#I am fully defeated I was way to tired to even both updating some of my mods. I just finished doing gg’s kitchen now you wanna give me hell

[eathefuckingoatmeal]

I really despise Patch day… after not playing for a while downloaded some new cc.. now game just won’t load 😅

[lauriegraham01]

violent delights & violent ends

pairings: crowley x angel!reader, gn!reader (aziracrow x reader if you squint)

summary: having stood through the testaments of time, as Heaven and Hell's forces and anger grow closer every day, you and Crowley must both make a choice but what fateful consequences lie in store for star-crossed lovers

cw: hurt/comfort, lotta hurt tho, angst,

wc: 4.5k

a/n: UPDATED ON 9/23!!!! inspo came from a dream, romeo + juliet, and 'romeo' by until the ribbon breaks. working on a masterlist currently and hope to get it up soon. tysm for your support and enjoy :)

The party was in full swing and you found yourself getting lost within the noise of William Shakespeare's famous parties. You were currently backstage in one of the parlors where you, Crowley, and Aziraphale had joined Shakespeare and his fellow actors and other socialites in celebrating another successful opening night.

"I mean it, William. You are just absolutely brilliant, I mean you're ability to capture human emotion and spirit, well it's just marvelous!" Aziraphale had spent the better half of the night praising the poet as he truly felt starstruck by his talent.

"Yea, yea the blokes alright. You should've seen him when he was just starting out, now the bastard his own theatre." Crowley sneered as they took another sip of the mead they carried in their hand.

"He's more than alright, you can admit that. He's quite the poet." You look at them with an amused smirk as though daring them to disagree.

" 'O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night', trust me love, I would not be here had you and Aziraphale put up such a fight," the demon recites almost mockingly.

"Now look who's the poet?"

"Enjoying ourselves are we dear?" Aziraphale shakes you from your thoughts as he appears before you and Crowley sort of breathless.

"Seems like you are, Angel," Crowley quips back.

"Oh just marvelous really. The talent that the Almighty has given some of these actors is just beyond words! I've even been invited to the opera to see one actor perform! Oh, I do believe I see "Mercutio" across the room. Excuse me- Mercutio!"

As Aziraphale makes his way back into the crowd of stifled bodies, you turn your head back to peer at Crowley as they take a seat onto a plush red velvet couch. Sinking into the couch, they spreads their legs open wide, almost invitingly.

"The opera? I like the sound of that." Eyebrows raising, creasing their forehead as they peer at you through dark glasses. With a free hand they tap their thigh, inviting you in. You happily take it as you make yourself comfortable upon it, head falling upon their shoulder.

"You know what I like the sound of? Silence. I do believe that I am beginning to overstay my welcome," you sigh tiredly as you study the side of their face. Finding your eyes tracing the tattooed snake just beside their ear.

"Oh come on, what are you talking about? The fun's just barely begun. Plus I've heard rumors of what really goes on in Will's study, if you know what I mean," their hold on you becomes tighter as they wiggles their eyebrows suggestively.

"Crowley, c'mon be serious," you protested.

"I am! You're gonna tell me that doesn't peak even the tiniest bit of your interest?"

"What? No. Crowley, I mean it. I'm heading back home, need to step away for the night."

The demon fully turns their face to look at you for a second and as they look into your tired eyes, they let out a sigh, defeated that only you could make them change their mind and make them bend in ways they never though possible. Defeated that you were their soft spot.

"Alright, let's go love," they sigh as they pull the both of you onto your feet. Taking a hold of your hand, they guide you through the crowd as the two of you make your way outside of the theatre and back onto the streets of London. You knew Aziraphale would be fine on his own, as he had no intention of his ending his night anytime soon, thoroughly enjoying himself in the presence of talented artists. Crowley maintained an arm wrapped around your shoulder as the two of you walked on cobblestone until the bookshop finally came into view.

"Home sweet home," Crowley announces as the two of you make your way inside the dimly lit bookshop. Taking your coat off, you blow out the remaining candles that had been lit prior to your departure and made your way upstairs to your bedroom. You heard Crowley trailing not too far behind, and as you make your way into your bedroom you look behind to see them leaning against the doorframe.

"You can come in Crowley, you know that." You softly smile as you find their sheepish behavior rather odd.

"Nah i'm good, I was thinkin' of taking off. Just wanted to make sure you were alright s'all."

Having known Crowley since the dawn of creation, you knew when they were deceiving you.

"Crowley?"

"Hmm?"

"Come inside, dear."

"Well alright, I mean if you insist," the demon blows a puff of air before making their way inside, shutting the door behind them.

They made themself comfortable as you got dressed for bed. You felt Crowley's eyes burning on you with your every move, and the fact alone made heat creep its way up your face. Turning to face them again, you saw them burrowed beneath the multiple blankets that draped your bed. Making your way beneath them, you slide in beside Crowley but still left enough roof to distance the two of you.

"Any particular reason you're so far?" The demon quips as their yellow eyes quizzingly look into yours.

"Didn't know if you wanted me to be that close."

"You know me better than anyone, y/n. You know the distance never made a difference to me, love." With that they pull you closer until you're engulfed in their body heat as you remained pressed against their side.

It wasn't unusual for you and the demon to be close like this, in fact in ways it was one of the reasons your bond with each other was so strong. Crowley, for better or for worse, craved physical touch. Having been deprived of it in their time in Hell, the only time they ever felt the touch of another is when pain and violence would be awaiting on the other side of it. With you it was different, it was their way of demonstrating emotions where words failed him. Most days it would be small things like a hand placed on the small of your back, or their hand laying gently on your knee whenever you sat near, but tonight it was different. By the way they had been handsy all night and with the distant look in their eyes as they stared up at the ceiling, you knew something was up.

"Crowley?"

"Hmm," they hum back in acknowledgement, eyes still fixed on the ceiling.

"What's on your mind?"

Crowley remains still for a minute, holding in a breath of ancient dread as they pondered over how to encapsulate the overwhelmingly conflicting emotions they were feelings, emotions they've felt since the Fall.

"S'nothing, you just get some sleep," they mutter, hoping to whisk away your concern as a way of sparing them from having to confront their emotions.

"Crowley..."

"Y/n?"

"I know when you're lying to me. I can sense that your mind is elsewhere, talk to me."

You pull back from where you laid and propped yourself up on your elbow, in order to fully look at him. Raising your other hand you softly run it through their locks before hooking a hand underneath their chin, turning their face to look at you.

"I'm here," you whisper.

Crowley's eyes search yours and they're met with nothing but adoration. The twinkle of the very stars they've created were nothing but a pale comparison to the light of hope that glimmered in your eyes. The light that no matter how hard they tried to run from, they always found themself running home to.

"It's the torment."

"From?"

"From the fall. Seems silly to dwell on something so ancient, but those demons, that torture..." their voice wavers as dread aches through their spine, "i guess it never really goes away."

Words die on your lips as your heartaches for the pain Crowley's been through. They never talked about what torture awaited for them in Hell after the Fall, but as an angel you could only imagine the suffering that was Crowley's fate.

You hadn't realized how silent you had been until Crowley shifts to sit upright. Mirroring their actions you move to face them and you see the way they try to hide from you as Crowley buries their face within their hands.

"Crowley, I understand I won't ever know what you feel, but one thing I do know is that you don't deserve to live in that pain. Something so vast as the darkness of the universe before you illuminated it with your creation." You gently wrap your hands around their wrists and pull them away to reveal Crowley's eyes reddened from silent tears.

"Let me walk with you, in that darkness."

"You could get lost in it," they shake their head, sniffling as they feel vulnerable by the transparency of their emotions.

"Then let me be lost in it, as long as I'm lost with you." You brush their hair back before your hands softly caress the side of their face.

"It would be your sin, I would be your sin." Crowley's hands creep their way up to your side as they hold onto you tightly, afraid you would realize the wickedness that lies within them and leave in disgust. The space between you and Crowley had shrunk as your foreheads pressed together. Your eyes never left theirs as the pain behind their serpent eyes sought refuge in you. You could feel their warm breath fanning over your lips, and for just a second you dare to move your gaze to look at his lips. Lips that looked so soft and tempting to draw you in. You didn't miss the way Crowley had also flickered to look at yours as well, so when your eyes meet again you felt a certain clarity wave afront as the feelings for the demon you held in your hands could no longer be buried.

"If sin be from thy lips then thus with a kiss I die."

Your words fall as a whispered prayer onto Crowley's ear as you close the spaces between and capture their lips into a soft kiss. After overcoming initial shock, Crowley's lips moved with yours in something so sweet as a sacrament. Yet that sweetness quickly turned into hunger as they kissed back fiercely, hungry for more and you were willing to be devoured whole. The burning within your lungs became too strong and you pulled away. Resting your forehead against Crowley's, as you both caught your breath you look into their eyes and see the mischievous light that you had sorely missed.

"You're in for it this time, love. A whole new world of sin," Crowley rasped lowly, as a wicked smile grew on their face.

"Very well then, give me my sin again."

It's been 423 years since that fateful night that would change the trajectory of Crowley and yours relationship forever. You loved each other in secret, while finding freedom in your relationship on Earth, both of you still feared the consequences you would face if either of your sides caught wind of the true nature of your relationship. It seemed that your relationship only got better with time, Armageddon was a testament of that. With the help of Aziraphale, the two of you managed to prevent a destructive war between Heaven and Hell, and remained living on Earth amongst the crowds of humans whose lives had been spared by your hands. Yet, despite this somewhat happy ending, Crowley knew that the fight wasn't over just.

"If you would just listen to me for once y/n, you would see that we are in danger."

"You're being irrational, Crowley. There is no war!"

Your voice had gone raw from how long you and Crowley had been screaming at each other. Crowley was trying to convince you that Heaven and Hell were conspiring and would be back for their revenge, and soon. You however were stuck in your stubbornness and were determined that their was no danger in sight.

Even with their shades on, you could feel the intensity of Crowley's glare as they stared back at you wide-eyed in disbelief that you could be this blind. Pacing the kitchen floor of his apartment, they pinched the bridge of their nose, trying to calm themselves down even though it felt it was useless.

"Y/n, listen to me," they say lowly, "you, Aziraphale, and I are in trouble. The longer we spend on Earth the longer we walk around with a target on our backs waiting to be killed."

"Crowley please, enough of this," you wave your arms impatiently as you pleaded with them with desperate eyes.

Crowley walks across the kitchen island and stand in front of you, holding your arms tightly within his grasp.

"Come with me."

"What?"

"Come with me. We can leave this place while we still have a chance. We can travel amongst the universe and settle down on any other planet. We can have a new start, turn a new page."

"Crowley, we're fine. I promise there is no danger he-"

"No, but you're wrong y/n, because there is!"

You flinch at the boom of their voice as their hands tighten around you. Fear flashing your eyes as you let out a sharp hiss from their tight grip that burned your skin.

"Crowley! Stop, you're scaring me." You manage to free yourself from their grasp. Breathing heavily, you stare at them frozen in fear, unable to recognize Crowley for the first time.

Crowley's faced drop and seeing the fear that they had instilled in you made their body slack and and a weighted dread sink into their stomach. Averting your eyes as you rubbed over the spots where they once held you, they could feel their heart break. The very hands that they swore to use to protect you, had been the same ones to hurt you. As you hesitated to look back up at the demon, when your eyes met and you saw the inner turmoil within their serpent eyes, you imagined the darkness that Crowley's mind was spiring down upon.

"Crowley I-"

"Don't." They stumble backwards distancing themself, afraid of what else they might do, afraid of hurting you again.

Crowley never meant to hurt you, and deep down you knew this. You two had your fair share of arguments over the course of millenniums but they never once lost control of their emotions and hurt you in the way they just did. Even as Crowley heard your thoughts, reassuring them that they weren't wicked and a danger, it wasn't enough. You knew the risks of being with a demon, and they were always afraid that one day you'd decide that being with them was a mistake and that you'd walk out of their life forever. And now, seeing you in this light, seeing that he hurt you and could hurt you, that scared them more than anything.

"There are somethings that'll never change."

Crowley swiftly made way for the door, feeling the walls of the apartment closing in on them. The shouts of Crowley's name as you quickly followed them fell on deaf ears. You're meet with the pouring rain as you follow Crowley outside into the driveway, the lightning being the only thing illuminating the night sky. The growing rolls of thunder seemed to match your quickened heartbeat as your anxiety grew with Crowley's distancing stride.

"Crowley, please!" Your voice comes out strained as you desperately cry out to Crowley. Opening the drivers side, Crowley stiffens as though fighting with themself to stay or go. Looking back at you, their red locks clinging to their face as their face scrunched in anguish, heart breaking more as they saw the pained look on your face.

"As long as you're with me, you will always be in danger."

The memory of Crowley driving away and leaving you behind replayed in your mind all throughout the night. Flashing days and sleepless nights passed as Crowley consumed your thoughts, unable to hide from the pain that their absence caused. This being the farthest things escalated in your relationship, you clung onto hope that there was a way to come back from this. That Crowley would come back and you could find a way to move past this together.

As days turned into weeks, you felt the hope that once burned so brightly begin to snuff out into smoke as you faced the probable reality that Crowley would never return and that you were left on your own. Well not completely on your own. After noticing how silent things had been from you and Crowley, Aziraphale decided to check in. Unaware of the mess that he would stumble upon, he felt blindsided from the state of things, heart broken too in the wake of Crowley's absence. Yet, seeing your severely distressed state, the angel put his emotions aside in order to attend to you. He took you within his care, hoping to help bring the light back in your eyes and comfort you until Crowley could come back.

Padding down the wooden hallway floors, you rub the fatigue of another sleepless night from your eyes as Aziraphale's door comes into view. Pressing an ear against the door, you found the silence on the other side of the door rather odd as he was usually up by this hour. Knocking lightly against the wooden door, you await to hear a stir yet when you get no response, you open the door to make your way in. Walking inside, the sleeping frame of Aziraphale's body come into view as he begins to stir from the noise of your intrusion.

"Y/N? Is everything alright, dear?" The angels voice come out raspy, fresh from sleep.

"Yea, i'm okay," you croak out, voice weary.

He looks at you for a moment, curious as to your sudden intrusion, not that he was bothered but that it was out of character for you to come to him so early in the day. With slow movements, Aziraphale slowly rises from bed, tightening the robe around himself as he made his way to the window. With a tug, the suns rays engulf the room as it casts its warm light throughout the space. Aziraphale closes his eyes, as though in silent gratitude prayer, and basks in the suns warmth. Looking at him, you can't help but feel a stillness in his beauty, especially with the way the sunlight illuminates his face and casts a celestial orange glow around him. Making him look even more angelic if that were even possible.

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks," Aziraphale breaks the silence, opening his eyes and turning to face you.

"It is the east, and Crowley is the sun."

"You would deprive that from the Almighty herself?" Smiling brightly, you don't miss the way Aziraphale teases you for your endearing words. You find small comfort in his childish tease and bright smile, not being able to help the way your lips tug upwards at his remark. Aziraphale relishes in the small happiness that flashes across your face, even if brief. It had hurt him to see his love in pain especially at the hand of someone he too loved. Looking back to the window, he finds himself getting lost gazing into the crowded streets of Soho beneath him. A silence settles over the two of you, and your eyes remained fix on his side profile as the emptiness of the gravity of your situation creeps back into your mind.

"Crowley's not coming back." It was you who broke the silence this time, Aziraphale turning to you taken aback with furrowed eyebrows by how matter-of-factly you spoke.

"What ever do you mean?"

"I mean they're gone," you inhaled sharply, "for good this time."

"Well no, not really. I'm sure they'll come back, you know how Crowley gets." Aziraphale. Ever the optimist until the very end.

"Aziraphale-"

"You've always known how dramatic they can be I mean really-"

"Aziraphale-" you call out, his optimism making your wounds bleed even more at the false promises of an angel.

"Look, it's only a matter of time before Crowley walks through that door and everything will be as-"

"Aziraphale!" Your voice angrily booms like a roll of thunder as it bounces off the bedroom walls.

"They're not coming back! Aren't they?!"

Despite your volume, it was your tone that cut like a knife. Even as your voice felt so shaky, you spat those words out like venom that laid bitterly on your tongue. Aziraphale could feel his heart break as he stared into your eyes. Red and puffy from fighting to keep your emotions at bay, but also cold and unwavering as you forced yourself to come to the crossroads of the truth.

"No," he says barely above a whisper, a slight tremble in his voice as he barely shakes his head. "No, i'm afraid not my dear."

You've never seen Aziraphale look so defeated. So hopeless as he stared back into your lifeless eyes. The air around you feels restricted as your throat tightens. Your lips quiver as the painful truth of your beloved angels words echo in your head and settle in your heart. Your vision blurs as tears begin to welt in your eyes before inevitably cascading down your cheeks. Aziraphale then wraps his arms around you, pulling you in a tight embrace as you collapse within his arms. Sobs muffled from where your head laid buried in his chest, the world going silent as an insurmountable wave of grief washes over you, pulling you to drown in a sea of sorrow.

You don't know how long you cried for or even how much time had passed. When you came out of your daze, you realized that you and Aziraphale were on the floor as he pressed soft kisses against your temple, hoping to reel you back into reality.

"Forgive me," you croak, voice spent from lament, "i've been lonely, but it's not like I don't know my way." You try to reassure Aziraphale and yourself as you felt hollowed. Guilt also eating at you for putting the angel in this situation, having to take care of you.

"You have nothing to be forgiven for, my dear" he whispers lowly into your ear. Taking the hands that were wrapped tightly around you, he brings them up to caress your face within them. Your tears have dried by now but that doesn't stop him from peppering tender kisses upon your cheeks. Overwhelmed by his soft touch, you feel your face heat up again as the gentle sentiment causes your emotions to arise again. When he feels a salty tear catch upon his lip, he pulls away to see your glossy eyes staring back into his, searching for some kind of relief.

"But I don't know my way, Aziraphale."

The angel remained at your side for the rest of the day, never leaving you alone for a moment longer than absolutely needed. As he aided to your every need and treated you like a fine china plate- afraid to drop you and shatter into a million pieces. And for a while it helped, it made the pain more bearable, the ache of Crowley's absence less debilitating- but even all of Aziraphale's love wouldn't be enough to ix the hole that Crowley left in your life.

You thought hard about your next move. Calculating everything over in your head a million times but all roads led you back to where you were now. Managing to slip out of the Aziraphale's bedroom in the middle of the night, you made your way back to your original bedroom where you were now packing frantically. You packed as much as you could into your suitcase as you grew restless, wanting nothing more than to run away from this emptiness you fear you would never escape from.

As you left your suitcase by the stairwell, you looked down the hall before quietly making your way back to Aziraphale's room. Once inside, you made sure to leave behind the note that you had written for him on the side where you usually laid. You burn the image of his sleeping frame into your mind, wanting your last memory of the angel to be one where he seemed at peace. Leaning across the bed, you place a soft kiss upon the corner of his mouth, careful not to wake him. He stirred slightly beneath your touch, but still remained in a deep sleep even as you pulled away.

Making way for the bedroom door, you freeze under the entranceway.

"Look back, look back," you thought to yourself, a voice of reason wanting to make itself hear. Despite this, you fought against it and forced one foot in front of the other, because you knew if you looked back you would never leave. The cold air greets you as you make your way out into the streets of Soho, winds blowing harshly as you toss your bag into the backseat of your car. As the engine roars to life and you pull onto the main road, you glance at the rearview mirror where the bookshop fades from view. Silently saying goodbye to the place that had too also become home for you. You don't know exactly where you were headed, but just that you were ready to get there. Ready to go, but never to return.

The next morning, Aziraphale finds himself sitting on the edge of the bed where he gripped the white sheets, frustration and heartache threatening to drown him as he re-read your letter line for line, over and over and over again.

"Dearest Aziraphale,

My love, I'm sorry for the mess I've left for you to clean, it was unfair to you given your own heartbreak. Azira, I cannot thank you enough for what you've done for me now and in the past. But now I must go my own way and figure out what to write in this next chapter for myself. I know things will be difficult for if they weren't... well you see I would've killed Romeo and saved Juliet, but I don't write stories that time won't forget. So please angel, forgive me for grabbing the kerosene and letting it all burn to the ground. I've been looking for meaning, I don't know if I like what I've found. Forgive me for I've been lonely and one day I hope to tell you that I now know my way. I'm sorry. "

[superthatguy62]

Stranger of Paradise: DiFFereNT Future ending spectulation

The short of it: Stranger of Paradise is a Dissidia sequel, but not for the reasons you think (or maybe you do).

As a disclaimer, all of my current knowledge comes from cutscenes and missives uploaded to the internet. I am currently turning into the 6th fiend out of rage and despair as I try to go about farming Dragon Treasures in the first DLC. While the aforementioned are readily viewable, the mission descriptions/recaps for the last two missions are not available to me. Maybe they have info that blows this whole theory wide open, maybe they have nothing of note. If they have something worth mentioning, I'll update this.

Also, if you're reading this theory about Post-Game DLCs, then you probably know the base story of Stranger of Paradise.

So anyway: Recap Time!

PART !: A Twin-Tailed Ending

The third DLC for Stranger of Paradise focuses on Jack's former boss Nil, whose attempts to get revenge on those wily Strangers via sending a Lufenian Death Machine (a WarMech, even) has failed. Nil staged an uprising, plunging Lufenia Central into chaos in order to obtain two crystals: A Dimensional Crystal Matrix (like the one Jack hijacked at the end of the game, but with the power to warp space-time i.e. connect to the Rift and summon or erase beings from other worlds) and another crystal, used to generate manikins: Living crystal that morphs into the shape of people, as previously seen in... Dissidia Final Fantasy.

Huh.

This causes distress for a Moogle that is watching her descent. This Moogle has been acting behind the scenes, such as sending the Dragonking Bahamut to Jack's world and convincing a Tonberry to change its name to Cid. Nil's plans, however, force it to take a more active role. It goes to Chaos & Friends, asking for their help before taking them to Lufenia for the final battle.

But then, things get complicated.

At some point, the Moogle's slinking around got noticed by the Emperor of Palamecia, who is not from Jack's world. In fact, this Emperor didn't even come from his own world: He is from a land of conflict, where two gods wage war against each other through their champions. The Emperor, learning of the powers Lufenia holds, decides to live up to his name and immediately begins scheming for a way to take that power and use it to conquer everything. He escapes before Jack can fully stop him. Then Jack confronts Nil and, through a wacky final battle involving Omega and manikins of Omega, kills her.

Two outcomes occur.

In the first, Nil drops the manikin crystal (presumably, the dimensional matrix is also there too), with Jack saying that they don't need 'Lufenian junk'. The Moogle makes one last bid to get Jack to take the crystal, pointing out that he and his friends would have lived on in legend in the future that awaited them; But now, they head toward a future of their own making: One where no one learns of their struggle or where they'll only exist in legend. But for Jack and his friends, if it means that the people of Cornelia will have power over their own fate, then the sacrifice will be worth it. The Moogle sends them back.

In the second, the Emperor of Palamecia, waiting for both sides to tire out, shows up right after Nil dies and attempts to take both crystals. Jack has one last battle before defeating the Emperor, narrowly preventing him from escaping. During the fight, Jack absorbs the Lufenian Crystals, giving him power over Manikins (theoretically giving him the power to create such life) and the Dimensional Matrix (Allowing him to create portals, as he does to send the now powerless Emperor... elsewhere). The Moogle tells Jack that he must now become the God of Discord, taking his place opposite of the soon-to-arrive God of Harmony: The Warrior of Light. Together, they shall become the pillars of a new world.

PART 2: Dissidia NT (and Opera Omnia too, I guess)

Dissidia Final Fantasy for the arcade (not to be confused with Dissidia Final Fantasy for the PSP) is the sequel/soft-reboot to the original Dissidia duology. While originally lacking in plot, the game eventually received an update titled "Battle of the Gods" which introduced two new gods in order to replace the other two who died at the end of the previous game: Materia and Spiritus.

Guess what they're the gods of!

God Struggle (Valiant Strike, according to supposed unused files for the PS4 version) was a faction-based versus mode: You pick a side and fight battles for that side. Any story content was seemingly provided in the opening cutscene and is in Japanese, so...

Dissidia Arcade eventually got a "port" known as Dissidia NT for PS4 and later PC. This iteration boasted a more complete story mode (albeit not as meaty as PSP games) that acted as more of a proper introduction to the new gods: At the end of the previous game, Chaos' death marked an imbalance that resulted in World B being destined to sink into the Void. However, World B has somehow survived its destruction and is now a world that persists on battle energy; without such energy, it will once again fall into the Void. The world is ruled over by Materia and Spiritus, who are manifestations of Cosmos and Chaos' wills or consciousnesses or what have you(1). Complicating matters is that Materia and Spiritus don't have much knowledge of each other and they, moreso Materia, wish to see the other routed. Not helping further are the shiny wyrms that keep showing up and draining the world of its energy, with each god suspecting the other. In the end, it was Shinryu; Who previously had a nice gig going where he had an endless font of power (more on that later) and decided to try something similar but more direct on the World of Conflict. The gods are forced to play nice and, together, everyone drives back Shinryu. The Champions then leave, but leave behind copies of themselves for the Gods to use to wage war on each other with so that the world can be sustained.

Meanwhile Opera Omnia... has some inconsistencies. The biggest is the implication that all of the characters are, in fact, the same characters from their respective games rather than clones/manikins/what have you like the ending of NT suggested. It is also a much more complicated game and I am admittedly not the guy to ask about it (Katkeyboardmastah has an impressive writeup of the cosmology of FF1, DFF and Stranger of Paradise, including a section about the inconsistencies between OO and NT. Definitely give it a look.), but the key aspect is that most references to the other games that OO makes are to the original Dissidia and its prequel. To my knowledge, NT is not directly referenced, meaning that it may be an alternate continuity or something weird in terms of how they interact plotwise.

That said, Opera Omnia must be mentioned due to a plot point that began cropping up towards the end of Act 2: The possibility of the Warrior of Light and Garland becoming the new gods of Harmony and Discord respectively. The game gets very close to cashing in that plotline several times, but it never truly occurs (though in Act 4, they do fill-in for Materia and Spiritus, who turn themselves to crystal to support the world from collapsing. They return in the final chapter). The closest they come to fulfilling the Moogle's words is in Act 3, before Materia and Spiritus are written out, although they were losing favor with the world itself by that point. Even then, WoL and Garland were not actively looking over the world.

To further justify my emphasis on NT over Opera Omnia, Nomura pointed out in an interview that the title "DIFFERENT FUTURE" contained the letters "DFF" and "NT".

――おお！　“DIFFERENT FUTURE”では、別の結末が描かれたりするのでしょうか!? 野村さあ、どうでしょう（笑）。じつは、このタイトルには“DFF”と“NT”の文字も含んでいます。ただ、このミッションのボスは誰にも予想できないと思いますが（笑）

(1): Interestingly, Bahamut in SoP explains that his soul drifted through the "space between dimensions" (implicitly, the Interdimensional Rift) until he was summoned. The could explain how Cosmos and Chaos' wills survived and turned into Materia and Spiritus. Spiritus himself claims he was born of "dimensional fragments".

Part 3: Chains of the Past

In Stranger of Paradise, most of the references to Dissidia are thematic or kept ambiguous. The 'collaborator' who gives the Lufenians their Dimensional Matrixes asks that the energy from resetting the world is funneled back to them. This is pretty much Shinryu's M.O. in Dissidia: While the pact made with Cid, Cosmos, Chaos and Garland was ostensibly to power up Chaos enough for them to return to their world, Shinryu had a side hustle where he siphoned memories and power from the warriors through the process of "purification". Another is the focus on Lufenians and memories, as the reports in Dissidia demonstrated the Lufenians' rituals to transfer memories between bodies and turned it into a major plot point. A third is that Lufenia was at war: The reports in Dissidia make mention of "the state"/"homeland" who was at war with "the neighboring state", which had summons and Omega, hence the creation of Chaos; Neon's story in the Ancients' Tower and one of the Lufenian Logs shows that Lufenia was once at war with Cornelia.

Different Future throws all caution to wind. The Emperor is the obvious case, but the Moogle also tells the group of the events of Dissidia NT. Interestingly, the Moogle claims that there was indeed a man named Garland... but that Garland was not Jack.

And speaking of...

Part 3.5: The Moogle's Plan

The "One Spirit's Missives" reveal that the Moogle is actually a spirit born from Cosmos' will. Said will longs for a stable future, and so the moogle sets off to ensure that it comes to pass. However, the world of conflict needs gods of both Harmony and Discord in order to sustain itself. The missives explain the plot that the Moogle has been enacting in order to turn Jack Garland and the Warrior of Light into the two new gods of conflict who will lead the world into the future it seeks to return to. The first major half of the plan lies in Bahamut, a dragon that was once worshipped as a god. Just as Shinryu elevated Cosmos, Chaos and Cid to godhood, Bahamut does similar for Jack and the Warriors of Light through his boons. The second half relies upon the powers that Lufenia holds - and that Jack takes them for himself. And as World B subsists through battle energy, Jack and the Warrior of Light's battles will sustain the world, making them the two pillars.

Part 4: An Undocumented Conflict

Until we get a sequel or a new Dissidia game, we will not have a clear answer as to what the Moogle is referring to in the ending. However, looking at the Moogle's missives, we learn a few things:

We learn that it is time traveling or at the very least knows the future and is working to ensure that the future it came from (Dissidia NT) is to happen

We learn that Jack's dimension is key to the World B's future/continued existence. So much so, that it has to intervene when Nil tries to erase it.

We learn that it was formed from Cosmos' will.

Based on one of the missives mentioning "two departed gods", it is likely post-Dissidia + 012 at least. Either that or Materia and Spiritus "depart" at some point in the future.

Relatedly, it seeks new gods of conflict to ensure its future and chose to guide Jack Garland and his Warrior of Light towards becoming them.

Jack's fate suggests that he would live on, if not physically than his name going down in history, whereas in the other timeline, Jack and his allies go down as monsters, with no one knowing of their struggle.

From these, there are roughly three points this can refer to:

Theory A. Post-NT: Something happens to Materia and Spiritus and Mog shanghais Jack and his WoL into being the new gods.

Theory B. Opera Omnia - The DLC ties in to the events of Opera Omnia

Theory C. The DLC ties is an interquel between 012 and NT.

I believe that it is theory C. Why?

Theory A: Not impossible. If SE wanted to reboot Dissidia again, they could invent a reason for Materia and Spiritus to vanish. However, the Moogle specifically speaks of a future. This isn't a hard point against it, but it is something to consider.

Theory B: At this point, Opera Omnia has concluded its story and none of the scenarios truly match what is described by the missives.

At the end of act II, Materia and Spiritus lose control of the world and the Warrior of Light and Garland do battle in the old world until the Warrior of Light is summoned back by the rest of the party (Garland wanting to reshape it into a world of conflict, WoL trying to keep Garland). However, Materia's Act 2 interlude states that it was the crystal's wish (long story: In OO there is a crystal that governs wishes and acts independently of the gods; In fact, it was the crystal, sensing the warriors' pleas for rest that demanded that the gods create the World of Respite) that governed the world rather than the gods.

At the end of Act II, the Warrior of Light and Garland almost go through with it due to Materia and Spiritus being too weakened to pull the world back from the brink. However, as Materia and Spiritus need only exist to keep the world stable, they have Enna Kros turn them into crystal statues, sealed away but preventing the world from collapsing. However, Enna also clues the party in that they could be saved, leading into Act IV.

Opera Omnia ended service during Act IV. Is it possible that, had the game went on, WoL and Garland would fully become the new gods? Perhaps. But by the end of the game, Materia and Spiritus regain their status as gods.

Theory C: And now for the titular speculation.

At the end of Dissidia Final Fantasy, Chaos dies and the world becomes unstable. While Cosmos is revealed to have revived, she alone cannot sustain it. Thus, World B fades from existence...

...Until Cosmos and Chaos' wills, which persisted nonetheless reform into Materia and Spiritus.

At the beginning of NT's story, the narration says:

"The strife ended, the world was to fade from existence. And yet... An arcane power acted upon it, bestowing these remains with purpose once more."

Not much focus is given to explaining World B's continued existence, which is probably just as well since the original had little explanation too.

The moogle's missives imply that its world is in its twilight.

The worlds are ever changing and the old gives way to the new. As one world waxes my own wanes becoming a mere shadow of its former self. There is a future for me, but first I must ensure that it comes to pass.

Which makes it unlikely that it happens after NT, where the world is saved and the gods can build it back up through their battles.

As for why it chose Jack's world instead of OG FF1? I'm not entirely sure. However, WoL and Garland usually act as right-hand men of the gods during the conflicts. Perhaps it could not chose the originals for whatever reason, so it picked a world that was on a similar path and began influencing things further.

What happened to them and how Materia and Spiritus inherited the world is also a mystery, although Jack is a man who hates gods and masterminded a complicated scheme to free Cornelia from Lufenia's control. I'm just saying if there's anybody who could probably find a way to escape godhood as soon as he could, Jack would probably be that person.

Last but not least, as pointed out earlier, it is very likely that this DLC is meant to tie in with Dissidia NT in some fashion, given the title. However, in-game this largely amounts to the Emperor using his moves from that game and the moogle mentioning its events. But considering how the missives seem to point to that period between Dissidia and NT where the world was destined to be destroyed...

(I'll admit, I thought I had stronger evidence for this, but a combination of some of my points being less helpful than I thought and losing track of the plot meant that I had to throw some of it out).

I will admit the possibility of a Theory D, that World B is the end result of the Stranger of Paradise timeline, but the way the missives speak implies that is not the case. The Moogle speaks as if it were acting in place of Cosmos and Chaos (or Materia and Spiritus, maybe). It even calls the SoP world a "godless world", which is why it had to send Bahamut there.

Conclusion: [Insert Fancy Latin Title Here]

Stranger of Paradise's ending certainly seems like the set up to a future Dissidia game, but will we see a true resolution? Maybe we will and it will be an intequel. Maybe we will and it will be a sequel. Maybe it'll completely ignore Stranger of Paradise. It may even confirm that Jack and Dissidia Garland are indeed the same guy beyond both of them being "Garland", although I am begging SE not to do this and will beg even harder after the time of this writing, whenever I get around to rewriting said begging to be more correct/expanded upon.

If nothing else: It's an interesting premise for a fanfic: a bunch of warriors summoned to fight for a Warrior who has no idea of the true nature of his mission and Chaos, who does not even want to be a god.

"You either die a villain or live long enough to forcibly become a deity." - Jack Garland (not really)

"Bullshit" - Jack Garland (really)

[lia-jones]

Growing Together - Chapter Seventeen - One Guest Too Many

Author's note: If you haven't read it already, I invite you to read my Halloween Ficlet: His Worst Nightmare. It has insight into what is about to happen in this chapter, and it will make it richer. I hope you like it. Enjoy!

Victor stroked his sleeping son’s curls before turning off the light. It was expected that Owen wouldn’t take long to fall asleep, he had been running around all afternoon, playing soccer with his father. With a chuckle, Victor closed Owen’s bedroom door and walked to the living room, where his wife waited for him.

He admired her from the doorframe, sitting on the sofa, her legs crossed on the upholstery as she minded her phone. For years, he had given up on his dream of building a home, resigned to a seemingly certain fate of solitude. He still couldn’t believe that this was his reality now. He was a husband and a father, he shared his bed and played soccer in the park, he had Valentine’s Day dinners and teacher-parent meetings. He was so happy that sometimes it was hard to keep his calm and collected demeanor. It was like he could burst at his seams at any moment, and laugh until he cried.

His heart jumped with joy when the love of his life turned to him, welcoming him with a warm smile.

“He’s sleeping?”

“Yes.” He smiled back. “Didn’t even stir when I went to check on him.”

He sat beside her, pulling her feet onto his lap, taking the phone from his pocket.

“Alright, let’s get this done.” He gently squeezed her toes.

“Ready when you are.” Andrea showed him her schedule on her phone.

There had been a slight change in their Sunday evening, one that was of the utmost importance. Between LFG and LCG affairs, and the duties they entailed, it was essential that they coordinate their schedules, so at least one of them could attend to Owen at all times and they had some free time on the weekends. It was a delicate dance, oftentimes almost impossible to execute, but they would always find a way.

“Alright.” He focused on his screen. “At 7 pm tomorrow, dinner with the partners from London.”

“On my schedule.” She nodded, grimacing after, as she remembered something. “Damn it, we need to find a babysitter. Do you think we could leave Bug with Goldman?”

Victor smirked. Of course he had thought of that already, who did she think he was?

“Goldman is available, I already confirmed with him. He’ll take Owen.” Victor swiped again on his phone. “Tuesday. I can pick up Owen from school and make dinner. I have nothing past 6 pm.”

“Actually, we should go shopping to get some clothes for him. We could go pick him up together and head to the mall, maybe have dinner there?”

“Didn’t you tell me you had to go to the University on Tuesday?” He checked on his phone, wondering if he had missed it.

“I had to reschedule for Friday, Olive will be away on a business trip on Tuesday.”

“You’ll have to reschedule.” Victor responded tentatively, hoping she wouldn’t be too upset.

“You’re busy?” She checked her phone.

“I am.” He nodded, preparing himself for a reaction. “And so are you. Mia invited us for dinner on Friday.”

“Ugh.” She complained, rubbing her forehead. “Why?”

“Andrea.” He tried to appease her.

“Oh please, you know she just wants to ask one of us for an interview or a photo shoot.” She removed her feet from his lap in protest. “We don’t have time for anything else, but we have for this?”

“She keeps inviting us and I keep refusing. I couldn’t say no again. Besides, if a certain someone would update her schedule when she knows she will be busy, none of this would’ve happened.” He scolded.

“Friday is still not good for me.” She glared at him.

“You were the one who agreed to a double date with them on our wedding day. I thought you wanted this. You still don’t like her?”

“I don’t not like her.” She sighed. “I just don’t like like her. But that’s not the point anyway, I can’t do it on Friday.”

Victor paused for a moment, assessing the situation. Despite what he had thought, Andrea was still having a hard time fully accepting his past, and even after marrying him, there seemed to be something that was making her jealous. That, Victor simply could not have. He had to show his wife the truth, that she was the only woman for him, and the best way to do it was to get them both together. Now, more than ever, it was important that they went.

“Ok, then.” Victor sat back with a smirk. “Since you are unavailable, you should call her and cancel. I’m sure she will understand.”

Andrea froze, staring at him, not expecting his move. Andrea could be many things, but she wasn’t impolite, and Mia would insist enough for her to say yes. She was relying on Victor to be the villain and refuse since she knew she wouldn’t be able to do it herself.

“Maybe you could do it.” She practically batted her eyelids at him. “She talked to you first.”

“Aren’t you the busy one?” He lifted a brow at her. “Don’t expect me to do your dirty work.”

“You received her invitation, not me.” She ran her hand across his chest slowly, knowing how it would affect him. “I think you-”

“Nope.” It took all his strength to resist her, as her touch was enough to cloud his judgment and make him cave. “If you are the one who can’t make it, you should be the one to tell her.”

Andrea rolled her eyes and sighed, defeated.

“Fine, we’re going then.” She sat straight on the sofa. “She’s going to make me agree anyway, may as well save me the trouble.”

“Excellent.” Victor pulled her to his lap, craving more of her. “Now that that is settled, we can spend time on other activities.”

“And for the record… Mmm.” She moaned as Victor pulled her even closer, his lips tracing her jaw. “I did not agree to go on a double date.”

“Yes, you did.” He spoke with his lips still pressed on her skin, busy tasting her. “We should have a double date.” He teased, mimicking her voice. “Ignore what Victor says about your food, we can cook together.”

“That does sound like something I would say.” Her fingers ran through his hair, sending ripples of pleasure down his spine. “Although I do not sound like that.”

“You don’t.” A wicked smile widened on his face, as he buried it in the nape of her neck. “You sound shorter.”

“I beg your pardon?!” She pulled away with a gasp.

Victor, however, knew his wife better than anyone and was quick to react. He took her in a hungry kiss, deeply and greedily, his body aching for her, his erection pressing against the fabric of his sweat pants. By the time they broke the kiss, both panting and drunken with lust, she had long forgotten what she was supposed to be upset about.

Not wasting any time, he took his love in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, ready to show her how special she was to him, ending their weekend on a perfect note.

His wife complained during the week about the mountain of emails Mia had sent her, excited about their night together. They had agreed to cook together that evening, partly to bond, partly to spite him, so they regularly traded recipes, deciding on one that could fit everyone’s taste. Unsurprisingly, Victor was on dessert duty and was asked to bring pudding.

Victor watched his wife as they took the elevator to Mia’s apartment, her eyes slightly shiny from exhaustion, yet an honest smile on her face. She had had a terrible week and somehow managed to sleep even less than him, so he figured at this point she was actually welcoming a moment of relaxation with friends, even if it was with Mia.

Naturally, Mia had to almost ruin it all the moment she opened the door. She was so excited she almost tackled Andrea to the ground with a hug, if not for Victor’s vigilant hand.

“Watch it, dummy.” He scolded. “I want to leave here with my wife in one piece, if you don’t mind.”

“I’m so sorry, Andrea.” Mia clumsily brushed his wife’s clothes with her hands. “I’m just so happy to see you here.”

Victor glanced at his son, whose eyes were wide in horror.

“You must be Owen!” She beamed at him. “My name is Mia, how are you?”

“Hi, pleased to meet you.” He quickly extended his hand to shake hers, before she got any ideas about hugging him as well. Smart boy.

“You are your father’s son, so polite!” She entered the apartment, inviting them in. “Did you bring the goods?” Mia glanced at the bags Andrea was holding.

“Don’t worry, I got your stash.” She chuckled, handing her one of the bags.

“It’s pudding, not heroin.” Victor scoffed, as he took his son’s coat off.

“It might as well have heroin, it’s so addictive.” Mia peeked inside the bag. “Come in, Gavin is in the kitchen preparing some ingredients.”

The last time he had been in Mia’s apartment was when he brought her home from the hospital, after the Blackout and the Queen’s death. He had laid her in bed, tucked her in, telling her to rest, and cooked her lunch, leaving her kitchen spotless afterwards. As he had navigated the foreign stove and cabinets, taking and putting back ingredients and utensils, he was confident they had a chance, and he would fight for it. His joy, however, had a bittersweet taste, like he had lost something significant that day, although he didn’t know what. There was a feeling of longing and sadness eating at him, one that not even the thought of finally having a relationship with Mia could fill. As usual, he had shoved it aside, like he did with most of his feelings, focusing on the present moment.

In hindsight, maybe he knew he was so tired of being lonely that he was mistaking things. Maybe he knew he didn’t love her. When she handed him the wedding invitation, it was a blow, but not as deadly as he thought it would be. And when he met his wife, in that beautiful teal dress, with that distracting peacock on her wrist, he knew right away that he had finally found out what love felt like, and he was never able to let go. Andrea needed to know that, like she knew the sun was hot - without a shadow of a doubt.

They found Gavin chopping onions at the counter, an English Springer Spaniel at his feet, keeping him company. Owen immediately became fascinated with the opportunity of making a canine friend.

“Can I pet him?” He completely ignored Gavin’s attempt to greet him.

“Yes, he is friendly.” Gavin looked at him with sweet eyes. “Scratch his ears, he likes that.”

“What’s his name?” Owen did as suggested, giggling when the dog turned his head slightly, to fully enjoy the gesture.

“Flyer.” Mia chimed in. “You know, he used to be a police dog. We took him home when he became too old to do the job.”

“He used to chase criminals?” Owen became even more excited.

Victor saw himself years ago, making soup in that kitchen, alone with his thoughts, and looked at his wife, watching over his son, eyes trained on him and the dog’s reaction. His heart beat faster, bringing light to a truth: the feelings of longing and loss had vanished the moment he laid eyes on Andrea. She was his destiny, he was certain of that. He came behind her, gently wrapping her hand with his, as a silent thank you

“He caught a lot of criminals in his day.” Gavin took him away from his thoughts, still talking about his pet. “He also has a good nose for drugs, that was his job for quite a while.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t let him smell my dad’s pudding.” Owen spoke in all seriousness, making them all laugh.

“Ok, we need to start dinner.” Mia turned to the boy. “Owen, would you like to watch cartoons with Flyer, while we cook dinner? Or would you rather stay here with us?”

“Can I watch cartoons, please?” Owen asked. Andrea seemed hesitant.

“Don’t worry. Flyer will take good care of him, won’t you boy?” Gavin ran his fingers through the dog’s soft brown and white coat. “And he’s just in the next room, we’ll hear him if he needs us.”

“Behave.” Victor stroked his son’s curls before he left for the living room, the dog right behind him.

“Aw, you’re a dad.” Mia cooed at Victor.

“I am.“ Victor smiled, pulling his wife to his side, his hand caressing her back. “So, I was promised a meal. Do I have to make it myself?” He teased.

“Oh no, today I will make you swallow your bitter words with my cooking abilities.” Mia lifted her chin. “You just stay there, enjoying your wine and the show.” Mia took a pan out of her cupboard, showing it to his wife. "Andrea and I will cook dinner.”

Victor had to admit, it was quite the show. A horror movie, to be exact. Some things did never change, and Mia in the kitchen was one of them. If not for his and Andrea’s watchful eye, she would’ve set the kitchen on fire at least three times. Victor was antsy on his seat, seeing her almost make all kinds of mistakes, aching to take over, but since Mia had decided he wouldn’t touch the food unless it was to eat it, he couldn’t help but sit idly watching his wife cook and stop every one of Mia’s attempts to kill them all. So much for showing her cooking prowess. At least she was wise enough to ask Andrea to participate.

“How are you still alive? Or your husband?” Victor scolded.

“Well, it’s a new recipe.” Mia pouted. “Everyone has troubles when cooking something new.”

“Just sit here and watch while Andrea does it.” Victor sighed, annoyed. “Maybe you can learn a thing or two.”

“I definitely can learn a lot.” Mia laughed nervously, taking a pen and paper to take notes. “This way is probably better.”

“Safer is what you mean.” Victor continued. “Although I have to say, if there is anyone here who can think of a way of accidentally killing someone with a pen, it’s you.”

“Come on, she was not that bad!” Andrea smiled at Mia. “In any case, be careful with my husband. I need to take him home in one piece, or they won’t give me back my deposit.”

“I should be the one concerned here!” Mia laughed, then turning to Victor. “Do you remember how we first met? You hit me with your ball! You’re the dangerous one.”

“I hit you with a ball because a certain dummy didn’t know any better than to get out of the way.” He calmly retorted.

“It was your lousy aim!” She argued. “You made me pudding the next day, remember? I still have your bowl!” Turning to the cupboard,she took something from it. “Here! My souvenir.”

Victor’s mind went back to his childhood as he saw the old bowl. He remembered his child self, always acting strong and logical, when inside he was fragile and hungry for affection. If he could travel back in time again he would go to that boy and tell him that despite what was still ahead, he would be alright.

“You kept it all this time?” His voice was hoarse with emotion.

“Of course.” Mia replied, her voice shaky.

Gavin cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. Victor raised his eyes to meet his wife’s, finding them shiny and sad. She was getting it all wrong. He was moved, yes, but not because he was reminiscing on some sweet memory. It was because he could see how far he had come, and how blessed he was now. It was not because of Mia, it was because of her.

“This has to be a record for you.” Victor changed his tone to a mocking one. “You kept something for over twenty years and didn’t break it.”

“Dinner is almost ready.” Gavin declared, probably more because he wanted to change the subject than the urgency of the food being served. “I’ll go set the table.”

“Help Andrea, I’ll go.” Mia got up from her seat, heading for the living room.

“It’s alright, I’ll help Andrea.” Victor got up from his seat.

When they were finally alone, he then turned to his wife, his arm wrapping around her waist, his hand cupping her cheek lovingly, making her face him.

“Don’t entertain silly ideas in your head.”

“What do you mean?” She frowned.

“I’m yours.” He looked into her eyes, hoping she could see the truth in his.

She stood silent for a moment, staring back at him.

“Hey, what are you people waiting for?” Mia called from the living room. “The table is set.”

After some good food and some good wine, Andrea’s light seemed to shine a little brighter, carefree, bantering and laughing.

“Did I tell you already how much I love your dog?” She smiled. “Look at him, watching over Owen. It’s adorable.” She gazed lovingly at their son, who had fallen asleep on the couch after dinner.

“Alright, who wants a final drink?” Mia spoke, bringing a tray with several liqueur bottles.

“As long as you don’t spill it on me, like you almost did with the wine.” Victor retorted.

“Please, even if I ruin your black shirt, you have hundreds of them.” Mia swatted at him.

Before Victor could argue, Andrea jumped in, all excited.

“Wait, wait! I know this one!” She raised her hand playfully. “I have been extensively educated on the subject of black shirts, I have been preparing for this moment for two years now.”

Victor remembered all the lectures he had given his wife when she said he “looked like he always wore the same shirt.” That was her chance for retaliation. He braced himself for impact.

“Apparently they all look alike but they are all different.” His wife continued. “There are many shades of black. For example, I would say this one is closer to coal than pitch black, but Victor has shirts in other tones, like jet black, onyx or raven. Also, the collars differ, there is the classic, the button down, the pinned, and my favorite, the mandarin. The fabric is also different, there is Oxford cloth, Pinpoint Oxford, Royal Oxford, among other material and finishing touches. They can also have different buttons, different cuffs, you name it. Victor has many black shirts, but I can guarantee you there aren’t two alike.”

Victor was stunned. To be honest, he never thought she had heard his explanation on the matter, she would always glare at him with half hooded eyes, like she was bored to death. But she did. Moreover, she apparently memorized it.

“Surprised?” She gave him a sly smile. “So what’s my grade, Teacher Victor?”

He couldn’t help but grin at her. Under the table, he took her hand, tracing on her palm A+.

“Wow, Victor seems impressed! That’s not a common feat!” Mia took a sip of her drink. “You are truly made for each other. I’m honestly glad everything ended well and not in bloody tragedy.”

“What do you mean, bloody tragedy?” Andrea frowned.

There was a moment of silence in the kitchen. Gavin glared at Mia.

“They need to know.” Mia turned to Gavin, in all seriousness.

“Need to know what?” Victor asked.

Another long pause. The hosting couple looked down.

“Mia.” Victor warned, starting to lose his patience.

“Ok… So… Something happened at your wedding.” Mia started. “The reason why I pulled you into the house before the reception… was because there was someone with a gun trying to hurt you.”

“Wait, what?” Andrea was stunned. “Who?”

Mia took a deep breath.

“It was Daniel, Andrea. I saw him on top of a tree, rifle in hand. He was trying to kill you.”

Andrea looked at Mia with wide eyes, the words still sinking in her. Victor, on the other hand, was livid.

“Daniel was at my wedding?” Victor snapped, enraged. “How am I only knowing of this-”

He was interrupted by a sudden movement in his peripheral vision. Andrea had doubled over, spilling the contents of her stomach all over Mia’s floor.

“Do you feel sick?” He asked his still fairly pale wife while they were driving home. “Let me know if you need me to pull over.”

“I’m fine.” She croaked. “Is Owen-”

“He’s asleep.” Victor assured her.

“Did Gavin explain how it happened, how he…” Andrea shook her head in disbelief. “How did he get in there in the first place?”

It was his fault. He was careless. He let his guard down.

“I will speak to Gavin later. Don’t be afraid, I will not let him hurt you.”

“I’m not afraid.” Andrea’s anger seeped through her voice. “I’m infuriated. I’m tired of people always thinking they can take whatever they want.” She looked Victor in the eyes, her lip quivering. “I’m sick of being bullied.”

Victor’s jaw clenched so hard that his teeth hurt. He was careless, he had let himself entertain with his happiness, letting his guard down. He was an idiot for believing the world would let him catch a break. And if not for Mia and Gavin, he would have paid a painful price: he would have lost what he treasured the most.

He clenched the steering wheel hard, vowing to himself never to make the same mistake again. And Daniel would be punished for all the pain that he caused, and curse the day he laid a hand on Victor’s precious Light.

[sassyduckqueen]

Miraculous: Rise of Anatis Specials 2

Ok! I am issuing a spoiler warning as this is suppose to be set after season 3 and before season 4. However, I have tried to make so you lovely people can read it :D Anyway, I hope you peeps enjoy reading this. As a lot of you know, I'm not impressed with the New York special. There was a lot of cringy moments and honestly I felt like it was hyped up but didn't mean standards. Let's not get me started on the likes of Alya and Nino. I expected something on the lines of that with Alya as that's been her dynamic for most of season 2 and 3 but Nino, you disappoint me *shakes head in shame* anyway! There's none of that in here! Hope you peeps like it :D also I hope you like the chat names for Adrien, Kagami and Marinette. I'm especially proud of Dangernodel as it's a pun on Danger Noodle and Model. I laughed for about 5 minutes straight.

Edit: This is now the updated verison of the NY special

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Heroes Unite (New York Special)

"Since Paris doesn't want us, we go to the moon just like in my favorite book!!" Mr Pigeon declared as he stood on the Eiffel Tower as it headed to space. He looked down and narrowed his eyes as he noticed Anatis and Lady Noir hanging from the tower with Anatis' yoyo. Anatis was looking round trying to formulate a plan to defeat Mr Pigeon with his lucky charm. 

  "Annie, he won't be able to breath in space and neither will we," Lady Noir gasped as Anatis's luck vision lit up the book in Mr Pigeon's hand, a pigeon and the tower itself. He looked at his lucky charm, causing it to light up as Mr Pigeon made some terrible pun but he smirked."You have a plan right?!"

  "Of course I do, kitty," He replied, retracting his yoyo so they began to free fall. "We need to bring him back to earth before he hurts himself,"

  Lady Noir nodded and took out a triangle of cheese that was purple in color. At the same time, Anatis took out a macaroon that was the same colour. The two of them ate them and shouted out the words 'power up', transforming them into their flight suits. Like most of his special forms, his basic suit was the same but he had a helmet on over his face and his spots were a glowing blue. He also had blue detail on his mask, gloves and boots as well as a backpack on his back which gave him blue insect wings that glowed. Lady Noir had a similar base outfit to her normal design as well but she had more green detail across her outfit and also had a backpack on her back. She got bright green batlike wings and she had a helmet on her face too. Unlike Anatis though, who's hair stayed the same as his normal form, her hair became a glowing blue. The two sped off towards Mr Pigeon and the two.

  "What's the plan?" Lady Noir called out.

  "The akuma is in the book. I need you to destroy it as soon as he's distracted," Anatis yelled back, getting a nod of Lady Noir. He glided across to the tower and ran up it, throwing his yoyo round Mr Pigeon's hands. He used his lucky charm to secure it to the tower and scared the pigeons enough to cause them to fly. Using the coverage that the Pigeons provided, Lady Noir called on her power and grabbed the book, destroying it and releasing the akuma. Anatis freed his yoyo and caught it, purifying it and freeing it. He grabbed his lucky charm and threw it in the air. "Miraculous Ladybugs!!"

  The item burst into the magical swarm of bugs and spread around fixing everything. Lady Noir and Anatis landed on the tower as Mr Pigeon turned back to normal. Anatis picked up the book and placed it back in it's place. Lady Noir walked over to him and smiled.

  "Good job today, Annie," She grinned, making him look at her as he raised an eyebrow.

  "Isn't it my job to tell you that?" He asked in a playful manner. She giggled a little before gently nudging him.

  "You can still tell me that if you want," She grinned. He smiled before ruffling her hair, making her purr a little.

  "Good job today, Kitten," He smirked before his earrings beeped their first warning. He frowned and turned to her, taking out his yoyo. "Sorry, Kitten, I have to go. You still up for patrol tonight?"

  "Of course. Usual time and place?" She asked, getting a nod of him as her ring beeped. "Cool!"

  "See you there then," He replied, getting a nod of her before he left the office and dived off the tower, swinging off into the city. Lady Noir let out a little sigh as she watched him go before jumping off the tower and heading to a nearby alleyway. She dropped her transformation and caught Plagg. He let out a tired sigh but peaked up the moment she handed him a chunk of cheese. 

  "You're the best, Dollface," He grinned as he began to devour it. Marinette smiled sweetly before slipping him into her purse and began to run off. She had to return back to school since the akuma had been defeated but even then, Mr Pigeon wasn't considered a high threat to her or Anatis. They had come up with a code in case they needed to contact the other before they arrived. Code Grey was for weak akumas such as Mr Pigeon and was named after him. Code Black was for akumas on the same power level as the likes of Lady Wifi. Code Yellow was for akumatized miraculous holders, named after Queen Wasp. Though Chloe had come leaps and bounds since the incident. She was actually been nice but not because of got her any favors but just to be nice. Sure, she still wasn't perfect. She messed up but since becoming friends with Marinette and Luka, Chloe was working on been a better person and unlike most people, Luka was not afraid to tell her off. If she threatened to call her father, he countered with a threat to call the Captain, which worked every time. As for the next code, that is code silver and was for high powered akumas such as Party Crasher. The next code was Code Blue and it meant either Mayura or a sentimonster and their final code was Code Purple. That was only used if Hawkmoth himself made an appearance. They came up with the codes after heroes day as that was all unexpected and they wanted to be better prepared. Anatis had also started to train the temp heroes both in combat and in calming techniques. They needed to be in control of their emotions. Sometimes, him and Lady Noir spend a good hour of so meditating together during patrol. They would often go through the battles and try to work out how to prevent future triggers. Thanks to Alya, they had set up a page on the Ladyblog to help people work through their emotions in a healthy way. However, they still hadn't found a way to prevent Mr. Ramier from been akumatized. They tried a lot but he seemed to have different triggers that weren't necessarily related to pigeons. However, they would go through the battle tonight. Marinette slowly down a little as she saw a new Adrien poster, making her smile and take a picture of it before she opened her messages.

  Purrincess-Nettie: @Dangernodel Saw your latest poster. Love the new outfit in it

  Dangernodel: Thanks @Purrincess-Nettie. Though I always prefer your stuff

  Purrincess-Nettie: That's because I'm a genius when it comes to making clothes

  Dangernodel: #truth #preach

  Marinette giggled and shook her head before continuing to back to the school. She skipped over to Alya as the class began to head into the library. Chloe waved at her, making her smile and wave before she sat down next to Adrien and Nino. Alya sat down next to them and gently leaned on Nino's shoulder as Mr Damocles cleared his voice.

  "As you all know, this week coming is the french American friendship week. You all did wonderful on your projects and as a reward, we have arranged for a five day trip to New York. Now you will be expected to do some school work and experience school in New York but this will also serve as a reward so we will be visiting famous locations and there will be free time to enjoy what New York has to offer," He explained, making the students grin excitedly before he handed permission slips to Miss Bustier. "We have already arranged a place to stay and the flights are booked. We just need your parents' permission to say you can go. Miss Bustier is going to hand the slips to you. Your parents will need to sign them by this weekend. A letter detailing the trip is also attached. Yes, Marinette?"

  "Are we the only class to go?" She asked, making Mr Damocles smile.

  "No, Mrs Mendeleiev's class will also be going," He replied, making her smile. That meant Luka will be going as well, along with Marc and Aurora. "We've already given out their permission slips and were about to give your class yours but Mr Pigeon interrupted us,"

  At that, the whole class groaned in annoyance. Marinette took the permission as Adrien sighed, looking sad. However, Lila went to reject the permission slip as Miss Bustier handed one to Kim, who happened to be next to her.

  "Oh, I'm so sorry but I can't possibly go to due to my charity work," She lied but Mr Damocles cleared his throat.

  "Miss Rossi, we are aware that you are not allowed to go so please don't make up some story," He stated, making her frown. Marinette held back a smile. Lila didn't have as much power as she thought she had. She still hadn't been fully exposed yet but almost everyone took her stories with a grain of salt. Mr Damocles moved past her and handed slips out to the others as Lila continued to frown.

  "What but sir, I'm not ly-"

  "Expect you are, Lila," Marinette pointed out with the rest of the class nodding. Lila glared at them before huffing and folding her arms. She did actually want to go to New York but since she had been targeted by a number of akumas, her mother didn't want her to go too far from home. She had hoped to convince the class that she had to stay behind for a charity event so she could be the talk of the class but hardly anyone took her stories as fact anymore. Even Alya was taking her stories with a grain of salt. She huffed and crossed her arms as Marinette smirked at her before turning to Adrien. "Are you ok?"

  "My father isn't going to let me go," He sighed, looking down as Nino rubbed his back. Marinette frowned deeply before grinning at him and winking in a very Lady Noir style.

  "Leave that to me, Adrien. I'll convince him to let you come to New York," She grinned, making him sigh and shake his head, claiming it was no good. "Hey, you're my friend and I will not take no for answer. You know how stubborn I can be,"

  "Everyone knows that," Alya joked, making her laugh before looking at Adrien and giving him a reassuring smile. "However, she won't be alone in this,"

  "Damn right," Kim nodded, pointing to himself. "We're gonna help. Right, Alix?"

  "Getting Adrien's dad to let him go will be a piece of cake," She grinned as the rest of the class cheered.

  "Guys, I really appreciate it but this is my dad we're talking about," He stated but then he noticed the grin on Marinette's face.

  "Which is why we're bringing in the big guns," She smirked, already texting on her phone. Mr Damocles went to tell her off but she grinned. "Kagami is down with helping us convince your father to let you come with us. Chloe, you ready to help?"

  "Of course, I am," She grinned, making Marinette smile.

  "Trust us, Adrien. We're getting you to New York,"

  "Thanks, Marinette," He grinned before looking at the rest of the class, apart from Lila. "Thank you all of you,"

  "Now that's been sorted," Mr Damocles stated. "Miss Bustier won't be able to join us due to medical problems but Mrs Mendeleiev will be substituting for her,"

  Instantly, the class groaned but Mr Damocles hushed them.

  "Now we need those slips in as soon as possible so please remember to get your parents to sign them," He explained, just as the bell rang. The class got up and left the room, heading to the locker room. Marinette grabbed her bag and skipped outside to meet Kagami. They needed a plan to get Mr Agreste to let Adrien go to New York. She hummed to herself as she sat on the bench, texting Kagami to meet her there before sending a text to her parents. A few seconds later, her mother buzzed back with permission. All she needed to do now was to get them to sign the slip.

  "Mari!!" A voice called out, making her look over. Luka waved as he walked over, making her smile and jump to her feet. She threw herself at him, causing him to laugh as he caught her. "You ok? Your heartsong is so loud and exciting,"

  "We're going to New York!!" She grinned, making him laugh. "Please tell me you're gonna be going right?!"

  "Of course. I've always wanted to visit," He smiled, holding her waist. He quickly realized and blushed, moving his hands. "You're able to go right?"

  "Yep," She grinned before frowning a little. "But I'm meeting Kagami to try and work out how to get Adrien's dad to let him go. Wanna join us? We're making a plan,"

  "No plan, Marinette," Kagami stated as she walked over before nodding at Luka. "We head to Agreste Manor now and we don't take no for an answer,"

  "Uh... no plan?" She gasped, not expecting that but Luka gave her a gentle smile. "You know what! Yeah, let's go!!"

  "That's the spirit," He smiled before looking at them. "Still want me to come along?"

"Damn right, you're my emotional support musician," Marinette grinned, grabbing his hand and dragging him off. Instantly, his face flushed, causing Kagami to rise an eyebrow and follow them. She took her phone and began to text as she followed them.

  DragonQueen: @Dangernodel heading to yours to take down your father. Also does Luka like Marinette? I think they would make a cute couple

  Dangernodel: @DragonQueen I believe he does but seems to lack the confidence to tell her. I think he believes he's not good enough for her #lies #lukanette4ever

  DragonQueen: Should we try to set them up together?

  Dangernodel: I wouldn't set them up. That could backfire and hurt both of them in the long run but encouraging them could help. No to been pushy but yes to suggesting romantic things to them

  DragonQueen: I see. We don't directly interfere but we encourage from the sidelines

  Dangernodel: Exactly. Great minds think alike, my dragon

  DragonQueen: Oh stop it, you danger noodle

  "Kagami!! Come on!!" Marinette shouted, causing her to look up and join them. Luka's face was bright red but he was holding Marinette's hand and she seemed quite happy to do so. Nodding as she walked over, she reminded herself. Encourage from the sidelines. Enough to help but not to hinder. 

  (***)

  "So that's why you should let Adrien go to New York!" Marinette gasped as she came to the end of her speech. Luka was staring at her with amazement, Kagami was nodding and Mr Agreste had his classic stony glare across his face. Marinette swallowed as she looked at him. He didn't looked convinced at all. Marinette couldn't help the thoughts that flooded her mind as she realized Mr Agreste was probably going to say no. Adrien would be so sad because he wouldn't be able to go to New York with his friends or his girlfriend. She went to add more to her argument but Mr Agreste held up his hand, silencing her. She nervously bit her lip as he glared down at her.

  "Young lady, I -"

  "We won't leave here until you agree to let Adrien go!!" Marinette declared with an expression of pure determination. "He deserves to go on this trip!!"

  "Then it's a good thing that I've decided to let Adrien to go along with his classmates," Mr Agreste declared, making the three teenagers blinked as he smiled in a way that made them a little uneasy but the three of them just thought it was because he never smiled.

  "You... have?" Luka asked as Marinette blinked.

  "You three have... convinced me," He stated, smiling in that weird way. "Clearly, the three of you are good friends to my son. Now if you excuse me, I have to attend to some new designs,"

  "R-right," Marinette nodded before smiling. "Thank you, Mr Agreste,"

  He nodded before turning on his heel and walking off. The three of them walked out, still a little shell shocked by the fact that he was letting Adrien go to New York with them. The first one to smile was Kagami though, followed by both Luka and Marinette.

  "We did it," She declared as they walked over to the rest of Marinette's class. Instantly, they began to cheer as they were happy with the outcome. Kagami turned to Marinette and smiled. "I shall inform Adrien of our victory against his father and tell him of your noble deeds,"

  "I mean it wasn't really noble... he deserved to come along with the rest of us and now we can all hang out in New York!!" Marinette grinned, excitedly before turning to Luka. "I'm so glad your class gets to come along as well, Luka! We're gonna have so much fun together!! Oooh we can have hotdogs!!"

  "I can't wait for it either, Mari," Luka smiled. "I've always wanted to see New York..."

  "Oooh! We should do a sleep over on the night before we leave! Then we can get to the coach together!" She grinned, making him smile.

  "That sounds great," He grinned, gently ruffling her hair. "Bakery or the boat?"

  "How about the bakery? We can get some croissants for breakfast," She suggested, making him smile before Juleka cleared her throat, causing them to look at her. Rose was grinning as well.

  "That actually works perfectly because me and Juleka were going to stay over mine," She declared before looking at Marinette. "Plus Luka can help you wake up on time since we all know you're terrible at getting up in the morning,"

  "Hey!! That's not true!!" Marinette gasped as Juleka snored with laughter as she attempted to chase Rose. Unfortunately, she failed to see a loose stone in front of her and tripped over, flailing her arms as she began to fall but before she could hit the ground, Luka caught her.

  "You ok?" He asked with concern as her face turned bright red. She stood up straight and rubbed the back of her head as she smiled nervously.

  "I'm good," She nodded, looking at him before she smiled shyly. "Thank you,"

  "No problem, Mari," He smiled before rubbing his own neck. "Anyway... I better head off. I have a shift to do tonight,"

  "I didn't know you were working tonight," Juleka mumbled, crossing her arms but Luka shrugged.

  "Took on an extra shift," He replied, unlocking his bike. He put on his helmet and turned to everyone. "I'll see you guys later,"

  "Bye, Luka," Marinette smiled as he waved before he cycled off. She let a gentle sigh as she watched him go but jumped when Alya placed her arm around her shoulders.

  "Girl, you have it so bad," She grinned, making Marinette blush as the rest of the class sniggered a little. 

  "You should see Luka," Juleka mumbled. "The love struck fool is head over heels for our favorite baker girl,"

  "Luka... likes me?" Marinette asked but when she thought about it, it did make sense. Luka had wrote songs for her, always complimented her and of course, he had told her that she was the song in his head. She blushed as she remembered the words he said to her when Kitty Section performed at the Kidz plus studio but of course, she had been getting over Adrien then but now... well, now her and Adrien were best friends. He felt her brother and acted like it too but Luka... Luka was amazing. So amazing that she honestly thought he was out of her league and she loved her friendship with him. She felt like she could just be herself and he never thought of her in a bad way. He believed her when Lila returned and stood up for her when she began to bully Marinette again. He supported her and encouraged her but he only liked her as a friend. Besides, he had probably moved on from her. After all, until recently she was tore between him and Adrien. "I mean sure, he likes me. I'm his friend..."

  "Girl, that boy likes you as way more then a friend!" Alya gasped with the rest of the girls nodding.

  "Even I can see how smitten he is with you," Chloe added in, smiling a little. "It's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous,"

  "But so romantic too!!" Rose gushed, holding her hands together.

  "I would say it is clear how Luka feels about you, Marinette," Kagami piped in, remembering Adrien's advice. Encourage but don't pressure. Help but never hinder. "Maybe you could use the trip to New York to express your feelings to him. Statically speaking, New York is the second most romantic city in the world. The first obviously been Paris,"

  "I d-don't know..." Marinette gasped as a blush came on her cheeks. "What if he actually just likes me as a friend and I ruin our friendship by telling him that I'm in love with him?! What if he rejects me?! Oh, no! He'll hate me and refuse to hang out with me again!!"

  "According to my calculations, there is a 94 % chance that Luka will accept your confession and return your feelings," Max piped in. "There is a 6% chance that he only views you as a friend and 0% chance that he'll reject your confession and end up hating you. I believe it is impossible for Luka to hate anyone, expect XY and Bob Roth but we all know why that is the case,"

  "And Hawkmoth," Alix pointed out. 

  "Yeah but everyone hates Hawkmoth," Kim countered, making everyone nod before turning to Marinette. "Anyway, I'm sure that Luka likes you as way more then a friend. He'll be a doofus not to. Ondine totally agrees too,"

  "Thanks, Kim," Marinette smiled as they walked down the street and towards the bakery. "Alright. I'm gonna head inside. I can't wait to go to New York with everyone,"

  "See you tomorrow, girl," Alya waved as she walked off with Nino. Juleka and Rose said their goodbyes and headed off with Ivan and Mylene. Gradually, the rest of the class waved goodbye and Marinette headed into the apartment. She climbed the stairs and headed into the kitchen, gently kissing Sabine on the cheek before she sat down and began to discuss the school trip with her parents. They were happy for her to go as it was a great opportunity to see the US and it was a reward with the school. They sighed the permission slip and she placed it in her bag, ready for school tomorrow before she ate her dinner. "Actually... would I be able to have Luka round the night before I go to New York? Both of our classes are going and we figured we could do a sleepover so we can both get the coach together,"

  "Well, he'll have to sleep in the spare room but I see no issue with having Luka around," Her mother smiled as her father looked like he was able to explode with excitement. Luka and Marinette had been growing a lot closer and it was clear to him that they had feelings for each other. Been the romantic that he was, he had already attempted to invite Luka to brunch and he fully approved of the boy. He was also so respectful and came across as a kind and gentle soul. "Tom, are you ok with Luka staying over?"

  "Yes! Why don't we have brunch-"

  "Papa, we can't," Marinette gasped, going bright red. "L-Luka isn't interested in me in that way and besides we'll have a plane to catch,"

  "But sweetie-"

  "Papa, we don't want another weredad incident," She stated, crossing her arms. Her father had accidentally walked in her talking with Anatis and jumped to conclusions. He had invited him to a romantic brunch but Anatis had rejected it. He tried to explain that he was just trying to check on Marinette after an akuma had destroyed her room and that he couldn't date her as a superhero. Because of that, he had to rejected Marinette and Tom got akumatized over it. Tom sighed but nodded in agreement. "Good. Now I have home work to do then I'm off to bed. Good night,"

  "Good night, sweetie,"

  ~Meanwhile~

  Luka couldn't help but smile and hum to himself as he cycled down the street. Tikki was sat in his basket, smiling a little as he came to the liberty. His shift had gone well and had been a little short but he wasn't complaining. He took the extra shift so he had decent spending money in New York. He parked his bike and locked it up before Tikki flew up and landed on his shoulder.

  "You're in a really good mood, Luka," She grinned as he headed downstairs. The Captain was out at the studio and Juleka was on a date with Rose so she wouldn't be back til later, which he was glad about. He did not need her to tease him about liking Marinette. 

  "I'm excited, Tikki," He smiled. "I get to go to New York with Marinette and the rest of our friends,"

  "New York?" Tikki gasped. "But who's going to look after Paris?"

  "I already have a plan for that," He smiled, gesturing towards a black and red guitar case. "I'm sure Master Fu will be fine with Kaalki coming to New York with us. I'll also keep an eye with the akuma app. The moment it gets alert-"

  "You'll use the horse miraculous to teleport there, take down the akuma and return to New York," Tikki gasped, grinning. "Very creative,"

  "Well, I do have the goddess of creation as my friend," He smiled, making her giggle. "Anyway, Luka Couffaine will be in New York but Anatis will be in Paris as far as everyone else is concerned,"

  “Well, we better head to Master Fu to ask him for the Horse miraculous,”

  “That’s where we’re going,”

  ~Later that Night~

  Lady Noir grinned as she ran across the rooftops of Paris and jumped across to the meeting spot. There was nothing like the feeling of the wind in her hair as she raced across the roofs. She used her baton to fling herself across the rooftops before rolling on the roof and standing up. She looked around and found that Anatis wasn't here yet. Letting out a little sigh, she sat down on the edge of the roof and smiled as she looked out at the Eiffel tower. It would be weird not been in Paris or meeting Anatis for patrol but she had to be in New York and honestly, she was looking really forward to it, especially with the fact that she will be with Luka. The sound of a yoyo jolted her out of her thoughts, causing her to look and smile as Anatis landed on the roof. 

  "Hey, kitten," He smiled, walking over to her and sitting down.

  "Hey, Annie," She smiled, stretching. "I have some news for you,"

  "Oh?" He asked, looking at her. She nervously bit her lip. Instantly, he felt worried. "Are you ok?"

  "Oh, yeah, I'm fine... look I'm be going away for a few days," She stated, making him look at her as she pressed her fingers together. Instantly, she felt guilty as she realized he would be alone in Paris. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it through. You'll be alone to protect Paris... I'll just cancel-"

  "There's no way am I let you cancel," He grinned, gently nudging her arm with his. "You go and enjoy your trip. As far as I'm concerned, you've earnt it so don't worry about me ok? I can handle a few days without you,"

  "So you're not mad?" Lady Noir asked, making him frown a little. "Or disappointed?"

  "Of course not," He smiled, scratching her ears. She began to purr and nuzzle his hand like an actual cat. "You're allowed to have fun, kitty and if I get really desperate, I can literally phone you and get your location then borrow the horse miraculous from Master Fu and come get you,"

  "Good point," She smiled, feeling a little dumb that she forgot that but Anatis laughed a little, making her smile. "So shall we discuss Mr Pigeon?"

  "Oh kwami. I'm not sure I want to," He gasped, shaking his head as he smirked. "51 times! How is a guy obsessed with pigeons our most akumatized villain?"

  "Tell me about it," She giggled before the two of them began to do really bad impressions of him before laughing. She gently leaned on him as the two of them looked at the Eiffel tower. "At least, he's not very threatening,"

  "True," He replied before looking at her. "So how long you away for?"

  "Five days," She replied, looking at him. "You sure you'll be ok?"

  "I'll be fine," He grinned, placing his hands behind his head. "It will be a breeze,"

  "Ooh, someone's confident," She teased, making him grin before jumping up. "Wanna race to the Louvre? Loser has to buy ice cream!"

  "You're on," He declared, jumping before the two of them ran off into the night.

  ~The Night Before the Flight~

  Marinette laughed as Luka caught a piece of popcorn in his mouth, grinning as he chewed on the piece of candy. He grabbed a piece and threw it towards her. She attempted to catch it but failed, causing him to crack up with laughter along with her before she threw a piece of popcorn at him. It landed in his hair, making her giggle even more. He laughed as well before the two of them flopped down in the beanbags and looked up at her skylight. They had been spending the evening playing video games and watching films but Luka started the popcorn thing by catching one in his mouth and Marinette wanted to see if he could catch one if she threw it.

  "Hey, Mari,"

  "Hmm?"

  "Thanks for having me around," He smiled, turning to look at her. She grinned and turned to face him. He moved and leaned on his arm. "Are you looking forward to New York?"

  "Yeah, I'm not sure how I'm gonna sleep to be honest," She grinned, clearly excited. She was practically vibrating with excitement. "Are you?"

  "Excited? Yeah," He grinned before flopping back down on the beanbags and placing his hands under his head. "It's been a while since I've been on a plane though. In fact, the last time was when I was a kid. We went to go visit my grandpa for his birthday,"

  "Really? Where does he live?"

  "Scotland," Luka grinned. "Right in the highlands too but he's a grumpy old pirate... Scotland is beautiful though,"

  "I bet," She grinned. "I'd love to go to China at some point,"

  "China? That would be exciting,"

  "It really would. Oh, I could go visit my uncle Cheng," She grinned before yawning. Luka yawned as well but before he could get up, she moved and rested on him, making him blush.

  "Aren't I suppose to be staying in the guest room?" He asked as he poked her gently. She looked at him before smiling in a cheeky manner before she snuggled against him. 

  "Yeah but you're comfy," She mumbled, sleepily. He grabbed his phone and set his alarm on it before placing it down. He started to hum gently as he ran his fingers through her hair. Within a few minutes, he could hear light snoring as Marinette had fallen asleep. He smiled gently as he looked at her.

  "Cute," He muttered before closing his own eyes. He fell asleep almost straight away, holding Marinette as he did. Neither of them realized that her parents check in on her and took a photo of the two slumbering teens, cooing over how cute they looked. Once they had disappeared back downstairs, Tikki flew out and pulled a blanket over Luka and Marinette before snuggling back into his hoodie. Plagg, on the other hand, was already napping and dreaming of the American cheeses he would be trying when they got there.

  ~Next Morning~

  "Ah!! We're gonna be so late!!" Marinette gasped as the two of them rushed out of the bakery. Luka was carrying their suitcases and Marinette had their croissants in her hands. For once though, she had been able to get up on time. Luka had helped with that as he often got up early anyway, usually to practice his guitar or his martial arts but this morning, he had woken her up almost as soon as he was awake too. Her father, however, tried to make them breakfast and attempted to get them to stay. Thanks to her mother though, they had managed to escape and were on route to the school. Marinette took out her phone and called Alya. "Hi! We're nearly there. You haven't set off yet?"

  "Not yet, girl but Mrs Mendeleiev is getting impatient," Alya replied as they ran across the road. "Hold up... I think I see you. Mrs Mendeleiev, Mr Damocles!! Luka and Marinette are here!!"

  "Just in time," Luka smiled as they rushed over to the bus driver. "Sorry for been late, sir,"

  "You're just in the time," He smiled, helping them place their suitcases in the luggage area. Luka thanked him and helped Marinette onto the coach. She grinned and took her seat next to Alya as he sat down next to Aurora. 

  "That was cutting it close, Luka," Aurora grinned as the bus driver got on and began to drive. Luka couldn't help but smile as he was super excited. He had the horse miraculous on him and Tikki was happily curled up in his pocket. His phone was set to alert him the moment a live new report or an akuma alert went off and he was going to be spending five days in New York with his friends and of course, Marinette. Not that she was more important then everyone else. Aurora grinned as she gently poked his cheek, causing him to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "Sooo... you told her yet?"

  "Told who what?" He asked as he glanced over to Marinette. She was happily chatting to Alya but grinned and waved when she saw Luka looking in her direction. He blushed a little but waved back.

  "That you're in love with Marinette," Aurora gasped in a hushed whisper, making him look at her with surprise. She giggled a little at his expression.

  "That obvious huh?" He asked sheepishly before sighing. "I haven't told her because she's still hung up on Adrien and I don't want to pressure her or make her feel uncomfortable,"

  "Oh, you are too much, Luka Couffaine," Aurora grinned before looking at Marinette. "But I don't think she's... uh... "hung up" on Adrien anymore. Hey, you should totally use New York to confess your love for her,"

  "Well, I kind of already told her my feelings but she hasn't returned them..."

  "Well, maybe that's because she thinks they had an expiry date so she thinks you're no longer interested," Aurora pointed out, making Luka think before gently nudging him. "But at the end of the day, it's down to you. I'll still be your best friend and help you regardless of your choice,"

  "Thanks, Aurora," He smiled.

  "Though... I might steal her away at this rate!!" She grinned, making him pretend gasp.

  "You wouldn't?!"

  ~Meanwhile, on the other side of the bus~

  "Soooo anything interest happen between you and Luka last night?" Alya asked, wiggling her eyebrows. Marinette laughed and gently shoved her, shaking her head. "Come on, girl! Give me the deets,"

  "It was just a normal sleepover, Alya," She smiled, looking over at him. He was talking to Aurora and glanced over to her. She smiled and waved at him, causing him to smile back shyly and wave back before she turned back to Alya. "We gamed, watched a movie, threw popcorn at each other... Luka is really good at catching popcorn with his mouth... and then we went to bed. He was suppose to be staying in the guest room but I kind of fell asleep on him,"

  "So he stayed in the same room as you?!" Rose gushed, making Marinette jump. "Oooh!! So romantic!!"

  "Nooo... it's just what friends do..." She gasped, blushing. Now that she thought about it, it really was romantic and it felt so nice been in Luka's arms and falling to sleep while he hummed softly and played with her hair.

  "Sure," Alya grinned before smiling. "So did you just fall asleep on him?"

  "Well... we were talking beforehand and he was humming and playing with my hair," She mumbled, making the girls go aww. She blushed even more. "W-We're just friends... right?"

  "Maybe but do you want to be more?" Alya asked, making Marinette gasp and look away shyly. Alya frowned a little before deciding to change the subject. "So what's the first thing everyone wants to do in New York? I really wanna see if I can meet Majestia,"

  "Majestia?" Marinette asked, looking at her best friend with a confused look. "Isn't that the superhero from the comic you read?"

  "It is!" Alya gasped, nodding. "But like the miraculous comics, it's based on a real life superhero. Majestia and her sidekick, Uncanny Valley, protect New York, along with Knightowl and his sidekick, Sparrow. In fact, there's a whole super group called United Heroes! If I can, I would love to get an interview with one of them for my blog!!"

  "But isn't your blog about Anatis and Lady Noir?" Rose asked, confused but Alya smiled.

  "Not for that one. I have a lesser known blog called Heroes-Unite. Of course, it's no where near as populate as the Ladyblog but still," She mumbled, blushing a little as the class gasped and looked it up. With minutes, they were all following it. "Anyway, what do you guys want to do?"

  "Me and Juleka want to go to the museums!" Rose grinned, happily before everyone began to tell them what they wanted to do before they all looked at Marinette, who blinked and smiled.

  "Well, other then get hotdogs and hang out with everyone... I really want to take photos of New York. I think I can get some inspiring ones and hopefully I'll be able to make some new pieces based on it,"

  "Aww!! That's gonna be amazing!!" Rose gushed, getting a nod of Juleka.

  "I can't wait to see how it comes out,"

  ~At the Airport~

  "So Marinette seems to think Luka isn't interested in her?" Kagami muttered as she stroked Adrien's hair. His head was in her lap as they were waiting to board the plane.

  "And Luka thinks that Marinette isn't interested in him and that she's too good for him," Adrien sighed as Alya nodded before he sat up. He looked over at where Luka and Marinette were. They were smiling as they chatted, clearly comfortable in each other's company. Nothing like how she was around him. "They would make such a good couple,"

  "I agree," Kagami muttered.

  "We could try and set them up on a date," Nino suggested but Adrien shook his head.

  "If it's to happen, it has to be a natural progression. We can't interfere directly,"

  "But we can encourage," Kagami smiled. "The blueberries deserve to be happy,"

  "Ok, everyone!! The plane is boarding now!!" Mrs Mendeleiev declared, getting everyone to bring to board. Luka smiled and helped Marinette with her case as they looked for their seats.

  "Where are you sat?" Marinette asked, looking up at him.

  "B31," He replied, looking at her.

  "B32! Luka, we sat together!!" She grinned as they walked onto the plane. He smiled as they found their seats. Marinette attempted to lift her suitcase but almost dropped it until he caught it and helped her put it away. She blushed and rubbed her neck. "Thanks, Luka,"

  "No worries, Mari," He smiled, putting his own away before the two of them sat down. Marinette, however, was playing with her hands and looking around. "You ok?"

  "I... I'm really nervous..." She gasped. "Is it hot? It feels hot,"

  "Hang on," He muttered, standing up and turning on the air conditioning. Marinette felt herself cool down as he sat back down before he faced her. "Better?"

  "Much,"

  "Is that your first time flying?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Her song was all jittery and nervous. She blushed and nodded as the captain began to talk. "Don't worry. Flying's really fun and I'll be right here next to you,"

  "Thanks, Luka," Marinette smiled, feeling a lot better as the captain began to talk, going through the safety protocols. She did up her seatbelt and smiled nervously as the plane began to move. Luka gave her a reassuring smile and held out his hand. Shyly smiling, she took it as the plane began to speed up. It suddenly jolted, making her squeeze his hand and close her eyes but then it went smooth again. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Luka smiling at her.

  "We're in the air now," He muttered before flicking through the films with his free hand. "Wanna watch Miraculous: The Movie?"

  "Sure," She smiled. He smiled back and pressed play, keeping his hand in hers as they watched the film. Marinette ended up leaning against him and gradually she felt asleep as the plane flew. When she next opened her eyes, she found a blanket over her but the seat next to her empty. She yawned and looked around, noticing everyone else was asleep but she couldn't see Luka. She carefully got up and made her way past the rest of the passengers. Alya and Nino were sleeping next to each other. Rose and Juleka were curled up in each other's arms while Mylene and Ivan snoozed near them. Marc had his head resting on Nathaniel's shoulder and Adrien was leaning against Kagami. Marinette smiled gently before she noticed someone stood at the rear of the plan. She frowned a little but realized it was Luka. He was stood on his own, looking outside the window. She blushed a little as he kind of reminded her of Anatis and how he would stand looking out from her balcony. She walked over and cleared her throat, making him look at her. "You ok?"

  "Yeah... I just wanted to look out of the window..." He smiled, looking back. "It's like a whole different world up here. I like how we're sailing in a sea of clouds,"

  "Yeah?" She asked before looking over. The sun was slowly rising so the clouds appeared in a golden light. Marinette couldn't help the soft gasp that escaped her lips as she glanced outside. It was so beautiful. She felt a sense of calm wash over her as she stood next to Luka and just looked outside. "It's really beautiful,"

  "Yeah," He smiled. "I might write a song about it,"

  "I should make a dress based on it," She grinned, making him smile before she gasped and pointed as a flock of birds flew by. He chuckled and smiled gently as she continued to look. 

  "I'm glad I can share this with you," He muttered, causing her to ask if he said something. He shook his head and looked back out of the window. He glanced down as Tikki gently poked his leg before grinning up at him and mouthed 'tell her'. Luka bit his lip and looked at her. He could tell her that he loved her. The sunrise was really romantic and everyone was asleep so she wouldn't be embarrassed. "Marinette, I ha-"

  Before he could completely his sentence, the plane jolted causing the two of them to be slammed against the floor. Luka gasped and helped Marinette to her feet, making sure she wasn't hurt. The two of them looked outside as a blue man in an orange jumpsuit landed on the wing of the plane but before either could react, he placed his hands on the plane and caused the engine to stop working, causing the plane to go lob-sided and an alert to go off. Luka groaned as his back hit the side of the plane before he looked at Marinette who was stuck against the other side of the window.

  "Are you ok?" He called out, making her look at him.

  "Y-yeah... bit scared though," She replied.

  "Don't worry, sweethearts," A female voice suddenly said, making them look to the side. A girl with three eyes was looking in the window. She was smiling as she looked at them. "We have the situation under control. Dear passengers, united heroes are here to protect you,"

  In the distance, they both heard Alya gasp and squeal with excitement. 

  "Uncanny valley!!" She gasped. "The first superhero made with artificial intelligence! She was built by Majestia... which means...!"

  Both Marinette and Luka looked at each other as Alya squealed but to their surprise, the plane stopped tilting and actually became upright again. As soon as they're feet were on the ground, Luka grabbed Marinette's hand and rushed back over their seats.

  "Are you hurt?" He asked, concern in his face.

  "No, I'm ok," She gasped, looking just as concerned. "Are you?"

  "I'm fine,"

  "Wow, Majestia in person!!" Alya gasped, making them look over at her. "So cool!"

  "Well... at least, Alya's excited?" Luka mumbled as she looked out the window. He rose an eyebrow as Mr Damocles rushed to the bathroom but an explosion outside caught his attention. He quickly got up and looked out a window as a man dressed like an owl landed on the wing with a side kick. Alya confirmed that it was in the Knightowl and Luka found himself impressed as he captured the thief quickly. He watched as the three eyed girl fixed the engine, allowing a blonde woman who he guessed was Majestia to fly up as the plane was fully functional now. She flew over to the window with the three eyed girl and smiled.

  "I'd like to welcome you to the united states and enjoy your stay," Majestia stated as she waved at them before flying off with the thief and the rest of the heroes. Almost instantly, Alya began to fangirl but Luka returned to his seat and turned to Marinette. 

  "You sure you're ok?"

  "Well... that was a bit scary but american superheroes... how cool is that?"

  "It is pretty cool," He smiled, nodding. Fortunately, the rest of the flight was normal and uneventful. They landed with no trouble and got their luggage almost straight away. Once in the airport, the classes were put onto another coach to drive them to the location they would be staying at. Marinette was sat back with Alya while Luka was sat with Aurora, who was happily chatting away about the heroes and the thief who apparently was called Techno pirate but she soon stopped talking and frowned as Luka sighed.

  "You ok, guitar boi?" She asked, making him look at her.

  "Yeah... I just... I tried to tell her but that thief turned up..." He sighed. "Why is it every time I try to tell her my feelings something goes wrong?"

  "Hey, that's not the case. It was just bad timing on Techno pirate's end, not yours," She grinned before gently nudging him. "Besides, your luck will line up. Everyone knows you're the luckiest kid in school so just pluck up some courage and tell her,"

  "Thanks, Aurora," He muttered, looking over at Marinette as she took in New York with glee and awe. His eyes softened as he looked at her. She looked beautiful as she smiled and pointed out things to Alya.

  ~Meanwhile~

  "The little croissants are en route," Sparrow declared in the earpiece as Uncanny Valley flew towards the building's roof. She landed on the roof and turned into her human form. In it, she wore a cute gray skirt with tights and a pink faded t-shirt with three stars on it. Her hair had transformed into dark curls which she wore loose and she had ballet pumps on.

  "Good, don't leave them," Knightowl ordered as the bus came to a stop. Sparrow fired their grapple gun and pulled themselves onto the roof as well before turning into their civilian form. She wore a faded blue jeans with a top that was styled similar to a baseball shirt. It was red on the arms and the main part of it was white but it had a yellow sun in the middle of it. Her hair was tied into two braids tied with leather binds. She grabbed her skateboard and head to join Uncanny Valley downstairs as the french kids came in. 

  "Two of them are missing," Valley stated, looking around before she noticed them at the door. Marinette was attempting to get her suitcase in while trying to get the door to open. Luka was trying to get her to let him help so she could open the door. "There they are,"

  She placed her hand on the door switch and used her powers to cause it to open. However, Marinette ended up tripping and falling over her suitcase. Luka rushed over and helped up as it got the attentions of some of the other teenagers in there. A guy in gray pants, yellow shirt and a dark green jacket walked over and helped them.

  "You guys alright?" He asked, getting a nod of Marinette as Luka helped her collect the things that fell out of her suitcase. She gave him a bashful smile as he handed them back to her. "Hey, nice hair dude,"

  "Thanks," Luka muttered, helping Marinette to her feet before turning to Mason. "I'm Luka. This is Marinette. We're from Dupont high in Paris,"

  "Dude, you're the French kids everyone's been talking about," He grinned, shaking Luka's hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Mason by the way. I'm here with my class too. We're from Armstrong High in Queens,"

  "Cool," Luka smiled as Sparrow joined Uncanny Valley. She rolled her eyes as she looked at them.

  "Urg!! Babysitting some tourists!" She groaned, placing her skateboard down and sitting down as she crossed her arms. "Don't they have something better for us to do?"

  "Those two are made from each other," Valley stated as she sat down on the edge of the sofa, causing Sparrow to groan as she looked at Luka and Marinette.

  "Seriously, Aeon, not again!"

  "But I'm programmed to help people, Jess," She replied, a little confused by Jess's reaction. Jess gently placed her hand on her shoulder and smiled.

  "Just stop meddling with people's private lives," She suggested, causing Aeon to frown a little before she nodded.

  "You're right," She smiled. "Let's just follow the orders and protect the tourists,"

  Both girls looked up as Mrs Mendeleiev clapped her hands, getting her class's attention.

  "Listen up, students. You will go to your rooms by groups of four. Everyone, come take your artillery," She ordered, causing the students to come up to her and grab them. Once all of the students had their papers, she narrowed her eyes. "And when I come up in two and half minutes, you better be in your rooms with the lights out,"

  A few of the class moaned and protested as they began to head towards the rooms but Mason leaned over.

  "Hey, blueberries," He whispered, getting Marinette and Luka's attention. "We're throwing a little party on the roof if you're interested. Hang with us but be quiet ok?"

  He smiled and looked over at Sabrina before winking at her then walking off. She went bright red as Alya walked over. 

  "I think there's an American boy who would like to see you there, Sabrina," She grinned as Marinette nodded. She smiled shyly and looked at her feet a little.

  "You... you think so?" She asked as Chloe walked over.

  "It's obvious," She declared. "And he would be totally ridiculous not to like you. Anyway, come on. We're sharing a room,"

  "All of us?" Marinette asked as they headed to their rooms. Luka smiled at her as he walked with Nino, Adrien and Ivan. She waved at him, getting a wave back before they all headed into their room. She closed the door and turned to the other girls. "Ok, what's the plan?"

  "Waiting til Mendeleiev has gone to her room then we're sneaking to the roof," Alya declared, getting a nod of the other two before she grinned at her phone. "The boys are down for it as well,"

  "As are the rest of Kitty Section and the art kids," Marinette grinned as her phone vibrated.

  "Kim and Max are planning to join us too as well as the weather girls and Kagami," Chloe confirmed as Sabrina listened to the door. As soon as they heard the door to Mrs Mendeleiev's room close, they all sneaked out and began to head to the roof. 

  "What's that noise?!" Mrs Mendeleiev suddenly shouted, causing the students to gasp and dive into random rooms. Marinette took a deep breathe as she heard the teacher come out before she went back in. She looked to the side, expecting to be alone and squeaked a little as someone was leaning against the door too. She calmed down as she realized it was Luka, who looked a little startled too before he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

  "Sorry, Mari. I didn't mean to scare you," He muttered before they both noticed they had wondered in someone else's room. The two girls were sat on the bed. One of them glared them while the other looked excited to see them. "Oh, we're so sorry. We were just trying to get to the roof but our teacher heard us..."

  "Uh... hi... I'm Marinette and this is my boy- I mean friend! Uh... Luka... this is my Luka... I mean Luka... just Luka.." She gasped as he waved. The excited girl leaned over and smiled.

  "See... they're made for each other," She attempted to whisper but both Marinette and Luka heard her. Marinette went bright red and started to mumble while Luka went completely silent and a little red as well.

  "I think you broke them," The other girl stated, rolling her eyes. "I'm Jess and this is my sister, Aeon. Anyway, if you want to get to the roof without getting caught, you can take the stairs outside,"

  "Thanks," Marinette grinned before grabbing Luka's hand which knocked him out of his trance.

  "Uh... t-thanks..." He stuttered, making Marinette look at him. He honestly looked like he was about to hyperventilate but he gave her a soft smile. "Withdrawal..."

  "Ah, yeah. You couldn't bring her with you," She muttered, making the two girls raise an eyebrow as Marinette opened the window. "Maybe someone will let you borrow theirs,"

  "Borrow? Withdrawal?" Jess questioned as she looked at them. "Are you... ok?"

  "Oh, Luka's a musician and music helps him... how did you put it?"

  "Music is often simpler then words," He muttered, blushing a little. "I use it talk I guess..."

  "Hmm..." Jess muttered before getting up and grabbing an acoustic guitar before shoving it in his hands. She then grabbed a second one. "Well, let's head to the roof and hear your music. Come on, Aeon,"

  "Yay!!" She grinned, jumping up as Marinette climbed out the window. Luka thanked Jess, putting the guitar on his back before he followed Marinette with the other two behind them. 

  "Wow," Marinette gasped as they got onto the roof. It was lit up with fairy-lights and almost all of the students were there, talking and just hanging. Luka stood next to her and smiled, looking around as well. Alya and Nino were getting selfies with some of the students, the rest of Kitty section were sat with other musicians, playing music and singing. Kim was doing press ups against another kid with a few kids filming. Max was explaining Markov to others as Alix talked to a girl with bright green hair. Kagami was showing off her fencing skills and Adrien was talking in Chinese. Aurora and Mireille were chatting with other students too. Chloe and Sabrina were chatting with Mason and his friend. Jess and Aeon came over.

  "Alright, music boi, let's see what you can do," Jess declared before she sat down and began to play an upbeat song which caused people to begin to dance. Luka closed his eyes and listened before opening them again. He looked around and smiled as his luck vision highlighted Ivan, Rose, a girl with a tambourine and a few other instruments. He walked over and whispered something to Ivan, who grinned and nodded before telling Rose and the tambourine girl then he grabbed the other instrument. He gave Juleka a flute and handed Adrien a ukulele before walking back over as Jess rose an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

  "What I do best," He smiled before sitting down and closing his eyes before tapping his hand against the guitar. Ivan began to play and gradually the others joined in. Luka kept his eyes closed as he took it in before he began to play. The whole song was so upbeat and full of energy that it made people want to dance and clap in time with it. Jess couldn't help but smile as Luka skillfully played a melody that no one had ever heard before joining in. Aeon grinned and began dancing as the tempo got faster and faster. Luka smiled and glanced up at Marinette who was laughing and dancing with Alya and Chloe. He smiled and continued playing before the song gradually came to a natural stop, causing the students to clap and whistle.

  "What was that song, dude?" Mason asked as Jess nodded. "Did you write it?"

  "Uh... I just play what I feel... had to get the rest involved though since there's some many songs out here tonight," Luka muttered, making them raise an eyebrow but Marinette walked over and smiled.

  "Luka can hear the songs in people's hearts," She explained. "What he just played is what he heard in the hearts of everyone here,"

  "Whoa," Mason gasped as Luka smiled before he began to play a solo tune. Gradually, the others joined in again but the music came to a stop as something appeared in the sky. Luka stood up as Marinette stared into the sky. Adrien dropped the ukulele as Kagami stared with wide eyes as a flying machine came towards them. It was red and orange in color and a man with a matching suit seemed to be flying it.

  "What is that?" Luka gasped as the rest of the classes surrounded them. Mason laughed and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

  "That is Hotdog Dan!" He yelled out as it landed. A parasol popped out as it turned into a food van, revealing the man inside. He had an orange and red mask on and was dressed as a superhero. His hair resembled flames and he was grinning. 

  "Hey, hey, hey. Hotdog Dan is here to get in the mood!" He declared, taking out his blades and began to serve up hotdogs. The students rushed over in a swarm and began to get his hotdogs. Adrien grabbed Kagami's hand and rushed over as Rose ran over to buy one for her and Juleka. "I'm the hero of Picnics and tasty food!"

  "Usually, he teams up with Ketchup Boy and Mustard Girl but it looks like he's patrolling solo tonight," Jess explained before she glanced over. "You might want to hurry if you want to try one of his magic hotdogs though. They sell out in minutes,"

  "Magic... hotdogs?" Marinette gasped as she looked over. A boy with red hair took a bit into her hotdog and then to her surprise, he blew out a bit of fire that resembled a dragon. A blonde girl took a bite of hers, which caused her skin to turn a glowing blue. She laughed along with her friends. Rose ate hers and literally lifted Ivan above her head while Juleka's hotdog allowed her to change her hair color into anything she wanted. Adrien literally gave him cat ears while Kagami gained a bit super speed. Another girl had a fire breathing one, allowing her to create a dragon from fire and Sabrina's gave her long hair with flowers into it, similar to Rapunzel. Marinette's eyes went huge with excitement before she turned to Luka. "We have to try those!!"

  She didn't wait for an answer before she grabbed his hand and rushed over to Hotdog Dan as Alya and Nino walked over too. Hotdog Dan frowned as he saw the four of them.

  "Sorry, guys, I only have two hotdogs left for the four of you," He frowned, disappointed but Nino shook his head and took out his cash.

  "No worries, dude. My girl and I can take one," He smiled, buying them before he handed one to Marinette. "You can take the other. My treat,"

  He winked and pushed Marinette's hand away as she went to give Nino a bit of money for the hotdog before Alya handed him half of theirs.

  "Thanks, babe," He smiled as Marinette turned to Luka.

  "Here, you should have it. I can get a hotdog later," She smiled, offering it to him but Luka smiled softly. He picked it up and broke it half. She blinked as he handed her the other half. "Are you sure?"

  "Yeah. There's no way I'm letting you miss out on these ones," He smiled, causing her to blush and smile back as she took the hotdog half. The two of them smiled as they bit into them. Almost instantly, they began to float up into the air. Marinette gasped and flailed around but Luka grabbed her hand as he gasped, surprised at the fact they were floating. Nino and Alya were laughing at their reactions but apparently, their hotdog had the effect of helium. Jess and Aeon couldn't help but laugh as Marinette gasped as she looked down.

  "You were right," She mumbled, looking at Aeon and getting Alya's attention. "Those two are made for each other,"

  "Oh, with those two, things aren't that simple," She explained in a high pitched voice which made both girls give her a questioning look. "Luka has been in love with Marinette for like... forever but Marinette had a huge crush on Adrien. However, she realized that she also had a huge crush on Luka but she wasn't sure how to deal with but then Adrien started to date Kagami and Marinette decided to let him go and move on from her crush on him. She still has feelings for Luka but thinks he only thinks of her as a friend and Luka thinks she's still hung over Adrien. Also they both think each other deserves better then themselves and that's not even including Marinette's crush on our local superhero Anatis,"

  "Whoa... that's complicated," Jess nodded as Marinette began to relax. She spun upside down and grinned at Luka, who laughed a little too much that he floated away slightly. Marinette gasped and grabbed his hand, pulling him back to her. They both blushed as they looked into each other’s eyes, not realizing how close they were. Jess grinned as she looked at them then at her guitar. "Hey, squeaky,"

  "The name's Alya but... yes?"

  "Alya... cool... do they have a favorite song?" Jess asked as Adrien walked over. He took out his phone and showed her a song on his phone.

  "They danced together at Chloe's party to that," He explained, getting a nod of Jess who began to play it. Luka gasped as he heard it. He looked down and saw everyone had started dancing to it as Jess played the song. He looked back at Marinette who was looking at the moon before she looked at him and smiled.

  "We danced to this at Chloe's party," She mumbled, playing with her hands. "It's actually one of my favorite memories despite that akuma. I got to make macaroons with you..."

  "It's one of my favorite memories too," He admitted, blushing a little before looking at her. The moonlight illuminated her, giving her an ethereal sort of glow. Her hair seemed a little bright then usual and she looked happy. Luka gently took her hand in his, making her look at him as he smiled. "Would... would you like to dance again?"

  "Yeah... I would," She smiled, placing her spare hand on his shoulder. He smiled back and placed his hand on her waist as they began to dance. He spun her around, causing her to giggle before he pulled her closer to him. She carefully placed her arms around his neck and leaned into him. She couldn't help but smile happily as he held her close. She closed her eyes as they gently spun round in the air. Gradually, the effect of the magic hotdog began to wear off. Marinette gasped in fear, scared that they would just suddenly fall but Luka gave her a reassuring smile as they slowly descended from the sky. Gradually, their feet touched the ground but instead of separating, Marinette just smiled and leaned against him as the song continued to play. Luka smiled and closed his eyes as they couldn't to sway and move to the music, leaving the two of them in their own little bubble as Adrien and Kagami joined Nino and Alya. Kagami smiled as they watched them.

  "They appear to be making progress," She stated, getting a nod of Adrien.

  "I'm happy for them," He smiled as his cat ears twitched. "Luka helps ground Marinette but she helps him come out of his shell,"

  "So he's pretty shy then?" Jess asked, getting a nod of the four.

  "Yeah, he only recently started to go to school. He use to be home educated but after some time, he decided to join the school," Alya nodded as Rose gushed over them and Juleka just smiled. "I think shyness kind of runs in the family,"

  "Oh?" Jess asked, looking at her.

  "Well, Juleka is his sister. He's only older by her then a year so he's in the year above us but she's super shy too," Alya replied, nodding towards her. "I often forget they are Couffaines,"

  "Couffaines?"

  "It's their name and believe me when I say, they may be shy but Chaos is in their blood," She chuckled, making pretty much everyone smile or laugh. "I think that's why Rose and Marinette are drawn to them. They're pretty chaotic themselves. Marinette can be really clumsy and Rose... well, she is energy incarnate,"

  "Sound like my kind of people," Jess grinned as Aeon nodded excitedly.

  "You should meet the captain," Adrien grinned, making them look at him with confused expression. "The captain is the head of the Couffaine family. She is literally like a real life pirate. Ah what is it she says?"

  "From Chaos comes creativity," Ivan piped up as he walked over with Mylene. "Marinette's parents are really cool as well,"

  "Yeah, they run the best bakery in all of Paris," Adrien grinned as Jess listened. "The croissants are amazing,"

  "Awesome," She smiled. "So what about you? What's your family like?"

  "Oh... well... um..." Adrien muttered, suddenly looking sad. Kagami frowned and took his hand before turning to Jess.

  "His family is a sensitive subject," She stated in her usual manner. "Could we change the subject?"

  "Yeah, of course," Jess answered, nodding before she grinned. "Why don't you tell us about this Anatis dude you mentioned? You said he was a local superhero? Can you tell us about him?"

  "Yes, we would love to know more," Aeon agreed as Alya practically shook with excitement. "Like does he work alone? Or-"

  "He has a partner!" She gasped, taking out her phone and showing them pictures. "Anatis and Lady Noir! They're such badass and so nice too!! There's other heroes too!! Culpeo, Abellie and Leatherback are part of his inner circle but there's others too like Ryuko and Aspik!!”

  "And we've lost her," Adrien smiled as he glanced back over at Marinette and Luka. They were still dancing and Luka had his eyes closed. Marinette caught Adrien looking and grinned at him as he gave her a thumbs up before closing her eyes and continued to dance. 

  ~The Next Day~

  "Soo how was your dance with Luka last night?" Alya asked as her and Marinette got off the bus. Marinette had been sighing happily all morning but neither girl had a chance to talk. After the party last night, they were all really tired so they went to bed pretty quickly and this morning, they had breakfast with everyone. Alya knew better to talk to Marinette about Luka when he was in ear shot. 

  "It was so romantic, Alya," She smiled, almost walking into something. She shook her head and turned back to Alya, who had gone quiet. "Do you- Alya?"

  "Oh my gosh!!" She gasped, pointing to a teacher. "That teacher over there!! That's Dean Gate aka Doorman. He has the ability to transform any door into a teleportation passage! Oh, that is soo cool! Superheroes don't necessarily need to hide their true identity here!! Amazing!!! Ah, I have to ask him for a quote for my blog!!"

  With that, she walked away as Marinette smiled. Luka noticed and walked over.

  "Alya seems excited," He mumbled, getting a nod of Marinette as Alya talked to Mr Gate.

  "Apparently, that teacher is a superhero called Doorman but his identity is public knowledge,"

  "Really?" He asked, imagining what his life would be like if everyone knew he was Anatis. Marinette nodded. "How strange but I guess he doesn't have an insane miraculous user trying to steal his miraculous,"

  "Yeah, that's true," She nodded, subconsciously stroking her ring before turning to him. "Shall we go inside?"

  "Yeah," He smiled as they walked in, following the other students. Seeing Jess and Aeon there, Luka smiled and waved at them as they walked inside the area. Mr Gate clapped his hands and asked them to follow him as they walked through the museum. Luka couldn't help but look around as they checked out the displays. They made their way over to the special display that had been put up for the French American friendship week. The class came to a stop in front of the display as Mr Gate gestured to it.

  "This is the famous saber of the marquis Lafayette," He explained, pointing towards it before he pointed towards a necklace. "And here is the necklace he presented to George Washington as a symbol of friendship between the French and the American people,"

  Luka glanced over at it and suddenly, it was like a pulse when through his mind, causing him to groan and grip his head. His mind was pounding and he stepped back.

  "Mr Couffaine?" Mr Gate asked, concerned as Marinette gasped, gently placing her hand on his arm. "Are you ok?"

  "Y-Yeah... I just have a headache... I'm fine.." He gasped, looking up. As soon as he saw the necklace again, another pulse hit him and another like a wave, causing him to groan and stumble back as images began to flash through his mind. "C-Can... I get some fresh air?"

  "Yes, of course," He nodded, causing Luka to rush out of the building. Marinette came with him and made sure he was ok. Once he was outside, he pounding headache disappeared, allowing him to breathe in. He assured that he was fine and that it was just a headache before sending her back inside. As soon as she was gone, Tikki flew out of his pocket.

  "Are you ok?" She asked, concerned. He nodded and took out his bottle of water, taking a slip. "What happened?"

  "I'm not sure," He muttered, looking at her. "I just... It felt like... I was getting hit by something... like some sort of energy and there were... images flashing in my mind. Tikki, it felt like magic,"

  "That's strange," She mumbled, frowning. "Think you'd be ok to go back inside so we can look at it?"

  "Sure," He nodded, getting up. She flew into his pocket and he headed back in. He headed back into the room where the display was, noting it was empty. He walked over but groaned again as the pulse hit him again. Tikki flew out and moved over to it, looking at it as Luka gripped his head. "T-Tikki,"

  "Luka!!" She gasped as he fell to the ground. "Luka?!"

  Flashes of the marquis and the necklace flashed through his mind as he gripped his head. His eyes began to change silver as he continued to see them before he started to make sense of them. He saw the Marque talking to a small creature he recognized as a kwami and saw how he used the power to help liberate people. Gradually, the images disappeared and he carefully sat up, scoping up Tikki. 

  "Are you ok?" She asked, placing her paw on his face.

  "Yeah... I think it's a miraculous," He whispered, making her gasp and look at it but before he could explain more, his phone vibrated. He took it out and saw it was an akuma alert. He got up and ran over to a pillar to hide behind. He took out the sunglasses that were the horse miraculous and put them on, allowing Kaaiki to manifest as they changed into normal glasses.

  "Hello, Master Luka," She stated in a bored manner. "You know the words,"

  "Kaaiki, full gallop," He declared, causing her to be sucked into the glasses, transforming him into Appalo. With his transformation complete, he made a circle movement with his hand, creating a ring of energy around his wrist before he threw across the room as he focused on the Eiffel tower. "Voyage!!"

  The ring transformed into a portal which he stepped through bringing him into Paris. It disappeared straight away as he looked down and frowned as the destruction the akuma had been making.

  "Kaaiki, Dismount," He muttered, catching the kwami and give her a baby carrot as Tikki flew out. He turned to the two kwami. "Tikki, spots on!"

  A red light engulfed him, turning him into Anatis before he looked at Kaaiki. She finished the carrot and gave him a nod. He took off the glasses and placed them in his yoyo before diving off the tower and swinging off into the city, following the trail of destruction. He landed on a nearby building as Robustus literally destroyed another.

  "Robustus?" He whispered, frowning as that didn't make sense. Robustus was Max's Robot Markov but they were in New York with the rest of the class so how the hell did he get akumatized in Paris? Frowning to himself, he threw his yoyo in the air and called for a lucky charm. He frowned as he caught a length of rope before looking around. Robustus himself lit up then the rope and then a man on the street who was looking at the monster in shock. Knowing what to do, he swung down and used the rope to tied up the robot before landing in front of the man. His luck vision zoomed in on the man's watch and he frowned as he realized it was discolored.

  "I... I didn't... I don't know how it appeared," The man gasped in shock, making Anatis frown. "I was just feeling low and then the next thing I know that thing appeared,"

  "Can I borrow your watch?" He asked, causing the man to shake and nod but he suddenly tried to punch Anatis, causing him to grab his arm and take off the watch before he crushed it in his hand. To his surprise, it wasn't an akuma that escaped but an amok. He caught it with his yoyo before grabbing the ropes and throwing them up in the air. "Miraculous Ladybugs!"

  The swarm fixed everything and the man looked confused as Anatis bid him farewell before he threw his yoyo and swung off. Once on the rooftops away from the scene, he opened his yoyo and took out the feather, examining it. 

  "Mayura..." He muttered, looking at it with a frown. "But why...."

  His yoyo vibrated, making him open it and click on the notification. It was a live steam on the ladyblog, showing a bright blue villain with four tentacle like arms fighting uncanny valley and Sparrow in the museum. He frowned as he wasn't sure why it was on the Ladyblog but it seemed the villain was similar to Techno Pirate but more powerful. He frowned to himself but then Lady Noir suddenly appeared on screen, throwing her baton towards the villain. However, he knocked it back and grabbed her with one of his tentacle before slamming her into a wall. Doorman appeared on screen, calling for Sparrow, Uncanny Valley and Lady Noir to get through one of his teleportation portal but Techno Pirate grabbed Valley with one of his arms and declared her powers his before throwing her against the wall. He then destroyed Doorman's door and repeatedly fired at them with a move similar to her third eye. Sparrow attempted to jump at him but was caught and throw into a different room. Lady Noir rushed in to help him as Doorman rushed over to Alya, who was still filming.

  "You need to get out of here," He declared, causing the live stream to cut off. Anatis frowned to himself and activated the dimension pocket in his yoyo. He took out the horse miraculous and put them on, allowing Kaaiki to manifest again.

  "Kaaiki," He declared, holding out one of his hands before he held out the other. "Tikki... unify,"

  He held his hands together, changing his spots to white as he merged the miraculous. His boots gained wing like details and his gloves got a white strip on them. His mask transformed into speed googles with darkened lens and he gained the horse shoe on his back. He drew the circle with his hand before opening the portal. He walked through and frowned as he stepped into the museum, just as Tikki manifested turning him into his normal horse outfit. He reached into his pocket and took out a cookie for her. She grinned and took it as he leaned down and touched the dust. Using his horse vision, he looked around for anything to stand out but to his surprise, he found the Doorman under an airplane model. He rushed over and lifted it off him before checking his pulse. Luckily, he was alive. He groaned and blinked as he saw him.

  "W-Who..." He gasped in pain. "A-Are you?"

  "I'm Appalo," He explained as he helped him to his feet. He glanced around and saw no one else in there so he helped Doorman out of the museum and to where the staff were. One of them rushed over and took Doorman off him as Tikki finished her cookie. He took out his communication device and opened it up, tracking where Lady Noir was. Apparently, she was on the New York times building which appeared to be on the other side of New York. A beep made him frown before he looked to Tikki.

  "Tikki, you charged?" He asked, making her nod. "Alright. Tikki, Kaaiki unify,"

  He turned back into his merged form, making a few people gasp before Kaaiki appeared, turning him back into Anatis. He took off his glasses and placed them into his yoyo before he took out a purple macaroon. Doorman rose an eyebrow as he ate it.

  "Power up," He muttered, transforming into his Asteroid form before he turned to the stunned hero. "Doorman, get in contact with Majestia and let her know Techno pirate has escaped and is at the New Times building,"

  "W-Will do," He nodded, getting a nod of Asteroid. "But... what are you going to do?"

  "Help the heroes fighting him," He replied before he broke into a run. He threw his yoyo up and pulled himself into the air before flying off as fast as he can. He reached the New York Times tower, just as Techno pirate grabbed Lady Noir with one of his arms. Uncanny Valley was laid on the floor but she was broken. It appeared that Techno pirate had ripped in half. Sparrow was trapped in one of his other arms but appeared to be unconscious and Lady Noir was struggling as he tightened his arm around her. She gasped in pain as he heard a crunch as if something had broken.

  "Say goodbye to your new friend, kitty cat," Pirate laughed before he dropped the unconscious Sparrow off the building. Lady Noir cried out and struggled even more but Pirate just laughed. Asteroid narrowed his eyes before diving down pass Pirate. "What was that?!"

  He caught Sparrow and flew back up before landing on the roof.

  "Spots off," He declared, changing into his normal form as he placed Sparrow down next to Valley. Pirate turned to him as Lady Noir gasped. "Hey! Big and ugly! Why don't you pick on someone you're on size?!"

  "Annie!!" She gasped in relief. Anatis took out his yoyo and threw it up.

  "Lucky charm!!" He yelled out but Pirate grabbed him around the waist. He grabbed the lucky charm in time and used it to blast a puff of air into Pirate's eyes, distracting him for a few seconds. He wrapped his yoyo around the ariel on the roof and Lady Noir used her baton and cataclysm to escape but it only damaged his arms. The two of them jumped across the roof, spinning their weapons as Pirate blasted them with Valley's power but before he could do any more damage, Majestia appeared and punched him, sending him flying throughout different buildings. Lady Noir groaned as she held her ribs, hissing a little. Anatis turned to her and cupped her face. "Are you ok?"

  "I think he crushed my ribs but..." She looked over at Sparrow and Uncanny Valley, causing Majestia to look over. She let out a cry of despair and rushed over, crying as she held the upper body of Uncanny Valley. They heard the sound of a grapple hook as Knightowl appeared and stopped as he looked at the scene before he rushed over to Sparrow. He held the child in his arms before looking angrily at the two french heroes.

  "What did you two do?!" He snarled, making Lady Noir glare at him.

  "It wasn't us! It was Techno Pirate!" She argued. "In fact, Sparrow would be dead if Annie hadn't turned up! He saved him from been splatted on the ground! Ah!"

  She gasped and gripped her ribs, making Anatis frown. He looked over at the scene before he took out the bike pump.

  "Oh, what are you going to do? Fix it with a magical bike pump?!" Knightowl mocked.

  "Exactly that," Anatis replied before throwing it up in the air. "Miraculous Ladybugs!!"

  The bike pump burst into the magical swarm, which spread around New York, fixing all the damage before it swarmed around Lady Noir, Sparrow and Uncanny Valley. When it disappeared, Sparrow sat up and looked around. Uncanny Valley was repaired and opened her eyes, smiling as she saw her mother.

  "Rebooting," She muttered as Anatis turned to Lady Noir, who was no longer in pain and completely fixed. 

  "Oh! Man, I love that feeling," She gasped as Majestia turned to Anatis.

  "Thank you but... why are you in New York?" She asked, confused. Lady Noir gasped, panicked but Anatis stepped up.

  "We were following a lead regarding Hawk Moth's identity. I suspected it might have been someone who had connections to New York and Paris..." He muttered, making the hero nod. However, Knightowl was angry as he stormed over.

  "You two are dangerous!" He declared, causing Anatis to step in front of Lady Noir protectively. Sparrow, however, rushed in front of them too. "I suspect that Techno pirate had his power increased because of you!"

  "No, they were j-" Sparrow tried to argue.

  "So are you! You disobeyed and didn't call it in!" He growled before turning to Lady Noir and Anatis. "I don't care why you're here but I'm ordering you to revert to your civilian identities and hand me the source of your power! You'll get it back when you leave. We don't not need amateur heroes running around,"

  "Firstly, you're super rude, do you know that?!" Anatis growled back, causing Knightowl to act surprised. Lady Noir smirked as she realized no one had ever spoke to him in that before. "And secondly, your protege tried their damn best and deserves a better mentor then you! And finally, don't you dare blame us for something that a villain did!!"

  "Why you!?!" Knightowl growled before pointing at Anatis. "You liste-"

  "No, you listen!" He growled. "Me and my partner are not to blame for a villain's actions and neither is your protege! In fact, they tried their damn hardest and probably didn't have a way to contact you but instead of giving them the benefit of the doubt and actually listening to what they have to say, you just assume that their actions were based on childish decisions without even knowing the full facts and to add insult to injury, you actually have the nerve to try and order me about!"

  "Young man-," Majestia started.

  "Anatis! My name is Anatis since neither of you bothered to ask," He declared, making Sparrow, Lady Noir and Uncanny Valley hold back giggles. Sparrow leaned over to Lady Noir.

  "Is he always this sassy?"

  "Oh yeah. You should have seen him when he ripped into the style queen," She whispered, causing Valley to gasp.

  "The Style Queen? As in Audrey Bourgeois?" She gasped, making Lady Noir nod. Both of the New York heroes looked at him with awe. "Wow... he's so cool,"

  "Oh yeah," Lady Noir grinned as Anatis continued to argue with Knightowl.

  "Why you!" Knightowl growled but Majestia placed her hand on his shoulder.

  "Anatis, I understand the frustration but you're not in Paris and you two are extremely dangerous," She stated, making them look at her. She looked to Lady Noir. "I don't know exactly what your power is but I saw what you did to Techno Pirate's arms and you... your power could be used to create danger-"

  "The lucky charm doesn't work that way," Anatis argued, taking a step back as Knightowl growled and stepped forward.

  "I understand but you need to surrender the source of your power," Majestia nodded. Lady Noir looked at him and she could see he wasn't going to win this argument. "We will return it to you before you go home,"

  "That's all great and all," He muttered, looking around as Lady Noir stepped back with him, hissing a little. His luck vision highlighted an air vent. "But we can't trust you. Sorry, not sorry!"

  He used his yoyo to hit the vent, causing it to smoke before he grabbed her hand and jumped off the building. The two landed on the ground and rushed over to the nearest manhole. He opened it and jumped inside with her, following. He heard Knightowl shout at them and follow but he didn't follow them into the sewers. They climbed down the ladder and as soon as they were on the ground, Lady Noir threw her arms around him.

  "I'm so sorry!" She gasped. "I got you in trouble and-"

  "Hey, it's ok," He smiled, cupping her face. "I'm just glad I was able to get there in time... are you sure you're ok, kitten?"

  "I'm fine," She sniffed, nuzzling her hand. "My ribs don't hurt anymore... but why are you here in New York? I thought you were protecting Paris,"

  "I was but... something wasn't right," He muttered, taking out the feather from his yoyo as they walked through the sewer.

  "An amok?" She asked, frowning. "But you took care of it right?"

  "Yeah but it was Robustus," He muttered, making her frown. "But Markov isn't in Paris. I checked to see if he and Max were. Not just that and it was a sentimonster created by some random dude. It seems that it was meant to look like an akuma,"

  "That's... odd..." She muttered, handing him back the feather. "But how did you know I was in New York?"

  "I saw the Ladyblog live stream and used the horse miraculous to get her then located you with my yoyo," He replied, getting a nod of her. "I'm glad I got here on time,"

  "Me too," She mumbled. "According to Sparrow, Techno Pirate was... enhanced somehow,"

  "Hmm," He muttered, frowning before looking at her. "You should head back onto the surface,"

  "What are you going to do?" She asked, worry on her face.

  "I'm gonna follow a lead in the museum. There's something I need to check," He muttered, getting a nod of her. She turned to leave but suddenly hugged him again. He smiled and hugged back before she walked off. Once out of view, he heard her transform back before she ran off. He took out his yoyo and found an exit that led to the museum. He ran towards it and detransformed, catching Tikki before he gave her a cookie and went to climb out of the sewers. He stumbled a little and groaned, making Tikki look at him with concern. "I'm ok, Tikki but I won't be able to use the Horse Miraculous for a while,"

  "Here," She mumbled, breaking her cookie in half and handed him a bit. "I know you need a lot more then just half of a cookie but it should help,"

  "Thank you," He smiled, taking it and gently patting her head with his finger. He quickly ate it then climbed out of the sewers. He rushed over to the museum but frowned as he saw police and another superhero. He recognized them as Snowflake. He walked over and gently tapped her on the shoulder.

  "Yes?" She asked, looking at him.

  "Could you tell me what happened?" He asked. "Why are the police here?"

  "Oh, the saber of the marquis Lafayette, along with the falcon talon necklace was stolen by Techno Pirate but I'm not sure I understand why he wanted them," She mused, making him frown. "Hey, aren't you one of those french kids? I'll get Doorman to bring you back to the dorms! Hey, Doorman!"

  Before Doorman could come over, Luka turned and bolted as fast as he could out of there. He jumped a little as thunder sounded and rain began to fall heavily, soaking him within minutes. He found a place to hide and took Tikki out of his pocket.

  "That miraculous is missing," He stated, causing her to frown. "But I don't understand. Why did Techno pirate go after it and the saber? How did he get increased power? What's the connection?"

  "Well, what do we know?" She asked, making him think.

  "Techno pirate got increased power, stole the saber and the necklace and then disappeared again..." He muttered before his thoughts drifted to Paris and the amok. Why was there an amok made to look like an akuma? What was he missing? What was the connection and why was Mayura active instead of Hawkmoth? Wasn't he able to akumatize someone? Of course, he could. Plenty of dark feelings in Paris so why use Mayura? And why Robustus? He knew it couldn't be Marvok because he was here in New York... but of course, the rest of Paris wouldn't know that. They would just think it was the usual akuma attack but why go through all of this trouble to make an amok look like an akuma? It's almost like... his eyes widen in realization. Hawkmoth wasn't in Paris. He must be in New York and after that miraculous, which means Techno Pirate was akumatized. "Oh no,"

  "Luka?" Tikki gasped, causing him to look at her.

  "Hawkmoth is in New York," He gasped, making her look at him with shock. "We have to warn someone,"

  ~Meanwhile at the Lafayette building~

  "Luka Couffaine?" Mrs Mendeleiev asked as she looked around the room.

  "He's not here," Juleka muttered, frowning. Worry was clear in her eyes as she had no idea where her brother was nor was he answering his phone. The last she had seen him was at the museum when he went out for some fresh air due to his headache.

  "Neither is Marinette," Rose gasped as Alya tried to get through to her as well. She looked at Juleka with worry. "You don't think that horrible villain got them?"

  "I hope not," She mumbled as Jess and Aeon walked in with two women. One was blonde and dressed in green and the other had dark hair and dressed all in black. They seemed to be annoyed with the two girls.

  "You had one mission," The woman in black growled, making Juleka frown as she noticed. "To keep an eye on the French Students,"

  "We did and that's how we discovered Marinette and Luka are in love with each other. We tried to help but Luka got sick and we were interrupted by that supervillain. I still don't understand how he got-"

  "It doesn't matter! You failed and disobeyed orders!"

  "Barb, darling," The blonde woman stated, stroking her wife's face.

  "Mother, I don't understand," Aeon stated, making the two women frown. "You always say that all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing. What did I do wrong?"

  "My dear, by trying to help the french students, you ended placing them and yourselves in danger," The blonde woman explained as the woman in dark facepalmed. "Doing good doesn't necessarily mean fighting,"

  "Yeah... well maybe we were just trying to help since you know it's our job!" Jess declared, glaring at them. "We're not babysitting... we're super heroines!"

  "Superheroes! Who's mission was to keep an eye on the French students and you failed it!" Barb shouted, making Jess and Aeon look down. "You're forbidden to join in with the hunt for Techno Pirate. You're clearly not ready to leave the nest,"

  "Uh! How I am suppose to be ready when you never let me spread my wings?!"

  "No prohibits Anatis and Lady Noir,"

  "And we almost lost you because of that,"

  "No! We're almost lost her because of Techno Pirate!" Jess shouted, making both adults look at her in shock before she turned to Barb. "Anatis is right! You are rude and you're blaming us for Techno Pirate's actions!"

  "Jess, my word is final," Barb growled before turning on her heel. "Come on, Olympia. We're expected,"

  With that, the two of them walked out of the building, leaving Jess and Aeon alone. Jess sighed, defeated as the news came on. Walking over to the rest of the group, they saw it was the president, explaining that they would be postponing the French American week celebrations until Techno Pirate was captured. Majestia stepped forward, stating that she supported their decision and that it would be too dangerous to have any mass gathering. She asked everyone to keep safe while they would be patrolling the city. Alya sighed softly as the heroes talked on the screen before looking out of the window. She gasped and rushed outside as Marinette walked over to the stairs. 

  "Marinette!! Are you ok?!" She gasped as the rest of the class came out. Marinette looked up and gave them a small smile as Alya ran down the stairs and hugged her. "You're not hurt, are you?"

  "Oh... no... I'm ok," She smiled as she looked up at the rest of the class as they gushed over her, happy that she was ok. However, she looked around at them, trying to see where Luka was. Her eyes widen as she realized he wasn't there. "Where's Luka?"

  "He was with you right?" Juleka asked as Marinette frowned.

  "N-No... he went out of the museum because of his headache but then that villain attacked. I only got away because Sparrow rescued me but I didn't see Luka..." She gasped, taking out her phone. It was low battery but she didn't care. She dialed his number and held it to her ear but to her dismay, it went straight to voicemail. "I... I have to find him!!"

  "Marinette!" Alya shouted as she turned on her heel and broke into a run, heading in the direction of the museum. She didn't understand. He should have answered his phone. The museum was fixed thanks to Anatis but why wasn't Luka answering his phone?! She grabbed a bike and began to cycle as fast as she could to the museum but missed a turning, causing her bike to fall and crash. She weakly looked up but couldn't see Luka anywhere.

  "Luka..." She whispered, looking down. "Where are you?"

  ~Meanwhile in Times Square~

  "There they are," Luka gasped as he saw the heroes. He began to walk towards them but stopped when he saw Techno Pirate walking in the middle of the street. He frowned and ducked behind a dumpster to observe the screen. Techno Pirate was holding up his hands as he walked but weirdly enough, he looked different. His skin was completely black with white lines that resembled a mother board across it. His uniform had turned to a light brown color and he had wings that matched it's theme. He also had a break on his nose. Luka rose an eyebrow as he kept hidden.

  "I wanna surrender!!" He shouted, making Luka frown. "I never wanted to stop the french American celebrations from happening!! If I have to lose my freedom for everyone else to celebrate theirs then fine... I surrender!!"

  He spun around, looking as Luka narrowed his eyes. Something didn't feel right. If he was akumatized then why was he surrendering? What could this achieve? He looked around and noticed that the heroes were gathering around the pirate.

  "Put me in jail!!" The pirate wailed, making him frown even more. Especially when the heroes began to surround the villain. Luka carefully stood up from his hiding place and began to back away. All of his gut was telling him something was very wrong.

  "Don't be scared. I genuinely want nothing more then your freedom," The pirate stated as he looked at the heroes, like he wanted them to be there. He suddenly threw out his arms as eternal arrows appeared. "Liberation!"

  The arrows threw out, hitting each of the heroes as Luka ducked behind the dumpster again, causing one to miss him by inches. He let out a sigh but then he heard the sound of buildings been crushed. He jumped up as Knightowl swung past.

  "Can't park properly huh?!" He shouted, throwing a grenade under a car, causing it to blow up high in the sky. He jumped back as guns literally appeared out of the dumpsters and the manholes then Doorman ran past him, trying to decide where to go. Luka frowned and moved from his hiding place to another, peaking out. He frowned deeply as he saw all of the heroes basically doing whatever they wanted. Techno Pirate was stood in the middle of it, grinning as he looked around until a purple mask appeared over his eyes. He nodded and touched a lamp post, which glowed purple before all of the screens suddenly turned on causing Luka to gasp as it showed Hawkmoth on it. 

  "Anatis, Lady Noir... I'm in New York too," He stated, smirking evilly. "If you don't want the party ruined, you have no choice but to surrender your miraculous,"

  "Tikki, spots on!!" He declared, standing up and transforming into Anatis. He threw his yoyo up to the nearest building and pulled himself onto it, dodging the guns that fired at him before using his yoyo to destroy them. He ran across the roof and jumped off it, swinging off into the city as fast as he could. He needed to find Sparrow and Uncanny Valley as he noticed they weren't there, meaning they weren't effected by whatever Techno Pirate did. He also needed to find Lady Noir as he would need her help too. He swung across the buildings until he noticed someone walking in the rain as if they were looking for someone.

  "Luka?!" They called out, causing his eyes to widen as he realized it was Marinette. He dived down and landed near her, making her gasp. "A-Anatis? Wh-What are you doing in New York? Have you seen Luka?!"

  "Luka's fine, Marinette," He smiled, trying to reassure her. She let out a sigh of relief. "But it's not safe to be out on the streets. Hawkmoth is active in New York right now and his akuma has somehow effected the heroes, making them... well... do what they want,"

  "So they've gone... crazy?" She gasped, looking frightened. He sighed and nodded. "Oh no,"

  "Yeah... I need to find Sparrow, Uncanny Valley and Lady Noir. They're the only heroes who haven't been effected by this," He sighed before smiling. "Anyway, let's get you to a safe place. Are you staying in a hotel?"

  "The Lafayette building is where we're staying," She mumbled, gasping as he pulled her close to him.

  "I'll drop you off on the roof then. Hold on," He smiled, making her blush as she held onto him tightly. He threw his yoyo and pulled her up into the air, rushing through it as he swung through the city. Marinette gasped as she held onto him, feeling a little bit of fear as she did. It was different to swinging through Paris. The buildings were much higher and it was colder too but she didn't have much time to think as they landed on the Lafayette building. Anatis gently pulled away from her and gave her a smile. "Head inside and stay safe, Marinette,"

  "Wait!" She gasped as he went to jump. He turned to her and she blushed. "B-Be careful, Anatis,"

  "I will," He smiled before jumping off the building and swinging off. Once gone, Plagg flew out of her purse as she frowned.

  "Annie needs some help," She stated but jumped as Uncanny Valley literally landed in front of her. She quickly snatched Plagg from the air, hiding him behind her back.

  "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hawkmoth is in New York and we need Lady Noir," She gasped, making Marinette panic.

  "Lady Noir?! Wh-Who's that?!"

  "Lady Noir, your suit's quantum masking is designing to confuse human minds," She stated, turning in Aeon and causing Marinette to gasp in surprise. "But I am not human. Without you, we have no chance of contacting Anatis and I think we will need both of your to defeat Miraclonizer,"

  "Miraclonizer?" Marinette asked. "Do you mean Techno Pirate?"

  "Yes, he's been akumatized which means-"

  "Hawkmoth's in New York. I know. Anatis informed me," She mumbled before letting go of Plagg and turning to him but to her surprise, Uncanny Valley didn't blink or even look at him. "Uh... Plagg? Is she ok?"

  "Oh, yeah. She's fine. She just can't see me because she's a robot," He grinned, pulling a funny face at Valley's confused expression. "Anyway, what are we waiting for? Bug boy's gonna need a hand,"

  "Good point," She grinned, holding out her hand. "Plagg, Claws Out!"

  A green light enveloped her and she transformed in Lady Noir. She took out her baton and instantly called Anatis. He answered straight away.

  "Kitten, Hawk Moth-"

  "Is in New York. Yeah, I know. Uncanny Valley told me," She declared, getting a nod of him. "Where are you? We'll come and meet you,"

  "Excellent. Me and Sparrow are hidden by the dumpsters near the empire state building," He stated, nodding. "Try and stay low. The heroes have gone crazy and are attacking almost everything so please be careful,"

  "I will. See you soon, Bug a boo," She grinned, making him blush before hanging up. She turned to Uncanny Valley. "Alright, let's go and meet Annie,"

  "Sounds like a plan," She smiled before the two of them headed to the empire state building. It took a bit longer then they expected but they managed to move past the heroes without getting attacked. As soon as they found the dumpsters, Anatis grabbed them and pulled them into the alleyway before making sure they weren't followed. Sparrow rushed over to Uncanny Valley as Anatis checked over Lady Noir, making sure she hadn't been hurt. She blushed a little as Valley gasped and muttered something to herself before Anatis moved over to them. He knelt down as Lady Noir joined him. "So what's the plan, Annie?"

  "Incoming message from Hawkmoth," Uncanny Valley stated before projecting the video. Anatis frowned as he watched Hawkmoth declared that they had five minutes to surrender their miraculous or he'll start world war 3. "This is not good. We have no heroes available to help us. They have all been controlled by Miraclonizer,"

  "Not controlled," Anatis muttered, making everyone look at him as he took out his yoyo and showed them a picture of Miraclonizer before he zoomed in and pointed to the necklace around his neck.. "His new look is from that. Judging by his look and his power, it's a miraculous that represents freedom or something on the lines of that,"

  "What do you mean?" Sparrow asked, making him sigh. "And how do you know that?"

  "I was there when he took out the heroes. He used the term Liberation and next thing we know the heroes have gone crazy but when you think about it, what they are doing kind of makes sense. Majestia is trying new things with her powers because she's been freed from her fear,"

  "That explains the moon," Sparrow nodded. "But Knight Owl?"

  "Taking justice to the extreme? Easy, he's been freed from moral code. Similar case with Doorman and the rest," Anatis explained. "And it's definitely a miraculous. That I'm certain about but if we have a chance to save the world from Hawkmoth and his world war 3 plan, we're gonna need to free the heroes. In turn, they can help us,"

  "I take it you have a plan?" Uncanny Valley asked, making Anatis and Lady Noir look at each other. 

  "The plan is to reclaim that miraculous,"

  "Well, that's all good but we can't get anywhere near him,"

  "Well, that's because we need a lucky charm, right Annie?" Lady Noir grinned before he threw up his yoyo and summoned his lucky charm. He caught the key ring of Lady Liberty before frowning. Sparrow pointed to it.

  "That's your plan?" They asked, clearly not impressed as Anatis looked around to see how to use it.

  "We're suppose to beat the most powerful heroes with a key-chain?" Valley asked innocently before blinking. "Interesting,"

  "Yeah, that's the plan or at least it will be once I know how to use it," He muttered, looking down at it. Uncanny projected Miraclonizer again to check on the count down, causing Anatis to look up at her before looking back at the key chain. "Of course... Valley, can you show me the blue prints of the statue of liberty? I need to see how it was built,"

  "Sure," She grinned, projecting the blue prints. Anatis studied it before gasping and pointing to it.

  "Look, there's a ladder leading up to the torch platform. We can use that to get to Miraclonizer undetected," He declared, getting a nod of everyone.

  "We could use the horse miraculous to get in there," Lady Noir suggested but Anatis shook his head, making her frown.

  "I won't be any good in the battle against Miraclonizer if I use it again," He admitted, making her frown but she nodded in understanding. However, Sparrow and Uncanny blinked and looked at them.

  "Why doesn't Lady Noir just use it?" Sparrow asked but Anatis shook his head.

  "The horse miraculous isn't compatible with the cat miraculous," He explained, making the two frown. "As for me, it takes a lot of energy to use it and I've already used it to get here. If I use it again, I won't have the strength to fight Miraclonizer. We have to find an different way,"

  "Ok so what does the horse miraculous do?" Sparrow asked, making the two heroes look at them.

  "Teleportation but you have to know exactly where you're going and right now we can only use it once," Anatis explained, making Sparrow nod before the two of them looked at each as an idea popped into their heads. They both said Doorman at the same time, causing Lady Noir and Uncanny Valley to look at them with confusion.

  "Doorman can turn any door into a teleportal," Sparrow stated, getting a nod of Anatis. "With his ability, we can get into the tower unnoticed,"

  "But Doorman only uses his power to sate his own curiosity now," Uncanny Valley pointed out. "He'll never agree to help us,"

  "And we have no idea where he is," Lady Noir pointed out before she snapped her fingers. "But we could lure him to us. He mentioned that he's always wanted to find out what's in the safe in the statue of liberty but the key is in the Eiffel tower,"

  "Of course! Use his own curiosity against him. Great thinking, Kitten," Anatis grinned, scratching her ears which made her purr before he began to look around. His luck vision lit up a box and some news papers. He grabbed them and shoved them into Sparrow's hand. "Make a gift wrap for this  please,"

  "Uh... right," Sparrow nodded before doing as told. Anatis looked around and a door lit up.

  "Uncanny Valley, would you be able to unlock that door?" He asked, getting a nod of her. She rushed over and unlocked before he opened it to check it. Both Sparrow and Valley turned into the normal forms, revealing them to be Jess and Aeon. Lady Noir rose an eyebrow and Anatis just shrugged his shoulders before the two of them pushed two of the dumpsters by the sides of the door. Jess turned back into Sparrow and Aeon turned into Uncanny Valley as they placed the package down. "Head to Liberty Island. We'll meet you there,"

  "Ok... be careful," Sparrow stated as they ran off before Valley grabbed her and flew off. Lady Noir looked up from her hiding place.

  "So Sparrow's a girl huh?" She grinned, making Anatis shake his head. "Didn't see that coming. Why do you think she disguises herself as a boy? Not that's an issue... I'm just curious,"

  "Curiosity killed the cat, Kitten," Anatis stated, ducking down as the door opened. Lady Noir did the same thing as Doorman poked his head out.

  "Kids?" He questioned before seeing the box. He rushed over and opened it. "We know how fascinating you think keys are so we hope you like this one. Signed Jess and Aeon..."

  He looked at the key chain before jumping excitedly.

  "Of course!" He exclaimed, rushing over to the door. He closed it and reopened it. "That's where I should have started,"

  He disappeared into it, leaving it open. Anatis and Lady Noir followed through but kept out of sight as he searched the office of the Eiffel Tower. He gasped and held up an old looking key. He attached it to the key chain then rushed back over to the door and closed it before reopening it again. He ran out, allowing Anatis and Lady Noir to follow. They tackled him down and Anatis tried him up with his belt before reclaiming the key chain. The two of them ran upstairs as fast as they could as they only had a few seconds left. He burst through the door and jumped onto Miraclonizer, grabbing the miraculous. 

  "I'll take that thanks!" He declared, ripping off him and pushing him off the tower. He turned back into Techlonizer as he fell but landed on his four arms as Anatis turned to Sparrow and threw the necklace. "Sparrow!!"

  She caught it and landed on the ground, sliding down a staircase before jumping and landing. She put the necklace on and the kwami manifested before it turned around and faced her. They looked like a little falcon.

  "Hello, fledgling. To call off my power, just say cool down and to transform say Liiri, wings of liberty," The little creature informed before she took off her Sparrow costume.

  "Liiri, wings of Liberty!" She declared, causing Liiri to get sucked into the necklace before she created a mask that resembled a falcon's beak. She felt magic spread down her arms creating her outfit. It was a brown body suit with yellow and black boots and a black belt. A gray under-jack that resembled tail feathers appeared before a brown jack with tassels on the arms manifested. Her hands got covered with black gloves, completing her transformation into Falcon. Taking a deep breath, she held her hands out. "Cool down,"

  She felt instantly the power of the Falcon miraculous subside before she rushed over to where Anatis and Lady Noir were. They were fighting Techlonizer, trying to get the controls for the nuke off him. He laughed and turned to them.

  "Give me your miraculous!!" 

  "Never!" Anatis declared but gasped as Techlonizer pressed the button, causing the nuke to blast off. Falcon gasped as Anatis narrowed his eyes, a very dark expression coming on his face before he charged at him and began to fight him even more, gaining the upper hand. He wrapped his yoyo around him, allowing Lady Noir to dive at him as she summoned her power. She slammed her hand onto his cuffs, causing them to rust and break then a purple butterfly escaped from them and Techlonizer become Techno Pirate again. A second rope appeared around him as Knightowl appeared, allowing Anatis to remove his. He threw out his yoyo and captured the butterfly as the heroes watched. He then opened his yoyo and freed a now white butterfly before taking the keychain and throwing it up in the air. "Miraculous Ladybugs!!"

  The key chain burst into the magical swarm and flew through the city, fixing all the damage as Majestia landed on the ground, next to Knight Owl who was watching with slight awe. Both hadn't really been paying attention when he used the power before but now they did. Anatis turned to Majestia with a worried expression.

  "Do you stop the Nuke?" He asked. Majestia nodded, causing him to let out a relieved sigh.

  "I threw it into the sun," She explained, making him smile before turning to Techno Pirate. "Now to deal with him,"

  She took out a phone and made call. Within minutes, a police van turned up and took Techno pirate away, despite his confusion. Falcon walked over to Anatis, looking sad as she looked down and went to take off the necklace but he stopped her and smiled.

  "I think you should keep it," He smiled, making her gasp in surprise.

  "Really?!" She grinned.

  "Yes," He nodded as Lady Noir moved next to him. "I know you'll use it for good. Also if you ever need our help again or vice versa, we can contact each other,"

  He took out his yoyo and showed her that a new contact under the Alias Falcon had been added. She squealed and hugged him, making him laugh before she pulled away and hugged Lady Noir as well. 

  "Thank you!!" She smiled before frowning and looking to Knightowl. "But I disobeyed again, meaning I'll never get my weapons back, will I?"

  "With that miraculous, you won't need them," Knight Owl replied before looking down. "And I was wrong. About all of you. My little sparrow was ready to become a fearsome falcon,"

  "Ahh!! Thank you, Mum!!" She declared, making Anatis and Lady Noir look at each other before they both shrugged as she pulled away. "I mean-"

  "It's fine. Besides, it doesn't matter anywhere. With that outfit, people will know that Sparrow is female and that the original Knightowl is long gone," Knight owl explained before taking off her helmet. "Maybe it's a sign that the time has come to embrace who we really are,"

  "And even though it worries us, the only way for us to let you grow is for us to let you take chances," Majestia stated, gently pressing her head against Knightowl's before they both looked to Anatis and Lady Noir. "Thank you for inspiring them,"

  "And please forgive us for misjudging you," Knightowl added in. "You two have a wonderful relationship and I was wrong to doubt you. You're welcome in New York and I hope we get to meet again but on better terms,"

  "Thank you," Anatis smiled before holding out his fist. Lady Noir placed hers against his as the two of them looked at Uncanny Valley and Falcon before the two of them grinned and added theirs next to theirs. "Pound it?"

  "Pound it," The three girls grinned as he smiled before Lady Noir turned around to Uncanny as she rubbed the back of her neck. Anatis rose an eyebrow as she only did that when she was nervous.

  "About my secret identity..." She mumbled, making Anatis stare at her in shock. "You'll erase it right?"

  "Of course. I understand that your secret identity is extremely important to you so as your friend, I promise I'll erase both yours and Anatis' secret identity as soon as we say goodbye," 

  "Wait what?!" Anatis gasped, shocked. "How do you... know that?!"

  "Your suit has quantum masking but that is designed to confuse human minds. Since I am not human, I can see who you really are," She smiled, causing Anatis to look at her with worry. "Don't worry. I haven't told anyone and I'll delete the information,"

  "Please do. Not even Lady Noir knows who I am nor do I know her identity," He gasped before Lady Noir gently elbowed him.

  "Relax, Annie," She grinned. "She'll delete the info and she hasn't told anyone. It'll be fine,"

  "R-Right... I suppose I better get going... I should return to Paris," He nodded but Lady Noir frowned and grabbed his hand, making him look at her.

  "Couldn't you stay for a little bit?" She asked, making him frown.

  "I wish I could, Kitten but chances are Hawkmoth is probably going to go straight to Paris after this defeat and who knows when Mayura will attack again," He sighed, getting a nod off her. He smiled and gently kissed her cheek, making her blush. "Don't worry. We'll have a full catch up when you're back. I want to hear about the rest of your trip,"

  "O-ok," She nodded, blushing as his earrings beeped. He saluted before throwing his yoyo and disappearing. Lady Noir sighed gently as she watched him leave before turning to the others. "Well, this kitty better disappear. Bye!!"

  She ran off and disappeared as Uncanny Valley grinned.

  "Those two are made for each other," She grinned, making Falcon roll her eyes.

  "You said that about Luka and Marinette as well," She stated before grinning. "Come on, Matchmaker. We better get back,"

  ~Time Skip~

  "Hey," Luka stated as he walked over to Marinette. She gasped and threw herself at him. He caught her and smiled as he hugged her back before he pulled away. "I'm really sorry I didn't answer my phone. I was kind of trapped until Anatis turned up,"

  "It's ok. I'm just glad you're ok," She grinned, hugging him again. "I'll have to make Anatis some special cookies for rescuing you,"

  "Hey, Luka! Marinette!" Jess called out, making them look at her. The Falcon Miraculous was around her neck and she seemed more free in a way. "Hotdog Dan's about to come by. You two should get up to the roof if you want to get some again,"

  "Thanks, Jess!" Marinette called out before grabbing Luka's hand. "Come on! I'll buy us some!!"

  "Are you sure?" He gasped as she pulled him up to the roof. "I don't mind getting them for us,"

  "My treat, Luka!" She grinned as he landed. She ran over and ordered two. Hotdog Dan grinned and gave her two before serving others. Marinette handed Luka one and took a bit in hers, grinning as it allowed her to create fireworks. Luka laughed and took a bit of his, causing him to glow bright green. The two of them laughed before sitting down and watch the rest of the students. Luka smiled as he watched them but blushed a little as Marinette gently placed her hand on top of his, making him smile a little. "I'm glad we got to come here, even if there were some crazy moments,"

  "Me too, Marinette,"

[joa-quin-phoe-nix-fan]

I AM ALIVE Charlie Sisters FF/imagine

I AM ALIVE

You had begun to worry. Charlie had been gone for 6 months, with only 7 letters even giving you any proof that he was still alive. You sat near your window, in the open prairie, worrying away like you did every day, thinking about how he could be dead, he could be lost, he could be kidnapped by one of his targets, he might not see his baby be born. You rubbed your belly sadly, the time was drawing close, and you really wanted your baby to see its daddy. More than anything you wanted Charlie to see his baby. You couldn’t imagine life without Charlie, who would take you hunting every Sunday that he was home? Who would make you the best baked beans in the entire west coast? Who would make funny, rhyming names for things like a Mean-Bean or a Dorsie-Horsie? Who would help you with the baby? Who would love you like Charlie did? You sat there silently, wracking your mind of reasons why he hadn’t written in 2 months. All of them more worrying than the last, when you heard a knock at the door.

You jumped up as fast as you could in your condition, rushing to the door, hoping and praying to see Charlie’s smug face looking back at you, holding the money he earned from the Commodore, ready to sweep you off your feet, covering your face with kisses. Sadly, it wasn’t him. It was Rex, a colleague of Charlie’s that you knew to avoid most of the time, Charlie said he was a sleaze who took married women away from their husbands while they were away. Normally, when he came over, you could almost smell the desire coming from him, but this time he looked genuinely concerned, his eyebrows furrowed close together. “Hey there, um...Missus Y/N. Hav-have ya heard from Charlie recently?” you moved closer to the doorframe, hoping it was one of his womanizing schemes “Uh...no Rex, I haven’t.” You started to panic, “Why do ya ask? Did somethin’ happen to Charlie? Oh Lord please tell me this is just another plot of yers!” Rex waved his hands in front of him, defensively, “Woah, woah YN, please don’t get ya bloomers in a bunch! The commodore has just been askin’ ‘cus he ain’t heard from him in a while...and the last thing we recieved from him was this...” he handed you a leaf, and your heart jumped you knew that even if he ran out of paper, he was known to send leaves with letters written on them. You turned it over and gasped. On the other side of the leaf was written, in now dried blood; ‘I AM ALIVE” Rex sighed and held your shoulder gently, “and I promise ya darlin’ this ain’t no plot...we’re all worried about him, and by association, you.” Your stomach dropped. This was the worst situation you could’ve imagined for Charlie, him MIA in the dangerous wilderness, after some bloodthirsty criminal, with the last message from him being vague and written in blood. You breathed in sharply to hold in the tears, “I-I ain’t heard nothin’ from him, Rex...I’m sorry.” Rex sighed sadly and shook his head, “I’m the one who should be sayin’ that to you, Missus...I’m real sorry...” he bowed slightly, tipped his hat, and left. Looking sadder than a dog left out in the rain.

You closed the door, putting your back against it when it had shut. Tears filling up your eyes as you held you hand up to your mouth in shock and slid down slowly to the floor, the weight of that news hitting you like a ton of bricks. It was one thing for him to not update you on what was happening, but he never forgot to message the Commodore. Where was he? Maybe he was too far to send letters...yeah maybe that was it. He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be.

You woke up much later, still by the door, your eyes still stinging from crying yourself to sleep. It was dark out already. You grabbed the nearby stairwell railing to pull yourself up. You knew that the cows sure as hell were not gonna be pleased with how late you were but it’d be better if you milked them tonight, rather than have a cow-riot tomorrow morning. After you heaved yourself up again, you grabbed your gun, your bucket and a lantern, you walked outside, ready to vent to the cows about your day. It was a rather silly habit, but a habit that was strangely therapeutic and one that despite you being rather upset, seemed to calm the cows down...maybe they just liked hearing you talk.

As you walked to the cows, you saw what you assumed was a figure riding a couple acres away. You took no notice, thinking it was a lonesome hunter going back home after a long hunt. It was only after the first three cows that you realized that the sound of hooves hitting the dusty ground had gotten much closer. ‘It’s someone looking for Charlie!’ you thought as you jumped behind a bunch of hay bales, cocking your gun before they got close enough to hear you do it. You had no idea how much time had passed by the time you heard the hooves stop by the stables, the rider jump down, and hitch up his horse. ‘Why would a killer or a robber do that?’ you wondered to yourself, with your finger drifting off of the trigger as an impossible thought passed through your head, ‘is that Charlie?’

You heard him walk slowly and tiredly up on the porch, shuffling his feet as if removing them from the porch would mean that he would instantly tumble over. If this was Charlie, you had never seen him this tired and sad before. Then you suddenly heard the man drop to his knees, at this point you thought it wouldn’t hurt to just peek at the man, you looked up, seeing a man with significantly longer hair and a smaller build than Charlie, kissing your porch! At this point you knew for a fact that it wasn’t your husband so you jumped up, grabbing your gun and aimed it at the man as you quickly walked towards him. “You best be getting off ma porch! My husband’s a bounty hunter and if he were here, he’d kill you quicker than I gaddamned will!” You knew it was a bad idea to tell this stranger that you were home alone but because he looked so small and sickly, you knew you could hold your own in a fight against him. The man crawled back, his hands in front of his head, shaking like a leaf in a tornado. “please...listen to me. I ain’t who ya think i am...” he whispered, hoarsely. Even with the hoarseness, you knew that voice as if it was your own. You dropped the gun, running close to him and cupping your hands around his angular face, “Charlie? Oh my god, is that really you, honey?” Charlie nodded weakly, tears now running down his face like a waterfall. “yeah, it’s me darlin’...”

After a long moment of hugging each other and crying, you brought Charlie into the house, sure that he was cold and hungry. As he sat in his armchair, you truly saw the difference, the crease where the top of his head usually ended was miles above the small, unshaven man sitting in the chair. He looed like a tiny scared puppy in a doghouse built for a doberman. It would almost be hilarious if the situation wasn’t so serious. After giving him some bread, butter and chicken, that he scarfed down, almost choking as he did it, you started talking with him.

“W-where have ya been? I was worried sick...” you asked, hugging yourself and barely being able to even look at him in this situation, suddenly you remembered, reached into your pocket and pulled out the leaf letter and handed it to him, sitting down next to the chair, “and what...what is this?” he held the leaf weakly and sighed, defeated “I...was robbed...” he sighed, his voice only slightly less hoarse now, “My horse, my gun, my money, my paper and pens, my food, everything.” He stared off to space as he told his tale. “I barely begged hard enough to keep my clothes and the tiny shreds of my dignity that I had left. So I had to walk or crawl my way home. I ate wild animals and random leaves and berries I found. I got myself poisoned that way twice. I never took you out of my mind. When a man on a horse came past me and offered his help in exchange for my shoes, I didn’t ask for his horse, I simply asked him to send a letter to Oregon for me. That was the leaf. After he left me I realized my mistake and i kicked myself right there, but much further on I saw a horse lying on the ground, it honest to god looked dead. But it weren’t. I fed it half of the food I had scavenged and somehow it survived the last month of the journey. That’s the horse that’s outside, could ya maybe feed him? I named him Savior. He really helped me when I was at my worst.” This story was terribly sad, it rocked you to your core that he had gone through this all this time while you were at home, moping about how lonely you were. “I’m so sorry...if I had known I-” Charlie shushed you gently, stroking your hair, “You had no way of knowin’...I’m just glad you’re safe and alive, and that the baby hasn’t been born yet.” You giggled. Despite how sad the situation was, you were incredibly grateful that he was home and you loved how he could easily make a morbid situation even slightly humorous.

He stood up slowly, pulling you up at the same time. Once you were both standing fully (which took a while) he held you close to his chest. Despite him being much skinnier, he still stood quite a bit taller than you, he held your head up to his heart, it sounded much stronger and healthier than you expected. “It’s so loud...” you whispered to him, he chuckled lightly “It’s singing to you, ‘cause it knows you’re here...”

sorry if the ending is kind of short XD I still have no idea how to end stories correctly lol

[hopeless-lovex0]

I HAVE A DREAM (PART 8)

Kim Hongjoong Fanfic

Warning: Angst. Cheating. Heartbreak. Cursing. Fluff.

Hello fellow atiny and kpop stans 👋🏼 I am back with part 8 of I Have A Dream as promised. If any of you guys missed the last update or didn’t read the top part, from now on I will be updating every Friday so please look forwards to that 😃 Now I present to you guys I Have A Dream Part 8 😊

Y/N had never regretted anything more in her life then in that situation she was in that moment, the constant walking up and down the isles of clothing causing her already throbbing feet to swell in her white flowered sandals. In her hands, she carried multiple varieties of colored dresses and shirts.

A couple feet in front of her stood Mrs. Park with her hands also full, the excitement in her eyes causing them to glint in the sunlight. Never in her entire life had Y/N meet someone with such a deep passion for shopping, as if that person thrived off of just swiping their credit card left and right with multiple bags to accompany that action.

She really regretted calling Mrs. Park to hang for the day but as she giggled at her crazy squealing and constant fawning over the brand new collection of maternity dresses, she honestly couldn't ask for a better person to have in her life.

“ Y/N come over here! You need to try on the dresses I picked out.” Mrs. Park calls out and all y/n can do is sigh in defeat, knowing that she won't let her get away from her little fashion show.

Dragging her tired feet towards the dressing rooms she watches as Mrs. Park shoves multiple dresses in one of the small stalls, then turn towards her. “ Okay sweety, now just try on the dresses and show them to me! I'll love to see how you look in the bright colors!” Mrs. Park exclaims clapping her hands with an excited look on her face.

“ You know fall is just around the corner? Why am I trying out dresses?” Y/N says and all she gets in return is a blank stare. “ You can wear leggings under your dresses and plus once you get bigger all you'll be able to fit in are dresses. You'll thank me later baby girl so don't worry your pretty little head off.” Mrs. Park says as she pats her on the head.

“ Can we at least take a break after this? I'm hungry and my feet are killing me” Y/N says and Mrs. Park winces when she mentions her feet, remembering the days when she would limp from how swollen her feet we're during her pregnancy. Nodding her head, Mrs. Park shoos Y/N back into the dressing room telling her to try at least 3 out of all the dresses in the big pile.

Turning towards the pile, she picks two soft peach-colored dresses and a soft mustard colored knit dress. The softness of the dresses already convincing her that the three are the ones she'll purchase but she still decides to try them on for the sake of pleasing the older lady waiting for her outside the dressing room.

Tugging the dark blue curtain back, Y/N walks out the dressing room in the mustard dress and before she can say anything Mrs. Park starts fawning over her attracting the attention of the other customers in the store. “ Look at you honey!!” she squeals and Y/N can feel her face start flushing red from embarrassment.

“ Thanks, Mrs. Park” Y/N mumbles out causing Mrs. Park to reach forwards and pinch Y/N’s arm. “ What did I say y/n-sie~~~ Call me auntie” she whines out and all Y/N does is chuckle out, causing Mrs. Park to let out an almost childish like huff.

“ Can we go eat now? We can get back to dressing up later but right now I need some food in my system and it seems like I'm not the only one.” Y/N says as she rubs her stomach causing Mrs. Park to let out a gasp. “ Oh my goodness! Yes, of course! I can't let my two babies starve now can I?! Your brother would kill me if I somehow forgot to feed you two.” She says and with that she forces Y/N back into the dressing room, telling her to change back into her original dress.

Y/N doesn't need to be told twice because as soon as those words get out of Mrs. Park's mouth she books it back to the small room and changes back. Making sure that all her belongings are still in her purse and that she has the three dresses tucked under her arm, she quickly exits the dressing room and passes the other dresses to Mrs.Park to put them back. Walking towards the register, she takes out her wallet and waits for the cashier to ring her up.

Swaying on the heels of her feet, she waits for the cashier to tell her the total before the hairs on the back of her neck start to rise. The feeling of being watched again causing her to let out a shaky breath, the goosebumps that raise on her skin causing her to rub her arms up and down.

All throughout her day out with Mrs. Park, she had been feeling as if someone had a constant eye on her. The feeling of someone watching and following her every move scaring her beyond belief. She didn't tell Mrs. Park as she thought that maybe she was being paranoid, maybe it was Kyung Mi playing a prank on her, or maybe the little boy Jinyoung wanting to say hi to her again.

She honestly had no idea, but she was trying to keep the positive feeling in the air, knowing that freaking out and causing Mrs. Park to freak out as well would only ruin the day. Either way, if being followed and constantly being watched is what she felt then she knew she could hold out her own. The pink small taser and pepper spray shoved in the bottom of her purse reassuring her that she would be okay at least for a pregnant woman.

Paying for her dresses, she quickly shoved her credit card in her wallet and tucked it in her purse. Bidding the cashier a good day and a quick goodbye, she walked towards the exit where Mrs. Park (or in her case auntie) was standing and together they walked out the maternity clothing store.

Standing there for a couple of seconds, they start debating whether they should head towards the village's popular restaurant or towards the various food stalls lined just a block away. Knowing how packed the restaurant can get from working just across the place, they finally decide to head towards the crowded but not packed food stalls.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Mingi had never been one for conflict, always deciding to let things cool out before actually fixing the issue. From the looks of it, it seems as if Hongjoong and San were going to be fighting for a while and even though Mingi blamed no one but Hongjoong he really wished that everything would be resolved right away.

After the argument that broke out in the kitchen that morning the guys had spread around the big house wanting to escape the heavy tension that lingered on San. Wooyoung seemed to have gone to his room as well as San was sitting alone in the living room, staring blankly at the tv. Knowing that San would only drive himself insane with how quiet and how deep he was in his thoughts, Mingi decided that the least he could do was distract him for a couple of hours.

“ San, let's go out to the town square. I don't know were thing 2 is but he's obviously not going to help so let me be the one to comfort you for once.” Mingi says, breaking San from his train of thought.

“ I'll like to go... But what if we bump into y/n?.. I don't want her to think that we followed her and cause her to leave again.” San says as he rubs the skin between his eyes, letting Mingi know that whatever he was thinking about was causing him a headache.

“ Then I guess we'll just have to keep an eye out for her. C’mon you need fresh air and food. We can go get some food if you want.” Mingi walks towards San and lifts him up by the back of his shirt, causing San to let out a startled woah and stumble from the way Mingi was dragging him towards the door.

Knowing that Mingi won't take no for an answer, San takes his pair of brown boots and shoves them into his feet. Nodding towards Mingi, they both grab their wallets and phones exiting the big home and walking towards the town square.

Mingi knows that San just wants peace and quiet, the constant fighting with Hongjoong seeming to wear him down little by little due to his appearance. He wants San to let everything out, to finally be the same happy and giggly San but he knows that something like that won't be accomplished easily. The constant fighting not only affecting San and Hongjoong but all of them, all Mingi can do is pray that by the end of the month they can all return on good terms.

San expected Mingi to interrogate him the minute they walked out the door, but instead they both walked in silence. He exhales in relief mentally thanking Mingi that he didn't mention anything, the quiet chirping of the birds around them and the cool breeze dancing around them causing his shoulder to drop from their tense position.

Quickly arriving at the town square, they both decide to head towards the food stalls craving some spicy tteokbokki. They don't seems to make it far into the bustling food stalls before Mingi quickly grabs ahold of San’s sweatshirt and drags him behind a wall.

“ What happened?!? Why did you drag me over here?” exclaims San as he looks at Mingi and all Mingi does is tell him to be quiet and point towards the direction they were heading.

A couple of feet in front of them stood Y/N with Mrs. Park, the both of them giggling to each other while eating portions of glass noodles. They watch as the older one shoves more food towards Y/N telling her something before patting the younger ones swollen belly.

San stares at her in awe, the first time he saw her seemed like a blur and he didn't remember much but now he can clearly see her and watch as she freely throws her head back in amusement to something the older lady in front of her said.

He lets a small smile invade his face as he watches in adoration, the sight of her being happy and healthy causing his heart to beat rapidly. Beside him, Mingi stares at Y/N in wonder. The sight of the woman he once knew as somewhat quiet and reserved fully enjoying herself at the moment.

This was the first time he has seen her since she left and finally looking at her completely all he could do is smile warmly at the sight of her baby bump. The way she would pat her stomach or the way the older lady would lean forwards and talk to Y/N’s stomach causing him to let out a small childlike giggle. Turning towards San, he saw the look of pure love and adoration said man had for the woman just a couple feet away from him.

In that moment, Mingi knew that no matter what happened between the three currently involved in the recent events he hoped and prayed that San was the one who would get picked in the end.

Turning back around to look at the duo they were currently hiding from, they watched as they finished up their food and got up to head towards the shops. They decided to keep an eye on them in case they walked towards them and then finally eat but as they watched them walk away from the table, Mingi let's out a barely audible gasp causing San to turn towards him.

“ What happened? Did she see you?!?” San asked in a panic, getting ready to book it out of there if they were discovered but all Mingi did was grab San by the neck turning him towards where Y/N was standing.

It took San a couple of seconds to figure out what he was supposed to be looking for before his eyes finally set on her.

There a couple of feet away from Y/N stood Ji Woo. Taking slow almost cautious steps towards Y/N and the older lady with her.

Mingi watched as San’s eyes turned hard and icy, his scary glare set on the girl quickly approaching Y/N. Before San could jump up and run towards the obvious interaction that was about to occur, Mingi quickly wrapped his arms around San and told him to stay in place.

All San could do was watch helplessly as Ji Woo called out Y/N’s name, watching as the smile on her face dropped just like his heart did the minute he saw her happiness slip away like sand between his fingers.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

“ Wow... I honestly never in my life had such amazing glass noodles as this one's.” Y/N said as she patted her stomach letting out huff from how full she is. Mrs. Parks lets out a small laugh then leans down so that she's staring at Y/N’s belly. “ You were quite hungry weren't you little man.” She says and Y/N raises and eyebrow at her question.

“ Little man huh? Youngjo said that it was going to be a girl.” She says as she starts to clean up the mess around them, causing Mrs. Park to quickly jump towards her and clean up instead. “ Your brother is a dummy, take my advice instead okay? Throughout my pregnancy, I knew I was having a boy and I was correct. So take it from me, it's going to be a strong, healthy boy.” Mrs. Park rants on and all Y/N does is smile at her, appreciating all the little tips and advice she has been giving her in her three months living there.

Finishing up, the both start heading towards the shops on the opposite part of the street away from the food stalls. As they walk towards the direction of a clothing store Mrs. Park desperately wanted to visit, the feeling of being watched again causes Y/N’s heart to start thumping in her chest.

Choosing to ignore it, she continues to walk with Mrs. Park before the call of her name brings her to a complete stop. She feels her entire body freeze in disbelief, the person who called her taking that as a sign to continue calling her name.

Slowly turning around, she holds her breath and prays to God that whoever it was that called her isn't who she thinks it is. Her prayers seems to fail, because standing just in front of her is Ji Woo.

“ Y/N... How.. How are you?” Ji woo stutters out and all Y/N does is stare blankly at her, at loss for words. “ You left so suddenly, I didn't get the chance to talk to you.” she mutters out causing Y/N to grip onto her blue dress in order to calm herself.

Mrs. Park seems to sense her distress because she immediately stands in front of Y/N, hiding her from Ji Woo’s view. “ Can we help you, young lady?” She asks as she carefully observes Ji woo, getting ready to stop her if she decides to walk any closer.

“ Oh please call me Ji Woo, I'm Y/N’s best friend.... I came to talk to her.” Ji woo babbles on trying to get as much as she can out there in case she gets dismissed by the older lady.

Mrs. Park immediately tenses up once Ji Woo gives out her name, the name of the person she desperately wanted to curse when Y/N told her the reason she moved into their small homely village.

Clearing her throat, Mrs. Park rolls her shoulders and gives Ji Woo the best fake smile she can pull off. “ Nice to meet you Ji Woo, but me and my friend here have to go so if you'll please excuse us.” Mrs. Park tells her, quickly turning around and taking now Y/N’s trembling hands.

Walking right behind Y/N in case Ji Woo decides to grab her, Mrs. Park start to speed walk towards the direction of her house before Ji Woo’s scratchy and nasally voice stops them in their tracks.

“ Y/N, please... Please don't leave again. I want to apologize for what I did. I want to make it up to you.” she begs, following closely behind the pair. Y/N rapidly shakes her head, and tugs at Mrs. Park wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Ji Woo seems to be growing impatient as the volume of her voice increases the more they walk away from her. “ Y/N CAN YOU PLEASE JUST LOOK AT ME, YOU CAN’T JUST DROP YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP OVER SOMETHING SO DUMB.” she screams out, attracting the attention of people around the area.

“ STOP RUNNING AWAY FROM YOUR PROBLEMS Y/N! HOW ABOUT YOU FACE ME LIKE A REAL WOMAN HUH? CAN YOU DO THAT FOR A MINUTE! HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO BE A GOOD MOTHER IF YOU CAN’T EVEN FACE ME RIGHT NOW!” Ji Woo yells out causing the duo to stop in their tracks and the chatter around them falls down to just whispering.

Y/N lets out a small sob, the shaking of her hands now having consumed her whole body causing random people around them to whine out in sympathy. She slowly turns around to look at Ji Woo but instead makes eye contact with Mrs. Park. She lets out a small gasp from how mad she looks, the soft look that she would always have in her eyes completely gone instead replaces with the sharp look of anger.

Ji Woo seems to still be yelling out towards them, attracting more attention to them, “ LOOK I’M SORRY I SLEPT WITH HONGJOONG BUT IT MEANT NOTHING TO ME! IT’S NOT MY FAULT YOU WEREN’T A GOOD GIRLFRIEND TO HIM.” she continues to scream, and her last statement seems to shake the crowd around them looking at Ji Woo in disbelief and disgust.

Before Y/N can stop her, Mrs Park swiftly turns around and marches straight towards Ji Woo. The look on Mrs. Park's face seems to shut Ji Woo up as she watches her stomp towards her in a menacing way. Nobody seems to stop her as Mrs. Park lifts up her hand and strikes Ji Woo across the face, the loud sound that resonates from the harsh slap causing everybody to let out a gasp. A couple of feet away from the scene stand two guys leaning against the wall watching the turn of events, one of them gaping at the slap in shock and the other one smirking and mentally cheering for the older lady.

“ I've never in my life raised my hand at someone, much less thought about hitting someone... But you.. You deserved this and so much more.” Mrs Park spits out, rubbing her throbbing hand from how much force she used to smack Ji Woo.

Ji Woo carefully lifts her shaking hand towards her already bruising cheek, the bottom lip split and bleeding. She watches as various people crowd around Y/N to comfort her and multiple other people stand behind Mrs. Park to come to her defense.

“ Now you listen to me very closely, I may not know you well but I know just enough to figure out that you're the good for nothing ”best friend” that slept with y/n’s boyfriend. Of course he's as much of a low life as you and even though I don't like the idea of hitting someone I'll gladly do it to him as well.” Mrs Park says as she watches Ji Woo tear up.

“ I expect you to leave this village and never come back. The police in this place may not be that bright, so if it comes down to it I'll personally drag you out of here myself. Do I make myself clear?” she says and the people around her yell out in agreement, the small crowd around Y/N who are currently comforting her nodding their heads along as well.

Knowing that the older lady in front of her won't hesitate to do as she says, Ji Woo gives one final look at Y/N holding eye contact for a couple of seconds before finally turning around and running away towards her car.

Mrs. Park watches her to make sure that she leaves and once she sees Ji Woo’s car speed away from the area she quickly turns around and pulls Y/N into her arms. Thanking the people around her for taking care of the girl she considers family.

Shushing the crying girl in her arms, she covers her with a black floral cardigan and carefully begins to lead her towards her house. The group around her clear a path for them, giving out words of comfort to the pregnant woman, letting her know that if she ever needs help they'll happily help her telling her that she's apart of the village family.

Making it to Mrs. Park's bright yellow house, they both enter the warm and spacious living room. Leading her towards the soft beige L shaped couch, she sits Y/N in the middle of it taking notice of her quiet sniffing.

Carefully peeling the cardigan off of her, she takes Y/N’s face into her hands and wipes away the tears falling from her eyes. “ You're okay now sweety, she's gone now. I won't let her near you again you hear me.” she firmly states causing Y/N to throw herself onto Mrs. Park’s arms, wanting desperately to be held by someone.

“ I don't want to be that sad ever again. I don't want to cry the moment someone mentions what happened... I want to be happy for me and my baby. I want to finally forget everything and live in peace.” Y/N says as she weeps into Mrs. Parks arms, hiding her face in the older woman's shoulder.

“ I won't let you be that sad ever again baby... You'll have a happy life, you'll live in peace. You and your baby and whether you decide to open up your heart again maybe even a boyfriend or husband, you'll be happy I know it. You want to know how I know this? Because I'll make sure of it.” Mrs. Park whispers to the crying girl in her arms, lifting her hands and rubbing her back.

“ I'll take care of you two... You won't ever have to feel alone again sweety. Auntie will take care of you and your baby.” she says as she caresses Y/N’s stomach, the girl in her arms slowly calming down.

They sit there a couple of seconds before Y/N's broken whisper breaks the silence.

“ Thank you... Thank you so much for everything... I love you auntie.”

Mrs. Park feels her eyes water at the nickname, having been the first time that Y/N actually used it. Pulling the pregnant girl closer, she places a tender kiss to her head.

“ I'll take care of both of you... You don't have to worry about a thing... Not a single thing my sweet girl.”

[mannysmouth]

“i hate leaving you”

rio x reader

warning: smut (nsfw) — in which rio takes too long to return home from a “business trip” and you’re deprived.

“Look, daddy’s home!”

Your three-year-old son shrieked in pure excitement from his over-sized booster chair in the backseat of your truck as you pulled into the driveway behind Rio’s sleek, black Cadillac. He was already particularly hyper from the candy that he’d gotten at the dentist after his cleaning, so he seemed to be even more rowdy about his father returning home than he usually was.

“I see, baby,” you smiled in agreement, un-clicking your seatbelt. “Let mommy get you out of the car and you can go say hi.”

Although you explained your intentions, the only thing on Marcus’ mind was, understandably, Rio. So he ignored you, proceeding to yank wildly at the handle of the car door from the inside.

With a defeated sigh, you circled around the back of the car to let him out, watching in amazement as his tiny feet carried him to the door, at light speed, in search to find his dad. Rio had been gone the last two days handling some business in Canada, and it was undeniable that you both missed him like crazy. After grabbing Marcus’ traveling bag and everything else that you’d brought along with you, you walked into the house behind him, heart warming at the sound of Marcus and Rio’s laughter combined. You shut the door with the heel of your sandal, hands having been full, and dropped everything on the table of the foyer.

“You been giving mommy a hard time?” 

By the way his deep voice emanated through the hall, you assumed he was in the kitchen, so you travelled there, trying desperately to contain your true excitement. Rio stood next to the refrigerator, glass of half-drinken whiskey placed curtly on the marble countertop of the island, and Marcus clung to his chest giggling profusely while his daddy attacked him with the tickle monster. The sight alone was something that you’d dreamed of for years. And even though you never knew that you would be in this exact situation at this exact time with them, you wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

Rio didn’t notice you right away. So you took the time to admire him fully. He was dressed in nothing spectacular, a simple white v-neck with a pair of gray sweatpants, but that, in addition to the fact that it had been a few days since you were able to be with him, was enough to turn you on. You were also taking heed to the fact that he was drinking, yet it was only 11:00 am, so, much to your dismay, stress just might have served as the leading cause to a possible extension in your dry spell.

“Daddy, can we go to the park?” Marcus, begged from Rio’s arms. He held up his half-eaten lollipop and pouted. “Mommy couldn’t take me because she said I had to go to the dentist.”

“Baby, you have a playdate with Dylan today. His mommy’s already on her way to come and get you.” You interjected, causing Rio to finally acknowledge your presence. He turned to face you, tired, brown eyes oozing down your body slowly with his mouth parted slightly. Marcus whined in response and wriggled in Rio’s grip. “Don’t you wanna go to the zoo with Dylan?”

Marcus continued to whine, protesting the same playdate he had been begging for for weeks now, but when Rio interjected, the complaints ceased.

“Papa, daddy’s gonna take you to the park when you get back from the zoo with Dylan,” he compromised. “And we can go get ice cream. But you can’t go ghost on your friends when they’re counting on you. Okay?”

He clearly was upset by this, but Marcus also knew better than to argue with Rio. Everyone did. Whenever Rio wanted something to happen, he would make it happen, and it was always best to just let things be. So a few moments later, when Dylan’s mom pulled up outside and the doorbell rang, Marcus didn’t fuss when his dad took him to the car and settled him into his carseat. Rio kissed Marcus on the forehead and told him how much he loved him, giving both of the boys a high-five, and he stood on the doorstep as they drove away.

While he saw the boys off, you’d poured yourself a glass of wine and found a seat at one of the barstools from the island, scanning through school emails and updates on your phone. You heard Rio’s footsteps as he approached the kitchen again, but you didn’t turn around. You saw no need to continue torturing yourself with the sight of him if you knew things would be going nowhere.

“How was work?” you asked him quietly. He stood opposite of you, leaned back quaintly against the stove, drink in hand. You never asked too much about his job, because you knew Rio was never going to answer you. He thought he was endangering you by telling you too much and he didn’t like the thought of you getting into trouble with him if things ever went south. His way of shielding you from the possibility was silence.

He hummed. “Eh, it was work. I got shit done so I can’t really complain about it.” There was a brief pause before he continued. “How was the dentist?”

“Awful.” You rolled your eyes and scoffed. “I hate taking him alone, because whenever you’re not there, the doctor thinks he has a free pass. He’s always flirting, and staring at me way too much.” You glanced up to see Rio’s face, already certain that his possessive instincts were settling in. He took another sip of his drink and nodded. “I would find a new dentist but he’s the only one Marcus will go to willingly.”

“Don’t worry about Marcus, I’ll handle him. But from now on, I’m gonna take him.” He instructed. “So if I’m not here, reschedule it for when I’m back.”

Your eyes narrowed on his matter-of-factly demeanor. “Okay, Rio.” You sighed.

A sly smirk eased over his lips and he crossed his muscular arms over his chest. “Is there a problem with that?”

“No.”

“So why you catching an attitude about it?”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not.”

“You are…” he trailed. “You and I both know I’m not stupid, Y/N. I’ve known you long enough. What’s the issue?”

You didn’t respond right away, because you could sense a slight irritation in your tone and you didn’t want to rub him the wrong way. You chose your words carefully. “I just don’t understand why I can’t take my own son to the dentist.”

Rio chuckled breathily and put an empty glass on the counter in front of him. “Y/N, what are you talking about?”

“You just come back after being gone for three days and tell me I can’t take Marcus to the dentist anymore?” You snapped. “He’s my son. I’m his mother, I’m supposed to do those things. Especially when you aren’t here—”

“First of all, watch your tone.” Rio warned sternly. “I’ve been gone for two days, and no one ever said you couldn’t take him. You’re a grown ass woman, you do whatever the hell you wanna do. But since you came to me with a problem, I gave you a solution.” He straightened his torso as he looked down at you, eyes hardening on your face. “We both know that dumbass is gonna keep flirting with you when I’m not there because he thinks he can get away with the shit. So unless you want him to, I will take Marcus from now on. Because he’s my son. I’m his dad. I’m supposed to do those things too.”

Rio always had a way of putting you in your place whenever you stepped out of line. And when he did, it was such a turn on. As if you weren’t already ruining your underwear. “Okay,” was all you could say in response.

“Something tells me that ain’t really your problem, though, ma. You ain’t all cranky like this because I told you not to take him to the dentist. You ain’t like doing that noway.” He pressed. He scanned your demeanor, mentally taking notes of the way you responded to him, and bit down on his bottom lip. “Come here.”

You obeyed him dutifully, staring at your toes as they moved across the floor step by step until you stood directly in front of him. Your close proximity allowed you to appreciate the fresh scent of his body wash when you inhaled, which lead you to believe he’d just gotten out of the shower. 

Then, you were imagining him in the shower. 

And you with him. 

The way his lips would feel against your wet skin and the way his hands would slide over your curves so easily. You imagined the way he would feel inside of you with even more moisture than you created naturally and how quickly he would make you cum.

“Hey.” 

Rio’s fingers curled under your chin and he nudged your face upwards so that your gaze immediately met his. “I’m talking to you,” he broke your chain of thoughts. “I asked you what’s on your mind, ma?”

That nickname drove you crazy, and by the way Rio was eyeing your lips, you were slowly confirming that he was aware of what was going through your head. “I-I just missed you.”

“Oh, baby, that ain’t no reason to give me the cold shoulder,” he laughed faintly. “If you missed me, why didn’t you show me?”

The drying of your throat, along with the sensation of his fingertips digging into the small of your back was enough to prohibit you from speaking altogether. So you shrugged like a little kid who had just been caught red handed in the middle of a lie. An intense red heat surfaced your face and you gulped, watching closely how Rio’s eyes rolled over you.

“Use your words, babygirl.”

Rio’s fingers delicately traced the outline of your jaw, leaving a trail of goosebumps wherever his touch disappeared. “It’s just been so long,” You breathed.

“Hmmm…”

He knew exactly what you meant just by that phrase, but you continued to explain yourself anyway. “I’ve been missing you at night and I was looking forward to you coming back, but you seemed so tired. I didn’t think you’d be up to it.”

Rio smiled lazily, hand snaking around the back of your neck to pull you closer to his face. His lips met yours in a firm, sturdy kiss that was chaste enough that it lacked tongue, but passionate enough that it left you hungry for more.  And by the look on his face, you sensed he did too. The faint remnants of alcohol danced over your tongue. “You missed daddy, huh?” His eyes bounced back and forth between yours and you could feel his erection hardening against your belly through the tight white sundress you wore.

Nodding, you reached down to feel him, sighing in relief as you squeezed his solid bulge in your dainty hands.

Rio, still impressively calm, just watched in astonishment how much it relaxed you to feel him. You groped him gently, not breaking eye contact, imagining how good his thick cock would feel inside of you and a moan fell from your lips. At that, he spoke up. “You want it, baby?”

“Yes,” you whimpered, not a trace of hesitation in your tone.

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want your cock,” you whispered. “I want you to fuck me so bad, daddy. I’ve been craving it all week.”

He chuckled again and licked his lips, pulling your hands away from his crotch. “I don’t give a fuck how tired you think I am, I ain't ever gonna be too tired for you.”

That being said, he kissed your lips again, moving slowly with a sensual burst of energy as his tongue delved into your heated mouth and explored every inch there was to offer. You moaned at the feeling, gasping when his hand gripped a harsh handful of your ass through your dress.

Rio was slow, and relaxed, but you knew he needed you in that moment just as much as you needed him. His tranquility, despite the fact, only made him all the more sexy.

“Please,” you gasped.

Rio seemed to be ignoring all of your requests because he had his own agenda. He wanted to take his time with you, and make sure you both got as much out of it as possible. His lips travelled from your lips down your neck, slowing at the sweet spot on your collarbone, and continuing down to the valley of your breasts. He freed each one from the scoop at the top of your dress, pausing in fascination at the bouncing motion they made when they were no longer confined by the fitted fabric. “No bra,” he whispered approvingly, cupping them in his hands, “that’s why that mother-fucker was flirting with you.”

His lips tightened around the hardened peaks of your dusky, pink nipples and he sucked on them delicately, pushing your back into the counter in the process. Rio was in love with your body, but he was especially keen about your breasts and how perky they were, as he mentioned it to you many times before. Whenever you two had sex, he would insist on showing them their deserved appreciation. He hummed against the swollen skin, and licked them until his tongue was dry and in need of more moisture.

Desperate to feel his skin against yours, you tugged at his shirt, and he pulled it over his head. Only now that he was taking off clothes, he wanted you naked. You were silently praising yourself for getting waxed the day before, so when he pulled off the rest of your dress and the thin lace panties you wore, you went for his sweats, eager to find that he wasn’t wearing any underwear at all.

His cock was the most beautiful thing to you. The way it stood at full attention when it was hard. The silky tan color of his thick, and desirably wide length all the way up to the pink tip that teased the landscaping of the top of his abs. The veins that rolled up the sides and the pre-cum that yearningly trickled back down. His size. God it was huge. And best of all, it was yours. You had it all to yourself, and you could get it whenever you were in the mood for it, so long as he was there.

That was the point that he was trying prove.

He lifted you by your hips, with ease on to the counter, kissing your lips again as he gripped his length in his hand. One hand found your breast, and the other steadied your hip as he guided himself into you. Even after four years, Rio’s size was something you’d never gotten used to. And regardless of your best efforts, you squirmed when he first entered you. It was easy this time, because you were so wet, and when he filled you, a deafening moan erupted from the depths of your throat.

“Mmmm, mami, you like that?” He grunted, pushing every last inch deep inside of you. His eyes shut tight and he squeezed your breasts when he felt you clench around him, and you nodded, grasping blindly for something to hold on to.

Rio waited a moment before he started up a steady pace, thrusting slow, but powerful strokes into your throbbing pussy. The slick sounds of his movements could be heard in between your moans and his breathing, and the more he fucked you, the wetter it got. Rio reached behind you and angled you upward so that one leg rested over his shoulder and your eyes had no other choice but to lock on his.

“I want you to look at me while I’m fucking you, Y/N,” he croaked. “Tell daddy how you want it, babygirl.”

He picked up his pace, hitting you deeper with forceful, solid strokes, your skins slapping loudly together. He fucked you hard on the same countertop that you’d just eaten breakfast on a few hours ago. He licked his lips, and stared directly into your eyes, in awe of how much pleasure you were experiencing thanks to him. Rio didn’t let up, either. Your assumptions of his exhaustion were long gone, because the way he fucked you was proof of his impeccable stamina. “Fuck, I need you deeper…” you trailed.

Rio dipped a finger into his mouth and drew circles around your swollen clit sending you into a whole new world of euphoria. He lifted your body so that you hung from the edge of the marble, and penetrated you from a newer, deeper level. “Like that, baby?” he teased, popping a nipple into his mouth again. Your toes curled and your thighs grew weak, numbness setting in as you felt your orgasm approaching.

“Yes, daddy, mmm fuck yes.” You egged. “I missed you so fucking much. You fuck me so good.”

You could feel Rio in your guts, invading your most personal space, but you wouldn’t dare interject because of the immense pleasure that came as a result. Rio hit your g-spot, over and over again without warning, drawing screams from you that you were certain the neighbors could hear.

Sweat beads slid down the crevices of his face and his brows knitted together tightly. His long, dark lashes fluttered against his cheekbones, and his sharp jawline tightened.

He was so beautiful.

“You gonna cum for me, mami?” He sang.

“Yes, daddy.”

“Cum for daddy.”

As soon as the words rolled off of his tongue, your vision went blurry and your legs fell limp against him, forcing him to catch you before you slipped and hit the floor. Your toes curled as your orgasm washed over you in waves, and you felt his heat in spurts inside of you filling you to the brim. A long, guttural groan fell from his lips and he sighed, squeezing you tight in his arms. Lips spaced gently, he pressed several kisses to your forehead and hummed when he was composed enough to help you to your feet.

On shaky legs, you still clung to him, arms draped over his broad shoulders as he worked around you to clean the mess you both had just made on the counter. He kissed your lips, and ran a hand through your hair, smiling as he watched you. “I hate leaving you,” he admitted. “Whenever I come back you wanna catch an attitude.”

——————

sorry for the wait, loves. xo.

[wolfpawn]

I Hate You, I Love You, Chater 78

Chapter Summary -  Tom worries when Danielle does not return and when she finally does, she declares something that could truly end them, will Tom be able to persuade her to stay?

Previous Chapter

Rating - Mature (some chapters contain smut)

Triggers - references to Tom Hiddleston’s work with the #MeToo Movement. That chapter will be tagged accordingly.

authors Note - I have been working on this for the last 3 years, it is currently 180+ chapters long.  This will be updated daily, so long as I can get time to do so, obviously

tags: @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @jessibelle-nerdy-mum @nonsensicalobsessions @damalseer @hiddlesbitch1 @winterisakiller @fairlightswiftly @salempoe​ @wolfsmom1​

If you wish to be tagged, please let me know.

That night, Tom did not sleep, any car that passed the street he was over to the window to see if it was Danielle returning, but she never returned home. Come eight o'clock the next morning, he was tired and frantic. Taking out his phone, unsure of where to even start, he dialled Emma's number.

"Hey Tom, what's up?"

"Is Danielle there?"

"No, she left Mac here though."

"Mac?"

"Yeah, last night she said it was a bit of an emergency and asked us to mind him, and that she would be coming to get him today."

"I will get him in a few minutes, did she say where she was going?"

"No, Tom what's going on." Tom didn't answer. "You had a fight, didn't you?"

"It was just a disagreement."

"How bad did you fuck up?"

"What makes you say it was me?"

"The way you're talking, because it is you calling me looking for her, not the other way around."

"I said something stupid and now she is gone."

Emma sighed. "Tom, she is just pissed off, she'll calm down when you grovel as much as you need to."

"She said it's done, we're done."

"How much of an asshole were you?"

"If you see her, please tell her to ring me," Tom begged.

"That much?"

"Please Em."

"Fine, I'll tell her," Emma stated. "Now come get the dog. If you have him, she'll have to go back to yours sooner or later."

Tom grabbed his keys, admitting that Emma was right and rushed out the door to get to hers and back as fast as possible. He was met with a cold look and a comment to sort himself out from Emma before getting Mac into his car. "I don't suppose you know where she's gone, do you fella?" Mac just looked at him expectantly, waiting for the car to start. "Come on, she might come home soon." He reversed out of Emma's driveway and drove back to his own part of the city.

Relief flooded him when he arrived back to his and he saw Danielle's car in the driveway; barely remembering to open the car door for Mac, he rushed up the steps and into the house. "Watch it." he had to come to a sudden halt when he almost collided with Danielle in the hallway as she made her way down the stairs with an arm full of clothes.

"Elle, please, we need to talk."

"I can't, I am late for a flight."

"Flight?"

"Yes, I need to get to the airport."

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

"You are home."

"I am going back to Ireland," she stated, not looking at him, putting the clothes into a waiting suitcase.

"You said you were going on Wednesday."

"I moved my flight forward." she looked at Mac, who was now standing in front of her panting. "I left him with Emma for a reason."

"I can mind him."

"No, he is my dog; and he is supposed to go to the kennels." She said firmly. "It's not fair to confuse him."

"He won't be." Tom argued, "We'll be fine together." Danielle bit her cheeks together. "Please Elle, look at me." she barely glanced at him. "I am so sorry."

"For what part?" She asked, her tone and demeanour telling him she wasn't overly interested in anything he had to say. "Look, Tom, we're too different, you seem to want a public all-access relationship, I want something more low-key, I want someone who actually wants to be with me, someone who doesn't say cruel and hurtful things because I want to be ready for whatever their life entails. Yes, I am colder in some respects, I get that, but the reason for which was because you were more outgoing and cheerful in public before, but you toned yourself down, I was only making sure that I was too, to make sure I did not embarrass you, to make sure no one I worked with could actually accuse me of being a snob, a name pusher or a bitch, but I guess I should have been more concerned with you thinking that, my bad." She swallowed back tears as she got her suitcase and made for the door, walking around Tom, who was also trying to control his emotions, she knelt down as Mac whined beside her. "Be a good boy okay? I'll arrange to come back to you as soon as I can." she kissed the top of Mac's head and scratched his ear before turning to Tom. "I have him booked in from today at the kennels, give them his food," she instructed before walking forward again, Tom's tear-filled eyes mirroring the heartbreak in her own. "I guess I don't need this anymore." She extended her hand, in it was the key Tom had given her to the house.

"No," Tom's voice broke, "No, Elle, please, you can't. I'm sorry."

"I heard you, sorry doesn't mean I am obliged to forgive you though Tom, it isn't a magic sponge that makes everything better. Take the key."

"No, this, this is yours, to here, our home."

"Your home, Tom," she shook her head. "Not mine, I am going home."

"For a few days, right, not forever?"

"No, I am coming back, but I am not sure I should come here. Bring my stuff to your mums when you get a chance, or leave them, I can collect them when suits."

"No, no, you're not doing this, we can work through it."

"What part Tom, the part where my feelings don't matter, the part where I am not something you concern yourself with over fame or the part where I am a 'brat' for feeling as I do?"

"I was just upset, I didn't mean it, I swear."

"What woman would stay to be called such a thing again Tom, what girl is stupid enough to allow herself to be spoken down to like that?"

"I am sorry, please." he stepped forward and touched her gently, his tears falling. "Please Elle, I love you. I want to be with you, have a life with you."

"No, you want the idea of that, I don't think you are not ready for it yet." She stated sadly. "I am not really in a place for that right now either I suppose, I cannot be with someone who cannot accept me as I am and I definitely cannot be with someone who cannot recognise that I am working on something to be a better partner for them. I was stupid to ever allow this, I thought I could be what you needed, what you wanted, but I can't."

"You are everything I wanted and needed and far more." Tom touched her face. "Please Elle, I am so sorry, I am." he leant down to try and kiss her, but she pulled back. "Elle."

"Here." she held out the key. "Take it." Her voice cracked as she tried to stay strong, but Tom refused to take the key, so she walked over to her suitcase again and left the key on the table inside the doorway. "Goodbye, Tom, thank you for everything," were her last words as she walked out the door and towards her car.

Heartbroken, Tom rushed to the door and pulled it open, Danielle had not made it down the steps before he jumped to the bottom. "No, I cannot let you go."

"You don't really get a choice."

"You cannot end us like this, we have one argument and you are fleeing, like everything doesn't matter, every 'I love you', every time we woke up together, every time we had sex, it all matters." Danielle swallowed and looked around to see if anyone could hear them. "I don't care about that anymore Elle, I don't care who knows."

"But that is the issue, you don't, I do." She snapped. "I am not ready, I was trying to be ready, I was trying to do it right, for you, and I apparently was all wrong."

"No," Tom shook his head. "No, you are so amazing for doing that, please, listen to me, you try do hard to be perfect for me but I never realised, you never said…"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does, Elle, I love you."

"So? Saying that isn't going to make this better Tom, how can you mean it if you literally go off on me for not being happy with you fawning over your bitch of an ex who tried very hard I might add, to make me suffer at work and when I tell you how that feels to me, you accuse me of being the reason for it. Explain that to me, tell me how that is loving me. I love you and you know what I get? Shat on. I work hard, I try to make a name for myself, I try to be more than some mediocre girlfriend but I cannot compete with her and clearly, that actually matters."

"It doesn't."

"Then why make your entire interview with a prestigious magazine about her? And we both know that story about the t-shirt is bullshit, one, because her scrawny ass model friends would never have something that oversized as to fit a fully grown man and two because you had a love heart with her name on your shoulder. Or are you forgetting that little nugget? I ask for nothing, not to be talked about, but I guess that was too much." She turned and walked to the car, throwing her suitcase into the backseat before getting into the driver's seat.

"Why are you taking your car?"

"Because I have to."

"I will give you a lift."

"I don't have time now Tom, so thanks but no thanks." She reversed out of the driveway, being careful of the Jaguar as she did so.

Tom could only watch as she drove down the street and away from him, feeling himself become more and more upset as she did. He had hardly walked back inside the house, defeated and alone; when his phone rang; thinking it was Danielle, he answered it without looking at the number, "Elle?"

"No, sorry." Ben's voice came down the phone, "How are you?"

"I can't talk now."

"Hey, what's up, you sound upset?"

"Elle left."

"Didn't you say she was off to Ireland for a few days sometime around now?"

"Not that kind of left."

"Wait, left as in it's over, she is moving out?"

"Yes."

"Fuck, what happened?"

"I was an asshole and she left."

"You are going to have to go into more detail than that I'm afraid before I will pass judgement," Tom explained what happened with the GQ interview, Danielle's reaction and their subsequent argument. "Okay, so you were a slight bit of an asshole." Ben conceded. "Not an all-out one though."

"Tell that to Elle."

"Where is she now, Suffolk?"

"The airport probably. She said her flight was soon."

"She is going somewhere?"

"Back to Ireland."

"Permanently?"

"Jesus I hope not."

"Well get your case together, take the time apart to work on your plea and when she comes back, grovel," Ben suggested.

"Are you an actor or a solicitor?"

"I am a friend, trying to help you get your ass in gear and save your relationship."

"Can I ask you something?"

"I am scared to say yes," Ben seemed to be on the verge of wincing.

"The article, did you read it?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"I actually agree with Elle now that you told me what she thinks, it is one thing to not mention her, I know she has made it clear she is not ready for that yet, but to go on like that about Swift, I mean, poor Elle probably thinks she can't compete."

"There is no competition, I love Elle, I want to be with Elle."

"Then why say those things to the magazine?"

"I wanted to make it clear that it wasn't some stupid PR stunt."

"No, instead now it is a lovesick puppy act." Ben pointed out. "Danielle is just upset, hopefully with a little time to think about it, she will calm down."

"She is too stubborn."

"Jesus, I wonder who else can be accused of that?" Ben scoffed. "Look, if I was with Sophie and spoke about Olivia like that, very rightfully she would be pissed off. Think of it this way, if Elle went to Sophie and said she wished she was still with the doctor, that she was the one pregnant with his baby, how would you feel?" There was no response, nor was one needed. "Exactly, that is why she is so hurt now, and with the added extra of you calling her a brat, she is not too pleased."

"I never should have said that, I have been calling myself far worse since."

"I bet you have, but that doesn't help her get over her hurt. She needs time, she'll come round, she loves you, Tom, against her better judgement."

Tom just sighed and agreed, thinking not to argue. There was a knock on his door, "I better go, there's someone here." He walked over and opened it to see a flustered and frustrated Danielle on the other side. "Elle?"

"It's your fucking fault I missed my flight," She snapped, walking into the house. "With your talking, I was late and I forgot my passport."

"Will you make it now?" Tom asked, looking at her, his phone in his hand.

"My flight is in fifteen minutes, so I think it is safe to assume I will have to book another one." She walked upstairs to retrieve the document.

"Not telling you what to do but this may be the divine inspiration you were needing here," Ben shouted down the phone, having heard Tom and Danielle's interchange. Tom pressed the 'end call' button and took Benedict's advice, rushing up the stairs to see if Danielle would talk to him.

"Elle?" He walked into the bedroom to see Danielle crying, sitting on the bed. Immediately he rushed over to her, kneeling in front of her. "Elle."

"I want to hate you," she admitted through her tears.

"I know, it is easier to be mad if you don't love someone."

"I really do want to." She looked at him, "Why did you have to say those things?"

"I was an idiot, I am an idiot. I said so much more than she printed, I said I was happy now, I found things in life that brought me joy, I hoped she would print that, I wanted to say it to show you I was thinking of you but didn't want to reference you. I said about Mac, how he has made me happy, his carefree attitude and amazing story from street mongrel to spoiled brat pup made me think more about life, about living in the moment." Danielle smiled at that. "I wanted to tell her I found you but I wanted to keep you to myself a little longer, I wanted to not have to share you with the world yet, it isn't time yet, I still want it to be just you and me. I love you so much, Danielle, I don't want Taylor or anyone else, I want you, only you. I was an asshole, I made you feel like shit, like you are worthless, you are not worthless, you are everything to me." He cupped her face in his hands, she would not look at him. "I should not have dismissed your hurt, I should just have listened to you, telling you it was done wrong. I should not have said what I said." He tried to tilt her head up to look at him. "I love you."

"I don't want to love you right now." Tom felt his chest tighten at that. "I want to be angry at you." She inhaled deeply to settle herself. "I want to leave." Tom could not stop fresh tears from falling, Danielle leant forward slightly, leaning her forehead against Tom's. "Here, I'll forgive you too easily."

"Please, please forgive me." He begged, she said nothing. Braving the risk of her rejection, he gently pressed his lips to hers, kissing her chastely at first before kissing her again, then again, each one more passionate than the one before, before slowly coaxing her up the bed, not ceasing until she was lying with her head on the pillows, kissing her again, waiting for her to get it to go further. "Forgive me."

Danielle thought for a moment of everything Tom had said, of the article and of how it made her feel, but she also reminded herself of what they had done together, of how incredibly happy she usually was most of the time since being with Tom, and how the rest of the time she was generally upbeat too. She thought about what he said he had also mentioned to the reporter, of how happy he was in general with his life, she knew the woman could have focused on Taylor as no one had gotten an in-depth interview with him on the matter before that, so anything else he said could have been discarded for it. She had no idea if she should allow herself forgive him that easily, and as he patiently waited for her consent, by action or by word, she continued to think for a moment, knowing she would have to give her answer.

[singledarkshade]

And Baby Makes...

Summary: A year since their spontaneous marriage, Rip and Gideon find their lives are about to change once more. Author’s Note: The sequel to what happened next after ‘What Happens In Vegas’ and Secret Spouses. A lot of total fluff. All my medical knowledge comes from ER and Greys Anatomy, so I apologise. Hope you enjoy.                                ********************************************* “Gideon?”

Her mother-in-law’s concerned voice made Gideon pull herself off the bathroom floor and open the door.

“Oh dear,” Mary frowned when the door opened, “You don’t look well at all.”

Gideon gave a slight shrug, “Then it matches how I feel,”

Mary reached out and placed her hand on Gideon’s forehead, “You are slightly warm.”

“I’ve probably just picked up the bug that Jonas had a few weeks ago,” Gideon said softly, “Once Rip gets home, I’ll go to bed.”

Shaking her head, Mary took Gideon’s arm, “No, you should go to bed now.”

“But I need to make Jonas dinner,” Gideon protested as she was moved through the house to her bedroom.

Mary smiled at her, “I can fix him something to eat.”

“But…”

Moving her into the bedroom and sitting Gideon down, Mary cut her off, “I’m his grandmother, I can look after him for a few more hours until Michael gets home. It’s what I do,” she stopped Gideon protesting, “Now you get into bed and I’ll make you some tea to help settle your stomach.”

Defeated by Mary’s concern, Gideon changed into her pyjamas and slid into bed letting out a soft sigh as she lay back against her cool pillow. She’d felt unwell all day, but when she arrived home the smell of the baking Mary had been doing with Jonas made her stomach roll and Gideon barely made it to the bathroom in time to be sick.

“Rip?” Gideon opened her eyes surprised to see her husband moving quietly around their bedroom, “What are you doing home so early?”

He smiled at her, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, “I’m actually late. You fell asleep.”

Gideon winced, “What about Jonas?”

“Mother stayed to look after Jonas,” Rip smiled, “She left five minutes ago. How are you feeling?”

Gideon shrugged, “Better just tired.”

“Then get some sleep,” Rip told her, “If you’re still feeling unwell tomorrow, stay home. Mother offered to take Jonas so you can rest.”

A smile touched Gideon’s lips when Rip slid onto the bed and wrapped her in his arms. She sighed and closed her eyes again cuddling into his warm embrace. Rip held her for a few minutes before pressing a kiss to her hair and leaving her to rest.

They had now been married just over a year and Gideon had never been happier. After the surprise announcement of their marriage at Lily and Ray’s wedding, they’d had a small ceremony and party to celebrate with their friends. The next year gave them so many firsts. First birthday Gideon celebrated with her new family, first birthday Rip and Jonas celebrated with her, their first argument (where Gideon returned to her apartment for a few days), first making up after their first argument, first Christmas, first New Year’s Eve.

It had been a wonderful year during which Gideon adopted Jonas. The little boy insisted that he deserved a party to celebrate him getting a new mother officially. Rip agreed a lot quicker than Gideon thought he would.

Just over two months before was their first wedding anniversary. They’d celebrated by taking a trip to Las Vegas for the weekend. Rip surprised her by managing to get them booked into the same hotel and even the same room they’d had the year before. They made it out to dinner on the first night, had a drink in the cocktail bar they’d had their first drink in and then didn’t leave the room for the rest of the weekend.

Slipping asleep, Gideon thought back to the wonderful few days they’d had, just the two of them and realisation hit her.

She couldn’t be?

She was always so careful.

Except…

A weekend away with her husband…

Several days hidden from the world where they ignored everything outside their small bubble until they had to leave.

Gideon slid her hand onto her stomach, could she be pregnant?

 Thankfully Gideon felt better the next morning when she woke up. Despite Rip’s concern, Gideon followed her normal morning routine, kissing him and Jonas goodbye before heading out to work.

Except she made a small detour on her way to the office.

The drugstore was barely open when Gideon got there, making her way to the right aisle she stopped in surprise when she saw a familiar face standing looking at the pregnancy tests.

“You too?” Gideon asked softly making Lily spin in surprise.

A hopeful smile covered Lily’s face, “I’m not sure. You?”

“Not sure either,” Gideon whispered.

Picking up another box of the same test she had, Lily offered it to Gideon, “Do you want to do the test together?”

Gideon nodded, “Yes. I haven’t told Rip my suspicions, not till I know for sure.”

“I haven’t told Ray.”

Taking her friend’s hand, Gideon smiled, “So, can we do this now or…”

“I’m off today,” Lily told her, “Let’s pay and we can find out.”

 Thirty minutes later the two women were in Lily’s bedroom sitting on the edge of the bed holding hands as they stared at the pregnancy tests on the small table in front of them.

“That’s it,” Lily said softly when the alarm on her phone sounded, “Are you ready?”

Gideon took in a deep breath, “No.”

“What’s wrong?” Lily asked concerned.

“It’s just,” Gideon sighed, “This is not something I ever expected to want.”

Lily smiled, “But you want a baby.”

“With Rip,” Gideon whispered smiling, “Yes.”

“So, what’s wrong?” Lily asked again.

“I’m now afraid I’m not pregnant when I built it up in my head,” Gideon told her.

Lily hugged her friend, “Then if it’s negative you tell Rip how you’re feeling and work out together whether you start trying or not.”

Gideon smiled, so happy her friend was with her.

“Are we ready now?” Lily asked.

Gideon stopped her, “What if one of us is and one isn’t?”

Lily squeezed her hand, “Then we’re happy for our friend. Okay?”

Gideon nodded.

“Three, two,” Lily counter taking a deep breath and saying, “One.”

Together they reached out and picked up their test, checked the result before swapping to see each other’s test. Lily let out a squeal and grabbed her friend in a tight hug.

They were both pregnant.

 “How are you feeling?” Rip asked the moment Gideon walked in the door.

She smiled at him, “Better.” Looking around Gideon realised it was extremely quiet, “Where’s Jonas?”

“Adam got a new computer game for his birthday and Jonas begged me to let him go to play it after school,” Rip shrugged, “I agreed. Adam’s mum will feed him for us and bring him home later.”

Gideon nodded, “That’s good because I need to talk to you. And it’s better if Jonas isn’t here.”

Cold panic filled Rip, he knew that this relationship was the longest one Gideon had ever had and part of him always worried she would decide it was over.

“Oh no,” Gideon gasped, obviously realising what he was thinking, “It’s not bad, Rip I promise.”

Relieved he followed her into the living room, sitting on the couch and waiting for her to join him.

“You know I love you,” Gideon said softly, “And this past year has been wonderful. Marrying you and becoming Jonas’ mother was something I never knew I wanted. I can’t imagine life without you both in it now. Our lives changed so quickly last year,” she took a deep breath, “And our lives are about to change again.”

Rip looked at her confused, “Change how?”

Biting her lip slightly, Gideon reached into her bag and pulled out a small white plastic stick. Rip stared at her before looking at the stick and then her again.

“Does that…is that…” Rip stammered.

Gideon nodded, “I’m pregnant.”

Rip surged forward and wrapped her in his arms, “We’re having a baby.”

“We are,” she whispered before asking, “Are you happy?

Kissing her softly, Rip nodded, “Ecstatic.”

Gideon smiled as he enfolded her in his arms once more.

                                 *********************************************

 Rip was sitting in the car waiting for Gideon when she left the office. Sliding into the passenger seat she accepted his kiss with a smile. They were heading to the doctor for her first check-up and confirmation of how many weeks pregnant she was. If she had counted right, then she would be at the three-month mark which meant they could tell people and Gideon was both excited as well as absolutely petrified about that fact. Firstly, she wasn’t sure how Jonas would react even though Rip assured her that he would be fine and secondly was Mary, who Gideon knew would be happy but possibly a little too much at getting a second grandchild.

“Are you okay?” Rip asked when they stopped at the lights.

Gideon shrugged, “A little nervous.”

Taking her hand and placing a kiss on the palm, Rip smiled, “Everything is going to be just fine.”

“I know but…” she shook her head, “I’m being ridiculous.”

The light turned to green and Rip started to drive again, “You have every right to be.”

Reaching the hospital, Rip found a parking space quickly to Gideon’s surprise. The moment she slid out the car, Rip wrapped his arm around her, and they walked together into the building.

 Gideon reached out for Rip who took a hold of her hand, squeezing it comfortingly as they waited for Dr Lewis to finish updating Gideon’s records before the ultrasound.

“Alright, Gideon,” Lewis said with a smile, “Are you ready to see your baby?”

Nodding Gideon gripped Rip’s hand tighter as the doctor raised her top revealing her still flat stomach.

“This will be a little cold,” Lewis said squeezing the gel out. Pressing the wand onto Gideon’s stomach, Lewis moved it around for a few moments before turning to them, “Okay, here you go.”

Awe filled Gideon as she stared at the screen, following Lewis as she pointed out everything that Gideon had no idea she could see on the image but, even though she couldn’t read it fully, Gideon could see her baby.

“How far along do you think I am?” Gideon asked, as Rip cleaned the gel off her stomach for the doctor.

Lewis smiled, “You’re twelve weeks along. From all the tests your baby is perfectly healthy, and you are just as healthy. I’m going to print out a copy of the scan for you, give you the pamphlets we give all pregnant women to read through and then you can both head home.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Gideon smiled at the other woman as Rip gave his thanks also.

“I’ll see you both soon,” Lewis told them with a warm smile.

As soon as the doctor left the room, Gideon slid off the bed and into Rip’s arms relieved everything was fine.

 Rip sat on the couch staring at the picture of their baby while Gideon was in the other room.

He remembered Miranda’s first scan of Jonas, how they’d stared at the screen showing their baby with awe and terror. They’d never talked about having kids, and as both had been orphans, neither were sure they could raise a child.

Jonas however was the most perfect baby, and Rip had instantly adored his little boy. After losing Miranda, Rip never thought he’d fall in love again, never mind have another child. Gideon had changed everything.

He was so happy she’d persuaded him to go out for one drink that night in Vegas, because he had found something that he never thought he’d ever have again.

It was incredible how easily she fitted into their lives, although there had been some teething problems.

He hated remembering their first real fight. It was over something stupid and Gideon had been so upset she went back to her apartment. Realising he could lose the best thing that had happened to him in a long time, Rip headed to Gideon’s apartment to apologise, completely prepared to beg her not to give up on what they had. Gideon had forgiven him almost instantly but was in tears of relief that he had come to her. Rip realised at that point how insecure she was in their relationship because it was her first real one, so he made sure she knew how much she meant to him every day.

And now she was giving him a baby.

 Gideon checked the clock, Mary would be bringing Jonas home in about twenty minutes and they were going to break the news to them both. Before that though…

“Hi,” Lily answered the call almost instantly, “How did your appointment go?”

“Everything is good,” Gideon told her friend, “And I’m three months pregnant. We’re going to tell Mary and Jonas tonight. How about you?”

Lily laughed, “The same. Ray is so excited about letting everyone know. I’ve persuaded him that we need to tell our families first but he’s going to invite everyone on Saturday night for dinner so we can reveal our news.”

Gideon chuckled amused.

“I was thinking we could reveal it together,” Lily told her.

“You remember my secret marriage was revealed at your wedding,” Gideon reminded her friend, “Do you want to share this with me too.”

“Yes,” Lily replied instantly.

Gideon felt tears fill her eyes, “We should let Ray and Rip know before then that we’re both pregnant.” She mused for a second, “Jonas isn’t coming on Saturday so why not come here for dinner on Friday? If anyone asks, then it’s because you felt bad Jonas couldn’t be included so I invited you to see him.”

“Sounds like a great idea,” Lily told her before sighing, “I’ve got to go, Ray will be worrying since I’ve been out his sight for more than half an hour.”

Laughing Gideon made her goodbyes hanging up just as she heard the front door open.

 Rip caught his exuberant son in his arms, Jonas telling him about the trip to the science museum his grandma had taken him to. Gideon appeared from the bedroom and Jonas slipped from Rip’s arms to hug her too. Rip winced slightly at how hard Jonas flung himself into Gideon’s arms, but she hugged him tightly and kissed the top of his head.

“Mother,” Rip called, “Can you stay for a few minutes? We have something to talk to you about.”

Intrigued Mary nodded, “Of course dear.”

“Jonas,” Rip called his son, “Come and sit with us.”

As Rip led his son to the couch, he pulled him up onto his lap as Gideon sat beside him and his mother sat on the chair across from them.

“Am I in trouble?” Jonas asked worriedly.

“Oh, no sweetie,” Gideon soothed, ruffling his hair, “This is a very good thing.”

She slid her hand into Rip’s, and he could see his mother had her suspicions about what they were going to say but was keeping it to herself for the moment.

Rip hugged his son tightly, “Jonas, we love you so much and that is never going to change but soon we’re going have an addition to our family.”

Jonas looked at him confused, “How?”

“We’re going to have baby,” Rip grinned, seeing the joy cover his mother’s face, “And you’re going to be a big brother.”

Jonas gave a small frown as he thought, “Where is the baby coming from?”

“The baby is in Gideon’s tummy just now,” Rip explained, “Where she’ll keep the baby safe and warm until it’s time to join us.”

Turning to Gideon, Jonas peered at her flat stomach, “Are you sure?”

They all chuckled before Gideon explained, “Right now, the baby is very small but will grow.”

“It also means you have to be very careful when you hug Gideon,” Rip told his son.

Jonas nodded solemnly.

“But I still need my hugs,” Gideon told him, smiling as Jonas slid across onto her lap for a hug.

Rip turned to his mother who motioned him to her, he smiled as she hugged him.

“I’m so happy for you, Michael,” Mary whispered, “And I will be here for whatever you both need.”

Rip smiled at her, “Thank you, Mother.”

“Would you like to see a picture of the baby?” Gideon asked Jonas.

The little boy gave a bemused look, “If the baby is in your tummy how can you have a picture?”

Rip smiled and sitting down, lifted Jonas onto his lap again, “It’s a very special camera,” he took the scan picture when Gideon handed it to him and showed Jonas their baby.

 Gideon slipped away to get a drink of water while Jonas was asking questions about the picture of the baby. Standing at the door, Gideon watched Rip and Jonas together smiling at how wonderful a father he was. Resting her hands on her stomach, Gideon knew how lucky she was.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Mary said suddenly making Gideon turn in surprise.

“For what?” she asked confused.

Mary smiled, “For giving me my son back,” she glanced over at Rip and Jonas before continuing, “When Miranda died, the only reason he kept going was for Jonas. It was why I was so surprised when he returned from Vegas last year married to you. But you make Michael smile in a way I hadn’t seen since that horrible day.”

Gideon smiled, “He changed my life so much too. I never thought I would ever be able to love someone enough to be with them forever and I never wanted children. Then I met Rip. He gave me everything I never knew I wanted, a husband, a son and a mother.”

Mary hugged her tightly before guiding her back to the couch, taking her seat beside Rip, Gideon smiled enfolded in the love of her family.

                                 *********************************************

 Rip wasn’t sure why Gideon had invited Ray and Lily over for dinner since they were going to theirs the next night anyway, but she explained it wasn’t fair Jonas didn’t get to join them. Rip taking this to be pregnancy hormones considering Gideon had sobbed at an advert the night before, which wasn’t even a sad commercial, and he remembered Miranda’s sometimes odd decisions when she had been pregnant.

Besides Jonas was so excited that Lily and Ray were coming, so Rip shrugged and made dinner for them.

“Oh, this smells wonderful,” Gideon breathed as she entered the kitchen, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, “I’m glad I married someone who can cook.”

Rip chuckled, “Was that your basic criteria?”

Turning him so she could kiss him properly, Gideon laughed, “Just a perk.”

The doorbell rang, interrupting them and Gideon headed to answer the door. Rip followed and watched, amused by how excited his wife was for some reason to see friends they saw practically every day.

“Hi,” Lily and Gideon cried in unison embracing the instant the door was open.

“Are we going inside or just standing here all night?” Ray asked amused from behind Lily.

Gideon moved back and let them inside as Jonas came running towards them. Lily hugged the little boy before letting him drag her into the living room. Rip turned to Gideon and wrapped an arm around her waist as they listened to Jonas tell their visitors all about his day at school.

“I’ll get the first course ready,” Rip pressed a kiss to Gideon’s cheek.

“In a minute,” Gideon took his hand and led him into the living room.

“What’s going on?” Rip asked confused as Gideon made him sit.

“Lily and I need to tell you something,” Gideon said, moving Jonas over to his father.

Rip lifted Jonas into his lap and glanced at Ray who looked as confused as he was.

“What’s going on?” Rip asked worriedly.

To his surprise, Gideon and Lily grinned while holding each other’s hands.

“We’re both pregnant,” Lily announced.

Ray stood, “What?”

“Lily and I took the test together,” Gideon explained, “We’re both three months pregnant.”

Rip laughed, “Congratulations.”

“You too,” Ray grinned.

Jonas stood looking at them all before asking, “Does this mean you have a baby in your tummy too, Auntie Lily?”

Lily chuckled and knelt in front of him, “I do. So, you’re going to be a big cousin as well as a big brother.”

Jonas gave her a thoughtful look before nodding, “Okay.”

 Gideon hugged Lily again before Ray finally managed to get her in the car so they could go home. Closing the door Gideon smiled, resting her hands on her stomach happy that she would be sharing this experience with one of her closest friends.

Seeing Rip leave Jonas room she wondered how she managed to get so lucky to fall in love with this wonderful man and become the mother to an incredible stepson.

“He’s fast asleep,” Rip said seeing Gideon standing there.

“Good,” she wrapped her arms around his waist hugging him, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you why I wanted Ray and Lily to come tonight but we wanted to surprise you both.”

“I have to admit I didn’t expect it,” Rip kissed her softly, “Come on, let’s go to bed. We’ve got an early start tomorrow.”

Taking his hand Gideon led him to their room, “True, but who said we have to go to sleep straight away.”

[merilly-chan]

(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.

[ryanmeft]

Ranking the Marvel Cinematic Universe, part 3

Part 1: https://ryanmeft.tumblr.com/post/183962601514/ranking-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-part-1 Part 2: https://ryanmeft.tumblr.com/post/184208179827/ranking-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-part-2

10. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Yes, the third act goes on way too long, and is uninspired and even a bit dull. It deserves the criticism it gets. Thing is, that’s pretty much all this one deserves criticism for. Right up until that final showdown, everything in the movie clicked. It starts right off with the Avengers already a team, in a semi-cold open where every member just works. Throughout the movie, Joss Whedon proves he deserves his reputation for snappy dialogue, as nearly every exchange between every character zings. The additions of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver may not feel like the most vital parts of the formula, but they work every bit as well as they need to, and the defeated Avengers retreating to an off-the-grid hideout to hash out their issues is still among the franchises’ best sequences, more than worth the silly Ragnarok tie-in Whedon had to trade for it.

It also has a great, underrated villain. While it does seem that no one really planned in advance to have Ultron in the MCU, he works perfectly, backed up by the voice and personality of James Spader. He never comes across as a robot, but rather as artificial life, dropped into a supremely messed up world and taking---well, can we really say the wrong interpretation? Skewed, perhaps, but driven by the very true reality of mankind’s brutal nature. It seems obvious Whedon got tired by the end of the film, but everything prior to that is gold. Unless you’re one of those people who watches the original on repeat, it’s now hard to deny that the sequel tops it.

9. Iron Man 3

Fanboy cries of “they didn’t do the Mandarin right” have unfairly dogged this one since release. I don’t read the comics regularly anymore, and I find that after more than a decade outside of regular readership I have the glorious freedom of judging a movie apart from whether it matches the comics’ often-contradictory and confusing continuity. So, with that out of the way: Iron Man 3 is genuinely good. Recovering from the train wreck that was Iron Man 2 with new director Shane Black and co-writer Drew Pearce, this one decided to de-glamorize the hard-party aspect of the character and let his frat-boy nature lead him to near-ruin, getting his home destroyed and his suit crippled by a mad terrorist. That led to an excellent middle act in which Tony has to make a go of things without his vaunted suits to help him, against a mysterious villain. When the nature of that villain is revealed, it’s actually quite clever (while also being a way to avoid massively ticking off the all-important Asian box office). The new supporting cast, especially Ben Kingsley and Guy Pearce, add a lot, while returning favorites get actual development. The third act goes on a little too long, but the device of having Tony manipulate multiple suits of armor at once is a clever twist on the usual Marvel shtick of an army of bad guys vs. one hero. As Marvel’s first post-Avengers movie, this one needed to prove the MCU concept still had gas in it even though the big event it had been building to was come and gone. It succeeded.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

Which Guardians is better? They’re both some of the more pure fun movies in the MCU, kind of like Suicide Squad, but not shitty, and in space. Some people prefer the first one for sheer irreverence and comedic chemistry, while others appreciate the more personal story and stakes in the sequel. I had a raging debate with myself on this (there were injuries) but ultimately, more personal won out. The first movie has a bunch of misfits who get together to stop a generic cosmic evil baddie bad guy seemingly for no other reason than the heck of it. The second gives them actual reasons to be together, with a truly interesting threat to fight. Peter Quill’s dad Ego, played with just the right amount of swagger and just the right gleam in his eye by Kurt Russell, is the lightning this team needed to really live. There’s a lot of “Oh, come on, stop pretending he’s not the bad guy” in movies, but in this case you really don’t want him to be; he’s the kind of guy you’d like to have a beer with, and you get the sense he really cares for his son in his own twisted way. That’s villain gold.

The family themes don’t end there, with Gamora and Nebula working out their differences and Rocket learning to be (slightly less of) a little shit and appreciating his adoptive family more. And, of course, there’s Yondu’s emotional death. In fact, one of the more interesting takes I read casts the movie in the light of overcoming abusive relationships. That may seem a little grand for a superhero popcorn flick, but tilt your head a bit and you can see it. The greater amount of heart on display in this entry makes up for some occasionally ramshackle plotting, and provides a worthy sequel.

7. Black Panther

One of the few superhero movies that genuinely created a believable world, the land of Wakanda comes to vivid and incredible life, a more visually varied, colorful and detailed setting than anything in the MCU or even the Marvel catalogue; there’s nothing else like it in the genre. Ritual battles for the throne are fought amid towering waterfalls, while light speed trains blast by beneath the rural African facade. The action in this amazing setting is driven by two great characters. Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa is a doubtful king, unsure of his country’s place in the world or even his own necessity to his country. Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger is a radical with a reason; his motivations feel genuine and his rage earned.

Ultimately, the supporting cast decided this one’s ranking. Other than fan favorite Shuri, the secondary players in this one are…well, dull. Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira are given minimal-if-any character development, and it’s impossible to ignore the fact that in the age of MeToo, all of the women here are subservient to a man. The third act devolves into an obligatory battle scene, when it could have been so much more given what it had to work with. By any measure, it’s an excellent tights flick, but we’re going to have to wait for the sequel to see what the setting is really capable of.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger

Just in case you were wondering if this list were biased, here’s my personal favorite MCU movie, down here at #6. One of the few films in the studio’s catalog that feels it was made entirely by humans with visions and not a marketing committee, Joe Johnston lends this one a feel that is a distinct mix of genuine World War II and the boys magazine vibe that originally birthed Cap. The result is a superhero film that stands as unique in the genre. Actual scenes of warfare are mostly avoided due to that PG-13 rating, but the costs of war are seen in relatively realistic depictions of refugee soldiers returning from a doomed mission, or the jaded responses of hardened troops to Cap’s USO-style shows. Light elements of camp come in with the deliciously over-the-top performance of Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull and that wonderfully hammy montage of Cap selling war bonds. The whole thing is tied together by Chris Evans playing the MCU’s most naturally likable protagonist, who gets a last line that, for my money, easily tops “I am Iron Man”.

5. Thor: Ragnarok

It may not be the weightiest film in the MCU, and the apocalyptic, full-stakes tone of the Asgardian story occasionally clashes strangely with the full-comedic tone of the Planet Hulk-inspired material, but Ragnarok was nonetheless the tonic we all needed in a world where blockbusters often don’t know how to relax. Sure, there’s plenty of humor in other MCU films, but it can occasionally feel as though a committee of people is sitting around with a page of one-liners and a stamp. Taika Waititi’s material does not feel like that. From the banter between Loki and everyone else to the fact that Hemsworth is finally allowed to tap into his comedic abilities, it feels like kids having fun, which we need more of. Cate Blanchett completely devours her role as Hela, while Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster is a preening drunk who gets some of the best lines. It pretty much erases the previous Thor continuity---including the only clever bit of plotting from Dark World---but what we lose is more than made up for by the fun we gain in the process. Oh, and visually, it may be the only MCU film other than Doctor Strange which fully taps into that wonderfully bizarre 60’s Marvel vibe.

4. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man’s long-awaited starring debut in the MCU may not have been quite as earth-shattering as some hoped, but then, it wasn’t supposed to be. Of all the heroes in Marvel’s vast catalog, Spidey is the most like us. He has girl troubles, he can’t pay the rent, his boss is a jerk, and there’s always someone in the bathroom when he really needs to go (probably). Many of the hallmarks of the classic character didn’t make the transition, but the spirit is alive. Peter comes across as a hyperactive, overconfident millennial, which is what he’d be these days, and his classmates are updated from a rotating roster of stock characters straight out of 1950’s pamphlets on The Modern Teenager to a varied group of personalities that connect with today’s kids. Most crucial of all, though, is the Vulture, widely regarded at the time as the best MCU villain to date (and still this writer’s favorite). He doesn’t want to rule the world, he just wants to make a living, and that makes him the perfect opponent for Peter. Michael Keaton was the ideal choice for his casting. This is a case where a pretty darn good movie is bumped several slots simply because of how great the villain is. Sure, Downey seems to be phoning in his support role at times, and some great comedic actors are relegated to tiny roles, but these are flyspecks on the movie that redeemed the Spider-Man name after a decade of cinematic missteps. 

3. Iron Man

The original and…still the best? Not quite, but it’s up there. At the time Iron Man released, it seemed flawless in part because of the odds against it. It’s hard to imagine a time now when Shellhead wasn’t a household name, but when Marvel decided to launch their new line of films with him, he was second-tier at best. The success of the movie and, crucially, Robert Downey Jr.’s casting elevated him to essential. The impact was so great that if you go and read a modern Marvel comic, you’ll find them pretending he was always front and center. It all started here, and it started because the movie was so good. It not only rehabilitated Downey’s image, it cast the great Jeff Bridges as a villain who seems to plausibly believe his version of events, and a pre-Goop Gwyneth Paltrow as an effective romantic foil for Tony. The humor, the action, the pathos all clicked. Looking back now, the decision to have Stane go completely evil by the end of the film cheapens it a bit, especially compared to truly complex villains like The Vulture and Loki, and the character himself has evolved beyond these beginnings---despite his moral conflicts, he still revels in being an irresponsible playboy here. These are incredibly minor quibbles, but ten years later, they stand out just enough to cost it a couple rungs on the ladder.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The popular favorite for the best MCU movie slides in at #2, and before you hit me, it’s all because of Marvel’s need to insert cookie cutter, blockbuster endings in their movies, regardless of what kind of movie it is. They’ve gotten better as time goes on, but the giant ships over the city, flaming and falling from the sky while superpeople jump on, in, over and around them was incongruous with the slower, more measured spy stuff of the rest of the movie, and felt obligatory, causing this to lose the top spot. Still, it had to have ranked second for a reason. The plot up until the third act may be the tightest and most tense of any MCU film, with genuine mysteries unfolding and an unexpected payoff when we get to the what’s-really-going-on-here moment. New additions Anthony Mackie and Robert Redford fit well, while Black Widow is such a perfect compliment to Cap that it’s a crime they didn’t team up more often without all those other hangers-on (and there’s an unexplored romantic chemistry that seems much more apt than that between Cap and Sharon Carter). The first two acts of this one define what the MCU is capable of.

1. Captain America: Civil War

Civil War plays like one of those old Marvel Annuals, with the double-sized page count and the promises of things you wouldn’t normally see. Unlike those annuals, the movie isn’t padded out with recycled material, either. It gives audiences exactly what they’re expecting: the answer to what would happen if the good guys turned on each other.

That answer, of course, is: one hell of a fight. The airport battle in particular shows off the powers of every available hero, including the newly introduced Black Panther and Spider-Man, and the Russos (with their small army of effects people) come up with every trick and use of the hero’s powers they can for this lengthy sequence. In many ways, it’s the best of the Avengers movies.

Yet despite some wags who say it isn’t really a Captain America movie, it is. The story heavily involves both him and Winter Soldier, and Rogers ends up being the one whose decisions shape the outcome. The stakes may involve everyone at first, but they eventually come down to a very personal battle between Iron Man and Cap, after a highly clever fake-out by Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo. The ads may have promised fireworks, but just like the other Cap movies, it’s the personal stuff that makes this one work so well.

[westwingwolf]

Title: A Small Offering

Fandom: Charmed (2018)

Characters: Harry Greenwood, Maggie Vera

Summary: Harry and Maggie have a post-Tartarus discussion. Meant to be the talk Maggie alludes to in "Witch Perfect" so set between “Keep Calm & Harry On” and “Witch Perfect.” One-shot.

Spoilers: Through “Witch Perfect”

Archived: AO3

Scraps of brightly colored wrapping paper layered the coffee table and sofa where Harry was currently resting in the attic. The sisters, well Macy and Mel, had decided to throw an impromptu celebration to cheer up both he and Maggie a few days after their return from Tartarus. They exchanged gifts and kept the conversation light. Harry drank only a little of the coquito Mel had made. Both because he had learned his lesson from before and because his appetite was low. Best not to drink on an empty stomach.

At the moment, the sisters were cleaning up the kitchen, allowing him time to himself as he was still tired from his stay in Hellcatraz as the others had insisted on calling it.  Even as he remained drained of most of his energy, he appreciated the ladies’ thoughtfulness and all they were doing to aid his recovery. He felt guilty in keeping the secrets of his past from them, but felt it was best not to burden them with more of his problems. Especially Maggie who was still dealing with so much emotional pain.

He heard the creaking of the attic floorboards and the rustling of paper. Opening his eyes, he saw the young witch in question.

“Sorry.” Maggie shrugged sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to wake you. Just wanted to clean up and…” she trailed off.

“You didn’t wake me. I was just resting my eyes for a bit. You were saying?” He moved aside allowing her room to sit next to him on the sofa.

Maggie dropped the crumbled balls of paper back down on the table as she accepted his invitation. “Is it weird if I say I wanted to make sure you were still here?”

“Not at all. When I wake up, I have to look around before I remember I’m not back there.”

“I totally get that.” She rubbed the faint black vein marks that were fading a little more each day. Harry’s marks were still darkly visible and probably would remain so for quite a while. She had only spent a few hours in Tartarus when he had been there for over a week. Somehow she felt trapped still. She knew her sisters would listen, but they’d never fully understand what it was like. Harry would know but her experiences felt small by comparison. And she didn’t feel right asking him what memories he must have experienced. If he wanted to share, he would. She wouldn’t pry.

“You know I’m here to listen if you want to talk about it,” Harry said.

Maggie smiled. “Now, who is the mind reader?”

Harry laughed. “Occupational hazard of being a whitelighter, I’m afraid. We can always tell when our charges need our help.”

Maggie sobered her expression. Finding the courage to admit what she had been feeling for the last few days. “I don’t know how you were able to stand staying in Tartarus for so long. I was here, and I couldn’t handle the pain without doing a spell. You took all of the torture they gave you, and still asked for mine. You saved me when I was supposed to be saving you.” She dropped her eyes to stare at the floor. Ashamed to look at him.

“Maggie, look at me.” When she met his eyes again, he continued. “You did save me. And I’m not just talking about that impressive spell you created.” His smile as he said this made her smile as well. He took a beat to calm himself before he admitted. “I wanted to give up. Let Hell have me. But then I heard you call for me. As much as I hated the idea of you being trapped there, as much as I would have gladly stayed in Tartarus if it meant that you and your sisters were safe, it doesn’t change the fact that your voice gave me hope. You reminded me of who I am. Of my purpose. So if you are feeling any guilt or shame for the pain you feel after being in Tartarus. Don’t. I wanted to take your pain because that’s what I’m meant to do. I have to so you can do what you’re meant to do.”

“Create kickass spells.”  She said with a small satisfied smile.

“I believe the word I used was ‘impressive.’”

“I know, but my word is better.”

Harry shook his head. “I knew I should have gone with the dictionary for your Christmas gift.”

The actual gift he had given her was a training orb like the one he used. The accompanying note said it was to keep her from taking his without permission, and that she was to never tell him if she used it for any extracurricular activities. He thought it was a good idea at the time, but that had been before the truth about Parker had been discovered. When she read the note, she smiled and thanked him for the gift, but he knew her smile was just to keep him from worrying. He believed she would have reacted differently if Parker had never betrayed her. Just another reason to be angry with the lad.

“Keep talking like that, and I’m taking back my gift to you.” She had given him a sweater that she claimed was the height of fashion. He had to admit it would still fit in with his wardrobe while giving it an updated quality. And apparently brought out the green in his eyes.  Her words, not his. She also offered to join him the next time he went shopping. Which he suspected was more of a present for her rather than him, but he appreciated it all the same.

“Speaking of gifts, I wanted to give you this.” He slowly reached for the present he had hidden beneath his pillows. He handed her a medium sized object that just by the heft and size she immediately knew it to be a book. Perhaps he really had gone ahead with that dictionary.

“You already gave me my very own training orb. Besides, when did you have time to do this? We barely got you to stand long enough to move from the living room to the attic.”

“Actually, I had brought it to give with the other offerings. It was meant to be a sort of family gift. Now, I think we can consider it a shared ‘Congratulations on Surviving Hell’ gift.”

“In that case, I guess I can’t refuse.” She eagerly ripped into the expertly wrapped paper. She had to laugh when she saw the title. “A Thousand and One Vegan Recipes. So you finally figured it out, huh?”

“Of course. What kind of whitelighter would I be if I wasn’t vigilant when it came to my charges’ preferences?”

“You do remember I can read your mind, right?” She asked him skeptically.

Giving in, he admitted. “Very well. Mel had to tell me. But now that I know, I am quite eager to try my hand at these recipes. ”

Laughing, Maggie said, “I have to admit I did kind of miss your cooking. I broke down and ate all the leftover fruitcake you prepared.”

“Did you really?” Harry said, obviously pleased.

“Don’t look so happy. I was sad. I would have eaten anything. And it was still disgusting by the way.” She wouldn’t mention that his ugly, unwashed Christmas sweater vest was still in her room waiting to be returned to him. She kept it as a memorial to remember who they were fighting for and to not let herself get fooled again.

The attic settled into silence for a few moments as they both were lost to their own thoughts. Finally, Maggie broke through it with the question that had been bothering her since she had opened Harry’s first gift to her. “Did you suspect? … About Parker?” Upon Harry’s confused expression, she continued. “I’m not saying you knew he was part demon because if you did, of course you’d tell me. But did you suspect he was shifty about something? You mentioned that you programmed the training orb to specifically help me improve my empathic power. Did you believe that I desperately needed to improve? Do you think my power is a liability?”

Harry immediately shook his head. “No, that’s not it at all. I programmed the orb to be best suited to training your abilities because my intention was that the gifts I gave you and your sisters would help you become the best witches you can be.  I meant what I said back in Tartarus. Let love be your strength… because love is your greatest strength.  Your power relies on your ability to love. To trust. And to want what’s best for people.”

Maggie leaned back into the sofa cushions and took a deep breath. “I don’t know if I can do that anymore. I want to, but I don’t know if I still can. Right now you, Mel, and Macy are the only people I can trust.”

Harry recognized the expression of defeat on Maggie’s face as the same one she wore on Christmas Eve as they sat side by side on another sofa. His heart broke for her then just as it does now.  He had meant to take her aside at some point to speak about her declaration of never blindly trusting again, but then all hell had broken loose. Literally.

Placing a hand on Maggie’s shoulder to both get her attention and comfort her, Harry stated, “I understand wanting to use caution, and even wanting to hold back because you’re afraid you’ll be hurt again. It wouldn’t hurt to use your instincts to question others when warranted, but you can’t allow what Parker has done as reason to harden your heart. If you close yourself off from everyone, it will have a devastating effect on your power. More importantly, it will fundamentally change you from who you are. And who you are meant to be. You can’t let Parker or anyone take that from you.”

“Thanks, Har.” Maggie carefully hugged him, mindful of the fact that he was still in some pain. As they held onto one another she picked up on Harry’s thoughts.

 Please let me have helped her. I can’t leave her in pain.

As she pulled back, she wanted to ease Harry’s concerns. “Talking to you has really helped. I’m going to try to follow your advice.” She took a breath before adding, “I’m still sad though.”

“That’s perfectly understandable.  Perhaps, it would be a good idea to take up a new hobby or interest. Keep your mind on something that makes you happy. Something purely for fun.” He suggested.

Maggie thought about the times when she was truly happy and escaping from the world. “I have always loved singing. And I heard they were having auditions for The Hilltones soon.”

“Singing? Excellent idea! I’ve been to a few of their concerts. I think you’d fit in quite nicely. If the singing I accidentally caught you doing while you were having that random dance party with your sisters was anything to go by.” He was referring to the time he had teleported into the living room to advise the sisters on a recent surge of demonic weather patterns and to be aware of the possibility of it raining frogs. Surprised to find the revered Charmed Ones dancing around the coffee table like characters in those romantic comedies he would never admit he watched. He intended to teleport himself back out without being noticed, but Maggie had seen him and subsequently pulled into the dancing soiree. Needless to say, it was very embarrassing for him as he tried to keep up with the ladies. But remembering the expression of complete happiness Maggie had that night as she tried to teach him the latest dances, he would gladly offer himself up for embarrassment again.

“Okay then. I’ll try out. And whether I get in or not, maybe when you’re feeling better, we can have a Karaoke night? Macy said you liked it.” At Harry’s nod in agreement, she continued. “Good. You should also think about doing something to get your mind off of your time in Tartarus. Is there anything you’re interested in? And you can’t say anything that involves magic.”

Harry immediately thought of his son. “I have a subject in mind that I’m currently interested in pursuing.”

“Anything I can do to help?” She was eager to repay Harry for all he had done to help her. And she really needed to know that he wasn’t getting lost in his memories of Hell. She could feel his depression rolling across him like the black venom in his veins rolled along his skin.

Harry shook his head. “Thank you, but this is something I’d rather see to myself.” He began to move away from her, withdrawing into himself and careful not to touch her.

She didn’t want him to feel forced to tell her, and noticing his reaction she believed he felt reluctant around her for fear of getting too close so she could read his mind. She didn’t want to avoid him, but she made the decision to keep some physical distance for the next few days so he could have the time he needed to recover with peace of mind. “Okay, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.  I’ll let you get some more rest now.” She stood up, taking the recipe book with her in order to show it to Macy and Mel before placing it in the kitchen. Walking halfway to the attic door, she turned back around. “Harry?”

“Yes, Maggie?” He noticed she seemed hesitant to finish her thought.

“You’re going to still be here, right? No plans on going anywhere?”

“Well, I assumed when I was feeling better I would return to my condo. Can’t have you ladies waiting on me hand and foot forever, can I?” He replied with a teasing smile.

She let out a small laugh. “No, I mean we’re not going to lose you again, are we? Because if I have to drag your ass out of Hell again, I’ll do it, but it’s really gonna cost ya.” She meant it as a joke, but they both knew neither she nor her sisters would hesitate to retrieve their whitelighter from any danger.

In order to ease her concerns and lighten the mood, he replied “I shall endeavor to avoid as many hell pits as possible in the future. Besides, I have at least a thousand and one vegan recipes I need to prepare for you.”

Maggie smiled, clutching the recipe book in question. Truth was she would endure any food Harry wanted to cook as long as he was around to do so. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t still give him a hard time about said cooking. “I’ll hold you to it. Goodnight, Harry.”

“Sleep well, Maggie.”

Harry hoped he can keep his promise to Maggie. He had no desire to abandon her and her sisters. But with each day he felt more and more unlike the man he thought himself to be. He questioned whether he is worthy to be Whitelighter to the Charmed Ones. Perhaps The Elders made a mistake in granting him the position. Perhaps they never should have made him a whitelighter at all.  

Maggie once proposed that her and her sisters should become his new family, and though he made a joke at the time, he was truly honored and touched. For the first time in a long while, Harry felt like he belonged.

But would Maggie make the same offer again if she knew the man Harry really was?

[forgettinggirlinterrpted]

5/8 - 5/13/19

It’s so easy sometimes to forget why I’m here. That’s my problem- I forget things. I forget my keys, I forget to turn my car off when I get gas, once I even forgot I biked somewhere and ended up walking home.

But worse than that, I forget emotions. I forget how miserable not having AC in my car makes me until late April rolls around, I forget when I’m mad at someone, I forget how happy I felt during some of the most important moments in my life. Most importantly- I forget when I’m sad.

I have brief moments that pop up in a sea of darkness that allow me, for just a moment, to laugh and feel like a real person. These moments happen a lot. I can see light and laughter during a panic attack before the flip switches and my brain turns back into a train running off static electricity and black mold. The fog clears for just a brief stop on the tracks and the mold crawls back to its host.

But same as the the fog clears, eventually so does my forgetfulness. My ability to forget is just as weak as it is powerful. Slowly but surely those mold covered trains start moving again with no clear destination. The black creeps in as I sit in the real world, hunched over, grasping onto my surroundings- yet failing to grasp onto any sort of consistent breathing pattern. I can forget sadness, but I can just as quickly forget happiness.

So here I am, in the day room of a psychiatric hospital, surrounded by people just like me. We have become our own ragtag group of misguided grownups. When I arrived here 7 days ago almost a year after my last admission to this hospital, I felt the trains moving at full speed through a pile of sludge. I stared at the painting on the wall and began to fear that here, I may not be able to utilize my warped superpower: my ability to forget.

But slowly, the other patients and I have begun to forget together- somehow forgetting without truly forgetting. Together, we can laugh not through the pain, but alongside it. This is the place where I don't have to feel bad for my moments of forgetfulness. Moments of comic relief and simple enjoyment. I don’t need to feel like my laughter negates my 10-year-old depression diagnosis.

Here, we are embracing those moments. We embrace the moments of happiness and sadness- in whichever order they decide to arrive. In a room full of people so different it looks like the set-up to a bad joke, we can forget in a place that is simultaneously forcing us to remember.

When I got here, my doctors told me to embrace the community. “If you don’t want to talk about your anxiety and depression, then just listen.” So I listened. And then I started talking.

One night, we all gathered in the day room, attempting to avoid the loneliness of our windowless rooms. As a Die Hard sequel blasted in the background, the addicts in the room discussed their journey through meth addiction. I asked questions. They answered. We all laughed. A heroin addict around my age told me, “seriously, don’t touch meth.”

The man next to me, Nate, said through the bustle of conversation and laughter, “are you here cuz of a drug?” I said no, and in his thick, mumbled, country accent he asked me, “then why you here?” 

I told him that I’m sad. 

He sighed, looked down at his folded hands and said, “yeah, I’m sad too.”

Nate loves movies and reading, M&M cookies, and meth. Up until he injected 3 grams of “ice” in a suicide attempt, he has been living on the streets. I halfway listened to the ongoing conversation about how incredible and horrifying hard drugs can be as he told me about a time he was arrested after ending up inside a university dorm building thinking he lived there. We all took a brief break to laugh even more when another patient, also coming from a recent suicide attempt, tried to enter the conversation by saying he had only ever “done weed once.”

Later, in his mumbled speech, Nate told the group about when he was high and stood in the middle of park downtown for 4 hours with a knife in his hand. We asked him what the hell he was doing just standing there. 

He simply replied, “lookin’.” 

I think we were unable, or even unwilling to truly focus on the scary reality behind Nate standing in a public park, knife in hand, waiting for cops that neither we, or even Nate, knew for certain were even coming. 

So we just kept laughing.

As the night and following day before his release passed, I kept talking to Nate. I shared my extra cookies with him, and forced him to come paint in recreational therapy with me. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how genuinely scared I would be if Nate tried to open my dorm room door in the middle of the night. Or if I saw him middle aged, 6’2”, with a bald head, tear drop tattoo, and the psychique of a retired bouncer, standing in park, knife in hand, having the time of his life.

I asked him if it scared him to be out of control like that. He said that was his favorite part; he didn’t mind losing control. Between him telling me about his attempt to end his life and the meth fueled antics that cost him both his new job in Florida and his boss’ iPad, I realized Nate was funny, knowledgeable, and vaguely socially aware.

During one of our conversations, we found ourselves trapped in a seminar about nutrition. He slapped his hands on his thighs and said, “well, time to go.” I whined and asked him to stay. My insistence on attending every activity offered was at odds with Nate’s style. A style that told me that maybe once he did have my naive enthusiasm towards recovery, but lost it somewhere along the way. He said “you want me to stay?” and plopped back into his chair. He knew I wanted him to be there, just as I had begged him earlier to attend a journaling group session- declining my invitation with a non-committal hand gesture and a “nah.”

We sat through the nutritionist explaining “My Plate,” an updated version of the food pyramid. Nate leaned sideways and quietly grumbled, “is that like MySpace,” and I chuckled quietly in a way that reminded me of my habit of exchanging bad jokes in attempts to survive a boring lecture. When the nutritionist asked what could be used as a meat substitute for protein, Nate shouted out every type of bean he could think of. She asked if anybody had eaten eggplant and he shouted, “oh hell yeah, I had an eggplant lasagna once and that shit was delicious.” His southern drawl made everything he said more melodic, and added a level of enthusiasm he often didn’t like to show- unless he is shouting expletives about his incredible experience with eggplant lasagna.

After I had completely tuned out the nutritionist and began to draw in my notebook, Nate leaned over and asked if we could be friends on Facebook. I sneakily handed him paper for him to write his name down. As he wrote, he told me he may not be able to respond for about 30 days.

It happened again. I had forgotten.

I had spent that day arguing with Nate about whether the book or movie version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is better. This was an especially unwinnable argument given that I had never seen the movie and only gotten 100 pages into the book, and Nate had only ever seen the movie. 

He had given me movie suggestions, quoted Carrie, and given me shit for thinking a Pink Floyd song playing on the radio was by the B-52’s. 

He ranted about the symbolism behind the music video for Another Brick in the Wall as he painted a birdhouse that he could have easily crushed by closing his fist.

So I forgot. I forgot when he interrupted my conversation with a social worker to mime towards my extra cookie I had leftover from snack time. He had already eaten the first one when I offered, and originally declined the second. 

I was happy he asked for this one though, since I had only asked for the extra cookies so I could give them to him. 

But he didn’t know that.

His casual mention of the 30 days made me chuckle, but also made me remember. Remember where I was, why I was here, and who I was talking to.

I remember that when we first met, Nate told me his father had been in this same hospital almost 23 years ago. He also told me he killed himself right after being discharged. He tried to tell me it didn’t bother him, but shrugged and mumbled, “I mean it prolly does but I don’t know.” I want to say he said it casually, but that wasn’t it. He wasn’t laughing, but he wasn’t crying either. Mainly, he seemed defeated. Tired, like this was just the beginning of a long list of bullshit he has tried to deal with in his own way.

He looked at me, but never fully turned his body. 

He told me the only thing he truly remembers about the day his dad died. 

During checkout, his dad checked a box on his discharge forms stating yes, he did think his time there had helped him. But his father made it clear to Nate that he didn’t think it helped his depression. When he asked his dad why he lied to the doctors, Nate’s father told him, “I just want to go home.”

This all flashes back, and I remember that despite a potential Facebook friendship, this was the last time I would see him. Mainly, I was forced to remember that I have no control over his sobriety- and that 2 days of talking and painting with a depressed 24-year-old is not going to keep him from running back to the life he is used to the moment things get difficult in his new facility.

I began to think about my plan of action if I see Nate in 30 days, 3 months, or 3 years from now, standing downtown waiting for a dealer, or embarking on one of the never-ending walks he takes to kill time when the meth steals his ability to sleep.

Would I stop for him? Am I prepared to know fully and truthfully that this attempt at sobriety had failed? That the system had failed? Am I ready to accept the fact that I live in a world where kind, smart, and funny people just aren’t given the chance at life they deserve?

I asked him why he thought this shot at sobriety would work, and he said, “I’m just tired man, this ain’t no life.” So again, I remember. I remember why he is here in the first place- Nate had tried to kill himself. What happens if this doesn’t all go according to plan? What’s next?

His favorite part of the drug he wants to quit is the lack of control, and his drug-fueled delusions grant him his own ability to forget. Nate wasn’t ashamed to tell me his stories, but made it clear he wasn’t particularly proud of them either- with an ambivalence that is both inspiring and troubling. 

I fear the thought of everything he hadn’t had time to tell me about. I worry about what will happen when he begins to allow himself to remember.

During our first conversation, I told Nate I was afraid to leave the hospital because I thought the real world was scary. Without fully looking at me Nate shrugged and said, “it’s only as scary as you let it be.” 

Before he checked out, I gave Nate my copy of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to read in rehab. 

Maybe one day we can finally finish our debate on the merits of each version of the story. 

Selfishly, I mostly did this so Nate would remember me. But even if he throws the book away, I just hope he remembers to take his own advice. The world really is only as scary as we let it be.

In our groups sessions this past week, we have talked a lot about forgiveness and second chances. For the past 6 months, I have struggled to handle my anxiety and depression, making my constant battle between forgetting and remembering unbearable.

I’ve learned I need to give myself a second chance, and allow myself to to let go of the things that fuel the trains in my head.

Nate and I are both giving ourselves our own second chances- ones that might end up with us both back in this hospital. Ones that will be scary. 

Whether or not we crash and burn, these are second chances I think we both truly deserve.

The trains in my head will never fully stop, and that’s ok. I feel ready to go home. I feel ready to attempt to live in a world without fear.

And, for the sake of Nate and every single way our short friendship changed me- I just want to allow myself to forget, but always remember to remember.

[onedaughtersjourneythroughgrief]

Approaching Two Years - (23 months, 4 days,14 hours)

It has been a while since an update, and there is no “anniversary,” ( had to do the math above rather than finding it in the forefront of my mind) but I find my head swimming with thoughts - even fixated on some - that seem to be determined to make their way out. As I can’t sleep anyway... they win.

Lately, my mind wanders around and around the dichotomy of that last week with Mom. For days, we awaited the end, anticipated, even hoped for it - as closure to years of pain and grief and exhaustion for all of us. She was so tired and so defeated and stripped of so much dignity as she lost her independence. The time in hospice was almost timeless as we just held on in this loop of WAITING, day in and day out. Of course I never wanted her to leave. But, it hurt so badly to have her there like that the same way. I remember hearing subtle changes in her breathing that would stop my heart and make me wonder if it was the end. And then the feeling of being so completely sure that it was - the tiniest change that triggered a deep KNOWING that it was about to be over. And the panic as I thought about who to go and get for help.

Days upon days of waiting - after years of knowing we were on borrowed time. And that last breath -- brought complete and utter shock. It was like I had accepted what was going to happen without fully knowing the depth or the complete permanence of it. I was suddenly like a child who had messed up and just wanted to take it all back. I wanted to take it all back. I still do. I wish I could go back and instead of being “strong” and telling her it was okay, and even saying goodbye (which I did over the course of months in so many small, subtle ways as I prepared to be a motherless daughter), I could tell her “NO! I don’t want this. I can’t lose you!” and demand she still be my best friend. 

And yes, I know ALS is stronger than me and it wouldn’t have made a difference. But after all the waiting and holding on and preparing for what would have to happen next, there was so much shock at how completely and powerfully OVER it all was. Sometimes I will have a moment when I still feel that in my bones - out of nowhere. I can watch 15 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy with people losing someone they love, watch them shatter, and be relatively unaffected. And the 16th will suddenly have my heart in a vice and take me back to that last breath I watched her take.

Grief is such a world of opposites. In the same moment, it can feel like it’s been years since we lost Mom, or like life BEFORE ALS is something I just read about - and also like it was yesterday. Life has changed to the point of unrecognizable, but those emotions are still sometimes exactly the same.

I will say, I had worried for so long that I would only remember Mom as she was in the end. And it really seemed that way. Even in my dreams, sometimes she would talk and we would go along with relatively normal daily activities - but there was always a backstory of how we got there that involved ALS. Maybe its twisted, but it usually involved her magically coming back to life shortly after death, void of most symptoms, but with a guarantee of them all coming back rapidly and us losing her again. It always was this kind of “stolen time” we got - not enough to rock the rest of the world by announcing her return only to lose her again - but just a little more time with the “old” Mom.

Last week, for the first time, I had a completely normal dream about my mom. We were hanging out at my aunt’s camp and we hadn’t seen each other much for a while. We spent time with our boys and the dogs. Actually, she had surprised us with a Bo look-alike that she had bought for her and Dad (mirroring her being such a copycat when it came to both my dogs and my cars). And at the end of the visit, we hugged and agreed to a “girls’ day” the following weekend because things had been busy and we were missing each other. 

I can’t even express how relieved I was to feel like I’m on the path to remembering us before we became the “us” we were at the end. I wouldn’t have been anywhere else and I’m privileged to have been with her through her journey with ALS. But things changed so drastically in our relationship and family dynamics, forever forgetting how special our bond had been before has been a legitimate fear. I wish I could remember her voice BEFORE. But, I’m happy to report, I no longer remember the sound of her voice WITH ALS.

The past few months, I have been doing freelance work similar to what I had done with her for years. There is something comforting about entering data in my PJs binge-watching a series on Netflix like I used to do with her, which is probably leading me to work too late into the night. And yet it’s so much different without her. Everything is different without her. 

By the same token, last week something came up with work (without getting into details) that became an ethical issue that was really frustrating. I stewed and stewed and then looked down on my arm at “Unless” which is printed there in memory of her. And first thing this morning, I carefully crafted an email that may not change anything but at least was proactive. And I know that’s her in me. Because of her, I am willing to be outspoken about what matters. And because of her I know I have lots of other skills (like the data entry, lol) I can fall back on rather than sacrifice my voice.

[namjoonchronicles]

be ok | nj

▶ author’s note: promotion week can be draining. I hope our leader is doing okay. he seemed tired and I know there’s nothing that could be done because this is in schedules. then again, Bighit granted 10 days off, so that’s something for Chuseok! /my dimply googly bear/

Namjoon didn’t want to make you wait any longer so he pucker up and shut his laptop down for the day.

If he stares at it awhile longer, half of the day will be gone and even if you would be entirely okay with that, Namjoon would be very disappointed with himself and he doesn’t like feeling that way. He saw you sitting at the entrance of his office, pouting and waiting, while clasping a take-away Starbucks in your little hands.

He paused a moment longer just to watch this beauty, planting the image of this beautiful lady in front of him, in his mind for whenever he is doubtful of your love. There’s no way that this girl isn’t in love with me, Namjoon blinked. His dimples were showing. “You look nice.” He greeted and you sprung up to your feet, tip toeing to give him a kiss on his dimples.

He had to lower himself so you could reach him and bit his lips right after your slid your hand down his arm, directing him out of the office’s building. “Where are we going today?” He asked you. Taking the driver seat, you hushed him and told him, that it was a surprise. “Is everything okay at work?” You asked, fastening your belt on.

Namjoon had his, clicked securely. He sighed and looked out the car window. Those eyes are far and unfocused. An apparent sign that he was making up an answer in his head, trying not to worry you about the current state. “I have a couple of track to take a look on. I’ve asked Yoongi for his opinion but he hasn’t called me back for the update… pretty sure he had heard them at least three times since then.” Namjoon shut his eyes, rubbihg the bridge of his nose, scrunching his face, tired.

“I know you haven’t been getting enough sleep. I also know you’ve been skipping meals… I don’t have to remind you about it, right? You’re not a child anymore.” You sang to him, gently advising him. Obviously, something is bothering him. And he’s not telling you why. Namjoon can be bothered by multiple things at once, so it could be difficult for him to speak it out.

He also had a pride the size of an elephant, stubbornly thinking that he would be able to solve many things on his own, and see the prospects of telling someone about his issues will make him look weak than he really is, so that’s a huge problem on Namjoon’s side. But then again, he is your boyfriend.

You should know his troubles. You have to. That’s why we’re in this relationship, no?

Namjoon turn his head to watch you drive, “You’ve gotten prettier.” Zooming into your nose, how your hair fall perfectly, without even trying. Even your nails looked perfect without a smear of a nail polish. He then continued to fawn over you in silence. “It should be illegal to even look as half as good as this,” Namjoon propped an elbow on the armrest, shooting heart eyes at you.

“Wow, you really need that sleep…” you commented, “We’re going shopping. I need you to choose me a good perfume. And maybe get me some new blouse. I’m bored with the ones I got at home.” The car swings right and you parked right beside a BMW. Namjoon got out of the car looking tired.

“I must be getting older. I get tired during a car ride.” He waited for you to link your arm with his and started walking, only when you did. “If it helps you sleep, I will drive it for you.” Being a good boyfriend, Namjoon rarely whine about aimless walks on the park–eventhough he secretly hates it. Just recently, you got him into bicycle riding in autumn; that he gotten to love the little strolls in the park.

Namjoon’s bright choice of colors are one of the reasons why you like to make him choose your blouses. He loves flowery prints, little details, and shape cuts that you entrusts him fully on choosing what to wear. Also, you wanted him to stay bright so this was the easiest way to know if he’s really doing okay.

It’s a very competitive industry he’s in and he often compares himself with lots of producers out there, which then tire himself up. Then he’ll lose sleep and appetite. And if you don’t come in to tell him what he was doing to himself, he would go straight to a path of destruction. Without even knowing. That’s why his boss called you, “Namjoon’s remedy.” Because literally, that’s what you are.

You have sixth sense on these peculiar behaviour. And its not too difficult to tell since Namjoon is such a bad pretender. “What about this one. It covers your thighs.” He suggested, a black long top with a hoodie. “…Edgy. I might pull it off,” you wriggled your brows at him, trying to fish out a giggle. It did.

Then you came with two different types of tops. “…These two. I can’t decide.” Namjoon perk up his eyes, as if your words intruded his deep thoughts. He forced out a dim smile and asked you what you were saying. “…I like these both. This one is really cute. And this other one, is too good to pass.” You repeated, not an inch of annoyance went to it, having to speak twice.

“Then we’ll get both. I’m paying.” He is already taking out his card and handing them to one of the shop assistant. “Namjoon…” you mewled. “What.” He dashed. You passed him a ‘really’-look and he was instantly defeated, so he shrugged sorrily, defending his actions, “I’m not buying it because I think you couldn’t afford it. I’m buying because I feel bad for not being a better boyfriend to you, and is always caught up at work and just a horrible human being at staying in contact…” he gazed down, avoiding your gaze.

It instantly made you want to protect him, from whatever problem he is facing that he is not telling you. He worries about you worrying about him and that’s why he always does this, being quiet until it consumes him–kind of thing. But what he didn’t know is that, the more he tries to hide, the more obvious it becomes.

“I am having self-doubts. Everyone is telling me I’m doing a good job, that I’m great at what I do, and now compliments starts to sound like lies. I really don’t know whom to trust anymore. Is everybody telling me things I want to hear or am I imagining things?” Namjoon said, over a coffee date that you had after the shopping. “…I don’t like this feeling of comfort, this feeling of achievements. I’m afraid that if I let it overcome me, I won’t be able to produce anymore. And that. Will lead to death of creativity…” He ran his fingers through his hair.

You stood up from your seat to his, and placed your arm around his waist, laying your head on his shoulder as you hear him speak. “…I honestly, don’t know what will happen if I can’t write songs anymore…” he expresses his true worries and that was enough for you. “Let’s worry about today. Let’s achieve things on day to day basis. And when the future comes, only then we will worry…” you rubbed his arms up and down, reassuring him.

“Things will be okay, and things will not be okay. Either way, that’s life. It’s not going to rain forever. Like seasons change, this will too. This doubt you have upon yourself, it will either bring you down or drive you up. And that’s for you to decide.” You gazed to his large pair of hand and laced them with your tiny ones.

“…I. Am so proud of you. I am so glad to see what you came to be. And I know that this person I’m in love with, this beautiful old soul I absolutely adore, will have their down days, and that’s okay, because Namjoon is human. My Kim Namjoon is human…”

First and foremost, Kim Namjoon is human. And it was that kind of assurance that Namjoon needed to hear and be reminded of. That his imperfections and flaws are seen and accepted. He had stripped his soul bare, for the world to see. And gladly, it was yours that it linked to.

Namjoon will work himself up, not to prove how skilled he was as a producer, but how flawed a human could be, and celebrate the emotion of being wanted and validated, through his songs and lyrics. And he owe it all,

To you.