#Wonder Woman accidently adopted these two

[solarmorrigan]

Open Doors, Part 1

Ao3

Everyone was so kind about the first fic I wrote about Steve and Eddie's neighbor adopting them that I had a few more thoughts about it! I owe you all thanks for the inspiration and I hope this is also an enjoyable read <3 Part two will be up later this week

Tags: POV Outsider, Steve Harrington Has Migraines, Protective Eddie Munson, past minor character death, car accident mention, the looming specter of period-typical homophobia

-

Gladys isn’t a churchgoing woman. She’s never even been particularly religious, beyond a performative sort of faith for the sake of her God-fearing mother (God rest her soul, Gladys supposes), but Sundays are sacred, all the same.

Sundays are for Murder She Wrote. And, more recently, they’re for dinner with her boys.

Neither Eddie nor Steve are the religious sort, either (she’d brought it up once, just to see, and they’d laughed a little in an uncomfortable sort of way that had told Gladys all she’d really needed to know), but Steve is a fellow fan of Jessica Fletcher, and Eddie is happy enough to join them on the couch after a good meal and watch them compete to see who can guess the solution first.

It’s something they all look forward to, so Gladys isn’t sure why she’s been left standing in front of the boys’ front door a full minute after she’s knocked. They ought to be expecting her, after all; they take turns hosting, and Gladys is sure it had been her turn last week. She knocks again, a little louder this time.

After another few moments, she hears the thud of hurried footsteps coming towards the door, and then Eddie’s voice is hissing out at her before he’s even finished opening it.

“I’m here already, now will you keep it–” he falters when he sees her standing before him on the doormat, “–down?”

“Well, if I’d known that was the kind of welcome I’d receive, I would have stayed home,” Gladys says dryly.

Eddie’s face morphs quickly from irritation to confusion and, finally, to a kind of horrified understanding.

“Oh, shit, it’s Sunday,” he realizes, voice still pitched low.

Taking in the state of him, it seems as though Gladys has interrupted some kind of lazy day; his hair is a mess (more so than usual), and he’s in pajamas and bare feet.

It smarts a little to think their evening has been so easily forgotten.

“It is Sunday,” Gladys confirms, maybe a little sharply. “But I can see you’ve had other things to do, so maybe we’ll just try again for next week.”

“I’m sorry, Gladys,” Eddie sighs, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “Today’s been… stressful. I swear I meant to call, I just got distracted.”

Gladys softens. She doubts if she could stay mad terribly long even if they had forgotten, but it’s nice to know they hadn’t, exactly. “It’s fine, Eddie,” she says, reaching out to pat his hand.

“It’s not, I seriously meant to let you know,” Eddie insists. “We can make it up to you next week? Or maybe, like, Tuesday? Tomorrow’s not gonna work, but–”

Whatever else Eddie has to say is lost when the door at the end of the hall, the one Gladys knows from the layout of her own apartment leads to the larger of two bedrooms, swings open with a creak. It’s dark beyond the threshold, but Steve is standing in the doorway, holding onto the edge of it and looking far more disheveled than Eddie.

With a faint flush of embarrassment, Gladys wonders if she’s walked in on some sort of… private time between them, but then Steve takes a few unsteady steps into the hallway and has to brace himself against the wall, and she realizes that something else altogether must be going on.

“Hey, hey,” Eddie says softly, leaving Gladys at the front door to rush down the hall and support Steve. “What’re you doing up?”

Steve, also clad in pajamas, his face almost shock-pale and his hair flatter than Gladys has ever seen it, makes a little noise of discomfort as Eddie pulls him away from the wall. It’s jarring to see when Gladys is so used to Steve moving with the confidence and easy grace of the athlete he’d told her he once was. His eyes are scrunched shut, but he moves from leaning heavily on the wall to leaning heavily on Eddie without hesitation.

“You were gone,” Steve mumbles, his head falling to rest on Eddie’s shoulder.

Eddie glances down the hall to where Gladys stands at the still-open front door, something almost like nervous, but he doesn’t make Steve move away. Instead, he moves his hands to Steve’s shoulders, kneading gently. “I had to get the door. Gladys is here.”

“Gladys?” Steve mutters, and then, after another moment of silence, groans, “Oh, shit, it’s Sunday.”

Gladys almost laughs at the way he unwittingly echoes Eddie. Eddie does laugh; just a little breath of a thing, something helplessly fond crossing his face.

“It’s fine, Steve. We’ll take a raincheck,” Gladys says, just loud enough that she’ll still be heard from the other end of the short hall.

Steve makes a protesting noise, straightening a little so he can face the front door. He opens his eyes just enough to squint at her, and it really only serves to make him look more pained and tired. “’m sorry,” he mutters, his words stumbling worryingly into each other. “Wasn’xpecting this today.”

“It’s fine,” Gladys says again. “You just feel better.”

He’s still frowning, and Gladys gets the feeling it’s as much out of displeasure with the situation as it is out of discomfort, but then Eddie tugs gently at his shoulders, turning him back towards the bedroom.

“C’mon, ba– Steve. Let’s get you back to bed.” Eddie glances down the hall at Gladys one more time before leading Steve away.

Silence falls over the apartment, and Gladys takes the opportunity to invite herself in, shutting the door behind her. She won’t stay long, of course, she just wants to be certain that Steve—and Eddie, who had looked awfully stressed—will be alright. The low tone of Eddie’s voice drifts out of the bedroom, quiet and indecipherable, followed by a grumbling that must be Steve, and then Eddie is slipping back out into the hall, shutting the bedroom door as he goes.

“Everything alright?” Gladys asks, keeping her voice low.

Eddie sighs. “He, uh – he gets migraines, sometimes.” He raises a fist and raps his knuckles against his temple. “Took a couple’a knocks to the head when we were younger and– yeah. Today’s a bad one.”

Gladys itches to ask, to press for more information, but she does actually possess a filter; she knows when to hold her tongue, even if she usually chooses not to. Instead, she says, “But he’ll be alright,” not really sure if she’s asking or reassuring.

“No, yeah, he’ll be fine, he just needs to rest.” Eddie nods, as much to himself as to Gladys.

“And you’ll be alright?” Gladys goes on.

Eddie shoots her a funny little look. “Yeah?” His voice quirks up at the end, like he isn’t sure why she’s asking. “I mean, I’m not the one whose brain is staging a full-scale revolt.”

“But you’re here with him,” Gladys says. “It’s hard to watch someone you care about be in pain.”

It had been a car accident that had taken Avery from her, not illness, but the few days she’d spent in the hospital with him, keeping vigil until his damaged body had given up, had been some of the worst of her life.

“I guess.” Eddie sighs, rubbing roughly at his chin. “It’s– They make medication for this shit, but it’s expensive, so we can’t– Sleep is really the only thing that helps, and it just sucks to sit around knowing I can’t do a damn thing for him while he’s– he’s suffering.”

“You’re here with him,” Gladys says again. “It seems like he appreciates that enough that he came looking for you when you’d gone.”

The ghost of a smile crosses over Eddie’s face. “Yeah…”

“I think you’re doing just fine.” Gladys reaches out and gives Eddie’s arm a little squeeze, and his smile grows.

He reaches up and twists his fingers into the ends of his hair, half-ducking behind it, as if he’s trying to hide the smile from her, but she can hear it in his voice when he tosses out a quick, “Well– thanks.”

“You just keep taking care of your boy, and I’ll see you two later in the week,” Gladys says, and Eddie nods.

“Yeah, I’ll–” he stops, blinking at Gladys as the full sentence hits him. “Uh–”

Gladys offers him a smile, seeing herself out the door. “Let me know if you need anything,” she tosses back over her shoulder quietly as she can, and shuts the door on his confounded expression.

She doesn’t know much about migraines, but she supposes she could learn. In the meantime, she decides that no matter what the ailment is, chicken soup is always an appropriate answer.

[leafyeyes417]

I decided to create a masterpost or two with all the reblogs that I like in hopes that when someone sends out the ��help me find that post” I can find it faster. It will be added to slowly because I do not have the patience to do it all at once. Also in no particular order of preference.

Keep in mind none of these posts are my works and I do not claim them as such.

If you see *** they are really good prompts with lots of reblogs.

Will be edited later, last updated: 1-28-25

Masterlists

Multi-story masterlists

dcxdpdrabbles

Hdgnj

Tu-turu-turah

Somnoir

Chaoticwriting

Specific Story lists

Jason is Catnip to Danny

Hyena Danny

Finally Getting Help

Wrong Robin

Badger Day

Man has needs

Almanac

Take out for Dummies

Danny is just some guy

Changling AU (part 5, other part links at bottom of post)

Fast Car Driver Danny

Haunted Car

Harmless Series

Don’t eat anything

Hero Tweets

Just a Bite

Batfam & Danny

Twitter AU

Single posts

Ellie-centric

Ellie realizes how dangerous Danny’s home is

Danny’s Rescues from the Infinite Realms

Green Lanturn & crew stuck in IR

Dead on Main

Jason courting Danny with a casserole

Overprotective Fenton parents shovel talk

Danny courts Jason by giving him wine cups made from the Joker’s kneecaps

Jason becomes a Ghost Summoner after giving Danny food***

Dream Lover***

Soulmate summoning ring gone wrong

Dead Tired

Coffeeshop accident

Dead Serious

Dead Silent

Danny kills the joker with his thighs

Danny on the run from the GIW

Superman startles Danny and gets a concussion***

Danny In Gotham

Sleepwalker Danny who escapes all traps

Unknowing Fae Danny works at coffee shop

Danny pretends to be a Vampire***

Feral McGee

Danny only gets a Vacation from work in Gotham

Danny seems like an Oracle of Delphi***

The GAV affected by Fear Toxin

Tucker streams while Danny does what Danny does in the background***

Danny is kidnapped(?) by Batman***

Danny gets hired for a money laundering front***

Portal is built in Gotham, not Amity

Naga Danny

Villain Danny

Danny’s obsession is twisted, forcing him to be a villain

Danny teaches heroes their mistakes by being the villain***

Adopted Danny (as in not Bio Fenton)

Danny is Hal Jordan’s son

Harley asks Batman to take away her son

Harvey Dent is Danny’s bio parent

Danny adopted by Bruce Wayne

Danny distribution system

Danny makes a sales pitch to join the Batfam

Reincarnated Danny

They wake up as Talons

Reincarnation

Clockwork reincarnated as Alfred

Misunderstanding’s that end in chaos

High Danny mistakes Batman for Jack

Mis-text-derstanding

Summoning Danny

Number is not in service

Danny: Please get that stalker (Ra’s) away from me

Demon Twin/Brothers

Damian is normal by Amity standards

Maybe(?) his lost twin

Nyssa steals Danny

Danny undercover in Amity

Jazz decided she wanted a brother

Tim Twins/Brothers

Danny and Tim are half-siblings

Danny sleep teleports to another dimension

Jason and Danny are brothers

Jason is a Baby ghost, adopts babier ghost Danny***

Ghost King Danny

Danny needs to take care of the Lazarus pits

Danny finds out there is a Ghost LOA

Miscellaneous

Danny possesses the president

Danny takes Jason’s online cooking class

Danny forgot what is regular human

Jack was a hitman named Phantom

Ghost Calls

Danny & Jason have the same scars

Superman was supposed to wait for the JLD

Water Core Tim

Fenton Driving curse still applies

Danny asks Wonder Woman to make him a grave on Themyscria***

Kryptonite is actually trapped souls

Danny and self-fulfilling prophecy

Danny pretends to be a demigod son of Hades

Danny gifts Red Robin a jar with Ra’s eyes

Vlad Cloning Danny was actually a much worse offense, breaks oldest ghost law

Amity got put back in the wrong place after the Pariah Dark fight.

Jason involuntarily taken to the ghost hospital

Phantom Letters

Danny learns Astral magic

Miscellaneous Angst

GIW succeeds in shooting the portal

DPxMarvel

Loki falls through to the IR and is adopted by Danny

Pure DP (not crossover)

Danny was Eldritch the whole time

Danny gets sprayed with a chemical where he hallucinates the person he hates

Demon!AU (with Art)

[grapejuice32]

Midsummer

Season 1 bsf!Rafe x Kook!reader Notes : reader is Kie's adopted sister masterlist here

There was something that you debated daily, what would it feel like to be fucked by your best friend, Rafe Cameron, not that you would every admit it out loud of course. This isn't to say the only this you wanted with him was sex, but the idea of it with him is something that you often thought about. The two of you had been friends for years, you were Kie's adopted sister but you'd never really meshed with the Pogues the way that she did. In a way, you longed for the strong friendship the four of them had, you and Rafe had been very close friends since you were in middle school and you loved him, of course you did, but you felt that the two of you weren't as close knit in the way Kie and her friends were. Perhaps it was because in your friendship with Rafe, the feelings there were more than just platonic, for you anyway. There were times when you thought that perhaps Rafe felt the same way you did, not that you'd ever voiced your true feelings to him, or to anyone of course. But then you would always remember the types of girls that Rafe would hook up with and every time he did, it was a harsh reminder that he would probably never settle for one woman and if he did, you were sure it wouldn't be you.

Of course, this didn't stop you from imagining what it would be like if the two of you were together. When the two of you went to parties and you had to much to drink so he'd just bring you home with him and let you sleep in his bed, or when your hands would brush accidentally and you could swear that his touch lingered too much for it to have been an accident, even though you knew it had to of been. You were down bad for him, that much was clear to you, you didn't know when your feelings towards him had changed and had become romantic, or if they had perhaps always been that way but you had just never really acknowledged it till more recently. You supposed it didn't matter, it's not like anything would ever happen. Besides, you were too good at hiding your true feelings for him for him to ever take notice.

You were awful at hiding your feelings. Did you really think he didn't notice the blush that would grace your cheeks when your hands brushed? It amused him that you thought the way his touch would linger on you or the way that his eyes would always find you even in the most crowded of rooms was simply platonic. Granted, you had always been pretty oblivious in general, but after all these years he thought perhaps you would have caught onto something. It almost felt as though fate was against their friendship becoming more, every time he tried to develop their relationship, they would be interrupted in some way or another.

It was often he wondered if maybe the women he would occasionally hook up with is what prevented you from confessing how you felt to him, but it wasn't like you didn't have your own fair share of hook ups. He often convinced himself that it was him who was misreading the situation and not you, but then he would always come to his senses, knowing that is was only anxiety about confessing that caused his doubt.

It was when Midsummer started approaching that he knew he had to finally make his move. He had heard the whispers about various other people that were planning on asking you there as their date. He knew he had to beat them to it, of course you both always hung out together at Midsummer but that was only because you both had to go. This year though, he wanted it to be special, he wanted it to be more.

With Midsummer just around the corner, you were unsure on what to do, you wanted to go with Rafe as your date, your official date, this year, but you knew that was wishful thinking. Plus, it's not as if you would ever gain the confidence to ask him to be you date, not in the way you wanted him to be your date anyway.

You had out a lot more effort into planning your outfit for the event this year than you usually did, hoping that he would maybe finally see you as more than just his friend. The dress you were going to wear was a deep green colour and was made of the silkiest looking material, it was similar to Kie's but it had gold beading along the neckline.

Midsummer was only a week away now and you had lost any hope of being Rafe's date and were sure he was going to go without one and hook up with a girl at the party, not that you could blame him of course, you imagined that you may end up doing the same thing. You'd been sat in your bed doom scrolling on TikTok when you received a message notification from Rafe himself, a bright smile lighting up your face as you read the text.

Rafe: meet at our spot in 15?

It read, you simply hearted the message and got ready to meet him at the spot on the beach which the both of you frequented together, it had been a while since the two of you had gone there so him asking to meet there brought a warm feeling to your chest. You changed into a dark red bikini and pulled on a pair of denim shorts and a random t-shirt from a pile of clean washing you'd left on your floor, still not having out it in your wardrobe. You left the house, bringing only your phone with you and began the short walk to the area on the beach. When you arrived, you were surprised to see Rafe already there considering that you were usually always arriving to places before him but you didn't question it all that much.

"Hey," you greeted softly, the spot on the beach empty like it always was. He smiled at you in greeting and gestured for you to sit in the sand next to him with a quick tilt of his head. "Feels like ages since we've been here." You commented after a few minutes of enjoying the warmth of the sun in a comfortable silence.

"It's cause it has been." He responded, his deep voice sending shivers along your spine. After a few more minutes passed he spoke up again, "Hey, so I've been meaning to ask you something."

You turned to face him, a small smile gracing your lips, "What's up?"

"It's uh," He stumbled over his words, running a hand through his hair, "I've been meaning to ask if, and you can totally say no, but like, I was just wondering if you wanted to come to Midsummer with me, like as my date."

Your lips parted in surprise, feeling as though all the air had escaped your chest as you stared at him blankly, not trusting that you had heard correctly. He cleared his throat and chuckled bitterly, "It's fine, I uh, I knew I shouldn't have asked, it's whatever. I mean, I only asked cause I thought you were into it."

You bit your lower lip and forced yourself out of whatever your shocked state could be called, spitting out the words that you needed to say, "No, I am. I am into it. I'm wearing green, so I hope you don't wear something that's going to clash with that." You shrugged, trying to appear calm.

"I'm wearing blue, like a light blue." He told you, with a slight wince as he knew you wouldn't approve of the two colour of your outfits meshing.

A sigh escaped your lips, "That's unfortunate, but I can move past it, I suppose."

"I'm glad you said yes, by the way." He mumbled after a while, you nodded.

"I'm glad you finally asked."You hummed, resting your head on his shoulder.

Midsummer had finally approached, it was an effort, as it always was, to get Kie out of the house and to the club. When we go there, I'd downed a flute of champagne, hoping it would calm my nerves. You felt silly, it was just Rafe, but at the same time, it was Rafe.

When the Cameron's finally arrived, fashionably late as always, your eyes immediately took in Rafe and how delicious he looked, feeling enchanted as you watched him. A smirk grew on his face and he made an instant beeline to you, not taking the time to greet the many people who were stood in between him and you.

"You look devastatingly beautiful," he leant down and whispered lowly in your ear, "shit, might have to get you out of here before anyone tries to steal you away from me."

"But you only just got here," you giggled, shaking your head in disbelief, this was everything you had ever wanted, you felt like you were living inside one of your delusional fantasies. But it was real.

"I could care less." He told you and took your hand in his, leading you away from all of the people and into one of the empty locker rooms.

"What are we doing here?" You asked, your face warm with a blush. He shook his head and put a finger on his lips, letting out a small 'shhh'. His hands grabbed ahold of your hips, his head dipping down, his lips meeting yours in a deep and passionate kiss.

You don't know how it happened, but you eventually ended up sat on one of the locker room benches, his jacket underneath you for you to sit on with your dress pulled up to your hips and his face between your thighs. One of your hands fisted his jacket, the other tangled in his hair as he continued the movements of his tongue against your clit. You were biting down on your lip, struggling to conceal your moans and whines, but you willed the sounds away, not wanting Rafe to stop. His hands grabbed onto your hips to keep them still as you began to move around when he asked, "That good, baby?" while his mouth was still on you, the vibrations from his voice against you beginning to push you over the edge. When you came, you fought against the grip of his hands on your hips, but he won, being much stronger than you and he kept you in place, still continuing his movements until you were whining from overstimulation.

When he finally pulled away, you let out a small and breathless, 'fuck'. He hummed and sat up, pressing a kiss to your forehead and helped you pull your dress back down after he cleaned you up. You both sat in silence for a while, him sat beside you on the bench, your head on his shoulder. "I've wanted this-you, for a really long time." You confessed quietly.

"Oh I know, trust me I know." He chuckled, running a hand through your hair.

You frowned, "How?" You were sure you had been very good at keeping it hidden. He continued to laugh smugly and just shook his head. You huffed, slapping his thighs lightly, "Tell me!"

"Maybe later, if you come back to mine after this." Was all he said, pecking your forehead gently, and laughing as you complained about how unfair it was that he wouldn't tell you. God, did he love you. So, so much.

Please lmk what you guys think, I'd love to hear from you! I'll also be happy to try and write any requests you may have <3

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 | Part 19

Everything tries to get in between him and his goal.

Tags/Warnings: Game Designer!Jungkook, Brat Tamer!Jungkook, kinda himbo!Jungkook, Non Idol AU, established relationship, mentions of smut but SFW chapter, he's such a scatterbrain part 3537

Length: 1.1k Words

Callob with @euphoricfilter ! 💜

-> Masterlist

A/N: no I did not forget that I didn't post

♥━━━━━━━━━━•.♡.•━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

Alright, regroup. There’s not that much time left until you both have to pack again and make your way back home- and he still hasn’t managed to pop the question.

So today, he’s got a new plan: A nice picnic at a nearby park, all romantic, making use of the good weather forecast. He’s been up way earlier than usual to make some snacks and sandwiches, pack some wine in the rented car, just to wake you up later after he’s made sure he placed the little box inside his pocket as well, so he can have it on himself when he’s ready to make that step.

Walking onto the bedroom where you’re watching him with one eye cracked open, he can’t help but laugh a little as he crawls over you, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “Why’re you up already?” You slur sleepily, while he playfully lets his weight press down on you for a moment. “Come back to bed..” You demand weakly, turning a little to pull him close to you.

“No can do baby.” He grins. “Have something planned for us today.” He tells you, before he leans up again and pecks your lips once more. “And that requires you to get up and dressed. Up up!” He teases, smacking your butt beneath the blankets before he escapes your wrath by running out the bedroom to let you get ready.

This time he’ll get it right.

He’s busy setting everything up while you roam through the bag with the food with wonder, when he hears something odd from close by- something he can’t help but notice, especially when you ask him about it too. “It almost sounds like something whimpering?” You ask, confused and mildly concerned- and Jungkook agrees with that feeling.

You both get up to walk towards the sound to investigate it, finding nothing at first- until the sound becomes louder, and Jungkook finds the source of it between two thick branches of a bush in the park.

It’s a dog- a small one, back legs strapped into a little wheelchair, which got stuck in the branches, causing him to stay fixated in an odd position, helplessly struggling to get back out of his unfortunate situation. “Oh no, buddy-” Jungkook instantly coos, carefully bending down to figure out a way to get the poor dog out.

And once he does, the little canine is eager to show his gratitude by happily jumping up with his front legs, yapping with no agression at Jungkook who can’t help but be affected by the cuteness of the admittedly a little scruffy looking little guy.

“He’s so cute!” You beam at the little dog, squatting down to pet the disabled pup who happily receives the attention you give him. “You’re such a good boy!” You can’t help but tell the little guy, and Jungkook feels his heart swell at the sight of the small thing wagging his tail wildly.

“Oh, there he is!” A woman calls, the small dog running towards her with his wheels.

“He got stuck in the branches there.” Jungkook explains. “So we helped him out. Is he your dog?” He wonders, and the woman shrugs.

“Kind of? I’m fostering him for the moment, he’s actually up for adoption.” She explains, and at that, your head turns a little. “He’s from a hoarder situation. His back legs are paralyzed from an accident but he actually gets around just fine! In the house he doesn’t need the wheelchair at all- I just put some socks over his legs so he doesn’t rub them open. But he’s just as quick for breakfast lunch and dinner as the rest.” She jokes, making Jungkook and you laugh as you watch the little dog look around the park.

“How old is he?” You wonder, and she sighs.

“About five? Maybe six? It’s hard to tell, really.” She admits. “And I know he looks a bit scruffy but I promise he’s a sweetheart.” She sighs.

“Oh no, he’s super cute!” You argue, happily petting the little dog who’s tongue seems to be a bit disoriented as he lets you pet him all you want. “And so handsome, yes you are!” You tell the dog who’s got neither an idea about what you’re telling him, nor does he seem to care.

“No really, I agree. He’s totally cute.” Jungkook says.

“I’m glad at least someone says it.” The woman laughs relieved. “He doesn’t have good chances for adoption since he’s disabled and you know, his eyes are a bit cloudy already and all that.” She huffs. “If you want I can give you my contact info and we could maybe stay in touch?” She hopefully asks, and Jungkook looks over to you. “Bowser seems to have fallen for your girlfriend already.” She laughs, and Jungkook’s eyes widen.

The dog’s name is bowser.

“I totally fell for him too!” You laugh, chasing the little guy around, careful as to not make the wheelchair tip over. “I mean, we’re not from the area though.” You admit, but the lady shakes her head.

“No problem!” She offers. “It’s a process anyways. Someone’s going to visit you first, check if everything’s alright, and then we’ll talk about the adoption and all that- if you’re interested, that is.” She shrugs, already sharing her phone number with Jungkook who didn’t even notice pulling out his phone.

And after saying goodbye to both the dog and the lady, he can’t help himself as you both sit back on the blanket he’d set out earlier.

“Bowser!” Jungkook whines. “His name was bowser babe, that’s the cutest shit ever! Like a sign!” He says, and you laugh.

“He was really cute. But.. Do you think we’re really ready for a dog?” You ask a little worried, making him shrug.

“I mean, I work from home, mostly. So I’d always be around.” He says. “And you kind of hinted at wanting a pet this year too?” He asks, and you nod.

“I just.. Didn’t know if you wanted that with me.” You mumble a little. “It’s kind of like getting a kid, you know? A big responsibility and all that. Makes a relationship turn really serious.” You say, and at that, Jungkook leans closer to hold your hands.

“Baby, I’ve been taking this relationship seriously from the very start.” He offers. “I always will. And I want to take that step with you, if you’re up for it.” He grins, leaning forward to peck your lips.

And you can’t help but smile as well, throughout the entire way home-

The whole situation making him almost forget that he just fucked up another try to pop the question, only realizing it when he’s in bed with you already, making him angrily run his hands over his face in the darkness of the bedroom.

Why the hell does the world seem to play against him every fucking time?!

[fan-fantasies]

Perfect Timing

A/N: this isn’t great but I have baby fever and this helps lmao I needed some fluff in my life

Pairing: Osferth x reader

Warnings: mentions of sex, pregnancy

“You look nervous, baby monk,” Finan chuckled as he looked over at his friend.

“Wouldn’t have to do with a certain, pretty Dane would it?” Uhtred added.

Osferth’s face heated up at their words but he refused to answer. Truth is, he was nervous. He hadn’t seen you in months and he wondered if you would welcome him back with open arms. The two of you didn’t leave on bad terms, quite the opposite actually. But Osferth couldn’t help but get in his head about things, especially concerning his feelings for you.

“I wonder if she’ll even remember ya. I told you you should’ve given her a parting gift,” Finan winked. Osferth scowled but it was soon overtaken with a look of nervousness when the gates of your village appeared in the distance.

The men led their horses to the stables to be fed and watered and then sought out the ale house to do the same for themselves. Osferth tried not to look too eager as his eyes scanned every inch of the town he passed through, looking for any sign of you.

“We don’t serve riff raff in these parts!” The ale house owner yelled when she noticed them walking in, a joking smile on her face.

Uhtred hugged her before settling down at a table. Ale was poured but it didn’t to much to ease the young man’s nerves. His eyes kept darting around and his friends noticed.

“Madame, does (y/n) still live in this town?” Sihtric asked the owner, causing Osferth to nearly choke on his ale. The woman eyed Osferth for a moment before turning to Sihtric.

“She does. She usually spends her evenings down by the river. The cool water eases her,” she said. Osferth became worried that you were ill, wondering what the older woman meant.

“Sounds like we should take a trip to the river,” Finan said.

The men all missed you and regretted leaving you behind in the town. But the open road was no place for a lady such as yourself, no matter how tough you acted. Uhtred wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if something had happened to you while with them.

You were always so kind to them and took them in while they were in hiding. They quickly adopted you into their family and were anxious to see you. No one more than Osferth though.

As they approached the river, they could see a figure with their back turned to them up ahead. You stared out at the sunset, lost in your thoughts, so much so that you didn’t hear them approaching.

“That’s quite the view!” Uhtred called out, causing you to jump. You spun around without even thinking at the voice of your friend.

Their eyes all fell to your arms that were cradling your swollen stomach. Your eyes widened as you realized what they were staring at.

“I see there is much catching up to do,” Sihtric chuckled. All of the men had smiles on their faces except for Osferth, who was too stunned to move.

“Os…” you whispered. His eyes were glued to your stomach and you felt almost uncomfortable under his gaze. All color drained from his face. The men looked between the two of you before realizing.

“That’s not quite what I meant by a parting gift, baby monk,” Finan mumbled to him.

“I think we should give them a moment,” Uhtred said. “Come and find us after. We have missed you.”

“I’ve missed you all too,” you said sincerely.

Your heart was racing as they walked off, leaving you and Osferth alone.

“I would’ve written, but I didn’t know how to get a letter to you,” you said.

“Is it…?” He pointed at himself and you frowned.

“I’m almost insulted, Osferth. Of course it’s yours,” you scoffed. His hands grabbed yours and he finally looked at your face.

“I’m sorry, I just…it was one time,” he mumbled.

“And that’s all it takes,” you sighed. “Don’t feel obligated to be in our lives. It was an accident.”

You pulled away from him and turned back to the sunset. You had imagined this moment a hundred times, and you often hoped that he would be accepting of it, maybe even excited.

“I’m just surprised, is all. I have thought of you every moment since we left and I just never imagined such a blessing in my life.”

He wanted to hold you, to take you in his arms and never let go, but he was afraid to touch you. He was scared to harm you in some way so he refrained.

“You’re all I’ve thought about since the moment I met you,” you admitted. He knew you were fond of him, and him of you, or else you wouldn’t be in your current predicament.

You trusted Osferth and that’s why you allowed him into your bed months prior. You were both tired of being virgins and sought comfort with one another, promising that it would not negatively affect your friendship.

It certainly did affect your relationship, however, you just weren’t sure if it was for better or for worse.

“How long will you be staying for this time?” You asked.

“How long until the babe is here?”

“I’m told it will be soon.”

“I will stay as long as possible, until you and the babe are healthy enough to travel and then we will return to Rumcofa. If that is okay with you, that is,” he quickly added.

“You should like us to come with you?”

He reached out for you again and ever so softly took your hand.

“I would’ve liked it 9 months ago and I would love it now.”

“I was so worried we would never see you again. Or if you did return you’d be upset with me.”

Yours eyes were cast down on your feet and he gently lifted your chin so you could meet his gaze.

“My love is going to bless me with a child of our own, how could I ever be mad at that? I’m only sorry I never told you how I truly felt before and left you with any shred of doubt.”

Tears began to slip down your cheeks and he was scared he said something wrong.

“Oh I’m sorry, I’m so emotional these days,” you sighed, quickly wiping your face.

“You have nothing to apologize for, sweetheart. May I hug you?” He asked. You quickly nodded and you laughed at how cautious he was taking you in his arms.

You nuzzled into him and finally felt peace for the first time in months. Osferth jumped back suddenly when he felt something move against him.

“Was that…?”

“Here, place your hand here,” you said, putting his hand on your stomach. Tears filled his eyes as he felt his child dancing in your belly. “It seems she knows her father is here.”

“You believe it’ll be a girl?” He asked, his eyes lighting up as he felt the movement again.

“I’ve dreamt of her, of the three of us,” you said quietly. He knelt down and laid his head against you.

“Hello, my sweet girl. I bet you’ll be beautiful just like mama. I already love you so much, just like I do your mother,” he whispered.

“You’re going to make me cry again,” you sniffled. He rose to his feet and took your face in his hands. He pressed a sweet kiss to your lips that melted away all of your previous tears.

“Let’s get you into bed. It’s getting late,” he said.

“That’s how we got into this situation in the first place,” you joked.

“It is, and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he laughed.

He brought you back to your house where your friends were already making themselves at home.

They all congratulated you and were thrilled to learn you wanted to return to Rumcofa with them once the time was right.

A few days later and you held your newborn baby girl in your arms. Osferth was a great support during the birth and the first time he took her in his arms, his entire world stopped. He praised god for this blessing and for the timing of his return to you.

He finally had a family of his own and he swore one day he’d make you his wife to show his love and appreciation for you.

And they lived happily ever after and nothing had ever happens again.

[thefandomdirtymind]

Sanji x reader where shes a bit of a spoiled girl with high standards, who was raised by a group of pirates who couldn’t have children of their own. When they retire, they encourage reader to go out on her own and she meets the straw hats and joins them because of her talent for stealing without getting caught. When Sanji joins the crew, he forms a crush on reader and does everything he can to impress her from his cooking to flowers to small gifts, but reader isn’t impressed one bit because her family always went big and made sure she never settled for the small things.

A/N IMPORTANT:  Hi anon ! Thank you for your request ! You seem to have a precise idea so I hope you will accept the little modification I did. It at first start very well and then I get sick and to be fair I had kind of a hard time with the end. But I hope you will like it .

His High Standard Princess

OPLA - Sanji

Sanji / OPLA Masterlist and Coming Soon

* English is not my first language, I tried really hard to correct myself but, I hope you will excuse me if some mistakes are still there.

—

If we were asking your adoptive fathers and their crew of fearsome pirates, they would call you their little miracle. Lost in the sea, booping on the wave like a message in a bottle, they had found you, infant in your little basket, crying with all the force of your small lungs. Not so far, they also found the rest of the wreckage of what seemed like two ships. They never had truly searched for what happened. Accidents weren't uncommon on the East blue, it suffice of an abordage going wrong, waking a sea monster of his nap or a storm to finish your life with the fishes.  

The pirate ship wasn’t, of course, the best place for raising a child, but they both did their best, searching at each port they made a halt, to ask mothers about tricks and parental advice. Soon, you become a brave, smart and skilled woman, returning to your fathers their love, with the interest that you have grown to be one of the best thieves the world has ever seen. And it was a good thing that you were as quiet as a mouse on your feet, because being the little princess of a group of pirates meant they had cherished you and covered you in gold, giving you a strong appetite for the precious metal and some pretty high standard. Or, like your adoptive fathers always said, you knew your worth and didn’t settle for less. 

That’s why you knew, when you saw the golden pendant in his bed of velvet, that you had to steal it, because you deserved it. It didn’t take you more than fifteen minutes, in broad daylight, for it to be your. Of course, you already had multiple necklaces, even one that looked like this one, but the truth was that you were bored and the stone in the center had your favorite shade of blue.

The action in your life was in a dangerous decline since your adoptive parent had decided to retire. You could understand, their life had been rough, with all the battles, storms and adventures. They deserve their peaceful life and as much as they encourage you to abandon them and go explore the world, you couldn’t bring in you the force to let them. But as you walk for the fifth time that road sinding the village in two, you can't help yourself to wonder what you could see and steal if you leave to live your own adventure.

You were taking a little snack, previously the propriety of the mayor's daughter, when you heard words you hadn't heard outside of your own house for a long time.  

“ Nami, how far do you think we are from the Grand Line ? “  A young man wearing a straw hat, but nothing apparently valuable, said, passing in front of you. 

The grand line, the place where most of your children's fairy tales took place. Every member of the crew had told you stories about rumors of incredible treasure, sea monsters covered in gold, dangerous pirates and of course, the legendary One Piece. Child, all those stories had made you head spin, making you beg your fathers to bring you there. Now adults, you understand that it was way too dangerous with you on board. And, without a great crew ready to take you in, you hadn’t no way to leave this small village. That's why you had tried to forget as much as possible the idea of all the richesses and the mysterious treasure. Until now.

Turning on your heels, throwing your/not your half eaten sandwich in a trash can, you followed the small group from a safe distance, admiring their chemistry. As you try, as much as you can, to stay silent and learn what they know about your dream destination. Soon,you couldn’t help yourself, quietly approaching their group more and more at each change of direction. As much as you love your adoptive parents and guilt would hunt you down, you couldn’t deny that the quiet life was slowly killing you, and, if that was your exit ticket sent by fate, you will not step back. 

Taking another turn, now just behind them, you suddenly stop on your track as the orange haired girl spoke. 

“ I don’t know why you follow us, but I wouldn't try to rob us if I were you “

“ Nami, who do you talk to ? “ The young man asked, confused as he looked around him. 

“ That girl followed us for a while now, she isn’t a marine, neither a welcome committee and as her bag can assure you she’s a thief. And a good one, I didn’t hear her until a few streets away and it was because of a puddle. “ She said, facing you. Her expression wasn’t really friendly, and,as much as you were yourself embarrassed and hurt that she had unveiled you, you put your hands in fist and brave yourself. After all, you did nothing wrong. For once.

“ I didn’t want to rob you, I heard you talk about the Grand Line and I was curious,that's all. It’s my dream to discover its treasure. Did you really head there ?” You asked, your hope coloring your word. 

“ Yes,I’m Monkey D. Luffy, she’s Nami. We will go to the grand line, find the One Piece and I will become king of the pirates !  Do you want to join our crew ? “ Luffy happily proclaimed, asking you to join them like if it was a stroll in the park.

“Luffy, we didn’t even know her, we can’t take every dreamer who crosses our path“ Nami almost protested, his gaze more amical but still trying to determine if you were a threat or not.

“ Nami, she’s good, you said to yourself, that if it wasn’t from that puddle you could never have known she was following us. We will need a good ally and I trust her ! “

“ I’m Y/N. I swear I will not steal something which belongs to you “ You promised “ I will worth it , please it’s my dream. If I stay here I will die of boredom.” 

“ We have other crew members, it has to apply to them too “ Nami sighs, finally smiling at you. An understanding of your situation in her gaze “ We leave in two hours, will you be ready ?“ 

“ I will, “ You smiled. 

–

Your goodbye, emotional but proud, had been brief but full of happiness. You all knew that the world wasn’t prepared for you, but you were ready to steal it dry with a smile and without making a sound.After taking your bag, hearing your papa sad complaint that with your extraordinary talent he will not have a warrant to put on their wall, you leave for the port. 

–

The place was busy and noisy, many varieties of boat were leaving or arriving and the common sense of communication seemed to yell at each other, creating a brouhaha who gave Sanji a headache. As if he already had one at guiding Usopp and Zoro charging the crate of fresh provisions, while trying to stop Luffy from opening them and serving himself. Securing the rope of the last barrel, he heard a feminine voice.

“ I’m sorry sir, is that yours ? “

Turning himself to face you, his breath stayed stuck in his throat as you beauty caught him unguard. Sure, he had seen beautiful women pass the door of the Barratie and Nami in herself was a perpetual sunrise. But you, was a true vision. Sadly, the handkerchief in your hand wasn’t his and as stupid as it seems he was almost jealous of the mysterious owner. 

“ I...Hello Madam, I'm almost sorry that isn’t mine, but I would gladly help you if you need help returning it to its owner. You know... keeping you company during this kind quest “ He offered, tittling his head, his seductive smile already spreading his lips.

“ Y/N, didn’t we agree that you will not steal something from us, give it back to him, Sanji is our cook “ Nami joyfully yells from the Going Merry upper deck rail. 

“ Y/N, you made it ! “ Luffy joined, two pieces of bread in his hand. “ Sanji, it’s Y/N, she will go with us now “

“ Sorry Nami, I didn’t know ! Hi Luffy “ You replied, the tissue disappearing in your pocket as you pulled out Sanji’s golden lighter. “ Sorry for that…nice to meet you “ You smiled in front of his surprised face. Taking back his property, putting it back in his pocket, trying to understand at which moment you could have taken it without him noticing. 

“ Y/N, what a pretty name. I’m Sanji “ He introduced himself, your soft smile making him weak in the knees. “ May I offer you to help you come aboard “ 

“ I will be fine thank you, I grew up on a ship. I was kind of a small pirate princess. “ You confessed, climbing the ramp leading to the lower deck. 

“ Princess indeed suits you, you seem straight from a fairy tale “ Sanji flirts, following you, saving ,as he passes alongside Luffy, one of the small breeds. 

“ You have a hell of a silver tongue, be careful that nobody tries to steal it “ You joked. 

“ If I could, I would gladly give it to you “ He sweetly said, trying to help you with your bag. “ Sadly it would mean never tasting food so it was kind of a disadvantage for my job.”

Laughing, you made your way to the cabin where you put down your bag. 

“ What food do you like ? “ He asked, eager to know more about you “ I can do everything you want “

“ No offense,but, from the cook of a pirate ship, I doubt it. My father had kidnapped a reputable chef who had stayed in our crew until they retired. I never tasted food like his after that.” 

“Test me “ He replied, an amused smile on his lips. 

To his surprise, your response to his usual question wasn’t any basic dishes and would truly be worth it to be served in a five star restaurant. No meat directly in the bones or rice ball. But an actual meal who’s will required him to work his skill for hours to obtain the perfect result. And you wouldn’t stop at the main course, telling him stories of delicate desserts you had eaten.

It was that moment that Sanji knew that you were made for each other. Sure, you weren't the only woman with a delicate palate in all the east blue. But even if his talent in the kitchen wasn’t contested, he wanted you to enjoy his version of those dishes and forget all the memories of those lower poor attempts( in his opinion) you had before. And if at the same time he could win you over with his charm additionned to his food, it would even be better. 

It was on that base that he was starting his crusade. Months passed without you even being impressed by his effort. Sure you had been surprised that he was a great cook, but that was all. Days after days, he made for your favorite meals and dishes Zeff would never allow past the door of the Baratie kitchen, judging it too fancy for his clientèle.

If you go on a mission or just a resupply in an island, the man would come back to you, a flower bouquet bought or handmade in hand, every time different flowers that he proclaimed knew the significance. And, each time, the flower was an affirmation of his affection.  He even went to give you a small pendant of a golden rose.  

It wasn’t that you didn’t acknowledge his effort or his affection. His cooking was impeccable and yes, even better than you had previously tasted. But, even if you think it was indeed sweet that he always tries to prove himself to you, you couldn’t stop yourself to think that you could have stolen every one of those gifts he gave you. And, if it's that easy to steal, will you really settle for some easy stuff. Weren't you worth at least a or many treasure chests?

It didn’t take long, in a strange way, for you to have your answer.

You had been sent, in the cover of the night, in a stealing or like Luffy prefer to call it, a rescue artifact mission. The mayor of the village you currently stop at asks the straw hat crew for help and there you are, tip-toeing in the almost deserted rival ship, while the others were distracting the crew at the tavern or had your back walking the dock. Even if, when you had left a few minutes ago, Zoro and Sanji were more into annoying each other, than looking at the horizon for possible danger. 

The ship was mostly in the dark, helping you as much as causing you troubles. The only sound you could hear, beside the wave crashing slowly against the hull, was a distante snoring you couldn’t exactly pinpoint in the many rooms you had to explore. 

You could never have expected that it was in fact not a snore you had heard but the noise of the machine guarding the many treasure chests and the precious artifact.

Entering the room, you couldn’t believe your luck. Everywhere you were looking, open treasure chests full of gold and jewels were calling for you, making you put your guard down. Grabbing the golden statue, you didn’t notice the noise becoming slightly louder as you put a handful of coins in your pocket. 

“ Y/N ! Where are you ?! We have to go, it's bad ! “ You heard Sanji, somewhere behind you, his footsteps like he was running.

“ Sanji ? Lower your voice you will wake the sleepy dude somewhere “ You order him, seeing him pass the door.

“ We have to get out now ! It’s not a snore, it's the ship blocking every exit. When I came in, the hull was already covered in metal.” He explained. 

“ Shit, it must be something I miss when I check the security...okay okay, hm...take the handle of this chest, I take the other and we can go” You said, already moving to the larger one. 

“ What, no we don’t have time for this, we have to go now ! “ He repeat, looking at you confused that you didn’t take more seriously the closing ship problem. 

“ Sanji, look at all this gold. I don’t go without it, it could be insanity” You said, confusing yourself that he can’t understand that. “ If you don’t want to fine, I will take it by myself.”

“ Y/N, I don’t leave you behind and that gold is too heavy we have to go, now “ He still patiently tries to make you understand, advancing his hand to reach yours. 

“ Think of all the things we could do with that much gold, the quality ingredient you can buy “ 

“ Not if we are caught there and killed. You worth for me way more than that gold and ingredient, Y/N Please “ He pleaded, taking your free hand. “ Let’s go “

His words at first shock you, after all knowing your worth and not settling for less was almost the motto in your family. But, you had to admit it was right, all the gold was way too heavy and you couldn’t do anything with it if you end up being caught. It was then, still unsure that you took his hand, the artifact in your bag, you ran until you could see the star above your head. 

Few hours later, as the villagers were celebrating the return of their precious idol, you find a quiet place on the beach, admiring the stars and waves crashing on the sand. You had heard his footsteps coming your way, recognizable by his controlled but relaxed rhythm, but, you choose to not let him know, you gaze still lost in the wave. 

“ Still think about all the gold ? “ Sanji asked, taking a seat by your side. “ I know it isn’t even a quarter but it’s still gold. “ 

Turning your head, you notice the golden lighter in his hand, the same you had stolen from him the first day. But, your interest toward it has changed, his strange words earlier had stuck a sensible cord changing for you a lot of thought when it came to him. 

“ Did you mean it ? What you told earlier “ You asked. “ About me worthing more that all that gold” 

“ Of course “ He replied, putting back the lighter in his pocket seeing you hadn’t any interest in it. “ You’re more precious to me than those things. Sure I could have bought many high quality items for my kitchen and cooked dishes with five star ingredients.But it wasn't worth it if it put you in danger and resulted in you not being there anymore to enjoy those meals.” 

All your life, gold and treasure had always been given to you on a platter and your stealing service had usually been discussed with a large sum of Berries at the end. Then, the fact that Sanji wasn’t interested in either your talent or the gold but simply in you, was truly shocking to your core. 

Turning your gaze on him, seeing him, with the light of the moon illuminating his features gently, you smiled. 

“ I knew I should have stolen that silver tongue of yours” You joked, your heartbeat taking a faster beat.  

" I’m still afraid I still need it to pre-taste the food, but I gave my heart in exchange” He offered, happily watching you chuckle to his cheesy line. 

“ Fine, I accept the trade “ You answer finally “ But I still expected high quality meal “ 

“ Of course my Princess, I would never give you less than the best, ” Sanji replied, his adoration gaze fixed on you. After all, for him, you’re the most precious thing in the world.  

[romchat]

Director Deep Dive: The “Feminine Gaze” of Zeng Qingjie (A Familiar Stranger, Butterflied Lover)

What does it mean to film something through a “feminine gaze”? 

Unsurprisingly, this is a tough question to answer. In filmmaking, the feminine gaze is usually offered as an alternative to the “male gaze” or the ways movies and tv depict women as passive sex objects. Although filmmakers and scholars disagree over the definition and even value of the term, I like to think that, in its most basic form, the feminine gaze is visual storytelling that subverts or redefines how gender looks on screen.

I think one director whose visual storytelling often taps into that feminine gaze is Zeng Qingjie so I thought it would be interesting to discuss some of the stylistic choices that make his work unique.

I first came across Zeng’s work via the short dramas A Familiar Stranger and Butterflied Lover.

What struck me about these two fantasy romances is how different they feel despite having relatively standard plots for their genre. Both dramas are dreamy and refreshingly sensual and intimate. They touch on taboo topics like menstruation, abortion, and the dangers of pregnancy while also quietly challenging traditional gender roles. But most interesting to me is how they center their women protagonists not just in the plot but in the way the camera captures their image. These are women stories and it's evident down to the cinematography.

Style Element: Subjectivity

For instance, Zeng's visual storytelling often uses subjectivity.

Subjective cinematography is when we the viewers see what a character sees or feel what a character feels because of the camera’s position, movement, lenses, etc. It’s considered a critical feature of the feminine gaze because it forces us to recognize the thoughts and feelings of women characters who are often overlooked in traditional media.

Zeng adopts several cinematography techniques to put the audience in the mind of his women protagonists, and together these techniques encourage us to empathize with them, especially in their darkest moments.

One of my favorite examples of this is an early scene of Butterflied Lover.

In the drama, Tang Qianyue, the FL, has been infected by a poison that turns people into monsters known as "butterfly slaves". Qianyue knows she has been infected but to appear normal in front of her loved ones secretly suppresses her monster form. One day, however, she begins turning into a butterfly slave against her will.

As seen above, the scene of her transformation consists of many long shots that showcase the full horror of her monster form.

But the scene ends with a close-up of her face, the camera lingering on the anguish she feels at her body betraying her. Look at how the camera keeps her face in focus but her claws blur with the background, her blood-red eyes hidden in shadow. Zeng wants us to understand how she feels in this moment, not what danger she presents. She might be a monster but we feel pity for her rather than hate or disgust because of the humanizing subjectivity of the camera language.

(Side Note: I don't think it's an accident that most of the infected people shown in their butterfly slave form are women given that monsters in media often symbolize the unknown or uncontrollable elements of the feminine experience. It makes me wonder about the role of female monsters in Chinese myth and whether there are parallels to their patriarchal meaning in Ancient Greek mythology.)

I think another good example of this humanizing camera language is in the sexual assault scene of A Familiar Stranger.

Unlike many shows that depict sexual assault in an erotic way (i.e., filmed to make us sexually excited about a woman’s powerlessness and nakedness), Zeng uses a combination of close-ups, shallow depth of field, and canted angles to make us feel the violation. With the intimate but disorienting effect of these camera techniques, we feel Shi Qi's duress but also clearly see her attacker's abuse of power. We feel what she feels and therefore have a better understanding of what it's like being a woman trying to navigate the world. It’s an awful moment but one that doesn't objectify or visually disempower her as a character.

Style Element: Sexuality and Feminine Desire

(Side Note: Woot woot pregnancy sex)

Zeng also challenges the ways women's bodies are typically objectified on screen by how he portrays his characters' sexuality. In his dramas, women aren't sex objects but instead subjects who experience sexual desire and express their sensuality.

I love the intro of A Familiar Stranger for this very reason.

The show opens with the camera languidly panning across a line of bare legs and scantily clad bodies, their owners posed seductively. It’s a stereotypical example of the male gaze reducing women to their bodies.

But then Zeng's subverts this male gaze when he has one of the women look right into the camera in a subtle fourth wall break.

According to filmmaker-critic Joey Soloway, such moments are an example of "returning the gaze" and are a way for women characters to articulate how they feel about being seen as objects:

"When a female character breaks the fourth wall, they acknowledge the reality that they are being watched and are refusing to remain passive in that. Instead of being gazed upon, they remind us of their agency by directly addressing us and giving us insight into what they’re thinking and what emotions their actions are being motivated by." (Mariel Cipriaso)

Through this technique, we learn that the seductive performance is not for the benefit of some man on screen (or in the audience) but instead themselves. These women, who also happen to be sex workers, are posing for a portrait as a cheeky way to celebrate their own beauty and sensuality divorced from the services they provide male clients (with some sapphic undertones to boot!).

They are in control of the camera not the other way around. 

Ultimately, these are stories where women find pleasure, and the intimacy scenes reflect that.

Everything is softly lit and impressionistically shot as if the characters are lost in the haze of their mutual desire. The use of close-up and extreme close-up shots further play with our senses, giving us the tactile feeling of skin on skin, breath against breath. Unlike stories filmed through the male gaze, Zeng’s camera doesn’t reduce his women characters to body parts and mere receptacles of male desire—they’re active participants who desire and enjoy their partners just as much.

And what I find particularly interesting is that the scenes don’t just “center” these women’s POV but instead show how sex (and touch more broadly) is a vehicle for emotional intimacy and the impact of that intimacy on their male partners. (That hand flex below is giving Mr. Darcy.) Sex and physical intimacy between men and women is transformative not exploitative.

In these two dramas, women aren't objects of desire that men use for their own pleasure but instead subjects who are seen as such by the other characters* and, most importantly, Zeng Qingjie's camera.

(*Side Note: See @well-dressedwords' excellent analysis about the ML in A Familiar Stranger. His intuitive trust towards the FL is an example of seeing her as a subject. He doesn't recognize her for superficial reasons like beauty but her character, which he was able to glean when they first meet and she saves him--hence the title A Familiar Stranger.)

[aether-bun]

Hi there I was wondering if you could write some headcanons of the S/V Trio+carmin and kieran (and maybe the BB league if not then just the first two) meeting a gn or male reader who is poke-human hybrid(half incineroar) who was part of an experiment and was saved by their adopted mother

HEADCANON TIME

Anomaly (noun):

"Something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified; something anomalous."

"The legend of the hybrids is a story that has lived in Paldea longer than most. In an age long past, there was once a fearsome group of monstrous creatures; monsters that bore the forms of Incineroar, that spoke the dialect of humankind. They terrorised villages and destroyed homes, and were hunted down to what was thought to be their extinction. Some say they can still hear the horrifying screams of these abominations in caves and cliff edges to this day, but none who explore these rumours have ever come back..."

Characters (in order): Nemona, Arven, Kieran

The reader is referred to with he/him pronouns, but is otherwise kept ambiguous in terms of everything but the fact that he is VERY tall. This is purely platonic!!

[author's note at the end!]

NEMONA is the first to meet you.

I think she would meet you in the beach area we find Korai/Miraidon

It was by complete accident, she was walking around and exploring when she suddenly heard what sounded like human voices echoing from off the ledge, so she investigated, worried that someone was hurt.

What she didn't expect was to see a group of people, with arms that faded into red paws, legs that did the same, tails that swished around, a fiery belt around their waists and two red and black ears coming out of short, thick red hair!

You locked eyes, and both of you were very nervous immediately. She had so many questions! But by the time she could get her brain back together to formulate any sort of a sentence, you and your pride took off into the caves.

She doesn't see you again for a few months - she almost thinks she dreamt the whole day up - until she's exploring those exact caves in search of some houndour to catch.

She's overencumbered, of course, because suddenly their houndoom appears and they're all surrounding her and her pokemon, and she knows she's definitely screwed up

Suddenly, there's a loud, earth-shaking roar, as you emerge with your pack at the cave's only other exit. The pack of hounds flinch at your intimidating forms and flee, and you make sure they stay gone before cautiously helping this human off of the ground.

She's stunned. The rambler can't form a thought. You tower over her, and your form fills her head with so many questions that she's afraid her head will explode, but again, you're gone before she can even get them out.

So, she starts staying around the cave when she knows it's safe. She finally has the courage and the power to stop her brain from frying when she sees you, so she wants to get to know you. You see her, of course, from afar, but you don't go near her. The humans can't know.

Until she finds you anyway, and she tries to introduce herself.

You're cautious. This woman is half your height, you could literally crush her, but she's holding out her hand to you and telling you her name, as if that idea isn't looming above her like a vice. It is. She's very scared.

"....[Y/N]." You caution, shaking her hand as she beams. "So you can talk!?" She asks, making you cringe from her volume. "Yes?" You say.

From there, you grow to be unlikely friends. She swears she won't tell anyone who you are! She swears she won't let anyone know she's seen you - it'll be your little secret!

Yeah. Guess how long that lasted. Now take that guess and halve it. It took three days for her to crack and spill to Arven. Penny overheard by pure accident, too, and Nemona made them swear to not tell anyone.

"Didn't you also swear that?!" Arven had demanded. Nemona immediately changed the subject.

Finding two more humans in your den was irritating, but Nemona made you feel like you couldn't stay mad at her. This, in turn, made you even more frustrated.

Nemona likes to feel your fur and insists you're so soft that she feels like she can go to sleep on you. You deny her that leisure as soon as you can.

She likes learning about how you and your pack live, coexisting with other pokemon. You tell her it's an oddly isolating life; stuck between pokemon and human with no way of ever fitting into either category. It's why you live in this cave. It's safer here.

"Isn't it...lonely?"

"...yes. it is. but it's necessary for our survival as a pack."

Nemona feels very sorry for you, but makes up for it by always sneaking off to hang with you as much as she can.

You find you like the insight these new humans have, so you don't mind their stay.

ARVEN is very intimidated when he meets you.

For a researcher, you would've thought Nemona's story about Pokehumans would be completely blasphemous to him.

You would be wrong.

He believed her instantly, without so much as a photo of proof. It was Penny who managed to get him to realise how off that sounded.

The three of them took to researching anything about these supposed hybrids that they could. Arven was the one to find the old folkstory. It scared him.

"Nemona, you can't go back there. Look at this! These things are obviously just trying to kill you!"

Nemona is VERY quick to jump to your defense. "Arven! He saved me from those houndour and houndoom I was trying to fight! He saw that I could've been hurt and he stepped in and saved me!"

Penny remarked the unusual behaviour.

Arven wasn't buying your charity act.

"Until I see proof that these things exist, let alone are docile, I'm not believing a word." He crossed his arms.

"Great, come meet them then!"

"What?!"

And thus, Nemona and Arven set off while Penny did more research into the beings.

When your new human friend arrives to your spot in the cave, you see she's dragging along with her a blond haired man. This sets you on edge, and unfortunately, you and your pack immediately rising to defend your home gives off a bad first impression.

Arven tries to pull Nemona away, to escape, to fight back, to hide, to do anything but stand there and try to reason with them Nemona please for the love of Arceus let's GO

Nemona apologises to you for accidentally spilling your secret and it takes quite a while for you to tell your pack to stand down. You come to face them, and Arven stares at you with unhidden horror. You huff. He flinches with a whimper.

"[Y/N], this is Arven. Arven, this is [Y/N]. He leads the pack." Nemona's voice is steady but it's easy to see she's nervous. You can basically smell the fear on them.

It takes an even longer while for Arven to calm down enough to look at you properly. Multiple visits, where you aren't alone together, and then he eventually realises you don't pose a threat unless he does, which, to be fair, in your eyes he never did.

(you're pretty sure you could blink and he'd disintegrate. you don't say this, for fear that the idea will have the same effect.)

Eventually, you warm up to him and his Mabostiff companion, and he warms up to you enough to be alone with you and the pack.

He sews up some of your clothes, noticing the wear and tear of them. Like most of your interactions, it takes a while for you to let him, but once you do, he acknowledges the trust you have in him and is very careful.

Before long, he becomes your medic too. He teaches you about these wonderful things called sandwiches that you have in these events deemed picnics, and in turn he notes your behaviours and temperaments.

It's a mutually beneficial relationship. You trust him and he trusts you. He becomes your second "friend".

[For this next segment, I am going to say that the preface is that Carmine and Kieran are looking into urban legends around Paldea and they come across the one about your pack. This next section is assuming Nemona, Arven and Penny either never found you, or found you later. Consider this the other path in the road if you will! :)]

KIERAN meets you in the plateaued mountains of Paldea, on a mission to prove you're real.

In hindsight, the circumstances could've been better.

He'd been injured on the mountains by a rogue Zigzagoon, and he was currently trying to call for help.

No, as in, he was yelling 'Help'. He's a kid without a phone, man.

You hear his cries and, against your better judgement, you command the pack to hide and look for the voice yourself.

Lo and behold, you find a small boy, no older than a kit, and he's bleeding around his leg. A Dipplin and a Grigar are looking on in concern for their trainer, and, though weakened, they jump to defend when they see you approach.

Alerted by the sounds of his pokemon amping to attack, he looks and he sees you, the terrifying hybrid creature he'd read about in tales of old.

In those tales, this was the part where he became a fatality.

He was paralysed with fear, the pain of his leg long forgotten as he stared up at you.

Death never came. Instead, you kneeled and spoke to the offensive Pokemon. Just like the stories, you spoke perfectly human. Your voice was gravelly and rough, but completely comprehensible.

"He needs assistance."

The Pokemon spoke back to you. You seemed to dislike their answer.

"I do not wish to hurt him. If you want that wound to get worse, then I'll leave. But if you want that kit to keep that leg of his, I can help."

Kieran's Pokemon looked back at his trembling form, before resigning to a nod. You turned your gaze to focus on the boy, who seemed to be on the verge of a heart attack.

"I can help you, young one."

He shook his head.

"Your leg. It is bleeding."

Hating the way his words failed him, he slowly nodded.

"If you do not let me help you, that will hurt more and it will get worse. You cannot get to a Pokemon Centre from here by yourself. Allow me to help you."

Grigar and Dipplin had returned to his side and offered their concerned support once again. Soothed very slightly by his Pokemon, Kieran swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly, he nodded.

You were careful with the kit. You took him first to your pack and used some natural resources to bandage the wound and stop the bleeding. You crafted a stilt to keep his leg from moving with some wooden crutches, and then you left him near the edge of the woods, near a centre, where his Pokemon could then aid him in getting him the rest of the way.

In that time, he'd asked you some questions.

"How long have you been out here?"

"Centuries."

"And...you don't ever get seen?"

"We do. Most of your kind is violent first without thinking. That lack of trust almost made me not help you. But to go as low as those who cross that line would be to prove them right."

"So...you helped me to prove them wrong?"

"No, young one. I helped you because it's the right thing to do, and you are only small."

He was tended to quickly when he was seen by his own kind. Questions were thrown at him without even so much as the minute it took to sit him down. "Who bandaged this? Where did you learn to make these crutches? How did you get back down here without encountering any more trouble?"

He looked back at where he could faintly see your outline. You were watching him to make sure he was safe.

"...I just did." He said, refusing to elaborate.

With a nod, you disappeared into the woods, and the boy never saw you again. He didn't need to. He had all the proof he needed, and it'd stay with him for the rest of his life.

He could feel you watching him sometimes, when he was exploring the plateau with his sister. But he never really saw more than a flickering trail of embers or a rogue tail swishing as you undoubtedly left for your pack.

Your protection made him smile.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Okay so first and foremost, where are Penny and Carmine??

To be completely honest, I didn't know how to write either of them in this situation! I felt that Penny would be much like a diluted version of Arven, and that Carmine would be almost identical to Nemona, and maybe it's just my brain but I couldn't figure how to articulate that. So my sincerest apologies for that.

Otherwise, I hope that this was a nice little read! I liked the idea of trying to figure out how to hybrid an incineroar with a human, and I found a lot more trouble in it than I initially thought I would!

Thank you so much for this request, it was a real mind boggler to be honest, but incredibly fun nonetheless.

Send me your requests in my inbox! Otherwise, ciao for now ♡

[onceuponafosterkid]

I met my bio mom once when I was 15. I remember thinking it was strange that this woman had given birth me and I had never met her before. She told me she loved me, and I didn’t say it back, because how can you love someone you don’t even know? Growing up, my adoptive mom told us horror stories about our birth mom, saying she never wanted us and probably never thought about us. I wondered about her every day. We lost contact, and when I was 18, I got her number. I would try to text her, but it always went one of two ways. She would either ask who I was, and I would have to remind her that I’m one of her daughters. The other times she would text me on accident, thinking I was her granddaughter, and asking me to bring her a beer from the fridge. At the time she lived in Oklahoma, but just recently she moved out here to Denver after her mom passed away. I never met my biological grandmother, or my niece and nephew. My brother knows them all and has a good relationship with everyone and sometimes I get jealous over that. It’s weird that one decision changed my whole life, but it’s like her life just kept going. I’ve always had this empty spot for her, and I don’t know if it’s like that for her. We reconnected recently and now I’m going to see her on Wednesday for the second time ever. I’m nervous. I also just recently changed my name, which is the third name I’ve had in my life. It’s probably stupid, but I want her to like the name I’ve chosen for myself. It’s the last string that connected me to my ex adoptive family, and it feels very freeing to no longer have that name. I’m nervous that my mom won’t like me, which sounds ridiculous. I’m also nervous that she’s going to disappear again. I’m not sure what to expect, so I’m trying to keep an open mind while also protecting myself emotionally. I guess we’ll see how it goes.

[yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt]

hiiii i love your writing! can you write anything with ambrosius being protective over ballister (movie versions)? thank you for reading this either way!

That's so sweet! I'm so glad you enjoy it :) I've got just the thing!! Important context/summary for this piece: Ballister was an orphan, he was adopted at one point and then returned for being too rowdy as a little child. His "parents" show up. Ambrosius is Big Mad

Ballister chopped vegetables while Ambrosius flipped channels on the other side of the floor. It would be dinner time soon. He hummed and swayed to the music coming from his phone while he cooked. He disliked cleaning and he loved cooking, so this arrangement was an easy sell.

Since announcing their engagement, tabloids were, of course, annoying, so it was nicer to just spend their days off in their house, cooking, dancing, planning their wedding. It would be perfect. Neither of them wanted a big one, but it was going to be so beautiful.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He turned the skillet off and wiped his hands before proceeding over there. He was ready to turn away over-ambitious fans, or welcome in friends, or see whatever Nimona dragged back from her adventures. He was not ready for what was on the other side of that door.

When he opened the door, he saw an older couple and a young woman, smiling at him. He didn't recognize them, but there was something familiar, uneasy, that he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Can I help you?"

"Ballister, son!" The man said with a grin. "It's so good to see you again. You remember us, don't you?"

Ballister furrowed his brow. The woman spoke, "It's us, sweetie. Your mom and dad."

Suddenly it all came back. Sitting in the adoption interview, sweating, doing his best to look like a perfect child, being so so so happy when he was told they'd chosen him, going to his new house, sleeping in a proper bed, wearing clean clothes and getting affection and attention as he needed it. Then the accident, running around with his little sister, bumping into the TV, getting cuts on her arm and his eye. The hospital. Stitches. Being dragged back to the orphanage. How he screamed and cried and begged his mommy and daddy not to return him. How they didn't listen. Getting dumped back like a defective toy. Getting bullied for being returned. Nobody wanting to adopt him again. How he missed his toys and warm bed and clothes and hadn't been allowed to keep even a single thing. How he firmly believed after that, for years, that nobody would ever love him.

"Don't – don't call yourselves that. What the fuck are you doing here?"

"We wanted to congratulate you on your engagement!" The woman, he remembered their last name was Clocksmith, said with a smile.

He blinked. "My engagement?" He was engaged to Ambrosius Goldenloin. A member, albeit unwillingly, of one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the Kingdom without royal blood. If these people were his family, they would be a part of that family too.

Too bad they never signed the papers.

"Of course, son. What wonderful news! You must be so happy. We've missed you so much. When is the wedding?" Mr. Clocksmith asked, with a forced nicety about him that made Ballister's skin crawl.

"You're not coming to my wedding. The date isn't public."

Mrs. Clocksmith stepped forward, "Ballister, sweetie, I'm sure you're still hurt, and we're so sorry, but don't family bonds run deeper than–"

"You're not my family. You never signed the paperwork. You didn't raise me. You spent two months giving me some fun house mirror reflection of a family just so you could take it all away!" He looked at their faces and saw the cold, apathetic expressions as he screamed and cried, dragged back into the orphanage. "What kind of a family does that!?"

Ambrosius, who had heard the yelling, quickly appeared by his side. "Woah, woah, hey, Bal, what's going on? Who are these people?" His warm hand slid onto the small of Ballister's back and his kind, worried eyes tore down the rest of Ballister's walls as if they were made of paper mache.

"We're his parents, it's such a pleasure to meet you, Sir Goldenloin!" Mr. Clocksmith offered his hand.

Ambrosius's eyes widened and tears slid out of Ballister's eyes. Ambrosius immediately pulled Ballister away and slammed the door.

Ballister leaned against it and slid to the floor sobbing. He felt like that scared lonely rejected little kid again. Ambrosius knelt in front of him and held him tightly, rocking gently. "I know, Bal. My poor baby. I'm so sorry. I'm going to get them away from our home, okay? I'm gonna get them to leave and never ever bother you again." He helped Ballister to his feet and led him by the hand to the sofa. "You just relax here, and I will come back. I love you so much."

Ambrosius turned on his heels and marched back towards the door. His blood boiled. How dare those people abandon Ballister like that? To return him like an object? It had destroyed Ballister. Given him problems with intimacy that didn't break down until Ambrosius chipped away bit by bit at his walls for nearly a decade.

Now they were back. Ambrosius knew why. And he hated that in some way it was his fault. If he were a regular person, they wouldn't use Bal to get to his family. The fact that they had the audacity to show up now, so flagrantly to use and discard Ballister again was sickening. He equipped his sword belt to his side and threw open the door. The people startled.

"How dare you." He growled, stepping out and slamming it behind him. "How dare you show your faces here! How dare you so flagrantly try to use him! He's not a toy or a tool! He's a person! A very sweet, lovely, kind, angel of a person! You would have been so lucky to be his parents. You treated him worse than I could ever imagine anyone treating anyone!" He seethed. "I hate that I'm the reason you came here. No, you are not his parents. You will never be a part of my family, and in fact, with one call to my parents I could probably get all of you cast out to the street!" He hated playing this card, and he was probably lying, but people like this only cared about things like that.

The father tried defending them, "Sir Goldenloin, you weren't a parent, you don't understand –"

"But YOU were! And a horrible one at that! I hope your daughter is okay because even if you loved her a million times more than you did Bal, a million times zero is still zero!" He drew his sword and pointed it down the street. "Now get the fuck away from my house or I will place both of you under arrest for harassment."

He didn't wait for an answer before slamming the door and bolting in shut. He quickly returned to Ballister, who was biting his nails, curled up on the couch. Nail biting had been an awful habit for him as a child, and Ambrosius could remember his little hands with their dirty nails beds, bitten down past the quick and caked with dried blood. The therapist said something about him not having any comfort items to hold or other stress-reducing repetitive stimuli causing him to do it. He only did it rarely as an adult. "Are you okay, Rose?"

"Of course I'm okay, are you okay?" He sat beside Bal and took his hands, gently removing them from his mouth. Ballister nodded and shuffled closer, leaning against him.

"Thank you for making them leave. I'm sorry, I don't know what happened, I-- I just shut down. It was embarrassing."

"Please don't ever worry about anything like that. I know how brave you are. I know how much shit you've been able to put up with. You don't have to put up with that too."

Ballister hummed softly and admired his engagement ring before closing his eyes. "It doesn't matter. You and Nimona are the only family I'll ever need."

Ambrosius smiled and kissed his forehead, snuggling in closer.

In a wisp of pink, Nimona appeared in the room behind them with some groceries, apparently having flown through a window. "Hey guys, what did I miss?"

[krishakamal]

Raag - Anurag § Chapter 1

— Ram x Sneha Acharya [OC]

*⁠.⁠✧ SYNOPSIS : Sneha Acharya lost her parents at a young age. Her father's friend, Arjun decided to adopt and take her to Hyderabad. There she grew up to be a beautiful woman. Then came her doom. She arranged to marry Ram, the traitor. Where will this go now?

*⁠.⁠✧ WARNINGS & TAGS : cursing, arranged marriage, 1.6k words.

*⁠.⁠✧ — NAVIGATION // RRR MASTERLIST // SERIES MASTERLIST

"Ahh!" Sneha yelled in pain, "It hurts, Kakima."

"Shhh, sit still." Her Kaki, Malini, ordered her as she worked on the latter's hair. Pinning the gajra to the bun.

Sneha huffed, looking at herself in the mirror. Today was her wedding and that too, with a man she despised.

At the tender age of six, Sneha lost both her parents to a car accident on their way home. Even though Sneha survived the accident, losing her parents left a great trauma on her. Arjun Dev, a close friend of her father who lived in Hyderabad, decided to adopt her.

Here, in Hyderabad, she grew up under his and his wife, Malini's care. Growing up, Sneha was fond of literature. She took inspiration from the nature around her and inked them in a diary. Later she decided to turn that hobby to her profession.

Sneha was not blind to atrocious works of the british. She knew well how monstrous they were. How they fooled Indians and took over the whole country. How they tortured poor Indians and kept them like slaves.

Sneha could not see their pain and misfortune so she decided that she would help as much as possible to free her country from their vicious clutches. She had written many nationalist books under the pen name 'Nandini'.

Now considering how much she loves Bharat and hates the British basterds, the last person she expected to marry was one of their loyal dogs, Alluri Sitaram Raju. She was pissed off when her uncle told her about the marriage proposal.

She instantly rushed off in anger to confront him but when he requested her with nothing but utter sincerity, Sneha could not turn him down. Had he not adopted Sneha, she didn't know what would have happened to her and Sneha was great to them. So, here she was now a few minutes away from getting married to that traitor, Sitaram.

Malini held Sneha's shoulders, "I'm so happy for you, Sneha. Trust me, Ram is a really good man and he will always keep you happy."

Sure, a traitor like him will do anything but keep me happy.

Sneha plasted a fake smile on her face and looked at Malini through the mirror's reflection, "I hope so."

Just then the door opened and one of her sisters ran in, "Hurry! The groom is here."

Malini left Sneha alone in the room to gather her thoughts. Sneha looked down, in her lap was a pendant, engulfed in her palms. Her mind was crowded with thoughts. How was she going to spend her life with Ram? Just how?

But time didn't stop for her. It went on it's pace. Sneha was escorted to the mandap where they were tied into the sacred bond of marriage. The wedding ended and Sneha bid a tear-filled farewell to her family. Then she was taken to his house where his side of the family performed all the rituals and in no time it was their wedding night.

Sneha sat on the bed, heart racing like a train. Her knees were pulled to her chest. She wondered if Ram would try to force himself on her. She was, by no means, ready for this. This was supposed to happen between two loves, soulmates and they were neither.

If he tries something, I'll kill him.

Sneha thought to herself. The wooden door opened and Ram walked in, closing the door behind. Sneha gripped the saree harder, so much that her knuckles turned white.

Ram started walking towards the bed. Just as he came to the end of the bed, Sneha shot up, standing on it with a knife in her hand, "Don't you dare come any closer or else I swear to god, I'll kill you."

Ram flinched back, startled, "What on earth are you doing?"

Ram glared at her but she snapped back, "Listen mister, I have no intention of being your wife, let alone spent a night with you. Stay the fuck away from me."

Ram could not help but scoff at her atrocious words, "Like I want to sleep with you. I have way more important work than sleeping with someone foul-mouthed like you."

"Yeah yeah whatever. Now get out." Sneha swung the knife in the door's direction, "You are not staying in the same room as me."

"This is my room. You get out."

"Do you want to die in your sleep?"

Ram gulped in fear, the kind of person she seemed to be, she probably would not even hesitate before stabbing him to death. Sneha smirked, knowing very well that she had won.

"Whatever, hope you die in your sleep." Ram snatched the blanket off the bed and started walking out, muttering under his breath, "Who named her Sneha, they need to be put in a mental asylum."

"And your name should have been Ravan instead, even better Shishupal, you useless coward." Sneha yelled before the door slammed shut.

Sneha waited a few seconds before sighing in relief, saved for the day. She got down from the bed and carefully hid the knife in the nightstand's drawer. She quickly took of all the make up and jwelleries and changed into simple saree. Then turning off the lights Sneha snuggled into the soft sheets and let the slumber pull her into the dreamland.

Sneha woke up the next morning to the empty house. Ram was nowhere to be seen. That happened the next and then the next day. Ram would leave the house before Sneha could wake up and come back after she had gone to sleep. The sofa in the living room was now his bed.

Sunlight peeked through the sheer curtains, filling the room with golden light. You snuggled more into the sheets before blinking your eyes open. Glancing at the table clock, it showed the time was 7 o'clock. Sneha sat up on the bed, streaching her limbs to get rid of the sleepiness.

Throwing off the blanket, which she found in the closet (Ram was too much of a dick to give her one), she got up. Sneha made the bed and then did her morning routine. Sneha dressed up in a red silk saree with gold work done on it.

Today she was going to make a library card at the local library. Books were her addiction and not being able to read one the past days were killing her inside. Her hair was still a little damp so she decided to leave them open.

Sneha walked down the stairs and into the living room, only to stop at the bottom step. There was Ram, sitting on the sofa, reading newspapers. Dressed in a simple white shirt and dress pants.

He was handsome— scratch that, he was extremely good looking. If only his personality was like Sri Ram. Sneha mourned internally. She walked into the kitchen, adjourned to the living room.

"Wow, look who didn't sneak out early in the morning today." Sneha said loudly, too loud.Ram could feel his eyebrows twitch. Stay calm Ram, don't listen to her bullshit. He could not stay calm for long when started again, "What? Did your dear British government fire you already?"

His mouth moved even before he could comprehend, "Look who didn't sleep till afternoon like a pig. What direction did the sun raise from today?"

Sneha's jaw dropped on the floor, "I sleep like a pig? Me? Sneha Acharya? Then you sleep like a damn donkey."

Ram mumbled, loudly, while turning a page of the newspaper, "Truth hurts. What can we do?"

This damn donkey!

Sneha stomped her feet before rushing into the kitchen. She could feel herself fuming with anger. Only a good cup of chai could help her calm down. As slammed the saucepan on the stove, an idea hit her brain.

"Oii." Sneha called from the kitchen.

"What?"

"I'm making chai. Do you want some?"

".............Sure." Ram answered after a minute of silence.

Sneha threw him an 'ok' sign and got back to prepare tea. Ram could feel something was off. But what could she do? Poison his tea?

Calling me a pig. The audacity. Now taste the tea made by a pig.

Sneha quickly prepared two cups of tea and brought it out in the living room. Placing the tray on the low coffee table, she handed him a cup and she herself started sipping from one.

Ram inspected the cup and the liquor. Smelling it, seeing from all angels. Sneha suppressed the laugh, dying to come out. Finally Ram took a sip.

Hmm? Not bad.

Until a second later it hit. The inside of his mouth started burning like hell. Ram dropped the cup on the ground, yelling in pain. He felt like he had eaten a thousand chillies. Sneha could not stop it anymore. She threw back on the sofa, laughing like a mad woman.

Ram searched the containers and cabinets, searching for something, anything, to help with the burning feeling. He finally found a small container of rasogolla. He somehow opened it and gulped down all of them in a matter of a few minutes.

When he finally calmed down, his chest was heaving crazyly. Anger raised in his head when he fully grasped what had happened. He saw Sneha leaning on the kitchen door, giving him mocking looks. Ram glared at it like an angry bull. If looks could kill, you would have been six feet under the ground by now.

Ram marched up to you, jabbing his pointer finger on your forehead with each word, "You. Will. Pay. For. This."

He gritted out before walking past you, shoving your shoulder with his in the process. You turned your head to see him stomping up stairs.

We will see Mr. Ram.

© 𝐊𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑, 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 — all content rights belongs to KRISHAKAMAL. Do not plagiarize any works and do not repost or translate onto any other sites.

All the rights and credits of the characters, gifs, songs and pictures used here belongs to their rightful owners.

[serialadoptersbracket]

Round 2, Match 58: Eda Clawthorne vs. Gavroche

Submitted kids:

Eda Clawthorne: Luz Noceda, King Clawthorne, Hunter, Edric Blight, and debatably, Amity Blight, Willow Park, and Gus Porter

Gavroche: Gavroche's unnamed brothers, but Gavroche was abandoned when very young and he doesn't know they're related to him

Propaganda under the cut!

Eda Clawthorne:

1. “First of all, Eda wasn't granted a lot of good things: She was cursed (by someone she loved) with an ever worsening illness, she was outcasted and prosecuted from society for not blindly following the rules and conforming. Lots of baggage and trauma. Still when Luz stumbled into human world, she took her in. She taught her magic and how to navigate this world.

She gave her advice and hugged her and reprimanded her. She wasn't an adoptive mom from the start, she grew into the role. She made mistakes, but she was willing to listen to Luz and overthink her behavior. Think of the beginning, when Luz wanted to go to school and Eda didn't want her. In the end she let her go and gave her her full support. She genuinely cared for her even when she was new in her life, and rescued her out of a lot of sticky situations, never left her behind, always ready to risk her life for those she loved.

Also King- She adopted him out of a cave and cared for him like a child even before Luz came. And the cared A LOT. For example, when his crown was took from him, she went on a dangerous mission (plus luz she just met and ""used"" for that) to retrieve it. Turns out, it was a ""burger king"" crown, but she did all that because see knew that was important to him. And even though she fears loosing him so much, she still helps him in his search for his real sad.

In conclusion: Outcast who still uses all her resources to give their kids a happy life, an education and a future. She fully supports them (but like a mother also draws a line here and there). She visits school meetings and does paperwork for Luz, she reads stories for them to fall asleep, she goes to Luz' prom, she hides her pain to be strong for them.”

2. “Eda Clawthorne always said she was a terrible influence and took the word “maternal” as an insult. She then proceeded to accidently adopt a sentient demon beast thing, raise him, adopt some human that tripped into her dimension, mentor her, all while being on the run from the tyrannical government. She canonically adopts King in the second season and King and Luz call each other siblings. She also calls them “her kids.” Eda attempts to sacrifice herself for them at many times and tries her best to keep them safe, and is really sad about the fact that they’ll one day leave her to go back to their own families. She puts away her own biases against the school system so that Luz can lead magic. The maternal instincts basically kick her out of nowhere and she goes from a badass, absolute menace to society to badass, absolute menace to society who happens to have two chaos gremlins.”

3. “Her being an adoptive parent wasn't even on her plan, she just likes to defy the government. Oops, now we're a family. Fuck you Emperor Belos!”

4. “This champion of a woman, this legend of a lady, continuously and effortlessly picks up children to care for as if her own. Before the events of the main storyline, she has already adopted the *King of Demons* himself. She takes Luz under her wing (ha), much like she takes in numerous other children with the intent of letting them prosper and grow away from responsibilities and duties placed on them by their previous parental figures. She is thirty and flirty and DANG she is a good mother. She casually picks up three more children whilst aiding in a rebellion with the (NON-BINARY) love of her life. Upon meeting the wonderful biological mother of Luz (Camila Noceda), you can see her VISIBLY SWEATING with the insurmountable pressure she feels to make a good first impression after a whopping three seasons of having raised Camila's kid herself. She cares very deeply for these kids and the people they love, and thus I argue she is one of the best serial adopters in history, if not THE best ever. boom mic drop the crowd goes wild”

(Mod note: Full propaganda list coming soon!)

Gavroche:

“Gavroche's a child himself but cares about the other two like a parent is supposed to : "I'm off to the elephant with my kids. On the supposition that you should need me some night, you'll find me there. I live on the second floor. There is no doorman. You should ask for Monsieur Gavroche." (The elephant is a hollow sculpture where they sleep)”

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

The Big Wheel: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.3k

Summary: The case you’re on is dependent on a little boy who is blind who sees with more than just his eyes.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated

x

You drive back to the police station and see JJ, Emily, and Penelope looking at the board with all the victims on it. You join the group and look at all the victims on the board.

"He sure does like his blondes. Not a good date, though. Too stabby," Penelope says.

"Less so with Michelle and the girl we found this morning. We profiled that he must have known her with the way she was found. I think she caught him in the act or even saw the report on the news. He had to have killed her to keep his secret," you say. "His name is also Vincent. He was caught on footage in a camera shop when he bought tiny cameras for his glasses."

"Every one of these murders happens during a month in Spring. Spring must be the stressor for Vincent."

"Do you think my video was done in the Spring?"

"There's a good chance."

"Okay. The 80s, Spring, and Buffalo. I will search for homicides and see if I can make a connection."

Penelope gets to work on her laptop.

"All of the victims except for Michelle were killed within a year of each other. Victim ten, Joyce Wolcott, was stabbed thirty-two times, and Michelle was stabbed just once two years later. What's missing from Michelle's murder is any sign of rage or overkill. Instead, on the tape we see signs of remorse. A complete and sudden emotional change. It's absolutely fascinating."

"I was just thinking the same thing," you grin at your boyfriend.

"I love you Reid and Y/N, but the stuff you find fascinating is sad. Okay, the woman in my video looks a lot like the ones on your board, don't you think?"

Penelope shows the clearest picture of the woman she can get.

"He's killing her over and over again."

"Guys, there was an actual witness in Joyce's murder. A young boy. Her son. His name is Stanley."

Penelope looks up the details of Joyce's murder as quickly as she can.

"Neighbors called the police when they heard her son screaming for his mother. They were both found in the backyard, and she was dead."

"He saw the whole thing?" you gasp.

"If he did, why didn't the unsub kill the only living witness? Did they interview him? Did he see the killer?"

"He didn't see anything. He's blind from birth."

"Where is he now?" you wonder.

"He was foster-homed after her death. His father died in a car accident years before this."

"Tell me he's still in Buffalo."

"He is. I'm sending over the address now."

"I'll call Derek and Rossi from the car. Thanks, Pen." You text Derek and Rossi from the car and meet up with them at Stanley's house. There is a young boy sitting on the front porch reading a book in Braille. "How's a going? We're looking for Stanley Wolcott."

"Who wants to know?"

"My name is Y/N. I'm with the FBI."

"FBI? Cool," he chuckles.

Something clicks inside your head, and you take a wild shot in the dark.

"Is today your birthday?"

"Can I help you?" Kate comes out before Stanley can answer.

Kate is Stanley's foster mom whom he's been living with for a while.

"Yes, I'm Agent Y/N, this is Agent Derek Morgan and Agent Dave Rossi. We're with the FBI. I'm sorry to do this today of all days, but we need to talk to Stanley. It's urgent."

Stanley and Kate escort you inside their house to talk in private.

"How long have you had Stanley?"

"Nine months. The adoption papers came through last week, so we're moving to California." Stanley walks away from his mom and clicks his tongue to navigate his way. "Uh, Stanley's been blind since birth. His mom didn't want him to use a cane, so he clicks. It's called echolocation. It's where the sound bounces off objects, kind of like a bat uses sonar."

"I'm the Batman," Stanley grins.

Derek walks over to him and kneels down to be on his level even though Stanley is looking nowhere near where Derek's face is.

"Hey, batman. My colleagues and I need to ask you some questions."

Stanley reaches out to touch Derek's face since this is how he sees what people look like.

"This is about my mom, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Have you found him? I can feel a lie."

"We're looking for him, Stan. We could use your help. Now, what I'm asking you to do probably won't be easy."

"Will it help you catch him?"

"It might."

"Are you sure about this?" Kate asks nervously not knowing exactly what Derek is going to do.

"It's okay. I want to do this."

"Okay, two years ago on that night, you were playing in the snow with your mom, right?"

"Yeah. She said my lips were turning blue. She told me to go in and get warm. She said it was getting dark. I went inside and started to take off my clothes to get warm, but she didn't come back in." Stanley is brought back to that night and looks distressed. "Mom? Mom!"

You get tears at the pain he must be feeling.

"Stanley, what do you hear?"

"The snow is so thick. It covers the house and the yard. Everything's so quiet. I called her but she doesn't call back. I thought I heard my mom."

"Is she talking?"

"Crying."

"What do you do now?"

"Go outside."

"You're doing good, Stanley. You're doing really good. I'm right here, okay? Can you hear your mom now?"

"No. I can't hear anything. I feel... Someone was there. I felt someone there. It's not my mom," he whimpers.

"Okay, that's enough," Kate says and steps behind her son.

"He saw me, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did."

Hotch calls Rossi to tell him there is another stabbing with someone that looks like Vincent. You hate to bring all this up with Stanley and leave him, but that's exactly what you do. Lynne and Hotch meet up with you at the location where Vincent stabbed someone and left a witness. Two men were going to jump and rob Vincent when he stabbed one of them but not before he was shot. The other one ran away before he was killed like his friend.

When you get there, Hotch and Lynne are talking to the witness who came back.

"He just came out of nowhere. He rolled up on us," he lied.

"Which way was he walking?"

"That way," the kid points east.

"He's heading East."

"So, let me get this straight. You and your friend attempt to rob the guy, your friend shoots the man, he defends himself, and you did nothing? You ran away and called 911?"

"I'm done talking, Fed. I ain't saying nothin'. I want my lawyer."

"You'll get a lawyer. Answer my question," Hotch glares.

"He shot him once," he sighs.

"Where?"

"In the stomach."

"What was he doing when you rolled up on him?" Derek asks.

"He had his head down and was walking real fast like he was late for something."

"When he didn't give you what you wanted, what did he do?"

"At first nothing. He just started making this noise with his tongue."

"What kind of noise?"

The kid shrugs and you step forward.

"Listen to me. Was it like this?" You click your tongue in the same way Stanley did.

"Yeah, just like that." You look back at Derek and Rossi worriedly. "Exactly like that. He slammed Jay with a knife and turned and came after me."

"It's called Echolocation. The tenth victim left behind a blind son who uses echolocation to get around."

"How would the killer know that?"

"Because he saw the boy was blind the night he killed his mother. I think that's why he didn't kill the boy. Today's that kid's birthday. He's the event."

"Henderson, get units to meet us at 6518 Cantwell Drive right now," Derek says.

You rush over there as soon as you can but Stanley is already gone. Vincent must have taken him right after you left. Kate hears the sirens and comes rushing out of the house with tears streaming down her eyes.

"He's gone! He's gone. I thought he was in his room. He said he was tired."

"When was the last time you checked on him?"

"Twenty minutes ago. I just don't understand. He would have had to pass me to get out."

"When you checked on him, was he asleep?"

"He was under the covers."

"Did you hear anything?"

"I heard a car horn beep twice. I looked out the window, but I didn't see anything."

"He's gotta have at least twenty minutes on us," Derek sighs.

"He's gonna kill him, isn't he?" she cries.

"Let's just take a look inside."

You walk inside the house and see Stanley standing by his door. When you walk closer to him, he walks further from you. Vincent is outside the window helping him through. Both of them run to the car that's waiting by the curb. Stanley didn't seem scared. He knows Vincent. You look down and see blood on the window sill.

"There's blood here."

"Oh, God," Kate whispers.

"No, it's not Stan's. I think the man who took him was injured. It's his blood. We think his name is Vincent."

"Vincent?" she gasps. "Stan knew him before he came to me. He's known him for over a year because Vincent was a registered helper in a mentoring program. He comes around from time to time to talk to Stanley."

"Which one?"

"Oh, God. Stan has belonged to so many programs. I can't remember where he met Vincent," she groans.

Derek calls Penelope for further assistance.

"Garcia, we got a name. Vincent."

"Morgan, I'm gonna need a surname, honey."

"She can't remember."

"Can you at least cross-reference Vincent's name with all of the mentor organizations in Buffalo?"

"I think we'll get more from the video."

"We're running out of time. He has the kid."

"Trust me, okay? Give me a second." Penelope types as fast as she can and gets an article published in the mid-80s. "That's her. That's the woman from the film. Her name is Kim Rowlings who was killed in her home. When police arrived, they found her son Vincent Rowlings sitting with the body of his murdered mother. Police believe that he sat with her for more than twenty-four hours."

"He was only nine years old," JJ says from beside Penelope. "He filmed his mother's murder and hid the tape from the police all these years."

"I found it. Vincent Rowlings, 5605 Pearl Street on the East side in Buffalo."

"Tell Hotch we're en route," Emily says.

"They found his address," Derek says to Rossi.

Hotch, Spencer, and Emily head over to Vincent's house, but he isn't there. They find his studio set up where he edits his murders, including his mother's. Penelope calls Hotch and brings in Derek so that you're all communicating on one line. Derek places her on speakerphone so everyone can hear.

"Hotch, you've got Rossi, Y/N, and Morgan."

"We have Stan's foster mother, Kate, here. Stanley is missing, and there's blood on the windowsill."

"Kate, did Vincent take Stan out? Was there a favorite place they liked to go to?" Hotch asks.

"No, I only allow him to see Stan under this roof and with my supervision. He's been coming around more since I told him we were moving away."

"When did you tell Vincent that?"

"Like a week ago. Why?"

"He killed Michelle a week ago. That must be the stressor that triggered Vincent's behavior change."

"Kate, Vincent wrote the number twenty-nine with a circle around it numerous times. Today is the 29th. We believe the circle may represent a specific location. They would have talked about it, or he might even have taken him there before. Did Vincent talk to Stan about adventures that they could take? Places they could visit?"

"I don't know," she sighs in frustration.

"What are Stanley's favorite things to do?" you ask.

"He likes to build things. Vincent used to help him."

Kate shows you the construction sets that are made from plastic. Among them is a ferric wheel that Vincent helped Stan make.

"The Ferris Wheel is a circle. When did they build this?"

"Over the last couple of months. He's been in here every night."

"Garcia, check Buffalo and the surrounding areas for any theme parks, permanent or visiting," Derek says.

"There's a theme park just outside of Buffalo that's happening right now."

"Does it have a Ferris Wheel?"

"Yes."

"Let's go."

Your team meets up with Hotch's team even though Hotch isn't with them. He stayed behind to go over the footage of who else could be victims at the hands of Vincent. There are a ton of people here but you know exactly what Vincent and Stan's energies look like. You don't waste time trying to find out where they are because you can just follow the trail.

"Follow me!"

No one argues with you and follows behind as you run through the theme park. The Ferris Wheel is in the very back of the theme park, and you stop once you reach it. You look to the top and see Vincent and Stan there talking. He looks over and sees the FBI. He knows he's not getting out of this, but since he has an untreated gunshot wound, you don't know if he's going to be alive for much longer.

"I need you to get this kid off the wheel. Do it now." The attendant moves the Ferris Wheel so that the car in which Vincent is in is lowered to the ground. You don't have to touch Vincent to know that he's dead. He knew he was going to die and wanted to bring Stanley here. "Okay, now open it."

"What's going on?" Stanley asks.

"Stanley, it's Derek from the FBI. It's okay. You're going to be okay."

"Vincent, what's going on?"

"Listen to me. I need you to come with me. Let go of Vincent. Just come with me. I'm getting you out of here."

Derek picks Stan up, but the small child looks to where he thinks Vincent is.

"Vincent?"

Derek brings Stan over to an unoccupied bench while Lynne checks to see if Vincent is alive. Kate rushes through the crowd and hugs her son tightly.

"Honey!" she cries.

Derek tries to leave to give them a moment but Stanely stops him.

"Derek?"

Derek walks back over to Stanely and kneels so that Stan can feel his face.

"What's up, kid?"

"Did he kill my mom?"

Stan can feel a lie so if Derek lies, then he'll have his answer. Though, he doesn't say anything to him. Stanley breaks out in tears and cries against his foster mom's chest.

"No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible." - George Chakiris

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[yanderes-galore]

Hi this is my first time ever requesting something so please forgive me if the formatting is bad but can I request a one shot of platonic Yandere Edward Richtofen where the reader is like his daughter from another timeline or dimension it can be Primis or ultimis thank you for your time have a wonderful day/night :)

This is kind of playing off my previous Ultimis Richtofen concept. I mentioned him being devastated if his darling died or swapped time lines. So this is the result of that.

If the lore is off somehow tell me as I am rusty with it (I have to watch that seven hour long video again, lol-)

Bit lengthy and not fully proofread so I apologize for spelling errors!

Parallels

Yandere! Platonic! Primis! Edward Richtofen with Daughter! Darling Short

Pairing: Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Obsession somewhat at first sight, Dubious adoption, Manipulation, Thoughts of murder, Overprotective behavior, Jealousy, Dubious family dynamic, Murder, Vague yandere, OOC Richtofen near the end.

"Father?"

Richtofen had no idea what to say when he saw the woman in front of him. There was a loud noise that he and his crew heard, then when they checked it out... he was greeted by a confused woman. What was even weirder was what the woman said.

She called him... father. Far as Richtofen knew he had no children. The crew he had gathered looked just as confused as him when they saw you. Although... the possibility that you two were related wasn't impossible.

Richtofen was fully aware of alternate time lines and dimensions. Agartha was proof along with the existence of his Ultimis counterparts. He's traveled through time and dimensions... so the existence of you could make sense.

His theory when he looked you over with caution was you were his daughter in another time, perhaps his Ultimis self. Somehow an accident must've happened... bringing you here. You looked so scared and confused-

"You called me... father?" Richtofen asks with faint curiosity. Your fear only deepens.

"Yes... are you not? You look like him! His name is Richtofen...." You ask. Richtofen looks to his crew, they urge him to continue.

"That is my name... but I fear I am not the Richtofen you know, dear." Richtofen tries to explain. He makes his tone gentle like one you'd use to a child. He may have never had a daughter... but something tells him he should he gentle with you.

Some sort of connection draws him to you despite not being your true father.

"What do you mean?" You ask again before the distant roar of the undead distract you both.

"I'll explain later, come with me! It's not safe here." Richtofen pleads, holding out his scarred hand. You eye him for a second...

Then you take his hand...

and all feels right.

Richtofen was surprised how natural it felt to hold your hand. For some reason saving you, pulling you close, and caring for you felt right. It even made him wonder if he was meant to have a daughter at some point. Unfortunately, he never did...

But now he had you.

Richtofen tried his best to explain to you Ultimis and Primis when you all had the time. He didn't tell you his goal but promised he'd act as your father here. It would take some getting used to... yet Richtofen felt you'd grow on each other.

It already felt meant to be.

Richtofen didn't tell you his plan for a reason he felt would be too devastating for you. If you actually came from the Ultimis time line, he'd have to kill your father for his soul. You'd never comply if you knew of that... part of Richtofen felt guilty.

Although when Richtofen looked at you, those eyes that resemble his own glittering back at him, guilt vanishes. If you came here... it must be for a reason, right? Perhaps it wasn't a freak accident....

Maybe some divine force knew he had to kill your father? That would mean you were gifted to him. You're meant to be his daughter now....

Call him sick but he liked the idea of getting rid of your father now. After your initial confusion and hesitancy, you were incredibly affectionate. You clung to Richtofen like he was your father.

He isn't sure what inside him clicked into place... but he decided he wanted to keep moments like this. If your father was destined to die anyway then you might as well get used to him. After all, in the end you'd be beside his side anyways, right?

Richtofen actually felt jealous of his Ultimis self. How could Ultimis have a daughter and he does not? For some reason he just felt it was unfair....

It gave his jealousy some relief to know that his other counterpart would be dead. You needed a new father figure anyways, might as well be now. Richtofen doesn't mind taking the new role....

He revels in it, actually.

Richtofen takes pride in the idea of being your father. The longer he's around you he gains more fatherly characteristics. A change that sparks surprise in his crew.

Richtofen was careful when explaining things to you and often listened to your story. He quickly became attentive to your needs and smiled when you called him 'father'. He was very similar to your previous dad... except the unhinged sadism wasn't there.

That alone must make him a better father, no?

In Primis Richtofen's eyes... you're better off with him. Sure he isn't as experienced or acts different from your father... but he's safer, right? He wonders if you were ever experimented on by his counterpart....

Richtofen was surprised how quickly he was drawn to the idea of parenting you. Perhaps he fell quickly for your clingy nature and warming hugs. You really managed to charm him fast... but it is to be expected...

He was your father at some point.

He quickly proves to you that he's the best for you by patching wounds and protecting you. Richtofen has always been a bit paranoid and that only grows the longer he cares for you. Luckily you are able to hold your own with a weapon...

Part of him hopes you rely on him more.

Richtofen watches carefully as you mingle with the rest of Primis. Part of him is jealous you get along with them so well, responding curiously to them and their differences. Nikolai managed to laugh for a moment when you explained the Nikolai you knew was much... drunker. That and the fact you're used to Dempsey being more of a narcissist, which the soldier grinned at.

Deep down Richtofen knew in the end you'd always side with him. Although he still felt worry you'd split from him as you are a young woman by the time he met you.... He pushes those feelings to the side so he can just appreciate you, though.

You may notice Richtofen's obsessive behavior. He holds you tight and acts like you're his biological daughter. When you ask if he'll help you get back to your dad, he goes silent and holds you closer. Truth is... he doesn't want to give you up.

He doesn't have to, either... but you don't know that.

When the time comes where Richtofen has to kill his Ultimis counterpart for his soul, he actually feels a bit anxious. It feels weird to kill yourself, which causes him hesitancy along with the fact this was your father. He's sure to do it out of your sight... but as he prepares, a thought flashes in his head.

You'd finally be his daughter after this.

This one thought makes him eager. He isn't sure why but the thought of putting a bullet through his counterpart's brain makes him excited if it meant he kept you. This thought drove him to continue.

It was cruel when he taunted him, he will admit that. The reaction his Ultimis half gave him when he told him he had you was one of... despair? He almost felt bad.

Yet now you'd have to rely on him.

"Don't worry... it's for the greater good. I promise to take care of MY daughter. Unlike you, who lost her."

Dimensional bleeding must be what changed his personality. Richtofen wasn't expecting to take such sadistic pleasure in ending your previous father's life once he pulled the trigger. The pleasure didn't fade even when he saw the look of betrayal on his Ultimis self once he mentioned he's keeping you for himself. He took even more joy in lying about it all.

"I'm sorry, dear... in this dimension your father's already dead."

He should've felt bad, but it had to be done. Richtofen suffocated his guilt when he held you, listening to your cries. He had made you sad....

It was worth it.

He felt horrible that his greed made you sad. Surely you'd understand in the end, right? Normally he'd find the idea of shooting his counterpart grim.

Now it was simply euphoric... he wanted to do it again.

Richtofen didn't mind the idea of killing to keep you. He felt it was protecting you by keeping you by his side. A good father must protect his daughter, yes?

Killing your father was a necessary step, dear... but it'll all okay!

You still have his Primis counterpart to love and care for you... even if your true father's blood is on his hands.

If you ever found out Richtofen's plan... and learned he killed your father... he has another plan.

He'll force you to follow through, not like you have anywhere else to go.

You'll be so lost without your father...

So why blame him for the murder of the one who abandoned you?

Primis Richtofen is your father now... your TRUE father...

So why don't you be a good girl and ignore the blood he's spilled... he only wants to love you as a father should!

[sisaloofafump]

AUs I keep thinking about but will never write:

Bruce, Clark, (and Stephanie) coparenting a toddler. This comes in two variations:

A) Stephanie gets contacted by the adoption agency her child went to. They are wondering about her genetic history as her child has developed fairly dangerous powers and has gravely injured and scared her adopted parents. Bruce (the one who organized the adoption with the agency and is a public JL liaison), Superman (superpowers and JL resident Dad), Steph, and Tim (Steph's moral support) have to figure out how to provide the right support for this kid while maintaining appropriate boundaries with the adopting family and, you know, handling dangerous super powers

B) a villain has been making clone hybrids of Clark and Bruce to use as his own weapons. Because the more powerful powers develop later in life, these clones were rapidly aged after creation with only a few surviving the process. Clark and Bruce find one remaining clone, a baby who has not yet been aged up. They are faced with figuring out childcare but also a moral dilemma: if they let the kid age naturally, she will grow up in an unstable body and a face much higher likelihood of dying when the powers develop. If they age her up now, she will miss all her childhood years, but will have a notably higher (though not guaranteed) survival rate when the powers develop. Additionally, who will raise her? This would take place in the current comics world where Bruce is out of resources and family connections, and Clark has just adopted two new twin kids (while dealing with the ramifications of an aged up Jon). Lana Lang and John Henry/Steel have the resources and experience, but can they take this kid? Do they want to? Stephanie plays a smaller role but she is one of the most involved bats in the discussions and early childcare.

More ideas:

Lois Lane as a gun Batman. Bruce's parents are never killed, and he grows up as a philanthropist. Lois, however, has to grow up with her own mother's death and her father's militarization, and raising her sister. As an adult living in Gotham, she starts doing her most dangerous investigative work under the mantle of Batman. She works closely with Bruce (funding her) and Harvey Dent (legal support and her husband). When Harvey's accident happens, it kick starts her turning further and further into violent and vigilante justice, rather than her previous detective-oriented work. She forms a deep friendship with Superman, and helps Bruce raise Dick, Damian, and Tim. She doesn't adopt anyone herself, but she is a mentor to the self-starting hero's in the city, especially Harper and Steph. She has a fairly long fling with Talia. It would really explore how her style of investigation would work within the constrains of her Silver Age ethics. (A variation is where her and Kate grew up as childhood friends and Kate took on the Batwoman mantle in Gotham while Lois became Mothwoman something else in Metropolis)

Golden Age Clark being transferred to Gotham. (This would mix a lot of Pre-Crisis ideas but) radioshow-inspired Clark who isn't really Superman yet; and Superman is an unknown public figure. Most of his work is done as this adventurous yet mild mannered "human" hero, with Superman being an ominous alien form. Early on he strikes up a partnership with a solo Batman (pre-Robin), and a friendship (w benifits) with Bruce Wayne. Lois, despite being given very clear instructions to stay in Metropolis, is brought by her own work to Gotham and into investigating Bruce Wayne. The main center point of this would be the friendship between Clark and Lois, and the loneliness of Bruce

1987 Wonder Woman run where everything's the same except Julia Kapatelid and Diana become a couple. (I have too many thoughts about this it needs its own post)

[lelitachay]

Frozen fanfiction: Søsken

Summary: An accident in the North Mountain forces Elsa to spend several weeks in her brother’s apartment under Anna’s care. During that time, Anna realises there is more to Elsa than meets the eye. The truth about Elsa’s past comes to light after an unexpected family reunion, and both girls’ lives begin to fall apart when they realise Elsa wasn’t the only one with a big secret and a turbulent past.

Anna/Kristoff - Elsa - Family - Family drama - hurt/comfort - Modern AU - Elsa & Kristoff are adoptive brother and sister - Ice bros - Found family - Serious injuries - Mental health issues - Health issues - Frohana

Links:

Fanfiction.net - HERE

AO3 - HERE

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Chapters 1 to 10 - Here  

Chapters 11 to 20 - Here

Chapters 21 to 30 - Here

Chapters 31 to 40 - Here

Chapter 41 - Here

Chapter 42 - Here

Chapter 43 - Here

Chapter 44 - Here

Chapter 45 - Here

Chapter 46 - Here

Chapter 47 - Here

-

Silence

To Anna's agonising disappointment, life didn't grant her wish that day. Nor the day after. Nor the week that followed. Instead of having something to look forward to, the end of each day found her in bed wondering if her sister would pull through to see a new day at all.

Even when Elsa’s health wasn't deteriorating at an alarming rate anymore, her condition did remain the same. And the few, almost imperceptible, changes Nielsen had detected during that time weren’t enough to give the family a truly optimistic medical report. The IV treatment was still in place, doing its work accordingly but not helping fast enough, and the same could be said for the antibiotics. And as a result, Elsa’s blood pressure continued to be low, forcing the medical team to keep Elsa in a coma and a respirator.

During the first three days, the only person allowed to see Elsa, besides the medical team, was Gerda. And true to her word, her mother-in-law had done nothing but stay by her daughter's side at all times. Keeping a close eye on any imperceptible change in her condition. In the days that came to pass, she had barely left Elsa’s room. Only leaving to eat and bathe — as well as take short strolls to help her stiff, aching legs. Though, those breaks wouldn't amount to more than two or three hours a day. Making the rest of the family apprehensive about the woman’s health as well. The worst part about those days, Anna noticed, was not being able to help Gerda, and the wait. The excruciating wait. Sitting by Kristoff’s side in silence, unsure of what to say to one another, as they waited for a medical report or the chance to be allowed to see their sister.

It wasn’t until the third day that the rest of the family was finally allowed to visit Elsa. At the beginning, Anna considered this good news. Finally being able to see Elsa could mean things were improving, but that was not the case either. The first visit was the most difficult. Seeing Elsa unconscious, unmoving and connected to more things than Anna could identify had made her realise how serious her condition was. It had only served to remind her and Kristoff they could lose their sister any minute. What was worse, the visits were short and barely gave them time to give Elsa any encouraging words. Even if she was unconscious, they didn’t want to make her feel alone or left behind in any way. It pained Anna deeply to see Elsa in such a state, but there was little she could do. The only thing was to be patient and have faith Elsa would overcome this, the same way she had everything before.

The first week went by like that. At a slow, tormenting pace. Forcing Anna and Kristoff to balance their lives and their time at the hospital as best as they could. They had made everything in their power to visit as often as they were allowed, staying with their sister until they were asked to leave. Only leaving her side to allow Kai to spend some time with her as well, since the room the medical team had placed Elsa in was small, barely enough for two people to visit at a time.

--

Anna cursed under her breath as she got off the bus and hurried down the street towards the hospital. The bag on her back moved from side to side, making her books feel heavier than ever, but she didn’t slow down. She was late. Again. And she was certain the nurses wouldn’t let her stay in Elsa's room after visiting hours twice in a row.

With everything that had happened, Anna had missed the first few classes of her semester. She had stayed either at the hospital or at Kristoff’s — whenever they were told to go home. And, not feeling in the mood to study or forcing herself to listen to hours on end about didactics and social studies, she had chosen to miss several lectures. However, as the days went by, and Elsa’s health condition remained the same, she thought going back to class could help her get her mind off her sister for a couple of hours; and so, on the fifth day she returned to class.

The lectures did offer her a much needed distraction, helping her cope with what was going on. It also helped her feel a lot more tired when it was time to go to bed, helping her rest instead of worrying endlessly about what was to come. The only disadvantage she had found so far was trying to catch the bus before visiting hours started. They were only granted two hours to see Elsa each day, and Anna wouldn’t forgive herself if she missed a visit.

She grabbed one of the straps and placed the bag on her shoulder more comfortably as she got to the hospital’s main entrance. Too focused on getting there on time and getting the annoying bag to stop moving, she didn’t look up when she entered, bumping into someone who was leaving just as she was entering the building. A hand caught her before she fell to the floor and she cursed again, trying to keep her balance before the heavy bag pulled her down. The strong hand that was still holding her asked if she was okay, and only then Anna realised she had run into no other than Marshall.

With a nod of her head, she apologised when she finally got a foothold. “I’m glad it’s just you.” She took her bag off her shoulders, giving her back a much needed rest, and leaving it on the floor while she spoke to the mountaineer. She had barely seen him in the last three days, and she was glad to finally get to talk to him. “The last thing I needed was hitting an old man or someone who was getting released from hospital.”

“There’s a reason people shouldn’t run in these places.”

Anna guessed it was a failed attempt on his part to make a joke, though his tone of voice seemed more serious than she had expected. Angrier even. And sadly, she had an idea why that was. “They didn’t let you see her, did they?”

He snorted and looked over her head, trying to avoid her eyes as he answered, “Same old story. I’m not family.”

Anna avoided his gaze as well. She felt bad for him as there wasn’t much she could do about it. He had been coming to the hospital every day since Elsa had been admitted. The very same thing Kristoff and she had been doing, with the difference that he had never got further than the receptionist’s desk. The first few days had been easier for him. No one was allowed to visit, so there wasn’t much he could say or do. After the third day, though, when the doctors finally allowed the family to start visiting, he found himself being the only person forced to stay outside. Deep down, Anna felt it was unfair. The concept of family didn’t really apply to Elsa as it did to the rest of the people in the wards. An exception could have easily been made for him. But so far, things still remained the same, and she could see he was getting more impatient as the days went by.

“I’m sorry, Marshmallow. I—”

“Could you please talk to Kai?” He said, lowering his gaze and allowing Anna to see how much he needed it.

“I don’t think he has a say in it, Marshall. I think the hospital is being more restrictive given Elsa’s… peculiar situation?” She hoped that was the case indeed. “Only five people in there know, after all.”

“This is—'' He sighed, stopping whatever it was he wanted to say. He dragged a hand down his face and took one more deep breath. “You’re late again. Go see her.”

Anna could hear something akin to disappointment in his voice and for a moment she felt like explaining herself. Tell him she couldn’t keep missing classes and that it wasn’t her fault the bus was late; but thinking twice about it, she saw no reason to. She’d probably feel the same way if she hadn’t been allowed to see her sister at all. “I could call you in the evening,” she suggested instead. She still had his mother’s phone number and she had already called a couple of times to let him know how Elsa’s health was developing.

“I’m heading back to the mountain this evening.”

Anna wanted to say it didn’t matter, she could call him just the same. But she didn’t get the chance as Marshall walked out the door before she could. Before he was out of sight, he insisted she went to see Elsa before the visiting hours were over once again.

Sighing tiredly, she picked her bag and walked to the main desk where the receptionist, Andrea, as she had recently learnt was called, was sitting. The woman offered Anna a sweet smile and allowed her into the wards. Anna smiled in return and then began walking the now familiar hallways in silence. Everyone so far had treated her so kindly, and she was glad for that. Everyday that went by without favourable news, Anna felt more on edge. There were days she was certain it would only take a person to raise their voice for her to start crying. Thinking about it only made her feel worse for Marshall. She was certain the mountaineer was feeling just the same; but instead of getting sweet smiles and reassuring words, all he got were ‘noes’. Making up her mind at that moment, Anna decided she’d try to talk to Kai later. Perhaps there was something he could say to the administration that could grant Marshall the chance to see her, at least for a couple of minutes. 

When she turned on the last corner that led straight to the ICU, she was surprised to see Kai and Kristoff outside the door that led into the unit. She expected them both to be inside by now.

Noticing Kristoff’s long face when he looked up, all Anna could say was a faint ‘Hi’. Something in his eyes told her she wouldn’t like the reason they were out there. “Is everything okay?”

“We can’t see her.”

“What do you mean you can’t see her?” She looked at her watch once again. She could understand why they wouldn’t let her in. But Kristoff had been leaving work earlier to make sure he was at the hospital on time everyday.

Shaking his head, Kristoff sighed and rested his forearms on his knees. “Mum came out an hour or so ago. She said they’re making sure Elsa’s stable before we get to see her. She’ll let us know when we can visit.”

“Stable?” She looked from Kristoff to Kai, who was leaning against the opposite wall. “I thought her vital signs were steady.”

“They are,” Kai chipped in. “They're worried about her kidneys now. They aren't working properly.”

Her father-in-law seemed to be in a pensive mood. And even though what he was saying sounded awful, he was calm enough to make Anna’s worry dissipate, if only for just a brief moment. “Not working…” she repeated. The words finally sinking in. “What does it mean?”

“She's getting worse,” Kristoff said in a thick voice, surprising not only Anna but Kai as well.

“Your mother didn't say so, Kristoff.” Kai said, straightening his back and waiting for Kristoff to look at him before he continued. “This was something they expected to happen at some point if she didn't improve in the first week. She isn't getting worse.”

“Her organs are failing. How isn't it worse?”

“I think Kai only wants you to stay positive,” Anna said, turning to Kai once again for a confirmation. “She'll be okay… right?”

Before Kai could answer, though, Kristoff crossed his arms and said, “There's only so much a body can stand.”

“Kristoff, please…” Kai tried to transmit some calmness, but Anna could hear the tremor in his voice.

“Why aren’t you taking this seriously?” Kristoff countered, mad at his father’s sudden indifferent demeanour. “You saw mum too. You must have noticed the worry written all over her face.”

“Your mother is overwhelmed,” Kai tried to rationalise. “Exhausted.”

Anna nodded absentmindedly. She had noticed how overtired Gerda looked the last two times she had seen her. Older she’d even dare say.

“It doesn’t make the situation any less serious,” Kristoff continued, his voice rising slightly. “Any less real.”

“Kristoff, could you please—” Kai hissed as he turned towards the glass door that separated them from the ICU.

“All the things she endured, and for what?”

Anna knew Kristoff was finally letting his worries take control for once. He had remained too calm, too controlled during the whole week, but she now could see the hard shell was starting to break. 

“She doesn't deserve to go like this,” he said when neither Kai nor she could offer him an answer. His voice barely over a whisper, breaking Anna’s heart. It was the first time, since that first night, someone from the family dared say out loud what they most feared. “It’s so fucking unfair.”

Anna dropped her gaze, unable to do more than dwell on Kristoff’s words, feeling her heart constricting inside her chest. Her eyes brimmed with tears at the thought. It was unfair. A life full of pain, only to end when she was finally beginning to find some purpose.

“She won't go.” Kai’s voice pulled Anna from her thoughts. “Not now. Not like this.” His certainty helped lessen the pain she felt in her heart, but it was not enough to make her feel any better. “Now, please, I beg you to stop talking nonsense.”

Kristoff stayed quiet, his eyes fixed on the floor. Not daring to talk back anymore. Perhaps all he wanted was to believe in his father’s words as well.

Wanting to do something about the gloomy atmosphere, Kai continued speaking, “Her wound is beginning to heal. The antibiotics seem to be working.”

“Dad—” Kristoff tried to say in a broken voice, but he was interrupted by the director of the hospital, who at some point had approached them.

“Mr. Bjorgman,” the man said. “Sorry to interrupt. May we speak to you for a minute?”

Kai turned to Kristoff and then Anna, a look of concern crossing his face, before he answered, “Yes, certainly.”

“In my office, preferably.”

Not liking where the conversation could lead, Kristoff stopped the doctor before he turned to leave. “Is my sister okay?”

“Last report I got said her condition remained the same. No need to alarm.”

His gentle smile allowed Anna to take a deep breath. She wasn’t sure when she had stopped breathing, awaiting his answer. She only hoped he was being honest and the conversation he was about to have with Kai had nothing to do with their sister.

“I’ll be with you in a minute,” Kai said to the doctor and when the man was out of sight, he turned to his son. “Kristoff,” he called his attention. “Under no circumstances talk like this in front of your mother. Am I clear?”

Kristoff, still concerned about Elsa, didn't quite understand him at first. “Huh? Dad, don’t you—”

“I don't care,” Kai stopped him. Taking a deep breath, he ordered his ideas and continued, “Please, just don’t say the things you just said to Gerda.” His eyes sparkled with sadness under the fluorescent light. “Understand that you and Elsa are everything we've got. The idea of losing one of you…” He averted his eyes, tried to finish his idea but at the end just shook his head. Before Kristoff could say anything, he began walking down the hall towards the director’s office. “I'll see what Dr. Landvik needs. Excuse me.”

--

Taking a deep breath, Kai massaged his forehead and tried to ease some tension as he placed the state of account on top of the desk in front of him. It was more than obvious to say the day wasn’t going like he had expected. The calendar marked day seven since Elsa had been hospitalised, and he would be lying if he said he hadn’t been expecting the first week to mark the moment his daughter began to pull through. The few conversations he had had with Nielsen had given him hope the antibiotics would have done it’s work properly by now. All he had hoped was for Elsa to show some improvement. A silver lining that could help him and Gerda remain sane.

To his crushing disappointment, the opposite was happening. Elsa was getting worse, or so it seemed. And now this. This ridiculous state of account. Given to him in the worst possible time. Only fifteen minutes after he had been talking with his son about the possibility of losing Elsa. Now he was expected to focus on this. And what made things worse, was knowing the man behind this was standing right in front of him. Dr. Landvik had called him into his office, but the man waiting inside next to him was no other than the owner of the clinic. And as soon as Kai had seen him sitting there, he knew he was going to get unwelcome news. He hadn’t been mistaken.

Feeling it was time he showed his discontent, he tapped the document in front of him with his index finger and said, “This is absurd.” 

“Mr Bjorgman.” Mr. Haugen, the current owner of the clinic, was the first to talk. “We are sorry to give you this news, but this is a private institution and your daughter is—”

“You already know how delicate my daughter’s situation is. You cannot expect me to react to this kindly.”

He had to admit it had been surprising it took this long for them to start talking about money. In a system where most of medical treatments were covered by the state, private clinics were there only to offer personalised treatment, catering to the patients needs in a completely different way. Exactly what the clinic was now doing for his daughter. It had been obvious from the start they were going to try and charge a disproportionate sum of money for their service.

“As I said before,” Haugen explained. “It's our responsibility to inform you of our costs. A week has passed since Miss Bjorgman was brought here. It’s only right that we diligently inform you.”

I’d like to diligently smack you in the face, Kai thought but refrained from showing his emotions. He was having a hard time keeping a straight face, but he had no other option. He wouldn’t allow this man to bankrupt his family.

“What about healthcare services?” They hadn’t chosen the clinic after all. The paramedics had only brought Elsa to this place because the Central hospital in Trolheim had no beds in the ICU. As far as he knew, the clinic was only supplying what the state couldn’t.

“As you may know, it only applies to public institutions.”

Once again, Kai suppressed the need to groan. The man was pushing the limits of his already thin patience, and his conceited attitude was doing nothing to help him.

"If your daughter were in the insurance scheme we could arrange for it to cover her treatment, or at least part of it,” Dr Landvik said, leaning forward and calling Kai’s attention. It was clear he was aware that they were asking for an outrageous sum of money. And he seemed more willing to discuss it than Haugen. “Sadly, Mr Bjorgman, she is not. I double checked all the information myself.”

Picking up a file from the desk, Haugen skimmed it and then turned to Kai once again. “She doesn't work, doesn't study…” He pretended to read once again for a brief moment before he said, “It's like she doesn't exist.”

Kai knew this was a possibility. Elsa had lived far too long outside the system and it would only take a visit to the hospital, or a professional that wasn’t Nielsen, for it to come to light. It was one of the main reasons he had insisted Elsa to study or find a job. Studying on her own didn’t seem to take her far, and so he and Gerda had decided to desist on that plan. No matter how much they had wanted her to learn and exploit her capabilities, they knew they were overwhelming her. Finding a formal job had been the second option, but that had proven to be even harder. Now, he regretted not being more strict with her when she was younger, but who could blame him. The girl had lived her childhood in a prison, the last thing he could do was force her to do what she was not willing to.

Knowing there was no reason to dwell on the past, and knowing well they were expecting an answer, he said, “She very much exists. She's in your intensive care unit right this moment.” He was mad. He was mad at the men in front of him —asking for more than he could give— and at himself as well. He couldn’t help but feel he was failing Elsa. “What's more, the only reason she's here is because there weren't enough beds in the public hospital. This should be arranged as if it were a public institution.”

Taking offence at Kai’s demand, Haugen dropped the file on the desk and looked at him with narrowed eyes. “She may have entered the clinic under those circumstances, in which we were more than ready to offer free service.” There was no doubt the man was not willing to let Kai get away with it. And it made him worry how far he could take this if they didn’t reach an agreement. “However, only two hours after her admission, we were forced to isolate her in a private room and allocated several machines to her exclusive care. Her needs were then discussed, even when they seemed ridiculous, and she was admitted as a private patient. We are lending our facilities to her doctor, several nurses were relocated and requested to care for her while keeping her extremely peculiar condition a secret. A condition that could hurt my employees, no less. You cannot compare this to any other situation we have dealt with. She’s not just another patient occupying a bed when the public hospitals are full.”

And he couldn’t. Nothing about Elsa was comparable to anything anyone had ever dealt with. Dragging a hand down his face, Kai tried to find something to say. Anything that could help him convince this man to help his family. But all his arguments came short. Not knowing what else to do, he chose to drop his defensive stance and appeal to the man’s good predisposition. “Mr Haugen, please, try to put yourself in our shoes.” He was begging now. “This is more than my family can pay. Even if we agreed, we don't have this kind of money.”

Landvik's eyes softened as Kai spoke to Haugen and so he decided to intervene once again, “Mr Bjorgman, there seems to be a misunderstanding here. I don’t believe Mr. Haugen expects you to pay anytime soon. This is merely informative.”

Both Kai and Haugen looked at the director, and before Kai had the chance to ask more about the debt and payment, Haugen turned to him. “In case money is such a big issue…” He waited until he had Kai’s undivided attention. “We may find an alternative.”

Frowning, Kai wondered why the man, who seemed to be insulted by his request up until then, changed his tone of voice so suddenly. “Alternative?”

“Over the past four days I've been reading these reports.” He picked up the papers scattered on the desk in front of him, and began ordering the different files one on top of the other. “The ones you gave Dr. Landvik,” he clarified. “Elsa's case is one of the most intriguing things I've ever encountered, to be honest. Cryokinesis isn't something scientists have had the chance to study. The theories about it are scarce and borderline gibberish.” He chuckled as he stopped to read one particular file. From his seat, Kai couldn’t see what it was, but he didn’t like the way he was speaking about Elsa’s condition. “You may understand why I had such a hard time believing Landvik when he informed me of the situation.”

“Yes…” he said, his voice barely over a whisper. Up until that meeting, Kai had had no idea Landvik had informed the owner of the clinic about Elsa’s condition. Even less think the doctor had given the man access to her files. Now that he thought about it, Kai couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of talking to Haugen himself. Thinking this wouldn’t reach Landvik’s bosses was a gruesome mistake. One he was certain he made out of distress and lack of sleep.

“But then again,” Haugen continued. “Reading Elsa's clinic history makes me think we may have a once in a lifetime opportunity here.”

Goosebumps erupted all over Kai's skin and clenched his fist tightly to stop it from shaking. He didn't need to keep listening to know what the madman in front of him was about to propose.

“I won’t lie to you, I foresaw money could be an issue and I've already come up with an idea. A fair trade of… favours, we could call it.

Kai opened his eyes in surprise at that. Finally understanding what the man was doing. There was no doubt in Kai’s mind Haugen had pumped up the price. From the very beginning, his aim had been Elsa, what he could learn from her. Kai failed at keeping his hands from shaking, his blood boiling at the realisation. And what made him even madder, was realising Haugen still didn't dare say it. He’d rather test him, see how far he was willing to go with his sickening idea before he did.

“Absolutely not.” Kai didn't need to listen to him say it, though. He had heard enough.

“Mr. Bjorgman, hear me out. This could be beneficial for Elsa. And your family as well.”

Landsvik turned to his boss, the look of disbelief on his face showing Kai he wasn't aware of Haugen's idea. Noticing this made Kai feel more at ease, at least for a brief moment.

“The chance to find out more about herself while avoiding a substantial debt is not something to reject on a whim,” Haugen continued, his face as serene and impassive as it had been from the very beginning.

“Do not try to sugarcoat what you're suggesting.” Kai stopped him. “I will not–  And listen to me clearly…” Leaning forward, Kai placed one hand on top of the files Haugen had left on the desk once again and slowly dragged them closer to him. “On no account will I let you experiment on my daughter.”

Leaning back on his chair, Haugen chuckled, trying to make the situation seem less serious. “I'm not talking about experimentation. I'm talking about collecting and analysing data. Information that we could later use to—”

No longer wanting to hear what he had to say, Kai stood up abruptly, making his chair fall in the process. “I thought I was being clear,” he said, leaning with both hands on the desk.

Landvik stood up as well, wishing to put a stop to whatever he was about to do. “Mr. Bjorgman.”

“Let me try and elucidate what I mean,” Kai continued, ignoring the director. His eyes were fixed on the man sitting in front of him who was still leaning back on his chair, too comfortable for Kai's liking. “You experiment, run a test, or try to use her as a rat lab in any way, and I will not hesitate to put a bullet right between your eyes. Is that clearer?”

Landvik’s face turned pale and he looked at his boss before he turned to Kai once again. “Mr Bjorgman, please, there is no need to—”

Before he could say whatever he was thinking, Haugen interrupted him. “I understand you're undergoing a lot of stress so I will not pressure you about this nor press charges for that threat.” He still pretended to have the higher ground, but Kai noticed the flash of fear in his eyes when he threatened him. It was small, but he’d take it as a victory. “I apologise for suggesting a more plausible alternative. Given your and your wife's income, I thought it would be appreciated.”

Kai had to admit the man was capable of keeping a straight face regardless, and he had a way with words that allowed him to make it sound as if everything was just a misunderstanding.

“In any case, the debt still stands.”

Even if Kai didn't want to admit it, he had to accept it, Haugen still held the higher ground. Elsa was still under the clinic's care. The only positive thing was knowing the man wasn't a doctor treating Elsa directly. He was just a greedy bastard who wanted to exploit her situation. “I'll need a copy of this document detailing the costs. And an official bill, as well,” Kai said, trying to pretend the cost didn’t matter.

“Most certainly,” he said with a small smile that only served to get Kai even more enraged. “I'll have one of our receptionists prepare it for you.”

Kai turned to Landvik after that and noticed he had averted his eyes. It was clear he was ashamed of everything that was going on around him, unsure of what to do or whose side to take. Kai hoped he'd realise soon enough there was only one right side in all of this.

Nodding with his head to the files on the desk, Kai let him know he was taking those with him. To this, Landvik nodded and helped him gather all the paperwork related to Elsa he had lying around.

Kai picked everything up and headed towards the door, not wanting to deal with them any longer. He was about to close the door behind him when Haugen's voice called his attention one last time.

“Oh, and…” he stopped long enough for Kai to turn to look at him. “Mr Bjorgman, one last thing. Be aware that silence is expensive. It might be easy for us to sit and talk things through to reach a favourable agreement.”

Favourable agreement couldn't be farther from the truth, but there was no reason to argue with the man anymore.

“The same isn't possible with the rest of the people in this clinic.” Once again he was trying to scare and persuade him. “Perhaps making Elsa's condition known could be beneficial. It may cause a bit of noise at the beginning. Some controversy. But her chances to keep a lower profile are higher that way. Once gossip starts spreading around, it's hard to put a stop to it.”

Kai knew he was threatening him back. They had to buy his silence. And perhaps everyone else's. The only problem was they had no money. “I'll need the invoice ready as soon as possible.”

“Of course,” he said with yet another smile, acting as if they had been speaking about the weather. “Have a nice day.”

Kai closed the door behind him and began walking as fast as he could, without raising any suspicion, in the direction of the ICU. There was nothing he wanted more than to get in Elsa's room and stay by her side until this nightmare was over. But he knew it was impossible. There were so many things he had to take care of, and he didn't know where to begin. For the first time in years, he was feeling helpless. He needed to gather the few people he could trust and try to find a solution to their predicament. Even if what he needed to do was crystal clear, he didn't have a clue where he'd find the money.

When he got to the hall leading to the ICU, he was shocked to see Kristoff and Anna still sitting outside. There went his chances to see his daughter.

“Dad, I was getting worried,” Kristoff said, breathing out in relief when he saw him. “I thought that perhaps– Is everything okay?”

Kai could see the worry written all over his son's face and felt terrible for being about to inflict even more pain on him. But he couldn’t keep to himself what had happened inside the director’s office. If something were to happen, he knew Kristoff would be the first to protect his sister, no matter the cost. Before he told him, though, he desperately needed some good news. Anything to help him cope and face the next few hours. “Did you get to see your sister?” 

“Umm… No.” Kristoff said, turning around to look at the still closed door. “Not yet. Mum didn’t come out either.”

Kai sighed, suddenly feeling too much pressure. Knowing Elsa was fighting for her life was nerve-racking on its own, Haugen’s extortion was too much to bear. Not for the first time that week, Kai wished he could wake up and find out everything was just a nightmare. “Have you seen Nielsen?”

“He walked into the ICU a moment ago, right?” He turned to Anna, who nodded her head. She seemed to have noticed things were amiss as well. “Is everything okay?” Kristoff repeated.

“Ye—” Kai was about to lie, but changed his mind at the last second. He could be honest now even if he still needed to make a few phone calls. “No. I'm not okay. I'll call Anders. Once he arrives I need you to meet us outside. The two of you.” He clarified addressing Anna as well. His daughter-in-law had proven to be trustworthy, and all the help they could get was welcome.

Now that she was getting involved, Anna stood up to be able to listen to him more clearly. “What’s going on?” 

“I’ll let you know once Anders is here,” Kai said in a lower tone of voice. “If you see Nielsen tell him I need to talk to him as well. Urgently.” With that, he turned to leave. The sooner he got to talk to Anders, the better.

“What about mum?” Kristoff asked.

“Don't say anything to her about this yet. She’s overwhelmed and Elsa needs her more.”

--

“Kai, are you serious?”

Nielsen’s voice was low and it carried something akin to disgust in its tone. A revulsion Anna shared with the man at that moment. She was glad the doctor had been the first to break the silence that had fallen on the small table. Once Kai had shared with them what had transpired in the director’s office only an hour before, Anna had felt the need to ask the same question, but the last thing she wished for was getting on Kai’s nerves when he was clearly so tense. She was also glad Kai had chosen to share their predicament with more people than just Kristoff and herself. She didn’t feel qualified to deal with something as serious while her sister was still unconscious. There was no doubt Kristoff wasn’t in the right mental state to deal with it either. None of them were.

“You haven't got many options,” Anders said, calling the rest of the people’s attention. He trusted his partner’s word, and saw no reason wasting their time waiting for his answer. “It's either accept his sickening offer, or pay. I think it’s more than clear that I agree with Kai on the matter, I’d rather shoot at him than let him do with Elsa what he pleases.”

“What about finding a different hospital?” Anna said in a low, somewhat timid, voice. She wasn’t sure her opinion would be taken seriously, but there was nothing she needed more than to get her sister as far away from that man as possible. The mere thought of someone running tests on Elsa made her blood run cold. She was relieved to know she was under Gerda’s watchful eye at all times. “Once she's safe, we start legal actions. Isn’t that possible?”

“Even though requesting a patient transfer is possible,” Nielsen partially agreed. “I'd advise against it. There's no guarantee Central Hospital can meet Elsa's needs and there's a high risk she wouldn’t make it, given her delicate health condition.”

“We'll find a way to pay.” Kristoff was the next to speak. He was leaning on the back of his chair, arms crossed. One look was enough to tell Anna he wouldn’t accept anything that put his sister at risk.

“Kristoff, we're talking hundreds of thousands.” Kai was as concerned as his son was, though he was trying to find an alternative. Something they could actually do.

“I'll sell my truck. We can sell your car too.” He placed his arms on the table, leaning forward so his father could hear him without raising his voice too much. The café they were in was just a block away from the clinic and it was crowded, who knew how many of them worked for the man in question. “We’ll ask for a loan or something. I could ask the guys at the factory to help me raise some money or something. I don’t know. We'll find a way.” His eyes brimmed with tears, the worry overwhelming him. “But I won't let you put her life at risk. And there's no way I'll let this madman lay a hand on her.”

“What about pressing charges?” Nielsen asked, Anna’s suggestion still lingering in his mind.

“As far as we know,” Anders said. “The reunion was solely to discuss the money owed to the clinic. That’s not illegal. There's no proof anything else happened.”

“You said Landvik was there, wasn't he? He could declare against him,” Nielsen insisted.

Picking up his coffee mug, Kai took a slow sip before placing it back down. He held it with both hands, fingers turning white. “As long as Elsa's in the ICU, Haugen knows we depend on him. The debt is real, after all. The blackmailing came after I denied him the chance to run tests on her.”

“Then, that means paying is the only option, isn’t it?” Anna asked.

The men bowed their heads and nodded. There weren’t many alternatives left.

Placing a hand on Kai’s shoulder, Anders tried to stay optimistic despite the feeling of injustice setting in. “I'm sure the guys at the station will try to help as well.”

“No,” Anna said, shaking her head. An idea had crossed her mind as soon as Kai had started talking about money, but she didn’t want to say anything until she was certain they had run out of options. “My father's got the money. And a legal team, in case it's needed.”

“Anna,” Kai said, looking up. “It's more money than—”

“He's got the money, Kai. Trust me.” Her family was wealthier than they imagined, after all. Anna was not naive though, she knew most of it belonged to the ArenCo and not her father exclusively, but she was certain he could arrange to pay for Elsa’s treatment.

“It doesn't matter if he does.” Kai didn’t seem convinced of the idea, and Anna couldn’t understand why he’d deny the help. “It's not right to—”

“Kai, take the money,” Anders interrupted, before Anna could hear her father-in-law's reasoning. He seemed exasperated, almost mad at Kai. “It's only fair he starts giving something back to his bastard child.”

Kai’s brows knitted instantly, warning his partner he was crossing a line. “Anders, I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now.”

“I'm sorry, what am I missing?” Nielsen asked, looking from Kai to Kristoff and finally Anna.

“Agdar Arendelle,” Anders said, ignoring Kai’s stare. “You know him?”

Nielsen nodded once the name rang a bell. “ArenCo owner… Isn’t he?”

“He's Elsa's biological father.”

“You're pulling my leg.”

Sighing tiredly, Kai felt it was best he explained things better. “No, Nielsen, he isn't. Anna is Agdar’s younger daughter and Elsa's sister.”

Turning to Anna once again, Nielsen blinked a few times, trying to understand what they were telling him. “You mean… It doesn't matter right now.” Shaking his head, he tried to focus on more important things. “Are you sure your father will help out?”

“Yes, I'm sure. As Anders said… It's only fair.” Anna said, her head hanging low. She knew what was probably going through Nielsen’s head. There was no doubt it was quite similar to Anders' opinion. But she couldn’t blame him. What her parents had done was unforgivable and she was sure the doctor who had treated Elsa at her worst had more than one reason to despise her father. “I'll talk to him as soon as I see him.”

“I'd suggest you go talk to him right this second,” Anders proposed. “The sooner we buy this despicable man's silence the better.”

“Come on,” Kristoff said, opening his mouth for the first time in minutes. He stood up and offered Anna his hand to help her stand up as well. “I'll drive you to his office.”

Nodding her head, Anna took his hand and stood up, ready to leave. Before they left the table, however, Nielsen stopped them. “I'll talk to Landvik in the meantime. He’s a reasonable man, I’m sure. I’ll see if there isn't a way to reduce costs.”

Kai thanked him while Kristoff and Anna nodded.

“One more thing,” he said. “Once this is settled, I'd like to talk to all of you, and Gerda as well, about Elsa's care if that's okay. What Haugen suggested is sickening and I’d like to find a way to make sure Elsa’s treatment isn’t impaired in any way.”

--

Well, that happened. No matter how hard I try I keep finding ways to expand what originally were just a few lines in my time-line. This chapter is a month late for that reason. I had a lot of ideas I wanted to include and I was forced to spend some time rearranging things. I needed to include a few things now to be able to move the plot forwards and for a few things to make sense in the future.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you to all of you who left a comment, I love reading your thoughts and encouraging words. They make my day!

I hope you had a great time during the holidays.

Read you all soon and happy new year!

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