#HELP MY SON HE'S GONE ROUGE

[lizleaf]

The Tdp season 7 trailer:

0:00-1:50 "Oooh this is cool. It's gonna be such an exciting season!"

1:50-2:34 "What. No. What do you mean?!? CALLUMM!! (ToT)"

[allthatmay]

sometimes i giggle when remembering ace was going around telling people hed make whitebeard the pirate king (twice in canon; first when meeting luffy at arabasta, second when fighting blackbeard at banaro island) while said man was on a wheelchair. parental love so overwhelming it made him go delulu.

AH, I know, it's so cute. What's funnier is that I don't think he actually ever thinks Whitebeard will be the king. He's not dumb; he knows Whitebeard is very ill and old. I think a part of him simply doesn't want to acknowledge it as he's only just gained Whitebeard as a father and doesn't want to think about losing him.

There's this really great post about the Ace novels (here, which is where I've borrowed the quotes from) that basically sums them up. A big take-away is that, in joining the Whitebeards, Ace realises he doesn't actually know what he wants.

P. 159: [Thatch asks him] “You want your reputation to surpass that of the Pirate King, but you’re not interested in the One Piece. You don’t want to break the code either. What the hell does your flag even represent?” [And Ace answers] “I don’t know. Honestly, I thought I did, but not anymore.”

Sweet baby boy Ace realises he doesn't want the title nor the OP, so he simply redirects those desires onto his "new dad." In fact, Ace has known all along that he didn't actually want to be Pirate King, but he felt like he had to become it in order to shuck his father's identity and gain his own, good or bad. That's partly why he was so reluctant to join the Whitebeards in the first place: replacing one father figure with another would hardly help matters.

P. 224-225: “Whitebeard inviting him to be his son had seemed to him like another ‘father’ attempting to take control of his life. But […] now he understood the word ‘son’ a little differently.”

When he actually thinks about it, I'm sure Ace wants nothing more than to see Luffy be king. But he's so overwhelmed by all the love he's getting from his new family and old friends—he's only just started to accept that it is love—that he's like, "What am I supposed to do with this?" So he returns to what he knows, and decides that the best way to show his gratitude is to make Whitebeard the Pirate King. It gives Ace a means of being useful while eclipsing the persona of Pirate King Gold Roger with Pirate King Edward Newgate, which is good for Ace, who simply wants to get out of Roger's shadow.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Ace hates Roger at all, just the public image of him. (Okay, maybe there's a little bit of hate because of what happened with Rouge, but that's simply misdirection—Ace blames himself for that.) If they were ever to meet (perhaps through some time travel shenanigans), I could see Ace having all the manners of a feral house cat: desperate to be let in, but hissing and biting at every move Roger makes.

Anyway, wow, I've gone off on one. Point is, YES, it is VERY cute. It has the same vibes as, "LOOK! This is my brother Luffy! He's a menace! His bounty's the highest in the East Blue!"

[lady-phasma]

This specific use of the 180 Degree Rule has been nagging me since the last trailer came out. The 180 Degree Rule refers to how the camera frames the subjects in a scene so that they are "switched" when the camera moves. This is less disorienting to viewers than if the subjects stayed on the same side of the frame every time (see example below). It's a small trick, but it is noticeable when it isn't used. Logic tells us they should stay on the same side of the frame but it really doesn't work. If you are interested in understanding this further there is a great sequence in Satoshi Kon's Paprika (2006) that explains it better than I have ever seen anywhere else.

Daemon's War

The exchange between Rhaenyra and Jace in episode 10 conveys so much meaning in so few words. I'm not going to discuss Rhaenyra's desires in this post or if they conflict with Daemon's. That would need its own post all to itself.

Jacaerys: Where is Daemon? Rhaenyra: I don't know. Gone to madness. Gone to plot his war.

Daemon and his motivations are revealed so concisely. There is certainly foreshadowing here, but I appreciate that Rhaenyra knows him so well and has no expectations of him (at this point) beyond what she has seen in the past.

Daemon makes bold assumptions and is arrogant enough to think his way is the best way. When he lists Meleys in their assets there is no doubt in his mind that Rhaenys will side with them in the war. But why does he assume this? What isn't being said is intriguing.

We have Syrax, Caraxes, and Meleys. Your sons have Vermax, Arrax, and Tyraxes. Baela has Moondancer. There are also unclaimed dragons. Seasmoke still resides on Driftmark. Vermithor and Silverwing dwell on the Dragonmont, still riderless. Then there are the three wild dragons, all of whom nest here.

Then, at some point in season two, we see Daemon presumably stop Rhaenys by grabbing her arm.

This man is manipulative and good at it. Rhaenys is not pleased with him touching her. With no context at all, we only have a few words and body language to interpret. I can't wait to see if I'm correct about this when this episode airs. There is a threat or ultimatum here. Daemon's posture is so self-assured, hand resting on Dark Sister as if whatever he is saying has only one response: agreement.

Correct 180 (from trailer):

Might be helpful to cover one while watching the other.

Incorrect 180 (my edit):

What made this 180 rule from the trailer stick in my mind is how tight the frame is on Rhaenys for her reaction shot. A medium shot on Daemon cuts to a medium close up on her in order to show her facial expression. We can't interpret too much from trailer editing as it is specifically designed to manipulate and distract viewers in a different way from the final product. However, we are given Daemon's dialogue for this particular shot: "We are going to King's Landing." But what next? Why show her disdain, frustration, irritation? Is there an "or else" or some other technique to coerce her and House Velaryon?

Rhaenyra's words are relevant here as well as in the foreshadowing of the upcoming war. Daemon is not asking permission. His hostility, animosity, and wounded ego combine to make him rash. Another example of the applicability of the title The Rouge Prince. This isn't an argument that his character is made more complex by this foreshadowing, but that he has rarely, if ever, hidden his motives. His motivations are always clear even if they shift from selfish to selfless (which is only evident a handful of times). He is morally ambiguous to viewers because much of the time he seems to be amoral. He can stomach things that others cannot. He believes the end justifies the means. I think it will be fascinating to see how the showrunners, writers, and Matt can navigate someone becoming a villain without making him completely one dimensional. He is irredeemable and many of his fans love him for precisely that. He doesn't want to be redeemed. He wants to be in control.

I started writing this last night and today this amazing gifset comes across my dash so I had to link it.

[musubiki]

i wanna know more ab the m34th finding out lime’s relationship to the cat witch bc id be like 🧍‍♀️ if i were them just kinda pissed

UHGUHGU THIS IM NOT SUPER SOLID ON!!!!! but i will talk about what i have in my head right now!!

so much potential in every route....one route would be: they recruited him under the assumption he wanted the cat witch for some kind of revenge (because witches bad. why else would one want to look so desperately for them), and is essentially ignorant of his relationship to her. UNTIL we get to some point where for some mission/reason/other, they find out about them.

in my head i see that episode going as: another member finds and hunts down mochi (a fight she almost loses, and a good time to showcase what the m34th can really do). when lime arrives to a near-exhausted mochi backed into a corner, said guy (whoever, one of the more sadistic members) is like "Goldwood! Look, I found her! That stupid bitch of a cat witch has been hiding in the capitol all along! You wanted first dibs right? Now you can do what you want!" anyway lime dismembers this guy. legitimately cuts him off mid-sentance (literally cuts off his arm. i want a cool scene with this asshole clamoring for his life, and lime reveals for the first time to anyone in the m34th that hes vowed to the cat witch before unaliving him)

and when some other members of the m34th arrive (far after that guy is dead and lime has taken mochi away somewhere safe), they start to deduce "Huh... these clean cuts were made by one of our weapons." and slowly over the course of a few days as the investigation into their fallen comrade progresses, it becomes increasingly clear how wrong they were about lime

this also leads to a fight between lime and the other members of the m34th (whoever was on-call in the capitol at the time. SOS emergency mission, someones gone rouge). a fight mochi wasnt apart of, as it started to go down as she was still covering. also a fight that marshal, clarinette, and the squad captain all turned and sided with lime right before the fight

(it was marshals idea. lime was ready to kill every person who tried to get to mochi, but before lime could get his hands dirty, marshal swooped in with the idea of "If we erase their memories of it, we dont HAVE to kill them, and your girlfriend wont be upset with you for it.") (side note: the m34th has a memory-replacement system similar to the memory replace spell witches use. its a little more complicated as the memories can be stored and retrieved with some kind of tech something, but if you can destroy those as well then its like it never happened)

between lime, marshal, clarinette, and the squad captain who covers for all of them, this actually does end up succeeding. (another sad moment for clarinette, helping a roughed up lime limp his way home and having to watch mochi run into his arms again after she just helped save his life)

BUT THE OTHER SCENARIO ALSO HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL WHICH IS:

(under the same pretense they thought he was after revenge) the m34th knew where the cat witch was the whole time. they couldve easily helped him find her within weeks, but purposely kept him in the dark because they thought if he got what he wanted, he would lose motivation and wouldnt be as good a soilder (this route is better for showcasing the true power/reach/resources/spirit of the m34th)

in a subplot related to the frog witch, mochi gets summoned to the capitol palace by the king to find his missing son, the prince. none of their resources have been able to locate him, so the king figures the strongest witch is the next best bet. then their best m34th soilders (lime included) gets assigned to "watch" her during her mission under the orders of "i dont care how you feel, you arnt allowed to kill her until she finds the prince," and they have to spend the whole time pretending they hate each other and that they never met before in their lives

at the end, the prince is eventually found and mochi requests that if the m34th is going to keep watch over her, that lime be the one assigned to her since she knows him now post-mission. and lime has to pretend to be like "ah hate that cat witch, but this is for a paycheck and shes not super insufferable...so...fine." and so lime being in her guild is still in the dark to the rest of the m34th, but they DO know that he sees her at least semi-regularly with the "check-ins" (which gives birth to the "Cant believe you got seduced by a witch" things hehehe)

EITHER WAY I DONT KNOW YET

[princevictoriapunk]

👑 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤 & 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 🌺

Date: 29.O8.2O

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Gol D. Roger, Portgas D. Rouge

Theme: (Pirate) King and Queen

OPA challenge: #HonouringtheDead

Crossposted: One Piece Amino

This piece was my very first poem ever- I really wanted the lines to perfectly follow a rhyme scheme like they often were back in Baroque and some other eras, but my brain juice was too low for that. The poetry (analysis) block from 13th grade's German classes will follow you EVERYWHERE, ffs. The three main topics of baroque (Vanitas, Carpe Diem, Memento Mori) were screamed at by a tiny voice in my brain's corner in the back while I was writing, so maybe that was a tad helpful, too?

Art by @onemani (zerochan)

The two, who should not have loved,

Shared the deepest love in history.

Not a single soul could defy them.

The King and Queen of olden times,

Both named descendants of the Devil,

One called a demon, killed by them.

The other, an angel, forgotten, died.

The King and Queen of olden times.

Separated in life, they deeply loved.

The one's mind on land left behind.

Another with her heart lost on sea.

The King and Queen of olden times.

The two, who should not have loved,

Torn apart by man's hand and fate.

He beheaded; she died in childbirth.

The King and Queen of olden times.

Both of the Devil's hated lineage,

Uncertain of their future ahead.

Their love created a nephilim's life.

The King and Queen of olden times.

Together in death, they deeply love.

The demon grinned; proud of his life.

The angel smiled; proud of her choice.

The King and Queen of olden times.

The two, who should not have loved,

Protected their son from any harm.

Watched him from Heavens above.

The King and Queen of olden times.

Both kids of the Devil, hated by God,

Died smiling - you know: the Will of D.,

What else than 'mad' should they be?

The King and Queen of olden times.

Separate, yet always together in love.

To none, destiny never had been fair.

Wed, or not, not much did they care.

The King and Queen of olden times.

The two, who should not have loved,

Together, their throne they claimed.

Together they rule over an era gone by.

The King and Queen of olden times.

The two, who should not have loved,

The King and Queen of olden times.

[estellardreams]

Meeting the Royal Family - S8

“As many of you know, my family has kept a private life. We aren't interested in meddling with current affairs. But as crime has risen, so has our concern. So it is time to step out of the shadows, and into the light.” The Emperor began.

The ninja kept themselves hidden for their protection, making sure the Sons of Doom wouldn’t attack.

“If they wanted to keep themselves hidden, why give a speech?” Amy asked.

“They’re trying to reach out to the people, Amy.” Tails said.

“I find it nice… Like an old tradition to keep people’s hopes up.” Knuckles said.

“But with all that glitz and glam? Yeesh, it looks like too much.” Sonic mumbled.

“Oh hush, blue. It looks pretty as is. Besides, the Emperor and Empress are part of our tradition. It’s our duty for them to be protected from harm’s way.” Rouge said.

“That is true.” Shadow agreed, keeping his gaze on the royal family.

“...and always stay united.” The emperor finished. The crowd erupted in cheers before a sudden barrage of bangs rang out, sending everyone into a frenzy.

“Get down!” Shadow leapt in, protectively guarding the royal family using his energy shields.

“Is the threat clear?”

Rouge headed over to the sound, seeing the firecrackers going off. “False alarm! They’re only firecrackers.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” he breathed a sigh of relief, lowering the shield as the Counsel of the royal family, Antoine, escorted the royal family back inside.

“You’ve protected the Royal Family. You have their gratitude. You are invited to be their guests in the palace.” he came up to the ninja as they regrouped.

“Oh wow! No one ever gets invited to the palace.” Amy said.

“We’d be honored.” Shadow agreed.

The ninja were led inside, being greeted with a massive and expansive palace donned in beautiful shades of red, gold, and lined with quartz and marble.

“Woah! It’s even more dazzling than I could’ve ever dreamed!” Rouge gushed.

“Welcome to the Palace of Secrets.” Antoine began.

“Palace of Secrets? Neat. Why do they call it that?” Sonic asked.

“If I were to tell you that, then it wouldn't be a secret now, would it?” he said.

“Eh, fair enough.”

Antoine led them inside the throne room, opening the doors to the royal family. 

“I present to you the exalted Emperor and Empress of Ninjago, and their son, the Ruby Prince, Prince Eclipse the Hedgehog.”

The ninja all lined up in their presence and bowed to them. The Emperor stepped forward. 

“We are honored by your presence.” he said.

“The honor is all ours.” Shadow said.

“I have read so much about you all. You have been amazing out there so… Thank you for protecting us. And I’d like to share my thanks to all of you individually.” Eclipse began.

“Sonic, the blue hedgehog who’s become the fastest being on the planet. Tails, the genius mechanic with a knack for knowledge and structure. Knuckles, the calm and composed guardian of the land we stand on. Rouge, the intelligent bat who knows more that she lets on. Amy Rose, the blossoming flower and guardian of nature. And Shadow… The destined green ninja, holder of two elemental powers, and the son of Black Doom. I… Apologize for a rough upbringing you must’ve had.”

“It’s alright, prince. I understand. I hope nothing similar has befallen you.”

“Yeah… Right.” Eclipse stepped back.

“We adopted Eclipse when he was a young child, abandoned by his old family. We’ve raised him as our own.” The empress said.

“Thank you for inviting us into your home.” Shadow thanked.

“It wasn’t us. It was our son.”

“And he would like you to stay with us, until the threat to our throne is gone.” the emperor continued.

“These are troubling times, and as long as we have an Oni Pendant, we fear our lives are in jeopardy.”

“The necklaces must never be reunited. Please say yes.” Eclipse said.

“You have our help.” Shadow agreed.

“Thank you. Sir Antoine can show you around the palace.”

Antoine nodded, guiding the group down the halls of the palace to where they’ll be staying, along with what was needed to be guarded.

“While you are in our service, you have full access to the complimentary royal buffet. Anything you want is at your disposal. Exotic fruits, assorted vegetables, scones, and all-you-can-eat cake.” he presented a massive table full of food.

“Oh my goodness…! Can I…?” Amy asked, inching towards the salad on display.

“Go on ahead.”

“Thank you, sir.” she bowed, dishing out a bowl of chicken salad and quietly eating it as everyone continued on.

“The palace is equipped with secret passages to get anywhere fast.” Antoine said.

“Oh! Is that why it’s called the Palace of Secrets?” Sonic asked.

“Yes. However, only the royal family knows where they are.”

“Huh… Good to know.”

“And finally, the reason for your protection: the Pendant of Deception.” he presented the amulet in a display case inside the palace.

“Huh… That looks weird. And strange.” Knuckles commented.

“May I bring you to your new sleeping quarters?” Antoine asked.

“Of course. That would be nice. We’ll settle our things inside for now, and get on with our job.” Shadow said.

“Thank you, again, for your assistance to the royal family.” he led them to a massive bedroom, opening the doors to a hallway with many guest rooms inside.

“Please select one, then return to your job.”

“Of course, thank you.”

The ninja kept their posts, monitoring the castle to make sure no one tried to break in and steal the pendant. Shadow stopped looking around, noticing the door to a bedroom opened. It was to the prince. He looked inside, seeing that the windows were open… And he was gone.

Shadow froze, quickly running to the window to search for the prince. What happened? Where did he go?

He spotted a hooded figure in the distance, running with a bag of things, and ran after them.

He chased them on the rooftops, trying to reach the prince. He quickly grabbed them by the cloak, only for them to pull Shadow off and leap down to the streets. Shadow leapt down, tackling the figure to the ground.

“Who are you?! What did you do with the prince?” he questioned, pulling the hood off.

To his shock, the person he just tackled was none other than Eclipse himself.

“Wait… Prince Eclipse?” Shadow got up, getting off the hedgehog.

Eclipse breathed, sitting up as he pulled the bag he was carrying to his side. “Heh, at least I know you’re doing your job.”

“But… What are you doing out of the palace?”

“Trying to help the people. So many… Starving and hurt. I just wanted to help them.”

“Then… What’s in the bag?”

“Food from the palace.” he opened up the bag, showing the food he stuffed inside. Eclipse got up with Shadow, stopping when he heard Antoine in the distance realize his disappearance.

“Shoot. They can’t know I left the palace! Put on a disguise or something!” he threw a hoodie to Shadow.

“Okay okay, but why?” Shadow quickly put the hoodie on, keeping the hood up to hide his presence.

“My parents would never allow this!”

“... Fair enough. My father never would’ve let me do something like this either.”

“You must’ve had a bad relationship with your father, huh?”

“Yeah… But he’s gone now.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? I thought you’d be more happy about that.”

Shadow paused, his ears falling a little. “It’s… Complicated, and I kinda feel lost. Like, my father gave me a purpose in my life… And then I became a ninja and had a new purpose; To protect everyone. But I always feel like… I can’t do it. Like this isn’t me…”

“I… I understand that. To feel so lost and confused must be hard, especially when everyone expects so much of you…”

Shadow’s ears perked up, turning to him. “You… You understand?”

“I suppose so.” Eclipse’s gaze was drawn towards the stars in the sky, staring up at them.

“Aren’t they beautiful? And this city… I’m rarely out like this, and… I wonder what it’s like to look up at the sky more.” Eclipse climbed to a higher rooftop on a building.

“Prince, wait!” Shadow climbed up to him.

Prince relaxed, sitting down and staring up at the stars. “... My parents named me after an eclipse since… I was the darkened blue of the moon, and the shining red rays peeking out from the sun. It’s quite a beautiful sight to look at.”

“I’m sure of it. I’ve never seen an eclipse myself.” Shadow said.

“Well, you’re looking at me now.” Eclipse joked.

Shadow gave him a flat look. “That was a terrible pun.”

The young prince laughed, relaxing on the ground as he stared up at the sky. He paused, quickly getting back up and grabbing the bag he brought. “Right, this food shouldn’t go to waste.”

He climbed back down from the roof, beginning to find people who needed food and giving it out to them. Many children came up to him, letting him give out the rest to bring back to their families.

“Prince-”

“Please, call me Eclipse.”

“Okay, uh… Eclipse. We should get you back to the palace.” Shadow said.

“Right, let’s go. And please… Can we not talk about this… Entire ‘sneaking out’ thing?”

“Of course. But let’s go, before anything bad happens.”

Eclipse nodded, heading back with Shadow to the palace. Eclipse brought Shadow through a secret passage, getting inside and pretending to act like he was out admiring the plants within the castle walls.

“There you are, prince! Where have you been?” Antoine came up to him.

“My apologies, Sir Antoine. I was only admiring the plants. I did not mean for you to worry.”

“Well, I am glad that you are safe. Now, your parents have called for you.”

“Of course. I’ll meet with them right away.” Eclipse got up and left.

Shadow waited until Antoine left the garden before emerging from the bush he hid himself in, heading back into the palace and making sure he wasn’t seen in the dead of night.

[rainystressed247]

please continue your rambles.... i would like to know more /gen

Listen, you would not like to learn what a rabbit hole this is.

For those who are interested in my deranged brainrot and wouldn't mind spoiler for the Pandora Hearts franchise:

Just imagine Dream as Lacie while Wilbur is Jack. Techno is Oswald.

(I have to copy the rest from my notes a long time ago)

-Dream being the misfortune child that is scheduled to be thrown into Abyss.

-Wilbur being the rouge/street rat that accidentally met Dream one day when he escaped to see the outside world.

-Dream can communicate with the abyss and abyss in turn adored Dream.

-Dream is mostly ok with dying.

-Wilbur love at first sight and is determined to work hard and get to Dream after seeing Dream being fetched back by guards.

-Techno being Dream’s childhood friend and the one that is ordered to throw him into the abyss because he is the next leader.

-Current leader, Schlatt has an ‘experiment’ he wanted to try with Dream, to which Dream agreed after being convinced that he would be dead either way.

-Dream tricked Wilbur away on the day of his execution, allowing Techno to successfully throw him into the abyss.

-Physical form will rot away inside the abyss and soon Dream will fade, yet with his last strength, he pleaded the abyss to take care of the children he are carrying (maybe Wilbur’s).

-Time flows differently in the abyss and soon we have Ranboo (with the counterparts as twins)

-Wilbur was devastated and tackled Techno when he knew that Dream had been thrown into what was essentially hell.

-Techno, regretted everything yet still had no choice but to oblige finally decided that he might as well just showed Wilbur.

-So he led Wilbur to a secured tower in the compound and that was when Wilbur met Ranboo, the black haired counterpart that had somehow escaped the abyss.

CW: insanity, murder, probably slight manipulation, also suicide

-Wilbur being slight unhinged and driven by the stress of losing Dream, come to visit Ranboo frequently, until he realised that Ranboo is able to switch place mentally with his counterpart down at abyss.

-Desperate for a way to contact Dream, Wilbur began to study Ranboo, taking in the changes during one of those switches to maximise his chance of speaking to white Ranboo.

-he realised that there is no way to bring Dream back as his form has long since scattered in the abyss.

-so in moment of weakness and desperation, Wilbur decided to bring the world to Dream.

-He used Ranboo to get more power, getting the help of chains that can sever the world and dropped it into the abyss.

-Techno and Schlatt finding out about the plan a bit too late as Wilbur has begun what was known as a massacre, releasing chains from the other side in order to bring down the world.

-Schlatt being an absolute ass and telling that Wilbur has been manipulating his own son, causing Wilbur to lose it and kill him.

-upon realising the blood in his hands, Wilbur decided that he had gone too far to stop, so he scaled the tower once more.

-The others had been working together to seal away the gaps between the world and it was not helping his case.

-He reached the tower and was relieved to find white Ranboo in charge today and asked for more power to bring the world to Dream.

-Black Ranboo who had disguised himself with the mannerisms of his white counterpart finally realised the manipulation and confronted Wilbur.

-Frustrated and running out of time, Wilbur demanded Ranboo to switch, accidentally letting it slip that the black counterpart is useless to him

-Ranboo fighting back the constant pull of his counterpart decided to stop them from meeting by destroying his physical form and stabbed himself right in front of Wilbur.

-Broken and without a way to win, Wilbur was finally confronted by Techno.

-In their confrontation, it is found that Wilbur was unable to bring the whole world down but was at least able to collapse the city into the abyss (the city that they had first met)

-Techno in their fight banished Wilbur because he was unable to kill him (Dream being the one that still makes him guilty)

-Wilbur ran, promising that he would bring the world down next time while Techno swore to stop him if he ever tried.

-Wilbur found someone to twist the story of the city so that it makes him out as someone heroic while Techno and Schlatt being the bad guys.

-Since only Techno and Wilbur survived the whole ordeal, no one knows the actual truth and believed that Wilbur was the hero, effectively forcing Techno into hiding.

-And maybe Wilbur plan to bring the world to Dream has always been on the move.

[themculibrary]

AO3 Masterlist 6

Links Last Checked: April 13th, 2024

part one, part two, part three, part four, part five

Changing Fate (ao3) - Wix bucky/tony, loki/tony T, 27k

Summary: Tony dies in Siberia under the hands of Captain America, but fate doesn't leave it there. He opens his eyes several years earlier amidst the threat of Loki's invasion and the first assembling of the 'Avengers'. Tony may not understand why he got this second chance, but he's going to do better with it - and he's decided that he's going to share it. With a Winter Soldier who could really use a different hand than he was dealt.

Never let it be said that fate doesn't have a sense of humor.

Debts (ao3) - d_aia tony/t’challa M, 59k

Summary: In which Tony saves T'Chaka, T'Challa is grateful, and they both are all the better for it.

Detonation Imminent (ao3) - KairosImprimatur pepper/tony, clint/natasha T, 61k

Summary: Peter and Rocket decide it's a good idea to snoop around Stark Tower before introducing themselves. Clearly there's no way this could go awry.

Endgame (ao3) - YunaYamiMouto tony/stephen T, 196k

Summary: The rouge Avengers are pardoned under the influence of King T'Challa and it is up to Tony to 'welcome' them back. But as he and his new team are at the private airport, an unexpected fight breaks loose and the fate of the whole universe is changed when a wizard places himself as Tony Stark's protector.

It's a Secret to Everybody (ao3) - Snapdragon_in_the_Snow pepper/tony T, 97k

Summary: “I have kids," Clint said. "I know dad behavior when I see it.” Tony blinked multiple consecutive times, processing the statement. “Excuse me?” “Tony,” Steve said now, “how long have you had a son? And how come we’ve never known about him?” “Yeah,” Clint spoke again, “I thought I was the only one with a secret family. Turns out you’ve had one longer than me!” ------- Peter gets to spend all summer living in Avengers Tower with Tony. When the Rogue Avengers get pardoned and come back to live at the Tower too, they're confused as to who Peter is. However, once they see how Tony acts around Peter, that confusion goes away, as they know for certain who Peter must be - Tony's secret son. Tony and Peter decide to make the most of the situation, and play along. They hope they can keep up the act all summer. But they soon learn that they barely have to act at all.

Keeper (ao3) - HepG2 steve/tony E, 81k

Summary: “Uh, I’m… very new to the whole thing,” Tony swallows visibly. He uncrosses his legs and grabs his cup again. “I looked at pictures. Research. They look graphic.”

Tony Stark is a journalist hanging onto the last of his life lines. He needs new writing materials. Something that sells. Then the whole town is talking about a BDSM play gone wrong, and there it is. His story. Steve chuckles again. Tony notices he hasn’t touched his drink. “No worries. It’s very unlikely for us to take it up to that level.

It takes two to tango.

Kissin’ Dynamite (ao3) - crime_fighting_spiderling G, 27k

Summary: “Maybe I shouldn’t go.” Peter spoke. MJ shoved a permission slip into his hand at his comment.

“You’re going.” She simply stated.

Where Peter and his class go on a field trip to Stark Tower.

Language (ao3) - SailorChibi steve/tony, clint/phil T, 30k

Summary: This is how Tony fixed the team and the damage he’d done, and in the process learned how to start fixing himself. Well, maybe the latter might take a little help from Steve.

Oh, Hey There, Mister Blue (ao3) - iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid T, 75k

Summary: There are certain things one learns to expect when dealing with the Mad Titan. Ending up on an unfamiliar ship surrounded by a bunch of aliens is one thing. Loki can handle that.

Ending up on an unfamiliar ship surrounded by a bunch of aliens who are actually on his side is quite another.

Oh, My King for a Kingdom (ao3) - STARSdidathing loki/tony T, 14k

Summary: The blood and betrayal of an Afghanistan cave formed Iron Man. The blood and betrayal of a Siberian bunker formed something else.

Re-Engineered (ao3) - Opy3332 bucky/tony M, 73k

Summary: “Tony blinks. He blinks and his entire world changes.”

Tony is sent back in time from mid-Infinity War to just after returning from Afghanistan.

How different is Tony Stark, and the MCU, with all that knowledge of the future?

Haunted by the guilt of Rhodey’s injury, the betrayal and pain of Steve, the fear of Wanda, the loss of Jarvis, and the foreknowledge of Thanos, this Tony is one the universe hasn’t contended with before. And he is more than ready to re-claim his title of genius, billionaire, and philanthropist in ways unexpected.

Relativistic Heat Conduction (ao3) - BlossomsintheMist steve/tony E, 69k

Summary: Age of Ultron-based, but not entirely canon compliant. Written for the 2013 Cap-Iron Man Reverse Big Bang. Ultron has attacked, obliterating most of the world's superheroes and resistance in a matter of hours. The remaining heroes band together and share what strength they have to get through it, to survive, and defeat Ultron once and for all. Steve Rogers grieves in the wake of the disaster and the heroes' defeat, and no one knows if he will be able to provide the leadership they need--but Tony Stark isn't about to let him slip away that easily.

Reverse Games (ao3) - MsMoonstar G, 75k

Summary: Thor and Loki have been arguing since they arrived back on Earth and the Avengers are tired of it. Tony Stark comes up with a brilliant plan to make the two Agardian gods get along.

Sharpen Your Teeth (ao3) - STARSdidathing loki/tony M, 369k

Summary: A betrayed Tony Stark leaves the Avengers. He's angry and bitter but he's not about to stop being a hero. The problem is that not everyone is happy with his decision.

Silvertongue (ao3) - Epiphanyx7 jane/thor M, 34k

Summary: [[Post-Avengers. Loki's plan had gone perfectly, now he needs only to see it to it's natural conclusion.]]

No Asgardian cell can hold him. Loki's magic is bound, but his mind is not -- and the Aesir were always fools, to think that Loki's mind was anything other than his most dangerous asset.

The Guardians (ao3) - GremlinSR peter/tony M, 35k

Summary: Tony is pulled out of his funk after the Civil War by actual space aliens when they come to warn him of an impending attack. Now he's building a new team, going on adventures with his new space friends, and generally just moving on.

When Team Cap comes back, they'll find things are different than how they left them.

A salty 'Tony doesn't need the team back' post Civil War fic.

Unwanted Celebrity (ao3) - Kryptaria, zooeyscigar steve/bucky T, 72k

Summary: Fifteen years ago, a skinny kid from Brooklyn went to an arts summer camp, where he met child movie star Jimmy Barnes. Their unlikely friendship faded as the years passed. But now, a threat to Barnes' career brings Steve back into his life, in the most unexpected of ways. Or, the one where Bucky is a smooth celebrity, right up until Steve the snarky photographer shows up, and Bucky's whole world gets blown to pieces.

Walls Come Tumbling Down (ao3) - lambchop33 steve/bucky E, 74k

Summary: Bucky Barnes is a successful contractor with an unsuccessful dating history. His boyfriend of many years cheated on him, and he's determined not to repeat that mistake. Enter Steve Rogers, the gorgeous neighbor he discovers in his new apartment building. Companion piece to The Match Game, told from Bucky's point of view, from the beginning. And in the beginning, the thoughts inside Bucky's head are radically different from those inside Steve's head, save for one thing. Bucky thinks Steve is hot, so he's got that going for him. But at this stage, that's all he's got.

Your Highness (ao3) - the_irish_mayhem jane/thor, clint/natasha E, 6k

Summary: Jane wants something in bed and Thor is more than happy to oblige.

Z to A (ao3) - memoriaeterna wanda/vision, pepper/tony T, 88k

Summary: The moment of disorientation was nothing compared to the next thing he saw. He was standing in the midst of an airport, looking directly at a girl with the familiar red leather coat. The mutual recognition was instant. Leipzig. Or, Peter and Wanda sent back in time to stop the inevitable. Good news: they are not alone. Bad news: who and from when.

[pondslime]

hey hi someday when u have like ten minutes would u teach me how to write please??? just cause that itty bitty lil snippet you just shared made me physically ill and altered my brain chemistry permanently. if u could just like........sneeze on me......maybe everything will be okay????

dsjhjdsfhjfdshjdfs MEG HOW DARE U SAY THIS WHEN EVERYTHING U WRITE HAS MY BRAIN ON FIRE

just for u, I dredged out the rest of that absolute horrorshow. it's been gathering dust in my docs for months

it's weird speculative fucknonsense like, oh shit!!! boseph and the reader are stuck in a timeloop!!!! an ouroboros of pain and misery!!! it's all v confusing out of context but I definitely.........wrote it jdsfhjhdfsjhdfsj

1. 

"There has to be something wrong with you." Your mother looks at him across the kitchen table. He brought tulips. You can't tell if she's wearing her face or someone else's. 

"There's something wrong with everybody, mama." You've never called her that. Is that your mother? Is that his? You don't remember her hair being that shade, but your memory isn't what it used to be. 

"I hurt her on purpose." Sometimes it seems like he's grown more teeth and they're crowding into his mouth. They've gone sharp again. Wait, look at the flowers on the table. Carnation now. 

"So, you got a brother?"

He has two. Two and you've kissed both of them. You'll do it again. They know what your cunt tastes like. He doesn’t, he tells you. He never will. Because that's a place of rot, of death. But you wake up with a tongue inside you because he's between your legs again, practicing penance.

He must not mind blood. He must not mind decay on his tongue. He must taste his brothers. Maybe he misses them. 

“Where have you been, my love? My sweet girl. You left one day and you never came back.”

And you say 

Mama, I'm sorry, I've just been real busy. 

Busy doing what? Getting hurt? You're growing up, baby. I can't stop you from getting big. No matter what I do, I can’t. 

And you know, you know, because suddenly you're sitting on her side of the table wearing her skin and your son is holding some girl's hand. And she's looking at you and telling you that she hurts him on purpose sometimes. Because he asked her to, he begged her like a slut, and he’s so pretty when he takes himself apart in front of her. She knows what his blood tastes like. She wants more. 

Do you love my baby? Do you have any siblings? Will he leave one day and never come back? 

Do you love me on purpose sometimes or is it always an accident?

2. 

His cum tastes like mercury from a broken thermometer. Oranges with sugar sprinkled over them. Home. Wait. Wrong boy, same face. You got a little confused. It's understandable. You can't help yourself. You want to scoop out your insides and give them to him to eat. He'd do it nicely, if you ask politely. 

There are rules here, gorgeous. We weren’t raised by wolves.

3.

You’re leaning on the pool cue. You look like you did the first day, in your pretty little clothes, the flush of health in your cheeks. In this dream, you reached Baton Rouge. He meets you here. He’ll always meet you here. This is his favorite bar. He’s always here, he’s a regular.

“Need a partner?”

“Don’t know.” You wink at him. “Are you okay with losing?”

“Feisty.”

“This time, yeah.” You smile at him. You’ve got lipstick on. He wants to smear it down your chin. 

4.

“Why did you do that?” Your voice is small, gurgled around the blood on your teeth. He likes the way the crown of your head is wet with blood. 

“Why you think?” He stands in the doorway to the basement. You’re in the chair and you’re dead, but so is he. 

“Tell me, please. Tell me.” You hiss. “I love your voice.”

“I missed ya’.” He hears the words echo in his head, fifty feet high in neon. 

“I thought I would give it a try again, you know.” Your voice is a dirty croak. “Just to see.”

“And whatchu find out?”

“We always end up back here.” You smile at him. “You took a different road this time. I haven’t been there in a while.”

“Didn’t notice.”

“You know, we got a hotel room up in the city once. I made you buy me wine.”

“Sounds nice.”

“I was hoping this was the one where we walked on the boardwalk. Before.” His initials trickle down your arm. “I don’t know why.”

“How many times we been down here?”

“Couple times." You hiccup out a laugh. "I like your shirt. You look good.”

“Night, baby.”

5.

He's fucked you or you've fucked him. He's not sure where the ache is coming from or where it's all supposed to go but someone can't sit down. There's a bag of peas in the fridge. 

6.

You’re a tableau of gore, blood soaked through your nightgown. Your head sloshes unevenly on your shoulders. He can see the window through the shotgun blast in your eye. It’s dark out there. You clasp your hands and hum, busying yourself with the stove. You leave muddy footprints on the floor, the bottom of your nightgown sodden. 

He sinks to his knees in the kitchen. You thread a hand through his hair, tugging his head up to look at you. Dripping with murky water, leaving parts of you everywhere. 

“Where are we?”

“Heaven.” You smile at him. Blood drips onto his face. 

“How long we been here?”

“I’m not sure.”

Are you cooking tonight, baby? Are we having peas, am I having you, down my throat and inside me and in my blood? Are we going to bed again or are we going to church? There’s a hole in your head and I’ll fuck it. I’ll fill you up because you love me. Because we’re having a baby, mama. We’re having a baby! I’m gonna be a daddy. You’re sitting in the waiting room and you’ve had the baby and I’m showing you pictures of him at baseball practice. What are you making? Let me help. Please. 

“You ain’t never gonna get tired of this?”

“Of course not. Never. I love you.”

7. 

You sit in an apartment living room. There’s Halloween decorations still up—it’s May, isn’t it? and a collection of half-eaten takeout boxes on the coffee table. Lazy fucks. You can hear the city outside the window. Where are you again? Does it matter? You look into the bedroom. They’re playing a card game. 

“Lick your partner's boot, yay or nay?” 

“Gross. Nay.” The version of you on the bed wrinkles her nose. “Question time. Where did we meet?”

“Uh. Huh…uh.” The him on the bed screws up his brow, sticks his tongue out in mock-confusion. He looks out at the living room, grinning. “Ya’ know this one?”

“House party.” The Him you know leans into the bedroom, resting his head on the frame. He’s bleeding from the back of his head. You shot him. There’s no exit wound. That’s your blood. “It’s a fuckin’ dump in here.”

“Bingo!” The boy on the bed folds his fingers into the shape of a gun. Taps them on the girl’s forehead. She’s wearing a t-shirt they bought in some backwater town last year. 

“You can’t do that! I don’t have a phone-a-friend! She won’t even talk to me.” The you that sits on the bed has chipped nail polish. She’s pouting. And suddenly he’s kissing her, and the cards are slipping off the bed. 

“Are you ever one of them?” You ask Him. 

He shakes his head. 

“I’m always out here watchin’. I dunno who the fuck that is.”

And he asks you “Which one do you want?” while you’re reaching for the knife in the kitchen and you want to say him, because you can hear them fucking in the other room and she’s giggling. They went on vacation and he drove. He had his keys, you guess. She’s giggling and there are flies buzzing around the takeout and suddenly you guess that this might just be a dump anyway. He’s right. He’s always right, except when he’s turning down the back roads. Then he’s left. 

If you could find your fucking keys, we could get out of here. You stupid fuck. Please kiss me again. 

So you tell him “Her.” and he presses himself against your back and you ache because you aren’t full, you aren’t hurt. He hasn’t actually fucked you yet. It might be another thousand years until he does again. 

Where were you at the party? Which room did we meet in? Did you fuck me in the bathroom? Did we ever go on that trip? I’ve got questions, please, please, daddy. Haven’t I been good? Don’t I deserve to know? Why don’t we ever wake up as them? Why do I have to listen to him fuck her? Why is she laughing? 

“Don’t make us wait all fuckin’ day!” The him in the other room calls out. “The next card is voyeurism!”

“Yay or nay?” 

You eat the rest of the chow mein. The maggots taste like love. 

8.

Your son calls you by your name. You haven’t heard it in years. 

Daddy’s a photographer, baby. He takes pictures of weddings. He takes pictures of the sky.

“I found more in Pa’s drawer.” He chokes around air, his words coming out in watery gulps. He stares at you through your eyes. You see him without seeing him. You see yourself.

“What were you doing in there, baby?” You hear your voice behind you, curled beside your ear. It comes from the door and the window and the wallpaper—and then deeper still, in the core of the house, bleeding.  

“I was lookin’ for a gun.” 

The floor underneath you splinters and you bottom out. You’re in the caverns snaking under the town and the church pews. You’re not in any of those places, either. The fuzz of television static is back, crowding around you and pushing you between the jagged hopping of the lines as they jitter around your skull. 

“Baby.” You gather him into your arms, pulling him into the crook of your neck. He sobs. His grip is too tight. You’ve been here before, but never like this. The static hisses into glittering points of light. The front of your dress is soaked with tears, with the blubber of drool from his mouth as he babbles that 

he didn’t know why he did that, because daddy always keeps his guns in the living room, and he knows that, but he went in anyway because maybe he’d forgotten this time—

Your lightning bug boy with baby fat still in his cheeks, skimmed off the edges to make room for a face that began and ended with you. Half-man already, limbs too big for the space he occupied. The remnants of the boy on the roof, a bruise blooming on his cheek. Your heart walking around and growing teeth. 

—and maybe maybe mama, I could. I could. 

I know how. 

“Baby. You gotta go put all that back.” Your voice is a whisper of smoke above the treeline.

“How long you been here, mama?”

You can see yourself on the set of drawers over the top of his head. She smiles at you.

9. 

You're at the top of the ferris wheel and you ask him if you can stay here. He tells you that you're stupid, that if you stayed here you would die. You're too high up. Eventually all the air would go out of your lungs and the amusement park would fall out from underneath your feet. You stupid slut, take it, choke on it, choke on it for daddy. Keep calling me that, I'm gonna come. Fair season is ending. Everything's gotta end eventually. Except for this, right? You celebrate the harvest, you tuck a cigarette in his back pocket. For luck, for love. If you stayed here, maybe you could see past the top of the trees. Maybe you could see the smoke.

Are you trying to fucking LEAVE me, baby? 

Don't leave yet. 

Hold your breath. I like being up here with you. 

10. 

So many gods, but only one church. An old western plays on the theater screen. It's the idea of a different world. This town ain't big enough for the both of us. It never was.

[suugrbunz]

Where Eagles Fly — Prologue

Taglist — @vintagelavenderskies

“Make our ancestors proud, my dear son.” whispered Celia, embracing Sam tightly.

Sam's gaze wandered towards the rest of his family. Rita stood beside Celia, unable to stand still; nervously, she bounced on her toes. Next to Rita, Lucy stood with her eyes fixed on the train in front of the platform. Philip stood by their father, his worried eyes not aligning with the stoic expression he tried to maintain.

“I will, Shimá.” Sam promised, momentarily turning his attention back to his mother.

“You'll have to keep us posted on your training,” interjected Rita, her usual bubbly demeanor replaced by anxiety. Deep within, she questioned if this might be their final farewell.

“I'll write until you can no longer read,” Sam joked, hoping to coax a smile from her one last time. Rita nodded but couldn't muster a smile.

“It'll be okay, Rita,” Sam took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “Remember when I used to shield you from your fears during the dust storms? I'm protecting you from different forces now, and I'll always protect you... Always.”

“I love you.”

“Love you more.” Sam replied before turning his attention to Lucy. The girl stood in an awkward and stiff manner, unsure of what to say. It hadn't occurred to him until now how mature she had become. Fresh into high school, makeup and boys had captured her recent interests. A subtle rouge tinted the girl's cheeks, and her lips were lightly colored with red lipstick. A bittersweet smile played on Sam's lips as he wondered when she had grown up. The older boy began to offer advice:

“Lucy, don't get too caught up with boys. They can wait; your education is more important.”

“I won't!” Lucy huffed, rolling her eyes as Sam subtly distanced himself from her.

Sam fixed his gaze on Philip, studying his younger brother's features. Much like Lucy, he had grown up without Sam's realization. Philip's lips were full, his cheekbones high and notably prominent, and his shoulders had broadened. Perhaps, Sam was only just beginning to grasp the reality of how much time had passed for each of his siblings; Lucy was fourteen, Rita fifteen, and Philip was on the brink of seventeen.

“You're going to help out at our grandparents’ farm while I'm gone, right?”

“Yeah, and I'll take care of your mare, don't worry.”

“Thank you, Philip.”

“It's the least I can do.”

Unexpectedly, Philip's hand rose from his side, extending towards Sam. A smile tugged at the corners of Sam's lips as he firmly shook his brother's hand.

“Make us proud, brother.”

“Will do.”

Sam's attention moved to his father, silence blanketing them, both hesitant to speak. The future was unwritten, fate yet to be sealed; This goodbye didn't mean he'd never see his son again. George swallowed the lump in his throat, hoping that the words would piece themselves together.

“Keep yourself safe; the diné spirit shields you.”

“I will.”

George, grappling with unspoken emotions, nodded at his son. While words remain unsaid, Sam understood his father's silent message: I love you. On a whim, Sam wrapped his arms around his father. Something he hadn't done since early boyhood.

“I love you.” whispered Sam.

“I love you too,” breathed George.

Sam pulled away from his father, moving onto the final person, Lana.

“Oh, my lovely Lana.”

Sam pulled Lana into his chest, letting go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding onto. His eyelids fell shut as Lana wrapped her arms around him.

“I love you so terribly much.” said Sam

“I love you too.” breathed Lana.

Unwilling to let go of his lover, Sam felt his heart begin to shatter with each second that passed. Soon, he'd board a train, alone and uncertain if he'd ever return to his home. Lana's voice fell to a hushed volume as she spoke once again:

“Will you be sneaking the diary into boot camp?”

Sam's eyes fluttered open, surprised by her question. It had been the elephant in the room that only he and Lana knew of. They had planned it together, knowing the trouble it could cause. Nonetheless, Sam was convinced he needed to document the journey ahead of him. He wanted to be a journalist for years; this was something he knew needed to be documented. Without any hesitation, Lana supported his idea, even if it had foreseeable consequences.

“I will.”

“Will you be able to hide it?”

“Who knows, we'll find out.”

“Don't get yourself into too much trouble.”

“Am I known for getting into trouble?”

“Sometimes.”

“Shhh, that wasn't the correct answer.”

Laughter bubbled from Lana's lips, a sound that made Sam grin. He gently squeezed her waist. Suddenly, the train's whistle cut through the air, its high-pitched screech warning the gathered families of its fast-approaching departure time. Sam released Lana, his eyes lingering on her. Only now did he notice the tears streaming down her cheeks. The sensation of his heart dropping overwhelmed Sam; he never wanted to be the causation of Lana's tears.

“We'll see each other again; this isn't our final embrace.”

“We don't know that.”

“We don't, but we can choose to believe it isn't.”

Sam pressed his lips against her forehead before stepping away from everyone. A lump had formed in his throat; reality was finally beginning to set in. Sam drew his bottom lip between his teeth, trying to distract himself from the anxiety that had begun to set in. He was only off to processing and yet he'd grown fearful of his future. It was rather far-fetched to believe his death was so imminent. After letting go of his lip, the boy exhaled and turned away from his family.

“I'll be back one day.”

“You better be.” quipped Celia.

Sam chuckled with a touch of indifference as he stepped onto the train. Swiftly, his gaze studied the cabin's interior — a predominantly oak-toned wooden setting with seats adorned by forest green cushions. Despite their less-than-inviting appearance, a few men had managed to doze off in their seats. Other men had been exchanging conversation with others seated around them. Sam found an empty seat, its faded upholstery worn from countless journeys. His gaze shifted to the window, searching for his family. On the platform, his sisters gathered around their father, embracing him tightly. Philip stood alongside Lana, but a somber silence hung between them. Though Lana's tears had dried, her trembling lip and the embrace of her arms around her waist revealed the lingering emotional turmoil. Her eyes searched to spot him in one of the windows. When she did, she lifted her hand and pointed, momentarily turning towards Philip. An unexpected smile tugged at Philip's lips as his eyes spotted Sam’s familiar face.

Once more, the train's piercing whistle echoed through the air. Beneath Sam's feet, the floor started to tremble, signaling the imminent departure of the train as it gradually pulled ahead. Lana's arms dropped to her side as she started to run beside the train. Without hesitation, Philip joined her. Sam straightened in his chair, observing Lana and his brother jogging beside the train. The boy beamed with delight as he witnessed their run. Each step they took increased in speed until they reached the end of the platform. Their running came to a halt, and the feeling of anticipatory grief washed over them. Sam's gaze fell to his lap, observing his hands as he began to twiddle his thumbs. There was far too much for him to think of:

How am I going to keep my journal hidden? If they find it, what could they possibly do?

“Where are you headed?”

An unfamiliar voice awoke Sam from his thoughts.

“Uh, I think Camp Toccoa, it's somewhere in Georgia.” answered Sam, his eyes meeting the stranger's.

“Enlisted or drafted?”

The man was dressed in civilian clothes, the fabric appearing to be of high quality—better than what Sam had worn. His hair, a dirty blonde, framed a pair of pale blue eyes, and freckles adorned his cheeks. Leaning against the unoccupied seats across from Sam, his appearance made Sam pause; he bore an unsettling resemblance to the boys in high school who had tormented him.

“Enlisted, planning on bein’ a paratrooper.”

“What could possibly compel someone to sign up to jump from a plane?”

“Extra pay.”

“No amount of money could convince me to jump from a plane-” the stranger shook his head before continuing, “you mind if I sit with you?”

“Not at all.”

The blonde settled into the chair he had been leaning on, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He offered one to Sam:

“Want it?”

“I don’t smoke,” replied Sam, knowing how abnormal his refusal must have sounded.

“You Mormon or something?” the stranger interrogated, cigarette between his lips as he flicked on his lighter.

“No,” chuckled Sam.

“Oh, name's Thomas.”

Thomas took a drag of the cig before removing it from his lips, holding it between his index and middle fingers.

“Sam.”

“Where are you from, Sam?” asked Thomas, returning the cigarette to his lips.

“Santa Fe, what about you, Thomas?”

“Santa Fe, as well… Near the country club, have you been there before?”

“I am not white enough for that.” stated Sam, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Thomas' obliviousness.

“Sorry, uh, what part of Santa Fe are you from?”

“Near the Indian Market.”

“Oh, never been to that market, my dad isn't keen on…” Thomas' voice faltered with shame, his eyes averting from Sam. Since his childhood, Thomas' father has had a habit of expressing prejudiced opinions about the indigenous peoples.

“So why are you talking to me?” questioned Sam, raising an eyebrow.

“‘Cause I believe my father is full of it… Your skin color doesn't define you. My mother, bless her, used to tell me how people aren’t defined by their appearance but rather their character. I'm not sure why she married my father…”

“Rich people marry for status; that probably has some correlation,” reasoned Sam.

“Probably, it's a bit dumb, I'm sure you think the same,” A smile spread across Thomas’ face as he remembered the scene that unfolded minutes before. The lad sat up in his chair and asked, “Hey, did you see those two running beside the train.”

“That was my love, Lana, and my brother, Philip.”

Sam spoke with a smile as he thought of Lana’s behavior; it was rather out of character for her to willingly capture the attention of so many strangers. The whole train must've watched her run alongside them.

“Man, you must be thoroughly loved,” laughter escaped Thomas as he tried to speak, “my gal would never run beside a train for me.”

Confusion contorted Sam's face as he looked towards Thomas. Hesitancy laced itself into Sam's voice as he spoke:

“Did your love not show up to the train station?”

“She’s busy with college classes.”

“Lana came from San Francisco to say goodbye to me.”

“I am going to be cheated on, aren't I?” sighed Thomas.

“Just pray that you don't get a Dear John letter,” joked Sam, though the blonde couldn't find the humor within Sam's words.

A hush settled between them, allowing Sam to reimmerse himself in his thoughts.

I should've brought a book for the trip. He thought. This'll be such a long and boring train ride.

Gazing out of the window, he watched as the rumbling train passed through the sun-soaked city. To say he'd miss the city was an understatement. There was more than just the city to miss; he'd miss the summers spent in Arizona around Monument Valley. The trail rides with Philip and their friends would be a distant memory. It was on one such ride that Philip had asked him if the war would make it to America. Back then, he didn't have an answer—no one did. Their answer arrived shortly after that summer on the seventh day of December. Sam let out a sigh as he shifted in his seat, hoping to find a comfortable position that he knew he'd never find. Nevertheless, his eyes fell shut as memories continued to flood his senses. Galloping bareback down a trail he'd traveled a hundred times before, the Arizona sun beating down upon his tanned skin. Sometimes, he'd let go of the reins, allowing his mare to extend her strides even further than before. That's when it felt like he was the eagle, soaring above the desert terrain. One day, he'd return to that trail and bring Lana.

[power-rings]

Till Death Do Us Part: Chapter 2 His Presence

[previous chapter] [next chapter here]

Everyday since that day when Amy felt able to finally get back to work, without a breakdown, she had swore I had seen Shadow on the other side of the street. Was he watching out for her? Anytime she tried to confront him, he was mysteriously gone. Each evening that she took the stroll home, she still felt his gaze. She wasn't sure whether to be creeped out, or what. Amy shook her head, picking up the pace. For once since late last month, I actually looked forward to getting home. Her kids had came home just last week; their house felt normal now. Oh, how relieved Amy had felt when they embraced her the moment she opened the door. While at work, typically Tails watches the kids, or on the rare occasion Rouge or Knuckles will.  In the morning, the kids will be returning to school, she wanted to get as much time with them this evening as she could. Her youngest son Mach will be starting kindergarten, while Lily will be starting 2nd grade. Lily was ecstatic, while her brother was full of butterflies. At the dinner table, I would encourage Mach about school, and remind him he won't be having a full day until the next week. We had pizza at the dinner table, thanks to Tails for ordering for them before I had even gotten home. Once Tails left the house, I started helping the kids with preparing their lunches for the next day. Mach was a lot more pickier than his sister, he hated crust on his sandwiches, while Lily didn't mind. The three soon joined each other on the sofa, watching one of their favorite movies together. Summer days were ending for them, and my heart ached slightly. She was gonna be alone again. Dread started to seep in. Mach was going to be gone more, which was another reason why she was relieved she started working again to bring in some income, and keep herself busy. In her heart though, she will miss these days home alone with her youngest son. She wondered if he felt the same? Once the credits rolled, Amy got them ready for bed. She watched from the doorway as Lily sat on her bed, and set an alarm for herself. Lily sure has matured since Sonic had passed. When she saw her mother, she smiled warmly. They embraced, and Amy kissed her on the head. Their gaze locked with one another, feeling as though they were thinking the same thing. They laid on the bed together, Lily talking about that trip she took, and the accident with the jellyfish stinging Mach. Which, as Tails exclaimed Mach had handled it like a pro. The pair talked about Sonic, remembering those nights he'd be in the bedroom tucking her in. Or perhaps getting Mach fired up, causing him to get too excited to sleep. Neither of them never thought, they'd have to actually miss those moments. Yet, here they were. When Lily fell asleep on her shoulder, Amy carefully moved and tucked her in. Tears stinging her eyes, that she held back earlier.  When she went to check on Mach, he was on the floor playing with some video games. Sternly, she told him to put it away and get to bed. Just like with Lily, Amy lingered in his room and they sat on his bed. Mach rest on her lap, not much was said between the pair, except Amy asking Mach to make sure he didn't forget anything for school. She made a mental note to check his bookbag before she gets to bed. Like many nights before Amy stroked his ear until he had fallen asleep; which it didn't take long. Now that he was tucked in, Amy turned to switch off his bedside lamp and kissed him on the head before leaving. 

The hallway to her bedroom felt like it went on forever, she hesitated Infront of her doorway. So eerily quiet.  Last week, Amy got tired of sleeping on the couch because it was hurting her back now. Now feeling like maybe this would help her sleep, she got rid of the sheets that her and Sonic would sleep on together, and replaced them with fresh new bedding. New pillows and everything. It seemed to help her get to sleep, as well as some music playing to provide more noise to make up for the lack of Sonic's snoring that she oddly missed. She eventually fell asleep around 2 that morning. Amy must have slept hard, because when her alarm went off at 5am that morning, she didn't even move an inch. It wasn't until, 6:30am when Lily came into the bedroom. "Mom?" Her ears twitched, slowly lifting her head, blinking in confusion. Why had her daughter came in her room, at this hour? On a weekend- Oh shit. She gave her daughter an apologetic gaze before pulling the covers off of her body. The frantic hedgehog got her slippers on and quickly made her way into the kitchen, she wanted to make sure they had a good breakfast before school. She prepped some pancakes, with Lily's help, and cut up some fruit, and fixed some glasses of orange juices.  After Mach was rudely waken up by his sister, they sat around the table to enjoy the first meal of the day. To Amy, time flew by and before she knew it she was helping them get their belongings, and head out the door. Since the school was walking distance, the three of them walked along the sidewalk, when they got closer to the school building they saw two rows of cars for drop-off.  Some teachers guided them inside, while a lot of the parents had wished to walk them to the entrance. Lily knew where she was suppose to go, when she saw two of her friends from her previous classroom, she gave Amy a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek... leaving her brother and mom behind. A lady welcomed Amy and Mach inside, while doing so, the young hedgehog gripped his mom's hand tighter. Deep down she wanted to just turn around and take the kids back home, sure it was only gonna be for 6 hours but the loneliness in that house would drive her insane. Mach's kindergarten teacher greeted them warmly, Mach was guided to his desk, while Amy and his teacher had a quick conversation. Soon, Amy wished him a great first day, embraced him tightly. Alongside Amy, other parents said their goodbye's and went on their way. Amy stopped at the end of the curb, quickly texting Tails how the drop-off went. Once she looked up, she noticed a familiar motorcycle in the parking lot. Nah, it couldn't be him. As she inched closer, her curiosity getting the best of her..  

"Looking for something, Rose?" She almost jumped out of her own skin at the sound of his voice. She squinted at him, suspicious. Before she could even ask, why the hell he was at the school he answered, "Knuckles and Rouge are out of town." Yeah, she totally didn't forget their child was attending first grade now. 

"Hm, not very safe to let a minor ride on a bike." She smirked, playfully.

"He was fine. I'm not stupid; he wore a helmet." Shadow scoffed at her comment, while he mounted his bike. 

"He better... Rouge would kill you if anything happened." Amy glanced back at the school building, more children were being dropped off. 

Shadow shrugged, "if she didn't trust me with her son I wouldn't be here, now would I?" Amy's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and crossed her arms, inched closer to the other hedgehog. 

"Oh, you wouldn't be here to just watch me, now would you?" Shadow's ear twitched slightly, but Amy couldn't read him. "I saw you. Every single day I walked home. Slightly creepy, don't ya' think? I mean I would've been fine if you asked to walk with me. But, you just stood on the other side of the street-" Shadow waved his hand. 

"I wasn't watching you."

"I saw you." She went on to speak more, but Shadow silenced her. 

"I knew when you got off of work, I arrived maybe minutes before you clocked out." Shadow admitted, shifting further back on his bike. "I wanted to make sure..."

"Make sure of what?"

"...That you were okay." Amy felt like her heart fluttered slightly. Okay, that was weird. Why did it do that? Her gaze fell to her feet. Amy didn't know what to say. Could she really blame him? After that incident in the restaurant? She contacted him afterall. He wasn't the one who just randomly called in the middle of the day. Could she really be upset with him for checking on her? No. Nothing was spoken between the pair, Amy was pulled out of her deep train of thought when he revved up his bike. "I better go."

Amy blurted out an apology, "I shouldn't have assumed, I should have... j-just approached you about it. I'm sorry. T-thank you for checking on me, Shadow." Her cheeks felt hot, and she hoped that he didn't noticed the blush. "Next time.. let's walk together. I'd like the company."

Shadow looked away. Feeling awkward. He patted the seat behind him and handed her a helmet. Amy hesitated, but she did admit just now that she'd like the company. She snapped her helmet in place, and mounted the bike. She wasn't sure he was taking them, but she didn't ask any questions. As he accelerated further from the school, she grasped his waist tighter. It wasn't long before she realized that he wasn't taking her home. Going deeper into the city, the hill got steeper and Amy closed her eyes tightly. She felt him turn the bike to the left, and actually slow down. They had pulled into an apartment complex. He parked into a numbered parking spot, and dismounted the bike. "Is this your apartment?" He nodded. She followed him up a flight of stairs, he punched in a code, and the door unlocked. At the end of the hallway was an elevator, he pressed the upper level, triggering the door to open. Silently, the pair entered, as he punched the number 4 in the number pad. It only took seconds before they arrived on the right floor, he exited and walked down another hallway. He took a left, and stopped infront of his door. Amy hesitated in the doorway. She never been to Shadow's apartment... this was the same apartment complex Rouge use to live in, she remembered. After Rouge and Knuckles got serious, she moved out leaving Shadow to himself. "Close the door. Echo will get out." Amy quickly shut the door as she stepped inside. 

"Echo?" Amy asked, looking around the apartment. Did he have a pet? Shadow inched his way towards the kitchen. Roaming through some cabinets, and his fridge. Before she got an answer from the dark hedgehog, she heard movement coming from another room, finally making contact with a dark Chao that made its way in the living room. Amy squealed, startling the Chao.  "Aww! I didn't know you had a Chao, Shadow!" She reached to pick the startled Chao up. 

"Don't pick him up- he bites.." The second he warned her, Amy yelped in pain, and Echo flew out of her arms. Shadow gave Echo a cold look.

She rubbed the top of her hand, wincing. Amy laughed nervously, "my bad. Chao's are so cute, and precious." 

"Not Echo." Shadow scoffed and placed a bowl of fruit before the Chao. Echo stared the stranger down, before stuffing its mouth with fruit.

She glanced at her hand, noticing that Echo did in fact draw some blood. "Uh, do you have a bandage?" Shadow blinked at her injury, and then searched through his cabinet for a bandage for the bite. He grabbed her right hand, and put some anti-bacterial cream on it before wrapping it up. 

Shadow left the room to answer the door, some of his mail left at the door. Half of which he tossed in the trash. "If you wish to leave, I'll take you home. I hadn't fed Echo before I left. My couch would suffer if I didn't return quickly."

"Do you mind if we stay a little longer?" Amy glanced around the house. Looking at the frames hung on the wall, admiring a picture hung above the couch that displayed a mountain view. "Where was this taken?"

"It came with the apartment." Shadow responded quickly, keeping an eye on his Chao that just watched Amy search the apartment. A little red question mark forming above its head. Amy should have known, when Rouge lived here she probably did a lot of the decorating as it was. 

"Can I get a tour?" His eyes furrowed in confusion. Amy could tell he wasn't thrilled about the idea. Shadow shrugged, and guided her down the hall. There was a small half bath, an office in the next room, and then at the end of the hallway was his bedroom. "Jeez, didn't even make your bed, Shadow." She playfully elbowed him. Shadow rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms, watching her search the room. She stopped at his bedside, seeing a picture of Maria Robotnik. "...Is this her?" His eyes softened slightly, and nodded. Amy smiled. "What was she like?" 

"Too pure for this world.." Shadow's response was hardly audible. His red eyes darted to the ground. 

"I wish I could have met her." Amy sighed, gave Shadow a sympathic look, then made her way toward the door leaving the room behind, and leaving Shadow for a moment to his thoughts. She heard him clear his throat, but nothing but silence followed. She paused when Echo stood at her feet, staring up at her. The Chao made a weird noise, and walked away, leaving them behind. "Hm. I wonder where it gets that attitude from." Amy grinned back at Shadow. He merely scoffed.

Hours later, Amy was still at Shadow's apartment. Not much was spoken between them. They were actually just enjoying some coffee sitting at the bar in his small kitchen. "I can't believe Mach is in school, already." Amy sat her cup down, and gave a sigh, her hand running through her messy bangs. "Sonic is missing it all." Amy gave a painful smile, "others always tell me that he's not missing it, he's still here. In my heart..." She took a quick sip of her coffee. "Sometimes I just wished they didn't say anything at all." Amy exhaled, "It's not the same, Shadow. I wished they would understand." She noticed he was staring at her, and quickly she glanced away. "It doesn't get rid of the fact that he is missing out on everything. One day... Lily will be getting married." Amy's eyes started to sting with tears, "Sonic won't be here to walk her down the isle." Amy wiped at her eyes, and gave another tired sigh. "I know it's far in the future, but as a mother I think about these things." Amy met his gaze, "poor Mach doesn't quite understand what happened to his dad. He's only six, Shadow." She continued on, "when the time comes Mach finally asks more questions about Sonic, I don't know how I'm gonna handle it." She sniffled, trying to hold back from more waterworks. 

"...You'll figure it out when the time comes." Shadow chimed in. 

 Amy jumped when Echo suddenly jumped on the countertop. Echo glanced at Shadow, which in return Shadow told it to get down. Echo trotted towards Amy, perhaps the Chao could sense how Amy was feeling. Amy watched it jump into her lap. "Uh... hi there?" The ball floating above its head still perfectly rounded, so it was hard to predict what Echo would do next. The very hand that he had bitten earlier, he licked over the place as if it was apologizing. Shadow look on with surprised. Echo cooed and then hopped off of her lap. "See? Chao's are precious." She smiled. Amy wiped at her eyes, and exhaled. "I'm sorry, you probably have a lot of things to do. I... guess I should get home." Amy finished off her cup of coffee, and made her way into the kitchen to rinse out the mug before placing it in the dishwasher. "I can walk home-" She noticed Shadow making his way to the door, grabbing a set of keys and a helmet that he placed on the coffee table. After leaving the apartment, they made their way to the parking lot. "For a nice apartment, there's not a lot of vehicles here." Amy noted. 

"Yeah.. it gets busier at night." Amy wanted to slap herself, she had forgotten this place had a club underneath the living quarters. 

"For someone that likes the quiet, this is a strange place to live." Shadow smirked at her in response

"That's why I mainly work at nighttime." Amy nodded, the two of them both mounted the bike. But, Amy had more questions. Shadow must have noticed because he hesitated turning the ignition on. 

"May I ask what you do?"

"I work with G.U.N." Shadow cleared his throat, "I also sometimes guard the club here."

"Interesting..." Amy fixed her helmet securely. "I don't know how I feel about G.U.N."

"That's what Sonic would say."

"I... I thought that's who attacked your home?" She motioned towards the sky. Perhaps she was prying too much into Shadow's life, so if he didn't respond, she would understand.

"That was years ago, Rose. That was under a different ... leadership."

"Is this leadership better? I know they've made some decisions that could've been played out better."

"Perhaps." Shadow revved the engine, "But, I'm not gonna defend them. I just work with them. I could care less about their personal morals."

"Sonic never did like them." Amy leaned against Shadow's back, holding tight as he picked up speed. 

"Well, I guess I wouldn't either after being chased with a semi." Shadow scoffed softly. Amy pinched at his ribs.

"Yeah, because they had thought he was you. "

"It's not my fault for that their poor eyesight."

----

Tuesday morning came fast, and the routine was about the same as yesterday. Get the kids ready, breakfast, saying goodbyes at the school. But, today Amy was returning to work after having Monday off to take time for her kids. Quite honestly, it wasn't a bad day nor was it a busy  one. Which was helpful so the staff could restock on different items. Amy was asked to finish decorating an order for a birthday party. She found after working at the cafe, she enjoyed decorating various sweet treats. It was a simple "happy sweet 16" decorated on the top layer of the cake. By 3pm it was ready to be sent out to the customer, which she was pleased with the handiwork, and tipped very well. By 4:30 Amy clocked out, said bye to all her coworkers, and slipped out of the door. She paused a few blocks ahead, looking for someone. She didn't catch a glimpse of him on the other side of the street. Perhaps he got the wrong idea, and decided not to take up on the offer and walk with her. She was clearly disappointed. Amy checked her phone, there was a few text messages from Tails stating that he took the kids out to dinner, and was gonna play video games with Mach after helping him with his homework. She went to reply to her text, only to drop her device after colliding into Shadow. "Ouch! Sorry!" He grunted in response, and reached down to pick up her phone. She met his gaze, " you came?"

He shrugged, "you said you could use the company." Amy started to smile until she noticed the cut along Shadow's cheek, and dried up blood at his head. 

"What happened?" She went to touch it, and Shadow was taken off guard. He gently moved her hand away. 

"Tch, just had an confrontation at the club last night. Nothing I couldn't handle. You going home?"

Amy frowned, "yes." She started walking ahead of the male hedgehog. It probably only took them 10 minutes to get to her house. "Come in. You need to clean that up."

Shadow stopped at the entryway, "It's fine." Amy pulled at his wrist, and pulled him inside. Making him sit at the stool in the kitchen.  He sat with his head resting in his hand in defeat, while she looked around in her kitchen. She grabbed a wet cloth, and inched closer to the dark hedgehog, cleaning off any of the dried up blood, causing Shadow to wince slightly. Amy frowned at the gash. 

"Who stitched that up?" She looked over the gash that was poorly fastened together to close the wound. 

Shadow eyed her cautiously, "I did." 

"Jeez." She started to gather some different supplies from the first aid. After being with Sonic, and the many injuries that he sustained, Amy was almost a pro now. Carefully, she undid the poor stitching job, and started working on that nasty gash.  Unlike Sonic, Shadow actually didn't squirm. Yes, it hurt like hell but he knew this was a battle that he couldn't win with her, so he just allowed her to work her magic and close up the wound. She ran a finger along the cut along his cheek, which wasn't as bad. In response, Shadow subconsciously stroked her knuckles while her hand rested there. When she felt his gentle touch, her hand felt hot all of a sudden. So did the rest of her. What the hell is this? She only ever felt this way with Sonic. Only could he make her heart flutter, and her stomach turn into mush.  Yet, for some reason Shadow's touch, and his presence was causing all of these weird sensations. The front door opened, and Lily walked in with her bookbag, she froze when she saw a mysterious male hedgehog with her mom in the kitchen. "Oh! Welcome home, baby girl." Amy's face burned in embarrassment, and Shadow quickly got up from his seat. Lily embraced her with an arm hug, looking over her shoulder towards Shadow. 

"Mom ...who is that?" Her voice strained slightly, struggling so hard to control her emotions right now.  Meanwhile, Shadow made for the exit. Mach was in a rush, so he didn't even acknowledge his mom, or even Shadow and rushed upstairs to relieve himself. 

"Shadow?" Tails stood before the door, with some of the kids' belongings. Lily looked from her uncle to her mother. Conflicted. She only heard her daddy speak about Shadow, and perhaps seen him in the distance, but never became aquatinted with him. She had so many questions. Why was he so close to her mom earlier?

Shadow acknowledged with a nod. "I was just leaving." He made a quick gaze towards Amy, her face beet red.  

The twin-tailed fox's ears twitched slightly, and then closed the door behind him. Glancing at Amy, for a possible answer to this weird encounter. Amy smiled in embarrassment, and took the items from her fox friend. "I was just about to fix supper, if you'd like to join us?" Tails nodded, he made his way to the window and peaked out the blinds. Amy started to hang up the kids' bookbags, cleaned out their lunchboxes. Amy watched her daughter retrieve a soda from the fridge,  "Lily if you wanna help me set the table..." Lily met her mom's gaze. She didn't say a word. She just took a sip of her soda, and made her way upstairs. It felt like her heart was stomped on.

"What was he doing here? Did he hurt-"

"No." Amy answered quickly, as she preheated the over as the recipe instructed. "He's been more helpful really..." She realized that Tails never heard about that incident, and that Amy had called Shadow. She kept that to herself. "He just making sure I made it home okay." Tails raised a brow, not completely convinced. He didn't notice the first-aid kit and other medical supplies out on the counter, instead, he made his way to the living room. "Could you put the enchilada's in for me? I'm gonna check on her." 

Tails smiled, "of course."

Amy tapped on her daughter's door, Lily was sitting at her desk drawing away at her sketchpad, when her mom entered, she dropped her pencil and met her worried gaze. "Hey sweetheart. " Amy kissed her on the forehead. "How was school today?" Lily brushed her bangs aside, and closed her sketchpad, and sit on the edge of the bed, her mother joining her shortly after. 

"It was good." She shrugged, and leaned against her mom. Amy was trying to get a read on her. "I think Mach made a new friend," Lily looked up at her. Amy smiled back, full of pride. "Yeah, I saw them playing on the playground together. But, mom I think Mach gets into trouble a lot." Lily laughed a little, "he was in timeout a lot this afternoon." Amy gave a sigh. She would definitely talk to him later.  The pair made small talk for a few moments, then heard the beeping from downstairs, indicating the over had preheated to the set temperature. Amy got up from her bed, and made for the door. "Mom?" The pink hedgehog stopped, her ear twitching in attention. "Is... he coming over more?" She assumed that Lily was referring to Shadow. She looked away, tears stinging in her eyes. "I don't want a new dad." Her face turned red with anger, and hurt, as she rubbed at her eyes. 

"Oh baby, no. It's not like that..." Seeing her cry made her heart ache, within seconds she was at her side again. She held her close, while Lily cried into her chest. "Shadow... has just been watching out for me, that's all. Just as friends." It felt like she was trying to remind herself of that. Friends. Nothing more. But, how does Shadow see them? "No one will ever replace your daddy, sweetheart." Lily sniffled, wiping away more tears trying to escape. 

"Okay.." Lily embraced her mother tighter, and made for the restroom to wash up before dinner. While alone, Amy sat on the edge of the bed, lost in her thoughts. Was there something growing between her and Shadow? Something deep down told her that perhaps she was wrong. She shook her head, pushing away these lingering thoughts and questions. Amy met Mach and Tails downstairs, supper was almost finished. As she was setting up the table, when Lily came down she seemed to be more upbeat now that they had their talk and she had a relaxing bath to ease her thoughts. As a family they all gathered together at the table to enjoy some cheesy chicken enchiladas. Around 830 both of the kids were struggling to stay awake, so they made their way back to their rooms. Her and Tails was catching up, she invited him to stay here since there was a storm stirring outside. "Did Mach get in trouble today?" Tails sighed, and nodded. 

"Yeah, his teacher said he doesn't stay still very long, and will talk back to her sometimes." Seems about right. "Otherwise, he's doing well. Don't worry, Ames. It's a new start for him." He patted her hand. Amy went to get a bowl of ice cream for the two of them. As she scooping some of the frozen treat into a bowl for herself, her phone dinged. 

Hey chick. You doing ok? You should come to the club tonight. We need a girls night. Shadow's gonna be there, but he won't intervene. Buuuut maybe you want him to? ..I heard you two have been talking a lot. What's up with that???

Amy dropped her bowl, startled. She quickly cleaned it up, and tapped away at her phone. It's nothing. We're just friends. Rouge, it's a school nite. 

She saw the dots on the bottom of her screen indicating that Rouge was already texting back. Amy returned to the couch where Tails was watching some sort of movie, that she never seen before. 

Don't worry, dear we'll get you home before bedtime. Just friends.. mhmmm.

Amy rolled her eyes, and went to text her once more. Another time, Rouge. G'night. Luckily for Amy, Rouge let it be and didn't text back the rest of the night. Amy turned her phone on silent, and enjoyed the company of Tails. They turned in around 11pm that night. 

-

Amy had finished another day at the cafe, and just as expected Shadow was waiting for her. He was reading something on his phone, leaning against the building before she walked out. "Amy." She was actually shocked that he called her by her first name, they inched closer. If he had anything to say after that, Amy quickly stopped him. 

"Hey... uh, I think I'm gonna go by myself today." He blinked, but she couldn't tell whether this bothered him or not. "I'll be fine. Thanks for looking after me." Shadow shrugged, and started to turn around. At least he wasn't pushing the issue. If she didn't want to walk with him. He respected it. She started to inch further and further away from me, but she still felt his gaze on her. In fact, when she looked over her shoulder, she saw him staring at her. She gave him a smile before he disappeared. Honestly, this made her feel terrible. But, she didn't want her daughter to get the wrong impression of the relationship between them.  It was a quiet, and lonely walk back home. For the rest of the week, it was like this. By Saturday, she almost texted him to walk with her. But, no. She took the journey home by herself. 

Rouge later asked about coming to the club tonight, and finally Amy agreed. Her kids more than excited to have a night with Uncle Tails. Around 7pm that evening, she approached the apartment. Her eyes locked on the familiar motorcycle. He was parked in the same location as last time, just like he had mentioned the other day, it got busier at night, and he was correct. There was a long line at the entrance. But, once someone saw Amy, they let her through. "Party of 3. Under the name Rouge?" She nodded, and they allowed her inside before the club filled up with more bodies. Rouge was at the bar, and waved her over. "Party of 3? Who else is here?" Rouge shrugged, "another friend of mine, but she cancelled on me. So, it's just the two of us." She winked, "what you want to drink? I'll take care of it." 

Amy glanced at the drink choices presented before her, "just a water." Rouge frowned. Amy didn't feel like getting a strong drink, a cold glass of water with lemon sounded good enough to her. Rouge ordered a glass of red wine for herself, and order a water with lemon for Amy. Slowly the club started to fill up with more people. Among the group, she made out Shadow. He didn't see her, thankfully. That would have been awkward. They made their way to a round table near the back of the room. 

"How are you doing, m'dear?"

Amy took a sip of her drink, and gave a faint smile. "I'm hanging in there."

Rouge patted her hand. Even though they've had their differences, the two have put aside the past, and shared a good friendship. "Shadow told me what happened the other day..." Amy's ears perked up slightly, shocked that Shadow mentioned it. "He said you were a mess."

"I can't believe he brought that up."

"He seemed worried, Amy." 

Amy sighed. She snacked on some chips that was brought to them earlier, and dipped them in some salsa. "I appreciate him being there for me. But, I'm doing better now. He doesn't have to babysit me."

Rouge raised a brow, "babysit? I don't think.."

"Lily thinks there's something going on between us. She saw him at the house." Amy admitted, lowering her voice. There was a noticeable blush on her cheeks. "Honestly, Rouge. I can't tell how I feel about him." Amy looked away, "I have never seen Shadow like this before, though."

"He's rough around the edges, dear. But, he's not a bad guy. You just have to get to know him."

"I guess you would know, you lived with him for years." Rouge winked back at her playfully. 

[shnowbilicat]

May I introduce to the world my three TTRPG bbys; Void, Saphira and Daraen!

I love these three with a dying passion <333 qwq

Void the Tiefling

When Void was young he joined a group of thieves. But not so long after he joined there was a heist gone wrong and Void was caught by the towns guard. He was the only one and was left to die. The guards put him in chains and together with other criminals and creatures was dragged through the land, waiting for punishment ... only to come across a rich family. The Mistress of the family wanted Void to join the Maids and Butlers in their manor, even ebing a playmate for her son. Begrudgingly the Master bought Void off of the guards and Void cursed his now slave life ... if it wasn't actually that bad. Thanks to the Mistress Void and every helper in the manor, human or human like, Void soon fit right in.

Surprisngly he felt comfortable, seeing as everybody treated him like one of their own. Everyone but the Master, who warned him that if he would harm or even just touch his son Void would be thrown into the dungeons below. The Mistress however encouraged Void to feel free to be portective of his young Master and play with him and soon Void was the young Master's personal Butler and closest friend.

One day, while playing hide and seek, the Master of the house saw his son touching Void's tail and the Tiefling was immediantly thrown down below, never to see sunlight ever again. Void was in shock and begged to be freed, but that would never happen.

Not long after the manor was attacked. In a panic the guards dropped Void's prison keys and the Tiefling could escape, only to see his friends and family killed on the floor, blood everywhere and expensive items missing. Worried Void checked on the young Master's bedroom, only to see a rouge jumping out of the window, leaving the room empty. Something inside Void ignited and searched the manor for supplies to take with him. The Mistress and Master were also found dead, the former hurt Void a lot, the latter not at all. Lastly Void took one of the Master's coats for the road, he didn't need it anyways now that he was dead.

With that Void had a new goal; find the thieves guild that took the Mistress' life and avange his young Master.

--

Void is the face and leader of my TTRPG trio and actually my very first DnD character!

Back in the day I played a lot of TTRPGs/Pen and Paper in my apprenticeship and when one of my friends offered to try and DM DnD for us I was stoked and created Void; who is obviously based on Vincent, cuz why ot have your comfort character to be in your first DnD game?? X3

Sadly he only got one session in before we all had a winter break and then covid hit and I'm still hoping to get together with my DM to maybe have a solo adventure or something :'33

I also finally finished his redesign yesterday, so I'm so happy to finally show off my new bbys X33

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

Saphira the Dragonborn

Saphira grew up in a humble village. Her father was a proud and strong Paladin and a follower of Bahamut. He always believed in justice and equality and taught his daughter everything he knew, even how to fight. Since Saphira's father was a well known adventurer he talked a lot about his quests all around the country and her mother was always reading her stories about heroes when she was small, Saphira got so inspired that she also wanted to become an adventurer as well. Her curiosity about the world outside of her village was eating her up, so she loved listening to merchants and travelers that were traveling through.

She read any books she could get her hands on, whether it was about adventuring tipps, the history about her world or even about Bahamut himself, and developed abilities to help her outside of the village, to protect the innocent and the ones she loved most. She even started to bring justice to bad guys and thieves in her village to train.

One night her heroic actions and her deep want to go adventuring caught the attention of Bahaumt and he gave her his blessing. Saphira vowed to the great dragon to follow him and the path of justice and rightiousness, becoming a cleric in his name.

Saphira's father was so proud of her that he opened the gates for her to go out and adventure on her own. In tears Saphira thanked her parents for their support and promised she would fight for every race and creature in need and that she will come back as a hero deserving of her father's pride.

--

Saphira is my dragon bby and I love her. She's such a cutie and always sees the good in people ARGH so cute qwq

She is my second DnD character and is an active participant in a current DnD campaign and it's so nice to play DnD with her ... if our DM would stop having such good rolls and SAphira freaking out at her companions, and herself, dying :'33

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

Daraen the Strix

Daraen had a nice life in a small village with his parents. Even though Strix look like they are dangerious and there had been really bad rumors about them, Daraen's parents were the sweetest bird like folk around, and so they taught Daren to always be a kind child. As a kid he loved helping his parents in the garden or cooking or even finding out his great affinity to magic. He was the happiest little Strix around ...

... until, one day there was a knock on the door. daren's parents told him to hide away as they opened the door. There soldiers arrested his parents for being a danger to the land and chained them up to be executed in the town's plaza. Daren was terrified and with a blanket over his head and wings he snuck after them all. Only to see his parent's get ropes around their necks. Even though they cried, they still smiled and thanked their community for letting them exist and live here as long as they did. With that the small Strix saw his parent's get hanged.

Distrought Daraen ran, crying his lungs out and hding in an alleyway until the next day arose. With a heavy heart and without any more tears Daraen returned to his now empty home, the only thing that he still had left from his parents. He locked himself inside, lived life and rarely went out. When he did he hid his wings and claws from the outside world. He grew his magical powers, reading up on any books he could find ... or even steal. Many years later the soldiers returned, but Daraen was ready. He attacked and tricked them to enter his house, and while Daraen escaped without a trace, the house exploded and was set ablaze.

With that Daraen left his village for good and flew into the night never to be seen again ... and withthe hopes to find a place were he could belong without getting his wings clipped for existing ...

--

Daraen is my lastes bby and I have to say my favorite?? I love them all, but I just adore wings and claws, okay?? :'3

Also he's a little tsundere and a sorcerer, and I LOVE magic qWq

Compared to Void and Saphira, Daraen is actually from a Pathfinder game my IRL friends host. When I was invited I looked at the races that Pathfinder had and something about wings and claws just ... spoke to me, you know?? ewe

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

I don't have a name for their group yet, but they are my bbys and I will fight for them to live a long and adventurous life :'33

[princess-of-the-corner]

Hey i’ve been looking through a bunch of your WOWP stuff, (absolutely ADORE your ideas and aus btw, every time I rewatched the show I was wishing for some kind of prolonged Alex villain arc) and I wanted to know your thoughts on a darkish au that’s been in the back of my mind for a bit. If i’m too long or wordy feel free to ignore this, I just got thrown back into my hyperfixation with this show at light speed.

I’m not new with this but Justin and Alex’s dynamic is my favorite in the show, the siblings are just so great with eachother, and i’ve been thinking like. Justin saves Alex SO many times, like it’s a reoccurring joke within the show pretty much. It’s part of his character, he even says that fixing other people’s messes (Alex) “makes his life complete”. What would happen if we pushed the “bad wizard government” undertones up to 11, and had some wizard council with Crumbs and some others, decide that Alex, being so powerful and so reckless, is a threat to their order and status as the rulemakers of the world. And what if they either managed to kidnap her or kill her outright (the latter would obviously never happen in the actual show but for my personal enjoyment of my favorite characters having bad things happen to them it’s an option). The family doesn’t know what happened and is devastated.

I also like to imagine here that Justin and Alex have experienced so much together and have almost lost each-other so many times that they’re a bit codependent on each other due to trauma, and even though they can’t stand each other in their day-to-day there’s this underlying attachment to their sibling that is very strong but also definitely needs a therapist to help work out.

And THEN, seeing Justin as their little pawn and not wanting his loyalty to stray, they grant him his full powers early, along with a seat on the wizard senate or whatever. The family still misses Alex but they’re at least proud of Justin, Theresa and Jerry trying to stay positive for their son’s sake. But right at Justin’s ceremony, Crumbs makes some sort of weird comment or joke about how they’ve “finally got everything right with that Russo family” and it clicks in Justin’s mind.

So he realizes that he has everything he ever wanted, all the people he desperately wanted to prove himself too are looking at him with pride in their eyes, he’s about to be a full wizard with both magical and political power. He put Crumbs&co on a pedestal for so long!

And they killed his sister. Who he spent so much of his life and emotional energy protecting and praying that she and him would make it out alive.

Max is the first to see his brother’s face, his goofy smile drops and he just says to no one in particular, “Justin..?”

Maybe this is way too dramatic but maybe Justin starts having a power surge brought on by emotions, he JUST got full powers and doesn’t know how to contain them yet, and it’s not like he’s trying too hard. He ends up injuring a few people, mostly the higher-ups, and disappears. All facades are down now, Crumbs orders a wizard-worldwide search for Justin immediately. They can’t let him get away, who knows what a Russo kid could do gone rouge with full powers.

The family are stunned. After the shock goes away it’s a panic, they have to find Justin before, well, anyone else does. They can’t lose another child.

Justin, meanwhile, is freaking out. He’s alone, he doesn’t know what to do. Long story short he ends up starting a rebellion against the wizard government, but so overcome by feelings of grief and betrayal that he doesn’t think straight. Maybe he goes back to the dark angels, and maybe theres some situations while he’s a rebel leader that Justin acts way out of line, and justifies it by saying he’s doing it for Alex.

Plot twist though, everyone thought Alex was dead but she escaped! She put a pillowcase in her coffin and everyone just. Went with it. It works for sneaking out of her bedroom, why not a grave.

Anyways, the first person to find Justin is her, and he think’s he’s hallucinating at first and says something very concerning like “Hah, nice try brain. This one almost looks real!” because I think he deserves to have an absolute breakdown for my personal entertainment

Alex finally convinces him she’s real, and sees what her brother’s become. He shows her the revolution base, full of scorned human siblings who lost the competition, beings and species who are angry at being treated like second-class citizens, and various wizards who want a change. Alex, being Alex, is like “Yeah revolution!” at first, but theres a side story about Alex and Justin disagreeing on how the revolution should be led, with Justin having more of an ‘iron fist’ that Alex HATES.

It results in wizard council finding Justin and Alex at the same time, the council thinks that Justin tampered with dark magic to bring her back to life and are more resolved then ever to take them both down. After a battle ending in a stalemate the news goes public. It’s now official for the world to see, Alex and Justin Russo are the faces of the Wizards rebellion.

Dark as hell and honestly I love the concept. I think this is one of those things that could either be an epic fic, and/or something where we go 'let's just change the names and make this an original work'.

[arkhamsrevenge]

Batman The Adventures Continue Under the Red Hood pt 1

If you haven't read the comic, PLEASE READ IT!  There are spoilers in this. (Duh) 

“Jason Todd? But how?” Alfred exclaimed as he looked at the results the Bat computer gave. Bruce sat in shock.  

“It’s him. It would explain the mysterious stalker, how he’s always one step ahead and why he knows our moves before we do.” They both sat in silence until Alfred jumped up.  

“My god Y/N L/N. They were close! He might...” Bruce understood what his old friend was saying and headed to Dr. Thompkins knowing she was the only one who could get into contact with Y/N 

At Dr. Leslie Thompkins's clinic.  

“Why are you here?” Dr. Thompkins didn’t even turn around, she knew who was behind her.  

“Jason’s alive physically, emotionally he’s angrier than ever. I thought he’d go to see an old patient of yours, Y/N.” Batman explained bluntly. He didn’t have time for small talk or a discussion about their falling out that was sue to what happened to Jason. “The child who had the-” 

“Croaked leg, yes, I know.” Y/N L/N became a patient to Dr. Thompkins when the child hurt her leg badly in an explosion if fear gas set off by Scarecrow. The fear gases tore through the citizens of Gotham. One of which had been welding a knife and 16-year-old Y/N didn’t out run them fast enough before this individual started stabbing her left leg repeatedly. When the gas cleared and the citizen came to, he screamed at the top of his lungs at what he had done. The 16-year old’s leg had been mutilated and she had passed out from pain and blood loss. Luckily, Robin had heard the scream and raced to see what had happened, that’s when he first saw Y/N. He wanted to give the man a beating but knew the girl laying there would die if she didn’t get help. Once the paramedics got her secured, Robin followed them all the way to the hospital just to make sure they got there safely. Fortunately, the leg was saved but Y/N would have to walk with a cane for the rest of her life. Dr. Leslie Thompkins took over from there, helping her with pain management, psychological trauma and physical therapy. Though Y/N’s leg was still croaked, she could move around with it better than before. Both her therapy and physical therapy sessions were almost always interrupted by the boy wonder. He would see how she was, or he’d have to get patched up. Often it was the ladder. Jason, as Robin grew very fond of Y/N, and when Y/N was going back to school, Bruce Wayne, a friend of Dr. Thompkins, offered his son, Jason Todd to help her readjust. Unfortunately, the chronic pain in her leg varied from week to week, but Jason was more than happy to bring her work and help her catch up on assignments. Ever so slightly, there seemed to be a change in Jason, he was getting gentler, softer. But Y/N was a daredevil, headstrong and reckless as Jason soon found out. She hated being cooped up in her little apartment, so she snuck out the window one night to get a milkshake. As Y/N was crossing the street one way, Jason was crossing the other and stopped in his tracks as the h/ced girl basically zoomed past him. That night Jason and Y/N had their first official unofficial first date. Upon remembering the young boy’s affection towards Y/N, Dr. Thompkins’s anger began to fill her. 

“This is your fault! He was wild and you let him run wild! He wasn’t just another kid who disappeared into the night he was our responsibility!” Tears started to well up in her eyes  

“What do you mean by gone? Why didn’t anyone go after him?” Y/N asked Dr. Thompkins looked at her leg. Y/N had asked where Robin was for some time and through pure exhaustion Dr. Thompkins let it slip that "Robin” had gone rouge.  

“Batman is doing everything he can to look for him.” She had said trying to comfort the young girl.  

“But Dr. T, I saw him a couple days ago. He visited me at my house, he never indicated that something was wrong.” Y/N said sadly. Dr. Thompkins didn’t have the heart to tell the poor girl that Jason was dead. Or so she thought.   

“I can give her a call with you here if that will give you peace of mind.” Dr. Thompkins said, picking up her phone. The line rang and rang but only the answering machine picked up. “She didn’t pick up! You don’t think...?” Dr. Thompkins turned to Batman only to see he was gone. No doubt going to find Y/N, if Jason didn’t find her first.  

POV Y/N 

I can’t believe my stupidity. Staying late at the Iceberg lounge was NOT a smart idea. Especially with this fucking limp. So here I am in the dead of night hobbling my way through Gotham, trying to get back at my apartment. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched however. It’s been going on for weeks and even though I feel a little uneasy, I haven’t felt safer. This stalking stranger had warned me a few nights ago, when I was working at the lounge behind the bar. Some guy had asked for a drink and as I made it, he asked for anther one. I did as he asked, only to have him say the drink was for me. Being polite I thanked him, telling him I’ll drink it right after I get the other orders out. When I came back the guy was gone and a note was left.  

The drink was spiked. Stay safe. 

I never knew who this mystery person was who saved me but since then I’ve been seeing glimpses of someone hiding in the shadows or on rooftops, watching me. Tonight, I hope they are watching me trying to get home. I could see my building in sight, and started to make my up the stairs. Me leg ached by the time I got to the top when a gruff voice startled me.  

“Excuse me Y/N. That drunk you live with owes us money.” I turned to see a couple of Black Mask’s gang members.  

“Then ask him for it.” I quietly said, unlocking my door.  

“He skipped town, left your boss a letter and now he is collecting what was promised to him.” The gang members surrounded me. One grabbed my arms, putting them behind my back. I kicked at them only for one to kick my bad leg. Making me scream in pain and crumble to the ground. “Boss said we had to bring you back to him, but we haven't been this close to a lady in a long time.” The pain in my leg kept pulsating, I was in too much pain to fight back. Closing my eyes, I waited for all this to be over, until the weight holding me down was ripped off. I sprung up, pulling myself up with my discarded cane. All three men were dead, blood pooling around my feet.  

“Damn bastards.” A deep voice said from the shadows. I swallowed.   “Please tell me you aren't here to kill me too.” The shadowed figure chuckled.  

“No.” I let out a breath. “You’re not safe here though.” The stranger said.  

“I’ve never been safe in Gotham. I’ll manage.” I said, hobbling back to my door ready to go inside when something poked my arm. I looked to see a dart, taking it out my world started to get blurry. Shit.  

“Sorry Y/N. But I’m not willing to take the chance.” My legs buckled but I was soon scooped up. I couldn’t even ask how they knew my name until everything went dark.  

[thebathatter]

Tommy Shelby x OC

Summary: Vita Corleone tries to enjoy one night of freedom at the Eden Club while in London, turns out the family business seems to follows her everywhere she goes, which leave her at the receiving end of cold blue eyes.

Authors Note: This all started because I watched the Godfather while in my hyper-fixation fog of Peaky Blinders. This is my first time writing a work like this ever so please feel free to give me all the feedback and comments I really appreciate it (just don’t be mean I’m sensitive). Yeah, I named my OC Vita Corleone because well, fathers name their sons after them all the time so why not? Also my Italian is not the best so if I got something wrong please forgive me I checked but I’m only human. I might make this a series idk yet Uni is eating me alive. Nevertheless Enjoy!

Warnings: Cannon typical violence, language, suggestive themes. Period typical views of the early 1900s.

London 1922

The night is dreary and cold and the streetlights glow like fireflies along the pavement. They can hear the rambling screams and hollers of guys and gals who have gone a little too over the edge with alcohol as they walk towards their destination. 

“Signorina, your father gave strict instructions to not go out after dark….” Aldo starts

“Alone, Aldo. My father said not to go out after dark alone. I am not alone, am I? You and Enzo are with me.” Vita turns to them with a sweet smile, stopping in her tracks, she sees her two shadows look at each other hesitantly before turning back to her.

 “Anyway, it’s not like we are going anywhere dangerous I just want to hear some music” she turns and quickens the pace when she sees the entry of the Eden Club.

 Eden, just like paradise, a night in paradise would do her good. England was far from paradise but it wasn't home. New York City, her beautiful gilded cage where the shadow of her father and brothers loomed ever present wherever she went, handling her like a delicate doll one keeps on the shelf yet is never played with leaving her to gather dust and look pretty for the rest of her days. Not tonight though, after all this was London and convincing her namesake to let her accompany her brother Tom here with the excuse of sightseeing and shopping was no small feat.

Darby Sabini might be an angry little man, but he did say his clubs were the best in town and if Vita had to be in dark and depressing London, she would make the most of it.

They manage to get to the entrance evading drunkards left and right. Vita simply moves to walk in when the big man standing at the door blocks her way and raises an eyebrow at her. She sighs and looks back at Enzo.

“Signorina Corleone would like to hear some music tonight” Enzo demands politely to the gentlemen whose stoic face turns nervous as he stumbles “Signorina! Welcome to the Eden Club” he snaps his fingers and a man dressed in a suit with a pale gold vest appears.

“Signorina Corleone it’s a pleasure to have you here. My name is Mario and if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask. Signor Sabini will be glad you chose to drink in our establishment”

“Thank you Mario I will” she responds politely as he motions for another waiter to take them inside

Vita makes a move to follow him as they enter the club, and she can’t help the gasp that passes her carefully rouged lips. The scene before was unlike the speakeasies she sneaked out to go back home in New York. 

It seemed like a bacchanal of sin that would make even the nonbelievers cross themselves in fear. The luxurious couches were littered with entwined bodies of guys and girls, some chatting and flirting, some kissing, some doing way more than just kissing. Entranced by the sight before her Vita keeps walking until she notices a gentleman snorting a line of white powder off a lady’s leg, the girl seemed delighted as she cackled and pushed at his chest. 

“Is that Tokyo?” she asks intrigued.

“Yes Signorina, filthy stuff, good for horses if you want them to win though” replied Enzo

“I don’t think your father or Mr. Hagen would approve of you being here….” Aldo nervously started

“Oh, look, he found us a table!” Vita interrupted, grabbing both of their hands and pulling them towards where the waiter was patiently standing across the dancefloor. 

“Calm down Aldo, we won't stay long,” she said as she took off her red shawl to sit down “besides this place is interesting, no?”

They sat down and ordered champagne as the band started to play another tune. The rest of the club was covered in white and gold. It screamed Deco and Jazz and the people on the dance floor moved their bodies to the rhythm of the drums and lively trumpet while pretty girls danced on platforms around the whole room.

Their champagne arrived and once she took a big gulp off her glass Vita's eyes wandered to the scene playing at some tables to their right, a man right in the throes of ecstasy was sitting here with his girl with a hand down his pants, a laugh escaped Vita at the absolute shamelessness of it all as she turned to find Aldo’s blushed face and when she followed his line of sight she saw two girls both equally lovely decorated in pearls and feathers gently kissing in each other arms. At this Vita let out a sigh. I should have found a way to come on my own, no fun to be had with extra shadows around but she wasn’t one to look at a gift horse in the mouth.

“Let’s dance Aldo!” she joyfully called and laughed as his face only seemed to get redder 

“That is not appropriate Signorina,” Enzo said with finality “It's our job to look after you”

“It is! And I want a dance Enzo, would you rather I dance with one of the gentlemen here?” Vita said defiantly while standing up. Aldo looked at Enzo but he was not budging, unwilling to let his guard down in an unfamiliar place. She slumped down with a sigh of defeat. “Fine but you owe me a dance when we are back in New York you hear me Enzo?”

“Si Signorina,” responded Enzo with one of his rare smiles

Aldo looked somewhat relieved and that took another laugh out of her. She longingly looked at the dancefloor at all the dames and men having their fun. Don Vito Corleone would have a heart attack at the thought of his youngest dancing the Charleston, raising her dress and exposing her knees in front of God and everyone but then again what her Papa does not know will not hurt him. Guess I’ll have to wait until we are back home, she thought as she smiled at the energetic band playing on the elaborate stage.

“Oi Oi put it away!!” 

Vita turns her head to the right, finding a man standing above the couple she had seen earlier, he was well dressed wearing a long jacket and a peaked cap, his presence seemed commanding and intimidating, and it reminded her of the many men in her family. The young couple was startled and did not move at first until a thinner man similarly dressed to the first one screamed at them

“Fuck off!!” voice raspy and loud finally getting them to rush out of there with her hand still down his pants. 

She laughed quietly or so she thought until the first man looked directly at her. She froze, his eyes were cold as ice and so blue they almost glowed amid the dimmed lights. She quickly gathered herself and raised an eyebrow at him while tilting her chin up as she eyed him up and down, taking him in before making eye contact again and giving him a satisfied smile. She almost missed what looked like a slight shift in his cold eyes, looking almost amused before he sat down at the table along with the tall man from earlier and another man who looked about her age with a toothpick in his mouth.

“Irish whiskey, a bottle!” Blue eyes yelled before sitting down. Gross she thought while sipping the last of her champagne

“Tommy, that's Sabini’s cousin over there, '' the tall man yelled.

“Right Arthur this is Sabini’s club,” Tommy said calmly reclining back on his chair 

Vita almost leans over the table as she tries to catch their names amidst the loud music. Their accents sound different than the ones she’s been hearing around London the past couple of weeks. 

“Everyone here is a fucking face” the youngest one states 

“Just the lieutenants' John! No sign of the officers” Tommy states while looking around and she does the same catching a couple of men sitting a few tables away staring at the new arrivals. She recognized a couple of them from the dinners Tom had dragged her to when they first got to London.

Vita looks at Enzo and Aldo quietly nursing their drinks while engrossed in a conversation about tomorrow’s itinerary with Aldo not so subtly sneaking looks of a pretty girl dancing a couple of feet away. She closes her eyes for a second and listens to the music relishing the small freedoms that come in champagne glasses, jazz, and seeing a pretty face.

“Signorina?” Aldo speaks breaking the spell

“Sorry, Aldo you were saying?” she said, still a little dazed from the champagne.

“We should leave if you feel tired” Enzo added

“Not yet, just a little bit more,” she said looking at the stage “Please’ she added looking back at Enzo who only nodded understandingly. Knowing that once they were back in New York every watchful eye would be back on her, especially after being away for so long.

She looked past Enzo to see a group of men approaching Tommy’s table which seems to be led by Mario from earlier. 

“Gentlemen there’s been a mistake I’m afraid you’re going to have to leave” states politely yet firmly. What John replies is lost to the sound of trumpets in the background as she tries her best to continue her eavesdropping, proving to be difficult the louder the music gets. They continue to talk and she can hear something about racetracks and an agreement she starts to understand the situation and when she hears the word ‘provocation’ she gasps. These men and her family have a lot more in common than a simple intimidating presence. Before Vita can think to do anything else a bottle flies above her head and lands directly on their table smashing against the lamp into a million little pieces. 

“Peaky Scum!” is yelled before chaos breaks loose.

Aldo and Enzo shoot up their seats at the same time as her and she stumbles backward nearly tripping over when Enzo grabs her arm stabilizing her 

“Time to go,” he says as they move to leave a man stumbles across Aldo, turning around and punching him in the face dragging him into the ongoing brawl, meanwhile the band keeps playing. Vita gasps and moves toward him, but Enzo holds her back and moves in front of her shielding her from the brawl as they continue to try to walk towards the exit. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Tommy take his cap off and swing it at the men. The gesture confused her until she saw the man holding his face gushing blood dripping down his hand. What the fuck. She barely finished her thought as another man knocked into them knocking her over making her land roughly landing on the floor, pain shooting up her left side. Enzo retaliates, punching the man unconscious with the unique strength of a former heavyweight, before gently moving to pick her up when a gunshot is heard, effectively shutting everyone up.

The entire club goes quiet and stares at the man on the stage holding a shotgun. “Get Out” he orders but Tommy gets closer to him and calmly replies “Eh you’re gonna use that?” the tense silence continues for a moment before Tommy speaks again “Didn’t think so” 

Enzo helps her up “Are you ok? Cut or hurt anywhere?” 

“I’m fine” she waves him off as she can feel a bruise forming on her left side “Aldo?” 

They spot him a couple of steps ahead a little bruised up but alive he shoots a shy smile before motioning them to keep moving, Enzo puts a hand on her upper back and beckons her to move just before Tommy speaks again this time addressing all the patrons.

“We came here not to make enemies. No, we came here to make new friends” he starts. She motions Enzo to stop suddenly intrigued. She sees the one called John stealing a kiss from a woman while Arthur kicks a man on the floor trying to get up, she scoffs, and all three of the troublemakers walk towards the dancefloor where she is standing. “Those of you who are last will soon be first, and those of you who are downtrodden will rise up. You know where to find us” Tommy finishes his speech, and he turns to leave. 

Right at that time an immense amount of anger consumed her. Jesus Christ! Fucking business on the one night I’m supposed to be free of it. She looks down and sees her dress is torn and that seems to be the end of polite listening to underdog speeches.

“Hey!” she yells loudly Enzo looks at her in surprise, confused by her sudden outburst but it's too late to back out now. Tommy turns and looks at her with an unreadable expression which almost makes her stumble but it’s too late to back out now “I don’t know where to find you” she states as it appears all eyes turn to her, no one says anything so she continues “I got to say it's not the first time a pretty face like yours ruined my night but who am I supposed to bill for my dress if I don’t know where to find you” she says looking down at the torn fabric in her thigh causing Tommy to look down, eyes lingering for just one second too long. Her comment seems to draw some chuckles from John who recovers quickly. Enzo and Aldo still look stupefied by her brashness. 

Tommy walks towards but she refuses to cower behind Enzo choosing to stand tall as he comes closer. Enzo seems to break out of his trance and circles his arm around her protectively. 

Tommy gets close and bends his head just a bit so he can stare directly at her with those cold eyes.

 “It seems to me you wish it would’ve been me who tore your dress, love” 

His directness shocks her because How fucking dare he she thinks and maybe up to ten minutes ago she would’ve welcomd that comment but that was ten minutes ago and this was now. Enzo looks just about to pounce when she speaks again, this time ignoring the man standing right in front of her for the manager still standing on the stage with a shotgun in hand.

“Mario! Come si chiama?” she asks, the man looks confused for a second before he answers “Shelby, Thomas Shelby Signorina”

“Very well” she looks back at Tommy and his companions with a stoic face before looking back towards the stage.

“Tell Signior Sabini that Vita Corleone sends her regards” she turns making eye contact with Tommy once more “and thanks him for the entertainment tonight” she says before making her move to leave with Enzo and Aldo close behind.

 “See you around Mr.Shelby!” she calls back with finality

Once they cross the threshold towards the streets she breathes a sigh of relief. She hears Enzo ordering Aldo to get them a cab which they soon find themselves sitting in as she spots Tommy, Arthur and John exciting the club, Tommy with a bottle of Irish whiskey in his hand. They seem to be laughing and joking around. Not for the first time tonight Tommy looks her way staring at her for a moment before he slyly tips his hat at her. The gesture startles a chuckle out of her but the moment is broken when the car starts and they begin to make their way back to the Ritz. 

“No more late-night adventures Signorina,” Enzo says calmly 

Back to her golden cage, she goes. “This time I agree with you Enzo'' she says, giving him a smile before looking out the window staring at the blinking street lights as they pass them by. A nagging feeling in her stomach told her that this is not the last she has seen of Tommy Shelby 

“Fucking London.” 

[merryfortune]

Remember (the Burden & the Blessing)

Written for the 100ships Challenge

Prompt: #24 Ember 

Title: Remember (the Burden & the Blessing)

Ship: N/A | Asuka/Takeru

Fandom: Tropical Rouge Pretty Cure & Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains

Word Count: 5,405

Rating: T

Tags: Not Canon Compliant, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Childhood Friends, Developing Relationship, Pre-Relationship, Rivalry, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Mutual Attraction, Past/Referenced Character Death, Canonical Character Death

   “Hey, do you want to go on a trip?” her Dad asked.

   Asuka looked up from her video game console, “Depends,” she shrugged, “where to?”

    “To that little town north of her. Do you remember Homura? You know, my friend with the old man whose got a judo hall. Do you still remember going there as a kid?” her Dad asked in reply.

   “Yeah, I remember.” Asuka replied and she sighed. “And, yeah, sure, sounds a bit different than just hanging out here all day.” As that had become her summer holiday routine, not that she minded but it was getting a bit monotonous.

   “Good, then get your shoes and socks ready, we’ll leave in five.” her Dad said.

   “Oh, uh, okay.” Asuka said and she began to scramble.

   Not that she expected her Dad to be ready in five minutes, just because he said so but just in case. She wasn’t expecting that fire in the belly so quickly, either, but it was an hour and a half drive so they were burning daylight. So, Asuka got ready lickety-split with her phone and wireless earbuds, and naturally she was ready before her Dad. Just like she thought would happen but eventually, he got into the driver’s seat and put his keys into the ignition.

   Asuka sat in the front passenger seat, content to look out the window but she kept stealing glances at her Dad. At first, she wondered why he wanted to go on this trip all of a sudden. Then when one of her sad teenage angst songs came on, about third or fourth down her playlist on shuffle, it dawned on her.

   Oh.

   It was that time of the year. Homura-san’s birthday. 

   No wonder he wanted to go visit Homura-san’s grandparents.

   It would have been about this time ten years ago that Asuka had been first taken to visit the Homura family, she recalled. It was a nice, shiny summer, from what she remembered. There was meant to be a huge get-together for Homura-san’s birthday, with all his friends from high school as well as university, which was where they had met. Asuka remembered that she had been really excited to go. Not only to hopefully learn some judo but because she was told there would at least be two other kids there as well. A boy and a girl.

   What were their names again? Kakuta kept coming to mind for the girl, but Asuka knows she’s getting Kakuta from Masami from the Disciplinary Committee but what about the boy. 

   The Homura boy, her Dad’s friend’s son. That boy. Asuka felt embarrassed but she couldn’t remember, just that he had sort of whitish-coloured hair, maybe, and she couldn’t begin to guess what colour his eyes were. Oh, and the girl whose name was not Kakuta, she liked to tease him by calling him “teddy” or “teddy-boy”, Asuka remembered that but it didn’t help much as she fumbled their names.

   She had fun though. Lots of it, from what she remembered. She got to learn some judo and they drank soft drinks all day and ate chips and chocolate. It wasn’t a memory that Asuka reflected on often. To her child self, for the most part, it was another big dumb adult party and the ride there was way too long but it was one she looked on fondly.

   Now she just felt bad that she couldn’t remember that boy’s name. Especially considering… what happened next. 

   That phone call was really confusing. It would have been around autumn? Maybe early winter. It was all muddled in Asuka’s mind because the gravity of it escaped her as a six year old. Everything that followed had just been so confusing. Sad and confusing.

   The boy whose name escaped her, he had gone missing. Her parents had dropped everything to help find him, take out searches and ring around, try to get word out. All whilst Asuka was with her grandparents at home, just watching anime and the news but the news never showed a reel of a boy her age who had gone missing.

   Then, closer to spring, the news got worse. Her Dad’s friend, and his wife, had gone missing. Presumed dead. Difficult to say. Everyone wanted to hope that they would be found. Especially because their son was recovered from… somewhere. Something. 

   Asuka hadn’t been allowed to go to the funeral for Homura-san and his wife. She stayed at home with her grandmother. She just felt weird about it. The boy she had met once after all and his dead and missing parents. It didn’t really concern her but now, as a sixteen year old, she kind of wished she could have known more. Done more. But she had been six. A kindergartener. It really wasn’t her place.

   It definitely would not be her place either to bring it up - but she suspected it was half the reason that she and her Dad were on their way to their place.

   “We’re here.” her Dad piped up as the car stalled as he put it into park.

   “Oh, um, yeah.” Asuka blinked.

   She felt jostled by the car jerking to its halt and then looking around. Her reveries  dissipated, dispersed like embers before turning into nothing and already, she had forgotten most of her melancholy and adolescent angst and attempts at empathy.

   “Let’s go in, yeah?” her Dad prompted her.

   “Yeah.” Asuka mumbled, her voice thick from not talking for so long.

   They got out of the car and Asuka slipped her phone into her back pocket. She looked around and gosh, she had forgotten just how beautiful the countryside was. The Homura Estate especially. That brush of recollection that the place was an old samurai style mansion with a princess and whatnot, it all came back to her as she soaked in the pretty greenery, the white pebbles underfoot that wound through black soil to the wooden, sliding front door.

   Asuka smiled politely as she found herself trying to step properly on the pathwork. She trailed along behind her Dad as he knocked on the doorframe. The papery lining of it wobbled with the reverberations.

   “Hey, it’s me, Takizawa… I hope you don’t mind.” he called out.

   They waited a moment, feeling the warm sun on their backs and then there were footsteps. Adolescent, teenage boy type footsteps - the type that Asuka knew well, even if they weren’t as stodgy and heavy-footed as her older brother’s. They instead sounded gawky and klutzy and way too excited to answer the door. It slid open and behind it, was a huge smile on a boy who was about her height, maybe a touch taller with whitish coloured hair, and glasses.

   “Good to see you again, Takizawa-san.” he answered the door cheerfully, taking Asuka aback by the absolute golden retriever energy he was radiating. He then leaned around to address her as well, “It is good to see you again as well, Asuka.”

   “Y-Yeah, hi. Good to see you again.” Asuka replied, omitting the impulse to say, “boy whose name I can’t remember,” at the end of it.

   She had it all in her head that this meet and greet was going to be all doom and gloom. Maybe not. She smiled an awkward smile as she, and her father, were let inside. The fact that she didn’t recall his name was really starting to wallow in her mind as she was led down the dark, walnut-coloured hallways and into the parlour? Living room? It had a television so it was probably a living room.

   Asuka sat cross-legged in the centre of it, though, at the low coffee table. Her Dad sat opposite her and Homura across from her. Meanwhile, just through the next hallway over, Asuka caught glimpses of his grandparents, his grandmother was arranging snacks and tea whilst his grandfather was coming forward to greet the guests in the interim.

   “It is good to see you again, Haruya,” Grandfather Homura said as he, with aches and pains undoubtedly in his bones, sat down, his grandson assisting him, and he turned his sharp eyes then onto Asuka, she felt studied by his gaze, “and I appreciate the visit from you, too, Asuka.”

   “Thank you for having us.” Asuka replied. “Sir.”

   Grandfather Homura laughed with a sardonic mirth to his tone and expression. He smiled, a glint of yellowy-white from his teeth and then glanced at his grandson. He just sat prettily, bouncy.

   “You weren’t expecting me to remember your name, correct?” Grandfather Homura guessed as he returned his gaze to Asuka.

   She laughed awkwardly, “Yes…”

   “Young folk. All the same. Takeru was asking me earlier what Haruya’s daughter’s name was as well.” Grandfather Homura said.

   “Guilty as charged.” he said, embarassed with a half-chortle.

   “I guess we are.” Asuka shrugged, trying to agree but feeling oddly insulted somehow.

   She stole another glance at him. Takeru. That was his name! It was totally on the tip of her tongue. Knowing it for real though, that felt good. Weirdly assuring. And just in time, in came Grandmother Homura with a tray of goodies.

   “Whoa, these look so good.” Asuka complimented the homemade rice cakes as they were set down on the coffee tray.

   “Eat up, dear, I’m sure you're hungry after your trip, thank you, both, you as well, Haruya, for coming out on our son’s birthday. We really appreciate it.” Grandmother Homura said.

   “It's our pleasure, it must be hard, not knowing the truth after all this time, especially after what happened to Takeru,” Asuka’s Dad said, and though she didn’t mean to, her eyes wandered to Takeru who squirmed where he sat at the mention of his name, and his trauma, Asuka presumed, “I’ve been thinking about Kazuo. And my own mortality, I will admit, since he and Nozomi were just so young.... I just wanted to check in with you three, especially as it will be their eleventh anniversary later this year, correct?”

   “Yeah… I was six when it happened. It feels like the last ten years have gone by so slowly and yet, insane how quick the last six have gone.” Takeru solemnly replied. “I-I hope Dad, wherever he is, is having a good birthday, whilst we celebrate him here.”

   “Cheers. To that.” Asuka’s Dad agreed.

   He picked up a teacup full of green tea and managed to get the others to cheer with him. The ceramic cups all clinked together and when Asuka pulled back, she noticed she had a stray strand of matcha upright in her cup. She didn’t want to mention it, though, a happy omen after such a sad admission from Takeru, it didn’t feel right. Nor did picking up a rice cake even though she was hungry.

   But the conversation managed to pick up. With two teenagers in the room, there was plenty to talk about. School, grades, embarrassing moments. And, of course, there was reminiscence on Takeru’s parents, particularly his father as it was his birthday, after all.

   Once the conversation got rolling along some more, Asuka was able to eat more freely. Even chat more freely. She felt like she was getting along really well with Takeru. Making friends as kids was just so much easier. Just go up to one another and declare best friend status on that second and bam. Instant friends. Redoing that as teenagers, way more tricky but they were managing.

   So much so that Grandfather Homura had a suggestion to make towards the end of the first hour or so of her and her father being here, “Asuka, do you still enjoy sports?” he asked.

   “Yes, very much so, I have a scholarship because of my tennis playing and would like to go pro one day.” she replied enthusiastically.

   “Congratulations, and good luck on your aspirations.” Grandmother Homura said.

   “Thank you.” Asuka replied warmly, with a slight bow of her head.

   “Takeru has a sports-related career goal in mind as well,” she added, “don’t you, dear? We’re very proud.”

   Takeru blushed, “Yeah, I wanna take over Pops as the head of the judo centre. Do the paperwork and the teaching and stuff. I’ve been learning the ropes but I have to graduate not only high school first but uni, too.”

   “Sounds good. I’d like to go to university as well.” Asuka said. “It's very sweet that you want to take over the family business.”

   “Don’t worry, Asuka, if your tennis career fails, I can get you a job at the company.” her Dad said, rather proudly.

   “Aw, gee, thanks, Dad.” Asuka sarcastically replied.

   “You two should go and run some laps or something then.” Grandfather Homura said. “Burn off some energy and let us talk about things we cannot in your company, if you don’t mind.”

   “If you want, I’d be fine with that.” Takeru shrugged as he turned his head to Asuka.

   “I understand, and I’m always up for a challenge, teddy-boy.” Asuka smirked.

   “You remember that?” Takeru groaned. “You and Kiku, I swear.” He started to get up.

   Asuka began to get up as well and continued the conversation thread, “Somehow, yes, and how is Kiku?” She also knew that Kiku’s name had been on the tip of her tongue earlier.

   “Yeah, yeah, she’s good.” Takeru replied.

   They chatted as they left the living room so it wouldn’t be in mixed company. Takeru showed Asuka to down the road and pointed to where the judo hall was from their doorstep. On the count of three, it was a ready-set-go style sprint and it felt good to race. To get the heart pumping, to feel wind in their hair.

   Takeru won the race, of course. Asuka blamed it on home turf advantage and he didn’t disagree. Neither were puffing and panting by the end of it, as they stood on the edge of the steps as Takeru unlocked the judo hall. They would have it all to themselves, and the lingering, sweaty smell of athletics as well.

   Inside the hall was nice. It was prim and proper, save for the smell, with polished floors and all the decor expected of a traditional style gymnasium. Asuka half-remembered it from when she had done her singular lesson of judo here with Takeru and Kiku as kids and she breathed deep that smell. She couldn’t call herself an athlete if she said she didn’t like it, after all, as musky as it was.

   “Did you ever keep up your judo lessons?” Takeru asked as he closed the door behind them as Asuka peacocked on the main floor.

   “Eh, not really. Would’ve loved to but stuff got in the way, you know?” Asuka replied.

   “Okay, well, I’ll put you through the beginner drills again and then we can have a spar, see if you’ve learned anything.” Takeru suggested.

   “With a teacher like you, I’ll be fine,” Asuka smirked and she began to stretched herself, “besides,” she added, a sharp hint to her voice only she could revel in, “you don’t know who you are messin’ with, teddy-boy.”

   “Same could be said about you.” Takeru replied and there was a fire in his eyes. Bright and excited, like his soul was burning in the lilac-grey of his pupils from behind the glass of his dorky glasses.

   Asuka liked it. It got her excited in a way only rivalry could. But they somehow managed to put aside their trading remarks to get some stretches and practice beforehand. Asuka was a natural, even Takeru had to admit. Sure, she could use some posture fixes here and there but she was taking to it like a bird to water.

   (Again, Takeru had no idea and Asuka enjoyed that immensely).

   When Takeru thought they were both warmed up and that Asuka had a good enough grasp on the basic moves to hopefully employ them in a match. They both stood a respectful distance away from each other and paid their dues, bowed to each other, and then it was like a match had been struck, the flint blistered with sparks and they were both at each other.

   Any pretence of it being judo fell away pretty quickly. It did start that way for a minute, maybe, but then it just turned into a wrestling match. The type neither hadn’t had in a long, long time and now, their bodies were craving the no bars held beat down: as politely as they could. They liked each other, after all.

   As friends, of course.

   Friends who were all too happy to go at each other red hot from the get-go. From zero to one-hundred and beyond.

   Their stances on the floor were sturdy and powerful. They let each other’s rivalrous aggression flow through each other, a magmic energy that they shared as they stamped and stomped, taking blows and giving them out as well. It was all very polite in the way that only judo could be until it began to bend and break.

   It was obvious from how shoulders rolled back and from how eyes glinted that they both wanted more and so began a swift departure from judo to street fighting. Anything went. Fists, feet, it didn’t matter. So long as no one got hurt, not even so much as a black eye.

   “You're pretty good.” Takeru taunted her as his fist narrowly missed Asuka’s face. She all too deftly moved out of the way and was ready to clobber, only to get parried.

   “You ain’t so shabby either.” Asuka countered. 

   They kept going. Left, right, left, right. A marching rhythm that was getting blood pumping and adrenaline reeling. They were both grinning as they got closer and closer, the thrill of the fight, its crescendo and climax imminent until those floorboards below were, perhaps, too squeaky clean.

   Takeru’s socked foot squeaked against the floorboards as Asuka pressured him with non-contact pummeling punches. He was clumsy as he tried to avoid her, more worried about his face than his balance before finally he went down. But not before taking Asuka with him with a very clever swing of his foot, he hooked it on Asuka’s knee and she buckled.

   Asuka warbled all the way down and Takeru landed with a thump. It was messy and honestly embarrassing considering the fight they had kept up that far but it was kind of funny, too. At least until they finally took note of exactly what kind of sprawling mess they had ended up in. Hands pinned to the floor, chest to chest, it was uncomfortably close.

   In the end, Asuka ended up on top of Takeru and both blushed. Their legs were sprawled and yet entangled all the same. Asuka kept herself propped up on top of Takeru and there was definitely pelvic contact - but nothing else. 

   “Uhh… sorry, didn’t mean for that to happen. Usually it's more like “yay! Victory!”.” Asuka said as she scrambled off Takeru and just the mere mention of the word, she struck the pose.

   Takeru laughed, confused, but glad he didn’t need to anything as he watched as Asuka made a fool of herself. She spun on her heel until she had her back to Takeru and then did a jumping jack. She thrust both her hands in the air and said it again, “Victory!”

   “What was that?” Takeru asked through his chuckling.

   “Err, force of habit.” Asuka shyly replied as she turned back around.

   With a flounce, she dropped to the floor again so they could sit together. 

   “Where’d you learn that style?” Takeru asked.

   “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Asuka replied.

   “Try me.” Takeru taunted her, cheeky, his head lifting slightly.

   Asuka took a breath and she realised. She had two options. She could tell the truth or she could lie. She didn’t know if she would be believed or not, or if she would even feel good about lying about what had been the absolute best of times for the most of time. And when she looked at Takeru’s eyes, they were knowing. He had seen some weird things in his time. Of course he had. She had no idea what had happened during those six months that he had been… disappeared for, after all. So, it turned out all too easy to reply.

   “Mermaids.” Asuka said. “I learned to fight because a mermaid gave me a ring and a compact and then I would use that ring and compact and do a little transformation sequence-y thing and then boom. I’m a superhero. A magical girl.”

   “Mermaids… Are real?” Takeru asked.

   “As real as you or I.” Asuka replied.

   “So, are they like creepy mermaids or cutesy Disney mermaids?” Takeru followed up. He looked like he was trying to decide whether to panic or not; his expression was very grave either way.

   Asuka hummed, “No, they’re not scary at all. They’re pretty selfish and stuck up and stubborn, they hate being left out of things and yeah, sure, some of their laws are kinda creepy but with the new Queen, it just proves how much they care a lot about the world around them, for better or worse. So yeah, I’d say cutesy Disney mermaids.” She rambled thinking about Laura and Cure Oasis and her friendship with the once Witch of Delays nee Destruction.

   “Oh, okay, that’s a relief. ‘Cause Kiku’s told me some scary stories about mermaids. Didn’t think they were real.” Takeru replied.

   “You think Mermaids are real?” Asuka asked. “You believe me?”

   “Of course I believe you.” Takeru said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Why would you lie about something so… absorb.”

   “I think you mean absurd.” Asuka said.

   “Ah, oops, yeah I did mean absurd.” Takeru laughed awkwardly.

   “That makes me think you could tell me something absurd as well then.” Asuka said. “So, where did you learn to fight like that?”

   “I’d say you wouldn’t believe me but being a teenage delinquent is much, much more normal than being a teenage, er, uh, mermaid friend?” Takeru fumbled his point.

   “Pretty Cure. Or PreCure. We were Pretty Cures…” Asuka replied. “I was Cure Flamingo.”

   “What a great name. It's feisty.” Takeru said and then under his breath, he added, “I think Flame would agree.”

   “Who’s Flame?” Asuka asked, blinking owlishly.

   Takeru took a breath, “I was a teenage superhero too.” he said but he didn’t sound proud of it. “They called me… I called myself Soulburner.”

   “You sound really sad about that.” Asuka murmured.

   “I… I think I lost a piece of my soul, truth be told. See, Flame… Flame is someone who is really important to me. He’s the reason… He was the reason I…” Takeru became choked up and Asuka panicked.

   She lunged from where she sat so she could be closer to Takeru, she placed her hand on his knee. Her fingers trembling as even though they had just been wrestling a minute ago, touching Takeru felt like she was being too presumptuous of their relationship.

   “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.” Asuka assured him, she looked up at him with wet eyes.

   “No, I want to, I get the feeling you’d get it just as well as anyone.” Takeru said, his voice thick from the sob that he was holding back. “Because you got your power from so someone else, so did I. I worry that I can’t stand on my own two feet without him. See, Flame, he’s what’s called an Ignis.” 

   “An Ignis?” Asuka echoed back to him as she scooted in closer, feeling his warmth.

   Takeru leaned into her, “Do you remember, when I went missing as a kid? Your Dad, I’m told, tried to help my Mum and Dad find me for a bit, yeah?”

   “Yeah.” Asuka replied, mumbling.

   “Argh, I haven’t told anyone about this, not even Kiku…” Takeru grumbled at himself and then took a huge breath. “When I went missing, I was kidnapped and I was forced to duel over and over again. If I didn’t, they’d shock me. If I lost, I’d get shocked again and they wouldn’t give me any food. Not until I won.”

   “Oh my gosh, Takeru, that’s awful.” Asuka replied, she couldn’t believe what Takeru was saying but he was saying it through earnest, gritted teeth. He couldn’t have been more genuine if he tried.

   “And they did it, because they were scientists and they needed a lab rat. One which would teach the Ignis, who are, um, artificial intelligences with free will about the world. From my torture, Flame was born.” Takeru explained.

   Asuka’s expression faltered. Again. It was so entirely awful and unbelievable but there was such love to Takeru’s voice when he talked about this Flame creature. So, Asuka kept her slack mouth shut and Takeru continued.

   “He reached out to me, later, and helped pull me from a depression spiral. I went back to school, I actually met a couple of the other victims of the Incident. Flame was with me through thick and thin but… but in the end, I couldn’t save him. Soulburner couldn’t save him and he’s dead. H-He’s not coming back.” Takeru began to bawl.

   Asuka held onto him and her own thoughts, too. He clearly needed a good cry and Asuka always felt like she was a good shoulder to cry on. This bond that Takeru had with Flame… It was nothing like the one she had with Laura. No way. Not at all, not in the slightest.

   Asuka had been heartbroken by Laura having to leave. She wanted to become Queen and even though the laws of the underwater world were screwed up, she still wanted to follow through with what had been her dream of all time. 

   Not to mention. She came back. And that pain of her losing, it had been so sickeningly soothed by the fact that they had all had their memories erased. It hadn’t mattered, it had felt like a blink of an eye between separation and reunion. If they couldn’t remember, they couldn’t hurt, after all and just look at Takeru. He was so burdened by what he did remember, maybe it was much as a blessing as it was a curse, as much as they had fought for them to be kept. 

   Not to mention. When she did come back, the memories of being a Pretty Cure and spending time with Laura did, too.

   “I’m really sorry, man.” Asuka murmured. “But I’m sure Flame would forgive you, I’m sure he wouldn’t have thought you messed up at all. And… And I wouldn’t be so sure.” Asuka really thought she was overstepping here but she did it anyway. “When Laura left us, we all forgot. Mermaid magic, you know? But she still came back for us, even when she couldn’t remember us either. Who knows? Maybe Flame isn’t as gone as you think he is. And even if he is, the memories of him, well, they’re really important too and they won’t ever leave you.”

   Takeru pulled back and he smiled, “Thanks, Asuka, I’m sorry, that was a lot to put on someone…”

   “It's fine.” Asuka shrugged. “You needed to say it.” She looked over to him and his big, gooey eyes went with the tears that he had shed but he looked so pretty, his smiling shining on despite his damp face. 

   “Tell me more. About Laura.” Takeru said. “If you want.”

   “There’s not much to say. She’s kind of a bitch but we love her anyway.” Asuka replied. “I used to be a loner and I used to have an ex-best friend that I hated but thanks to becoming a Pretty Cure, I was able to make friends again, even with Yuriko…”

   “Flame gave me that opportunity, too. Even if he was a pretentious bastard at times.” Takeru chuckled.

   Asuka smiled gently, “Glad to hear it.”

   Takeru flopped down, onto Asuka’s lap, surprising her and he looked up at her with grin which was both cheeky and charming. He very easily got comfortable atop her lap. He sprawled out all languid like, one leg over the other as he settled on top of Asuka as though her lap were a pillow.

   “What are you doing?” Asuka frowned playfully.

   “I’m really thankful to you, Asuka, for letting me get that off my chest. I can’t thank you enough, I’m serious.” Takeru said.

   “I’m glad I was able to help.” Asuka replied as she lazily trailed her fingers through Takeru’s hair. It was soft and fluffy to her touch. 

   Then, in turn, Takeru reached up to caress Asuka’s face. His hands were tough. Rough hewn from being a country boy, but they were affectionately warm, as well. He stroked Asuka’s face, only for his hand to then get lost in her hair. Asuka cringed here and there as Takeru not-so-elegantly twirled strands of her hair, tugging and pulling as he rolled the silky strands over himself.

   “You have very pretty hair.” Takeru finally complimented her after taking so long.

   “Gee, thanks,” Asuka half-chuckled, “it was my charm point as Cure Flamingo… and still is not, quite clearly.” The words of the spell to make her transform just behind her lips as Takeru piped up, curious for more.

   “So? Got any stories you can tell me about being Cure Flamingo? Because one time as Soulburner-” Takeru asked, only to be caught off guard by the noise of the door shuddering open.

   They both looked to the side and saw Asuka’s Dad with Takeru’s Grandfather. The latter of whom stepped aside, out of their vision as the late afternoon light was pouring in. Asuka’s Dad, meanwhile, stepped inside the threshold but not a footstep more as he cleared his throat.

   “Glad to see you kids getting along,” he started, “but unfortunately we need to get home, Asuka, as lovely as the Homura hospitality has been, I don’t want to put them out more than we already have with our visit.”

   “Oh, uh, yeah, lemme get up…” Asuka panicked.

   She wriggled out from underneath Takeru who artfully did not let his head drop to the ground with a thud. Asuka scrambled to her feet and then pulled Takeru up. He accepted her offered hand with a firm grip that flustered her. Even more so than their wrestle or their after their exchange on the topic of being former teenage superheroes.

   “It was really good seeing you again, Asuka.” Takeru bade her. “Keep in touch, yeah? I can finally work phones good, thanks to… yeah.”

   “Yeah.” Asuka said, she nodded her head. She knew exactly who “yeah” was.

   Takeru walked Asuka to the door where her Father stood. Then, as a group of four, they walked back down to the Homura estate and lingered by the garden, where the car was parked.

   “Thank you for having us, sir, it was good to catch up.” Asuka’s Dad said to Takeru’s Grandfather.

   “Don’t be strangers, we don’t mind.” Takeru’s Grandfather replied with a nod.

   “I’ll look forward to seeing you again.” Takeru added to Asuka.

   “Same. And don’t worry, I’ve got your number now.” Asuka said. He’d been really worried about getting it wrong on the walk back down to his place.

   With awkward exchanges borne of genuine, sentimental platitudes, Asuka and her Dad got into the car. Asuka flopped down into the passenger seat whilst her Dad readied himself in the driver’s seat. It was going to be late by the time they got back to Aozora City but her Dad said they could just get some takeout and that sounded good to Asuka as she curled into the side of the chair. She looked out the window, her hands on the glass, leaving marks where her fingertips were and then waved a couple more times at Takeru to say goodbye when their eyes met.

   “So.” her Dad said as he carefully took off out of the driveway. “You and Takeru, huh?”

   “Wh-What?” Asuka exclaimed, her head snapping back to the other side.

   “I just think it's nice that you get along so well.” her Dad said, insinuating absolutely nothing but it was more than enough to stoke a flame of embarrassment in his daughter.

   “I-It's not like that, we just have a lot in common and are comfy with skinship, nothin’ wrong with that.” Asuka blustered as her Dad laughed raucously at her expense as she kept spitting panicked embers of denial.