#Apply this to anybody you’d like from a fandom but this is only a little thought I had just now

[rainyrambles-overcod]

“I can fix him” but not in the way that one would just patch up a hole in the wall. “I can fix him” but not in the way one might just stitch up a tear in your clothes.

“I can fix him” in the sense that not only would I want to repair the damage, but also take the extra step to paint something fun and beautiful on the wall too. “I can fix him” in the sense that I’d want to embroider something over that hole whilst also mending the tear, to make it bloom.

I want this to be what people mean when they say they can “fix” somebody. It’s not fixing. It’s helping them to feel beautiful and well loved again, growing around the damage done. It’s still there, the patch in the wall and the hole in your clothes, but it’s been given new life. There’s proof of its intent to last, despite the damage done.

[1mlostnow]

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞!!

Hi!! I’m Evan! This is Intro Post IV.

- Red text is primary information, things that I’d like to bring attention to, or just things I’d like to elevate above the others

I’m genderfluid, I only use he/him, I don’t have a label but I mostly like guys, and I’m a minor!!! If you’re 18+ feel free to interact but please don’t DM me or send asks.

[spotify] [insta] [wall of text] [tone tags] [ppth staff]

This intro post is incredibly long so I put primary info before the cut ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ I love using those faces

Apologies if the red or the Blinkies are hard on the eyes :<

Other Blogs ⇩

EvanRadio : @evan-radio

Poetry and Writing : @1mfoundnow

House MD [B. Corcoran] : @head-of-forensics

House MD [G. Kramer] : @plastic-surgeon-gabi

Blinkies below the cut and throughout intro :>

Table Of Contents ⇩

1. The Basics

2. Fun Facts

3. My Resume

4. Primary Music

5. Guide To Tags

6. Hobbies

7. Other Media

8. Kinnie List

9. Primary Fandoms

10. Cast List

11. Outro

[ The Basics ]

- I absolutely adore nicknames, feel free to call me anything you want; chances are I’ll be fine with it

- pretty basic DNI -> homophobes, transphobes, racists, xenophobes, proshippers (wincest ಠ_ಠ)

- feel free to interact or spam (the good kind), my notifs are off so you won’t be bothering me at all!! Feel free to do asks or anons as long as yr a minor, I love love love answering asks. I promise I’m not scary, I don’t bite (anymore lol)

- I would prefer it as a personal boundary that you don’t DM me unless you truly deem it fit, those 1 on 1 situations tend to be incredibly uncomfortable for me. If there’s truly something you’d like to speak to me about in private, go for it.

- I love my mutuals to death. Whether we talk every day or haven’t spoken once, ily :)

- I greatly appreciate tone tags!!! There is a list at the top of this intro with a tone tag guide!

- CDT timezone, typically active from 7 AM - 12 AM (this will change to 6-8AM and 5-11PM soon)

[ Fun Facts ] + notes

- my car’s name is TOMATER (all caps)

- im the ninth wonder of the world

- I love doing little drawings

- if you want one just ask (examples at end)

- once again I love love love my mutuals

- Richard Cameron defender for life

- theme changes often

- ADHD & severe social anxiety

- if you ever draw anything for me I’ll love u forever

- The Man Who Would Be King (6x20) is the best SPN episode and nobody can convince me otherwise

- if I don’t respond I swear I’m not ignoring you!! Chances are I said ‘I’ll answer later’ and then forgot—just @ me!!

- if you ever have any corrections for one of my posts (typo, incorrect facts, hurtful language) please please let me know whether it be public or private, as the last thing I’d want to do is upset anybody.

[ My Resume ]

- Professional Ghostbuster, Midwestern Cowboy, Supervillain (for the fits)

- Bug you put in a jar with sticks and leaves and a few holes in the lid so it can breathe kinda guy yk?

- Weird kid and loser for life (I’m happy this way)

- I believe I’m incredibly funny (tell me if I’m not)

- Most sentences have bonus sentences (for the thoughts that didn’t fit into the sentence right)

- hot feral scientist

[ Primary Music ] + fav song by each (‘m basic wtv)

- AJJ -> Getting Naked, Playing With Guns

- Cage The Elephant -> Spiderhead/Halo

- Car Seat Headrest -> Life Worth Missing

- David Bowie -> Rebel Rebel

- Radiohead -> Karma Police

- Seb Lowe -> The Man, The Myth

- The Front Bottoms -> Be Nice To Me / More Than It Hurts You

- The Smiths -> Pretty Girls Make Graves

- Vundabar -> Worn/Wander, Sad Clown

- Will Wood -> Memento Mori

[ Guide to Tags ]

- #evan speaks -> yapping time, applies to majority of my posts

- #evan rants -> I’ve got a lot to talk about!!

- #evan draws -> I draw :3 some art at the end

- #evan can’t vote -> US politics (doesn’t come up that often, but still)

- #evan loves his mutuals -> y’all are my best friends and ily sososo much

[ Hobbies ]

- Occasionally crocheting

- Reading and writing

- I play alto sax in marching band (never rains on the *redacted* 🫡🌧️)

- loveeee art so much, specifically pencil drawing and painting

- idk if music counts as a hobby (listening+playing)

[ Other Media ]

Shows -> Supernatural, Sherlock, House MD, My Babysitters A Vampire (Rory my beloved), Scooby-Doo, Over The Garden Wall

Movies -> Dead Poets Society, Ghostbusters, Velvet Goldmine, The Truman Show, Goonies, Stand By Me, Saw Franchise, IT 2017

Others -> Homestuck, The Secret History, getting into newer classics (highschool english class books tbh), I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream

[ Kinnie List ]

Steven Meeks (DPS), Castiel (SPN), Richie Tozier (IT), Truman Burbank (TTS), Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters), Adam Stanheight (Saw), Henry Winter (TSH), Will Graham (Hannibal)

[ Primary Fandoms ]

Supernatural, Sherlock, Dead Poets Society, Homestuck, Ghostbusters, House MD

[ Cast List ] <- y’all are like my family ily

@pingunaa @ghostboyhood @wordssricochet @poetsinnyc @meekspeaks @midwest-quill @yourfavvgal @alightelixe @lv3buzzz @craicapparition @asclexe @lefthandedspaghetti @notcatseatheadrest @wilsons-three-legged-siamese @de4d-poet-kisser @cherrishnoodles @blakenation1 @desire-mona @prettypinkbubbless @sesamie @hemlocksloadofbull @mighthavebeenmurder @tired-and-bored-nerd @neil-perrys-suicidal-tendencies @sillyhyperfixator

^^ if we ain’t close like that lmk and I’ll take you off dw ♥︎ and if I somehow missed you please please tell me and I’ll fix it right away, there’s some people I was gonna add but I wasn’t sure if we were friends like that yet lol

Outro!!

If you made it to the end of this thank you thank you thank you so much it means the world to me.

I can’t add more photos, so I’ll make and link a separate post with my art, so you can decide if that’s something you’d be interested in!!!

[ art here!! ]

[cosmos-dot-semicolon]

C, K, and M for the ask game

(fandom ask game)

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Can I say 90% of ships in fandom…? No? I usually only ship characters is when they've interwined their lives together, are kinda funny to make 👀 jokes about, or make for an entertaining trainwreck to watch.

The only thing that really comes to mind is like. The Obligatory Straight ships in kids' media. Most of the M/F canon ships in My Little Pony. Henry and Ellie when the THSC fandom was far more filled with kids. Literally everything the Ninjago writers have ever done.

I'm arospec and lean towards being gay otherwise, and I frankly do not care for how widespread some of these become despite having absolutely nothing to them. If you're going to be boring, at least be gay about it. And if you're going to be straight, at least be interesting about it.

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Oh, easy. Pretty much anybody from the virtual pet MMOs I played in the day. Aunt Arctic, Dot, Arte Fact, my Webkinz… the list goes on. That was how I survived primary school, actually. I like a lot of characters that are fun and nice from the fiction I read. Rarity. Garmadon. I'll stop before this gets long.

Does it count if I say the OCs I have in my head currently that I've never mentioned out loud? The two OCs that I have in my head currently that I've never said out loud. The maths-muse Webkinz and the physics goose. Also the cringe-ass 50 year old Asian trans statistician from that universe.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Huh. Questions that make me realise I don't actually read books for development arcs all that often. And that my favourite arcs aren't necessarily always the most deeply written.

Also. Questions that I did not think would have as long of an answer as they did, but apparently I haven't properly analysed Bojack Horseman and Dorian Gray yet, so:

Edgeworth was the first guy to come to mind for 'best', and I've already explained why, so I won't repeat myself again. Instead I'll point you towards Diane Nguyen from Bojack Horseman. The show is 6 seasons long, so my comments don't even begin to cover all the nuances of her character, but regardless she's one of the best characters I've seen on TV for a while. You can really tell from just this one character that the writers have really had time to reflect on the subject of feminism and trauma.

Side note: Tuca and Bertie does this too (and is a more fun show to boot), but I've yet to get to the relevant episodes and hence don't want to write about them yet.

While the series is named for Bojack, I'd argue Diane's equally important in its narrative. The story begins with her coming into his life, and ends with their last meeting years afterwards. Diane's an incredibly empathetic character with a strong sense of justice - if you were watching the series back then, you probably knew this from the fact some charming people hated her for her openly feminist beliefs - but this extends to every aspect of her life, including how she keeps hanging around the endlessly destructive Bojack Horseman.

Throughout the course of the show, you get to see the writers slowly unpack the cause of that attitude and what it entails. She has to face the horrifying misogyny rooted in all sides of entertainment and finds out that simply showing people the truth isn't an instant solution; she goes to a war-torn nation to try to help and has to realise that the selfish billionaire there can do more with his selfish attitude than her caring one; she has to unpack the fact that her own suffering won't make her a better person (that last one also got applied to her being a writer specifically which. hit me hard).

But eventually, she just has to come to terms with life being comfortable, and not having to stick around to fix things (and people). She gets medicated, leaves LA behind, and finds a family that's not perfect, but supports her. It's slow and it's heartwrenching, but you get to see her slowly move out of hell as she grows up and makes a better life for herself.

Now, my favourite is a tossup between Jester from Dicey Dungeons and Dorian Gray from… well. Dorian Gray, for completely diametric reasons.

Jester's not as deep as any of the other characters here, but their story of rebelling and escaping is inspiring. Dicey Dungeons first hit me in a time of my life where I was trying my best to hold onto the past as much as I could, even though it was making me unhappy. Seeing a (non-white, nonbinary) character from a game I wasn't expecting to enjoy at all risk their current situation for the outside world and the promise of friendship and something better was…

I'm not going to pretend that eased my worries or helped me at the time, but in retrospect it's a really nice touch. It's hilarious when they return and immediately get a restraining order and better boundaries with Lady Luck. I think it's thematically appropriate how none of the dice don't really ever get one over on the personification of fate all that, but they can still live a good life and annoy her, even if just slightly, by doing so. Witch also kinda does but she's not got nearly as much character so

I have semi-strong, petty opinions on Reunion's character writing actually I just remembered

And while Dorian Gray isn't really in the spirit of what fandom means when it says character development, I'm putting him here anyways because he's still very well written. The book is a gripping look at how self-centredness and privilege can so thoroughly twist a person's development for the worse.

I don't believe that was fully the original intent (there's a lot of poorly aged, pseudo-scientific messages the book sends), but it still manages to come out as really the only conclusion to what that sort of rich brat in real life becomes.

Even though Dorian starts out pretty passive and charming, from the very beginning of the book, it's reinforced that he always has the capacity to be selfish and uncaring. His artist friend Basil states that he feels like he's given his whole soul to someone who treats it if it were a flower in his pocket. And it's fascinating to see that even when the plot progresses to him doing worse things - like sentencing his fiancée to (social) suicide because she did one bad stage performance for 3 hours - he keeps this perception of himself.

His actions develop in the worst possible way, while his self-perception does not. It's horrifying to think about as you see him become increasingly content with driving others to suicide, and eventually murdering one of his closest friends for the crime of being horrified at his soul jar and asking him to reconsider his actions.

And the best thing is: Dorian remarks near the end of the book that Lord Wotton (his other main friend) poisoned him with hedonistic monologues and weird conservative tangents. But the thing is, Henry Wotton is otherwise just a normal guy. He's a Tory that puffs up his chest a lot, sure, but he hasn't actually done anything. There's even a bit where Henry remarks he wishes he knew a real murderer, and Dorian nearly faints because he's just killed someone.

The decision to become that person was all Dorian. He spends the entire book choosing to get worse at every opportunity, and suffering the delayed consequences of it. It's very intriguing to see.

[buckybeardreams]

Unwanted

Chapters: 9/11

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

Characters: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Brock Rumlow, James "Bucky" Barnes, Clint Barton, Harley Keener

Additional Tags: Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alpha Steve Rogers, Omega Tony Stark, Service Top, Dominant Bottom, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Virgin Steve Rogers, Brock Rumlow is a Good Bro, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Romantic Soulmates, First Meetings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sappy, Romantic Fluff, Awkwardness, Drinking to Cope, Self-Worth Issues, Insecure Tony Stark, Insecure Steve Rogers, Age Difference, Harley Keener is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Bonding, Claiming Bites, Claiming, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Non-Explicit Sex, Light Dom/sub, Mutual Masturbation, Coming Untouched, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, Knotting

Series: Part 1 of Second Chances

Summary:

Steve is a soft Alpha and Tony is an in charge kind of Omega with no desire to find a mate. He doesn't want to find his soulmate and when he does meet Steve he's determined to stay away from him. 

That is until he realizes just how right they are for each other.

Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9 Ch 10 Ch 11

Can also be read here

Words: 1,612

"You're not unhappy that we bonded, right?"

Tony rolled his eyes.

"If I was I wouldn't be curled up in bed right now after letting you fuck my brains out."

Steve smirked.

"I think you were the one doing the fucking. I just laid there while you rode me."

"Yeah, but next time I'm gonna make you do all the work and I'm just gonna lay there and be the pillow princess. Let my Alpha take care of me," Tony said, his fingers trailing down Steve's chest and a sultry pout on his lips. "You'd do that for me, wouldn't you, Alpha?"

"You know I'd do anything to please you, baby."

"I know, because you're such a good boy," Tony murmured, kissing him. "Mm, as much as I'd love to stick around and let you fuck me on every surface in your apartment, I really have to get going or I'm gonna be late."

"I'll drive you," Steve offered.

"You're sweet, but no, I'm good. If I take you with me I'm just gonna end up fucking you in the break room and then the manager is gonna be an asshole about it."

Steve growled.

"I hate that guy more every time you talk about him."

Tony hummed, kissing him again.

"Yeah, well, I think most bosses disapprove of fucking in the employee's room. Even the not asshole ones.

"No, I don't mean that. We definitely can't do that, no matter how much I like the idea of you bossing me around at your work. I just think this Obie guy sounds like the worst and every time I've run into him just confirms that."

Tony didn't even try to disagree with that assessment.

"Like last week when he gave you shit for having to leave early because of your heat. There are laws in place to protect Omegas from being forced to work while in heat, but you practically had to beg him for the days off and then apologize for not being able to work and he still gave you shit about it. Then he had the audacity to act like he had done you some great favor and made you work extra shifts to make up for it. He didn't even pay you overtime, even though he made you work like sixty hours."

"Hey, hey, calm down. You're getting yourself all worked up about it and I don't want that. I appreciate your concern, I really do, and I love that you're so protective. Which is honestly something I never thought I'd say, but you need to take a deep breath. I've got it all under control."

Steve tried to take a deep breath, tried to calm down like his Omega told him to, but it didn't do much to alleviate his anger.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just wish you didn't have to deal with him."

"Well, I won't have to for much longer."

Steve frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Tony shifted on his lap, looking down at his lap nervously.

"Well, I was actually gonna tell you about this, but we've just been so caught up in our own little bubble and I didn't want to burst it by bringing up legal stuff. Besides, I almost forgot about it with all the newly mated hormones rushing through me," Tony rambled.

"Tony, love, just tell me."

"We tried to get Obie fired, but the owner, Alexander Pierce, was backing him, so we're taking him to court. They've been doing a whole bunch of shady stuff that's totally illegal, from paying people off to pass inspections and dealing drugs out back in the alley, to denying us health insurance, making us work overtime but not paying us overtime, and usually they make the Omegas work during heat. I think Obie only gave in this time, because he thought you might beat his ass if he called me in for work."

There was an amused smile on Tony's face, but he was looking at Steve, worried about his reaction. Steve was furious, but not at Tony. He knew that Obie was an asshole, but he had no idea just how bad it really was.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I shouldn't have let you work for a guy like that. I'm your Alpha. I should have protected you, provided for you so you didn't have to work-"

"Hey, no, stop," Tony told him. "I love you so much, Alpha, but I don't want that. This was my battle to fight and I wasn't about to let you take that away from me. I've been dealing with this bullshit for years and now I'm finally changing things. You have to let me do this."

Steve felt awed by his little Omega. So much strength wrapped up in such a small little package it was unbelievable, and to think he was all Steve's. Steve kissed him, hard and lingering.

"I would never take that away from you, Tony. I wouldn't dream of doing something like that, pretty Omega."

A shy smile crept onto Tony's face and his cheeks turned pink.

"Thank you, Alpha. That means a lot, and I mean, there's no guarantee that the next person who buys the place will be any better than Pierce, or that they will hire us all on again. There's really no guarantee anybody will buy the place anytime soon. Realistically, it'll probably be bulldozed and turned into a parking lot for the diner next door or something like that. We all know that we're probably gonna lose our jobs, but it's worth it to do the right thing and put Pierce behind bars."

Steve nodded, licking his lips and considering how to say what he wanted to say in a way that wouldn't offend Tony.

"You know that I think you're so strong and I'm so proud of you for doing this, right?"

Tony bit his lip, nodding uncertainly.

He wasn't sure where Steve was going with this.

"I think it's amazing that you're gonna do this and that you want to do this and I'll support you in this in any way that I can," Steve told him earnestly. "I know that this is your fight, Tony, and I would never take that away from you, but if you'll let me, I'd love to fight alongside you."

Tony broke out in a grin, wrapping his arms around Steve's neck.

"Yes! Oh my God, yes!" Tony squealed. "Fuck, you scared me there. I thought you were gonna say something awful, but I should have known you'd just say something charming and perfect."

Steve blushed, but he was grinning too.

"Right, well, you see, the thing is Tony that I have a lot of money-"

Tony pulled back, raising a brow at him.

" You have a lot of money. You , the eighteen year old artist and former virgin until I seduced your ass Alpha, has a lot of money?" Tony asked him, clearly amused and not believing him one bit. "Tell me, pretty boy, what do you consider a lot of money? The twenty dollar allowance your mommy gives every Saturday?"

Steve glared at him, but there wasn't any heat in it. If anything he was just really embarrassed and really turned on.

"Sam helped me out a lot when I was a kid. He helped me turn my life around and he helped get my art into some galleries. He's got this friend, an ex of his, Pepper Potts. She's like a brilliant business woman and she runs her own company, but she also has a few major art galleries where she displays art from some of the most prominent artists in the states. I'm talking big shots, well known artists that make hundreds of thousands of dollars selling one painting."

Tony was just staring at him, like he was having a hard time figuring out if this was just some elaborate joke or not.

"Steve... what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that she saw some of my work, loved it, and put it up in her galleries. I've only sold a handful, but I've made a lot of money. Your bar is not that great, no offense, and I don't really spend much of my money other than for, like, rent and groceries, so there's a lot of it just sitting around. We could probably just buy the bar. That is if you want to be an owner of a bar."

Steve swallowed hard and fidgeted nervously with the bottom of Tony's shirt when he didn't respond. Tony was just shocked and pretty sure he was dreaming.

"I'm sorry, what? You're joking, right?" Tony said in disbelief. "Are you telling me that you have hundreds of thousands of dollars just lying around?"

Steve squirmed under Tony.

"I mean, not literally. It's all in the bank. Most of it's in my savings account since it earns more interest that way-"

"Shut up, I don't care about that," Tony said, cutting off his nervous rambling. "Are you for real? You have that kind of money and you'd be willing to let me buy a bar with it?"

Steve bit his lip.

"Yeah, I mean, Tony, I'd do anything for you. So if you want a bar then I'll buy you a bar. It's no big deal."

"No big deal? It's a huge deal!"

Steve wasn't sure if he was upset or excited, but then Tony was wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him.

"Fuck, I love you so much. You know that, right?" Tony groaned against his lips.

Steve nodded, whimpering into his mouth when Tony kissed him again.

[smellysluna]

The one where Adrien dances with you

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Pairing: Adrien Agreste & [YOU]

Warnings/Tags: mostly swearing and PDA but very mild, fluff you’d say?

Summary: you meet Adrien at a gala hosted by the Vanilies in London, you confuse Adrien for Felix but your misunderstanding quickly turns into something else.

Note: I feel like the ending kinda sucks a lot but mblerghh i don’t want to wait to post this, enjoy babes!

Graham de Vanilie Group invites you to a Fundraising Holiday Gala. 7th of May 2020. Six o’clock in the Buckingham Palace. 

The last time the Graham de Vanilie Group hosted a fundraiser was a few years back, right before one of their CEOs passed away. You place the invitation card back in the envelope you received from Félix. You’re startled by the sudden invite and glance at your best friend.

“I suspect that the black envelopes were your choice?”

Félix nearly flinched. After all, he does his best at hiding feelings and intentions; he does fool most people but you always knew him better than the palm of your hand. So when the blond tried to suppress his astonishment, you almost smirked.

“You never fail to surprise me.” His voice is flat and deep but it quivers right at the end.

“You’re way too predictable.”

You place the open envelope onto your desk. When you turn around, you notice Félix’s leg go in an up-and-down motion. He was waiting for an answer, you knew, but he wasn’t going to ask for it. You step up to your walk-in closet and go through the dresses.

“It’s been a long time since I bought a gala dress,” you yell to Félix.

You didn’t hear how he walked into the closet. For whatever that means, you never notice when he sneaks up on you but you’re used to it by now. 

“Do you want to match, for old time’s sake?”

“That’s brilliant, Félix! Are you free this weekend?”

He falls silent for a moment, pursing his lips. “I could create an opening in my schedule on Saturday morning.”

“It’s settled then. Saturday at 9:30 we’ll get some breakfast and then—”

“I said I could, not that I would.” 

You stare at him with the utmost hateful look you could muster. “You fucking asshole.”

Turns out that Félix did clear up some plans to go shopping that weekend. As planned, you had chosen clothing that matched. When the day of the gala came, Félix told you to meet him at the venue because he had some responsibilities as one of the hosts. He had to receive guests and be there for his mother.

You arrive at Buckingham palace with your parents and as soon as you get in, the three of you are greeted by the remaining members of the Vanillies. You and your parents split ways. 

Félix looked as dashing as ever, his suit perfectly matched your long dress. He had his hair slicked back as usual but it seemed that he used a more than necessary quantity of gel. 

“What’s with your hair today, I can see myself in it.” You joked.

“Thank you, your hair isn’t any better,” he replies coldly.

You scoff, “tell that to my hairdresser.”

“I just might.”

“Sure you will, wanker.”

He glares disapprovingly and dismisses you. “Go bother the waiters. Maybe get something to drink while you’re at it. You’re tolerable when drunk.”

You just smile at him and let go of the bickering. “I better get started, then.” You leave Félix tending the rest of the guests.

“Hey,” he calls out, “I’ll find you later.” You nod at him and keep walking, swaying your hips in exaggeration just to annoy him.

The Buckingham’s ballroom wasn’t as spacious like the usual contracted venues by the Vanillie Group. It only seemed fair, though. Most of the guests already there were closer to their inner circle —comfortable enough to invite but just as brave.

The ballroom was clear enough to recognise the people you knew and had to greet for the sake of politeness. If you’re lucky there will be some entertainment. You move toward the clique the teenagers had unconsciously formed with a smile. 

After some boring interactions with the biggest snob —according to you and Félix— known as Vanessa you excuse yourself and ditch the posse to find Félix. You remark at yourself that the room had filled generously within an instant. Now you only wonder in which corner the tolerable snob had secluded himself to. While executing the quest, you straighten your posture out of habit.

The next thing, you see the back of a blond head. The posture and the shoulder build was right… Why was Félix’s hair suddenly not gelled back? You had to find out and on the way to wisdom you wondered whether his mother forced him to get rid of the excessive amount of gel he used. You grab his hand and turn him around. 

Not taking a good glance, you say unladylike —the way you always talk to him—, “what did you do to your hair?” You glance around and play with his hair, wondering how he managed to wash his hair in this place. “You were never planning on looking for me, weren’t you?” You glared at the blond.

You expected Félix’s stoic-stone-cold stare but instead you were met by a stupefied smile. There’s no doubt that it’s the same face but the expressions don’t match. At your approach the blond scratched his neck.

“I think you’ve mistaken me for my cousin,” he smiles and your face widens in shock. It feels like your heart just fell to the core of the Earth.

You let go of his hand and apologize frantically. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t notice you weren’t Félix.” You cover your face. “This is so embarrassing, I’m sorry.”

Félix’s cousin uncovers your face carefully but instead of looking at him, you keep your gaze on the floor’s carpet.

“Don’t worry —It’s not your fault! Everybody confuses us both.” He keeps silent for a moment. “Hey,” he tries to get you to look at him, “it’s okay —it really is.” Giving into his words, you glance up at him.

His stare and your stare cross. You take him in entirely. Even though he had the same face as someone you knew like the palm of your own hand, he felt like a different person. But he was a different person! Realising this, your heart ached in a way it had never done before. The air hitched at the back of your throat and neither the blond neither you said anything, you were both speechless.

He cleared his throat in what felt like a moment of paradise, the spell broke. 

The music in the ballroom becomes louder. “Would you like to share a dance with me?” He offers an open hand and a bright smile. 

With a twinkle in your eyes, you lay your hand in his. “I’d love to.”

He guided you closer to the musicians at the far end of the ballroom. At the center of the far end, on top of a podium connected to a pair of stairs, were the Queen’s and King’s thrones. Both seats were vacant but you knew that the Queen was somewhere nearby, you greeted her not long ago. 

At the far end walls were another pair of stairs connecting to each side of the wall; on the left was the string orchestra and on the right was the wind orchestra. You found yourself stranded in between.

The blond preserves his grip on your hand and faces you. In response, you put your arms around his shoulders.

You scoff, “even Félix holds me closer.”

At the comparison, the blond in front of you tensed. He pulled you closer out of sheer stubbornness.

Then most certainly, you’re reminded that he’s not Félix. The contact sent shivers down your spine. The feeling of him, so close, ricketed your heart. You were sucked into your own world where there was only him, the music and you. Too dumbfounded to notice anybody else, you begin to dance. Luckily, you had incorporated into a slow waltz. The both of you moved loosely without any missteps. 

An unseen force pulled you into his eyes, your will was to weak to pry you away from staring at him. Not once were you tempted to talk to him, you had everything you needed. His hand on your wait, your arm on his shoulder and a magic connection. 

A few steps later, your heart calmed down and only then you dared to speak. “I’m (Y/N), (Y/N) (L/N).” He squeezes your hand and you squeeze back.

“Name’s Adrien, Adrien Agreste.”

You bite your lip, scolding yourself for ruining your applied lipstick, as you both keep moving rhythmically to the orchestra. “Agreste..? I’ve never heard of you,” the spell your eyes shared had long broken so you move your eyes around the moving ballroom, “or seen you.”

You heard him chuckle and it was so precious you imprinted it to your memory. It was dumb, really, but you couldn’t help it. “You’re Félix’s friend,” he told you as a matter of fact but the short sad smile doesn’t go unnoticed. “I imagine he never said he had a cousin.” You wanted to reply first but nodded instead. 

“Why has he never talked about you?”

Adrien pulled you closer unconsciously but your heart rate spiked in an instant. “The short version of the story is that his mother’s twin is my mother but she married Gabriel Agreste and moved to France with him.”

You let the untold drama to sink in. You imagine what secrets these two families were keeping and you grin to yourself. Juicy rich people drama. 

Before replying to Adrien, you avoid biting your lip as to not ruin the professionally applied make-up. “That explains a little,” you guide Adrien into the pace increased music, “but I’d love to hear the full version.”

In your head, you created Adrien as somebody sweet and always polite, a soft person but when he takes the lead in your waltz… you realize he’s not as soft as you had pegged him for. 

“Maybe later, My Lady.”

The tempo gets stronger and faster and gracefully you keep following the rhythm. The room starts spinning and you only have a focus on the boy with the green eyes. The music is loud and it drums in your ears or maybe it was your heart beating so hard, you weren’t sure. You were having fun, and you keep the flow going without even skipping a beat. Your feet hurt from your heels but you couldn’t even feel the pain. The trumpets sang loud, the violins serenaded violently and your heart drifted ecstatically. The smile on your faces wouldn’t leave and you thought you were tiptoeing through the sky. Quite frankly, dancing with Adrien Agreste felt liberating. 

It wasn’t until the tempo slowed down that you were aware that you had broken a sweat. You recalled the times when you danced with Félix, not even a drop of sweat. He’d always push you to your limits but you kept up with him effortlessly. With Adrien it was different. You weren’t just shuffling your feet, you were dancing! Enjoying it! Feeling it! You had been dancing and not once your mind wandered somewhere else. You were dancing with Adrien Agreste and nothing else mattered. 

Sometime later, after catching the attention of many, you decide to go outside for a rest and cool down. You stopped at the palace’s entrance stairs. The guards on the bottom kept their position still. Nonetheless, you were a sweaty mess, you hoped your make-up hadn’t melted away but you were certain that the lipstick had faded away.

The both of you were engaged in a pleasant conversation and kept smiling at eachother. You were getting to know one another, you asked him about life in Paris, he asked you about life in London.

“I’ve been wondering,” Adrien pauses and looks around, “do you love Félix?" 

You furrow your brows in deep thought. You felt like answering with the truth but you just met him. Nevertheless, you wanted to tell him. So you do. 

To distract yourself from Adrien’s visage, you lean on the stairs’ rail. "I thought I did." 

A moment of silence passed by until Adrien asked what it is that you meant.

"It’s not like I’m confused or anything —I know I like him. It’s just,” you bite your bottom lip, trying to keep it in but it was too late, “there’s this other girl who’s in love with him too. And, honestly, Félix is better off with her.”

Adrien stands up from the stairs indignantly. “You can’t just… give up!” he says, desperately. 

You look at him surprised, for a moment, still not used to the expressive emotions on such a familiar face. 

“It’s not that I’ve given up. It’s that I’m okay with how Félix is. I’m okay with the small amounts of emotions that he shows. I’m okay with his cryptic behaviour. I wouldn’t change any of that —I couldn’t.”

You straighten your dress and stare at anything, just to keep your mind away from the aching in your heart. 

“But Bridgete… she can make a difference in Félix. She makes him a better person, even if it’s a little. She can make him grow and become the one he needs to be." 

You stare into Adrien’s glassy eyes, ready to give your heart the final blow. Adrien stares back at you and his heart churns.

"I’d just bring him down." 

Adrien didn’t realise he was clenching his jaw. He tries to loosen his grip on himself but he just couldn’t.

“I don’t know what to say.” Adrien sighs feeling identified to some extent and sits back down on the stairs. “I mean, I guess I understand you.”

You gaze at the back of Adrien’s head, you notice he relaxes his shoulders after you sit down next to him and it makes you smile slightly. He keeps his gaze on the ground.

“It’s just that I keep trying and trying and I get nowhere. We’ve gotten closer over time, yeah, but I’ve done zero progress.” 

You lean into him to give him some comfort and he places an arm around you in response. It felt so natural to the both of you —it was scary how close you felt. Who knew how intimate a dance could be.

“I feel so hopeless sometimes.” 

You lift your head up from his shoulder and stare into his eyes. His gaze was blankly set on the ground and his eyes were a shade darker outside. It’s funny how only now you notice those little details. Like the reflection of the lampposts’ light shining in his eyes. Like the way he kept clenching and unclenching his fist. Or the way he kept biting harder and harder on his bottom lip…

You can’t recall when Adrien faced you. Nonetheless, Adrien clearly noticed when you kept staring at his lips. He especially noticed your silent ragged breathing and your excessive lip licking…

You started leaning into Adrien. You could feel his hot breath. You were too scared to look into each other’s eyes and before your lips met, Adrien hesitated. The way he had made you feel tonight gave you the courage to just go for it. So you go in to kiss him. You felt confident and hopeful but Adrien stopped you. 

"I’m - I’m sorry. It’s just…” Adrien couldn’t get the right words. “I’m sorry." 

Your heart feels heavy in your chest. That night, you broke your own heart twice. The first time was about your discordance with Félix and the second time… by kissing a guy you just met. How ironic, you fell for the same face twice. 

You stand up abruptly. You really don’t want Adrien to see you red-eyed and puffy. You decide to flee from him and never see him ever again.

“I’m the one who should be sorry. We don’t know each other at all —it’s my fault.” You approach the entrance at the top of the staircase and before you get inside you tell him goodbye without a second glance.

He ponders for a moment. Figuring out what just happened. He thought a few seconds had passed before he ran after you.

“Shit! I’m stupid!”

He wondered how could you be so fast, you wore heels and a long dress. It seems that he had spent more than just a few seconds before he realised that you were his chance to become better. You might’ve not been Félix’s opportunity to become a better man but you sure as hell were Adrien’s. And it only took him one evening (and a few extra minutes) to figure that one out.

He figured you got back into the ballroom and he was right. Just as he was about to apologise to you and tell you how he actually felt after meeting you, he was met with Félix’s hostile glare. You were slouched between his arms and Félix held you tight, so tight he could see veins. Adrien paled in an instant, he darted glances between you and Félix without cease. 

Félix’s jaw was set in a tight knot. His cousin had hurt his best friend and he imagined what had happened. He knew his cousin’s heart was set for Ladybug. He even thought bitterly of her name. Such a boyish and stupid crush. He thought he couldn’t despise his cousin even more but there was Adrien, proving him wrong. 

He could imagine what happened, you always seemed to have a fancy for blonds. Ironically, Félix wondered how you could have fallen for his face but not for him (little did he know). It left a bitter taste on his tongue. While he intently stared at Adrien, he took you away from the ballroom —somewhere only he could get in. And before you left the ballroom altogether, you curiously glanced at where Félix had been looking when he tensed. That was the last time you saw Adrien Agreste in that ballroom.

When the event ended, you locked yourself in your room. Your parents barely noticed your distant behaviour; it happens when they constantly work. 

Sooner than later, the next week arrived and so did Félix. He knocked on your door and let himself in. You were in your pajamas, looking terrible. You haven’t combed your hair since the shower you took on Friday and haven’t brushed your teeth either.

“I have to say, you look worse than I thought you would.”

You glare at him with red and puffy eyes, “I haven’t stopped crying since Thursday, Félix. It’s pathetic… I’m pathetic!”

“Yeah, you are pathetic.”

You rub your eyes. “Yeah, thank you for your support.”

“You better. I’m the one who got you away from there.”

In the beginning you thought that he could brighten your mood but it seemed to be doing quite the contrary. Before he arrived, you managed to calm down and stop crying. Your efforts weren’t paying off because you were at the brink of tearing up again.

“Could you just… not say anything? At all?” You sigh. “I just need you to be here. By my side. Nothing else.”

Félix felt like saying something, actually comforting this time… but the defeated look on your face convinced him otherwise. He lay on your desk your favourite sweets, to which he received a smile from you, and sat down on the end of your bed.

“Fine, just get here,” he looks away, embarrassed, “and cry it out. You won’t be alone this time.”

You put your head on his lap and purse your lips. “I don’t feel like crying anymore.”

He looks into your eyes and groans, “you fucking wanker.” You just giggle at his pink cheeks.

Sometime later you were forced to go to Paris with Félix. Well, you weren’t really forced. Félix’s mother asked you to come and give support to her and her son. They were going to visit the man that stole her sister. Also because it was the day she had disappeared. 

You thought it wouldn’t do any harm to get out of your house, out of London and spend some time in the city of love. Maybe you’ll find a Parisian to get your mind off of the blond who’s been as of late haunting your dreams.

Turns out it was a bad idea. Paris was covered with Adrien’s face. It didn’t matter where you went: there he was, smiling with that stupid cute face and stupid smile. You thought you had gotten over him these past few weeks but all these pictures of him made you fall for Adrien Agreste all over again. 

You’d remember that intense dance you shared and that conversation in which you felt you could trust Adrien with your whole life. If you stared long enough at his picture, your heart would break too. Being in Paris was nothing like you thought it would be. It was so confusing. The scenery was amazing and beautiful but you barely enjoyed it. These feelings of discomfort and contempt were complicated. Sad you felt your heart being broken one too many times; happy you fell for the same guy all over again. You knew you had to get over him but the signs of the universe wouldn’t let you.

So instead of going back to England with the Vanilies, you decided to spend some time alone in this melancholic city.

It was weirdly filled with pigeons in the capital when you finally met the famous Ladybug and Chat Noir. 

It felt unreal to have Ladybug in front of you, talking in a language you don’t understand. You picked up a couple of words from Félix like idiot and stupid. He likes to mutter your idiocy in French.

"Sorry, I don’t speak French.”

Ladybug’s eyes widen, she doesn’t speak English. Even if you didn’t understand what she was yelling at her partner, she was impressive. Let’s face it, if it came to it, you’d be gay for her. As soon as that embarrassing thought crossed your mind, someone landed behind you. 

“You’re in luck, Ladybug, since it seems I’m fluent in English." 

You didn’t bother to look behind you, you were sure it was Chat Noir. Ladybug seemed to be a more impressive sight than anything, except for… that… that… that damn Agreste! You cursed internally, more worried of your internal battle than the one you were physically involved in. It seemed that Adrien Agreste wasn’t going to leave your mind anytime soon.

In a swing, Ladybug left you alone with Chat Noir, not before giving you a reassuring smile. 

Chat Noir cat walked in front of you, a smug smile adorning his face. When he saw your face, he tripped on his own feet and fell, wide-eyed. 

It was wrong to laugh at him, he could’ve been hurt, but you couldn’t help it. A hero trying to show off but failing? That’s hilarious. 

You dismissed Chat Noir’s incredulous look of embarrassment at a failed athletics check. In reality, he was freaking out. Even still, his heart bubbled at your laughter. It was just like the way you laughed with him in Buckingham Palace, the only difference was you weren’t in his arms. 

Your laughter died down when you noticed he wasn’t standing up. With tears in your eyes, you offer your hand to help him up. "I apologise for laughing, I haven’t had a good laugh in a long time." 

He took your hand in his and didn’t want to let go when he got to his feet. He had to let go. 

"Don’t worry about it.” He knew he was taking too long on following the instructions Ladybug gave him. His baton was ringing, Ladybug was calling. He didn’t pick up even though he knew he should do what’s right for Paris’ safety. Do what’s right for the people —not him. It hurt internally to let you go again. “Look, I have to get back to the battle, so I’m gonna take you somewhere safe. Please, be careful.”

Chat Noir finished the battle as soon as possible, skipped his usual fistbump with Ladybug and got back to you. But when he returned to the spot he left you, you weren’t there anymore. 

His heart sank into his stomach. 

Until now, it hadn’t occurred to him why you were here. Why were you even in Paris? By any chance, were you looking for him? He doubted that. Why would you look for him? If anything, he should be looking for you!

The pit in Chat Noir’s stomach grew heavier, his heart beat so loud he hardly heard his own thoughts. What was he even feeling? The only thing that felt right was you. You in his arms, laughing at those possé’d jerks. Shit! He must find you.

The only thing he could think of being of use was Félix. He’d ask for your number and call you and—. No, it would be dumb. Félix wouldn’t even give Adrien your number. Especially not after that look he received in the palace. He could still try… He’d beg for it if he had to.

“Ugh, how do I even ask him?” 

Chat Noir pondered various outcomes —none of them seemed to go well— all the way to his house. In a matter of seconds, Adrien freed himself from the suit and stared at Félix’s contact number.

“What are you doing?” 

“Something I should’ve done a long time ago, Plagg.”

“You don’t seem to be doing anything.”

Plagg caught on his bullshit. Thing is, Adrien was too scared to push the call button. He hasn’t even thought of a proper way of asking your number or even greeting Félix. So lost in thought… 

“I guess you found out, hah?” Félix answered. 

It seems that Plagg accidentally pressed the call button. Adrien was at a loss for words. He still doesn’t know what to tell Félix.

“Hello? Can you even hear me?” Apparently, Adrien took too long to think of something to say.

“I — uh — yeah.”

“‘Yeah’, what? That you found out or that you can hear me?”

“Both.”

“Fine, what do you need?” Félix inquired, clearly annoyed.

“Phone.”

“Phone?”

“Number.”

“Number?”

“Her phone number.”

“Her phone number?”

“Yeah, her phone number.”

“Her phone number.”

“Right.”

Silence.

“Okay, I’m hanging up now.”

Adrien paced even faster around his room.

“Wait! No! I need you to give me her phone number.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because I asked.”

“Right. You’re not getting it.”

“Because I like her.”

“You like her.”

“Yeah.”

“You son of a—. You made her cry!”

“I went after her!”

“You were too late!”

“Please.”

The line suddenly died. Félix hung up. Adrien was sure this was the only way so he readied himself to call again but he was interrupted by a message.

Félix

Contact: thy dumbass

Félix

if she comes back more broken than when she left i will kill you

Félix didn’t want to let you go, he didn’t want you to be with Adrien. Yet, he had to give you a chance to be happy and maybe, he’d hope, his cousin fucked up. Maybe you could give him a chance but it seems that he waited way too long.

Now that Adrien had your phone number he didn’t know what to do with it. He could call you… and then what? He could send you a text, explaining himself. Yeah, that seemed right. It was the longest text message he has ever written. He reread it nine times before erasing all of it before he could hit send. 

Maybe he isn’t worthy of you. After all, he should’ve been the one that found you instead of the other way around. He should’ve gone after you.

It was true that he couldn’t stop thinking about you, he couldn’t keep you a secret so he talked to the person he trusts with his life. Ladybug had been understanding, she even talked about her own love life. She had never been willing to talk about it. The team had reached a milestone in trust. Whenever they had doubts, they’d talk to each other and point out things that the other didn’t realise. However, Ladybug had been most successful, she listened to Chat Noir’s suggestions whereas Chat didn’t follow through. Maybe this one time he will.

“I think you need to tell her to meet somewhere. Have some tea or something. Isn’t that what british people do the most?”

“This is so embarrassing, Ladybug. What do I tell her? ‘Hey, let’s meet and have tea!’ That’s so dull.”

“You say exactly that!”

“What? No way.”

“If I were right there I’d take your phone and text her myself. Now don’t be a chicken, I’m getting tired of you weeping.”

Adrien squeaks when he sends that simple message to an empty chat waiting to be filled. 

“Did she answer!?”

“No! I just sent the message! How—Oh, God! She replied!”

“What did she say!?”

“‘Who is this?’ uh.”

“Chat, you idiot! Tell her it’s you!”

“Fuck, I’m scared.”

“Come on!”

“Okay, okay, I said it. She read it — she’s not replying. Wait, wait, she’s typing!” Adrien gripped his phone so tight his knuckles were white. “She said ‘okay’.”

“Go on, then! Tell her when you can meet and where! I’m hanging up now, I’m actually with some friends. Good luck, Chat.”

“Thanks Bugaboo.”

As soon as he hung up he texted you when you were free.

(Y/N): whenever, really, all I’ve been doing is wandering around 

Adrien: do you have time now? I’m free until my fencing class

(Y/N): uh, yeah, where do you want to meet? Don’t make it complicated I don’t know this place much

Adrien: where are you now?

(Y/N): at a cafe by the eiffel tower, but I’d like to rest at the hotel first, my feet hurt

Adrien: Le Grand Paris?

(Y/N): yep

Adrien: I’ll pick you up after my fencing class, should give you enough time to rest

(Y/N): ok

Adrien: looking forward to see you again

The texting ends there. Adrien can’t wait to get to fencing class and get over it. You, on the other hand, pay for your tea and race to the hotel. What did that heart mean..? You were dying to get to your hotel room and take a long hot shower, you were basically crawling up the walls of the elevator. 

A few hours later you get a message from Adrien that he’s on his way. Honestly, you were ready an hour ago, you had never been so nervous to meet someone. You slowly made your way down to the entrance. You were going to make him wait but the moment you step outside you see a car pulling up.

Adrien: I’m here

He steps outside and spots you immediately. Fuck, you looked beautiful. He walked up to you even though he wanted to run and spin you around in his arms and kiss you all over. 

It was awkward seeing one another after everything but when you both caved for a hug. It felt so right. Your hearts pounded. His hair was still slightly wet, probably from the shower he just took. He smelled like citrus too. 

Adrien broke the hug and stared deep in your eyes and before he could stop it, he was leaning in for a kiss. Lips barely touching, he hesitates but you close the gap. It was much better than the hug. His lips were soft and plump. It wasn’t your best kiss but the feelings you got from him were amazing. Together, you could teach him to kiss the way you want to him which means he’s gonna have to practice a lot of kisses with you.

“Sorry it took this long.”

“The wait was worth it.” 

He smiles at you and you kiss again.

[procrastinatorimagines]

Take The Leap

Fandom: Chicago PD / FBI: Most Wanted

Character/s: Jess LaCroix x Reader, Hailey Upton,

Warning/s: none

Word Count: 1,712

Request:  Hey! If you like the idea could you do a Jess LaCroix one where he finally comes to terms that he likes the reader and just goes for it? And maybe the reader is also from CPD and came to New York with Haley? Thank you!

Summary: Y/N’s been offered a spot in the FBI, but Chicago’s her home, is she really ready to leave it all behind for New York?

When your Sergeant, Hank Voight, had sent you and Hailey Upton to New York to work with the FBI, you thought you’d want nothing more than to head back to Chicago as soon as possible. Hailey had been sent to one team, parted with a guy called OA, and you’d been placed with the Fugitive Task Force Unit.

You didn’t know who was least thrilled by the arrangement at first, you, or the unit. God, those guys were a tight knit group, they’d all been together for years, and you were some outsider who they’d been forced to play nice with. It probably didn’t help that you weren’t even an FBI agent, and everything they did was so different from what you were used to, so overwhelming, that you didn’t entirely blame them for wanting you gone.

The head of the unit, Jess LaCroix, had probably been the least welcoming, he’d been actively against adding anyone to the unit that wasn’t picked by him personally, and that’s how it always had been until now, but he had his own masters to answer to so there you were. Needless to say it had taken him a while to get used to you, much longer than the others, especially when you’d all found out that your assignment had been extended. 

Hailey would be heading back to Chicago soon but you had been told to stick around, in a city you were barely getting to grips with and with a unit only just getting used to your temporary presence. You just hoped they realised you had as little say in this as they did.

It was around this time that LaCroix, with no small amount of convincing from Barnes you were sure, decided to try and get to know you, team bonding he called it, though you were also sure they were more Hana’s words than his. 

But then it kind of stopped being team bonding, and started being... well, you weren’t entirely sure. You started getting used to the team, it’s rhythm, your place in it, and suddenly it started to feel like you were supposed to be there. You still spent a lot of time with LaCroix, probably more than you should, and it started to feel easy, relaxed... nice, to just grab a drink or catch up after a case.

Okay fine, you had a thing for your boss... Hailey was never going to let you hear the end of this. 

The problem was, besides the obvious, that you had no way of knowing if LaCroix felt the same way. He’d always been difficult to read, and he hadn’t gotten much easier, no matter how long you staying in the unit. You’d asked Crosby about it once, but he’d told you that he was just like that, he kept everything very close to his vest, he was still figuring it out himself and he’d been there a lot longer than you. 

You knew he’d lost his wife, and from what Clinton let on he hadn’t been up for dating since, so the last thing you were going to do was even make him aware of your feelings unless he made any kind of move first. He’d dealt with a lot, and the last thing he needed was you piling this on him if he didn’t feel the same way.

So you shrugged and tried to accept it, but a part of you still wanted to know.

You were grabbing a drink tonight in fact, and you were more nervous about it than usual. Word had reached the unit from up on high that they were considering transfering you back to Chicago, but they’d not so subtley let on that at the end of the day, if you wanted to stay on, there was a place at Quantico with your name on it.

You wanted to talk about it with LaCroix tonight, clear the air about whether they’d even want you in the unit, but you were still conflicted, Chicago was your home, Intelligence was your family, could you really give that up for the FBI?

“Hey,” he greeted you as you arrived, giving you a friendly yet professional pat on the arm that had you no closer to figuring out how the hell he felt. You took a seat at the bar and he slid you a drink as you took off your coat. You thought his eyes lingered on you a little longer than they should but by the time you had put your coat down he was taking a drink, so maybe you’d just been seeing things. Maybe.

“Thanks,” you said, taking the drink as you considered how to start the conversation, not sure what he thought about your offer from the Bureau. “How’d Tali’s science fair go?” You decided to ask instead and he grinned, somehow looking equally grateful to not have that conversation yet.

“Second place,” he told you, “apparently baking soda volcanoes are pretty hard to beat.”

“Uh huh,” you replied, “especially when they’re made my the principal’s son I’m guessing?” LaCroix laughed. You’d talked about Tali’s project last time you’d grabbed a drink, and he’d gone full dad mode ranting about the favouritism that went on in the talent show, you figured the fair wouldbe no different.

“Well she’s happy, she knew it wasn’t going to be perfect and it wasn’t quite everything she wanted, but she did what she wanted to do so she has no regrets,” he told you and you shook your head.

“Wow,” you laughed, “I didn’t even know it was possible to turn this conversation around to me, well done.” He grinned and signalled the server for another round, holding out his hand to stop you when you reached to grab your money.

“On me, really,” he told you, “I did ask you here, we should talk about your offer.” He sounded hesitant, but also serious, much more like work LaCroix than off work Jess, so you nodded, sitting straighter in your chair.

“It wasn’t a done deal, I can either go back to Chicago at the end of the month, or apply to stay on with the FBI, it’s obviously contingent on me getting through Quantico if I did agree, but the idea would be for me to stay with the Fugitive Task Force when I got back... if I wanted to, and if you wanted me to of course.” Damn, you thought, that started off so strong and you ended up blabbing. 

“You don’t think we’d want you?” He asked, almost teasing you.

“Well, it wasn’t exactly the warmest welcome,” you remind him.

“Well you’ve kind of grown on me- grown on us I mean, it’d actually be a shame to see you leave,” he said slowly, as if chosing his words very carefully.

“Yeah? Because I was considering taking the offer,” you admitted, staring into your glass.

“But something’s stopping you,” he figured, “Chicago?”

“It’s my home Jess, the people there are my family, even if they aren’t my blood,” you explained, “I’m just not sure if I can leave them.” 

Disappointment flicked across his face. “So what do you want, really, is this conversation you trying to convince yourself to stay, or trying to convince yourself to leave?”

You thought about his question, knowing exactly what he was asking. Did you feel like Quantico was an opportunity you should take? That the fact that you were even offered such a once in a lifetime opportunity meant that you had to take it? Or did you feel like you owed Intelligence? That you should go back, regardless of what you actually wanted because they were your family?

You looked at LaCroix and shrugged, your head had been spinning all day with those questions, and you were still no closer to actually figuring out the answer. 

LaCroix regarded you carefully, like he was debating what to say based on your answer. “What do you want Y/N? Without thinking about anybody else, what do you want, right now?”

What did you want?

You finished your drink, staring into the bottom of the empty glass as you thought. This wasn’t an easy decision, and you hadn’t been given very long to decide, application for Quantico were closing fast if you wanted a slot in the next class. 

You thought about your time in New York, your time with the Fugitive Task Force, all the work you’d done, all the good... Who were you kidding, you knew what you wanted, you just knew it was going to be hard.

“I’m going to grab some air,” you told him, getting out of your chair before he could say anything and head out into the evening. The sun was just setting on the city, and from where you were stood you could see the lights on the towering skyscrapers and hear the sounds of the city starting to come alive. 

You felt LaCroix standing behind you, but he didn’t say anything as you look on at the city. “They won’t be happy,” you told him, thinking of all the family you had at home, not just in Intelligence, but 51 too, and Med.

“But will you?” He replied and you turned to face him as he stood before you, the look on his face told you he’d had at least some idea of what you were going to say, but you appreciated the fact that he’d let you make up your own mind.

“Yeah, yeah I think I will be.” You said after a long pause, the feeling in your gut easing as you finally admitted to yourself what you truly wanted. 

“Good,” he smiled, “because this would have been a little awkward otherwise.” You barely had time to even look confused, let alone say anything, before you found his lips on yours, pulling you into a kiss.  

He stopped almost as suddenly as he started, looking at your shocked expression. For a second doubt rippled across his face as your brain tried to process what was happening, “I-” He started, but you grabbed his collar and pulled him back in, his arms finding their way around your waist as the kiss deepened. 

No, staying in New York wouldn’t be so bad at all.

[asarahworld-writes]

all i want

Prompt: Be careful what you wish for @badthingshappenbingo

Fandom: Z-O-M-B-I-E-S

If she hadn’t had white hair, if monsters didn’t exist, if the moonstone had never fallen to Earth, if she wasn’t a freak dating a zombie…

 “-then maybe you would have the picture perfect lives you want. I wish you could just be happy!” Addison yelled, turning away from her parents and swiping angrily at her watery eyes.  What she needed right now was to get away, to be with Zed, but she knew that leaving at this hour would only make things worse.  She looked at her watch, sighing with exhaustion. She’d see him in about five hours anyway.

 Five hours spent restlessly trying to sleep, scrolling mindlessly on her phone, pacing her room, staring out her window at the full moon as the sky lightened – purples turned pink then orange as the sun rose, bathing the world in daylight.  Six am. Addison got up, shivering as the covers fell away.  She looked down in surprise… she didn’t remember changing into pajamas last night. She looked to see where her clothes from the previous day were...nowhere.  The laundry hamper was filled with monochromatic pastels she hadn’t worn in a month.

 She shook her head and rubbed her eyes.  Shower first, figure this out after.

 Addison let the water flow over her entire body, soaking in the warmth.  She massaged the shampoo into her scalp, rinsed.  She applied conditioner to the ends of her hair, easily combing through its mid-length strands.  She frowned, looking at the hair twined through her fingers.  Blonde.  The exact same shade as her wig.  The same length.  Even the same texture.  Odd…

 She watched the water run clean into the drain and shut it off. Even if she didn’t wear it in public any more, her parents would still be seriously pissed if they found out that she’d ruined her wig by wearing it in the shower.  Maybe it was salvageable.  She reached up to take it off and frowned when she felt herself grab her own hair.  She reached again and again, somehow, managed to miss the wig.  Addison stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her body as to not drip all over the floor, and walked over to the mirror.  It had fogged during her shower and she rubbed at it with the hand towel.  Blonde. The wig still wouldn’t come off. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, so familiar and yet so strange.  She pulled sharply at the blonde hair and winced in pain.

 Addison reached out as if to touch her reflection, watching as it mimicked her perfectly.  She looked into her own blue eyes, her brown brows, every feature she knew so well and then back to the foreign yet familiar blonde hair.

 There was a soft tap at the door.

 “Addison, dear, you don’t want to be late for school.”

 Dear?  Her parents might use informal pet names for each other, but never with her.

 “Yes, Mom.”  She pulled the blonde hair into a bow at the back of her head, picked up her bag and headed for the kitchen where a bowl of fruit was waiting for her.  She ate without really tasting the food, grabbed her lunch money, and started walking.

 Real blonde hair.  Her clothes gone.  Her parents were suddenly much more affectionate.  Addison was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice arriving at school or even opening her locker.  Focus, Addy.  She grabbed her books for first period and looked at her watch.  She’d must have walked faster than usual, class wouldn’t start for fifteen minutes.  However, Zed was usually at the school early, hanging out with the guys or studying/chilling in the safe room.

 She opened the safe room door and called his name.  “Are you here yet?”  Her voice echoed in the empty room and she turned to leave.  The door sealed and she walked down the hall, alone, not noticing that the room wasn’t what she remembered.

 Students filled the hallway and Addison’s heart skipped as her eyes landed on the tall, lanky football star that was her boyfriend. She easily made her way through the crowd, using her short stature to her advantage to get around the other students.

 “Zed,” her voice cracked slightly, betraying her stress, and she froze, looking him over.

 “Um, can I help you?  I really don’t have time for autographs right now, but if you come back during free period I can hook you up.”  With that, he started to push past her.

 Without thinking, Addison grabbed his hand.

 He whipped around, easily breaking her hold.

 “Zed,” Addison looked him over, taking in the pink skin, dark hair, pastels.  “What did you do?”  Her brow furrowed in concern, her hand reaching out to touch his rosy face.

 “Okay, why are you trying to touch me?  Football stars are people too.  Personal space much?”  With that, Zed finally looked down at her, meeting her eyes.  The dark circles perpetually under his eyes were gone, his face was full of colour, his skin even felt warmer.  “Addison.  I thought I told you not to do that in front of people.  You know the deal.  Date the football star, get a bit of the spotlight.”

 “Zed, what are you talking about?  I thought we didn’t care what people thought, remember?  And I thought you were never going to mess with your Z-band again.  What did you do?”  She looked at him, black hair without the slightest tinge of green, skin that didn’t look like he was half-dead, and wearing perfect Seabrook colours.

 “I haven’t done anything I’ve never done before.  But if you’re looking for something different, find yourself a new boyfriend.  I won’t have any trouble replacing you.”

 Addison looked down, not wanting to let this… this person see her cry.  “Where’s your Z-band?”  Addison looked back up to Zed’s face, back to his empty wrist.  She reached for him again, looking for any hint that he was about to lose control.  There was none.  In fact, he still looked far too human.

 “What’s a Z-band?”  He scoffed.

 Addison felt her eyes well with tears and turned to leave, planning on finding Bree, when he caught her arm.

 “If I let you leave like that, it’ll give people the wrong impression.  Let’s go chill in the supply closet for a few minutes.”  Not-Zed, still holding her arm, led her to the Safe Room.  Or at least, what should have been the Safe Room. Instead of bunk beds and rations, the room was filled with cleaning supplies and a small first aid station.

 Addison took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself. “This isn’t right,” she whispered.

 “Really?  No shit it’s not right.  I should be out there with the guys, not stuck in a closet with a mopey girlfriend. I thought you were supposed to be a cheerleader.”

 “Zed,” Addison’s voice cracked, unable to look at the humanized person in front of her.  “This isn’t right.  This isn’t who we are.  This isn’t who you’re supposed to be, something’s happened, something horribly wrong.  But nobody seems to notice…” she couldn’t finish her thought.

 “Notice what?”  He was leaning against the doorframe, tall and dark, and…slightly intimidating.  Who would have thought that Zed would have made a scarier human than monster.

 “Everything’s changed,” she whispered brokenly. Not-Zed said nothing.  “When I woke up this morning, my hair looked like this,” she held it up limply, “all blonde like my old wig.  My parents…it was like something out of a movie.  I come to school early and you’re this…this isn’t you, Zed, not at all.”  She wiped the tears from her eyes before they could fall and continued.  “No matter how much it hurts, my parents are ashamed of me. My hair is an unnatural white color and until now I’ve always worn a wig to keep it hidden.  You’re still the star of the football team, but you’re not human, you’re a zombie.  You… gar-garziga, Zed.  The real Zed.”

 The real Zed, the real Seabrook, her real parents, she just wanted everything to return to normal.  This version of Zed, who apparently was tired of Addison being a clingy and vapid bitch, listened as everything poured out.  The accident at Seabrook Power, the creation of zombies, their first meeting, football, the cheer championships.

 “And all that just ‘changed’ this morning?”  Not-Zed scoffed.  “Things don’t just change overnight because you say ‘I wish’, Addison.  Not even for a cheerleader.”

 “But they did,” Addison whispered, broken.  “This isn’t right, any of it.  This isn’t who we are.”

 “So how did it happen?  I told these floozies I wish you’d just leave me alone, several times a day, and yet that never happens.”

 Whether not-Zed actually cared to know or not was irrelevant. “It was about one a.m.  I had a huge fight with my parents.  I said a bunch of things I knew they hated about me and said that maybe if none of them existed, that they could be happy.  If I had normal hair.  If monsters didn’t exist in this town.  Stuff I said in the heat of the moment.  And somehow, it all came true the next morning.”

 “In your version of the world, monsters exist?”  Not-Zed said incredulously.  “And I’m one of them.”

 “Yeah.”

 They were both quiet for a moment.

 “In your world…Zoey was at the cheer championships last year.” Not-Zed finally looked at her, his eyes hard.  Addison nodded, swallowing hard.

 “She started how monsters finally became accepted in Seabrook. There was only half a squad left and they were falling apart.  Zoey went on stage and started cheering herself.”  Addison smiled at the memory.  “Most of the zombies in attendance joined us onstage and we might not have won the championship for the first time in fifty years, but we were united.”

 Not-Zed didn’t say anything for a long time.  He lifted his head and said hoarsely: “My sister died when she was born, with my mother.  I’ve never told anybody about her before…her name was Zoey.”

 “Zoey is the little sister I never had.  She wants to be a cheerleader more than anything and she loves dogs.  She had a stuffed dog called Zander and at the end of last year, I got her a real dog. A small dog with long white fur she named Puppy.”

 “I don’t know how you found out about Zoey, but this is the dumbest prank anybody’s ever pulled.  Who set you up?”

 “No,” Addison said brokenly.  “Zed, I’m not making any of this up, I swear.  I know Zoey, I love her like she was my own sister.  Monsters are real in Seabrook.  They’re zombies, you’re a zombie.  And we’re… gar-garziga, Zedka.”

 Addison’s heart shattered when he spoke again.

 “Is that gibberish supposed to mean something to me?  We’re through, Addison.”  The finality of his statement hit her in a wave of emotions as he left the closet.

 Addison left school early, telling the nurse she’d gotten her period and felt nauseous.  The nurse agreed to send her home, noting that the walk might do her some good in relieving the symptoms.  Unfortunately, the walk back passed quickly and she was home.

 She let herself in and practically collapsed against the door.

[xsparklingravenx]

lily of the valley

Title: lily of the valley

Fandom: Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Characters: Yuri, Balthus, Hapi, Constance, Yuri’s Mother

Rating: T

Word Count: 1783

Summary: Yuri’s mother had always said that makeup was her shield.

AO3

Yuri’s mother had always said that makeup was her shield.

 It was something he remembered strongly even now, standing at her side as she sat by a worn-down vanity, the poor thing barely standing up under the weight of its own age. His tiny hands would rest on her knee as she powdered her nose, applying her eyeshadows before finally painted her lips. Lilac hair would tumble from the messy bun she always put it in, and when he would ask what she was doing, she would always say the same; “Putting on my mask, little flower.”

 “But why do you need a mask?” he asked once, curious. She never had elaborated, after all.

 “To become someone else,” was her response as she painted black lines across her lids. They made her look so glamorous, he’d always thought. Powerful, even, like a sorceress who could cast incredible magic, someone who could chase anything terrible away. “When I work, it’s sometimes better to not be me.”

 He hadn’t understood—of course he hadn’t, not then, he’d been too young, too innocent—but he remembered reaching for the brush that she’d used for her eyes then, his fist small around it. It was an old thing, bristly and well-used, just like the vanity. They had taken up residence in a beaten-down tavern, and his mother had been working to the bone to pay for the roof. Since then, it had been night after night of him being left alone, all while she went out, the moon sitting high in its lofty throne as she did whatever it was that required her mask.

 As time went on, he realised she was selling herself to do it, making men pay for the best of her so she could give the best she could for him in return. But back then, with his hands around that brush, he only knew that she wanted to feel strong, to feel untouchable. He took the tool for himself and closed his eyes, brushing the bristles against his own eyelids.

 His mother had chuckled at that, delicately taking it from him. “Oh? And who are you hiding from, little flower?”

 “Nobody,” he said, puffing out his cheeks. “I just wanted to try too, to look like you do. Beautiful.”

 She laughed at him anew, reaching out to brush a hand through his short, messy hair. “Oh, you charmer! I fear you will only make a dreadful mess of yourself if I let you loose with my products, but I can teach you, if you’d like. When I get home in the morning, I’ll show you exactly how to do it.”

 “So I can be just like you?”

Her smile fell at that. Later, when children of Abyss said the same, he would understand why. He and his mother, they both felt the same about themselves—she was the strongest person he knew, and she said herself that she was so, so, proud of him, but they knew the real darkness that they both harboured. He was a murderer, a liar, a cheat. She considered herself nothing more than a worthless whore. They were identical at the core; both never wanting to be a role-model, both never wanting to pass on their shadowed ways.

 She took his small face in her thin hands and shook her head. “No, my little love, not to be like me. I’ll teach you so, if you ever need it, you’ll have your own shield to use. The world can be a dangerous, frightening place, and sometimes, a little paint on your face is enough to make you think you can face it. You will stand up to anything, I promise you that.”

 In Abyss, in the present, Yuri sat at his own vanity with his powders open on the surface, his eyeshadows sat in their palette. The mirror reflected his image back at him, bare-faced, shadows being cast over his skin by the flickering of the candle he had set beside him. A potted lily-of-the-valley sat on the vanity’s edge, its white flowers nearly tipping right over the edge.

 He scowled. How weak he looked without the purples at the edge of his eyes, without the gloss at his lips. His hands were in fists as they rested on his knees, his jaw clenched tight. His heart still beat a humming-bird’s pace in his chest, furious.

 The threat still felt present in the air. Aelfric had barged into his room and caught him unawares a clock’s pace beforehand. He’d whispered threats into his ear while they had been alone, to make sure he was keeping up his own part of their twisted charade. Yuri’s fingers had itched for his blade, to slit the man’s throat before he’d been able to blink, but he’d been powerless in truth. The man had his mother as a hostage for one, and Rhea wanted more information on his faction’s movements.

 Killing him was not an option—and, as much as Yuri wished to gut him, he equally knew that he could not. Aelfric was much more than a kidnapper; he was also one of the few caretakers that Yuri had trusted before he’d betrayed him, and part of him still did, unfathomably, love him.

 He reached for his brush, sweeping it up in the purple powder that he usually coated his eyelids in. Constance had procured this particular colour for him after he’d complained that most of Abyss’s wares were not to his tastes. Purple was the colour for nobles, expensive and difficult to find. Where she’d gotten it from was anybody’s guess, but he had a strong suspicion that it was regular, brown powder that she’d infused with magic. She’d managed to change the colour of tea before—he was certain that powder would be no issue for someone of her talents.

 He set to work, an artist with his brush as he painted himself into the person he wanted to be. First, he scoped out the shape of his eyelids, filling them in with colour before blending it outwards. Memories of his mother’s movements, her guiding hand, his own muscle memory—all of it made up his morning routine. A shame Aelfric had seen him with his mask off, with his face nothing but himself. Another thing he would pay for eventually. The lily-of-the-valley that sat in the pot, it was poisonous. One day, Aelfric would realise that he was too.

 A knock at his door had Yuri turning halfway, his hand stilling. “Who’s there?”

“Yo, pal, you still in there?” Balthus’s voice was gruff through the door. “We were heading to grab a bite for breakfast, but you hadn’t shown up yet.”

 We, he said, implying that the others were there. His suspicions were confirmed when Hapi’s voice came next. “Still putting your face on, Yuri-bird?”

 “Why, of course he is! Do you know how much time it takes to look this magnificent! I can assure you, it doesn’t just happen in seconds!” Constance’s voice was high and airy despite the early hour. “We just need to wait, and he shall appear at any moment.”

 They were so respectful, his friends. He was reminded of a time when they’d been in Abyss’s bar and someone had loudly, drunkenly, made a comment on how improper it was for a man to be wearing woman’s makeup. Yuri hadn’t even been able to make it out of his seat before Balthus had smashed his fist into the man’s face, sending him bowling over into Hapi, who had bashed her head into his all while Constance cackled behind her hand, claiming, “Serves you right, you piggish swine!”

 The man hadn’t known who he was at the time, hadn’t realised he’d been picking a fight with the leader of the Ashen Wolves, but it made no difference to Yuri. “I’m not so delicate that I need you to fight my battles for me,” he had snapped at Balthus afterwards, but Balthus had only laughed. “I’m serious. If you start breaking the jaws of every man who makes a jab at me, soon it’ll get around that I’m going soft, that I need a bodyguard. I’m not weak.”

Balthus only carried on laughing. “Oh, I know that. You’re a conniving bastard, you’d stab a man before he even saw it coming.”

 “So why did you do it?”

 “‘Cause we’re the Ashen Wolves, and nobody gives our pack leader any kind of shit.” Balthus had smirked at that, punching one hand into his waiting palm. “Ain’t just about you, Yuri. It’s about all of us.”

 How he wished they wouldn’t trust him so blindly. How he wished he didn’t trust them so either. The truth was that; he loved them as much as he did his rogues, his mother, the people that Aelfric had taken hostage to control him.

 But his mission was to gather his friends together and help Aelfric kill them alongside himself.

 He didn’t deserve their devotion. His hands were tied, he had nothing to do except pray. His mother had always asked the goddess for her help, had always claimed that Yuri had been her gift from Sothis herself. Unexpected, she’d said, but the best thing she’d ever received. Maybe, if he begged the goddess enough, she would give him the way out he needed, help tip his luck a fraction more in his favour.

 He finished applying his eyeliner to his lids and painted his lips in shiny gloss. When it was done, he pushed the brushes aside and looked into the mirror, his reflection staring back. When he smirked, it was a knife’s edge. That was what he wanted; that was who he wished to be more than anything.

 Beneath it all, he was many things. A liar, a cheat, the son of a whore, a whore himself, the bearer of Aubin’s Crest, Aelfric’s pawn, Rhea’s informant. But that was the beauty of what his mother taught him; with his mask on, he was whoever he wanted to be.

 She’d been right. Sometimes, the world was dangerous, but she’d given him the gift of her paints to provide him the shield he needed. He pushed his chair away from the desk and opened the door, finding all three of his friends standing around, Balthus leant against the opposite wall, Hapi mid-stretch, and Constance mid-yawn.

 “Thanks for waiting,” he said.

 Aelfric’s time would come. Like the lily-in-the-valley, Yuri was as dangerous as he was beautiful. As soon as he had his way out, he would take it, his mother’s shield guarding him the entire way.

 But for now, he would bide his time. It was on his side, after all.

[ivedonestranger]

Chapters: 8/? Fandom: Teen Titans (Animated Series) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Dick Grayson/Raven Characters: Raven (DCU), Robin (DCU), Victor Stone, Garfield Logan, Koriand'r (DCU) Additional Tags: Action/Adventure, Magic, robrae - Freeform, Angst, Humor Series: Part 2 of Candy Series Summary:

Who would have thought a choice could lead to so much pain?

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

Even after a week of healing and constant ministrations from her boyfriend, Rachel's face still showed a bit of the purple from the assault at the music hall. The swelling had shrunk to the point that it was only noticeable if you had stopped to study her face.

Rachel had spent that week, when she was able to move, decorating the dance studio for Halloween as Chet had always threw a big party for the students and opened the doors for the trick or treaters who would be coming down the street.

Ever since the phone call to the Justice League, the young woman tried to put the thoughts of Doctor Light out of her mind. The life that she knew him in was dead and gone. She had to focus on her new life with Chet and being normal. Though it still bothered her.

"Miss Adams!"

Rachel turned to see a young teenage girl running in her direction. Though only fifteen, Daphne Saunders was tall and could have quickly passed as seventeen or eighteen. She wore a big grin that was never far from her face, and she promptly spun in place, showing Rachel her clothes. She was wearing a blue shirt and skirt while holding two wooden rods under her arms.

"Whatcha think of my costume?"

"Who are you supposed to be?" Rachel laughed, getting off the step ladder and leaving the last part of the word 'Halloween' dangling in front of the door.

"I'm you! When you kicked those guy's ass! You know you're famous!"

Unfortunately, one of the kids had uploaded the video of her fight to a video sharing platform. Chet told her she had gone viral, of course, after he got over the shock of seeing the video.

"I didn't know you could fight like that!" he had exclaimed after admonishing himself for not being there.

Even Captain Eagle, the Traverse City superhero stopped by, and she insisted that she wanted no more publicity. The kind man had promised to keep everything to a minimum. He did to her relief.

"I did what I had to do, Daphne."

"Can you teach me to fight like that?"

She did not have a chance to answer as the first bunch of kids burst through the door, laughing and screaming at the decorations and candy. There were so many colorful costumes of so many designs. Rachel felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulder, and she turned to see Chet dressed up in a red denim shirt, overalls, and a fake axe on his shoulder.

"When are you going to get your costume on?" he asked.

Rachel raised an eyebrow and looked him over.

"What are you supposed to be?"

"Paul Bunyan."

"I don't think Paul Bunyan is supposed to be so scrawny." Rachel cracked.

He laughed and leaned in for a kiss. She only had a moment before a child groaned, and she quickly broke away.

"It's Halloween. No kissing, Miss Adams," the nine-year-old scolded.

Chet hurried them off towards the punch bowl as the families came in and greeted each other. Rachel swallowed the urge to run. She had promised to be more social in her new life, even though the anxiety of so many people was overwhelming at times. Knowing Chet was nearby helped.

Rachel was about to move towards the punch table herself when a bunch of children rushed passed her, and one little girl hid behind her peering around her legs. Rachel looked down with a smile, but it froze on her face. She recognized Emily, one of the dance students, but she was wearing a black unitard and a blue cape and hood over her shoulder. Rachel could see the little red, plastic gem stuck to her forehead.

"Come on, Raven! We need to beat the HIVE!"

The cold chills shot up her spine as the little girl darted to her brother and his friends. They stood there dressed in cheap Halloween costumes, but she recognized who they were.

"You can't beat the Teen Titans, HIVE!" George, dressed as Robin, shouted.

Trying not to allow her legs to shake, Rachel decided to move towards a seat as five other children dressed in the costumes of the HIVE stepped out. One girl with the cheap pink wig and black dressed pointed at the faux Robin with a laugh.

"You can't stop the mistress of bad luck, Bird brain. HIVE! Attack pattern Alpha!"

And then the candy started flying. Multi-colored plastic balls, darts, and foam flew at the two teams as they mocked battle, but it did not last long as the parents quickly broke them up.

'By Azar, that...that was too much.'

No matter what she did, there was no way to escape the past, was there? The little girl looked like Jinx and even sounded like Jinx. Rachel's breath caught in her throat. How did the girl know about the attack command? It was not like their battles were recorded.

As the girl came over, Rachel smiled weakly.

"Hey! I love your costume."

"Thank you!"

"Where did you learn that phrase, by the way?" Was the question nonchalant enough?

"Oh! The lady in the back who is filling the punch bowls. She taught it to me!"

It was like an ice dagger being shoved through her heart as the little girl skipped away with her mom. Rachel could not move, could not breathe, could not turn her head to look. She and Chet were the only ones working here today, and they did not get help. There was not supposed to be any woman filling punch bowls.

'No, no, no, no, no, NO! FUCK NO!'

Rachel looked at the door. If she started running now, it would take time for them to figure out where she was going. Maybe she could get out of the city and disappear again. Chet moved towards the door to let in more kids as a pang of worry and guilt coursed through her.

She would have to leave him at her mercy. Looking towards the backroom door, Rachel stood shakily and began to make her way to the door. She scooped up the baseball bat they kept in the corner. If she was quick enough, Rachel might get her before she knew it.

Rachel pushed the flimsy door open to the back room and paused as her eyes adjusted to the dark. The white folding tables with the extra punch making materials and bags of half drained candy piled around, but she did not see anybody. She took another step in when she caught the scent to her right. Blueberries.

The hand was like an iron grip on her wrist, and she let the bat go out of surprise. Rachel felt spun around, and the hot, familiar, smooth lips planted on her own. Rachel inhaled the delicious scent of the perfume and the scent of Jinx. It was so familiar yet so invasive. The woman released her, and Rachel stumbled back, trying to put distance between the two.

It was Jinx. There was no way of mistaking those pink eyes that looked at her like a predator cornering her prey. She wore a dark hoodie that covered her hair and jeans instead of her trademark dress and leggings.

"No, oh god, no," Rachel choked out, her eyes wide with terror.

"Hello, Raven," Jinx cooed softly.

Rachel's eyes went to the bat, and Jinx followed. A frown crossed Jinx's face.

"Rae, I'm not here to hurt you," Jinx said cautiously. "I'd thought you'd realize we're past that."

"I...I don't know what to think right now. And don't call me Raven. She died three years ago."

"She looks alive...and delicious to me."

Jinx took another step forward, and Rachel stepped back. The frown on the pinkette's face deepened.

"Raven...er...Rachel. I'm not here to give you away or drag you back."

"Why are you here?" the girl asked, trying not to lose her voice.

"Well, I was hoping to steal you for myself," Jinx joked. "But I see you've shacked up with someone. He's cute. Nice butt."

"Leave him alone!" Rachel squeaked.

Jinx stepped back and sat slowly into one of the folding chairs.

"This isn't how I expected this to go," Jinx murmured perplexed.

"Did you think I was going to run away with you or something?"

"No, but I didn't think you'd treat me like the enemy. Not after all that shit with Nocturnus."

Raven slowly lowered her own trembling body into a chair, and the two women stared across at each other.

"I...I had an accident," Rachel started.

"I know, Ibraham told me a bit of it," Jinx shrugged. "I didn't expect you to take off running, though. I'd have taken you in."

"I...had to go." Rachel's eyes dropped towards the floor.

"Ah. Well, I guess I can understand the need to flee. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing if I were in your situation."

Silence reigned again as only the din of the children, muffled by the walls, filled the room.

"Why are you here?" Rachel asked again, this time more steady with her voice.

"Well, two reasons. I wanted to see if I could recruit you as a HIVE specialist."

"What?" Rachel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You might not have your magic anymore, but you still have all that knowledge and experience. I wanted to see if I could recruit you as a freelance specialist. Our teams send you data at times, and you give them your expert opinion. Pays pretty solid, and you don't have to be in the field."

"Me? Work for the HIVE?"

"It's better money than a cupcake cafe or whatever the hell you call it."

The HIVE. The lure of the supernatural, the world of the heroes and villains. She had stayed out of it for so long, but the siren song was calling to her.

"I don't know. I...I wanted all of that to die with the demon side of me."

"Um ...sorry to break it to you, gal, but your demon side didn't die."

Rachel's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Yeah, bird brain trained her up and domesticated your demon half. She's now Raquelle of Skath, and she fights with the Titans."

So, she was replaced. Rachel's heart dropped a bit more. Robin did find a way to replace her. She could not even imagine how furious he would have been and how satisfying it was to replace Rachel completely.

"I see."

"That reminds me of the second thing."

"What?"

"The Titans know you're in Traverse City. They'll be here tomorrow."

The fear returned, the desire to run as far as possible. Rachel breathing began to come in short gasps as she stared at the ceiling, trying to think of what to do. She felt the soft hand on her knee and the presence in front of her. The girl's head shot down to see Jinx kneeling in front of her with a smile.

"Shhh, it'll be okay. I see you've been blessed with a full range of emotions now."

"They're shitty to have," Rachel choked out between the tears. The pinkette gently wiped them away.

"I'm here, sweetie, everything is going to be okay."

That was too much. Rachel burst into tears and threw her arms around the pinkette and sobbed into her shoulder.

"Listen, you come with me. I've got a safe house in Traverse city that's not on any of the goody-two-shoes' radar. You can lay low until they give up and leave. They're only here to investigate Doctor Light. Once he's defeated, they won't have any excuse to remain. Then we can talk about where to go from there."

Rachel pulled gently away as Jinx reluctantly let her go. The crying girl tried to rub the tears away.

"I can't leave Chet," Rachel said. "He's been the kindest man to me, and I can't just run away."

There was a small spark of iron in Jinx's eyes, but it faded.

"Well, we can find a use for the boy toy. How much does he know?"

"Nothing. All he knows is I was some runaway he found and rescued on the streets."

"Men are so easy to win over," Jinx chuckled. "Well, the big thing is to stay out of the reach of your ex-boyfriend."

"How...how is Robin?"

"He goes by Nightwing now," Jinx grunted, helping Rachel back to her chair.

"And it did not go so well. After he lost track of you in Los Angeles, he spent the next year and a half terrorizing any town he thought you were in. I have never seen such an enraged individual."

Jinx pulled back her collar to show a thin scar behind under hear ear gracing the side of that lovely neck.

"I had a run-in with him. Dude knows how to inflict pain."

Rachel's hand went instinctively to her mouth with eyes wide.

"Shhhh," Jinx said with a smile. "He was in a dark place. I survived, and the bat gave him a sound thrashing. He's made it up to me since then."

"Made it up to you?"

Jinx's eyes twinkled. "He might be a decent torturer, but I know how to humiliate. We're even now."

Jinx stood and looked towards the door.

"Your boyfriend is going to notice you're missing and come looking for you. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to carry on with my life," Rachel said. "I'm going to pretend this encounter never happened."

A pang of hurt caressed Jinx's eyes, but Rachel gave a half-smile.

"but I might be able to advise someone once in a while. Chet and I are thinking of refurbishing the dance studio, and we'll need money. Don't earn much on our paychecks."

Jinx grinned.

"Deal. You keep your head down, and I'll make it my mission to keep the Titans away from you."

"Thanks, but why are you doing this?"

Rachel studied Jinx's eyes but saw the message written there. The loving look was all Rachel needed to know the motivation of protecting her and keeping Robin away.

"I may not be able to have you," Jinx whispered huskily. "but at least you're in my life again, and I only have to share with one other person."

With that, the pinkette disappeared out the back door and into the ally.

------

Like the chapter? Leave a comment on your favorite website!

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19022185/chapters/53121730

FF.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13299019/8/Raven-s-Wish

[poppyrainstorm]

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Fandom: Assassination Classroom

Relationships: Akabane Karma/Shiota Nagisa

Additional Tags: general softness and some kissing

You are lying on the bed, hair still damp from the shower and holding him. The light from the windows throws sunspots around the room, gentle gentle gentle. Everything is quiet and still. You breathe together. 

His face bathed in the gold light from the windows and your arms are tight around him. You often think that he is stronger than you are, and maybe sometimes he is, but now he is just open. You haven’t talked to him about this. 

You haven’t talked about it, but neither has he. It’s unfair, you think, to place the entirety of the blame on yourself.

Nakamura used to tease you about him, sometimes. She’d sit on the windowsill before anybody got into the classroom, painting her fingernails with one earbud stuck in her ear and wink at you as you came in. 

“Practicing early, huh?” She said, and you scoffed at her. “Come over here, tell me if this color looks right. I’m thinking about changing it soon.” 

You came over and she’d be examining her nails. Once they were a dark plum color. She told you that she found it behind her mother’s mirror, and asked you if it made her look grown up. 

You told her that a nail color couldn’t make somebody look more grown up, and she hit you with the hand that wasn’t wet. 

“How’d the talk with your parents go?” You asked her, once she finished her right hand and began fanning it. She’d been planning to talk to her parents about staying in Tokyo for high school the night before, but clearly she hadn’t done it because she laughed a little and the brush skidded on her thumb nail. 

“It doesn’t matter.” She told you, a little stiffly. “They still want to move. I’m going to talk to them tomorrow.” 

“That’s what you said yesterday, Nakamura.” You reminded her, and the two of you sat in silence for a long while before she poked you. 

“Have you talked to Nagisa yet?” She asked you, and you had swatted her a little too hard to be playful and told her to mind her own damn business. 

“Just asking.” She’d said. “You know, even if you can’t tell your parents or anyone about it I bet it’d be nice.” 

“Hey, Nakamura.” You said sweetly, looking at her with venom in your eyes. “Why don’t you shut your mouth?” 

“Nope.” She’d said, long hair falling over one shoulder as she finished fixing the thumbnail. “We see you, you know. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s true. That one day that you two took off together-,” She clicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “I bet he’s into you.” 

You don’t exactly know how to respond to that, so you tell her to shut up again, only half meaning it, because you don’t want to think about what him being ‘into you’ would mean. Probably not the same as you. Probably not wanting him to kiss you when he had you in that chokehold, screaming like he was trying to raise hell. He was so beautiful that day - even if you thought he was dead wrong - focused and ready to fight you. 

He texted you, after, asking if he could come over. You looked at the text for a long time, thought about it and looked at the moon and said yes. 

He was over in ten minutes and his face was red and he was looking at you like you were both dying. There was something wild and disheveled about him.

You wanted to hold him so badly, but you didn’t. You leaned against the door and gave him a lazy smile. 

“Karma,” He said, and your smile dropped a little. “I’m. I.” 

“No need to be sorry,” You said, drawling the words a little bit, slowing them down, because you knew what he was going to say and you didn’t want to hear it. “I don’t want that.” 

“I know you don’t.” He said, and he stepped a little closer. His face was a little less red, and he looked near tears. “I don’t want to be - I mean - she’s -,” 

You looked at him a little more closely. “Are you alright?” 

He looked back at you, and that was when you realized that his hair had been messily put together. “Can I come in?” He had asked.

You had stepped aside, and he had taken one step in and looked around a little. “I’m sorry,” He had said, and you had nodded shortly and the both of you had gone up to your room and he had sat on the bed while you stood in front of him. The day was dying outside, and the sky was a million colors of orange. 

“I told her I wanted to cut my hair.” He said, looking at you slowly. “And she didn’t-she didn’t like that. I’m sorry, she’s just-I needed to get out.” 

You didn’t say anything, because what could you say?

“I didn’t-I could have gone to Kaede.” He said, and he was talking to himself at this point. “But I didn’t-I don’t know. I thought of you.” He looked at you. “Can I stay here for a bit?”

You had said yes, and he had slumped, all the tension draining out of his frame, and you had knelt so that he was looking down at you. His eyes were blue and the sky was orange and the shadows that were creeping up your walls were black. 

“Karma,” He had said, whispered and you couldn’t have said anything even if you’d had the words and that was, of course, when he kissed you. Gentle. 

It was soft and his lips were rough and bitten through and he tasted a little like iron. As though his lips had been bleeding, just a little, under the constant worrying of his teeth. His eyes were closed but yours were open and if it had been any harder it would have been a complete mess. He pulled away not long after and his eyes were huge. 

“I’m, I’m sorry,” He said, and his voice was ten times softer than his mouth but you wanted to kiss him again and so you did. 

He didn’t stay the night but he nearly did. You think that night he kissed you twenty times, maybe more, and you didn’t care. It felt good, better than any of your assassination attempts ever had. You didn’t try to do anything else and after he left you called Nakamura and told her what had happened and she laughed at you for five minutes and then talked you out of your panicking. 

He kept coming over. Sometimes it was his mother, or he was worried about Koro-sensei. Sometimes he didn’t give a reason. 

Each time after the first time, he asked you if it was alright. Sometimes he kissed you and sometimes he just put his hands on your face and jaw until you closed your eyes. Sometimes you breathed together. Once, you propped the window open and the two of you went outside on the roof and looked at the orange sky and he took your hand tentatively. You looked at him for a moment after that, and he opened his mouth and you knew he was going to ask if it was alright. You kissed him before he could. 

Tonight, he came over with no reason and you’d told him that you needed to take a shower first and that he’d have to wait. He had nodded and asked if he could stay for a little while, and you had nodded and gone to take a shower. You came back, clean and warm, and he smiled a little to see you drying your hair and told you that you looked a little like a squirrel. 

You had thrown the towel at him and scowled and he had laughed until he was hiccuping. Eventually you had hung the towel back up on your doorknob and closed the door and lay down on the bed with him and he had kissed you, softly and then a little harder, your lip in his mouth. When you gasped out half a word, his name, edged - Nagisa - he had smiled and wrapped his arms around you and now you are here.

The light is fading and you suspect that he is half asleep but you don’t want to wake him up. He shifts a little in your arms, and you press a soft kiss to the back of his neck. 

The sky turns dark and the sun sets and you hold him tighter.

[hollenius]

I'm so so sorry but I have to: Werner for the character meme (and/or Chuck McGill, if you can't think of anything!)

What the hell, I'm gonna do Werner AND Chuck

Werner

Fav thingabout him: He is so sweet; if I had a German uncle or grandpa or something, I'dwant him to be mine. He obviously takes his work very seriously too. He(initially) seems like a very cautious, careful sort of guy...unfortunatelythis attitude does not extend to all aspects of his life.

Least favthing: He's too sweet, dammit. His naivete and trusting nature made megenuinely angry, because I couldn't believe anyone could be so stupid aboutanything when he seemed fairly smart about everything else. I don't think youhave to be "street-smart" to understand that breaking out of an enclosedcompound without permission isn't the sort of thing you'd be allowed to getaway with. I was annoyed at how he felt like a plot device at the endthere--that he just existed to force Mike to have to kill him. It's a fault ofthe writing more than the character. Everyone could see the end coming from amile away, which is (as far as I can remember) unprecedented in the series.Even things that were heavily telegraphed and seemed obvious usually carriedsome sort of unforeseen twist, i.e. everyone thinking the lantern was going tobe involved in Chuck's death, but not knowing it was going to be a suicide. Thesecond they showed Mike building up a relationship with Werner, everyone knewexactly where it was headed. Also, this is a weird pet peeve, but I hate how healways called Mike "Michael". Bro, you've been working with him formonths, you are the only one who calls him that.

Fav line:(agh, unfortunately I can't recall any because I don't have any way ofrewatching season 4 at the moment. I love that he was courteous enough totranslate into English that he felt like he was going to throw up in the bumpyvan ride.)

brOTP: Him& Mike as cute old man drinking buddies.

OTP: Werner& his unseen wife, I guess. (That phone call before his death was so sad. I hope nothing happens to her, but this is the Breaking Bad Cinematic Universe, so bad things often happen to innocent people.)

nOTP: idk,Werner/Kai? I haven't really seen him shipped with anybody so I can't say Ihave any strong opinions on the matter.

randomheadcanon: (again, I need to rewatch all of season 4, because I remember thestory arcs, but not enough of the little details in dialogue and stuff.)

unpopularopinion: I have to admit, I don't know enough of what the popular opinions onWerner are to know what an unpopular opinion would be. I liked him, I just wishhis character arc felt less contrived and that he was treated like less of adevice. I also have seen some people in some places comparing him to Walt,which doesn't really make sense to me, because personality-wise they're justtoo far removed from each other. (Then again, people were even comparing dopeyPryce to Walter White, which was also a stretch!)

song Iassociate w/ him: I...I have no idea! Sorry. (So long, farewell, aufwiedersehen, goodbye?)

fav picture: the cute little drawings @callmcgills did of him! (Also, ugh, the shot where he is, uh, shot...is beautiful. Depressing, but cinematically beautiful. I’m not posting that here though.)

 Chuck

Fav thingabout him: Honestly, as a fellow cowardly, anxiety-ridden, socially maladroit, perfectionistolder child, aspects of him are extremely relatable, frightening as that may beto admit. (My younger brother is of the slacker/moocher variety, rather thanthe con man variety, though.) I don't agree with everything he does, but I understandwhy he does it. (This is actually pretty similar to my attitude towardsSkyler's actions in Breaking Bad--I don't necessarily agree with her decisions,but I mostly understand why she acts the way she does.)

Least favthing: I think he should've been willing to at least put Jimmy on some sort ofprobationary path to HHM after he landed Sandpiper. HHM was under no obligationto hire Jimmy after he passed the bar (a lot of fandom seems to feel otherwise,which makes no sense! I don't think any other firm would've wanted to hireJimmy either!) Jimmy probably would've still managed to screw something up, butat least then if Chuck wanted to officially bar him from working for HHM forgood, Jimmy would know why, and what it was that he had done to cause that. Itdoes no good to punish someone if he doesn't even understand he's beingpunished, which is what the whole issue is in the first place with Chuck goingbehind Jimmy's back and using Howard as the perpetual bearer of bad news.

Fav line:"Because if there's one thing kids love, it's local printjournalism."

brOTP: lmao Chuck is bros with nobody except his space blanket, and his ol'sipping-scotch-and-chortling companion Howard, before that relationship gotdestroyed...

OTP: ...althoughI must also confess a SHAMEFUL desire to ship Chuck/Howard, because it's gotsuch a messed up power dynamic, because they've known each other for at least18 years, because Howard's clearly still so much in awe of Chuck (which Chuckprobably enjoys), and because neither of them seems to have any other friendsor close relationships. (Are we ever going to learn what's up with Howard'swedding ring? Even my mom thinks Howard is gay at this point! And what's upwith papa Hamlin? Did he die? Retire?) Canon-wise, I'm actually really curiousabout Chuck & Rebecca's relationship, because I have to wonder what it washe did that caused her to divorce him, but not bear any particular grudge oranimus towards him afterwards. He was clearly really upset about the divorce,but doesn't bear any ill-will towards her either. She doesn't appear to enteredinto any new relationship after the divorce either. It's all very mysterious.

nOTP: I can'ttell if this person was serious or not, but I swear I remember seeing someonepropose some theory that Kim had fucked Chuck at some point, and that's gonnaget a BIG NO from me.

randomheadcanon: oh god I've got like five hundred of them at this point. Themassive infodump that was Chuck's obituary in the season 4 premiere contributedto a lot of them, I think. I imagine Chuck's freshman year of college, at age14, was absolute hell for him. He was so proud to get accepted to an Ivy Leagueschool, but had been upset it wasn't a more prestigious one, like Harvard,Yale, or Princeton. (He had applied to them and had a few interviews, but unbeknownstto him, he had been heavily penalized in their byzantine admissions proceduresbecause, despite his sterling academic record, they didn’t find him outgoing or athleticenough.) His parents put him on the train to Philadelphia by himself, with afew suitcases, a map, and $50. He had no problems getting to the university,but was pretty overwhelmed right off the bat by the fact that everyone else wasolder and wealthier than him; he had dealt with this to some extent in high school, butnot to this degree (I headcanon his fictional alma mater, Francis Xavier HighSchool, as a typical Jesuit all-boys preparatory school that draws heavily fromupper-middle-class suburban families). Here he was, a literal child, thrustinto the adult world, and the world of the elites, at that. He probably feltself-conscious about things he hadn't even realized he could feelself-conscious about before, and spent at least a couple nights sobbing intohis pillow, and praying that his roommate couldn't hear him. He made a coupledesperate attempts to fit in, with a relatively low level of success (e.g. goingto a party and trying to impress people there by playing piano, only to get abeer spilled on him instead), before deciding it wasn't worth it and he wouldthrow himself singlemindedly into his classes and extracurriculars. He had hisfirst-ever panic attack sometime during his first semester, and wound up at thecampus doctor's office because he had convinced himself he was having a heart attack.On being told he was physically fine, he was indignant, but all the same, henever told his family about the incident, or anyone else either. Somewherearound this time, he also gets a letter from his parents, telling him he'sgoing to be a big brother in a few months, and won't this be exciting for him?(He wants to tell them his life is too exciting for him as it is, but saysnothing, instead writing back that he is sure having a younger sibling to helplook after will be the greatest experience of his life. He almost convinceshimself that he means it.)

unpopularopinion: I DON'T HATE CHUCK. (The most unpopular opinion of all!) He's myfavorite character on the show, with the obvious disclaimer that saying acharacter is my favorite doesn't mean I approve of all the character's actions,etc. Also, I know he's just a fictional character, but I'm still pissed offabout people celebrating that he killed himself & saying they hope it waspainful & stuff like that. Like, how much of an asshole do you have to be?What a horrible thing to say.

song Iassociate w/ him: Burning Down The House j/k, probably Faure's Sicilienne,because I too, cannot play it on piano without screwing up

fav picture: Not a picture, but I can’t resist.

[beatrice-otter]

Assisting Mr. Wayne

Title: Assisting Mr. Wayne Fandom: Batman Beyond Characters: Terry McGinnis, Bruce Wayne, Maxine Gibson Written for: litra in yuletide  2018 Written by: beatrice_otter  Betaed by: karanguni  Word Count: 2,398 Summary: Here's the thing: this whole PA gig is just what they tell people as an excuse for Terry to hang around Bruce. On AO3.  Dreamwidth.  Pillowfort.

Here's the thing: this whole PA gig is just what they tell people as an excuse for Terry to hang around Bruce. He doesn't actually act as a personal assistant. Hell, he's not even quite sure what all a PA does. Terry's job is to show up in the evening, get a few lessons on things like how to collect evidence or preserve a crime scene, do a physical training session of some sort (acrobatics, hand-to-hand combat, or just ordinary physical conditioning), and then go out and patrol. He learns all the skills necessary for the modern superhero, and he gets paid a small stipend for it as part of the PA cover.

And usually, it's fine. His friends either know it's a cover for being Batman or don't care about his boring cover job, and his Mom is used to him not really talking about what he's up to. Anybody else he gets introduced to as "Mr. Wayne's PA" only sees him briefly trailing along in Bruce's wake. He's been to the occasional party or board meeting or function that way, and it's always been fine.

This is not the occasional party or board meeting or function.

This is a full week-long management retreat, at which a number of executives from a variety of corporations will be staying at the most exclusive resort in the Bahamas while attending workshops on the most up-to-date modern management techniques and market forecasts, networking, and (mostly) relaxing on the beach and partying on the company dime.

"Nice work if you can get it," Terry had said with a whistle when Bruce showed him the information.

"We're going," Bruce had said. "Someone—or several someones—at that conference is funneling a ton of off-the-books money to illegal medical research, and then selling a sanitized version of the results to a number of corporations that get plausible deniability as to the source of it."

"This has been going on for a while," Terry had said, skimming over the files. "And most of it looks to be either white collar stuff or taking place outside Gotham—outside America, even. Not really our turf."

"Local law enforcement is either out of its depth or corrupt," Bruce had said. "As for other superheroes, we're the only ones who can get in to the retreat with no questions asked. Max can serve as tech support and try to follow the money trail."

Terry had laughed. "Oh, Max will love getting left behind here while we go off to the Bahamas."

"Actually, I thought I'd rent a nearby beach house for her, so she would be available if we need backup." Bruce had said. "Or if Terry and 'Batman' needed to be in two places at once."

"So she can sit on the beach with a computer while we're stuck in boring meetings?" Terry had said. "Come on, Bruce!"

Bruce had smiled his grim little smile. "Oh, you won't be stuck in meetings all day."

And he wasn't. Neither was Bruce, actually; Bruce spent most of his time in the spa, or golfing, or lounging around while Terry fetched him drinks and snacks. Bruce, who didn't enjoy relaxing, had to do nothing but; Terry, who would have loved some beach time, only got snatches of free time here and there. The seminars were short, and informal, and barely more than a fig leaf to cover the rich people vacationing on the company dime.

"I didn't manage to get you booked on the fishing yacht tomorrow, Boss," Terry said quietly as he handed Bruce his sunscreen. Some of the prime suspects were going fishing tomorrow, which Terry had learned from things mentioned by the other PAs. "But I did manage to slip aboard and get the place bugged. And I got remote access dongles attached to the non-networked computers, so Max should be able to hack in."

"Good work, Terry," Bruce said, flipping open the cap and squirting some on his hands, which he began applying to the exposed skin on his arms. "And don't forget the party tonight."

"Don't worry, I've got everything under control," Terry said, taking back the bottle.

It was a party. Bruce was not hosting it. All Bruce had to do (in his civilian persona) was show up in a tux and schmooze … which meant that all Terry had to do as his PA was make sure the tux was ready. And, while Terry didn't know much about tuxes, Bruce was the one who had packed it. All Terry had to do was lay it out for him. How hard could it be?

The first issue was that as Terry took it out of the garment bag and hung up the hanger he realized that maybe he should have done that earlier. It didn't look right? The shirt especially was a little bit … crinklier than it should have been.

After figuring out what search terms he should even use (the magic word was "wrinkled"), the net told him what the problem was. Apparently rich-people clothes were sometimes made of all-natural fibers, which needed special treatment to lie flat without creasing. (And it used to be that all clothing was that way, weird.) And, also, high-end hotels and resorts like this one should have the equipment needed to fix it in the suite somewhere.

Sure enough, at the back of a closet was a steamer and an iron and an ironing board. The iron, according to the how-to article, could scorch or burn the fabric if it was too hot, so Terry figured the steamer must be the safer option. He filled it with water, turned it on, and aimed it at the shirt.

Nothing happened. It clicked a little bit, though, so Terry pressed the button. Still nothing happened.

He shook it and jammed down the button repeatedly.

And then a cloud of water droplets sprayed from the thing, soaking the shirt.

Terry swore up a storm. Now what?

Fortunately, being a high-end resort, the place had laundry facilities where the employees handled things, and not the guests.

Unfortunately, they didn't want to take responsibility for a rush job on a tux shirt an hour before its owner expected to be wearing it.

"Look, just stick it in the dryer for fifteen minutes, it'll be fine," Terry said, hoping they'd do it, because his second option was standing over it with a hairdryer.

"We're busy with things that people have scheduled ahead of time," the laundry attendant said. "It's not like the party is a surprise, if you'd showed up this morning, we'd have had time to work you in."

"Yeah, but I didn't know this morning that the shirt was wrinkled!" Terry said, noting one of the other PAs (Jordan Wirkkala, mid-30s, worked for the CEO of one of the tech companies that probably wasn't part of the scheme they were investigating) coming up behind him.

"Then you should have checked. Poor planning on your part doesn't constitute an emergency on mine," the attendant said. He turned to Jordan. "Ah! Mx. Wirkkala, how nice to see you again. I'll just get your employer's things." He ducked into the back room.

"Terry, right?" Jordan said, looking him up and down. They'd met in passing at a number of get-togethers over the three years Terry had been Batman (and using "Mr. Wayne's PA" as a cover). "Last-minute emergency?"

"Yeah," Terry said, showing him the shirt.

"Oof," Jordan said, wincing. They watched water drip slowly from the bottom hem. "Did you drop it in the sink or something?"

"Steamer malfunction," Terry said.

"I didn't know they could do that," Jordan said.

"Neither did I," Terry said. "And I'm really hoping they can dry and press it for me, because I've gotta get his cufflinks out of the hotel safe, and if I have to stand over this with a hairdryer …"

"Don't you have a spare shirt?" Jordan asked.

"No," Terry said.

"But what if he spilled something on himself? What if some luggage got lost? You've been his PA long enough you should know to plan for emergencies," Jordan said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, well, Bruce doesn't travel often," Terry said. "I don't take care of his clothes normally, he's got a service for that."

"Right," Jordan said. "Mostly a driver-and-errands type, then?"

"Huh?" Terry said. "Oh. Yeah. That's mostly what I do for Mr. Wayne."

"And here it is!" the attendant said cheerily, emerging from the back with a clear plastic bag containing a green dress.

"Thank you!" Jordan said, slipping him a tip. "And I'm sure it can't take that long to dry Mr. Wayne's shirt, can it?"

"Policies exist for a reason," the attendant said stiffly.

"Yeah, but all it needs is a few minutes in the dryer," Jordan said. "And you know that PAs are the ones who do the booking. Do you think Terry will ever book Mr. Wayne here again if you aren't helpful?"

Terry looked at the attendant. The attendant looked at Terry. "Fine," he said, "but you better tip well."

"Thank you," Terry said fervently. "And you bet I will." He handed over the shirt and turned to Jordan. "And thank you," he said.

"Not a problem," Jordan said, turning to leave. "Although, you're lucky Mr. Wayne likes you, if you have problems like this often."

While Bruce was at the party schmoozing, Terry got to suit up and get to his real job. Well, the suiting up was metaphorical this time; they didn't want to risk Batman being seen so far away from Gotham at the same time Terry was. (Bruce had even gone so far as to get someone to fake up a 'Batman' appearance in Gotham while they were gone.)

But even if he didn't get to wear his own suit, he did get to try out a moderately-schway scaled down alternative, as he prowled through the resort poking into places that Terry McGinnis definitely did not have access to.

"I dunno, Max, I'm not finding much," Terry said over his coms.

"I am," Max said. "These guys are pretty good at their computer security, but I'm better. Especially with the remote-access dongles you placed to get me into the isolated computers. Bruce's tip-off was right, there's definitely some shady stuff going on, but I don't think this is the place they get their hands dirty. So there's nobody here for you to rescue or beat up."

"Great," Terry said glumly as he planted a tracker in the suitcase of one of their suspects. "I'm in the Bahamas, but I don't get to relax, I don't get to play on the beach or lounge around the pool, and I don't even get any action out of it."

"You've really been missing out, it is just gorgeous here," Max said, and he could hear the laugh in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," Terry grumbled.

"Seriously, though, Terry, we wrap up the information I'm getting with a nice bow and drop it off with the FBI and Interpol and some local police departments—Gotham included—and we'll blow an evil international medical racket out of the water. A lot of people will be saved. And that's why we do this gig, right? To help people? Beating up bad guys is just a fun side effect."

Terry was still frustrated the next day, as he tried to sort out Bruce's schedule to get him the maximum time in the vicinity of their targets. Not that they thought any of these people were stupid enough to let anything important slip, but you never knew; old rich people often got careless because they'd spent all their lives buying themselves out of trouble. And besides, they thought Bruce was one of them.

"You look intent," came a voice from above him.

Terry glanced up, squinting into the sun. It was Jordan. "Mr. Wayne decided on some last minute changes for the day's schedule. Though it is kinda stupid that he needs a formal schedule for vacation." The sailing thing, sure; boats only had so much space, so you had to have some way to pick who got aboard. But some of these other things, he had no idea why they had participant limits.

Jordan shrugged. "Hey, at least you get to do it sitting outside on a veranda overlooking the ocean, instead of gloomy old Gotham."

"Yeah, yeah," Terry sighed, looking down at his computer. Unfortunately, the guy Bruce was most interested in after last night was only scheduled for things that were already full. And if there was a way to get Bruce in to any of them, Terry couldn't find it.

"I just hope you're better at scheduling than you are at dealing with clothing issues," Jordan said with a little bit of humor.

"I do okay," Terry said evenly, instead of getting defensive like he wanted to.

"You know, a lot of a PA's job is smoothing things over and figuring out where the cracks in the system are so you can use them to your employer's benefit," Jordan said. "Handling people, you know? Like that laundry attendant last night. You might try being more … personable. Making friends with everyone you might need before you need them. That sort of thing."

"Yeah, I know," Terry said. For the first time, he wondered if he should have been infiltrating the other PAs the way Bruce was infiltrating the rich guys. But then again, Bruce actually was a rich asshole, no need to pretend anything, while Terry was no kind of PA, and that was something actual PAs might spot with closer acquaintance.

"If you need help let me know," Jordan said, before heading off across the patio.

"Thanks," Terry said. He looked back down at the screen and made a face, debating whether to call Jordan back. If there were any super-secret Personal Assistant tactics to get someone into a sold-out thing, Terry didn't have them. Or maybe he should just figure out who was running one of these sessions and slip them a bribe to let Bruce in? Terry shook his head. He wasn't much of a PA, but he was an excellent Batman, and maybe it was time to solve this problem the Batman way. He waited until Jordan was out of earshot before calling Max. "Hey, Max, think you can hack the booking system?"

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #173

“i like the sound of the broken pieces.”

Do you get excited when you learn you have to dress up? No. What brand of hair spray do you use? I don't use that. When you were younger, did you believe you could fly? Maybe? Favorite farm animal? Pigs! Have you ever written or considered writing a play? No. Have you ever had kidney stones? No. Have you ever been sedated or put under anesthesia? Yes. Have any of your friends ever cheated on somebody? *shrugs* Pin the tail on the donkey - fun or stupid? I loved it as a kid. Still would have fun. In your opinion what is one of the ugliest cars on the road? I'm not knowledgeable on car names, but those box-looking ones are definitely up there. Have you ever been on the very top floor of a skyscraper? NO. Have you ever won anything out of one of those crane machines? Yeah. Can you remember being taught how to ride a bike? Was it hard for you? Yeah, I don't think it was too hard. How many instruments do you own/have you owned? Three: Recorder, flute, guitar. Were you ever a flower girl or ring bearer in anyone’s wedding when you were little? No. Have you ever had an ear infection? All the time as a kid until I had tubes put in, then I had one from Hell itself early this year because my former doctor was a fucking idiot. Do you own or rent your home? Rent. Are your parents in good health? No. Well maybe Dad is all right, but he doesn't look to be in great health. He's too skinny. Have you picked up any new hobbies in the past year? No. If you have a significant other, how old were you when you first met them? Like, ten. How old were they? Eight-ish. Is English your first language? If not, was it hard to learn? Yes. Have you ever worn a costume for any reason other than Halloween? Dance recitals/competitions. Is there anything you’re a snob about? I don't believe so. Are you open to trying new foods or would you prefer to stick to foods you love and have often? I'm hesitant to try new foods. Have you ever had a ‘summer fling’? If yes, did it continue when summer ended? No. Has anybody ever told you that you could be a model? No. Do you use different kinds of moisturizer for different body parts? ie. hand lotion for your hands, face cream for your face. Or do you just use one moisturizer for all body parts? No. Have you ever felt like you were someone’s rebound? No. Are you a vegetarian? If yes, how long have you been a vegetarian for and what are your reasons for being one? If no, do you think you’d ever like to stop eating meat? Not anymore, but I was for a couple months. I wish I could be one permanently; the way animals are butchered is horrific, and I don't want to take any part in their consumption. I see their lives as equal to mine. I'm not anymore for two reasons: 1.) Willpower, and 2.) my diet without meat is too carb-focused as I couldn't dedicate myself to enough vegetables (especially) and fruit. If for some reason you were were unable to get to a supermarket for the weekend (let’s say you were snowed in or something) which item would be the worst for you to run out of - toilet paper or toothpaste? Toilet paper. I mean both would be gross, but. I'd be more disgusted if I couldn't clean myself after using the bathroom, especially if, y'know. I could at least use mouthwash for the latter. Has anybody ever broken up with you over something really pathetic? What was it? Have you ever been dumped in a disrespectful way? (eg. through text, through a friend..) No, and yup. Jason broke up with me over Facebook Messenger after a serious three-and-a-half-year relationship. Yeah, pathetic. Does it irritate you when people are late for things, or do you not really care? Not really. But I guess it depends on the occasion. Is your bed against more than one of your walls? No Have you ever burned yourself while taking something out of the oven? No. I don't mess around with the oven. Have you ever made out in your room? Last time? Not in my current room. Have you ever injured yourself while you were under the influence of alcohol? No. When was the last time you were bitten by a bug? Idk. What’s the fastest you’ve ever driven in a car? I guess on a highway maybe I accidentally approached 80 mph? Have you ever had a dream where you could understand a foreign language? No. Have you ever owned a beanbag chair? I think so. Are you a fan of retro things? Y E A H Have you ever used pastels? Yeah, made a few things with them in high school art class. What’s the limit on how much you would pay for a shirt? Ohhhh idk... I'm a sucker for band tees especially. I suppose I'd be hesitant once it hits $40. Is it currently humid where you are? No. Who were the last people you hung out with? Just Mom. How many different colors have you dyed your hair? Black, red, purple. Do you feel safe where you live? Yeah. Where have you considered moving to? I'd like to move to the mountains once I'm independent. Have you been falsely diagnosed with something by a bad doctor? Lol yup. Did you know I had ADHD? :^) Have you ever had a doctor refuse to treat you? No. Are you against abortion? Not in all cases. Has anyone ever hacked your accounts before? Not maliciously. Back when it was a "thing," Megan and I "hacked" into each other's YouTube accounts to write lovey-dovey shit in our descriptions. Who is the first person who broke your heart? Dad when he left. If you only mean romantically, everyone knows who. Do you know anyone who has fought in a war? Not to my knowledge. What’s the last song you danced to? No clue. Do you tend to be self-destructive? Eh, there's a moderate chance when something goes wrong. Self-bashing thoughts are easy to let in. What religion are you? Theist. Who is the last person you gave a ride to, and where did you take them? I don't have a license. Have you ever been shot? No. What is the coolest thing you can do? I dunno. Do you have anything from past relationships? Yeah, just like, plushies. And a small jewelry box. Do you like coconut water? Never tried it, and I doubt I'd like it. I hate coconut. Do you have a Nintendo Switch? No. At what venue was the last concert you attended? Idr. Do you think stained glass windows are pretty? YES. Are you scared of snakes? No. Have you had your wisdom teeth removed? No. I have my two bottom ones, but I was told there's enough room in my mouth for them to not be a big issue. X-rays show none on my top row. Do you like hard or soft pretzels better? Soft. Has anyone ever asked for your phone number, and you refused to give it to them? I believe so. Are you ready for children? Never will be. Does it take you a while to actually get jokes? Occasionally. Have you ever bleached your hair? Yes, to get it dyed. Do you like jelly beans? Depends on the flavor. Who taught you how to apply make-up? Myself, I guess? Would you rather live in an apartment or a house? House. Do you prefer Small Business Saturday, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday? Cyber Monday, man. Which do you prefer: iPhones, Android, Blackberries, or something else? iPhone. Do you ever put fruit on your cereal? No no no ew. Are there more photos or music files on your computer? Photos. Say something about the band/artist you’re listening to right now. I'm listening to "Professional Griefers" by deadmau5 ft. Gerard Way. I have no opinion on the band (this is the only song I know), but loooove me some Gerard. What is your favorite thing about the summer, besides the the no school thing? Just swimming. Are you similar to your sibling(s), personality-wise? How so? Nope. Well, my mom's eldest daughter is quite like me. We're both more quiet people that feel deeply and suffer from bipolarity. Do you watch amateur song covers on YouTube? No, but fun fact! I got into YT because Nicole wanted me to listen to "Before He Cheats" covers with her. I found the MM fandom, and it was all over. Which YouTuber have you learned the most from? About life and such, easily Mark. As far as obscure knowledge goes, Good Mythical Morning/Rhett and Link. What is your favorite type of church that you’ve visited? Visually, Catholic. What different types of churches have you visited? Catholic and Christian. What type of church do you hate or dislike? I don't *hate* or even "dislike" any just for their existence. Who would you want to be the flower girl at your wedding? My niece Aubree, buuut considering there's a 99% chance I'll be marrying a woman, her dad would never allow it. It might even be "too far" for Ash. What group are you most active in on Facebook? None. I pay most attention to the WoW ones I'm in, but I don't really take part, especially since I'm not currently playing. Are you ashamed of anything? Yes. What were your favorite Disney rides as a kid? I think it was called Splash Mountain? Have you read the entire Bible? No. How old were you when you first dyed your hair? Uhhh however old I was my freshman year of high school since middle didn't allow dyed hair. Do you dye your hair regularly? No, sadly. ;-; Can't afford to. What is the most comfortable type of pants, in your opinion? Pj pants, man. Do you think you have what it takes to make it big in the entertainment biz? HAHA NO. Do you have a job now? If so, what is it? No. Currently going through VR to hopefully change that. List 10 favorite girls’ names. Alessandra, Josephine, Evangeline, Chloe, Evelyn, Fallon, Heather, Amani, Violet, and Ellie. List 10 favorite boys’ names. Damien, Vincent, Victor, Luther, Severin, Alexander, Aiden, Jaxson, Shawn, and Jamie. Which stereotype do you fit the most? Uhhhh idk?? Geek??? Are you thankful for social media, or do you wish it didn’t exist? I'm thankful for it. Do you think social media is beneficial? Or is it destructive? It's perfectly capable of being either. Have you ever been socially awkward? Hi, I'm Brittany. How old were you when you started puberty? Around 11? Do you think of baby names you like often? No. What health issues do you have? B O I severe social and generalized anxiety, AvPD, chronic depression, bipolar 2, OCD, PTSD, I think ADD, vertigo, inactive MRSA, severe dry mouth, the humiliating excessive sweating, carpal tunnel in both wrists, we're tryna figure out the fuck's wrong with my knees, and moderate-severe tremors. Is that it???? What are some health problems you have had in the past? Insomnia seemed to fuck off thank Christ, ear infections. What are some of the best medications you’ve ever had? The medical combo that is partially responsible for saving my life is Latuda + Lamictal. What is your favorite pizza topping? It depends on the place that makes the pizza, but to be safe, I get pepperoni at most places. Who are your favorite small YouTubers? Johny Paranormal is a sweetheart, but I don't watch him regularly. Most others I watch have at least/almost 1M subs, so I don't think you could call them "small." Have you ever made money off of YouTube? No. What was a video you watched over and over as a kid? Oh my GOD there was this guy who made a video to "Gasolina" by whoever-the-fuck and Nicole and I were obsessed with it??? Do you own a pair of fishnets? Gloves. Are you sore right now? No. Have you ever experienced depression as a side effect? Lol I'm diagnosed with it, so. Because I have bipolarity too though but was medicated for depression, my bipolar symptoms were worsened and thus sometimes depression. (Learned being on anti-depressants while simultaneously being bipolar is only destructive.) Have you ever been suicidal as a withdrawal symptom? I don't believe so. How old were you when you got braces? Idk, sometime in middle school? How old were you when you started wearing glasses (if applicable)? High school, I think?? Are you good at remembering names? NO. When was the last time you held someone’s hand? Few days back at the movie theater. A preview for a movie that took place in a psych hospital came on, so Mom grabbed my hand tight, knowing it gave me bad memories. I was all right, but. Woulda rather not have seen it. Movie looked stupid anyway. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? Earbuds. Block out sound and you hear everything so well. Could you possibly write a successful novel? I honestly feel I'm capable, but I won't. Do you have any clothes with spikes/studs on them? I have a spiked choker and a studded bracelet, but I think that's it rn. If you had to get a portrait tattoo, who would it be of? Dead serious, I want to at some point get Darkiplier's first appearance/smile above/to the side of my left elbow by a really professional artist. I'll take my stanning behavior to the grave. Do you get exercise daily? No, but I really would like a treadmill. Something easy like that. Work my shit knees, too. Which emoji would you be most apt to dress up as? I don't????? know???????? Which do you think is better, DIY costume or storebought costumes? DIY!! You can get sooo creative. Do you stay out of stupid arguments online? I try to. I'll butt in though if I feel it necessary and/or beneficial. Do you want a new phone? Why or why not? More like I need one. Drops calls randomly, restarts at random, doesn't always do what I click. What book do you think should be made into a movie? Idk. Do you know anyone with a service dog? No. Do you like babies? Why or why not? Nooooo. Annoying as actual fuck, can't properly communicate with them, needy as hell, etc. etc. I'm not at all expecting anything more from them, they're babies, I personally just don't usually enjoy them. What is something most people don't know about you? I RP. Did you earn a title in the senior class polls? If so, what? No. How many teachers have bullied you? None. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance? No. Snickerdoodles or s'mores? S'mores! What is something you remember enjoying very much as a small child? Webkinz. As a child, were you a sore loser or a sore winner? I don't believe so. Did you play with siblings, neighborhood kids, or by yourself? All of those. Have you ever, or would you like to attend a gaming or comic convention? YEAH. What's your opinion on online multiplayer games? Well, I went through a WoW addiction, so I obviously didn't hate it. I tend to enjoy single-player, though. Who is the most important person in your life (besides yourself)? Sara. Do you find it easy to make friends now? If not, what makes it difficult? NO BC I FEAR HUMAN INTERACTION AND JUDGMENT. If you live alone, what would be your criteria for a roommate? I don't live alone. But let's say I did: No drugs, no smoking, female, CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF, and by this point, you'd probably have to be my s/o. I'm almost 23 so am more interested in working towards settling down in a place with her versus nightly sleepovers with a friend. How about criteria for a spouse, if you're single? Jfc a lot, I am PICKY. What is something you do every day without fail? Go to the bathroom when I wake up. What is your typical breakfast? Cereal or a meal supplement shake. Or nothing. Is there a TV show you watch habitually? No. Where do you usually spend most of your day? In my room. Do you usually have something playing in the background when you're home? Yup, either a let's play (only background /usually/ if I've already visually watched it and I'm just revisiting) or music. Where do you usually get your groceries? Wal-Mart or Harris Teeter. What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries. How about your favorite berry? ^ Which trait in a person do you find most appealing? Compassionate. Care for more than yourself. Which trait puts you instantly off? Cockiness. Who is an actor/actress who you dislike so much you can't watch them? No one. Do you donate money to any charities? If so, which ones? I can't currently as I don't have a source of income. If you have pets, are any of them rescues from shelters? No. Have you ever had to rely on other people's charity? When we got evicted, yes. Is there a charity you absolutely never ever will trust? There are some that I know are full of shit, but nothing's coming to mind at the moment. Have you ever donated to a cause that had a person going door to door? No. Is there a book series you're currently collecting? No. Which website do you frequent the most? YouTube and KM. Do you judge people who have their phones out all the time? If so, why? Not really... It's where we are now. Technology is truly the dominant species. If your connection goes down, what do you do? Restart the router. Is there something you wish you could do online that isn't possible yet? Sure, like uh. Oh yeah lemme fucking hug YouTubers when they hug the camera and that sort'a shit. What was a website you used to frequent that doesn't exist anymore? Uhhh... I don't know about them no longer existing. Maybe this HUGE flash game site we used to go on. Do/Did you ever have your own website? For photography I do. Have you ever kissed an ex after you two have broken up? No. When was the last time you talked to your most recent ex? It's been quite a while, actually. Are you racist to any race? No. Can you break dance? No. Have you made out with anyone in the last 2 weeks? Yes. She was ready and it was the cutest shit on Earth because she'd never done so before and had no clue what to do so we were giggling uncontrollably. Literally one of the purest experiences in my life. Have you shaved your legs in the past three days? I haven't shaved my legs since like June. Have you ever been professionally waxed? How did you find it? If you haven’t, is it something you’d consider trying? Eyebrows, yeah. It's a better way than plucking. What do you think of very cheap airlines, such as Ryanair? Would you fly with them or would you rather pay more for better service? Biiiitch no, I wanna feel safe. Does your mom like the last person you kissed? She loves her. Is there a secret you've never told your parents? Yes. Who last gave you their number? Uhhhh good question. Honestly, are you afraid to die? I mean I sure don't want to yet, but I'm not especially *afraid* of it. Have you ever had an ice cream cake for your birthday? No, not a big fan. Did you get a car the minute you turned sixteen? Lol I still don't have one. What do you want to major in? Zoology. When was the last time you kissed someone who was younger than you? The 17th. Have you ever kissed someone of the same sex? Yeah.

[ayurileopardsdream]

A Hand-held Curse. Chapter 1.

C.A Cupid tried doing a confidence spell on Raven, but instead, she was magically and physically attached to her secret girlfriend.

(This is just a dumb but cute idea that’s been floating around in my head, and also practice in case I want to write something bigger with these two. Plus I really really really wanna add something to the fandom ^^)

Rating: T

Words: 2,360

Au: none

Fandom: Ever After High

Characters / Pairing: Raven Queen x Apple White

Genre: romance, hurt & comfort, fluff.

No, it wasn’t. It’s not True Hearts Day yet. Just another random Wednesday afternoon, and Raven was having a miserable and grumpy one at that.

“Oh relax Raven, it’ll be fine! All you have to do is go up to him, and tell him no. You’re not available and you’d like him to leave you alone.” said Apple calmly, as if it were just that easy.

“It’s not that easy, Apple!” exclaimed Raven, as she threw yet another bouquet of flowers out there two-fairytale-story window, making that 6 this month. “I can’t say I’m not available, because then he’ll ask who to. And I can’t drag anyone else into this. Maddie might agree to be my fake girlfriend, but then I’ll feel bad cause I don’t want to fake anything with anybody else. I just want to be with you.” As she finished speaking, she whined and came to hug Apple from behind, as Apple stood at her dresser, looking at her mini-mirror while playing with her hair and makeup again, and gave a little gasp as cold, plum colored lips brushed her neck so gently, while arms wrapped around her torso and brought her in close.

When they were alone, absolutely alone, Raven Queen couldn’t keep her hands off her wonderlandiful and spelltastic secret girlfriend, none other than the magnificent Apple White. And Apple White loved it.

Softly cooing while Raven snuggled her and kissed every little spot she could while in that position, and finally after an hour, Apple put her makeup down, carefully turned around in Raven’s strong arms, and because they were so much closer to each other than they normally were, Apple gave a secret and mischievous smile as she pulled down the neckline of Raven’s shirt, and placed a chaste and loving kiss on Raven’s collarbone, pressing her lips down, so her lipstick left a glorious mark on the pale-white skin. Marking her territory, and Raven loved it. 

“Well, someone’s feeling brave.” Raven teased, only tightening her arms as she rested her head on Apple’s shoulder.

“Yes, and you should be feeling the same, telling Dexter to stop bringing you flowers and love notes! You have to make him leave you alone!” Apple pouted, but a smile soon returned when Raven kissed her lips ever so softly, but enough that passion was felt.

Then there was a knock at the door.

“Ugh!” Raven groaned, pulling away despite how warm and comfortable she felt there, and Apple just giggled while turning back around to re-apply her lipstick for the third time that morning, and there was none other than Cupid at the door.

“Raven! Good afternoon! Maddie sent me over, saying you needed some magic help with boy troubles?”

“Hah!” yelled Apple, making Raven laugh and Cupid giggle despite her confusion.

Raven rolled her eyes, inviting Cupid in to sit on her bed which was on the right side of the room, if your back was to the door. Cupid came in and sat, smiling a little awkwardly, she was just utterly confused. Don’t worry, she knew of their secret relationship. Angel of Love after all. 

“So what exactly do you need help with, Raven? I hope you’re not going to ask me to spell a boy for you so you can make an excuse to slink away with Miss White over here.”

Raven rolled her eyes, then linked them with Apple’s through her little mirror, they made kissy faces at each other lovingly, before Raven sat next to Cupid.

“I need some... confidence magic. I heard you can do that?”

“Mainly around the heart, Raven. If it isn’t love, it isn’t me.”

“It is about the heart. I need Dexter to... unlove me.”

Cupid froze, her eyes surprised and a little hurt, mainly because of her own relationship regarding the less dashing Charming Prince. Raven just had to explain a little more.

“Cupid, don’t be upset with me for saying this, he’s great and all, but I will never love Dexter the way he loves me. I love Apple, no one else. He’s a good friend. Nothing more. And I just... I need the confidence to put him away permanently.” 

By this time, Apple had finished her lipstick, and came to sit next to the other two, snuggling up to Raven’s side and holding her hand lovingly, stroking her dark girlfriend’s hand with her thumb, and nuzzling her shoulder with her lightly powdered cheek. “I’ve told her she can do it, but she refuses to say anything without help. I’m not really ready for the entire school to know about us, but it pains us both that he just won’t quit. And since you’re one of few others with magic, she wouldn’t talk to anyone else. She was just about to see you actually.” Apple explained, and smiled a little more when Raven lifted their entwined hands to kiss Apple’s knuckles, Cupid literally grabbed at her chest at how perfectly cute these two princesses were. Taking a moment, Cupid stood up with a determined look on her face.

“Alright. I’ll try. This isn’t my expert field, so forgive me if nothing happens.” Cupid stood up, and as if by magic, Cupid pulled her bow from her back and between her seraph wings, and then an arrow from her hidden quiver, and she aimed it right at Raven’s heart, and she made herself and the arrow and her eyes glow a heavenly yellow, adding more magical quality to the arrowhead then there already was. Apple made a very uncomfortable face, staring at the arrow, and then Raven, and then the arrow again. Being hit with an arrow... did it hurt? She wouldn’t know because she’d never been hit by one before. Hehehe. Lucky her.

As Cupid pulled back the string, Raven widened her eyes and raised her arms, she had to know the truth. The truth about those arrows. “How do those arrows work, Cupid? When you shoot them at people.” 

Cupid lowered her arrow, grinning ear to ear. She was really happy that someone actually cared/wanted to know how she and her work worked/wanted to have a conversation alongside asking her for a favor. It was nice for people to want to talk a little. 

“Well, the magic has a limit on the arrow. The entire arrowhead doesn’t go into a person, mainly the first half, and with the magic I have, my arrow phases into where and who I hit, it doesn’t hurt, and depending on how strong the magic, the arrow can be used again as I pluck it from whom I’ve shot at, or the magic consumes the arrow, and it disappears on contact.” Aiming her arrow once again, she grinned and started to glow once more. “Make sense?”

Raven nodded, squeezing Apple’s hand from her nervousness still. Here we go, untested confidence and love magic on a dark magically unstable goth princess.

“3... 2... 1... pew!”

The arrow flew, and Raven gave a little gasp as the arrow found it’s mark, and Apple squeezed Raven’s hand back, gasping after Raven did merely in surprise. “Raven? Are you okay? Does it hurt?” 

Raven stared at the carpet as the arrow stuck out of her chest, and she blinked before taking a deep breath as the magic entered her. “I’m okay. It’s just... weird.”

Cupid stepped forward, taking the arrow from Raven and putting it back into her quiver, and both Apple and Cupid stared at Raven, not sure what to do or say.

Suddenly, Raven took a deep breath, turned to Apple and stared her dead in the eye. “I have a lot of depression and anxiety that everybody doesn’t know about, when I don’t sleep with you at night it’s because I’m shutting myself off from the world and you, keeping myself to my horrible thoughts, I say I want to be alone but I want nothing more than to be with you and be in your arms and be by your side, and I’m telling you this now because I know you’ll still love me if not more.”

Apple literally had her mouth drop, Cupid was also wide-eyed and surprised but she had her mouth closed, and even jokingly tried to close Apple’s mouth.

“So much confidence...” Apple whispered in awe and shock. It was beautiful, and confident. But then of course, something hit her in the back of her mind. There was always something wrong when magic was used without complete knowledge. So what was the side effect to Raven?

“...Apple? I know you love me, but you can let go of my hand now.”

“I-I can’t..”

“What do you mean you can’t?”

Apple and Raven were suddenly tugging on their arms, trying to separate themselves from each other. They loved each other, but they needed space sometimes right? 

“...Cupid... you know how your magic sometimes gets people to act like magnets, and hug the hex out of each other?”

“....Yes?” 

Raven held up their hands up, giving a pout. “I think your magic attracted our hands together. We can’t pull them apart!” Raven visibly struggled, even lifting a finger before it silently slapped its way back onto the latched mess. Huh.

“W-well, now you can be confident about your relationship in public?” Cupid suggested, already making an awkward smiling face while scrunching her head into her shoulders. You know the look.

Raven groaned, using her other hand to rub her face. Maybe this was a good thing? They’d be much closer as friends, they already hold hands in stuff in public, and-

“Crap! Apple, our classes!” Raven |squawked, looking rather frantic now. “You have Damsel-in-distressing and I have Home Evil-nomics at the same time. And you have never missed a class unless it was absolutely necessary.”

Apple looked rather perturbed, thinking about that too.

“Maybe if we tell people about the magic?” She suggested, shrugging. It wouldn’t hurt, and it might ease them out of some of the trouble if not all. But then the confidence magic kicked in.

“No!” Raven yelled, standing up and jerking Apple up with her. “We should tell everyone about us, it’s time to come clean. I don’t want to hide my love for you any longer. If they love us, they’ll support us!” Raven boasted, puffing out her chest a little at her prideful confidence. Apple just looked at Cupid with a look that read “you did this.” In which Cupid awkwardly giggled, and started backing out of the room.

Wait hey!” Apple whined, reaching her free hand out. “Don’t leave us here like this!”

“Sorry,” Cupid shrugged, opening the door from behind. “My magic doesn’t go away for hours, there’s nothing I can do until then.”

“How long!” Apple yelled, but Cupid was already gone.

Hours, huh?

“Raven, please stop kissing me! This is serious!”

After that crazy fiasco, Apple had awkwardly called Maddie with one hand, because if anyone knew how to deal with Raven, other than herself, it was the Mad Hatter-ess. Thankfully Maddie came right away, and Apple explained the situation, while Raven was being a very confident bird-brain.

“So after you sent Cupid, very funny by the way, she shot the arrow with confidence magic, our hands are glued together, and Raven has a little too much confidence. I love her but this is nuts!”

Raven stood on her bed suddenly, and again, Apple was pulled with her.

“Have some confidence! The whole world should know the truth! I believe that everyone will support us, I-” 

With a quick movement, Maddie had sat both the girls down, and had duct taped Raven’s mouth shut, and given her an empty tea cup to hold onto. Check and mate. In which Raven pouted and shut up, making Apple giggle and kiss her girlfriend’s grumpy eyebrows. 

“This is only temporary Raven. I’m not really ready to come out just yet, okay? I’m sure our friends will all support us too, but then there are the headmasters, mostly Milton, and then our parents, and the teachers, and...” She took a deep breath, before staring Raven in her beautiful purple eyes.

“Please. Have confidence in me.” 

Raven nodded, and wiggled her mouth, wanting the duct tape to be taken off, and Apple carefully removed it with her right hand, and then kissed the pain away from Raven’s lips and cheeks. 

“So... Maddie... Do you have any idea on how to keep this under wraps? Raven might not be able to help herself if a situation comes up, and... and if Dexter comes around to see Raven, she might blurt out about us, and... this is all so complicated!” 

Madde sat at Raven’s desk, already drinking tea, then took a minute to think. “I suggest that you two first deal with your Dexter problem. Tell him the truth, and have confidence he won’t spread the news. Then go to the teachers and explain the misunderstanding. Magic sure is mad in this school, they should understand. Then... have a cup of tea!” She squealed, then looked at her wrist. 

“Well, would you look at the time. I’m afraid I have to go. Good luck you two, text me later on what happened!”

Just like that, they were alone again to deal with their thoughts.

“Hey Apple?”

“Yes Raven?” 

“Are you mad at me?”

Apple turned and looked at a sniffly Raven who looked ready to puppy-face her way to tears. She quickly cupped Raven’s cheek, bringing their foreheads together.

“I could never be mad at you. It was a simple mistake. We just have to work through this. It’ll be fine. Trust me. We can do this. It’s okay.” 

Raven nodded, moving closer so they could awkwardly hug, before the settled down on Raven’s bed, lying next to each other, hands in between and underneath them, and Raven’s head and hair being stroked by Apple’s fingers while she rested herself upon Apple’s chest.

They had a lot to do the next day. It’d be a challenge. But they always got through challenges together. It’d be okay! Because nothing can destroy Rapple.

“...Apple?”

“Yes Raven?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

(the end.)

[bastardnev]

Until He Met The King

fic #2!! this one is a gift for @cruisingforcruiserweights, hope you like it!!

(link to ao3)

tagging: @rivela @oh-baby-a-triple-oh-yeah @kidvoodoo

i wasn’t sure if anybody else on my tag list wanted to be tagged since this is a fic for a ship that isn’t nev/mustafa?? if you’re on my nevstafa tag list and wanna be tagged in anything else then plz lemme kno!! (and ofc if you’re not on either list and still wanna be tagged then just message me!!)

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: World Wrestling Entertainment, Professional Wrestling Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Austin Aries/Pac | Adrian Neville Characters: Austin Aries, Pac | Adrian Neville Additional Tags: Shopping, nev may be a little shit but he's AUSTIN'S little shit and that's all that really matters in the end Summary: Austin had never been the type to believe in that cliche “love at first sight” bullshit that everyone else seemed to cling to so desperately. How could you fall in love with someone that you’d only just met? Unlike some people that he knew, he was never a goddamn softie.

...That is, until he met the King.

Austin Aries had always been his own person. He knew exactly what it was that he wanted and wasn’t afraid to go out and take it. He had a smart mouth and strong opinions, and he wasn’t afraid to let others know about them, even if he knew that they weren’t going to like what he had to say. This may have earned him a bad reputation, but he didn’t care. He cared more about standing up for what he believed in and demanding respect than going along with what everyone else was saying and blending in with the crowd.

Naturally, this behavior carried over to his dating life. He had never been the type to believe in that cliche “love at first sight” bullshit that everyone else seemed to cling to so desperately. How could you fall in love with someone that you’d only just met? Unlike some people that he knew, he was never a goddamn softie.

...That is, until he met the King.

Austin was leaning back against the bricks that made up the store he was standing outside of, his arms crossed as he tried to protect himself from the cold. He heard the little jingle of the bell hanging above the door, and he watched as Neville bounded out of the building, carrying some brightly colored bags on each of his arms. “How-- How much stuff did you buy?” He gaped.

“Not much.” Neville shrugged. “Just a few things.”

“This is more than just a few, King.” Austin looked inside one of the bags, spotting numerous little trinkets that he knew upon questioning Neville was going to swear that he needed (he really didn’t).

Neville huffed, his pale cheeks growing rosy now that he was faced with the mid-December chilliness. “Here.” He stuck out both of his arms, bags dangling and swinging a little from the movement.

“What am I supposed to do with them?”

“...Take them from me?”

“Oh my God…” Austin rolled his eyes, though he did as he was told without further complaint, holding them by the handles in one hand and propping the free one on his hip. “Are you sure you really need all this stuff?” He asked once he realized how heavy a few of the bags were.

“Of course. What, do you think I just buy random shit for the hell of it? Everything I do has a purpose, Aries.” Neville waggled his finger at him.

Right. That response was about what Austin expected. He sighed and decided to drop the subject, resigning himself to his fate. “So where to next, King? What’s the next place you plan on spending all my money in?”

“Excuse you, I’m only using some of your money,” Neville corrected him. He shoved his hands into the pockets on his hoodie and began looking up and down the street, standing on his toes and trying to look over the crowds of people as he searched for their next destination (Austin considered making a smart comment about his height once he saw this, though he stopped himself once he realized that he, too, could not see unless he stood on his toes).

“Any day now, King.” Austin shifted on his feet after a few moments of silence. The cold air was beginning to get to him -- maybe choosing to stand outside while Neville shopped when it was this frigid out was a bad idea after all…

“Oh give me a minute, would you?” Neville frowned at him. “I’m still thinking.”

“Think any longer and I’m gonna freeze to death.”

Neville let out a breath, Austin watching as it escaped his lips and faded away, and he nodded, “Okay, so how about this: Since you’re so cold, we should go to Starbucks and warm up. I know there’s one not too far from here.”

“Do you actually care about me being warm, or do you just want coffee?”

“That’s for me to know and you to never find out. Come along.” Neville took hold of his hand and squeezed it tightly as he dragged him up the street. “Christ, your hands are cold.”

“Did you expect anything different?” Austin replied, gripping his hand back as if his life depended on it. He usually wasn’t big on holding hands in public, but Neville’s hand was so warm…

Neville led him to a street corner and paused, looking to the left and right. “Which way was it again…?” He thought aloud.

“You don’t even know which way it is?”

“I do know, I just… momentarily forgot, that’s all. I’ll remember, just hold on a sec.”

As he waited, Austin took a look over at the shop they just so happened to stop outside of -- a jewelry shop. All sorts of products were displayed in the window, glittering in the sunlight, though there was one item in particular that had caught his eye, sitting front and center for all who passed by to see.

An engagement ring.

Yet another thing that Austin had previously not been a very big fan of was the idea of getting married. It wasn’t that he hated it or anything -- quite the opposite, in fact -- it was just that he personally could never see himself doing it. He had loved people before, yes, but never once did he ever feel close enough to them to even consider spending the rest of his life with them.

But this was all before he had gotten with the King.

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Neville had truly made a major impact on his life. This little date that they were currently on -- freezing their asses off as they wandered aimlessly from store to store -- was something that Austin would never even consider with any of his previous partners. Something about the look in Neville’s eyes when he proposed this idea, about how much he truly wanted to do it, made Austin go along with it. No matter how hard he tried to resist, he was hopelessly wrapped around Neville’s finger.

And he loved it.

The longer that he stared at the ring, the more Austin began to wonder about what married life with Neville would consist of. Would he change at all? Would he still be the grumpy yet charming man he’d grown to love? Or maybe he would be sweeter and more affectionate? While there was still a part of Austin that was unsure if marriage was the right thing for him, he couldn’t deny that the thought of being with Neville forever was certainly enticing…

“Would you pay attention to me?” Austin felt himself being lightly shoved all of a sudden, and he noticed that Neville was speaking to him, looking impatient. “I know where we have to go.”

“My bad,” Austin replied. “Just got distracted for a second.”

“Clearly. I’ve been trying to talk to you for the last half hour.”

“Oh it has not been that long. It's been a minute at most. You’re being dramatic.”

“You know damn well that I’m not the type of person to be dramatic, Aries.”

“Is that so? Then why do you want everyone to call you ‘King’? You have a perfectly good name that people could use instead.”

Neville blinked at him, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he attempted to come up with a rebuttal. “Can we go now, please?” He finally said, clearly not wanting to continue the discussion.

Austin smirked, satisfied that he’d won that little argument. “We may.”

With that, Neville gripped his hand tighter and began to lead him in the direction of the Starbucks. Austin took one last look over his shoulder at the jewelry display, the smirk still on his face.

Whether or not there was a wedding in Austin’s future remained unclear, though one thing was for certain -- he planned on being with Neville for a very long time.

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff - THE TROOF ABOUT STEVEN UNIVERSE - Part 4

WARNING: When you cartwheel, the weight is mostly from your legs. And if you want to know more, here’s part 3 for a better understanding. Thank you, take care out there, and enjoy.

Steven Universe is a charming, popular show with a quad-polar fandom, and I’m only here to point out what I say is legitimately wrong with this cartoon. Simple enough? Fair enough. Point number 4:

THE REPRESENTATION:

Representation in media can be easy when the right writers are at the helm to present (not push) a message of acceptance and acknowledgement towards an audience that may or may not feel the same way. It takes different strokes to rule the world, after all. However, when it comes to character in general, there are two factors in characterization that when used correctly can appeal their message of acceptance for their audience. One, visual acknowledgement of the representing characters (POC, LGBT, belief, etc.) in question and two, giving the subjects good quality participation to show that they are just as adept to the world as any other without phoning in the fact that they are this or that. Long story short, make ‘em good characters and the representation can earn the audience’s respect for itself. Steven U lacks this too, and this comes from them often showing us stuff and expecting us to just go with it, with themes that are enough just to get by fans. Hell, they show us as much as a drive by...

Not even a cool one at that, fresh

I’ll say this to start off: Lars Barriga (my neega) was a stagnant and frustrating character to deal with, nobody in Beach City moved him in any way (not even his own supporting parents), and the writers just shotgunned him growth (more than once) after he basically had to cheat death (more than once) to gain a better conscience. It’s like they wanted to call him a lost cause but had to hook him back in some way for the audience to not deem him a lost cause. So with all due respect, does it matter that he’s Filipino or a trans boy when nothing valuable or thoughtful has come from him especially? Those trivial tidbits can mostly come off as add ons or secondary nods, when they should’ve been welcomed knowledge about his character. Want an good example? Look to the comic series Lumberjanes, especially issues 14-17 and 28. SPOILERS, though...

They did this right for characters Jo and Barney (Jo’s the one in the 2nd panel, Barney’s in the first). They already established these two as well defined characters that make mistakes but are willing to get shit done for their friends by any means. The dialogue above is when Barney is thinking about joining the girl oriented scouts even when he’s considered a boy scout, wondering where does he want to belong. Jo gives him reassurance that she herself felt the same and just wants Barney to assert himself with what he wants to be like she did. And when he does later on, he’s accepted without any forced gratification and the writers gracefully accommodate this to not only make him (now “them”) a good addition to the story’s world, but a welcoming new perspective. 

The representation is therefore earned, not just shown off

Now I’d talk further on other characters like Lars, but that would be singing the same beats as my previous piece on world building and would spoil notes on the final 2 parts I’m working on now. Instead, the gems are another reason why the rep-pres-sen-tation in SU is nothing but small fractured penny in the gold mine that is anything else going on, with fusion diminishing the relationship representation of Steven U; however you may see it. Now excuse me... this is the hardest part of my job.

Criticizing love

Garnet is not a good embodiment of Ruby and Sapphire’s love; Ruby and Sapphire is. I would love to see Ruby and Sapphire being together and showing me why they decided to elope, but I can’t because Garnet is a curtain that metaphorically and literally covers said love from having anything more to say than “HELL YEAH WE LOVE EACH OTHER!”. You could say ‘Keystone Motel’ offered some adversity for the two, but knowing Steven U, it didn’t feel like much beyond me knowing they’re getting back together in the end because they love each other and they just go back to being Garnet because she’s the personification of their love and such. 

Status Quo Ante. Ante up, you see?

Fusion is something I have a disdain for now because they’re exchanging two characters’ development of united growth for basically an entirely new/different character, that don’t have much screen time or development anyways (vice versa in Flourite’s case). You could say ‘Know your Fusion’ presented an evolution for Smokey Quartz, among the other known fusions, to being more than a versatile fighter, but not really no. We were already aware that Steven and Amethyst were acknowledged sad sacks before they fused, so what else does this fusion offer differently than in their ability? As for Sardonyx, she hasn’t changed from her first cameo awhile back and her vanity was the only thing that made her stand out in said episode. All in all, fusion doesn’t reflect a relationship, no matter how hard Rebecca Suge Knight is saying otherwise, it reflects an aftermath; one that’s in and out as a firework. This and up ‘til now, the real couples we see are pretty general or under the rug. To show how the most mentioned and presented couple in the series, RubyXSapphire, has continuously got the shaft, I present the one dynamic you’d least expect: A boy and his stuffed toy.

My personally favorite example so far.

Calvin and Hobbes is a series about boy Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes that comes to life through Calvin’s imagination. Reality is like Garnet in this case, where it’s just Calvin having his stuffed animal around to get into zany hijinks like any other kid his age. Then again, the imagination or the living Hobbes is whom is given more of a focus, allowing their dynamic to bloom in a way that wouldn’t be understood if we just saw Calvin just talking to his toy the whole time. It makes their bond feel real and that’s what RubyxSapphire should be, giving them the floor in a way that adds up to Garnet’s eventual debut. “But Monkey Network, what about ‘The Answer'?” The Answer is an episode that, while sweet and good looking, literally danced over much necessary development in favor of only showing us how they eventually stuck to being Garnet forever. Not saying Garnet doesn’t have any character herself, but her integral backstory was/is one of the most beloved and talked about in terms of relationships, yet little has actually been given to us beyond face value and basic understanding and the writers have generally avoid pressing this any further. In a way, that episode diminishes the representation of real queer relationships, bogging it down to early Disney romances like Snow White’s, and practically blindfolds us about what we want to see vs what we should be seeing.

And I already got cute girls not kissing last year. It’s the current flippin’ year

I would talk about all the other canonning “ships” but nothing comes to mind other than the gems are getting along better than before, Mystery Girl is still fine as fuck, Steven and Connie are bound to elope since it’s been presented since the beginning, Lapis and Peridot get along as college roommates, Lapis might still have issues after Malachite happened, Jasper regrets nothing, Topaz sounds cool from the little we got of them, and everything has amounts to having a sob story and/or a recollection of thoughts just to say “Hey, we’re good together”. They implicitly share infatuation and good vibes to each other, but nothing to say their themes of LGBT, relationships, and characterization are groundbreaking. The latter I’ll get to next time. I mean anybody can put effort into writing a genuine romance novel, though it takes more effort to push the romance to challenging means without leaving skeptics at the door, something Sugar has been very casual about and is starting to openly show in the show. That and tears. Because you know what they say, open emotions are better than emotional maturity. Isn’t that right, TV?

Though, a good cry like that never hurts once in a while

Don’t get me wrong. Rebecca Sugarbark is out here doing her darndest as...

CARTOON. NETWORK’S. FIRST. FEMALE. ANIMATED. SERIES. CREATOR!

and when she does themes right, the show provides some good things to think about. But when she muddles them up or casually throws them in, especially when these themes come from the different aspects of what makes a person different yet real, it is unforgivable. And when people of all ages are watching this, thinking with their living ideologies about what could be used to think differently? This makes for a very risky tightrope that can lead to either people taking it appropriately or blindly, good and bad alike. I can only hope that as the show goes on, there are less assumptions and implications from both the show and the audience alike and more assertions and certainty that elements like representation of any kind are brought to a more applied approach than a glanced approach. Something that earns that appeal to a world so open and free.

Yet. As nothing but a simple critic... I can only be so hopeful