at all. To them, it’s a small part of the generic protagonist after she finishes her job of nurturing the real main protagonist. Mothers are strong, they help us cross the bridge between childhood & adulthood. Tohru, the show’s mom, did it so thoroughly & in slow visual & narrative details for yuki. Afterwards, the anime brushed whatever is left of her character, which the anime viewed as sheer suspenseful drama, & collected it thro 3rd person story-telling techniques in one ep “ se3, ep6″ & excessive monologue for 10 minutes in se3, ep9.
In this chapter, Kakeru, a side character, sheds light into this theme. Kakeru didn’t lose a parent by death, didn’t grieve, has no dependent familial bonds with either dead parents “ kyoko & komaki’s dad”. Yet, kakeru stood & judged tohru on how she “ should” grieve. Harshly tearing her down while she’s standing there lonely, trying to hide her shock at the loss of her only pillar in life, broken & traumatized, dealing with the pushed down traumatic feelings from her past where her mom abandoned her as a child..now her mom did it again, this time thro death.. & kakeru, rightfully not knowing all that, but wrongfully lecturing her on how to behave... kakeru isn’t a monster, but he only saw what he wanted: komaki & how the world should grieve with his lover, how he should be the hero protecting her. So self-centered, insensitive, horribly cruel & unbelievably conceited, but above all... what he did is so sadly common... it hurts.
-Judging Grieving People:
As I said many times.. grief is so personal, so unique to the person & as common as it is, so misunderstood. According to kakeru & many ppl I’ve sopken to lately, tohru should have acknowledged komaki. Komaki, the not-traumatized version of tohru, did the right “ tohru-like” thing. Not only felt sadness at the loss of her own dad, but found it in her heart to visit the other orphan, tohru, & give condolences & respect to the dead mother. Such kindness & purity. Very deserving of applaud: To not only see your pain but others’ as well. Tohru has always done the “ right, kind” thing to other ppl. When she can’t now, the author brought another “ tohru” to do the “ right, kind” thing.
Kakeru is so many ppl. During my brother’s funeral. I’ve heard so many gossip on how my mom should’ve stood tall & greeted the visitors.” Being silent , emotionless & non-responsive is not how you show visitors you value their kind words”, they said. How his widow should’ve collected herself & acted properly, respected his memory by taking proper care of herself & her kids. “Being a broken mess is not how you “ honor” loved one”, they said. Kakeru is indeed many ppl & that’s how you discuss a theme by creating characters who sin, screw up & be cruel, even if momentarily.
Kakeru is wrong. There is no “ you should have” in grief. There is no ounce of truth in his demeaning lecture to tohru & I respect komaki for her reaction to him so much. Kakeru did learn & grew from it, apologized to tohru even if he didn’t actually sought her to do so & even if she herself started the apology. But you see, these two chapters are 90% focused on kakeru as a character, his growth, thoughts, the mini focus on his relationship with komaki as an example of healthy relationship & all that is another lesson for yuki to observe & learn. He learned abt tohru’s past, kakeru’s personality & growth & got to observe another example of romantic relationship so yuki can grow as a man & approach machi healthily. But then again... nothing at all stops yuki/machi from being healthy, no past issues, no contradicting personalities “ they’re quite similar” & yuki is the only furuba character that doesn’t screw up big. He learns & teaches. He’s the personification of the author.
-Tohru.. stays a “ tohru”:
Tohru’s part is 10% of the this chapter which is fine as I think/hope it will lead into more tohru depth in the following chapters. But It is for this reason I’m glad this chapter was cut in the 13 eps season of furuba anime, cuz tohru doesnt have much depth in the anime due to the quick wrap up & the la~~~~st thing I want is another 3rd person story-telling flashback abt tohru in the anime. Honestly, one of the most frustrating aspect to me of the anime & I’ll hold judgement abt manga- tohru till I reach its end. So far~~~ Tohru’s depth & character exploration gets better one chapter, then regress the next one, then moves on, the... it’s a fluctuating process. It has nothing to do with tohtu’s feelings.
you’ see ... kyo himself as a character with issues fluctuates a lot, he does sth good, then does sth bad, chooses right words, then makes a horrible mistake & chooses wrong! which is one of the most well-done aspects of character exploration that is rarely attempted by authors! I highly respect Takaya-san for what she’s doing with kyo in the manga so far. Other authors show us a character doing one big mistake & then he/she learns from it in a dramatic way. But Takaya-san, nope! she decided to approach it in a very human way, making us be frustrated with kyo’s repeated mistakes yet understands where he’s coming from! kudos to her!!
But I’m not yet satisfied with how tohru is portrayed in the manga & this has nothing to do with tohru’s character. Takaya-san is discussing rare themes thro tohru’s character. But what I mean is how tohru is approached thro the viewers/readers eyes. I wont judge until the last chapter. but this is the part that is frustrating to me.
Side Notes:
The flow of the 2 chapters is little off. We go back & forth between the past & the present, between yuki-machi & komaki-kakeru. Again, I’m so glad the anime cut it cuz, nope! they can’t handle such narrative. they’ll reorder it in a such heavily monologing way & insert the comedy abruptly to lighten the mood. Just look at how the comedy is inserted in momiji’s se03 ep!
Komaki is such a tohru with a sprinkle of kagura’s very softened outbursts. lol. she’s fun!
I’m liking yuki-machi interactions a lot. no drama, which is why the anime cut it -_-’, but it progresses healthily. Machi is yuki’s third-stage growth after (1) leaving tohru’s nest (baby yuki), (b) making friends with kakeru/someone who gets him (young boy yuki), (3) finding romantic love (being a man). The anime was so interested in the 2 stages above cuz that’s where the drama is & cut the third. Honestly, the anime didn’t have to include everything as there is never a space in 13 eps, but they certainly could’ve squeezed few panels or even made brand new very short yuki-machi scenes. but the anime weirdly decided after yuki “ saved” machi from her trauma by talking with her in her apartment, he should just marry her.... lol.. that’s why next scene is ep 5 momiji’s ep intro montage where yuki was abt to confess!!! making yuki-machi the least developed couple in the anime!
I love all furuba’s characters, but yuki, tohru, kyo & akito carry the big themes, therefore, I not only analyze their characters, but how the themes are presented thro them & how their presentation affects such themes. This might make it sound as I hate them or am harsh on them. not at all. It is the anime director/ manga author that I’m positively or negatively criticizing most times. Most importantly, my criticism is not the law. It’s just my perspective & my consumption of the material. Feel free to differ with me. I dont mind it. It brings interesting discussions!
When it comes to tohru’s issues... his chapter introduced nothing new. We have seen/read in canon repeatedly that tohru hides her pain behind a smile (heck! even kisa knows that & told us), that she cant stand up for herself much, that she smiles for other ppl not for herself. All this was presented thro so many characters already, which is why I understand the anime’s decision to cut it. What’s new? that yuki didn know tohru’s smile is mostly a mask & that kakleru has depth.
I love this chapter for the grieving themes it discussed that are rarely touched upon in literature, but since such themes are rarely presented, the anime’s decision to cut it, ironically proves my point! lol . They don’t get grief & so, they reduced it to se03 content & two eps worth. sad.. but expected. The anime is indeed another form of “past” kakeru: seeing one side of grieving person. The happy side.
#Fruits Basket#Anime Only#manga review#fruits basket manga#manga spoilers#sad paper#I love you little bro#I miss u
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ABO Stony AUs! (Part 2)
As promised, here is part 2! [link to Part 1] I’m not sure if I’m gonna make part 3 but there are still a bit ABO fics left.
A King For Christmas by iam93percentstardust
Summary: In 1867, Tony Stark flees New York after refusing to marry the alpha his parents chose for him. His money runs out in the small kingdom of Dacia, ruled over by King Steven of the Rogers line. Somehow, and he’s not entirely sure how, he ends up accepting the position of nanny to the king’s four children: Harley, Peter, Sarah, and Morgan.
Tony bonds with the children easily but their father is harder to get to know. Steve is still grieving his wife’s death four years earlier. His continued mourning has turned the once bright halls into dark and somber shadows of their former glory. Tony isn’t entirely certain what he can do but he knows that he has to do something or else the whole country, so attuned to their leader, will sink into despair. He begins by reconciling the king with his young children.
Meanwhile, the children have decided that it’s high time their father fall in love again—and Tony is the obvious choice. They concoct elaborate plans to force the two together, hardly realizing that Steve and Tony are falling in love, not through their shenanigans but through the quiet moments they share bonding over the love they have for the children.
What, Like It’s Hard? by JehBeeEh
Summary: Omega Tony Stark has it all, until his alpha boyfriend breaks his heart. In an effort to win him back, he follows the alpha of his dreams to Harvard Law School, where he discovers there might be more to being the first omega at the prestigious school. He also meets another alpha that might just make him forget the one he drove across the country for.
Two-Point Perspective by FestiveFerret for sabrecmc
Dear omega,
Congratulations! You've been selected. Alpha #95847872 has been assigned as your pre-bondee. A group bonding ceremony will take place on the 14th, unless other arrangements have been made by your alpha or their family. A valid bonding license must be submitted to Omega Services within 45 days of this letter or all services will be cancelled and any transferable benefits will not be applied to your alpha's package.
If there is some reason why you cannot be bonded on this date, please apply for an extension by calling 1-800-555-6827 within 7 days of receiving this letter.
Sincerely, National Omega Services
I Love You (From the Bottom to the Top) by RomancebyFaye for Reioka
Summary: Steve and Tony have a great relationship. They may have only been dating for a few months, but the truth is, they had been in love for years before that. Their relationship is only getting better from adding this new intimacy and Steve is very satisfied with how open Tony is in the bedroom. He’s giving and generous, sometimes to a fault, just as he is with everything.
And then Steve comes home early and catches sight of something he wasn’t meant to see. The shock he gets from the sight of watching his alpha ride a toy might not have been meant for him, but it doesn't stop him from wanting.
Now, if he can just figure out how to tell Tony how much he wants what he witnessed without putting his foot in his mouth…
Or Tony offers Steve something in the bedroom and Steve misunderstands the offer.
Until he doesn’t.
A Prime, Divided by avengersasssemble
Summary: Facing his and his infant son's possible death sentence, young prince Tony runs away to the only place where his father would dare not follow: the Northern Territories, known to house the most savage and brutal Alphas--including their bloodthirsty leader, the Prime Alpha. Forced to navigate fatherhood and diplomacy while being unable to speak the Northern language, Tony has to make decisions to save his son, even at his own expense.
Oversight by ShyOwl
Summary: It really wasn’t Steve’s fault that no one knew he was an omega.
I Love You 3000 by NazakiSama166
Summary: After the death of his husband, the only thing Steven Rogers could think of was going on and dying in one of his missions, and Steven was happy to get his wish.... that was until he woke up in a strange universe when people can shift into wolves and men can get pregnant... Oh, and did he mention that Tony was there too and was in love with his younger jackass self? And let's not forget about Peggy...
Life just loves to mess with him...
Dear Enemy by AvengersNewB
Summary: Alpha Steve and omega Tony are SHIELD agents who don't always see eye to eye, but some benefits on the side help them work things out in the most non-traditional way. Steve's jealousy after an unfortunate encounter with Ty Stone, however, makes things complicated.
Love Match by FestiveFerret
Summary: Tony had but one goal for the season: secure a marriage proposal from an alpha with the position and means enough to remove him from his father's house. Love was wholly irrelevant to the matter.
Stuck in a... by Annie D (scaramouche)
Summary: Steve gets into a serum-enhanced rut. Tony figures that there’d be a long list of people who’d volunteer to help Steve out, but there’s only one person Steve wants.
A Late-Night Snacks, and Other Good Ideas by Annie D (scaramouche)
Summary: Steve's heightened senses means that he always knows when Tony's in heat. One night, he finally does something about it.
citrus and lavender by JehBeeEh
Summary: Steve laid Tony on his bed as delicately as he could manage. Which was ridiculous because he knew, logically, that Tony was absolutely fine. JARVIS himself had told him. And that’s 100% why he had fought Natasha so hard on Tony not needing to go to medical when they came back, even though he probably could use the check up. Yup. That was definitely the only reason he had insisted on bringing Tony back to the penthouse. No other reason at all. If you keep this up, you just might start believing it, he thought to himself ruefully. Tony wasn’t his. He had made it very clear that he didn’t need some alpha in his life to mess with everything he’d worked so hard to accomplish. Especially not Steve Rogers.
Found Love in a Hopeless Place by crispybacon
Summary: Steve really, really did not want to tag along with his brother to the bar, no matter how many times the jerk nagged him that he needed to get laid. Just because Bucky’s known his Omega since kindergarten, and the pair have loud obnoxious sex in their shared small two bedroom apartment, didn’t mean Steve needed to stick his knot in any Omega that looks his way.
That’s not the kind of Alpha Steve was.
Or, Steve goes to a bar and meets an Omega with a complicated past that changes his life forever.
This is Not a Drill by sabrecmc
Summary: “Can I—can I see him? I mean meet him. Uh…welcome him to the team?” Tony clarified, probably not very well, he knew.
“Well…there’s a bit of an issue with that,” Fury said, and Tony figured this was where Fury got to whatever it was that had really forced his hand and made him call Tony in, knowing how much the man detested having to do so. “You see, well. He was suspended in the ice for nearly seventy years,” Fury began. Tony nodded along, because he could do math.
“I’m sure he has a lot of adjusting to do—“ Tony started.
“Seventy years,” Fury repeated, cutting Tony off and leaning back in his chair and making it rock slightly. “Of no suppressants.”
“Oh,” Tony managed to choke out past the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. “Oh.”
Everybody's got a hungry heart. by Perlmutt for ShadowsintheClouds
Summary: Tony Stark has never experienced a true heat due to the suppressants he's taking on a daily basis. Society accepts him as a beta, together with his friends and teammates and the alpha he's secretly in love with. But some things are just too big to be kept hidden forever. An unfortunate turn of events forces Tony to reveal his biggest secret to the world...
Baby, Just Say Yes by betheflame for starksnack
Summary: In a world where Tony's life looks a lot like Taylor Swift's, Steve realizes there always more to omegas than meets the eye.
Apple Pie and Sunshine by betheflame, starksnack
Summary: Even though they've loved each other for years, Steve and Tony have each convinced themselves that their one-night-stand was a fluke. Thing is, it also resulted in Tony getting pregnant and as the birth approaches, perhaps it's time to use their words.
blue since the day we parted by funkyspacegirlfriend
Summary: When he's twenty, the man Tony thinks will be his alpha and mate walks away, leaving Tony with a gift he'll never regret.
The same alpha reappears fifteen years later in the form of SI's new military liaison.
In my Favorite Dreams (I feel your heat) by Corsets_and_Cardigans for wingheads
Summary: Steve is on his morning run in DC when a ghost from his past comes back into his life. And he's not alone. *** “Steve?” Sam’s voice cut through the veil of the past, the crushing weight of memory that stole his breath. “What’s wrong, buddy?”
His staring must have finally alerted another parent, a woman eyeing him warily while tugging on Tony’s sleeve until he turned around. His eyes were just as expressive and wide as they were ten years ago, piercing the cold morning air straight to Steve’s own.
“Tony.”
“Wait. Tony Tony? The Tony? The Tony that Bucky busts your chops over Tony?”
His voice cracked, wrent into pieces at seeing his omega who wasn’t his anymore, body flaring in pain. Years worth of aching denial like a hot fireplace poker to his soul. “Yeah.”
“Okay then, who’s the kid?”
The Couch by Perlmutt
Summary: Steve overstepped a mark, when he accidentally called Tony, his mate, tiny. Because his omega was very self-conscious when it came to his height. So he needed to show him that he thought Tony's perfect just the way he was, if he didn't want to sleep on the couch for the next week. Luckily Steve was the man with a plan...
be the summer in my heart by billyscissors
Summary: After Obadiah betrays the Southern Isles, he offers Omega Prince Anthony Stark as tribute to appease the Warlord of the North
#stony#stony fics#stony fanfic#steve and tony#stevetony#stevetony fanfic#stevetony fic rec#stevetony fic#stony fic#SUPERHUSBANDS#fic rec
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KILLING ME - 13 | n.y
pairing : law student!reader + yuta
genre : angst , mafia au/ arranged marriage au.
warnings of this chapter : mentions of brutality described in previous chapter, mentions of strained breathing, curse words. For future chapters, major character death(s).
words : 4.5k
summary :
“life’s never fair y/n. realise it as soon as you can . it is the only secret for living a regretless life.”
or
“ curiousity got the cat hitched”
K.M masterlist
K.M 12
taglist : @kpop-choco @moon-yuta @kawaiiayasan @btm-taeyong @exfolitae @lanadreamie @cheersskznct @hyuckiesgf @theworld-accordingtocasey @yiyi4657 @sorrywonwoo @sillywinnergladiator @minejungwoo @leesalts @mal-nakamoto23 @ro2424 @itlittlefangirl @nctzens-world @bl--ankhaeji @simplybree @ncttboo @jeaneteflo @nuoyii @bralessmermaid @minhoseyeliner
In the silent room, the sound of taeil's shoes reverberated as he paced back and forth. Of the seventeen men standing in the living room, most had their heads hung low while some paid side glances to Jaehyun and ten as they fell prey to Taeil's anger.
"Last time!" Fingers pointed in the air, taeil asked in a dangerously calm voice, "don't make me repeat myself. Who left the door open?"
Messing his hair, jaehyun began,
"We didn’t know she was still there in the basement. Usually she’s out by-
“just answer me already.” Taeil shouted in exasperation.
“we don’t clearly remember. Me and ten were busy interrogating him.'' Jaehyun's voice was barely above a mumble but it still managed to reach everyone in the parameter.
Taeil turned to ten, furiously rubbing his forehead, impliedly asking for a reply but he merely shrugged in shame.
“Since when you have been butchering people with doors ajar for everyone to see?” the volume of his voice sent shivers to each and every presence in the room. Taeil never lost his calm, this was, after all, his metier. But he knew when to let go of his usual demeanor and nobody plucked up the courage to question him either.
“we didn’t do it deliberately. It was a mistake. An accident. Why are you drawing this so much.” jaehyun daren’t raise his voice above a whisper but his words were alarming enough
“You all need to recall the rules we stand by. What if jisung had gone down? Would you throw the same lame excuses even then? Won’t you be sorry if he or chenle or sungchan had seen a human being cut open like that? you and ten are both equ-
“we are ready to apologise to her okay. I’m not running from responsibility here. Nobody i-”
“Accepting a mistake is not even the bare minimum. We don't need your hollow apology if you don’t mean it. just because she’s understanding doesn’t mean the blood would leave her head. There’s a reason those rooms are forbidden for some of us here.”
Jaehyun’s unexpected raspy chuckle earned multiple gasps from the room. Taeyong was about to reach him but taeil stopped him by a show of his palm.
Jaehyun pinched his nose before barking,
“when jisung and chenle are told not to enter forbidden areas, they actually do listen but your pretty sweet y/n never does that. she’s just reaping the fruit of her own reckless behaviour again. it’s not my mistake that she’s so damn nosy all the –
“WHAT IF IT WAS NARA AND NOT Y/N JUNG JAEHYUN? WOULD YOU HAVE SPILLED SAME BULLSHIT IF IT WAS HER?
Taeil knew he shouldn’t have said that. Jaehyun’s darkened eyes calmed Taeil instantly as he realised he too had crossed a line.
as he angrily took a step forward towards taeil, jaehyun was abruptly halted by johnny and taeyong as they kept the two men apart. The reason for the argument left Jaehyun's mind, the mere mention of nara was enough to blow his fuse. He was furious yet he didn’t resist the boys and let his sharp breathing convey his message to taeil.
“Stop it you both. Go back to your rooms everyone.” Johnny announced, hands still holding Jaehyun's arm and torso, almost hugging and shielding him from taeil. “let it go jae. Just calm down. Please.”
Everyone remained glued to their feet, too afraid to make any noise. Huffing loudly, Jaehyun pushed Johnny away. Jaw clenched, chest heaving in rage, he furthered himself and instead of going for taeil’s neck as everyone has thought, his hand reached for the vase and the very next moment, the beautiful curved glass met the ground, shattering into innumerable pieces, right where taeil stood.
“JAEHYUN”
Taeyong roared watching younger and the older staring each other down.
“never compare nara to her.never!” With a perilously low voice, jaehyun glowered at taeil. “measure them up on the same scale again and you won’t be alive to regret again!”
Jaehyun stormed out upstairs. Soon after, without saying or expressing anything, taeil left too, masking his emotions just like usual times.
“when are they going to talk this out. It’s been three years already.” Johnny mumbled more to himself but everyone heard him and each and every presence in the room understood him.
Sleep despised you. Even sleeping pills had turned their back on you. Sprawled on the bed, you prayed to some magical being to descend and help you but no matter how humbly you pleaded, there was no end to your misery.
"He was a drug supplier, one of the accomplice of importing life threatening drugs in korea. He had it coming when he refused to tell us about other handlers. What you need to know is we have done a favour by taking his life."
Taeyong's words were seeded into your head. Your fear was fine, he had told you. He also said you’d forget about it in no time but he couldn’t mark when the “no time” would end. The vision of what you witnessed was quite blurry by now but the awful feeling in the pit of your stomach chose not to leave you yet. From what taeyong explained, that man was a mere pawn. A hidden syndicate was exporting deleterious drugs and they were just trying to find out the people behind it.
The only thing you had gathered was that just like every normal entity, criminals like neos weren’t fond of any sort of competition. With a pack of sleeping pills given by xiaojun, meant to help you sleep through the night, you were dropped at your house by dear Mark who kept stuttering explanations while driving. They have never killed anyone innocent, Mark said and kept it repeating in different possible ways a sentence could be transformed into.
You weren’t sure if you believed him yet. But even the mere thought of getting used to the brutality was horrendous than what you had seen once.
Two days later, at black neos. 9: 50
“when do you want us to sue them y/n?” mr. jung questioned, rotating his walking stick by the wooden head.
Sitting on the sofa, just beside him, you wondered why you were always so conscious of all the eyes directed at you. or maybe you were distracting yourself from answering the man. Among all the things, his way of showing his care was not settling in.
one amusing revelation was that Jaehyun's father, mr. jung or senior jung, as hyuck called them, was the only person with the capacity of putting a noose around all the valiant necks that were ever present in the house. The wrinkles of old age held enough authority to shut each and every young mouth, including yours even though you kept your quiet.
And he adored everyone, johnny, yuta and haechan among his favourites of course. He was also persistent and you were struggling with coming up with an answer because of this very trait. He kept asking you and your eyes remained transfixed on the papers bunched up in your hands, that were shoved into your hands upon your arrival. They opened the chapters you always had doubt about but no corroboration.
You had no home, the reason you were sent into that orphanage in the first place. The little kid that witnessed her parent’s death in front of her eyes didn’t understand why her parents took so long to wake up or why they never did when she waited for so long hiding among strangers or despite having a home, why she was sent to a place where she knew no one. There was no answer to why you never saw your uncle and aunt again and why they never came to take you back. As you grew up, you gave up on them. the car crash had crushed every relation you had with the home you once dearly loved and now you were conflicted with the new information that was thrown your way. your uncle and aunt were under illegal possession of the house that allegedly belonged to your father and after his demise, to you. but what would you gain by going back? Bricks and cement could never compensate or alleviate the pain that you had learned to live with. Even with law on your side, tormenting them would be of no benefit to you. So you said what you had decided years ago.
“I-I don’t want to sue them.” you replied meekly, eyes still fixated on the thread holding the legal papers together.
A sound of disapproval caught your ears as mr. jung spoke against your decision,
“no y/n. Those leeches abandoned you to rot in an orphanage and are living comfortably with insurances and the house that belongs to you. all that money could have been used for your future. You don’t need to be afraid of them. kun would provide you the finest lawyers and within two hearings, they would be in jail for committing fraud and trespass. And as a lawyer yourself, you should know better than to let them go off like this.”
Everybody heard but no one spoke.
“no.” you raised your head to face him and swallowed hard before continuing, “I do not want to meet them”
“don’t you want to go back there? that’s your home.” Somewhere from your left, Johnny spoke.
“never.” You refused immediately. “the people who live there were never my family. They never wanted me a part of their family. I’m clearly not their blood. The people who adopted me are not alive anymore. Those who loved me left me years ago. For a ridiculous sum of money, they didn’t even say their goodbyes to me. I was left there thinking that maybe one day someone would come. But money wins over love. It always does. And i don’t give a shit about them. I have learned to live on my own. I never needed their love. And I certainly don’t want more of their hatred.”
Inhaling sharply, you spat your speech in a single breath. Your words weren’t emotionless still you didn’t feel them like others did.
“I think we should bury this matter.” this time your voice was polite.
They nodded.
Mr. jung, however, wasn’t done.
“Okay so no one would mention this but keep these papers with you. you never know when this might come handy. After all, you are the sole owner of those properties your father left. Now you see, we grease the palms of officers so we can escape the shit we create for ourselves but people like your family are worse than the devil hi-
Multiple coughs halted his train of words. His breather was immediately fished out of his pocket and handed over to him. once he regained his senses, he begin again,
“never mind. Family must be protected y/n and those who fail to do so slaps the most precious value away from them. it’s not necessary that you should cherish something when it’s really out of your reach. at least i can die peacefully knowing that you all would settle down finally. If yuta can leave his chaser personality to find love, there’s hope for everyone here and speaking of yuta, when he’s arriving?”
“in two hours”
Your eyes widened and a hiccup escaped your throat. You voiced out a hum of surprise, gathering everyone’s attention.
“You weren’t told?”
You football sized eyeballs told mr. jung that you certainly weren’t aware.
“I guess I just spoiled a surprise then. Forgive me, I'm old and I am also hungry. Show some courtesy to your guests and feed me and y/n.”
Hyuck jabbed at him before they all got up to run for their seats in the dining room. “You are old. Why do you even need to eat anymore. Go to himalayas, eat snow and acquire some peace. That’s what old people should do!”
Everyone seemed too occupied with their bickering to pay you any mind so you dragged a reluctant taeil to his room, demanding answers for the latest drama they had launched in your name.
"I'm so sorry about that. The day after reception at the office, uncle suddenly asked about your family and that got me curious too so I ended up searching in deep and that led me to this whole discovery. I swear i never meant to breach your privacy y/n." Taeil pleaded in a low whisper as he locked the knob.
"Why would he do that though?"
"He's just too sensitive when it comes to families. He even told me to find your real parents but I got no luck there because you were adopted from an open adoption center from a different country. I found no information on them but I'm sorry about that." His ramble was again reduced to a murmur..
Playing with your fingers, you signed heavily before replying,
"Thank you for your effort but you should have asked me first.”
"Did you perhaps know anything about their schemes?"
"Right since I learnt about the adoption laws. I couldn't have been adopted without a security registered under my name. Maybe that property was the house where they are living right now"
"I'm sor-
"When were you going to tell me about that little whiny bitch? He's coming back in a few hours? I have to live with him again? " Scrunching up your nose in disgust, you bellowed.
"Yeah. He and taeyong had a long love chat yesterday. He was indeed being dramatic so i wonder what happened between them that he agreed. But he's coming back yeah. It was inevitable anyway. I don't know how you want to approach this but I'd say don't choose conflict. Eventually you have to live together so why try to break each other's necks. I've said this before and I'd say it again he-
"He's not that bad? I don't understand how easily you forget that I'm in this predicament because of that man. How can you expect me to make peace with that fucking piece of shit who had his gun pointed to my head since very first day?"
"Are we that insufferable?"
"Don't change the topic"
"I'm not changing it.You said predicament. We are also part of it right. Do you really hate us that much?"
Your eyes softened, reflecting his tone. No, they were just mildly bearable. And no, there wasn't any need to admit it either.
"Taeil, you sound like the voice of reason here. Taeyong seems fishy too but he's too unpredictable. He's like a chameleon. Others don't seem to have any power in your stupid hierarchy I've come to notice so it's you right? You are the one who told taeyong to marry me to that poopface and spare my life. It is definitely you.” staring him right in the eye, you pointed your forefinger at him.
"Please do me a favour and don’t use your brain too much y/n. I already have too much on my plate. I don’t need another one. If you don’t want our uncle to die due to a heart attack caused by your and yuta’s actions, stay shut. Now let’s eat before they gobble down everything.”
Our uncle! Yeah sure, you thought.
14:00
Standing alone in the kitchen, fidgeting with your hands, you tried your best to eavesdrop but nothing coherent met your ears. You indeed expected the army of men to have a party when their estranged soldier would arrive but the welcome outside sounded more like a hue and cry. The screaming indicated anything but happiness.
Your dilemma ended when you heard your name being called, the voice belonging to senior jung. You couldn't understand why he loved shouting when clearly his lungs couldn't take anything in higher volume.
Walking into the living room, you saw everyone seated in a very civilian manner but their conversation was difficult to hear amidst the babble.
“Come sit” Mark, who had gone to fetch yuta from the airport, spoke.
As you took the seat next to taeil, your eyes fell on the raven haired man and met his own. If his blonde hair shrieked peril, the black softened all the darkness his previous hair projected. Mayhaps, it was the black rimmed glasses he wore. You didn’t even know he had eyesight issues. He looked different.
He might have looked non-barbaric for a few seconds but his intense eye roll with the twitched lips upon meeting your eyes caused you to scowl. That’s when you noticed the elbow crutch on his left arm leaning against his outstretched leg. Nothing seemed wrong. You sized up his both legs with a crease of confusion forming on your forehead. You might have been looking too hard for your unasked doubt was answered by none other than yuta himself.
“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.”
You scrunch your nose at the politeness that dripped from his lips, the honeyed words clearly in contrast from the uneasiness he felt while uttering them. Though the words were directed at you, he never regarded you directly and you weren’t sure how one was supposed to act in such a pretentious setting.
“No, definitely not a scratch.” Mr. Jung interrupted your internal unrest, interpreting your silence to be worry for the boy. “His left thigh is bandaged so it needs a lot of care. You might need to take some days off given how much movement hurt him. and you! I know you don’t want to worry her but lying around won’t work. she can’t tend to you unless she knows where you need care.”
He mildly instructed him as you found yourself staring at yuta’s brown cargo pants which hid whatever injury was being mentioned. The said words were dodged by your ears even before they’d have entered. The problem laid with the response that was expected of you. you couldn’t have possibly replied to him your true intentions that included ducking every wifey duties you were supposed to fulfil but like everyone else and as taeil had explained, you didn’t want the blood of an old man on your hands so you just played along.
“yes.”
That was enough for playing, you decided. Your quietness, for the first time won't be subjected to judgement as the dejection was expected.
“I think you both should go home now. I have some business to sort out here.” he got up and walked past you, not before petting your hair lovingly. He also smacked yuta on his head and mumbled something on the lines of how he should have enjoyed his last overseas trip and whatnot.
Once he, taeil and taeyong were out of sight, chatter started again. hovering over yuta, they dropped questions like he was in some interview and you remained seated, waiting for their next request they were possibly going to annoy you with.
“did you like france?”
“what the fuck! you didn’t tell me about the hair colour. Now I want to change mine too!” that was ten.
“why are you wearing pants if your thighs hurt?”
“I’m sorry for laughing at you earlier.”
Right when you thought you were specialising in drowning the sounds, Johnny's voice caused you to jerk your head towards them. Not the voice, maybe the question he asked!
“dude! Where did you exactly fall from? The room is on the ground floor and your work didn’t even require you to switch places. How can you break your leg while monitoring the local cells?”
Only two sentences were needed for the laughter to escape the confines of your stomach and the realisation that you actually thought about a bullet or a knife being the reason of the harm only elevated the amusement you felt. understandably, you became the center of their attention.
“who the fuck are you laughing at?” yuta sneered.
“you.”
The twisted bitter smirk on yuta's face told you that he still needed some good time getting used to your unfiltered tendencies but by the suppressed snickers that chenle and hyuck let out, their voices recognisable to you by now, you were sure at least a few of them were enjoying your jabs as much as you did.
"Fuck off." He finally barked, breaking the harsh eye contact.
"Happily!" You remarked, raising yourself from the cushioned seat.
"Where are you going y/n?" Intersected jungwoo.
"Home. Tell mr.jung that college called. It's Saturday so I've to visit the library anyway."
"Wait I'll drop you both."
Glaring at Johnny, you wordlessly challenged him to repeat what he said.
"Yes. You and him are not leaving alone. Uncle is still here. God forbid if he decides to stay the night, we won't have answers for him." He rather whispered to you.
"That sounds like a problem for you. My pact was over as soon as I saw that face. And I can guarantee you the feelings are more than mutual from that side too." Rolling your eyes towards yuta, you said.
"No no no! You can't do that yet!" Johnny came closer and continued his whispering, "please y/n. I promise he'd behave. Uncle did so much for you, can you help us this one last time? And yuta was returning anyway. If not today, then four days later. Please? You'd do that for me right?"
Sometime while talking, his fingers had found your hand and you weren't sure if he was aware of it or not.
But you were. And that had caused a little temperature problem in your whole body as you felt warmness enveloping your whole being.
And it seemed like your ears had stopped working too.
"Y/n! Are you hearing me?"
"Are you fine?"
His hand on your cheek broke your trance and your eyes darted away to look at his eyes, finding the same worry in them. Why was he so genuine, you thought.
"Are you sick?"
He questioned again, to which you only stuttered.
"No. I'm fine john. What were you saying though?"
"I said yuta needs to go back home. Please. He can't stay here even if we don't want him to be alone."
Somehow, you found yourself mindlessly nodding at his words. A cheeky contagious smile appeared on Johnny's lips, your own slightly curving on both sides. He backed away after caressing your face, the action more noticeable to others than he probably had intended.
"Let's get you home baby boy." Johnny snickered at yuta earning a slap from him.
"Fuck off bitch. At least feed me something before I leave. I'm hungry!" He screeched, hitting Johnny's leg with the end of his stick.
"What about the jjajangmyun you had in the car? How can you still be hungry?” Mark chirped up innocently.
"Oh come on. Don't make excuses.I'll bring some food in the evening." Johnny offered when yuta was busy giving a stink eye to mark.
"I too need some compensatory food john.”
“What the fuck do you mean compensatory? You live in that house because of me! Don’t imply yourself as the owner of that place!” you rolled your eyes for the nth time at yuta’s words, dismissing his words with the action.
“Why dont you donate your eyeballs to someone like me who can actually make better use of them. Instead of rolling them to the back all the time, I shall happily play tennis with them.”
“If my habits annoy you that much then why are you going back to breathe the same air as me. I’d be more than happy if i don't have to see your cursed face daily!”
“Stop you both.” Johnny's back shielded your view as he spoke. “He’s still here! Renjun, go and run a checkup for him and tell me how bad his leg is in actuality or is he just crying like a baby.”
In defeat, you sat down again. Fifteen minutes passed and despite being sleepy, you tried your best to listen to donghyuck’s ramble of something that jeno did the other day. All you heard was how jungwoo and jeno had a fight over piggyback rides and after that every word was transformed into a chant of word sleep as it hit your ears. Though it was early afternoon, the whole week had been nothing but tiring.
Once again your relaxation time was robbed off by none other than yuta. Maybe this was the end of your peaceful days.
Hopping off, you hurriedly whisked away before Johnny and Jungwoo could say anything to you. Two men were enough for towing the baggage.
As you stripped yourself off your jeans, an exhausted cackle left your lips when Johnny's words echoed in your head. During the car journey, he gave you some instructions in case of some emergency. That emergency being yuta! Not that you were going to put up with any of yuta’s demands, you listened to them anyway. Amusingly, yuta wasn't injured due to falling from stairs. He was getting drunk on the roof of a random building when he had launched himself into a sharp edge of a railing that gave him stitches all over his left thigh. Now he was as good as an exhausted car freshener.
As they settled him down, you didn’t bother going out even for a second. Choosing sleep over your much needed trip to the library, you tucked yourself into white sheets as the light breaths from air con lulled you to sleep.
17:00
Sitting in the library, your fountain pen ran along the plain pages like you were writing a well known story and not your thesis. The words were flowing like water and you felt no difficulty as you finished pages with the speed of light. Everything was going smoothly. You felt happy. And suddenly your hand stopped moving. It was glued to a single point, the nib leaking out on that spot. Next moment, your thoughts were muddled and a distant shuffling distracted you. The more you tried to move your wrist, the more forceful the noise became. Your breathing got heavier and your body jammed, the whole weight punching onto the weak muscles of the hand.
Your attempts never stopped but the noise did and it transformed into loud thumping coming right from your heart.
You tried to inhale but something stopped you.
Then you heard the calls of your name.
Rapid and loud.
Your body jerked forward and your breath finally returned as your eyes opened.
You had woken up from a dream. You were still in your room and the loud thumping was the loud banging on your door.
“y/n! Are you sleeping?”
Registering his words, you replied in a groggy voice.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“Your phone. I left mine in the medical room. I need to call Mark right now.”
Whining loudly, you fell back on the bed. It was only due but flailing your arms and legs like a kid in a toy store, you let out a screech full of annoyance, cursing on your fate.
Were you really going to babysit him now?
****
Stay safe everyone. 2021 is just 2020 with a change of pajamas😑wear your mask and force others too🌝
#neowritingsnet#nct writers#kafenetwork#cznnet#nct scenarios#nct imagines#nct mafia#nct fluff#nct angst#nct arrange marriage#yuta scenarios#yuta imagines#yuta x reader#nct x reader#johnny scenarios#yuta mafia#nct reactions#yuta arrange marriage#nct smut#nct series
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dad!ateez: your instincts kick in this time
reader is female. kind of a second part to this but not really..? it could be read as a second part requested by an anon, i hope you enjoy it!
taglist: @ddeonghwva
Hongjoong:
You wake up to an empty bed and a loud clang in the kitchen. You reach over to the lamp beside you, blearily blinking away the sleep in your eyes as your ears pick up various giggling in the hallway. The digital clock beside the lamp read 2:30 am. It took you a couple of seconds to realize what was happening before you were jumping out of bed and storming towards the kitchen.
“Kim Hongjoong and Kim Junseo,” You grumble as you appear in the kitchen doorway.
The two loves of your life stopped what they were doing- which was currently mixing some espresso with a shot of some energy drink. You knew what this meant- your husband had no plan of sleeping yet and your son thought it would be a good idea to go along. But you, of course, weren’t having it.
“It was daddy’s idea,” The little boy said and pointed to his father the minute he saw your unamused expression.
“Yah, don’t sell me out like that-”
“It’s two-thirty in the morning. Go to sleep,” You lifted your finger before they could protest. “You need sleep, you’re still growing.” You tell your son before facing your husband. “And you, have been working overtime. Come on now misters- off to bed.”
The father and son pair decided to follow before you push them into bed. But as Junseo hops off the counter, he knocks the glass of espresso-energy drink cocktail down to the ground. Your body moved on its own accord before you could realize what happened, and grabbed the glass, spilling some of the content on the floor.
“Go to bed, I’ll clean this up.” You say when you come to your senses. “And please for the love of God, no more staying up.”
Seonghwa:
It was a sunny day in the amusement park. You, Seonghwa, and Hyojin were by the large slides. And of course, Seonghwa was taking pictures of his two beautiful models, whether candid or planned.
“Again, again!” Hyonjin cheered when she reached the end of the slide, standing up and clapping her hands. “But let’s do the big ones!”
“Are you sure you can handle that sweetie?” Your husband asks her as he helps her off the slide, fixing her little dress and the bow in her hair. He smiles when she nods and tugs on his and your hands to lead you to the slide she wanted.
She had definitely gotten this enthusiasm from you. She was always so ready to jump into things and try them, even if it seemed scary. He always called her his brave little princess for that. Sometimes he feels like he’d get a heart attack from what she does but as long as he or you was there, it was fine.
You and Seonghwa stay at the end of the slide and wave up to her when she reaches the top. She waves back energetically before sitting on the small mat that was given to her to help go down the rather enormous slide. As Hyonjin scoots forward, she lets out an excited holler, her long tresses flowing behind her as she zooms down towards you.
Unfortunately, she tried to slow down her descent by sticking her feet to the sides. And of course, by the law of inertia, the sudden stop makes her fly forward. Her face could have planted into the ground if you hadn’t jumped forward and caught her in your arms.
You both tumbled to the ground and Seonghwa immediately rushes over to you, ushering his two princesses to the side. “Are you two okay?” He says as he looks over the both of you.
Hyonjin, oblivious as ever, only nodded. “Mommy caught me so I’m okay.”
“I’m a little shaken,” You admit but the smile never leaves your face. “Maybe a kiss from my prince and my baby would help me feel better.”
Hyonjin only giggled and placed a big, wet kiss on your cheek. You chuckled at the ticklish feeling before Seonghwa cups your chin, gently turning your head to face him. He lovingly strokes your cheek before leaning in to press a short but sweet peck to your lips.
Yunho:
“Daddy look, it’s uncle Mingi!” Eun-jung, now nine years old, said from her spot on her father’s shoulder.
Yunho laughs as she indicates the giraffe in front of them. “Oh yeah, it does look like him.” He mused and handed her a short branch of leaves for her to feed to the creature.
Yunho turns to you while you were busy entertaining your son, Eun-sang. He was now three years old and can hold a conversation with people. It felt like only yesterday when his son was just born and his sister was begging to hold him.
“You enjoying the giraffes buddy?” Yunho asks his son.
“Mhmm! I wanna see something ewls too.” Eun-sang says.
“I’ll take him to see the koalas,” You tell Yunho. “Don’t give daddy a hard time, Eun-jung!”
“I won’t mommy,” She promises and waves goodbye to you.
You adjusted your hold on your son, lifting him up further, and started to walk to where the koala enclosure was. The two of you were so wrapped up in your conversation that you didn’t notice a couple of children running in your direction. Yunho’s eyes widened, realizing that the kids could barrel into you, making you fall.
“______, watch out!”
You turn at his voice, seeing the kids rushing at you. You jump to the side but you lose your footing, making you tumble to the ground. Your son grasps onto you but you swerve and fall onto your knees so that you don’t crush him under you. He looks up at you, wondering what had happened. “You okay mommy?” He asks and puts his small hand on your cheek
Your husband rushes to you, your daughter following alongside him and checking up on the both of you. Eun-jung, being the hands on older sister she was, took her brother from you while Yunho helped you up. “God, that was terrifying.” He admits and helps you brush off the dirt on your clothes. “But that was quick of you babe.”
“Mommy has Spider-Man refwekses.” Eun-sang giggles and you smirk up at your husband.
“HAH, I told you I had them too.”
Yeosang:
You cooed down to your daughter, Haneul, as she lay on her back on the changing table. She smiles up at you, hands outstretched as you cleaned her up and started changing her diaper. You handed her the chicken stick rattle that Yeosang gave her the month she could start holding things to distract her.
“Oh, that’s stinky!” Ji-ho complains as he passes by his little sister’s room, dragging his toy behind him.
“You’ll be on diaper changing duty one day, mister!” You call out to your son in amusement as you finish up.
You only chuckle to yourself when he protests, making you shake your head. You hum to yourself as you throw away all the used materials. “Where’s her shorts?” You ask yourself and momentarily turn away to get it.
But what you didn’t realize was that Haneul grew bored of her rattle and became impatient of just laying there. She cooed as she started to roll over, thinking that it was just another flat surface to crawl all over. The second she fell off the edge of the changing table was the second you turned back around to put it on her.
Your eyes widened and it felt like the whole world slowed down. You lunged forward and caught your baby in time before she could hit the ground. The force of the impact made her cry, causing you to snap out of your stupor. You cradle her to you, gently hushing her and leaning her head against your shoulder.
“It’s okay baby, mommy’s here,” You coo to her and pull away to kiss her head. “You’re such a little troublemaker aren’t you?”
San:
The sounds of giggles floated around the kitchen along with the clanging of cupboards. It was currently eight-thirty in the evening in the Choi household. Nari and Sooyun, both four and nine years old respectively, were in the kitchen, sneaking cookies from the cookie jar after managing to slip past their babysitter who was watching tv in the living room.
They were supposed to be asleep in their shared room and for a while they were. That was until the coast was clear and their babysitter returned to the living room. That meant to wake up from their fake sleep, grab some goodies from the kitchen, and head back into the room to snack on it.
Nari and Sooyun were now in their room, mouth, and teeth covered in chocolate while their little plastic cups were filled with strawberry milk. They giggled to themselves, high on success after sneaking past their babysitter. But that joy was short-lived when they heard the familiar rumble of the car’s engine in the driveway.
“Quick Nari!” Sooyun urges her sister and the two girls quickly cleaned up and disposed of their trash. They hastily taped the plastic bag full of Kisses Chocolates, thinking their parents wouldn’t find out, threw it in the fridge, and jumped into bed. The oldest girl turned off the lights and made sure things were in order before sleeping.
You and San come to check on your two angels after your little date night. But as soon you walked into the room, you knew something was off. You spot the little crumbs by the foot of Sooyun’s bed and the pink plastic cup that she had hastily shoved under it. You shake your head in amusement, walking over to pick it up as your husband kissed the two girls’ foreheads.
“Why do you have that?” San asks when he sees you with the cup. You say nothing, but nod your head towards your daughters. It took him a couple of seconds before he realized what had happened and he nodded in understanding.
“Oh well, I guess we won’t be going to the ice cream parlor tomorrow,” San sighs loudly, seeing the girls tense under their blankets. “I guess you and I will be the only ones to go. What do you say _____-”
“We’re sorry mommy!” Nari said, the first to cave in. She was sniffling as tears threatened to fall down her round cheeks. “Please take us to ice cream!”
Mingi:
You chuckle as Young-soo bounces on the mattress, cupping his dad’s cheeks when his father leans over him. Mingi settles his son in the middle of the mattress again while you stay on the other side, ready to catch him in the next few seconds. Your husband flops down onto the edge of the mattress, making the two-year-old boy fly up in the air and squeal in delight.
“Hold on, I have to head to the bathroom,” You say as you get up.
“Don’t take too long babe,” Mingi says as he pulls his son towards him and tickles his stomach.
You assure him and jog to the bathroom, leaving the two boys alone. For a while, Mingi entertains Young-soo by blowing raspberries into his stomach or cheeks and by tickling his sides. Joyous giggles fill the air but the boy soon grows bored of just being tickled.
“Up, up!” He tells his dad, shaking the man’s much larger hand.
“Let’s wait for mommy bud, it’s not safe.” He tells his son. The boy, sensing that he didn’t get what he wanted, started to burst into tears. Mingi cringes at the sound, trying his best to hush him. Eventually, he caves in when none of his attempts seem to work.
“Alright, alright. Just this once. But don’t tell your mom.” He says as he settles his son on the center of the mattress again.
Once more, he launches his son into the air but the little boy twists, making him go off course. And he would’ve fallen to the floor if you didn’t enter in time to catch him. You grab Young-soo by the arm and leg and pull him to you. “Oh my God- Song Mingi.”
“Baby he wanted it!” He tried to protest, only to see his son make a funny face at him.
Wooyoung:
“Good job kiddo,” Wooyoung says as he pats his son’s head.
Minjoon beams proudly up at his father, continuing with mixing the batter for their little cake meant for you. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he took after his father’s cooking skills- in fact he always made sure to mention it to his friends. And because he wanted to level up his skills to be on par with his dad’s he always made sure to practice whenever he could.
Minjoon hums as he rocks back and forth on the bar stool behind the counter. Wooyoung hears the creaking noise of the chair’s wood and reaches out to still his son’s actions. He didn’t want to have the high chair incident repeat again.
“You can’t sit still, now can you buddy?” The man teases his son, only to receive a pout.
“I’m not going to fall dad,” Minjoon argues but follows nonetheless. He only pouted more when his dad ruffled his hair and went back to what he was doing.
Eventually the two fell into routine again, exchanging some father-son banter and helping each other around the kitchen. The two grew focused on what they were doing that Wooyoung didn’t notice that his son started to rock back and forth on the seat again.
You walk into the kitchen a little later, a gentle smile on your face. You were about to ask what the two were doing when Minjoon tilts a little too backward, making the chair tip over in that direction. You drop whatever you were holding at that moment and rush to catch him.
Your son falls with a choked yell, landing into your arms as you both topple to the floor from the impact. Wooyoung ran from his spot by the stove, turning it to low heat first- you didn’t want a fire to start, and over to you. “What happened??”
You look up from your spot on the floor, your arms protectively wrapped around Minjoon. “The little rascal fell,” You breathed. You look down to your son and kiss his hair, letting out a relieved chuckle. “You have got to stop doing that, buddy.”
Jongho:
One of the perks of being an active family is that the kids are always entertained and you get to have fun at the same time. Exercise is just a bonus. Right now, you were in this bouncy house/parkour gym for people of all ages- a treat for your kids who managed to get high grades in class.
As of now, your twins were by a small area where some short wire-lines were set up for the zipline. It was the type of zipline where you hang by your hands, allowing you to jump into the pit filled with soft blue blocks. Jongho was on top with your son, Young-min, while you and your daughter, Young-soon, were at the foot of the zipline, cheering him on.
“Come on Young-min! You got this!” She encourages as she bounced around. She was always the more daring one between the two of them.
Jongho knelt by his son, cupping the back of his head. “You ready bud?” He asks gently.
The boy only nodded, both excitement and nerves filling his system. He brushes his sweaty palms against his pants and releases a curt sigh. His fingers then curled around the bars that the gym worker handed him, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“You don’t have to do it if you’re scared-”
“No, dad-” Young-min answers firmly. “I got this.”
He exhales and pushes off, feeling the wind whip against his face as he zipped down. He could faintly hear his sister’s cheers as he raced to the bottom. Unfortunately, he doesn't let go on time. So when he hits the metal stopper at the bottom of the zipline, the force of the impact causes him to launch forward, throwing him out of his hold on the zipline and away from the safety pit below.
You instinctively reached out, your body reacting before you could register what was happening, and pulled him towards you; you’ve practically saved him from potentially face planting into the ground. He looks shaken up when you help him to the ground, eyes wide with adrenaline.
“Are you okay?” You ask him, a bit worriedly, as you look over him for any pulled muscles.
All anxiety melts away when he beams widley and throws his hand up in the air. “AGAIN!”
#ateez#ateez x reader#ateez imagines#ateez fluff#ateez smut#kim hongjoong#kim hongjoong x reader#park seonghwa#park seonghwa x reader#jeong yunho#jeong yunho x reader#kang yeosang#kang yeosang x reader#san#san x reader#song mingi#song mingi x reader#jung wooyoung#jung wooyoung x reader#choi jongho#choi jongho x reader#fandomsonrequests
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Hiiiii! Here are this week's different questions lol
Not Yet Wed Questions
Note: Great Scott! This week, we are going back in time to MC’s intern year. Think of Ethan’s relationship with them at this point and answer the following questions accordingly. It is entirely up to you when in year 1 this takes place (pre/post Miami, pre/post CH 15, etc). Feel free to answer with dialogue or pictures or both :) Have fun!
No worries. All of this is off the record and HR will never know!
The setting for this answers is:
For Both
When I first saw them, I thought__________
What is your coworker's most used swear word?
Quick: What color are their eyes?
Three people at work your coworker hates?
What is your coworker’s strangest or most endearing quirk?
If they had a crush on anyone at work, who would that be?
(Bonus round! Feel free to skip.)
Never have I Ever:
come into work hungover
had a fistfight
been kicked out of a bar
gotten a tattoo
broken someone’s heart
been in love
For MC (Ethan is not there)
Where do you see him in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)
What do you find the most impressive about him?
Last thing he texted you?
If he asked you out on a date, what would you say?
For Ethan (MC is not there)
Where do you see him in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)
What specifically do you find attractive about her?
Last thing she texted you?
If she asked you out on a date, how would you respond?
Hello Hello Bree! My weekly dose of sunshine has arrived! 🤗
Sorry this took so long I am literally neck deep in assignments.
Anyways can I just say that these questions were just brilliant!! Book 1 is so close to our hearts and Ethan MC dynamic back in the day was priceless. 😂
Just a fair warning this contains a lot of pinching noses and rolling eyes because that's what book 1 Ethan used to do all the time. So now let the fun begin! 🤩
The setting for this answers is: Post Chap 15, before the ethics trial.
Ethan : Remind me again why I am doing this?
Meera : Because you are unemployed and have a lot of free time, also because I asked nicely? (with puppy eyes)
Ethan (Rolls eyes)
FOR BOTH
When I first saw them, I thought__________
*Both of them wait for each other to answer*
Ethan : You go first, this was your idea.
Meera : Oh boy. Why do I have the feeling you are going to hate me even more after this?
Ethan : I can't hate you more than I did when I first met you.
Meera (expectantly) : So you are saying the hatred for me has declined since then?
Ethan : Just answer the damn question.
Meera : Okay fine. I thought "why is this person being so rude to me? I am still a kid I am still learning. Such an asshole, gotta keep outta his path."
Ethan (looks at her amused) : I thought "ah shit here we go again. A new bunch of nerve wrecking idiotic interns incoming."
Meera (dramatically opens her mouth and places her hands on her chest) : Ouch! Rude!
Ethan (sly grin)
What is your coworker's most used swear word?
Meera : Jesus. Christ. Jesus Christ. He is religious that way. (winks)
Ethan : Very funny Rookie. She on the other hand has an explicit vocabulary in slangs but I think I have heard holy shit, holy cow, holy fuck the most.
Meera (excitedly) : See I am religious too. Also look at us twining in swears.
Quick: What color are their eyes?
Meera (immediately) : Ocean Blue! No, Celestial blue!
Ethan (looks at Meera, surprised)
Meera (suddenly concious) : Blue. Just plain simple blue.
Ethan (thinks for a moment)
Meera (puts a hand over her eyes)
Ethan : What are you doing?
Meera : I won't let you cheat.
Ethan : Cheat? I don't cheat.
Meera : Ofcourse the great Ethan Ramsey doesn't cheat. Then go ahead and ans---
Ethan : Dark brown.
Meera (impressed with him)
Three people at work your coworker hates?
Meera (heaves out a long dramatic sigh) : Ask me whom he doesn't?
Ethan : I tolerate most of them though.
Meera (chuckles) : I think it'll be Dr. Thorne, Dr. Myles and Dr. Hirata. Atleast these are the ones he complains about the most.
Ethan : Hmm. Fair enough. Bose here obviously hates that back stabbing "friend" whose name I'd rather die than learn. And I think Dr. Emery and Dr. Mirani also falls under this list.
Meera : Full point for the first one, but I think Aurora is a good person overall, she has some issues, which we need to work out. And I don't hate Zaid, I just don't like how he is always in a grumpy melancholic mood.
Ethan : Which is very justified of him given that he has to work with the interns the majority of his work hours.
What is your coworker’s strangest or most endearing quirk?
Meera : Easy, pinching the bridge of his nose and rolling his eyes when annoyed, which is all the time by the way.
Ethan : I think adjusting her glasses when it threatens to slip from her nose and forming her lips in a strange way when concentrating.
Bree : I am sorry doctor could you just explain the last part better.
Ethan (rolls his eyes and tries to do his best impression of Meera's pout)
Meera (chuckles) : That's not how it's done, Ethan. This is how it's done (pouts)
Ethan : Yeah same thing.
If they had a crush on anyone at work, who would that be?
Ethan : Crush? What are we? Highschool students? I am not answering that. (prepares to leave)
Meera : I think it might be Dr. Emery.
Ethan (stops short on his way out, turns around and takes a seat again) : Really Rookie? Fine you want to know her crush? It's that scalpel jockey, or that paramedic guy she is so friends with or maybe that other Indian intern roomate she has.
Meera : What! No. They are my friends. What made you think that?
Ethan : What made you think Harper is my crush?
Bree : Okay doctors let's move on to the next round.
Never have I Ever:
come into work hungover
Meera : Nope!
Ethan : Never. We are doctors we might get someone loose their life.
had a fistfight
Meera : Yes.
Ethan (looks at her unbelievingly) : I thought you were the harmless kind.
Meera (smugly) : I am mostly harmless, untill you get on my bad side. What about you?
Ethan : I'll have to say no.
Meera : You punched Nash though.
Ethan : He didn't punch me back, so doesn't count Rookie.
been kicked out of a bar
Meera : Unfortunately yes.
Ethan : Unfortunately yes too.
Meera : What?! The great Ethan Ramsey?
Ethan : Stop calling me that. I am a human afterall and I had some very stupid friends back in med school.
gotten a tattoo
Ethan : No.
Meera : Yes.
Ethan (smirks)
broken someone’s heart
Meera : Not that I know off
Ethan : I am not proud of it but yes.
been in love
Ethan : No.
Meera : Expected. For me it's yes. Maybe it didn't last but I can't say what we had wasn't love.
For Meera (Ethan is not there)
Where do you see him in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)
He thinks he won't practice medicine anymore because he can't solve Naveen's case but I know he won't be able to resist helping people and ofcourse that is what Naveen always wanted. So, professionally, he is doing wonders. Inspiring thousands of hearts, guiding hundreds of young doctors and saving millions of lives. The diagnostic team has becomes globally recognised. He has written another book or two. Maybe won the Lasker Awards.
Personally, I hope he is happy and not lonely. He needs someone by his side. Someone who can tolerate his sarcasm and critisisim. Someone who will put a smile on his face when he wakes up beside her. Maybe he'll have a family, if that someone is really strong-willed. (let's out a dry laugh)
What do you find the most impressive about him?
His passion for what he does. He just lights up and enrapts the entire room when he speaks about medicine. And I just get lost in the sea of passion in his eyes. Also his stubbornness and unwillingness to give up is really impressive.
Last thing he texted you?
I'll show you wait.
He ordered about half a dozen books on Medical Law and Ethics for me.
If he asked you out on a date, what would you say?
(stays silent for a long time)
I don't think so he will. Like the chances are really really thin but trust me if he does I wouldn't dare say no. (colour rises to her cheeks)
But yes that's in a different world. A world in which we don't live. (sighs wistfully)
For Ethan (Meera is not there)
Where do you see her in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)
If she manages to save her lisence she'll be a wonderful doctor. She'll save innumerable lives and be one of the brightest stars in medicine. I am sure she'll secure a spot on the DT and maybe even lead it someday. She'll make me proud. (smiles genuinely)
Personally I hope she'll be with someone who loves her more than anything and that she is with literally anybody else but that scalpel jockey. She'll have a loving caring partner who'll cook her meals when she comes home from a twelve hour shift. She'll have amazing friends especially the ones she has now. They really love her and they didn't think twice before helping her out with Mrs. Martinez's case.
Maybe she'll have a family. A few kids who will also grow up to show a stunning reflection of their mother.
What specifically do you find attractive about her?
Ethan : I can't say attractive but I'll say I like her personality. She has a magnetic one that makes sure to turn heads any time she walks into a room. Also I love that she cares so deeply about people and she is willing to go out of her way to put a smile on these people's face. Like for example Mrs. Martinez.
Bree : So is this "like" or "love"?
Ethan : Did I? Did I just say love? I am so sorry I meant like.
Bree : Could you enlist something physically attractive about her?
Ethan : If I have to. I'd say I love, er... like, like her laughter. It literally brightens the entire room. (blushes)
Last thing she texted you?
"Thank you Ethan"
If she asked you out on a date, how would you respond?
(sighs) I would feel lucky to go on a date with her, but right now in this situation? It's too complicated. I can't jeopardize her career, so it's a no form me, despite my actual feelings.
This was so fun! Thank you once again @jamespotterthefirst
Tagging my usual : @starrystarrytrouble @mm2305 @charisworld @choicesfanaf @potionsprefect @genevievemd @shanzay44 @little-flowers-on-heaven @schnitzelbutterfingers @coffeeheartaddict @gryffindordaughterofathena @chemist-ana @adiehardfan @custaroonie @ireneadlerisseggsy @takemyopenheart @natureblooms24 @mainstreetreader @izzyourresidentlawyer @a-crepusculo @quixoticdreamer16 @starryeyedrookie @barbean
Please let me know if you want to be added or removed. And if you want to sit out only the answers to the ask games hit me up too. There won't be any hard feelings. I promise. 💜
#newlyweds game with our host bree#queen bree supremacy!#ethan x meera#asked and answered#messrprongs
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Not sure if you already talked about this. (I’m pretty sure you have) but someone seemed to notice that when the trio get into fights, Hermione’s always in the right. Even when she’s supposed to be wrong she always seems to be half right. That kind of bothers me. Especially since it’s evident in the whole Scabbers situation.
I have indeed, on Quora, so let’s move yet another answer of mine to Tumblr!
Hermione is seldom wrong in the Harry Potter books. Sometimes she makes mistakes but those mistakes are either completely swept under the rug or downright ignored.
It’s partly due to lazy writing and partly due to Rowling’s own growing bias in favour of her Author Avatar that was fuelled by Steve Kloves, the primary advocate of the Hermione Granger Is The Perfect Girl Ever line of thinking (an utterly ridiculous line of thinking mind you).
Lizo: Steve, Hermione is a character that you have said is one of your favorites. Has that made her easier to write?
Steve: Yeah, I mean, I like writing all three, but I've always loved writing Hermione. Because, I just, one, she's a tremendous character for a lot of reasons for a writer, which also is she can carry exposition in a wonderful way because you just assume she read it in a book. If I need to tell the audience something...
JKR: Absolutely right, I find that all the time in the book, if you need to tell your readers something just put it in her. There are only two characters that you can put it convincingly into their dialogue. One is Hermione, the other is Dumbledore. In both cases you accept, it's plausible that they have, well Dumbledore knows pretty much everything anyway, but that Hermione has read it somewhere. So, she's handy.
Now this, right here, is the exact core of the problem.
Rowling herself admits it: if she wants the readers to have information, she puts Hermione in the scene. Hermione is our primary means of exposition because, like *grits teeth* Sssssteve puts it, it’s easy to assume that she’s read about it somewhere and it makes sense.
That’s all well and good but at first, if you notice, Ron also gave us exposition about the wizarding world, mostly about its culture. He was able to recall the exact year of the Wizarding Confederation that outlawed dragon breeding in Philosopher’s Stone! He explained what were respectively a “Mudblood”, a “Squib”, and Parseltongue, Hermione doing a little exposition about the history of that last one! He was also able to identify Sirius, after being dragged into the Whomping Willow, as an Animagi!
But then Goblet of Fire happens and you can notice the first change that will exponentially grow through the books: instead of Ron, pureblood Ron, born-before-the-end-of-the-war Ron, lived-through-the-aftermath-of-the-war Ron, identifying the Dark Mark, it’s instead Hermione, muggleborn Hermione, lived-as-a-Muggle-for-most-of-her-life Hermione, has-no-idea-about-the-emotional-impact-of-the-Mark Hermione who looks terrified as the Dark Mark shoots into the sky!
And it only will get worse, by the end of the series, Hermione pretty much knows about everything the plot needs her to know, instead of having to work with things she knows but can’t always apply to the situation:
Suddenly has a deep knowledge of Magical Law (in the will of Dumbledore’s chapter, while we had Rufus Scrimgeour who could have provided it to us, or to a lesser extent, Ron could have explained how a wizarding will basically worked)
Is suddenly an expert at finding edible plants and mushrooms. Apparently books are always the goddamn answer in JKR’s world, you can literally learn anything from them
She can decipher all the Tales of Beedle the Bard (may I remind you that they were written in Runes, okay Hermione may have a few years of Ancient Runes education BUT I once tried to translate a 3k+ story I had written for fun, from French to English, which means I knew what the subtleties and intentions were, I knew which turns of phrase I had to preserve so it would make sense in the end, and it still took me two gruelling weeks to get a satisfying result!)
Has suddenly grown a sense of quick-thinking (escaping Xenophilius’ house, using the jinx to make Harry’s face weird-looking) despite it being the only remaining flaw she had at the time (remember when she turned her back on her enemy while he was still conscious just to compliment Harry, and almost died as a result, even though she had been training in the DA to learn how to fight Death Eaters?) Quick-thinking under pressure can be learned, but it takes time and a lot of work to force your brain to override its instinct - and it’s fine because we’re all human and different. But no suddenly Hermione is the Greatest Strategist Evah™ and those silly boys (who actually were the original quick-thinking ones, and one of them was established as the strategist early on) better be grateful for this literal goddess because she protects them from all harm with her superhuman brain.
Somehow knows about Quidditch stuff - she knows about a Snitch’s “memory-touch”. Why should she give all the answers? Why can’t Ron give us this particular tidbit of information?
And then when we come to something Ron actually knows, the damn narration itself goes “woah a book that Ron has read but Hermione hasn’t??? shocking!! incredible!! Ron is not dumb, somebody call the news channel”. But… is that really so surprising? We’ve never seen Hermione read wizarding fiction or even Muggle fiction. We’ve never seen Hermione with anything other than schoolbooks in her hands. Of course Ron has read books she hasn’t read since she doesn’t seem to read fiction at all!
Sorry, bit of a tangent over here.
There are only two characters that you can put it convincingly into their dialogue.
So, that’s one part of the problem: the fact that Rowling, after making Ron our insight into magical culture and Hermione our provider of knowledge, ended up saying “eh whatever I guess Hermione can tell us everything we gotta know because it’s more convenient for me”. Which is a decision that was not based on Hermione’s character, but simply lazy writing. Long story short, it probably went: “Could Ron explain this bit of trivia? Meh, better make Hermione say it cause she’ll have read it in a book. It’s convenient and I won’t need to bother myself with exploring Ron’s characterisation.”
(And thus completely forgetting that Ron could maybe ask his big brothers via owl and provide us with a good heap of extra advanced knowledge - Bill is supposed to have aced his NEWTs after all.)
The other part of the problem is quite simply that Hermione is more often than not, either painted as a victim by the narrative (which makes more people take her side, classic manipulation tactic), or made to be right anytime it’s about a plot point.
Hermione’s mistakes are never explicitly stated, corrected, or even pointed out as being unethical.
Hermione only gets one mistake expressedly pointed out as being a mistake: her misadventure in Polyjuice Potion. The rest of them? Even her crush on Lockhart can’t be counted as a mistake - people get crushes all the time, based solely on physical appearance, it’s not something awful or terrible (Except when it’s Ron who crushes on someone. Ron crushing on someone is absolutely forbidden, and he must be punished with much ridicule and humiliation if he thinks he can get away with not worshipping Hermione like the goddess she is. The nerve of him, really.).
Throughout the books Hermione eventually morphs into Rowling’s Powerful Angel of Vengeance, that punishes the people who dared to do something she disliked - Rita is silenced but at a very ethically dubious price; Marietta gets scarred for life because she was more loyal to her mother than to a bunch of people her friend insisted she hang out with; Umbridge is led to a very, very alarming fate that is never made clear but some people have ideas and they’re not all very kid-friendly; Ron first is “helped” without knowing it because Hermione can’t be bothered to have faith in his capabilities, then when he fails to dutifully reward her for “helping” him, she causes him bodily harm before actively bullying him for not mind-reading her interest in him; causes even more bodily harm to Ron because that’s how feminism works; etc.
Hermione’s mistakes are always justified through the plot itself (which is lazy writing).
Turning into a cat? Only affects her.
The Firebolt? Scabbers? Well, in the end, it was really sent by Sirius Black and Crookshanks really wasn’t the culprit. Therefore all the feelings that were hurt and all the trust lost are irrelevant because Hermione was right all along.
Trying to free the house-elves? Well, it’s the intent that counts, right? And we’re never told enough about house-elf lore to know whether they’re poor brainwashed victims or powerful Penate-like symbiotes who need to serve a wizard to survive?
Kidnapping Rita Skeeter, trapping her and blackmailing her? Rita may be one foul little beetle, but that’s going a bit far, isn’t it? Harry approves? Oh, well, I guess it’s okay then…? A main character can’t have a dubious morality, right?
Manipulating Harry into forming Dumbledore’s Army and forcing him to relive a traumatic event with the same woman she’s kidnapped and blackmail and that she knows he hates? In the end, it all works out for the best and Harry’s hurt feelings don’t matter since it’s all about the greater good.
Using the centaurs to get rid of Umbridge (which poses the highly distressing question of what did the centaurs do to her?), realizing that the centaurs aren’t nice little horsies that are going to gently obey her every orders like good Disney princess’ companions, my goodness could this be an opportunity for character growth - nevermind, here comes Grawp the Giant Ex Machina, saving her arse and protecting Hermione from all that scary possibility of introspection. Thanks, Grawp Ex Machina.
Trying to dissuade a highly stressed-out and irrational Harry from rescuing Sirius by telling him exactly what he needed not to hear, a.k.a. “you have a saving people-thing” which causes Harry to completely go bonkers and go save his godfather without thinking twice? Well she was right after all, it was a trap! Nevermind how mind-boggingly insenstive and inadept at dealing with someone else’s feelings she was being, she was right! That means it wasn’t Hermione’s mistake!… probably. (Geez, I’m sensing a pattern here…)
Endangering Cormac’s life (Confunding him WHILE HE’S ON HIS BROOM) to promote Ron’s success? Oh but that’s so romantic! (Yeaaaah, how romantic to display exactly how much faith you lack in your crush. Top it off with a broken neck and that’s a picture perfect first date!)
Assaulting Ron with magic and causing him even more scars than he already had? But he was being cold with her first, right? And he totally should have known she was asking him out! It’s not like her invitation was even worse than his attempt to ask her out two years earlier! Plus she’s just a teenage girl expressing her emotions, anyone who tries to find fault in this is a disgusting abusive misogynist pig! Ha!
Getting all jealous that Harry is better than her at Potions, then pretending she’s not jealous by claiming that TEH BOOK IS EVIL, HARRY, and giving him the cold shoulder too? But no, she’s right, look, Harry used Sectumsempra and he almost killed Draco, nevermind that he’s very horrified about it! Hermione was right, like she always is!
Hermione Obliviating her parents, which pulls her from the “ethically dubious” zone into the “wow okay I’m pretty sure that this counts as a violation of basic human rights” zone, makes her one of those quirky wizardfolk who have the privilege to control those simple-minded Muggles because it’s for the greater good? But nooo she’s crying about it so it’s obviously very sad and angsty and it shows her devotion to the cause!
Splinching Ron while fleeing from the Ministry? Eeeh, but he’s fine, they’ve got Dittany, he’s good as new!… blood loss? Anaemia? What’s that?
Hermione was wrong about the Deathly Hallows not existing? Um, um, that doesn’t matter, LOOK DOBBY IS DEAD AND HARRY IS BACK TO LOOKING FOR THE HORCRUXES!! Therefore Hermione was right, the Hallows weren’t important for their quest, therefore the Hallows might as well not exist, HERMIONE WAS RIGHT NO REALLY I’VE GOT RECEIPTS -
The books never forget to remind Harry and Ron of their own shortcomings and moments of weakness.
Harry’s wrath and recklessness cost Sirius his life. This is the lesson he has to learn from his entitled behaviour in OotP: actions have consequences, and the greater your responsibility, the greater the cost will be.
Ron’s envy and insecurity lead him astray; they’re used to humiliate, ridicule and torture him throughout the books. They’re supposed to teach him that he’s worth something - but how is he supposed to believe that, when nobody ever tells him he’s worth anything? When nobody ever apologizes to him? When his feelings are taken for granted over and over? When his two friends seem to discard him whenever he does one thing wrong?
Hermione is never punished. Hermione is never said to be wrong, never shown to be wrong, never called out on her behaviour. From Prisoner of Azkaban to mid-Deathly Hallows, she stays exactly the same character. She doesn’t grow up. She doesn’t learn. She doesn’t change. She has virtually no character arc.
The only time, THE ONLY TIME IN SEVEN BOOKS, the only time we have something remotely resembling a call-out of Hermione’s horrible behaviour is with this sole quote in HBP:
Harry was left to ponder in silence the depths to which girls would sink to get revenge.
Note how it’s about “girls” and not Hermione in particular, which implies that any girl would do what Hermione does to Ron. Thanks for the generalization, JKR, but I like to believe I’m actually a decent sort of person that doesn’t resort to petty cruelty and exploits my friends’ insecurities whenever I’m angry with them.
Hermione NEVER has to apologize. Hermione NEVER has to learn from her mistakes because she’s always presented as a victim when she really isn’t. Hermione NEVER develops into something more - she’s emotionally stuck at fourteen years old. Even less than that when you consider that her reaction to Ron’s return in Deathly Hallows is to trash him with her fists - and she was going to get her wand!! The utter psychopathic b- wanted TO THROW BIRDS AT HIM AGAIN!!! - and this reaction is an appropriate one for a four-years old girl, but certainly not for a supposedly “mature” seventeen-years old.
(Yes, because what separates a child from an adult is the ability to reign in your emotions and not succumb to your impulses. Exactly what Ron did when he left the tent (notice that he had drawn his wand, then he left before he could start hexing Harry), he left to calm himself down. Exactly what Hermione fails to do when Ron returns (she has the impulse to strike him and immediately succumbs to it, which proves to us that The Brightest Witch Of Her Age has all the maturity of a very small child).)
All of that, on top of the awful portrayal in the movies which removes all of Ron’s characteristics to stuff them into Hermione and turns her into some impossible epitome of perfection, eventually contributed to the portrayal of Hermione as the one who is always right and knows everything.
Add to it JKR’s own ridiculous bias (“Ron was quite emotionally immature compared to the other two”, yeah right I don’t see him trying to force freedom onto unwilling creatures or making Harry fly into an irrational rage with mere words but you do you, Jo) and the sexist misconception that “girls are innately more mature than boys”, and you get yourself this apparent behemoth of righteousness that was literally the sole reason why those two silly boys survived everything, and don’t you dare criticize this angel of perfection OR ELSE.
#vivi answers#ask#hermione granger critical#hermione granger#hermione critical#harry potter series#ron weasley#jk rowling#anti jk rowling
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I Might Just be Convinced (Alyssa Naeher x Solo!Reader)
Request 1: Alyssa Naeher x reader? Maybe reader is hope solo little sister.
Request 2: alyssa x reader kinda like the one you did for lindsey where she helps reader with breakup with christen?
Authors Note: Hey dudes, I combined these two requests because it felt the most natural to me. I hope you enjoy! Hit me up with Requests, Questions or if you just want to say hi! I promise i don’t bite! I hope you enjoy!
The amber liquid burned as it slid down your throat, and you sighed at the feeling. You never understood why Kelley liked this stuff. It didn’t taste good, but you supposed that that wasn’t the point. Your loan to Arsenal had just been announced, and your sister-in-law and teammates had insisted that you all needed to get drunk and celebrate. You just weren’t into it. You would have much preferred sitting in bed with a good book, and maybe some Netflix.
“Hey, baby Solo,” Alyssa’s voice broke you out of your lamenting about the night that could have been, as she saddled up to the bar next to you, wrapping an arm over your shoulder.
“I fucking hate that nickname,” You groaned, dowing the rest of your drink and holding your hand up for another. “That’s all I ever am. Hope’s little sister,” You grumbled, leaning forward on the bar and placing your head in your hands.
“Is that why you’re running away to London?” Alyssa chuckled at your childishness, and you huffed. That was part of it. Hope had never played for Arsenal, and you were desperately looking for a fresh start. A start where you could showcase your skills and not be compared to her. Maybe that’s why you were a forward and not the head of the Department of Defense. But there was more to your decision.
“That’s part of it,” You hummed, thanking the bartender as he handed you a fresh drink, turning to look at Alyssa.
“I’m guessing that Preath is the other part of that?” She questioned, raising her eyebrow at you. Your cheeks tinted pink and you glanced over her shoulder to where Christen and Tobin were dancing. You saw Tobin’s hand placed so carefully on her hips, holding her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Christen was looking at her like she had hung the moon and stars. You had to look away when she leaned up to place a kiss on the slightly taller girl’s lips.
“We weren’t dating, so Chris can do whatever she wants,” You grumbled, taking a sip of the terrible beer that Kelley had suggested.
“You sure about that kid?” Alyssa questioned, placing a hand on your shoulder, her thumb running soothing circles on the back of your neck. You sighed at the feeling, allowing yourself to relax.
“I don’t think you can count random hookups as dating” You mumbled.
You and Christen were best friends. She was one of the only people in the world who hadn’t made assumptions about you because of who you were related to. She was a calming force to your raging anxiety, and she had been the one to comfort you after you missed the PK at the Olympics when even your own sister wasn’t talking to you. Things had progressed and you found yourselves in a friends with benefits relationship, and for a long time that had been fine.
You knew that she was still very much hung up on Tobin, who was being an ass about commitment, and she knew that you were too afraid to chase the keeper who you were in love with.
It didn’t make it suck any less when Christen told you that the more… intimate side of your relationship had to stop. She had tried to be kind, but the only words that you could hear over and over in your head were that you didn’t make her feel the things that Tobin did. That she didn’t love you like she loved Tobin. That the two of you couldn’t just go back to being regular friends.
That had been the worst part. You knew that you would always be second to Tobin, but losing Christen as a friend had been a crushing blow. So you did what you do best, you had requested a trade to anywhere that wasn’t Utah, and Arsenal had taken the bate.
“You don’t sound bitter at all,” Alyssa Snorted, ruffling your hair good-naturedly. You supposed you were on some level, but another glance at the happy couple had you shaking your head.
“I’m not. You can tell just by the way they look at each other that they’re sickeningly in love. We didn’t have that, and she deserves that,” You said softly, making eye contact with the goalkeeper. Her eyes softened at the honesty she saw in your Y/E/C orbs. You were always selling yourself short.
“You deserve that too,” She murmured, using the back of her hand to brush a strand of hair behind your ear. A light shade of pink dusted your cheeks. Christen may have also pointed out your obvious feelings for the soft-spoken keeper. But why would she want you? She was always the second choice when Hope was in the room. Why would she want to be with someone who was related to the person who made her feel like you always felt?
“Now you sound like Kelley,” You pouted, and Alyssa felt the corners of her lips tick up at your cuteness.
“Squirrel has a point. You deserve someone who will treat you as well as Tobin treats Chris, or Kelley treats your sister. Someone who will hold you whether you’re happy or sad, or clothed or not,” She said seriously, cupping your face with her warm hands, and you looked anywhere but her eyes.
“Someone who will defend a goal so I can take PK’s at three am?” You asked seriously, remembering all of the times that she had come to find you one the field at odd hours. The pitch was the only place that you felt free, and it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for you to sneak out of camp to fire some balls at a goal. It let you think through your problem and mediated your legendary quick temper. And Alyssa always came to find you, no matter how late you stayed out.
“Someone who will defend you as well as she defends goals if you give her the chance,” She said shyly. It was then that you noticed how close your lips had gotten to her’s. You could feel each breath fan over your face. For once in your life, you stopped overthinking, and you leaned up to close the distance.
Her lips were soft as they moved against yours. They taste like her beer and something that was just so… Alyssa. Her tongue hesitantly pressed against your bottom lip, asking for permission to deepen the kiss, and you gave it to her. Your tongues danced together in perfect harmony like they were made for each other, and you felt something click into place inside you. How long had you been dreaming of this moment, too afraid to take this risk? You pulled away when the need for air became an issue, placing a sweet peck on her lips after a few seconds.
“I’d really like that” You whispered against her skin, and you felt her chuckle. Her fingers tangled in the baby hairs at the back of your neck as she pulled you so you were practically sitting in her lap as she connected your lips again.
“Think you can be convinced to not move all the way to London? That way we can see if this thing will work?” She mumbled against your lips. You sighed into the kiss, pulling away to look her in the eyes and chucking when she tried to chase your lips with her own. Technically your trade to Arsenal wasn’t final until the morning, and with a couple of calls, you could change your acceptance to the offer Chicago had sent you. It wasn’t as fresh of a start as you would have wanted but perhaps it was the start of something new.
“I might be persuaded,” You chucked, pulling her back into you. If anyone was going to change your mind, it was the girl in front of you. She was your fresh start, and she was going to show you what a real relationship was, and why you weren’t just Hope’s little sister.
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redeemed
pairing | m!raleigh x mc
word count | 6.6k
warnings | cursing, innuendos, mentions of sex
tags | @natesewell, @choicesarehard, @empressazura, @raleighcarrera, @pixeljazzy, @pixelsandkink [tagging people who usually ask to be tagged !]
author’s note | i’ve talked about this before but i’m not a huge fan of the platinum mc’s personality, so i’ve kind of crafted my own that’s quite a bit more rebellious than canon. i’m obsessed with the idea of an mc who’s romancing raleigh and falls into the same pattern of behavior and it genuinely concerns them – so yeah i play with that idea here! i deviate from canon some but not too much ! this is my submission for day 2 of @platinumweekend as well ! also i had no idea how to end this so i apologize for the fizzle out at the end lol
•─────────────────•
As soon as he stepped off stage, he was shuffled to his tour bus, Fiona on his heels. She looked like the human embodiment of rage in a grey blazer, a look in her eye that made him thankful he wasn’t the one it was directed at – or at least he hoped he wasn’t the reason she was two seconds away from a murderous rampage.
She slammed the door behind her, locking it, running to the windows and closing the curtains, peeking out at the paparazzi that no doubt had already tried flocking at the edges of the blocked off area where the bus was parked.
“Damn, what’s the problem? Can’t I at least get my food from craft services? Jesus,” he complained, grabbing a bottle of water from the fully stocked mini fridge, downing it while Fiona frantically ran around the bus, turning off every electrical device in sight.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
She wheeled on him, a few strands of her hair sticking to her lips. “We’ve got a problem.”
“Yeah, you won’t let me go get my fuckin’ overpriced grilled cheese that I know is waiting for me,” he jabbed his thumb towards the venue. “At craft services.”
She eyed him, pupils wide, her anger nearly palpable. “It’s bigger than food.”
He ran a hand through his damp hair, some strands completely drenched in sweat. “Lay it on me.”
And the three words that fell from her lips were soul crushing, his post-show high wearing off in an instant.
“Dom’s been arrested.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He sat up, posture rigid. “What happened?”
“Not here. We’ll talk on the plane,” Fiona said, twisting the knob of the closet door, grabbing the black duffel bag on the ground. She tossed it at his feet, motioning for him to stand. “The jet leaves in an hour. I packed for you.”
“The plane? Where is she?” He was getting more and more frustrated, nearing hysterics. He should’ve felt a bit more shame about how worked up he was getting, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.
Fiona took notice, her fiery gaze softening at the edges, the blue flames flickering across his face. “Not here, Raleigh.”
He slung the duffle bag on his shoulder, walking to the door.
“Wait –” Fiona said, leaning over the couch to pull the curtain to the side, peering out again. “I paid off a security guard to distract the paparazzi. And when he does, we have to run to the car that’s gonna pull up any minute now – undetected,” she shot back at him, her icy gaze warning.
Within minutes, a security guard with a similar build to Raleigh sprinted towards the venue, jacket over his head, paparazzi on his heels.
With the camera’s flashing finally pointed away, they were able to slide into the back of the cab, thankful that Hank had connections everywhere. The driver rolled up the barrier without question as soon as Fiona tossed him a wad of cash that she’d fished out of a plain leather pouch.
She shook the pouch, her lips set in a thin line. “You know what this is?”
“A purse?” He asked, brows furrowed. “Is this some kind of fuckin’ trick?”
“It’s an emergency fund. Cash. Not traceable.”
She shook her head, dropping the pouch into her lap, before pinching the bridge of her nose. “When Dom first started getting into trouble, I had to pay off a few people here and there, but when it became more frequent, I had to actually sit her down with her accountant and sort this out.”
“Sort… what out?”
“How much money she needed to allocate to her… antics,” she rolled her eyes, propping her elbow on the back of her seat, hand pressed to her forehead.
She looked drained. Fiona never looked disheveled, but he sensed this was the closest she’d be to it.
“If it’s money she needs, that’s fine. Lemme call my agent –”
“There’s only so much cash I can hand people under the table before it becomes a problem. Not just financially, put publicly,” she sighed, chewing the inside of her cheek. “I’ve been able to cover up the smaller mishaps, but this, I’m afraid, might be the start of something… much worse than disorderly conduct.”
“You gonna tell me her charges?” His jaw set in anticipation, already running through a list of the best lawyers in L.A. that got him off from potentially hefty lawsuits.
Her short locks swayed as she shook her head. “I don’t think it’s my place to tell you.”
He blew air out of his cheeks, leaning into the corner of the cab, legs splayed wide as he tried to take a nonchalant stance. “Can you at least tell me where we’re going?”
“You’ll be glad you have a bedroom, shower, and fridge on the plane,” she said with another shake of her head.
––––
Raleigh laid in bed, aimlessly scrolling through his burner account.
He never really cared for social media under the public eye. Every post of his was either related to tour or the series of brand deals for products he never used. Each page was a personified advertisement – some shit he regretted signing up for.
One drunken night, his curiosity got the best of him and he found himself making a pretty inconspicuous profile, following some funny internet personalities and political commentators. And although he had plans to delete it, once Dom came into the picture, he unabashedly lurked.
He followed her on all platforms, and when he had the chance, he watched her stories, voted in her daily polls, and occasionally scrolled through her old instagram photos.
This time in particular, though, he was looking for something specific without really knowing if there was an answer.
He scrolled to her first post, hundreds down, smiling at high school Dom. Thick eyeliner, layered hair, brace-adorned grin – she was a poster child of adolescence.
Photos of her with Shane at pep rallies, in Halloween costumes, in prom formal wear filled the screen, later transitioning to senior portraits, graduation photos, and dorm photos. A setting of picturesque normality as Dom grew into herself, growing out her choppy layers, softening her makeup, her gleaming smile lighting up each photo.
She grew more beautiful with each year, each little phase of her life coming with a new style, a new little identity or association, Dom’s willingness to try new things the reason she was able to break free from her small town.
God, was Raleigh so fucking envious of this imperfect little portion of her Instagram. If someone were to look this far back for him, there’d be photoshoots and magazine spreads and paparazzi photos all neatly planned. The shaky off-guard photos, the unedited red eyes, the off guard photos, the expressions they made in them… it was something Raleigh never had the chance to do.
Being in the business for ten years, everything was pristine, crisp – always smiling or smoldering, no in between. Sexy and rugged or smiling and happy. Like he had two modes and he wasn’t ever able to exercise those other parts of himself because being in front of the camera was restrictive – while Dom was able to be unabashedly herself.
He was breaking shit just to feel something, to have some range of emotions even if it was a stupid fucking publicity stunt where he damaged property or made out with another politician’s daughter or attempted irreparable blows to his public image.
The more recent the posts, the more calculated her photos got, the phrase “ad” showing up more and more. But even with a skincare brand deal, her step-by-step skincare routine video was on brand for Dom, her bright smile and wit always present in everything she did.
But Raleigh couldn’t help but feel like parts of her were slipping away.
Her online persona was still pretty crisp, except for her style shift – tattoos, a couple piercings, and some edgier photoshoots signified a tonal shift in Dom’s aesthetic, but nothing he hadn’t seen before.
Hell, when he used his first innuendo on his solo album, there was widespread outrage on Sunset Skatepark fan forums, ripping into him for singing about using his dick (even though he was definitely an adult and definitely not a virgin).
But other than her general style, nothing was different. Nothing to indicate this downward spiral that Fiona kept a secret.
Where’s the shift? He thought to himself as he scrolled to the top. When the hell did she start changing for the worse?
She’d come a long way from her clean songs that didn’t require a radio edit. He felt a pang of something in his chest –– regret, maybe? Was he the reason she’d changed?
The questions sent him into a near tailspin, his pulse quickening at the realization.
He was the problem.
She’d since deleted her photos with Raleigh, because their breakup was so public, but he could tell that the shift happened right around the time she started spending more time with him.
He’d been a mentor of sorts, opposite of Avery, showing her the ropes… which meant that he was teaching her how to evade the press, fuck with the paparazzi, pick out industry plants – the whole nine yards.
She was impulsive, daring, adventurous, fearless – all the qualities he liked in himself. But he never thought those traits would take a negative turn, morphing her into a rebel with an affinity for breaking laws.
He could blame himself all he wanted, but he couldn’t blame her for taking the same route he took.
He knew it better than anybody – it was hard to shift the public’s persona of you. Once you did something horrible to make them hate you, either the rebrands and ass kissing worked, or you get written off by everyone.
Raleigh Carrera was a special case, a wild card of sorts who toed the line, unpredictable, both with his craft and his behavior. The nastier his lyrics, the crazier his publicity stunts were, the more polarizing he was.
And that was no doubt the route Dom was on, heading towards an inevitable press nightmare – if people were to find out the home grown rags-to-riches Dominique Avalos dove headfirst into her rebellious phase with no smooth transition, she wouldn’t be able to Google herself for months without having a panic attack.
She’d changed drastically, but that’s what fame did to people. Some people cracked under the pressure, or they rebelled to show the public they were in control of their narrative… or that they desperately wanted it back.
He took a shaky breath, swiping out of the app.
He wasn’t sure if he could save her, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t gonna try.
––––
The moment the jet touched down, Fiona was in full manager mode, adamant on abandoning his phone, stressing the importance of going off the grid.
“If anyone finds out you’re here, they’ll be able to put two and two together. Why else would you be in the same country as Dom when you’re supposed to be heading towards New York for your next show?” She asked, hand outstretched.
“I hate it when you’re right,” he grumbled, tossing his phone into her palm. “Where are we exactly?”
“I can’t tell you,” she sighed, looking exhausted. He had a gut feeling she hadn’t slept a wink since they’d boarded the plane.
“Why not?”
“It’s a bit safer that way.”
He scoffed. “You’re serious? Look, I’m not exactly thrilled to pull the A-List celebrity card, but this is borderline kidnapping.”
“Let’s just say you might be able to pick up on some of the language,” she said, turning on her heel to exit the plane.
Within minutes, they were pulling onto a dirt backroad, the small houses they passed barely casting shadows onto the ground.
The town itself was seemingly innocuous – the tiny brick houses riddled with dust, the stone paths lining the road cracked and deserted. The tiny town had turned in for the night, their old Sedan sticking out like a sore thumb despite the old model.
Raleigh squirmed in his seat, twisting the expensive watch on his wrist. He fucking hated this.
No matter where he went, he was noticed in some capacity – so wearing a Rolex and Cartier rings in a small village in the middle of nowhere just made him look pretentious.
He slipped the rings and watches off, shoving them deep into the pocket of his jeans, ignoring Fiona’s calculating side eye (one he knew all too well).
The only light, other than the gas lamp posts and their high beams, came from the building at the end of the road.
The car pulled around the side, flicking their lights off, the driver peeking around before motioning for them to exit the car.
“Throw the hoodie on, Raleigh,” Fiona ordered while slipping on a ball cap of her own, her casual t-shirt and leggings wildly different from her normal outfit.
“Sure,” he murmured, tugging the hood on.
The walk from the car to the dusty glass front door was short, Fiona breaking into a light jog to keep up with Raleigh’s brisk pace.
The makeshift “waiting room” in the front corner of the station was empty, the scratched up folding chairs in crooked rows. The front desk was occupied by a sleeping form, head buried in the crease of his elbow, snore muffled by the counter top.
The other officer stood at the back near an old vending machine, sliding coins into the slot, the clink of each piece ringing out against the brick and linoleum.
No cameras, he thought, after a quick scan of the room, shoving the hood back in its place at the nape of his neck.
The holding cells were farther back, but he couldn’t see her.
He stepped up to the counter where the man was sleeping, giving a gentle knock to the top. The man stirred, unfurling his arms, while the other man in the back glanced up from where he was, elbows deep in the snack machine as he fished out his bag of chips.
Raleigh offered a basic greeting in Spanish, frowning just a bit when both officers’ eyes lit up – the phrase “famoso” and “celebridad” falling from their lips almost as soon as they recognized him.
Yeah, he was gonna use his notoriety to their advantage, but that didn’t mean it still didn’t sting when people immediately tried gauging what they could get from him when they realized who he was.
For a long time he’d been waiting for the day where name dropping himself didn’t get him out of deep shit.
And the day he met Dom, when he assumed she knew who he was, all she did was raise her brow as if to say “Why the fuck should I care?”
It startled him, truthfully. But it was such a breath of fresh air. He couldn’t remember a time before or after that someone showed no interest in him.
The officer in the back jogged to the front, pulling his phone out of his back pocket while asking for a picture.
He looked to Fiona, who was shaking her head furiously, stepping up next to him like her 5’5 stature was enough to shield him. “Nobody can know we’re here.”
He nodded, turning back to the men, trying to negotiate with them.
Yes, Dom’s here.
No, you can’t see her.
He racked his brain trying to figure out how he was gonna get himself – and Dom – out of the situation unscathed if he couldn’t give them a photo or autograph.
“Dom bought me the Rolex and Cartier rings, right?”
Fiona’s brows furrowed. “Yes. She gifted them to you on your birthday. You know this –”
“No, what I mean is, she has the receipts? Or you do?”
“I don’t have them, but I have access to them,” she said, still confused.
“Get rid of ‘em. I haven’t told anyone she bought them for me.”
Her face lit up in recognition, and she nodded, encouraging him to go on.
He dug in his pockets, fishing out the watch and thin bands.
After a quick exchange, the officers took two rings each, and began rapid fire arguing over the Rolex. They tossed Raleigh the keys, stepping out the front door.
“I’ll keep watch,” Fiona said, turning towards the door.
“Hey –” Raleigh said, laying a hand on her shoulder.
She quirked a brow at him. “What?”
“You’re not coming with?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Why not? I’m not even sure what the fuck I’m supposed to say –”
“She specifically asked for you.”
He took a step back, resting his palm on the countertop behind him. “What the – are you… are you serious?”
She nodded once. “She might’ve been slurring, but she was clear as day. She wanted you.”
He blew air out of his cheeks, running a hand through his short waves.
Fiona’s gaze softened, her eyes still piercing. Fiona was a lot of things – steadfast, headstrong, determined – but she wasn’t soft. She didn’t sugar coat shit.
“She’s missed you. She doesn’t confide in me much, but even I can tell she’s unhappy. Be gentle with her,” she said, gaze tearing right through him.
The walk to the holding cells felt miles long – his resolve was shrinking with every step.
He wasn’t afraid of seeing Dom, not at all. He was afraid of whatever part of himself that might’ve been reflected in her.
The cell was empty, save for the curled form on the bench, long dark hair cascading over the edges of the seat.
“Dom?” He called, hearing her sharp inhale of breath as she stirred, bending into a long stretch, her limbs unfurling until she was lying on her back on the bench, tilting her head towards his voice.
God, even when she looked like life had torn her to shreds, she still looked beautiful.
“Raleigh?” She croaked, her eyes squinting to adjust to the low lights. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
She arched her back, stretching again, her long frame covering the bench. It was almost the right level of distracting to stop the creeping annoyance at her question.
“What do you mean? I’m here to bail you out, obviously.”
“Where’s Fiona?” She asked groggily, rolling off the side of the bench awkwardly, trying to gain her footing.
“You asked for me, didn’t you?” He raised a brow, sliding his forearms through the bars, resting them there.
“She told you?” She asked, voice raising in betrayal, a scoff following his silence. “I was drunk.”
“And? You still asked for me.”
“Oh, fuck off,” she murmured, crossing her arms as soon as she was balanced.
He dangled the keys between his fingertips, gently jingling them. “I’ll let you out if you tell me what happened.”
Her lip curled in annoyance. “You’d really leave me here?”
“You don’t want to find out.”
She ran a hand through her hair, blowing air out of her cheeks. “Alright.”
He unlocked the door and slipped in, the heavy door creaking as he slid it wide enough for him to fit through.
She backed up, plopping back onto the bench, arms lowering to curl around her sides.
He followed suit, sitting a couple feet away from her on the other end of the bench, shoving his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie.
She stared at the floor, clearly waiting for him to make a move.
“So…”
“So, what?” She grumbled.
“So… how’d you end up here?” He asked, trying to remain as relaxed as he could since she was clearly on edge, ready to tear him a new one at a moment’s notice.
“I was drunk. I got in a fight. Here I am.”
He sighed. “Look, you don’t have to tell me everything, but I can’t help you if I don’t know if you’re ankles deep or neck deep.”
She chewed her lip, chin dipping lower, strands of her hair falling forward, creating an inky veil. “Fine. I’ll tell you but… can you not… look at me?”
Raleigh’s face contorted in confusion, but he listened, swivelling until he was facing the back wall, propping one leg up on the bench.
He waited for her to speak. The break in conversation was a bit too long – but before a quip could fall from his lips, she spoke.
“I did get drunk, and I did get in a fight. I’m telling the truth but I, uh, left out some details,” she started, her voice low.
“I, uh, was passing through this town after my last show because I wanted to go to a bar without being noticed. Like the old days. I know it was stupid, but I didn’t think anyone would find me here.”
That was her first mistake. Smaller towns surprisingly had the most dedicated fans – maybe because they’re bored or nothing exciting happened in their towns, but most of his die hard fans came from the middle of nowhere.
“The first hour was fine, and I was able to drink and dance with strangers. Most of them were a lot older than me and spoke zero English – and I speak a little bit of Spanish as you know, so I could make some small talk, but I was on my own just… enjoying myself and my freedom,” she said, and he could almost see the grin tug at the corner of her lips.
“I noticed someone taking photos of me with their phone, so I got a bit paranoid and sat in a booth in the back drinking for a little while longer so I could figure out my next move,” she continued, before sighing loudly. “I guess they told the local news or something, because by the time I decided to leave, I ran smack into a reporter on the sidewalk.”
Silence ensued again, this time more deafening than the last.
“I didn’t mean to give her a black eye. Or break the camera. Or elbow the camera man in the face when he tried restraining me. I just… couldn’t think straight. I was mad. Intoxicated and wrong, but still mad.”
“I know Fiona’s trying her best to get me out of this mess but… I think I went too far this time.”
Raleigh stared at the wall, racking his brain for something. He was a little dumbfounded that she spilled to him so fast. He figured it was gonna take a bit more digging to get her to open up, but she blossomed in front of him; despite the wilted petals, he was relieved to know she still trusted him enough to confide in him.
“Are you gonna say something?” She asked, a bit timidly.
“Not if I can’t look at you.”
“Okay, then don’t say anything.”
He sighed, settling into his spot on the bench, waiting again for her to speak.
“Why did you come?”
Instinctively, he shrugged. “You asked me to.”
“But you don’t owe me anything. We’re not together.”
“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t drop everything to come help you. I mean, I’d like to think we’re at least acquaintances, if not friends,” he joked, resting his arm over the back of the bench.
“Sure,” she said, voice straining just a bit. Just enough for him to notice.
Dom was a special kind of resilient – one trait that Raleigh was sure she didn’t copy from him.
He knew that being a woman in the industry was already hard enough – everything from beauty to body standards to raging misogyny was enough to give people reasons to hate her, as stupid as they were.
Raleigh benefitted from the standards in place for men. He was young, attractive, talented – didn’t matter what he did wrong. He’d bounce back.
But he’d seen some vile shit since he’d ascended to fame. So many celebrities fading into obscurity after one mishap. One bad album. One bad interview. One rude encounter. One rumor.
For some reason, despite diving headfirst into troubled waters, Dom bounced back every time, fire in her eyes, her jaw set in determination, her face painted with the look she got when she was ready to face the world.
But whatever she was feeling in that moment, in that jail cell in the middle of nowhere – was enough to break her.
He heard her take a deep, shaky breath, and he started to turn, but he felt her warm palm on his shoulder, holding him in place.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
He listened to her labored breathing, likely struggling to hold back tears, while he stared at the cracks in the wall, trying to think of something – anything – to console her.
“Did Fiona seem… upset?” She asked, seeming a bit nervous.
“It’s kind of hard to tell, to be honest. She’s pretty intense all of the time,” he laughed, not really meaning to.
He was relieved to hear a light chuckle from behind him.
“Yeah, I figure she’s pretty mad at me. I don’t blame her,” she sighed, another break in conversation ensuing. A couple beats later, she asked, bluntly, “Are you mad at me?”
“No,” he answered with zero hesitation. “I know you’d do the same for me.”
She laughed again, a bit more genuine that time. “Not sure where you got that impression.”
“You wouldn’t leave me here to rot if I asked you to come, Dom. You’re not that heartless,” he teased gently, glad that things were taking a lighthearted turn.
“I’m just glad you’re not gonna lecture me. I already know I’m gonna get an earful from Fiona, not to mention the shit I’ll get from Shane and Avery. I couldn’t handle one from you.”
He grimaced. “Uh, well, you’d rather hear it from me than Fiona, right?”
“Oh, you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” she mumbled under her breath.
“You know I normally don’t care what you do, because it’s your life, and you should be able to do whatever the fuck you want, but Dom…” he trailed off, trying to choose his words carefully.
“I know I fucked up, Raleigh. I don’t need you making me feel more guilty than I already am,” she said defensively, voice raised.
“I’m not gonna make you feel guilty. Just offering some advice.” God, did those words feel foreign to him. Offering advice. He never did shit like this for anybody.
He took her silence as a green light. “You’ve just gotta slow down, Dom.”
Whatever impact his words made, he couldn’t see it, since he was still facing the damn wall. “Can I please turn around? I can’t talk to you like this.”
“Sure.”
He adjusted himself on the bench, trying to look attentive without staring. She was stunning, even with the smudged makeup, the dark circles, the red eyes “You don’t have to do anything and everything you’re asked to do, but you gotta find some kind of balance.”
She wrung her hands in her lap, picking at her cuticles absentmindedly. “Yeah, I know.”
“I mean balance the good and bad, Dom. There’s a line for people like us and you can’t cross it often. You can get close, but you can’t just dive over it and not expect there to be some fallout.”
“I know,” she said, bluntly, looking a bit more annoyed with each word that came from his mouth.
“You can cause some chaos, but some of it isn’t acceptable,” he said, watching her expression contort in anger. “For them. Not acceptable for them. The average person, I mean.”
“Oh, you’re one to fucking talk!” She rolled her eyes. “How are you gonna sit here and tell me that your brand of shit stirring is okay, but mine isn’t?”
“I’m not the one sitting in a jail cell right now, Dom,” he said, calmly but firmly. He wasn’t used to being the rational one, but he had to be level headed. He was trying to save her.
She ran a hand through her hair, leaning back against the back of the bench. “You’re infuriating, you know that?”
“Trust me, I know.”
“You’re hypocritical.”
“Not necessarily,” he said, propping his arm up on the back of the bench. “I was in the industry for years before I started dirtying up my image. You just got here.”
“And you’ve been here too damn long to act the way you do,” she nearly spat, lashing out.
“I’m too far gone,” he simply stated, keeping surprisingly calm through it all.
“What the hell do you mean by that?”
“I’ve been here for a long time, which means, I’ve got a lot more fuck ups under my belt. Irreparable damage, if you will.”
“People love you,” she said, matter-of-factly, like that solved it – it honestly relieved him. A bit of Dom’s naivete from when they first met was shining through.
“People also hate me, because I’m a little shit who sets fires for fun,” he grinned. “For legal reasons, my lawyers insist I clarify that I’m joking.”
She rolled her lips, trying to suppress a smile. “People who hate you don’t know you.”
He nodded. “You’re right, and you’re so close to the point I’m sure you can taste it.”
“I’m too far gone to save. No matter how hard I try for the rest of my career, I can never get away from the wild card label. Plenty of people don’t wanna work with me. I’ve damaged business relationships. Lots of artists don’t want to collab with me because of how it’ll make them look.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because I know you don’t want this. You’re too good for whatever baggage comes with being a ‘rebel’, Dom. I don’t want to see you turn out like me.”
For the first time that night, she stared at him – really stared at him. Her deep brown, nearly midnight eyes searched his for any sign of insincerity.
“You’re… serious?” She asked finally, brows furrowed in confusion.
“One hundred percent honest,” he said, nodding.
She sat back in her chair, chewing on her lip, contemplating.
“Can you turn back around again?”
He nodded, wordlessly facing the wall again.
“I left out a few details,” she said from behind him.
“I’m listening,” he affirmed.
“I, uh, was pretty hammered by the time I left, so it was even harder for me to understand what people were saying,” she said before he could speak. “I heard the reporter say ‘Raleigh’ and ‘novio’ and I saw red… so… I, uh… swung.”
His chest clenched, tightening until it was difficult to breathe. He was thankful she’d asked him to face the other direction, because he knew his reaction betrayed his cool demeanor.
“I guess I’m not over it,” she laughed humorlessly.
He ran a hand over his face, racking his brain for a response, but coming up short.
“You, um, don’t have to say anything if you don’t feel the same. I shouldn’t have gotten attached. It’s on me.”
That made him turn, swivelling around before she could finish speaking.
She flicked her head towards the bars of the cell, raising a hand to cover her face. “I said ‘don’t look at me’, Raleigh. Goddamn.”
Years and years of PR training and interviews and he had no idea how the fuck to console her. Partially because he was trying to get a grip on whatever the hell was going on in his brain as well.
Instead, he answered her with a question of his own, a tactic he’d used anytime he wanted to deflect in interviews.
“Why can’t I look?”
Dom tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, slowly rotating to meet his gaze. She sank her teeth deep into her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.
“Fuck,” she cursed, rubbing the backs of her hands under her eyes, the dried black mascara under her eyes beginning to liquidate again. “Because I’m crying, Raleigh. And I don’t cry.”
“You wanna tell me what’s wrong? I know there’s more to it than you’re telling me,” he asked, holding up two of his fingers in a solute. “No judgement.”
She sighed, crossing the room to put some distance between them. She began pacing, taking slow steps as she spoke.
“I might’ve fucked up my career and I keep letting people down and I’m destructive because this whole fame thing isn’t what I signed up for and I didn’t think I’d cave under pressure like every other mid twenties child actor who goes through a premature mid-life crisis, but here I fucking am,” she said, nearly out of breath by the end.
His legs carried him across the room before he could think twice, pacing towards her while she strode across the room in the opposite direction.
“God, I’m so fucking stupid –”
“Stop. You’re not stupid.”
“I am,” she said, wheeling on him. “And – and I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed that my manager and – and my ex –” She stopped in her tracks, rubbing a palm over her forehead, shutting her eyes.
He reached out to her, but let his hand fall almost immediately.
“My acquaintance had to fly out to a fucking village in the middle of nowhere to bail me out –”
“Dom, stop –”
“– because I fought a fucking reporter over not being able to handle my fucking feelings –”
“Dom –”
“– like an adult with a functioning frontal lobe all because I love someone who –”
Her eyes popped open, her expression horrified. “Oh my god, I’m – I –”
She dug the heel of her hands into her eyes, dropping into a squat. “Fuck, fuck, Goddammit –”
“Did you just –”
“Yeah, Raleigh, I did. Don’t make me feel worse, alright? I know I fucked up,” she groaned from her heap on the ground.
“You just said you love me, Dom. I think I’m allowed to react,” he said, a slight teasing to his voice.
She glanced up, glaring. “Okay, then, react.”
Her gaze was fiery, her deep brown irises challenging – something else a bit more vulnerable lying beneath.
She was terrified.
He leaned down, gripping her around the waist to pull her back up, wrapping his arms around her upper back, hugging her to his chest.
She melted into his arms, relaxing and leaning into his embrace.
“I didn’t mean to say it,” she murmured into his chest.
“So do you?” He asked, chin gently balanced on her head.
“What?”
“Do you love me?”
“I don’t know,” she said truthfully, voice small.
“You don’t have to know. I don’t know either,” he said, just as earnest, feeling her tense in his arms. “But I do know that I like you enough to want you around, and that counts for something, right?”
She laughed (as genuine as he’d heard it), leaning back to look at him. “Yeah, it does.”
Their bodies were still pressed together, Dom’s chin tilted upwards towards him, their faces nearly touching.
“If this gets out, don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re a bad person,” he said, voice low. “You’re the best person I know –”
Dom closed the gap between them, capturing his lips in an intense kiss. He cupped her face in his palms and held her in place, moaning into her parted lips.
God, there was nothing that compared to kissing her. Nobody matched up. He’d made out with a lot of people since he was flung into stardom at sixteen, and no one – absolutely no one – left him in a daze like she did.
She gripped the strings of his hoodie, pulling him closer, sighing contentedly against him.
The smell of her shampoo mixed with the sweet scent of her skin and the warmth of her hands and her chest flush against his – it was the next best thing to being inside of her.
He pulled back, trying to catch the dreamy, half-lidded look she always got when they parted.
“So… did you take your jet here?”
He smirked and rolled his eyes. “Out of context, that sounds so superficial.”
She grinned, her first genuine smile that night. “Oh, but you’re not? Hanging around a rising artist to cling to relevancy?”
He laughed, the sound reverberating off of the walls. “I really am rubbing off on you, aren’t I?”
“Yep. The good and bad,” she agreed, still smiling at him.
“The good?” He shook his head. “Nah, I’m not so sure about that.”
“You’re literally the reason I haven’t walked out on my label and moved to bum fuck nowhere and lived off the land,” she said, shrugging. “You taught me how to have fun. You were the only one keeping me sane.”
He thought he was the one encouraging her to leap over the edge, but he was the one tugging her arm back.
The whole time he was convinced he was a bad influence, but he was doing some good – for her.
But with that revelation came the guilt at her words.
“‘Were’?”
“Well, we don’t really talk anymore. I haven’t seen you in weeks.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”
“Yeah,” she chewed her lip, stepping back, unraveling herself from his embrace. “I’m sorry.”
That was a slap to the face. Dom rarely apologized, because if she felt she was right, she wasn’t going to budge. She was stubborn as hell.
“Huh? Why?” “I don’t want to guilt you into spending time with me… or feeling things for me,” she said, rubbing her arm. “I didn’t mean to corner you.”
“You didn’t. I wanted to come.”
She glanced up, blinking at him. “No, you didn’t –”
“I did,” he emphasized, slipping her hand into his, intertwining their fingers. “I kinda missed being forced to hang out with you. Feels like old times.”
She couldn’t stop the laugh from ripping from her, this one louder than the last. “Oh, shut up.”
“No, but seriously, I’m here for you. Whatever you need. Always.”
“Thank you.” With her free hand, she punched his shoulder lightly. “You’ll regret that sooner or later.”
“Nah,” he said, lip curling into a smirk. “I don’t think I will.”
––––
#playchoices#platinum#raleigh carrera#raleigh carrera x mc#platinumweekend#my fic#jade writes choices fics#tbh i really loved writing this one - it's really special to me !!
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I Could Be Your Sometimes Part One
Part Two | Masterlist Rating: Explicit - 18+ Only Notes: Set before the series; Italics will indicate scenes set in the past Also I know nothing about the public relations market in Newton, MA, don’t @ me Title is from the song Summer by The Blow
Warnings: Eventual infidelity and sexual content. If you dislike this, please don’t read. Thank you. Pairing: Andy Barber x Reader Summary: Being in a small town had its pitfalls. I felt like everywhere I went I saw someone I knew. Including the lobby that morning, when I could’ve sworn I’d seen Andy fuckin’ Barber.
“Oh, geez— No really, Mr. Barber, you don’t have to drive me, I’ll be fine—“ I swore, grabbing my jacket off of the back of the couch. “It’s late, kid. Our fault, too, I don’t want you walkin’ home this late-- Hey Lor, I’m just gonna drive her—“ “Oh, of course!” Laurie’s bright smile and quick nod made me even more dubious; part of me had almost hoped she’d tell her husband that I could walk home (which, knowing Laurie as well as I did, was a ridiculous hope). “Got everything?” He asked, grabbing his keys from the counter. “Uh-huh,” I confirmed, shifting my bag on my shoulder. I gave Laurie a quick wave before I followed Andy out to the garage. I hated, hated, hated liking Mr. Barber. I felt like such a cliché: the babysitter crushing on the hot dad. It took effort to not squirm in my seat, or fidget with my seatbelt, or push my hair behind my ear.
“Jacob didn’t give you any trouble?” Andy asked, glancing over at me. “Oh, no, he was fine,” I reassured him. Andy nodded, refocusing on the road. “… He say anything about school?” Andy asked a moment later. “Um… Just that he had the same teacher this year.” I glanced over as I heard Andy sigh a little. He shook his head a bit. “The school recommended he repeat a year in--“ “Kindergarten, yeah. Mrs. Barber told me,” I cut in, “… For the record, I think Jacob’s a sweet kid. Sometimes they just need more time to adjust. Nothing wrong with that.” Andy met my eye and smiled as we came to a red light. “Speaking of adjusting, you looking forward to college next year?” It was my turn to turn my attention to the road ahead of us. “I guess,” I said, shrugging a bit. “Just guess? NYU, that’s a big deal, right?” Andy pressed. “I think it’s slightly less of a big deal than people make it out to be.” “New school, new city— But you’ve got family down there, right?” “Uh-huh. That’s why my ma’s head hasn’t completely exploded about me turning down my acceptance to BU,” I rolled my eyes a little. I smiled at the sound of Andy’s chuckle. He pulled the car up outside my house and parked. “Thanks, Mr. Barber,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. “No problem. Have a good night.” “You, too,” I mumbled, grabbing my backpack off of the floor of the car. I shut the door behind me. I hurried up the walk, stopping when I heard him call my name. I turned back to see him jogging after me. “You forgot your jacket,” He said, holding it out to me. I felt my cheeks flush as I took hold of it. “Sorry,” I mumbled. I went to pull it from him, and he tugged it back toward him, lips twitching into a playful smile. I felt my stomach flip as I tugged the jacket out of his hands, rolling it into a ball and hugging it into my chest. “Thank you,” I tacked on. “Sure,” Andy laughed before he turned, heading back to his car. I was careful not to watch him. I didn’t want him to turn around and see me staring at him. I hurried inside, shutting the door behind myself and pressing my face into my ball of a jacket, willing my blush away. — “… Oh my god you’re totally zoned, aren’t you.” “Huh?” I blinked a couple of times, looking up at my boss. Nora’s dark eyes were twinkling at me with amusement. “Where did you just go?” She asked. I shook my head. “I um… I’m sorry, I saw someone in the lobby that reminded me someone. What’s up?” I asked. I hadn’t initially planned to come back to Newton after I’d graduated from college. Nora had been my manager at an internship I’d had while I was in New York. She was a native Bostonian herself, and we’d been fast friends. By the time I’d graduated college, she’d started her own public relations firm in Newton, and had offered me a job. “It’s a great market - you know there’s nothing like this around here. Everything else is either in-house, or farming it out to an agency in Boston or New York that’s more worried about their larger clients than what’s going on with their boutique clients,” Nora had pointed out to me. She hadn’t needed to pitch me that hard. This job allowed me to get a place of my own, start a life that felt more mine. But being in a small town had its pitfalls. I felt like everywhere I went I saw someone I knew. Including the lobby that morning, when I could’ve sworn I’d seen Andy fuckin’ Barber. I didn’t think of Andy much. That dweeby little crush I’d had on him back when I’d been Jacob’s babysitter had faded while I was in New York. In retrospect, I had chalked it up feeling lonely, and being somewhat flattered that a particularly hot man was talking to me at all. But he was also a hot married man with a kid, and I had been a teenager at that point. I’d known nothing was going to happen, and on the rare occasion that I looked back, I felt nothing but mortification. “Well, if you could possibly zone back in? Or have you forgotten that you’re leading our Public Relations and the Law seminar?” Nora teased. I nodded. “No, I didn’t forget.” “Well, everyone’s checked in and grabbing their coffee. Got any jitters?” "Nope, jitter-free.” “… Who’d you think you saw in the lobby? An ex?” Nora asked, eyes narrowing curiously. I snorted. “Definitely not an ex,” I said, standing and smoothing over the forest green fabric of my skirt before I straightened my suit jacket. “Do I look alright?” I asked. “You look fine,” Nora reassured me before she peered into my mug. “No coffee?” She asked. “Not risking it until after the seminar. If I spill anything on this shirt,” I pointed to my white blouse, “I’d rather it be after I give this talk.” Nora snorted, leading the way to the conference room. I had lied to Nora a little. I did have a few jitters - I always did before a pitch or a seminar. I stepped into the conference room, looking around and smiling at the few people I made eye contact with. It was full of other PR professionals, as well as a few lawyers. “Morning everyone,” I greeted before I introduced myself, taking my place at the front of the room. The few murmured conversations quieted as I drew their attention. “I know we’ve all got deliverables to work on and motions to file, so if you could please hold your questions until the end of the presentation.” — By the end of the hour, the jitters had cleared, the presentation was finished, and most people were filing out of the room (though some were heading to the back to snag a second pastry). I leaned over my laptop, setting my clicker down to check my emails. I usually hung around after seminars on the off-chance someone had a question that they hadn’t the chance to ask me during the session. “All clear in here?” Nora appeared at my side, peering over my shoulder. “Well, none of the law professionals told me that I didn’t know shit about shit and none of the PR professionals insulted my presentation skills… To my face. And the room isn’t on fire, so I’d say we’re alright,” I nodded. Nora rolled her eyes. “Glad to hear it. Let me know when you’re done, we’ll go grab lunch.” “Sure,” I agreed, watching her go before I looked back down at my laptop. I heard someone approaching, but I was sure they were just nearing me on their way to the door, so I focused in on the email I was typing and not on the fact that they had gotten closer and stopped right in front of me. “That was… Quite the presentation.” My fingers stilled over the keys. I knew that voice. I raised my eyes, brow furrowed in surprise. “Mr. Barber?”
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So I watched Chaos Walking(2021)
Yeah, lucky for me, my local theater was open and showing(side note, I love my local theater so much. Like, not to brag but seven dollars for a movie and a snack is so great)
Anyhow, I watched Chaos walking. This is sort of my review.
First off, I read The Knife of Never Letting Go and one third of The Ask and Answer, almost two years ago. When they finally dropped the release date and the trailer, i made the choice not to go reread the first book because i wanted to give the movie a chance and make an exercise of managing my expectations(in preparation for Disney’s Percy Jackson adaptation). Which means not only do I not have a complete understanding of the source material, but I also have a shit memory, so I don’t have a great shot at analyzing this films in adaptation terms, but i’m gonna try anyhow.
So first off, The Noise.
I found it a bit sketchy that they decided to make the make Noise have visual elements alongside audio but I decided it was fine, since it be pretty hard to bring this to life with only just audio and not make general audiences confused.
But they did try and do a solid job. Minus not letting us hear the Noise of animals, which sucks. we do see the Noise of a Spackle, but briefly.
The part that really pisses me off is the final confrontation, when the Noise is treated like a Super Power. we see this when Todd scares Davy’s horse by conjuring up an image of big snake, when Mayor Prentiss tricks Viola into a false trap, when Ben tricks everyone by pretending to give Viola up when in fact he’s buying Todd and the real Viola time to get away, and in the final, Todd distracts Prentiss by conjuring up the image of his mother(complete with bloody wounds) and the various women that died when he was a baby, which caused Prentiss to fall to his death.
I don’t know how the Noise is depicted in the later books, if it was anywhere remotely like this, but i know for sure it doesn’t happen in the first book, which the film is based on.
(Also, how the fuck does Todd know what his mum looks like, or any of the other women and how is he able to bring up their images so perfectly how is ANYONE ABLE REMEMBER SOMEONE WITH THAT MUCH DETAIL That goes beyond photographic memory)
Second bit, the Spackle.
The design is boring. Its clearly an alien, buts its dark grey, tall, holds its own when Todd attacks it in the film, has zero impact on the film as a whole and pretty boring. I do recall reading the book and imagining them to have faces similar to real world lemurs or Sloths, with big expressive eyes and such, but the CGI monster doesn’t emote for shit in this film. Todd comes at with a knife with every intention of killing it and it shrugs him off and walks away like it wasn’t fucking attacked my gods.
But in short, they only brought up the Spackle because they’re a thing in the world and it teased the bigger concepts of the next books with like, one measly exchange between Todd and Viola. (it went something like this)
Viola:We’re the aliens, though. They’re the natives.
Todd: huh.
Third bit, New World itself. Not a big deal, It looked like how i originally imagined it, no mention of swamp apples, though we see Todd Hewitt use a knife to stab a big ass bug thing for food. i hear some critics consider it lame that the planet isn’t actually alien but eh, whatever, Didn’t really feel an alien vibe reading the book so it doesn’t matter.
Now there’s one bit i have to acknowledge in passing. At one point Todd decides to go get lunch by going into the water with his knife and wrestles with some big ass thing with tentacles. Which is fine, just have a couple of questions.
A: is this in reference to the books? Where there big ass tentacle creatures in the novel that are hunted for lunch?
B:if not, was this the film makers deciding to remind the viewers that yes, they are not on planet earth and to make Todd look cooler and justify why he’s useful for the quest and show how much Viola doesn’t know?
I kinda have to acknowledge the thing. In that scene, Todd and Viola take a break, and Todd removes his clothes (all of them) and decides to go hunting in the water naked as the day he was born. You may have noticed that the Tom Holland stans are all over this scene because One) the camera focuses on Tom Hollands muscles when he takes his top off and Two) one can see his bare ass in the distance.
Not a big fan off this, just find it interesting because its the most recent example of a Male being objectified by the camera when this never happens once to any of the female characters in the film, including Viola. Also, a touch of weird character detailing because haha, get it? Boy’s never seen a girl before in his life and doesn’t know what modesty means.
Also, very weird because Todd Hewitt in the book was so fucking self conscious that he would never have done that.
Now I gotta talk about the characters.
( i understand why they aged them up, i truly do, better to get established actors instead of child actors that could more easily break to movie than sell it. its easier to make movies with legal adults instead of working with child labor laws. but damn it you lose so much of the fucking nuance of the novel when you age them up. There’s so much shit that makes an impact because of how young they are. Around the ages of eleven and twelve is when ones understanding of good and evil has its foundation, to me it was like the story was grappling with Todd Hewitt’s very soul and you lose so much of that when you change it to them being older because instead of being just kids in fucked up situations its younger adults in messed up situations. Like ugh. and aging them up leads to even more problems but we’ll fucking get to that)
Tom Holland’s Todd Hewitt is not the Todd Hewitt of the novel. He just ain’t. There is nothing there that reminds of the boy. The acting is solid, don’t get me wrong, but it just ain’t the Todd Hewitt i remember. Neither is Daisy Ridley’s Viola Eade.
(excuse me while i get Percy Jackson flashbacks)
Now, I have to acknowledge the fact that neither actor(actually none of the actors in this film) slouch on the job. They bring solid and at times very good acting.(If Tom Holland is in the film, its not going to be complete waste of time. He brings quality.)
Honestly, respect to Mr Holland because he was basically the main character, not only acting but also doing voice and various stunts(also huge credit to the stunt coordinators and stuntmen) and I heard that filming wasn’t that great and bloody broke his nose how many times like damn boy, hats off to you.
But here’s the thing. I don’t want to say that Holland was playing himself or just a version of peter Parker, because i really don’t think he wasn’t but it just. Didn’t feel like a legit character? Especially when compared to the novel. Like Todd Hewitt in the novel is such a raw force of emotion and such a smartass and i was so looking forward for Holland to own this role but in the movie he just? Awkward dude going through some stuff?
but yeah, Holland works his ass off and there are some scenes and moments in the movie that work just because this fellow is just that charming, so (shrug emoji) like i said, He doesn’t waste your time at least.
Ridley....sigh. i know this woman can act. But next to the character who’s thoughts are heard constantly she’s very boring. And it hurts so much because Viola has an actual personality in the novel like; I’m ninety percent sure that Viola hits Todd with a big stick and I do remember that there were multiple moments where she lets Todd know when he’s being a dumbass.(seriously, i may have a shit memory of the book, but i do remember that they play off each other well and hugely entertaining seeing two twelve-year-olds handle the shit getting thrown at them)
Like, Viola in the film doesn’t really have much going on. We see the crash, we hear about the graves she dug herself, we see her be sad, we see her look at Todd like weirdo, we see her look horrified or shocked. (its so sad that I only remember the facial expressions more clearly than the actual dialogue) We really have no idea what the hell is going on with Viola Eade. I don’t think we can blame Ridley, only the film makers, because how can you see Viola Eade in the novel and then turn her into that????
i do have to talk about the relationship between Tom Holland’s Todd Hewitt and Daisy Ridley’s Viola Eade, even though its painful. In the novel, them is just two kids on a really tough adventure. Because they aged them up, its not two kids old enough to run for the playground when recess starts. Its Teenagers.
First question, HOW OLD ARE THEY??? Is Todd sixteen? Eighteen? Seventeen? He sure as hell ain’t Thirteen in this. What about Viola? I mean, big shout out to the hair and makeup team for making 28-year-old Daisy Ridley look so much younger but how. OLD. IS.SHE? Nineteen? Twenty? Twenty-one? Pretty sure she’s older than him in this? I ask because it MATTERS.
The way they play off each other has a vastly different energy to the novel because they are aged up. Its pretty obvious pretty fast that Todd’s feelings are basically a big crush, though not all of it is superficial as the film progresses. And Viola is clearly not receptive to that in the film. (honestly i cringed so hard at the “daydream kiss’ and whatever the hell that was in the Farbranch mayor’s house)
The relationship in the film just doesn’t have the nuance or the energy that the novel had in depicting their relationship which is depressing for all the Todd x Viola fans i’m sure. There’s some adorable bits though, like Viola seeing Todd’s dream of her playing with Manchee, and not so adorable canon bits like when Viola read the diary to Todd.
I’m just grateful that the film at least ended with them being friends instead of trying to force the romantic relationship. That right there is why I like the movie. It’s a crush, its used for a couple laughs, they’re friends, its fine. Even if you didn’t read the novel that’s really great for a movie in this day and age to not end with forcing two opposite sex characters into a relationship. To be honest, I like the idea that the film leaves us thinking that yeah, maybe these two could be real friends one day.
I just want to touch on Manchee real quick.
Manchee’s Noise is not seen or heard in the film. It is briefly acknowledged by Todd ins their first scene but other than that? Nada. Which is a low blow in comparison to the novel because Manchee was a character in his own right, which is why the death hit so hard.
Todd?” he barks, confused and scared and watching me leave him behind. “Todd?” “Manchee!” I scream. Aaron brings his free hand towards my dog. “MANCHEE!” “Todd?” And Aaron wrenches his arms and there’s a CRACK and a scream and a cut-off yelp that tears my heart in two forever and forever. And the pain is too much it’s too much it’s too much and my hands are on my head and I’m rearing back and my mouth is open in a never-ending wordless wail of all the blackness that’s inside of me.”
in the film, it takes place in white rapids, So its chaotic, its awful, the veiwer’s all stressed out because Viola can’t swim, everyone's getting separated and Aaron’s there and he is seen drowning Manchee.
Dude, its brief, but not pretty. Because you can see Manchee’s legs trashing above the water, struggling to get free. Aaron is drowning a dog, letting its lungs fill with water. For the folks that don’t like watching dogs die in graphic detail on screen, this isn’t great.
Personally, I love this scene in the novel. Its the first time i had to put the book down and take a moment. It hit really close to home for me, because i watched my own dog die in real life. It was emotional and horrifying and had such a fucking impact because we could hear his thoughts. Todd had to make the choice to leave him behind to keep Viola safe. To be honest, i think the death is better in the novel, since Manchee basically dies instantly instead of drowning, which takes time(I’ve always assumed that his neck was snapped but I’ve heard others say it was the psine but whatever) it would have been easy and necessary for them to not show that on screen. I personally just think that in terms of depicting a violent death, the novel did a lot better.
Anyway, on to the other characters
(I had to choose the one with the big orange fluffy coat, and i couldn’t find a good pic og Ben and Cillian on google images.)
As for Mayor Prentiss, he’s played by Mads Mikkelsen, and he delivers. But for the most part, we don’t really know why he’s the bad guy, he just wants to get Viola because “she’s the key” which isn’t really explained, and at the end he tries his hardest to kill Todd.
Because i only read the first book, I don’t know what exactly his character arc is. And since its been a really long while, I don’t remember what he’s like in the novel regardless, other than the cliffhanger ending.
I did take a quick crashcourse through the wiki and it turns out that Todd and Prentiss have a relationship in the later books, which the film sort of touches on, because Todd looks up to Prentiss in the film from the get go.
To be honest, I knew that the trilogy was a lot more complex, and even though I didn’t read the whole thing I knew it would be really disappointing for the fans to see the mayor be hollowed out to almost unrecognizable and not getting to see the whole picture on screen.
As for Davy Prentiss Jr., he was an asshole and stayed an asshole. I know he improves and gets killed off in the novels, so yeah, exhibit B of character foundations not being laid down because there isn’t gonna be a movie after this. Also, why is he played by Nick Jonas? Did they actually have more in mind for him when they decided to go with a Jonas brother or was it just star power?
As for Aaron...don’t have much to say about him, other than just being pretty weird fit to the film. I think he’s after Viola because he’s just that full of delusions but other than that, his character is just flat and useless. (I wish to the gods that writers would actually think instead of going with “religious delusion” to explain insanity) He only brought tension in a few scenes for the most part. I’m pretty sure that in the novel Todd and Aaron have a confrontation, like the final fight of the novel, and I’m 90% sure that its where the Novel gets the Knife of never Letting Go as its title, because the knife is big deal at that point. But I guess they wanted Viola to have a quick boss battle for the ending and set him on fire.
Ben and Cillian were fine. They did a good job, the actors were pretty great, I liked Cillian, and i like how they acknowledged that these dudes were family(i know that they’re gay and a couple but the film doesn’t say it outloud beyond letting them sleep in the same bed, be Todd’s parents, and having Ben hold Cillian in his arms) I get a kick out of the fact that the official reviews by Movie Critics are openly curious about why the film doesn’t make it more obvious that they’re gay, but whatever.
As for the overall plot, this is a fine example of mashing three books into one film and not having good results. Instead of going to Haven, the movie decided to shortcut the ending and go to the original ship that somehow has working tech but whatever, Viola needs to communicate to her ship. So not only do we not get the great relationship between Todd and Viola, not only do we not get the Spackle, Not only do we not get to see the noise of Manchee, not only do we have poor character adaptation, we also don’t get to have a plot that matches THE ONE BOOK THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO ADAPT. THEY HAD ONE FUCKING JOB AND THEY COULDN'T ADAPT THE ONE BOOK-
Its only so sad that they decided that this was going to be a one-shot deal because they didn’t have faith in the film and chose to have all the threads tied up. I mean, its so sad for the fans because the movie makes it very clear that we are not going to have anymore movies. sigh.
slight respect towards the film makers for tying up all the story threads instead of leaving them hanging. they did a neat job, even if it wasn’t a great one.
Anyway, maybe later on when google images has more than the promotional material I’ll do a review of only the good stuff this movie did, even if its a sad pathetic failure of an adaptation. Anyway this review is a bit of a mess and already so long so i’ll stop now.
May the gods give us strength against all the Tom Holland stans that will inevitably clog up the Chaos Walking tag with their Todd Hewitt x reader fanfics.
#Threeeyes speaks for once#messy film review#took forever to do this#i truly do feel for the Chaos walking fandom#As a Percy Jackson fan#I can only say#First Time?#Chaos Walking#Knife of Never Letting Go#Tom Holland 2021#Daisy Ridley 2021#Viola Eade#Todd Hewitt#Chaos Walking 2021
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Eastside - F.S
Request - Hi please can I have a finn shelby imagine where I'm his bestfriend and i have a crush on him and me and esme (my sister),linda,gina,ada and polly have a few drinks and I end up getting drunk and finn is ignoring me so I flirt with a guy to get his attention and then finn ends up looking after me and I end up telling him I'm in love with him thanks xx @beth-winchester21
Y/N is Esme’s younger sister, and I envisage her living with Esme and John and their kids. Both Y/N and Finn are 17.
1925 - The Garrison Pub - 11:13 PM
“Where the bloody hell are our boys?” Esme, your sisters voice - a little slurred, a little louder than usual - exclaimed, slamming her glass back onto the table with more force than she intended.
Ada let out a laugh. “Cutting someone, no doubt. Boring. They could be here-“
She wildly gestured around with her hands, accidentally smacking you in the head, to which she apologised several times, placing a drunken kiss to your head, ruffling your already messy hair, as you giggled, a little more drunk that you had initially expected when you were practically dragged out of your home, Polly proclaiming that Finn could survive without you for one night. That sentence had stung a little at the time, but you could barely remember why now.
“Having fun!” She continued, lighting a cigarette, the smell of which tickled your nose with familiarity - the same ones Finn smoked.
“A bit too much fun.” Linda gently chastised, still sipping on her heavily diluted gin and tonic.
“Oh, loosen up, Linda-“ Your sister replied. “Live a little! Heaven knows your husband does!”
Even tipsy, you could tell that Linda had taken offence to that statement, her jaw set a little, focusing on stirring her drink. Ada sniggered a little, stumbling up from beside you, helpfully disrupting a potential argument.
“I’m going to order us some ... more drinks - Y/N, what do you want?”
You opened your mouth to say just something weak, because there was a distinct fuzzy feeling in your head that made you want to giggle an awful lot.
“She’ll have a whiskey. Me too, Ada.” Esme pulled you into a side hug, and you laughed a little at your older sister, leaning your head against her shoulder.
“Who do you reckon Polly’s chatting up at the bar?” Your sister grinned, guiding your glance to a rather tipsy Polly, who was laughing at something a much younger man had told her, a coy look in her eyes.
“He’s definitely a pilot.” You mused. “Or a chauffeur, something like that.”
“No, I think an accountant.” Linda chipped in, leaning towards the two of you. “He’s got that look about him.”
“The boring look.” Esme pointed out, and you all giggled.
“What are we chatting about?” Ada questioned, plopping back down beside you, spilling half the drinks on herself, before she handed them out, giving the fullest glass to you with a not so subtle wink.
“Pol’s new catch.” You informed her.
“Oh, him! He seems pretty boring-“
“That’s what we said!”
She laughed. “Moving on - when is my dear sort-of-sister-in-law going to find herself a catch?” She jabbed you with her elbow, eyebrows wiggling conspiratorially.
“I think she already has. To a certain younger brother of yours.” Esme grinned teasingly, as your cheeks reddened, as you drank a big gulp of your whiskey to avoid talking for a second.
They both laughed. “Well, a fucking blind man could figure that one out.” Ada grinned, as you blushed even further.
“How many times do I have to tell you two that Finn is just a friend-“ You protested, but it was impossible to hide your pink cheeks. Esme poked them gently.
“Your cheeks say different, Y/N/N.” She teased.
You snorted. “It’s hot in here-“
They both made disparaging noises with a laugh, and you were only distracted from your torment when the door swung open, and a group of men strolled into the pub - the Shelby brothers. Your eyes went immediately to Finn, who was joking around with John about something. His eyes flickered to yours for a few moments, and you shot him a wide smile, heart beating a little too fast. He shot you barely a half smile, a half hearted wave, before turning back to John, and your spirits fell.
“What was that about?” Ada questioned a little too loudly.
You shrugged, teeth pulling at your bottom lip. “He’s been like that a lot over the past few weeks. I don’t -“ Your voice cracked a little. “I don’t know what I’ve done.”
The men had only been at the bar for a few seconds, but they were already heading over to your table, Esme already distracted by the sight of her husband. Ada shot you a sympathetic look, mouth opening to speak, but you had already stood up, legs wobbling, before you steadied yourself, picking up your still half empty glass of whiskey.
“I’m going to sit at the bar.” You sniffed a little, blinking to get your emotions in check. “I can’t deal-“
Ada nodded, making as if to come with you, but you shook your head, murmuring about a need to be alone.
You didn’t even shoot Finn one glance as you walked past him, trying to be proud and not to wobble with the drink and the high heels.
You weren’t entirely sure how much time had passed, but what you were certain of was that you’d had several more glasses of whiskey, courtesy of the boy sat next to you, who was chatting to you, a suave smile on his face. At some point, his hand had ended up on your thigh, to which, unbeknownst to you, several people at the table you had left had taken notice of.
Ada had a rather proud smile on her face, knowing full well just why you were acting the way you were, even if you weren’t sure yourself. John was uncomfortable, making several comments to his wife about how he wanted to go and pull the ‘little scumbag’ off you, to which Esme had laughed. Ever since John and Esme had married, you had been close to your brother-in-law, to the point where most days it felt like he was a second father, especially since you moved in with them, so it was no surprise he was overprotective. Finn, though, was a different league. His jaw was tense, foot tapping on the floor, fist clenched around the cold rum glass, eyes flicking to you every few seconds, much to the teasing of his siblings. He, more than anyone, looked like he wanted to go and cut the boy a new smile.
You were blissfully unaware of all of this, however, dizzy on alcohol and the knowledge that this boy was interested in you - though it didn’t feel the same as it would if a certain other boy showed any interest. But for as long as you had liked him, he had only shown platonic love to you, and recently, none at all. Perhaps, your actions were a big middle finger to your best friend, even if you weren’t sure that he was even looking at you. You laughed louder, almost raucously, at a joke the boy made, even though it wasn’t all that funny. His hand slid further up your leg, and some part of you started to feel a little uncomfortable, though you didn’t say anything.
“You want to get out of here?” He breathed, faces inching closer together, your lips almost brushing. The smell of liquor on his breath wasn’t the same as it was with Finn. It didn’t make you feel comfortable, the opposite, really.
Your eyebrows scrunched together, drawing back, heart dropping. Of course that was all he wanted. Your jaw tensed, suddenly feeling a lot more sober.
“No.” You spoke, turning back to your drink as something to do.
He let out an annoyed exhale. “So you’re going to be a tease?”
“I wasn’t aware accepting a drink was being a tease.” You spat.
“You’ve been giving me those eyes all night and now you’re deciding you don’t want it?”
His eyes weren’t as soft as you previously thought - instead they were greedy, and angry, entitled.
“Yes.” You spoke a single word answer, making to grab your bag from the floor.
You didn’t know exactly what he thought he was doing by grabbing your wrist, but really, it was a stupid decision. Only a second before you smacked him in the face yourself, a voice sounded from beside you.
“Mate, piss off, will you?” Finn’s voice was controlled, even, but angry. You tensed at the feeling of his body brushing close to yours as he stood beside you.
“And-“ The boy began in a confrontational tone, before glancing up and seeing exactly who he was talking to, before swallowing. “Sorry, mate-“ He stood up quickly, turning away and moving into the crowd, presumably before Finn could start anything. Over the past months, the youngest Shelby brother wasn’t exactly known for his stellar temper.
You let out a simultaneous huff of anger and relief, finally managing to pick up your bag, and standing up just as swiftly as the guy had, shooting your friend a look, crossing your arms, before turning towards the exit of the pub.
“Esme, I’m going home!” You called, to which your sister, perched on Johns knee, made to get up, never willing to let you walk the streets of Small Heath alone.
“I’ll take her, Esme, no bother.” Finn spoke, and your jaw tensed even more as Esme nodded with a grin, promptly shooting a smiling conspiratorial look to your sister in law. You rolled your eyes at the two of them.
The cold air hit you as soon as you left the pub, and you immediately began to shiver slightly, though you refused to ask Finn for a jacket, merely out of principle, as you stormed a few metres in front him, which was a difficult feat, considering you were still very much tipsy, and the cobblestones weren’t exactly easy to navigate in stilettos.
“I didn’t need your help, Finn.” You snapped suddenly, turning round to shoot him a look. “I had it under my control.”
“Yeah, it really looked like it, with him grabbing onto your arm.”
“Do you think I’m incapable of defending myself? I know you fucking don’t. We’ve been friends for years. You know I can look after myself around shitty guys.”
“So you’d prefer it if I just left you?”
“Yes!”
“Fine. I will next time.” He snapped. His voice was hurt, and it incited a twinge of guilt within you.
“What is it with you recently? You fucking ignore me half the time, then develop a fucking saviour complex whenever you think I’m in trouble?”
“It’s called sticking up for a friend-“
“Friend? Friend? You can’t pick and choose when to be friends with me! Or when you magically want to ignore me for no absolute reason.” You scoffed.
“Come on, Y/N. We are friends.” His voice was quiet.
“No. No, I really don’t think we are.” You’d regret these words later, the tiny voice in your brain spoke, but the alcohol and adrenaline in your veins only spurred you on.
“You’re drunk. You don’t mean that.” He sounded more as if he was convincing himself of that fact than you.
“Don’t I?” You said more quietly, stopping your fast paced walk. “You can’t just.. choose when you want to be friends with me!”
“And you can’t just choose when you want to flirt with me and make me feel like maybe it’s me that you like, then go and do it with random other guys!” He exclaimed, and you were taken aback, almost sobering for a second.
“Finn-“
“No, you’re drunk. Let’s get you home.” He murmured, anger dissipating in defeat, walking on, lighting a cigarette in his lips.
“Finn.” Your hand gently wrapped around his wrist, pulling him closer to you, faces a breath apart, as your eyes scanned his own.
“I fucking like you, okay. Only you.” Your drunken mind was racing and you’d regret saying these things tomorrow, but say them you did. “I’ve fucking liked you since you threw me into the Cut when we were thirteen and then realised I couldn’t swim and jumped into save me. I’ve shown it, all this time. It’s you that hasn’t. I like you, Finn. Do whatever you want with that information.”
His eyes softened, his hands brushing your own.
“Tell me this when you’re sober, yeah?” He breathed.
“And what will you say?” You were unsure, unsure if you had just thrown away your whole friendship -
He paused for a moment, licked his lips nervously - a habit he’d always had.
“That I like you too.”
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