#WELCOME BACK SHADOW WE'VE MISSED YOU A LOT

[miniimight]

first off, I just wanna say how I love how you write izuku like??? my sweet boy doesn't get much appreciation and I'm just obsessed with the scenarios you've made with him 🤭💜 second, would it be okay to request a scenario in which the bnha boys (Deku, Bakugo, any other if you want!) who's been dating the reader for a while but it's a secret relationship- which suddenly gets revealed?

thank you! can't wait for more of your writing! 💜

SECRET RELATIONSHIP GETS REVEALED ! the secret relationship between you and your pro-hero boyfriend gets revealed to the public

with deku, bakugo ( pro heroes )

notes ahaha izuku is definitely one of my favs and ur so right when u say he doesn't get enough appreciation :( but i'm here to change that lol ! thanks for requesting ! idk if this is what you had in mind but i hope you enjoy it nonetheless <3

your boyfriend didn't want his relationship with you to go live because one, he's legitimately one of the most hated heroes by villains and two, the media won't ever leave you alone. he found it better this way, for both of your sakes.

it worked for a while, and though the both of you had to make little sacrifices here and there, the arrangement was more than perfect. that was until someone tipped the media off with one (1) very rare photo of you and boyfie out and about in disguise (a terrible one, at that).

photos of the pro-hero's new companion dominated the internet and everyone was wondering who the mystery person was.

it happened so fast that you and your boyfriend were out of the loop. in fact, you and your boyfriend were out on a secret date when the news exploded.

IZUKU

izuku zipped his crossbody bag up and fitted a black baseball cap tightly on his head. his green curls were hard to miss regardless of any disguise he thought up. he flashed you a determined smile. "ready for our day out, love?"

"born ready," you mimicked his way-too-serious tone. "but won't you relax a bit?"

at your comment, his shoulders stiffened. "why, do i not look relaxed?"

he was standing like his friend, iida—almost robotically, like a sentry who was on high alert. you could see the tired circles under his eyes though the shadow of the cap made them almost invisible. his casual outfit covered one of the essential pieces of hero gear; his gloves. it was almost as if he was expecting something bad to happen.

you drifted to his side, an amused smile on your face. "we've done this before, izu. nobody will notice!"

"at least i have a better chance," he raised an eyebrow at you, spinning you around in his arms. "your disguise is non-existent."

"hey, i'm not the super-famous pro-hero that everyone adores." you stuck your tongue at him, making him smile reflexively.

"it's not my fault i'm so charming."

"oh my god."

a little more bickering and a car ride later, you both arrived at the museum you had planned to tour. the guide handed you pamphlets after welcoming you to the grounds, informing you that she'd take you around the exhibits in a short moment.

"oooh..." you flipped through the brochure, excitement bubbling through you. "there's a lot of things in here."

izuku rested his chin on your shoulder, trying to read as fast as you were flipping pages. his hand enveloped yours in an effort to stop you from turning the pages at a lightning pace— "honey, can you go slower?"

you giggled and thumbed the whole pamphlet, making a little buzzz sound as you did so. "weren't you at the top of your class, izu?" you shrugged nonchalantly. "just read faster."

his hands snaked to clasp around your stomach from where they rested on your waist. an uncontrollable laugh threatened to bubble out of you. "really, 'just read faster'? a little cheeky today, aren't you, love—?"

"uhm... couple at the back, please refrain from pda as there are children around." the tour guide cleared her throat. a crowd had gathered for the next tour around the museum and it appeared as though they were ready to start.

you and izuku jumped away from each other as if you were caught by a teacher in high school, your cheeks heating up from embarrassment.

"sorry, miss." izuku mumbled in a low voice, head hanging. he gave you an amused smile that you returned with a huge grin, accepting the hand he held out for you.

halfway into the tour, the group grew so bored they retreated to the comfort of their phones. hanging around the back, you thought it unusual that so many people began to glance backwards at you and your boyfriend, whispering among themselves.

you caught glimpses of their phone screens, questioning why the hell your face was on them.

you nudged izuku's side to tell him just as the teens in front of you spun around, screaming "it's deku and his s/o!"

you and izuku froze like deers in headlights as the commotion spread through the group.

wait, how do you know? the news just made a story about it today. there's a picture of them here! and besides, he's wearing the same disguise.

you gave izuku a pointed look and he smiled sheepishly at you. "what the heck should we do?!"

"deny it??" he said, though he didn't seem sure of his answer. "that photo?" he talked to the crowd again. "not her."

"yeah, i get it all the time," you chuckle nervously, playing along. you shrunk into his side. the attention was sending shockwaves through your body.

the kids weren't buying it. "well, you're obviously deku." one deadpanned.

"me?" a boxy grin spread on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "no, i'm just... not him..."

seriously, didn't they have specific media training classes at UA for this kinda thing? you rolled your eyes at his response.

"who else has green hair?!" another crossed their arms. "you're so deku."

you both held up your hands, as if caught red-handed by the police. you squeaked, "we're just two random, normal strangers having a date in a museum, promise—"

a kid waddled up to deku's side and pulled his signature gloves out of his pants' pockets, holding them up triumphantly. yours and deku's head slowly turned to watch it unfold before looking at each other almost comically. a long pause followed.

"it's deku and his s/o!" the kid yelled, pointing a chubby finger at the two of you. the whole vicinity was alerted to the famous hero's presence.

you clung to izuku's arms and the swarm encroached on your space, clamoring for autographs, information, pictures—anything they could get their hands on.

to your surprise, deku wasn't the only center of attention. you were asked your name, age, and occupation, where you grew up, if you knew 'their' deku in high school—

izuku's upper arm came under your bum as he leapt back from the crowd at lightning speed, yelling a very apologetic sorry! as he zoomed the both of you away to safety. you screamed as you hung over his shoulder.

he parkoured his way up the museum building, crouching on the roof. it wasn't the first time izuku used his super speed with you in his arms, but holding you like a sack of potatoes wasn't the best position—not if you liked your neck.

he set you down and smoothed your clothes, his hands flying everywhere accompanied by a thousand apologies.

your hands caught his wrist and you gave him a pointed look. "how did they find out? we were super careful."

his concerned expression quickly turned unimpressed. "sweetheart, you have no disguise."

"they believed i was just some random person after we denied it. they already knew you were deku!" you retorted, flicking his cap upwards and allowing the tufts of green to spring out.

he opened his mouth to respond before he snapped it shut. "it's not my fault i'm hard to miss..." he muttered.

you softened and moved closer, wrapping your arms around his waist and leaning into his chest. "i'm sorry, jus' a little on edge."

his hands rubbed your back soothingly before he hugged you back. "it'll be okay." he felt something cold against him and he looked down to see you pull out your phone, pressing it against his body as you got to the bottom of this. "hey—"

"it's all over the news, along with katsuki and his s/o." you hummed, scrolling through article after article.

"hey." he repeated firmly. he gently tugged the phone from your hands, slipping it in his pocket. "it'll be okay. i'll make sure you're protected, not that you aren't already, and we'll get you a new apartment, closer to mine."

you sighed. "i'm not really worried about that."

he gave you a concerned look, wondering if he needed to look into your lack of self-preservation. "...you're not worried about someone potentially attacking you?"

you rolled your eyes, lightly swatting his chest. "well, duh, but i know no one can really get past you and your brigade of hero friends." you waved off his concern. "i'm worried about the paparazzi and gossip channels—what if everyone decides i'm not good enough and they pressure you to leave me? what if—"

"i'm going to have to stop you right there," he gave one of those self-proclaimed (but also, he wasn't wrong) 'charming' smiles as he cut into your rambling. "being with you is my conviction. no one's gonna pressure me to do anything except marry you one day."

you blinked, a huge grin spreading on your face. all your worries were gone when you let his words sink in.

izuku realized what he really said. "or... something like that, you know?" he muttered under his breath, color rising to his cheeks as he looked away.

a moment passed as he held you on the museum rooftop, the date turning out much different than expected. he gasped out of nowhere, jostling you out of your thoughts. his little giggle made you suspicious.

"kacchan just texted me something really interesting; he got stuck in traffic and is trying to hide out in his car—oh."

"what?"

he turned his phone to you. it was a post titled 'NEW!" and underneath was a very blurry photo of you and izuku on the rooftop at that very moment.

you scrunched up your face. "your fans are weird."

he laughed openly. you stared at him with such adoration that you hoped the press got a picture of his blissful face so you could fawn over it later. "have you even read the things they're saying about you?" he kissed your forehead. "i have a feeling they're gonna grow to obsess over you more than me."

BAKUGO

you heard the impatient jangle of keys as bakugo called after you. "we're gonna be late for our res, baby, get your beautiful ass in the car."

you giggled as you stuffed the last of the stuff you needed in your bag. you exaggerated a gasp and wagged a finger at him. "take me on a date first, mister."

he rolled his eyes. "i am literally trying to do that right now, but someone ain't listenin."

"fine, damn, i'll go on a date with you." you huffed, keeping up with the bit as you walked past him, tossing him a playful look over your shoulder. he smiled softly, following closely.

you got in the car and watched him with starry eyes. he was focused on starting the car and setting the music, but all you could think of was how good he looked in a turtleneck. he had so much faith in that face mask, though, as you'd told him multiple times that it was a really bad disguise.

"you're starin'." he glanced out his window before pulling out the parking spot.

heat rose to your cheeks. he held his hand out and you laced your fingers in them. he squeezed your hand.

the ride was smooth and calm, the hum of the engine complimenting the mellow yet catchy songs playing. you were jamming out until you realized you hadn't moved in a while.

you ducked closer to the windshield. the light was red, and the traffic was piling up. you pursed your lips, glimpsing at the irritated drivers around you.

"looks like we might not make our res, huh?" you mused. bakugo hummed.

"it's whatever, betcha they'll still take us anyway." he grinned mischievously.

you squeezed his hand, chastising him. "kats, you can't use your 'i'm a famous hero' card on date nights."

"m'just teasing, baby." he chuckled softly, leaning back in his seat. his head rested on his shoulder as he gave you a look. "better get comfortable."

you laughed and let go of his hand, turning fully in your seat to face him. "kats! keep your eyes on the road!"

"why? i wanna look at you." he smirked.

snap!

a bright flash made both of you freeze, though bakugo reacted quicker. he sat up in his seat, leaning over the wheel as he peered out your window at the car beside you. the two girls in the front row were fawning over the picture they just took.

he glared. "a couple of fans, i guess?"

you breathed out a sigh of relief. "thank god i was facing away from—"

snap!

you squeaked in surprise and reflexively covered your face. you leaned back in the seat to see a couple other teens laughing triumphantly over their rare photo.

bakugo observed your shock and panic silently before he laughed, thoroughly amused.

you groaned, slumping below the windows. "i was talking when they took that picture, i'll look distorted." you whined, voice muffled behind your hands.

he tsked. "i'm sure they got your good side, babe." he was trying to act calm but really his mind was racing at a million thoughts per minute. he had tinted windows. he made sure to make an appearance this morning so people would think he was out hero-ing for the whole day. was this a freak occurance, or...?

you opened your phone and were flooded with articles upon articles of you and bakugo on your dates. in hindsight, yes, those disguises were really bad. those pictures were low-quality but anyone who was anyone would be able to recognize bakugo's spiky blond hair.

everyone was speculating who the mystery person was and how their relationship would be, etc etc. you groaned again as you held up your phone to bakugo.

"what?" he whispered, breaking out of his thoughts.

"come down here," you motioned for him to join you below the window.

he scrunched up his face. "... i'm not doing—"

"come down here." you hissed, pulling him by his shoulder to crouch below the window's line of sight. he blinked, not entirely surprised or against the action. "look!"

he scrolled through, some news pages looking familiar. he sighed. "my agency was starting to talk about these rumors."

"why didn't you tell me?!"

"i thought they'd handle it!"

you pouted and he softened, kissing your cheek. "no one's gonna get a hold of any bad pictures of you, promise. i'll make sure of it."

you smiled. "really?"

he grinned, lovesick. "yeah." so what if the whole world would know you're his? he could deal with the details later.

muddled banging made you jump.

"dynamight, is that your s/o?!" the girls from the car over squashed their faces to the window, cupping their hands around their eyes.

you screamed and dynamight gave them a what the hell look.

he blast through the car roof, holding you by the waist as he soared upwards with loud pops behind him. landing on a nearby roof, he checked to make sure you were okay. all he was concerned about was the frown on your face.

"what, you not comfortable with everyone knowin' bout us?" he asked, voice soft.

you perked up, shaking your head. "no! obviously not. i'm just..." you curled your knees to your chest. "you're a hotshot and you have so many people after you. dunno if i meet expectations."

"who cares?" he scoffed indignantly. "you exceed mine. that's all that matters."

you giggled, your sad disposition quickly morphing into a smile. "yeah?"

"yeah." he assured you, pushing your knees down and swinging them to the side. the momentum made your whole body twist so that you were parallel to him. he wrapped an arm around your shoulders and you leaned into his embrace.

"now i gotta call that nerd so he can move our car. we're causin' more traffic."

bonus:

"kacchan!" izuku chirped, his s/o on his back as he floated in the air. bakugo's face twisted up as if the green-haired boy wasn't one of his best friends.

"hey." bakugo jerked a thumb at his very broken car. "can you take care of that for me?"

"yeah, i got it." with his gloves on, izuku initiated blackwhip. the tendrils snaked around the car and hoisted it into the air, freeing up that lane once again. "did you suddenly get exposed out of nowhere, too?"

bakugo snorted. "yeah, ain't that a coincidence?"

izuku chuckled softly as he nodded. "yeah, super weird."

who could've gotten the jump on two of the most famous heroes' love lives, anyway?

© miniimight ! thanks for reading <3

[allwormdiet]

Parasite 10.1

Welcome back Taylor, missed you, glad we come back to immediately find you waist-deep in moral sketchiness.

Never let it be said that Wildbow doesn't know how to establish a scene. You can feel the desperation and despair in the mounting heat and filth of the city streets, and of course Taylor's power means she can clock that better than a lot of other parahumans.

There's something very sad about the fact that Angelica is the last dog standing from the original three, and that even then she's still fucked up from the damage Fog did.

And of course Rachel probably puts a lot of blame for that on having saved Taylor's scrawny ass at the cost of Brutus and Judas, plus the other six dogs. Even if she would've made that attack on Leviathan without Taylor there, I'd be shocked if that association wasn't there.

I swear to god the official word for this liveblog is "bleak," but I'll stop calling things bleak when they stop being bleak, how about that.

Siblings!

Yeah, what I said earlier.

The fact that Shadow Stalker actually seems to respect the Undersiders more for being hardcore as fuck is. A little funny. Like okay, I guess her worldview has some consistency.

Also yeah, gotta be weird to realize you were going to school with a murderous vigilante. Can only imagine how Winslow students would feel about realizing Taylor was goddamn Skitter.

I'll admit it, this feels bad. Sophia deserves comeuppance for being a violent murderer but what she's about to be put through is beyond the pale. Genuinely one of the most fucked up things that has happened in this story so far.

But we'll get to that later.

Siblings!

Tattletale managing to be the peacemaker for once, which is a little funny.

Grue being exasperated by Imp is funny, but then it gets sad again when he looks over at Skitter because. Yeah. They'd actually gotten along okay for the most part, until the kiss and the Nazi attack, and then Armsmaster tried to ruin the relationship further and mostly succeeded.

The fascinating thing with Taylor is that she's also pretty uncomfortable with the moral lines she's crossing and how fast she's crossing them, it's just that she's really good at not letting that discomfort slow her down.

Quick overview of the Undersiders' current states, courtesy of Taylor's goddamn panopticon abilities. Also: puppies!

This was scary as fuck on the first read-through, and this time it's more... I think Alec has a bad sense of humor. Again, raised in a cult, so it's hard to know what's appropriate for comedy and what's, uhh, using your bodyjacking victim to falsely threaten the life of a teammate, but still.

Freaky as hell.

Current Thoughts

Regent's "secret weapon" turns out to be the scariest goddamn power of any Undersider, so that's. Something.

The group's tension with Taylor is palpable, even if it's just Brian and Rachel who seem to be feeling it with any heat. I dunno if Alec is one to forgive things easily (doubtful) or if he's enough of a pragmatist to let Taylor back in with relatively little complaint. Maybe it's a mild thing compared to the trust and loyalty he's used to with Heartbreaker's kids. I'll be curious to see whether Brian or Rachel relent first, because I think it could go either way.

Hoo boy. This arc. Thiiiis arc. I can't believe I'm feeling bad for Sophia goddamn Hess, but we've found a way to do it.

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

Writing Share Tag!

Thanks to... @cowboybrunch, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @paeliae-occasionally, @fortunatetragedy, @frostedlemonwriter,

@aintgonnatakethis, @fractured-shield, @boomiburst, @writingamongther0ses, @just-emis-blog,

@willtheweaver, @bloodmoonloveletter, @illarian-rambling, @bookish-karina, @finickyfelix and all the other people I've completely missed! This has been sitting in my drafts too long :') Anyways enjoy this snippet of a story I'm never finishing! Below the cut cos it's kinda long

Jaimes, with a sly grin and a glint in his eye, leaned back in his chair, the dim light of the studio casting shadows on his face. "Why, hello there, Maria. Fancy seeing you here, hmm? Welcome to my radio station. I trust you will make yourself at home," he said, his voice smooth and inviting.

Maria, elegantly dressed and with poised grace, stepped into the room, her eyes scanning the eclectic surroundings. She gave a warm smile and replied, "Of course, dear friend. Thank you for the invitation. Ones such as us really ought to make contact more often. We are birds of a feather, after all…" Her tone was light, yet sharp, as though a blade was hidden beneath the silk of her shirt.

Jaimes chuckled softly, the sound resonating through the small, cozy studio. He gestured to a plush chair opposite his desk. "Please, sit down. It's been far too long since we've had a proper conversation. How have you been keeping yourself busy, Maria?"

She took the seat, crossing her legs and sinking into the cushions with a sigh. She looked around, taking in the vintage vinyl records lining the walls and the old-fashioned microphone on the desk. "Oh, you know me, Jaimes," she said with a playful twinkle in her eye. "Always dabbling in a bit of this and that. My latest project has been rather consuming, but I must say, it’s been a thrilling ride."

Jaimes leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his curiosity piqued. "A new project, you say? You must tell me more. You know how I love a good story."

Maria's smile widened, and she leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Well, since you’re so eager to know, I suppose I can share a bit. It involves a little mystery, a touch of adventure, and quite a lot of cunning. But, I’m afraid I can’t divulge all the details just yet."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "You always did know how to pique my interest. Just promise me you’ll come back and share the whole tale when you can. It sounds like something worthy of a prime-time slot on our show."

Maria laughed, a melodic sound that filled the room. "Consider it a promise, Jaimes. And who knows, perhaps you might even play a part in it. We do make an excellent team, after all."

Jaimes nodded, a satisfied smile on his lips. "Indeed we do, Maria. Indeed we do."

Tagging everyone on my taglist for this one ;)

@coffeeangelinabox, @dorky-pals, @calliecwrites, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @shukei-jiwa

@thewingedbaron, @pluppsauthor, @cowboybrunch, @wylloblr, @possiblyeldritch @ramwritblr, @urnumber1star, @fortunatetragedy, @bigwipscholar, @ratedn

@vampirelover890, @possiblylisle, @illarian-rambling, @the-ellia-west

@finicky-felix, @evilgabe29, @glitched-dawn, @rivenantiqnerd, @dragonhoardesfandoms

@drchenquill, @everythingismadeofchaos, @owldwagitoutofyou, @dimitrakies, @beloveddawn-blog

@riveriafalll, @the-golden-comet

[thestraggletag]

I just realized that there’s something very important missing from my life. And that is… The Thing!

11 years and counting, I love this fandom. Let's do this!

WELCOME TO RUMBELLE, YOU SWEET SUMMER CHILD. I SEE YOU THERE, SO YOUNG, SO FRESH, SO WOOBIE. LET ME SLOWLY CLASP YOU TO MY BOSOM IN A MOTHERLY WAY.

NOW YOU STUMBLE AROUND, A LITTLE LOST RUMBELLE CHICK NEEDING LOVE AND GUIDANCE, TREMBLING WITH THE FORCE OF A THOUSAND BOTTLED-UP   FEELS.    NEVER    FEAR, FOR WE’LL TAKE YOU IN, SINCE YOU HAVE BECOME

ONE OF US.

WE HAVE TEA, FOR YOUR SHATTERED FEELS. WE KNOW IT HURTS, WE’VE ALL    BEEN     THERE. MOST OF USE JUST DUMP A LOT OF VODKA INTO THAT TEA.   IT’D   BE     EASIER TO JUST DUMP A TEA BAG INTO A BOTTLE OF SMIRNOFF, TO BE HONEST.

HERE,   DEARIE, ARE SOME GIFS I BRING FORTH TO YOU SO YOU CAN BLOG ABOUT YOUR FEELS, AND HOW RUMBELLE RUINED YOUR LIFE AND YOU LOVE IT. TAKE     THEM,    DON’T BE SHY. YOU WILL NEED THEM, YOUNG PADAWAN. THEY WILL BECOME YOUR NEW LANGUAGE. BE WARNED, LITTLE ONE, FOR THEY ARE OF A SPOILERY NATURE    THAT MIGHT HURT YOUR WEE EYES. THEY’RE ALSO AWESOME, SO YOU SHOULDN’T STARE AT THEM DIRECTLY.

LIKE AN ECLIPSE.

OR RUMPLE’S LEATHER PANTS.

AND SINCE THIS IS A PRETTY COMPLEX FANDOM I DIRECT YOU TO A WELCOME PAGE   SO YOU CAN GATHER YOUR BEARINGS AND EXPLORE MORE OF THIS MAGICAL     LAND     OF CHIPPED CUPS AND SEXY SCALY MEN. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THERE      YOU’LL   FIND ANSWERS. IF NOT YOU CAN ALWAYS SEEK THE RUMBELLE TAG, AND POST QUESTIONS THERE. RUMBELLERS ARE ALWAYS THERE TO ANSWER.

ALWAYS. RUMBELLERS DON’T SLEEP.

IF YOU FEEL THE NEED FOR SOME LOVELY VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE UTTER PERFECTION THAT IS THIS SHIP I DIRECT YOU TO THE RUMBELLE ARTTAG, WHERE MANY TALENTED PEOPLE POST TALENTED THINGS THAT PRODUCE BOTH AWE AND ENVY.

AND LAST, AND THIS IS WHAT I’M KNOWN FOR…

WE.

HAVE.

PORN.

NO, NOT LIKE OTHER FANDOMS. NOT SOME PORN. NOT ANY PORN. WE HAVE ALL THE PORN.

ALL OF IT.

EVERY KINK.

EVERY FANTASY.

EVERY POSITION.

FOOD SEX, PEGGING, BONDAGE, S&M (BUT THE REAL TYPE, NO INNER   GODDESSES, ALL KINKY FUCKERY), CANE PORN, PRIEST PORN, CANNIBAL PORN, SHADOW!SEX,   DADDY!DOM, DOM/SUB, BLOODPLAY, MIRROR-SEX, PREGNANCY KINKS, POWER-SEX,   INTERSPECIES SEX, LACTATION PORN, DAGGER!PORN, RAPTOR!PORN, MAGICAL  SEX  AND MANY MORE.

IF IT'S AT ALL ANATOMICALLY PLAUSIBLE, WE'VE WRITTEN BELLE AND RUMPLE DOING IT.

I DIRECT YOU NOW TO MY FANFIC REC LIST, WHERE YOU SHALL FIND MANY TREASURES. YOU CAN ALWAYS GO TO THE RUMBELLE FIC TAG IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED MORE RUMBELLE PORN FICS IN YOUR LIFE. AND YOU WILL. AND IF YOU WANNA HIT THE MOTHERLOAD OF RUMBELLE FANFICTION CHECK OUT THE RUMBELLE LIBRARY, RIPE WITH DECADENT FICS FOR YOUR PERUSAL.

IN  THIS FANDOM WE LIKE TO CELEBRATE WITH FIC, COPE WITH FIC AND START MASSIVE FIC WARS SO THERE ARE SEVERAL YEAR-ROUND EVENTS DESTINED TO BRING FORTH MORE RUMBELLE SEXYTIMES MOMENTS, INCLUDING THE RUMBELLE SECRET SANTA, WHERE YOU GIVE THE GIFT OF PORN AS IT'S TRADITIONAL IN THIS MERRY SEASON.

MIND THE SPOILERS, DEARIE.

BUT IF YOU’RE ALL CAUGHT UP YOU SHOULD TOTALLY CHECK THIS TUMBLR WHICH WILL HOLD PRECIOUS TREASURES SO YOU CAN SURVIVE THE SUMMER HIATUS WITH MOST OF YOUR SANITY INTACT.

WE AIM FOR REALISTIC GOALS HERE.

IF   YOU HAVEN’T YET DELETED YOUR TUMBLR ACCOUNT AND MOVED TO A COUNTRY        WITHOUT INTERNET CONNECTION THEN CONGRATULATIONS, YOU INDEED HAVE THE        MAKINGS OF A GREAT RUMBELLER. AND YOU’RE GONNA LOVE IT HERE.

Welcome (back) to the fandom, dearie.

[9haharharley1]

Hi! Your blog is amazing, and so is your writing! I’m a brand new newbie to the Rise of Guardians / Blackice fandom, and I’m OBSESSED 😂 anyways, maybe you could help a newbie out? What are the best fics to read? The best blogs to follow? Sorry if this is a lot, I just absolutely adore this fandom/ship!

Aw, thank you! Welcome to our little slice of fandom! Please enjoy your stay!

For blogs, definitely check out Gilly and Bunnimew's blogs, they have some lovely work both in art and fic! Here are some authors on AO3 you should definitely comb through:

Gilly

LinesAndColors

XinriaRouge

ChibisUnleased

KamuiWithFangs

not_poignant

And since you asked and I haven't had the opportunity to gush about my favorite fics, here they are:

How to Love Fear - This is it. This is the fic that dragged me kicking and screaming into this fandom. I love it so much and have read it so many times. Jack is given a mission by MiM to go into Pitch's lair to offer reform, but Pitch is not having it. Jack, now stuck in the dark with the Boogieman has to convince back into the light or take his place as the new Nightmare King. All the while, memories of a life he doesn't remember start to resurface and Pitch has something to do with it. Its a WIP, but definitely worth the read!

Black Ice - If How to Love Fear dragged me in, this one is what convinced me to stay. Jack finds Pitch one Halloween night and agrees to help him find his true center and a new way to use fear. What follows is a slow-burn, sci-fi fantasy epic that I finished in less than three days because it was so compelling! Complete.

Baddest Boy of Them All - A blackice Megamind AU where Pitch comes to Earth as a baby is not raised by the best of standards, ultimately deciding that if they're gonna treat him like a bad guy, he might as well be the bad guy. Jack becomes his favorite hostage. WIP, but updated regularly.

Rocks Give Way to Rain - The slowest of slow burns and mysteries and I am dying to see it's completion! It's long, it's epic, Jack has a much shadier past than we've been led to believe, and there's something up with Pitch and his shadows and Jack is determined to help out. WIP, absolutely a must-read.

Evil Boyfriends - If dark!Jack is your thing, this is the series for you! Pitch finds Jack long before the Guardians get him and Jack sticks around, compounding in a dangerously co-dependent relationship. Not what I would actually consider dark!Jack, but he's definitely not on the side of the Guardians. Complete.

Finding a Home for the Holidays - Some Doublemint Oreo goodness, wherein Jack finally has people to spend the holidays with. Fluff, smut, and angst all in one place! Complete.

Hold My Tea and Watch This and Why is the Tea Always Gone - An epic romp of Pitch and Jack discovering how much they need each other while a dark force awakens to threaten the world. Complete.

Shattered Pieces - Gilly's WIP that is currently driving me insane with heartbreak! Twenty years after the events of the movie, Jack is struggling to open up to his friends. When Jamie loses his belief, Jack is left struggling to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart, but Pitch is there to help. Updated regularly.

In Another Time - You want angst? You want tragedy? You want your heart ripped out and stomped on the floor? Then do I have a story for you! In the ongoing war against the Dream Pirates, Fearlings, and Nightmare Men, General Kozmotis Pitchiner already has enough on his plate without dealing with a trouble-making Jackson Overland. Perhaps, it would have been better to kick him out when he had the chance, but growing attached to young Private instead seemed so much more desirable at the time. Complete.

Strange Magic - Strange Magic AU wherein Prince Jack overhears a plot to use a love potion on the Dark Forest King Pitch and decides that that's a bad idea. The fastest of burns and I am here for every second of it! Complete.

I know I'm missing a bunch, but this is what I got right now just skimming through my bookmarks. There's so much more on my read later list, but this is a good start if you're looking for multi-chapter fics! Reader beware though, all of these feature smut at some point.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Crown Jewel

We're skipping the discourse around this one. Ginny is Bonney's mother, Kuma's her daddy, and there's the potential of a half-Tenryubito bloodline which would explain a fair amount of leeway we've seen. Bonney is also only 12 years old. Love how it all fits well with her intro, do hate how grim Ginny's story ended up. But she kept that spark until the end, like the wrinkle of not wanting to be seen and trying to hide the pain. Out of respect for that we're not dwelling on the horrific circumstances of Bonney's conception.

I gotta say though, I was already wondering before that if film buff Oda wasn't striking again because Kuma's story of a humble guy weaving around big events was reminding me big time of Forrest Gump. If Wano was the Kabuki revue you'd pick and choose parts you care about...is Egghead a night at the movies? Sci-fi B movie vibes obviously. Then maybe these segments away are almost like, say going to the bathroom and catching a snippet of another. Hence missing parts of it. I'm rambling...

Absolutely adore the origin of the "jewelry" part of Jewelry Bonney. Both this cute scene and how the Sapphire Scale disease hearkens back to Thriller Bark. The core stakes of losing your shadow. Same with the origin of "If you could travel, where would you go?" In hindsight...I bet Perona reminded him of Bonney. It's also pertinent to point out they were at Sabaody around the same time. There's a lot to say about her after this chapter, starting with...

Bonney, welcome to the top tier of the blorbo rankings. How can I hate a chapter that gives me a feisty five-year-old flagrantly flipping the forbidden finger? Young Bonney you are so precious. Er...younger Bonney. So we don't just have the Sapphire Scales connection either. This chapter hits that running Egghead theme of callbacks so hard. I love this bit about calling her a vampire and brandishing a cross, especially with her flatly pointing out she lives in a church, but a lot of things honestly. Talking about wanting to see a Sky Island was nice.

We're gonna peel this one off for tomorrow, but there is one thing I do wanna note. Actually being 12 with a fruit like that is a different angle, but it has that fundamental thematic harmony with a quartermaster. Just like an elegant but lowkey scary big sister with an actress vibe, a bossy little sister with the infinite possibility of distorted futures suits bringing order and wearing many hats. Kiku's deal was being shown as legitimately good but not great at others'skills. The ultimate redundancy. Bonney is the blank slate. Strap in friendos, I have a lot to say on the matter over the next few days.

This is what I was thinking last week, the part that really gets there. The ability to just pop up at island after island is hellacious for a Revolutionary. Makes it easy to pull something like Sabo's simultaneous uprisings which is smart. Paralyzes a World Government that can step in it prioritizing the wrong ones. But yeah, Kuma goes on a tear after Ginny is taken. We get a great run of back-and-forth shots though between the hero and the doting father. Love that. He goes into a pit of despair, but the last remnant of Ginny becomes a reason to live again.

My guess is ultimately we'll see something like he agreed to the cyborg program at least partially because he could take on Bonney's disease himself. That would make sense for something. Kinda dig the theory Im suffers from Sapphire Scale. I know they said Bonney had a limited time but that may be because she'd already started to turn. Im if anyone has the resources to ensure you'd never encounter natural light and it'd be incredibly thematic. I will also laugh my ass off if we end up making the World Government functionally run by the Sohma Family from Fruits Basket. Sickly lil shut-in who was handed control for stupid reasons.

Hearken well, dear reader and don't look away. For what comes next is the tragedy of Sorbet. From priest to tyrant, from man to machine. A tragic tale who's end has already been seen.

Talk about callbacks, yeah this familiar nightmare reminds me a lot of Drum and Dressrosa. It is cool how Wano fits into that, a more benign version of reinstalling the ancient dynasty. This here is the perfect setting to shift us into the parts we already know a bit about. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Somewhere this kind pastor and loving father became known as a tyrant and he was referred to as King of Sorbet. We've only got a short window to cram in a lot of big things for Kuma. That said, could see us out of this by or in 1100. So a break and a big one-two punch?

[popculturebuffet]

Transformers MTMTE Retrospective: Scavengers and Chaos Theory (ISsues 7 and 8, Transformers 09 23 and 24)

Hello all you happy cybertonianas and welcome back to my more than meets the eye retrospective! For this month we're doing two stories and continuing our side trip. This time we see how the other side of the war is doing in it's aftermath.. and then cut to just before the end and long before it as we get a peak at who Optimus and Megatron are, and what Cybertron was before the war. So join me under the cut for Scavengers and Chaos Theory if you please.

Scavengers:

Scavengers begins with something we've been slowly building towards: we get our first look at the Decpticon Justice Divsion.. and see that the rep they've built over these first few issues and one shots.. isn't an exageration. If anything they undersold it as we see their latest Victim black shadow BARELY alive and begging for them to juts finish it after previously having been partially melted and crushed… only for Tarn the cruel and charasmatic leader of the DJD to lay it out: the deaths are agonzingly slow, and that's the point: every decipticon that hears about this will think twice about turning their back on megatron for whatever reason. It also makes sense Megatron has this sick motivational tool in his back pocket: while some Deciptcons are diehards for the cause.. the vast majority are in it for themselves, for petty sadisim or as we'll learn just because they were made for it. Many would likely screw up a mission just to get themselves ahead… and the DJD are there to explain why this is a bad idea. Tarn himself shows off his talent.. he can literally talk someone's spark into giving up. HIs very voice is his weapon and he saves it for the last. As for them doing this while the war is over Tarn refuses to belivie this, feeling the war isn't over till Megatron says it is… a philsophy that will be challenged horribly next season, but we'll get to that. It's a short but incredibly well done scene that emphasises just what monsters our temporary protaganists are up against.. and what our main heroes WILL be up against eventually. It's not a matter after all this build up of IF they'll meet the DJD.. it's a matter of WHEN. For now though they have another target in mind whose crime is… "He lived"

We break for the lost light which I honestly forgot about but is welcome.. if no less grisly. Rung is alive by some miracle, but is missing his head, and Red Alert, shaken by finding overlord confesses it to rung, and leaves a data slug with him… that in a later scene someone goes back to retrive. Something bad is going on and it's clearly a lot higher up than it seemed with just wingus and dingus.

We then meet our protaganists for these issues: Fulcrum, a bucketheaded autobot who wakesu pt ofind the rest of our new heroes trying to scrap him for parts. These are the Scavengers: MIsfire, swerves' non union decpticon equilvlent, Crankcase whose name matches his attitude, Spinster, the empyrically dumbest person in the universe, Flywheels, who you need not worry about, and Krok, who as leader gets best designs.

We get another subplot, . B ing a good friend Chromedome's been looking into Skids past, and goes to his other close friend for help. Brainwave disected his gun.. and it exploded. He also named it the binary gun because it has two bullets. Chromedome sums up how useful this is.. prompting Brainwave to reveal some actual information, albeit some even he's not sure of.. and given his info his reluctance speaks VOLUMES. The bullet is from the institute

Domey decides after that to just try using his surgery on Skids, who intitallyd ecided he didn't want it but has changed his mind. And while Chromedome's able to get a lot out.. he can't get everything and stops. While Skids want's it… Domey can't ethically keep pressing as there's something Skids is actively repressing, and a memory that traumatic could break him.. and given what Dome's scene, it's probably best he dosent. And knowing what Dome's seen and what Skids is hiding. .yeah I can see why his brain put up this defense mechaniasm. My only shock is that defense mechanisms aren't literal for transformers and a tiny brain gun didn't pop out of the back of his head to zap Domey in the eyes.

Once we get back to our other protaganists we find otu the Scavengers aren't really a formal squad.. but simply a bunch of lost decipticons who Krok found trying to find his crew and are currently trying to salvage enough materials to keep going. This sector in paticular is usesful as Optimus and Megatron went through a phase that's both the bonkers kind of werid I love you only get from a property like this and tha'ts grounded in the real cost of it

It's a brilliant idea I wish got explored more: for who knows how long two fo the greatest stratigests in the unvierse plugged themselves into giant computers and simply treated the entire universe like one giant RTS. It makes sense as their brains are computer based so why WOULDN'T they do this… and then shows WHY: millions died fast, things escilated quickly and it explains why Megatron would shift back to a much slower strategy after this. Optimus likely only did it either becuase he didn't consideer the implications.. or he had no choice. As Krok puts it "lives were reduced to lines and intergers and the only diffrence between us and them is the autobots came back to collect their dead". That last part is what makes me wish we got more out of it: the idea that for one point of the war people were reduced to mere data on a page and the consequences of that.

This brings Krok to another point: the war is over. The Scavengers all got the message "Come home the war's over" and while they think it's POSSIBLE Megatron one, they suspect it was the autobots since the message wasn't "HEY BITCHES PARTY AT MEGATRONS!" and none of them know what to feel about that. These were just the guys at the bottom of things. Just like our reguarlly scheduled heroes ther'es a sense of what do we do now? This was our lives. Krok decides shoot the torture victim from earlier who they used as a camp fire without realizing it.

So after the aformentiond data slug scene our heroes try to find enough fuel to power the Weak Anthropic Principal aka the W.A.P. a name that has aged gloriously. Flywheels finds something badass though

They explore it and suprise suprise.. the ship's pretty fucke dup with brains on the ceiling, half mangled protoforms in jars, usual horror shit. Only Fulcrum's excited by this and only because of the unknown, the idea their lives are there's now. He's let the post war reality set in.. and unlike the others he's happy his life's finally his… and then the DJD call saying one of them is on the list and they have 15 minutes to kiss their asses goodbye.

The issue ends with our heroes finding something that JUST might turn the tide: Him, Grimlock.

Yup i'm a huge grimlock fan. The first G1 work I saw was Transformers the Movie, which had him and the others a hilarious idiots tagging along with everyone else. I"ve loved the big dumb asshole ever since so I'm happy he's part of this run… even if he's not quite himself

After a flashback to fulcrum doing a heli jump that also implies HE'S the one their after, our heroes discuss it over and Krok points out the hard truth: none of them is going to admit to being the DJD's target for obvious reasons and even if they did, given how draconian and unstable the DJD is, they could easily just decide on the spur of the moment "Hey your all on the list now! Pray for death but death won't come!" So their options are

And shockingly despite the jokey nature of these guys.. all but Fulcrum choose Option C. Honestly when reading this story again for this it didn't really do much for me.. but rereading it.. this moment really sells it> These guys may be even MORE of a ragtag bunch of misfits than our main heroes, which is somehow possible, but they have some noblility in them. As Crankcase puts it "This badge belongs to us, not them". SO their going to do what they do best: use what they have on hand.

Our ragamuffins set a trap, leaving Grimlock's cryo pod there so theyc an open it, saying it's the traitor.. and Tarn just outs Fulcrum as his target. Tarn.. also isn't stupid. Given that decpticons already punish deserition with brutal torture if most of them target them, it'd take a lot to both escape and to stay escaped as is, let alone with the threat of Tarn himself over their heads. He still opens the trap, but it's more out of villanous curosity as to just WHAT the trap is than actually thinking they could escape him. He gets shorukened for it, but it quickly becomes clear Grimlock isn't at 100% percent and instead i just getting his ass kicked like a sad puppy, and our heroes can't even take advantage of tha to escape as one of the DJD finds them. Things go badly and we get an upclose look at how horriying the DJD are, with Kaon keeping a "pet" a deranged wolf like "sparkeater", Tesarus who just shoves people into his chest to be ground up , which poor flywheels gets a taste of, Vos who puts an iron maiden like mask on his targets. OUr heroes try their best.. but it's clear their just not up to this. As Tarn puts it these guys are at the literal bottom of the Deciptcon's rankings, he checks them because of course he does. Even some powered armor does NOTHIGN to these monsters.

What saves them is Fulcrum who decides to come clean and to jump, but not before giving a speech citing that these guys gave him faith in the cause again.. and that their worth TEN of the DJD any day. He then jumps revealing he's a LITERAL suicide bomber with an alt bomb mode… that goes off with a dud because that's just the kind of day these guys are having.

Thankfully they get a repreive: the DJD has found overlord… the overlord whose in the bowels of our heroes ship

Tarn leaves, and tells them all their ALL on his list now… but he has bigger fish to fry.

Fulcrum explains his backstory: he was a deserter, got caught and was remodeled into an unwilling sucicide bomber, his bomb removed by the others when they thought he was a lootable corpse. The rest of the gang.. is busy with Grimlock, worried about him till Misfire approaches him slowly and realizes he's brain damaged. He's not himself.. and thus comes up with a plan since Krok is a bit too unconcious and in need of repairs to come up with one and it's actually brilliant: they take Grimlock with them and use him as leverage. If the autobots won, taking care of one fo their own and bringing him home with them makes for one hell of a peace offering and gets them amnesty. If the decipticons won, bringing back one of the biggest baddest autobots is an instant promotion. Theya ll agree, loot krok for parts then take off… while a mysterious bot far in teh future shows up marking him dead…and on his data pad are also Ultra Magnus and Drift.

Scavengers is a decent story, one showing just what the other side of the war was. Really my only problem with these guys is we only see them three times in the main story and once with a b plot, making it easy to forget about them despite being important to the plot, as their intro both properly introduces the DJD.. and sets up events for later. Their not bad characters by any means but they often don't feel as developed. The story tries it's best and Krok certainly does but they feel a tad more one note due to not getting nearly as much time and being played mostly for laughs. It's not a terrible story but i'ts a shockinglyf orgetable one given how much happens and how decent it is. The next story.. is a bit bigger though

Chaos Theory:

So now we go to BEFORE MTMTE happened to a prequel.. an intentional one to the storyline "Chaos" that wrapped up the previous era of transformers, and loose one to both MTMTE as a whole and next month's arc shadowplay. This arc was James Roberts first work post wreckers and given how things tend to move in comics his first knowing MTMTE was coming. As such while it works well as a two part standalone story and isn't 100% necessary for MTMTE , it still sets things up for it and sets up how Cybertron was in the past, why megatron started the decipticons.. all important stuff for MTMTE's future. It's this arc where Roberts first gets to write megatron and while it wasn't intetional as his addition to the cast wasn't roberts idea, it sets up a lot of what Roberts would do with him and explore once we get to him.

Chaos Theory opens in a diner, with Megatron tallking to his pal impactor. Since their don talking about what they call a quarter pounder on luna 1, their onto Megatron's latest work: a manefesto of sorts but suprisingly it's built on non violent resitance.. on building a movement not through violence but through protest. It's chilling as it is sad: we knwo what Megatron becomes.. but right now alll he once is a better life. A life where a few drinks above ground between shifts is not all they have and where what your built to be dosen't mean your station in life. It makes you questoin just what made THIS GUY into well.. this guy

The two are interputped by some assholes hassling Rung, who makes his first apperance here, if as a bit of a cameo. Said assholes work for the Senate, which as you can probably guess by the need for systemic change.. is horribly corrupt, not only encouraging a caste based system where what one does determines how valuable they are that will later be refered to as "functionism", so naturally like any jackbooted thugs their bullying rung and wanting him to clean up after he knocks over some drinks before throwing him at Megs table, with Impactor getting up to teach them some street justice.

While he does that in the past in the present Megatron has surrendered.. and it has everyone uneasy. Ratchet is checking him for traps, the other autobots are all watching from a distance and optimus.. naturally wants to know WHY. And despite trying to put off the conversatoin.. he knows he has to have it.

While he steels himself back in the past megatron is interviewed in a cell: apparently he and impactor really got into it with those guys and they and impactor are all in med bay… and Megatron is soon starring down a familiar lack of a face who shadily decides to take over his interigation…..

Yup! While Rung is a neat cameo to stash away for later, Whirl is full on setup for the character and his apperance and connections here will be important later. As he mentioned in issue 6 he worked for the senate.. and we see what that means here… and none of it is good. What follows.. is one of the best scenes in transformers period. The symbol of each side, simply sitting in a room, talking it over, as Optimus DESPERATLEY tries to figure out why megatron is like this. There is a LOT of good stuff in this conversatoin, a masterclass in how to do a character conversation. Such as Megatron talking about hate

Optimus counters by why he's tired: generations of fighting and all it's gotten is every other race to turn their back on them, millions dead, their races decimated… and it just won't stop. You can see now why he's tired: Roberts really taps into something that dosen't get refrenced enough in transformers: this war hasn't just been going on a few years.. it's been going on millinea and as mtemte has proven they remember all of it. All the losses, all the trauma, all the pain, what was it for?

He asks Megatron a simple question: pretend for a moment he's won, optimus dead the autobots no more what does he do?

Well minus the rest part, but he basically rebuilds the universe into true peace through tyranny: a new golden age where free will is gone but os is wanting for anythimng.. something that naturally disgusts optimus. The two then trade stories about the times they've nearly killed each other before breaking

Back with autobots high command, they argue what to do wtih him: some, including Ultra Magnus want him dead, while Bumblebee worries it'llmake him a martyr. Optimus..says i'ts not up for debate and he's instead going to someone else who will be important in MTMTE, Chief Justice Tyrest, the guy who apointed magnus and who oversaw the Aquetus trials that were at the center of Last Stand of the Wreckers andwho naturally we'll see later. For now he's who Optimus trusts but to try this and to do so in a way other races will accept, though some worry Optimus is getting a bit chummy.. and by some I mean hot rod whose lack of tact gets everyone thrown out, though Optimus is clearly still rattled.

Back to the past, Whirl is beating the shit out of Megatron who isn't fighting back. This police brutality is interputed by Springarm, the officer he reliefed earlier as Megatron has been let off, thankfully before Whirl could blame his death as him "slipping his bonds". It's a shockinglyf rank show of the police: some may mean well.. but many are just selfish brutalizing assholes who don't want change as their power would go away.. and we're only going to see more of that in these past segments.. and any time Prowls around. Seriously the bot is a walking defund the polcie advertisment. Optimus not only shows he talked to the bartneder and found Megs didn't participate, but read his manefesto: he dosen't agree entirley but he feels he's in the right direction.. and that itself says a lot.. as did the fact Megatron tried to act like this wasn't their first meeting. To Megatron their first meeting was a battle between two sides, a glorious war on a bridge. For Optimus.. it was two idealists, one working outside the system one working simply having a talk… and likely the regret Megatron didn't speak to peace. That so many died because Megatron strayed so far from who he was.

In the present Optimus finally asks Megatron the real question, the one he REALLY wanted to ask.

This speech is one of the main reasons I covered this one: while the events of it are a direct prelude to shadowplay, this line.. comes back later. And we see as you can probably guess.. that Megatron wasn't being honest. No not honest megatron. But Megatron got what he wanted while in the past.. he throws his datapad away, a sign that he's starting to slip from who he was .. and into something else. And what I like is while the story paints present megatron as a villian.. i'ts hard to argue entirely with his past self, especially after part 2: the system is broken and while sometimes peaceful protest and showing you have the higher ground works.. sometimes the only answer is in action. Sometimes i'ts okay to get pissed off and riot. The question is how far you take it. Megatron is wrong because he took it from "the'se corrupt assholes need to be replaced" to "peace through tyranny". He had an understandable starting point, wanting to raise the working class to equality.. it's about how you achive it.

As we'll see as we open part 2 though, while Optimus is trying to work in the system.. he will not BEND to that system. It allows the other side to florish: Optimus was a cop which can be one of the worst thigns you can be and usually is in a facist system. But for Optimus.. he's trying his best to be an honest person. He lets Megatron go and likely saved his life with it.. and as we open part 2, we see a bunch of senate thugs confront him. It's clear from the outset that while they put on a lair of civility.. it's all an act Optimus sees thorugh it and while theyt ry to SUBTLY imply Whirl should be let go, that dosen't take and outright saying he has friends in high and low places who'd be pissed… Optimus dosen't bend. Whirl broke the law. It shows who Optimus is: he's a cop yes.. but he puts his morals first: he went out of his way to get Megs exonerated because he did nothing wrong. But he refuses to let Whirl free because he tried to murder someone in custody. He broke the law. It dosen't matter who his friends are or who comes for him, Orion Pax or Optimus Prime, he won't let someone trying to murder an innocent person go. In the present Optimus graples with his morals, as at the end of their verbal joust.. Optimus shocked megatron with his restraints and wonders what he's becoming… and if he's beecome too reliant on the matrix, with their bonding being painful.. not helped by Hot Rod's having been "wonderfuL' and trancendant.

The bulk of the rest of the issue.. is an action fest. But a well done one. Optimus brings a bunch of criminals in, and is also clouded in his thinking, tonight's ecnounter only having made it worsed: he read what Megatron wrote.. and realizes the system.. is really brokena nd he can't "countance" that.

He comes back.. and finds springarm and another guy we just met decapitated, and the three senate thugs from earlier escorting whirl out who shockingly DIDN'T approve of this, showing that the Whirl we will know. .is in there. Optimus gets hit from behind and we get a tense standoff as a result if an epic one. He uses his own comednations as fucking shuriken, and then , regretfully as you'd expect, hotwirse springarms corpse so he can use hsi bhike alt mode to ram into them, then reads the main thug his miranda rights. But Whirl makes a point: touch him and there's more bloodshed.. and asks what Optimus will do.

This being Optimus what he do.. is storm into the senate chambers, his faceplate cracked and whirl slung over his shoulder and mkae a speech> this is despite the senate security trying ot murder him.

I'ts one hell of a speech and it stillf eels relevant today when , in the US where I live at least, a lot of senators are, just like the cybertronain senate, self entitled jackasses who make choice sfor other people based on self intrest or some corrupt dogma instead of what the people actually want or need.. yeah it feels all too right. Of course they have Optimus dragged off.. by we see soon after a mysterious senator had him saved, being the only one actually agreeing with optimus and using the right argument they woul'dve made him a martyr, warning Optimus dark times are coming and to decdie wh he wants to be.. while a young optimus looks at his chest cavity.. and ponders the matrix.

Oh and as for present day optimus he simply went ot megatron, sans matrix.. and told him he's taking him to tyrest, with Ratchet telling optimus his moral compas is his own.

Chaos THeory just rocks as a character showcase for Optimus, showing both his inante noblity as a rising star cop and his tortured conflict in present day, while also nicely contrasting megatron's start as a good intentioned revolutionary… with his finish as a tyranical monster. It sets up both how bad the past of cybertron was and how much of a monster megs sees himself is, while raising the question of how much does he really buy he likes hurting people and how much is an act? We won't get any answers on that for a LONG time, but I felt it was worth raising them now… as they won't get any easier when Megs does come back.

Next Time: MORE FLASHBACKS. It's time for a bit of shadowplay as our heroes take turns narrating a tale of the past to hopefully help rung join them in the future. Thanks for reading.

[mtap-comics]

Welcome back to my Bad Things Happen Bingo!

Fandom: My time at Portia

Pairing: Arlo x Female Builder

Summary: Elenya had a really bad week. She was completely exhausted and she just wanted a hug from her favourite person, even if she had to stumble up the hill to the Civil Corps Headquarters to get it.

Word count: 5382

Prompt: Stumbling and Staggering

Author’s note: Can please someone stop my brain? I wanted this to be a cute little story to help me get out of my writers block, maybe 2000 to 3000 words, and now we've got this.

This one is more comfort than hurt, so be prepared to call your dentist when you are done with reading!

Oh, and I read through this like, two times, so if you find any mistakes or something doesn't add up, let me know!

Have fun reading!

Warnings: Mentions Blood, Established Relationship, Elenya is tired, Arlo is a sweetheart

Read on AO3: Link

Safe in his arms

Elenya was tired. Not just tired as in "one night of bad sleep", but tired as in "five hours of sleep in the last five days". Her head was throbbing with a mild migraine and her hands were shaking so badly that she had to decide to end her work day early. 

Everything she had tried to build went wrong and when she almost torched her hand trying to weld two steel plates together, she had to admit defeat.

There usually wasn't much that could keep her from working, but even she knew she couldn't work safely in this condition.

The fact that Portia had just been hit by a heat wave didn't help either. The sun was beating down on the residents incessantly, and while that normally didn’t bother her a lot - after all, it was terribly hot in Barnarock all year round - the constant sweating and heat exhausted her even more. Not to mention the headache the bright light was giving her.

God, she really wanted to go back to bed.

But rather than do that, she stumbled up the path to Civil Corps headquarters, her whole being focused on a single goal.

Arlo.

She felt anxious and miserable and just wanted a hug from her boyfriend. As soon as his strong arms wrapped around her body, she always felt better immediately, and that was exactly what she needed right now. Besides, she hoped that maybe she could sleep with him tonight.

After all, the reason she had hardly slept the last few nights was because of terrible nightmares. As soon as she closed her eyes, she was haunted by dark shadows, the sense of danger, and the inexplicable feeling that something bad was about to happen. She couldn't remember the exact dreams after waking up, only the feelings and each time she couldn't go back to sleep.

She had tried to distract herself with work, tried to drive away the anxiety with it, but every night the dreams only got worse.

But maybe she could finally get a good night's sleep when she was in Arlo's arms. Even just being near him made her feel instantly safe, let alone when he held her tightly in his strong arms. 

However, if that didn't help either, then she would probably have to turn to Dr. Xu. Her body was so exhausted by now that she was freezing even in the blazing late afternoon sun, her black shorts and red t-shirt not enough to keep her warm. 

Which really shouldn't even be possible. Because she could feel the sun on her skin, could feel the heat of it, but it didn’t seem to reach her body. Goosebumps crept up her arms.

She really needed some sleep.

~~~~~~

Elenya was glad that most people were hiding from the heat in their houses, leaving no one to notice her stumbling up the hill like a zombie.

Her leg and arms felt like lead, her feet barely lifting off the ground, and her eyes closed from time to time without her noticing. The walk up to Civil Corps headquarters never felt so hard.

She was just at the height of the large tree short of her goal when suddenly a violent dizziness overcame her and she stumbled to the side. She tried to catch herself on the trunk of the tree, but missed. Instead, her left hand scraped the rough bark and she slammed her shoulder hard against the tree.

Ouch...

Disoriented, she clung to the tree for a moment, the pain in her hand and shoulder a good focus point in the process. She preferred to focus on that rather than the world, which continued to spin around her.

Damn, her body was definitely starting to reach its limits. But she only had a few more steps to go, then she could hopefully finally relax in Arlo's arms.

Elenya didn't know how long she stood there like that, but after a while the dizziness finally subsided and she dared to let go of the tree.

Okay, she can do this. Just one step at a time, that's all.

She stumbled on toward her goal. Her coordination was off and her eyes were threatening to close permanently.

God, she was so tired.

After stumbling against the statue of the flying pigs as well, hitting her right hip quite painfully in the process, she finally stood in front of the large orange doors that would finally lead her to Arlo.

Please let him be there.

Of course, the possibility that he wasn't even at headquarters didn't occur to her until she had struggled up the hill, but it was too late now anyway. If he wasn't there, she would just curl up on the nearest soft surface and cry. 

She had no strength left for more.

But luck was on her side, at least in this matter. Cautiously, she opened the door and didn't have to search long before her blurred gaze fell on the familiar shock of red hair. Arlo was sitting at his desk next to the assignment board, his head bent over a document which he was studying intently. He was so engrossed in it that he didn't notice Elenya until her - this time - left hip collided painfully with the corner of the desk as a new wave of dizziness overtook her.

Startled, his head snapped up.

"Elenya! What are you doing here?" Confused and delighted at the same time, his eyes met hers. He slid his chair slightly away from the table, probably to stand up, but Elenya quickly took the chance to step in front of him.

Exhausted, her legs finally gave way under her and she fell onto his lap, her legs straddling his hips.

"Woah, hey, what's wrong?" Alarmed, Arlo's arms wrapped around her shoulders and waist, pulling her tightly against his chest.

Instantly she was flooded with his warmth and she buried her head in his neck, her aching head welcoming the darkness there. Arlo's soothing scent rose to her nose and she finally lost the battle against the tears she had been holding back for days.

They flowed ceaselessly from her eyes and soaked through Arlo's T-shirt.

"Sweetheart?" Concern poured from his every pore, and he tried to push her away from him a little so he could look at her. Quickly, she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders and buried her face even more into his neck, hiding from the world.

Please, don't let go!

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? What happened?" He wanted to know from her gently but worriedly, but the only thing that left her lips was a sob.

She had reached her limit. 

5 days without proper sleep and terrible nightmares, she just couldn't hold it in anymore. And Arlo's strong arms finally gave her the chance to let go.

Her crying got worse and the arms around her waist and shoulders tightened.

"Hey, shh, it's alright. I'm here. You're alright. Everything's going to be okay. I'm here." Gently, Arlo's soothing mantra swept over her, enveloped her, bathed her in the feeling of safety, and slowly her tears dried up.

Having cried out all the pent-up emotions and fear, she slumped even more in Arlo's arms, her exhaustion even greater than before and a steady ache throbbing in her head.

"Everything's going to be alright, sweetheart." A soft kiss was pressed to the mop of her hair and with a sigh she tried to snuggle even closer to Arlo. Would have loved to melt into him and never come back.

He let her rest for a while like this, before he spoke up again.

"Can you please look at me, sweetie?" Arlo's right hand, which had been wrapped around her shoulders until just now, softly came to rest on the part of her cheek that was visible and tried to gently lift her head.

Reluctantly, she complied with his request.

"Hey, there you are." A soft, loving smile played around his lips, but concern quickly took over his gaze the longer he studied her face.

She didn't even want to know what she looked like right now. She'd already been startled this morning when she'd looked in the mirror. Her face had been completely pale, her eyes irritated and red and with deep shadows underneath. How she looked now after crying, she could only imagine.

Gently, Arlo's rough thumb stroked her wet cheek and she leaned into the touch, seeking even more comfort.

"What happened, darling? You don't look well at all. Are you sick?" Concerned, he studied her face, his thumb still gently caressing her cheek.

For a while she just stared back, examining the familiar features of his face, noticing the almost equally dark shadows under his eyes, the slight stubble on his cheeks, the stress crease between his eyes, and guilt spread through her.

Suddenly she remembered why she hadn’t sought him out earlier. Why she had pushed her body to the brink of exhaustion before seeking help from him.

Earlier in the week, after she had the first nightmare, she had asked him if maybe they could do something together. Just relax for a day, maybe go on a picnic or something. Stress might have been the trigger for her bad dreams and a day with Arlo would be the perfect cure for that, but he had just snapped at her that he didn't have time for that now.

Startled and hurt, she had backed away from him then, but those feelings quickly faded as he immediately apologised to her and she noticed the deeply stressed look on his face.

There were several problems he had to take care of at once, and that while Remy was out of action for several days because of his knee. He hadn't told her exactly what it was about and her offer to help had been turned down as well, so she had decided to leave him alone for a few days and, when he finally had some rest, force him to take a day off and do nothing.

And now she had probably interrupted him in the middle of something important.

"I'm sorry..." Her voice was all hoarse from crying, and she had to clear her throat before she could continue speaking. "I didn't mean..." she hiccupped, "I didn't mean to disturb you..."

"Hey, none of that." Gently, he now lifted his second hand to her cheek as well, cupping her face and pressed his forehead softly against hers, keeping her gaze captive. "You could never bother me. You can always come to me, especially when you're not feeling well. Please tell me what's wrong. It hurts me to see you like this." His voice and touch were so tender that new tears came to her eyes.

How had she ever deserved someone like him?

"I'm sorry anyway. It's just... I haven't been able to sleep for five days. Every time I fall asleep, I wake up from a nightmare shortly after and can't go back to sleep after that. I'm just... I'm just so tired." Frustrated, new tears ran down her cheeks, but Arlo immediately wiped them away, leaning his head back as he did so.

"Oh, my poor sweetie. Why didn't you come to me sooner?" The crease between his eyes deepened with concern and uneasily Elenya averted her gaze.

"Well... You've been so busy and stressed this week, I didn't want to take up your limited time too..." She cringed at how small and uncertain her voice sounded. That was just the best way to make Arlo feel guilty, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

And sure enough, when she turned her gaze back to his, she could see his eyes twist with guilt.

"Oh..." His hands, still gently cupping her face, were about to lower, but Elenya quickly grabbed his wrists and stopped him. She needed the comfort of that gentle touch, and at the same time she also wanted to show him that she didn't blame him for anything. He immediately understood what she wanted and got back to cradle her face oh so gently.

"I'm so so so sorry love, for snapping at you like that a few days ago. I never meant for you to feel like you couldn't come to me. I'll always be here for you if you need me, okay? Please don't ever forget that. No matter how busy I am, if you need my help, I'll find a way." He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "I love you and I always want you to be okay."

His look was serious but full of love and Elenya felt her cheeks blush.

No matter how many times he said those three words to her, they always made her heart race and fill her with happiness.

"I love you too. And you have nothing to apologise for. I saw how stressed you were and I really just didn't want to bother you. But today..." She wanted to say more, but Arlo's eyes, which had been wandering over her face, suddenly widened with shock as they landed on her left hand, still clutching his wrist.

"Elenya! You're bleeding! What happened?" His hands moved away from her face and carefully he pried hers from his wrist.

Confused, she looked down at her hand, which was now held palm up in Arlo's hand.

Oh, she had forgotten about that already. The tree bark had scraped her hand, after all, and the movement must have reopened the barely closed wounds. Now that her attention was drawn back to it, she also felt the burning again.

"Oh, I got dizzy on the way here, and I stumbled against the tree outside. The bark must have scraped my hand in the process." 

"Oh dear, why didn't you say so in the first place? We really need to clean the wounds before they get infected. As bad as this is bleeding, they must be pretty deep. Did you hurt yourself anywhere else?" Concerned, Arlo's gaze darted back and forth between her hand and her eyes.

But at the mention of blood, something entirely different came to her mind.

"Oh no, I hope I didn't bleed all over your shirt!"

She wanted to lean to the side to get a look at his shoulder, but her overtired body didn't play along and a new wave of dizziness overcame her. She tipped to the side more than she wanted to and would have fallen off his lap had Arlo not immediately pulled her back to his chest.

"Hey, careful. Don't hurt yourself more, please." His arms were wrapped tightly around her back again and she let her head fall back against his shoulder, careful not to bring her bloody hand near him this time.

The dizziness wouldn't subside, however, and with a whimper she slumped completely in his lap. The little bit of energy she could muster for their conversation quickly dissipated and what remained was her bone-deep exhaustion.

The arms around her back tightened even more and she could downright feel Arlo's concern.

"I've got you, I'm here. Let me just tend to your hand and then you can lie down, okay?" Worry resonated deep in his voice and she felt bad for causing him more stress, but she only had the strength left to nod in response to his question.

Her head throbbed violently at the motion.

"Okay. Do you think you can stand up? I'd love to carry you, but I'm afraid I can't stand up like this."

"Oh, of course." Her legs felt like jelly, and she wasn't sure they would even carry her anymore, but she couldn't very well stay seated either.

Arlo must have heard her uncertainty in her voice.

"I'll help you, don't worry. Go as slow as you need." His hands moved from her back down to her hips and held her tight. On shaky knees, she managed to get up from his lap with his help and before she knew what was happening, she found herself in his strong arms, one underneath her knees and one behind her back.

He carried her the few steps over to one of the yellow armchairs and set her down carefully in it.

"I'll be right back, okay? I'll just get the first aid kit." Arlo waited until she nodded in understanding and then disappeared into the bathroom.

Looking after him with half-open eyes, she wrapped her arms around herself. Now that she was no longer surrounded by his warmth and security, she started to freeze again and the feeling of anxiety returned.

Fortunately, it really didn't take him long and after only a minute he was kneeling in front of her, the first aid kit lying open beside him.

"Okay, sweetie, can you give me your hand?" Invitingly, he held out his right hand, and she tried to comply with his request, but her hand was shaking so much that she could barely hold it out to him. Quickly, Arlo reached for her hand and gently pulled it toward him, his large hand gently cupping the back of her hand. Even that little bit of skin contact made her feel better.

"Okay, I'll just clean the wounds and then we'll put a clean bandage around your hand. I'm afraid that's going to hurt, but I'm going to go as fast as I can, promise. I don't want them to get infected." Sympathetically, his blue eyes looked up at her and her overtired brain wondered why he was making such a fuss over a scraped hand.

Was he still feeling guilty about not having time for her the last few days?

Whatever it was, she wasn't about to complain. Sure, the cleansing burned terribly in the open wounds, but she hardly noticed. His warm hands were so gentle and careful as he tended to her hand that she hardly perceived anything else. His concerned gaze was fully focused on her, making her feel loved and safe.

Feelings she needed so badly right now to banish the nightmares from her mind.

"There, all done." He lifted her hand up to his lips and pressed a feather-light kiss to her freshly bandaged palm. The warm feeling inside her grew stronger.

"And to get back to my question from earlier, are you hurt anywhere else?" Concerned, his eyes darted over her body, probably searching for other injuries.

She shook her head. "Just a few bruises, I think..." A big yawn escaped her, her eyes drooping and Arlo's eyes softened.

"That's good. Would you like to lie down in my bed for a while now? You need sleep very badly." Arlo straightened back up to his full height and with wide, hopeful eyes she looked up at him.

"Are you coming, too?" 

She didn't need to hear his answer. The look of regret that immediately settled on his face at her question told her what she needed to know.

She slumped in disappointment and felt awful about it at the same time. The dark shadows under his eyes and the tired features told her that he hadn't had an easy week either, and she didn't want him to feel bad about her too, but she knew if she lay down alone now, the nightmares would come right back and she couldn't handle that anymore. She would rather stay awake and accept the consequences.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I really need to go through these documents before I can lie down with you. That will take maybe another half hour, an hour at the most. Do you think you can manage that long on your own?" Remorse filled his voice, but she had to shake her head at his question.

The concern in his gaze deepened and for a moment he stared at her thoughtfully until something seemed to occur to him.

"Oh, wait a minute, I have an idea." He quickly cleaned up the first aid kit, took it back to the bathroom, and then went back to his desk where she couldn't see what he was doing. She heard papers rustling and the scrape of the chair on the floor and then he was standing in front of her again.

With eyes shining warmly, he bent down to her and told her to put her arms around his neck. Confused, she complied and with a startled cry she suddenly found herself in the air, her legs instinctively wrapping around his hips. Like a monkey, she clung to him, her face buried in his neck as his hands held her hips securely.

What was he planning to do?

"Hold on tight." With those words, Arlo started walking, his steps gentle and seemingly undisturbed by her weight. She knew he was walking toward the desk, even if she couldn't see it, and sure enough, a moment later she found herself in the same position as before. Sitting on his lap, her legs to his left and right.

But this time the chair was much closer to the desk - she could feel the edge in her back when she leaned back - and Arlo could still reach his documents now.

"Oh." Surprised, she looked up at him. 

Did that mean she could stay with him without disturbing him?

"So, now I can work and hold you close at the same time. How does that sound?" He lovingly brushed a strand of hair out of her face that had come loose from her ponytail, a gentle smile on his lips, and gratefully she engaged him in a deep kiss.

He returned the kiss without hesitation. His right hand came to rest against her cheek and his left arm, wrapped around her waist, pulled her even closer to him. For a moment, she enjoyed his soft, warm lips on hers before pulling back slightly.

"Thank you, Arlo." Sincere and full of love, she looked deep into his eyes and his gaze softened.

"No need to thank me, sweetheart. Like I said, I'll always find a way to help you. Now you get some rest and I'll go over the rest of these reports, okay?" He pressed another quick, gentle kiss to her lips and then reached for the top paper on his desk. 

Elenya watched him for a moment, admiring the way his beautiful blue eyes flitted intently over the lines, but it wasn't long before her own eyes closed on their own and so she complied with his words.

She placed her head back on his shoulder, her face buried deep in his neck, and gave in to her exhaustion. The arm around her waist tightened a bit more and wrapped in his warmth, scent and security and accompanied by soft paper rustling, she dozed off.

~~~~~~

Elenya awoke some short time later to a rough thumb gently caressing her cheek and an equally soft, rumbling voice whose vibrations she could feel in her chest.

Where was she?

With difficulty she roused from her exhausted sleep, completely disoriented, but at least without panic. The familiar smell around her and the strong chest beneath her told her she was safe. 

What had happened?

A soft groan escaped her. Her body felt like it was filled with lead instead of blood, her eyes itched uncomfortably, her head throbbed in pain and she would have liked to fall back to sleep. But there was still the voice that spoke softly into her ear and the thumb that caressed her cheek.

She woke up a little more and finally she could understand the words.

"Hey sweetie, sorry to wake you up, but I'm done and we can finally go to bed. But for that you would have to stand up again for a moment so that I can stand up as well. Can you do that for me?"

Stand up?

Her eyes opened with difficulty and with great effort, she managed to lift her head, which until now, she realised, had been leaning against Arlo's shoulder. Warm blue eyes and an apologetic smile greeted her, and for a few seconds she just stared at Arlo. 

Her brain struggled to process the words she had just heard, but Arlo didn't rush her and waited patiently for her to be awake enough to carry out his request.

And finally the words made sense and she remembered that she was sitting on his lap, preventing him from getting up.

God, she was way too tired.

But now that she knew what he wanted from her, she nodded and tried to lift herself off his lap. It just wasn't as easy this time, since the desk was right behind her, but as soon as some of her weight was off his legs, Arlo slid back with the chair and she was able to step away from him completely.

Unfortunately, her legs just didn't want to carry her and as soon as Arlo's hands, which had been supporting her hips, let go of her, she stumbled uncontrollably to the side and could only barely hold onto the desk to keep from falling over. Fortunately, she didn't have to hold on for long, though, because shortly after, Arlo was at her side and lifted her back into his arms, bridal style.

"It’s okay, I got you." Startled and worried, his eyes looked down at her and gratefully she let her head fall against his shoulder. 

No matter how many times she fell, Arlo was always there to catch her. And she meant that literally. Even before they had gotten together last winter, she had often found herself in his strong arms when her clumsiness caused her to trip over her own feet or she ran into him, completely distracted by her work.

She was so incredibly lucky to have someone like him by her side.

Pressed tightly against his chest, Arlo carried her over to his room. As soon as they stepped through the door, they were greeted by what was normally pleasantly cool air, but right now was far too cold for her. A shiver ran through her body and goosebumps spread on her arms and seeking warmth, she curled even more against Arlo.

Who, of course, noticed this immediately and a worried frown appeared between his eyes.

"Are you cold?"

She nodded, ashamed. It was terribly hot outside and everyone probably wished they had a room like Arlo's that was built against a ruin so it was always nice and cool in the summer, and here she was, wishing she had something warmer to wear.

"Then it's time we got you to bed. I'll just see if I have something more comfortable for you to wear, okay?" Gently, he set her down on his bed and then, to her bewilderment, disappeared from the room again. 

The soft mattress and cosy blanket invited her to just lie down, but she resisted the urge. She only had to hold out for a few more minutes, then she could lie down.

She could do that.

Arlo came back quickly, with a glass of water in one hand and a bundle of clothes in the other.

"Here, you should really drink something. I don't want you to get dehydrated too." With these words he handed her the glass and with trembling hands she reached for it. She had to hold it with both hands to keep from dropping it, her left hand stinging lightly at the movement and then gratefully drained the glass completely. She hadn't even noticed how dry her throat was.

"Very nice." Arlo took the glass from her again, set it down on the shelf above his bed and then held out the first piece of clothing to her. "Here, Sam always has some spare clothes here, I'm sure she won't mind if you borrow one of her shorts for a night. And then I brought you this one too." He held the second item of clothing out to her and her eyes lit up.

He had brought her his grey sweater!

She loved that one. It was all soft and warm and always smelled wonderful after him, as he loved wearing it as much as she did.

"Thought you'd be happy about that." He chuckled fondly and handed her the comfortable clothes and set about putting on something else as well.

Unfortunately, her heavy arms wouldn't cooperate and she couldn't even manage to take off her current t-shirt. She grumbled in frustration and looked over at Arlo for help. 

"Arlo?" God, her voice was hoarse.

"Yes, darling?" He was just pulling his own shirt over his head and she got the pleasure of watching his back, muscles working as he searched in his closet for a new shirt. She couldn't help but stare.

This was definitely a sight she would never get sick of.

"Sweetheart?" Questioningly, Arlo turned to her after she failed to answer, and sheepishly, she looked to the side.

"I... I need help."

God, she felt so helpless. She couldn't even change herself anymore.

Arlo's gaze softened.

"Of course." Without putting on a new shirt, he came back over to her and bent down to grab the hem of her t-shirt. Effortlessly, he pulled it over her head and then gently helped her free her arms from it. As soon as her upper body was free, goosebumps covered her and she shivered slightly.

Arlo quickly rubbed his wonderfully warm hands over her upper arms to chase away the goosebumps, looking at her questioningly.

"The bra too?"

She nodded. She hated sleeping in a bra.

"Okay." Arlo bent his knees a little more so he was more at her level, then reached behind her back to work on the clasp of her bra.

With that, his now bare chest was right in front of her face, and she felt the warmth radiating from him, drawing her in. She would have liked to touch him, to trace the long scar that ran from his left shoulder down to his chest, ending just above his heart, as she had done so many times before, but as it was, she couldn't even lift her arms to change. So she was content to lean forward a bit and press her cheek against his warm skin.

A happy sigh escaped her. The skin to skin contact felt wonderful and she could hear the calm, strong heartbeat of him. A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest, filling her with warmth, and he let her stay there for a moment, even though her bra had long since come undone.

"Feels good?" A fond laugh resonated in his voice and she hummed contentedly.

The heartbeat beneath her ear soothed her and her eyes fell closed. She could have fallen asleep sitting right here, but a large hand came to cup her cheek and pull her away from the strong, warm chest.

She whined in protest.

Another warm laugh rang out.

"I'm sorry, darling, we can go right back to cuddling as soon as we get you changed. Come on, we're almost done." Arlo managed to dress her in his sweater and change her pants, but how, she couldn't say.

Her body was getting heavier and her uncoordinated movements were probably more of a hindrance than a help, but then he was finally satisfied and tucked her under the covers. She heard the rustle of clothes, the light was turned off, and then Arlo finally slipped into bed beside her.

Strong arms pulled her on top of him and surprised she realised that he hadn't put on a new shirt and she was now lying on his bare chest, her ear pressed back against the same place it had been a moment ago. Her body relaxed completely and with the last of her strength she turned her head to press a soft kiss to his scar.

"Sleep well, my sweet little builder. I'll watch over you." A long, firm kiss on her mop of hair was the last thing she felt before she fell into a deep, exhausted sleep, Arlo's arms wrapped protectively around her.

And when the shadows tried to haunt her again, there were strong arms and a gentle voice that drove them away and what remained was the feeling of warmth and safety.

[toxiclizardwrites]

Love and Rage

**Repost with better formatting etc. As I had a brain fart and deleted my first one because I'm silly. Thank you everyone for your reblogs and comments last time! Almost on AO3, should be later this month!

Tags: @fangbangerghoul @lisa-and-shadow @bearlytolerant @avani-telvanni and anyone else I missed the first time.

Chapter 1: Situation on Suvorov

Takes place during the quest Echoes of the Past

Takes place in The Lock on Suvorov

Liberties were taken with certain locations in The Lock and types of creatures encountered, as well as character roles (Mathis and Delgado switch places) 

18+, sexual content (choking, hitting) 

…..….

………

"I paid a small fortune for this, so it better work" Delgado voiced as he inserted the keycard into the door of The Lock. Toxic's spacesuit provided some protection against the bitter cold of Suvorov, but the freezing wind was so intense that jagged edges of cold would scratch her lungs with every breath. 

When the door of the Lock screeched open, it was almost welcoming to step into an area free from the wind. Almost.

Toxic's eyes immediately surveyed the large, open area that made up The Lock's foyer. It was a blocky, industrial building where every remaining rotten piece of furniture and room had a strict purpose: there was no room for luxuries here.

There was a frozen credstick on a nearby desk, but when Toxic went to grab it, a hand appeared seemingly out of nowhere and snatched it up quickly. 

The look of bewilderment on her face caused Mathis to laugh. "Finders keepers, losers weepers" he taunted in a sing-songy voice. Toxic grinned in response, firing back at Mathis with a moment's notice "You've got to stop getting so jealous at the size of the credstick, Mathis. After all, it's not the size of the tool, it's the skill of the user," she said with a slight chuckle. 

Mathis' mouth curled into a snarl, and he shoved Toxic in response. Hard enough that she almost lost her balance, the frosty floor not helping. "See?" She quipped, "sometimes the truth hurts."

You two better shut the fuck up before I put a bullet in both of your heads," gruffed Delgado, who clearly had enough of their banter. "Remember why we're here, and focus on what's in front of you. These walls haven't been breached in a long time."

Toxic moved her gaze away from Mathis, who took one last opportunity to flash her the finger before walking ahead. Her eyes landed on Delgado instead, who immediately noticed her look and fixed his eyes on her. The annoyance in his eyes Suddenly turned to curiosity, but there was no time to explore the moment further. A faint chittering followed like the sound of nails on metal interrupted their connection.

"We've got Gryllobas!" Delgado shouted, pulling out the Keelhauler. The gun made short work of the skittering crab-like bugs, and erie quiet returned to The Lock. "Be on guard" Delgado warned as the party pressed deeper into the frozen prison. 

They quickly reached the other side of the foyer, which had multiple doors that split the prison into different sections. At this point, it was clear the party needed to split up to cover more ground.

Delgado looked at the green lot of space pirate recruits in front of him, his eyes scanning each new member carefully. 

"Mathis, you take these two Rooks with you." He commanded.

Then Delgado's amber eyes rested on Toxic, and she swore she saw his lips curl into a small grin. But when she blinked, his facial expression was stoic and serious. 

"You. Rook. You're coming with me."

Toxic couldn't hide the surprise on her face, and Delgado noticed. "Just do as I say," he said simply "and you might just make it off this rock alive."

Toxic swallowed but tried to keep her expression fearless. It was essential the Leader of the Crimson Fleet didn't see her fear, even if he could feel it. 

Mathis and his team entered a set of doors to the left, while Delgado and Toxic took a single door to the right. There were also a set of doors directly ahead of them, but they were locked. The doors that Delgado and Toxic took led to a long hallway with several doors leading to small rooms decorating the right and left walls. As they explored each room, Delgado was silent and focused. He threw open drawers and scattered folders and notebooks, looking for any sign that could possibly point to more information about Kryx's Legacy. Toxic wanted to break the silence, but didn't dare try to make a sound. But when they reached the end of the hallway, a rumbling sound broke the silence for them.

A ton of icy rocks and snow-covered debris suddenly fell from the ceiling above. It blocked the path back down the hallway, forcing Toxic and Delgado to continue forward. "Shit!" Delgado shouted, turning to look at Toxic. "Keep your wits about you, Rook, and let's keep going," he said with irritation in his voice. 

Toxic sighed in relief that she wasn't sent to an early icy grave and pressed on, following carefully behind Delgado as he moved forward. It wasn't long before they came to a room with a terminal and comms system, which Delgado went for immediately. "Let's hope this fucking thing works," he muttered under his breath as he pressed the keyboard. The screen flashed to life and he quickly activated the comms system.

"Mathis? Mathis?! If you can hear me you better respond!" He yelled into the comms device.

"Satan, is that you?" The voice on the other end quipped. 

Delgado rolled his eyes, he didn't have time for Mathis' games. 

"Our path back has been cut off. I'm going to use this terminal to open the doors on the ground floor for you."

"Thanks, boss," Mathis said with a sarcastic tone. 

Delgado's face tightened. "Don't fuck around; look for clues about Kryx's Legacy, and a way for us to get the fuck out of here!” He demanded.

"I'll see what I can do," Mathis said flatly, and the comms went off. 

"I hate that fucking guy," Delgado muttered before shifting his gaze to Toxic, who was standing busy picking a lock to a safe on the other side of the room.

"Leave it, and let's go" he commanded. 

"I almost have it," Toxic responded, focused on the digipick. 

Perhaps it was irritation, or Delgado felt it was time to show this Rook who is boss, but he suddenly lunged at Toxic, his amber eyes piercing into her own. Before she knew it, he had her by the collar and had lifted her effortlessly from her crouched position. "When I say something to you, you fucking listen the first time, Rook," he seethed. Otherwise, you'll get a one way ticket outside this shit hole without your spacesuit. Do I make myself clear?" 

For a moment, Toxic wanted to protest and tell him to not talk to her like that, but his intimidating eyes shut her mouth before any sound could come out.

Instead, Toxic nodded in agreement.

"Say yes, Captain," Delgado commanded. 

"Yes, Captain." 

"Good. Let's go." 

Delgado pushed open the door to his right, which he opened earlier with the terminal. As Toxic and Delgado headed through the door, he turned to face Toxic once again, and like he hadn't just threatened her life, he said, "the terminal in that room said Kryx was in in the D-Block, the cells reserved for high-risk criminals." His steps quickened, and toxic jogged a bit to catch up. "Cell D-118. Maybe there's clues there," he said with an uncharacteristic enthusiasm in his voice. As they walked, Dels demenaour seemed to relax. They finally had a shred of something that could lead them to more clues about Kryx's Legacy, and all they had to do in this moment was to get there. 

They went through a door that opened up to a massive atrium filled with suspended walkways. Toxic shivered “It's even fucking colder in here," she whined. 

Delgado laughed. "Imagine being locked in this frozen hellhole for the rest of your life. No wonder Kryx escaped," he said, getting ahead of himself. 

After what seemed like hours wandering the maze of metal platforms and stairs, Delgado and Toxic finally reached the D-Block. Cell 03-118 was easy enough to find, but it took a few terminal hacks and digipicks to unlock. 

Delgado scoured the inside of the cell, but it wasn't clear there was anything there. "Fuck!" He yelled I n frustration, but just when the lead seemed to be a dead end, Toxic noticed a flaw in a desk lamp that was left behind in the cell. After fiddling with the bottom of it, an Audio slate started to play. Delgado and Toxic listened intently to Jasper Kryx's voice detailing knowledge about a downed Galbank ship loaded with credits, and Kryx's ploy to escape via a crooked guard named Carter, who used the prison's showers as a drop point. Delgado turned to face Toxic and laughed. "We're almost there," he said with excitement, and started through the cell door to double back to the prison showers.

The sound of their boots hammering against the frozen metal of the narrow platform was suddenly deafened by a unusual sound that caused them both to stop in their tracks. "More Gryllobas?" Toxic asked out loud, to which Delgado looked up at the vast cavern above them. "Just keep going," he commanded, but after only a single step, a noticeable crack in the icewall on their left formed. 

"What the fuck?" Toxic said, confused.

Her eyes got closer to the crack, and she noticed something moving behind it. A subtle and eerie sound emitted from behind it.

Scritch.

Scritch.

Scritch.

"What is it, Rook?" Delgado asked curiously.

"I don't know, it—"

SREeeeEeeeEeeeeeeEee

The crack shattered, and behind it towered a creature with massive praying-mantis apendeges for legs, and a inflated, bulbous head. 

SREeeeEeeeEeeeeeeEee!

Toxic readied her gun, but was immediately knocked down onto the cold steel of the platform. Delgado came up behind her and shot the creature in the face with the Keelhauler, knocking it back slightly and stunning it.

"RUN!" He screamed as Toxic scrambled to get up and follow. To their surprise, the creature retreated back into the wall instead of giving chase.

"Fuck me," Toxic said, stopping to catch her breath. Delgado slapped her on the back. "Just another day in paradise, Rook," he joked.

Looking ahead, Toxic could see the dingy prison showers fainty through a window covered in grime and mould. "There," she said, pointing. 

But Delgado wasnt listening. He put his finger to his lips and his eyes looked past her, behind her at the wall.

"Oh fuck, not again,"  Toxic sighed.

But The Creature was back, and looking for vengeance. Another crack in the wall formed, but exploded into shards of ice-glass just as quickly. One of the shards flew into Toxic's helmet with the force of a bullet, and cracked the glass so badly that she had to remove it and throw it to the floor to be able to see. Delgado readied his gun again as the creature lifted one of its knife-life talons, ready to strike. 

Delgado fired a few bullets into its chest, but the Keelhauler didn't knock The Creature back this time. Instead, it did damage, but not enough. The two braced for impact from the towering talon, but instead of bringing it down on them, The Creature opened its beak-like mouth to reveal a set of jagged teeth and released a scream. 

The sound was deafening, and the combination of what Toxic could only assume was saliva and hot air caused her to instinctively raise her arms to protect her face and head.

A sticky, tacky substance pale and slightly translucent, like thick mucous coated her spacesuit. Delgado managed to reload and fire a few more shots into The Creature, pacifying it enough so they could start running. 

"Get to the showers!" Delgado yelled, and they both sprinted the rest of the way without stopping. 

But the entrance to the showers was locked with an Expert level lock. Toxic immediately pulled out a digipick and went to work. But after a moment, Delgado's gruff voice interrupted her concentration. 

"What the fuck is that smell?" He asked, looking at Toxic. 

"Rook, your spacesuit." 

Toxic stopped picking the lock and looked at the arms of her suit, which were now smouldering and smoking from chemical burns. 

"Oh fuck!" She yelled, and immediately started peeling off the layers.

Delgado made a motion to wipe the sticky mucous from the glass of his helmet, but it caved in where he wiped like the glass was suddenly made of Jello.

"Fuck!" He yelled, and immediately threw off his helmet, which landed on the floor and continued to smoulder and burn. 

"Del, your suit!" Toxic yelled.

Looking at himself, Delgado saw large burn holes forming on his suit, pretty much everywhere. Just like Toxic, he had no choice but to remove the suit or be subject to chemical burns.

As Toxic peeled off the last layer of her suit, she noticed that the mucous had already gotten on her clothes underneath, as well as any exposed areas of skin.

Delgado was the same. Since he took the brunt of The Creature's wet scream, his spacesuit and clothes were quickly turning to useless mush.

"Get that shower room open!" He screamed. It was their only chance of survival. It would be slightly warmer in there, and if they were lucky, maybe the water worked. Toxic grabbed another digipick, throwing off her decaying T-shirt and pants in the process. After a minute, the door to the prison showers finally flew open.

Toxic and Delgado wasted no time in running to the nearest shower head, twisting the knob with the hopes that water would flow out. The pipes squealed in protest, but after a minute freezing water poured out of the shower head, drenching Toxic's bare body and saturating her underwear.

The cold water was shocking to the system. Toxic gasped as the pellets of water hit her skin. But it soothed the chemical burns, so she was able to tolerate the cold. 

Toxic stood under the flowing water, wiping her face and smoothing her hair away with his hands.

With the need to wash off the toxic bug ichor off of her body taking over, she had completely forgotten about Delgado. She suddenly realized that she was completely naked, cold, wet, and vulnerable in front of him. The thought filled her with panic and she turned to search the room for his location.

To her surprise, he was standing right behind her. Her eyes were met with a muscular chest pockmarked with a few dark, curly hairs. Delgado's skin was wet, dirty, and had a few patches of chemical burns. Toxic's eyes travelled down and she saw that he somehow managed to keep his pants, but there was a large burn mark on each leg exposing part of his boxers, unlike Toxic who was naked except for for her now sopping wet underwear. She quickly shifted her eyes to his face, which was framed by his wet, dark hair. 

Toxic could feel the warmth rise in her core. She tried to use her arms in a futile attempt to cover herself, but doing this made Delgado let out a slight chuckle. 

"Arms by your side, Rook."

Toxic obeyed. Not because she wanted to but because it was useless to try to hide her naked body against Delgado's eyes. 

He brought a curled finger to his lips, his eyes fixed on this Rook, drinking her in. Her wet naked body stood in front of him, her breasts heaving in time with every deep breath she took. Her expression conveyed both embarrassment and vulnerability, but also readiness: he saw her eyes scan the room for a weapon, or anything, that she could possibly use to defend herself if it came to that. This scene gave Delgado all the information about the Rook that he needed. She was scared, but observant. Vulnerable, but strong. It was like he was seeing her for the first time, and it surprised him how much he liked it.

He dropped his hand and made on small step toward her. In time with his step she took a step back, but was quickly stopped by the shower wall. Delgado leaned forward and placed his hands on the wall, one by each of Toxic's shoulders. He brought his face close to her ear so that she could feel his hot breath against her face. Each breath that they released disapated into vapour that swirled around them and disappeared. 

"Now what?" Toxic whispered, not taking her eyes off Del's.

Delgado hesitated for a moment, which was uncharacteristic, but he was getting lost in this Rook. A thought scattered across his mind that wondered how she might feel against his body, how she might taste...

He dropped one hand from the wall and turned his head to one side. 

"Find something we can burn and something to light it with, otherwise we're going to fucking die in this shit hole." He said before turning away from Toxic, shaking his head slightly in an effort to remove intrusive thoughts. 

Toxic sighed, but she wasn't sure if it was in relief or not. Her senses were overloaded; it was cold as hell but she could feel her cheeks flushing. She pushed herself from the wall and looked around. There were a few lockers lining one side of the wall, but Del was already checking them.

She noticed that they never closed the door to the showers in their hurried state. Walking over, she saw what was left of their spacesuits and clothes littering the floor. 

"Maybe these'll burn?" Toxic suggested. 

But Del wasn't listening. Something in the lockers caught his attention—another audio recording and a journal entry apparently written by Kryx himself. 

At this point, Toxic cared more about getting warm than finding out more about the Legacy. Kicking what remains she could find into the room, she searched for something, a lighter, anything that could be used to start a fire. 

To Toxic’s delight, the locker beside where Del found the audio recording had a rusted lighter and a towel. She quickly wrapped the towel around herself and tucked in the top, but did the lighter still work? Toxic striked it and a small, withering flame appeared. 

"Yes!” she said with excitement and bent over to place the lighter's flame near the pile of goo and clothes. To her surprise, the mass lit instantly, like it was doused in gasoline. 

Toxic forced herself backwards but had a wide grin on her face. "It works!" She yelled, turning her head towards Delgado. But he was lost in thought, staring at what she assumed was Kryx’s audio slate thoughtfully.

"Del. Del? Boss?" Toxic repeated. 

Delgado's eyes head slowly turned, first to Toxic, then the fire. 

He wandered over to it and kneeled near it, taking in the warmth. Toxic sat on the floor near him.

"What did it say?" She asked. 

He turned his head towards Toxic, who was sitting there with her knees against her chest and her arms wrapped around them. 

Casually, he reached into his pocket and pulled out an audio slate and pressed play, causing Toxic to lift her head from her knees and meet his eyes with hers.

The slate was Ikande's voice, giving details on Delgado and Naeva, as well as the Crimson Fleet in general. Somehow, Delgado saw it as Toxic was throwing off her clothes and pocketed it before it was destroyed by corrosive bug slime. 

“Do you mind explaining what the fuck this is?” He asked assertively.

Toxic's eyes widened and she quickly rose from her position on the floor, backing away from Delgado and scanning the room for a weapon. She knew her cover was blown and in a futile attempt to protect her life, she found a rusted prison shiv hidden in a gap under the metal bench in the center of the showers. She held the shiv in front of her, her heart pounding furiously and her breath quickening.

Delgado laughed at this pathetic display, and slowly rose from the floor with the slate in hand, still playing. Almost in tune with every word that escaped its speakers, he took a step forward towards Toxic, his eyes mixed with anger and confusion. 

"And to think I was starting to like you," he said angrily.

There was nowhere to go. The prison shower room was only about 5 or so meters across in each direction, so they were effectively trapped in a box. There was no way that her fighting skills could hold a candle to Delgado's and she knew it. It was only a matter of time before he would likely just kill her and be done with it. 

Toxic found herself with her back against one of the shower walls again, still holding the shiv in front of her. Delgado let out an angry growl and reached for her throat with one hand, grabbing the shiv with the other and throwing it to the ground like it was a child's toy. 

"I should fucking kill you where you stand" he said through clenched teeth, spraying saliva in Toxic's face. 

Toxic struggled to breath, her hand clamped around Delgado's trying desperately to pry his fingers from her throat. Light danced in front of her eyes and she could feel herself slowly pass out. But just as her eyes started to flutter close, he released his grasp. 

Angry, cold and having just found out that this Rook is a fucking traitor, Delgado drew his first back and punched her square in the face. 

Toxic fell forward, almost completely losing her footing, but Delgado caught her shoulders and pushed her back up again. She realized the force of his punch wasn't near what it could have been, otherwise she would have been missing teeth. Wiping some blood away from her nose, she looked up at him readying herself for the next blow.

“Talk.” He commanded, placing his arms against the wall and leaning forward into her so their faces were almost touching. His amber eyes locked into hers, almost pulling the information out of her brain.

Toxic tried to hesitate, but there wasn't much she could do. With Delgado towering over her, she started talking.

“They gave me no choice. It was either go undercover or rot in a brig for the rest of my life,” she breathed.

Delgado didn't move or take his eyes off of hers. “Continue” he commanded.

“I didn't know shit about the Crimson Fleet. Of course I'd heard about them, but until I was kidnapped by Sysdef, I'd only heard stories.”

Out of impatience Delgado grabbed her face with one hand, pinching her cheeks together. “Get to the point, Rook, I'm losing my patience,” he growled, releasing her face so she could talk once again.

“Ok fuck…I just…I already decided I wasn't going to follow sysdef’s orders.”

“And how can I be sure of that? Why should I trust a Rook that I've known for a week?” Delgado asked. 

“Because I’ve followed all of your orders. I killed Austin Rake. I could have let him go.”

Delgado nodded his head thoughtfully, a snide smile appearing on his face. 

“We confirmed that you did, as well.” He said, biting his lower lip.

“I also found the audio slate in Kryx’s cell. I could have just pocketed it and kept it to myself,” she continued.

Delgado moved his face closer to hers, so the only thing she could do was stare into his eyes.

“But now you're a liability. And you know what I do with liabilities?” He asked. 

Toxic didn't want to answer the question, and she didn't need to. Delgado had already grabbed her by the shoulders. She tried to struggle free but between his strength and the slippery floor, it was near impossible for her feet to get a grip. With her movements and Delgado’s grip on her shoulders, the towel that she had wrapped around herself fell to the floor.

Whether it was pent up rage that needed to be released or just pure energy, Delgado’s tone shifted slightly and he threw Toxic up against the shower lockers, pinning her to the door with his forearm. Then, he shoved his face in between her bare breasts, licking the droplets of water on her skin. 

Toxic was surprised but the sudden shift in their dynamic sent a shockwave of pleasure through her body, and when Delgado bit down on one of her nipples, she let out a moan that was half pain, half pleasure. 

Delgado took her sounds as a sign to continue. He pressed his body as close to her as possible and then whispered a single, pleasure-laden command: 

“Spread your legs.”

Toxic immediately obliged and, with his forearm still on her collarbone, Delgado pressed his hardened cock onto her groin, causing her to moan and reach down trying to grab his hips. 

But he grabbed her hand and pressed it to her side, and slid his forearm down to pin her other arm in place.

“Get on the counter,” he said pointing to a row of sinks attached to the wall. Toxic struggled to lift herself so Delgado grabbed her and sat her down on the countertop facing him. 

“If you continue to be this obedient, I might just let you make it up to me.” He said. 

Toxic’s lip formed a slight smile, waves of pleasure building in her body. “If you fuck me, I'll do whatever you want.” The words escaped her mouth before she could really understand their impact.

Delgado grinned. “That's a good Rook,” he murmured as he lowered his head between her legs and pushed his thumb between her folds so he could view her throbbing, wet pussy properly.

He began licking her entrance, moving up occasionally to place his lips on her clit. He sped up, then slowed down, and repeated the process. The sensation drove Toxic mad as the pressure continued to build in her body to an unbearable level. Suddenly he withdrew his touch.

“Tell me about what Sysdef’s plans are” he demanded.

Toxic snapped back to reality but was still in the throes of pleasure. She blinked a few times in an attempt to clear her mind enough to answer.

“They…ikande…wants to take the Crimson Fleet down” she said with shaky breath.

Delgado responded by taking two fingers and slipping them inside of her, using his thumb to stimulate her clit. She moaned, and then he withdrew his touch again, telling her he needed more. 

“B…but…the higher ups don't believe the fleet is enough of a threat, so he needs evidence”

Delgado thrust his fingers into her once again, eliciting more moans. He leaned over her to swirl them inside and get them deeper inside of her. 

“I…I…they want me to meet with them periodically for updates” 

Delgado responded to this information by grabbing her face and forcing her to look into his eyes as he continued pumping his fingers in and out while rubbing her clit. 

The pressure kept building in Toxic's body until she could no longer control herself. 

She felt the tension in her body release as waves of pulses travelled from her abdomen to the tips of her toes.

Seeing her hips writhe in pleasure and hearing her moans gave Delgado lease to grab her hips and pull her off the counter and throw her up against the wall of the showers. 

“So obedient for me, but why? He asked.

“I want this,” she said breathlessly, “I want to be respected and feared” 

Delgado laughed. “That takes time. But if you're serious, I can help you,” he said.

“But first you'll have to prove your loyalty to me. For now, I want to feel the inside of your body”

With one hand keeping Toxic pressed against the wall, Delgado unbuckled his pants and took out his cock, using his knee to spread her legs as he positioned his tip at her entrance. 

Toxic let out a loud moan as he roughly plunged his entire length inside her. Del let out a muffled “oh fuck” at the feeling of himself inside her and his eyes closed for a moment in ecstasy.

He continued to fuck her hard, burying his face into hers and stealing her breath with his tongue as he moved his hips. They were both lost in pleasure, moaning, grunting, and contorting their bodies to greedily take as much of each other for themselves as they could.

Suddenly, a clap. Then more. Clap. Clap. Clap. 

Lost in pleasure, they ignored the noise at first. 

Clap. Clap. Clap. What? Applause??

One more thrust and a loud moan from Toxic was all that Del needed to finally hit the point of sweet release. He moaned as he emptied himself in her, and removed his mouth from her chest to give her a few kisses on the neck. Toxic’s eyes fluttered open, and with Delgado’s cock still inside of her, her eyes landed on a figure standing at the entrance to the showers, a man who was slow clapping, the gloves of his spacesuit coming together in what felt like slow motion. 

It was Mathis, with a huge shit-eating grin on his face. 

Toxic gasped loudly and Delgado reacted in confusion, pulling himself out and turning his head to look over his shoulder. When he saw Mathis standing there, his demeanor immediately switched from lover to leader, and he quickly tucked his wet cock back into his pants before turning around, somewhat blocking Toxic from Mathis’ view. 

“It’s about time you showed up.” He tugged at his pants slightly, repositioning himself. 

Mathis laughed. “Doesn't look like you were bored.”

Delgado grabbed the towel that had fell from Toxic’s body earlier and handed it back to her. She immediately used it to cover herself back up, feeling embarrassed that Mathis had to see the events that had just unfolded. She tried to hide her embarrassment but could feel her face turning beet red. 

“Trying to fuck your way to the top, eh?” Mathis prodded. 

“Fuck you!” Toxic yelled in response. 

“I'm sure you would if it would earn you points with the boss.”

Toxic lunged at him with closed fists, but Delgado stepped between them. 

“Both of you need to shut the fuck up, we need to figure this out,” he said, his eyes fixed on Toxic. 

“Mathis, we need spacesuits. I have extras on my ship. Since you managed to find your way here, you can get them and bring them back.” 

Mathis raised his gloves hand to his beard and stroked it thoughtfully. This was perfect, Delgado and his little whore were in a precarious position. All he had to do was walk away and they could fuck themselves to death, for all he cared. 

“And why should I do that?” Mathis said with an evil grin. 

Delgado rolled his eyes. “Because I'm fucking telling you to, Mathis. Are you going to leave me here—I mean us” he quickly corrected himself. 

“You know,” Mathis said with hatred in his voice, “I think I just fucking might.” 

He turned to walk away, but Delgado already had the Keelhauler next to his head. Mathis tried to resist, but Delgado used his other arm to shove him into the wall with a force Mathis couldn't match.

“You would disobey a direct order, captain?” Delgado seethed. He cocked the gun and shoved it forcefully into Mathis’ temple. 

Feeling the rage emanating from Delgado, Mathis finally relented. He even looked a little scared. It seemed that Mathis was a pro at pushing his luck with Delgado to the point of guns being drawn, but was either too smart or too much of a coward to see his smartass threats through.

“Ok, Ok! I'll send the Rooks to do it,” Mathis said, his voice slightly shaky. 

Delgado removed the gun from his head but pushed him towards the door, where the Rooks had just arrived, bewildered. Mathis shouted the orders at them and they were off, but Mathis stayed behind.

A thought passed through Toxic’s mind. It was clear Delgado had little patience for bullshit, but he seemed to tolerate hers much more than someone like Mathis. He says one smartass comment and gets a gun to his head, while she admits that she's undercover with Sysdef and he responds by fucking her. She allowed the thought to bounce around in her mind a bit, trying to make sense of why, but ultimately decided to deal with it later. After all, the first priority was to get off this rock. 

As the three waited for the Rooks to return, the awkward silence was deafening. Toxic stayed leaned against a wall clutching her towel, while Mathis fiddled with the doors of the lockers. The noise caused Delgado’s eye to twitch and he shouted “For fuck sakes can you fucking stop.” At Mathis, half angry and half exasperated. 

Mathis didn't say a word but instead raised his hands in surrender, walking away from the lockers to stand near Toxic. She turned away from him. He scoffed but didn't change his position. Instead, he reached over and pulled at her towel. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Toxic shouted. 

“Just trying to see if there's more of you to go around, that's all,” he chided. 

Toxic gave him a disgusted look, but before he could respond a fist came out of nowhere and knocked him to the floor. 

“If you touch her again, I’ll cut off your cock and choke you with it,” Delgado raged. 

Fear washed over Mathis’ face once again, and although it seemed he was a slow learner, Delgado’s tone and deadly eyes told him that this was the time to finally shut the fuck up. He picked himself up off of the floor, muttering apologies, and wandered over to the opposite wall, avoiding eye contact with Toxic. 

The Rooks returned with the spacesuits and a grey labour jumpsuit. Toxic snatched the jumpsuit and immediately put it on, trying her best to avoid Mathis’ prying eyes as she dressed. 

Now in their spacesuits, it was time to get off Suvorov for good. As they made their way back through the prison and onto Delgado’s ship, Toxic started to become nervous. It would only be a matter of time before everyone on The Key heard about what happened on Suvorov, especially with Mathis being the way he is. She knew it would cause a clear divide amongst the pirates, those who would be extra nice to Delgado’s little plaything and those who would threaten her for getting in the boss’s good graces so fast. She suddenly realized that The Key would be even less safe for her than it was before she left. 

A knot in her stomach, the ship docked at The Key. As they walked through the airlock, Delgado placed a hand on her shoulder. “Get some rest. But come to the operations center first thing in the morning.” He then patted her once on the back and picked up his pace, leaving her alone to contend with the prying eyes of the other pirates around her, as if they already knew what happened on the frozen planet. 

[bouqetofmemes]

Bro come get yo dog

Death mentioned here

"Holiday, Holiday, we're going on a holiday!" The servants sang  They were discussing how nice Ciel was, while you were wrapped up in a blanket, fighting the urge to sit on Ciels lap and get more warmth, not that he would mind much

"Do you hear how happy they are?" Sebastian asked Ciel "They're very grateful to you." "Such a kind young master."

"I couldn't leave them there alone." ""I might come home to find the manor in shambles."  "Indeed."

"We've arrived everyone." "Alright!" The servants shouted "Oh, my." Y/n said quietly "This isn't what I'd expected." Y/n said this time louder

'It's mighty old, like Sebastian.'

"Apparently a lot of the villagers have been violently killed or gone missing." "The village has shrunk to a third of its size in the last ten years." "A part of our task is to find out why, and to put an end to it."

"To be completely honest I hate them." Sebastian said talking about dogs "Woof." Ciel and Y/n said

You guys arrived to the place you were supposed to stay at and we're greeted by a maid "I presume this is the earl of Phantomhive, and the Mistress?" "Yes." "Welcome to Barrymore Castle. My master awaits your arrival." Said the woman, bowing

"This way." The maid lead you into a room that had multiple displays of animal heads Then you heard the maid scream "Who the hell is this chihuahua?!" The master was whipping the woman "And why the hell is there a random woman?!" "I told you to bring me the Queen's Guard Dog and Butterfly when they arrived!" "Chihuahua?" "Random Woman?" Y/n got pissed "Well, for your information, I'm the Queens Butterfly and he is her Guard Dog, I'm not a random woman, and he is not a chihuahua, we are the Phantomhive's and if you can't get that into that thick head of yours, you're better off dead for treating nobles that way!" Y/n said, stomping 

"There's nothing to discuss, I won't sell Barrymore Castle to anyone." "Why is that?" "Because of the curse." 'What curse?' 'Sure this village is strange but I never thought that it was cursed.' 'I think i hurt his feelings'

"My, how interesting."Ciel said smiling "Indeed." Y/n said giggling "What?" "You've piqued my curiosity. I'd like to see this dreadful curse of yours Lord Henry."

It was late in the evening when the maid asked for you guys to leave the village completely Then you guys heard a howl "No, the demon hound, it's coming!" "The what?" Then you saw a shadow of a dog in the curtains, it had surprised you greatly so you screamed, falling back "Sebastian!" Ciel yelled Sebastian ran to the curtains and opened them but there was nothing there You guys went outside to investigate because Sebastian saw a dog running along the trial and villagers were screaming about the Demon hound arriving "...Please wake up lord Barrymore at once." "Who was the punished one?" You all went to see the same man you saw earlier in the day you pitied him greatly "So that's it." Ciel said "Stand back, don't Touch!" Lord Barrymore said "I see it was James then, he was the bad dog?" "Yes, he broke the legal restriction on dog ownership, he had six dogs one more than is allowed." A villager had said "A sixth dog, then this was inevitable." "That's all you can really say, really?!" Bardroy asked "This village is under my rule and no other! The demon hound protects that rule! As the guardian of the Barrymore family, it punishes anyone and everyone who dares to challenge me!" After the man had finished, everyone started chanting a song  "I was sure you outsiders were going to be its next prey, you were lucky to have escaped."

"We've caught the dog, we've caught James' dog, he is about to be punished!" You heard villagers screaming and run to a small wall where the dog was kept  The men released the dogs and then they started attacking the poor dog, while the villagers were acting like it was a boxing match Your group was just standing there, scared, disgusted, worried, until Finnian yelled "Just let the poor thing go!" He then grabbed a thick wooden stump and threw it at the dogs "Stop this now!" You all were surrounding Finian, checking on him when the villagers were grabbing weapons "They interfered!" "They interrupted!" "Punish them!" "They must be punished like bad dogs!" You and Ciel were chained up while the servants were tied to the wooden stump "Master I beg you, show mercy this one time! These people don't deserve the punishment!" "You have a point, this little Pomeranian and that woman are the queens guard dog and butterfly, after all. If he can be made to see reason, perhaps I'll decide to let them go." "Leave this village immediately and advise her majesty never to send her minion near it again!" "You're so pathetic you rely on lowly tricks to retain your meager power. If there's a stubborn dog here I'd say I'm looking at it." "That's lower than what the poorest pauper would do, surely you would understand if you knew how to use your brain." Y/n added smiling slightly  "If that's your final choice, you can learn what happens to a dog that challenges me! Get them!" The dogs were running towards you guys when Sebastian came in time to knock them away "You cut that close." "It won't happen again, trust me." Sebastian said, fixing his gloves "You dare to interfere, dog? Well what are you mangy mutts waiting for? Kill all three of them now!" "Shameful. What coarse, noisy growls they have. One of the reasons I despise these creatures." Sebastian sent the dogs a glare and made them lay on their stomach  "What the hell? What did you do?" "Your pitiful farce ends here, Barrymore! Listen, there is no demon hound! It's all a lie, there's just him- an old man obsessed with power, determined to keep it, no matter what." "What? What evidence do you have?" "There's this, we found it in your mansion. I took the liberty of confirming that the teeth marks on James match the teeth in this skull." "Do you see it now? The truth  behind the demon hound. It's shadow is nothing but a projection. Just a transparent Trick. The glowing is phosphorescent dust, sprinkled on a normal dog." "The demon hound is merely an illusion, a story made up by and evil man. The man you let rule your village. This man: Henry Barrymore" "No it's all nonsense! You can't fool them! Where's your evidence" Ciel chuckled and you giggled 

Sebastian grabbed the piece of cloth from the dogs mouth and showed it to lord Barrymore  He tried escaping but the villagers crowded him, picking him up and bringing him to be punished "My wrist hurts!" Y/n whined, trying to rub them of their stiffness "You're going to be fine Y/n, it's was only for a few minutes." Ciel said, walking to your side "But I took extra long today to do my hair and my wrists and arms were hurting being of how long I had to keep them in uncomfortable positions!" Y/n said, grabbing a hair tie and attempting to put Ciels hair in a small ponytail

You guys went back to  the castle due to it raining "Yet another case closed, eh? We can leave the village when the rain lets up." "Indeed." You just tried resting your eyes in the chair that you were in, until you guys heard Mey-Rin scream

[thessalian]

Faerun!Alisaie vs A Whole Lot Of Mess

Wandering through the streets of the Lower City

Wyll: Did we have to go tomb-raiding? Really?

Alisaie: I trust precisely nothing underground in this city right now.

Shadowheart: Which is why we're taking the walking tour, I imagine.

Alisaie: Pretty much. If we had a ship with Shadow Curse clinging to it docked nearby, it's a good idea to check the docks in general and--

Sahuagin: *attack*

Citizens: *cower*

Gale: ...Really?

Alisaie: Okay, this doesn't generally happen, so I guess we're searching around the docks for the source of a fish-people invasion now. But first... HEY! COME GET SOME, YOU SUSHI PLATTER WITH DELUSIONS OF SAPIENCE!

Wyll: Okay, I love the blade-work, but I did miss the literally deadly insults. *Eldritch Blasts a sahuagin into next week*

Stabnation: *ensues*

Awhile later, further down the docks...

Gale: Well. This is netting us a whole lot of nothing. Except for raiding a supply shipment of illegal nonsense.

Alisaie: I want to find all the ins and outs to the undercity before I go hunting Orin down there, so... Huh. What's that commotion over there?

Shadowheart: That's ... Volo.

Alisaie: Huh. I wondered why he wasn't hanging around our room at the Elfsong. What the fuck is he doing out here?

Volo: *tied to several barrels of smokepowder* Help! Help!

Wyll: Annoying the populace, apparently.

Absolutist: FEARMONGER! LIAR! VOLOTHAMP, YOU MUST DIE!

Alisaie:...Volo...thamp?

Volo: Volothamp Geddard; now will you do something about this?!?

Alisaie: So ... you have a thing against bards, then?

Absolutist: Frankly, yes.

Alisaie: *sigh* Everyone's a critic.

Absolutist: Wait-- You're a--?

Alisaie: College of Swords says hello, shitbag. *shanks*

Absolutist: *throws torch onto alcohol 'fuse'*

Alisaie: Oh fuck-- WYLL!

Wyll: On it! *Misty Steps to Volo*

Stabnation: *ensues*

And, once the stabbing is done...

Alisaie: They don't step in when innocent people are being attacked, but they give me funny looks for looting the corpses of people I killed in self-defense? What is wrong with people?!? Last time I checked, there wasn't a decree about leaving someone's coin to pay for their burial or anything...

Wyll: I think there were fewer dead people at the time, and the coffin-maker wasn't dealing with a month of backlog.

Alisaie: We don't dump criminals into mass graves anymore? Eh, whatever. I suppose we should check in on Volo.

Volo: You're welcome!

Alisaie: ...Excuse me?

Volo: A daring rescue was just the thing you needed to add to your legend! I have things to impart but in private! Yes! I'll be back at your camp! ...Um ... where is your--?

Alisaie: *sigh* Elfsong Tavern, upper rooms.

Volo: Fabulous! *exits in an Elfsong-wards direction*

Shadowheart: Did you have to tell him where we were staying?

Alisaie: Maybe he doesn't have anything important to tell us, but at this point, I'm not taking any risks. Now, let's head in that general direction via the Society of Brilliance. Blurg always has the best components and... Huh.

Wyll: Huh?

Shadowheart: Yes, we should probably go investigating the singing. Sounds like a Water Queen funeral. Got any offerings you'd like to make?

Alisaie: Song, respect, my sword to avenge them if they were killed--

Allandra: Yes! That one! Evil poisoned creatures came and--

Alisaie: Okay. I get it. I'll find whatever did this. Promise. I just really do need to speak to the Society of Brilliance and get a decent night's sleep. This should be fine because the gods are at least supposed to understand mortal needs and mortal frailties.

Gale; Shadowheart: *grumble*

Alisaie: I said 'supposed to'.

And, walking towards their rooms...

Alisaie: I really don't like this. Too many people are just plain missing and--

Lae'zel: This child is the imposter!

Alisaie: ...the fuck? Lae'zel, Gortash said it was one of our allies, not a little kid who barely knows half of what we've been doing-- Oh. Right. Okay, Orin, c'mon out and leave the kid alone.

'Lae'zel': *shanks the kid anyway*

Alisaie: Oh you nasty little--

Orin: *taking her true form* So I have a deal for you--

Alisaie: Where is Lae'zel?!?

Orin: Safe for now. But here's the deal. You finish off Gortash for me, then you come down to me and you and I fight it out for the stones!

Alisaie: What, no "Rule at my side" bullshit?

Orin: Oh, no. I want to make you bleed. I want you to make me bleed. We will flay each other in glorious battle and the pain and the blood and the--

Alisaie: Oh for fuck's sake shut up! How exactly am I supposed to trust you?

Orin: *shrug* Don't disappoint me, or your friend suffers. *poofs*

Alisaie: Well ... fuck.

Shadowheart: She and I never really saw eye to eye, but...

Alisaie: I know, I know. We will fix this. I just need a night to figure out how. One way or another, both of those two dickwaffles are going down, but finding the best way without getting Lae'zel killed is ... tricky.

Jaheira: I admit to being new with this entire party, but ... you didn't seem the least bit surprised when the false Lae'zel held a child at knifepoint.

Alisaie: She does that.

Shadowheart: Seriously. She does that.

Astarion: How many holes will I have poked in me by various people's weapons if I ask if we're really invested on saving someone who's been ... honestly, nothing but antagonistic, that I've seen.

Alisaie: Well, you two have seldom if ever worked together, so maybe consider there's shit you haven't seen. Also, if you want pragmatism, what's Kith'rak Voss going to say when he finds out we let a murder-happy asshole kill one of his only allies? We've already got half the gith race wanting us dead; we don't need the other half too.

Astarion: Buuuuuut you're doing it because you're a hero and she's a friend.

Alisaie: And I am giving you pragmatic reasons to let you save face and never have to admit you're worried too.

Astarion: ...Right. Insight Queen. I'm shutting up now...

Alisaie: Right. I am going to try to sleep, but first I should see if any of Volo's stuff is useful at all.

Volo: Lovely little set-up you have here! I'll just make myself at home, shall I?

Alisaie: But--

Volo: So which bed is mine?

Alisaie: But you said--

Volo: Ooh, vegetable soup!

Alisaie: .........I am going to bed so I don't yeet you out the nearest window!

[kanisema-blog]

Mafia Nanny

Chapter 18: Running Through Memories

The morning air was crisp as Samuel and I set off for a jog just outside the mansion. The world seemed fresh and new, washed clean by the early light. Our feet pounded rhythmically on the pavement, the steady thud a comforting backdrop to the quiet thoughts swirling in my mind.

"How are you holding up?" Samuel asked, glancing over at me as we settled into an easy pace.

"I'm doing okay," I replied, offering him a small smile. "Running helps clear my head."

"Same here," he said, a wistful note in his voice. "It’s good to get out, even for a little while."

We jogged in companionable silence for a while, the sprawling grounds of the mansion stretching out around us. The early morning light cast long shadows, creating a serene atmosphere that felt worlds away from the chaos that often enveloped our lives.

As we rounded a bend, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. "Do you remember the first time we met?" I asked, glancing at Samuel.

He smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "How could I forget? It was in the canteen during lunch. I was a junior, and you were a nervous freshman."

I laughed softly, the memory vivid in my mind. "I was so lost, trying to find a place to sit. You waved me over, and I was too shy to say no."

Samuel chuckled, the sound rich and warm. "I remember. You looked like a deer caught in headlights."

"I was terrified," I admitted, shaking my head at my younger self. "But you were so kind. You made me feel welcome."

"You had this spark," Samuel said, his tone thoughtful. "Even back then, you stood out."

I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks, a mix of embarrassment and warmth. "I never knew you noticed."

"Of course I did," he replied, his gaze steady on the path ahead. "You were hard to miss, Hannah."

We continued jogging, the silence between us filled with shared memories. It was strange to think of how much had changed since those high school days, yet in many ways, it felt like no time had passed at all.

"Do you ever miss those days?" I asked, my voice soft.

"Sometimes," Samuel admitted. "Things were simpler back then. We had our whole lives ahead of us, filled with possibilities."

"Yeah," I agreed, a pang of nostalgia tugging at my heart. "But I guess life had other plans for us."

He nodded, his expression somber. "We've both been through a lot. But I'm glad we found our way back to each other, even if it's under these circumstances."

"Me too," I said quietly, the weight of his words settling over me. "I never imagined our lives would turn out like this."

"No one ever does," Samuel replied. "But we make the best of what we have."

We fell silent again, the only sounds our breathing and the steady rhythm of our footsteps. Despite the challenges that lay ahead, there was a comfort in knowing that we were facing them together.

As we neared the end of our run, the mansion came back into view, its imposing facade a stark reminder of the world we lived in. Yet in this moment, it felt less like a fortress and more like a home—a place where we could find some semblance of peace amidst the turmoil.

"Thanks for the run," I said as we slowed to a walk, my breath coming in steady puffs. "I needed this."

"Anytime," Samuel replied, his eyes warm. "It's good to spend time together like this."

We walked the rest of the way back in comfortable silence, the bond between us strengthened by the memories we had shared. The road ahead was still uncertain, but with each passing day, I found myself more grateful for these moments of connection and understanding.

[dedalvs]

Hi, welcome back to Tumblr! Your Trigdasleng posts back in the day were fascinating, even though I never watched the show they're from. Keep on keepin' on.

Thank you! It's good to be back, and this is as good a place as any to talk about why I'm here and what I'm doing.

First, I left Tumblr when many others did when they instituted their infamous "female-presenting nipple" policy. It's not as if my Tumblr was ever a nsfw blog, or as if I had any female-presenting nipples, but I felt it was the wrong response to the difficult situation they'd been put in. It was something that hurt a lot of people who had a lot less of a voice and not much of a platform, and so I felt it was my responsibility to use the platform I had to take a stand, even if ultimately it didn't change anything.

As it happens, years later, Tumblr has finally reversed the policy (well done, @staff!). Tumblr may not be the wild west it used to be, but at least they aren't targeting anyone presenting a specific gender unfairly. I've missed my time away, and the people I got to know here, so I'm happy to be back!

As I see it, I'll probably be reblogging stuff less here, even though that's how I made my name way back when, and instead responding mostly to asks in my inbox.

To give myself a fresh start, I have deleted all 3,999 of my asks. I'm starting fresh—with this one, which was the first! My inbox got too overwhelming, so this was needed.

To answer some questions some may have, if you haven't followed me elsewhere recently:

I'm most active on Instagram, where I am @athdavrazar.

I have a YouTube series with partner and significant other Jessie Sams, who is @quothalinguist on Instagram. That series is called LangTime Studio, and we create a language from scratch together live on camera (we work on two hours a week every Thursday at 2 p.m. Pacific).

Jessie and I work together almost exclusively now, and we've done work on Freeform's Motherland: Fort Salem (which I hope you loved, Tumblr!), Peacock's Vampire Academy, the second season of Shadow and Bone (forthcoming), Amazon's Paper Girls (though you can blink and miss our stuff), and the second Dune film.

I worked on HBO's House of the Dragon, and got to create a writing system for High Valyrian, which I'm very excited about.

I created the Sangheili language for Paramount+'s Halo with Carl Buck, who is on Instagram as @tlacamazatl (he's on Tumblr as @tlacamazatl too!). We are presently working on season 2.

I worked with Christian Thalmann on Shadow and Bone seasons 1 and 2. The breakdown is this: Christian and I jointly created the Fjerdan language; I created the Ravkan language and orthography as well as the Kerch and Zemeni orthographies exclusively; Jessie Sams and I created the Shu and Zemeni languages jointly; Christian created the Shu orthography. I can't wait for you to hear and see our work in season 2!

Yes, I left Twitter (quite a bit ago). I'm now more active on Discord, where I'm on a few servers.

I created a wiki for all my languages, and am unevenly working on all of them, and some languages have a team of people working on them (in particular High Valyrian).

Despite being double-vaxxed and getting not one, not two, but three boosters, I got Covid in June, and that PoS hasn't completely left me alone since. (Note: I'd only had one booster before I got it; two have come since then, including the new one, which will hopefully be the last!)

I am traveling again, so I hope to announce those here when they happen.

If there's anything I missed, you let me know. I look forward to answering asks again, and joining in the general silliness of Tumblr! <3

[agere-fandom-time]

Hi hi!! Can I gets a fic with toddler regressor! Midoriya izuku going nonverbal during an outing and lowkey regressing but he doesnt know what's happening and he just kind of rolls with it and the rest of 1-A's just like "whelp, looks like we've got a toddler on our hands??" Idk idk but yeah. Please n thankies

I loved this idea so much. Here is your fanfiction!! Mainly featuring Todoroki, Tokoyami, and Asui as the caregivers, with brief appearances from most of Class 1-A but I couldn’t fit everyone in. Also some Dadzawa, of course. 

Can be read below the 'read more’ or here on AO3.

Content Warnings: Sensory overload, non-verbal regression, briefly mentioned fear of Bakugou, involuntary regression in public. 

-Mod Stella

Izuku had always enjoyed shopping with his class.

Of course, now that they had moved into the dorms, there were new rules. A teacher had to come with them, and the students were required to stay in groups of three at all times. They had gone shopping in chaotic groups in their first year, but now leaving campus was an entire event, filled with paperwork and anticipation.

Today, Izuku sat in the middle of the bus between Ochako and Shouto, discussing their math homework. Around them, the rest of 1-A was humming with gossip and excitement as the city sped by outside the bus. Eventually, the conversation turned to specific questions, and all three pulled out their notebooks to compare their answers.

Kaminari wandered over to check on Ochako’s answers, earing him a smack on the head from Kirishima.

“Dude, come one, cheating is totally uncool!”

“I was just checking my answer,” Kaminari pouted, rubbing his head. “I wanted to know if I got question three right!”

“Bring your notebook over,” said Izuku. “The more the merrier!”

By the time they reached the mall, half of the class had their notebooks out and were arguing about the bonus question.

“Not to discourage you from schoolwork, but we could have stayed on campus if you wanted a study session,” Aizawa called from the front of the bus as the doors opened.

“We’re here!” Mina cried, shoving her notebook into her backpack and bolting for the door without zipping up her bag. Izuku could see her through the bus windows as the rest of the class followed her, bouncing impatiently in place as she waited for them. Izuku joined the line outside the bus, waiting for Aizawa to check the class numbers and announce the groups for today.

“Alright, pick your own trios today. Feel free to travel in groups of six, but don’t be a pain for the other people at the mall. Behave while you’re here.” Aizawa’s glare travelled across the class, and Izuku nodded furiously. He wasn’t going to cause any trouble this time!

Izuku was so busy nodding that he almost missed when people started mingling to form trios. He quickly located his nearest friend, which was Shouto, and walked towards him. It looked like he had already paired up with Tokoyami and they were just waiting for a third.

“Mind if I join you guys?” Izuku asked, hooking his thumbs into the straps of his backpack as he got closer.

“You are welcome,” Tokoyami said. Shouto simply nodded and shifted his body to include Izuku in their little circle.

“Cool, thanks!” Izuku took his place with them, watching the rest of the class divide themselves. Most of them were split by gender, having discovered that the boys and girls tended to shop in different places. Aoyama and Mina were the exception to the rule, an inseparable shopping duo. Hagakure had joined them today, and the three were already planning their route through the mall with loud enthusiasm.

“Do you guys need to visit any clothes stores? I’ve gone through, like, ten pairs of socks since our last trip, but I’m okay aside from that,” Izuku admitted. “I’d love to check out the new All Might figurines, I think the games store carries them here…” His trio started to plan their trip with far less fanfare than Aoyama’s.

“You have until five,” Aizawa called into the noise of the class. “Text me if there’s trouble, I’ll be in the food court keeping an eye out.”

“Yes sensei,” the class chorused. Finally free, they filed into the mall in an exuberant crowd.

Izuku, Shouto, and Tokoyami ended up in the bookstore first, trailing each other to their preferred sections (Izuku the manga, Shouto the poetry, and Tokoyami the historical fiction, which Izuku wouldn’t have guessed). All three of them found something to take home and they re-entered the main hallway of the mall with new bags hanging on their arms.

Excited as Izuku was to read his new magazine, the sound of the mall was starting to grate on him. The lights were slightly too bright, and the rustle of plastic bags clashed with the incessant noise of the crowd. People rushed past each other, occasionally brushing against Izuku, and he had to control his instinct to flinch whenever someone stepped on his foot or bumped into his shoulder.

Izuku trailed behind the others, focusing on Tokoyami’s sneakers so that he wouldn’t lose them. He tried to shut out the sounds of the mall, with limited success. There was just too much.

“Are you alright?”

Izuku was surprised to hear Shouto’s quiet voice from his left, and glanced up to see the other boy walking beside him, forehead creased with concern. Izuku smiled and went to say… something. But he couldn’t quite figure out what to say, or how to say it, so he settled for giving Shouto a thumbs-up. Shouto’s expression did something too complicated for Izuku to follow, and then he offered a subtle smile and an outstretched hand.

Izuku didn’t think twice before sliding his hand into Shouto’s, and everything was immediately better. Had the mall been too bright? It was very nice, almost sunny. It was still a little too loud, but he didn’t have to worry about that. He just had to follow Shouto wherever he went, hand-in-hand.

Knowing he wouldn’t lose his friends, Izuku was free to look around. And there was a lot to look at. Lots of strangers, and bright coloured clothing in the shop windows, and… ah!! All Might figurines!

Izuku dug his heels in, pulling Shouto to a stop. Shouto looked back with concern on his face, but Izuku smiled and pointed towards the shop with figurines in the window, and Shouto’s expression cleared.

“Tokoyami!” Shouto called into the crowd ahead of them. “Izuku wants to stop.”

It only took a moment for Tokoyami to join them, glancing briefly down at their joined hands. “I’m with you,” he nodded. “I will follow.”

Izuku tugged Shouto towards the games and collectibles store. There were so many things in here that Izuku loved! So many heroes and cool clothing and wow! Izuku bounced on his heels a little as he pulled Shouto into the store.

Once they were inside, Izuku let go of Shouto’s hand and dove in. There were plushies to feel, and figurines to inspect, and lots of games to check out! Distantly, he was aware of the others following close behind, murmuring to each other. But the merch was so much more important. Lots of All Might, of course, but there was a plushie of Thirteen that Izuku had to take a minute to cuddle. Ochako would probably like that: she was a big Thirteen fan, and had a fair number of plushies. And there was a Crimson Riot figurine that made Izuku think of Kaminari. He gave it a pat on the spiky head. Izuku didn’t hug Kaminari enough. He gave good hugs.

Finished with his inspection, Izuku turned back to his friends and reclaimed Shouto’s hand, leaning contentedly against his side. It made him happy just to be here, surrounded by all these things he could buy, and his friends as well. Tokoyami was on Izuku’s other side, and he bumped his beak lightly against Izuku’s head when Izuku came to join them. Izuku blinked at him. Was that how birds said hello?

Izuku tried to return the gesture, but he didn’t have a beak, so he just poked his nose into Tokoyami’s jawline. He heard Shouto stifle a laugh behind him, and he was pulled back to Shouto’s side.

“Be nice to Tokoyami,” Shouto said. Izuku tilted his head, confused. He was being nice! He was saying hello.

“Should we find another group?” Tokoyami suggested quietly. “Would you like to see Uraraka?” he asked Izuku.

Izuku nodded. Why wouldn’t he want to see Ochako? She was one of his best friends!

“Sounds good.” Shouto’s fingers wrapped a little more firmly around Izuku’s as they started to walk again. Izuku continued to stare around the mall. Everything seemed so fast and loud and big. Was this how the world always was? Something felt off, but Izuku couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

Suddenly, there was movement through the crowd: Kacchan shoving his way through a group of preteen girls with his usual murderous expression, Kaminari and Kirishima loudly apologizing as they followed in his wake.

Izuku did his best to hide behind Tokoyami and Shouto, pressing closer to Tokoyami in the process. A face emerged from Tokoyami’s shoulder, making Izuku jump, but it was just a small part of Dark Shadow stretching lazily from Tokoyami’s shirt, glancing at Izuku and then back towards Kacchan’s trio.

“Don’t worry, kid, we’ve got your back,” Dark Shadow muttered, and did the same beak thing that Tokoyami had done, pressing gently against Izuku’s forehead and then retreating back into Tokoyami’s shoulder.

Izuku stared at the place where the shadow had been, mouth slightly open.

“Still alright?” Shouto asked, pressing Izuku’s hand lightly. “Do you want to get some headphones from Aizawa or Iida?”

Izuku shook his head. Less sound was nice, but he liked being able to hear his friends’ voices. Shouto gave him a thumbs-up, and Izuku mirrored the gesture with a grin.

“There they are,” Izuku heard Tokoyami announce. “Dark Shadow, get their attention.”

“Alright, alright, jeez.” Dark Shadow jumped from Tokoyami’s back and stretched above the crowd, waving a clawed hand. That got a lot of the crowd’s attention, but soon Izuku could see who he’d been gesturing at: a group of four girls, Ochako at their head, was coming over towards them.

“Hey Tokoyami, hey Dark Shadow! What’s up?” Ochako asked.

“I believe we have completed our expedition. We wanted to check with other members of our class,” Tokoyami said. Izuku frowned. Were they really done? But he needed… socks? Or maybe food? He was supposed to buy something.

“Hey, Izuku,” Tsu said, coming to join them. “How’s the trip?”

Izuku was slowly getting used to the weird twisting sensation that kept happening when he tried to talk. He gave Tsu another smile and thumbs-up. She nodded, her tongue poking out from her mouth.

“Don’t feel like talking? I get that. Ribbit. Do you want to go back to the bus?”

Izuku was conflicted. It would be quieter on the bus, and maybe he could even lie down, but all his friends were here! He didn’t want to be alone.

Not knowing how to express the feeling, Izuku reached his free hand towards Tsu and wiggled his fingers. Seeming to understand, Tsu moved forwards and curled her hand in his, and Izuku squeezed both her and Shouto’s hands.

“We’d come with you, if you wanted,” Tsu said. “I’m pretty much finished, and the others will still be a group if we head out. We’d have to check in with Aizawa-sensei, ribbit, but he won’t mind.” Izuku liked the idea of talking to Aizawa. He took care of the class. Izuku felt safer with Aizawa, and when his friends were with Aizawa.

Izuku reluctantly nodded. There was more to see at the mall, and he was sad to miss it, but the idea of curling up on the bus and relaxing with his friends sounded a lot better.

“Well, let’s go then!” Tsu said, pointing towards the food court.

“Wait, wait, I want to give Izuku a hug!” Ochako yelled, and then there were arms wrapping around Izuku from behind, pulling him back into Ochako’s familiar embrace.

Izuku melted, arms dropping to his sides and his weight leaning back into Ochako. She made a surprised noise, tilting back under the pressure, and then Izuku was weightless and Ochako pulled him properly into her arms.

“Hey, Izuku,” she murmured. “I’m sorry you’re going, but I hope you have a good time with Tsu and Todoroki.”

“Mmm!” Izuku said, hoping that Ochako would understand that he meant that he would definitely have a good time, and it was a very nice hug, and thank you very much.

“Okay, I’ll let you go,” Ochako sighed, and pressed a kiss to the top of Izuku’s head, right on his hair. He squeaked and felt his cheeks flush from the unexpected affection. It had felt… a lot like Tokoyami’s beak, actually. But kind of softer. “Take care of him, you two!”

“You know we will, ribbit.”

His weight restored and his hands taken again by his friends, Izuku turned to smile over his shoulder at Ochako as he was led away, his face still warm from the kiss. She smiled and waved, before turning back to Jiro, Momo, and Tokoyami. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Ochako’s voice was high-pitched and excited as she joined the conversation. Hopefully they were having fun.

“Careful, Izuku,” Shouto said, tugging at his hand. “Watch where you’re going.”

Izuku turned his eyes back to the front just in time to let Tsu and Shoto navigate him around a support beam that had been coming a little too close for comfort. Then they were in the food court, the crowd less chaotic here but the conversations louder.

Aizawa was sitting alone, dressed in passably civilian clothes with his capture weapon draped around his neck, phone in one hand. He lifted his chin as soon as Izuku and his friends stepped into view, acknowledging them as they headed towards him.

“Hey sensei,” Tsu said, when they got close enough. “Izuku’s a little overwhelmed and we were thinking about heading back to the bus for a while.”

“Did something happen?” Aizawa asked, directing the question towards both Izuku and Tsu as his eyes flickered between the three of them.

“Not as far as I know,” Shouto answered. “I think it was just the mall.” His thumb swiped across the back of Izuku’s hand. “Do you know?”

Izuku shook his head, then gently pulled his hands free.

Loud, he signed to Aizawa, whose eyes followed the gesture. Bright. Tired.

“Do you want a set of headphones?” Aizawa offered, making a shift towards the bag he’d brought along.

Izuku shook his head. Friends, he signed. Thank you.

“Suit yourself. How about a fidget toy?”

That sounded tempting, and Izuku’s face must have shown it, because Aizawa was rummaging in his bag and tossing things onto the table shortly thereafter. A Rubix cube, a length of string for cat’s cradle, squares of paper for folding, and a miscellany of little fidget gadgets. Izuku chose a set of interlocking rings that made a nice sound when he rattled them, and were fun to twist around each other. He gave Aizawa a smile and a bow, and then put the rings in his mouth. They were cool and metallic, and interesting to bite, but not very nice on Izuku’s teeth.

“Hmm.” Aizawa said, looking unimpressed. “I’ll have to clean those. And get you a proper chew if you’re going to be putting things in your mouth. Maybe a necklace so you can keep track of it.” He packed the rest of the fidget toys away, but not before tossing Tsu her favourite fidget cube and a set of keys. “Lock the bus doors behind you. If those keys go anywhere near the ignition, you’ll be expelled.”

“Yes, sensei,” Tsu agreed, tucking the cube and the keys into her pocket. “We’ll be careful.”

“You’d better be,” Aizawa said. “And take care of Problem Child.” Izuku perked up at the nickname. That was him! Aizawa was talking about him!

“Why is everyone saying that today?” Shouto said. “Of course we will.” He rested a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, which was almost as nice as holding his hand. Izuku leaned into the touch, eyes closing for a moment. He felt very tired all of a sudden.

“Come on, Izuku,” Tsu said, and then his hands were taken again and he was led away, out of the mall. Izuku’s eyes were more closed than open now, and the mall passed in brief flashes of colour and crowd. With a friend on each side, deflecting the traffic, no one bumped into him. Soon enough, they were in the fresh spring air, and Izuku blinked his eyes open to stare up at the clear blue sky, breathing in the taste of petals and dirt.

His friends were by his side, the smell of spring was in the air, and Izuku felt better than ever. The world was very big, but it didn’t matter because his friends were there. They would take care of him. He was safe.

[queenofbaws]

Welcome back from the land of mostly dead but slightly alive! We've missed ya on the mostly alive side!

Those prompts you reblogged 👀👀 absolutely wonderful. Do you think you could do something 20 (and or) 43 with Jossam?

six(ish) sentence weekend ;P

The lodge felt wrong when it was quiet. She felt stupid just thinking that, the same kind of stupid she felt when the urge to run filled her from the ankles up after flicking the lights off; didn’t mean it wasn’t right, though.

Sam couldn’t remember when she’d set her head down, but as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes, the first thing that struck her was how dark the dining room had gotten. Not dark all the way, not with the windows letting in the cool blue snowglow of the mountain, but dark enough that the shadows cast by the Washingtons’ antler chandelier no longer looked just grim but gruesome. The quiet didn’t help.

No, the quiet didn’t help at all.

She stood from the high-backed chair with a grimace, the cold having settled into all the places that made bending possible, reminding her in no uncertain terms of all the hiking she’d been doing the past few days. If she was feeling like that, boy oh boy, she could only imagine how the others were holding up...but that probably went a good way towards explaining the silence, huh? That eerie, uncomfortable silence. They were all probably just as knocked out as she’d been a second ago, only tucked into nice, warm beds with nice, warm blankets where she’d been hunched over a stiffly knit placemat with her head in her hands and tears lukewarm on her cheeks.

“Dry now,” she half-thought, half-muttered to herself, raising a hand to swipe beneath her eyes and check. “For now,” she added after a beat. “Fooor. Nooow.” Something about saying it almost helped; she cracked something that could’ve been mistaken for a smile in a past life and huffed a breath out her nose, the fingers that had patted her cheeks only a second ago sliding back to rub the knot at the back of her neck.

There was a long moment where she stood at the door, poised but unwilling to push through it, her ear not quite pressed to the wood. She switched her weight from one leg to the other, each shift slow and deliberate, not wanting to make more noise than she had to. Even in her head it didn’t make a whole lot of sense, her standing there like that, waiting, waiting, waiting, but the lodge felt wrong when it was quiet, haunted almost, and so she froze, hoping she’d hear something - anything - to suggest life out there, no matter how distant or distraught.

But there was nothing. Not a peep. Even the storm outside had seemed to calm, the wind having tired itself out from all that earlier screaming.

Sam took a deep breath in, let a deeper breath out, and with her one hand still kneading into the muscle between her shoulder and neck, nudged her way through the door with her hip.

The great room was blue and grey with snowlight. It lit every mote of dust, outlined each piece of furniture, made the shadows thick enough to reach out and touch. When there were people dozing on the couch or sitting crosslegged on the floor, it was a neat effect - now it made her shiver. A full-body shiver, too, the kind you were glad no one was around to see. She thought it might’ve been enough to jog loose another crying jag, but it didn’t come; she was just too cold, too tired, and crying in the middle of a dark, empty room felt like the perfect invitation for trouble.

And God help her, she’d had enough of that for a lifetime.

Her hands moved again, this time finding her arms to rub some warmth into them. The smart move, she knew, would’ve been to climb the stairs, to poke her head into room after room until she found one no one had claimed yet...but the thought of raising her knees that many times made her thighs cramp, so instead she shuffled her way across the polished hardwood, trying her best to ignore the silence and the heavy gazes of the framed school photos on the console table. That, Sam thought, was what was wrong with the lodge - when it was quiet, when it was still, it should’ve made you feel like you were alone. Problem was, between the photographs and the mounted animal heads, there were always dark, glassy eyes on you, following you, watching you...so you weren’t alone. Not really. Not when you thought about it.

So when she popped her head into the kitchen (a habit more than anything else, a deeply rooted muscle memory she was helpless to fight), there was actual, palpable relief at what she saw. And dread, too, there was plenty of that. Relief and dread in equal measure: Everything that was wrong with the lodge at night.

“I keep expecting the door to fly open, know what I mean?” It was something she might’ve said, had he not beaten her to it, and the shock of hearing him say it so freely had her wondering for a second whether she might’ve still been asleep back in the dining room, dreaming some strange dream as she breathed her own recycled air. “Just like...bam, thrown wide open, and there they’ll be. Cold and pissed off and...” His shoulders rose in an exhausted shrug as Sam pulled herself up beside him on the island, her legs dangling beside his until she tucked them under herself. “There.”

“For me, it’s knocking.” She’d thought about saying something else first - ‘Hi,’ maybe, or ‘Why are you still up?’ but that was stupid. Almost as stupid as that first surge of fear she’d felt, waking up to find the lodge silent around her. Sam sniffed, not in a teary way but a clogged sinus one, propping her hands to either side of her so she could better distribute her tired, syrupy weight. “I’ll just be sitting or eating or something and I’ll swear I hear someone knocking to be let in. Swear it.”

He nodded slowly, the movement only barely visible in her periphery, and then his hands went up just as hers went down, his fingers covering his face.

After the past couple days, she couldn’t really say why she did it - the only thing any of them had come to expect was Josh lashing out in increasingly desperate ways - but she leaned herself over until her arm laid against his, until her head lolled onto his shoulder. He didn’t pull away, didn’t shrug her off, didn’t do much of anything besides sit there, his whole body thrumming like a livewire, like a rubber band pulled to the point of snapping. “Don’t even get me started on like...what do you call them? Phantom texts? Been getting a lot of those. Lots and lots.”

Josh felt wrong when he was quiet. That didn’t seem like as much of a cliché in her head. Josh was the talker, the rambler, really, the guy who always had something to say about something. He of the easy grin and sleazy joke, to say nothing of the secretive little winks that somehow, inexplicably, never came across as anything other than sarcastic and salacious. When he was quiet, something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

But she’d already known that much, hadn’t she?

“Know the odds on finding a missing person after the first twenty-four hours?” he asked when finally he dropped his hands. “Forty-eight?”

Sam knew better than to say what she was thinking - that they were already coming up on a week. “No, and if it’s all the same, I really don’t want to. We’re going to find them, so the numbers don’t matter.” It was her turn to shrug, and she used the motion to adjust herself, tucking herself further against his side despite that warning thrum, the telltale shake making her think of a muscle about to give way. “We’ll go out there and try again tomorrow just like we tried today, and we’ll keep trying until - ”

“Yeah, except they’re dead.” He barely whispered it and even still it rang out through the kitchen (the empty, silent kitchen) like a thunderclap. Josh finally turned, not pulling away from her but craning his head back enough to meet her eye. She couldn’t decide what the look on his face was - defiance or desperation. She couldn’t decide whether there was a difference. “You know that, right? They’re dead.” He said it flatly, matter-of-factly, nodding a little with each syllable like he was only just coming to terms with it himself.

And because she did know it, because she’d been coming to terms with it since she’d laid her head down on the dining room table, Sam said the only thing she could: “We’re going to find them. No matter how long it takes.” Not agreement. Not denial. Avoidance at best and ignorance at worst, but the only way the lodge could’ve felt worse, the only way Josh could’ve felt worse, was if she’d said that single word out loud.

Yes. Yes, I know the odds. Yes, I know they’re dead. Yes, yes, yes, I know, I know, I know.

Still, Josh pulled in a breath like she’d said it anyway. It was a sharp sound, quick, like she’d taken a pin and jabbed him in the flesh between his index finger and thumb. His hands tightened to fists in his lap, his shoulder braced beneath her head, and all that tension she’d felt from the get-go coiled, tightened, wound in on and over and under and through itself until it seemed he might collapse. “That’s what I’m scared of, Sammy,” he said, voice wavering, going watery and weak, “I don’t wanna see them like that. I don’t...I don’t wanna find them. I don’t.”

Then the tension went in a wave, rushing out from him in a single dying surge, and Sam caught him before he could fall, pulled him in before he could slip. In a way, strange and bittersweet, maybe even a little selfish, she felt better when he buried his face in the collar of her sweater, when the kitchen filled with the muffled sound of mourning.

For everything else it meant, it was better than the quiet.

[verobatto]

Destiel Chronicles

Vol. CVIII

It was a love story from the very beginning

Another Destiel Separation

(12x23)

Hello my friends and welcome to the last meta from season 13!

I would love to see the script from this episode because I always said they robbed us the goodbye scene between Cas and Dean, but well...

Let's start...

Mary and Bobby, Destiel mirror and the calm before th storm

First, we had a random werewolves hunt. In which we had a little of comedy and a sneak peek to what Jack's training is. Dean says it's a werewolves hunt and let the kid to answer they will need silver bullets. Just like a resident to his doctor in charge.

Team Free Will 2.0 working together with great results, is showing us the calm before the storm.

Jumping now to the scene between Mary and Bobby, we have here another Destiel mirror. With Mary (Dean) and Bobby (Castiel).

They come from different worlds, and once Boby starts to walk in this new universe, with Mary, he begins to embrace it. Just like Castiel did with humanity, asking in season 8 to be a hunter and to stay in Earth with Dean.

BOBBY: (...) Anyways...without an archangel, it's not like we can go back home. And I'm not sure I'd want to. I...I like it here.

We've been robbed: 1

Remember that scene in which Dean shows Sam so much faith on Jack (the faith that he took from Castiel) and thought about retirement? A happy ending? Yeah, let's cry here and struggle with the idea that we've been robbed...

DEAN: Hey, you remember...remember when you asked if we could stop it? All the evil in the world?

SAM: Yeah.

DEAN: If we could...really change things? Well, maybe with Jack, we can.

SAM: Maybe you're right. But then what will we do?

DEAN: Mm. Yeah. This. (Dean holds a beer he has been carrying and Sam looks down at his) A whole lot of this.

But on a beach somewhere, you know?

Can you imagine?

You, me, Cass, toes in the sand, couple of them little umbrella drinks. Matching Hawaiian shirts, obviously. Some hula girls.

SAM (scoffing) You talking about retiring? You?

DEAN: If I knew the world was safe? Hell, yeah. And you know why? 'Cause we freaking earned it, man.

Gif set credit @inacatastrophicmind

Dean thinks in a happy retirement with his brother and Castiel. Because this was in his heart. This was Dean's wish. And this should be his ending. He is the one saying it. They deserved that ending because they freaking earned it. Dean didn't mention Jack, because this is played as a foreshadow in which Jack will have a very important role to keep the world safe as Dean wants: Jack will be the new God.

The scene in which Jack has a nightmare and Dean goes to calm him down, we hear him talk about his own nightmares about people he couldn't save, this shows THE GUILT HERITAGE inside of him, and how this will lead him to say yes to AUMichael.

Jack follows Dean's toxic behavior

Jack goes to avenge Maggie's dead by his own, just like Dean did to face Loki. (Following Dean's toxic bwhat and not his advices).

Then we have Dean shooting at Jack by the back, as a foreshadow of how he will deceive Jack to out him inside the Ma'lak box in season 14.

The manipulative speech Lucifer gives to Jack is a parallel to the one that will give fem!AUMichael to Jack in episode 14x09. The words are similar: talks about power, their difference with humans, their supremacy over humans, and how they should be together to conquer the world because they're family.

The comparison with Star War Anakin, is to place doubts about Jack's future, because everyone knows Anakin turns into the dark side.

But then Sam praying to Jack (just like Dean to Cas) is showing us the faith Sam has on him too.

Jack revails Lucifer's true intentions and true self in a very spectacular show of his powers.

A Sacrifice for family love

Lucifer kidnaps Jack and Sam because he knows about their bond: Sam occupied in this season Lucifer's place as a father. Lucifer knows it and that's why he decided to took them with him and play a sadic game.

How Sam and Jack were willing to give their lives for each other is the same scenario of Dean giving his life and body to AUMichael to save them. Both sacrifies are for Love, FAMILY LOVE. As Michael will tell Sister Jo in 14x02.

The scenes are mixed between the church in which Jack and Sam are deliberating who will do the sacrifice and Dean about to offer his own life like the sword to Michael.

And Jack saying...

JACK: I love you. I love all of you.

Third time we see it int he show (Castiel and Mary in season 12), is telling us that had always been a family love confession. Just like Dean saying yes to Michael.

Gif credit @bennylafitte

Gif credit @hallowedbecastiel

We've been robbed: 2

The scene in which Dean starts saying he is Michael's sword, is short but very meaningful. Castiel flicks his eyes to him surprised about the offer Dean is making to that monster. He tries to stop him but Dean feels he is trapped and he has to make that sacrifice for Jack and Sam.

The fandom were heartbroken by then about Castiel's feelings, and maybe writers should make it even more noticeable in the script: I'm talking about the fact that Castiel's fall was because he fought against Heaven's Orders, that implied DEAN SAYING YES TO MICHAEL. It means, he went against destiny and embraced free will, following Dean and looking at him as a role model.

He was really angry when Dean almost say yes in season 5, if you remember that scene, Castiel literally kicked Dean's ass.

But this Castiel is different from that one in season 5. He is against that decision but even so, he remains quiet, to a side, watching the man he loves and the one for who he left everything he was for millennials, being snatched by Michael from his side.

When Michael takes control of Dean's body, Castiel can sense it, because they're bonded.

But you know, I still feel there was a scene missing: the one in which Dean says goodbye to Cas. (And I really thought there would be a kiss scene erased there... I explained this here.)

This was another lovers separation, my friends... Sighs...

To Conclude

The last episode from this season was messy and sometimes confusing. It was written by Dabb, and he tends to do that.

In the middle of the messy plot, we can talk about Destiel parallel (Mary and Bobby)

Jack mirroring Dean's toxic behavior and another lovers separation.

Hope you liked this meta, see you in the next one!

Tagging @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weird-dorky-little-d @michyribeiro @whyjm @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @authorsararayne @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts @mishtho @dancingtuesdaymorning @nerditoutwithbooks @mikennacac73 @justmeand-myinsight @idontwantpeopletoknowmyname @teddybeardoctor @pepevons @helevetica @isthisdestiel @dizzypinwheel @jawnlockwinchester @horsez2 @qanelyytha

@destielle @spnsmile @shippsblog @robot-feels @superlock-in-the-tardis @superduckbatrebel @2musiclover2 @madronasky @anon-non2 @cea1996 @lisafu02 @asphodelesauvage @deancasgirl777

If you want to be added or removed from this list just let me know.

If you wanna read the previous metas from this season here you have the links:

XCIII, XCIV, XCV, XCVI, XCVII, XCVIII, XCIX, C, CI, CII, CIII, CIV, CV, CVI.