#Hopefully someone else can chip in with a solution though! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bottomlouisficfest · 4 years ago

Photo

Now that the Bottom Louis Fic Fest 2020 has concluded, we know that a lot of readers will have more time to catch up on some of the amazing fics they may have missed over the past two months. We encourage everyone to check out the full collection and to scroll through this masterpost of the 70 incredible fics that were posted during this year’s fest.

Please be sure to give all of these fics love - offer kudos, leave comments, reblog their fic posts on Tumblr, and retweet the fic posts on Twitter to help spread the word about these fics. The fest ending does not mean that our appreciation and reading of these fics has to end too.

Thank you for following along with this fest! We appreciate every single one of you - and we’ll see you later this year for the Bottom Louis Fic Fest 2021. 😊💜

Rainbow Bloom

A fic by dandelionfairies on AO3 | @dandelionfairies on Tumblr | dandelionfairi1 on Twitter

22k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Louis is in denial. Louis has been in denial for far too long. Then Harry enters his life and everything changes.

Breakable Heaven

A fic by amomentoflove on AO3 | @daggerandrose on Tumblr | dagger_rosefics on Twitter

44k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“What do you think?” Louis gets captured by Harry’s green eyes, unable to look away or even take a breath.

“I think you’re the most magnificent creature I’ve ever met.”

“You must not have met many creatures then.”

Harry’s eyes glance downward to Louis’ lips and his tongue darts out to wet his own. “None like you.”

bang bang (my baby shot me down)

A fic by thepolourryexpress on AO3 | @thepolourryexpress on Tumblr | ZOUlSBUSONE on Twitter

16k | Not Rated | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“I walked in on them having sex again,” Niall says after a beat of hesitation.

Liam still looks confused. “Why’s this different from every other time we’ve seen them having sex?” Liam asks, and oh, Harry knows Liam really doesn’t want to know the answer to this one.

Niall’s gone silent then, and Harry almost thinks they’re in the clear. Liam is back to scrolling through his phone, and Zayn is whispering something to Louis that makes the older boy giggle. They’re going to get through this car ride without a murder.

But then Niall’s covering his face with his sweatshirt, taking in a breath and on his exhale, Harry hears him mutter, “Louis was wearing knickers.”

Liam’s phone clatters to the floor of the car.

Don't You Know That I'm a Moon in Daylight?

A fic by wildholly on AO3 | @bottomlwt on Tumblr | bottomloulou on Twitter

58k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 79. Louis and Harry fell in love in the 18th century, Louis wanted Harry to convert him into a vampire, but he ended up resenting Harry for it. Fast forward to our modern days, they haven’t seen each other since then, but one day they meet again through a mutual friend. Harry was bitter for a long time, but he accepted that being angry wouldn't erase the fact that Louis was the love of his life. He wanted to court and spoil Louis like in their original time period, but Louis avoided him every time Harry tried to reconnect. Happy ending!

practice in pencil, seal it in pen

A fic by loubellies on AO3 | @loubellies on Tumblr | loubellies on Twitter

16k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 174: AU where drunk Harry lifts Louis up after someone says “bottoms up”. Louis blushes at Harry’s antics, flustered that his best friend knew him more than he thought. Friends to lovers with a happy ending please

or Harry is in love with Louis but he doesn't know.

tastes like summer, smiles like may

A fic by outropeace on AO3 | @outropeace on Tumblr | outropetals on Twitter

47k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Is this true?” Harry grabbed the beta by the shoulders. “Bryce, where did you hear that?”

“There’s rumors going around the castle,” he smirked. “stories about his beauty and his cold attitude. They know he is an omega only because of his scent, but he has never had a heat.”

“Do you know what this means?”

Bryce smirk grew into a big smile. “He can’t give you an heir.”

A cold prince, an alpha with nothing left to lose and a kingdom with a secret.

blinded by the sparks

A fic by wallstracktwo on AO3 | @wallstracktwo on Tumblr

22k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

"You can’t even keep your lies straight. Mike has the memory of an elephant and can remember every single detail about every single person he’s ever met, so don’t stand there and tell me that he mixed you up with someone else.” He took back Harry’s cigarette. “I saw you exchanging lower chips for higher ones. I saw you counting the cards. There is no fucking way you won seven thousand dollars tonight honestly. And so I will repeat myself — I want in. Fifty-fifty.”

Harry was completely taken aback by the stunningly attractive man standing in front of him. He made several attempts to say something — opening and closing his mouth at least twice before he was finally able to string a few words together. “What? No. No way. No. Sorry, but I work alone.”

That was the truth too — he had never trusted anyone enough to let them get close, especially when it came to his scamming, so having a partner was completely, utterly out of the question.

“Don’t you think you need someone on the…” Louis’ tongue darted out, licking his lips as his eyes flickered to Harry’s mouth, one eyebrow cocking up. “...inside.”

Or - Harry is a scammer who drifts from casino to casino. Louis is the new waiter who wants in on the scam.

somewhere in between

A fic by soldouthaz on AO3 | @soldouthaz on Tumblr | soldouthaz on Twitter

42k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Louis wakes up early. He brushes his teeth and can only stomach a piece of toast for breakfast, dressing quickly and heading for the car. He pulls into the parking lot of the Department of Dominance and Submission just as they’re unlocking the doors. It takes him all of an hour in the uncomfortable chairs to fill out the paperwork to the best and most accurate of his ability, handing it over to the receptionist as soon as he’s finished and wiping his sweaty palms on his business trousers.

There’s a high chance that within ten to fifteen business days, Louis will be matched with a dominant.

Shit.

On My Mind All The Time, Say You're Mine

A fic by Safetypinprince on AO3 | @roselouis on Tumblr | femboyIouis on Twitter

9k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Dude, we’re inside, and it’s night time. Those don’t look as cool as you think they do.” Louis could kick himself, he sounded so stupid, but it certainly got the guy’s attention.

It was at that unfortunate moment that he noticed several other things about this hot asshole, that he hadn’t noticed just staring from afar. First, when Louis spoke to him, his gaze was kind of unfocused behind his sunglasses, and secondly, that he had a red and white cane folded up under his arm.

“I’m… Blind,” the man chuckled, awkwardly.

Louis wanted to melt into a puddle out of pure embarrassment.

“I— am so sorry. I have to go.”

“Hey, wait, wait,” the man soothed, grabbing at Louis’ shoulders before he could get away.

“I’m sorry,” Louis repeated, looking down at his shoes.

“It’s alright,” He cackled. “I get it a lot. More than you know.”

Alternatively titled: and they were roommates.

A Silent Whisper (That's Left Unsaid)

A fic by MyEnglishRose on AO3 | @lwtisloved on Tumblr | darlinlou on Twitter

50k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“So… we’re doing this?”

Louis shrugs, suddenly acting disinterested.

“Your call, Curly.”

Instead of a verbal response, Harry suddenly takes Louis’ left hand in his. The black ring seems to nag him as the fire’s light reflects its polished edges. He ignores Louis’ curious gaze as he quickly takes off one of his own rings — the rose one —, sliding it on Louis’ middle finger. It is a little large and when he lets go of his hand, Louis has to curl it into a fist so the ring doesn’t immediately fall off.

“We’ll tell them it’s a promise ring, not an actual engagement,” Harry declares, trying to ignore how warm his cheeks feel. Hopefully, it can’t be seen as he is facing away from the fireplace.

“Right… could have gotten me a fitted ring though, my Harry ten years ago was more thoughtful.”

Louis’ tone is light and teasing again. It creates a small smile on Harry’s lips.

“Someday,” he whispers before he even registers it himself.

They both ignore it.

Or. A Fake Relationship & Exes to Lovers AU ft a failed proposal ten years ago, an oblivious Harry, an overworked Louis, Zayn as the protective best friend, a meddling aunt and a lot of talks about weddings and rings.

sweet like honey

A fic by falsegoodnight on AO3 | @falsegoodnight on Tumblr | falsegoodnight on Twitter

33k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Weeks of flat shopping with their limited budget with Louis as a librarian aid and Harry as a barista and arguments about whether a balcony or extended bathroom suite were more important (Harry wanted to be able to feel the crisp night’s air and watch the sun set and Louis just wanted to take long bubble baths) led to them stumbling across the perfect fit. A small flat only ten minutes from campus with a cramped but lovely balcony and an included bath.

It’s affordable too… well, sort of. But they always manage. Louis picks up more shifts as an aid, adapting a habit of bringing his Psych textbooks and homework with him to finish in between duties, and later his script so he can quietly practice lines with little distraction.

Harry also increases his number of shifts at the cafe and valiantly endures the nasty customers who for some reason flock to their establishment like moths to a flame.

For a while, it’s enough.

Or, Harry and Louis need money and they find an unconventional solution in the form of PornHub. It’s not supposed to be a big deal.

Spoonful of Sugar

A fic by zanni_scaramouche on AO3 | @zanniscaramouche on Tumblr

42k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Harry Styles.

A name better suited for a myth than a man. Like the name of the devil, people either whisper it in fear or laugh it off as fable. Cut it open and this city’s heart doesn’t bleed red. It’s snowy white, and it pulses in the tight grip of Lucifer himself.

Louis Tomlinson cares for his family above all else, a fact that’s led him on a twisted path peddling drugs to support them. Just as he’s made the decision to jump ship, Louis gets snared between the two largest crime syndicates in the city. To keep his family safe he’s forced to trust the man that failed to keep his promise two years ago, the resident drug lord he’s unknowingly been working for, Harry Styles.

Let's Break the Internet

A fic by louizsv on AO3 | @ashleyjohnsonfanaccount on Tumblr | piccadillyplum on Twitter

9k | Explicit | Louis/OMC | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“I’ll tell you what,” Sam leans forward in his chair and steeples his fingers in front of his face, “If you actually make an account and sell nudie pics and porn for more than three months, I’ll believe you.”

Louis purses his lips, ignoring the returning blush on his cheeks at the thought of having to film himself in compromising positions or taking photos of himself without any clothes on. Raising his chin defiantly, Louis accepts the challenge.

“Fine,” he agrees, “But when I win, you have to make one too.”

Lips quirked, Sam nods and holds out a hand, “Deal.” -- Or, the one where Louis is an Only Fans baby.

in a sea of mist

A fic by tomlinvelvet on AO3 | @tomlinvelvetfics on Tumblr

126k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

A Greek Mythology/Camp Half-Blood AU where Harry is lost, the road to peace is a wretched one, and somehow, through a mist of confusion and regrets, Louis seems to be the only thing that makes sense and everything Harry needs.

Across the Grey, Salty Sea

A fic by thecheshirepussycat on AO3 | @the-cheshire-pussy-cat on Tumblr | Bee_With_Mee on Twitter

19k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 212: Alex from Dunkirk and French escort/prostitute Louis who ends up in Alex’s quarters more nights than not. Alex gives him his dog tag to wear maybe just a lot of smut and dirty talk with Louis being a pretty princess.

When Our Worlds They Fall Apart

A fic by edensrose on AO3 | @holdingthornsandroses on Tumblr | thetrashpigeon on Twitter

42k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Harry put his hand over his heart as if Louis had wounded him. “You’re so harsh, my liege! Perhaps you need to relieve some tension…” He let his voice trail off suggestively.

“The day I ask YOU to relieve tension is the day I lose all my wits and join the Imperials,” Louis said. “It will never happen.”

Written for the Bottom Louis Fic Fest 2020- Prompt 325: Star Wars AU with Harry as Han Solo and Louis as Leia.

Thank you, five.

A fic by nouies on AO3 | @nouies on Tumblr | _nouies on Twitter

5k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Harry?” He says as soon as he recognises the other man.

“Louis? Wh-what are you doing here?” Harry asks with a frown.

“Well, I’m here for rehearsal,” Louis announces with a proud smile.

There’s a flash of confusion on Harry’s face. “What do you mean rehearsal? I got the part, you didn’t.”

Prompt 195: Hamilton AU

Know I Think You're Awesome, Right?

A fic by princesshalo on AO3 | @princesshalo on Tumblr | tpwkorra on Twitter

60k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Well, that’s not very Treat People With Kindness of you.”

“Neither is approaching someone with the sole intent of criticizing a cause they’re clearly passionate about, given the amount of time they’ve dedicated to advocating for it,” Louis snaps.

“Sure, but I’m not the one with the button,” Harry shrugs.

“So, is there actually something I can help you with, or did you just come to push me into pepper spraying you as well?” Louis is quickly growing impatient. Hell, he was impatient the moment that Harry made his grand entrance on campus yesterday.

“I’m just trying to assess the environment here,” Harry says, “Because if this is all you’ve got to offer trans people who just want to be able to use the bathroom in peace like the rest of us, then I’m not sure I fit in.”

“Allow me to save you the trouble, then: you don’t.”

Based on the prompt: a college AU where Louis is a hippie, very good vibes activist and Harry is a punk, anarchist that always gets involved in violent protests.

show you the stars in daylight

A fic by bruisedhoney on AO3 | @yvesaintlourent on Tumblr | bruisedhoney on Twitter

13k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Louis laughed, the sound loud and borderline obnoxious. Harry winced. “Are you kidding, Haz? I wouldn’t even look twice at someone that couldn’t pick me up.”

And, well. That was new information to Harry. It’s not like Louis had ever mentioned to him that he was his type in any way, shape, or form. Harry shifted closer into the space between Louis’s legs, even more intrigued than before. “Why not?” he asked curiously, all pink lips and big curls. Louis smiled.

“Tiny, innocent, little Harold. Need someone that can pick me up, don’t I? I like being tossed around a little. You know, pinned down and made to take it. Lifted up like I’m nothing,” Louis said it all with a confident smile, his sharp little teeth tugging at his bottom lip as he locked eyes with the jock across the kitchen. “Think he might come over here. Move over. I don’t want him to think we’re together.”

Or, the one where Louis has a type and at sixteen and scrawy, it's definitely not his best friend's little brother Harry...ten years later, he changes his mind.

Freeway of Love (In a Pink Cadillac)

A fic by MsHydeStylinson on AO3 | @mizzhydes on Tumblr | MsHydeStylinson on Twitter

33k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Did you like them?” Louis asked in a seductive tone, propping his elbow against the armrest, chin resting against his fingers.

“I’m not going to answer that,” Harry informed, lips pressed in a hard line.

“I don’t think you have to,” Louis smirked nodding slightly towards his telltale bulge and watched as Harry reddened from his neck to his forehead in a flash.

”Please, I beg you to put that phone away,” Harry pleaded with a suffering expression plastered on his face.

“Please…” Harry whined.

Or,

Louis was on his way to Miami to visit an old friend. Harry was going there for a little R&R and take in the sights and sounds. A sudden upgrade in seating brought these polar opposites together. The universe works in mysterious ways and they are unknowingly about to embark on an adventure they will surely remember for a lifetime.

Prompt 107: Sugar daddy AU inspired by this tweet: “going to sit next to the richest looking middle aged man on my flight and scroll through my nudes for three hours straight” with rich daddy Harry and bratty baby Louis.

Won't Keep You My (Dirty Little) Secret

A fic by lovelykits on AO3 | @lovelykits on Tumblr

16k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“I got asked out today,” Louis comments.

“Okay,” Harry shifts.

“Did you hear me? I said I got asked out.”

"You always get asked out.”

“Yeah well this time they didn’t believe I had a boyfriend!”

Or Louis and Harry have been together since the end of last year and somehow no one knows about it.

A Place With Skeletons

A fic by whoknows on AO3 | @crazyupsetter on Tumblr

50k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“I would choose anyone other than you,” Louis says, picking up his train of thought again. He feels a lot more cornered and defensive when they’re in Harry’s house, for some reason. It doesn’t really make sense, considering that this time, Louis was the one who couldn’t hack it any longer. He broke first. There’s something about being in Harry’s space, though, the green and earthy feeling of it. It should feel like open space with all the plants, but Louis has never felt more claustrophobic than he does when he’s here.

Harry’s chest moves against his back, a sharp intake of air. Before he can open his mouth to defend himself, Louis keeps going, “If I had a choice in any of this, I would have been saved by that elderly security guard over you. I wouldn’t mind having to have the occasional cuddle with her.”

Pretty and Pink

A fic by LarryInPanties on AO3 | @larryinpantiess on Tumblr | babielouu on Twitter

12k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Louis points a finger at the man’s pec, “I’ll have you know Harry, anyone would be lucky to have me as a hitchhiker buddy. I’m nice, I don’t take up too much space, and I’m pretty.”

He’s not lying.

“Let me get this straight,” Harry gives Louis a look when he lets out a tiny laugh. “Ya’ want to take a ride with me but you don’t even know where ya’ wanna go yet?”

Harry never lets anyone come on the road with him.

Then, a cute hitchhiker, Louis comes around.

Cold As Ice And Everything Nice

A fic by harriblou on AO3 | @harriblou on Tumblr | harriblou on Twitter

40k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

A young boy about Harry’s age was zoomed into the camera, blushing a bright red and breathing heavily and as he bowed. The crowd was cheering for him loudly and every movement he made was bashful and flustered. He had on a very nice skate dress that was purple. His name, hometown, skate scores, and all sorts of information was in a banner on the bottom half of the screen. He was really young, especially compared to all the other competitors, which was the second thing he noticed.

The first was that the boy was easily the prettiest in the entire world, the prettiest boy Harry’s ever seen. He felt his asthma squeeze his throat and his heart beat faster and his hands get a little more clammy.

or in which Louis is a professional ice-skater and he meets Harry, who offers to clean the ice for him.

You'll wait for me only.

A fic by signofthetmies on AO3 | @tired-eyes-lou on Tumblr

9k | Teen & Up | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Harry nips at the bondmark on Louis’ neck, Louis’ hands go to his hips, grounding him. He allows himself this, knowing that his Omega needs it too. Harry pulls back, “Go on a date with me.” He rushes out, looking at Louis’ eyes.

Louis laughs and shakes his head. “No, Louis, I’m serious. We’ve bonded for life anyway, might as well try.” Louis looks at him, “You’ve been thinking about this a lot.” Louis points out, Harry nods. “Okay.” Louis says and walks out leaving Harry. “Okay what?!”

_______________________

Prompt 15: Omega Louis is a lawyer that worked on omega rights cases. Alpha Harry is a corporate lawyer. Louis and Harry used to be childhood archenemies, until Louis moved to another school and they never saw each other again. Now, they’re both adults that happen to work in the same place. They behave like children and still share a mutual dislike. Both travel to work together for a case. One night they both bond accidentally. Slowly but surely, they fall in love. Enemies to lovers!

through the wheatfields and the coastlines

A fic by thepolourryexpress on AO3 | @thepolourryexpress on Tumblr | ZOUlSBUSONE on Twitter

53k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“You’re not from around here, are ya?” Hot Cowboy asks, tracking his little lamb with his eyes. Louis frowns slightly, having thought he was doing pretty well at not sticking out like a sore thumb. It’s not like he’s not from around here — it’s not his first summer he’s spent at his grandparents'. But he supposes that the Manhattan city lifestyle that he’s used to is always going to shine through.

“I’m visiting family for the summer,” Louis explains, cheeks a little pink. “Trying to get some work done without distractions.”

Or, alternatively, the one where Louis needs inspiration, and a certain cowboy and his lamb are the perfect distraction.

The Boy with the Tin Chest and a Glass Heart

A fic by louloubaby92 on AO3 | @louloubabys1992 on Tumblr

18k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Alpha Harry Styles, world-renowned author of fairy-tales, is being persuaded by the Beta, Liam Payne to hire a new illustrator. Since Harry’s own illustrations are too graphic for what is supposed to be children’s stories, Liam feels the need is dire. Omega Louis does not agree with Liam since he believes that Harry’s stories are fine just the way they are. Of course this has nothing to do with Louis being totally biased or totally head over heels for Harry. It certainly has nothing to do with being jealous of the mysterious omega illustrator Liam has in mind to team Harry up with.

Seriously, it has nothing to do with that at all. Nothing, absolutely nothing, zilch, nada.

Yeah...

This Glass House

A fic by BabyPowderLou on AO3 | @compactblue on Tumblr | princessbluelou on Twitter

42k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

While deployed, Alpha Harry gets injured by an IED explosion, leaving him to deal with severe injuries in its devastating aftermath. During his road to acceptance and recovery he learns with the help of Louis and their children just how important family can be for the mind, body, and soul.

singing your praises

A fic by loubellies on AO3 | @loubellies on Tumblr | loubellies on Twitter

6k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 86: Louis rides Harry while wearing his packer’s jersey/sweater and gets his ass ate.

made for lovin' you

A fic by cuddlerlouis on AO3 | @cuddlerlouis on Tumblr | burntromances on Twitter

52k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“I’m in,” is all Louis receives. He blinks a few times, making sure he’s reading this right.

“For real?” he asks, just to be a hundred percent sure.

“Yes,” pops up. “How do you wanna pursue?” The alpha adds, like he’s on a special mission or something.

“I’m gonna call us a cab to go to mine. Once I know it’s here, I’ll leave and join you there,” Louis explains. “I’ll text you to go around five minutes before it arrives, so it doesn’t look suspicious, and our friends don’t notice us leaving together.”

“Noted.”

So Louis does, and ten minutes later, he’s sat in the backseat of a cab, next to Harry Styles, the person he hates the most but unfortunately still finds attractive. They’re on their way to fuck in Louis’ flat.

Splendid.

Or the one where a quick, horny decision ruins Louis’ summer plans, but may also lead to unexpected discoveries. Featuring the road trip of dreams, misunderstandings, and a bit of fate.

Stuck On You

A fic by WritewhatIwant on AO3

34k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Louis’ life revolves around his stickers. Harry’s life revolves around his job. The universe has decided their worlds should revolve around each other.

On the Edge

A fic by zanni_scaramouche on AO3 | @zanniscaramouche on Tumblr

47k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Figure skating is as vital to Louis’ identity as his DNA, so when his skates go missing right before the last Olympics of his career there may be a meltdown only vanilla bath salts can fix. Well, that and the stupidly charming hockey player he met on the plane.

Harry’s too old to be the wonder kid and too young to be taken seriously in the NHL. As an alternate thrown in at the last second, he fights to prove himself on the national team at the largest sporting event known to man. Or he will, once he gets off this flight and can focus on something other than the fussy figure skater and his stunningly blue eyes.

A baggage mix-up skews both of their perfectly laid plans for gold, forcing the two to work together as the clock clicks towards the minute they’re expected to shine on centre ice.

Be a Good Girl For Me

A fic by wannabebestseller on AO3 | @sincetheywere16and18 on Tumblr

9k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Based on this prompt: “AU where Harry is Louis’ older brother’s best friend. He catches Louis dancing around his room in panties and blackmails him, saying that Louis has to do anything he says or else he’ll tell Louis’ family that he wears girly underwear. Secretly soft for him, Harry gives him easy tasks and uses the whole thing to spend more time with Louis. Eventually, the orders begin to escalate and Harry teases Lou about his secret, making Louis shy and embarrassed. Louis loves the attention though, and forms a crush on his brother’s best friend. Lots of feminization, secret relationship, and enemies to lovers. Thank you!”

dripping like spider milk

A fic by raspberryoats on AO3 | @raspberryoatss on Tumblr | raspberryoatss on Twitter

64k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

When he sees the alpha, his brown hair curling around the top of his neck and his broad back that’s filled out over the past couple of years, Louis freezes for a moment. The alpha turns around, Louis’ surprised expression mirrored on his own for a fraction of a second before he schools it into a big, yet shy grin and a wave of his huge hand. With his nostrils flared, Louis knows that he can smell him, too.

They never hired alphas, except for—

“Harry.”

or prompt 110: Louis is a retired porn star and he gets invited back to test a new line of sex products the company he worked for is releasing (would include photoshoots and videos of Louis sampling certain toys). Harry is there to photograph, film, and intimately help him along the way (preferably in a private setting).

But It's Useless

A fic by thinlines on AO3 | @thinlinez on Tumblr

26k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Hey.”

Louis was even hallucinating now. He closed his eyes.

“Hey, you.”

He chuckled wetly, head still leaning against the door.

“Can you get out of the way? You're blocking the door.”

He exhaled sharply before slowly turning around. His eyes fixed onto muddy Nike trainers before it traveled up to impossibly short jogging shorts. The yellow color was atrocious, simply ghastly.

“What happened to being polite, Harold?”

OR Omega Louis would never guess that he would be trying to hack into Alpha Harry's Wifi. That is until everything changes when he tries to get to know his enemy.

Yours To Lose

A fic by loulicate on AO3 | loulicaterecs on Twitter

26k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“I think I know the person that matches your descriptions of your dream alpha.”

“Who? And oh not my dream alpha, god you’re making me sound like a teenage school girl. I’m a mum, H.” They laugh as they watch kids gather in front of the verandah, getting ready to go back to the orphanage.

“Well, you’re gonna have to find out.” Harry winks before standing up to start cleaning their spot.

Or Louis always gets distracted with his mummy duty and he eventually catches Harry's attention.

Sweet Scary Creatures

A fic by Specklesock on AO3 | @specklelouis on Tumblr | specklelouiie on Twitter

13k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

They stare into each other's eyes for a while until Louis remembers this is too intimate and looks at Harry’s hands on his thigh. It spans a big portion of his thigh and Louis has always been insecure about how thick he is, so he loves that Harry has huge, dustbin hands that hold him and makes him feel smaller, safer.

We Are But Dust and Shadows

A fic by louisbarnes on AO3 | @tomlinsonbarnes on Tumblr | dreamersdiving on Twitter

51k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Um, okay. I’m going to…” Harry gestured over his shoulder and gave the two of them an awkward smile.

“Wait! You got a letter.” Zayn held out the letter and Harry’s face dropped. He took the letter from Zayn, gaze locked on it like it was a bomb ready to explode. “What is it?”

“Probably just from the New York Institute,” Harry muttered. He hurried away, ripping the envelope open as he went.

“Remember when you said you didn’t want to fuck him?” Zayn broke the silence and Louis scoffed.

“Quite clearly, actually.”

Zayn grinned. “Your eye twitches when you lie.”

“Fuck off.”

Or: Louis is part of a well respected Shadowhunter family, and Harry is the Mundane turned Shadowhunter who just can’t seem to get it right.

it's hard to fight naked

A fic by bluestarwitch on AO3 | @loustarlight on Tumblr | IwtstarIight on Twitter

11k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 6: Louis and Harry are roommates, but they cannot stand each other. When Harry heard Louis moan his name while Louis was riding a dildo in Harry’s room (Louis thought he was alone at home), Harry couldn’t stop himself and so he ended up fucking Louis against the mattress. Happy ending!

or where Louis leaves dirty socks on the couch, Zayn does assignments while he's high, and Harry is hopelessly crushing on his roommate.

social cues

A fic by outropeace on AO3 | @outropeace on Tumblr | outropetals on Twitter

56k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

To Harry, Louis was becoming as tangible and essential as music in his life. He still was a mystery but at the same time, he was one of the most real things Harry had. He just hoped he could live up to the image Louis probably had in his mind of him.

He could play the part, after all, what was published of him wasn’t as detached from reality. He didn’t think of himself as a rockstar cliche, although he couldn't deny he did sleep around, partied a lot, and did some drugs. But then again, wasn’t that what the majority of his friends back in his hometown were doing at college?

Harry wanted to impress Louis, he didn’t want to disappoint or leave his expectations unfulfilled, so he’d give him the full rockstar experience.

It was a very simple plan, what could possibly go wrong?

hereafter

A fic by larryent on AO3 | @larryent on Tumblr | oflarryent on Twitter

13k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

"A legacy is every life you’ve touched. And you’ve touched mine twice."

On the coast of San Franciso in 2024 is when Harry falls in love all over again.

“This thing upon me is not death but it’s as real, .... this thing upon me like a flower a feast, believe me is not death and is not glory.” — Charles Bukowski, old man, dead in a room

smoke between your teeth

A fic by soldouthaz on AO3 | @soldouthaz on Tumblr | soldouthaz on Twitter

37k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Alright, fine. What is it, then?" Louis asks. "Give me the best you’ve got. What’s this big reason why I smoke?"

Harry’s head lolls backward on the back of the sofa, a dopey grin on his face even though his eyes are already halfway closed - that look he gives Louis when he’s about to spout some incoherent bout of psychological bullshit.

“Oral fixation,” Harry mutters as delightfully as he can muster, his tone suggesting that it should be obvious.

Louis tries to stop his addiction to cigarettes and discovers he's been addicted to Harry for much, much longer.

calm me down (before i sleep)

A fic by leeanndarling on AO3 | @erodiansunflower on Tumblr | leeann_darling on Twitter

6k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 24: Harry is a sex shop owner that has a crush on Louis, the shy customer who flirts with him while buying cute buttplugs, lace panties, and collars. One day, Louis asked Harry to help him put on a corset (they end up fucking in the dressing room). Things escalate quickly from there, so they start seeing each other seriously while trying other sex stuff.

This World’s Ashes

A fic by sunshineandthemoonlight on AO3 | @sunshineandthemoonlight on Tumblr

34k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

The man stares at him, and all Harry can hear is his own heartbeat, racing.

Then the stranger turns away. He walks a few paces and bends down, picking up a large knife from the ground and shoving it into a pouch attached to his belt.

“I won’t hurt you, you know.”

Harry’s eyes snap up to the man’s face. He’s looking at Harry sincerely, palms held up as though in surrender. There’s still a knife in his right hand, though, so Harry is only slightly reassured.

Harry swallows to combat the dryness of his throat, and then says, “I won’t hurt you either.”

A post-apocalypse AU where Harry, battling his past as he survives in the woods, has learnt not to trust anyone except his dog. Then Louis crashes into his life, with his bright spirit and soft lips, pulling Harry from the depths of a loneliness he hadn’t realised he was drowning in. But there is danger lurking, and Harry’s not the only one wrestling with his past.

A Springtime's Wilt, an Autumn's Bloom

A fic by snowcaplou on AO3 | snowcaplou on Twitter

20k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“What about you Harry? Maybe you should apply for the position,” she teases.

“Oi! You better not be trying to get rid of my best driver-- I can’t go looking for a replacement, I’m too busy!” Louis says with a playful slap to Savannah’s shoulder. It's jestful, like the rest of their conversation, but there is a possessive bite to his words-- my best driver-- the words bounce through Harry’s ears until he can just hear the words my and mine. It falls deaf on Savannah’s beta senses, but for a minute Harry thinks he can sense the same words zooming through Louis’ thoughts.

My, mine.

My alpha.

And woah, Harry’s taking it too far. At least, he thinks he’s taking it too far, but when he looks back up from his plate, Louis’ eyes are heavy on his, and for a fleeting second, Harry can pretend he heard Louis say it.

Harry is Louis' personal chauffeur, and although he hides his feelings for his boss behind a wall of rigid professionalism, Louis still manages to squeeze through the cracks.

Starlight’s Crossing

A fic by smittenwithlouis on AO3 | @smittenwithlouis on Tumblr | smittenwlouis on Twitter

30k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

He can picture it so clearly, as he holds onto Louis’ sleeping body. How they’d go exploring every inch of the galaxy without a care in the world. He builds a fairytale future in his mind, one that includes marriage, kids, and growing old together. Even after such a short time together, Harry knows that he’d say yes to anything and everything this man ever asked for. He’d follow him to the ends of the galaxy if that’s what Louis wanted.

And that thought terrifies Harry.

Or: All it takes is one night for Harry and Louis' life to change forever. Fast-forward four years, and they embark on an adventure of a lifetime across the universe.

Floating

A fic by littleLouve on AO3 | @larents on Tumblr | louvees on Twitter

10k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

The one where Louis has control over water in every form but he doesn't know what to do with it. Harry is here to guide him.

don't want no other shade of blue

A fic by padfootyoudog on AO3 | @louisisworthit on Tumblr

43k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“I know you’re putting on an act,” says Harry after a moment, and Louis scowls when he realises the prince is actually amused.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” says Louis.

“All I’ve heard over the past couple of years are rumours of Prince Louis’ kindness, and generosity, and oh, he’s so handsome I can barely pour his tea without shaking!” says Harry, putting on a silly, high-pitched voice for the last bit. Louis’ scowl deepens. “I would already know if you were just another selfish, bratty omega prince. You can’t fool me, darling, but I admire your efforts.”

“As you said,” Louis grits out, “those are only rumours. I assure you, I’m a terrible person.”

—

prompt 339: it was foretold that Alpha Prince Harry would be mated to a beautiful male omega with eyes that could rival the stone amethyst, but Omega Prince Louis refuses to believe it.

Loving You's the Antidote

A fic by neverheartbroken on AO3 | @neverheartbroken on Tumblr

5k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 302: Alpha Harry & Omega Louis are divorced but still spend each other’s heat/rut together because they only really trust each other but things get complicated when Louis (or Harry, author’s choice) spend it with someone else. Cue angst with a happy ending. (Prompt Inspiration: Prompt 98 from the 2019 BLFF)

dirty laundry looks good on you

A fic by tomlinvelvet on AO3 | @tomlinvelvetfics on Tumblr

50k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

When Louis Tomlinson finds his clothes lying in a sad soapy mess on top of the washing machine in which they are supposed to be, he acts upon his anger and retaliates. What he doesn’t expect is having to deal with a six-feet tall, curly-haired and dimpled man in return, who seems to arouse confusing feelings within him and to make his life take an unexpected turn for the better (or worse?).

OR; the utility room is a great place to fall in love.

no good unless it's real

A fic by fackinglouis on AO3 | @fackinglouis on Tumblr

17k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Here,” Harry says, pulling a strap off his shoulder so he can dig his phone out of his bag. “We can get each other’s numbers.”

Louis shakes his head. “I have the practice’s number already,” he tells him. “And my number is definitely on file somewhere.”

Harry pauses, smile quirking a bit as he stares at Louis. The sun is still in his eyes, though, with his sunglasses pushed up onto his head still, so Louis credits his funny face to that.

“I’m trying to give you my number, Louis,” Harry explains around a breathy laugh.

“Oh,” Louis blinks, processing that. He scratches his temple, moves a piece of longer fringe back behind his ear, and then nods. “Okay.”

Or: Louis is a very busy farmer who’s just trying to make it to his next nap and Harry’s the new hot vet that’s determined to infiltrate every area of his life.

Since the Future

A fic by bluestarwitch on AO3 | @loustarlight on Tumblr | IwtstarIight on Twitter

49k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

"It's done."

The words were barely above a whisper when they left Harry's mouth, but they hit Louis with the force of a freight train. It was done. Holy fuck. They had created a time machine. And tomorrow, they were travelling to the future.

To Love without Reason

A fic by MuggleMirror on AO3 | @mugglemirror on Tumblr | mugglemirror on Twitter

8k | Not Rated | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Come on in, soldier,” Louis pats Harry’s chest and walks away, leaving Harry to follow behind.

Harry stands in the living room, looking around at Louis’ dwelling. Family pictures placed high on a shelf, certificates of Louis’ practice, and other trinkets that make Harry entirely too nostalgic.

“I have to warn you,” Louis says as he puts the kettle on, the water droplets from his hair trickling down the golden skin of his back. “The door jams if you lock it so you'll have to leave it ajar.”

Harry acknowledges with a soft hum, too entranced by Louis’ glistening skin to form a coherent reply.

Sedative Duty.

A fic by daddyharrie on AO3 | @daddyharrie on Tumblr | daddyharrie on Twitter

46k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Pop-star of the moment Louis Tomlinson is on his third-world tour. He decides to hire renowned professional dominant Harry Styles to unwind while on the road. In an effort not to raise suspicion by the crew, fans, and press, Harry pretends to be his bodyguard. He ends up being far more than that.

You and I 'till the day we die

A fic by Allmylovelarrie on AO3 | flightlesslarri on Twitter

10k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 124: A fic inspired by Groupie Love by Lana Del Rey, where Harry is a Rockstar and Louis is his cute little boyfriend who tries to hide himself in the middle of the crowd. (Preferably set in the 80s)

Give So Much (Not Enough)

A fic by skinsuk on AO3 | @wifeylouis on Tumblr

24k | Mature | Louis/Harry, Louis/Alex, Harry/Tess | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“For my little lion,” Louis slid the smoothie bowl in front of Oscar, letting him dig in with his little hands. “And for daddy.”

He didn’t process the bowl in front of him, the push across the table causing a raspberry to roll off and fall on his lap, because Louis calling himself mummy may make him feel all sorts of mushy emotions, but Louis addressing Harry as daddy was suddenly having a very different effect on him. Since when did Louis saying daddy out loud render him speechless?

“Daddy’s still sleepy, but we’re up bright and early right Ossie?” Louis’ cooing shook him out of his daze. The man coughed, picking the raspberry off his lap and swallowing it with unintentional, and very unnecessary, eye contact with Louis. “Well, is it better than your protein smoothies and why?”

Harry chuckled, spooning another heap of the strawberry banana goodness into his mouth, “Way better sweetheart.”

A friends to lovers au with tons of mama Louis and domesticity.

New York's Beauty

A fic by nocontrol_lou on AO3 | @saxophone17 on Tumblr | nocontrol_louis on Twitter

5k | Mature | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 104: AU where Harry is an alpha wolf and Louis is a hybrid kitten. They were roommates. While they were arguing about something stupid, Harry wanted to bend Louis over the kitchen table and knot him right there. He slowly accepted his feelings and extreme desire for Louis, so he started to tease the hybrid until he would beg Harry to fuck him. They fall in love. Louis needs to feel comfortable with the camera so Harry fucks him until he is blushing and calm and gentle.

feeling borrowed, always blue

A fic by falsegoodnight on AO3 | @falsegoodnight on Tumblr | falsegoodnight on Twitter

67k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Louis’ own heartbeat picks up, eyes widening right as Dr. Zoyansky hits a button and the unsteady pattern of thumps echoes into the room. His breathing hitches, eyes watering as the rhythm seeps into his insides and reverberates in his mind. A heartbeat.

He doesn’t register the tears at first, eyes fixed to the screen and vision blurring.

The situation seems insane. Here he is, twenty-four years old, sitting in the examination chair and listening to the heartbeat of his future child, clutching the worn material of his changing gown with pale fingers, one of which is weighed down by a gaudy engagement ring.

And most noticeably - he’s entirely alone. It’s just him in the room with his doctor, experiencing one of the most groundbreaking, life-changing moments of his entire life and he’s all alone.

Or, Louis has been dreaming of his wedding since he was young - he just never expected that it was going to happen like this.

Hamartia

A fic by tomlinvelvet on AO3 | @tomlinvelvetfics on Tumblr

66k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Eight years is a long time for Louis to mend his heart back and erase every lingering, stubborn memory of his ex-lover, Harry Styles. But when news of the war being over spreads across the world like wildfire, and he stumbles upon the alpha he vowed himself to never see ever again, he realises that not even a lifetime will be enough for him to pick up the scattered, broken parts of his soul. He's far from expecting the alpha he loved to struggle the same way.

All the ointments in the world might never soothe the pain out, but it doesn't take long for both of them to come to the conclusion that, maybe, the only medicine to their heartbreaks are what caused them in the first place.

moonlit sky over gentle waters

A fic by stardustx on AO3 | stardxstlwt on Twitter

11k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

"The King of the Pirates! Captain Harry Styles! The one who conquered the seven seas!" Louis boasts, sarcasm drips from his tone, mocking him.

The bar is clean, but he still scrubs just as fervently, his brows furrows and a small pout forms on those pink lips Harry desperately wants to kiss. He looks down, dubiously, at the address in his hand.

“Every lass and lad dreams of bedding a pirate like you.” Louis huffs, gazes up at him with a despondant look that reminds him of a grumpy kitten.

Silence fills the space as Harry mulls over his words. He finally looks up at Louis, blinking slowly. “Do they really?”

"You're an idiot."

OR Harry left his hometown to sail the seven seas and returns seven years later, yearning for something — or rather, someone — that he isn't sure he can have.

Short and Sweet

A fic by 5ft9 on AO3 | cinnamouroll on Twitter

29k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Louis is a shy university student in a world scarce of male omegas. He's always dreamt of having an alpha despite his sheltered upbringing, fantasizing about being loved and cared for. He's immediately smitten by the mysterious alpha with curly hair, broad shoulders, and the addictive coffee scent.

under thorn and bramble

A fic by thedeathchamber on AO3 | @louehvolution on Tumblr

32k | Explicit | Louis/OMC | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 445: A historical AU where Louis is working as a servant on a farm. The family that owns the farm is exceedingly cruel to him and he is often exhausted and in pain from his work. A mysterious stranger boards at the farm and is very intrigued by Louis, but Louis doubts his interest in genuine. Any pairing fine.

Late night devil put your hands on me (and never, never, never ever let go)

A fic by summerandsunshine on AO3 | sunshine_Iou on Twitter

12k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Harry is a demon that feeds off of people’s nightmares. He finds his next meal in Louis’ dreams where he changes and molds them to become scary nightmares. Soon harry learns Louis is a lucid dreamer- he can act on his own in his dreams. They interact in the real world and have sex in the dream world. when Louis catches feelings the devil, Harry promises to come back to earth once and for all.

No Easy Choice, But You’re Mine

A fic by alltheselights on AO3 | @alltheselights on Tumblr | alltheselightts on Twitter

45k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Louis’ feet pound on the pavement as he runs, and the echo reverberates through the alley behind him. He drops the gun near a trash bin as he passes, his gloved fingers ensuring that it will never be traced back to him.

He’s panting, his thighs ache, and there’s a cramp forming beneath his ribs on the right side, but all of that is nothing compared to the exhaustion clouding his brain.

I can’t do this anymore, Louis thinks.

Or: Louis is an omega hitman with one last job that goes a little sideways. Harry is the alpha bartender that looks a little too closely and cares a little too much.

Joker Is Wild

A fic by Typosmyown on AO3 | @palosquared on Tumblr

19k | Explicit | Louis/Harry, Louis/Various | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Prompt 390: A reality show AU where Louis, Harry, Liam, Zayn and Niall are selected to stay at confined in a luxury mansion for 1 month, where they are required to have explicit, graphic sex at all times, like a porn Big Brother kind of show. Every week there are several different sexual tasks and trials that they must overcome together, which all ends in orgasms for all of them. When the boys all discover Louis is strictly a bottom, and a slutty one at that, they all can’t wait to get their hands on him. Bonus if other hot celebs are there too, like Shawn Mendes, for example. Includes lots of hard gay sex, rimming, blowjobs, gang bangs, ass worshipping (Louis ass, of course) and double penetration.

The Pirate and The Piper

A fic by jacaranda_bloom on AO3 | @jacaranda-bloom on Tumblr | jacaranda_bloom on Twitter

38k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Banished from Neverland by Captain Hook and the evil Siren Minerva, Louis is forced to live in the Other World. He makes a life for himself, resigned to the fact he’s never going to see his beloved home and Lost Boys again. Five years later he’s kidnapped and returned to Neverland, only to discover a far worse fate awaits him. But with an unlikely ally by his side, can he overcome those who seek his demise and restore freedom to his homeland?

Or the one where Harry is Hook, Louis is Pan, and nothing is what it seems.

Coeur de Pirate

A fic by louizsv on AO3 | @ashleyjohnsonfanaccount on Tumblr | piccadillyplum on Twitter

34k | Explicit | Louis/Harry, Louis/OMC, Louis/Harry/OMC | Tumblr post | Twitter post

He tilts his chin up as the Captain strides across the deck, his footfalls falling loudly against the planks. The crew watches them from afar.

Stepping into his space, the Captain wraps an arm around Louis’ waist and pulls him in. He lowers his head to breathe his words against Louis’ cheeks. “I won,” he whispers, “I’ve come to claim my prize.”

if you're feeling lonely

A fic by ifthat on AO3 | @lovehl on Tumblr | omegalouis on Twitter

12k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

The guest list is on the desk. Louis runs through it and stops a third of the way down when a familiar name catches his breath.

Harry Styles.

All he has to do is verify whether Harry Styles is the same Alpha whose scent beckoned him closer.

it's a game we play in the sheets

A fic by loubabyworship on AO3 | @strawbabyloucake on Tumblr | pillouprincess on Twitter

9k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Louis is… He’s a boy I’ve been talking to.” He bit his lip, grin evident. “After I watched one of his videos during a Harry Reacts a few weeks ago I messaged him and…”

His sentence was cut short by the sound of a timid little “Hi” being whispered into his ears.

Harry closed his eyes for a second, pausing to take in the online presence of the real-life fairy, before he opened them and smiled. “Hey Lou. Ready to play with me?”

Mind Over Matter (You Under Me)

A fic by youreyesonlarry on AO3 | @youreyesonlarry on Tumblr | youreyesonlarry on Twitter

73k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

It’s dark outside when Harry finishes practice for the day.

--------

Prompt 21: Harry stopped playing hockey (after 10 years of a professional career) because of a severe injury. The dream he worked so hard for vanished in the blink of an eye. His family insisted that he had to go to physical therapy, even if it only helped his health. Cue to personal assistant Louis, the most efficient and kind PA one could hire.

View the 2020 BLFF collection here.

View the 2019 BLFF collection here.

#fics 2020

270 notes · View notes

lucisfavoritedemon · 3 years ago

Text

Accidental Attachment Part 4

Pairing: Steve x reader

Warnings: character death, talk of revenger, some fluff, little bit of angst, Tony Stark being friend of the year (yes it’s a warning)

Word Count: 2846

A/N: This is not beta read, so all mistakes are mine. I tweaked the plot of CA: TWS slightly.

Enjoy!

I figured I would take this time while Steve was gone to hang out with some of the other Avengers. Though the only one I really “enjoyed” talking to was Tony. As much crap as I give him, he’s a really nice guy. He is like a mentor for me. He took on the challenge of helping me control my emotions to control my abilities. No one else was as kind to me as he was, well, minus Steve.

“Hey, where’s Rogers?”

“He left to go on a mission last night. He didn’t say where, but it seemed urgent.”

“Ah, probably Washington with Nat. She also left last night.”

“Probably.”

“So, did you two talk?”

“We did, and we don’t know.”

“What? Come on this has to be some sort of joke right? I’m being punked.”

“No. We both agreed that we would see how we handle being apart, and if we both feel it is difficult to be apart, then we know that it’s meant to be.”

“I see. Do you think it’ll work out?”

“I hope so. I really like him, Stark, and our coffee date went even better than I could have imagined.”

“You guys went on a coffee date?”

“Yeah, it was kind of both of our ideas. It was perfect though. Even better than I could have imagined.”

“I’m glad. I really hope, on a serious note, that everything works out for you two.”

“Thanks Stark.”

“So, since you are free till Rogers gets back, want to redo our dinner plans from the other night? No more surprise guests. Just you, me, and Mrs. Potts.”

“Okay. Just no more locking me in rooms. That was not fun for any of us.”

“Okay. I’m sorry about that, but hey, it kind of worked did it not?”

“I guess. Had you not done that, we wouldn’t have gone to train together, and we wouldn’t have gotten personal.”

“You two got personal, but you two aren’t a thing?”

“Not that kind of personal Stark. Get your head out of the gutter.”

“Oh you meant talking about personal things.”

“Yes.”

“Take that as a good thing he doesn’t talk about his personal life very much.”

“I’ve noticed. I shared some personal things with him as well. I felt it was only fair.”

“He really is missing out if doesn’t think you two would be a good match.”

“My worry is he’ll meet someone there, and forget all about me.”

“I don’t think that’ll happen. He really likes you. I know he won’t forget about you.”

“You never know Stark. There are many women out there much prettier than I.”

“Stop that. That is not true at all. He would be stupid to just toss you to the side, especially after you both made yourselves vulnerable in front of each other. If he doesn’t see your worth then he must be blind.”

“Thanks Stark.” I smile being genuine.

“Of course. Now, I don’t want to hear you say that ever again.”

“I’ll try not to.”

“Thank you.”

I excuse myself to go freshen up, as Stark walks out. I head to take a shower, and change. I had decided to stay in the tower while Steve was gone. I don’t know why, but I felt like it was safer than staying at my apartment. In a way it was. Stark had the place fully secured with alarm systems and cameras. I knew I would be safer here than in a place where nothing but a locked door was between me and a murderer.

I had just gotten changed and was waiting for a text from Stark when I got a call. I looked down and saw it was Steve, “hey there stranger.”

“Hey.” I could tell he was smiling.

“How has the trip to Washington been so far?”

“Good. Just got back from the mission. I wanted to call and see how you’ve been doing.”

“I’m doing good. You caught me at a good time actually. I was just relaxing after getting ready.”

“May I ask for what?”

“I’m going over to Stark’s for a redemption dinner, after the fiasco from last time, he wants to make things up to me.”

“That’s nice of him.”

“Yeah. I thought so too.”

“I gotta get going, but I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

“Sounds good. Enjoy Washington.”

“I will. Enjoy dinner.”

“I will.”

“Bye.”

“Goodbye Steve.”

I smile, hanging up. He was so sweet. I didn’t expect to hear from him for a while. I was glad his mission was over, but I hoped he would come back soon. I missed him so much. I knew though, that I needed to be patient. Things would work out exactly like they were supposed to.

I soon got a text from Stark saying I could start heading that way. I walk out of the building and go down to the parking garage. I get in my car, and head to Stark’s place. I park my car, and walk in heading up to his place.

“Glad you made it.”

“Thanks Stark. I hope this isn’t another trap.”

“You think I would tell you that Cap really likes you, then ask you to come here and set you up with someone else?”

“Now that you say it out loud, it doesn’t sound like something you would do.”

“See? Nothing to worry about.”

“I guess. I’m just still on edge from what happened the last time. Yeah, things have seemed to work out so far, but I still worry that maybe it won’t.”

“I know you are scared, but I know things will work out between the two of you. Just trust me.”

“The scary part is, I do trust you.” “Thanks. As much as that hurts.”

“I’m sorry. Do you blame me though? You haven't exactly been super trust worthy lately."

"She's right Tony. You did kind of pin her in a corner with her crush, and tried to force them together. They seem to have done just fine on their own. You just needed to give it a little time." Pepper spoke up, walking into the room.

"Maybe the push was what they needed."

"Can we stop talking about Steve? I came here to take my mind off of it. Not get caught in this conversation all night. If we work out, great. If not, oh well. We'll still be really good friends and that's all that matters."

"See?" Pepper smirked.

"I think they're perfect for each other, and hopefully Steve will realise that."

"I hope so too Stark, but you can't just force it on him. If he doesn’t feel that way about me, it’s no big deal. We’re adults and we have to handle it like adults.”

“You’re right. You’re right. Come on, let's eat, and talk about business.”

“What kind of business Tony?”

“Fury asked me a while ago to modify these Heli carriers, but a couple hours ago he asked me to deactivate the boosters. I’m not sure why he would want to do that, but I want your help to figure out how to do it digitally without going in manually.”

“Seems easy enough.”

“So you’ll help me?”

“Sure. Anything to take my mind off Steve.”

We ate dinner, and afterwards Tony showed me what he was talking about. It didn’t seem too difficult to try and deactivate them virtually. That was till we got an error code, “this isn’t normal. It says we don’t have the authorization to deactivate the boosters.”

“On whose authority?” Tony asked JARVIS.

“Seems to be Nick Fury’s sir.” JARVIS answered.

“Something is not right. Either Fury did not give you those orders, or someone on the inside does not want these Heli carriers deactivated.”

“I may have a solution for that if something goes wrong. I had these made up in case the carriers were hijacked, and it looks like that may be the case,” Stark shows me these targeting chips, “these need to be placed in each Heli carrier for it to work, and the targets to switch.”

“You always think of everything don’t you?”

“I try. We just have to get these to Agent Hill, and get her to have Steve and Nat place them on those carriers.”

“I can deliver them to her if you want.”

“No. The whole point of him going on this mission was to test if you two could stand the tests of being away from each other, and still come back feeling the same way. So, you would compromise the test you both agreed to.”

“Fine. How is Hill going to get it then?”

“I’ll send it to her. Or more like JARVIS will.”

“Right. Do you really trust JARVIS to get it to her safely?” Just then my phone began to ring, so I excused myself for a minute. I looked down and saw that Steve was calling, “hello?”

“Hey, look I may be a little longer than I thought.” He sounded very shaken up.

“Steve, is everything alright?”

“It’s Fury. He’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?”

“I mean dead, no longer alive, killed.”

My heart sank, and my stomach dropped at his words. Fury had hand picked me to become an Avenger, and now he was gone. I felt like this was a sign that he had made a mistake in the first place. Choosing me to be a part of this elite group of people, with me having little to no background experience with working well with others.

“Y/n, are you okay?”

“What happened? How did this happen?”

“An assassin shot him through the walls of my apartment.”

“Did you catch the person?”

“Almost, but he was a quick thinker. He caught my shield. He had this metal arm. I’m not sure if you could find anything on any record of an assassin with a metal arm, but whatever info you can find on this guy would bring us one step closer to catching him, and bringing him to justice.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes Steve.”

“Good. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Okay.” He hung up quickly after that. I walked back inside, and over to Stark. He could tell something was wrong, and I knew I didn’t hide that very well. I just couldn’t believe that Fury was gone.

“Is everything okay?”

“Fury. He’s...he’s dead…” I looked down as tears threatened to leave my eyes.

“Oh sweetheart,” Tony pulls me into a hug, “it’s gonna be okay. We’re here for you.” He stroked my hair to try and help me calm down.

“I can’t believe he’s gone,” I immediately stopped crying thinking about our previous conversation, “we have to get Agent Hill those targeting chips. We have to help them stop those carriers from launching, and we have to help them find the assassin who killed Nick Fury. That’s what I’m going to do. Do some research on the man that Steve described to me. I’m going to avenge Fury’s death.”

I walked out of there soon after. I headed home and began to do some research on the man Steve described to me. I had to find out who this man was. I called up every person I could. I worked well into the next day when I finally got a lead.

“We have something in the archives for you, but I’m warning you, going after him is not a good idea.” Agent May warned on the other end of the phone.

“Just lay it on me, agent.”

“He goes by the name of the Winter Soldier. He is credited with over dozens of assassinations over the last 50 years. He is highly dangerous, and I do not recommend going after him. No one really knows where he resides. You’re going to be chasing a ghost Y/n. I don’t think it’s worth it.”

“I’m going to do my best to help avenge Fury’s death. I will do all that it takes to find this elusive assassin.”

“Good luck then. Call me if you need any help.”

“Thanks Agent May, I’ll keep that in mind.”

I quickly hung up, and went to lay down. It had been a long day, and I just added extra work to my load. It was already almost 4am here, and I had yet to sleep. I closed my eyes thinking that I would only sleep for a little bit, but I ended up sleeping till 10am.

“Y/n! Where are you? I thought we were meeting for breakfast! It’s more like brunch now!” Tony shouted.

“Come on kiddo, where are you?” Clint asked.

“I’m in my room.”

I heard them both walk in, and sit on either side of my bed. I had completely forgotten about going out with them after Steve asked me to do some research on the guy with the metal arm.

“Are you feeling okay?” Tony asked.

“Yeah. I just didn’t go to bed till 4 this morning. I just wanted to sleep for a couple of hours, but I guess that didn’t happen.”

“Why did you stay up that late?” Clint looked at me and Tony confused.

“Research.”

“For?” He questioned.

“Trying to find the assassin who killed Fury.”

“That’s a suicide mission.”

“I know.”

“Come on, get up. We were supposed to be at the restaurant 30 minutes ago.”

“Okay, okay. Let me shower, then we can go eat.”

“At a girl.”

I roll my eyes at Tony’s comment before shooing them away. I then go hop in the shower real quick, and get dressed. I do a simple makeup look before going out to my living room, “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

“That was quick.” Clint spoke, kind of shocked.

“Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I take ten hours to get ready."

"Let's just go before you two end up sparring in her living room." Stark spoke up, heading to the door.

Clint and I followed him out of my apartment, and we headed to get breakfast. I let the two of them banter back and forth. I was still focused on this mysterious assassin. I didn’t touch most of my food, and that bothered Stark, or concerned him. Whatever the case, he stuck around my apartment afterwards.

“I sent those chips to Hill, so hopefully she’ll get them to Nat and Cap. You know, to stop the launch of those carriers.”

“Yeah. I just hope they’re okay. I can’t help but worry about them. I know that I’m not okay. Fury was the only reason I stayed, or that was till I met Steve. Fury took me in when no one else wanted me, and now he’s gone.”

“I know. I don’t know how to help you, but why don’t you come stay with me for a few days, or until Cap gets back. I think it may help you take your mind off things.”

“Thanks Tony, but I don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not intruding. I insist. I don’t want you to be alone right now.”

I give a small chuckle, “is that worry I hear in your voice?”

“Laugh all you want, but I’m serious.”

“Okay, okay. Just for a few days.”

“Sounds good to me. Pack a bag, and let’s go.”

“Okay, I’ll just meet you downstairs.”

He smiles, and walks himself out. I grab a duffle bag and begin to pack a few outfits for the next few days. I was about to head downstairs when my phone started to ring. I picked it up quickly, not even looking at who it was.

“Y/n, it’s me.” A man’s voice spoke on the other end.

“Steve, hey. How’s it going?”

“Not good. Since Fury’s death, things here have not been going great. I wanted you to know I’m okay, but won’t be able to communicate with you until things get straightened out here. I’m so sorry. I wish I could say things will turn out okay, but I don’t know.”

“Hey, don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. You get everything out there situated, I’ll still be here when you get back. Just to let you know I’m staying with Stark for a few days. He doesn’t want me being alone right now.”

“Thank him for me. He better keep you safe, and take care of you for me.” “I know he will. I’ll talk to you when you get back okay?”

“Okay. Please stay safe.”

“I will Steve. Plus, I’ll be with Stark. They’ll have to go through him before they get to me anyways.”

He chuckles on the other end, “I really needed that. Thank you. Talk to you soon okay?”

“Okay. Goodbye Steve.”

Our conversation ends, and I can’t help but feel there is more going on than what he is saying. I really hope everything is okay, and that he will be alright. I finished packing the rest of my stuff and headed downstairs. Stark sat in the car waiting for me. I just climbed in, and the car set off for the tower. I really hoped that things were okay back in D.C.

Taglist:

@soccer-100000

#steve x reader #tony x platonic!reader #Steve Rogers #tony stark #natasha romanoff #clint barton #nick fury #maria hill #s.h.i.e.l.d.#captain america: tws #accidental attachment

12 notes · View notes

writingmyheartsout · 4 years ago

Text

Sweet Dreams (are made of this)

The idea i had was basically, what about them after the war?

So after whumptober and having done nothing in November, i thought of a sort of “fluff” December. This is the first one, so hopefully i will post more ...(i do have few other prompts in my wips)

That said, enjoy!

warning: too much sweetness (maybe a bit of an hint to panic attacks), wine drinking (mentioned)

pairing: Fives x (ex) medic!reader

prompt: slow dancing

as always, comments, likes & reblogs are very welcomed (also this came out longer than expected....but i blame Fives for this)

I also wanna thank @plexflexico for listening to my rambling and encourage me throught this (wait until you read the one about Wolffe...)

___

"May I have this dance?..." your husband said, immediately getting up from the couch where both of you were seated.

"What? No, Fives...I don't think I can make it, I'm way too drunk," you replied, trying hard not to laugh.

"Pretty please..." he added, nearly begging.

"We've been drinking for two hours now and you expect me to be able to get up?" you reiterated..."I don't think I can manage to dance".

"Leave it to me then, I can hold you" he proposed, taking your hand and helping you "... you only need to hold on to me".

Your life felt so simple right now that you hardly believed it. During the war, everything had always been so confusing, either on the run or on the battlefield, every night you stayed up thinking about him, worrying about his safety when he and his company were deployed somewhere far away in the galaxy, but then the war suddenly ended, you didn't know how but you didn't care that much, and life went back to being easy again just with something more.

There had been times when you had talked about marriage, making jokes about how the ceremony should be and moving away from all the chaos of the city, but with Fives you soon learned to take nothing seriously, so you hadn't thought much about it. To your surprise, the first thing he did after leaving the GAR was to officially propose to you, which left you utterly speechless.

This brings you here, two years later, and a small house with a beautiful view over the lake, perfect for both of you and maybe for a child or two in the future.

"As far as I remember, you are also quite drunk...", you said, looking at him in the eyes once you were up.

Meanwhile, both of you were slowly swaying to the soft music in the background.

"I can handle my alcohol much better than you, love... due to me being a professional soldier," he stated, teasing you.

"former soldier.... and a really fast metabolism," you continued.

"And a very fast metabolism...", he mocked, rolling his eyes over your statement.

"Oh come on, like I don't have to go grocery shopping every three days, you're lucky I love you."

" Well, you're lucky that I love to cook for both of us, then" he replied, giving you a gentle kiss on the lips.

During his years in the army, Fives was always so hyper-aware that he usually had severe panic attacks after long campaigns, after meeting you he learned to focus on things and calm down when necessary but he began to find comfort in your company as well. You quickly became his own personal everything, even if he didn't know that yet.

"How did I get so lucky?" he said right after, tightening his arms around you even more.

The music was long gone but both of you were too lost in each other to notice.

"I think you earned it by being clever enough to meet me," you declared with confidence.

"If I remember correctly, you wanted to kill me when we first met," he pointed out.

"More or less, luckily you didn't give up so easily."

The first time you met him had been very much embarrassing, at least for him. He approached you with the most pathetic pickup line you had ever heard that you almost laughed in his face. You didn't like him at all at first, too arrogant for your taste so you were sure that ignoring him was the best solution.

On the other hand, he wasn't the type to give up so easily.

That same night you took pity on him and granted him an hour, only to find out soon after that he was... incredibly nice, despite all of that facade.

After that time, you two became inseparable, but with him being an active ARC trooper and you, a civilian doctor, things were very complicated but you made this work somehow...

"So, what now?" he hesitantly asked after a moment...

"Let's prepare dinner and then watch some bad holomovie..." you playfully proposed.

"I mean, with us..." he paused, looking away for a moment, then adding, "when I married you, it was the happiest day I've ever lived, and with me returning back to normal, I...we have a long life ahead of us and I..."

"Fives, relax..." you stepped in, lightly kissing him on the lips and stopping his rambling "...we have so many more days to spend together, we have time to do what we want and how we want it...".

"I know...", he simply replied, resting his forehead on yours and holding you even more tightly in his arms.

He was well aware that you were right, there was absolutely no need to hurry... now that the worst had passed...

When the war ended all the clones were finally granted citizenship, therefore all their chips were finally removed. They soon discovered that without it they would continue to grow older at a normal speed, even though their metabolism seemed to continue to be faster than others but the point, however, was that they were now able to have a more normal life.

The first time Fives told you, one night when you both were out stargazing, that he and his brothers had been created to be expendable and that their lives lasted at most thirty years, the first thing you felt was rage.

You had already heard something about it, but it was just a rumor that circulated from time to time in the Academy, something that certainly couldn't be true, so knowing that it was real and that someone had bothered to mess with other people's lives made you uncomfortable at first. Then came the fear, fear of losing him and never seeing him again, fear that someone else could decide about your and his happiness without worrying much about the consequences.

So, when everything finally settled down, when peace was restored, whatever fear that had been with you until now was gone.

"Don't get all mushy on me now, you know that no matter what happens, I'll be by your side, right? That's why I married you, to annoy you as long as we live," you told him, comforting him.

"Yes...." he said, smiling a bit at your jest.. "it's just... you know," he added.

"I know..." you repeated, then reaching out with one hand and gently stroking his cheek.

Having all the time in the galaxy seemed so scary at first, especially for someone who used to not have any, but having you at his side made it look less confusing.

He surely was lucky to have met you that day, and so did you.

Like i said, i do have more fluff prompts so i’ll posting more about domestic life...i do want to, i just have to find the time

#writemyheartsout's writing #arc trooper fives #fives x reader #arc trooper fives x reader #former arc trooper fives x reader #star wars the clone wars #december fluff #what if #after the war #tw panic attack #tw drinking #tw wine

50 notes · View notes

thegizka · 4 years ago

Text

Order and Control

Writer’s Month 2020 Day 2: Quarantine

When Bruce is exposed to a dangerous virus, he quarantines to prevent further spread until the Justice League can develop an antidote. Unfortunately, his children keep ignoring his orders.

Read it on Ao3.

Note: I do not own any aspect of DC or Batman.

Bruce waited until the lock on the hidden door clicked behind him before turning on any lights. This safehouse was unlikely to be discovered, carved into the mountains of Montana with no one in a hundred mile radius, but now was no time to be lax in security. He moved through the small kitchen and sitting area, bypassed the bed, and tapped a pattern on the stone wall to open an access panel. After entering the correct security codes, the wall folded away to reveal a secret room housing a computer and an assortment of equipment that might be useful in a pinch. Someone had left an empty bag of chips in the bin beneath the computer desk. He made a mental note to remind his children of the importance of discarding all traces of themselves when leaving safehouses.

A few minutes later, he’d turned on the computer and connected to his network. Bouncing his signal around the globe to discourage tracking, he sent a message to the Watchtower. A second later, Clark appeared in a video feed.

“I take it you made it safely?”

“I’m here,” Bruce grunted. “Were you able to find any trace of this thing?”

“Barry and Victor are still in the lab analyzing the samples you sent. They haven’t found anything yet.”

“How are you feeling?” Diana asked, leaning into the frame.

“Fine so far.”

“You should have come back to the Watchtower. The investigation would move faster if we could monitor you more closely.”

“We all saw the bodies,” he growled. “Minimizing exposure is the priority. If we can stop these bioterrorists before they release this virus, we won’t need a vaccine.”

“You need it.” Clark frowned. Bruce knew he agreed with Diana and would prefer Bruce isolate closer to people who could care for him.

“I will run what tests I can here and link them to the Watchtower. I trust Barry and Victor will find the solution.”

“Do you need anything?” Diana asked. “We can be there in a heartbeat.”

“No,” he said emphatically. “Don’t. And don’t tell anyone where I am. No one can know.”

Clark and Diana exchanged a look that said they didn’t agree with him about this either. But they had seen the horrors this virus had done to these bioterrorists’ test subjects. They knew it was too dangerous to risk.

“We won’t,” Diana promised.

“Stay safe, Bruce.”

“You too.”

The video went blank. Bruce sat in the silence of the safehouse for a moment. He had stared at his own death so many times that he wasn’t scared for himself. He was just frustrated that he couldn’t be on the front lines with the rest of the Justice League. He had been foolish to investigate alone, stumbling onto the test site and inhaling the virus from a partially-empty canister. He should have been more careful.

With a sigh, he hauled himself to his feet and began preparing the science equipment that he had at his disposal. He’d already shed his suit and secured it in an impermeable bag. He would set up a secure, sanitized lab space and swab it for residue, though so far the only traces they’d detected had been found in biomatter. He would take frequent blood and breath samples, both to monitor his condition and try to isolate the strain for vaccine fabrication.

There were a lot of tests to run. It would be a long night.

-----

Bruce awoke late in the morning noticing two alarming things. The first was that his throat felt sore. It wasn’t a sign of dehydration. He had been careful to drink plenty of fluids to help his body remain strong as it fought against the virus. The second was a vehicle pulling into the hidden garage and killing its engine.

He scrambled to the computer to pull up the security camera. The fact that someone had found the entrance and not set off any alarms meant it was someone who knew this safehouse. It was probably one of his kids.

Sure enough, he saw a mop of familiar dark hair emerge from a compact sports car. A shorter, crisper head of hair jumped out of the passenger seat. A jolt of fear chilled Bruce’s spine, accompanied by a waterfall of questions. Had they touched the Batmobile parked next to them? Had he brushed against the walls on his way to the entrance last night? Had he remembered to disinfect the door?

“Dick, Damian, don’t move,” he called through the comm system he’d had installed three years ago. He saw them stop. Bless them for having the sense to listen.

“Father, what is going on?”

“You shouldn’t be here. Go back to Gotham,” he ordered.

“B, are you okay?” Dick took a step forward, and the panic spiked again.

“I am. I’m just busy. I need you to watch Gotham for a few days.”

“Are you working on the bioterrorism case?” Damian demanded. He shouldn’t have known about that.

“Vic told us you may have been exposed,” Dick explained. “Babs got a ping of activity from this safehouse last night, so we came to see if you were okay.”

His eldest son always did have a bleeding heart. He let his emotions override his good sense.

“If I have been exposed, that’s reason for you to leave. I can’t spread it to anyone else.”

“If you are in danger, Father, we should help you.”

“You can help by keeping watch over Gotham until this is over.”

“But-”

“Come on, Damian.” Dick took his brother’s shoulder gently. “There’s nothing we can do here right now.”

The youngest Wayne resisted for a moment. Bruce saw so much of his own stubbornness in him.

“Be safe, Father,” he ordered before turning back to the car.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, B,” Dick called.

“Take care of them, Dick. I’ll be back soon.”

A modicum of relief returned when he watched them drive away, but he couldn’t shake the unease their arrival had caused. He was surprised they’d found him so quickly. It was a little upsetting that Cyborg felt more loyalty for his former Titans teammate than the Justice League, but Dick had that sort of magnetic pull. Bruce felt guilty for forcing his eldest into the responsibility of Batman’s duties and watching over his siblings, but it couldn’t be helped. He just hoped he could keep the rest of them away and safe.

He reached for a glass of water to try and soothe his throat. A basic medical check revealed no fever and an average heart rate. He pricked his finger for a blood sample. He hadn’t found anything decipherable from the tests he ran last night, perhaps because the virus had been too new in his body. Hopefully today’s efforts would be more fruitful. He popped a lemon cough drop into his mouth and got to work.

-----

Late that night, the purr of two motorcycle engines signalled new visitors. Bruce was still awake, pouring over data from the case and taking notes on the progression of his infection. Most of the potential side effects could be attributed to the strain of his night life, but until they had a better understanding of this virus, he was meticulous in his documentation.

The security feed revealed Jason and Stephanie parking their bikes near the garage wall. They must have spoken with Dick because they wore respirators and chemical-repellant suits. Jason had towed in a trailer piled up with equipment of some sort, indicating they intended to be there for a while. The chill of panic returned. This was not good.

“You two need to leave,” he ordered using the comms. His sore throat and lack of conversation made his voice sound hoarse. He reached for his water.

“Hey Bruce, you don’t sound so good. Are you doing okay?” Stephanie asked in concern.

“I’m fine,” he insisted. To support his claim, his voice came through more clearly. “I’d be better if you both left.”

“No can do,” Jason grunted, lifting a stack of tarps sealed in plastic out of the trailer. “We’re under orders from Alfred to make sure you don’t die. We’re not going anywhere.”

“Yes you are,” he insisted, starting to feel helpless. They couldn’t be here. The risk was too great. “I am ordering you to leave.”

“Too bad, Old Man. I stopped following your orders years ago, and Stephie ain’t your kid or your Robin. Your orders mean nothing to us.”

“Alfred’s, however,” Stephanie interjected, “sure do. But don’t worry; he gave us very specific instructions on how to disinfect everything and keep you safely quarantined while we help. You’ll be in good hands.”

He didn’t need to be in good hands; they did, and them being here was not safe. But they had obviously come with the intention of staying, and they were more likely to ignore him than his other kids. He wanted to argue, but he had to turn away to cough. His throat felt raw, and it took him a while to regain his breath. By the time he looked back at the garage feed, they had finished unloading and were going about Alfred’s instruction.

“Please,” he croaked in a final effort to discourage them, “just leave.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Stephanie asked, ignoring his plea.

“Save your strength Old Man. We’re not going anywhere.”

Bruce sighed. He didn’t have the energy to argue with them. At least they were taking safety precautions. They pulled one of the tarps over the Batmobile and sealed the edge to the garage floor with tape. Jason started constructing a portable sanitizing chamber right in front of the door while Stephanie grabbed cleaning materials and went about fumigating every exposed surface.

“Make sure you ventilate properly,” Bruce instructed. She raised a hand in a thumb’s up to acknowledge his advice but didn’t pause her work.

“Hey Bruce,” Jason said, laying tarps over the framework and sealing them tightly, “Dick seems to think this is pretty bad. Is it?”

“You’d be more helpful working with the League to find the source, not here.”

“You never do answer our questions,” he grumbled. “That’s only going to make them worry more, you know.”

Bruce noticed that he’d said “them”, and it stung a little that Jason had omitted himself. He wondered if he had ever felt like part of the family, or if Bruce’s cascading screw-ups as a mentor and father had driven him away. Even now, he had no idea how to connect with him.

“Get some rest, Old Man,” Jason said, sorting through filtration hoses to hook up the sanitizing system in the chamber. “Steph and I don’t need you supervising if you’re not going to help.”

Bruce couldn’t think of anything to say, so he turned back to analyzing the data from the case. He kept the security feed up in the corner of the computer screen so he could check on them while he worked. There was some comfort in that.

-----

He awoke the next morning disoriented. His throat burned, and his breath felt slow to fill his lungs. He was fairly certain he had fallen asleep at the computer in the safehouse, but the conversation he was hearing was reminiscent of days in the Manor.

“Sleep.”

“He has to get up at some time, Cass. Otherwise the food Jason made will go to waste.”

“And I need to ask him some questions about this data.”

“Tim, have you heard anything else from Leslie?”

“No.”

“So even the doc is stumped.”

“She has assured me that the best resources will be allocated to our mission. Pennyworth will contact us as soon as progress is made.”

“Vic is monitoring her research, too. He’ll let us know if the League comes up with anything.”

“It’s kind of nice having a friend in the League. We used to have to hack the Watchtower to get their data.”

“The old man would have a conniption if he knew.”

“Security breeeach,” Tim growled in a Batman parody voice.

“Con-nip? Shun?”

“One word. It’s basically a tantrum,” Barbara translated automatically.

“Don’t worry about learning it, Cain. Todd is the only one who speaks with such outdated language.”

“I’m pretty sure I heard you call your wallet a pocket book the other day, so maybe rethink that statement.”

Bruce sat up slowly. His limbs felt heavy, and both feet tingled from a lack of oxygen. He could tell this wasn’t normal fatigue. He’d pushed his body to its natural breaking point often enough to feel the difference. He felt as though he were barely in control of himself.

“Hey guys, it looks like Sleeping Beauty is awake,” Barbara called. “Hi Bruce.”

A chorus of voices and a jumble of words penetrated the ringing in his ears. There was a new video feed on his computer. Glancing at the security feed, he saw that someone had set up a sort of control center in the garage. Wires criss-crossed between the monitors and blinking machines, disappearing into carefully concealed access points in the floor and wall. Tim and Barbara were camped in the center of it all, but everyone crowded together when they heard he was awake.

“How are you feeling B?” Dick asked. He and Damian had returned, bringing Cassandra, Tim, and Barbara with them. The growing number of people camping in the garage was perplexing, especially when he wanted everyone to stay away for their safety.

He tried to say he was fine, but his voice wouldn’t work. He devolved into a coughing fit. It took a good minute to catch his breath afterwards. He wished he didn’t have to see the looks of worry on their faces.

“There’s a nebulizer outside the door in the sanitizing chamber. Leslie provided some medicine that might help,” Tim said.

“Jason made some soup, too,” Stephanie added.

“Alfred’s worried about you living on whatever freeze-dried nonperishable shit you have in there.”

“Language, Todd.”

“Can you get up, or should I bring it to you?” Barbara asked.

“No,” Bruce croaked, the panic oozing through him.

“Relax Bruce, we have a robot we can send in,” Tim reassured him. “We won’t get anywhere near you.”

“We have thought of everything, Father. Do not resist this care.”

Barbara tapped a few keys on her keyboard, and Bruce heard the lock on the door slide. A moment later, the mechanical whirring of wheels grew gradually louder. A multi-tiered platform rolled into the room. A sealed bowl of soup sat on one shelf, the condensation on the lid indicating it had been packaged some time ago. Someone had placed a few bottles of water next to it. A portable nebulizer sat below it with a bag of medication and supplements from Leslie’s clinic.

“You should let me drive that sometime,” Stephanie whispered to Tim as the robot came to a stop. The lock on the door clicked back into place in the other room.

“When you get a chance,” Tim said, “I have a few questions about the data you gathered from the test site.”

“Hang on there, Timmy. The guy just woke up. Let him eat his soup in peace.”

“This is a time-sensitive issue, Todd. The sooner we get information, the sooner we can stop these terrorists and help Father.”

“Eat, then questions,” Cassandra insisted.

“I agree,” Dick declared. Bruce could see the intention to argue further leave his siblings. Did he know how influential he was over them? “The League and half of our contacts are working on this. We can spare twenty minutes to let Bruce eat in peace.”

“It’s time for patrol anyway,” Jason announced, pushing himself away from the crowd. “Demon Spawn, you’re coming with me. All this motor traffic may have caused some curiosity and suspicion.”

“From what? Mountain goats?” he scoffed, but he followed Jason out of the garage. Bruce was surprised he hadn’t commented on the nickname.

“Clean plate club,” Cassandra said, looking straight at Bruce through the camera. She was serious enough to make him chuckle, but his throat couldn’t muster the sound. She followed her brothers out to patrol.

“I’m going to see if I can boost our signal now that there are seventeen machines trying to use our network,” Tim announced. “Want to help me, Steph?”

“Sure.” She skipped to catch up with him as he headed for the exit.

“No making out until you’re done,” Barbara called. “I want to see results!”

“You’re one to talk,” Stephanie teased before she and Tim disappeared.

That just left Dick and Barbara, the original Robin and Batgirl. Bruce opened the soup under their watchful eyes, moving carefully with his slow limbs. He knew they were waiting for him to say something, but they also knew to give him time. He didn’t mind their scrutiny as he sipped his soup, unable to handle more than little gulps with his sore throat and labored breaths. They would read into every movement he made to extrapolate how far the virus had progressed. Bruce wondered how much they had shared with the others.

“Gotham?” he whispered when the soup had soothed enough of his throat to give him a voice.

“Duke, Kate, Luke, and Harper are taking care of things. Alfred is coordinating from the Batcave. Dick reached out to Zatanna, and she’ll be around for backup. Everything’s under control.”

“You, on the other hand, have definitely looked better.” Concern was written all over Dick’s face.

“Have we found them yet?” he deflected, always dodging questions, always hiding behind the mask.

“The League has narrowed the attack down to three targets,” Dick shared. “They’re en route to stop it as we speak.”

“DC, Moscow, Shanghai,” Barbara listed, anticipating his follow-up question. She always was sharp. “A strike force already went to their base in the Canadian Rockies and cleared it out. This should all be over in an hour.”

So the end was in sight. No wonder everyone was so tense and had sought things to do while they waited. No wonder they had gathered together since they couldn’t be part of the counterstrike. He set down his spoon and focused on his breathing. He’d never been good at waiting on the sidelines either. His nonexistent appetite was gone.

“The comms,” he wheezed, reaching for the keyboard.

“No,” Barbara replied, her fingers typing some sequence that locked everything on his computer except the video feed. “You have to keep your heart rate steady. Any excitement will spread the virus faster.”

“There’s nothing you can do, B. Let the others handle it.”

He knew they were right, but he hated not knowing what was going on. He hated not having any control over it. He had never been good at relinquishing control, and now he had no choice. His body wasn’t responding the way it should, and his children had ignored every order to stay away. His control was falling apart.

“Hey,” Barbara said, pulling his mind back to the present, “don’t keep that spoon idle. You don’t want to disappoint Cass.”

Bruce obeyed and brought the spoon to his mouth, letting the soup trickle down his throat without tasting it.

“Antidote?” He didn’t trust his heavy tongue to form a full sentence coherently.

“Last we heard, they were analyzing an active sample to make sure they didn’t miss anything. They should have it done soon.”

“Leslie was a big help,” Dick said. “Tim sent her your tests and notes because, and I quote, ‘Barry is great but he usually works with dead bodies, and I’d like the expertise of someone who works on keeping them alive’. It was a good call.”

Bruce tried to chuckle again, but instead he coughed. With the stiffness of his lungs and muscles, he was left gasping for oxygen. His body wasn’t working right. He coughed again, and coughed and coughed and coughed. He heard Dick and Barbara calling to him through the monitor but he couldn’t stop coughing. He couldn’t get oxygen fast enough. His vision blurred, and the ringing in his ears grew louder, or maybe it was the shouting? He couldn’t tell anymore. It was just pain and coughing until his diaphragm ceased up and he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe. This was how it would end.

He couldn’t breathe.

He could only pray his kids wouldn’t enter the room and get infected.

Everything went dark.

-----

Bruce came to with the disorienting feeling that he shouldn’t. His throat felt raw and his limbs felt heavy, but he could swallow and move. His body was tired, but his lungs filled with air without hesitation. His heart was beating. He had control.

He opened his eyes slowly. He was still in the Montana safehouse. Somehow he had been moved to the bed. He could hear the soft hums and beeps of medical equipment, as well as a low murmur of voices. The smell of cooking reached his nose. He was hungry.

Bruce carefully sat up so he could get a better look around. A pile of portable cots and sleeping bags had turned up in a corner. So had a rather large TV on which Dick and Damian were currently playing Cheese Viking. Tim was on his laptop on the couch, and Stephanie leaned against him, napping quietly. Barbara and Cassandra were at the table working on some language exercises. Jason and Duke were working in the kitchen under the careful guidance of Alfred. It seemed impossible to fit so many people in the small safehouse, yet here they were.

Ever vigilant, Alfred turned as though sensing the movement of his patient.

“Ah, Master Bruce, you are awake.”

“Hey, looking good Bruce,” Duke greeted, waving a wooden spoon.

“Well what do you know,” Jason said, stepping away from the stove to get a better look at him. “You came through faster than I was expecting.”

“That stir fry needs your attention, Master Jason. The rest of you, occupy yourselves while I look him over. You’ll have a chance to say all you want over dinner.”

With minimal grumbling, everyone returned to what they had been doing. Alfred’s word was law, even when they had outgrown taking orders from Batman and Bruce Wayne.

“How do you feel, sir?” the butler asked, checking some readings on the monitor next to the bed and proceeding through the routine of a medical check.

“Alive,” he rasped. “What happened?”

“Mr. Allen and Mr. Stone were able to fabricate a cure. It was en route to you when you collapsed and arrived just in the nick of time. Of course, the others had all rushed to your aid and exposed themselves before then, so you’ve all been ordered to quarantine for a few weeks to monitor your recovery and eliminate any chance of further spread.”

“The bioterrorists?”

“Successfully thwarted and captured. Once again, the Justice League saves the day.”

“It’s over,” he sighed, relaxing against the wall. Alfred gave him a wry look.

“For the rest of the world, yes. For you, it’s only just started. Your body must recover from the toxins, and on top of that, you have eight very strong, very different personalities to live with in a small space. I expect it will be a bit challenging for you.”

Bruce looked around at everyone. The teasing and familial bickering were already on display. No matter how many times he told them to behave, they still got up to mischief.

“Like herding cats,” he sighed. Alfred chuckled.

“More like herding bats, sir.”

31 notes · View notes

etherealwaifgoddess · 5 years ago

Text

Somewhere Only We Know

Main Characters: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Since joining the Avengers you can’t seem to get any alone time with Bucky. You take matters into your own hands and find a creative solution to get the handsome super soldier back in your arms.

Warnings/ Content: Referenced sex. It’s all off screen and nothing is blatantly stated.

Dialogue prompt: “Pleeeeaaase, can we just step away for a little bit? I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

Word Count: 1.5k

Author’s Note: Hello lovelies! This is my little entry for Lani’s 3rd Mysterious Writing Challenge for the oh-so-talented @propertyofpoeandbucky. She’s amazing ya’ll. If you haven’t read anything by her yet I *highly* recommend you go take a look at her stuff. I hope you enjoy this Lani!! Thank you for hosting such a fun challenge :)

Somewhere Only We Know

(title from the song by Keane)

It wasn’t often you had time alone with Bucky. If it was up to the universe, you’d have none at all. Since joining the Avengers you found yourself constantly surrounded by various members of the eclectic group. Whether you were on missions or just lounging around the tower on your day off, there was always someone, most times multiple someones, around. It was like living in a college dorm all over again, and that was not an experience you were happy to repeat. Especially while you were trying to flirt with a certain centenarian ex-assassin.

You’d had one blissful week together when Bucky came to recruit you. He’d found you in a crappy motel outside Philadelphia, hiding out after your powers had manifested on live TV in an almost horrific incident at a NFL game. A bomb had gone off during half time and you managed to get a protective force field around it in time for the bomb to implode inside the bubble without harming anyone. Of course, a girl with purple energy flowing around her who was able to save thousands of lives garnered a lot of attention from both the good guys and the bad ones. You had been on the run for two weeks when Bucky finally caught up with you.

You were his first recruitment mission and he was determined to bring you in to join the team. You weren’t certain about being an Avenger but you were sure about getting him in bed. The super soldier’s thighs gave you a brand new appreciation of the word thicc. You’d spent the next six days enjoying each other’s company until Steve showed up, thinking he could help Bucky convince you to come back with them. You had never seen someone blush so hard their ears turned red. Steve was blessedly oblivious and you returned with them the next day.

After you returned to the tower with the guys your life had been a blur of training and practice. Bucky and you both agreed to keep what had happened to yourselves, not wanting it to potentially impact your ability to join the Avengers. You sparred with Nat, learned marksmanship from Clint, practiced controlling your powers with Wanda, jogged with Steve and Sam, and picked up a little basic first aid from Bruce. You knew it was important to be learning all that you could, to get yourself ready for the inevitable first mission, but you still missed Bucky. You’d barely get ten minutes alone with him at a time, never quite enough to make good use of it.

It was a month into your training when you’d hit your limit. Bucky was too shy to slip off to your room at night, he was still sharing an apartment with Steve and his absence would be obvious. You started looking for out of the way places you might be able to slip off to unnoticed together. There were a few regular times that your day intersected with Bucky’s so you strategized when you would be able to make your move. You just hoped Bucky was still interested. Though the way he’d had to excuse himself last week when your shirt rode up while sparring with Nat seemed to indicate he was.

You were cleaning up the kitchen after lunch, packing away the last of the leftovers, when Bucky walked into the room. He was still sweaty from his workout and the sight of his grey joggers riding low on his hips made your mouth go dry. It was now or never. “Hey Buck.” you greeted him with a welcoming smile.

“Hey, Y/N. Are there any sandwiches left?” he asked while refilling his water bottle from the tap on the fridge.

“There are, or I could go show you the new wing of the bionics lab they’re building.”

“What? I thought they’d stopped construction on that until Spring?”

“They did. But you see, it’s all the way up on the twenty second floor and no one ever goes up there.”

“Then why would we… oh.” Bucky’s eyes widened as he realized what you were implying.

“Oh.” you echoed, nodding your head. “So what are you more hungry for, Barnes? The sandwich, or me?”

Bucky blinked a moment at your blatant proposition before his brain got on board and you raced to the elevators.

It became a habit, meeting up in the abandoned construction of what would eventually be an extension of Stark’s bionics lab. It was always frantic, heated, and absolutely amazing. You were dreading Spring’s arrival when you’d lose your hideaway. Hopefully by then your relationship would be able to be public.

After an agonizingly long mission away, Bucky returned to the tower, tac gear covered in grime and still reeking of smoke. The second you locked eyes on him, you desperately wanted to get him alone. You wanted to help ease the tension in his shoulders and sadness in his eyes, take his mind off of whatever he had endured for a little while.

Everyone was gathered in the common room while Tony gave a mission report to the rest of the team. It wasn’t ideal but you were undeterred.

“Hey.” you whispered quietly to Bucky, knowing his super soldier hearing would pick up your words.

“Hiya, doll.” he answered, making sure his voice was just loud enough for you, and you alone, to hear.

“Wanna go up to our spot? They’ll never miss us.”

“We should hang around ‘til Stark is done.” he whispered with a frown.

“Pleeeeaaase, can we just step away for a little bit? I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” you begged, “We’ll be quick, they won’t even notice we’re gone.”

Bucky sighed and you could tell he was relenting.

You were exiting the elevators, ready to slip back into the common room unnoticed barely twenty minutes later. Tony’s debrief meetings were usually an hour, so you should have still had plenty of time. Bucky went first, phantom silent as he slid back to his place along the back wall of the room. You waited a heart beat before making your way back to your spot next to him. It should have been perfect, you had practiced your stealth moves with Nat and were getting pretty damn good. Unfortunately your best laid plans were all taken down by a chip.

Clint had helped himself to a bag of potato chips from the snack bowl and he crunched into one loudly right as you appeared in the doorway. Everyone’s eyes snapped over to the source of the sound and saw your attempted sneaking in the background. It might not have been too suspicious if it weren’t for the smudge of soot on your neck and your deer in the headlights expression. The fact that you’d buttoned two of your blouse buttons wrong in your hurry was just icing on the cake. Bucky’s eyes widened in silent panic as he realized you were busted and he stayed frozen in place as you laughed nervously, eyes scanning the shocked expressions of your team mates.

Finally, Tony cleared his throat. “Wow. Robo Cop and our own little Glow Worm.” he shook his head in amused disbelief, “Good job, Glow Worm. Robo Cop, don’t make me give you the shovel talk, capiche? Now, let’s get back to work.”

Everyone else was too stunned to comment so you just slunk back to your spot next to Bucky. “So much for discrete.” you whispered with an apologetic smile.

“It was inevitable.” he shrugged.

“At least we won’t have to sneak upstairs to fool around now.”

“I don’t know, doll. I kinda like having somewhere only we know.”

“Love birds!” Tony shouted, startling you both. “Do you want to pay attention to the class, or do you want to go back upstairs and keep defiling my almost-lab?”

The two of you cringed in unison.

“So much for that.” you chuckle quietly, nudging Bucky in the ribs. “Sorry Tony!” you shout back.

“Wait? What!? Were you really? I was just taking a stab in the dark there. Oh god, my new lab! FRIDAY, get a hazmat crew up to the twenty second floor, stat! And you two. Ohhh you, two. Please, I beg of you. Go make use of one of the many beds we have here at Avengers Tower, preferably your own.”

Bucky blushed fiercely, his ears adorably on fire.

“I don’t want to see either one of you until noon tomorrow at the earliest. Go on now, shoo.” Tony waved his hands at you dismissively.

“The boss said so.” you shrugged at Bucky with a flirty smile.

Bucky grinned wolfishly at you, “Orders are orders.” he said before scooping you up in his arms.

You let out a little squeak as Bucky carried you off and you could hear Tony resuming his debriefing in the distance. It wasn’t the most ideal way for the team to find out, but somehow you couldn’t seem to mind at all.

#lanis3rdmysteriouswritingchallenge #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky fanfic #marvel #Winter Soldier #Marvel Avengers #non cannon compliant

76 notes · View notes

kitweewoos · 4 years ago

Note

Leophelia + 14 for dialogue promots

I’ve never written Leophelia before, so hopefully you like it :)

14. Ding dong, you are wrong.

They were both notoriously competitive, so much so that they weren’t really allowed at the group game night anymore. Ophelia had thrown a Jenga block at Leopold, which had ended with Ophelia covered in dip when Leopold had chucked his chip covered in French onion at her, and the both of them had not been invited back. But she loved board games, and the thrill of competition, and the bright interest in Leopold’s eyes when he worked on a puzzle or a strategy. They stayed home on group game nights, and they’d built a collection of cooperative play games that they could do together without wanting to strangle each other. It was nice.

Daisy, one of Leopold’s shit-stirring friends, bought him a trivia game for his birthday.

“Have fun, you two. Don’t kill each other,” she’d cooed as she left his birthday dinner, grinning like she knew exactly what she’d done.

“We could just never play it,” Ophelia offered that night, the game placed on their coffee table between them.

“I really want to play it,” Leopold said.

“Me too.”

“We can be civil, right? We’ve grown as individuals, and as a couple, since that incident.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “We can totally be civil.”

Which ultimately led them to...

“Ding dong, you are wrong,” Leopold teased, “and I win!”

Ophelia rolled her eyes, and snatched the card out of his hand to look at the correct answer.

“Are you shitting me?” she asked. “You won on a technicality! On semantics!”

“Still won,” he replied.

She slapped the card down on the table with a huff, and Leopold leaned over the table into her space, his blue eyes startling her.

“Are you pouting?”

“No. Maybe.”

“Sore loser,” he said even as he kissed her. That soothed the irritation a little bit. Maybe this was the solution to their competitive clashing streaks.

“Sore winner,” she replied, pulling him closer over the coffee table. His lips were so soft, and every kiss felt special and brand new. They’d nearly missed each other, eyes for someone else blinding them momentarily, but somehow, they’d seen each other there.

“Leo,” she muttered, stroking along his cheek. “This cannot be the solution every time one of us loses.”

“Why not?”

He shuffled around the coffee table on his knees, and kissed her again.

“We’d never get to go anywhere. No game night, no arcade, nothing. We’d be locked in our apartment all the time.”

He smiled, and it was that sweet, soft smile she loved so much.

“I don’t see the problem with that myself, Lia. Do you?”

“Leo,” she sighed and rested her forehead against his. “You can’t distract me into forgetting that I lost.”

“Can’t I, though?”

The next kiss was deeper, pressing her back into the couch behind her.

“Mmm, you can. I changed my mind. You can.”

[more dialogue prompts]

#agents of shield #leophelia #leo fitz #ophelia sarkissian #prompt tag #holdendadcliffe

4 notes · View notes

valmerappreciationhours · 5 years ago

Text

Room 313

Clenny Week Day 4--omg they were roommates

(read on ao3 here)

Clyde Donovan has been looking forward to meeting his college roommate for months. Unfortunately for him, Kenny McCormick isn't quite what he was expecting.

“You smell that? That’s the smell of new beginnings, my compatriots.”

“Bold to say for s-someone who peaked in hh—hu—high school.”

“Smells like manure and sweat.”

Clyde stopped in his trek to turn and glare at his companions, varsity jacket-clad arms crossed. His height certainly wasn’t accomplishing any wonders in terms of intimidation. “You’re just grumpy since your boyfriend didn’t come with us.”

Craig’s mouth remained set in a straight line, but a small crease formed between his brows. “I’m simply stating facts. And you didn’t say anything about Jimmy’s comment.”

“Jimmy’s comment was funny.”

“I aim to please.”

As the group continued their teasing, a cold autumn breeze picked up, whisking a few leaves past the party. The spare bits of concrete that were visible under throngs of students were littered with empty chip bags and discarded cigarettes. Booths advertising various clubs and events were scattered throughout the square, with a couple of plain buildings filling the space beyond. The clatter of voices and the rustling of bodies generated a cacophony that was a chore to speak over, but the three had plenty of practice.

“Who has the map? I’m r-ready to get out of this.” Jimmy had cut over to an empty area by a trash can and quickly readjusted his crutches.

“I second that.” Craig swiftly unfolded the campus map from his jacket pocket. “We’re going to my residence hall first. Token’s waiting with Stripe in the car and I need to get her set up.”

“Aw, Craig!” Clyde whined but sped up to keep up with the long strides. “You mean they’re not close?”

“Did you not look at any of your papers?”

The silence from Clyde was deafening.

Jimmy laughed. “Nice to know Clyde’s still the same old guy ev-even at a b-b-bi- a big university.” It was not a big university. It may quality as big by some standards, or a university by others, but the community college was far from any Ivy League school. The minimal requirements and low fees were what made the school attractive more than anything else.

“But I’ll be so quick! I just wanna meet my roommate and then I’ll be right back to help set up! I’ve been waiting forever for this.” Clyde’s excitement and fierce determination sparkled in his brown eyes, and Craig sighed.

“Do you need the map?”

“He needs the map,” Jimmy confirmed.

Clyde raced across campus, dodging other new students and luggage. His backpack thumped uncomfortably against his back, but it was no match for the exhilaration of discovering who he was going to be rooming with. Hopefully someone cool who also loved football and parties! Maybe even a science nerd like Craig, who would be down with making miniature explosions in their dorm. Clyde nearly toppled two boys hefting a crate, and made hasty apology as he scrambled up the stairs. Third floor, room 310, 311, 312, yes, 313! The door was cracked, and Clyde thrust it open to finally reveal…

An empty room.

Wait, no, there was a ratty brown backpack on the floor. Clyde glanced around, searching for something, anything more. He couldn’t have run here just to beat seeing his roommate.

The bunkbeds lacked any personal items, there were no posters, no pets. The beige walls and gray rug stared back, empty and unyielding. The desk, aside from coffee stains and indentations, bore no mark of human life. Clyde stood for a moment more, hoping for something before he left to go help his friends set up.

His saving grace was an incomprehensible muffle from behind him.

Clyde whipped around fast enough to produce a neck injury, and was met with an individual ingulfed by an orange coat covered in patches. His jeans were completely torn at the knees, showing off scrapes and bruises underneath. His shoes were unidentifiable simply by the sheer amount of duct tape holding them together. He stared, and the other stared back, blue eyes unblinking. Eventually the muffle sounded again, but now that Clyde was paying attention it sounded much more like “do you live here?”

“Yeah, I live here.” Clyde flashed a smile, leaning against the doorframe. A surefire way to make a good impression, and if this orange blob was his roommate, he wanted to look like the coolest dude on the face of the Earth.

The boy under the coat stuck out a hand, showing off fingerless gloves. Clyde took it, wondering if the gloves were a sign his roommate was chill or if he was a former homeless person. At any rate, his hands were clammy anyway.

“Kenneth McCormick,” he introduced through a thick layer of fabric. “You want top or bottom?”

Clyde let his hand keep shaking, but his cheeks reddened. “Clyde Donovan, and, uh, that’s pretty straightforward.”

Kenneth put his hands back in the pockets of the orange monstrosity. “Well, we gotta figure it out before bed.”

Oh, geez, that was straightforward! “Hey, man, you seem alright and all, and I’m sure you’re attractive under that hood, but…”

One could practically see the pieces fit their way together in Kenneth’s mind, and his eyebrows shot up. He took a hand and pointed behind Clyde, who turned to see the bunk beds. Well, what did that have to do with---ohh. Oh.

Clyde turned back in horror, cheeks surely flaming. His roommate’s eyes crinkled at the corners, alive with mirth. “Uh, why don’t you have first pick? My treat.” He quickly started moving around to the exit. “I actually gotta go help my friend set up, so, I’ll see you later, I guess.” Once out, Clyde forced a casual stroll down the hall until he couldn’t see his room anymore, then bolted.

He was going to run to Craig’s room, and he was not going to cry all over his friends because he totally bombed his first impression. Jimmy would tell a joke and make everything better, and somehow Token would provide a solution that would make perfect sense and Clyde would wonder how he hadn’t thought of it. Yeah, it would work out. Just the thought of his friends lessened the burn in his face. It would probably be brushed off and forgotten by the time he returned.

Kenneth McCormick had not forgotten. Clyde was sure of this when he headed back to the room, backpack and bags in tow, and his roommate leaned down from the top bunk. Instantly, those blue eyes crinkled. “I chose top,” he said through the coat, and Clyde wanted to scream.

“I’m doomed,” Clyde said into his mug.

“You’re doomed,” Craig agreed, not batting an eye.

“What is it this time?” Token didn’t look up from his place on the tablet screen. He may be miles away at a fancy university, but he wasn’t getting out of Those Guys hangouts that easily.

Clyde laid his head on the wood grain of the coffee shop table. “My roommate.”

“Shame.” Craig blew on the steam billowing off his mug. “My roommate is the coolest person in the world.”

“I don’t m-mmm-mind my roommate either,” Jimmy added. “What’s the issue with yu-yours?”

“The worst first impression in the world,” Clyde groaned, wallowing in misery. “And he’s never there so now the only thing he thinks of me is that I think about gay sex.”

“So, he’s p-pretty much got it.”

Craig snorted into his tea and even Token howled with laughter through the speaker, Jimmy beaming with pride. Clyde huffed, and Jimmy reached out to poke his cheek.

“Hey, it’s n-n-not a big deal. Do you really wanna be bent on the op-o-opinn-opinion of someone whose name is Kenneth? Th-that’s a nerd name, Clyde.”

That was it. The gamechanger. Clyde’s head snapped up. “You’re right! That is a nerd name!” Finally, it felt like things were starting to come together again, when Clyde’s face fell. “Oh no. I already gave him a nickname.” There went that sacred sliver of hope.

“I thought you didn’t talk to him,” Token pointed out.

Clyde leaned onto his hand. “I said he’s never there. We’ve talked and stuff.”

“H-how cool was the nickname, th-though?”

“I just shortened it to Kenny! I thought, hey, I don’t wanna be saying this long fancy name all the time!”

“You gave him a nickname!” a new voice yelped, causing three of the four boys to jolt. “Oh god, you’re in it now, Clyde!” Tweek hovered above the table, a full coffee pot in one hand, a navy-blue teapot in the other. Despite the shouting and nervous energy radiating off of him, not a drop of liquid found its way onto the table or anyone’s clothes. After years, Tweek was bound to become an expert on handling drinks simultaneous to freaking out.

On the screen, Token bowed his head solemnly. “The Tweek has spoken. You can’t come back from this.” Craig nodded as Tweek refilled the cups around the table.

“C-come on, guys!" Jimmy tried, ever an optimist. “Clyde may have st-st-started out on his dumber foot—”

“I’m gonna let you continue since you’re defending me.”

“—b-but he can ssstill pull through!” Jimmy reached out to grab Clyde’s round cheeks. “Who could say no to this ch-charming face!”

“Gah!”

“Anyone with sense.”

“Literally everyone I can think of.”

“Hm.” Jimmy pulled his hands back and poured more sugar into his mug. “I’ve worked with w-worse audiences.”

“So, you still have faith in me?” Clyde looked to his friend, brown eyes large and vulnerable. He was a drowning voyager, fighting for his life in the open sea, and Jimmy, his good friend Jimmy, was right there with a lifeboat.

Jimmy averted his eyes and loudly sipped his coffee. Fake-Clyde was left to die in the cold water.

The next time Clyde truly interacted with his roommate, it was just past two in the morning on a Saturday. The unlocking of the door roused him from a light sleep, in which he was doing a great job at crumpling his textbook pages. Clyde quickly shut the book and looked over to the other boy, expecting to find him drunk or maybe high. What Clyde did not expect was to see Kenny sporting an apron and black slacks, a to-go cup and battered paper in one hand. A scarf wrapped around his face, effectively blocking out wind, as well as Clyde from getting a look at his face.

When Kenny noticed that Clyde was awake, he lit up and quickly closed the distance, shutting the door with his hip. “Hey man, check this out.” Clyde was barely awake, mind still muddled from sleep, but his brain worked hard enough to understand the colorful paper Kenny sat in front of him. “Are you going?”

Clyde rubbed his eye, works still sticking to form. “Sure, I love a good party. Didn’t think you were a party guy.”

Kenny laughed, muffled. “That hurts, man. Why not?”

Clyde yawned, leaning back down to his homework. His words slurred with sleep. “You gotta name like Kenneth. Dassa nerd name.”

He vaguely registered the creak of the bunk as Kenny climbed up. “Hey, you gave me a nickname all on your own. That’s admitting that I’m cooler than my birth name.” The flop of fabric against mattress. “Go to that party with me, I’ll show you how cool I can be.”

Clyde mumbled into his book. “Bet.” If Kenny was still talking, he didn’t tune in, too busy getting drool all over his homework.

The closer time got to the awaited party, the more Clyde started hearing about it around campus. It became a hot topic in the halls and overtook class whisperings; what people were gonna wear, who they were going with, how crazy it was bound to be. Clyde was feeling like hot stuff for having already known about it (even if he needed the sight of the flyer to remind him), and all the buzz only made him more excited. This would mark his first real, off-the-chain college party. Quite possibly more important than first steps, if you asked him.

Clyde’s pile of homework sat untouched on his bunk. Not today; there were more important things, like the crisp varsity jacket laying on the chair and money on the desk for a dinner of tacos before. He was working on the knots of his sneakers when the door banged open.

“I’m just saying, laser eyes would just be a hazard to itself.” A boy with black hair followed Kenny into the room, still wrapped up in conversation. Clyde may have known next to nothing about the topic, but it sounded like a good one.

Kenny swung around to face Clyde. “Hey, dude, this is Stan. He’s gonna be going with us since his one true super best friend left him for a fancy school.”

“And there was no way I was going with Cartman.” Stan’s eyes were intense, practically radiating revulsion toward the Cartman fellow.

“And there was no way he was going with Cartman,” Kenny agreed, nodding. While he set to work on his parka zippers, Clyde grinned over at the newcomer.

“The more the merrier, man!”

“I’m also bringing alcohol,” Stan mentioned, holding up the twelve pack he carried.

Clyde glanced at the label and humbly dropped to a knee. “The good stuff! You’re a savior, Stan-the-man.”

“Don’t bother,” Kenny’s muffle advised, “his heart already belongs to a faraway prince.” Clyde turned to respond, but was shocked by lack of the raggedy orange parka. Instead, Kenny was decked out in a marginally better-looking hoodie and a skirt over leggings. That was a surprise, but Clyde couldn’t say it didn’t look great on Kenny. Unfortunately, a surgeon’s mask successfully continued to hide his face, and Clyde couldn’t help from groaning.

“Am I ever gonna see your face?”

Kenny strode over and patted Clyde’s back. “I’m too cute; it’s for the good of humanity that I contain it.”

“He gets sick easy,” Stan supplied from Kenny’s other side. Kenny punched him in the arm, and he glared back. “Dinner, first, right?”

“Yeah!” Clyde punched a fist in the air. “Ya boy wants tacos!”

It was beautiful. So beautiful.

Music thumped and blared out of the house, alight with strobes and the glowing cherries of cigarettes. People spilled out onto the street, most with drinks in hand. The only ones that looked like they weren’t having a good time were sitting against the side of the house, puffing on cigarette smoke. Clyde thought they looked just a bit menacing in all black with dark stares, but Kenny strode right up and held out a fist to the lone girl.

“’Ey, Henri!” She huffed and bumped the offered fist. “Glad you could make it!”

“Whatever.” She took another drag. “We’re just at this conformist party to prove a point that all this is still meaningless and doesn’t drive off the darkness.”

Clyde grimaced. Geez, these guys hit heavy. Kenny just looked infinitely brighter next to them, with his vibrant orange hoodie and blond hair.

To Clyde’s surprise, Kenny was agreeing with her. “I hear that,” he said, muffled, “but there’s nothing wrong with postponing inevitable darkness a while. Save me a smoke later?”

If Clyde wasn’t mistaken, he just saw the girl’s black lips twitch upwards. “I won’t wait around.”

Clyde looked at Stan for some clarification, mouth agape. Stan shrugged. “Goth kids, that’s Henrietta.” He pointed out the girl. “They’re a bunch of downers, but I’m pretty sure Kenny’s immune to everything the world’s got.”

Kenny rejoined their trio and led the way in. If the excitement and energy were evident outside, it was even better in the house. Pounding bass, crowded halls, laughter and dancing and so many attractive people. Clyde was sure he’d died and gone to heaven. This was where he was meant to be, and Kenny’s side pushing up against him in the crowd just made it better.

After a few drinks, the group lost Stan, but neither was too worried. “He’ll be passed out drunk somewhere,” Kenny claimed, and Clyde was too busy being distracted by the lure of beer pong.

An hour in, Clyde had taken back every worry he ever had about his roommate. Kenny was lively and wild, contrary to the stick-in-the-mud nerd assumption. He couldn’t believe he ever thought he had to be concerned about interacting with his roommate; it was as easy as breathing. The two were hovering to the side of a dim room, taking a quick breather and clinking their red solo cups, when a girl caught Clyde’s eye.

A goddess in red! The sun burned in jealously of the shine of her golden locks!

Really, he recognized her from his English class, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still pretty.

“Go talk to her.” Kenny’s breath was hot on his neck in the crowded room, and it sent chills despite the heat.

Clyde did not blush. He instead focused on making his way through the throngs of partygoers, dodging cups of unknown drinks and young adults grinding on each other. Finally, he stumbled through past a pair of girls, reaching his destination.

“Hey, Clyde,” the girl drawled, pushing back a curl. Her lipstick gleamed blood-red.

Clyde ran a hand through his hair in a futile attempt to make it look less frizzy and sweaty. “Hey, Bebe!” he half-yelled over the noise. “Having fun?”

Bebe swirled her drink, smirking. “Yeah, but maybe not as much fun as you’ve been having with your friend over there.”

Clyde turned his head to see where she was gesturing. Kenny was bathed in a faint blue light, forming a type of halo around windswept blond hair, making him look ethereal amidst the other party-goers. At some point in the night, his hoodie got unzipped, showing off a tank top that complimented his figure in comparison to all those baggy jackets. Kenny was talking with Stan again, who was looking pretty worse for wear. Well, less talking with, more talking to while supporting most of his weight. Kenny was saying something and nodding in Clyde’s direction.

When they locked eyes, Kenny’s blue ones glittered. He winked. The simple action made something flutter in Clyde’s stomach. Maybe it was the alcohol.

He turned back to Bebe. “He’s my roommate.”

Clyde watched Bebe crane her neck to look at Kenny again, maybe noting how cheap his clothes looked. One of the girls that Clyde had pushed past leaned heavily on her friend, voice choked with the heavy emotion characteristic of drunk girls. “Oh my god, they were roommates!”

Clyde groaned, slamming his head down onto his jumble of papers.

“Chemistry?” Kenny guessed, huddled with his own books on the top bunk.

“Spanish,” Clyde corrected. “There’s so many words!” To rub salt into his struggle, Craig just had to be fluent. Not only did that make Clyde feel worse about his own inability, Craig was preoccupied with his physics project and had turned off all notifications. Help from the local genius was inaccessible. “You wouldn’t happen to be taking it, would you?”

“Nah, I tested out.”

Clyde swung around. “You know Spanish? Please help me!”

Kenny peered down. “Not Spanish, I tested out of language with Mandarin.”

That sent Clyde for a loop. “Mandarin?” Was that even one of the languages someone could take here? Not to mention the difficulty; English script was hard enough for Clyde to read without getting jumbled; he couldn’t wrap his head around understanding the strokes of Mandarin.

Kenny flipped a page in his notebook. “I used to work at this local Chinese restaurant. I picked a lot up from the owner.” It was said completely nonchalant, as if he wasn’t talking about casually learning a second language.

“Dude! Just like that?” The Spanish worksheets lay forgotten. Who would’ve guessed his roommate was so interesting? Maybe Clyde just wanted to avoid his homework, but learning more could totally be a valid excuse here.

“Mhm.” Aside from the affirmation, Kenny was quiet on his bunk.

“Could you say something in Mandarin?” Clyde prompted hopefully.

Kenny thought for just a moment. “Tā mā de.”

Clyde looked on, starry eyed. “So cool! What’s it mean?”

Kenny scribbled some notes, but paused to glance back at his roommate. His eyes crunched in the way that meant he was smiling, and Clyde’s heart buzzed. “Fuck.”

Clyde dissolved into laughter, and was quickly followed by Kenny. “I think I will start peppering that into my conversations starting today.” He picked up his abandoned pencil and flipped a Spanish worksheet over. “How do you say it again?”

Football practice may not rank as high as triple decker nachos on Clyde’s list of favorite things, but it was up there. The satisfying strain of muscle and delight of messing with his teammates outweighed the yelling of the coaches and the aches the next day by far. It was a time he actually enjoyed, that actually made sense instead of heavy bookwork, so of course the universe wouldn’t let him have it. Ten minutes in, the sky opened up, pouring rain so hard one couldn’t see past their own hand.

Clyde trudged back to his dorm hall, squinting to see through the sheets of water crashing down. He wiped his soppy bangs from his face, but it did no good. His clothes were drenched and heavy, coupled with the weight of his sports bag of equipment. At least the dorm hall wasn’t too much farther. It was benevolent in its way of offering shelter from the storm, but cruel and unforgiving in its broken elevator sign.

Clyde was resigned to heaving himself up the stairs, bag hitting every step behind him. A hot shower sounded so good right now. Or maybe lasagna. Or watching bad television in his soft and warm pajamas, snuggled up in blankets. Yeah, his night just got booked.

He dug in his pocket for his room key, dreaming about the dollar store garlic bread he could cook up. His hand closed on nothing. Clyde switched to his other pocket, then his back pockets, jacket, and bag, growing more desperate with each pocket. Of course.

Clyde let his weight drop, falling to the ground. Tears welled up in his eyes. He was tired, he was cold, he just wanted to go home! To top it off, Kenny had been talking about meeting up with his friend Eric, and the fact that the two might get arrested and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow morning.

Fantastic.

Clyde tried to ring out his clothes and leaned against the door. Maybe Kenny would get back early. He would love to see that scraggly hair and patched up jacket right now. Until then, well, no point in trying to get anything done.

Clyde was jolted out of his half-slumber by the door opening behind him, pushing his back. He looked over his shoulder to see an almost startled Kenny gazing down at him. Clyde quickly lept to his feet. “I thought you were still out.”

Kenny opened the door further to let his roommate in. “Things went south,” he explained, but didn’t elaborate.

Clyde pulled his heavy sports bag into the room. “Did you get rained out too?” Most of the water that clung to him had been left in the hall, but his clothes were still damp enough to be uncomfortable.

Kenny threw himself back into the desk chair, which spun with his weight. “I got shot.”

Clyde turned with a start, but Kenny looked fine. Clean clothes, smooth movements, a stunning lack of blood. He laughed. “That bad, huh?”

Kenny’s eyes looked sunken and tired. Clyde quickly decided it didn’t suit him.

“I’m gonna order a pizza. Proven to heal even the most gruesome wounds! What do you want on it?” He was too tired to make lasagna anyway.

Kenny leaned back in his chair. “Everything in the store. I’m starving!”

Clyde dug his phone out and dialed the nearest pizza delivery. His garlic bread was gonna knock Ken’s socks off.

Nothing screamed procrastination quite like watching dumb shows. Clyde pulled his blanket closer and perused his Netflix options. It would be a good night for a comedy, relieve some stress of classes. The lamps were already turned off, the blue light of the laptop the main source of light in the room. The savory smell of noodles wafted in, and Clyde drooled. Oh yeah, it was all coming together.

He turned to see his roommate heralding two cups of noodles. Faded pajama pants hung loose around Kenny’s thin frame, and a splash of broth had stained his shirt, which proudly proclaimed that he was the Denver spelling bee champion of 2005. The lighting made it just too difficult to get a good look at the bottom half of his face. Damn. Kenny set the two steaming cups of ramen on the table and crashed down onto the couch.

“Spelling bee champion?” Clyde finally picked a series to play, and his attention was grabbed by the old tee, the colorful lettering standing out.

Kenny picked up his noodles. “I stole it from Kyle,” he explained, twirling his chopsticks.

They settled in, slurping on seasoned noodles and continuing the series started last week. It had plenty of action, but more importantly, it had comedy. There was something special about laughing with Kenny. He had a great laugh.

Clyde shifted to lean against his friend’s arm. He was expecting maybe a sly comment or for Kenny to gently shove him off; he certainly was not expecting Kenny to take a sharp breath and stiffen. Clyde scrambled to move. “Fuck! Are you okay, dude?”

Kenny rubbed his arm with his other hand, and Clyde barely hesitated to push up the sleeve and examine. Aside from a few scattered freckles, the skin there was smooth. “Just phantom pain,” Kenny explained. “I hurt it yesterday and I guess I’m still feeling it. Don’t worry about it.”

Clyde could almost relate, but his sports injuries always left a mark a day later. “What’d you do?”

Kenny looked like he was considering some options. “Nothing much,” he decided. Clyde frowned, brows furrowed, but Kenny’s face was bright when he looked back. “Don’t worry about it, happens all the time.” He readjusted and leaned back against Clyde. “I always bounce back.”

With Kenny pressed against him, hot ramen on the table, and the next episode of their comedy beginning to play, Clyde wasn’t about to argue or probe for more information. He was content to just grab his cup of noodles and move closer to his friend’s side.

“You’re a weirdo, Kenny.” Clyde clapped a hand on his shoulder. “But I’m gonna miss you.”

Kenny’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “I’m gonna miss you too, you big dummy.”

Ah shit. Tears started leaking out of Clyde’s doe eyes and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He pulled Kenny into a hug. The shoulder of Kenny’s jacket was getting wet but Clyde didn’t notice. “I mean, you’re just so strange, man! I’ve never known anyone like you. My friend thinks you’re a demon.”

“Is it the one that’s always hyped up on coffee?”

“How’d you know?”

“Lucky guess.” After a few more minutes, Kenny managed to extract himself and put his hands in his pockets. “You’ll see me next year.”

No, that was way too long. Clyde pulled his phone from his pocket. “We could text over the summer! Maybe meet up?”

Kenny’s blue eyes lost their shine. “I don’t have a phone. I’m gonna be staying with my brother a few towns over. Sorry, dude.”

Clyde’s face fell, and he quickly wiped his eyes. “Alright. That’s cool. No worries, man.”

“Don’t miss me too much!” Kenny put a hand on Clyde’s shoulder as a goodbye, but it was the wrong move, as it sent the other into another death-grip hug. It might be a while.

Summer felt like a trade of Kenny for Tweek and Token back in person, and it was seriously messing with Clyde’s emotions. He loved his friends, and seeing Craig happier was always a treat, but without Kenny, things felt duller. It might’ve been easier to mope and forget those bright eyes for a while if relationships weren’t such a hot topic of conversation.

“Pretty fffunny that you w-worried all that much and all you did was fall in love with him.”

Clyde floundered. “I did not fall in love with him!”

Tweek pulled on his hair. “Gah! What if he infects you with alien spawn now that he’s gained your trust!”

Token poked at his gelato. “I thought the theory was that he’s a demon?”

Tweek set back to his espresso ice cream. “I’ve been workshopping it.”

“Don’t make him show you the PowerPoint,” Craig added. “It’s full of spelling errors and he won’t let me fix it.”

“You guys are the nerdiest couple I’ve ever seen,” Clyde said, annoyance temporarily forgotten over the pair, “and it’s so cute.” Craig flipped him off.

“S-soon they will be b-b-balanced out by the unt-untamable party couple,” Jimmy snickered.

“We’re not dating! I don’t even know if he likes boys,” Clyde defended. All the other parties present gave Clyde a long look. “What?”

“Dude,” Token began. “Kenny likes boys.”

“And girls. And an-anything that gives consent.”

“WHAT?” Clyde dropped his ice cream. “How have you guys noticed and I haven’t? Token doesn’t even go to our school!”

“Clyde,” Craig deadpanned. “He has a pride flag on his jacket.”

“It was in the—ah! It was in the picture you showed us!”

The boys all watched as Clyde tore out his phone and scrolled through his pictures until he reached the desired one. Sure enough, once he was looking, the pink, yellow, and blue patch was obvious. “Oh no,” Clyde whispered, horrified, “I’m an idiot.” He looked up just in time to see Tweek smack a hand against Craig, who had an amused look on his features. “But that doesn’t mean I like him!”

“One thing at a time, buddy.”

Clyde ripped open his dorm room door, excitement bringing him close to bursting. An agonizingly long summer, three long Kenny-less months. At last, on the other side of that door would be a gross old backpack and an orange parka and everything would fall back into place.

“H-hey, Clyde!”

Clyde stood in the doorway, staring blankly. Jimmy was on the bottom bunk, pulling notebooks out of his backpack. His smile was bright and wonderful as always, but that moment marked the only time it made Clyde feel worse.

“Oh. Hey, Jim.”

“You didn’t c-c-check anyone else’s room n-number,” Jimmy noted, unfazed.

“Nope,” Clyde sighed. If you asked him a year ago, rooming with Jimmy would’ve been the dream, but now? He couldn’t imagine staying with anyone but Kenny McCormick.

“N-no worries.” Jimmy grabbed his crutches, which were propped up against the wall. A confident smile played at his lips. “I know a v-vi-a visit with Cr-Craig will turn that f-frown upside down.”

Clyde didn’t believe it; Craig could be a sourpuss, and his general attitude was not likely to fix Clyde’s mood. Nevertheless, he was still a reliable friend. “CRAAAIIIG,” Clyde groaned, stepping into the dorm, hand over face. He didn’t bother trying to contain his distress. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen Craig at his worst, anyway.

“Nice to see you too, Clyde.”

Hold up.

Clyde uncovered an eye to see a mop of blond and a horrendously vibrant orange hoodie. “Kenny!” There was no hesitation in flinging his whole weight at the other, who nearly toppled over. He wrapped his arms tight, and Kenny shifted uncomfortably.

“Might need some air here.”

Clyde loosened his arms marginally, but pressed his face into the jacket. “I’m never letting go.”

“Alright, but I don’t know the last time I washed this hoodie.”

“Same goes for my shirt, man.”

Jimmy and Craig each took a step away from the pair. Craig kept taking steps, out the door and down the hall.

“Should I be worried?” Kenny asked into Clyde’s hair.

“Nah, he’s gonna go do my laundry.”

“How did you ever survive before you met him?”

How did I ever survive without you, Clyde thought. Kenny was the sun, bright and wonderful, even if he didn’t know exactly how it functioned. If he could spend the rest of eternity here with Kenny, reckless, hardworking, witty Kenny, he would be happy. From where he was tucked, Clyde could easily peer over Kenny’s shoulder and get a good view of Jimmy. He was smirking at Clyde knowingly, the kind of look his friends always gave when it was proven that they were right.

Oh.

Dammit.

The group chat chimed a dozen messages, mostly words of encouragement. Clyde puffed his chest and began striding over to his target. The device continued to chime, and it only served to boost his esteem. He positioned himself against a wall, propping himself up against it.

When Kenny finally reached his point at the sidewalk, Clyde brushed his hair back and tried for an award-winning smile. “Hey, Ken, top or bottom?”

Kenny was still sporting his work uniform, with the addition of his heavy parka. He looked at Clyde, and his blue eyes were heavy and tired. “We don’t bunk together anymore, Clyde.”

Clyde only grinned back.

Kenny’s eyes widened. “Oh fuck.”

Clyde flashed a finger gun. “You and me, 7:00, sushi shop downtown?”

Kenny made an “okay” sign with his hand. “Hell yeah! Wanna see if Jimmy and Craig are willing to switch roommates?”

“They’ll do it, they’re great wingmen.” Clyde took Kenny’s hand in his own, confident.

Who needed classes or sports or parties or graduation? Hands down, Clyde would say the best thing about college was his super cool, not nerdy, Mandarin-speaking, psych major, idiot roommate. All that other stuff was just extra, pushing him closer to where he needed to be.

Maybe a class on mysterious boyfriend investigation would be beneficial, though.

#clenny #clenny week 2020 #clyde donovan #kenny mccormick #south park #sp clenny #my mediocre writing #it may not be perfect but I had fun making it and thats what matters #sp fic

23 notes · View notes

nothingeverlost · 5 years ago

Text

Fic: Henry Gold (5/?)

Summary: Regina asked for Gold’s help in procuring a child, but when he held the wee boy in his arms he couldn’t give the child up. Ten years later it’s Henry Gold who arrives in Boston, looking for Emma.

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3/ Chapter 4

A/N: Very Henry-lite, but . Emma meets Mary Margaret, a pregnant girl, and applies first aid. More show dialog than past chapters.

"You had us all worried, Henry." At Henry's request Emma walked him to school the next morning. They were greeted in the playground by a woman with short hair who looked strangely familiar, though Emma knew that they'd never met. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Thanks Miss Blanchard. I have to go talk to Paige. Bye Emma, thanks for walking me." Henry was off before Emma had a chance to respond. Ever since the call had come from Franklin's that it would be at least a week before her car could be repaired, thanks to a part that needed to be ordered, Henry had been much more relaxed.

"So you're Henry's teacher." Who happened to be the woman that Henry thought was her mother. The mother who was, from the looks of her, the same age as Emma herself. "I'm Emma. I'm, uh…"

"His biological mother. You're also the one that got him and Archie out of the mine." Miss Blanchard shrugged. "It's a small town, and there's not a lot to talk about. News travels fast. Also he apparently used my credit card to find you, or at least I assume that’s why a site called www.whoseyourmama showed up on my bill."

“I don’t have much experience with small towns.” She wasn’t used to people knowing much about her, either. She was more used to stolen credit cards, but hadn’t realized that Henry had inherited that talent. Was stealing hereditary? If so he came by it honestly.

“Sometimes if can be really wonderful, having so many people know you. Sometimes it can feel lonely, when it feels like nothing ever changes.” She shrugged. “I’m afraid I have to take some of the blame for yesterday, and for you being here.”

“Because of the credit card?” Emma wondered if Henry would have still run for the mines if she had never been in the town. If he had would he have found a way out?

“Because of the book.” Mary Margaret looked to the corner of the playground where Henry was sitting and talking to a little blond girl. It was the first time Emma had seen him with a kid his own age.

“You’re the one that gave it to him?” That was weird. Or maybe it made sense. She gave him the book so maybe seeing her as one of the characters was logical, for a ten year old. And if his teacher was a character in the book then he’d just started naming other people too. “Why?”

“Henry is a very special boy, so smart and creative. But he’s also very lonely. Perhaps because of who his father is, or because he’s so clever he’s never been very good at making friends. I thought the book could help.”

“How does a book make him less lonely?” For a moment she was back on the bed in one of her group homes, walkman playing music through her headphones and a book in front of her. She knew what lonely felt like, but her books and music had been a shield, not a solution.

“What do you think stories are for? These stories are classics. There’s a reason we all know them. They’re a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn’t always make sense to adults, let alone ten year old boys.” Mary Margaret sighed. “What’s the first fairytale you remember someone reading to you?”

“I didn’t get a lot of storytime.” There had been a family once, that had almost kept her, but then they’d had a child of their own. She’d tried to forget most of that home; it made the rest of them harder. “I remember sneaking into a theatre to see Hunchback of Notre Dame once.”

Mary Margaret bit her lip, looking a little like she wanted to cry. People raised in happy homes with parents usually assumed that everyone else had the same. “I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have. Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing.”

Emma was grateful when the bell rang and kids started running for the building. She didn’t want to know what Mary Margaret’s next question might be.

“It was nice meeting you, Emma.” Mary Margaret offered her hand, but before Emma could shake a bird landed on her finger.

“Yeah.” Maybe Henry’s stories were getting to her too, because for just a second she could understand how Henry could look at his teacher and see Snow White. “I’ll see you around.”

“Are you okay?” All she’d wanted was a cup of coffee, but she’d barely managed a sip before spilling it on her shirt. The diner’s owner had directed her to the laundry room of the bed and breakfast next door to clean up. Now she was faced with a very pregnant and very unhappy pregnant teen that reminded her way too much of herself. Well, except for the lack of a prison jumper.

“Last night, I felt contractions and the doctor said that the baby could come any day now.” She rubbed her belly, one hand resting on it even when she poured bleach into the washing machine. Apparently the sheets weren’t supposed to be pink. Emma remembered waking to find her hand on her belly, feeling the movement inside and forcing herself to move her hand, wrapping it around the metal frame of her cell bed.

“Ah.” What could she say? Labor was scary and painful, but being that pregnant wasn’t comfortable.

“It’s just that, um, when the… When the baby comes, no one thinks that I can do this. No one thinks I can do anything.” She looked down at her belly. “Maybe they’re right.”

“Forget what they think, what do you think?” She didn’t let herself think about what it what it would have been like to keep her kid. It hadn’t been possible and it wouldn’t have been Henry’s best life. She’d made her only possible choice, but that was her. “What do you want for you and what do you want for this kid?”

“I’m nineteen.”

“A year older than I was.” And from the looks of her not living on the street at least.

“When you had a kid?” The girl frowned, as if it had never occurred to her that someone else might have been in the same boat.

“Yeah. Everyone loves to tell you what you can and can’t do, especially with a kid. For me the right choice was adoption but I was the only person that could make that choice. You’re the only one that can decide for you.” Hopefully the mayor wasn’t still looking for a kid. The idea that she could have been Henry’s mom was still unsettling.

“You don’t understand. Sean’s father…”

“Doesn’t get to make decisions for you.” She didn’t wonder where this ‘Sean’ was. Clearly he wasn’t interested, nor was his father grandparent material. “You just got to punch back and say, ‘no, this is who I am.’ You want people to look at you differently? Make them. If you want to change things, you’re going to have to go out there and change them yourself, because there are no fairy godmothers in this world.

“Gold?” Emma was restlessly wandering the kitchen, trying to decide if she wanted hot chocolate or a drink from Gold’s decanter when she heard him come down the stairs.

“The alarm from my shop is going off.” He wore an overcoat and a scarf. She’d taken the trash out earlier and it had been see-your-breath kind of cold. That was more than an hour ago.

“Did you want me to come with you?” Apparently small towns didn’t have security patrols that answered alarms. So far as she could tell they had one sheriff, and that was about it.

“No, it’s probably just a stray cat trying to get someplace warm. I won’t be gone fifteen minutes. Henry’s asleep, I turned off his lamp before I came down.” He glanced up the stairs.

“Don’t forget gloves,” she suggested before going back into the kitchen to make hot chocolate with cinnamon. Just thinking about being outside made her cold. She drank her chocolate while wandering the rooms, looking at the photos on the walls and the odd trinkets. There was one display case that held nothing but a teacup with a chipped rim; she wondered if the chip made it more or less valuable. There were pictures of Henry all over the place, one tops of tables and hanging on the walls. She lost count of how many bookcases there were; Henry’s room had a couple as well. Gold probably did too, though she hadn’t seen his bedroom.

Emma was washing out her mug when she glanced at the clock and realized it had been more than half an hour since Gold had left, twice the time he’d expected to be gone. If it was a false attempt to enter the shop he’d be back already; they were only five minutes away. She slipped her phone out of her pocket and dialed his number. It rang five times before going to voicemail.

“Crap.” The way she figured it she only had one choice. She called the sheriff to ask for a ride.

“Gold?” She didn’t have a gun with her but she was fast and she was sneaky. She had the door to the shop open before Graham caught up to her.

“Potential crime scenes are in my job description, not yours. You should let me go first,” Graham suggested.

“Habit,” she said with a shrug, scanning the room. “This is not that different from what I do.”

“Professional thief?” There was a hint of humor in his voice that was probably inappropriate but almost made her grin despite her worry. If anything happened to Gold Henry would be inconsolable.

“Sort of the opposite. I’m a bail bonds person.” At least that was part of her job. She did some bounty hunting as well but that was a little less official and she was talking to the local law.

“Not something we’ve ever had much use of around here.” There was no one in the main room of the shop so together they moved through the curtain to the back. Gold was on the floor and he didn’t look like he was moving.

“Shit, shit, shit.” She turned on the switch, flooding the room with light. Gold’s chest rose and fell so that was something, at least, but he didn’t flinch at the light.

“I’m going to check out back.” Graham headed for the door. Emma knelt next to Gold and looked for injuries. When she rolled him to his back his hair fell to one side and revealed a bloody gash near his temple. She didn’t know if the fancy squares in his pocket were supposed to serve any purpose but they were the first thing she grabbed to staunch the blood.

“I hope 911 works in this place.” She’d never lived in a town small enough to wonder before.

“Don’t bother on my account.” Gold struggled to sit up but Emma’s light hold on his chest was enough to stop him. She didn’t realize at first glance how bloodshot his eyes were.

“Slow down there, champ. Bleeding out on your own office floor is going to make for a pretty embarrassing story.” Emma frowned. She should probably ask him some questions or something, but the whole ‘do you know who the president is’ thing never made much sense to her.

“Bleeding?” His hand went up to his head, fingertips coming away sticky and red. “I must have hit the corner of the desk when I fell.”

“You fell?” Graham closed the door when he came back in, and the lack of a draft made the place feel warmer.

“Must have been an uneven patch on the floor. I should have turned the light on.” This time he did sit up, wincing a little as he did so.

“There wasn’t anyone else in here?” Graham looked skeptical, which was fair because Emma knew that Gold was lying through his teeth. It was the first lie she’d caught him in.

“No one but me and my shadow.” He grasped for his cane but didn’t try to stand. “Thank you for your service, sheriff, but it was a false alarm. I’m sure Ms. Swan won’t mind driving my car home and you probably should get back to a warm bed somewhere.”

“I could follow you home just to be sure,” Graham offered. He seemed to be reluctant to leave.

“We’ll call if we need you.” Gold sat perfectly still until Graham was gone and the sound of the front door closing meant he’d left the building.

“Are you going to tell me now why you were lying?” Emma stood and held out her hand. After a moment Gold held on firmly and let her help him to stand. She didn’t comment on the fact he’d needed help, or that he leaned on the cane more heavily than usual.

“I’d rather wait until we’re home, if you don’t mind. I don’t like leaving Henry alone in the house. If you wouldn’t mind locking the back door, please.” He limped towards the front without waiting for her reply. She made note of the fact that the lock was pretty crappy and there was a pane of broken glass that she would bet anything wasn’t broken an hour ago. Calling it locked was a joke, really. The front door at least had a bolt.

“So are you going to tell me now?” she asked when they were back at the house and she’d run upstairs to check on Henry. He was still sleeping. Gold was patting his face dry with a towel, his jacket off and his sleeves rolled up. “Do you need a bandaid?”

“It’s fine,” he said dismissively with a wave of his hand. “I’m having a drink, would you like one?”

“I’d like the truth.” She took the drink, though, when he led her out of the kitchen and into the library.

“There was someone in my shop tonight. A young woman that clearly needed help; she was quite wound up, not acting like herself at all.”

“And she hit you?” Who in the world broke into a pawn shop and stole things?

“No, no. She used pepper spray on me, threw me off my balance. I really did hit the desk.” He touched his wound lightly with a couple of fingers and winced. At least it wasn’t bleeding. “I’ve never seen her like that before.”

“You know her?”

“She’s a client, of sorts.” He paused for a moment to sit on the sofa, raising his leg to rest on the ottoman. “You see, Emma, there’s no lawyer here in Storybrooke. I’m rather good with contracts, and sometimes people come to me for help with deals. Ashley Boyd sought me out a few months ago. She’s a young girl, only a year out of high school, and there’s a babe on the way. Neither her family, such as it is, or the father are helping her. She wanted to discuss options.”

“You were brokering an adoption?” She had a sinking suspicion that she knew exactly who he was talking about. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she’d talked to a young pregnant girl hours ago about ‘punching back’ and a young pregnant girl had broken into the shop and assaulted Gold. Great.

“I was. There’s a couple here in town, actually, that has been trying for years to have a child. They have a nursery ready and names picked out. I have a keen interest in helping families find each other.” He glanced towards the hall and the staircase going up to his son’s room. “She never seemed happy but she was relieved that someone would love and raise her child. Perhaps reality is setting in now that she’s so close to having the baby. She was raving about changing her destiny, and something confusing about godmothers.”

“Where is she now?” Shit, it was the same girl. And a family that might not get a baby they’d been waiting for, but if Ashley wanted her baby she deserved that chance. Either way someone was going to lose.

“I don’t know. She lives at the bed and breakfast and doesn’t have a car. Her parents are both dead but there’s a stepmother. I didn’t want to send the sheriff after her, she doesn’t need a record for one confused moment, but we should find her.”

“In the morning.” She frowned, and wondered again about his wound. “Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor? How do you know it’s safe to go to bed?”

“I’m far too stubborn and thick-headed for a little bump to cause any problems.” He downed most of his drink in a single gulp. Maybe the drink helped, because he was more steady on his feet when he stood and left the room. Emma was about to follow when her phone rang. It was a Maine area code.

“Hello?” She hadn’t given her number to anyone except Gold and the guy at the repair shop. It was a weird time to be calling about her car.

“I just wanted to be sure you made it home safely. No ill effects?” The sheriff’s voice was easily identifiable.

“Are you really conscientious or really bored?” She didn’t bother asking how he had her number. She was curious why he’d gotten it.

“Actually I have an ulterior motive. I have discretionary funds in my budget for a deputy, and since your job isn’t that different I thought you might be interested.”

“I’m only in town for a week.” Less than that now, but she wasn’t counting the days.

“Are you sure? I can offer you dental, as well as donuts. The hours are flexible and the boss is easy to work for.” He laughed, and Emma found herself smiling. She couldn’t say yes, though. She had a job and a life in Boston. Well a job at least.

“Donuts, really?” She couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Sometimes the cliches are true. I know a place that makes really good donuts. Maybe I can show you, even if you’re only staying a week. And maybe you’ll change your mind about staying.” He reminded her of Henry for a moment. “Anyway the offer’s genuine if you change your mind. Both the job and the donuts.”

“Thanks.” She couldn’t accept the job offer, of course, and it probably was a bad idea to go out with Graham even if it was just donuts. Donuts could easily mean coffee too, and then they were heading into dangerous pseudo date territory. This time next week she’d be in Boston. Leaving behind Henry would be hard enough without making friends with more people.

Emma drained her glass and carried it into the kitchen before heading up to bed. She deliberately didn’t check in on Henry before closing her bedroom door. She didn’t need it to become a habit.

#verse: henry gold #emma ruth swan #henry gold #mr. gold #graham humbert #my fic #mary margaret blanchard

19 notes · View notes

xb-squaredx · 5 years ago

Text

Astral Chain Review: Popo’s Bizarre Adventure

Life can be funny sometimes; I started out 2019 hoping that I could play a certain PlatinumGames-developed Switch exclusive, and while I did eventually get such a thing, it wasn’t Bayonetta 3, but instead Astral Chain. The last time Nintendo and PlatinumGames worked together on a brand new IP we got The Wonderful 101, one of my favorite games of all time, so I was pretty pumped about Astral Chain from moment one. A game where you control Stands like Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, but you’re a hot anime cop! The kinda game you didn’t know you needed! Now that it’s finally here I can definitely say with confidence that I really love…like half of this game.

C.O.P.S: ANIME EDITION

The world of Astral Chain is in a bad way. Set in a future with Earth on the brink of collapse, most of the planet has been corrupted by the Astral Plain, an alternate dimension. With the remnants of humanity confined to a man-made island, an elite police force, Neuron, investigates the invisible cause of the world-ending corruption, Chimeras. Armed with enslaved Chimeras of their own, Legions, Neuron fights back against Chimera attacks, all the while searching for a way to save the world before its too late. Players take the role of a newcomer to Neuron, rising up the ranks alongside their twin sibling, mastering their Legion as various villainous factions seem intent on bringing about the end of the world.

I’ll be blunt here: Astral Chain’s story is passable, but didn’t do much for me. It’s not exactly bad, but predictable and doesn’t really take many risks. The game has an anime aesthetic, and in many cases seems more content with paying homage to various sci-fi anime than telling a unique story, so I’d say it’s quite by-the-numbers. That’s certainly fine, but what really shines in most Platinum titles are their larger-than-life characters, and I find them lacking here. Most of Neuron gets the shaft as time goes on, with only a scant few characters getting much development. Maybe I’m a tad spoiled by the likes of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, but the fact that so little of the incidental dialogue is voiced also keeps most of the Neuron officers from sticking out to me. Some characters, like Hal, Marie and Kyle, DO stand out and are pretty great, but that’s about it.

Thankfully, everything else about the game’s presentation is stylish. From the UI to the enemy intro cutscenes, to the sound design and battle animations, Astral Chain is a delight for the eyes and ears. The futuristic setting allows from some sleek visuals, and the lighting and particle effects stand out among most Switch titles. I’d daresay that at times, Astral Chain is Platinum’s best looking game. This does come at the cost of performance though. The game is locked to mostly 30 FPS, though you’ll see some dips in some frantic moments, but not too often. Resolution can also dip in some instances too, the performance at its worst in bigger areas with tons of NPCs around, but most combat sections cut down on clutter and the performance remains solid when you need it, so it mostly works out. Music’s also pretty stellar, and completes the anime-aesthetics with legit opening and ending themes too. Looks can only do so much though, but Platinum is never one to get by purely on outward appearances.

CHAIN PAIN

Combat is where Platinum shines, and that’s definitely true for Astral Chain, though you do have to wait a lot longer than usual to get a good feel for what the game’s trying to do. The first few hours leave a pretty bad first-impression honestly, with lackluster combat options and clunky movement, but once the game shows it’s hand everything starts to really click. By the endgame you’re drowning in options, to the point where it would have been overwhelming if the game threw it all at you right at the start. Best to ease players into the game, but it’s risky to not start the game off on the right foot.

The defining feature of this game is controlling two characters at once, your officer and their Legion. At the start, your officer’s options are limited, and Legions mostly attack on their own, but over time you gain more Legions to swap between on-the-fly, as well as more manual actions you can perform alongside them. Sync Attacks, for one, require you to tap the Legion button at specific points after attacks, which will have the two of you team up for big damage. Your officer gains a shape shifting “X-Baton” weapon that can take a few different forms to vary up their own combat, but the five Legions you gain are your most important tools. Sword, Arrow, Arm, Beast and Axe; each Legion has their own uses in and out of combat and in many cases feel like extended nods to Platinum’s entire back-catalog. Sword can enter Raiden’s Blade Mode from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to cut enemies on a specific axis, or sever connections between specific doors or objects. Arrow can take out enemies from afar, or be brought in for an over-the-shoulder shooting experience right out of Vanquish. Arm is like an extended nod to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, pounding foes with a flurry of punches, as well as being able to pick up and throw objects. Beast is just Bladewolf from Revengeance, letting players ride atop it for mobility, and digging up items or following scents like a real dog. Lastly, Axe is a powerhouse that also grants players a powerful barrier that can protect them from various hazards. Certain enemies require specific Legions to take out, and with all five at the press of a button, things can get hectic, but in a good way and advanced players can do a lot with all of these tools.

Each Legion has their own skill tree that can grant them special moves or increase stats as well, and similar to the chip system from Nier: Automata, players can equip special passive skills onto each Legion, provided they have enough slots open for them. The chain connecting officer and Legion also comes into play too, being able to move the Legion freely and bind enemies up (bringing Wonderful 101’s Wonder Liner to mind), or send a charging enemy flying back with an Irish Whip straight out of wrestling. Legions can’t stay out forever though, their Sync Gauge slowly draining as they fight, huge chunks of it taken out if they get hit by attacks, but it recharges pretty quickly, especially if your officer stays aggressive. Compared to past Platinum titles, there’s a lot more emphasis on using items and having “builds” when going into fights too. Healing items alongside combat-oriented items like drones or shields are encouraged rather than penalized, as is the standard. There’s more I could go into, but this hopefully gives you an idea of how much is going on in this game’s combat. Comparing the first few hours to endgame is night and day, more so than almost any other Platinum title.

Generally, the combat is up to the Platinum standard, but unlike most games by the developer, there’s actually a LOT of gameplay that isn’t straight combat, making this Platinum’s most varied game yet…for better or for worse.

STYLISH BUSYWORK

Here’s where things get kinda tricky. On the one hand, it’s good for a game to have at least SOME variety, right? If a game is nonstop action, it risks becoming stale, so having some slower moments makes the bigger moments more impactful. It’s a question of pacing more than anything else, and unfortunately the pacing in Astral Chain leaves a LOT to be desired.

To say it as succinctly as I can, the levels in Astral Chain drag on far too long. A typical level in Platinum’s catalog is roughly 20 minutes, give or take a bit of backtracking or some story bits. In Astral Chain, a full level, or “File”, can take four to five hours by comparison, and when you lay it out like that, you realize there’s an awful lot of filler to sift through to get to the good stuff. You have investigation sequences that are laughably easy for one. Using discount Detective Vision from the Batman Arkham games, you “find” clues and then fill in the blanks to form a lead, but these sequences are impossible to fail. Solutions are highlighted and even if you come to the wrong conclusion, the game will just correct you and you’ll move on regardless. Then you have platforming sequences that are mostly fine, though hampered by being unable to use the camera most of the time (since the right stick can also manually control your Legion). At times, honest-to-God sidequests can be found that are usually not combat-focused, and we can throw in some awful motion-controlled minigames for good measure. On their own, these extra bits aren’t too bad, kinda boring in some respects but otherwise fine, however for someone who just wants to progress the story and get to the next fight, they become barriers you’re forced to contend with before you can get back to having fun.

Now, a lot of this stuff IS optional, but you’re heavily encouraged to do them all anyway. You get locked out of getting good end-of-File ranks if you avoid optional ranked missions, and you’re given rewards for all of this stuff anyway. They’re mostly cosmetic rewards, but the game still seems to expect you to engage with this “extra” content…to the point that it’s clearly not seen as extra but a part of the whole Astral Chain experience. If you stripped out the non-combat portions, that’s like 2/3s of the game gone and it feels kinda messed up to skip out on so much of it. Rather…maybe the game should have made a point of having this stuff be engaging to do in its own right.

MAKING THE GRADE

I want to stress that there’s a lot I liked about Astral Chain. There’s plenty of charm hidden throughout here, and the prospect of a Platinum game that strives to do MORE isn’t a bad one. I enjoyed having NPCs to talk to, larger areas to explore that weren’t just combat areas, and little touches like getting points for recycling or being unable to jaywalk were appreciated. One thing I never touched on was its ranking system, which seems more emblematic of the issues I had with the game. Rather than rewarding and ranking one’s own play, it awards high ranks more so for variety than anything else. It doesn’t matter how poorly you play (to a point), as long as you do a lot of different stuff it’ll all work out. Thus, the game threw a lot of stuff at the wall regardless of how hard it stuck, and as such there’s a number of great ideas mixed in with some really, really weird ones.

Astral Chain is in many ways an experimental game for Platinum. They seem to be trying to move away from niche action games and offer up more for the consumer, but in doing so I fear they might be diluting their games. I’ve been quite a bit more critical of this game than I expected to be, and in the end I’m more just bummed that I didn’t enjoy it more. This game is the directorial debut of Takahisa Taura, and I can practically feel the passion he had for this product; he likely loaded this game with a lot of things that he personally liked, and it’s clear everyone involved worked hard to deliver the best game they could. The results vary a bit, as we have crisp visuals and unique, deep combat mixed in with some plodding segments that seem thrown in for variety’s sake. Astral Chain is ambitious, but maybe this once Platinum bit off a bit more than they could chew. I’d also petition that this game is a victim of certain expectations of what I think a PlatinumGames title “should” be. It’s possible Taura felt pressured to put in aspects of Platinum’s past output and was afraid to go further and make this game truly something new. I’ll also wager that if Astral Chain is someone’s first Platinum game, they’ll be able to come in with a fresher perspective and might end up enjoying it more than a diehard fan like me. There’s a solid foundation here for any future titles though, and I think this game’s issues could be ironed out if given the chance. At its height, the combat really sells this game for me, and action fans will find a lot to love…but there’s a lot in here that might not scratch that particular itch. I wouldn’t quite call this game the weakest link in PlatinumGames’ chain at any rate, and I remain a fan of the company and their future output.

Shine on Platinum.

-B

#astralchain #Astral Chain #platinumgames #bayonetta #wonderful101 #nintendo switch #action girls #blue beetle #xb-squaredx

7 notes · View notes

lazy-queen · 6 years ago

Text

Andreil Ficlist

So, I’ve been away from Tumblr for a while but my love for the fandom is still strong. I’ve read some awesome fics from this pairing, and if you are looking for something too, you’re welcome to use this as guide.

Pairing: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard

Fandom: All For The Game (Nora Sakavic)

All of them are taken from AO3, and all of them are marked as completed. Enjoy!

Hold Each Other by exactly13percent (superagentwolf)

He came along and showed me how to let go. - A series of stories about Andrew and Neil, with occasional Fox Family-centric feels. Current lineup: SMUT / Neil bringing up his torture / Neil protecting the Foxes / Neil using Nathaniel for good / AU: Riko, Canon divergence / Fixing Nicky's Kiss / Post-Canon AU / 5+1 bonding / Andrew & Nathaniel / Neil & Nicky bond / Magic!AU with tattoos / Post-Canon Piercing & Aaron bonding / Neil & minor PTSD / Neil & PTSD, Andreil / SMUT / Andrew and jealousy (kinda) / Baltimore AU & Kevin, Matt bonding / Neil trauma & Andreil / normal!AU Andreil in 3 parts / Raven!Neil AU in 8 parts / Andreil tea shop!AU / Andreil flower shop!AU / Andreil no Exy&college AU / Andreil no exy & college AU again lmao - UPDATE: This has turned into a series where each fic is a different AU!

Hic Sunt Draconis by exactly13percent (superagentwolf)

Andrew is just trying to keep Kevin alive when an elf jumps into the fray, flashing daggers and blue eyes. He hires the Foxes to help him catch a demon from his past, but it starts to feel less like he's the client and more like he's the protection. Andrew hates how entranced he is by the scarred rogue, with magic on his skin and a tongue as silvered as the city's statues.

It's a good thing Andrew needs something to hold his interest. Neil is doing his best to meet the expectation, whether anyone asked for it or not.

It's Way Beyond Ice Cream by nekojita for Blurredminds

(part 1 of the Ice Cream AU)

Fic for the AFTG Summer Exchange - Neil's doing his best as a new freshman at PSU, helped by Renee as he navigates life as a normal 'person'. That includes classes and studying, and dealing with a certain stubborn employee at the local ice cream shop who seems to delight in messing up his order each time he goes there for some unknown reason....

Of course Allison and Renee will eventually explain what's going on to him (and help poor Andrew out).

Life Never Tasted So Good by nekojita

(part 2 of the Ice Cream AU)

It's time for Andrew's date with the cute freshman he's been tormenting for the past couple of weeks by messing with his ice cream order. Still not convinced that Neil really wants to go out with him (in part because of how Neil is cagey about anything to do with his past), Andrew prepares for the night out.

In other words, continuation of 'It's Way Beyond Ice Cream'.

Feels Like Wasted Youth by conniptionns, exybee

Neil’s current living situation is … complicated.

Between his roommates’ badass rager parties and his neighbors’ constant barging into his apartment, Neil’s sure he can handle anything junior year throws at him

That is, until someone leaves a passive-aggressive noise complaint on his door. Unfortunately for the second floor, Neil has skipped the passive and gone full aggressive.

Or the Neighbors AU featuring post-finals parties, ill-timed fire alarms, and helpful campus squirrels.

Forever Home by moonix for lolainslackss

Neil works at a movie theatre. Andrew is his favourite (and only) customer.

The Kids Are Alright (Now) by Marmeladeskies for BakaDoll

When they're two years old, Aaron and Andrew are adopted together- and it changes the course of their fate drastically. A story about scars, healing, dogs, and the little boy with the auburn curls who just moved in next door.

Foxglove Fridays by moonix

(Part 1 of Foxglove Court)

Every Friday, Neil comes into Andrew's shop to buy flowers.

Wishbone Wednesdays by moonix

(Part 2 of Foxglove Court)

Attraction is a slow creature for Neil. It sneaks up on him over time and winds him tighter and tighter in its coils until he’s smothered in it.

In which Andrew is a florist with magic hands, Neil is a tattoo artist with a tragic past, and everyone else is busy wooing Renee at the coffee shop.

If You Must by Tourmaline147

Neil's whole world went up in flames the minute he burned his mother's dead body. Mary prepared him for almost every possible scenario, except this one. Now he's stuck in the middle of California trying to restart his life.

Andrew's world had been dark long before Neil Josten came into town. He's been barely living the past few years but he was working on that.

Together these two strangers who only knew how to survive take on a new challenge: learning to live.

*** Featuring the other foxes, the bad guys, copious amounts of music, and, hopefully, happiness.

*** Basically a high school au with music. Enjoy.

TFC High School AU by Moonix

1. Take Shelter by moonix

After his mother's death Neil Josten just needs to keep his head down until graduation, then he's going to leave this town and identity behind like all the others and start over somewhere new. There's a small hitch in his plans though: his deal to protect Andrew from bullies in exchange for some quiet company.

2. Guns And Horses by moonix

A year after they run away together, Andrew and Neil finally find themselves in Columbia where they make a temporary home, get jobs, and meet Aaron.

3. Stop The World by moonix

Neil’s mother is dead. His father is in prison. If he’s lucky, things might just be working out. Except Neil isn’t usually lucky…

4. Up In Flames by moonix

Neil keeps his promise.

The Proposal by PalmettoFoxDen

Andrew said he was engaged to Neil to get Nicky to stop telling him he would die alone. Now, Nicky is expecting Andrew to bring Neil to Columbia to meet them all. Meanwhile, Neil just found out he's going to be deported. Even though they can't stand each other, Andrew makes Neil a deal. If Neil visits Andrew's family and convinces them that they're really engaged, Andrew will marry him and convince the investigator on Neil's case that they're in love. But if they're going to convince anyone, they'll need to learn a lot about each other.

A Thief and a Liar by ClockworkDragon, gluupor

After two years in prison for a crime he absolutely did commit, Andrew has his next heist all planned out. All he needs is a team of thieves as talented as he is.

An Ocean’s Eleven AU where the Foxes like to steal things, Riko owns several casinos, and Andrew has a score to settle.

Shake My Tomb by exactly13percent (superagentwolf)

Nathaniel Wesninski takes his father's life and his father's title at the age of twelve. He kills a man at thirteen.

At eighteen, Kevin Day comes to him for help.

The Butcher of Baltimore is a name that used to mean something. Under Nathaniel's direction, the Wesninski Family has become an entirely different beast. They are the shadow thrown by the fire of the Moriyamas. Nathaniel isn't one to interfere with something bigger and more dangerous than him, but Kevin's position means something to him. Kevin, and the strange family he brings with him.

Maybe even Andrew, the one that challenges Nathaniel the most—and the one that Nathaniel finds himself drawn to. There's a lot at stake, though, and Nathaniel has nothing left to lose. Nothing but himself.

Pressure Points by puddlejumper99

(Part 1 of Out of the Ashes)

Neil enrolls at Columbia High School and remarkably fails at remaining invisible

False Equivalence by sunrise_and_death

Some part of her had known it would come back to Neil. He was the one who had cracked the twins the first time. Of anyone, he was the most likely to have a solution for this as well.

Although the events of the previous year resolved a lot of issues, Katelyn quickly discovers that not every problem has been addressed. As she attempts to map a future in which Aaron has both her and his family, she finds herself once again working with Neil Josten—to unexpected results.

Only You by wematch

In their second year a deal is made. Andrew wants to explore his boundaries and there’s really just one person he trusts around himself.

Set in a universe where everything is the same except that Andrew never kissed Neil on the rooftop that night. Instead, they just got closer and more comfortable around each other.

stars may collide by broship_addict, llheji

Moonlighting as Abram, member of the city's crime-fighting Foxes, Neil is doing a very bad job at staying under the radar. He's busy enough between his friends, patrol, and bickering with Andrew at work, but with the Ravens gang finally within reach and the reappearance of the Monster, he might have bitten more than he can chew.

(Or, how both Neil and Andrew accidentally fall in love with the same person twice. Lame.)

finger on the trigger/pedal to the floor by badacts, lightning_struck

Neil and Kevin, operatives for the highly secretive US body known only as ‘the Agency’, are very good at their jobs. Maybe Neil isn’t the patriot that Kevin is, but he can recognise the need for people like him, and, if nothing else, he is loyal. However, in the wake of an assassination attempt on the president foiled with the help of talented-but-civilian sniper Andrew Minyard, of the chipped shoulder and the uncanny knack for seeing right through people, Neil begins to question who it is giving him orders.

However, asking questions is a dangerous game. If Neil isn’t careful, he’ll end up dead - or worse than.

falling. by Idnis

The sun was bearing down on the park, on Andrew, on Neil Josten’s sketch, his auburn hair and blue, blue, blue eyes.

After a dozen tries, Andrew clicked through his photos. All the way to the first one. The one where Neil was staring straight at the camera.

Andrew’s breath caught.

flour petals, sugar stitches by ephemeralsky

“Thanks for coming with me,” she says, keeping her eyes trained in front of her.

“It is not like I had a choice in the matter,” Andrew says, blowing out a stream of smoke through his mouth.

Renee’s lips curl into a smile. “Maybe you’ll win our next sparring match and I’ll finally have to buy you ten cartons of Haagen-Dazs.”

“It cannot be worse than tagging along to a bridal boutique.”

“Maybe,” Renee allows, humor in her voice. “But what kind of man of honor would you be if you didn’t come with me to choose a dress?”

(or: Andrew is a baker, Renee is a bride-to-be, and Neil is a dressmaker)

Neil Josten the Sex God by manya

“Okay, look. My friends were kinda getting on my back about me being single, and I said that it was by choice and if I wanted to I could get anyone I wanted. And obviously that’s an extremely presumptuous thing to say, so they told me to prove it. So, uh, here I am. And here you are. And if you’d like to maybe help me out with this, that would be awesome.”

Andrew stares at Neil for a moment that seems to stretch on forever. “You want me to play along with you and pretend that you’re some kind of sex god?”

Crystal Clear by exactly13percent (superagentwolf)

Your crystal is your heart and soul, manifested. You must keep it safe. Neil and Andrew don't have typical crystals. For one, they aren't whole. They're little pieces, broken by years of wrong. But Kevin's magic shop brings them together, and they figure maybe broken doesn't mean destroyed.

Paint Me The Color of You by exactly13percent (superagentwolf)

Sound is supposed to be the language of love. Neil has never heard his soulmate. Never. Except he sees blue all the time, and then he meets Andrew and the entire world turns to color.

The Glass Mountain by exactly13percent (superagentwolf)

The apples from the glass mountain are all anyone cares about. Anyone but Andrew, that is. Andrew is just trying to keep Kevin alive, despite Kevin's attempts to reach those apples again. The apples, and the captive prince at the top of the mountain.

Minyards' Magical Mischief by moonix for alexjosten

“No,” Aaron said. “Andrew, no.”

They locked eyes, and for a moment it was like they were eleven again, catching sight of each other for the first time across a crowded train platform.

“I confess,” Andrew said tonelessly, “to the murder of Drake Spear.”

(Or: an Auror and a murderer walk into an ice-cream parlour.)

If I Tried by exactly13percent (superagentwolf)

Neil is getting used to high school. He ends up getting used to a group of mismatched students, and he gets a little too used to one of them in particular. Maybe enough to go to prom.

library hours by lolainslackss for exybee

Andrew always sits across from the same guy in the library. The set-up suits him: they're both night owls, they're both relatively neat, and they both like the quiet. There's absolutely no need for them to get to know each other. This delicate balance shifts, however, when the guy sprains his ankle and Andrew finds himself breaking all his own rules and driving him to the emergency room.

A wintry college AU featuring all-nighters, homemade sushi, copious amounts of coffee, and many mixed-up feelings.

winter, formal by moonix for lolainslackss

Neil tries to get away from a boring conversation and accidentally ends up asking the most popular guy in school to dance with him at the winter formal.

faking it by flybbfly

After being photographed together, Neil and Andrew decide to roll with the rumors that they're dating.

Hot Thoughts by conniptionns

99: “Calm down. I look a lot worse than I am.”

Neil is hit by a car on the way to Dunkin Donuts, but he's totally okay

The Manny by mishaschmidt

Problem #1: Neil accidentally becomes the nanny of two adorable kids.

Problem #2: Neil somehow manages to fall in love with their father.

Fuck.

The Life of a Star by gluupor

Stars did not get sick and they did not age. If Neil's smart mouth didn't get him murdered (something which had a non-zero probability of occurring, according to Andrew) then he would continue on, immortal and unchanging.

It hadn't occurred to him that the same wasn't true for Andrew.

An epilogue for my Stardust AU.

None But You by gluupor

When Neil was eighteen he met and fell for Andrew Minyard. Their relationship seemed solid and unbreakable until Neil's mother found out about it and made him end it.

Six years later Neil still has a few regrets about breaking up with Andrew but he's completely over it. Really, he is. Although he does have to admit that it was easier to be over it before Andrew walked back into his life and started dating someone else.

A modern day adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion.

Tale as Old as Time by gluupor

In order to protect Aaron, Andrew ends up cursed into the form of a beast. The curse can only be broken if someone is able to see past his fearsome exterior and fall in love with the man he is inside.

Believing this to be impossible, he isolates himself in a run-down castle knowing he will be alone forever. After all, who could possibly be desperate enough to seek shelter with a beast?

Where You Lead by gluupor

When Neil promised Kayleigh that he'd look out for Kevin if anything ever happened to her he'd never expected to be a single teenage father hiding out in a small town. Luckily the town's residents seem keen to adopt them.

A Gilmore Girls AU where Kevin's a kid, Neil's his caffeine-addict father, and Andrew's a grumpy diner owner who loves them both.

Fake It 'Til You Make It by gluupor

Neil works three low paying, dead-end jobs and makes just enough money to afford a room to sleep in and to keep himself from starving. He has no prospects, no hope, no future. That all changes when a chance encounter results in a job offer that he can't ignore.

The job? Pretending to be professional exy player Andrew Minyard's boyfriend.

Andrew Versus the Truth by gluupor

Andrew has an unexceptional life working at an IT help desk in Southern California and living with his cousin. Then he gets an unexpected message on his birthday from his estranged twin brother and very strange things start happening. His computer catches fire, two attractive guys seem interested in him, and he keeps imagining that he knows classified CIA intelligence.

These things couldn't possibly be connected... could they?

Everything is Fine! by gluupor

"Hello," Dan said. "I'm sorry to tell you that you're all dead. This is the Afterlife; your placement here is dependent on your actions during your lifetime. Now, I have some exciting news for you-"

Nathaniel snorted loudly. "You don't expect any of us to actually believe that we made it into the Good Place, do you?"

"Why not?" asked Dan.

He jerked his thumb in Andrew's direction. "Well, before you came in, Exhibit A over here had just finished telling us that he died when he crashed a car on purpose in order to kill someone. What's the cutoff for how many murders committed before someone doesn't qualify for the Good Place anymore? Is it more than zero?"

"Speak for yourselves," cut in Kevin. "I think I deserve to be in the Good Place. I have a large number of devoted fans and am very talented."

Nathaniel was quiet for a beat, before pointing at Kevin. "Exhibit B."

Don't Break the Seal by gluupor

Living with the Spears and feeling desperate and alone, Andrew meets and befriends a seal who can turn into a boy.

In later years he comes to believe that the magical boy he met was just a hallucination. It is therefore very surprising when he meets him again after hitting him in the stomach with an exy racquet in a tiny town in Nowhere, Arizona.

Better Late than Never by gluupor

Andrew should have known not to ally himself with a lying runaway, he really should have known not to trust him, and he definitely should have known not to fall for him.

It's the Thought that Counts by gluupor

Andrew and Neil's relationship has many facets that are confusing to outsiders. The strangest may be their habit of giving each other the contents of their pockets and calling it a gift.

Too Gay to Function by gluupor

After school, Neil started to make the trek back to his uncle’s house when a shiny, black beast of a car screeched to a halt in front of him. The driver’s side window rolled down. “Get in, loser,” said Andrew. “We’re going shopping.”

Fast Boys and Hot Cars by gluupor

Minyard had gotten out of his car and was stalking towards Neil like a predator - a panther, maybe, or some other big cat. “Double or nothing,” he said, sounding unaffected and bored by the proceedings despite the fact that he’d just lost a race for the first time in years.

An Overdeveloped Sense of Vengeance by gluupor

“No one could be following us yet?” Kevin asked suddenly. “No one,” Riko said impatiently. “That would be absolutely inconceivable.” There was a pause. “Out of curiosity, why are you bothering me with such a stupid question?” “Oh, no reason,” answered Kevin. “It’s just that I looked back and someone is there.”

It's a Cruel World, Mr. J by gluupor

“And you? You think I’m a monster?” asked Andrew. “Maybe,” said Neil. “But I don’t think that monsters are born. They’re made.”

A Truth Universally Acknowledged by gluupor

“Palmetto Court has been let at last!” said Mr. Hemmick in raptures. “Mrs. Wymack reports that a single man of good fortune has taken Palmetto for a twelvemonth at least! What marvellous news for my dear cousins!”

It's Called a Hustle, Sweetheart by gluupor

“We need to find out who owns this license plate, but I don't have access to the police database yet," said Kevin. "Relax," said Neil. "I know a guy at the DMV."

bloom (just for you) by godotco

For lack of any better explanation for what was happening, Neil was in uncontrollable full bloom.

- A little slice of witch au turned flower shop au

#all for the game #AFTG #Andreil #Andrew Minyard #Neil Josten #Foxhole Court #fanfic #fic list #andreil fanfic

152 notes · View notes

bottomlouisficfest · 4 years ago

Photo

We hope you’ve enjoyed the second week of fics from the Bottom Louis Fic Fest! Every weekend, we’re compiling all of the fics from that week into one roundup post so they’re easy to find for anyone looking to catch up on fics they missed. Enjoy these amazing fics and give them the love they deserve!

blinded by the sparks

A fic by wallstracktwo on AO3 | @wallstracktwo on Tumblr

22k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

That was the truth too — he had never trusted anyone enough to let them get close, especially when it came to his scamming, so having a partner was completely, utterly out of the question.

“Don’t you think you need someone on the…” Louis’ tongue darted out, licking his lips as his eyes flickered to Harry’s mouth, one eyebrow cocking up. “...inside.”

Or - Harry is a scammer who drifts from casino to casino. Louis is the new waiter who wants in on the scam.

somewhere in between

A fic by soldouthaz on AO3 | @soldouthaz on Tumblr | soldouthaz on Twitter

42k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

There’s a high chance that within ten to fifteen business days, Louis will be matched with a dominant.

Shit.

On My Mind All The Time, Say You're Mine

A fic by Safetypinprince on AO3 | @roselouis on Tumblr | femboyIouis on Twitter

9k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Dude, we’re inside, and it’s night time. Those don’t look as cool as you think they do.” Louis could kick himself, he sounded so stupid, but it certainly got the guy’s attention.

“I’m… Blind,” the man chuckled, awkwardly.

Louis wanted to melt into a puddle out of pure embarrassment.

“I— am so sorry. I have to go.”

“Hey, wait, wait,” the man soothed, grabbing at Louis’ shoulders before he could get away.

“I’m sorry,” Louis repeated, looking down at his shoes.

“It’s alright,” He cackled. “I get it a lot. More than you know.”

Alternatively titled: and they were roommates.

A Silent Whisper (That's Left Unsaid)

A fic by MyEnglishRose on AO3 | @lwtisloved on Tumblr | darlinlou on Twitter

50k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“So… we’re doing this?”

Louis shrugs, suddenly acting disinterested.

“Your call, Curly.”

“Right… could have gotten me a fitted ring though, my Harry ten years ago was more thoughtful.”

Louis’ tone is light and teasing again. It creates a small smile on Harry’s lips.

“Someday,” he whispers before he even registers it himself.

They both ignore it.

sweet like honey

A fic by falsegoodnight on AO3 | @falsegoodnight on Tumblr | falsegoodnight on Twitter

33k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Harry also increases his number of shifts at the cafe and valiantly endures the nasty customers who for some reason flock to their establishment like moths to a flame.

For a while, it’s enough.

Or, Harry and Louis need money and they find an unconventional solution in the form of PornHub. It’s not supposed to be a big deal.

Spoonful of Sugar

A fic by zanni_scaramouche on AO3 | @zanniscaramouche on Tumblr

42k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

Harry Styles.

Let's Break the Internet

A fic by louizsv on AO3 | @ashleyjohnsonfanaccount on Tumblr | piccadillyplum on Twitter

9k | Explicit | Louis/OMC | Tumblr post | Twitter post

“Fine,” he agrees, “But when I win, you have to make one too.”

Lips quirked, Sam nods and holds out a hand, “Deal.” -- Or, the one where Louis is an Only Fans baby.

in a sea of mist

A fic by tomlinvelvet on AO3 | @tomlinvelvetfics on Tumblr

126k | Explicit | Louis/Harry | Tumblr post | Twitter post

---

View the other roundup posts here:

Week #1 Fic Roundup

#fics 2020

118 notes · View notes

merilly-chan · 6 years ago

Photo

(Picture taken from @Spindash54 on Twitter.) KHUx is my favorite gacha game to complain about and I know a lot of people share that sentiment because it doesn't have to be that way. There was a time I actually enjoyed playing this game. However, I want to address an issue concerning the complaints I've seen and hopefully encourage people to set their priorities straight. What I see below the KHUx official tweets are mostly problems that have little to no relevance. People are upset about VIP buyers getting mediocre medals and avatar/pet parts. They are mad we are not getting everything JP did (the picture above being posted below every single tweet). They are complaining about being done with event boards. I'm not saying they are invalid or shouldn't be addressed but it seems those fans are sweating the small stuff while completely overlooking issues which have been around for ages. I know people get tired of SE not addressing them but I cannot help but wonder why people have the stamina to always mention the stuff above again and again but won't talk about real issues. Let's talk business here from the standpoint of someone who plays both versions daily since the release of the Japanese version and who has even put quite a bit of money into this game. (Not whale standards, but still more than 300$.) ● The balance of the game has completely gone nuts. Quests are either so easy that there's no challenge anymore or so hard that even those buying the WJE cannot finish them. There's often no in-between anymore, no way to turtle your way through. You need the strongest and newest medals with the best traits to clear all objectives. ● Regarding the above, nearly all core mechanics are based on RNG (i.e. luck). I have nothing against the gacha aspect for medal pulls, but traits have become the most important factor and they are RNG and 70% are useless, with the useful ones being the rarest. That might not be so bad if the powercreep wasn't so drastic. You basically amass medals and finally get some good traits and poof - the medals are useless again. I have over 1000 medals which are basically just subslot fodder or there for collection purposes. And that's not even the worst aspect. If you do finally get one of the good medals outside their respective banners, you can't even be happy about them because they are essentially worthless without traits, except for lower tier PvP perhaps. ● The sheer amount of useless medals you get showered with. I'm not talking about medal draws but about Cids, Brooms, Fantasia Mickey Bs, Magic Mirrors, Blue Fairies, Tier 7 Dual Meow Wows and useless skills. I know, I know. Two years ago we were whining about being granted Brooms but ever since 7* medals have become a standard while pulling, all of the above medals have ceased functionality. And if that wasn't the worst of it, we still get them shoved down our throat at every turn. I never thought there would come a day where I'd prefer HDLs and Chip and Dale over Brooms. It isn't even a problem between JP and global anymore but something which affects both versions equally. Why the heck doesn't it get adjusted? The PVE/Coliseum boards still provide us the same useless skills as 3 years ago, there's a DAILY Cid quest and we still get them as rewards for events and quests and we get showered with Magic Mirrors and Brooms when 7* medals are the norm for new medals and every 7* medal is fully guilted by default. Do you know how many stacks of Magic Mirrors I have? 23! Over 2000 Magic Mirrors I can't use. I am selling Blue Fairy Stacks for Tier 1-4 because I have nothing to evolve anymore and my subslots don't even need another Tier 4 medal. I have two stacks of M&Bs and 3 Broom stacks and I'm starting to use them on irrelevant HSC and event medals from 2 years ago. I recently sold the equivalent of 3000 Cids because I have nothing to use them on! ● Events and the daily aspects have become repetitive and boring because the rewards are the ones mentioned above. People do not need another Cid. We don't want another broom. We need gems, HDLs, Chip & Dales and jewels. ● They haven't caught us up to the story even though everything else is. Issues get burried by short-term solutions which temporarily raise the overall mood (like a speed-up option or draw tickets) but nothing ever gets fixed for good. Instead we get another RNG option added, because why the heck not? The unlucky people who can't spend thousands of Dollars on a game which does nothing to return the investments can stay behind. (That even includes the weekly WJE buyers because it hardly makes a difference.) I am not complaining about VIP getting more than the rest. VIP buyers should feel they are getting their share for the atrocious price of 15$. But even VIP buyers cannot finish every event anymore because it doesn't improve their luck with necessary traits. The game has nothing to do with skill or strategy anymore. I am not expecting strategy levels of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, but 2-3 years ago we could actually work our way around enemies with different medals and setups. Nowadays you can only win when you slap the newest medals onto your Keyblades with the best traits (i.e. all of them needing ADD, GDD and EA) which is impossible if you didn't draw trait medals galore with them or pulled a medal which currently provides no possibility to obtain trait medals. And better medals come nearly monthly with all the rest becoming useless. Why are people whining about cosmetic stuff first instead of addressing the real problems? I am not saying I wouldn't want this accessory or that, but I want improvements first! What worth has a Nick & Judy medal in the age of Supernova+ medals, except for collection puposes? It's the reason I stopped investing real money months ago. But since it's rude just to complain without offering any methods, here are some ideas which would be simple to implement. ● Offer a quest for farming HDLs effectively. With how many we need, it really doesn't help anyone if not even VIP members get EXP medals. ● Update PVE rewards and remove the skills from the objectives of early quests. We are at the point of having ATK IX Max, so giving out an ATK V or VI Max monthly really shouldn't be an issue or would diminish board sales while helping newcomers out as well. ● Instead of Brooms, Blue Fairies Magic Mirrors and Cids, start developing new helpful support medals. A very good example: the creation of universal trait medals with a specific trait (mostly ADD, GDD and EA) attached. They don't have to be handed out like candy but it would aid so many people if we could use trait medals which are not bound to a specific medal and are not providing a useless trait in 80% of the time because you simply don't have that luck. With how quickly the current meta is replaced, it shouldn't be too much to ask. ● Offer more diverse and actually useful event rewards. Back in the day event medals were useful. Maybe not top tier, but you could manage to get through some events. You have no idea how much I used the HPO medal to turtle my way through tough events. This isn't possible anymore. We have to defeat everything in three turns at most to get all objectives. And we get trait medals as rewards for medals we need to purchase with jewels (like the Organization events which became useless too after the implementation of SN medals). It's not a big deal to stop being lazy and recycle the same things over and over. At a point where Keyblades can reach level 50 in 0.1 steps from 35 onward, it shouldn't be hard to reward more gems. I didn't manage to get a Keyblade past 38 yet because I level them evenly. Perhaps give more avatar parts too which aren't meant to be bought. Some people want a goal to work toward. But they aren't given one because they can't use the rewards they are given. I was a very active player who finished all events back then but nowadays I find it hard to even bother with lots of events because I don't need another Cid or another Magic Mirror. The stuff I need can mainly be bought or is so RNG-based that it takes me forever to get good stuff or it involves a lot of saving. I'm a veteran player. I won't tell people what to demand and what to wish for, but recently I see so many complaints about stuff which is purely cosmetic or merely serves to quench the symptoms instead of treating the disease. KHUx has ceased to provide something new. Which isn't necessarily thst bad if we can still use the things we provide. But most of us don't need the basic rewards. We don't care about PvP because we mainly need the Tier 9 stuff at most at this point. This is exactly what I predicted with the implementation of 7* medals. The medals themselves weren't the issue, the problem is that they make 90% of the rewards we get utterly senseless. And what is even worse is that SE fails to adjust to that accordingly. Just now, we got another event rewarding Cids. Thank you very much KHUx. Whatever will I do without another to add to my ten existing stacks? There is so much more to improve but KHUx currently seems to run down a path of self-destruction. KH3's hype has called back some players but at this point you don't need to be active to finish the 5-15 story quests per month. The important story aspects can be cut down to about a page of dialogue at most. It doesn't invite players to play more because they can be dealt with without the newest medals, too. Not to mention that it shouldn't be an issue to catch us up there. Translations by fans are up within a day or two, fully embedded into the cutscene text bubbles. They caught us up with everything else, but information such as this which is actually important for the understanding of KH3 and beyond gets neglected without an understandable reason. I don't play many gacha games but after I started with FFBE (which isn't known as the most generous game to grace this planet either), the issues KHUx has become all the more prominent. And there doesn't seem to be a desire to fix them. They just throw out the same stuff as always without noticing the mood deteriorating toward rock bottom. And only then do they do some small patches which do nothing to improve the game in the long run. But the fans also need to realize that. There's no use in complaining about small issues which barely scratch the surface at this point. I admire that stamina but it can be put to better use than complaining about purely cosmetic avatar parts. An addition to the unbalanced quest system. The current Shiva event rewards an actually useful gem for the most difficult quest. But I just barely managed to do it because I was hit with a temporary stroke of luck yesterday night. This was my setup and it only shows how ridiculous it is. (The condition for the last quest is that medals need to have one gauge cost or more.) Keyblade: Fairy Stars (level 37, all sub slots filled with tier 4 and above, providing a bonus of roughly x2.7) Pet level: 13 (Max) 1st Slot: SN+ Axel (This one just copies SN Kairi and doesn't deal damage.) (EA, ADD) 2nd Slot: SN Kairi (Useless since she cannot be activated.) (Second Chance.) 3rd Slot: SN+ Monster Sora (EA, GDD, ADD) (ATK VIII Max + Gauge 0.) 4th Slot: SN Pete (EA, GDD, ADD) (ATK VIII Max + Gauge 2) 5th Slot: SN Ven, Terra and Aqua (GDD, ADD, 1000 STR) (ATK VII Max + Gauge 0) Pet: SN+ Key Art 20 (EA, GDD, ADD, 1000 STR) (ATK IX Max + Gauge 0) Friend: SN+ Key Art 19 (EA, GDD, ADD, 1000 STR) (ATK IX Max + Gauge 0) As I said, I had unusual amount of luck with those traits (some of which required over 20 trait medals though which I accumulated over time.) If you look at my other SN medals, you will find loads of terribly traited medals. But such a setup isn't the norm and even with Titan I had to use tons of tries to have Combo I trigger (another RNG factor). This game is purely luck at this point. At first you are happy to finally get KA19 for example only to realize you have no traits to give it, making its uses limited in the tougher events. (And for the rest you won't even need such a strong medal.) SE doesn't need to cater to every need. Certainly not. But you can see people are angry and bored with the game. I don't even need to do much anymore to rank in the top 500 in the weekly rankings when it was real work two years ago. And it doesn't help a game when everyone except newcomers who aren't aware of the problems are ready to get their pitchforks. But hey, at least I can drown my sorrow in my pile of useless support medals.

#KHUx #kingdom hearts #rant

10 notes · View notes

theabominableblogger · 6 years ago

Text

Rewatching “Gotham” S5E4

Not in chronological order, yaaaayyyy...

Also the other reaction posts for Episodes 8-10 are still a work in progress so hang on!

My sister watched it with me (as well as another episode in S5 and we both plan on watching the series finale together) so my comments will be in bold, and hers will be in regular font. Author’s notes courtesy of me will be bolded and italicized.

AN: I managed to record our reactions to this episode and hopefully I can transcribe what I said into this post.

This is going to be fun.

“Shut up and die [Oswald].” *starts singing “Waking Up in Vegas” by Katy Perry*

You are really going to hell.

I am. It’s a curse.

*Recap shows Haven blowing up* Welp.

Ahhhh that freaking shot [of the burning teddy bear]

Hell of a shot to open with

MMMMM....

Also that one [of the people getting out]. That one’s good.

This whole opening just leaves you so numb.

Right? Holy shit.

And I do like that the other villains are so shocked and horrified at this.

Right, yeah.

Yeah, like you have Penguin and Ed and the other people are like “Oh my God...”

Yeah...

Oh you better not-

*Barbara points her gun at an unsuspecting Oswald* Oh come on, his back is turned!

Not right nooowww!

That’s bullshit!

*both look uncomfortable when we hear a baby crying in the background*

Everyone’s just kinda grabbing each other!

*grabs my sister and shakes her by the shoulders* It’s like “Jim!” “Harvey!” “Oswald!”

*one more time* “Bruce!” No, I’m kidding.

*laughs* Christ!

Yeah, whenever they use orange lighting in this show, it’s like “Ah yes, give me more!”

Except you know it means shit’s about to go down.

I know.

Or some shit has already gone down.

*Jim looks at the ruins of Haven* Shiiit...

*Harvey hands back the badge Jim gave to Will* Nooooooo....

*sighs*

Nooooo... come on. God dang it.

*Opening titles roll* So yeah, how’s that for an opening?

Noooo...

“As of now, death toll stands at 311.” Jesus!

“49 injured, more than 2 dozen left unaccounted for.” *very softly* Oh my God.

I swear to God she’s [Secretary Walker] an al Ghul somewhere.

AN: This was actually recorded a few weeks ago. Little did I know...

“But whoever destroyed that building can't destroy the hope we've built.” That’s not gonna do shit!

Yeah, that one lady in the crowd’s like “Oh my God...” SAAAME!

That’s not gonna do shit, Jim!

“How are you [Jim] gonna stop it from happening again?!?” Good question! Honestly right now, Jim, you’re not lookin’ so hot.

I know!

Luciusss!!

“Nothing makes sense anymore.” Someone say “It’s Gotham.” Please God!

“SELINA!” They just leave his [Bruce’s] ass there...

God... poor Bruce.

That’s gonna be nightmare inducing.

Yeahhh-

*Some of Ecco’s goons come in* OH NOOO COME ON!

Ohhh the Ecco goons!

Can I preemptively say “[expletive] that noise?”

*chuckles*

Also, I love this bit right here:

*laughs when Bruce tries throwing a wrench at a goon and missing him by a long shot* Worth the shot, buddy!

Ugghh, so close!

*Alfred comes to the rescue* AL-FRED!

YES!!

LET’S GO!

YESSS!

“I was afraid you didn’t get my signal. Lucius said the range was only a couple of miles.” Where’d he get that?!?

*at same time* What is that?!?

We already get that he’s Batman: he’s pulling solutions out of his ass.

It’s Lucius.

I guess.

“How did that happen?” “I [Bruce] let my guard down.” *aside* You do that a lot, buddy! You’ll do it more in the future!

“She’s [Selina] gone after Jeremiah, alone.” *silently hurrahs*

OK, why is she [Barbara] wearing like a dominatrix outfit?

I mean, her last outfit was covered in filth so... also she has Penguin’s hair.

Yeah but- the leather corset? Really? C’mon...

“We heard people talking about a shady guy working around Haven before it blew.” “This is Gotham. You’re [Barbara] gonna have to do better than ‘shady guy.’“ *both giggle*

“How about a location? A building in the northeast corner of Harlow Park. He says the guy's holed up there.” Also, they really need to release an official map for this because I have no idea where everything is.

They really need to.

Like I know that they use the actual No Man’s Land map

Right... but this continuity strays so much from regular DC continuity that not all of that might apply.

Yeah. It’s like “Oh the Soothsayers are in the Granton district in the Dark Zone” and I’m like “Well where is that?!?”

Yeah.

Amusement Mile?!? I know Ace Chemicals is in the Dark Zone.

Of course it is!

It’s near Crime Alley.

‘Course it damn well is!

But Crime Alley’s in Firefly’s zone. I think, yeah.

Que interesante...

Ohhh that lightinggg!

*Penguin and Co. wait for Jim in the precinct* Ohh c’mon... c’mon dude.

Digging the eyepatch on that guy [henchman] though

*mouths along with Oswald saying “woefully apparent”*

“…you [Jim] are outmanned, outgunned, and out of options.” *sings* OUTNUMBERED, OUTPLANNED!

Hey yo, I’m gonna need a right hand man!

*groans* I’m already dreading this.

“Take all you can carry.” Arm yourselves to the teeth. You’re gonna need it.

Also, they did not kill the dog.

Oh thank God.

Just to let you know!

“WE’RE NOT GONNA KILL THE DOG!”

TZE CHUN, THANK YOU!

“What do you [Jim] say, partner?” Don’t ever say that again.

Yee-haw.

You’ve yee-d your last haw.

*laughs*

*Ed wakes up* Nooo, who gives a shit about Ed? Who gives a shit? I don’t give a shit!

*aside* It’s gonna become a lot more important.

I like this music here [when Ed investigates the suitcase] actually

*both end up scatting it*

Just sounds like they’re banging a bunch of coconuts together.

*both sing* BIG ONES, SMALL ONES, SOME AS BIG AS YOUR HEAD!

*imitates Ed saying “I’ve been on a trip!” hand gesture included*

*both tilt our heads in unison to read the message on Ed’s hand*

“KNOWS WHAT?!?” Me.

Oh my God...

That’s the campaign poster [of Oswald] in S3!

Also I like how the cop cars have the grills and bars on the front and on the windshield.

Yeah... smart move!

“To hell with Penguin. Haven wasn't your fault.” “I [Jim] told the people it was safe. I made them into a target.” You know Penguin’s right there! He can hear you.

*One of the cop cars drive past Jim* Don’t park in the puddle! Noooo that’s what they diddd-

No they didn’t. Nevermind.

*giggles when Oswald pulls out a megaphone*

“There goes the element of surprise.” *both laugh*

Oh my God, he freaking winked at Jim! Oswald, you-

Oh noooo...

*Another shot at the group* Yep.

“We’re sitting ducks out here.” “And one Penguin. Hey Oswald, why don’t you crawl out there, grab that bullhorn, tell him to come out here quietly?” *both laugh*

*both imitate Oswald’s insulted “Yooouu…”*

“Pretty cozy up here. Thanks guys.” C’mon buddy! C’mon!

*claps hands* Give us him!

Give us the goods!

Give us!

“Zsasz?!?” Yassss....

“Oh hey guys, what’s up?” *both laugh*

Oh my God, I’ve missed him!

*Victor blows Oswald a kiss* YAASSSS!!

ZSAAAAAAAAAASZZZ...

ZSAAAAAAASZZZZ....

ZSAAAASSSZZZZ HONEY!

ZSAAAASSZZZZ!

*giggles* Yaaasss....

Oh my God what. Is that Selina?!?

No, that’s Ed.

Freakin- what is it with him and the bad disguises?!?

But like he got through the entire precinct like that!

Everyone wasn’t paying attention! If they were paying attention, they would’ve just ripped it [the blanket] off of him!

I know!

“I can still see your face.” “Not when I do this, you can’t.”

*laughs*

It’s literally that!

It is.

*Ed runs into Lucius* Ohhh yess! I really like these two interacting.

Lucius!

“I am given and I am taken. I was there from your first breath and I will follow you until your death.” Oh screw off!

Your name.

“Call it a personal matter.” I love that!

His little poses!

Yes yes!

“Well I'm [Ed] guessing you [Lucius] don't want money, because, uh, it's worthless. I don't tend to carry snacks on me. And if I had any bullets, I would just shoot you and take the folder.” I really want somebody to be like “I’ll give you a load of bullets for a box of Cheez-Its.” “DONE!”

*laughs* Would you like the other half of this cosmic brownie?

My God, THIS MAN GOES FREE!

You know who Chris Chalk kinda reminds me of? The ally guy from “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes?”

Yeah, it does...

Hari Rhodes! That’s the actor!

*giggles insanely when Ed tries to take the file from Lucius and utterly fails*

What the frick?

“I [Victor] did not make that building go boom, Jim.” *both laugh*

What a way to say that.

“You gave up any shred of honor long ago! Why should we believe a snake like you?!?” “Because I would never take credit for somebody’s else’s work?” *raises pen in air in agreement*

Well duh!”

“Is this about Sofia Falcone? You should really move past that. It’s not healthy.” *both giggle*

This man...

This man! He was probably raised in the South. He would probably go “Hey y’all! You’ve yee-d your last haw...”

Noooo noooo... he feels more like a California guy.

Yeah... *starts singing the theme song for “The OC”*

*Everyone starts firing at Zsasz* Zsasz is just like “Nope!’

“Nope!”

That’s the most casual duck. Just rolls out of the way!

Come on, Jim!

I’m kinda wondering why they never got “Um guys, there’s a freaking concrete wall between windows. He could just hide behind that!”

Or they could just like aim at an angle.

Yeah...

Get in the room!

This isn’t rocket science.

*both crack up when Zsasz goes for a drink break*

*still laughing* What an asshole!

*Jim body slams Zsasz to the ground* WHAA-

LET’S GO!

Right through the snack table!

And they destroyed his bowl of chips.

“[Victor] Glad to see you’re still with us.” This man has never given a shit in his entire life.

“Thank you, thank you. You were great. Glad there are no hard feelings.” I’ll be here all week. Try the veal!

*laughs* That was priceless.

“Allow me [Oswald] to deal with him [Victor].” No!

No!

“If he did this, I need to know if it was a part of something larger.” Jim, you’re always a part of something larger! READ THE SCENE!

Oh my God, they got Zsasz sitting in the back. Zsasz is probably gonna like try to strike up a conversation.

“So, how was life?” “Oh my God, shut up....”

It’s that bit in “Civil War:” “So you like cats.”

“Sam.”

This is Tony Stank!

*Selina follows Ecco and the new followers into the work site* Oh here we go, here we go. Here we go!

Oh Jesus... the belly of the beast.

Also, that place must smell like just terrible.

Right?!??! If this place doesn’t smell like an armpit, then...

*Sykes dies* ...oh God.

“Well, not with that attitude you’re not.” *leans far and away from screen*

Bitch.

“Everyone, let’s reach inside and dig a little deeper, shall we?” You prick.

*turns towards me* Don’t you dare [sing]

*leans away when Jeremiah licks blood off his knife* HI THANKS NO BYE!

*both groan in disgust*

YOU NASTY! YOU TWO [Jeremiah and Ecco] DESERVE EACH OTHER, ya- mmmmmm!

Honestly though, I am kink-shaming. I am kink-shaming so hard.

*chuckles* They’re carrying his [Sykes] body out in a wheelbarrow.

OK, but like the Tim Curry voice- that’s an affectation! He’s just putting that on to sound impressive.

*laughs when Jeremiah stops talking to himself and awkwardly clears his throat when Ecco walks in*

He’s like “Mm-mm! Sorry! Helloooo!”

*Jeremiah grabs Ecco by the neck to inspect her scar* Noooooo...

He’s lookin’ right at the bullet...

Eeuughh...

“Bruce Wayne, and his sidekick Curls? Or is he the sidekick?” That’s still such a great line.

“And Curls can walk. Really well. Especially… for a paraplegic.” *done*

*softly laughs in shock* Oh my God...

*Jeremiah purrs appreciatively at Ecco* How have these two not eaten each other alive at this point-

*sinks down in chair when Jeremiah dismisses Ecco* Oh my God, that was a ghost kiss! I HATE YOU!

“OK recruits, let’s do like my daddy did before my sixth birthday and move out!” *both laugh*

That is a hell of a line!

*Selina follows Ecco and her group* Yeah, you see him [Jeremiah] in the background just whip around!

Yeaahhh!

That was like a horror movie thing, where the monster just whips around. You can imagine a little scare chord in the background.

Right?!?

Also, I like how they establish that relationship in like under a minute.

Yeah...

Like yes, that is how you do it.

That was good.

Eat that, “Suicide Squad!”

“Evidence of deflagration would suggest something with a slower burn rate, like gunpowder or nitroglycerin.” “But for this level of destruction, that would require a bomb that's 20 cubic feet of explosive material.” Or a baZOOKA!

People just really love their RPGs in this show.

People just really love bazookas. Bane uses one in the Bane Red Trailer

“Man walks into a room, alone, and is later found murdered. There are no windows, and one door, which is locked from the inside.” *whispers* Toxic gas. No I’m kidding.

“The bomb was the building.” *imitates the way Ed says “the bomb”*

I love that.

*Ed and Lucius figure out how the building blew up* This makes the forensics class part of me just so happy.

“Ow! That’s a really nice table.” *both chuckle*

“We got a dozen witnesses that saw you [Victor] walk out of that building before it went kabooey.” *in unison* Kabooey.

“Hey, do you guys have any canned peaches? Man, I'd trade an arm and a leg for that right now. Not mine, somebody else's.” *both laugh*

Man, I missed him!

I know! I’m gonna miss him so much!

“And, guys, those were warning shots. I mean, if I really wanted to kill you you'd be dead.” If you guys could aim in this show.

Right?

I mean it’s not like the *pretends to shoot around something*

“If I blew up a building full of people, I would have covered every inch of my body in sweet, sweet scars.” Can we see them?

*gives me a weird look*

His scars! We only see them once [way back in S1].

I’d [Victor] let Alvarez do it. He’s handsome.” *both chuckle*

OK, but if the Gotham fandom isn’t already shipping them, I’m gonna be very disappointed.

*tries not to say anything without laughing*

Your stunned silence is very reassuring.

“Looks like you need a new suspect.” *in Southern drawl* Looks like it wasn’t Zsasz!

*Oswald arrives at the precinct* Go to hell!

I love that shot of him.

“I know the wheels of justice turn slowly, so I'm here to provide - a modicum of grease.” A what of what?

He said “grace” like “grease.”

What of what? I don’t know. I don’t know diction anymore.

“Oh, I did not expect you to go soft, Jim... Actually, I did, which is why I didn’t come alone.” OH COME ON!

*nods*

ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!?

“Torturing- torturing Zsasz into confessing won't give the people justice.” And it’s not a very effective way of getting answers either! Because they’re gonna say anything to make it stop.

Also, take a shot every time Oswald refers to Jim as “old friend.”

You’d be dead.

“There will be a trial!” I still really wanted an episode like the “Trial” episode from the animated series. That would have been so cool!

*waves at screen when Zsasz gets escorted out* Bye Zsasz... you’re gonna be high as a kite the next time we see you.

We see him more in this episode.

OK.

The last episode he’s in, he’s just like “Whaauggh!”

*laughs* What a way to go out though.

Harvey just tackles you?

I mean, if I’m gonna go out, I’m gonna go out high as a paper kite too.

*gives her the strangest look*

*laughs* You’re judging me so hard!

*shakes head* I can’t believe you.

I say that like I know what the hell getting high even feels like.

I love that this lazy ass [Haven bomber] just like leaves all the stuff there. He’s like “Oh, we gotta scatter it! Kick!”

“I truly hope you find whoever did this and make them pay.” So he [Ed] didn’t do it.

*shakes my head like the liar I am*

OK...

“I appreciate your help, Ed. Couldn’t have done it without you. If you tell anyone I said that, I will deny it.” *chuckles*

[Ed] You have one friend. Kind of.

He so badly wants to say “No, god dammit!” but he can’t!

Censorship!

This show isn’t rated high enough. Let Edward say [expletive]

*wheezes* He’s not that kind of person who would say that.

Oswald would!

He would. I made that meme thing!

Yeah that’s true.

Ed would catch himself and go “Oh... fart.”

“PENN, WHERE THE F-”

*both laugh*

Oh, that was brilliant*

*The crowd at the trial becomes unruly* Fight, fight, fight!

Oh God...

“Look at them, Harvey.” Not another speech!

Now see, that [mural behind the staircase in Oswald’s place] is like Bioshock! That big- isn’t there a big mural in the-

Yeahhh, in the church, yeah!

For the workforce?

I dunno, this is more like OG Bioshock instead of Bioshock Infinite.

Yeah.

Because we’re past the religious stuff.

Ohh the purple lighting behind him [Oswald].

“So, will I [Victor] be appointed a lawyer? I feel like my rights are being violated.” I mean, technically they are.

Wait, they actually have somewhere there like transcribing the whole thing [trial]!

I also like that he’s [Oswald] wearing the sash that the choir members wore.

Yep...

He [Oswald] paid off the witnesses though! This is-

No! Yeah, they said money is useless, so why would Oswald pay them off?

True... but this is obviously just a sham trial.

It is! It’s a kangaroo court. I love “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Also I like that goon in the background that looks like Neo from “The Matrix.” With the long coat- no, that’s Morpheus. Nevermind.

“It was a bomb.” *chuckles* It was a big one.

“For months now, you've been hearing me [Jim] say help is coming.” IT AIN’T!

“This is not justice.” This is where I pull out that quote from the first “Dark Phoenix” trailer and just insert it in here.

“I’ll [Oswald] consider that your [Jim’s] closing argument.” That was like his opening and closing argument!

Though it did put me in mind of a much better speech from “Camelot”: “They have forgotten justice, they want revenge, revenge the most worthless of causes.”

*Crowd calls Zsasz guilty* What the hell were you [Jim] expecting?

Welp.

And Zsasz is like “Great...” Good job, Jim!

Thanks for that, Jim!

Great job!

There is a guillotineeee!

Oh come onnn!

They probably got it from like the natural history museum.

Sheesh...

Also, why would they have a guillotine in the natural history museum of Gotham?

Because this place is [expletive] up all the way up to the ears.

“Any last words?” [Oswald] YOU PUT TAPE ON HIS MOUTH, YOU ASSHOLE!

*laughs when Victor gives his muffled last words* He’s just stalling, I love it!

“Well said.” *laughs*

*Victor gets rescued at the last minute* Ohhh ho ho ho!

Shit, that was close!

*imitates Oswald yelling “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?”

I actually really hope we see Zsasz in the time jump.

I hope so.

I will be so happy.

*Jim shoves Oswald to the ground* MOM, HE PUSHED ME!

You self-serving asshole!

“What choice do I [Jim] have? Either I let him [Victor] go, or he's dead for something he didn't do.” Either that or it’s like the final scene from “Se7en.”

*very softly* Eesh...

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!? No. Zsasz is not up for that.

No.

I think he begrudgingly gets along with Barbara so he wouldn’t do that.

“This city will never be what you it to be, Jim. It’s always gonna belong to the bad guys… like me.” Yes.

“What?” “Yeah, what?” *scoffs in hilarity*

“Give him your gun.” OK, I hate this because Jim wants him [Victor] to shoot him.

Come on...

He wants a shootout!

“Maybe I'm just tired of listening to you, Victor.” Jim, come on!

*groans in frustration*

I like that shot though [of Victor being offered Harvey’s gun]. It’s like one of the westerns, with the blurry background.

“Do it.” No...

Jim, what are you, stupid?

*sits back in relief when Victor turns him down* Oh thank God...

“So [Victor] get the hell out of my face.” So why did he [Jim] want a shoot out? He just wanted an excuse to arrest him again?

It’s guess it’s just kind of the built up anger. Plus the fact that everything Jim has tried to do has utterly failed.

Yeah...

So he’s at the end of his rope and given up everything.

That’s true, yeah.

Ooohh that’s [the lighting for that shot of the tunnel workers walking down the hall] cool.

Yeah, where the hell is this?

I don’t know... it looks like an old parking garage.

It does!

*All the tunnel workers get knocked out* Oh dear.

*claps when Bruce emerges from the shadows and catches up to Alfred* LET’S GOOOOO! Yess!

Alfred being a badass!

*laughs when Jeremiah starts fanning himself with his hat*

*done*

*mouths along with Jeremiah’s line about the river, with eyebrows and all*

“So what do we do when we feel like giving up?” “Dig a little deeper.” *has to sit forward in an attempt not to laugh/sing*

*still done*

*eyes widen when Selina walks up to Jeremiah and stabs him*

“Deep enough?” Let’s go.

Damn.

“Well Selina, I must say-“ Yeah, the Tim Curry voice is an affectation.

Yeah.

Stab number two. Stab number three.

*in unison* Four. Five! Six. Seven. Eight. Nine.

God...

Ho-ly shit!

*Jeremiah drops to the ground* And he’s alive after that.

*shakes head*

*Selina gets hit in the head with a tool* Ohhhhhh! That oughta hurttt!

Yeah.... Jesus.

Also, you noticed like that he [Jeremiah] immediately calmed down like “Oh, it’s not Ecco, oh thank God- oh it’s just Selina.”

*laughs*

*Last shot of Jeremiah in the episode* He looks dead.

Yeah. Like how the hell did you survive getting stabbed in the stomach nine times?

Plus, in the next episode, there’s a doctor there. I think it’s some sort of surgeon.

Still though... damn...

*Ed is exhausted after climbing stairs* Mood, Ed.

“I hate stairs.” *laughs*

What a mood!

*sings* What a mood, what a mood, what a mighty big mood!

[1215] Oh Jesus...

Oh my gosh, the amount of times I’ve seen a ceramic rooster thing, ugh... that brings me back.

This poor old lady!

“You were on the roof and you had some kind of a rocket.” *softly* Oh my God...

*The old woman hits Ed over the head* HA!

*Ed starts to remember* Oh my God! He did it after all! Oh, you- eat shit, Ed!

*points at screen* Yeah that’s [the long hair and bowler hat] not a look!

*Ed blow up Haven in a flashback* Why would he even do it though?

Also, I like these Windows screensaver effects. *laughs*

Also, I wanna know how he [Ed] got the room number.

“I promise, I won't tell anybody.” “I know you won't.” Oh, c’mon, Ed!

No, c’mon! Ed, no! No no no!

*Ed shoves the witness out the window to her death* Eat shit and dieeeee...

*tries not to laugh* That’s from “Batman Forever!” Because he pushes the guy out the window in the wheelchair!

Ohhhh, eat shit and dieee-

OK, OK, here’s the thing. You’re gonna hate this ending because I hate this ending-

Oh God...

Because Jim and Barbara and it’s like-

What...

Yeah...

*yowls in frustration*

*can’t help but laugh* Same.

“[Barbara] Your tip didn't pan out.” “Well, I've got another one.” Nooo.

Jim does not need this right now.

He does not need this right now.

You’ve made a lot of shitty decisions this episode, Jim.

Yeah, everyone has. And these two have [throughout the show].

“No one knows what it’s like to be him.” *to the tune of the opening of 2001* Shuuuutttt upppp! SHUT UP!

Is this really the time for freakin’ anger sex?

I know!

“I told you to leave.” No.

*shakes head*

*both say varying degrees of “No” when Barbara gets super close to Jim*

Jim, no. No.

No.

*Jim grabs Barbara’s arm to stop her* Jim, no.

MMMMMMM!!!

*bolts out of seat when Jim and Barbara start to make out*

JIIM, COME ONNN!!!

*in the background* I’m goin’ out the window, bye!

Jim...

*comes back to seat when end titles appear* AND THAT IS THE end of the episode!

Nooooo!! Jiimmm, come on! COME ON!

3 notes · View notes

feynites · 6 years ago

Text

@selenelavellan said:

poor fear i laughed really hard at this though fear is one of those cats who's tried to claw a hole through the bathroom door 100% selene has talked to eight different vets about her cats anxiety issues nothing has helped she'd have to bring them in and fear is never going to get into a carrier lbh they'd shift first 'NO NOPE IM NOT GOING IN THERE'

Much as I also like the idea of Fear giving them away, this went in a slightly different direction.

But hopefully still good! So have some more Cat Shenanigans:

Fear can tell that Selene is trying to get them to go into the Trap Box again.

They have reports from the others on what happens when one gets inside, and is successfully closed-in. The first time the Trap Box appeared, Affection had rushed into with their usual eagerness, happy to find a new blanket and a toy in the back. Selene had closed them into the box, though, and taken them away - much to everyone’s distress.

But Affection had returned a little more than an hour later, speaking of a trip and a strange place that smelled of many terrible things, but that hadn’t, Affection insisted, ‘been bad’. There had been another woman who had seemed to examine the health of Affection’s feline body, and had proclaimed them hale.

The next to be taken in the box was Des, who elected himself to go. Des’ accounts were mostly the same, but Fear was not satisfied that these excursions were wise. It seemed like too many things could go wrong. What if the Trap Box was stolen from Selene? What if the Vetarinian proved treacherous? What if Falon’Din came back while one of them was trapped and unable to defend themselves from him?

The Trap Box was too small and tight, turning into a larger form while inside it would not work. And the mesh bars at the front, and the air slits at the sides, were too small for even the tiny mouse shape that Fear could take, in a pinch.

It was not safe.

The others decided to go, against Fear’s cautioning. Even Deceit ultimately went, giving in for the sake of their favourite treat - dried salmon pieces - and visiting this Vetarinian.

Fear had hoped that would be the end of it.

But Selene keeps making attempts. So far she has tried toys, treats, and several tricks, including hiding the Trap Box in Fear’s closet and attempting to disguise it. When she pulls it from the front hall closet and sets it down onto the living room floor, Fear opts to retreat to the space at the top of the bookcase with some haste. Last time, Selene had gotten so far as to wrap them in a towel, and had nearly gotten them into the Trap Box before Fear had gone limp and shifted their shape just enough to slide out of her grip and out of the towel as well.

Selene had stopped trying for a while after that, when she got Fear trembling in their behind-the-television hiding place afterwards. Instead she had spent several days imploring them to look less betrayed.

“I know, I know, you hate the crate,” she says at them, gently. “But it’s not so bad! The others did fine, didn’t they?”

Fear hisses.

Selene sighs.

“Alright, I guess there’s nothing left but to do this the hard way…” she mutters to herself.

Fear does not like the sounds of that.

“Please don’t hate me,” Selene asks.

Fear also does not like the sounds of that.

Selene leaves, and fetches the towel. The towel. The thick one that makes scratching difficult. Fear determines that the top of the bookshelf is not an ideal defense post, and makes a run for it. The bedroom window was open the last they checked, but it is closed now. They make their way under the bed; it is always hardest to catch them there, because Selene cannot reach from one side to the other, so Fear can simply move any time she gets too close, without leaving their cover. They call for Deceit, who makes a mental sigh but then offers to get into the Trap Box instead. But Selene shoo’s Deceit back out - not satisfied with that, apparently. She brings the Trap Box into the bedroom, and then she does the unthinkable.

She calls Marassal up from the store, and into the private living space.

Fear does not realize it until they see the familiar bare feet and ankle bracelets appear alongside Selene’s at the doorway to the bedroom.

No! Now there are two elves to contest with! Their plan did not account for that. Fear weighs the odds, the bed no longer being an ideal defensible position, and decides to make a bolt for it. The door to the shop might be open, and the shop has many more ideal spaces to hide in. They rush the bedroom door, but they aren’t anticipating Marassal’s reflexes. Or that he has a towel as well.

Foolish. Foolish of them.

The heavy, thick fabric engulfs Fear before they can reach the door, and they panic.

It is almost a blessing. If Fear had been thinking rightly, they might have changed shape, which would have blown their cover and ruined everything. But in the moment, they are too overcome to manage even that much logic. And so they hiss and yowl and try to scratch and bite instead, finding only thick, treacherous towel fabric around them, before they are shoved into the Trap Box.

The swing of the door closing is like ice in their veins.

“It’s okay!” Selene says. “It’s okay, you’re okay, it’s alright-”

Fear shakes, and tries to think of a solution to this horrifying turn of events. This disaster. They are going to get cornered in here. Falon’Din is coming for them. The Vetarinian will vivisect them, like Ghilan’nain. The box will be stolen and someone will throw it into a river and Fear will not be able to get out, no, this is not good!

Selene thanks Marassal, and then returns to cooing gently at them as she picks up the Trap Box.

“It’s alright, easy, you’re okay,” she tells them again.

Fear meows back plaintively. Perhaps if they can appeal to her better nature, she will let them out?

Please let them out!

Selene’s expression through the bars looks as though it is wavering.

She presses one of Fear’s favourite treats through a side slot instead, though. The offering may as well be dust to Fear, who hunches themselves towards the back of the box, and breathes heavily. Deceit begins to meow plaintively too, and then Dirthamen. After a minute even Des joins in, following Selene as she starts to make her way towards the door.

“I know, guys, I know, but it’ll be fine. We’ll be back in no time, okay? Then you’ll all be checked out and chipped and that’s safer for everyone.”

Safer?

What about this is safe?!

“Trust me,” Selene asks.

Fear stares up at her uncertainly through the box’s slats.

They… they do trust her, they suppose. To an extent. She saved Dirthamen, after all, and she is a good elf. She gives them things and looks after them. It is not that Fear distrusts her, or thinks she has bad intentions. It is just that… so much can go wrong. And she does not have all of the facts. They do not know why she thinks this would make them ‘safer’…

Maybe Fear does not have all the facts, either.

They try.

It is very hard to no be afraid. Fear does not succeed, but they focus on breathing steadily and watching everything they can see through the front door of the cage. Selene carries them back down to the shop, walking with Marassal, and then says goodbye to him. He wishes her luck as she takes Fear out onto the street. The day is sunny but not too warm. The outdoor scents are typical, but it is a very strange experience, to be publicly carried down the main roads. Selene takes Fear to a bench, and offers them a few more treats. She makes gentle noises and insists that everything is going well, but Fear does not like the loud transport machine that roars up towards them after several minutes. It smells of death, and is full of strangers. Selene puts a towel down over the door of the Trap Box, so that Fear does not see the bevy of elves around them. But they can still sense things.

They can still hear the jangle of a collar, too, the distinctive sound of a noise sniffing nearby. One of Selene’s hands settles over the vent slit one the far side of the box.

“Excuse me, sorry, but my cat’s a little anxious. Could you keep your dog from getting too close?”

“Oh, don’t worry, he’s friendly!”

“Yes, I’m sure he is. It’s just that my cat’s anxious…”

“Off to the vet?”

“Mmhmm. Could you-”

“We’re going to the groomers ourselves, and then to the new dog park they opened on fifty-second-”

“Great.”

The Trap Box moves, and Selene settles both arms around it, as Fear feels her put it onto her lap instead. They try to see what they can through the slits in the sides, and spy a small dog with a sparkly collar, and an older woman who keeps talking blithely about play dates and asking Selene if she’s a ‘cat person’ or just in animal lover in general. Selene hedges an answer, while someone else coughs and the monstrous transport rumbles, and Fear counts at least a half dozen threats and only gets more stressed at not being able to assess them all.

It seems to take them a small eternity to make whatever trip they are on. Fear can feel every frantic thump of their heart, but eventually, they move again. Selene removes the towel from the front of the Trap Box, and carries them out of the wretched machine and onto an unfamiliar sidewalk, with lots of green grass beside it.

“Fucking…” she mutters to herself. “Keep your damn dog away from my cat, is that so hard? ‘Oh he’s friendly!’ Well that’s not the point you self-centered dumbass…”

There is a bit more muttering before Selene switches tones and then starts assuring Fear that everything will be fine, and that they have arrived at their destination. The building she carries them too does, indeed, smell awful. It smells of the things Selene uses to keep her bathroom clean, and like too many other animals. There is barking coming from inside, which Selene assures Fear is ‘fine’. They can only watch with wide eyes as they are carried into this, the realm of the Vetarinian. Vetarinia, they would presume.

Many spirits whisper that this is a place where animals come to die.

Fear is not a real animal, but that is still greatly concerning, for obvious reasons.

Fear watches as they enter a strange room. The barking seems to be coming from another one. There is a counter, almost like the one at the shop. But perhaps more like a desk? Selene approaches it, and gives her name to a young elf behind it, saying that she has the ‘two thirty’. The young elf says it will just be another ten minutes, because the ‘doctor’ is with another difficult patient. Selene thanks them and then carries Fear over to a row of seats, and sits down with the Trap Box in her lap again.

From where they are positioned, Fear can see the door, but not much else. They watch, vigilant. Waiting to see what will happen next. After a few minutes, the door swings open, and a vashoth woman enters. She has a young child with her, and a smaller Trap Box in her arms. There is a turtle printed onto the exterior of the box. The child looks around the room, and then spots Fear.

“Kitty!” he exclaims.

He moves as if to rush them. Fear retreats to the back of the box, the only possible defensive position. A child is not a danger but they have no recourse, here, even to unintended harm. Before the boy can charge over to them, though, his mother grasps his arm and pulls him back to her side.

“No, remember?” she admonishes gently. “Some animals here are sick, sweetheart, we have to use our quiet voices.”

The little boy looks chastened, but also like he would still enjoy running over very much. Selene puts the towel back over the door, then. Which almost makes it worse, as Fear cannot see what is happening, cannot tell if anything worse might be coming. There is a shuffling sound, and then Selene seems to drape herself over the top of the box, too. Or, no - that is her sweater, Fear realizes. She must have taken it off and draped it over, shrouding them in darkness.

Leaving more of her own skin exposed.

That is not good.

But it does make the box smell slightly more of Selene, and less of the room around them. They hear a childish voice pipe up, asking if he can see the kitty, but Selene gently informs him that Fear is very anxious to be at the vet and is too scared to play with right now. The little boy talks avidly about his turtle, who is getting a ‘check-up’. Then something thumps at the box, and his small voice rings out in assurance that everything is going to be fine.

His mother apologizes.

“It’s okay,” Selene says, before letting out a long breath. “Of course,” she says, more quietly, afterwards. “The one time I bring you, it’s all kids and dogs, it couldn’t just be chinchillas like it was last time…”

There is the sound of a door opening, then.

A scrambling of paws on smooth floor and loud barking, heavy breathing, like a beast the size of a small dragon has just erupted into the room.

“Oh no, Lady!”

The Trap Box is rocked as something massive attacks! Fear hears the breaths so close that for a moment, they think the box is being swallowed whole. They yowl in alarm, digging in their claws and summoning up some magic, before they are jostled again.

“SERIOUSLY?!” Selene exclaims.

“I’m so sorry, miss, she’s friendly I promise, she’s just excitable! Purebred mabaris, you know, they’re too smart for their own good and they have all this energy when they’re young. She’s still just a year old-”

“GET HER OFF!”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s okay, I’ve got her. She won’t bite. Come on, Lady, let’s go…”

Fear has no direction for their magic, yet. No target. But just as they’re about to blast the towel off of the door, so they can find one, the attack seems to come to an end. The scrambling claws are drawn further away. Barking becomes whining. The stranger jokes that ‘Lady’ must be very interested in whatever Selene has with her, while Selene suddenly goes back to saying calming things. She lefts the sweater and smiles down at Fear through the visible slat.

“It’s okay!” she tells them. “We’re okay! Just a lot of visitors. Like at the shop!”

Fear trembles. Ready for anything, now, but only in the worst way.

“Selene?” Another stranger calls. “You can come in now!”

“Thank fuck,” Selene murmurs. They move again, but Fear cannot see anything, now. They are just trapped in the dark box, jostling slightly with Selene’s steps. Until they are settled onto some kind of surface. Then the towel is taken from the door again, and a stranger peers at them. Elven. Smiling. The Vetarinian, they suspect. She makes a soft coo sound.

“Oh, poor thing. You’re terrified, hm? Let’s get this over with quick then.”

Fear tries to make themselves as small a target as possible.

The door to the Trap Box is opened.

Another trap, they think. They are meant to take the opening, and come out. But if they don’t, then they are an easy target, too. There is no way to evade anything in the box. They only have one chance, then. They bolt through the opening, only to be foiled again by the towel. The strange elf picks them up. Fear hisses in protest, struggling, but they have a very firm grip. Selene is nearby, saying something. They cannot hear it over the roar of blood in their ears, as they brace themselves and wonder if they will have to transform in order to attack…

The Vetarinian settles them onto a smooth surface.

Selene speaks with the Vetarinian. The towel is removed. Fear has troubles keeping track of what is said, as they focus keenly on how the stranger is moving, and try to find places to hide or escape to in the odd room with its silver floors and tan counters. Fear is poked and prodded and has lights shined on them, they do not like it; when Selene moves to hold them, they latch onto her. Consolidating them into a single defensive unit, so that if or when they need to use magic to summon a barrier or offensive spell, Fear can protect them both. They Vetarinian has brisk, firm hands, covered by gloves. Fear sinks their claws into Selene’s shirt, and dislikes it most when their mouth is opened and their teeth and gums examined.

“You should put them down, they might bite like this when I put in the needle,” the Vetarinian says.

Needle?

What needle?!

Fear summons up dim recollections of the others recounting a single, small puncture wound. Though they had not seemed to suffer ill-affects, Fear might be an exception. Something could go awry. Needles are dangerous, they have seen it on the Light Box!

“It’s fine,” Selene says. “They don’t bite.”

“Well…”

“I’ll deal with it.”

“Hold their head, at least.”

Selene pets their head, and Fear turns as they hear something crinkling open. They do not see the needle. They feel something prick at their back, like an errant claw or a bug. When they hiss, though, the pain withdraws. Their claws sink into Selene’s bra straps, and her petting increases.

“Good job,” she tells them. “Good job, what a good cat you are…”

Fear glares at the Vetarinian, and refuses to be dislodged from where they have secured themselves against Selene.

“Well, this one seems as healthy as all the others,” the stranger proclaims. “But based on what you’ve described, I think you’re right about it being Feline Anxiety. It’s not uncommon, even among cats who haven’t been strays. I’m going to give you a prescription…”

Fear’s ears are so flat against their head that when the Vetarinian turns, they have troubles hearing them any further. They move towards a Light Box, and type in something that is printed out, like a receipt, except larger. Selene tries to coax Fear back into the Trap Box, which they are not going to do. They tear several holes into her shirt before she decides to put the sweater on over both of them instead. The warm, Selene-smelling fabric settles over Fear’s back, but leaves their head to peer up from the collar. Selene wraps an arm securely around them, and tells the Vetarinian she will ‘sort them out’, when the other woman asks if she would like assistance.

Selene puts the large Prescription Receipt into her purse. She carries in and the Trap Box in her free hand, and then they go back out into the room they were in before. The little vashoth boy stares at Fear, while Selene makes some kind of transaction with the young elf behind the counter. At least until he and his mother and their turtle-box are summoned into the room. Then Selene carries Fear back outside.

It is less harrowing to travel when they are not trapped.

Fear closes their eyes as they settle onto the bench. Selene rubs their back through the sweater, and whispers apologies, and insists that they are a very good cat who is very brave and who will not have to do that again. She makes one more attempt to get them back into the Trap Box before another rumbling, monstrous transport comes, but Fear does not think that is a good idea. They keep their claws firmly embedded in her bra straps.

Selene takes them onto the transport in her sweater instead. The driver protests that Fear should be in the Trap Box, but Selene assures him that they will keep a firm hand on Fear and after some cajoling, they are not waylaid further. The transport seems emptier this time, too. Fear keeps a watchful lookout, as the streets go by through the window.

Somehow, they manage to make it home without any further attacks.

As soon as they are in the shop, Fear lets go of Selene and runs off to find a good hiding spot. They climb up one of the tall bookshelves and wedge themselves into a shadow at the top, near the back wall of the most quiet part of the store. Selene talks with Marassal briefly, then goes upstairs. The others come down, eager to see Fear. Deceit launches themselves up the shelves and nuzzles at them, while Affection meows protests because they cannot climb so high. Dirthamen and Des remain at the bottom, too, simply checking. Listening as Fear describes the harrowing journey.

Huh, Des says. That sounds much more interesting than when I went.

Lucky me, Fear drawls.

Selene comes back, then, and has a new toy and a small dish full of Fear’s favourite tuna. The fresh kind. They are wary of another trap, though, and do not come down. When Selene sets the dish down, and moves away from it a little, Affection eats the tuna. Selene scolds them, then sighs and tosses the toy up to Fear. Or attempts to. It slips and falls back to the floor with a soft jangle, only to be scooped up by Des.

Selene scolds Des, too, but he carries the offering up and puts it with Fear and Deceit, and then Selene makes her sounds for when she thinks they are being endearing instead.

Fear stays up on top of the bookshelf until it is closing time. They come down, reluctantly, with some cajoling from Deceit, but then dash swiftly back up the stairs and into the apartment. Rushing to their best lookout post in their closet, with its view of the bedroom window. They skip dinner, having no desire to eat right now. After a few hours, Selene comes and sets their bowl of food down in front of the closet, and sits on the edge of her bed.

“Come on,” she says. “We’re back home, it’s alright. Come have dinner!”

Fear declines.

Selene is being unusually persistent, however. She scoops Affection up when they try and eat Fear’s dinner, and cuddles them in her lap instead. Then she does the same to Dirthamen, too - not that he seemed intent on eating Fear’s food anyway.

She sighs when Deceit comes in, and admonishes them not to eat Fear’s food. Deceit just clambers up to the top of the closet, though.

Just eat, they suggest to Fear.

Not interested.

She’s going to worry if you don’t. Living things eat food every day.

I ate this morning.

Deceit subsides, with a mental sigh. Fear presses firmly against their side, and waits for Selene to give up.

Eventually she does. She takes the bowl of food and announces that it is Fear’s food, and that they can have it whenever they come down. Then she goes into the living room, to watch the last half of her favourite show. Fear remains at their post, and listens to the distant murmur of the Light Box, as Deceit opts to stay with them for now. Des and Affection play; Dirthamen, presumably, is in his usual spot on Selene’s lap.

Fear listens, but after a while they find they are twitchy with not seeing. Still too highly-strung. They jump down, Deceit trailing after them, and make their way into the living room. Their tail swishes with lingering agitation. They have scarcely ensconced themselves in their Living Room Lookout post, though, before Selene nudges Dirthamen off of her lap and gets up. She comes back a moment later, though, with Fear’s food. They blink as she settles it on top of the bookcase with them.

Persistent, they tsk.

Told you, Deceit replies.

Fear sighs, and makes their own capitulation. They keep one eye on the living room as they eat. The food is good. More of their favourite tuna, in fact. There is part of it that they dislike, though, which is a small white seed. Chalky, oddly sweet on their tongue. Fear spits it out into a corner of their dish, and finishes the tuna. When they are done, Selene comes and retrieves the empty bowl.

She sighs at the chalky seed.

“I guess that was a long shot, huh?”

Fear does not know what she means. But after a moment, they suppose they can reciprocate the gesture. They know what it is like to be worried, after all. So they inch forward, and press their nose to her hand. Selene pauses, and then pets at their head. Fear nuzzles her palm. They know she did her best to keep them safe. Harrowing as that experience was… she succeeded, too.

At least, provided that the prick of pain in their back was not some kind of long-acting flesh-devouring curse that will destroy them slowly over the coming months.

They they withdraw closer to the wall again, and consider that possibility as they wait for bedtime to come.

#dirthalene #cat au #long post #deceit probably shifts the second time #they're reasonable enough and startled enough that they went with it for the first round #but maybe their medication doesn't work and selene's worried that they're not eating enough #and the vet's like 'alright bring them back for more tests it could be something serious'#so selene is like 'oh FUCK' but also she doesn't want Fear to die of like kitty cancer or something #just because she couldn't get them into the carrier #marassal bows out this time fear is a terrifying beast and if not for the towel he's pretty sure he would be dead #or at least scarred #and fear is NOT HAVING IT SELENE NO WE ARE NOT GOING BACK TO THE EVIL MAD SCIENTIST #NO NO NO NO NO #and when she gets them into the towel again they panic /less/ but still enough that they turn into a bird #for some reason i'm really taken with the idea of fear going from cat to bird before elf #because that's just... that's almost even more bizarre?!?!#IS THAT HER CAT WHY ARE THEY A BIRD NOW ???

18 notes · View notes