#also someone shoot me down my lazy ass not clipping is now

[alchemypanda]

oh my god I forgot how bad some of the 'ancient history' dialogue was in lega cies. my man, my girl what did they put you through for those scenes. YIKES imagine that being your first and only time seeing these actors

[keilemlucent]

teacher’s pet

(r18+)

hawks | takami keigo x reader

ao3

word count: ~3.2k

Keigo is a remarkably good listener and fast learner, especially when you're involved.

warnings: virgin keigo, gooey ass, soft, sweet smut, not too mention the softest keigo i’ve ever written probably?? first time oral baby, also praise kink

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shoutout to @la-saffron for the lovely headcanons and feral shit that inspired this fic. and thank you to the wuv @keiqos for beta reading. enjoy some soft, gooey, smut. this fic is, at its root, keigo finding the clit. that’s the plot

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“J-just like this,” Your voice was soft and breaking, spit sticking in your throat. Touching yourself in front of Keigo like this should’ve been somewhat intimidating, especially with the rapt focus he had on every movement of your body and breaths. But, surprisingly, watching the way he nearly drooled at your form just made you hotter. 

When Keigo asked to date you, you’d never expected he’d be a virgin. But, with his work and his mutations, he’d never had sex or the opportunity to do so properly. Truthfully, he never even learned much beyond his own base needs to blow his load with his fist. 

But, you were more than a willing teacher.

Laying on your back atop his silken comforter was heaven, head propped up ever so nicely by a pillow that Keigo had placed under it. The night had started off with slow touches and soft kisses, all things the two of you had done before. But, it progressed to a little planned show-and-tell. 

You were splayed before him, naked over his sheets with your legs spread as he kneeled in between them. For all of his gusto and readiness, his wings were folded against his back, timidly tucked away as he took you in, gently palming his cock.

Every motion of yours seemed almost lazy. Fingers slowly pinched your nipples while your other hand played with your sex at a tortuously relaxed pace. All the while, you kept your voice low and liquidy. 

“Right here?” You circled your clit, back bending the slightest bit with the hums of heat it sent up your spine. “This is my clit. It feels really good if you touch it nice. It’s very sensitive though.”

Keigo nodded like the good boy he was, enraptured by you.

He had beads of sweat racing down his temples, hair mussed by his own touch. Other than gently pumping his own leaking cock, his only other moment was to occasionally fist his hair, a whine dribbling from his bitten lips.

This must’ve been scary for him, truthfully. All the vulnerability of not only being bare for someone else but them being bare for you. 

You had seen a bit of fear when Keigo had first started to help you disrobe, how his touch got so gentle, feather-like against you to the point of raising gooseflesh. He’d stared so cautiously at you when you first slipped down onto the covers. Despite the tenseness in his shoulders, he traced up your bare body with shaking breaths and clammy hands. 

When you had parted your legs around him, you watched how the gold of his eyes was eaten up by his widening pupils. His mouth had fallen open, cock twitching cutely in his boxers. 

But now that you two were in the heat of the moment? He was a perfect student despite his usual sarcasm and crassness out of the bedroom.

“And here,” You slipped a finger into your sex, feeling a bit of slick puddle around the digit. Keigo’s nostrils flared, wings twitching. “This is my pussy, where your pretty cock goes when you fuck me, right, Kei’?”

He nodded, thumbing over the head of his cock, smearing preek. His voice shook with his own tension and deep-focus, “Y-yeah.”

You smiled at him, shifting one of your legs to give his thigh a soft bump, “You’re doing so well, baby. You wanna know more?”

“I mean, yeah, but... I haven’t really done anything,” Keigo spoke with some remorse, averting his gaze from your body to somewhere far off. The corners of his lips tugged down, his arm going to guard over his chest as though it could protect him from his own internal fear.

That insecurity, that look of near humiliation just wouldn’t do.

“Keigo.” You spoke to pull him from his thoughts. It roused him well with the way he turned back to you, eyes widening as you slowly pumped your finger in your cunt. “You’re gonna do so much. I can’t wait for you to make me feel good. Can you help me?”

Oh, the call to help others was intrinsic and embedded in Keigo’s psyche. 

One of his half-taloned hands drifted to rest on your thigh. His expression went doughy, softening at your even softer words, “I can. I promise.”

You beamed at him with everything you had.

“Thank you. I know you can. God, Keigo,” You shook out a breath, withdrawing your finger from your sex. “Do you want to taste?”

Oh, the look he gave you. He may have been avian, but with the light in his eyes and the way his tongue dropped from his sweetly parted lips made him look far more like an obedient puppy than a bird.

You smiled at him, tilting your head as you slid your fingers into his mouth, pressing down to rub your digits on his tongue. 

“See how nice I taste? Imagine how good that will be all around you when you eat my cunt.” 

The thought had Keigo groaning around your fingers, squeezing his cock. His fist jerked from balls to tip as his eyes rolled back in his head.

Without even instructing him, he sucked at your fingers, lapping at them perfectly. You let him lave over them, his tongue dipping anywhere it could savor you. 

You pulled the digits away, admiring the way they glistened with his spit. You brought them down to your cunt, rubbing over your labia.

“Before we fuck, you gotta make sure I’m ready,” You told him, slowly pressing two fingers to your entrance. You could certainly go faster, but this was ‘educational’. “Gotta stretch me out nice, make sure I’m all wet. Well, that isn’t too hard with you around, is it?”

You send him a quick wink and marvel as he turns cherry red.

“And this is important, sweetheart,” You called his attention fully, slowing your movements. “There’s a little spot inside me, that if you hit it just right, will make me feel so good.”

You were just about to crook your fingers when Keigo stopped you, stilling your hand with his own. He gently tugged your wrist, bottom lip pushed out in a pout. 

“C-can... I try?” He was so tentative, looking shyly at you as you were so vulnerable beneath him. “I w-want to help you feel good.” 

“Of course, ‘Kei. You’re going to do so well.”

He shuddered at the praise. 

You took your fingers from your cunt to your lips, sucking off your own slick. Really, it was just to watch the way Keigo’s thighs clenched as you did. 

You flickered your eyes lower as you took your fingers from your mouth, wiping them on your hip, “Go for it, I’ll tell you what feels good and what doesn’t. Make sure you use the hand we clipped your nails on, okay?”

Ever diligent, Keigo genuinely checked his hand to make sure it was the correct one, talons tamed for the specific instruction that was occurring.

With all the grace and tenderness he could muster, Keigo gripped your thigh, massaging the muscles on his way to your cunt. It was cute, the way he fell forward as he did, ending up propped up on his elbows between your legs. There was pure awe in his eyes as his finger reached the apex of your thighs. 

He looked up at you, hesitantly. 

You nodded, shooting him a smile before settling a hand on his shoulder to rub at the tension he was still carrying in his shoulder. 

Gingerly, Keigo let his fingers drift from your hole to your clit, grinding the pad of his thumb down on the puffy nub. Keigo was a good student, truly, as his pressure and speed were enough to make you drop your head back on the pillow and let out a purely sinful moan.

He paused.

“Good?” 

His voice was so sweet.

“So good, ‘Kei. Keep going.”

He obeyed dutifully. 

His touch slipped downward, teasing the entrance before slipping one finger in. He moved slowly, but not in any way that was lazy. With the quivering of his feathers, you could tell Keigo was literally feeling the way you reacted to him. Every twitch and spasm of your cunt was his guide, as were your quickening breaths.

He pressed another in, shortly. Watching them coat with slick, slowly fucking into you again. 

“Good boy, ‘Kei. You’re doing so well for me.”

The praise made his eyes roll back in his head. 

You smirked.

“Now, baby,” You called his attention again. “To hit that special spot, all you need to do is curl your fingers.”

He frowned, flattening himself to the bed a bit more, “That seems... Very easy.”

You couldn’t help chuckle, carding a hand through his damp tresses, “It’s not hard, once you know what you’re doing. Why don’t you try for me?”

Oh, did Keigo obey so fucking sweetly for you.

You never thought that someone simply softly fingering you, so fucking kindly and gazing at you so reverently would turn you on as much as it did, but god, did it. 

Keigo’s fingers curled in your cunt, every movement precise, but not quite enough.

“A little more, baby. It’s a bit harsher of an angle than you think.”

Keigo’s brow pulled down as he bit his lip. You could feel his hot breath over your cunt and inner thighs as he crooked his fingers just right.

The cry that rang from your throat surprised both of you. Being gently touched like this, on your insides, was making you turn to liquid before him. Your nails dug into his scalp as you lightly rolled your hips into his touch. 

Your legs tensed around him as he massaged at the spongy spot. With your head thrown back on the pillow, you couldn’t see his face.

But holy fuck, could you feel it.

Keigo, apparently, decided to take some of your lessons for a spin. The searing breath you’d been feeling before was suddenly very close to your sex, just before you felt the light lap of his tongue against your clit. 

“Oh fuck, Keigo!” You fisted the sheets, squeezing your eyes shut. You didn’t think him kitten-licking your cunt (just once) would get you this worked up, yet you were sweating and needy for him.

“Am I doing this right?” Keigo drew his mouth away, pressing a sugary kiss to your thigh instead. 

You nodded, breathing a bit harsher. You needed more. 

“Yes, Kei’. Fuck,” Your voice trembled. “Do you want to keep going?”

There was a deliberate pause.

Keigo rose up from his spot between your legs, his actions met with a little whimper that was caught in the back of your throat.

He slid over you, straddling your hips and placing his hands on either side of your head.

You stared up, now wide-eyed yourself. 

Keigo had never looked this intense before. There was still something so fucking tender and raw about how he looked at you, a sweet smile on his face as he pressed a kiss to your nose, then your cheeks, and finally your lips. You cupped his jaw, tilting your head to get more of him.

He pulled away, his breath coming in little puffs as his wings slowly spread out behind him.

“Can I please make you cum? Please?” Keigo asked so sweetly, kissing down your neck. “Let me make you feel good.”

How quickly does the master become the student. Or, maybe receiver.

All the same, thoughts of training Keigo were gone. With the smoldering look he was beaming you from his amber eyes, all you could do was give him a breathless ‘yes, please.’

Keigo was smitten under your command. 

He slid down your body, leaving kisses in his wake. Nothing harsh, nothing that could hurt or be painful. Each movement was matched with a flicker of a grin from him with the way your body jumped with every touch. 

“You’re doing so good, sweetheart,” You lavished him in praise as he drifted down your body, settling between your legs once more.

This time, he gently hiked your calves over his shoulder, nestling between your thighs and adjusting as he needed.

You swallowed, the feel of Keigo so close making your cunt ache. You needed him in a way you’d rarely let yourself indulge before. Most of the time, the feeling of needing release after a particularly steamy makeout session with Keigo was sated with a well-used vibrator and a glass of wine.

But, to have Keigo so close and so ready?

You could feel the slick dripping from your hole at the mere thought. The coil in your gut already seemed tight with the anticipation of it all.

“God, dove,” Keigo breathed. Without missing a beat, he dragged his tongue up your cunt, stopping at your clit to swirl his tongue around it once. 

He pulled away, but not before dropping a kiss on the throbbing bud. All the while, you let out little keens and gasps, forcing your hips still so as to not overwhelm him. 

You looked down at him, lips parted and wet with spittle. His eyes met yours, lips curled in a smug grin, “You’re so beautiful. Can I taste you more?”

You could tell by the tone, look in his eye, and your knowledge of Keigo’s general demeanor that the moment he got the hang of making you feel good, he was going to take advantage of his prowess and become the most obnoxious tease. 

You savored the thought.  

“Please, Keigo. Show me how good you are.” You breathed back, letting yourself relax into the sheets as Keigo went to town.

At first, he only used his tongue. He left languid licks as he pressed as close as he could to just ravish you with what he had learned.

Keigo was obviously a very talented, well-trained person. He showed you with the way he ate your cunt like it was ambrosia and nectar, tracing shapes and sigils on your flesh with the way his touch bewitched your body, wracked with tremors and needy cries. 

Quickly, he was pressing a finger into you. This time, he wasn’t so slow, but still, the amount of care he put into the motion was almost startling. He gently pumped in and out of you, all the while still kissing at your clit. He lapped at it, nonsense words and sweet nothings being spelled out on the sensitive flesh, each movement causing hot pleasure to curl your toes and bend your spine.

You cried and moaned for him, giving him all the praise you could find your lust-fogged mind. With each utterance of how Keigo was a ‘good boy’, you felt his throaty groans vibrant against your sensitive bits. 

You cherished the feeling.

Keigo withdrew his fingers, taking a breather from licking you as well. Glancing up at you to check-in, he beamed up at your already fucked out expression.

“Feeling good?” He asked, kissing your thigh with a quick nip.

He’s getting bolder.

“Very good,” you hummed, yipping at the sensation of two of his fingers playing with your entrance. You weren’t above begging, despite knowing that allowing him to figure out how into it he would be was a dangerous move. “Please, Keigo. M-make me cum for you.”

He hummed, musing over it, Pandora’s box opened. 

Though, he seemed to decide to test out teasing on another day. Keigo was kind enough to fuck his two fingers into you, cunt nearly sucking them in with the way you were already so tense and ready. 

You could feel his smile against your clit as he tried sucking it into his mouth, curling his fingers at the exact same moment.

The gentleness, the carefulness and the love in it all nearly made your vision white out. You clung to lucidity, babbling sweetness to Keigo as he massaged at your insides, fucking them earnestly with his perfectly toned muscles behind each movement. 

As he tongued at your clit, he never took his eyes off you, watching each of your twitches and reactions and adjusting accordingly. He hardly had to, though. The slick drenching his fingers and the way your hands flew to his hair were more than enough of a sign that you were already getting close. 

“Fuck, fuck, Kei’, don’t stop—” You nearly sobbed as boiling pressure was so close to bubbling over in your belly. 

His fingers truly fucked into you as he grunted against your sex, moving with more vigor but not once losing rhythm or pace. You could vaguely tell that he was grinding against the bed, scarlet wings extended, and flapping every few moments. 

With one final kiss to your clit, you crested over the edge and let yourself go.

You spasmed around his fingers as you wailed out his name, hands flying to his hair to hold him to your cunt, grinding against his face as he sputtered out his own moans. His hips stuttered against the bed, wings beating the air a few times as your back arched and you sang for him.

He kept moving through your orgasm, pressing and rubbing at your cunt with all the technique and knowledge he could, guiding you to the last moments of your peak.

You fell against the sheets, boneless. Sweat laid sticky in your hair as your chest heaved with breath. 

Keigo, the surprisingly attentive lover, popped up from between your legs, “Was that okay, dove?”

“God, Keigo,” your vision still spun as you reached for him. “Fuck, it was so good. You’re such a good boy, such a good fucking boy, Keigo.” 

“I am, now?” Keigo’s normal teasing mood coming alive once more. “Glad to hear that. Can I do that again sometime?”

“Anytime, fuck,” You propped yourself up on your elbows, dragging him closer. It was then noticed his softened cock, wet with cum. “Did... you come? From eating me out?”

“And, uh, humping the bed.” That shame presented itself once more in his voice. Even as you dragged him closer, cuddles necessary, he looked a little ashamed. “I got a little excited.”

“Keigo,” You put your palms to his cheeks, squishing them and frowning softly, but the expression quickly turned melancholy. “That’s good. It’s all about both of us feeling good. And, did it feel good for you?”

“Fuck yes,” Keigo breathed, tension rolling out of his shoulders with your reminder. He snatched you up by the waist, dragging you to his chest as he fell to his side on the mattress. “It felt so good. Thank you.”

He peppered a smattering of kisses across your face as you giggled, all for him.  

“Thank you,” Quietly, you returned the sentiment, kissing the apple of his cheek. “For being so good, really. You really are a good listener when you want to be.”

“I guess I am, huh.” At that, Keigo chuckled, nuzzling his nose into our hair with a hum. He wrapped you up the best he could with his wings, allowing you to go gooey in his arms. 

“I’m excited to see what else you can teach me.”

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taglist:  @sinclairsamess

[weareallstoriesintheend]

Promises (Reader x Zemo)

Zemo and his guard make their escape

Word Count: 3,395

Warnings: Violence. Part 2 of the Escape Series, Here is Part 1 Zemo Tag List: @lucky-luck-lucky @neoarchipelago @mrs-mischief-209 @londoninamerica

“This is a terrible fucking idea” You kept Zemo close behind you as you rounded the tight corner, the deafening sound of the alert alarm had started blasting the second someone realised a prisoner was no longer in their cell. You’d tried your best to get as far through the plan as possible but part of this involved trusting him to get you both out of here and something irritating in the back of your mind was making you doubt that decision. The corridor was in darkness except for cuts of light from the small windows high up towards the ceiling - sunrise was almost over. “Well I hate to inform you my dear but I’m just following your plan” Zemo whispered back, following closely at your heels as you both half walked, half ran down the corridor. “Also, may I add, you look beautiful in this light”

“Shut up” you hissed.

The alarms blaring in the corridors were making your heart pound almost as loudly. You were running out of time, you know you’d planned this down to the last second but this was reckless in the best of circumstances. The Raft was no normal prison; it was a prison for enhanced persons which meant security was tighter and much less likely to fail. Early morning was your choice due to the lack of guards around on each floor; you’d made it so that you were on inspection duty again. Due to the limited prisoners things had gotten lazy around here and you figured you could only make this work to your advantage. It was going well, it was perfect even. You’d given up trying to avoid cameras as you ran down the service corridor towards a blind spot you knew existed that would give you a moments respite ready for the final step. You would bet money on the fact they knew it was you doing this so as much you were aiming to get himout it was also imperative to get yourself out too. Who else would it be? It was Zemo and there was only one person in this whole place who would want to break his cocky ass out and that was you.

“Your friend better show up” you whispered through gritted teeth trying to steady your breathing.

“He will” Zemos breathing was just as fast but his face remained stoic. He watched you when he thought you were looking, curious eyes scanning your face. You presumed he was calculating how best to get rid of you when he was out of this place but you were doing this to give him the benefit of the doubt. Much like everyone else The Raft housed he was here because he thought he was doing the right thing. Everything he did was for his family and you couldn’t help but feel for that side of him. The man who kept his promises.

You rifled through the backpack you were carrying and handed him a pair of dark jeans and a black hoodie to change into “Wear this; I’m not walking you around wearing that uniform”. He smiled taking them from you instantly pulling the top of his prison uniform over his head; you hastily diverted your eyes. Both of you were huddled in an enclosed part of the corridor to stay out of sight of anyone who may come searching, a great choice for safety. However this also meant that, despite the fact you diverted your eyes, you could feel his bare skin brushing against your arms as he moved to change.

“I’ve had guards watching me use the bathroom for months dear one, do you really think I’m concerned by you seeing me change?” he chuckled quietly before handing you his discarded clothes, “Also how did you know my sizes?” he asked adjusting the hoodie that sat perfectly across his shoulders.

“I read your file” you shrugged. Your phone beeped in your pocket, the message simply read ‘On the roof’

You grabbed Zemo by the scruff of the hoodie and pulled him closer “Do exactly as I tell you, got it?”

He nodded “Of course, a woman in charge is simply irresistible”

You scoffed and started dragging him along the service corridor. There was an access point to the roof along here that stupidly sat in a complete blind spot from the cameras. Your heart dropped into your stomach as you heard a clear, ringing gunshot behind you “Stop right there” You sighed, knowing the gruff tones of your superior officer anywhere; you raised your hands mockingly and spun in place on your heels staring him down. Zemo followed your motions throwing you a quick, indiscernible look before his back was turned to you. “Of course it would be you. You and your boyfriend better keep your hands up where I can see them” “David listen – “ he cut you off by firing another warning shot. “Shut up” he shouted, voice reverberating off the metal walls. He reached up and spoke into the radio that was clipped to his shoulder. “Did you bring what I told you too?” Zemo whispered over his shoulder. You stuttered, your brain was going at 30 miles an hour and it was hard to keep yourself on point. You knew exactly what he was talking about; you could feel the metal of it pressing into your back. “Yes but no, you can’t” you mumbled, your eyebrows raised in panic as Zemo turned to you. You internally rolled your eyes at how surprised you felt by his calmness, it was like you’d forgotten who he was.

“I said don’t move” you heard David shout, another warning shot hitting the roof. You flinched and urged Zemo turn around with wide eyes.

“It’s now or never. Do you trust me?” Zemo asked simply.

You paused, searching his face for any sign of deception. Sighing you lowered your arms, you blocked out the frantic shouting from David as best you could by keeping your eyes trained on Zemos. You could see David in your periphery with his gun raised; you slipped your hands behind your back and under your shirt. You pulled out the weapon you’d been given by Zemos friend and slotted it into his hands.

Before you could blink Zemo spun with the gun raised. You had expected him simply to shoot but he began walking slowly forward towards David, you panicked and your feet stumbled after him. He shot one hand back firmly to stop you before returning it to its steady position holding the gun.

“Stop right there Zemo” David shouted, his gun also raised and trained on Zemo who was steadily still walking towards him. You could see Davids confused panic matching your own.

You shuffled on your feet wanting to shout out to him to stop, did he have a death wish?! Then you remembered the story he’d told you about Siberia and your heart pounded harder. He’d held a gun in his hand then too but you certainly don’t have the bulletproof Blank Panther armour to stop him this time. ‘Please tell me he’s not going to commit suicide by cop and just leave me here’ you thought to yourself, begging to the voice inside your own head. David was practically screaming instructions, ranting demands in his confusion at Zemos steely defiance. Then before you could ascertain what happened Zemo fired a shot. David dropped – it was that quick. Mere seconds. Blood oozed slowly out onto the cold concrete floor and you stared half in shock.

“You know for a man who was always so hot on officers wearing protective uniforms you’d think he’d a least wear a scrap of armour himself” you whispered, thinking out loud. As Zemo reached you once more you tsk’d and smacked his chest hard “Don’t show off like that again!” He chuckled and tucked the gun into the back of his jeans. Pushing his hair back he then gestured to the laddered stairs that lead to the roof, “After you” You made your way to clamber up the ladder, “Don’t stare at my ass!”

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

As you reached the roof the helicopter blades were already going, winds blasted you both causing your hair to swirl in front of your face. You watched Zemo greet the pilot with a small wave and he began walking forward towards the open helicopter door. For some reason it was at this moment your body froze. Your hair whipped your face and you struggled to stay in place with the force of the winds but you couldn’t move your feet. You’d given up everything, just like that – he’d somehow convinced you to give up everything for him. There was no way to come back from this, not one single way.

You wanted to scream at yourself for being stupid or naive but you couldn’t help yourself - you trusted him. You didn’t understand how or why but you did; something about him made you want to follow him to the ends of the earth and never look back. If someone asked for an explanation you wouldn’t have the words and that was a strangely beautiful notion to you.

Something told you he was a good man; despite his past and all he had done he was a good man. He had murdered, tortured and maimed but to you he was a lost soul who needed company. A man who had lost everything and fought like hell to keep one simple promise.

He shouted your name over the whirring blades, you looked up to see he had stopped also and he was running back to you, crouched low to avoid getting hit.

“Second thoughts?” he asked as he got close enough to you to lower his voice, a small smile played on his lips. You shook your head but didn’t speak. He stepped closer to you again, almost toe to toe “I apologise about your friend”

“H-he wasn’t a friend”

“Then why did you stop?”

You opened and closed your mouth stupidly, like a fish gasping for air, but no words came out. You felt him cautiously put his hands on your upper arms, running his thumbs over your skin.

“I promised I would protect you, you deserve a life outside of this prison as I do” You noticed that despite the strength of his Sokovian accent it was also calm and delightful in its gravelly tone. You found it almost comforting listening to the way he formed his words so delicately.

That was the moment you realised it wasn’t that you didn’t believe him, as he spoke you trusted what he was saying, you trusted he wasn’t lying. It wasn’t Zemo that had made you stop.

“It’s just… this is the first time I’ve been in fresh air in 9 months”

His eyebrows rose in surprise at your admission before his face softened, he reached up and ran the backs of his fingers down your cheek. He didn’t speak but took your hand and pulled just a little. You staggered on your feet but followed, he placed his hand softly on the back of your head as you both moved together to keep you low and out of harm.

He stepped in first, speaking in Sokovian to the pilot whom he called Oeznik. Scrambling in behind him you gathered your backpack between your feet. You sat huddled against him as a deep shiver wracked through your body. He looked down with sympathy set behind his eyes and leaned his arm across your shoulder. You leaned forward out of his touch suddenly and bent down for your bag.

“I apologise, I didn’t mean too-“ he began hesitantly, afraid that he’d offended you with his physical affection, but you stopped him by sitting up and placing a small plastic wrapped package into his lap.

“What is this?” he asked curiously, turning it over in his hands before unravelling the wrapping slightly. Small hard multi-coloured candies tumbled out into his waiting palm.

“Turkish Delight. You said your son liked them.” you blushed at your own words, embarrassed at the familiarity you showed him and you were unable to hold his eye contact as you continued “I thought it would a comforting introduction back into the world”

He unwrapped a sweet and popped it into his mouth, he closed his eyes and a soft smile spread across his face. You watched him for a second before he opened his eyes; you gave him a shy unsure look before he leant in and placed a gentle kiss to your cheek.

“Thank you milaya”

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

“Holy shit” you whispered under your breath.

The room he led you into was expansive, he’d told you this was one of his homes in the area but the place looked like a palace inside. Everything was adorned in deep ornate gold tones with rich ruby and burnt orange colours intertwined. The ceilings were impossibly high and housed a huge crystal chandelier that twinkled in the beaming sunlight that came through large elaborate windows at the back of the room. The floors under your feet were intricate mosaic tile and you suddenly felt the need to tread a little lighter in your heavy boots.

“Impressive isn’t it?” he smirked; he gesticulated to a rack of clothes that was against one wall. “You need to change, pick anything you like” and with that statement he disappeared behind a curtain. He was still sort of visible to you, ruffling around in what you presumed were his own clothes.

“So what, I break you out of prison and you give me a dress? Seems like a fair deal” you said sarcastically, voice raised so he could hear you.

“No, you break me out of prison and I give you the life I promised you. If you want it” he shouted back.

“You’ll be on the run for the rest of your born days Zemo. What life?!” that panic had set back in again now you were out in the real world. Your fingers tapped against your thighs and you stared around you wide eyed. This was all so overwhelming.

“Exactly. We can go wherever, whenever. We’ll stay in the shadows and live how we want too”

He appeared from behind the curtain, he was now dressed cleanly in fresh black jeans and an aubergine purple turtleneck. He draped a fur collared coat around his shoulders and extended his arms “You like it?” he grinned at your staring.

You swallowed hard and nodded. He looked expensive and far out of your league. As you absentmindedly smoothed rich silk materials between your fingers you suddenly remembered you’d run away with a Baron. The teasing smirk still played on his lips as he approached you, he traced down your arm watching the way his touch raised goosebumps on your skin.

“You think people are just going to let you go? The Raft will be looking for you. The Wakandans! You think they are just going to let this slide?”

He shushed you and pushed hair out of your eyes “What I said was no lie, you deserve a life and I’m going to give it to you. A woman as skilled and beautiful as you deserves to show off no?”

You swallowed again, nodding gingerly at his words trying to convince yourself more than him to calm down and trust him.

“Why am I picking out dresses?” you asked quietly, noticing you were still slipping silk material through your fingers that belonged to the beautiful dresses far beyond your pay grade.

“We’re going out” he said matter of factly, walking across the room and pouring himself something from the decanter on the side.

“We can’t go out!” you protested frantically, abandoning your dress choices and scurrying after him. You grabbed him by the forearm of his free arm and gripped him tightly.

“I’ll only take you to places where I know you will be safe. Let me show you freedom” he whispered, leaning close to your face. Whispers of whatever golden brown liquid he was drinking filled your nostrils and you exhaled the breath you had been holding. He put the glass down and spun you so your back was against his chest, his breath ghosted over your exposed neck and you resisted the urge to shiver. He directed your body towards the wrack of clothes and brought his lips to your ear, “Plus any chance to see you out of that guards uniform would be a blessing”

You tutted and wriggled out of his grasp, rolling your eyes at him over your shoulder before turning away hiding a blushing smile.

You hummed to yourself, pushing clothes back and forth on the rack before you pulled out a wine red dress, admiring its beauty. The red was deep against your pale skin, the feeling of the silk was like butter and the thought of it brushing your upper thighs made you tremble.

Like he could read your mind Zemo had walked quietly behind you and placed a hand lightly against your thigh, brushing his fingers with just a little pressure. His voice at your ear snapped you out of the trance “It will suit you”

You took the dress, grabbing a pair of shoes, and sauntered behind the curtain. Gingerly starting to remove your clothes that were sticking to you with sweat you thought about how you could probably do with a shower but something told you there was no time. Your body was thrumming with anxiety, your first night of freedom from that place – for the both of you – and mostly you wanted to relax and enjoy Zemos company. Talking to him without bullet proof glass and steel bars between you seemed like bliss in your head. The thought of getting to brush his hair back as he spoke, like you had thought of doing so many times, made your fingertips tingle. But you were still fighting back a nervous tremble that shook your entire body, was this going too far? Was it too soon? He could sense your anxiety from behind the curtain as you moved quietly but hastily so he spoke up, voice soft “I mean it, you are mine. I keep safe what is mine” You poked your head out from behind the curtain holding the gold shoes you were about to slip on; you raised a stern eyebrow at his presumption that you were ‘his’. He smiled, playfully trying to peek behind the curtain but you pulled it up to cover yourself “You know what I mean” he said.

You giggled and pulled the curtain back fully, watching his eyes drift down your figure as you smoothed the silk of the dress over your curves self-consciously and bent to fasten the shoes, “I know” you said with a soft smile.

He guided you closer to him with light hands, just the cautious tips of his fingers creating a tantalising pressure on your hips, “You look simply ravishing” he gushed; accent accentuating the low gravel of his voice. You simpered and shook your head, he tsk’d at your defiance “You do, a princess!”

You openly laughed this time, pushing against his chest teasingly “Shut up”

He smiled with you, refusing to let go of your hips and pulling you back, the heels of your shoes clicked quietly on the tile floor as you stumbled closer to him raising your hands to press against his chest to steady yourself. He drifted his hands up your body, caressing you through the thin fabric of your dress, eyes studying every inch of you. His fingers linked gently into your hair, massaging ever so lightly against your scalp and you sighed closing your eyes for just a split second. Suddenly you felt lips press against yours; you gasped and he took that chance to deepen the kiss just a little. You whimpered softly and your fingers tightened their grasp on his clothes before sliding down to wrap around his waist as you melted against him. This wasn’t a moment for hot and heavy; it was affectionate and shy – a delicate exploration of something new, terrifying and captivating. As you felt him lean slightly back from you your eyes fluttered open, body protesting his momentary retreat.

“I keep my promises” he whispered against your lips.

“I know you do”

[kiddoryder]

Rimfire

Wow...It's been since I wrote a fanfic huh? Well I'm really sorry about that. I mean you have to admit, 2020 was hell with all the crazy stuff that was happening. I felt stressed and lost my happiness and spark in writing.

But thanks to the new year and new Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel clips and episodes coming out, I feel back and better than ever!

So, this story about my OC Sonya/Liz making a new friend making Charlie feel some type of way.

So, relax and enjoy the story!

At the hotel, Angel was sitting on the couch watching some TV. Then Charlie and Vaggie come in and Vaggie looked very annoyed. Angel noticed the look on Vaggie's face, but he didn't care.

Angel - "What the fuck you want?"

Vaggie - "You haven't been doing your chores in the hotel!"

Charlie - "Yeah Angel. I told you to take out the trash hours ago and you didn't do it."

Angel - "And?"

Charlie - "Care to explain why you didn't take the trash out like I told you?"

Angel - "Cause Vaggie didn't wanted to fucking leave. I mean I thought the princess would have better taste in lovers. Guess trash is her type."

Vaggie fumes in anger and was about to punch Angel, but Charlie stopped her.

Charlie - *to Vaggie* Let me handle this. *to Angel and sternly* Angel Dust, as the princess of hell and heir to the throne, I order you take out the trash."

Angel - *annoyed* "Ugh! Fine."

Angel took the bag of garbage and threw it out the window breaking the glass.

Vaggie - *furious* "Angel!"

Angel - "What? Ya told me to take out the trash and I did."

Vaggie - "We meant by you getting your lazy ass up and actually doing it you motherfucking bastard!"

Angel - "Well ya should been clearer on that and be less of a nagging bitch!"

Vaggie growled in anger and was about to punch Angel, but Charlie stopped her.

Charlie - *pleading* "Guys please. This isn't the time to fight."

Vaggie - *sighs* "Fine."

Charlie heard a ping noise on her phone. She looked at her phone and look a bit dishearten and text back. Charlie put her phone back and sigh a little. Vaggie seem to notice this and said:

Vaggie - *concerned* "Is there something wrong hon?"

Charlie - "Oh it's just Sonya."

Angel - "Sonya? Your baby cousin who's a Gemini and have an awesome side in her head?"

Charlie - "Yeah. I ask her if she wanted to hang out and she said how she's a little busy today. To be honest I'm a little worried."

Vaggie - "Why?"

Charlie - "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy she and her family move in the city, but I haven't seen her in a while."

Angel - "Hey maybe the kid is hanging out with her friends."

Charlie - "Sonya and Liz don't have friends."

Vaggie - *sympathetic* "Aw. They don't have any friends because they are Gemini?"

Charlie - "Actually no. It's their own choice for not having any friends because the other kids don't interest them."

Angel - "Well who can blame them for that? I mean most of the people in hell are either fucking boring ugly freaks or just fucking creepy."

Charlie - *uneasy* "Right…Anyway, to sort of speak, I'm Sonya and Liz only friend. But it's okay because family members can also be friends as well."

Vaggie - "Well alright."

()()()()()()()()

A few days had passed and believe it or not, the hotel was getting more people. Even though Charlie is happy about that, she couldn't help but wonder about why Sonya and Liz haven't been able to hang out with them. Charlie would often be disappointed when they are "busy" or have "other plans''. However, Charlie still has high hopes and spirits that she will be able to spend some time with her baby cousin.

Right now, as Vaggie and Angel was coming down and saw Charlie with Razzle and Dazzle practicing some songs.

Vaggie - *confused* "Um Charlie? What are you doing?"

Angel - "Ya doing a pitch again for the hotel?"

Charlie - *chuckles* "I wish but no. Today is the annual Hell Music Festival."

Angel - "Isn't that the festival where some motherfuckers come and play some shitty music?"

Charlie - *displeased* "Yes, it is Angel."

Vaggie - *to Angel*" And what the fuck you know about music Angel?"

Angel - "For ya information babe, I happened to be an expert when it comes to music."

Vaggie - "How? By picking which song to choose when you fuck the creeps that paid you?"

Angel - "Beside that! I know how to play the accordion and trumpet. Plus, I listen to some pop music by some bitch name Verisoka Mayday. Her songs are pretty catchy."

Charlie - "Well today is the day of that Festival. Sonya, Liz, and I would always practice, play some music, and have fun. It's one of my favorite things to do with them."

Then they heard a loud squawking noise outside. Everybody covered their eyes, and Husk woke up from his drunk nap.

Husk - *annoyed* "What the fuck is that noise?"

Vaggie - "It's that stupid crow bird! I thought Niffty got rid of it!"

Niffty - *popped up* "Oh! I did! But then another one came, and I got rid of that one and I made it into a hat."

Niffty show everybody her new crow "hat". This creep everyone out as Niffty put it away.

Niffty - "That must be a new one that came today."

Then the bird stops squawking. Then there was a knock on the door.

Charlie - *squeal* "It must be Sonya!"

Charlie ran to the door and opened it. She was surprised to see not only Sonya was there but someone next to her. It was some Fox/cat like demon girl around Sonya's age. She has short purple hair, long bangs that covered her right eye. Her eye was red with yellow pupil, her Fox ears was gray but was wearing a safari hat with tooth's in it. She has white fur with a puffy white cat tail, her out was a safari vest, a long sleeve crop top that was black with flames on it. She was wearing camouflage pants which a knife patch strap to her left leg and had on brown army boots.

Sonya - "Hey Cousin Charlie! This is my new friend Rimfire Bloodworth!"

Rimfire - "Sup."

Charlie - *surprised* "Oh! A new friend? Well, it nice to meet you Rimfire. Come inside."

The girls went inside and Rimfire looked around.

Rimfire - "Nice place. What's this hotel for?"

Charlie - "Oh! It's a place to redeem sinners."

Rimfire - *confused* "Redeem sinners?"

Charlie - "Yes. I believe every demon- well most demons have something good deep down inside of them. If I can unlock that good, they can access to Heaven."

Then Charlie bring Rimfire to the lobby living room where Angel, Husk, Niffty, and Vaggie was.

Charlie - Hey guys *the demon began to make noise again* this is *the bird made louder noise* my cousin new *the bird made even louder noise* LITTLE FRIEND THAT I WANT YOU TO- "

The demon bird kept on making loud noises. An annoyed Rimfire took out a gun from her vest and shot the bird straight in the chest. The bird then fell from the tree dead and everybody was shocked on how Rimfire not only has a good for her age, but how she was able to shoot the bird with good aim.

Rimfire - "I took care of it" *blows the gun smoke*

Charlie - "Anyway...This is Sonya's new friend Rimfire."

Angel Dust - "New friend? *teasingly* So she's your new lover?"

Sonya - *annoyed* "No! She's just someone I just met!"

Angel Dust - "Yeah sure kid. It starts out that way and pretty when you soon hit your grown up hears bam! You're both sleeping together in the same bed.

Vaggie - *rolled her eyes* "Augh don't listen to him! He's the type that would sleep with anybody for money."

Angel - *scoff* "Not everybody. I wouldn't sleep with you if you even paid me."

Vaggie - *mad* "I'm a lesbian you idiot!"

Sonya - *to Rimfire* Don't mind them. *points to Vaggie* That's Vaggie. Vaggie is the hotel's manager and my cousin's girlfriend. She also the one who must keep *points to Angel* Angel Dust there in line. He's also the first patient here for the hotel."

Angel - "I'm also Hell's biggest porn star. So, I'm pretty much famous. If ya want kid, I can show you one of my movies."

Charlie - *shocked* "Angel! They are underage!"

Husk - "Oh come on Princess. The weird little boy and his friend here are close to adulthood."

Sonya - "First of all, I'm a weird little girl! And second, I rather watch the 666 news then watch Angel's dirty gross movies."

Angel - *offended* "Hey! They aren't gross! They are very high class."

Sonya - *rolled her eyes* "This is Niffty and Husk. They work at the hotel."

Niffty - *to Rimfire* "Ooh nice to meet you! I'm always happy to make new friends. It was nice of you killed that annoying bird. Although it should have been a strong man that should have done it because that more of a man thing no offensive."

Rimfire - "Uhh...Right."

Husk - "Wow. The little cat girl is a shooter. That's something different."

Rimfire - "I'm a half cat. I'm also part Fox as well."

Charlie - So Rimfire what brings you to Hell?

Rimfire - *shrugs* "I was just actually almost got attack by freaky assholes until Sonya came over and save me."

Sonya - "Yeah she came to Hell with her family a few days ago. Rimfire and I been hanging out with each other."

Charlie - "Oh that's cool! Do you live nearby?"

Rimfire - "Actually I live pretty close to here."

Vaggie - "And how did you end up in hell?

Rimfire - My family are in the poaching business. We still are. It called the Bloodworth Poach and Coach."

Vaggie - "Poach and Coach?"

Rimfire - "It's a store my family owns. My mother would sell the animal fur and meat. My dad will get the animal customers would want, and even coach them on how to hunt."

Everyone - *amazed* "Whoa."

Rimfire - *smug* "Yeah it is pretty cool. It was even like that when we were alive."

Angel - "How you and your family ended up down here?"

Rimfire - "Oh we ended up getting killed in a forest fire."

Charlie - *sympatric* "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry."

Rimfire - *shrugs* "Eh. It's life."

Charlie - "Well...Say why don't we go practice for the festival huh Sonya?

Sonya - "Actually Cousin Charlie I was thinking of just practicing with Rimfire."

Charlie - *surprised* "What?"

Rimfire - "Yeah. I mean I originally wanted to do it myself, but I figure practicing with Sonya can be fun."

Charlie - *uncomfortable* "Oh...okay yeah sure..."

Sonya - "Sweet! Thanks!"

They both went upstairs to Sonya's hotel room. Charlie frowns in sadness and confusion. Charlie didn't think her baby cousin out of all people, didn't want to hang out with her. Or do their usual traditions. Vaggie noticed that sad look on her girlfriend's face.

Vaggie - *concerned* "Charlie what's wrong?"

Charlie - "I-It just weird I mean Sonya always practices music and singing with me. She never done anything like this to me."

Angel - "Hey. She's at stage one Princess."

Charlie - "Meaning?"

Angel - "Well you know how kids are. One minute they are close to family and next they don't want to even act knowledge that they are related."

Charlie - *scared* "Wait, does this mean that Sonya and Liz wouldn't want to spend time with me anymore?"

Angel - *shrugs* "Eh. It could happen."

Vaggie - *mad* "Angel!"

Angel - *defense* "What babe? I'm just saying it's the truth."

Vaggie - "You're not helping, you idiot!"

Charlie - *scared*" Ohh I need to do something! I don't want Sonya to think I'm some lame uncool cousin."

Angel - "Who's stopping you?"

Vaggie - "Well if you are serious about this. Maybe you should talk to her."

Charlie - "Well okay."

Charlie went upstairs and began to think about what Angel said to her earlier. Even though there are sometimes Charlie thinks Angel is just being his regular silly weird self, it could be one of those time Angel could be right about some things.

Charlie - *thinking* Angel could be right. Sonya and even Liz would think of me as an uncool relative. I gotta remind her how much fun I can be and cool! Maybe if I act like how kids are today!"

Charlie then sees Sonya and Liz's hotel room. She went to the door and knocked on the door.

Sonya - "Come in."

Charlie - *acts hip* "Hey hey hey! How are my best girlfriends?"

Sonya - *contused* "Uh Okay…"

Rimfire - *confused* "Uh fine?"

Charlie - *acting hip* "So What's you guys doing? Any new hot digs on music."

Sonya - "Yeah…"

The whole thing felt very weird to Sonya and Rimfire. Especially to Sonya because she never sees Charlie act like this. Even Liz herself was confused about it. The only person they see trying to "act hip" was Sir Pentious.

Charlie - "Hey Rimfire you need to worry about me I'm not some lame regular cousin. I'm one of the cool cousins Ya know what I mean dawg?"

Sonya - *concerned and confusion* "Charlie, are you feeling okay?"

Charlie - "Oh I'm fine I'm cool as ice."

Sonya and Rimfire look at each other in confusion. They can tell something is wrong with Charlie but decide not to make a big deal about it.

Charlie - "So What are you gals doing?"

Rimfire - "Well we were busy writing some songs. But then we decide to take a break."

Sonya - Yeah. We are now just now going over dark magic stuff."

Charlie - "Ooh! Mind if I join in?"

Rimfire - "You know about dark magic stuff?"

Charlie - *smug* "Girl, you're talking to the princess of hell here. Beside What's wrong with mixing up stuff. Sometimes you gotta go insane to out sane the same. You know what I'm saying?"

Rimfire - *confused* "Actually no."

Charlie - "So where this magic stuff you two little wizs are doing?"

Sonya - "Over there."

Sonya pointed to her cauldron. It was boiling and purple smoke was coming out. Charlie took a peak and it was purple bubbling liquid.

Sonya - "Yeah we were just working on a new potion. But I wanted to tell you Cousin Charlie is-

Charlie - "Ooh! Allow me to add some spices to help take this potion high to the sky."

Charlie saw some random potions, liquid and powders on Sonya's shelves. Charlie grabs them and she starts mixing some potions up. Sonya gets worried and so was Liz cause even she knew what mixing up random potions together can do. Even Rimfire was getting a bit scared and concerned on what the princess of hell was doing.

Sonya - *scared* "Cousin Charlie Don't! You're mixing the wrong ingredients!"

Charlie - *scoff* "Relax Cuz there's nothing wrong with mixing things up."

Sonya - "But Cousin Charlie!"

Charlie - "Don't worry! What a little mixing can do?"

Then there was a loud explosion. Vaggie and the others heard it. Looking concerned, Vaggie and Angel went upstairs, and their eyes widen in shock. They saw the room all covered in purple goop and even the girls were now covered in purple goop.

Angel - *confused* "What the hell happened here? Looks like a bowl of rotten oatmeal had sex with guacamole and just have birth in this room."

Vaggie - "I'll get some mops and Niffty. You guys better get cleaned up."

()()()()()()()()

Vaggie and Niffty was cleaning up the goop in Sonya and Liz's room. Angel was even force to clean under the threat his precious pet piggy Fat Nuggets will be sleeping outside. He had to use his four arms to clean the walls and was using rags. Charlie, Sonya, and Rimfire was now clean thanks to taking a shower and now wearing some fresh clothes.

Niffty - "Don't worry! This mess will be done in no time!"

Vaggie - "I'm just glad none of you guys gotten hurt."

Charlie - "You could say that something went a little wrong right Sonya?"

Sonya was so mad that she was ignoring Charlie. This made Charlie a bit shock because Sonya never gave her the silent treatment. Rimfire even felt a little uncomfortable because of the awkwardness. Then she heard a car honk and when Rimfire look outside, she saw it was her parents' car.

Rimfire - Maybe I should head. *to Sonya* We should get rest cause we gotta sing for the pageant tomorrow."

Charlie - *surprised* "What!? Sonya, you got to accept. Why didn't you tell me?"

Sonya - *angry* I wanted to tell you Cousin Charlie, but you were too busy acting weird and crazy!

Charlie - *nervously laugh* "Oh I see."

Angel Dust - "Whoa harsh."

Vaggie - *trying to calm things down* "Okay okay let just be happy that nobody got hurt. We should get back to cleaning this mess up though."

Rimfire - "Well maybe I should head home."

Sonya - "Cousin Charlie…"

Charlie - *hopeful* "Yes?"

Sonya - *mad and serious* "I'm spending the night with Rimfire. And don't even bother coming to the pageant! You really embarrass me."

Charlie - *pleading and shocked* "Sonya Wait!"

Sonya and Rimfire left the room and Sonya slam the door. Sonya got into Rimfire's parents' car and they drove off.

Angel - "Ouch! Tough way to say I don't need ya anymore isn't it?"

Charlie looks down feeling hurt. She sighs in sadness and walked out of the room. Vaggie look mad at Angel for his insensitive comment and punched him in the arm.

Angel - *in pain* "Ow! What?!"

Vaggie - "You're such a fucking asshole!"

Vaggie left the room to go check up on Charlie.

Angel - *mad and rubs his arm* "Sheesh! Try to help people and this is the thanks I get."

()()()()()()()()()

Charlie was in her room sitting on her book feeling sad. She took out a scrapbook from her drawer and open the book. She flips a few pages and saw pictures of her and Sonya and Liz together. When they were younger, or current ages having fun, eating together, comforting each other, or just hugging. Charlie let some tears come out of her eyes and felt like she must sing on how she is feeling. She took a deep breath and began to sing.

Charlie - *singing*

In my hands a legacy of memories

I can hear you say my name

I can almost see your smile

Feel the warmth of your embrace

But there is nothing but silence now

Around the one I loved

Is this our farewell?

Sweet darling you worry too much

My child, see the sadness in your eyes

You are not alone in life

Although you might think that you are

Never thought this day would come so soon

We had no time to say goodbye

How can the world just carry on?

I feel so lost when you are not by my side

But there is nothing but silence now

Around the one I loved

Is this our farewell?

So sorry your world is tumbling down

I will watch you through these nights

Rest your head and go to sleep

Because my child this is not our farewell

This is not our farewell

Vaggie - "Charlie are you okay?"

Charlie looked up and saw Vaggie looking concerned. Charlie quickly wipe the tears from her eyes.

Charlie - "How did you find me? The hotel is pretty big."

Vaggie - "You're the only girl I know that can sing that good. I never forget your beautiful singing voice."

Charlie - *smiles* "Thanks Vaggie…" *sighs in sadness*

Vaggie - *sits next to Charlie* "Are you alright Charlie?"

Charlie - *sad* "No. My baby cousin hates me now."

Vaggie - Hey now she doesn't hate you."

Angel Dust - "She just doesn't want to speak to you again."

They turned around and saw Angel by the doorway. His lower arms were cross, and he had a bored look on his face.

Vaggie - "Where the fuck did you come from?!"

Angel - "Well babe, when a man and broad love each other they fuck each other in bed and then bam! A baby."

Vaggie - "That's not what I meant you cabrón hijo de perra! I meant why did you came here?"

Angel - "What? I can't help out my buddy the Princess of Hell here?"

Vaggie - "Well you're not helping!"

Charlie - *sighs* "I was just trying to remind her on how cool I can be."

Angel - "And that fucking bombed."

In a split second, Vaggie jumped and gave Angel a black eye. She wasn't going to sit back and let Angel make everything worst. While Charlie would have said something, she feels like she would let this one slide because right now she too focusing on fixing the mess she made with Sonya.

Angel Dust *holding his eye* - "Ow my eye!"

Vaggie - "Look Charlie, I get you don't wanna lose Sonya and Liz. But you need to realize something too: Sonya and Liz are growing up. Sure, there would be sometimes they would like to spend time with you, but there are sometimes she need to spend time with kids her age."

Those words made Charlie realize that Vaggie was right: her baby cousins are growing up and do need some friends around their age. There's nothing wrong with them growing up and she will always have a relationship with Sonya and Liz.

Charlie - "Yeah I guess you're right. Maybe I was just trying too hard."

Angel opened his mouth to speak but quickly kept his mouth shut when Vaggie showed her fists as a warning. Charlie wiped the rest of the tears away and stood up on the bed.

Charlie -First thing I'll do is go to the pageant to talk to her."

Angel - "Uh news flash babe: she told you not to come."

Charlie - "Well I'll just try to talk to her before the show starts."

Vaggie - "Where is this pageant anyway?"

Angel - "Oh I it's in a bar called Drink Till you Die. It's not far from the hotel."

Charlie - *confused* "How do you know?"

Angel - *smirks* "Inside intuition."

Vaggie - *facepalm* "Oh god. Why am I not surprised?"

Angel - *chuckles* "Relax I just had to do some dances is all."

Charlie and Vaggie just stare at him in confusion and annoyance.

Angel - "What? I also had to do some shots. And suck a lot of dick."

Charlie - "Come in! Let's go!"

()()()()()()()()()()

At the bar, the stage was all set up nicely for the music pageant. Backstage, Rimfire and Sonya was getting dress up for the pageant. Liz came out in shadow form looking mad at Sonya. Sonya took noticed at Liz looking mad and crossing her arms.

Sonya - *annoyed* "Don't start."

Liz - "So not cool what you said to Cuz Sonya."

Sonya - "Aw come on! When did you became a preaching saint? Besides, you get into trouble more than I do."

Liz - "Yeah but at least I don't make Cuz feel like crap or yell at her! You should of saw her face after you yell at her. She looks like was about to break down into tears."

Sonya - *sighs* "Do you think I was too hard on Charlie back there?"

Liz - "What do you think genius?"

Sonya sighs and starts to feel a little guilty. She was just angry that Charlie embarrassed her in front of her new and first friend she made around her age. But at the same time, Sonya realize she should of just talk to Charlie about it instead of yelling at her.

Rimfire - "Hey. What's wrong are you- *sees Liz's shadow form* Uhh...Who is that?""

Sonya - "Huh? Oh, I forgot to say that I was born a Gemini. I technically share a body with somebody. This is Liz."

Liz wave to Rimfire. Rimfire was a bit confuse but wave back to Liz.

Sonya - "I meant to tell you later, but I guess the best time is now. It just hard to tell people can they don't believe me.

Rimfire - "Well I think it's cool you have another self. I mean, it is Hell after all."

Sonya - *sad* "Thanks...You think I was too hard on my cousin Charlie?"

Rimfire - "Honestly? Yeah. I mean you usually tell me how cool your cousin is, and I was shocked that you snapped at her."

Sonya - *sighs* "I was just mad at her for embarrassing me."

Rimfire - "We all fight with our families sometimes. Even me

Sonya - *surprised* "Really? But your family seem so cool."

Rimfire - *disbelief* "You kidding? Sometimes my dad sticks his hand in a dead animal's body and moves their mouth like a puppet."

Sonya covered her mouth like she was gonna throw up. However, Liz look amaze and giggle a little thinking it was funny.

Sonya - "Oh God

Rimfire - "Exactly. My mom always showing off the fur coats like she's a model. It can get pretty annoying sometimes."

Sonya - "I'm sorry to hear that."

Rimfire - "See? Family supposed to embarrass each other because they are well, family."

Sonya - "Yeah that's true. I'm just still mad at Charlie got what she did. I never expect of her out of all people to embarrass me like that. I honestly thought it would be either my parents or her friend Angel Dust."

Rimfire - "Well as for your Cousin Charlie, maybe in a way she felt jealous of me."

Sonya - *confused* "What? Why would she be jealous of you? She's not like that."

Rimfire - "I don't know I mean based on what you told me, she was basically you and even Liz's only friend. Maybe when Charlie saw me and you wanted to practice with me than her, she probably felt jealous."

Those words strike Sonya right in the head and the heart. She didn't think of how Charlie felt about this. Sonya was just so happy she finally made a friend around her age, she forgot how Charlie would feel about this. Or even talk to her about this. Even felt awful that she didn't do their tradition of practicing and singing for the pageant.

Sonya - *guilty Now I feel bad. I shouldn't have yelled at Charlie like that.

Little did she know that Charlie was listening to time the whole time. Charlie was listening through the window and she had tears in her eyes. But these tears were more heartwarming love. She realizes despite what she did, Sonya and Liz still love her and want to make things right between each other.

Charlie - *touched* "Aw you guys heard that?"

Vaggie - *struggling* "Not really cause you're standing on us."

It shows that Vaggie and Angel was trying to hold on to Charlie while she was quietly looking through the window. Since the window was too high and figure that they would get kick out the place, they thought it would be better to look out the window.

Angel - *groaning* "Man how long are you gonna make us hold you up?! My arms are killing me!"

Vaggie - * annoyed* "You're only use two of them!"

Angel - *groaning* "Well you girls weigh a ton! You should seriously lay off the Bon bons!"

Before Vaggie can say anything, Charlie saw Sonya and Rimfire leaving the room.

Charlie - "Wait they are leaving!"

Charlie got off Vaggie, Vaggie got off Angel, and Angel began to stress his back and arms.

Angel - "You should seriously get on a diet"

Charlie - "We don't have time! Let go!"

()()()()()()()()()

Sonya and Rimfire went to the stage. They set up their guitar and just before they were about to sing, one guy said:

Guy - "Hey that was my beer!"

Guy 2 - "No it wasn't!"

Rimfire - "Hey assholes! We are about to sing here!"

Guy - "And that stupid bitch you were kissing was mine!"

Guy 2 - "I don't care!"

Guy - "You calling me a liar?!"

Then suddenly, an ugly bar fight began to break loose. Sonya and Rimfire managed to dodge some glass bottles that was being thrown. Then they managed to crawl to an abandon table so they can be safe. A demon was not only beat up but thrown out the window and landed by Charlie's feet. That when Charlie began to hear yelling and fighting inside the bar.

Charlie - *worried* "Guys, the girls are in trouble! We got to get in there now!"

They went inside the bar and saw lots of people dodging and fighting. Rimfire took out her hunting knife that was strapped to her thigh. Sonya quickly took out her spell book.

Sonya - "Ready?"

Rimfire - "Ready!"

Rimfire began to use her hunting knife. She managed to cut off some demons' arms, stab them in the eye, and in the gut. Then Sonya shouted:

Sonya - "ventum exponentia!"

Wind power came and blew some of the demons away out the bar. Charlie and the others saw this and was impressed. Even Rimfire was amaze on the spell Sonya cast.

Rimfire - "How did you do that?"

Sonya - "I spent a lot time reading these books. I learn how to use some of these spells."

Rimfire - "That's so cool."

Sonya - "Thanks!"

Sonya kept casting more spells to stop the fight. But unfortunately, one of the beer bottles was thrown and it still had beer in it. The beer bottle splatter all over her book wetting it. Now the pages were too soggy and messy to read.

Sonya - *horrified* "Oh no!"

Rimfire - *shocked* "Your book!"

While the girls were distracted, another demon threw a glass beer bottle. The beer bottle hit Rimfire in the arm much to Sonya's horror. Then another bottle was about to hit Sonya in the head, but to her's and Rimfire surprised: Charlie quickly came and ducked the girls down to a table.

Sonya - *surprised* "Cousin Charlie?"

Rimfire - *confused* "What are you doing here?"

Charlie - "Getting you and Sonya out of here!"

They all saw Vaggie and Angel was fighting some of the demons. Vaggie was using her knives and Angel was using his guns. Even though they were doing well, there was too much demons in the bar.

Sonya - *to Charlie* "There's too many of them. Should I bring out the big guns?

Charlie - *smirks* "Be my guest, baby cousin!"

Rimfire - *confused* "The big guns?"

Charlie - *smiles* "You will see."

Sonya nodded quickly. She began to quickly look around and saw a bottle shard on the floor. Sonya took a bottle shard and pricked her finger on it and passed out on the ground much to Rimfire's concerned. But before Rimfire can say anything, Liz awaken and took out her scissors and fireworks. Liz smile manically and jump on the table where Vaggie and Angel was at fighting.

Liz - "Bada boom! Time for a blood bath!"

Angel Dust - *happy* "Oh alright! My little girl buddy is here!"

Vaggie - "This is one of the few times I'm actually happy that she's here!"

Liz - "Time for a little fun!"

Angel Dust - "Knock them out, honey!"

Liz began to fight the demons in the bar fight alongside with Angel and Vaggie. Charlie was making sure Rimfire stay safe. Some were injured, some ran away in fear and others passed even before she was about to hit them. Pretty soon the bar fight was over. Liz was panting a bit exhausted from all that fighting.

Liz - *little tired* "Boy did that feel good!"

Rimfire - *impressed* "Wow. You are one crazy chick."

Angel - *smirks* "And that's why she's awesome."

()()()()()()()()()

At the hotel Charlie was checking the girls for injuries. Vaggie got out the first aid kit and Angel was cleaning up his weapons.

Charlie - *concerned* "Where does it hurt?"

Rimfire - *wince a little* "Just my arm. I think that bottle cut me."

Charlie saw the cut on Rimfire's arm. She saw how even though it was big, it wasn't deep so that was a good thing. Charlie began uses some disinfectant to clean the wounds. Vaggie was surprised that Rimfire wasn't crying or even wincing in pain as Charlie was using the disinfectant on her wound.

Vaggie - "Doesn't that hurt you?"

Rimfire - *shrug* "Eh. I felt worse."

Vaggie - "You have?"

Rimfire - "After I died in a fire. Trust me, this is nothing compare to my death."

Vaggie - "Tell me about it. *to Liz* what about you Liz? Any injuries?"

Liz - "Oh just some scratches but I'm cool. You don't need your panties up more ass Chica."

Vaggie looked annoyed as Angel giggled at Liz's comment. Then Sonya came out in shadow form telling Liz something.

Liz - "Hey Cuz! Can you do the old switcheroo? Sonya wants to talk to you."

Charlie - *smiles* "You got it."

Charlie hugs and pet her hair at the same time. Sonya is back much to Angel's dismay.

Angel - "Aw man."

Sonya - "Okay. *took a deep breath* Cousin Charlie I wanted to say I'm sorry for earlier. I was just mad and embarrassed."

Charlie - "You don't have to be sorry. It was my fault for messing up your spell...

Sonya - "But I was the one who yelled at you."

Charlie - "I know but I heard you talking, and I know you didn't mean it."

Sonya - *confused* "Wait how did you heard us talking?"

Charlie - "Yeah...I heard from the window and- "

Angel - "I had to held her's and Vaggie's fat asses!"

Vaggie punched Angel in the arm. Charlie rolled her eyes and went back to talking to her cousin.

Charlie - "I was just afraid of losing you."

Sonya - *confused* "Losing me?"

Charlie - "I was a little...jealous."

Rimfire - "Jealous of me?"

Angel - "I know it's a shocker."

Charlie - "I'm sorry girls. I mean I was just scared of losing you because of how we always spend time together. When you wanted to spend time with Rimfire it threw me off."

Sonya - *guilty* "So it's my fault." *she looks down*

Angel - "Yeah kid it's pretty much is."

Vaggie - *mad* "Angel shut up!"

Angel - "What? I'm just saying."

Charlie - "It's not her fault! I mean even before you moved to the city you didn't really have friends other than me."

Sonya - "Still, I wasn't trying to push you away. I mean Rimfire first friend my age."

Rimfire - "And you are the first friend I made since I got here."

The two hug each other for the first time. Which was a weird awkward hug.

Sonya - *uncomfortable* "This feels weird."

Rimfire - *also uncomfortable* "You mean the hug?"

Sonya - "I never hugged anyone my age."

Vaggie - "Oh sorry the pageant got ruined for you guys."

Sonya - "It's fine. I don't know why they did it in a bar this year anyway. Everybody is always drunk and stuff."

Rimfire - "There's always next year."

Charlie - *happy* "Well the hotel does have a music room."

Sonya - *perks up* "Really?"

Charlie - *nodded* "Yeah I put it there so the sinners can gain new hobbies to distract themselves from sling drugs and stuff."

Rimfire - *impressed* "That's so cool."

Charlie - "Maybe you can do a concert for us! So, we can cheer you sing."

Sonya - *perks up* "Really? You let us do that?"

Charlie - "Of course! I mean it also to make up for what happened."

Sonya - *smiles* Thanks Cousin Charlie!"

()()()()()()()()()()

Charlie opened the music room and saw how huge it was. It was the size of an opera theater room. There was red wallpaper, posters of her mother past concerts, poster of her dad singing, even some of her singing on stage as well. There were lots of tables, with cushion chairs, even a bar in its which Husk was already there drinking.

Charlie - "Man it's been a while since I came in here. Thanks for cleaning it up Niffty."

Niffty - "No problem! It was super-duper filthy, and it needed a lady's touch. Which is weird cause you guys being ladies and didn't clean it no offense."

Husk - "Explain to me again why we are in this fucking room?"

Charlie - "So we can listen to my baby cousin and her friend sing."

Angel - *flirty* "Ya know I can always do a show for you Husky."

Husk - "Fuck off!"

Sonya and Rimfire came with their instruments, and just before they got on stage, they heard a strange noise. They turned around and saw something under the table. Rimfire got out her gun, and then a little pink nose came out of the table. Turn out it was just Angel's pet piggy Fat Nuggets just sniffing around.

Rimfire - "Oh it was just a pig. He looks more like the runt of the litter. *shrugs* well looking like we are having pork chops tonight."

Just Rimfire was about shoot Fat Nuggets, Angel took the gun away from her.

Angel - "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Rimfire - "About to shoot a pig."

Angel - "This pig happened to be my pet!"

Rimfire - "You keep an animal like a pig for a pet?"

Angel - "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rimfire - "Animals are only good for food and clothes. Keeping them as pets are stupid."

Angel - *offended* "How dare you! *cooing to Fat Nuggets* it's okay baby, Daddy will always protect and love you no matter what."

He gave Fat Nuggets a hug much to Rimfire's disgust. Then Charlie said:

Charlie - "Okay Rimfire. We actually have a rule here: no one can harm anyone's pet."

Rimfire - "Rules like that are made to be broken."

Angel - *threateningly* "If you break that rule, I'll break you!"

Charlie - *nervously* "Maybe you should get on the stage now with Sonya."

As they all took their seats, Sonya and Rimfire went on stage with their guitar. They plug it in the speaker and fix the microphones. Then Sonya began to speak in it:

Sonya - "Hello! This song was originally meant to sing in the pageant. But that then turned out to be a bust."

Rimfire - "Yeah. Never do a music pageant in a bar."

Sonya - "Agreed. This song Rimfire, Liz and I wrote is for my awesome best friend and cousin: Charlie. Who was always there for me and Liz no matter how bad things get? This is for you cousin Charlie."

Sonya and Rimfire began to play their guitar and they sing:

In Hell there's one moving light that's glowing

Just like a star

Then she keeps on going

The whole place need that hope

People think she's weak but she's tough

You don't want to mess with her when you cross the line

Inside she has that light, she's tough

Her heart whispers do it now

The light comes out and shout out I'm going to do that vow

Oh Charlie, don't you worry

These are bumps you are going to through

Some day you will know what to do.

Oh Charlie, it's alright

Doesn't matter what you do

Just keep on going because I believe in you.

She's ready to roll

Tonight, is different

She'll show some hope but start it off slow

Oh no oh no

Some stupid assholes try to let her down

But she makes the show keep going on

She's not done she will keep on until the end of dawn. Her heart whispers do it now

The light comes out and shout out I'm going to do that vow

Oh Charlie, don't you worry

These are bumps you are going to through

Some day you will know what to do.

Oh Charlie, it's alright

Doesn't matter what you do

Just keep on going because I believe in you.

Her plans are on right now

And she's going to sing amazing songs

Her plans are never going to end and don't care if it takes long.

Oh Charlie, don't you worry

These are bumps you are going to through

Someday you will know what to do.

Oh Charlie, it's alright

Doesn't matter what you do

Just keep on going because I believe in you.

They finished the song and saw how Vaggie, and e others was cheering. Even Husk was impressed on how well the girls sang. Then suddenly, Sonya was grab by Charlie in a big hug. Tears of joy was flowing down Charlie's face because not only she loves the song, but how much her baby cousin mean to her. Sonya and even Liz in shadow form hugged back because they know no matter how many time Charlie will embarrass them; they will always love her no matter what.

Hope you all like it!

[divine-draws]

Anonymous said to greyvolpe:

klance + d (I love your writing!!! )

Aaaa thank you so much!!! I don’t do it often and im doing these minifics instead of updating my like.. Acutal big fics lmaooo.. For ref this is gunna actually be a tidbit set in universe of THIS fic of mine!! This is set roughly 7-10 years ahead of canon and the boys are married my dudes. (ho boy it’s still a wip and is like 19k+ words. Please go check it out!! ;;0;; )

“Waking Up.”

There wasn’t a whole lot of days when they got to wake up gradually. It was either blaring alarms, someone’s voice calling over the intercoms (sometimes just an exhausted sounding Pidge calling them to get their asses out of bed.. Sometimes it was Allura’s clipped voice calling them out for drills for the second time, honestly what is taking you two so long. Do not make me come and get you personally) or it was just that one of them was up and didn’t give the other too much time to have a lazy morning in bed.

This day though? None of that applied. Of course Keith stirred around the time he typically woke up for his morning routine, a quick run often with Shiro before a shower and then breakfast, though today he didn’t push the sheets off enough to get out of bed. He remained curled up around Lance, nose pressed to the buzzed hair on the back of his neck. Keith kept his eyes closed as he shifted some, arm snaking more around Lance’s waist, pulling his husband just a tad closer to himself. There was a soft murmur from Lance though nothing else. Keith smiled softly, pressing his lips lightly to the back of Lance’s neck for a fleeting moment.

It was nice to have a morning like this. The team was split for various reasons, Lance and Hunk off on a diplomatic mission on Foblara and Keith heading off to deal with some planning with the Blade. Keith had been back to the castle rather quickly, only pausing in his tasks to make a quick run for some items Lance was running low on. It was a simple meeting with the Blade, but one that had to be done back on one of their bases less prying eyes and prying ears grow partial to the words exchanged. Lance and Hunk took longer. The simple diplomatic mission, that was honestly a breeze for the two charismatic men, went awry. No Galra though there was an assassination attempt. Despite the work they’ve done, they hadn’t won the heart of all in the Universe just yet. Hunk was to head back with Allura soon, but Lance was in the pod for a few varga and they had no plans of sending him back just yet. With that mess relatively taken care of, Keith was more than happy to hold Lance close for now.

Keith was pulled from his thoughts as Lance stirred a bit. Keith let go of him some so that Lance could roll over onto his back, eyes still shut and face mask flaking off a bit. Keith shifted to sit up some, getting a proper look at Lance. A strand of hair fell into his eyes and, in a smooth motion, Lance cracked his eyes open and brushed the strand back.

“Morning, Samurai,” Lance mumbled. His hand lingered, gently brushing along Keith’s cheek.

“Mornin’, Love,” Keith drawled with a gentle hum. “Sleep well?”

“Mhmmmn.. Better than I do in that shitty pod.” Lance grumbled out the last bit and for added effect dropped his hand down to rub his own neck.

“Maybe if you stopped throwing yourself at people you wouldn’t wind up in the pod so often,” Keith teased lightly. While Lance’s selflessness has saved their asses more than once and was something that Keith absolutely loved about Lance, it also was a site for concern.

“Well maaaybe you should tell people to stop shooting at us,” Lance said, voice dripping with snark. His tongue poked out at Keith. “I wouldn’t have to save your asses either if you maybe watched out more.” He snuggled a bit more into the blankets before going to scratch at his chin. He paused, fingertips brushing the dry face mask.

“Might wanna wash that off..” Keith idly commented, moving to lay back down. He lazily reached out to their nightstand to grab his holopad. The screen came to life and a picture of the team came up, Lance was holding the camera, face a bit too close and at the edge of the picture. His hand led back to clasp with Keith’s who was pulled into a tight embrace by Hunk. On the other side of Hunk, Pidge was grinning but also clearly trying to worm her way out, (She had complained about her long hair getting pulled during the hug and Hunk apologized profusely despite her insistence that “no really it’s fine!”) Allura had an arm partially thrown around them and Shiro and Coran were squeezed into the frame. Keith smiled softly at the photo and with a flick of the wrist, it was dismissed as the reports and agendas came up. His eyes flickered over to Lance as he sluggishly pulled himself out of bed.

“We don’t have much to do today.. Want to go out or stay in today..?” Keith called out as Lance disappeared into the adjoining bathroom.

“Go out!” There was the sound of a few bottles being knocked over, the tap running and a beat of silence before Lance slid out. Keith chuckled with an amused look.

“Baby, I’m taking you out on an amazing date today,” he purred, striking a bit of a pose and lidding his eyes some. Keith couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright, Loverboy, try beating the date I took you on last time.” Lance grinned.

“You’re on.”

Check out my fics i’d travel across time and space for you and you make my spidey senses tingle both of which are wip safeklance fics!!

[humanityinahandbag]

Defective (the first in a random collection)

In which a writer tries to write snapshots into the life of the first (and only) Rick to leave the citadel and actually raise a fucking family. 

His name is Rick C-236.B. And he’s vaguely and reluctantly domestic. 

Updates are not planned and this might go flopping spectacularly. This writer also has too many fics she needs to finish. So don’t expect a novel. 

Rick C-1902b stares at Rick C-236.B and takes a long swig of his flask. It’s purposeful, and a dick move at that. C-236.B’s flask had been confiscated after they’d finished patting him down (they’d completely missed the vials of high toxicity neuron gas he’d shoved up his ass so at least he had that if it came to it) and his hand twitched. His brow pushed down, and he glared at C-1902b, who made a show of shotgunning the rest of the vodka before tucking away the flask in his lab coat. “So, you’re being dem-ugh-demoted, huh?”

He wished he was that level of shit-faced right then. Sobriety wasn’t a good look on him. “Apparently.”

“Heh.” C-1902b flipped through a stack of papers. “You’re getting a bughh- a defective. Sign here.”

There’s no real argument to be had. He was just another Rick who’d tried to topple the oligarchy of Rick’s. It had been done before. It’d be done again. He was just another cog in a pattern. And each one of them, of which there had been many, was eventually given the temporary sentence of a defective Morty.

It usually lasted a few short months before the sentences were retracted for a lighter, more manageable one.

Toppling the oligarchy was, after all, an every day sort of thing. It didn’t warrant much more than a slap on the wrist. And a few months with a shitty side piece was usually all they got for it.

He signed Ape Aids on the paper (for which the proctor only snorted and filed somewhere next to Chimp Fuckers), handed in his number card, and walked around the desk. C-1902b got up and followed in step. He fiddled with his portal gun and pointed it at the bare wall. “They got you a real nice place, shit bag. Real nice.”

“Shut the fuck up and do your job.”

C-1902b guffaws. “You’re gonna fuckin’ love this.” He shoots. The green portal opens with a resounding braaaaaaawwhhhh and C-236.B huffs a heavy sort of sigh that smells too much like vomit and booze.

This whole place smelled like vomit and piss and booze. Home, the Rick’s would call that. He saluted the other Rick, and with a chirp of -”see you later, pussy” and a high held middle finger, he steps through, into the suburbia that greets him on the other side.

There’s a social worker at the front door. Which is… strange. Because he’s standing on the lawn and there’s a social worker sort of just standing around like he doesn’t know what the fuck is going on either, and he looks at Rick for a second like he’s some sort of old vagrant before knocking on the door again. “Mrs. Smith-?”

“That’s my daughter.”

The social worker ignores him in favor of pounding on the door. “Mrs. Smith!”

Rick steps forward. He still doesn’t have his flask. Or anything. Except for an ass full of neuron gas but this seems like too much effort to pull a squat just to wriggle that thing out. He groans and pushes forward again, whipping out an arm to snag at the mans coat. “Hey. Dipshit.” The man finally turns enough to ogle Rick with huge, owlish eyes. “I’m her father. Whatever she did, you can fucking talk to me.”

“She abandoned her kids.”

Well. That didn’t sound like Beth.

That sounded like him. Not like Beth.

“I don’t think so.”

“She got drunk again.” said the social worker, by ways of moving the conversation forward. “It was stipulated in her parole-” blah blah blah

“My daughter wouldn’t do that. She” (loves? adores? tolerates?) “likes her kids.”

“Sir, she’s an alcoholic with a long streak of theft.” Well… at least this world made sense hereditarily. She’s been on parole for three days. She ran.”

“Smart choice. Avoid the government.” He always knew his Beth was a good one.

“She left her kids!” He wiggled his files in the air. “Again!”

“Kids get in the way of the whole, avoid the government.”

“Sir-”

Rick cut him off with a snort. “So what? So do… go find her or something? She’ll go… go to rehab and so some shit and what? What’s gonna happen.”

“I don’t know, sir.” The social workers tone became clipped and slow. Like he was talking to a three year old and not a galaxy renowned scientist. Rick clenched his jaw. “She’s missing. She ran away. Again. As if her husband was any help-” (well… at least they were agreed on one thing…) “-he’s off god knows where and now her kids are alone. If a neighbor hadn’t called…”

Oh… oh this was good.

A defective Morty with no Beth. No Jerry. Him and Summer alone without anything. Oh this was perfect! Rick began to compose the speech in his mind. He’d throw it right back at those other Rick’s ballsacks. He’d say too bad! Sent me to the wrong place! Return my belongings and give me a new, functional shield, and go fuck yourselves while you’re at it! He’d be home free.

And it was looking like all of this would turn out this way. Like it was all going to tumble into a perfect little pile of Hell Yeah I’m Rick until…

Until the social worker turned on him.

“You,” said the social worker.

“Me.” stated Rick.

“You’re their grandfather?”

“Uh.”

“I mean, I’ll have to check the paperwork! Make sure you’re really- I can go get that now! Oh my god, sir, this is going to make my life so much better! Oh and the kids, of course, but… but god this is so much paperwork and time saved!”

“Uh-”

“If you wan’t to come into the office? I can get you all the things you need! I assume you’re going to be living in the house or do you have your own residence-”

“Hold the fucking phone.” Rick lifted his palms and shook them in front of the mans face until they resembled little, albino trees on a blustery, blustery day. “Hold the mother fucking phone. You want me to-”

“You’re their next of kin!”

“I’m an alcoholic.”

“I can have you everything by tomorrow! Does that work?”

“I’m definitely abusive.”

“Or would you rather come in today? The sooner the better!”

“I’m going to scar these kids. Like… l-like totally. Beyond redemption. They will be fucked. up.”

“Today. Today is the best.” The social worker beamed up at the abusive, alcoholic, child-scarring man with an earnest sort of glee. “Oh this is wonderful, sir, just wonderful. You already know the children, I’m sure, but I think it best if you explain it all to them, don’t you? Don’t you think that that’s best?”

There were two options.

He could just walk away.

Scratch that. He’s walking. Now.

“Sir? Sir, where are-!”

“Are you… are you my grandpa Rick?” He turns. Oh. Ohhhh fuck.

The social worker kneels down. “Yes, Summer. He’s your grandfather. You know him?”

Summer is at the door. Only she’s not as tall and not as fake-blonde and not as anything. She’s younger. And her eyes are bigger. And she’s doing a fan-fucking-tastic job staring at him with them.

The girl shook her head, but opened her mouth to declare that she’d “met him once” but a long time ago, since Beth had stopped seeing guests in favor of the bottom of a bottle. She didn’t talk about the fact that he’d left voluntarily. He didn’t have to be a part of this universe to know that. Rick’s always left. And they always came back just to screw everything over a few times.

He takes a step back. Summer’s eyes are on him again.

“Where are you going, Grandpa Rick?” There’s a noise behind her, and a younger child, two or three or just spectacularly short, toddles up and takes her hand and peers around at the older man like he’s seeing him for the first time. He probably is.

“Morty, look! It’s our…” her eyes flicker up, then down again, “Grandpa?”

“Rick. Just Rick.”

“Grandpa,” she amends. She’d always been that way- declaring the world her own through whatever words she chose. The Morty behind her shifted and hid his face against her back. “He’s gonna take care of us?”

“He is,” said the social worker, who holds out a pen. “Right, Mr. Smith?”

He probably should say no, and watch them get hauled into the stupid pussy green Pries that's sitting on the road. Off to some stupid godforsaken government fondled foster center. They'd be separated and one or both of them would end up in some shitty situation with the whole "hard knock life" vibe. And that didn't matter. He didn't care. He could wait until they'd been weathered by someone else besides him, and then sweep them back up, the hard work of shattering two innocent souls completed and the lazy, aftereffects left for him to do with as he pleased. Except... a few years, alone, in suburbia. That sounded like a borefest beyond all borefests.

Entertainment came in all forms, he supposed.

Rick sighs. His plan forgotten and his spirits, for the most part, dashed, he eased forward and took the pen. “It’s Sanchez,” he said, signing the bottom. “And bring the stupid fucking paperwork tomorrow.”

“Will do, sir!”

There are at least a few good things here, Rick thinks, when he shuts the door and looks down at the two tiny children who stand in front of him.

Morty, who still hides his face still against Summer’s back, is young.

Young enough to make an impression.

A lasting impression.

A I’ll-Do-Whatever-Without-Complaining sort of impression.

The kind that could make all those other Rick’s realize who’d gotten the best part of the deal. When he walked through the citadel with his loyal, no questions asked Morty. They’d see. They’d all see.

“So,” says Summer, reaching behind her to hold Morty’s shoulders at an odd angle. “Your our… parent?”

He breaks out of his reveries long enough to look down at her. “No. I’m your grandparent. You got booze?”

“No. I’m six.”

“Okay. But is there booze here.”

“I don’t know. I’m six.”

He draws out a long sigh.

“Are you going to stay here forever?”

“No,” says Rick, who’s turning around to go find booze. The two kids march fast to keep up with his legs. “I’m going to stay long enough to break you two into obedient little servants who will bend at my every will.” He points to the little boy. “Especially you.” Morty, who had peeked over the curve of Summer’s neck, pushes his face between Summer’s shoulder blades. “And then once I’ve gotten there, I’m going to shove it into the stupid Citidel’s face and they’ll take me back as a hero. And then you,” he points again to Morty, “will be my mental shield, and you,” the finger inches over to Summer, “are going to be a nagging bitch. Sound good?”

The impressive little speech hangs in the air between them.

Summer squints up at him until her nose wrinkles. “Okay. But are you going to make dinner?”

The moment is promptly lost. “Probably not.” says Rick. He goes back to the cabinets. There really was no booze. The parole officers must have snagged it. Fucking government pawns. “Eh… you guys eat pizza?”

“Yeah.”

“Pizza it is.”

“I want pineapples on mine.”

“Pineapples are for whores, Summer.”

Morty pokes his head over, his brown curls bobbing. “I want pineapple,” he squeaks, barely audible, mimicking his sister with his own desire for the whorish fruit before planting his face right back where it had been.

They end up ordering a pie with half pineapple, half anything else, and eat in silence around the table. Summer helps Morty with his. Rick just watches. She takes care of the younger, it looks like, down to silently lifting his hand when the cheese begins to drip down his wrist. Beth must have been in a fucking state not to. She’d never been mom of the year. But this was… something new.

The two are mostly self sufficient, and so teeth are brushed and beds are turned down without a fuss or help. Morty shuts his door and Summer leaves hers open, and Rick wanders to his own bedroom to find its an office, and so he ends up wandering to the couch downstairs and claiming it as his own.

Well. It could be better. It could be worse. But for all that it was, he would break them. And then… then they would see. Then they would all see just what happened when you messed with a Rick and his deficient Morty.

It’s two weeks in, when the house is actually functioning (albeit very loosely) with a sort of schedule, when Morty is still not talking to him that he the whole “breaking” plan is seeming a little harder than before.

Morty and him had always clicked. Clicked like two puzzle pieces being shoved and broken together. But at least they’d worked. This Morty peers at him from behind couches and shoves cereal in his mouth to avoid letting words out.

He learns a few things about each kid. Things he knew from their older versions. And things that he’d missed when he’d missed the whole young kid age.

Summer hates artichokes and tuna fish, but is okay with salmon as long as it’s mixed with mayo.

Morty likes drawing. And that’s about it.

He draws on everything. Everywhere. There’s little sneaky dots on the walls that he hides with the Fisher Price toys scattered around, and a few on the legs of the couch. Paper is everywhere, crumpled up, and covered with different strings of terrible art. Summer is the one who usually picks them up and throws them away, shoving them deep into the trashcan next to the beer cans from Rick’s late night science binges. “Just leave him alone while he draws,” Summer advises, sounding like she’s ten years older than just six, but he doesn’t comment. “It’s how he coped.”

“With what? A drunk?” Rick shakes the can in her face and she swats it away.

“It’s how he coped,” she says again, before throwing the rest of the drawings out.

He’ll find Morty “coping” every so often. And each time, he tries to make some sort of… conversation? Mind bending alteration? … breakthrough? …mental scar? Today, the chosen place is from under the table, with a crayon in each hand, and a paper in front of his feet. Rick bends down. “Hey, kid, you gonna talk now or w-ugh-what.”

Morty nearly snaps the crayon in two and crawls out, hurrying to find a new place to hide. His drawing (it’s a whale. or a dinosaur. or… maybe a weird vagina creature or something?) is left behind.

Rick picks it up. He turns it one way. He turns it the other way. “Huh,” says Rick.

He hangs it on the fridge with a super magnet he’d created to attract quarters (a mostly failed project- it’d gotten him pennies and not much else).

The next day, Morty is once again coloring something that resembles a group of drowning people. Rick snorts. “Hey, not bad!”

That’s enough to send the kid into an anxiety ridden spiral and he dives under the couch and stays there until Summer drags him out by his ankles.

The picture, which is a lot of blue shit, goes up on the fridge.

By the end of the week, their fridge is mostly covered with Morty’s “coping”.

He’ll find Morty standing at the foot of it, staring up. He gives the kids leg a little kick. “Not bad, right?” The kid blinks at him. Better than running away. “I bluhhh- I got this fridge to magnetize to substances containing traces of tree pulp and wax. Set it real low, s-so it’ll only work for paper and crayons and shit. You like?”

Morty looks back at it. And then he hands Rick a new drawing. “Sure,” says Rick, thwaking it onto the fridge. “That good?”

Morty nods.

“You want dinner? Pizza?”

Morty shakes his head.

His grandfather groans. “Right. Okay. So I can’t cook much shit b-but…” he opens the fridge, and the paper flutters and whisks around, “how -how are eggs. You like eggs?”

Morty nods.

They eat a pile of party burned eggs for dinner. Morty helps his grandfather bring the plates to the kitchen, and hands them off before scurrying up to bed.

They never ask where their mother is. Or their father. They never really mention their names or faces. Summer doesn’t seem at all torn up at the concept of a sudden and uncaring guardian, and Morty is content to hold his sisters hand and tag along.

Rick feels bad for them in the kind of kicked puppy way.

“You want to call your mom or… I dunno… something?” asks Rick one day to the kids.

Summer is brushing her hair in the mirror and doesn’t bother to look away from what she’s doing. “No,” she says. Morty, who’s next to her sitting on the toilet lid and watching, doesn’t do anything. “She’ll call if she wants to.”

She doesn’t call.

That tells Rick a lot about this reality, which is sort of more fucked up than the other ones he’s been to.

He didn’t think that was much possible.

The fridge is literally drowning in paper.

Between that and eggs, Rick is basically running a household.

Which is… different.

The plans to break the kids get put off in favor of other, more important things. Like trying not to burn eggs.

Morty’s first words to him were supposed to be something like “what can I do to serve you” or “I’ll be your eternal slave forever and always” or “gee whizz, Rick, don’t you think this is dangerous?” or something Morty-ish like that.

“Can you reach the ice cream.”

That’s the first words. The first fucking words.

“What?”

Morty points to the paper swamped freezer. “The ice cream.” He’s got a little bit of a lisp, and two of his teeth are missing. He’d never opened his mouth, so the elderly man never noticed. “I want chocolate.”

“Oh.” Rick opens the freezer. It’s the first one, on the bottom, and it’s still full. He doesn’t even comprehend the magnitude of the fact that his grandchild is finally talking to him, or the fact that his first words to him are so puss poor and definitely not in line with his plans at all -I mean for real, isn’t he supposed to be the one giving directions?- but he’s sort of overtaken by the fact that holy shit there’s ice cream.

He spoons it into three cups and shouts something like Summer get your ass down here up the stairs, and plants them all in front of the television and says “alright Kids, I’m gonna introduce you to the wonders of ball fondlers.”

The usual Morty liked it more than this Morty. But this Morty at least stays quiet.  He crosses his legs and watches and drops half the ice cream onto the couch, which Rick is going to have a shit time cleaning but he doesn’t care.

“I liked the crocodile,” says Morty after, yawning and trailing after his grandfather. Rick grabs a paper towel and runs it under too-hot water and scrubs down the kids face. Morty protests, but it doesn’t matter much.

“It’s an alligator, dumbass.”

“I liked him.” His chin is all red and blotchy after Rick had scrubbed it raw, but at least it’s clean. He throws it away and grabs Morty’s arm.

“Come on. Bed.”

“I have to brush my teeth.”

“Fine. Teeth. Then bed.”

Morty allows himself to be dragged along. Which is such a Morty thing to do, and that’s at least a small comfort through all of this. “I like Elmo better.”

“Elmo ain’t got shit. Can Elmo castrate an entire commune of nazis?”

“Elmo says I can do anything if I dream it.”

“Dreams are just chemicals reacting in your brain and Elmo is a puppet. Like you.”

“Oh,” says Morty. Then: “I like Cookie Monster the best anyway.”

And that was Morty. Always seeing the best.

Rick helps him get toothpaste onto the brush and shoves him into his room and watches him sternly (or as stern as he thinks he needs to look for a grandfather running a household that basically lives off pizza and eggs and ice cream) from the doorway. The kids pajamas are too small, but he wriggles into them anyway. The last good pair he had must have been given to them before his daughter had gone bananas on reality and fucked off. He wondered how Summer was faring. And then he shakes his head and stops himself from wondering.

He wonders anyway.

No one says goodnight, except for Summer who shouts at Rick to shut off the light already! and that’s sort of the same thing.

Rick collapses on the couch that night and stares at the ceiling. His plans… they’re not shattered? But they’re not… in order. They’re chaotic and messy. And a little scattered.

But that’s what they sentenced him to. A Morty that had been deemed defective until further notice. And his… was a work in progress. Progress that he didn’t want to do.

But hell. He’d done worse. And this was just going to be one in many days ahead that he had to work with what he’d been dealt…

… and what he’d been dealt apparently went down the drain with one huge fuck you old man because by the end of the month he’s standing in a Target looking through the pajamas while an acne covered employee drones “what are you looking for sir?”

“What the fuck does it look like?”

“I’m only here to help, sir,” says the teen, who’s basically dripping oil and cologne.

Rick sighs. “I need a size six. My kid’s fucking tiny as shit. You got a size six? In dinosaur. He only li- li- brurghhh- likes dinosaurs.” Which is evident enough by the stack of dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets also in the cart next to the carrot sticks that the mom next door said were essential to a Childs growth. He'd picked out pajamas for Summer already, next to a few different shirts that had looked about their size, and some jeans with elastic ankle bands because he had to be cruel to them somehow. “And if you don’t have it, I’ll have to shoot your f- ughhh-cking face in.”

"Sir, are you drunk."

"I wish." He pauses. “Halfway there. Should be there by checkout.”

"Sir, are you carrying a concealed weapon."

"Not concealed. It's here." he pat his pocket.

"Sir, you can't have that in here. It's dangerous."

"it's only dangerous if you d- ughh- don't got dinosaurs! Size six, motherfucker."

The teen can only find Star Wars, and he hands it over with a monotone, "sorry, sir, will these do" that tells Rick his shift is almost done so please hurry the fuck up. Rick takes them and hopes the kid knows what Star Wars is. And also hopes that he hates it. That fake science wasn't worth shit.

"Thans for nothing."

"Always happy to help, sir." says the teen, who resumes his wandering to search for more victims. Rick does the same, only after loading two more cartons of chocolate ice cream into his cart. The kids, it seemed, were still fond of ice cream, sans flies. Some things didn't change.

[asiifisms]

so @duskisms is indulging me and asking me about Xig’s betrayal SO. I’m just gonna ramble for a bit, and you’re gonna have to deal with an essay.

(This is going to quickly devolve into a mixture of scene analysis and headcanons, so, this is strictly how my Xig’s handling things, but I do try to stick to canon. I apologise for the word vomit I’m unleashing.)

THIS GOT OUT OF HAND COUNT: 5798 words

TO SAVE TIME, read the ‘plans’ subsection of this ask, ‘cause I’m gonna be referring back to those same scenes a lot, and it’s easier on both of us if I don’t type all that out again.

Long story short, there’s not a ghost of a doubt in my mind that Braigbar’s going to betray ‘Nort. He’s also probably gonna die in the end, but he’s okay with that.

Here’s the thing: He’s not rebelling for himself. He doesn’t really care what happens to him (in fact, he’s planning to die, but, more on that, later). You’ll note that he gives the information that’s likely essential to Xehanort’s fall to Zexion, he said his plans were on track while he was still possessed, but the other apprentices were recompleted, and he keeps himself all but glued to Xehanort’s right hand. Now, I think that the latter is also important to the plan itself, but, again Braig/Xig isn’t rebelling for himself. He’s doing it for the other apprentices - for his friends, the family he never had. If they make it out okay, then, the plan worked.

But let me start at the beginning.

I’m gonna drop a big old bomb on you: Braig was not a bad guy to start off with. Was he kind of an ass? Ab-so-fucking-lutely. Was he a handful? So much so there are no hands in the multiverse big enough to contain him. I know what you’re all thinking: The first time we see him, he’s fighting Terra. Antagonising him, working with Xehanort, all the stops. But, let’s consider the dialogue of that scene. (I talked about it a lot, here, and included a link to the scene on youtube, so, feel free to scope that out)

Specifically, the lines

“I’m just lucky he didn’t steal my heart like Princess– Whatever-It-Was. Heh. That would’ve ruined my week, for sure.”

and 

“So wait- You mean… He’s not the one who stole her heart?”

Braig went into the confrontation(s) with Terra fully believing Terra was stealing peoples’ hearts. We can gather from the entire conversation with Xehanort that he [Braig] has a basic knowledge of what ‘hearts’, in this sense, are - not the literal blood-pumping organ, but, more like a soul, as far as I’ve imagined it. We can also assume he has some idea of what losing it does, since he knows it’s a very bad thing, and he has a basic knowledge of what ‘light’ and ‘dark’ are, in this sense, as well (given that Xehanort speaks as though he expects Braig to understand these concepts, and Braig is in fact able to follow along with the conversation). I’m not entirely sure how much the end of this lil ramble meant, since I can’t pin down how much Braig did or did not know about light, dark, and the nitty-gritty of hearts (in fact, I’d wager BBS is the one game so far he’s utterly clueless in), but, this is a fact that many people (including myself) often gloss over, or don’t realise the impact of.

Braig fought Terra, as I said, believing Terra was ripping peoples’ souls out of their chests. And not just any people, a princess.

Royalty.

So, it follows that Braig, a royal guard, might think, huh, there’s some guy going around with what I understand to be an all-powerful weapon and the ability to cross realities, and he is attacking royalty in a really fucked-up way. I should probably do something about it before he gets at my royalty. 

Whether he [thought he] was protecting King Ansem, or Kairi flexes angst muscles @ kai, or even just the other guards, who would also have had to fight this all-powerful warrior, I can imagine he did a brief calculation and figured someone was going to be a lot safer if he could ‘deal with the problem’ before it got out of hand. So, when the ‘wise old man’ he clearly trusted says ‘We can stop this without involving anyone else, everything will be fine, you’ll be okay’ (’You said I wouldn’t get hurt!’) and, as a bonus if Braig wins, he gets the super weapon and related magic powers, why would he say no? His response would be something along the lines of ‘I’m down. You point, I shoot, man, what’s the plan?’

Like all of the best tragedies, he went into that fight thinking he was the good guy. 

Yeah, he knew he was playing dirty (’not the most polite way to go about it’), but, that didn’t matter, he knew and openly admitted that he wouldn’t be able to beat Terra in a fair fight. He knew the guy was a beast, and that was probably another part of the reason he decided to go with this. From what we’ve seen, Aeleus and Dilan are on door duty at least once in a while. That means. if Terra were to attack RG, those two - Arguably, Braig’s favourite people in the known universe(s) - would be the first to be mowed down by a soul-stealing super soldier. Does Braig think the two of them are strong? ‘Course he does. Does he think they’re keyblade-master strong? He has no idea. For all the little tidbits of info Nort-Report seems to be feeding him, I don’t think Braig really has any idea what a keyblade is actually capable of. He doesn’t know if Aels and Dil would survive an encounter with a keyslinger, and he doesn’t want to run the risk. 

Now, I’m not saying he didn’t have a hand in the pot for his own, selfish reasons.

“All I’m asking is that you hold up your end of the bargain!”

... Definitely implies he thinks he’s getting something, personally, out of this, in my book, and I’ll be damned if he didn’t think he was gonna get a keyblade. (That’s a headcanon I’ve had for years, and I’m sure I’ve explained it over a few posts, but, it’s neither here nor there as to why I think that, right now). But, he absolutely thought he was on the moral end of the scale. He thought he was doing the right thing. After all, Terra was stealing hearts, right?

...

Right?

Now, let’s get into the visuals of the scene, since I think I’ve run the dialogue and such into the ground. (Or, the dialogue relevant to the betrayal point.)

Let’s take a look at visuals. 

I’m lazy as shit with this one, but, look at his face. This is right in the middle of his realisation that Terra wasn’t the one stealing hearts, and look at him. Does he look triumphant to you? Jovial, arrogant, the mildly unnerving Freeshooter we all know and love? No. 

No, to me, he looks angry. He looks visibly upset. That’s not a ‘hell yeah, we did it’ face (even though we could easily argue this is exactly the outcome Xehanort wanted), this is a ‘what the hell have you made me do’ face. And, of course, right before we fade to black, Xehanort grins and chuckles; Braig does not. As I said, I think Braig’s completely clueless for this one game. And he’s just realising that this isn’t what he wanted; This isn’t what he thought it was.

But, hey.

Even Lucifer was an angel before he fell, right? 

The next time we see Braig, he’s antagonising Ven and Aqua, and then fights Aqua, like a good henchman.

But wait, can we get a screen cap comparison?

Well, no, but we can compare icons!

Here’s Braig, right after the Terra fight:

(him so sad ;n;)

Now, let’s get a close-up on his eyes.

Those are his eyes. Big, beautiful, warm puppy-dog brown eyes. 

...

Eye.

Whoop.

But, now, let’s get a look at his face during the Aqua fight:

And, enhance...

Little more...

That’s right, he’s fucking possessed. Braig goes from fighting Terra because he thinks Terra’s the bad guy, to questioning and even openly defying Xehanort, only backing off when threatened with death, to going blithely along with his plans because Xehanort frickin’ body-snatched him.

No, I’m still not over this.

Yes, I’m taking this as further evidence that he’s not on board with Xehanort’s plans. (Yes, I know I’ve used it, before.)

I also wanna go on a brief sidebar here, and say that Braig got ‘Norted before he lost his heart. I believe, aside from Xemnas, he’s the only one we see this happen to. I also think this is why Xigbar and Braig look so different, since in the 2.5 secret ending (link to that clip in the Plans post I mentioned at the top, if you wanna give it a scope), he’s back to himself, mostly, in terms of looks, and then shortly after, he’s Nobody’d again, and back to having long hair, looking older, etc. When he’s recompleted, he’s going back to the form that was just ‘Braig’; Even if he has Xehanort’s heart shoved in his chest, that was his body first. But Xigbar? Xigbar’s form was created from removing the horrific amalgamation of both Braig and Xehanort’s hearts from the same person. When he says he’s ‘half Xehanort’, I don’t think he’s just talking about possession (though he absolutely is at least half Norted), but he means he, as Xigbar, is literally tempered from Braig’s heart and Xehanort’s heart - two halves to make a whole nobody. Like a Steven-Universe style fusion, but like seven times more ungodly than most of them. Or maybe like a more stable Malachite. (Another reason why I think Xig has the potential to be the singlemost terrifying person in the series, if he wanted.)

I’m getting off topic here.

Anyway, back to Braig’s revenge plans. It’s my personal headcanon that Braig’s not really... Lucid, in the beginning stages of the possession. We can see a few bits of this in canon - like, he makes such a big deal about not being collateral damage, then in the Aqua fight seems totally fine with throwing himself into battle with Aqua to buy Xehanort time?? I mean, like I said at the top, this is gonna devolve pretty quickly into headcanon material, and this is about the point where that happens, but, I dunno, he just seems really- Off, to me, from this point on. Way too happy to go along with things, too eager to just run off and isolate himself with Terra/Apprentinort, all that. 

You know when I think we see the ‘real’ Braig again? When he seems to break through the haze of darkness, goes back to the mouthy, but lovable, if not somewhat of a twat, guardsman, when he starts questioning Xehanort, noticing that things aren’t adding up, looking like he’s about to throw down the freaking guantlet and thunderdome it right there?

Right here, when he gets his heart stolen.

More specifically, right before that, when Even and Ienzo are fading. When the other Apprentices got hurt, that seems to snap Braig out from under Xehanort’s thumb enough to try confronting him again (Worth noting that himself getting hurt, ie the fight with Aqua, didn’t do it. It was the others getting drawin into the line of fire that woke him up). Didn’t work, but hell, boy put in a good effort. Another part of my headcanons that are pretty much gospel for this blog and my portrayal of this muse is that Braig loved the other Apprentices more than anything. Even, Aeleus, Dilan, and Ienzo were kind of all he had in the family department - and yeah, he low-key secretly thought of them as family. Did they get on each others’ nerves? Hell yes. Did he do the majority of nerve-trodding? Well, he thinks he did, at least, and he does have a talent for it. But, those four were still his people, and he adores them endlessly. And Xehanort took them from him. Xehanort hurt them (and, as it becomes more clear to him, as his brain adapts to the darkness, he realises, he hurt them, too. This is his fault.)

Also, can we stop here a second, again, so I can talk about something? This scene, right here, is further proof to me that Braig was not a bad person. 

We know what Darkness looks like, in the KH sense, when it’s manifested in its purest form.

It looks like this.

And this.

And also this.

(one of these things is not like the other)

For bonus comparison, I went and looked up what it looks like when someone with a Dark heart gets Keybladed - Maleficent, specifically, since we know she’s steeped in the stuff. (Darkness, I mean. Not Keyblades. ... Maybe Keyblades too. Depends on where in the story you are.)

(three cheers for awful cap quality amirite)

Meanwhile, look what’s happening with Braig when he loses his heart.

Look how bright that is.

Look how much light was in this poor boy’s heart.

Look at how pure and bright and warm and good Braig had the potential to be, how his heart literally shines with this white sort of halo-esque deal, even after being possessed by Xehanort for a good deal of time. I dunno how long, exactly, but I imagine it took a bit of time between Braig’s first intro as a ‘Nort, to Terranort becoming Apprentinort and one of Ansem’s Trusted, to this. 

Look at that, though. There was a beacon in this kid’s chest. He was like a maglight. (I love him so much someone hold him and tell him he’s worthwhile for once in his life)

Anyway. Again, that was a bit off-track, so, back to the facts. 

Braig loves the other Apprentices. Whether you wanna take it as romantic, or platonic (it’s usually platonic, here. Emphasis on usually, though [eyyy Jess B)]), he loves ‘em. And this bright-hearted young man, who, as I said, maybe kinda did want to get something out of it for himself but also wanted to keep his home safe, just realised that he’s destroyed everything he cared about. 

His home is destroyed.

His friends are worse than dead.

And, as far as he’s concerned?

It’s all his fault.

But damn if he’s gonna take this lying down. 

But, he’s learned that openly challenging Xehanort gets him nowhere. The first time he tried? Keyblade to the throat, then possessed. Second time? Keyblade to the chest, heart stolen, homeworld destroyed. Like, how’s your streak going, there, bud? Not good, it seems. And, you know what? He’s not putting those four at risk, again. 

He knows a bit about hearts, and he knows a bit about keyblades. Not a lot, I don’t think; But enough. Probably a bit more than he did to start with, thanks to Ansem and the Apprentices’ research on the subject. All the experiments, and stuff? He had moments of clarity, not enough to realise what was wrong, but, he’s a curious guy, he did some poking around. He also knows that Xehanort will tell him exactly enough to stay useful, and to help the Old Coot’s plans along in the most seamless way possible. As Xehanort’s right hand, he’ll learn as much as he can. As his henchman, his flunkie, his assassin, his loyal tool to use and discard as he sees fit, Xigbar will learn, and be trusted with access to, things he would never be able to get his hands on, otherwise. As a recon and stealth-ops specialist for the Organisation, the same is true. The worlds are his oyster, and damnit if he’s not diving for pearls. 

And, what do you know? He finds one.

A few of them, in fact. 

Most notably, a way that the others can be made whole, again. 

The reason he’s not too torn up about Castle Oblivion? He wanted it to happen. He wanted members 3 through 6 to bite it. That was the plan, that was how they’d go back to being ‘whole’ again. He knew enough to know being whacked around by a keyblade wasn’t too bad, and, he sure as hell couldn’t off them, himself - Too risky. Too many ways it could go wrong. But if they’re ‘gone’, they’re safe from Xehanort, and they’ll be ‘themselves’ again. ... He wouldn’t be too happy if he learned what Axel had done, though. Not happy at all. 

But, before I get side-tracked again, I do very much think he wanted the others to recomplete. Like I said, his revenge isn’t for himself. Why? Well, there are two reasons, and they kind of go hand-in-hand. 

First, let’s go back to the 2.5 secret ending (also linked in the Plans post, way up there). 

In this scene, all of the boys are recompleted, and I, personally, am so happy for them. With the exception of the littles (Ienzo, Lea, Isa) growing up, they all seem to look like themselves.

Well.

All of them except for Braig.

Because, when we see Braig in this scene, what does he look like?

(Skipping right to the point with a close-up on his eye)

That’s right, even right after recompletion, he’s still possessed. Maybe that’s cause he went and got Norted again, but, I don’t think so. I think it’s because, like I mentioned, earlier, Xigbar was made from Braig’s heart, tainted with Xehanort; So, when he ‘recompletes’, he recompletes as Braig, tainted by Xehanort. There’s no way out, for him. I mean, the good news is, he’s adapting. He’s used to it enough that he can think and act with some degree of freedom, but, he’s still possessed. There is no ‘out’ for him until Xehanort is gone; and Xehanort can’t be ‘gone’ until Braig is, as well. (He thinks so, anyways.) So, his revenge isn’t for himself because he doesn’t think it’s possible for him to escape. He’s doomed to carry a part of the Old Coot with him, potentially forever. 

The second reason his revenge isn’t for himself is because he wants Xehanort gone. He doesn’t care what it takes, he wants the Coot wiped from existence. And despite the fact that I’d argue Xig is one of the most powerful people, magically, in the series (physical reality is his playground, it’s amazing), he knows he doesn’t stand a chance. If he tried ti take the old guy out, he’d be dead. No, he’s come to put a lot of faith in prophecy, these days, one way or another; The Seven Lights have to fight the Thirteen Darknesses for the whole thing to come to an end. And there has to be thirteen of them. If Braig could get out of those ranks, he wouldn’t. Why? Because, as Xehanort’s right hand, not only is he learning things, like I mentioned above, but he’s manipulating things. He’s in the prime position to tug along the puppet strings and make it so the old man falls. If he’s one of the Seekers of Darkness, he can wreck things from the inside, and make sure Xehanort gets taken down - and himself with him, since, again, he carries traces of Xehanort inside his heart, no matter what he does. 

He knows he’s expendable.

It’s one of the only things Xehanort told him that stuck. 

He’s expendable. nobody would miss him if he was gone. They don’t need him, any more. 

That so, old man?

Fine, then. 

He’ll be expendable.

He’ll let himself be cast aside and thrown away, he’ll throw himself under the bus, but he’s dragging you down, with him. He’ll let himself be obliterated, and he’ll cling to that shred of you that leeches off of him, and make sure neither of you ever see the light of day, again. 

If he lets himself be one of the Darknesses, and lets himself be killed, then, Xehanort won’t be able to hurt anyone else, ever again. 

Let me quote two of my favourite musicals, to help sum up Braig’s attitude (because I find lyrics really helpful for getting this sort of thing across):

The entire end-section of ‘Twisted’, from the musical of the same name, by Team Starkid, actually sums Braig up really hecking well:

What remains of a man, when that man is dead and gone? Only memories and stories of his deeds will linger on But if a man's accomplishments aren't in the tale they tell Are the deeds that go unheralded his legacy as well? If a war breaks out tomorrow, we'll all have hell to pay Why protect my reputation? I'm a dead man either way How will they tell my story? How will they tell my tale? Will anybody even care? The question then is whether 'tis nobler in the mind To be well liked but ineffectual, or moral but maligned? I'll never be a hero! All the citizens adore But if I hide to save my life What has my life been for? What has my life been for? The road ahead may twist, but I will never swerve I'll give them all the unsung anti-hero they deserve I've nothing left to lose So the only path to choose is twisted Let them twist my words, let the people scorn me Who cares if no one will ever mourn me? Let them bury the side of the story they'll never learn Let the truth be twisted Let my life be twisted I'll be twisted It's my turn...

But, if you want a shorter one? The start of ‘Dead Girl Walking (Reprise)’ from Heathers also sums it up nicely:

I wanted someone strong who could protect me I let his anger fester and infect me His solution is a lie No one here deserves to die Except for me and the monster I created Yeah! Yeah! Heads up, J.D., I'm a dead girl walking! [ALL BUT VERONICA] Hey, yo, Westerberg! [VERONICA] Can't hide from me, I'm a dead girl walking! [ALL BUT VERONICA] Hey, yo, Westerberg! [VERONICA] And there's your final bell It's one more dance and then farewell Cheek to cheek in hell with a dead girl walkin'!

(The chorus’ lines stricken out ‘cause they’re not relevant)

I mean, the difference here is, Braig didn’t want Xehanort to protect him, he wanted strength himself. But, the rest of it (pronouns/gender/names/etc aside)? That’s Braig to a T as things spiral towards the war. The Darknesses dying is the only way to get rid of Xehanort, and he can only make sure that happens if he’s one of the Darknesses. 

So, sure, he’ll be expendable.

Making him that way was Xehanort’s biggest mistake. 

Because, let’s face it, he took everything from Braig, and I mean everything. He doesn’t have a home, any more - Even if RG is rebuilt, do you really think he could go back? He doesn’t. He doesn’t have anyone who’d want him there - After everything he put them through, how could his friends even look at him again? It was because he was too foolhardy, he didn’t look hard enough, he didn’t do this or that or some other thing that they went through over a decade of Hell, so, they obviously want him gone, right? And his dad? Well, they never got along, even before Xehanort, he’ll probably be happy Braig’s gone (Wrong, Eadric was devastated by his son’s death, but Braig has no way of knowing that). He doesn’t have his own heart, any more. He barely has his own name. And, even if he is recompleted, even if there’s a day he were to wake up with those same brown eyes that melted so many hearts back in the day, he’s never going to even have his own face again. Never. He’s never going to be able to look in a mirror and see anything other than a mistake. The marks of what Xehanort did to him - No, what he did, marks of his own failure, his own damnation, his own idiocy, for lack of a better word, will be forever scarred into his face. 

He will never see ‘Braig’ again. 

He will never be ‘Braig’ again.

And that, you see, was Xehanort’s downfall. 

And before I elaborate on that point any more, let me just say he’s grateful, in a sick, masochistic sense, that at least some of the other Apprentices seem to hate him. Ferret’s Lexaeus, especially, though Zexion, in the cutscene I highlighted in that first ask, seems irritated and eager to get away from him, too. And, again, he’s grateful. 

It’s easier to play the part, that way, to keep the isolation game going and keep them out of the loop, but, beyond that, it stops Xehanort from acting too suspicious. It stops them from looking like collateral. If it looks like he still cares about the others, they could be used against him. Maybe they still will. But it’s a lot less likely if they all look like they don’t... Necessarily want anything to do with each other. (He savoured any moment of companionship he could get out of them, though. It was nice to have someone.) It’s a lot less likely when he gestures to their fallen forms and seemingly offers them up - “Which poor soul will it be?” - Even if, and I’m convinced on this, everything, right down to the gesture itself, was planned to draw attention away from the four of them in the most subtle manner possible. It also makes it easier for him to come to terms with what he needs to do, because, again, they don’t want him back. It;s not like he’ll be disappointing anyone if he stays. 

Remember that post I made, a while back? 

This one, right here? 

At first glance, it seems pretty relatable, huh? I hate waking up, too, Braig, I gotcha. But, no, that’s not it. The problem isn’t ‘Braig’s not a morning person’ (He’s not, but, not the problem). The problem is, he’s not supposed to be able to wake up. He’s not supposed to be alive. 

Like I said above, he planned to die. He didn’t see any future for himself, and he’s basically Xehanort’s horcrux, so, waking up at the end of it all? It doesn’t make sense. He’s supposed to be dead. The plan was that he would be dead. He’s not lucid enough to figure out what’s so wrong about being awake, but, there’s something very bad about it, and when he wakes up fully, he’s gonna be a mess. He’s been sticking to the plans he’s made for over a decade, and now he’s awake, and things aren’t following those plans, and nothing makes sense any more and he’s not even sure who he is, and it’s awful. It’s a really bad time for him. (He’s also just. Not likely to stick around RG after that, at least for a while, but that’s a story for another post.)

This is another sidebar, because I’m bad at staying on one topic for any too long, but I gotta say, recompletion for Braig? It was probably one of the worst physical moments of his life. Would’ve been very difficult for him, since, he didn’t have his whole heart, even as a ‘somebody’. Xehanort took that from him. With Xehanort gone, the hold on his heart is gone, as well (Or, I like to believe so; Braig’s not convinced), so, he’s gotta re-grow the damaged bits, or however that works, before he’s gonna be back to himself. It’s an awful, awful process, and that’s not even considering the Nort Withdrawal, which Aaron and I discussed before, but. I don’t have the post for that, so, just lemme know if that’s a thing people want to hear about.

But!

Back to the plans. 

When I say Xehanort fucked up by taking everything from Braig, I mean it. Way back when, Braig had things keeping him moral. He had things he wanted to protect, and wanted to fight for, and wanted to go back to, but now? Everything is either means to an end, or the end goal. He literally cannot afford to stay ‘good’, either because it would compromise his plans, or because of Xehanort’s influence, or a mix of the two. Usually a mix. To quote one of my favourite The Adventure Zone characters (and I’m not saying which one or which arc, because Erika is reading and I’m not spoiling it for her):

“I don’t care. The world is ending, and I don’t give a shit.”

At this point, he’s given himself to Xehanort. He’s killed. He’s lied, cheated, manipulated, and who only knows what else. And he’s done it all with a smile. Not all of it is playing a part, either; The darkness, the wariness, everything’s been weighing down and crushing him. He’s too broken down to care.

No matter what he does, he doesn’t care. 

All that matters is that his home winds up safe, and his friends/brothers/family go back in one piece. 

It doesn’t matter to him if anyone else gets hurt. He’s taken the phrase ‘you can’t save everyone’ to heart. 

Would it be great if he could get everyone safe? YES. That’d be amazing. He’d love shoving it in the old man’s face. But, he’s making compromises and sacrifices for those four. That’s all that matters. (A nice contrast to Sora, I think, who seems willing to sacrifice himself, but only himself, to save everyone, but, I don’t write him, so feel free to correct me.)

He’s so tired.

He’ll keep going, keep fighting, keep doing his self-given duty, but, the longer it goes on? The more he just wants it all to end. I think, by the end of DDD (especially after the ‘my friends are my power’ scene, that took a tole on him), he’s kind of looking forward to the battle? Just so he can rest. He’s tired.

And, you know what else makes me think he’s planning his own downfall, on top of Xehanort’s?

His most explicit acts of defiance, post BBS, all involve him giving the power to somebody else. Which you could argue is a great show of character growth from the ‘ooh let me have the all-powerful weapon this is good’, but, it’s not the best, ‘cause he’s still stringing people along, playing them all like fiddles, making them do what he wants, etc etc. 

But, when he knows how to find Ventus and Aqua, does he use that knowledge, himself? No, he tells Zexion, so Ienzo can put that knowledge to use, later. He absolutely knew more than he was letting on with Namine’s escape, and he let her go, I’m convinced (and then redirected the attention to Saix, low-key calling him out on the fact that Isa’s probably still in there and/or Saix can’t be trusted). Namine was the key to waking Sora up. Sora, the main protag, the brightest light we know. Also, she was responsible for sending Roxas and Xion* back to Sora’s heart - Getting the two wild-card keyblades away from Xehanort, so they’re left without those very powerful weapons under their control. Kinda nasty way to go about it. IMO (’but what can ya’ do?). He really didn’t put a lot of effort into taking Xion out (I mean, granted, she kicked his ass hard, that wasn’t him playing around, that was actually ‘oh shit, where did she go, OH SHIT WHAT’), but, he never fired a single shot. Axel comments on it, too. 

A: “The old man needs to get his eye checked. She just got away.”

X: “I’ll give him that. Can’t toss the blame around.” 

(That scene is here, by the way.)

All of this is to guide other people into helping and creating the seven lights. Unless you’re Zexion/Ienzo, nine times outta ten, you have zero reason to think Xig’s anything other than a loyal Nort. He wants the lights to form up. He doesn’t want it explicit he’s helping them (unless he has no other choice, a la Chamber of Repose/Chamber of Waking with Zex). He’s guiding along the keyblade war, but he’s making it so the Seekers are going to fail. 

He’s expendable.

This is all his fault. 

And he thinks he knows how to make it right.

(*I will say that his motivation on this one can have a double-meaning, depending on verse/thread. Like if it’s with @lostinmemory‘s Xion? There’s definitely the added bonus of her being safe in Sora’s heart, so they can’t keep doing increasingly fucked up things to the poor girl in the Organisation. ... Not that he remembers, afterwards, but, hey. Thought that counts, right?)

Anyway, this is long enough, so! If there’s any points you want elaborated on more, just hmu. <3

[yourtoradorasextendedwarranty]

The Problem with MSM

So I honestly don't have many followers. I'm also prone to going on tangents. And most of my posts are rooted in politics. Not by choice mind you. I was not the one that decided literally everything in existence is political. I'm also not the one that created the view points that want everything to be political. TL;DR At the bottom.

To start off however, I need you to understand the process of radicalization.

Find someone who feels discontent with how a situation is, or how their life is

Tell this person that what's happening to them is not their fault

Place the blame for this person's problems on a certain group (political group, racial group, religious group, etc.)

Talk to the person like you know how they feel, "drop your guard" and tell them "problems you've had that were not your fault" blaming that same group

Show them that they are either a victim or oppressed in some way, shape, or form.

Slowly start swaying their views further to the extreme, by showing them other instances of "others who are being attacked or are victims" of said group.

Promptly but softly oppose any "differing views" with warped information or flat out lies

Get them to start going to events and taking to others that have already been radicalized

Have you and another radicalized individual, keep track of this person and say you support them and their issues

Sit back and watch

Now this is a rough lost but more or less the bare bones basics of radicalizing other people. Though in some cases it takes more steps and in some others it takes less. So what does this have to do with MSM (Mainstream Media)? Quite a few things in modern day actually.

The job of MSM is to get you information, as fast as humanly possible. This however was not the first goal priority in the past. In the past, the first priority was to cover a story as factually as the could, and look for more information keeping people constantly updated. Here we get to our first real problem for Media today. Technology. The Advent of modern technology has been both a blessing and a curse in this regard. And of course I'm talking about the internet in its current form. The internet being the very center of information distribution in 2019. And it has been for almost 12 years now.

So what did this change? Basically everything we know today. "Old wives tales" are now a Google search away. Feeling sick? WebMD says you have Cancer. Looking for the next hour story? Check CNN's Twitter account. The Internet brought us a great, many things. But it has taken away just as many. MSM has had to slowly move operations into social media in order to try and stay relevant. This because many people have unplugged, and have gone full digital. The only real exceptions being places of business. And with the world at your finger tips at the clock of a button, being factual has lost its relevance. Not to mention that as far back as 2013-2014 activists started working for MSM companies. Most notably progressive activists. This causes many problems we currently see today. Below is an example of what a headline used to look like, and what most headlines look like now:

Normal headline: Shooting in Birmingham leaves 3 dead and several injured during city wide festival.

Headline now: White, Trump supporter, Nazi, KKK, skin head, punches 2 people in hate crime.

See the difference? The first headline shows the basic facts and dives into known details during the article. Often they'd avoid opinions all together. The second one one the other hand, blatantly discloses anything that could generate clicks. Why? Because true or not, outrage sells. So over the past several years, MSM has been slowly radicalizing us. But they do this on a bipartisan level.

Are you black? The cops will kill you, and the white man is evil. Can't find a job? Racism. Are you a woman? Then you're unhappy because "rape culture". Do you regret having sex with that guy? Well guess what? He actually raped you without you realizing. Are you white? You're evil. Are you strait? You're a monster and should give all your money to gay people. Are you a man? You are responsible for every rape ever committed. You're also a pedophile and violent. Are you a strait white man? Oh boy you won the jackpot because you're basically Hitler.

See my point here? MSM spends most of it's time trying to rage bait you into clicking their articles. And in doing so we've gotten so lazy as a country that half the time, we don't even read past the headlines. And MSM knows this. They don't care if you read what they write. They are just radicalizing you so they can keep feeding you outrage. Because the more often they do it, the more often you will click it, skim all of 3 lines and then hop on Twitter and talk about how outraged you are. Sure, we are just as to blame for letting it happen to us, but most of us used to have at least some trust in the media. But after SEVERAL severely awfully false hit pieces that were headline news for almost months, many of us have started staying away from MSM.

What incidents might I be talking about?

Covington Catholic controversy (Almost every media outlet took a 7 second clip and ran with it. Turns out, there was a full 2hr video out there, and the Native American man, whom CNN interviewed, lied his ass off. Most media also chose to ignore the VERY beginning of the video which showcased a group called The Black Hebrew Israelites. These individuals, called Trump a homosexual, called the Native Americans there "Uncle Tomahawk", and said Gay people should not have rights. THESE CATHOLIC STUDENTS, were appalled by this statement. But what did we see in the media? "Racist Maga hat kid threatens and blocks the path of a Poor innocent Native American man."

Duke Lacrosse. Years after these kids were crucified by the Media and many others, the girl actually came out saying it never happened. You know who reported on this? Next to no one.

Ferguson. Now as controversial as this one is, the media took and RAN with it. What followed after the skewed coverage was a cult like gathering that led to phrases like, "hands up don't shoot" and "oink oink, bang bang". But Obama had the issue federally investigated. Both witnesses and the coroner report said basically the same thing. That he was aggressively wrestling with the cop trying to take his gun. But, it's too late. Now all cops are evil, and Democrat politicians are quoting it like it happened yesterday, and claiming the cop guilty. Why? Because MSM already got what they needed. They radicalized the individuals they wanted, people who will come back to them for, "facts".

And what does all of this boil down to? A video that made me write this out.

2 things need to be said here. 1. The "manifesto" as it were, was actually debunked to have been uploaded by the shooter, by the site admin himself. As well as several other sources. 2. If, by some chance the manifesto was real, and he had someone upload it for him, he mentions several liberal talking points, like universal basic income, saving the environment, among other left policies.

But this brings me back to both the beginning and to this story. Assuming for a moment, the manifesto was his. How did this happen? Most of you might just jump and say, "RACIST NAZIS", or something slightly more colorful. But here is the thing. MSM is partly responsible for all of this. Assuming the conspiracy that the CIA or FBI is responsible is false, I agree with the YouTuber in the picture. I believe that if you belittle and berate someone enough over time, you can cause them to do extreme things. I mean look at this site. Look at Twitter. Look at MSM. "White people bad", "white people are evil" "K*LL all whites" "white privilege", "fuck men", "male tears", "man spreading", "mansplaining", "Yes all men". All of this. This is popular. This is a trend. And it's unacceptable. Because frankly, it's basically bullying someone into a corner. Personally? I've been told by a few companies that are scared of social justice warriors and the online hate mob, that their company is actively not hiring white individuals. And I wish, REALLY WISH, I was making that up.

Is it any wonder, that people who go to the internet as an escape end up in a low point in their lives and then decide to do something awful? And it's the same with school shootings too. The news puts out, the name, ethnicity, how tall they are, and their entire life story, for weeks at a time. And now for much longer, because they support the desire to ban guns. So they need these things to happen more often. So the glorify the shooter, and keep talking about him/them for months. But here is where the story gets fun.

Columbine's shooting, was actually supposed to be a bombing. The kids who did it? Not the "school losers" the media talked about. The trench coat club? They were not even apart of it. More info on that here. As well as other places on Google.

More or less This video covers what the media got wrong in their rush to cover everything. What they did not intend on, was making these two boys heros to those bullied in school. Mostly boys, who are torn down and told they aren't enough, that they don't matter, they are isolated, bullied, harassed. So they look for someone who stood up to their bullies. What they were given, was a sociopath who manipulated a suicidal boy into helping him commit mass murder. Almost all of MSM were quick to say they were bullied into it. What's worse however, is Parkland. The Parkland 5, (the students whom MSM propped up for months) one of them came out admitting, that she bullied the guy who shot up the school. Said he was weird and that she needed to do it. This is one of the teens the media has PROPPED UP, saying we should listen to their infinite wisdom. A girl who is probably half responsible for the shooting.

Start paying attention. Start doing research. And for the love of all that is holy, STOP BULLYING PEOPLE! I don't care what your narrative is, or what it means. IE:

White people are human

Black people are human

Hispanic people are human

Gay people are human

Strait people are human

Women are human

Men are human

Stop normalizing anything to the contrary. Because when you do, you become part of the problem.

TL;DR The media only cares about themselves and clicks. They don't care who they radicalize, so long as you keep giving them traffic. Which for them is money. Do your research, look into things, and don't bully people. I'm looking at you progressives.

[asaspro-blog]

Myth's Thoughts On Recent Changes <3

New Post: https://fortnite.asas.pro/myths-thoughts-on-recent-changes-3/

#fortnite #game #fun #esport #news

Myth's Thoughts On Recent Changes

Okay so im gonna go through my AUTHENTIC thoughts on how I feel about all the changes made with the game in the past few weeks. Let's start off with first shot accuracy.

  FIRST SHOT ACCURACY THOUGHTS

  Initially I was very very hesitant about keeping in the game and was kinda on the side of thinking that its absolute shit… ngl. As I continued to play with the new mechanic I do feel more and more comfortable with it being a part of the game, but I do feel like there are some things that are kinda scuffed with it. To begin with I feel like the actual time that it takes to get your reticle to FSA when you stand still is a little delayed. I think it would be much more enjoyable if this mechanic where to function in a manner where at the moment you are standing / crouching still you are granted FSA. Currently there is just this awkward delay that just doesn't feel right at times. The second and final thing I want to note is that this system functions primarily at a very far range. I'm unsure if this is a good or bad thing but there’s no way to ignore that this system is pretty much built for one or two scenarios and not a complete overhaul of RNG of the aiming system, but i'm pretty sure that its intent isn't to remove RNG. Things that this mechanic does pretty well though is bring us 100% accuracy, so that's one step forward. Being able to have the option to actually hit people with accuracy is super nice compared to us not having that option at all at any range. One thing I would like from EPIC would be for them to publicly state their current views on combat and aiming in a DevBlog or something, maybe a lil word about what happened to the recoil based system that was leaked a while ago. Maybe even let us try it in a LTM? Just seems kinda awkward that this second option was scratched entirely and hidden away from the community with no word or talk about it. I understand that shift happen and motives change when it comes to game development, would be nice to understand why those shifts / motives take place though.

  WEAPON SWITCHING (WELCOME TO FORTNITE POLITICS BOYZZZ. :D)

  Okay. I seem to understand most of the communities views on this specific mechanic change. Let me start off by trying to understand EPIC’s intentions. EPIC stated that this nerf was intented to “reduce the effectiveness of quickly switching between weapons for high burst-damage”. Personally I think this really isn't something that I think is wrong for EPIC to try to go for. In EPIC’s eyes they may see quickly switching to pump and other weapons being something that affects whatever plans they have for the game long term. But the primary concern from the community is that this nerf has reduced the skill cap / slowed down the pace of the game. The primary example that I’ve been hearing a whole lot about is the replace and edit peak strat. This is when you destroy someone's wall or floor then replace it with your own and edit a hole in it to create an opportunity to kill someone that is turtling (playing passively / boxing in and trying to heal). Many people feel as if the nerf on the pump switch allows the player that’s turtling a greater opportunity to fire back at you after you created the edit. My only question to anyone that shares this concern is why in the world are you editing then putting your face right in front of the whole you just edited? It makes no sense pre patch or post patch. The player within the box still has the opportunity to kill you pre patch when you don't properly execute on the replace and edit strategy, just because you haven’t been executing this strategy properly and you are now getting punished for it because of a slower switch speed doesn't necessarily mean that the game is being catered to the player at a “disadvantage”. And BTW, when it comes to that mechanic the only real advantage you have on the player is the unpredictability of the edit you decide to make and the time you peak. BUT IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO PREDICT YOUR PEAK WHEN YOU JUST RUN IN THE BOX EXPECTING A FREE FRAG. I’ve killed people pre and post patch trying to do this and it just doesn't work out for them because they do not perform this tactic correctly. Post patch I’ve performed the edit strat against multiple people and peaked them properly and I get the kill with a pump. I guess that's part one of my feelings toward that recent change. Now I want to talk about something that many people may not like to hear but may also very well be the sad truth. Over aggression, its a thing and I’m certain it's the main cause of headache when it comes to people hating the new system. And don't confuse me please, there is a clear difference between playing aggressive and and then being overly aggressive. Over aggression puts you in shitty situations / circumstances just because you don't feel like being patient or want to hit a cool clip for reddit to POGGER to. Now this isn’t an issue but now there are proper weapons for wanting that type of play, these weapons are the ones that have a higher fire rate and lower switch time (post patch). But in the past the pump was the only shotgun in the game that can 200 effective health to 0 effective health someone and with literally 0 disadvantage of doing so (pre patch). There isn't an issue with the way it now function post patch and it's not like you can’t be aggressive with the pump at all it's just that you have to think a bit more with a weapon that CAN LITERALLY ONE SHOT ANYONE AND HAS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AMMUNITION TYPES IN THE GAME. When it comes to the swap speed of the rocket launcher and the other big chunky damage dealing weapons in the game I feel like this logic was applied to them and the amount of power they have is being controlled with switch speed instead of nerfing their direct damage. And to be quite frank, I’ve played this patch a bunch and haven’t changed my way aggressive playstyle one bit and I perform just as well. Going into Solo v Squads may be something that's a bit more difficult to pull off with these changes, but Squads wasn’t designed to favor an individual against four others. Overall I think people talking about the skill cap being lowered is a huge reach and is not the case. Speed =/= higher or lower skill cap. Every strategy can still be executed post patch as pre patch. Shotgun roles are much much more clear with this patch and that's something that I appreciate about the patch personally. I think a lot of this patch is a comfort thing that most people would rather not adjust to because they are used to the pacing of things before, with that I think they are letting the discomfort of pacing get in the way of viewing that things are still effective. Altho the sniper does feel ditsy as fuck at times with being able to scope in and still not being able to shoot… thats off O.o

  HIYA THANKS FOR READING THIS LONG ASS POST

  I'm pretty sure that's all I had to say, I encourage everything to list out their thoughts on the patch in a constructive manner other than saying “ITS THE WORST PATCH OF ALL TIME REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE”. If you disagree with me, that's fine. If you agree with me, that's fine. If it gets reverted, that’s fine. If it doesn’t, that’s fine. My point in making this post is to voice my honest opinion, not to try to convince anyone that my way is right or wrong. Much love, and as always, Keep Believing.

TLDR : Get your ass back up to the top and read all this shit, lazy ass…

[asaspro-blog]

Myth's Thoughts On Recent Changes <3

New Post: https://fortnite.asas.pro/myths-thoughts-on-recent-changes/

#fortnite #game #fun #esport #news

Myth's Thoughts On Recent Changes

Okay so im gonna go through my AUTHENTIC thoughts on how I feel about all the changes made with the game in the past few weeks. Let's start off with first shot accuracy.

  FIRST SHOT ACCURACY THOUGHTS

  Initially I was very very hesitant about keeping in the game and was kinda on the side of thinking that its absolute shit… ngl. As I continued to play with the new mechanic I do feel more and more comfortable with it being a part of the game, but I do feel like there are some things that are kinda scuffed with it. To begin with I feel like the actual time that it takes to get your reticle to FSA when you stand still is a little delayed. I think it would be much more enjoyable if this mechanic where to function in a manner where at the moment you are standing / crouching still you are granted FSA. Currently there is just this awkward delay that just doesn't feel right at times. The second and final thing I want to note is that this system functions primarily at a very far range. I'm unsure if this is a good or bad thing but there’s no way to ignore that this system is pretty much built for one or two scenarios and not a complete overhaul of RNG of the aiming system, but i'm pretty sure that its intent isn't to remove RNG. Things that this mechanic does pretty well though is bring us 100% accuracy, so that's one step forward. Being able to have the option to actually hit people with accuracy is super nice compared to us not having that option at all at any range. One thing I would like from EPIC would be for them to publicly state their current views on combat and aiming in a DevBlog or something, maybe a lil word about what happened to the recoil based system that was leaked a while ago. Maybe even let us try it in a LTM? Just seems kinda awkward that this second option was scratched entirely and hidden away from the community with no word or talk about it. I understand that shift happen and motives change when it comes to game development, would be nice to understand why those shifts / motives take place though.

  WEAPON SWITCHING (WELCOME TO FORTNITE POLITICS BOYZZZ. :D)

  Okay. I seem to understand most of the communities views on this specific mechanic change. Let me start off by trying to understand EPIC’s intentions. EPIC stated that this nerf was intented to “reduce the effectiveness of quickly switching between weapons for high burst-damage”. Personally I think this really isn't something that I think is wrong for EPIC to try to go for. In EPIC’s eyes they may see quickly switching to pump and other weapons being something that affects whatever plans they have for the game long term. But the primary concern from the community is that this nerf has reduced the skill cap / slowed down the pace of the game. The primary example that I’ve been hearing a whole lot about is the replace and edit peak strat. This is when you destroy someone's wall or floor then replace it with your own and edit a hole in it to create an opportunity to kill someone that is turtling (playing passively / boxing in and trying to heal). Many people feel as if the nerf on the pump switch allows the player that’s turtling a greater opportunity to fire back at you after you created the edit. My only question to anyone that shares this concern is why in the world are you editing then putting your face right in front of the whole you just edited? It makes no sense pre patch or post patch. The player within the box still has the opportunity to kill you pre patch when you don't properly execute on the replace and edit strategy, just because you haven’t been executing this strategy properly and you are now getting punished for it because of a slower switch speed doesn't necessarily mean that the game is being catered to the player at a “disadvantage”. And BTW, when it comes to that mechanic the only real advantage you have on the player is the unpredictability of the edit you decide to make and the time you peak. BUT IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO PREDICT YOUR PEAK WHEN YOU JUST RUN IN THE BOX EXPECTING A FREE FRAG. I’ve killed people pre and post patch trying to do this and it just doesn't work out for them because they do not perform this tactic correctly. Post patch I’ve performed the edit strat against multiple people and peaked them properly and I get the kill with a pump. I guess that's part one of my feelings toward that recent change. Now I want to talk about something that many people may not like to hear but may also very well be the sad truth. Over aggression, its a thing and I’m certain it's the main cause of headache when it comes to people hating the new system. And don't confuse me please, there is a clear difference between playing aggressive and and then being overly aggressive. Over aggression puts you in shitty situations / circumstances just because you don't feel like being patient or want to hit a cool clip for reddit to POGGER to. Now this isn’t an issue but now there are proper weapons for wanting that type of play, these weapons are the ones that have a higher fire rate and lower switch time (post patch). But in the past the pump was the only shotgun in the game that can 200 effective health to 0 effective health someone and with literally 0 disadvantage of doing so (pre patch). There isn't an issue with the way it now function post patch and it's not like you can’t be aggressive with the pump at all it's just that you have to think a bit more with a weapon that CAN LITERALLY ONE SHOT ANYONE AND HAS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AMMUNITION TYPES IN THE GAME. When it comes to the swap speed of the rocket launcher and the other big chunky damage dealing weapons in the game I feel like this logic was applied to them and the amount of power they have is being controlled with switch speed instead of nerfing their direct damage. And to be quite frank, I’ve played this patch a bunch and haven’t changed my way aggressive playstyle one bit and I perform just as well. Going into Solo v Squads may be something that's a bit more difficult to pull off with these changes, but Squads wasn’t designed to favor an individual against four others. Overall I think people talking about the skill cap being lowered is a huge reach and is not the case. Speed =/= higher or lower skill cap. Every strategy can still be executed post patch as pre patch. Shotgun roles are much much more clear with this patch and that's something that I appreciate about the patch personally. I think a lot of this patch is a comfort thing that most people would rather not adjust to because they are used to the pacing of things before, with that I think they are letting the discomfort of pacing get in the way of viewing that things are still effective. Altho the sniper does feel ditsy as fuck at times with being able to scope in and still not being able to shoot… thats off O.o

  HIYA THANKS FOR READING THIS LONG ASS POST

  I'm pretty sure that's all I had to say, I encourage everything to list out their thoughts on the patch in a constructive manner other than saying “ITS THE WORST PATCH OF ALL TIME REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE”. If you disagree with me, that's fine. If you agree with me, that's fine. If it gets reverted, that’s fine. If it doesn’t, that’s fine. My point in making this post is to voice my honest opinion, not to try to convince anyone that my way is right or wrong. Much love, and as always, Keep Believing.

TLDR : Get your ass back up to the top and read all this shit, lazy ass…